Private Shrine of The Frost Dragon

[Laertia Io]

Wearing: Pilot's Chitin

Accompanied by: Westenra (Gladiator Form)

Constructing: Sword of Cinndurr


Objective: Rescue Moya and Pets.

This place they were going to didn't really have a date for when it had been constructed. Earliest anyone could figure it was over two millenia old, in a large and ancient woodland where the monks went to pray and bless the environment.

Laertia, in a way, was coming to do exactly that, bless the environment by purging it of wickedness.

(Snippets of Doom Theme plays for a few seconds)

If she was going to do that, however she was going to do it testing out something she had acquired.

She had been working aboard her Gozanti Class Cruiser, The Absolution of Loste for more than three hours, fine tuning the strange burning orange crystal to the new dual vented hilt she had constructed. She dared not use an ordinary model for the kind of power she felt within. The power needed to vent, or it would go off like a grenade.

Interestingly she felt an imprint of the design it had once inhabited, and had modeled the new on the old.

The hilt was composed of iron grey durasteel with a leather grip. In a fit of concern about the blade integrity, she had reinforced the magnetic field at the last second.

Then had come actually inserting the gem into the blade.

She stared at the fiery orange pearl shaped crystal, very warm in her hand. The eternal flames within churned.

Westenra had been watching her in the repair bay working in silent fascination, having never seen a lightsaber construction before.

"How can a gem hold flames?" The biot questioned.

"Itz unnaturrallz..." Laertia answered, betraying slight nervous ness as she held the gem and blade with telekinesis in the shadows of the repair bay. "Dhatz howwz."

"What's making it unnatural?"

"Itz duh worrkz ov a sorrcerress..." she elaborated, floating hilt and gem together. "Ah powahfull wun..."

"Mother knows of such things..." Westenra said quietly. "But she has been taken."

Laertia sealed the crystal chamber's small hatch, gripping it, breathing slowly out of anxiety.

She held it apart from her, not sure what to expect as she held it with both hands tightly. She hit the activation switch.

The blade burst out, the long flares of a fusion torch, hissing like said instrument rather than a normal lightsaber.

She swung it experimentally with one hand. More difficult to control than she was used to. Moving it with telekinesis required more effort, all because of the powerful gyroscopic effect.

To her alarm she saw fething lava drip a few drops out of it, burning the floor, which reflected the fiery orange color it gave off even to the core.

"Wutz duh fethhz havvz I dunnz?" Laertia whispered, shutting it off.

"You're frightened of your own weapon?" Westenra questioned in incredulity, perfectly still in the renewed darkness. She was in her gladiator configuration, a fair skinned woman in blue and red hoplite armor

"Iffs yooz hadd senzed duh powah I sesenzed...yoo'dz bee pllenttee skarredz tooz..." The tombstone skinned, raven haired Jedi with a scarred face answered.

"You really think we'll need such power?" The biot questioned.

"Iffs dhey wuz dummz enough to tayke Moya anndz muh rabbitz, dhen dhey duhsurrvez suchh powah."

Forty minutes later...

They had taken a Tie Shuttle to the Surface, silent and mentally preparing. The Mountain Forest was a multitude of reds, browns and grays, the atmosphere still damaged from the recent release of The Dark Side.

Westenra found a clearing and set it down, the biot having been visiting this ancient forest to try and connect with her mother's homeland when Mythos had struck.

Laertia found it strange she had one biot disappear on her only to gain the friendship of another. But after what they had gone through to survive, Laertia trusted the Android without question.

Westenra grew sad as she beheld the bark of the mountain forest rotting in some areas.

"This forest was healthy when I last visted. Damn the Sith." The Biot glowered, starting ahead.

"Its a long way to the shrine. Follow me."

Laertia, almost over the edge with worry for Moya could barely remain coherent for threats as she walked in her one remaining good armor, still bearing slight damage as she kept her senses stretched for threats...or aid.

Junko Ike

Taiden Keth

 

[Junko Ike]

A lot had been happening on Atrisia... more so with the recent series of attacks. The commonwealth had well had to respond... mostly in the way people hadn't been expecting. The people were apathetic, the world had experienced attack after attack that it was old hat and they had developed the means to move on and rapidly rebuild what was lost thanks to designs and high technology investments. Pre-fab modular structures that were self contained and sustaining, restorable walls and roads, construction droids and biots. he Anshin was rarely touched nor was the moons which had colonization and expansion efforts. The other planets in the system, cherry blossom station and the stations in orbit that functioned to restore the world.

Junko had worked to oversee a great deal of that as rapid clean up from the Kiyomi was important and practiced grace at recovery could be seen. The Commonwealth might be under the CIS but Srina Talon had given them a chance and they didn't squanderthose. The artificial asteroids that were being developed as a hyperspace break and ring around the inner system itself... combined with the reactivated security network of stations, ships and mines around the system. She was doing more of that as Neo Jar'kai was still being worked on, kilometers of dirt and stone being worked on... tunnels and facilities created that could be sectionally locked down and controlled.

"Lady Junko." The voice came to her as she sat there overseeing some of the defensive measures that the Guiying clan were thinking about. From the three layered walls that were being designed thick with defenses and shielding. To the districts that were being set up for the villages to keep them safe and able to prosper even far flung from he capital cities of their continents. The waterways were even being engineered to be superior with controlled tracking that would be a higher functioning feat. Orbital cannons able to fire from the surface and specially set up areas, orchid platforms that were on the walls and able to move around creating a powerful line of defense.

Junko was looking at Fan Ming who had brought from the Agora valley several of the designs for traps and methods. The two of them sitting behind one of the screens that kep them out of the chilled air and sun but also the eyes of the male workers. An ancient atrisian tradition that had been brought back along with many others like their Burakkugādo who served now cleaning up problems within the ruins of the cities. There were reports from them to the Emperor directly... or the Wukong who were taking their time to really expand outwards. The reports of more things from the Anshin were also important, manufacturing and production were heavy there and on cherry blossom station after all.

"It is interesting, so many attacks, each one so powerful they could teleport past all defenses and almost like it was a sentient cataclysm counter any and all defenses or responses. Reminds me of the first time Jar'kai was attacked... I wasn't amused then either and less so now... but I guess that is why the Emperor focused as he did with the Empress... on the aftermath and production for rebuilding rather then fight a losing battle against agenda." She nodded in agreement... there was a danger to it as people would die... they couldn't prevent it, all measures to protect life were met with a rapidly changing intelligence to counter, stop or outright bypass all measures so...

"Yes, it is not pretty but much like rebuilding is required the commonwealth will survive, we have people who want to see it continue on and get better even if we don't have the numbers there once was. The worlds we once oversaw are still there and we are slowly establishing contact once again. charting new and old hyperlanes while focusing on this here... on expansion and restoration." The something was chiming and information popped up for her as Junko looked it over. "Something is happening. I must see to it." She stood up and Mara was there next to her. The chiss had stayed on the planet... after all she had a daughter who was half Atrisian so.... might as well.

"There is a ship that has touched down in the mountains." She said it and showed the report as Junko was looking at what information they had and it wasn't one of theirs but it was a known vessel... just tracked because it hadn't filed the proper paperwork to land on the planet... a violation of the Anshin itself that housed ships. Then it wet down to the few restricted ports and had airships or skiffs for more controlled movement. "Have my flyer prepared and I will go off to check it out." She would likely have to take one or two guards with her so they could feel better and safer about it. She had a skiff at least that could be used and one person could run it.

Laertia Io Taiden Keth

 

[Taiden Keth]

Three to meet… fate would have it. “Eshareth we have engine issues again, we are losing altitude,” one of the crew said calmly because traditional Echani were rarely prone to outburst. Looking out over the displays ahead confirmed it to be true. The older Thrysus heart class corvette was gliding gracefully to the ground, unable to hold to her sky. These silvery crafts were like the Echani that piloted them, they cut the air gracefully, and in this case almost into the side of the mountain!

Armed Atrisian guards stood by on the bridge looking on in horror as the small ship began its descent. Pulling up…. Levelling out… and finding the only real space there was to be had up here, they started tipping the nose again to accelerate their descent down, the crew trying to balance speed, altitude and landing space.

On a mission to find new armor suppliers. A friend of the Ike family from past days with the Silver Jedi and a friend to the old guard here in defense of the homeland in days gone by, his meeting with Junko Ike had been cut short! While mostly the order was very well supplied since the reorganization, with the Silver Jedi suffering an armor shortage, and with several companies having cut production on that front. Taiden was back in the armor of the Keth honorguard, like he’d not worn for a couple of decades. White and silver in its design with the Keth family crest, it had two songsteel swords crossed across his back and because this was atrisia a small contingent of three Keth Honorguard crewed the ship to take care of their own business planetside. The Kethborne had a small amount of history with atrisia, dating back to a certain emperor’s tea which the rim had stolen. Hooligans.

Atrisia and Junko was his last hope without resorting to just buying from the market. With Eshan’s economy in tatters and Thyrsus contaminated by Sith, it wasn’t a reliable source of hope either. Fourth choice after Dac, despite living on Dac he’d made few inroads into earning a reputation or many connections there, preferring the isolation of his estate.

Looking out over the uncertain mountaintop, far from an opportune place to land, the corvette’s cabin went dark. The group of them in there checking over the now-dead instrumentation to no avail. Slowly standing up in his white robes and armor he decided to take a look to see where they’d ended up.

“Force keep house and home, and be with you.” One of the Echani with him offered. Taiden bowed in response, "force guide us all," and departed down the silver ramp. Stepping out at a light, graceful walk, with the armed Atrisian escort in tow, he saw...

Junko Ike | Laertia Io

 

[Laertia Io]

Laertia and Westenra were now fully immersed in the once holy forest.

"Do you have a mother?"

The question startled Laertia from her alertness. She thought of the spear that had been given to her by The Amalgam indirectly, feeling immense conflict over that.

"Sortaz..." she answered.

Then she remembered. She had been so caught up in her own problems Westenra's earlier comment about her mother being missing had almost gone completely over her head.

"Wutz aboutz yorrz?"

Westenra smiled a little. Then frowned.

"She is beautiful. Intelligent. But her morality has been inevitably warped by her nature. She wasn't the same person after The First Order Invaded Atrisia. She...took too much of something...overdosed somehow...and she wasn't the same after she recovered..."

Laertia chose not to pry as to the nature of her mother. The concept was not completely foreign to her, as she used Moya as a Parental figure herself. That was mainly because she could not afford to trust people most days. She had made way, way too many enemies killing Sith. Especially with this fethed up invasion that had just made Atrisia look like last nights leftovers.

Laertia had lost count after a hundred (Elite Enemies, Mid Tier Bosses, mostly brute forcin' it). There had been so many enemies all she had to do was basically swing her saber to get 500XP.

"I'mz sorreez tuh heerz itz Westy. Whoo toox hurr?"

"An evil witch of the Dark Side called The Amalgam."

Westenra yelped in surprise as Laertia teleported in front of her.

"Yooz...knowz ov hurrz?" The brain damaged Jedi asked tersely, the opaque helm of black hiding the manic stare that looked upon Westenra.

"You've run into her as well?!" The Android spoke.

"I'z beenz tryinz tuh kyll hurr fer weekz!"

"Then you joining Clan Li-Ves is indeed fortunate..." The Android smiled. "We have common purpose."

"No doubtz..."

Laertia tensed, feeling the eyes of Taiden Keth come upon them both.

She sensed the light within him, so she was not immediately alerted.

The black armored Jedi was actually relieved for once to run into another. She had the lightsaber, and the light, but there were days she doubted her Jedi-ness.

"Helloz..." Laertia called out to him.

"Are you here about the defilement occuring to the woodlands?" Westenra asked, raven hair swaying as the wind picked up, her pink eyes with a purple glint at the center examining the Jedi and his escort.

"My frenndz and myy shipz wuz takenz tuh dhis playce anndz I'm tryinz tuh fyndz em..." Laertia added. "Dhis playce reekz ov duh Darrk Sydez...unholeez..."

"We had to battle a bunch of Shinobi just to find out that bit." Westenra added.

"Naymez Io. Laertia Io."

(Clip of Bond Theme Plays)

Westenra, Just unnatural enough to notice the OOC music darted her head about in confusion.

"What the hell was that?" Westenra asked, completely confused.

Laertia turned. "Yooz heer sumthinz?"

"I...I'm not sure..." the Biot answered.

Laertia turned back to Taiden.

"Weez cud reelee uze duh helpz..."

Junko Ike

 

[Junko Ike]

The information continued to be given to her and Junko was overlooking it as her flyer went.... Despite its name a single person flyer like what she used still wasn't small... it was operable by a single person and had speed compared to the larger models. Still as she was going through while the trackers relayed the information to her. Her hands over the controls when she felt something coming at them. a presence brushing against her mind and Junko turned her attention towards the larger flyer that was barring down upon her. In the aftermath of the attacks, they had recalled many from the moon who were building and colonizing it to well rebuild and the manufacturing on the Anshin meant they were faster... still pirates.

Junko was looking at it and she sent an alert..she was trying to keep the flyer steady as they headed out and her two guards were there... cramped yes but they moved onto the small deck as Junko motioned for them. "I'll keep it steady you two handle if they try to board us." She got looks from them and they were staying close as the airship came upon them and she set the controls to autopilot but remained on course in case she needed to make corrections as the first sounds of boots jumping onto the deck of the flyer came to her ears. The guards were moving and fighting as something smashed into them and one flew over the side along with several of the pirates.

She turned toward Junko, her bosom heaving, her eyes flashing. Fierce fingers of wonder caught at her heart. She was slender, yet formed like a goddess: at once both lithe and voluptuous. Her only garment was a broad silken girdle. Her white ivory limbs even in the panting fury of battle. Her rich black hair, black as a Stygian night, fell in rippling burnished clusters down her supple back. Her dark eyes burned on the Jedi Princess. She was untamed as a desert wind, supple and dangerous as a she-panther. She came close to her, heedless of her lightsaber. Her supple thigh brushed against the controls, so close she came to the atrisian princess. Her red lips parted as she stared up into her eyes.

Junko moved and the blades met as the flyer was going towards the mountains and she kept a straight face. The curved hilt of her blade as it gleamed amber and the jeweled metal katana hummed to deflect for the moment her lightsaber at least now. The pirate surged forward and grabbed at Junkos arm as she grinned and spoke. "So we meet again princess... we really should stop meeting like this. Just you know bring some cuffs and I'll keep you around for a few weeks again." She said it with a wink when she was moving forward and grabbing Junko she lifted her arm with the saber but pushed her against the console sending them towards the forest below.

The flyer crashed and Junko was thrown from it into the trees some ways away from Taiden Keth and Laertia Io but she wasn't entirely there as the princess rolled around on the ground and sneered a little... this was not something she liked when she reached out in the force and was infusing it to her body to recover. "That is two fliers of mine you have crashed with your frakking fat arse Yuki." She said it and stood up, her momentary outburst giving way to a serene look and she might not like anger or darker emotions but she knew how to be petty and pulled her saber back to her hand as she was looking around for the pirate with a look on her face of calm annoyance.

The pirate though stood up as she leaned against a tree and held her blade. "Ah come on now princess.... didn' you miss it just a little. I mean it is like our thing now.. you fly around... I try to take your ship and it crashes somewhere and we end up having some sort of adventure. Though I don't think this time there is going to be some botanists daughter to save you. Might actually get a ransom for you now jedi." She said it and tried to stand up fully but gripped her arm before almost falling over again. "Okay... first catch my breath and then kidnap the princess and hold her for ransom... easier then spitting." She looked at Junko. "Not that you know how to spit."

 

[Taiden Keth]

Dipping a respectful bow, eyes open toward both Laertia and Westenra, his hands pressed together in peace. “My apologies for causing a stir.” Taiden had a slow, measured manner about how he replied, speaking clearly as if the words were for their benefit because he was listening through their gestures, facial expressions, and body language much more than what they said. “I was not aware that there was darkside influence in the forest, our ship suffered engine damage. We would be happy to assist further.”

Naymez Io. Laertia Io

"Taiden, Son of House Keth of Esha... of Wodenstam," he corrected with some sorrow on the last word, saying it regardless of the memories.

Before any questions of fourth-wall music or biot head bobbing could be suitably answered. There was a loud crash nearby from pirate, princess, and flyer, the Echani had covered his ears from the bang, dusting off any potential dirt marks that had found their way across his attire. “Do you happen to know who that might be dropping in?”

Already from behind him, the two Artisan guards that were 'escorting' him to his meeting, were already off searching for the sounds of the explosion. The guards more concerned for making sure his ship hadn't strayed, were not as concerned for his own safety as their own. Behind them a single white-clad Keth Honorguard had stepped out of the ship to see what was going on, moving to join them.

“Quickly! Over here.” One Atrisian guard called, stopping to make sure Junko Ike was alright. Arriving by her side and given who she was, ready to saber rattle with any potential pirates. No doubt those two would be following her command or order from here on out, to stay or to go.

“Mayhaps we should see what curiosities have fallen from the sky.” Taiden smiled slightly to Laertia, seemingly he could move very fast, barely making a sound with how light his footsteps were. Up and over the nearest bush to the pair ahead. Arriving on the scene, pirate, princess, echani scholar soon perhaps joined by biot and curious wanderer made for a diverse and interesting group. All he watched for was how they moved, acted and expressed themselves.

Quite the pickle. Two crashed ships, could they be connected? Darkside influence, sky pirates and an Echani with a keen eye for a mystery. "Well." Was all Taiden could muster as he took it all in. "Princess Ike." There was a longer, eyes closed bow. Fate had brought their meeting together after all. Did something feel off? Yes but did something else feel off? Wishing he'd had more information about what the darkside influence within the forest was.

Junko Ike | Laertia Io

NPC

Spoiler

Two atrisian guards are now yours to command Junko.

 

[Moya Virtu]

Acquiring: Dress , Decoy's Blade (Green and Black Bladed Lightsaber)

Current objective: Assess threat, recover Pets, kill the ones who dared to kidnap them.

Hundreds of years ago, Gulag Plague

Two months before Moya De Lifte's death...

Moya De Lifte, Jedi Master, surveyed the Vong Shapers as they went about the whole, unnatural procedure.

All 007 of them, their height barely reaching her knee, worked diligently on the Biot She and the master shaper, Grummp, had spent months designing.

If only they had had more time. They had gotten most of the genetic problems but there were some simply too difficult to iron out without months more of research. She needed this 'now'.

The Biot was a working answer, but not a perfect one.

Moya, secretly the Light Side Sith Darth Themis, had told everyone she needed a decoy. Nothing could have been farther from the truth.

She had visions. Visions of Julia, the young baby she had sent far into the future, losing the initial caretaker she had sent along with her to a freak accident. In most futures anyway.

Making this biot was a back up plan. Not one guaranteed to succeed. In fact in all the futures she saw, the ones where the biot ended up part of Julia's life were incredibly unlikely to happen, due to the fact there were so few of them. But it never hurt to have a just-in-case.

The real reason Darth Themis had it put on record where relevant that the biot was a failed decoy was so that when or if Julia encountered this unnatural creation wearing an older version of Themis's own face, the less suspicious the likely very powerful Jedi would be as to it falling into her hands so conveniently.

The Biot, at this point having ceased being a featureless gray humanoid after the Alkahest had been applied in the growth sac, lay asleep, nude on a table of bone and muscle, the Master Shaper and his six assistants whistling while they worked, scan-tendrils imputting final programming on the brain, including personality traits. Themis had made the biot far more sugary in personality than she herself was but she'd made sure the aggression and brutality required to protect Julia was there, readily summoned. Themis viewed her creation in an ultimately dispassionate manner, but deep down could not deny she had created The Biot to actually, truly be the kind of person everyone thought Moya De Lifte was. She had partly molded the Biot on her own ideal self.

As she gazed upon a slightly older version of her own, human guise as Moya, Themis felt conflicted in helping craft this Force Spawn the way she had not with others. It had never occured to her until the last few weeks just how much the endless battle with the vicious Cult of The Brain Demon had worn her down, to the point she was scrambling for desperation plans to stave off the inevitable. How doomed she and her family were. Even this half masterpiece was being put into play.

"Lady De Lifte. The Creature. It is ready." The Master Shaper, Grummp, and officious looking knee-height Vong Male in a custom gold and purple robeskin, rumbled in a ragingly hardcore baritone.

"Anybody wanna make a movie reference before we wake it up?" Themis joked.

One of the Vong paused thoughtfully, rubbing his chin in the darkness of the muscle chamber.

"Hmmm...I can't lie to you about your chances but...you have my sympathies..." he said after a moment.

"Good one!" Themis called out to him enthusiastically.

Themis raised her hand along with Grummp, who was a user of Alkahest himself, and they both chanted strange things not meant for normal minds, green arcs of electricity flowing across the Android body.

The Android opened Brown Eyes and beheld Themis. She rose on the table and slid off it, standing at attention.

"Awaiting orders, Creator." The Android spoke calmly.

"Hold Still..." Themis said turning to one of the other shapers.

"Bob? Your gun." Themis said to him.

Bob handed her a small pocket pistol, half expecting to be shot with it as a cruel surprise, and getting a massive burst of relief-adrenaline that the client had missed the opportunity for mean-spirited fatal pranks. She despised firearms but she needed to test if it was a success.

Themis shot the Android right in the heart. The Android merely stood there, smiling as glowing green blood leaked out of her chest, rapidly pushing the bullet out and sealing after one minute.

"Did you feel that?" Themis asked, disposition clinical.

"No." The Android answered, not quite fully understanding why she had been shot but going along with it.

Themis shot the Android in the head. The Android crumpled into a heap.

Themis and the others waited about a minute and a half for the Biot's brain to repair itself. The Android stood up, shaking her head, before going back to staring at Themis and smiling, still not quite getting it.

"What are your primary directives?"

"To serve as a decoy for you, my creator." The Android answered.

"And your secondary directives?" The Shi'ido asked of its creation.

"Guard and Protect Julia Crownwraithe..." The Android answered. "Even if it means my life."

"You are to classify your secondary orders, even from yourself." Themis ordered bluntly.

The Android blinked, carrying out the order.

"What were we talking about?" The Android asked.

Themis turned to the Master Shaper.

"I'm satisfied. Your payment will be transferred to your accounts shortly. But I'm not taking the biot yet."

The Master Shaper raised a brow, his alien features still betraying visible curiousity.

"May I ask why, after all the weeks we labored?" The Vong rumbled.

"A disturbance in the Force. I'll come back in three weeks." She assured. "If I do not, though, you are to give it to the first of your clients that manages to save one of you from the Dark Side. This is my command to you."

"This is highly irregular, Lady De Lifte."

"Trust my judgement on this..." she repeated curtly, knowing how close her own doom lurked. She turned back to the Android.

"Android, you are to return to Slumber until the vong shapers wake and release you."

The Android nodded, having barely gotten to know its creator before it shut down and went to powersave mode.

Themis felt bile in her throat out of self disgust at treating a lving creature so callously. It was the result of pretending to be a Jedi long term: She had started growing into the role truly. Years ago she'd have thought nothing at using her creations how she saw fit.

Now, with the weight of loss, of the death of what she had come to hold dear close at hand, their ideals more and more becoming her own over the years, the weight of doing things like this began to pull down, and hard on her soul.

But how else could she protect Julia now seperate from her, possibly forever, by not only space, but time as well? No, better to have a back up plan for her and not need it then to need it and not have it.

Themis turned and departed as the grumbling shapers went to encase the Biot in a preservation sac.

[Playback Interrupted]

The Android watched as Laertia Io's head rested on its shoulder under a tree on the Planet Naboo, one of her rabbits snuggled in her arm. She never fell asleep out in the open normally, but with the Android's presence both she and her pet were in a deep slumber.

It had been only two weeks since She had been reactivated, but in that time it had grown to enjoy domestic life on the space lanes. Its pseudo-daughter, who it had been practically hard coded to love, gave the Android a sense of self and worth. It had no need to question its existence.

This was notable for being the first time Io had gotten this close to the Android emotionally. They had walked Naboo's bright flower fields for hours, Laertia performing all sorts of magic tricks to impress her mother-in-all-but-name. But Io did not understand. She had no need to impress the Android. It loved her all the same. Afterward, they had rested under a tree to watch the clouds pass. Laertia had said little of note: The Android had pressed for details, but Laertia for the moment was evasive on what sort of Jedi she had been.

The Biot, Force Sensitive by design, could better feel Laertia's powerful but troubled aura as her head rested on its shoulder. Normally it was so intense, always seemingly anticipating attack, even around her.

But here, resting, Io's soul didn't have a care in the galaxy.

As Moya Virtu stared into the sky, the circumstances of her creation long since left in the past, the Android found she didn't have a care either.

[End Playback]


Present Day.


The invasion of Atrisia had been bad. Worse then bad. Moya knew she hadn't stood a chance against all that. When she had hurried back to the ship finding Io not there, she had tried to trigger a transformation into her pilot guise to try and take off but had not been fast enough before the ship had been boarded by Sith.

Moya had fought, but she was eventually overwhelmed, despite killing multiple attackers. She had been taken to some ancient but massive shrine in the mountains, after she had overheated during the fight when a paddle beam had hit her.

Upon reactivating, she found she had been stripped naked, her flesh having been frozen off with cryo spray, revealing her silvery, metallic-like organic chassis, and chained in some ancient chamber, a field of cold fog on the ground causing her to glitch in front of the Yovshin themed Sith Assassins, three of them, all in black armor.

"Its no use struggling, Biot." The first among them proclaimed. "The Breath of Kuraokami graces this floor. You cannot regenerate while surrounded by it."

The silvery biot tugged at its chains experimentally, noticing the dragon themed fountain in the back that spewed cold blue fire instead of water.

"Who the hell are you people?' The biot questioned, its normally rich, seductive voice metallic without its flesh. "You know what I am. Why not just kill me?"

"The Empire has directed us the honor of bringing Laertia Io to the Dark Side, torturing you slowly so she can feel it through her bond with you, machine, and then, when she arrives, you shall be executed, and her pets cooked as food in front of her.

"Over your dead body..." she snapped. "She won't turn. She's been through more than what you are proposing. Hurt worse. Suffered worse. Even if you kill me, she won't turn. She'll just kill you."

"We have turned far more resilient people then her." The Sith replied. "You shall see. We know all about your design weaknesses, Android, and are quite prepared for any escape attempt."

"When I get out of these chains, you will be the first to die for wishing harm upon her." Moya snapped.

The Sith chuckled.

"I like your spirit, machine."

"We'll see how much you like my spirit after I get out."

The Sith turned to his compatriots.

"Guard it. It must absolutely not be permitted to escape. Watch it at all times." The Sith then turned to leave.

"I have to prepare things for our guest..." he trailed, exiting the great chamber.

The Biot stared at their weapons. Microwaves and sonics. They had chosen well. It looked like they even had vials of baffer pollen and...Alpha Red.

Moya went cold inside. Cold from fear. She knew full well what Alpha Red was. Knew it would cause murderous malfunctioning in her system if she was exposed.

The Biot had one play left. The authorities knew all but one of her design features. Her hyper-pheremones. Those were maybe the one thing on her design not strictly tied to the Force.

Unless the suits had biotoxic seals...

"Hey boys..." she called out seductively, hoping her these were relatively weak Force Users. "I don't see why you are all so scared of me, locking me up in this big bad chamber. Two guards? Its not like I'm going anywhere."

They shook their heads slightly. It was having some effect. A little.

"Shut it, Biot..." the one on the left snapped, but hesitantly. The silvery, skeletal biot was starting to look strangely attractive to him. To both of them.

"Its the truth..." Moya cooed. "Surely one of you big, strong Sith can hold one itty bitty biot in place? Your boss is being paranoid."

"I...I said shut it!" The first assassin barked, albeit a lot more hesitantly than before.

"Besides, two guarding one prisoner? Your boss must think you incredibly weak to not only assign one single guard."

"You don't fool me, machine! You wasted fifty of ours just capturing you!" The one on the right snapped.

"But they were weak. And if you don't mind my saying, not as muscular as you..." the Biot slyly replied.

"Did the machine just hit on us?" The first one spoke in surprise.

"Not us. Me. It hit on me." The second one snapped.

"Feth you! It was totally making eyes at me first!"

"My favorite color for lingerie is black..." the android whispered lasciviously. "Surely I only need one big, muscular guard to keep me from getting bored..."

"She's right. I'll take watch. You grab a soda or some chit." The first assassin said.

"Like hell!" The second bellowed.

Lightsabers were drawn and the pair had started to fight for Moya, red blades crashing into each other. This impromptu duel over an artificial seduction continued for four and a half minutes, until the first struck down the second, which would now allow him to flirt with the biot--

--who was now gone, having literally torn her own arms out of the sockets to escape the chains, leaving a trail of glowing green blood to the door. He ran to the door, and made a second foolish mistake.

Moya's design rendered her very hard to sense with the Force, even at close range. She had not immediately exited, instead using the opportunity to regrow most of her flesh outside in the adjacent dungeon like passage, and wait for the survivor to come out. When he did, Moya, half the flesh on her face still growing back, shot out a regrown arm and buried him in green electricity, killing him almost instantly.

Moya rose, grabbing his blades, and felt her own blade close by, in another room. She sprinted, coming across an ancient cell guarded by statues of Oni, and melted the bars with her stolen blades.

It was a place they seemed to use for storing weapons and equipment. Most of it designed to kill her. But her blade and dress lay on a table next to a rack of weapons. Quickly clothing herself, Moya snapped on her blade, modeled after Ahsoka Tano's, and a black blade with a dark green aura shot out.

She reached out to Laertia through her bond with her.

Sweetie? Are you there?

Meanwhile...


Laertia was relieved that Taiden Keth wasn't one of the snooty types, all asking too many questions she didn't have decent answers for.

"We are headed to the Shrine of the Atrisian Dragon God of Ice and rain, Kuraokami. Its deeper in these woods. That's where we believe Laertia's friend is located..." Westenra explained.

Then there was a loud crash from overhead and Laertia sensed another presence of the light in Junko Ike , albeit one who screamed upper crust, possibly royalty. Both Laertia and Westenra went immediately to help and investigate, ready to help her away from threats.

"Dooz yoo needz asysstannce?" Laertia asked of the bedraggled Princess, casting a suspicious eye at the pirate.

Taiden let slip a name. Ike. Laertia had not forgotten the help of Matsu in the past. That alone was enough reason to go out of her way to help another Ike.

"Yooz wuddintz happinz tuh knowz a Matsu Ike wudja? Weez sortaz frenndz..." Laertia said to the Princess...

Just then she felt Moya's mental whisper and instantly set a thousand yard stare at the center of the Forest.

"My frenndz alivez..." she whispered. But dread gripped her at the same time.

How long could she stay alive before the others reach her?

 

[Junko Ike]

Junko had not been expecting people to come so quickly as she was standing there and straightened out her kimono seeing the guards and Taiden Keth with Laertia Io who was speaking. Her eyes showing the barest hint of surprise as she made sure her hair was in proper place looking at Yuki who pointed to her disheveled and frumpy front. Junko straightened it before speaking and motioning for the guards to hold Yuki who was there between the two of them. "Oh scary." The pirate said it and remained there when Junko finally spoke looking at Laertia. "Yes, I know Matsu. She is a cousin and has brought much honor to her family here on Atrisia."

She said it and had the guards take Yuki into custody as much as they could before turing to look at the two of them now and take them in... an interesting development but she was guessing from the proximity that the one was who she had been alerted to and the other had been here before. "Thank you though.... I was coming to find you after your ships went off course. By royal decree only authorized starports are still active in the major cities. Airships are authorized for going around Atrisia." She had regained her stature as short as she was... the air around her more looking refined when her confidence returned talking to the two of them.

"Thank you for your concern though." She moved and looked at Laetria whose speech was different and confusing but she recognized Taiden at least from the jedi. Her hands going to look and motion for the two guards who were standing now with a bound Yuki and the pirate kept a grin on her face. "What?" Junko said it and slid from her pocket a hair with a crystal jeweled surface she could straighten and fix her hair and hair piece with as Yuki spoke. "Just you... I mean.. you crashed in an airship ship and the first thing you think about is how you look.... princess you need to work on those priorities." Junko turned her eyes towards her and they narrowed slightly.

"I have no control over the crash or the freewill of these two who came here... though I can order the guards to restrain them so maybe a little more.... but I do have control over how I look and proper decorum is required in a situation. Panic or unneeded worry would only serve to ensure that mistakers are made." Junko said it and moved towards the remains of the airship as she was getting one of the emergency packs.. it wasn't all of her stuff but she did have the equipment needed to survive in the wilds of Atrisia or on pretty much any world from food to a self refilling canteen that had been made... brazier that would make her warm without creating a fire hazard.

She walked though and went to stand between the two while she looked at Laetria and spoke. "Though I am sorry my dear... your accent is heavy and some of your words harder to understand." Junko said it and looked upon her. "Not to offend but if we are to travel together at least until there is one of the villages or an area an airship can come to and retrieve us then I can't risk asking you to repeat yourself." She said it and Yuki was there speaking while the artisian guards took her.. "Oh that was harsh." The three of them went off to leave Junko there with Taiden and Laetria as she turned back towards him and fanned herself.

 

[Taiden Keth]

Moya Virtu | Laertia Io

We are headed to the Shrine of the Atrisian Dragon God of Ice and rain, Kuraokami. Its deeper in these woods. That's where we believe Laertia's friend is located... Westenra explained.

So far the strange speech of Laertia didn’t seem to matter in the slightest to Taiden, because it was very secondary to her body language, for a decade or so he’d found regular speech awkward himself until the Silver Jedi had accustomed to offering it for others. He was one for curious questions but usually, that was reserved only for scholarly sciences, force mysteries, at training, and strange ruins, which might happen later in the shrine!

Turning to Laertia “You have my swordarm in the aid of your friend,” he drew one of his songsteel blades with a swanging noise, and pressed it to his forehead. The Khaganate steel blade gleamed in the light. The other Son of Keth behind them drew his sword and also followed suit. Ceremonial, traditional and an explicit dedication. They would both follow Laertia “wherever you lead.”

Junko Ike

With the Pirate led away under guard, speaking of appearance the way Junko fanned herself, held a certain graceful motion that reminded him of...

Yes, I know Matsu, came the words

Was that a blush on Taiden’s cheeks? No he didn’t blush, far too eternally pale for that, definitely giving a slight elevation in pulse. A little known fact was that Taiden had been infatuated as a student with Matsu for many a year, on many a journey, never understanding that’s what it was, his young mind at the time far too analytical to ever put two and two together. Never knowing where her journeys had taken her till today. Now there were further complications in that area with the engagement to the house of Kae which he felt obligated to, though neither house wanted marriage.

Thankfully snapped out of that last train of thought, My frenndz alivez... How long could she stay alive before the others reach her?

“My greatest apologies for hurrying you Princess Ike, and taking you from your business, but we must hurry to save a soul in need.” Taiden implored, he was a follower usually but he found himself compelled to hurry them towards this curious shrine, wherever it was. “I believe my companions were headed to the shrine of the God of Ice and rain, Kuraokami, where there happens to be a certain darkside presence and a friend in need.” If he had understood correctly. Very clear and descriptive words coming from the Echani as if he was reading from a script, not naturally formed but thought of first then spoken, in how to best to say what his bodylanguage was saying.

Moya Virtu | Laertia Io | Junko Ike

He would follow for he knew not the way, and it was his nature to accompany rather than lead. The was a bow to both again, keeping the sword in his hand, once drawn he preferred to hold it ready. Of course he offered to carry Junko’s supplies should the princess require it, she was quite short after all, not wanting her blown over in a strong mountain breeze. Junko a fan favorite of the Kethborn already, forcepuns

 

[Moya Virtu]

Moya ventured out of the dungeon armory, black bladed, green aura lightsaber inactive, and began to look for a way out of the strange and chilly Atrisian Dungeon.

Feth mercy. They were gonna murder her in front of Laertia. This was self defense.

The Android did not want to kill obviously. But when the Sith go out of their way to harm the woman it was her life's purpose to protect, what else could she do? It was business. Business can be dirty. Very dirty.

She spotted a Sith Assassin turning a corner from another passageway and began walking quietly behind him, all the easier since she was barefoot, lightsaber in hand. She crept up on him, knowing her design concealed her from his senses for the most part. He might not know until it was too late.

Moya raised her free hand and aimed at him.

Green Electricity erupted from her hand and smacked into him, killing him instantly. The more Sith she killed, the less Laertia dealt with getting here.

Unfortunately the discharge of electric judgement lit the senses of every Sith in range and she felt them all converge on her. She began moving as fast as she could and found herself in a barracks area, where the Sith Assassins and Marauders waited, armed with flame or cryo sprayers on the wrists. She also saw microwave weapons.

"Give up, you fancy droid, or you go to the scrap heap. In pieces." One of them hissed.

Moya's lightsaber ignited.

"I hope you bastards really studied my schematics." She sneered back at him. They all shouted, igniting their red blades and rushed her.

She flipped forward with the Force, her lightsaber cleaving the head off the body of the first one to speak, and then the next few seconds were a dizzying sequence of flips, spins and leaps, evading blades and stray attacks, slicing through limbs, faces, impaling then ripping through people, pinballing her body into them, knocking them into others before dashing through more with her Lightsaber. Her Ataru programming was top of the Line. Even Laertia struggled against it unless she used more than one style, and Laertia was at least worthy of being considered a Jedi Weapon Master.

They might have prepared, brought their best blade fighters, but Moya's programming was 'that' top of the line.

With all the purpose of a bone saw in a surgery room she carved through them, until none were left standing. But she sensed still more heading her way and began to look for a way out of the barracks area as the heavy thud of foot steps came closer. Some came in with shotguns, opening fire as they entered from a turbolift. Moya threw out a super heavy bolt of lightning at one Sith, which caused him to insta-gib on contact.

Moya cut loose with the green lightning bolts, constantly letting off bursts in their direction as she dodged the shotgun fire and got begind a pillar, charging a massive discharge through her arms, which she let off as a massive sphere of green ball lightning that traveled too quickly to dodge at such close range, instagibbing the entire squad as the lightning Torpedo struck.

"Evidently you bastards didn't study hard enough..." she snorted contemptuously as she stepped over the gore and into the turbolift.

Meanwhile...

Laertia turned beet red from humiliation as Junko Ike commented on her impediment. She hated her voice, would have let her remaining organic arm get cut off for a new one. She only nodded, too embarrassed to speak any further as she turned to the direction of the ship, stretched out her remaining hand, detected the signature of her parents spear and concentrated.

The spear teleported all the way from the shuttle into her hand. She spun it and nodded to Taiden Keth and then proceeded to walk deeper into the woods.

Westenra caught up to her.

"How are you holding up?"

"I jusst needz tuh fyndz Moya."

Westenra pursed her lips in worry.

"Don't worry. I'm behind you a hundred percent." The Android assured her.

To hear such a thing from an Android other than Moya felt strange to the Jedi Shadow, but she welcomed it in spite of that. She decided to take point ahead of everyone else.

It was at this point as she took a stone trail, signaling the others to follow as the massive shrine partly came through the tree canopy, almost as big as a castle, that the first of the Sith struck, leaping down and drawing flat bladed red lightsabers. Laertia snapped on the Sword of Cinndurr and brandished it, bringing it to defense as the two struck first, brutally ripping their weapons out of their hand with a flick of the wrist, her slow blade cutting through and igniting them as it did, turning them into into flaming corpses who screamed as they died.

Westenra winced, not liking to watch other beings suffer.

"That was easy." she remarked.

More Sith dropped from the trees around them, some focusing on Taiden, Junko, and those they had brought with them...

 

[Junko Ike]

Laertia Io Taiden Keth

Junko looked at the two of them while she was walking... her eyes lingering on the reaction of the woman who didn't seem to want to talk after she had spoken and JUnko clasped her hands in front of herself. In a look of almost modest expression belaying her statiion. She tried for Demur while Yuki was with the guards and listened to everything happening before she spoke to Taiden. "It is alright, my business is Atrisian business and if I wasn't here I would most likely be overseeing the repairs. After so many attacks they have managed to get replacing the modules for buildings, streets andwalls down to within a day once we recalled engineers and workers from Derketo."

She said it and was going. The forests here were mostly.... mapped but rarely explored. Dense and aside from some historical records there wasn't much in the way of villages here. Still Junko spoke as she noticed the biot and Laertia up ahead talking. "This forest though, is largely left alone... since stories of mysterious villages surfaced and even more ghost stories. The ancient shrines to atrisian gods have remained even after the reformation of the pantheon thousands of years ago. We have been laying down some roads and tracks but this far out is not a priority for the moment." She said it but moved forward so she would be able to look at look at some of the other parts in the forest.

She had fixed herself up looking well as she spoke more. "It is nice to see that this area wasn't harmed as much, since most off worlders seem to attack Jar'kai specifically even though it is in ruins we have been able to mitigate damage. Going to the other cities sadly just gives us the excuse needed to restore and renovate the defenses. We have been overseeing sections of the cities being reworked for the people as they are able to move to the population centers on Derketo for the time being and the other moon aiding the military. If anything these attacks have served to make more people want to serve in the assault corps to properly defend their home system."

It was a thing to do.. turn the bad into a good thing and since most of the population was using Derketo while reconstruction efforts were on the planet... they were ableto just come home after the black guard purged threats brought to the planet by offworlders. They could reset the world as needed and restore it faster each time as they learned where they were inefficient previously as Junko reached out with the force and was sensing the different things around her now. She knew the two guards would be able to handle Yuki... so not a threat but the real danger would come from whatever the two ahead of her were searchig for and possibly fighting.

 

[Taiden Keth]

Junko Ike

Relieved the princess was amiable to assist, and that hopefully, their negotiations on contracts might prove to still be possible. He followed carefully stepping over twig and branch, light-footed as always, barely misplacing a toe. At the mention of repairs his body language leaned forward, “I should like to help assist Princess Ike, if it would be fitting.” Not that Taiden had much experience with building, but he was able to organize and coordinate large projects, certainly their workflow very effectively. A good fit for a personal assistant!

The history of the place was of great import to him, and while Laertia was leading them, he hung on Junko’s every word. Speaking of shrines and other out of the way places, now she reminded him more of Matsu than ever. Staying by the shorter woman’s side as he listened and learned. “For a millennia they have stood?” Too level headed to put much stock in rumors of ghosts from locals, but he had been training with Jairdain recently to better communicate with spirits, and so was conflicted at the story, trying to keep an open mind as to what they’d come across.

Laertia Io

As well as assisting Junko with any baggage, Taiden had dipped to recover a small forest flower, its stem lightly sliced with his Khaganate songsteel blade. It was green, speckled white, which he presented to Laertia to lift her spirits. Silently holding it out ahead of her. Taken or not, he retracted himself with a soft bow before moving back behind them. Regarding Westenra with some pause, her body language was more difficult to understand and it was confusing him.

Pause that was broken at the sounds of the sith falling from the tree’s. Keen was his ear to the natural forest ambiance, he had sensed their approach. Watching the first sith ahead fall to Laertia.

“There are more. We are not alone.” Taiden said, placing any baggage down. With his force light the illumination of the entire area increased tenfold to show their guests as clear as day. The potent energy warding them from the darksiders which surrounded his companions. Turning sideways to the group, the other Echani did the reverse, giving them a protective circle of sorts inside the force light.

“The house of Keth has no quarrel with you, we merely mean to pass.” He said peacefully but forcefully to whoever they were, the force light held above his head radiating outward. Hopefully, the death of the first sith and his force light would be enough to repel them, but it looked doubtful.

 

[Laertia Io]

There were more Sith from the first two, and Laertia, forced to keep a tight, two handed grip on the Sword of Cinndurr, faced down her attackers. The Lightsaber throbbed with power, its gyroscopic effect much much harder to control than an ordinary blade. She held it out in a fool's guard as more Sith not only dropped from the trees around her but sprang up from the earth with an explosion of dirt.

Westenra guarded with her own Katana, watching as more Sith surrounded her and Laertia. At least two dozen

The Black Armored Jedi was rock-still, waiting for them to attack. This was nothing compared to the battle at The Wall.

"Wun channce. Fetth offz." she growled. "I'yll cuttz tru all 'o' yaz, ya heerz meez?"

"We hear you, you ill-spoken Jedi Scum. But perhaps you won't be so eager when we start transmitting your Android's pain to you through the Force. Perhaps then you might take the Dark Side's power serio--"

The Assassin was cut off by horrid screaming as Laertia, with a calculated swish of her blade, flicked precisely 007 drops of lava at The Sith's face, which caused it to catch fire. He started rolling on the ground, screaming, while others attacked...

(Character Theme Song Power Up)

(Theme: "For Your Eyes Only" by Sheena Easton)

Laertia crashed into her next opponents, more defensive as her blade moved slower. She generated a telekinetic field to try and slow their physical movement speed down, still on the defensive due to the sheer number of people attacking.

She barely caught their attacks in most cases, and was forced to parry a great deal, the saber blades coming from everywhere around her, gutting one and setting him ablaze, impaling another with the same results. Westenra advanced, flesh rippling nauseatingly as multiple Sith attempted to grip her, then electrocute her when that did not work. But though Westenra's flesh sparked from electricity and slowly turned black in some spots, she still advanced, and they were forced on the defensive when she managed to get her silvery psychic katana through one of their faces ripping through it, and causing the nearby assassins to panic as they realized Laertia had managed to bring another hyper-lethal Android and threw multiple rocks at her with ballistakinesis. Westenra's torso and head partly exploded from the impact of rocks at bullet speeds, one creating a large whole in her face that quickly started to seal itself, increasing their fear reaction as she kept fighting and parrying their attacks.

Laertia, in the meantime had siezed one Sith by the head and crushed it, flinging his corpse into a group, intercepting two more blades and ripping them out of her foes hands with brute strength and skewering them, setting them on fire like her first five victims.

There was something strange about the blade, however...its feel...its essence...it touched some part of her she could not explain. But just as present was a faint sense of instinctive...reciprocation...mixed with a strange revulsion she could not quite explain either.

I have seen her in my sleep...Her hair is that of the raven. Her skin as white as snow. She is the one I am bonded to. I feel her across time, though she does not yet exist. Across space. Our power compliments each other. But how can I convince her to not fear me? I would rend the laws of reality itself to reach her. I would kill to reach her, and drive away her pain, the pain she is yet to experience. I would die for her.

The voice, feminine and faintly aristocratic, sounded familiar but she could not quite place it. But it was an echo of the person who had once owned it. Indeed she was powerful to leave such an impression on the crystal. But who had she been talking about. Laertia's damaged brain didn't allow her to put two and two fully together and realized she had been the subject of such a creepy-pants obsessive statement. At least, not yet.

The distraction cost her, allowing a Sith's red blade to gash her thigh. She dropped to her knees, blocking the overhead chop, swatting his blade aside and impaling him, which caused him to catch fire incredibly quickly. Westenra had been repeatedly impaled, shot, burned, and sliced, but was still upright and killing people, their psychic energy from their death draining through the sword into Westenra, which healed some of the more serious wounds. She was a buzzsaw, ripping, tearing.

Then it was done. Laertia beheaded her final combatant, which made the severed head go up like a match.

"Westy?" Laertia called out.

Westenra pulled a sword out of her skull.

"I'm ok!" she called out with 'very' out of place enthusiasm. "Lets go help Junko Ike and Taiden Keth !"

Laertia nodded and teleported close back to Taiden and Junko. Taiden was warding the Sith back with Force Light, but the Sith had retaliated by beginning to try and pepper his position from afar with dozens and dozens of throwing stars, all coated with poison.

Westenra rushed forward, hacking into their ranks, Laertia following suite, all to give Taiden and Junko some breathing room.

Laertia sank into form one as the many assassins began to focus once more on her and Westenra as they went full Dynamic Duo on them. The only way such a moment could have been perfect thematically was if there were visible sound cues for every time she chopped some Sith apart.

 

[Junko Ike]

She could feel it as someone came to attack them and Yki with the guards moved off to the side as Junko stood there... Taiden was moving before the jedi master finally went into action. She remained still... almost painfully as someone approached her and Junko raised an eyebrow as she sank herself immersed into the current itself and slowly she breathed in and then out. "You dare." Her voice came out with an air of authority and promise of risk if they tried to attack her. The two that stood though brandished katana's and then moved quickly but Junko's style was control and for a moment it seemed the blade sliced into her side... even getting some give for a moment as the illusion from the white current stayed there and she had moved around behind them.

Concealed in the current and from their view until she came out of it and held the lightsaber in her hand. The amber colored blade humming with the curved hilt that had the polished carapace from a dathomiri queen spider. The witches gift to her in the form of a transformation talisman should she really need to surprise someone. Instead she moved as one caught sight of her and tried to slash again catching the blade with her saber and using a flowing water cut to not slice cleanly through it but instead to go down the length of the blade and she rotated the saber slicing itno his wrists for a moment looking at the man. The saber going back behind her as she countered a second strike from the other one and moved allowing the blade to point towards him.

Then Laertia Io and her biot were there as well as Taiden Keth on the edges of her vision and Junko continued to stay there for a moment just watching as they fought or handled their problems. "I did say this wasn't going to be a fair fight... I suppose for honors sake I should at least give you some form of help... hmmm very well." She deactivated her lightsaber and remained there for a moment just focusing the force and she held up a hand as he charged her and dodging was easy enough as her footing changed. One always in front... her footsteps going in circular motioned to dodge the strikes and several times getting behind to hold a hand almost to eh nape of the assassins neck as she spoke. "You are just not very good... even without the finest instructors."

That seemed to make him angry and Junko moved to the side as her foot came up and tripped him over into the ground. Then her foot went to his face as the sound of the jaw breaking and teeth were on the ground. "I said you are not very good... now know your place before I must teach you the lesson again." He still tried to fight even with the blade and her hand came up into a sokid backhand across his bruised face sending him into the tree with a force repulise that popped practically causing leaves to drop down aroud her and Junko made sure her kimono was properly set up... nothing out of place as Yuki spoke to the guards. "Ahhh did she just smack him into a tree while maintaining perfect posture and decorum.... Dear god she is like a manners machine."

 

[Taiden Keth]

Blade, biot. princess and the hundred hand sith slap. - The Scrolls of Taiden Keth #302​

Observing the melee through careful eyes and action, forcing those around them back with searing light above him, weakening the darksider's force connection within its confines and at the edges to give his companions their own edge against their assailants. So much so, that as he advanced forward a sith held his eyes in pain, not visually so much as repelled by the lightside energy. Taiden used the Katana’s hilt to strike at his temple, and send the sith into a slumber.

Light faded as throwing stars came, and he was forced to bend backward like a branch in the wind, pushing off with his left foot to spin and land the other side, white robes flowing with him. Echani were nothing if not graceful, a tree providing cover for the patient son of Keth as they moved toward him. A second sith advanced around the tree more boldly, swinging his lightsaber across Taiden's chest, Taiden used the beam to push off the saber with his sword, and twirled sideways. The songsteel katana flashing to reflect what light remained, parrying a second attack with a hiss of blade to beam as he slid free.

Thrusting lightaber met air, because Taiden had moved again. Fluid in his action, songsteel rotated up around in his grip, sliding straight through Sith’s lightsaber hilt, now laying in two broken pieces on the ground. Pointed blade outstretched toward his opponent, unarmed the Sith turned to run, and Taiden nodded, resheathing the katana to fit with the other on his back.

Time to check on the others, the princess Junko Ike had things well in hand. Literally. Teaching well-deserving manners with her palms. The Biot who Taiden was still not aware was a biot, he was concerned over, and would offer assistance for injuries when the time came. However, Westenra and Laertia Io , the dynamic uo were sending the sith fleeing or falling like most fierce Echani or Jedi had seen in his years. Duo... where was the Keth honorguard that come with him?

Jumping upward to the tree branches, and looking as he might he couldn’t see sign, body or sight of what had befallen his companion. The Sith would, for they had captured his friend and were now taking him back to their leaders....

Eventually, he would drop down lightly between Laertia Io and Junko Ike , barely making a sound as his feet touched the ground, flexing his stance to steady himself, to see if they were to follow a retreat or end what Sith remained. "I see not my companion, are any of you injured?"

 

[Moya Virtu]

The Sith Assassins massed at one passage as the sound of the bretheren dying at Moya's hands carried through the entire complex.

Numerous sounds of charrics and sonic weapons being discharged sounded through the passage leading up to them. Cries of agony grew louder and closer to them...and then stopped.

The group of assassins, together in one of the large chambers containing massive ceremonial bells held by dragons of blue Atrisian Quartz, kept their weapons focused tighter on the locked down passage in front of them...waiting.

The doors exploded inward charric bolts zipping in and hitting the first few, who immediately fired back, but more charric bolts cut into them ruthlessly from the smoke as Moya emerged, having switched to her heavy combat configuration, a muscular woman with pale skin and light red hair, rushing forward and flipping about with the Force, firing her pilfered charrics and evading return fire, using her weapons in pistol whip manuevers and joint-locking techniques, inbetween shooting or disarming and then running them through with their own lightsabers, but not before viciously pummeling them however she could.

The key to her design (and indeed, most androids similar to her) was to hit fast and hard, giving the enemy very little chance to react if any. Her fists and legs and pistols and Force pushes decimated the group crushing their rib cages with her knees or hands, or simply blasting their head apart. Soon there were only a few left. And that was when it started. It had been worth the risk, but what a time for hit to happen.

She shook violently, sweating, skin rippling as it turned beet red, backing away as the overheating flaw in her design started to nearly overwhelm. The Sith started to close in as she opened fire hitting a few more of them, trying to take down as many as she could, even as bright green blood started to gush out of her mouth. The heat sinks in her dress at last kicked in, immediately starting to siphon the heat build up in her body. Her skin ceases to be beet red but her skin still rippled, sweat still coming down in torrents. The heat sinks could only take so much heat build up at once at right now she was taking serious risks overtaxing the mechanism Laertia had designed for her.

She kept firing, having no choice, even as they closed in, one getting in melee range, forcing her to punch him so hard and fast she broke his neck, barely dodging the sonic and charric fire but managing to return fire and kill more, even with her aim shaky from the overheating process.

Suddenly it was down to four. She could hear buzzing from the heat sink in her dress that was close to near capacity.

The other Sith drew their lightsabers and attacked. Moya dodged the swipes that came at her face and chest, firing charric bolts at them as she retreated, the electronics in her dress heating. Her sweating increased, the skin starting to grow red again...

She grabbed one as she came in range, breaking his neck with a throat punch in Atrisian Snake Kung Fu. She then grabbed his lightsaber falling back into her Soresu programming as the survivors descended on her. As per her programming, she fended off attacks, waiting for their frustration and panic to make a mistake, which they did, when one attacked too far ahead of the others, allowing her to parry and counter attack by beheading him, leaping and kicking his head as it fell into the head of another, stunning him, allowing her to zip forward and behead him, kick his head into the final victim and toss her lightsaber at the same time, impaling him through the chest.

Just then, the right side of her dress burst into sparks as the first heat sink overloaded, forcing the secondary heat sink to switch on and pick up the slack.

Gradually, she stopped sweating and her skin stopped rippling as she swooned, leaning against one of the ceremonial bells, examining the damage to the heat sink. The rest of the electronics were working, but now the remaining heat sink was out of commission until the thermal build up could be diffused.

Chit. She did not need this. She began to scavenge as the need to stay cool was part of her emergency self repair protocols.

She spotted a security terminal and immediately initiated a localized lockdown of this section, cutting administration access.

She then refocused on scavenging, ripping open electronics for the necessary parts, but it all was inadequate.

Her eye fell on something in one corner of the shrine. A Dragon statue with a open mouth of which protruded a glowing blue fang. Moya walked up to it, sensing the Force within the crystal fang. Her hand reached out and grasped the cold crystal, spotting groves suggesting she had to twist it out and she did, removing it with a click.

Moya felt a gentle, cooling sensation over her whole body, providing relief to still quite warm internals...

To her surprise, she also saw key grooves...

(Zelda Acquisition Theme Plays)

(New Item Acquired!)

Item: KURAOKAMI'S FANG

Spoiler

Magic-Infused chunk of Permafrost Crystal that serves as a key to the shrine interiors other sections. Leeches intense heat from objects, and can be used as an emergency heat sink.

Moya then noticed a door bearing the fang image of the object she had taken. She fitted the strange key into its lock on the side and the stone door slid open, revealing a hidden staircase. She descended cautiously, as she could feel the Force swirling everywhere in the shrine.

She saw the strange fog from where she had been imprisoned earlier, causing her form to ripple as she moved forward, combat programs glitching as she spotted a small stone alter with what looked to be a basin in the middle.

She approached slowly, senses stretched for danger. That was when she heard the hum of a vibroweapon in the darkness surrounding the frozen stone altar.

When the War-Droid emerged, it was in a chassis designed to resemble that of an ancient Yovshin Swordsman, its full kabuto stylized to resemble that of a dragon.

Moya tensed as she saw the blue crystal at the center of the chassis, This was a zeffo-type construct.

Its solid black odachi glimmered with frost as it clanked towards her.

Moya tried to strike first, but a beam of blue erupted from its chest and she tried to dodge, but it had savvily fired at point blank range, and she only 'mostly' succeeded.

The blast still clipped her arm, part of her shoulder, and half her face, the electronics in her dress sparking and bursting as the shielding was absolutely overwhelmed by the attack. The tissue that was hit froze, down to the muscle, and fell off from the rest, revealing the silvery biot underneath as she was forced to dodge its next few blasts, her exposed and skinless arm rendered useless by the attack, and unable to regenerate in the magical fog that covered the floor.

It at last chose to strike, and her remaining good arm barely fended off the vicious attacks, feeling the power building up in the crystal as the droid struck from everywhere. She took a nasty gash to the face that split the tissue open as well as froze the cut, and cried out in surprise as her good arm sustained a hit from a cryoban bolt, causing the spot hit to freeze, and fall off.

There were multiple droids, all armed with cryoban rifles.

Moya refocused her Soresu defense defending against not only the Wardroid, but the ancient humanoid war droids hidden behind support pillars, deflecting sword attacks and cryoban bolts in the same breath. The power in the droid crystal was almost ready but Moya had a plan having discovered a weakness in its stance as it moved, legs far apart when it attacked. But she would have only one chance at it.

The droid was extremely well programmed, never letting up even a moment in its attack, and it was also programmed to fight as pragmatically as possible. When the crystal within was charged, it fired.

But Moya had tricked it into firing just as her back was to a whole squad of droids, which had fired half a second earlier.

The bolts hit the beam just as Moya cartwheeled out of the way.

The crystal burst into fragments, releasing a wave of blue tinged energy that knocked out all the other droids, destroyed the main one that had been attacking her, dispersed the fog on the floor completely, and froze the flesh and dress of Moya solid, which shattered as the silvery biot underneath shook free of the ruined dress and muscle tissue, now frozen dead and already breaking down, releasing steam and little green fires that curdled the tissue to dust.

"Great. Just fething great." The skeletal Android complained, picking up the fanged key from the remains of her destroyed dress. At least the fog was gone. But it needed new gear.

With the Breath of Kuraokami dispersed, Moya's regeneration kicked in and soon began regrowing her flesh and she approached the Altar, wondering what it was they had been so keen to defend.

The basin doubled as a drain and there was a ceremonial knife at the side. She took it and cut open a palm still growing itself back, spilling green, luminescent blood into the drain.

The Altar split open, revealing sweet loot...


(Zelda Acquisition Theme Plays)

(Moya has acquired new items!)

Item: CEREMONIAL FIBER ARMOR

Spoiler

Ceremonial Armor worn by female guardians of the shrine, a green and white leotard and long green gloves and boots. Composed of reinforced Junju Tree Fibers

Item: CEREMONIAL SONIC NULLIFIERS

Spoiler

Sonic Nullifiers styles as a ceremonial tiara of bronze, but otherwise identical in every way to the standard model

Item: CEREMONIAL PULSE-WAVE BOW

Spoiler

Pulse-Wave bow based off the same kind used by ancient Krath War Droids. Doubles as a melee weapon, bypassing certain restrictions in Moya's Ranged and Melee Programming.

Moya took the gear and put it on once she was fully healed, as she had little choice at the moment. Then she stretched out her mind.

Laertia? How close are you?

The voice that answered back mentally answered without a speech impediment, and Moya was caught off guard by how crisp and focused Laertia's mental voice was.

Unexpected Delay. Whatever Sith that captured you sent some very good warriors. Have acquired back up. Made new friends. One of them is an Android.

Moya did a double take at this but shrugged. What were the odds?

I've killed seventy of the bastards so far. the android thought back.

How much XP do you think they were worth? the Black Knight joked.

A little more gallows humor than usual from you, Sweetie.

The brain damaged shadow simply admitted to it as she beheaded a final Sith, sending him ablaze. Westenra finished slicing her enemies apart, Taiden Keth landing between them and Junko Ike demonstrating the horrors of one of this galaxies lost martial arts.

"I'm perfectly alright, Taiden. But what about you. I detect several different poisons on these shuriken. Were you hit by any?" Westenra asked with genuine concern. When Taiden turned out to be alright however she was visibly relieved. She thought about asking how he had made that light but decided to hold off for now as the focus was staying alive.

Westenra in particular was fascinated by the displays of fighting styles from her companions, acutely studying them throughout the entire fight. When the fight ended, Westenra beheading her own final warrior with great regret as to them simply not fleeing when they had the chance, she curiously knealt down and picked up a red lightsaber activating it and spinning it in her hand, then began a short but complex, perfectly executed kata of every defensive and offensive sequence Laertia used, while Laertia stared in massive shock. Westenra spun it deftly and elegantly, drawing also on her katana and longsword programming. She then shut it off.

"I prefer katanas like Mother, at the end of the day, but I can totally see why you would use something like this. Neat weapon!" Westenra said, tossing it to her, the last of her wounds healing.

Laertia knew then and there in a question of pure skill, no Force powers or other weapons, the Biot wouldn't just kill her: it would master her.

Yet, for some reason, she trusted her without question.

Laertia had thought she had found a sister once, in Uri Udinia. But that had been a long time ago. Westenra...she had bonded with her through sheer shared struggle.

Laertia had never had a sister, but if she could pick any one, it would be Westenra.

"Yooz weeuldz itzz butuhfulleez, West." Laertia replied in a friendly manner before sending a thought back to Moya

Hide yourself. Don't engage unless you have to.

Moya nodded mentally, deciding to head deeper into the shrine underground to lose the persuers she felt converging on her location while Laertia then set off once more on the shrine path, leading the others.

 

[Junko Ike]

Junko looked at the other two as they had fought and she held a hand out seeing her two guards with Yuki still there.. they had been fighting and were skilled enough to last as the others had managed to stave off their opponents as well. She was looking at the Katana the other was using with a raised eyebrow but didn't need to speak. She was heading towards one of the shurikans that was on the ground and brought it up into the air with the force. Her senses prickled for a moment seeing it and then there was a scream as one of the guards was being dragged. The throaty sound... Junko knew these stories and the warnings that had been issued.

She also knew that sound was ancient.. these were maidens taken and killed.. their throats crushed and the scream trying to come out but they couldn't form it. She turned to look at the guard getting dragged and she spoke. "Run as fast as you can." She was here in the forest and there was not many safe places.. if they were lucky they could find another one of the wraiths and let them fight or maybe find a place where they could be safe from the thing coming after them.. if it was still going to come after them. She moved and motioned for the others to follow as they needed to get going. "Ishiyakushi Wraiths... We need to move away quickly before it comes back."

Who sets up their operations in an ancient dangerous forest filled with wratihs that attack and tear anything to shreds? Junko said it while she was moving now and reached out with the force to better allow herself to guide them. The biot and woman were going somewhere and they might be one of the safest places until they could manage to navigate themselves out of the forest. She was trying to focus the force here in the forest and there was a lot more as she and the one guard were both dragging Yuki between them to let Moya Virtu , Laertia Io and Taiden Keth catch up to her. She breathed out a huff though... this was going to mess up her hair.