Ask Luxury Doom Liner

Thel Xeros

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Kril’dor. A gas giant in the mid-rim and, most importantly, a source of Tibanna. The gas mined there was still a valuable commodity throughout the galaxy. Despite the Sith’s weakened position, sympathisers and devotees could still be found. One such individual was the son of the owner of a Tibanna mining facility on Kril’dor. He was interested in cooperating with the Sith, but he had to gain control of the facility from his father first. His father needed to be taken out of the picture.

A corporate get together had been planned and those running the facility had hired a cruise liner for it. The conspirator’s father would be there. The ship’s pilot had plotted a course that took it within fairly close proximity of a small moon. This presented an opportunity…

The instructions Thel had been given where clear: make sure the ship suffers an unfortunate “accident”, killing all those on board. It was vital to ensure that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the ship’s impending accident, to prevent there being any delays in the facility passing from father to son.

Thel had asked that he be allowed to bring someone to help, and he had found someone. Someone he had met before. Nico Vandron. Vandron could be difficult, but he seemed competent. The two Sith had been supplied with invitations to the gathering. They were both given false identities, presenting them as representatives of a fictitious company.

Thel stood at the bar, in the main hall. He had asked Vandron to meet him later in the evening. The room was bustling with activity. A large dance floor in the middle of the room was filled with people and the tables surrounding the dance floor were occupied by people carousing. Thel had chosen to wear his black robes, cloak and leather boots. He did look somewhat out of place, but the party goers were enjoying themselves too much to take any notice. He could have chosen to wear a trendier outfit, but there was part of him that wanted to get a reaction out of Vandron. When they previously met, Vandron had taken to calling him “Vamps”. He didn’t see the harm in gently poking fun at that. His lightsaber remained concealed by the cloak.

@Alhon
 

Nico Vandron

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Nico weaved between the many guests filling the cruise liner’s main club, his grandiose outfit glittering in the strobe lights. He might be on a mission, but try as he might he found it near impossible to dress down. Instead, he had once again leaned into his cover, flaunting his exotic looks and high fashion to hopefully woo anyone he needed to.

The Sennexian was in two minds about this venture. He did enjoy the chance to move among the rich and powerful and secure gains for the Order from which he could extract his own tithe, But the risks were great. Apparently, they did not just need to put an end to their new ally’s father, but the entire ship’s compliment. It seemed as rather drastic solution to a small, specific problem.

He spied Thel by the bar. It was not hard, the fool had not altered his appearance one jot to fit in. “Vamps“ he acknowledged quietly, slipping in beside the other Sith but not giving him overt eye contact. “In the black garb again I see. Are you trying to get us killed before we even start?“.

Nico made a show of perusing the cocktail menu for something refined, listening intently for Thel‘s reply. Not that there was any excuse for the vampire act.

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Thel Xeros

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Thel kept an eye out for Vandron. When he did come strolling along, he wasn’t difficult to miss. He was dressed in what could only be described as an extravagant outfit.

Vandron took a place at the bar, next to Thel. “Vandron,” he replied, with a slight smile. He kept his eyes on the dance floor in front of them, but he did raise an eyebrow at Vandron’s comment.

This is a party Vandron. Not a restricted area. Anyway, most people here are too drunk to notice.” He briefly glanced over as Vandron looked at the cocktail menu. “Speaking of clothing, it’s nice to see you chose something so understated,” he commented, with a hint of sarcasm. He quite enjoyed the back-and-forth with Vandron.

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Nico Vandron

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Nico chose a drink and sipped at it, scoffing at Thel's reply. It was true the Champion's outfit did not break any laws, but the rules of fashion and good taste were another thing entirely.

"This is entirely appropriate evening wear where I come from" the Sennexian shot back, not expecting Thel to critique his own look. "If you're just jealous of the tan, you can say. I'm afraid it's natural". They probably both looked dark and mysterious in their own way, but Thel's pale complexion made him look particularly foreboding.

"So I gather we are once again called on arrange some untimely deaths?". Nico was only a mere acolyte and his information was limited. To his chagrin, Thel was leading on this one and would hopefully know more.

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Thel Xeros

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Thel resisted the urge to smirk, when Vandron came back at him. Nice to know I can get a rise out of him.

Ah, so it is natural. Don’t enjoy the sun too much though, it can put years on your appearance,” he remarked, making light of his fellow Sith’s vanity.

Yes, everyone on this ship,” he replied. He took no pleasure in what they would have to do. “We’re going to make sure this ship crashes into a nearby moon. So, when you’ve finished your drink, we can begin. The bridge isn’t too far from here.

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Nico Vandron

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Thel was proving more spicy than Nico had anticipated and he flushed in spite of himself. "As if you're giving out skincare advice grandad". Thel was perhaps only fifteen years or so older, but the acolyte did not care. He worked hard to look so much better than everyone else and hated when others did not recognise it. His mother had called it a thin skin, but what did she know.

"Just a minute" Nico hissed, stepping around Thel and making a show of gesturing as if they were exchanging words for the first time. He kept his voice low.

"This is no military ship sure, but there are dozens of people aboard at least". He racked his brains for what had to be a thousand other obstacles. "Presumably there are crew, security? Systems to prevent crashes?". While Nico was confident of overcoming lesser beings, he was less sure how one crashed a ship of this size without the occupants averting it. He also wanted to know how they avoided being among the dead.

Above all, he was certainly not walking into any bridge without a plan. "I take it you have a strategy, beyond looking dreadful?".

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Thel Xeros

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Thel chuckled slightly in response to Vandron’s skincare comment. “True. I suppose that would probably be your area of expertise.

He was slightly surprised when Vandron stepped around him and began questioning him, though he remained stony-faced. He was calm because the task seemingly wasn’t a hugely difficult one. Especially compared to his recent exploits on Excarga and Atravis. He wasn’t a person who was prone to overconfidence.

There is a small crew and a fairly insignificant security detail. The systems we need are controlled from the bridge. The challenge is making sure we get there without raising the alarm.” He looked out over the dance floor, before turning back to the acolyte.

Don’t worry, everything is under control. Including our method of escape. Do try to keep calm though. You seem rather agitated.” He stepped forward, passed Vandron. “Ah, that reminds me,” he said, turning around. “You’ll need this,” he stated, discreetly slipping a comlink to Vandron. “It’s synced to mine. Now let’s go.

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Nico Vandron

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The more senior Sith did not surrender and his riposte on the subject of skincare almost made Nico smile. Were they joking with one another here? It was not something he did often.

Thel certainly took charge, assuring Nico that all was in hand and swiftly dismissing all of his concerns. The Sennexian was unsure whether it could really be that simple, but the Champion's impassive face was difficult to read. "I'm not agitat-" but Nico's whisper was curtailed by Thel slipping a comlink into his hand. Unable to break cover, he could do little but turn and follow.

He let Thel walk off first, leaving a little distance between them as they left the bar so it was not immediately apparent they were acting in concert. There were couples and a few evening guests traversing the corridors, but all the same Nico felt increasingly conspicuous in his evening attire. "You got a plan for getting into the bridge?" he whispered into his comlink.

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Thel Xeros

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Thel walked around the dance floor and out of the main hall. Vandron was following behind and had opted to keep some distance between them. There were a few other guests roaming the corridors, but most were in the main hall enjoying the party. He moved his hand to his mouth, concealing the comlink, and replied to Nico’s question. “Yes. Nothing too intricate. But I do.” Rounding a corner, he spotted what he was looking for: an elevator with a guard stationed in front of it. He was fairly short, blonde and blue eyed. He looked like he was perhaps in his twenties. His beige uniform was neat and tidy.

Ah, good evening,” Thel exclaimed cheerfully, as he approached the guard.

Good evening, sir. Enjoying the festivities,” the guard replied chirpily.

Yes, though there was one thing…

What would that be sir?

As a VIP, I wish to take a tour of the upper deck, specifically the bridge. You will escort me and my colleague.” As he spoke, he made a subtle gesture of the hand towards the guard. The guard shook his head slightly, seemingly confused. “I…will escort…you and…your colleague,” he said, in an almost trance like state.

Good.” He raised his comlink. “Come on Vandron.” He did have alternatives, if the mind trick hadn’t worked, but it seemed the most straightforward way to get onto the upper deck. The next step was getting onto the bridge itself.

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Nico Vandron

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The guard took them up in the lift with little more than a casual gesture from Thel. Nico had enjoyed some success with mental manipulation himself in the past, but was not yet as confident in the other Sith. If it had not worked, they could both be under arrest by now.

They arrived at the bridge deck and the guard led them out, somewhat uncertainly, his usual character seemingly at odds with Thel's influence. "This is the erm, bridge deck, I am really not much of a tour guide. That said, if we go this way you can see that the bar area and dancefloor can be viewed in full from the mezzanine...".

The fool was leading them the opposite way to the bridge, Nico could tell, but what could be done about it was less obvious. "How about the bridge itself?" he said forcefully, grabbing the guard's arm and steering him around to lead them in the other direction. He channeled his will towards the man "I would so love to see all the controls". It sounded like nonsense, but the man was in their grip and he bought it well enough.

"We're making it up as we go along here..." Nico whispered to Thel as they approached the bridge doors. A couple of guards and a sergeant stood ready, looking more formidable than the regular security personnel downstairs.

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Thel Xeros

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The guard began to lead them away from the bridge. Thel didn’t want to be too forceful with them. Nico took the initiative and prompted the guard to lead them towards the bridge.

As they approached the bridge doors, three rather large guards came into sight. Thel preferred to avoid violence before they actually got onto the bridge. The sergeant, a tall bearded man, addressed the guard. “What are you doing up here with these two,” he asked firmly. The guard was still under Thel’s influence and he rubbed his forehead. “Uh, I’m giving them a tour, sir. They’re guests,” he replied, his words slightly slurred. “Have you been drinking? You know full well that guests shouldn’t be up here.” Thel realised it was going to be difficult to pass by peacefully, but he made one last effort to try and avoid subduing them. “If I may just say, we’re friends of the CEO, hence why we were invited to this gathering. Surely a small look at the bridge wouldn’t do any harm.” The sergeant’s mind was unchanged. “I’m sorry gentlemen, I don’t care who you’re connected to. Rules are rules.

What a shame.

When he had previously worked with the Sith known as Chirikyât, she had used telepathy to communicate with him. He decided now would be an opportune moment to employ the same method. He directed his words into Nico’s mind. “You deal with the two on the left. The two on the right are mine.” Fortunately, there were only four of them and they were right outside the bridge. Success hinged on Nico being able to quickly eliminate the two guards Thel prompted him to deal with. As the sergeant reached towards Thel’s arm, he took action. Quickly reaching for his saber, he unclipped it and swung upwards from his left hip as he ignited the blade. The blade sliced through the sergeant’s chest, and his body collapsed back. Thel swiftly spun to the right and impaled the guard who had brought them up in the elevator. He pulled the blade from their chest and the dead body fell to the ground. Hopefully Nico had dealt with the other two. It would then just be a case of entering the bridge.

(Failed dice roll to persuade sergeant to allow entry to the bridge.)

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Nico Vandron

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Nico watched impassively as Thel tried to persuade the men to let them through. He had never spent much time trying to learn such soft skills himself, having always been more drawn to the Dark Side’s potential to deal out shock and awe. He could have had a go at frightening the guards into submission, but it was too late for that now.

He heard Thel’s instruction well enough and found himself keen to drop the act in any case. Nico moved like a viper, reaching inside his silks for his saber hilt while grabbing the closest guard’s neck with his free hand and sending a spark of pain through his nervous system with the Force. It was a technique he had perfected punishing slaves on his homeworld and the man went down crumpling in agony.

His crimson blade flared to life, a second hand basic saber that would do the job until he could build his own. He slashed up violently, opening the second guard’s torso from navel to neck in a red mist of cauterised blood. He leapt back from the mess, not a natural fan of close combat but thrilled to have done his part.

Well that felt good” he said sadistically “though I doubt this door will be so easy?”. Thel had bested the other two guards, but the bridge door was heavy duty and unlikely to be unrestricted access. Still, perhaps Vamps really did have a plan.

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Thel Xeros

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Things had mostly gone as Thel had anticipated, so far. It would have been nice to trick their way straight onto the bridge itself, but it wasn’t to be. “I am prepared. Our client gave me this.” Thel took out a small puck which looked identical to the ID pucks all the guests had been given. “It will bypass the security console and unlock the door.” Thel placed it on the panel next to the door. The device beeped for a few seconds before making a crackling sound and switching off. “What,” Thel hissed quietly. He detached the device and placed it on the panel again, with no success. “The imbecile gave me a defective device.” Thel clipped the puck back onto the back of his belt. He quickly composed himself. “A slight change of plan. I will have to find an alternative way onto the bridge.

Thel took out a small holoprojector and switched it on, revealing a schematic showing the layout of the ship, before then switching off the holoprojector. "Take this," he said, handing the holoprojector to Nico. “I had planned to send you to deal with the communications room after we had control of the bridge and I thought we could get by without shutting off the alarm system, but things have changed. The security room, which controls the alarm system, and the communications room are marked on the schematic. Deactivate the alarm system and then block communications. I will find a way onto the bridge.” He realised that his fellow Sith may not be particularly keen on following instructions, but it would be to his benefit. Nico would surely want to reap the benefits of the Sith having influence over a Tibanna mining facility. “Make sure you’re not detected.” Thel looked down at the bodies of the four dead security personnel. "We'll hide these bodies first, then we can get on with things." There was a small storage room back down the corridor which they could quickly dump the bodies in before continuing.

(OOC: Failed dice roll to have puck work.)

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Nico Vandron

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Nico would never quite get used to doing as he was told. It was not in his nature. But there were dead men at their feet and he had no better plan to suggest. He twisted his nose up all the way as they dragged the downed guards into the storage room, praying to the Force he would have chance to wash their stench off him soon.

"Two targets" he grumbled, sloping off and studying the schematic. Unsurprisingly the communications room was relatively close to the bridge and he found the door quick enough. There were no guards; a pleasure yacht was no military vessel after all.

Slashing at the keypad with his saber, Nico managed to cause the door to hiss open. A single operative sat at a large console, composing reports. Flashing red notifications illuminated his screen; the fool had picked up on the trouble and was about to signal the charter company.

Nico strode in fast, closing on the man before he could get half out of his seat and grabbing the back of his neck. "Heel, dog". He channeled his disdain for the man into him through the Force, and no small amount of fear should he fail. The comms officer cried out, convulsing in agony. The Sennexian had tortured many slaves this way and was well practiced at feeling out those nerve centers and making them squeal.

When Nico was sated, he let the man fall to the floor in a crumpled heap, passed out from the pain. He carved up the console as best he could with his crimson blade. It seemed the fastest way to terminate communications and it would not be easily repaired. He was heading on to the security room in no time, sending Thel a message to report his success.

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Thel Xeros

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Once the bodies were disposed of, Thel set about finding another way onto the bridge. Nico would hopefully take care of his tasks without too much difficulty.

Thel leaned against the wall, next to the bridge’s entrance, deep in thought. He considered different options. The puck working would have made things quite straightforward.

Suddenly, he heard a whirring sound from the bridge door. The circular panel at the centre of the door started to rotate and different clicking sounds could be heard. The door groaned as it began to slide open. At last luck seemed to be going his way. The member of the bridge crew was confronted by Thel as he stepped through the door.

A flash of crimson light was all they saw, before their dead boy dropped to the ground. Thel knew he needed to act quickly to deal with the other four. A surge of force energy, manifested in a push, sent one of the crew flying into the wall. Their head slammed hard against the metal, knocking them out. Throwing his saber in the direction of two standing near to each other, the lethal blade looped around in an arc, beheading them both. Before the saber returned to him, he shot a small surge of lightning from his fingertips at the pilot. The lightning stunned them, causing them to fall to the ground. Catching his saber, he advanced on the pilot and finished them off with a swipe from his blade.

Thel had been given instructions on programming the auto-pilot. Before beginning work on it, he received Nico’s communication. Good, hopefully we don’t have anymore issues.

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