Birth of an Academy

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Tanek Santii, Togruta Knight of the Sith, stared out into the dark, open sea. The view from the wall, the whole thing see-through like a window, was beautiful. He was in Pieralos, Nautolan capital of Glee Anselm. Currently, he was in the main government building. He had spent a lot of time there recently. Most time he could spare was devoted to his precious Glee Anselm. Wheels were turning, and the otherwise uninteresting swamp and ocean world was being transformed into a highly productive planet, benefitting the One Sith cause.

Officially, Tanek was here to ensure a smooth overtaking for the new government, as well as oversee the campaign against the Anselmi and the Nautolan rebels, who opposed this new government and its affiliation with the Sith. Unofficially, he served a more hidden agenda. The Nautolan council was being carefully manipulated and undermined, painting a smooth transition to more direct Sith control. For now, officially, an elected Supreme Leader had absolute authority. However, he was but a puppet of the Sith. They were the real power. Soon, there would be no confusion. Soon, a representative of the Sith Order would step in to take his place.

Over the last period, many Sith had been on the planet. Most, naturally, when the planet officially fell under Sith rule. Some had stayed to see the war against the Anselmi through. Now, there were less, however. There were other planets to conquer, more people to subdue. Yet he had gotten word of another Sith headed to his location. A young girl, representing the Embers of Vahl... Or was it the Covenant of the Black Rose? He had forgotten. Regardless, she was Sith, and that was what mattered. Perhaps they wanted to mark their relevance by showing their presence in major Sith undertakings, or perhaps they just wanted the girl to see some action, to get trained.

"Knight Santii! Knight Santii!" the words were spoken with urgency, from a Nautolan messenger. He had to stop next to the Sith to catch his breath. Tanek had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Did these people not use comms? "What?" his tone revealed his displeasure. "The rebels, we've encountered a group of them! Our scouts report that they have seen activity in an underwater cave system." It could be something. Of course, it may just be a few refugees, but something told him this was more.

The Force seemed to prod against him, warning him of the importance of this particular call with urgency. "Knight Santii? Shall I send in troops?" apparently, the Togruta had zoned out, lost in visions of the Force, while the messenger was starting to question if he was ever truly listening. "Yes. I will see to this matter personally." the Nautolan looked at him in surprise. He had not expected the Sith to bother himself with a minor skirmish, but he wasn't about to question his command. "Send word to the Acolyte. Give her the coordinates, tell her to meet me there." he had been informed earlier that she was on her way to Pieralos now.

"Yes, Knight Santii! I will se-" "That will be all." the Togruta interrupted him, and walked off. It was time to make his way to this underwater cave, and see for himself what all the fuzz was about.

[member=Sena Lassiter]

 

[Lassiter]

“Scour the area, there is bound to be something we can use.”

“The caves are sealed, only one way in and only one way out. We have already-”

“There is never just one way inside. Searcher harder and think outside that little idiotic mind of yours. There is always multiple escape routes.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Good.”

Sena rolled her eyes and let the soldier go on his way. She had been sent as a representative of the Ember of Vahl on this one. Yes, the Covenant of the Rose were also getting a report on this one, but the primary interest Sena had in mind for this one was the Ember. While this place wasn’t necessarily going to get reshaped in her image there was nothing to prevent Sena from setting up the installation of the appropriate equipment for the Ember to operate out here. It was her honor.

She was going practical here. The robes had been swapped out for a form-hugging suit. She wasn’t going ready for an assault. This mission was, if she had any say in the matte once the knight arrived, a covert assignment. At the very least up until the point when they would insert the Sith Troopers and themselves into the equation. Though Sena hoped that wouldn’t be necessary.

“Keep looking for that back door. Team lead will arrive soon.” She took her seat on the planning table and inspected her nails. One of the soldiers tried to cover up his immature giggling with a feigned cough. Cold eyes set on the man and it quickly stopped. “Do you find something funny, Private Redmont?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Good, for you.”

With a sigh she brought her nail file out and got to work. She may have been in her work mood, but that did not mean she didn’t have some time to herself. She always had time for herself.

[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Tanek had quickly found his way into a transport. He was approaching target destination now. Naturally, he wasn't travelling alone. His own underwater transport vehicle roomed a squad of approximately thirty Nautolan soldiers. He was flanked on either side by two more such transports, each bringing an equal amount of troops. Perhaps it was overkill, but again, something was telling him that this was one of those occasions where he could take no chances. Nothing would be left to chance. With the soldiers already in place, and at Sena's disposal, the Sith had between them a good hundred troops to order around. Reinforcements were never far away, though it was doubtful they would require it. Those caves would be secured, sure enough.

Once Tanek's forces came close enough, he opened a line of communication with Sena. The holocommunicator in the planning room she found herself in sparked to life. The holographic shape of the Togruta Knight came into view. There was little mistake that he was with the Sith - the dark robes, and black tunics and undertunics gave it away. It was the standard outfit associated with the Sith, though it fit him well. The tunics especially hinted at a well-toned body. It was the natural result of being Darth Vornskr's apprentice. The man had more or less beaten him into shape. Sena appeared to have deviated from the traditional robe of the Sith, but the variation was appreciated. Humans still reigned supreme as one of his favourite species.

"Acolyte Lassiter." a cold, professional tone greeted her. "Have you deployed scouts? Report." Her being on her way already when this matter was brought to him, she had had ample time to set herself up at the location. She was closer than he had been at Pieralos. Whether she had had time to fully scout the caves or not, he did not know, but he expected this would've been her first move. His logic for that was simply that it would've been his.

[member=Sena Lassiter]

 

[Lassiter]

“Darth Pyrrhus.” The acolyte greeted her caller back. “The reports indicate a vast subaquatic entrance to a system of tunnels that have indeed proven itself a hot spot of suspicious activity though nobody has ever been seen entering or leaving the caves.”

“Don’t worry though, I have sent a patrol to find any potential back door-” The acolyte was cut off again by Private Redmont’s giggling which was once again shut down by a cold bitter stare. “-... to find any escape routes. Either to block them off or for our forces to gain entry from in order to flank the enemy. So far I haven’t heard back, but I expect them to get back to me soon with a full report on the situation.”

“Until then I will await your arrival, sir.” Sena bowed her head before turning off the holoprojector. A second more displeased look fired out at Private Redmont. “You. Come with me.”

The private’s face turned from a smirk to a pained grunt as Sena’s hands grabbed a hold of the back of his head. With a tug to force him into co-operation she dragged his sorry excuse of a life outside and into the wide open area of their camp. Other soldiers looked at the scene in curiosity and others in pre-experienced dismay. They knew what was going to happen, it wasn’t the first time. At least not with this Acolyte. This was what happened when someone wouldn’t know their place. Either because of loose tongues or questioning orders.

With a push she forced the private to his knees. They knew what would happen next.

“This here is Private Redmont!” Sena announced to the adoring crowd. “See here? He still hasn’t made the cut yet. His hair is not like yours, his attitude is not like yours. He is not one of you and I think it’s time we all changed that.”

“I want each of you to take a turn each to show him how we turn him into one of you magnificient war machines! Get your batons out and whack him.” Sena barked the order at the soldiers. She may have been a mere acolyte but in the eyes of the soldiers she was an overlord. They all knew she could take them out without a moment of hesitation. Fear was a good motivator at times. “Mind the head and ribs. Go for arms and legs, and for each cry for mercy that escapes him the next person in line will demonstrate twice over why he deserves none.”

“Your enemy will have no mercy and neither should you! They do not care for you, they will kill you and they will move on!” The soldiers lined up in front of the private as Sena telekinetically held the insolent whelp in place. “It’s time for a lesson in humility and respecting the chain of command, Private Redmont. Accept the consequences of your actions.”

One for one each soldier in his platoon stepped up and whacked their batons over his legs or arms as Sena stared at the all in with a wicked grin of satisfaction. She felt each hit, each spark of pain as the man got lectured by his fellows. It was beautiful to see each of them form an orderly square formation upon fulfilling their duty to their temporary commander; Sena. She could almost get used to this.

Then the medics arrived on scene and as the last man entered formation they began to carry the overly fractured soldier back to his prepared bacta tank.

“Maybe now you’ve learned the importance of respect, Private.” Sena let the kid go as she stepped up by the moving cot. “Don’t make them have to do it again.”

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

The promising Acolyte gave her report, and the Knight did not find her lacking. Suspicions had been confirmed, and appropriate action taken. The operation was proceeding swimmingly. The Togruta nodded approvingly, before the signal was cut off. He was pleased to see that she was quite capable, and was not some inexperienced rookie who had karked up the operation before it had even started. Despite the Private's unintentional attempt to undermine her, he had a good feeling about her.

Before long, Darth Pyrrhus and his Nautolan task force would arrive. The three aquatic vehicles emerged by the war ship that Miss Lassiter found herself on. Pyrrhus, accompanied by a complimentary group of ten, embarked onto the ship. The majority of his remaining soldiers maintained their position, on standby.

He had a feeling something had transpired from when the holofeed had been cut off to now. The echoes of the event lingered in the air. Even before he took his first step onto the ship, he felt the fear. There would be no one laughing at her words now, no one undermining her position. She may be young, but their obedience was unmistakable. They respected her authoritah.

Pyrrhus and his small guard would make their way to Sena's position. None of them were of note, however, and would likely wait outside by the entrance, as he, presumably, entered into some war conference room. "Miss Lassiter. We meet at last" his words were honeyed, but the tone of his voice was cold and efficient. He didn't waste any time to inquire as to whether she had had a pleasant journey. It was not relevant to the task at hand, and he went straight to it. "Have you received word from your scouts? How many entryways are there?" he scanned her with his ever intense and demanding glare, a glare that demanded perfection in all things, at all times. "No one must be allowed to escape. I trust they have not been alerted to our presence?" If they had, the fault likely lay with the scouts, but she was their commanding officer, and by virtue of that, responsible for their actions.

[member=Sena Lassiter]

 

[Lassiter]

Sena split from the injured man and made her way across the camp for the war room. There was someone coming, she could feel it draw closer. A presence greater to her own, but hardly by a lot. Not that it mattered, it was the team lead and there was no question about that. The acolyte tucked her hair back behind her ear and leant over the holoprojector displaying the laid out strategy. The console beeped and with it came the small addition to the scout team’s findings.

A second entrance and exit.

A grin spread on the girl’s lips before the doors slid open and it was promptly wiped. Her hand stowed behind her back, her back straightened she tilted her head backwards ever so slightly. Simply put she took on a more appropriate role for her rank. Acolytes should know better than to speak unless spoken to. At least when it came to knights and lords.

“Yes, sir. They reported back only moments before you stepped through that door.” Her finger darted back to the planning board. “There are two exits, the big one and a small one. The latter of which is probably used as an emergency escape route. I would recommend getting a team into flanking position from the entrance and keep it under lockdown.”

“Though that is up to you,” Sena cleared her throat. “Sir.”

She remained still. Almost perfectly so. The only movement she allowed was the involuntary flexes of her chest as her breath carried it up and down.

“I would recommend for the greatest element of surprise that we take only a handful of troops and enter from the flank ourselves. Lure the rebels into the illusion that we’ve only sent regular soldiers for them.”

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

His first impression of Sena was that of a serious and dedicated acolyte. He liked her. Now, it remained to be sees if she could remain professional and focused for the duration of their operation. Pyrrhus had a feeling she would execute all tasks (and opposition) with great efficiency.

"Excellent. We have them where we want them then." he said, satisfied with the report and the manner in which she had delivered it. She was far from testing his patience, and when she suggested her strategy, he was more than welcome to receive her input. In no way did he feel obliged to run with it though. Still, he would hear her words while he tried not to get distracted by the only part of her body, aside from her lips, that moved.

He thought about her strategy, envisioning how it would play out, before nodding approvingly. "A sound strategy. We will go through with your plan. Good call, Acolyte Lassiter." the compliment sounded like one delivered from one military officer to the other: quick and without affection. She could take it or leave it, but they were moving on. "You and I will travel together on the transport I arrived on, together with a small squad. The rest will prepare to enter through the main entrance." They would demand their attention and focus. Sena and Pyrrhus would strike down any who attempted to escape through the backdoor, and use the confusion of battle to eliminate anyone in their path. It would be beautiful. Sena's plan was art.

Orders were given. Plans were passed on to the necessary officers, and would be executed accordingly. The two would work in coordination. No level of poor timing would be permitted, to make sure no one was alerted to their attack too soon and escaped. Sena would be permitted to instruct her soldiers, before the duo moved together into the aquatic vehicle. They submerged, and headed towards the less known exit of their target location. Above them, over a wall of water that grew increasingly thicker, the sun was red. Blood would be spilled this day.

[member=Sena Lassiter]

 

[Lassiter]

Sena’s head nodded in response. The sith had the rebels where they wanted them and now it was only a question as to where they wanted to squeeze. Sena had her preferred target, but certainly [member="Darth Pyrrhus"] was bound to have his own. At least such things would be evident from the way his eyes ever so gently darted up and down in rhythm with each breath Sena took and even if she wasn’t one to complain or argue about it she still had to take a moment to herself to mask her disapproval. After all, as much as an acolyte may have had the rights to their feelings, the superiors had the right to their authority.

“Understood.” Sena spoke with the slightest hint of annoyance to her voice. “I will go get ready.”

Orders were given. Plans were passed on to the necessary officers, and Sena would go get herself into something a bit more appropriately hydrodynamic. Which in reality wasn’t as exciting as it may have seemed. The perks of having friends like the ones she had was that robes was rarely a thing. Skin-tight body socks covered with leather and other armor pieces, sure, but never robes.

Sena withdrew her jacket and hung it on a chair inside of the command central before making her way to the subaquatic vehicle. It descended deeper into the water, darkness shrouded them and with it the comfort of the sun faded from their vision as a slight weight set on their shoulders.

“Pressure.” Sena muttered to the togruta. “Feels different than I expected.”

“It don’t matter, it doesn’t change anything. Just tell me where to go and I’ll go.”

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Darth Pyrrhus seemed to care little for the slight annoyance in her tone, or perhaps he had not noticed it at all. Subtle or not, he was enjoying the view, like when she left to get dressed and ready for the mission. "Meet me in the vehicle. We move out at once." there was no hesitation in his tone. They had the rebels exactly where they wanted them, but they would not stay there forever.

While she got ready, Pyrrhus and his small team got ready in the aquatic vehicle. Meanwhile, their main forces moved out, ready to engage on the main entrance. When Sena entered into the vehicle, all eyes were on her. And rightfully so. Her skintight bodysuit complimented her form well. This time it was the Togruta's breathing that increased, subtly. It was hard to avert his eyes. He could tell it would become a distracting ride down to their target.

"Hm" he muttered at what she said, eyes finally meeting with hers. "You're right. You will." he replied calmly. It wasn't exactly a challenge, as much as it was saying it as it was. Though he appreciated her discipline. He expected this mission to be completed with great precision. The Ember of Vahl trained them well.

The aquatic vehicle moved down, and approached the backdoor to the cave complex. The vehicle suddenly popping up would hardly help them with a stealthy approach, and frankly, he wasn't sure if it'd fit. "We swim from here." he said, looking around to see if anyone else had any questions. For the Nautolans, this would be a task like any other. The Togruta, however, required the rebreather that he put on. He handed one to Sena as well. "We move out now." and so the small unit emerged into the waters, and began their swim. Over the comm reports were coming in, stating that the main team was in position. Time to give the order. The attack begun.

[member="Darth Drethi"]

 

[Lassiter]

Trained well or not, Sena felt like an exception driven by a will to prove herself the equal of her brothers and sisters. In this she had gone above the normal form and rank but it was still something that made her feel broken, unworthy. She wasn’t a full-breed like the others, she was merely a half-breed. A mutt looking to get itself reacquainted with just the one side of her heritage. If she could toss the Corellian away she would, but she couldn’t and no matter how hard she tried to prove to herself that she was an equal to the others she simply couldn’t do that either.

Her hand reached out to grab the rebreather. She turned it on and readied herself for the part where the encapsulated submarine opened itself to the cold waters on the outside. As measure for measure of water seeped in there was little Sena could do but close her eyes in cold preparation for what came next. The togruta knight was allowed to depart the vessel first, after that it was Sena and then the rest of their team.

Her eyes opened to the blur of the sea. The vague form of her leader swum ahead of her and she followed him close by into the darkness of the back door. She was well-aware of how that must have sounded when said out loud, but for the sake of her mission and discipline she simply brushed the urge to snicker right off her shoulder.

The squad resurfaced into a cramped cave. The sound of blasters echoed in the distance and with that Sena awaited further instructions from [member="Darth Pyrrhus"]. She was not in command, she wouldn’t go first unless instructed to.