The Secrets of Zoph

[Jared Starchaser]

Location: Zoph, Outer Rim Territories
Landing outside Forgotten Temple

It was an odd thing, for Jared, to be see, even by himself, as someone who was learning. He and his sister were both born on Corellia and raised starsisde as his father was off fighting one war or another. Jared had seen the galaxy, he’d worked among the Chiss, and as a contractor for the homeworld of Corellia. But cryptic messages have been received by him, some from his father, others through the Force. He wasn’t sure who else would be receiving these… messages, visions, however they came across, but Jared had dispatched himself from his new transport, the Wayward Spirit.

The planet was an odd one, Zoph. And the idea was crystals, lightsaber crystals. The message had come down through Jedi channels, from @Cotan Sar’andor, an ally of his father. The way the Force moved around the world, it felt… different, as it if was calling to him, and hopefully to others. The Adept did not have his lightsaber, apparently lost during the rebellion on Zonju. A mark of something new coming for the pilot, and the explorer.

The Force was calling to him, to re-learn what he had learned. But he knew what he needed. He needed to be armed, he was a Starchaser, and that meant war was inevitable. The Clawcraft was speeding through the atmosphere as the Adept was using the Force, finding a landing location. He could feel a cave, a temple, and a crystal.

OOC: Creating a new arc for this character, inspired in part by stories from Magicians, and the fact that there are quests out there in the world. Even the Jedi/Force users should have some. Looking for a few characters who may be interested in expanding a sort of Padawan-Pack style play but a bit older.

 

[Xzaien]

Flagship, Cathay Rahtai​

​

It had only be but a days since the re-activation of the Hyperlane beacon... Xzaien of course had many pressing issues on her mind. More important of them being a yearning to see what had become of the galaxy during her five-thousand year hiatus in the Unknown Regions. She knew in her heart that the Galaxy would be so very different to the one she left behind but yet, this realization drove her to continue onward in the pursuit of Galactic Civilization.

Xzaien stood on the bridge of her Flagship, the Cathay Rahtai. A Interdictor Class Cruiser hailing from thousands of years behind the present yet augmented with yet to be seen precursor technology. She peered down at her Naval Officers working in the side mounted pits, them operating the various scanners and cloaking device shipside. Something had called her to this rather miniscule world in the Outer Rim. A voice perhaps, a vision of the future of what would come. Nevertheless her contemplation were interrupted by her First Officer, High Admiral Keyes of the Republic Fleet. He spoke to her about what would be ahead, a battle? A fight? Maybe a means to learn the future once again as she done so millenia prior. However, she saw nothing but fresh fruit in this operation before her. A means to a end.

The Flagship suddenly lurched forward out of Hyperspace, its sleek lines and well built hull visible in the Dark-Galactic regions. Xzaien peered toward the shimmering blue planet before her. Marveling in its splendor and light side taint. But, resisting said taint was of no matter to her as she awaited for the ship to travel into low orbit. After a few minutes it eventually did, with Xzaien once more pulling navigator on where exactly to land. A singular splotch of ground in a very specific location.

Soon, Xzaien left the bridge, allowing the door to close behind her. In her mind she thought of what she might find. She had heard of this planet during ancient times but had never seen it in person. Nevertheless, she spoke on her wrist communicator.

"Bravo Squad, bring me your best Troopers and have them meet me in the second hangar bay. I have a inkling that there may be more to see and learn about here than meets the eye..."

She started along the long corridor leading toward the main elevator located at the very core of the bridge tower. She was followed by only one man, a Man clad in bright red robes similar to hers but with his face concealed and protected behind a large durasteel brow plate. It can be inferred that this man was a personal bodyguard. The pair of them continued along the hallway and eventually stopping by the door to it. With the robed guardsman pressing the button with a black gloved hand. Meanwhile, the pair of them waited as the elevator came to stop at their level and soon stepped within it.

It was a quiet trip down to the 2nd Hangar Bay. The Cathay Rahtai was a warship designed from the ground up as a ship of the line, and not any sort of private yacht Xzaien used it for and it showed in its interiors. Hundreds of crew members and many engineers and repairmen working around the clock to keep the the 6,000 year old vessel in working order. Xzaien soon exited the elevator and came to the front airlock of the 2nd Hangar bay and eventually stepped through in. Her bright red robe flapping behind her as she moved her hand down after opening it with the Force.

"Catharian Navy Space Marine"​

Inside of the hangar bay alongside one shuttle stood a small group of about eight white armored Space Troopers, standing at attention. Xzaien approached slowly and inspected her followers with a keen eye. She peered off at the Sergeant in Command. With a hand she bid him to follow, and that he did with the Sergeant himself followed by his designated squad members. Soon, the ten of them entered the shuttle and soon exited the Cathay Rahtai altogether.

The shuttle soon entered atmosphere, clouds formulating around the shuttle as it made its descent down toward its surface. Soon, it broke clouds and descended slowly onto the plains Xziaen had pointed out earlier. As the group of men exited and formed a semi-circle around the shuttle, Xzaien disembarked while closely followed by her bodyguard. She sensed a presence on this world but could not infact, make out who it was. It was light, Xzaien was sure of that. But this light was different, as if projected by a living being. Xzaien took notice of this as she pointed out a dilapidated temple nearby.

The group made way toward it, with Xzaien in the middle of a large circle of constantly scanning Space Troopers. Soon, one of them pointed out that a Shuttle was parked nearby. A light freighter by the looks of it. Xzaien peered around for any signs of life. Maybe it had just landed presently.

​

 

[Anna Sachae]

ABOUT TWO KILOMETERS WEST OF A SMOKING CRATER
Zoph, Local Time 1100

Some things never changed with time. Centuries since her last real chance to wander around the galaxy, and Anna Sachae still found herself in the middle of a crashed ship. Fortunately, this time the whole thing wasn't an open grave. No soldiers to die by the dozens, no civilian casualties at all. Just one very irate captain, a lot of irritated and scared passengers, and a flustered, confused engineer. They'd be fine, after a few hours. Some quick repairs on a pretty tame planet wouldn't leave anyone in any real danger.

Honestly it had been partially Anna's fault, anyway. She'd heard the passenger freighter's pained groans and distressed stutters. If she'd tried, she could have easily kept the poor thing flying... but something had been distracting her. She knew enough to know what the voice of the galaxy sounded like; she heard it every time she asked an engine what was wrong or persuaded a computer to help her. This time, it'd been more insistent than usual. She could barely hear the ship she was sitting in over it. That the poor dear crashed so promptly afterwards into this specific planet was no coincidence.

She'd given the mechanic a few pointers, encouraged him through his confusion, and bid the crew adieu. This was clearly her stop.

For at least an hour now Anna had been wandering west. With a rucksack of basic supplies over one shoulder, a smile on her face, and bright curiosity in her eyes, she'd already passed a few pretty interesting sights. She probably wasn't here to look at blue-leaved bushes or a stone spire that looked like it'd grown into a perfect spiral, though. Neither of those things called to her like whatever she'd find further along the path she was utterly convinced she needed to travel. She was plenty patient, though. It'd show up in time.

A while ago Anna had passed a perfectly intact ship. The engines still smelled warm, and when she'd run her fingers along its chassis, it told her it was just waiting for its pilot. She left it to its own company, resolved to go find who'd put it there. There was no real reason to do so, but that little nagging voice in the back of her head sure was interested in this specific random spacer. If they weren't exactly what she was looking for, they likely knew what it was.

Now? Several minutes later, she'd wound up approaching what looked to be a surface cave of some kind. Caves weren't a great idea to wander around in alone, but it wasn't like this was a super dangerous planet, either. At least, she didn't feel like there was anything dangerous here. At a casual pace, she wandered closer and peeked inside, hand above her eyes to block the sun. Pretty dark in there. Hmmm...

 

[Ohm-Lai]

Rarely did the Watchman leave his post, but something had called him forth from Fresia, and so he had come, communicating with his astromech to guide the ship in the right direction. So it had led from world to world until bringing him here, to a world called Zoph. Not one that he was familiar with, by any means. The Jedi strode down the ramp, cane held out lightly before him. He didn't need the device to travel, but it helped others feel less awkward if they knew he was blind.

He could sense what was around him and the movement of the Force. It was circling here, active and drawing in those sensitive to such a thing. He couldn't tell who else had arrived for the signal, however. He strode onward, feeling the direction that the Force was guiding him. He had no idea why he was here or what others were bringing with them.

All he knew was to follow the Force.

 

[Jerec Asyr]

"So then I swapped the kohlen at auction for a full set of capital ship blueprints, and I spun off some copies for operating costs, and all that to say, apparently crystal prospecting is my thing now. Which works because I sort of needed a new thing."

The old astromech bleeped dubiously. Its spindly tool-arms kept fiddling with one of the portable geosensors that Jerec and his buddies had used to hunt kohlen crystals on the moon of Pijal. Which hadn't lasted long -- a fleet had shown up and there'd been all kinds of trouble -- but after paying for repairs and funeral costs, he'd just about broke even on the take. Crystals were big money, apparently.

Between the bounty on his head and the total lack of a job, big money had its uses these days.

Jerec eased the Colichemarde down onto the surface of Zoph. A handful of other little ships had landed a klick or two away. If the tip he'd overheard was right, those would be other prospectors looking to strike it rich. There was a really, really old cruiser in orbit too, junky enough to set his salvager's heart aflutter. Maybe if the zophis crystal lead didn't pan out, the ship up there could use a mechanic. Because it could definitely use a mechanic.

R5 in tow, Jerec slung a geosensor over his shoulder and headed down the ramp. Prospectors could be a rowdy bunch -- assuming they were prospectors -- so he'd brought a blaster pistol and a belt knife, just in case.

The handheld sensor suggested a zophis crystal might be thattaway, so thattaway he went.

[member="Jared Starchaser"] [member="Anna Sachae"] [member="Xzaien"] [member="Ohm-Lai"]

 

[Jared Starchaser]

The trip to Zonju was not what he suspsected, and the fact that it shattered a lightsaber, one he carried for years, but at the same time didn’t feel all together his any longer. It was why he was out here, at Zoph, a relatively undisturbed world, unlike Ilum, looking for a crystal, or answers. His next step. What did the Force need from him? The Alliance was no longer, the Silvers kept a bastion for the light side, but there were moments of history, eras that had gone to the wayside. And perhaps that was what he was called for. He wasn’t about to predict the Force.

But he was closing fast on the temple, and he pulled his Clawcraft in for a landing. He knew it would attract unwanted attention, an Imperial starfighter, but it was his, it had always been,and some things, you didn’t change. He landed the fighter, and his BD Unit hopped out as he grabbed his pack. He wasn’t sure what he’d find here, or who he would encounter, and for that reason, his blaster found his hand.

There was a temple, but he couldn’t land near it, he was going to have to walk. Not a problem.

A deep breath, and clearing his thoughts, he reached out to the lessons in the Holocron he had been given. Feel the Force around you, let it be your guide.

[member="Xzaien"]
[member="Anna Sachae"]
[member="Ohm-Lai"]
[member="Jerec Asyr"]

 

[Ivan Stadd]

Location : Zoph
Primary Objective : Capture Jerec Asyr
Secondary Objective : Secure Zophis Crystals

The Directorate had unfinished business. After discovering that [member="Jerec Asyr"] , an enemy of the Directorate was now on a new prospecting mission on Zoph , Natian Sanorge was determined to have him captured for Crimes against the Directorate. However in addition to this Natian discovered the Zoph contained powerful but unstable kyber crystals but that wasn’t his main objective. His main goal was to disrupt the Prospecting business of Asyr and put him out of business for god.

Seeking the Operative (James Cerensp) Natian Sanorge tasked the Operative in securing the Zophis Crystals as a replacement for the Kholen Crystals and to capture Jerec Asyr. The Mission remained the same , eliminate anyone who stood in his way. Arriving with a Fleet of 1 Subjugator-Class Star Destroyer , 1 Donnager-Class Star Destroyer and 3 Dreadnaught Mk II Heavy Cruisers , James Cerensp immediately spotted an outdated Interdictor-class Cruiser nearby and considered opening fire but instead ignored it. Cerensp then left the bridge to assemble a squadron of Supercommandos as they headed for the Hangar in order to land on Zoph and capture Jerec and his Zophis Crystals.

As the Shuttle departed , James Cerensp tucked in his blaster and began sharpening his vibroblade as he prepared to confront the man who had challenged the Directorate. As the shuttle descended the pilot spotted the Colichemarde , the freighter piloted by Jerec Asyr. “Sir i’ve spotted the Colichemarde.” Said the pilot. “Good have us land near the freighter we will secure the Freighter and Capture Jerec Asyr. Let's see what he is truly made off.” With that the Directorate Shuttle landed near the Colichemarde and James Cerensp and his Supercommandos came out.

As the approached the Colichemarde , James told his men to active their personal clocking devices and to secure the vessel , while James himself followed Jerec Asyr in which he saw in the distance with a geosensor seeking the Zophis Crystals. What he did not know was that the Directorate was on his trail ready to ambush him at any moment.

Tags : [member="Jared Starchaser"] | [member="Ohm-Lai"] | [member="Anna Sachae"] | @Xzaien

 

[Jerec Asyr]

@James Cerensp

This patch of land was mostly rolling hills, sand, rocks, and swathes of spiky tall grass. Every planet had millions of species of bugs and weeds, so he didn't recognize the local colour and didn't expect to. Decent hiking country if you wore good boots and stayed careful not to slide down a gully. Jerec moved along what might have been a natural hillside trail, though buried, busted, worn-down rock patterns suggested someone might have made a real path of it a hundred years ago.

"Uh, Captain?"

Jerec set down his pack on a boulder, grateful for a break. "Yeah, what is it, Grinn?" The Colichemarde was a light corvette with a minimal crew. Grinn was his chief engineer, a hulking Anx with old Fringe Confederation tattoos.

"Figured you'd wanna know there's a little fleet in orbit. Couple of Star Destroyers, three cruisers. They're not with the other cruiser but they're not making a fuss either. Shuttle came down nearby, plus, get this, a Chiss fighter. Not from them, separate."

"The shuttle's from them, the Chiss is separate?"

"Yeah. Both this area, same as the other little ships."

"Guess I'd better hurry it up, then. Way too much competition. Anyone poking around the 'Marde yet?"

"Nope. We're still locked up tight, though. You want me to send out the droids?"

"Nah, not unless you need to." They'd lost half their sentry droid compliment on what sort of counted as a boarding action against a Directorate battleship. So far, Jerec didn't have the funds to buy another six probots. "Just keep me posted. I'm gonna hoof it."

"Out."

Jerec felt itchy. He'd been sitting here a couple of minutes, not exactly in the open but not exactly under cover, and there were clearly a lot of people around. It was only a matter of time until he ran into some. He took out his blaster, re-slung his pack, and kept moving.

 

[Cei Kyros]

[member="James Cerensp"]

"Small galaxy, eh sleemo?"

Cole socked [member="Jerec Asyr"] in the face.

"That's for Pijal," his sneer faded into a wolfish grin, and he held out a hand to help the captain of the Colichemarde back up.

Their last job together was supposed to be a simple one. Next thing he knew there were Imperial entanglements and the swoop ganger was on the run for his life from an overwhelming force. He wasn't about to bring that kind of heat back down on the Hellions, so instead Cole had been freighter hopping all over the rim ever since and looking for work wherever he could get it. Maybe it was kismet. After all, the only reason he was on this rock was because he had experience harvesting crystals. Experience gained as a one time member of Jerec's crew.

"You're not dead then," the hired muscle snorted appreciatively, "But here you are, traipsing around Jedi ruins. Got a death wish, Asyr?"

 

[Xzaien]

A fleet sized wrench had impacted against Xzaien's plans. That was for certain, however Xzaien did have an ace up her sleeve. That being a multitude of support vessels ready to be scrambled from Cathay's Hyperlane Beacon in a moments notice. It would seem that first contact with Galactic Civilization ever since the end of the Jedi Civil War would be a grotesquely negative one by comparison to what she had hoped.

Catharian Battle Cruiser​

Onboard of the Cathay Rahtai, High Admiral Keyes's scanner troops spotted the fleet exist hyperspace and immediately notified Xzaien's excursion team. In the meanwhile, the Cathay Rahtai sent a message to its escort fleet which waited nearby. While it itself banked toward the unknown vessels in a defensive position. Inside, the entire Cruiser was in arms with hundreds of military personnel flooding the command consoles for its turbolasers, tractor beams, and point defense weaponry. While the Space Marines were both loaded up for in-ship security purposes and for offensive purposes inside of boarding pods. Among-st that, following shortly after said alert, five Four Centurion Class Sith Cruisers as well as four Hammerhead Heavy Cruisers Cruisers exited Hyperspace in a massive V shaped formation. With the Centurions slightly ahead of the Cathay Rahtai and the Cruisers at the flanks of it.

Toward the onlookers, the more perplexing visual would be the faded and worn down Revan's Sith Empire's emblem emblazoned on the Centurion's Hull plates as well as faded Old Republic Insignia on the Hammerhead Cruisers aswell as unfamiliar alterations to their core design in a highly advanced festoon of black hull plates and a Catharian Navy Insignia. How old were these ships? And how were they in fighting condition despite that age? And how did they have this many of them? These questions would remain unanswered as the lead vessel of Captain Carensp's fleet received a hail from the Cathay Rahtai.

On-board the Flagship of Carensp's Fleet's Bridge Comm center would appear Nine figures on-top of the bridge's Holocomm generator. They were separated by a small distance and also bore an extreme difference in uniform. The first set of of men wore Revan's Sith Admiral's Uniform including ribbon bars and medals alongside black peaked caps with a bright red piping. The group of men standing abreast of them were dressed in Old Republic Admiral's Regalia including the light beige-orange uniform. But there was something off about their uniforms. Instead of bearing either Revan's Sith Empire or the Old Republic's Emblem, they bore a single unified emblem. The exact same seen on the hulls of their ships. At their head stood another man, a man bearing far more ribbons than his compatriots. He stepped forward and spoke in a cordial fashion toward whomever would listen to him.

"Unidentified Vessels, This is High Admiral Keyes of the Catharian Navy. Identify and confirm. Our intentions on this world are peaceful and we seek no quarrel with you. But be warned, this vessel is a warship and attacking it or its escort fleet is an act of war against the Catharian Hegemony. I suggest that we work together in finding what you seek on this world. That is the least we could do. We do not hail from this time, and we do not know your intentions."

Meanwhile, the eight Admirals looked on, awaiting a response.


Meanwhile on planet...


Xzaien had received the alert via her wrist mounted communicator she promptly ordered the rest of the support fleet to reveal itself while also contacting these alien ships and declaring her intentions. While she approached the Temple grounds she spotted Anna Sachae peering into presumably the entrance of the underground temple. While she approached her Space Marines fanned out in a large line cutting off any esacpe incase Sachae chose to wheel around and try to kill them. Xzaien had no intentions of hurting Sachae at all clearly judging by her hands laying limply underneath her blood red robe. Her helmet was off showing her Cathar Features and nearly white blond hair. She had a cordial smile on her face as she waited for Sachae to turn.

"Greetings there Madam. I presume you are looking for the entrance?"

If Sachae turned, the Troopers accompanying Xzaien would be holding their rifles in the low ready position. If anything was of matter, a Dark Side Aura would be projected by Xzaien, cold and chilling if felt even though she appeared to be a young woman in her early twenties and at least a head and shoulder shorter than the rest of her compatriots...

 

[Ohm-Lai]

[member="Jerec Asyr"] @Xzaien @Cole Merrill @James Cerensp [member="Jared Starchaser"]

The cane clacked its way across the rough ground ahead of him as Ohm-Lai walked forward. More and more presences were becoming distinctive. One, at least, surged with the Dark Side. It unsettled him that the Dark had come as well. Sith Empire? He practiced regularly with the lightsaber, but had been years since he had fought a real opponent.

A familiar whine of engines rushes overhead and he could just make out the sound of it landing. Fighter craft, by the sound of the engine. He adjusted his course to go that way, letting the Force guide him around obstacles or to catch himself. it worked well enough for him, but a definite sense of unease was growing in his gut. The fighter-pilot felt the closest and he picked up his pace, trying to catch the sounds of him.

Feet crunched on the ground and Ohm-Lai hurried the remaining distance. "Hello there!" He could feel a sense of the Force in this new person, but it was ambiguous how. "I am Ohm-Lai. Are you here to answer the call as well?"

His lightsaber was tucked discreetly in his robes, but even their more formal look still retained true to a Jedi aesthetic, albeit one quite a bit older than any current Jedi orders running around. Very old Republic, perhaps. His accent was modern, but his fashion taste was a few millenia out of date. "And am I wrong in interpreting that there are many things happening here right now?" He shrugged the cane. "I can't see."

 

[Anna Sachae]

Well, there was certainly something in there. Anna could hear it. There was no way of telling whether or not it was what she was looking for... because honestly, she didn't know what she was looking for. Or why it would be in a cave, on some random world she'd barely found anything about on the holonet. Zoph. Home to crystals, or something. Nothing of importance seemed to have happened here over the last several hundred years. Then again, crystals were inherently "important," from what she could tell. They always seemed to hold a mystical significance that far outweighed their actual significance.

Oh well. No sense overthinking it now. Shifting her grip on her rucksack, Anna took a step into the-

"Hm?" Taking a moment, the young woman in civilian clothes turned back to whoever was talking to her. An alien woman in robes, surrounded by what looked to be half a freaking platoon of armed soldiers. "Not really! Already found it, thanks~" Her tone was easy, her smile was bright, and she gave a little off-handed wave. "Pretty sure this is some spirit biz, or something. I'm heading in, if you want to join."

Utterly unconcerned about the dozen or so large, armored men pointing rifles at her. Wasn't the first time Anna had been threatened by overstimulated jarheads. She stopped as she got towards the mouth of the cave. "Not sure if I've ever heard of anyone taking a military escort into a vision quest. Stuff like this doesn't get solved by blasters." Flicking her messy, curly hair over one shoulders, she shrugged and gave the feline woman an easy smile. "Still, who am I to judge?"

[member="Xzaien"]

 

[Jared Starchaser]

He could sense the others around, and with Hopper reporting in, in the droid’s basic binary that others were here, some with a lot of friends. He wasn’t sure there was a bounty on him, lately, the Guild had been busy. He’d heard word a good number of his compatriots and freedom fighters had been tagged for bounties. That wasn’t something he was hoping to get involved in. No, Jared was making his way through the galaxy, taking the jobs he could, but making sure he wasn’t getting pinned with any title or ‘that man’ who did ‘that thing’ at ‘that place’ sort of reputation.

Was it blissful unawareness? Well, it wasn’t unawareness, he knew there were things out there, beings, and ships, but he couldn’t rightfully do anything. He had his BD, a Clawcraft, and a blaster. Even when he did try to reach out to the Force, it was returning to him with some odd feedback. Maybe what his father had said was right.

To be a Starchaser was to pick a side, to pick a path. You needed to know your intentions to allow the Force to provide. His father did, clearly, even his sister, she who was running mining fleets but she was helping those in need. She was out in the dark to bring the light to those who needed it. Still, here Jared was, looking to learn himself, to find who he was. But he could hear, and feel the being nearby.

Jedi? He thought as much. Looking over at Ohm-Lai. “I … am? You felt it too then. I was curious if I was the only one. I’ve never… been out here.” He took a second, right, introductions. “I’m Jared.” He’d get to his surname if it came to it, but for now? He was hopeful. “I can feel others here… but the Force has been…

“There are a lot of things going on. We’ve got some larger ships in orbit, but I haven’t seen the ones who landed yet..”

[member="Anna Sachae"]
[member="Ohm-Lai"]
[member="Xzaien"]

 

[Jerec Asyr]

[member="Cole Merrill"] [member="James Cerensp"]


Jerec worked his jaw, probed his teeth with his tongue, and accepted a hand back up. He'd dropped his blaster, and the pack did nothing for his balance. "Feth, Merrill."

He stooped and snagged his dusty blaster off the trail, glancing around. If one grumpy underworld roughneck could get the drop on him, anything could.

"Just prospecting. Got a tip about minerals. Guessing it's the same one brought you here, and the half-dozen other ships that came down. You with the clawcraft, the shuttle, or one of the junk freighters?"

 

[Ivan Stadd]

Location : Zoph
Primary Objective : Capture Jerec Asyr
Secondary Objective : Secure Zophis Crystals


As Jerec Asyr turned around , James Cerensp took out his blaster as the man asked him who he was with.“I came from the Shuttle my friend. And to clarify, I'm with the Directorate, apparently my superiors aren’t happy with your recent intrusion on Pijal.” Then James snapped his fingers and suddenly 8 Directorate Heavy Supercommandos appeared , armed with MG-966 “Hellfire Class Verpine Shatter Guns. “Well then my friends , i would suggest standing down. Any sort of resistance would result in you getting shredded by men and honestly i don’t think we both want this.” James Cerensp was sure he held all the cards. His Troops possessed deadly weapons in which could shred both Jerec Asyr and Cole Merril within seconds. Collaboration was the only choice they had or they would get shredded to pieces. “So what will it be? Collaboration or Death?”

Meanwhile in space , 9 more vessels exited hyperspace and shortly after the Admiral in charge of the Fleet sent a message to the Enforcer. “Captain what should we do?” asked one of the officers. “Tell them that we are here on an important mission to retrieve 2 individuals that have landed on the Planet and that we seek no harm.” said the Captain. With that , the Officer relayed a response to the Catharian Battlecruiser. “This is the Enforcer we are here on a mission to retrieve 2 dangerous individuals targeted by the Directorate. Perhaps we could work together if we also knew about your intentions and why you are interested in this planet.” The Captain then looked out at the Catharian Fleet. Clearly it was a relic from the path but a deadly one. He knew that if these guys were seeking to aid the Directorate , it could be beneficial in case things went wrong for Cerensp.

Tags : [member="Xzaien"] | [member="Jerec Asyr"] | [member="Cole Merrill"]

 

[Kaleleon]

LOCATION: Zoph - Surface
OBJECTIVE: Something is going on - Retrieve Zophis crystals.
NEARBY: [member="Jared Starchaser"], [member="Anna Sachae"], [member="Ohm-Lai"],
OTHERS: [member="James Cerensp "], [member="Jerec Asyr"], [member="Xzaien"], [member="Cole Merrill"],

The same question posed in my head ran over and over again. Anon, a support droid unit for the Jedi, aimed to train them in how to use a Lightsaber, had asked me why I would be coming here for Lightsaber crystals when I already had a Saber. To be honest? I didn't need another weapon. However, having a crystal is something that I just... felt. As though it was something I needed to do. I could feel the pull of the force.

Ever since I had used it that last once, slowly but surely I have been feeling more tugging and pulling upon my soul. Like my gut was talking to me. Something to push us together. Something that would get me into the direction of what I needed to do. Having lived my life so long without this pull, to suddenly have it, was strange. My mind tried to rationalize that this was a trick of some kind. Someone could be manipulating it. Having landed on Zoph a while now, I just couldn't feel the pull anymore.

Almost as though I had reached the end of my journey and it was done. I even came alone so then I could focus on the task at hand. Nothing was coming of this. Having since taken a stop It was strange. Having this pulling upon me, and it would stop at times where I felt I was so close. Like how I felt like I needed to go to Utapau a while back. Nothing was happening for hours before a girl needed my help. Almost as though the Force knew I would be needed there. Just didn't tell me directly.

So once more, this tugging had left me.

I felt alone. Void of everything other than my own thoughts and emotions. It was just oh so strange to me. Sitting down upon a rock formation, I had been attempting to meditate. To wait for whatever this calling wanted of me. Using a "Tempered breathing" technique. Breathing in for three seconds, to release it over the course of three seconds. Followed by the same motion but now drawing it out to four seconds for both times. Then by five, another for six seconds. Following this process until I was drawing breaths for twelve seconds and letting it leave over the same time.

Like water in a cup, I could feel my mind flow and shift. Changing to fit the container it was in. I could feel this water, moving about me. its cool stream calming my nerves and surrounding me in a feeling of safety, and security. Within this drifting expanse, I could suddenly feel a ripple. One that seemed... like something was close. Within the span of a couple minutes, ripples began to spread from multiple points. Causing this stream to slowly be overflowing. I could feel it filling the ravine it was within.

Snapping my eyes open, I looked towards these ripples. Finding a mass of ships now surfacing just within the sky. Some finding their way down to the planet. Some of them not too far from myself. Throwing a smile upon my face, I stood from where I had been staying, and made my way in their direction.

 

[Xzaien]

/ooc draft didn't save blaaarg. This is a abridged version

Soon the holograms inside of the Enforcer would look toward Admiral Keyes. With him speaking out toward the Captain of said ship.

"Our leader has a preposition for you of course. If you would kindly tell us the nature of these two individual's crimes as well as their bounty. We may be able to pay it off. Our Commander, may have some uses for them if you would indulge us."

On the ground, Xzaien stood idly nearby as Anna made her spiel. Xzaien only smiled before explaining herself briefly.

"Well, I am sorry to startle you. I am Xzaien, and these are my followers."

Directly behind and to the left of Xzaien stood her black armored bodyguard who stared menacingly down at Anna at his 2+ Meter height. He didn't say a word, but only watched with his hand clutched against something cylindrical and metal in his hand. Beside him, stood Xziaen's flock of White armored troopers. What was odd, was that they bore a striking resemblance to the Clone Wars era Clone Troopers judging by their entirely plastoid white body armor. But it took some odd design choices judging by the Lack of a full T visor and more of a Y shaped visor similar to "Cold War" Sith and Republic Troopers. On their shoulders sat an unfamiliar red emblem that had no resemblance to anything in the Galaxy Today. But, judging by the aura given off by Xzaien. Anna if she even bothered, could sense that this little short Cat was very strong in the Dark-Side and her features spoke of it too.

Xzaien was at least a head and shoulders shorter than her bodyguard and at least a head shorter than her Troopers. Her face bore the marks of a heavy dark-side corruption judging by the darkening of some spots by the cheeks to a complete eye color change of bright red which seemed to glow slightly. What was slightly off-putting was Xzaiens smile it looked friendly. But it had this somewhat mischievous look to it. Nevertheless, Xzaien moved forward and extended a gloved hand toward Anna, it the same bright red color as her robes.

"A pleasure to meet you dear friend- And don't mind my followers. They are soldiers at heart and are always on alert. And don't mind him, He's a dear friend of mind. I haven't exactly seen anyone in this sector of the Galaxy, and I do not exactly hail from this portion of it. Apology's for any oddness attributed to our meeting!"

If Anna shook her hand or didn't Xzaien would be the first to enter the Cave, followed promptly by her nine followers. Once a few meters in, She'd call out.

"Dear friend, we have much yet to see!"

Tags: [member="Kale Seleare"]@James Cerensp[member="Jerec Asyr"][member="Jared Starchaser"][member="Anna Sachae"][member="Ohm-Lai"]

 

[Cei Kyros]

"Rumbled in on a freighter," Cole shrugged and scratched his neck, "But you know me. Only ones I'm with is whoever's got the next job lined up."

It was true enough that his most recent crew would be glad to part ways. Most folk were uncomfortable with the Hellions jacket. The difference between him and [member="Jerec Asyr"] was that Jerec mastered his own fate captaining the Colichemarde. Merrill drifted whichever way each solar tide blew him. He recognized in the other man a familiar survivor's instinct however.

"Got a tip, huh?" he seemed to mull this over for a second, "Think it might have something to do with the guys pointing guns at us?"

They were surrounded. That was fast. Somehow the fates seemed to be twisted against them lately.

"I didn't see any Directorate flags on Pijal."

Cole glowered at [member="James Cerensp"]. Flanking the Core World agent was a lot of action aimed his way and he was no magic acrobat. Tricks up his sleeve on the other hand? The mechanic had one or two of those. He concentrated on the troopers' Verpine shatter guns, picturing their internal mechanisms in his mind, and snapped his fingers.

Jam.

 

[Anna Sachae]

Well that was a jarring contrast. Anna blinked, cocked her head to one side in a futile attempt to grasp the broken logic of this ridiculous scene, then gave up on all of that and shook the cat-woman's hand. Her grip was soft and utterly civilian. Not a hint of secretly being a martial arts master, feared assassin, or renegade Jedi in disguise. "I'm Anna. I guess it's normal where you come from to greet every 'dear-friend' with a hearty handshake and a dozen fully-armed honor guards actively threatening to shoot them?" Impish smirk. Not a hint of fear.

After all, why would she be afraid? Y'know, apart from some jibes at the sheer, unbelievable contrast of the setting she was in and the situation she was being forced into. A toolbelt and some stained jeans weren't really threatening and she'd provided no obstacle. She shrugged it off and wheeled on her simple, civilian boots, turning back towards the cave. "To be fair, I've seen odder traditions. Went to a planet once where the local greeting was to designate all off-worlders livestock and sell them into chattel slavery." The unconcerned young woman crossed her arms and at her chin with one hand. "Or that planet where I found out the hard way that it was considered very rude not to get utterly blazed on a hundred milligrams of spice within an hour of landing."

Moral of the story: the galaxy was beautiful mess and one should never judge.

"Anyway. Miss Zaen...? Sorry for any grammatical weirdness. Might need to brush up on my Cathar." With a shrug, Anna stepped back and held out an arm, motioning towards the cave. "Shall we?" It wasn't really a question. Anna just walked right on in.

This woman clearly wasn't the pilot of that ship she'd found earlier. Uncomfortable to fit a full platoon on a light freighter. That meant there were still plenty of people around, and Anna didn't really have much confidence that everyone they ran into on this planet would be as level-headed and diplomatic in response to staring down a full firing squad. Probably best to get the gun-toting psychos belowground before someone caused an incident. Firefights were hazardous to one's health.

[member="Xzaien"] | [member="Kale Seleare"] | [member="Jared Starchaser"]

 

[Jerec Asyr]

[member="Cole Merrill"] [member="James Cerensp"]

Now, Merrill hadn't spent too long on Jerec's crew, but long enough to reveal certain...knacks. So when the spacer thug snapped his fingers, Jerec didn't know what he'd done, but he knew it meant a split-second opportunity.

Jerec lunged for the trailside boulder where he'd been sitting. He crouched behind it, blaster still in hand. The nearest trooper was quite close, unpleasantly close, so Jerec drove him back briskly with precise fire. Well, kind of precise. Jerec's fight-or-flight response had kicked in hard. Adrenaline flooded his system.

"Merrill! Cover over here!"