Post by Bobbi on Feb 20, 2019 16:22:39 GMT -5
Darien
Supplies had been ordered the first moment he could get on it. He knew where his brother prefered to get his survival stuff from, and did put some money into that company himself. The investment was sizable, and was spread across several purveyors of such things, including a company under the name Treshuu's Outdoor Galaxy. He got what he could from each and every one of them, and had moved the High Stakes to the farther side of the temple's grounds near the building proper to make room for what may have been inbound. As instructed he kept an ear open for any calls that may have been coming his way, and he kept his eyes on the skies for anyone that might be there unannounced. It was going to be a slow trickle of incoming supplies, he knew that. It was likely that he'd also be alone when the first group of evacuees made it there, his back-up from Jurai would not be able to make it in time to be there before the ships began landing -- if they began landing. It was all estimates and guess work since he didn't actually know who might come, or if they might come. The good news about that was that whatever wasn't used could likely be sold off, or donated, or something. None of it would go to waste. That was what his hours were full of - prep work and groundskeeping to make sure that the place wasn't a mess ready to be made bigger by a swarm of Mandals and Hapans coming to touch down.
Hau:
Comms.
Milneira Hau on the line with an update.
Darien:
The answer was a simple, "Tekal here, what's the word?" When the call came to him.
Hau:
"The word is that we're no longer looking at an impact event," Hau said immediately. "For the sake of courtesy, I'm going to assume that you're Darien Tekal." A brief pause. "... Have your file here...." she said distractedly. Then, with a mild note of amused surprise: "Not exactly a clone of your brother, are you?"
Darien:
"That, I think, is a good thing. I doubt the galaxy could handle two of either of us at any given time --" He had given a mild sound of affirmation when she said she was assuming that it was Darien Tekal she was talking to, that assumption was correct. He cleared his throat softly, "So, if it's not an impact event, it was an attack?"
Hau:
Lieutenant Hau cleared her throat. "I should say, we're not looking solely at an impact event. As of ten minutes ago, we are calling this a weapon strike."
Darien:
"Are there any leads on where it came from, or what type of weapon it is?"
Hau:
"Not to my knowledge. But let me show you why we've updated the label. Get to a projector, please. You'll want the visual on this."
Darien:
Several long moments would pass with the sound of Darien's footsteps echoing through empty corridors before he was speaking into the comm again, "Alright, go ahead." He'd made it into the comm center of the temple, and had turned one of the projectors on then stepped back to see what was going to be sent to him, with the frequency given. It was the same that Sol had given during his own conversation with Lt Hau.
Hau:
A moment further for Hau to make sure she had everything correct, and then before Darien would appear, drawn in scratchy, pixelated blue, the strangest view of Mandalore anyone had ever seen.
It was as if someone had dipped a ball in resin and drawn it out, the ball coated, with only the spot from which it was held clean still of the new layer.
Mandalore had acquired a shell, and the shell appeared dense. Or, another way to look at it, might be that it appeared the planet's atmosphere had been filled in by a solid--again, except for a wobbly-edged, vaguely circular area to one side.
"Now here," Hau said, as a notation appeared, "is the Um-Shara site." Another notation popped up: "... and this is Keldabe. By our estimates, the city is three-quarters in the red debris cloak, but it has stopped its advance. As you can see, there is still debris in the so-called clear area, suggesting that an impact has, in fact, occurred, but it is both thinner than projected and entirely what our experts say they would expect to see in terms of its... its composition."
Darien:
As he stood back looking the image over, Darien was reminded of some confection covered fruit he'd seen a couple of times as a child on Corellia during various festivals. It was reminiscent of the hard candy shell that would drip, run and cool against the fruit's skin until it was a hardened shell, one that felt like it was going to break your teeth if you bit into it wrong. "Is Keldabe the only city in that open area?"
Hau:
"No, but it's the largest. The others are cleared-out, too. For now. We anticipate some trouble on that front."
Darien:
He breathed out and rubbed his right hand against the stubble that shadowed his chin, "The people you have working on this, do they have any idea why it might have stopped there? Change in soil, or air quality in the region -- What makes it different than the rest of Mandalore?"
Hau:
"If they do, they haven't shared it with me," Hau said, in subtle reminder that she was a Lieutenant, and there was an entire stratosphere of ranks--military and otherwise--between her and the pinnacle of the Throne. "I have my doubts, however. They're looking a bit crazed to me. You understand, this did not happen long ago."
Darien:
"Yes, of course, forgive me Lieutenant. I'm just thinking out loud. On this visual you sent me, where is the Wayfinder in regards to the lack of disturbance surrounding that portion of the planet? Has anyone been able to get word to Jedi Azalee and my brother?"
Hau:
"No communications in or out of the Cloak." But the image changed to highlight with a blinking square the Aud. "We don't know where they might be now, but their last known location was the Aud. My understanding was that their intention was to set course for Um-Shara. Madness." She coughed. "Sorry."
Darien:
"It's alright." He answered. It was not the first stupid thing his brother had done, and he hoped it wouldn't be the last. "You mentioned anticipating some trouble from the cleared out cities -- what did you mean by that?”
Hau:
"Not from the cities. From our friends the Mandos. If those cities remain clear, we think some will want to go back. They left a lot of property there. We're trying to keep our findings quiet... but as you can see: it's clear to anyone who even glances at the planet from atmosphere that there is a border to the red effect."
Darien:
"Hm, yes. Have any decisions been made on moving them out of the system? Seems like that might be the best bet to keep the peace, at least for now."
Do you know if there have been any^
Hau:
Milneira Hau's snort was almost answer enough. "Ever tried herding arufs? Ever seen the scars of anyone who did try? Even organizing those ships and refugees is taxing. No one's yet ordered weapons on the ships that didn't offload, but it might come to that if we need to clear them out."
Darien:
"I'm going to be honest and tell you that I do not envy the job your fleet has ahead of them, there. Seems like 'hands full' is a gross understatement."
Hau:
"Aye. And I don't envy the Queen. The scavengers are already swarming, bidding for pieces of Mandalore when this all clears. I even saw a claim for the Mand'alor's ship."
Darien:
"Well, if there is anything to go home to the Mandals will put up a fight for it, I think." He used that as leeway into his answer. That moment was needed because in just the few seconds before he'd felt the blood drain away from his face. "Do you remember if there was a name attached to the bid for the Manda'lor's ship?"
Hau:
"Some representative I've never heard of," Hau said dismissively. "Apparently, those kinds of notes are flooding the offices of our Winesippers." Diplomats, that was, in the eyes of the military. "Everyone with a claim, or who wants restitution from the war, is ready to carve the place up 'now that the Mandos aren't using it.'"
Darien:
He laughed wryly, "I doubt the Mandals would agree with that assessment. Being forced off world isn't the same as abandoning a planet. Where do the Chiss sit, right now, with everything going on?"
Hau:
"Silent."
The word hung there. Hau's concern was an aura around it..
Darien:
"That might be a good thing," He said, reading the concern in Hau's voice, "They didn't strike yet, and I doubt they'd let anything stop them -- including the Hapan fleet -- if they really wanted a piece of the Mandals. The only way I can think that it could be bad, is if whatever impacted on Mandalore came from them, in which case the job is already done."
Supplies had been ordered the first moment he could get on it. He knew where his brother prefered to get his survival stuff from, and did put some money into that company himself. The investment was sizable, and was spread across several purveyors of such things, including a company under the name Treshuu's Outdoor Galaxy. He got what he could from each and every one of them, and had moved the High Stakes to the farther side of the temple's grounds near the building proper to make room for what may have been inbound. As instructed he kept an ear open for any calls that may have been coming his way, and he kept his eyes on the skies for anyone that might be there unannounced. It was going to be a slow trickle of incoming supplies, he knew that. It was likely that he'd also be alone when the first group of evacuees made it there, his back-up from Jurai would not be able to make it in time to be there before the ships began landing -- if they began landing. It was all estimates and guess work since he didn't actually know who might come, or if they might come. The good news about that was that whatever wasn't used could likely be sold off, or donated, or something. None of it would go to waste. That was what his hours were full of - prep work and groundskeeping to make sure that the place wasn't a mess ready to be made bigger by a swarm of Mandals and Hapans coming to touch down.
Hau:
Comms.
Milneira Hau on the line with an update.
Darien:
The answer was a simple, "Tekal here, what's the word?" When the call came to him.
Hau:
"The word is that we're no longer looking at an impact event," Hau said immediately. "For the sake of courtesy, I'm going to assume that you're Darien Tekal." A brief pause. "... Have your file here...." she said distractedly. Then, with a mild note of amused surprise: "Not exactly a clone of your brother, are you?"
Darien:
"That, I think, is a good thing. I doubt the galaxy could handle two of either of us at any given time --" He had given a mild sound of affirmation when she said she was assuming that it was Darien Tekal she was talking to, that assumption was correct. He cleared his throat softly, "So, if it's not an impact event, it was an attack?"
Hau:
Lieutenant Hau cleared her throat. "I should say, we're not looking solely at an impact event. As of ten minutes ago, we are calling this a weapon strike."
Darien:
"Are there any leads on where it came from, or what type of weapon it is?"
Hau:
"Not to my knowledge. But let me show you why we've updated the label. Get to a projector, please. You'll want the visual on this."
Darien:
Several long moments would pass with the sound of Darien's footsteps echoing through empty corridors before he was speaking into the comm again, "Alright, go ahead." He'd made it into the comm center of the temple, and had turned one of the projectors on then stepped back to see what was going to be sent to him, with the frequency given. It was the same that Sol had given during his own conversation with Lt Hau.
Hau:
A moment further for Hau to make sure she had everything correct, and then before Darien would appear, drawn in scratchy, pixelated blue, the strangest view of Mandalore anyone had ever seen.
It was as if someone had dipped a ball in resin and drawn it out, the ball coated, with only the spot from which it was held clean still of the new layer.
Mandalore had acquired a shell, and the shell appeared dense. Or, another way to look at it, might be that it appeared the planet's atmosphere had been filled in by a solid--again, except for a wobbly-edged, vaguely circular area to one side.
"Now here," Hau said, as a notation appeared, "is the Um-Shara site." Another notation popped up: "... and this is Keldabe. By our estimates, the city is three-quarters in the red debris cloak, but it has stopped its advance. As you can see, there is still debris in the so-called clear area, suggesting that an impact has, in fact, occurred, but it is both thinner than projected and entirely what our experts say they would expect to see in terms of its... its composition."
Darien:
As he stood back looking the image over, Darien was reminded of some confection covered fruit he'd seen a couple of times as a child on Corellia during various festivals. It was reminiscent of the hard candy shell that would drip, run and cool against the fruit's skin until it was a hardened shell, one that felt like it was going to break your teeth if you bit into it wrong. "Is Keldabe the only city in that open area?"
Hau:
"No, but it's the largest. The others are cleared-out, too. For now. We anticipate some trouble on that front."
Darien:
He breathed out and rubbed his right hand against the stubble that shadowed his chin, "The people you have working on this, do they have any idea why it might have stopped there? Change in soil, or air quality in the region -- What makes it different than the rest of Mandalore?"
Hau:
"If they do, they haven't shared it with me," Hau said, in subtle reminder that she was a Lieutenant, and there was an entire stratosphere of ranks--military and otherwise--between her and the pinnacle of the Throne. "I have my doubts, however. They're looking a bit crazed to me. You understand, this did not happen long ago."
Darien:
"Yes, of course, forgive me Lieutenant. I'm just thinking out loud. On this visual you sent me, where is the Wayfinder in regards to the lack of disturbance surrounding that portion of the planet? Has anyone been able to get word to Jedi Azalee and my brother?"
Hau:
"No communications in or out of the Cloak." But the image changed to highlight with a blinking square the Aud. "We don't know where they might be now, but their last known location was the Aud. My understanding was that their intention was to set course for Um-Shara. Madness." She coughed. "Sorry."
Darien:
"It's alright." He answered. It was not the first stupid thing his brother had done, and he hoped it wouldn't be the last. "You mentioned anticipating some trouble from the cleared out cities -- what did you mean by that?”
Hau:
"Not from the cities. From our friends the Mandos. If those cities remain clear, we think some will want to go back. They left a lot of property there. We're trying to keep our findings quiet... but as you can see: it's clear to anyone who even glances at the planet from atmosphere that there is a border to the red effect."
Darien:
"Hm, yes. Have any decisions been made on moving them out of the system? Seems like that might be the best bet to keep the peace, at least for now."
Do you know if there have been any^
Hau:
Milneira Hau's snort was almost answer enough. "Ever tried herding arufs? Ever seen the scars of anyone who did try? Even organizing those ships and refugees is taxing. No one's yet ordered weapons on the ships that didn't offload, but it might come to that if we need to clear them out."
Darien:
"I'm going to be honest and tell you that I do not envy the job your fleet has ahead of them, there. Seems like 'hands full' is a gross understatement."
Hau:
"Aye. And I don't envy the Queen. The scavengers are already swarming, bidding for pieces of Mandalore when this all clears. I even saw a claim for the Mand'alor's ship."
Darien:
"Well, if there is anything to go home to the Mandals will put up a fight for it, I think." He used that as leeway into his answer. That moment was needed because in just the few seconds before he'd felt the blood drain away from his face. "Do you remember if there was a name attached to the bid for the Manda'lor's ship?"
Hau:
"Some representative I've never heard of," Hau said dismissively. "Apparently, those kinds of notes are flooding the offices of our Winesippers." Diplomats, that was, in the eyes of the military. "Everyone with a claim, or who wants restitution from the war, is ready to carve the place up 'now that the Mandos aren't using it.'"
Darien:
He laughed wryly, "I doubt the Mandals would agree with that assessment. Being forced off world isn't the same as abandoning a planet. Where do the Chiss sit, right now, with everything going on?"
Hau:
"Silent."
The word hung there. Hau's concern was an aura around it..
Darien:
"That might be a good thing," He said, reading the concern in Hau's voice, "They didn't strike yet, and I doubt they'd let anything stop them -- including the Hapan fleet -- if they really wanted a piece of the Mandals. The only way I can think that it could be bad, is if whatever impacted on Mandalore came from them, in which case the job is already done."
