Episode V: Akala Strikes Back

[Fable Merrill]

Where: Blood Wastes
Who: [member="Jarven Zexxel"] [member="Fabula Cavataio"]

When you regularly sparred with someone who could take a shot from a tank rifle to scratch her back, and were taught the ins and outs of jetpacks and rifles by a seasoned Mandolorian, little tricks like the ol' matador didn't have much affect. Had Fable not just brutally murde- defended herself against around six people with her bare hands, she might have shown the flippity-jump machine exactly how little of a damn she gave about repulsor rifles and jetpack jumps. Or, quite possibly, have been knocked on her face regardless of what she did. It could really gave gone either way. But as it stood, a wide wave of energy slammed into Fable's back and tried to throw her off her feet - even digging her heels in and throwing her weight back couldn't fully resist the push, so the blood-crazed clone was pushed forward several feet - her heavy boots digging long troughs through the muck, a testament to her refusal to keep from being knocked over.

This brought her just in front of a pair of oustretched arms - the sort of thing she'd been dispatching threats for since she woke up here. But this was different, because the arms were attatched to... her mother? Albeit with what looked like severe eczema and mild jaundice, but her mother nonetheless. Although, she noted, those eyes were less yellow with liver failure and more orange with Sithiness. Which was somewhat worrying, considering how she'd had smooth near-olive skin and soft brown eyes the last time Fable had seen her. "Hi, mom." The breathless berserker greeted. But first! Focus, stupid girl! What if that bothersome robot is busying himself in drawing a real weapon?!

No. He'd flown off to accost some ginger. Fable wanted dearly to show him just how severe the penalties for casually disregarding a feral berserke- an opponent could be, but first things first. Mom was here (for some reason) and looked hurt. "...hey, is something wrong with your leg? What happened to you? Is mother here?" Fable gushed all at once, stepping into those outstretched arms while dimming her saber, brimming with concern. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

 

[Darth Veles]

Location: Blood Wastes

His journey through the blood-stained land brought up many questions, but offered no answers. From time to time, Avreet witnessed others. Running, screaming, fighting, dying. He made no attempt to contact those. Partially because he still did not believe this was real, maybe also because this situation made no sense and he could not wrap his mind around it. Really, what was this place? It could not have been anything mythical; Avreet positively knew that he lived. He breathed. He could smell and taste the blood in the air, he heard as the puddles of crimson liquid splashed under his boots as he aimlessly wandered around, he felt the calming weight of his lightsabers hanging on his belt. He was the same person that sat in the Sith Temple and meditated, only to appear here. As far as he understood, Hell was not a physical world, and this certainly was very much physical. Perhaps… a planet ruined by war, so much blood ran like water? His mind could not come up with a better explanation of his surroundings.

It wasn’t until he came to the great chasm that he finally stopped and paid attention to his surroundings. He saw several being – or were those illusions? – seemingly jump to their deaths as they eagerly stepped into the abyss, never to return. Some screamed in horror, others laughed as if they welcomed whatever awaited down there. Whatever the case, their voices soon ended, giving the Mon Calamari even more to think about. Swivelling his large eyes around in an attempt to find a familiar face, his search revealing nobody Avreet had encountered before. This proved this world was not within his mind, but that truth helped little. As his bulbous eyes stared into the chasm, as if trying to see its bottom, Avreet faced a choice that would determine his fate.

To throw himself down and possibly face death? Or to remain in this land filled with desperation and suffering, look for another way to escape this hell. Slowly walking towards the edge, he shook his head again at the absurdity of the very idea of jumping into some hole to save himself. Maybe… maybe death was more acceptable than living in this… Hell? There was no way of knowing and that made the choice no easier. Clawed fingers of his left hand gently stroked one of the lightsaber hilts, the one given to him by his love, Grima. It was time to decide. One step separated him from the abyss now, one step between life and death. But how could he choose without knowing what awaited him, be it here or down there? One step forward and he fell.

If Avreet knew what awaited him, he would have chosen differently, but alas, life is not fair.

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Shuduc Macar"] [member="Aeizori-Mei Kaeirosae"]

(Not sure if i responded already, but better safe...)

Solan spoke as he moved closer to the woman behind in the mask, his voice sounding just as calmly as he acted. "Im right here, don't worry, what you aer seeing is just a bit confusing but i am sure that we can get you back to the realworld. Just come with me." He didn't realize her problem yet, still thinking she was in shock or something at the scene, like he had been when he first appeared in this place.

 

[Vuhan Chen]

[member="Razer Sin"] [member="Tora Mirkew"]

Conner sighed as he stayed leaned up against the mouth of the cave, he was covered in blood and he stunk of BO and whatever was the stench of this place. He desperately wanted to go home even if it was to his dick of a father. He really didn't care he just wanted to go home, whoever these three people were they were pretty strange but they were humanish. One was speaking a language he didn't understand to the child and the weird fox lady was talking and what not. So Conner just remained silent as they spoke.

"If we are going to go out we need to eat first. We don't know when our next meal will be so we should eat now so we are alert. And if we are watching a kid she needs to have the energy to keep going in case something happens to us." Conner said wisely following the lessons that his father had taught him.

Reaching into his back pockets he pulled out four sealed packets of protein bars and squares down. He got into the habit of carrying the bars around him in case his father made him sleep outside in the forests of Mandalore to keep him fit and strong. Most of the time he just hid in a tree and snacked on these bars for a day or two before returning back never bothering to hunt for food. He began to pass the bars around and he kept one more in his pocket just in case things got desperate and someone needed to eat badly. Conner was a lot more fit than he used to be but he was still small and needed food on a regular basis.

"Eat first then we can decide."

 

[Placeholder 0133]

Location: Spire of Destiny

[member="Veino Garn"] [member="Lenne Fayth"]

"As of now, three, but I can't be certain there aren't more. FoF tags are scrambled and I'm afraid we won't be making calls home anytime soon." Book replied.

He reached up to take off his Helena for the first time since waking up. It came away with a quiet pop, and he set it under his arm. The Dreadguard looked quite young, perhaps in his early twenties with sandy blond hair and sharp blue eyes. Dreadguard were recruited young, at least when he had been trained.

"I suppose we're marching together then?" He offered a sliver of a smile, and Stanley's voice came for. The external speakers on his chestplate. "No idea why we're here. There were some odd energy fluctuations not like any kind of teleportation used in our galaxy."

Book looked down toward his chest, and Stanley continued. "I don't believe we're in our galaxy any longer."

That was when he caught sight of another armored figure just across the next ridge. It had to be Lenne - there were no other female MK-III's - not yet anyway.

"Lenne!" He shouted across the plain. "This way!"

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Location: Field of Blades
Allies: [member="Arla Balor"] | [member="Verz Horak"]
Unknown: [member="Nickolas Imura"] | [member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"] | [member="Laguz Vald"]

Tracking, he leaped over a mound of assorted weaponry and ancient armor. His buc'ye flashed a friendly tag, so he snapped to a defensive posture as he visually as [member="Arla Balor"] and [member="Verz Horak"]. The ancient bronzium spear tip gleamed deadly sharp as it whistle-cracked through the air, the butt-spike being driven into the pile to act as a back stop. Having reached a comfortable, defensible spot still on high ground, he clicked on his loud speakers in his buc'ye and barked out a short sentence as he began firing up systems to combat readyness, the A-10 even clanking out over his shoulder and beginning to spin with an idle whine. Whether it would even fire, he wasn't sure, but it looked nasty.

"Identity, please."

 

[Nyos Val]

Location: Field of Blades
[member="Verz Horak"]
[member="Nickolas Imura"]
[member="Laguz Vald"]
[member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"]


Nyos continued to walk into the depths of the field, but there was a certain nagging about this place that iched his hands like they should be wielding his blades. He obliged and drew the Ravenclaw and the Val Blade. The urge further pressed him to join the endless battle around him. Some had done so already and were attacking each other with blades that lay on the ground from other fallen, or those they had brought when they awoke here.

Nyos had no sense of direction and sought out the first opponent he could find. No control over his actions, he succumbed to the urge to do battle. Strangers faced of against him and his blades in turn dispatched many less skilled swordsman than himself. He stood amidst a bloodbath.

 

[Miles Varden]

Location: Ruined City of Hr'Tal
[member="Corrin Tal'verda"] [member="Rawnie Tal'verda"] [member="Galaar Tal'Verda"]

The further in that Miles walked, the more individuals he saw, but they were not right. Their heads and limbs split and inside grew the beginnings of fungi. He had never seen a place so dead and alive. Organic life ruled this place and with it, other life. Witnessing some of the things sprinting from a complete standstill at other persons, only to tear them apart, this cituation was becoming more horrific every step he took.


What he did notice most was a towering building in the center. A good vantage point. But between Miles and the building was a city full of these 'monsters' whatever they were. They weren't friendly and Miles wasn't going to stand around waiting for them to see him. He moved swiftly to the cover of a wrecked building. There he'd slink his way as far in as he could.

 

[Kian Karr]

"Well I'm glad to see you are well." Kian said then amended it, "With the exception of being here!" Kian glanced around and had to admit it did appear as if the room they were in was getting darker, but the light was getting closer and closer as they walked forward.

"Perhaps....its hard to tell with all the shadows." Kian said and the light source came into view. It was a pool of.....blood. It was in the center of the floor and there was an eerie light coming off of it. There were several phantom like shadows leaping into it as they approached.

"Do you think that's an exit?" Kian asked walking closer. He didn't like the prospect of jumping into the pool, but he also didn't like the notion of staying here any longer.

[member="Ellain Hadrin"]​

 

[Nei Laa]

Location: Behelian Canyon

Nei's head shot up and before she could think coherently, her blasters were in her hands and her visor was down. She twisted and turned, nearly tripping on her own feet before calming down.

What the....?

Heart beating erratically, the Nautolan kept her blasters up, carefully looking around.

She was in an unfamiliar place. That much was sure. on either side of her, massive statues loomed, their skull heads giving her the willies; it was as if they really were watching her. On both ends, the rows stretched into eternity, seemingly endless. The air was dry, and dust coated her armour and tresses, but that wasn't what caused her to flip out upon awakening. After all, there'd been quite a few places that Nei'd woken up where she'd never been before.

No, it was the silence. The awful, pressing, silence. It was as if Nei had been dumped on a world where she was the only inhabitant. The silence was a nightmare -- it wasn't comforting, like the soft lull of drifting in the ocean. It was the harsh, suffocating silence of a place where one could die, and never be known. Nei was all alone.

It was a place of her nightmares.

Her hands trembling, the Nautolan struggled to piece together what'd happened before she'd gone to sleep. Her and Vag had been aboard the Lucky Star, setting off to begin the hunt for Nomad. They'd jumped into hyperspace, heading for the Nova Confederation, when she'd suggested they'd both get a good night's sleep. The journey was supposed to take a couple days, after all.

And then...then she woke up. Here. Impossible, her mind screamed. There's no way you'd end up here without other memories. There was no way she'd have no recollection of coming here. There had to have been something.

And Vag, the poor kid. They hadn't been together very long, but already Nei had felt something of a protectiveness over him. After all, the youngster had no idea where his parents were, and now he'd already lost her, too.

Her spine prickled. The silence was almost too much. She had to make some noise. Or else she'd go insane.

Pushing up her visor, Nei took a deep breath, and let out the most ferocious roar that'd ever passed her lips. Eventually, the noise became names as she screamed for people she'd come to think of as friends -- or at least, more than strangers.

Nomad. Vag. Joran (for better or worse). Even Asteria, though it'd been a while since they'd spoken.

And then, her dead crewmates. Captain Freetaa'voe. Thymina. Renti. Beesix. All of them, gone.


It wasn't very long before Nei's voice was hoarse, and she could no longer speak.


[member="Sage Bane"]

 

[Sin1]

[member="Conner Garon"] [member="Tora Mirkew"] [member="Keturah Sin"] [member="Cross Ikon"]

Razer nodded in agreement, "He isnt that bad, but he too is a kid." He took of the bars, and handed it to his niece. "Eat, Cross scares me..he's also in bed with his lover, not something I want to imagine right now." He looked at his bodyguard. "Eat Tora, you need it more then I do at the moment." He looked back at the kid. "Thanks, but I'll eat later...not feelings hungry. The smell of blood is...too much, when we get out of here, I will eat. I suggest we all wait, eat, get a little rest, and then move on. I dont think staying here for too long is a good idea, Im getting a bad feeling that danger is closer then we think.." He looked out to the Cross of Redhair. "Cross, get over here, wrap up in your sheets, we are...in another realm, we dont need you screwin around with you'r woman at the moment." He walked closer to the edge of the cave, and looked out to the horizon of the direction they were heading to begin with. He squinted his eyes, and looked harder.
"WATER! I SEE WATER!" He called out. Sure enough there was a river out there, it looked kinda nasty though. "There is a river out there! Right there!" He nodded his head as he held onto Keturah.

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Kian Karr"]

"Im not sure i want to find out...something the dead want to jump into is probably not something that we want to go through too... is it..." She glanced around but all she saw were other jumping into it as she rubbed her neck. "Maybe we should find some way out of here Kian, this doesn't feel right and i don't like it." Her hair was on edge, why was a random hole here with light spilling from it that attracted the dead...

 

[Alkesh Vizsla]

Something awakens…​

In the Field of Blades ​

She had known this place for decades – roamed its wastes, beguiled its inhabitants, conquered the strong. Even in death she ruled. Here the game was different but she had adapted, evolved. The beginning of a journey was always survival, learning the steps to keep breathing, but she was long past that – the game here was cruelty and there was nothing Viktoria Zambrano did with more relish and…perfection.

She rose to screaming, panic, souls in greater number than had ever made influx in to this place in the time she’d known it. It felt like home but she was good at playing a part, at wearing a face to get what she wanted. And she craved seeing them speared on blades, a field of corpses…for old times’ sake. A soul had all the time in the world and perhaps if she devoured enough of them she could taste her magic again, feel someone else’s agony as she ripped their very essence from them. She would know the sweet taste of sorcery again!

The usual endless fighting of the Field Of Blades was amplified, disturbed by those that did not belong.

(Targeting no one specifically - tags for those in the area.)​

[member="Arla Balor"] | [member="Verz Horak"] | [member="Nickolas Imura"] | [member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"] | [member="Laguz Vald"] | [member="Ijaat Akun"]​

 

[Nyos Val]

Location: Serenity's Redoubt
[member="Falcon Gyndar"]
[member="Token Waters"]
[member="Seamus Valik"]

Standing beneath the trees in the massive cave, Marrik looked up into the opening with the light of the blue flame glowing like a far off star. The intensity in his feelings of content, had doubled in the last few minutes. He knew the way out was up, but it almost seemed like he rather stay and sleep under the tree. In his mind he yelled to his feet to move and climb up the cliff, but how could he when he had lost the will to do so.

Everything about him wanted to leave, as well as stay. The internal conflict was growing and the struggle to find the Will to move forward wouldn't be fought in moments, but minutes or hours.

 

[Kian Karr]

"Perhaps your right." Kian said and began to turn away from the pool.

"Kian..." A voice called from over his shoulder and Kian turned back to see Aria standing there before the pool. Kian's breath caught in his throat as his eyes fell on the only person he'd ever felt romantic love for. She had been his friend and his wife in the years before he had come to the Jedi, and then she had died, leaving him empty inside for so long.

"Aria!" Kian said walking toward her. As he did she stretched out her arms to embrace him. Kian lost himself for a moment and reached forward to embrace her. As he did so, her image faded and Kian found himself falling forward toward the pool on the floor and then into darkness.....

[Kian is no longer in Hell but is being transported to Alderaan with the full effects of the Blood Pull]​

[member="Ellain Hadrin"]​

 

[Lenne Fayth]

The Zabrak rubbed her temples as she swayed in place. The shouting did nothing to help the crazy head ache building in her skull.

"Quit your shouting!" she hollered back, "I got a hangover the size of Coruscant here!"

She could see them now, not far off. Yeah. Home. Well, not. Not home. Lenne didn't really have a home. Home was with the dreadguard. She walked ahead, waving with one hand, the other pulled off her helmet.
...Why was she wearing armor if she had just been out drinking? That didn't make sense. She never did that. It was strange. She must be drunk, but if so, why did she feel so focused?

"This is the weirdest hangover I've ever had," she muttered to herself.

[member="Book"] @Velno Garn

 

[Kelghast]

Location: Blood Wastes
Objective: Figure out what happaned.
Status: Slight trauma; suit systems disrupted. Rebooting.

"Hey, you still alive in there? Your heartbeat's a little off..."

"Urrggh... the hell."

"YAY! So you need to be aware that our location is totally unknown! I can't gather any information or locate any databanks explaining what this is! ISN'T THAT COOL!? Oh and uh... our comms are off. So we're gonna be alone unless your locator gets any blips on other Dreadguard's HUD. I've picked up readings of at least two others out here somewhere. It might be worth the effort to get out of this pod and take a look around, yeah?"

"Yeah just slow down for a minute... my head is killing me. Damn that was a heavy drop."

"Heavy enough to... drop the bass?"

"Not the time, Loud-Mouth."

"KAY."

Completely stirred from his unconsciousness, Kelghast looked around inside the pod to secure his arsenal. Shotgun: Check. Rifle: Check. Knives strapped to his armor? Check. Plus his rations were still intact so that was also pretty good news considering. The Dreadguard took a few deep breaths before kicking at the seal on the pod. A few loud thuds and then suddnely the door busted off and landed elsewhere a couple feet from the durasteel shell.

One other thing about Kelghast was that he had an affinity for accessories. From his neck down was a ragged battle-torn scarf that looked like it was part of a potato sack, and from his waste down was what looked to be a blackened brown lower robe which also shared the same fashion as his scarf. Gotta look sassy, ya dig?

Grabbing his auto-rifle, he shouldered his weapon and aimed down his sights as he scanned around him. What was this place? It quite literally looked like a nightmare. Had the drop knocked his head around too hard? Was he dreaming? The lights on the side of his helmet flickered on and gave him a bit more of a clear view only to reveal that there was blood. Everywhere.

"This for sure isn't Alderaan. Is there any way we can get back in-touch with Republic command?"

"Nah. It's all static."

"My day just keeps getting better."

"You have me though! You ungrateful tit."

"I'll take off this helmet and drown you in one of these blood pools."

"Please no. :c"

A small, sad face scrolled across his HUD.

Kelghast sighed and continued to trek through the unknown terrain looking for anything with a resemblance to another living being. Hostile or not. He just worried about finding the other Dreadguard here. He needed to regroup with his brothers. They were like family, and he couldn't just let them wander aimlessly without him.

[member="Book"] [member="Pappy"]

 

[Garik Reed]

Location: Sanctuary
[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] | [member="Alyesa Organa"]

Rael nodded to the newcomer. She was right, of course. Being Jedi barely made them more useful than Alyesa. He watched as the Senator threw the grimy sword into the lake around the hut. He stood up, stretching his arms and legs. "Should we go in? See if anyone's in there?" He glanced at the twi'lek, and smiled. "I'm Rael, by the way." The Kaleesh grabbed his lightsaber, spinning the hilt in his hand. He started to walk around the hut, trying to find an entrance. This place, it surely was spooky. What was worst, was that he couldn't probe it with his mind.

 

[Artemis Vahl'Nyx]

LOCATION: Blood Wastes, Outside Rift​

Light caught the blades, reflecting off of them. Each sharp edge was polished to perfection. If Nyx hadn't taken a second to admire the shine... she could have destroyed the two brawlers! Instead that metal fool from earlier scared them off! Our mad-Hero let out a fierce growl as she faced him. What was he saying? What gibberish sputtered forth from his mouth? Was there a point in listening? Maybe... Hmph. The Zorren kept her weapons at the ready while he spoke, gaze never leaving his form. Why the frell are you doing this? These people are stuck here, like you! You don't need to do this! But oh boy, did she want to! How long had it been since she let her primal urges get the best of her? Far to long! This was what she was meant to do all of her life! Her parents raised her to be a killing machine, a cog in the Empire, a beast of glorious burden! And when they lay dead in the ground their duty passed onto her overlords- the mightiest of Sith! They taught her to slaughter, to murder, to destroy everything in sight!​

​

It was her duty!​

​

"I was born to bring glory to my family and death to their enemies. I am simply doing what I was born- no, what I was designed- to do!"​

​

She grinned like a madman, sharp teeth gleaming white, wondering how the man would react. Then, for a second, she thought about how a fight between them would go. Could she win? With her borrowed blade and Zorren strength?... He seemed tough. Hell, he was actually taller than her too! Only by an inch... but considering his overall structure, it was an added inch of power. Then there was the whole deal of his weapons. What did he have with him? Would it be easier for her to flee and find others?... That was not the Nyxai way! How dare she even consider leaving an opponent! Still she found herself taking a careful step back, her foot sloshing through blood before landing on a rock. Noises behind her caught her attention. She dared to look. People where clambering over each other, pouring into the Universe Tear, screaming all the while. Dozens- no- hundreds of them, maybe thousands, were falling into it. Some leaped while others were being pushed. Nyx's instincts were begging her to follow. Wherever they would end up... wouldn't she be like a wolf among panicked sheep?​

​

She could kill them all! Unless, of course, the metal man stopped her before then...
With a terrible smirk she broke off into a dash, heading for the Rift...
​

[member="Jarven Zexxel"]​

@Others in the Blood Wastes somewhere near the Rift.​

NOTES: ​

Weapon list: Two standard vibroblades (in hand), two BTI-WB-Woebringer Blaster Pistols (on belt), one red lightsaber (on belt, currently not ignited).​

Injuries: Sith Poison in veins (causes: pain, loss of vision in right eye, soreness around injection points), burns on both arms, cuts along both forearms.​

State of Mind: Bonkers. Crazy. In a poison/chaos-induced frenzy.​

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Location: Blood wastes

He grimaced. He had been traveling for what seemed like days, with no reward. His boots sloshed through puddles of blood, and the blood sprayed onto his face. He had seen several people die at the hands of hellish beasts, but made no effort to intervene. It was survival of the fittest, and he could not afford to waste time. He had to make it back to the rest of the galaxy, to help in the aftershock of this occurrence. Suddenly he heard a high-pitched screaming noise, and turned around to see a creature charge at him. It looked like a red, blistery, hairless bantha. He drew his lightsaber and charged at his assailant. At the last second, he leapt into the air, stabbing his lightsaber into the creature's skull. He ripped it out, and the dead beast fell over. He then beheaded it, just in case. Then, he continued walking towards his way out.