Corruption

[Jacen Voidstalker]

Galactic Alliance only, mostly aimed at Padawans and new members

Tl;Dr; some cyborgs and overpowered, glowing red, Sith acolytes causing havoc on Fondor. Go deal with them!


Security Hub, Oridin City, Fondor

The Security Hub on Oridin City was comprised of a vast wall where countless security camera feeds were projected. The screens switched from video feeds to graphs and charts and statistics. A number of rooms branched off the hub where call centres took emergency calls, contractors managed airspeeder traffic, and officers organised law enforcement patrols.

Every feed suddenly went dark. Panic spread across the room as technicians were called in and managers appeared to stomp across the floor. Multiple layers of redundant systems should have prevented this and yet it had happened.

On the far side of the city, GT-183, Stromtrooper of the Vanguard finished tapping into the feeds. In a spaceship just outside of the system, Master Qorbin Fal sat down with a glass of wine and prepared to watch the show.

~

Two days previously

“Stand firm you wretch,” Qorbin called. The Acolyte who had dared to take a step backwards froze. His foot returned to the line and he tentatively shifted his weight forwards again. He could smell their apprehension, but at least the others stood firm.

In the flickering candle light the red crystal’s pulsating light was clear. It hovered in the air before the semi-circle of acolytes. Qorbin Fal stood opposite his students, outstretched arm ended in open palm that faced the crystal.

“We are few and they are many, but it is time to tip the scales he announced. You will be enhanced and lead my Metanecrons to strike at the Alliance,” Qorbin announced. “Your victory will be the stone that sends ripples to the very reaches of the Alliance’s influence. The first crack in the armour that leads to everything shattering.”

In truth they were merely an experiment. His non-infectious Technobeasts needed to be escorted into battle and to be tested against whatever the Alliance threw at them. In truth the crystal might not even work, but Qorbin had become a desperate man since the New Jedi Order scattered his forces over the last two years. Only by bending the knee to the Knights of Ren and the First Order did he have a scrap of influence once more. Revenge was all he had. He needed data, he needed to understand how to tweak his vile experiments for success next time.

The crystal slowly cracked. Fine spidery lines of pure white spread across its surface, before it shattered into a shard for each Acolyte. Qorbin closed his fist and the shard shot forwards. Each Acolyte fell to the floor as the shards vanished from view. Some screamed, some took it in stoic silence. Yet all of them changed. Scarlet light began to ebb along their veins. Their eyes all took on a distinctive view.

“Yes, you can all feel it can’t you? The power that flows. The strength. Use it.”

~

GADF Base, Southern Fondor

Jacen hobbled as best he could towards the LAAT. His knee hadn’t fully recovered from the tumble he’d taken. The One Sith were clearly pre-occupied with internal politics, but that hadn’t stopped their military making a probing incursion into Alliance space.

Unfortunately most of the New Jedi Order and GADF were pre-occupied elsewhere. The security forces in Oridin City had been quickly overwhelmed. The best they had managed so far was to confine the assailants to a single district in the city, but latest reports were grim. Sith Acolytes and some forms of cyborgs with personal shields were murdering civilians with reckless abandon.

Several LAATs were hovering over the landing pad. GADF soldiers were rushing to them quickly. Jacen came to a halt and turned on the spot, looking for any Jedi who might be available to try and quell this disturbance. Even a continent away, Jacen could sense the insidious nature of the dark side of the Force.



[member="Joza Perl"] [member="Dovan Grey"] [member="Chiara Viren"] [member="Carria Tollom"] [member="Carria Tollom"] [member="Trix Bastin"] [member="Havock"] [member="Abel"] [member="Kana Truden"] [member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The blonde haired girl had only recently made her journey to the reaches of Alliance space in hopes of lending whatever kind of aide she could, without getting in the way of things, and without broadcasting her presence too openly. Her master was unlikely to be well received among the majority of those in the Galactic Alliance, but she believed that her teacher who now seemingly felt more like a sibling than anything else was truly a good person, regardless of the events that took place with the Republic, and on Roche. Regardless, Jamie wanted to do good, to help others do good. It was the entire reason she'd left Naboo; To pursue that ideal.

What she had come to find was that piloting was not her strong suit. In fact, she'd nearly blown up Kurt's ship the one time he'd offered to give her flying lessons, and her own ship countless times, whether by nearly colliding with docked ships or buildings, other ships mid-flight, or by pushing the wrong button at the wrong time. When it came to starships, she was nothing but a disaster. The girl was also far from any type of Jedi protege, having limited control over the Force. She did have a bit of skill with a saber thanks to prolonged training and practice back home as a fencing duelist, as well as the bit of training her master had been providing with regard to lightsabers. At least now, after these past several months she could put up somewhat of a struggle during a sparring match, even if Keira was going easy on her.

How she wound up on Fondor? The Alliance had territory in a large sector of southern space, territory she intended to explore and get to know better while hopefully building some bonds with a few folks, perhaps learn a few things, all while attempting not to get herself killed, or others for that matter. Winding up in the middle of a full fledged warzone though? That was definitely not part of the plan. The area of the city she found herself in had been entirely occupied by what looked to be Sith forces and some kind of abominations.

Engaging a group of Sith and their company alone, without a lightsaber, and with only minimal control over the Force? That was a hair brain idea. Luckily for Jamie she was at least cunning in some ways, knowing when to exploit a weakness in the defenses of the opponent. And given that they knew nothing of her or her presence yet, gave her the opportunity to hide behind a small dumpster in an adjacent alleyway as the enemy made its' way through the streets, indiscriminately murdering person after person.

If I step out there now I'm as good as dead. Have to wait for one to break away from the others.

Patience was a virtue. A virtue that would bear fruit this one time she needed it. One of the acolytes took it upon himself to venture down said alleyway, away from the rather magnificent group still sweeping across the sector, crimson blades swinging wildly as the sounds of screaming were silenced only by the pulsing plasma that cut through life after life.

The unsuspecting acolyte, seemingly as untrained as Jamie failed to notice the girl crouched beside the metallic dumpster as he passed by. It's now or.....death really. The girl stood up, thrusting her hands forward in a violent release of telekinetic energy, forcefully lifting and slamming the Sith against the wall of the building, knocking the sense, and consciousness from him.

Quickly the girl began to remove the attire that was similarly worn by the other acolytes, as well as taking the scarlet lightsaber. She'd need it for later if she were to escape this mess.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"] | [member="Joza Perl"] | [member="Dovan Grey"] | [member="Chiara Viren"] | [member="Carria Tollom"] | [member="Trix Bastin"] | [member="Havock"] | [member="Abel"] | [member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Trix Bastin]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"] [member="Joza Perl"] [member="Dovan Grey"] [member="Chiara Viren"] [member="Carria Tollom"] [member="Ayme Katash"] [member="Kana Truden"] [member="Jamie Pyne"]

Trix stared the pile of rocks on the carpet before her. She was sitting, bare footed, cross-legged and draped in loose clothes, as though looking the part of the contemplative Jedi was enough.

She eyed the largest of the rocks, no bigger than a man’s closed fist.

Move you bastard.

The rock eyed her back and stayed resolutely in place.

“So simple a child could do it,” Trix growled bitterly, her frustration building.

This was just one of the basic exercises [member="Aela Talith"] had taught her apprentice to teach her some semblance of control over her latent power. The supporting directions of remaining calm, finding her center, and giving herself to the Force had been lost in the face of the rock’s resolve to resist her.

Trix rolled to her feet with a growl, stalked forward across the carpet, then snatched at the rock. She had it raised to her shoulder and was poised to toss the thing against the wall when she felt a gentle pressure exert itself behind her temples.

She blinked, taken off guard, before allowing the rock to thud back to the carpet. One of the other Jedi. Reaching out for her in the Force.

Trix resisted the urge to shudder, as she always had since she’d started her training. It was just one of many creepy but undeniably useful tricks that she would have to master…

…once she’d bested the rock.

She favoured it with another glare where it was now tilted, one jagged edge buried in the carpet, the other seeming to wink at her in the weak sunlight streaming from the window.

“Consider yourself lucky,” she snarled.

She span on one heel and stormed back towards her temporary quarters. She had armour stored there, along with blasters, grenades, and a wicked assortment of jagged vibroblades. In the absence of mastery of the Force, she'd happily settle for their support in the trouble to come.

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Tiland rolled up his sleeves while sifting through his satchel as he approached the LAAT where [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] was preparing to lead a counter offensive against these Vanguard troops. Tiland could sense them, hear their madness and power coursing through the Force. Such a darkness called to him, a sickly sweet song that begged him to take his place as a master of the galaxy. He crushed a small leaf beneath his fingers and took a deep breath. The scent flooded through him and drove away the decay.

"Master Jacen," Tiland said as he approached the man with a raised eyebrow, "You appear to be needing some assistance with your knee. Perhaps I can make a salve to lessen the hobble." He stepped up into the dropship, moving to a corner and hooking his hand around a loop, catching his staff in the crook of his elbow as soldiers filed in. Tiland moved his robes aside to make room for them and their equipment. It had been a great deal of time since he had assisted the NJO in a military operation.

He had been wandering the Outer Rim, learning from Master Yael and following the will of the Force. It had led him back to the NJO for now, as this new evil arose. Such things were the path of the Wayfarer, always moving, like some leaf carried by the whirls in a stream. Such was his life and he accepted it.

 

[Kana Truden]

Kana wasn’t much of a fighter anymore. After the practice round between her and Jacen not too long after she had gotten the control of her faculties again there simply was no real reason for her to tempt herself like that again. The wave of anger and resentment that had washed over her on Roche had merely doubled that. It didn’t help that the troubled unintelligible nightmares about her former apprentice made everything all the more worrisome. Kana might have been back in control of herself, but she was far from finding her peace again, and as much as she might have wanted to sit this one out. But, she knew that it was only through constant practice and by pushing herself to the limit that she would overcome the dark passenger that had once resided within her.

The lessons to regain her ability with mending wounds had been as slow of a process as the woman would have expected. Avalore was a great teacher in that regard, but Kana had her moments when her concentration... Burst. Anger, a short fuse that she needed to let grow. All things considered, her signing up as a medic for this particular mission might have been a step too far too soon, but she had to do it for her own sake.

And at least she got to be around Jacen. The man that she had come to trust more and more for each week that passed. As such it only made sense that she would be one of those who followed him around on Fondor. As his doctor.

Because no matter what nation you supported, it seemed like a skill that was on the brink of extinction. Republic, Alliance, hell even within the Sith. Doctors were the unwritten heroes of the galaxy. Kana was just glad to do her part at this point.

[member="Tiland Kortun"] // [member="Trix Bastin"] // [member="Jamie Pyne"] // [member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Ayme Katash]

[member="Jamie Pyne"] / [member="Trix Bastin"] / [member="Tiland Kortun"] / [member="Kana Truden"]

The base on Fondor was boring as far as Ayme was concerned. She spent her days in training or in the medbay, all the while the growing tension did nothing for her focus. It was no secret that the One Sith had plans to step on Alliance territory. If it hadn’t been painfully obvious in the reports she happened to read, the look on her masters face each time he received a private comm made it impossible to ignore.

“beep boooop”

Ayme sighed and dropped the power core she had been tinkering with. Her hands slid the goggles on her eyes up to her forehead. “Yes, RB-1?”

The droid looked similar to a R2 model astromech but since it had been constructed using random parts she found discarded around the hangar, RB had his own unique flare.

“Bo Beep do do do”

“Ugh.” With an aggravated wave of her hand Ayme put the goggles back on and returned to work. “I don’t care if I’m scheduled to be meditating right now. I mediate way too much lately, you know there is a thing as too calm.”

“Deeurp do beep”

“You would take his side you traitor," she grumbled.

A sensation in the Force brought Ayme’s tinkering to a halt. She slowly lowered the tools and looked suspiciously at RB.

“See, somehow you knew he’d be calling.” She pointed a hydrospanner at the droid prompting it to slide back from the blonde. “I’m on to you RB.”

With a clank the tool hit the table and Ayme stood stretching her back. She quickly collected her gear and jogged towards the hangar and another mission, but hopefully not another bacta bath. That was one smell she could live without for a while.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Joza Perl"] [member="Dovan Grey"] [member="Chiara Viren"] [member="Carria Tollom"] [member="Carria Tollom"] [member="Trix Bastin"] [member="Ayme Katash"] [member="Abel"] [member="Kana Truden"] [member="Jamie Pyne"] [member="Olivia Durant"]

“A salve would be most welcome,” Jacen replied to Tiland. “If you can make it on the journey that would be outstanding, but I haven’t got any time for treatment now. We’ve got civilian causalities mounting quickly.”

He turned to those approaching, raising his voice to a shout to be heard about the din of the gathered LAATs and the soldiers busying themselves. “You can probably all sense the taint by now, but we’ve got Vanguard acolytes and some kind of cyborgs tearing Oridin City apart. We know that when they were known as the Final Order they were experimenting on Force Sensitives. Seems they’ve made some abominations and unleashed them.”

He held out a holodisplay that showed one of the acyloytes – eyes a fierce red – cutting through a group of soldiers. A second showed one of the cyborgs leaping out of the third floor of a building onto a law enforcement vehicle. Blaster bolts lashed across some form of personal shield before it tore the occupants apart. Looking around he saw his padawan had joined them, as well as Aela's slightly feral new apprentice.

“We stick close and work our way through the contested zone. They’ve spread out, but we haven’t got the numbers to do likewise. There are a lot of civilians still in that area so be very, very careful. If you find any, getting them to safety becomes top priority. Gunships are circling the area so call one down to land for extraction if you need. They’re keeping away from open ground now to avoid air to ground support. Arm up, let’s move out,” he called before turning and heading for an LAAT to take them into the combat zone. There was no time for questions or briefings. The darkness was spreading and only the light could hold it at bay now.

"Kana, stay close," he said as he walked near the healer. "I wouldn't ask you to fight if you didn't feel you could safely, but we're going to need you in there."

 

[Alkesh Vizsla]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"] | [member="Ayme Katash"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Tiland Kortun"] | [member="Trix Bastin"] | [member="Jamie Pyne"] | [member="Joza Perl"] | [member="Chiara Viren"] | [member="Carria Tollom"]

The Alliance, she was learning, saw just as much action as the Republic did. But unlike her old home, there was none of the urgency for mutual destruction - that win at all costs attitude - from the NJO. She’d been on Fondor after hitching a ride with Dax Ragnar, though she doubted he would have considered it voluntary. Finding her way out out of the base (this time, with less fumbling as she grew more comfortable with how the Alliance ran their show) she got to the LAAT just in time to hear Master Voidstalker emphasize the importance of civilian safety over countering the Sith and their cyborgs.

Yes, this was a group she would be proud to be a part of.

She was glad to show up slightly more composed this time, offering a nod of understanding to the plan before offering another to the blonde Master at Jacen’s side. She’d never seen her before, but the way she carried herself made it clear she was going to be an important ally on the field. As Master Voidstalker started towards the LAAT that would carry them towards the distract the Sith had been corralled in to, she looked to her fellow Padawans on either side. She’d worked with Trix & Ayme on a previous mission, though she hadn’t had the chance to talk to either of them much - something she hoped to change. She didn’t know the older man making up part of their circle, but she wasn’t foolish enough to believe his apparent age meant anything. There were dozens of Jedi throughout history that maintained incredible abilities even in old age.

She settled on to the LAAT with her companions, reaching up to wrap a hand around a strap that would keep her steady as the craft lurched off the ground and in to the air. It was quickly becoming habit to try and feel closer to the Force before she entered in to conflict, and she tried to settle herself in its calm on the short ride across the city.

“If we work together, even a pack of Padawans can protect Fondor and its people,” she said to those around her with a little grin. It was half a mantra to herself, and half a bolstering punch before they ran out in to who-knew-what.

 

[Ayme Katash]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"] / [member="Kana Truden"] / [member="Tiland Kortun"] / [member="Trix Bastin"] / [member="Jamie Pyne"] / [member="Joza Perl"] / [member="Chiara Viren"] / [member="Carria Tollom"]

Ayme slouched in the hard metal seat on the LAAT. Her body was still stiff especially when she stayed still for too long, or at least that had been her excuse during her last meditation session. She already missed her quarters with her gadgets and droid as she slowly took in the sight of her companions. Everyone was capable in their own way and even though they collectively were young she had little doubt they could handle themselves.

Ayme fingered the holoemitter that showed the acyloytes they would be facing. She could see the red eyes as though they were glaring through the holos directly at her. She shifted in the uncomfortable chair and attempted to find a calm that would always be more her nemesis than anything the galaxy could cook up.

 

[Trix Bastin]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"] | [member="Ayme Katash"] | [member="Olivia Durant"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Tiland Kortun"] |[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Trix dropped down into a metal seat next to Katash as the LAAT rose swiftly into the air. This was the second time Voidstalker had flown her directly into a war zone. Despite the fact she reckoned he got a sick thrill from it, she was also starting to get the drift that this was business as usual in the Galactic Alliance.

There was always going to be someone who needed saving, especially since the Sith apparently bred like fracking mynocks. Chop one in half and you’d have two breathing down your neck before you could blink.

Trix checked the charge on both blasters before snapping both securely into the holsters strapped to her armoured thighs. She shifted her weight to prop a heavy boot up on her left knee and let her gaze travel around the interior of the LAAT.

If flying into terrible odds was a hallmark of the Alliance, doing so with a disparate group of half-dressed fighters was clearly another. Trix eyed Durant where she was standing, hand wrapped securely around a strap from the LAAT’s ceiling. She’d seen her about whilst getting shot at. Woman had the air of a high-born, all long legs, long neck, and long meaningful looks at everyone about her.

“If we work together, even a pack of Padawans can protect Fondor and its people.” Durant said with a half-grin.

More likely we’ll form a decent meat shield for the Sith to whack at.

“Don’t like the sound of these bots,” Trix grunted, more at Katash than at Durant. “Shields will slow us down. Keep us pinned in one spot if we let 'em.”

Trix flicked her gaze down to the four grenades clipped to her belt. Not enough to last the distance.

Likely they’d all have to get up nice and close to do some damage.

 

[Kana Truden]

“You got it. Staying close.” Kana repeated with a determined look to her. “Out of sight, out of harm. We can do this.”

The build up reminded her of Alderaan in a sense. Or perhaps more accurately it described what she should have done on Alderaan. What anyone should have done on Alderaan. Darkness spreading all over, a vongformed corruption destroying all traces of her former home and what she once held dear. These people weren’t as equally thick in it, but it was bad. At least there was a chance that these people could be helped. The disgraced healer most certainly hoped so.

“Jacen, I...” No, there was no time for personal problems right now. “Nevermind.” Seraphina could wait, or so she prayed. “Mind on the matter.”

A deep breath filled her lungs and she quickly exhaled to let the worries go.

“I’m ready.” She announced before stepping aboard the LAAT. “We got this.”

[member="Tiland Kortun"] // [member="Trix Bastin"] // [member="Jamie Pyne"] // [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] // [member="Ayme Katash"] // [member="Olivia Durant"]​

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Jamie Pyne"][member="Trix Bastin"][member="Tiland Kortun"][member="Kana Truden"][member="Olivia Durant"]

Decaying leaves were thrown up and rolled on the wind as the group of LAATs came down to rest. Jacen jumped down from the lip of the opening, hawkish eyes regarding their surroundings. Once the gunships has accelerated back up towards the sky the air was deathly still. A distant explosion made several jump, but Voidstalker kept watching the tall office buildings that rose up around them.

When his golden blade came to life a moment later it had nothing to do with those distant sounds. It was the movement he'd seen on the fourth floor.

"They're waiting for us to come to them," he announced. The silhouette of an X-Wing circling high above caught his eyes. "Bring a gunship back down!" he called. "I want one team entering that building from the roof. The rest come with me."

Nerves on edge from the presence of the dark side, Jacen strode into the building lobby. Nothing seemed to be moving on the ground floor. The dark side was an opaque blanket that could muffle the senses. He knew they were here, but couldn't get a fix on them.

 

[Ayme Katash]

Location: The roof, the roof, the roof is on…

Ayme sprinted from the ground floor making her way around the side of the large building. It had to be at least three stories high, which was way to high for her to attempt a jump. With a grunt she clipped her lightsaber to her utility belt and looked for another way to reach the top of the building.

She found her method in the guise of an old fire escape zigzagging down the side of the building. Luckily it was the side which also sat in a grime-filled alley that even the rodents had abandoned for more fruitful residences.

Ayme jumped for the ladder then quickly climbed to the top. She could hear familiar footsteps behind her and knew she wasn’t alone and some of the other padawans had joined her.

The roof was thankfully vacant except for a few pylons which Ayme could just barely make out the security cameras slowly swerving back and forth. She crouched low enough to just barely look over the crescent on to the roof. Another padawan still had forward momentum from the stair and Ayme grabbed a fist full of their robes and yanked them into cover. Her eyes never left the roof as she held up a single finger to quell any discussion on the matter.

It took her several moments to find all of the energy in the Force, she had to close her eyes to compensate for the distance. She wasn’t sure she could even manage such a feat yet given her fledgling control over the Force. With a burst of air held in her lungs to long Ayme clenched her fist and the cameras drooped.

“Okay, let’s find a terminal or something. We need to get into the building and start working our way down.”


[member="Jamie Pyne"] / [member="Trix Bastin"] / [member="Tiland Kortun"] / [member="Kana Truden"] / [member="Olivia Durant"] / [member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Tiland Kortun]

[member="Kana Truden"] [member="Jamie Pyne"] [member="Trix Bastin"] [member="Olivia Durant"] [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] [member="Ayme Katash"]

Tiland shook his head at Jacen's comments about not having enough time for treatment. Youngsters and always rushing about. When a bridge was damaged, did one lead a tank division across it without repairing it first? No, one took the time to repair damage before it became worse and caused greater damage. But still, he put together a salve in a cloth bandage, grinding together certain herbs and more mainstream medicines. Combined, they would reduce swelling, hamper pain, and help it keep moving. He handed it to Jacen as the dropship landed and Tiland strode into the street, staff clacking against the ground as he stared up towards the same fourth floor.

He turned, robes whipping in the repulsor blasts as the gunship began to move again. There would be a time for combat, but as stated civilians were their priority. He raised his voice as a surge of the familiar darkness descended through him.

"Medics, with me! We'll establish a secure triage facility to begin treatment on civilians and soldiers as they're brought in. "

Tiland rolled up his sleeves and picked out a nearby plaza with narrow streets. "We can erect defenses in the streets to ensure nothing comes through.'

He strode towards it, leading a small group of medics as they began erecting a field hospital. Tiland kept himself alert as he helped erect medical equipment and basic defenses. They could be reinforced as more troops arrived. But still the darkness prowled the edges of mind like some twisted specter, calling at him once again, at the darkness in his DNA. He paused and closed his eyes, breathing deeply and crushing a few mint leaves. The scent was crisp and sharp, driving deep into the shadows and pulling it back. That was better.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Tiland Kortun"] [member="Kana Truden"] [member="Jamie Pyne"] [member="Trix Bastin"] [member="Olivia Durant"] [member="Ayme Katash"]

A blood curdling scream filled the air. Something akin to an avian shriek, with a metallic timbre. Jacen turned quickly, his handcannon in his hand. His eyes quickly honed in on the nearest movement and his pistol followed. Yet he was aware of more shapes moving through the darkness. Pulling the trigger he send a cone of blaster bolts lancing towards the technobeast, but they merely lashed against its portable ray shielding. Before he could react further, it slammed into him.

The air in his lungs was knocked out of him, the weight of the beast carrying him with it. His handcannon slid across the ground as he desperately tried to fend it off. He could barely hold back its strength and its arms edged inexorably towards his neck. Drawing the Force to him, he launched it upwards with a telekentic slam. Yet somehow it twisted about in mid-air and latched onto the ceiling tiles. It turned its head to face his prone form and let out another unintelligible challenge.

As it dropped Jacen drew his saber, stepping aside and swinging wildly. The golden blade sheared through its torso, cutting it in half. The upper body still twitched, so he carved its skull in two to be sure.

 

[Joy]

The repulser wash of the departing LAATs blew over the stout young padawan, ruffling brown hair and making the rough-spun Jedi cloak billow and flap. Abel held up a hand to keep the dirt out of his eyes. His heart hammered in his chest like a tribal drum, a frenetic pace fueled by adrenaline and fear.

The others were already moving into position, leaving him behind in the swirling leaves. Abel stumbled after them, wide-eyed. He passed through the doorway into the building. A sickening sensation slid across his senses.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Abel muttered, mostly to himself.

The Jedi were a group of great warriors. They had to be in order to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. Right now, Abel didn't feel like much of a Jedi. Still one of the worst in his class with a saber. Good thing he'd remembered to bring his real lightsaber on this occasion and not a training saber. Memory of that mistake ached almost as much as the scorch mark on his side. The result of Sith lightning. Still, Abel felt a little proud of that scar. It was like a badge of courage, proving to himself more than anyone else that he could get knocked down and then get up again, even from something as painful as that.

A sudden shriek rent the air. Shapes sprang from the shadowed corners inside the building.

Abel stumbled backward, fingers fumbling with his lightsaber hilt's clip on the belt, struggling to get it loose. Something leapt forward. Master Voidstalker shot it, but it kept coming, knocking his weapon out of his hands and bearing the Marshal to the ground. Abel gaped as the weapon skittered across the floor, coming to rest several feet in front of him.

Fear clenched up Abel's throat, preventing him from crying out as he saw another one of the things running right for Master Voidstalker's back. Breathless, Abel glanced back down at the gun lying on the floor.

He dove for the weapon and hit the ground hard. Sweaty fingers wrapped around the butt of the hand cannon. Abel got to his knees, leveled the thing in a two-handed grip and pulled the trigger at the oncoming demon. His eyes squeezed shut.

BOOM.

The recoil jerked his hands up, smacked the barrel into his face. Abel fell back, white lights flashing. Blood gushed from a gash on his forehead, coating one eye. The padawan groaned, struggling to get upright, barely able to see. His ears rang and his head throbbed like a rancor was using it for a drum set.

More of those things. Have to help Mr. Voidstalker.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"] | [member="Tiland Kortun"] | [member="Ayme Katash"]

 

[Trix Bastin]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"] [member="Kana Truden"] [member="Jamie Pyne"] [member="Olivia Durant"] [member="Tiland Kortun"] [member="Ayme Katash"] [member="Abel"]

The shriek was a foul thing, a vibration that settled in the gut before increasing in timber until it seemed eardrums would burst. Trix shifted her back towards Voidstalker and flicked her gaze to the wall of black in front of her. There was movement there. Shifting shadows. The hint of an arm. A leg. A misshapen head.

A pinprick of light pierced the darkness. Following by two more, another patch of four, then more than a dozen.

Eyes.

The shriek sounded again, sending a shiver up her spine and causing her to curse aloud. As though a klaxon to battle the black shattered into a surging mass of creatures. They rolled towards the small group, several leaping into the air, some scuttling from the walls, others charging forward on legs made of springs.

Trix heard herself roar, the sound lost as the rest of the creatures took up their screaming chorus. One slammed into her in a blur of limbs. The momentum carried her completely off her feet and back with the beast. It clawed at her as they fell through the air, hands bouncing off her chestplate, her thigh guard, her shoulder pad, before they slammed back into the earth.

Dimly aware that she was still roaring, the sound interspersed with foul cursing, Trix flipped herself up and on top of the creature. It opened its mouth and let out a scream. It was a wall of sound, enough to send a weaker man curling up into a ball.

But at this stage Trix was too damn irritated to be afraid.

The butt of her blaster slammed into the creature’s face, cutting the scream off half way. Trix drove it down again, aiming at the thin wires in the creature’s neck, the muscles in her shoulder screaming as she flexed with all of her strength.

It took three more tries, the effort spurred on by the attempts of the creature to rip her head off, before it finally lolled back and was still.

Trix stumbled to her feet. There were others engaged with the things around her, faces barely visible as they sweated and fought to stay alive.

She snapped her blaster back into its holster and drew out a long vibroblade from her waist. It thrummed as she flicked the power switch, the sharp edge glittering with electrical charge in the poor light.

Ain’t a Jedi glow stick, but will do the job.

Trix raised the blade to her shoulder and charged towards the nearest pair.

 

[Ayme Katash]

There was a sickening shriek sound that startled Ayme as she was about to reach the door which led to the stairs and down into the building. She closed her eyes to feel for her Master and was overwhelmed with a terror coming in waves from all those who had entered the building at the ground floor.

“We need to move.”

She grabbed her lightsaber in one hand and yanked the door open with the other. Ayme took off at a run down the stairs and plowed through the first door she could find. The first room was a large office space with several entrances and half a dozen humanoid creatures made of pure metal. She could see wires threaded through the metal core into a smooth skull cap.

They were facing away, looking towards the turbolift, waiting. Ayme approached the one closest to her at a crouch, she reached her hand out to touch the back of the metallic beast. Her fingertips could feel the heat cascading from the metal chassis, then the other padawans came crashing into the room. Ayme closed her eyes, she had been the one that took off and ran, she should have thought to warn them. Instead she was now looking up at twin red eyes as they passively swiveled in her direction.


[member="Trix Bastin"] / [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] / [member="Kana Truden"] / [member="Jamie Pyne"] / [member="Olivia Durant"] / [member="Tiland Kortun"] / [member="Abel"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Ayme Katash"] [member="Trix Bastin"] [member="Abel"]
[member="Tiland Kortun"][member="Olivia Durant"]

The hiss of the bolts hitting the Sithspawn behind him was all the warning he needed. The beast groaned and stumbled aside, but as it came Jacen pivoted and swung with all his strength. If fell back away, split open at the waist.

"Two handed grip Abel!" he shouted as he stepped forwards, one more strike to finish the job. There were far more than he had expected or sensed. The dark aura was persistent, clouding his perception. Keeping his blade up, the next pair slowed their advance, eyes focused on the blade. These things - or whatever controlled them - was not stupid. They started to circle him in opposite directions. This close up he could see every detail. They almost seemed half finished, as if constructed hastily. Each had bother organic and cybernetic components.

The first stepped up arms reaching for him. Yet it almost immediately back peddled. A feint. The second launched itself at him with terrifying speed. Tackled around the waist, Voidstalker was dragged down to the ground once more.

 

[Trix Bastin]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"] | [member="Ayme Katash"] | [member="Abel"] | [member="Tiland Kortun"] | [member="Olivia Durant"] | [member="Kana Truden"]

It wasn’t often that Trix was so spoiled for choice with targets.

She picked the closest of the creatures, its back to her as it heaved over the prone form of a Padawan on the ground.

Trix took a long stride forward and lodged her vibroblade deep within the joint between the thing’s neck and shoulder. The creature let out one of its eerie screams and, blade quivering in place halfway down its chest, whipped about to face her.

Trix snatched her hands away to prevent her arms being ripped from her sockets and stumbled backwards, her hands aching from the vibration of the blow.

You just had to insist on a blade over a goddamn saber.

Two glowing pits fixed on her before the creature lurched forward. It seemed unaware that half of its body was peeling away, one arm flapping uselessly on the side where the blade remained.

Trix dodged a vicious swipe of its remaining hand and left it clutching the air. She danced sidewards and in towards the creature’s body, flicking a grenade from her belt to her right hand as she did so. The creature let out another scream, trying to maneuver to bring her back into reach, as she shoved the grenade deep into the groove made by her blade.

Trix slid up and under its flailing arm before tucking her chin and launching off at a run in the other direction.

“Grenade!”