Dominion Last Stop | SO Dominion of Ertrax

[Darth Strosius]

Dominion of Ertrax​

877 ABY​

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The Battle of Jutrand and Mustafar was a master stroke of violence perpetrated by the Kainite - but it had been dispelled, destroyed in days. While the last vestiges of their strength struggled on Jutrand, the city-planet had begun to rebuild - much to its benefit, the destruction made for a clear reason as to why the architecture suddenly would become so Sith-Like. The people, however, cheered for the blood of the Twice-Tyrant, and the Dread Emperor followed their need for blood.​

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Pushed back from both planets, and open conflict taking place in more than a few corridors of the Imperium, the Malsheem had been forced into a position where it could be tracked - and was done so openly. Pushing deeper into the Kathol Rift to hide from the Emperor and Sith’s great sight, the First Legion followed it quickly and violently.​

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In only a few weeks, the first of its stations had been found - the planet of Ertrax. Raided, stripped of supplies, the Malsheem broke the world in hours before moving away once more - but chased closely by the First Legion. In the wake of this carnage, a new force has appeared however - one built on the knowledge on who the Sith would come to conquer very soon.​

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Objective I: Ensnarement​

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The Malsheem is treading water in the Kathol Rift - and while the main fleet is still some hours behind, we are chasing it closely. You are in the forward party, a few star destroyers and ships meant to board and disrupt the Malsheem as much as possible to buy more time for the main fleet to catch up.​

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In addition, at the head of this forward party, a star destroyer outfitted with interdiction capabilities holds the mighty worldcraft from escaping. Yet this advantage has also made the small fleet a threat that cannot be ignored by the defenses of the Malsheem. Bring as much destruction as possible upon the engines of the station so that it cannot escape the interdiction field, but beware counterattack to disable said field.​

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Ensure that this is the last stop the Malsheem shall make.​

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Objective II: Subjugation or Slaughter​

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After the destruction persecuted upon the world by the Malsheem and Kainites, Ertrax called upon a dangerous and powerful ally in its need for help - and they appeared as soon as they were called. As the Mors Mon appears over the world, a complete breakdown of our forces has occurred as hundreds, if not thousands, of strange mask wearing soldiers with white lightsabers began to cut down anyone unprepared before disappearing into the darkness.​

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Initial reports show these are an elite Force Order known as the Order of the Current - a band of Force Users created by the Aing-Tii specifically made to counter the Dark Side and our expansion to their world. Their ability to teleport, disappear from sight, and fight with great skill has stalled our place upon the world - holding us back from finishing our destruction of the Kainite fleet in retreat.​

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End this threat, break them where they stand, and return to the Mors Mon. Do not allow them to forestall us any further - we must end the Civil War as soon as possible. No matter how many must die to see it done.​

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Objective III: Seek and Destroy​

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While the fleet engages the mighty Malsheem itself, a flurry of shuttles, dropships, and boarding pods have been launched forth to assist in the hampering of the world craft. Of the ones that have managed to find their way through the laser-web defenses and roar of combat, they have made landings within the starship assembly of the station. Here the mighty warships and vessels of the Kainite fleets have been in development, but most importantly the assembly allows the most direct access to the engineering levels.​

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Establish a foothold, perhaps even use some of the half-built vessels to your advantage, and cause as much damage as possible. Retreat is not an option until the greater fleet can catch up, so fight to the last for every chance at victory.​

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[Darth Carnifex]

"We're holding position, as you've instructed."

Darth Carnifex, Dark Lord of the Kainate, stood rigid as a statue as He looked out over the wide gradually sloping expanse of metal and glimmering tower; the scintillating surface of the Malsheem. He was currently aboard the observation deck of the Imperius Spire, the segment that jutted out from the normally smooth surface of the worldcraft like a great pyramid of ancient wonder. Though rising above the Malsheem's surface-level, it was among the most heavily armored and defended points on all of the mighty sphere; it would take the power of a great fleet to breach it.

And that was not what was going to be arriving shortly. The strike at Jutrand was the inciting incident He'd desired, rattling the nest of Eternalists into a maddening fury, and drawing them into the Kathol Rift. For several weeks, the Malsheem had been stringing them along from world to world, star system to star system. The main fleet was always just out of reach of catching up, always one step behind. Drawing out their frustration was paramount.

But now the time had come to shift tactics, to give them a taste of progress; of success. So He'd ordered the Malsheem moor in an uninhabited star system after the last stop at Ertrax. The Dark Lord knew that the Eternalist forward party, dispatched to try and pin down the Malsheem in preparation for the main fleet, would be arriving any moment. He knew they'd find the Malsheem because of the tracking device installed aboard the worldcraft, placed there during the attack on Jutrand by the Eternalists. When the time came, the tracker would be disabled, but for now He allowed it to broadcast the Malsheem's location to His enemies.

So they would run headfirst into the trap. His eyes turned to the nearby star, one that was still in the throes of infancy. It would work well.

The proximity alert sounded, the enemy had arrived. The escort fleet of the Malsheem pivoted to engage, only a fraction of the fleet that had left Jutrand with the worldcraft. Fighters were launched, and the surface-levels of the Malsheem were being prepared for boarding action.

"Good," rumbled the Dark Lord, "Draw them in."

Darth Strosius | Darth Malum of House Marr ​

 

[Rayden Helonus]

A R B I T R A T O R
OBJECTIVE - Subjugation or Slaughter
LOCATION - Ertrax, Government District
TAGS - Quinn Varanin

There are a number of components key to the formation of an Empire; most obvious are an Emperor or Empress, or an imperial populace, a military... the list goes on. Often excluded from this list, however, are the rebels. The naysayers, the blasphemers and the heretics, the villains who opposed ascension, opposed order and progress. No Empire is complete without them, without challengers.

Rayden was not concerned with the Kainite challengers and their false lord, the failed emperor, Carnifex. Not today.

His SD-5s Sith Infiltrator cut through the void of space as though it were a knife through flesh whilst he, true to form, had isolated himself in his personal quarters for most of the journey, in a deep meditation; the Sith Lord emerged only when the intercom buzzed with the navigator's voice, announcing their arrival in the Ertrax system, confirmed by the near imperceptible lurch as the ship dropped out of hyperspace.

Lord Helonus let his gaze drift over the unusually occupied ship, at the black-cloaked knights he'd summoned for his mission, their gazes turning to meet him. They would be useful, good fodder for the Force Users of the Order of the Current. More useful, however, was the... unorthodox addition to his strike force; a certain expert on the ways of the Aing-Tii, by the name of Quinn Varanin.

It was to this expert that he had addressed his few words since the voyage began, and it would be to her that a majority of the remainder would go. "We are presently approaching the planet of Ertrax, currently the holdout of the Malsheem and the Kainite agitators." Lord Helonus began, his tone calm and apathetic. "We will not be engaging the heretics. Our mission lies on the planet itself, where Imperial progress is belayed by a, so-called, 'Order of the Current'."

"We know little of these Force Users, though we suspect they have been called upon by the Ertraxi government in response to the nihilism of the Kainite." he said, "I have personally reviewed footage from the few survivors of their guerrilla tactics, and noted several prominent similarities with Aing-Tii fighting styles." Rayden stated, before gesturing to the expert amongst them, "An expert in such manners has been provided for us."

Allowing a moment for Varanin to introduce themselves, the Sith Lord did not hesitate in returning to his point. "Whilst the less aspirational amongst us throw themselves upon the Order's swords, it is up to us to storm the Ertaxi capital and put their government to the sword.

"We will attack from within the outskirts of the government district, and seize control of the planet; the Ertraxi government will surrender to the Dark Tide and recall the Order, or they will be exterminated." the Pureblood flatly said, looking to the Varanin girl once more, expectation painted on his face.
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[Quinn Varanin]

//: Subjugation to Slaughter //:
//: Ertrax, Government District //:
//: Rayden Helonus //:​

Quinn looked up from her datapad, hearing the announcement of their arrival. She had allowed her mind to wander, starting with researching the notes her Mother had left about the Aing-Tii along with her birth mother's first accounts of their teachings. She wouldn't have considered herself an expert, but with her return to the Sith Order, she had to make herself useful.

Unfortunately, she was ordered to accompany a Sith Lord and his band of black-cloaked "merry men" on their mission to eradicate the stubborn Aing-Tii. It was a pity; she would have rather had a better way of meeting the elusive people to learn - instead of killing them. Maybe there was another way, but her hopes were ruined as she watched the pureblooded Sith speak to his underlings.

She cleared her throat, and now the attention was on her to address those they had brought with them. “Hello, I am Quinn Varanin.” Being brought up in the public eye as one of the two potential heirs to the Echani throne and as a daughter of one a Sith Empress, this was simple. Lips curled into a smile, "Most of you will die." Her words were curt, as her posh Imperial accent only made it sound worse.

"The Aing-Tii are, as most of you should know, a group of monks that typically don't care what happens to the galaxy around them." She started and held her tablet in front of her while lecturing. "The Order of the Current are Force Users trained by the Aing-Tii who are known to be able to Flow Walk." The woman paused, a hand resting against the leather lapel of her white tunic, a harsh contrast to the rest of them. She eyed each of the figures and scoffed slightly. "I highly doubt any of you understand this; I'll explain. The Aing-Tii can see the past and the future through the Force; Flow Walking allows them to do this. It can sometimes be used in brief moments during combat - also called Precognition. Your opponents are well versed in these abilities, probably hand-picked by the Aing-Tii and then trained to only perfect it."

Quinn mused with the same conceited grin she gave the group when she began her lecture, but this time, her attention was briefly on Rayden. She wondered how he would fare in combat against an opponent that could see into the future and read his every thought and move. Potentially she would learn why the Sith Purebloods were so scarce in the galaxy.

"To avoid failing your mission, I suggest emptying your minds. Do not think about what you will do next, do not hope or envision victory - react to your opponent, do not allow them a thread to attach to." She shrugged, "The moment you do, I hope you've enjoyed your life and are prepared to return to the Force."

A hand gently brushed back any loose strands of blonde hair as she returned to her previous place near the Sith Lord. Eyes met him for just a moment before they returned to the datapad she was studying previously before she was interrupted. "Am I to remain at your side?" Quinn spoke to the man, not raising her glance at him, "I do have other skills besides teaching mindless grunts about ancient warrior monks." Her smirk widened as she chuckled almost mockingly.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Seek and Destroy
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Darth Carnifex / Darth Malum of House Marr

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Alisteri hissed in both frustration and pain as his head slammed against the side of the shuttle once more, the pilot having to pull evasive and very sharp maneuvers in order to avoid the defenses of the Malsheem that threatened to bring it down. Even now he could hear the distinctive sound of other shuttles and boarding craft being torn apart around them, the occasional thud of debris hitting the hull barely even registering above the symphony of battle that had swiftly began shortly after the Eternal's forward fleet had entered the system.

Another explosion nearby and the shuttle banked away in a swift but jarring move, one that made him curse under his breath. "We'll be lucky to make it aboard that fething thing with any soldiers still conscious at this rate!" The only solace for the awful ride was that he wouldn't have to suffer it alone. His fellow apprentice Malum had joined him in the shuttle, and much like himself had been sent by his master to accompany the forward fleet for this specific purpose.

Their master wanted eyes and ears on everything that transpired between Carnifex and Empyrean, and they were here to act as both. And slay plenty of Kainites in the process of course.

As the shuttle banked for its final approach to the Starship Assembly Center, the designated landing area for the dozens of boarding ships, an engine was suddenly caught by a lucky laser and the ship was rocked by the subsequent explosion as the bank turned into a wild spin. "Brace yourselves!" The pilot called back from the cockpit, Alisteri's grip on the handles on his seat growing all but crushing. "Chit!"

The shuttle did manage to fly into the Malsheem, although rather than landing alongside the other shuttles relatively near the entrance their wild course threw them deeper inside. Finally the shuttle bounced off of a half-finished corvette and crashed into the scaffolding around it, a fair distance away from the other landing parties. Alisteri groaned as he pulled himself from his seat, all but ripping off the restraints meant to keep the passengers safe as he got to his feet.

"Oh this is going to be a fun day."

 

[Saryn Zambrano]

Objective: Seek and Destroy
Post: 1
Tags: Darth Carnifex Darth Strosius Darth Malum of House Marr Darth Temerant

Darth Xyrah arrived at the Imperius Spire's observation deck shortly after the alarms started sounding. It seems all was proceeding as his beloved had planned. Xyrah moved to stand beside him as he gazed out at the fleets preparing to engage one another. "So they finally showed up, it would seem. And I sense Alisteri is amongst them. No doubt he seeks to avenge his losses on Mustafar at the hands of my army. Good. Let him come.", he said with a cheeky smirk.

He then turned to gaze at Carnifex while he spoke. "It will be good to fight by your side, my love. It has been too long since we spilt the blood of our enemies together.", he said, gently reaching out to slide his hand into his beloved's grasp. "Shall we go give our guests a warm welcome to our home?"

 

[Jin X]

Loyalty
XXAmerican Head ChargeXX

Character Voice: X

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Location: A Fancy Resort
Objective II: Subjugation or Slaughter
Gear: Nightmare of Exegol (Lightsaber), The Fiend's Grin (Lightwhip), Pistol, Sniper Rifle
Tags:​

My eyes, once organic and now fabricated partially 60-40, were closed tightly as I knelt in a genuflection state surrounded by my lovely trinkets in an anti-hero circle. A rotting finger, an eyeball, a nose ring, an ear piercing, a skinned tattoo from a hip, a jawbone, a broken lightsaber crystal, a broken lightsaber hilt, a partially face of (I can't remember how I got that one) of some poor sod, a broken toe, a toenail, and I think a papercut on an ear, and something gooey. These are things I collect after killing. I'm a psychotic queen.... the type that jumps into a cantina brawl (sober) killing everyone and leaving my bar tab unpaid. Mass murderer... cannibal.... yep, that's me Scooby-Doo gang......not all mysteries are worth investigating less you are comfortable ending up on my plate. Some stories of ghouls and horrors should be left far alone. BOO!

Now the phrase Memento Mori is a concept most don't understand fully....and that's why I sneak into homes and ensure they understand why they never wake up. Ah....I'm getting far ahead of my story and intentions. Kuri, a disease I suffer like a religious zealot inverted upon a wooden tree for their beliefs, is a real problem. One can't eat flesh like me, or any other cannibal does, and think we are hippy, hoppy, skippy. Nope...side effects are a real thing, sadly. Anyhow....where was I... oh yeah, about to recollect my treasures and put them safely back into my satchel made of skinned corpses of women from the graveyards I visit. Yes, I frequent graveyards (easier to find fresh, buried flesh to eat and don't judge me less be judged in turn by my choppers), but mainly I stalk them like a wraith wondering what constructions I can make from all the crafting materials strewn before me: teasing me, taunting me, begging me to glue something together and call it art. Ah......focus queen!

This story will continue later; I can't find my tongue collection. Hold tight, we'll be back.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Operation III: Seek and Destroy

Malum was strangely, oddly, and weirdly at this present moment reminded of why he loved flying so much.

Well flying, when he was in control of the spacecraft that was.

Instead, he was strangely, oddly, and weirdly at this present moment reminded of why he hated having someone else fly him.

The fact that he was rubbing his head, and hoping that a bruise did not form, as the ship suddenly swerved out of the way to avoid anti-starcraft fire, and collided his head against some machine component most likely had something to do with that.

Still, he offered a smile instead, as he noticed the far more emotive and expressful reaction that came out of his fellow graduated apprentice, it seemed that Darth Strosius was not having any more fun than he was, that at least improved his mood a little, shared misery and all that, "Don't you worry about them, the Guard will not be going down that easily," Malum said grimly, offering nods to those within their vessel, and a mental one to all those outside the hull of their dropship, those in starbombers, making attacks on the Malsheem, or more likely, the fleet that was protecting the Malsheem. As far as he could tell, their fleet was much smaller than the one defending the Malsheem, and the Malsheem itself was a fleet in itself, they would need to fight, to bleed themselves here, until the Sith Armada arrived.

And what better way to defend a much smaller fleet, than to launch an offensive?

Thus it was, that the starfighters outside their metal hulls were acting as the spear shaft, that would bring the spearpoint of the dropships to the heart of the Malsheem.

"Look on the bright side, Alisteri, if fortune favours us, and we know it favours the bold, we can end the war right here," That was the optimistic take, they were really only ordered to attempt to damage the vital systems of the Malsheem, to buy time for the armada to arrive, well that being their public orders, the apprentices themselves had their own secret ones, Malum himself had a tracker, he was the one that had found out the location of the Malsheem at Mustafar, and it would do no good for the Eternalists to hold a monopoly on the intelligence of the continued location of it. But of course, Malum himself had another goal entirely.

To kill the failed Emperor.

He had been unable to meet him on the field of battle, interrupted by one of his servants on Jutrand itself.

He would not get that opportunity again.

"We can cut the head off the snake, and win the war, right here, no opportunity for Empyrean to claim a slice of the victory," Malum said, growing more and more eager with the idea, even as the pilot called out a warning, and he held on tight for dear life, as the ship swerved and moved erratically without order.

Finally making itself to its point of landing, Malum stood as Alisteri did, looking at him with bloodthirsty eyes.

"What do you say?"

Darth Strosius Darth Carnifex Saryn Zambrano

 

[Rayden Helonus]

A R B I T R A T O R
OBJECTIVE - Subjugation or Slaughter
LOCATION - Ertrax, Government District
TAGS - Quinn Varanin

Truth be told, when Rayden had been informed that an expert had been assigned to accompany his mission, he'd been pleased. Now, though, he wondered if he had somehow missed the quotation marks surrounding expert. So far, all he had heard was an explanation of what they already knew; the Order of the Current were ruthless, merciless and unbeatable.

But he was Sith. They were Sith. They were worse.

"Then, Miss Varanin, if their advantage is the ability to read our intent, would it also be a viable strategy to simply overwhelm them?" he spoke up, amongst the silence of the lesser Sith. "I imagine it would be rather difficult to defend against two attacks coming from opposite directions." the Sith Lord said, elaborating.

Turning his attention back to his less-notable charges, Rayden addressed them with a far more authoritative tone than he had Varanin, whom he had regarded as something of an equal. "Those of you proficient in Soresu, Ataru, and Djem So will excel here." he said, as though it was a simple fact, one that would hopefully instill a sense of superiority in the knights.

Evidently, he lacked the precognitive ability of the Aing-Tii, for he was caught off guard by Varanin's ensuing question; though he didn't express it much in much more depth than a raised eyebrow. "I have no qualms with it, so long as I know you will not falter if we must cut down the Ertraxi Government." speaking of the matter as though it was both commonplace and exceptional at the same time.

"Will you falter, Miss Varanin? Are executions amongst your skills?" Lord Helonus said calmly, yet interrogatorily. Regardless of the expert's answer, the intercom buzzing as the navigator announced their approach to the capital city of Ertrax. The Sith Lord regarded Varanin with a curt nod as he pulled his helmet from under his arm and onto his head as he passed her, leading the crowd of Sith towards the cargo bay.

The infiltrator passed low over the city, coming to hover over an open plaza as the cargo ramp hissed open and unleashed the Sith force hiding within, crimson bladed warriors spilling onto the city like a wave.
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[Darth Carnifex]

Carnifex faintly turned His head as Xyrah approached, His eyes watching the smaller man as he came to stand beside the Dark Lord. Beyond the quadruple reinforced glasteel, distance flashes of light were the only indications that the battle was unfolding. At this distance, the silhouettes of the two fleets were almost indecipherable. Carnifex could see them, His eyes saw farther than most, but He paid them little attention. His mind focused on the myriad of attack shuttles speeding towards the Malsheem, many of which detonated as the worldcraft's cannons tightened their aim.

"Alisteri Haxim will not be alone, he will have brought other idealogues with him." There was something else, something different, about Alisteri this time around. Carnifex could sense it, separated by the vast gulf of the void as they were. "But they will be no match for a true master of the Dark Side," declared Carnifex, confidently. He then reached out His hand, fingers outstretched, so that Xyrah could lay their hand within His. Once this was done, the Dark Lord's fingers curled around Xyrah's hand, and the world around them began to melt away into darkness, color fading like water through paint.

When color returned, the pair would now be standing on a walkway overlooking a section of the Starship Manufactory Complex. Below, a shuttle had weaved through the Malsheem's defenses and crashed through the scaffolding of a half-finished corvette. After skidding for several more meters, the ship had come to a rest amongst the tatter and tear of a construction yard. Assembly droids continued on with their work, oblivious to the destruction wrought in their midst.

Alarms klaxons were ringing, guards already on the move, but they stopped short of moving to directly encircle the crashed shuttle. They held their ground, formed a wide and loose perimeter, and watched. As the first of the assailants began to disembark their crashed ship, all guns rose to aim towards them, but not a one opened fire. Instead, the Dark Lord maneuvered Himself up and over the railing above, levitating down with billowy grace before coming to a soft landing on the metal grating below.

He did not speak, did not open His mouth, only watching with an unflinching, withering gaze as He withdrew His lightsaber and activated its plasma blade.

Darth Strosius | Darth Malum of House Marr
Darth Temerant | Saryn Zambrano​

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Seek and Destroy
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Darth Carnifex / Darth Malum of House Marr / Saryn Zambrano / Darth Temerant

Already the sounds of alarms reached and stabbed at his ears as the soldiers in the shuttle got their bearings and began extracting themselves from their own seats after the crash, Alisteri rolling his shoulders and briefly checking himself over for any damage. Thankfully the shuttle itself had done a fine job of ensuring that the passengers were safe despite the crash. Safe enough to run out and get themselves shot by whatever defensive forces the Malsheem had on hand.

"Malum, while I appreciate the enthusiasm and greatly desire to end one of the tyrants infesting and polluting our order, you must temper your ambitions." With a gesture he ordered the soldiers to file out and begin taking up defensive positions, not enjoying the gasps and quickly raised weapons that said soldiers gave after stepping out of the shuttle. The defenders were quick it seemed, not too surprising given their sloppy intrusion. "Carnifex is more than likely sitting far away from anywhere that conflict is, letting his forces do all the work of repelling our assault while he enjoys the show of our soldiers and ships trying in vain to crack the Malsheem's defenses."

He pulled his lightsaber into his right hand and his sword into his left as he stepped through the shuttle's door to be greeted by the sight of them surrounded. Surprisingly no shots had been fired yet, the soldiers on both sides merely aiming at one another. "See? Look at all these poor souls that will die in his stead. He's just waiting for Empyrean to show up so that they can have another slap fight-"

Then he froze, tension spreading across his body in a wave. "Oh chit." Alisteri's gaze turned upwards, his eyes merely confirming what had already reached his other senses as he saw Carnifex himself descending from above. To the unenlightened and naïve the lord of the Kainate may have appeared almost divine from such a presentation, but to Alisteri the scene cause a coil of dread to wrap around his core in a strangling grasp. The masked man stared across the short distance between the Sith Lord and their shuttle before taking a deep breath and stepping forward, tapping the commlink on his helmet so that the message would be broadcast across the forces boarding the Malsheem.

"Carnifex, Dark Lord of the Kainaite, Black Iron Tyrant, Scourge of the Galaxy, you finally reveal yourself." If one were unaware of the gap in power and prestige, the bold words of the Knight may have seemed genuinely authoritative given his tone. "The 'Emperor' Empyrean declared that you are his to battle, his to proclaim victory over just so that he can humble you in some grand display." Another step, this one away from the relative safety behind the small defensive perimeter that the soldiers had established around the shuttle. "My master would see you threatened, reminded of the blades that she hides in every corner and hallway across the Galaxy, but would leave you otherwise undisturbed so long as you fell in line." With a final step Alisteri had abandoned the soldiers behind him entirely, raising his sword to point it at the Dark Lord as if it could be intimidating in some manner.

"Unfortunately for you, they aren't here." His own lightsaber ignited with a flick of his wrist, the crimson glow seeming almost insignificant in comparison to the weapon that the tyrant carried. "For your numerous accounts of betrayal, your persistent corruption, your abandonment of your duties, and your continued attempts to ruin the Sith Order, by my authority as a Knight Inquisitor of the Sith Order's Inquisition, I sentence you to death."

 

[Saryn Zambrano]

Objective: Seek and Destroy
Post: 2
Darth Carnifex Darth Strosius Darth Malum of House Marr Darth Temerant

Saryn gracefully leapt down from the ledge alongside Carnifex, drawing forth his gilded lightsaber and shoto before igniting their yellow blades. A cheeky smirk formed on his lips as Alisteri spoke. "For your numerous accounts of betrayal, your persistent corruption, your abandonment of your duties, and your continued attempts to ruin the Sith Order, by my authority as a Knight Inquisitor of the Sith Order's Inquisition, I sentence you to death.", the masked Darth said to his master. Oh, the audacity, Saryn thought to himself.

"Your petition is heard, and denied, Darth Strosius. The only execution today will be yours, should my beloved will it. We have anticipated your arrival, however, and I took the liberty of preparing accordingly.", he said with a grin. He gently pressed a small button on one of his bracelets. Within moments, a group of eight IG-X Magnaguards descended from the platform above, taking up defensive positions at Carnifex and Saryn's flanks.

With but a nod of his head to one of the Magnaguards, four of their number swiftly advanced towards Alisteri and Malum, electrostaffs in hand as they launched their assault, attempting to keep them on the defensive with their more than formidable combat programming. "Your move, gentlemen.", he said to Strosius and Malum with a wicked smile.

 

[Darth Temerant]

TAGS: Darth Carnifex Saryn Zambrano Darth Malum of House Marr Darth Strosius Sofiel
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Objective: Seek and Destroy
Equipment: Temerant's lightsaber and combat armour, RSKF-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol, a very healthy amount of EMP and Ion grenades. Miscellaneous utilities.

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Temerant had left his Shikkar Corvette in the capable hands of his task force (and X3, of course,) near the source of the interdiction generator. With a group of Inquisitors under his command piloting similar vessels, he had left them with orders to protect the interdiction field, zooming in and out of battle to strike at any incoming threats with focused fire. The Malsheem was not to escape them.

Never again.

"Remember, Apprentice," he growled to the young woman accompanying him as he navigated the incoming laser fire, following in close to the other boarding shuttles. "Stay close, but not too close. Remember the tactics we have been training, and wherever possible, leave the melee combat to me. Do not engage other lightsaber users directly: use your abilities to provide support and run interference," he reminded her. "We have no space for mistakes here."

It was then that Alisteri's transmission came in. The Knight Inquisitor felt his brow furrowing further, if that were possible.

"Ah, Master," X3 chimed in through their comms system. "You're coming into the hangar a little hot. You're going to overshoot your landing," the droid warned.

"Change of plans. We're not joining the main force," he grunted as he followed the wreckage of Alisteri's and Malum's crash landing deeper into the vessel. Whether Alisteri had or not the authority to order such a thing was a technicality he did not care to dwell in: Ophidia's apprentices had his support in this matter, and he wanted it just as bad as they did.

They zoomed into the hangar, the man beginning to deccelerate the TIE/br boarding shuttle at an angle, scooping a group of Kainate forces with the wings like one might shear toppings off a cake, goring the poor fellows who'd opened fire upon them. "Brace!" the man warned Sofiel as he breaked hard and engaged the landing gear.

He tried not to focus on the visage of the Lord of Black Iron. On his asphixiating presence in the Force. Much like when he'd met Empyrean, every primitive instinct in him told him he needed to be anywhere else but there. He suppressed them, however, his sense of duty, and indeed, his anger over the blow they had received in Mustafar and Jutrand making them pale in comparison. And there he was. Darth Xyrah. The architect of their failure.

Instead, he opened a quick round of laser fire towards the ground forces surrounding Strosius and Marr, thinning them out. Bogan knew they would need every advantage in what was to come, even as he opened the shuttle's ramp.

"Let's go. Nothing fancy," he growled. "Use your head, and obliterate anything and anyone that isn't with us, given the chance."

His lightsaber ignited as he exited the vessel, watching the Magnaguard descend upon their fellow Inquisitors. However, this was not Mustafar. This time, he'd come prepared for Xyrah's puppets. He made no witty remarks or grand threats. He did not bother to banter with his peers. He merely grabbed one his ion grenades, and used the Force to shoot it right between the advancing droids, the grenade making a hard swerve towards the ground as it reached its destination, going off.

 

[Sofiel]

"Of course, Knight Inquisitor. Though I could just stay at a distance and let Vorthruz be my medium."

That was snark. Even with the calm smile and dead eyes, Sofiel did have her sense of humor. Her master wouldn't let her hide away, as he put it. She wasn't hiding, just protecting her vessel. They were hard fought to obtain, and keeping them whole was the only way she'd ever be able to stay here in this living world. Ah well. Though, perhaps it was X3 rubbing off on her to bring so much sass.

Maybe. X3 was nice, despite being soulless.

"Change of plans? Isn't that just another word for mistake?"

Her sass, for all it was, paused as she turned her gaze instead towards a different presence.

And for a moment, she frowned.

"We're not fighting that, right?"

Her eyes lingered on the black Tyrant just as their ship crash landed. Her hands shook. Trembled. And Sofiel glared down towards them. Did the host know them? Or was it instinct? Regardless which it was, she wanted nothing to do with something so corrupted by the Nether itself. He was unnatural, even among the denizens who claimed such a realm as home.

Thankfully, they weren't. She followed after Temerant as the ramp lowered, Vorthruz already lifting from it's perch on her shoulder to spread it's wings and soar above. The white mask of the Familiar split shortly after. Nothing was revealed. Actual nothing, the absence of something. A void in the truest sense, that immediately started to glow red. Sofiel stood near the ramp as she raised her hand towards one of the coming Magnaguard, and the red unleashed.

Lightning ripped through the air. He said nothing flashy, but given the bolt obliterated the droid, surely he wouldn't complain, right?

Darth Temerant | Darth Carnifex | Darth Strosius | Darth Malum of House Marr | Saryn Zambrano

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Operation III: Seek and Destroy

Malum was at least a little disappointed with Alisteri's words, not at him specifically, for he was right, it was ambitious to aim to remove the head of the snake when the snake was in a singular place in this gigantic battle station of many places. Their objective was far more simple in that regard, their objective was to hit a stationary target, one which they knew exactly where it would be.

Still plans rarely survive contact with the enemy.

"He will not ignore the apprentices of Darth Ophidia, but yes, let us move to finish what we are to do", Malum simply said, as he turned to his comms, waving away the questioning eyes of those of the Guard that had crashed with them, Alisteri outranked him and... was a friend, he was fine with them taking commands from him. Thus it was that he opened his mouth, noting with a tiny amount of concern that as the soldiers and Alisteri exited the shuttle, no firing had started.

Odd, still, he was sure Alisteri could handle it.

"Custos and Venerandus, I have crashed some distance away from the target, limited casualties," Some corpses lay around, still breathing thankfully, "Continue the mission as planned,"

"Yes Scion Marr," Custos said gruffly, the slightest hint of annoyance leaking through his lips, bringing a small smile to Malum's lips, Custos had not forgiven himself for the aftermath of Malum's duel with Quintessa.

Though it was not as if Malum had forgiven himself either.

Though it was also likely because Custos had been relegated to the backlines of the first wave, somehow he considered that a failure of his abilities, but Malum had commanded it regardless. Custos might still refuse to retire, but he was not getting any younger, he was getting slower, and that meant he was mortal, susceptible to death.

And that was not allowed.

"Malum, we are taking heavy casualties out here," the muffled but unmistakable voice of Venerandus came through, the sound of some explosion racketing the comms, the expected sass and teasing long since giving away to seriousness, the battle for life itself, "You need to take out hangers, it's just spitting out more of them."

Malum was silent for a moment.

Venerandus could not die either.

"The Armada will be here soon, I will succeed here, just hold out for a little longer." Malum bit out, standing up just a little bit taller, resolved in what he would have to do.

"Yes, Scion Marr," the soft voice of Venerandus answered, a voice that was seemingly filled with nothing but faith.

The comms closed, and Malum walked out of the dropship.

Only to immediately desire to walk back in it, get into the piloting seat, and withdraw.

Instead, he immediately drew both of his lightsabers, he barely caught the end of Alisteri's words.

Barely caught any of Darth Xyrah's words.

Ignored the Magna Guards approaching him.

Red plasma ignited and hissed across the air, as his red eyes were locked upon perhaps the only man that brought him such conflicting, varied, and many emotions. The Failed Emperor's own red eyes, only made hatred swirl within Malum, as if smoky invisible tendrils were wrapping themselves around his heart, around his form, this was the man that had caused the Empire to fall, for all that could be said the barbarians at the gates, this was the barbarian within the gates, that had abandoned the Empire when leadership was needed most. His tall form, impossibly tall and large yet elicited strikes upon his heart, fear, this was the man who had claimed himself the Emperor, who had claimed himself Dark Lord, who had claimed himself Sith'ari, how could they possibly prevail against that?

Malum closed his eyes, a million thoughts running through his head. He had desired to rip off the head of the snake, and the head had presented itself to him, placed between his guillotine blades and the wooden block of the Malsheem. Why did he so hesitate? He had died before, even if he was back now, he was not invincible, even if he was immortal. He could be defeated here and now, even if he could not be defeated entirely. So why?

He opened his eyes, and they went immediately to an ion grenade that landed in the path of the droids, electrocuting them in what would have doubtless a painful experience if they were truly alive.

Though not as much pain as the lightning that originated from a dropship that emerged out of the smoky hanger. As then blaster fire erupted from both sides, the shock of Darth Carnifex's arrival giving way to the desperation of their situation.

Reinforcements then.

His eyes gazed down upon the droids.

How could they defeat a man who defeated death?

They needed a chink in his armour.

A weak link.

Malum's red eyes found themselves on the blue of Darth Xyrah.

The Jedi were not allowed to have attachments, the Sith were precluded from such beliefs. His eyes blazed in victory, he had found it.

"Target Xyrah! Force him to protect him!" They were lovers, were not they? Perhaps married, though Malum could not quite remember, the Failed Emperor had given himself to quite a many lovers, concubines, and spouses, too many for him to consider, let alone remember.

Darth Malgus had murdered his lover so that none could use her against him.

Perhaps that traitor could have taught this one a good lesson.

He raced ahead, pasting Alisteri, but for but a moment, eying him meaningfully. As much as Malum did not wish for it, and indeed he desired the killing blow, as it stood, Alisteri stood the best chance.

Malum raised his hand, his lightsaber pointed at Darth Xyrah in a mock challenge, yet held a far more sinister objective, feeling the Force pool into his hands, his fingers, and then his blade itself.

He pulled.

If Darth Xyrah could be pulled down onto their level, all else would follow.

Darth Carnifex Darth Strosius Saryn Zambrano Darth Temerant Sofiel C Cygnus of House Marr

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Dark Lord of the Kainate glowered unwaveringly at the malcontents that had trespassed upon His holy vessel, His gaze piercing through all that it fell upon. They could hide little from Him, they were as little as flimsiplast before Him; on the precipice of being blown aside with a strong gust of wind. He not only towered over them physically, but spiritually as well, His power in the Dark Side eclipsing all of them combined. Only Empyrean or Ophidia could hope to match Him in raw potential in the Force, what hope did these rabble-knights have when submerged within the event horizon?

"Alisteri Haxim." When the Dark Lord spoke, it silenced all other sound; each syllable as sharp as the blade at His side. Carnifex stepped forward, a calamitous footstep that reverberated through the metal beneath their feet, the tolling of a funerary bell. "All you have done has been in service to my will, a puppet led on strings from one act to the next. When you murdered your friend and consumed her essence, it made you feel invincible; did it not? We all must make sacrifices for our power, did you ever expect yours to feel so exhilarating?"

His eyes swept from Alisteri to the man next to him, or perhaps better aptly put; the boy. They were all children, in the end, playing with powers they couldn't possibly hope to comprehend. "Malum Marr," the weight of those words combined with the Dark Lord's fixed gaze was like the weight of a mountain, crushing down upon the young Sith. "Heir to a squandered legacy, groping blindly for validation from whomever will offer it. Forever cursed to be cast aside when your masters no longer have use of you, just like your forebears."

Those baleful eyes looked from each adversary to the next, some He recognized, but others He did not. In the end, it mattered not. Lord Xyrah would handle the spares, He would focus upon Alisteri and Malum. The droids that Xyrah unleashed upon their foes may be dealt with in short order, but under Xyrah's direction they were an inexhaustible supply of fodder. There would always be more, they'd spent decades manufacturing ad infinitum to come to this point. What is broken and destroyed today will be rebuilt tomorrow, better and stronger.

As would these toy soldier Sith.

"Your masters have sent you here to die, younglings. They know you cannot stop me, and they grasp onto a faint hope that you may be able to slow me. I have anticipated their machinations, we will be long gone by the time the armada arrives. But know that your deaths will not be the end, for I shall remake you." With that, the Dark Lord raised His left hand as thought in salute, but from the tips of His fingers radiated an insidious scarlet energy. The arcs of light danced through the air, but they struck not those named Sith that have arrayed themselves before Him. Rather, they bypassed them entirely, to strike at the soldiers; the fodder, that had accompanied them, as well as their crashed vessel.

The Dark Lord would suffer no vermin, this was a contest of Sith alone. With that vulgar display concluded, He pushed off the ground and lunged forward, rising to meet Malum as he advanced. His blade was like a viper, snapping out towards Malum's neck with the intent of severing his head from his shoulders. It would be evident that the Dark Lord would only toy with His prey for so long, He would not restrain the lethality of His skill.

It would take all that they had to survive.

Darth Strosius | Darth Malum of House Marr | Saryn Zambrano
Darth Temerant | Sofiel​

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Seek and Destroy
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Darth Carnifex / Darth Malum of House Marr / Saryn Zambrano / Darth Temerant / Sofiel

Alisteri's eyes narrowed at the dismissal that Darth Xyrah issued forth, and one accompanied by droids no less. Admittedly he knew that his little threat meant little in the grand scheme of things, and especially when a Dark Lord was the one being threatened, but it nonetheless inspired feelings of rage in his core. Before the pair of Sith and Magnaguards could cross blades however, the cavalry arrived in a rather spectacular yet rough landing. The sight actually drew a grim chuckle from the masked man despite the situation, giving his fellow Inquisitor Temerant a bow of his head in thanks for dispatching the droids so quickly.

An unexpected entrance but one that he greatly appreciated, and hopefully one that would lead to a far greater chance of escaping the Malsheem alive even if victory was untenable.

Four stood against two, and yet numbers could scarcely make up for the gap in power and experience. If they were tactical and ruthless enough then perhaps they could attempt to overwhelm their foes, but such a gamble was almost too great to attempt. They needed something far more concrete and reliable than a simple belief in quantity over quality, of which the Kainite possessed both in this regard. Every muscle in Alisteri's body tensed as Carnifex addressed him, his blood running cold and almost completely stilling at at what exactly the tyrant said.

His hands clenched and, if one were to listen closely enough, could be heard denting the handles of his weapons with how tightly they did so. "First I take his tongue, then his head." Whether the muttered remark was to himself or Malum was unclear, but either way he shook off the normal calm and level head that he carried like it was as easy as flipping an internal switch. He fully intended to pour every ounce of his wrath into what was to come, even if he suspected this whole affair to be a fruitless endeavor. Regardless the Knight had but one goal above all else in mind; to make the Dark Lord regret ever mentioned the departed Alina Tremiru.

Alisteri threw his blades up to counter the incoming lightning but it passed him by completely, his gaze following a bolt out of the corner of his eye as it decimated the soldiers behind them. There went the option of overwhelming their enemies he supposed. There was little time to mourn or consider alternatives though as Malum rushed forward, their gazes briefly meeting as Alisteri's swiveled back to face Carnifex and Darth Xyrah. His fellow apprentice had a bold plan indeed, and he was more than happy to play his part in it as best he could. Of course even the best laid plans were to go astray in some manner.

The masked man wasted no time in rushing after Malum, barely a few steps behind as Carnifex lunged forward with a deadly strike aimed at killing the apprentice in one blow. "Kesti nuyak kerstas!" Lightning crackled from his fingertips and along the handles in his grasp as he dove in low in an attempt to get somewhat in between the two charging opponents, his lightsaber aimed to impale the Dark Lord through the stomach whilst the other slashed towards his leg.

There was no going back now, only bloodshed would see the day through.

 

[Saryn Zambrano]

Objective: Seek and Destroy
Post: 3
Darth Carnifex Darth Malum of House Marr Darth Strosius Darth Temerant Sofiel

​

Xyrah felt Malum try and pull him closer with the force, yet those efforts were quickly disrupted by his beloved's brutal assault upon him and Alisteri. No, Saryn's attention would be on Temerant and his young apprentice. He readied his yellow bladed lightsabers, smirking. "I've been looking forward to this.", he said with genuine intent behind those words, as he suddenly leapt forth into the fray, unleashing a fierce initial assault upon Temerant, making heavy use of his mastery of Form V's exotic reverse shien style to probe at his opponent's defenses, looking for weaknesses in his opponent's fighting style to exploit.

Meanwhile, Darth Xyrah's remaining Magnaguards moved to join their master in the fray, two of their number keeping a short distance away from Xyrah as he fought Temerant, merely observing for now until their master called for their aid, while the other two moved to engage Sofiel, spinning their electrostaffs towards her as they launched their own attacks upon the young apprentice.

 

[Lucia Naberrie]

Location: Starship Manufactory Complex - Malsheem
Objective: III - Protect Queen Xyrah
Allies: Darth Carnifex Saryn Zambrano
Enemies: Darth Malum of House Marr Darth Strosius Darth Temerant Sofiel

KHRD Type 2, Unit 410: Initialize. New Directives: Protect Queen Xyrah. Neutralize Hostiles with Extreme Prejudice. Safeguard the Integrity of Malsheem.

KHRD Type 2, Unit 410: Active - All Systems Nominal. New Directives: Confirmed. Present Status: Arriving at Target Area.

Tireless. Persistent. Unflagging. Inhuman.

Unit 410 ran down the hallway at a dead sprint, powerful synthetic limbs propelling her past squads of jogging soldiers and marching battle droids with such velocity that it was as if they were standing still. She didn’t stop, or rather, hadn’t stopped for anything not relevant to her mission upon being roused out of activation.

The health of Queen Xyrah and her Consort was weighed above all other considerations.

With her inhuman speed and endurance, it did not take long for the HRD to arrive at the manufactory complex, in spite of Malsheem’s great size. Without breaking her stride, she somersaulted over the railing of the upper gangway, before descending down to the metal grating below where her masters and their Magnaguard escorts were already engaged with the enemy. She needed only a millisecond to fully process the ongoing engagement, her precise, synthetic senses dialed in with lethal precision by the time she landed on the metal grating below.

On cue, her whipblades crackled to life, electricity coursing along their edges as she moved after a pair of Magnaguards who had been tasked with engaging the apprentice of the Knight Inquisitor. Unfortunately, the two combat droids were quickly and unceremoniously cut down by the red-haired Acolyte ( Sofiel ), leaving the task of fighting her to Unit 410 alone.

It went without saying that she did not hesitate in carrying out her directive.

From 16 meters away, the HRD snapped off a trio of shotgun-like particle beam blasts in rapid succession from the scatterblaster on her left forearm, with the first two aimed for the Acolyte’s legs, before the third blast targeted her chest, intended to overwhelm her defenses!

New Status: Engaging Marked Target. Target Designation: Goldenrod Devil. Assessed Threat Level: High. Objective: Neutralize with Extreme Prejudice.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Armor
  
  • Pulsiva Bodysuit - Hoth-pattern Bodysuit
• Energy Shield
  
  • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
• Utility
  
  • FAE/C-05 Infiltration Suite
• Weapons
  
  • XA-4 'Sliverslash' Galvanic Whipblade (2)
  • FAE/W-10 Hybrid Gauntlet Scatterblaster - Heavy (2)

 

[Darth Temerant]

TAGS: Sofiel Darth Carnifex Saryn Zambrano Darth Malum of House Marr Darth Strosius Lucia Naberrie
​

Subtlety was perhaps not Sofiel's strongest suit. But much like with her sass, they would work on that... And he'd be damned if she wasn't effective.

Her question had been a valid one, but one he had not deigned to answer. Even with their combined forces, there was a gap between them and the Lord of Black Iron that was difficult to even quantify, and Xyrah was nothing if not resourceful. And they knew this all too well, if their words were anything to go by. But lesser warriors had prevailed against greater odds in the past, and if they could strike a blow at the heart of the Kainate there and then, it might just be enough to tilt the balance in favour of the Order at large.

His thoughts, however, were summarily interrupted by Saryn's fierce attack, even as his Apprentice came under fire. A hint of concern tugged at his stomach, but he stomped it down inside his mind. Sofiel could take care of herself, and he had a debt to settle with Xyrah for what he'd done in Mustafar. He could only hope Ophidia's apprentices could hold their own against Carnifex in the meantime.

"Then you are as much a fool as you are a coward," he growled to his opponent as they clashed.

The heat of his Lignan crystal came off in waves as it met each blow with an equal response. Where Saryn's mastery over form V was beyond reproach, he was a master of form VI, a true Niman combat specialist. He had dedicated his life to the study and refinement of lightsaber combat, and it showed: his was not a form of moderation, but one of brutal efficiency, his defense tight as it laid the foundation for dangerous counter-attacks, even as he remained conservative with his energy and resources, making judicious use of his mastery over battlemind to enhance his own abilities where needed. Xyrah had demonstrated an unwavering confidence in his own superiority, and he intended to exploit that as the fight progressed.

"I am disappointed," he grunted, striking with his words as much as he did his lightsaber: if Darth Xyrah was to text his defenses, he would respond in kind. "I used to admire you. Your mind. Your brilliance. But I see you for what you are now," he let him know as the crimson and gold of their blades whirled madly through the air. "A whelp in need of crutches to make up for his own deficiencies. A lapdog clutching at his Master's skirt, pining for respect because he finds himself wonting of his own," he grimly suggested as he used a slash to cover for a long back-step, a hand pointing towards one of the passive droids.

He drew on his Lignan's crystal's energy, the surge in his own strength strangely comforting as he attempted to crumple the droid into a metallic mess in an egregious show of power in the Force, immediately trying to slam the carcass into Xyrah, if successful.