Log:The Dirt I'm Buried In
The Dirt I'm Buried In
OOC Date: February 2, 2025
Location: Cona
Participants: Lynoriel Thrace, Tytos Wrex, Qar-duun, Aitax Rendon, Gil Dar, Doctor Clawdette
The Sith Empire seems to favor inhospitable jungles as of late. Cona is no different in this regard as the atmosphere had a high concentration of ammonia. Those that have went on this trip of resource seeking have been advised that they will need to wear breathing masks when on the planet. Which might mess with the Sith aesthetic, but looks were less important when it came to the gathering of materials.
It's not a large delegation that goes out to Cona, it is indeed just a trip to exchange unpleasantries and start the process of gathering some samples to aid the Sith and the Empire in their never-ending search for resources that are exotic and varied in their uses.
Left to their own devices for too long the Sith alchemists got into mischief and no one wanted them trying to blow up anything inside a Star Destroyer. The pilot for this trip had been given the coordinates and the landing location. They were going to be meeting with a small group of Arcona to speak with them over the particulars. Once they have landed the ramp is lowered, allowing the group to start the process of offloading.
And the immediate weight of just how awful the air is here makes everyone wish they were not wearing black.
The Sith Empire seems to favor inhospitable jungles as of late. Cona is no different in this regard as the atmosphere had a high concentration of ammonia. Those that have went on this trip of resource seeking have been advised that they will need to wear breathing masks when on the planet. Which might mess with the Sith aesthetic, but looks were less important when it came to the gathering of materials.
It's not a large delegation that goes out to Cona, it is indeed just a trip to exchange unpleasantries and start the process of gathering some samples to aid the Sith and the Empire in their never-ending search for resources that are exotic and varied in their uses.
Left to their own devices for too long the Sith alchemists got into mischief and no one wanted them trying to blow up anything inside a Star Destroyer. The pilot for this trip had been given the coordinates and the landing location. They were going to be meeting with a small group of Arcona to speak with them over the particulars. Once they have landed the ramp is lowered, allowing the group to start the process of offloading. (re for Sira).
Qar-duun is usually, the joke goes, fired at planets in the same ovoid cases as the Arakyd Viper probe droids. (Whether he has ever personally confirmed nor denied, who knows.) He rides mainly in silence, kitted out for intimidation rather than sabotage and disruption. If he communicates with Thrace, so far he does so via wrist-comp, sharing telemetry and topography to maximize the effect of their drop.
The flight down to Cona's surface is as eventful as watching paint dry. Captain Tytos Wrex has accompanied the landing party and left command of the RSD Enforcer to his executive officer. Captain Wrex had cited a desire to stretch his legs, see the planet firsthand, and gather information of his own accord. He could have certainly stayed aboard the Enforcer and awaited some need for the warship to intervene with matters on the planet below. Intervention of a fashion that would have been decisive and destructive. Instead Captain Tytos finds himself departing the landing craft with his respirator fixed to his face and his cap resting precariously atop it.
He marches down the boarding ramp with measured, determined steps and his hands resting at the small of his back. He noticeably doesn't lift a hand to aid in the offloading of scanning equipment or otherwise sully his hands with menial labor. He is there for observational purposes and to gather information relevant to the Enforcer's time in the system and, if necessary, offer some semblance of command among the rank and file.
The woman, a scientist had on a pair of goggles along with the facemask. A full ensemble, she's currently fussing with the outfit she's even wearing, pulling at the corners of it as she tries to get the environmental suit - sans hood - to sit alright on her. Looking around at the people offloading with her she stays quiet for the moment and pulls up a datapad. Her fingers tapping away on the screen as she tries to pull up a list of things she might be looking for. Whether that's literally lists or what features they're looking for.
Clawdette can't help but look around nervously at the jungle as the Cathar seems to consider all the possibilities. She gestures at some of the people taking down the equipment, "Careful! CAREFUL!" She cries out, the hands coming up with datapad in hand, "Don't drop it! It's very delicate!" It wasn't that delicate, but she was too used to people /DROPPING/ things if she didn't tell them not to.
Captain Dar also is not here to do manual labor. He is part of the delegation to negotiate with the...owners of this particular planet. He carries with him a datapadd that he occasionally checks, but as the group walks down the ramp from the shuttle to the ground, he slips it into a pouch on his belt, and warily looks out at the encroaching jungle, eyes alert for any sort of ambush that may be about to kick off.
Last of the three Sith fleet captains (they would have sent only two, but someone thought that would start an argument over which was the master, and which the apprentice) to disembark was Aitax Rendon, who surveyed the reeking planet with an arched brown brow. Expression was limited to his eyes, as the breathing mask obscured the remainder of the tall officer's face. A gloved hand tapped a forefinger on the handle of his pistol before both hands clasped at the small of his back. "Marvelous," he observed, deadpan.
Thrace's crimson gaze flicked from one face to the other as they were preparing to land. She is quiet as well, but that is not out of the ordinary. She affixed the mask to her face before smoothing out her robes and descending the ramp in long elegant strides. "Do not damage the good Doctors equipment, it is hard to replace." the tall Acolyte tells the people unloading.
A small group of Arcona's are here to greet the group, two of the ambassadors look over the incoming. They were not expecting Force Users from the looks of it. Two of the Arcona's have big black eyes and the third has golden eyes. "Welcome, we will not make this a long ordeal as we know the air is less than welcoming to everyone involved." the head of the group states. "We are here to discuss the terms of your sample taking and our payment. After that you are free to move about as you please." the Arcona tells the group.
Qar-duun nods, agreeing. "The clock is ticking." Their armors having the effect of hollowing or deadening their pitch helps in unsettling. "State your terms, and when we find them acceptable, the meeting will conclude."
The Arconan contingent is met by a look of acknowledgment from Captain Tytos and after their introduction is made, a subdued nod of his head is conveyed to signal his understanding. He glances throughout his immediate surroundings before his attention shifts toward the Sith among them. Qar-duun is considered for but a moment, but his direct manner seems to apply well to at least beginning negotiations. Which means that Captain Wrex may turn his focus back to the Arcona speaker and watch him while the Imperial captain awaits the delivery of terms.
Clawdette, the scientist, is moving to the crate, letting out a deep sigh of relief as she pops one of the crates. Pulling out a few random tubes and holding them up toward the sky to check the light through them, checking for cracks before moving to the next crate and doing the same. It wasn't exhaustive in the least, just a few here and a few there, and a couple squirrled away into pockets of the environmental suit.
"Oh thanks the stars they look in good shape." She mumbles as she pulls up the datapad again, tapping away on it while murmuring, "I hope we don't run across any plants the excrete hydrochloric acid. Mmm, maybe we should get additional medpacs ready just in case." She glances toward the ship then back toward the crates. Popping open a third one and pulling out one of the hand held sensors. She turns it on and starts checking the readout, mumbling, "Dumb thing. It's ammonia... not nitrogen based atmosphere." She turns it over, "Oh for the love of..." She pulls off the protective strip covering the sensor, "Brand new? I meant, great but... really?" She flips it back over and checks the reading again, nodding her head.
"Nitric acid? Oh crumb!" She turns the sensor over again and rubs at it, then back toward the ship. A sigh then back to the equipment, mumbling, "It'll be fine, Clawdette. It'll be fine. We'll get something to clean it later. Maybe a compound we can brush over the sensor strip. Something that binds to the hydrogen. Or maybe it's just the release of the internal gases form the shuttle. That could be it, right? Yeah. Yeah. It'll be fine, Clawdette. Just take a breath. Not literally. It's ammonia." She chuckle, "Silly Doctor... ahh, I kill myself. Not literally."
The Arcona are given a nod, but it seems Gil knows where he ranks in this discussion. He tugs out his datapadd again, and pulls up some numbers, perhaps to help inform the negotiations that are about to commence. Or maybe just to have something to do so the Sith don't accuse him of being 'unprepared' or 'not paying attention' when clearly he is doing very important work. Qar-duun's comment gets a tight smile from the man, amused or perhaps a wince at the directness that he employs in speaking to the greeting envoy.
"Your accommodation of the Empire's needs is noted and well regarded," Aitax voices to their welcome committee at the (thankfully) brief greeting, his polished manner suffering only slightly for the breathing mask. While awaiting the offered terms, he glances aside to the chattering Clawdette, wondering under his breath, "Do Cathar lack the concept of unspoken thoughts?"
The Arconan's bow their heads in snakelike unison and then straighten. The golden eyed one seems fidgety, but that might just be nerves with meeting all of these Fleet Captains and Sith in general.
The leader clears his throat, "We have requested 660,000 gallons of fresh water to be delivered to the planet for stores." he states. That's a lot of fresh water!
Thrace gives a look to Claw, but she doesn't tell her to quiet or anything. Captain Rendon is already speaking to her. She does step forward to one of the crates that were brought and moves to unlock it. The golden eyed Arconan watches as she does. Like some junkie about to pounce on a fresh resupply.
Qar-duun frowns. "Your people are weak to the first offer of sodium chloride that comes along: anyone can adjust their bargaining position by offering more salt than water. How will you guard against this obvious and glaring flaw in your negotiating position?"
Captain Tytos shifts slightly at the cited amount that the payment demands. While he does not bristle at the figure or the form of payment, it's probably clear by the way that his chin inclines and his respirator angles a little higher that he's turned his nose up at the demand. Tytos turns a glance this way and that, considering his colleagues and the Sith among them. The Cathar, Clawdette, receives a brief consideration. Then the Imperial captain's attention turns back to the three Arcona. He does not speak immediately and instead holds his stern-eyed gaze upon the trio, practically unravelling them with his almost baleful stare.
The comm unit built into his respirator clicks to life and the crisp tones of Captain Tytos are offered to the Arcona with a voice that seems as though his position within the negotiations are unyielding and unbending. They've found an immovable wall with their demands. It has both a face and a name, even if the former is concealed beneath his respirator and the latter has yet to be given, "You will receive three hundred thousand gallons of water and that is simply on account of the Empire's generosity," he begins as his hands slip from the small of his back and move to rest at his sides while his respirator turns from side to side, casting his intense green eyes from one Arcona to the next, "along with that generosity we will supply you with fifty tons of the finest salt from the fields of Crait".
Captain Tytos pauses briefly, but it's only to create an artificial gap during his counter-offer. There is little time provided for an interjection from the Arcona. The brief pause is soon followed by Tytos continuing and offering a stark alternative, "If these terms are unacceptable to you, then a secondary offer is available if you wish to hear it". Judging by the manner which the words are delivered and the imperiously straight back of the captain, his hands resting at his sides and his hard-eyed stare leveled upon the Arcona? The secondary offer isn't likely one that will be any more favorable to the three Arcona or, perhaps, for Cona itself.
All Cathar? Noooo. A Cathar Scientist named Clawdette that has arrived to a planet she's never been to, armed with equipment and sample kits? With flora and fauna she's never researched?! AND PROBLEMS TO SOLVE JUST AFTER GETTING OFF THE SHIP?! Oh she is STOKED! Might as well have tossed an Arconian into a vat of salt!
"Uh! Captain-!" Beat, "Right!" There were three of them! That'd be silly. She starts toward Gil Dar as she holds out one of the first sensor packages holding another in her other hand. "If you could please, would you mind perhaps giving this a test? Just-- wave it around a little maybe. We need to make sure the readings still say Ammonia. I'm worried that there might be something reacting to form a thin layer of nitric acid - don't worry it's perfectly safe acid as far as acids go - on the sensor strip. It's corrosive but tends to be relatively safe to most species."
Clawdette takes a second to look at Gil again, then nods her head, "Yeah! Yeah you should be fine. Just, uh, don't lick it? That'd be ridiculous? Right?" She laughs as she's pushing the sensor into his hands completely seeming to miss that there are negotiations going on. After all - Scientists gonna SCIENCE!
Clawdette's pulling the protective backing off of the other sensor she's holding, moving in front of Captain Gil Dar - even blocking his view of the negotiation - for the moment.
Gil Dar is about to open his mouth with a counter offer but, he's cut off by two different voices. The first is Captain Tytos offering 300,000 gallons of water. A fair amount! And the second is Clawdette waving a sensor at him. He stares at the Cathar, as if she's grown a second head. He's a Captain of a Star Destroyer. Not a common lab assistant here to do some doctor's scut work! But, there seems to be something about the insistence of the doctor, and so he takes one of the sensors, and holds it up in the air, watching Clawdette with a bit of a confused look.
Aitax Rendon slips smoothly into the background as Tytos makes the strong opening offer. Yet even in the background, he can contribute to the senior officer's play: he draws out a comm link and clicks the channel live, stating into it clearly, "Prepare the first cannister of one hundred thousand gallons for delivery. Keep the remainder standing by for completion of the operation."
The Arconan's eyes snap towards Qar-duun when he speaks to them and they all look at each other for a moment before back to him, "My Lord, we would not try to renegotiate once we've made a deal with the Empire." the lead states. "It would be suicide." he puffs up.
And he's right!
They look to Tytos as he speaks and the one with the golden eyes looks like he might keel over at the mention of 50 tons of salt from Crait. "And most generous and acceptable offer!" he spits out before anyone else can say anything. They could sell the salt for a ton more than likely, but it didn't matter what they did with it really.
Lynoriel finishes opening the container she was standing in front of and then her gloved hands pick it up and she turns to start walking to the group of serpentine beings, "A gift." she states as she settles it down onto the ground in front of the group. Then she moves back to the rest.
"Are we settled, my Lords?" the Arconan's ask as they look to the gathered Captains and Sith.
Qar-duun is a prop, in this instance, and stands with crossed arms to convey seriousness. It may not be his call to make, so he allows the Empire's diplomats to do their work.
Captain Tytos doesn't show it, but there is some disappointment that they hadn't inquired about the secondary offer. More threat than genuine offer, but it would have been a good one at least. The acceptance of the initial offer is met by a stern nod and the quieter, but purposefully audible, voice of Captain Aitax Rendon is regarded with a slight nod. The nod is accompanied by Wrex's attention held fast upon the three Arcona before he relays the order from Aitax that they surely weren't intended to hear, "The first unit of one hundred thousand gallons will be dispatched to the coordinates you provide. Any attempts to interfere with the transport, its crew, or otherwise jeopardize their operation will be met with retaliatory measures," the Imperial explains matter of factly.
He begins to step away then, leaving the Arcona to handle further matters of the particulars of the negotiation with the pair of Sith. The few steps that he does take brings him closer to Aitax and there he awaits, watching the delegation from among the pack. A look is cast toward Aitax and a nod of approval is offered, likely in recognition of the one-two punch that was delivered through coordinated teamwork. Though after Aitax, Tytos turns his focus to regard Captain Dar and Clawdette. Most of his expression is hidden behind his respirator, but the slight furrowing of his brow seems to indicate a frown or perhaps befuddlement.
Clawdette nods repeatedly, her eyes growing wider as she grins at seeing the Captain help her. Perfect lab assistant! Of course, then she sees that there is something going on around her. So she kinda looks to the negotiation, then back to Gil, "Oh! Sorry, hah! Silly me!" She looks down at her own sensor package again, tapping at it and mutters, "No, don't say that. You're supposed to give me readings on the environment." She taps at it a few more times, wipes the back of it with her environmental suit and then her eyes grow wider. "Oh-h-h."
The scientist looks back at the negotiations again, then back to Gil Dar as she drops her voice to talk a bit quieter. Though it's not exactly easy through the mask. So she mimes waving the sensor up and down, nodding her head. Then makes a hand motion as if to say 'after' then points back at herself. Another nod, the arch of eyebrows. Then she demonstrates by waving her own up and down a couple times and acts like she's passing it back to herself. Though after that, she's looking down at her own. One arm going up and then coming swiftly down to her side! A whisper, "Yes-s-s-s!" Success!
The movement from Clawdette makes Gil raise an eyebrow. Her demonstration doesn't seem to be of much use for him, but he does sort of half-heartedly shake the sensor that he's been handed. He's clearly not sure what he should be doing, or why. But, he does as he's sort of instructed by the doctor, and after a few good shakes, he hands the sensor back to Clawdette, before he turns back to the negotiations at hand.
Aitax Rendon gave a scant nod in passing to Tytos before the junior captain stepped toward the Arcona in order to receive the delivery coordinates and facilitate the initial delivery. It didn't take long before he was returning, having sent along the coordinates and closed the channel. To Captain Wrex, he noted, "Simple enough. The rest can be delivered as is seen fit." Which was to say 'if they felt like it, and there were no problems'. "Now then.." he turned his eye toward Lynoriel, Captain Dar, and the.. scientist. "What are we here for?"
The Arconan group looks down to the chest of salt that has been delivered to them at their feet and the golden eyed one starts to move forward, but the lead stops him, "Control yourself for five moments." he hisses harshly. The rebuffed one slithers back with a bowed head. "We thank you for your generosity and working with you in the future." the lead turns back to the group. "We will send the location for the water. You and your teams have our permission to take samples and to prepare to see if the planet can offer you anything." he states. With that said, one picks up the chest of halite and the rest start off back to where they came from.
"That went well." Thrace states as she helps with a few of the readings. She points out a range on the datapad that might be good for drilling. Then she looks to Aitax hen he asks what they are here for. "We don't have any of the native flora or fauna sample wise in the archive and we were tasked with collection. We won't be doing it now outside of preliminary scans. If everyone is ready to head back to a place we can breathe freely we can." she states.
Qar-duun nods, shuffling back from whence they came. "Be mindful of the modern Empire's stance on non-Human operatives, Officer Rendon. Some of us are *exceedingly* dangerous to disrespect." Perhaps Aitax can feel the smile behind the mask as he bends in to whisper something else.
Tytos doesn't speak on matters of their purpose on Cona. It doesn't concern him and there's no sense in his trying to understand the motives of the Sith. The mission parameters have been fulfilled and through their combined efforts the Empire has effectively made out like bandits on deal that has cost them little in terms of actual resources. The transport's fuel would be more costly than the resources they've sacrificed today. That is commendable.
Again the comm device built into his respirator clicks to life and Tytos answers the talk of withdrawing to somewhere more comfortable for the respiratory needs of the gathered Imperials, "A sound plan, my lady".
Captain Tytos drifts away then and with a minor adjustment to the comlink attached to his belt. Then he speaks to the Enforcer, far above but out of sight beyond the planet's atmosphere. He speaks into his comlink, though it is not broadcast and thus his words are little more than a muffled murmur within his respirator, "Enforcer, Captain Wrex. Operation Inferno may stand down. Initiate Operation Moisture Vaporator. Prepare for our return. Over."
Then Tytos shifts his comm unit back to broadcast setting and before he can speak, Captain Tytos Wrex elects instead to remain silent while he watches the sideshow between the Sith known as Qar-duun and Captain Aitax Rendon.
Clawdette takes the second sensor back, with the one under her arm and clutches it. Looking over the reading before she starts moving from foot-to-foot in a gleeful moment before heading back toward the ship. She tries to drag the crate... pauses, then taps the shoulder of a couple of the troops standing around to have /THEM/ move the crate further away from the ramp of the shuttle. "Just like... 20 meters away, that way when the strips are removed the latent mixture our shuttle released of gases doesn't stick to the slightly ionized surface."
The scientist puts both of the sensors she has back into the box for the moment as she moves to check some of the other crates. Leaning down and tapping on some of the external panels to check the integrity. "Okay, good, well within normal parameters..." She nods her head, moving to the next, "Mmm, look at you, took a little more?" Another tap to pull up the history, "Ohh, on egress from hyperspace. Okay, good. If there was a problem by now we'd probably know." She opens the lid just to double check then closes it just as quickly.
Her head jerks up and she looks back at Thrace, "I'm fine, err... ma'am! I want to run a few more tests to make sure that there hasn't been any additional problems with the equipment. It'll be ready in just a couple hours, if you please."
Aitax Rendon raised one brown brow when Qar-duun gave that smiling warning, obligingly leaning nearer to hear the whispered words from the Sith acolyte before sniffing sharply, once. "How crass," he opined, dryly. The ships (and a thorough cleaning of his entire uniform to be free of the ammonia stink of Cona) awaited.
