Blood Moon Rising

[Sor-Jan Xantha]

Valley of Fire, near Kaleth
Objective: Down with the Sithness.
Gear: Youngling Field Kit, Training Lightsaber

Yep. He'd decided [member="Trextan Voidstalker"] was definitely pulling his leg about this whole cavalry thing.

Why would anyone put that much effort into something like that? It didn't make any sense. Then again, neither did teenagers... so, that was par for the course.

The sound of the twin ion engines prompted the youngling to look up, about the same time that Teenage Master Ninja Jedi got a call on the comlink about some bad stuff going down.

“It might be for the best if you head back up to the base.”

Stuff was finally happening and he was getting sent back to base? Pausing a moment, the young Atrisian contemplated his option for possible responses. Feth that didn't seem like it would go over too well. So, instead, the boy played for the third option. "I can help," the boy opined, explaining, "I could help evacuate the civilians, so you can focus on the bad guys."

That way, Shoma could see some real Jedi butt-kicking up close, too! How was that not a win-win? "Then I can just leave with the researchers," the boy added without missing a beat.

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

Location: Valley of Fire
Objective: Follow the Inquisitor's orders
Allies: [member="Darth Saarai"] | [member="Vaylin"] | [member="The Matador"] | [member="Scipio Alta"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]
Enemies: [member="Zark"] | [member="Aela Talith"] | [member="Ryan Korr"] | [member="Adder"]

The unusual but unmistakable alien voice of the Thirriken Lord in her mind caught Jorryn off guard, the immediate shock being clearly visible to anyone examining her mind. It was replaced by a sense of gratification as the Sith Lord spoke of the promise she held, a smug smirk grew on her face as she continued to chase after the bird.

Of course my Lord, you won't be disappointed.

The words emanated from her mind in hopes that the Inquisitor would catch them, as she began to slow down with him near the brush of the trees. Another woman would join the pair, one that Jorryn was unfamiliar with and gave a passive sign of acknowledgement to. She didn't care to come off impressive to any other Sith aside from the Lord she accompanied, her goals focused solely on him.

As the Lord commanded her on what she was to do, her amber eyes surveyed the rest of the outpost. Men were beginning to march off in preparation for something, logic told her that they were preparing to march on the tower but in her gut she worried that they had somehow seen the Sith forces coming. Either way she agreed with the Lord that the forces had to be dealt with before they became an issue.

Her attention turned specifically to the four figures atop the wall as the Thirriken told her to eliminate the left most one, an unremarkable figure but essential if they were to have surprise on their side as the rest of the forces came along. He surveyed out towards the treeline that the Sith found themselves in, his helmeted face turning slightly to cover the entire valley as he watched solemly.

"As you wish, Lord Inqu-" Her words cut off as she looked for the Sith, only to find him missing.

She knew that he was somewhere watching her and refused to disappoint the Lord. A nearby crash of lightning from the force storm gave Jorryn the opportunity she needed to make her way to the wall, pressing up against it so that no one would see her as she darted her way forward. The black wall rose high but focusing the force into herself, it propelled her legs upward far enough for her hands to assist in lifting her on top of the structure.

Unfortunately it had been the direction that the soldier was staring, a quick moment of shock before he raised his gun to her and began his attempt to scream for help. The Echani's hand instinctively thrust upwards as she began to focus the force on his throat, the cry for assistance catching in his throat. She wasn't proficient enough for the technique to kill the man, but the shock of the man left her the opening she needed.

Jorryn bolted towards the man, not igniting the lightsaber to keep the mission silent as the Thirriken lord requested. Instead she used the force to pull the figure towards her and pressed a knee into his stomach, causing the figure to bend over and loosen the grip on his gun. She reached her arm over the back of his neck and pulled the man to the floor, pulling heavily on his neck and tying her legs around him as he dropped the gun. It took only a second for the muffled snapping sound to begin, Jorryn could feel the pop through her bicep as the figure became motionless. She rolled the figure over, and sat there as she waited for the Sith Lord to make his plans known to her again.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Location: Valley of Fire.
Allies: [member="Scipio Alta"] | [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] | [member="The Matador"]

Opponent (eventually): [member="Zark"]

The last guard on the wall collapsed clutching bleeding throat and being unable to cry out.

Feathers fluttered as the blood dripped off where they had cut through skin and soft flesh. It didn't take long before Jorryn's presence in the Force pressed against him and the Thirriken was made aware she had done her part. No screams of alarm, no cries, silent execution and the Acolyte would feel the soft hum of approval pressing back as a reward for her conduct.

The Sith Lord vaulted over the wall and landed gracefully in the small courtyard.

Behind him was the entrance to the interior and who knew what was there, but right now there was a more important task. He eyed the construction of the gate, before noticing the panel next to it.

Wing brushed past and it disengaged the lock, already the doors were sliding open to give entry to Matador, the other soldiers and the rest.

Not that the Thirriken waited to see them enter. Instead he was already on the move again, silent as the wind moving through the corridor inwards. It would be easier for his men to break the outpost if he spread some chaos in his wake. A cut here, slashes there, spread discord to soften the target, before the troopers came in to demolish the rest.

 

[Zark San Tekka]

Location: Valley of Fire
Allies: [member="Ryan Korr"] | [member="Aela Talith"] | [member="Jada Raxis"] | [member="Ahsona Ryl"]
Enemies: [member="Ashaiya Mar'Dikan"] | [member="Vaylin"] | [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] | [member="Darth Olympus"] | [member="Scipio Alta"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] | [member="The Matador"]
Eventually Engaging: [member="Darth Saarai"]

Force Recon Convoy
Valley of Fire, Tython

Zark pulled up into a quick stop just before his speeder had crested one of the Valley's few large ridgelines, shaking off the rainwater pooling into his hair and onto his shoulders from the long ride through stormy weather. From this vantage, he could just see over the outcropping enough to make out the landscape beyond. It was a dark and stormy night, but despite low visibility the Jedi Knight was fairly certain he could make out the sight of the next outpost in the distance.

The first Alliance post they had stopped at had turned out to be fine, just experiencing a breakdown of their already fault comm system now that the stormfront was here in full force. Troopers rushed back and forth in both light fatigues and gleaming heavy armor, struggling to make repairs and batten down everything the unnaturally ferocious weather could potentially care off with it on gale force winds. The Vice Admiral and his men had only paused long enough to loan what little spare repair equipment they had, stock back up on supplies, and gather more intelligence.

He learned at that first outpost that even more Alliance positions had gone dark since Zark had left the siege camp, and had been faced with a choice. If he responded to every silent channel or distress beacon, he'd spend the whole night putting out fires until the Sith washed right over him in force. Instead, he had elected to push on towards his original objective, where the remaining border outposts had failed to respond to initial check in. Master Korr had seemed confident when they set out, so it was a good bet this was the route by which the Sith had penetrated the Valley.

Through the scope of his macrobinoculars, he could see no sign of movement from his admittedly blurred vantage, and turning back the way he had came the Knight signalled the convoy behind him to disembark. AAC-1 speeder tanks sat idling on low power mode so the sound of their repulsor engines would not give their position away, and in between them Alliance soldiers poured out of troop transports. They were a company strong, and the route they had taken to scout the Valley had unwittingly circumvented the advanced forces of Stiletto Two-One under the command of [member="Scipio Alta"]. The Sith Imperial soldiers would find a more vulnerable siege camp outside the Tower as it awaited replacement troops from the ExplorCorps operating post on the valley's far side near Kaleth.

"Sir, your orders?" the voice of a trooper now standing beside him in his comm unit was barely audible over the howling wind.

"We advance on foot from here!" Zark shouted back, likely causing some mild discomfort inside the soldier's helmet as he struggled unnecessarily to be heard, "Comm silence from on out, hand signals only!"

Perhaps some of them believed he was behaving over-cautiously, but the Jedi Knight had experienced a growing feeling of sinking dread the closer they got to this quiet outpost that told him Korr had been right. The landscape out here was a bit more craggy than the flatlands behind them, and the low visibility of the storm played to their advantage, but the admiral still didn't like his chances of his entire force making it all the way to the outpost undetected. To maximize their chances of maintaining surprise, he split them into platoons and ordered his men to advance at staggered intervals.

Unwilling to order anyone into the maw of the Sith while commanding from the rearguard, he elected to place himself among the first wave.

 

[Zef Halo]

QUARANTINE ZONE
STILETTO TWO-ONE

Unhindered, so far. It raised the question whether he should kill the quick tempo they moved with to be more cautious or would that slow them far too much for their planned attack to have any sort of success.

Certainly, moving on foot was tied with breaks here and there and crossing distance at a slower pace than moving with vehicles but command knew far too well that vehicles were too easily spotted. Whether by scanners or naked eyes. The lack of natural cover was also troublesome. At some points, Scipio order his men to move crouched, slower and be wide open for any opposition.

None came and soon even the tower could be seen despite the furious storm. Intercomms off, Stiletto Two-One was close to their target. Siege camp should be near.

Hand gestures signaled the change of formation, slightly greater distance between each other and slower tempo. It was their preparation to strike from multiple locations at once.

[member="Zark"] | [member="Ryan Korr"] | [member="Aela Talith"] | [member="Adder"]​

 

[Joycelyn Zambrano]

Location: Valley of Fire.
Objective: Relcamation through violent action. (Going for the Tower of Vahl)
Tag: [member="Darth Saarai"] [member="Jorryn Fordyce"]

Walls. Of course there would be walls. Why would there not be walls?

Nothing they could not deal with, of course. Joycelyn shouldered her carbine blaster and gave the white haired woman a court nod of recognition. Not that she knew her, but it helped ease the tension of being strangers on a mission. They waited - She waited. Crack The Force storm struck, and Joyce followed the girl's lead. Except, she took off at a slightly different angle to scale a different part of the wall.

She took a running start, the Force funnelling through her body as she leaped - Her feet scraped against the duracrete and her fingers just barely caught the edge with one hand. Gritting her teeth through the pain, she swung her body and caught the edge with her knee, then pulled herself up just in time to hear.

"Who?"

Instinctually, the Vahlacanthix turned around and lashed out with a closed fist. It smashed against the mouth before it could articulate more words. Teeth shattered under the weight of her well-placed jab. Before realising what had happened. She leaped on top of the guard and grabbed him by the head. She brought her weight into it as she pulled his head down into a nose-dive, crashing into the wall's parapet.

She felt something coming from above, the air was tense and about to release a flash and rumble. Timing her motion, she grabbed the guard by the hair and belt, and tossed him over the wall from whence she had climbed.

Joycelyn could not hear his body collide with the withered grass below, but she saw his twisted limbs and motionless body.

The Vahlacanthix looked to where the others had climbed, nodded, and moved on.

 

[Tydeus of Tion]

Location:
Quarantine Zone, Valley of Fire
Allies: [member="Aela Talith"] | [member="Zark"]
Enemies: [member="Darth Saarai"] | @Ashaiya Mar'Diken | [member="Scipio Alta"] | [member="Vaylin"] | [member="Jorryn Fordyce"]

"Master Talith, we should go." Korr urged.

Moments later, the pair of Jedi Masters followed behind Zark's company and reached the outpost.

If the outpost were an enemy one, Korr might have urged a cautious approach. However, the outpost was Alliance, which meant Alliance troopers were posted inside. Their lives would not benefit by an abundance of caution in this instance.

Zark ordered comm silence, so Korr looked to Aela and nodded, then he sped silently forward, boots padding over the rocky, mountainous terrain toward the walls of the outpost. He cleared it in a single Force imbued bound, landing in the inner courtyard.

Gray eyes swept the surrounding walls, noting the bodies... and the Sith.

An azure bar of skyfire sprang to life in his hand with a snap-hiss and he advanced on the nearest Sith with purpose. [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"].

 

[Aela Talith]

Quarantine Zone
Allies: [member="Zark"] | [member="Ryan Korr"] | [member="Adder"]
Enemies: [member="Darth Saarai"] | [member="Ashaiya Mar'Dikan"] | [member="Scipio Alta"] | [member="Vaylin"] | [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] | [member="Darth Olympus"] | [member="The Matador"]

"Adder!" Aela called into her comm as she and Ryan ran, brushing past the various Alliance soldiers and moving as fast as they could. Her friend had come after all, though the situation would be far from what either of them had expected. There was a hint of joy in her tone as she called to her friend, attempting to keep her voice as quiet as possible.

"I'm not exactly ready to leave." Her voice sounded a bit pained. "There's Sith here."

Aela was only a few steps behind Ryan, the grip on her lightsaber pike tightening as she bounded after the other Jedi Master. The force flowed through her and quickly she landed on the other side of the wall. She watched as Ryan charged forward, her gaze following the line of his strike for just a moment.

Memories of Kraysis, of the past few months bloomed in her head. She scowled, and then continued to speak. "Hone in on my beacon, see what you can do."

The past didn't matter. Her own feelings didn't matter. She had a job to do here, and if she didn't do it her friend, her allies, the innocent could end up getting hurt. Tython was not just the home of the Jedi, it was prison to some of the most dangerous beings in the galaxy. There was a line here, and the Sith would not cross it today.

The force burned through her, hand extending as she reached out.

An invisible force slammed down against the door that had been slowly raising, the thick durasteel bucking and bending as the gears snapped and broke, sealing the outpost shut.

 

[Atlas Kane]

Kaleth Shantytown
Right on the border, moving inwards.

Their steps were quick, their advance swift. The fires of the starfighter strafing run were flickering in the nearing distance, reflected in their visors. The shouts of civilians and armed forces were immediately audible in the distance. Atlas could make out a couple of armed soldiers who'd been caught off-guard setting up a small defensive position on the outskirts of the town, right in front of the small group of Sith soldiers. They'd be dealt with quietly, the rest of the village would know of their presence only when it was too late. During their approach atlas gave a small hand signal to the strike team, they were to set up out of sight while he and his brother would deal with the small group of soldiers. He didn't have to look back to know they'd acknowledge what he told them to do, these soldiers were fanatically loyal to the Sith, he and his brother were their superiors on this mission, they would follow their words without question. His hand brushed against the hilt of his lightsabre briefly, he considered whether it was time to make use of it, but a blade such as this would attract attention, it was better to do this quietly, without any weapon other than his hands.

The soldiers had set up a position in a half-built house, the town-facing side had been completed and was standing, but the forest-facing side was still a mere waist-high wall. Their eyes seemed trained on the sky, their blasters too. Except for one, though he seemed to be scanning the forest for any movement, not the immediate terrain in front of him. The few metres of elevation between Atlas' small group and the soldiers helped them stay unnoticed from this soldier's sight. The soldier's lights were trained on the sky and the forest, leaving a cone-shaped gap underneath them that was cast in shadow. They were expecting their enemies to be further away. Though they had made a fatal error in that assumption, Atlas had to admire the speed at which they had been battle ready. Not a minute after the initial starfighter attack and the soldiers were already scanning the perimeter for additional Sith Forces. The Galactic Alliance had made a fine choice in their cannon fodder.

The sensation of more Sith within the town came to Atlas' attention. He could feel the dark presence of others clashing with the corrupting light. He'd soon be joining them, for now, it was time to rid the town of three soldiers. As he ascended towards them, slowly and carefully, he could hear their words. They were communicating with their commander, acknowledging an order given. He waited for them to complete their brief exchange, taking a quick look to his side to find his brother waiting in anticipation as well. With a single nod, both of them jumped upwards, appearing before their surprised victims seemingly out of nowhere. Atlas could feel the anticipation and excitement oozing off his brother as he jumped the soldier closest to him, ending his life with a few brutal punches, while Atlas incapacitated one of the other two with a quick and lethal kick, following up with a precise strike that ensured the last one's demise as well.

The rest of the strike team followed up, running past the two Sith into the city, their order was clear. Kill as many as you can. An order they would gladly carry out.

 

[Adder]

Location: Quarantine Zone
Allies: [member="Zark"] | [member="Ryan Korr"] | [member="Aela Talith"]
Enemies: [member="Darth Saarai"] | [member="Ashaiya Mar'Dikan"] | [member="Vaylin"] | [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] | [member="Darth Olympus"] | [member="Harley"] | [member="Scipio Alta"]

“Sith? Here!?”

Adder blinked, leveling her flight vector to ease into a tight curve. “Yeah… I got your back. Give ‘em hell, Aela.”

No rest for the wicked.

With a centering exhale, the redhead switched from a languid autopilot to the full fighter suite. There was no interference between the pilot and the ship; no momentary delay that could cost Adder her life. The Nerve helm merged Wraith and craft, serving as an extension of her body and thought.

The Phantom Limb pierced the clouds above the outpost like a silver arrow, so quick that it would already be gone over the horizon before any of the Sith knew better.

Little red specks on her combat overlay – tens upon tens of them, littering the ground below in scattered groups. She’d hated the war then, and she hated it now. New faces, same ideas – grinding the freedom of sentients under the heel of some megalomaniac dictator.

For every drop of blood she’d spilled over the years, hundreds of innocents were spared. If that landed her a seat in Netherworld, so be it; least she’d finish hunting down these bastards down there.

Grim determination curled her lips as she strafed [member="Scipio Alta"] and his troops, unleashing a torrent of laser fire upon the sitting ducks.

 

[Tathra Khaeus]

Location: Valley of Fire
​Allies: [member="Darth Saarai"] | [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] | [member="Scipio Alta"] |

​A few pensive moments passed as the Matador awaited the entry to the outpost to open. He could feel this emptiness in his stomach, but almost as if it was feigned sickness. His eyes instinctively latched onto one of the troopers opposite him, who was first in line, half hunched over himself and hugging his rifle to his chest. It was his sickness, anxiety that plagued the Matador in that moment. It was a strange feeling, similar to that of the shared rage or strength he had when he fought alongside his fellow Tol Varen. Rather it was some feeling of fear and weakness extended from the trooper.

​The Matador tried to ignore it as his mind began to focus on it without his permission, his hand began to bawl into a fist, ready to pop his head like a cherry against the duracrete wall. However, his minds focus returned to the task at hand as the door slammed down on the ground with a powerful kinetic force. He watched as the gears snapped as an alien force shut the door, however that made the entrance more malleable. He didn't need inside assistance to open the door. The soldiers were at the ready, but confused. The Matador fuelled his strength through the force, his hands fell down and dug into the dirt beneath the door.

He felt his legs began to tense as the door's weight caused them to dig into the ground. However, it was mostly due to gears twisting against each other in their broken positions that created some difficulty. The Matador strained his neck, feeling the metal of his helm clash with his neck guard as his body tensed, his shoulders buckling down into a burning sensation through his back as the heavy door began to shift, and soon the broken gear parts were pushed aside. Then, the weight shifted as he was now able to use his mass to his advantage, raising the door above himself as troops flooded in from either side.

​With a powerful grunt, he thrust the door upward into the mechanical socket from which it had descended; using the force to assist the throttle as the door jammed into its socket, sparks shooting out over the slits of his Crimson helm. He let out a low breath, his saber shooting to his palm as he spotted opponents ahead.

 

[Zef Halo]

QUARANTINE ZONE
STILETTO TWO-ONE

Like a pack circling their prey, the soldiers of Stiletto Two-One moved through the scorched ground as they approached the outpost. The Tower clearly obvious from here. Scipio was about to issue orders after monitoring the outpost's defenses. Certainly undermanned considering the personnel he was able to see and it came to no surprise, the Sith attack was surprising and its goal disruptive.

Before he could utter a single word the ground around him exploded into scorching heat. The impact sent some men to either oblivion or a necessary cyborg treatment.

The engines of a fighter roaring were heard after the blasts, the storm able to cover the noise of it prior.

Surprise was out of the question, sort of. The outpost were alert and attention was all towards the Sith's positions. As much as they were undermanned, surprise was the Sith's biggest advantage and it was ruined.

For now.

You don't go to an operation without preparing for it for 'ages'.

"Smoke 'n' advance, Stiletto Two-One. Repeat - Smoke 'n' god damn advance. FAST!" Fast before another strafing run would tear 'em.

His words might be vague to a spectator but his words were full of details for his soldiers. It was plan B or was it plan C? Even Scipio wasn't too sure but he knew what his orders followed.

Canisters of smoke took off at positions up till the outpost and under the guise of the massive smoke screen, the Legion troopers advanced.

:: Where did this fethin' bogey come from, LT?! :: Dev's voice hammered his head through the intercomm. No point of hand signals now, right?

:: Don' kno', soldier. Shut it and karkin' MOVE, a'ight!! ::

Relying on their armor and skill the men charged through the smoke screen and into the immediate area of the outpost where close range combat ensued between the defending forces and the attackers. Would the bogey risk killing their own in their next maneuver?

[member="Adder"]​

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

Location: Valley of Fire
Objective: Take the Outpost
Allies: [member="Darth Saarai"] | [member="Vaylin"] | [member="Scipio Alta"] | [member="The Matador"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]
Enemies: [member="Adder"] | [member="Ryan Korr"]
Engaging: [member="Aela Talith"]

Jorryn's gaze looked past the walls back towards where the men supporting her would come from, the darkness of the storm doing little to improve her sight. The loud whizzing of a starship brought Jorryn's attention upwards towards the darkened clouds, the unseeable figure could only be heard in this weather but it became more obvious as it began to rain fire down on the troops that had marched after the Lord Inquisitor.

The Echani stood up as she prepared herself to go and attempt to relieve the foot soldiers of this issue, but that was when a loud crash came from within the courtyard. The massive slamming sound rattling the wall that Jorryn stood upon, shaking her balance. Golden eyes angrily turned towards the noises, the glowing gaze searching for what had made the noise.

As her eyes landed on two figures in particular, the annoyed grimace turned into a devilish smile. She hadn't expected to meet any proper opposition so early into the operation, but the opportunity to fight was always welcome. Jorryn watched as the man charged towards the other Sith who had mounted the wall, a master who looked like quite the warrior.

Instead of assisting the acolyte Jorryn instead marched over to the inner edge of the wall, her eyes fixed on the woman that had presumably take the door down.

Taking a running start, the Echani again propelled herself forward with the force as the crimson saber in her hands ignited mid air. She lifted the blade above her head as she attempted to bring the full force of her swing down upon the Jedi woman, her eagerness getting in the way of caution as Jorryn charged the girl.

 

[Zark San Tekka]

Location: Valley of Fire
Allies: [member="Ryan Korr"] | [member="Aela Talith"] | [member="Adder"]
Enemies: [member="Vaylin"] | [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] | [member="Scipio Alta"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] | [member="The Matador"]
Eventually Engaging: [member="Darth Saarai"]

Contested Outpost
Valley of Fire, Tython

"Well that's one way to make an entrance," he muttered to himself, shaking his head in mild amazement as [member="Aela Talith"] and [member="Ryan Korr"] elected for the more direct approach, leading the Alliance soldiers from the vanguard like true Masters.

Zark, for his own part, was a little rusty when it came to paragons of Jedi virtue. While the warrior of the light within him desperately wanted to be there right alongside them, avenging their fallen comrades and pushing back the Sith on the frontlines, the tactician inside urged him to fight smarter, not harder. So instead of joining the main assault, he was now covered in ash alongside a small team of Alliance Pathfinders, stalking and occasionally crawling through what little cover the craggy landscape before them could offer.

The Valley didn't offer much in the way of foolproof stealth approaches, but the Vice Admiral was counting on his enemy being a too occupied by the others' brute force attacks to notice their approach on one of the walls flanking the outer gate. They were in the shadow of the wall now, and if their position had been detected the Sith had so far given no sign. Bracing his legs, the Knight centered himself mentally and leaped the full span of the wall, swaying slightly as he tried to keep his landing as quiet as possible until he finally regained his balance.

The outer courtyard was all but taken by Sith forces, although given Talith and Korr's efforts there was a chance that could change soon. However it was not the Sith advancing to fight the Alliance from without, but the one who was already heading within that caught Zark's eye. Glancing back down the escarpment, he affixed the long rope he had carried with him from his speeder securely to a nearby battlement, and tossed it down to the Pathfinders below.

Still, he could not afford to wait for his team to climb up, as the longer he let his avian quarry roam the outpost interior unchecked, the more untold havoc was likely to be wrought upon what was left of the Alliance's ability to hold their position. Lightsaber hilt in his prosthetic right hand but deactivated, and the modified heavy blaster pistol 'Gloria' in his left, Zark followed through the same passage taken by [member="Darth Saarai"].

 

[Aela Talith]

Quarantine Zone
Allies: [member="Zark"] | [member="Ryan Korr"] | [member="Adder"]
Enemies: [member="Darth Saarai"] | [member="Ashaiya Mar'Dikan"] | [member="Scipio Alta"] | [member="Vaylin"] | [member="Darth Olympus"] | [member="The Matador"]
Engaging: [member="Jorryn Fordyce"]

Mild surprise colored her features as a young woman dashed across the courtyard and made a direct b-line towards her.

The attack itself didn't really surprise her, these were Sith after all, rather it was the boldness. The direct charge without any actual support was something she herself would never have gone for, though given what Ryan had done as soon as he'd bounded over the wall she shouldn't have been too shocked. Her eyes narrowed, her gaze falling on the burning red blade as it ignited.

Lips thinning the Jedi Master shifted.

She didn't ignite her own weapon, there was no need yet. Instead she bounded three steps to the left, her feet moving swiftly as the force bloomed and burned to life within her. One hand pulled around to her right, and then with a sudden burst of energy the force erupted from her palm.

In one swift motion she darted to the right of the acolyte, then utilized the force to attempt to throw the young woman into the nearby wall.

 

[Ras'kala'han]

Vesper kept his eyes screwed shut tightly, stilling his own breathing to avoid inhaling gulps of the burning ash he had enveloped them both in. He had little faith that blindness, of all things, would much hinder a Jedi of that tainted fool's caliber, yet it was a useful measure - someone that far gone would only react if he pushed forwards and forced the man's hand. And when he did, with more agility and cunning than the Sith would give him credit for, he quirked his mouth in a derisive grin.

Typical Jedi, spending so much time preaching about the limitless power of the Force, then swatting at me with a stick.

Ceding ground to his opponent, he took two swift steps backwards, feeling the air send his robes fluttering as the hardwood passed him by a margin of millimeters. Rather than strike back with pure physical force, he split his concentration with a tandem mental assault, sweat streaking his forehead as he pushed the tempo of the dance of battle - a gambit, yet he hoped one that would pay. In harmony with the malignant and vaguely animal intelligence within his own saber crystal, he struck his mind against it like a tuning fork and let it resonate: hunger, consumption, and the essence of life. He mirrored the microcosm of temptation he sensed and signaled for it like a beacon, hoping to draw whatever bloodlust may rest suppressed within his enemy out into the open.

Then, hoping for the one moment of distraction, hesitation, or internal struggle that he needed to bring the conflict to an instant, he thrust his blade forwards with heartless precision, hoping to put his crimson blade through the old man's shoulder.

| [member="Tiland Kortun"] |​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Location: Valley of Fire
Objective: Take the Outpost
Allies: [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] | [member="Vaylin"] | [member="Scipio Alta"] | [member="The Matador"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]
Enemies: [member="Aela Talith"] | [member="Ryan Korr"]
Engaging: [member="Zark"]

The field of battle was chaos.

Every single time.

You could try to instill your own taste of order to it, but in most cases there was no real point to it. There would always be something that snaps off a conceivable plan and it was no different here. The courtyard shifted from shadow shapes massacring towards open warfare between the Jedi and the Sith. A pity. Lord Saarai had hoped to keep the element of surprise for a touch longer.

But it was the glimpse of that courtyard, before he disappeared inside, that told him he was being followed.

It was the quick cut of purpose as the human slipped past the fighting. He did not attempt to aid his allies, try to keep the gate shut or hold the walls, no, he passed all of that in his rush.

The flick of a knife and the corridor turned dark as the lights burst. The shimmer of his feathers glimpsed as Tai bound up on the wall and settled softly on the pipes running just below the ceiling. Not enough room for a human, but plenty for an enterprising Tai Fa. Then Lord Saarai quieted himself down, his breath steady, beat quiet and presence in the Force minimized to the point of a needle.

Edge of the knife waited.

Patiently.

 

[Vaylin]

Location: Valley of Fire - Supply Route
Objective: Stop the Convoy
Allies: [member="Darth Saarai"] | [member="Ashaiya Mar'Dikan"] | [member="Darth Vesper"] | [member="Scipio Alta"] | [member="Darren Korpil"] | [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] | [member="Maxmar Gricori"] | [member="The Matador"]
Enemies: [member="Zark"] | [member="Ryan Korr"] | [member="Aela Talith"] | [member="Adder"]
Fighting: No one, for now.

Vaylin and the troops moved like wraiths across the landscape, using the storm to mask their physical presences. They were on higher ground, ahead of the convoy as it was about to pass by below them.

"Half of you will remain here, then move in to take out the rear escort once the convoy has been forced into a stop. The rest, you're with me."

They moved as a single unit, splitting off as Vaylin let them down the slope and onto the road. She gave a sharp nod, indicating for two of the soldiers to throw their grenades. Both landed on the road just as the front escort neared.

Within that moment, they saw the shapes of several figures ahead of them, but before they could react their vehicle was suddenly tossed up into the air via two smaller explosions.

Vaylin lurched forwards, using the Force to propel herself up and onto the transport's roof. She peered over to see the other half of the troops taking out the rear. Opting to just blast it with their rifles, hits striking the hull repeatedly until it exploded. The Zabrak quickly swung down to the side, forcing the side door open and hopping in. She ignited one of her lightsabers, red illuminating the previously dark interior. She swiftly cut down the two guards stationed within, the surprise and confined space making it difficult for them to use their guns before it was too late.

She moved into the cockpit, but didn't immediately dispatch the driver. Instead she held her blade close to his neck.
"Now my dear, you're going to do something for me, unless you want to be killed right now." She glared at him when he said nothing, just glanced down at the humming blade of her lightsaber. "I assume you'd much rather remain alive, yes?" The driver nodded furiously. "Good, what you're going to do is turn this transport around and head back to the outpost."

Vaylin pulled her weapon away, turning her attention to her personal commlink.

"All troops, board the transport immediately." With that she turned around, leaning against and slightly over the driver's seat as she fixed her eyes on the nervous man. "Don't even think about screwing me over, otherwise..." The Zabrak let out words trail off, but a moment later he lightsaber pierced through the seat, just barely missing the driver.

It proved to be a sufficient enough motivator for the driver to not piss her off, hopefully. Once the soldiers were all on board, the transport was turned around and made a rather speedy journey back towards the outpost.

"Forward Outpost, this is Supply Transport Zero-Seven-Six. We've been attacked onroute to New Kaleth, both escorts have been destroyed but we've managed to flee with minor damage. We're going to need immediate medical support, got several men wounded on board." There was a certain level of panic in the man's voice, helped along by the looming threat of the Sith with her lightsaber hilt pressed against his chair.

She waited until he was finished, before she began to prepare. Her presence within the Force was kept as small as she could possibly make it. The men readied their weapons, for once they were in the outpost. They weren't going to hesitate for a moment once they revealed themselves.

It was only a matter of whether the transport would be allowed further into the outpost.

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

Location: Valley of Fire
Objective: Secure the Outpost
Allies: [member="Vaylin"] | [member="Darth Saarai"] | [member="Scipio Alta"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] | [member="The Matador"]
Enemies: [member="Ryan Korr"] | [member="Zark"] | [member="Adder"]
Engaging: [member="Aela Talith"]

The Echani had quickly regretted her zealousness, the confident look disappearing rapidly as she fell onto the spot that the Jedi had moved from. As a combat specialist Jorryn had thought the woman would attempt to block, but the outcome had been drastically different than she hoped.

Her toes dugs into the ground as she landed, the ground below her softened by the heavy rain of the storm. The girl had managed to simplistically avoid the strike and took only a few steps to the side, a technique that Jorryn often used herself in Makashi duels before striking with her saber.

That was not what happened next.

As the blonde Jedi raised her hands to face the Sith, Jorryn attempted to defensively raised her arms to protect her face and plant her feet into the ground. Unfortunately the blast came too soon as she was sent flying, the muddy earth she had dugs her heels into being too soft to ground her properly.

The power of the blast was unexpected too, the proficiency of the technique being clear as it smashed against Jorryn's body.

Her feet cleared the ground for a short time, the quick defensive stance preventing her from being completely open to the attack. As the Echani landed she continued to slide on the mud for a short time, awkwardly reaching forward to regain her balance.

As her heels kicked dirt up behind her she brought her lightsaber down into the earth to stop the momentum, slowing her down enough to stop before violently slamming into the wall.

"That was unexpected." Her snide remark came quietly out of her mouth as she vainly raised her free hand to push back her hair, displaced by the attack from the woman.

"The next one won't be as easy." Louder this time, the violent intent clear in both her tone and actions.

She put the crimson blade down to her side as she lowered her posture to race towards the woman, a lowered centre of gravity hopefully preventing her from such an embarrassing situation again. As she forced herself forward towards the girl Jorryn focused on simply making it towards the woman, leaving details of how she would strike for when she would be able to.

 

[Tathra Khaeus]

Quarantine Zone
Allies: [member="Vaylin"] | [member="Darth Saarai"] | [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]
Enemies: ​[member="Ryan Korr"] | [member="Zark"] | [member="Aela Talith"]
Engaging: ​[member="Aela Talith"]

​The Matador slogged a few steps forward, his eyes being caught by the agile movement of two women, Jorryn had leapt through the air to attack the female Jedi whom tactfully dodged aside. However, his attention was drawn to his immediate vicinity as a squad of troopers turned to face him as they ran across the battlefield.

The Matador dashed forward, towering over them as an orange blade extended from the long silver hilt of his saber. The orange beam of energy extended over five feet, bringing the troopers easily within his range. The first shot came from the closest, the Matador shot out his right hand, effortlessly redirecting the powerful blast into the farthest. Her body shot back, knocking onto the ground with ease.

​The Matador moved forward, his blade shooting forward like an extension of his dominant hand, catching several blasts from the now six man group, their seventh having fallen. His blade entered the abdomen of his first opponent as blaster fire ricocheted helplessly from his armour, the force enhanced his speed as he used the momentum of his thrusting strike to spin on his heel and swung the blade in a whirling arch around him. This caused the squad to scatter for a moment, the strike catching two in their shoulders and one in his neck, a seeping red heat causing his body to fidget for but a moment and fall limp. The other two fell, half heartedly trying to return to their feet. The Matador stumbled backward as one of the troopers threw his weight into him, blasting at his helm with his rifle. The Matador regained his footing as he grappled onto a trooper adjacent to himself as his foot kicked outward in response to the trooper who had attacked him.

​The leg jolted out into his chest, a loud harrowing snap escaping from his lungs as his body launched backward, landing in a heap. The Matador spun the trooper in his grasp helplessly to the dirt and mud beneath them, throwing his body momentary in front of himself. Causing the two remaining to withhold their attack for a moment, however the Matador did not attack his captured prey, but instead launched his saber out with the force, manipulating its movement to cut down the two as he grappled the throat of the trooper now laying helpless in his grasp. The Matador's saber returned to his grasp, his arm instinctively moved as he caught the blast of a lone trooper with his saber, he did the best to redirect the blast but only managed to cause the trooper to wince and duck momentarily. However that was enough as he throttled the trooper under his weight towards the currently distracted shooter, their bodies colliding and knocking both back.

​The Matador pushed to his feet, as Jorryn found her own footing and charged the Jedi who had delivered a powerful kinetic strike during his own confrontation. He gave a wide-birth, moving towards the female jedi with greater speeder than the smaller acolyte.