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Oh, damnit, Ush...

(also, hah, I win for once!)

Dreams in a PM, please.

Xavier will have brought in his Ally Trax to pilot his ship. He doesn't have any premonition powers so that he doesn't have to worry about them

Dak glances at the scanners as others argue about ways and means that are nonexistent. He doesn't comprehend it for a moment, then swears loudly in his native tongue as he focuses on a screen.

"Uh... guys? We... have company."

What can the scanners tell about the ship?

No premonitiony stuff for me, heh.

It's an unidentified civilian freighter.

"Seriously?" Galder responds, looking up from a map of the Void. He races over to view the sensors for himself, then swears too.

Does Galder have time to get to his fighter? Does it look like they want to land?

"Some kind of freighter, not military... no identification." He looks around at the rest of the group, tail flicking. "...What do we do?"

"Find out who they are, and why they're here," Rianna replies, looking over the scanners now that her attention is called to it.

If no one else does it, Rianna will, which means it won't be terribly polite.

By the time you get the elevator up to the top, this thing will already be making a landing approach- as indeed, it is not going into orbit. It's coming into the atmosphere.

...yeah, Rianna should totally contact them.

We don't have any defenses for this sort of situation, do we?

Galder will get on the comms with it.

"Unidentified craft, tell us who you are and what the hell you want."

Also, Dreams in a PM.

After a few seconds, a transmission is returned.

"Epireus Base. I speak for the Lady Adelmo."

"...of course. Who else would it be?" Rianna mutters. She snags the comms from Galder.

"And just what is it she wants from us this time?"

"She will address you in person. Out."

The comm link closes.

Galder sighs.

"She is not going to like that we are going after Kuylen, I feel."

"Good for her," Rianna replies to Galder.

"Won't this be fun... I hate being told what to do..."

Xavier walks into room hearing everything.

"So we are having company then."

It takes another 15 minutes before the ship lands and its inhabitants climb the mountain... and knock on your main entrance.

So, who wants to go greet them?

Rianna's going, of course.

Galder goes to greet them and open the door.

Dak goes too.

Brigade welcoming committee!

Originally posted by General Kaliero
Dak goes too.

Brigade welcoming committee!

Awesome

Xavier joins as well.

It is... just two people.

The Lady Adelmo herself. To remind you, she is not old, but decidedly middle aged, of reasonable attractiveness. She is dressed in a black shawl; her featiures are a little cold. Her most striking feature, of course, is her pure white hair, which hands long down past her face.

Her companion is a much younger girl, and much shorter also. She is dressed in a very similar way to Adelmo. You rememebr her in fact- the one who told Adelmo how long you would be on Gondekorro, by casting stones. She has black hair, cut in a similar way.

So does Rand, who has put on the protective casings for his wires and is less than pleased with Adelmo's return.

"Lady Adelmo, this is an... unexpected surprise," Rand says. "We were not prepared for your arrival. What brings you here to our mountain?"

"We're rather busy right now," Rianna says. "Why have you come here this time?"

"Because by now you will have heard about Kuylen. I thought I could come in and... discuss the matter."

The witch has come we see

"Yes she has" Xavier says calmly to himself.

"Discuss," Dak responds dryly. "Oh, we just love discussing things."

"What is there to discuss about it? Unless you can help us get to him, that is the only matter I can see worth being discussed..."

"Then I should come inside, shouldn't I?"

"You'll do as you please anyway, I'm sure," Rianna replies with a hint of annoyance.

Rand gives the Psychos a distasteful glare, then gestures through the doorway.

"Please, come in..." Rand welcomes. He then turns to the Psychos. "Are you trying to upset her?"

"Would it make a difference?" Dak says quietly to Rianna, off Rand's comment.

"Oh, quiet, Rand. I was actually trying not to be nasty," Rianna snaps at him.

"Since when does anything I say or do make any sort of difference?" she replies quietly to Dak, so that Rand cannot hear it. "I don't like this and never have."

She comes in, her companion in tow. She heads to your living area, with the comfy seats, and takes a wide one for her own.

Xavier follows them and decides not to sit down.

Dak leans against a wall, close enough to hear. "So, what was so important that we hear?"

"Things are well, I trust?" she asks. "Relations with the natives are good?"

Con will also attend.

"They are going well, it is a savage race, but useful for some purposes. So, you wanted to tell us something about Kuylen?"

"Fairly well. But could we possibly get to the point?" Rianna says, reclaiming the seat she'd had earlier.

"Well," she says, "it seems we have a mutual problem."

Originally posted by Ushgarak
"Well," she says, "it seems we have a mutual problem."

"What problem would that be?"

"Kuylen, of course."

"I think you'll have to fill us in a bit. And explain what you propose!"


We don't know that she knows everything we do, do we? I suppose we assume it.

"You already know what has happened to Kuylen," says the dark haired girl. "You are already preparing to see if you can rescue him. And you cannot."

"Oh? Is that so," Rianna says. "We've already managed a number of things in the past that we shouldn't have been able to do. So why do you think we can't do this?"

"I agree with Rianna, I am sure we'll find a way. But we've been beneficial to one another in the past, so what is your offer?"

"You don't have a ship," says the dark-haired girl. "You don't have an escape plan. You already know you have no possibility of getting him out of there."

"What do you suggest, then? Simply giving up isn't an option, of course..."

Manifest Destiny, please! I finally have it back,

Gallador is reserved, as he is annoyed by the fact that Lady did not contact him in such a long time. At least Rand needed him...

"My Lady Adelmo, good to see you, though I admit that I felt we became no longer worthy of your attention. Why have you not contacted us for such a long time? I saw potential in our alliance. Surely you are being of great power, that tortures me with curiosity. And again you bring a proposition... but I am more interested in your long term plans. I understand that you seek Syphar`n Kalar?."

"All aspects of history interest me. And you are very independant people. I do not think a social call would have been appropriate. We are practical people. I come to you now because we can be of help to each other. In my pursuit of... history, I sent you to retreive an item for me, some while ago. But not everything on that item was as acessible as we might have wished, was it?"

"It is your item. I assume this is going to be along the same lines of our last engagement. We can't do something, you can, but don't want to do the dirty work, so you aid us in it. This time though what is it that you want exactly, and what is it that we will get. I presume you don't suggest we split Kuylen in half between us?"

"It is Kuylen's DNA that is needed. To unloick the coded portion of the message."

"Will you ever learn when to just...not say things?" Rianna hisses at Gallador, glaring at him.

Originally posted by Ushgarak
"It is Kuylen's DNA that is needed. To unloick the coded portion of the message."

"It must have crossed your mind that some of us might want Kuylen for more than his blood."

Gallador smiles and offers the best drink availible at the base.

"Well, let me say that discussing history with you appears to be a fascinating prospect, Lady Adelmo.

And indeed, acquiring the full content of that item required a DNA of certain person, person long dead. I am sure you know all about it?"

"That is of less of a concern to me. Kuylen may not even be there. Best that we check though, don't you think?"

"I would agree. Like us you obviously know of the problems in doing so. Which makes me again wonder, what do you propose".

"It is very simple. I have a plan to get in. I have an escape route to get out. But I rather feel that I am not of the correct... temperament to search a prison full of some of the most dangerous and vile men in the galaxy in order to ascertain if Kuylen is there. Here I feel your particular talents are more useful."

"Hmm, I find it most interesting that you consider us better at important tasks that your own followers.

But we before we get to the means, one question. What happens after we get Kuylen?"

"Violence is what she needs," Galder says. "Just as before. You are powerful but not truly a combatant. Not like Kara Katai. Not like us."

Galder agrees with Con that some may have more reason for finding Kuylen.

"I know he is there. I have felt it."

Originally posted by Peach
"Will you ever learn when to just...not say things?" Rianna hisses at Gallador, glaring at him.

"Rianna, darling, I am not telling her anything she doesn`t know." He whispers back to her.

"I care little about what happens when you find him- so long as I get that DNA sample."

Originally posted by Ushgarak
"I care little about what happens when you find him- so long as I get that DNA sample."

"That sounds like a fair deal. What is your way in though?"

Originally posted by Ushgarak
"I care little about what happens when you find him- so long as I get that DNA sample."

"So, you are not interested in that man himself at all? Kuylen was...is, a dangerous man and one of the most wanted men in galaxy. Though I would say that circumstances of this reapperance are not that impressive... I believe that appearing as new ruler of Tregana Void would be more worthy of his legend."

Originally posted by Lord Melkor
"Rianna, darling, I am not telling her anything she doesn`t know." He whispers back to her.

"Even so, you don't need to give away everything that we know!" Rianna whispers back.

"Kuylen isn't going to want to give you a sample," Galder says.

"He need not necessarily have a choice in the matter."

"Let me just ask what we are all thinking; What is your plan and how will you make sure that we go with it?"

"The plan is to get you into the prison; you ascertain if Kuylen is there; extract him or a DNA sample if so, and then we retrive you from Datura. A plan of such mutual advantage that I see little need to make sure. There are always other reasons for your co-operation, of course."

"We will obviously have to discuss it amongst us. I am curious though, how will you get us in, do you have one of these monstrous ships?"

Relle is standing outside of the main conversation happening, just listening to the guests and the smaller conversations going on.

"A ship is a way out, not a way in. Do not take long in discussion."

Well, we really don't have much choice

Do we need to discuss anything?

Well, we dot have other choices, unless we don`t want to go for Kuylen.

We could always try to kidnap one of those ships if we refuse Lady`s help. Is it plausible at all, Ush?

I mentioned above- you would need to crew it.

And then what? You fly there, the whole empire is chasing you, they all know where you are... unpromising.

Yeah, I think we all, even those that hate Adelmo can see the merit in this deal.

Maybe we should ask the Lady to have her young friend accompany us, she seems to be interested perhaps we could find something out through her?

Making deal with Emperor is not plasible as well? Maybe he has a task he would like a bunch of Dark Jedi to help.... Having anything would give us better negotiating possible with Adelmo.

But if there are no other good options, the choice is obvious.

Probably (definitely) not plausible, most likely...

So yeah, looks like we're dealing with Adelmo, then...

"We will of course accept your offer, my Lady," Rand says. "I do not believe we have much other choice, if retrieving Kuylen is something we want to achieve, and I know that it is. We cannot use Emperor Rivas' tactic, after all. Navigating into the Void would take far too long..."

Rand smiles.

"What plan do you have for getting us onto Datura?"

As I forgot to ask- Manifest Destiny in a PM, please.

Mine Manifest Destiny I would like in PM as well, though I am not sure you can get that not in PM by its nature....

Indeed, it'd be kinda silly if you had it publicly posted...

Galder frowns at Adelmo's comment about Kuylen not having a choice in the matter, but says nothing. He lets the others do the talking, as Adelmo is obviously not going to be his friend in the future.

"Well now, getting in is the easy part," says Adelmo. "After all, a prison is designed ro be got into..."

"So what do you think of this?" Rianna says quietly to Galder, while watching everyone else. She doesn't feel like talking with Adelmo any longer.

Galder seems distracted, as he has been since Kuylen's capture had been announced by Rivas.

"I dunno," Galder comments. "She's too powerful for us to take out... I mean, she left her retinue somewhere to come meet us, no doubt she's confident enough to take us out. If she's got a route to Kuylen then we should take it, but what happens after... I feel Kuylen knows about Adelmo and they're not buddy-buddy."

"The fact that she more or less came alone is one I don't like, but perhaps she had been counting on us assuming that meant she could destroy us all that easily," Rianna replies. "And somehow I doubt Kuylen and Adelmo would be very friendly either...do you think he would be able to stand against her?"

"So, for getting into, we should just fly there?" -Asks Gallador.

One thing to consider is that we are at the complete mercy of Adelmo, I mean should we find Kuylen we do have something she wants, but if we don't she can really do whatever she wants with us there, so we'd have to hope that she thinks we are useful enough for her to rescue us, no?

Which, is part of the reason why I think it would be of advantage to have her apprentice girl witch accompany us, if possible. On the other hand if we find something that can be useful against her she'd know, too. Does anyone have an opinion on at least asking that?

Originally posted by Bardock42
One thing to consider is that we are at the complete mercy of Adelmo, I mean should we find Kuylen we do have something she wants, but if we don't she can really do whatever she wants with us there, so we'd have to hope that she thinks we are useful enough for her to rescue us, no?

Which, is part of the reason why I think it would be of advantage to have her apprentice girl witch accompany us, if possible. On the other hand if we find something that can be useful against her she'd know, too. Does anyone have an opinion on at least asking that?

This is good idea, we could learn more about Lady, her powers and motives, that way.

"Again, I dunno," Galder says. "He was a powerful Dark Jedi, and knowing him he has only become more powerful since I last saw him... but his talents were more martial."

"So, more like you or I, then..." Rianna says, thoughtfully. "I don't know. Do you really believe that he's alive, and that this is worth it?"

"Yes," Galder says, "though perhaps nearer to at least Gallador in terms of power... I was never too sure. He kept secrets, that man. But I'm positive he's alive. My vision foretold his return, represented by an old path being reopened."

"But are you sure that's what it actually meant?" Rianna asks. "You were positive that he was alive before we found out he supposedly crashed on Prias. Or when you went chasing after those Shepherds. What if this is the same thing?"

Adelmo gives a slight smile.

"You cannot fly there. Your ships would not survive. I feel you are missing the basic point about the easiest way to get into a prison."

"This isn't the same thing," Galder says. "I didn't have visions then."

She got a point there. So, we have to piss Rivas off first?

"She means for us to become prisoners ourselves." Xavier says calmly.

"And sometimes visions can be misleading, or misinterpreted, or warn about something that doesn't come to pass at all..." Rianna replies. "You had better be right, though."

"We need to be sent there as prisoners," Azarl says.

"So we just need to get arrested?" Responds Gallador. "Preferably, without revealing our powers over the force...." He hesitates for a moment.

"This woman that came with you, could she accompany us?"

"No," says Adelmo. "I need her to help with your escape.

"But yes- be the right sort of person committing the right sort of crime... and Rivas will send you to Datura."

The comments about getting arrested bring Rianna's attention back to the main conversation.

"If we get in that way, then they'll confiscate any weapons we have on us," she says, sharply. "Including our lightsabers - and those would give away in an instant who we are."

"I AM right," Galder insists.

"We'd... we'd have to go in without our sabers." Dak growls as he realizes this.

Originally posted by Peach
The comments about getting arrested bring Rianna's attention back to the main conversation.

"If we get in that way, then they'll confiscate any weapons we have on us," she says, sharply. "Including our lightsabers - and those would give away in an instant who we are."

"Oh yes," says Adelmo. "In fact, that is rather important to the olan. It normally takes some time to be comsidered important enough to be sent to Datura. But since Kuylen caused trouble there, Rivas apparently has an eye out for people akin to him..."

Galder snarls with extreme hostility to the idea.

"You WANT us to get our lightsabers confiscated?" Galder asks. "No way. I am alright with getting sent there without them, but having them taken? I refuse."

"Oh, then Rivas will just execute you," says Adelmo. "Rather pointless."

"I am not getting my sabers taken away. They've been mine since I first began training!"

"And I agree with Galder on this one. I'll leave my lightsabers here, but I will not allow someone else to take them from me," Rianna says.

Originally posted by Ushgarak
"Oh yes," says Adelmo. "In fact, that is rather important to the olan. It normally takes some time to be comsidered important enough to be sent to Datura. But since Kuylen caused trouble there, Rivas apparently has an eye out for people akin to him..."


"Do you know what Kuylen did there, My Lady?"

Ush, can Gallador actually fight without saber? He has neither guns nor combat skills and schticks besides blades ones. He does not like it at all...

Perhaps we could forge lightsabres or she has some to offer us that we can use for causing a scene?

"Then you will never find your man," says Adelmo. "Being caught with your sabres is the only way in."

Galder wishes he had that box of lightsabers that Kuylen had on Zeiton.

"You really don't like lightsabers, do you?" Galder asks, remembering their last encounter. "Is there some way we could get them back after we're done?"

"We'd better be able to get them back..."

Rand waits to hear what else Adelmo has to say about the matter. Rand is rather perturbed as he is severely limited in terms of martial capabilities outside of his lightsaber prowess.

"Getting them back would be your concern," says Adelmo.

How hard would it be to make new ones? It's not like we have a choice on this anyways, we all want to get Kuylen for one reason or another, besides, Con will protect you guys, you just stay behind him like good little puppies.

Sure, you could make new ones and leave Rivas with your old ones.

(waits for that idea to be stomped on and annihilated and then stomped on again)

Ush, you didnt`t answer about Gallador`s ability to fight... maybe I should spend the interlude XP to learn combat skiil?

Um, NO.

Rianna's going to be getting her lightsabers back, there is no question about that.

Galder has his father's lightsaber and his own lightsaber... can he leave his father's here at the Epireus base? Galder sees it as an irreplaceable heirloom...

Originally posted by Ushgarak
Sure, you could make new ones and leave Rivas with your old ones.

(waits for that idea to be stomped on and annihilated and then stomped on again)

Stupid Dark Siders with their stupid love for their lightsabres.

Originally posted by Bardock42
Stupid Dark Siders with their stupid love for their lightsabres.

Yes, well, that's what happens when you have people around who's main thing is their skill with a lightsaber. They tend to be loathe to give them up

Luckily, we have sneaky people in the group. So we could possibly steal them back, if this is the only way to get in...

You guys will be alright though, I mean you each have a combat skill of four and like 5 Schticks

Gallador could make a new saber... problem is he fears he will die without it on Datura.

Couldn't really say much other than 'no' to your question, Gallador...

You can mess around leaving stuff if you want, but conceptually your weapons will have to be surrendered upon capture.

We can always kill everyone to get our weapons back, says I. Destroying Emperor Rivas and his Empire would be a nice way to announce that we're back to the Galaxy.

Originally posted by REXXXX
We can always kill everyone to get our weapons back, says I. Destroying Emperor Rivas and his Empire would be a nice way to announce that we're back to the Galaxy.

Which will be all the more fun considering we won't have lightsabres to do it

But I agree, we can think of a way to get them back, sneaky or....not so sneaky, afterwards.

Indeed. Galder is just severely unhappy about it.

Originally posted by Bardock42
You guys will be alright though, I mean you each have a combat skill of four and like 5 Schticks

True.

In fact, I'll point out that Rianna and Dak are the best at unarmed combat, followed by Relle and then Galder and Xavier.

Originally posted by REXXXX
We can always kill everyone to get our weapons back, says I. Destroying Emperor Rivas and his Empire would be a nice way to announce that we're back to the Galaxy.

There's that option, too. A repeat of our exit from the Ghost Citadel? Minus people forgetting to keep exit routes open for others to escape and so on?

However I would strongly prefer that we get our weapons back before that.

Is it an option for Relle to leave her guns at the base and only take along her saber for the arrest?

On that note, can someone with Fix-It remove the blaster from Galder's arm so that it is not unceremoniously ripped out? Same with the knife in his hand. I'm going to want to have my arm intact...

I suppose Con will help you with that.

Uh, yeah, intact arms is probably going to be a useful thing to have...

Dak will sacrifice his sabers on the condition we don't leave Datura without them.

Yeah they have to have a place to store. Actually I shouldn't be surprised if Rivas didn't keep him themselves.

Either way a chance to mess with an Empire could prove useful to us in the long run. Allow even Xavier is loathe to give up his lightsaber but he's done it in the past.

Haha. Rianna certainly never has willingly. And the few times she's been without her lightsabers, she was trying very hard to get them back

So, how are we going to get ourselves caught, anyway?

I'm assuming we are going to go to some world that is still outside the void but under Rivas' control wave our sabers around all crazy like and get caught and brought to the prison planet.

Of course that is just a theory

Slaughter and destroy a whole bunch of stuff, I'm going to assume.

Though we'll have to 'lose' in order to get caught and arrested, so...yeah.

Yup still slaughter and destruction is always fun

Indeed. If that's what we need to do to irk the Emperor of the Treganna Void.

"Did you have means in mind for pissing off his Highness?" Galder asks the Lady Adelmo. "I'm sure waving our lightsabers around like the antennae of a luna-bug would suffice, but there's gotta be something really special that'd irk him."

"Well, there is one crime that requires no participation that always captures the Emperor's attention," she says. "Interference with tax collection."

Galder grins.

"So we're killing tax collectors, then."

"Indeed. And you are in luck, because before long it is tax collection day on Selanne itself. One of the Emperor's personal tax 'administrators', Noben Lom, will be holding a vast assessment in the city."

"It seems there will be a problem at this assessment that Noben Lom didn't account for," Rand says, with a smirk.

(awaits inevitable 'forced tax cut' joke)