Dominion Crystals Are Forever | SO Dominion of Erinar

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Vakhari Lutris Darth Strosius Trayze Tesar Darth Hydra

It wasn't often the young Sangnir was referred to as 'Lady', it seemed to make her smirk ever so lightly in response. Perhaps while in Vakhari's company she was considered of a higher standing than she typically was, or perhaps Darth Strosius was just a charming gentleman when pleasantries were concerned, either way she seemed to appreciate it.

She watched as the railing was torn from the edge they stood upon, no doubt it was an act that violated several work safety precautions but it didn't seem like there'd be any inspections anytime soon. As she peered over the edge she was somewhat concerned with the thought of the 'express route', not exactly having much confidence in being able to ensure she'd manage to get down safely.

It was then that another appeared and she turned to see Darth Hydra, at first he held a rather ominous or perhaps disconcerting appearance, but much like Strosius he spoke with civility and respect. She offered a nod of her head in a show of greeting and respect of her own as a result. During her brief stint of learning at Korriban Academy she hadn't had a chance to meet many of the tutors and teachers there, the most important one she had bumped into was of course the Lutris besides her. Perhaps if she had been there longer she would have made Hydra's acquaintance sooner.

Then she watched as Darth Hydra quite plainly made his impressive leap down into the chasm, catching onto the walls and bounding down to slow his descent until he had safely reached the bottom. The young Sangnir watched in surprise before she glanced towards Vakhari, "... I can't do that." she stated plainly and with concern. Sure, she had her claws that she could perhaps stab into the rock, but what if she accidentally struck one of those volatile crystals hidden beneath the stone? What if she couldn't slow her descent enough? She looked to Vakhari for a solution...

​

​

 

[Irina Jesart]

Tags: Aerik Lechner Korran Dorn​

The chuckle that slipped past her lips as his reply eased across her mind drew a sidewards glance from her team. She cleared her throat, her face slipping back into her impassive mask with ease. "Keep moving." she told them, her eyes scanning the ceiling watching for anymore shifting stalagmites in the wake of the planet's thrumming heart. It was good to feel Aerik close again, even if she could not see him, to feel that bond of friendship reignite with such ease brought her comfort she didn't realise she needed.

The molten lake was larger than she first anticipated as they shifted around its left side; she noticed a small island jutting out from the back wall, inaccessible from either side by any normal means. Something glowed at its centre, not like the song of the diamonds they chased, but something else.

No sooner had she spotted it, did his voice ripple across her mind once more along with an image of cool stone walls etched with symbols she didn't recognise and an obsidian like stone at the centre.

<<"Hold on, I see something, but I need to get to it." >>

"Keep moving, the crystals should be just up ahead. Extract them carefully."

"Where are you going?"

"To investigate another lead."

She took several steps back from the lakes edge, gauging the run up she had versus the distance she had to cross. It wasn't impossible, but it would be tight. She reached fro the darkness, the simmering anger that always lingered beneath the surface waiting to be used and ran, launching herself with the force over the lake to the centre island, hitting the shore too close for comfort she tucked and rolled onto her shoulder before coming up on one knee.

Uncomfortable heat spread across the bottom of one foot, glancing down she noted that she had melted the sole of a boot. Clicking her tongue with annoyance she pushed herself to her feet. Dark eyes scanned the wall, noting the same symbols that he had shown her, leading to another glassy stone, though this one was glowing softly.

She pressed the image back to him. << "I don't recognise these symbols." >> she moved to the stone, feeling the heat radiating from it without having to touch it. << "I'm on the edge of a molten lake, so if you're going to do anything stupid, make sure you have a way to get out quickly. I'd rather not tell your father I dropped a tonne of lava on your head.">>

 

[Korran Dorn]

REMEMBER

Tag: Aerik Lechner | Irina Jesart​

The tremor reached him long before the sound did.

It crawled through the stone, a low, resonant hum that shivered up the metal frames and down into the marrow of his bones. The vibration carried more than pressure; it carried intent. Not from the planet, but from those who walked within it.

Korran stood upon the lower ridge, his eyes half-lidded, head tilted slightly as if listening to something far away. The cavern’s breath had changed. What had been silence now carried cadence. Two distinct presences pulsed through the Force, one sharp and flickering, the other deep and deliberate. The song between them was not sung aloud, yet he could feel its rhythm threading through the dark.

Not words. Just the feeling of them, a ripple of warmth, a touch of familiarity, something that momentarily softened the air between the deep stone and molten channels.

“So,” he murmured to the dark, “the young ones remember each other.”

It wasn’t envy that passed through him. It was curiosity. Their connection was old, built not through doctrine or command but something more natural, instinctive. And the Force responded to it. The entire cavern seemed to shift subtly, its pulse bending, as if listening in. The crystals above flared once, light breaking through cracks in the ceiling before fading again.

Korran’s gaze followed the fading glow toward the direction of their separate paths, Aerik descending deeper into the cold, Irina still winding her way through the molten tunnels above. He could feel the difference in their resonance clearly now: Aerik moved with the gravity of the root, his awareness sinking downward into the buried current beneath the fire; Irina glided upon the song itself, each step a note in the melody that stirred the crystals awake.

Two halves of the same storm, he thought. Fire and foundation. Voice and echo.

He took a slow step forward, boots grinding against the brittle ash underfoot. The Force whispered against his senses, faint impressions, a flicker of heat from Irina’s path, the low pulse of Aerik’s discovery far below. He could feel their conversation deepening through the unseen thread between them, the energy of it spilling faintly into the chamber. Though he could not hear the words, he knew the pattern well enough: curiosity, recognition, and the edge of something dangerous, shared purpose.

He allowed a quiet, humorless chuckle to slip from his throat. “The Force favors symmetry,” he said to no one, voice low. “It loves to bind what should remain apart.”

Then came the second tremor, heavier, slower, deliberate. The ground under him rippled once like the draw of a great breath. Korran’s fingers curled against the air, feeling the pulse deepen, roll, and settle. Whatever Aerik had found below had answered him. Not awake, but aware. A slumbering will pressed faintly against the edges of the Force, tasting the intrusion.

Korran’s gaze darkened. “So the boy has found the heart.”

The glow from the fissure dimmed to embers. Ash swirled in the air. He could sense Irina’s energy falter for just a moment, her connection to the crystals breaking rhythm, the echo of her attention shifting toward Aerik’s call. The bond between them flared again, faint but deliberate.

And though he could not hear the words that passed, Korran felt the brush of their link. A line drawn between flame and shadow. Between curiosity and caution.

“You should not speak so freely down here,” he said softly, his voice lost beneath the groan of the cavern. “Even whispers wake what listens.”

He reached out a hand, palm down, and pressed his will into the earth. The Force rippled outward like a pulse through water, moving along the same channels that carried Aerik’s and Irina’s signatures. He did not intrude upon their link, not yet, but he marked it, like a predator tracing the path of prey through tall grass.

Then, with quiet certainty, he turned deeper into the dark.

The cold around him thickened, and the air grew dense with the metallic scent of stone ready to break. The current of the Force here was shifting, aligning itself not with the living, but with memory.

“The world remembers them now,” Korran murmured. “Let us see if it chooses to remember kindly.”

His silhouette vanished into the tunnel ahead, swallowed by shadow and silence.

And somewhere far above, the crystals trembled again, a faint, uneasy harmony echoing through the deep.

 

[Aerik Lechner]

WEARING: xxx | TAG: Irina Jesart​

A fresh tremor moved through the ground. Dust drifted from the ceiling as the deeper current adjusted to the shift above. Irina’s presence passed through the Force with it, steady and clear. The familiar touch carried a quiet spark that Aerik answered with simple confidence. The bond settled, warm and controlled.
The tunnel widened. A chamber opened before him, its floor crossed by thin strands of black stone. All of them led toward a dark seal set in the center. Soft light pulsed beneath the polished surface. Aerik studied the carvings that circled the outer ring. The shapes were unfamiliar, but their pattern had purpose.

An image from Irina reached him.

The lake.

The island.

The glow.

Lines cut into the wall. Her focus sharpened the details. The matching symbols beneath his feet confirmed the connection. Whatever rested under this world did not divide the paths they had taken. It tied them together.

Aerik lowered one hand toward the seal. Warmth rose from the stone. Light crept along the spiral carvings. The response was measured, as if the chamber acknowledged Irina’s discovery above without demanding an answer in return.

Her next thought carried a hint of dry concern. The pup allowed a quiet smile before he sent his reply.

<< “If trouble finds me, you can tell my father I walked into it on purpose.” >>

The seal brightened for a heartbeat, then settled. The pulse beneath his boots softened into a slow rhythm. The quiet that followed felt awake rather than empty.

The young Lechner straightened and scanned the room. Threads of faint red light marked the floor. The air carried the weight of old intention. No voice called to him. No warning pressed against his senses. Only presence. Only patience.

Another flicker from Irina brushed against his awareness. Heat surrounded her, yet her focus stayed sharp. The image she had shared remained fixed in his thoughts.

Symbols.

Stone.

Light.

All of it part of a deeper pattern that neither of them understood yet.

Aerik stepped away from the seal. The markings dimmed but did not lose their warmth. A new pull drew him toward the far end of the chamber. The deeper current moved in that direction now, guiding him down a narrow passage.

The son of the Dread Wolf followed. The glow behind him faded until the seal disappeared from sight. The hum beneath the stone eased into a softer pulse that matched his steps. Another thought from her reached him, unspoken but clear in intent. Aerik answered with clean honesty.

<< “If I find something worth worrying about, you will hear me long before it becomes a problem.” >>

The link quieted again.

Aerik continued down the path, letting the deeper current lead him toward whatever waited in the dark ahead.

 

[Irina Jesart]

Irina stayed whwre she was as he went quiet, drifting away from her again as she slowly walked along the patterned floor to the wall, tracing her fingers along each symbol, commiting them to memory so she could research them later when her hand passe through the wall.

"What the-" she withdrew it rapidly the movement sent a ripple through the holoprojection. Excitement rippled from her through their bond. She cast a glance towards where her team had gone, then back at the stone before shrugging. The mission was in hand, she could afford to go off track.

She stepped through the wall, the projection flickering as she did before settling once more. Irina found herself in a tight passage, one that required her to turn sidewards to pass down. From where she stood she could see another chamber beyond, the heat unwavering, an unmistakable glow coming from it.

Taking a breath she began to squeeze herself through.

Aerik Lechner

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: CT-312 //: Jorryn Fordyce //: Lunaria Talon //: Matteo Guo-Yian //:
//: Attire //:

Quinn knew she should have been elsewhere. She knew she should have been in the meeting with the others. But she was tired of all of it. The constant push and pull of politics was starting to weigh on her.

She knew, though, that she couldn't fight it for much longer — soon she's going to have to stop playing the games she often played.
Today wasn't that day, though. Instead, she chose to be around her friends, her peers, and do something simple.

Collecting rocks.

Quinn had dragged 312 out of her day off or whatever else she was doing.

She was finding her desire to be around the trooper growing. 312 was one of the few people she had let get close to, and she hadn't shown any willingness to take advantage of the Princess. It was as if her being a Princess, being anything beyond just Quinn, didn't matter. It was a pleasant change in the atmosphere of people who often orbited her.

She adjusted the armored hazard suit slightly as she did her best to remain comfortable on top of the droids that 312 had brought with her. Looking at them, she wondered if there was a way to get more — particularly to outfit the DeathDrop units.

As she mentally assessed her own funds, a voice called to her. Quinn, looking down, stared at the short scout trooper and smiled.

"Yes! There's a specific stone here that I'd like to collect, with it — I'd be able to maybe forge a new lightsaber, or make my current ones a bit better."

The Princess mused that it had been some time since she made a lightsaber. The last one was crafted while she was in school and is now gone. It didn't matter; she knew where it had gone, and it would aid that person better than it did her.

"They're pretty volatile, so make sure you're careful." Quinn reminded the trooper as she shifted and was now looking fully over the edge of the droid on her hands and knees.

"They're little fire stones that can explode and are hot to the touch, which is why I want you to gather them; your gloves are durable."

She smiled, wondering if 312 would argue with her.

 

[Srina Talon]

Allies: Gerwald Lechner | Lina Ovmar
Location: The Grand Design

____________________________________________________

Her eyes lowered to the seemingly young woman who stood on the other side of the holoprojection table in silent calculation. It was not with dismissal or arrogance, merely, assessment. Acceptance of an apology did not take warmth, simply an acknowledgement. The faint incline of her chin served its purpose, and they moved on, mostly, because her point had been made.

She would not tolerate her husband being slandered and run through the mud by those who knew him not.

As Lina Ovmar continued, as she shaped her concerns into a careful argument, the pale woman felt a faint shift in the room. Eyes turning, breaths tightening, waiting to see how she might handle her response to being directly challenged. Her forebearers had always been prone to waspishness and violence…To outbursts that were barely controlled. Her hands folded loosely behind her back, and the soft scent of jasmine and rain deepened…When her voice returned, it chilled the air.

"For those without power, if they allow it, all things can feel like a cage. The reality is that most of the Order doesn't even know about the existence of the Blackwall and wouldn't were it not for the intervention of the Faithless. This nation spans a good portion of the galaxy—", the diminutive woman trailed off, lightly, though she didn't look away from Lina. There was no accusation in her tone…Just the weight of an old truth. "—There are ways through the wall and there always have been…It has only been made more prominent since the planeshift."

The swiss cheese holes that marred the Blackwall enough to let in the other Imperials on Brosi had been a problem since the moment the galaxy decided to turn itself in its head and reorient itself. It was an act of the universe, an act through forces that they could not control. Everyone had made sacrifices because of it…This wouldn't be the first—Or the last. "Trade and communication do not suffer because of the Blackwall; they suffer because merchants and vendors oppose any sort of regulation. If not this, then another excuse is always close by. This is simply the most convenient one."

"To my knowledge, the wall was always meant to be a matched system. Currently, we have a pulse with no return flow.", The faintest shift of her shoulders suggested thought, though she kept it to herself while Lina tore through her intention. It was possible that using the storm seeds for communication could have disastrous consequences…But—So could any number of things. "Do we no longer seek to challenge ourselves? To master the storms would be an accomplishment beyond expectation…"

"But in lieu of that…Hyper gates veiled within storm-veins…Controlled, selective, and shielded from those who might want to exploit them. It is a potentially viable model. The…Safe, choice."

There was no praise in her tone; Srina did not overly flatter others when it was unwarranted. She also didn't dismiss the idea either. It was the safer option…But there were times even Sith craved the comfort of what was known, versus the unknown. Controlling a Force Stom was hardly the most problematic thing that research and development were regularly involved with…But she could understand apprehension. Fear, as it were, that their gilded cage might get destroyed.

Still. Lina had the capacity to think beyond complaint…And that was noted.

Gerwald Lechner interrupted then, speaking up, to perhaps alleviate her earlier crossness. Her expression remained a constant, still as stone, but her eyes were less punishing when the breadth of his loyalty pressed against the back of her mind. Like most—He didn't seem to enjoy it when he'd earned her ire in one capacity or another. Srina did not turn while he addressed the rest of the assembled individuals, watching the shifting projection, while a flicker of Naedira Darcrath moved through her.

He was thinking about her.

About the night that she'd torn his now-wife from the jaws of death, more literally, from the jaws of Sithspawn that had been intent on devouring her memories and soul. The fractured brunette had been food for beasts for so long that she scarcely remembered her own name.

Naedira had been built from Gerwald. Rebuilt—With his own flesh, his own memories. She remembered the moment the woman had awoken from her torment, from her captivity, that Darth Prazutis had visited upon her so long ago. Now the same man was training their son.

How things had changed.​

The more she listened to them speak, the more she determined one truth. The Blackwall had never limited them. It only revealed who felt small, who felt limited, in a closed sea of giants. She let the former Lord Commander finish before she pushed away from the holoprojection and moved toward the viewports that showed a planet on fire. "The caution exhibited is not misplaced…But all should remember that structure is not inherently oppression. It is what allows civilization to rise without devouring itself. When we consider the nature of the Sith—I don't think it requires explanation."

She thought of both arguments, both ideas, a little while longer, and nodded her head slowly as she came to a consensus. Not everything required hours of debate when an easy compromise could be found. It was time that the Blackwall, for the most part, was dismantled and repurposed, especially because the holes in it made it so that it was harder to patrol. It was stretching their Legions thin once more…And there were better uses of their time. "…We will build the gates."

"Controlling Force Stoms can be added to the docket for future investigation, but in the interim, we can widen our capacity for travel and trade."

That was never a bad thing.

"From there, we can use the power of the crystals to claim Firefist."

There were a few gasps. Some knew it was coming, and some didn't. But—How could the Sith pass up the possibility of exploring a satellite galaxy? What secrets were hidden from them in a place that was all but unexplored territory?

Her gaze turned away from the planet and landed on Gerwald Lechner once more, silently, wondering what it was that seemed different about him. The way he spoke. The dialogue. It was almost poetic in the way he described her sovereignty. Her head tilted. "…I do not rule simply because I have the ability to dream.", she offered, a little perplexed, but rather curious about where this line of conversation was coming from. Anyone, could dream, anyone could think they had sight for the future. "I do it because there are none yet who provide a challenge….Because until there is one more suited, it is what duty demands."

This whole mess would bear her mark whether she wished it to or not; either way, she was through with discussing what the Black Wall had been. All that mattered was what it would become. If they had to drain the energy from it to create a stable cover for the Hypergates—Fine. All Srina knew for certain was that it could not remain as it was. Light fingers touched the glass, thinking for quite some time. Gerwald would know this was how she got when shed was turning something over in her mind. Not loud, not angry, just quiet. Endlessly, quiet. "We can start here."

"Any further proposals?"

 

[Lunaria Talon]

Direct Tag: Matteo Guo-Yian | Jorryn Fordyce
Nearby Tag: Quinn Varanin | CT-312
___________________________
_______​

"Hi. We're on a mission from the Academy."

Lunaria didn't correct Matteo when he offered an ultimatum, though; her head tilted with a small smile that informed they were entirely in agreement. His hand on her shoulder was welcome, and she leaned back just slightly, not enough to lose balance, but a wordless assurance that she was there. That it was all right. That she wasn't going anywhere. It was correct to assume that he was the shield, but in truth, they both were. The pair protected each other.

She watched the ash drift in small spirals for a moment, glinting orange with sparks of fire, while heat roiled off the rocks and clung like a second skin. Artemis didn't want to spend too much time with this person, but it wouldn't be a productive venture if they had to watch their backs the whole time. Jorryn's voice lingered at the edge of her thoughts, light, almost as if she were amused by the two Jutrand Academy students. It ruffled Luna, just slightly.

|| It's not every day I get to meet an honest Sith." ||

And then the part that had actually made Luna blink: || I like you. ||

That felt like a contradiction wrapped in a compliment, then, perfumed ever so lightly with insult. That wasn't the sort of thing Sith said. Not sincerely, anyway. The little Echani did not answer right away, but instead carried the words as they moved. They felt strange. Not unwelcome…Just strange for the circles their people usually spoke in. She adjusted the knobs on her scanner while feeling Matteo step just behind her. Almost beside her. His earlier warning had been so typically him—uncompromising and a little too serious for someone their age.

He'd been having a hard time lately.

She didn't turn to look at her friend but caught his reflection in the sheen of cooled black glass underfoot. Jaw set. Stance solid. Watching, everything. Especially, keeping an eye on Jorryn Fordyce now. "Don't worry so much…She hasn't tried anything yet."

The young woman walked ahead for a moment before drifting back into pace with them. Her steps were strangely graceful for someone in an environment that actively wanted them dead. At the mention of technology from Lady Fordyce Artemis glanced up, cute nose wrinkling, because the statement made her like this person more. Something loosened in her chest, maybe, because of the apparent honesty.

Maybe it was because she wasn't pretending to know everything.

"Yeah…", Luna trailed off, tapping the screen of her scanner, which was being mostly useless. "You're not missing anything. The readings down here are garbage…It's like the planet's jamming us on purpose."

That meant they would be going down the slopes and into some seriously hazardous caves, mostly blind. When their new female companion gestured in the proper direction the pale woman-child slowed automatically. It flashed a warning through her to discuss potentially sacrificing one of them, so early on. Her head shook… "No. We're not using you as bait."

A pause.

"—And we're not letting you take all the crystals before we can get one."

Luna started forward and nudged the other two to go with her. It was a simple solution since the mouths of the caves and tunnels were quite large. "We can go together."

They would reach one of these openings soon enough. The glow was dimmer than the magma fields, but far more menacing. The ground trembled beneath them every now and again, rhythmic, in a way that made Luna's skin crawl. The closer they drew, the more she felt it in her bones, like someone was humming really loudly from beneath the ground. She stepped forward to let her eyes adjust to the red gloom. She could see something glimmering from the other side, but the entire way was blocked by magma and lavafall. "Do you see that?"

"I don't know how we're supposed to get over there…"

Try and freeze it? Bend it?

They couldn't just call it in, or they'd lose any credit if they found anything. If it was nothing…They'd also take all the blame.

 

[Aerik Lechner]

WEARING: xxx | TAG: Irina Jesart​

The bond carried her excitement across the gap between their paths. It rose for a moment, bright and sharp, then thinned again as she pulled away to investigate whatever she had found. Aerik let the feeling settle without answering. Her focus had shifted. The work ahead of him demanded the same.

The deeper current wound through the passage like a soft pull at the edge of thought. The walls grew darker as he descended, shaped by flows of stone that had cooled unevenly over time. Patches of glass caught faint reflections of red light and scattered them in thin streaks across the floor. The farther he walked, the more the ground changed beneath his boots. The faint hum he had followed since entering the lower tunnels grew stronger, rising through the stone at a slow and steady pace.

The air carried a different scent here. It did not smell like heat or fire. It was something metallic and much older. The aftertaste of it clung lightly to the back of his throat as he passed between the narrow walls and stepped into a long corridor carved by natural pressure rather than tools. The floor sloped upward, just slightly. The rock flanking him shifted from dark basalt to something pale and smooth as though the stone had once been liquefied and pressed into a new shape.

A faint shimmer appeared ahead. The glow was not bright enough to light the passage, yet it was strong enough to reflect in his eyes. The pup paused and placed his palm against the wall. A soft vibration answered his touch. The resonance carried a familiar rhythm, the same breath he had felt beneath the seal in the chamber.

This time the pulse was stronger.

Aerik continued forward. The shimmer grew with each step. The corridor narrowed, then widened again without warning. A low cavern opened before him. Light rose from its center in a soft glow that rippled across the stone, gentle and steady, stronger than anything he had felt since entering the tunnels.

An old vein of Erinar Diamonds cut across the floor like a frozen river. Thick crystals jutted from the ground in long, uneven clusters. Their surfaces glowed with internal light. Each pulse timed with the deep rhythm of the world. Threads of energy moved through the vein in slow currents that twisted between the stones and vanished into the earth.

Aerik stepped closer.

The glow strengthened as he approached. Crystals hummed with a sound too low for the natural ear, vibrating through bone rather than air. Some clusters had fractured over time. Others remained intact, shaped by forces far older than the foundry or the mines.

A single stone rose higher than the rest, its surface was clear and radiant. The energy inside it moved with a calm precision. It was not chaotic or random. There seemed to be a purpose to it.

The son of the Dread Wolf rested his palm against the surface. Warmth moved up his arm. The pulse aligned with his heartbeat for a moment before settling back into its own tempo.

This vein had been untouched. Aerik did not know how long that had been the case. He thought it was a good thing. Whatever he had felt when the pulse of the crystal matched his heartbeat, it was alive.

A faint shift in the bond touched his thoughts again. Irina moved through something narrow. She had found a path that belonged to her.

Aerik let a single thought cross the link, quiet and steady.

<< “You’re getting closer. Hurry. I think I found something older than anyone thought existed here.” >>

He drew his attention back to the glowing vein at his feet and waited for the next movement in the current that had brought him here. If Irina hurried maybe they could follow it together.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING: This
WEAPONS: Ferrum Solus | Blodmåne | Strømafbryder
SHIP: Úlfs Reiði (Wolf's Fury)
TAG: Srina Talon | Lina Ovmar

Gerwald stood motionless as the chamber settled after Srina’s command. The shift in the room was quiet but firm. The gathered Sith felt it even if they could not name it. Srina Talon had made her decision, and the momentum of the Order tilted in that direction before anyone had time to breathe. Gerwald did not need to see her face to understand what moved beneath the surface. The Empress rarely gave her thoughts away, yet her presence spoke in subtleties that few ever learned to read.

The scent of jasmine and rain lingered in the air, but it had changed. The softness was gone. What remained carried the edge of intent. Srina’s calm was not passive. It never had been. Her quiet meant she had already begun forming the structure of the next stage. Not what the Blackwall had been. What it could become. She had left the old debate behind while most in the room still clutched at its pieces.

Gerwald caught the faint pull at her posture. The tilt of her chin. The way her attention shifted without fully turning her head. Srina did not need to speak to signal readiness. She had reached her conclusion, and the rest of the room existed in the space between her decision and its execution. Only the Dread Wolf understood this silence for what it truly was.

A point of transition.

Lina continued her argument, but her words no longer shaped the room. They hung between the Empress and the projection, seeking traction that would not return. Srina listened, but her earlier decision had already settled into place. The woman’s reasoning was careful. Her logic had merit. Yet her perspective still focused on limitations rather than opportunity. Gerwald listened to her without interruption, but he did not anchor himself in her concerns. Firefist waited beyond the horizon, and the Order would need more than cautious adjustment to reach it.

Srina’s answer cut through the room with steady precision. She corrected Lina’s assumptions without force. Her tone remained even. She explained the wall’s purpose, the burden of the Planeshift, and the reality that structure served the Order’s survival. Her intent was not to dismiss. She simply wanted clarity. She stood beyond the old debate. The Blackwall was not a relic to maintain. It was material that needed to be reshaped.

When Srina turned toward the burning horizon outside the viewport, Gerwald felt the quiet deepen. Her mind moved with focus impossible for most to follow. She was not debating. She was selecting what must rise from what had been broken. The silence she carried now was the same quiet she had held when she had rebuilt the Order after Empyrean’s disappearance.

That silence had always meant thought.

When her gaze returned to him, Gerwald recognized what she sought. Not agreement. Not reassurance. She wanted direction. Srina did not look to him for permission or comfort. She looked to him when she wanted the next stone placed in the structure she had chosen. The Dread Wolf stepped forward.

“The wall served its purpose. It stabilized the Order when nothing else could. That purpose is finished. What matters now is what we forge from what remains.”

He did not soften his voice. The room did not need comfort. It needed clarity.

“We build the gates. That is the first step. But we should not stop with access. The wall can become something that gives us position instead of only boundaries.”

Gerwald raised one hand and adjusted the holoprojection. The image expanded to show the regions beyond the Firefist frontier. No flourish accompanied the movement. He kept each motion grounded in purpose.

“We can embed relay towers within the old storm lines. Not to restore what the wall was, but to create an early warning network that ties into the gates. When we open travel lanes, we also invite threats. The Legions need time to respond. The crystals give us the power to shape that time.”

“The old wall reactors can be stripped for their casings. Their forms can house the gate anchors. The materials were forged to withstand storms that moved entire fleets. They will hold if we repurpose them. The chains that once reinforced the barrier can form the frame for the new network. We use the skeleton of the wall as a foundation instead of letting it decay.”

The Dread wolf looked to see if Lina listened with an expression that signaled caution or interest. Gerwald did not look to her for approval. His focus remained on Srina.

“The gates will give the Order reach across Firefist. But if we extend the network further, we can create supply corridors between the frontier and the core. Not trade for comfort. Trade for endurance. Fuel. Ore. Armament. Everything the Legions require to maintain long campaigns.”

Gerwald stepped closer to the table. The room’s attention followed the movement.

“The crystals offer more than energy. If refined correctly, their resonance can serve as a stabilizer for long distance jumps. That means the larger vessels in our fleets can cross Firefist with fewer pauses for recalibration. We can move an army faster than any rival in that satellite galaxy.”

He let the projection shift again, displaying potential anchor points along the frontier.

“This is not only an opening. It is a foundation for expansion that will outlast us if built correctly.”

Gerwald turned back to Srina. Her expression did not change, but the scent in the air told him she had shifted. Jasmine and rain settled into a calmer tone.

“You propose the wall must become something new. This is one way we can do it. The old structure becomes the framework for the gates. The gates become the path to Firefist. Firefist becomes the next arm of the Order.”

The chamber steadied once more.

Gerwald gave a small incline of his head.

“The Second Legion can and will begin clearing sites for the anchors.”

 

[Kito]

//: Ellissanthia //:

Something came alive in the Shaper, the blaze of the inferno and the staggered movements of her opponent. The thrill of battle was something she often leaned into, feeling it surge through her like the Force. The flames had done their job; they had pushed back her opponent. She could hear the woman's shouting; a part of her wished she would stop.

If anyone else heard their fight… she was sure the others would swarm to help one of their own. While Kito was confident about fighting a few Sith, there was only so much the Padawan could handle on her own.

It was then that the cold chill of fear clawed at her spine. She remembered the silence, the cold, and the darkness of a cell. Was this a fool's errand? Was the crystal she had warming in her satchel worth the potential consequences? Kito felt her throat tighten as her grip shifted around the hilt of the blessed blade.

Her hesitation would be problematic. Where she should have continued to push forward, use the Force to enhance her speed, get herself into the ideal position for her blade to slice through the Sith — she didn't. Instead, she felt the sudden burst of energy pinpoint her chest.

The initial part of the attack struck her true; the air was knocked out of her, but quick thinking expanded the Force to enhance her body. Her arms and blade, now in front, took the brunt of the rest of the attack. The first strike had done the damage needed. With the taste of ember and ash, she could feel the warmth of her own blood against her tongue.

"What was that...?" Her voice cracked, choking on her words.

She had never seen that kind of attack before; it was new, and this Sith was something far beyond her knowledge. Still, she had to persevere — she needed to escape.

Ellisantrha's concentrated Force Push knocked Kito back. Still, with her grounding ability enhancing her body, she remained upright. She luckily avoided any of the protruding stalagmites of crystal.

It was a stupid move, but Kito needed to close the gap. She exhaled and spat, clearing her mouth of the regurgitated blood. Refocused, she stepped forward, the Force now fueling her speed as she aimed to stay low and swing the burning sword from hip to shoulder. Time was of the essence; she needed to finish this fight and escape.

Or die trying.

 

[Ellissanthia]

Location: Erinar Diamond Cave - Erinar
Thread Objective: First Come First Served
Mission Objective:

• Capture Erinar Diamonds.
• Explore the cave.

Tag: Kito

Cerulean-hued features flushed with equal parts excitement and giddy delight as the intruder was struck by her telekinetic lance. Although the woman didn’t fall, Ellissanthia sensed almost immediately that she had struck a potentially significant blow. One made all the more critical by the fact that her vision, still blurry from the intruder’s initial fiery assault, had been slightly compromised.

Truly, her prayers to the Eternal Father had been answered!

"What was that...?" Her voice cracked, choking on her words.

“The will of Eternal Father, made manifest!” Ellissanthia answered, her voice came hoarse, yet fervent with faith. “The ‘finding out’ portion of fu—”

Her taunt broke into a gasp as the intruder stepped forward. Ellissanthia didn’t hesitate. Her index and middle fingers locked together, the air compressing into a narrow beam as another telekinetic lance ripped through the air with a sharp, deafening crack. The Undine had aimed high, intent upon taking off her target’s head. However, the intruder had dipped low at the last possible moment.

The lance missed by mere inches.

Time slowed as a razor of searing heat and pressure carved a diagonal path across Ellissanthia’s stomach. Pain flared, white-hot and incandescent, severing all lines of thought.

Ellissanthia’s scream came as a wet, guttural wail, torn from a diaphragm that had been suddenly exposed to open air. A wave of nausea and dizziness slammed into her as she stumbled back, her hands instinctively clutching at the horrific trench burned and sliced across her torso. Through the pain, an eerie warmth met her senses as the soft, slick weight of her own intestines came spilling through her fingers. The smell struck her like a physical blow; the hot, burning stench of her own blood and charred flesh mixed with the organic stink of her punctured gut.

Her legs buckled. The world tilted, turning horizontal as she collapsed to the cavern floor, blue blood trickling out to stain the stone. The telekinetic power she had been forming died on her fingertips. Her vision swam, the image of the intruder standing over her blurring into a dark silhouette as black spots danced at the edge of her vision.

The Undine opened her mouth to speak, to utter a final prayer or curse, but only a weak, wet gasp escaped from her lips.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Eclipsed Veil
  
  • Miscellaneous Equipment
    
    • FAE/U-01 "Serenity" Anti-Signal Field System
  • Accouterments
    
    • Red Accents
    • Eclipse Sect Symbol - Left Shoulder
• Storm Kiss
• Supernal Infusion Vials
• SHIVA Vials
• Siqsa-S1 Semiautonomous Seeker Obscuration Canister (2)
• Spirit Anchor Talisman
• Seer Stones

 

[Eira Dyn]

Objective: 1
Equipment: Lethal Pursuers, vibro-sword, blaster pistol, mask
Outfit: Assassin Attire
Tag: Open

Eira's gloved fingers caressed the stone walls of the caves slowly. Her mind thinking on the designs she held for her Lightsabers. It was something she saw in a holocron a while back, a style of Lightsaber that was over a thousand years old. Interlocking in a manner that hid the second blade, deceptive and offered more strategy in a fight. It was a curious hilt design and fed into Eira's desires to be more unorthodox and subverting expectations in a fight. She was not someone who would fight fairly, she would fight and win. And in Eira's mind, that was always what matter most since the winner gets to declare what is fair.

Truth echoes from the lips of the rulers, not the trampled.

There were already elements that Eira wanted to add to her crystal, knowing that certain elements would allow it to be far more effective in a stealth situation. As well as some seemingly standard additions to ensure certain elements could not cripple the blade. Eira had been reading a lot on the strengths and weaknesses of a Lightsaber. It was a famous, traditional weapon of both the Sith and the Jedi so learning more on the blade was crucial for Eira since it would allow her to understand ways to fight around it.

Ways to ensure such a blade could never be the thing that struck her down.

Continuing down into the depths of the mines on her own, Eira listened out for the call of the crystals through the Force. Deciding to trust that the Force would guide her to the direction in which she needed to be heading towards.

 

[Kito]

//: Ellissanthia //:

Kito's eyes had widened at the compressed, forced energy that cut through strands of her hair as she ducked. Whatever ability this Sith had was something she'd like to avoid. If she hadn't ducked, the next attack would have been fatal.

Her blade cut clean; she could feel the give of flesh as her attack swept across the enemy. With how surprised she was, Kito avoided showing it.

Despite the woman being a Sith — her enemy in more ways than she could fathom, there was respect. Kito would never mock the fallen, even if they would mock her. She finished the strike, her blade following through, and with a twist of her hands, the blade was sheathed with the same precision. The woman fell, and Kito turned to face her.

Even with the flame's heat, it didn't fully cauterize her wound. If she didn't get help, her wounds would slowly bleed out. Kito knew she should have finished the attack, put the woman out of her misery, but as she reached for the Odachi again, she coughed. Blood once more spattered from her lips; the initial attack the woman had inflicted on her was getting worse.

She spat to the side of her, and more red ichor stained the floor beside the Sith. With this wound, Kito needed to disappear and get aid. She would have to walk away from this fight, choosing her life over her penance.

Using the back of her hand, she wiped her lips clean. This was it; she got what she came for, and the sound of footsteps drawing closer was the signal. Once more, she looked towards the Sith. This wasn't going to be the last time they met — though the next time she knew either her or the Sith was dead.

Stepping back, Kito faded into the Force. Her camouflage wasn't perfect, but it was enough to get her past a few of the oncoming Sith. She continued to move till she was near the exit, the same way she had entered. Her mind focused on healing as the stealth faded from her form.

Kito would be able to at least slow the bleeding until she was able to get back into Republic space, or at least find someone who could heal her without asking too many questions.

As she boarded the shuttle to leave the ash-covered planet, she reached into her pocket and retrieved the warm crystals. Smiling, she already knew what she was going to do with them.

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Tags: Srina Talon Gerwald Lechner​

Lina felt the tension in the room at her challenge, but she ignored the eyes and the sharp breaths, keeping her attention on the Empress. She was not afraid, not because of hubris, because she absolutely knew that if Srina wanted to make an example of her she would. Lina’s lack of fear stemmed from belief that Srina could be reasonable, and the knowledge that she viewed all within the Order as her children, and she wished for her children to thrive.

A slight smile curved her lip at her question of challenging themselves. Lina was all for challenges, however, Force Storms to jump entire fleets without first testing their reach and capabilities on a less valuable asset? Lina might have been so bold as to call it madness, but not in a room full of watchful eyes. And certainly not in front of the Dread Wolf. That was a person she had not yet figured out, beyond utterly devoted and somewhat subservient to Srina.

All in good time.

Lina watched and listened with the rest of the room as Srina moved to the viewports, thoughtful as she weighed all the words that had been spoken before coming to a conclusion. The tension in the room eased, held breaths released in quiet sighs and Lina allowed herself a small smile, bowing her head in acknowledgement of the decision.

She watched as Gerwald stepped up, expanding the plan further, discussing relays and using the framework of what existed within the wall. Nothing wasted, everything improved. Emerald eyes watched with interest. It was a sound plan all round and the Firefist Galaxy would provide new resources and opportunities. She felt a trill of excitement at the possibilities that lay ahead of them.

She nodded, content. “Empress if you are willing, I would be honoured to work with you to investigate the possibility of building these storms in the future. For now, the gates and the relays will give us a solid foundation to work with and build upon.”

Lina shifted, seemingly weighing a choice before she spoke again. “There is another matter I wish to discuss, unrelated to the wall or the diamonds.” Her eyes found Srina’s, holding her gaze, searching for what might flicker behind them at our next words. “It is regarding the recent incursion on Alvaria.”

 

[Irina Jesart]

Tags: Aerik Lechner
​

Hurrying was not exactly easy when navigating sharp edges and angles, her response was simply one of mild annoyance. As if she wasn’t already going as fast as she could. Still, the annoyance was dulled greatly by excitement, and perhaps a little nervousness. Not just because of whatever they would discover, but because she was about to lay eyes on a friend she’d not seen since Gerwald had taken her in.

She could thank the Academy and Prazutis for that.

The narrow pass widened enough for her to twist to face forward and angled upward slightly. She kept one hand on the wall, feeling the steady pulse coming from ahead. It was cooler, shifting from almost unbearable to that of a warm blanket.

When the pass opened into the low cavern, Irina saw him before she saw anything else, a wide smile spread across her face. She cast the floor a cursory glance, taking note of the old veins beneath their feet but for the moment, they were the least of her concern.

She stepped quickly over them, slamming into Aerik as she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Stars, it’s good to see you.”

 

[Aerik Lechner]

TAG: Irina Jesart​

The sound reached him before her shape entered the cavern. It was loud. It always had been. He always heard, but learned to tune out what he didn't need to focus on. Irina moved with a rhythm he had learned to recognize long before either of them left the academy. Her steps carried a quickened pulse beneath them, driven by effort and something he could feel humming at the edge of the connection. There was excitement with a bit of nervous energy, and a small trace of disbelief. The mix struck him with more force than the tremors rolling through the old vein.

The pup straightened from the crystal he had been studying. The faint glow rising from the vein reflected across his gauntlet as he lifted his head. The steady pulse of the diamonds deep beneath the stone continued its slow beat, but another presence moved toward him now. Warm. Focused. Familiar in a way the world had not been for some time.

He felt her annoyance as she forced her way through the narrow pass. The emotion brushed the bond like a sharp tap on a table, quick and harmless. She was moving as fast as she could and found no reason to hide her impatience. Yet beneath it lay something stronger. The excitement she carried lit the link in steady waves. The closer she came, the more the sensation grew, until the cavern seemed to shift in response.

The passage behind him widened. The shift of air told him before she stepped through. He turned.

Irina crossed the threshold with her smile already formed. The sight hit him with a jolt that settled deep in his chest. The old vein hummed beneath their feet, responding to the presence of two Force signatures that had once trained together and never fully drifted apart. The glow from the crystals cast soft light behind her, turning the cavern into a quiet echo of the academy halls they once walked.

She moved without hesitation. Her steps cut across the glowing stone. The wide cavern gave her enough space to run the last few feet, and then her arms wrapped tight around his neck.

The impact rocked him. Not enough to shove him back, but enough to still his breath for a moment. Her warmth, the scent of heat and stone clinging to her clothes, the sudden weight of her presence pressed into him, all of it struck with the force of memory and something deeper.

Aerik lifted one arm and rested his hand at her back. The gesture was steady and simple. Nothing more. Nothing less. The quiet motion matched the calm that had settled in him the moment the bond confirmed she was close.

"It has been a while," he said in an even tone, more stoic than she would have remembered. "You chose a dramatic place for a reunion."

The answer carried no teasing, yet the flicker of warmth in his tone made the meaning clear enough. He pulled back slightly, not breaking her hold, just giving enough space to see her face without her hair pressed against his cheek.

"You found your way here without setting anything on fire. That counts as progress."

His gaze shifted past her for a brief moment to the spiraling marks on the floor. The glow of the vein pulsed beneath their boots, steady and patient. Whatever lived beneath this world had taken notice of both their paths. The current moved differently now that they stood together, carrying a weight he could not yet define.

Aerik returned his attention back to Irina as he pulled away from the hug.

"We are a long way from the surface, and even farther from our masters. Did you see anything in that cavern?"

The words were simple. The tone was calm. Yet the faint pull of his presence toward hers made the truth clear enough.

He had missed his friend.

 

[Irina Jesart]

Tags: Aerik Lechner​

"Well we had a dramatic separation so it only seemed fitting." Her tone was light, her once dark eyes ringed by the fire they both knew burned within her as she drank in his face. He was exactly as she had pictured him in the quiet moments she had to think about him. The golden eyes made her heart flutter the same way it always had.


"Haha, very funny." she retorted to his jest about her setting fire to things, giving him a soft thump on his shoulder as his gaze flicking to the veins on the floor. It was good to feel him close again, like she'd found a piece of herself that she had been missing. The pulse of the vein beneath their feet did not go unnoticed, as she reluctantly allowed him to draw away from the hug, she gave the cavern her full attention.

She shook her head at his question. "Aside from the fact that the pathway here was hidden behind an old holoprojection, no. Only what I showed you."

Irina lowered to a crouch pressing her hand against the main vein, and closing her eyes. She could still hear the song, though it was deeper and older now. It reminded her of the wind blowing through the bones of the old Krayt dragon. Mournful and full of untold stories without names.

She rose again, stepping back beside him as her eyes followed the soft pulsing glow.

"It's calling us." she said softly. "Whatever it is."

 

[Aerik Lechner]

TAG: Irina Jesart​

Irina’s words lingered in the air, softened by the glow rising from the veins beneath their feet. The quiet that followed carried the sound of the old current tapping at the edge of Aerik’s senses. He watched the pulse shift through the stone, letting the rhythm settle before answering her.

“It feels that way, but a call like this can be dangerous too. The way the cavern shifts, we should mark it."

He moved a few steps from the central vein and drew a short blade from his belt. The edge caught the faint light as he crouched and pressed the tip into the stone. Sparks lifted as he carved a clean symbol into the floor. It was a simple wayfinder mark that the two of them could track even if the chamber shifted or the passage sealed behind them. He added a second mark pointing back toward the narrow pass she had squeezed through. The stone took the lines easily, as though it had been meant to hold them.

Aerik rose again and brushed a hand over his knee to clear the dust.

“That should hold. If something changes in here we can still find our way out.”

His gaze returned to the old vein. The glow had not brightened, but it had grown steadier, almost expectant. He stepped near her again, keeping his voice low.

“If this is a call, it is older than us. Older than the mines. We should move with care.”

His eyes traveled along the vein as it curved deeper into the cavern, the pulsing light guiding their attention without pushing it.

“We tag another point ahead. Then we look.”

Irina’s excitement lingered in the air, tempered by caution. The heat rising from the floor brushed their boots and faded again. Aerik watched the path settle, then nodded toward the far end of the chamber.

“Come on, whatever waits down there can afford a moment while we make sure the way behind us stays open.”

The pup walked with measured steps, letting the glow lead but not dictate. When he reached the next natural break in the stone, he paused, glanced back at her, and rested one hand briefly against the wall.

“We mark this spot too. Then we see what the world wants us to find.”

He waited for her to join him, giving her the choice to place the next mark or leave it to him. Either way, the current moved ahead with quiet promise, inviting but not demanding, like an ancient breath waiting for its next note.

 

["Templar"]

//: Spencer Varanin //:
//: Erinar //:
//: Attire //:
//: Objective I - First Come First Served //:

A Pull.

Templar froze mid-step. Her entire body went still. Not like the pull from the crystals on this planet. Something. Someone. Had appeared behind her. A Force signature she had come to know recently. The Relic’s breath stuttered in her chest. Perplexed. ‘That’s impossible.’ She was planets, if not systems, away from—

A familiar voice brushed against her helmet. Whispered right behind her. Templar’s eyes widened beneath her helmet. A jolt of readiness shot through her as every sense snapped into focus. Her body reacted before thought caught up. Pivoting hard, boots grinding against the obsidian ground as she took two quick steps back. Widening the distance between herself and the suddenly materialized figure.

Her cloak swung back with motion. One hand immediately dropped to one of the handles of a bladed weapon at her hip. The other reached behind her, securing the journal. Heat warped around them, swirling ash framed the familiar white-hooded silhouette now standing before her. Templar’s eyes attentively watched as the figure lowered her hood. The illumination of Erinar’s molten horizon revealed her face.

Master.

The tension in Templar’s grip loosened. She was right. Her hand fell away from the weapon and settled stiffly at her side. Uncertainty flickered through her mind. Where had she come from? How had she followed? The Relic’s thoughts were abruptly derailed when her ‘Master’ pointed out the flower she picked for her— ‘Garden?’

Templar’s helmet tilted. The faintest shift betraying her confusion. Her gaze, hidden behind the helmet, found her Master’s hazel eyes. Following the hazel eyes that drifted downward briefly. Toward the journal she held and guarded so closely. Templar looked down at herself. Her hand still held the leather-bound journal tightly. She let go. Her cloak fell back into place, hiding the journal.

Both hands came together in front of her abdomen. Fingers brushing. Fidgeting in a fleeting nervous motion that lasted only a second before she stilled them. A slow small nod followed. Templar’s helmet dipped faintly with it. Lifting a hand to adjust the edge of her helmet. Grounding herself with the familiar pressure. The Relic took a deep breath, trying to steady her voice. Dusty and strained.

“Uu—hu—Hhh—”
The sound grated painfully. Templar’s brows pinched behind the helmet. Swallowing hard.

“Hhu—hh-ho—?”
Closer, but still harsh. Exhaling sharply through her nose, agitated.

“H-h-ow?”
A single aching word. The Relic’s voice cracked with disuse.

How had her ‘Master’ simply… appeared? She had been so sure she’d left the estate undetected. Yet here the five-foot-seven blonde woman stood, as if she had simply walked out of thin air. Templar’s fist clenched once then relaxed. A soft restrained spark of annoyance prickled beneath her armor. Of course ‘Master’ had read her thoughts. Of course she had tracked her. She always seemed to know where and what she was doing. Just when Templar thought she was finally alone. Free, even. Or at least had a moment.

A sigh escaped her. A quiet deflation of her shoulders. To think she had even considered bringing this woman a gift. The feeling of annoyance faded. But… ‘Master’ had answered her. Without protest, Templar turned. Continuing deeper into the plains, letting the Force-hum guide her.

The landscape shifted as they approached a natural break in a rock’s formation. A cavern. Templar could hear and feel multiple vibrations and hums. It was louder here. She continued in, descending. The first chamber was small. Its walls shimmered with reflected lava-light. More pebble-sized crystals littered the ground, like the one she found earlier. Some slightly larger, but still tiny compared. Raw energy raided from them in soft uneven waves.

Templar crouched beside one of the larger pieces, pressing her palm near it. The crystal’s hum sang louder. More defined. Yet something about it felt… insufficient. Unimpressive. Not the one. Disinterested. As she rose, eyes swept through the chamber. Her gaze drifted to the woman beside her. Templar pointed to herself.

“Eenn—zzz—Eyyed—”
Tapping her gloved hand once against her armor’s chest.

“Fehf—feehh—heel.”
Her hand opened as she patted against the chest plate twice with emphasis.

“Hhee—eea—arrr.”
Templar’s other hand lifted to the side of her helmet where her ear would be.

Bringing her hands to her sides, the Relic turned her head away. Scanning the crystals again, before looking back to her ‘Master’. A hesitant ripple extended from her mind. Soft and almost fragile. Reaching with caution, like touching the surface of a still lake to the woman’s mind beside her. A small questioning pull.

<What are these crystals?> There was a tremor of uncertainty. A rare thing for the Relic. <...Master… Inside, I can feel them. A pulse. Something stirring within.> The Force around them vibrated. Alive and aware. <Hear them reaching out.> Templar’s helmet lifted slightly. <Humming.> Drawn by the deeper resonance ahead… waiting.