Ask A Most Venerable Vault

[Hauron Solus]

Per OP template this thread is death enabled

Spoiler: Music

Song

Hauron sat at the controls of the Werda Kom'rk as the unnamed moon grew larger before him. He was joined by his foundling Larrik and dozen other Mandalorians of diverse background and armoring. His concern was mainly on Larrik though. The boy had proved tenacious and capable on more than one account. One such event had led to Hauron discovering important information about a crashed Venator class star destroyer. The name of the ship was the Tribunal and its last voyage had been one focused on transporting an infamous Sith, Darth Maul. Now the crew and its cargo had long since left. But there were still possible dangers on the moon along with other parties interested in looting the star destroyer.

<"We don't know what we'll find waiting for us so be prepared for anything."> He urged Larrik as they descended through the atmosphere. The bladed wings of the gauntlet class transport rotated around the main fuselage and prepared for a landing. So far no aerial contacts were detected by the ship's advanced sensors. But machines could be tricked and they could break. It was important to not rely on them too heavily so his eyes remained pealed for any sign of danger.

<"Our ship doesn't have a lot of cargo capacity so this is just a scouting mission. Anything we find of significance we'll need to call the rest of Rancor Squadron to come pick up with a bigger ship."> The Forge Master did not want to divert assets to come in the event the holds of the Tribunal were empty. The entire ship could be scrapped for parts already by Jawas for all he knew. Anything they found over a few tons would have to be picked up later.

It was not long before the massive shape of the crashed Venator loomed before them. No energy readings were detected nor significant life signs. There could be wildlife inside but the capital ship's hull was thick and prevented scans from penetrating deep. The surrounding terrain was rocky and the climate borderline arctic. But at least the air was breathable and the gravity was relatively normal. The Mikkian looked Larrik over to make sure the foundling was equipped and squared away before they locked the Werda Kom'rk down and left it behind.

@LouJoVi

 

[Larrik]

Larrik watched while the Werda Kom'rk approached the moon. He was excited with the idea of visiting an unnamed astronomical object. He felt like one of these explorers that visited the planets and gave names to them. “<Do you think that we can give a name to it?>” he said in Mando’a. The boy was finally learning how to talk in this language, but his accent was still thick.

“<I’m prepared>” the boy said, tapping the Blurrg 1120 that was in his belt. Since that first field mission between the two of them, Larrik always carried the small blaster with him. He had also started to wear a Mandalorian helmet, showing that he was a Foundling. It was on his lap at the moment, since only members of the Rancor Squad were in the ship.

The Foundling listened to the rest of Hauron’s instructions, but his eyes never left the approaching moon. The ship was now approaching the surface, allowing Larrik to see the mountains and some plains.

The most impressive, however, was the remains of the Venator. It could be very damaged due to the years, but Larrik could still see how big that thing was. He wondered how must have been flying on that ship. The Foundling put on his helmet and walked toward Hauron, staying by his side.

@Darasuum

 

[Hauron Solus]

Hauron thought about his foundling's question for a moment before answering. <"I don't see why not. I'm not sure what it takes for that kind of thing to stick but I'm sure giving it a good name might be part of it. What kind of name seems fitting?"> He encouraged Larrik to think up one, curious to hear his answer. The language lessons were going well by the sound of it and continued practice would turn to perfection eventually. Hauron barely had his own Mikkian accent anymore.

The Kom'rk landed softly with Hauron at the controls. Soon they would disembark but not before the Group Leader ordered four of the warriors to remain on guard at the ship. <"Set up a small camp and keep an eye on the scanners and communications. If any pirates or smugglers come through I want to know about it."> They might end up getting bored but at least they would have some heat with the ship. There was no shame in being the rear guard. They might have higher chances of being the ones to come in and save the day if the exploration team got into trouble.

The ten Mandalorians, including Larrik and Hauron, moved towards the crashed hulk of the ship once called the Tribunal. A Venator class star destroyer was over a kilometer long and was still mostly in one piece. Obvious damage was indicated where internal explosions had ruptured outward and compromised the hull's integrity. <"Alright, I'll lead the first time to the bridge to find out what the ship has and the state its in. I can run diagnostics from there. Second team, head to the reactor and see if there's a safe way to get power to this ship. Let's hope we don't need to lug a gonk droid through this star destroyer."> Without power traversing the Tribunal would be a pain to say the least. They would only be inside a dead skeleton of a ship and be forced to search each compartment one by one, prying open blast doors in the dark. But Hauron did not want the ship to explode as soon as they tried turning it on. Who knows what kind of compromises plagued the Venator after its crash.

<"Larrik, you're with me."> He said as the two teams split up if it was not obvious. The Solus wanted to keep an eye on the kid even if he was becoming more capable by the day. He was not ready for the verd'ghoten plus Hauron worried about his well being.

@LouJoVi

 

[Larrik]

Larrik thought deeply about a good name for this moon. It should be something easy to remember, but also epic. After all, they were Mandalorians and epicness was natural to them, or at least it was what the Foundling thought. He believed that there was no one more epic than Hauron. Maybe he would be this way after growing up.

After some time thinking, Larrik turned to look back at Hauron. “<I don’t know yet. But during the mission I’ll have an idea of how it could be called. It must be a Mando’a name!>” he said, thinking that it would make the Galaxy know that this place was named by the Mandalorians. Although, there was little chance that anyone besides them would call it with the name that he makes.

But, hey! A boy could have his dreams.

Once Hauron gave his orders and left a group at the Kom’rk to protect it, Larrik and others followed the Forge Master outside. They walked toward the fallen Venator, with the boy finally understanding how large it was. He never saw a capital ship before and even the large size of its remains left him astonished.

He turned his attention away from the ship and back to Hauron. The Mikkian explained what they were going to do, with the boy wondering if the situation inside the Venator would be so bad that it would be difficult for them to walk through it. “<Okay.>” Larrik said, before rushing to stay besides the Forge Master. “<Do you think that there will be anything working inside it?. Like, that stuff that we are after can be broken.>”

@Darasuum

 

[Hauron Solus]

Hauron found it easy to smile at Larrik. <"We have plenty of time so no rush, little one."> He patted the top of the child's helmet affectionately. The moon had gone unnamed until now so they would have ages to decide.

The Forge Master looked at Larrik as they kept pace. He asked a fair question which Hauron gave a moment's thought before replying. <"I hope it isn't all broken. We might find nothing but spare parts. But even something broken has the chance of being fixed. Maybe there's something we can learn from inside.">

The two teams walked together for some time. It was not until they got even closer to the star destroyer that they split up. There were holes and openings that allowed access to inner hallways for them to enter. The port side hangar bay was sealed shut with thick blast doors. It would take some climbing and repelling for the group to get inside. Wild avian creatures roosting in the ship flew away as the Mandalorians got near. So far they were the only hint of other living creatures on the planet.

Eventually they would enter the halls of the ship as close to the bridge as they could get. The place was pitch black except for where light peaked in through the damaged hull. Snow and frost piled in these small places as well. <"Turn on visors and lights. Try not to blind one another."> He said the last comment for Larrik's benefit mostly. The massive ship creaked and groaned with the cold winds howling outside. But the interior was relatively peaceful, if not a bit creepy. It only became more foreboding as they crossed the bodies of numerous long dead clone troopers.

Something crossed his vision down a long hallway and then was gone. Maybe it was just a shadow of something passing outside. Perhaps it was just Hauron's eyes playing tricks on him. <"I...don't think we're alone."> He held his rifle at the ready but kept moving towards the bridge. The Group Leader sent a communication to the other Mandalorians. <"Second team. We may have something prowling the halls. Stay on guard.">

@LouJoVi

 

[Larrik]

”<I hope that we can find one of those R2 droids from the Clone Wars there. They looked so much better than the ones that we have now.>” Larrik loved vintage droids. If they had the chance to find one that could be fixed, the Foundling would happily pick it as his personal astromech.

Hauron had yet to teach him how to pilot.

After the groups split, Larrik had remained with Hauron as the man had ordered him to do. Their group had walked around the ship for some time, trying to find an opening for them to enter it. They discovered an opening that was relatively close to the bridge and used it to finally get inside the old Venator.

The interior was completely dark, with Larrik not being able to see anything. The Foundling activated his visor and his flashlight after Hauron ordered it. First he saw the walls, noticing how they were decaying. Then, he noticed the armored forms of clone troopers lying in the ground. It took a moment for him to process that these people were dead, having been this way for more than a century.

He never saw so many dead people in the same place.

Larrik was so distracted by the uncomfortable feeling of being around so many corpses that he didn't notice whatever Hauron saw at the end of the corridor. However, the alert of the Forge Master brought him back from his revery. The boy picked his blaster and stayed next to the Mikkian. “<Do you think that it can be some type of animal?>”

@Darasuum

 

[Hauron Solus]

<"They probably have some. They might be in pieces but we can probably salvage enough to at least repair one."> The Solus Forge Master tried to sound optimistic. Venators were said to have hundreds of starfighters, most of them possessing astromech droids as crew with more servicing them in the hangars. There were bound to be enough remaining in partially operable statuses.

Hauron wondered if any of them might still have data of the events that had led to this catastrophic crash. But that waited to be seen. <"I can try my hand at helping you out if you want. I know a thing or two about electronics. We can make it a project we do together."> He almost added 'as father and son' but he wondered if Larrik saw him that way. This could be also the foundling's own hobby which he did not want help on so Hauron could respect that.

The team of Mandalorians continued through the ship carefully. The prospect of dealing with a dangerous animal had crossed Hauron's mind but he wondered what kind of creatures could be native to the arctic desert of the unnamed moon. <"If it is, it's got to be a tough one."> A few moments later an echoed clang of a metal pipe falling or something shifting much deeper inside the once glorious capital ship. Every Mandalorian had heard it and knew that it confirmed they were not alone. But still, nobody had eyes on the thing that had caused the sound.

A venator had three reactors. One main one at the base of the bridge tower and centered in its bulk for most protection with two smaller ones on either wing for a total of three. The other team reached the first small port side wing reactor and reported it to be operational. It would take a few minutes for them to get it safely up and running which meant that Hauron's team would have to climb or rappel upwards multiple stories without the use of a turbo lift to reach the bridge. There were maintenance stairways but it would take them a bit of effort to climb all the way up. The Solus was not entirely sure he wanted to trust a hundred year old turbo-lift inside a crashed ship anyways.

As they began their climb there would be signs along the railing and walls of claw marks. The size of the grooves were like those of a vibro-blade and looked to belong to something as large or larger than the average humanoid. Dents in the steps hinted at something heavy or strong slamming into the foot paths. A whiff of animal musk drafted through the halls overlayed by the smell of long decayed biological tissue that penetrated even Hauron's helmet filters. The clone troopers had died long ago so maybe this creature was just a scavenger and not a predator. But he was not leaving anything to chance and kept glancing towards Larrik, making sure he was close behind him and not getting separated.

@LouJoVi

42/100 for reactor status

 

[Larrik]

”<Cool! We can repaint it too, right?>” the positive answer from Hauron was already enough to make Larrik’s eyes shine with excitement, but if he said that the boy could paint the droid in the way that he wanted, the Foundling would be even more excited with the idea.

“<I would like that!>” the boy smiled, happy for Hauron having offered help. The Foundling could like droids, but he had no idea of how to fix them. Besides that, he liked the Mandalorian’s company. The Mikkian had become like a second father for him. However, he had yet to voice this opinion.

Larrik remained in silence when Hauron said that whatever he saw could be a tough animal. He had recognized the voice tone that the Mikkian used to say it, the one that the Forge Master used when giving orders. The Foundling learned that the situation was serious when the older Mandalorian talked this way.

As if answering the seriousness of the situation, something fell in the distance and the sound echoed through the ship. The boy thought that it was creepy, like a horror movie.

Due to the age of the ship, the turbo-lifts probably were broken. Or should be broken, but no one wanted to enter it to test if they were working. They were forced to climb a service stairway, but Larrik wasn’t going to complain. It was better than trying to use the lift and it collapsing over them.

The Foundling was right behind Hauron while they climbed the stairway. He noticed strange marks in the walls. Were those claws? And what was that terrible smell? These questions were moving around Larrik’s mind, while he hoped that a beast would not hump from the shadows and grab him.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Hauron Solus]

<"Any color you want."> Hauron answered with an encouraging tone. <"We can even do camouflage, maybe flames or flowers. The sky's the limit."> He wanted to foster Larrik's creative side and feel like he had the freedom to do what he had a passion for. The same would be true for the foundling's armor when he got older and bigger. One of the best tools at a warrior's disposal was their ingenuity. Not only would it improve Larrik's survival but it would hopefully make him a happier person when all was said and done.

<"I almost forgot, I visited Onderon recently and met a boy about your age. His name is Jaster Kovan and I think you two would make good friends. Maybe the next time I visit you can join me and meet him."> While there were other foundlings that were raised among the ranks of Rancor Squadron there were also Mandalorian foundlings outside of the mercenary company. But even then Hauron wanted Larrik to be exposed to other children his age. It would help him get a perspective beyond the narrow mindset of a warrior.

Further thoughts about the droid repair and socializing would have to wait. A serious air perpetuated around the squad of Mandalorians as they progressed further through the interior of the Venator. Hauron was glad to work out as much as he did and practice drills with all of his warriors. He maintained a healthy lifestyle but climbing story after story was not an easy task.

Eventually they came to the bridge with its blast doors sealed off. One of his Lieutenants got to work accessing a manual over-ride that thankfully pulled the doors apart far enough for them to enter single file. Inside the bridge there were piles of snow accumulated around the broken windows. Hauron turned off his visor mode as it was no longer needed but kept a flashlight to illuminate the dark corners. The musky smell from inside had lessened thanks to the chilling airflow but there were still signs of claw marks here and there. If Hauron had to guess, the creature that was eluding them was capable of scaling the outer hull and had climbed in through one of the windows to make a small 'nest' among the debris.

As Hauron drew close to one of the terminals not blanketed in rime he stopped short. His head tendrils twitched underneath his helm as a deep growl rolled from the shadows of the bridge's ceiling. Anyone that looked up would see a pair of eyes glinting the light from outside and the hand held flashlights back at them. Dropping heavily from the ceiling, a white furred creature pounced on the nearest Mandalorian Lieutenant and sent them to crashing roughly prone onto the deck. Their blaster was knocked from their hands and the weight of the attack may have even knocked them unconscious.

The Forge Master wheeled around with his weapon raised. Hauron was mindful of where he was shooting, not wanting to risk hitting a fellow Mandalorian. He fired twice but the light damage of his sonic rifle did not do a great deal against the beast. It had a semi-intelligent look to its eyes as it roared at the Solus, exposing rows of sharp teeth. Rather than wait to get shot more times it ran for the opening it was familiar with, the windows. As it ran Hauron and the others fired after it but only a few shots managed to land and seemed to be superficial injuries. The thing climbed outside and around the exterior until it was out of sight. The clattering of its claws against the outer hull were soon lost among the noise of the inclement weather. Hauron's assessment of how hardy it was had been correct. It probably was not even that well fed but seemed to be dangerous all the same.

The injured Mandalorian soon became the Forge Master's priority. The training from Doctor Croncu would come in handy to assess their injuries. Thankfully, it seemed like just a mild concussion and no lasting damage had been endured. Reports from the reactor followed a moment later saying it would soon be operational for their testing. But now they had to remain on guard in case that thing came back. Maybe there were even more of them.

@LouJoVi

37/100 barely a success

 

[Larrik]

”<Camouflage is cool!>” Larrik said, preferring it over flames or flowers. They would attract too much attention to his droid. He wanted to use it in missions, being able to hide would be useful. An astromech full of painted blazes would not be the most discreet.

“<Really? I never was in Onderon before.>” honestly, Larrik never was in many places. Since he joined the Rancor Squad, the Foundling had visited several other planets. He also met other people of his age, but the boy struggled to make friends with them. Due to his past in the streets, he didn’t trust them so easily.

However, Larrik was still interested in trying to make friends. He saw how the members of the Rancor Squad were united and it made him want to experiment that too. Maybe Hauron was right, he and that other boy could be friends. “<Yes, I would like to go there with you.>” the Foundling smiled, but he wasn’t feeling totally sure about the outcome of this meeting.

Eventually, they arrived at the bridge. The blast doors were sealed off, probably due to the fall of the ship. Larrik looked around, watching every single detail. It was strange to think that this old place was part of one of the largest wars of the Galaxy.

Suddenly, Larrik heard a commotion in front of him. Turning to look, the Foundling saw a creature jumping out of the shadows toward Hauron and another Mandalorian. The boy grabbed his blaster and fired at it with the others, but there was no effect. Soon, the animal escaped.

Larrik rushed toward Hauron, his concern hidden behind his helmet. “<Are you okay?>”

@Darasuum

 

[Hauron Solus]

Hauron looked towards Larrik, giving the foundling a once over. He was glad to see the young Mandalorian was unharmed. Furthermore, he was pretty sure the kid had landed a few shots with his blaster pistol. Regardless of the effect, it was good marksmanship. Had he been bigger and carrying a more powerful weapon he may have even dropped the beast with his shots.

<"I'm okay."> The Forge Master had not been harmed in the least. His lieutenant however had his bell rung. It was important to check them for a concussion. In the end they would seem fine despite the intensity of the ambush.

<"Are you okay?"> He looked Larrik over. The animal had not gotten close to the foundling as far as he could tell but the event itself may have rattled him.

There was still the matter of running diagnostics throughout the Tribunal. His team went to work doing that for him. One of the perks of leading a mercenary company was that he did not have to do all the work himself even if Hauron was perfectly capable. Communication between the separated squads continued and would take a few minutes to complete at a minimum. Until then there was a careful eye and ear at the ready for any sign of the creature returning. For now though it seemed like it had been scared off.

@LouJoVi

 

[Larrik]

Larrik was relieved when he saw that Hauron wasn’t hurt. The same couldn’t be said by another member of the Rancor Squad. The Mandalorian was hurt by the creature and it seemed to be serious, being enough for the Forger Master to order others to carry them back to their ship.

He hoped that they would be fine.

“<I’m fine. It didn’t got near me.>” Larrik said, giving a reassuring smile. “<I even think that I hit it with some bolts.>” he showed his small blaster to the Forge Master, his smile becoming a bit cocky. The firing training that the Foundling had been receiving was bearing fruit. Perhaps he would become an incredible marksman like Hauron some day.

With the creature having fled, the Mandalorians were allowed to work in the Tribunal. Larrik decided to remain close to Hauron, just in case the animal returned and he had to help the Forge Master fight it. It wasn’t because he was afraid, not really.

“<Do you know what was that thing?>” he asked, looking toward the path that the animal used to flee. Larrik had his doubts if Hauron knew what it was. This was a barely known moon, after all. “<Do you think that it’ll return?>”

@Darasuum

 

[Hauron Solus]

A brief nod from the helmeted Mikkian was granted towards the foundling. <"I saw. Well done, Larrik."> Positive reinforcement was important. But he did not want the foundling to get too caught up in his pride either or be distracted from the present. Otherwise Hauron would have spent more time on the subject. He was brief, and supportive.

For the duration that they were on the bridge of the Tribunal he moved between several terminals. The room was large and for only a handful of Mandalorians it was a lot of work. The Forge Master did his best to explain what it was he was doing so that Larrik understood what was going on. The records for the Venator class star destroyer would be collected for transfer in a few moments.

<"No. It's dangerous though. We should remain on guard."> He calmly advised while opening up a panel at knee height to connect some split wires. The beast was probably just trying to survive like any animal was. Hauron did not know if it was a predator or scavenger, maybe it was a devolved life form from spending generations on this backwater planetoid. He was not a xenobiologist and only knew what he did from hunting various creatures. <"Perhaps."> He answered regarding the chances of it returning. But it had been hurt. It seemed smart enough to not try directly attack the Mandalorians.

Records of the ship's manifest and logs would paint a picture of what was potentially still in the ship. "Huh." He remarked absentmindedly after passing through astromech listings. <"There's a...vault, er...sarcophagus?"> Hauron began to explain his peaked interest and change in tone. It did not sound certain but instead was curious. Whatever it was, they would find out when they checked vast cargo holds. The listings told them where it was. <"This ship's last voyage was transporting a Sith, Darth Maul, inside of this thing before it crashed. I wonder if it's recoverable.">

There was more information about the rest of the ship that told the Group Leader how damaged it was and what was still salvageable. But before he could peruse the rest of it there was an incoming message from the Werda Kom'rk. <"Group Leader, we have detected a 5-T freighter with fighter escort is approaching from hyperspace vectors. It will be arriving on the planet shortly. All signs indicate scavengers....or pirates.">

Hauron had predicted that such a group would be coming eventually. But now on top of the local creature it made things difficult. <"Alright, limit long range communications between teams. Inform the other squad and don't let the scavengers know you're here. We'll deal with them once they've landed."> Keep a low profile, let the new arrivals think they were alone and catch them unawares. They were likely the same type of people that had worked with the gangs on Ord Mantell to indenture children like Larrik. If Hauron had to guess they were also well armed and willing to deal with any threats they came across.

Looking up from the terminal he relayed the information to his squad. <"It looks like we're going to be joined by some unfriendly types. Finish up what you're doing and get ready to move. A new potential acquisition has just made itself known."> It was time to steal from some potential looters.

@LouJoVi