Open Kaas Me Outside

[Draven Karkko]

Dromund Kaas was one of a handful of planets that Draven had never stepped foot on and as his ship touched down on a landing pad just outside a small town at the edge of the jungle, he realized why he had avoided this place in the past.

The very air on Dromund Kaas was wet, although humidity wasn't the only thing that seemed to stick in the air. Draven could feel the darkside pulsing faintly the moment he stepped foot onto the soil. It tugged gently yet somehow still.. forcefully at his senses, a breath on the wind beckoning him to search out the source of its power. He would heed the call on his own time of course, for now there were other things that needed tending to.

For now, his objective was to gather information. He would be working out of this town, known locally as Balmorra, for the foreseeable future. Dromund Kaas was littered with old ruins now overtaken by the jungle and this close to the wilderness there was bound to be a scavenger around that could have some useful information - otherwise he'd probably be chasing ghosts and wasting valuable time.

Rain was beginning to fall in fat droplets which was driving most of the people milling about on the Balmorran streets inside, which actually ended up helping Draven out. If they weren't going home they were likely going to whatever cantina was most popular and a cantina filled with people with nothing else to do but talk was the perfect place to start looking for a useful local.

Following the crowd, Draven eventually found himself inside a cantina called the Cozy Chevin and made his way to the bar. Flagging down the bartender, Draven flipped him a couple large credit chits before starting to speak.

I'm looking for information, Draven said, idly, looking to his right for a moment to eye a particularly good looking Twi'lek. Need someone who knows the jungles. Know anyone like that?

Draven was purposefully vague in his questioning, figuring specifics were better discussed in private with someone who might actually know something. In his armor he looked like any other mercenary who might be passing through. He kept his voice loud enough to catch the ear of anyone around who might be listening too.

The bartender rattled off a few names and pointed a couple people out and Draven thanked him, but didn't make a beeline for anyone in particular. For now, he ordered a drink and lit a cigar, content to observe a little before talking to anyone.

 

[Baldr Egilson]

Young Baldr Egilson was angry. His mother had abandoned him for some whim and he had no idea if or when he might ever see her again. He still didn't understand her journey or why it took such precedence over all her children. Her children who had always been the driving force in her life, and just because she couldn't produce any more why would that change so drastically???

His sense of direction in his life had been torn asunder and he was no longer sure what his purpose was in life, or as a part of the Sith Eternal. The only thing he could think of to focus on was the original mission his mother had given him - become a great sith warrior. He'd lost focus for anything more specific than that.

One story had caught Baldr's eye - one of an ancient Sith who'd kept his knowledge written down instead of downloaded inside a holocron. He figured more information and training about the dark side and all other skills associated with it would be a good way to keep on towards his goal.

Dromund Kaas was not a planet Baldr was familiar with, but he was confident the way of the galaxy worked fairly similarly in every system. He'd been sipping a drink in a random bar for a few hours when he happened to overhear an odd looking alien talking about the jungle. His ears perked up and he subconsciously leaned in, hoping to hear more.

 

[Rhys Karzen]

He had indeed arrived into the cantina (the name always made him shudder) to seek temporary reprieve from the rain. He was normally not a social person, but he didn’t mind the occasional drink. Rhys was nursing a glass of cheap, bottom shelf liquor that he could afford today. He had returned from a recent hunt, and he almost got into a scuffle for having a number of dead lizards on his belt that he would cook later.

As a voice rang out from someone looking for someone that knew the jungles, Rhys perked up. He was chewing some tobacco and pulled over an empty glass and spat into it. He tilted his head over to regard the man that spoke - a creepy looking fellow that looked and smelled entirely too clean.

“Who’s askin?” Rhys asked gruffly, taking a sip from his drink. If his get up and appearance didn’t scream jungle boy, he didn’t know what would.

@Logan @RedneckLoves

 

[Preef Callo]

The hardest thing about making moves to leave the Crimson Dawn and the umbrella commission of the Five Syndicates was to find new hangouts and spots where the established syndicates didn't rule the underworld. Could be tricky if Marissa and Preef set up shop on a world so deeply in debt with the Five Syndicates that they'd be visited by Black Sun death squads in their first week of going independent. Somehow someone in a rickety ass orbital spaceport shared the coordinates of Dromund Kaas and Preef figured he might as well check it out.

He didn't know a planet could be this depressing.

He'd been holed up in the "Cozy Chevin" for three days now, trying to make contacts and failing because quite frankly there was a reason why Marissa was the brains of the outfit. Preef knew how to shoot things and how to shoot things really fast, but that about sums up his entire skill set. All everyone wanted on Dromund Kaas was a tracker.

But then this old-looking lanky suspected-anzat (though they were so rare and so akin to humans Preef could never really tell the difference) spoke up and was answered quite quickly by the human sitting three stools away from the rodian. If there was a time to offer 'protection from dangerous wildlife' it was probably now, so he emptied his glass of imported Hutta Shine, turned around to face the two humans and clicked his tongue to claim their attention. "Jungle is dangerous, too. Might need more than just a tracker." he made sure his blaster pistol was visible from his hip-holster.


@Logan @RedneckLoves @Sreeya

 

[Thane Veren]

Thane had come to Dromund Kaas for the hunting. There were plenty of predatory creatures here that be hunted and parts could be sold to collectors for a nice sum. But everyone needed a bit of downtime here and there.

The young mandalorian had made his way to the Cozy Chevin and sat down for a drink in the corner. He'd watched those who had come and gone over the past few days and noted that it was a rough crowd. The only people that came to this world were those who could take care of themselves.

The same seemed as if it could be said for the man who came through the door asking for someone who knew the jungle. The man was dressed in armor like a mercenary, but ultimately, Thane didn't really care who he was or what he wanted except as it pertained to a potential job.

Where you need to go? And what's the pay? he asked, though from the sound of it there were others interested in the job as well. He wondered how much money the man had to spend, but he also knew that the jungle could be dangerous. In some ways it was more dangerous for two people than just one. A single person could move quickly and quietly, but two moved more loudly without offering enough firepower to fend off the extra attention. All that to say, taking a few extra people might not hurt the man's cause.

@Logan @RedneckLoves @Sreeya @Ecclessey

 

[Draven Karkko]

It didn't take long for a couple of things to become extremely evident to Draven. Chief among them was that this town - or maybe Dromund Kaas at large - was clearly extremely boring and offered little in the way of making real money.

Never in his life had acquiring potential cohorts for a job come so quickly, so easily, and with such eagerness from strangers. It was refreshing, albeit vaguely concerning. Hopefully none of these people were foolish enough to think they could get Draven out into the woods and rob him or something.

The first to speak up was a gruff looking human, one that looked either keenly intimate with the jungle. He had the look of a Tarisian undercity muck diver, which in Draven's experience usually meant they knew what they were doing. I am, He said, turning to face @Rhys Karzen. How deep in the jungle have you ventured? This will not be for the light-hearted. I am not looking to waste my time.

Next spoke the Rodian and then the Mandalorian, the latter of which gave Draven a moment of pause. He'd been alive for a very, very long time and had never met a Mandalorian worth trusting. Still, when the promise of credits on the line you could usually bring a dog to heel, even if it thought of ripping your throat out the entire time.

I can pay whatever is required. Draven said simply, shrugging his shoulders at @Thane Veren. The Anzat had been running jobs for centuries, his bank account was really a non-issue. Looking at @Preef Callo, Draven nodded towards his blaster. Your blaster is as good as theirs, Rodian. You are as welcome as any other, but do not accept unless you plan to see it through. I've dealt with your kind before - attention spans smaller than a Belvarian firegnat.

There was another in the bar that Draven was aware of, but only because the young lad radiated anger through the force. His emotions sat on the surface cleanly, bubbling and roiling like the lava rivers of Mustafar. He had not spoken up but seemed to be listening, but Draven found the boy curious.

What about you, boy? He said, looking to @Baldr Egilson. Underneath his helmet Draven smirked, wondering if the sudden interest would startle Baldr. You look like you could use the credits, and we'll need someone to stick with the Rodian to make sure he stays on track.

Chuckling at his own joke, Draven reached into his pocket and put enough credits on the table that each of the four others would be able to scoop up a couple hundred. If you take these credits, consider it a contract. You break the contract, and I'll be taking more back from you than just my money. Draven paused for a moment, to allow the seriousness of his comment to settle. We can leave now if all of you are ready.

It didn't occur to Draven to mention that they may be gone for a stretch of days and to perhaps bring food. As an Anzat, he didn't really need to eat and he could go without soup for some time. Hopefully his potential compatriots already had full bellies.

 

[Rhys Karzen]

As more people drew in like flies to a pile of shit, Rhys almost thought of turning and leaving. He remained quiet as everyone chirped up, swirling the drink in his glass before taking a sip. As the Rodian spoke and indirectly undermined his skills, Rhys took another sip from his drink, “True, might mistake ye for a frog and put a bolt square between those beady eyes,” There was no change of expression on his face.

Rhys regarded all the potential folks he would have to work with. The Rodian could prove useful and the Mando would definitely be helpful, but he did have to question the inclusion of the pretty boy that looked as if his balls hadn’t dropped yet. Rhys decided he could perhaps work as bait or serve as soup for the creepy dude.

“Ventured far enough,” He finally answered the Anzat. He slapped down a few credits and slung his custom fitted bowcaster over his shoulder. Rhys didn’t wait for further conversation and began to make his way towards the exit.

“Rain’s slowin’ down,” He called out as he gazed through the windows, “Might wanna get a move on.”

@Logan @Ecclessey @RedneckLoves @Phoenix

 

[Baldr Egilson]

Baldr bristled at being addressed so suddenly. He'd been listening intently to all the commotion involving the jungle expedition, but hadn't thought that he'd been obvious about it. As far as he was concerned, he was minding his own business sipping a drink like he had been the last few hours! Yet, here the man was calling him out as if he'd walked right into the group forming near the bar.

"I assure you, I have more to offer than babysitting skills - though I have done my fair share of that as well!" Baldr quipped confidently. He could tell this was a rough crowd of men, but he wasn't in the least intimidated.

It was fairly obvious how full of themselves they all were. The young Sith Legionnaire was sure they would all underestimate him and he could surprise them with his power when the time was right. He had no idea what the purpose of this jungle mission was, but there was obviously a fair amount of interest in it and money going around because of it. His ultimate goal was to find more information about this legend of the Sith who kept his knowledge on paper rather than recorded in holocrons. What better way than to immerse himself with the locals and go traipsing through the jungle?

Honestly, he had zero leads so far, so what harm could a little adventure do him? With a carefree shrug and a smirk to the rodian gunslinger, Baldr scooped up a handful of the credits thrown on the bar and in doing so accepted his part in the "contract" offered. He held no reservations about upholding his part of the bargain. The ugly boozer who'd initially answered the inquiry for a tracker/hunter offered an opinion that leaving right away would be a good idea as the rain was dying down. Baldr wholeheartedly agreed with that logic, so he moved to follow the man.

@Logan @Sreeya @Ecclessey @Phoenix

 

[Thane Veren]

Thane's eyes narrowed behind his helmet as he looked at the man. He was always suspicious of people who didn't try to haggle over price unless they were blatantly wealthy. While it was possible this man was, he had his doubts and therefore his suspicions.

Hmm, he said with a nod. The credits were on the table - or at least a downpayment - and that meant that the money was at least real. He took his portion, slipping it into his belt and glancing at the others.

He'd brought his rifle and poncho with him specifically in case work came up, and now grabbed them.

You a hunter? he asked the shaggy-haired man. Not for the purpose of making conversation, but to gauge whether the man would, in fact, take the lead as the pathfinder. But given the man's look, Thane would have guessed he had the most experience in the jungles. He carried himself that way.

As far as the Rodian, they were a warlike people. Seemed like as good a person to have along as any. The extra gun would be beneficial if nothing else and he seemed confident enough.

The kid was interesting, proudly proclaiming his skills as a babysitter, but he said he had other skills as well. Thane hoped so. He still couldn't decide about the issuer of this contract, though. He dressed like a mercenary, but had the funds to say that he wasn't one. Hopefully he had the skills to go along with the gear. There was no room for tourists on these jobs.

The mandalorian made his way outside where the rain was still drizzling down from the sky and glanced back. They still needed a heading or some explanation of where they were going, and Thane could guess the man didn't want to say his business in front of a bar full of people. Seemed like the private type.

@Logan @Sreeya @RedneckLoves @Ecclessey

 

[Preef Callo]

Preef blinked. Did they really just insult him.. three times? These guys clearly weren't involved in the Five Syndicates or they'd know, probably would even be more cautious around him. Still, perhaps it was refreshing to work with a new crew that had never heard of Preef Callo ripping off local crews after a score and they would underestimate his quickdraw skills. Whether they'd turn out to be useful contacts for his criminal enterprise with Marissa? Probably not. Knowing how to shoot or survive in the wilderness is only half the job and it didn't look like these guys -especially the tracker- had any streetsmarts.

"It's Preef Callo-" he first replied to the Anzat-looking-human, "-and you better not be shorting me because you don't like aliens." Kriffing specist. Just because Rodians are warlike and have a shorter attention-span than humans they're inferior now? He had never met a human he couldn't out-draw and he wasn't going to short himself a couple hundred credits to not work with specists either. Preef tossed a few credits over to the bartender to settle his tab and pocketed the rest.

It pleased the rodian that "his babysitter" followed the tracker instead of waiting around to keep an eye on him. Guess at least one wasn't a total douche. Preef took his poncho and pulled it over his head before exiting, making sure that he wasn't constricted in his vision and could still draw his blaster as fast as usual. It only struck him outside that no one else had revealed their names.

"So what do I call you all?" he asked, making up the rear of the party, "human one, two, three and four?"


@Logan @Sreeya @Phoenix @RedneckLoves

 

[Draven Karkko]

Draven couldn't help but already like the wildman Rhys the best. Nothing was a quicker bonding material than casually making fun of an ugly Rodian. He was glad to hear that all of the ragtag hooligans that had gathered seemed to still be interested in the endeavor. Well, interested in the money anyways. It's not like Draven had really been that forthcoming with any real details about what they were going to do.

Name's Draven. He said simply to Preef's inquiry. There wasn't much else to be said, so Draven figured with the lightening rain Rhys has a good point about getting a move on.

Heading for the door, Draven pulled out a small datapad that had rough topographical display of the surrounding jungles. Glancing at it for a moment, he clicked a spot that was a couple dozen kilometers from where they were now. Handing it to Rhys, Draven glanced at him expectantly.

This is where we'll need to start, I think. Most of the information Draven had about their intended destination he'd put together piecemeal, so it was an approximation more than a hard and fast landing spot. He decided not to mention they'd be looking for a cavern system and heading underground for now. It's unlikely we'll be able to traverse the distance without any... interruption. The closer we get, the more dangerous the fauna will be. A symptom of our pursuit I'm afraid.

As they moved deeper into the jungle and the road gave way to underbrush, Draven kept attention on the details of their surroundings. Eventually the group would pass into a small clearing, but it wasn't a natural one. The trees and grass and purposefully been crushed down and torn up, almost like a creature was using this as a nesting area.

Bending down, Draven made note of some rather specific track markings and tufts of red fur stuck to some sticks on the ground. Not a good sign. Draven had encountered beasts like this before on Vanqor.

It seems we have stumbled into a nest of Gundarks. He said idly, standing up and looking to his cohorts. We best move swiftly before they return from the hunt.

Just as the warning escaped his lips, Draven could hear the tell-tale sign of approaching beasts. Thudding footsteps and cracking twigs and branches meant they were close. Drawing a blaster pistol, the Anzat gave a shrug.

Nevermind. Time to see if any of you were worth the credits.

It was then that multiple gundarks burst from the treeline of the clearing, hungry, snarling, and furious that their nest had been disturbed. Boy, wasn't Dromuund Kaas just a wonderful place to be.

@Ecclessey @RedneckLoves @Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Baldr Egilson]

Baldr slung the pack he'd been holding in his right hand over his shoulder as they departed the filthy cantina and moved towards the jungle. He laughed wholeheartedly at the little Rodian's joke about their names. "Well, if you want to call me Human Number One that's fine by me! Otherwise, Baldr would be fine too." He walked off with the rest of the group, still chuckling. If nothing else, this little adventure promised to be entertaining!

As they trekked through the jungle, Baldr chose to keep his mouth shut. He was confident that he could hold his own against any of his companions, but if they all turned against him he knew he'd have to make a run for it. They all seemed quite capable on their own, and he didn't know any of them. He remembered his mother's teachings to always gather information before making big decisions. Thought of her flared his temper, and he found himself engrossed with his feelings of grief, anger, and betrayal for a short while.

Noise in the brush and a statement from the leader of their expedition snapped his attention back to the present. Young Baldr had grown up on Naboo and his mother had immersed him in the forest for much of his childhood. He was quite at home among trees and plants and beasts and insects. The jungle of Drommund Kaas was much different, yet all the elements were very much the same as the forest he grew up in. Thus, the ruckus moving towards them from the other end of the clearing in which they stood made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up on end.

He'd never heard of the 'gundarks' that Draven called these creatures before, but sight of the hairy beasts set him into motion at once. The young Sith reached into his robe and pulled out a concussion grenade in each hand. These he sent flying through the air towards the group of gundarks that had paused at the edge of the clearing for only a moment, and were now charging at full speed across the open ground. He'd pulled his aim short, hoping to catch them in the middle of the clearing but wasn't too concerned how much damage the grenades might do. They were merely a distraction to give the group a few seconds' lead.

As soon as the grenades had left his hands, Baldr replaced them with his twin lightsabers and activated the blood red blades just as his other weapons exploded with a loud blast.

@Logan @Ecclessey @Sreeya @Phoenix

 

[Rhys Karzen]

Rhys gave the young boy a blank look when he abruptly professed he had more than babysitting skills. He was already out of the cantina when the Mando caught up to him.

“Yeah,” He replied, pointing down to the lizards on his belt, “Don’t see much of your kind here though,” He had to admit. That made sense considering the Sith presence on the planet.

The Rodian spoke again and he rolled his eyes, “Rhys,” He muttered as they began to walk. Thankfully the Anzat had somewhat of a plan and a sense of direction. The hunter had committed the datapad topography to memory and took off slightly ahead.

To his surprise, the Anzat made note of the signs of Gundark and implied he actually knew a bit about tracking. Rhys was about to make a suggestion about quietly bypassing them when a few burst into the scene. Even then, Rhys had ideas on distracting them away with noise.

That was when the kid threw a grenade. The enormous amount of noise would likely attract more of them. Gundark had highly sensitive hearing and this would drive them insane. Rhys cursed under his breath, realizing that they had no choice but to fully engage.

He leveled and fired bolts from his bowcaster, landing precise hits on their heads, “They will keep coming! We need to keep moving!”


@Phoenix @Logan @Ecclessey @RedneckLoves

 

[Thane Veren]

This was a strange group, and the words of the Anzat didn't make him feel particularly better. Their pursuit was able to produce worsening and more vicious creatures? There was clearly a great deal that he wasn't being told, and he didn't love that.

What is our pursuit? he asked bluntly. It was a logical question, as the man had hired them for this job and they would only be able to do it competently if they knew what they were up against.

I get around, he responded to Rhys. He didn't stay in any place too long, and while he didn't like Sith very much, he didn't like any "mystic" types in general.

Thane, he said after the others had introduced themselves.

In short order, it seemed they had arrived at a Gundark nest, and Thane knew they would be better off to just avoid the creatures altogether. They were at the top of the Kaas food chain, and this wasn't a fight he wanted to take if this wasn't their objective. It was an unnecessary danger.

But that decision was taken out of their hands a moment later. The creatures burst from the trees, a grenade went off, lightsabers were activated, and blasterfire began.

He, too, cursed under his breath, moving on instinct to his left as adrenaline spiked through him. He fired at the nearest of the creatures, landing three shots in the creature's chest that didn't even seem to slow it down as it charged at him.

Another curse as it closed on him and he dove to the side, rolling through the undergrowth as it passed by far too close for comfort. He rolled onto his back and fired twice more. The first shot hit the creatures shoulder as it turned but the second slammed into its head, sending it snapping back and falling to the ground.

Thane pushed himself up quickly, eyes sweeping quickly over the battlefield. Lightsabers. A Sith. Wonderful.

Moving back! he shouted, agreeing with Rhys that this was not a fight they wanted. He continued returning fire at the creatures as he withdrew to the edge of the clearing, providing cover for anyone that came with him. @Logan @Sreeya @RedneckLoves @Ecclessey

 

[Preef Callo]

Preef had a bad feeling about this. "Did you say Gundarks?" he asked, just for confirmation, you see, as he laid his hand on his blaster pistol. He kriffing hated Gundarks.

Sure enough, several of them soon showed up and while Preef was fast on the draw and was already aiming his pistol at the nearest one, the two grenades suddenly caught his attention. The loud bang caused by the two grenades seemed to startle a few of the gundarks, but not enough and soon two of the humans were involved in mortal combat with the large creatures. The third ignited two lightsabers, forcing Preef to reconsider firing his blaster at the Gundarks at all.

With 'Rhys' firing rapid headshots with a bowcaster and the Mandalorian also solo'ing another of the huge beasts, Preef calculated his options and before Rhys even talked retreat the rodian had also planted a few quick bolts into one of the advanced Gundarks. Having been making up the rear he was still at the edge of the clearing and provided covering fire as the others retreated towards him.

@Logan @RedneckLoves @Sreeya @Phoenix