Darker Truths

[Jairus Starvald]

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Chiloon Rift​

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The Black Library​

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#3​

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OOC/

Spoiler

Last one was here. Third time's the charm! I have promised I'd restart the Black Library storyline and this is it. We are starting medias res in the middle of the thing, anyone can join in, regardless of being in the original thread or not. Most important thing is to have fun with it! Last one was here.

They had breached the outer sanctum.

The Force Nexus had been and still was a problem. The closer they came to the center of the Library, the more difficult it was to use the Darkside of the Force. If you used it? Pain, agony, an excessive drain on your energy. It didn't take long for the Saaraishash agents and other Sith of the Empire to do without. The ancient protection in place, droids and turrets, shields and force constructs, they were pushing back against their incursion.

The entirety of the Library seemed to be geared against them.

But Blackwell saw progress.

His group, one of many pushing into the inner sanctum of the Library, was hugging against the wall. Around the corner a room filled with patrolling droids.

Mechanical. Sharp razor-blades for arms, gears inside of their bodies turning, at the back of their head were sensory equipment. Never blind for any threat that might present itself. "I will go first." Vulgrim stated, taking a peek to see what he would be up against. Six, seven, but he didn't need to destroy them.

"Follow once they are distracted."

Trial and error had taught them that regular damage didn't do much. But a portion of their back was exposed, the gears showing, if they wrecked the crystal behind it? They simply stopped functioning. The Maelibus did not wait for confirmation, instead he rushed in. The bounding sound of his feet against the floor alerted them almost immediately.

They seemed.... happy to see him.

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

It was irritating, this oppressive sensation of the light.

Yet the Sith Empire would not be deterred by the light, and the Saaraishash would not be denied the secrets of the library. So the Hand pressed on deeper, forcibly probing into the Black Library's depths.

Darth Filiae had previously attempted to use her understanding of Mechu Deru to disable the droids, but found them unaffected. While making life more difficult, it also presented them with new knowledge of the clockwork machines' nature and composition. The group had since found that destroying or removing the crystals from their backs would shut them down.

The Chiss, for one, was quite curious about the qualities of the crystals and their future application to the Sith Sciences.

She waited around the corner while the gigantic form of Vulgrim went ahead to kite their opponents, trying to stay calm - Failing to stay calm.

Not failing to stay still.

[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"]

 

[Jacob Crawford]

The Black Library had proven to be an annoyance to the Sith, providing a constant back and forth struggle no matter what their groups did. It's Light Nexus, the source of their woes were still located somewhere deeper into the facility, safely tucked away from them as they struggled to make progress.

It was admittedly genius of the Jedi to have placed such a thing here. A place of knowledge that would be so enticing to the Sith, and yet they would be faced with an uncompromising opponent at every point.

Jacob had taken the time in between their assaults on the Library, to meditate and bolster his mental defences. They had yet to face anything that tested that capacity, but for the Sith Knight his time in this place was on a timer.

Being within the presence of the Light Nexus made him want to recoil; to throw up from the sickening feeling that settled in his stomach. He required a Dark focus on a daily basis, and it was presently being sapped away - and any attempt to try and use that side of the Force brought him to his knees.

They were at an immediate disadvantage against the various droids, turrets and defences that were impeding their progress. At the very least, Jacob was still able to use his lightsaber but even then, it didn't fend well against a lot of defences.

Specifically, a lot of the droids were more resistant than they had anticipated. Designed to take general damage, and force their attackers back. Their group had discovered a certain weakness for the more melee-oriented machines.

Flanking behind, and taking out the crystal that seemingly controlled each one.

Thankfully, they had a big 'distraction' in the form of Vulgrim.

Jacob nodded, hand wrapped around his hilt as he waited for the Maelibus to dart around the corner.

[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Those who said that size didn't matter had not yet tried to rush through a tight corridor while being Maelibus-sized.

He managed it.

But only so.

Part of his horn cut straight through the adjacent wall and ripped through a camera. This caused a squeak, followed by electronics shorting out, but none of that mattered to Vulgrim. He was already in the moment as he bull-rushed the first of the mechanical soldiers. They weren't droids, not really, Filiae had tried to simply disable them with Mechu-Deru and had come to the conclusion that they were other. Automated through the Force with far more basic materials that turned gears inside of them.

The crystal powered them though.

With a large heave Vulgrim threw the first tin-man against the wall and it collapsed there, but already fire burned across his carapace where the second metal soldier's sword-arm cut against. Not sharp enough to completely penetrate, but enough to cause him pain.

Arm lashed out and caused the second one to be thrown across the room.

Fire against his back as a third blade etched against him. Vulgrim roared and the Force erupted from him in a shockwave to cause his third assailant to be thrown. He couldn't keep this up- every time he took one down, the others were given the opportunity to rise and attack him again. Like little ants they were slowly wearing him down. But it was good that the Maelibus wasn't alone here- he was part of a team and it was Vulgrim's hope that they would get their shet together fast.

Because he was starting to get angry.

[member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Venthis Zambrano"] | [member="Emile Kaiden"] | [member="Tabigarashu Madara"] | [member="Eldaah Aderyn"] | [member="Vereshin"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Naamah"] | [member="Calina Ovmar"]​

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

The Black Library was something that the young Echani had only heard whispers of before, the name not being indicative enough of it's great ties to the light side of the force. At the centre of the automated fortress was a light side nexus, something Jorryn had never been near but she could feel bearing down heavily onto her shoulders as her lungs tightened. She had never been separated from the Dark Side of the Force, even just the slight numbness at this distance filled the girl with disgust as she felt the serenity emanating from further down the halls. Her face twisted with a look of discomfort as she began to try to regain her composition, drawing deep breaths to centre herself.

The massive creature leading the force into the building wasn't exactly a cause of comfort either, it's unattractive visage not easing the intolerable mission to begin with. She counted herself lucky that it was at least fighting on her side, instead of attempting to devour the poor woman.

She took a small breath of relief as the creature offered to go in first, the gravelly voice again causing a shiver of discomfort to run past her spine as she watched the creature charge forward at the mechanations.

"They aren't the only ones distracted." The Echani muttered to herself, a large part of her hoping the behemoth hadn't heard her as she followed after him.

She didn't strike immediately, instead waiting for the creature to draw the attention of most of the automatons in the room before attempting to insert herself into the battle. As multiple enemies began to scratch at the armour of the now visibly displeased monster, the acolyte made her way behind one of the droid attempting to catch it off guard. A pale, deft, hand made it's way towards the gem located in it's back, attempting to pull the gem that forced the droid forward.

The metal creature quickly spun to face the girl, caught off guard by it's surprisingly quick switch of attention. She attempted to force the dark side into her arm in an attempt to slow it's swing as the metal hand wound back only to meet a burning sensation in her bicep, the Light Side nexus making it difficult to focus on negative emotions.

Quickly retracting the arm, the Echani began to use her Art of Movement to quickly duck under the steel arm of the automaton. Quickly rising herself into the droid, Jorryn pulled the lightsaber from her belt as she fell forward with it. As the two lost balance entwined with each other Jorryn manage to snake the hilt behind it's spine, a quick press of a button taking the light from the droids eyes as they collapsed against the floor with a cold ringing.

She sat back up as she examined the lifeless form, the destruction of the gem seemingly rendered it immobile. She wouldn't rest of her laurels long as the white haired acolyte quickly raised to her feet and observed the rest of her peers take care of the ones they had found.

[member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"]​

 

[Ras'kala'han]

Why was he here? Well, the promise of forbidden knowledge and power, yes, that was obvious. But Darth Vesper just hadn't thought he was this stupid until now, following along with, of all people, the Saaraishash, those who in the end would likely interfere with his designs for absolute power, into what felt like his own death. At his temples, he could feel the pain of throbbing pressure, and his mouth felt dry. His flesh, welded together by the Dark Side, his soul, adhered to his body by the Dark Side - the closer he got towards the center of what he desired, the more it felt like he was going to be torn to pieces, to fly apart into nothingness.

No. This will only make me stronger.

Holding that thought close within himself, Darth Vesper stood tall, masking the pain he felt, and proudly wielding his saber like a torch to cast himself in a crimson glow. The hum of the Dark-attuned weapon sounded like a keening whine of pain, soft and insistent - yet now, not audible over the sounds of battle.

He took his opportunity to enter onto the scene in the aftershock of his bestial companion's roar, moving like a vulture to the droid knocked aside the sonic assault, and, keenly aware of its resistance to physical harm, hacked at it several times, the shocks of molten harm stilling it enough for him to lance its crystal core.

One charged at him from the left, another from the right, and he reached within himself to summon the necessary power to reduce both to slag with a contemptous gesture - only to stumble backwards, trying to hold them at bay with his sword in one hand, the pain throbbing within him. Am I a Darth or no? Again! A ripple of molten heat enveloped one of the droids, its gears melting together as its crystal exploded from the sudden shift in temperature. The second, spared that fate, fell likewise to him when he had the benefit of facing it alone - but for how long?

His pulse pounding, Vesper raised a hand to wipe a trickle of blood from his nose, and his vision fuzzed briefly before he blinked to correct it. He curled his lips into a grimace, steeling himself for what lay ahead as he turned to help his comrades dispatch what remained.

| [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] | [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] | [member="Jacob Crawford"] |​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The sound of metal striking against metal rang out through the (mostly) empty corridors of the Black Library. A single mechano-chair moved with purpose, unaffected by the battle that erupted between the metal soldiers and the ferociously violent Vulgrim Blackwell. While typically used as a mobile chair by the Neimoidians this particular self-propelled device served a secondary purpose, one that had brought it to mingle amidst the chaos being wrought.

For from its seat emerged a holographic projection of Darth Carnifex, Dark Lord of the Sith, swaddled in a luminescent cerulean glow. Though even light-years away from the battle the chair managed to capture and transmit everything that went on around it, and his baleful eyes swung back and forth from person to person in silent observation.

<< Patch me in. >>

The mechano-chair hurried off to the nearest computer terminal and inserted its scomp link, uploading a program that would latch onto any sort of data it could find within the Black Library's databanks and start a mass transfer of information remotely.

Depending on how much defense the Library had around its data.

​

| [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] | [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] | [member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Darth Vesper"] |​

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

Nethil swallowed the nausea building up in her body every time she tried to call on her passion for support. It was all quite embarrassing really, which made her all the more frustrated, and in turn, more nauseous.

After Vulgrim made his advance, horns carving through the wall, body taking the points of sharp stabbing-implements, she darted after along with the other inquisitors.

Her body weaved under and between the blades as she slipped around the clockwork machine's back and plunged her left hand into it. The gears would carve up flesh, but they only scraped the metal fist. Her digits seized around the crystal and pulled it from the body as she turned. The blue Inquisitor ducked under the swiping blades of a second one and slipped under its legs while un-clipping a weapon from her side: As Filiae rose up, she used her lightsabre to carve through the cogs and expose the crystal. Again, she plunged her metal hand in and snatched it from the clockwork body.

Pivoting and stepping back she removed herself from the immediate danger of the stabbing needles. Quickly, she ducked as a detached head from one of the clockwork machines flew past.

[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] [member="Darth Vesper"] [member="Jacob Crawford"]

OOC: See now I was a bit premature with things in my last post, so I moved some of it here. Sorry 'bout that.

 

[Jacob Crawford]

Jacob moved shortly behind Vulgrim, using the man's larger form as a moving cover until they had reached the droids. It was a tight fit, enough that the Maelibus' horn managed to carve into one of the walls, tearing into some electronic or another if the sounds that followed were anything to go by.

Their previous attempts to have them disabled with Mechu-deru had proven a failure and also enlightening.

Whoever had designed them, had done very well in making them an effective force against...well Force Users. Although their more glaring weakness was able to be exploited by even the simplest of fighters.

Jacob quickly ducked as one of the droid's blades attempting to decapitate him.

Maybe not simple but it was a basic matter of getting around to the back of them, to reach their exposed crystal.

The hallway was rather tight with the amount of people that were currently fighting. With Vulgrim taking up the front, while Filiae, Jorryn, Vesper and himself were filling the hallway behind him.

An almighty roar tore from Vulgrim's maw, sending the droids closest to him flying back. Jacob could feel the power and anger behind it, and quickly side stepped as one of them came soaring past him and into Vesper's reach.

Jacob lurched forwards as more of them attacked Vulgrim, to a point they were focusing on him. One of the droids had its back exposed to him, its blade sliding across the Maelibus' side. He reached forwards, hand moving into the machine's inner clockwork and wrapped his fingers around the crystal.

Wrapping the Force around his hand, Jacob tugged with greater strength and tore the item from the chassis. There was some sparking, the groaning of clockwork as the droid was disabled. Although, Jacob quickly moved away just in case Vulgrim decided to lash out and smash it.

Another's blade came soaring for his shoulder, but Jacob ducked as it impaled into the wall. Even stuck like that, the droid was able to continue attacking with its other arms. Jacob weaved around them, igniting his lightsaber any time one of the blades got too close. When it finally pulled its sword out, Jacob used the Force to knock it off balance slightly. It was enough for him to whirl around to its back and plunge his lightsaber into the crystal.

[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] | [member="Darth Vesper"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"]​

 

[Ignatius]

Everyone was dead set on taking these droids out. While communication between us allowed for our able bodies to fight as one cohesive unit, what we failed to do was have the availability to use large amounts of the force within our selves. I felt sick to my stomach. It seemed I was fairing a little better than the others. I wouldn't say why, or how I could resist this a little more than the others, as those matters could get me into trouble I would rather not have at the moment.

Instead, I opted to stay a step behind everyone. The large behemoth of the being known as Blackwell slammed through the droids. They weren't droids, but I was unsure of what to call them considering the circumstances. Shards maybe, but they didn't seem to have a level of sentience like other shards. Mostly in the form of Lucem. Speaking of, The little while ball was floating around and was gathering data of what was going on. Learning everything possible and storing it as much as it could.

Unlike us who relied upon the darker side of the force, Lucem was no such. Neutral. Built and maintained as a being of knowledge, and who sought after much of it like I did. His little white shell moving and twisting as it floated towards the ceiling away from the fighting. I shook my head as it seemed one was stuck under the massive structure of the maelibus, while the other two seemed to be dealt with fairly quickly considering the circumstances.

Taking this moment, I rushed over to the Maelibus and slid to a stop next to the droid being crushed. Yes, the frame and body were compounded and pressed, but the crystal wasn't destroyed. I gathered the force around my hand in a telekinetic bubble, and shoved my fist in. Punching through the metal to the center of it's chest where the crystal was. Grabbing the crystal, and yanking it out.

My Leviathan bracers were scratched up a little from the scuffles and from throwing my fist into the droids when I could. Attempting to gather the crystals to be studied, or even used within lightsabers. That is, after we bled them of the light side of the force. Looking up to the Maelibus as his anger and rage was felt quite easily, I stifled a cough as I glanced at the wound.

"You'll heal. How about instead of tanking everything for all of us, we share?"

Getting up and turning around to see more that were attempting to attack us, I brought up my hands. Ready for a fight with these droids. Their bladed arms I needed to avoid. Ducking under the first one to send a kick into the shin. Sending it down onto a knee, before using the metal plating on the knuckles of my bracers to slam the droids head into pieces. Still alive and floundering, but unable to get a good read on us for the moment. I moved to the second one. Attempting to back step from the blades once more, only to get a nice cut across my chest. I yelped in pain as my now white band t-shirt was going to be covered in blood.

Rushing a few steps forward, I jumped up to let my foot land on the droids knee of the frame, and launch my fist into it's chest, before ripping out my hand and letting the weight topple over a second one.

I regretted the decision as I now found that the arm blade had slid through the gaps in his friends frame, and had sliced up my left cheek and a small portion of my jawline, and neck. Enough to let the blood flow, but not enough to be fatal.

[member="Jacob Crawford"], [member="Darth Filiae"], [member="Darth Carnifex"], [member="Darth Vesper"], [member="Jorryn Fordyce"], [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"],​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Jacob Crawford"], [member="Darth Filiae"], [member="Darth Carnifex"], [member="Darth Vesper"], [member="Jorryn Fordyce"], [member="Ignis Imura"]

The anger subsided as the battle did around them.

Vulgrim looked down sheepishly at the human.

Imura.

"I will heal, yes, thank you for your assistance." The demon never really enjoyed what battle did to him. It brought up a different side of him, darker, more instinctive, rushing and ripping and tearing, until there was nothing left besides himself and... the ravages. It mostly ruined his suit as well, but thankfully today he had worn armor. Silver and crimson and obsidian in the colors of his Master Saarai. All their Master, truly, for those that belonged to the Saaraishash.

He watched with interest as the others made short work of the remnant mechanical soldiers.

'Short' work was shorthand for struggling quite a bit with it, but eventually the last one fell down and the corridor was silent. Only the soft whirring of some mechanical parts inside of them still churning, as if they would rise anew if they waited long enough. The wiring ruined by his passage whining in the distance. The soft coming and going of labored breath. It all filled the silence as some looked at him, while a few were studying the floating chair which the Dark Lord himself controlled.

Vulgrim waited for a moment, before nodding.

"I do not think they will rise again." The corridor led into a circular room. There were three sets of doors, one leading up, the other leading down and the third lead straight ahead. Every way could be the right way, but Vulgrim assumed that this was on purpose.

Only one would lead to the center, where the Nexus was the strongest and most dangerous.

"Lord Carnifex, did you find any hints in that local system you read?"

 

[Tathra Khaeus]

[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] | [member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Darth Vesper"] | [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] | [member="Ignis Imura"]

​With a quick diagonal slash, the last droid fell with a metal clank against the floor. The Matador followed the group of Sith, flexing the muscles of his arms and rolling them back, relaxing his tense shoulders.

Matador had saw how queerly his companions had acted, those with an attunement to their darker side seemed to be in some strange sense of melancholy and pain. ​"I can sense it, I can feel it's strength." ​The Matador spoke, trying to focus on the force with his mind. He felt a calling from one direction, like the distant sound of a beating heart. The heart of the library. The Matador moved more quickly than the others, opening the door that lead downward. Feeling the draw of what they had described as the lightside nexus. He slid down the right, holding tight to the right of the staircase as it lead downward in a spiral.

​The Matador moved forward, ahead of the group. ​"Down here! I'm sure of it. The heartbeat is louder!" ​He called, his saber finding its place on his hip as the room, or rather hall seemed harmless. The room was divided into two sections, a long empty abyss stretching three hundred yards to the other end of the room where a doorway could be seem. The floor beneath his feet was made of wood, tough deep brown oak that seemed but a few inches thick guessing from what he could see in the massive gap between. The foundations of the massive library ahead was spiralling white marble that lead to a dark abyss beneath them. Both sides of the room were blocked off by shelves of books. There was no entrance, no way to move forward.

​The Matador stopped, perhaps his senses were tricking him. Perhaps he had been lead the wrong way, he turned back as he heard the scratch of heavy wood against the floor. He turned back instinctively, seeing two randomly placed entrances form in the book shelves on either side. How was this possible? His mind was in awe, trap doors were possible. But what had set them off, he looked to his feet. There was nothing there, no pressure plate to signify a cause.

​He stopped, his hand itching to face whatever was playing with them. He felt the heartbeat in a rhythm of his own, however he noted his own was beating a few steps faster, anxiety.

 

[Cedric Grayson]

A single soul rested within the heart of the library.

"How have they found us?"

"I have no idea. A signal was never sent."

"The Library is completely dark. We don't send signals, we don't get them, we have no presence within the Force - how did they find us?"

"Master Sedaire, I do not know. I only know that they are here, and that they have been attacking some of the caretaker droids. We have lost several."

The chill of loss ran through Darius' blood. Those droids had tended to the library for thousands of years. All that history had been wiped away by some brute's lightsaber.

"They have no idea what they're doing."

"What should be done?"

"I'm not waiting for them to leave anymore. I've a duty to the Library."

"We have no other guardians left Master Sedaire. They'll kill you."

The knight errant voiced no reply. He rose to his feet in silence, drew his coat about himself, and reached for one of the many weapons that adorned the walls of his inner chamber. The lightsaber he'd reached for instinstively was one of Corellian make: the first of many.

The green blade hissed as it came to life. Darius inspected it thoroughly. "Send a message to the other libraries. I want all the information we have stored backed up on their drives." The hood of his coat was drawn over his features. "Have the droids move the artifacts down to this level. You know what to do if I fall."

"You will not."

"But you know what to do if I did."

A hand rose to the necklace that hung from his throat. His fingers trailed over the azure crystal that had been fixated to it, and for a moment, his disbelief abated.

"There is no emotion, there is peace. I love you Mediha. We'll see one another soon."

The lightsaber was strapped to his belt. Without another word, Darius set off down one of the many obscure paths that ran throughout the library. The power of the library flowed through him, bringing energy to his limbs, and a dangerous peace to his heart.

Darius Sedaire strode forward to face the impossible enemy, but he had no fear.

The Force was with him.​

​

[member="The Matador"], [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"], [member="Ignis Imura"], [member="Jacob Crawford"], [member="Darth Filiae"], [member="Jorryn Fordyce"], [member="Darth Vesper"],

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

THE CHILOON RIFT
ON BOARD THE BOOK THIEF

Owen Stars had been promoted.

Previously he was but a minor simpleton, but he had gotten his big break several weeks ago. The Helix Syndicate had put him in charge of a mining vessel, but not just any mining vessel. This was the prestigious mining vessel that made the initial breaches into the incompetently concealed "Black Library", a modestly defended bastion of things-Owen-did-not-know-the-details-of-but-assumed-they-must-have-been-pretty-valuable. Otherwise the Sith would not have kept sending people in there to try and crack it open. Otherwise Owen would not have been promoted to become a proper captain because of his success.

He was given command of Jamillia-Class Star Cruiser and told to prospect the asteroids of the Chiloon Rift. In honor of the clandestine operation that had got him his promotion, he had named the vessel Book Thief. Since no one else knew what he had done to get command of the vessel, everyone looked at Owen like he was an idiot when he announced the name. But that was fine. He was the captain now, they could look at him however they wanted - Owen was still the guy calling the shots here. This could be reflected in the way Owen stood on the bridge, hands clasped behind his back and legs spread apart. It was meant to look authoritarian, but by some approximations of the bridge crew he had spread his legs apart too far. Owen looked about ready to enter a split.

The first hours of this shift had been spent like any other. EXARC Probe Droids were continually shot out and recovered by the Book Thief as it meandered through the asteroid field. Valuable mineral deposits were detected, marked, and catalogued. The Helix Syndicate was one of the few, if not the only, private entities allowed access to the Chiloon Rift for the time being. Once the Imperial quarantine was over, they would sell their insights to mining companies. Easy money. Owen was making commission off the more valuable deposits, plus a tidy salary of ninety grand a year. That was good, respectable money on his homeworld. If only his peers from high school could see him now...

So entranced by his fantasies of a comeuppance against his peers, Owen did not notice an ensign approach him. "Sir?"

Owen's legs snapped shut from their previous spread position, like a bear trap closing. "Ah! Yes, what can I do for you?"

"I was looking over our course through the region," the ensign produced a datapad to show Capain Stars. "There's a large asteroid - here - that it looks like we've missed."

The large asteroid was, of course, the Black Library. Owen knew it well! He was the man who cracked it open, once upon a time. It felt like a lifetime ago. Probably because it was, to some people. "That one is under special quarantine, I'm afraid. Can't go into details. You know the deal, sworn to secrecy by the Sith." Owen winked and smiled mischievously. The ensign resisted the urge to vomit. Owen liked to tell people he was sworn to secrecy about something or other, but never more than that. It was his way of bragging without violating whatever non-disclosure agreement had been signed.

The ensign forced a weak smile, closing the map from the datapad. "Right, sir. Just making sure."

A few minutes later, however, the ensign was back. "Captain, about that asteroid-"

Again, legs snapped shut as Owen's reveries and magical thoughts were rudely disrupted. "As I said, I cannot go into any more details, you see. The Sith - you do know the Sith, right? - have explicitly demanded that I remain silent on all matters pertaining to that particular asteroid. Why, to tell you would be a direct threat to their national and international security. We would both have bounties on our heads before the first few syllables left our filthy, treasonous mouths. It is very, very sensitive information that I have been trusted with by the Sith, and I cannot jeopardize the faith put into me-"

"It's broadcasting something."

"-by the most formidable galactic superpower this side of the Hydian, wh- what did you just say?"

"It's transmitting some sort of message. We almost missed it, but the Book Thief has some very sensitive-"

"C- can you, can you read it? What it sent?"

"Well, it's encrypted, but we have it recorded and-"

Owen did not wait for further confirmation, instead lunging for the intercom button at his command station. With his other hand he wrenched the microphone closer to his face, and then his voice was projected throughout the various decks of the ship. "Clyde, calling up Clyde. Get up to the bridge right, right now! And bring your... Cube... Thing. Whatever it is, just get it up here. Now! Chop, chop! On the double!"

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

Darth Filiae's lightsabre extinguished as the last few of the guardians in their area fell and whirred feebly on the floor. She probed one gently with her foot as they waited, admiring the subtle workings of their bodies. As an engineer, and a practitioner of Mechu Deru, she greatly appreciated observing how they worked. Even if they were trying to kill her. As she looked at it, her cybernetic eye filmed their parts for later. Once they were done, she imagined she could sample them and see if she could put them back together - Without the animosity towards her and the Sith, of course.

As Vulgrim spoke, she looked up, her recording seizing.

With a quiet nod, Filiae followed the gigantic Vulgrim to the cylindrical chamber with the three corridors. She was about to ask which one they should take when the mercenary among them decided he knew and rushed off on his own down the rightmost corridor. She shut her mouth and cocked her head to the side as he darted off. Heart? What heart? The self-styled matador had so far seemed rather eccentric to her, so she chalked it down to madness.

"There he goes."

Filiae's eyes switched from one door to the other. Was the Matador right? Would the central one lead the way? Or was left the right answer? She didn't quite know. The air around them seemed to interfere with her ability to feel the right path.

"So, which way do you think it is?"

The Chiss asked to anyone who would take her up on it. She considered opening a bet about the mercenary's probability of survival, but was uncertain of how tasteful it would be - Or whether or not they would be able to ever settle the bet.

[member="The Matador"] [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] [member="Ignis Imura"] [member="Jacob Crawford"] [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] [member="Darth Vesper"] [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Ignatius]

Lucem continued to float around. Trying to gather all the information he could. While others may also be doing the same, The shard was documenting what everyone was also doing. Keeping an eye on those where I could not. Standing up, I reached down to the droid still squirming underneath the body. Slamming my fist into it's chest, and yanking out another crystal.

Honestly, as I held onto them, they felt hot to the touch. Almost as though it wanted to burn me, but couldn't quite get it. These crystals were adapted from the light. Meant and built to fight the darkness. These droids were Guards, and Keepers of this library. I looked around as everyone seemed unsure of what to do. However, that was answered with a being known only to me as the Matador, speaking up. I looked slightly in a confused state as most of us seemed to follow him. Leading down a corridor that came to another room. This time, no enemy faced us, but a changing room. Looking at the room once, it has book cases. I turned to look behind me to see if anyone else was coming, and as I entered the room, I now saw two pathways we could take.

Not sure if the woman was a Chiss, or a Zeltron, but a female who had quite a bit of cybernetics had spoke up as well. Asking the almost rhetorical question of where we should go. Smiling I stepped forward. Opening my hand Lucem fell into the open palm.

"Any ideas little spark?"
"Shut up you wanker. And yes."
"Alright, then lead the way."
"You think I want to lead you assholes through here while you are all destroying chit! Think again."
"Lucem. We will try to be more careful. Now please show us the way."

The shard floated up above my hand. Facing me with it's white shell of a body. The back end of the body twisted around as it just stared with it's unblinking eye. Turning around from me, it floated to the center of the room. Stopping and with some small beeping noises was scanning the room, and the halls. Looking for any kind of electrical signatures or traps that were possible ways around said traps.

"You Sith really are clueless apes."

Reaching up, I plucked the shard from the air, and turned his eye to me. Sighing and shaking my head,

"Which way?"
"Which way for what?"
"To find the source of light within the library."
"Well its deeper within the halls."
"No chit. Which hall do we take."
"Either honestly. One will find the main source, while the other will lead to more resistance. Kind of want to see you imbeciles scrounging around."

Shaking my head, I released the little ball of light. Floating away from me, and shaking as though it were trying to remove my taint from it.

"I'm picking left. You can try to find the source."

Picking the left entrance, I opened the door to see a very familiar hall. One that looked just like the one we had taken to get down here. Shrugging my shoulders, I made my way through the door, and down the hall.

[member="Darth Filiae"], [member="Helix Syndicate"], [member="Darius Sedaire"], [member="The Matador"], [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"], [member="Jacob Crawford"], [member="Darth Carnifex"], [member="Darth Vesper"], [member="Jorryn Fordyce"],

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The image of the Dark Lord turned to face Vulgrim, his brow knit in thought.

"There is a disturbance in the Library, you are not alone. These mechanical custodians are merely the beginning." The Mechano-chair had detected transmissions that were being broadcast out on a significant level from elsewhere in the library, and had begun the laborious process of isolating and bringing an end to the transfer of data. Luckily the Empire had contracted slicers to hack into the Library's systems prior to the quarantine, and the program the Dark Lord uploaded began to piggyback on their success as what they had uncovered was made known to the Dark Lord and through him the allies already in the library.

"Someone is attempting to deprive us of our spoils. This I cannot stand for. Push deeper into the Library, Blackwell, and I will hamper their progress."

The program's parameters were altered. It abandoned its voracious search for data and began to scour the Library's systems for every security protocol it could get its digital hands on, spreading like an infection to potentially corrupt the entire system and bring it directly under the Dark Lord's sway. He had conducted similar electronic infiltrations before when he served as the Old Empire's Minister of Intelligence, and for someone like him those skills never truly disappeared.

Rusty, perhaps, but never gone.

[member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Helix Syndicate"] | [member="Darius Sedaire"] | [member="The Matador"] | [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] | [member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Ignis Imura"] | [member="Darth Vesper"] | [member="Jorryn Fordyce"]​

 

[Ras'kala'han]

"Someone," the Dark Lord said, as if it was of no consequence. Someone. Of course it's just someone to you, you're halfway across the Galaxy because unlike me you aren't a complete and utter fool and have minions to do this work for you. In a nexus this strong, even against all of us, a proficient Jedi would be dangerous - we could all die!

It didn't take much mental calculus for Darth Vesper to ascertain the best option: he should flee, immediately, where he came, take his ship, and then perhaps wait or flee - except that was no option, because unlike all his previous missions where he was able to betray whoever was most convenient at the time and experience relatively few consequences, that was mostly because no one knew who he was, or cared what he was doing. Now, however, the reigning Dark Lord (for now, that "for now" was the only thread holding his shameless ambition together) was playing nanny to their sordid task, and anything he did would be held against him in the eyes of the most powerful Sith in the Galaxy for the foreseeable future. And because of the thinning of the boundary between life and death, "foreseeable future" was until the stars burnt out, and a fair while afterwards.

My only regret, he thought wryly, is that I didn't write a will because I'm supposed to be immortal and even if I did, no one deserves so much as a credit chit from me, even if they did apologize to my grave for how unfairly I've been treated.

Steadying himself, he followed closely apace with the blue-skinned cyborg - he had faith that her mechanical components afforded her a measure of protection from the baleful power of the blinding light. At her question, he narrowed his eyes, rubbing his temple in hopes of alleviating the persistent pressure. "I'm hesitant to separate, Lord Filiae, as we could be picked off one by one in our weakened state. At the same time, if there's a large-scale trap that, say, seals us in a room and ejects that room into space, there would be no survivors if we all stick together.

"Keeping that in mind, I say we follow that 'Matador' fellow, but avoid passing into any new rooms without an individual, or better yet, some sort of probe, examining it. Similarly, keep some probes trailing behind us, checking for any sign of a time-delay cutoff trap being triggered by our passing through an area."

| [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Helix Syndicate"] | [member="Darius Sedaire"] | [member="The Matador"] | [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] | [member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Ignis Imura"] | [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"] |​

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

'Lord Filiae'

People kept calling her that, though she had not yet been publicly acknowledged by the other lords. More importantly, she had not yet been nominated by her Csen'ai. In fact, Nethil had not been considered a knight for long. Her title of Darth was short of two years old, and the memories of her trials were still fresh in mind. One part of her believed it to be some sort of conspiracy and covert mockery of her person, another simply thought she carried herself with enough pride to be mistaken for a Lord. The Chiss was two parts pride and one part paranoid.

In either case, she did not bother correcting them.

"True, going solo reduces our chance of individual survival, but increase our chances of finding the right passage. Going in bulk makes us a more formidable fighting force, but a total wipe is a total wipe."

She raised a finger to her chin as she considered, metal gently stroking the blue skin as Imura wandered off on his own.

"We could split into groups of a set amount, duos and trios for example. And, should you be attacked, focus on getting back to another group. If we go in separate pairs, even down the same path, we can avoid falling in the same trap. Yet, we can also congregate into a fighting formation."

She avoided mentioning her one possible probe. It could not float ahead, though she had considered that upgrade, but it could give her an edge in other situations. Darth Filiae looked at the towering shape of Vulgrim after the Dark Lord had given his warnings.

"What is your opinion?"

He had lead them so far. No matter how accurate their musings, Vulgrim's word echoed the will of the Lord Inquisitor. Only with less haiku.

[member="Ignis Imura"] [member="Darth Vesper"] [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] [member="Darius Sedaire"] [member="The Matador"] [member="Helix Syndicate"]​

 

[Bo Lin]

The large form of the Pandyn Acolyte moved through the dim halls of the Black Library. A large sack of food held in his left hand and an oversized lightsaber in the other. He heavy clawed feet plodded along slowly as he made his way toward the inner library with a rhythmic thud-clack, thud-clack.

He paused every 10 meters or so to pluck a fruit or vegetable from the sack and eat it whole before moving on again. He passed several dead guards and pushed his huge hat back from his furry monochromatic head and twitched his rounded ears.

"Rrrwerahhrowr." He said to himself before putting four apples down his gullet and moving on. At this rate he wouldn't have to do anything to help take the Library back. He liked that.


[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] [member="Darth Filiae"] [member="Jacob Crawford"] [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] [member="Darth Vesper"] [member="Ignis Imura"] [member="The Matador"] [member="Darius Sedaire"] [member="Helix Syndicate"]