[Chapter One] The Fall of Tecave

[Lief]

Raseri did not have a hard time unearthing a vessel to pilot. It turned out that Vornskr had thought of everything, for the moment he exited the Throne Room, away from the lingering gaze of his Dark Overlord and his faceless guards, he was stopped by a Panathan Officer. The man, likely human due to the lack of any visible epicanthic folds, directed the Lord's Ward through the Palace and toward the private Hangars which were usually out of bounds.

Inside Raseri found himself met by the beauty that was The Haunter. A one of a kind Tie-Fighter, specifically part of Lord Zambrano's own collection, the starfighter was something he had only heard stories of. To see it with his own eyes... That was something else entirely. After all, Kobe had been raised on grandiose legends of the Empire.

"The Supreme Leader Himself insisted you use this vessel for your journey to Cerea. All consumables have been replenished, I trust you'll find it to your liking."

Taking a step forward, the young Ward could not quite believe his eyes or ears. He almost wanted to reach out and run his hand along the durasteel hull, but he managed to refrain due to the Officer's presence.

"It is from his personal collection, though..." came the thinly veiled warning. Bring it back in one piece was the suggestion. Well, Raseri was not one to botch an opportunity. If his Master had entrusted him with one of his own ships, it would be returned in pristine condition. He would make sure of that.

"Affirmative" the young man said, with a sharp nod of his head toward the Panathan. Never one for beating bout the bush or unnecessary words, Raseri dismissed the Officer and returned to his quarters to prepare for the task at hand.

 

[Lief]

The Council of Elders, it seemed, would be meeting within a week to discuss pirates along the Sanctuary Pipeline, as well as the proximity of the neighbouring One Sith Empire. The general consensus, at least from the newsfeeds he could pick up on the Holonet, was that the pair were working in conjunction, to weaken the Sector ready for dominion.

Well, Raseri didn't know a whole lot about the plans of the Sith who now ruled over him... But he suspected that was just paranoia on the people's part. A lot had happened to shake the Galaxy over the last few years. Then again, his Master was sending him to butcher their leaders... Was this the set up for something greater? Or just a test of strength and obedience?

Regardless of the answer, he had a job to be done. Setting aside his datapad, Raseri rose up and changed out of his robes into something a little more travel friendly. The final piece to his attire was a relatively thick jacket which would defend him against whatever the planet might throw at him - sandstorms, monsoons... Although he supposed if it was too warm it would have to be left behind in his ship. Kaine's ship.

Heading from his chambers toward the Hangar, letting nothing stop him in his tracks or sway him from his task, Raseri climbed into the cockpit of The Haunter and began his pre-flight checks. A plan was forming in his mind; he would have to observe their upcoming meeting to prepare for the one which would follow.

The Council of Elders would be no more.

 

[Garoth Ursull]

"Need the money" Garoth was hired as a guard for the Elders. He was now travelling in his AT-360 "I have to take out any enemies so this will be easy" said as his ship was in hyper-space and he was relaxing in his chair. With the new improvements he made after the rewards taken for helping that pirate, he managed to change his engine for other that didnt waste too much gasoline "Mister can we watch a movie?" told one of the two sisters he freed. His name was Mara and her sister was Vanadis "Of course" he smiled sitting beside them.
They were both force-users and he would train them when they grow up a little more.

[member="Raseri Sarosh"]

 

[Lief]

For all its crowning achievements, The Haunter was a very cramped vessel. With supplies lasting just six days of travel, he had to be swift. No detours, just straight to Cerea. Luckily it was only a system or two over. Entering hyperspace, thankfully without the use of a cumbersome hyperspace ring, it hadn't taken the boy too long to break out of the Panathan System and into the Mid Rim using the self same Hyperspace Lane that the Cereans were convening to discuss.

Part of Raseri wanted to stumble upon the Pirates so that he might be able to present his findings to the Council. But lo and behold he was out of luck; so it was that he came upon Cerea in record time. While the planet had never crumbled to outside pressures, not even bowing to the might of the Republic in its prime, it had also not closed off its borders from travelers. Raseri bore no mark of the Sith, his vessel was unmarked also; truth be told, he was not even a Sith. Not yet. That would be a long winding path in his future, and this was to be the first brick in the not-so-yellow road.

Still, when he reached the space surrounding Cerea he figured it would be best to do things the official way. "Star-Seeker requesting permission to land; Ship dangerously low on supplies and requiring a refuel." he said over hollow feed to the Spaceport below. It was true, he did need to refuel the ship and consumables. And no one could begrudge him a look around the City of Tecave while he was there. It was a thing of beauty, after all.

Down below the Spaceport Officials, who dealt with incoming and outgoing traffic, considered for a few moments, checked that they had spaces in the docking bays, and returned communications. "Roger that, Star-Seeker, permission to land granted. Pull into Fueling Bay 5, and we'll have your ship seen to."

Grateful for no immediate bumps in the road, at least from the general populous, Raseri brought his ship down through Cerea's atmosphere and descended into Tecave Spaceport; there, as promised, a group of Service Droids were waiting with fuel lines and The Haunter, code named Star-Seeker, was able to land.

Best he keep his presence here as quiet as possible. Lay low for the next few days. The Council would not convene quite yet, after all.

Exiting the craft, Raseri brushed down his travel jacket and smiled in the direction of the droids. It was a rare feat, to get the Seren-Child to smile, but it had been so long since he had left Panatha that it was genuine. The air here was clean, unpolluted. But he could not allow himself to get too comfortable. He had a task at hand.

[member="Garoth Ursull"]

 

[Garoth Ursull]

"Girls. I will leave you in charge of the ship. Dont eat all the food like the last time" "We promiseee" Garoth know they were lying just looking at them smiling. He just took his vibroblade and left the Hangar, they would provide him with a blaster and a guard clothes. The Security of the Elders gave him a password to enter the planet easy as he went out of hyper-space.
He waved the security chief. A cerean named Khali "We expected you arrival Ursull. The council will start in a few moments, go to the dressing room to prepare yourself. You will be guarding the outside with a dozen of guards" It was going to be an easy pay.

[member="Raseri Sarosh"]

 

[Lief]

The Session hadn't started by the time Raseri made it to the open topped arena-like structure, which rose high against the backdrop of the City. A sight to behold, yet far more manmade than the rest of the otherwise earthly planet. The sun glinted off the metal exterior, enough to blind the sensitive eyed beings of the Galaxy if they happened to stare at it for too long.

An open discussion was at the heart of the assembly; the Councillors were raised upon a floating dais, with their President in the center, while every day civilians were free to wander the ground below, bleacher-like seats set up in a circle, with holo-feeds available for those who wished to talk of their concerns or participate in the discussion. All eyes were set up above.

Raseri made his way through the crowd, keeping at the natural pace the flow of traffic created. He was in no rush, this was just the preliminary stage. The set up. A chance to gauge his surroundings and the security found within. He wasn't even the sole Human there, either, his Epicanthic folds were not as prominent as his Mother's, owing to the fact that his blood was tainted by Tracyn's Human heritage, so he blended in nicely.

Taking a seat in the middle of the arrangement, alongside a Cerean and what appeared to be a Hapan - Force knew what they were doing there - Raseri lifted his gaze and scanned the dais for his targets. Every one of them was present. Eight Cerean Councillors, one Cerean President. His Master had not spoken about the President, he would have to make sure his life was on the line too before acting on his suspicions. But that could wait.

The Session began with the Cerean National Anthem, a song he was unfamiliar with. Not everyone in the crowd joined in, however, so Raseri didn't feel too out of place. Afterward came their preliminary notes, the topics of discussion for the day, and then the stage was open to civilians to express any concerns they had.

Needless to say, the Pirates of the Sanctuary Pipeline were foremost on the minds of the travelers, while the overlooming threat of Sith Invasion was another popular subject. Aside from this, however, most concerns were normal; fears of failed crops, and a need for food imports, was surprisingly high. But naturally the Pirates would have to be dealt with before trade routes would be safe.

It was funny how everything fed into one another in this fashion. Like a stack of dominoes just waiting to fall.

[member="Garoth Ursull"]

 

[Garoth Ursull]

"I dont like this..." the crowd itself was big enough to be a problem if someone were to attack the Elders. They would do it now and maybe it would do it a single person"Well i would do it. A simple blaster or stab to the heart" he thought then reach to another guards that were laughing thinking nothing were going to happen "Put two soldiers in every exit. Six guards must keep a watch on the crowd. The others stay in your position for further orders" he walked fast to take place with other two guards in the main exit" the sky was blue and it almost were no clouds.
Civilians started to talk about their problems and Garoth distract his mind in focusing in the security of the council "Think about the payment, just a few more hours..." as he yawned silent and bored

[member="Raseri Sarosh"]

 

[Lief]

The Council of Elders vanished back from the edge of their podium to discuss the matters they had been presented with.

"Hm, it appears we cannot wait and hope the pirates move on" one of the Elders mused, pulling at his beard. "Perhaps it would be best if we sent scouts out to pick them off; if we take out just a few, the others may back off..."

Another interjected; "Just a few, Lo-Darn? And what about if word gets out that we Cerean are so easily walked all over? That our fleet is inferior to even that of a pirate?" The Elder, who bore no beard or even hair to speak of, shook his head, "It may be pirates now, but soon it could be Sith on our doorsteps... And then what!"

The Eight continued to discuss, their voices never making it to the people down below who waited in eager anticipation. The Word of the Elders was final, this could be a make or break situation... If they even made their decision this day.

Raseri turned his eyes from the podium which hovered overheard and looked throughout the crowd. To one side a roost of Aryxes had been stabled, their brilliant blue head tufts jittering with the breeze. How long they would be made to sit through this, the boy did not know. While he observed the birds, he listened in on the conversations of those around him.

"Is it true? Is the President really here today?" That piqued Raseri's interest; he had thought it common place for the President to show his face and aid in the decision making, but from the sounds of it he only stood when the Planet was in a state of emergency. Did the people really fear the Sith's involvement so heavily? Or were the traderoute pirates posing that much of a threat?

Glancing back around the Arena, Raseri suddenly realised just how many guards were present. This was definitely not normal, perhaps the citizens were right. Perhaps he had come to an unforeseen meeting. How strange.

He would definitely need to consult the Supreme Leader on how best to act. Maybe the President could be the icing on the cake. Then again, perhaps it was best to wait for his presence to be gone before making his move. Less eyes, less guards.

[member="Garoth Ursull"]

 

[Lief]

After what felt like an age, the President stepped forward. The entire crowd fell silent almost immediately, eyes darting upward to meet with their leader. The old man peered over the congregation, scanning the entirety of the crowd, before clearing his throat.

"The Council has yet to pass judgement; we shall reconvene three days hence. As ever, the Council of Elders thanks you for your patience in this most trying of times."

The Cerean stepped back, and slowly people began to leave their seats. Many returned to the proud aryxes, removing them from their stables, while others spoke in whispered tones, worried about the future outcome. It was clear that this matter would severely affect them despite which decision was made.

At a prudent time, not seeming too eager or lagging behind, Raseri stood, inclined his head to the Cerean and Hapan he had been sharing a bench with, and strode down the steps toward the ground of the colossal hall.

Then he joined the long line of people leaving the meeting. Time to seek out an establishment to house him for the next week or so. Luckily Raseri had a personal comms device on his person, meaning he didn't have to rush back to his ship to speak with his Lord.

[member="Garoth Ursull"]

 

[Garoth Ursull]

"Allright. Check that everyone leave without doing anything weird" ordered Garoth to the guards as he grabbed a binoculars and looked to the crowd leave "Check the Council and that they leave safe. I dont want any kind of surprise" and like that, his work would be over "Easy money"

Khali, the security chief, approached to him "Nice work with the guards. I wanted to know if you could work one more week, you will win the triple" "Allright" Garoth smiled "I should rent a house for the girls...would be better" he thought walking out and into the hangar. He didnt sight any danger as he was leaving. He needed to train the guards during his stay. They were rookies and if he managed to train them, maybe he could receive a better payment.

[member="Raseri Sarosh"]

 

[Lief]

Raseri made his way from the Hall and out into Tecave; there was a lot for him to consider. If the President was going to be on hand for the foreseeable future of these meetings, then Raseri would have to be extremely covert and swift. There would be no room for errors.

The buildings around the City were a sight to behold, breathtaking even, but each was overshadowed by the colossal hall he had just exited. Pillars and domes played a key role in the architecture which was present, while the landscape allowed for a number of different animals to roam free. He saw more of the bird-like aryxes in the distance, and wondered how much it would be to rent a domesticated one. After all, he didn't know how far away the nearest accommodation would be.

As it turned out, Raseri did not have to travel long. He found a bed and board a few streets over, and purchased a room with credit chips that would not be traced back to he or his Master. The last thing he wanted was a successful mission to turn sour, not that Kaine would be incapable of putting down the Cereans if they attempted an assault on Panatha.

Once safely tucked away, Raseri checked for any sort of surveillance bugs before settling his holo-device upon the provided table and opening feeds with his Master.

When the line was secured, and Kaine could be seen, Raseri bowed his upper body out of respect and greeting.

"My Lord," he began, his voice kept to a whisper to avoid any unwanted attention; down below a rather lively band was playing to a bar of drunken patrons, "The President of Cerea is in attendance, and security is on high. Is he a target?"

Throughout his conversation, and the words which followed from his Master, Raseri kept his ears peeled for any sign of movement outside his door.

"Wipe them out" came the sharp response of his Master, "All of them."

The feed was cut almost immediately after, but not before Raseri spoke his trademarked "Affirmative" and bowed one last time.

There would be more work to be done between now and the next meeting...

[member="Garoth Ursull"]

 

[Garoth Ursull]

"Alright! Listen up!" guards, Mara and Vanadis were training in the other side of a grass field. It was the second day since their arrival and the sun was shining in the sky. He just ordered some exercise to the recruits and tell his own advice to the chief on security "Im a pirate, a thief, a mercenary...and im here with the good guys just for money" he thought. Mara and Vanadis were training with the equipment he managed to buy on the city "They need to become better at fighting"

As the day come to an end. Everybody left home "Can we go to a restaurant?" asked Mara "Pleeease" said Vanadis. Garoth nodded as he was free. Later, they went to the house and ordered the kids to go to bed. He had a phone beside his bed if the security chief call for help. The president home wasnt too far away but it would take time, as he only had rented an X-34 landspeeder so he could move faster. All in order, but he thought of what kind of danger could appear.

[member="Raseri Sarosh"]

 

[Lief]

[Apologies, work had me out for hours then exhausted when I came home]

Cerea was a very quiet world. Very little happened, word was not fast spreading due to the minimal use of technology, and starships and the like were frowned upon. In hopes of blending in a little more, despite the fact that his obviously non-Cerean visage placed him as an outsider just like the Hapan had been, Raseri had purchased an aryxes and spent the better half of a morning practising riding the mount. He had never had to use live mounts before, it wasn't part of his training, but he had taken to it naturally. He quite liked the funny little bird, though he wouldn't be caught dead saying that aloud. Maybe he would bring one back to Panatha with him, and gift it to his Lord's nephew Ebiah. The boy was fast growing and soon would be expected to begin his training... But there was still time for him to enjoy his childhood.

With transport acquired, he then set about working on aid for his mission. If security from the day before was anything to go by, Raseri knew he would need some mighty distraction in order to take out his targets and leave without capture. He had considered droids, but they were few and far between on Cerea and more likely to cause raised eyebrows than anything else. Not exactly subtle.

So it was that Raseri found himself the next best thing. Children. And not the educated kind, either. Urchins of the street, ones who could be bribed with a fist full of credit chips and whose loyalty would be unwavering. They tended to stick together, and had a natural dislike toward higher society and guards. As a precaution, however, he had very carefully selected his little mice. Bringing them fresh clothes, giving them access to a refresher and a hearty meal, Raseri won them over. They looked the part of well behaved children, and what's more he had even managed to acquire human children. While Raseri was too young to have children of his own, they could at least pose as younger siblings.

He didn't tell them anything, nor did he ask much of them. Best to keep it simple, the less they knew the less they could be punished.

And then the day of the next meeting came. The children, who had been enjoying their free food and warm surroundings, quite happily chased after Raseri as they neared the colossal arena which housed the meetings. It was not an odd thing, to see children at these events. After all, parents didn't want to leave their young ones alone with pirates and sith on the loose! Together they made their way through the gates and toward the bleacher-like seats. The children would disperse once the arena was more built up, but for now they sat quietly at his side... Although they did pester for a bit of food from the stands, to which Raseri reluctantly complied.

[member="Garoth Ursull"]

 

[Garoth Ursull]

They got a huge budget, a large staff but they lack in knowledge about security. The rookies werent the strongest and they knew little about how to react in certain situation. It was going to be a long way but with the help of the sisters, it would be a piece of cake. First making them run until all of them hate him. Thats the first step to know that he was doing a good work. Then assault simulation using unloaded or fake guns. Moving through buildings. Later on, a lecture about positions in diferent scenarios. In three more days, maybe four, the trainers would learn everything that Garoth know and the coaching would be easy.

Just a few more days. He didnt like the planet, but just a few more days and a good wealthy payment... "If they tell me something about that my services should be for free i will kill everyone who get in his way until i receive my payment with a raise. He will train those idiots until they learn what to be a good security guard means. Garoth needed a Master for training his force power..."Concentrate on the job" thought to himself

[member='Raseri Sarosh'],

 

[Lief]

[member="Garoth Ursull"] (apologies for the late reply; work's been rough!)

The Meeting began the way he figured they all did - the Cerean National Anthem, a speech from the Elders, and straight into the affairs of the week. More people stepped forward, declaring lost relatives, stolen shipments, Sith sightings, and again the Elders took a step back to discuss in their own time.

Rising from his seat alongside several others in the arena whose legs had likewise fallen asleep, Raseri took a few short steps down from the bleachers toward a stand, and therein purchased a few portions of questionable meat from a vendor. "Thank you" he muttered, handing over the credits and turning to hand the trays of food down to the little angels who were following him around like lost pups.

Ruffling one of their heads, Raseri took a seat and allowed them to venture off throughout the arena. "Don't go too far" he called out, a concerned brother forced to watch his siblings. Then he leaned back, and cast his gaze skyward. There was no need to rush, everything would fall into place soon enough.

And sure enough on the other side of the arena the children began to make a nuisance of themselves. Several esteemed members of the community rose up in aghast as credits were pinched, drinks were sent flying, and even some older children - ones he hadn't brought along - joined in the free-for-all. There were lots of rich individuals here, but even more of them were poor and suffering because of the pirates and the Elder's slow decision making skills.

Havoc was playing out within the arena.

 

[Lief]

People were in uproar. Slurs were yelled at the Council, cries of incompetence rose with the sound of blaster fire as everyone descended into a more base, primal form of themselves.

And amidst the chaos Sarosh rose, stalking through the crowd without worry or concern. His eyes were set upon just one thing, the targets he had been tasked to annihilate. He lived to serve, and serve he would. He knew no other life.

He pulled up his hood as he approached the center of the colossus, and without exerting himself too much the boy leapt high into the air. The Council, already on edge from the clamor below, jumped in surprise as he landed on their floating platform. A deadly shadow in the shade of their downfall.

"What is the meaning of this!" one exclaimed, looking around for some sort of guard. But there was none to be found. Below the soldiers and general guard had been released into the crowd, but up here away from it all the Council had always been safe. It was too high up for any harm to come to them. At least, usually it was.

As usual Raseri was silent. Words were unnecessary.

With a snaphiss the lightsaber which had slipped from his sleeve fell into his hand and ignited, as the other extended outward to pull the Prime Minster into its path. The man crumpled to the floor only to be tossed aside by the boy; he felt nothing taking his first life, but his inner turmoil and natural rage was enough to keep up the momentum even if it did not show visibly upon his expression.

With a slanted arc the boy cut his way forward, watching as Cereans fell at his feet. Alongside the Prime Minister, that made his death count three. But there were six others left to deal with. Unluckily for them, there was nowhere left to run. Their platform would not lower until each member of the Council had reached a decision, and they seemed to be down two members.

How unlucky.

[member="Garoth Ursull"]

 

[Garoth Ursull]

"Protect the others! Only hand blasters!" screamed the sescurity chief, but Garoth was already running, landing into the platform with a force jump "You made a terrible mistake" said taking his dark blue lightsaber out and turning it on

The members of the Councils were scared as they trade sights from their dead leader, to the killer, to their saviour. Garoth was ready for battle "Surrender or you will have the same fate as the Prime Minister" said the mercenary smiling. Mara and Vanadis were waiting as they would only appear to aid his father.

He tried testing the speed of his foe, so he went for a full slash to the neck with his right hand as his other hand was ready for a force pull or push

[member="Raseri Sarosh"]

 

[Lief]

Raseri smiled as out of nowhere another being joined him on the platform. He did not say a single word. He could sense already that the being was not from Cerea, even without bothering to turn toward him. A mercenary perhaps. An immigrant at best. He had been honed for the past ten years of his life, it wasn't just his ABCs that the tutors had taught him. The moment that the lightsaber was ignited, Kobe took in a slow breath, mind becoming aware. Internally his rage boiled, but on the surface there was no such indicator.

And as the blade swept through the air the boy ducked beneath the sai cha and all at once released an outward wave through the Force; the exertion pushed in all directions, with many of the Counselors tumbling backward. One of them fell from the edge of the platform, a fact he relished in. Where would this stranger's loyalties lie? Would he let one of the Counselors simply perish as they hit the ground below, the velocity too great for anyone down below to be of any assistance. He would hit the ground with a splat unless the Force User on the podium did something about it.

This happened in the blink of an eye, and in the same motion Raseri moved beneath the line of his saber and out the other side, his own lightsaber moving across at a 45 degree angle. Sai tok, the art of cutting ones opponent in two, was one of his particularly favourite moves, though it was one he rarely got to exhibit. Truth be told he did not intend for it to strike home. Once on the other side of his opponents blade, Raseri turned and brought his saber up in a defensive position.

And then he spoke.

"Assist me in their destruction, and anything you want shall be yours."

There was an assurance to his tone, this wasn't a simple act of dun moch. He wasn't goading his opponent, merely giving him an opportunity. The Cerean's may have been paying him well enough, but a mercenary could always be bought out. And Raseri was under the commands of one of the most powerful men in the Galaxy. An act of deference on Garoth's part would be well rewarded. But whether he believed it, and whether there was anything he truly desired that the Cerean's could not provide him with, remained to be seen.

[member="Garoth Ursull"]

 

[Garoth Ursull]

Mara and Vanadis grabbed the minister mid air "Damn you arent doing my job easy" he raised his hands to stop the force push from the assassin. The good news is that he was alone, so that meant no backup. The crowd left running and screaming while the guards entered the stadium heavily armed. The protocol was to secure the ministers and take out the problem. Snipers were preparing themself on top of the buildings. Defeating him alone would be difficult if he was a trained Sith. Having two force users and a squad of guards was an advantage

"Now...unless you have a light cruiser in the atmosphere of this planet ready to bomb this city..." his lightsaber tremble and he went for a full strike to the side, as the platform descended. The ministers run to the side, crying for help like pathetic and weak form of life, but the six digits payment was more than enough to save their asses.

[member="Raseri Sarosh"]

 

[Lief]

He had to wonder how the children had known to catch the Councillor, much less achieve it at the velocity he was falling at. Instead he shrugged it off and set his gaze upon the Force User before him. So the man wanted nothing? So be it. Anyone who could claim not to need anything was either a liar or living a worthless life. Even the most wealthiest of beings wanted something.

Raseri wanted to be accepted. And the only way he would do that was by pleasing his Master.

He could not fail here.

He could not let this man get in his way.

This time he pulled one of the Counsellors into the way of the man's blade as it came toward his side, Raseri himself stepping back and watching as the helpless Cerean was torn apart by the glowing blade. Another death, though not by his own hand. It would not add to his tally, but it would count toward his mission none the less.

Asha had been a severely apt Master of Telekinesis, a trait which had rubbed off on her youngest child. He was no Master, but he did have a natural knack toward it. He sent a few more concentrated blasts of the potent energy toward the remaining Counselors and watched as they plummeted down toward the ground. Two Force Users could not save them all.

Raseri kept his distance from the man, his lightsaber was held in one hand defensively though once he was done with the Force he brought the other one up to join it. To strengthen his stance.

"So be it" he growled, feeling the platform shudder with its descent. By now there would be just a couple of the Counselors left. "Though know that you have already failed; you will receive nothing from the Cereans after this is done. Nothing."

[member="Garoth Ursull"]