Private The Root of Loyalty

[Chaussidier]

The Root of Loyalty​

"Malachor" there was a hint of distaste in his weathered voice. The Admiral stood by the centre of the bridge. His eyes were gazing out through the viewport, down at the planet below. It was a wasteland. Filled with wrecks lingering from battles of the past. He remember reading of and studying the most recent Sith Victory over the planet a few years back. It had now become populated with scavengers and - importantly - remnants wishing to keep whatever information was stored in the wrecks of their crashed ships and facilities to themselves. The elder turned his head to glance towards the communications officer "They will keep fighting over this thing until there is nothing left to fight over."

Their brief moment of peace and quiet was over. Turning on his heels, Chaussidier moved back to the command console with long strides. "Status report"

The communications officer looked down at her computer terminal as she spoke "The Jedi transport just docked in Shuttle Bay 1, Admiral. Our analysts are picking up concerning fighter activity from the planet below. The Syrniki has completed its repairs. Your personal detachment is fully operational, Admiral. Long range comms have picked up an uptick in violence on Korriban. We expect the region to be more volatile for the next four to six galactic standard days."

For a brief moment, silence ensued as the elder processed the information. "Master Sinvala is here?"

"Yes, Admiral"

"Very good." He had sent Mathieu to receive her. It was rare for the Admiral to welcome guests aboard his ship personally in normal cases. Perhaps he could have considered making an exception for the Jedi Master but in this instance, he had business to attend to. Besides, Mathieu would probably be glad to meet a fellow Jedi. Chaussidier's attention turned to a datapad in pristine condition. The download bar was almost full. It was an intelligence package his crew had put together for the Jedi council and the Commenor central command.

Once the download was complete, the Admiral entered a code before picking up the device. It was not much to look at - a typical product which valued rugged efficiency over elegance and user friendliness - but it did have the capacity to store large amounts of information.

Just as the code had been entered, the communications officer spoke up "Admiral."

His eyes shot to her immediately.

"THere has been a development. The fighters below appear to be in pursuit of a civilian-class shuttle. We have identified the fighters as part of a local Remnant force"

"Set an intercept course with the shuttle. Activate the ACP scramblers." The crew got to work as he spoke. Without pause, Chaussidier pressed a button which connected him to the captains of the other ships in his detachment. "Set an intercept course with the fighters. Engage at will. If their hulls can be preserved, pick them up. Chaussidier out."

After having helped coordinate his commands, the communications officer looked to him "Are we intercepting the shuttle, Admiral?"

Chaussidier was disappointed. The question should not have to be asked after having worked on his bridge for so long. Still, he would keep his mask and avoid letting it show. Instead, he answered the question so that they could both move on to more useful tasks "We will harbour it from the Sith. Our hangar doors are already open. Prepare a medical team and..." he trailed off for a brief moment. They might need some extra security - there was no call for relying too heavily on his guest for that. "Have Konor join them in the hangar."

***​

Mathieu's trip to the hangar was supposed to be calm. Master Sakadi's ship had already set down in the hangar but he still had some time as the systems were to be deactivated and the landing procedures completed. But then, he had received the instructions to ask Konor to come along. Their relations had improved significantly since they first met - perhaps the night out really did work. But then, when compared to the abysmal start that their relations had, any improvements could be considered significant. Regardless, he would jog to the mess hall where the Mercenary was most likely to be found.

Once they met, he called for the semi-sephi "Hey! Konor!" Friendly eyes met those of the Mercenary as he approached rapidly. "Two things. Chaussidier asked for me to give you this." He handed Konor a worn datapad. "Also, he wanted you to come to Hangar Bay 1. To beef up security."

It was fortunate that the mess hall was near the hangar in question. For it meant that the two of them would arrive through its main entrance before long.

Konor Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Zoraya Ives-Ayres Mathieu Brion​

 

[River Kryze]

The Root of Loyalty
​

Tags: Chaussidier Konor Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Zoraya Ives-Ayres Mathieu Brion
Location: Malachor, space
Gear: In bio

Armed with her full arsenal of tools, River approached with the rest of the maintenance crew to the landing craft. Seeing the ship, she couldn't help but be reminded of several of her combat missions. Never with jedi of course, aside from the adventure with Mathieu, but it was a task she was well enough familiar with. Her four arm tendrils made tasks like fueling and basic maintenance rather easy. Truth be told, she didn't need a crew to assist her with a check like this, but this was Chaussidier's ship, and she'd prefer not stepping on any toes. Not to mention this was a jedi master, probably wouldn't look to good for a single Mandalorian to give the vessel a once over.

Two of her tentacles pulled the small grav lift behind her, leaving her two technicians glancing back and forth at each other in a mix of confusion, and frustration. She didn't blame them, but it was just easier for her to do this on her own. Checking the information on the datapad in her hand, she issued a few suggestions to the men behind her. "Run a routine damage report, fuel sensors, and atmospheric maneuvering jets will be a priority. Malachor has alot of debris and fragments in orbit still, so there's alot of strain on the collision detection systems. I'll notify you if anything else comes to mind." She caught some suggestion of agreement, but she didn't pay it much mind. Stepping through the heavy duty door into the hanger, River handed the grav lift off to the technician crews, she set herself to work. Her four arms moved her upwards, the limbs moving her towards the ship. Finding an access panel, she flipped it open, and gingerly plugged one of her tendrils into it. The information sprayed across her helmet HUD as she dialed into the systems configuration, and began to check for any damage that she needed to look into.

 

[Zoraya Ives-Ayres]

The shuttle had taken quite a battering from its pursuers, leaving the engineer dead in the co-pilot's seat and the remaining two occupants of the shuttle injured, though to a much lesser extent. The blast that had killed the engineer had given the flight officer a gash across his head and potentially a concussion. Spared largely from the worst of the impact while not being in the cockpit, Zoraya had been thrown into the wall by the force of the impact but was relatively unharmed compared to her companions, though she dared to think what the shooting pain in her arm meant.

With little compassion, Zoraya marched into the cockpit and pushed the engineer onto the floor, assuming the co-pilot's seat herself. They were surrounded by alarms, warning them of their impending doom which was not helped by the bickering of the two remaining in the cockpit.

"Can't you outmanoeuvre them? You're a flight officer!" Zoraya exclaimed as her fingers grazed over buttons, trying to divert power from their shot engine into their remaining one while the other officer steered. "And go where? To Malachor? Yeah, great idea." He shot back. "No! Of course not. I never said-" She gave a frustrated groan. Perhaps she held him in too high regard.

"Why don't you do something? What are you anyway? ISB?" His gaze shot over to her for a moment, though they wore the same uniform, he knew the answer. "Yeah, that explains it." She was taken aback for a moment. "Excuse me? You're the one whose job it is to fly ships and yet you're going to get us killed because of your inability to fly this ship." She fired back. "We were shot!" He exclaimed. "That was your fault!" They bickered back and forth.

"This isn't a starfighter. There is only so much I can do." He spoke with bitterness in his tone. "And you're not even doing that much." She replied. "Maybe getting killed would be for the best." He muttered, prompting a shooting glare from his companion. "That can be arranged." She retorted.

A convoy flew overhead, prompting both Imperials to look up and cease arguing, at least for now. "Board it." She commanded, calmly. "We don't know who it belongs to. We could get arrested just for stepping foot on it." He replied. "Would you rather stay here and die?!" She asked him, incredulously. "I'm seriously considering it." He earned another glare from the agent. "If you want a shot to the back of the head, all you have to do is ask." She growled. "Board. The. Ship. I wasn't asking." She commanded a final time, this time getting through to him.

With the power diverted to the remaining engine, the flight officer did as he was told and approached the leader of the convoy, carefully manoeuvring the shuttle into the open hangar and landing it as the metal loudly groaned under the pressure before it came to a complete halt.

With a sigh, Zoraya stood up and brushed away strand of hair that had come loose during the commotion. "Let's pretend we at least have a somewhat cohesive bond so they don't undermine us, mmkay?" She walked to the door and looked over her shoulder but he was still seated. "My leg..." He started. With a sigh, she approached him and took his arm around her shoulder to help him to his feet. With her assistance, he limped down the length of the ship and into the hanger of the larger ship.

Chaussidier Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Konor​

 

[Konor]

Despite not fully trusting Admiral Geezer and the others, Konor wasn't dumb enough to look a gift horse in the mouth. Free housing and free food went a long way when you were a fugitive. The half-Sephi chomped away at this evening's supper, shoving the fork into his mouth every few seconds with no hint of stopping.

That was, of course, until he heard the Boy Scout's voice call out to him. Konor still didn't like Mathieu, but he tolerated him a little more following their 'night out' together. Halting everything, his eyes looked toward the tall Morellian "What?" he asked, mouth still full with his food. As Mathieu explained, he continued chewing and swallowed before reaching over to take the datapad that was being handed to him. The outlaw could guess what was on it, since it was sole reason for even being here. "Beef security? Why?" taking another mouthful, he didn't wait for the Jedi to answer and promptly rolled his mask down over his face before standing up and following.

"This better be worth me skippin' dinner." Konor grumbled. Walking at the same pace alongside the Morellian his lenses turned to face him "What's goin' on? Y'know I never pay attention to what the old man says." whether he answered or not, the two would enter inside the hangar and lay their eyes on the totalled ship that rested in the middle of it. His HUD scanned the damage it had received before whistling a tone of astonishment "Damn. Hate to be--"

The outlaw cut himself off when he saw who had emerged. That red-headed holier than thou Imperial agent, Zoraya. Konor didn't attempt to fight his laughter as his cheeks inflated and he burst out laughing "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Of course its you!" pointing at her for a few seconds, Konor then proceeded to bend over as his laughs increased in volume. A twinge of curiosity did reach the back of his mind though, his and Zoraya's encounters were more frequent lately and it couldn't be coinsidence. This was a big galaxy after all.

Konor's laughter finally receded and he let out a deep sigh of satisfaction "Alright, alright." He returned to a 'professional' outlook and jogged over to the Imperial and her injured companion. Breaking inbetween the two, he gently took hold of the pilot and lifted him up in his arms "I got 'im." he assured her - assuming she even cared.

"Ay Boy Scout, call a medic crew or somethin'!" he yelled, calling out to Mathieu.

Chaussidier Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Zoraya Ives-Ayres

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

T H E- R O O T- O F- L O Y A L T Y
H A N G A R​

The shudder moving through the T-6 shuttle marked their landing. Yet for Sakadi, it meant a rough awakening from her slumber. She shot up in her berth, nearly hitting her head against the low ceiling of the cabin she slept in. A glance at the other berths told her the others were awake already. So how long had she slept?

With more effort than she wanted to admit, Sakadi reached for the linen robe hanging over the railing. Her head was still heavy, limbs slow, and joints aching. Another prophetic nightmare, or so she suspected. It took a toll on both body and mind, a pattern she had come to recognise as of late.

The door slid open, and Sakadi snapped out of her thoughts. "Oi Sin!" The Yuzzum named Jorr bellowed. The furry brown ball waggled toward her berth on his two stick-like legs, a broad grin on his face. "Can ye get up already? Cause I don't wanna deal with this military types on me own." Sakadi raised one silver eyebrow. "What about Indira?" She asked, feigning annoyance. "Y'know I don't want them ogling at my girlfriend" He grumbled. "You know she's not your girlfriend, right?" Jorr raised a finger in protest. "Not yet! But I've still gotta meet a woman who can resist my charms." Sakadi couldn't help but silently chuckle as she climbed out of bed. "Then what am I?" He wove her comment away. "Must be some Jedi-voodoo you've got going for you." He turned once more on his way out of the cabin. "Anyways, Indira and I will wait for you here. 'kay? Sakadi nodded, and the eccentric Yuzzum left her alone again.

She understood why the two didn't want to be spotted aboard a military vessel. They were smugglers, the kind who had made grave mistakes in the past. Whenever they were around officials, they got anxious. They would have felt the same about her, had she not saved them on Folende. Besides, they were here because of her. So it was a given that she would be descending the shuttle's ramp alone.

Her timing couldn't have been better. With her good ear, she heard the commotion happening on the other side of the hangar. Namely the need for a medic - a role she had taken upon herself before, both at Silver Rest and in the field. She wasn't the best healer out there, but a quick assessment of the situation made her confident she could help.

Her stride transitioned to a slow jog, swiftly crossing the distance between her and the group of figures. She recognized Mathieu among them, giving him a brief nod before directing her attention to the injured among them. The first to receive her aid was the man supported by the loudmouth. Her lilac eyes pierced straight through the mask as she gestured for them to stop. She moved to the injured man's side without hesitation, and placed her hand against it. A soft, pinkish glow formed around her hand right after.

She glanced once more at the masked figure. A clear message could be deciphered from her gaze. Don't drop him yet.

Mathieu Brion | Konor | Zoraya Ives-Ayres | River Kryze​

 

[Mathieu Brion]

The Root of Loyalty​

Location: Malachor System
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags: River Kryze Zoraya Ives-Ayres Konor Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

---​

As soon as the doors to the hangar opened, it immediately became obvious that a less than ideal landing had been made rather unexpectedly. Hangar command worked frantically to summon more staff whilst redirecting control and maintenance from the Jedi Master's vessel to that of the newly arrived Imperials. It was already heavily damaged, both from the chase and the landing itself but work could still be done to limit continued deterioration.

Konor and Mathieu both jogged forth towards the two figures who exited the craft. Knowing that Konor had an eye on security, Mathieu glanced over to Sakadi for a moment and offered her a nod before his attention snapped back to the new arrivals. His brows formed a weary line as he saw who the woman was. "Not her" he thought, thinking of all the trouble she could cause.

To his surprise, Konor picked the wounded pilot up. Bewildered, Mathieu looked to the mercenary "That's not how security works" Medics were on their way and if they followed procedure, they would be bringing a stretched. With a sigh, Mathieu let out a weary "They're on their way" before turning to Zoraya just as Sakadi arrived to tend to the pilot.

Whether it be by a silly coincidence or a devious plan, the woman had manage to stumble upon Chaussidier's cover operations. Fortunately, they weren't conducting it against the non-Sith affiliated Imperials. Still, her presence did cause him some concern. "Welcome aboard." he said whilst taking a step away from Konor and Sakadi, figuring that they might need some space. Tending to the must urgent questions first, Mathieu asked "Are you injured? Are there any more people who need medical attention in the shuttle? Any explosives or other high risk substances in there?" The last question wasn't part of what he would normally ask but when it came to Zoraya, it was safer to be absolutely sure. The vessel would be searched regardless but if she answered him honestly, they could get to work sooner.

The large Morellian brought up a comms device. If Zoraya had anything of relevance to report, he would forward that information to the communications officer. Regardless, he would also inform her of their new passengers "It is her. The Imperial Agent" he gave the redhead an annoyed glance before shutting the device off, knowing that whatever measures needed to be taken were being taken. After taking a deep breath, he tried to recompose himself - it was reasonable for him to treat her better - if not for her, for his own well-being and stability. "What brought you here?" he asked, doing his best to produce a smile.

 

[River Kryze]

The Root of Loyalty
​

Tags: Chaussidier Konor Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Zoraya Ives-Ayres Mathieu Brion
Location: Malachor, space
Gear: In bio

River had just made note of several repairs before the comm from hanger control reached her helmet. "Miss Kryze, we have an Imperial Shuttle that just touched down and it's looking pretty rough. Can you please head up the repair work over there?" She frowned behind the helmet, uncoupling her tools and clambering down from the jedi shuttle. "Roger, heading there now." She didn't much care for Imperial craft. The equipment was usually rugged, lacked imagination, and composed of overpriced paperweights. Not all that different from the people that served in it. "Hey, we have any medical staff on stand by? It's a hell storm out there." "We have medical enroute as we speak Miss Kryze." Catching sight of Mathieu, River offered a slight wave from one of her tendrils. Unfortunate that he was in the midst of work at the moment, but there would always be time to talk with the young man at a later time. Collecting a toolbox from the grav-lift, River clutched it into the grasp between two tendrils, and proceeded on.

Signaling to her team, River embarked to check in on the newest arrival, moving with a bit more haste as she switched to traversing on her cybernetic appendages. Moving past startled crew and personnel, she snickered to herself at their bewilderment. She thought most of them would be used to seeing her mechanical nightmare clambering around the halls.

In spite of the starling she gave her fellows, River arrived to a scene that made her smile fade, as the carbon scored mess of a shuttle loomed before her. Lowering herself back to her feet, she held her tool box above her head as she approached, realizing she would have to interface with the ship computer given the access panel seemed to have been blasted off. What a pain in the neck. Seeing the two pilots, River sighed and set the tool box down, her hands moving to the small medical supplies she had on hand. The medical team would be arriving soon, but she could still try and help out. Pushing her tool box over to the man, she offered him a place to sit for the time being. "Hang in there, medical will be here any minute." Turning to the woman that seemed no worse for wear, River produced her holopad and set about her job. "How bad does the cockpit look in there? Do we have any destabilized couplings, terminal malfunction, burst hydraulic piping? The access panal on the underside looked fried, so I'm gonna have to plug in from the ship computer, but if that's compromised you might be here for a while." Typing away on her datapad, she was hoping that the female pilot could give her something to work with.

The medical team had arrived not long after, and River's support crew followed suit.

 

[Zoraya Ives-Ayres]

She was struggling to help her companion disembark on account of his severely wounded leg. Her focus had been on not dropping him or accidentally tripping him until she heard a loud an irritating laughter, at which point her gaze shot in the direction of the noise in instant irritation. "Yeah, hilarious." She spoke to the approaching man. Once the Officer was safely in the hands of the loudmouth, she stepped away.

The sound of footsteps didn't warrant her attention until Sakadi came into view and immediately designated herself healer. While she knew little about the other woman, she knew enough and even despite this being their first meeting, she already knew she didn't like the Sephi. She watched as the Jedi began to heal her companion, an expression of contempt upon her face. There were many distasteful opinions she held on the Jedi and it seemed no amount of good could change that.

Another sight for sore eyes was the Jedi that she had had the misfortune to meet twice before now, with their first meeting going so poorly that she had never regained memory of it, only privy to the events that happened through the recording device she had been wearing at the time. She hated this Jedi more than most but she wasn't about to shout and threaten or attack him. Everything had its time and place.

"No. The only other person in the shuttle is the flight of- no, the engine- I don't know, whoever was the co-pilot, but he's dead anyway." She replied with little sympathy. It wasn't like she knew him so why would she care? He would get replaced with another green-eyed officer soon enough. "No explosives. It's safe. Believe it or not but I didn't come here to bomb you." She told him. Not this time anyway.

"What brought me here?" She repeated, an eyebrow slightly raised. "None of your business." She shut him down. His friendly conversation would fall on the deaf ears of the aloof and distrusting agent. In a casual move, uncharacteristic of the situation, she produced a cigarette, placing it between her lips and lighting it. With a relieved sigh, she took a drag before turning to the woman who seemed to be rambling on about the ship.

After the woman had finished listing what sounded like half the technicalities of the cockpit, Zoraya replied after a long pause. "I'm not a pilot." She replied unhelpfully, unwilling to even help the woman.

Chaussidier Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Konor​

 

[Konor]

Konor gave Mathieu a look back, calling out to the Morellian "Man, please. If she tries anythin', I'm tossin' her into the nearest sun. No big deal." scoffing at the Jedi's 'security' comment. Turning to face Zoraya after taking the pilot out of her care, he snickered, responding to her earlier comment directed at him "Thanks for the laugh, Red."

Konor would leave Zoraya to Mathieu as he began making his way toward the hangar exit. The sudden appearance of an attractive looking Sephi caught his attention. Perplexed, he heeded her direction and stopped for her "How's it goin'-- what the--?!" the outlaw exclaimed upon seeing the purple energy emit from her hand. Konor moved the injured pilot away from the Sephi "The hell are you doin'?" he asked aggressively. Taking a few steps back, his masked face peered into the Sephi's lilac eyes and continued to do so before he came upon a realisation. The half-Sephi looked over to Mathieu and then back to the woman, an annoyed sigh escaped him "You're a Jedi, aren't you?" he asked rhetorically. Jedi were beginning to creep him out more and more.

Konor re-approached the woman and allowed her to continue doing... whatever it was she was doing. It didn't take long for the medics to arrive, and when they did Konor handed the pilot over to them - who seemed to be doing a little better after having the Sephi pour whatever energy it was into him. "Weird." Konor cast a glance toward the Sephi, making sure she knew it was her he was referring to.

"I'm not a pilot"

Remembering his good 'friend' was here, Konor stifled another laugh and spun around to face her "Shame. I was hopin' to clown you for ya piloting skills." he said to her, placing his hands on his hips. Scratching underneath his chin, the outlaw glanced at Mathieu, Zoraya, the Sephi and the mechanic lady. Lifting his shoulders into a shrug "Now what?" Red wasn't going to talk and he was sure the Boy Scout was too soft to make her answer him.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Mathieu Brion River Kryze Zoraya Ives-Ayres

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

T H E- R O O T- O F- L O Y A L T Y
H A N G A R​

"How's it goin'-- what the--?!" The masked figure exclaimed. His reaction was to be expected. Many people had seen Jedi from afar. Few had interacted with them. And even less had seen them use their mythical powers. Sakadi had hoped that her stern look was enough to keep him from moving the co-pilot. Yet he found the resolve to move back in his distrust. "The hell are you doin'?" Sakadi made a face. Did he not realize that, as somebody aboard this ship, she was likely on the same side? "You're a Jedi, aren't you?" Ignoring his question, Sakadi boldly took a step forward and entered his personal space. He was taller than her, forcing her to look up to stare in the eyes behind the visor. Yet there was something unrelenting about her that made the air feel heavy. That made her, for a brief moment, appear far more daunting than him.

She held that stare for a while - wanting him to realize that he had pulled an injured man away from a healer. Sakadi then turned her attention back to the co-pilot. Ready to continue sharing her vigour through the Force, until more advanced medical help arrived.

When it did, Sakadi stepped away to allow the personnel access to the man. She watched as they placed him on a hovering stretcher, concerned up till the moment they considered him to be stable.

She then glanced over her shoulder, catching the tail-end of the conversation.

"I'm not a pilot"

"Shame. I was hopin' to clown you for ya piloting skills."

It did not seem like something that concerned her. The woman radiated with hostility. The masked mercenary struck her as quite indifferent. So what exactly had she walked into?

After a moment of contemplation, she decided it was best just to ask. "Mathieu, who are these people?" She projected, not really concerned whether those in her vicinity were also subjected to her message or not.

Mathieu Brion River Kryze Zoraya Ives-Ayres Konor

 

[Chaussidier]

The Root of Loyalty​

It was suicidal. The fighters that had been chasing the shuttle that he now harboured never stood a chance against his detachment. The hostile force had been enough to justify scrambling a fighter squadron but it would not be long before they would be forced to retreat. Whilst his eyes were fixed on the holographic display on the command console, he also listened to what was being discussed in the hangar. It was a cocktail of various characters and could unfold in a number of different ways. Although Konor was still a wildcard, he did have faith in Mathieu to handle it with a somewhat more careful touch.

It was only a matter of time before the question on whether the fighter squadron should pursue the fleeing vessels or not would have to be answered. He ignored the squabbles of the hangar for a while and fell into silence. Finally, he accessed the control panel and opened the channel to the Squadron Leader and the captain of one of the corvettes "Do not end the pursuit. Capture someone or wipe them out."

His eyes ventured to the viewport as the vessels diverged from their original course. Slowly but surely, he tuned back into the discussions in the hangar. Jedi Master Sakadi had never been a person one could listen in on but their unexpected guest - by his estimates an Imperial - was loud enough for both of them. He raised an eyebrow upon hearing her refuse to answer Mathieu's question. Just as Konor asked 'Now what?", Chaussidier patched himself into the flight control speakers "Unless she starts cooperating, you are free to arrange for her immediate departure on the ship she arrived on."

***​

Mathieu's gaze turned to the wreck that the Admiral referred to. 'Spaceworthy' was no longer an accurate description of it. He looked over to Konor, wondering if the mercenary also reacted on the rather far-reaching freedoms that they had been granted. He offered the Imperial a polite smile before turning to Sakadi, choosing to let her into the loop before doing anything else.

"Master Sakadi, this is Konor - a new associate of Admiral Chaussidier. We met, uh, during a raid. He is a skilled combatant." he then looked to the engineer who asked about the details of the wreckage "That is River. She's probably one of the best engineers I've met" It may not have been obvious to most - but Mathieu, having worked with quite a few Concord specialist on designing weapon systems against the Bryn, had met a large number of engineers. Finally, he looked to Zoraya "And this is an Imperial Agent. We call her 'Helen'. She is..." he paused for a moment, unsure of whether it was possible to find any positive aspects or not. The pause was almost becoming awkward and so, he just said something "... a person."

River Kryze Zoraya Ives-Ayres Konor Sakadi Marathi Sinvala​

 

[Zoraya Ives-Ayres]

More content with not getting involved with the group discussion, she remained detached and uninterested even as the Jedi performed what seemed to be regarded as a miracle by the man who was clearly not very well travelled as he further displayed with his rhetorical question, prompting her to inwardly roll her eyes.

She didn't respond to his following comment but rather looked unimpressed, acknowledging him only with her gaze meeting his behind the visor for a moment before looking back to her companion. Suddenly, he didn't seem like the worst conversation partner after all compared to the loudmouth.

The Jedi didn't interest her like it apparently fascinated him. She had seen more than enough Jedi in her time to not be fazed by another. It was hardly like they were a dying breed - yet.

Listening in to hear everyone's introductions, she remained detached from the group, leaning against the ship almost as if creating a sense of security since she was in hostile territory.

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" She asked no one in particular upon hearing the voice over the speaker. All she wanted, and she was sure the feeling was mutual with everyone present, was to leave. Unfortunately, the opportunity was yet to present itself.

Once she had finished the cigarette, she dropped the remainder of it on the ground and crushed it under her heel before speaking up, deciding being called by the false name designated to her was too unbearable. "My name is Ayres. Agent Ayres." She corrected him, though still remaining beside the ship.

Chaussidier Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Konor River Kryze​

 

[Konor]

Well this was an entertaining mess, and had the makings of a good joke. Two Jedi, an Imperial, and an outlaw walk into a hangar... there was a punchline here, somewhere. He didn't know much about the Sephi Jedi but it was clear she was a force of nature, so, herein lied the question: all these... strong personalities in one room, what was bound to happen? As if divine timing, Chaussidier's grizzled voice patched into Konor's comms.

"Unless she starts cooperating, you are free to arrange for her immediate departure on the ship she arrived on."

A mischievous smirk shaped itself on the half-Sephi's features, crinkling the outside of his mask slightly. "You got it, boss." he responded.

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" she asked in her default arrogant tone.

Konor's head swivelled in Zoraya's direction "Well, it wasn't supposed to be assurance." the outlaw snarkily retorted.

However, before Konor could do anything with this newfound information, Mathieu took the time to introduce everyone - seeing as he was the thread that linked everyone together apparently. Upon the mention of his name to the Sephi Jedi, who's name he learned to be Sakadi, Konor offered her a quick nod of acknowledgement "How you doin', pretty lady."

Folding his arms, he waited patiently as the Morellian introduced Sakadi to the engineer - to be honest, he'd never really interacted with her either. Then, finally, Mathieu introduced Zoraya referring to her as 'Helen'. The masked outlaw surmised she hadn't disclosed her true name to the large Morellian yet. However, Mathieu's "She's... a person." comment managed to tickle Konor. Even big ol' softy had less than flattering feelings toward her. Following that, Konor witnessed Zoraya put out her cigarette before revealing her title to Sakadi and Mathieu.

Snickering "Was that supposed to be cool?" Konor asked, teasing the Imperial agent. He turned to face Mathieu and Sakadi while pointing at Zoraya with his thumb, over his shoulder. "This idiot's name's Zoraya. Had the great dishonor of running into this Sheep over the past few months." his attention turned to Zoraya once more as he began to address her "You gonna tell us why yer here, or are me and the Boy Scout gonna havbe to 'arrange for your immediate departure'?"

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Mathieu Brion River Kryze Zoraya Ives-Ayres

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

T H E- R O O T- O F- L O Y A L T Y
H A N G A R​

"Master Sakadi, this is Konor - a new associate of Admiral Chaussidier. We met, uh, during a raid. He is a skilled combatant." said Mathieu, starting the round of introductions.

"How you doin', pretty lady." The mercenary - Konor - immediately resorted to flattery. She gave him an indifferent look, not forgetting he had interrupted her healing technique.

"That is River. She's probably one of the best engineers I've met" Sakadi gave the engineer a polite nod, the kind that could also be interpreted as a small bow.

"And this is an Imperial Agent. We call her 'Helen'. She is... a person" Sakadi glanced over to the woman. If Mathieu, of all people, phrased it like that there had to be something seriously wrong with the woman.

"My name is Ayres. Agent Ayres." Sakadi frowned. Her facial expression pairing nicely with Konor's comment.

"Was that supposed to be cool?" said Konor, earning him a shrug from the Jedi Master. "This idiot's name's Zoraya. Had the great dishonor of running into this Sheep over the past few months." The conversation made her wonder if this was perhaps one of those situations you'd best walk away from. They all seemingly knew each other. And none of them really seemed on good terms. Did she really want to be involved in this?

Sakadi let out a sigh.

"If she is not willing to talk, I can just read her mind instead." She promptly proposed, her disembodied voice reaching for all of their minds. It was bluff, although she doubted that the agent would catch on to it. The odd sensation of telepathy alone was often convincing enough to make people believe her claims.

She hoped that that would be the case here too.

Konor Mathieu Brion Zoraya Ives-Ayres River Kryze

 

[Mathieu Brion]

The Root of Loyalty​

Location: Malachor System
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags: River Kryze Zoraya Ives-Ayres Konor Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

---​

Tension seemed to be rising fast. Not long after Mathieu was done with the introduction, it seemed like the Agent, Helen Zoraya Ayres, was at a disadvantage. Chaussidier had put pressure on her and while the large Morellian may not have been very threatening on his own, Konor most certainly put some credibility behind the threat. It had all escalated quite a bit since they looked for injured upon rescuing the ship that the two Imperials had arrived on. And then, Sakadi went even further.

Mathieu had experienced how reluctant the Jedi Master was when it came to using her mind probing techniques. It was that reluctance which caused one of the most awkward semi-hostile encounters that he had ever been part of. He did not blame her, but he did remember - and that made him doubt how much she truly meant what she had said. Mathieu looked to the petite Sephi he respected her and had sought her counsel in the past. Questioning her was not something he was comfortable doing but his gut instinct was that her ways were too harsh "Master, are you sure...." he trailed off, not managing to spot any signs of her changing her mind.

Deciding that it was better that they show a more unified front, he swallowed hard and took a step towards Zoraya, as if to temporarily shield her from the more powerful Jedi. "Alright, just, uh, just give us something." he glanced back at Sakadi and then looked back to Zoraya, slightly worried. Hopefully, she would say something that could keep her mind from being invaded. He spoke to her, not to apply pressure but to save her "What's your mission, your goals? I don't know - handlers? Colleagues? Family?"