Open Mission of Mercy: The Purchase

[Zathria]

OOC: Open to anyone wanting to be involved in this story arc. I'll be posting every few days to move this along.​

The results of the first stage of getting the Mercy Ship airborne had gone better than she had expected. Contributions made by hunting bounties and holding large fundraising events had gotten them the money they needed in order to purchase a Pelta-class frigate. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to get one new off the line, but even the second-hand models still had a great deal to offer.

Zathria climbed out of her speeder and spotted the ship in the distance. It had been put together in as close to pristine condition as a second-hand ship could be. It looked nice, and Zathria found herself excited as she waited for the others to arrive to assist her in inspecting the ship. Hopefully the inside would live up to the hype.

With a long history of acting as medical frigates, this particular Pelta had everything they needed: exam rooms, surgical suites, and more that would make outreach easier for the whole crew. While they still needed to flesh out the remainder of the day-to-day supplies, she had been surprised at how many people had volunteered to crew the ship. People were not only willing to help, they were eager to help put the galaxy back together again. It gave her hope.

 

[Carrick]

Far be it for Carrick to not see something through to the end.

He might not have been in the room with Zathria when she decided on this course of action but he had played his part and he felt he was entitled to see it through just a little bit further. A Pelta-Class frigate wouldn't have been his, personal, choice but he could see why she had decided it was a good bet as a Mercy Ship. Anything connected to a past war would have been out for him but, well, that wouldn't have left much choice he supposed.

Hopefully it wouldn't need a full refit... that would hurt the purse strings, especially with the devaluation of the Credit meaning their donations packed less punch than before. Thankfully they had over-filled their goals at the fundraiser by enough of a margin to cover that... for now.

Arriving in a speeder of his own, Carrick had forgone much in the way of security. Thankfully, being an Outed former Jedi did wonders to assuage fears he could be taken hostage.

Or maybe his new security detail wouldn't cry if he did get shot? Either way worked.

"Zathria." he called out to the Jedi Knight in greeting, "You've managed to find a rather large ship... I do hope it has advantages aside from size? They do say it's not everything after all."

No sense in being too boring right away.

@Phoenix

 

[Alexandria Voran]

The galaxy was mostly filled with disappointments. The life of a Jedi even more so. They fought a battle they were destined to lose. Fighting to preserve life while the being of the galaxy seemed content to throw it away. Their lives were sacrifice, and that was often difficult to accept. However, there were moments that fight reminded you those sacrifices were worth the risk. Alex was reminded of that fact while she raced towards the purchased frigate. Against all odds, an eclectic group of galactic citizens had managed to band together for a common purpose. Not just a common purpose but one that would make a difference. The Mercy Ship would be a testament to what they could achieve together. A chance for the Jedi to remind the galaxy they stood with life against the Darkness.

Alex slowed the speeder as she saw Zathria. She did not have the full details on the Pelta-class but all appeared in order. The frigate would need a little work. Nothing outside their abilities. It would be worth the cost. She was not one hundred percent sure just exactly what that cost might be. Dr. Morata had still not called in her favor. It would be fine. As Alex finished the final approach, another presence rang off her senses. That was an unfamiliar twang. She parked the speeder a short distance away to begin her walk. The Jedi Councilor was unmistakable in the Force. Her mind was a carefully constructed fortress, but she made no effort to conceal herself otherwise. She was among friends…she taught.

“Zathria!” She called out. “You’ve done wonderfully.” That other presence continued to ring oddly against her sense. She finally understood why when she got closer. Alex kept her face a calm Jedi mask. She had not expected this particular guest. “Secretary Carrick.” She nodded thoughtfully. “I had not expected to see you here.” She had never met the ISC Secretary of Defense but of course she knew of him and knew his story. Interesting.

@Nefieslab @Phoenix

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

There were many other places the good Doctor could be. Lounging in the warmth of Ord Mantell, dancing on Zeltros, deep in her findings on Thyferra. And yet here she was, looking at the future of yet another charitable cause. This one, thankfully, with less press hounding her heels as the final deadline for drug testing drew near. And this charitable cause in particular would work well for her.

She couldn't remember how long it had been that she had desired such ships for herself. And now, she could not only afford them, but she could purchase a fleet of them if she so desired. But that was neither here nor there.

She heard Master Voran would be there. She owed the woman an apology... but as the Telomere settled in for a landing, she noted others there. One of them, she had seen only once at some sort of party.

Senator Carrick.

Descending from the gangplank of her ship, she stood tall, surveying the Pelta-class with a critical eye. The Doctor had dressed simply, in black slacks, white button-up, her lab coat, heels, and black gloves. Long white hair had been pulled back in a low ponytail, and she clicked off her comm as she approached, every inch the calm professional. In her hand was her old black medical bag, a constant staple of the woman when she wasn't in the limelight.

"Apologies, I hope I'm not late."

@Valen Pelora @Nefieslab @Phoenix

 

[Zathria]

People began trickling in little by little, and she was glad for it. Carrick arrived first and made his "witty" joke, which earned something close to an amused eyeroll and smile from Zathria.

It has to be a mobile hospital, which means we need space, she countered, of course taking the very logical approach to things. Size was important with this ship.

Master Voran arrived next. Zathria hadn't seen her more than in passing since Sullust, and had heard about her recent promotion. An honor to be sure and a much needed leader in the Order right now, though she kept Order politics out of the equation for a moment. She noted the wary glance toward Carrick and wondered if the two of them knew each other from his days in the Order.

Thank you, Master Voran, she said, smiling widely. She was ecstatic at how things were turning out thus far. But it's really been everyone's efforts, she said, and not just out of false humility. Everyone working together had made this possible.

Doctor Morata, welcome, she said. While Zathria didn't know the woman personally, she certainly knew of her. No, you're right on time, she said.

It suddenly struck Zathria that she was far outclassed by the three individuals here and she suddenly felt like a student here to defend her thesis to a bunch of professors rather than a Jedi Knight working on a major project. It caused a momentary wave of anxiety within her and she tried to shove it directly out of her brain as quickly as she could.

She motioned toward the ship to indicate that they should head over, and started making her own way. They were greeted by the refitting crew, but as they were expected, no one stopped them as they made their way inside.

There was a great deal to see and no particular order in which to do it. The interior of the ship smelled of cleaning products, and it was clear that the ship had received a recent deep clean by the resale crew. Hopefully, it went deeper than just a superficial level.

For her part, she headed toward the cockpit first, keeping an eye on things as they went.

@Killa Ree @Valen Pelora @Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

A Jedi Councillor, the CEO of MorataCorp, the Secretary of Defense and a Jedi Knight walked into a bar... would have made for a decent joke but reality was far stranger it seemed. Because none of this was a joke and yet they were all in the same place, presumably because they had all shared a similar goal. Interesting to be certain but Carrick was mostly fine with it - unless they made something out of it, he was content to just be another backer happy to see the whole idea take flight.

And if he was seen to be doing so then all the better.

He smirked ever so slightly at her response to his needlessly dirty little comment but didn't actually say anything in response. However he did respond to the Councillor who greeted him, nodding his head to acknowledge her greeting.

"Councillor Voran." he smiled one of his political smiles that no one could say was fake but, equally, no one could call warm either, "I'm afraid I spent some time with your lovely Knight here and decided I rather enjoyed corrupting her with insights into the political landscape..."

He was joking but he let it hang in the air a moment longer before openly winking at both Morata and Zathria at the same time.

"No no, of course I'm just here to celebrate in the achievement. Though I fear I have had much less of a hand than it's architect" he gestured to Zathria, "a titan of the medical industry" he gestured to Morata this time "and a wise and respected Jedi Councillor."

Carrick smirked a little bit more warmly at Alex.

"Just a money man really."

The tour was interesting for several reasons - not least of which was that he had simply never actually been on one of the ships before and it was interesting to see. He could imagine the changes that had been made in the refit and he was happy to see that, to his untrained eye, it all looked top quality.

"Forgive me but maybe Doctor Morata or Zathria would be able to confirm this for me but is this..." he gestured to the devices around them, "Future proof for very long? Ways to cause harm advance in many different direction after all - gotta keep up."

@Phoenix @Valen Pelora @Killa Ree

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Alex felt the brief spike of anxiety from Zathria. The Councilor knew how it felt to fell out of place. She smiled softly at the young Knight. This was mostly her doing and she should be proud. Zathria belong here as much as any of them. Of course, it was impossible to ignore the arrival of effervescent Dr. Morata. Her eyes lingered on the CEO for a moment, nodding slowly to the woman. Alex stilled owed her a lesson. Carrick was much more difficult to read. Their paths had never crossed but that was not a surprise. During Carrick’s time in the Order, she would have been cloistered in the Outer Rim. Her role on the Council brought Carrick to the forefront of her mind. Part of her duties involved friendly interactions. The ISC was largely a mystery to her despite their growing influence on the galaxy.

She returned Carrick’s smile as they walked. “Why yes, I am wise and respected.” The Secretary would find Alex not the overly serious ideolog the Council was often thought of. “But here, for this goal, we are equals.” Her smile boarded as she gestured at Zathria and the doctor. “The women anyways.” She raised her own eyebrows. Diplomacy was not all super serious business.

Alex continued to follow as Zathria lead them on the tour. The Morellian Councilor found Carrick’s question oddly salient. “How do we keep the ship updated? Not even Dr. Morata’s resources are endless.” The ship had a delightfully sanitized smell. “The Order can station a few Knights on the ship for healing but that only takes us so far.” She figured for more serious operations they could certainly spare a Master or two with the necessary Padawans. Alex ad planned to spend time on the ship herself but her Council responsibilities were rapidly eating her time away.

@Phoenix @Killa Ree @Nefieslab

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

At the Jedi Councilor's nod, she managed a faint smile and nod back, then a slight bow to Senator Carrick's words. "You're too kind, and humble. It's a pleasure to work with you on this charitable endeavor." As they approached the ship, she caught the aside that Alex said about her finances, and her lips twitched in a faint grin.

"I can call in favors if necessary, no need to worry on my behalf."

She took a deep, bracing breath of the sanitized air, humming once in curiosity. Where Zathria left to examine the cockpit, the Doctor began investigating the areas where equipment could be stored with a critical eye, frowning absent-mindedly. Was the Order ill-prepared to stock the ships they raised funds for? If so, that was... mildly concerning, at best.

@Phoenix @Valen Pelora @Nefieslab

 

[Zathria]

Zathria cast a glance back at the others as they questioned about how to keep the ship supplied.

]Major equipment will be covered by the initial money raised, she said. With the amount of money they raised, standard equipment for imaging equipment and bacta tanks would be covered.

As for other supplies, we already have some donors interested in long term donations. It's not much yet, but it should cover much of what we need, she explained. It was clear she had given a great deal of thought and planning to this already.

As far as workers, there are already volunteers lining up, plus Knights and Padawans rotating through the ship, she said. The beautiful thing about healthcare was that there were many people willing to give of their time and skills to help.

She made her way in the direction of the cockpit and started to poke around. She flipped several switches to check power levels and maintenance logs over the course of a few minutes before heading back in the direction of the others.

@Nefieslab @Valen Pelora @Killa Ree

 

[Carrick]

Oh thank the Gods and the Force no one seemed to be too serious about the whole thing. He had more than enough seriousness waiting for him back in ISC space as he prepared to deliver an address to the other Secretaries (and President Thorne) his Defense for the ISC. Playful banter with two Jedi and a CEO was far more up his alley right now.

"Wise and respected indeed." he teased Alex lightly as she toyed with him as well, "Zathria, why did you not warn me that your boss was going to be so incorrigible?"

He was, of course, joking but there was nothing wrong with that in their current atmosphere.

"Doctor, I'm certain we can find many things to work upon together in the future as well." he assured her, eyeing her cooly for a moment before smirking ever so slightly, "A chance at some of those rather fetching vests of yours might be part of my reason for being here."

Only part, of course. He wasn't trying to overshadow Zathria's unveiling of her project's completion and success with a discussion for purchasing products from one of her guests. That would be both uncouth and uncalled for - there would be time later and he rather liked Zathria besides. Following Zathria into the cockpit area, he eyed some of the readouts with a small smile.

"It's not got a fast sub-light speed - do you have anything planned to dock in the hanger for quick pick ups and supply runs?"

@Phoenix @Valen Pelora @Killa Ree

 

[Alexandria Voran]

The Force hummed happily. Tension melting away as the group mingled. There was really no reason for any of them to feel comfortable and yet here they were. The stress of their larger responsibilities melting away in the sanitized air. Alex felt the twinge of Morata’s concern. She laughed lightly while Zathria meandered to explore the cockpit. “I had planned to station myself on the ship, but that is no longer a luxury I can afford.” She was perhaps the Orders most skilled healer. Her talents would be welcome onboard, but she no longer had the time. Besides, the last thing she wanted was to make the ship a target.

“I’ll make sure the Order provides sufficient resources…the Padawans are skilled healers despite some recent miscues.” People seemed to forget Padawans were fully fledged Jedi. They just need a little direction.

Alex pulled her attention away as Zathria made her way back towards them. Her own mind echoing Carrick’s concern. “It’s not exactly suited for planetary landing either.” The frigate was meant to stay in the safety of space, happily rotating in orbit. Many of the larger vessels had no business entering the atmosphere. The Morellian Councilor did feel proud of what they had accomplished so far. It was a testament to what the galaxy could achieve when pulling in the same direction. It was a small step but an important one. The first of many Alex hoped to take.

@Nefieslab @Killa Ree @Phoenix

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

She was inspecting one of the berths when she caught Senator Carrick's words, and gave him a faintly sly grin. "Just the vests? You disappoint me, sir," she replied, eyeing one of the displays instead after a beat. "You should know a physician never has just one inkling buried in their lab coats. But yes... a later discussion."

A low hum of satisfaction at the maintenance made her nod once. It seemed fairly well-kept; but there were the questions, keeping it supplied, bringing patients. "Do we have any set ambulation in place?" she asked the knight, looking back to the woman. An idea was brewing in the back of her mind.

@Phoenix @Nefieslab @Valen Pelora

 

[Zathria]

Zathria returned to the group, hearing talk of "vests" and trying not to arch an eyebrow in curiosity. She felt like she probably should have known what they were talking about and didn't, so she pulled a classic move of acting like it was no big deal.

There is hangar space for transport of supplies and patients, she said with a nod. I negotiated a deal for the inclusion of shuttles with the purchase, she said. As if on cue, the junker owner appeared in the entryway.

Yeah, about that. Unfortunately, we're going to have to re-negotiate that deal, he said. I've received another offer on the ships, so unless you can match it, he said.

Zathria tried not to fume. They had made a deal, and now he was going to try to change the terms. Act like a Jedi, act like a Jedi, act like a Jedi, throw him out of the ship... wait, no, act like a Jedi.

@Nefieslab @Valen Pelora @Killa Ree

 

[Carrick]

"Padawans as skilled healers? I do believe you must have changed the teaching style a lot since my day."

He was joking and not joking at the same time - Carrick himself had never received much in the way of a medical education while studying as a Jedi. And the current ISC official had managed to obtain the rank of Knight before he had decided to follow his own path away from the Jedi Order. His healing arts had been used since then but, ah, well it was a good thing that he had a decent supply of bacta these days.

"More than your vests?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, "My dear doctor, I might take that as a rather leading comment if I did not know any better."

He tossed a wink at Zathria.

"Doctor Morata's company makes a delightful vest to help stabilize patients on the verge of death. Lovely little piece of hardware."

Watching as the junker owner stepped up and began talking, Carrick raised a single eyebrow as he watched it unfold. The man... seemed to be actually being rather serious. Wow this was unexpectedly dumb even for some random junker but Carrick was rather accustomed to dumb people from his time in politics within the New Republic. Without saying a word to the junker directly, Carrick opened his com link and pressed the call button.

"Yeah hi, Clarice? Are you busy right now? Oh good, good. Yes the ship is rather nice but it appears that the owner has decided to withdraw from the agreement made with a registered charity. I know, dreadful optics isn't it?" he agreed with Clarice, pausing to cover the com link for a moment as he explained to Zathria, pointedly only to her but loud enough for the junker to hear loud and clear, "My press secretary. Absolute delightful little rottweiler. Yes yes I'm still here Clarice... oh? Bring the story directly to JJ you say? Yes, he is a rather frightful man but he would absolutely love a free target like this one. Hmm? Let me check."

He placed a hand over the com link again and turned to the junker.

"Sorry, what was your name again? Clarice is asking for her notes to give to JJ."

@Phoenix @Valen Pelora @Killa Ree

 

[Alexandria Voran]

“Much has changed.” She smiled but Alex couldn’t fight her tone. The Order and galaxy were drastically different from when Carrick had left. That was one of the reasons she was here. Least the conversation become too dramatic she quickly shifted her voice. “We can’t all become politicians.” Another growing truth. She was rapidly finding herself in that realm. Of course, nothing ever went as planned. The broker sought to change the terms of their agreement. Alex almost laughed at the flash of anger through Zathria. A flash she felt herself. Before she could even try to solve the problem, Carrick was charmingly threatening to ruin the junker. She shrugged at the poor man.

“I’d take him seriously.” She met the poor man’s eyes. “He’s not the type to make ideal threats…look how rich he is…and who he hangs out with.” Dr. Morata was instantly recognizable. Alex was slightly less on the galactic scale, but the Jedi Council was well known, and her face was prominent. The man was essentially trying to shortchange some very influential people. You could see the wheels spinning in his head and he immediately started stammering something out. She assumed he was changing his tune.

@Killa Ree @Nefieslab @Phoenix

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

At the new terms the man has made, she slowly turned to face him. Though previously professional before, something within her expression changed. What was once polite curiosity turned to frigid disdain; and though she was not the tallest person present, she took slow, deliberate steps, watching the man's face blanch as amber eyes coldly assessed him.

She had to suppress a smile at Carrick's words. However, her own were chilled, a mellifluous tone spoken quietly as though to offer advice... but her expression spoke of anything but.

"Reneging on your word in the face of charity for profit? I can't even imagine the scandal," she replied, fingers tapping lightly on her lower lip. "Shame it would be, to prove your professional integrity is slipshod; one could almost assume other elements of it are just as haphazard. Wasting charity money for profit? Tsk." She slowly crossed her arms, all but looming now.

"I would reconsider, personally. Especially with so many witnesses to lack of professionalism."

@Nefieslab @Phoenix @Valen Pelora

 

[Zathria]

Zathria felt the impact of having such powerful friends all at once, and she was quite thankful for it. She might have managed to harass the man into keeping his word or perhaps she wouldn't have. But before any of that came to happen, the others had converged on him. The man's face turned pale as he started to realize and recognize the faces in front of him. She could see the wheels turning in his mind as he thought of the dangers to his career.

Uh, no my mistake, I thought this was a different ship. I didn't realize you're correct, this deal is already done. I'll have the paperwork in my office, he said, scurrying off and looking back at the group.

Zathria let out a small breath of relief before shaking her head.

Thank you, all of you, she said. She was suddenly feeling very eager to get the paperwork done and this idiot out of her life.

I suppose I should go get the access codes before he tries to pull another fast one. Feel free to keep the inspection going if you like, and I hope to see you all again soon, she said, smiling to each of them in turn before heading after the idiot and toward his office.

@Valen Pelora @Killa Ree @Nefieslab

//Exit