Dominion All Alone in the Night | CIS Dominion of Kayri III

[Anakwor Farlorn]

Farlorn's Forlorn
Chapter Nine: (Un)fortunate sons
Part Two​

Tags: Ruus Kote

They watched the mechanized Mandolorian infantry wreak havoc through the Jungle with their esoteric and advanced weapons of war. The legends were true. It was a terrifying sight to behold in person even for bloodied veterans.

“Why do they get all the good stuff?” Trooper Grant complained as he clambered into the troop compartment of the transport, watching a Charon turn from a five-meter-tall monster of impenetrable segmented armor to a pile of smoldering dust. Behind him, a rapid segmented tactical withdrawal was being executed. Which was fancy talk for running with your tail tucked between your legs. “We don’t even have a single disruptor.”

“Oh, you’ll get a disruptor, Grant,” Osowiec quipped as he backed up into the APC, firing off bursts of covering fire while ordering his remaining men still in the field. “up your arse if I keep hearing you yap about some Viceroy not giving us enough attention. Come on, boys! You got five more seconds to get on or I’m sure these alien bastards will appreciate you as some fine kibble!”

“I didn’t know you were into that stuff, Cap.” Grant teased as the ramp slammed shut. “Not that I’m judging.”

“Oh, will you just shut up? I should have had you on charges of insubordination a long time ago.” Osowiec took the time to smack the rebellious soldier in the side of the head. Strapping himself into a secure seat, he switched his comms-channel to his squad leaders. “Zaphod, Ford, Kaylee, sound off. How many did we lose.”

He impatiently tapped his feet as the news came on. “Only seven? Seven. Praise the Lord, we were lucky. I want all of you to know that you should be proud of yourself and your team. When we get back… if we get back… I am recommending medals for everyone in this bloody company, at least what’s left of it.”

Just down the way, Karsaw and Porky were seated next to each other, both staring at a Mando gunner hanging out the side-hatch and the others in the compartment.

“Quiet bunch those boys, ain’t they?” Porky pointed out.

“I guess that’s because this bunch doesn't like talking so much, even amongst their own kind.” He leaned in and whispered. “I guess that’s Mando’s for you. Ain’t got much to talk about that isn’t killing anything that moves and hanging it's head as a trophy. Blood thristy”

“I think they are blabbering to each other. Through their helmet-talkies.”

“How would you know that?”

“Look at the way their heads are moving. That one just looked at his friend and he cocked his head slightly. When he stopped doing that, his buddy did the opposite.”

Karsaw took quite a while to figure it out. That was Porky for you. He would miss things right in front of his nose but then point out something that even Corpo-Detectives would miss at a first glance. “And you shouldn’t be calling them that, Kar-boy, it’s not nice. Don’t matter what they were before. You should ask yourself in that little noggin of yours if it matters what they were before if they're loyal now? They help people.”

Karsaw hesitated for a bit. “I suppose so. But I just can’t shake that feeling. We fought against them. Their kin killed our kin and so did we kill theirs.”

“That’s not your fault. So long as you try to fight it as best you can.” Suddenly the APC shook as the Charon launched their second assault of the day. The Rangers switched from casual chatter to battle-ready posturing in the blink of an eye. Troopers checked what ammo they had left and prepared to bail out of their transports and into practiced formations.

“I’m going to have to apologize, sir,” Osowiec shouted to Colonel Kote, “But you’ll have to try to beat me when it comes to the resurrection thingy. Cause only I kill my own men and I kill them good.”

The Rangers the transports made a hearty laugh but were all ready for blood if and when it would come.

 

[Kobi Fesser]

It was just a flurry of commotion as more and more people joined into the effort to locate and acquire these mysterious stones. In fact, the overwhelming nature of the growing crowd layered the strain on the young empath. He’d learned to control these innate abilities of his to a degree, but had yet to test them amid crowds of wallowing spirits and egos. Of just emotion. And it was emotions from all across the spectrum.

He glanced to Skylar Vikaar at his flank and smiled, though she’d likely be able to see there was a certain fakeness to his expression. The myriad of voices imposed on him by the emotions that hung heavily in the air. “Let’s go,” he called out with a wave of his arm.

His gaze then flashed to Ruus Kote and G 3 M 1 N 1 , 2 individuals he’d really not paid much notice to at this point. It was only cursory though, as a familiar voice would fill the air momentarily. This voice putting a smile on the young Jedi’s face.

“Puppy?” Kobi’s voice was hushed, but he did vocalize his inquiry as he spun on his heel. “Puppy!” There was an abundance of excitement as the young boy settled on exactly whose voice it was that seemed so familiar and then hurried over to the one with which the words had previously come from. He wrapped his arms around Gerwald Lechner in the form of a hug and held on tight for a brief moment. “Aw, are you scared of the bug people, Wolfie,” Kobi asked, releasing the Lord Commander of the Knights Obsidian from his embrace. “Don’t worry, Wolfie. Skylar and I can protect you!”

He took to a heroic pose, chest raised and hands on hips. A large smile enveloped his face.

 

[G 3 M 1 N 1]

Tag:
- Skylar Vikaar // Ruus Kote BX-4323
Weapons:
- S-66 Scorpio // L 86 - Pisces x3 // T 91 - Taurus x3 // Vibro-Trenchknifes // Diamondback
Armour:
- G3M1N1 Chassis
Attire:
- This

​

The two children under her wing that Gem had hoped to keep there as they began to move were lifted away by yet another spacial abnormality, her scans looking around and finding a huamanoid which the due seemed to respond positively to. The stature of the man seemed adept, musculature tones as though he had taken some effort in his physical strength. Gem couldn't help but approve on a base level, taking the time to better take in the man's statistics with her sensors, the upper end of pounds of force a creature with his bio density would able to build up with momentum was impressive, though it was no repulsarkick. ​

​

It was the nature of the force that he wielded that seemed to be the edge he had in combat as the group of three began making their way down a path towards one of the many charted Charon temples. Gem wouldn't follow in plain sight, keeping low and to the wings as she would ensure that the positions of the young one's were protected. Occasionally one of the large insectoid charon would come towards one of the many ledges in the area prompting Gem, with spear in hand set to its electrified setting to plunge it through the hardened carapace of the beasts and felling them in the shadows on the nearby rise long before they could pose a threat to herself or them. ​

​

As they arrived however Gerwald Lechner , now leading the pups would find himself at the gates, staring down the better part of a dozen of the monstrous beasts, their pincers and hulking frames bearing down upon him as Gem for once would leap into action, their position nearing the temple and the gems read as bizarre abnormalities on her sensors as he would rush for a crystal. With that crystal in hand, he had his weapon, but his ability to wield the energy field known as the force would be severely limited making him vulnerable in the current moment as a swarm of Charon war beasts would descend upon the group coming back from the temple. Gem behind them as she would charge, slamming into their forces and sweeping with her Scorpio for their legs. Three of the creatures would have their insectoid digits removed from them at the knee while a number of others managed to protect against the ray with their carapace. ​

​

Charging in head first is a woefully sub optimal tactic. You should have allowed me to carry the gems as You all rely upon the force in order to do combat. I do not. Hand them to me for now free yourself.:​

​

She would insist, awaiting a reply as a charon would come to be blasted in the heart of its sternum with one of the rounds from Gem's diamondback. An explosion from the high penetrating round causing the beast to vomit no small amount of bile and ichor as it would turn to their location beginning to charge. ​

​

"I Really hope we have a way outta here..."​

 

[Ruus Kote]

​

Immediate Friendly Forces:​

• 1st Jurkad Verde "Kad'b Marev" Armored Battalion, Solus and T'ad Company
• 1st Jurkad Verde "Shereshoy" Mechanized Infantry Battalion, Solus and T'ad Company
• Ruus Kote's HQ Company

Tag(s): Anakwor Farlorn | Kobi Fesser | G 3 M 1 N 1 | Gerwald Lechner | Lavria Xedrim | Palm-Imer | Oleander Webb | Visanj T'shkali | Asori Soto ​

​

"So long as it isn't the Charon that kill any of you. That's not something I want to have to explain to Colonel Farlorn" laughed Ruus, nervousness edging into his voice as he took control of one of the MA-02 Mass-driver Autocannons. Ruus more conservatively directed the dwindling ammunition supply into the incoming horde of Charon than even the droid brain's ammunition aware firing mode. The Charon horde didn't quite seem to be growing any smaller. Ruus refused to let worry take hold. Even once their vehicles had run dry, they'd keep killing them till either they could no longer draw breath, or when the Charon attack was stopped.​

​

The autocannon's ammunition counter ticked down into the double digits now. It would only be moments before the weapon ran dry, and moments later it did. The weapon's interface beeped at him, screaming it's verbal cue at him. Another cue caught his attention. This one was from the tank's sponson guns. Both heavy repeating rippers were completely dry. Realizing that there wasn't much left to do but to leave Jintar and Ghes to it, he popped open the commander's hatch and began putting rapid two-round bursts at the oncoming Charon. ​

​

Ruus cursed. Where the shab was his air support? He had half a mind to wring Namor Netra's neck when he saw the kadtape di'kut next. The magazine ran dry pretty quickly, and Ruus let the empty magazine fall back into the tank before inserting a new magazine. He could see other tank commanders and crews resorting to the same. Sighing, Ruus raised the other vehicles, "Give 'em haran, vode. Whatever happens, we do not stop."​

​

It was about at this point that it became clear to everyone that no matter what, they weren't slowing down the horde of incoming Charon, "Alright, vode, time for things to get messy" Like most soldiers, Mandalorians had a strong appreciation for gallows humor, the sergeant in charge of the infantry squad. The man paused for a second, glancing from his troops to the Carians as he addressed them, "It was an honor to fight by your sides. You too, Carians. Mando'ad, Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur!" ​

​

It was right about then that the air was filled with a high pitched screeching before being drowned out by explosions. The sound of massive caliber rounds whizzing down from overhead preceded everything. Explosions kicked up dirt all over the Charon formation. Charon bodies, what little was left of them, went everywhere. Anyone watching, and almost everyone in the column surely was, could tell that there was a distinct pattern to the incoming fire. Cannon fire, rockets, energy torpedoes, before the blinding actinic flash of plasma. When the shriek of engines overhead resumed, the scene behind them was one straight out of hell. ​

​

Craters and a burning inferno was all that was left of the Charon. A single cry of "oya!" erupted from the Mandalorain troops. With the biggest grin on his face, Ruus raised the squadron leader of the Jai'galaar fighter-bombers, "Namor you shabuir, the haran took you so long? Trying to give us a kriffing heart attack, are you? Drinks are on you just for that, mir'sheb!" Ruus was laughing now, the cause of which was a result of coming down off his adrenaline high, and the bizarre mix of emotions he was feeling now. ​

​

"Just to keep you guessing you old di'kut," laughed Ver'alor Namor Netra. "You'd better get moving back to the LZ. Command wants everyone on transports and out of here on the double. We're getting off this rock. You know that means you've got to make sure that the survey team get's on, don't you?" Ruus could see the transports touching down at the LZ in the near distance. ​

​

"If I have to drag their sbebs onto the transport myself," he replied, deadpan. "Just make sure you keep those shabuir off us." Namor just flashed his acknowledgement signal and cut the line. Someone else might've thought him a tad too curt, for Mandalorians, this was normal. Ruus waited till the convoy came to a stop at the LZ before leaping onto the ground and jogging over to the IFVs the Carians boarded, looking for the Carian captain. When he found him, he caught his attention and then said, "Happy to have helped, Captain. Now get you and yours back on your transports, and tell your colonel what I'm about to tell you. The pleasure's all mine, Carian. That goes for the both of you. Now go."​

​

Ruus waited in the main bay of one of the Busayr Assault Transports. The other transports were loaded and away before long. Sighing, he gave the order for the pilot to take off, "Track their last. Take us up and keep us low. Spray anything that isn't us." Their pilot didn't need to be told twice. Thrusters vectoring downward for maximum lift, the massive transport lifted into the air, threatening to knock over trees as it flew low over the canopy. Magnetic locks on his combat boots kept Jintar, Ghes, Janar, his crew and Ruus himself from loosing their footing and falling down the open ramp. ​

​

"Getting friendly IFF signatures up ahead, alor, Significant hostile concentrations," announced their pilot. With their armor and the transport's Manda tactical battlenet modules synced, his armor's tracking system alerted him of where the friendlies were, but as the transport got closer, he could see them with the aid of the macrobinocular zoom function. ​

​

"Tra'cyar mav, then swing in nice and low. Let's get them the haran out of here," ordered Ruus. The transport screeched over the heads of the defenders, tri-barrel rotary mass-drivers steadily spitting high explosive rounds at the Charon around them with unerring accuracy. The high-pitched whine of mass-driver weapons almost drowned out the sound of the Charon. Only once the guns fell silent did Ruus call out to those on the ground as the transport dropped into a low hover, ramp barely two feet off the ground, "The haran are you all waiting for? Get your shebs onboard now before those things decide to test our gun coverage!"​

 

[Aspect of Defiance]

And on board the team climbed with the void stone. The force users would not feel their connection to the force until they secured the stones in a field which was designed to contain the effects of the stone. Many of the scientists were on standby to study the stone. If the Confederacy were to employ the stone's effects in their weaponry they would need to study it. The Knights Obsidian hoped to find a way to counteract force nullifying effects.

The criminals had been arrested, and they would be taken for trial.

Still, nothing would top the greatest need of all that had been on Kayri III, a shower to wash away the charon guts they were all covered in.

Spoiler: OOC Note

Feel free to continue to post just because the dominion is over feel free to continue your stories!

​

 

[Srina Talon]

K A Y R I
Tag: Diana Sophistica | [Open]
Location: Kayri III [Outskirts]
Objective: BYOO
_________________________________________________________​

It was as if she’d been sleeping.

The sweet sound of her halberd swinging through the air whilst it converted mid-swing into a deadly Force Pike was like a crystal yell that shattered the endless. The battle. The fight—Which seemed to go on and on without end. Where one Charon fell another rose to take their place. An enemy that was not unlike the Droid Army that the Confederacy employed against their foes. Her muscles had begun to burn from exertion, but she pressed onward, beyond what most human forms could endure.

She was not. Not human—Not in ways that counted.

The cold snap that welled from the flame-haired woman she had freed from the ship echoed within her chest as if she had been made hollow. She breathed deep and the air seemed to taste as if it had been made new. Purified. That clean scent of the very first permafrost of the season on Eshan wrapped around her in a should of familiar memory. She found strength in cold. Clarity, in ice.

The thrumming masses of Charon seemed to slow as their joints and muscles became infused with an embittered chill. Srina, did not. She twirled around and let the weight of her weapon carry it swiftly through the head of one of the beasts. It was a familiar target. Head or heart. The Exarch had no sympathy for such mindless, vicious creatures, save to be done with them. She held no pity for what stood between her and her mission. A Sith did not mourn the loss of an urchin, so devolved, that it could barely be utilized for alchemical material. Truly, there was nothing of value on this world.

Nothing but the Void Stones the others sought.

Srina cleaved her way through spindle-like legs and gnashing claws. They moved too slowly now. She was light on her feet, cradled by the wind, and windswept hair flowed behind her like an ivory silk ribbon. The Echani was a Daughter of the Moon and it showed. Every inch of her seemed to contain the inherent grace and eloquence of her people. The icy chill that decelerated the movement of the beasts made it even more apparent that she seemed to be able to tell what was going to happen before it did. Almost, as if she had some sort of precognitive ability. The Charon moved as such now that it almost seemed like they were imprisoned in a time flux. Trapped, in slow motion.

While she was free to rip bloodily through them. One by one.

Lost in a perpetual dance of movement and death she paused, briefly, when she heard the green-eyed survivor apologize. Silver orbs would take in her wildfire tresses and too-bright eyes with merciless evaluation. Srina did not have the mindset for kind words and platitudes. She was blunt, moreover, she did not believe in false modesty. <<…Do not apologize for being strong, stranger.>>

The Charon were still coming. Slow, but there. One of them tried to lunge at her and Srina raised her free hand without looking. The human-esque arachnoid stopped in mid-air with two of its four legs raised. The dark-exoskeleton glimmered with minuscule frost crystals. The creature, a warrior, towered over the diminutive woman in a way that was both menacing and perplexing. Why had it stopped? Why had the Force begun to move?

Srina inhaled.

Black smoke twisted from the throat of the Charon. Past the mandibles and out into the open air. It spun through freshly falling snow and flew into her mouth. Secrets. It let the Exarch of the Confederacy view the secrets this world hid. Past their warrior caste and into the tunnels and trenches they called home. It was filled with technology that reminded her of the Vong. She could see their brutality; their goals.

An Endgame.

She also saw the entrance to the nest that the starship had landed a little too close to. The smoke left her mouth and returned to the Charon while the lingering taste of alien dreams long forgotten lingered in the back of her mind. It was the scent of pride crossed with primordial sulfur. Sparks began to flicker at the edges of seemingly delicate fingertips and she pressed her palm toward the creature as if there was some sort of invisible resistance that couldn’t be seen. It screamed and bleated. Another Charon launched itself in her direction. Another, and another. All became, ironically enough, caught in her web.

She would not relent. The collective carapace of the Charon began to flake off, slowly, before the process sped up. A dark light hid in the starlit shades of her iris and the edges of her eyes began to darken around the waterline. She pressed onward still. The creatures she caught and continued to catch writhed in the agony that her technique brought them—Until they could take it no more.

The Charon nearest to her vicinity began to disintegrate while wrath filled her heart. It was exactly like the anger that had welled up from the traveler ( Diana Sophistica ) but it was focused and precise. It was exactly in the way a surgeon might utilize a scalpel. Though, there was no overflow. There was no explosion of energy. There was only a delicate floating, falling remains of dead Charon while she drained their very lifeforce from them. They fell from where she held them, like the insects they were, and the Echani pulled away from the leftovers with a sense of disdain.

Weaklings.

The woman came to her side with the droid that had been frozen. Once again, in the span of a heartbeat Srina seemed to have found her footing as well as a plan. Seeing what they had done to their brethren it seemed that they were less willing to attack so boldly. They were regrouping. While the Echani could understand the attempt—It was only a lesson in futility.

“Leave the droid.”, Srina all but commanded, though, her voice never rose above measured softness. It was the tone of someone who was used to others obeying without question. Silver eyes flickered while she turned to head up the hill, pike in hand, expecting the woman to follow. “Do you not know what you are? Power befell you. A dark tide encapsulated with a will to survive….”

She took note of the thrusters but showed little sign of stopping.

“The Charon will die.”

By fire or by ice, though, she could not necessarily say which. What she did not know in this scenario was exactly how long this ship would last malfunctioning as it was. The white-haired woman murmured a few words into her Holo-Comm that would cause a salvage team to disembark from the Lucrehulk-class battleship that waited in orbit. Perhaps, they might have some solution.

In the interim, the Exarch intended to deal with the rodent problem.

Once the ground leveled off, she began to fall into a swift run that the Charon didn’t hesitate to follow. Headed toward the thrusters, she paused and drew upon the Force once more to pull the creatures from the left directly into the line of fire. For herself and the red woman? Srina pressed that heat down and let it melt a trench so that they could safely get around it. Her goal was still the highest plateau.

From there? They would do what needed to be done.

“We’ll need to clear the way as best we can so I can have my ship extract us. The webbing will complicate things if too many of them try to pull her down.”, Srina intoned, briefly, pointing to the area she had seen from the ground. It was perfect.

 

[Palm-Imer]

Armor: XxX.
Weapons: The Wraith Blades.
Tagging:
Gerwald Lechner ~ Lavria Xedrim ~ Oleander Webb ~ Visanj T'shkali ~ Asori Soto ~ Skylar Vikaar ~ Kobi Fesser

​

The geologist was handling the situation pretty well for someone who lacked the experience with battle that the rest of their group's members held. Because of this, the geminaie had allowed a larger space to grow between them as she put an end to the Charon that approached them - although always remaining close enough to assist should the need arise. More and more enemies began sprouting seemingly out of nowhere, their colony had been allowed to grow too big and now the reality of how outnumbered they truly were was about to become painfully obvious.

So, they were lucky that their mission did not require them to remain there once they got what they were sent to secure. They needed to get those stones and get out, quickly. Anything that became an obstacle to those two objectives would have one final meeting with the scorching blade of a lightsaber.

It didn't take too long for the geminaie to fall into a rhythm. Soon the movements of the lumbering eight-legged monsters was a distinguishable pattern in the folds of her mind, each individual a distinct variation of what was, in the end, the same dance. Her mind plunged into that state of sharp focus, of a peaceful awareness that had the purpose of helping her wreak havoc on the hordes of enemies that approached with swiftness and a precision that was, for many reasons, impressive. The Force was not with her, but her kind had other ways of connecting to those around them, reading them - a blessing for an ally, a terrible curse for a foe.

Once they reached their location, Palm took to the task of holding the line while Gerwald and Ms. Soto collected the stones. Where one Charon fell two seemed to spring up to replace them, and the geminaie was glad they would soon be able to retreat. An arachnid head rolled and then there was a brief moment of respite. She was covered in sweat and blood, but tiredness would not yet take hold of her so long as the adrenaline kept on pumping through her veins. Golden eyes turned to make sure all of her companions were still in one piece. It was a surprise to see that two more had joined them. Children. Her first thought, of course, was trying to decipher who in the name of the Force was the person who had allowed two kids to come here seemingly unattended. Luckily for this unknown individual, there was no time for that.

The boy hugged Gerwald, the knowledge that he seemed to know the lupine brought some semblance of relief. Palm offered the kids a small smile before letting her gaze find the Lord Commander's. They were ready to go and now they had three high priority targets to ensure the safety and safe return of: the stones, the scientist...and the apprentices. "We need to leave."

 

[Diana Sophistica]

Diana Sophistica
Tag: Srina Talon + Open
Location: Kayri III - outskirts - Red Hare Wreck
Equipment: Lightsaber - Dark Cloak armor
Objective: BYOO

Her mind was at ease. After the outburst it was finally calming down and returning to it's state of focus. Frigid cold still around her, but no longer produced by her. The burning red hair that swept in her face were almost hot to the touch as the emerald orbs in their sockets witnessed the scene unfold around her. Short, collected swings of the sword swept from head to head. Piercing Charon with precision and practiced moves. The hot breath of the woman creating clouds as a soft panting overtook her. The outburst had cost her, and now she paid the price. It would pass, soon even in battle. Her training would assure it, but the force needed to refill itself within her still.

The other woman ( Srina Talon ), her actions fierce and powerful. The web she forged, the mist from the creatures mouth and the direct nature of her moves were astonishing. The control she showed was beyond her own. Not just that, she had grace and confidence in what she did. Diana, a seasoned warrior compared to most, could find a pride in standing next to someone like that. The right arm that held the droid clenched it's metal tight. It was rejected, ready to be disposed of. It would not take a second, almost as instinct, her legs moved. Left foot, turn a quarter to the left, use the hip to add momentum. Breath in, Force to the muscles and strengthen. Breath out, strength beyond normal is within her. Her body swirled to the left and slings the droid towards the group of Charon there. It's metal body whisking through the air as it collided with a few. Snapping, unpleasant and raw, the metal body made the Charon fall and likely never rise again. The woman returned to look at her companion forming a trench, safe to pass through and able to feed the Charon to the thrusters if needed.

Her feet moved swift. Along with the white haired woman she moved. Running towards the thrusters and in agreement on the plan the woman had shared. With hasted movement she slashed her left arm in an arc, crescent and raw, the lightsaber in her hand ended a Charon that had felt his luck right to attack the moving targets.

"I assure you, they will not be alive long enough to cause issue."

Her voice was calm, a half pant still within it as she responded to the woman. The silver ornaments in the sea of red shimmering as she ducked into the trench that had been burned out for the pair. The force slowly filling her up once more. The movement of her right hand, free of the droid it had held mere moments before, took hold of a group of Charon that had approached. To the right they had approached the pair with the droids, and it only took the red haired woman a second. A single pull towards the left crashed a good 2 into the crossfire of the thruster as its heat singed their skin. The flesh roasting as Diana ran through the trench. She had to focus, truly focus. Her breath exited her as she prepared the Force and ran past the thruster, in the direction the white haired woman had pointed. The Force used to enforce her skin, saving her from any residual heat.

The Charon still approached, one climbing over the corpses of their fallen kin. Past the thruster was little different from before. She took her lightsaber in two hands and steadied herself. Trained and calculated swings of the blade slashed one after the other creature while allowing her movement towards their goal in small steps.

 

[Asori Soto]

---
Location: Kayri III catacombs centre
Wearing: civvies + blast vest
Toting: standard blaster rifle, vibrodagger, and various geological equipment
Tags: Visanj T'shkali / Palm-Imer / Gerwald Lechner / Lavria Xedrim / Oleander Webb
---

She followed where she was led, until she recognized they approached the inner sanctum. She picked up her pace and gently squeezed her way past Palm and Gerwald with hands on their shoulders. She ducked into the cavern as she took a cylindrical recording device off her utility belt. One button press illuminated a dim LED atop the device dull yellow; another turned the light green. She began speaking with it close below her lips:

"Doctor Soto.

"We’ve made it. A hundred or so meters into the Charon caves. The-the void stone – they're here. In pieces, small enough to transport…” She paused to stoop at the nearest sample, and looked closely. “Darkly-colored – in fact a deep black – metallic, and pitted all over by large to small indents. It is also sub-rounded, suggesting a natural breakdown process...” She began to fiddle with another instrument on her belt, evidently trying to get in off with one free hand.

<<<“You’re gonna have to scan these on the way… or on the dropship. I have a feeling there will be more Charon here before you can finish.”>>>

Gerwald's comm startled Asori just enough. She forgot about her scanner to instead brace herself on the cave floor. Then, she powered off and sheathed the recorder. Right, imminent danger. She had almost forgotten. With a nod, she gathered the samples within reach and tucked them quickly into her rucksack. "Lead the way," indicated the doctor when she had finished.

They hadn't gotten all the samples, but hopefully they had taken enough. She would begin to unlock the answer to that question, and the mysteries of the void stones, on the dropship as the Lord Commander suggested.

 

[Srina Talon]

K A Y R I
Tag: Diana Sophistica | [Open]
Location: Kayri III [Outskirts]
Objective: BYOO
_________________________________________________________​

Her nose wrinkled in disgust.

The only this worse than the Charon in its natural arachnoid state was when copious amounts of heat were applied. The scent of their carapace smoldering, cracking like shellfish, and then finally turning to ash was so cloying it actually stung her eyes. Her fingers trailed along the edge of the tunnel that had been created by forcing the heat down and her shoulders stiffened. She could feel them.

All of them.

The reverberations of spindle-like legs running along the surface. Gathering strength. Gnashing angry mandibles and growling the foul, savage tongue, that they thoughtlessly referred to as a language. They seemed to be calling more warriors to fight against two soft-fleshed females. Surely, they were of no consequence to the mightiness of the Charon. Were Srina any other Sith she might have sneered. What foolish, impudent beasts. They should have stayed in their own doomed galaxy.

“It seems that they do not wish to give up the hunt.”

She could hear so much in the silence. The heat from the thrusters sank into her skin, burning, and leaving her with a little redness. The slender woman might have tried to shield herself a little better but she was preoccupied with ensuring that the way was clear. The thrusters were blocked by the bodies of dead insects and they had gone deep enough into the ground that it wouldn’t kill her. It didn’t feel nice—But she wouldn’t die from it. Now, if the Charon got lucky?

That was a different story. Srina didn’t intend to let them get that far.

The silvery Exarch of the Confederacy led the way through to the relative safety of the area on the other side of the ship. It was difficult. By the time they pulled out of the trench the Charon had already figured out that it wasn’t safe to chase them above ground. They crammed themselves into the tunnel and as Diana Sophistica emerged just a few heartbeats behind her, she paused, and raised her hand toward the mouth of the hole. She slowly formed a fist and the earth began to shift. Change, and melt.

Mending together in thin threads as if it were skin knitting itself back together with the insectoid creatures trapped inside. They had one thing in common. Both, required oxygen. They would not find that buried in the ground. As the young Echani warrior had promised her newfound companion, these ghouls, would die. Simply much slower than the rest. “Before they grow wise and attempt to find another way around take the moment to find your footing. Find your air, then we climb. It will provide the best opportunity for my ship to triangulate our position.”

Srina took her own advice and focused, briefly, on catching her breath and solidifying her strength. The muscles in her arms had begun to burn from the wide powerful swings of her halberd. She had taken more than a few shots her armor had managed to deflect, but, the kinetic force was still painful. She would bruise, but it would not hinder her. Any Child of the Bright Lady could withstand mild discomfort in the face of achieving their goals. What others deemed impossible, to her kind, was merely a difficulty to overcome. Srina was stubborn.

She would never give up.

“If you follow my footsteps the terrain will be less difficult. We are in a strange land and it would be best not to fall into a nest. The ground can be weak. Cracked, from the caverns built beneath.”

The Charon were plenty riled up now. Srina believed the swarm would only worsen if either of them began to threaten their young. Intentionally, or unintentionally. The heat from the thrusters could still be felt at their backs but it was manageable. No longer an inferno—But it reminded that it was there. Srina began to scale the side of the mountain rather nimbly. She moved from foothold to foothold without much difficulty, always, checking to see if the stranger was following.

She could both hear and feel spindle legs scurrying. They couldn’t slow down.

If the Charon caught them in partway it would make things very…Troublesome. As much as Srina enjoyed combat, truly, the Confederacy had an objective. She served as an adequate distraction so that the Void Stones could be gathered but she hadn’t anticipated anyone else joining her in the fray. This world was not yet their territory, yet, she felt compelled to offer aid. “I am Srina.”, she announced through measured breaths, without stopping, and without offering her position or title.

Most people who ventured into the Southern Systems knew her name. It was often, unnecessary.

“Once we reach the summit, I will activate my retrieval beacon.”

It wasn’t far now. Her gloved right hand wrapped around the edge of an outcropping and she swung herself back and then up in one fluid motion. She rolled once on the plateau and came to rest on one knee before reaching out to help the stranger. Hand extended, silver eyes pierced the flame-haired woman. It was a delicate scenario. To trust each other when they knew each other not.

Srina offered the woman her hand. She could let go. She could be too weak to help her. There were a million things that could go wrong—But there was a surety in her gaze that would coax the emerald-eyed female to grasp the extended appendage. It was a lifeline in a place where they might as well have been alone in the world. On an alien planet, at that. “Here.”

“We can defend here.”

Whether or not Diana let Srina help her up would be her choice but the moment would be short-lived. The Dread Queen activated her beacon, but the insects were already inbound. Climbing fast. With so many legs it looked almost unnatural. The pale woman drew her arms up as if to fire a bow and arrow but she held nothing. At least, at first. From her left hand, a bow of ice slowly extended and a glimmering arrow made of ice, condensed by The Force, formed in her right hand. She notched it and let it fly.

The singular ice arrow crashed against one of the Charon and exploded. It covered the creature and several around it in an icy tomb and they rolled back down the mountainside, graciously, taking a few of their brethren with them. “My ship is inbound. Five minutes.”

They could last five minutes, certainly.

It would feel like a lifetime.

Spoiler: Summary

Srina led them through the tunnel, up the mountainside, and has called her ship - Now waiting. Defending from the high ground.

 

[Diana Sophistica]

Diana Sophistica
Tag: Srina Talon Srina Talon + Open
Location: Kayri III - outskirts - Red Hare Wreck
Equipment: Lightsaber - Dark Cloak armor
Objective: BYOO

It had been minutes. Far more it had felt to her, but the movements caught up to her. Half her body was, despite the Force strengthening it, been flared up with heat that reminded it of the many blaster burns, scars and painful lessons that were burned into her skin. Every second precious and every tenth of those seconds the difference between life and death. The smell of the crisp shell of a creature that was so far removed from her that their language left nothing but a need for more questions on how it was even known as one. But the foul air now smelled of their remains, and the burning on the woman's skin would grow no lighter for it. The thick miasma swelled through the air. But the soft creaking of her skin with every breath, as the prosthetic's pulled ever so slightly on her skin. The Force resting within her, her companion urging her to take a breath.

A deep breath, a shallow one... it mattered not which, she needed air. As soft soothing cold air flowed through her, the meditation state returned and her fatigue would subside a bit. She bend her right knee, leaning forward to tighten the spring-latch that helped her left leg exert force onto the ground, and began to run. Sure her age would allow people to think differently, but Diana was in good condition, and her body would not fail her now. She ran with the woman, following her closely with very little space to spare behind her. It would be a cacophony in her ear, but every step was an alteration between metal and groans as she ran to the edge that would lead to the plateau of their figurative last stand.

The woman looked up, her companion swung her body so effortlessly over the edge it would almost instil a jealousy in the girl's youth. The woman turned, having just reached out for Diana. The crimson hair of the older of the two seemingly flaring up when a small hint of her past experiences flashed before her eyes. Would this woman use this to throw her back. Make her a feast that would easily secure a part of the trip to safety. She reached back, her hand clasping the outstretched one and pulling herself up. The soft thud of her feet touching the plateau and mentally steeling herself for what is to come.

"The name is Diana, Good to meet you Srina... lets do this."

She took a few steps, just past the figure of the woman. She had heard the name before, but couldn't place it. Rank or status didn't matter much to her, nor did it help her much. Surely it would benefit her to an extend, but she felt that if she got the chance to meet someone and have real interactions with them, it would be a better introduction. She left the name swim in her mind for a second before she gave a soft pat on the woman's shoulder and put a small glimpse of a smile at the woman. She needed and took out her weapon. Surely this would become interesting. Slow steps took her to the middle of the plateau. Every stride filled her with confidence as she saw the woman's attack in the corner of her eyes. The breath she took slowly froze as she pushed force through her body one more in a whirlwind of her training and anticipation. Her footsteps left behind thin layers of ice as her hair grew slightly dimmer and the silver creaked under the colder air.

"You will have to teach me that later. I take this side, I trust you with my back."

Her words spoken with confidents, she readied her stance. Rigid footwork, fluid motions of her arms. The first of the creatures that moments before were being burned alive, now reached the plateau. A big one climbed over the edge and with some burn wounds smouldering still upon it's body like battle scar's. She knew it must be one of the ones that followed them. With blinding speed she dashed, soft crackling as she formed ice under her feet to increase the push of her legs. The tightened spring creaking harshly under the force as a horizontal slash severed the Charon's head from it's body. Left foot landing, ice formed, turn on the hip, dash.

A new Charon climbed up and before even reaching the plateau, received the absolute end of the blade across it's skull. Grazing the wet slimy inside of it's head just barely. But enough to end it's life. Right foot down, create ice, dash. She would move. Faster then a normal person could, even with the force. 5 minutes. It would last, but it would be doable. The frozen air slowly covering her metal hand with the heavy lightsaber, ensuring it would not escape her grasp.

 

[Srina Talon]

K A Y R I
Tag: Diana Sophistica | [Open]
Location: Kayri III [Outskirts]
Objective: BYOO
_________________________________________________________​

Diana made a smart choice.

The wintry woman took aim with her bow of ice and frost, notched her arrows, pulled the invisible string tight and let them fly with menacing precision. Silver eyes bore holes into her enemies while she shot them from the mountainside without so much as a blink. They were living, breathing creatures. Some might even speculate that they were sentient enough to retain a soul. The Dread Queen refused to accept them as anything more than ravenous, vicious, craven animals.

The rapid creation of ice arrows caused the immediate air to grow cold. She drew faster, occasionally, charging the tips with condensed sub-zero cold. When she released the projectile, it screamed through the air and cut a swath of murderous cold through the Charon. It froze them mid crawl, mid step, and spindle-like legs came to a complete stop. Diana asked that Srina teach her the technique and she didn’t respond at first, though eventually, she did. “I was never suited for teaching. If you wish it…”, she breathed, eyes flaring golden, as she drew on the Force from within. A deeper well. “I will try.”

The Exarch trusted few at her back. Not because they lacked skill, but because she had faith in her own abilities. She didn’t want anyone sacrificing themselves for her. The Confederacy was full of people who seemed to think, mistakenly, that she required protection. Advisors, Ministers, and even the Knights Obsidian rose from the depths of a rage-filled river when someone so much as besmirched her name. Whether their devotion stemmed from love or fear—She did not know.

Srina only sought not to abuse it. To keep them from losing themselves to a cause, versus, what was required and right in front of them. She was never so focused on her image that she forgot her people. She would rather fall on a battlefield, blood and bone in their name, versus lose a single one of them.

Yet another secret they would never know.

Diana dealt with the Charon that were climbing up from the other side of the plateau and Srina could see some of them breaking free from the ice. Those that hadn’t fallen to their doom, anyway. The white-haired warrior paused and looked over the edge with shred precision. The halberd that had once belonged to her beloved Tellu sang to her from its resting state at her back. Her lips formed an almost sad, wry smile, as a pang of sadness made her remember why it was that her sister wasn’t here.

All that remained of her was a memory. The weapon—And her scream.

The Moon Child, Daughter of Eshan, drew a breath so deep that the frost in the air nipped at her lungs and caused it to hitch. The Force Welled. Pressed, burning, until she released a banshee wail that caused the entirety of the mountain to shake. The sonic scream tore through the frozen Charon and shattered what was left of them as it down the side of the plateau with wild abandon. It was unlike the cold, swift precision, that the Exarch was known for…And yet—It was exactly that. Precise. Deliberate.

So deliberate that psionic shielding would keep the detrimental effects of such a shriek from hurting either herself or Diana. It was like nails on a chalkboard, but, it wouldn’t blow them away like it did the Charon. Those who heard and hadn’t been frozen seemed to be having trouble staying upright. Whatever frequency the scream hit had obviously caused their nervous systems to blow. Interrupting their collective mind, plans, and mobility.

When the scream stopped the Exarch was left with her chest heaving as a dead stillness settled in.

Never, had this world been so silent.

In the distance, she heard the sound of familiar engines and she turned to glance at her flame-haired companion. Srina didn’t know her, but she fought with strength and honor. That carried a lot of weight with the Echani. “It is here. Prepare to depart, Diana.”

Her voice was raspy. Softer, than it had been before. The scream had injured vocal cords that weren’t used to being overstressed, overused, as they had been. That power had belonged to her sister.

Srina would need to learn to harness it fully in her absence.

When the Ferocity came to hover near enough the airlock opened and a ramp fell down toward them. It was time to go. The slender woman put a little touch of power into her jump and landed safely on the metal platform. “We leave, now. We will return for your ship later.”

If the hive didn’t swallow it first.

 

[Diana Sophistica]

Diana Sophistica
Tag: Srina Talon + Open
Location: Kayri III - outskirts
Equipment: Lightsaber - Dark Cloak armor
Objective: BYOO

Her voice was a shriek. It hurt to hear even if she wasn't the target. It was clear this woman used something she had not mastered, and it showed dearly. The enemies were far worse off. but still... a weapon like that was one she didn't appreciate much. Diana was peculiar that way. She loved the many forms of warfare as much as she hated their existence. The reason she was mangled and cripple was a testament to the cruelty of faith. The shriek stopped and her skin relaxed. Only now realizing she had been tense under the sound. The woman had replied that she'd try teaching to Diana, and she never judged anyone on a new experience they tried. She looked around, and the scene had changed completely. The enemies even on her side had retreated slightly and she felt her hands and skin cool by the second. She felt her muscles ache and knew she just had to hold on a bit longer.

Her companion seemed somewhat... off? Diana had trusted her with her back, a gesture that to her was a sign of mutual trust. She didn't feel the need to explain it... hell she'd probably do a bad job at saying it out loud even if she did. Her back had always been her own, no others were used to aid her if she could help it. The pain of losing someone was unbearable and she knew for a fact people fell in battle. She had seen it countless times, and she'd much rather fall herself then see others do the same for her. She felt that her life was at this point becoming quite long already anyway. Sure she wanted to return to her parents. Happily working on the ship she had once been born on. One day she wouldn't return to them from a battle. One day they had to deal with her inability to breath again. But not today, and not tomorrow if she could help it.

Her newfound companion therefore shook her with the shriek. It was feral almost. Like a song that nature had chosen to ignore and let lay dormant in the winds of a resting planet. This woman now took it with her like a weapon she could never use. Her throat wasn't made for the charming voice of a femme fatale, nor for a shriek. Her voice instead was a soft motherly one, that kindly reminded people of the fact that they were welcome. Mixed in was the hoarse sound of a warrior who never managed to let her past stay put. Her creaking metal limbs were sign of that. She looked down at them and realized she had to add to this battle her own stamp. She had used the power of her cryokinesis before in this battle... and she would allow it one last time. She looked at the other woman as she turned on her heel. The soft grinding of the dirt under her foot as she did, and the charred smell of insect in the air, she felt her skin grow cold.

Every breath was a sleet storm, a blizzard that could only be described as a mountain's raging hatred towards those attempting to reach it's peak. She met the woman in her eyes, confirmed her position and turned back. Making sure the woman was exactly behind her. The soft voice of Diana now echoing as if rolling down a mountain, she spoke.

"I'll be ready when you are. Let's go."

Her hair flared up. Like fire the Force entered and exited her body. Like a violence that was unbecoming of a soldier. Her hair flaired like fire and softly started to dull. As her skin cooled and turned pale, her scar's a standout grey offset against the skin and making them ever more clear. Her eyes dulling and letting her force sight go, leaving one eye to go pale and disfigured while her other remained as clear emerald as always. Her hair turned into a soft silver and grey, as she put both her feet firmly in the ground, digging them in with the metal of her parts creaking like they would collapse. Stress put into her body as she heard the roaring of the ship they should board. It was now, now or never. The enemy needed to be held off and she knew her companion would do well by herself.

A single step, a whirlwind erupted and spikes of ice covered the ground. Making the border before her frigid. Her feet pulled loose she took a leap, the ice under her moving along with her to boost her. Throwing her into the ship with a lack of grace while the pillar, after the other woman had joined, turned on the enemies with a creaking painful shatter. Her visage turned normal as the element of the pillar created a rain of shads that would impale a vast number of the reeling abominations. Her skin split in places from the cold, her right hand red from frostbite and her lips a crackling recreation of a shattered glass. She stared at the other woman. She did much better then her... Diana felt she knew her mistakes from today... but also admired the prowess of this woman. Shaking she raised a hand to her, as a formal handshake. With a voice that trembled with exhaustion and pain she simply noted:

"Thank you for your help. The Red Hare will be saved I'm sure. She's seen many more difficult situations then this."