The Fractured Planet [Republic Remnant Dominion of Makeb]

[Republic Storyteller]

​

In days gone, Makeb was a highly prosperous planet. It was ruled by mining and banking groups, and a popular tourist attraction. The people that lived on the world became insanely rich by virtue of the fact that the world was undiscovered and absolutely rich with minerals to extract. But when the core became destabilized, the Republic came and evacuated everyone and kicked out the Hutts. The Empire, meanwhile, stabilized the core. For the longest time, everyone thought the world destroyed, but it wasn't. It was just uninhabitable.​

​

Now, with the Empire no longer in control of the world, other mining companies have moved in, but those companies are threatened by the resurgent galactic empire and their lackeys, not to mention others vying for control of the lucrative Isotope-5 mining on the world. A false distress signal has been put out, leading to the Republic to send in a response team, but that response team has gone dark.​

​

Now it's time to rescue the rescuers.​

​

A rescue squad has been sent to Makeb to assess the nature of the distress signal and begin a response. This team has gone dark, ambushed by Imperial forces on the world, and largely destroyed. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go in covertly and discover the situation of the advance team, and extract them.​

​

The mining facilities are currently rag tag and operated by several different mining organizations. Work to get them to switch their allegiance from themselves to a lucrative position as sole supplier of the Republic. This will require dealing with the local politicians, some of whom may be leaning towards staying solo.​

​

Find the main base of imperial operations on the planet and attack it. The Empire cannot be allowed to hold territory on a world so close to the main core of the Republic. Eliminate their presence to make it easier to sway the local populace of miners to join the Republic.​

​

Spoiler

[member="Adder Dawnracer"][member="Adilene Gallier"][member="Alexander Sannes"][member="Alexandra Feanor"][member="Alkin Stunmurk"][member="Alyson Halle"][member="Anarya Drast"][member="Auron Song"][member="Avin Starfire"][member="Azreth Vandic "][member="Bartic Myth'rand"][member="Bastet Sarang"][member="BD-57"][member="Belizarius Krusi"][member="Brynn Lendix"][member="Cassius Droma"][member="Cato Marek"][member="Cedric Grayson"][member="Corran Cath"][member="Ever Dawnracer"][member="Harley Fenstermacher"][member="Icarn Amonta"][member="Ikki Ike"][member="Inas Reut"][member="Iona Immarya"][member="Jak Sandrow"][member="Jaster of Clan Awaud"][member="Jesse Organa"][member="Joshua Tucker"][member="Jost Garr"][member="Jyoti Nooran"][member="Kasari Xesh"][member="Kaya Harfeld"][member="Kian Karr"][member="Kolab Shansaash"][member="Korynn Sol-Syna"][member="Kyle Tethair"][member="Lilla Syrin"][member="Lok Jorunn"][member="Lokthra Dawning"][member="Mark Crassis"][member="Matthew Calderon"][member="Mereel Vaun"][member="Natsuki Xao"][member="Orn Pharr"][member="Priscilla Utorna"][member="Qyren Vessk"][member="Sanya Val Swift"][member="Saran Drast"][member="Shoma Ike"][member="Snake blasted"][member="Téa Kensington-Evans"][member="Tekikyskei"][member="Thaaros Klopp"][member="The Dark Man"][member="Tiland Kortun"][member="Tobias Dracks"][member="Tugoro Taidarious"][member="Turanis Torkin"][member="Tydus Wryeens"][member="Tylane of Isobe"][member="Tyra Solo"][member="Tyrena Kaia"][member="Vora-Nas"][member="Zek Koth"]

 

[Adilene Gallier]

​

Adilene Gallier​

Unofficial Sheriff of Last Hearth​

Objective Two​

​

​

Adilene tapped her fingers against her desk, the metallic thudding echoing through her humble office. Well, office was a very generous term, it was more a shed that was hastily put up next to the most structurally sound building in town that acted as the local jail. News had been spreading throughout the colony like a wild fire, the Republic Remnant, which Adilene could only assume were the whipped dogs that had lost the last war and had slunk off to force knows where, were on their way here, to Makeb. It had been something of a mixed reception. Some in town were excited, it was a change of pace from factory hired mercenary, Empire goons or pirates, but Adilene wasn't convinced it was a good change. The Republic can screw the little guy just as bad as any Empire could, they would just do it more politely and with four times the red tape.

Why were they coming to Makeb? Well, that reason was obvious. There wasn't much out here besides them and no one came to Makeb for the sights, well, at least, not since the Hutts broke the planet trying to get to the same thing the Republic Remnant had come for. Adilene was sure they would do their best to pretend otherwise, but power lay within Makeb. It was the reason numerous factories and companies claimed part of the planet, it was the reason this colony existed. Last Hearth, the largest of Makeb's very few colonies, was the home to many factory workers and researches. Most of which didn't even work for the same company, but it mattered very little, the planet made them all kin, in an odd way. She doubted many of the corporations would be thrilled the Republic was coming, while they may play peacefully, Adilene knew there was very little say they would get incorporated. If they didn't become a 'member' of it, they would still be in the 'territory' and so still pay taxes but get the added bonus of not getting a say in what happened.

Adilene's tapping increased in tempo and force as her irritation at the situation grew. To make matters worse, local hotheads, likely financed by some of the more independent minded corporations, were fueling the idea of resisting the Republic. Of sending them packing to whatever force-forsaken section of the galaxy they had crawled out of. Not only was this idea a delusion born from stupidity as it simply couldn't be done, kicking off some ragtag pirates was one thing, a trained military force would have them broken in a week, but it only left the door open for another, less polite, government to come poking their noses around and with the local Empire forces growing stronger, she would see Makeb shatter fully before she let those two-bit murderers take it. The world didn't need more overcompensating superweapons floating around, someday, those Sith may realize that having the biggest doom laser around didn't make their package any bigger, but she highly doubted it. They weren't the cleverest of bunch.

While she may not like it, she had placed herself firmly in the Pro-Republic boat during the local town meetings, meetings which were necessary as Last Hearth lacked a mayor, she was the closest thing to authority they had so decisions that effected the colony was decided and voted for as a group which was a whole other headache she didn't want to deal with. Her blue eyes shot to the door when it opened, the rusted metal letting out a whine as it opened, a young zabrak boy, Gatoa, poked his head in, one of his horns lightly bumping against the thin walls, "Ms. Gallier!" Gatoa said, his face beat red, well, redder then normal and his voice came out in gasps as he tried to regain his breath, "Trouble! Big trouble!"

It took ever fiber of her being to not punch the very table she had just been tapping, of course there would be trouble. Why wouldn't their be trouble on the day the Republic was coming to bend them over the counter and drill them for all they were worth? "What is it?" Adilene asked and braced for the worst. Gatoa tried to answer but it came out in wheezes, "Try breathing some more then try again," she offered ever so helpfully.

Gatoa nodded a few times as he took in deep breaths, "Mr. Thomas is causing a ruckus down at the cantina, ma said she didn't like the look of the strangers he brought with him. Said I was to run and get you before trouble started."

"Son of a puss ridden Hutt," Adilene said, her voice venomous, "That sleazy, no good Bantha karking," she stopped in her rant when she remembered her present company, "I'll be right there, you go straight home," as Gatoa turned to leave, Adilene added on quickly, "And don't tell your mother I swore!" The last thing she needed was a cross Mrs. Rokor, she'd sooner deal with a hundred bandits armed with nothing but a rusty toliet brush then face that woman in a fit.

Gatoa flashed her one more smile before racing out the door. Adilene rose from her chair and started for the door, of course it would be Luther causing problems. It was always Luther causing problems who was, as she had often, fondly, described as a stupid son of a hutt.

​

Adilene pushed open the door to the cantina and walked in, the rim of her duster scraped against the dirty floor as she took stock. Luther, an older, balding man who held a very high opinion of himself and thought he should be mayor, stood on the podium, usually reserved for entertainers or, not rarely enough, the local poetry club. Some people, she noted most of which were pro-independence, stood at the base of the podium listening to Luthor give, what she can only assume, was a long winded speech about independence and fighting the oppressors, of course, the fact Luthor owned large sections of Makeb that had many factories on which earned him a massive profit that was, currently, tax free likely had nothing to do with his political view. Luthor was almost as bad as the few locals that thought the arrival of the Republic meant they would be getting handouts, by the force she hated politics.

A few hecklers stayed at their table, taking sips at their drinks and pausing only long enough to jeer at Luthor or laugh at something another one of their numbers said. Truly, politics at its finest. Among the hecklers, she spotted Jarrod, the man who had crafted her peacekeeper, why the old man was at the cantina in the middle of the day was beyond her, but she doubted it was anything good. The old fox never did anything without cause. With a long sigh and a grit of her teeth, Adilene pushed her way through the crowds towards the podium pausing only to toss Jarrod her hat and give him simple instructions to 'keep it safe' as if someone damaged her hat, someone was likely to get shot and that was another thing she was in no mood to deal with today. She arrived at the top of the stage just in time to get to the tail end of Luthor's speech of oppression and, as if he couldn't have timed it better if he tried, she arrived just in time to become the next target and point.

"And look now folks, our 'brave' law enforcer coming to shut us down for speaking out minds!" Luthor said, melodramatically raising his fist in solidarity to a mixture of cheers and jeers from the crowd, "Well, I'm sorry sheriff, but free speech is my right, a right that I don't see the Republic caring half as much about as they should."

"This is not the time for this and I'm not in the mood for this today, Mr. Thomas," Adilene said, doing her best to keep civil, from the corner of her eye, she spotted two armed men, apparently each believed that pumping large, heavy metal weights made them more intimidating looking which, well, was the truth but when someone has been nearly mauled by an upset Wookie, a few overly muscled human males weren't much. "The Republic prats will be here soon, and I will not allow a riot to get in the way of the negotiations. Not in my town."

"This ain't your town, this is our town, you see people, this is the problem! Right here!" Luthor said, "People like the sheriff and the republic stepping on people that just want to live on their own! Who want freedom! We ain't going to get nothing from talking to no bureaucrats from some far off planet with a stick shoved so far up their..."

"That's enough, Luthor," Adilene said, a note of warning in her throat as she stepped towards the man even as his two hired goons moved closer to her as well, the non-verbal threat very clear as they lowered their big ham sized fist to their sidearms.

"Or what? You're going to arrest me for speaking my mind? For speaking the truth?" Luthor said, confident in his position of power and just smug enough to show off his breeding and enjoyment of putting people at a disadvantage.

"No, I'm going to break your nose if one more word comes out of that karking hole you call a mouth," Adilene said, her voice level and calm, in her mind, it was no threat, it was a promise.

"I'd like to se-" Whatever he said was cut off as Adilene moved. She took one step to her left and her hand shot up as she jabbed two fingers deep into one of the brute's throats, his eye's bulged as his two meaty hands came up to clutch as his neck, trying to draw air back into his lungs. Her peacekeeper was in her other hand, trained on the chest of the second brute before he realized what just happened, "You move and I'll give you another hole," Adilene said through gritted teeth, more then fed up with this situation and more then ready to vent the frustration that had been building over the last week on any unlucky person that crossed her path. The brute lifted his hand away from his gun and Adilene motioned him over to stand next to his 'friend' who was still wheezing on the ground.

"W-" Luthor began, but Adilene held up a finger, "Not another word. You're going home, now. Tell your husband, Cij'foto, that if you step even one foot out of your house until this is all said and done, you will be in jail faster then you can say the word Republic, do you understand me?" The middled aged man nodded, his face red with anger but before he could leave, Adilene lashed out, the butt of her pistol smashing into his nose with a satifisying crunch as she kept her word. Luthor toppled to the ground boneless as he fell unconcious.

"Take him home," she said to the recovering guards and turned to the assembled crowd, "Anyone not here to buy a drink, kark off!"

 

[Sanya Val Lerium]

[member="Adilene Gallier"]

Sanya sat watching the commotion been caused. Really she found it amusing and everything the man said was well just utterly wrong. It was clear the guy liked to stir up rumours to help his ego. Still she sat there drinking the turquoise cocktail. The place was kind of dirty and furniture that looked as if it had been broken a thousand times and probably did. After all the people sure gave her the idea they often got some rowdy people in. A woman came in and put him in his place quickly. Her methods was somewhat similar to most of the neighbouring worlds that had a rag tag law enforcement.

Sanya stood up her ears twitched and tail flicked. Credits for the drink was dropped onto the table as she finished it in a few gulps. Her eyes focused onto the woman who seemed in charge. She must be the one to speak to about the area. The feline woman walked up to the woman with a sway I her step. “So miss. I take it you have some authority around here correct?” Sanya asked clearly probing for information straight away. “My name Is Sanya Val Swift, Queen of Ancora and CEO of Inquisition Industries. I have came here in search for land I could set up on. Although I’ve noticed many places are taken.”

“You see I’m currently looking to relieve someone of their facilities that is sat on a rich area of isotope 5. Maybe someone who causes issues for the area or has a less favourable moral disposition. Don’t suppose you know anyone or where do you?” There was no beating around the bush with the questions. Simple was best and normally came with simple answers. Although she had a feeling that there would be something she’d have to do in order to receive the information. A place like this colony looked as if it could always use the extra work. "I mean if need be I could simply help you with the republic. You see my people and my allies are allies with them so you could say we have a good relationship."

 

[Harley Fenstermacher]

[SIZE=13.5pt]Objective 3 (Don't fuc with this senator)[/SIZE]
Goal: 'Weapons testing' yer that
Post: 1

Harley's business was starting to boom, HLCS already producing three craft for military use, a walker, hover assault tank and a tracked APC, all fine product, the only problem was lack of battle field analysis, and what better way to get that then on a battlefield. Well a soon to be battlefield, first the Republic Remanent forces needed to find the Imperial base on this world, oh but when they found it, boom boom, crash crash. To top it all off Harley had insisted that the Dead Man's Legions (a penal squad or Hutt prisoners) operate her craft, after all if unskilled people like this could handle them well anyone could, also meant if a craft was disabled no one important would die.

At the moment the Echani senator had delivered 5 of every type of craft created, 5 AP-JTs, 5 MAT-Nr3s and 5 IX-1s, all with a standard battlefield load out, ready to roll and kick some imperial ass. "Well I guess the First Order, hee hee first order, *ahem* of business is to find the Imperial hide out, as such AP-JT should take the lead since they are designed to be scouts, do not worry your armour will mean it is able to stand up to most arms". It would be interesting to see how her products wold fair, though it really depended on if proper RR forces joined the fight, that could muddle things up, so far no one else had arrived, then again Harley's small army was easier to transport then a Republic attack force.

As ordered the large AP-JT's took point, walking forwards in a wide fan like pattern, operators scanning the country side for any sign of imperial movement, Harley sitting back and enjoying the show.

 

[Tobias Dracks]

Objective 2 (Gain some Republic Respect)
Goal: Work with the World to get the materials needed
Post: 1


The scaled man sat in the bar with a hood that overtook his face and even hid his hands as it closely resembled that of a Jedi Robe. He sat at a table by himself and listened to the speaker who was standing up for their 'rights' to defend their homes. He only placed his reptilian hands around the drink and looked into the liquid as it reflected his dark image and lightly glowing yellow eyes.

He was not one to really do the work of the senate, but here he was on the backwater world way from his work. He was rather entertained by how this person continued to bash the ideals of the Republic so publicly.

It was at this time that the women who looked like she had some authority walked in to settle the wanna-be rioters from attacking the Republic Representative. He was underestimating her ability to persuade however, as she negotiated in a rougher manner then most Republic Senators acted. Two men who were sitting at a near by table started to get up and attempted to remove their blasters from their laps, he took his hand off the ale before him and cut the air. Before they could make a problem worse, they stopped where they were and returned to the area they only moved inches before. She did quick work on the men and he only continued to stare at his cup of booze.

When she made her comment about those who were not drinking or leave, the Glaucus male took hold of the wooden tankard and downed his full drink. In a deep voice that sound like it was echoing from deep within his throat he raised the cup and looked to the bar, "You heard the women, and I wish to stay." As he lifted his hand one could see his clean cloths and on his upper right chest sat a pin with the symbol of the Republic Remnant Senate imaged to it.

[member="Adilene Gallier"] [member="Sanya Val Swift"]

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Post: 1

“Come to the Makeb system, and tell no one.”
― Darth Marr

Lilla had been on one planet her entire life.

Correction – she had been on one planet for as long as she could remember. Where she lived prior to her first memories was a mystery that she did not expect she would ever fathom. And she decided it was pointless investigating. Her Master had asked her if she wanted to find out, but she’d shrugged. What she didn’t know couldn’t hurt her – at least not especially.

So, since she’d joined the Republic Remnant, she’d made it her goal to visit as many different worlds as possible. She’d taken to piloting like a natural and so preferred to travel alone whenever her Master allowed. And the visit to Makeb was granted – as long as she did not seek out the Imperial base or seek to rescue the rescuers. Which left a trip to the mines as her only viable option.

She stared out of her cockpit at the streaks of light that indicated she was exiting hyperspace and wondered what she’d see when she reached the system.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Post: 2

She was in the Aida sector, she knew that much. And it was located in the Mid Rim.

More specifically, it was located in the eastern portion of the Mid Rim. It was bordered clockwise from the galactic south by the Noolian, Maerdocian, and Daalang sectors, and by Lannik Space. The sector contained the Aida system and the Lomabu system.

The Makeb system was within the Aida system and was once known for being on the edge of Hutt Space and far from any major hyperlanes. The system’s yellow sun was orbited by the planet Makeb, which she was surprised to hear was not discovered by the galaxy until the Mandalorian Wars.

According to the database, Makeb was an oceanic planet whose atmosphere featured enormous amounts of electromagnetic interference in its upper levels. The planet’s gravity, while below standard, possessed unique anomalies that resulted in the formation of many massive stone pillars across its surface.

The pillars, which reached high above Makeb’s cloud layer and were often large enough to contain entire cities on the plateaus and mesas that topped them, were riddled with complex cave systems. The pillars and caves were home to both Makeb’s native wildlife and numerous deposits of minerals, including the incredibly valuable isotope-5.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Post 3:

Isotope-5 was the reason Lilla was here. It was a mineral found only on Makeb, and it was the reason behind Makeb’s unique atmospheric and gravitational conditions, as the mineral had powerful warping effects on electromagnetic and gravitational fields.

In fact, Lilla discovered, this was the reason the minerals were discovered. It seems that during the Mandalorian Wars, a conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Mandalorian warrior culture, a damaged transport carrying Republic refugees—among them several wealthy businessman—crashed on the planet after being caught in the electromagnetic interference in Makeb’s atmosphere.

The refugees built settlements atop Makeb’s pillars, and the colonists quickly discovered that Makeb possessed valuable mineral deposits. Forced to improvise mining tools, the settlers began to extract the minerals, and once they re-established communication with the rest of the galaxy, Makeb became immensely profitable for the settlers within fifty years—a large part of which was the result of the influence and wealth of the original settlers.

Lilla was not entrusted with the delicate negotiations that would ensue. She was a Padawan, and a new one at that. Instead, she was asked to visit a more remote mine, one that had sent out a number of distress calls – all deemed unimportant by the local authorities. The Republic Remnant saw Lilla’s intervention as a way of brokering good will with the mining community, so she was despatched. Every little added up to a lot, she was told. Do good job and it might swing the mining organisations to supply the Republic.

Much of the populace was made up of society’s lower castes, beings condemned to spend their lives engaged in constant physical labour or employed in menial service positions with no chance of advancement.

Unlike the elite, they made their homes down on the planet’s surface in tiny makeshift huts surrounded by the open pits and furrows, or in small caverns tunnelled down into the rocky ground. Lilla had been given a small taste of their life the instant she stepped from the climate-controlled confines of her shuttle. A wall of oppressive heat thrown up from the barren, sun-scorched ground had enveloped her. She’d quickly wrapped a swatch of cloth around her head, covering her nose and mouth to guard against the swirling clouds of dust that threatened to choke the air from her lungs.

 

[Ever Dawnracer]

She wasn't wearing her usual attire, which was somewhat annoying. Of course she still had the slugthrower on her hip and her Scutum, but no staff and no armor. All for the cause. Her blonde hair fluttered as a small breeze caught it. The facial mask she did wear served partly as a disguise and partly to ward off any I'll effects left over from the mining operations. She didn't particularly have a desire to get sick. The other added benefit was that it hid her comms.

"Fox to the kits, no sign of the hens. Heading to the roost."

While her people were trained for advanced operations, an urban environment was not their preference. The jungle, mountains or anywhere else in nature allowed them to blend in relatively unseen. But this? The only way to blend in while inside of an urban center was to make yourself appear as if you were a local or some sort of off-world mining mogul. She'd opted for the local. Aside from the mask she fit right in. If people asked she'd just say she was ill.

She maneuvered the streets with relative ease until she reached a worn down warehouse. She walked around back and stepped behind a pile of debris, which hid the only functional entrance to the facility. Inside she moved down a hall to a locked room which she used a DNA swab to enter. Fingerprints and codes we're easy to get. Viable DNA was much harder to obtain. It served them better.

Inside the room were three other Rangers, each seated at monitoring equipment, listening to radio chatter.

"Anything?"

"Not yet."

"Well, I'm going to catch some sleep. Wake me if there's any change."

 

[RC 212]

[member="Harley"] Fenstermacher

Meanwhile at OBJ 3


"Keep the wings level will ya?" Jax roared, trying to scan from the back of the small jumper craft. Dozens of Soldiers in heavy armor were packed in around him, shoulder to shoulder. He had his headset set to max to drown out the engines and motored quite a few channels at one time. His Corporal piped up.

"We got the Senators fixed position and her forces. We're flying to fill the Gap."

"Sgt, we have contact on our twelve. Looks like two TIE's setting down on some kind of pad?"

"Move." Jax said, pushing up out of the seat guiding himself with the cargo nets as he waled. Grim brown eyes peered out from beneath dark furrowed brows.

"I see them."

"Should we push this up the chain or?"

"Feth no. Follow in. Troopers! Get ready to assault!"

They screamed in engines hot. The troop bay doors rolled back just as they bracketed the landing pad built into the side of the mountain. The Pilots were taken by surprise as the Jumper craft opened fire, stitching the TIE's and the landing pad with screams of stuttering green.

​

"Get the hell off my bird men! Go get em!" Jax roared, putting boots into the backs of those younger recruits, nervous to jump from the deck.​

He thundered down after them just as the hangars opened up, disgorging two squads of Stormtroopers.

"Bingo boys! CPL radio this up to higher then get me a stack of Birds for Close Air Support."

"Got it SGT."

He rushed behind a crate and leveled his Rifle, bracing the muzzle. Then his own rounds joined the fray....

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Post 4:

Lilla Syrin rubbed her brow, hoping to massage away the looming headache that had been building over the last twenty minutes.

The guide that had met her off her ship paused from the diatribe they had been reading non-stop for the past hour. “Something wrong, Master Jedi?”

Lilla smiled patiently. “I am not a Master,” the young woman responded, reminding the self-appointed spokesperson. “I am only a Jedi Padawan.” With a sigh she dropped her hand. After a moment she added, courteously, “And I’m fine, thanks. Please continue.”

With a polite nod, the miner resumed with his seemingly endless list of ultimatums. The short, muscular man droned on, his voice echoing strangely off the irregular walls of the underground cave. The other miners in attendance – three men and two women crowding close to the guide – were hanging on his every word.

Officially, Lilla was here because nobody else was. Which seemed a flimsy rationale, but had a large degree of pragmatism. The miners had stumbled across a find that they wished to log and had imposed certain demands on the mining corporation. Which had met with stony silence.

Lilla’s end goal? To satisfy both parties to such a degree that the mining company saw favourably towards the Republic Remnant – enough to grant them a lucrative arrangement. Which only had two flaws as Lilla could see it. Firstly, such a negotiation deserved more than a mere Padawan. Secondly, no outcome was likely to satisfy both parties. And thirdly, even an amicable agreement would be unlikely to swing such a significant contract.

But given Lilla was struggling to count at this moment, she allowed herself to be dutiful, to serve the Republic and allow the politicians to resolve the bigger picture. She could and would play her small part in the whole.

So, she stood here, in a natural chamber accessible only through a small, rough-hewn tunnel. At least she was able to stand now, the area was unfurnished, but the high ceiling allowed her to at least stand up straight. More importantly, the underground chamber offered some small refuge from the heat, dust, and noise of the surface.

Tool marks scored the walls and floor. The cavern had been stripped of any valuable mineral deposits long before; all that remained were dozens of irregular rock formations rising up from the uneven floor, some less than a metre high, others stretching up to the ceiling a full ten metres above. They might have been beautiful had they not all been the exact same shade of dull brown.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Post 5:

inally, Lilla raised a hand. “As I explained to you before, the Jedi Council cannot agree to your demands. I am not here to reach a settlement. I am only here to offer my services as a mediator in the negotiations and to assist you in your more pressing matter.”

The Jedi were legally bound by galactic law to remain neutral in all civil wars and internal power struggles, unless the violence threatened to spread to other Republic worlds. And as a Jedi, she was sworn to uphold local laws on any planet she visited, regardless of her moral stance in relation to them. To transgress was an act that any Jedi accepted could lead to legal ramifications – and so was taken only as a last resort.

Lilla smiled kindly. “Now, to the second subject. A few weeks ago, one of your teams dug up a small tomb, yes?”

“This place is covered with old tombs,” the guide replied. “Centuries ago we used to bury our dead.”

“And there was a small cache of artefacts inside the tomb?” Lilla’s tone indicated this was a rhetorical question, so she continued. “An amulet. A ring. Some old parchment scrolls.”

“Anything we dig up belongs to us!” one of the miners shouted angrily.

“It’s one of our oldest laws,” the guide confirmed. “Even the corporation knows better than to try and violate it.”

“Except you need their help to remove the items. And they refuse unless they receive a share. Am I right?”

The guide nodded.

Lilla felt they were making progress. She’d managed to turn their attention to the real matter in hand and away from the long list of relatively pointless demands. If she could convince the miners they needed her help, then she stood a chance of brokering a deal.

“We…that is the Jedi, the Republic…we believe those artefacts may be touched by the dark side,” Lilla said. “I must bring them back to our Temple for safekeeping.”

The guide glared at her, but didn’t speak.

“We will pay you, of course,” Lilla added. Then she paused, as she had been taught, to allow the silence to be broken by the other party.

“You Jedi portray yourselves as guardians,” the guide finally said. “Champions of the weak and downtrodden. But you care more about a handful of gold trinkets than you do about justice.”

“Does my suggestion go some way to meeting your requirements?” Lilla asked. “Is it a matter of price because–“

She stopped abruptly, the echo of her words still hanging in the cavern. Something’s wrong. The Force was trying to communicate with her. Correction – it was communicating with her, but she simply didn’t know what it was saying.

 

[RC 212]

Meanwhile at OBJ 3
Finding the Imperials...

Post 2

What they'd stumbled on wasn't the main base of operations. Jax knew that based off the small resistance they were encountering. Plus he pegged about half a dozen Scout Trooper Helmets in various positions.

"Alpha team push left and flank. Bravo full forwards, fire. Intensify forward firepower!"

Their automatic rifles clacked in their hands, spitting a fussilade of red and tracers from the slugthrowers that boomed along with them. Farther down the line the Heavy weapons were unloading, smashing the Imperials with repeater fire like ocean spray.

"Alpha in position."

They cut their fire, and Jax watched as Alpha assaulted through, clearing their way across the pad, catching the Stormies by surprise. Seven bodies hit the deck. The way to the door was clear.

"SGT. Birds are inbound."

"Keep em Race tracking. Pathfinders, with me. We're going to clear this structure."

A team of Silver and blue armored bodies stacked on the hangar doors and then flowed through like water, Jax in the center.

"Hallway ahead. T- Intersection. Door beyond that."

"Blow it."

Explosives ripped the hinges off an old metal door and they burst in, confronted by two very surprised Imperial Officers. Jax snapped his rifle to his shoulder, lining up the first.

"Hands!"

One dove for his blaster.

"Stun em!"

Twin bolts zipped, knocking him clean o his back. Jax crossed the room, growling and muzzle thumped the second officers knee then placed a stun blast in his chest.

"Gather any Intel and clear the servers. Alpha team still copy?"

"Rgr SGT Antilles."

"We have two POW's in tow. Send in an extraction and call for Dustoff. Fighters will escort us up into race track pattern. ETA back to the rally point is thirty mikes. How Copy?"

"Hard Copy. Sending in Intel team now."

He scanned the room with his eyeballs, checking out the terminals. He guessed a relay station of some sort. Not their intended target, but still useful.

"We're in the system Sgt."

"How long till we have a full copy?"

"Could be a few minutes. This station relays seven or eight other sites for Makeb."

His eyebrow shot up.

"Seven sites? We got a lot of work to do then...."

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Objective: Two
Post: Six

“What’s wrong?” the guide demanded. Clearly the discomfort Lilla felt in her mind she had shared via her face. She resolved to develop more of a poker face on these occasions.

A disturbance in the Force, Lilla thought, her hand dropping to the borrowed lightsaber on her belt. “Somebody’s coming.”

“Impossible. The sentries at the tunnel outside would have–” The guide’s words were cut off by the unmistakable sound of a blaster’s retort.

The assembled miners took cover, scattering to find cover behind the rock formations that filled the cavern. One of them didn’t make it, felled by deadly accurate shots that took them right between the shoulder blades.

Lilla held her ground, igniting her lightsaber with an eerie bluish glow and peering into the shadows that lined the walls of the cave. Unable to pierce the darkness with her eyes, she opened herself to the Force – and staggered back as if she had been punched in the stomach.

Normally, the Force washed over her like a bath of white light. She had always sensed the Force in this water-based metaphor. It strengthened her. It calmed her. This time, however, it struck her like a frozen fist in the gut.

Another blaster bolt whistled by her ear. Dropping to her knees, confidence draining from her, Lilla crawled to cover behind the nearest rock formation, bewildered and confused. As a Jedi, she had trained to transform herself into a servant of the Force.

She had learned to let the light side flow through her, empowering her, enhancing her physical senses, guiding her thoughts and actions. Now the very source of this power had seemingly betrayed her. Her Master was right, as always. It was nothing like being in a warm training room.

She didn’t understand what had happened to her; she only knew he had to find some way to fight it.

Lilla silently recited the first lines of the Jedi Code, struggling to regain her composure. Typically she was good at meditation. But that was under circumstances where nobody was trying to blast a hole in you.

‘There is no emotion; there is peace.’

The mantra of the Order allowed her to bring her breathing under control. A few seconds later she felt composed enough to reach out carefully to try to touch the Force once more.

Instead of peace and serenity, she felt only anger and hatred. Instinctively, her mind recoiled, and Lilla could only surmise what had happened. Somehow the Force here had been tainted by the dark side. Sullied and diseased.

She couldn’t explain it, but now she knew how to try to resist the effects. Blocking out her fear, Lilla allowed the Force to flow through her once more in the faintest, guarded trickle. As she did so, she focused her mind on cleansing it of the impurities that had previously overwhelmed her senses. Slowly, she felt the power of the light side washing over her: though it was far less than she was used to.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Objective: Two
Post: Seven

Stepping out from behind the rocks, Lilla called out in a loud voice, “Show yourself!”

A blaster bolt ripped from the darkness toward her. At the last second, she deflected it with her saber, sending it off harmlessly into the corner – a technique she was glad her Master had taught her so dilligently.

Too close, she thought to herself. You’re slow, hesitant. Trust in the Force.

The power of the Force enveloped her, but something about it still felt wrong. Something – or someone – was disrupting her ability to focus.

“Leave the miners alone,” she called out, her voice betraying none of the doubt she felt. “Face me.”

A young woman stepped forward, holding a blaster pistol in each hand. She was clad in a simple black cloak, and underneath she boasted thin, black and highly-effective looking body armour.

“You will all die.” There was something cruel in her voice, as if she was taunting Lilla.

“You’re here for the artefacts,” Lilla surmised.

The woman tilted her head, as if to confirm Lilla’s suspicions. Then she opened her mouth, as if to speak, but, without warning, she fired another round of blaster bolts at the Jedi.

The ruse almost worked. With the Force flowing through her, Lilla would have sensed the deception easily, but whatever power was obscuring her ability to touch the Force had left her exposed.

Instead of trying to deflect the bolts a second time, Lilla threw herself to the side, landing hard on the ground.

A Youngling would be embarrassed by your performance, she reproached herself as she scrambled back to her feet.

 

[Ever Dawnracer]

​

It felt like it had only been a few minutes since she'd gone to sleep when she was shaken awake. Lifting a hand to rub her eyes, she saw one of her Rangers standing over her before she sat up, legs dangling over the edge of the cot. There seemed to be some activity as the other two were hovered around one of the headsets, listening to something.

"What is it?" she asked as she stood up.

"Actionable intel coming in. There was some chatter about a group of nerf's for sale."

Nerf's on Makeb was a bit of a joke. You could probably get a decent nerf steak somewhere, but she doubted there were any live ones hanging around, which meant they were at least talking about selling something that they shouldn't be selling. That was enough to make it worthwhile to look into. Could be nothing, or it could be the people they were looking for. Considering they had nothing else to go on, she was going to take what she could get. It beat sitting around and doing nothing, and it was more than she'd been able to get when she'd been walking around on her own. She pulled her gear back on and started getting ready to go out.

"Full details?"

"Still listening to get that, but it sounds like they're still trying to sell and aren't getting much in the way of bites. They haven't given out a meeting location so they're at least somewhat organized."

"They could be fishing. I know we have operatives elsewhere on the planet. Maybe they're trying to bait someone from the Republic into biting."

"Maybe. I know the Empire isn't that smart most of the time, but they do have some intelligent people behind the scenes. This could be some of them."

Ever shrugged.

"Take the bait, then."

The Lieutenant blinked at her and looked like he was going to object, but considering she'd said it rather nonchalantly and didn't seem about to change her mind made him rethink that. He shrugged and turned to the other two who were manning the equipment.

"Make an offer. Not too big. Underbid them at first and see if anyone else comes out. Let's see if we can earn a meeting."

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Objective: Two

Post: Eight

Unwilling to expose herself to another barrage, she thrust out her free hand, palm facing out. Using the Force, she yanked the weapons from her enemy’s grasp. The effort sent a searing bolt of pain through her already sore head, causing her to grimace. The blasters sailed through the air and landed harmlessly on the ground beside her.

It may have been clumsy but it was effective. And relatively easy.

Sometimes the Force warns a Jedi of imminent danger. And other times, especially if you’ve had extensive tactical and strategic training, your knowledge does. And Lilla’s schooling was screaming at her tight now. Her old governess would have been pleased that the hours in the classroom paid off. Eventually.

As Lilla now expected, the dark sider seemed unconcerned.

“If you surrender, I will promise you a fair trial,” Lilla told her, trying to project an image of self-assurance.

“There will be no trial.” And then the dark sider made her play, throwing herself into a back handspring, her robe fluttering as she flipped away from the Jedi – and the weapons that lay on the floor.

At the same instant, one of the blasters at Lilla’s feet beeped sharply.

 

[RC 212]

Dez Dexter = Dax Antilles, Dedicated opposition for you guys.

Cheers!

Dez looked up from the holotank he'd been studying. Despite the recent events, the Imperial Forces he was with were still well entrenched throughout the sector and Moff Varlan was paying him exceptionally well to disrupt these new Republic folks.

"Sir, we've lost contact with one of our Comms outposts?"

"Hmmm. What else?"

"Inquisitors report a Jedi in the midst of the mines."

This was unnerving. Dez signaled a few nearby mercs and nodded.

"Take the heavy Repeaters, and Concussion rifles. No blasters no grenades. Capture or kill gents. As for the station..... remote detonation. Time now."

Alas it was shaping up to be a fine day.

Meanwhile at objective one, Storm Commandos in black scout trooper armor made the rounds, checking out the perimeter. They had the beacon broadcasting full power, knowing they may be able to draw the enemy into a trap. It was a skeleton force, situated in a durasteel, ferrocrete square blockhouse, with firing points and fighting positions at all corners.

That wasn;t the kicker though. The real kicked was the plainclothes agents walking the streets, carrying lethal Nightstinger Rifles that were sawed off under their clothes or however they could hide them....

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Objective: Two

Post: Nine

The plan was simple. Lilla was supposed to think she had disarmed her foe, but instead would fall into her well-laid trap. The power cell had been set to overload before it detonated.

Lilla’s tactical mind had only bought her a few seconds, but that was all she needed.

With an outstretched palm, Lilla picked up the blasters with the Force and threw them at the retreating dark sider. Ignoring the now excruciating pain in her head, she threw up a Force Barrier. Not around herself. Not around the miners. But around the dark sider…and the blasters.

As the explosion ended the would-be assassin’s life, Lilla understood the true horror of the dark side. Her connection to the light side was now unobstructed but instead of soothing her, it brought negative feelings. For Lilla had killed someone. Not by accident, but deliberately. It was, logically, the right thing to do. It was, officially, a sanctioned act and within her mission brief. She’d saved countless miners and defeated a dark sider. When missions are handed out, this was often seen as a positive outcome.

So why did Lilla feel so demoralised?

“Are you OK? Are you OK?”

Lilla was unsure how many times she was asked before she emerged from her funk and looked at the guide. “Yes, yes…I should be asking you that.”

“You’re crying,” the guide said, his voice betraying his discomfort at imparting the news.

“Dust,” Lilla said, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. “Let’s check what the woman did before she died.” For Lilla, ‘she died’ felt better than ‘I killed her.’

There were three casualties in total. The man in the cavern and two sentries posted outside. It could have been a lot worse but for Lilla there were four more deaths than she wanted to have to report.

She made her way to the mouth of the tunnel and called in reinforcements. She would need help clearing up the mess, and who knew what forces might be dispatched to retrieve the artefacts once the assassin’s failure was noticed.

 

[Lilla Syrin]

Objective: Two


Post: 10

Lilla was relieved to see troopers and Jedi arrive – and so it seemed were the miners. And even the corporation sent some representatives to the site – and judging by their suits, they were significant players.

Lilla left the two sides to agree terms over the split of the proceeds of the artefacts. They were so amicable now, she almost expected them to be fighting over who should have the smaller share – so keen were they to allow the other side as much of the credits as possible.

Lilla went with two Jedi to the tomb. She stood back as they examined, catalogued and placed the items in containers that dampened their aura. When she’d first arrived in the tomb, she felt that same dirty feeling, a clawing sensation. The Force here felt tainted.

But as soon as the Jedi contained the artefacts, the Force returned to normal.

Once they’d concluded their work, the younger of the two carried them back to their ship. The older Jedi, a Rodian Master, remained with Lilla.

“You did good work.”

Lilla said nothing.

“Your first dark sider?”

Lilla nodded.

“Your first fatalities on a mission?”

Again Lilla nodded.

“The first time you had to kill someone?”

Lilla paused. The logical response would have been to nod. But somehow it felt wrong.

“No, or at least that’s not what it feels like. I didn’t kill her, she forced me to take her life to save others. Is that a real distinction, or am I clutching at straws?”

“Honour life,” the Jedi Master said slowly. “A Jedi's first concern is to preserve life. But, if confronted with a life-or-death struggle, a Jedi is permitted to kill to complete their mission. This act is not encouraged, as ending life strengthens the dark side; however, if the act is justified — if it saves others' lives — then the light side is equally strengthened.”

“The fact that you have reflected is good. A Jedi who does not care about her victims is on the path to the dark side.”

The Rodian tried to put a comforting arm around Lilla’s shoulders, but given the height difference, gave it up as a bad job.

“Right, let’s see how the negotiations have progressed.”