Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Junction Shadows Over Endor | GA & SO Junction of S'krrr and Empty Hex



jaxtemp2.png

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Vera Noble Vera Noble | Corazona von Ascania Corazona von Ascania

Jackson watched Vera step forward with that bright, innocent smile, the kind that never meant anything good. He stayed a pace behind, arms loosely crossed, pretending he wasn't already bracing for whatever ridiculous plan she had cooked up this time.

He should've known the moment she said "it'll be fun." That was always the beginning of something slightly illegal, mildly dangerous, or in this case, probably plant-related chaos.

Still… he followed.

Not just now, but a lot more lately. She'd been pulling him into all kinds of things: lightsaber construction, reconstruction efforts, weird meditation circles with old Jedi who smelled like moss. And now? Jungle gardening with teeth. He hadn't questioned it at first. Jax just figured she just wanted company or backup. Yet, somewhere between the overgrown vines and her whispered plan to prank a fully capable Knight, he found himself wondering, why him?

She could've brought anyone, really, like her brother Aris. There were a dozen Padawans who probably knew how to tell the difference between a root system and a trap. Instead, she'd grabbed his sleeve, and tugged him into this jungle like it was the most natural thing in the galaxy. Now here he was, again, being roped into mischief with a girl who treated chaos like a sport and smiled like she already knew the outcome.

Jackson exhaled through his nose, amused despite himself.

He wasn't going to stop her. He never really did, but Force help him, when those vines came to life if he was standing well out of range.

Jackson's gaze flicked from Vera who was already playing the role of picture-perfect student, to Knight von Ascania and for a second he forgot about the prank entirely.

Cora didn't just stand among the vines. She belonged to them. The way they shifted when she moved, and bent subtly toward her like plants following the sun was unnerving and awe-inspiring all at once. There was no tension in her posture, or strain in her control. It was like the Force itself had decided she was part of the terrain.

This was the kind of Jedi Romi always talked about. Not loud or flashy like Judah, just rooted. The kind that was a steady center in the middle of something wild and alive.

Jackson found himself straightening his posture and clearing his throat lightly before stepping forward with Vera. She was a Knight, sure, but she didn't have the cold edge so many others carried. There was a presence to her like if you stepped wrong, the whole forest might rise up and swat you, but if you paid attention, you'd learn something worth knowing.

That was what Jackson saw now.

This wasn't some meditation circle. This was a battlefield being planted from the soil up.

And suddenly, whatever prank Vera was planning felt like way more dangerous idea than he'd expected.

"You sure you wanna do that," he whispered to Vera as he stepped up next to her.


 
A T R O P O S
OBJECTIVE I: Fortification
TAGS: Quinn Varanin Quinn Varanin | CT-312 CT-312 | Jacen Breska Jacen Breska |

The strong branches of the test subject were bristly, and coarse. The bark texture flowed with each breath it took. Such raw power being held within. Not even truly connected to the force. Just subjected to it. The various containment procedures used to hold it in place barely kept it there as the opening rippling maw roared directly into my face. I had jumped back from the sudden aggression. My heart skipping a beat but only further raced at the aspect of knowing what this truly was. Chuckling softly and building a little more. The anticipation was killing me.

Turning around to Quinn, A look of awe upon my face. Surprised that somehow we were able to procure one of these creatures. These things that drew and feasted upon our kind. Force Users. I shook my head and just took a couple steps back.

"I really know how to pick them right? Feisty one that."

My finger pointing behind me at the creature. Holding itself. The soft creaking of its bark skin and limbs reaching out as if trying to break containment. A natural-like living thing being held down in a sterile room of white and black. Lights blinding and obtrusive to the ocular nerve. My eye sight moved back from the Princess of Eshan over to the creature again. Arms folded, with a hand rubbing my jaw, thumb and index rubbing softly as I thought deeply about what to do.

Currently, The aspect of the Ysalamiri in the room dulled my senses heavily. However, it was required to prevent any mental problems that this creature naturally gave off. A necessary precaution so that a weak minded individual wouldn't start going mad from a creeping darkness. However, I wanted to do so much more with these magnificent beasts.

"They naturally already do what we want it to do. However, I feel procuring a way for it to be commanded, controlled so that it would only attack the forces we choose for it to do so would be an improvement. Also to prevent others from influencing it. A biological form of Anti-hacking. What do you think?"

A moment, a thought, and finally a confession.

"I already know how to make it more... ravenous."
 
Spitfire Soul, Heart of Gold
zeU8GQy.png




Eoiafkd.png

The Pin Drops
Picsart-24-10-06-11-12-16-972.png

Outfit: Clothing/Armor | Glove | Right Arm | Talisman | Purple Bracelet
Weapons: Lightsaber 1 [x] | Lightsaber 2 [x] | Hook Swords

The moment they appeared on Nevarro, the weight in Azzie's chest returned like a shackle she hadn't known she was still wearing. The city pulsed like a wound that hadn't healed. Its blood ran black and red, Sith banners waving like carrion flags. As they materialized upon the ridge, the ash-laced snow swirling around them, Azzie barely breathed. The raw presence beside her was overwhelming—a force of nature incarnate wrapped in myth. Thurion Heavenshield, the Lion of Midvinter, a man whose name was spoken in reverence across half the galaxy. He was more than a veteran Jedi or a master of the Alliance. He was a grandfather figure to her that she hadn't had since she was a child, treating her master as his own daughter and, by extension, welcoming Azzie into that fierce, protective fold.

Under that awe, however, lay a grim truth: this mission intersected with the Kainates' machinations, which could only mean Darth Carnifex had set these plans in motion. Her gut twisted. A familiar chill crawled up her spine. She flinched at the name echoing through her mind. Even now, it was hard to think it without feeling the phantom weight of chains, the cold blast of sharp pain crawling over her skin, and the burning stench of blood and smoke in her nostrils. She'd been his prisoner once. Scrap of defiance tested to its breaking point. She doubted she had to say anything; her captivity hadn't been a secret. If this was his operation, then they were stepping into the mouth of hell. If she was lucky, she wouldn't have to deal with him directly.

"For the Alliance."

Thurion's hand against hers was an anchor she hadn't realized she needed then. Azzie nodded, though her throat felt like a desert. She forced her features into a determined smile. "Crashing into a Sith party uninvited? Say less." She joked, always one to try to lighten the air. Even when danger clung to her heels, like the weight of an old friend crept into her skin.

They moved side by side down the ridge's narrow path, volcanic light painting their forms in flickering gold and crimson. Thurion's power was a palpable force at his back; he strode with the immovable certainty of a frosted mountain. Beside him, Azzie felt more like wildfire: unpredictable and swift. When they reached the city's outskirts, she gave him a nod, a spark of persistence flaring through the amethyst gem-like purples of her eyes.

"I should scout ahead. Don't miss me too much," she said, her voice crisp against the distant rumble of eruptions. Her cloak rustled as she reached up, pulling the songsteel mask (made to account for her horns) down over her face. The cool metal settled against her skin like a second breath. The hood followed, shadows swallowing her features. Then she vanished. The air shimmered faintly where she had stood, the Force wrapping around her like silk, bending light and sound. Of course, she had a small locator beacon hidden within her belt so he could keep track of her location.

With that, she darted forward, slipping into the shadows between crumbled walls and scorched alleyways. She'd find the trail to follow; that much was certain, but just what that trail might be was shrouded in unknowns.




 
i4xNFo5.png



nbJqXfQ.png
Objective: Fortification – Infiltration Detection & Local Defense Coordination
Outfit: Senate Commando Armor [X]
Guest starring Eivii Eivii as NPC
False Alarm Logged – No Hostile Contact
Training Phase: Resume

Squad Leader: Captain Nos Voros (Zeltron male)
Fire Team Alpha —
GAHA-32 Lionheart Commando Armor
Team Leader: Lieutenant Karis Vonn (Human female, Corellian)
Medic: Sergeant Lorne Vesik (Mirialan male)
Machine Gunner: Corporal Bex Jarn (Besalisk male)
Rifleman: Private Tash Renn (Human male, Chandrilan)
  • A precise and disciplined soldier.
  • BHSR-1 Service Rifle
  • Prefers coordinated maneuvers and works best in tight formations.
---

Fire Team Bravo —
GAHA-32 Lionheart Commando Armor
Team Leader 2: Sergeant Jil Torvan (Togruta female)
Marksman: Corporal Rann Kyber (Nautolan male)
Heavy Weapons: Private Drax Molgar (Zabrak male)
  • Specializes in explosives and heavy ordinance.
  • ML-04E-GA Rocket Launcher
  • Often deployed against armored threats or for breaching enemy positions.
Rifleman: Private Cass Deren (Duros male)
  • Agile and quick-thinking.
  • BHSR-1 Service Rifle
  • Often acts as the squad's point man, scouting ahead for danger.

The mines weren’t stolen. They were mislogged and stashed behind the comms tent. The missing engineer? Found face-down in a hollow tree, reeking of Endorian berry-wine and snoring like a repulsor engine. Nos didn’t say a word when the sweep team returned. He logged it in his datapad with practiced precision. Fingers steady. Pulse even. The silence said more than a reprimand ever could.

An hour later, the training range devolved into chaos. A stun grenade had gone off prematurely. Ewoks were screaming, not from pain but delight. Two were trying to ride Bex Jarn like a tauntaun. One had stolen Karis’s rifle and was pointing it at a tree while making blaster noises with its mouth.

Eivii stood in the center of it all, watching a mock hostage demonstration she'd set up spiral out of control.

Nos arrived to the sound of Jil Torvan’s voice, sharp and tired.

Sergeant Jil Torvan said:
<<If she’s part of the team, say it. If not, I want her off the range, Captain.>>

Nos hesitated. Just scanned the scorched earth, the scattered gear, the pile of stunned fruit by the barricade. A headache pressing behind his eyes.

He stepped past a knocked-over cart of Meilooruns ( Mea Lorin Mea Lorin ?).

Eivii met his gaze.

"Relax, Captain. It was just a teaching moment gone… native."

One of the Ewoks threw a meiloorun at her. She caught it without looking.

"Adorable little gremlins."

Nos didn’t smile.

"You shouldn’t be here."

Not just the forest. Not just the op. Not near him. There was an unspoken glare shared between the blue woman and the red man.

Later, after the Ewoks had been bribed back into formation with sweetroot and smoked meat, Nos sat on the edge of a cargo crate, eyes locked on the datapad replaying that flicker from the sensor log. A slight spike. Too clean to be a glitch. Too short to be a walk-through.

A shadow. Surely.
Eivii slid down beside him without asking.

"You're spiraling."

"You're projecting."
Nos responded curtly.

"You used to do the same thing in your sleep, remember?" she said softly. "Wake up sweating. Check the locks, check the exits, check your knives, Then crawl back in bed pretend you didn’t when the morning came."

"..."

She turned her head slightly. Her tone dropped low enough the others wouldn't hear.
"It's not the war that's causin-"

"Keep training them. Make sure they understand cover discipline."

Nos cut her off.
"And keep Jil from fragging you."

She snorted and watched Nos as he checked the same spot on the perimeter once again.

The alarm passed, there was no threat.
But Nos’s armor still felt too tight around the chest.
His stomach still turned.
The vertigo still teetered at the edge of his balance.
The forest felt too quiet again.

@OPEN​
 



Objective III: Counter Intelligence (PVE/PVP)
Mission: Catch Sith Agent Sabotaging GA Camp.
Equipment: DL-44 blaster, two vibro switch blades, holographic cloaking unit, data pad and a holo communicator.


Alek was traditionally used to being deployed as a lone wolf behind enemy lines since completing his training with the SIA. However, after arriving on Endor, he had quickly been informed that he was not going to deployed in a role that he was traditionally used to. He'd only just arrived at the Alliance camp by speeder and was quickly debriefed on the situation. He was informed by a commanding officer of the Galactic Alliance Defense Force that the SIA had lent his services to the Army as they had been dealing with a rogue Sith Order agent who had been sabotaging areas of the camp. It was the first time that Alek had ever been deployed in a counter intelligence role, but with the SIA spread thin he would do his best.

"What's the most recent site to be sabotaged Colonel? I'll start there." Alek asked standing in front of the officer with his arms crossed. Alek wore simple white shirt, brown leather jacket and a pair of black brushed denim pants with a pair of combat boots. The two of them stood in a large tent that sat at the centre of the camp.

"The most recent site to be sabotaged was our weapons cache. It held a large chunk of our artillery munitions. Whoever this agent is, they are very good. None of our agents have laid eyes on them. We don't have the faintest idea what this saboteur looks like." The Colonel said shaking his head, clearly exasperated with the situation. "Listen, I can't afford to spare any men to track this pest down. And please conduct your investigation with discretion. The last thing I need is for troop morale to be affected if they know that an SIA intelligence agent is investigating them and looking for a saboteur in their midst." He concluded looking at Alek as if he was last hope to stop the endless harassment within the encampment.

"Understood sir, I'll get started on it right away. And I'll conduct it quietly, like you asked."
Alek said, not enjoying the chain of command but knowing he had to respect it. Alek turned, leaving the Colonel and tent behind him. He came out of the tent and found himself in the centre of the hustle and bustle of the Galactic Alliance camp that was preparing for war. Soldiers ran about frantically completing tasks at the whim of their superior officers. Alek's dark brown eyes studied everyone of them as he made his way to the destroyed weapon's cache. Anyone in this camp could be the saboteur. Or the saboteur could be hiding in the woods and periodically coming into the camp to cause havoc and chaos.

As he approached the site of the destroyed weapons cache the smell of oil and smoke filled his nostrils. Clearly the saboteur had been thorough, he wondered what he would find there as he approached...











69uC283.png




 

Location: Endor
Tags: Corazona von Ascania Corazona von Ascania and other Plant Surge folk

Trees. Why. Did. It. Always. Have. To. Be. Trees.

Reina sat amongst the group working on the fortifications, a small frown on her face as she tried to feel the flow of the Force through the vines. It wasn't...as comfortable as it was when she was reaching for water. Feeling the flow of water through the Force was relatively simple for her, after all, for her the Force was the Spirit of the Ocean. It came in waves, it flowed through everything. Yet when it came to focusing on its movements through a solid object, it was just...infuriating for her.

It was beneath her, she could feel that at least. It was the actual effort of trying to manipulating the vines that were a struggle for Reina. To guide them in the correct direction. If she had her way, Reina would have just grabbed onto the vines and dragged them to where they should be, but that wasn't the right way. She needed to give it a gentle hand. A nudge in the right direction. The only issue is that Reina's nudges more often than not were shoves at full force. She just had to focus. To feel the Force flowing and try to direct it as well as she could. It wasn't like she was doing this alone at the very least. That was the thing that was most important.​

 

zeU8GQy.png



mYykm3M.png
Pet (hair): Fuzzy (Sha'rellian toop)

It had taken Jobbi most of the morning to move the defunct sensor dish.

Not with the Force, of course. She’d tried that. It wobbled once, tipped over, and landed directly on her snack pack. No, she dragged it by her long tail, curled awkwardly around the heavy durasteel panel, pulling it slowly, noisily, through the mossy forest floor of Endor.

Somewhere on her head, her pet Sha’rellian toop, Fuzzy, let out a tiny whistle of dismay. He did not like the terrain. Or maybe he didn't like the mud caking his fur. Or maybe he was simply expressing the mood Jobbi herself was too polite to share aloud.

She paused near a ridge, huffing quietly. The Alliance engineers above hadn't even noticed her yet.

“I think this is the... terrain feature they meant,” she mumbled, glancing at a rocky slope where someone had planted a flag for shield emitter testing. It looked steep. It looked unwelcome. She looked at it with dread.

Still, she pushed forward. Halfway up, a twig snapped—and from the brush, a cluster of small furry faces emerged. Round eyes. Simple hoods. Spears made of bone and rock.

Ewoks.

Fuzzy squeaked and dove into Jobbi’s neck flap for cover.

"Mi boska. Mi naga patko. Mi Jee-Dai... unko."

The Ewoks seemed unconvinced.

One poked her with the butt of a spear. Another jabbered something and sniffed the air, catching the scent of the Hutt, and recoiled.

There was a tense silence.

Then a very small Ewok toddled forward, snatched the snack, and hugged her massive belly. Jobbi blinked. Slowly smiled. Carefully patted the Ewok with one oversized hand.

She wasn’t sure if she’d just been accepted… or claimed. Either way, it was progress.

"Jee oto. Mi tingi dayca. O... naga hatinki mi."

@Open (Objective)​
 
Eoiafkd.png
Location: Nevarro High Orbit, Nevarro System - Dalicron Sector
Objective: IV - Behind Enemy Lines
Mission Objective: Patrol the outskirts of the fleet.
Call Sign: Fragile Dancer
Tag: Ari Naldax Ari Naldax


Somewhere in the clouds, Kainate destroyers hung like submerged predators, silent and vast, their hulls hidden by the turbulent storms above. Intermittent flashes revealed skeletal hangars open like maws, disgorging more landing craft by the hour.

None could know what was transpiring on Nevarro. High above the world, Kainate star destroyers loomed like silent sentinels, escort craft weaving an ever-shifting cordon around the Armada. Tasked with pursuing, engaging, and destroying any would-be intruders, the craft flew through the void in the manner of raptors circling over a kill, poised to shred any intruders from the void. For Seela, her part in the ballet was a small, yet important one. Like any pilot, she was only one part of the ballet. However, her starfighter—the Umbra Morticana—had systems which gave it an important edge.

The ability to see the unseen.

The Twi’lek worked her starfighter’s controls with instinctive precision, fingers darting through the switches as she re-calibrated and adjusted her systems. A recent meteor shower had scarred Nevarro’s orbital space, creating dead zones in the sensor networks. Seela had been tasked with searching the zones directly in an effort to sniff out any potential infiltrators who might have been using the storm to cover their approach.

Thus far, her patrol had yielded nothing.

Normally, a boring patrol would not have phased her. Now though, the emptiness itched. She should have seen something, whether it was a blip on sensors or a rogue energy flare. In both cases, she would at least have information to guide her search. Instead, she had nothing but her intuition and the sensor data coming in from other units in the battle net.

It was simply silence, unnerving and ever-present.

Seela narrowed her eyes and gave a sharp exhale before banking towards the next dead zone. Her search would continue in spite of the silence, for no unworthy, tainted soul could be allowed to corrupt the sanctity of the Eclipsing Mission.


Craft: Umbra Morticana
 
BP9MQYZ.png
wHxnyHV.png

TYgqR4f.png
Objective I: Location: Endor State Penitentiary.
Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Viers Connory Viers Connory Lucette Lucette Aris Noble Aris Noble

Zaiya moved carefully through the undergrowth, robes muted to match the jungle around her. Even her skin, which normally shimmered with a rosy golden hue and dancing colorshifting lights, had dulled to a flat bronzetinged gold. Her bioluminescent mottled spots that were usually rippling in the ebb and flow of her emotions were barely visible, were tinted soft grey and amber and held carefully in check. She was learning -- growing into a capable Padawan that was feeling fit to stand by Aris's side.

Their mission was supposed to be simple. Check the old Endor State Penitentiary. Make sure it hadn't been compromised. Make sure nothing that had outstayed its welcome or had come to squat crept in.

Zaiya wasn't sure what she expected. But it wasn't this.

The Lovalla Padawan stopped midstep, crouched behind the thick trunk of a felled tree, head tilting in that birdlike way she'd always done when something felt wrong. The Force whispered briefly, until it hiked up in intensity in warning.

Not animals... no, definitely not natural.

Some of the signatures were thick and warped, sick with something that reminded her of the Sithspawn netherbeasts she'd faced with Aris on the Caverns of Elrood. Others... she couldn't place.

Her opal blue eyes narrowed, her voice barely above the whisper of breeze through leaves.

"What are the chances you think we might see another pack of shadow beasts here?" The words were dry, but the tension in her jaw betrayed the truth.

A breath caught in her throat. Her stripes shifted in a pulse of pale yellow now etched with grey and threaded with amber in pensive concern.

"There are a lot," she said, eyes scanning deeper into the undergrowth. There were even some lifesigns as well.

"Some are familiar... others... are not. Definitely a few people," she added, tapping her comm unit at her waist. If they confirmed there were enemies here, it would be best to call it in as soon as possible for back up. Especially if they might be outnumbered.

Either way, the ruins of the old penitentiary loomed not far ahead and the closer they came, the louder the noise of people threading through the jungle would become.

Yup the air felt heavier here and she really, really, didn't like it.


qXrM5Mv.png
xBoI1s8.png
 
i4xNFo5.png



nbJqXfQ.png
Objective: Fortification — Post-Sweep Recovery & Morale Management
Outfit: Senate Commando Armor [X]
Guest starring Eivii Eivii
Squad Leader: Captain Nos Voros (Zeltron male)
Fire Team Alpha —
GAHA-32 Lionheart Commando Armor
Team Leader: Lieutenant Karis Vonn (Human female, Corellian)
Medic: Sergeant Lorne Vesik (Mirialan male)
Machine Gunner: Corporal Bex Jarn (Besalisk male)
Rifleman: Private Tash Renn (Human male, Chandrilan)
  • A precise and disciplined soldier.
  • BHSR-1 Service Rifle
  • Prefers coordinated maneuvers and works best in tight formations.
---

Fire Team Bravo —
GAHA-32 Lionheart Commando Armor
Team Leader 2: Sergeant Jil Torvan (Togruta female)
Marksman: Corporal Rann Kyber (Nautolan male)
Heavy Weapons: Private Drax Molgar (Zabrak male)
  • Specializes in explosives and heavy ordinance.
  • ML-04E-GA Rocket Launcher
  • Often deployed against armored threats or for breaching enemy positions.
Rifleman: Private Cass Deren (Duros male)
  • Agile and quick-thinking.
  • BHSR-1 Service Rifle
  • Often acts as the squad's point man, scouting ahead for danger.
False Alarm Aftermath – Squad Morale Check


The sun dipped below the canopy. Gold turned to slate. Wind sifted through the leaves like a whisper too soft to hear.

Endor was quiet again.

Too quiet.

False alarm. Drunk engineer. Misfiled crate. Nothing in the shadows but shadows. But Rubrus Squad was restless.

Bex Jarn's voice broke through the stillness like a vibrosaw through tin.

"You know what I love about hostage demos? When they end with the trainer getting tackled by a fuzzball. Classic instructional technique."

Cass Deren snorted behind a datapad.

"Only funny if she doesn’t start shooting next time."

"I can hear you, boys."


Eivii again. Under the turret canopy, sharpening a vibrodagger on a discarded mess tin. Sugar-sweet tone. Razor-flat eyes.

Karis Vonn stepped up beside Nos. Not loud. Certainly not casual.

"This isn’t sustainable."

Nos didn’t look at her.

"They’ll follow orders."
"Sure. But they’re watching you wonder if you gave the right ones."
"And you?"
"I trust your instincts. I don’t trust her motives."


Nos said nothing.

Drax Molgar caught a dummy charge mid-argument with Jil over fortified Ewok huts. Vesik passed behind Nos without a word, then handed him a stim tab.

"You skipped dinner. Again."

Nos looked at the tablet. Then at him.

"You’re not wrong about the sensor flicker. Doesn’t mean you’re well."

Can't keep a secret. Not from Vesik.

Later, the squad rotated to bunk rest. Quiet fell again.

Except her.

Eivii remained under the canopy, blade still sliding across durasteel. The rhythm was too steady. Too calm.

She didn’t look up.

"You want me gone?" she said. "Say it. Or say you don’t. But pick something, Nos. Because I’m not the one who can’t breathe in his own armor."

He didn't flinch, but he hesitated. Again. Then just... sat beside her and watched the stars start to blink through the trees.

"You never needed permission to stay."
A breath.
"That was the problem."

She flinched. Neither of them spoke.

They just sat together, watching the stars. They couldn't stand each other.
Neither wanted to be alone.

 

CS3FUG8.png

Cutting through the sky, a dark shape cast a sleek shadow over Navarro City. The Crestfallen slipped down through the noxious cloud bank, dipping low over the volcanic plateaus, before coming to a sharp halt above the starport. Settling down into one of the main landing bays, the imposing black-plated craft hissed with a hydraulic sigh. Already, officers and sentinels of the Blackblade Guard had arrayed themselves in reception, falling to a reverent knee as the boarding ramp yawned down to the black-silt ground.

Darkness unspooled from the Crestfallen's gaping maw, preceding the arrival of a being who's infamy beggars belief. Runic armor emblazoned with a latticework of geometric glyphs shone through the darkness, shimmering with the unspoken power and brutality of the Dark Side. A cloak of interlocking scales flowed down from His broad shoulders, each one stamped with the mark of a house or clan of the Mandalorian people. It fanned out as He descended, a tapestry of genocide; a hallmark of His cruelty and viciousness. Each one a lineage, a family.

Snuffed out.

Devoured by His hatred.

An officer of the Kainate approached, their cheeks marked by deep, narrows scars that almost cut all the way through the meat. Violet eyes, shadowed by devotion and fanaticism, never dared raised higher than the Dark Lord's midsection, for to gaze directly upon her God was anathema to her faith. Only the Blackblade Guard were among those currently assembled who were allowed to bear witness to their Dark Lord, the cybernetic warriors entombed within their armor often having served Him and His family for nearly a century at this point.

At His back, two Crownguard in bright scarlet robes stood at attention, their silent and unknowable gaze scrutinizing even their Blackblade brethren. Had He given the word, they would have killed everyone in attendance, and then themselves, without a moment's hesitation. They'd butcher an entire world, even if they had to crawl and kill with their teeth to achieve it. Their loyalty was unmatched, unwavering, and unending.

The officer, having given the proper reverence, now spoke with a voice modulated by hidden bio-cybernetic implants. "All proceeds as you command, Eternal Father. VX-NX13 stockpiles near the dictated quota. Your will shall be manifested as above and so below." She again bowed, unable to prevent herself from doing so; the imprinting wrought across her mind inescapable, for she had been conditioned since before she'd been born from the exo-wombs of the Malsheem. Bred for uncompromising fidelity, she could not imagine a world in which she was not subservient to her God. Even if she tried, her brain chemistry had been so irrevocably altered that it would render her totally catatonic.

All her existence, in this life and the next, was engineered to serve Him. She was not even the first of her line, her predecessor had likewise served before being killed in His Supremacy's blessed wars. As had the version of herself before last, and the one before that, and even the one before that. She too was fated to die, to be slaughtered in His name, only to rise again from the creche fresh and unsoiled.

He did not answer her, He didn't even acknowledge that she existed. But she knew, deep down, that He'd received her report. Her brain was alight with endorphins from just the barest whisper of knowing that the Eternal Father's awareness momentarily brushed with her own. Then, stalking forward, the Dark Lord left the assembled officers behind. The Blackblade fell into step behind Him, but only after the Crownguard had advanced ahead of them. He would inspect these stockpiles for Himself, to ensure that all was accounted for. And, more importantly, to draw taut the thread of fate which seemed to spool about Navarro like a noose.

Meanwhile, the guardsmen patrolling the outskirts of the city were a far cry from the cybernetic warriors of the Dark Lord. Many of them were conscripts, brought in to pad the city's defenses while the main bulk of the Kainate forces guarded the stockpiles. Some were even the decraniated cannon fodder the Kainate so often employed, their eerily mechanical movements easily spotted even at a distance. For those who had slipped through the outer defenses, they wouldn't be much of a challenge to overcome.

It would be what they couldn't yet see that would be the most worrying.


 

yO08PsK.png
It wasn't long before the Jedi Knight was roused by Officer Hike. "Relax, Soldier. You're not crazy. The footage is looped and that means someone or something has tampered with our systems." Ran observed evenly.

"Officer Push," Ran grabbed the man's attention. "Can you undo what's been done to our systems?" She continued.

"I'm not sure…" The man paused. "If this is the kind of attack I think it is, this ain't no remote hack. This was on site. It'll take time, Master Jedi, and if they're still in our systems it'll take even longer just to boot 'em."

Ran's nose wrinkled as she altered a previously made contingency plan in her mind. "If they're still in the system, leave them. It is better to hunt prey when they are preoccupied," She observed. "And now we are aware of their attack." Ran added. "Don't worry about undoing anything already done. Run diagnostics on the untouched aspects of our systems. Bolster their security. Give us time to find the rat crawling within our walls. And if anything more sensitive is accessed brick the entire system." Ran commanded. "Yes, Master Jedi."

"Officer Hike, you're with me but I need you calm. Calm. You understand?" Ran questioned.

"Yes, Master Jedi." Ran heard Hike say although she wasn't sure if the woman was actually up to the task. Still Ran trusted Hike's instincts. Hike was the one with the gut feeling, and she was the one to notice the loop. Ran wanted those instincts by her side when or if her own failed.

Another Officer stepped into Hike's seat in front of the monitors and did their best to bolster defenses. Ran and Hike met the Lieutenant on the ramparts. "Lieutenant Deda, alert the Captain at Outpost gamma. Tell him our systems have been compromised and that I will head a search party for the perpetrators now." A simple nod, and the message was sent. Comms were still up, but Ran doubted they would be for much longer, unless the infiltrators were found.

Ran and Hike headed to the next in a series of hidden signal towers. "Why are we going this way? Shouldn't we fan out and search the area?" Hike asked.

"That is what the others are doing. We are headed for the signal towers."

"Why?"

"Because if you want to cripple your enemy, you keep them from communicating. No messages out or in. A miniature blackwall." Ran observed. "I was a Sith Soldier in another life. I know how they operate." Ran explained further to Hike's surprise as they marched. "The first step in engagement with the enemy is obscuring their vision so you can get in close. Hence the looping of our security cameras, gaps created for infiltration, or distraction. The next step is isolating your target from the others. We've got a message out to Outpost gamma. I doubt we'll be able to do that again, meaning…"

"The comms are next on the list!" Hike finished for the Jedi.

"Precisely." Ran accepted as they were almost upon one of the few hidden signal relays, and possibly the outpost's saboteurs. "Weapons ready. Stay sharp. Follow your instincts." Ran advised her voice lower, and softer, almost a whisper while Hike readied her blaster.


Tags: Vakhari Lutris Vakhari Lutris

 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top Bottom