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
___________________________
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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 in 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.