Dominion Secrets of Ninn | TSE Dominion of Ninn

[Celeste Demici]

Hyrva Vh'akli
Truthspeaker, The Prophet, Lady of Throdog N'ghftor, Witch Elder​

Objective: BYOO (Free her people and bring them home)
Location: Crashed ship, forest/jungle, Ninn
Equipment: Shield talisman || Empyrean gland
Tags: Open

Ah'hri ainah, llll ot zhro f' ymg' ahor mgah'n'ghft hafh.

In the end, the journey was nowhere near as pleasant and easy as one might expect. Everyone may have been healthy, but they were urban, not used to travelling in a forest with no way for them. Last but not least, the others needed food and water, which they didn’t really find here. They didn’t know what they could eat from the plants, what the impact would be. Home plants and animals were known, but it was a whole new world. And with so many people, the life force of several large animals would have been needed to keep everyone well.

Ah'hri ainah, llll ot zhro f' ymg' ahor mgah'n'ghft hafh.

A lake was found roughly halfway, and Hyrva had to make sure of the water quality. If it had been poisoned, she could have used the Force to empty the poison out of her body. However, it was drinkable; however, this did not resolve the issue and concern that her men were still hungry and weakened from it. Even Hyrva only tried cautiously at Korriban to eat solid food because they were so very different from any other way of life. She didn't want to risk the lives of her own. If it weren’t for the members of the Touched race, she would have left them alone a long time ago, but with her own, she would never have done so.

Ah'hri ainah, llll ot zhro f' ymg' ahor mgah'n'ghft hafh.

Since she could do nothing else, gave a little of her own life force to the hungry people. After the lake, as soon as everyone could drink and refresh, they could continue their travel. From there, it might have been only two or three hours to get to the coordinate she had received earlier. She hoped they would still be there who the droid spotted. After all, even if they did not help, they could still serve them as food in order to survive this difficult period…

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: 2, Investigate the great church of the Priests of Ninn

Location: Outside the great church of the Priests of Ninn

Equipment: Lightsaber

Tags: Alina Tremiru Jayda Aryss Eligor Rahvok
------------------------------------------

It took all of about three seconds for Alisteri to wind up being overwhelmed. No matter how fast or wide his swings into the mass of creatures were, they just kept coming. Undeterred by the slaying of their comrades and hungry for his death, they just charged on. Combine that with the fact that his lightning was getting less and less powerful as used it, and it didn’t take long for one to slip through and knock him down.

Thinking quickly, his hand shot up to grab the beast by what he assumed to be the throat, sending a bolt of lightning straight through the back of its head. His grip on his lightsaber almost slipped as one of the creatures bit down on his arm, right near the elbow in fact. Had it not been for the timely arrival of a flashbang, he might have lost his arm.

His vision and hearing were rendered almost useless by the flashbang of course, he made a mental note to invest in some form of protection from that at a later date, but thankfully he still had his lightsaber. Waving it wildly as the creatures were still reeling from the grenade, he clambered to his feet and kept on hacking into them.

Their numbers had been thinned a decent bit already, but there were still far too many to try and escape. Even with most of them still suffering from the flashbang. He couldn’t see or hear them clearly still, but he figured that if he just kept swinging then he’d at least buy himself some time.

Thankfully, he evidently wasn’t fighting alone anymore.

His eyesight had properly returned just in time to catch one of his companion’s husks slam into one of the creatures that had gotten under his swing. ...They do know they’re supposed to be eating me and not eachother right? Oh well, he wasn’t about to complain.

Besides, he could see Alina again and he wasn’t about to let anything stop him from getting back to her.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Objective: 2, Investigate the great church of the Priests of Ninn
Location: Outside the great church of the Priests of Ninn
Equipment: In sig
Tags: Darth Strosius Jayda Aryss Eligor Rahvok

Sith magic.

Alina’s yellow eyes immediately fell in the direction of the other pair of acolytes, narrowed. She recognized the incantation. A sorcerer, here? Unexpected, but not unwelcome. Another flash of blue caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Her vision was still blurred, but she could see it nevertheless.

Alisteri.

The husks did as they were asked, mindlessly assaulting their brethren without question. An interesting power, and one she certainly would remember in the future. “Drain them, then instill them with your blood. They’ll become like those.. Things in that bone chamber.” From just before they were turned, no less.

Her Lightspear ripped through another of the creatures as it leaped at her. It wasn’t that her wounds were just healed. She was overflowing with power. At least, that’s how it felt. She raised a hand, pulling on the flow through several of the beasts. Blood erupted from their eyes, nose, mouth. She forcibly took the Anima right from their bodies.

Then turned her hand to her friend. The blood pooled and flowed towards Alisteri, slowly circling around him. “This will help your wounds!”

 

[Celeste Demici]

Hyrva Vh'akli
Truthspeaker, The Prophet, Lady of Throdog N'ghftor, Witch Elder​

Objective: BYOO (Free her people and bring them home)
Location: Outside the great church of the Priests of Ninn
Equipment: Shield talisman || Empyrean gland
Tags: Darth Strosius | Jayda Aryss | Eligor Rahvok | Alina Tremiru

Nog, nog, nog ng mgsyha'h f' mggoka'ai ah'legeth ahehyee mgleth!

The short rest did not improve the situation of the townspeople much, for they should have had at least a half-day rest here in this place. Most of them were really artisans or merchants, not farmers or workingmen. They were not used to such walks. As a matter of fact, Hyrva is not very much either, as she spent most of her time sitting in the Forbidden City, writing her Codex, or just discovering and inventing alchemical and sorcery things. The only luck was that the weather turned out to be optimal, it wasn’t too hot, it wasn’t too cold and it wasn’t raining.

Nog, nog, nog ng mgsyha'h f' mggoka'ai ah'legeth ahehyee mgleth!

Along the way, it became apparent that Hyrva’s own hadn’t eaten in days because they didn’t think that when they killed the slave traders in self-defence, they wouldn’t find food either. So it didn’t help either, let alone that they were already starting to get out of the state of shock, meaning there was less and less adrenaline in their bodies, which also made them tired and weakened. Because of this, the small team had to stop more and more, for longer and longer, because they were exhausted. As a result, the journey of barely two to three hours became nearly four to six hours.

Nog, nog, nog ng mgsyha'h f' mggoka'ai ah'legeth ahehyee mgleth!

By the end, Hyrva was really tired, not to mention the others. As soon as they arrived near the temple, she could really feel those who were there, though several aura were rather strange; but she got to know one. She had worked with her before in Korriban, she was one of the children who was there to study. If she remembered well, her name was Alina. This, in turn, gave rise to hope that those who were here might help them. When they got there, she even saw the four people fighting different creatures. Her own had been hiding in the woods for now, though they were already visible to everyone.

Nog, nog, nog ng mgsyha'h f' mggoka'ai ah'legeth ahehyee mgleth!

"My people need your help…"

Nog, nog, nog ng mgsyha'h f' mggoka'ai ah'legeth ahehyee mgleth!

The Truthspeaker reached out to the Force, sweeping lightning through those who attacked Alina and her allies. Hyrva reached out to the Force again after the lightning and began to drain the enemy's life force to regain her own strength and her fatigue would pass.

 

[Mazrim Caide/Taim]

Objective: 1

Tags: Cara Dorniarn Telis Taharin-Zambrano

Caide doesn’t verbally respond, instead simply beginning to move on an intercepting course to catch the cowardly muun, palming his compact fighting knife. The plan was to take the trader alive, but he’d take a quiet corpse over a loud captive. The target comes into view, isolated and alone in the hall except for a clerk changing shifts. Caide wanted to avoid a mess if possible, even if the cameras were under control, shifts would change at some point and bodies were difficult to hide in such a clean and orderly space. Thinking quickly, he heads over to a nearby panel and jams his knife under the screen, instantly setting off the tamper alarm. The clerk, knowing procedure, instantly changes direction and heads to the front desk to report. The second he is out of sight the legionnaire makes his move,darting up behind the merchant and slamming his head into the duracrete wall with the force of his entire bodyweight, instantly knocking him out cold with a nasty sounding crunch. Tying and gagging the Muun quickly, Caide tosses him in a nearby closet before accessing his comms.

“Target one neutralized and restrained. He’ll be out for at least a few hours. Doctor Dorniarn, can you mark the spot on the feed for later retrieval? Moving to intercept remaining targets.”

Caide doesn’t wait for an answer, shutting down his device and moving towards the eastern corridor, rolling his shoulder and walking at a steady but casual clip to avoid suspicion. As he moves, his one green eye darts around constantly, looking for any threats hiding in the shadows. He makes it to the possession’s locker and sees his targets, but there are simply too many uninvolved parties to act without making a scene. Caide has no choice but to shadow them deeper into the building, taking him out of Cara’s sight for a bit as they enter a corridor with no cameras, only showing up again once they enter the vip hanger the targets had to themselves...a hanger guarded by at least 6 armed mercenaries. Eye twitching, Caide gets on comms with a gruff voice, obviously annoyed.

“There are too many guards to avoid making a scene. Do I have permission to commit to an open engagement?”

 

[Jayda Aryss]

Objective 2: Investigate the church
Location: Inside the Monastery
Equipment: Will figure out later
Tags: / Eligor Rahvok \/ Alina Tremiru \/ Darth Strosius \

There were words spoken by the taller of the pair, that much registered in her mind. What didn’t register, at least, not at first, was what was spoken. That much, unfortunately, took a few moments to fully make its way through her mind. When it finally did, it was much, much too late. “Don’t you da-!” She was cut off, shoved through the portal and into the awaiting muddy ground outside.

She was going to die. This acolyte had just sentenced her to death. By the time she managed to find her feet, one of these horrifying beasts was going to have her head in one of their maws, crunching it between like a piece of jamba fruit. There was no saving herself this time.

The unrelenting anxiety seemingly slowed all of time around her. Jayda could vaguely recognize the sounds of battle around her, beginning to look up to where the other pair of what she could only think was acolytes battled their own group of monsters, right before her vision was obscured by a massive, furry, beast. The one that was going to end her life, and the one that would finally release her from the tortuous hell that was never living up to the standards set out before her.

Time was still slowed, but as the seconds ticked by, she began to realize she had not yet succumbed to the dark grip of the nether. Her eyes once again fell on the beast, realizing suddenly that there was no light behind those horrifying eyes anymore. The silver shaft of her unwilling partner’s spear was lodged deep into the monster, and eyes moved from the beast to where the woman stood beside her.

The words from Eligor, despite the same confidence filling them that had only a few moments before invigorated Jayda, no longer did so for the blonde woman. She slowly stood, gaze full of daggers pointed directly toward the sorceress, and the words she responded with dripping with the poison of anger and frustration. “Yes. I absolutely do believe you would.” She would not give the woman the satisfaction of seeing her face after her response, darting forward into the fray.

Jayda was barely able to move past the previous beast in front of her before being suddenly stopped by another. She should’ve been scared, should’ve been fully ready to die yet again. Instead, a roar of anger and pain echoed from deep within her throat at the very sight of the thing stopping her once again. Anger at these beasts, anger Eligor throwing her into danger with no real plan, and anger at the failure she was. The thing seemed undisturbed by her pain, instead taking the time to swipe down at where she stood, only to find it’s arm suddenly dislodged from the elbow down, with the useless appendage falling to the ground.

Her blade hummed in righteous anger, and for first time since she stepped foot into the sith’s training…

The acolyte’s eyes flashed gold.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: 2, Investigate the great church of the Priests of Ninn

Location: Outside the great church of the Priests of Ninn

Equipment: Lightsaber

Tags: Alina Tremiru Jayda Aryss Eligor Rahvok @Hyrva



Alisteri could feel something odd in the Force, something unfamiliar. It was then that he noticed that He and Alina weren’t alone against these beasts. Huh, I guess that’s where the flashbang came from then. He only had time to spare a glance or two their way though, too occupied with cutting his way to his companion. Thankfully the husks made up for his lack of lightning. He didn’t bother trying to use the lightning again, he knew his limits and he had passed them with it.

A look of confusion crossed his face at her words, a grunt leaving him as the claws of a creature managed to slice at his leg before he cut it in two. “Do I even want to know how you figured that out?” The answer didn’t really matter, the results spoke for themselves.

Turning more of these creatures onto their side was tempting, but he didn’t try it just yet. He did drain a couple of the beasts, but he was intent on healing himself before he tried this new trick. Better to stick with what he knew worked for time-being.

He had no real response as the blood flowed towards him however, simply casting a look her way.

There was no time to question it however, they still had plenty of creatures to slay. He could save the confusion for after. Said confusion was only added to as a large group of the creatures were suddenly cut down by a swathe of Force Lightning. Feth, how many people did they send to this church?

Oh well, he could complain whenever he wasn’t fighting for his life.

 

[Eligor Rahvok]

Eligor Rahvok - Post 3

Objective 2: Investigate the Church and locate Saaraishash

Equipment: Light armor, spear.

Tag: Jayda Aryss | @hyrva | Darth Strosius | Alina Tremiru

“Uhp--!” Eligor watched as the girl stormed past herself and the shield, a look of surprise on her face. A beast lunged forward with maw gaping, only to slam into the shield then backtrack with a whimper. Taken back, Elli's attention withdrew from Jayda for a moment, the sorceress breaking her stance to dismiss the shield. Her spear rose close to her cheek, her aim tracking the fleeing creature. A metal tune was sung as the weapon lanced the air, pinning two of the animals to the wall, their blood obscuring an ancient religious relief.


Eligor took a second to observe her work but soon remembered: Jayda!

She spun around with the name faint on her tongue, hot worry in her mind. The violent crashes of red plasma were a surprise but most importantly a comfort. The girl found her fire, though Eligor was certain Jayda imagined the sorceress’s head to be the one tumbling across the floor instead of the creature’s. Jayda was a ball of unfettered rage and caustic venom.

And she was gorgeous.

Eligor, confident her partner was capable of handling herself, refocused on the sanguine pool and extended both hands while muttering a string of High Sith.

FZZZAP!

Behind their dogged brawl a rippling arc of electricity consumed a swath of the unidentified red-eyed quadrupeds! She ducked her head then turned on heel, preparing to see one of the other Sith having unleashed the blast. Instead it was a woman unfamiliar, a group of wearier looking fellows tagging behind her and looking near-collapse.

“Well I certainly hope that stays intended for the beasts!” Though hands still reflexively held in front, Eligor speaks as if impressed. Soon as she took a step forward a shrieking beast bolted past, the blood-formed minor spirit quick on its heels. The shrieks fell silent in the adjacent room, the spirit returning in a blur of gore and fur.

Elli turned back, stretching out a hand to summon the spear. It seemed things were finally beginning to simmer down...and, well, sizzle.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Objective: 2, Investigate the great church of the Priests of Ninn
Location: Outside the great church of the Priests of Ninn
Equipment: In sig
Tags: Darth Strosius Jayda Aryss Eligor Rahvok @Hyrva

“These things bite.” That was all she was going to say on the subject. Alina’s gaze turned over the ever moving shadows, wary of more of these beasts arriving. Of these creatures being more than her stamina could handle. Another massive flash of lighting took her by surprise. Ali?

No, someone else. Her eyes turned to the mysterious figure. The battle seemed over. The few remaining red eyes started to scatter and run, only to be hunted by the husks Alina had created. With the danger seemingly passed her saber receded into the staff. “.. Well. It’s good we weren’t alone, huh.”

A relieved smile formed as her eyes fell on the masked acolyte once again. She stepped right up to him, seeming like she was about to pull him into a hug. But she stopped herself. They weren’t alone. Instead she reached out to squeeze his hand briefly.

“We survived. Again.”

 

[Terence]

Secrets of Ninn​

Objective: 3
Location: Ninn, outside of syndicate compound
Notable Equipment:
Tags: Lesaj Kaden Farr

And there he was, at the very edge of the galaxy, far removed from the core. In a way, it was just like home but this was far less pleasant. At least it paid well, something which was always appreciated. As of late, Terence had been working more with the Sith than he was used to, both lending them a hand here and on Velmor. This time, however, he would be working on the ground instead of flying his fighter up in the skies.

He was attacking a compound controlled by a syndicate which had been a nuisance for the locals. The Sith was about to show them how to take out a criminal threat. In this case, it would be through the use of Mercenaries. Armed with a marksman's rifle, blaster pistol and a vibrosword, Terence had been approaching the building at a rather leisurely pace. While others rushed there, he felt no such need. If nothing else, it would allow him to see what kind of defences he was up against without having to do much scouting of his own. Maybe it would have been more efficient, both in regards to manpower and operational speed if they had worked together and done it right. But now, it was a free for all, and Terence was not there for charitable reasons.

Once close enough, the Mercenary stepped out of his speeder and strolled into the turbolift of a nearby building. This was still the easy part. The rooftop was a good vantagepoint as it rested higher than the roof of the complex he was about to invade. Still appearing as a person who had all the time in the world, Terence crouched down and brought out his rifle in order to use its scope. It would allow him to see so much more.

By one side of the compound, two armoured speeders laid on the ground. Burning and about to become mere wreckages. A few bodies laid by its side and two Rodians hid between the one that seemed to be further away from blowing up, desperately firing their rifles against the well defended facilities. Terence brought the scope to another point, knowing that the time for the Rodians was about to run out. Observing another angle, he saw a more well organised team - they had spread out across the street and used smoke screens to cover their approach. But as they got closer, he noticed how more and more either dead or injured assailants littered the streets, indicating that the defenders had either reinforced the flank with additional firepower, or brought in better scopes, possibly with infrared sight.

From what he could observe, they had their defences in order. The question was how he was going to get in, for approaching from the sides seemed suicidal and assuming that they had no defences against dropships or speeders coming in from above seemed overly optimistic. Yet, there had to be some way to get in, he just had to find it. Suddenly, he spotted another who stood further back, a weird looking Rattataki "Smart" he mumbled, assuming she was doing exactly what he was doing too. With a smirk, he fired a shot aimed just in front of her feet followed by a wave. Perhaps this was one of those missions where he could use someone who was smart.

 

[Telis Taharin-Zambrano]

Post: IV
Tags: Mazrim Caide/Taim | Cara Dorniarn

Telis couldn’t help but find his nod nodding in conjunction with Cara’s words. They were simply, but beautifully, spoken and nothing was said that didn’t need to be said. And with the Pillar of Production now set to guiding Mazrim, Telis was left to his own devices to control the house around him. His focus narrowed onto the immediate world around him, and with a single deep breath, he began:

”Now, while it is most on the mind, I will just simply put this: this planet will be annexed by the Sith one way or another. Whether it is by the hand of the Empire and if it is militant or peaceful, then, largely remains in the air. I will not try to lie to you all about the circumstances, unlike the Jedi.” Telis once more stood, brushing off his armor and clasping his hands behind his back to address the room.

”What power you do have, then is how this planet comes under Sith control and, more importantly, how you fare during the transition. The Sith economic sector has taken damage, that is true. Many of our old economists have since fled and left stains upon the Empire… but that means that the market is more open than ever. The perfect chance for a corporate rise for most anybody here… so long as they are willing to take it.

Looking down to inspect his fingers for a brief moment, Telis looked once again at the whole of the room, scanning over faces and trying to gauge just how the room was feeling. Slowly he let his power bleed off into the air, letting his presence magnetize eyes to him and keep thoughts focused on him. ”So what I offer you, then, is a deal you really can’t refuse.”

Falling back into his seat, and still holding the presence on him, he gently put his hands on the arms of the chair he was in, looking straight towards the Gran as he spoke with dire, pointed resolve. ”Help the Sith annex the planet of Ninn peacefully, and prosper.” Telis fell back into his seat fully, steepling his fingers just beneath his chin as he took a look around the room.

In between gauging the air around him and trying to settle in the damnably small seat, Telis placed one of his claws to his chins, receiving Caide’s message through the private line. Thinking for a brief few moments, without a word he responded to the Legionnaire, his thoughts cool and collected. {So long as it is silent and it is nobody necessary to our plans, you may move forward with the engagement.}

The Sith had a history in bloody annexation. But Telis played a new game: one far more dangerous. He didn’t wish to lie to the galaxy or play the valiant crusader. He knew what he was, at heart, and he knew how to play the game he did. The Sith Lord watched, and waited, and listened for the conversations unfolding around him. Truthfully he didn’t plan to bring any firepower to the planet at all. He laid the catch and, like rabbits, they would come. And they would be caught just the same.

They always are.

 

[Celeste Demici]

Hyrva Vh'akli
Truthspeaker, The Prophet, Lady of Throdog N'ghftor, Witch Elder​

Objective: BYOO (Free her people and bring them home)
Location: Outside the great church of the Priests of Ninn
Equipment: Shield talisman || Empyrean gland
Tags: Darth Strosius | Jayda Aryss | Eligor Rahvok | Alina Tremiru

Gokln'gha, gokln'gha, gokln'gha, throuth gokln'gha syha'h lw'nafh ilyaa.

The creatures were still alive after the lightning, only lying and moaning on the ground suffering. In fact, that was exactly what Hyrva intended to be the end of the "fight." The two acolytes said nothing of her words, though she used a common language. Sighed and all five eyes blinked wearily at once. Turned her gaze away from the two children and reached out again to the Force, concentrating on the creatures suffering on earth.

Gokln'gha, gokln'gha, gokln'gha, throuth gokln'gha syha'h lw'nafh ilyaa.

A few words left her lips that were in her own language, so no one but her own could really understand them. Casting a spell; and she began to suck and devour the life force of all the creatures still alive. Suddenly, countless tentacles appeared on the woman's back and sides, reaching the animals and "biting" into flesh, absorbing their vitality. The animals began to growl whimpering as the life force left them, until eventually bone lean, bone and skin carcasses remained behind them after a few minutes. In this process finally Hyrva's strength is fully restored.

Gokln'gha, gokln'gha, gokln'gha, throuth gokln'gha syha'h lw'nafh ilyaa.

Since the two young ones hadn’t dealt with her so far, she walked closer to her own. This time the tentacles headed for the hideouts, which eventually reached their own. They didn’t run away, they just let the tentacles touch them. Through this, Hyrva shared with them the life force she had previously stolen from the animals. As a result, her people regained their vitality, their hunger was gone. As soon as the feeding was over, the tentacles retreated under Hyrva's skin and disappeared as if they had never existed. She turned back to two young people.

Gokln'gha, gokln'gha, gokln'gha, throuth gokln'gha syha'h lw'nafh ilyaa.

"I still need your help, I want to get my people home from this planet!"

 

[Cara Dorniarn]

Cara Dorniarn - Post 5

Objective 1: $$$

Equipment: Herself and an ID10

Tag: Mazrim Caide/Taim e | Telis Taharin-Zambrano is taharin

Open engagement? Cara kept her face neutral as she scoured the lines of camera feed, observing the halls and myriad of chambers within the capital complex. It wasn’t what she would have given permission to, but she would allow Telis to orchestrate such a plan. Caide was, after all, a trustworthy legionnaire… even with his suspicious financials. At his request she made note of the location where the Muun was hidden and kept a lead on the fleeing near-humans.

Caide. They’ve made their way into the depot. It’s crowded there but quite a maze. Use it to your advantage but please, don’t get found. I’d rather not like disowning you to the authorities.

Cara laid the datapad on her lap, pushing it away as if bored with the information it displayed. The ID10 hummed as it crept back to her shoulder and settled, filing away the images of every face the auditorium hosted. There were many that Cara knew--not personally, no, but persons who were influential in their realms of business and investment. Faces seen in the pages of magazines with names in high-profile portfolios, individuals with pockets that fed corporations and in return were lined by them. It was nerve-wracking but nonetheless a bit exciting… then she recalled what the legionnaire was tasked to do, and all excitement reverted back into simple anxiety. Would anyone notice? Doubtful. But still she played her movements carefully, keeping her presence in the confident style that few could muster.

“But is there any true guarantee that we shall benefit from the merger of our economies? The Empire has influence, but why should we believe that such influence will remain, OR that it will extend its profits to us?” A lithe Selonian asked from the upper balcony, nose twitching in expectation. Its watery black eyes peered down to Cara which she saw from the ID10 as it looked upward. Without tilting her own head she answered, her tone much more civil than with the Gran before.

“You have the guarantee that the Empire desires profit, progress, and expansion. All three of these things go hand-in-hand. We’ve allegiance with the Confederacy, a powerhouse within the galaxy. You may have limited trade with them now, but with the Empire’s colors your reach into those markets will extend far greater than on its own,” she gestured broadly with both hands, “What would take you perhaps a millenia, in regards to growing your sphere of influence will be done in a week. You’re right in being wary of joining an Empire fighting on several fronts. But those same military endeavors have naturally boosted our manufacturing, which includes our exported goods, which allows us to invest in things we deem profitable. Ninn is profitable. And the Empire only wishes to strengthen its investments.”

The Selonian stroked his whiskers then leaned toward his partner to hear a whisper. With the nod of his head he seemed convinced. “Thank you.” He then took his seat, and the auditorium continued its chatter.

 

[Mazrim Caide/Taim]

Objective 1
Tags: Telis Taharin-Zambrano Cara Dorniarn
Once more, Caide cuts comms without responding. He would have to be fast to take them out without raising an alarm. After a moment spent contemplating he makes a decision. Though the Cameras, anyone watching would see Caide shrug out of his armor, which to many would seem suicidal. But Caide is a veteran. He has only a combat knife, if he isn’t fast enough to get to them before they can shoot him, his armor won’t matter anyway, so it was just dead weight. Once he is down to just his fatigues, he moves in.
Staying Low to the ground and moving quickly, Caide slips behind the nearest guard and jams the blade through his spinal cord, killing him instantly and more importantly, quietly. Caide stalks through the maze like hanger with the cold efficiency of a predatory beast, silently assassinating 3 guards when disaster strikes. One of the guards turns on a whim and sees him with his knife impaled in his comrade’s throat. Thinking quickly, Caide rips the blade out and wings it at the merc, the blade slamming true through the eye socket and sending him to the ground with a solid thump that alerts the remaining guards. Sprinting over, Caide slides to retrieve his knife and engages in what can only be described as an absolutely brutal butchering of the 4 remaining guards, staying too close to allow them to draw their blasters, slashing vocal cords, breaking limbs, and dropping bodies. Whoever this man is, it is now 100% clear to anyone watching he is not just a legionnaire. Finally, standing amid the bodies of the fallen mercenaries, Caide glares at the two targets.
“On the ground. Now.”
Terrified, they comply. Caide uses his standard issue restraints to bind and gag them before rendering them both unconscious with the pommel of his knife and throwing them into the Sith transport. Finally, he dons his armor and grunts. He hadn’t come out unscathed, a long laceration on his torso and a broken clavicle evidence of his dark mandate. His voice fizzles over comms.
“Targets neutralized and in custody. I eliminated 7 guards in the hanger. By my estimation, the next shift change is about an hour away. I strongly suggest we all leave before then. Returning to the auditorium.”
Hiding his slight limp, he retrieves his rifle from the gruff security officer and re enters the auditorium, taking his place as the overwatch bodyguard for the sith delegates stoically, as if nothing had happened.

 

[Lesaj]

Location: Ninn.
Objective: BYOO - Merc work.
Wearing: XxX.
Equipment: Songsteel short spears ~ Taozin Amulet.
Tagging: Terence

​

Lesaj continued walking calmly while she felt life after life being snuffed out around the compound she was supposed to infiltrate. On the one hand, it was good. Less mercenaries, less competition, less hands to claim a part of the reward in the end. Free for alls were usually not kind to the lonesome merc, but she managed. The Green Witch could feel someone else in the distance, high above her and taking what was clearly a far more prudent approach to the challenge.

Just barging in was plain stupidity. It was no secret that the Sith Empire had made it to Ninn, and the crime syndicate would have been one of the first entities to become aware of such reality given the grave threat it posed to them. Defenses would have been doubled, if not tripled. Anything to solidify any hopes they might have allowed themselves of holding out against the empire. Well, at least dreams were pretty things to have.

The Sylphe stopped her moving a second before a bullet dug its way into the ground below her, the force warning her in time even if the shot had never been meant to actually hit her. A peculiar way to call her attention, though. She'd have to give him that. For a moment the woman remained still, inclined to ignore the mercenary in the roof and sticking to her own. It was then that she felt how the larger ensemble of mercenaries were swiftly put to death. Ah well, having a little help around wouldn't hurt.

Lesaj turned her head, bright green eyes rising to look at the man just as he waved. She offered a wave of her own, enough to let him know she was headed his way before moving out of his line of sight, onto a side street that would lead her to the building he had chosen as his look-out. Whenever possible, the Green Witch would rather keep her powers a secret until it was time to...properly put them to use, and the compound was currently on high alert as they butchered the hordes of idiots that approached it. So she walked in, got into the turbolift, and made it to the top in a couple of minutes.

There was more blood on the streets by then.

"Good to see someone with a brain that isn't splattered on the concrete..." She tilted her head towards the side of the building, hand opening to gesture elegantly towards the streets below them. She removed the hood from her head for it impeded her vision, revealing her face as well as the long, dark green hair that cascaded down her back. If her appearance did not scream alien, her haunting voice sure did. "Any sides that look more accessible from up here?" She jumped right into the matter at hand, knowing they could weave in the pleasantries whenever - but business came first.

 

[Terence]

Secrets of Ninn​

Objective: 3
Location: Ninn, outside of syndicate compound
Notable Equipment:
Tags: Lesaj Kaden Farr

A response. It was a good to see, for judging by her looks, he wouldn't have been surprised to see her being some irresponsive monk, too trapped in her own musings to notice the world around her. Perhaps it was prejudicial but more times than not, such assumptions had saved his life. She had made it clear enough that she would be coming up to him - that was also good to see. Fairly confident that he could survive if she decided to take out her competition - overconfident perhaps, the Mercenary decided to return to his scouting.

The larger more organised attack was still ongoing, although with a much less significant force than before. To his surprise, the two Rodians were still alive, although, from his vantage point, he could see that one had been fatally wounded. A mental note was made: They were still alive. Judging by the firepower which had been needed to take out their companions and armoured speeders, finishing them off shouldn't have been much of a problem. Terence's scope hovered over the fatally wounded alien, considering whether he should cut their suffering short or not. With a sigh, he removed his sights from the alien, deciding that she could still be useful alive. He did not mind doing acts of kindness - but doing it at the expense of himself seemed a bit extreme.

Faintly, a rocket launcher could be heard from down below. It was coming from a third direction where a band of new mercenaries arrived. They seemed well armed and in general, heavier than the other groups. They were not at all as well organised as the second group but they seemed to have a general idea of what they wanted. Another rocket was fired at the same time as a large hover truck barreled down the street towards the complex. But before it could impact, two rockets were fired from the complex itself, destroying the truck before it could arrive but allowing the incoming rocket to hit, resulting in some structural damage and debris falling down all over.

Soon, he heard the wonky step, third from the top, and then the door swoosh open behind him. She had arrived. With that, he put down his rifle, leaning it against the wall, and stood up after having made it a bit farther from the very edge. A subtle smile formed on his covered face - but the mask was delicate enough to show the shifts underneath to a certain extent. "Likewise" his answer was a short one, but even then, his voice and tone remained calm.

When the woman removed her hood, Terence let out a somewhat surprised "Hair" but chose not to pursue the matter any further. It was just as well, considering that he had no intentions of removing his mask at all.

Upon hearing her second question, a smug smile appeared on his lips - something which might be hard to tell for someone whom had just met him. "Yes" He looked at her, trying to read her eyes, to see if she was interested. Eventually, he would turn back towards the edge "Let me show you" he said, waiting for her to come over. Once there, he would have another look through the scope of his rifle before handing it to her "Do you see those two Rodians over there? And the bodies down on that other flank. I think five of them are still alive" he said, satisfied that his count from before she came up was still accurate. The intensity of the battle on that front had shrunk significantly. "And do you see that burning truck, the battle they're fighting there?" he asked - the question was almost rhetorical, for the warzone that he directed her sights to was impossible to miss. "The defenders, they're using a mobile reserve. When one flank is attacked, they pool all their resources to one end in order remove the attackers before they can amass in greater numbers."

The smuggler's hand went for his pocket where it took hold of his scrambler. Killing their communications, or at least severely hampering their efficiency was one way of having a better time approaching the facility, but then he stopped himself and looked over to the alien "So, I've given you some intel. What have you got for me?" he asked, curious to see if she was really someone he wanted to stick around with.

 

[Lesaj]

Location: Ninn.
Objective: BYOO - Merc work.
Wearing: XxX.
Equipment: Songsteel short spears ~ Taozin Amulet.
Tagging: Terence

​

The Sylphe-Rattataki gave a light, almost mute chuckle at his surprised observation, but just like him she let is slide and made no attempts to further the topic of who she was. Or, more precisely, what she was. It was of little consequence to either of them at the moment, and the woman was quite pleased to find that the mercenary shared her mind in regards to their priorities.

A small smile curved her lips when he gave the affirmative and gestured her closer. She had been half expecting for him to bush her question off. Mercenaries weren't particularly known for being helpful to their peers, specially not during this kind of jobs. However, the question had had a purpose beyond simply learning what he had seen - it would determine whether he was truly open to collaborating or if this little detour had just cost her time. Luckily, the former seemed to be true.

Lesaj walked forward and listened carefully as he explained what he saw. He was an observant one, that was for sure. The information he had relinquished was valuable. He had managed to pinpoint an exploitable weakness in what looked, by all accounts, a fortress. No defense was impenetrable, but there was no denying that their luck could have been better. Getting in would be no easy task.

The gleaming emerald gaze of the witch turned to her impromptu companion, met by the goggles of his mask. For a second she closed her eyes in concentration, feeling the tethers of the Force expand like the roots of a great tree. Then she opened them again. "Four...Four of them are still alive," She clarified, feeling how one of them lost the brightness that a living thing held in the Force. The body would go limp not long after.

Since he had shared, Lesaj would do the same. It would have been a wasteful thing to take advantage of someone that was proving to be so useful, "Direct your scope towards the west wall of the building," That was all she said for now, for when Terence followed her guidance he would see exactly what she had found of interest in the seemingly unassuming west wall. The Sylphe had scouted the area before trying to make her approach. Easy to overlook given it melded into the very same color of the building and was well concealed was a blast door. Not far from it there was a manhole on the street.

"If someone were to take advantage of the mobile reserve concentrating their force elsewhere, have good timing, and work fast enough, breaching that door doesn't seem too hard, does it?" The syndicate had considered approach from all directions when preparing their defense, but not from the city's sewers that left them a mere meter or two away from their doors. This had been her chosen route, but the man's observation had provided information that made it even more solid.

"The name is Lesaj Ophrys," She added, deciding to continue with the pleasantries seemingly out of nowhere, as though they had never been discussing a different topic. A pale, delicate looking hand with long nails was extended towards him. "Fancy a bit of teamwork?"

 

[Terence]

Secrets of Ninn​

Objective: 3
Location: Ninn, outside of syndicate compound
Notable Equipment:
Tags: Lesaj

She turned away from the scope and closed her eyes before telling him that only four of the second attacking force remained. He threw a suspicious glance at her, well hidden behind the visor that covered his eyes and with his mind equally well shielded. Anyone who tried to probe it would find themselves deep in a dark sea of strong surface emotions of lust, envy and vindictiveness along with a stream of random and seemingly pointless thoughts, all blending together in a perfect storm. Deeper, however, he wondered what her display was about, wondered if she was indeed a force user. There was no other reasonable explanation to her odd mannerisms.

Continuing, she handed back his rifle to him and directed his attention to the Western end where the two Rodians laid behind the burning speeders. He looked at it for a bit, waiting for her to continue speaking, to reveal what it was that she had seen. But she did not - instead, he was allowed to find it himself. A hidden blast door with a manhole nearby. "Good catch" he said without removing his eyes from the scope. Instead, he kept looking around the area to search for more possibilities.

What she spoke of next was sensible and very much in line with the thought that had entered his mind. "Yes" he said, bringing out a miniature camera from his picket and placing it next to his rifle. Removing the weapon from the ledge and sheathing it behind his back, Terence then inspected the angle of the little machine to see if it had a proper view over the area, simultaneously showing off the function to the stranger as the feed could be viewed from his datapad.

"Terence" he responded, choosing to not go further into detail. Chiss did have peculiar naming traditions and he could not allow that to reveal him. She continued asking if he wanted to team up - and idea which he enjoyed. They were attacking a well fortified base and even if they could get through the outer perimeter, whatever awaited them inside could be risky indeed. His eyes quickly scanned her hand before he reached out to shake it with his own "Deal" Sure, it was a pity to have to split the reward and share it with her but then, if he got lucky, she would die before they got that far.

"Let us move fast" he said whilst also casually strolling back to the elevator. It was not ironic - he simply didn't see the point in rushing to the elevator, where they could truly win time was later on. "If we get lucky, those brutes on the eastern flank will still be there when we arrive to the west."

After a few awkward moments with elevator music, Terence rushed out into the lobby of the building and then back out to the street again, clearly remembering passing one by on his way in. On his way there, he asked "Got anything to get that blast door open? I've got these" he said, directing her the the three grenades he carried, unsure of whether or not they would be enough. "I've got some skills with security systems and locks but I couldn't see a control panel to do it through"

Lesaj

 

[Lesaj]

Location: Ninn.
Objective: BYOO - Merc work.
Wearing: XxX.
Equipment: Songsteel short spears ~ Taozin Amulet.
Tagging: Terence

​

The Rattataki offered a smile when he took her hand, accepting the offer. Of course, Lesaj was considering it. How easy would it be to try and break into his mind, finish the job, and claim the reward for herself? However there was something keeping her from doing it. A feeling that bid her to be patient, as though there was more to this day than what she was seeing now. As experience had taught her too, the Green Witch heeded this feeling. They were about to see whether their decision to team up would prove fruitful or not.

She walked right by him towards the elevator, emerald eyes rising to look at a plain metal roof as though there was something of interest in it as the bland ambience melody played. Soon before the turbolift's doors opened, her hands reached for the hood of her cloak and pulled it over her head once again. Her green hair, in her opinion, was pretty. It was also very easy to spot.

Soon enough they were on the streets again, and the Sylphe began directing her steps towards a nearby alley. No point in risking calling attention to themselves on the streets if they could access the sewers from where they already were. His question gave her a moment of pause just as she stopped walking, standing above another manhole. Her gaze fell on the grenades, then on his visor - not minding the fact she could not truly see his eyes in the slightest. "Those would be better saved for later," They had a way in, but they would have to make their way out and Lesaj was inclined to believe it was not going to a walk in the park.

As she bent one knee to lower herself and reach for the manhole to pull it open with ease, she looked at him once again before elaborating. "I will open the blast door." Lesaj knew he had suspicions, and so she did prudent thing and did not hand out further explanation besides stating the fact that she could open the doors. He would soon see for himself. Breaching the doors with the Force would take effort, that much was a given, but it should not be something she could not handle.

She had been ready to take the risk going in alone, now there was someone to watch her back. If he proved to be trustworthy. The Green Witch displayed nothing but relaxed focus, but in truth she was keeping an eye on the mercenary too. Without further ado, Lesaj climbed down into the sewers and began moving swiftly in the direction of the compound. There was a strong stench, and almost as if out of reflex the Sylphe hybrid raised one of her hands, a single flower seeming to grow from under her sleeve producing a soft, pleasant perfume that seemed to chase away the odor of stagnant water and waste, the stem now held delicately between pale fingers filled with dark markings. As though nothing had happened she spoke again.

"Will it be droids, or soldiers? What do you think, Terence?" Her head would turn and Emerald eyes would reach him as she said his name. He had not seemed to mind her being alien, now it was time to confirm he would not mind her being tied to the Force. There were many out there who hunted her kind, and she was not about to walk into hostile territory with someone who would turn on her. So, she had made her powers evident while keeping their conversation focused on their job - ready to see if he would do the same or not. The moral conflict between killing an actual sentient or disabling a machine was of little consequence to her, and if she cared it was only because it would influence the coming conflict.

 

[Terence]

Secrets of Ninn​

Objective: 3
Location: Ninn, outside of syndicate compound
Notable Equipment:
Tags: Lesaj

A smile grew under the mask as she announced that she would deal with the blast door. Terence didn't mind using his grenades but knew that they were much better suited at other tasks than maybe managing to get a blast door open. The smile was quickly brushed away, replaced by a curious look as she effortlessly managed to rip the hatch open. The woman's robes made her form difficult to assess with full accuracy but his mind immediately assumed that she might be a force user for the strength she summoned seemed unnatural to say the least.

The surprises didn't cease coming as she grew some kind of flower on the spot. The smuggler didn't mind a stench as much as many others but having it replaced by a more pleasant aroma was definitely preferable. As for what this was, he had no idea - was it some overt display of the force or was it part of her species? He didn't have much of a clue but continued pushing on with her nonetheless, making a mental note to be more careful around her. If she turned on him, she would be more dangerous than the normal merc, that much was certain.

Being careful to avoid the puddles and the waste that lied at the centre of the sewer pipes, the two made their way towards the stronghold at a high pace. He threw a curious glance at her upon hearing the question and threw out a quick counter question of his own "Why? You brought any ion weaponry?" he asked, skeptical of it making much of a difference to how their task would proceed. Still, he would humour her and offer his thoughts "Anyone with a stronghold this well fortified is bound to be paranoid. But that could either mean in increased droid guard force or a minimal one. The pendulum could swing in either direction. They're bound to have turrets though, internal security that can easily be controlled and escaped from if necessary. Doesn't make much of a difference to me - strike true and it will go down regardless" he said, subconsciously telling her that he was not a believer in just bringing superior firepower.

Soon, they came to a halt as the hatch above them was the one which would lead to the stronghold entrance on the side where the two Rodians and their armoured but burning vehicles stood - although they were supposed to be a bit further away from the entrance than the manhole hatch. Deciding not to trust Lesaj's uncanny abilities, Terence brought out a holopad and connected it to the camera he had left on the rooftop, allowing them to see what was happening on the ground. "Looks like they're pushing the attack on the other side" he said before quickly starting to climb the ladder up to the surface. Terence had a well developed physique but even then, he seemed to expend more effort in removing the hatch than she had previously, reaffirming his belief that something was off. Still, it was not something he felt like acting on - instead, he offered a hand for her to get up - more as a sign of companionship than actually believeing that she needed it and then nodded to the blast door "The show is yours" while bringing a blaster pistol out of its holster to keep watch of the windows above.