Staring at the Void [TSE Dominion of Rimcee]

[Darth Rixas]

Rixas' fighter sat in the belly of the TSE's fleet as he stood from his seat and to a holotable at the back of his cockpit. A wave of his hand activated the desk and atop it a schematic of the Station blossomed to life with a vibrant blue-white interface. Having sat in the dark of his ship for so long he slightly winced at the eruption of light before the system auto-detected his discomfort and lowered the brightness. Pursing his lips with mild irritation he waved his hand over entrance after entrance. A bay or two had been destroyed, others were discharging fighters, and the remaining were actually inactive and sealed. Considering the number of pirates present, Oron didn't doubt they didn't have enough men to operate and make use of all the bays, especially since a percentage would be dealing with infiltrators anyway. Deciding to use none of them, he scanned, analyzed, and saved a spot on the hull he'd decided to enter from, one thin enough for his lightsaber to sculpt, before deactivating the table and returning to his console. His fingers snapped a few buttons on the deck and he was headed towards the rear of his fighter as the ship advanced toward the station with a burst of speed.

The AI had little trouble maneuvering towards the Station as it was dealing with much larger crafts and a myriad of other fighters aside from Oron's own. Once in range, he slid his helmet on his head, listening as it sealed itself to the rest of his beskar'gam. Pressing a button on his forearm panel, he activated the reserve oxygen tank of his suit, and almost immediately afterwards punched a button mounted on the ceiling above his dropdock. Immediately afterwards, the four foot opening blossomed outwards and Oron dropped through the space.

Suddenly he was in the nigh silent vacuum of space as he descended towards the hull of the Station, only able to hear his breath as he inhaled and exhaled within his buy'ce. When ejected from the ship, the force of the procedure forced his head up, where it remained and he saw his fighter make a U-Turn towards the fleet, where it would await Oron's beckoning for extraction. Slowly moving his head and eyes downward, he saw only the silver-gray expanse of a massive ship slowly growing larger and larger as he neared it. As of now everything seemed to be going as planned, and yet, as if on que, something went wrong. Devoid of his hearing, thanks to the current vacuum he was traveling though, he couldn't hear the explosion but one had been birthed- and not far from him either. It was only evident by the extremely large amounts of vibrations traveling through his body, riddling his skin and muscle with constant movement as if he were a brass bell being beaten with a club. Then he saw the light of the dishcharged, as body was bathed with orange and red radiance.

A sharp look upwards gave Oron the sight of a recently destroyed freighter. In it's wake was an expanding knot of fire, twisting in a fireball that expanded several meters away from the point of impact before the cold of space wrapped its frigid tendrils of calm around it and quelled its flames into extinction. What could not be stopped however was the debris expelled from the explosion, some of which headed towards Oron.

Eyes widening, he used the Force to push himself out of the position of one of the larger pieces and into the path of smaller, less sharp, piece. Bracing himself, Oron pulled his arms across his chest in an 'X' as the blunt object slammed into him, sending the Sith Lord into spiral towards the station. The blow earned the wind from his chest and an inaudible gasp as he struggled to regain his breath. Squinting through tight eyes, Oron found the hull of the ship coming towards him much faster than anticipated and without the time or luxury to slow his descent his landing would be very loud. A knee slammed into the metallic exterior followed by both crushgaunt-covered hands pressing several inches into the hull before halting him. The impact of his landing was sure to give anyone underneath him ample time to prepare for infiltration.

Opting to head for an airlock instead, he used the Force to stamp his feet to the hull via telekinesis, and moved about the Station's exterior until he found an near his location. Swiping the handle with his lightsaber, he used a forearm to push open the door and trudged inside to find six pirates waiting for his arrival inside the hallway. So they're not as dumb as I thought they were. Looking to one of the grunts that moved his mouth as if he was about to speak, Oron decided he didn't feel like talking and instead moved a swift finger to his forearm panel and activated a short-range EMP. Knocking out the lights, droids, computers, and comms in his area at least for a few minutes. But the Dar'manda wouldn't need nearly that long to remove them from his path.

"What the feth happened to the lights?" One of them said with surprise and agitation.

"Where'd the Sith go? Somebody get a light on in here."

And in that moment, Oron's lightsaber sounded with a snap-hiss illuminating the two parties in a violet light. The only light illumanating the dark afterwards would be the orange lacerations of limbs being removed and torsos being dissected.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

OBJECTIVE: Murderise Scum

With the two Force-using corsairs dead, their entry into the control room had been secured. Enyo took little time to dispose of two unnamed technicians. One she shot in the head, but the senior one she caught and dragged over. "You will provide the command codes," she said calmly.
"I don't have access to them," the technician said, trying to in vain to get released.
Enyo tilted her head to the side, holstered her pistol, and took the woman's other arm in a vice-like grip. Ouch. "You will provide the command codes," she repeated.
"I don't-," she began, then screamed as Enyo began to squeeze her left wrist. The pirate technician struggled and hit at the HRD. Sadly that had no effect.
"I know this hurts you. It will stop when you provide me the command codes."
"I can't, no, please stop!"
Enyo squeezed harder. This produced a pop and a wailing scream. "Humans have 206 bones. This was one. I will continue to break the others until you die or aid me. You are not trained to resist torture. Your comrades have either been slaughtered or will be so soon. You will comply eventually. Do so now."
"You'll just kill me anyway, queen!" the woman exclaimed, crying.
"I gain no benefit from doing so if you comply," the droid replied calmly, emotionlessly. She received a silent ping from Gunther, who was outside guarding the rear. More pirates were on the way. But her expression remained the same. "If you do not comply, I will break you and then find my own way into the system. That is inevitable. Your suffering, however, is not."
The woman took a deep breath. "Alright...I'll tell you." And so she did.
However, as Enyo typed in commands, using the codes to take over the station's defence guns, the technician retrieved a thermal detonator she'd concealed inside her pocket. Before Enyo could react, the woman had flung it towards her. On instinct, she blasted the explosive with a telekinetic push, sending it flying back to the technician, who ducked for cover.
Boom. Enyo shielded herself, the technician cried out in pain as her legs got ripped apart. On the console, the screen read something along the lines of 'data access' granted. Oh, and the window got blown up. Outside, gunfire could be heard as Gunther fired upon pirates. "That was foolish. Why did you do that?" Enyo asked as tables, computers, the technician and herself felt the pressure of being pulled into space. "I knew you were lying. I might as well go down fighting and stop you," the anguished technician yelled.
"Illogical," as she threatened to be pulled into space, she sought to use her formidable strength to hold on. Her magnetic boots anchored her to the ground. Gunther did the same. Pandaemonium raged as pirates, whi had been following the retreating HRD suddenly found themselves holding for dear life as the void compelled them. The technician, meanwhile, screamed as she was sucked into the void. With all her strength being devoted to holding on, Enyo could not manipulate the console on the wall anymore.Technopathy completed the job. Not as good as she could have done otherwise, but enough. Some of the flak guns were reorientated and opened fire on pirate ships close to the station.

 

[Leliana]

Leliana had gone into this intending to embark on a solo mission. She needed something 'normal' or at least what could be considered such in her line of work. There would no doubt be plenty of killing and sneaking around, but it was better than trekking through sewers or listening to the little voice in her head.

Unfortunately the latter wasn't quite metaphorical as she would've liked.

The assassin had been doing some last checks on her ship; a Phasma-class Infiltrator that had been serving her well for a while now. But it was in that moment a woman suddenly walked up to her. Leliana did a double take, not quite expecting her to be blind of all things. She took one glance at the blank, pale eyes before looking away.

All it took was a single look, and Leliana knew she didn't like looking at them. Not necessarily out of any real rude intention, but there was something about them. Drawing her in...and that made her instantly recoil. Outwardly she had looked nonplussed, returning her attention to the ship. The blind woman had introduced herself; Imogen, and had asked if she could join on the mission.

Leliana said nothing, didn't even seem to acknowledge her, or her protocol droid. She didn't even need to look to know the woman was about to continue. But the assassin mentally sighed, knowing she didn't have time for this. Her window of opportunity was short, and getting shorter every minute that passed. So, she made the decision to speed things up.

"Fine. Just get on the ship." The assassin didn't miss a beat as she finished her checks and moved towards the ramp. She heard a slight scramble behind her, Imogen not really expecting her to suddenly accept. A seeker droid greeted the trio as they boarded the ship, its optics moving around in a curious manner at the newcomers.

"Go and make sure the stealth system is prepped and ready." The floating droid let out a chirp, before zooming away deeper into the ship. It left Leliana to guide Imogen and her droid to the ship's cockpit. No words were shared as the assassin was very much not use to having others with her on her ship. Hell, even when she was accompanying fellow assassins, or even her master, Leliana remained silent often.

The silence however gave Imogen plenty of time to examine the shroud as she followed behind the woman. It looked almost like fog or mist, that clung to Leliana unnaturally. There wasn't even the slightest twitch of movement. One could just about see the faint outline of shapes; a pair of arms wrapped around her neck, with something akin to a head resting on her left shoulder.

Her focus would be broken however as they reached the cockpit. Leliana gestured to the nearby seats, still saying little before going about prepping the ship.

“You aren’t used to travel companions, are you?”

"No, not really."

[member="Imogen Daniels"]​

 

[Onrai]

"There you are."

Vanessa smiled before opening her eyes, as though she were possessed, and typing coordinates into a console before her. These coordinates, as rehearsed in previous exercises, were sent to the bridge of the ​Ablution​, where they were disseminated via a coded comm burst to Crimson Command. The XoXaans immediately began to open fire across the entirety of the asteroids, destroying them and pulverizing the pirate ships hidden within. Vanessa knew that these riffraff were not the sort she wanted to regurgitate into the Greater Maldrood. Such would be a waste of effort and resources - these sort of men had no loyalty or experience and would more than likely attempt to steal any ships they were assigned to.

A pathetic existence, surely.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

On the outskirts of the system, far away from the pirate thread were two smol ships.

They had just engaged docking protocols with one another.

Why?

Because a meeting was to take place between a high-level Saaraisash operative and someone... else. It wasn't easy to establish such connections from the get-go. They were busy people after all and with Jaminere? That only got more busy as far as Jairus was concerned. But there are ways and there are certain words that can inspire interest when whispered in the right ears.

One of these words had come from a palace servant on Bastion.

They had whispered Carach and all of a sudden people became quite interested indeed. He was dead, wasn't he? But here that word came 'round, spun and sung like it still had meaning.

A large man stepped out of the docking tube. Robes with gilded embroidery, eyes just as golden, studying the angles of [member="Tabigarashu Madara"]'s ship. The coordinates had been correct, the time too, he waited patiently for his host to arrive. One of the precautions had been simple: Jairus would be the one stepping foot in their ship rather than the other way around.

The Sith Lord was fine with that.

Sometimes one must simply trust, even if it wasn't in their nature to do so.

 

[Tabigarashu Madara]

There was a reason for that precaution, though it wasn't necessarily obvious right away. After all, this particular agent would be very, very vulnerable if a contact were to turn sour.

As it turned out, someone was already waiting for him. Of course, Hirou was accustomed to being over looked. More often than not, it served them very well indeed.

A small throat clearing drew attention down.

Easy to miss, really. The little mouse, standing there formally. Dressed in a neat little jacket, black and gold and very smart looking indeed. Tai Fa had commissioned it specifically for them, and the Nezumi was very pleased with it. Paws settled at the small of their back, Hirou rocked forward on their toes slightly, then back to their heels. Even here, they couldn't quiet help it.

Standing still was difficult for the Nezumi.

"Welcome Carach," came the small voice, friendly and eager and entirely incongruous with the entire idea of what the Saarashaish represented.

"I am Agent Tabigarashu Madara, but you may call me Hirou. There is a meeting room, right through that door, if you would care to sit?"

[member="Jairus Starvald"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Tabigarashu Madara"]

Jairus waited.

Then his head tilted.

The cough reached him in due course before the Sith Lord looked down, peering, before localizing the source of it. Once he noticed Hirou physically he also suddenly felt that presence at the edge of his awareness. Smol, fragile, but beating with a steady pump of valor. His own presence reached out- the mountain's touch gentle as it slowly curled around that of the mouse.

"A Nezumi?" They whispered slowly, pronouncing every syllable with caution. "Your people have come far indeed, Agent Tabigarashu Madara." The scrutiny increased for a singular moment.

The presence slowly folded into itself and the air in the room seemed clearer now that the power wasn't slowly seeping into it.

"Very well." Carach finally said verbally, before nodding. Together they would enter the room adjacent to the former one. There was a seat, a table and on top of the table was another smoller table for Hirou. Luckily the seat was large enough for him... that would have been annoying otherwise. Jairus settled himself, waiting patiently for Hirou to settle himself behind his table too.

Then a nod.

"I prefer to go by Jairus Starvald these days." A sigh as the raw presence was pulled into himself more. "How goes the expansion of the Empire, Agent of Saaraishash?"

The Dragon seemed to have accepted the Mouse without so much as a blink.

 

[Delaney Wilder]

[member="Dr. Vain Jar'He"] | [member="Farah"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]

With a bright smile (one that would sadly not be seen or enjoyed) Jain watched as Joycelyn tried to keep track of them.

Even the little gesture when she called her Jain and Vain Vain.

"Oh. No, no, I am Vain." A gesture towards the right. "They are Jain." The smile grew wicked, but this was a game that Jain did so enjoy to play. "We are trying a new experiment to see how fast people will discover us." A glance past Joycelyn towards Sebastian and his companion. "They were quite believable, no?" In truth Ve'Rah thought that Sebastian was perfectly pleasant.

A very nice boy.

But sometimes you just needed to allow certain hurts for the greater good of the play.

"As for projects outside of the mind- we are exploring a type of venom from a Kruskan predator. Promising applications." A glance over to Vain to see if there was anything that they would like to add here.

 

[LT-137]

​

RIMCEE STATION​

​

There was something beautifully uncomplex about pirates; especially those that infested the installation of Rimcee station. Like the many gangs that rose and fell throughout the ages, those with ample wealth and power stood at the pinnacle of command - lording their riches over their envious subordinates. Well, that was until those beneath had grown tired of being sheep, and had risen up against their masters - either overthrowing them and reaping the rewards of their sudden burst of courage, or dying in the attempt. Regardless of what may have occurred, these Pirates had seemingly chosen poorly in claiming their roost. They had to have known that the Sith would one day turn their gaze upon their own backyard, but had chosen to nestle themselves against the bosom of the Sith Empire.

That was a mistake and one that the Sith-Imperial Armada and the Legion’s thereafter would make them pay for.

It was more than likely assets were deployed ahead of the cruisers, seeking to sever the head of the serpent whilst it’s attention was focused elsewhere. Thus, the Golden Company had elected to assist their present employers in decimating the entirety of the vagrant flotilla that was mustered in vain. Doubtlessly, they believed themselves worthy enough to challenge the might of a Sith-Imperial taskforce, or at least create a distraction while their station-bound kin had sought to deny these invaders of their prize. It was a pity they wouldn’t provide much resistance in the face of the Armada’s might, but such were the thoughts of cornered dogs who held onto the fragile ideals of hope.

Standing aboard the command deck of the Solvognen, Khonsu’s eyes narrowed as he watched the paltry flotilla move to intercept his Corvette’s sudden arrival. There were other vessels deployed through the system, many of which were focused on containing these upstarts or annihilating them as soon as they were within range. However, those that drove towards his lone Corvette? They were claimed by the Thyrsians and their warship, and would soon learn the folly of their ways. As dozens of starships had soared across the solar winds, Khonsu and his fellow Legate - Lanius - had set about ordering their men to battle stations.

When the first vessels came within range, the forward-mounted guns of the Solvognen opened fire - filling the sea of infinite black with lances of emerald and sapphire. The Sun Guard would bathe the star-ways in their blood this day and would ensure that none survived the noose that slowly began to tighten about their necks.

 

[Irajah Ven]

The Nerd Squad (and Joyce)

[member="Dr. Jain Ve'Rah"] [member="Farah"] [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] [member="Sebastian Thel"]

A snort came from the masked form, and it wasn't clear to whom it was addressed. Farah and her comment about withering away? Joyce's question about their projects? Jain's game on which was who? It was impossible to tell.

Though Jain's game was ruined when she turned her back on them all and went over to the caf machine to pour herself a cup. Really, the caf from the cafeteria was the exact same stuff, but that involved walking way too far for caf when she could have it within reach. Also, there was no telling if someone would have left the pot empty there, and Vain was fastidious about putting on a new pot when she emptied the old. There was still half a pot left- that of course didn't stop her from shooting dagger eyes at the young men who had come here looking for it.

The mug disappeared under the masked beak. Even when drinking and eating, if it was in public, Vain and Jain wore the masks.

Honestly it was clear before that because there was no way Vain could actually pretend to be Jain for even a minute.

It required social skills... or energy put into social skills.

Either way.

Not happening.

"You're installing that upside down."

"What? No I'm-"

"You're installing that upside down and you are also an idiot. Better?"

See?

 

[Sebastian Thel]

Location: The Observatory
Allies: [member="Dr. Vain Jar'He"], [member="Dr. Jain Ve'Rah"], [member="Farah"], [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]

Just as the young researcher reached towards the caf machine, he was instantly snapped back at by Doctor Jar'He. Looking over his shoulder, Sebastian heard him squeal as he retracted his hand, then ran away down the corridor. Sebastian winced and made a mental note to never touch Doctor Jar'He's caf machine in the future.

"My apologies, Doctor Jar'He." The mathematician ran a hand through his hair as he spoke in a genuine tone. "Coffee from the cafeteria sounds good." He turned to Farah and nodded without any desire to escalate the situation even more.

When Joycelyn ignored his update regarding the research conducted on the station, Sebastian recoiled and lowered his head slightly. The Sith Warlord was clearly not interested in scientific pursuits and was only on the station to uphold defenses. Truly, he struggled to keep up with the conversation at hand and would have much rather explain his research than engage in small-talk.

"Believe me, I found it difficult at first." He said regarding the the topic of telling Vain and Jain apart. "After a while I was able to tell who was who." Sebastian finished as he continued to awkwardly run a hand through his hair.

 

[Onrai]

The fire continued until Vanessa sensed there was no more life. Again, as though she were entranced, she robotically sent the command to the bridge, it being spread from there to Crimson Command. Soon the XoXaan IIs stood down, ceasing fire on the pulverized asteroids from which small chunks of starship detritus emerged. If they had Carrack IIs, perhaps their existence would have been a bit more sound. Unfortunately, such was not the case. Pirates were notorious for their usage of salvaged craft, with no concept of standardization. The few gangs of Imperial pirates, former naval forces of the original Sith Empire, were the exception to the rule and could for the most part be found with the equipment at the time they went AWOL.

They could potentially be redeemed. But not these scum.

"This is the Ablution​ to all Sith naval units. The pirate forces are dead. The station is home free for any and all boarding parties." She smiled, though now she had to figure out what to do. Crimson Command's ability to spread itself across the battlefield while still possessing significant firepower to pulverize the asteroids in record time was quite beneficial, and she was certain that like the originals, this iteration of the legendary havod-hulled warships would serve the Empire well. She could only hope at this rate - the last thing she wanted was for them to end up in the Greater Maldrood's fleet alone.

 

[Ordo]

The man walked down the boarding ramp with heavy steps. His large yellow eyes scanned the area out of habit, an old warrior's urge told him to always be aware of his surroundings and some habits weren't worth breaking. He wasn't overly fond of Sith but he had learned over the years to compartmentalize feelings and he wasn't one to break a contract.

A heavy load lifter droid moved to receive his cargo and he watched calmly as the large crate was pulled from his cargo hold. A being approached as he waited and he looked down at the being as it demanded his shipping manifest. A heavy weathered hand produced the datacard and passed it to the official with out comment.

"And who are you here to see?" The official asked.

"Read the paperwork." He said his deep voice like stones in a fabri-dyrier, "Dr. Vain Jar'he ordered this from MandalTech. I'm just the pilot."

It was a lie, partially, but he didn't much care to announce that MandalTech's owner made deliveries out of boredom. At least not to random officials.

"I'll have to clear it, Mr..." the being replied.

"Mr. I'll wait." The big man replied and went back to watching the droid.


[member="Dr. Vain Jar'He"]

 

[Tabigarashu Madara]

[member="Jairus Starvald"]

A Nezumi yes. People had no imagination. But Hirou had found that trait to serve them well in service to the Saaraishash, so it was difficult to be offended when it was such a useful trait in others.

Not a force user, Jairus's scrutiny within it went without comment or indeed, notice. It was both a bane and a boon for the little agent. While there were times when having that gift would have made things not only easier, but indeed as times the impossible possible, it had also kept them safe and unnoticed on more than one occasion. Sometimes, Hirou watched those with it, not with jealousy, but a certain wistfulness. It had not, however, in any way impeded their rise within the Empire's Inquisition and so it remained something that was both occasionally lamented but more often incredibly useful to the Nezumi.

"Then Jairus Starvald you shall be," the little creature responded with enthusiasm.

It was not uncommon for Nezumi to change their names, often several times over the course of their lives.

The ship had been built from design to the end with the Nezumi in mind- a gift in it's way, but one meant for facilitating the Nezumi's capacities within the Saaraishash. Rather than make shift ladders, a spiral stair case brought them up to the top of the table, where they sat at the smaller table afforded them. The meeting room was set up to accommodate anything from another Nezumi to a Herglic or a Whipid, so there was no problem with Jairus's size. If he glanced around he would in fact see larger chairs, as well as smaller, waiting around the perimeter of the room. Hirou was a very thoughtful creature. Such things were important.

"Well!" They responded brightly. "Except for that mess on Jaminere." That was not a state secret. Indeed there was no hiding it and the Empire did not pretend to.

Folding their paws on the table, Hirou tipped their head curiously at Jairus.

"Your reputation and the connections you have made with certain members of the upper echelons of the Empire have granted you this meeting. I will not pretend that we have attempted to look into your whereabouts for the last year and a half and found.... nothing. Some of my superiors have concerns about this meeting happening at all."

To be fair, Hirou only answered to one person. But the peacock was always concerned.

"So tell me.... what is it you wish to speak to the Saaraishash about, Jairus Starvald?"

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Tabigarashu Madara"]

Jaminere had been amusing to follow.

How the Sith Empire had managed to kark up expanding towards a world that was notoriously pro-imperial was beyond him. First an assassination attempt on the Dark Lord himself, then followed up by days of riots and apparently a healthy dose of separatism. It was anyone's guess if the Empire would be able to contain it and remain in charge or if they'd be forced to pull out for now.

Very, very amusing.

[member="Irajah Ven"] and him had a good laugh about it once Jairus was allowed to share. "I am aware of the interest the Sith Empire has when it comes to Coruscant." It was a logical target in itself and there were few things that could truly be hidden from a mentalist with nothing but time.

Time and connections in the underworld that had been expanded in the past few years.

"I am beginning my own operations there- a... cult of a sort. Destabilization. It seems to me it would be a logical thing to cooperate on these matters." A lazy stretch as one leg crossed the other. Studying the curious scene before him. How it was that a Nezumi had risen so far up the... ladder of the Empire was beyond him. The Sith weren't exactly known for their desire of subtlety.

"In return for its support I will personally get involved with my followers when the time comes."

The last few times Carach had gotten personally involved? Worlds had fallen.

 

[Darth Athora]

"Keep the pressure up. We've got them outnumbered and outmatched."

The Malicious One moved with fearsome grace at the hands of it's pilot, Zahori Denko. She did not normally choose to engage the enemy in her starfighter, but she believed that a fleet of destroyers would not be necessary and just a waste of resources. She only needed herself and Dagger Squadron.

"We've got em on the run. Dagger Two, you've got a straggler on you. Evasive maneuvers."

"They're on my tail. Can't shake 'em. Need help! Agh!" The feed cut off from Dagger Two. The pirates easily swarmed the young pilot. Zahori felt no sympathy. He knew what he signed up for. They all did. She only felt disappointment that he died to a band of lowlife pirates. Nonetheless, the battle continued.

 

[Irajah Ven]

Nerd Squad plus Joyce
[member="Dr. Jain Ve'Rah"] [member="Farah"] [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] [member="Sebastian Thel"]

Somewhere, halfway across the galaxy, someone with the same face as Vain had ordered the same equipment. But neither knew it. Oh, the other might have cared, but as long as Vain got the delivery, that was all that mattered to them.

A soft tone sounded over the intercom.

"Doctor Jar'He?"

The beaked mask turned up slightly.

"Continue."

"There is a delivery at dock six, from MandalTech."

Vain was moving before they were even finished explaining. It was getting crowded and *social* in here and Vain hated it. To be fair, Vain hated everything except caf, Jain, and the Zambranos as a general idea (she reserved the right to make judgments on individuals however). This one of the doctor duo swept out, making eye contact with Jain for a moment and then, right at the end, raising the mug of caf in Farah's general direction.

It was the closest thing to 'affection' that came out of the doctor.

****

[member="Faeroth Uraan"]

It took nearly ten minutes for the diminutive figure, all robes and mask, to reach dock six.

"Shoo, he's fine," came the distorted voice. "I said shoo, get out of the way."

The docking attendants scattered as Vain approached. A gloved hand stretched out toward the delivery paper work.

"Unload it and open the case. No I don't want it unboxed here I just want to seeeeeee it."

There wasn't much Vain got excited about. This qualified.

 

[Imogen Daniels]

To say Imogen wasn’t surprised when Leliana confirmed her question, that she was in fact not used to travel companions was an understatement.

Her curiosity had been peaked. The darkness that clung to Leliana like a second skin had called out to Imogen, a siren in the night. Manipulating and digging its fingers into the inner crevices of her mind until it took all she had to focus on the task at hand, and not the steady pulsing coming from the darkness. If Imogen were to find anything out about what it was she knew she had to earn Leliana’s trust. That meant not jumping ship mid flight - though Imogen was sure that was a surefire way of ending any and all discomfort that may ensue - and instead help at Rimcee Station like she had planned.

Turning her head and offering Leliana a smile, Imogen didn’t miss the way the woman wouldn’t quite make eye contact for too long with her. You’re unsettling Immy, always have been - just more tangible now. “I know I don’t look like much, especially with these... “ A hand raised up, pointing lazily at her milky white eyes before she continued, “... but I won’t get in your way. I’ve come to find these are actually quite beneficial in situations such as these.”

Arriving at Rimcee Station​

The rest of the flight went without a hitch, and the two arrived at Rimcee Station a while later. They had planned on heading towards the back entrance, and after assuring the two had everything they wished to take with them, Imogen assured her companion droid she’d be fine and took off with Leliana.

Rolling her shoulders, Imogen reached out with the Force, gathering a flittering projection of what was around them. Feet landing softly on the ramp as she left the ship, she turned to Leliana once more.

“I’ll keep an eye out for any life forms coming at us ahead of time.”

Imogen couldn’t help but chuckle slightly, her terrible pun ringing lightly through the air between them.

[member="Leliana"]​

 

[Tabigarashu Madara]

[member="Jairus Starvald"]

If they had dipped into that conversation, Hirou could have offered the view that being there had been quite the opposite of amusing. Of course, if just how Jairus felt about the Empire (and his connection to a woman thought dead) had been known.... well, this meeting wouldn't have been happening at all.

Hirou leaned back in their chair, head cocking in the other direction.

"What sort of support?"

The Saaraishash did not operate significantly outside of the Empire's borders. Occasionally, and with good reason yes, but cautiously and only ever in direct benefit to the empire.

Hirou did not comment on the Empire's interest in Coruscant. They had been following the situation there over the last months closely. Watching the decay, the rise and increasing volume of the Coruscant First movement. It was no secret that the Alliance were the enemies of the Empire, after all. The assumption that the Sith would have at least some interest in their enemies capital was both sound and simple. It required no inner knowledge to deduce.

They also didn't comment on his 'involvement'. That was all in the files and Hirou had no doubt that the human could deliver.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Tabigarashu Madara"]

What kind of support could the Saaraishash offer him?

Plenty.

Recruits for one. Dissidents whose minds were broken, other criminals that had been swept off the streets because they had interfered or otherwise broken the very laws that the organization was trying to protect and uphold. "Bodies." Simple really. "Whoever you have no use for and simply hold, give them to me." There were several ranks and grades of cultists.

Some needed their mind.

Others? "You won't ever see them again and they will not be a problem for the Empire." That was another thing that was part of Carach's reputation. He had never lied and always kept his word.

For a Sith Lord who had talked as much as he had?

That spoke of his regard for his word.

"Once the time comes they will be an anvil on which the Sith's hammer will crush the Alliance." For instance Jairus knew that there would be prisoners right here in this system. The pirates of the station, some of them would perhaps have information the Saaraishash wanted. But the vast majority? Just muscled bodies that knew how to fight but couldn't be released out on the streets.

Too... chaotic for that.