Firebrand {Open to One Sith}

[Abelain Narv'uk]

The world of Columus was flat, muddy, and generally without geographic features. The residents of the planet were isolationists who mostly kept to themselves, though there were occasional those brave souls which ventured forth from their world to explore the stars, or to exploit them. The planet had been conquered long ago by the forces of the One Sith, and had since submitted to their reign. However, despite the supposed subjugation, the changes made to the surface and the facilities erected were few and far between, and the isolationists were generally allowed to continue their way of life.

There was one structure upon the planet of particular interest to the conquering force. A research lab devoted primarily to the study of the strange gravitational situation of the orbital body, as well as the potential to use gravity as a weapon or other tool. The outpost had been dubbed 'Anvil Station' in an attempt at deriving irony from the weightlessness of the area. It was remote, dirty, and generally lonely at the station, but for the dozen scientists working there, it was a home. The general proximity to the core meant that there supplies almost always arrived on time, and that there was little to want in terms of equipment, even if they were off the beaten path. That same isolation that the Columi loved and the fairly benign work they performed at Anvil Station meant that it was a fairly peaceful locality.

That was why when the transport vessel arrived to deliver supplies as it regularly had, it came as a shock to the crew to find the tiny station reduced to burning rubble. The crew landed, and searched the station for those lonesome men and women who had been present for such a long time, only to find scattered corpses, and scorched skeletons amounting to eleven. The final scientist; A Kel Dor by the name of Amarack Risse, was missing from the pile of deceased, and presumed to have been taken by whatever hostiles had committed the atrocity.

The crew scoured the remains of Anvil Station, locating corrupted security footage of the event, and managing to unscramble several frames of the initial attack, followed by a frame of the missing scientist being taken away. The images showed several individuals, each wearing various mismatched military armor, and wielding a plethora of both modern and outdated weaponry had blown a hole through the wall of the station. They appeared to be of different species, though their faces were all obscured by helmets and masks. The only definable detail that differentiated the gang from any other was the armband wrapped around each one's left appendage, and the word inscribed in blood red letters: Firebrand.

The transport's captain immediately ordered for the information to be sent to the One Sith capital of nearby Coruscant where the information was dispersed out to One Sith members. Many questioned the importance of the single scientist, though some speculated that he had finally made a breakthrough and uncovered the secrets of enhanced gravity weaponry and technology. The packet of data was dispersed, alongside the few frames of video not destroyed by the fire within the building, and orders were given to retrieve Amarack Risse at all costs, or should it be impossible, to eliminate him from enemy hands.

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Abelain Narv'uk sat upon the bridge of his warship; The Paladin, reviewing the information that they had just retrieved from Coruscant. There was little to be told from the footage other than that they were dealing with a ragtag band of pirates, or perhaps even insurgents against the One Sith. The multiple species present in the video, and the failure at uniform equipment hinted further at that idea. However, despite the information that was provided such as the name of the band, it was far too little to truly locate them anywhere in the galaxy unless the capture was based purely upon chance and coincidence.

"From which planet does this footage originate?" He questioned, his chitinous and sharpened elbows resting gently upon the chair upon which he sat. The man to his immediate right responded almost immediately, "Columus, sir." It was a straightforward answer without any true context, but the Arue'tii could not blame him for that. The Lieutenant had served him well throughout his time upon the Paladin, and was well-known to be his personal liaison when it came to communicating with the crew, or simply learning about the modern galaxy.

He was aware that Columus was located not far from their location, and made a mental decision to investigate the source of the footage instead of simply trusting it to reveal all of the Firebrand's secrets. "Set a course for the planet, prepare a shuttle with tools befitting an investigation. I intend to learn everything we possibly can about these terrorists."

[member="Jake Daniels"]

 

[Blazing Eye]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]
Blazing Eye, the sword and shield of Abelain Narv'uk, was in his quarters, sharpening the blade of his massive war sword. He ran the whetstone along the blade's surface with great tenderness, gently grinding the cortosis alloy into razor sharpness. Of all his possessions, which were not many to begin with, it was only his blade that Blazing Eye treated with such respect and fondness. Finishing his task, he held the blade to the light and admired how the artificial luminescence glinted off the sharpened metal. It would look even better in the sunlight, dripping with the blood of his foes.

Blazing Eye slid the sword into the sheath on his back and stood, leaving his quarters and walking down the hall, hands clasped behind his back, headed for the bridge. He arrived just as his commander, Abelain, was viewing the footage. Blazing Eye moved to his customary position to the back right, and observed over his commander's shoulder. The footage of the attackers sent Blazing Eye's pulse to racing. The eagerness to hunt and fight began to flow through him. He missed exactly what Abelain said to the Lieutenant, but he didn't need to hear it to know what his commander's intentions were.

"Are we going to hunt down these intruders, dark one?" He asked.

 

[Darth Centax]

Captain Amadis was supporting the Sith Knight in his endeavors, leading the 771[SIZE=11.6666669845581px]st[/SIZE] Recon Team, the 771[SIZE=11.6666669845581px]st[/SIZE] were an infantry corps specialising in stealth and reconnaissance, having small detachments often working independently to support the intelligence services, inquisition and independent sith knights in the field. They worked closely with the local sithwatch militia's to gather data and pass it back to command, or in this case [member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

“Our operatives have reports of traffic to and from anvil”, Major Kvanessm relayed. It was a basic situation report allowing them to trace movement, nothing a detailed investigation would match. A Chiss and stereotypically tactically thorough, he presented them to [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] for his perusal.

Entering in behind the LT with the major, Kylath stood in full sith trooper officer armor, captain insignia present on his arm, black with elements of white and red, saber on his hip, modular rifle on his back, light disruptor rifle over his shoulder, and black visor showing only his lower face clearly. The eight man recon squad led by the major, Kylath had appropriated them, and with that put them under Abelains command to assist, stealth fields, and signal jamming devices present on each.

“I will arrange the shuttle,” Kylath nodded his head to [member="Blazing Eye"] and the knight. Taking charge and departing to prepare the boarding craft, he’d done several recon missions before, and knew to play things down until approaching their quarry. Arranging suitable field tools, stealth fields, emp grenades, stun batons for taking live targets, and ecm countermeasures aboard the shuttle to jam sensors for approach.

@Shuttle for use by anyone in their posts

[member="Blazing Eye"] | [member="Abelain Narv'uk"]​

 

[Froste]

Sat upon his Umova Class Assault Cruiser, Darth Roth carefully reviewed all of the details that he had received of the attack on Columus. It was interesting to him, that all the insurgents took was one man. Not his team, just the one man. He hoped that the group had made a mistake in doing this, destroying their chances of whatever they had hoped to achieve by killing his cohorts. This thought amused the Sith Knight, but he found it unlikely. He had to assume that the insurgents knew what they were doing, because underestimating an enemy could prove fatal.

After spending sufficient time reviewing the details, the Darth exited his personal cabin and made way for the bridge. He had his personal regiment on board of the ship, nearly filling all of the available passenger space in doing so. He had a feeling he wouldn't need a regiment, however. He was sure that other members of the One Sith would be present, and surely they would be able to hand a small insurgent group themselves. Either way, Darth Roth entered the bridge and gave the order to move the ship into Columus space.

 

[Jake Daniels]

‘Since when does Darth Gravis work with other Sith?’ A feminine voice spoke softly into Gravis’ head. The Knight quietly thumped his forehead, his own mental defenses faltering at the intrusion. The voice wasn’t wrong in her query. The man trusted only a handful of people; so few in fact that on both hands he still had four free digits. ‘Yet here you are… going to play hero…’

Gravis had only been on Coruscant to gather needed supplies and intelligence on The Eve Foundation. The man was in the end stages of his planned assault against one of their facilities. All he needed to do was simply tie up a few loose ends when it came to preparation. The issue he was facing? What to do once he got inside. The Sith Knight did not kill recklessly, not in many years. He had found a new respect for life. Each one he did not take could be one used for his own means at another point in time. Everyone had value. His Lady Silencia had seen a value in Gravis that none had before. He needed a way to get in, cause some damage, disrupt distribution of Eve Foundation supplies, but have little to no collateral damage. That truly was the tricky part. While he didn’t plan to go in and start hacking away at people, the defenders of the facility were probably not going to be so restrained.

Why play hero today though? He wasn’t.

Gravis needed any and all help in order to accomplish his own goals. When the call went out that any available Sith were to embark on a rescue mission for a Scientist name Amarack Risse, Gravis saw an opportunity. What if this research facility had something he could use in his assault on the Eve Foundation? Not many still trusted Gravis, and for good reason. He wasn’t a well known Sith. He didn’t reside with others on One Sith controlled worlds. He was the Hermit of Honoghr. The Apprentice to a Sith Mistress long since dead. A man known as a grieving father and mourning husband. A man so psychologically unstable that bets were being had by those that met him as to when his mind would finally snap.

Gravis stood near a boarding craft. He was dressed in the traditional red, white, and black garbs originally designed by His Lady Silencia. The most telling feature of his robes was the Tree of Life like symbol emboldened onto his left shoulder; the family crest of the Shamalain. For years Jake had longed to one day be a true member of the family, to be called a Shamalain and to take that name. He never earned that right however and he never got that chance. His Master died before any such honor could have been granted. At his hip was the saber he built after his marriage to his Lady Reticea. A messanger bags strap was slung across his chest while the bag itself rested against his right him.

The only contents of the bag were a couple bottles of water, a small journal he began to keep, medication to deal with his cryosickness, and a recorder in the event something he could use on his own quests caught his attention. Even as the ship and its crew seemed abuzz in life, Gravis was content as he quietly watching as a Sith decked in full Sith Trooper armor prepared the boarding craft. The armors insignia looked like an Officers though the Knight couldn’t be certain. These Sith used different symbols for their military ranks that the Empire Gravis once served. It would take time to learn. If the man he watched was an officer of any kind, then the Knight would play nice. He may not have trusted me. At all. That did not mean he didn’t have a healthy respect for men in uniform; Sith or otherwise.

​

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]​

[member="Kylath Connar Amadis"]​

[member="Blazing Eye"]​

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Jake Daniels"] | [member="Darth Roth"] | [member="Kylath Connar Amadis"] | [member="Blazing Eye"]

It had been a long while since The Paladin had surged with the same activity that it now did, though it seemed that necessity had brought together several members of the One Sith that would normally have worked alone. The blood of his personal, and faithful Esh-Kah bodyguard alerted him to his presence long before he crept behind him. He had discovered the warrior Blazing Eye amidst the wreckage of an ancient prison, and he was satisfied with his performance and his loyalty. He knew for a fact that he could trust his honor system to ward away enemies from him, and to defend him if the need arose. The Arue'tii answered his question, his voice erupting outwards from the constant 'smile' that he wore upon his face, "We shall find and terminate the threat." It was a confident answer, though Abelain held hidden reservations about their ability to locate the guerrilla organization, especially without the assistance of more knowledge. He mentally subdued his doubts, crushing them away into the depths of his subconscious, and instead focusing wholly on the mission at hand.

A Chiss officer; one of the newcomers aboard his vessel, spoke up, alerting them to the presence of traffic at Anvil Station. Though the news seemed to be without merit, it provided a possible hint to the location of the Firebrand group. Despite the potential for locating possible clues among those visiting the site, it seemed far more likely that they were either other Sith searching for the same answers, or that they were simply looters and scavengers interested in picking through the ruins and locating whatever valuables they could retrieve. If they were the latter, they would quickly scatter at the sight of the former. He nodded his acceptance to the Chiss Major, arising from his sitting position. The Chiss; along with others, were part of the 771st Recon Team, an infantry corps with specializations in stealth and finding things of interest. They would no doubt prove useful during the investigation, and their evident leader; A Sith Acolyte, quickly left the Command Bridge to prepare the shuttle with the supplies they would require.

The Arue'tii searched through the Force for a brief moment, allowing it to ping off of an individual standing within one of the Paladin's hangars, and sensing his inherent Force ability. There was another Sith Knight aboard the vessel, one working with them upon their mission, but one who Abelain had not yet had the pleasure of meeting. The mission would likely prove a valuable test for determining the abilities of his fellow Sith, and discerning their true usefulness. Everything lurched forward for a brief moment as the Paladin exited hyperspace, hovering in the void of space surrounding the planet Columus. There were other vessels of lesser and greater size hovering about the planet, but it was generally unimportant what their affiliations were beyond that they were not hostile.

"Come, let us go to the planet." He whispered to his bodyguard, walking towards the hangar and hoping that preparations had been made for their departure. As he entered the large and spacious room, his eyes flickered over curiously to the Sith Knight, and the bag that he carried about himself. It seemed vaguely unusual that he would carry luggage separate from the equipment aboard the shuttle, but not enough to warrant suspicion or to incite distrust. Upon finishing his examination, Abelain would board the shuttle, and await for his companions to join him aboard the ship. If, and when they had all boarded, he would speak: "Whom are you?" The question was short, and brief, though it was especially directed towards the Sith Knight and the Acolyte.

 

[Darth Centax]

Nodding to [member="Jake Daniels"] as he entered the ship, they unknowingly shared much in common regards family, even if Kylath had been lied too. The Acolyte had begun preparations immediately, barely a few moments past before they were ready to leave, military efficiency in the 771'st preparations, and years at the academy still a well-honed memory for all of them, including Amadis.

Sitting at the shuttle controls, he turned to answer the next arriving Knight [member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

"Amadis, Captain of the 769th." A military designation Kylath had reverting to using again, since his old Master Vengeance had left the one sith. Kylath still blamed himself for losing the man in the jungle that day, considering him either dead or a traitor, neither of which rested well on the young acolyte’s shoulders.

When everyone was aboard, “Departing now.” The shuttle steadily lifted off, the co pilot with him was skilled, and Amadis was no slouch at the controls either, fine concentration betraying a sharp sense of duty behind the blue eyes. The force breach he had suffered on Balmorra still lingered, imposing its own limitations however.

Low hum of the engines for those aboard, the crew worked steadily around them, and it wasn’t long before their horizon was coming into view. Breaking the silence, the 771st co-pilot spoke next. “Orders for approach? Running silent or loud?” Co pilot with his hands by the stealth systems. Looked like rough weather ahead of their target, nothing the shuttle couldn't handle, Kylath flipped the deflector shields up double power front, to offer some buffer to the elements when they hit atmosphere.

"Choppy skies," shuttle bumping slightly to confirm it, but facility slowly coming into view.

OOC:

Spoiler

Leaving it up to you all to touch us down, and describe the setting.

[member="Blazing Eye"] | [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] | [member="Darth Roth"] | [member="Jake Daniels"]

 

[Jake Daniels]

Gravis was the last to board the shuttle. One of the many rules he had been taught by his Master was to never turn your back on another Sith. Always keep them in some field of vision. Trust no one. He held those words truer today than he ever had. If his Masters own family, and by extension his own family, could turn their backs on him, then any Sith could. All Gravis needed to do right now was keep focus. Find something of value on this run that could be used against the Eve Foundation, then be done with it. If they saved a scientist or killed him, it didn't matter. It wouldn't be any skin of the Knights teeth.

"Whom are you?" That question was quick and pointed. Fortunately Gravis wasn't the first to answer.

His attention fell to the Sith in military garb, "Amadis, Captain of the 769th." Least the Knight was right. This was a true military man. He spoke with the same level of confidence one would expect of a solider. He made eye contact, didn't stutter, and was proud of his rank and unit.

"Darth Gravis." The Knight replied when it was apparent that they were waiting on his response. "Sith Knight to my Lady Silencia, a Lord long since past. Servant to her Family." That was all that was going to be said about it. What he said was a paradox of sorts. Loyal servant to a family that Gravis now wanted to cause mayhem for. Perhaps if they got a swift kick in the arse they would remember the roots that his Lady Silencia had laid down for them centuries prior. If she wasn't here to correct them then Gravis sure as hell would.

“Departing now.”

The shuttle departed and Gravis held onto railing. The Knight didn't hate flying. He had no issues with speeders and ships. The only thing he disliked about it was certain types of atmospheric entrances. Clear skies? No problem. Choppy weather and the man became a bear to deal with. There was some banter back and forth between the pilots, Gravis really not paying attention. He should have. His mind wandered however, focusing on a checklist of items he may need for his own one man war. Explosives? Weapons? EMP tech? There were a variety of possibilities and essentially the Knight needed it all. Then the shuttle rocked and Gravis was brought back to reality.

"Choppy skies,"

Gravis gave a half hearted and semi-sarcastic smirk at the comment. He wanted to blurt out 'No poodoo.' but kept his mouth quiet. It was a lesson he still took to heart all of these years later. As the ship continued its descent, as the Pilots continued to show just how good they were at handling the vessel, Gravis decided to just ask it, "When we land whats our primary objective? Do we have any idea where science boy is?"

​

​

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]​

[member="Kylath Connar Amadis"]​

[member="Blazing Eye"]​

[member="Darth Roth"]​

 

[Blazing Eye]

[member="Jake Daniels"] [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] [member="Kylath Connar Amadis"] [member="Darth Roth"]

Blazing Eye had boarded the shuttle along with his commander, Abelain, and now stood statue-like near to him. He listened to the banter of the other passengers, but mostly tuned it out. He drifted into his own thoughts, dreaming of battles to come.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Blazing Eye"] | [member="Kylath Connar Amadis"] | [member="Darth Roth"] | [member="Jake Daniels"]

The Arue'tii cast a glance towards the pair of men upon the shuttle, attempting to read them through a rapid observation, though in reality such a thing would have required extensive psychoanalytic ability, and far more time than he was willing to spend on the matter. He did take heed of the way that the Sith Knight; Darth Gravis, spoke of his former master in a highly possessive manner. There was no doubt in his mind that whomever Lady Silencia was, she had been very important to the young Knight. The shuttle swiveled to the side abruptly, the issue identified by the pilot as simply choppy skies. By now, he had been in enough atmospheric re-entries to know that it was almost always somewhat rough, but that it would smooth out as soon as they neared the surface.

The vessel slowed, gradually sinking towards the ground before finally making contact with a gentle thud. The familiar hydraulic hiss of the shuttle door further announced that the vehicle had landed upon Columus. Sunlight spilled into the otherwise dim container that housed the Sith, soldiers, and the lone Esh-Kah. "Sir, there is an Umova-class vessel above the planet. We believe it may be here to investigate the incident." The comm spoke to him, alerting him to the presence of other Sith. It was likely that they would encounter the occupants of the cruiser soon, but until then the Arue'tii intended to investigate the nearby ruined station.

The structure was fairly small based on what remained of it, and various electronics equipment could be clearly seen from where he stood. Abelain motioned towards his companions, and then towards the site of Anvil Station before walking towards it himself. The ruins still smoldered in many places, and upon further inspection, pieces of devices and walls had melded together into scorched and melted layers. The bodies had been removed by the crew of the transport vessel, but they were still onsite, lain in a line opposite the building's entrance. The explorer could scent their blood within their bodies, coagulating from their exposure to the air, and already beginning to decompose within the heat.

There was another blood scent in the air, one that was inside the station. This one was definitely still alive, and the Arue'tii rapidly identified it's species as human. "There is someone inside, perhaps a scavenger." He growled to the others before creeping into the structure and seeking out the intruder. He finally located her after navigating the wreckage. She was young, and digging through computer banks that had been left mostly intact, yanking at loose wires and bits before stuffing them into a bag she wore along her chest. One look at her tattered clothing, and relative demeanor revealed that she was not One Sith, but rather a vagabond of some manner. "She may have information. Capture her." He spoke to others, stepping back and allowing them to engage her so that he might learn of their abilities.

 

[Blazing Eye]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]
"As you command," Blazing Eye said. He stepped forward towards the woman, who seemed focused on her task. He crept up on her, and soon was looming over the human. Apparently she sensed his presence, as she suddenly looked up from her task, looked straight ahead for a brief moment, then rather slowly turned her head. Her eyes widened when she saw the massive warrior before her, but before she could even scream Blazing Eye grabbed the back of her shirt and yanked her to her feet. She flailed her arms, trying to get away, but Blazing Eye caught one and bent it roughly behind her back, drawing a scream and rendering her completely helpless.

Blazing Eye manuevered his catch to be before his commander, then roughly kicked the back of her leg, sending the terrified girl to her knees. He released her arm, but a quick backhand to the back of her skull ensured that she wouldn't be going anywhere. The girl looked up dizzily at the chitinous warrior before her. Blazing Eye drew his sword and rested the flat of the blade against the woman's shoulder, further discouraging escape.

"Talk, and I won't have to use this," he growled.

 

[Darth Centax]

Recon squad moving to flank the approach and filter around the immediate drop zone, they were much less visible than regular troopers would have been, picking less obvious locations to place themselves. [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] giving the order, Kylath showed a growing discipline combating his previous rash nature, two extremes always at odds within him, but being brought to heel if only through life experience.

Amadis moved steadily beside [member="Blazing Eye"] to make sure she the girl was actually alone, and covered him, stun weapon readied if needs be. Watchful as he apprehended the girl, a slightly wince for the methods, but used to seeing far worse. Keeping his eyes up, if you knew him, his chin was always raised a fraction. The captain’s combat visor showed movement within the station, trying to lock it down, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly where or what. “Have movement, 70 meters, permission to investigate.” His comm clicked off, all business on mission, typical amadis, not that Kylath had a social life outside of his duties.

[member="Jake Daniels"] Nodding to Darth Gravis and behind him in fact, that something was moving in the wrecked corridor to his right. Recon gear giving the edge to spot it in the dark, doubtless the Sith Knight was already aware, but it highlighted the advantage of a recon team on a mission like this, because they were too. Perhaps the prisoner would be mumbling something about it, in between her bouts of likely fear.

[member="Blazing Eye"] | [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] | [member="Darth Roth"] | [member="Jake Daniels"]​

 

[Jake Daniels]

The devastation. The carnage. The wreckage. The attack, from the looks of it, confirmed what the report had said. The entire facility had been besieged in an assault that took almost everyone. The swiftness of the attack and the brutality used heightened what the Sith had begun to understand. These were not some savage pirates looking for quick scores. This has been a highly skilled, thoroughly planned out assault with its one primary objective; the Scientist.

Gravis listened as [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] spoke, "There is someone inside, perhaps a scavenger." The Knight turned his attention and reached out with the force. Unfortunately his connection remained limited in its reach. These were the moments that reflects just how important his Lady SIlencia was to Jake. Without her, he was weakened. She literally strengthened the Knight with her mere presence. "She may have information. Capture her." Abelain continued. Gravis took a mental note that the Sith remained as he was; unflinching in his observance of the others.

Fortunately Gravis' didn't need to do anything. The big brute [member="Blazing Eye"] had apprehended the woman. His tactics with her nearly drew Gravis' blade. Darth Gravis' was a sith through and through. He would fight a Jedi, expand the One Siths Empire, and do what was needed for the darkside. However he wasn't a brutal Sith. He thought first. Acted second. He understood the difference between a threat and a nuisance. This raggidy woman held no weapon. She was no immediate threat. There could have been other ways of getting information from her than kicking her to her knees after bring her to Abelain.

Then Jake felt something. Turning to his right he glanced down a wrecked corridor. Gravis glanced back at [member="Kylath Connar Amadis"] whom nodded. Both were aware something or someone else was here. This hollyjolly group of mismatched Sith and a poor woman had new company. Pulling his sabers hilt from his hand, the Knight began to slowly make his way down the corridor.

'This damn mission had better pay off in some way.' Gravis thought. 'Because if all I get is to watch some big brute terrorize some woman, I'ma be highly disappointed.'

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]​

[member="Blazing Eye"]​

[member="Kylath Connar Amadis"]​

[member="Darth Roth"]​

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Jake Daniels"] | [member="Blazing Eye"] | [member="Kylath Connar Amadis"] | [member="Darth Roth"]

The Arue'tii stood patiently as his loyal guardian captured the young woman, and roughly made her kneel before him. It was an excessive amount of force given that the target was apparently unarmed, and likely not an immediate threat to the group, but he had not specified that she was to be unharmed, or even to be treated well. It would be incorrect for him to attempt to chastise the Esh-Kah for performing his duty to his maximum possible ability, and he decided to ignore the exaggerated forcefulness. He examined the young woman carefully, taking notice of her various physical features and attempting to discern how some of them may have been molded. For example, her hands seemed to be quite rough, and that likely indicated hard labor which indicated that she was low on the economic scale. That evidence furthered his conclusion that she was a lowly scavenger, and not a member of the terrorist group; Firebrand.

Abelain glanced to his side for a brief moment, picking up on another scent further down a nearby corridor. It seemed that his compatriots had noticed the potential intrusion far quicker than he, and they were already planning to dispatch themselves towards the disturbance. "Investigate at will. Attempt to capture anyone you meet as opposed to murdering them. They might have information." There was no moral issue in the snuffing out of a sentient life in his mind, and he realized for a brief moment that he had gradually grown more pragmatic to the act. A mental note was created to review his sensibilities, but it was swept away so as to focus entirely on communicating with the frightened human female. The Sith Knight spoke, his voice rumbling from deep within his chest and erupting outwards from behind the protective 'smile' that he wore across his face, "Blazing Eye. Search the rest of the building for anything of use to us. That includes both people that we've missed, and possible recorded information."

The Arue'tii knelt down to get onto the female's level, staring deeply into her eyes with his own piercing gaze. His words were softer than those spoken to the others, an attempt at easing the troubled mind of the captive. "Whom are you. Why are you here?" He questioned inquisitively, awaiting a response from the nervous woman who proceeded to glance rapidly at her sides as if fighting away panic. "I-I'm Monea. I heard that this place had been destroyed and was hoping to find something valuable." She answered, her voice becoming calmer as she spoke. "You were looting then?" His eyes gazed with a harsher intensity into the woman's, hoping for a chink in her mental armor to exploit anything she might have known. "No! No! I was scavenging. You have to understand! I have a family to take care of! My parents are both ill, and if I don't-" His hand raised, silencing her with a faint whimper of acceptance. "If you can tell me anything about who attacked this base, then your punishment shall be nullified." The woman stared down at her hands for a brief second before responding, "There was a freighter. An old one. I think it was heading towards the planet's space station."

The explorer considered this for several moments before arising to his feet, and glaring down at the female. "You may go." She moved quickly to stand, and began to scurry away almost as quickly as she had come. They had a clue to investigate, and hopefully it would lead to the Firebrand organization. There was one more potential clue to consider, and Abelain wondered whether the others had managed to secure it.

 

[Blazing Eye]

[member="Kylath Connar Amadis"] [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] [member="Jake Daniels"]

Had he been too forceful with the woman? Possibly, but Blazing Eye cared little. What was done was done, and there was nothing he could do to change it now. The woman had not been armed, but if she had been, could his forceful approach have possibly saved the life of a comrade, or at least nullified any threat she posed? Blazing Eye didn't know, and hindsight was always 20/20. He was trained to treat anything as a threat until he knew for sure that it wasn't. Such an approach kept people alive, though it may appear gruff and heartless to others.

At the order from his commander, Blazing Eye sheathed his blade and began moving through the destroyed station. As he walked, a metallic scent tinged his nostrils. It was blood, no doubt about it. Overlaid with it was the scent of death, so familiar to the warrior. Blazing Eye followed the familiar scent to a pile of rubble. The scent was coming from underneath. Blazing Eye lifted a huge chunk of wall and found a body, dressed in what appeared to be the reglia of someone of importance. The body clutched a datapad in one hand. Blazing Eye bowed to the fallen and took the pad. He carried it back to Abelain.

"Dark one, I have located something that may be of use to us," he said.

 

[Darth Centax]

[member="Jake Daniels"]

Truth was there were all kinds of Sith, he’d seen plenty, brutal, cunning, lethal, honorable. As blazing eye investigated, had they sensed the dead woman’s last movements from the side, before her life had given out? No Kylath’s senses told him to be on guard. He moved with Gravis, rifle up and scoped, stepping over ruined beam or fallen rubble, turning a corner or two they came across a room with several monitors, most of which were showing static. Ahead of them a teenage boy span around from what he was working on. The youth held a blaster rifle, and carried a small box, royal signature on the side. Pale white skin, wide purple eyes, the myke human's shaking hands showed he was scared stiff.

Kylath automatically dropped to one knee taking aim with the assault rifle. Discipline from behind the acolyte’s visor, he waited to see how Gravis would handle it or if the boy moved to fire, supporting any action and order with lethal precision. Perhaps the teenage boy was related to the corpse the others came across, maybe his package was by its seal, or just another scavenger.

There was one monitor still active in the room, flickering but someone had restablished temporary power to it, perhaps cameras, flight information, or another clue.

[member="Blazing Eye"] | [member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

Unknowingly he did share the Esh-kah’s suspicion of their surroundings, training more than anything for Kylath. “Keep a perimeter around the shuttle.” Comm clicked off to the recon squad, as they kept their own eyes peeled.

The Chiss Major from the bridge spoke up again, his visor lowering so the two nearby sith could see his face, “my lords we tracked three such freighters in near orbit, one of them perchance may be your quarry.” Kvanessm had the sithwatch militia reports still to hand, offering them if asked. Narrowing it down to three models and makes of freighter might well assist them, in working out not only their capabilities but maybe even give idea of who was aboard and responsible.

NPC|Box|Monitor

Spoiler

Free for you to use, kill, define more etc.

[member="Blazing Eye"] | [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] | [member="Jake Daniels"]​

 

[Jake Daniels]

Truth be told, Gravis hated conflict. Granted he was Sith and conflict came with the job but Gravis thought differently. Words first and foremost. Why? That meant less casualties. Security systems, ships, guns, vehicles, and general hardware were expensive to build and to maintain. More importantly tough the people that ran them were far more valuable. A trained soldier wasn't cheap. The cost of feeding, clothing, caring for, and training that one individual costs hundreds of thousands of credits just to get them combat ready. Why throw that away with constant war? For Gravis when a facility such as this one was devestated to this degree it simply meant one of two things. The first was someone got bored and played with explosives to see if they actually caused a really big boom. The second and far more likely was that this scientist had to have been working on something important. Why else would they send so many for one man?

Then Gravis and Kylath encountered the boy. Box in hand. Blaster raised. Kyloth was down on a knee, aim steady and true. The Knight froze though. His icy blue eyes locking on the teenager. A simple force choke? A saber toss? A shot from Kylath? Any of them would have dropped this child like a sack of potatos in the mississippi river.

"I had sons about your age." Gravis spoke coldly. His eyes narrowing as he stared at the gun still pointed at the two Sith, "They were trained Sith Apprentices. The first rule I taught them? Don't raise a weapon unless you intend to use it."

In a swift motion Gravis used a telekinetic push to knock the blaster down and away. Once the teenagers trigger finger let out one shot which harmlessly hit the floor near him, the Knight used a force pull to yank the weapon free. The blaster slid on the floor and towards Kylath. Gravis was a trained protector and guardian; the best of his day according to even the Dark Council of his time. A Master of the Soresu form, a brilliant tactician, the man understood one very important rule. If combat began it was because someone screwed up.

Gravis then noticed the box in the boys hands. Another pull of the force ripped it free of the young mans grips. Through the air and into the Knights hands it safely landed. He gave it a quick shake, hearing something jiggle around inside. Gravis handed the box to Kylath before approaching the young teenage boy. For Gravis the real prize here was this boy. Alive. Brave. Foolish.

Reaching out in the force, Gravis attempted a mind trick, "Why are you here?"

"Get bent." The teenager replied.

The Knight was stunned. This wasn't some weak minded individual. Looking back at Kylath, Gravis pulled his saber free then brought the hilt across the cheek of the teenager. Before the suddenly unconscious teenager hit the floor, the Knights arms were under him. Easing the boy to the ground, Gravis simply stared at him. For the faintest of moments his mind taunted him. Flashing images of Romano's and Lysander's faces at the Knight.

Shaking his head, Gravis turned to Kylath, "No one harms this one. I'll interrogate him later. Whats in the box?"

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]​

[member="Blazing Eye"]​

[member="Kylath Connar Amadis"]​

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

[member="Blazing Eye"] | [member="Darth Roth"] | [member="Jake Daniels"] | [member="Kylath Connar Amadis"]

Blazing Eye returned from his scavenge of the facility clutching a device within his grasp. He relinquished it respectfully to his master, and the Arue'tii examined it with curiosity glinting in his blue eyes. The datapad had been somewhat damaged during the destruction of the facility and it's residents, but it seemed that it had been left mostly intact. A long crack ran along it's screen, but it powered up obediently as he activated it. It's lights flickered and dimmed rapidly, apparently unable to stay completely bright, but various words became discernible through the flashes. His attention caught on a particular pair of words caught between a fading sentence: Amarack Risse. He motioned to a nearby trooper, handing the device to him when he finally approached. "Keep that secure. You have done well, Blazing Eye. Come, let us see what the others have found." The soldier nodded, retreating to his position before a Chiss officer approached, alerting them to the presence of multiple freighters.

The blue-skinned traveler approached the hallway where his companions had recently disappeared, and promptly began to follow their blood scent until they came into sight. It appeared that they had located a young boy carrying a weapon. There was a chance that he was supporting the Firebrand organization, but Abelain was unsure due to the fact that he did not wear their uniform, and they had few other identifiable features. There was always the chance to gain further information either way, and that was impossible when the enemy had yet to be captured. Thankfully, it seemed that Darth Gravis was quick to eliminate the potential threat using a quick application of telekinesis, and kinetic force to the head. He spoke, alerting the others that he would personally interrogate the unconscious man at a later point.

There was a box that had been clutched by the young man. There was a good chance that whatever was within the confines of the box would identify the reason why the young fellow had been present at Anvil Station. There was also the potential that the box contained a weaponized explosive, or a bomb of some manner that would completely obliterate anyone opening it. "Take it with us. Allow the 769th to scan it for any hostile materiel. There are multiple freighters departing that may contain further evidence of our mysterious terrorists. I suggest that we conclude our investigation rapidly, and attempt to reach them." He spoke, jerking his head towards the exit in a signal to leave.

 

[Darth Centax]

Gravis dealt with the boy with swift and effective control, estimations of his ability raised from Kylath. Being a younger man barely out of his teens, Amadis didn't empathize on the same level, but the teenager was just a kid, no honor or glory from killing or fighting him, and he was impressed. That said.

Kylath was at this time in his life a precise weapon, by the way he was primed on the rifle, there was likely no doubt that he would or would not fire on orders from a superior in a combat environment. Whether his life’s journey would hone that to a knife edge, or make him into a hammer instead, time would tell. Relaxing back only after the situation was contained, Ky did another sweep of the room to be safe, but found nothing more.

Stern eyes behind the visor, Amadis took the command to check the box cautiously. The acolyte scanned it thoroughly, picking up some possible explosive traces, “advise we let the bomb techs have a look,” either explosive or a complicated locking mechanism designed to fool sensors. [member="Jake Daniels"]. Waiting for the Knight to leave, the captain once again offered cover for Gravis till the pair finished their sweep.

Told to bring the mysterious container with him, “as you order.” Kylath said to [member="Abelain Narv'uk"], taking the signal to leave, as did the rest of the recon team, each swiftly and lightly boarding the transport back home. You'd barely have known the recon squad were there, armor designed to leave little trace, their specialty stealth. While aboard Kylath secured the box in a thick crate, surrounded by a forcefield device in the case it was a dangerous explosive, two men on guard.

As, if, and when everyone was aboard, they’d be heading to their next destination, for the next piece of the puzzle to solve. Kylath taking the helm again with [member="Ecarht Arak"] co piloting this time, perhaps to locate the answers they sort, he had silent feeling the final leg of their journey would reveal something important.

[member="Blazing Eye"] | [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] | [member="Jake Daniels"]​

 

[Clovis Torcularis]

Up to this point, I remained in the shadows, allowing the others to conduct the business required that would hopefully lead us to the scientist. I was unsure of how the others in my group worked, but for me my main strength was that of an Inquisitor, rather one-in-training. Of course push comes to shove, I was pretty good with my twin blades. So far, nothing appeared to me that would cause me to step in and mangle the mind of any of the people my group spoke with. I could read the body language of others just as easily as opening a holobook, which was a great skill to possess until my own Force energies manifested into something greater. At current standings, I was only an Acolyte which meant I knew less than what I knew, especially when it came to the knowledge of the Force. Plus, I was still Masterless. That was something I wished to rectify once this mission was concluded.

I sat aboard our vessel, waiting for the rest of the group to return.


OOC:

I'll add more to my posts once I get a clear picture of what is going on. Also, don't mind the tags, new one has been requested.