Public Shadow Over Manaan

[Lord Kalrath]

Shadow Over Manaan
Manaan
Tags: Xeykard , Open

​

The sudden outbreak of chaos on Jakku did not fall deaf on Kalrath's ears.

A distraction, one which he was very eager to capitalize on. It was time to harvest. The Halcyon Override would appear in the orbit of Manaan without warning, deploying a team of rogue Sith agents and jumping back into hyperspace as though it was never there. A ghost. A wave of bombardment fell on the oceanic world, waking the sleeping Selkath, still in their beds in the dead of night. Kalrath was here for their supplies, followed by agents of the darkness eager to plunder. Kolto was less effective than Bacta, of course, but reserves of the miracle product were growing slim. The ancient mind of the dark man who lead the sudden assult recognized the value of Kolto's quick renuability. He wanted it for himself. The coffers of the Selkath people and their force sensitive children?

That was simply a good bonus prize.

The work began in short, armed forces of the local city quickly disbatched only to be cut down by crimson Kalrath was at the front, pacing casually with a cane in hand. It was an afternoon stroll for him. He was at an age of caring little for the world around him. Blaster bolts, screaming people... these things meant so little now. The ancient Twi'lek lifted his free hand to his face, removing his mask ever so slightly...

"Move."

Force energy bellowed out, ripping apart the soldiers in his path, as well as any civilian unfortunate enough to be caught in the crossfire. Limbs flew, intestines liquified, and Selkath blood spilled out onto the streets of the watery planet.

<Plunder to your heart's content,> Kalrath told his people telepathically, returning his mask to his face. <Tonight Manaan will be red.>

 

[Xeykard]

Lord Kalrath ​

The rebuilt Ahto City was the only true target they could reach, being the only above-water port on the planet. Though he did not truly trust the Twi'lek he'd traveled here with, it was clear he was skilled, and experienced in his particular method -- their timing was perfect, dropping in at the middle of the night into the city.

They took the spaceport swiftly; the sudden strike left the meagre defense fleet out of position and the security forces on the ground reeling. Xeykard, having brought a small force compared to Kalrath's raiders, left most of his men to secure the spaceport, while the rest followed him forward.

Kolto was valuable, yes, and taking Manaan's latest batch would cripple no small number of planets for at least a couple of cycles. But the Inquisitor's goals were different: the Order of Shasa, the Selkath's Force tradition, could be crippled with this strike, if he was thorough.

"The Order's headquarters," he snarled, holding the young Selkath aloft. He did not struggle. "Where?"

"It's- it's that way," he pointed. "You can't miss it. Please, just-"

Strangely, the cruelty felt easy again. It surprised him that now of all times, in his most seditious era, that he found being a Sith easy.

He wiped the bits of skull and grey matter from his hand, and continued at the young man's direction.

 

[Vazz]

"Do you know why it's important to keep eyes on your fellow Sith, Acolyte?"

Vazz spoke softly for once as he stared down at the world below. Manaan. The Kolto would be useful, especially if they could be harvested in a way that would allow continual growth. For more than just the raiders here. The Defel brought his ship down onto the surface, just away from the danger, the fighting. There were more secrets here than just how to keep Kolto alive and growing.

"Some Sith decide to do things in ways that draw many, many eyes. This Galaxy knows who we are. What we do. If the scales tip too far for public outcry, the people resist. Even gods can be overthrown from enough stones." The shadows were where they belonged. Where they thrived. "When they tip the scales, we must know. Either to remove them as the cancer they became, or safeguard the future of the Sith."

He paused for a moment as the ship landed, as the ramp lowered before him to show some of the panicked guards. One had run up, likely to warn them of the danger of being here. Vazz simply raised a hand. They didn't scream, rather grasped their head in panic. Illusion, dread. The most primal of fear had gripped their mind. The fear of Death.

"Keep an eye out, always. Learn what you can about your fellows so you can always be prepared. Our duty is to keep the Sith from ever dying completely. So learn while we're here. Learn how these others fight. And do get the secrets we're after, mm?"

Kolto wasn't just for healing, after all. The right kind of application could turn it to the most lethal of poisons. A perfect weapon for an Assassin, after all.

Ansisa

 

[Lucia Naberrie]

Location: Ahto City - Manaan
Time: Midnight
Dialogue Legend: <<Technopathy Link>> │ “Verbal”
Tag: Xeykard Lord Kalrath

The strike teams landed under the ebony cover of darkness, ships tearing through the sunless skies to disgorge groups of rogue Sith, soldiers, and agents into the spaceport and other designated areas across the city. Through the elements of surprise and violence, the landing operations seemed to pass without incident as the local security forces were swiftly overwhelmed.

For her part, Lucia had been tasked with assisting Xeykard in his objective—crippling the Order of Shasa and raiding their databanks in the process. To that end, the synthetic assassin had taken to checking the bodies of slain security officers, searching for anything which might point the team in the direction of the Order’s temple.

Fortunately, the Inquisitor uncovered the temple’s location without her help, albeit through much crueler methods. In that, Lucia could not criticize his approach. The interrogations were crude, but for the moment, they seemed to be effective. The strike team was now one step closer to their objective—a critical development in a mission where time was of the essence owing to Manaan’s close proximity to Alliance space.

Nevertheless, Lucia knew that it would not be long before the strike team arrived at the gates of the Order’s temple. It would be her mission to find a way inside before the Jedi or any others could intervene.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Bloodflower Sapphire
  
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
  • Utility
    
    • Synthspray
    • Lucia Naberrie’s Headband - ¼ Concentration
  • Droid
    
    • IBIS Drone
• Breshig War Forge Consolidated DP-02 Class-D Heavy Disruptor Pistol (2)
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • Gas Cartridge-Power Cell Combined Unit (8)
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
• GWE-004
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • 25 Round Magazine - Standard (4)
    • 25 Round Magazine - Armor Piercing (2)
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
    • Rifle Silencer
• Sonic Grenade (2)
• AI-Gx02 Si-Plasma Grenade (2)

 

[Ansisa]

"I've noticed," she responded softly "Sometimes its a useful distraction but I can see how it has the potential to tip the scales." She frowned slightly. is this what they were? Not just assassins of their enemies, but a scalpel to carve away cancer that might threaten the future of the Order? Scalpels insinuated that there was another hand controlling them.

In her case, it was Vazz but who, she wondered controlled the defel? There was always a chain of command, so where did he fit into it? So many questions, yet today was not the day for answers about him. She stepped up alongside the defel, taking a deep breath drinking in the fear that rolled off the guards. "As you command it, Master, it will be done."

She looked up at him. "So long as I can play along the way."

 

[Vazz]

"What was it he said.."

The Defel moved as another guard rushed forward. They'd seen the collapse of their ally, raised a blaster. The moment they did, though, the gun was severed in half. They were severed in half. A clean cut, and not from a lightsaber, leaving thick red blood to coat the platform. The illusion of Vazz beside her flickered for a moment as the real form of the Assassin came into view.

Or absence of view. Just a mass of pure light absorbing black, with a pair of red eyes that stared down at her. By them alone, he was grinning far too wide.

"Play to your hearts content. Tonight Manaan will be red."

Ansisa

 

[Lord Kalrath]

Manaan
Tags: Xeykard , Lucia Naberrie , Vazz , Ansisa , Open

​

Kalrath had missed this.

To carve his own path with no regard, bring chaos and destruction to his ancient heart's content. The sounds of blasterfire, explosions, screams of terror... these things reinvigorated the Sith Lord. There was no complex squabble or pointless infighting here. No, only chaos and destruction. In his old age Kalrath had begun to care less and less for the politics of the Sith. He had dabbled far too much in such things in that old Sith Empire he called his home. More than just the advantage of claiming this world's resources for his own cause, the Twi'lek cyborg was here for a different reason entirely.

To have fun.

And what fun he was having. He walked as though on an evening saunter, his hand waving about as he carelessly tossed those in his path aside and into the maw of his raiders. Blasterbolts were deflected by hand with ease, slung off into nearby civilians with little prejudice. All the while the old man hummed to himself, the raw power of his voice shaking the air around him.

It would not be long until they reached the Kolto reserves.

 

[Oppii Ghzanposis]

Lord Kalrath Vazz Ansisa Xeykard Lucia Naberrie

The Jedi Master's gaze fell upon the invasion of Manaan by the Sith Empire as the thunderous roar of turbolaser fire shook the skies above, the heavy bombardment slammed into Ahto City causing buildings to crumble and foundations to give way into treacherous waters, a scene that stirred a deep sense of responsibility within him.

The once thriving aquatic planet was now a battleground, its inhabitants caught in the crossfire while many more were still sleeping blissfully unaware of the carnage that would soon await them in the waking world.

The esteemed Thisspiasian Jedi Master was called upon to lend a helping hand to the New Jedi Order's Outreach Initiative. This noble endeavor aimed to strengthen ties with other force-sensitive orders scattered throughout the vast expanse of the galaxy.

Within the hallowed halls of the Jedi Archives on Coruscant, a few fragments of information were discovered about the enigmatic Order of Shasa. This ancient spiritual order, rooted in the Selkath People, boasted a rich lineage that traced back to the tumultuous era of the Jedi Civil War.

While descending onto the planet prior to the Sith Forces' arrival, there arose a chance to contemplate the present state of the Jedi. They had willingly entangled themselves in one conflict after another at the behest of the Galactic Alliance, resembling Warrior Generals from the Clone Wars rather than the Peacekeepers of the High Republic.

The order had trained an entire generation of Younglings and Padawans, only to witness their tragic demise in the Second Great Hyperspace War against the Brotherhood of the Maw. However, amidst this sorrow, they emerged triumphant in the Battle of Exegol, vanquishing such a malevolent force.

The Age of Promised Peace was abruptly shattered when the Mandalorian Enclave declared war, unleashing a torrent of Beskar and Heavy Blaster fire that engulfed entire systems. Their aim was to reclaim their former glory and establish a vast empire across the galaxy. Despite the New Jedi Order being spread thin, vulnerable systems like Manaan were left defenseless against the onslaught of the Sith Empire.

Pressing the holographic transmissions button located in the Command Tower of Ahto City to relay an important message to both defenders and attackers.

"Dear Respected Citizens of Manaan,

We stand before you today, acknowledging the grave threat that the Sith Empire poses to your beloved homeland. It is with a heavy heart that we admit the Galactic Alliance's past actions, as we have encroached upon neutral territories in our pursuit of territorial expansion. However, we must not let these transgressions cloud our judgment.

We understand that it would be unjust to demand you to sacrifice your lives for our cause. Yet, we offer you a glimmer of hope amidst this darkness. Together, hand in hand, we can rise against the Sith invaders and reclaim the peace and prosperity that once graced your shores.

Rest assured, our commitment to your cause runs deep. We pledge to fight alongside you, pouring our blood, sweat, and tears into this battle. By joining forces, we can drive the Sith Empire away from your cherished world, restoring the tranquility that has been shattered.

Let us unite, noble people of Manaan, and forge a future free from the clutches of tyranny. Together, we can triumph over adversity and ensure a brighter tomorrow for all."

Some might call it a rehearsed speech said again and again, but it did prove effective in rallying the Ahto City Defenders behind him.

 

[Arla Rodarch]

Manaan
Ahto City

Manaan was under assault. The presence of the battle station in orbit confirmed the reports from intelligence. Having chosen guile over brawn, Arla's selection of a cloaked but swift freighter over a war fleet seemed to pay off. Avoiding the monstrosity in space as well as the inconvenience of trying to contact Ahto City traffic control during an assault proved very useful, not to mention efficient. As they landed, Arla had her people slice into the City's security apparatus, giving them access to maps and holocams.

The freighter took an open docking bay and disgorged its contents into the city. Two battalions of penal troops, fortified by ten large B-12 battle droids. Arla's battle plan, contrived on the fly was a relatively simple one, but with a ruse she hoped would serve to get her close to the Sith leaders. Each of the platoons was equipped with holoemitters, which would serve to visibly magnify their numbers from hundreds to thousands.

Of course, the Sith would be able to sense the difference between a real troop, a real droid, and a holoimage. Arla's ploy was that because they wouldn't be able to sense her, something she'd learned on Clak'dor and again on Garos; she could pose as just another hologram, until it was too late.

Moving quickly through the city, using the realtime data they had sliced into, Arla's group were able to race ahead of the Sith force, recognizing that their target appeared to be the Kolto. It made sense, that was Manaan's gift to the galaxy. She was determined to prevent the Sith getting an easy victory here, and soon enough her force closed with the onrushing Sith.

As the leading element reported contact, Arla ordered the holograms to be activated and the entire strike group to charge and engage the enemy. Two hundred troopers, ten battle droids and about a thousand holograms of troops, battle droids, and Arla clones, roared and charged. The battle cry was augmented by the droids to make hundreds sound like the thousands that visually appeared.

She was sure that the enemy would recognize they were facing holograms fairly quickly. She was banking on that assumption, and Sith hubris, to keep them from seeing the panther among the trees for just long enough. Arla roared and charged in the midst of the attack, having picked out her own target. The lead Sith looked old, and was probably quite powerful, and very very dangerous. She made right for him, drawing her blades as she ran. To him, she hoped, she appeared and seemed just another hologram.

As Lord Kalrath waved his hand, almost seeing to be amusing himself, Arla of Clan Rodarch closed on him, ready to cut his Sith ass to pieces.

Enemies : Lord Kalrath Vazz Ansisa Lucia Naberrie Xeykard
Allies : Oppi Ghzanposis

 

[Damian A. Drake]

ROOFTOP - AHTO CITY - MANAAN
Lord Kalrath || Xeykard || Vazz || Lucia Naberrie || Ansisa

Information was both power and advantage, but only if one had the time to use it in their favor. Drake had been tracking down a lead regarding Sith presence in this sector of space. His investigation had led him to Manaan. Its Kolto reserves and the Order of Shasa were particular points of interest he figured might interest the Sith.

But he was far too late in his investigation. The Sith had already began an invasion of the city. All that was left to do was improvise and prevent any further damage or loss of life.

Hiding behind the outer walls of a building near the Order's headquarters, Drake tapped on his wristwatch and began patching into the communications of the defenders. If he could find out how the defenses were organized, he can adopt his own plan of action and assist the defenders. Immediately, one message began to play.

"Dear Respected Citizens of Manaan-." BZZZT!

Drake skipped over that message. Instead, he focused on listening in on tactical communications and hone in on any holoemitters he could access. If his information was correct, most defenses were focused on defending the reserves of Kolto. This meant there would be a lack of defensive firepower surrounding the Order's headquarters. Most likely, the headquarters might become a place of refuge and evacuation for the citizens. If the Sith targeted the Order's headquarters, many lives would be lost.

The Kolto defense could handle themselves or at least he hoped so. If the Sith tore apart the Order or gained something more valuable than Kolto, it would be a serious blow to both Manaan and the Alliance. Climbing up the fire escape of one building, Drake took to the rooftops as he began searching along the main avenues towards the headquarters. Leaping from one nearby rooftop to the next, Drake landed and began scanning below for any significant Sith forces.

His eyeglasses picked up two significant threats. Xeykard and Lucia Naberrie . The Barabel was leading a pack of soldiers down the street while the female Sith appeared to be working in tandem with the group. Drawing his modified Model-13 blaster, Drake took aim and began rapidly firing at the heads of each soldier. As many as he could fire at in a short span of time before rolling backwards away from the edge of the rooftop.

He would need to keep moving and find another position to fire down on them again. Granted, this was assuming the Sith were not rapidly moving in on his position as he began running away on the roof under the cover of however much darkness the night offered in this city.

Drake needed to thin the herd before going after the more dangerous targets.​

 

[Elidan Reirick]

​

​

"You have your orders, Inquisitor. Pull out of the system, retrieve any subjects who show promise."

"And what of those who we cannot retrieve?"

The hologram paused for a moment, considering its words carefully before answering

"Eliminate any who might one day be set loose against the Empire. We will not allow the Sith to profit from our work."
​

The masked man bows his head to the projection before him as it dissipates, leaving a dark command center in its wake. This operation had been months in the planning, the identification of force-sensitive individuals among the Selkath for induction into the Inquisitorious. Now, the Sith had come to spoil a plan that had been so carefully crafted. The Galatic Alliance and its Jedi protectors hadn't the slightest idea that the Empire had infiltrated a system so close to its own space, but now they would come to confront the Sith invaders and in doing so reveal the Empire's operations. While normally more than happy to allow the Jedi and Sith to rip each other apart, this particular operation required a deft hand, that of a High Inquisitor of the Empire.

Elidan made his way to the hastily-constructed holotable that displayed the movements of incoming Sith forces as they slaughtered those in their path. While not quite a full invasion force, the Sith came in strong enough numbers to wipe out what little resistance they encountered. Aside from plunder, the Sith seemed rather intent on annihilating the Order of Shasa, an organization that was long past its prime but maintained a strong grip on the planet's population. Of course, the Empire of the Lost took care not to alert the Order of its presence. Not every child who was able to grasp an object with the force was selected as a candidate, but many were monitored by the vast array of surveillance droids that had flooded Ahto City, the very same that now followed Sith forces as they continued to slaughter. As Elidan monitored the progress of the invaders, a cloaked trooper approached the Inquisitor, a datapad in hand.

"Sir, the Sith are nearing this facility. We will be unable to salvage any remaining equipment before evacuating."

The High Inquisitor turned to the trooper, one of the new Clones Soldiers provided to the Empire in order to swell its numbers along with traditional conscripts. These troopers were far from average, they were trained in covert operations and, more specifically, combating force-sensitive beings. The blades attached to their wrist armor were strong enough to withstand lightsaber blows in the short term, long enough to overwhelm their enemy with numbers. But the mere handful of troopers on hand were never going to hold the Sith back, it was better that they maintain stealth in the coming hours.

"No matter. Set charges on the support beams and proceed to your targets. Eliminate subject's A through F, they cannot fall into the hands of the Sith."

"What of Subject G, Sir?"

"I will retrieve that one personally. She is remarkably strong for a Selkath, strong enough to be inducted into the Inquisitorious if we can take her off world. Split off into teams of two and proceed as planned, should you encounter any resistance... eliminate it. Sith or otherwise, we cannot allow anyone to know of our operation here."

"Of course, Sir. We also have reports of a Jedi Master leading the Selkath defenders, bolstered by Mandalorians from Clan Rodarch. Should we consider them as hostile?"

"No-" the Inquisitor began, watching as Mandalorian forces spilled onto the holotable to challenge Sith forces "Avoid them if possible. They will provide all the cover we need to complete our mission. Kill them only if they interfere."

"Yes, Lord Inquisitor."

The trooper bowed his head before going to join his brothers, their orders clear as they prepared to navigate the new deviated city to find their targets. One might think the death of so many force-sensitive would be a waste, but Elidan thought little of it. They were adults, their force power was only discovered well into their lives, and that made them lesser candidates for Imperial conditioning. But Subject G? She was but a child, she had yet to see her ninth year, and yet her potential in the force was like a beacon, one that he could not ignore. She would be taken in, the Inquisitorious would become her new home.

She will know only the Empire. That was all that mattered.

TAGS: Damian A. Drake Lord Kalrath Xeykard Arla Rodarch Oppii Ghzanposis Vazz Ansisa Lucia Naberrie ​

 

[Lord Kalrath]

Manaan
Tags: Arla Rodarch

​

There was a sudden wave of troops from an outside force.

Not a large one, however. A trained Sith as knowledgable as Kalrath could see right through the deception. They were holograms, illusions made to bulster the size of the attacking force in the eyes of those beholding their advance. One seemed to be coming right at him, hidden and brandishing a sword to attack him. Beskar... A Mandalorian.

Kalrath simply stood, letting himself be cut into by the blade. It would sear through tendands, but leave no blood. He was not much in the way of organic anymore. No, Kalrath was alchemical now, twisted beyond physical form. Such wounds were trivial.

"Hologram technology," he noted, perhaps sounding fo-impressed. "How quaint. I believe I played around with such things a few thousand years ago. The results were unsavory unfortunately."

He looked down for a moment, observing the blade now lodged in his gut.

"Mandalorian Iron, eh?" Kalrath observed. "I was of the notion that such a use of Beskar was taboo."

Kalrath would suddenly clasp his hand onto the hilt of the blade, using his other free arm to draw down his mask, revealing the warped, peeling maw that lay underneath. It was almost mummified, dehydrated muscles with torn, hanging skin around it. He did not speak, only let out a thunderous roar. A Force Bellow, one meant to throw the warrior off of him and back into the ranks of their forces. His grip on her blade was to retain it. Perhaps it could be a fun toy for later.

Time would tell.

 

[Arla Rodarch]

Manaan
Ahto City

​

The battle was raging now, with the penal troopers and the battle droids engaging the Sith force with everything they had. They would not last long against the enemy at such close range, but they would deal a significant amount of damage, and cause the most delay. That was the plan, in any case. Arla's world had shrunk to the area around her and her Sith opponent, and her focus was there.

Her beskad struck home for fair and true, biting deep into the Sith's guts. Arla exulted at the satisfying crunch of good Mandalorian Iron into flesh and bone. Kalrath seemed less inhibited by the beskad in his vitals than Arla might have expected, but she didn't let that distract her from the task at hand. The Sith Lord spoke, having probably, she judged, learned such nonsense from holodramas.

"You've been watching too much HoloNET."

When his attack came, it was full on and fierce. The Force bellow rocked her, blasting her audio pickups, rattling her inside her armour. It did not, however, throw her, but washed over her like a wave. He likes the HoloNET, she thought. Quoting in Huttese, Arla threw back a taunt from a famous holodrama.

"Ya koo tocha ka poonoo nee sok nyee!" In Huttese, 'your mind powers will not work on me, boy'.

With that curse on her lips, Arla, still gripping her weapon tight, ripped it upward and outward through his torso, aiming to carve open his gut and ribcage and spray herself with gore and ichor. With the combat knife in her left, as she ripped the Beskad free with her right hand, she struck with her left at the Sith's right eye, aiming to jam the knife blade right into the eye socket.

Bad Lord Kalrath Elidan Reirick Damian A. Drake Xeykard Lucia Naberrie Ansisa Vazz
Gud Oppii Ghzanposis

 

[Xeykard]

Lucia Naberrie Damian A. Drake ​

"Shields!" he snapped -- a moment too late. Their assailant was a professional; Xeykard was only able to sense his enemy's intent at the very last moment. With so many people around, the fear and anger in the air, a skilled opponent could conceal themselves far more easily.

Had their enemy targeted Xeykard, he'd likely have been fine. Instead, two legionnaires were knocked to the ground before the rest's energy shields protected them. He didn't wait to see if they were alive. Capitalizing on the moment, he barked out more orders- "Form up and stay shielded. 410 -- kill them. This one will complete the objective."

His trust in the synthetic assassin was minimal in loyalty but great in competence. He would allow her to do her work -- away from him, so that he could do his freely.

His orders given, he continued his march to the Order of Shasa's headquarters. Soon enough he would be face to face with one of its guardians.

 

[Lucia Naberrie]

Location: Ahto City - Manaan
Time: Midnight
Dialogue Legend: <<Technopathy Link>> │ “Verbal”
Tag: Xeykard Damian A. Drake

Lucia brought her shield up immediately, the sensor suite integrated into her neck piece immediately registering the energy signature as her computerized mind processed it in turn, compelling the gynoid to activate the energized barrier mere moments before the first bolt struck. It was a sequence of actions that would have taken far longer for an organic soldier to complete. However, with her synthetic, computerized awareness, Lucia resolved it in microseconds. Unfortunately, she could do nothing for the two legionnaires that had been struck after her, smoking craters blown through their chests as a consequence of the searing tibanna-charged plasma bolts.

Immediately, Lucia dove for cover and pointed her rifle up towards the rooftop where the shots had come from, anticipating a grenade, a drone, or some other hazard to emerge from the area. She found none, but she now had to contend with something else.

"Form up and stay shielded. 410 -- kill them. This one will complete the objective."

The assassin knew what it was. One of the reasons she had been assigned here was to ensure that the Inquisitor remained loyal to the Kainate. No doubt, he suspected her or possibly had his own agenda in coming here. It was something that she would have to look into later. Regardless, Lucia could not refuse a direct order from a Sith. Not to mention, doing so would reveal the true reason that she had been placed with him to begin with.

She would have to complete his task quickly, then.

“It will be done, Knight Inquisitor.” Lucia answered in swift, synthetic fashion.

On cue, the gynoid spun around, placed her rifle on her back, and kicked into a sprint. Then suddenly, she jumped, the powerful synthetic musculature in her legs propelling her all the way up to the third-story balcony of the building that the shots had come from—ascending almost ten meters in a single leap. A second jump immediately after the first carried her up onto the edge of the rooftop, at which point the gynoid’s photoreceptors caught sight of a sprinting figure ( Damian A. Drake ), who was now almost 25 meters away from her position. Quickly deducing that it was the assailant from moments prior, Lucia pulled out her rifle with robotic speed and snapped the crosshairs onto her target’s lower back with unerring precision.

Then, she squeezed the trigger.

On cue, a burst of five slugs tore out from the barrel at supersonic velocity within the span of a half-second, with the first three aimed for the shooter’s lower back, while the last two were sent towards his neck—all fired 30 meters away from her target.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Bloodflower Sapphire
  
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
  • Utility
    
    • Synthspray
    • Lucia Naberrie’s Headband - ¼ Concentration
  • Droid
    
    • IBIS Drone
• Breshig War Forge Consolidated DP-02 Class-D Heavy Disruptor Pistol (2)
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • Gas Cartridge-Power Cell Combined Unit (8)
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
• GWE-004
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • 25 Round Magazine - Standard (4)
    • 25 Round Magazine - Armor Piercing (2)
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
    • Rifle Silencer
• Sonic Grenade (2)
• AI-Gx02 Si-Plasma Grenade (2)

 

[Damian A. Drake]

OFFICE BUILDING - AHTO CITY - MANAAN
Xeykard || Lucia Naberrie

Two soldiers--two legionnaires--fell to the ground lifeless before the rest drew up their shields. That was his cue to leave and find another avenue of attack. Casting a look over his shoulder every few moments, Drake's eyes widened as one of the Sith leapt onto the roof before beginning to aim her sniper rifle. Tapping the side of his eyeglasses, a cursory scan ran over the woman and the rifles as the information quickly filtered in front of his eyes.

That was not a blaster, and he had incorrectly estimated how quickly the Sith would reach the rooftop from the streets below. Drake had both heard of and witnessed firsthand how agile and quick both Jedi and Sith could be with the aid of the Force, as they called the foreign power that enhanced them. Switching strategies in his head, Drake immediately changed directions.

No longer running straight, Drake immediately began turned direction and began running to the the side of the rooftop before leaping off. Twisting his body mid-air, Drake fired off three shots. Each aimed at countering the supersonic shots aimed for his body as he let gravity do the rest and the bullets aimed for his neck skimmed along his skin, creating small burnt cuts and scrapes. The molten metal struck his chest all the same and Drake could feel the heat sending stinging pain to erupt along his chest. Bringing his arms around his head at the last moment, Drake felt glass breaking under the weight and velocity of his back as he landed inside of an empty office room.

Pain erupted far and wide along his back from the sudden leap. A brief groan escaped his lips before twisting over onto his side and pushing himself off the floor. He needed to keep moving. Unlike most Sith or any soldier for that matter--if his eyeglasses had been correct in their initial yet brief scan--this particular enemy would not slow or tire with time and effort. This meant a dragged out fight would work against him, and a more direct confrontation would be far from recommended. With the shielding, however, a long-ranged confrontation would be ineffective.

Kicking the door open and pushing through the pain, Drake glanced about the abandoned main office space. Far more open than the room, but inside of a building was much safer from the likes of a sniper. Here, such a weapon would have more limited utility than in an open space like the rooftop. Still, he would need one particular item to help form an effective counterattack. Running through the space, Drake holstered his weapon for a moment before he began to remove a fire suppression canister near one of the stairways. His eyes kept focused on the nearby windows as he began to remove the canister before attempting lightly sprint across the room with canister in hand. Keeping the canister low so desks and other furniture would block it from view, Drake's intended destination was one of the bathrooms on this floor.

Come on. Come on.

Hopefully, he could make it before being shot at again.​

 

[Lucia Naberrie]

Location: Ahto City - Manaan
Time: Midnight
Dialogue Legend: <<Technopathy Link>> │ “Verbal”
Tag: Xeykard Damian A. Drake

Five shots. Any one of them should or could have dropped him, but Lucia immediately registered that they hadn’t. In that regard, the gynoid groaned internally, having hoped to make this a quick, clean kill so that she could continue with her original assignment. As much as she enjoyed killing, this was ultimately a distraction. Even she knew the assailant wouldn’t risk attacking them again, if this was the cost of doing so.

Nevertheless, Lucia pressed ahead, sprinting at an inhuman pace as her target crashed through the glass roof of the nearby office building. The assassin was only seconds behind as she leapt down into the building before landing gracefully on her feet amidst strewn shards of glass. She immediately brought her rifle up, her photoreceptors and sensors swiftly scanning the location in the process. However, her target was already in the next area over—the main office space.

Lucia swapped her rifle out for her disruptors—weapons that would better allow her to shoot through and vaporize the large amounts of cover that her ultrasonic imagers had registered in the vicinity. No doubt, her target would seek to utilize the obstructions to his benefit. Then, with her search sensors active so as to reveal any potential traps, she advanced into the main office space.

A microsecond later, her sensors had acquired a lock.

A disruptor snapped onto her target’s center mass, followed by the squeeze of its trigger only a millisecond later. The ensuing bolt exploded out from the barrel, immediately vaporizing a desk. A shot from her other disruptor vaporized half of a couch. Then, a third shot obliterated a table. Lucia narrowed her photoreceptors in annoyance as her target evaded each of her attacks, but all of her shots had struck something, throwing out small bits of superheated matter that would likely burn or incinerate parts of her target's flesh, should they make contact.

And yet, Lucia could not accept that as a consolation prize. For all intents and purposes, the gynoid needed him dead—an objective that she intended to see to completion.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Bloodflower Sapphire
  
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
  • Utility
    
    • Synthspray
    • Lucia Naberrie’s Headband - ¼ Concentration
  • Droid
    
    • IBIS Drone
• Breshig War Forge Consolidated DP-02 Class-D Heavy Disruptor Pistol (2)
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • Gas Cartridge-Power Cell Combined Unit (8)
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
• GWE-004
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • 25 Round Magazine - Standard (4)
    • 25 Round Magazine - Armor Piercing (2)
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
    • Rifle Silencer
• Sonic Grenade (2)
• AI-Gx02 Si-Plasma Grenade (2)

 

[Xeykard]

Streets of Ahto​

His opponent arrived early. A towering Selkath moved by one of the waterways, putting out fires and guiding others out. When she moved, she moved like water, fluid and strong. The water moved with her, waves drawn from the canal and out onto the street.

In the chaos, Xeykard's senses were dulled -- if they hadn't been, he would've had the drop on the disciple of the Order of Shasa. Instead they found each other's gaze. In one smooth motion the Selkath drew up a great wave, meeting Xeykard's charge. He leapt and drew the Force tightly around him, but only barely managed to break through, finding the wall of water tougher than expected.

His men fared poorly; as he glanced back, he found his squadron knocked down or washed away.

Fewer variables. Within expectation.

He hit the ground running. His saber flew to his hand; never wanting to be caught unprepared, his saber was built to withstand water, and did not fail him now.

His ignition met resistance, however -- his first swing was met by the Selkath's bracers, which shone with a strange light; he did not have time to figure out what they were made of, only that he could not cut through them. The Selkath knew her armour well, flawlessly shifting off his strike and moving fluidly into a counter.

Their exchanges were quick yet rhythmic. While Xeykard was measured, each swing coming with exacting strength, the rolling movement of his opponent seemed to gather momentum with each ebb of their engagement. Each strike hit harder than the last, like a mounting wall of water rising, crashing down, then rising again. The Selkath was controlling the flow of the fight, and they were rapidly approaching the tipping point -- when Xeykard would be at a great strength disadvantage.

He adapted, changing his method of attack and slowing down the fight, but so too did his opponent adjust. Her tempo slowed, maintaining her momentum, though slowing its gain. Even as he momentarily withdrew to assess the situation, she surged forward, shifting from physical to telekinetic attacks. The latter were easier to block for now -- but they, too, grew in strength with each strike.

 

[Elidan Reirick]

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​

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"You mean to tell me the girl simply vanished?"

Despite the success of other retrieval teams in accomplishing their objectives, it appeared the prize of this operation had escaped Imperial forces. As the Sith continued their advance the city continued to crumble under the weight of a ruthless enemy. Amid this chaos, an Imperial Inquisitor and his Clone soldiers hold two humans to the ground in front of their burning domicile, a rare sight on a world dominated by a species that is well known for their xenophobia. Yet these humble "merchants" that had ingratiated themselves into Selkath society were in reality Imperial assets that were brought in to serve as local agents, their tasks being to observe a Selkath girl with an impressive connection to the force.

It seems they failed to keep track of her.

"Lord Inquisitor, we-we did as you asked! We went for the girl the minute the Sith arrived, but she had vanished along with her mother!"

It was a likely story and one Elidan might have believed if not for the fact the merchants had mysteriously vanished an hour before the Sith arrived. It was also rather convenient that the surveillance droid in this sector was disabled for some time, With this lie, the ignited lightsaber blade crept closer to one of the men's necks, a signal that their rather poorly designed excuse would not save their lives.

"How is this little story meant to help you? Gross incompetence is not rewarded, or have you forgotten who your true master is?"

There was silence among the pair for a moment before the other man spoke up, seemingly breaking under the pressure of imminent execution.

"We took her to the Order of Shasa! We... We didn't want to see her taken from her family. They promised to protect her, they promised to protect us-"

A quick and sudden slash from the lightsaber ended whatever tirade the man had seemingly prepared before Elidan's arrival. Perhaps if he was more concerned about living he would have simply obeyed his orders and taken the girl to the evacuation shuttle, he might have been permitted to leave and avoid a grizzly end. He was a fool, one who had disrupted months of careful planning, now all that remained was his partner, the obvious horror painted across his face

"Do they know about her abilities? Did you take her to the Jedi?"

"No! No, we just... we told them they were refugees! Beggers who needed shelter! I... I can take you to them!"

For a moment, the suggestion was considered, but in the end, treason had only one punishment. A quick slash put an end to the man's life, the blade hissing as it retracted back into its hilt. Elidan looked at the burning building ahead of him and considered his next course of action. In the end, he knew that he could not leave Manaan without anything to show for his efforts, and so it appeared he would need to make an excursion before he evacuated off-world.

Looking to the comlink in his gauntlet, Eldian began to broadcast to all remaining retrieval teams.

"Retrieval teams, your orders are to be altered. Converge on the Order's temple, retrieve my prize intact. Kill anyone in your path, Sith or otherwise."

Lowering his gauntlet, Elidan turned to his personal guard, two of his Clone assassins standing attention.

"We cannot allow the Jedi to interfere. Infiltrate the command tower and eliminate Jedi Master Oppii Ghzanposis, I will not have him interfere."

As the troopers rushed off, Elidan knew full well they would not return. They were capable soldiers, but they had no hope of killing a Jedi Master. Still, they would prove a capable distraction, as would those troopers who engaged the Sith and Mandalorian. This itself would prove a test of Imperial capabilities in battle, even on this small scale. Still, the High Inquisitor would not be ideal. He began to make his way towards the Order's temple, though he would be more careful than his men. He would retrieve the girl and leave, no need to make a stand when the Mandalorians and the Sith were perfectly capable of wiping each other out.

He would be little more than a ghost. They wouldn't even know he was here.

​

​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Xeykard

​

In a moment that seemed to defy the very laws of gravity and fate, the figure known only as Xeykard found his path unexpectedly obstructed. From the tumultuous skies above, as if ordained by the cosmos itself, descended a figure so diminutive in stature that the term 'pint-sized' would seem an overstatement. Yet, what this creature lacked in size, it compensated with a presence so formidable that it commanded the immediate attention of all who beheld it's audacity.

With a cloak billowing like the wings of a dark angel in the storm, the small figure executed a descent that was nothing short of theatrical. Mere feet from the ground, the figure arrested its fall with such grace and agility, transitioning into a roll that culminated in a poised and deliberate makashi stance. It was a display of skill that belied the youth's diminutive form and age.

In the right hand of this snowy-haired youth materialized a lightsaber, its blade a striking celadon teal, a vibrant contrast to the gloom that surrounded them. With a flourish that sliced through the very air wind and rain, the saber was brandished with an authority that left no room for doubt. Before the towering visage of the giant red lizard man, the youth assumed a stance that was as much a declaration of intent as it was a challenge.

"You'll go no further,"

Braze declared, his voice carrying a weight that seemed impossible for someone of his stature. Yet, there it was, an unwavering resolve that resonated in the space between them.​

Upon closer inspection, the audacity of this plucky challenger became even more apparent. One arm was bound in a sling, a mark of recent strife and injury, yet this detail did nothing to diminish the spirit of the defiant youth. It was clear that this 'mite-sized pest,' as some might underestimate him, was prepared to stand as a bulwark against the advancing threat, undeterred by his physical limitations or the daunting odds he faced.