The Saqqar Is That? [Black Sun Dominion of Saqqar]

[Seris Vant]

En-route to the Saqqar System aboard the Adventures Class Cruiser Whitenoise

Saqqar, or an ice ball if you don't care to learn the name. A desolate world that you can't grow food outside, go out without the potential of frostbite, or have any enjoyment what so ever. In other words, Saqqar ain't the kind of place to raise your kids. Still a few million hardy peoples live here. Most of which reside in the main settlement. There was also some industry on world. Mostly mining ice to export it as water off world, and some mineral extraction. Everything else supported these employers.

Whitenoise burned through Hyperspace and was nearing Saqqar. Aboard were Cyphers confidants, folks he trusted, and a few new recruits. Before they set out, he was to give them a run down about what they were doing specifically. "Ladies, gentlemen, gather round. Time for the operations run down. We've three overarching objectives. First is the station orbiting the planet. Alpha team is to lead the engineers and workers in refitting it for use. Second, Beta of whom our best negotiators will go and work out a profitable deal with the ice mining guild. Lastly team Zeta will investigate one of these 'towers' that spot the surface. Designation A32SE4 is the selected site. The scans which we took say its the most intact. I want to know what they are, what they do, why they're there. Simple research, and I'll be on the team". Cypher took a look around at his crew. Noting expressions and poses, gear and armor. "Any questions before we reach Saqqar and get to it. And don't ask who's on what team. You can choose to be on any".

 

[Nai' Frerstal]

The Barabel quietly watched the short briefing from the man [member=Cypher], as his fingers drummed on the table. Nai was still getting used to his new bionic leg, but It wasn't that bad to begin with, so it didn't particularly bother him. He was on team Zeta, because he wasn't a good mechanic, and despite having a good reputation, a dragging lisp wasn't really appealing. Yet, he had some inquiries about Zeta's mission. " What ssshal be v'our route to the v'objective? "

 

[Domino]

Domino was already kitted out with an Artemis Suit, little question of which team she would be going with. The only one with the potential for a vacuum related accident was fixing the station. "Shuttles should take you straight there or at least a short walk from it depending on the terrain and flora, Hunter Frerstal." She said as she adjusted the straps on her duraplast chest piece to better hold the weight hanging from it. "Same goes for everyone else. Alpha volunteers should meet me in the hanger once their ready after the briefing. I'll be leading that team If Cypher doesn't have any objections." Something he shouldn't have since she was putting up several of her own engineers onto this and had even offered to loan out several spare suits for those wanting one for the task.

 

[Freynk Porkins]

[member="Cypher"] [member="Nai' Frerstal"] [member="Domino"]

'Feth yes!' Porkins said internally, 'karking refitting and mechanics?! Finally something I know how to do."

Porkins stood in his old white Snowtrooper armor. He had been waiting to get punched in the sprockets and told he was going snow bank diving but if he could go with team Alpha he wouldn't even have to touch the ice ball of a planet.

'Life is goooood.' He thought as he turned to head to the shuttle for Alpha squad. "See -you- at the station" he said to a random person regardless of where they were actually going.

"I'm not going to the station." The woman replied.

"Oh no" Freynk said as he tossed his T-21 repeater over his shoulder, "well I'll see you when your done freezing. Later."

 

[Seris Vant]

[member="Nai' Frerstal"] [member="Domino"]

"Drop ships will bring us right to the site. From there we just need to find ourselves a door. Or if there isn't one, blast our way in. from there we continue". Cypher crossed his arms and hoped for the best. Freezing to death wasn't in the plan. "Alright Zeta, move out and assemble in the hanger too. And don't forget your equipment and supplies. Saqqar is a deadly environment". Well that was two teams ready to begin the final prep. Beta had, in essence the easiest mission. Go talk to some backworlders in a warm cozy building. Look threatening, get the deal done. Lucky them.

 

[Krenis Skirata]

Xyra cracked her knuckles, considering. Negotiating or exploring. She could work out a deal. It may not be a nice way, but it would be done. "I can talk to the locals. I assume you want no injuries? What about threats?"

[member="Cypher"]

 

[Seris Vant]

[member="Xyra Rahn "][member="Nai' Frerstal"]

"I don't need skulls cracked here now. We're not some thugs a mile under Coruscant. Much like the Hutt Empire we're a government, we wheel and deal. And threaten only those who who need to be. This backwater world will be grateful for the business we'll provide, and the support we can give. Just convince them to sign a water contract and we'll reel them in. I have faith you can do this Xyra. I'll see you in a day or so". Cypher departed the bridge and made for the hanger, the Barab in tow.

 

[Krenis Skirata]

[member="Cypher"]

Xyra nodded. They needed to be official negotiators now. She could do that. What was negotiation but mutual manipulation? She started calculating. How much could they offer? Did they even have a limit? What about the other side? How desperate were they? It looked like she'd be finding out. This would be an interesting challenge.

 

[Ordan Vosk]

Location: Aboard Whitenoise
Objective: Enroute to Saqqar
Allies: Black Sun

​

...there was no doubt that Ordan was here with the rest of them outfitted in a suit of medium combat armor that would allow his some degree of movement while also providing adequate protection if he was attack. He also carried the CZ-837 Light machine gun he'd purchased at the last Czerka Arms convention he'd attended which was quite awhile ago now. The LMG was outfitted for combat with extra ammunition but Ordan had also attached a light to one side of its barrel if he found himself in dark places. Listening to everything as it was explained the man frowned a bit seeing as how he didn't have much of a place anywhere in this mission not being one to negotiate or explore but eventually he'd shrug his shoulders...

..."Well..."...he'd begin..."...I'll head for the towers. Might be something to shoot there and if not at least I can get some quiet time."...Ordan might be able to ascertain what the towers were used for, what their purpose was, but it was just as likely that after he'd secured them the man would take a load off and let the Black Suns complete their other objectives. As it happened Ordan imagined that one the locals were brought into the fold they'd have plenty of time to determine what the towers could be used for anyways. No need to rush these things when there was no immediate need...

...taking a seat over near a crate Ordan would set the LMG he was carrying down before making any last minute adjustments that he might need to so that he could ensure the machine gun was operating at its primary efficiency. Looking around while he did all this he'd have asked..."Where's Hacker?"...well Ordan liked that big galoot and if he was trapped in some ancient tower it may as well have been with an enormous slicer and killing machine as far as he was concerned. If nothing else it would make for an interesting assignment. Lifting one of his hands he'd rip off one of the bandages attached to his neck where he'd been bitten by a host of vermin some time ago now, it was healing nicely but it wasn't the most pleasant thing to look at...​

​

[member="Cypher"]​

 

[Blitz]

In what he lovingly referred to as style, the mover and shaker of the spice community tugged on the notched lapels of the tuxedo jacket. The jacket itself was sleeveless, fitting like a vest over a t-shirt baring the faded emblem of lunaweed. The rest of his attire was just as ecclectiv, but while the parts were unusual, the sum of them worked to fashion an image of both iconic and fitting of the half-breed's Joie de vivre. Strolling on deck of the Whitenoise and flanked by one faithful Zabrak named Ofta, Amaul clipped his sneakers onto the main deck as he strode right to the side and then infront of Xyra as Cypher had offered some constructive advice on the situation at hand. To be fair, Blitz liked the ship - it had a character to it and the name just echoed their purpose in the black. They were the frequencies within the static noise, the things didn't always see, but always suspected. There were ghosts in the machines, and it suited him just fine. A deathstick hung at the base of his lips, angling to the right, while a trail of smoke curled and wound it's way above. Another long draw was taken before he released the stick with two digits of his gloved hand. Finger-less gloves at that, but still present.

"Let's play our strengths, and put the best foot forward. Stick close my sistah, and let's wheel and deal for da pure stuff." Blitz had a way with words - his accent was mellow and calm, drawling on the uptick of his sentence, and letting it smooth over. The man could be incredibly serene and laid back - as was his personal preference. Amaul was no stranger to dealing, and he often made it plainly clear exactly what he was after. Beating around the bush and vague references wouldn't get you product, they got you lies and trouble. Nobody had time for that, especially not the man running his fraternity off of Shaddaa. Even if the Republic had taken majority control of the world, that ain't stopping progress, that ain't stopping crime. A pair of digital glasses adorned his face, and as he turned towards Xyra with a cool grin, they registered credit signs on both square lenses.

"Deathstick's on standby, I hope you like monkeys." He offered as he kept walking, towards the hangar, while his brother in arms; Ofta moved in a calm easy pace behind Big Brother Blitz. He liked Zabraks, he liked their heritage, and it was one of the main reasons he wanted Xyra with him on this trip. He'd witnessed her during the bank heist on Ralltiiir facing off against a rather annoying Padawan of the glow stick order. She'd held her own, and even did the ducking when he let loose two kitty cats out to play. She was good people.

[member="Xyra Rahn "] [member="Cypher"]

 

[Krenis Skirata]

[member="Blitz"]

Xyra gave a half smile and a curt nod as Blitz spoke, and then fell in slightly behind him, giving a half salute to Ofta. She had not seen. Many of her kind in the recent past, which was odd given their space-faring nature and history. "Indeed. Let's. They won't know how fortunate they are that we can offer them such profitable contracts." It was true. They could do a lot,of,business with them and earn a lot of credits. It sounded shady though. Everything she said when not actively trying to deceive someone sounded shady. It might have been a result of the teeth she so carefully sharpened into points. Or her eyes, which seemed almost dead. Or maybe because she was just a shady individual.

 

[Nai' Frerstal]

Nai nodded at [member="Cypher"], and began limping for the door. In a brutal duel with Jedi Ryan Korr, he had lost his leg and had it replaced by a generic prosthetic. It thumped and scraped across the floor, until he walked out of the room into the hallway, the glaring lights temporarily blinding him. The Barabel lumbered through the sleek hallway, his metal lag scratching the metal floor, occasionally causing some sparks to fly in the air. He was wondering if anyone was behind him, as he continued on his trek.

 

[Seris Vant]

[member="Nai' Frerstal"] [member="Ordan Vosk"]

Cypher slapped Ordan on the shoulder. "Hacker's off on another mission. So he won't be joining us. Afraid you'll have to live with us". Trademark grinning and a slap on the back he was off to the hanger ahead of him. It was always reassuring to have that Gen'dai around. This expedition though wasn't about shooting things, so his expertise in that wasn't necessary. The little meet up held him long enough to have Nai catch up. His leg was scrapping across the flooring plates. Grating to the ears. "Nai whats with the scrapping? Pick yer boot up"! Cypher tossed out his arms for a whats up gesture.

 

[Blitz]

Departing the Whitenoise, Blitz's personal vessel; the Deathstick exited the hangar bay with the engines roaring through the arctic atmosphere towards the guild of the ice miner's production operation. The viewports in the cockpit showing intricate and illustrious ice patterns around the edges as the air crystallized in immediate condensation. Amaul's hands tugged on the yoke turning and shifting with the wind currents as they streaked across the skyline. An excitable beek-monkey rode shotgun to Blitz, actually clinging to the headrest of the co-pilot's seat. Even Krieg (his little brother) had a nice bow-tie around his neck for the occasion. The console and controls of his light freighter looked a bit of a mess. There were knick-knacks of every variety strew about the console. A bit of organized chaos reigned in this shuttle. The rear however, the living quarters and his meeting room was far more decadent. Xyra was free to sit up in the cockpit or the lounging area where Ofta resided.

"Dealin's all about the art of the sway. We're here to make them believe it's in their best interest. By hook or by crook, ya feel me?" Despite Xyra's location in the Deathstick, she'd hear the mellow tones of Blitz as he navigated by the nav system through the tail winds of snow and ice that rustled against the hull as he shifted between mountain ranges. The planet was just one big ball of ice, simliar to the planet of Hoth, but there was still resources to plumb and things to do. "I liked yer work with the light-sider in da vault. Stuck to your guns." He admonished recounting the vault battle he'd watched from a feed on his datapad. Blitz wasn't an infantry man, and while he could be unspeakably violent, he wasn't a combatant normally.

@Xyra Rahn

 

[Krenis Skirata]

Xyra followed him into the ship and took a seat in the cockpit, watching the flight, and memorizing the controls. Attempting to, anyways. It was very much an odd layout, compared to what she had seen before. She listened as Blitz started talking.

"I see your meaning," She said, watching out the view ports. This was a forsaken place to be sure. Nobody with a sane mind would want to live here. "Thank you." She wasn't sure why, but she really did appreciate it. That was very unusual for her, though it was a cerebral appreciation, and rather vain, so perhaps not so strange. People recognized her artistry of violence. That's what it was, too. Artistry. Using all her resources and skills, and hen combining them. "Your distraction certainly helped. Saved me a lot of trouble."

[member="Blitz"]

 

[Ordan Vosk]

...upon learning that Hacker wasn't going to be with them today Ordan made a small grunt of acknowledgement before resigning himself to his fate. He'd clean his LMG a few moments longer before moving off in the direction of the Hangar Bay where he'd last seen Cypher moving towards. In any event it didn't matter, Ordan didn't mind Cypher, he'd do his job and provide firepower if it became nevesary otherwise it was likely this would probably be a straightforward piece of exploration that he might learn a little bit about...

...Saqqar wasn't what Ordan considered an interesting planet but every world added to the fold of the Black Sun meant more resources to call upon and more revenue in times of need. It also probably meant a bigger paycheck for him which was quite a driving force behind his desire to participate in the excursion. As he moved, the LMG raised over his shoulder and resting back comfortably, he'd reach into a pocket on the fatigues he was wearing and pull out another bandage which he used to replace the old one he'd ripped off. Damn wounds were still a tad itchy...

anyways, onwards to the hangar bay...​

 

[Domino]

Waving her own task force towards the other hanger, Domino began her own short brief. "Alright, the station's been abandoned for awhile so we've no real idea the kind of condition it'll be in until we get over there. Bad or no air at a guess, possibly worse. Getting it habitable again is our priority over pretty much everything else, we can worry about the finicky stuff later." By then they'd made it and were loading up.
[member="Freynk Porkins"]

 

[Freynk Porkins]

[member="Domino"]

Freynk walked along in his pressurized flight suit as he headed for the hanger. He could handle mechanics but if the life support software in the computers was shot he was 'Krif outta luck'. The short former stormtrooper simply nodded as Domino gave her briefing and within minutes they were loaded up and enroute to the station.

"Arrival in T minus 3 minutes and counting." He reported from his station near the exit.

He gripped the crash webbing tightly as he kept an eye on the chrono.

'Blast it I hate flying.' He thought as they flew along.

 

[Blitz]

It was only a short jaunt through the atmosphere before the Deathstick rounded a mountain pass and dipped towards a service station that normally went unseen with the prevailing wind patterns. Thankfully he didn't need to see it to know it was there. Coordinates were locked, and his ship began broadcasting an IFF signature to the docking bay. A personal vessel, three occupants wiling to discuss business. That was all he would broadcast for now, aside from his ship's identification. No need to tip his hand when it came to smooth talking mining operations. Swinging the wing side around and moving into a white washed tunnel, the Deathstick slid into the entry bay after the force fields deactivated, allowing him passage to make port within the mountain itself. The engines wined down and the support struts engaged to level off the ship and let the exhaust spray into billows upon the landing pad.

"Now remember, we're just ghosts in this. They need to make the deal with the leading lady and her right hand man. This is for the Sun, not for us necessarily." Blitz explained to the Zabrak at his side. Rising up from the pilot's chair, he drew his finger towards Krieg and the beek-monkey hopped over onto his arm and moved to rest on his shoulder. "Brother Ofta, we good with the crawlers?" He asked while he moved towards the main living area. The grey skinned Zabrak gave an affirming nod as he gestured to the sedated creatures in the transparisteel case. Most people had fish tanks for ambiance, Blitz had a case of spor crawlers from another job he did with the Suns. Their venom was given high praise by the assassins of that order for it's lethality.

"They are well fed Big Brother Blitz."

"Good show my brother, let's convene off ship and do the deal. You ready little brother?" He asked Krieg who was going along for the ride. He didn't often take him off ship for ventures like this, but he was a part of his family, and it wasn't everyday he got to take his family to work.

[member="Xyra Rahn"]

 

[Domino]

"It's not just for droids anymore." Domino quipped back at [member="Freynk Porkins"] not knowing if that joke was a few hundred years out of date or not. It was no loss if he didn't get the reference. "Lets see..." She mused as she cycled a probe through the air lock for a sneak peak. "Oxygen is at thirteen percent, elevated carbon dioxide levels, everything looks consistent with a fire that burned itself out. We're also pulling a slight vacuum as well at twelve and a half pounds an inch, probably lost quite a bit of air when everyone jumped station." Or maybe the residents had tried venting the burning sections as fire control before a section burnt through to a non-vented area. Resident's might have sealed the exterior off again to slow their air loss after that, who knew? That's why they were there. "No life signs" Not that that meant anything to someone that watched the right horror holos. "Okay, lets go. Stay frosty everyone."