Open Shadows and Wraiths

[Zorya]

Stars, woven into an endless cosmic tableau, stretched into infinity, a breathless ballet of celestial bodies. Zorya, silent and determined within the Nightsweeper II-Class Star Yacht, The Red Maiden, was at the helm. Her skilled fingers danced upon the starship's controls, each confident maneuver a symphony within the silent expanse. O'bog, her impish Ximpi companion, nestled nearby, each grating snore syncing with the gentle hum of the ship, creating an impromptu serenade amidst the stillness.

Her gaze lingered on the sprawling spectacle of the Tion Cluster, its dazzling constellations playing a riotous game of cosmic tag. The timeless beauty contrasted with her purpose there - a bounty against the Wraiths. These elusive marauders were notorious for their technologically advanced cloaking devices - devices she coveted.

"Them Wraithy wankers," O'bog began, yawning and fluttering up to her shoulder, "got themselves a shiny piece o' tech we be wantin', eh?"

Her silence was answer enough. Zorya, resolute and self-assured, didn't see herself as part of the sprawling syndicate of bounty hunters seeking the Wraiths. She hadn't known who'd be joining her, only being given a set of coordinates and a time to rendez vous with the others. She was not here to share the spoils, but to claim what she deemed hers.

Yet, caution was the companion of the cunning. For this venture, she'd need to shed her Sith persona and adopt a new identity. "Call me Maelis," O'bog croaked on her behalf, her silent instructions conveyed through their unspoken connection. Maelis - a shadow amidst the galaxy's sprawling darkness, no ties, no history, just another mercenary lost among the stars.

Anticipation tingled on her fingertips as they traced the Maiden's controls. Other bounty hunters were lurking in the black, each lured by the promise of reward. Zorya, under the guise of Maelis, had a different prize in mind. The cloaking device would be hers. The open bounty was simply the means to that coveted end.

Her thoughts whispered with the stark fervor of her determination, the single emotion permitted to breach her stoic exterior. Stars twinkled in the infinite expanse, like the glowing eyes of distant observers. Zorya was ready to face them all.

 

[Sarine Lark]

And I'll survive, paranoid​

I have lost the will to change

And I am not proud, cold-blooded fake​

​

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​

A docking tube.

Sarine thumped her own forehead as she thought about it. It wasn't the first time she had the thought and yet here she was, moving parts from a broken derelict onto her ship, Messenger, through open space. Loading it on was simple enough, but it took more time and had a few downsides. The biggest?

She was away from her ship and its messages.

By the time she got everything stored away and air had returned enough for her to take off her EVA suit's helmet, she was ready to move on. Stepping into the cockpit, however, quickly disabused her of that notion as a soft alarm was going off. With a frown, she jumped into the captain's seat and and checked. It was decently old, a simple proximity alert that someone had entered the area.

Entered and never left, but they weren't on the radar at all.

"We're in the middle of nowhere," Sarine mumbled to herself as she re-checked the message. If someone was here, it probably wasn't friendly, and firing up her ship might be all the information they needed. "Guess we're sitting still for a little bit, see if they make a move first..."

When you didn't trust people, the last thing you wanted was for someone to see you before you saw them.

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I will shut the world away​

@Aberforth

 

[Zorya]

As the spectral glow of the cosmos illuminated the console, an unexpected blip intruded upon the tranquil solitude of the radar screen. The Red Maiden was no longer alone amidst the celestial sea. Zorya's coal-dark gaze hardened, her fingers tracing the contours of the starship's control panel with calculated precision.

"Ah, a mysterious bird flappin' in the void," O'bog drawled, mimicking Zorya's gaze onto the radar. His tiny, wizened face wrinkled with a smirk. "Wouldn't ye bet your britches it's another o' them bounty chasers?"

O'bog, fluttering close to the comm, transmitted their presence. "Hailin' ye, fellow wanderer of the cosmic trails," he chirped with a semblance of cheer. "Maelis, here. Bet ye're also after them sneaky Wraiths, eh?" His words, although jovial, were bait, an echo meant to draw out the intentions of their newfound company.

As the nebulous maw of space seemed to close in, Zorya’s focus transitioned to the impending onslaught. Her hands glided over the weapon controls, confirming their readiness. The forward-facing dual laser cannons of the Red Maiden were not just tools, they were extensions of Zorya’s will, ready to enforce her purpose with lethal precision.

Zorya's unspoken command resonated in O'bog's tiny head warning him to strap himself in: they were in for a wild ride.

The Ximpi let out a hearty guffaw, strapping himself securely on the diminutive seat specifically fitted for him next to Zorya. As his belt clicked in place, anticipation tinged the air around them, electric and potent.

@KaraLi

 

[Sarine Lark]

And I'll survive, paranoid​

I have lost the will to change

And I am not proud, cold-blooded fake​

​

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​

Sarine couldn't help but wince as she received the hail from the ship. Which made sense, she had turned on her life support, so it was clear she wasn't part of the wreckage she was parked next to.

"Well, hiding's out of the question. Wraiths, huh?" She had done enough work with some of the underworld to be familiar with the name, even if she hadn't personally dealt with any herself. Which meant this other person was what? A bounty hunter? Rival? Either way, if it was a fight, the young Mandalorian suspected her odds were better trying to escape once it had started than possibly trying to go toe-to-toe with this Maelis.

"Gal Dais here," she responded as she flicked on more of her systems. If she was spotted already, might as well get Messenger warmed up. "That's the plan. Same side?" With her ship coming online, she finally was able to spot the blip that showed where her new 'friend' was sitting.

If nothing else, maybe if this went well there would be some salvage to pick up. Her hold was only sitting at half capacity and rumor was Wraiths were carrying some pretty interesting tech...

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I will shut the world away​

@Aberforth

 

[Vako Yizok]

Wraiths had been a name picked quickly, on a single com call with local authorities. It was a 'basic' word that struck a degree of fear in people and helped the imagination run wild of haunting monsters that struck at night like banshees of death. A stroke of luck when grasping at straws to make people fearful.

But a lucky conjuring of a word on a fortunate ambush of authorities turned into a bounty that no one wanted on their heads. The only real fortune was that no one really knew who they were... except the idiots that bragged about it.

Vako had been onboard the ship when they raided the impound transport carrying the cloaking devices. Originally, they thought it was a haul of factory stock speeder parts that were an easy mark, but it had turned out that it was just a cover. The four crews that worked together to pull off the attack wound up threatening to kill each other for an hour over the haul until a patrol ship came in range.

They committed using the cloaks to attack the patrol ship, and when asked "Who are you, and what do you want!?" One stupid Weequay responded "We're the.... Wraiths! And we want it all!".

The biggest irony is that Weequay wound up getting shot in the back a month later by his own crew, but he had organized the deal where they split up the cloaks mostly evenly.

They had agreed to share a small abandoned mining post, but they maintained the most uneasy of alliances... if you could even call it had. Really it was several packs of predators sharing a den during a storm... because the bounty had been fast and with the dissaray of the cartels, there was no real safe places to go.

Vako swallows a gun-gi fruit, and flapped his wings. He had been as stuck as the others, after months of fleeing the chaos of collapsing Empires and crime lords shuffling in their wake. He had spent two weeks thinking of the best way to take a fancier ship and the cloak and running... but alas he was stuck here.

Stuck as a "Wraith", waiting as they eroded in infighting of four gangs that just happened to make a good score.

@Aberforth @KaraLi

 

[Zorya]

"Aye, Gal Dais," O'bog responded, his voice a vibrato of concealed tension, a note of mischief belying the gravity of the situation. "Unless ye've run off t' join the Wraiths while we weren't lookin', reckon we're on the same side."

With the affirmations in place, Zorya, her countenance a tableau of fierce determination, reinitialized the engines of the Red Maiden. Her grip tightened on the helm, her knuckles ghostly white against the star-lit black of the console.

"We'll be leadin' the charge, so strap in tight, lass," O'bog relayed Zorya's silent directive, the hint of a grin in his tone suggesting a sort of roguish delight in the imminent skirmish.

The Red Maiden surged forward, its ionized plasma trail a phantasmagoric streak against the backdrop of a thousand stellar bodies. The vast and desolate expanse of the asteroid belt loomed ahead, the erratic trajectories of its inhabitants promising a perilous passage. Her gaze, steely and perceptive, evaluated the disarrayed labyrinth that awaited them.

Zorya's mind hummed with the whispered tales of cloaked phantoms hidden within this celestial maze, an infestation of Wraiths feasting on the remnants of the fallen. She maneuvered the Red Maiden deftly through the chaotically swirling fragments, her instincts a seasoned compass in the foreboding gloom.

"Get ready to dance with the Wraiths, Gal. We're initiating the attack," O'bog declared, his tone reverberating with the potent mixture of apprehension and exhilaration that coursed through the veins of the Red Maiden's crew.

As the words echoed into silence, the Red Maiden lurched into the asteroid field, Zorya's every nerve strung taut for the confrontation that awaited them.

@Morse @KaraLi

 

[Sarine Lark]

And I'll survive, paranoid​

I have lost the will to change

And I am not proud, cold-blooded fake​

​

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​

The girl couldn't help but give a soft chuckle as Maelis responded. Her? A wraith?

"No need to worry about that," she said in an amused tone, "I'm not a fan of groups." Her systems were just about fully online as she did a quick check to make sure there wasn't anything else. Glancing at her navicomputer, she considered putting in coordinates, her fingers even reaching several inches in that direction.

Then Maelis declared the attack and something in her blood sang instead. She could worry about escape any time, right now? Well, the Wraiths were supposed to have some interesting tech.

Nodding to herself and her own thought, as if that was a good reason to do what she was about to do, Sarine gripped her controls and hit the thrust.

For its cobbled together nature, Messenger carried with it plenty of its starfighter stock, and the B-Wing body surged forward. She piloted it wide from the asteroids, well aware of its maneuverability deficiencies, and opened the flaps, bringing her weapons online.

"Show me who to shoot and I'll do my best," she replied and, she wasn't entirely sure why, even meant it.

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I will shut the world away​

@Aberforth | @Morse

 

[Vako Yizok]

There was not even an alarm that went off to warn the occupants of the mining station that they were under attack. The adversarial ships were on them like ghosts from the black. The only thing that really alerted them was the sudden shaking and rocking of the asteroid from the pulse of laser fire.

Vako had been seated when it started, but when it happened, he fluttered up in the air. So long as the gravity held out, he'd have a distinct advantage over the idiot pirates stumbling around him.

"What is it? Empire?" A Rodian asked, grabbing his pistol.

"If it was Empire, this rock would be split into pieces by now." Vako answered. It was hard to say. A decade ago he might have said the Republic, and four years ago he might have suspected the Syndicates. Vako fluttered over to a window to see a pair of ships zooming about, tearing them up. "These are probably mercenaries."

"I told Gaxon telling everyone we were the Wraiths was stupid! Now w'ere about to be as dead as he is!"

Vako looked out, and saw some turbo laser blasts.

"Turbo lasers?" Vako muttered rhetorically. "We're taking on those with a pair of turbo lasers!?"

And they were not new turbo lasers. They were some of the oldest, rustiest things, with exposed power cores that seemed to spark with every shot.... that were clearly mostly just for show.

"We're skegged." Vako admitted bitterly, pondering the next move, inevitably waiting for the two ships to dock in the easily exposed hanger.

 

[Zorya]

"Aye, shoot ye will, Gal! Jus' be sure to aim right and true, lest ye pepper the cosmos with nothin' more than wasted energy bolts!" O'bog's voice, bolstered by Zorya's taciturn resolution, ricocheted off the cramped confines of the Red Maiden's cockpit.

With a stalwart grip and an unwavering gaze, Zorya steered her vessel into the whirlwind of the oncoming onslaught. The cavernous emptiness of the asteroid field echoed the frigid and unfathomable depths of the galaxy, riddled with shadows playing hide-and-seek amongst the celestial detritus.

Her senses, honed by her Sith training, pierced the gloom, latching onto the elusive hum of the enemy's cloaking devices. A kaleidoscope of vibrant starlight reflected off the floating debris, the silence of the void punctuated by the intermittent growl of the Red Maiden's engines.

"Maelis on point," O'bog relayed, encapsulating the mutual accord. "Watch our backs and we'll clear a path."

As they skimmed past tumbling asteroids and decaying space junk, Zorya felt a prickle of anticipation, an icy cool tingling that stirred her blood, quickened her pulse. The cloaked adversaries, unseen but unforgotten, lurked in the vast expanse, waiting like slumbering specters about to be roused.

The turbolaser blasts came first, streaking across the black canvas of space, illuminating their path with a pyrotechnic glow. Zorya's deft hand on the helm steered them clear, but not without a shudder running through the Red Maiden's hull. It was a stark reminder of the precipice upon which they teetered.

The time for prelude was over; the dance of danger was about to commence.

"Brace yerself, Gal," O'bog called, his tone vibrating with a potent blend of audacity and caution. "We're about to waltz into the lion's den!"

@Morse @KaraLi

 

[Sarine Lark]

And I'll survive, paranoid​

I have lost the will to change

And I am not proud, cold-blooded fake​

​

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​

More than happy to fall in behind Maelis, Sarine kept her throttle low so she didn't speed past. She couldn't maneuver as well as the sleek ship that led the raid, so she allowed herself to take the time and do her best to keep pace. If anything got in the way she didn't think she could move past, she didn't bother trying, letting her heavy laser cannon tear it apart.

As they flew, she grit her teeth and readied her warhead launchers. So far they hadn't had much in the way of true opposition but, that didn't mean...

Turbo lasers filled the void in front of them, aiming clearly to take out Maelis' ship. With a gasp of surprise, the Mandalorian pitched to the side, rolling out of the way as she fired an errant shot. Not even coming near the turbo lasers, she groaned and tried to steady herself. Lining up better while her current ally played distraction, she fired her second warhead, hoping to take out the first of the two threats.

"Right behind you," she declared as she pulled off to bring herself back in line with the obviously much more experience pilot.

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I will shut the world away​

@Morse | @Aberforth

 

[Vako Yizok]

The explosion of the turbo laser shook the station. Most of the brigands running about probably thought that they were under crippling assault and that the entire asteroid was cracking to pieces. Vako knew better. The turbolaser power source most likely took a hit and overloaded immediately. That was not great, but not terrible. It was making everyone on board very antsy. They had only one more turret left.

"To the hanger!" some cried.

Vako agreed with the sentiment, but not for the same reason. They were likely going to be boarding a handful of snub fighters that they possessed. Vako was quickly formulating an alternative plan.

As Vako fluttered into the hanger he told his crew to board their ship, the large aging freighter known as the Atherwing. They were not going to power weapons, but power shields and standby.

"What you want us to do boss?" asked one of his crew.

"You see those fighters there?" Vako pointed at the few fighters charging up. "They're going to fly out their and get themselves killed... and then we're trapped."

The crew seemed rightly worried. "Should we jump out with them and make a break for it?"

"The cloaks and valuables are back in the warehouse. We leave we leave it all. But when those fighters are gone these pirates are going to get desperate."

One of his crew got the idea of where he was going and smiled.

"And what do desperate pirates do?"

"They kill each other." answered another of his crew.

Another heavy explosion gave Vako the impression that the second turbo laser was being destroyed.

"Wait until the last fighter is downed, then open a channel with the attackers. We'll come out further ahead on this than when the Sith killed Preef."


(4 pirate fighter craft leave through the main hanger)

@KaraLi @Aberforth

 

[Zorya]

"Hold fast, Gal! We got company and they ain't come for tea and biscuits!" O'bog's shrill warning pierced the air as Zorya's piercing gaze locked onto the swarm of pirate fighters, newly unleashed like hungry hounds hot on their heels.

Deft fingers danced over the console, the nimble Red Maiden responding to her every command with an intimate precision, a testament to countless hours they've spent merged into one entity. The anticipation of battle set a thrill coursing through her veins, a silent symphony reverberating to the rhythm of the approaching storm.

She felt the primal stirrings within her, the undulating tendrils of the Dark Side, the lifeblood of her Sith heritage, responding to the primal call of conflict. This was the crucible of her purpose, her essence, here among the stars, within the relentless cascade of laser fire and the dance of hostile ships.

One after another, the pirate fighters dived in, their weaving patterns searing across the celestial canvas, eager for the spoils of victory. Each one presented a unique rhythm, a pulsating pattern waiting to be deciphered.

"Like bees round a honeypot!" O'bog chuckled, his delight in chaos shining through.

Each swoop of the Red Maiden, each spin and roll, each evade and counterattack was a stanza in the verse of a deadly ballet, a spectacle of grace within the grip of destruction. Zorya plunged into the maelstrom, one with the cacophony of battle, each pulse of her laser cannons beating in tandem with the rhythm of her heart.

The world reduced to the chaos of war and the icy clarity of her focus, Zorya pressed the assault, her ship spinning and diving like an avian raptor on the hunt, her lasers flashing across the void to score direct hits on two of the pirate fighters. The metallic birds went up in flame, their death throes illuminating the vast emptiness with their final screams.

But this dance was far from over. Zorya could feel the cold specter of danger lurking in the shadows, a constant reminder of the perils they still faced. "Get ready, Gal," O'bog's voice echoed through the cockpit, "we're just getting started."

@Morse @KaraLi

//Rolled a 13/20. 2 pirate fighters left.

 

[Sarine Lark]

And I'll survive, paranoid​

I have lost the will to change

And I am not proud, cold-blooded fake​

​

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​

Sarine wasn't used to battle.

Not behind the stick of her fighter, at least.

And not that anyone could blame her. This was her first one.

Her first in a cobbled together fighter she had built herself. At least she had taken out one of the turbo lasers. She could be proud of that. Less so on what happened next. As Zorya flew in gracefully and dismantled two with relative ease, Sarine followed. Messenger had all the grace of a bantha, and between the asteroids and lasers, the girl was struggling.

Thus it came as a surprise to her when she unloaded a small volley of her own ion and laser cannons and they actually hit. Four shots all against the hull of the front inbound fighter and, through some miracle of luck, as it blew apart, it managed to clip the second of her targets and the pair spiraled off into a nearby asteroid to detonate against its surface.

"WOOO! Yeah!" She couldn't help but shout her excitement as she watched the pair disappear and she brought her craft around to face the mining structure once more. "Did you see that?"

She wouldn't be proud because she knew it was luck, but she had to admit... it had been pretty cool.

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I will shut the world away​

//rolled 19/20 but lowering by 1 'step' since it's Kara's first space battle. Last 2 fighters taken down.

 

[Vako Yizok]

Vako saw the hanger bay clear out in different directions. Some were headed towards the galley and kitchens, some were headed towards the warehouse, and the tiniest handful moved towards their ships. But they did not dare take off. The craft outside had established air superiority over the brigands within very quickly. With four fighters down, and the turbo lasers inoperative, that left them with no space defenses.

Now for the siege.

Life in the Syndicates always wound up coming down to a siege. Unlike in the great wars of galactic powers, there was never time to starve someone out. Syndicates could always call for help, or at least bigger fish, that might want to eat the scraps. And often Syndicate folk had nothing to lose so they were more than happy to go out betting on revenge.

From the looks of the specs of the ships outside they likely did not exactly have what they needed to handedly take on the interior. And they certainly weren't Jedi or the Empire, so it was unlikely they were anything special. It was unlikely that they'd want to just destroy the place (and equally unlikely that they had the armament to do it.)

Vako moved to open the secure channel with the ships outside, hoping one would take the signal. He opted for early communication, as negotiations done with blasters out did not tend to go very well.

"This is a friend on the inside, calling those on the outside." Vako said, not initially giving himself away as other pirates may have been cunning enough to be tapping their comms. "I'm happy to help with the impending attack on the insides of this rock for a cut and nod that we part ways all living when we're through."

Vako opted to offer something up front. "I'm sending you a readout of the facility as a show of good faith." Vako then transmitted the old schematic of the facility that they'd taken early on. It was not useful to those that had been living there for a month, but to someone outside it was pure ridonium.

Just after he sent it, he and his crew could hear blaster fire deeper in the facility. The backstabbing had already begun.

"If you're interested, take a pass by the hanger with the running lights on, and we'll get to work."

@Aberforth @KaraLi

 

[Zorya]

Zorya's silent satisfaction echoed through O'bog as the sly sprite cackled, "Blimey, Gal! Yer' aim's as crooked as a three-legged hutt, but ye’ve got yerself some spark!" As the young pilot savored her victory, the goblin patted her in a mocking salute, its pixie-sized, impish grin belying the sincerity of its words.

Zorya’s eyes remained fixed on the station, her mind registering the mysterious transmission. An ally within the enemy's stronghold? Intriguing. The Dark Side swirled about her, its tendrils whispering caution.

As Vako’s schematics displayed on the screen, Zorya examined the layout with calculating precision, her brow furrowing slightly. There was more to this 'friend' than the voice over the comm was willing to admit. She pondered the proposition, her mind a tempest of strategies and countermeasures.

Meanwhile, O'bog had swooped closer to the screen, scrutinizing the offered layout. "A trap, ye reckon?" He glanced back at Zorya, fluttering in place. "Or just a snake lookin' to shed its skin?"

Silently, Zorya weighed the options, her fingertips gliding over the cold metal surface of her control panel. The tension within her was a slow-burning flame, threatening to burst forth. Her resolve, as relentless as the tides, overrode the frisson of apprehension.

The approach to the hangar, illuminated by the running lights, was a beckoning path. Was it one of salvation or demise? Only time would reveal. Yet, the advantage was a tantalizing prospect. She decided. The risk was worth the potential reward.

"We be takin' that stroll by the hangar, ye slimy turncoat!" O'bog's voice roared through the comm, the defiance in his tone belying the uncertainty that danced in his eyes. "Let’s hope yer honesty holds up better than your courage, else we'll be havin' a right mess on our hands!"

Guiding the Red Maiden towards the hangar, Zorya's steely gaze took in the view of the running lights, a trail of glowing breadcrumbs leading into the belly of the beast. And, as the chaos within the station brewed, she prepared for the inevitable descent into the tempest.

@Morse @KaraLi

 

[Sarine Lark]

And I'll survive, paranoid​

I have lost the will to change

And I am not proud, cold-blooded fake​

​

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​

The response from her current ally cut off Sarine's celebration. Sure, it had turned out well, but the more experienced pilot noting she wasn't particularly good at this brought a soft blush to her cheeks. Well, at least they had a mostly clear path, now.

A path made easier by a mysterious call on the comms. She listened to it and frowned.

"Trap or not, I don't trust them," the Mandalorian spoke out loud even as she turned her ship towards the hangar. Truth was it didn't really matter whether they trusted the person or not. Sarine liked her odds a LOT more outside of the cockpit and if they could take the base, it meant more than just salvage from the ships they downed.

It possibly meant actual ships and undamaged tech.

As she followed Maelis in, she was already stripping off her EVA suit and making sure her gear was in place. She maybe wasn't a great fighter pilot, but landing hardly took any effort as she multitasked. "Now for the fun part."

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I will shut the world away​

 

[Vako Yizok]

The accord seemed to be struck, as well as an accord could be struck in the part of space they were in. Vako was happy to see that they did not do a strafing run on the hanger in response, and even more delighted to know that they had responded. Whoever they were, it seemed that they had a strong enough understanding of the fickle nature of those that operated on the rim.

The hanger itself was immense. It was mining station after all, so bulk freighters like the Atherwing were certainly able to pull in and dock to load up immense amounts of ore. Though there hadn't been any miners on the station for years, such things made an asteroid base like that useful for pirate fleets.

"We'll make sure that we press our advantage." Vako noted to his crew. "Roll out the tank"

That advantage was essential for the battle that they would have with the pirates and ensuring that the hanger remained secured, but also would serve its purpose for guarding their own ship.

Vako and his crew numbered only a dozen, so they were not the largest gang that were on the station. But they did have the best equipment and had managed to make the switch at the right time.

"Secure the hanger!" Vako roared, disembarking from his ship. The squad of brigands moved out of his ship and immediately opened fire on his former "compatriots". He had began his career as a Soldier, and that tactical discipline remained strong. The hanger was the best strategic position, and as the Falchion tank rolled out of his ship it immediately cut down a handful of the brigands.

There simply was not way for the pirates and vandals in the hanger to deal with the snap betrayal. Vako had only dispatched one himself, but they hanger appeared silent for a moment and clear to land in.

"Watch the doors, and get ready to start sweeping the ships." He commanded the crew, which moved to take cover beside the tank which gave a dull repulsorlift roar.

Vako would wait until the ships would land, but wasted no time introducing himself with his rifle low ready in a non threatening manner.

"Welcome to Wraith Rock." Vako introduced himself, and gestured to un-uniform brigands holding the hanger. "I'm Vako Yizaak. This is my crew. Now who are you?"

@Aberforth @KaraLi [/abox]

 

[Zorya]

With an elegant grace belying its formidable size, the Red Maiden touched down in the sprawling hangar, its metallic undercarriage kissing the ground with the softest of murmurs. The cavernous interior hummed with the cacophony of discharged blasters and the throbbing hum of repulsorlift engines, a symphony of chaos that sent a thrill down Zorya's spine.

Emerging from the vessel, she cast an appraising glance over the ragtag assortment of brigands that had gained control of the hangar. Her obsidian gaze settled on the Toydarian at the forefront, Vako Yizaak, by his own admission. The flicker of distrust in her eyes was as palpable as the stale air that filled the vast chamber. She watched him, her expression unreadable as the hubbub of the hangar played out around them.

Perched on her shoulder, O'bog let out a mischievous chortle, his glassy eyes twinkling with impish glee. "Well now, if it ain't the big boss himself!" He hopped onto the Sith's gloved hand, regarding Vako with an unnerving stare. "This here's Maelis," he declared, jabbing a stubby finger towards Zorya, whose only response was a cool nod of acknowledgement.

His wings buzzed as he took flight, circling Zorya like a manic hummingbird. "Now, what in the seven hells is goin' on here, mate?" O'bog demanded, his voice echoing oddly off the cold metal walls. His tiny form zipped through the air with an erratic energy that belied the seriousness of his query. "Your cozy shindig's turned into a right bloodbath, hasn't it?"

@KaraLi @Morse

 

[Sarine Lark]

And I'll survive, paranoid​

I have lost the will to change

And I am not proud, cold-blooded fake​

​

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​

Landing was easy, with Messenger sliding in with gentle precision onto a landing space. The pieced together hunk-of-junk looked rather terrible next to the beauty of the Red Maiden but not everyone in the galaxy was going to be able to afford such luxury.

On her way out, Sarine paused by the storage locker she had installed at the back of her cockpit and considered for a moment grabbing extra armor. With a shake of her head, she decided otherwise and exited the fighter to join the others. These people were strangers who would almost certainly sell her out if she gave them a chance. Her helmet might protect her identity, but it also signaled she was Mandalorian and that was information the young woman preferred to keep to herself.

Drawing her blasters as she slipped from her ship, she kept her head low and found some cover as she glanced at the small force they had amassed.

"Gal," the warrior said with a wave of her hand to indicate she was talking about herself. "How many are we looking at?"

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I will shut the world away​

@Morse | @Aberforth

 

[Vako Yizok]

"Come on, Ximpi." Vako cocked his head and slumped his shoulders. "This isn't your first day on the rim. Circumstances change quite quickly, and you have to pay attention to stay alive."

Vako noted the second craft come in. They were quite different, but that did not mean anything on the rim. Sometimes the roughest looking ships were some of the toughest, and that same logic applied to the people. Vako may have been getting older, but he still knew a lot about how things worked, and his wings were quick to pick up shifts in the wind.

The two humanoids in front of him were young, and pretty, but he did not doubt for a moment that they were capable killers. Or else they wouldn't have taken the job they were doing at all.

"From the moment you blew through the space forces, this place went straight to chaos. These slime don't remember what it's like living with a code or serving in the Syndicates. So, we opted to shoot first and take the highest value real-estate on this rock." Vako gestured towards the hanger.

Still flicking his wings he shifted to look at the one introduced as Gal.

"Four separate gangs, are running around in here. Mine's the smallest. The Harkors looked like they were running towards the kitchen and galleys to the right to get the food." Vako shook his head. "They seem to think that they'll be here a while." Vakoe then pointed to the back of the hanger. "The Smillek's and Vihila went down to the warehouse that way to secure the loot. A bunch of cloaks and the haul we took in with them."

Vako flapped back a few paces from the two. "They won't be there long though. There's one barge-sized escape pod, and I suspect only enough space for half of those in the warehouse. Once they've finished loading the goods... well I don't imagine it'll be an orderly exit from this rock."

That was all Vako really had to offer. He was older than most of the idiot gang heads that he'd been hold up with, but he was not in charge of the operation.

"You're move." Vako spoke, waiting to see their plan.

@Aberforth @KaraLi