"Hey, good seeing you.  Glad you made it.  The trip was okay, a bit shorter than yours though.  Of course, Heigren was  a bit of a pain.  You know how it is, you're trying to work on something and they want you to drop everything and give them your full attention.  Still, we got here in one piece, so no complaints.  So, give it up, what made you guys think it was worth coming to Telos?"

Flash shrugged. "The boss's idea. Thought a rumour we heard might pan out.  Can't talk though. I need to run security sweeps on the hangars before the meeting. See you in three hours."

He nods then walks off already on the comm. "Cor, can you send me CC9? He and I have work to do."

"By your command."

Having talked to Flash, Mika moves on over to Devon.  "Hey boss, Looks like you got here in one piece.  How 'bout your buddy?".

"I'll help Flash."  Kyvarr volunteered and moved off after him.  She had no real desire to share small talk, especially given Mika's apparent disinterest in Fiarr.  Besides, Kyvarr had done little of interest.  When she hadn't been flying or studying ship manuals she'd been working out and honing her fighting abilities in a cargo hold.  Nothing much to talk about.  Even Fiarr had avoided the cargo hold after been roped into a sparring match and physical training session.

Doh was the last to exit the Wayfarer. He spread his arms in apology to Mika who had to wait up for him before locking up. The doc was carrying his usual weapons, the flechette pistol and his cane. He’d left the N’Gant in his cabin as he felt he had no need for it on the station, not with his new team around. The Kel Dor followed the girl to the Moonshadow finding all but Heigren there. Giving his customary nods as greetings to everyone, Dohr settled in the background, clearly within the “ring” still, but more in the back. He was obviously planning to do more listening that talking.

Before any chitchat really got underway, Flash, CC9 and Kyvarr moved out to make sure the hangar was safe enough. Apparently the real meeting was to be held a few hours later. Dohr raised his eyes from the ground took a few steps closer to the remaining people. ”Ok. So the plan is to have a bite, maybe a drink or two and be back in here in three hours? Sounds good to me. I have not been on this particular station before, but I would imagine it will be just like the rest of them. There is bound to be a really nice restaurant we can all have something we like. Anyone want to join me and go looking for it?”

Fiarr nodded to Dohr.  "I'll go with you.  I could use a change from shipboard autochef options.  Though I'll bet if we comm Heigren he's probably found the best eatery on the station!"

Sheila loved computers.  Almost as much a flying, but by now, having spent all her waking moments with Zyra's files, not all that successfully, she might add, she was getting crosseyed.  "Nice to know we all made it safely.  but non autochef food sounds good."

Devon waved vaguely in the direction of the hanger entrance.
"You guys go get some food or whatever  - I gotta finish up here.  I'll see you onboard the Drifter in three hours, OK?"

Standing, Devon stretched and looked around the hanger.  A metallic crash and Catchs irate warble came drifting down from Moonshadows cargo bay.
"Maybe that'll gimmie enough time to stop the DUM-DUMs wrecking my ship..." he sighed and started up the ramp to find out exactly how much destruction his droid labour force had caused...

---

Three hours later

Devon sprawled bonelessly in one of the chairs that surrounded the table in Nebula Drifters lounge.  The table was loaded with the now traditional selection of snacks and drinks, and Devon was sipping at typical engineers caf - stong enough to burn through transparisteel - and flipping through notes on a datapad whilst he waited for the others to arrive.

Once everyone had arrived, Devon took his feet off the table and tried to look a bit more efficient.

"OK - its now been three weeks since we last heard from Mark or Zyra... we've cleared our trail as best we can for the moment, and started putting out feelers to see if we can work out what the frak happened.

So what have we got?  I may as well go first:  Me an' Flash have been trying to track down any link to the PHA - Permian-Hydian Alliance - they're a fairly large paramilitary group with anti-Imperial leanings.  The Talons got their start in life as part of the PHA, then the boss took us into the private sector.  We've been looking for the PHA because of that meeting the boss said he'd been recalled to attend - remember it?  The Talons are too small to warrant that sort of attention, but I figure the PHA isnt.  So if we can track down the PHA then maybe we can get a lead on the meeting itself...

We bought Moonshadow out this way because everything we know about the PHA indicates they've got a presence somewhere in this area.  Then we picked up that rumour about a pirate base near Telos getting taken out - no witnesses an' no-one claiming responsibility.

The PHA definitely have the muscle to do something like that... an' their MO was about taking out pirates an' keepin' space safe as much as it was anything else.  My money says the PHA nailed that pirate base.  So they're somewhere near here, an' they're active.  Now all we gotta do is track 'em down an' make contact."

Devon sipped at his caf again and looked around the others.
"OK, so whats been happening with you guys?  had any luck?"

After enjoying a relaxing meal with Sheila and the others, Fiarr had taken the time to shower and change into comfortable attire before attending the briefing.  She relaxed in a chair with a cold drink in one hand.

"Haven't heard of this PHA of yours but at least it explains why we're here.  None of us could figure out why you were out here.  Personally I thought our best bets had been in the Corellian Sector.  Had this wild theory that maybe your commander had been caught in whatever nastiness was brewing there.  I drew a link between your reports that Vader's flagship was involved in some sort of action there several few weeks back and reports I had received that Vader had captured high-level traitors important enough the Emperor himself had left Coruscant to personally oversee their interrogation and execution.  I knew it was a long shot but if a group of rebel factions were meeting perhaps it was big enough to catch the eye of the really big guns in the Imperial hierarchy."

She said back to let the others respond.  Nobody had bought into her outlandish theory back on Nar Shaddaa but it was her obligation to raise it with the boss so he could dismiss it too.

Kyvarr sat in a chair, her back ramrod straight.  Military discipline was hard to forget.

"Sir, we had a couple of strange rumours.  One about a terrorist attack on a TIE production facility orbitting Nar Shaddaa a couple of months ago.  Another crazy one about a bar fight on Bespin involving laser swords!  Mika might be able to clarify more sir.  To me it sounds like the rambling of some spice-addled attention seeker!"

Heigren thought back.  "I recall the boss saying he'd been recalled to active duty.  But you just said he quit this PHA didn't you.  How do you get recalled if you quit?"

Mika chimes up after the invite from Kyvarr.  "There's not much more to it.  The orbital TIE factory supposedly took a great fall, the interesting part is some said a guy jumped off the falling station, only to get picked up by a ship, mid-air.  About the sword fight on Bespin, the rumors said the fight took out the bar and a few city blocks.  Mercs and gangs where giving the area the pass.  Least that's what the swoopers were saying, so take the stories for what they're worth."

”Lightsabers, not swords. Lightsabers. Magnificent weapons only the Jedi are… were able to wield. Should any of us get our hands on one, we would probably cut off a leg or an ear, our own. Such beauty to behold, but such a terrible weapon of death in the hands of a knight of the order. With the power to cut through any armour, the only thing capable of stopping one is another lightsaber.”

Dohr’s voice was quiet and soft as he gazed into the distance, obviously seeing something no one else could see. ”That sound… There is nothing like it…” Shaking himself from a dream of a past long gone, the Doc looked at his companions, friends. ”As you all know, the Jedi are no more. Only one person in the galaxy has the power to master a lightsaber and used by him the weapon is far more terrible than it ever was when wielded by the defenders of the Light side… If the rumours are true... then” the Kel Dor’s voice suddenly became ice cold ”Vader was there, in the Cloud city.”

Sighing deep, Dohr shook his head. ”But I do not believe a lightsaber battle took place in Bespin. There is no one alive who could stand against the Emperor’s executioner. Not anymore.”

With that, the doctor fell deep into thought reliving a memory from decades ago. He had never met her, but when his mother told him of his sister for the first time and of how she had disappeared only months before he had been born, Dohr had felt the same terrible longing that now gripped his heart, tight.

Kyvarr frowned.  "Are we getting off track?  Jedi don't concern us unless we think they arose from the ashes and kidnapped or killed Mark and Zyra.  Are we entertaining the idea this Admiral Vader person might be involved?"  Having seen little of the galaxy she had never heard of the infamous Dark Lord.

She turned to Heigren.  "You said he was recalled to active duty?  That would suggest he was either an inactive soldier or a reservist.  Paramilitary and mercenary groups don't usually do such things.  You're in or you're out."

She looked at Devon and the others.  "Where are other of you with this PHA?  Did you go on some sort of inactive service when you left?  Or did you just walk away?"

Flash snorted.  "The small minded bastards.  We go on our first mission, rescue dozens of slaves, break up a major slavery ring, escape with a couple of Headhunters and the friggin Nightshrike!  You'd think they'd pin medals on us.  Instead they disbanded Black Talon Squadron and were going to rotate us back to other areas.  Me, they woulda booted right out of the Alliance!"

"The boss was pissed, real pissed.  He went to every bigwig he could find but they wouldn't listen.  He quit in disgust and we quit with him.  Wanted to leave it on the General's desk with a small explosive, just enough to take a fingertip or two but the boss wouldn't let me."

"We left the PHA and joined the boss's independant Black Talon team.  Now only the boss, Zyra, Devon and I are left.  The rest are dead, missing or left."  His thoughts drift to his friend Jamie Webb.  Where was he now?  What had changed that made him go off alone.  He didn't speak again as his mind wandered over those they had lost.  There had been so many, starting with Cyril who had died on that first mission, their only one for the PHA.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:47, Thu 12 Feb 2015.

Mika finds Flash's story rather interesting.  She'd been recruited later and hadn't heard about the past of the group before.  Odd, that.  If things went on long enough, you'd have a merc band with its roots in the PHA and not have any of the Mercs know a thing about it.

In reply to Allen 'Flash' (msg # 27):

Sheila had never really learned what had gone on before.  "So, Devon, anything to add to that?  Is there anything that could have induced Mark and Zyra to go back?  Could recalled to active duty be to the Chandrillan military, not the PHA?"

The Bothan's ears pricked up at Sheila's comment.  "Chandrila?  They served in the Chandrilan military?" she said leaning forward.

She noted people staring at her.  "There was an Imperial senator from Chandrila who was widely outspoken against the 'excesses' of the Galactic Empire.  Highly visible, used to try and help various sectors within the law.  She disappeared about a year ago.  Don't you remember, it was all over the holovids?  Claimed she'd turned traitor against the Empire.  Rumours were she'd been arrested and quietly executed but the word I heard was she'd gone underground and was stirring up a vast resistance movement.  Can't remember her name though."

Mika shrugs, "Sorry, I never was much into politics.  Too busy looking at the swoop stats and what was new in the world of engines and all that.  Those government types, always saying whatever they got to just to get air time.  That's why they call it air time, 'cause they're all full of hot air."

"Yeah, just us left." said Devon, somewhat subdued.  He raised his caf mug in a toast, then drank deeply.  "Here's to those who couldnt be here."

After a few moments of silence, Devon put his mug down. "Now lets make sure that Zyra an the boss dont permenantly join that list."

The shipjacker paused to page through the notes he had made on his datapad whilst the others were talking.
"That ruckus at Corellia sounds promising... I'm not so sure your theory is wild, Fiarr - look how it fits what we know.  Damnit, we all just got to Telos and now I think we need people out near Corellia!  Plus Chandrilla aint too far from Corellia, we'd be able to check into that too."

"OK, unless anyone has any better ideas, here's what we're gonna do:

Flash an' Cor, I want you guys to stay here an' chase down the PHA.  Take Moonshadow an' use her if you want.  If not, put her into storage with the other ships - maybe those Verpine will be able to do something with her hyperdrive.  Stay outta trouble and keep in touch.

The rest of us are going to head to Corellia an chase that lead down as fast as we can.  We'll take the Drifter and the Ghtroc.  Kyvarr, you're gonna be my second whilst the team is split."

Devon stood up.
"OK - unless anyones got any questions, we need to get moving.  I'm gonna transfer my crap aboard the Ghtroc, then we set out soon as everyones ready."

Even with Kyvarr's normal military discipline that kept her face unchanging, Devon's comment that she was to act as his second in charge made her jaw drop.

"Uh, yes sir.  I will serve to the best of my ability.  Do you want me to travel with you on the Ghtroc to discuss your plans or should I take command of the Nebula Drifter sir?"

Already her mind began running through various training drills she could run on either ship.  There wasn't a lot of room but she would make sure the team had a fighting edge when they arrived.


OOC:  I think Devon just signed his own death warrant!
This message was last edited by the player at 02:08, Sat 14 Feb 2015.

Fiarr nodded at Devon's plan.  Whilst she still said aloud it was crazy, more and more of the pieces had begun to fit together for her.  This new Chandrilan angle lent even more credence for if that Senator was involved she probably had the clout to create a headache for the Emperor.  She undoubtedly had both political and military connection across a large swath of the galaxy.  Could it be Chandrila itself could be preparing to revolt?  No, that would be suicide.  Still, it made her wonder if the ex-Senator was one of these 'high-level traitors' whom Vader had captured.  She fit the profile.  Was she already dead?  If she was then it was likely that any other prisoners were dead too.

She was broken from her thoughts by Devon's comment that Kyvarr would be his second.  If she had been drinking she would have choked.  It wasn't that she thought Kyvarr was incompetent, quite the opposite.  It was just she was still the sergeant.  'You can take the Cathar out of the military but you can't take the military out of the Cathar'

She groaned internally as she envisioned long training drills and 0500 inspection parades.  She'd left all that behind when she'd transferred out of Bothan starfighter command.  She mentally catalogued the various sedatives and anasthetics she'd learned about in intelligence training, trying to remember which ones worked on Cathar.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:53, Sat 14 Feb 2015.

Heigren quickly pulled out his datapad and began writing a shopping list.  He wasn't going to spend a week eating the crap that got loaded at spaceports.  He'd bring some real food and drink along to make the trip more bearable.

Mika looks at Devon with eyes wide.  "You been sniffing coolant vapors again, boss?  Chasing all over the galaxy after every rumor and story we hear about is just plain silly.  Besides, we got to get the ships serviced before we head off again.  Shouldn't we take a day or two, see what we can do around here?  After all, charging over here and all."