Skirmish [SO/GA] Caldera Crisis

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

"Surrender?" He scoffed, "And what, become your prisoner? Never."

Well, can’t say she didn’t try.

The Sith’s next blow was wide and sweeping—and to his credit, he actually managed to burn off one of her pseudopods. A small one, thankfully, but it stung and forced her backwards to avoid further injury. She shouldn’t have gotten that close to him to begin with.

She would not make the same mistake again. Opening herself to the Force, she began searching for the Sith’s vulnerabilities, determined to find his shatterpoint.

Halkin au Kazamir​

 

[Darth Nwul]

Wake scratched the side of his head and looked around lazily, feeding off his mentor's energy. It felt pretty good to be out and about, he'd been either meditating, wandering catacombs, or trapped in some spacecraft. It was nice to stretch his legs. He stretched his arms over his head and let out a yawn, the sudden intake of breath accompanying a dramatic surge of dark side power as the waves of pain and rage from the battlefield washed over him. He laced the feelings with joy, revelry, the satisfaction of conquest. He amplified the emotions, blending them together as he threw his head back and took another deep breath, all the emotions pooling together into one whole.

Fanaticism and Zeal.

His eyes flashed yellow as he stopped behind Darth Caedes , his sith warblade strapped to his waist and the dead Ashlan's lightsaber gripped in his hand. He still hadn't had the chance to go back and modify the tool for his own use, but it would do for now. He picked at his ear when Kahlil Noble started talking next and he glanced over at Kyraj with a smirk as if to say 'get a load of this guy, huh'? He turned his attention back to what amounted to a conversation between two diametrically opposed forces. Wake raised an eyebrow at the note that Kahlil had used sorcery. Oh! The frost thing on the ship? That was this guy?

Next came the runes! Woah! Wake eyed them wide-eyed and glanced up at Caedes with excitement glittering on his face. Oh how exciting it would be to learn powers like that! He wanted to speak out of turn, but knew that this was not the right environment for it. He only hoped that Caedus would be kind enough to leave Kahlil partially alive so Wake could learn. It would be a shame to not dissect the Jedi's new sorcery. Would that be considered collaborative research if he discovered a new sith power or spell that way? He almost giggled, how thrilling! He drank the emotions of delight and happiness until they became fuel for his powers.

With his power hitting a fever pitch, he channeled it into the air around them, filling it with discordant and frightening sounds, whispers, screams, and laughter. The slaughter of the Ashlans on Korriban was there for the Jedi to listen to first hand. Wake allowed the negative emotions that they had felt, the fear, pain, and terror to feed out into the air as well, creating a field of discordance around him. It was a hack-job combination of his Sound Trick, Affect Mood, and Force Whisper powers but he figured it would be useful enough to give his mentor an edge.

With horror in the air, he leveled Valery Noble with a steady look before turning his hungry gaze on her husband and smiled.

 

[Cambria Zadira]

DELIVERANCE
ELOM
Sith Pursuit
Open for interaction

As the dropship flew down through the atmosphere of Elom, the Sith were definitely not going to make this an easy humanitarian rescue mission for the Jedi and the Galactic Alliance. But why would they?

The fight for dominance between good and evil, light and dark had gone on for many millennia. And as of recently, the darkness was creeping ever so across the galaxy again leaving destruction where ever it touched as peace had made the main factions complicit to a degree to allow it to go unchecked this long.

There was no doubt the Sith had to be stopped, once and for all. The question remained... Would this build-up, if this was it, to a full galactic war be the final battle between good and evil, light and dark? Probably not if history is relevant, but one could hope for a positive outcome if it came to that.

The LZ at the rendevous point was a busy place as refugees were being funneled there to the rescue ships. Some were being cared for by medics and healers before airlifting them safely off-world... though the skies were anything than safe at the moment with a Sith armada in orbit.

Cambria walked past all that as the Rutian Twi'lek was looking for someone in particular. She could sense her Jedi partner on the planet. That was when she recognized a padawan who had been assigned to Judah Lesan hurridly bringing some refugees into the area. He was not with her.

"Padawan... Where is Master Lesan? Were you not partnered with him for this mission?" Cambria inquired of the young one.

The padawan learner was nervous and a bit frazzled as she swallowed hard before answering the exotic Master Jedi. "I wanted to stay with him, but Master Lesan told me to leave with the refugees. Make sure they got here okay. He stayed behind to keep the newly arriving Sith at bay... especially the big one."

Newly arriving Sith... and a big one? Sounds like Judah was living up to his middle name - trouble.

The blue-skinned Jedi Master gave the girl a small encouraging smile and patted her on the shoulder. "You did well, my padawan. Now finish your task at hand, then help the others. Have no worries as I will go see what I can do to aid Master Lesan."

With a cant of her head and a twitch of her lekku, Cambria trotted off in the direction that the padawan had come from... each step the cold oiliness of the dark side could be felt growing stronger.

// "I am on my way. Do not get too frisky without me." // She sent Judah through their renewed Force bond. Whether the man was listening or not was yet to be determined. He was a stubborn Corellian after all.

 

[Elmindra Xitaar]

Caedes War Party: Darth Caedes | Kyraj | Darth Nwul
VS
Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble

​

Elom

Planet Surface​

Outside The Capital Spaceport​

Objective I: Sith Pursuit (PvP)​

As Kyraj fell into step beside his master, he was met with the full effects of her pheromones, bringing him in on the shared experience of the collected hatred and rage. He could also feel her unsettling pull on his mind that, when combined with the Falleen's pheromones, had a rather thorough effect. She impressed upon her apprentice the direction of her intent to engage the Sword and her desire for him to join her. Without warning, the cold tendrils of her mind drove proverbial fingers into his mental wounds to stoke that powerful rage which burned within him. She pulled at the strings of his perception to shape an illusion rooted in his mind and show him the leader of his pirate abusers in the place of Valery Noble, but only for a brief moment.

Elmindra could feel Caedes radiating malice and spite as he spoke, saturating the Force and the profane sorcery with his potent will. The air swelled with the discordant cacophony of illusory sound brought on by Wake, carrying with it his own contribution to the flood of power and emotion building around them, and she reveled in it.

As the Darth took on a more lackadaisical cadence in his approach, Elmindra maintained a steady pace but veered off from the most direct course to the Nobles, favoring the direction of the Sword, in an effort to weave around the now glowing runes. Suddenly, she lunged for the Sword, propelled by the Force, and threw a series of consecutive lightsaber attacks, a flurry of swift swipes and quick jabs. As she attacked, Elmindra reached out with the Force and into her opponent's mind, altering her perception of Elmindra's strikes, blurring their trajectory and timing and causing them to be more difficult to block or riposte. Then she stepped back, transitioning effortlessly into a defensive stance well-suited for counter attack.

"Your profane excuse for leadership is at an end, Valery Noble," Elmindra declared in a vicious and haughty tone. "You and those you love will suffer greatly before death."

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Sith Pursuit
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Judah Lesan

​

Despite the hail of fire from the ground and the occasional strafe by the ships that battled all the way from orbit to atmosphere, many of the shuttles of the Inquisition managed to get to the planet's surface and send out their contents of troopers. Whether that was due to sheer luck on their part or the skill of the pilots and their escorts was a matter that could be debated at a later time. For now the soldiers of the Inquisition had their orders, to purge and exterminate the Ashlan refugees and all that would stand alongside them.

Alisteri's shuttle was among the first to touch down and begin unloading but the Sith himself was the last to exit it. He stepped onto the surface of Elom and rolled his shoulders as he sensed the presence of Jedi. It had been years since he had felt so many, not since the battles that had marked the twilight of the Sith Empire. One in particular was close though, far closer than the others and with quite the level of strength from what he could tell.

Just his luck, his forces and himself landing before a powerful Jedi. And here he thought this day couldn't get any worse. He stifled a frustrated curse as he drew his blades, his sword in one hand and his lightsaber in the other as he ignited the latter. Admittedly he didn't know if he'd be able to handle such a Jedi, he himself had only come across powerful Jedi once or twice before and none of those times had he really fought them. He was a mere Knight but no true Sith backed down in the face of a Jedi.

If nothing else then he could at least distract them and offer his troopers the opportunity to carry out their mission he supposed. That would have to be enough. :"Flank and maneuver around the Jedi. We're here to slay the Ashlans, not battle the Alliance. I will handle him.": The troopers wasted no time in following the command and soon a clear path between the masked man and his opponent was open as he strode forward.

Alisteri glanced at the line and then the man that made it with a raised eyebrow. "You say that as though it belongs to you. Last I checked this world was neutral. Until you Jedi scum appeared of course." He hissed the word 'Jedi' as if it were some foul curse as he called out a response. "Your Ashlan cousins are the ones that brought us here, and you are more than happy to join them in dragging this world into our eternal war. Don't act as though you're some sort of saviors Jedi, I have no patience for it."

Finally the Sith stopped his advance a short distance away from the Jedi, gesturing out to the battle that had engulfed the planet. "Look around you, and see what you've brought upon this world. Pain, suffering, death, and war. So much war from ones that claim to hold peace in such high regard. Yet you have the gall to say that I shall go no further?" His tone was almost one of genuine insult as if he had been personally spited by the mere presence of the Jedi before him.

"I bring justice to my enemies Jedi, and you bring suffering to those you claim to protect. As you always have." The masked man readied himself, either for a defensive posture or a quick charge was unclear however. For a moment he simply stared and measured the Jedi, studying his form and weaponry before he made his move. And move he did. With a burst of speed he rushed forward and pounced, driving both of his blades forward in an attempt to skewer the man before him in one swift strike.

 

[Halkin au Kazamir]

Tags: Kassogtha Cthylla

---

The scent of burning meat filled Halkin with a small rush. He'd taken something off of her. The Jedi retreated, allowing Halkin to have some space. It appeared like she was focusing on something, though he couldn't tell what.

He felt that there weren't that many options other than rushing her. If he let her channel her power, she could end the fight right now. If he attacked her and broke her concentration, he might save himself and defeat this foe. He ran forward, lightsaber raised to deliver a diagonal slashing blow meant to cleave her in two

 

[Darth Wallgof]

Objective: 1 - Hunt down some Jedi
Appearance: This
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Jonyna Si

"Throwing a tantrum?" Wallgof's voice laughed, "I haven't even raised my voice to you child. However, you are the one screaming and shouting at me. Declaring that I am the unstable one is laughable." His voice smooth as he felt calm in the moment, even with his body raging and the Force powering his body. He wasn't letting this Jedi believe they had gotten under his skin.

Wallgof used Tutaminis to absorb the returned blast of electricity. His body moving faster than a normal human could possibly move, due to the Force Rage. He aimed the return blast towards Jonyna's legs, aiming to take her off balance.

Instinctively the Lightsaber went to block the blade, the cortosis caused the blade to short circuit and Wallgof chuckled deeply. It was smart Jedi that he was dealing with, she had caught him out with the blade. However, there was little worry on his part, he swiftly protected himself from the blade by striking at it with the beskar vambrace that he had. Using the strong protection provided by his armour to ensure that the blade did not land a dangerous hit.

He then punched at her chest to send her flying back and attempting to knock the wind out of her gut. He was still skilled in hand to hand combat, he had been raised Mandalorian and he had learnt how to fight as one using only his fists. He roared triumphantly, defying the attempts to overwhelm him. Wallgof had dealt with his own mind attempting to distract him, overwhelm him, this Jedi Knight would not do better than that. Wallgof was focused and he was ensuring that her mind would break first.

Wallgof continued to break into her mind, attempting to send visions of Jedi Masters calling her a failure, mocking her dreams and ambitions as foolish and idiotic. Aiming to work on the fears of being alone, being rejected and to never be accepted by others. "Your attempts were weak, your dedication to this Light Side, these ideals of being a hero. No one respects them, not your peers, your superiors, not me. Break the bonds, the chains weighing you down and I can make you stronger, show them how wrong they are child."

​

​

 

[Lily Decoria]

​

Objective: 1
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Training Saber
Tags: Bastila Sal-Soren | Erid Zodana | Scrudge

The roar of the beast caused Lily ignite her training saber instantly and then looked as Bastila gave a call out to charge.

Erid added that they shouldn't get close. Which was sound advice for any Wookiee but one that had a distinctive red around the mouth and nose, a spiced out Wookiee was likely more dangerous than the sober ones that would rip your arms off. Lily looked to Bastila, "Bastila, prioritise getting the civilians out of here!"

It wasn't that Lily didn't think Bastila couldn't help with the fight but she knew her skills would be needed more in the fighting and someone had to make sure that the civilians got out of here. She suspected that the guy would just tell them that they were likely all to die and might as well be now, at least, from what he was saying earlier that had been her impression. No, it was best that Bastila handled the civilians. "We'll keep the Wookiee away from you guys, but get them somewhere safe and then come back and help us."

Lily was being precise and short with her words, making sure things were clear and that while she seemed to be ordering her fellow Padawan around, she wasn't doing it from a sense of authority or superiority, just that a plan was needed and this was all she could think of for now.

Jumping into the fray with Erid, Lily deflected several shots, the bowcaster certainly hit harder than a standard blaster. It made reflecting the shots back trickier but Lily was adapting with every shot, reassessing her stance, the position of her hands and attempting to deflect the shots back towards the orange haired Wookiee.

"Hey Cheese Puff! Let's see what you can do!" Lily shouted at the Wookiee, attempting to grab it's attention. Lily wasn't usually one for throwing around insults but she knew that doing so could enrage someone enough to focus on you. Ignoring better or more obvious targets.

 

[Judah Lesan]

.

Wearing: xxx
Weapons: xxx x2
Tag: Darth Strosius | Cambria Zadira

“Did I say this world belongs to me,” Judah quipped.

Perhaps it would be wise to not anger the Sith, but Judah was a smartmouth at heart. His Corellian nature would not let him leave certain comments alone. Of course there could have been more to say, but the warning, or stern request from his Jedi Partner flooded his mind. So, Cambria Zadira had decided to come after all.

< “Frisky? Without you? I would not dream of it.” >

She would be rolling her eyes, Judah had no doubt. The pair flirted on a line which Cambria had stated many times they would not cross, but one Judah had told the Twi’lek did not even need to be there. He understood her reasons, all of them. In his age, Judah had become even more in tune with the ebb and flow of the world and relationships around him. Whatever happened would happen, and they did not need to force anything, nor did they need to prevent anything.

If they stayed as they were, Judah would be happy. If the crossed the line, Judah would be happy. Contentment had truly become something the old Jedi had embraced.

< “There are Sith coming your way. Those he commands have flanked me, and I have let them. My focus is on stopping the one giving orders.” >

Judah did not think that simply because Alisteri was giving orders that he was more powerful or less powerful. The Jedi had seen Sith kill masters, and he had seen padawans do more than they should have been capable of. So it was with the force. One was as great as their discipline took them. Some were extraordinarily gifted as well, and Judah was not about to assume one way or another.

What Judah could not stand, however, were ignorant platitudes, and misinformed accusations. He laughed, likely the wrong thing once again, but Judah could not help himself.

“Ashlan cousins. Their creed makes them more Sith than Jedi. I am here for the ones who are being displaced because you came here. It takes two to have a conflict, and were you not here, then I would not be here either. Whatever words you want to say to justify how you are possibly on the right side of this are fine with me. If this world truly is neutral then your presence here is as much a crime as the Ashlans and your claim to be here just as illegitimate. You will not pass because there are innocent lives to protect, and I will not allow you near them no matter your intent.”

The Sith attacked. They were aggressors by nature. Judah knew their philosophy well enough to know that he did not need to make the first move. He also knew the man would attempt to kill him outright. It made for a much less complicated fight, one that would be devoid of physical posturing. As such, the first maneuver was not a surprise. It seemed the man did not want to test Judah’s defenses at all, but rather he wanted to run him through.

Judah stepped into the attack. The Sith moved with speed, but launching with both weapons gave Judah an immediate advantage. In a single motion Judah used the blade in his left hand to sweep the blades away from him while the blade in his right hand swept up as Judah took another step toward his assailant. His hope was to knock the man off balance without using the force at all. Why try when all that was needed was better footwork.

< “Do not let his minions pass you, Bri. We must defend the refugees retreat.” >

No matter the cost.

 

[Cambria Zadira]

DELIVERANCE
ELOM
Sith Pursuit
Judah Lesan
Darth Strosius | Open

​

// “Frisky? Without you? I would not dream of it.” //

Cambria just rolled her gold-speckled hazel eyes as he knew she would, then responded to his comment.

// "Liar?! I know you too well." //

// “There are Sith coming your way. Those he commands have flanked me, and I have let them. My focus is on stopping the one giving orders. Do not let his minions pass you, Bri. We must defend the refugees retreat.” //

She so wanted to defy Judah's orders and rush to go be by the Corellian Jedi's side in battle because saving his butt had become second nature for her, but duty always came first. They each had theirs to perform... at least for now.

// "Noted. May the Force be with you, always." //

A few moments later...

<"General... General! Wait up.">

Cambria reluctantly slowed her long stride, then stopped and turned around to see what Friend was hailing her from behind. That was a designation the Jedi had not heard in a very long time since the earlier days of the reformed Galactic Alliance at least.

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep a smirk from forming on her naturally berry-colored lips. Dang, foiled again, the Rutian Twi'lek thought amusingly.

<"Nice try, Ma'am... Did you attempt to ditch us 'cause that really hurts our feelings?"> The leader of an elite squad of Alliance Star Corps troopers quipped lightly as the squad of twelve in white and yellow colored armor had finally caught up to the exotic Master Jedi whom they had ridden down on the dropship with from their cruiser above in the midst of the space fray.

<"Respectively, of course, General Zadira,"> he added after a tick so as not to offend the Jedi as some could be touchy-feely, though the man didn't think she was by his levity as the refrained smirk was observed on the blue-hued woman's very pretty face.

"First of all, Sergeant -Bryd is it? I am not in the military any longer so please just call me Master Zadira," Cambria offered with modest sincerity, then continued.

"Secondly... I did not ditch your squad rather I was simply leading the way to trouble from my understanding of a report received from my Jedi partner who is reconning ahead. The Sith have landed, numbers unknown, and they are flanking his position coming this way. He is intending to detain their leader. We must hold the line here to protect the fleeing refugees at the rendevous point and give them more time to escape," she added with a firm nod.

Turning back around from the trooper, Cambria then pointed in the direction of her former travel dressed in Jedi Guardian armor with a green cloak that the hem billowed ever so slightly in the chilly dry breeze of the Elom desert plains flanked by mountains, which had a series of caves deep within. The Jedi Master's lightsaber and shoto were hanging from her utility belt along with a traditional Twi'lek warrior dagger housed in a boot sheath. No helmet was worn as it confined her head-tails and the armor was confining enough for the Twi'lek.

"I believe there is a good ambush spot just ahead in that narrowing of the path. Sergeant... have your men set up for that action and get ready to make our efforts count as they must. Failure is not an option today, gentlemen."

Like whenever would it be hmm?

<"Yes, Ma'am! We won't let it happen.">

// "I have a squad of troopers and we are readying an ambush. Please do not do anything stupid." //

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Sith Pursuit
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Judah Lesan / Cambria Zadira

​

As expected it would not be as simple as just running forward and impaling the Jedi, although the relatively simple deflection and swipe rather than something more grandiose or deadly did seem to surprise him. Alisteri had spent far more time fighting Sith than Jedi after all, where every attack carried the threads of death and dismemberment rather than minor wounds or even a simple method of controlling the opponent as his was doing now. A fairly subtle but noticeable difference in strategy that he would have to account for.

Rather than rushing into the blade before him or stumbling back and leaving himself open to some form of riposte, the masked man instead turned his momentum around and leapt back. Just enough to be out of range of any swift strikes as he assumed a proper position and posture once more with his newly regained footing.

"As usual you only pretend to care about 'innocent lives' when the Sith are involved. How typical." Rather than attempting another forward rush the Sith instead began pacing to the right, keeping his body facing the Jedi as he appeared to be searching for some way around him. Whether that was with the intent to in for a flanking attack or simply cross the line in the sand indirectly as a show of spite was unclear. "I don't recall the Alliance and their lapdog Jedi caring about innocents when they aided the New Imperials in their conquests of our space, when the Ashlans descended upon our holy worlds and ancient homes, and certainly not when your own forces occupied and instilled your military presence on our worlds that you invaded."

He still never got over Ziost in the end, not even after all these years. Whether it be a consequence of his allegiance to the Sith or a simple fact of his own nature, Alisteri held grudges like few others. In a tight fist of metal that would never be unclenched. "Your talk is cheap, just like the rest of your miserable order." His sidestepping came to a sudden halt seemingly without reason.

"But don't worry Jedi, after I slay you and we drive your allies from Elom, I'll put in a good word for all these innocents that you wish to protect. Whether or not I'll be heeded is another matter." It was difficult to tell if he was being sarcastic or not. Alisteri didn't allow his opponent long to dwell on it anyway, launching himself forward again from his new position but with a mighty leap into the air this time. Lightning danced in the hand that held his sword, arcing from his fingertips and all the way up to the tip of the blade as he reached the apex of his jump and began falling down upon the Jedi.

He readied his lightsaber for a simple slash downward, one that would be aimed to cleave off a shoulder or at least bury into the collar, but his sword was pointed directly down at the man as if for a thrust. Lightning crackled in his hand once more before a quick bolt of it flew along the blade's center and shot out of the tip at the Jedi to try and either keep him in place or strike him if he moved to dodge to the side of his descending slash.

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

The Force showed her many things. Despite his youth, this Sith was physically weaker than the average Human, his lean physique lacking strength. He was reliant on his one eye to see, and his potential as a Force User had been stunted, somehow. In short, he had many vulnerabilities which he had tried to hide during their duel. But the Force revealed all.

Kass could overwhelm him with brute strength, or blind his sight. She doubted he would be able to resist her influence. It was hard to decide which power to use, as all of them stood a good chance of working. Morichro, perhaps, or malacia, or…

In the meantime, his success in wounding her had emboldened him. He ran at her, closing the distance in what was meant to be a killing blow. For Kass, he seemed to move in slow motion, her perception of time dragged out as she viewed the numerous shatterpoints of this very fragile man.

She decided to go the simple route. As he drew nearer to her, Kass erected a barrier directly in front of him, bringing his progress to a sudden halt. Then she reached out with the Force and stunned him.

Halkin au Kazamir​

 

[Auteme]

Kel Se'Taav Raigryn Vayd Sonya Provost Valette Puritis Yumia Kalantha Alicio Organa Natasi Fortan Ruto Tane Zahara Myneto Calista Aquiliux Set. Annasari Lila Doneeta Dracken Pryce ​

Auteme was pleasantly surprised at the response from her fellows. It was always difficult to tell how genuine a politician was being -- how many here wanted to take in refugees because it was the moral thing to do, and how many were looking to gain from it -- but regardless things seemed to align towards the correct course of action. And even for those who didn't agree (her own Vice Chancellor taking a pod and giving her own voice was a less pleasant surprise), it was clear they were, at least, holding their values genuinely. It'd be strange for someone with whom she clashed often to advocate giving her more power, were there not some higher reason motivating them.

She nodded in thanks to Admiral Myneto, half for his service and half for his measured contribution to the discussion; other than that she remained quiet until the Senators had finished their initial offerings and discussions.

"Well spoken, my friends. In terms of the refugee crisis -- I will ensure that the proper agencies have adequate funding to respond, though that may take some time to have effect, given the current delay in the budgeting process. Our systems are robust; as usual, any changes in refugee acceptance status, logistics, and so on, can be directed through the proper channels." While she appreciated many Senators' enthusiasm, things were bordering on virtue-signalling now. If they were willing to take in refugees, those changes could be put through the ministries handling their transport and support.

"I am not keen on over-transitioning into a war economy; our forces are still well-equipped, so for the moment military contracts will remain limited. As such, I think Senator Se'taav's suggestion may serve us well. I will direct the Committee on Foreign Affairs to make inroads with the Rimward Trade League." Contact between the Alliance and the League had been cordial but not especially involved; Auteme felt a pang of regret at not having strengthened their bonds sooner. It seemed they should be natural allies. Waiting so long could only serve to complicate things. Perhaps a state visit was in order.

"We will need to act decisively once the opportunity presents itself. It often seems that the return of the Sith is inevitable. Someday it won't be -- but as many times as is necessary, we must fight them back, and destroy the circumstances that allow their ideology to foment, whether in the Alliance and abroad. We are entering a conflict where we hold many advantages; the task at home is less to fight with everything we have and commit every resource, but rather to ensure that our morale and morals remain intact, such as to not lose those advantages. We should not allow ourselves to be eager for war, nor to celebrate it. This is, already, a tragedy we should strive to avoid repeating. That is the true fight."

 

[Vera Mina]

Wearing: Mercenary Dress

Armed With: M1 Aegis (2)

Graverobber's End

"So you got that feeling too that war wasn't over?" Vera Mina asked Nathan Bloodscrawl as he kitted himself out for the mission ahead. The were aboard the hold of Vera's J-Type 327 Nubian, piloted by a soldier biot.

"It's never over." Nathan asserted, using his father's technically unfinished armor, heavily armed already, his face completely obscured by a form fitting red helmet as he grabbed two life support packs for injured civilians. "Peace isn't a lie. But it sure is transitory."

"My thoughts exactly..." Vera replied, emerging from the shadows in her red headed guise as a Chiss mercenary. The shapely android was clad in an armored white gown with matching gloves and boots, as armed to the teeth as he was.

"So why fight so hard for it?" The murderous Android asked.

"The alternative is insanity." he replied. "Not that you are expected to understand, given your...nature..."

Vera flicked glowing red eyes at him.

"I understand much..." she responded in a deadly purr, slinking up to him. Naked hunger was in her eyes. Nathan pretended not to notice.

"It just seems to me like it doesn't bring much payoff." The Android pointed out.

"You think society is better in anarchy?" Nathan asked.

"No. But if peace is transitory, like you say, why artificially extend it past it's date of expiration?" Vera asked. "Even entropy ebbs and flows."

"Entropy has that problem of lasting too long when no one cares." Nathan replied flatly, cocking a shotgun. "No one ever mentions apathy as the real reason the Gulag Era lasted so long."

"Mass murdering diseases with no known treatment or cure do tend to turn "decent" folk into selfish bastards." Vera noted with a cold, self satisfied smirk spreading across ruby lips. "You can't imagine how relieved I was, knowing you could all become like me if the circumstances were right." the Android finished, winking at him.

Nathan didn't respond to the semi-playful barb from Vera as the ship intercom went off, the soldier biot alerting them that they were about enter the atmosphere.

"How does it feel, trying to save your people?" She asked as her hunger for blood began to build, her databases looping together highlights of pleasing kills prior to get her in the mood.

Nathan's fist clenched and her processors warmed at the pleased realization she had coaxed more emotion out of the normally stoic man.

"Those Idolators are not my people." he emphasized quietly as the ship set down on a landing spot, followed by over a dozen evacuation shuttles.

Vera could only laugh at this.

"I can hardly wait for the after action assessment of you..." she said in that low, seductive purr as they disembarked, going their separate ways in the wartorn streets. Already people flocked to their location...as well as drawing the attention of various enemies.

A weapon, one handed, and organic, slipped in Vera's hand as she scanned the area for hostiles, immediately setting herself upon a group of commandos. Nathan was going to be mister public relations and get people to safety. Leaving Vera to do a the fun stuff.

She set off, animal instincts and bloodthirst guiding her to a group of heavily armed scouts. There was no subtlety, no tact. This Chiss guise she used was for neither. Her lightsaber dashed through the flesh and armor of one Sith Soldier as the others opened fire. Her fanged teeth were bared as she ripped and tore into the squad, cutting off an arm, then a leg, then a head. Fangs bit into an exposed neck that had gotten too close. Her eyes went feral and she brutally thrashed the screaming soldier with her fangs still clamped on his neck, horrifying his remaining comrades to run, only to be pursued by The Android through smoke and the bodies of dead innocents.

She flipped and twirled through the blastershots of the remaining two, though one hit her square in the lower stomach and left a scorch mark, knocking her back momentarily. She drew a pistol and fired rapidly, forcing them to full retreat, one tossing a thermal Detonator to force her back and run to escape the blast.

Insulted by the delay on a ego driven level, Vera pulled herself up from rubble that had covered her, growling like a lion as she resumed her attack, on the soldiers, killing both with headshots just before they got clear of her weapon range and chuckled as they fell, deciding to find more Sith Soldiers to kill, very close by to Inanna Harth ...

 

[First Sister]

Location: Cave - Elom
Time: Late Afternoon
Objective: I - Sith Pursuit
Dialogue Legend: <<Ghoul-Speak>> │ “Galactic Basic” │ <”ur-Kittât”>
Tag: Mnoi Akûti

The Sister breathed.

Her gaze widened as the towering warrior was sent flying back from the impact of her Lightning, losing his grip on his sword in the process, which then flew on to nail an unlucky refugee to the wall. Turning her attention back to the warrior, the severity of his wounds did not escape her notice as she glanced over his smoking form, the scent of electrified meat and ozone thick in the frigid air. Nevertheless, the Sith hybrid still seemed capable of fighting. As if on cue, his pistol snapped towards her direction to confirm the thought, before discharging a vicious hail of green bolts. One caught the Sister in her upper torso—a direct, solid hit that forced her a few steps back. With it, a sudden stab of pain arose within her chest, stemming from a few fractured ribs.

Too slow.

Grunting, the Sister heeded her training and survival instincts. Pushing back onto her feet, a mental command triggered the sudden activation of her cloaking device, causing light to shift and shimmer around her tiny form to render it invisible.

For a brief moment, she was gone.

Then, two seconds later, she reappeared, now 20 meters away from the warrior and on his left flank. Simultaneously, a pair of instantaneous, coruscating blasts of raw electricity lanced forth from her Claws. However, they weren’t intended to strike the warrior, but rather, the cave ceiling directly above him, with the intent of causing it to collapse on top of him.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Starlight Dress
  
  • Sith Talisman
    
    • Spirit Anchor
    • Jin'Wodasir (2)
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
  • Utility
    
    • Supernal Infusion
    • FAE/U-01 “Serenity” Anti-Signal Field System
• Electromancer’s Claws (2)
• The Galvanic Torch

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi's pod floated smoothly back into its position, and she settled into one of the seats.

As the meeting proceeded, Natasi felt her frustration bubbling up within her. This was the bulwark protecting the galaxy against the evils of the Sith? The Chancellor with her dramatic display spoke much without actually saying anything. The Vice Chancellor seeking to undermine her -- to what point and purpose Natasi didn't know, beyond possible self-interest. The other Senators seeking to stick their oars in. A meeting ostensibly to discuss the ramifications of an influx of refugees met with a dismissal that the refugee issue was more or less in hand. It was more than a mystery, Natasi thought. It was a waste -- of time, of energy, of the efforts of the people in the room.

She frowned thoughtfully and activated her datapad. There was a message from the Prime Minister waiting, asking how it was going. Natasi was unequipped to answer that question, so she didn't. Instead, she typed: They may or may not take us up on the offer. Get the prefabs out and prepare them for travel or deployment anyway -- they need to be ready to move as soon as possible. I will inform you as and when I know more.

Another message came through almost immediately; a string of nonsensical character, followed by Sorry, Tibs walked across the keyboard. Natasi hid a smirk behind her hand. Tibs, a small cat, had appeared at Number 10 one day and had declined to be chivvied along. He had become an unofficial mascot of the Prime Minister's office and had wasted no time in making himself at home there. Security had scanned the critter to ensure it wasn't some kind of spy mechanism, but Tibs had come up clean. He was just a cat.

I'm coming back after this session adjourns, Natasi sent. We need to talk about this directly.

Natasi could almost feel Renata's hesitation through the computer screen. Then: Problems?

The Supreme Leader shook her head lightly. You know, democracy is wonderful, but it is also damned foolish. Speak to you soon. She sent a message to Dyrn Grav to let him know her intentions so he could prepare the security detail , then settled back into her seat to watch the proceedings. Better to let other Senators pursue the issues of their defense posture. It was all she needed to be perceived as some sort of over-reactionary warmonger on top of being some kind of authoritarian. Instead, she began composing correspondence to make the Renascent Republic's offer to the appropriate ministries.

​

 

[Halkin au Kazamir]

Tags: Kassogtha Cthylla

---

She was right there, right in front of him. An insurmountable foe that he would strike down nonetheless. He could prove to himself that he was powerful, that his might made him worthy, that it made him alive.

Halkin slammed into the Jedi's barrier at full tilt. With his saber raised in front of his right shoulder, his hands hit the barrier first his knuckles grinding horrendously against the invisible force. His nose slammed into the bicep of his left arm and his legs wobbled. He stumbled, reeling from the impact as reactionary tears welled in his eyes.

And then he could feel someone touch his mind, his spirit. In the instant that he felt it, his anger and pride evaporated, burned away by feral panic. But before he could react, before he could even properly process what had just happened, his eyes unfocused and his knees buckled. With his sensory receptors and nerves deadened, and his conscious thoughts reduced to foggy haze from the stun, Halkin was effectively reduced to a pile on the ground.

 

[Mnoi Akûti]

(PvP) Objective I — Sith Pursuit
First Sister

Spoiler: Equipment

Ship: Xandu-Class Starfighter
Weapons: M.I. Model 6M hybrid pistol - Mnirmi'ntima Dire Vibrosword
Armor: League Defense Force Fatigues - League Defense Force Tactical Poncho - Frostbane Cortosis Gauntlets

Mnoi had managed to get one of the sonic bolts to hit. He could hear it, even if his vision still swam from the electric shock. By the time his vision had cleared, the woman had vanished. Had she fled? But no, there came a blast of more lightning as electricity struck the cave ceiling. Rocks and ice exploded and rained down, burying that section of that section of the cave. Mnoi was pinned under the rock and ice, the refugees were trapped inside the cave in now total darkness. The small Sith woman would be the only one with the freedom to escape.

Trapped and intense pain, Mnoi could only reflect on the fact that he had fallen prey to the same Sith nature that he hated. He'd gotten cocky, thinking he'd had victory secured. He'd slipped and let his guard down. It was that same prideful Sith nature. He hated it, but he had to admit it. He would never truly be able to combat it, to fight against the Sith, unless he learned to understand, accept, and overcome that part about himself.

It was a goal, something to keep him striving forward, to keep him motivated. He would not die here. His will was simply too strong. But maybe, maybe he could just take a little rest...
With that last thought, the Sith Offshoot blacked out.

 

[Jonyna Si]

Wallgof continued to break into her mind, attempting to send visions of Jedi Masters calling her a failure, mocking her dreams and ambitions as foolish and idiotic. Aiming to work on the fears of being alone, being rejected and to never be accepted by others. "Your attempts were weak, your dedication to this Light Side, these ideals of being a hero. No one respects them, not your peers, your superiors, not me. Break the bonds, the chains weighing you down and I can make you stronger, show them how wrong they are child."

It was then the cocky smirk returned, Jonyna picking herself back up. It didn't matter that her chest was on fire with pain. It didn't matter than her back felt like she'd been thrown off a building. It didn't matter she couldn't hold down a cough of blood from her wounded stomach. He'd made a mistake. "That's what you are. You're not a child. You're arrogant. You think I care about what others say about me. You repeat the words that every bounty hunter, buckethead officer, and, shells of sith as you so eloquently put it."

She brought a hand up to wipe the blood off her lip, snarling at her opponent. She could feel the pain shoot through it as she did like a shock through her muscles. She was starting to feel sore, a million needles spiking through her body. But she'd keep going. Always keep going, one step at a time. One paw in front of the other. "I don't. I never cared about what the jedi, or the sith, or the rebellion, or the mandos said about me. I chose to hold onto these ideals for MY sake! For MY own belief! Because unlike you sith, I do care about everyone around me. You talk about breaking chains and becoming stronger, and you act like that's something I want. Something that everyone should want. I wanna make the world a better place, damnit. In spite of people like you. In spite of the cynics and the monsters. I spit in the face of people like you for seeing a world where only you can prosper on the back of everyone else. Laha s' Luna La'vlo'mayu."

She once more used her pyrokinesis to push herself forward. With his lightsaber disabled for the time, she had an opening. She needed to exploit it. Beskar was tricky, but not unbeatable. She ignited Lucy again, slashing towards her opponent, a trail of flame spurring out from the blade as she went to strike the beskar chestplate, following up with a roundhouse to the chest, her foot blasting the chestpiece with chilling wind as well. If she couldn't break the metal, she'd try to cook it. Make it weak. She needed to use that opening as best as she could.

Darth Wallgof

 

[Inanna Harth]

It wasn't long before Inanna encountered Sith forces. She ducked into cover as soon as she spotted them. All around her were dead bodies of civilians and soldiers alike, many with their weapons and gear still lying where they had fallen.

She spotted a big handgun and grabbed it, checking the ammunition. Still loaded. Incendiary ammo?...

Leaning out of cover, she took aim at one of the Sith and fired. The bolt exploded on impact, engulfing the poor bastard in flames.

"Holy chit," Inanna muttered, staring at the gun. She was swiftly forced back into cover as the remaining Sith opened fire on her position. She tucked the gun away and pulled out her lightsaber, deflecting the bolts.

Vera Mina