Fear Thee a Fire?

[Darth Ophidia]

On Mirial, they had offended Sith Imperial sovereignity - The Sith warned them on Tython - The Alliance drew blood over Muunilist. Now-​

War is brewing​

The Light and the Dark take up arms​

and on every corner there is a spy​

When the Dark Lord ordered the invasion of Thyferra, Imperial intelligence set in motion the necessary preparations for a reconnaissance mission, reaching out to allies through secret channels and setting in motion the wheels of war. Darth Ophidia, a Sith Assassin with the Emperor's favour, asked to take point in the covert operations mission.

The bulk of their operatives took their places on board a confiscated interstellar freighter, bound for the Unknown Regions through the Core. It would enter the system through pretext of refuelling and restocking items after jumping in from former Silver Jedi Space. Those who had access to cloaked ships jumped after. Careful to engage their cloaking devices before encroaching upon Thyferra.

It was critical they not reveal their presence until the opportune moment.

On board her Phasma, Darth Ophidia stared out of the forward viewport while her droid made the preparations for landfall. Her presence in the force was miniscule, practically undetectable. In the back, her Satwasin were making ready for the mission as others would be on board the freighter. Uniforms were strictly forbidden, but covert tech encouraged. The Mirialan commander spoke, catching the Rattataki's attention.

"My Lord"

Ophidia gestured for her to come forward and deliver her news

"The troop is ready, Operation is running smoothly so far, though we are in for a tense arrival."

"Stay the course, Lieutenant. The Force is with us."

The droid chirped in his binary speech: Five minutes until landfall.

*'*'*'*​

Onboard freighter: The Sunbeam.​

Akito Koushou was perhaps small in stature, but she took great pride in her work. As the Sunbeam's intercoms signalled ETA five minutes, she put the finishing touches on converting a mouse-droid into a mouse-car. Essentially, she had removed its processors and jury rigged a basic steering system, giving her the ability to crawl inside the mouse-droid and steer it.

All around her there were taller folks, sullen and serious in their tone and mine. Some were tapping their feet, jumping knees, signs of worry. They were anxious to get off this tub and past security.

If they couldn't? Well then there were contingency-plans.

The Dark Lord had said Thyferra would burn. These men and women - Divergent in species but united in their faith in the Sith Empire - Were the kindle and the embers to get that fire started.

They were the scouts, the spies, the shadow of the Emperor's hand.

The Nezumi climbed inside her mouse-car, snug as it was. The clock ticked.

*'*'*'*​

OOC:
This is supposed to be a fun little pre-invasion skirmishing. IC'ly, this is set up as a covert operation, meaning we are trying to keep things quiet and low-key. Sith Empire personell will try to steal information or sabotage the Alliance's defences.

Do engage with each other and be fair! Remember, this is all about the story.

OBJECTIVES:
A: Attempt to sabotage Alliance defences.
B: Infiltrate Alliance infrastructure and steal information.
C: Lead defenders on a wild goose chase! (PvP or PvE)

If you have concerns, please PM [member="Darth Ophidia"] (TSE) or [member="Zark"] (GA), or feel free to reach out on Discord.

 

[Soundwave]

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---

The bounty hunter would ease back on the controls as his ship entered the planet's atmosphere, on course to one of its starports as he found an open hangar to land in. His ship would slowly descend into the area as the ramp of his ship lowered itself and he soon walked off. He was soon greeted by a pair of security personnel that halted him for a moment as he paused. The Arkanian bounty hunter would look between the two as he paused patiently. One of the officers would hold a datapad as he looked down at it and spoke in a rather bored voice, " What's the nature of your visit to the city? "

Arador would look down at the short officer as he spoke up in a vocoded voice, " Leisure... " The other officer would let out a scoff as the officer spoke again, " Sure. And I enjoy my job. Let me ask again. What is the nature of your visit? " Arador would reach back behind him before holding his hand out and placing a stack of credit chits over the officer's screen before speaking again, " Like I said. Leisure. Hit a few pubs and maybe get something nice for the missus. " The officer would look at the stack of credit chits presented to him before holding it in his hand and nodding.

" Well, enjoy your stay. Heard there's a nice bar down the street. Common spot for freighter pilots and the type of crowd you look like you'd be friends with. " The officer would turn away with his partner as he nodded, having cleared Arador's arrival. While Arador's immediate arrival was for leisure, he did have business to attend to, and he was wired a substantial down payment to do so before his employers arrived. The bounty hunter would soon make his way out of the starport as he made his way over to survey the area. One of the targets he had in mind was to pull information, a rather popular and well paid for commodity.

 

[Thaddeus Wyse]

Location: Phasma - Inbound for Thyferra.
Allies: [member="Darth Ophidia"].
Objective: Stay Alive.
Inherited Theme: *

The rasp of the whetstone brushed against the edge of her blade.

Once. Twice. Three times.

It was only on the fourth time that Skai suddenly realized she was being stared at. She looked up from her seat and noticed that the Pale was less than amused by her antics. "My Lord." The Dathomiri Witch inclined her head deep in respect. "The sharpest edge cuts best." But Skai did put the whetstone away and dispelled the blade itself. Metal shifted to green acidic smoke and then there was nothing in her hands anymore. Just empty space and errant hands resting on her lap, while waiting for the mission to begin.

The initial idea had been for Cerbera to be here.

Pale and her had... well, it was pretty karked up as far as Skai was concerned and she wasn't entirely sure what was up with them. Too disturbing to look into it. But two days before mission start the alchemist had decided to send her apprentice in her stead.

Something about experiments to run.

But Skai knew the truth, it was that day, where the alchemist would slowly drain her knowledge and store it for latter use. She was far more pleasant during that time.

"What is our objective, my Lord?"

 

[Madelyn Lowe]

Abandoned Hunting Lodge, 13 kilometres from Omega Pyre Pharmaceuticals HQ.
2034 hours.

Emilia sat in a dark room in the rough, abandoned building. Her legs were crossed, eyes closed, shoulders relaxed. She'd picked up the technique a few months ago in a lengthy stakeout with a Special Agent in the Outer Rim. The idea was to empty your mind of all doubt, to focus on the tasks you've been given and nothing else. It was the kind of meditation that suited her organisation-oriented mind, and so far the technique appeared to be working. When she rose from her 20 minute session, she found herself focused and confident, ready to face the challenges ahead. She had made great strides since the fiasco on Naboo, now she was ready to show everyone that she had what it takes to lead.

Standing up and reaching out with her arm, she flicked on the lamp, casting the small room into a flickering orange glow. Checking the time on a nearby datapad, Emilia moved quickly into action, pacing over to a box on the other side of the room and crouching in front of it. The box was heavy and metal, and it contained all of her equipment for the mission. First, she hurriedly discarded her old clothes, exposing the armourweave bodyglove underneath, and slipping into a white button-up, professional black pants, and a heavy coat. Next she pulled out an ID card, with her photo and a fake name. She completed the ensemble by tying her hair into a loose ponytail and putting on a pair of round spectacles. Finally, she grabbed her wrist datapad from its spot on the table, and slipped her C-51 Charric Pistol into a small leather carry bag slung over her shoulder.

Now she was Maria Ilyhara, Junior Research Assistant at the Omega Pyre Pharmaceutical HQ, which also happened to be the target of their covert mission. Somehow or another, through means of contact far above Emilia's paygrade, the FOSB high command had caught wind of an opportunity to strike at the headquarters, and the agents of the FOSB, working through intel mission after intel mission for some unknown upcoming conflict, were more than happy to oblige.

Emilia walked out of the room and into the kitchen, pushing her glasses up her nose. At the rough wooden table, a trio of agents were gathered around, chatting quietly. The first was a grizzled old man, a geezer by the name of Artemis who insisted everyone call him 'Arty.' The next was a young woman with dark hair, she was a highly talented surveillance officer, and Emilia's go-to for anything requiring stealth and finesse. The third was a small wiry woman called Frida, she was a technology nut, and a talented slicer, she could break through a locked blast door twice as fast as any other graduate from the Field Academy.

Somewhere else in the run-down building were the remaining two agents, [member="The Major"] and [member="Therran Graush"], both formidable and capable agents in their own right. With them by her side, Emilia felt safer stepping into the unknown. She walked up to the kitchen table, clearing her throat.

"Alright then, let's get moving. Shuttle gets here in 10 minutes."

[member="Therran Graush"] | [member="The Major"]​

 

[Peyton Steele]

It was always a problem, Peyton knew, having someone who was on the low rung to go do inspections. But she wasn’t really that low on the rung, sure, she’d been doing more desk jockey work for the Alliance Intelligence lately, but now? Nah, she was doing what she wanted to. She had a few tasks that were keeping her away from her office on Sullust and one was a trip to Thyferra. That was why she had loaded her gear up into her QRC and was en route. What she was going to be doing? Well, that was all depending. Most of it was just categorizing data on the production, hell, she may not even need to leave her ship.

That would be nice, wouldn’t it? Still, she wasn’t completely sold on the gig, just… it was what she had to do.

Her ship had pulled from hyperspace and she was directed to land, near one of the military structures, and her vessel’s computer network would be cleared for work on the planet wide network. It would hopefully be a pretty simple thing.

“Alright, time to see what is going on here, make sure its all… I dunno, making bacta?” She said to herself as she unhooked her crash webbing and moved her pilot’s seat, to access the computer network. She could have brought an astromech, but being an intelligence agent, she preferred to do the work herself. Besides, getting reports, they weren't always true, numbers fudged, and everything. Hence why she was even here.

Vacation, right?

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Location: Phasma.
Company: [member="Skai"] Satwasin

Darth Ophidia stared at the Dathomirian witch until she stopped the infernal scratching. While she appreciated sharp weapons as much as the next Rattataki, this was hardly the time for maintenance. When she ceased, the Sith Lord barely contained a sigh of exasperation. She had counted on Cerbera being there, but instead had Skai. While Skai was more competent than most, rivalling her own Filiae, she had nothing like the sheer panache of her master.

"The foremost asset in war is information, Skai."

Ophidia turned to the dathomirian and set a cup down on the nearest surface. Her face was the same unblinking neutral slate as it so often kept, a mask of impassive, grey flesh, touched by the scars of wars past. Her voice low, husky, rasped, as though it clawed its way from her lips to Skai's ears.

"Retrieving it is our goal" A disk practically manifested in her palm, summoned from some pocked in her sleevess. With a press of a button, the hologram of a base appeared and began to turn. "This is where we will find it. We have little information about the security and the surroundings, and that is why they sent us."

Her eyes set on Skai's, searching her for a moment of weakness or doubt.

"Because failure is not an option."

The ship slowly floated down towards the surface. - Not the cities, mind you - Rather, Darling began to take them down outside, into the jungles. They would make their way on foot first, scour the area, then approach.

 

[Thaddeus Wyse]

Location: Phasma - Inbound for Thyferra.
Allies: [member="Darth Ophidia"].
Objective: Stay Alive.

The Pale gave her the creeps, if she was being honest.

Not in the same way that the alchemist did. Cerbera was... a praying mantis, eyes cold and unfeeling, almost as if she was dissecting you on the spot. Skai had no illusions that her Master could strip her of her skin, flesh and bones to get to the insides one minute.... then go back to some chai the next. There was no acknowledgement of existence.

But Ophidia was all acknowledgement and it made you worry if it wasn't somehow worse. A mantis might eat you, but it would go straight for the head with no undue complication.

It did not care about suffering or inflicting it, because it did not care. But Ophidia had pain behind her eyes and that was dangerous. "Of course, my Lord." A nod followed next without interruption. "I am yours to command." Cerbera had been clear about that. You will treat every word from her lips as if they were my own, anything less than that? Hmm. I will be most displeased, darling.

There was no doubt or weakness in those pale eyes of hers. Skai met the gaze head on and chin lifted up a notch.

As if to say: doubt me... it will only make me stronger.

Moments later the ship settled down amidst the jungle and the forests. It didn't take long for them to exit it and wander out into the wilds. Skai crouched down, hand brushing dirt and humming softly while she took the scent of the place.

No man had been here recently here after the rains of last night. Ground was still damp, which was good.

It would make their scent less noticeable.

"Where to?"

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Something was brewing about Thyferra and it concerned the old Anzati greatly. Not that his visions were clear about the nature of what was happening, but the threads of destiny were wound about the planet as they had not too long ago wound their way around Tython. When he closed his eyes and sank into the weave of the Force, the planet was surrounded by Dark fire and tremors.

Things were soon to be decided that would shake the foundations of the galaxy. Like a moth to the Light, the Force had drawn him here to Thyferra where his presence would soon be required. He sat on a rock outside of the city, feeling the tug and pull of life as it wove its way around the planet. Darkness lingered around the world, a blight upon the vibrant strands of life within the world. The Dark were coming. No, that wasn't right. He frowned and tugged on his beard as his staff lay across his lap. The Dark was already present somewhere on the planet. Deception, danger, all hovered at the edge of his senses.

The old man considered for a moment and then sent a message out to the NJO and GADF stations on the planet. Something warlike was happening shortly. He didn't know when or where, other than that it would begin. Or perhaps, it had already begun. Tiland wasn't sure. So tangled were the threads of time and destiny.

But he could sense the Darkness coming nearer now. It was vague and displaced, but moving closer. Unless, he realized, there were more than one of them moving from multiple directions. He stood, finished his mug of tea, and closed his eyes, and his presence blaze through the Force like a supernova, a flood of Light surging across the world wide web of mystic energy that could be felt by all.

It was a challenge, a defiant trumpet through the stars. Come and find me, it said, I know you are present. The Dark rises and the Light stands to meet it.

Also, there would be tea. He had two thermoses ready for whatever situation might occur.

@Skai @Darth Ophidia [member="Peyton Steele"] [member="Emilia Ravel"] [member="Arador Kahn"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Location: Phasma.
Company: [member="Skai"] Satwasin

No doubt, good. Cerbera had instructed her well.

As they stepped off the Phasma, two of the Satwasin guards stayed behind along with the Piloting droid. Six followed Ophidia and Skai, including the lieutenant. As the ship closed up behind them, the troopers turned on their portable cloaking devices. They did not have the Force to conceal them, but in return they did not have great presences in the Force. They were, however, experts in moving silently.

Ophidia opened her com disk again, showing the slowly turning image. She touched a small circle in the hologram and pulled it out, expanding the circle into a compass.

"South, South-East. Over this hill, on the opposite slope. That should give us the best chance of bypassing security." She let go of the compass and ran a finger over the ridge. "There will likely be surveillance and patrols in this area. Eyes open, feet light. Barlan, you and yours will have to hold the ridge while Skai and I sneak in."

The Mirialan lieutenant nodded. She knew better than to argue.

"Last chance for questions."

She pulled up the hood of her robe up over her head, letting the fabric envelop her bald scalp. She felt the artefact melt away the presence in the Force she had kept subdued, but she did not allow it to activate its physcial shrouding yet. They still needed to retain some contact, especially she and Skai. After the ridge, however, it would be all in. Once any residual questions were answered, they set out. Their pace through the jungle was quick. The Satwasin did not slow them down nor make any considerable noise. Ophidia was like a ghost, and Skai? She had no doubt Skai could keep up and stay hidden

One moment, Ophidia stopped and sensed. There was a pulse of the Force. A light to the west. Someone called to them, challenged them. A hatred in her soul wanted her to go and extinguish the light, but she was the master of her self and pushed on.

 

[Rick Kaloo]

Location: Tython, GA Planetary Defense Base
Allies: GA ([member="Peyton Steele"]), [member="Tiland Kortun"]
Enemies: TSE, you know who you are

It was a rather odd predicament. While Rick specialized in navy operations, he had been called to help supervise a hidden Alliance defense base on the planet Thyferra. The Alliance leadership had assumed that a business owner would know about command, which was true to an extent. He decided to take a shuttle down to the base, since entering the system in an armed frigate would be a big giveaway. The shuttle had carefully taken an obscure route into the planet and then bent off to reach the base. Rick had acquired a pistol and was briefly taught the coordination methods.

With his pistol in his right hand, Rick walked through the facility's hallways, occasionally passing a guard or two. He came to a T-shaped intersection in the hallway, with the facility extending out to the left and right of him. Right in front of him was a large set of doors providing access to the command room. Rick took out a chip from his pocket that he had obtained upon arrival at the facility and slid it in a small hole to the left of the doors. They slowly moved apart to the left and right, a tunnel opening up into the core of the facility.

Rick walked in, and the doors behind him rumbled, closing again. A short pathway lead into a large room filled with computers, chairs, and cameras, about ten feet tall and twenty long by twenty feet wide. Officers of various species sat in chairs, constantly typing in commands or flipping through surveillance camera imagery. Noticing an empty chair next to him, he took a seat. No one came to reclaim their seat, so he decided to settle down there. In front of the seat, on a table, was a large computer with images from dozens of surveillance cameras on it in their separate squares. He clicked on a square of a camera in the exterior of the facility, and began his service.

 

[Rick Kaloo]

Ignore, repetition

 

[Zef Halo]

ABANDONED HUNTING LODGE
THYFERRA


Graush disliked being under cover, disliked imitating people he was not. His grim face was his usual but beneath it his despise of the undercover clothes of a lab assistant grew with each minute that passed.

The Sith had been on the porch of the lodge before entering back in after the appearance of Ravel. Graush, typically, had barely uttered a word with anyone since their deployment and that would hardly change.

Soon after Ravel's annoucement, the designated shuttle neatly landed outdoors. Its ramp opening and beckoning the FOSB operatives to board it.

[member="Emilia Ravel"] [member="The Major"]

 

[Kamon Vondiranach]

Thyferra

Honestly, Kamon couldn't remember the last time he'd been to the home of the Vratix. The world was hot and humid and always made him feel uncomfortable. Considering he was allergic to bacta, he also had no real reason to care about the stuff the planet was known for aside from the fact that it was very useful for individuals who were injured and not allergic to bacta. Lots of people used it. Thyferra was a ridiculously strategic planet.

As it was, he wore a rather light set of Jedi robes, having discarded his formal cloak back at his transport ship. Two lightsaber dangled from his belt, one on either hip, as he made his way past one of the defensive replacements the alliance had installed on the world to help keep it in their hands. He supported the alliance in its stance against the darkness, but he didn't support their aggressive actions. Defense only.

"Master Jedi," a young woman called to him as she approached.

"Yes?" he inquired as she drew near.

"You are Master Vondiranach, right?"

Kamon nodded.

"We received a transmission from your ship that was a relay from the rest of the Council. You've been summoned. I was asked to pass along the message."

"Hmm," he said, nodding at her. "I did forget my comm back on the ship, so that does explain things. Thank you for telling me. Please relay to them that I will return to the ship soon. I sense my presence here is needed."

The woman looked at him with a strangely quizzical look on her face, like she didn't know what to make of what he said, and then she shrugged her shoulders and ran back off to the nearby military installation. He moved over to a nearby rock and leaned against it before plucking a piece of straw from his pocket and putting it in his mouth. Teeth chewed lightly on the end of the piece of straw as he glanced up at the sky, a thoughtful expression on his face.

 

[Leliana]

Location: Ophidia's Phasma -> Jungles
Objective: Follow & Scout
Allies: [member="Darth Ophidia"] | [member="Skai"]

The infernal itch still remained, crawling beneath the skin of her hand. It was like a constant reminder that the mark existed.

Ever since Mirial; and Tiss'sharl, Leliana's knowledge of it had increased mainly in part due to Ophidia's instruction. It had become both a boon and a curse, something her Master had described as a 'taste of the dark side'. And the young woman had become well acquainated with that, being on the receiving end of the Pale Assassin's training. But this mark was something tangible, the first true experience Leliana had when it came to the Dark.

A tool to use, but one that took as much as it gave.

Leliana was on board her Master's ship, waiting quietly not too far away from the Rattataki. She had been informed of their general objective, surprised and admittedly intrigued to learn that Ophidia had personally asked to take point on this operation. The young assassin had little knowledge of the greater schemes planned for Thyferra, beyond the fact this was a precursor of sorts.

She remained observant, occasionally peering around to see what everyone else was doing. Leliana watched as the Satwasin prepared for the operation; their commander moving up to Ophidia.

Partial attention was paid to them, as her eyes flew over to the Dathomiri Witch. It was impossible not to, with the amount of noise the woman was making - somehow managing to pierce through the racket around them. Although there were elements to her that interested Leliana, especially when she saw the blade suddenly vanish with a green acidic smoke.

"How you doing boy?" Her voice was quiet, tilting her head to glance at the bird that was currently perched on her shoulder. The familiar let out a soft caw, head rubbing against Leliana's closed fist as she brought it up to the bird's level. She opened it up, and he immediately grabbed a small treat hidden within.

Food wasn't really necessary to sustain the creature, but it was for appearances sake. To build up the behaviour like any normal avian. It was beneficial when he was on long reconnaissance, requiring a extend amount of time blending amongst other birds.

Leliana turned to watch as Ophidia and Skai conversed, while she remained near in the shadows listening. The assassin took note as she saw that look from her Master, one of the first things she had seen when her training had officially began.

She was curious, wondering what exactly Skai was thinking in that moment.

Feeling the ship finally descend, Leliana raised her left arm up allowing for her pet to make a hasty move towards the mark. Even as a familiar, the bird had its quirks and it had a particular distaste for landings - for whatever reason.

With an eerie silence to it, the bird grew more translucent until it was pulled into the mark.

Leliana departed the ship behind Ophidia and Skai. The assassin pulled the hood of her armour up over her head. She was hidden; cloaked within the Force and now the hood went a ways in protecting her mind and thoughts from simply being picked up on. She followed after them, keeping light on her feet as she managed to keep up behind the two women, but a head of the Satwasin. Leliana stopped instinctively when Ophidia did, wondering what her Master had sensed.

It was something she could not, at least not entirely. She wasn't as nearly immersed in the Darkside to feel the pull that the Pale Assassin was. Whatever it was, was to be ignored as Ophidia pushed on and lead the way.

 

[The Major]

Location: Ophidia's Phasma / Jungles
Objective: Survey and Destroy
Allies: [member="Darth Ophidia"] | [member="Skai"] | [member="Emilia Ravel"] | [member="Leliana"] | [member="Therran Graush"]

The intel files only offered the bare necessities and contacts. Comm channels between the Sith operators on the "contractors" from afar were predetermine and expertly encrypted. Such communications were only to be tapped into in an emergency. Unlike her fellows already infiltrating the target facility, the good Major was situated up on massive tree up on a hill. It was humid, and she hated it so, however, she still had to be wrapped in a camouflage veil in order to conceal her perch.

From this vantage point the markswoman monitored the situation, ready to report the entrance of interlopers if they entered from the obvious places. Her beloved warhammer rested easily between her crossed legs. With any luck, something awful would soon transpire inside, and she would be able to no doubt take advantage of the climate controlled air inside. . .

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Thyferra

Ever a student of the natural, Fel stood, several meters away from the older Jedi, [member="Kamon Vondiranach"], his hands folded neatly behind his back. He wore a peculiar set of Jedi robes, ones that resembled what the Jedi of the Old Republic era would wear- lightly armored at vulnerable parts, but really only protection from kinetic impacts. However, Fel was not looking for a fight. He was looking out at the landscape that surrounded the temple.

He turned his head towards Kamon, then back to the jungle, before speaking loudly enough for the Jedi to hear him.

"I find it odd, don't you, Master? That the most beautiful of things, so full of life and of wonders, the Jungle for instance- can be so ripe and full of danger, so full of malice in some places."

He closed his eyes and breathed in the fresh air.

"At least it's a nice day, to enjoy the view, hm?"

 

[Madelyn Lowe]

Abandoned Hunting Lodge, enroute to Omega Pyre Pharmaceuticals HQ.
Allies: [member="The Major"] [member="Therran Graush"]
Opposition: [member="Rick Kaloo"] [member="Peyton Steele"]

The small civilian shuttle settled neatly to the grass in front of the lodge. The building was located in a wide clearing, about 500m into a patch of thick jungle. From the edge of the clearing the flora quickly became thicker and thicker, eventually reaching a point where the details of plants and trees were lost in its murky depths. Emilia looked away, thankful that at least she would not be traipsing through the jungle tonight. She turned her attention back to the shuttle, waiting as each member of the party boarded, and conducting a final sweep of the building. Confident they hadn't left anything behind, she walked back into the lodge, into a small backroom that had been used for storage.

Bending down, Emilia pulled the cover off of a small crate, cracking open the lid to reveal a mess of wires. This was one of several bombs, some larger, and some smaller. The others were packed on the shuttle, but this was wasn't destined to leave the run-down shack. Popping open a small panel, Emilia entered a simple code corresponding to her remote detonator, setting the timer for the detonite bomb to one hour. It was important that the Security Bureau covered all bases to prevent the Alliance from discovering their involvement, and that meant destroying the lodge. Fortunately, the explosion would also serve as a distraction, should it be needed.

With the charge set, Emilia rushed out the front door, mounting the loading ramp and taking her seat even as the craft rose smoothly into the air, and rushed quietly over the dark trees. Emilia watched out of the small portholes as they steadily closed the distance to their target. A few minutes later Emilia saw the bright lights of the Pharmaceutical HQ. She leaned over and pressed the transmit button for the ship's intercom. "Agents, get ready to disembark, we're here."

From the front of the shuttle, she heard the pilot, Staff Officer Molav, asking permission to land, saying that they were delivering chemicals to the facility. Emilia waited for the response, breathing a soft sigh of relief as the ship was granted. With a mechanical whir, the shuttle's landing gear emerged from the fuselage, and the craft settled down gently on a small landing pad at the rear end of the facility. "Let's go" she said, more to herself than anyone else, slapping the button to open the door, and stepping into the humid night air.

She scanned her head left to right as she stepped off, the other agents following just behind her. Off to her right, movement caught her eye, and she turned to see a security guard walking slowly towards them, most likely to check the delivery. She looked back at her agents, frozen at the entrance to the shuttle. "Let me handle this," she muttered, turning back to face the guard. He was a shorter man, with stubby legs and a slightly fat gut. He was only a few inches taller than Emilia herself, and he wore a slack-jawed, vacant expression.

Offering a beaming smile, Emilia stepped towards him, closing the last few paces until they were only half a metres apart. "Hi little lady." He said, "I'm here to inspect your delivery, do you have your cargo manifest?" She nodded in reply. "I have it right here, just a moment." She said brightly, reaching into her bag. But she didn't grab the cargo manifest, in fact, there was no manifest. Instead, she pulled out her C-51 charric pistol, swiftly levelling it at the man's centre of mass. "Hey, wait!" He shouted, his hands scrabbling for his own blaster, eyes wide, nostrils flared. It was too late, Emilia squeezed the trigger, shooting the man twice in the chest, the specialized weapon made almost no noise, and the man fell to the ground like a sack of bricks. Emilia turned back to the agents. "Someone help me move this body, then we'll get going."

 

[Aryn Teth]

Aryn Teth

---

​

---

Alliance Planetary Defence Base, Thyferra, Jaso Sector, The Inner Rim​

Objective: Await the Storm​

​

This was the part of Aryn's new position that he enjoyed the least. He may have been a general, and he may have been first and foremost devoted to commanding troops, but there were ceremonies and protocols that even Aryn had to go through in his new position, and recently, that had brought him to Thyferra. It had been some time since the defences and troops on Thyferra had been properly trained and inspected by members outside of the planetary defence force, and so the newly-minted Jedi General had been sent along with his company to reinforce and run the local troops through training exercises. He had left the majority of the training to his men, they were among the most elite of the Alliance's infantry, and certainly the best of the Eighteenth Army, they would be more than capable of getting the basic troops up to snuff, but Aryn had been focusing on the commanders.

He had finally been able to gain some time to himself however, wandering into the room and office he'd been granted on the base, looking out over the bases high walls into the jungles surrounding them. The humid air outside was gradually beginning to give way to rain as Aryn watched patters hit the windows of his quarters. Sighing, Aryn let out a slight whistle, hearing as his droid companion rolled into the room behind him, taking a comfortable position by the window as Aryn walked over. Taking a seat by BB-3, Aryn deactivated the astromech droid and drew a few tools from his belt, beginning to remove the plating on its outside as he focused on the force. Aryn's mode of meditation was certainly not traditional for many members of the Jedi Orders, but he found he always was able to focus on the force more so long as his hands were doing something, especially when they were messing with something mechanical.

There was something strange surrounding Thyferra, and the base as a whole that evening. The Force rippled in strange ways, like water that had been disturbed and had yet to resettle, but Aryn could not sense anything specific through the veil of his surroundings. As the rain slowly began to build, so did the strange feeling which flowed through the force, threatening to build into a great, roiling storm.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Thyferra, preparing for war…

The sky streaked red as the star in the sky fell; signally his arrival. A VT Hyperspace Drop Pod from far outside the system was his infiltration pod, something requested of him by The Sith Empire; and something he’d respond to with full intent. Geared up in his usual armor, The Chameleon, and armed with a number of weapons that’ll allow him better destructive power, he was ready for combat in every capacity.

Air brakes ran red hot as the drop pod slowed and prepared for its pseudo landing. A deep crash that shook the interior violently eventually settled and smoked, a sign he had finally arrived. A quick pull of an emergency level forced the explosive charges connected to the hatch to ignite, shooting it off and opening him up to the first view of the planet he would destroy. He already had a plan to camp out here until the actual invasion, a preemptive initiative to wreck infrastructural havoc and death before the rest of the force arrived.

Unleashing his six point harness, The Slave pulled himself from the seat before arming himself with the weapons in the various compartments of the drop pod; each specifically designed to protect them from damage during the rough insertion. A “Vora” Verpine Hand Cannon named ‘The High’ latched itself on his right thigh, while a VT Disruptor named ‘The Low’ rested in the holster of the other. On his back, Ishtar, The Song, kept its song quiet while it as sheathed; all that was needed to do what must be done.

As he finally finished his mobile arsenal, The Slave glanced around the area and smiled behind the helmet. Today brought death, nothing more. If anything, he was its Harbinger, its caretaker as it was delivered from the source. The Slave may not have given off any force aura do The Dolos Necklace he wore, but any master would feel the uncertainty in the air; the impending violence that hung in The Force.

It was time for The Slave to announce his presence on the planet.

[member="Kamon Vondiranach"]

 

[Kamon Vondiranach]

Kamon watched something enter the atmosphere on a rather sharp trajectory as he pondered the words of [member="Fel Drisk"]. It wasn't surprising to find other Jedi on the planet. Strangely, he found the world seemed to draw Jedi, especially healers, to it. Not that he understood it, but then even he was there. For what purpose had he come? A simple feeling. Nothing more. He simply felt as if he needed to go to the world, and so he had.

"For all that is good, there is also bad," he said, tapping a finger on his arm. "Neither can exist without the other, the same as light cannot exist without darkness. The most beautiful of places also harbor things which are deeply ugly. Sometimes we just can't see it."

A smile tugged at his lips as he crossed his arms, tracking where the object would land.

"We often fall misguided in the belief that we need to eliminate the darkness. This is logically impossible. We cannot exist without our dark counterparts. Our existence is meant to contain them and preserve the galaxy. We strive not for death, but for life and harmony. A galaxy without darkness finds no balance, and sinks into a chaotic oblivion.

"We need the Sith and Dark Jedi as much as they need us. They keep us focused and whole, as we do them. They just don't understand that pur studies could be conducted side by side without fighting, just as a world such as this achieves balance with its acceptance of good and bad. A carrion bug eats the flesh of the dead creatures, and in turn becomes a meal for a bird or lizard. Symbiosis. That's why most Jedi fail. They cannot accept a symbiotic nature, and see these things only as parasites."

He leaned away from the rock. Booted feet propelled him in the direction of the fallen object. He could feel no darkness, just a sense of impending catastrophe. A subtle nag telling him that he should check out the feeling he felt, rather than leave it for the local populace to discover. It was best not to ignore the nudgings of the Force, as he had learned over the years. He might not know what he faced, but the Force rarely guided him wrongly.

As he passed by the other man, he offered a nod to his head and motioned off into the distance.

"I sense that we should be cautious. You may wish to alert the local defense force to be more vigilant in their scans. For now I must go, but think carefully on what I said, and choose wisely how you act in the future."

He smiled at the man and then disappeared into the foliage, quite literally, as he wrapped himself in the White Current while making haste towards the direction of the fallen object. The thing had been controlled, but it had never levelled out and nothing had broken off of it. Therefore he figured it was no meteorite and no craft intending to land peacefully. What exactly it was he didn't know, but he was armed and felt he should check it out, so that was what he was going to do.

It took a while, but eventually he came across the landing site and found a being moving away decked in armor. Hostile intentions were abundant, so he released himself from the current, letting his presence be known and circled around to move parallel to person who had landed. He wanted to draw attention to himself, if only to get whoever it was to speak so he could ascertain their intentions.

[member="The Slave"]