Antithesis Campaign - Homeworld (Domination of the Aing Tii Hex)

[Loto Afu]

Ancient City of Kal'Shebbal

Those outside now feel the pull of the great city as it continues to return to life. As it does storm cloud continue to build and the air is electric as archs of blue lightening streak across the sky. Above those who walked the grounds the wind began to pickup and the tall treetops began to sway, almost seeming to dance with excitement. A great calling was underway. Those of who have both light and darkness within them now feel the pull. Powers that have lingered within the region for millennia are now beginning to stir, but why?

The City, the Temple, answers and questions, they wait for you. Come learn, grow, serve...

Those who have chosen to enter will be lead down into the earth. As they walk deeper and deeper they will notice the architecture begin to change. The crude block like forms of the city above will instead become smooth and crystalline. There will be a strange chill in the air, not one of darkness or death but it will seem out of place, as if the very air comes from another world....

​

Spoiler

OOC: All the next part of the story has opened up, linger or enter as you wish. Story is driven by you so enjoy your own story and weave it with ours.

All the rest feel free to continue exploring, interacting and having fun!

[member="The Slave"] | [member="Vaylin"] | [member="AD-Iqatar.13"] | [member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Antherion"] | [member="Boethiah"] | [member="Bethany Kismet"] | [member="Iron Giant"] | [member="Thane Drexel"] | [member="Joza Perl"] | [member="Delila Castillon"] | [member="Dax Fyre"] | [member="Aeshi Tillian"] | [member="Jorus Merrill"] | [member="Nate the Bounty Hunter"] | [member="Chip"] | [member="Zef Halo"] | [member="Kytra Odran"] | [member="Wraithguard"] | [member="Dalan Vaine"]

 

[Arage Bao]

Location: Pitann
Allies: Corporate greed & [member="Wraithguard"]
Post: 2/20

Even though the Trandoshan was larger and most likely stronger, he had already taken a step or two back to put some distance between them. More often than not these hired guns and mercenaries were of the aggressive sort. They preferred to let their fists do the talking and wouldn't have mind beating his shet in with his own limb, if they were allowed to.

But that was the business Czerka was in, no?

With the kind of crap they were into on any normal day it didn't surprise Dalan that they preferred to hire the most psychotic and crazed hired killers in town. They usually didn't really care if they had to kill a few strays to get the job done.

"Oh... yez! yez! Why notz?" The relief flowed from him and laced the air in subtle ways. Only a Trandoshan would have been able to pick up the feeling though, mammals didn't have that particular organ he was told. Which seemed very strange to him. How else would they transfer what they thought, felt and experienced at any given day, verbal communication was so inefficient.

Presumably Hath had a place nearby where they settled down, before the cards were brought out.

"How do you like Pitann?" He inquired politely while shaking the deck back into chaos. "Heavy gravity, muzt be annoying, yez?"

 

[Boethiah]

The City - Outskirts
[4]

Boethiah's focus returns to the ruins.

As if the wind itself was urging her forward, she hops off the rock and takes the final trek into the city itself. Her companion follows on all paws. Perhaps it is the static, but the beast becomes less and less comfortable the further the two venture within. Its eyes darting every which way, teeth shown to the world around them. A cautious stubbornness to let Boethiah step more than a few feet forward before it caught up to her side.

The witch herself remained less concerned, and at points threw caution into the wind. Stepping around corners without first investigating and walking through open streets without hugging the walls and debris. By now she found herself deeper within the outskirts, but found no signs of life within. Truly the ruins were abandoned... Unless those who claim them have yet to show themselves.

The change in wind and atmosphere became apparent, and Boethiah shows a rare moment of hesitation.

She looks deeper into the city and wonders what may be waiting for her.

 

[Zef Halo]

#5

Zef mentally shrugged at Joza's vivid description of the planet. She was right. It might be a nice place for a person like Zef to retire but with the future Joza envisioned for her child - this was certainly not the place to be.

When she explained to him her situation, the smuggler couldn't help but feel the encroaching happiness within his gut. And pride. And shame. Shame that he felt proud. He was no factor in who she had become, nor in the successes she had achieved. This was all her.

And Yula.

Zef forced to keep a smile on his face with the humiliating thoughts at bay. He was certainly ashamed of feeling proud but the hardened face painted with a smile would keep these feeling within. Deep within. As always.

"I'm glad you've got it going, kid." He refused to ask about the paternal figure in Alan's life. Zef did not have the 'credits' to ask such a question nor did it matter. As long as Alan had Joza, Zef did not worry. His daughter had become a woman. A full grown woman. Oh, how fast time flies by.

"Yeah, it's high time I met him. Let's go." Zef stood up from leaning against the wall and awaited Joza to lead the way. "Is he pink?"

[member="Joza Perl"]​

 

[Zef Halo]

#6

The lizard man and Hath sat as comfortably as it was possible on the flat steel benches. Hath was glad someone could freaking play pazaak in this chithole, most were incorruptible fans of sabacc.

Maseo's shuffled the deck before he gave it to the janitor to shuffle it and deal himself.

"Doesn't bother me." The soldier replied curtly but honestly. His species had evolved on a heavy gravity planet, it made no difference to him when the gravity was heavier. He wondered how different it was to the Trandoshan. Perhaps not much too? The lizard men were strong as far as he was told. "Deal the cards...how about you? How do you like it here in this chithole? Aren't Trandoshans supposed to be fierce hunters rather than cleaners?" Maseo asked with no malice or underestimation in his voice. Just curiosity.

​

[member="Dalan Vaine"]​

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Thane Drexel"] [member="Chip"]

"Uh?" Jorus turned, unlimbering his rifle. "Not one of mine, not any design I've seen. Alien. Doesn't look hostile, though, and I'm not seeing any weapons. Well, if it's just gonna watch, it's hardly the weirdest thing about this place. You say you just wound up here? Like teleportation? That ship in orbit is Aing-Tii, from about six months farther into the Kathol. They can teleport. I went to talk to them, and they gave me a vision that sent me here. I'm thinking I want to keep going into this temple a d see what I can see. Shall we?"

 

[Vaylin]

Location: South-eastern Jungle, Heading towards the City's Eastern Outskirts
Post: 2

There was an eerie quietness to her surroundings as Vaylin trecked onwards. She had expected to encounter some creatures, but there were none - at least of any signficant size. The jungle seemed to just simply be peaceful, a stark contrast to Dxun. The Force flowed through it, but held no particular distinction towards either side. It made Vaylin even more cautious.

Her subtle efforts to search through the Force had bore at least some fruit. Vaylin felt a presence, a familiar one not too far north of her. It was [member="Aria Vale"]

Master?

At least it seemed the Zabrak was not alone on this planet. Vaylin reached out with greater intent this time, to notify Aria that her apprentice was not far away.

But not a second after an odd chill brushed past her head, and settled along her shoulders. She felt something pull at her attention, her eyes shifted back towards the direction she had originally been going. In the distance, just beyond the treeline she could see stone walls, crumbling and overgrown. Indications of a civilization now long since passed. It tugged at Vaylin's mind, the desire to explore it becoming paramount.

Hopefully Master sensed my presense.

Vaylin returned towards her initial destination, pushing onwards through the jungle and towards the city.

Unaware that the current peace around her was about to get disrupted, sooner than she'd imagine.

[member="Dax Fyre"] | [member="Kytra Odran"]

 

[Arage Bao]

Location: Pitann
Allies: Corporate greed & [member="Wraithguard"]
Post: 3/20

Vaine shuffled them some more - force of habit rather than a reflection of who he was playing with. Nervous tick that allowed him to center his thoughts more than a cigarette ever would. Then, while shrugging, he started dealing the cards. There were many games in the Galaxy, but he always had a soft spot for pazaak.

Basically ancient and less popular than sabacc, but for some reason it just worked for him.

"Yez and theze fierze hunterz drop like fliez." Dalan responded, before taking up his own deck and studying them briefly. It was never about the deck, of course.

Once he won with six, simply because his competition cracked.

It was about playing the man.

"Zanitation? Honezt biz, ya? Getting killed difficult and the pay'z good." Sharp teeth grinned and he shrugged. "Ya hear what the boz been planning?"

 

[Dax Perl]

Dax's boots hit the ground with a soft thud before he pushed the button on his communicator, attempting to get a link to the Azalea. A female voice crackled over the line, "Kirie?! Ti egine?" 'What happened?'
"Den xero. Nomiso ime sto Kal'Sheball" ' I don't know. I think I'm on Kal'shebbal'
Not soon after the sounds of growling and yipping came through, followed by the Kumi's voice telling the Kuskuri to settle down.
"I'm near some old ruins. The old city I think." the man said as his Kuskuri quieted.
"Should we come retrieve you?"
"No, I'm pretty sure the Aing-Tii dropped me here...and for a reason. Stay up there and keep an eye out."
"Alright...be careful."
"You too."

The metallic disk was returned to the Rogue's pocket as wound his way through the maze of ruins. There was something unsettling about them. The man tried to shake off the sensation but found it clawing his way back to him. It was as if someone was watching him. Dax reached for his saber, the slow, heart beat like pulsing of the Krayt Pearl offering a comforting warmth. Someone was nearby...had to be...

[member="Vaylin"], [member="Aria Vale"], [member="Kytra Odran"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“Nah, not yet.” Joza waved off the notion. “Maybe when he gets older.” At least Zef could discount another Zeltron being the paternal half of Alan’s heritage.

It didn’t take long before the pair happened upon a modified freighter in a clearing some distance away. Once inside, they’d be greeted with the sight of a grown man hunched over a colorful plastoid table covered in pieces of paper and crayons. On the other side of him, back facing Joza and Zef, was a red haired toddler engrossed in his scribbles. Noting their arrival, Ivan’s head lifted yet he did not rise from the chair. The Corellian eyed Zef for a moment before turning his bemused gaze to Joza.

“Really, Perl? You’ve been gone for an hour and you bring back a lay?”

“He’s not—“ Joza started, obvious irritation in her voice. At that point, Alan turned around upon hearing his mother’s voice. With a smile that melted her heart, the toddler made haste towards her, arms held out to be picked up and drawings forgotten.

Joza stopped short, expression softening as she instantly lowered her voice and smoothed her demeanor to something manageable. Picking up Alan, she cooed at her son before shifting him in her arms to get more comfortable. “He’s not….that. This is my father, Zef Halo—Zef, this is Ivan Volek. He’s my pilot.” Until this point, Alan had completely ignored the newcomer, but was now staring from the safety of his mother’s arms. “And this,” Her voice sweetened as she looked down at Alan, brushing a hand over his head. “Is Alan. Your grandson. Can you say hi to grandpa Zef?”

Alan continued to stare, unsure about this ‘grandpa Zef’.

[member="Zef Halo"]

 

[Leos Palle]

Kal'Shebbal, South of the City

No.

NO!

She felt it, clawing to the surface, drawing her. She couldn't take it! Feet burst into a run as she slammed through the undergrowth. The darkness. She could feel it in the distance again. It reminded her so much of what she'd felt when she'd faced Rara before. It wasn't him, but it was someone like him. More than one someone. More than one person that she needed to rip apart! No. No, not rip apart. She needed to confront them. No, she needed to rip them apart! A scream escaped her as she ran. She couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't hold the evil at bay any longer and she finally reached the point where she didn't even want to try and hold it back anymore. Why? Why hold it back if it was going to always be there?

She drew closer to one of them, she didn't know which it was and she didn't care. Whoever had the misfortune of being last to reach the city would become her target. The darkness she felt wrapped her in sinister intentions, her eyes hazing over as though she were on drugs. Her lightsaber snapped into her hands.

"Death-" she whispered as she ran. "It comes."

Yellow blade ignited and hummed as she drew down on the city, intending to catch one of the dark presences before they could enter. Even though she felt that [member="Dax Fyre"] wasn't far away, and that others were nearby, the monster had her focused solely on [member="Vaylin"] and [member="Aria Vale"]. Battle was coming, and savagery was leading the charge.

[Post 2]

 

[Thane Drexel]

Inside the Temple


Thane shrugged and waved for the birdie and Jorus to follow.

"Not teleported, more like blindly guided. Since coming here with the fleet, I've been on Kel, waiting for something to happen, and when the Aang-tii showed up I jumped in a fighter and was on my way to check it out when I ended up here. No idea how."

As they walked, Thane shuddered as a chill ran down his spine. The air in the temple was different. Felt like it wasn't natural. His eyes narrowed but his hand stayed loosely on the grip of his pistol.

"Now is it just me, or did we seem to have come upon an entirely different structure down here?" He asked.

Looking about the opening, the architecture seemed alien, even to the outside of the temple. It looked like some sort of sanctum or ceremonial location. Like an alter, or whatever. Thane wasn't a theologian nor an architect.

[member="Jorus Merrill"] [member="Chip"]

 

[Zef Halo]

#7

The Trandoshan made sense, Maseo thought. Nothing nice in getting killed gruesomely by some alien beasts. Much better get shot and die clean, the private believed.

The cards kept on being dealt as both ended their turns, one after the other.

Eighteen was the number that showed on his own side of the table and Maseo stood. Too early in the game to play his cards. Perhaps luck would be on his side. "Stand." He put his cards facing down the table.

"Y'all are building somethin', not sure what. Grunts like me don't get privy of such knowledge." Maseo explanained nonchalantly. "We're just muscle. Y'all get problems, we fix' em."

"You should join." Maseo chuckled. "It's a good life, ya know. Good benefits."

[member="Dalan Vaine"]​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Location: In The Tunnels
Post: 3/20

As the city came to life, Ka’Shebbal let loose the history of spirits it once contained. There was no hiding that it was alive in almost every sense of the word, and every passing second drew the sensitive in further and further; whether they knew it or not.

High atop a vagrant tower on the edge of the city, The Slave watched as the various parties entered the walls; some through his macrobinoculars and others through the force. The area they sat in was stirring in every sense of the word, from the crisp updrafts that rose from a long pressurized subterranean cave network, to the every subtle movement of stone against stone; the city itself once overcome by vegetation and naturalization was now set to bring about a magnum opus of creation.

Today, something brought these people here, it sought something from all of them. With a hand rolling the crimson crystal between his fingers, he idly let his mind wander through the thoughts it held. There had to be a reason for this, for what was to come.

Yet, he couldn’t come to a solution. Something was wrong.

A soft sigh left his emaciated lips, only to be replaced by a grunt as he moved from his perk to the land below. His movements made no noise, his figure entirely shrouded by various redundant cloaking devices, while his presence in the force was nothing more than a scintilla in the massive waves that fluctuated now.

With his entrance to the underground behind him, his suspicions only grew. Cold air ran rampant, but it wasn’t something natural. No, it carried the weight of centuries, something sealed away for a reason. Walls shifted to crystal, only to let the air grow denser as they moved, forever foreign to his very lungs. If nothing else, this drove his curiosity crazy, and he sought to satisfy it with every muscle fiber he had.

He needed an answer.

 

[Zef Halo]

#8

The moment they reached the modified freighter that belonged to his daughter, Zef could not help but scan it carefully with his eyes. A smuggler by heart, son of a ship and vehicle mechanic - of course he would be looking it up and down. Nothing surprising here.

What surprised him and shook him off from his trance was the bluntness of her pilot.

The blue-eyed man apparently had seen a fair share of Joza's adventures which Zef had come to accept. It kind of ran in her blood, right?

He shook the younger man's hand. "Pleasure to meet ya."

Zef found no interest in the pilot. Rather, his eyes fell upon the little thing in Joza's arms. "Hey, kid."

Uh, what now? The smuggler was certainly awful at this type of stuff. He felt like running.

Again.

"I am Zef, your grandad." He was absolutely clueless in what he was doing so reiterating like a robot what Joza said seemed like the best bet.

Or maybe not. Instinctively, feeling as if he had made an error, Zef went for the first hook he could use.

"Well, I expected you to be far more pink."

Terrible. Incredibly terrible.

Quick. Different route.

"What do you wanna be when you grow up?" If Joza gave him a look, he'd shrug innocently.

[member="Joza Perl"]​

 

[NightSister]

Post 2

Her head turned sharply as she sensed something in another direction - the presence was the first familiar thing she'd felt since senses had pulled her awake. Vaylin? Why was she here too?

Of course it would be in both their interests to convene; on the other hand, the jungle that surrounded Aria was massive and dense, and getting lost in it would not be to her best interest. How fortunate that there were ways to simplify her task. Eyes shut momentarily, and she extended her own presence, letting the Force carry unspoken words to her apprentice.

Where are you?

She waited for the Vaylin's presence to strengthen in response and then she honed in on it, moving through the jungle quickly in an attempt to outpace the connection's fade. No time for anything else - if she focused on something other than tracing Vaylin, she'd be reminded of how unsettling the entire land felt and start to panic again.

"That you-? Oh, good," she called out as she spotted the Zabrak, closing the distance quickly. "Right, I have no idea where we are or how we got here, but-"

Snap-hiss!

Gaze flew to the noise, and she saw a figure wielding a lightsaber from a distance away - another was nearby, she could feel it.

"Chit."

- [member="Dax Fyre"] - [member="Vaylin"] - [member="Kytra Odran"] -​

​

Spoiler

Assume she drew her lightsaber, I just ended it there because it amused me.

 

[Vaylin]

Location: City's Outskirts (South-East Side)
Post: 3

Vaylin smiled to herself when she felt the Force brush against her, a familiar presence reaching back towards her. Her Master had indeed sensed her, and was apparently looking for her. So she obligied, and strengthened her presence to allow Aria to find her.

In the meantime, the Zabrak pushed forwards finally reaching the outskirts of the city. She stopped to take in the sight, it was simply awe-inspiring and she was practically giddy to explore it.

That was until she heard the sound of someone approaching, and sharply turned around to face it. Her hand had gone towards her belt, but paused when she realized it was Aria.

"Master. Glad to see a familiar face here." There was a genuine smile on her face, though it quickly vanished in the wake of a lightsaber igniting.

Vaylin's hilt flew to her hand, and she swiftly turned on her feet in the direction of the sound.

"Looks like we're already in for a fight Master, seems like things never change."

[member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Dax Fyre"] | [member="Kytra Odran"]​

 

[Boethiah]

The City - Interior
[5]

The walls of ancient structures beckon Boethiah deeper into the city, and indeed she followed the crooked road down into the thick of stone and moss.

Stone, however, turned to a stranger form. The unusual materials and smoothness to the texture caught her eye immediately, and rolling thunder in the distance grew louder as the storm clouds continue to accumulate above. The static of the air appeared to be bothering her companion, who kept himself lower to the ground and whimpering quietly.

Even with her power she could not force the beast to relax further; but it still aids her. "Come now," she gestures for the beast to keep its pace. "We will keep moving." Boethiah turns back to the path, and is led back around to more familiar ground. Having found a dead end she climbs up some debris and hops back down to a larger open road closer to the heart of the city, and further south of where she entered.

Her eyes scaled upwards at the grand temple only a short ways away.

"That is where we are going."

[member="Jorus Merrill"] | [member="The Slave"] | [member="Thane Drexel"] | [member="Chip"] | [member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Dax Fyre"] | [member="Vaylin"] | [member="Kytra Odran"] | [member="Bryce Bantam"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“Likewise.” Ivan shook Zef’s hand then quietly moved away from the scene, socially aware enough to give the awkward little family their privacy. Joza didn’t talk much about her parents, so the sudden appearance of her father came as a mild surprise to the pilot.

Alan continued to stare, tiny fists curled into his mother’s shirt as he decided what to make of the stranger. Everyone seemed calm, so that was good.

At the pink comment, Joza arched a brow. Sometimes it came as a surprise for those who met Alan for the first time, assuming he’d inherit some of his mother’s pink pigment. Nope, that was diluted out by…peachier genes.

“Hey, he’s got my hair at least.” Joza mused, brushing a hand across the child’s head. He smiled at that, and let out a short giggle.

At the following question, the other brow arched.

“Think he’s a bit too young to make that decision.” Readjusting the toddler in her arms, she looked down at her son. “Mama would like him to be a doctor. Or a lawyer. Something safe. Isn’t that right?” Kissing the baby’s forehead, she looked back at Zef.

This whole thing was weird, but damnit if she wasn’t trying to have a normal family experience, with normal being relative. “Would you like to hold him?”

[member="Zef Halo"]

 

[Arage Bao]

Location: Pitann
Allies: Corporate greed & [member="Wraithguard"]
Post: 4/20

Vaine pushed himself up and stretched lazily, before shrugging with a relaxed grin.

Teeth showed and it was clear he could probably bite someone's throat out. Those claws weren't a joke either, probably could cut straight through durasteel and then some with some effort. But that had always been the strange dynamic of one Dalan Vaine. An oversized lizard who could probably give a wookiee a run for its number, but a coward. Just the sheer idea of getting into a fight could send a cold shover up and down his non-spine.

"Naw, good ol' zanitation iz where it'z at. Money, reliable and zteady." Dalan didn't mention that part of 'zanitation' meant cleaning up crime scenes made by Czerka operatives.

Every once in a while he had to dissolve bodies and other crap.

That was mostly why the pay was so good.

"Anyway, what I heard? Bozz iz making a deal with the government, yah? Big big elevator running up high through the zkiez. Problem is, zome people wanna take the contract from us."

A shrug followed.

"Might be where your gunz come in, ya?"