Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Disturbance

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Every eye in the place was on Uziel as he stepped through the threshold. He was used to it, and indeed, it was by his design that he drew so much attention. Hulking in his massive armor, and wearing the characteristic helmet of the almost-universally despised Sith Troopers, he always took a few moments to glance around the room upon entering an establishment like this. Gauging his audience, nobody appeared to stand out amongst the small crowd. He stood by the bar, careful not to lean on anything lest his augmented weight tear it down, and removed his helmet to place an order.

The planet Klovaan had looked nothing like his homeworld from orbit. He saw massive oceans, in between which stretched vast expanses of green - only the poles of the planet had any visible ice, Uziel would later lament, and the only city of any consequence was indistinguishable at that distance. It was like a beacon, though, and he felt it calling him. And perhaps more importantly, it would call to others.

Back at the bar, Uziel could hear the faint whirring of the microservos from his prosthetic jawplates beneath each ear. Chewing had been a painful and irritating affair in the weeks immediately following the surgery, but he had long-since stopped paying the sound any notice once he realized nobody else could hear it. The food at "Zelska's" was better than he was used to, what with most of it grown planetside, and the décor was almost charming.

He was starting to enjoy himself, standing there, holding a plate of what he assumed was Nerf steak, until the distinctive tuff tuff of a microphone test met his ears. Somehow, he had failed to notice the stage on the other side of the room.

edited 2nd Mar '14 7:10:42 PM by StygianEmperor

Klovaan Airspace

Isica Vann felt it as soon as the white streaks of hyperspace faded back into distant dots of starlight, striking her almost physically as she dropped back into space so much closer than she had been before. The planet itself hung low in her portside canopy, its oceans glowing in the light of its sun, and she furrowed her brow. She could feel this planet pressing on her mind - not just in the way of any planet full of living, thinking creatures, but something else below it - a sort of dull throbbing just below. She sighed and leaned back into her chair, letting the automated systems handle the approach procedures. After a few minutes, she stood, heading into the back to get dressed.

A few minutes later saw her back in the chair, wearing a subdued blue tunic; she settled her veil into place just as the comm clicked on. "Identify yourself, Delaya-class custom courier," the voice said. The man sounded wary, to say the least, and it was hard to blame him. With everything the Sith had done to the galaxy in the past few years... of course, not that she could tell him the truth, either. Let there be truth between your heart and the Force. All else is transitory.

"My name is Tian," she said, speaking clearly. "Xa Tian, operating HKD-0081825, Pursuit. I request permission to land." The ship's onboard computers would be sending them the falsified registration data already.

"Alright, it checks out," he said, after a few moments. "Welcome to Klovaan."

"Thank you," Isica replied. She thumbed her comm off and stood, heading to stand in the vestibule of the airlock. She picked up her belt as she walked, strapping it around her waist; her lightsabers were a comforting weight at the back of her belt. She threw her cloak on around her shoulders, settling it to hide the weapons, and slipped her blaster into its holster. The door hissed open, and she took a deep breath of the sweet air as she stepped out onto the tarmac.

The hunt was on. The truth would not evade her.

edited 28th Feb '14 11:43:10 AM by RedSavant

"Leaving Hyperspace... now before us, the planet Klovaan, Madam" says the soft voice of the Twi'lek pilot, her dominion of the Galactic Basic tongue still a bit shaky despite some time now in training on it.

Sairin sat back on the comfortable chair she had installed on the cockpit of her vessel, feasting her eyes in the greens and blues of the magnificent planet... a clearly under developed jewel of nature "Now, isn't that a sight for sore eyes... Who'd say the disturbance would bring us to such a beautiful place?"

"Can you feel it, Mistress?" Asks the red headed human sitting on the armrest of the seat, emerald green eyes taking in the view of the planet.

"Yes, now more strongly than before... This is definitely the place. Something is crying out to the Force in this planet... a disturbance unlike anything I've felt before..." Says Sairin, the hunger near present in her voice. Hunger for knowledge, a deep sense of curiosity and anticipation guiding her forward, to discover just what secret lies hidden in the verduous planet.

"Transmission, incoming. Planet's governance" says the young Twi'lek, looking back at Sairin .

"Patch them through to me" says the Sith Lady, and after hearing the usual greeting said back "Vessel name, The Swallow's Nest, code PCY-775D42XXX8G6... a 50 meter yacht, requesting space to lay down on port for at the very least a few days. Speaking, her owner... Scholar Sairin Lanarn. Hoping to make a study of the planet, its story and people"

Having given her credentials, Sairin knew she'd be accepted into the planet. With a smile she exchanged a few additional pleasantries with the comm people before closing the channel "You heard them, Sirin... Set down on space D-150. It seems to be a nice, private hangar for us to use"

Thus, the Sith settled back, content in how things were working out as her vessel shot down towards the settlement and closer still now to the disturbance...

edited 28th Feb '14 12:39:28 AM by daltar

Klovaanis Bar

A protocol droid, obviously heavily modified, sat down next to Uziel. A GE 3 protocol droid. B-GE 3 nodded to the bartender, and stood up a little straighter. It was wondering when the first of them would come; the locals had noticed the disturbance too. The reminder of the last time the Sith had tried to set their feet on the ground here laid a scant few blocks away, a blackened husk.

Beegee went for the direct approach. He turned his head towards the imposing Sith, and simply stated, "Good to see a new face on Klovaan. You take in the local sights, stranger? Like the blackened husk of the last Sith outpost that was built here?"

The man behind the counter nodded at the droid in a greeting without interuppting his cleaning of an already shiningly polished glass.

"Would you two like anything?" Carin asked his two patron "Some more food Lord... I'm sorry I didn't catch your name?" He asked before turning to the droid "And here to get something?" Unknown to all, or so he hoped was that he was trying to mask his precence in the force, especially now that there was a Sith less than two feet from him "We got new deliveries recently."

The voice of a host began to speak over the microphone, welcoming a comedian to the stage. But Uziel's attention was pulled away by what seemed to be a protocol droid, "Good to see a new face on Klovaan. You take in the local sights, stranger? Like the blackened husk of the last Sith outpost that was built here?"

Protocol droids had pestered him before - especially upon arrival to new planets - but he thought he heard an almost mocking tone in the voice of this one. Uziel's brow furrowed, not certain of what he heard, "Come again?"

Just then, the bartender interrupted, "Would you two like anything? Some more food Lord... I'm sorry I didn't catch your name?" Uziel began forming a response before the man turned to the droid - one with which he seemed familiar, "And here to get something? We got new deliveries recently."

Uziel dismissed the man with a gesture, amused with the assumption in the title he bestowed. "Uziel. No thank you."

edited 28th Feb '14 9:08:14 PM by StygianEmperor

Gorlash gazed into the mirror intently, staring at the confident, hilarious reflection that he saw back. He gave himself a winning grin, took one more deep breath, and jogged onto the stage casually.

"Hey hey hey! How's everybody doing tonight? You guys look great - certainly better looking than my audience on Nal Hutta." the Trandoshan comedian opened, pausing a bit for his crowd to (hopefully) laugh at the bit about the Hutts. Looking up, he noticed the Sith trooper near the bar. He gulped and sweated a bit. Looked like he was going to have to scrap his "uglier than the Sith" routine for tonight's act.

"But speaking of Nal Hutta, I was down there seven planetary rotations ago and I noticed that they had closed down my favorite Podracing arena. So I go over and ask one of the Rodians in charge about it and he says that they shut down the track because the exhaust from the pods was making Booga the Hutt Lord cough and hack." Gorlash went on, stopping for dramatic effect.

"REALLY!?!" Gorlash suddenly exploded out of nowhere.

"Exlosions, collisions, blasterfire, and racers dying are all fine but it's a little cough that gets the damn thing shut down? Those Hutts are wilder than krayt dragons, I tell you..."

Zelska's
Much like the human who had entered previously, another armored figure opened the door and stepped into the bar. His own suit marked him as a Mandalorian, and while such protective coverings demanded less fear and respect than they had twenty years ago - and despite their bloody history, their defeat meant they were already forgotten enough by the common folk that it carried less of the negative connotations than those of the more-recent Sith - it was still an uncommon-enough sight that at least one or two pairs of eyes paid him a quick glance.

Unlike the previous man to enter, though, he did not remove his helmet, preferring to keep the armored headgear on his person at all times. He stood there for nearly a second. Tall and with his armored chest protruding out proudly, he was rather statuesque, save for his head, which moved ever so slightly as he cast his glance around the area. He looked as though he were gauging the strength of every individual in the area, looking at all possible means of entry, escape, and cover - both existing and improvised. Until his eyes caught a glimpse of the stage, and the performer upon it, at which point he immediately turned around for the door, sticking his head out the entry.

"Alright Ge'tal'bev, this looks like the place," he said.

After having gotten through the process of docking the ship, which most certainly respected all legal limitations and terms of surrender imposed on the Mandalorians by the Republic, they had gotten wind of a stand-up performance taking place at a local cantina. Humor wasn't exactly something he sought out, letting it come naturally, but when was the last time you had heard about a Trandoshan comic? That was certainly going to be a sight worth the short walk. Even if only to lament the fate of another once-proud race of warriors being reduced to entertainment for the masses.

edited 28th Feb '14 12:57:20 PM by nman

"You heard me." Beegee stated, keeping its optics fixed on the Sith... Lord? The man in massive armor with a Sith Trooper helmet, black robes, and a deathly pallor. Him. "The last time your lot came here we didn't particularly appreciate it. You'll do well to learn from the blackened husk of a Sith outpost down the street."

“This certainly seems to be the case, Ori'vod.” Another Mandalorian, clad in red armour, entered the cantina. Taking a quick look around, he located an empty table and sat down, beckoning his companion to follow.
He took his helmet off and set it on the table, allowing the patrons to see his red-skinned, black-tattooed head. A crown of horns, made even more visible by the lack of hair, protruded from various points on it. “Nothing like the stench of a cantina's stale air...”
He seemed intent on watching the comedian, but Uziel and Beegee's argument caught his attention fairly quickly, and so he regarded the outspoken droid and his conversation partner with interest.

Uziel smirked at the comedian's joke, although in truth it was the name "Booga" that tickled him more than the punchline. His focus was again drawn away by the demanding protocol droid's response, which confirmed what he thought he had heard the first time. Uziel's apparel demanded this sort of attention, but not usually from this source. He frowned, while keeping his own gaze on the comedian. In a soft voice, he responded, "You're the one talking over the show, not me. But maybe I'll check it out afterwards, alright?"

He had no interest in arguing with the droid, much less fighting it here in the bar. Yet, however unlikely, the ruins of a Sith outpost might be the cause of the pull he felt towards this planet. Uziel was unaware of any conflict in Klovaan's history, but such skirmishes were common enough across the backwaters of the galaxy in the last decade. He removed himself from his own thoughts to catch the comedian's next bit, hoping the droid wouldn't spoil this one.

edited 28th Feb '14 1:35:49 PM by StygianEmperor

Not long after docking, Sairin made her way through the streets of Klavaan's capital city. At the moment, she didn't feel like wasting much time... the anticipation of the hunt, the closeness of the disturbance making her go on.

With the help of her aides, she quickly dressed up in comfortable and luxurious robes of a deep violet tone, her hair tied up a style currently popular in Corruscant's high circles, a knot on the back of the head and two long locks of hair framing the face on both sides and set free downwards. Her eyes were lightly shadowed as well as her lips painted pure black. On the pockets of her robe, she brought a datapad, the most esential tool of any researcher on the galaxy. And on her hip, she carried a simple blaster pistol of protection. However, more intimidating than the rather common weapon might have been the beast she was currently riding... a meter and a half tall tusk cat from Naboo. Cleir was a particularly beloved prize for Sairin, one she spoiled as much as possible.

The Sith lady gave the back of her mount a a gentle stroke as her little entourage made their way to their destination... the Governor's Residence. At her side walked Sarah, dressed in humble servant clothes and carrying on her hands a tall umbrella to shield her Mistress from the rays of the sun while allowing her to feel the fresh breeze of the verdant planet. Additionally, the young woman carried a backpack with numerous tools for her comfort... and more importantly, a secret compartment for her lightsabers. Should an emergency occur, Sairin trusted the young woman to hand the weapons promptly. On the scholar's other side walked Aleera, her Echani bodyguard clad in simple vest and trousers... with a blaster pistol hanging from her hip and a vibroblade hanging from a sheath at her back.

The plan was rather simple... a small lie hidden in truths. Sairin will appear as a wealthy scholar from Coruscant, perhaps a noble from some far away planet... in passing fancy visiting the planet and planing on doing research within, perhaps publish an article about it or set a story within if there was nothing more... interesting about it. However, Sairin was confident that she could get some interesting insights about the place from the very person ruling it. And thus, she reached the house of the Governor, having already sent prior word of her approach and awaited the moment of her meeting.

Lycon Regius - Governor's Residence

Lycon walked out onto the courtyard to see the animal for himself. A visit from a Coruscant dignitary was rare, but they never failed to bring the most interesting personalities. This particular woman seemed almost like the queen of an ancient culture riding atop the mighty beast, with a pair of servants attending her on foot. She claimed to be a scholar, but her arrival coincided with so many others recently that Lycon had to wonder.

The governor was a tall, portly man, with white hair and a large mustache. He hated his stuffy office, and used the animal as an excuse to take the meeting outdoors into the cool evening. He spoke with the drawl of a rich plantation owner as he sauntered over to the woman,

"Good evening, Madam. I hope the late hour finds you well - with all these folks showing up at once, we've been at our wits' end trying to keep up."

edited 28th Feb '14 9:25:27 PM by StygianEmperor

Zelska's
"Try not to breathe too much of this planet's air," Jax replied to Koh after sitting down at the table. He made no move to remove his own helmet like the Rally Master had done, leaving it in place to form a protective barrier between him and the rest of the planet. "It makes me sick just thinking about it, I don't know how you can let that trash inside your lungs."

"That's quite a brave little droid," he mused as he turned and waited for Gorlash's next joke.

Gorlash started sweating even more as not one, but two Mandalorians walked into the bar. He really had better start selling these jokes or else things might get nasty.

"...I mean does anyone really understand how a lightsaber actually works? I don't even think the Jedi do. You always hear people talk about "crystals" and "the Force" when they're trying to describe how it functions but I'm pretty sure the words "crystals" and "Force" are slang terms for glitterstim." Gorlash continued.

Damn. With the Sith around, he probably shouldn't have brought up lightsabers but there was only so much inoffensive material that he had on him at a time.

Carin leaned back against the wall of bottles and various containers behind him with a grin as he listened to the comedian "Got to say, he is a lot better than the ones we usually get here he said with a chuckle. But not without worrying throwing glances at the Sith every now and then.

"He can't realize who I am, can he?" The almost panicing thoughts ran through his head "Why are they coming here now?! Was it because of the disturbence?"

edited 28th Feb '14 3:15:45 PM by clawthewolf

Sairin dismounted from Cleir with the help of Aleera while Sarah dutifully closed the umbrella and folded it for greater portability. She then gave a small bright smile to the local Governorn, making an elegant bow and reassuring him to come closer to inspect and perhaps touch her Tusk Cat.

"And yet, despite all the arrivals your port officials quickly, politely and efficiently settled me and mine on nice private hangar. Such good management speaks well of your state" says Sairin as she takes seat "Good evening to you as well, Milord. Sarah, please bring it out"

The red haired slave woman then opened up her backpack, producing from within a fine square box which she promptly set upon the table.

"A blend of spices and teas from the Capital, a Taste of the Galaxy, I believe it is called. I hope you may accept this humble gift for the kindness I've been shown and the hospitality of your city I'm sure I'll delight in the coming days. I have to say, after so much time in Coruscant this is quite a lovely change of scenery... I've been taken breathless by the sight of your planet as we descended upon it. It reminds me of landscapes of my youth"

Lycon Regius - Governor's Residence

The governor took Sairin's hand, kissing it politely.

"I am honored, madam," he opened the box and peered over its contents, "Truly. But I must ask, what is it precisely you intend to study here? Is this Republic business?"

Uziel Astaroth - Zelska's

Uziel smiled encouragingly at the act, but the Trandoshan seemed to be losing his nerve. His voice began to falter, and he was losing the audience with his awkward timing. Uziel glanced over at the newest arrivals to Zelska's: two Mandalorians wearing the armor of the Neo-Crusaders. A wave of excitement ran up his cybernetic spine; Mandalorians almost always meant trouble. Uziel found it hard to keep his mind on the comedian as he wondered if the two warriors had come specifically for him.

edited 28th Feb '14 3:52:13 PM by StygianEmperor

"Oh nothing as complex as that, my good Governor" says Sairin politely as she sets her hands demurely overly her lap "This is an enterprise I took of my own and on a bit of a whim I must admit. I still must inform some members of my household about my sudden shift in plans, however opportunities for knowledge favor the bold and those who seize the moment"

"However, to begin properly I must say that I had your planet in my sights to visit since some time before. I make it tradition to spend at least a month or so every year exploring new settlements, cultures and planets... their story, lay of the land, flora, fauna and the people who live within. And a favorite place of mine to visit are lush planets like this one... full of life, opportunity and the noble efforts of their inhabitants" says Sairin with the wistful tone of one speaking of dream like memories of wonder.

"Still, what really cemented my visit and the promptness of it on a season that I tend to spend working in short tales based on my findings is because of a pattern that I felt... the increased traffic to your planet being a part of it. I saw sudden and increased interest in your planet, Governor and curious creature that I am I wished to investigate"

"Now, the biggest lead I actually got came from an acquittance in the Jedi Temple. They feel something related to the 'Force', to the invisible energy of the Universe is happening here... and that is drawing all sort of curious people to seek it. I could only take their word for it, but as we approached the planet even I could feel it. Now, I'm not part of the orders or sects who dwell in such esoteric topics, though I'm said to possess some degree of Sensitivity to such things. Likewise, my acquittance and some books taught me some meditation techniques during the which I can certainly feel a degree of closeness to the Universe as a whole. That is how from my ship I was able to perceive it Governor... subtle but there, a shift and a tug on the weaving of energies"

With that, Sairin leaned her head a bit closer to the man, her eyes seemingly gleaning with pure scholarly curiosity and vibrant passion "And between the two of us, I wish to find it, Milord. See with my very eyes what is drawing these people to the planet. Could it be that perhaps, you have any inkling, any hint as to this I am talking about?"

Lycon Regius - Governor's Residence

Lycon's mind began to wander as the dignitary spoke of the Force, and intangible energies. He never cared for such lofty subjects, but it sounded like this woman was investigating the sudden increase in traffic to his planet. His resources were stretched thin, and his own agents weren't having any luck coming up with the answer. In Sairin Lanarn he saw a potential solution.

"I'm afraid I don't, madam. I think we were all wandering what might be driving these off-worlders here. If you're aiming to find out - and you say you've got some sense for it - then I'd be happy to help you in any capacity. I don't know how well I could pay you, but you're welcome to look at our historical archives and holomaps if that'll help. Just promise you'll let me know what you find."

edited 28th Feb '14 9:23:20 PM by StygianEmperor

Governor's Residence

Isica folded her hands in her lap and leaned back a little into the bench, her lightsaber hilts fortunately fitting easily into the space between the seat and the backrest. It wasn't a very comfortable bench; it looked brand-new, though, and still smelled very faintly of paint. The air-traffic controller had sounded somewhat flustered, too. Perhaps the influx of visitors to the planet was taxing Klovaanis's meager resources... or perhaps the Governor was doing some taxing of his own, scrambling to make himself presentable as people came from offworld? That was probably unwarranted suspicion, however. She would see when she met the Governor.

He was apparently in a meeting right now; she could vaguely sense his presence nearby, probably in the courtyard. There were others with him, too - three other humanoids and a large cat of some kind. They were more worrying... all three of them were bathed in the Dark Side. She drew a breath, then let it out slowly. This was a time for restraint. The meeting with the governor was more important.

edited 28th Feb '14 9:05:41 PM by RedSavant

Lycon Regius and Sairin - Governor's Residence

Sairin for her part couldn't be happier about the results of her meeting with the Governor. Sure, it would have been good if he had given her a lead on the disturbance... however, the consolation prize of digging through their archives was truly a boon. What could she say? Even if it was just the data of a backwater planet, Sairin loved to horde and shift through information.

Their chat lasted for a little while more, as he authorized her access to the records back on the center of governance, they spoke a little about the galaxy from Sairin and the planet by him and then exchanged polite farewells.

"Well then, Lord Regius... We'll be in contact as soon as I find anything. Have a pleasant evening" says Sairin, astride in her Tusk Cat once again as she rides out of the governors courtyard and towards the streets... her entourage at her side right as she passes the other person waiting for a meeting with the Governor. She dedicates her a single sideways glance as she passes and a pleasant smile before going off into the streets.

Soon enough, Isica would hear a servant of the of the household call her to the courtyard to meet with the Governor.

Governor's Residence

Isica made no outward sign of following the Governor's previous guest as she left - the gesture might have made others feel more at ease, but it wasn't particularly useful, or necessary, when sitting by oneself. Still, there was no doubt about it - the woman who had smiled at her, a surprisingly young and pretty woman, was the source of the Dark Side influence she'd felt in the courtyard. It was faint, but there - a shimmering of darkness around her, like a blurring of the lines of her presence. It hadn't been outside her expectations to see a Sith or three here, but still...

"Governor Regius," she said as she stepped carefully down onto the well-manicured cut stone path into the courtyard. "I'm sorry for disturbing you; you must be rather busy, I imagine. My name is Isica Vann, though that's not the name on my landing permit, nor is it the name I intend to go by on this planet. Instead, please call me Xa Tian." She took a few steps closer to the Governor, placing her steps carefully on the stones. "I'm here to offer you my services." Careful not to make any sudden moves that might push the guards to action, she reached into her cloak and pulled one of her lightsabers free from her belt, holding it out across her palms. "Surely you know what this is, Governor."

Lycon Regius - Governor's Residence

"I doubt there is a single person in the civilized galaxy who doesn't know what that is, Madam Tian" says Regius as he nevertheless takes a good look at the exotic weapon before him. Today was proving to be quite a peculiar evening, full of interesting encounters "Though if I may be inquisitive, I'd ask as to what color the light of that saber glows by"

"Regardless of it, I must ask what kind of services a man like me should require from one who... dabbles in the ways of the Force"

Zelska's
Jax glanced around, taking in the new jokes.

"Well, can you feel anything now that we're here?" he asked his son. "Anything about that disturbance? The sooner we get our hands on whatever it is, the sooner we can get off of this planet. Sell it to those limp-wristed nobles. If it's rare enough, we can finally get a corvette. I'm sure the big guy would like the extra space. Maybe a frigate, if the price is right. Well... a frigate by Republic standards. Would need a retrofit on the whole electrical system to put it up to a real warship's level. Kuat makes passable ships, and the fools in the Senate show their preference for the founding shipwrights, there's bound to be some decommissioned ships for a good price on the market."

"Heh," he added, mainly to himself. "Decommissioning. That's a joke if I've heard one."