“`It was a colder day than most on Kasiya. Fitting, given that Appius Wight had forced his brother into the Regent’s servitude in order to re-earn his armor - and his status as a Mandalorian, and today was the day that the Regent was "picking up” the apostate.
With a cold-enough breeze capable of producing a visible breath nipping at Appius and Darrio’s heels, they waited patiently - or unpatiently - at the nearby spaceport. They didn’t wait long, as the Eternal - The Exchange’s flagship - soon came into view and started its landing procedure. Mere moments after its landing struts hit the ground, the access ramp extended and lowered from the airlock and the door slid open.
The Regent came into view, descending the ramp - accompanied by two fellow Mandalorians - Aisha Solon and Sol Kast - and approached the pair. Bes'uliik nodded to Appius as he reached the pair.“`
“Appius. Darrio.”
“Good to see you, Zxyl. Welcome back to Kasiya, I trust the trip was pleasant?” Appius offered his hand out as a friendly gesture. “I don’t believe I’ve met your companions?”
Darrio kept his distance, but scoffed at Appius’ antics. He kept his distance for a moment and folded his arms across his chest, eyeing up the Regent and his no doubt his entourage of kiss asses.
Whatever.
It didn’t matter. The sooner he got his armor back, the sooner he could be done with all this sithspit.
“I do not believe so. This is Aisha Solon, new to our culture but a devout follower of the Creed none-the less. She’s been with me the last several months, and is a hell of a medic. This is Sol Kast, of House Kast. A newcomer to the team, he claims ancestral ties to Manda'lor Vizsla and keeps me in check. They will be assisting with the trials.” The armored Regent motioned to each respectfully as he introduced them, with Sol turning his head in a “don’t test me way” based on the Regent’s tone when relaying his claims.
Both did however greet the Taldryan Consul, and nodded.
“Right, well…” Appius looked at Darrio, then back to Zxyl. “He’s all yours!”
Appius patted Darrio on the shoulder as he left. “Be good, now.”
Darrio scowled at him. “I fracking hate you.”
Appius smiled at him. “No you don’t.”
Once tbe Taldryan Supreme Chancellor was out of sight, Darrio inhaled a deep breath and muttered under his breath;
“Fracking get this over with…”
He stepped forward and stopped in front of Zxyl. “Alright, krifflord. What do you want me to do?”
“Try being respectful to other people, for starters,” chimed Aisha, in a clearly aggravated tone. Zxyl raised his hand to silence her, before approaching Darrio.
“These will be the hardest trials you have ever endured. You will be tested, weighed, and found either to be suitable for your armor, or stripped of it permanently. I promise you this; if you succeed, you will be better for it - and you will be a true Mandalorian once more. Come, we have much to discuss about your first trial.” Zxyl turned on one of his heels, and proceeded back to the Eternal. Sol turned before the Regent had reached him, but Aisha waited a few moments to stare Klars down a bit more. Normally she was fun, bubbly even, but she understood the importance of this occasion. The three proceeded back to the ship, waiting at the top of the boarding ramp for Darrio to join them.
A woman that was good at opening her mouth? Darrio had definitely met a few women like that before, in more ways than one…
He rolled his eyes, but chose to keep his opinions to himself for the moment, at least until he found out more about his task.
Then he could let them know about it.
He stepped onto the Eternal, letting Aisha guide him inside.
The ramp to the Eternal raised, the hatch closed, and the four Mandalorians proceeded into the belly of the beast as the vessel made it’s way from the spaceport, into space, and hyperspace afterwards. Aboard, Zxyl and Aisha took point on briefing Klars on his task while Kast stood there with arms crossed; a seemingly average routine op, which would have the would-be-again Mandalorian infiltrating a research base - alone, after being dropped off - and retrieving an item for the Regent. Neither disclosed what exactly that item was, only the location they believed it was being stored.
“So, what exactly is it that I’m searching for?” Darrio asked.
“You’ll know it when you see it. It’s hard to miss,” stated the Regent, handing a datapad with middling information on the research base to Darrio. Stored in the data was a basic floorplan and layout, with various labeled sections, and a marker on the target Darrio was searching for displayed.
“You want me to infiltrate a facility to go and search for something that I’ll know when I see it?” Darrio raised a brow. “You didn’t just scatter my armor around in different places, did you? Cause that’s real fracking lazy if you did.”
“Of course not. Your armor has been separated, yes, but you can see each piece here,” Zxyl motioned to a humanoid sized door behind him. With a tap on his vambrace the door slid open to reveal a display case. Inside was Darrio’s Mandalorian armor with the limbs, chest, and helmet all ray-shielded separately.
“Shall we begin?”
Darrio clenched his fists. There it was, his armor. His pride and joy displayed like a trophy won in combat. “Alright, fine. Go get some dank farrik piece of kark from a bunch of scientists. How hard could it be?”
He cracked his knuckles.
He waited patiently, tapping his foot. “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”
“No.”
Two days later, the four Mandalorians had transfered to an unmarked shuttle from the Eternal, an X-70b Phantom Shuttle procured by ACE perfect for infiltration. With the plan in place, they entered into an unknown system and approached the research facility, hidden in an asteroid. Unguarded from the exterior and with both sensor and temporary visual stealth active, the X-70b easily enters its sphere of influence and infiltrates the landing bay. The hatch opens, with Zxyl motioning to Darrio to get a move on.
“`The datapad that Darrio had studied over the last two days had showed whatever intel Zxyl had on the place; its an Imperial remnant research facility for a yet undisclosed remnant faction, researching everything you can think of. The layout secured by ACE operatives shows a general "what is where”, but it is only a general guideline and based on intel they’ve received. They don’t have a ton of specifics, but Darrio’s supposed target has been marked on the maps.
He’s likely to encounter some resistance, with Aisha and Sol providing backup where needed - though the task falls almost entirely to Darrio, unless he radios for help or calls upon them.“`
The unnamed X-70b is currently in the hangar, with the main doors shut behind it and klaxons blaring. Whoever is in the facility obviously knows something is wrong, and any troops stationed there are preparing a response.
Darrio sighed and grabbed his Westar Blasters. He grinned confidently at Aisha and Sol. “How many credits you wanna bet they start shooting at us?”
Aisha drew her pistol, while Sol readied his darksaber inspired crossguard lightsaber. She didn’t say anything, and both waited for Darrio to make the first move. They’d help him breach the initial defenses, and then it was up to him.
Darrio carefully stepped down tbe ramp to I spect what was there. He held a firm grip on his blasters, ready to shoot the first kriffing thing that looked at him funny.
Theres nothing there... Yet.
“Huh… Well that’s anticlimactic,” Darrio holstered his blasters then turned to Aisha and Sol. “OK, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, where to first?”
“You have the map. We’re just here to make sure we can get out of here. Get a move on, we haven’t got all day.”
The door to main security (5) opens, and four men in Imperial uniforms pour in and take up offensive positions before they begin firing on the group. Aisha and Sol take cover before firing back at them.
“Like I said, we don’t have all day! Go! Now!” Aisha is clearly pissed at the dilly-daddling.
Darrio didn’t have to be told twice. It was amazing what beskar did for one’s confidence in the face of blaster fire.
He began to run towards the turbolift, (3) but stopped. He looked back at Aisha and Sol, then the hallway in front of him. He turned back in, drew his westars, and unleashed hellfire in blaster form at the Imperials.
No Mandalorian, no matter what he thought of them, was dying today.
Between the three Mandos, the four security officers are easily dispatched. Aisha and Sol remain on guard by the ship.
“What can I say except… you’re welcome!” Darrio said in a sing-songy voice. He disappeared down the corridor.
You’ll know it when you see it… you’ll know it when you see it… know what when I see it? Fracking cryptic stupid…
Darrio was so lost in his musings he skipped past the turbolift and right stopped at a choice between Vehicle Research (6) and Civil Engineering Research (7)… but which door should he open?
Taking a chance, he opened the door to his right. (7)
Watching Darrio go completely the opposite direction than the marker on the map he was given showed, Aisha just shook her head slowly and kept an eye out for any additional personnel.
“`Darrio enters into one of the several civil engineering research rooms. There’s man wearing an imperial scientist uniform there. He looks up from his terminal, "Hey! Who are you! You can’t be in here!”
He reaches for the intercom system a small distance away from his workstation.“`
Darrio attempts to shoot the intercom system before the scientist can use it.
It explodes into sparks. It's trash. The scientist throws his hands in the air.
“Now, then. Don’t make any sudden moves,” Darrio smirked and approached him. “I’m here looking for something. I hope you might know what that something is.”
“Then again…” Darrio shrugged. “Maybe I can get you to take me to it. I’m guessing you have clearance. Start walking.”
Walking where? This is a research facility.
Darrio continued. “I want you to take me to the main project you are working on here. Nothing personal, just business. Don’t make this harder for yourself than it needs to be.”
"But I only have access and knowledge of my own area! I don't know what goes on in the other departments!"
“You must have some idea of what’s going on. You work here!”
“`"Yes but they keep all departmental research separate from one another. I can’t help you.”
Darrio hears more blaster fire, and approaching footsteps.
Aisha’s voice comes over the datapad Darrio was given. “Apostate, what’s the hold up? We can’t stay here long.”“`
Darrio begrudgingly turned around and let the scientist be, but not before turning around to hive him a warning. “If I find out you are lying to me, there won’t be enough cybernetics in the galaxy that will fix what I do to you.”
Darrio retreated back into the hallway. The question is if anyone else was now there?
Not yet. It sounds as though they're getting closer though. Make a move!
Darrio beelines it to the turbolift!
You reach the lift. It opens. I assume you plan to go to the upper level. As the door slides closed, three security troopers reach Darrio but just miss the door.
You exit the lift when it opens, into a common area for the scientists in their offices and living quarters.
Darrio looks around to see if anyone else is there.
However, before the turbo lift can descend, he leaves a little “present” inside for the security troopers at the bottom. An active thermal detonator.
“`No one at the moment.
The turbolift descends. An explosion rocks the floor under you, and the doors behind you blow open as part of the explosion breaks through. Everything in a 3m radius of that thermal has been vaporized, and everything in an additional 5 meters has suffered extensive damage.”`
The explosion has now alerted everyone in the facility that something is wrong. Not just security. Red Klaxons blare everywhere.
“Dank farrik…”
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Darrio did the only thing he could before he was trapped. He ran, taking a sharp left towards the Auxiliary Loading Bay.
You enter the auxiliary loading bay. 3 security officers immediately notice the door open, turn, and fire on you since the explosion *clearly* came from your direction - the smoke following you doesn't help.
“Frack frack FRACK!”
With nowhere else to run, Darrio only had one option, he dropped a smoke grenade, allowing the rising cloud to cover sight of him before he was killed. He used the cloud to sneak up behind the first officer. He grabbed the first officer’s head, and snapped it.
One down, two to go…
“`Snap
The first one drops to the floor. The second and third turn around upon hearing him drop, and take aim into the smoke unleashing an array of bolts in a sweeping motion to find - and hit - Darrio.”`
Darrio dropped to his hands and knees, letting the blaster bolts soar over him. The great thing about smoke is that it typically always rose into the air. Darrio had a good view of the remaining two’s shins. He pointed his blasters at them, and pulled the trigger.
Darrio nails one, dropping him dead. The other also drops, but survives. He's clearly not going to make it, but he has a bit of life left in him. Now that he is also lower to the ground, he takes his only option and lays into Darrio with his rifle.
Darrio, with no other option left, bolted it towards the weapons research area.
“`Darrio enters into the main area of the weapons research section. There are stations everywhere. Some weapons here he’s seen, but others are completely new designs. There are several doors connected to the main research area. There are three scientists here, all of whom are cowering behind various pieces of equipment and machines after hearing blaster fire from the loading bay doors.
"What do you want!?” one asks in a clearly frightened tone.“`
“A stiff drink and my armor, thanks,” Darrio scowled at them. “What the hell do you think I’m here for!?”
One of the other scientists reaches up onto the workbench of their station, pulling off an experimental concussion rifle and aiming it in Darrio's direction. Without even considering the damage it could make he pulls the trigger, firing off a large red ball of energy at the intruder. Although he wouldn't score a direct hit, the ball of energy from the experimental rifle exploded once it made contact with the floor near Darrio and sent a wave of energy his way, knocking Klars off his feet and reeking havoc on a nearby research station.
"What are you doing? You can't fire that in here" exclaimed another.
Darrio was now not in a good mood. He staggered back to his feet and grabbed another explosive, this time, a thermal imploder.
“Try that again…” Darrio said through gritted teeth. “And just watch what happens!”
All of them push the weapons they're working on off their tables to completely disarm. They raise their hands.
“Good. Now, I want these weapons placed into crates within the next five minutes. If you don’t, then… I think you can all guess what will happen.”
Darrio rubbed his thumb along the activation switch of his explosive to emphasise his point.
“`The scientists start loading all the stuff they’re working on into crates.
"Just what is it you’re looking for anyways, pal?” asks the only one of them with a beard, because he’s a MAN!“`
Darrio didn’t appreciate that act if bravado, and kicked the MAN! straight between his legs. “Less talking, more packing!”
You succeed in dirty kicking the man directly where it hurts most. He drops to his knees and howl in pain. A few minutes later all of the crates in the main area are packed up full of their research.
With that act of brutality completed, Darrio checked the nearest room, opening the door to his objective…
The door opens. Inside are a bunch of different research tools, but centered on a large pedestal is a block of Beskar. Not an ingot, a literal block. It's massive! You'll definitely need two hands to carry it.
Darrio could carry it himself, but why do that when he had a small contingent of willing volunteers in the room behind him? He backtracked into the room, nudging the rising scientist he had kicked between the legs.
“You. Get in there and carry that thing. The rest of you load this cargo on a hover trolley,” he accessed his communicator, getting in contact with Aisha and Sol. “It’s me. I got the thing and a few extras. On the way shortly.”
“`Darrio had no choice but to carry it himself if he wanted it. The scientists immediately put up a fight about leaving their area, just like the first one did… But finished by showing Darrio they had sensor -activated baradium explosives (the same stuff used in thermal detonators) installed in their chests. If they tried to leave the area.. they’d explode.
Imperial remnants be brutal to secure cooperation, brah.
Aisha responded on the comlink, "Hurry. Forget whatever else you’ve grabbed, there’s no time! Whatever faction this place is supporting, they’ve sent craft to destroy the facility. They’ll be here any minute.”“`
“Dank farrik!!!” Darrio yelled in frustration, he grabbed the block of beskar and bolted it as fast as he could back to the nearest turbolift.
Thankfully, he hadn’t blown up this one.
He descended and waited for the doors to open. Unsure as to what sight was about to greet him.
“`Surprisingly (or perhaps not, given Darrio was just told the whole station was about to be blown the place up) there was exactly 0 resistance from anybody aboard the station as he made his way to the turbolift and descended… because the ones left alive had hopped into escape pods.
As Darrio exits the turbolift on the left side of the cargo-loading bay, he hears very panicked wailing and screaming coming from around the corner to his right (16).”`
"We've got one minute left Darrio, where are you?!" Aisha screams over the comlink
One minute. Sixty seconds. Sixty seconds was a long time, right?
“I’ll be right there!”
Blatant lie. He needed to see what that scream was first. He turned the corner to see what it was…
“`There’s a woman on her knees inside a containment cell. She doesn’t look good - battered, bruised, injection marks on her arm. She’s clearly human - or started off that way… her skin is scaley, her eyes are blood red, and her fingernails are loooong.
"H-h-heeeelp… pleaaassssee,” she whimpers to Darrio.“`
“Oh… frack…”
This wasn’t good no matter how he looked at it. With the block of beskar in his arms, he had to wonder if he could carry both her over his shoulder, and the block in his hands.
He was willing to try!
Why did all this kriffing stuff happen to him?
Darrio needs to get her out of the cell first. There's a containment field keeping her locked in. There's a control panel on the right side of it.
Darrio attempts to open the cell from the control panel…
Nothing. Try something else!
Darrio attempted to smash the beskar block into the control panel…
The panel sparks wildly for a second, then goes dark. The containment shield drops. The woman starts sobbing.
You go to pick her up. Despite her small frame, she is INCREDIBLY dense and heavy. Like, you legit struggle to pick her up, and need two hands. You have two options. Carry her out, struggling as you do so, or walk out with the beskar block at a normal pace.
>:)
If this had been a few months prior, he’d have left her for dust without a second thought. Ellisyn and Sulla had made him soft…
With his choice made, he dropped the beskar block. Maybe it would survive the impending explosion anyways? With little time to spare, he hoisted the woman onto his shoulder and tried to run like he was being chased by a swarm of mynocks!
“`Darrio books it, stumbles about half way, and then adrenaline kicks in as he pushes his body to the limit to bust a move and get his ass on board… Just in the nick of time. With everyone safely on board and the engines already primed, the X-70b Phantom blasts out of the hangar and engages its sensor cloaking moments before a squad of TIE/SE First Order Bombers blow it to smithereens, using the resulting debris as cover to escape into the void and hyperspace.
The freak woman has been sedated and moved to the ship’s medbay, where Dr. Aisha is tending to her. Zxyl, Sol, and Darrio are all in the lounge by the armor containment system.”`
“So,” Zxyl started, folding his arms. “What happened? Where’s the beskar?”
“Well, if I had to guess, Zxyl. Probably under a lot of rubble,” Darrio folded his own arms stubbornly. “I had a choice to make. Save her, or grab the beskar. I think it’s obvious which I chose.”
“Very well. You made the appropriate and honorable choice, Darrio of Clan Klars.”
Zxyl pressed a button on his vambrace gauntlet, the separated helmet section to the armor’s containment field deactivated.
“This is the way.”
Darrio picked up the helmet. Damn, it was good to have it back.
“This is the way.”
“Would you like to carry on to the next trial, or have us drop you back off on Kasiya for a bit?”
“Drop me back at Kasiya. I wanna see my daughter before the next trial.”
“Fair enough. We’ll plot a course. And Darrio?” Zxyl asked, as he turned to head for the bridge, “Good work.”