One Giant Step [Dominion of Ralith]

[Darth Kentarch]

It was a bit awkward that everyone was walking in the opposite direction than he was, while trying to make his way back to the nearest star-port. Then just before she spoke he caught sight of his master Kiyala. She ordered him to tag along, which caused him to exhale sharply because Acrturus was honestly trying toleave before this place turned into a real war zone. Before he could protest she was off in an acrobatic display that likely would put him to shame.

Bracing himself he broke into a sprint then using the force propelled himself to a rooftop, for some time he was able to stay right behind her. Then his lungs again began to feel the physical taxation. The last jump he did not make, his arms barely clasping the top of the roof and his body smashing into the side. It took every inch of his being to pull himself up, and after he did Arcturus fell to one knee coughing up some dark yellow looking mucus. His gaze landed on his master, and he was less than pleased. "Look..." He gasped. "I'm not staying, I'm not going to die.. on this kriffing planet..." Trying to catch his breath his voice barely came out. "This isn't going to go down like you think it is. I may be an apprentice, But I was once an army officer. No capital ships are coming, no interstellar orbital bombardments, no heavy tactical bombers, no long range cruise missiles. This war for Valen is going to waged hand-to-hand, blaster to blaster. It will take tens of millions soldiers to take the planet, and those soldiers will be standing over the tens of millions who died trying to stop it."

@[member="Kiyala Demont"]

 

[Marcus Faust]

@Kiyala Demont and @[member="Arcturus Procyon"] would find themselves accompanied by the shadowy figure that was Marcus Faust, the eyes of his broken mask were set on the apprentice with complete and utter disgust. "You will either stay, possibly live, or you will try to leave and I will gut you like the coward you are." He spat angrily, loathing in his tone. The boy had just made an extremely poor move in the eyes of the assassin, one who would follow up his words to the letter. Arcturus was treading on thin ice.

 

[Darth Kentarch]

Arcturus turned to see the Sith Knight glaring down at him. "There is a difference between sanity and cowardice. And staying is sadly not the latter of the two." Arcturus said. He knew who this assassin was and even seen him fight before. But there was no mistaking one thing, the Sith Apprentice was not afraid and he was not afraid of Marcus. "So are you going to be the one to stop me?" He said at @[member="Marcus Faust"].

 

[Marcus Faust]

"If need be, yes. But you would rather that not happen." The Knight replied firmly, glaring at @[member="Arcturus Procyon"] unrelentingly. The apprentice may not have been scared, but that didn't mean he shouldn't be, no, if he knew of all Marcus' exploits he'd be quaking in fear at this moment, but he wasn't. The lack of fear was not bravery, or courage, it was pure arrogance.

 

[Judas of Vahl]

The Emperor craned his neck backwards to give the young Knight a look. She wouldn't be able to see his small grin through the mask, but she would of course know he was. "Correct. The leader always keeps the best of the troops with him in the vanguard." He chuckled to himself as he ducked into a building's half crumbled doorway. "Although these troops aren't ever prepared for what's to come."

@[member="Paega Anginous"]

 

[Dakil]

As the walker and its smaller escorts marched through the city, it seemed as if the buildings grew slightly larger. The roofs of these structures now towered slightly over the AT-TT and made the commander of the said vehicle uneasy. The Fog of War was permeating these areas of his vision and offered a near perfect spot for the rebels if they should take advantage of it.

 

[Sebastian Santelli]

A mass congregation of shuttles and supply transports dropped on the close outskirts of the city. Platoons of Stormtroopers and their engineer specialized counterparts immediately began stripping the transports of their cargo before they took off back into the atmosphere. Captain Davin and his men began to mobilize, taking the pieces of the structure and forming them together using specialized welding tools and the assistance of several vehicles nearby. "Move it, men! Get this base up and running now!" He barked, ushering his soldiers to pour in the extra effort.

This base was to be their barracks and defense point for the city. It was seated near a rather hilly side of the terrain with the city on its other flank. A perfect fallback point in the event of an attack.

 

[Paige Argous]

@[member="Darth Arcis"]

Paega smirked a little in response to the Emperor's reply and chuckle. She appreciated the fact that her former mentor had retained his chuckle despite having climbed to the highest rank of Sith Emperor. She followed him, her slender form bending to move underneath a deteriorated doorway into a building.

When she entered, Paega felt the presence of other living beings inside the building structure, she knew the Emperor would've felt it as well. If the people inside were rebels that were preparing to ambush Imperial forces ...they would see to it that they were long dead before the Imperial forces passed by.

 

[Darth Kentarch]

Arcturus eye's narrowed at the Assassin. He had almost completely forgotten about his master, and now his focus was on the Sith Knight in front of him. "Oh really?" He said back at @[member="Marcus Faust"]. The apprentice was not backing down, not now, and then he stepped around the Sith Knight and moved down the flight of steps. He now was more flustered then before and begun to wonder why he didn't just keeping moving back to Illenhelm in the first place. "So much for that." He said with laugh.

 

[Marcus Faust]

@[member="Arcturus Procyon"] would make it all of two feet past Faust before an iron grip grasped him and yanked him back onto the roof, and in all likelihood, his back. Saber in hand, Marcus thumbed the ignition and the crimson blade sprung to life with a snap-hiss. "You are not leaving." He stated, looking down on the cowardly excuse of a Sith Apprentice with disdain.

 

[Kiyala Demont`]

Kiyala at first content to see how her apprentice would deal with @[member="Marcus Faust"] but as soon as he put his hands on his apprentice she had enough. The dark side previously cloaked and formless would burst forward taking over her completely as her natural hazel filled up with an almost bloody hue of red. Both of her lightsabers sprang to life simultaneously.

"Is he not my apprentice. Then his punishment is my own. Do you wish to die here? If not I suggest you scurry along before I claim your soul here and right now." With that her eyes fell upon the one she called an apprentice named @Arcturus Procyon the mercy and compassion leaving her eyes replaced by nothing but pure malice. "Do you doubt my power? While I am here not even a supernova can touch you. You'd do well not to embarass me like this in front of another Sith again."

With that she channeled her energies if Marcus moved to strike she'd employ force combustion upon his saber attempting to cause it to literally explode in his one good hand. She in her mind held the advantage as she knew how Marcus fought and he has never witnessed her fight.

 

[Marcus Faust]

"I would like to see you try, and end my life." He retorted to @[member="Kiyala Demont"], venom laced in his voice. He deactivated his saber nonetheless, storing it on his hip, not because he was backing down, but because @[member="Arcturus Procyon"] didn't deserve the honor of dying at the edge of that blade. Instead he drew a saber, a trophy from the Jedi Vulspen, it was some sort of family heirloom and was rather important (read: DONT BLOW IT UP KUSH. Thnx ilu). Flipping the switch and igniting it, the blade sprung to life, a black core with a yellow surrounding. In his honest opinion it was ugly, but hey, it was a trophy nonetheless.

 

[Darth Kentarch]

Arcturus's lightsaber came to his hand and ignited, the red blade coming to life. "I go where I choose too." Soon his master interrupted, but where her words were malice his were equally angry. "Don't try and fight my battles for me." He said simply to @[member="Kiyala Demont"]. "And yes I doubt you, more than you may think." But alas the Assassin Marcus now drew a yellow looking saber. Arcturus then pointed his lightsaber at him. "I like to see you try and end mine. Kriff, I doubt you could even make me yield, assassin." He taunted at @ Marcus Faust, now more confident then before.

 

[Other Space Kaiden]

Sweet screams of the innocent began to overcome the viscous sounds of war, turning the city in a stage where Krag would conduct the greatest chorus of fear ever seen on Valen. As each man, woman and child was torn from their homes by their hair, legs or arms another voice was added to the echoing song that would play across the city for an eternity. Even better were the shrieks of those who had fallen victim to Graug soldiers, who had sunken so deep into their rage that they began to feast on the flesh of their living captures. Krag watched with a cynical pleasure as said warriors began to dig their long fang into the soft flesh of the lesser beings who occupied this city, their blood and internal working splashing onto the ground so that they could look upon their own guts as they died an agonizing death.

The sight of such atrocity was cause enough for most of the militia to drop their guns and try to escape, a pitiful and worthless attempt. Each would die or be enslaved soon enough, Krag would see to that. The Graug Knight huffed, lowering his saber and casting a plume of ash into the direction of a group of fleeing militia. The ash made quick work of them, dropping each man into a screaming pile of dissolving flesh. This battle was too easy, but there was more to come surly. Krag took a few thundering steps forward, watching as natives fled uselessly away from the Graug Army. If they were not caught by other Imperials, Krag's forces would capture them soon enough. Suddenly, the knight felt a disturbance in the force...someone was having a standoff it would seem. Turning a curious eye towards the direction the force was calling him to, the beast gave a short snort and began treading past abandoned building after abandoned building.

Soon enough, Krag found himself in the company of @[member="Arcturus Procyon"] , @[member="Marcus Faust"] and @[member="Kiyala Demont"] . It was an interesting sight to say the least and it appeared as if Faust and an apprentice were about to have at it as Kiyala watched. What a waste of time, the apprentice was a weakling and a lesser not worthy of such attention. Though, he did speak brave words and those words required testing. If one wished to speak like a greater, he must first be put to the test like one.

"What is this? A lesser speaking as if he has a place among warriors?" Krag growled as he approached the Apprentice, stopping just short of the confrontation "You are no warrior" Krag growled before sniffing the air "You are prey and your master protects you like prey. It is obvious, from her show of protection, that you are nothing but a stray dog rescued by a wretch of a master. The Sith need no weaklings of your caliber and that is why I am going to rip the flesh from your bones as your master watches."

 

[Marcus Faust]

Marcus chuckled as @[member="Arcturus Procyon"] newfound idiocy, before grasping him with the force and slamming him into the ground with sufficient force to bust the roof and leave a crater, and easily break all of the idiots ribs. Though Faust was not done, he then slid the likely broken apprentice across the roof to the feet of @[member="Krag"]. A sick grin of satisfaction formed under his wrappings, Krag meant what he said. The boy's death would be agonizing.

 

[rain21199]

(OOC: Sorry about the lack of posts, I've been very busy with school)
Cain and his men were killing anything that wasn't Imperial. He wasn't very fond of the giant massacre, but whatever was needed. If everyone was going to fight against the Empire, then they were all threats. The area looked more like a war zone. Screams could be heard from every direction. He was storming every building he could find. Their was of course people resisting. He was merciful by giving them quick deaths. Very few would show the same kindness. After searching about 3 buildings, he ended up in the middle of town. That's when he realized he was surrounded. He new that they were heavily outnumbered. He whispered into his comm "I need some reinforcements. Im currently at the town square. I can't get an accurate reading of how many there are, but I know there are more than 20."

 

[Judas of Vahl]

The Emperor and the Knight crept into the bottom floor of an increasingly unstable building. The furnishings weren't that different than a standard middle class home, though most of the materials seemed different and the lighting was minimal, a few still surviving glowlamps in the two far corners of the room. The numerous presences of beings lay above them, to which he pointed upwards to show @[member="Paega Anginous"] if she hadn't noticed already. The Sith Lord's head swiveled in search for an ascent to the second story, availing when he noticed the small stairwell in the corner.

"Ascend from darkness.." He whispered to himself, dropping to a low crouch and beginning to channel his Force energies into creating a cloaked presence.

 

[Kiyala Demont`]

Kiyala eyed @[member="Marcus Faust"] for a second as he withdrew his current saber and pulled out one that looked more so like a trophy blade because of how flashy it was. It also didn't seem to be Marcus' type of blade so hopefully an edge would be gained because of his seeming lack of practice with the particular blade. Kiyala continued her attack on the other blade not targeting the trophy and since she was meeting no resistance to it the saber that was put away should explode. As she felt the force lurch in the form of an attack, she had shielded herself not thinking he'd actually touch another person's apprentice on purpose.

As Krag arrived she only gave him a glance as she didn't wish to antagonize him as of yet. Fighting Marcus alone wouldn't be too easy and she didn't want to have this tank of a Sith gunning for her as well.

"You will die here Marcus."

She would feint up to draw his attention overhead as she did an overhand arcing strike, while in truth channeling a burst of lightning toward Marcus' prostectic leg seeking to further boost the odds in her favor. She grinned as she felt the familiar presence of the dark side wrapping her up in it's wake and flowing through her like a hurricane.

@[member="Krag"]

 

[Marcus Faust]

His eyes widened as he sensed his saber preparing to explode. Ripping it from his belt, he cast it aside, the weapon bursting into a ball of flames. He wouldn't have time to recover as @[member="Kiyala Demont"]'s lightning struck him, the tendrils of electricity forcing him to drop his saber. Oddly though, no cries of pain came, only a laugh as he raised his palms and literally began to absorb all of Kiyala's attack into little orbs of force energy. "Don't play with my toys." He said firmly.

Suddenly, he lashed back out, sending Kiyala's lightning paired with his own back at her in a furious storm of deadly electricity. He'd been using and training in force lightning since he had fallen into darkness, it was his best ability, his trump card, beating him with it would prove extremely difficult. A wicked grin formed under his face as all his hatred poured into the purple tendrils of electricity, one could say he was enjoying this.

@[member="Krag"]
@[member="Arcturus Procyon"]

 

[Kiyala Demont`]

Kiyala found herself filled with a private sense of victory as she watched her strands of lightning connect. She was unprepared for what happened after as the same energy plus more was fueled directly toward her at almost point blank range. Her body flew back upon impact as lightning danced and volleyed over her form as her suit's insulation tried to managed it but could not fully manage it. Only coupled with her force shield was what held Kiyala back from more grievous injuries, as she slowly stood up not realizing her lower right torso was exposed and rather badly burnt.

Her eyes remained determined as she began to slowly chant as the force began to churn and seemingly vomit. Darkness coursed through her being as she employed her magics that would live up to her name as Night Mother. And as opened her eyes a dark mist would roll in only around her obscuring her and her immediate area. She took in a breath to steady her magic, as her form flickered forward toward @[member="Marcus Faust"] with deadly speed.

She would use her power of inertia to speed her movements even faster than what a simple use of force speed could. Delivering low sweeping arcs of death towards his legs before she would seemingly appear to flicker out and in of existence.