Star Wars: A Black Sunset

[Lord of Chaos]

Tarrivan was nothing more than a simple salvager who worked close to Polis Massa. He had been working long hours just to earn a meager wage of Republic Credits to try and support his three children and his constantly drunk and loud-mouthed wife.

So perfect, he thought to himself. He grimaced lightly as he slung his laser pick into the old junker that was formerly a mining frigate that had collided with a spare asteroid. There was supposed to be some rare artorium -- a metal once used in place of cortosis but then found another use in the form of an extremely valuable and pure-burning fuel. Supposedly, this ship had quite the large load that had never been recovered... before today.

He smiled as he finally hit something -- a battered metal crate that spilled out a load full of artorium. Maybe this is my day after all, he thought to himself as he grabbed a piece and headed back towards the surface of the wreckage to show to his co-workers so that they would know where to start the major salvaging work.

He approached the surface, breathing hard due to the fact that he was wearing an older space suit. He stopped for a second to catch his breath, then looked upwards towards the ship he had come here on. His buddies were, as usual, goofing off and hanging out the side of the frigate, all probably drunk. He motioned to them and pointed at the piece of the rare fuel-metal in his hand. As he motioned for them to drop down and bring their tools though, he suddenly felt something warm running down his left leg, given from the sight of what was suddenly blotting out the light from the stars around the place.

Above their ship, smashing through asteroids, was nothing less than a Star Station. It was large, and resembled a four pronged sphere going up and four prongs going down. From his point of view, it was as large as a planet, if not bigger. He suddenly started jumping up and down, almost comically, but assuredly not on purpose, motioning to the colossal station moving above their heads.

As they all finally looked up, their reactions followed quite similarly to Tarrivan's. No one had seen a station that large ever! It would be the least of their worries though, because as the station positioned itself over the asteroid field, the large pyramid-shaped bottom that settled between the four prongs started to open up. As it did, the asteroids closest to it suddenly started to shift upwards, as if being pulled inwards. Soon, more and more were following suit and doing it at quite a rapidly increasing pace.

The men started to panic. Tarrivan was screaming at them to pull him up as one of the other men jumped back into the ship to tell them to start it up and "haul ass outta there."

It would be too late though, because as soon as the ship started powering up its thrusters to kick into the Hyperdrive, the ship and the asteroid/frigate collision they were mining was suddenly being jerked upwards. The sounds of the men screaming could not be heard as they were being pulled into the black nothingness that waited in the gaping maw of the station.

Soon afterwards, the opening closed and the station started slowly turning, as it moved onwards... the word Lament gleaming in the light of a distant star as it headed for an unknown destination.

The True Sith had arrived.

 

[Ulti]

Zaya Nebulak woke up with a start. She breathed heavily, beads of sweat rolling down her pale face. With a sigh, she moved up from her lumpy bed. Suddenly, the entire room started to move and Zaya found herself on the floor. Cursing rather loudly, she slowly pushed herself up. HX-75 always had trouble dodging those small but troublesome asteroids. Zaya was currently in the crew quarters. Well, really her quarters. She had no crew except herself and her droid, HX-75. And he provided enough personality as it was. But before hassling her droid about his flying, she stopped by the supplies for a light snack. As someone once told her, food settles the troubled stomach as well as the troubled mind.

Zaya made it to the cockpit, after a few more troublesome small asteroids damaged the hull even more, and proceeded to check the warranty on her droid.
"I was given the idea that you could fly the ship on your own for a few hours as I caught up on my sleeping."

[Statement: My protocol arms cannot perform adequately at all. I suggest at Telos you purchase droid arms that will not glitch every millisecond]

"Unless you can spring up the credits to buy good arms, I suggest you turn down your circuits. Takes two to fly The Banisher anyways. I'll sleep later."

As troublesome as HX was, he was the only company Zaya was going to get. She built the metal menace herself. Parts from protocol, battle, astromech, and possibly even an assassin droid, made up HX. Maybe all the parts messed up HX. One minute, he would be as tamed as a domestic kath hound. The next, he would be as bloodthirsty as a krayt dragon. Still, no one knew Zaya better han HX.

[Query: Are you functioning well, Master? You arrived rather livid and disturbed.]

"You could say that. Just the galaxy is not feeling well. I predict today will be rather exciting. After we arrive on Telos, make sure they fix the ship and recharge the ion cannons as I deliver the spice. I'll see if anyone in the cantina is looking for some 'deliverers'."

HX gave a quick nod and reported Telos was in sight. Of course, they were not going to land ON Telos. That place was still a bit dangerous. No settlements. Only forests and terrifying beasts. They were heading towards the Telos Space Station. A nice little place to stop on if you are low on fuel. Well, if you are a Republic soldier. But Zaya's logic was that no one would expect a smuggler to be on the Space Station. No one noticed the other smugglers so far. So her logic was sound.

As the Banisher came in under the codes of a Republic freighter, Zaya started to wonder what woke her up. Usually, nothing could wake up this sleeping beast. Unless...no. Impossible. Illogical. Nothing in the known Galaxy could have caused that much distress. In the known Galaxy...

(If this post looks smushed, my bad. For some reason, this thread forces me to tag paragraphs so it forms paragraphs. I have no idea why. So, sorry if it is messy)

 

[Perception╘Truth]

Slavery. Submitting to another's will is the basic definition, but in truth it is much more than that. It is torture, sheer force of will breaking down on another until even with their greatest strength they cannot fight back. No sentient being should be subject to that kind of torture. Once, long ago, the Kwa had tried this in their great empire, but stopped after only a few generations as they saw the pain it caused. Why others still held the practice was beyond anything they could imagine.

Taral sat in his prison, staring at the blank walls around him. His huge body took up a large amount of the space in his cell. Against the wall there were various dents from angry punches directed towards his imprisonment. Those kind of outbursts usually met with intense punishment and the giant Kwa didn't want anymore pain than usual. When shut into his cell his weapons were taken and all light was shut off from the room. No windows, a small light in the corner that Taral usually left off and a bed that was far to small for his massive size. Instead he used the bed frame to write out ideas and plans for the ancient weapon his people had created long ago. However, he had other plans to. Plans of escape. Now that they had entered into a new part of the galaxy he might get himself free. It was only a matter of time.......

 

[key490]

Haden sat at the controls of his YT-1300 going through hyperspace on a course to Telos. The Jedi Council had assigned him to go there and help in whatever way he could. He came out of hyperspace looking over the desolate planet and the station that hovered over it. Citadel Station was the only place with fuel, supplies and entertainment for miles. He brought his ship into one of the hangars and disembarked onto Citadel Station. He boarded a shuttle for the Entertainment Module where the Cantina and TSF Staion were located. After arriving, he headed for thr TSF Station.

 

[Ulti]

As soon as The Banisher lander, Zaya pranced offwards, leaving HX to direct the incompetent humans docking the ship. It was Zaya's happy hour and she was not wasting a single minute of it. She, in an unhumanly way, reached the Catina within in seconds. Ordering the strongest drinks and to keep them coming, she watched the Twi'leks dance, the patrons get drunk, and an amusing fight between a Rodian and what looked like a disfigured TSF Guard.

Alas, there was not yet any potential customers at this hour. Too many guards lurking about. Damn authority. It may keep the nasties out of the galaxy, but they really put pressure on Zaya's credits. Ah, nothing can ever be perfect. At least no one was paying any attention to her.

"At least the drinks are good and the entertainment is free. Guess I can't banter with any cuties tonight. HX would have my hide if I brought another one to the ship."

Soon the bar was nearly empty, save a few drunkards who couldn't even get up. But if you closed your eyes for five seconds, you would open up to an entirely new bar. Shady characters of all sizes, speices, and gangs filled the Cantina. Bounty hunters, smugglers, mercenaries, and even a few Hutts praised Zaya with their presence. Due to HX's absence, Zaya had to stick around fellow smugglers to get a job. Hell if she knew what those Hutt slugs were saying. She was not about to take a job without getting a clue what those slugs wanted her to do.

Zaya eventually received a job from a veteran smuggler. There was a crate of fine spice to be delivered to an uncharted planet a few lightyears off of Malacor V. A bit of a trip, but well worth the credits. And with Zaya's bloodline, she doubted she would find herself in a conflict with the Mandalorians that inhabitied the planet she planned to travel to. Other deals were made with other smugglers, hunters, and the like as the hours melted by. Zaya, having nothing better to do, took her last drink outside. She inhaled the night air, grinning gently to the stars. She gave a toast to the midnight, her own way of praying for a good flight to the unknown, perhaps even dangerous world.