((Cracken: OK.
BD: I'm just doin a small time skip on the ackbar thing.))
*Chavo exits hyperspace soon after. He looks around, and sees nothing. He lets out a string of swears that would embarass a sailor*
---
*Greer shot the last gaurd. He fell to the floor with the others*
Greer: let's go before more come.
Aren: Because we're offering to sell it to you. Business, remember? If you were in your government's extradimensional branch, then I'm sure you can understand the benefits you could get. You've got plenty at stake in this new civil war...Imagine what an advantage you'd gain with our weapons, our ships...
Rwos: This is a can of worms that shouldn't be opened.
Aren: *to Rwos* If your friend will not accept our offer, we will simply find another buyer. Think about it, Starkiller. You've got a whole lot to gain, and a whole lot to lose. It's up to you...
Coruscant
Deac: And why are you offering these things to us? What do you seek to gain other than profit?
--------------------------------------------------------
Lucifer
*Lokpihet is puzzled by these events*
Lokpihet: Concentrate fire on the planet! We're past the defenses. Open a broadcast...
*Lokpihet steps onto the holobroadcaster*
Lokpihet: Attention citizens of the planet below. My intention is not to harm you. However, your leaders wiped out every man, women and child loyal to our emperor on Ulna Shardes, and now I'm going to return the favour. Cracken claims to be different, but he betrayed his own father. And now I will decimate your world. You would be wise to question the wisdom of your leaders.
Lokpihet: All ships, target the planet. Fire all weapons.
*A huge bombardment begins*
*Drakain hands Kaildor a small thin sheet*
Drakain: Nothing precise, bu the best i could whip up.
Kaildor: Thanks Drak....
Drakain: What is it?
kaildor: *Whispering*there shouldnt be that many dots...
Rwos: If you have no ulterior motives, why would you have kindapped Deac and Hilth, and led us here? Why not just come to us directly?
Aren: You think it's all about you, Blade? Wouldn't you have killed us if we had tried a straightforward approach?
*to Deac* We're businessmen. Profit is our reason for existence. We are interested in you, naturally, which is why we are giving you this offer. If through you we gain more knowledge of this universe, all the better for us.
Rwos: *suspiciously staring at Aren* I don't believe you.
Aren: Why the hostility, Blade? Are you trying to drive us to your enemies?
Rwos: It's that kind of thinking that produces my hostility, and I'm sure you're aware of it.
Aren: Businesspeople who don't think like we do tend not to survive in my world, Blade. Look at it this way - we came to you first, did we not?
Deac: Men like you have destroyed worlds with your so called "business". I'm not going to trust someone who would kidnap and probably kill me. Get back to your own world.
((OOS: Aren is a woman ;)))
Aren: You're forgetting we saved your life, Starkiller. If we hadn't kidnapped you and frozen you in suspended animation, Hilth would've been too late. Whoever said you had to trust us, anyway? Rwos is from our universe, and knows our technology. It would be a little hard to sell you something you didn't want.
Gilian: The Syndicate, you say? The mystery force behind the Shadows? I've heard some very interesting things about you. I hear tell some of your other buyers are slavers, religious extremists, revolutionaries, criminal organizations, among other things...not to mention that you yourself are a criminal organization.
Aren: We're as much criminals as the two of you are in the sense that you're talking about, as I pointed out earlier. As for your other accusations, do you always take unfounded rumors as gospel truth in your line of work? I assure you, we are everything we've told you.
Hilth: And if you'd left him alone then I could have healed him the moment I got here!
Deac: That's true. What right had you to take me?
Fused Irvine "Alright, I'm sick of this s***!"
*Fused Irvine pulls out, ignites and throws each og his dual sabers at the structures above the Vanguard with his own strength. Rubble and dibris begin to fall, while fused Irvine runs up igniting his Mesamune, and dismembering the distracted Vanguard.*
*During most of the swings Fused Irvine lost soem balence due to the longness of the blade, it looked clumsy, but the job got mostly done.*
((OOS: No, Scar. Cortosis weave, Scar. Resistant to lightsabers, Scar.))
Coruscant
*Irvine's attack is deflected by the cortosis weave in the Vanguard's armor.
Starr, using the Force, catches the falling debris in midair and throws it at the Vanguard with all his might. The three in front of him are knocked away. Starr pulls the foundation out of the structure, which begins collapsing*
Captain: *watching Irvine and Starr bring the building down* No, you fools! You'll kill us all!
----------
Shadow Base
Aren: I can see we aren't getting anywhere fast with this. Do you accept our offer, or should we seek another buyer?
Gilian: What makes you think we won't kill you here and prevent that from happening?
Aren: Perhaps you could kill me, and maybe even my guards. But you'd never get out of here alive, and you know it. So, Starkiller...what is your answer?
Fused Irvine *relising what Starr is doing* "That's the point. Ha ha ha ha ha..."
*fused Irvine jumps back a bit to gain some distence from the vangaurd, then he too pulls on the structure.*
Asgard
*The Shuttle lands at the Palace's private landing port. Svafa and her sister exit the shuttle. Vidar and a small honor guard awaits them. After a brief embrace the siblings head off towards the palace.*
Svafa: What is going on?
Vidar: It is time to reevaluate the galaxy and what we should be doing in it.
*Bilbringi*
As the turbolaster fire begins to rain, the planetary defense shield turns on, only half of the intened fire get's though.
Karrak smiles, and yells for a status report*
TacOfficer: Good news! the enemy vessles shields are down to 30%, and out net is closing... though some reports of fighter pilots and gunners spontaniously combusting is...disturbing, we're on target for target destruction in 10 minutes.
*Karrak brings up his com* Enemy captain, you're shields are failing, our planet is secure. I'm ready for your surrendur at anytime, or you will die.
((no no no, my spectures are only acting as grim reapers. lokpehit was given the opertunity to witness one of the acts))
Lucifer
Lokpihet: Shields? Failing? I think not
Officer: Actually, they are fairly low. Hull damage is minimal. Diverting energy from the guns would increase this.
*Lokpihet opens the comm channel*
Lokpihet: Planet, I have no intention of surrendering. Your shields can't last forever and your defense fleet is decimated. I will not leave until I am satisifed.
Gunnery, deploy the biobombs.
*Several canisters of virulent plague are fired at the planet's surface.*
--------------------------------------------------------
Coruscant
Deac: Unless you explain your alteriour motive, I can't say anything.
Aren: Our only motives are profit and knowledge, as I've already told you.
Gilian: You could gain "knowledge" some other way. What are you going to do with the credits the Republic gives you?
Aren: You mean the New Rebellion, don't you? There are many things in this dimension that are of varying degrees of worth to their owners or this galaxy, but could be extremely valuable in a different market, meaning great profit for us. Of course, we need the currency of this universe to facilitate these deals.
Gilian: You mean you're not going to just steal what you want? You know, the Shadows' normal modus operani?
Aren: You're overly suspicious. It is simply more efficient to pay for what we want, of course.
Lucifer
Comm: Mr Lord, the enemy fleet is approaching.
Lokpihet: How much damage did we do?
Tactical: 80% planetry installations destroyed. Projected civilian deaths: 3.2 Billion, more to follow.
Lokpihet: I think we've done enough.
*The fleet hypers out*
Coruscant
*Starr, using the Force, upends a long durasteel beam that had come loose from its moorings. The beam begins to fall, directly above the Vanguard's captain. The captain turns, sensing something behind him. Through his faceplate, his eyes widen as he sees the beam. Before he can move, it crushes him.
The Vanguard collapse like puppets devoid of their strings.
The building begins to come down*
Starr: *to Fused Irvine, just before a section of the room collapses separating the two* Whoever you are, I would advise leaving now!
*Starr tries to activate his ship's remote. This time, he hears the sound of his ship's engines activating. As he does so, he runs for the only exit left in the room, an opening thousands of feet up in the air*
----------
Shadow Base
Aren: Well, Starkiller, what do you say? *at his silence* Or do you wish for us to contact you at a later date?
Asgard
*Svafa, Vidar, and Hildr walk towards the palace*
Vidar: Except for fleets assigned to the containment zone all the fleets have been recalled. There is also a general shoreleave for all crew members.
Svafa: So that is why for the past months we been installing those automated listening post.
*Vidar simply nodded as they entered the palace and began to walk towards their rooms*
Vidar: The discussions are will probably begin in a couple of days as the last ships arrive. Tonight after you get settled in we will be having a dinner together.
O'Connel: This can't be right, they should know that Deac has been taken, unless...
*he sniped some soldiers trying to blow the doors open*
O'Connel *yelling*: CLARK! HAVE THEY ANSWERED YET?
Clark *still trying to get through to Rwos and Co.*: NOT YET!
*Fused Irvine nods and runs the opposite way, jumping out of the collapsing building and onto the adjacent building.*
Coruscant
Deac: I'll need to discuss this with my superiors. I'll contact you later...
*Sends telepathic message to Rwos*
That way, we can lure them out if you want to get them
((Really sorry guys, Collage got on top of me.))
*Dasken gestures towards a doorway.*
Dasken: The landing pad is straight through there!
*The group make their way to landing pad hatch and Dasken inputs the code. The hatch opens and the goup run towards the parked shuttle.*
Greer *while running*: Where are we going?
((BD: Don't worry, I know exactly how that is :D))
*Rwos frowns but doesn't reply to Deac's message, naturally, not being telepathic*
Aren: If you wish, Starkiller. We expected you would want to consult with them anyway. Hopefully you can provide us with an answer soon...you know where to find us.
Rwos: I assume you'll let me call my ship in here to transport us out.
Aren: Of course.
*Rwos calls his ship on a beacon. He looks at his comlink and notices it's off*
Naturally, they have certain signals dampened in here...yet, they don't have teleportation or warp barriers. Interesting
Hyperspace, SSD Lucifer
Lokpihet: And where should we attack next?
Stormbaltz: My Lord, Cracken now knows of our existence. He will prepare wherever we go. Might I suggest the Rebels?
Lokpihet: They have their own problems. I want to deal with this internal struggle before I can deal with them.
Dasken: This shuttle has diplomatic tags, High Flight Squad will escort us out, just like it says on the flight plan.
Greer: Good, I take it we'll be meeting Flax there?
Dasken: If the General has made it out he will meet us.
*The group reach the shuttle and board, Dasken takes the pilot's seat.*
*As the ship lifts off the comm crackles.*
Comm: Shuttle DN-55-S, this is Highflight One, we are your escort.
Dasken: Thanks Highflight, we're heading for the lower shield now.
Shadow Base
*Aren walks away. Her droid bodyguards remain. Several minutes pass in utter silence. Then Rwos' ship arrives*
Rwos: We'll be leaving now. *The droids do not answer. Rwos boards his ship, Gilian sitting in the passenger seat, and Hilth and Deac sitting on the small bunk that was somehow squeezed behind the seats in the large-fighter scaled-ship.
Rwos' ship flies out of the Shadow base, encountering no resistance. He motions for no one to speak until they reached a safe distance from what, on the outside, still looked like a rickety set of abandoned buildings*
----------
Coruscant Building
*Starr leaps from the opening as the building collapses in on itself. He free-falls, and at the last minute his ship swoops into his path and he grabs on. Deftly, he maneuvers himself into the cockpit and takes the controls*
Asgard: Odin's Palace
*For the first time in many years Odin's entire family sat down at the same table and ate together. The conversation was light, For the moment They were unconcerned about the galaxy and what they were going to do.
After the dinner was over everyone moved outside to the palaces gardens. There they continued to catch up on things and enjoy themselves. While Vidar did enjoy this reunion he still preferred to be in small groups. As such he tended to stay to the edge of the party.
Odin was enjoying himself but thoughts of the galaxy kept creeping back into his mind. Eventually he left his family and wandered amoung the grounds of his palace. Reaching a stone bridge he stopped and gazed into the water*
*Clark called Gilan one last time on his comlink, wondering what happened to them*
-----
Greer: Good. How long until hyperspace?
Coruscant
*Rwos puts the ship on autopilot and picks up the comlink Odin had given him and activates the only frequency programmed on it.*
Rwos: *into comm* This is Termand Rwos. I need to talk to Odin.
*The comlink Rwos had given Gilian beeps. She picks it up, and hears Clark's voice*
----------
*Starr gains control of his ship. His systems had repaired the ionization effects, and they were mostly in working order. All he had to do now was find that alien again, and...
Then he noticed a package in the seat next to him. It read in plain Basic letters "FOR LORD CRACKEN'S EYES ONLY."
Asgard
*A Valkyrie answers Rwos's call*
Valkyrie: Why do you wish to speak with Lord Odin?
Rwos: I need to discuss the Blood Scrolls prophecies with him. If he's busy, I can wait. However, you might want to warn him that he may not be pleased by my news.
Valkyrie: Any discussion concenring said scrolls would best be done in private. Are you alone?
Asgard: Palace gardens
*Frigg approaches Odin as he looks into the water.*
Frigg: What is troubling you?
Odin: The galaxy. They never seem to tire of endless power struggles. The New Republic was corrupted in record time, the Empire still loves destroying worlds with a complete disregard of those innocents.
*Rwos raises a transparent barrier between him and the back seat, blocking sound from Hilth and Deac on the "bunk"*
Rwos: I'm not alone. However the only one who is hearing us will be hearing about it later anyway.
Valkyrie: Remeber what Odin told you about discussing them in this dimension.
Rwos: My companion is part of the group who discovered and are translating the Blood Scrolls. She is not one of the translators, but if I keep this conversation a secret from her, the translator will simply tell her when I return to my home dimension. Are you satisfied?
Valkyrie: You will not mention their name, nor will you talk to anyone in this dimension about them. Furthermore you cannot go to another dimension with a resident of this dimension tell them and then bring them back. Finally any conversation with a person outside this dimension while you in this dimension cannot contain their name. Those are our conditions.
In other word, you cannot speak their name even to her while your in this dimension.
Rwos: I was speaking about the Blood Scrolls. Your unmentionables were not even on my mind.
*Gilian gives Rwos a strange look*
Valkyrie: The unmentionables are part of the bloodscrolls. So as long as you accept Lord Odin will talk with you.
*Another Valkyrie brings Odin a comlink*
Odin: Hello Rwos. What do you want?
Rwos: Firstly. An immortal mage working for an interdimensional shifter demon tried to rip my mind out, and succeeded at least in getting at least some of my memories. I don't know what they sifted out, or even what they wanted to get, but I thought you might want to know.
Secondly, I am now carrying two nearly complete Blood Scrolls. Both are untranslatable. They seem to be in some sort of code, except for the very first line. It reads "Seek out the watchers when the dragons return". As the Aesir are referred to as "the watchers" elsewhere in the Scrolls, so I thought you might have some insight.
Odin: Interesting, but not really helpful if you don't know what they took from your mind. About the dragons. They have returned to us.
*Odin looks up at the night sky as a Drake flys overhead*
Rwos: Then, I understand you have half the Blood Scrolls. I suppose now would be a good time to ask what's in them.
Odin: Basically some many things that are incomplete and consquently give little information. Some mention sleepers awakening. Some mention Riders of dragons returning. Various tibits.
Rwos: I've seen similar things. However, some of the passages here contain no intelligible content. As I said, they seem to be in code, and are introduced with a message to seek you out. I believe we need to combine the scrolls.
Odin: And when and where would you want to do this?
Rwos: It doesn't matter where, but I believe we ought to do it as soon as possible.