Dominion Crystals Are Forever | SO Dominion of Erinar

[Jorryn Fordyce]

// Lady Jorryn Fordyce //
// Objective // Research //
// Focus // // Lunaria Talon // Matteo Guo-Yian // Quinn Varanin // CT-312 //

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The world of Erinar was hot, dreadfully so. The magma and eternal hellscape had been enchanting from the view in her transport, and yet its charm quickly dissipated as the Echani felt sweat creeping along her brow. She had been ever a creature of comfort, and this planet appeared the furthest thing from.

Yet, ambition called to her mind as it did any other moving towards the molten gem, to claim a prize more valuable than such a place would appear. Loosened tongues let slip the existence of a new form of crystal, one with unique properties and powers not yet seen by the likes of kyber.

There had been a conglomeration above the planet, no shortage of the Sith's finest seeking to deprive Erinar of its treasures. Corporate shuttles had arrived first, the prospect of a new mining world where they could prop up new factories for the war machine. It was one of them, Jorryn surmised, that let slip the promise of this rare diamond and begun the march of Sith upon the foot of this world.

Erinar burned passionately beneath the feet of the Echani as she tread its rock, arriving alone without any company. Though she did not intend to stay lonesome for very long. Good help was rare to come by, even amongst her Sith peers, and the women that she might have collaborated on such a project with had already begun their own investigation into the Erinar diamonds.

A thought mused about how miserable the trip might be for Vakhari Lutris , away from the sanctity of her laboratory. It helped calm the irritation of the weather.

She had pondered joining up with her sponsee to investigate the planet, but simply the thought of allowing the Arkanian to further imagine herself the former Lord Inquisitor's superior churned Jorryn's stomach. The Sangnir, Valaine Valentine , would presumably stay by the side of her significant other, and as competent as the girl was it seemed pointless to try to separate the pair.

So she ventured on her lonesome, black robes billowing against the hot winds of Erinar.

Amber eyes would await prospective partners for their arrival, not wishing to incur the wrath of competition from groups of Sith that had successfully managed to work together. As much belief as the Echani held in her own strength, she would rather avoid violence without the surety of assistance from others.

Quinn Varanin would also be missing from the venture, attending a meeting on how this power source may be used to reinforce the Blackwall instead of dirtying her hands with the fetching of such resources. Jorryn herself would have easily designated a force to extract the material herself, but it was difficult to trust those with no power, either for betrayal or incompetence.

For now, she would have to rely on her own hands to fetch the materials she needed, craving to beat Vakhari and her companions to the cave. A petty victory, doubtlessly, but one she so violently craved. Simply imagining the Arkanian's face as the girl learned Jorryn had surpassed her research filled the Echani with a joy she found difficult to obtain.

Waiting would become a playground for her active imagination.

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Open
Location: Erinar

It was somewhat quiet. Just the way she liked it. It meant Reina could do her work without needing to come up with some kind of story. At least she had an alias to use if anyone asked who she was. For now, she carried on through the mines, as beads of sweat fell down her brow. That was the main thing she hated about this place. Not the Dark Side. Not the claustrophobic nature of the mines, but the Force-damned Heat. Reina couldn't even cool herself off fast enough as she fanned at herself, rummaging around for the crystals. What'd she do to be able to wear her robes in her to keep herself cool...but she needed to stay disguised. If that meant wearing an outfit that she wouldn't normally wear, then so be it.

What would she do with the crystals once she managed to get them...Of course she'd have to give some other to whoever had hired her for this. Reina hadn't properly asked any questions about who had wanted to go the mines. She of course presumed it was one of the many Sith that existed. Of course, she both knew not to ask questions but at the same time, Reina was incredibly bad with names. She remembered the names of those who she had met but people she hadn't were always lost on her. She had no clue who was in charge of the Alliance. The Mandalorians. Even the Sith. It was above Reina's paygrade anyway.

At the end of the day, Reina was just a grunt for Deathdrop. No longer a fisherwoman, a Padawan, or even a Jedi. There was that small part of her that wanted to be something more. To have people know her...but she was content with where she was in life. Alone and doing what she did best...Okay, well maybe not that last part. Mining wasn't a skill that was in Reina's little bag of tricks but she shook that thought from her mind as she continued to search for the crystals.

​

 

[Eira Dyn]

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

Eira looked at the Lightsaber crystal that she had stolen from some Jedi, in what felt like years ago. But... it was unlikely to be that long if she really thought about it. The construction of an actual Lightsaber hadn't happened yet. Figuring out the design and how she wanted to balance the fighting styles that Eira was working on. The assassin wanted a deceptive and trick style of fighting, something considered underhanded and that would make others regret drawing a blade on her. There had been designs of Lightsabers that she had seen with discreet interlocking hilts but that required multiple crystals. So either she was having to steal another Lightsaber to corrupt or finding a crystal out in the galaxy that she could claim. It was a puzzle but one that Eira was enjoying her time mulling over.

Right now, seeing more Lightsaber designs, understanding more of the different elements that go into the construction of a Lightsaber. That was a great lure for Eira. She could see what would work with her ideas and what would not work. And visiting Erinar for diamonds was part of that. Another part was just the chance to claim a diamond. What girl didn't love diamonds?!

Dressed in her black and red assassin attire, the clicks of her heeled boot against the ground began to echo in the cave. Her hand caressed the hard exposed rock that was revealed as the drilling and mining process continued deeper into the cave. It was dark in the mines and Eira was enjoying the comforts of the shadows. Keeping her presence small within the Force, making sure that she was not observed easily by others as she continued to move. There were Sith Lords here looking to mass mine the diamonds here to horde. Collecting them and attempt to deny access to others. It was a smart tactic, Eira couldn't deny that and it would have been something she might have attempted if she was more than a lone assassin.

But for now, that was all she was.

So, her strategy was simple, remain hidden, explore and take what she could carry. There might only be one or two diamonds that she located but that would be one or two more that others could not claim and additions to Quinn Varanin 's collection. Eira was curious what could be done with the diamonds, she knew they could be used in Lightsabers, that had been made clear by the Sith presence. But what else could be done with them? Was the presence so high because these diamonds held a similar potential to be used as a massive weapon like kyber was? Could there be a secret super weapon construction?

Theories upon theories. But Eira had to draw herself back to the present, keeping her eyes peeled for anything that glinted in an unfamiliar way.

 

[Ellissanthia]

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

• Capture Erinar Diamonds.
• Explore the cave.

Tag: Kito

The mask came off of her face with a soft hiss, before collapsing into her collar. Ellissanthia sucked in a breath, tasting the air on her lips. Now that she was within the coverage area of the environmental shields, the mask was no longer necessary. By removing it, she felt better able to leverage her natural senses, to feel the subtle shifts in the air.

Ellissanthia pressed onward, her violet-hued gaze piercing through the subterranean gloom as she stretched her senses outward. Before long, the faint pulses of the crystals registered in her awareness, causing her fin-shaped ears to flutter as she moved towards the source.

A moment later, she froze.

The presence of another being brushed against her perception. Ellissanthia came to a sudden halt, her head shifting to the side as the sound of a hammer striking rock met her ears. Nevertheless, after a momentary pause, she started forward at a slower, more stealthy pace, trusting that the Taozin integrated into her bodysuit would shroud her from detection.

All the while, Ellissanthia drew her senses towards the unknown, unfamiliar presence. She detected nothing that would point to them being a Sith. In that, the Undine immediately felt that something was off. However, her initial thoughts were conflicted when she heard humming—a song that she vaguely recognized due to its popularity.

An intruder. But why then, was she not attempting to hide her presence?

Ellissanthia shook her head, her eyes narrowing in focus. She stepped into the chamber, there within finding a tall, lean-figured woman with dark hair and eyes the vibrant orange of a star in its prime.

Naturally, Ellisanthia’s eyes did not miss the sword on the woman’s person.

“In the name of the Eternal Father, the Mortarch, and the Emperor, cease your robbery this instant!” Ellissanthia called out, forcing her voice into a register that was meant to be commanding. Unfortunately, her words came out in a piping soprano, lacking the weight of one accustomed to authority or leadership. She pressed on, the order sounding more like a flustered plea than the demand backed by the lethal threat of force that it was. “This is a restricted area. Drop your—your tools and weapons! I demand that you state your name, rank, and purpose for being here, at once!”

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

 

[Lunaria Talon]

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

Ash fell like snow.

It would have been pretty if it weren't for the fact that it smudged her armor with soot. The silver-haired young woman crouched near the shattered lip of a ravine, watching carefully, while a slag river cut through basalt. The air simmered with heat distortion, and it blurred the edges of her best friend, who moved beside her, as if he knew exactly where she would step. When to hold out his hand. When to take hers. Almost, like they were in some kind of fever dream. It was creepy and a little cool if she was being totally honest. "I'm not sure where to go…All these readings are bogus. It's like…Something is corrupting the data?"

Every breath burned her lungs regardless of the respirator, and every step was some kind of awful balancing act. Artemis moved with practiced restraint, and years of honing her agility would become all too evident while she danced down rocks and shifting ground as if it never moved at all. Eyes of gun-metal blue turned back toward Matteo, catching the line of his jaw in the glare, while her hand raised to see him more clearly. Neither complained.

To do so would have been weakness, truly, and it was not what the Academy had taught them. It certainly wasn't what fighting for their lives on Brosi had taught them.

Her scanner emitted a low, steady hum, and beneath the endless waves of heat and pressure, there seemed to be some kind of rhythm. "It's not radiation…"

"It kind of…"

Her hand rose to tap her chest, a steady and repetitive thud, while she tried to find the words to explain. There was a structure to the diamonds they had been sent off to find. It reminded her of a heartbeat, but that couldn't be. Crystals weren't alive. "…It kind of feels like they're listening…"

Lunaria felt, then, that they were way too close for comfort to one of the natural vents. One good seismic shift and it would blow through their armor and melt their bones. Never to be heard from again. Their missions as of late had been a lot more difficult than those they had taken on before…Perhaps it was due to their performance in the Holy Worlds? Luna…Still hadn't gotten over Matteo letting himself get thrashed like that. She wasn't used to fear, that way.

Fear for someone else.

They crossed a land bridge that looked like it was made from hardened glass. There might have been remnants of an old refinery, but it was hard to say for certain. From above, the landscape shimmered as if breathing, with each font of lava pouring down, feeding back into deeper pools below the bridge. It would have been beautiful, just like the ash, if it weren't for certain death dangling around every edge and corner. Luna had seen holos of the Erinar Diamonds. They were one of a kind. Blindingly bright and priceless—But here, the promise of them felt tainted. Dangerous…

On what should have been a milk run. Get the rocks and go.

A particular noise caught her attention, and she shielded her eyes for a moment while watching other shuttles land. "Ah…It had to happen sometime. Heads up, Tea-Yo. We're not alone."

Her nose wrinkled.

Competition?

A figure caught her attention, mostly because she recognized the movement. It had a particular refinement that, once known, was almost impossible to mistake or forget. Even through invisible waves of heat...The formality of Echani poise was too graceful for a common mercenary, but too self-assured for a run-of-the-mill explorer. Slowly…Her shoulders shrugged, and she nodded her head toward the other woman. "Well…We'd better make nice. Being kicked into a volcano is the last thing I want…"

Artemis raised two fingers in the air and waved at Jorryn Fordyce to get her attention. It wasn't her Mother, and it wasn't her Sister, so all bets were off. Jutrand Academy had taught them to be both ruthless and to use everything they could to their advantage. "Hey!"

"Artemis Dreadmoor…", she offered her name clearly, only what the Empire permitted her to be. Matteo knew the truth, but it was partly because of the hazard of her Mother being his Master. Her voice was slightly distorted through her mask, but it wasn't hard to note the young, feminine quality. They were standing at slightly higher ground, but her scanner was getting different pings now.

Were they getting close?

"Are you here for the Erinar?"

 

[Helix]

Objective I
Equipment: Himself
Tags: Lirka Ka /OPEN​

Helix had, rather predictably, accompanied his co-conspirator along on this venture. The colony had no use for such baubles, of course. If he needed a shiny gem or a power source, he'd design one himself. No, his presence was more about letting the wider galaxy know that he was there, active, and more than willing to kill anyone in his way.

That, and because Lirka had asked nicely.

Sometimes that was all it took. Unlike the other two corners of their wretched little triangle, Helix could occasionally (very occasionally) look at something through a lens other than his own gain or some unknowable ideological impulse.

He could often be found alongside the wretched creature, nodding along to her insane ramblings and never once expressing outward impatience with them. That was as close to kindness as Helix got. Simple acceptance, regardless of one's flaws. Lirka certainly had many of them, not all of them as obvious as her ceaseless logorrhea.

It didn't much matter, in the end. In his eyes, they were two of a kind, for better or worse.

He didn't quite share her eagerness for payback against the Wonosans, either. His perceived betrayal against them had been a calculated decision, and not one made lightly. The reasons for it had been complex and numerous.

They had also been unpopular amongst a certain cohort of his forces. While most were unquestioning droids, there was nonetheless an element of discontentment among the rest. An element that believed they should cease this ideological crusade and continue forging their own path. The Wonosans had been reliable and generous patrons, and losing that patronage was viewed by many as a foolish move.

He bore Alisteri and his cultists no particular ill-will, though he was certain that feeling was one-sided after their last bout. Helix was older, wiser, and vastly more experienced than they. With age came experience, with experience perspective, and with perspective came the knowledge that nothing lasted forever.

That included alliances, particularly among the Sith. It was simply a question of whether the blow would land in a few moments or a few years.

Early on in Helix's associations with the Sith, he'd found this perceived unreliability infuriating. Now, he saw that it was simple honesty. The Sith were the only people in the galaxy who were not playing pretend.

Helix believed that deep down, everyone was as selfish, short-sighted, and prone to unreliability as the average Order member. The difference was that the Sith wore their true nature on their sleeve. He'd come to find that honesty comforting.

That was why they always rose again, no matter how many times they were stamped out in their millennia-long history. Honesty about the true nature of living beings.

It was also why he stood with them. He'd grown weary of the lies over the centuries. The truth was rarely pleasant, but it was the truth.

The colony forced himself from his ruminations and back to the present moment.

As always, it was much less interesting than his own thoughts, but he supposed there was at least some money to be made here.

"One more step towards the goal." He murmured aloud where Lirka could hear. "One may only hope it is worth it. Tell me, Lirka." He asked, using the creature's proper name rather than her title. A rare display of informality. "When all the bricks are laid and we've accomplished what we've set out to do, however will you occupy your time?"

 

[Varin Mortifer]

FIRST COME FIRST SERVED​

Varin looked over the lava flow. Of course he had to make it harder on himself. Certainly he could have landed just on the other side, but he was in this spot now and he had committed to it.

He reached his hand out towards the flow of molten rock and began to concentrate. Slowly his fingers began to curl and his hand began to twist as the air around him began to vibrate. The high Sith runes on his body began to glow like coals slowly the lava began to churn. He was born of fire and destruction. He would soon grow to be a force of nature. But even gales start off as breezes.

He felt a connection with volcanic activity, like it was a primordial language that whispered to him. It would either allow him to cross, or force him to find another way.

A guttural growl left his throat as he could feel the weight of the flow over his body, as if the pressure of him trying to manipulate it was trying to crush him. He would not let it. He would command it, he would force it to obey.

He stretched his other hand out, his fingers digging into the fabric of the force as he slowly began to part the curtain of molten earth.

The strain was excruciating on his body. He began to step but even that proved too much for the young sith. Collapsing to his knee his breaths were harsh, sweat beaded on his brow as he cursed to himself. He would have to do it the easy way. He lifted his bracer towards him as it connected with the ship. The screen buzzed to life allowing him to tap a few icons and little droids sprung to life from side compartments of his ship. Heat shields activating in their underbellies to combat the lava. They all linked up connecting both sides allowing Varin to cross.

The mapping device sprung to life in his hands as he made his way closer to the manufacturing building. Making his way around he would try to find less obvious ways in. The less people knew he was there the better. A simple job for him.

The device detected a small opening in the building from what seemed to be either from neglect or from signs of struggle. Hard to tell on a planet like this. Likely from neglect with the volatile nature of what they were purifying.

Making his way in he began making his way through the winding building to the cave. The device mapping out hallways, walls and openings. It didn’t take long before he made it to the cave mouth. All of the equipment being secured and maneuvered by droid and troopers alike. The smoke spewed from his back forming a cloak around him. Embers trailed a foot or two behind him as he stepped into the cave. The mapping device began to static. The mapping came out with poor quality. Varin tapped it a few times with his palm before grunting in frustration and tossing it into the lava flow near him.

“This is why I always hated certain tech.”

He reached out with the force, the air vibrating with a hum to resonate with the crystal's output. Their calls. He would find the loudest ones desperate for his hands alone. He kept his focus open as he made his way through tunnels. His force signature amplifying slightly. A risk he was willing to take to leave with his prize.

Tags: Open​

 

[Srina Talon]

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

____________________________________________________

The shadows did not move as much as they receded, curling away, as if the darkness was being drawn back into something that owned it. From that living stillness, Srina Talon emerged, her diminutive form catching the burnished orange light from the forges below. The low rumble of machinery made the chamber feel like an echoing cavern, but the space was quite small, all things considered. She had been waiting for quite some time, listening, as Gerwald Lechner had initially done.

Watching.

Her attire was severe and immaculate, highlighting just how snow-pale her skin actually was. Black spider-shell silk folded into angular planes on top of a long-fitted traveling dress of silver armorweave. A single clasp of onyx held the garment closed at her throat, while a rush of cold would break the stagnant heat. The scent of jasmine and rain moved where she walked, and lengths of white-gold hair fell down her back in loosely braided waves.

Two presences lingered at the edge of her perception. Her daughters. One where she should be, one not. The flicker of rebellion in Quinn Varanin told her that she had been pressing too hard when it came to learning courtly duties. There was only so much knowledge that she could impress upon her eldest before something had to give. Whether it was a fling with a Pirate Queen or a fight with a Nabooian King—It was more than apparent that she needed a bit of a sabbatical. Srina would not summon Quinn unduly, nor would she scold her.

It was equally possible that her youthful spirit just wanted to collect shining rocks with her friends.

Her eyes were hawkish when they found Lina Ovmar and Gerwald Lechner , but the Sith Lords would find there was no malice in her gaze. No threat. Only the glacial weight of a creature who offered judgment and silence in equal measure. When she finally spoke, her voice was lighter than air and resonant in a way that sliced through the noise with ease…

She could be heard, no matter how soft it seemed.

"The Blackwall was not born of fear."

That single statement would silence any murmurs that might have cropped up from naysayers and sycophants. Gerwald Lechner more than most should have known better than to make assumptions, and for that, she was curious about the snakes that had obviously been whispering in his ear. It was a widely spread rumor of the Faithless that the Sith Order "hid" behind the Blackwall when in reality, many, didn't even know it existed. It was an object of consequence, an object that had been erected in the wake of being surprised by their enemies because of the sheer vastness of the territory they held. Tactics were not fear. It was intellect.

They could not be everywhere, but this allowed the chance to see where their enemies thought them the weakest. It was part of the reason the 11th Empire had yet to lose. Strategy. Planning. Not empty threats and grand, hollow gestures of dominance, in a galaxy that didn't give a damn about anything but power. It was not the Blackwall that made Sith turn on one another. It was their own greed. One only needed to say the word "Tsis'Kaar" to understand that. Darth Empyrean was gruff and full of hate, but there were methods to his madness. "…Nor is it a cage. We are Sith…Your freedoms are dependent on you and the strength you possess to keep them."

Her tone never sharpened, yet there was something unnerving beneath the calm. An authority so ingrained that it needed no elevation…But it had always been that way. The ghost-pale bride of the Corpse King rarely raised her voice, if only because it was hard to argue with obvious logic and pragmatism. Now…Things had changed. "Disagreement is healthy, Lady Ovmar. Disrespect is not. I encourage you to question strategy because that is how we better ourselves…But do not speak of my husband with such casual irreverence. Not here. Not, before me."

The memory of the Sith Order was so incredibly short. She spoke freely of an Emperor that she had never known, ignoring that his sacrifice was what left her and the rest of the Order a nation to inherit. As quickly as the moment came, it ended, and Srina moved on to the reason they had assembled. The Blackwall had been the subject of discussion since the Planeshift, considering, there were many holes in the storm wall that hadn't existed before. "That being said…I also believe that the Blackwall can be repurposed for something greater. Many of the storm seeds within it are dormant, but with the Erinar, that needn't be the case. Imagine an array capable of anchoring fleets, linking worlds, so that travel between systems is faster than ever. We could launch an attack or respond to one with the full might of the Legions from any point the light of the wall touches."

The beauty of a Force Storm, wormholes that were controlled, and completely bent to their will.

She turned her attention to the hovering image of a section of the Blackwall, and aureate orbs seemed to slip over the edges with consideration. Her tone was distant, far away, as if she saw things that others in the room would not see. "Do not let your fears and biases blind you. There are enough diamonds on this planet to do whatever we wish with the Blackwall. Make no mistake…We will have weapons, we will create ships, we will not waste what providence has provided. This is not a question of either or…"

"It is yes, and."

Srina would push for the Sith Order to have ALL that they required, and rather than find the Blackwall limiting—She saw it as a stepping stone. They could thank the Faithless for that. If the Galactic Empire sought to use such a thing against them…Why not use it properly themselves? Why not give it purpose rather than tear it down and waste the energy, the effort that had been put into it?

Her eyes turned to Gerwald Lechner once more, Dark Councilor, her wolf to call, and long-time companion. Her expression was not kind. Lina Ovmar did not know what she spoke, and for that, Srina found it a simple task to brush her barbs aside and focus on the real issue. Ignorance was not malice. For the former Lord Commander—Her forgiveness would be fraught with difficulty.

Why?

Because he knew better.

 

[Veyran Solis]

OBJ: First Come First Served
Tags: Soah Ty’Jyn
​

The heat deepened as Veyran pressed on through the area until he found the cavern, boots striking sparks from the blackened stone. The air around him rippled, dense with the scent of iron and the low, steady thrum of molten rivers beneath the surface. Every step carried him deeper into the heart of the mine, into the pulse of something ancient, something older than the Sith who had claimed this place.

The Erinar Diamonds grew larger the further he went, their glow more fevered, their resonance more insistent. They were calling to him now, or perhaps testing him. The Force vibrated with dissonance here, jagged and bleeding radiance into the dark.

He reached out a hand, and the Force stirred, not in answer, but in warning. A flicker of awareness cut through the molten haze. Familiar. Sharp. Watching.

Veyran’s expression shifted, the faintest shadow of a grin tugging at his lips.

“Little kitten.” he murmured under his breath. The Force whispered her presence like the brush of a blade across silk disciplined. He didn’t need to see her to know she was there; her energy shimmered in the air, that same measured calm he remembered, laced now with tension.

His gaze returned to the crystal. The light within it danced like breath, quickening as if aware of her, too. There were so many that called to him as it seemed impossible to answer. He knew there would be one, and that would be his.

“Still following me? Do you plan to finish me off this time?” he said softly, his voice carrying just enough to reach the cavern’s edge. “Even these day's it is not easy?”

He placed his palm against the stone. The heat seared through his glove, and the crystal’s hum rose to a shriek inside his skull. Pain, exquisite and sharp, tore through his mind. But he loved it, every single moment of it. While others it would give them focus, with him it gave him clarity and purpose. Beneath it the surge of power was undeniable. It flooded him like fire, like blood.

The diamonds screamed in resonance, fracturing calls across the cavern walls as Veyran clenched his teeth and pushed harder, forcing his will into the crystal. Shards cracked and floated, suspended in midair, trembling between collapse and ascension.

And through the blaze of it all, he could feel her approach cautious, deliberate, but inevitable. The kitten who once watched from a distance, now walking into the storm he had chosen to become.

 

[Darth Strosius]

​

Objective: Secure the Diamonds
Equipment: Lightsaber - Sword - Dagger - Robes
Tags: Vakhari Lutris / Valaine Valentine / Trayze Tesar / Darth Hydra
--------------------------------------------

The question of higher authority drew an amused sound from the masked man, just shy of a proper chuckle but more than a simple exhale or huff. "Unfortunately not everyone is as familiar with your scholarly capabilities as I am. And even more unfortunately I have no real rung on the ladder of authority these days myself either." As amusing as it was the question was rather odd, surely Lady Vakhari was well aware that the Sith were rule of might as it were. The throne claimed everything first and the scraps were left for the lot of them to pick through.

As it had been for quite some time now, unfortunately. Thankfully she had indeed prepared for the delicate nature of the task at hand at least, as He had hoped. There was some inkling of how best to handle these crystals given how they were found and recovered but the full extent was still a bit of a mystery. And frankly He wasn't willing to risk blowing His hand off trying it, but thankfully He wouldn't have to with Lady Vakhari and Lady Valaine present to do the extracting.

"All attention is unwanted and should always be expected. We are Sith after all." Even without competition factoring into things, one slip up by any of the other prospective crystal hunters could result in dire consequences for them all. Cave-ins, chain explosions, floods of magma, anything was possible with volatile materials and unknown mines on a volcanic world. And that was all without factoring in intentional sabotage.

His masked gaze flickered to the Kiffar as he parted from the crowd to the join the three of them by the railing and He returned the nod in kind. Darth Strosius hadn't had the pleasure of working with Mr. Tesar as often as He'd have liked but He knew that keeping himself level headed and with the flow of the task at hand was a guaranteed skillset if nothing else. He spared a glance at Lady Valaine and nodded grimly at her question. "It's entirely possible, perhaps even likely given the circumstances."

It was undoubtedly a dangerous endeavor, foolish even some might say. However the prize was simply too grand it ignore it seemed. Even for Sith such as Darth Hydra evidently, given his arrival. "Ah, Darth Hydra. How unexpected to see you this far from a battlefield. Have you come to join in the crystal hunt?" Darth Strosius offered a nod before gesturing to the other assembled parties in turn.

"This is Lady Vakhari and her associate Lady Valaine, and one of our most successful lawmen Mr. Tesar." Darth Hydra was the practical sort just as the rest of them were, He had no doubt that they'd get along. At least for the sake of their mission if nothing else. "But yes I do believe its high time that we get going before someone makes a fool of themselves and collapses the caves. There should be a lift somewhere around here..." Darth Strosius glanced over the railing once more before reaching out and wrenching the section He stood next to off of its mountings with one hand.

"Or we can take the express route."

 

[Kito]

//: Ellissanthia //:

It had taken a few moments, but the Shaper had been able to cradle one of the crystals in her palm. It was warm, and she could feel the brilliance of its heart. The crystal beat like a living flame, a kin to the Shaper as she held it close. This moment, though, was cut short; her happiness frayed as a presence made itself known. Kito wondered if her hyperfixation on the crystals had muted her senses.

There was no reason to scold herself now. It wouldn't change the fact that she had been seen. Pocketing the crystal into the small bag at her waistband, Kito stood and dropped the tools as commanded. Her hands rose as she stood. There wasn't much she could do at this moment, but being arrested wasn't part of the plan.

"I'm not robbing, I'm simply borrowing." Kito teased with a grin. "But it seems the Sith don't wish to share, so I guess I'll just take it?"

As she finished, the Shaper felt the heat of her fire surge through her arms. Stepping forward with a stomp, Kito swung her fist forward, launching a burst of flames that erupted towards the aquatic-looking woman. Fire was either going to be a weakness or a strength for Kito here, and it was easier to find out sooner than later.

After the fire attack, the Ronin reached for the odachi at her side, drawing the blade. As the steel kissed the air, the smell of the flame coming to life singed. Its bright orange and white hot flames licked at the steel, and Kito raised the blade in preparation for a counterattack. She wanted to know what the Sith would do. Would she summon her companions, or would she face the Jedi alone?

Heat was on her breath as she let the fire surge through her. Eyes flickered to every known entrance and how she could get there for an escape. A trickle of fear lingered under her skin, memories of a previous fight and what had happened afterwards.

Kito wouldn't let that happen again.

"Don't be scared, we can have some fun — if you win, I'll give the rock back."

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

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

The air in the chamber had shifted. The scent of molten stone still lingered, but it no longer ruled the space. Something softer carried through it, a trace of jasmine and rain that should not have belonged on a world like this. Gerwald recognized it before he turned. The familiarity struck deeper than sound, deeper than sight. It was a memory of stillness between storms.

Srina Talon’s voice followed the scent, quiet and commanding. Her words drew every thought in the room to her and left no space for question. When she spoke the air itself seemed to obey. The hum of the forges below faded beneath the calm rhythm of her tone. She carried authority the way others carried weapons.

Gerwald did not move while she addressed them. His attention remained fixed on the table’s projection. The soft blue light of the Blackwall reflected across the polished stone. The rhythm of her voice carried the weight of memory. She had always spoken with precision.

Never haste.

Never need.

When she finished, silence followed like a closing hand.

He waited before speaking, allowing the quiet to settle where her authority had placed it. To answer her too quickly would have been careless. To answer her carelessly would have been dangerous.

“The Blackwall has always done what it was meant to do,” her Dread Wolf said at last. “It defines where we begin, not where we end.”

His tone carried no challenge. The faint trace of jasmine lingered, grounding him in the present even as memory pressed against the edges of his thoughts. He remembered the scent from another place, another time. It was the same calm that had filled the halls of the Spire before she gave Naedira back to him, a reminder of her presence even when she did not speak.

The Dark Counselor lifted his gaze from the projection and regarded the hologram with quiet thought.

“It does not confine us. It gives shape to what we are. Every boundary ever built by the Sith has marked not the limit of our power, but its reach.”

His eyes found Srina’s across the table. For a moment the distance between them fell away. He had stood beside her when the galaxy had torn itself apart. Gerwald had seen what it took to hold the line when others fled. The Blackwall had not been born of fear. It had been forged with purpose.

He turned his attention toward Lina Ovmar. Her words had carried conviction, ambition, and impatience in equal measure.

“Lady Ovmar you are right to see opportunity in the Erinar Diamonds. They are the key to expansion and renewal. They will change every fleet, every forge, every weapon we command, but power alone does not shape the future. The will to direct it does.”

He moved one hand across the table’s surface, and the projection shifted. The image of the Blackwall dissolved, replaced by a map of the frontier. Red markers pulsed along the rim, each one a point of potential expansion. Firefist was highlighted.

“Erinar is more than a mine. It is a fulcrum. What we refine here will determine how far the Order reaches.”

The glow from the display caught along the edges of his armor as he straightened.

“The question is not whether the Blackwall stands. It will. The question is who commands what stands beside it. Whoever controls the refinement of these crystals will decide the future of the Sith.”

His gaze returned to Srina.

“You see purpose where others see barrier. That is why you rule. The Erinar Diamonds will serve your design. The Order will follow your vision, as it should.”

He inclined his head slightly as a gesture of respect that was both formal and personal. The scent of jasmine remained in the air. It was soft and persistent.

“There is wisdom in what you propose to repurpose the Blackwall. To make it more than a shield, is to turn strategy into dominance. Whatever form it takes, it will bear the mark of the Empress who commands it.”

He let the words rest in the heat of the chamber. The light of the molten horizon spilled through the windows, turning the walls into mirrors of fire.

“The Empress has already seen what must be done. Our task is to ensure she has the means to see it through.”

The room fell still once more. The tremor of the planet returned beneath the stone floor, and the deep hum of the forges carried through the silence. Gerwald’s eyes lingered on Srina’s reflection in the glass, framed by light and shadow.

For a moment, the wolf within him stirred, not from hunger or ambition, but from recognition. The wolf had been here before, in moments like this. Their decision would shape the Order’s future, and Gerwald intended to be at the forefront of it.

 

[Korran Dorn]

THE DELVE

Tags: Aerik Lechner


The wind that howled through the surface shafts was not natural. It carried heat, the kind that clung to the lungs and crawled under the skin, a breath exhaled from the planet’s molten heart. Korran Dorn stood at the threshold of the descent, black armor rimmed with orange light, the air thick with ash and the faint stench of scorched machinery. Below him, the foundry sprawled like a wound torn into the crust of the world, its conveyor lines still smoking from the skirmishes that had driven the miners and their guards into retreat.

He watched them scatter from afar. They had called it a mine, but it was no longer that. The Force trembled beneath his feet, pulsing through the stone as if warning him of something older than the drills and engines that had woken it. Beneath all the industrial rot, there was something alive.

The Erinar Diamonds.

He could see them now through the haze, faint glimmers of red and violet, burning softly within the ore seams like embers suspended in oil. Each pulse was irregular, volatile, yet mesmerizing. They were not crystals in the Jedi sense. They were heartbeats, veins of living energy too wild to be molded by the weak.

Korran descended the steel steps into the cavern, the sound of his boots swallowed by the roar of molten channels running beneath the catwalk. Sparks rose where metal touched rock, and the temperature climbed with each level he passed. The foundry’s walls pulsed faintly with light, as if responding to his presence.

He paused at the lowest landing, the hum of the Force deepening in his chest. It breathes, he thought. It hungers.

The sound of footsteps echoed behind him, lighter, quicker, purposeful. Korran did not turn, nor did he speak immediately. Instead, he extended a hand toward the glow emanating from the fissure below. The energy licked at his fingertips, raw and unrefined, tasting the dark side in him and responding in kind.

“There,” he said at last, voice low and deliberate. “The pulse beneath the flame. Do you feel it, Aerik?”

He let the question linger, his tone neither command nor invitation, but test. The kind of silence that expected understanding.

“The Order calls them unstable,” Korran continued after a beat. “Too unpredictable for use, too dangerous to harness. They are correct, for those who cannot master their own chaos.”

He turned slightly, crimson eyes glinting at the heat swirling around them. The air rippled between master and apprentice, charged with the scent of metal and the whisper of fire.

“Power such as this does not reveal itself to the timid,” he said. “But neither does it suffer the foolish. What lies beneath that rock will destroy the impatient as surely as it will elevate the worthy.”

Korran lowered his hand and straightened, the heat rising around him in shimmering waves. “We will descend into that cavern soon enough. But first, you will learn to listen to it. The Force does not scream here; it seethes. And only by knowing its rhythm will you survive it.”

He turned back toward the abyss, its molten glow reflected in the crimson of his eyes. The roar of molten ore filled the chamber, masking the subtle edge of his next words, the faintest trace of something almost like anticipation.

“Tell me what it says to you.”

The darkness stirred, heavy with promise and peril both.

And He Waited.​

 

[Aerik Lechner]

WEARING: xxx | TAG: Korran Dorn | Irina Jesart​

The air in the foundry shimmered with heat that rose from the molten channels. It was heavy and alive, yet the warmth settled around him like an old companion. Aerik moved through it with ease. The weight of the atmosphere steadied him. Each breath drew in the scent of ash and metal, familiar and grounding.

The cavern stretched wide beneath him. Layers of stone and light framed the machinery that still hummed faintly from use. Sparks drifted in the haze. The air carried the taste of fuel and dust. Every sound moved with a slow rhythm, as if the world beneath their feet had its own pulse.

He came to the lower platform and stopped. The iron under his boots trembled, not from the gears or engines above, but from something older. Through the haze, lines of red and violet light pulsed within the rock. Their glow rippled across the walls like light cast over dark water. The movement was uneven, but it carried purpose.

The longer he watched, the clearer the feeling became. The Force did not call. It stirred beneath the surface. It was aware of them.

Aerik watched the molten flow wind into the fissure below. The shimmer from the diamonds painted the walls in shades of crimson. The deeper he looked, the more it seemed the light was watching him in return.

It was similar to the place where Darth Prazutis had tested him. Aerik did not find the heat or the fire cruel. He descended in the direction the Sith ahead had pointed. His words seemed to instruct. The pup was tired of teachers. His time at the academy was over. His journey as a Sith, apprentice to the Shadow Hand himself, had begun.

A faint and familiar sensation pulled at his awareness. Beneath the wild energy radiating from the crystals, Aerik felt an echo. He should have known it sooner, yet it brought a small smile to his lips. The corner of his mouth curved slightly, a brief break in the quiet mask he often wore.

"It breathes, like the Dread Wolf."

He did not need to name his father, but the comparison fit. The pulse in the stone matched the rhythm he knew within himself. The restless call that never fully slept. He wondered what it would be like to shift in this place. Would he run through molten rock without pain? The thought lingered.

He kept his restraint.

There were few who knew what he was, and he intended to keep it that way. If they believed him only the son of the Dread Wolf, that was enough.

"My master will not be pleased if we delay. My father, the Empress, and Taeli Raaf already have their agents here. The Kainites will send theirs. Darth Prazutis will want his share."

He took a few more steps forward. The pull in the Force did not fade. It grew stronger, threaded through the heat and the hum of the foundry.

She was close. How long had it been since they had seen each other?

 

[Irina Jesart]

Tags: Korran Dorn | Aerik Lechner

Irina's face was an unreadable mask, they cave had opened wider, its ceiling stretching and opening revealing catwalks from the mining facility high above them, the distant heavy clunk of machines barely audible over the steady natural hum of the caves around them, a series of tunnel entrances lay in front of them.

She looked round as one of her team swore, smacking the side of the scanner in his hand. "Damn thing," he muttered "heat is messing with it."

"Give it here." it was snatched by another as they began to bicker in low tones trying to figure out how to make it work. She let out a soft sigh reaching between them she plucked it from their hands and tossed it over her shoulder where it cracked against the stone before sliding onto the slag where it sat for a moment hissing and popping before the molten stone swallowed it whole.

"We don't need it." she said quietly, she moved to the entrance, crouching to place her hand on the warm stone beneath her feet she closed her eyes and reached through the force, feeling the stone within it, the slow creeping lava hissed as it melted stone in its path, rock groaned as it shifted retreating and bending out of the lava's path and beneath all of it, she could feel the hum of the diamonds. She focused on it, following it until it was no longer a hum, but a choir.

She lifted a finger, pointing to the second path from their left. She clung to the song as she rose, sinking her mental fingers into it so she would not lose its tune. Yet something brushed the back of her senses, something familiar not far behind and above them. A soft gasp slipped from her lips and for a moment the song slipped, before she snagged it again.

"That way." she said, letting them take the lead, she paused at the entrance, looking up to where he was, a small smile on her face. Heat rose in her palm at her command as she etched a mark in the stone, before moving after the Raiders, the pawprint she left behind on the stone still smoking. It had been a long time since she'd seen the Dread Wolf's son.

 

[Soah Ty’Jyn]

Nearby somewhere: Veyran Solis

The heat was unbearable.

Soah slipped deeper into the cavern feeling the sweat trickle slow paths along her temples, down the curve of her neck to soak into the collar of her cloak. The deeper she went, the stronger the hum of the crystals became, but so did the oppressive heat.

She could hear him now. Smell him. The metallic bite of ozone and ash that clung to Veyran's presence. It coiled through the Force like smoke, feral and familiar -- the crazed Acolyte.

Her fingers flexed against the hilt at her back, but she didn't move closer. Not yet. Fighting him here would be suicide. One wrong strike, one surge of power, and the entire cavern would collapse in molten ruin. The goal wasn't him. It was the diamonds. This hunt demanded patience.

She crouched behind a ridge of stone, shadows swallowing her whole as the sentient ink across her skin rippled and darkened. Through the Force, the shriek of pain ripped through her senses with a cry sharp enough to make her ears flatten and her head tilt. A low growl rumbled deep in her throat before she smothered it.

Then, slowly, she pressed forward.

The tunnel opened into a vast chamber wheere the walls seemed alive with glowing veins of red crystal that pulsed like a heartbeat. Her amber eyes reflected the light as she set down her small tool kit, fingers brushing the rock as if greeting a living thing. Each crystal pulsed with barely restrained violence.

Perfect.

Using the toolkit, she proceeded to try and patiently -- as much as Soah ever showed patience beyond a hunt -- to try and extract a few crystals carefully. Between the heat, the mad Acolyte's Solis presence lingering somewhere in the care, and the potential of dying with the diamonds voitality, it was a training session itself on focus and being constantly aware of one's surroundings.

IN her mind, she wondered, if this was how Varin Mortifer felt with Ignati constantly under his skin.

She would have to ask him next time she saw him.

 

[Korran Dorn]

CONVERGE

Tags: Aerik Lechner | Irina Jesart

The cavern had grown louder.

Not with sound, but with presence. The air itself trembled, molten breath rising in steady waves, carrying the low pulse of something ancient and half-awake. It rolled through the stone beneath Korran's boots, through the catwalks and scorched pylons, through the bones of the foundry itself. Every tremor spoke of greed and interference. The Sith were gathering like carrion around a wound that bled power.

He could feel them now. Not near, but within reach. Two young ones, their presences sharp and eager, heat without discipline, hunger without mastery. Apprentices. Not his. One burned with a fire he recognized all too well, Prazutis’s spawn. The other drifted at the edges of perception, drawn by a quieter song. He had not expected company, and the thought alone carved a faint line of irritation through his composure.

From his vantage near the molten rift, Korran turned his gaze to the southern tunnels, where the Force whispered of another presence threading through the dark. Aerik stood at his side, the air bending faintly around him as if recognizing the lineage he carried, that unmistakable blend of darkness and feral instinct. A creature born of shadow and hunger.

Korran did not look at him when he spoke. His attention remained fixed on the deeper passage, where the faintest flicker of will moved against the current of the Force. “You feel that?” he asked, his tone measured. “Another hand stirs the flame.”

It was subtle, a ripple of awareness beneath the heat, a song hidden in the stone. The other presence did not yet see them, but she reached through the same current, shaping it, listening. The energy that answered her was precise, refined, patient. Not the reckless grasp of a student, but the steady pull of someone who heard before they struck. A listener. Dangerous, if she learned patience.

Korran’s eyes narrowed as he extended his senses, following the vibration as it coiled deeper into the tunnels. The Force bent and twisted, bending around her like smoke curling around a blade. “She cloaks herself in focus,” he murmured, half to himself. “Untrained in subtlety, but not blind.”

The molten light flared beneath his boots, the Erinar Crystals pulsing brighter for a heartbeat, as though answering the converging energies. It pleased Korran, in a quiet, cruel way, to feel them drawn toward the same inevitable trial, unaware that the fire they sought would burn them equally.

He stepped from the platform, cloak trailing behind him like smoke through the heat. The foundry seemed to react to his presence, molten channels brightening as he passed, the hum of machines deepening to a low mechanical growl. When he reached the lower span, the air thickened until each breath came weighted, the kind that made the lungs ache and the soul whisper warnings.

Korran stopped at the edge of the molten rift, gaze fixed toward the tunnels where the other presence moved. His voice carried through the chamber, smooth as tempered glass, his words not meant for her ears, but for the darkness that listened in her stead.

“So the young ones come crawling toward the same flame.”

The words did not shout. They did not need to. They simply commanded the air to listen.

He extended his hand toward the fissure, feeling the molten breath curl around his fingers. The crystals pulsed again, once, twice, before dimming, as if acknowledging his restraint.

“You mistake proximity for control,” he said quietly. “The Force that breathes beneath your feet is older than your masters, your wars, your ambitions. Even the Dread Wolf’s blood cannot command it.”

A pause. The molten glow reflected across his visor as he continued, softer now, almost thoughtful.

“Still... it will be interesting to see who among you the fire will answer, and who it will consume.”

He lowered his hand and turned back toward the molten dark. The glow of his armor dulled, swallowed by the haze.

The Force stirred again, heavier this time, weighted with potential. The crystals below pulsed faster, like a heart anticipating conflict, like a storm beginning to gather strength.

He had no need to interfere. The fire would teach them better than he ever could.

Some Lessons Cannot be Taught by Words.​

 

[Vakhari Lutris]

Tags: Darth Strosius Valaine Valentine Trayze Tesar Darth Hydra ​

"Unfortunately not everyone is as familiar with your scholarly capabilities as I am. And even more unfortunately I have no real rung on the ladder of authority these days myself either."

Was Darth Strosius not aware of the company he had present? Out of the group she was closest to throne authority there was, but did she really care? If anything it was pleasant, unrecognized for whatever reason. She spoke, others gave their honest thought on the matter. Would they speak so freely or think of her as just a scholar if they knew? It wasn't every day the little sister of the emperor came out to help collect crystals, that's for sure.

"Ha, a shame that. While I would have preferred to not go anywhere close to well-"

The doctor gestures to the picturesque hellscape before them.

"That."

It would be then that two new faces joined their band of misfits, the bond between Vakhari and Valaine letting her know that the more scruffy looking man spoke with Valaine in some way... Yet, her suspicion withers as it was made far more clear what the message was. A gentleman? And here she figured they all went extinct.

As nice as it was however, she knew very well just how little Valaine needed that help. And so, she gives her lover an amused glance for a moment.​

"Darth Hydra of the Korriban Academy. How may I be of assistance?"

The young Lutris lights up with excitement, another teacher was to join them? How wonderful! And from a place she knew well, had they met before?

"I am Vakhari, of house Lutris. Say, have we perhaps met before? I have been requested at the Korriban academy many times before, I teach a handful of things but the main subject tends to be surgical technique."

Being a teacher herself, she already felt a kinship with this new member. Still unsure if they had met before, if this man even knew who she was. If not, it bothered her little.
​

"Or we can take the express route."

"You- Uhhh you want us to climb down that wall?"

Clearly not a fan of the whole idea, it wasn't hard for Strosius to see the girl was afraid.

"I... Suppose if it gets us to the research faster."





​

 

[CT-312]

//: Quinn Varanin Jorryn Fordyce Matteo Guo-Yian Lunaria Talon //:
//: Erinar //:
//: Attire //:
//: EQUIPMENT: Halcyon Armour| M.I. 'Sunstroke' jetpack| M.I. 'Halo' jump boots | Contact Lenses | Wrist Mounted APG | Ancile Shield | Navi/Barca //:
//: FAE/M-06 Eight Blade Razorline Projector| FAE/M-02 Energized Forearm Vibroblade Mk. II//:
//: WEAPONS: VW 864 Maser Rifle | LO-18D | M.I. Model 7 shotgun | LO-22S | Sunshot Pistol | M.I. Model 6 hybrid pistol //:
//: 40|40 Active Mag : 2 Backup Mags x LO-KI/22 Standard Slug Round //:
//: DROIDS: 1 x LK War-X | 2 x LK Pred-X //:
//: ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT: 2 x Kushute Grenades | 6 x Shiva Knife | S.A.N.D. Powder //:
//: 1 x Arrow head of Absence | Taozin amulet | LK Spider Slicer Droid //:
//: Objective I - First Come First Served //:​

A volcanic rock world. A first for CT-312. She’d been to frigid, iced over planets and now… one that was quite the opposite. Erinar. The horizon glowed in shades between black and red. Its clouds heavy with ash and in the distance heat-lightning that never seemed to fade. The ground beneath CT-312’s boots was a crust of half cooled obsidian. Fractured and veined with glowing seams where magma still flowed beneath the surface. Each step was followed by the hiss of heat bleeding through the micro-fissures.

Her armor wasn’t designed for this. Even through the reinforced plating and undersuit lining. CT-312 could feel the heated air pressing against her like a furnace. BARCA’s mechanical tones went off inside her helmet. The warning beeped twice.

[ BARCA ]
[ CAUTION: Temperature levels abnormal ]
[ Overheating may occur. Proceed with caution. ]

THUD. THUD. THUD.

The LK War-X droid walked beside her. Its immense frame was dulled by past combat and weathering. Plates of scorched durasteel flexed with each step, leaving a trail of steam where its claws touched the ground. Mounted high on the armored hull sitting casually was the Princess. Quinn Varanin . She looked utterly out of place amid the infernal terrain, yet composed as ever.

Flanking them on both sides were the smaller LK Pred-X droids. Their chassis were caked with dust and glowing flecks of slag that fell away as they advanced. Lenses sweeping in constant motion as they scanned the terrain for movement or mineral traces.

Rocks. Quinn had simply said she wanted to ‘collect rocks’. This wasn’t an official mission, but to ‘hang out’. Pointing out, it was because CT-312 wore gloves. Like that explained everything... Briefly looking at the Princess’s gear, clearly she was wearing gloves as well. CT-312 didn’t understand, but didn’t mind either. It was… new. Different. Oddly, nice?

Rivers of lava wound through jagged valleys, their reflections glowed across CT-312’s visor. “Careful about getting too close to the lava.” Warning the droids. The two Pred-X’s responded instantly, tightening their formation. Glanced up toward the Princess. “Any specific type of rock you’re looking for?”

The question hung in the air, half amusement, half genuine curiosity. Suddenly, both Pred-X units snapped upright. Their sensors picked up something. Both mechanical heads rotated in unison as its tails lifting slightly for balance. BARCA’s text streamed across her HUD.

[ BARCA ]
[ 2 Signatures Detected ]
[ Familiar IFF: Jorryn Fordyce ]
[ Caution: 1 Signature Unknown ]
[ Unknown Objects ]
[ Energy reading output: Moderate to High ]

“Looks like we’re not the only ones collecting rocks today. Company up ahead.” CT-312 relayed. Her hand automatically dropped to the side of her rifle. “Droids are picking up strong energy readings as well. Same direction.”

The terrain ahead pulsed faintly with that same crimson light. Lava breaking open new veins in the distance. Through the shifting heat-mirage, silhouettes began to take form. Two figures against the glow. The Scout adjusted her visor, tightening her grip.

 

[Lirka Ka]

OBJECTIVE I
TAGS - Helix , OPEN

There was a certain joy that came with being able to bounce belief off another living thing. Lirka absolutely could toss thoughts between herself, a cold wall, and the ghosts and specters that scratched her mind. But she had done that for decades already - they didn't bite back quite as much as a true theologian needed to sharpen the knife of belief.

So, of course she'd have asked Helix to accompany her into this little bout of plunder. Darth Nefaron for all his veneer of nicety, did not make particularly poignant company - they were a divergent sort, the two of them. It is why they were Chainbound now, even those so aggressively different all were links in the same cosmic chain after all.

And she, perhaps foolishly, hedged her bets better against that withered sort whenever the time came for knives to be stabbed into backs.

Indeed, that's where it would always come back to. Violence and self interest. The quintessential elements of Sithood: belief, ego, and violence. Lirka found herself sitting rather comfortably in all three…of course, her musings were, perhaps, ever so slightly biased sometimes.

One step closer to the goal….were it ever so simple. One breath closer. One moment closer. One blink closer to the End of All Things. When the Primordial Darkness would reap reality and leave only the worthiest among them alive to choke each other to death while the stars grew cold.

When she spoke, there was an air of vague amusement to it all, masked beneath the distorted belted out by that helm she wore as her face.

“My dear friend, we do not hope. We are the death of hope.”

The dream eaters. Those who knew a hopeless galaxy was a shackled galaxy. Dzara.

“You posit victory so soon? Ever the visionary, it would seem. What shall happen when all we work towards succeeds, when time has passed and our dominion swells? It is not a complex end.”

She walked with clawed hands clasped behind her back as she so often did. A sort of cold casualness to her words, despite their sinister connotations.

“In victory, we will grow fat, opulent. Gorging ourselves on whatever we please, in embrace of our Chain. Then in time…we will cannibalize ourselves. As is the nature of our kind.”

Indeed, Lirka considered Helix as Sith as any of them - much as she considered herself as staunchly Sith as the mightiest of Lords.

“There shall be plenty of violence to bemuse myself with. It is a universal constant, after all.”

Always blood to shed. Always another war to wage. Always another back to stab.