Crimson Tide (Sith vs. Republic Invasion of Manaan)

[Selena Halcyon]

CITY CENTER - Poison Deployment Area
@Valentina Clairemont, @Darth Apparatus

Yes, the Sith did come and they came quickly and forcefully. At least that held true for the brutish Darth Apparatus. The other one hang at the edges likely waiting for another point of attack. Selena would have to be mindful of that. As one who frequently used such a tactic it was something she both respected but also knew very well could be dangerous. The most important fact that was that Darth Apparatus' brutish approach took him right through a poisonous barrel. The attack released fumes of it into the air and brought him dangerously close to her.

It was in moments like these that Selena was thankful that she was not new to the ways of battle or the ways of the Force. For had she been a padawan this likely would have been a significant problem for her. Poisons can do a nasty thing to a person. However, much in the way that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn survived toxins being released into a conference room, Selena Halcyon controlled her breath using the Force. It was a relatively simple skill and one that required a bit of focus, but in the moment it was what she needed to escape without getting any of the poison in her system.

Typically Selena would revert her duel-phase lightsaber to its original length when within this distance. The extra length was somewhat impractical in most settings. However, she had already turned to face the Sith Master when he had burst through the poison container. Instead, she once again jumped backwards, though without the somersault this time, and swung her lightsaber at the Lord. Keeping distance was smart, and she still needed to knock out more droids.

 

[Flint Dexen]

Location: Ahto City Center, along with Jedi Master @[member="Rianna Organa"]

Flint gave a small frown as @[member="Arrbi Betna"]'s reply was heard over the communication. When he heard that this guy was planning on breaking the city in half and sinking it, Flint wondered if Betna was even on Republic side or was going kind of insane. Either way... "Betna, please do not continue with your mission objective. The point of us fighting in this city is defend it, not break it in half to sink it." Flint pointed out. "Regroup with the rest of the Republic forces here at the city center."

The words from @[member="Patricia Susan Garter"] were rather troubling. Who was this other Jedi that hadn't made it? Flint wondered briefly if Faust would've just killed the Jedi Padawan, or... Flint doubted the alternative. Regardless, he needed Agent Garter down in the city with him and the rest of Republic combatants. "I am at the city center, it shouldn't be too hard to get here." he stated.

 

[Arrbi Betna]

Location: Ahto City Ballast Tanks
Objective: Sink portions to half of Ahto City if possible, survive.

Betna cocked an eyebrow at the Jedi on the other end of the commlink. As far as he was concerned, unless the Republic had retaken some serious ground up top, which he doubted, this was the only effective way to stop the Sith and win the fight that he could see.

"Negative," the Mandalorian stated to the Knight, his voice firm. "I'm continuing with the mission. I didn't deal with a skyscraper falling on me and hauling my tail halfway across the city just to get told to pack it up and go home. You get your commander to have his forces fall back from the city center and hold. And if you can, see if you can seal the mid way doors on the Ahto ballast tanks. They're under the city center. I may not be able to get to those and close them in time if they're not closed already."

With that, Betna opened the last hatch and set the satchel charges on the floor next to the outer wall. Picking them up one by one, he placed each one on a section of wall and started setting timers. Was he crazy? Possibly after getting hit with a skyscraper earlier, but he'd be karked if the Sith would take the city after all the trouble he'd put in. Suddenly, the statement he'd once read in history books came to mind over a battle on a far away planet in a far away place:

It had become necessary to destroy the city, to save the city.

@[member="Flint Dexen"]

 

[Darth Athora]

LOC: City Center, 50m from the ones in fight
OBJ: Take down the Grandmaster.

@[member="Selena Halcyon"] | @[member="Darth Apparatus"] | @[member="Valentina Clairemont"]

Vael took this opportunity and capitalized. With Web rifle in hand, he hit the gas on the speeder and launched directly for Selena.Blaster shots flew over his head as he zoomed towards her position. "I am bringing this schutta down.." he thought to himself. When he reached 5 meters away from her position, he would jump from the speeder, sending it careening off to the side, and as he was in air he fired off the web rifle at her, doing his very best to not target the other two Sith.

 

[Rianna Organa]

@[member="Arrbi Betna"]@[member="Flint Dexen"]

Rianna listened to the conversation between Flint and Arrbi Betna. If she understood correctly Arrbi was going to destroy the city. There were some innocents still here, how could they get them to move surely they could not be in the buildings, of course they could what was she thinking.

"Flint if he is determined, we need to warn everyone." Rianna looked around were there other Jedi in the area she closed her eyes trying to find out, it was too blurry to find out, too many overlaying signatures only the familiar would stand out to her, and no one was familiar. She could get on a wide frequency back at the encampment.

"Flint, I"m going to call for the medical shuttle, if anything we can either use a frquency on the shuttle, or get back to the rear and contact leadership to let them know what is happening, Betna must wait until we tell the others to move out" Rianna entered the comm frequency to the medical droid requesting a shuttle to her location. She had not accomplished what she had set out to do, rescue those that the building had fallen on. She could not sense them at the building either anymore.

 

[Sarianna]

CITY CENTER - Poison Deployment Area
@Valentina Clairemont, @Darth Apparatus @[member="Selena Halcyon"] @[member="Vael'roth Kon"]

Sarianna had been meditating when the battle picked up. She was here and at the ready for when the time came but now ran. The grandmaster needed help and there were few in the order who could reach her in time. Her mind racing as the sigil glowed her twin silver staffs gleaming while the echani focused on the force and spread it out. Letting the force battery on her neck empower her minimal skills. The geltabs were for helping the ones who needed it and healing them up but thankfully they were edible to restore stamina. Kind of like a sensu bean to keep the grandmaster over nine thousand.

Then there she was, on the edge of her sight while she slid and ejected the staff. The telescopic pole coming into the path of the web rifles shot while the four meters of it snapped into place. Her focus was on the grandmaster sending as much force energy as she could with coordination and battlemind. "Grandmaster." The snap hiss of her saber staff while the twin silver blades spun around. Her feet planting on the ground and the blade twirling behind her back until it came to rest downward and between herself and the other sith. She was more then ready to fight and focused on the force letting it swell through her muscles.

 

[Soeht]

When @[member="Selena Halcyon"] lashed out against Darth Apparatus, the Sith Master leaned his upper body back in an attempt to avoid the blade. A hiss ripped through the air as the lightsaber grazed the Darth’s chest. A sharp scorch mark stretched form the area over the Darth’s naval to the middle of his sternum.

Once Selena slipped far enough away, Darth Apparatus snapped his torso back upright. He had his left foot forward and held his lightsaber to the lower-right of his head. He grasped the hilt with both cybernetic hands.

With wheezes in between each word, Darth Apparatus asked the Grand Master, “My Master always wondered, what makes you so calm?”

Not waiting for an answer, Darth Apparatus jerked the tip of his crimson lightsaber toward Selena. A poison canister lifted off the ground and sped toward Selena. The canister struck the ground in between @Vael'roth Korn and Selena. The green haze erupted into the air and obstructed Vael’roth’s and @[member="Sarianna Misarr"]'s vision of Selena. Though for Sarianna, it would not amount to much of a different. Some of the haze covered the Darth and krept toward Selena.

Then, Darth Apparatus charged for Selena. He aimed to lock his blade with Selena’s by swinging across his body at Selena’s right side.

 

[Dave Appolon]

Eventually, Dave found his way near the city center. He had the shakes already. Things in the battle seemed chaotic in his eyes. He lost contact with the rest of Havoc Squad - and that made him worried. His comm systems were destroyed by some Sith thrall’s Force Lightning. Some scorch marks covered the soldier’s battle armor.

Yet, he still lived. And now, Dave had a the opportunity to save the Grand Master and the rest of the city.

Drawn by the growing green haze by the poison deployment area, Dave saw Imperial and Republic forces ripping each other apart. Several lightsabers in the distance caught his eye.

With @[member="Sarianna Misarr"] fighting @[member="Vael'roth Kon"] and @[member="Selena Halcyon"] dealing with Darth Apparatus, it seemed to go perfectly for the Republic’s plan for Dave to take aim at @[member="Valentina Clairemont"]. The decision was not one Dave chose for any special reason other than that Valentina was the closest Sith to him.

Raising his blaster rifle, Dave’s blue eyes looked at the barrel Valentina stood atop of. In Dave’s mind, he thought that barrels marked as DANGEROUS must be explosive! Or dangerous.

Without caring thinking much about the possible safety issues it might pose to Selena, Dave shot at the barrel Valentina stood atop of. If the blasts struck, the barrel would have ruptured and spewed its poisonous contents out into the air around the Sith.

 

[Selena Halcyon]

CITY CENTER - Poison Deployment Center
@Valentina Clairemont, @Darth Apparatus @Selena Halcyon @Vael'roth Kon @[member="Dave Appolon"]

Breath Control was still useful it seemed and it was as if Selena would have to lean upon it for some time. Surviving more off of the Force and its ability to sustain her and not upon the oxygen her body was used to having. Inhaling any poison would be disastrous. It also was evident that the Sith Lord, whom she had slightly injured, had taken in some of the poison. He also was wrecklessly adding more to the fight when he threw a barrel at her. It landed off to the side, towards another attacker who was now being occupied by a Jedi Knight. It also seemed like a trooper was attacking the other Sith. Good. Reinforcements had arrived and the numbers were now even. Just what she needed to be able to fight the Sith Lord. Eventually the poison in the air would become a problem. As Apparatus came at her she continued to move backwards, trying to get out of the growing fog. Her lightsaber meeting his blade with a crack and a hiss.

 

[Valentina Clairemont]

| @Selena Halcyon | @Vael'roth Kon | @Dave Appolonhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/3029-dave-appolon/ | @Sarianna Misarr |​

​

LOCATION: Poison Deployment Area.
OBJECTIVE: Rock Dave's world.

This battle within the poison deployment area had become a hazardous chaotic mess, Apparatus began poisoning the area aiming for the Grandmaster, and the fumes of the poison were beginning to spread. As Selena fell back to avoid the clouds, Valentina was preparing for a long arced force jump, seeing as she had just enough range to land on the left of Selena and continue the battle. It was an ambitious move that would have placed the Sith in a most advantage position to force Selena out of the area and continue poisoning the city.

But it was not to be, as Valentina took flight off the crate that she was just standing on. She heard the distinct sound of blaster fire, and shots of plasma rupturing the crate below her, underneath the flying Sith was a tremendous explosion, the shockwave of which sent Valentina flying backwards off her intended course and slamming into the wall before she slid down, where she once stood green gas emitted from the crate. With the distinct crackle of a luminous green flame and the source of ash colored smoke, all the while the green cloud was growing.

Slowly the young Apprentice slid her back up the wall to come to stand once again and get her bearings, the cloud wasn't at her location just yet, but it was creeping along and getting close and coming her way, she scanned the horizon through the green and black haze and spotted Dave, a Republic soldier, possibly from Havoc Squad.

Spotting her attacker, her brown eyes narrowed in spite, Valentina had been responsible for the run in with Havoc Squad earlier in a previous engagement with the AA emplacement, and she was just about to deal with this one.

Peering deep into her souls sanctuary and vital center, Valentina summoned all the last ounce of hate found within her wicked heart. And stirring up the passion fueled hatred within her the Apprentice called upon the force, lifting the smoldering crate off the ground after a wave of the force followed and slammed against the flaming crate.

Which sent the crate careening out of control toward Dave Appolon to make a possible impact point close to the Republic soldier, along with its green flame and black smoke trailing behind it and the red words of warning DANGEROUS .

 

[Soeht]

Once Darth Apparatus locked blades with @[member="Selena Halcyon"]’s, he kept pushing against the Grand Master’s blade. He paused for a moment.

“Can’t talk?” he questioned with a flat tone in his voice.

After he asked that, Darth Apparatus twitched his head up. A gust of wind manifested as the poison haze surrounding Selena and Darth Apparatus dissipated. Selena, for the moment, would be able to breathe without worry.

Darth Apparatus continued, “You will tell me what we desire to know.”

Then, Darth Apparatus stepped to his left. He pushed his lightsaber against Selena’s even more. He rotated his rips clockwise as he pivoted his lightsaber blade on Selena’s lightsaber. The tip of his lightsaber moved closer toward Selena’s right shoulder as a result and threatened to injure it.

 

[Dave Appolon]

“Hah!” yelled Dave after he struck the poison barrel below @[member="Valentina Clairemont"].

Yet, his face quickly turned from one basking in success to panic as Valentina responded by chunking the now burning poison barrel toward Dave. The Havoc Squad soldier rolled to his left. The barrel crashed into the ground several meters from Dave. He managed to miss the fireball. However, a green cloud swallowed Dave momentarily before he ran out of it.

Stopping for a second, Dave clutched his throat with his left hand while his blaster rifle hanged from his right arm. He let out several hoarse coughs.

“What is this?” he exclaimed with a cough between each word.

Looking up toward Valentina, Dave closed his mouth. His heavy breathing continued through his nose. He grasped his blaster rifle with both hands once more and took aim at Valentina.

Then, Dave began to charge toward Valentina to close the gap between him and her. He pulled the trigger of his rifle in bursts. Red blaster bolts rushed toward the Sith.

 

[Selena Halcyon]

Sith were talkative. She heard rumors of previous grandmasters and important Jedi engaging in philosophical conversations with them, a strangeness given how corrupting the darkside was. She honestly was not even sure what he wanted to know but Selena was not one who would give information anyways. The only conversations she would comfortably have with a Sith is when they were broken and knew that the darkside could not save them. Then and only then could they be redeemed. Regardless, talking was not an option. With some of the air clearing she took a few shallow breaths, providing a little more oxygen to her and hopefully clean or at least minimally tainted air, but she could not trust the air to stay clean for long.

The Sith was a stronger individual than Selena. It was just natural. She was very well trained but she was naturally not as strong as many men who were trained in the same things. However, lightsaber combat was a finesse combat art, and in the area of strength Selena had orchestrated small advantages for herself. Her long hilt on her lightsaber was not purely because she preferred long things. It was there because it gave her more leverage than the standard hilt would when gripped at both ends. This small advantage allowed her to keep the blade away from her shoulder long enough to shift herself.

Moving to her left she lefted her lightsaber in a way where the tip faced the ground, intending to cause the Sith to slide off the end of it and towards that ground to cause him to lose his balance. As she turned she had his side before her. Quickly, her left hand turned into a fist and flew straight at the side of the Sith's head. Sure, he was wearing a mask and possibly a helmet, but she had a durasteel gauntlet on. Due to positioning the punch carried little initial force, only her weight and the added strength of the Force acting on her body. But she somewhat sensed the change in the Sith from the poison, anything could possibly jar him and help dip him out of normal thinking.

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

@ALL SITH FORCES

The voice crackled over the speakers, Balaya had been with the Emperor at Ossus and when they had gotten away and heard the news the fleet was mobilizing but they needed their full forces.
"THIS IS BALAYA THE HAND OF THE EMPEROR, OSSUS HAS FALLEN TO THE JEDI AND DROMUND KAAS IS UNDER ATTACK, ALL SITH FORCES ARE TO RETURN AND RETAKE DROMUND KAAS. I REPEAT FALL BACK AND RETAKE DROMUND KAAS WE HAVE MANDALORIANS TO KILL."

With a sneer her face showed how much disgust there was in the actions of retreating but it was either try and fight here or possibly lose the capital to mongrels which was something they could not do.

 

[Arrbi Betna]

Location: Ahto City Ballast Tanks
Objective: Finish rigging explosive charges, fall back, survive.

Underneath the city, Betna couldn't hear the Sith announcement. There were no speakers here and sound from above didn't carry this far down. His comm was set to the Republic channels, but he wasn't paying much attention at this point. Focused on his task, the young Mandalorian finished rigging the explosives set to sink half the city. The painkillers were taking their toll now. He'd used too much, too fast, to keep moving and fighting and now he could begin to feel it as his vision blurred occasionally.

He quickly finished up the last charge, having set them all to detonate in fifteen minutes. Plenty of time to get away, he figured. Plenty of time to get clear and seal the midline hatches to save the Republic side of the city. Satisfied at his job, he picked up his gear and started back down the corridor as his vision began blurring more steadily. He knew that he'd soon need serious medical attention. Partly for his leg and partly for the overdosing he'd done. Adrenaline and bacta could only do so much at this point, so he pushed himself further.

He couldn't feel his wounds now, but his knee was still weak and he found it increasingly difficult to keep his balance the further on he went. After what seemed like an eternity of stumbling and tripping at a jogging pace, he could see the midline hatches ahead. His calculations were right, it only took twelve minutes from the hull to the midline at a jog or run. He'd be at the hatches in a few minutes at least.

He didn't know that he'd actually set the charges for ten minutes. The price for overdosing.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Arrbi Betna"]

An awkward figured loomed out of a side hall. "Friend! You are in most severe distress." Diffuse healing radiance played around Boolon's hands as he hurried along with the limping Mandalorian. The pacifist healer set to work on his mobile target, fixing the knee, bolstering consciousness, closing minor wounds. Arrbi's mind was alight with urgency, but Boolon was in no mood to pry. The Mandalorian -- like the many Selkath Boolon had been healing, and Republic and Sith troops alike -- needed urgent medical assistance.

Boolon was urgent medical assistance. Though he had his M.D., and a reputable stint at Coruscant General's trauma ward before he left the Republic and the Order to resume his place as an Ithorian Priest, he'd long since run out of medical supplies. There'd been a time when he was considered the Order's best healer, capable of diagnosing and fixing nearly anything on the run. He'd turned down the title of Master more than once.

Every bit of that experience went into healing the mobile Arrbi Betna, the mild Ithorian pacifist having no idea that his newest charge had just set the stage to kill thousands.

 

[Arrbi Betna]

Betna had no idea where the Ithorian had come from, but the being's healing aura brought a clear head and renewed vigor to the Mandalorian's body.

"What the shab? Did you just walk out of a ballast tank? Where the-," Betna was cut off by a heavy crump in the distance and a distinct shockwave felt in his chest. He'd set the timer too soon. He grabbed the Ithorian by the thing's robes and bodily hurled the alien down the corridor as a deafening roar kicked up from where he'd set the charges.

"Run you Di'kut!!" Betna shouted. "The charges are blown! Move your shebs or we're both dead!"

With that, Betna suited action to words and hauled tail himself, the rushing water now visible as it flooded the hallway and ballast tanks.

@[member="Boolon Murr"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Unlike @[member="Arrbi Betna"], Boolon was not blessed with speed. And as a thunderous impact sent water spraying down the tunnels, he stopped his plodding trot to look back.

"Charges? In the ballast-"

He spun to stare at the Mandalorian's retreating back. For a moment -- just a moment -- his long-fingered hands rose as if to snap Arrbi's neck at a distance. It was not the first time he'd healed a mass murderer. It was, however, the first time he'd done so unknowingly. His mind turned to the Selkath, and the many others in this section of the city. But before he could help them, he had to survive.

That part of him which had reconsidered his departure from the Republic? That bit of Boolon Murr dried up and burned.

His lightsabre flared to life, slashing through obstacles as the Ithorian stampeded ahead of the onrushing water. One more atrocity to lay at the Republic's feet. After being medtech on Metalorn...well, he'd hoped never to see the 'good guys' go this wrong again.

A fool's hope.

He ran.

 

[Arrbi Betna]

Betna ran as fast as he could, but still the water caught up with them. Each step splashed as he bolted for the central line, his arms and legs pumping from the effort.

"We need to reach the mid line hatchways!" he shouted as he ran, his helmet amplifying his voice over the noise around them. "We shut those, and the rest of the city is fine! I think they're automated, but I don't know if there's power running to them or not!"

________________________________________________________________

@ EVERYONE IN AHTO CITY!!!!!

As the water rushed into the tanks and filled the city, a pronounced shudder could be felt as the weight of the water dragged the Sith half of the platform down slightly. The tremors increased as each tank was breached and the city slowly started to tilt. It started gradually at first as the sinking side of Ahto city dropped lower into the ocean. Soon, the tilt was pronounced enough that most would notice, though not all would realize the danger that threatened the entire city now.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

@[member="Boolon Murr"], @[member="Arrbi Betna"]

Boloon, former Jedi knight, pacifist Ithorian healer, a man of peace thrust into a Galaxy of bloodshed, lies and betrayed hopes and the sniper who would become the city sinker were not alone. As Boloon was trying to heal the Mandalorian, as the soldier declared that charges were about to blow then took off, shouting loudly, Moira stepped out of the chute.

Superior hearing had picked up on part of the rushed conversation, enough for a recording, enough to pick the pieces together. This part of the city was supposed to be safe? That meant the majorly Republic controlled area. While the city was not so neatly divided into zones that one could say one side totally dominated it, it meant it was not a Sith operation to deny the asset they could not gain. The Republic was...doing her work. Those cold, merciless eyes followed Betna as he ran, in a split-second she noticed the water that was rising, coming towards them, soon increasing in strength and ferocity as it came towards them in waves. Even an HRD did not want to be caught in a great flood. Soon the pieces came together as she processed the information, eyes following Betna as she recorded his flight. Recording tech was something that built in when it came to her model. After all, it was quite useful when it came to assassination....or filming atrocities. She made no hostile move, no attempt to engage either the Mandalorian or the Ithorian. There was no need for that. Her mission was done.

Her reaction to what was about to transpire, to the cataclysm that would engulf Ahto City, was the exact opposite of the pacifist healer. She felt...could an HRD feel anything? A construct of destruction and terror, created due to the inherent murderous of organics to one another. Officially of course she was void of emotion, deprived of a soul. She fulfilled a task, terminated opposition, then left.

Yet...if she was capable of even an approximation of feeling, then she did so now. Moira Skaldi would feel...joy. Pure, unadulterated joy.

Ahto City was home to millions. It was not just Selkath who inhabited the city, but countless off-worlders, as it was the sole commercial centre upon the ocean planet. Even if not the entire city was sunk, the death toll would be...staggering. So many organcs pulled into the ocean, torn into the depths by the great deluge.

It would be...beautiful. To see such single-minded destruction on display. Magnificient.

As a strong shudder could be felt, like the hammer blow of a wrathful god, Moira ran. She would watch the great cataclysm from above. Her starfighter was hidden near her safehouse and she raced there. A quick, purely electronic transmission was sent to @[member="MSE-007"], also sending the recorded images. "Behold, the meatbags do our work for us. Film the great cataclysm." She would do so likewise. Further a quick transmission was sent to her Galaxytube account. Her partner in crime would surely thoroughly film the great cataclysm that was engulfing Ahto City.