[Pepoi Family RO, invite only] Return from the deepest depth

DISCLAIMER: Language may be higher than PG-13 as well as high end violence

The Spike, fourth sub-level
Antei
Before the Horizons Plague

"You made sure of it," growled the leader of the Grand Master's Royal Guard. His skin tone had become pale from months of solitude in the fourth sub-level, letting his Magistrates and higher echelon members of the Guard train the new recruits that arrived daily. Blasters, knives, hand to hand forms, lightsaber forms, cardio, was every day, every moment of his life since the death of his eldest son.

"My lord, he's currently under the watchful eye of Lynyrd. I made sure of it right after you left Sepros," stated Atra. He slid a document over. "I'll leave you to this."

Without even looking at the document, he flipped it over and signed it. Teu had left for Arcona taking Darra with her, and he couldn't care less. His son was his priority, and he had his cousin watching over him and training him. The divorce was final. "No need."

"I'll return to Naga Sadow then. Things will have changed with Teu gone and me as Proconsul." Atra turned and left.

"You'll do Sadow well. Call me if you need me."

"I will but with the Sons-"

"I serve the clan. The Sons and I differ on many things. But I will always remain loyal to it, than those that sit around and do nothing to better it." Atra nodded understanding where the Primarch was coming from. The elder Pepoi had sat in on many meetings with the Sons, knew their politics and despised them for it. "Don't let them mangle you."

Atra nodded again and left.

"You are not allowed down here," grumbled Fremoc to the shadows.

His brother stepped out of the shadow, "It's time to get out of here. Get your gear on. We've got to round up the family."

As the light hit the mans T shaped visor he spoke in a low voice, as if to keep from the room itself from knowing he was there.

"No questions as to where I have been all this time? No question as to how I got into an area so off limits that a nat hanging from your balls couldnt get access?"

Fremoc passed something that closely resembled a smile as Kano stepped closer and removed his helmet.

"Brother, you should leave the helmet on, that beard is horrible. You look like you spent the better part of your little vacation chewing on a Wookie."

Kano jabbed his finger into his brothers chest.

"You watch your tone when speaking about my sex life, she is a very kind woman."

The comment sent both men into an uproar of laughter.

"It is good to have you back brother. Things have gotten pretty wild while you were gone, it might take a while to fill you in."

"Then you will have to catch me up to pace on the way to get the others. Before anything I need to check and see how that old friend of mine is doing.

"Who is that?"

"A certain disability robot."

"We will. While en route, I'll fill you in on what's happened.."

Tarthos
Pepoi Compound
Shortly after the beginning of 36 ABY

Araxis stormed into the compound, heading directly for the home he had created for himself. Using Force Blast he destroyed the front door, and grabbed his possessions. Each room he left he followed up with a Force Blast to see to its destruction. The noise brought the other Pepoi to his home to find out what was going on. Finally he exited the building, meeting Fremoc, Methyas, Teu, and Mirado, each with their hands on the hilts of their lightsabers.

"What's going on with you?"

"Things aren't right. Fremoc's a sneaky bastard and it doesn't sit right with me. I'm done with this family."

- 100 Klicks south of Kel Rasha
- Private Training Camp, Beach
- Aeotheran
- Here and Now

A cloud of sand sprayed into the air, each grain fanning up and out, borne on the force of kinetic energy caused by the tip of the assassin’s longest braid scraping the ground beneath him. The air around Mirado was filled with blue blaster bolts, the azure rings being spat by pistol and rifle alike, held in the hands on the apprentices of the clan.

Back on his feet, the Prelate whipped the training lightsaber he’d taken, in an infinity loop before punctuating the motion with an overhead circle, swatting the poorly aimed stun bolts away. Following this, he held his hand up, and waited to make sure the apprentices weren’t going to try anything stupid, before he continued his instruction.

“When you’re alone, aim at your enemy. When you have support, fill the air around him with fire. If you concentrate your shots, a trained opponent can evade them. Now, continue.” He explained, and relaxed into the Force, listening to the whispers that would guide him.

Within seconds, the air was filled with more blaster fire. This time around, the Journeymen were listening, denying him space in which to move, forcing him to play a chess game instead of relying on raw athletic ability. Of the half dozen there, maybe two would survive to see knighthood. They weren’t bad odds, all things considered.

Mirado’s Soresu was put to the test, not the greatest prospect since he could only barely call himself practiced with the form. Swatting and batting bolts, he began an aggressive press towards the apprentices, before the Force screamed a warning into the back of his mind.

Immediately, he leapt into the air, his velocity aided by the Force. Two full powered blaster bolts, crimson in a sea of blue, struck where he’d been standing. The assassin, still heading up, grabbed his own lightsaber, Tooth, and called the ultramarine blade to life. More blaster bolts tracked his momentum, which he swatted away with the lightsabers in his hands. The training saber, not built to handle the stresses of more intense combat, shorted out after one deflection. His other blade, however, knocked two more shots from the air.

Upon landing, the assassin lobbed a Force Blast at the apprentices, scattering them and taking their attention from their training exercise. Planting his feet for friction, the Miraluka turned to face his cousins, for in the Force they were unmistakable.

“Couldn’t just comm me?” He asked dryly, scowling his usual scowl. If nothing else, he was living proof that just maybe somebody’s face COULD get stuck that way.

“Quit playing with the kids,” Fremoc said, his tone somewhat hasty. “We got a thing needs doing.”

Shrugging, Mirado flicked his lightsaber off and turned to instruct the students to return to their barracks. One of them, however, had the foolish idea to try to shoot again. This time, the Miraluka absorbed the shot, dissipating it through the Force.

It looked like only one of these students would survive till knighthood.

Coastal Outlook
SHADOW Installation "Horizon"
Aeotheran, Orian System
One Month after the Horizons Outbreak

The sound of waves crashing upon the bluffs filled the Coastal Outlook from the opened windows, a chamber many Dlarit Personnel used as a way to get away from it all. The tiled surface of the outlook gave it that clean appearance, the equipment within the chamber itself humming quietly beneath the sound of the sea itself. Once the facility became fully operational, this room would be used more for observation and defense, at least that was its purpose on paper. Instead, it would be a small retreat for those within the installation; at least for those who didn't feel the need for rage and darkness to absolutely consume all.

The installation's construction had been under his guidance since they returned from Cocytus, the aftermath of the Horizons outbreak had kept him from his duties as a husband lately despite how busy Naomi had been with those injured in the uprisings. A slight frown nagged at the Miraluka's lips as he instead put his focus to the Installation itself. Construction had moved swiftly, a surprising notion in itself given the care and mountains of paperwork simply to keep the location and details surrounding its purpose a secret. The assault on Aeotheran by the Plageuians and Palatinaens had been an upset, especially with the disappearance of Marakith; thus Kalia and himself had sought to rectify the situation. Horizon was the answer, a clandestine forward alert base hidden on the edge of the Nifokalija Mountain range. The sea on one side and literally mountains of rock on the other, the installation was to perform the standard gambit of SHADOW functions while maintaining a silent vigil in defense of the planet. While they weren't equipped with any weapon or shielding systems for this purpose, they did have highly advanced sensor systems and once complete, would station squadrons of rapid responders.

The Miraluka's thoughts shifted away from the installation though; drifting to his wife for the briefest of moments as he was prone to before he spoke quickly, "For people who spend their time working from the shadows, you all stand out like a Wampa on Tattooine to me."

At those words the footfalls of the trio changed from unearthly silent to standard fare, a pair heavy in their combat boots while the other still remained nearly inaudible.

"Though I supposed that could be simply relation, I can pick Arcturus out of a group of other Brotherhood children."

"Are you done here? We need to get going." Fremoc asked with a notable irritation in his voice after a month of tailing his cousin.

"We could always just grab him like last time." Mirado responded flatly, a slight glare in his direction from Fremoc lost on the Miraluka.

The Force itself seemed to quiet as Methyas withdrew himself from his meditative state, rising to his feet and dusting off his robes as he spoke, "No need, brother. This installation will proceed without me and Orian is safe, for the time being. Let's get on with it."

It had been years since the Pepoi men all stood in a room together yet the one who had been away was the first to actually speak up.

"Anyone curious as to where I have been all this time?"

The Fist of the Brotherhood leaned against the wall, "Nope."

"Well first I decided to do some soul searching to try to find myself. That was a total failure so I began accepting small jobs here and there. Did some bountys, a few assassinations, overthrew a government or three, nothing big. When work started to pick up I decided to gather a small team. Brought in a hell of a sniper, a def demolitions expert, a old school tactical expert, then two rookies that we have been training along the way."

Fremoc spoke up again, "What? No batshit crazy suicide mission runner?"

Kano only grinned, "Why would I need two of me? Anyways, we kinda fell into a problem when we took on a job to recover a stolen item for some bigwig. We made it into the place and got the item. On the way out the cliant showed up, called in his personal military, then tried to kill us. We lost one of the rookies but made it.out with the item. Thats what brings us here."

The room sat silent for what seemed like years until Mirado's voice came up, "What is this item and where is it?"

The Mandalorion looked down towards his boots, "Well the item is a she and she is currently asleep in my bunk back on the stolen ship I brought in."

Fremoc's eyes shifted from the wall to meet with Kano's, "So what your saying is you got the package, gave her your package, now the backstabber wants to eliminate both packages."

"It is a bit more complicated than that. She is the bastards daughter. We have been evading him for 6 months now. She says he will kill her if he can. She is set to inherit a fortune when her mother passes and he wants to intercept that."

"Your doing a kind thing by protecting her Kano." Said Methyas to stop a silance from filling the room.

Kano shifted uncomfortably, "Still more to it."

"What now? Did you take his wife too? How many women hou need brother? I say just give her back and be done with it."

"She is carrying my son."

The room fell silent with the bombshell the Mandalorian dropped. Kano looked from man to man until he felt they knew what this meant. The backstabber had to die, even if it meant going against a private army.

- Coastal Outlook
- SHADOW Installation "Horizon"
- Aeotheran



The weight of Kano’s words meant far more to Mirado than the words themselves. In simple, he had no basis of comparison, nothing that he was already concerned with, that allowed him to understand what his cousin meant. It was, however, the gravity, and the ripples and currents throughout the Force, which led him to grasp at a basic level of understanding. Kano’s mate carried his young, both were threatened. Simple arithmetic at that point really, no need to get more complicated.

“So, we kill him.” The Assassin said at length. Everyone was thinking it, except Methyas, but the slightly older of the two brothers was already resigning himself to the understanding that it might have to happen regardless.

“He has an army.” Kano said. There was no warning in his statement, not even something resembling concern. It was more joy and excitement, masked with a healthy level of nonchalance. “We’ll probably have to kill them too.”

“Murder them all and call it a day.” Mirado said with a shrug. Across the room, Methyas remained impassive, but his colors shifted slightly. The more they discussed this, the less comfortable he was becoming.



- Jewel’s Crown Park
- Gilded Archipelago
- Aeotheran
- 2 days ago



Mirado paced solemnly back and forth while his brother sat atop a stone. The natural world surrounded them though the banality of ferrocrete and transparisteel existed not many kilometers away. “You’ve told nobody about this?” the assassin asked finally, his rumbling baritone cutting through the tranquil quiet like a Gundark in a fine ceramics store.

“What’s there to tell?” Methyas replied cryptically. “This has always been my path, it was only obfuscated for a time.”

“There are those among us who’d seek to cut you off before you grow more powerful.” Mirado replied, picking a small fruit hanging from the tree he’d finally leaned against. “You have to know that.”

“I know it, and I’m prepared if that time comes.” Methyas replied, deftly catching the fruit his brother tossed him with a gentle grasp through the Force. “What about you? Your loyalties are clear.”

“Are they?” Mirado asked. “Because I don’t believe they are. I work out of more than one office on Antei, my attention to the clan has been diminished lately. It’s obvious too.”

“So, if the Sons issue a kill order?” Methyas asked, letting the rest of the question hang.

“They can send someone else to fill it, and they’d better hope whoever it is, is better than me. I can’t have you dying.” The younger of the two said around a mouthful of tart fruit.

“I think you’re strong enough now to survive the backlash if I were to die Mirado.” Methyas said in a lecturing tone. “Might hospitalize you for a while though.” He added as a dark afterthought.

“Not what I meant. You’re my brother. I enjoy being beyond redemption, but there’s lines I don’t cross.”



- Coastal Outlook
- SHADOW Installation "Horizon"
- Aeotheran
- Now



“Four of us against an army,” Fremoc said, drumming his fingers against the table as he leaned on it. His tone was thoughtful and also more than a little wistful. “Might be worth picking up some more backup though.”

“His forces are well trained and well equipped.” Kano said, looking at his brother. “But we can do it.”

“Don’t mistake,” Fremoc replied, turning to look at the armored man. “I didn’t say we couldn’t handle it, I just think we should share the fun. No sense being stingy.”

“You’re planning something, and you’re not telling us everything.” Mirado said simply.

“Is it that obvious?” Fremoc asked with a knowing grin.

“Your mouth is moving Cousin, it’s very obvious.” Methyas said in perfect deadpan.



- HMR Quaestor’s Residence
- Tarthos
- Dunno when, my watch broke while Methyas was talking smack to Fremoc.



The water was so hot it was scalding, causing billowing clouds of steam to form in her small bathroom. Beneath the shower head, Kalia stood, letting the water cascade down her blonde hair and back, letting it melt the tensions of her day away. It was rare she had time to indulge herself like this, the duties of her position often kept her busier than she would like, but today, she had time, and she planned to use it.

Still, she could luxuriate for only so long, so after several long minutes, she groaned, defeated by time, and bathed herself efficiently. Once finished, she reached out through the shower curtain and began fumbling about for her towel before it was placed in her hand.

“Thank you,” she said as she wrapped the towel around herself.

“You’re welcome.” Came the flat baritone from the other side of her shower curtain.

It was then that the utter absurdity of the moment dissolved. The Sith woman came alert and active in a flash, reaching out beyond the shower curtain again, beckoning her lightsaber to her hand. She ignited the weapon with its customary snap-hiss, the crimson blade adding a grim lighting to the dark gray tile in her bathroom.

“Do you mind not trying to kill me. This room is way too small to test the close quarters potential of the lightsaber.” Came the voice again even as Kalia strode out of her shower stall. Sitting on her sink counter sat Mirado, the quiet murderer who’d built the other house in Clan Naga Sadow, from the ground up (and if rumors were true, embezzling billions to do it).

“What do you want?” Kalia asked, disigniting her lightsaber and reflexively holding her towel against her body. “And was it so important you had to interrupt my shower?”

“You were finished bathing,” Mirado said in his usual deadpan. “And I don’t know what you’re so up in arms about, it’s not like you look any different to me now than you did yesterday at that breakfast Locke insisted on hosting. If it makes you feel better, I can turn around or something, not that it’d do any good.”

The Miraluka’s words had a bizarre calming effect. Not by some soothing tone of voice or choice of words, but with the implication that people call other species alien for a reason. She’d never asked Methyas much about how the Miraluka actually saw, though entertaining the idea that the two brothers walked around seeing people naked all day was concerning, amusing, and worthy of pity, depending on where they went.

“No, just hand me that robe and actually answer my damn question.” She said, more frustrated than angry by this point. Mirado went ahead and handed her what he assumed to be her bathrobe before he started opening the lids to various cosmetics and cleansers, sniffing all of them and making faces at each one.

“You’re getting some time off from Marka Ragnos, if you want it.” He said, putting a small tin of exfoliating cream far off to the side like the scent of it had offended him in a profound manner. “We thought you might like to get involved in some bloody murder.”

Kalia was sure she’d heard the assassin right, even as she toweled her hair dry, still, the plainness of his statement was oddly bizarre. “You’re inviting me to go kill people for a vacation? And you said We.” She asked. He would have answered but he’d daubed a small bit of her toothpaste onto a finger and tasted it, and plainly didn’t like the flavor at all.

After his moment of disgust, the Prelate recovered enough to explain. “Yep, just like a big family fishing trip, except instead of fishing, we’re going to be violently returning people to the Force. Blood, death, vengeance, lots of fun.”

-HMR Quaestor’s Residence
-Tarthos
-Dunno when, was moving too fast to check the time.

The air whistled around his ears as he moved towards his girlfriend's apartment. His speed augmented by the Force making it seem that he was teleporting from one place to another. He stopped on the balcony of her apartment and felt that his cousin had beaten him to her apartment and was about to ask her to join them on their endeavor. The crack of air being displaced as he stopped made Mirado and Kalia turn.

"I assume you'll be joining us then darling?"

"I'm more pissed that you didn't come to ask me."

"Mirado beat me here. I was ensuring that Archangel could run the Spike while we went off and had some fun."

She crossed her arms, her bust pushing up. "And?"

He grinned. "He'll be fine." He took a step closer to her, at the same time Mirado turned away from them. "I think you'll enjoy being with us." He leaned in and gave her a kiss, as he did so she wrapped her arms around his neck grasping his hair.

"If you two need some time alone..." grunted Mirado as he cleared his throat. "But I'd rather we get to killing."

They pulled away from each other slowly. "Go on, get your gear." Fremoc reached to his belt and pulled out his comlink. "Kano ready the ship, we'll be there shortly."

"I have a better idea," came Kano across the comm. The trio in the apartment heard the whine of engines as a YT-2100 came into view with its ramp extended. The wind generated by the repulsorlifts blew into the apartment almost causing Kalia's towel to fly away if she hadn't grabbed it. Kano was standing at the end of the ramp, "Rides here."

-HMR Quaestor’s Residence
-Tarthos
-Would have checked the time except, oh right, I'm naked


Clenching the towel tightly she fought against the winds icy fingers that seemed intent on pulling it free. Staring at Kano, frustration was clear within the gleam of her eyes. “welcome to the madness Hunny” Fremoc mutters with a smirk on his face.

Kalia raises an eyebrow to him and lets the towel drop to the floor as she turns and walks over to her dressing area. Fremoc’s jaw drops as he struggles to conceal her naked body from his brother and cousin. “Little good that’s gonna do. Mirado has already seen me naked and Kano seems dead set on it” Kalia says matter of factly. She wiggles into her form fitting armor, giggling at Fremoc’s frantic attempt to hide his prized Red Rose.

Once geared up, the three board the ship and take off. Sitting on Fremoc’s lap Kalia asks “where exactly are we going and what are we doing? Will we be needing any extra help? You know I could call in a few operatives “

The three men laugh at her, surprised at how well she has adapted to the madness that is the Pepoi family knowing full well she hasn't even begun to realize just how mad they really are.

Cockpit, YT-2000
Exiting Tarthosian Atmosphere

As the little transport pushed through atmosphere, Methyas gripped the yoke with his only hand as he made the minute adjustments which were necessary for touchy older craft, his experiences as a bounty hunter coming back to him as sat within the pilot's chair.

"Lock in the coordinates that Kano gave us, Zero; the others are probably getting more comfortable in the hold than they should be." Methyas said calmly to his little "droid", an interface cable running from the small unit at his waist as the AI chirped happily to its master through the Miraluka's earpiece.

While Methyas could fly the transport on his own, through a mixture of luck, experience and guidance from the Force, it was still far easier for him to rely on the support of his droid so that he could focus on maintaining everything else. As the Corellian vessel leapt from atmosphere and cleared to a suitable distance, the Hyperdrive wound up and stars streaked past as they entered Hyperspace. Disconnecting the droid from his waist and placing it upon the console, Methyas rose to his feet and started towards the lounge with his robes fluttering about him. It might have been strange leaving the little droid, it looked no more than a little supply pack had its interface cable not been running from it, but Methyas knew that the little unit's transmitters were powerful enough to reach him anywhere aboard the vessel.

As he entered the lounge, he could hear some of the others talking, mostly Kano and Mirado discussing tactics while Fremoc and Kalia whispered sweet nothings to each other; it didn't take much for the Jedi's voice to snap them out of their loving embrace, "For the Director of SHADOW, your apartment could be far too easily compromised if we could simply walk in through the balcony. Perhaps you should consider updating your security when we return."

While the statement would have sounded scolding or accusatory, the tone of his voice was far from it; it was simply that, a statement, and everyone within the hold had noticed that he had said when they returned. It was a bold, almost unusual statement from the typically reserved L'eonheart; almost as though the Force had given him assurance of their success, though Mirado knew that if such an occurrence had happened, Methyas wouldn't be the one openly state it confidently. Still, there was an air of confidence about him that seemed unusual, as though he were ready to openly fight alongside his family in spite of his usually pacifistic nature.

"So, what plans have we discussed already?" Methyas continued, a small smile creeping across his face as he moved to sit upon a nearby crate; the aura of his calm, monastic persona returning as he seemed to reach out to the Force once again.

Cargo Hold

"So, what plans have we discussed already?" Methyas said. Kano looked at the group assembled and left out a soft sigh.

"We head to Nar Shadda."

"Oh how I love that planet," grunted Fremoc. Worry seemed to ripple through the Force from Mirado and Methyas. "Did you pick up my armor and gear before we left?"

"Aye."

"Kalia's?"

"Aye."

"Wait, mine?" questioned Kalia. She only owned her GMRG armor, so she immediately thought she was receiving the red and black Guardsman Mark 2 armor.

"Yes yours. Kano and I picked it up on our last excursion." Kano opened a locker exposing red, pink, and black durasteel Mandalorian Armor.

"Mandalorian Armor? Isn't this confiscated by the Council?"

"Nope, this is 100% durasteel." Fremoc said with a grin on his face as her face was in shock and awe.

"Protocols?" questioned Kano.

"NR002 through NR004 are active." The former Night Raptor Battle Team Leaders nodded in agreement, and Mirado nodded as well knowing what they were having been living with the others for so long.

"NR002, NR003, and NR004?" Kalia questioned again.

"NR002 is we leave no traces of our presence. Whatever it is, blow it up if possible. NR003 is no lightsabers, use armor and conventional weapons as much as possible. We're going into an area that doesn't take to friendly to us Dark Jedi. NR004 is that we do not leave a man or woman behind no matter what." Fremoc stated as he pulled on his green and black Mandalorian armor.

"And NR001?" Kalia pulled the chest plate over her extremely large bust.

"NR001 is protect the Demon leader and answer him no matter what the position." Fremoc slid his lightsabers into their hiding places inside his forearm pieces.

"Demon leader?"

The two time Night Raptor Battle team leader, Kano, responded with one word, "Fremoc."