Let's Go to the Maul

Posted on Sun Mar 13th, 2022 @ 9:43pm by Spacer Shen Daeshim & Maul
Edited on on Wed Mar 23rd, 2022 @ 7:50pm

Mission: Episode 1 - All Roads Lead to Nowhere
Location: Port Nowhere

With a final round of kicking and pounding, Dae-dae finally force open the supply closet where he'd been trapped for several days. It was pretty disgusting in there, all things considered, what with no toilet. Fortunately no one was around to know about it. That was to say there were almost no relief efforts underway despite the massive destruction that Port Nowhere had suffered.

"See, see..." he hissed to himself. "Gotta see where they went..."

Checking his communicator, he found that Ariadne was no longer in range, nor was her mysterious benefactor. That was just as well since the Morgukai had long since been separated from him. There was no way to tell whether he had stayed put where Dae-dae had been paid to deliver him or if he'd managed to escape. If he was dead, then there would be no vengeance. If he was alive... well, Dae-dae had better make himself scarce.

As he pulled himself free and picked his way through the rubble of that section of the station, Dae-dae saw he wasn't alone. There were several souls milling about, some of them like him were dazed and disoriented, while others were looting and not particularly trying to be secretive about it.

There was a third group, though, which Dae-dae did not like the look of at all. These were neither dazed nor digging, but moved with purpose. Neither survivors nor looters, these were clearly hunters. Dae-dae buried himself back into the nearest pile of detritus and hoped to avoid their gaze.

It was a large group, all sorts, all dangerous; Mandalorians, Pikes, Faleen, humans, Weequay... the most curious collection of beings most on this station had ever seen. Or rather would have, if they'd had the courage to leave their places of shelter. No, the normally bustling station was desolate and not because of the extended battle between rival gangs. That was not uncommon and hours past. Yet people knew to stay away, that it was not yet safe to seek the light.

Dae-dae watched them as they seemed to be searching the debris not for something but perhaps someone. He fumbled through his pockets for a device--a sonic amplifier--and thumbed it into his ear. It allowed him to eavesdrop.

"... wants results yesterday. We need to find him NOW."

Who wants results? And who are they searching for? Curiosity began to kindle next to Dae-dae's fear, though the latter still held greater sway. For the moment he dared not move. But then he felt a cold chill run down his back. Something felt wrong. Though he dare not move, he was filled with the urge to run, for something wicked this way comes.

A large cargo door groaned open at the end of the corridor, a groaning low cry of anguish. Fires from the battle and explosive decompression still burned behind the door, casting the corridor in an otherworldly red. A hooded figure emerged, walking slowly, ominously towards the group of strangers. The metal of the damaged station seemed the groan under his footsteps. The group tensed as he drew closer, none of them portraying outright fear, but all of them feeling the air grow thicker.

"We've found Zuir," reported one of the thugs. "What's left of him..."

There was a collective flinch from the entire cohort as they awaited the boss's response.

The hooded figured turned looking toward the thug that spoke. "Where?" The question echo'd down the corridor, asked softly and yet to everyone there it felt like a shout.

"There," replied the lead the henchman. "And there." He pointed slightly to the right. "And there." His finger fell on the remains of a torso that had been impaled on twisted metal. "Whoever did this...they were without mercy."

It was very likely that the swath of destruction that had went through the station was responsible for most of it, but the instinct to survive compelled the man to suggest the worst possibility that would drive his boss's wrath against another person who was not present.

"Indiscriminate to be sure..." The figure spoke as he walked the docking bay, suddenly coming to a stop in front of a large container. "A Jedi..." He almost questioned it, this was too random, clumsy for a Jedi, a Padawan perhaps? They did not tear apart their enemies, nor blew holes in space stations, and yet here they were. Something or someone else had a hand in what happened here. "Have any of the local parties claimed responsibility?"

"No, boss," said the henchman with a shake of his smooth head. "If anyone knows anything, they ain't talkin'. Trouble up in the Techno Union transport somehow led to the yacht crashing down here. Doesn't look much better elsewhere, but here..." His face took in the gory remains of Mun Zuir. "...this is the worst of it. You, eh, you find something?"

"Perhaps... we will need to investigate further." He stood, turning to face the henchman. "Deploy our forces, we will have to ask these groups in person... which one controls this place?"

The henchman gave a reluctant shrug. "Right now, not really anyone. Once the Techno Union ship hit the station, most everyone who could scattered like mynocks."

"Then we shall start with the Skakoans, the others will learn to loosen their lips if they want to survive."

"Good enough," the henchman said. The survivors of the Techno Union would definitely be the best place to start. "We got a few holed up back the way we came."

Dae-dae slithered out from the rubble and away from the two men. The human toadie looked tough but he paled in comparison to the...was that a Zabrak? Every ounce of Dae-dae's street smarts told him not to even get on that one's radar.

The figure turned abruptly, molten eyes narrowing as his gaze focused on the corridor where Dae-Dae had just scampered. "Come." He turned, following his henchman out of the bay and taking the lead as they returned to the assembling forces. This... station would do nicely, already hidden from most galactic knowledge this would be the perfect place to recreate his Empire.

Soon... soon they would all know the name...

Maul