Ask Void Finder Mission: Kathol

[The Storyteller]

The Void Finder. Once, a run down, decrepit starliner that was destined for the scrapyards, now a heavily modified and refurbished ship of the Discovery Exploration Core. Equipped with all the bells and whistles for long stages of flight to commit lengthy explorations both inside and out of the galaxy; Ranging from probe droids inside the stocked mechanic shop, a laboratory capable of self containment during dire situations, medical chambers filled with several bacta tanks in case the worst happens to a crew mate, two refurbished shuttles for intersystem transport, and even a botany lab capable of growing plant life in case of the event of becoming stranded for months on end. Heck, there even was a brig, as minimalistic as it was. True, many of the housing rooms had to be scrapped and torn out to make room for these improvements, but the ship still was capable of housing 300 passengers in addition to its crew if needed.

And the best part was, it was so sterilized! At least, that's what was the best part according to Captain Wooroo. As his cyanogen-filled crystalline life-support tank drifted down the pristine durasteel hallway towards the command bridge, the Celedian could not help but once again admire how clean everything still was. The cleaning droids he insisted the Discovery Exploration Core provide were really doing their job. Sure he may be the equivalent of a floating brain in a oversized gassy jar, but all those germs could still kill him!

Once inside the bridge, surrounded by several crew mates and deckhands, Wooroo looked over the crew list of the day. It had been several days since the ship left port with its full crew. Totaling about 75 personnel, the Discovery Core had taken to hiring additional hands from outside the company. A few of them were unorthadox to be certain, but Wooroo saw that each one could provide use, especially for this unusual mission. It wasn't every charter that included a quest to find details of a myth based on the blue paint scribblings from a crashed starship utilizing previously considered crackpot ciphers. But the fact was this: The inaccurate maps, once paired with the ciphers, provided a precise location that demanded an exploration. Would it be the ebon Star? Probably not, and Wooroo himself thought the myth was a load of bantha poodoo. But perhaps they would find information on what happened to those people who made those star charts, and even other ciphers to utilize with the maps.

Wooroo raised a tentacle out of his life support tank and pressed a button on a panel. All over the ship, the sound of the comm came to life.

"Attention all personnel!" Wooroo's croaky voice sounded out. "We will be exiting hyperspace and entering the Kathol Rift in about 20 minutes. At that time, all personnel will need to be able to be on active duty at a moment's notice, as we will be entering unmapped locations. Prepare yourselves as needed. In addition, please enjoy the extra rations for lunch today. Captain Wooroo over and out"

(Posted by @Narzen )

(Post what your characters have been doing the last few days on the Void Finder, helping describe their role on the ship. It could range from anything such as a simple engineer to security to anything related to the rooms listed above. The Discovery Exploration Core may not be aware of where your allegiances lie, unless you wish to be open about it. I will give everyone a chance to post and interact with each other if desired, and then we will start the fun)

@Phoenix @Mythos @Fine Dining Set @Die Shize @The Mad Hammer @Akheron

 

[Senestra Sylverian]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Her Imperial presence on this ship wasn’t a secret. Yet it wasn’t publicly broadcasted knowledge either. Had her family boasted a position of galactic recognition then maybe anybody would recognize her face in an instant. However, the House of Sylverian, a vassal of the Empire, was no brightly lit pyre, despite its heritage of the dragon.

So Senestra Sylverian signed on as ‘Senestra Sylverian’, not as an Imperial Knight, but if anyone recognized her then she had no need to deny it. She was just another crewmember with a vested interest in this mission.

It wasn’t about status. It wasn’t about alignment. It wasn’t about factions. It was about exploration. Secrets. The drive to find what hides beneath the very fabrics of the galaxy.

In that moment, as her hand wiped fog from glass, and she gave the mirror her gaze, she was not a Knight. There was no Empire. There was no House. There was only her, the woman, whose silver-black eyes reflected back at her.

Light in the darkness. It didn’t matter how dark, how deep, the fire would find the beast.
Bright. And I hearken. One could see the flame as much as listen to it; an undying dream.
A daughter’s father had taught her the difference between the flames, and how they burn.
The significance, passion, vengeance, how they were hers, in her fist, for she was a dragon.

A Force-user and an explorer. Diplomacy, though, her negotiation abilities, might prove useful for whatever entities they meet along the way, or at their destination.

As the days passed, Senestra had advised routes, dined with the crew, observed behavior as much as learned of characters. “You serve the Empire?” One officer had asked her. “I serve only one master,” she had answered.

Kathol Rift. Captain Wooroo beckoned as the Sylverian studied her mirror image. They would enter in about twenty minutes. Extra rations would precede their entrance. Yet, for the moment, Senestra was content with dining on wine.

Glass to lips, red nectar coated her throat. She swallowed, feeling hollow, or just naked. Her lithe body glistening, beads of water lining her skin from the shower. Power. That was everyone’s promise. In the hour of an eldritch myth.

To devour stars was greater than any dragon, and those were a myth on her own planet. For the moment.

Downing her wine, Senestra Sylverian stepped away from the mirror, entered her greater chamber, observed the black red garments on her bed, the colors of her emblem, and got dressed. Pants and jacket, boots click-clacking across the floor of a corridor, heading for the mess hall. Unless she is stalled.

@Phoenix @Mythos @Fine Dining Set @Narzen @The Mad Hammer @Akheron

 

[Trodai Narat-iv-Adas]

Trodai was using an alias, again he was a Zeltron. A Tarno Vorn, weapons and security expert for the expedition due to his tactical skills and strategy. It had been easy enough to fool those running the operation and make authentic credentials. He had seen Xim aboard already briefly, catching a glimpse as he boarded and hoped he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut about certain affiliations.

Luckily for this assignment he had been told he was working with Vossari.

Trodai wondered if this was all just a wild chase, afterall they were following rumours and legend. Although he had been proven wrong about legends before, so maybe a eldritch god did exist out there. But if it did would it be friend or for was the question. The last few days they had been going over final preparations. Trodai was wearing a tactical armour with a mask that concealed his features for now. He looked more mercenary than Sith. Yet his lightsaber was hidden beneath it, ready if needed yet concealed.

Although he wouldn't deny he was a Force-User or Dark if asked. That he couldn't hide as well, but none would know he was Sith.

He just hoped Vossari could be as subtle, at least for a while.

Trodai heard the captain and checked his blaster and swords. All in place, including extra rations, he went to do his apparent duty. His cover story, checking things were locked down tight and secure. He made his way to where Vossari would be meeting in the mess hall and see what awaited next. It would also help them gauge the other crew.

He sent a telepathic message to Vossari "I'm on my way to the meeting point. Let's see what we are working with here."

@Fine Dining Set @Narzen @Die Shize @Xim Zhan @Mythos

 

[Arla]

Rank had its priviledges, and for Arla that meant a more private space for her. She had been assigned as head of security on the previous DECS voyage, and had effectively filled that role this time as well.

In other words, her time was absolutely packed.

She was keeping up on ship security, having to keep up on Apex business on her spare time, and on top of all of that, trying to dig through what she could of any records on this creature. There were not many, and it unnerved her.

She threw on her flight suit that she wore last time she was on one of these voyages, the lightsaber clipped to the back of her belt as she headed for the bridge.

She had sought out monstrosities all across the galaxy that were abominations born of the Force, but this... this one was different. She remembered hearing the stories of her mother, father, and the other Sith hunting down the Entity decades ago. She also knew that it had nearly killed more than a few of them, and she hoped this wouldn't be her fate.

No, they were here to get some answers, and she wasn't going to die. And if she could use it to open up near secrets of the Force... all the better.

 

[Xim Zhan]

Xim Zhan had recognized the Sith almost immediately upon boarding. He did not; however, make a point of seeking the creature out during their journey. He had been too busy going over every inch of the pair of shuttles the ship had aboard. He had come aboard not as a mechanic, but as a pilot and if he was going to trust his life and the lives of those around him to these craft, he wanted to know he could trust the ships. He wanted to know what they were capable of.

If he was not there, Xim was found sparring in the ship’s small training and workout area with other members of the crew.

Aside from that and chatting up others in the mess hall, Xim tended to keep to himself. He did not have much work to do, at least not yet. He was to serve as the secondary pilot if the crew’s usual pilot was taken out of commission; but thus far, things had been pretty uneventful.

Xim had heard stories of the Kathol Rift, of the demons and dragons encountered there. He had heard whispers of creatures thought to be gods. If truth be told, as much as the man loved the idea of a peaceful existence, herding nerfs and plowing fields, he was drawn to the temptation of the myth and legend. After all, he was a Mandalorian, a monster hunter, born of blood and ancient tradition.

As the overhead comm sounded, Xim slid the panel plate back over the exposed section of shuttle with a hiss and click as the piece locked into place. Picking up a rag, the blonde-haired blue-eyed man wiped his hands with purpose trying to remove the last vestiges of grease from between his finger. With that done, he fished his helmet from the table of tools. Tucking it beneath his arm, the armored soldier-of-fortune set off toward the mess hall; one last well deserves meal before the real work began.

The dangers of the Rift were not just the unknowns that lurked within nebulaic fog. No, there was something more treacherous that lurked within; within this very ship; within every man and woman aboard, especially those touched by the mystic religions of the force. The hallucinations of monsters and madness that were not even there. It was an experience Xim had dealt with before and he had been asked by his benefactor to keep a closer eye on those who carried the force within their hearts.

Entering the mess hall, Xim quickly fell in line. Within minutes, he was spooning a heaping serving of some unidentified delicious smelling slop onto his tray. Seeing @Senestra Sylverian enter, he offered a wide smile as he moved toward a seat, “Please,” he waves her over, “join me.”

@Phoenix @Mythos @Fine Dining Set @Narzen @Akheron @Die Shize

 

[Gemini]

"To gaze upon the Ebony Star, my children, is to gaze upon the birthplace of the Force and to come to terms with it's primordial nature. Not of the Light. Not of the Dark. Simply the Force is it's purest and untouched form. We Miralukians may see through the Force, but in the presence of the Ebon Star, you can see the Force it's self, something i believe the Aing-Tii to know more than they have revealed." ~ Mother

Gemini sat alone at his desk, combing over a few reports from the ships inventory as well as a few of his own that had been secretly placed in at random. He had taken on the persona of Botanist Technician for this journey, Gemmy Scotts, but for the most part, most folks had come to calling him Scottie. Over the course of the last few days, he had taken notice of a few familiar faces @Akheron @Fine Dining Set, but with his sythskin mask, he wasn't sure if they had taken notice of him. His mission here was collection of rare plants for Param, replaced with mundane replacements. But in truth, he had secretly withheld hearing the old tales his mother had once told him and his own curiosity. Still, there was a certain calming affect he found in his daily duties. Had he lived another life, it could have been a possibility.

Hearing the resounding speech of the Celedian come across the communication array, Gemini stood up from his desk and handed over the reports to his Supervisor before excusing himself for lunch. Walking along the ship's corridors, he made his usual greetings behind a false smile, adjusting the glasses that sat upon his face to hide the reality of his blindness behind his silvered eyes. Twenty minutes until the Kathol Rift. A place he had heard tales about, a place of madness and chaos amidst not only the grasp of reality, but the grasp of the psychological as well. And in truth, his time under Param had trained the jesterd man into a bona-fide psychosis driven maniac. Once his true side had been revealed, at least, and harnessed. And he truly wished to experience the madness for himself.

"Could the Kathol Rift truly be the birthplace of the Ebon Star, a mythical place where the Force was born, unbridled and natural?" He wondered in silence to himself as he made his way to the mess hall. "Could the madness of the Rift truly be the primordial Force as mother had spoken?"

There was but one way to find out. And it was what led him to undertake this mission for the most part. But the abundance of medicinal herbs and spice driven drugs within reach made it a plus. He and Param had plans of their own, to rebuild what was taken and as he passed the familiar form of @Vossari Khaldun, Apprentice to @Karys, a vengeful vendetta on his part in the works. Patience would be the virtue in that endeavor. For now, it was but a forethought. The mission took precedence.

Entering the Mess Hall, Gemmy wore his usual attire. A white Lab Coat atop a Lavender Dress Shirt and Black Slacks with slightly scuffed loafers, contacts that hid the silver of his eyes and the sythskin that altered his looks.Grabbijg the plate, he made his down the line and eventually made for a table where he would sit alone as usual. Silently, he wondered. "How will the effects of Kathol truly hit the ship?"


@The Mad Hammer @Phoenix @Fine Dining Set @Akheron @Die Shize @Narzen