Private Black Flame

[Iandre Athlea]

Iandre wasn't too comfortable traveling too far from the area the Diarchy controlled. Just in case she came into trouble. At the insistence of Laphisto, she also brought along a handful of squadmates with her. She was rather dutiful and brought along five of the men she was most familiar with.

Moose, Childs, and Night were among them, along with Shifter and Crash. These men had trained and graduated with her. They had learned to work together and did that very well. Taking a transport shuttle, she was curious about a planet called Xo. It wasn't under the control of any government and was a neutral land. She didn't want to cause a diplomatic situation or any trouble.

Leaning back as Shifter piloted the shuttle, she knew her friends would be happy to have this extra adventure. Outside of Diarchy territory, they would also have to exercise additional cohesion that they didn't already have. Putting the finishing touches on cleaning her blaster, she holstered it as Crash indicated they would be landing soon.

Gazing out of the window, the red sky was something new, and there was a slight jolt as they landed next to the elevated temple. Probably one of the only major landmarks this planet has. Iandre wanted nothing more than to gain more knowledge, and a temple was a good place to start.

They gathered up their weapons and exited the transport as a unit. Hoping they didn't encounter any hostiles, they were still prepared, just in case.

Around them, it was silent, and she didn't sense any other people. Walking to the large doors, they opened soundlessly, and the small group stepped in.

Lucaant Vaneric

 

[Lucaant Vaneric]

Iandre wasn't too comfortable traveling too far from the area the Diarchy controlled. Just in case she came into trouble. At the insistence of Laphisto, she also brought along a handful of squadmates with her. She was rather dutiful and brought along five of the men she was most familiar with.

Moose, Childs, and Night were among them, along with Shifter and Crash. These men had trained and graduated with her. They had learned to work together and did that very well. Taking a transport shuttle, she was curious about a planet called Xo. It wasn't under the control of any government and was a neutral land. She didn't want to cause a diplomatic situation or any trouble.

Leaning back as Shifter piloted the shuttle, she knew her friends would be happy to have this extra adventure. Outside of Diarchy territory, they would also have to exercise additional cohesion that they didn't already have. Putting the finishing touches on cleaning her blaster, she holstered it as Crash indicated they would be landing soon.

Gazing out of the window, the red sky was something new, and there was a slight jolt as they landed next to the elevated temple. Probably one of the only major landmarks this planet has. Iandre wanted nothing more than to gain more knowledge, and a temple was a good place to start.

They gathered up their weapons and exited the transport as a unit. Hoping they didn't encounter any hostiles, they were still prepared, just in case.

Around them, it was silent, and she didn't sense any other people. Walking to the large doors, they opened soundlessly, and the small group stepped in.

Lucaant Vaneric

"Oh, my God will certainly forgive you... But unfortunately, I won't."

⏵ Play Theme
Location: Unkown Planet - Outer Rim(?)
Objective: Scavenge for money.
People involved: Iandre Athlea
--

The faint hum of the shuttle hadn’t gone unnoticed. Luccant, crouched near an ancient altar deep in the temple’s chamber, paused mid-loot, fingers brushing over an old relic. His instincts kicked in — years of training and survival flaring like a silent alarm. He didn't have time to conceal the presence, anyone could see he was there. 'Fuck me..'

Not locals. Too clean. Too coordinated. He could feel the shift in energy the moment the outer doors opened — the tension of trained soldiers entering unknown ground. Quiet, but not quiet enough. Lucaant felt the Force around him to make himself unknown, using intent over practiced technique.

He didn’t move. Not yet.

A calm exhale escaped him as he stood upright, pulling his damaged helmet back on with a practiced motion. The sharp click of metal locking in echoed faintly off the temple walls. 'Shit, to much sound.' Lucaant thought. His blaster slid easily into his hand, not raised, just ready. ​

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[Iandre Athlea]

The six humans entered as one. Each of them was looking in all directions. Only Iandre could use the Force, though, and she led these men even if they were all equal within the Lilaste Order. While she hadn't sensed any life here earlier, she did not for just a moment. Then it was gone.

Bringing her eyebrows down and together, her forehead furrowed as she considered what just happened. So far, she didn't sense any danger, but she was certainly curious about what life she had just felt.

A long breath later, there was a distant click. They heard it and turned to face the direction it had come from. Allowing the temple doors to close behind them, they started heading to where that sound had come from. Weapons were out and ready. There was no subtlety here, and they approached openly.

When they got a little further into the temple, they all heard their blasters lose power. Something in here didn't want them active. Replacing them in their holsters, the six of them hoped there wasn't going to be any hostiles to deal with.

Lucaant Vaneric

 

[Lucaant Vaneric]

"Oh, my God will certainly forgive you... But unfortunately, I won't."

⏵ Play Theme
Location: Xo - Outer Rim
Objective: Scavenge for money.
People involved: Iandre Athlea
--

Luccant’s grey eyes darted, taking in the shadowed expanse of the temple. The air felt… wrong. It wasn't just the silence, but a subtle hum beneath it, an echo of power, ancient and unsettling and then, a sensation that shook Lucaant to his core, a flicker in the Force that was there, then gone, mirroring the instability he knew so well within himself. Something was here.

He drew his bladed weapon, the familiar weight a cold comfort in his hand. The click, when it came, was sharp, metallic – a warning to the persons that entered. Then the blasters died, a sudden, silent suck of power that made his jaw clench. Frustration, hot and quick, flared. He holstered his DC-17 silently, waiting for an opportunity

'Stay sharp,' Lucaant thought, he sighed, a breath devoid of warmth or unnecessary inflection. 'This place doesn't want me armed. I'm on my own.' His grip tightened on his blade, eyes narrowing as he scanned the darkness ahead. He was hypervigilant, every sense on edge, ready for whatever lurked in the temple's depths. At least three persons, Lucaant heard several footsteps but couldn't make them out. ​

They were closing in, and he wasn't going to leave these artifacts to whoever just entered.

Lucaant, silent as a predator, slid from behind the altar. A quick glance revealed six figures, weapons glinting, heading his way. Each footfall was measured, but even in the shadows, the scrape of his armor was harsh, revealing his position.​

​

​

 

[Iandre Athlea]

With their blasters rendered useless, they holstered them. Leaving their weapons alone now, the six of them continued to walk further into the temple. The original sound of him clicking his helmet on gave them a target to head for. His additional movement allowed them to hone in on him closely.

Iandre stepped in front of her men. Her helmet was removed and she held it in her arm.

"We're not here to hurt you or steal whatever it is you're here after. You have my word."

Her word was something ironclad. Once she gave it, she wouldn't break it. This man couldn't know that, but she hoped he would understand and come out of hiding. With a motion, her men were at her back and side. Just in case the situation turned hostile, they would be together.

Lucaant Vaneric

 

[Lucaant Vaneric]

"Oh, my God will certainly forgive you... But unfortunately, I won't."

⏵ Play Theme
Location: Xo - Outer Rim
Objective: Scavenge for money.
People involved: Iandre Athlea
---​

Luccant remained perfectly still in the shadows, his presence a near-absence, as the group approached. Their blasters were holstered, a pragmatic move given the temple's effect on their weapons. He heard them, felt their movements, picking up on the subtle shifts in their approach as they honed in on the sound he'd made.

When Iandre stepped forward, removing her helmet, Luccant's metallic grey eyes sharpened. He registered her posture, the way her men arrayed themselves behind her—defensive, but not overtly aggressive. Then came her voice.

"We're not here to hurt you or steal whatever it is you're here after. You have my word."

The words hung in the oppressive silence of the temple. Her word was something volatile. Luccant had no way of knowing that she'd hold her word. Words were often lies, promises broken, but there was a certain weight to her tone, a lack of overt deception in the Force signature she projected. It was a calculated gamble on her part, an attempt to bridge a gap with an unknown.

He did not immediately reveal himself. His thoughts, quick and ruthless, assessed the situation. Six armed individuals, disarmed but still dangerous, led by a Force-sensitive woman. His own purpose here, scavenging for whatever valuable tech or forgotten lore this silent temple might hold, was simple. Their stated purpose was... less clear. "Not here to hurt," "not here to steal." Such claims on Mek-Sha were usually preludes to betrayal.

He remained hidden for another beat, letting the silence stretch, forcing her to hold her position, to feel the lingering tension of the unknown. His fingers, calloused and quick, brushed against the hilt of his vibro-knife. His primary weapon still worked, its reliance on kinetic energy circumventing the temple's strange effect.

Finally, a low, rasping voice detached itself from the shadows.

"Your word means nothing here," Luccant stated, his voice flat, devoid of warmth or menace, merely stating a fact. "Only action does."

A beat of silence. Then, a dark shape detached itself from the deeper gloom of the temple's alcoves. Luccant stepped into a sliver of filtered light, his dark blue hair almost black against the dim stone. His metallic grey eyes swept over them, calculating, assessing. He held nothing in his hands. His blaster was holstered, like theirs. His blade remained out of sight, for now.

"I wasn't hiding. I was watching," he corrected, his tone a dry, dismissive comment on her assumption. He glanced briefly at Iandre's helmet held in her arm, then back to her eyes. "And I am not 'after' anything. I am merely... collecting. Like a scavenger in a forgotten tomb. Do you have a claim on what I find, or are you just here to talk about your 'word'?"​

 

[Iandre Athlea]

She was about to instruct her men to try and apprehend the stranger here, then he broke his silence. Iandre had not reached out with the Force to try to sense the man. The thought hadn't crossed her mind.

"And we have not acted."

They stayed where they were and waited for him to finish revealing himself. Her hands were also empty, but she had her lightsaber hilt at her side. She wasn't helpless if this came to blows. The former Jedi hoped it didn't come to that and stood with her men.

Listening to what he said, she nodded in appreciation of his truth. Even if he might be lying to her, she did accept what he said.

"We have no claim to anything here. Looking for knowledge. You can keep your trinkets if we can keep the knowledge. I will say no more about my word."

Feeling that this was an acceptable compromise, she had a funny feeling that their disabled weapons were just the start.

Lucaant Vaneric