Tides of Change Team 3

Arconan Shuttle en-route to Space Station Sanctuary

“Three minutes to dock.” The pilots voice echoed through the cabin to the group that awaited patiently, none seemed overly eager to begin this mission.

Once out of Arconan domain the atmosphere had been relatively subdued, Uji and Arcia sat with practiced patience seemingly at ease with the stakes that had been laid out at the briefing.

Kordath paced back and forth, his feet and eyes never seeming to settle in one place for longer than a moment. He was out of all of them possibly the most visibly active. His tail skirted behind him ever as pliable as the rest of him.

Nashiro observed the Ryn as he moved, his eyes seemed to gleam within the dim confines of the compartment. They moved back and forth following Kordath as he paced, as the Ryn began to pick up speed so did his gaze.

The only real sound that was audible was the scrape of stone against metal, Nath lent against the hull, crouched low as she sharpened one of her daggers. Kordath passed her fifteen times before Nashiro yanked the slight Ryn down to sit.

“You’ll wear out the flooring if you keep that up.” The motion drew a pause from the Iridonian, the rhythmic scraping stopping for only a moment.

“Do not touch him.” Her voice was quiet but without the other noise easily audible. Kordath yelped as his backside hit the seating, only to spring back up once more and continue along his sojourn once more.

“Why not?” Inquired the young Sith as he sat more straightened to better look at the Iridonian that crouched across from him.

“Because I said so.” was the only reply that she gifted.

“And who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?” The brewing hostility drew Arcia and Uji’s attention from their hushed conversation. They merely observed for now but both readied themselves to intervene if needed.

“Because if you disobey I can easily boot your backside out of an airlock.” Nath’s pale thumb ran across the length of her blade as she spoke casually. Blood welled and began to trickle before the cut healed itself.

“Nath.” Uji was the first to speak up, her pitch eyes moved to him now, leaving the staring contest she had found herself in. “We may have enough fighting later without battling each other.” She made a satisfied sound at the back of her throat before placing the dagger back within its sheath and licking away the blood that had trickled onto her palm.

Now only the quiet patter of Kordath’s feet could be heard until the warning buzz rang out to signal they would be docking imminently. The sudden jerk was all they could feel before the doorway opened to welcome them to Sanctuary.

Arcia was the first to move, immediately taking the lead. Nashiro was quick to follow then Uji. and finally Nath grabbed Kordath by the collar and hauled him out along with her before letting her grip finally go.

The Arconans took in the new metal metropolis with wary eyes, none of them entirely certain where to begin. Kordath moved away first, taking in the new consoles that splayed out in the above compartment, his voice echoed through the comms that each had linked to their ear.

“We have one vessel incoming. Looks like our teammates will be here soon.”

The shuttle lifted smoothly from the grassy plain, carrying its cargo of passengers from the lush surface of New Tython to the embattled station known as Sanctuary hanging in orbit above the planet. The three Jedi in the passenger compartment, all of whom were drastically different in physical description and skill set, had been tasked with the goal of defending Sanctuary from the O’Reenians, who were currently bearing down on not just the station but New Tython itself. Fortunately, they would not be taking on this monumental task alone; meeting them at the station would be cohorts from an unlikely ally, the Dark Jedi of Clan Arcona.

There was a tension in the compartment that could be felt even without the aid of the Force. Much of it could be pinned down to uncertainty of the coming combat; then there was the fact that that they would be having to do the fighting alongside those they had long thought to be their enemies. That brought a whole new degree of uncertainty to the mix.

Padawan Suur, the youngest and most inexperienced of the trio, was doing his best to conceal his fears and reservations about the scenario.

“This whole thing is karked, you two know that, right?” he was saying, eyeing the two senior Jedi in turn.

“Yeah, it’s pretty well karked, Suur,” Sa’Ool replied, Suur’s mentor and the only member of the team that wasn’t human. He was a Kel Dor, and as such, he wore the breath mask that allowed him to live in atmospheres outside of his homeworld.

“As well as fraked,” chimed in Jason Hunter, the other human. He was easily the largest of them all, standing well taller than even Sa’Ool who was already much taller than his Padawan, as well as weighing several kilos more than each of the other two. He was also older and “wiser” in the ways of the Force, at least according to Suur. These things combined almost made him the defacto leader of their little group, but it wasn’t a responsibility Jason had wanted. Wading back into the thick of battle again, and alongside dark siders for that matter, might make him slip back into old habits. He would step up if needed, but not if his actions would put people at risk.

“Sixty seconds to contact,” the voice of the pilot, distorted and metallic , rang through the compartment speakers. As the shuttle yawed to starboard to present its portside docking port, Jason turned to look out the small window behind him.

“Looks like our friends are already here. Let’s try to make them feel welcome in Tythonian space.”

The shuttle pilot, who had obviously been a practiced hand at such maneuvers, guided the ship through the vacuum to the airlock they had been designated to dock with. They touched with nary a bump, and within moments the pliable material of the outrigger docking arm molded itself to the contours of the shuttle. Another moment and a whistling of air, accompanied by a red light turning green, and the docking arm was pressurized.

“Docking complete. Thank you for flying Tythonian Air Ways.”

“Well, let’s get this shindig underway,” Suur said, standing and making for the air lock door. He already had his vibroknuckler on and was fingering the grip of his blaster in anticipation. Sa’Ool put out a steadying hand to his student.

“Breathe, Suur. Calm yourself and feel the Force.”

All three had to take the Kel Dor’s advice, taking a deep, calming breath as Jason slapped the control that opened the shuttle to the station beyond.

Kordath tapped away at the console before him, eyes flickering across the screen as he took in the information. Odan-Urr’s system was unfamiliar to him, but the more basic information was easy enough to obtain. He could hear Kakos quietly conversing with his own Master, a glance showing the Human’s body language conveyed a desire for action. The Sith likely wanted to cause some problems for the Jedi they’d come to help, Arcia was shaking her head and surveying the hangar bay, mind on the mission.

The Ryn grunted in satisfaction as the screen brought up what he was looking for, causing him to lean over the control panel to better focus on it.

“Alright…” he started, to no one in particular, noting his Master and Captain were both nearby, “Looks like all non-essential, umm, personnel got off the station already. Took shuttles down to the planet, probably why the hangar is so empty. Systems…look okay, weapons are up, shields, life support….barring you know, sabotage, we should have a decent run of it up here.”

Uji glanced over his shoulder, and nodded, “As long as Sanctuary is standing the O’reenian’s fleet has to fight on two fronts. Our and the Odanite fleet can use it as an anchor point for a battle line, they’ll be trying to knock us out. We should expect boarders.”

“Well, I’m seeing a few security squads still on board, well as the bridge crew, so we’re not in it alone at least. The Jedi are…,” Kordath glanced up as a shuttle breached the hangar’s mag field, “here, they’re here, great. They’ll know the way around better then we will.”

The Ryn stepped away from the console for a moment, leaning into speak to his Captain in a low voice, “If the O’reenian’s don’t have saboteurs aboard, I’ll eat my tail, boss. You don’t launch an assault like this without planning, something is going to go wrong.”

The Obelisk nodded, moving away to update the increasingly annoyed looking Arcia. Kordath turned to find his Master watching the settling shuttle, her head cocked slightly sideways as she spun a knife in one hand.

“Yes?” she said, not looking away. Kordath shook his head ruefully, never certain how she knew when he had something on his mind.

“You…you don’t have to step in and protect me, Master, I can, heh, mostly take care of myself these days, you know?”

She turned her black eyes on the Ryn, who shivered as he refused to break the gaze, “I do not see how that is your choice.”

Bleu licked his lips, feeling his tail twitch a few times before he sighed, “I know. Just…I can stand up for myself, Nath, especially, hah, a Guardian? If I can’t take care of that, then I deserve whatever happens to me.”

“Why are we still discussing this?” she asked, before turning back to the shuttle, the vessel hissing as it’s landing gear locked and airlock cycled.

Nath turned her head to glance at Kordath mumbling so only he could hear her.

“Feel grateful I believe you worth protecting, I don’t make a habit of protecting everyone.”

Kordath sighed, shoulders slumped as he turned back to the console, looking for any inconsistencies in arrival and departures, deliveries and anything else that might show him someone being on board Sanctuary that wasn’t meant to be.

“Kordath suspects saboteurs aboard the station and I’m inclined to agree with him. Were the O’reenian’s to attack, without a force on the inside, they would be throwing dozens of ships away in order to take the Station. We need to begin patrolling and quickly,” the Captain watched their team, Nashiro stood to the side alone, his attitude already creating a rift between himself and his teammates. Nath stayed near the Ryn acting as a guardian for the time being until the fight would begin.

“I need to be somewhere central to the station,” Arcia scanned the hangar, tracking the movements of the crew mentally noting opportunities for improvement. “I can use my talents to link the crew into one cohesive force alongside our own, we would discover any traitors nearly the instant they attempt to sabotage the station,” the two listened as the transport ramp lowered, their Jedi counterparts exiting to approached them.

Uji and Arcia’s conversation stopped as they turned to the approaching Jedi. The trio led by the tallest Guardian came within ten paces of the two Arconans. A few moments passed with each group seemingly giving the other the opportunity to act first. Hands hovered near weapons or clasped them tighter, Nashiro moved closer to his master, as Nath created space between herself and the rest keeping Kordath behind her.

“On behalf of Odan-Urr. We welcome the members of Arcona to Sanctuary,” Jason bowed slightly as he broke the silence a coy smile on the edge of his lips, Sa Ool the Kel Dorian bowed at the waist his features covered by his mask, their companion the Padawan Suur only dipped his head when Sa Ool’s eyes flicked towards him.

“While I appreciate the niceties, I must insist we get underway with preparations. The O’reeanian forces are going to target this station as a priority and I expect to offer them disappointment in return,” Arcia nodded curtly to the three Jedi; her display far more than she would normally offer.

“Yes I was going to sugge-”

“I will take up position in the command center, monitor the situation from there. We will split into teams and provide assistance to the stations security forces.”

“Master we can’t be considering letting them have free reign of the station!” Suur’s protest afforded him a withering stare from his Master, Jason stiffened visibly as he locked eyes with Arcia.

“You damn well better do what you’re told Lightie,” Nashiro cut in, his lips twisting back into a sneer he began reaching for his blaster. A single look from Arcia stilled his hand, the Sith considered pushing further for a moment before giving the Padawan an amused smirk.

“Padawan Suur, control yourself,” Sa Ool turned to lay a hand on his Apprentice as he spoke in an attempt to calm him; the Padawan reached for his armoury saber.

“Are we done with the posturing? My command experience far exceeds that of any other individual aboard this station, listen when I speak and we will all be far better off,” the Quaestor of Galeres hadn’t moved and didn’t seem phased in the least by the tension coming from the Odanites. Arcia’s mouth opened to speak again when she felt a shadow over her shoulder.

“Quaestor, I suggest you take Kordath with you. Neither of you should be acting in direct roles here, with access to the stations systems he can assist in coordinating our efforts. Perhaps our allies would be more comfortable if each of them escorted Nath, Nashiro and myself while on the station, “ Uji cut in, the Captain of the Nighthawk remained neutral attempting to provide counsel to the Quaestor and Odan-Urr strike team.

Sanctuary Station
Orbit over New Tython

Though no words had left her mouth, Arcia’s twitched at being interrupted as she slowly turned to face the Nighthawk Captain, her eyes narrowing, informing him of his mistake.

“You suggest, do you?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Uji stood firm in his response, bringing a smile to the woman’s face.

“Then we shall take the suggestion to heart, shall we, Mister Bleu?”

’Did she just call me Mister?’ Kordath thought inwardly. “Yes, ma’am, we shall.”

The two parted from the main group and followed bulkhead postings towards their destination. They moved in silence, Arcia not feeling up to conversation and Kordath not wishing to provoke it for fear the woman would actually talk back. Footstep after footstep, they continued on before the Ryn halted, his ears perking and stealing his attention off to one side. Several steps further, Arcia noticed she was alone and turned to investigate.

Kordath was peering into a dark corridor where a series of strange, electronic noises were drifting provocatively through the air. As Arcia approached, Kordath put out a hand to halt her advance as he took his own careful step forwards and into the corridor. Crossing her arms in a huff, Arcia paused and waited for the furry little blue man to do his thing.

’What is taking that furry little creature so long… Arcia thought to herself before pursuing Kordath after several minutes of waiting.

A few meters into the hall, Arcia noticed several figures of various species tinkering on what she quickly determined to be a series of detonators and high yield explosives. To the Quaestor’s right, the dim light seemed to repopulate a space roughly a meter and a half high as Kordath came back into view and the tendrils of the Force bled from him. Arcia chuckled to herself as her subordinate came back into view and cleared her throat so the figures ahead were aware of their presence.

“Wha- Oh blast it! Boss, we got company!” the nearest one bellowed as he turned to face the noise, showing the group to be wearing station security uniforms.

A bigger male towards the back of the group stood upright, his height dwarfing Arcia and Kordath as he approached with thudding bootfalls. His muscles flexed, visible stretching the uniform he obviously looted from some poor soul elsewhere on the station and he came to a halt too close for the woman’s comfort.

“Well well, what we got here? A babe and her furry pet?” he chuckled, causing the loose and nervous laughing from behind him.

Arcia milked her accent and spoke flippantly. “Pet? Are you my pet now, Mister Bleu?”

With a groan, Kordath breathed his response. “I’d sooner die than be considered your pet, respectfully.”

The blonde locked woman chortled, creepily enough, at his response and patted the Ryn on the back before turning her attention back to the man before her. “That’s what I thought. Now, if you would be so kind to explain, what is security forces doing with such high yield explosive this far inward?”

“That’d be none your concern, eh pretty lady? Move along now before you break a nail,” this caused more laughter from behind.

Within the short time Arcia had the man stationary before her, she had picked through his passive thoughts and determined that the group planned on sabotaging the station by detonating several sets of explosive at key points on the station. This was set four of six. With a sigh, Arcia peered around the man and raised a brow to the additional imposters.

“Find all of this funny do you? Are you sure it’s funny?”

The lead imposter turned to check his comrades’ expressions when Arcia took the opportunity to draw her KYD-21 and pressed it under the man’s chin causing him to freeze instantaneously. “Well it’s not.”

The hollow clank of the bolt being charged and firing echoed the corridor as the charred fragments of bone and brain impacted the ceiling, leaving only a burning hole in the man’s head. The reaction gained from the remaining imposters was pleasant as they all scrambled over each other and ran in the opposite direction, quickly fading from view.

Kordath raised a finger, his mouth open before immediately deciding an alternate action and closed his gaping maw, following after Arcia as she approached the explosives. The two studied the devices, neither really knowing what they were looking at exactly, before more bootfalls echoed through the hall behind them. Arcia quickly stood and half spun with her left arm and blaster extended as Kordath crouched towards the ground, his fists ready. More security forces rounded a corner, fully battled geared and weapons at the ready.

“Drop your weapons, Arconans!” the lead bellowed, raising his carbine and aiming towards the two.

With a sigh, Arcia holstered her pistol and nodded for Kordath to stand up. “Can we help you fine gentlemen?”

“What’s this going on here? What do you have? Are you trying to blow the station up??”

’Oh, bother…they are as stupid as they look,’ Arcia thought to herself as she crossed her arms, only to have more of the guards raise their rifles as if she were about to draw some unseen weapon.

“I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about. We just–” Arcia started, but was quickly silenced.

“Why are you with this bomb?!”

Kordath quickly perked up. “Bomb? What? This bomb? This isn’t our bomb, we thought you guys left it here…next…to the power coupling for the shield generator. Why would you guys leave a bomb by that? Weird, you Odan-Urr guys are weird.”

Having a hard time dealing with actually being interrupted this time, Arcia grinded her teeth and remained quiet as the lead security guard responded. “We…I…what? What’s that body there?!”

“You obviously don’t know what’s going on. Did you know you were had? People stole your uniforms. Going to rig bombs up all over. Should go find them. We’re not a danger. You should go now,” the Ryn continued rambling as Arcia fixated her will on the three individuals.

“Y-yeah…we should go. We need to find those people, let’s go men!”

The three barrelled past Arcia and Kordath without another word as the woman rolled her eyes and grabbed her holocom. “Capta- sigh Uji, Mister Bleu and I located a group of saboteurs planting a set of explosives near one of the shield generators. Keep an eye out.”

Closing the channel before the man could respond, Arcia looked at Kordath and nodded for him to follow as they resumed their brisk walk to the command center. Once again in silence, the two finally made their way to a turbolift that carried them directly to the command level. When the doors opened, they were greeted by the huge bulbous eyes of a large Mon Cal wearing a captains uniform and insignia.

“I am Captain Flipp of Sanctuary Station. Who are you?”

Arcia, as if pulling a page out of Kordath’s book, raised a finger, formulating many responses before she was happily cut off by the Captain. “Yes, I know. I’ve heard them all. Just tell me who you are so we can get past this awkward moment.”

“Arcia Cortel of Arcona. This is Kordath Bleu. We’re here to see what we’re up against. Where is your data center, Mister Bleu has some things to review and I have some news regarding several saboteurs…”