A Surprise Visit (Sith'ari Path / E.P.O.C.H. RP)

Starring:

Agent Skursir of E.P.O.C.H.

Judge Sharasvar of The Sith'ari Path

Guardian Darth'Ishad of The Sith'ari Path

Executor Vaelyndor of The Sith'ari Path

Prophet Void Dallos of The Sith'ari Path

Assassin Kanis of The Sith'ari Path


Sharasvar:
Sharasvar was working late at his office near the entrance of the Blackened Canyon excavation site. The ugly plasteel building was constructed in the shape of a mushroom in order to allow the Sith researchers to overlook the entire area. It had been abandoned when the archaeological council had given up the dig site, as the sweeping dust and grind storms made any long-term excavation impossible. As a member of the High Council, Sharasvar had been able to claim the purposeless construction as his personal research center.

The building consisted of a central pillar with small cells for students revolving around a central turbolift which went up to the mushroom's head. Nowadays the cells were empty except for the few novices of the Sith'ari Path which were initiated in the secrecies of the Order. In the head of "The Mushroom" -as the structure was informally called- there were offices and private chambers for all those who were on the Sith'ari Path's Council, although only Sharasvar could be considered a more or less permanent resident of the center. In addition, the head contained a library, a sparring room, guest quarters, instruction and meditation chambers, a central meeting place, defense grid, and so on. Defenses were not very impressive, consisting only of a small automated medium laser and ion battery. Sharasvar trusted more on the secrecy and hidden location of the base than on its ability to resist a frontal attack. If the need arose, the Path was able to withdraw to stronger positions, such as Void Dallos' ship.
On top The Mushroom was flattened and served as a sizable landing pad for light transport ships and starfighters.

Skursir:
Skursir had managed to pilot the rented ship - and to a decent enough degree of control - over to Korriban. It was a gamble. With so many cruisers and warships he could be decimated in a matter of seconds. Luckily, as a bounty hunter, he had aquired recent enough pass codes to get through the defenses, which he transmitted to the nearest space station once he had been contacted by a very stern sounding voice. After a long, tense minute, he recieved conformation that everything was order and the decended his ship to the world.

Using the co-ordinates that Mirellu gave him, Skursir was able to pin-point were he was supposed to go. It was part of the barren landscape, and it's rock deformation suggested that it could be a quarry. He managed to find the frequency eminating from the area and tuned into it, using a holofeed to present himself, "Thiss iss Ambassador Sskurssir or the E.P.O.C.H Agency... I come in requesst of an alliance..." He knew Sith well, having worked with many of them, once an apprentice even tried to assassinate his master! Well, tried. However, those he found at the Hyperion were different, relatively friendly. He hoped that the rest of them were as such.

Vaelyndor:
Vaelyndor breathed deeply, slowly, his eyes closed in deep meditation. The midday sun beat down mercilessly upon him as he stood bare chested atop the facility the Sith'ari Path called 'Home', his ignited lightsaber held before him. The landing pad was vacant for now, save for himself and half a dozen floating droid spheres, slowly circling him. The intense heat radiating down from the star Korriban orbited as well as that reflected up from the landing pad evaporated the sweat off his body before it could even bead up on his flesh, causing his still form to shimmer atop the grey, dull, structure. Feeling the Force flowing within him, the young warrior extended his awareness beyond the platform, beyond the canyon walls, allowing his senses to be guided by the power that saturated all living things. A faint click could be heard, nearly imperceptible as one of the droid spheres' stabilizers glitched for a mere fraction of a second. Eyes snapping open, Vaelyndor leapt into action. The entire platform became filled with blaster bolts and blurred motion. In mere moments the chaotic whirlwind of destruction was over and the young man again stood motionless atop the old archeological facility, the still smoldering wreckage of the spheres littering the area around him.

Extinguishing his weapon, the Executor closed his eyes while beginning a slow, graceful kata. The circular movements blended one into another as he fell into a deep meditation. The form initially appeared peaceful enough as the warrior gradualy made his way around the landing pad, but to those with the training to see could discern its true, martial application. With his attention turned inwards, Vaelyndor continued with his training unaware of the starship hurtling through the atmosphere towards his location until his commlink alerted him of an incoming transmission.

Darth'Ishad:
Darth'Ishad was in the valley training with some of the sith recruits from the academy. He stood in the middle of 5 fresh recruits, he dropped his robes and on rare occasions he would take his mask off like now, leaving the bandage on his eye he grabbed two sparing sticks and stood at attention.

"there are 5 of us and one of you and not only one of you but one kaleesh" one of the men said.

"haha" the rest laughed and took out their sticks

as they circled him one came in and struck Darth'IShad in the face knocking him to the ground, another came and hit him in the back as he was getting up. As he stood up the men looked to each other, then one more came running and attempted to hit him but the kaleesh grabbed the recruit by the neck and slammed him on the ground. As this happened the rest ran to him, he started fending them off like it was nothing but missing some as well. The blows to his face blurred his already impaired vision so he relied on smell and sound.

They backed off and circled him again

"A foolish move giving your opponent a fighting chance" Dath'Ishad said as he lifted his hand and releasing a blast of force throwing one of the men into a rock.

the others looked to their friend and back to him and as they were about to charge a ship flew over head toward the path's "home".

"Looks like we will work on this some more tomorrow." Darth'Ishad said as he grabbed his gear and headed toward the tower.

Sharasvar:
A discrete orange light started to flicker in the control panel at Sharasvar's office, accompanied by a short beep. The Sith Historian frowned and rose from his seat. Approaching the console he saw the signal of an incoming ship, and a holotransmission. Decoding the feed, a trandoshan appeared, one "ambassador Skursir of the EPOCH Agency", presenting "an alliance". The elder hesitated, his hand dwelling on the Mushroom's automated defense system. However, curiosity trumped vigilance, and Sharasvar was curious to what this Agency precisely was, and who else knew of the Path's secret coordinates. They should interrogate the trando first.

Sharasvar activated the long-range commlink of his office, contacting the alien presence. He decided to speak Basic, to show a certain openness to the stranger.

"Hail, Skursir of the EPOCH Agency. This is Sharasvar Zia of the High Council for Archaeology on Korriban. You have permission to land. Be aware that you have entered private grounds, and that we will take any steps necessary to protect our interests."

Immediately afterwards, the Sith Historian alerted Darth'Ishad and Vaelyndor of the situation, calling upon them to assist him in receiving and interrogating their mysterious visitor. Then the elderly Sith reached for a neutral brown cloak, hiding his old lightsaber, and he headed for the landing platform.

Skursir:
"Hail, Skursir of the EPOCH Agency. This is Sharasvar Zia of the High Council for Archaeology on Korriban. You have permission to land. Be aware that you have entered private grounds, and that we will take any steps necessary to protect our interests."
"Very well, I am landing now..."
This was fair enough. The Sith'ari Path had most probably never even heard of the EPOCH, except perhaps overhearing names being tossed around in the underbellies of several intergalactic cities, or the Hyperion. He would have to leave his weapons in the ship, they would probably have sensors. He did not like having to leave his sword behind, but in this cast, it was a must.

Skursir pulled the ship over the Mushroom building, relatively skillful. On a glance, the building looked very last centuary, he had spied a building such as this before, was it Geonosis? Perhaps. The ship swooped over, located the landing pad and made a dip towards it. With a press of a button, the landing gear came down and auxilary motors kicked into gear to soften the descent. Never the less, Skursir came down with a rough bump.

It would look very idiotic to be an ambassador and wear armour, and yet Skursir wore a tough flak vest and arm guards over a rich robe that bore resemblence to Trandoshan ceremonial robes. Many from his home would call it very last centuary, although Skursir liked the mesh of blues and greens. He swiped his datapad off the dashboard before desending the ship's ramp.

Skursir took a second to analyse the surroundings. It bore resemblance to some of Trandoshan, which gave him cause to smile. It looked like an excavation site, and the Mushroom building was in plain view, possibly an observation tower. Indeed, there were several people walking around, it was not lifeless. Most appeared inquisitive as to who Skursir was or his purpose, giving glances over to him, one person giving a cold glare. Skursir dismissed these and awaited an audience.

Void:
Void was in his ship doing a slight modification when he received a message from another Sith'ari member, alerting him of the small group that landed on the tower nearest to him. He grabbed his lightsaber and slowly approached the lift.

Kanis:
Kanis had been up on a ridge overlooking the landing site of the mysterious ship, he had been training with one of his hand crafted rifles due to the fact that even though he was a sith he believed in always being able to adapt to a situation. The Sith assassin had been packing away the high power weapon when he saw the ship come in to make a slightly rough landing, he had not heard of any ships due to be landing today and was immediately on alert. Kanis quickly assembled the rifle and set the sights on the descending ramp focusing on the figure that stepped out keeping a steady aim right on the target's upper body.

Skursir:
Skursir noted a sniper in the distance, he was aiming at Skursir. Sith had snipers? Perhaps hired muscle? Skursir frowned, unsure of his course of action. In an ideal world, he would instantly barrel roll to the nearest cover, in this case some cargo, and aim at the sniper with his scoped pistol. However, doing so would seem unprofessional and a clear statement of hostility. He would not take up arms, for now, after all, he is in a place were he could be seen to infiltrate the headquaters of the Sith'ari - it would be understandable that security would be harsh. He'd just have to wait for the amassador from the Path's side, but never the less, he kept his eye on the sniper.

Vaelyndor:
Vaelyndor had no sooner bathed and donned his light armor when the starcraft landed upon the pad above him. Draping his dark green robes around his black armor, he made sure his lightsaber and trusty blaster were in place before making his way towards the lift. Reaching out with the Force, he sensed only a single presence aboard the ship. Stretching out his arms on the way up, the Executor mentally prepared to receive the EPOCH ambassador.

Darth'Ishad:
Darth'Ishad ran to the tower, he got to the chamber where the judge was, "Are you expecting anyone?" he asked as he was catching his breath.

Sharasvar:
Sharasvar shook his head at Darth'Ishad. "I never heard of this Skursir and his agency, perhaps Void or Vaelyndor has. Be on your guard." Together with the Kaleesh the Judge walked to the landing platform. He greeted the disembarked Trandoshan with a short nod and then folded his arms.

"State your business and allegiance, Skursir of the EPOCH."

Vaelyndor:
Disembarking from the lift, Vaelyndor arrived just as Sharasvar greeted the EPOCH ambassador. Well now, let's see what this is all about. Eyeing the craft, he discerned no outstanding features, though his experience had taught him well that looks are often times deceiving. As the humanoid approached the group of Sith'ari now assembled atop the landing pad, the Executor caught a quick flicker of eye movement from the trandoshan. Reaching out with the Force, he probed the area he had glanced at and felt the familiar presence of Kanis. Knowing him, the assassin probably had a sniper beat expertly trained on the newcomer.

Vaelyndor suppressed a chuckle as he thought about the man. Kanis was a highly skilled and very deadly individual, and what many took years to master seemed to come as naturally as breathing to him. Though well trained and in possession of highly sophisticated weaponry, what impressed the Executor the most about Kanis was being a top notch military professional seemed to be in his nature. He performed his duties and did what needed to be done, often before the rest of the team had thought to issue an order for it.

Bringing his attention out of his reverie and back onto the ambassador, Vaelyndor awaited his response to Sharasvar's inquiry.

Skursir:
Skursir noted the three figures approaching him, seemingly led by a single human. There were not many files available on the Sith'ari Path circulating the Holonet. Those that were about were heavily encrypted and spoke only about being a sub-sect of the Sith, seemingly basic knowledge to Skursir. However, it was not hard to see that this human was the leader, perhaps the leader of the entire Path. Nevertheless, negotiations would have to take place, Skursir did not expect the Sith to sign a contract too readily. There was even a Kaleesh amongst the group - ah, it was the same one he had come across in the Hyperion. A stroke of good fortune. The other, wearing dark green robes, seemed to be chuckling at something, Skursir held back a glare.

"State your business and allegiance, Skursir of the EPOCH." The leader spoke. Skursir assumed a pose that would spark of official nature. He spread his legs slightly and held his hands behind him, formulating a response in a split second.

"I am ambassador of the Elimination and Protection Operationss of Contractual Hire. I have gained the aquaintance of a couple of your memberss when they came to the Hyperion luxury bar on Corusscant, Darth'Ishad being one of them. I aquired the co-ordinatess for your basse of operationss and thought that it would be in both our besst interesstss to sstrike a deal" Skursir smiled, making certain that he did not appear intimidating, "We are a bounty hunting agency that will provide only the besst and premium sservicess for a very ssuitable fee. A professional sservice ssuch as oursselvess would definately help you in your activitiess"

With that, Skursir raised his arms up into the air, "Asss you may ssee, I am completely unarmed. You may ssearch my ship, but I assure you that you will not find anything of value there. If you are interessted in my proposal, that it would be besst that we continue our disscussion insside" He motioned to the mushroom.

Sharasvar:
Sharasvar raised an eyebrow and glanced from Darth'Ishad to Vaelyndor. The Historian then directed his next words to both his comrades, speaking in the Sith dialect which was common on Ziost. Although the grammar of this idiom was more or less the same as "regular" Sith, it had developed some peculiar expressions and vocabulary.

"As you are both in charge of our group's security, I defer the final decision concerning the fate of this Agent to you, Executor and Guardian. Yet, may I suggest we invite him to our base for negotiations, as we could use some... apolitical allies."

The elder Sith smiled at Skursir and awaited the response of the other Sith.

Void:
Void stood, stiff and proud with his allies and the EPOCH embassitor. He looked toward Sharasvar cunningly. "Permission to take part in negotiations my lord?"

Kanis:
Kanis held the sights of his rifle on the ambassador for a moment longer as the trandoshan was greeted by some of the other Sith'ari. The Sith assassin pulled his rifle back from the ledge it had been resting on and quickly took it apart and packed it away into its case, he rose up checking his gear was all in place before moving quickly back to the building where the meeting was soon to take place. Kanis planned to conceal himself in one of the hidden passageways where the other Sith'ari would be aware of him and where he would be able to observe the meeting and 'assist' if he was needed.

Vaelyndor:
Assuming a slightly more serious countenance, Vaelyndor replied in as close an approximation of the Sith dialect Sharasvar had used as he could, "Though it is disturbing this agency was so readily able to discern our location, I sense no ill-will from him. He at least believes what he is saying is the truth and that, at least for now, is enough to convince me to have a civil discussion with him inside. If it is in agreement with the Guardian, we could bring him to conference room C his proposed talks."

Motioning towards Void, he continues, "I, myself, am better with battlefield meneuvers and military protocol, not diplomatic fine print. Void would indeed be a great asset should we decide to come into contractual terms with this EPOCH agency."

Darth'Ishad:
Darth'Ishad nods to Vaelyndor, though he doesn not speak sith all to well he managed to get out
"I dont trust him but lets hear what he has to say."

Skursir:
The sniper aiming at Skursir appeared to turn away and head towards the Mushroom, obviously satisfied with knowing that the Trandoshan was not a foe. In hindsight, the E.P.O.C.H would probably have not given someone a chance like that and the ambassador would have been riddled with bullets before uttering a word. The risky manouvere had paid off though, as the group decended into ramblings in an unknown language, presumably Sith, with a fourth member joining them. There did not appear to be hostile tones, but some of the words appeared to be broken, so not all of them spoke fluent Sith. The only downside was that Darth'Ishad did not seem to recognise him, a shame, though he was probably a busy man. Suddenly, the speaking stopped with a final sentance from the Kaleesh, Skursir took this as his cue.

"Sso what iss the verdict?" He hissed softly with a smile.

Void:
Void stood with his arms crossed and legs spread out as he turned toward Sharasvar and Vaelyndor. "As Darthishad said, we should listen to the details of this contract." He returned his eyes to the ambassador. "At least he seems official and... fairly intelligent." The prophet conveyed arrogantly.

Vaelnydor:
"It is agreed then." Vaelyndor said, switching back to galactic common and turning to fully face the trandoshan. "Ambassador Skursir, we will escort you inside for proper introductions and to hear what you have to say about this EPOCH agency in more detail. If you would sir, please come with us." Leading the small procession inside the mushroom, the Executor brings them to the large conference room and indicates a seat near the middle of the central table for the ambassador. Assuming Sharasvar would seat himself at the head of the table, Vaelyndor takes the first seat to the right of it. The young warrior waits for those assembled to make themselves comfortable before making introductions, taking a brief moment to study the movements and mannerisms of Skursir.

Void:
Seeing where Vaelyndor sat himself, Void sat on the left side of the head faceing The Executor. He then sent a com message to DarthIshad and Kanis reading "Keep an eye on things outside. If the sparks start flying, do what you do best."

Darth'Ishad:
As they went into the conference room, Darth'Ishad and Kanis stood outside to keep guard. A message came through
"Keep an eye on things outside. If the sparks start flying, do what you do best."
"Of course"
Darth'Ishad replied with hope that he would be able to do "what he did best".

Sharasvar:
Sharasvar sat down at the head of the table and smiled at Void, a little relieved that the shrewd politician was present to assist the Path in whatever negotiations the Trandoshan was eager to conduct. He was curious to see Skursir's reaction to their confusing hierarchy, which seemed lax compared to the straightforward autocratic traditions of the Sith. The Judge closed his eyes and, in the calm of this room, he tried to assess the intentions of the stranger, reaching out with the Force.

Although Sharasvar was better at appraising objects and texts, as the consolidated and objectified memories of the intelligent species, he was nevertheless able to gain a vague idea of the emotional make-up of a creature at a given moment. This ability was far from the power of some Sith Masters to read minds and create telepathic bonds without permission of the bonded, yet the Historian did not perceive the lack of this capability as a defect. The direct manipulation of minds often led to laziness from the manipulators and the illusion that they could count on those they manipulated. Real influence was based on charisma, personality, and vision. A man with the power to read and control minds is able to mobilize a dozen followers, who at every step fight his domination. A man with a vision is able to mobilize billions of supporters who carry out his ideas freely and out of their own conviction.

Lightly touching the Trandoshan's state of mind, Sharasvar could not feel any direct hostile intent. The Historian relaxed and glanced at Vaelyndor, awaiting the Executor's next step.

Skursir:
Skursir followed the group through the building. There were many rooms which looked like class-rooms - most were empty with only what seemed to be apprentices here and there. People looked surprised to see him walking through there midst, others smiled, Skursir even thought he caught a snarl from one, though it may have been a trick of the eyes. He was eventually led into what appeared to be a conference room, of which a large table took up most of the space. The trandoshan noted Darth'Ishad, along with the sniper from before, taking position outside the room. They must be the military side of the Path, Skursir thought to himself.

There were three Sith'ari now in the room. One of them took the seat at the heat of the table, Skursir immediately confirmed him as the leader in his mind - the posture, the expressions, it all added up. Now, the man was staring deeply at him, probing him? Perhaps. His state of mind had instantly been found out by a Sith Lord he had worked for before, the leader was probably playing the same card. It was okay though, he had nothing to hide. Skursir found himself a seat, sitting opposite to the man. It was the traditional frontal approach, and although the other Sith may choose to take an intimidating stance, he would seem more professional.

"I take it you're interessted in what we have to offer?" Skursir began, grinning, "I assure you that our assistance in any of your activitess or interesstss will be of the highesst sstandard, and your hand in what we do will remain completely anonymous. Of course, our bussiness could be legit, but I'm ssure you wouldn't like your name coming up on any radars..." The trandoshan gave a mixture of a hiss and a chortle, using the pause to check that he still had the group's attention.

"You could alwayss take it a step further and extend our two group'ss... relationship..." Skursir reached into his clothing and produced a datapad. Pressing a button, it extended into a holographic A4 page with detailed writing. "I have a contract ready. You will recieve an unexpiring membership to a very exclusive association with the Agentss of the E.P.O.C.H. For an introductory fee of only 50,000 credits, the Path will be given unlimited access to all of our premium sservicess, including sseveral sspecialist ones, at discounted pricess." He couldn't help beaming, "You won't be dissappointed."

Void:
Void lightly smiled at the assurance in DarthIshad's reply. Void gave a confident nod to Vaelyndor and Sharasvar, making them aware that there was reliable backup outside. When the ambassador began to speak of his proposal, Void scanned his every word, never breaking eye contact with the speaker. Void analyzed what he had just heard and leaned back in his chair. "Fifty-Thousand credits entry fee." He acknowledged sarcastically. "And how much after that?" A more basic question. "What is it that your cooperation does? You claim to be very officiant." Void leaned in towards the ambassador. "But I have never even heard of you."

Vaelyndor:
Vaelyndor leaned back into his seat and listened intently as Skursir made his introductory offer, seemingly unable or unwilling to hide the pride in his voice as he presented his case. Keeping his face expressionless, he was amused at Void's point blank return. That was what he liked most about the man. Although a highly skilled diplomat, Void, unlike most of his colleagues, typically never sugar-coated anything; he had a very practical, straight-to-the-point style that often lead even the staunchest and shrewdest politicians and interstellar merchants into agreements in his favor. Vaelyndor simply enjoyed being around a political man who didn't dance around and avoid direct questions and answers. What he had said rang true, they had never heard of the EPOCH agency, and so the ambassador's claims of such skilled services were indeed cast in a cloud of doubt. They would need more information from the man, and it was only because of this conclusion did the young warrior lean forward, placing his hands on the table in front of him, and speak out.

"Excellent inquires my friend, however let us not forget our manners. We have not properly introduced ourselves due to the, unconventional, nature of your arrival Ambassador Skursir. It seems you have already met Darh'Ishad, Guardian of the Sith'ari. The man seated directly across from you is Sharasvar Zia, Judge and Soul of our order. This is our chief diplomat and Prophet of the Sith'ari, Void Dallos. Finally I am Vaelyndor Althoren, the Sith'ari Path Executor."

"As I am sure you have discovered already, we represent a sub-sect of the Sith, based on teachings and philosophies somewhat outside the traditional teachings of the Dark Council. What you may not know is our leadership hierarchy. Though we possess differing titles and responsibilities, many of us are, in fact, equals. For example; as Executor, I oversee the day to day operations of the Sith'ari and give commands and orders that all are expected to obey to see that things progress smoothly. However, Void here is our Prophet and chief diplomat. When outside politics are involved, such as the decision to enter into a contract with a third party organization, he calls the shots and we support his decision. Master Zia, the Judge and Soul of the Sith'ari, is the only exception. It was through his research, passion, and vision that the Sith'ari Path came into being, and as such we all see him as the ultimate authority."

Leaning back into his cushioned seat once more, Vaelyndor assumes a more relaxed pose before continuing. "Now that you know a little more about us, perhaps you could shed a bit more light on yourself and this EPOCH agency. As Void has mentioned, what are these 'premium' services you made reference to? What exploits has your agency already accomplished and how do we know you won't simply take our money and disappear into a distant quadrant of the galaxy?"

Darth'Ishad:
Standing outside the room made Darth'Ishad verry nervous, leaving the council alone with this Agent. He looked to Kanis "You know we havn't really been properly introduced, im Darth'Ishad" bowing as he finished.

Kanis:
Kanis looked towards Darth'Ishad as he spoke, noting the many scars on the Sith'ari Guardian. The assassin smiled. "Greetings Darth'Ishad, I have heard many great things about you and your actions through certain... channels." Kanis noticed Darth'Ishads unease at not knowing what was happening within the chamber and the fact that he was to trust someone who seemed to be a simple Agent. Kanis spoke reassuringly to the Kaleesh, "I assure you that the others within that room will be able to handle this situation in a proper manner and as to your noticeable discomfort with me I would like to point out that i am no ordinary assassin, I just use my affinity with the force in a different manner to most Sith, my total loyalty belongs to the Sith'ari and no one else."

Skursir:
Skursir listen closely as the Executor introduced himself and the members of the Path in the room. Skursir's assumption that the man sitting opposite to him, Sharasvar, was the leader had been correct. However, this was no time to be glad for a lucky guess, as formal introductions had been missed in Skursir's haste. Above of that, key subjects had been brought up that required addressing.

"Well firsstly, it iss a pleassure to meet you all," Skursir grinned, "Not many groupss would allow me to just walk in..." He then turned his attentions directly to Vaelyndor. "Yess, I have heard that you are sseperate to the Sith Empire, and it'ss idealss... Which in my opinion would warrent our aid even more..." Skursir then looked to the so-called diplomat. He had leaned forward in an attempt to intimidate with a statement that would have placed Skursir in a tough spot, although he had a simple answer to that. "The fact that you have not heard of uss iss tesstament to our superiority. The less people know, the eassier it iss to sstrike at them, you undersstand?"

"Asss for what we do..." Skursir's head rolled back naturally to address the entire group, "We do it all..." He gave yet another grin, he had been waiting for this moment, "Ssabotage, sspying, item acquirement, enforcement, assassination, fugitive retrieval - we'll do anything for a price and we just go that little bit further than other bounty hunterss. We've taken down Jedi, Sith, Hutts and Crime Lordsss. We've even captured a former Chancellor of the Republic. If you read between the liness, we're there. With uss, 50,000 creditss iss mere pocket money." Skursir then tthought about the point about making off with bounty money. He had heard stories of frauds, it made his blood boil. "You have a Trandoshan'ss honour, memberss of the Path - we are the besst."

Void:
Void sat proud during Vaelyndor's introductions and briefing. Void was honored to serve Vaelyndor. The executor was complete, natural leader. But he also had a very rare connection with the force. It seemed as though the darkside just fed his knowledge. Void had nothing but respect for the man sitting opposite him. He was the kind of leader that and politician feels privileged to have on their side and serve.

When Skursir began his deeper explanation, Void heavily analyzed every word he spoke and every movement he made, never breaking eye contact with the trandotion. Void heard everything he wanted to hear from Skursir. Rather than taking acceptation to Void's earlier statements and listing events that the EPOCH should be known for, he made the strong point that having an unknown criminal operation is much more efficient than a recognizable one. But the prophet had to remain skeptical. He needed to make sure this wasn’t a scheme set by thug lords, or even a sting operation being run by the Sith Empire.

Immediately after the ambassador was finished speaking, Void began with a more monotone, yet still slightly sarcastic tone set in his voice. "Yes indeed. But if you are this discrete, how do we know you are not taking credit for someone else’s work? And if you are truly the best at what you do, why did you choose The Sith’ari Path of all the possible business partners in The Galaxy?” Void leaned forward again as his voice became much more aggressive and serious. His eyes and Skursir’s pierced each other with cunning sharpness. “Why not work with the hutts, or the exchange or even The Sith Empire itself?” Void half smiled as he brought his tone back down. “What could we possibly offer an organization as proficient as yours?”

Skursir:
Skursir frowned. He could see that this politician's skeptisism and intimidating tones would be his main obsticle in securing a contract of any kind. Indeed, why not the hutts? They would welcome him with open arms without knowning his name. Still, it was justified. The trandoshan had made a risky manoeuvere and for a cult operating presumably against the Empire, they had to be cautious. Right now though, all Skursir could do was answer questions.

"Oh, you'd be ssurprissed about who we have worked for," Skursir gave a gleeful hiss, leaning back in his chair. "I'm afraid that I am not at liberty to disscuss their namess however. That'ss the ssort of privacy you'll get with with usss... No one will ever know who'ss sstriking againsst them... What you can offer the E.P.O.C.H in return, iss ssimple - creditsss. That'ss what eveyone elsse does." He gave a grin, "But I'm afraid that I cannot prove that we don't steal other'ss work. Of coursse, you can't prove that a banking world check will bounce before you try it out?"

Sharasvar:
Sharasvar leaned a little forward.

"What about the black market? Does EPOCH have channels to sell contraband and illegal goods?" The Judge smiled sarcastically. "It's difficult to transform anything of value into credits on this barren rock if the objects you want to exchange are the property of the Archaeological Council. The Path has its sources of wealth, but they often are of an indirect nature and need some kind of... refinement."

Skursir:
Skursir thought for a moment, not picking up on the sarcasm. The E.P.O.C.H certainly had it's sources to get good black-market prices, they even had the personnel to provide efficient trading. It wasn't the first time the E.P.O.C.H had taken something other than money either, and Skursir recognised that without accepting different payment options, he could lose a contract.

"Yess, the E.P.O.C.H will accept variouss black market goodss in payment dependant on their value..." Skursir began, focusing on Sharasvar, "Of coursse, creditss are our preferred payment, but we are happy to bend the ruless if it is nessassery. What you could provide in exchange for our sservices could be limitless if my employer sseess fit. I am ssure that there are plenty of objectss here that may be put up on offer."

Void:
"Another issue that needs to be discussed is confidence." Void said in a very serious manor. "How do we know you won't be working for one of our enemies while also working for us, thus double crossing both parties for a hefty amount of credits." The prophet looked at Sharasvar and Vaelyndor uneasily before returning eye contact to the ambassador. "The issues of trust and loyalty seems to appear nowhere in your contract my friend."

Skursir:
The politician was no longer intimidating Skursir, this must be a matter very serious to him, if he played his cards right, he could win the Path over. "That iss not how we work Lord Dalloss," Skursir gave a small grin, "Asss long asss the contract iss in action, the Agentss of the E.P.O.C.H will never work againsst the contractor in any shape or form, we are loyal to thosse who employ uss and will never on any circumsstance turn back on a deal." The Trandoshan smoothly took the contract and scrolled down for a moment, "And it iss in fact on the contract, ssection 18, paragraph B." He stretched over the table, handing it to Void.

Vaelyndor:
As Skursir continued to answer the questions posed by both Sharasvar and Void, Vaelyndor once more drew upon the Force. Allowing it to suffuse his being, he felt both at peace and exhilirated, as if he were only now truly alive. Mindful of the negotiations, the Executor sensed the emotional state of those present in the room, and nowhere could he find dishonesty or deception. Studying the trandoshan's mannerisms and responses since his arrival, the warrior was convinced that the ambassador was not attempting to deceive or misdirect the Sith'ari council members.

The call was primarily up to Void as to whether or not a contract with this EPOCH agency would be worth their while, and so Vaelyndor reluctantly felt the surge of Force power flow out of his body and back into the ambient surroundings while he relaxed into his barely padded seat. Void would recommend a decision for or against the contract soon, he felt. Until then, the Executor simply listened and watched.

Sharasvar:
"Tell me, esteemed ambassador, just out of curiosity, but does your agency employ force-users? And if so, to what tradition or authority do they proclaim their allegiance?"

The Historian posed the question out of genuine interest. Sharasvar needed no more convincing, in his meetings with the Path's Council he had emphasized on more than one occasion their need to find allies who could complement the Sith'ari capabilities. However, Vaelyndor had the final call and the Judge would abide with the Executor's decision, even if it meant declining the agency's assistance and killing their ambassador, who by now knew too much to be left alive. He felt some suspicion from Void's side, but that was alright. Trust was a scarce commodity in the Empire, and Sharasvar himself was only prepared to offer it to his brothers and sisters of the Path. Credits would buy the EPOCH's trustworthiness, for the time being.

Void:
Void was glad to hear more confidence in Skursir's voice. Although he did not speak of it, Void was very impressed with the detail and structure of the contract. The alliance itself seemed very organized and controlled from the description in the document and from the ambassador. In the past, Dallos had dealt with criminal organizers who were illiterate and a burden to do business with. But the more he heard, the more he was impressed.

"One more important issue." Said the politician calmly as he slowly scrolled through different sections of the contract. "What are your boundaries?" Void asked as he slightly eyed Skursir while still skimming the document. "Do you ask questions?"

Skursir:
The Judge then spoke up: "Tell me, esteemed ambassador, just out of curiosity, but does your agency employ force-users? And if so, to what tradition or authority do they proclaim their allegiance?"

Skursir paused for a moment. He didn't want to reveal too much lest it burden the E.P.O.C.H with in-depth knowledge of who they were. He was unsure how the Path would react to information like that, knowing that force-sensetives played a role in the Agency. He would have to make an answer though, "The information on sspecific individualss iss confidential and although thiss doessn't play a role in the contract, I can ssay that we do employ the besst bounty hunterss out there, and that may include force userss if they are deemed good enough."

Before if he could find out if this satisfied the Soul of the Path, the politician made it his turn to talk with a good question, "Do you ask questions?" Skursir had heard stories of bounty hunters who have performed excellently, although had learnt too much about their employers and had themselves, been hunted. With a relationship such as the one brought on by this contract, this would be an all too possible scenario. But, Skursir knew the answer.

"We will never question why we do ssomething, however, ssome of our agents may express an interesst in the base matters of your group, such as the ranking of your perssonnel or intresstss you maintain outside of work. We will never infringe on your privacy though, agentss that do are unfit for the Agency." Skursir was honest as always with this answer, but it was the only one that he felt bad about. People would indeed ask trivial questions from time to time and he hoped it wouldn't be a problem.

Void:
Void could no longer hide it. He was fascinated with the description of the EPOCH, Skursir's rational thinking ability, and the idea of reliable grit. "You're more clever than you look my friend." Void asserted as he eyed the ambassitor with a half smile. "If the Executor and Judge have no opposition, I would be honored to sign this contract of unification." The prophet reached in his robe for a stylus as he looked toward Vaelyndor and Sharasvar for their votes.

Sharasvar:
Sharasvar nodded lightly, and glanced at Vaelyndor, who had the decisive vote.

Vaelyndor:
Vaelyndor observed both Council members reactions to the EPOCH ambassador and, satisfied with what he saw, paused only a moment before adding his own nod as well.

"So be it. As of this day the Sith'ari Path shall enter into contractual agreement with the EPOCH agency in goodwill, and to the benefit of both parties."

As Void signed and sealed the electronic document, the Executor rises to his feet and offers his hand to Skursir with a slight smile, "I look forward to the day we work together in the field, Skursir of the EPOCH."

Skursir:
Skursir waited for more questions, but none came. The politican Void Dallos voiced his positive thoughts towards the contract first, followed by Sharasvar. This was interesting, it had been an assumption that Lord Dallos would not like the idea of the relationship, but indimidation was probably only his way to make sure that what he said was true. The Trandoshan ambassador was sure that under the right circumstances, he too would apply a little pressure. However, it was apparent that it was needed, as soon after the Executor said boldly: "So be it. As of this day the Sith'ari Path shall enter into contractual agreement with the EPOCH agency in goodwill, and to the benefit of both parties."

Skursir's eyes slightly widened with anticipation and felt a niggle of happiness when he was saw the politican sign the document on the datapad, before handing it back to him. He carefully placed it within the folds of his clothing. Vaelyndor then rose from his chair and smiled, the first genuine one that he had seen since arriving on the Sith tomb world. With that, he spoke, "I look forward to the day we work together in the field, Skursir of the EPOCH." and offered his hand to the Trandoshan.

A swell of pride took Skursir by storm, and in only a second, he was on his feet as well offering his hand in return. "I feel the very ssame way, Lordss of the Path. Our firsst assignment you besstow to uss will be of excellence." And with that, the two exchanged a firm handshake, sealing the deal and ensuring that the Agents of the E.P.O.C.H and the Sith'ari Path would share a fruitful business relationship together. Who knows were this would take them?



Fin

Waiting for the full lot

Well if you're gonna write here PJK I may as well unlock it

EDIT: 2nd part is up.

Oh it was looked? woops

Not to be an @%&#, but dark yellow has always been Sharasvar's colour

Sharasvar wrote:

Not to be an @%&#, but dark yellow has always been Sharasvar's colour

If it bugs you being blue (I suppose it is kinda close to republic colours I'll alter it for ya

Lunarwolf wrote:

Sharasvar wrote:

Not to be an @%&#, but dark yellow has always been Sharasvar's colour

If it bugs you being blue (I suppose it is kinda close to republic colours I'll alter it for ya

I'll try to subdue my colour neurosis.

There ya go Sharasvar, I've changed your text to orange and Skursir is now white-coloured.

3rd Part is now up, btw.

I do dig the purple.

lol green is my favorite color

Looking good! In "The Pathway to Stone" x-guild rp I have Vael's dialogue in green, but red works as well. Would you like me to edit my prior Stone posts to show them in red as well?

Vaelyndor wrote:

Looking good! In "The Pathway to Stone" x-guild rp I have Vael's dialogue in green, but red works as well. Would you like me to edit my prior Stone posts to show them in red as well?

To be honest I just tried to select random colours for the main characters so that their speech stood out from the decriptive text a little. I wouldn't worry about going back and changing the colours, it took me ages to do and I don't want anyone else going through it!

There we go folks, the final 2 parts of "A Surprise Visit" are now uploaded, its here in its entirety for reading goodness

PrioryJK wrote:

Waiting for the full lot

The wait is over, it is come.

Great stuff! You missed out a bit from Skursir's 2nd part on Page Three were it says "looked like class-rooms" but it should be:
Skursir followed the group through the building. There were many rooms which looked like class-rooms

Thanks a lot for doing this anyhow L-Dubz!

Harlequin2 wrote:

Great stuff! You missed out a bit from Skursir's 2nd part on Page Three were it says "looked like class-rooms" but it should be:
Skursir followed the group through the building. There were many rooms which looked like class-rooms

Whoops! so I did Consider it ammended!

Harlequin2 wrote:

Thanks a lot for doing this anyhow L-Dubz!

You're totally welcome

/cheer

Wow, great read guys (even with my eyes having to struggle with Void's purple text ). Looks like you had a lot of fun doing that. Who knew Skursir was such a pro, eh? lol

Well, for a Trandoshan, he had quite a good run didn't he? I suppose appearances can decieve as I think was mentioned in a few other RPs (like Hyperion).

Harewood wrote:

Wow, great read guys (even with my eyes having to struggle with Void's purple text ). Looks like you had a lot of fun doing that. Who knew Skursir was such a pro, eh? lol

Yeah, highlighting works well. :