The Limits Of Ones Reach

[WolfMortum]

The Chimaera | The 501st Legion​

​

Spoiler

[member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Ryn'Dhal"] | [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] | [member="Samka Derith"] | [member="Ultimatum"] | [member="Ghorua the Shark"] | [member="Flannigan Mcnash"] | [member="James Justice"]​

Alone the Jedi Knight sat, surrounded in the darkness that was his new personal chambers, the quarters illuminated by the lights of consoles that surrounded him, implying the vessels status, the number of the crew and the operations they were going about. This was a vessel unlike none other that Veiere had ever held a command over, he had witnessed her combat effectiveness during the battle of mimban yet never expected to ascend to the chairman of the capital ship, the sole commander of the Chimaera of which he had only one man to thank; Cyril Grayson, also known as [member="Darth Mephirium"] who had last been seen on Atrisia...-A war that Veiere had abandoned his brother upon for the sake of another calling, one very personal and intimate to him, the force Bond that flowed between himself and [member="Lady Kay"] Larr.

It was the eve of battle, one that had not been finished by the time Veiere had realized Kay's peril. A fate that he knew not the result of yet had been strong enough to pull him from his duty from across the other side of the galaxy, the power of a bond strengthened in the force that only few really understood, her pain became his immobile strength, determination and priority that had swept across all others and overtaken him in the sudden revelation that the woman that he loved was suffering; damned everyone else in the process and led him to call fourth all allies and even some familiar names of foes in the hope of pushing beyond all grievances and realigning all forms of diplomacy only after he had seen the return of [member="Lady Kay"] to the seat of the throne of the Commenori People.

He had sacrificed others to come this far, he had witnessed the voluntary resignation of a brother tainted by the Darkside, conflicted by the light. He had watched an entire world burn and done little to defend it in order to meet the needs of the woman whom held his heart and now, standing before the holocams that sought out all the names of those he felt might be of use to him, the former Jedi Knight, now the Commander of the 501st Legion called to few, some friends, others...-Yet to be confirmed.

"To those of you who know me, know that this message is not being sent lightly. I require your aid and I will return the favor should you receive this in good taste. I remain within orbit around Commenor, upon the Chimaera of which I command. Any of you who feel any fealty to the world of Commenor, I require your service. Those of you who do not, I will ensure you are compensated for your troubles. What I seek goes beyond financial wealth, I will see to it that all help is returned in equal favor. Know that the [member="Lady Kay"] is endangered, and I will wage war against all those that shelter her captors".

Standing behind him, First Captain Decius now in command of the Legion of Storm-troopers, a Sergeant under the warrior, proven countless times over before Veiere's leadership, saluted for the sake of those watching, a fierce show of obedience before the image shut off and the Capital vessel remained translucent above the world that Veiere called home. In the lasting memories of those who had witnessed the video, those that knew the former Jedi well, would see the change in his overall demeanor, no longer making requests but going the distance to demand support; while those that would serve under him might not nessecarily follow the man himself, the prospect of Kay Larr's safety, he hoped would warrant an agreement.

As for the Hutt Cartel and [member="Flannigan Mcnash"], if they weren't truly at fault for this travesty of action, then Veiere would deal with the devil in order to return his own back to her rightful place. If however, he was proven guilty; had Commenor not had a force of their own beforehand, Veiere would ensure the demise of the Cartel only after the return of the Lady President, with the full extent of the 501st Legion's armada.

 

[Thraxis]

(Flannigan McNash is absent and for the foreseeable future, he ain't coming back so I suppose I am next in charge of the Cartel and will take his place.)

Thraxis was busy unpacking, his gear cramped up in boxes as he relocated him as well as his select comrades from the Cartel as they started to build Dar'Manda from the ground up, the mass noise of Gammorean squeals dancing echoing from the background in the all-encompassing mass of his throne. A bead of sweat rolled from his brow as two large cardboard boxes were held aloft his shoulders, spikes, and nails hanging haphazardly as they made their indents from the mostly brown, little red containers.

As he walked along the hallways corridors, his comm rung, a message flicking open, directed towards Flannigan McNash, though it wasn't like he ever noticed someone accessing his comm. A brow raised as he looked it over, a flash of rage burning throughout his body as his arms dropped, his gear falling to the ground in a carving mess as they splintered against the stone floor. His body began to convulse, his eyes intoxicated with rage as he read it over and over. "Kay...." the words hissed like heated iron against flesh, his eyes rolling back in his head as his body become flushed with an undying hatred. Who.... Who dares.... She is my prey... My toy to be broken... the words rang through his mind harsher and harsher, even in his mind the rage contorted and twisted them until they were no longer recognizable as words, more akin to that of letters smashed against each other.

As he convulsed against the wall, he slowly began to force his body to move, opening up the comm as his heavy breath hissed loose some words over to the Gammoreans, a mass of words encroaching from his throat as he hissed along, "Ship... War.... Immediate...." the only recognizable words as a choir of arms fell and cracked into the floor, the noise bouncing off the walls. For a few seconds, silence rained over, then came a scream, a chant of roars and jeers echoing across Dar'Manda.

A few hours passed, the shock of Kay being in another's possession ran through his mind, the worse yet to come from some sniveling Sith Lord. He knew their methods, not from personal experience. All he knew was it was effective and boring. No craftsmanship truly taken, no pioneers of the art, simply electrocution and other uninteresting techniques. Worse yet the idea of that snapping her mind drove his own off the edge, forcing his body over and over to near failure as he had to keep himself from stumbling over from the horror. As the last second finally ticked away he made it, he was finally on the ship, the few who were still packing up looking with confusion as their leader finally arrived, never one to be late to the party yet here he was, a few hours behind the the hangar bay finally closed its door, the subtle purr of the engine as slowly they ascended into the skies of the Graveyard.

After a few minutes, a few of the men motioned over, calling for the Gammoreans to gather about as they hauled the Zeltron onto their backs, taking him to the Commander's seat as a look of worry rushed over them. They had seen what he had gone through, put him through most of it themselves but the idea of something so traumatic that it shut down most of his systems left the brain dead lot in a state of confusion more so than when they were asked basic knowledge questions.

As the time passed the ship was silent, the Gammoreans rowdy wild nature being submitted as a Doctor looked him over, befuddled as to what could have caused it, he was as healthy as ever, minus the breathtaking amount of alcohol that was swimming through his bloodstream, causing more worry at the idea that his mind had shattered to the point it had made his body collapse. Time continued to pass on, his mind a flutter with rage, Kay was always so tricky to catch, yet some Sith Lord had managed, which was in truth the least likely thing he could even imagine occurring. As they left hyperspace, the tearing of light being torn against the fabric of space dissipating into a static mass his bodies convulsion's finally ceased his body twisting upright from his seat as his arm quickly darted up, pointing to the communication officer, "Comms, open now!" he demanded, a look of life pulsing through the officer as he quickly darted along the board, flipping switches and pulling lever as a Comm Channel was established. "Who the ever loving hell took her and who do I have to kill!" he demanded, his form a twisted mass, his armor taken off earlier by the Doctor leaving his torn wounded skin visible as a layer of red spilled between the cracks of his teeth, an eye rolled back while the other a devoid lifeless mass of black as he glared torpedos towards @Veiere Arenias.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

LOCATION: NAR SHADDAA, LOWER LEVELS​

EQUIPMENT: IN BIO​

CURRENT MOOD: CALM BEFORE THE STORM​

[member="Lady Kay"] had been captured.

Where have I heard this one before?

Ghorua rushed forward, ducking as a burst of blaster fire cascaded over his head, slapping against the duracrete above. The Herglic smiled underneath the visor of his battle armor, simply happy to be in the familiarity of combat. Today was just like any other day for the Bounty Hunter. He had took a small target that day, some good-for-nothing slaver. The Shark had tracked the Chevin down that same day, in a ratty casino. One thing led to another, and the large Herglic found himself in a firefight in the alley.

Yep, just an average day in the life of Ghorua the Shark.

Ghorua huffed quickly, and charged from around his cover, wielding his dual slugthrowers. The Shark aimed quickly at a few hired thugs, and fired his weapons, each one creating a resounding crack in the dismal atmosphere. Wherever each bullet connected, a spurt of viscous knockout gas erupted, penetrating cover and armor. The men coughed and writhed for a few moments before going still, likely to awake with a mild headache in a few hours.

The Chevin tried to run, but Ghorua planted a massive fist into the center of it's bulbous face. The criminal was quickly cuffed, and turned in to the authorities. Or, whatever passed for authorities on the Smuggler's Moon.

Ghorua was just exiting the establishment a few thousand credits richer when he heard a beeping emitting from his communicator. A message, from Commenor. Perhaps Lady Kay wished to speak with him again. She had mentioned potential employment during their last meeting. Deftly, the Herglic's fingers fluttered over the device, and it played it's recording, expecting to see his friend's face. What he saw, and heard, he definitely did not expect.

[member="Veiere Arenais"]' message was startling. Ghorua watched in silence, taking it all in, in a brief sense of shock until the Rogue Jedi's last words. Endangered. Captors. Kay Larr had been captured again. And not by him this time. Not good. Not good at all.

Ghorua had rushed to his ship, and set a course for Commenor and the Chimaera immediately, in almost a fevered panic. Bones, Ghorua's Massiff, could tell something was wrong, and nuzzled up to her master's leg. He only gave her a brisk pat, and narrowed his eyes as his cargo vessel rocketed out of the port, and into the stars.

- SOME TIME LATER -

Ghorua zoomed out over the paradise of Commenor in his Yevethan Cargo Ship, seeing a large frigate, belonging to [member="Thraxis"], and an enormous Star Destroyer. He assumed he was in the right place. He opened comms to both ships, speaking calmly, but with a subtle hint of desperation.

"This is the Whalebone, requesting permission to dock with the Chimaera." His deep voice became soft and genuine. "I'm here to help find the Lady."

 

[WolfMortum]

It was not long before The Chimaera received the presence of another vessel, one that the officers of the capital warship did not recognize to be of Commenori origin nor that of the known bodies of government associated with them. As one of the Imperial personnel swiftly left the command center, the others all began to set priority power to the shields and weapon systems bracing for the possibility of an attack.

He stood facing the aft of the Vessel, the large view-port taking almost the entire side wall of his quarters offering him the black of space decorated with the systems whose lives had been proven to be at risk by the calling of war. Bonds had been formed yet they had too be severed, people grew only to be slain by the personal desires of those with the will to break free of the victims life, and become another hand whose sword plunged deep into all that opposed the progress of blood shed. For three decades he had served the Jedi Order and for those three decades the Galaxy hadn't seemed nearly so chaotic as it did now; he understood why Cyril Grayson had left them when the Republic had splintered and their Conclave failed to promote positive results. Due to his brothers sacrifice, he had been handed all the necessary weapons for war and yet despite how much anger he felt for how much wrong had been done to those that deserved it not; he still remained hesitant to use them.

"Sir!" A younger man wearing the attire befitting of the ship but not of the government they now served approached and entered into the room to address the conflicted Knight. He spoke swiftly yet respectfully, aware of Veiere's position and more importantly his power in the Force; the last force user had not been nearly so restrained as the new one. "A foreign vessel has hailed us, scanners show they are preparing to fire on the Chimaera; I'm afraid your presence on the bridge is required my Lord". How curious, he had never been called a 'Lord' in the past and though it the Sith Empire had often been referred to as such, Veiere wasn't sure how much he liked it. Regardless, he supposed it was their custom and for the sake of not emphasizing how much of an outsider he was, he turned and simply nodded in acknowledgement; wrapping his robe around his shoulders and beginning for the Corridor leading towards the head of the Star Destroyer.

His presence was not shy of notice, those he passed all turned to salute him, most did not move nor even blink until he had passed and they were out of his sight. To command such a respect felt dangerous, nothing alike that a Jedi Knight was accustomed to and yet so many things that he once thought he knew and felt about the Jedi had been proven wrong. Furthermore, the authority aboard the Chimaera had been steadily growing on him the moment he stepped on board after the battle of Commenor. It wasn't much of a deterrent for the guilt and sadness he felt over the loss of his allies back on Atrisia, yet it did prove to offer a solution to the now growing problem of [member="Lady Kay"]'s disappearance. Somewhere in the back of his mind while fighting upon the burning planet, he had heard her voice. Apologizing. Begging. The sound of horror turned reality and he knew that despite all the distance that was between him and the woman who he had grown to love; her life was diminishing with every hour that passed them.

"A second approaching craft Sir" the lieutenant captain called back as Veiere stepped onto the Bridge and moved for the catwalk that seperate the two sides of the command center, stopping within the center. He was in time to listen to the call of [member="Ghorua the Shark"] and turning swiftly he gestured to the Lieutenant; "Permission granted, I want them given access to the main hanger...Send an escort down to bring them to the Bridge and raise the comms to this other" He turned to look ahead as the holo-visor lowered from the ceiling and settled before the channel was opened to [member="Thraxis"], he of whom would see Veiere Arenais as clear as day and Veiere the other if the man would only allow it.

"This is Veiere Arenais of the Chimaera, Jedi Knight and Chief Adviser to the Madame President of Commenor. I know not who you are but if you wish to know such things as much as I then I would have your vessel stand down, surrender your aggression and come aboard. You may bring personnel if you must but know that they will be monitored closely. Today is not a day that I need be your Enemy though I too will do as I must should you force my hand".

 

[Kay-Larr]

Einon had heard of [member="Veiere Arenais"] returning to Commenori space by Cillian and word of mouth. This was the time that he had been dreading for over a week. He got on a small transport vessel and headed up to the Chimera. His pilot asked for clearance and once granted, flew into the designated hanger. He powered down the vessel while Einon exited out of it, datapad in hand and spoke with one of the escorts. "I need to see Veiere right away. I have information on the Madam President that he'll want to see."

The trooper passed the information up his chain of command and once permission was granted, he led Einon up to Veiere's office. Kay's head of security was nervous, mad at himself and riddled with guilt over it happening on his watch. He had barely slept a wink in days.

Once Veiere let him in, he stepped inside and turned on the datapad, spilling out his rehearsed speech and showing Kay's personal bodyguard all of the visuals of the canyon sight that he had. Einon was normally a man that kept silent, so this was very much out of his normal behaviour.

"Forgive me, sir, but this is my fault, my failure. I let her go to the canyons, though she had guards with her. She was agitated and stubborn as always. I have all of the pictures, video and DNA samples from the scene. Explosives were used, and the blood found was not hers. There are boot prints, a large set, and you can see hers along the pass. She was running, probably to the tunnels, but there appears to have been a struggle, so at least we know that she tried. Outside of the canyon we found her commlink, broken. I had the manifests and logs of each ship that came in and out for the days surrounding her capture, but there was nothing unaccounted for. Everything was as normal. It's as though she just disappeared...I am sorry that I failed you both, failed Commenor. The Elders suggested that we keep this under wraps, but that is entirely up to you. As is what you believe my further duties should entail."

And now he waited, waited to be fired, to be punched, to be yelled at. Whatever it was, he hoped to be ready for it. This was his fault. He lost the President.

[member="Thraxis"] [member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum was not overly surprised to hear that Kay had been captured, after all the organic had gained a number of enemies throughout her life. He had not anticipated that she would be kidnapped, believing that her status as president would give her enough security to avoid this. But this was just more proof that no matter how powerful one was, the galaxy was capable of reaching you. As if the once defender of the organic even had to ask if he would help, Ultimatum would always be there to aid Kay when she needed it. The droid had to move quickly now. He did not know how long [member="Lady Kay"] had been a prisoner. Time was of the essence as there was an uncertain amount of time that had to be made up for.

The Sovereignty's systems were always online and now the onboard computers were preparing for a launch to Commenor, a short trip compared to some of the voyages that the ship had been part of. Ultimatum was still disappointed that he could not fully recover the memory banks of the ancient vessel, what tales it could tell if the walls would talk. But that was not the fate of the vessel, instead he would simply have to imagine what it had once done. But that was hardly a concern for now. The massive starship moved into optimal position to make the first jump while it awaited Ultimatum to arrive.

That droid barely had time to finish the necessary paperwork to notify the people of his absence. After that it was a short trip on the Fate to get aboard the Sovereignty and a long set of jumps to Commenor...

------

He had arrived slightly later than Ghorua, the large ship of the Sovereignty was dwarfed by the Chimaera. It was no doubt that under different circumstances the star destroyer could easily end the ancient Hammerhead's long existence. Ultimatum was always interested in history, which was why when he noticed the vessel's name he recognized its importance. He was disappointed that it could not have been under less severe circumstances. As it was, the droid sent a communication, hoping that this was not some trap.

"Star Destroyer Chimaera, this is the Sovereignty under the command of Ultimatum. We are here as requested, ready to begin the search for our mutual friend. How should we proceed?"

[member="Veiere Arenais"]

 

[Samka Derith]

Bastion of Ren, Virgillia​

​

​

"Then we shall do nothing?" Samka Derith frowned at her superior.

"The risk far outweighs the reward," was the metallic reply she received.

Upon hearing of the crisis, Sam's first move had been to go to one of the Masters of the Knights of Ren but the response she got had been less than encouraging. The masked man remained in a meditative stance in the centre of the darkened room, he had barely acknowledged her presence as she paced the circular walls of the chamber and explained the message she had received from [member="Veiere Arenais"]. The Master had kept his replies short and cold, he hadn't even looked up at her.

So she had to protest louder. "I thought we agreed the stability of Commenor was vital to regional interests. The abduction of a president friendly to us will be a massive set back to the Supreme Leader's vision."

This is what broke the Master from his meditation, she felt anger flair up in him for a moment before it was brought back under control. "Do not presume you know of the Supreme Leader's vision," he barked dangerously. "There are powers involved we must tread delicately around."

"You know something," Sam said slowly as she deciphered his statement.

"I am a master of the Dark Side, of course I do," he dismissively replied. Then his unseen eyes bore into her and Sam suddenly felt very small. "I sense growing compassion in you," he spat. "It is a weakness."

"This is a purely professional matter for me, I have no-"

"Do not lie," the elder Ren interrupted. "When it was requested you serve at the embassy on Commenor, we allowed it despite irregularity. We believed you ready to exploit any connection the President may have felt with you for our gain yet here I'd almost think you enjoyed your... tea parties."

There was a pause as she gathered her thoughts for a reply. "Very well. She has shown me great kindness and I owe the woman a favour. I do not intend to let it go unpaid." There was no sense hiding anything from the man in front of her, he seemed to see right through her anyway.

He shook his head. "The President Kay Larr is an idealist. She believes in misguided notions of individual freedoms and representative democracy. How long do you believe she would remain friendly to us? To you? Does she know that you yourself have recently returned from crushing a slave revolt on behalf of Darth Prazutis? That so many men and women who desperately grasped for the only faint light of hope in their desolate lives are now once more confined to chains, in large part, because of you?"

"I did my duty," Sam responded quietly, not quite able to meet his gaze.

"And you did it well, that is not in dispute." The man gave something resembling an encouraging tone. "What is, is the company you are choosing to keep."

There was another long pause as the two Ren stood next to one another in silence until finally the master broke it with unexpected words. "Do as you wish, there may be a lesson for you to uncover. But go with the knowledge that you will be acting alone. No Ren shall aid nor Imperial soldiers rescue you. If you endanger the security of our empire, you shall be disowned and punished appropriately."

"I understand," Sam bowed deeply receiving a nod in response. She turned on her heels and exited the room, leaving the Master to resume his meditations.

Passing a simple message on to the Jedi who contacted her, Veiere Arenais, it read:

What can I do?​

 

[Thraxis]

Thraxis glare twisted around, his neck bending nigh an unnatural state as he looked to the woman on guns, "Why the hell do you have the guns on!" he inquired, his voice booming as her body shrunk, her fingers darting along the keyboard, trying to resolve the issue as fast as she could.

"You said... You said we were going to war I thought it was best to come prepared...." she declared with little authority, slowly shifting deeper and deeper into the chair until Thraxis direct line of sight no longer could meet her Gaze.

A solitary finger cocked up and down, a small imprint of noise being engulfed in the cacophony of noise that rushed through the ship. His head bent down, his free hand rubbing the nose of his bridge, "Fair point. Don't do it again." he demanded before returning back to the matter at hand, "There, the guns are disabled. Now tell me. Who. To. Kill." the words resounded about, his voice morphing from its natural gravel slate to that of a twisted and deformed mass, each letter twisted into its own respective paradoy all the while his other eye slowly drawing back down, a sense of sanity returning to Thraxis as he took note of all the incoming ships.

A new Comm opened, showing him the ships that descended into the space around them, the tearing of metal through space as he took a few glances back and fourth, There's the Whalebone.... And there is Ultimatum's ship... he thought to himself, his gaze narrowed as he took focus, This man here might not know me. But Ghroua certainly does. his mind continued to dawdle on, thinking about how many allies Kay had managed to amass yet still managed to get caught but some lone Sith Lord.
[member="Samka Derith"] [member="Ultimatum"] [member="Lady Kay"]
[member="Veiere Arenais"] [member="Ghorua the Shark"]

(Apologies for the Short Post, writing up a couple stories at the moment and are taking its toll.)

 

[WolfMortum]

Einon had come aboard though had been led to Veiere's private quarters and awaited him there, the Jedi Knight sighed as the officer who had escorted him explained the mans refusal to speak with Veiere in nothing less than private; "No, keep him there..." Veiere muttered under his breath, his gaze turning across the bridge to the durasteel doors that led further down through the Warship; anger was his first instinctive feeling though [member="Lady Kay"] was stubborn in her want for freedom and though she deserved that much for her selfless works for others, she had a knack for getting into trouble and Veiere had reminded her countless times of this.

Turning to the Lieutenant Captain, Veiere spoke firmly "Confirm all Vessels approved for boarding. Belay my previous Order, send them to the briefing room on this level, clear it out and ensure we've a table. I want everyone on the same level when we discuss our plans...-Remind the 501st to keep their blasters set to stun, I want no casualties should the guests not agree with one another..." He had [member="Thraxis"] in mind here, not wishing to be the cause for another provocation with the Hutt Cartel. Turning to look back towards the holo-screen, the live feed still showing the open channel with Thraxis, Veiere had intentionally kept it open for the other male to hear all; a show of faith that his intentions were not impure. "We do not yet know who is responsible, yet you are cleared to come aboard. I will be meeting with everyone in person and the Lady Presidents primary aid has just come aboard so I expect we will hear answers shortly. For now, excuse me. I will see you escorted to the Conferance room alongside the others once docked with the Chimaera". It was then that the Jedi Knight signalled for his comm's officer to cut the call and Veiere turned swiftly on his heels, another of the personnel coming to his side as he sought to return and confront Einon; "Sir, response from one Lady Derith, the signature is clear, she's of the First Order my Lord. It's a long range conveyance". Veiere extended his right hand, taking the datapad and waving the man away as he moved, not halting for anyone along the way. None of the men were used to dealing with associates so vast in difference yet the First Order was arguably the closest reflection of the old Empire and the officer had almost sounded excited in the prospect of dealing with them. Needless to say, Veiere wasn't surprised.

"[member="Samka Derith"],​

​

Lady Kay has gone missing, I felt her presence in the Force calling to me while on Atrisia. I know too few details, far to few answers, I need eyes and ears out for any possible intel I can use. I do not care what it costs, I will repay you in kind for your assistance. Should you learn anything, bring it directly to me, none other. ​

​

Expect a followup transmission shortly with all that I have on her disappearance.​

​

Veiere Arenais".​

​

It was short, brief but enough. He had met with Samka before, though never seen her work in the field, he felt confident that if any of them were capable of reaching out and coming away from it all with something tangible, it would be the First Order and more specifically her. By the time he reached his own quarters, the office to the right of the work space and his room on the far left, he moved to approach Kay's trusted advisor with a look of clear frustration. "Tell me that you have something I can use...".

"Forgive me, sir, but this is my fault, my failure. I let her go to the canyons, though she had guards with her. She was agitated and stubborn as always. I have all of the pictures, video and DNA samples from the scene. Explosives were used, and the blood found was not hers. There are boot prints, a large set, and you can see hers along the pass. She was running, probably to the tunnels, but there appears to have been a struggle, so at least we know that she tried. Outside of the canyon we found her commlink, broken. I had the manifests and logs of each ship that came in and out for the days surrounding her capture, but there was nothing unaccounted for. Everything was as normal. It's as though she just disappeared...I am sorry that I failed you both, failed Commenor. The Elders suggested that we keep this under wraps, but that is entirely up to you. As is what you believe my further duties should entail."

​

​

"To hell with the Elders!" Veiere snapped, throwing a glare back at Einon and his excuses, "Their priority is Commenor, not Kay..." his breath left him long and slow, another sigh, another headache of an incident where he felt as though despite all the training of the past, he still wasn't any more capable of finding an answer than anyone else in the damnable ship. "Relay every detail you have to this device and forward it to this frequency..." Veiere handed the datapad to Einon, Samka's message still displayed and looking to the man, the Knight's jaw tightened as his teeth clenched down upon one another, his frustrations ceasing none. "What happened to the Guards, are they alive and if not, how were they killed. Everything you can give me will help us find her...". He then stepped away, trying to put distance between them both. It was true, he blamed Einon and could have broken the mans nose for his failure to protect Kay but he too knew that the darkness of war and death still hung over him from the battle on Atrisia; nothing was simple or straightforward and every ounce of his restraint needed to be put into controlling his emotions for the sake of finding a clear way through to Kay's safe return. Walking away he spoke clearly, heading for the door once more "Do as I ask and then meet me in the briefing room. The others will be there and they will expect results. Do not disappoint me", forever on his feet it seemed, he looked to the officers standing on either side of the entrance to his quarters and ordered them to escort Einon when he was ready.

Every hour wasted lessened the chance of returning Kay home, and every hour Veiere found himself with no steadfast direction lessened his ability to keep himself in line. For all the power that was the light side of the Force, none of it seemed able to help him now.

[member="Ultimatum"] | [member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Darben Skirae]

Darben Skirae heard the message from his office. It shook him to the core. He had believed that Commenor was a safe place, but this made that fact a lie. Someone had taken the President of Commenor. [member="Veiere Arenais"] had asked for help, and despite how he very much wanted to, what could he do? He had contacts on Corellia. But that was it. If they were by some chance on Corellia, that was all the help he could give. And yet, by his good-willed nature, he was determined to help. So he sent a message via a datapad: "This is Minister Skirae. I will do everything in my power to help." He was unsure what aid he could give, however. He was no pilot. No fighter. Sure, he had a blaster. but he had no idea on how to use it. All he was good at was bargaining. But he was going to try. Kay had helped him, when he sought out a job. Darben would return the favor.

And he could easily guess that a trip was to be done somewhere in the near future. He sat there waiting for a reply, any sort of reply. He didn't want to be left in the dark on all this.

Mute had been by his side when he had received the message, and by how she reacted she was also shaken up. "They will find her" he reassured her with a smile. Although, he wasn't too sure on that. "And we're going to help." After reassuring her he sent Mute away, asking her to pack some things. There was going to be a trip, no doubt.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Einon stood there while [member="Veiere Arenais"] snapped at him. The amount of control that the man had was more than what Einon had expected. Perhaps the Elders cared more for Commenor than for one individual, but that was their prerogative, not his. Kay was his charge.

He took the datapad, catching a glance at the message from [member="Samka Derith"] before returning his gaze to Veiere while his orders were relayed. He could see the frustration and anger on the older man's face and was a little relieved when Veiere stepped away. Einon nodded in acceptance of his orders and then took a seat on the nearest chair to get to work.

It took him a while, but he finally had all of the information requested of him. And the fact that he had to perhaps relay all of it vocally to the others that were gathering, was not something that he was looking forward to. He was more used to being the silent observer and shadow, not some strategist and information officer. But he had to do what he had to do. He double-checked to be sure that he had all the files and pictures on the deaths of the two guards, one killed by an explosive device and the other injured in the crash and impaled by a steel blade. No burns in the wound indicated that no lightsaber was used, but still, that didn't mean that someone with Force powers wasn't involved.

Einon's datapad beeped as a message came through...from the Elders? He furrowed his brows as he opened it, a holo image of the Three Brothers appeared and they spoke in their unusual manner, completing eachother's sentences;

"We felt Kay" "when she was" "captured. A lone" " assailant ensnared her" "with darkness before" "she was taken." "We did not " "foresee this travesty" "or we would" " have warned her." "Kay's light fades" "with each passing" "day. We hope" "that you reach" "her in time."

The message ended. Einon had never witnessed them speaking before and it made him shiver as well as fill him with dread. The looks in their eyes told him that they had more to say, but chose not to say it. He wondered why.

Einon got to his feet, indicating to the officers in waiting that he was ready. They turned and escorted him to the briefing room, each step making him wish that he could turn back time.

[member="Ultimatum"] [member="Ghorua the Shark"] [member="Darben Skirae"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

The Whalebone had maneuvered into the main hanger quickly, cutting a few corners to get there. The old modified cargo ship shot a spray of hot sparks as it touched down, and Ghorua grumbled something about faulty wiring. It wasn't his fault the ship was falling apart at the seams. He needed to get a new one, but finding a ship small enough for him to pilot alone, and sized to fit him, was a challenge upon itself. That would have to wait.

The Lady needed saving.

Ghorua walked down the Whalebone's exit ramp, seeing a contingent of stormtroopers greeting him. He had heard of the 501st. They had quite the reputation behind them, spanning back centuries. But Ghorua was no history buff, and soldiers definitely weren't his expertise. He didn't necessarily care at the moment.

The Lady needed saving.

Escorted by the troopers, Ghorua finally made his way to the briefing room, where a holotable had been cleared. Troopers stood at the ready. If they were surprised by the sudden appearance of the Shark, their faceless visors hid it. Ghorua frowned, seeing that he had been the first one to arrive in the room, minus the soldiers. He had to wait. He had no time for waiting.

The Lady needed saving.

"Let's get this show on the road, please. I didn't come for a tea party." Ghorua snapped at one of the stormtroopers, the strain in his voice apparent, despite his attempted humor. He heard footsteps behind him in the hall. Einon entered, flanked by officers. The Herglic gave them a quizzical stare.

He could only hope they wouldn't be too late to save her from... whoever it was that took her.

- [member="Lady Kay"] - [member="Darben Skirae"] - [member="Veiere Arenais"] - [member="Thraxis"] - [member="Samka Derith"] - [member="Ultimatum"] -

 

[Ultimatum]

The Sovereignty turned to a defensive position before it lowered it shields to allow the Fate to exit the hangar bay. Ultimatum waited aboard the Fate, thinking on what would need to be dealt with. They would obviously need to hear what [member="Veiere Arenais"] had to say, hopefully gaining the necessary information to get a basic idea of who might have taken Kay and where. From there, Ultimatum was planning on coordinating forces to attempt a recapture, covert or otherwise. This was all fairly obvious, no doubt on everyone's mind really.

Ultimatum was disturbed by the speaking of AU-01, the ship's combat droid, "Which one is Kay again? Mu says that's the friend of the one with the blue fur. I thought she was one of the ones from the Pirate's entourage."

The AI smirked as he responded, "Bit of both. She's the ruler of Commenor, friend of both Ryn and Justice."

In a moment of quick changing subject AU asked, "And when will the Rotary cannons be replaced for those new guns? The current ones are not going to cut it anymore with the better troops."

Ultimatum's smile disappeared, but soon found its way back onto his lips, "Once I can get some of the guns off the line and tested we will be able to put them on. Then you can go about your shooting business."

It was at that moment that the ship landed and Ultimatum took his leave of AU before stepping onto the Chimaera. The droid was surprised to see a massive Herglic, however his attention was taken back to making his way to the briefing room. He did not allow the stormtroopers that stood about to distract him, following the guide that quickly led him to the room. There he took a seat and allowed his mind to head back to attempting to decide how best to locate [member="Lady Kay"].

 

[Thraxis]

With a heave and a ho he pulled himself from his chair, a sharp pain radiating up and through his leg as he took his first step, a tear forming in his eye before tumbling down his chin and landing with a silent splash against the durasteel floor. With haste a Gammorean pulled Thraxis underarm, trying to support him along, "Let go of me. I ain't no damn invalid. A bit of pain hasn't killed me before and it ain't gonna start now!" he hissed, a vein attempt as he struggled to push the Gammoreans meaty arm off his shoulder, only to be forced resignation to the fact he needed some assistance.

The duo walked through to the Hangar Bay, the Gammorean placing Thraxis in a chair as he started to fiddle around with the controls, a look of vile vitriol washing his face as he came to terms with his situation. Minutes passed as the Gammorean got to work, a rocky start as the small vessel hovered back and forth in the air, before flying with a slow drawl as they made their approach.

As the ship slowly descended Thraxis pulled himself up, the Gammorean flicking a few switches with haste before rushing over to the Boss' aid. "Get off of me. I can't seem weak here. Just stand behind me and act tough." he commanded his voice a hush to make sure no one on the outside heard the commotion.

As the two descended down the Ramp, a look of nothing more than a Black metal mass approached, each step leaving a metallic thump behind its trail as the Gammorean hovered overhead, its Arg'garok in hand as Thraxis turned to one of the armed men. "You. Take me to this meeting room." he demanded with a snap of the finger, a look of agitation rushing over before escorting the duo towards where everyone else was. Each step was agony, his eyes more akin to a steel sheet as he forced emotion out from his face to keep himself from acknowledging the pain.

With every stomp of Phirik pressing against Durasteel the idea of ignoring the pain became more substantially difficult. The Gammorean behind him showed visible worry as finally, they arrived at the Council Room, Thraxis scanning around to see who had arrived, Ultimatum... Ghorua... Kay must have more allies then this? he thought to himself, his eyes narrowing as he took a seat, his hands placed on his lap within easy reach of a gun should someone take issue with his presence.
[member="Veiere Arenais"] [member="Lady Kay"] [member="Ghorua the Shark"]
[member="Ultimatum"] [member="Darben Skirae"] [member="Samka Derith"]

 

[WolfMortum]

"Much to our disappointment, Tea is the Lady Kay's sort of thing..." Veiere announced his presence with a response to Ghorua the Shark, making his way slowly into the room only after the last of their little band of misfits had come together. Behind him, First Captain Decius strode in clad in his armor though baring no helmet, the only subtle show that the distinguished soldier was not fully expecting a fight on their hands. Much to Veiere's reassuring, the man didn't seem all too pleased to be here to begin with given the circumstance around his former Lords demise, the good Cyril Grayson.

"I apologize for being the last here, though I wished to ensure our privacy before meeting here. You can all rest assured that none outside of this room will hear the extent of our conversation and I must thank you all for meeting with me. The fact of the matter at hand is that the Madame President of Commenor, while initially suspected only missing, has been confirmed to have been abducted...." He spoke clearly for all to hear while moving around towards the head of the table, not yet taking his seat but instead taking the height of it in both hands and now standing before them all, he gestured to either side issuing introductions; "I'm sure most of you know of each other though of my men, Captain Decius here leads the 501st Stormtrooper Legion of which now resides under my Command along with the Chimaera..." Decius chose to offer them all a brief nod though seemed to find the far wall much easier to look at whilst he kept his ears to the discussion, his hands hooked into the front of his belt and never far from his blaster pistol. Soon gesturing to Einon, [member="Lady Kay"]'s confidante, he continued "This is Kay's primary aid; Einon. He handles most of everything for her when she is absent and the Ministers of Commenor are otherwise unavailable..." Turning to look to Einon, Veiere added in finale, "Share with the others what you know, spare no detail...".

With Einon taking the reigns, Veiere pulled his seat out from the table and moved to sit himself. Now out of the spotlight so to speak his eyes travelled the group, none of whom he really knew personally at all nor did he harbor any ill intent though Kay had mentioned [member="Ghorua the Shark"] as a friend and [member="Ultimatum"] had been recently involved in the scandal around the illegal goods that they had apparently been smuggling. Needless to say, Kay was innocent and it was presumed the bidding of [member="Thraxis"]' people. For the sake of her safe return however, Veiere was willing to pull strings to benefit who ever could find a positive end to a very concerning and dare he think it, horrifying scenario that Kay might not ever return to Commenor. Or him.

[member="Darben Skirae"] | [member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua looked up from his musing as [member="Ultimatum"], [member="Thraxis"], and finally, [member="Veiere Arenais"] entered, giving each a curt nod. On any normal occasion, he would announce himself grandly as Ghorua the Shark, the greatest Bounty Hunter the galaxy had ever seen, or something along those lines. His jolly humor had been sucked away at the moment, leaving him with nothing but an angry, professional attitude.

He was a very different person than he usually was.

Of the group that assembled, Ghorua only really knew Thraxis. The man was his first employer, and they had worked together a few times before. Ghorua had an uneasy relationship with the mad man, lying somewhere between brutal fascination and total aversion. The others he knew not as well, but at least he recognised their names. As far as he was able to gather, they were friends of Kay, and whomever was a friend of Kay was a friend of the Shark.

Ghorua grinned sharply at Veiere's comment, biting back a happy retort. Not exactly the time for pleasantries.

He listened to the Jedi thoughtfully, crossing his muscled arms over his chest. Kay had been abducted. Ghorua's first suspicion was Thraxis, of course, but considering the man was sitting across the table from him, Ghorua found that unlikely. His next thought wasn't so pretty. The last they met, the President had told Ghorua the story of her former husband's demise. The Herglic had his suspicions.

Ghorua could quite literally smell the tension in the air. Adrenaline ran high in the bloodstreams of all that had blood, and the scent was mildly distracting. The Shark shook his head, huffing through his blowhole. "Out with it, Einon. I want details." Ghorua leaned on the table, staring at the smooth surface.

- [member="Darben Skirae"] - [member="Samka Derith"] - [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Riven Black]

Travel was a necessary activity for someone in his position, reaching out to worlds that needed help or were willing to work with Commenor was the Minister of Foreign Affairs job. Holding that title meant more than just a simple venture to unknown reaches of space. The day he met Kay he promised a brighter future and the lengths he was willing to go in order to make such a impossible promise come true meant he had to take action when he got word. He had reached Commenor space hours ago and before landing set course for the instructed briefing. Kay had been kidnapped, his absence only meant her vulnerability in the end. Riven couldn't have predicted that a threat would walk right on the graceful ground of Commenor and snatch the President from her rightful throne. It was unforgivable to the people. To Riven it meant both his and Commenor's future were in danger and rightfully so. Anyone willing to take the president and get away with it had to be an exceptional individual, smart too, which made the matter even worse.

The only thing that mattered was finding her and returning Kay to her rightful place. In order to do that Riven would have to put his life on the line. It wasn't something he was shy about, after all there were many worlds before Commenor that prospered because of his intervention. Being taught the the Arts of the Kro Var he would be more than suited to get the job done. Riven was usually a very kind and intelligent man, one that avoided confrontation at all costs, unless; of course, if it was necessary. This happened to be a necessary cause. Regardless, wherever Kay was she needed a devoted man to her cause step in and help.

The ship bucked as the pilot waved Riven over. The small Corvette slid into the Chimaera's hangar and hovered above the troops below. They had been granted a safe passage through but no clear landing instructions. The situation was tense. In all manner of things Riven waited till the hanger was safely sealed off and listened to the pilot.

"Sir, Stormtroopers. I don't think they were expecting us to land..."

Riven's eyes slanted as he peered out the front glassy window.

"Lower the ramp."

"But Sir...the height alone would...."

The pilot was abruptly cut off.

"Do it now."

With a quick nod the pilot reached for the latch and pulled. Riven strode off to the end of the ship his jacket flapping in the wind as he jumped toward the lined troopers below.

Two troopers approached and before tilting their guns upwards a small piece of paper glided softly forward, toward them. There was small print written on it which forced the troopers to loosen their tensed bodies and show him forward.

"Right this way Minister Riven. We had no idea you would be showing, we were under the assumption that your ship was in the wild space sector. I apologize for the rude greeting we are on high alert since the incident."

Riven looked to the trooper as they tapped onto a security terminal to open the blast doors ahead. Riven's words were strong and kind.

"Forgiven."

Riven stepped forward as his black pants were lit by the lights over head. The durasteel floor forced his shoes to make a clanking sound. Those within the confines of the briefing room would be aware of his arrival shortly. With a tight smile he bowed, reaching for the handle he swung the door wide and stepped into a room filled with the apparent others willing to find Kay. They were a misfit bunch and even though diversity was what set them apart, Riven hadn't seen anything much like it. The thought of Kay touching all of them in her own way made him sigh. She was a remarkable leader, even more so than others he had just come from meeting. Her fire had sparked a rebellion against the ruthless kidnapper and now that he had arrived, he only needed to announce himself.

"Right, how rude of me. Riven Black. Or Minister Black will suffice, I've come to help. I trust that someone knows where our President might be?"

[member="Samka Derith"]
[member="Darben Skirae"]
[member="Lady Kay"]
[member="Veiere Arenais"]
[member="Thraxis"]
[member="Ultimatum"]
[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

A lot more people had assembled in the meeting room than what Einon had anticipated. Some he recognized, while others he did not. Regardless, he was at least relieved that some people cared, besides the Commenori.

And now they demanded answers, details, both of which Einon had very little. He looked to each of them in the eye and then took the datacard out of his datapad, slipping it into a slot in the middle of the table that provided a holo image for them all to see. It was as he was doing this that [member="Riven Black"] walked in. Einon gave him a solemn nod before he cleared his throat and gave them all of the information that he had.

"What you see here is one of the passages in the Twin Canyons. The Madam President was out for a ride to de-stress with two of our guardsmen when they were attacked. From what we can tell, the first guard was shot at with a wrist rocket or some other explosive device. The debris field suggests that his speederbike was not in motion at the time. The second appeared to had gone off to get to the Madam President's side, only to crash in the wall. Footprints on the ground that you see here, shows that he was injured, but was still trying to get to her side. A large set of prints appear behind his. The guard was impaled with a large blade, probably a sword, given the amount of blood. We've tested it and there is no indication that any of the blood belonged to the President. Her speederbike had crashed on the other side of the gully, and it would appear that it was crashed on purpose, though we really don't know. Her footprints show her at a good sprint, heading towards these tunnels. But blood and the change in the trail have made us to believe that she was suddenly injured and struggled. The large set of bootprints approach her and the best that we can guess is that she was taken away from that point. We tried reaching her commlink and the guards as soon as we saw the smoke, but there was only static. The reception in the canyons can be spotty at times, which sadly, was probably why she liked to go there. And just a few minutes ago, I received this..."

Hitting a few buttons, the holo-image of the three Elders appeared. He played out their short message and looked to [member="Veiere Arenais"] , wondering if he felt the same way about the Elders holding something back as he did. Einon held Veiere in high regard, looked up to him even, for the older man's experience vastly dwarfed his own.

After the message played out, he removed the datacard. "We checked through all of the manifests and logs of each ship coming in and most especially out of Commenori space. Nothing was out of the ordinary, everything was accounted for, every blip on the radar looked into. So either she's still here on Commenor somewhere, or someone used stealth technology to get her out."

Einon remained standing when he finished, should there be any questions. No doubt there would be. But they had other matters to figure out as well, such as who will govern Commenor while this was bring resolved.

[member="Thraxis"] [member="Ghorua the Shark"] [member="Samka Derith"] [member="Darben Skirae"]

 

[Thraxis]

Thraxis tilted himself back in his chair, his gaze fixated at the roof his breath a slight heave as he let the squabbles of the rest drown him out. Though that didn't stop the Gammorean from taking note. With a hasty step the Gammorean walked to the table, his body bending over as he began to confirm his state, "Boss, are you sure you can be here? Ya seem a little busted up." the Gammorean said in his native tongue, quickly silenced by a quick twist of the head and a glare behind his mask.

"I can handle worse than a few scratches and bruises now. Get back in line." he whispered with an air of command to the Gammorean, his attention fixated as he took witness of the Elders, scanning over each one of them, he had heard rumors of how Commenor was run, and that rule after Kay was under their authority. As soon as the last word spilled from Einon's lips Thraxis took the stage, a feeling of frustration running over him as it seemed they hadn't made any progress in locating her. "So, in short. She could either be A, on Commenor, or B. The rest of the Galaxy." he clarified, looking over everyone as a sharp pain rushed through his body, his frame quivering for a second before his composure regained.

He took one more sweep, a pause on every person he scanned. He wasn't an idiot. He knew who people might have suspected done it so he might as well make everything come clean in a roundabout way. "Now, Kay has many enemies. Have we even managed to pinpoint a list of possible candidates with this capacity? Because a sword, a rocket, as well stealth isn't what I would call hard to come by." he inquired, his head cocking to a side as he stared at Veiere his eyes narrowing as he waited to hear what he predicted this was all about. He was at least going to have to clear the air now rather than deal with vitriol and suspicion through the rest of the trip.
[member="Lady Kay"] [member="Veiere Arenais"] [member="Riven Black"]
[member="Ghorua the Shark"] [member="Ultimatum"]
[member="Darben Skirae"] [member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Darben Skirae]

As soon as he and Mute were ready, Darben requested a transport to take him and his assistant to the Chimera, the ship which [member="Veiere Arenais"] was aboard. When he saw it, he was surprised to see the type of ship, let alone the size. He never looked much out to space, and so never really saw the Chimera. Several other ships were nearby. "I hope he got my message" Darben muttered to himself. He would hate to arrive unexpected.

As the ship he requested approached the Chimera, he thought about what he could do to help. Call in some favors from anyone he knew on Corellia, try to bargain. Perhaps, if the need came, he would have to trade something for information, or something else of use. He just wanted to help, although trying to find a way he could help was annoying. All he was was Minister of Trade.

Darben arrived, having used a Commenor shuttle to reach the Chimera, although had no idea of where Veiere would be waiting for everyone. So he went looking.

Luckily, some guards escorted him to where everyone was. He found everyone in a briefing room, around a holotable. There was [member="Riven Black"], a familiar face to him, three other men he had not met, but one he had seen around Lady Kay at the social events. A droid, and some large being that surprised Darben just by it's size. Kay had some interesting friends indeed. He remained at the entrance, however, waiting to be greeted in. Just in case he was intruding. But, of course, he couldn't help but overhear everything being said by everyone.

[member="Thraxis"] [member="Lady Kay"] [member="Ghorua the Shark"] [member="Ultimatum"] [member="Samka Derith"]