What the... (Jackal)

[Deleted]

Tivari sat in her study aboard the yacht Temrarie. Gazing out through a window unto the mountainous and dead looking landscape of Korriban. Her sense abilities dull as they were could feel the Dark Side in this place. the power of raw emotion seeped from the ground itself and found its focal point in the Sith temple.

She had yet to really introduce herself to her fellows. That required a great deal more thought on her part. Things had to go off without a hitch.

"Ma'm" hoppers voice crackled over the comm. "incoming transmission from the Grecko salvage team" Tivari didn't respond immediately. Tempted to raise an eyebrow at the thought of receiving the message herself. "Hopper-" she started to say intending to inform him not to bother her with things like this but for the first time she could remember he interrupted her. "Ma'am, you should really see this"

A crease in her brow appeared as she frowned. Hopper wouldn't make a point of saying she should see it for no reason. "If you're wasting my time I swear I'll have you skinned" "Yes ma'am" he responded his voice perfectly even. Tivari shook her head, Hopper never wasted her time.

"Alright, put it up on the screen" Tivari turned her undivided attention to the monitor. "lets see whats so important" she muttered to herself.

[Grawn]

The screen first started with a hiss of static, the screen nothing but noise. This continued for several moments before a view came into life, one of darkness. A man's face, drenched in sweat and eyes dilated consumed the entire screen, his breathing heavy and constant was hardly seen in the darkness before he shakily turns on a light source which illuminates his visage.

"This is- This is-" he started out, pausing and looking offscreen, his eyes getting wider from a realization only he knew of. "I-I forget. But I'm apart of a salvage team and we-"

His words were interrupted by his sudden twisting around, as if he heard something off screen. His bodily visibly shook as his head scanned the room he was in, darkened to the viewer. His breathing went more sporadic as he turned back to the camera. Bringing a hand up, he ran it through his sweaty hair, his hand glistening from doing so when he took it out and taking it out of view.

"Shes in my head. She won't leave me alone. The medics put me on meds, but the shit doesn't help!" the man began to cry, his head falling into his hands as he propped his elbows on the table, "she won't leave me alone. They all thought I was crazy. BUT I AIN'T DEAD NOW AM I!?".He rose from his chair, the crying replaced instantly with laughter as he got up and stumbled backwards against a wall. "Ol Frank is still alive, ain't he! All by himself with his "crazy", all in his head!"

As suddenly as the rant came, it disappeared and the man sat back down in his chair and stared into space, almost seeming to be unaware the camera was still around.

"Shes waited. S-s-o long...the team had no idea what they brought back. That useless piece of rock they declared as an "artifact" was nothing compared to what they actually brought-"

He was interrupted by a sudden crash, the loud sound of pounding metal. The man's bloodshot eyes darted to the side and his mouth went agape as his face went a ghost white. The pounding metal sound continued offscreen as he slowly rose from his seat and backed away, only his arm visible on the camera. It became quite apparent that Frank was not alone as the sound of twisted, bent metal tore replaced the pounding and a loud screech following after.

Before Frank could open his mouth, the camera was thrown from its perch, smashing against a wall and rolling slightly to record the ceiling. Shadows danced wildly, made by the offscreen light and sound apparently broken from the rest of the recording as dark things flailed wildly on the ceiling.

Then the screen went static, signaling the end of the transmission.

[Deleted]

Tivaris look darkened as the message carried on. The man was clearly insane and Tivari had only begun to speculate what had caused it when something attacked the man on screen. She leaned back in her chair hands folded in her lap. Her Dark eyes staring at the black screen as if waiting for it to tell her more.

After a few seconds she leaned forward and tapped the comm. "Hopper, how old is this?" she asked. "Approximately three days ma'am" "And we've had no other word from the Salvage team in that time?" "no ma'am"

She tapped the comm button again disabling it and turned to face the window. Her face an emotionless mask. Only her eyes said that the gears were turning. Something had clearly gone wrong. Some of the best mercenaries she'd ever employed were now dead. She had to wonder who or what could do something like that.

no not who she corrected herself. Whatever it was that had attacked them had not sounded like any sentient species she'd ever encountered. It had torn through what she guessed was a durasteel door. She doubted if even most Wookies could do something like that.

Shes in my head. The Sith woman puzzled over that for a few moments. Crawling around inside someones mind was not an unfamiliar concept to her. Many force users had such an ability, she possessed some aptitude in the practice herself but this felt different somehow.

Force users would explain a great deal. Tearing through durasteel was not an overly challenging task for some... but again that didn't seem to fit in some way. Finally she came to a decision. Regardless of if it was some new species or a rogue force user of substantial power she would have to find out.

"ma'am" came another voice over the comm, this time it was the captain. "Yes?" Tivari acknowledged, her voice even and her gaze never wavering from the landscape on the other side of the window. "There is someone outside the ship"

Not even turning she made a snap decision "invite them aboard and direct them to my office" there was a momentary delay before the captain responded "Yes ma'am"
Slowly she rotated her chair placing her hands on the desk. It could only be one of her fellow Sith and it was time she met a few of them. She was going to need them for what she had in mind.

[Grawn]

This was the ship, he was certain of it. Onyx made it a habit to not be wrong, because it just didn't look good for a being of his intelligence. The Shard folded his droid arms across his chest, patiently waiting for something to happen, something not even he knew of precisely. To outsiders, he was simple droid and he didn't indulge anyone's curiosity. Not many Sith questioned his existence, though many pondered, because of the mere fact he was pretty sure he was the only of his kind to ever put themselves in galactic society as he had. Not that they knew anything of his kind.

The droids single red eye scanned left to right in the area around the ship, positioning himself near the entrance ramp. Drawing his black cloak around him, Onyx didn't have to wait long as his senses picked up a humaniod opening the ship. The ramp descended and connected with the ground with a dull thud, a well dressed human walking down and noticed him. A raised eyebrow regarded the droid.

"Do you have a Master, droid?"

"I am my own Master, human. I believe I have words with your superior."

"I must say, I didn't expect this. Please follow me", he spoke in a neutral voice. His face reflected this neutrality, making Onyx question if it was a man or not before tossing aside such a silly question in his mind. Some humans were better at hiding their emotions then others.

The droid probed his mind for any ill intent and when he found none, he nodded. It was better safe then sorry when it came to things as this, trusting the Force to guide his path when it whispered of roads not ventured. Roads not always safe.

Following him up the ramp, the Shard navigated the halls of the ship. He didn't bother asking questions, because he knew he would be getting them. The Force had told him today would be a exciting one and he trusted in this insight as he was brought to a door.

"She is waiting for you inside" the man said and went on his way, leaving the droid. Without pause, Onyx stepped forward, the door sliding aside and allowing him to take a step forward in before closing behind him. The slender shell of a droid stood straight, the cloak wrapped around him, allowing nothing to be seen besides his head. While the metal carrier showed no life, the red crystal in the heart of it all pulsed with it.

"Your minion assumed me a man, an embarrassing mistake on his part. If you do not know of me, I am known as Onyx. I do not know if you have felt it, but the Force guided me to you this day and the Force doesn't do so without importance. I leave it to you to fill me in on this 'importance'." the Shard spoke bluntly, not really caring to sugarcoat his pursuit of an answer.

[Deleted]

"...Onyx" Tivari let the name roll slowly off her tongue. Her eyes told her what she looked at was a droid but where he stood she could feel the presence of a sentient being who could touch the force.

With an effort of will she tucked the problem away to be gone over later. "My name is Tivari Rezz, and I think I might have some idea why the Force has brought you here." A few taps and the screen on the wall came to life. A crackle of static and then the message Tivari had watched only minutes before began again.

Tivari didn't watch it again, she had already committed every detail to memory. Instead she began planning. What was to be done about the Grecko teams findings. If they hadn't gotten themselves killed things would be simpler. A change in orders and perhaps some additions to the personnel on board the station.

Now things were more complicated. Sending a second team, better trained and better armed was the most practical course of action. Tivari planned to do just that but if this was a force user or something equally dangerous which it so far appeared to be. Then that wouldn't be enough.

She felt herself drawing near a decision. Perhaps the force had a hand in this or maybe it was just her curiosity getting the better of her. As the transmission ended so did her contemplation. She looked up at Onyx. "If there is a reason for your presence here then that is it. That was sent by a salvage team of mine. As you can clearly see they found something. I intend to find out what."

she glanced at the Sith wondering what thoughts were behind the single red photoreceptor. For a brief moment she considered tapping his mind. Perhaps acquire some information on Onyx himself along with his thoughts on what had attacked the man, but she crushed the impulse. It was a fast way to make enemies. Instead she said.
"It's a research station of some kind, orbiting a star in the outer rim. I'm going to hire a second team and find out what is out there. So now I must ask, do you intend to join me?"

[Grawn]

The message this Tivari organic was displaying him quite interesting. He watched it like someone engrossed in some holonet drama, but not for the same reason. Onyx was a seeker of knowledge, a being that lusted for it as a number of the Sith on Korriban lusted for power. What was shown to him now did not add up to any creature his mind had cataloged over the years and this was a personal problem. He was almost saddened when the recording ended, leaving him as close as feeling a hole in his heart as one could without one.

"I would be highly interested in this little venture. I can't quite identify the creature that assuredly dismembered the organic on your transmission and I am eager to do so," the Shard started, his mind still abuzz. It was about time he gotten off of Korriban, being surrounded by simple minded cretins was tiring after a time.

Bringing his arm up, the cloak falling away to reveal the metallic appendage, the twin barrels of a custom built blaster extended from a compartment in his wrist. Onyx hoped the organic wouldn't get defensive prior to explaining his actions as he showed it for her benefit.

"As you can clearly see, I am combat capable. Not that my presence in the Force that you noticed earlier didn't tip you off to the possibility" Onyx explained, not really showing any sign of care that he had felt a tiny murmur of interest to his connection. As he had thought earlier, it wasn't anything new. At least she didn't stare, like so many other dolts did when he walked the halls when he deemed it needed to leave his room.

"I also come equipped with various sensors that would assist in detecting the anomalies seen on your recording and perhaps looking for survivors of your first team, if truly needed," The Shard couldn't care less about the lives of the first team, but he had observed organics often had a better grasp of emotion then he did and felt a kinship to others of fleshy origin. The twin blasters withdrew back into his wrist and the metal arm dropped back to his side, "in short, I am ready to leave when needed. The sooner the better".