Nar Shaddaa

[Sapphire]

Two days after the Imperial fleet had left the Y'Toub system, space traffic had begun to pick up again. In the midst of the traffic, the Nebula's Glory appeared, registered as the bacta cargo shipper Cider Puff. Indeed, the holds of the ship were full of bacta patches and tank refills. The pilot, grimacing at the two new Golan defense platforms that bristled with weapons, filed a flight plan that had them dropping off supplies at multiple relief stations and Imperial hospitals, and provided valid (if doctored) IDs for her and Emerald. Once they were cleared, the ship entered the atmosphere and headed down through the vertical city.

 

At the helm, Sapphire noted how much less traffic there was than normal. The moon's inhabitants were still keeping their heads down, not knowing when the Imperial fleet would be back. But there was enough traffic to make Sapphire long to veer out of the established lanes and blaze her own path. She resisted the urge, however, until they reached a small side lane that was off the established grid. Quickly, her fingers flew on the dashboard as she swapped out the transponder ID, and brought the ship into a secluded hangar at the base of a tower. Once the two pirates were out of the ship, Sapphire locked it up tighter than a Sith's tomb, and they made their way on foot from there.

[Raven Nasra]

Once the flight plan had been violated and bacta supplies not dropped off, the Nebula's Glory was declared a rogue vessel and marked as an enemy target on Imperial IFF frequency. A transponder check was run and all like vessels were marked for lockdown. A change of transponder was noted by imperial flight command and A flight of 6 TIE defenders we're dispatched to the last known location with the orders to disable the ship, and the IDs of the Blood Gem pirates given with the ship ID were filed with all imperial security units. This planet was an imperial world, and security was appropriately high.

 

Hangers would begin to be probed and the ship would be found. Imperial troops would be on location within two minutes, dispatched from the local Imperial Mission. Local civilians from the mission we're also issued the ID look alikes and the ship description and given a hefty reward for information leading to the arrest of the potential terrorist threat

[Emerald]

"Are you kriffing kidding me? Shassa, these bucketheads know how to ruin a good party," Emerald muttered as they made their way through the slimy undercity of Nar Shaddaa. If the Undercity of Coruscant was hazardous, the Undercity of Nar Shaddaa was purely toxic. The casual layer of grime and tibanna residue dusted everything that managed to come down this far, a filth that would take decades--if not millennia--to purge, even assuming one could put reins on the economy of crime that was all that Nar Shaddaa had ever known.

 

The destabilization of the Hutt cartels meant that the whole system was thrown into disarray: even the presence of the Imperials could not stifle the general attitude of the moon, and in fact, rather increased it. While sell-outs and informants had always been present on Nar Shaddaa, even cutthroat, the immense destabilization of all the economic and systematic norms of the Smuggler's Moon meant that everyone was more liable to keep to themselves, wishing to stick it to the Imperials one way or another. The bad blood on the planet was like molten lava, exerting an immense amount of pressure from the inside of this erstwhile active volcano.

 

If the Gems had anything to say about it, the system would blow itself wide open with barely a nudge on their part.

 

Since the relocation of the Imperial fleet elsewhere, the remaining troops left behind were struggling to shut down all of the resistance attempts. Drug cartels, slave rings, gambling hives, dueling clubs, gunrunners, they all had a vested financial interest in Imperial failure in the Y'toub system, and made it known at every attempt. Even as Emerald and Sapphire moved further into the underground and unknown, heavily disguised as they knew would be necessary, vague rumblings from explosions somewhere kilometers above them announced such unrest. There simply were not enough Imperial personnel to keep track of all of the misdeeds that were taking place under their noses, and even their attempts to do so only drove the scum of the earth to band together.

 

Owing to that, not a single person they passed as they walked gave them a second glance, if even a first. Emerald's hand never left the butt of her blaster, but she felt an odd sense of compatriotism with the underworld slime who were camouflaged by the drab debasement and depravation here. This far down, there were no holocams, no security, just the stench of decay and disease and desperation. The sounds of strafing TIEs could be heard, but distantly, far off, overhead where the light from the system's star still reached. Here, there were monsters.

 

"I thought you prissy little credit-grubbers would never show," a familiar voice, rich and smooth like fine Alderaanian cacao, quietly pierced the darkness. "We've been waiting for you."

 

They had made their way in quite a roundabout fashion to an undercity bunker, the likes of which were common across the surface of the planet. Taking great pains to make sure they had not been observed or followed, and blending in with others to make sure their heat signatures were always masked by the presence of other sentients, they had arrived at a hidden stronghold of the Blood Gem Pirates, which had been owned personally by the Quarren majordomo of Dorjoola the Hutt, from whom they had taken their empire. There were contingency plans on top of contingency plans for such an eventuality, and while an Imperial occupation was not high on the list of probabilities, the Gems prided theirselves on their keen preparation. What Emerald could not possibly have prepared for was how glad she was to see Tarvil.

[Sapphire]

These underlevels were grimy, filthy, and smelly, but seeing Tarvil and Ruby put a real smile on Sapphire's face. She even threw an arm around the Chiss' shoulders. "It's kriffing good to see both of you again." Was it her imagination, or did Tarvil seem overly relieved at seeing them--and perhaps especially Emerald? The red-head glanced around the bunker, recognizing a few of their other employees, but for the most part, it was fairly empty.

 

Glancing down at her wrist, she absently checked the security on their ship, currently registered as the Platinum Vulptex. Still no sign of Imperial discovery. She hoped that would last. Turning back towards the majordomo and Ruby, she leaned against a terminal. "How is everything?"

 

The Chiss glared. "Same as always."

 

"Really?" Sapphire replied airly. "That good, huh? The Imp fleet leaves orbit and everything just goes back to normal?"

 

Ruby might have rolled her eyes, but it was impossible to tell with a Chiss. "This is why I didn't miss you."

 

"We lost some in the takeover," Tarvil stepped in, "but the majority of our assets are still in one piece, if buried deep into the workings of the moon. Ruby really has a talent for covering our tracks. I don't think anyone could have done it faster or more thoroughly. How are things up there?" he motioned.

 

"We consolidated what we could. I'd say about 70% of our holdings got redistributed," Sapphire replied. "And we've invested in some new lines of business that should have the credits flowing soon."

[Raven Nasra]

Luckily for the imperial rulers of Nar Shaddaa, the populace above the lowest levels of the undercity were seeing some of the best improvements in their way of life, living, and social-economic class. A job at the Spaceworks or one of the many public works restorations and constructions funded by the Imperial Mission provided safe, middle-class, employment. There was no need for the majority of Nar Shaddaa citizenry to delve into their roots of criminality. A huge majority of the citizenry were glad of it, no longer relying on dangerous jobs or selling their children into slavery for a bite to eat was a past that any good person would not want to return to.

 

Very few preferred their time under the Hutt Cartels.

 

So the chance of rebellion was drastically low, and Moff Hohenlohe, who commanded the Imperial Mission, continued to righteously invest every credit he could get his hands on into the greatest mission of his life. The restoration and rebuilding of Nar Shaddaa. He had just managed to acquire a building contract for the experimental “Javelin” Fighterbomber for use on Star Destroyers to replace the venerable Scimitar Assault bomber. There were jobs still available on production lines, and the Imperial Mission was working overtime.

 

Below the surface of the bustling moon, the Imperial TIE defenders and stormtroopers continued their search for the terrorist ship. Stormtroopers were currently searching from hanger to hanger in the location where the ship had last been seen, and would soon come upon it if their luck held. But for the Blood Gems themselves, the imperial remnant did not have a clue where they could be.

[Emerald]

Glaring relentlessly at everyone and everything, Emerald crossed her arms in an obvious pout. Their time as entrepreneurs had been short-lived, but maybe it was for the best. Sapphire had resisted the assumption of Dorjoola's organization from the beginning, and Emerald should have known that it was too good to last.

 

But perhaps the Blood Gems did not need to be the Pirate Queens of Nar Shaddaa. It served them better to be simply pirates.

 

"Kriff this," she muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Let's hit them where it hurts. Modifications to the ships, disable their scanners, the works. We still have assets. Let's show those bucketheads a real Nar Shaddaa welcome."

 

Her comlink pinged, a notification from an old Link contact that she had not utilized in nearly a decade. Frowning, she toggled the switch and her eyes steadily widened as she read the message.

 

Link HQ. Crown Jewels. Lorell Pirates. - Brulo

 

Thrusting her comlink into Sapphire's hands, she whistled through her teeth. "Think Wolfstar's bitten off more than she can chew?"

[Sapphire]

Sapphire turned her blue-eyed gaze to consider the perpetually-moody blonde. Was Emerald suggesting what Sapphire thought she was suggesting? A new Empire had arisen...and perhaps the Gems would return to running things the way they had under the old Empire. After all, as far as the people on the ground could see, there was little difference between the two Empires in terms of might and inflexibility. It was doable. Years of smuggling and pirating under the noses of heavy-handed governments had proven that. And it wasn't as if Nar Shaddaa was the be-all end-all of the underworld. There were plenty of places where the desperate down-on-their-luck mixed with the cunning, the free-willed, and the hedonists.

 

But something inside Sapphire rebelled at the idea of going back to when they were just another group of pirates preying on the weak or foolish. That was small time now. She had tasted what the high life of power and credits looked like, and now she was an addict.

 

She glanced at Ruby. The Chiss looked back impassively, and Sapphire knew she would go along with whatever they decided. No, the real trick would be Emerald. The blonde was all about taking big risks and hitting hard, but she had no sense for choosing ones that were strategic. For Sapphire, big risks required the chance for big rewards, and she wasn't sure fighting the Empire was what she wanted. It was a big risk just for vengeance's sake.

 

"Or we just leave," she finally said. "Nar Shaddaa is a hell-hole anyway. Let the Empire have it. We could set up our own kingdom elsewhere."

 

But her suggestion fell on deaf ears, for Emerald was frowning at her comlink. The blonde thrust the device into Sapphire's hands, and Sapphire read the 7 words the message contained. "She wouldn't..." the red-head breathed. Then she rolled her eyes. "Who am I kidding, of course she would. She probably saw the Holonet announcement and conned Lorell into letting her crash the thing." The communications from a few weeks ago, largely forgotten up to this point in all the chaos of the Imperial takeover, came to the front of her mind again. They never had gotten around to checking on their starlet. "The question is, do we let her? There's an equal chance that this could be a disaster and the end of the Globetrotters...or the biggest payout she's made to date and exactly the kind of publicity she needs."

[Emerald]

With that keen fire in her feisty eyes, Emerald passed her gaze between the four of them standing close together. The possibility of staying under the Imperial thumb was abhorrent, and as much as she loved Nar Shaddaa, there would always be other havens for them.

 

"Maybe it's time that we move operations. This moon's too damn small anyways," she murmured thoughtfully.

 

Putting down roots on Nar Shaddaa had been good for their accounts, but not good for her psyche. Emerald was a fighter, a Mistryl-trained assassin, an expert impersonator and ruthless in conquest. Here, they were getting slow, getting lazy, tied down by the Imperials and their control of the moon. Their only hope for Nar Shaddaa would be that grip would slacken as time went on. It seemed nearly impossible that the Imperials could have assumed such command so quickly, closing all gaps in their sensor sweeps, leaving no stone unturned, especially after a massacre on Carida and a loss of their fleet that would have rendered any other governmental entity on the side of defense. Apparently, however, they had the personnel to make the Gems' life a living hell.

 

"Screw this, we're going to that damn party with her," Emerald announced abruptly. "Maybe we'll get to shake Zinthos' hand with a thermal detonator."

 

As predictable as always, the first dissenting voice was Ruby's. "Hell no. There is no way you are making me put on a dress and go to another damn party. Especially not with a bunch of politicians."

 

Emerald's eyes glinted steel. "And we're going to scour the Holonet for relevant bounties on the bigwigs that are going to be there."

[Sapphire]

Sapphire started to shake her head--of all the hare-brained ideas, crashing into what was certain to be the most heavily-guarded party in the galaxy's recent history had got to be the worst. But the lure of the intel they could gather there was unmistakable. "I can get us on the guest list," she said after a moment. "And you know I can't resist a party. But wouldn't it be smarter to gather intel through Ammi or Kalen instead of going ourselves? What are you going to do with GA troops, Link security droids, and Imperial stormtroopers watching your every move? Not to mention that there are likely to be Jedi there."

[Emerald]

With a dismissive wave of her hand, Emerald snorted. "This is reconnaissance, baby. No need to get our hands dirty when we look so nice. No, I want to see if I can buy us an in with the right people."

 

Her Cheshire smile widened as she predicted the backlash to her next idea. "I mean, we could always go as Wolfstar's new backup dancers."

[Sapphire]

“OH for KRIFF’S SAKE!” Ruby exclaimed, exacerbated.

 

Sapphire burst out laughing, and Tarvil grinned. “That could be a way to get the band some popularity,” he said with a wink at Emerald. “I know I’d pay a premium to see a band with dancers like you.”

 

“Well, let’s do it, then,” Sapphire grinned. “But fifty credits bets the GA doesn’t throw nearly as interesting a party as the Blood Gems do.”

 

Her mind jumped into overdrive, making plans about what they would need to bring and how they’d get in. They’d plan as carefully as she could manage, but there also wasn’t much that they could plan for. They’d mostly just have to show up and see what happened.

[Emerald]

"No bet," Emerald quipped. "I've been to state dinners, and they are the worst."

 

Like a piece of driftwood floating upon the tide of her memory, an image settled in on her mind like a filmy haze. Through a tiny slit in a closed door, she could see her mother, elegantly clad in a shimmering green dress, her hair elaborately coiffed. Terelda's voice rang out distantly, like a brass gong clashing without the resonant hum of a full sound, and she was elbowing her way into the room forcefully. Small arms reached around her tiny waist, pulling her in tighter, whispering in her ear...

 

Stay silent, little Gem.

 

With a start, she snapped herself out of the memory to find that the rest of them had turned concerned glances her direction. In a sudden effort to cover what had just occurred, she yelled, "Well, don't just stand there, get the equipment together, load in, and let's break this kriffing blockade."

 

A small, covered hovercraft carried them surreptitiously through the murky Undercity. For a time, Emerald kept her high collar pulled over her face, nearly afraid to breathe because of the dangerous quality of the air in the depths of Nar Shaddaa. But uneventfully, they arrived back at the Cider Puff.

 

Not ten minutes later, the preflight check had been completed, and the ship pulled out of the hangar, slipping into silent grimy night.

 

"This could be hot," Emerald grimaced as they began to see TIEs strafing in the upper atmosphere of the planet, reflecting the glare of the pervading neon lights. "They aren't going to want to let us out."

 

She jerked a thumb towards the rear of the ship, looking meaningfully at Ruby. "Load up the mines. I'll man the controls. We need to be prepared to get the kriff out of here."

[Raven Nasra]

On the ground, the Imperial Stormtroopers that had already been on the lookout for such a ship and been searching hanger to hanger reported the launch of the Cider Puff and alerted space command. They did not try to persue on foot, but began to make their way to the hanger it had launched from. The TIE defender flight of six whipped through the nar shaddaa airspace, angling down towards the ship, their twin ion engines making the familiar screech through the atmosphere. In the space above the moon, another flgiht was launched and the two Golan platforms began to ping away with their sensor sweeps, their turbolasers powering up.

 

“Arm concussion missiles and Ion cannons, and prepare to engage. Priority target Cider Puff. ”

 

Targeting computers on the pilot’s consoles began to tick towards zero as the began their approach.

[Sapphire]

The Imperials were on them in a flash. Sapphire wasn't surprised. "Six TIEs, coming in hot from mark 4-8," she snapped from the pilot's seat. "Hold on!"

 

She sent the ship into a tailspin, rotating around and out of the traffic lane. The ship made a break for the Inter Thorpi/Groola Trade Center Tunnel. Plowing into it, she wove through traffic, each ship she put behind her acting as a barrier that would hopefully slow up the Imperial fighters. Once they came out of the tunnel, she pulled a sharp turn straight up, looping up and around the skyscraper and then breaking for space, dumping every ounce of spare energy into the engines save for that of the rear shields. The ship shot forward like a wild Utapauian dragon-lizard. Before leaving the atmosphere completely, however, Sapphire leveled the ship out and checked her scopes. The TIEs had dropped back, unable to match the ship's speed, but they had stayed with her for the most part.

 

With luck, though, Sapphire would have bought them just enough time. "Get one of those pulse mass mines loaded!" she called back. Quickly, she ducked the ship back into a congested traffic lane. Her fingers flew over the controls as she pulled the transponder and switched the IFF beacon. The Imperial scanners would no longer show any sign of the Cider Puff, and they'd have to rely on visual ID to make sure they had the right ship. Again, Sapphire was sure that wouldn't stop them, but Corellian freighters like this were a dime a dozen here on Nar Shaddaa, and hopefully they'd be lost in the crowd. After a few minutes, she pulled up out of that lane and took one headed for space. This one was situated in the space at the midpoint between the two Golan platforms, which, for all their impressive firepower, couldn't cover the entire moon.

 

As soon as they cleared the atmosphere, she gunned it. "C'mon, c'mon," she urged the ship. She wished she was back in the Glory. This ship was too slow for her tastes. More Imperial blips registered on the scanners. But she wasn't going to drop the mine unless they had to. Twenty more seconds until the jump point. She already had the coordinates from the navicomputer. It was now simply a race.

[Raven Nasra]

TIE defenders were fast, as were the second flight launched from the golans. There was no way the Luxury Yacht that had been redesignated from the The Nebula’s Glory (post here) to the Cider Puff could outrun or outrange a flight of TIE-Defenders. The TIE/D was often heralded as a superior fighter bomber to the Y-Wing, outrunning it in speed both atmospherically (Y-Wing at 1000 Km/Hr) and in boundless space. The Luxury Yacht would have a top speed atmospherically of 850 Km/Hr which was 50Km/Hr faster than a Corellian Freighter, which was far slower than the Y-Wing, making it far outclassed in speed by the TIE/D in atmosphere or space. In essence, an escape relying on speed was doomed to fail no matter which ship named the Cider Puff they were flying. All converging on the escaping vessel. They were on the terrorist craft in less than a minute. And when they had lock they fired immediately.

 

The imperials missile and weapon targeting systems did not rely on ship ID transponders and were not fooled by quick changes of transponder codes and since the target they were tracking was designated an enemy by space command, the weapon control clusters aboard ship did not take a second to re ID the ship. The Blood Gems had no copies of Imperial Transponders or IFF codes, and as soon as the original was switched it was automatically redesignated a target. No targeting sensor locks were broken. A flight of missiles had locked onto the Cider Puff no matter how many times it changed its designation and launched. Six, then twelve missiles from the second flight and a hail of ion cannon fire rocketed towards the Blood Gem ship intent on destruction of the engine cluster of the Cider Puff. These pirates would not be able to escape.

 

<>

[Emerald]

Alarms blared in the cockpit as a flight of a dozen TIE Defenders drew closer to give them an unwanted kiss, and Sapphire was putting the ship through its paces, the inertial dampener dialed down almost dangerously. What the freighter lacked in speed, it more than compensated for in maneuverability.

 

“We can’t outrun them!” Emerald was yelling through the headset of her turret, the note of panic in her voice only adding to the cocktail of cortisol racing through the air within the ship’s cockpit.

 

Sapphire glanced at the scopes. Emerald was right; the TIEs were too kriffing fast. Her mind spun. They just needed a few more seconds. Just then, multiple klaxons sounded. The Imperials had launched a massive wave of multiple missiles at them. “I HATE THEM!” Sapphire shouted.

 

“EVERYONE hates them!” Emerald squealed back. But the idea gave her a devious thought. “Ruby! Remember that one time that we ran the Gauntlet down Gallinore’s High Street?”

 

Ruby’s sarcasm was audible. “How could I forget? One of the downright worst days of my life.”

 

“Not THAT part,” she muttered. “Sapph, listen to me, we have to go back. Stay in traffic. The space lanes.”

 

It was an incomplete thought, but more often than not the Blood Gems worked as though they were bound in some kind of mind meld. Finishing each others’ sentences was a common theme, and Sapphire knew immediately what her friend was insinuating and yanked the ship back down toward the moon.

 

The free crime that had lasted for millennia on Nar Shaddaa was squirming under the thumb of Imperial oppression. All it needed was a little push, and that started with the first slip of the Imperial overlords.

 

“Let’s see how far they’ll go to protect their new citizens,” Emerald growled, steel in her jaw.

 

Sapphire gritted her teeth. “Hold on!” she cried. Wrenching the stick, the red-head twisted the ship through the chaos. The missiles were closing, but then, wrenching the stick in the other direction, she put another ship in between them and the missiles. Then another. Then another.

 

As the first ship exploded from Imperial firepower, Emerald flipped the wide-band comm system on. “Mayday! If you’re out there and you can hear us, everyone, the Imperials are attacking private ships without provocation! They haven’t changed at all! Who knows who is next?! Let’s hit them back where it hurts!”

 

Leaving the video broadcast online, knowing that the nearby media satellites would undoubtedly begin a Holonet special in the category of Breaking News, she shut down the comm. “That should do it.”

 

And the Gems were right. As the TIEs screamed after them, all the other ships began to pull out of the designated lanes, the atmosphere became a chaos of ships going every which way. As the rest of the missiles collided with the unfortunate denizens of the moon and not them, Sapphire grinned. “Oh no! The Imperials firing missiles on their own loyal, upstanding citizens? The horror!”

 

As ships exploded, caught in the crossfire, the simmering resentment towards the Imperials that was pervasive on the moon, checked until now but never quenched, broke. Some denizens fled, but others turned on the Imperials, the quad cannons and laser cannons of dozens of ships firing at the Imperial forces in vengeance, even going so far as to tail the TIEs in pursuit of the Gems’ ship. The smugglers sitting obediently in the spacelanes abandoned their pretense of lawfulness, with the seemingly sudden shift of the Imperials into aggression without provocation meaning they no longer had a reason to keep their peace.

 

The spritely twitter of the navicomputer was almost missed in the wail of the target lock alarm, but it was music to the Gems’ ears. Hugging tight to the surface of the moon, weaving in and out of the barely-existent spacelanes, taking cover behind the civilians the Empire had come here to liberate, they were only waiting for their opening to blast their way out of this hellhole of a system, finger on the lever of the hyperdrive.

 

<>

[ObliviousKnight]

Disable shot: Raven Zinthos v. Sapphire and Emerald.

 

The context of this disable request is that after capturing a previously-lawless moon with a population density similar to that of Coruscant, the Imperials launched NPC-controlled starfighters after detecting the launch of a PC-piloted yacht that had recently been tracked. The pilots (Sapphire and Emerald) attempted to use superior knowledge of the ecumenopolis’ erratic geography to evade pursuit, but when faced with a squadron of fighters that are noted to be exceptionally quick and maneuverable, it would only be matter of time before the TIE Defenders caught up with their quarry.

 

However, the NPCs made the decision to engage the ship with a mixture of concussion missiles and ion cannons in a crowded spacelane, a somewhat reckless tactic given the intention to disable the ship. The defenders' strategy to use civilian ships as cover would be successful, resulting in several ships suffering significant damage from missile fire, some even being shot down with subsequent loss of innocent life. The traffic in the immediate vicinity would understandably panic and take evasive maneuvers without any coordination, resulting in a very chaotic environment for the TIE Defenders to navigate and continue their pursuit of the Cider Puff.

 

My ruling is as follows:

 

 

Raven Zinthos: DISABLE SHOT FAILS.

 

The Cider Puff has suffered minor damage from the occasional grazing hit from ion cannon fire, but the concussion missile barrage has failed to bring down the intended target and has struck bystander traffic. Due to the resultant panic and evasive maneuvers that the barrage has inspired in the spacelane, this has created a rather hazardous and chaotic environment for the pursuing TIE Defenders to navigate. This buys the Cider Puff the time that it requires to clear Nar Shaddaa’s gravity well and escape the blockade.

 

The captains of a small number of ships have completely lost their heads and started returning fire, but it has not resulted in the mass revolt that Sapphire and Emerald have attempted to spark. Tensions towards the Imperial presence on Nar Shaddaa are nevertheless going to be high.

 

Next post goes to Sapphire and Emerald.

 

[Sapphire]

"Just a little farther, just a little farther..." Sapphire's lips moved in a constant refrain, her knuckles white on the controls.

 

"Sapphire!" Ruby warned. "They're almost on top of us!"

 

"Just a little farther..."

 

"Sapphire!!"

 

"Just a little farther..."

 

"SAPPHIRE!!!"

 

"NOW!" Sapphire yelled. Emerald pulled the lever back, and the starlines lengthened, normal space suddenly swirling into the blue vortex of hyperspace.

[Balance]

Life and Death

 

It was a concept that every being, every creature, every plant, and every living thing knew. It was a circle, construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction that revolved and evolved for as long as time it's self had existed. This was the truth of life, and the knowledge of death was only it's inevitability. For something to be born, something had to die, and in it's death, laid way for new life whether through nourishment or space. I had yet to grasp this concept as my life had only merely began. But the truth of it was out there, awaiting it's acknowledgement and it has beckoned me since my birth. even now as I walked the streets of Nar Shadaa, looking at the life that surrounded me, it tugged at my heart and soul, aching for me to truly see it.

 

Light and Dark

 

This concept could be seen merely by watching the skies. For between the sun and the moon, between night and day, light could not exist without darkness for it to illuminate, and darkness could not exist for light to shine within. Nature has always taught us this in everything we have seen, from birth and our unknowing eyes gazing at light for the first time, to death where darkness consumes our sight as the light at the end of the tunnel fades into death's abyss. the Jedi and Sith Orders had separated the two sides of the Force, but the truth of it was that without one, the other could not exist. First with the Je'daii Order of my home world, whom tried to Balance the Force naturally. Then the Jedi Order that rose from it's ashes to try and rid the Galaxy of it's darkness only to creat Darkness through themselves via their fallen. And the Sith whom seek power through the darkness only to be plagued by Death many times over. Only through understanding, could the Force truly be wielded.

 

Good and Evil

 

This concept was also known to every living creature and being that held any sentience. For one to exist, the other had to as well. But this I had already learnt to be partially true. As an Initiate within the Jedi Order at the Temple on Tython, it was constantly drilled into me to resist the darkness in myself, that it would only lead to destruction and despair in life. But as Tythan, my heart knew different. I could not explain it in words, but without evil, no one could be labeled good, nor without goodness, no one could be labeled evil. For that was the truth of nature. We each held two sides of that coin, and both existed within ourselves. Depending on which one you fed more, would determine whom you became labeled. But both still existed, which is why the Jedi Order held so many fallen to the lure of the Darkside.

 

Balance

 

And this is where my journey begins. I had never felt complete within the Jedi Order. For the Light they revered was not what I nurtured, nor was the Dark that the Sith themselves delved so deeply. No. For me, not only as a Tythan, but as a being of understanding, Balance beckoned within me. I felt it's call, focused on learning what Balance was and why it was so important. For Balance was the key to existence. without one half, the other half could not be whole nor live. Like trying to live without a heart, yet think with a brain that received no blood flow. It was impossible. Yet, this early in my story, I only knew that something called me here to this planet, away from the Jedi whom had taken me in as an Orphan. True that the only credits I held to my name could only afford me a ticket here of all places, the Smuggler's Moon, where corruption had long reined supreme. But still, for some reason it held a unconscious beckon within my heart and mind. And so here I stood.

 

The Force

 

The Force, the source of all life, where time began and ended, where life returned at it's demise, and it flowed through everything, entangling fate and creation as much as death and destruction. It's will is law, and no one nor anything could truly ever grasp it. The Jedi could weild it, and the Sith could tame it, but neither held a comprehensive level of what they truly tried to control. Like children merely learning to glide upon the waves of a distant shore using the aid of a small hover board as a way to balance. That's all it merely was. And even the Ancients, suchs as the immortal Celestials had barely scratched it's true surface even though they had managed to understand it the most. And here, despite my own ignorance, the Force had led me away from the Jedi against my own will to this new planet deep in space away from my home, for it wanted Balance within it's self again just as my ancestors once did.

 

And now my story begins....

[Raven Nasra]

The imperial garrison of Nar Shaddaa had much to learn from the recent infiltration and escape of the terrorist vessel. At Moff Hohenlohe ‘s orders, the Imperial reprisal against the underworld and ship’s captains that had surrendered after exchanging fire with the Golan and TIE Defender squadrons was muted. There were no mass executions, the only people that died were those that did not surrender. They of course died in black clouds of burning petrochemicals but those were few. Most of those that surrendered were given light jail sentences or suspended sentences with probation as no Imperials had died in the exchange of fire.

 

It did however lead to an extensive crackdown on he Nar Shaddaa underworld. Security cordons and checkpoints appeared to stop smuggling, and several holdouts of slavers were found. This was all outdone by the construction of the ‘Underworld Mission.’ A many million credit endeavour funded by the widespread success of the Nar Shaddaa Spaceworks. The objective of the mission was to provide aid and jobs to those on the lowest levels of society on Nar Shaddaa. However, only time would tell if it would prove effective. For now, the imperials continued to bring livable wages and gainful employment to the disadvantaged and severely crack down on the criminal element of the once famous Smuggler’s Moon. It was at these missions, that force wielding hopefuls could apply to join the Imperial Knights.

 

All non imperial traffic was now considered locked down and routed through the duel Golans. Though with the acquirement of a free license that included random scans and an expansive background check, any Nar Shaddaa resident could continue to operate their non illegal business free of imperial entanglements. Those without the free license would not.

[Balance]

The Beginning

 

It was a humbling experience to walk outside the confines of the Jedi Temple that I've known nearly my entire existence. It was hard for me at first to understand life, having known three meals a day and a warm bed. But out here, away from constant restrictions and instruction, I felt freedom, I felt alive. The Masters curriculum had never fit me as Student, nor did their beliefs. While I understood consequences more than most, I also understood connection and reason. Emotions could lead to anger and hate, but at the same time strive one to better themselves and drive them to do the impossible for a simple emotion such as love. But to truly understand such a thing as the Force, one could not cut themselves off from the other half. And this was the the thing that intrigued me most.

 

The Force

 

During my studies as an Intiate, I was a curious child. I knew of the Light and Dark sides, reasons for falling and redemption, and I wondered why it was so. So, I began to question, and looked into forbidden lore to a youngling such as myself. I began to research both Orders and it's known members. I looked into the history of Planets such as my home planet of Tython, Ossus, the Sith planet Korriban, and I followed the path I found that laid within its knowledge. And it was there that I found the truth I was looking for. The Jedi stood for light, like a beacon of hope for those lost in darkness and despair. Yet only one side of a coin. Yet the Sith, they grasped the other half and clung onto it out of hunger for power and greed, which was what would always lead to their downfall. Yet, some, very few, never completely fell to the lure of the darkness. They were capable of wielding both sides of the coin and not lose themselves, and this is what called to me.

 

Extra curriculum

 

So I delved into as many books as I could, searching for their reasons, searching for their paths, searching for their legacy and wisdom. Instead of sticking to my clan within the Order, I hide myself away, trying to understand how to balance myself without losing who I was. And as I researched the very planet that I lived upon, I found the answers. The Order that started it all, those who revered Balance, the Je'daii. They were true Masters of the Force. They understood it's very nature. They sought not to wield it, but rather understand it and become a part of it, not like an extension of their mind, nor like an extension of power. No. For them, it was their very soul they wished to connect with it, to become one both heart and soul. And I found peace in knowing that it was possible to make it a part of me, rather than try to control it. And that is where the Masters would fault me.

 

Trials

 

Like all Intiates, I was taken to the caverns of Ilum to find a Kyber crystal for the construction of my lightsaber as part of my Intiates Trials before a Master would choose me. Already considered an outcast by the majority of the Jedi Masters and Knights looking at potential Hopefuls after having been caught doing my research, I felt myself highly unlikely to be chosen and become a Jedi Padawan. Still, I held onto hope, praying that one day I would become a Jedi Knight myself and find Balance within me. I would return to the teachings of the Rider's forefathers and show that balance was to truly understand both sides of the Force. But as I found my Kyber crystal under the guidance of a Jedi Master, it's glow was a color that seemed to frighten them. Though it was clear, nearly white, a hint of blue still hued it's form. Though the reason was lost to my knowledge, it wasn't to them, and before I knew it, they attempted to take it from me, muttering words that I will fall and that I should never be trained. And so I ran... from them, the Order, and Tython.

 

Nar Shadaa

 

And here I stand upon this darkened moon, full of chaos and confusion. I know not why they feared me, nor if I should fear myself. But no matter the reasons why, I intend to lose myself upon this force forsaken planet and escape the hounds that they were likely to send after me. As I walk among a crowd, making my way from the starport toward the moon's lower levels, I contemplate on what life outside the order, what my life will be without the Force, or if I will ever find someone outside those who don't understand me to finally teach me. Only that I have yet to give up hope, and I refuse to give up my belief.

[Raven Nasra]

“The Institute”

The Revanchist Imperial Academy

 

 

 

Funded by the wealth of Moff Hohenlohe and the investiture of the Imperial Moff Council and funding From the Arts and Religion Institute, the Revanchist Imperial Academy was constructed in the midlevels of Nar Shaddaa. The Academy or ‘The Institute’ as it was known locally trained the vast numbers of Imperial citizenry that exhibited force sensitivity. Though service was explicitly voluntary, many parents sent their kids there to get rid of problematic youth, or to avoid the ant-jedi bias that was still pervasive in imperial upper class. The facility was multiple levels high and surrounded by thick walls and towers, meant to protect any attendees in case of rebellion or assassination attempts. Not like that happened on an Imperial World.

 

The interior of the facility was stark, white flooring, white walls, red wall hangings. But here and there was a garden to meditate in, as well as extensive sim bays, eating facilities, and training grounds. All led by the Imperial Knight Wynn Miaphysia, an older human female from Kuat. Ex Jedi, and Exorcist that had left in the minor schism between the Jedi and the new Imperial Knights.

 

It was her that sensed Pandora and sought her out in the deep levels of nar shaddaa. Appearing like a red cloaked dream, mighty in power and in presence. Flanked by two other Knights: Constantine and Chalcedon Nusra the twin ex guardians from Arkania. Three bright shining lights in the darkness of the underworld.

[Balance]

Exit Sight

 

Despite being able to see as any normal being could, I had long held other means to see. Often I closed my piercing blue eyes and walked leisurely amongst the masses, exploring my surrounds and those I walked amongst for simple pleasure. I truly don't know how long I held this gift, or why I was blessed with it, but it was truly the only thing the Force seemed to have granted me. As a child, it started during dreams. I dreamt roaming around the halls of Tython Temple, only to awaken and find myself yards or miles away from where I fell asleep. And as I grew older, so did it too. Only but a few years ago, I noticed that I could not only use this gift to project my sight into rooms nearby and fields away, but I could at times read people hearts and intentions with focus. It felt intrusive, and I steered clear for the most part.

 

But here, upon Nar Shadaa, where I was but another unknown, I held no reason to hold back. What can I say? I'm a curious teenaged girl. And so as I closed my eyes, I began to look around. For the most part, many of those around me were lonely and sad, evident by the strong weights they carried upon their shoulders, a feeling that I too knew all too well. And despite not knowing that I had peeked, my sight reaching around corners and through walls into homes, many truly held up little to none in defense against my gaze. I suppose in the safety of one's home, they felt no need to. Nor would I, had I had a home. And some held evil and murderous intent as I passed, but none seemed as if they would act upon it despite holding such. And some even lit up like lights on a hovercraft, full of cheer and happy with their lives despite the insignificance most would view as their lives, determined to make the best of what they had. And in truth, I envied them to a degree.

 

Enter Knight

 

But as I trailed off into the lesser populated areas, I felt more alone. While most of the folks here, what few there were, held malicious intents, I continued on. I was too lost in my own despair of no longer having a place to lay my head nor to call home to really care what they would think of me as they saw me pass by... if they even noticed me to begin with. The effects of being free of the Jedi Order had long worn off, and now the onset of being alone was beginning to take it's toll. I was beginning to actually the Temple where I had been raised for so long. and yet, I still wondered what it was in me that they feared so much. I only wished to serve the Force, not control it. Why would they view that as evil and a path to the Darkness? Had I overreacted? I shook my head in shame. Perhaps I had jumped the gun a bit too soon, but I couldn't understand why they wanted to take my Kyber crystal and muttered that I should not be trained. In truth, serving the Force was my life, all I had ever wanted, and they wanted to take that from me. So it is that, that I ran from them, hoping to get lost among the masses so far from them.

 

And yet, as I continued my gaze onto those around me, almost losing myself within my own thoughts, i nearly missed those who would soon wash over me wave after wave in not only power but in light. "Jedi?" My piercing blue gaze springing to life as I muttered the words under my breath. "I will not go back and let you sever what the Force gave me!" I shouted with all my might toward where my gaze had fallen upon them, although my voice was but a whisper; soft and gentle. Without another word, I darted down a nearby alleyway, it's darkened corridor riddled with lights that barely illuminated it's form slowly flickering as I ran down it. I refused to be caught. I would not go back to Tython. The Jedi will never sever my connection to the Force. That much was clear in my mind as I cut around another corner, running up a flight of nearby stairs and cutting North away from them. Although my female form was small and petite, I held strong in my heart that I would run until my legs gave out.

 

And so I did, nearly three levels as I attempted evade what I thought was my would be captors, my feet slipping occasionally as I turned corner after corner, not knowing if they had followed me nor giving them the chance to catch me by slowing down. At least, until my running room ran out on me and I nearly plummeted to what would surely have been the moon's surface. Catching my footing and preventing my near plummet, my breath heavy as I panted, my lungs gasping for breath as my heart raced my blood's circulation throughout my body in an attempt to keep my muscles from seizing, I turned. My polearm now placed within my hands, I stood ready in case they had followed me. Nearly exhausted from running, the fear of being taken back to Tython still held my adrenaline pumping despite my body's tiring. I stood ready for a fight, not knowing those whom had truly came for me wasn't Jedi, nor Sith, but something I had never dreamed of.

 

Off to Never Sever Land

[Kyrie Eleison]

As Kyrie’s unmarked ship exited hyperspace over the former criminal world of Nar Shaddaa, she could feel it in the Force. A mighty storm of unending power. Currents dragging all life to its center, but at that center there was no peace. There was only violent delights and the dancing of demons. She looked to Aidan, passing him a reassurance in her words.

 

“Reach out, feel this planet as we make our approach. To me, once all the rust and ruin are torn away, all that is left is the entropy of the Force. Chaos and disorder that even the Empire cannot put right.”

 

The Imperial Knight breathed in a breath of the recycled air, and let the Force fall about her, her own flames growing as she felt every injustice.

 

“This storm is life, the end stage of fallen men. Avarice, Rage, and pounding drums of wretched misery. Life lost to evil.”

 

She shook her head as she reached further. She could feel the small bulwarks forming against evil’s storm, like trees they stood unbreaking in the wind, but could not bring it to heal. The Empire. As the shuttle touched down in the underlevels, she could feel the disease about her. Darkness looming, threatening to consume them both. They were out of the green zone and into uncharted territory where no Imperial Soldier dared yet tread.

 

...Balance…

 

As the evil grew in strength, be it from pirates of Sith, so grew the Empire and its Knights. In her own reflection she saw corruption spreading, taking the form of her lost sister. She breathed out, casting out her flames in the force like beacon for any to see. A pyre upon which evil would burn.

[Tobias Vos]

The Prism winked into the space above Nar Shaddaa. Vos grimaced as he felt the familiar wave of... memories? The confusing miasma of a wide spectrum of feelings coming from the planet. Trying not to go down memory lane was going to be difficult. His service, slavery, into the Hutt schemes was not a good path to retake. For now, he just ran his fingers through his increasingly thick hair and sighed. Was this where he wanted to be? It wasn’t where he should be, but he kept getting caught up in his duty and his heart.

 

He reached behind him, twisting his torso slightly and put his hand on Adenna’s back. He scratched slightly, trying to wake her up gently. There were other ways she would have liked to be awakened, considering - he smirked and let that thought vacate via the gutter. He let love and confidence pour into the force as an added front to wake her. Then after a moment and a groan from the beautiful woman, Tobias stood up and went to dress.

 

Typical trousers, a thin shirt that was actually a self cooling moisure whicking material that diffused energy as well, shirt, jacket. Lacing up his boots, he made sure to let the blood flow and loose enough to be comfortable running- should events need it while dirtside. He wasn’t expecting trouble, but last time he was here- he had been a slave. Trouble was bound to pop up. As he laced his boots up he felt the familiar press of another Force user, one who was familiar to him. He recognized it and let his pressence show a welcoming yet curious and uncertain attitude blend in. Tobias was unsure of what the Remnant and Knights wanted from the Jedi. Or even if he was allowed to be here, he hadn’t heard back from be grandmaster yet. Not the rest of the council. All one of them. But, it was a matriarch now, so the Jedi Leadership was a little one sided. Two faced, but one sided. Run by white women. Vos scowled, realizing how white folks always thought themselves better. A feeling of electric shock might have coursed through him: The first meeting between him and Darex had seen him dismissing Vos and treating him like an pest- and put as much distance between them as possible. The grandmaster did make some grand plans in the first twenty minutes of that meeting. Was it really his skin tone? What of that Aira Caden Jedi? She was certainly master quality, and in a position of power. Sometimes. Was she held back as well because of her skin tone? Or because she was a female? Tobias made a mental note to double check when he returned to Ossus or Another Jedi world. It wasn’t unheard that the Jedi were sometimes bias... doubtful, but for now it was onto more pressing matters or whatever. Landing and meeting with the remnant.

 

Meanwhile the droids would negotiate for landing instructions and clearance.

[Adenna Alluyen]

Adenna had never been to Nal Hutta or Nar Shaddaa, though the thought of coming to the center of slavery in the Galaxy was one of the last things she ever wanted to contemplate. Still, the Empire had conquered it and, from what she had seen on the Holonet, they have spared little quarter when it came to the slavers. As much as she embraced the Jedi, sometimes, she wondered if they were too soft on criminals and those who spread suffering and misery to the innocent. She wanted to see the truth here and judge the Empire based on its actions. Perhaps there was something good about the Empire to be found.

 

As soon as Tobias left the comfort of their bed, she joined him in getting dressed. They would need to be at their best for today, and both would need to watch each other's back. "We can do this," she said quietly. "If the Empire is changed, then that is a good thing. If it isn't as changed as we would like, perhaps we could have a hand in making sure it eventually gets there."

[Raven Nasra]

The imperial defense force gave clearance to the Jedi Knights to land at the newly built Revanchist Imperial Academy. Where Kyrie, Moff Hohenlohe, and a cadre of Knights would be waiting with joyous smiles on their faces.

 

_________________________________________

Thoughts reached out like tendrils of light, piercing the darkness to find prey and ally alike. The Imperial Knights in their deadly trio strode through the deep underworld, their red armour reflecting the faint light that reached down from the stars and the garish neon of strip joints alike. Wynn, Constantine, and Chalcedon, strode like angels of light through the dark underbelly of the smuggler’s moon. Their trio brought the stares of evil men wherever they went, and though they did make not of where the darkest parts of the city were and where the force moved in agony, they were after a single bit of prey. Pandora, young and scared.

 

When they finally tracked the girl down, they made their presences sharp in the force, hard with the exorcist light that only the Imperial Knights held. That eternal cinder to burn out the darkness. That lust to destroy evil whereever it was found that had also driven them from the Jedi Order into the hands of the Outcast Order. The few Imperial Knights of the Imperial Remnant.

 

“We are not here to hurt you child.” Came the stark voice of Chalcedon, his harsh Arkanian accent grating on the ears of most.

 

“You have darkness all about you in this sea of shadows. Let us shine light upon you to free you from fear.” Came the twin voice of Constantine.

 

A trio of bright white lightsabers ignited, shining silver light on the girl and the surrounding city. Darkness was stirring heavily from the surrounding building foundations, and the putrid presence of slavery and drugged thralldom exuded all about them. For in the dark, outside of the light cast by Imperial Sabres, the Kirdanian Ring were lining up shots to defend their slavery trade.

 

“Move Child! Lest you are felled here by the enemies of the light! Move Now, enter our defensive pattern, prepare your blade for combat.”

 

Then the storm of bolts began.

_________________________________________

[Tobias Vos]

As The Prism settled down on the landing pad the Jedi pair made their way to the top of the boarding ramp. As the gears and hydraulics worked their magic the two warrior monks were allowed a moment to prepare. The planets weather started to slip into the ship and up the ramp. Vos was sure to take a deep breath of the warm air. Most of that air was radiating from their hull, but with a tinge of local atmosphere. It was almost as he remembered it- so many years ago. Being beaten as a slave, his missions, his punishments- until he popped the tracking mechanism out and made his way to the Sith and then he knew were that went.

 

Over the mechanical noises he pressed into Adenna’s right side. With his left hand on the small of her back he held his gaze on the emerging ground, “I left this planet as a slave to a Hutt. Now, I return a Jedi Master as a consultant to the Imperials. Times have changed, indeed...” he let his hand drop to hers and gave it a small squeeze. He was bolstered by the fact she was still here, at his side and he at hers. Finally, he did turn to look at her- and serenity fell onto his face.

 

“I’ll take care of telling the Grandmaster the Imperials requested us, so no worries there. I’m quite eager to see what changes have occurred in my absence from this place, and what the Imperials intend to do with their new world. Hopefully we can keep them on the path and foster a partnership between them and... the Jedi Order. The Empress and I have chatted before, so hopefully this will go alright. I’m rambling again aren’t I? Darn it.” He caught himself, obviously nervous just a bit- but he wanted to be about this task and as soon as the ramp settled he motioned for Adenna to take the lead, and he followed a half step later with his stylish cane, which did sort of compliment his non-Jedi clothing. The both walked to the bottom of the ramp.

[Balance]

Stuck

 

Sweat glistened as it beaded down my brow and slender cheeks, my gaze looming into the distant darkness as I awaited those who chose to hunt me. My hands gripped tight the polearm that I faced forward, it's blade reflecting what little light fell upon it's polished form, both from the distant Nal Hutta and the lights that littered the alley. Behind me was endless darkness, a bottomless pit awaiting me to turn and embrace it should I choose death rather than being taken back to Tython. But no, that was not my end game. If I was to live in my newfound freedom, no longer a prisoner of the Jedi and to find my destiny force willingly, I would face and fight whatever was to be thrown my way. Suddenly the path before me lit up, silver blades igniting before their forms. Red armor reflecting in it's illumination, words echoing as they walked toward me. Jedi was all that I could think... or were they Sith? Not that it mattered.

 

Between a Rock

 

“We are not here to hurt you child.” Spoke a male voice, his accent nearly butchering his words.

“You have darkness all about you in this sea of shadows. Let us shine light upon you to free you from fear.” Spoke another, similar in comparison, yet different.

 

Nein!

 

"You stink of Jedi." I shouted, my voice screeching of my fear, yet harmonious of my determination and resolve. Grabbing the chest plate of the Jedi Armor I adorned, my lungs and heart beginning to ache from my moment of flight from these unknown pursuers, I couldn't help but ponder if I truly could escape the Jedi hounds they seemed to have sent after me. And it was this moment of disheartening confusion, of fear, I knew and realized of my own self doubt. Shaking it from my mind and from my heart, I yelled back. "If you want to free me of my fear, then let me be, and leave me the hell alone."

“Move Child! Lest you are felled here by the enemies of the light! Move Now, enter our defensive pattern, prepare your blade for combat.” A third voice spoke, seemingly beside me as if a whisper into my ear, causing me to dart left just as blaster bolts whizzed by aimed directly where I had just stood. Coming out of roll upon the durasteel flooring, I only paused for a second as I realized where my flight from these three had taken me. I could feel evil intent all around me, save for from these three. Jedi or not, as my head began to level, I could only see one clear path. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and as I saw them began to defend themselves against the barrage of crimson bolts, ones aimed at me as well, I knew at least for now that these three were allies.

 

And a Hard Place

 

Rushing to my feet, I climb into position amidst the three Jedi, not sure what my polearm could do to aid, yet feeling comfort as I did. Closing my eyes, I focused my mind, allowing my second sight to take hold. Even in the darkness, they could not hide from me, and within a moment of locating one rather close to our position, I struck out from the group. But this time a strange sensation fell upon me. My second sight seemed to reach into the minds of the man I focused upon, as if the air around me thinned and my body in all it's tiresome weakness suddenly found strength once again and more than what it had ever produced before. Within moments I had arrived at my target, and before he even knew I was there, my blade had sliced into him. And so did the Zybrak female down the hall from him, mere moments away as I closed the gap quickly between him and her. I knew not what overtook me, but before I knew it, five had be laid claimed by my blade, myself unaware of the three Jedi's own numbers. But looking down upon my hands in the darkness using my second sight, I saw the same silver aura I saw before upon Ilum, still slightly blue in hue, covered in blood. What was this sensation?

[Adenna Alluyen]

Adenna smiled at Tobias' rapid fire words. "You are, but it is endearing, almost cute," she said lightly. It was a good distraction from the echoes of anguish she felt here. This was not a place one wanted to be in, too many innocents and unsuspecting people had met terrible ends here. Still, beneath the layers of misery and hopelessness was something else: hope. There was change in the air, she could feel it in her soul. That was good, not at all what she thought an Imperial world would feel like.

 

She took Tobias' offer of the lead, falling into the diplomatic mode she grew accustomed to on Thalassia, and approached the waiting Imperials. She stopped several paces from their leaders and said formally, "I am Jedi Adenna, this is Master Jedi Vos. We received a message inviting us here and wish to accept that offer."