Open Dathomir Something I Can't Ignore

[Roland Rook]

THEME
Death Enabled​

Roland was back. The Cobalt Viper lurched out of hyperspace and brought the red planet into view. A significantly larger drone barge came out in a similar manner shortly after. It was the IT-6 and its deployment of droids that had told him somewhat about what was going on. Terrible things had happened on the world since then and relayed to ship and ranger command. But Dathomir wasn't a Free World Alliance associated planet and things could turn sour or just not have any support. That was nothing new for Roland.

The concern of too many unknowns after the events at the temple made the Mandalorian want to return eventually. Sith had been witnessed there and with the planet's history with the nightsisters and other dark practices didn't make them seem much warmer. Perhaps most importantly was Roland's visit to Bal'demnic and finding both the Sith Temple there and suffering its temptations and recovered plans of a Sith Fortress on Dathomir.

"Keep your scanners up. Let me know if anything pops. Wouldn't think this place get a lot of traffic." He said and had his own sensors direct towards Dathomir. The red of the world filled the front views of the firespray patrol ship. The cross visored helmeted centered on the planet like a set of cross hairs. The planet held his attention for a few more moments contemplating the checkered past the place had. Today he wasn't wearing his cloak. It still sat, riddled with blaster holes the last time he had worn it.

After only a few moments he would get confirmation of reading life signs around the temple he had visited last time. Remembering how people had been enthralled by the spirit and that glowing drink made his hands tighten ever so slightly around his ship's controls. "If there's any comm array, send them a hail and let them know who we are." The Mandalorian wasn't trying to hide who he was. This was the closest it got to coming up to the front porch an knocking as it got, at least when it came to space witches. There were likely going to be multiple Sith. That was a possibility. For that reason he had let some of the Lieutenants know beforehand.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry was within the temple, now refurbished to serve as a throne room for her. Her takeover of Dathomir had been quite the upheaval, but the outcome was as desired: the Queen now controlled the entire planet and its inhabitants.

The area that had once been covered with small hovels that contained the Forgotten's thralls was now cleaned up and cleared with the area out front now a rather large, open area at the doors of the temple. At one end of the plane, there were construction efforts underway where adobe buildings similar to the other Nightsister villages were being constructed.

While Dathomir was relatively low-tech, Renfry had spent time off world and was also a member of the Sith Order, so she was not without the means of contacting others.

This meant the broad-spectrum communication sent out by the landing Ranger Captain was actually picked up by Renfry's comlink with an indicator that it was a close-range, broad-spectrum communique. In other words, it was from someone here.

Síle appeared mere seconds later to confirm Renfry's concerns. There's a ship incoming, she said succinctly.

Make sure everything's concealed, she said to Síle, trusting her closest sister to do what needed to be done. Raze had left behind Sith and soldiers on Dathomir to ensure that Renfry's rule wasn't met with initial upheaval, and while Renfry had insisted the frigates be kept at a distance and behind the moon of Dathomir, the ground forces were still here. But Dathomir was a place where scanning the planet's surface was precarious with the thick wildlife. In other words, she had little fear that if they didn't walk out in the open, there was little opportunity to pick them up.

She answered her comlink still inside the throne room.

You are trespassing within sovereign Dathomiri space. Leave immediately, she said. If he opted to continue to land, there was room where the hovels had once been and he would quickly be met by the Nightsisters with drawn bows, prepared to eliminate the trespassers at the word of the queen. Even those who knew little of Dathomir knew that it was not an inviting place. A part of her mind told her to simply have whoever it was eliminated immediately, but perhaps there wouldn't be a need for that. @Darasuum

 

[Roland Rook]

"Captain. No contacts so far detected in the system." A hint of concern at just how barren in terms of traffic the system was. It was ominous. "Scan the surface but don't deploy any droids yet." There wasn't any anti-air fire so far. If they had it, would they have used it? The man wondered as his ship continued its wide fly over.

Roland broadcast a transimission of his holographic upperhalf. "This is Captain Roland Rook of the Sector Rangers....and who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?" His scanners checked the power levels in case there were shield generators or facilities that didn't match up with the estimated technology level of the planet's locals.

The Mandalorian remembered the last time he was here and all the dangers the local flora, fauna and climate itself had. The Sector Ranger didn't want to land just yet. He was here to get answers and stepping before he could see the ground ahead of him wasn't the wisest.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

A Sector Ranger out here? Why? Renfry frowned, more in anger than puzzlement. His upper likeness appeared on her comm projector and she allowed hers on his. She was adorned in appropriate queenly yet tribal clothes of her people with a headdress of feathers and bone.

I am Queen Renfry, ruler of Dathomir. We do not recognize the Alliance or any other external government here. Why are you trespassing on our world? she asked. Her eyes took in the image in front of her as she spoke and there was a hint of familiarity in her mind. She had seen a T-shaped visor like that before. Had he been one of those who had come under the Forgotten's sway? Was that why he had returned? If that was the case, he would find his old master was still quite dead and no longer bound to this world.

His scans would find little of excitement. The world was low technology and even with the Sith presence, had remained so at Renfry's insistence. While there was communication, survival equipment, and some vehicles, it was small by comparison to most worlds. Equipment such as shield generators, turbolasers, or other military-compound-like equipment was lacking, and it was already clear from the queen's communicator that they weren't completely without technology.

She thought back to Morgan's words about Dathomir's low tech isolation and was beginning to think he had a point. While she detested the idea of weighing Dathomir down in technology, bringing defenses against foreign invaders - at least starfighters and perhaps shields and scanners - was growing more appealing. Still, she knew Dathomir wasn't without its... "natural" defenses. @Darasuum

 

[Roland Rook]

We do not recognize the Alliance. A peculiar thing to say for a monarch though she spoke for her people. "There are Sith criminals that have found their way to your world, your Highness. I'm here for them." The plans he had recovered told him the base would be hard to find. That was why they needed either a small fleet of ships or for the barge to have its droid compliment released. Otherwise it was opening themselves up for unnecessary risk and inevitable danger.

A chirp came through as he recieved a transmission from the IT-6 with an update. They knew to continue to scan and check for weapon systems as well as life signs. His own ship didn't detect anything out of the ordinary. The Cobalt Viper didn't have specialized scanning to begin with and their search came back lacking any significant results.

"Do you recognize the Sith, your Highness?" The Mandalorian continued despite the update, only visibly addressing the miniaturized Queen on ship's dashboard. No doubt she would be alerted to the new ship's arrival if they had noticed the Sector Rangers' arrival. Renfry already should know more about the Sith than Roland likely did. A participant of that ritual and the guide for some of Roland cohorts made him want to think she could be an ally. But things weren't likely to be that convenient and wrapped up. He hadn't been present when everything went sideways inside. Instead he had been busy facing off against a Sith who managed to escape at the time. That same Sith that had brandished a saber against the woman.


@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry's face was hard and unflinching. Her role as queen brought out an entirely different aspect of her that she was still unfamiliar with, and it banished her often expressive nature.

She listened to what he said about the Sith being on world, and it left her with... questions. What had brought him here? If he was here because of the recent battles he wouldn't have come alone. If he was here tracking someone in particular... perhaps that man she'd killed at the Temple of the Two Marshes? She never had found out whether he was a Sith or not, and she hadn't really cared. He was dead all the same.

We don't recognize any foreign invaders, she said flatly. That was... not entirely untrue. Despite herself being Sith and the planet now being under Sith control, there was a certain amount of insulation that she could and would provide to Dathomir. Sith running rampant over the world were likely to be watched like any other outsider. In other words, with a few exceptions, this world still wasn't inviting to the Sith.

And yet, he seemed to be tracking something that had led him here, no?

And what's led you to believe that the Sith have come to Dathomir? she asked. It wasn't simply because they had been here during the Forgotten incident all that time ago, was it? Surely not. @Darasuum

 

[Roland Rook]

Not recognizing an enemy was often due to pride more than anything. Even a small blade could bleed a mighty warrior dry. It could easily be one's own undoing to underestimate a past foe. They were lesson the rest of the galaxy also seemed to have a problem learning too. The way Renfry spoke made him feel less confident the isolationist system would stand a chance against a Sith threat.

"Well it's a good thing nobody's invading then isn't it?" He replied a little too informal. "It makes things like an exchange of intelligence possible." Roland knew that it was probably not the wisest to talk to a Queen in that way but Roland generally liked to cut through the osik.

"Significant evidence." The gravely voice replied with the non-answer over the holo transmission. It was careless sharing of information with Jedi and other parties that had led to the current problem. Roland wasn't going to broadcast evidence on an open channel even if the system seemed placid.

"The Sith have been here before and have cause to come again. If they aren't here now they were recently and will come again." He meant those words, speaking both about recent history and the long running track record of the dark side and its devotees. "They take and discard. Our people know this more than others, your Highness." There was also the obvious fact he wasn't about to share classified information with an unverified representative of the planet. Not yet at least but it wouldn't be the first time Roland strayed from doing things by the book.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

There was a far cry difference between recognizing an enemy to be such and recognizing a foreign authority. She would never do the latter, and as far as she was concerned, any trespasser was an enemy. That was the irony to what she was saying: even were she not a Sith, none of it would have been different. They were the wors of the Queen of the Nightsisters, and nothing more.

It was clear that Renfry was quite unimpressed by both his flippant tone and his words. She was... not a particularly patient woman, and having a foreign invader here wasn't improving her mood. Nor was it improved by his vague answers he gave.

I'm aware of the Sith, she said. People had a tendency to hear "tribal" and assume it meant "simpleton." Everyone always wanted to "educate" the "savages." She found it unamusing, but perhaps for her purposes here it wouldn't be such a bad thing.

What do you want? she asked directly. To come down and meet face to face? To scour the planet looking for Sith? To simply inform her of the danger? The answer to this question would surely guide the remainder of their interaction. @Darasuum

 

[Roland Rook]

Roland watched the holographic representation of the woman from behind his visor. She had a mask of her own that she wore but the Captain was a decent enough judge of character. Questioning and investigating the guilty as well as innocent came with sense of wisdom.

Pleasantries were not something the Queen seemed to care for. Tensions were high and he was pushing his luck as usual. While Roland was well aware of any swagger he may have in any given interaction, danger was a constant in the outer rim and put him at odds with other dangerous people. The image of the sliced throne on the Bal'demnic Sith temple came to mind when he heard Renfry's question. The feeling of cleaving into the stone with the lightsaber had felt right but far from pleasant.

"I just want to not have me or my rangers get killed the moment we try to take out these Sith." He was well aware of the deadly nature the locals could pose. The wild life was why only a handful of the droids were possibly retrievable despite being better than older models. If they had found any of the droids the Queen had yet to mention it. He already knew an approximate location of one facility but by the time he or the others likely found it the Sith could vacate. Arriving as he did would mean there would be less chance for them to cover anything up or mount a defensible response. If there were spies on Dathomir hopefully his measures wouldn't make it easy for them.

"I can send you the coordinates and areas I want to check out." He would transmit the data to her or whichever person she had on the other end of the line. The information would be large areas of wilderness where orbital scans hadn't been able to penetrate and the probe droids hadn't been able to traverse or transmit successfully from. One of which would hold Cuga Fortress as well as evidence to some of the atrocities the Sith had been involved in Maybe if she looked at them she would have some information worth sharing, at least if her intentions were true.

"Once we find the Sith they'll be taken into custody." He knew they wouldn't come easy but the Captain expected a fight from the followers of the Eternal. But if he had to bring in the dark siders with a few extra holes in them then he wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Maybe that was the Mandalorian in him but Roland felt it wouldn't have a made a difference what his religion was. There was a deep seated hate for the Sith that came easily to the Rook and that in of itself frustrated the man.

Part of him thought to mention other Sector Rangers on standby as a sign of assurance. But it could easily have the opposite affect. Some governments lacked faith in the capabilities of the Sector Rangers. They were also spread thin as an organization and resources took time to reach places. They couldn't be everywhere at once and the Captain didn't have a fleet at his disposal. It was a tale as old as time and Roland's life story it would seem.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

She nodded when he said he would send her the coordinates to the Sith location. She was actually genuinely curious if there were Sith trespassing on her world, but her opinion on the overall matter had not changed.

She projected the location in front of her and immediately recognized the territory. It was primarily uninhabited but if she recalled it had once been the domain of the Red Capped Mountain Clan. They'd been unceremoniously wiped out in one of the Clan Wars, which would explain why no one had noticed the Sith to begin with.

Perhaps I've not made myself clear, she said, her voice like ice now.

I'm not going to allow foreigners on my world. You, Sith, or anyone else. My hunters will comb the area and I'll deal with the Sith personally and definitively, she said. She wasn't really trying to hide the implication that she would viciously execute trespassers, perhaps even Sith included.

I didn't want off worlders here the last time you were here, and I'm not going to allow it now, she said. She'd been staring at that mask long enough to be confident that he was one of those who had been here at the Forgotten's behest. If he'd never managed to be filled in on wha she'd done for their cause at that time, then that was not her problem. @Darasuum

 

[Roland Rook]

The Captain's jaw clenched and he inhaled through his nose as he listened. By the time she finished he had taken a few quiet breaths until finally letting out an almost understanding sigh. The Mandalorian wanted her to know he didn't take her words lightly. "Fair enough." Roland admitted. No evidence pointed to the contrary and unless he wanted to personally be responsible for an intergalactic incident, there wasn't much else he could do. Roland represented more than himself and there were repercussions for doing anything.

"If there's anything I can do to aid you in the endeavor, don't hesitate to ask. The Rangers will be out of your hair shortly" His image would remain for a bit if the Queen didn't have anything else to add before closing the connection. The Mandalorian opened up the private encrypted link to the drone barge. "Cobalt Viper to IT-6, I'm going to dock before we make a jump ok?" He heard a confirmation from the Ranger personnel on the other end. There was something he needed to do before he left the system.

Tapping the controls on his wrist to his two droids, he woke them up in their charging station below decks. The P-0C surveillance droid and the seeker were not ideal for what he wanted to try next. Both of them would come to the cockpit expectantly, ready to carry out the next task. Meanwhile the ship continued to slowly gain altitude as it rose through the clouds, just as promised.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

She gave a nod in acknowledgment of his offer of help before hanging up. If there was anyone qualified to hunt Force-users here, it was the Nightsisters.

She was glad when his ship began to leave lest it turn into an actual fight. And yet, she intended to make good on her word. She had her own loyalties and was far from a simple Sith.

She wasted no time in getting to work, walking briskly toward her ship.

Keep the Sith in the tunnels and not wandering around, she said to Síle as she passed by.

Hunters, we're going now! she said more loudly to a group of women nearby. Part of their role in being here was defense, and she knew they were not only ready to fight at a moment's notice, but also perfectly competent warriors anywhere.

She made it to her ship in short order and lifted off with her hunters in the hold. She was still acutely aware that his ship was in system and she was keeping a proverbial eye on him, but she was going to do as she said. If there were people lurking on her world, she at the least wanted to know about it.

In system, he'd have little trouble telling her ship was heading in the direction of the coordinates she had sent, though she kept alert until he'd actually left the system properly. He'd probably also be able to detect her scanners still on him because... well, because this was the way. @Darasuum

 

[Roland Rook]

Roland hated the feeling like he was coming away with less than he could. A different kind of calling than the song of the Forgotten made his eye become unfocused. All it took would be for him to slip onto the planet and look into the issue himself. A gloved finger tapped against the controls as his mind covered a few bad ideas. The Mandalorian didn't need force senses to know the witches were watching him still. An occasional grumble escaped his helmet and was only heard by his two droids as the Cobalt Viper would return to high orbit.

"Captain, is everything alright?" He would be asked over the link from the accompanying drone barge crew. "We've detected another ship." Roland's eyes lingered on the digital representation of the Nightsister transport a bit longer before looking away. If the Captain had talked to a lord or lady of another world, the Sector Rangers would have perhaps acted differently. But the man was glad to see her heading towards the most likely candidate of the Sith. It told him she was acting on what he said, which was a good thing. Roland wouldn't have left if he didn't have his own sense of confidence in the Queen's ability. "It will be. Set course for Cademimu Sector." Next stop, Ajan Kloss.

Exit thread​

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry was glad when his ship began to break out of orbit and eventually make its jump. While she wasn't convinced that they wouldn't try to come back, she would be more prepared. Perhaps it was time to bring at least some basic defensive technology to Dathomir.

She let out a relieved sigh and set the ship down near the coordinates.

Spread out and find any signs of abnormalities, she said. With the Sith history of purging the thorns near their base, it wouldn't take the women overly long to find the location that had once belonged to the Sith and Knights of Ren.

Finding the way inside might prove more difficult, but time was on their side, and they would find a way inside. Perhaps it could serve as a strategic location for her off-world traveling sisters. And a location to keep watch for intruders in the future.

Time would tell, and Dathomir would remain under her control. Over her dead body would it fall to the enemy. Any enemy.

//Thread @Darasuum