Log:Ebon Guard: Royal Audience

Royal Audience

OOC Date: November 21, 2017
Location: Unknown Regions
Participants: Vraag Rengh, Jarret Sur, Ayeeou Wanaii, Zandra naMuriel, Barquo Dentoo, Tig Follox, Ebon Guard

The Unknown Regions...

A small planet floats peacefully in space, on the far outside edge of the habitable range from the system's major star. A blue and white swirl of colors covers the entirety of the planet, a beauty to behold that almost appears to have been painted by the brush of an artist rather than brought on by the chance development of evolution or the product of a big bang. The planet is tiny in comparison to most other worlds playing host to sentient life, but that does serve as any deterrent for the leader of the Ebon Guard.

The Omen moves through space toward the tiny world, piloted no doubt by Tig and Zandra, along with one of the newer hires for the Guard. "I hope everyone brought their warm clothes," Vraag says from the Captain's chair. "From what I've been able to find out from the few spacers that make it out this far, this place is cold enough to freeze a man to the core within fifteen minutes."

"A good thing that our armor is rated for vaccuum, Vraag Rengh," says Jarret from the engineering consoles. "If need be, I can adapt heating units for short-term support for the the doctor's armor." Can't have her freezing, mind.

Ayeeou had the time, so she was happy to accompany the Ebon Guard as they flew away from Nar Shaddaa. It's not an exciting trip, of course, but she does find uses for the time. Including, of course, looking up any information available about where they are headed. When Jarret says that he can adapt a heating unit, she smiles at him. "Thank you. This sort of cold is different from underwater cold."

"I can stay on the ship," Zan suggests. "unless you all need me to do something other than be ready for a quick get away?" She is in her flight suit, with her starpilot armour, but of course, that might or might not be of much help. "What are we doing here anyway?"

A lifted brow is shot Vraag's way as he rotates in his chair to face the view screen "What exactly is this planet bossman?" he holds his helmet in his lap as he looks at the planet. "I mean I'm grateful for the armor being able to protect us from this cold nonsense but I just gotta ask... Why are we doing this nonsense." He shakes his head and pulls his helmet on. "You get a lead on those sleezeballs that developed that stupid worm?"

Tig Follox has her armor with the same black furred cape that... probably does little to warm her, but Tig certainly thinks it's bitchin'. The pilot putters the craft slower as they approach, scouting for a landing spot. One is selected and aimed towards. "Check around for unidentifieds," she requests of someone as she darts her attention around the view port. "From my side it's clear."

Vraag shakes his head as he says, "No, this actually has nothing to do with the worms or Mandalore. It has been a while since we have done something for profit like the group originally started out to do, but that hasn't stopped us from running through a good deal of the Guard funds buying supplies for the Mandalorians we have managed to liberate. Before we start scraping the bottoms of our wallets, I figured that it would be good to take a moment to do a job and make a few credits. I heard about this job from a few spacers on Ithor the other day." He turns his eyes around to look at Zandra before he says, "You don't have to wait on the ship. We have a few new hires that we can leave behind to watch the ship. You came all this way, you may as well come with us. I bet Jarret can rig up something to keep you warm too. If not, there should be some winter gear down in the crew area."

"Which reminds me," Jarret says from his console. "When we return, I have a number of credits to donate to the cause." He consults the monitors. "We are well within optimum capacity, Vraag Rengh." He should know. He's the one been working on these boats all over.

Ayeeou Wanaii listens to the others, quiet for now as they're studied with those huge, black eyes that so rarely blink. She seems interested, and the reason for the trip does cause her eyebrow ridge to rise with curiosity, but there are no questions yet.

The slicers helmet tilts to the side as he listens to the explanaition of their trip. He nods and then says "Alright then." his slightly mechanical voice "I sometimes forget that w'ere actually mercenaries." he puts hi shands out in front of him and pops his knuckles by flexing his fingers together and away from him "Lets go have some fun."

Zan tilts her head, and then she chuckles. "Sure, I'm game, if it will help," she replies. "I can get winter gear, at least." And hopefully not turn into a Zansicle. A pause, as she checks the instrument panel, flight wise, and then she says, "I'm kind of glad it doesn't have anything to do with that worm thing."

"I don't." Tig Follox quips back to Bark with a bit of a anticipating growl in her voice as she strides past Jarret out of the bridge area and gets out her bow. The ship is landed, they're ready to disembark at the ready. "You gotta take some bounty jobs, Jar," she chides over her shoulder as she slides her helmet on over her head. Tig bounces on her feet as she reaches the cargo door. "No worms means it'll be a blast, guys."

The view from the forward viewport of the Omen is nothing short of beautiful. They are landed in a canyon that seems to be made entirely of mirror-like ice and large drifts of fluffy snow that shows no sign of melting. Out ahead, a lavish city full of tall twisting spires and gently curving arches create the huge, yet primitive, city. At the far end of the main drag, a large palace glints in the reflected light of the sun, casting a dizzying sparkle of light back toward the Omen and it's passengers.

The trip from the bridge to the boarding ramp is long, the ship being as large as it is, and a turbo lift will carry the group from the upper level down into the bowels of the ship. The ramp opens with a groaning hydraulic sound, touching down with the loud smack of metal on thick ice, a vicious blast of cold air howling upward and into the faces of those waiting to dismount. When the group has made it to the bottom, one of the Guard left behind closes the ramp, sealing the interior off from the harsh temperatures, and a hover sled pulls up. A large human leaps down into the snow, his wide shoes gripping the ice below with little difficulty as he says, "Are you the ambassadors of the Ebon Guard Corporation?"

The view outside captures Yee's attention, unsurprisingly. As the others talk and prepare, she stares at both the city and the palace until it's time to go to the ramp. She too retrieved the cold weather gear, to be as protected as possible from the chill. On the plus side, it might be better for her than the desert. Maybe. Ask her again once she gets up, because as soon as she steps off the ramp onto the ice, she's on her ass with a <whump> and a squeek that's not even a little dignified.

Zan is behind Yee so she gets the advantage of seeing the Nautolan go sliding on her butt. "Oh - be care - " Sigh. "Are you okay?" is her line, as she carefully steps down, shivering even with the winter gear, and finds a spot to one side, out of the way. At the question, her eyes widen, but she leaves it for someone who is a representative, because she doesn't qualify, far as she is concerned. But - for those behind her she does give a warning. "It's slippery. Watch your step."

The slicer, because we only have one of those, follows behind Zan. He heeds her warning as he steps onto the slippery ice by the doctor Ayeeou "Alright doc lets get you back veritcal." his T-visor rotates to the human that just jumped down from the speeder "Yeah that'd be us. Don't mind us... Not all of us have got our Ice-legs yet."

Tig Follox crunches into the ice, twisting her shoulder a little forward to lean into the cold, icy wind. She doesn't fall, but she picks her steps carefully and moves to stand in front of the person who has appeared. Her bow is out, arms extended, but for now she patiently waits. She grunts as Bark announces their identity. "We are. Who are you?" Tig asks, not bothering to glance back at the slip slide show behind her.

Vraag eyes the big man that jumps down from the hover sled, moving over in their direction to answer. His initial dismount from the boarding ramp had been alright, but moving across the ice is another story. "We ar--ARGH!" he ends with a yell of alarm as his feet slide out from beneath him backwards and he faceplates on the ice. Three hundred pounds falling to the ice with forward momentum is quite the collision and the sudden stop is loud as he smacks the ice and his front half slides under the sled. "What the fuck!" can be heard yelled out from inside his helmet, his legs kicking as he attempts to reverse worm his way out from beneath the sled with little success.

The big man's eyes drift toward Ayeeou as she falls, and then toward Vraag who seems to be stuck beneath the sled and he lets out a loud belly laugh. "Hopefully you lot are more agile than this one," he says, motioning toward Vraag and apparently tagging Tig as the leader of the group. "I am the captain of the royal guard. I am to bring you to the palace for your audience with his majesty the king."

Yes, Jarret goes down too, landing on his knees - hard - the moment he hits the ice; the tall man stays like that, as if preparing for a plank position, before hauling himself finally to his feet. When they hit the ice next time, the treads are in, and they dig hard. "We will adapt," says the synth-flat voice from his helmet, "And conquer."

Now if that's not the word of true old-school Mandalorian, kids, I don't know what.

It's slippery. Watch her step. The Nautolan smirks when Zandra gives her warning just a little late. "Thanks." she says, her tone wry as she works slowly and carefully on getting up and being steady. Ish. She's just about there... but she was also kind of in front of others who also didn't yet have those 'ice legs'. She's clipped by Vraag as the large man slides past and into, - well, under - the sled, and down she goes again back onto her ass. "Poodoo!" she lets slip.

Zan reaches to try to catch the falling - Vraag - whoa! missed. Probably a good thing cause he'd have knocked her flying too. then there's Barquo, but he seems to be adapting fairly quickly. Yee, on the other hand - gets a very sympathetic look from the young pilot/trader. She carefully takes a couple steps and then offers a hand to help the Nautolan back to her feet.

There is an icy moment of silence. Behind her, Tig's cape whips and twists in the wind. She stares at the man, for a moment longer and then nods. "Maybe try not to use terms like 'conquer' in front of a damn king, huh?" the Mandalorian woman huffs quietly into her helmet mic. Back to the man. "Let's go. If you have any crampons, my team might need them." And then she's hopping into the hover sled.

Vraag finally heaves his bulk out from beneath the hover sled, and when he struggles up to his feet, there is an impressive array of scratches in the matte black finish of his armor plating. He doesn't seem to have any issue with Tig taking the lead, and turns back toward his team as Tig hops into the sled and reaches out a hand toward the others, offering his help to those not yet inside before he follows them up. His noticeable silence may be a hint toward the hit his pride took when he busted his ass in front of everyone like that.

As soon as everyone is inside the sled, the Royal Guard sets the hover sled on a roaring pace back toward the Palace. With the speed of the sled and the whipping ice beneath them, it almost seems as though the group is on a simple sled slide, whipping along the slippery terrain toward their destination. The trip is quick, and soon enough they are moving through the giant crystalline front doors into a massive foyer, the sled stalling and revealing an interior absent of ice and replaced with a multitude of diamonds glittering in the warm light, along with streams of bright silver and gold decorations streaming along lavishly.

Once piled into the sled, Jarret sits in silence also - perhaps his pride is also damaged, or perhaps he's simply chosen to take Tig's advice. He moves in silence as the gang enters the palace, too, a tall, lean ghost.

Before she even starts to try to rise, Ayeeou makes sure that there's no one else sliding her way. Then, she does manage to get up. With the offered help. This is SO not her environment. Glee Anselm's surface has a lot of swampland. Not so much with the ice. Up and into the sled is done carefully, and it's possible she looks a little embarrassed at her language. Her cheeks are a deeper aquamarine than usual as she sits, quiet. That could also be the cold, though.

Once Yee is aboard, Zan follows, taking a spot where she can. Curious, she watches the scenery such as it is. She's also quiet, but in her case it's because she is unabashedly playing tourist. Without the camera, mind, but she's entirely enjoying the trip and the speed. Also, if she doesn't say anything she can't hopefully mess something up, and to her way of thinking that's not a bad thing.

The lithe figure of Barquo sits back in the sled with his arms crossed over his chest. Over the comms in the helmets the slicer asks "Just what exactly are we here to do for these people boss?" his head rotates around and he takes in the landscape as the speeder goes roaring along. His finger tap the butt of his blaster feeling a little anxious.

"I'd like to know the same thing," Tig asks quietly on their helmet comms as she steps out of the sled, adjusting the black fur trimmed coat behind her. The woman mags her bow back into it's place for now. Her visor lifts and scans the area. The move a silent check for traps masked as an appreciation of their surroundings.

Vraag's head tilts and turns, not so much while they are in route, but more so when they exit the hover sled inside of the palace. It is clear the Mandalorian is marking those diamonds and precious metal, committing them to memory though he doesn't comment outwardly to their hosts. Rather, he toggles on the group comm and says, "Something about helping with a kidnapping. The Aqualish and dug that I got intel on the job from didn't speak the best basic. I would say that the king will soon tell us. For now, look at all of those diamonds... I heard this palace is sitting on top of one of the galaxy's largest natural diamond mines. And it is on some backwater planet in the Unknown regions... amazing."

The guards lead the Ebon Guard members onward, up sweeping staircases and along wide halls decorated with huge frosted windows that cause the sunlight to filter inside with dancing sparkles on the stone floor. Eventually they are lead to an audience chamber and ushered inside, only to find a group of twelve finely dressed people awaiting them. All are dressed in find robes, though surely the very fat, very short, blue skinned man sitting on a throne of solid diamond commands the attention of the room. He wears a huge plumed hat, and his beard sweeps down to his belt, wide mustache curled on the ends into five tight circles. He leans forward as the Mandalorians enter, and then calls out in a squeaky voice, "Ahhhhh! My guests have arrived, here to tell me how they are going to rescue my darling Princess Aeriney. I hope that you have more mettle to you than the last few groups that I sent out!"

"The industrial applications alone must keep them in great wealth," Jarret offers, but says nothing further. He follows his chieftain and his fellow warriors, staying toward the back, looming always.

It takes a few minutes of being embarrassed, but finally Yee starts to get over it and looks around them as the sled glides across the ice. And then once they arrive, her large eyes continue to take it all in. She's quiet and polite, and lets the others handle business.

Zan is doing much the same as Yee, quietly watching and learning.

Barquo follows the guards, he's keeping track of the passages that they wander through the palace. "This place is a maze... hopefully we don't need to find our way outta here in a hurry." When they arrive in front of the room with blue skinned man and he asks "What exactly is the situation that your princess needs rescuing from? A little bit more guidance will certainly aide in our success" He pulls off his helmet and gives the king a smile and a slight bow of the head

Tig Follox steps forward as they enter, Her visor moving to the king on the throne. Bark gets a /look/ but she doesn't mention anything. She bows her head quickly, addressing him in, what she assumes, is a way a king would want to be addressed. She pops her helmet off as she rises up from her bow. "Your majesty," she greets with a half, slightly suspicious smile up at the old man. "I can't imagine that was because you did not pay them enough, sir." Tig gives a obvious glance around the chamber.

Vraag doesn't move to take the lead, even here before the king, but rather steps behind Barquo and Tig as they each address the king. He offers the fat little man a bow of his own head before he too reaches up to pull his helmet free and allow his coarse black hair to fall free. Whether he is listening to the conversation or not is anyone's guess as he instead seems to be intent on staring down the court officials who line the chamber, fixing them each with a stern scowl one at a time until they flinch away from his furrow browed mean mug.

There is an audible gasp around the chamber as the first Mandalorian helmet is removed, the king lifting pudgy little hands to cover his eyes, and only once there are no more outcries does he make a gap in his fingers to peer through at the revealed Mandalorians. He claps his little hands together and says with obvious joy, "Oooooh. Our legends have always told that Mandalorians were lizard folk that breathed fire beneath their helmets! I hope that is the only thing about your folk that is false." He leans back into his throne, kicking his feet at the ends of his short legs before he says, "As for the princess, there are two civilizations on this planet. My people, and those of the religious zealots on the southern pole. They have long coveted our diamond mine and our privilege, but only recently have they gotten so desperate as to kidnap my poor daughter to attempt and force my hand. They want me and my people to leave our home in return for my daughter's return. Of course I cannot allow that nonsense."

Ayeeou does, of course, bow to the king. That's what one does - bow to a king. She too remains quiet and very polite. This is not even a little in her wheelhouse, after all.

A small smile spreads across barquo's face as the king describes the idea of Mandalorians being lizard faced fire breathers. He looks back to the rest of the group and notes Vraag standing in the rear for the moment. He looks back to the king and continues with the ruse for the time being "There is little about our people that has been exagerated. We're a formidible peoples your majesty." he takes a moment to think and then asks "Can you give us any more information on the location she is being held?"

Tig Follox's half grin plants a little more firmly onto her face. "Sorry to disappoint, Sire. We are not Taungs, although our culture began with them. It may be where those stories came from." She clears her throat, catching Vraag looking at the chamber's personnel. The corner of her mouth sets a little firmly. Bark's question gets a nod. "So you are in talks with the kidnappers?" She asks, and then quickly fires off another question. "And were there any witnesses to her kidnapping, your Majesty? They may prove to have valuable information."

The King considers the two Mandalorian leaders for a few moments before he finally shrugs his shoulders and pats his hands together in a 'dusting off' fashion as if to cast the topic of Mandalorian lore aside. "We are not in talks with them any longer. I told them that until they could see reason that we would not be continuing our relations with them! They are lucky we have continued to support them for this long! They would have starved long ago were it not for our charity and allowing them to work in our mines." To Tig, "There were witnesses, but they have all been dealt with as well for failing to stop the villains as they took my dear daughter." There is a murmur of assent from around the room, and the King nods his head knowingly, as if there is nothing odd about what he just said. "In any case, you will be allowed a guide of my men, and one of our hover sleds to use as transportation. The rest will be up to you."

Vraag seems quite intent on staring down the last of the court officials, an eighty something year old man by appearances. Vraag stares away with his furrowed brow and savage looking facial tattoos, while the old man stares back at him with apparent disinterest, toothless gums working his lips over slowly.

Jarret Sur, for his part, is quiet. Why? Because. Opening his face right now might get it split open permanently. It's Jarret, after all.

Ayeeou Wanaii is also quiet, though some of what the king says causes her to look confused. Apparently, she is failing to understand some of what he says. Or the why of some of it. Any questioning of his sense she might be doing is kept to herself, though.

Zan keeps quiet as well, but she is just about as new as Yee, and somewhat sheltered besides. She listens though, her expression thoughtful enough to plague a jedi mystic of old. After a moment she asks, "Who did you previously send to rescue the Princess?" Her voice is soft and apologetic, but curious.

The slicer's face drops a bit as he begins to realize what is going on here. Barq bites his lip for a moment and says "Well we appreciate the transportation and the guide on this planet we are unfamiliar with." he takes a breath and then says "My hope is that we can solve this problem without too much unessecary bloodshed." he looks back to Vraag and over at Tig "Whats the play here boss? I'm not sure about this." he says quietly.

Once the questions are all asked and answered, Tig glances amongst the party of Mandalorians and Friends. "Thank you, your Royal Highness," Tig says with another short bow. "We will begin immediately." She slips her helmet back on and motions for the group to follow. "Something is up," the archer agrees with Bark. "Can someone make sure our comms aren't being monitored?" Tig glances to Zan and Yee, then Jarret. "You're quiet," she mentions.

Vraag doesn't move as Tig dons her helmet at then turns to begin heading back the way they came. He steps forward, finally tearing his gaze away from the toothless old man and looking toward the king. "Five million credits," he says simply, his hands on his hips as he stares up at the king. His voice is gruff, but it is not overtly rude as he looks up at the fat little man. "I know that you probably don't use the credits that the core worlds do, but I imagine it isn't hard for one of your station to come up with. That's our price. We're worth it."

The King smiles as Zandra speaks up, giving her a wide smile as he reaches up to twirl his mustache. "Ooohh. Aren't you a pretty one. You could stay here with us as one of my wives," the man says, his other hand coming to pat his fat belly, his daughter apparently forgotten. His eyes grow wide as he looks quickly back toward Vraag as the man speaks, his lips flapping soundlessly in surprise. After a while he seems to get a hold on himself long enough to sputter, "Five million!?"

"The throne alone is worth fifty, your majesty" points of Jarret from the back, speaking through his helmet - though he does have plenty of presence of mind to bow before he does so. "The amount, compared to your obvious wealth, seems trivial compared to the value of your daughter, and key to your bloodline." Because that's how he puts it. He's an engineer!

Ayeeou Wanaii is about to answer Tig when Vraag names their price. She actually blinks. Twice. And then glances at the others to watch their reactions. She doesn't know if that's a lot for this sort of job, after all. Then, she looks at the king again to see what he says.

Wives. Stay with - Zan's eyes flash, and her hand starts towards her blaster, before she remembers where she is. Her back has stiffened and she's obviously not impressed with King soandso. "I don't share well," she mutters darkly. One of his - "Hey, how old is the princess we're rescuing? Is it a child?" she asks, curiously. Not that she's getting answers, rather instead she's getting leered at, but she actually trusts her folks to not leave her here. And she's not going to be coming back, nope.

The slicer looks at Vraag as he gives their price. He shrugs and pulls his helmet over his head clipping it in place before turning to face the king while his boss finishes negotiations. He also stands a little bit closer to Zan. Not that Bark is really the one you want protecting you but hey every little bit helps right?

Tig Follox stops, slowly turns. Nerves hit her and she hovers a hand close to her bow. "Guuuys," she murmurs on the private channel. "I don't really want to work in diamond mines for the rest of my life..." Her shoulders tense and she just stands, starting past the gathered group at the king.

The King stares hard at Vraag for a few moments, his eyes turning to look at Jarret before looking back to the bigger of the group. "Fine, fine. You get my daughter back, and you will have your credits you bloodsucker. So much for doing some /good/ in the universe just for the sake of doing good. I'm tired of looking at the lot of you, leave me. Do not return without my daughter," the king growls out. Vraag's price tag seems to have spoiled Zandra's allure for the fat king on his throne and he barks grumpily at her, "Your guide will have all of your information!"

Vraag nods to the king and to the rest of his people, turning on his heel and pulling his helmet over his head. He gestures for the others to go ahead, forming up around the two non-mandalorians to protect them in the midst of their more heavily armored mass. The hover sled carries them back to the waiting Omen, and once the rest of the group is on board, Vraag looks to the rest of the group before saying, "When we return the princess and claim our reward, we're using the credits to build a medical and research facility on Nar Shaddaa. You will all receive a cut of the profits, but the majority of those credits will go toward the hospital so that Ayeeou, Papo, and Hopp, will have a place to research what we need for Mandalore, to help those in need on the moon, and to treat us when we're in need. Understood?"

"My blood for our people," Jarret says somberly. "Lead us, Vraag Rengh."

"And if the miners here are slaves....?" Tig wonders quietly out into the air, sitting in the sled with her arms crossed and looking through her emotionless visor at the landscape as it zips by them. She doesn't expect an answer.

Bark says nothing immediately the golden visor on his helmet watching the surrounding icy landscape flyby "We rescue their princess sure... but we do what we can to set this planet right on our way out the door." he looks to his kin and says "We can't stand by and watch as other people are enslaved just as our people are."

Yee stays quiet, and is just fine with the warriors surrounding them. This does not feel right even to someone as sheltered as she's been. She doesn't say anything, in fact, until they return to the Omen, looking like she's thinking it all through carefully. Then, she nods to Vraag. "That is very acceptable to me, of course. But there is something something wrong here. Several somethings, maybe. But I don't have the experience to know what it is. I will help though, however I can."

Zan rather looks slightly rebellious, but she does calm down once aboard the Omen. "It - that king is creepy," is her input. "And I think I agree with Yee and Barquo. And Tig. Though I like the idea of a medical and research facility, of course." She hesitates, and then adds, "I'll help with whatever you all decide to do, but I don't know if I want to go anywhere near that guy again. I don't trust him."