Republic Mission: Lost in Transit

[Krajin]

Lost in Transit
During the last great war between the Republic/Jedi and Sith, many Jedi flagships were shot down over planets now residing in Republic space. According to senate records, one such munitions ship possibly containing hundreds of light sabers had collided with the shallow oceans of Aquaris.

A group of senators have been employed to oversee the excavation team sent to retrieve the cache. Travel into the depths aboard a high tech submarine with the crew. Assist them when necessary, and perhaps dig around in the wreckage with them in aquatic suits afforded to you. This mission is flagged as important, due to the potential boost in relations between the Jedi and Republic this can prove to be.

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@DancingFox @Liam @Krajin

Aquarius. A vast oceanic world with many secrets buried beneath the waves, some of which now to be collected by an underwater diving team. The sub detached itself from the dock of the floating little atoll settlement that sat on the surface and began to descend into the deep salty depths of the planet. Khalen was sitting in the back getting into the diving equipment that had been provided, a form fitting diving suit and rebreather provided. He hadn't seen the other two just yet that were involved with the mission but he expected them to be busy with the sub in some form or another. His blades stashed amongst the kit he carried with him and concealed as to avoid any suspicious questions.

 

[Liam]

An air of excitement filled the submarine as it plunged into the depths of Aquaris. Hummux looked around the inside of the transport, admiring the sleek metal that made up its interior. He was always interested in the design of things, and this machine was no exception.

The senator made his way slowly to the head of the craft and sat himself down next to the control panel. He took a quick glance out of the front window of the sub, hoping to see the undersea wildlife Aquaris had to offer. However, the sea was dark and murky, and distinguishing anything besides the water itself was all but impossible. Hummux sighed and made his way towards the rear of the cabin, passing cabinets filled with diving equipment. He glanced down at the wetsuit he was wearing and laughed softly. The outfit was different than the usual senatorial garb that he had grown accustomed to wearing on a daily basis. However, it was a welcomed change; Hummux was surprisingly glad to be off Chandrila for the time being. The stress of pushing his legislation through the wringer that was the Galactic Senate had taken its toll on the man, and though this mission he wasn’t exactly a vacation, it was a needed change of scenery.

Hummux paused as he reached the Republic soldier that he would be working with, a young Trianii man who too was dressed in a diving suit. Det waited until the man had finished gathering his things before walking over and extending his hand.

“Greetings! I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of meeting, I’m Hummux Det.” The senator had not interacted with many Republic soldiers prior to this encounter, but he had the utmost respect for them nonetheless. After all, each day that he spent sitting in a plush, protected office on Chandrila, they were off fighting a war against the Sith. He hoped that perhaps his involvement in this mission would better help him understand the life of a GAR soldier and what they experienced on a regular basis, therefore helping him better relate to the very people that elected him into the Senate.

 

[DancingFox]

To some the air seemed full of excitement, but not so to the Senator from Celanon. As the light faded in the viewports and darkness slowly consumed the vessel, he felt his fur stand on end and his ears begin to pin back against his skull. His sensitive nose picked up the smell of his own trepidation, and the stench of too many alien species in a confined space. The Nalroni were people of the plains and forests, and Harath had never personally considered any sort of aquatic travel before this offer came.

It took a few minutes for the jackal faced xenos to recover himself. Slow breaths, in, ugh, not through the nose, out, in, out. His fur slowly settled and his ears returned to their rigid upright position, appropriate for one of his station. At calm once more, he looked over the tight fitting wetsuit that he was expected to wear, and his nose wrinkled slightly. Each piece of ornate jewelry he wore, each trapping of luxury, was a struggle to remove. Without them what was he except just another merchant in a species of millions? As the last ring twisted from his finger, he felt stripped of his armor against the outside world, naked to the harsh words and criticisms from those who couldn't see his path. But... there was also an odd sense of freedom that tickled the back of his mind, and a sense of weight being lifted that sent a not unpleasant shiver down his spine.

The senator wore a pleasant expression on his features when he finally emerged, clad in his diving gear. His ears were at a relaxed backwards slant, and his tail swayed slightly as he walked towards the back of the ship. His soft footfalls heralded no coming except to the sharpest of ears as he approached the pair who seemed engaged in conversation, and so he politely knocked his claws against the doorframe as he entered. When the two had finished engaging pleasantries, he offered the Trianii and the Falleen a steep nod of the head with his hands held behind his back. "Senator Harath, seat of Guildclan H'Skirr on the Merchant Council." Pale blue eyes regarded them both, displaying a polite interest, feigned in Hummux's case. "I hope I did not delay us."

The Senator had only respect for the military, however the other Senator had, in his eyes, shown an absurd amount of ignorance with his legislature, and the Celanite was still slightly sore that his call for unity had been ignored. The Border Alliance was no more, and a man of politics should know.

 

[Krajin]

Khalen flicked his ears as the Faleen approached and greeted him, following close behind by the Nalroni Senator. He smiled politely to them as one could even as it twisted into a dashing grin of someone most certainly of a slightly more shadier persuasion over an honourable soldier. "Evening. I am Khalen, specialist in a variety of fields and I'll be a helpful guide today for you." He stands as he gets the suit fully on. "You haven't delayed us at all. Though I do hope that any precious items you both carry are safely stored away on land or on a ship rather than down here just in case. It would be unfortunate for irreplaceable objects to become new sunken treasure or squid poop." He smiled. "Any of you done a dive? Know much about the Jedi? Lightsabers and the like?" He enquires curiously.

 

[Liam]

Hummux returned the Nalroni’s greeting and recognized him almost instantaneously. This was in fact one of the very same senators who had caused Det so much grief on the Senate floor over his bill. While Hummux was fairly accepting of the other senators and their quarrels with the bill, this man had in fact rubbed him the wrong way. First, he had skipped the pre-vote hearing over the bill entirely. Then, during the actual vote, he had made it a point to simply grandstand in front of the rest of the Senate, and then voted “no” for the sole reason that the legislation was too divisive, despite the fact that the bill’s entire point was to better unite the Republic. The whole ordeal frustrated Hummux beyond belief, but he chose not to linger on it any further at the moment. He would be working closely with Harath today, and he needed to have his wits about him. Besides, holding grudges was not something the man wished to be known for.

Hummux turned his attention away from Harath and back towards the Republic soldier, who had revealed his name and was now addressing the both of them. He let out a quick laugh at Khalen’s joke before answering his question earnestly,

“I’m afraid my knowledge on the Jedi goes about as far as public records do.” he said, in a tone that was almost as if he was apologizing, “I know the basics of their order, as well as the science behind lightsabers, but I have yet to actually interact with one of these warriors face-to-face.” Feeling as if this would make him seem like a detriment to the mission, he continued.

“As for diving, that is something that I know very well. The people of Falleen are semi-aquatic, after all, so every youth learns to swim and dive by the time they reach adulthood. Personally, I can hold my breath underwater northwards of 20 minutes, and I still enjoy diving from time to time, though the amount of free time in my schedule does appear to be decreasing as the days go by.” Hummux did his best to try and not sound boastful, but he could not help but feel pride in both himself and his culture. It was actually the aspect of diving that had originally drawn the man to this mission, and he was filled with excitement as the sub grew closer and closer to their objective.

 

[DancingFox]

A sharp scent greeted Harath's nostrils as the Falleen recognized him. The canid Senator showed his teeth in what could be construed as a threat display, or an unpracticed smile as he divined the flavor of the man's frustration upon the air. The expression briefly flickered to confusion as his sensitive sense of smell picked up something else, a strong and heady scent that filled his mind with thoughts of pleasure, admittedly not that hard to do, considering his hedonistic tendencies. His gaze grew cloudy, pupils expanded, his jaws parted slightly, and his ears relaxed into a slant for a few moments before he let out a sudden hiss of breath between his teeth. His next act was to take a step away and adjust his pose to that of alertness. It took several more moments for the Senator to restore his poise entirely, and his efforts were unfortunately quite noticeable. Canine physiology is not meant for discreetly breathing through the mouth, but the Merchant Prince did his best to maintain his dignity.

This distraction caused him to miss the first part of Khalen's words, but he could infer from Hummux's laughter and his reply that it was some question on his knowledge of the Jedi, and whether or not he was familiar with the principle behind diving. He waited until the Senator from Falleen was finished before responding.

"The Nalroni have not had much contact with the Jedi over the years, nor wished to. We have always been able to provide for our own, and the lower castes have an," he paused to find the right words, "An abject dislike of those outside of their Clan. However, I've examined the public records on the Order, much as Senator Hummux has, as well as gained some modicum of insight from the few force users I've met over the years." His carefully neutral tone offered no emotion to color his statements with the prejudice he feels towards the zealous religious orders that thrive like rats in this ever shifting galaxy. He carried on in that same voice, devoid of context.

"Nor am I familiar with aquatic environments, however, I'm in peak physical condition," at this, his eyes gleamed with a hint of suppressed emotion, "and I think I can manage myself without too much difficulty." It was true that he had never passed through water that went past his waist, but it was also true that he had overcome far worse things in the past. A little water couldn't hurt, right?

Famous last words, Harath.

 

[Krajin]

"Well then!" Khalen grinned; adjusting his belt a bit and grabbing several aquabreathers and spare filters he handed them out to the two senators. "Let me give you a run down of where we are going into as well as the gear you all have been given." He said, walking by them and into the middle of the room putting on his best Flight Attendant smile. "We are entering into an underwater environment at moderate pressure and cold. The ocean is filled with a variety of fauna that may want to devour us. Namely the Demonsquids that exist underneath the wreckage." He nods. "Now. The first and most important pieces of equipment we have issued are the aquabreathers and the diving suits. The Aquabreathers will function for an hour per canister filter there, easy to replace under water even. The suit is a standard issue diving suit designed for rough terrain and coral diving. The skin is thick and insulated to give you some measure of warmth and protection from the temperature extremes outside. Understand that it will give you moderate protection from scrapes and coral you may brush against but it will rupture if someone tries to knife you."

As he speaks he even does a little proverbial dance, showing off the suit, the aquabreathers and even showing how to replace the canister. "Replacing the Canister is simple, press this button here and it seals the tube, twist off like so.. and there you go. Replacing the canister is the same procedure in reverse." He smiles. "Each of you have four of these canisters so please don't lose them. Additionally, we have a utility belt featuring an underwater comm receiver, three flares, liquid cable dispenser and hook for underwater use and a survival knife. Flippers and gloves, tracking device so that I and the other members of the team can track each other via our comms and the wrist pad." He motions. "Some of us have different bits of kit issued based on our skills, such as removing rubble and making entrances." He paces a bit and rolls his shoulders. "I recommend you to not activate any of those lightsabers you find underwater however. Most if not all of them may not even be fitted for it and may either short out. Or if they have been damaged to much from corrosion or the crystals are damaged and; or out of alignment. It will explode in your hand and you will no longer have said hand. Cybernetics are not pretty." He looks to the rest of the team whom are ready with their masks and aquabreathers on. "Okay. Any questions?"

 

[Liam]

The plethora of information presented to the two senators swirled around in Hummux’s brain like water going down a drain as the man did his best to remember each of the instructions. In all honesty, Hummux needed a drink; for some reason, his memory (and, well, his intelligence in general) seemed to get a real boost when he was under the influence. However, he knew that drinking before this mission would be distasteful, and disrespectful, too, so he had chosen to abstain from his favorite pastime. Luckily for him, though, the entertaining way that Khalen presented the instructions allowed Hummux to get a better idea of what was said.

“Hour per canister, four canisters, don’t get stabbed or eaten by squids. I think I’ve got it.” he joked, looking down at the mask now in his hand. Without hesitation, Hummux equipped both it and the breather, giving the two men a thumbs up to let them know that he was ready for whatever adventure awaited them at the bottom of the ocean.

 

[DancingFox]

Harath's ears perked, or at least attempted to beneath the tight fabric of the bodysuit. Honestly, the large bulges beneath the material pressed against his skull made the Senator look rather ridiculous, and he knew it. So be it. He was interested in these witch weapons that the zealots of this war used, and looking bad had never hurt a man, unless it was during an election period, and this was certainly no such time. He felt no need to impress the Senator from Falleen, especially considering the man's base tendencies. His lips curled ever so slightly. Who knows how many liaisons were 'encouraged' by those pheromones of his.

The Nalroni Senator's sense of superiority practically came off of him in waves, represented in his straight backed stance, his feet set slightly apart, his upwards tilted muzzle, the curled lips, and his hands clasped behind his back. Either that or he wants to show off the magnificent figure so prominently displayed in the skin-clinging wetsuit.

No matter an onlooker's perception on Harath, the man was diligently paying attention to Khalen's flight attendant impersonation, after all, dying would put a severe kink in his plans. The bulges that now represented his ears twitched a few times in a futile but instinctive desire to catch the most of the sounds all around, from the sound of a midshipman cursing two decks below them, to the faint noise of the water flowing outside the hull. Thankfully the small earbud placed in one ear canal solved the issue of having to strain to hear their guide's voice. "Roughly three and a half hours of exploration to stay on the safe side. Push the button and twist to release the canister. Devil squid. Don't activate the sabers." The jackal's voice was clipped and to the point. "This seems intelligent. Thank you for your information... I'm sorry, I never got your rank?" A muscle above his eye twitched, imitating a raised eyebrow for a human as he waited for the answer.

"One question, what exactly are these devil squid, and what is the proper procedure for their elimination?"

 

[Krajin]

"Lieutenant. Though I don't need my rank used here. Just Khalen." He smiled. "It would be most preferably and insisted upon. Titles make my skin crawl. As for a Demonsquid? Its a large Octopus with teeth. Not a beak, an actual jaw with sharp teeth. How to kill it? Well, being a mollusc a knife would work. Or in the case of emergency, Sonic weapons. Carbines to be specific. Do any of you have training with such weapons?" He enquires. "If not, you won't be issued one. I am not comfortable giving people something that will liquefy your insides or burst your brain under water." He smiled politely. He donned his head gear and took from the small armoury a sonic carbine which a few of the other men had taken and put on the head gear. "Take the head gear, put it on and it'll protect your hearing."

 

[Liam]

For a moment, Hummux contemplating lying to the Lieutenant, in hopes to be granted access to one of the sonic carbines. He ultimately decided against it, however. He didn't want to be bending the truth to the people that would be partly responsible for keeping him alive, after all. Instead, a knife would have to do. The Senator carefully put on his headgear at Khalen's request, and was soon standing idly, glancing around at the other men in the cabin. He gripped the side of the sub's wall with his right hand, holding him in place as the floor shifted ever so slightly with the sub's movements.

"So Khalen, when can we be expected to arrive at the wreck?" he asked curiously.

 

[DancingFox]

The Senator from Celanon was distinctly uncomfortable, though not with the idea of multi-tentacled horrors with teeth attacking him from the depths, but rather with the fact that Khalen requested that he not use his rank. Nalroni take pride in their hierarchy, whether they be a serf or a merchant, and the concept of disliking your rank seemed distinctly foreign. No doubt if Harath had truly wandered among the lower classes of his people, he would be familiar with this attitude, but, alas, he had not, and likely never would.

No matter the Senator's thoughts on it, he still kept his facial features still. Most of his people's emotions were conveyed through scent, and the positioning of both ears and tail. The latter two couldn't be discerned, covered up as they were by the protective suit he now wore. The mask of cool and polite civility he maintained to these unknown, neither much worthy of his personal attention, was maintained. If his feature could be read by those present, they'd probably be able to tell that he was wondering much the same as Senator Hummux was. Enough chit chat, when would they actually arrive?

 

[Krajin]

Khalen smiled at the two "Right-o! Into the deep end we go! Follow me and we shall get this show on the road." He said excitedly, using positive emotions to help ease the other two hopefully over from awkwardness and uncomfortable feelings that he could feel radiating from the Senator of Celanon. Turning, he lead them to a small room that had about a half dozen divers whom were armed with sonic carbines or pistols. "Alright! We're ready to go." motioning the two into the room he closed the door and sealed it. A little green light coming from above the door saying its sealed. "Okay! So, just to let you two know." He starts as he engages his aquabreather mask "Engage your masks if you haven't. We're at the site and right now we're in a diving chamber. It's going to flood with water slowly as they vent atmosphere out to create equalized pressure inside and out from the sub in this part. These fellows with us are trained divers and retrieval specialists. They'll be helping us with various tools and any issues that may arise. Get your flippers on and prepare! Stay calm, gentle, deep breaths and if you have any second thoughts, to late now. Unless it's a medical emergency. Okay?" He said and leans against the white wall as the salt water began to seep in. Slowly rising up and filling the room. As soon as the room filled the main door to the exterior flashed green and then it opened up to the outside world. It was a deep, clear oceanscape with a large amount of coral reefs about. Fish and various other marine life swam about and ahead of them was a large, coral covered star ship that had definitely been down here for far to long. With hand motions Khalen motioned for the teams to swim out slowly.

"Keep an eye out for any entrances you find and notify one of us."