Public We're not soft on sea turtles

[Kloe Weo]

The time was ripe.

All across the galaxy, gluttons and gourmands were willing to pay for exotic fare. Fresh, if they could get it. Kloe didn't normally engage with this sort of foolishness - anything that could be killed could be eaten, but those who didn't have the ability to kill shouldn't get to be choosy about what they eat. She also didn't care for the more esoteric, cannibalistic ends of that spectrum. That said, if some wanna-be politician was willing to pay through the nose for decadent and illegal meats he didn't have the stones to harvest himself? Well. She could be the mechanism that parted fools from money. Especially if it provided the opportunity for samples for her own collection.

Kattada was a lovely beach beach planet deep in the heart of the GA. Normally? Untouchable. But considering that the GA was currently undergoing death-spasms, the rule of law was somewhat compromised. Local law enforcement still stood, of course, but anything with more punch and power to it had bigger things to worry about. Empirically speaking. This also happened to be the time of year that the Kattadan Hardbacks laid their eggs.

Massive, peaceful turtles, the Kattadan Hardback ventured to the shores or reefs of their birth to lay eggs, and during this time they were most vulnerable to predation. A gentle species by any measure, they relied on their famous shells and massive size to deter predators. Of course, that sort of thing only worked well against other animals. Humanoids were a little more clever, usually. Especially because the Kattadan Hardback had especially succulent meat, making it a treasured delicacy in some culinary circles. It was also a fine opportunity to snag some turtle eggs.

The time was ripe. For turtles.

Kleo and a small team of laborers arrived at a small fishing village on one of thousands of coastal fishing towns. Most people coming to see the turtles would be going to a more major city or town, she reasoned - a backwater like this would have less amphibious protection. "Spread out." The Sith instructed pointedly. "Survey the local beaches. Look for early arrivals. Don't make a fuss." She ordered.

Pausing to run her fingers along the ears of one of her loth-wolves, Kleo narrowed her eyes at the sunny beach and quaint fishing village. "Kill nobody. We take as many samples alive as we can load in the shuttle. Go."

 

[Xandyr Carrick]

X A N D Y R​

Xandyr liked to step off the beaten track when he could afford some holiday. His life was a busy one. Day to day he was travelling to bustling cities to follow his business clients around, most recently Danger Arceneau

His upbringing among gentleman gangsters had made him a unique entry in the ranks of the Oiran house. He had the skills to protect his clients, they had trained him in everything else a client expected from a companion.

Xandyr relaxed on the small round bottomed boat he had borrowed. He rowed it out each morning and enjoyed diving down and watching the silvery fish swim past.

 

[Sahi]

Sea Turtles

"A blue eye is a true eye; Mysterious is a dark one, which flashes like a spark sun! A black eye is the best one"
- William Rounseville Alger -

Gear: In Sig

​

Sahi arrived on Kattada for a little rest after her last mission, which proved to be more entertaining than she first suspected; but the credits she amassed from the bounty outweighed the troublesome entertainment. Shutting down all the unnecessary systems aboard her ship, the Dark Rhapsody, she began pondering the last time she actually took time for herself, and no concrete answer revealed itself. Standing up, stretching in the process, she grabbed her sheath with her sword tucked inside, clipping it to utility belt around her waist. Mentally she chuckled. Why would she need her weapon, or her armor, if she was here to relax. That answer was easy, the galaxy was a dangerous place, and, in her profession, she surely made enemies; even on such a tropical and beautiful planet as Kattada.

Exiting the ship, she took in the beautiful sights, feeling the hot rays of the sun dance across her face. Briefly, a smile crept upon her lips before walking down the ramp into one of the most dazzling displays of beach resort beauty. Everywhere her eyes looked, kids were laughing and frolicking in both the sand and in the crystal-clear blue water; and parents ignoring their kids whilst sipping on cold, tasty beverages. Moving through the crowds of people, she spotted a less populated cantina with a rental boat establishment attached to it.

Taking a seat at one of the empty tables, she ordered a drink, turning her attention to the waters, seeing hundreds of boats; some for-leisure activity and others for business purposes. When the waitress returned, Sahi asked, "How's the fishing in those waters?" The waitress, stealing a glance out across the water in the direction of the fishing vessels, replied, "Profitable. But it's also the season that Hardbacks lay their eggs. Sadly, poachers will be arriving to plunder those eggs." The sadness in her eyes and tone of her voice told Sahi the waitress did not approve of the poachers. "Why doesn't the local authorities stop them," Sahi said grabbing her frosty mug that was already sweating, cascading lines of water sliding slowly down toward the table. The waitress shrugged before saying, "They're just animals, correct? Starting a tab?"

Kloe Weo / Xandyr Carrick

 

[Cordelia 'Cori' Eldoris]

Location: Kattada
Objective: Save the turtles!
Tags: Kloe Weo Xandyr Carrick Sahi

The reef community within which Cordelia 'Cori' Eldoris was raised was not without its rules, laws that not only governed the actions of the merfolk living there but informed who they were and the very core of their values. Cori could recite them off by heart, for they were simple, but deeply respected.

Do not take from the reef what it cannot grow back.

Do not influence or coerce another into hurting others or themselves.

Respect your elders, respect the leader, and respect the sea itself.

But most importantly: Do not harm the ocean mothers.

That meant strictly no harvesting female sea creatures that are in the process of laying eggs or raising their young. That meant respecting the gift of life that the force had blessed them with. And that meant protecting the reef mothers when they were in danger.

The Jedi glared at the shoreline, eyes narrowed as she rested upon the back of a giant turtle. The creature did not seem to mind, barely noticing her weight as it swam towards the sand, ready to lay its eggs in the safety of the dunes. It could not possibly hope to know that poachers were waiting out of sight, ready to snatch up and destroy it and it's young like foxes and wolves.

The ersansyr wasn't about to let them. She had foreseen this day in a vision - woken up breathless and horrified from the image of poachers slaughtering the turtles fresh in her mind. It had taken a great deal of convincing to get the council to allow her to go - all Jedi were being funnelled into the war effort, after all - but eventually they had relented. Cori was glad for it, glad for the distraction that would take her mind off of Coruscant and glad for the chance to protect her beloved marine life.

The turtle's body shook as sand met shell, the creature beaching itself as if it was a giant ship ploughing into the shore. Hopping down from her perch, Cori drew her lightwhips, scanning the expanse of soft yellow for danger.

"I'll protect you," she whispered to the turtle in her native tongue, "I swear it on the force itself."

 

[Kloe Weo]

Ah, the humble turtle. A few useful adaptations, but aside from their prodigious size of little personal interest to Kloe. They'd be fantastic material to study, and she wanted to raise a couple to see if the inherently pathetic traits that plagued turtles could be bred out - the finicky nature when it came to laying eggs, the awkwardness on land, the lack of appetite for meat as an omnivore. With their large size, a properly motivated turtle with a desire for complex protein and the ability to digest carrion? Imagine what they could become. Imagine those formidable shells with the calcium-rich diet that bones could provide. Imagine how economical it'd be to train them when they lived for centuries.

And to think. Her patron wanted them for meat. Pathetic.

"They come ashore at sundown to lay. They'll seek somewhere safe-looking about three meters from the wrack line." Kloe instructed, gesturing to two of her goons to take positions in the bushes away from the shore - where they'd have a clear view. One of them was carrying a large bag, the other had a shovel - peak henchmen behavior. "Let them lay. They'll rest, then the able-bodied ones will withdraw. That is when you harvest. If you damage those eggs, consider your employment in peril - I want every single one."

Kloe paused by the waters' edge, crouching down to run her fingers through the surf. "It won't be long now." She mused quietly, as her corrupted loth-wolves frolicked in the sand behind her - menacingly. "Deliver your bounty to my waiting hands, burgeoning seas of Kattada." The Sith quietly growled. "You have no choice. Motherhood calls."

 

[Xandyr Carrick]

X A N D Y R​

Kloe Weo

One of them was carrying a large bag, the other had a shovel - peak henchmen behavior.

Feeling the sun start to dip, Xandyr decided to go for a row. He cut quite the figure in his small boat, well tanned and muscles working hard. It warmed him through as the breeze picked up.

He stopped rowing and let the tide carry him as he saw the figures on the shore. It was unfortunate that he could recognise people ill at ease. His shady past and current need for sharp eyes made him feel uneasy as soon as he saw them.

It wasn't, he thought to himself, his problem.

Xandyr started to row further down the shore.

 

[Mercy]

Kloe Weo | Xandyr Carrick |@Cordelia 'Cori' Eldoris | Sahi

Mercy was not a henchman.

She didn't hench, she was not a man either, but she did have a natural curiosity that often drew her to places she had no business being in. So when Kloe mentioned she was hunting after... turtles, well, consider her curiosity piqued. Up until now it was a bit of a disappointment however. The turtles were... well... turtles.

So they were slow, lazy, not that impressive to look at either.

Even as Kloe waddled into the water to deliver a sermon, she crouched down near her menacing wolves. And... began to stroke their fur, while cooing at them as if they were little swaddling babies.

"Yes, you are a cutie, aren't you? The cutiest little furball, yes you are!" Maybe it was even a bit annoying how much her wolves took a liking to Mercy or maybe Kloe didn't mind. Either way, Mercy dotted on them as if they were her children. "Kloe, dear, I don't want to interrupt your ceremony, but if nobody comes to fight us stat, I am going to throw a fit."

Then a pause as she patted the wolf's nose.

"And we don't want that, do we? No we do not!" Babying the wolf some more.

 

[CT-312]

//: Jacen Breska Ro'talius Emanti Tarw Rhyfelwr //:
//: Strill Securities: Zandra Ruus Ruus Kote //:
//: Coastal Zone, Kattada//:
//: Attire //:
//: EQUIPMENT: Halcyon Armour| M.I. 'Sunstroke' jetpack| M.I. 'Halo' jump boots | Contact Lenses | Ancile Shield | Navi/Barca //:
//: WEAPONS: VW 864 Maser Rifle | LO-18D | M.I. Model 7 shotgun | LO-22S | Sunshot Pistol | M.I. Model 6 hybrid pistol //:
//: 40|40 Active Mag : 2 Backup Mags x LO-KI/22 Standard Slug Round //:
//: ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT: 2x Kushute Grenades | Shiva Knife | S.A.N.D. Powder //:
//: 1 x Arrow head of Absence | Taozin amulet | //:
​

There were no drops this time. No fire trails or seismic landings. Just the quiet whine of a transport cutting through humid air, setting down well inland. Far from the shore and far from the spectacle. CT-312 disembarked without a word. Boots crunching lightly over the damp underbrush. Moving low beneath the green canopy. Her HUD flickered with updated mission parameters.

<:// Location: Coastal Zone, Kattada //:>
<:// Assigned by: John Locke //:>
<:// Allied Force: Strill Securities //:>
<:// Primary Objective: Safeguard the nesting Kattadan Hardbacks. Two specimens requested alive. Ensure they do not become ‘lonely’. //:>

Turtles. CT-312 silently read the text again. All this for turtles? Then again, it was personally requested by one of their sponsors. It was best to maintain good relations with them and supporting companies. A full squad of DeathDrop, reinforced by another company that was also contracted out by John Locke. Strill Securities. It felt like overkill, but orders were orders. And if John Locke wanted the turtles to be safe and have his turtles delivered with gentle hands with overwhelming firepower. So be it.

As the foliage thinned, the jungle gave way to a narrow rise overlooking the coast. CT-312 halted, crouching low among the thick roots of a tree. Its bark was damp with the sea spray. Through her helmet’s optics, scanning the terrain. The small fishing village and beaches below wasn’t empty. Clusters of figures, some with boats. Others with makeshift gear. Locals. Tourists, possibly. But some moved too carefully, possibly poachers were here too. CT-312 knew the look. Opportunists. There were too many eyes. Too many unknowns.

CT-312 switched comm frequencies, toggling to encrypted DeathDrop and Strill Securities channels. Her voice crackled through the line, low and direct. “Too exposed. Pushing north, further down the coast. Less crowding, less visibility. Don’t spook the wildlife.”

The Scout turned. Disappearing back into the trees. Staying in the undergrowth. Hugging the edge of the rising coastline. The beach and other small fishing villages were still visible through gaps in the canopy, but it was quieter. Untouched.

Emerging again farther up the shore, the sand was broken by natural rock shelves and the occasional tidepool. There were fewer footprints around the area. Less threats.

 

[Sahi]

Sea Turtles

"A blue eye is a true eye; Mysterious is a dark one, which flashes like a spark sun! A black eye is the best one"
- William Rounseville Alger -

Gear: In Sig

​

Sahi watched the waitress walk away to tend to the needs of the other patrons, but the sarcasm was not lost on the bounty hunter; and she agreed, they were not just animals. Her morals and belief systems were muddled no matter how one scrutinized them, and even Sahi herself could not honestly decipher what she felt was moral and immoral, whole-hearted beliefs or simply didn't give two damns between the drawn blurry lines that separated the two aspects. She simply worked, captured her targets unless the bounty called for more violent parameters, and just moved on through the drama of her life. Like everyone else in the galaxy, she too, had a backstory; a graveyard of skeletons, and a host of demons floating menacingly about; but she loved animals, and most were powerless to protect themselves. With a nod, Sahi downed her drink, stood up, and strolled across toward the boat rental docks, telling her waitress to keep her tab open.

With map of the area in hand, information obtained from the boat renter, and her rental boat humming beneath her feet, she plotted a course toward the main island where these precious turtles laid their eggs, where if fate would not be so cruel, allow these eggs to hatch and spawn a new generation of the Hardbacks. She had no plan or idea what she was going to do, but she knew she was definitely going to do something. Sterring the boat through the smooth, crystal blue water, she observed the fisherman obtaining healthy and bountiful nets of fish, crustaceans, and other ocean faring inhabitants, but no turtles. Steering the boat toward the island, she spotted a small ship docked in the waters, and roughly four individuals trouncing through the water toward the sandy beach, and with more determination than she ever mustered, sped forward.

Sahi pulled up next to the other watercraft, scanning it briefly before shutting down her rental. She leapt from the bow of her ship, her feet hitting the soft sand laying under the water and moved through it quickly as possible to execute the distance between herself and the four poachers. Her splashing had not gone unnoticed, for the sounds alerted the four individuals to her presence, but they were confused as to what they were seeing; and without putting much thought to it, they stopped and waited for Sahi to reach the beachhead.

 

[Tarw Rhyfelwr]

Location: Kattada, Coastal Zone
Equipment: Armour, Rotary Cannon, Blaster Pistol and beskad
Appearance: Armoured
Tag: CT-312 | Jacen Breska | Ro'talius Emanti | Zandra Ruus | Ruus Kote

It was his first mission outside of the Galactic Alliance. It was his first mission with the DeathDrop. It was his first mission as a mercenary rogue soldier. It was his first time to Kattada.

And it was all for saving turtles.

Not the style of missions he thought this group would be a part of. It was framed as a mission that had been sent there by a sponsor, clearly an important one. Tarw also saw this as a good mission for him to be a part of as a demonstration for his skills, cooperation as well as a way to get to know the other members of this new mercenary group that Tarw was looking to join. He believed that joining could be of benefit to the Hidden Path as well as beneficial in his experiences. Getting on more missions and working with others in dangerous situations, that experience was something he could translate into practical abilities to advance rebel activity against the Galactic Empire and Sith Order.

It was also a chance to earn some credits and get a paying job now that he was a renegade soldier, he couldn't keep up with ship repairs and the necessary maintenance of his weapons without a steady-ish income. Tarw had his rotary cannon strapped to his back while on the transport, his eyes scanned around and checked out everyone else. It was curious to see how others in the DeathDrop prepped themselves and what weapons they were experts with. The Mandalorian in Tarw was always interested how others worked and whether or not he would be a good fit. Tarw was a tank, he had built himself in such a way to ensure that he could protect and manage threats that they could face in the future.

"Sounds good, I'll cover the back, can land down some suppressive fire if anyone attempts to follow." Tarw stated, sliding the strap holding his cannon off him and grabbing the handles of his heavy weapon. Tarw started turning around, making sure that the rear was covered as they walked.

The soldier held a tight grip on his weapon as he peered through his visor, making sure there were no poachers or other foreign threats to their group or the turtles they were assigned to protect.

 

[Jacen Breska]

I LIKE TURTLES​

WEARING:: Jacen’s Second Legion Armor
EQUIPMENT: DC-902d
LOCATION: :: -KATTADA- ::
TAG: CT-312 Tarw Rhyfelwr Ro'talius Emanti Ruus Kote Zandra Ruus

John Locke wanted turtles.
John Locke was going to get turtles.

It was that simple for Jacen. He didn't say anything on the ship, didn't say anything when the mission was passed down, didn't say anything when everyone else was confused about it.
The truth of it? He'd have done it for free. But the greedy grubby hands in the Drop would pester him for his cut. And he wasn't about to give them his cut.

Still, it was a blue milk run with a squad of heavily armed and armored warriors looking for turtles to bring to the Big Man. Easy pay day.

Jacen kept his DC-902d at the ready as 312 made the call. Reposition and advance. He keyed his comm and responded simply, "Copy."
He enjoyed these missions, the ones where she was in command. It took the pressure off of him and let him relax. However...because he was relaxed, he got to think. And because he got to think....

"What do you think John wants with the Turtles?" He started, talking quietly, "do you think he eats them? The brief said to get two so one doesn't get lonely. But he eats them. Right?" He crawled up to the edge, looking over the village before pulling back into the tree line, "Do you think they taste good? What about their eggs?" He stopped, tilting his head, "Right. You're right. We shouldn't eat them. We're here to save them."

But nothing said he couldn't come back later after the mission was over.

He took his position in the formation as they repositioned, trying to keep his mind off of how good the turtles must taste if John Locke wanted them, and instead tried to focus on watching for anyone who wanted to make sure that John Locke never got his Turtle Soup.

John Locke'd get his Turtle soup. If it was the last thing Jacen did.
​

 

[Kloe Weo]

"Yes, you are a cutie, aren't you? The cutiest little furball, yes you are!" Maybe it was even a bit annoying how much her wolves took a liking to Mercy or maybe Kloe didn't mind. Either way, Mercy dotted on them as if they were her children. "Kloe, dear, I don't want to interrupt your ceremony, but if nobody comes to fight us stat, I am going to throw a fit."

"If we leave here without a fight, I'll find you one." Kloe promised, and that was that. Her new business partner was a brawler at heart, an aspirational gladiator pressed into the role of a crime lord like a rancor forced into a collar and a loving home. Such a beast required blood from time to time, to keep the soul healthy and the teeth sharp. Caring meant providing an excuse to crunch bone and taste death.

A matter for later. The time had finally arrived.

On beaches all across Kattada, gentle beasts filled with life emerged from the sea. The Kattadan Hardback was a lonely creature, often travelling alone or in breeding pairs - but there were only so many good beaches to be had. Large turtles - those from 7 meters long or more - began pulling themselves from the warm oceans in search of someplace to lay their eggs and perpetuate their ancient and gentle species. The largest Hardbacks, of course, did not undergo this ritual. Those beings, some of whom could grow to be as large as a freighter, remained in the depths. Kloe dearly wished she could obtain one.

A concern for the future.

The Sith's eyes lit up as dozens of massive turtles began emerging from the sea, hauling themselves up onto the sandy banks to dig furrows in which to lay eggs. Ungainly on the land, they remained faster than one might think - if only driven by biological necessity and instinct. That speed, Kloe reasoned, could be enhanced. Cultivated. Given time and incentive.

One of the early arrivals was nearly done with her clutch. Fastest from the sea, slightly larger than her peers. A fine specimen by any measure. Her face lit with a vicious grin and she bounded across the sand towards the turtle den, her wolves baying as they gave excited pursuit. A few of the slower hardbacks groaned in complaint or snapped at Kloe's boots, most tried to get our of her way. She paid them no mind.

The weakened hardback, having just laid her clutch, could only snap in resistance. Kloe drove the turtle's head into the sand while her loth-wolves seized a flipper each, flooding the simpler mind with her power, her dominance, her demand that the beast recognize her place in the natural order -beneath a predator. Terrified and exhausted, it was in poor shape to resist her will.

 

[Cordelia 'Cori' Eldoris]

Location: Kattada
Objective: Save the turtles!
Tags: Kloe Weo Xandyr Carrick Sahi Mercy CT-312 Tarw Rhyfelwr Jacen Breska

"All done?" Cori whispered gently to the turtle she'd been watching over. In response, it began to use its giant flippers to scoop sand up and over it's freshly laid clutch of eggs. Using the force, Cori also drew some of the grains around her and carefully used them to help cocoon the nest. Usually she wouldn't dare interfere with nature, but more mothers were arriving and if Cori hoped to have any chance of saving them all, she needed to hurry her current quarry up.

Unfortunately, turtles were never meant to travel on dry land. Anxiety nipped at the Jedi as her turtle slowly made its way down to the waves again. Something sharp and bitter was biting at her, some dark presence that her mind hadn't fully comprehended yet. For now, it was a gnawing headache that would remain unnamed until she had time to fully observe her surroundings and see what the force was warning her about.

"Farewell, great mother," pushing that anxiety aside, the ersansyr bid the turtle farewell with a comforting pat on it's shelled back. "Return to the safety of the deep waters from whence you came."

It was only once the creature had fully disappeared under the waves that the unpleasant sensation in Cori's mind bloomed into a full, fierce pain. Clarity stabbed her like a dagger - a hateful, evil force that could be nothing else but the darkside. Racing across the beach, the Jedi followed the feeling until she reached its source.

The sight of which made her blood run cold.

Before her was the very same scene she had seen in her vision - a defenceless mother surrounded by wolves, and a woman radiating the darkside burying the creature's head in the sand. Cori gritted her sharpened teeth, igniting her whips and settling into a form three stance.

But she didn't fight.

She sang.

The voice of an ersansyr is not merely haunting, but enchanting - a melody of emotions that seem to pierce through the listeners very soul. Honed and mastered to a perfection that other species could only dream of, even non force sensitive ersansyr can use their music to bend others to their will.

Cori was no stranger to this, no amateur at entering someone's mind through her song - though tonight, she intended on using this power to give her target agency, not take it away. Her mournful lyrics, sung entirely in her native tongue, cut cleanly through the fog of the darkside and into the turtle's mind. Each note sang echoed with the beauty of the ocean, with the freedom of the sea. With every shift in tempo, Cori fought back against the darksider's spell, singing resistance into the turtle who began to shift, fighting the loth wolves with its tired flippers.

"Take my strength," Cori expertly wove the words into her song as she poured courage into the creature, "Take my power and escape - do not give up on your freedom yet, ocean mother."

 

[Ruus Kote]

​

Friendly Units:
'Mirshir'verd'jurkad'gam' and Ysalamiri Birikad have been issued force wide.

• 1 Platoon from Strill Securities Jurkad Verde Shere'shoy Mechanized Infantry Battalion
• Busayr-class Heavy Assault Transport I'dadr 1-1
• HF-02 Cabur-class Heavy Frigate Cabur (in orbit)

Tag(s): CT-312 | Jacen Breska | Tarw Rhyfelwr | Ro'talius Emanti | Zandra Ruus | Alexandros

Equipment

Armor Implant(s) Equipment Melee Sidearm(s) Rifle(s) Explosives

• 
  
  • 'Mirshir'verd'jurkad'gam'
  • Equipment Mount: Ysalamiri Birikad.
  • Back Weapon Mount: A-03S Verpine Shatter Autocannon
    
    • GVSR-SAMR Guided APFSDS Magazine (1)
    • GVSR-HEIAPAMR Guided HEIAP Magazine (1 loaded, 1 spare)
    • GVSR-FAMR Guided Flechette Magazine (1)
  • Right Gauntlet and Vambrace: 'Verd b' Marev' Gauntlet and Vambrace
    
    • Weapon Mounts:
      
      • Left:
        
        • TBP-01V Tractor-Pressor Beam Projector
      • Top:
        
        • MML-01V Miniaturized Missile Launcher
          
          • Tracyn'vhipir-class Brilliant Plasma Missile (4)
          • Striilir'ika-M-class Brilliant Micro-missile (Baradium) (4)
      • Right:
        
        • PC-05V Plasma Caster
          
          • Plasma Gas Medium Cannister (1)
  • Left Gauntlet and Vambrace: 'Verd b' Surhaai' Gauntlet and Vambrace
    
    • Weapon Mounts:
      Left:
      
      • NML-02VTB Nano missile Launcher
      • Top:
        
        • MML-01V Miniaturized Missile Launcher
          
          • Tracyn'vhipir-class Brilliant Plasma Missile (4)
          • Striilir'ika-M-class Brilliant Micro-missile (Baradium) (4)
      • Right:
        
        • PC-05V Plasma Caster
          
          • Plasma Gas Medium Cannister (1)
  • Utility Belt Loadout:
    
    • Hardcase Spring-loaded Ammunition Pouches
    • Hardcase Spring-loaded Grenade Pouches
    • Hardcase Large Satchel
    • Softcase Large Storage Pouches (dump pouch)
    • Magnetic Clamp
  • Load-bearing Rig Loadout:
    
    • Hardcase Spring-loaded Ammunition Pouches
    • Hardcase Spring-loaded Grenade Pouches
    • Central Secondary High Capacity Rylith Power Cell
    • Medium and Large Gription Panels
  • Holster Setup:
    
    • 1x chest-rig mounted
    • 2x belt-mounted
    • 1x thigh mounted (dominant hand side)
• 
  
  • 'Verd' Enhancement Package
  • 'Gar Tkiriyr' Neural Interface
• 
  
  • 'Shushai Rugam' Sensor Sphere (2)
  • Vehicle Tool Kit
• 
  
  • K-04 Skirata Ehn-ky'kal Kal (2)
  • K-03 Kal(1)
• 
  
  • RP-05A Ripper Pistol
    
    • 'Kyrayc Sur'haai'-M 1-4x Short Range Optic
    • 'Drala Sur'haai' Targeting Laser/Illuminator
    • Ammunition:
      
      • GRR-APR Guided Armor-Piercing Magazine (1 loaded, 2 spare)
      • GRR-FR Guided Flechette Magazine (3)
• 
  
  • AR-2CQB Verpine Assault Rifle
    
    • 'Kyrayc Sur'haai'-M 1-12x Medium Range Optic
    • 'Drala Sur'haai' Targeting Laser/Illuminator
    • UGL-02 Underbarrel Grenade Launcher
      
      • Ammunition:
        
        • BG-02 Baradium Grenade (1 in the chanmber, 5 in the tube)
    • Ammunition:
      
      • GVSR-SR Guided SLAP Magazine (1 loaded, 2 spare)
      • GVSR-FR Guided Flechette Magazine (3)
• 
  
  • BG-02 Baradium Grenade (4)​
  • PG-02 Incendiary Plasma Grenade (4)​
  • SJG-02 Signal Jammer Grenade (2)​
  • NGG-02 Nagnol Gas Grenade (2)​
  • AWCGG-02 Anti-Energy Weapon Countermeasure Gas Grenade (2)​

[/slide]

Buy'ce gal, buy'ce tal
Verbor'ad ures aliit
Mhi draar baat'i meg'parjii'se
Kote lo'shebs'ul narit.

​

The company was not known for its humanitarian work, let alone ecological work. When John Locke asked the alor to protect these sea turtles and bring him back a pair, John Lock was going to get his shabla turtles. Ruus didn't even know what a shabla turtle was, he'd only heard some aruetiimention one once and had a vague recollection. For the bonus that was being offered and for the chance to get off his shebs and finally shoot something, he'd ensure they got fifty shabla turtles let alone two.

Orbital scans indicated that there wasn't much in the AO, so Ruus decided to see what his battatlion COs had to say on the matter. Mirta Kyrr, Shereshoy's CO, had told him just how ridiculous she thought the idea was. Aamer Kyrdol, Kad b' Marev had laughed so hard that he had to be sent to the baar'ur. Sometimes Ruus wondered if they really had passed through the same training batch as he had. Then again, neither of them had three hungry ade to feed, and in all fairness none of them were getting any younger.

Shereshoy's HQ battalion's 1st platoon had won the cu'bikad tournament on the trip over to determine who got to show up for the assignment and pocket the bonus. For such a trivial operation, cu'bikad was really the only way to settle disputes without anyone ending up too drunk or too injured for duty. Ruus had also picked some personnel, notably Zandra Ruus , the latest freelancer hired by the company and the latest addition to Shereshoy battalion, Alexandros .

Ruus now got to see how they both performed on a operation personally. Alexandros had done work for the company before, and was very good at what he did. Mandokar'la, if Aenarr was to be believed. Aenarr was a lot of things, but he wasn't a liar, nor was he given to exaggeration. Zandra on the other hand, his ba'vode had nothing but good things to say about her. Sure, she had been with the Neo Crusaders but everyone deserved a cin vhetin.

Given orbital data, this would in no way be a true test of their skills, but it would tell him how well they played as part of a unit. They were deployed with a new company, Death Drop. Ruus didn't know much about Death Drop, but he'd heard good things so far and if they were good enough for John shabla Locke, then they were good enough for him. Locke and Key had exacting standards in the sort of personnel they kept on retainer, and for good reason too, he'd seen some of their work first hand. Haran, his own beskar'gam's company manufactured comm suite made use of one of their products.

A voice in his helmet snapped him to the present. It was on one of the company's channels, but the IFF code marked it as being Death Drop.

“Too exposed. Pushing north, further down the coast. Less crowding, less visibility. Don’t spook the wildlife.”

"Acknowledged, we'll maintain holding pattern till your go," he replied over the same channel. Ruus wasn't being polite, Death Drop had less tactical mobility at the moment than they did, it was only natural to let them start the engagement at their pace. Ruus could see the targets their Busayr's detection suite had picked up on his HUD. They weren't going to be going anywhere in a hurry. I'dadr 1-1, their transport, was indeed maintaining a holding pattern out of view, but this close with a ship this size he didn't doubt that someone had already probably spotted them, and at that point putting two and two together probably wasn't that hard.

Ruus inserted a fresh magazine loaded with GVSR-SR Guided SLAP rounds into his rifle and addressed the others in the bay, "Alright vode, RoE is simple. Keep collateral to a minimum, nothing that will get one of these turt-tles killed. We need two alive. We'll work out who's going for them once the engagement starts. Questions?" Ruus' instructions were in basic, but basic or mando'a, the word 'turtles' rolled off his tongue with some difficulty and awkwardness. What a di'kutla name it was anyway. They were more like beskaryc trabas. He would never understand aruetii names.

 

[Alexandros]

TAGS: Ruus Kote
Targets:

Maverick was more than happy to pick up extra work wherever he could. He had a whole slew of younglings depending on him now that they were all freshly freed from their creators, trying to build lives that hadn't been designed for them. Supporting their futures meant footing the bill for more than a dozen little ambitions, and he wasn't about to let any of them fall short.

Unfortunately, war didn't lend itself to stability. Fortunately, war paid well.

Today's mission, though… was certainly an odd one.

"Turtles," he muttered, running through the mission brief again. "Not spice runners. Not pirates. Not even kriffing Nexu. Turtles."

But Maverick wasn't one to question the eccentric whims of a client who paid well and on time. Turtle retrieval it was. If it meant credits in his account, and maybe even a small outing day for the kids... then so be it.

He pulled up a holovid of the Kattadan Hardbacks on the shuttle ride in. Big, slow, and old as sin.... they looked strangely majestic. If they were worth this much to the client, they had to be more than just soup ingredients.

His gaze drifted to the beach in the distance, and a quiet memory surfaced... one of the little ones had once asked him what a beach was. They had never seen one. Born in sterile rooms and raised in the shadow of seclusion did that to them....

If this mission went well… maybe he'd show them what a real ocean looked like. Still, odd jobs had a habit of going sideways. He'd seen poachers pack more firepower than mercenary outfits, and eco-zealots who fought like cornered womp rats. Just because the job was about sea turtles didn't mean it wouldn't get bloody.

Ruus asked if there were any questions. Maverick just shook his head.

 

[Vodet]

He’d heard the calls. People invading the planet. Or visiting. And there was a sense from some of the Blue Coral Divers that something wasn’t right in the world. The Yinchorri Master was looking around, from each Witch to the next. Slow, as he was, the Master did not misunderstand what was going on. There was a beat in his speech. “We should move.” The Master said. He was already on his feet, he did not sit too long. He was the warden of this world, the Starchasers the watchmen.

As he was moved to his speeder, the Jedi Master went out onto the sand. He was backed by several Jedi, and the Blue Coral Divers. If he was counting, it was 5 of the Sentinel-Sages, and from the Spellweavers, he counted three. They were scouts, two with polearms, one with a Dathomiri energy bow. There was darkness coming to this world, but there was also light.

Turning to the ones with him. He spoke in a low voice to a witch. “See if you can’t contact your Farseeker.” And to the Jedi, he nodded. “If we can pull support from the fighter pilots. It would be greatly appreciated.”

As he turned to stroll down the beach, the Spellweaver vanished in a poof of blue smoke, teleporting away. The Jedi nodded and took the speeder, making their way to contact the E-Wing pilots. Poachers would be taking turtles alive, and they’d be leaving the world.

Too bad they’d leave the gravity well empty handed.

As he moved, he could feel the Force bond being pushed and he looked to the Witch with a nod. One of them was focusing as the cloud cover came in, thunder and lightning being heard.

“You will leave this world empty handed.” The Master said, his gnarled staff pushing into the sand. Along his belt and bandolier, small pouches were jiggling as he grabbed the lightclub.

Master Starchaser always said to not mess around. And Kattada would strike back.

Kloe Weo

 

[Kloe Weo]

And then all of the Galactic Alliance materialized to save the turtles. Kloe had been expecting a response, but she'd been expecting local law enforcement or maybe a couple of vacationers. She hadn't been expecting aircraft zipping overhead, squads of Jedi-Adjacent folks mobilizing out of the woodwork, the faint tickle in the back of her intuition that suggested somebody was showing up with a good argument for seeding vornskr on every planet in the galaxy was scuttling around somewhere just out of sight.

In short, no wonder the core had been folded like a cootie catcher. Either the GA was appointing their forces with an emphasis on amphibious protection, or the fact that the sick old man of the Galaxy was ripe for pillage was evident enough to everyone else that Kloe and Mercy were simply the spearhead of a small army worth of people here to snatch up some testudines as a side-hustle.

Kloe felt a strange will bolstering the exhausted turtle against her and, rather than fight over the beast and risk killing it or shattering its mind and making it useless to both of them, simply let Cordelia 'Cori' Eldoris have her way. She had other turtle-shaped concerns glaring at her right now to be occupied with, and while it was a little tempting to simply execute the kattadan hardback to prove a point? Kloe didn't feel the need to senselessly kill a fine specimen just to prove she could. An asset could always be come back for later, or pass down what made it exceptional. A dead animal was useless forever, and she didn't feel that wagering her desire to have this turtle specifically would be able to kick back the waves of oceanic love trying to keep her out of the hardback's mind was at all a good bet.

The Sith and her loth-wolves stepped away from the sea turtle, turning their focus on Vodet . Though Kloe's expression was - at best - mildly annoyed, her two wolves picked up on the more turbulent emotions and snarled threateningly while taking a defensive position at her sides. Her Loth-wolves were not controlled by the Force - simply well-trained and well-loved beasts of war.

Kloe subtly gestured to her two goons in the bushes as she approached Vodet and his team - keeping about four and a half meters between them. Rather than call them to her side or to flank, she used ORSL shorthand to instruct them to withdraw and secure an exit.

“You will leave this world empty handed.” The Master said, his gnarled staff pushing into the sand. Along his belt and bandolier, small pouches were jiggling as he grabbed the lightclub.

"Apologies, old master. I did not realize that times were hard enough that one of your stature must moonlight as a game warden." The Umbaran woman replied in an even tone that made it hard to tell if she was being sarcastic or not. "Have you come to collect a fine? Issue me a ticket for harming non-endangered wildlife? Should I have applied for a hunting liscence?"

Mercy would do what Mercy do, but Kloe kept her hand clear of the saber on her thigh. An entirely symbolic gesture, of course, but symbols could be important.