Ask Coruscant Breakthrough

[Izel Thral]

Izel tilted her head slightly as Vasser replied, antennae twitching. Ah yes, she was remembering more now. When the CFO was unhappy she tended to try and turn that back on who she was speaking with. The Vratix remembered her trying to get a rise out of her and Kori in their last meeting, when she felt insulted by some of what Izel had said. Before the Master could answer her question Nara stepped forward, introducing herself by her Jedi title. And claiming to be heading their mission. Izel's mandibles moved as she watched the human speak, though she said nothing, her expression unreadable. She found she wasn't particularly fond of some of the language being used by Nara or Lieutenant Velt either in regards to the ship. The ship which's ownership now seemed very much uncertain.

When Corran finished speaking Izel wordlessly turned back to Vasser before speaking again, maintaining her polite tone. "Yes, and on behalf of the Jedi Order I'd like to extend my gratitude for offering your dockyards and services to us." She said with a slight bow of her head. "I am certain we'll find your work more than satisfactory. And in the future I will personally encourage the Council to approach TAU for any of their needs regarding the acquisition or repair of more ships. I believe a Mr. Van Alasdaire has assisted in covering all of the expenses for the dock, so if everything is in order we shall be happy to take the ship off your hands, and open the area up for your use once more." She glanced back at Nara and Corran briefly.

"In addition," She said in a more serious but gentle tone, looking back at Vasser. "If you could personally assist us in finding more information on our colleague and friend Nykoria Tallis, we would be tremendously grateful. We're aware that you were one of the last people to see her before her disappearance. We hoped your knowledge could prove of some use in our investigation." The Vratix would then fall silent. She had no intentions of playing any games with the CFO. They were here strictly for business. Any attempts to drag this out or make things awkward for them would be ignored. Well... At least on Izel's part. Whether or not Nara would do something Nara-ish when pressed... that was yet to be determined...

@Catbert @Charndley @TerranSteel

 

[The Storyteller]

Phyllys Vasser face was as motionless as durasteel. She only raised an eyebrow during Nara's introduction, before her piercing light-blue eyes darted towards the silent ranger with undeniable curiosity. Lieutenant Velt's remark about "requisitioning" and subsequent commentaries finally elicited a barely-noticeable smirk. Then Izel entered the conversation; this time she was actually talking business, a couple of her remarks made the CFO nod.

“So, this is what it's all about,” the CFO said much more politely than expected; a hand previously held behind her back now reached for the forehead and combed through the greying ashen-white hair. “I was wondering when a Jedi..." she turned her attention towards Corran now. “... Or a Sector Ranger would come looking for information. Fondor law enforcement were eager to close the case."

“The fact that you mentioned Jedi Council paying for the ship means you're out of the loop, Lieutenant," Phyllys continued in a manner that could be taken as condescending, and yet without a hint of sarcasm or smugness. If anything, she seemed exhausted and disappointed. “I'll give you a quick summary."

“Back when my son was kidnapped, Nykoria Tallis was a Jedi who arrived to the crime scene... With Ranger Rook, I think. I know you were also involved in his rescue, and I'm grateful for that," she added, and for a moment it appeared that the CFO smiled genuinely... Or it could equally be a trick of the light. “A while later, she arrived with Master Thral asking for a favor: to patch up an old corvette they dug up at some scrap yard," the light-blue eyes briefly turned to "Knight Nara Allam". “Ideally, to put it beyond standard specs. And to help keep it repaired and maintained afterwards."

“I was grateful to Nykoria for what she did, even though the Rangers had done much more for my son. But what she asked was beyond my resources. So I offered a compromise: patch up the ship at one of our drydocks; anything else would have to be funded by other corporations, as Master Thral suggested," Phyllys tilted her head towards the Vratix briefly; in the end, it was Izel who had suggested how beneficial it would be to have the Jedi with a means to respond to threats quickly.

“Even Mr. Van Alasdaire couldn't cover it. Not fully. But when the Sith first showed their fleets at Ryloth, Master Thral was proven right. There were motions to bolster the Alliance fleets, and there was interest in the Jedi being involved. So I offered my yacht as a place for Nykoria to meet the executives who could help," the woman chuckled absent-mindedly, remembering just how that meeting ended.

“You must know the rest: my yacht was attacked by pirates, myself and everyone aboard were taken hostage. Luckily, Fondor Defense Forces used the yacht's tracking beacon to find us. A Jedi learner—Palawan, was it?—and some injured man were found at the base; but Nykoria apparently had been taken by whomever who had orchestrated the attack. Lightsaber marks in the hangar pointed at the Sith."

Phyllys exhaled softly, lowering her gaze and rubbing her eyes with both fingers: “During the escape from the base, the pirates must've discovered my yacht's tracking beacon. So the investigators only tracked one jump: to Rattatak. After that, nothing. By now, they could've gotten as far as Bespin or Jakku from there, so it'd be like searching a needle in a haystack."

The CFO shrugged, turning her attention towards Master Thral: “I mean no disrespect, I know what your Order did on Byblos. But so far, to me, Jedi business has been nothing but trouble. It hasn't brought any money, but it has made me and my family a target. And I don't presume the Jedi Council are any richer now to afford even more ships." Despite not raising her voice, the executive spoke like a teacher to a pupil who hadn't done their homework. That was as close to "venting" as Phyllis Vasser could allow herself. “With how long the corvette has overstayed its welcome in our drydocks, I could just recoup my expenses—yacht included—by selling it off." she let the thought sink in. “After all, you took your sweet time to collect it, and penalties would be in order."

Another soft sigh followed. “But I guess I'll just cut my losses. Make no mistake, I'm not doing it for you, Nykoria, the Jedi Order, the galaxy, or out of the kindness of my heart. I'm doing it for the man who actually risked his life and limb to save my son." The woman turned her attention towards Lieutenant Velt; this time, a smirk was definitely there: “Even though he is awfully uninformed, and threatened to requisition my property."

Hands behind her back again, the woman concluded: “The ship is ready, of course. It has been for weeks now. One of my guards will escort you to it. Is there anything else?"

@Charndley @TerranSteel @Reyn

 

[Juniper]

Vasser promised a quick summary.

She lied.

Nara stared as the corpo lady launched into a barely-veiled tirade about how much handling the corvette had personally cost her, as if every second it stayed in her yards was taking minutes off her life. An entirely wasteful set of words, when she could've just stood there, told them "I am a corporate stooge with no personality beyond dull, listless snark" and saved them all precious seconds.

Her jaw hardened. Her fist clenched. Her eyes shone like a scalpal.

Then Vasser sighed and relented, offering the corvette up to them on a platter because Corran was there. Nara blinked and found her anger dissipating impotently, somewhat shocked by the development. She looked over at Corran for a second, raising her eyebrow before stepping forwards.

"I have nothing more. Thank you for your time and your investment, Ms. Vasser. I wish you well," she said, giving something that vaguely resembled a smile. Instead, her attention turned to the guard and the excitement of a ship. A ship. Their ship. The one that they spent so much time on, fixed up and overhauled and... theirs.

We have a corvette. We have a small measure of fleet power.

She waited on her companions, wondering if there was anything more they needed to add. Izel, mainly.

@TerranSteel @Reyn @Catbert

 

[Corran Velt]

Professional neutrality turned Lieutenant Velt's face into immovable stone. Executive Vasser had little hesitancy in correcting the Sector Ranger's misconceptions along with the whole background of what led them all here. It wasn't quite a dress-down by a superior officer, but it felt close. Weathering it was easy, considering how worse others had been in his past. Corran's eyebrow only visibly ticked at mention of Capain Rook. A good man taken too soon. As much as the complicated web of who exactly financed the restoration of the vessel was interesting, the CFO actually provided a key tidbit of information undiscovered. A jump-echo to the planet of Rattatak. Wherever that was. During his years aboard the trade lanes, Corran had been from one end of civilized space to the other. Never a stop at Rattatak. The name even sounded alien.

All the rigid discipline in the universe couldn't keep the young man's face stoic during Mrs. Vasser's grand reveal. His eyebrows rose and he blinked in utter surprise. “Me?” Corran asked, pointing a finger at himself. The speeder chase and clambering through the debris of the lower streets felt like decades ago now. Back when it was just Rangers Velt and Emblai taking whatever case they could scrap together. To regain composure, the lieutenant cleared his throat into his fist before hiding it back behind his back. “I mean, you’re welcome Mrs. Vasser. I was merely doing my duty.” Good thing she didn’t mention the part where an intentional speeder collision was needed to free her child from being a hostage. If Nara ever found out about that…

Speaking, the former Jedi Knight kept her best manners on display and graciously thanked the restrained CFO for her aid. It wasn’t quite ‘aid’ so much as an exchange for services rendered. Business was business after all. Though Corran was a little annoyed at her clear disdain for requisitioning of the vessel. Such things were sometimes necessary in the pursuit of cases. The law was on his side.

With a brief nod, Corran agreed with Nara. “Yes, thank you for your support, Mrs. Vasser. I believe we’ve taken up enough of your busy day.” Over her shoulder, a guard stepped forward in silent preparation to escort the trio. The blond ranger was curious to see what this ‘custom corvette’ was all about.

@Charndley @Reyn @Catbert

 

[Izel Thral]

Once Vasser mentioned what happened to Nykoria Izel found herself caring very little for whatever else the woman had to say about how much grief the Jedi had caused her. Instead the Vratix immediately looked down, falling into deep thought as she raised a hand to nibble idly at her finger. Rattatak... Rattatak... That was an Outer Rim world from what she remembered, and a particularly rough one. A good place to hire pirates from. And... Not too far from some of the nexus worlds on her list!

Izel perked up suddenly, just catching the tail end of the conversation. As the gathered eyes turned to her Izel nodded gratefully to the CFO. "Yes, thank you Mrs. Vasser, I think you just helped us more than you know. I wish you good luck in your future endeavors, and perhaps less excitement." With that she would promptly take the lead again, hurrying the guard to show them the way to the hangar.

"Rattatak was likely only a pitstop on the Sith's journey," She explained to Nara and Corran once they were out of earshot of the CFO. "What's really interesting, is that there are known dark side nexuses within just a few parsecs of the system. Our list has just been narrowed from eighteen to two. Endor, and Ellora." Izel didn't know much about Ellora. It was a planet in the Unknown Regions after all. There was always little information to go off of when it came to those savage systems. Endor on the other hand she had visited just recently. The Jedi had a presence there. That could potentially make their search much easier.

Of course Izel's train of thought was interrupted once they were ushered into the hangar. One by one the lights in the large chamber were switched on, revealing the ship. The vessel whose bones they had scraped from Bracca, scavenging for parts and jerry-rigging it just to limp it's way to Fondor for repair. Izel barely recognized the craft. It had been completely transformed into a Seeker class corvette, pristine and ready to go. The Vratix remained still, marveling at the ship, antennae twitching and mandibles moving idly. Slowly she turned her attention to Nara, sounding hopeful for the first time since receiving their vision. "I think we're in business..." She murmured with tentative excitement.

@Catbert @Charndley @TerranSteel

 

[Juniper]

Nara listened in to Izel's thoughts, agreeing silently that Rattatak was a pit-stop. The two worlds that she mentioned were probably their best bet. She knew a little about Endor, namely from things that other Jedi had mentioned back in the Order, though Ellora was new to her. "Could be promising. If you can still link into the Jedi Archives, they might have something there?" Nara presumed her own credentials had been voided by now. Or maybe not. Jedi were hardly sticklers for operational security.

Stepping into the hanger, Nara watched as the lights came on and revealed their prize. A ship. Far from the banged up, clapped out mess that they'd recovered on Bracca... what, a year ago? Maybe two? Left for so long without a hope, but there it was. Like it was brand new. She couldn't stop herself from grinning as she took it in. We can find whoever or whatever we want in this. Holy shit.

"I guess we'll have to give it a name," Nara said softly, eyeing up the engines, the weapons, the refits, everything.

@TerranSteel @Reyn

 

[Corran Velt]

Ever the calculating scholar, the Vratix Jedi Master put several clues together to form an entire new piece to the puzzle. Corran watched and listened as he followed behind Izel and the guard and walking apace with Nara. Rattatak and Ellora were places he'd never heard of. Places in the Unknown Regions which were dots on a star map if you went looking, but not much else to the daily life of the galaxy. However, Endor was one that had come up plenty in his various readings of galactic history and niche interests. "Endor is a dark side nexus?" The lieutenant asked incredulously. The concept almost made him laugh. Almost. "The place with the little Ewoks that saved the Rebel Alliance from total destruction? Sounds more like a Light Side sanctuary to me." Not that the entirely Force-less ranger had any experience or knowledge on such mystical things.

The darkness was slowly vanquished with each gleaming light. Bit by bit, large floodlights exposed the sleeping beast within the shadowed hangar. A custom-make CR90 Corvette stood before them with polished durasteel panels and clean turret barrels. Good as new. Corran put his hands on his hips and stood in appreciation of the vessel. Not everyday you got to see a relic get a second life. As the others gazed in awe, the former space trader walked under the corvette and brushed a hand against the hull. He closed his eyes for a moment in total silence.

Finally, the blond ranger turned around and said, “The Force tells me the ship’s name is Destiny,” a beat before a boyish grin barely tugged at the corner of the man’s mouth, “Seriously.” If that was not clear enough, Corran would give his thigh a quick pat and shake his head. “I’m kidding. Officially we should just leave the ship’s name as it’s designator number. CR90-nine-to-twelve-digits, followed by production and proof mark letters.” A name that technically was 100% unique to it.

One of the landing struts had a console built into it that could be used for many different commands. Many freighters had a similar system. Without a crew aboard and no password system detailed yet, almost all were available at the touch of a button. With a few taps, the hissing of hydraulics led to a ramp descending and opening up the corvette to its new owners. The pearly white interior would have pleased any Alderaanian. “Do you have a pilot for this vehicle?” Lieutenant Velt asked, tossing a thumb over his shoulder to the ship. “I can pilot anything if it’s big enough, should you need it.”

@Charndley @Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel nodded in agreement as Nara suggested accessing the Jedi Archives for more information on Ellora. "I'll see if I can access them remotely," She replied. "If not, I'll have my apprentice take a look. There should be something that can help us." She next turned to Corran, who seemed skeptical that Endor could have any degree of evil associated with it. It made sense, considering the forest moon was a place of victory for the light side and for the free galaxy. But those more educated in the Force knew that in any place of battle and death the dark side lurked.

"Endor is the graveyard of the second Death Star, and the Emperor." Izel explained. Well, one of his graves anyway. "Such an immensely powerful dark sider, and a machine constructed to deal untold misery, these things alone send dark echoes through the Force. Endor is not so corrupted as some of the worlds that harbor dark side nexuses, but the dark side is still strong there in certain places."

As they reached the ship and the topic of a name came up, Izel chittered at the Ranger's suggestion of leaving the corvette with it's simple factory designation. "A ship without a proper name is bad luck." She mused as she approached and placed a hand on the ship, eyes scanning across the vessel's underbelly and antennae twitching. "Why not the Guardian?" She asked, and looked to her companions curiously. "The Last Guardian? In Nykoria's honor. It seems fitting to me." She supposed ultimately it didn't matter what they named it. Whatever they called the ship, if they called it anything at all, it would still fulfill it's purpose. They would track down Kori and bring her home. One way or the other.

@Charndley @TerranSteel

 

[Juniper]

Nara watched as the lieutenant took the piss a little bit, which was endearing. What was less endearing was his total lack of imagination when it came to names. She scowled slightly, turning a little towards Izel. "The cop is not allowed to name things, agreed?" she stated, rolling her eyes more as she stepped towards the ramp, climbing up towards the inside.

Nara nodded at Izel's assessment of Endor. She'd heard some questionable things about the moon in her time. "Yeah, I'd assume Endor is pockmarked with pockets of the dark side. And Ewoks too. I'd rather avoid." Fuzzy, tribal creatures would be an irritation too far, in her opinion.

"I think the Last Guardian is as good a name as any, really," Nara admitted, loathe as she was to be reminded of her past failures. In a fight between that, CR90-twelve-digits and her own lack of imagination, it was the clear champion. "I guess we can go get the systems up and running. And your piloting help would be pretty welcome, Corran, if you're coming with us?" Standing at the top of the ramp, she flashed him a smile. Force knows I don't have a great reputation when it comes to flying.

"Oh. Dibs on the nicest cabin," she told them both before heading inside their corvette.

(End thread?)

@TerranSteel @Reyn