Mission Rotten Core

[Spirit of Faith]

GALACTIC ALLIANCE DEFENSE FORCE AND THE NEW JEDI ORDER: THE ERA OF RECLAMATION
CAMPAIGN TO CUT OFF THE CORRIDOR: XA FEL
OPERATION: HEARTSEEKER | MISSION: ROTTEN CORE

“Gaunt faces and hungry eyes… it’s not just their stomachs, General. Their souls are starving. They’ve forgotten what humanity looks like. The whole place reeked like Corellia’s sewers. And kark, the atmosphere… oppressive, heavy, even when you’re not stuck there. It’s more than the smog. I watched a slave master bantha prod a guy, and he turned on his own, just mad with rage. Some don’t even have the spirit to fight. It's like they’ve gone away inside. I dunno what the Maw is doing out there, but I finally understand what evil is.”

Intelligence from the SIA’s first incursions in the corridor has revealed labor camps on the previously GA-held Xa Fel. They are settlements in the loosest of terms- ragged shelter, and malnutrition and disease run rampant. As far as we can see, they are reminiscent of the Geshin War Camps, though far less fortified. Only a light guard is kept. The slaves seem subdued at times, and emotionally volatile others.

A full-fledged extraction is in the works, but with the Maw’s presence in the arm, small teams with relief packages are all we can manage. The world has been taken by a noticeable dark side aura. As such, we will be pairing our GADF squads with reinforcements from Jedi teams as a precaution.

“Remember your orders, and by The Force, don’t try to play the hero. You’re there for relief and further reconnaissance. Do what you need and get out. We will go back for them.”

- General Osarla Ridor​

 

[Henna Ashina]

SHIELD OF TYTHON | CIRCLE OF SEERS | XA FEL SPACE
Asmundr Varobalder | Open

Prosperity was far from inconspicuous - and as such, venturing into Maw's territory for a stealth mission, could not be brought. The seers found themselves on a small, discreet defense force ship instead, with marines giving them odd looks. Hardly the ideal environment for a meditative link, but it would have to do. Worry lined her face as she studied the feeds from navy visors. The source of the dark corruption was still unfounded, despite their probing efforts. Masters and the more experienced Jedi may be able to withstand such an aura with little effort - but masters were far and few, even still, and their resources were stretched with a war on two fronts.

"Shall we, then?"

The robed figure settled onto the floor, legs crossed, eyes closed. Her conscious fluttered through the force. Sticky webs of darkness threatened to ensnare her efforts, but cool grace and peace recoiled it's presence. The Jedi were not difficult to reach. Their tune's played melodious, in stark contrast to the screeching strings which surrounded them. Wrapping each in her efforts, she bolstered them with the courage and tranquility to do what needed done. The link was flimsier than she would have hoped; but with the atmosphere and the lack of aides they would have had on Prosperity, it couldn't be helped. Added focus attempted to shield them from the anguish of the world below. Xa Fel itself wept and it's citizen's cried out.

"Go with purpose, Jedi. Do not falter."

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Xa Fel
Tags: Maran , Dreidi Xeraic , open

Jasper didn't exactly sit comfortably in the cockpit of the Lonestar 1, his trusted freighter. He had made preparations for it to be loaded with cargo to be shuttled to civilians on the planet. This was pretty standard operation. What wasn't so standard was the fact that Maran was here. She was cleared for the mission, much to his dismay. They had worked together with defensive forms at least, and since their last session Maran had been improving, but this was too close to the front lines for comfort. So, he was really going to play by the words that had been imparted to them today. No playing hero. Aid first and foremost.

Dreidi would be there as well, a padawan closer to his age with more experience, so that brought him some comfort. As long as someone was watching someone else's back, they'd be just fine.

Hopefully.

"Alright," Jasper called back from the cockpit. "We're approaching our objective. Remember, this isn't the extraction. We're just getting supplies to civilians on the ground. Something that should help them hold out a little longer. So no running off for any dueling today. We move quickly, and the drawing of weapons is to be purely defensive."

He turned to Maran specifically.

"Do stay close by," he told his student. "You're here for experience, not for glory or anything. We should be fine. The DF will draw most of the Maw's attention, but I wanna make sure that everything goes well." Then he turned to Dreidi. "I trust that you're capable of taking point in getting our supplies out. This is gonna be a quick drop, so just be ready for things to get... chaotic."

How did Valery or anyone else manage things like this on a daily basis. Maybe he aught to go in for some counseling afterwards... Regardless, they were nearing the surface. It wouldn't be long now before they had arrived at their destination, where no doubt hundreds of civilians were awaiting a supply drop.

"Okay," Jasper nodded, giving a confident face. "Any questions before we touch down?"

 

[Valery Noble]

Xa Fel

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: The Bastion
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble Capris Halcyon Corazona von Ascania BB-610

"I feel... something dark down below," Valery said with a deep frown, as the Bastion came down through the atmosphere and approached one of the settlements they had agreed to supply. Normally, any town or city was a bundle of life together and very distinct in the Force. But this settlement felt unusually faint, almost as if most of its inhabitants had left and were replaced by something much darker. It was impossible to tell what caused this from above, but one thing would be certain: something was very wrong.

Looking to her left and right, Valery offered the familiar faces a brief smile and a dip of her head to show she was going to bring them down. She had hoped for this to be an easier mission, so she could work together with her husband and have their Padawans cooperate and learn along the way. It was also going to be a chance for BB-610 to finally meet Kahlil but now, they'd have to take this far more seriously.

This wasn't just a simple relief mission anymore to get away from all the fighting.

Once the ship had finally settled down, Valery lowered the ramp and stepped outside with the others to find what appeared to be a Ghost town, partially obscured by a rather thick fog. Nobody had been drawn to the ship to welcome the off-worlders, and no matter how far they allowed their senses to expand, all they'd feel was a faint tremor of life that was slowly fading out.

"Bee, can you keep an eye on the Padawans as well?" Valery asked quietly, as that uneasy feeling she already had was starting to get worse. Together with Kahlil, they'd be able to observe and help, but she had always been rather protective of Padawans, so her droid helping out would be appreciated.

"Let's take a look around but don't wander off alone. We need to find out what happened to the people who lived here."

Walking up to remain by her husband's side, Valery leaned in a little closer and tried to get his attention for just a moment, "Any idea what could have caused this?" she asked, right as they entered the village and several bundles of vines appeared through the fog, all in seemingly random locations along the path. They were moving and slithering around slowly, and constricting something...

"Is that someone inside of those vines?"

 

[Slayton Wyse]

Location: Xa Fel
Objective: Provide logistic support
Allies: Open

Xa Fel was a testament to the Maw's vile nature.

Once a prosperous world it had devolved into darkness. Its people beaten down and their planet made to serve the war machine of the evil cult. They couldn't save them all. Hell, they couldn't save even a fraction of them. Instead they had to make do with a supply run. Maybe if they had actual good food and other materials, the people would regain some of their posture.

So went the thinking anyway.

Marines had dropped behind enemy lines days ago. Establishing small camp sites in remote places. Not big enough to attract the attention of the Maw, but enough so they could provide logistic support when the Jedi would arrive.

Commander Wyse was near one of those currently.

"Go-time, folks." He'd say as he checked off another piece from his datapad. "The water purifiers go there. We can't give them everything, not even most of the things they need, because we don't want the Maw to notice."

It was frustrating, but Slayton understood.

"Incoming transmission, Commander, the Jedi have entered the system."

Slay nodded there. "Double time then. Once the supplies are delivered we have to evac immediately."

 

[Xashe Tistya]

cat's eyes shining in the darkness
Cordé Sabo | OPEN

Back to the Order. Back to business. Back to the war, back to the parade of years. Too long had Xashe allowed herself respite. The leave hadn't been a vacation - she had taken up in the lower level's dojo, working with force sensitives who, like she, struggled with the firm boundaries the life of a Jedi imposed. It had been necessary. The turmoil and pure rage had been a constant struggle since the promise of her youth - and her counterpart's reemergence and nonchalance had sent her spiraling. Shock boxing and giving back were the only relief.

Yet with the help of Creuat , Xashe had overcome, once more convinced the searing light was the only answer for such volatility. Thus, she found herself on Xa Fel. The ghost of a smile lined her face as she emerged from the ship. The last time she had been her, Taku had gotten himself arrested for ecoterrorism, and Xashe's only response had been to run and tell the master's. How the times had changed. Had he been beside her today, she would have found herself joining the cause.

Instead, she found herself wading through the ravaged system alone, set to meet GADF soldiers and help those enslaved by the Maw. She could feel their suffering. Each had a life before this, and no matter how desolate, it had been torn away by the monsters in the dark. Anger threatened to rear it's head once more. It was the same thing, time and time again - and it never failed to disgust the padawan.

There was little time to brood on the injustices of the galaxy. Shadowy forms emerged from a destroyed building that was their rendezvous point. Conviction vibrated in it's holster, ever so gently. It too recognized the presence of Bogan.

"So." The mirilan addressed the girl who was of an age with her. "Gimme a pack. We'll make better timing. You ready for this?"

An open hand extended with the request. Xashe had long abandoned the garb she once wore with pride. Instead, she had added leggings with the leotard and leather jacket over to protect against the cold. Examination of her partners uniform didn't give much, either.

"Navy?"​

 

[Teshi Ocano]

Logistics Camp, Xa Fel | Slayton Wyse

Xa Fel had proven itself a true shithole. Armor covered in soot, Teshi silently cursed whatever corporate authority that had thoroughly trashed the world. Of course, the Alliance's treatment prior to surrender and Maw's subsequent abuse hadn't helped either - but the Major had enough tallies against them. A nod acknowledge Wyse's timeline. Setting to packing, Teshi adjusted the blaster rifle slung across her chest for the added weight on her back. It wasn't nearly enough. A twinge of sympathy broke the hardened demeanor.

Freezing midmovement, a data feed rolled through her visor. Numbers swelled and disappeared as the necessary decryptions were met. The incoming orders were ominous, hinting at what awaited.

"Wyse, you seeing this?"

The feed continued to roll until it reached the end of the message. Darkness swelled momentarily as the HUD realigned itself with her place on Xa Fel.

"Directive stoneheart."

The confirmation dripped with venom as Teshi uttered the words. It was a relic of a guideline, established in the hayday of the Third Imperial Civil War. Telos raised, she had witnessed it's glory firsthand - no quarter to those taken by darkness, no matter the circumstance. It was a wonder it hadn't been retired - but then again, it hadn't been a worry with the Maw. Their soldiers were indoctrinated and willing to die for their gods of chaos. Redemption was never a consideration to them.

"This can't be good."

The understatement of the millennia.

 

[Osarla Ridor]

GENERAL RIDOR OF THE 222ND
CAMPAIGN TO CLOSE THE CORRIDOR || RELIEF RUN
XA FEL || GADF CAMP OUTSIDE SLAVE ENCAMPMENT
Adric Rocheford || OPEN

​

In and out. The groups were small enough to make the colloquialism an actuality. Orsala hoped, against all odds, altruism’s allure wouldn’t triumph today. They couldn’t afford to give up their position within The Corridor just yet. Soon, but not now.

She coughed into her elbow at a resurgence of rolling smog. She’d taken off her respirator, foolishly for comfort, some hours ago. It seemed like every hour or so, another wave of pollution would roll through their position and thicken the atmosphere with contaminated stink.

By now, the workers of The Maw, the slaves, didn’t cough. They just breathed a little heavier, raspier. The ones they’d interfaced with were worn, weary, and barely holding on. She’d been among the first to touch down on Xa Fel, outside of the SIA’s initial teams, to establish the primary points of contact for receiving the supplies. AS fate would have it, they were a retired member of the defence force, back when the Alliance had been nascent and a coalition of private armies. Now their hand was brittle, mostly bone and thin flesh. She’d squeezed it, and encouraged them to remain strong. That help would be coming. Through the exhaustion, Osarla thought she’d seen them look hopeful. But that might have just been because she so desperately wanted to make sure they understood that they had to hope to survive. Hope was like a little light that could grow and grow in the face of darkness.

And boy, did darkness thrum here. Alive and strong — enough that Stoneheart had been a viable option to approve for her marines’ conduct. Second priority to do not engage. It was only a measure of desperation, should the situation escalate.

Sometimes people just needed something to hurt to help deal with the frustration of the mission's limited scope. She could understand that.

Her comm buzzed: <General Ridor, Master Rocheford has arrived.>

She pinched the space between her eyes and rested a hand on the holotable she’d been using to map out the locations the GADF had stationed camps relative to the different labour areas. She and her team were prepared to load up and deliver to the one highlighted in yellow, less than a click away, in less than five minutes.

<Good. Thank you, I will meet him.>

Drawing herself together, helm braced between her hip and arm, she emerged from the tent to the location where the recently restored Jedi Master would have arrived with an escort.

“Master Rocheford, good to see you. Welcome.” Osarla greeted, nodding enough to tilt her montrals and then she extended her hand for him to shake. “You’re just in time.

I trust you saw my latest outgoing transmission. There's a darkness here that's had time to fester and root — I want us to be as efficient as possible and not overexpose ourselves.”

She made a gesture with her pointer and middle finger that was the nonverbal communique for let's go.

"From your file, it seems you have experience in situations like this. If you have insights you'd like to share, now's the time. We're all about to be on the move."

 

[Adric Rocheford]

XA FEL
Osarla Ridor

It was good to be back in action.

In one way anyway.

Adric would have preferred it to have been a different mission. The darkness and corruption was crawled against his skin, but there was no way to fix it conclusively. They weren't here to liberate the slaves. They couldn't lash out against the Maw overseers. No, they were just here to provide some limited supplies and support.

It was frustrating.

The Jedi Master breathed out. Breathed in. Eyes closed and then opened once more. He could feel the tension slowly seeping out of his clenched fists, until they unwrapped themselves once more.

Right in time to be greeted by General Ridor.

"Master Ridor, or do you prefer General Ridor?" As he took her extended hand for a quick shake. "I saw the missive, indeed. Let us hope it does not come to that. We came here to help these people... not be forced to put them down." Just the mere thought was infuriating. Coming all the way from the Galactic Core just to cause more misery?

It was almost unconscionable.

He followed along with Ridor as the outpost got into gear and then shrugged.

"My experience was with setting up guerilla cells and supporting rebels beyond enemy lines, Ridor." Picking just her name out from between the dueling titles attached to it. "I suppose-" The Force warped slightly, for just a moment, which made Adric frown and then shake his head. "Hard to think with the soot trying to run up your nostrils."

He had taken off his own respirator as well. It was easier to help people if they could see your face.

Trust was on a low pitch these days, especially around these parts.

"We should make sure to provide them tools for maintenance and to teach them how to use it. In weather like this? Without proper maintenance the water filters won't last for long."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

The air was thick with miasma. Kahlil turned his gaze around the village once the ship descended, his eyes narrowed in focus and study. It was unlike anything he'd felt before. He turned his head, glancing to the pair of Padawan's beside them. A simple relief mission, help the locals. Something safer for their young students. This was starting to feel less and less safe by the second.

"Anything happens, watch out for each other first. Master Noble and I will be able to protect ourselves."

That was more directed towards his own Padawan than Cora. He didn't know much about Valery's newer Padawans. Hopefully she wasn't too keen on trying to prove herself even at the risk of her own life.

Hopefully. Kahlil gave them a smile before glancing towards Valery. Shrugging. This wasn't something that seemed familiar. Then again, a lot of the Maw's various cult groups were still relatively unknown to him. So many things to figure out. Right now though? The focus were the people. His eyes narrowed as Valery motioned towards one of the bundles. He closed his eyes, listened to the Force.

Then stepped forward. His saber ignited in a flash of green as he cut through them. Within, a woman with gaunt skin. She seemed severely malnourished.

"Something's draining them."

Valery Noble | BB-610 | Corazona von Ascania | Capris Halcyon

 

[Maran]

Stay close by, don't do anything for glory.

There was little chance of her trying to do anything like that. Maran nodded to her Master, already looking nervous. This was Maw space, right? Or was? She wasn't sure which was more correct on that, but she certainly hoped they were only here to help people and not y'know, fight. Fighting would be bad.

"No questions, master."

Yeah. This should be fine. No combat. They wouldn't expect a Padawan with just a training saber to fight, right?

Jasper Kai'el | Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Capris Halcyon]

LOCATION: Xa Fel
TAGS: Valery Noble Kahlil Noble BB-610 Corazona von Ascania

​

Capris had all but taken a vow of silence since dispatch. A behavior not out of bounds for someone with her lack of sociability. But the thinly-veiled hate roiling off her aura certainly suggested her mind was preoccupied with a deeper issue.

Slavers.

The word itself was a raw nerve. A true repugnant evil with nothing short of a chokehold on the galaxy. With nothing short of a chokehold on her, inviting images of Zygerria back to the forefront of her mind. She admittedly hadn’t divulged much of her past to Kahlil, or frankly anyone for that matter. Their connection was newly forged, promising but relatively untested in the grand scheme of things. And at least for the duration of the mission, she intended to rely on no one but herself. Her competency, emotional or otherwise, could not fall into question. She just wouldn't allow it. Whatever front she’d have to construct in order to ensure her nerve held was simple collateral.

Eyes trained on the horizon; Capris only spared a fleeting glance towards the two unfamiliar faces that made up the company. A padawan close in age to herself and an imperial droid? Huh, weird. From what she understood both were here courtesy of Valery. The former being her very own padawan and, if her name was anything to go by, completely loaded. Capris regarded her as Kahlil addressed them both, sticking Capris with a pointed look as if to snuff out whatever reckless impulses she already had brewing. With an absent-minded nod, she shrugged off his remark, instead turning sights to their surroundings.

“Kark this place is chit-hole.”

The village barely had a pulse. Void of any life outside of the cold dead earth. The kid booted away one of the many vines strangling the landscape, her grimace only deepening as Valery drew attention towards one cluster in specific. In the next breath Kahlil uncovered its secret, a skeletal-looking woman slumping free of her leafy confines.

As if it were reflex, Capris rushed down to the women’s level, catching her frail body as it swung in and out of consciousness. “She’s got a pulse.” The girl reported, stifling her initial surprise “It's weak, but stabilizing.” With two fingers pressed against the woman's neck, a mix of concern and resolve wormed its way into her expression. Only to be shadowed by relief a moment later as the woman finally stirred, eyes blinking open with haunted expression.

Before she could mutter out something of reassurance, the woman's emaciated hand gripped her forearm tight, croaking out something in a foreign language.

 

[Iris Arani]

"Alright! First mission together. As Master and Padawan. I'm not nervous."

She was, in fact, nervous. Getting the transition from their relationship as friends to a proper master and padawan wasn't something that was going to be easy. At least in her mind, anyway. They talked about it before, even set some ground rules. Didn't mean she was wholly prepared. At least she had some experience with Zak Dymo. Yeah they'd have to meet at some point.

Iris turned her gaze up towards the mechanical suit, offering a smile.

"You ready? We're going after a bandit group raiding one of the villages. With the Maw's attention away, they snuck in. Idea is to get them to leave, not kill them all. Okay?"

Zoar

 

[Cordé Sabo]

______________________________________________________________
D U L C E T
XA FEL | SLAVE CAMP PERIMETER
MISSION VIDE CONTINUUM || TASK FORCE NULL
______________________________________________________________

Hunched over one of the packs and making sure its vacuum seal hadn’t been tampered with, Cordé grimmaced when the Jedi arrived. She’d heard it announced over her comms, which gave her enough time to look listless when she glanced up to the green silhouette reaching out for one of the items meant to be delivered.

It was dismaying how little there was, but there had to be in order to remain untraceable. Water purifiers, dehydrated foodstuffs, and basic medical instruments such as bandages, antiseptics, and bacta patches. Enough to prolong survival but not much else.

Wordlessly, she nodded, finished her inspection, and gripped a group of handles to sling out toward the mirialan. Each pack was barely ten pounds, and they were tasked with making at least eight drops intermittently placed throughout the camp.

Cordé secured her share of the load over her shoulders and on her back.

"Navy?"

“Sure.” Cordé responded to both questions with a careless shrug. To most, she was just wearing black a combat suit not marked up with typical Defense Force designations. Which was true, just outfitted with more technology and layers to provide a comprehensive defence against energy and kinetic weaponry and energy based attacks.

Her heads up display blinked once, and she shoved the visor up and against her forehead. Immediately, the smoggy air stung her eyes and she coughed once into her elbow. She could feel defensive tears threatening to make lenses over her eyes to counter the thickness of the air and she wiped them away with the heel of her hand.

“We just got the green to go.” Oh, was that a bad choice of words? She might have loathed Jedi, but she wasn’t totally xenophobic. She winced out a small heh that would suffice as both acknowledgement and apology, and gave a two-finger point in the direction the group was supposed to go.

Broken and foreboding shadows stood out black through the thick gray-green mist. She started walking toward the miasma, not bothering to turn around and address the Jedi with proper eye contact. She might have to work with them, but she didn't have to take additional steps to be comradely.

“Remember, first orders are not to engage. We drop, and we get out.”

______________________________________________________________
ALLIES | GADF | NJO | SLAVES | Xashe Tistya | Pyke Lazar maybe | Nyla Ven OPEN
ENEMIES | BROTHERHOOD OF THE MAW
______________________________________________________________​

 

[BB-610]

| LOCATION: Xa Fel |
| TAG: Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble | Corazona von Ascania | Capris Halcyon |

There's a first for everything, they say, and this finally marked the very first time that BB-610 wasn't excited about a mission with Valery. Not because he was against her company, no-- quite the contrary, with the droid sticking to her like superglue throughout the entirety of their journey. No, it was because of the underlying cocktail of tension and dread that enveloped the atmosphere aboard the Bastion as it reached the grungy surface of Xa Fel. Warts and all, he'd always seen Valery with nothing but a smile; warm and encouraging, through thick and thin and against all mistakes the astromech had made. This assignment had left him with a bitter aftertaste, because BB-610 had finally gotten a sample of what it felt like to see her without the warmth in her words and the confidence in her smile.

It was horrible.

While things had headed off to a bad start, there was an argument to be made that, sure, as unorthodox a feeling as it was, BB-610 could have handled it if it were just the pair of them. It was the additional company of her husband and two Padawans - none of which he'd ever seen before, mind you - which further sucked any semblance of comfort from the room. Valery had spoken so highly of her partner, and he had no reason to discredit her praise; from the little he'd garnered from overhearing distant conversations from within Vera's room, he sounded rather charming. It's unfortunate, then, that the droid felt such a visceral need to impress that it would have gotten him sweating buckets had he been organic. He knew next to nothing about the duo's Padawans, and the astromech's skittish nature had given him a slight discomfort when it came to strangers.

"Bee, can you keep an eye on the Padawans as well?"

Her voice had perked him up in an instant, grounding him to reality as the ramp invited them outside into the blinding fog. Immediately, BB-610 whirled his head around to cast a glance at the Padawans in question, then back to Valery, and hastily nodding - perhaps a bit too eagerly for his liking - in fear of disappointing. Biting back all instincts to hug the Jedi's feet in favor of letting her stay by Kahlil's side, BB-610 instead lingered around the younger girls, rolling slowly across vines and dirtied floors as their group pressed forth. Activating his flashlight to ease their way, the droid's lifeform scanner arose from his head, circling as it surveyed the area for any nearby survivors.

"Is that someone inside of those vines?"

Narrowing his optic for a better view, BB-610 held his flashlight steady as the two Jedi Masters approached a figure; female, clinging onto life. Trusting the group's experienced leaders, the astromech opted to ensure the safety of the Padawans, turning his head to look back at-- Fwoosh. One of them had immediately pushed past him, ignorant of the desperate shriek of binary telling her to be careful as Capris Halcyon rushed to the woman. Chassis beginning to tremble, BB-610 peered up at the other girl - Corazona von Ascania - as quiet bweeps and chirps politely asked her to stay close to him. At this point, he wasn't even certain if it was for her comfort anymore.

If she'd decided to listen, BB-610 would lead her over to the other three, flashlight turned off as to not blind the malnourished survivor. Hearing about her pulse, the astromech slid open one of his tool-bay disk's compartments, welding torch flickering to life with re-directed power to ensure its flame burned bright. Ever so carefully, he inched forward, offering the poor woman some warmth in as best an attempt he could manage to regulate her body temperature. Lifeform scanner never once stopping, BB-610 turned to the group, solemnly droning in droidspeak as he informed the four of them that he'd picked up on a number of organics scattered across the landscape, and that a worrying amount of them had started to disappear off his scans.

 

[Nyla Ven]

​

​

​

Equipment: In Bio
Location: Xa Fel, Slave Camp Perimeter
Allies: Xashe Tistya | Cordé Sabo | GADF | NJO | Slaves | Open
Opposition: Brotherhood of the Maw | Open
​

Nyla Ven was a ghost. That was what she told herself, anyway. She was a ghost. Unseen, unheard, unknown. Light and sound bent about her to conceal her from mundane senses, and the Force itself worked to hide her presence. So long as she kept. Her. Focus.

That was easier said than done. Cloaking came easier to her than it did to most, true enough, but she walked among the damned and dying, and such acute suffering would threaten break almost any Jedi's concentration. As the padawan trod unseen along the perimeter of this particular camp, she fought the urge to reach out. To heal wounds. To break shackles. To do something.

That, of course, was not her job. Not yet. She had been assigned to reconnaissance duty. Get information on the target's security, debrief the rest of the relief team, and then, and only then, enter the camp proper.

Speaking of her team, it was probably about time to go meet them.

From the perspective of the rest of the team, Nyla Ven simply appeared out of the miasmatic smog in front of them, a few hundred meters ahead of the slave "settlement" that was their objective, clad in a simple black jumpsuit marking her as a member of the New Jedi Order, hands fiddling with a small, largely featureless datapad.

"Xashe Tistya, Cordé Sabo. Nyla Ven. I'm your intel." Nyla offered a polite, cordial nod and smile to her comrades before clearing her throat. "Nothing too unusual to report upon initial reconaissance, thankfully. Guard presence at the target is nominal - almost entirely slavers. No surprise artillery or turbolaser emplacements waiting for us, at least not visibly, either. As for possible entry-points, there's a small hole in the eastern wall - no extra security in the area, though. I suppose the Maw simply isn't worried about runaways."

Well. Hopefully, they'd be fixing that today. Nothing like a little hope to inspire resistance, after all.

 

[Joseph Torson]

---

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T H E_R O T T E N_C O R E

THE FINAL DAWN
XA FEL, CORE WORLDS

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---

A Trio of Light Cruisers emerged from hyperspace, arriving in proximity of Xa Fel and marking the arrival of the Hand of Judgement. Despite the fact that Xa Fel was officially considered as territory of the Final Dawn, as was the case with various other Final Dawn-worlds, other Mawites seemed to ignore such a fact and operate as they saw fit on Final Dawn worlds. From major figures such as Kyrel Ren and Tu'teggacha to smaller groups such as a Coven of Witches on Selvaris, it was clear that few actually respected the authority of the Final Dawn within the Brotherhood of the Maw, an issue which had long bothered the Final Dawn's High Regent Marlon Sularen.

As such in response to both these infringements and recent Jedi-led raids into Final Dawn territory within and near the Maw Corridor, Sularen had sought to consolidate his rule within the Corridor by eliminating all groups of interests who undermined his authority whether they were Mawites or Local Rebel Cells. In order to accomplish this, the High Regent sought to make use of his own private secretive elite paramilitary force known as the Hand of Judgement to carry out such an operation as discreetly to avoid any sort of interference from other Mawite Subgroups. Xa Fel would soon be selected as the first planet to be targeted by such an operation, thus leading to the arrival of the three light cruisers at Xa Fel.

​

The Three Light Cruisers would continue their approach towards Xa Fel, passing by elements of the Kanchen Sector Fleet stationed above the Planet and beginning to make their way into the upper atmosphere. Soon enough, a single Sith Infiltrator Shuttle would emerge from the lead Light Cruiser's ventral hangars, immediately heading towards one of the larger labor camps located on the site of an abandoned Sith Enclave formerly utilized by the Corporate Protectorate over two decades ago. Eventually the Shuttle would proceed to land on a rundown runway, and a man in a Black Phrik-plated Armor would emerge from the Sith Shuttle escorted by a group of Elite Soldiers.

As the Man and his Elite Soldiers made their way out of the shuttle, a group of slavers would approach them, guns drawn somewhat oblivious as to who they were, but the insignias on the shoulder pads of both the Man and his Soldiers was enough to make then stand-down, as the man approached the lead slaver. "Take me to whoever is in charge of this facility." he said. The slaver who wasn't expecting the arrival of the man and his soldiers, proceeded to respond. "Ye-yes, sir. Right this way" he said. Soon enough the slavers were leading the group of HoJ Soldiers straight towards the main building at the center of the labor camp, where the individual in charge of this operation was most certainly residing within.

The High Regent's Secret Personal Police Force had made Landfall on Xa Fel and they were going to re-assert his authority over the entirety of the planet in a swift and ruthless manner. No one whether would be spared from their purge, whether they were a Local Rebel Cell or an Unchecked Group of Mawites. By day's end, Xa Fel would be firmly under the grasp of the Final Dawn once more.

---

Tags [GA/NJO] | Nyla Ven | Xashe Tistya | Cordé Sabo ​

---

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Xa Fel looked like something straight out of a horror holo. Cora did not care for horror holos.

Ever dutiful, the Padawan nodded in understanding to the words of her Master–and Master’s husband. There was little incentive for her to depart from the group as it was. The further they ventured into the desolate village, the more it felt like they were trying to lance a festering wound.

“Kark this place is chit-hole.”

“Oh-” Cora’s hand covered her mouth primly in surprise, not expecting the expletives from the other Padawan. “You are…not incorrect.” She admitted, still a little off kilter from the coarse language and their dreadful surroundings. An aristocratic upbringing had not prepared her for any of this. A single glance at Master Noble’s back brought her a measure of reassurance, and she gravitated a little closer to BB-610 at his urging.

Kahlil slashed away a gathering of vines, revealing the skeletal body of a woman. A horrified gasp tore from Cora’s lips, and she reflexively reached out for Capris just as the other Padawan had darted forwards to assist.

“W-wait! We’re not supposed to-”

A surprising pang of jealousy cut her voice short. Cora was obedient to a fault, raised under a heavy hand to respect authority. Even when out from under her father’s omnipresent influence, she still had trouble acting when necessary. The other Padawan hadn’t hesitated to help, pressing her fingers to the suffering woman’s carotid in search of a pulse.

“It’s okay, Bee.” Cora pressed a trembling hand to the droid’s chassis. It was a small comfort to know that she was not the only one visibly uneasy, and she offered the bot a small, awkward smile.

Trailing behind BB-610, the pair drew closer in time to see the woman’s gaunt fingers reach out and grasp Capris with an impressive amount of strength for someone who looked to be on the verge of death. Cora grimaced at the scene, wavering between turning away and leaning forwards to try and decipher what she was saying.

She shifted too far forward. As if sensing the organic life force, a pair of vines darted from the overgrowth and seized both of Cora’s wrists. The Padawan thrashed frantically as she was forcefully dragged into the tangle, another vine slithering its way around her midriff, intent on pulling her deeper into the sickly abyss.

Cora’s eyes widened in desperate fear as she struggled against the vicious flora. Blondes always died first in the holos.

Valery Noble Kahlil Noble Capris Halcyon BB-610

 

[Zoar]

Iris wasn't the only one feeling the nerves.

There were a scant few times that Zoar felt nearly invincible in his powersuit. Like he could take on the world, one rotten problem at a time. But more often than not, Zoar felt exposed, even within his armor. Like anyone could come along and crack his thin shell, to get at the tiny, defenseless Padawan within.

Add that feeling of danger alongside Zoar's own anxieties about impressing his former-friend-turned-mentor, and...

//Who's nervous?,// he said, nervous. //Not me. I'm cool as a cuke.//

If he said it enough, maybe it'd be true?

//Scare them off?// The Miln considered the mission, before nodding. The mech produced a greatsaber from the confines of it's leather cuirass, holding the unlit weapon tightly in a manipulator. //We can do that, I bet.//

- Iris Arani -

 

[Valery Noble]

Xa Fel

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: The Bastion
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble BB-610 Capris Halcyon Corazona von Ascania

While Valery's eyes were fixated on the woman freed by her husband, her senses extended far beyond the immediate area. Bee's scan had revealed that this woman wasn't the only victim, and the Force confirmed the same. She could feel the life forces of many more inhabitants slowly being drained to a void, which meant the group had immediately run into a problem. This was a race against the clock, and the fastest way to help these people was to split up and free them all before it was too late.

But separation also introduced an uncomfortable amount of risk, and she already felt just how tense everybody was together.

"We'll have to get to the others quickly but be careful cutting them free. We don't want to harm them on accident," Valery said, as her gaze shifted to Cora. With each step forward her Padawan took, Valery felt a tension rising in the Force that she couldn't quite comprehend until-

"Cora!" Valery exclaimed with widened eyes, as vines lashed out and seized her Padawan. Without wasting even a second, Valery reached for the hilt of her weapon and charged forward to free the young woman, but in her powerful desire to protect her Padawan, she let her guard down just a second too long.

From her right side, a long vine rapidly extended and wrapped itself around her ankle to pull her down and smash her body into the ground. Lights of consciousness flickered inside her fiery eyes on impact, but she was given no time to recover. The thorned vine slithered its way around her leg, injecting her with a deadly poison that she was able to resist through the Force, but only if she retained her ability to connect with it.

More vines were quick to strangle themselves around her, from her legs to her waist, her upper body, and even her neck until only a muffled yelp of pain escaped the entangled woman's lips. The vines were looking to enter through mouth and nose, as they had done with other victims in an attempt to drain them of their life force. And with a deadly poison being held back only by her strength in the Force, there was little time to waste.

"Meat. Meat. Meat. Meat."

​