Year-round Halloween

[Dunames Lopez]

----------------------------------------

THE TUNROTH GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES THE CONSTRUCTION OF A DARK-SIDED FORCE-NEXUS​

​

Lesrekta, Jiroch-Reslia

In memory of the Reslian Purge, the Tunroth government has announced the construction of a dark-sided Force-nexus. The contract for the Force-nexus has been awarded by a consortium including Star Tours, as well as a group of private contractors. It is expected that the consortium delivers the dark-sided Force-nexus before Halloween for less than 1 million credits, and is expected to make a return on the investment within a few months of the Force-nexus opening. The Jiroch-Reslia Minister of Culture had the following statement to say about the decision of building the Force-nexus: "The decision to build the dark-sided Force-nexus comes after the realization that the most cost-effective way to attract tourists to Jiroch-Reslia is to build a horror-themed amusement park around the capital. Yet, the most cost-effective way to guarantee the psychological thrill rides of tourists' lifetimes is to build a dark-side nexus. We found that we had a foundation to build one: the massacre of Tunroth dark-siders in 10 BBY during the Reslian Purge" However, the First Order and the corresponding unit of dark-siders, the Knights of Ren, declined to comment.

----------------------------------------

With the promise of a year-round Halloween for Jiroch-Reslia's residents, the Tunroth government on Jiroch-Reslia especially since Dunames flew one more flight of the with Darth Veles flying first class on the Moonlight Monument for free, alongside the other Sith hired to build the Force-nexus. Upon reading the contents of that TOoaST article, many passengers onboard were incredulous: they couldn't believe Star Tours would engage in such folly, even though said folly was rather low-cost. There was truly nothing too outlandish or morbid for Star Tours: not even that ski station on Hoth was morbid enough for her. Luckily she decided to keep to the same three or four expert-level trails as originally built and to cease expanding the resort along the slopes of Mount Ison: many customers have found they could go on just one of those trails before seeking heat indoors. Along with the Taking Off on a Star Tour article, she transmitted the following to all other interested dark-sided parties shortly before the AT-AT barge lands on Jiroch-Reslia with all 525 passengers:

"I have taken the liberty of signing the contract with the Jiroch-Reslia government on our behalf for building this dark-sided Force-nexus. We only have a million credits to build this dark-sided Force-nexus: any cost overruns, or penalties for being behind schedule, will have to be paid against Star Tours' pockets. Any surpluses will be shared equally. So long as you agree to this, I am ready to deploy the requisite equipment"

"May the Force be with us" Merrily told the passengers.

"I hope the First Order's Ministry of Transportation agrees with such morbid methods of tourism, and such commercialization of a dark-sided Force-nexus"

[member="Harley"] [member="Darth Veles"] [member="Darth Manah"] [member="Velok the Younger"]

 

[Velok the Younger]

Insignificant contractor number five went by the name Anraq, not uncommon among Whiphids. The best word to describe Anraq was 'shamany' - aesthetically designed to match expectations of a Whiphid Darksider. Bones were knotted in his hair and fur, dark patterns swirled around his tusks, he carried a staff and a stone knife, and he stank of offal. He had spent the bulk of the trip mumbling to himself over a scroll of half-cured hide with the fur still on. His much-dented comlink blatted out the message from [member="Dunames Lopez"]; he grunted and went back to gnawing on a bone.

Upon disembarking, he offloaded a pair of massive bags. One twitched and kept twitching. The other rustled and clacked. Both stank of the Dark Side and also unwashed animals in various degrees of life. He plopped his bags beside the ramp of the landed AT-AT barge and eyed the nearest portion of the other 524 passengers distrustfully. With a brisk whuffle, he began drawing in the dirt. He used the stone knife; it seemed apropos. At one point he fished a small rodent out of the moving bag and bit its head off. Its blood filled the patterns in the dirt. He ignored pretty much everyone.

Nevertheless, he came highly recommended, if without much in the way of detail as to how he did what he did.

 

[Hailey Sosis]

[member="Dunames Lopez"] [member="Velok the Younger"]
Harley was on the ship, she had recruited to help create a dark side nexus. She was unsure what was involved, but the she wanted to help to find out what was involved, so she lied on her application form, to be here. Also for some reason they where paying her, she normally had to pay for privilege which meant killing people and stripping there corpses, for loot. As she sat down watching a movie, she was giggling to herself, which would be no doubt annoying to guy behind her, who was reading some scroll. She was waiting to be told what she was suppose to do, and then she would get on with it.

 

[Dunames Lopez]

Dunames reads another issue of Hyperspace Traveler while the other contractor parties went off the ship and the procession of coffins being unloaded off the lower deck of the AT-AT barge. She suspects after reading it that the Jiroch-Reslia government wanted to capitalize on Hyperspace Traveler, with its Minister of Transportation having personally accepted the award when Hyperspace Traveler visited the planet. Two spotlight destination awards are awarded monthly for each side of the Force, with the Hyperspace Traveler subscribers having voted for those, along with minimalist blurbs from the staff committee (lengthier articles were to follow). Lipsec having won the award back in July, Lanteeb in August, the First Order is featured three times in a row as a spotlight destination, and some rumor Star Tours to have had a hand in both sides of the Force having opened routes at least six of the last 12 winners: Cademimu (August DS), Lanteeb (August DS), Lipsec (July DS), Dulvoyinn (September LS), Jiroch-Reslia (September DS), Ringo Vinda (July LS).

---------------------------

September's spotlight destinations awards:

Light-sided winners:

Brokellia/Corellia: Newly rebuilt, it is an example for what people can do when given the proper resources

Dulvoyinn: A once-obscure world, it has gained fame as the beginning of the end for the One Sith

Dark-sided winners:

Ruusan: Amateurs of ancient history can revel in history made live, with the Eight Battles that were held there

Jiroch-Reslia: Horror holovid fans will be able to film whatever indie horror holoflicks they wish on the planet

---------------------------

Dunames has accepted to personally test the effects of the nexus on NFUs, the Jiroch-Reslia government wanted to boost tourism and artistic industries on the planet. The Galactic Cemetery was filled to capacity, any corpses processed by the city's funeral houses must be buried in cemeteries built in other areas of the planet.

"What do you need to perform alchemy capable of completing the construction of Force-nexus that currently isn't in your possession?"

"Be careful for what you wish for, so long as it doesn't involve killing more people. It's in the contract, captain"

"Remember, private contractors: there has been a massacre of Tunroth centuries ago, 10 BBY to be exact, and nearly all the dark-sided Tunroth were killed in the massacre, so there is a foundation for the Force-nexus. That is why the Jiroch-Reslia government expect us to be able to finish construction on such a low budget: normally construction of a Force-nexus is more expensive"

[member="Harley"] [member="Velok the Younger"] [member="Darth Veles"] [member="Darth Manah"]

 

[Darth Veles]

And so some officials decided to build a Force nexus as if it were a casual thing, an attraction to spread dread and eerie sensations throughout the masses to visit the horror-themed park. Did they have any idea about the dark forces they desired to summon? A crazy idea for sure; using dangerous, malevolent powers for amusement rarely ended well, especially if many sentients would pour right through its maw in search of fear – precisely the emotion to keep the nexus fresh, constantly feasting on more fright. In the end, it was destined to become a place frequented by Dark Side practitioners in search of power. Naturally, Darth Veles cared little about the amusement park – for Sith like him, a Dark Side nexus meant something far greater than a cheap tourist trap. Filled with desire to practice his knowledge of forbidden Sith powers, the Mon Calamari had accepted the offer, already knowing that a Dark Side nexus would come in handy in the future.

Plus Dunames Lopez was simply too charming to refuse.

Another journey with Star Tours followed shortly thereafter, a comfortable and relaxing travel that allowed Veles to meditate and feast on the power of the Dark Side. He had also identified other beings blessed with the Force’s gift, sensing their signatures. Most likely people tasked with the same matter as himself, albeit none gave away a particular sensation of strength and power through the Force. Not much else worthy of note happened during the flight; absolutely nothing to be precise, just your standard travel from one place to another.

“First we need to locate a place where the Dark Side’s call is the strongest.” Explained the amphibious Sith Lord, looking around as if searching for something after the purple-haired woman posed a question concerning their requirements for the project to happen.

“Sentient beings,” stated the Sith Lord bluntly, large eyes burning through Dunames’ pale skin, “Preferably prisoners sentenced to death, for obvious reasons. About a dozen to have enough blood. Opening the rift between our reality and another demands a sacrifice. That is all we need to make you a Force nexus.”

He didn't know how Dunames was going to provide living, sentient beings. Quite ironic - the megalomaniac wished to squeeze into one million credit budget, yet Veles had no use for money and needed what credits could not buy. Not legally, anyway.

Perhaps he should sacrifice other contractors. No loss in that, really.


[member="Dunames Lopez"] [member="Harley"] [member="Velok the Younger"] [member="Darth Manah"]

 

[Velok the Younger]

"Remember, private contractors: there has been a massacre of Tunroth centuries ago, 10 BBY to be exact, and nearly all the dark-sided Tunroth were killed in the massacre, so there is a foundation for the Force-nexus. That is why the Jiroch-Reslia government expect us to be able to finish construction on such a low budget: normally construction of a Force-nexus is more expensive"

Still sitting on the ground beside the barge's exit ramp, 'Anraq' raised an eyebrow at the idea of a vergence's construction being a normal thing -- with a price tag attached. He continued drawing patterns in the dirt with his stone knife, and filling them with the blood of the headless rodent. It seemed the thing to do.

He had paid very little attention to the other contractors throughout the voyage, and saw no reason to start now. Most were his peers, very minor Darksiders, beneath his interest -- including a manic humanoid female with an annoying laugh and a penchant for electronic entertainment. At least one contractor, a well-dressed Mon Calamari, was several orders of magnitude stronger than Velok, likely stronger than the rest of the contractors put together. He didn't strike Velok as a tame Sith, so Velok kept his distance from the unknown quantity. The lesser Sith, the dross, weren't worth adjusting his routine or his plans.

He chomped down the exsanguinated rodent and removed a large lizard from the moving bag. This was a Dagobah Sleen, noted for consuming small disturbances in the Light Side of the Force. This place retained a mild Dark influence, both from ancient history and from ongoing effects. The presence of the Sleen would gradually, unobtrusively nibble away whatever little bits of Light energy might remain on site. Sleen were useful creatures, in part because that particular property was incredibly obscure. Velok didn't identify the lizard or offer explanation.

 

[Velok the Younger]

double post

 

[Dunames Lopez]

Dunames was a little surprised to hear the Jiroch-Reslia officials claim that Star Tours was the only one they trusted to build the Force-nexus on budget and on schedule. Surely there are other contractors that could have built a dark-sided Force-nexus that big on a similar budget, she thought. Historically the construction of dark-sided Force-nexuses from scratch that didn't involve the deaths of dark-siders, was an expensive proposition, just that the scholarly journals didn't . Here because the foundations were laid so long ago, they could build it for a fraction of the cost a new-build would cost, or so the Tunroth logic went. But they expected the nexus to take no real maintenance once the nexus was completed provided the Jiroch-Reslia nexus achieved even a fraction of its planned capacity. And nevertheless, among the 525 passengers was none other than Virginie Dumaurier, the manager of the Hoth ski resort, the one they decided not to expand.

"Virginie, what are you doing here? Why aren't you on Hoth?"

"Let me tell you, Dunames, that was a crazy idea. Even worse than building a resort on the slopes of Mt. Ison on Hoth with only 4-6 expert-level trails that patrons can't stay long enough outside to go on more than one before needing to go back indoors for heat!"

"Crazy? Why? Do you have any information whatsoever on the economics of a Force-nexus?"

"The Governor of Jiroch-Reslia is risking his job on the outcome of this very Force-nexus. If either you or him can market the resulting theme park properly, Jiroch-Reslia WILL make a killing in operating this theme park. He is correct in that the Force-nexus as he planned to build it is going to be low-maintenance, and that the cost of a new construction of a Force-nexus is taking up the bulk of the cost of a Force-nexus over the lifespan of said nexus"

[member="Darth Manah"] [member="Harley"] [member="Darth Veles"] [member="Velok the Younger"]

 

[Hailey Sosis]

[member="Dunames Lopez"] [member="Velok the Younger"] [member="Darth Veles"]

The movie had finished, and she listened to tourguide, but she was getting bored and fidgety. She start peering over her seat wondering what other contractor was eating, and where her grub was. She then asked the guy in front of her, Hey where you get the food from? Her voice was soft but probably unpleasant to listen to, she was getting hungry and thirsty. She was wondering if they where coming with food, as you na know "Contractors" got eat and drink. Though she was wondering if he did not reply, to sitting next to him, as then he have to acknowledge her.

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"We're being hailed"

"On screen"

"This is the Office of the Governor of Jiroch-Reslia. By now you know that the population is unhappy about the decision my office made in awarding the contract for the construction of the Force-nexus. Stand by for the delivery of prisoners sentenced to death. But I should warn you, the delivery fees of the prisoners sentenced to death, even from the maximum-security prison closest to Lesrekta, will count against the budget you have been allocated"

"Your Grace, how much should I budget for the first batch of prisoners sentenced to death? You gave Star Tours a 1M budget"

For some reason the Governor of Jiroch-Reslia, the leader of the Assemblage of Three, alongside two more Tunroth commissioners, each responsible for security/defense, didn't want to deliver the prisoners in person, probably because he fears the contractors will spill his own blood. Tunroth leadership usually delivered prey they themselves caught by themselves rather than to rely on underlings, much less droid-manned police vans, and to Tunroth, criminals were the same as any other game. But Star Tours was just a middle man, flying all four contractors (down to three by now because Darth Manah has been declared of no use as a contractor) as part of the expenses being written off. But the contract awarded by the Assemblage of Three was clear: operation of the Jiroch-Reslia Galactic Cemetery would fall under the hands of Star Tours after the dark-sided nexus was completed, and the maintenance fund would be used for upkeep of the cemetery. The first shipment of death-sentenced prisoners has arrived in the graveyard, unarmed but without shackles.

"The cost is rather minimal: about 200 credits for each shipment of prisoners. As a Force-nexus, we will cut on the cemetery's maintenance costs"

[member="Darth Veles"] [member="Harley"] [member="Velok the Younger"]

 

[Velok the Younger]

Still sitting on the ground by the base of the ramp, 'Anraq' eyed [member="Harley"] and sniffed the air. This one stank of crazy. He clutched his two bags protectively. One squirmed furiously. A sleen the size of Harley's torso slithered out and scuttled between gravestones.

"I brought my own," he growled, the first thing he'd said in Basic all trip. "Excuse me." He rose and dusted himself off. Slinging one bag over each shoulder, he hurried after the sleen.

The Dagobah sleen was a subtle, underappreciated, yet miraculous beast. It looked like any other large lizard, and had nothing overt or obvious to recommend it. For all intents and purposes, he was chasing a large iguana between the tombstones. Quite large, really. He'd been breeding Sleen for a while now, testing the limits of the most basic alchemies, even working in traits from the Lugubraa that he'd butchered in the Unknown Regions.

Some distance away from the landing barge, he crouched between crypts and stuffed his sleen back into the wiggling bag. From the other bag, he procured an assembly of feathers and bones, as well as a digital recorder.

"There seems to be no sign of intelligent life anywhere," he muttered, camera panning. "Certainly no real sign that this place was once the site of a Darksider massacre. The nexus, such as it is, is buried deep. My contributions to waking it up and purifying it have been fairly minimal. Most of the other contractors seem to have no idea what they're doing, or at least have made no efforts that I can detect. Star Tours and the local government are dealing in condemned criminals. I was hired on the condition that nobody be killed -- their condition, not mine. One of the other contractors may have finally convinced all concerned that the only real way to make a true Dark Side nexus is with blood. Unless one has a high degree of ritual skill...or a thousand years to spare. These people intend to build an amusement park with mass killing. Unusual."

He transmitted his log and crouched again to pet the sleen inside the bag.

 

[Darth Veles]

While the purple-haired megalomaniac worked on dealing with the planet’s government, Veles’ first steps in the eerie burial site-turned-capital city immediately rushed him to the never-ending cemetery, where the veil separating the two worlds was particularly thin. Lesrekta was a strange, cold place, housing billions of carcasses slowly rotting away under the ground. The air had this intimate, chamber-like scented smell, yet Veles felt like a hunted prey within a labyrinth. Roofs often towered up to the sky, tight streets and alleyways gave an oppressive sensation. If the rumours concerning the catacombs had a ring of truth to them, all citizens and visitors walked high above maze-like tunnels, housing many more bodies and carved throughout the world’s depths.

Truly, the Dark Side held dominance over the massive cemetery; one could hardly see where it started and ended. With the gravestones sprawling as far as Veles’ eyes could see, the task of allocating the strongest power source promised to be a long quest, especially since the Void could be practically touched in some places. Passing through the stone slabs had quickly turned into a routine, with Veles’ senses extended outwards and reaching through the Force, gently tapping its surface with hatred. Where some saw eternal peace, Veles sensed grief, pain, sadness, regret. All very good Dark Side conductors.

Before the task at hand even ended, his eyes glared up to stalk on a spaceship filled with life. The prisoners have arrived, speaking volumes about Dumanes’ artistic ability to pull sensitive strings left and right.

As both large orange eyes darted away from the prisoners, something else instantly caught his attention. An empty grave, ready to be filled. Looking back at the prisoners, the Mon Calamari smiled sweetly and nodded. This particular hole in the ground would house several dozens of corpses at the end of the day.


[member="Velok the Younger"] [member="Dunames Lopez"] [member="Harley"]

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"The terms have changed. I was informed by the other members of the Assemblage of Three that there is no way to build a Force-nexus that is at the same time cost-effective and time-sensitive that did not require the spilling of blood. If you agree to modify the terms of the contract, please say so now"

"What modifications do you propose?"

"You will be granted the right to act as executioners for the duration of the contract"

"I know what this means: we can only kill that which we are given the right by law to do. Nevertheless, if it can help us expedite the construction of the Force-nexus, I accept this modification. Just respect the judicial processes otherwise"

For the governor, and the Assemblage of Three, who held most of the power on Jiroch-Reslia, it was mostly a way to turn the cemetery into a source of revenue, first by reducing the cost of maintenance to almost nil and second by actually making revenue out of it, directly or indirectly. Looks like the governor of Jiroch-Reslia ordered the use a Lambda-class shuttle usually used by corrections services to ferry highly dangerous criminals offworld for the first shipment. While [member="Darth Veles"] could readily sense the Dark Side across the sprawling cemetery over which the local government wanted to build an amusement park, it would appear that the very first bodies rotting in the catacombs were buried deep inside the cemetery, especially the dark-siders killed during the Reslian Purge, as [member="Velok the Younger"] suspected. The whole city was one big paean to death. Hopefully the governor of Jiroch-Reslia won't have to resort to having inmates sentenced to death shipped in from off-world sources. That will cost a lot more than just a few hundred credits per batch of 20 prisoners. She turned to the contractors on the comm:

"I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that we can now spill blood for finishing the construction of the Force-nexus. The bad news is that our rights to spill blood are currently restricted to criminals already sentenced to death"

[member="Harley"]

 

[Hailey Sosis]

She listened intently to [member="Velok the Younger"], that was great idea, she will do that next time. She wonder if they all brought there own food, may be including the people she going to kill. Then she watched the cute tall guy walk off, as he chased his dinner. She then wander round the grave yard, wondering what she could do. Her stomach was now rumbling, she saw some camera pan around her as well. As she walked around the graveyard reading the gravestones, she did find one that made her laugh.

and then another made her worried

She then heard the leader of the expedition tell them they had some good news, and bad news.
She found why she was here, she was going to kill people, she grinned from ear to ear.
As they may brought food with them.

[member="Dunames Lopez"] [member="Darth Veles"]

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"All right, now go play cat-and-mouse with the unarmed-but-death-sentenced criminals on the loose in the cemetery. Just don't break graves apart"

The first (and hopefully last) batch of criminals having been released inside the cemetery, with the dark side of the Force acting on their aggressive impulse, they will start hunting down the contractors while released out in the cemetery. Or each other. But she knew it was only a matter of time before Dunames was to face the First Order State Media out from Lesrekta's spaceport. Until the media arrived to cover the beginning of the Force-nexus' construction and Dunames' involvement in this, knowing that the maintenance of the cemetery costs a few dozen million yearly, paid for by royalties on each funeral held on the planet, and hardly any autonomous revenues, so taxpayers are subsidizing the cemetery with its death count. The Moff Councill will be very unhappy over the actions of the Assemblage of Three on their own assigned planet - it reeks of last-ditch move to balance the planet's books. Or simply of the Assemblage of Three wanting to capitalize for their own capital being under the Hyperspace Traveler spotlight.

"Might be best to catch and kill these criminals early and/or close one another, perhaps when they fight each other"

[member="Harley"] [member="Darth Veles"] [member="Velok the Younger"]

 

[Nick Sept]

[member="Dunames Lopez"] @Harley @Darth Veles [member="Velok the Younger"]



A hissing noise, and a wisp of smoke. Well, several wisps. It was easy enough for Nick to pose as a "contractor." He had a noticeable dark side aura, he looked mysterious enough, and he definitely could sense bits and pieces of what was being done. The big hairy guy seemed to be chipping at auras here and there. The fish guy was definitely going to produce live sacrifices. Nick lit up a death stick, listening to this discussion and sighing.



"If we're trying to tap into their raw fear," he said dryly "I'm guessing we gotta be slow about killing them, then. Drag it out. And scare the hell out of them. Don't tell the prisoners this is their execution. Tell them it's their chance for survival. They last twenty-four standard hours, they live. Of course, that's a pile of poodoo," he said with a shrug. "But fear's strongest right when you snatch the hope of survival from someone. Make them think they have a chance, right up until you sacrifice them," the ghost now posing as a corporeal advisor mused in front of the others. "Kill one of them in front of the others, though. Examples make impressions, after all."




He looked towards Veles. "What do you think? You've been at this longer than I have," he said, debating just how honest he should be with these people. Well, definitely not too honest. He kept his glasses on, after all. The missing eyes would tip off people way too fast. Still, he'd been brief and quiet, and avoided doing too many things that involved staying too solid for two long. "Admittedly, it may require more preparation, but I think manipulating them's the best route," he said with surprisingly little remorse. Maybe his death had left him a bit more bitter than he thought.....

 

[Darth Veles]

Turning his head towards the man who spoke to him, probably another contractor, Veles pierced him with a stabbing stare and silently measured him for a bit before replying. He certainly did not appear Sith or alchemist, yet too weak to make a worthy sacrifice. That was the reason the Mon Cal had requested the prisoners – quantity to substitute the quality.

“Fear makes a poor ally. Hatred is what binds the Dark Side in unbreakable chains.”

His journey through the cemetery continued. So far Veles paid the roaming prisoners no mind, more important things had to be completed first – his cane touched the ground, carving a line where he walked, a very purposeful and deliberate move. The assassin never left too far from the open grave though, always maintaining the same distance and eventually finishing a large circle with the dug up resting place lying right in the middle. It would do well, provided the ritual worked as intended. Admittedly, the Sith Lord lacked practical experienced in this field, albeit forgotten knowledge of the arcane and dark filled his head. As such, he had decided for a ritual normally used for alchemizing weapons, just on a much larger scale and nothing to alchemize safe for the death-soaked ground.

Four ruffians dressed in prison garb daringly walked up to him, measuring the Mon Calamari. Their approach was no secret – loud footsteps and clear signatures in the Force surrounded by ill intentions. Complete indifference from the amphibious Sith Lord screamed at them as the only answer. It irritated them. Their desire to see fear in the Mon Cal’s large eyes promptly turned into anger when the amphibian in question simply ignored them as if all were just air. In his mind, they represented even less, but Veles felt no need to fuel their emotions further, rather devoting his focus to properly measuring the correct placement of more drawings. Only when the gang surrounded him and warnings about an impending attack rang through the Sith Lord’s mind, Veles acted. Yes, they have effectively demoted themselves from irrelevant fools to an annoyance.

All fell victim to the Dark Side, their own anger and the Sith’s training. It was little more than grasping the powerful emotions within them and using it as an ally of his own. The fools did not know that and now paid the price.

“Kneel or be knelt.” Darth Veles declared with a poisonous smile and his will broke through the prisoners, enslaving their free thought and making them drop to their knees, like servants greeting their lord. There, silent and chained, the four men waited while the Sith Lord looked up, watching what no eyes could see, something far, far away, across space. A blood-soaked giant, the Dark Side’s conductor.

Korriban.


[member="Nick Sept"] [member="Dunames Lopez"] [member="Harley"] [member="Velok the Younger"]

 

[Dunames Lopez]

Now, that's where the fun begins - on Dunames' side. Perhaps it was best to let Dunames take the flak for the project instead of the actual client. The First Order State Media has finally arrived on site. Unlike the stockholder's assembly back on Dosuun, which was the other time where she met Darth Veles in person, this time around they are a lot more hungry. Hopefully the dark side won't affect them that much while she remains in the AT-AT barge's cockpit (or bridge). Because while the nexus is slated to cover the cemetery, the spaceport would be unaffected.

"There are rumors according to which the Moff Council is very unhappy about the decision of building a theme park out of a cemetery, using a dark-sided Force-nexus. Do you, as a First Order-loyal company, have any explanation for the actions of the Assemblage of Three?"

"We're going to save the Moff Council some money off Jiroch-Reslia's budget! With Star Tours, the Moonlight Monument service will bring in extra tax money from non-FO sources, and especially if the Jiroch-Reslia Galactic Cemetery actually pans out as a location where guaranteed thrills are the order of the day, plus, while in the entertainment industry we expect to be investing 20 credits for each first-year paying guest to build a theme park, for a new-build, a dark-sided nexus would reduce Jiroch-Reslia's upkeep of the cemetery, currently about 275 million, to a lot less than 275 million, and since plots in the cemetery are free in perpetuity, the only revenue is the excavation cost, which is paid one-time. But the Assemblage of Three forecast that the cemetery will become full soon and that they could no longer afford to expand the Galactic Cemetery"

"How exactly would converting the cemetery into a dark-sided Force-nexus save on the upkeep costs?"

"What basis do you have for the Force-nexus?"

"How many non-FO visitors do you expect to come to Jiroch-Reslia for this permanent Halloween?"

[member="Nick Sept"] [member="Darth Veles"] [member="Harley"] [member="Velok the Younger"]

 

[Velok the Younger]

If the stream of communiqués passing through his datapad and comm transceiver was any indication, this operation had just snowballed. Datapad held beside his ear, Velok peered through the tombstones as the prisoners were prodded into the graveyard to be hunted and murdered. He could get line of sight on the other contractors now and again.

"So she's altering the deal," he said to himself. "Well, let's get you out of harm's way, at least." He shuffled the sleen back into one of his bags, then hoisted both over his shoulders. The sleen burped gently. Hot, foul breath pressed through the bag and wafted across his neck.

He headed for the cemetary's nearest edge. It was guarded, of course, to keep the death row criminals from escaping. Lacking prison fatigues, shackles, et cetera, and otherwise clearly not a prisoner, Velok needed to do little but bare a fang for the guards to look him up on the approved list. Once outside the cordon, he let the squirming lizards out of the bag. He and his sleen began walking a loose perimeter, outside the cemetary and so forth.

"Do it right, hire a contractor," he snarled under his breath, toggling the datapad's transmitter again. "Amateurs."

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"The basis we have for the construction of this dark-sided Force-nexus is the Reslian Purge in 10 BBY, where nearly all the dark-sided among the Tunroth were killed. Plus we expect about 3-5 million visitors a year for the theme park if we do it right, with attendance peaking at the time of the year we call Halloween, with about 10% of that number being non-FO visitors" the Minister of Culture explained.

"If it is to cost us our entire supply of death-sentenced prisoners and to move up every single of them on the execution schedule, so be it. But we will not request to have death-sentenced prisoners from other First Order planets transferred here: that is a sure-fire way to go over budget" the Jiroch-Reslia Controller-General of Finances told on holonews.

So the Jiroch-Reslia Minister of Culture was part of the Assemblage of Three? The Controller-General of Finances, the final member of the Assemblage, was also the commander of the planetary garrison, numbering a wing of starfighters and 9,700 men. He was also in charge of public security. And he had a second shipment of death-sentenced prisoners shipped in closer to [member="Harley"]'s location, also 20 apiece. it seems that the First Order corrections services on Jiroch-Reslia operated a fleet of mostly 20-seater Lambdas for ferrying prisoners from point Aurek to point Besh. While the other contractors drew patterns on the ground, and they also played cat-and-mouse with the prisoners, Dunames knew that the 10% was overly optimistic. From experience she knew that virtually any tourist trap attracted locals or otherwise residents of the same hex. Since Jiroch-Reslia's hex was mostly First Order territory, they could expect visitors from Vassek, and perhaps from the neighboring hexes, too.

"Most dark-sided Force-nexuses are plots of blighted land: the blight is maintained by the visitors getting the advertised thrills powered by the dark side of the Force because said thrills allow the dark side to remain strong in the cemetery"

[member="Velok the Younger"] [member="Darth Veles"] [member="Nick Sept"] [member="Harley"]