Anchorhead was a dry, sun-bleached stain on the edge of the Dune Sea — a small, stubborn outpost that had refused to die, even as trade routes shifted and the Empire's long shadow reached toward the Core. What was once a promising frontier town had become a halfway point for smugglers, scavengers, and the kinds of beings who didn't want to be found.
Kael Solaris liked it immediately.
His HLAF-500 starfighter touched down just outside the city limits, cloaked in a temporary shimmer field Ghost had rigged with spare parts. From a distance, it looked like little more than a rock formation on a ridge.
Kael disembarked alone, dressed in a gray field cloak and matte armor plates dulled with sand. His rifle remained hidden beneath the long folds of cloth, and his weapons were subtly embedded into modular sheathes and hip compartments.
Ghost remained behind — surveillance-only protocol. If this was a trap, Kael would walk into it with eyes wide open.
[ Objective: Meet Contact "V" – Location: Dock C, Anchorhead ]Threat Level: UnknownStatus: Surveillance Active | Stealth Enhancements EngagedBonus Objective: Determine Trustworthiness of Contact
Kael adjusted his scarf and stepped into the dusty streets of Anchorhead.
Dock C was a half-ruined hangar carved into the cliffside. A corroded starship husk leaned against the back wall, and half a dozen mechanics haggled over droid parts beside crates of sand-blasted equipment.
But Voro Kres stood alone near the edge of the dock, arms crossed, watching him approach.
She wore civilian armor today — faded spacer gear, blaster at her hip, black ponytail loose instead of tied. Her cybernetic eye glowed faintly blue in the shadows.
"You came," she said, not smiling.
"You asked," Kael replied evenly.
She studied him in silence. "You handled yourself well at the Boonta Eve. Subtle. Quick. Effective. Most people didn't even know anything had gone wrong."
Kael said nothing.
"But I know better," she continued. "I saw footage from a rooftop security drone. You were there, just seconds before a black-robed figure vanished. And I know a Sith probe was destroyed that same night. Quietly. Without Republic or Hutt intervention."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "You've been busy."
"I keep my eyes open. It's how I've survived this long. Which brings me to my point…"
She stepped closer.
"You're not just some freelance bounty hunter."
Kael tilted his head. "What makes you so sure?"
"Because every time you show up, something important shifts. Gangs fall. Sith get spooked. Jedi stay quiet."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small holodisk.
"Encrypted footage," she said. "Of you confronting a Sith. Briefly. No face. Just flashes. It got scrubbed from most feeds, but not all. I saved it."
Kael stared at the disk.
"And you're showing this to me because…?"
"Because I want in," she said, voice firm. "I'm tired of waiting around for jobs from corrupt Hutts and spineless guild lords. You're moving pieces. I want to move with you."
[ Dialogue Path Branch: Trust | Misdirect | Threaten ]Reward (If Successful): Loyal Operative | Outer Rim Informant Access | Side Quest ChainRisk: Potential Exposure | Timeline Leak | Surveillance Compromise
Kael let out a slow breath. He studied her — the tension in her stance, the certainty in her voice. She wasn't bluffing. And more importantly, she wasn't afraid.
He tapped his wrist, activating a private MercNet overlay only he could see.
[ Initiating Trust Assessment... ]Probability of Betrayal: 8%Loyalty Potential: HighSuggested Response: Reveal Tier I Clearance | Conceal Summoning System
Kael made his decision.
He stepped forward and looked her in the eye. "You're right. I'm not what I seem. And I am building something — something bigger than the guilds, bigger than the Hutts, maybe even bigger than the Jedi."
She didn't flinch.
"I need people I can trust. Operators who understand risk and don't blink when things get messy."
Voro arched an eyebrow. "That me?"
"You tell me."
She smirked faintly. "Depends. What's the pay?"
Kael grinned. "Dangerous missions. Dangerous allies. Access to tech you've only heard rumors about. And the chance to shape the future."
"That's not pay."
"No," Kael said. "That's purpose."
She hesitated… then extended her hand.
Kael took it.
[ Voro Kres Recruited – Operative Tier I ]Class: Tactical Analyst | Informant CoordinatorLoyalty: Bound – MercNet Link EstablishedNew Features Unlocked: Outer Rim Informant Network | Mission Chain: "Web of Influence"+500 XP | +400 Credits
Voro tapped her wrist and linked with the terminal. "I'll send you data on five likely allies — former spies, slicers, and demolitions experts working freelance between Ryloth and Nar Shaddaa. Might take time to track them."
"Send the files to Outrider Station."
Her eyes flicked up. "You've got a base already?"
Kael just smiled.
Later, they sat in the back of an old cantina tucked into a sandstone crevice, watching the twin moons rise over the ridge. Kael sipped from a bitter drink made of cactus extract and something vaguely alcoholic. Voro watched him, her expression unreadable.
"You ever think you're in over your head?" she asked.
Kael thought of Darth Maul. Of Anakin's eyes the day of the race. Of Padmé standing beneath the suns, unknowingly holding the fate of a galaxy in her heart.
"Every day," he said.
She chuckled. "Good. Means you're not stupid."
They shared a quiet moment.
Then Kael stood. "I need to move. If I'm going to summon the next operative, I'll need full base sync. We're expanding soon."
"You think this galaxy's ready for you?" she asked.
Kael paused at the door.
"No," he said. "But I'm not asking."
[ MercNet System Notification: Summon Token – 7 Days Remaining ]Current Operatives: Kael Solaris, Ghost-014 (Halo), Voro KresAvailable Facilities: Outrider Station (Tier I – Secure)Next Objective: Finalize Supply Chain | Prepare for Summon Event | Optional: Raid Slaver Convoy Near Ryloth
Kael stepped into the night, his cloak billowing behind him as the sands shifted underfoot.
The stars above burned like warning lights.
And Kael? He was just getting started.