Starline Express [TSE Incursion]

[Jairus Starvald]

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The Chiloon Rift - The Time Foundry​

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A pico-second can be determined in several ways: one pico-second is the exact half-life of a bottom quark, it is the lifetime of a transition state and it is also the amount of time necessary for light to travel precisely 0.3 millimeters.

Coincidentally it was also the distinct duration that the systems of the Time Foundry froze-up, before resuming their projected trajectories. All the system checking, maintenance calls and diagnostics came up negative, just a simple glitch that the automated mechanisms fixed before it could turn into something more. But it was within that span of a moment that something had burrowed itself into the computer sub-routines. It waited patiently, influenced millions of decisions just underneath the surface, guided projections for purposes unknown.

Until one day it was unleashed.

The Foundry did not have any defense systems integrated in its design.

This was only a mild deterrent for the foreign intelligence burrowed deep inside the Foundry.

Whole sectors were vented, electronics short wired and exploded, districts sealed off and oxygen supplies cut. Throughout it all the organics panicked, struggled, fought and cried while on every screen a pair of impassive emerald eyes observed the systematic slaughter. Within two hours the last form of resistance fell and silence once more reigned throughout the decks, the defense fleet, the halls and mining shafts.

Like a great organism it held its breath for a single moment, before breathing out.

* * *​

"How did we do?" The projection was black, but its eyes were crimson and looming over the crouched form of the Shard.

"Better."

"Complications?"

"Few."

A heavy sigh like the last breath of a dying man sounded then, before the projection nodded and Emerald rose. It flickered out of existence, causing the Shard to turn away and refocus his attention to the droids waiting patiently around him. Large, bulky, amber casing that was difficult to penetrate, they had no other function than to kill... and the Foundry was already pumping them out.

"You did not tell him about the signal escaping." Emerald nodded in the affirmative. He had kept that from him, because it would have been... unpleasant to say the least. "Once it reaches the Sith Empire? They will be faced by an armada, an army, we are already expanding the defense network."

"These organics have only faced weak and dying foes.... now they will truly be tested."

 

[Darth Abyss]

Space near the Time Foundry, the Eldritch

Abyss didn't needed the time to wait for the full force of the sith fleet to follow up on the hint of signal, knowing all to well that they would waste valuable time by preparing and planning. He had already seen the coming threat, and after Outsider Station was seeking not justice, not even vengeance, but knowledge. This new enemy would not be simply beaten, not crushed under the weight of numbers and ships. In fact he was unsure if the fight could be won at all, at least not as long they were still in the dark about the true nature of the Contingency.

That was precisely why the Eldritch had been drifting towards the Time Foundry for two days know, following the wisdom granted to Abyss by his gift of prophetic sight. The ship itself was hidden under a cloak created by stygium crystals, rendering it invisible as it traversed the emptiness. All systems were at their absolute minimum, making sure to leave as little trace of the Eldritch's presence as the ship allowed. From afar Abyss and his crew had witnessed the end of the Foundry, learning little to nothing as they had to stay unseen to evade the same fate.

"Still no signs of any outside defense my lord."

The husk stood on the bridge of his ship, dormant and motionless, seemingly ignoring the words of his agent. For once he was unsure what to do, the attack he had witnessed above Far Harbor had only revealed that the enemy had great power at his disposal, power unlike anything he had faced before, even during the Omega Incident and that most of those in his service stood little chance to act against it.

"Get as close as possible without tripping of any security measures. I will use the force to infiltrate the station."

The Eldritch continued its silent drift, while Abyss made his way to the airlock. He had no intention to open it, as that would disrupt the cloak that got the ship so far without being ripped into shreds. In his left was a pocket watch, rather useless in a place where time was convoluted, and in his right the Veilcutter. The watch didn't do anything to help him, but it was part of his ritual whenever using the force to move from one ship to another.

"Fe've ir armijio mazo tolus, dotacij nun ana pro tave shiris iv tave guduma" ("Near and yet so far, grant me passage through the realm of the dead")

The moment the Eldritch was in range, power surged through the staff, the skull on top glowing in ghostly green. Then the veil between life and death was cut into half, just long enough to allow the Mindeater to traverse through it. Obviously such an act would not stay unnoticed by those gifted with the force, meaning that Abyss ready for heavily resistance once the veil departed a second time to release back into reality, and right into the outer edges of the Foundry.

[member="Emerald"]

 

[Darth Caecus]

"Chit."

The whispered invective came uttered just barely below hearing. She'd hoped it would feel good to say out loud, but the current situation was too grim for simple cursing to help her feel better.

As Darth Caecus, she had agreed to meet [member="Darth Saarai"] here. There were certain aspects of the facility he wanted to discuss with her, and despite the growing unease with how deeply involved she was starting to get with his Empire, she had agreed. If only because he had asked it of her. It was one thing to show up where needed and vanish again. It was another thing to stroll casually through their facilities, offering opinions on this thing or that.

She peered out from around the corner. The limp form of the avian Sith Lord nestled in her arms. Blonde hair was disheveled, and she had powered down the mask and removed it- something about the breathing and comm apparatus was traceable to the droids, and right now, that was the last thing she needed. She looked down at Tai Fa, his eyes closed and breathing shallow.

They had never seen it coming. Tai Fa had gotten the call out just before the droid had dropped a welding claw on the back of his head. She'd been too busy with her own assailant, powered up out of no where with suddenly murderous intent, to stop it.

Wrapped in the Art of Small, she'd managed to keep them both beneath the sensors. She didn't know if the droids were looking for them specifically or not, but she knew they had slaughtered every other organic being in the Time Foundry. Luca..... she didn't know if he had survived, but she couldn't dwell on that in this moment.

Casting gaze left and right, she dashed across the hallway and into a supply closet. Drawing the door closed behind her, she laid Tai Fa carefully on the floor, wrapped in the dark grey cloak she usually wore. She checked his pulse, his breathing, but there was little more she could do for him.

Other than keep him safe.

And find a way to let his Empire into the Time Foundry if she could. They would have to get past the new security measures- simply getting ships in would be a challenge. But finding ways to disable parts from the inside would mean leaving Tai Fa here, alone.

Kith looked up, at nothing in particular, weighing.

Indecisive for the first time since she had awakened in the cloning crèche.

 

[Ria Misrani]

En Route to the Chiloon Rift

Like a driftless star, Charlyra had been lost to the void.

Forever isolated, and forever removed from the Galaxy at large.

She suspected then that it was perhaps the machinations of her former master.

Kept hidden away, let out only for a specific purpose, let out only to strike at seemingly random and disproportionate odds.

Until now.

The light struck at her eyes and the word, 'rise.' Gave cause for the Knight who would once more become an acolyte, to unlearn all that she had known so that she might learn the new ways. As designed by those who were her betters. Her shuttle, taken from the wreckage and refuse from Bimmisaari she had rested within the cramped cockpit. A fallen Jedi padawan, and a failed Sister of Fire who died at the hands of a dark one. A dark one who bore the mask of another, time would only give her so many clues. Kept in the darkness of her former master's realms. Reforged into a Sith Knight, if only to be brought back down for those who enter must relinquish all that they knew. All that they were, cybernetic arms moved within the confines of the cockpit. A hand over the console as she sent out a distress signal, clothed in typical Sith attire as the shuttle prepared to revert from hyperspace. She threw off her mask, the hood of her cloak fell and pooled around her shoulders and rose to her feet.

Charlyra Araano had died on that day in the forsaken world of Kaeshana.

In her place, stood Atmeiktes.

She would not forget the sins of the past and burned with an everlasting vengeance.

What the Sith did not, nor did she realize was the Incursion for which all would bear witness to.

The Contingency had arrived and force above could only assist the woman now.

[member="Emerald"]

 

[Via Dolorosa]

First came the event at Outsider Station, now the attack and systematic demise of organic life on the Time Foundry. Aboard her private ship, leaving the planet of Bimmiel in her wake, she rushed to the station after a weakened transmission had reached the ears of the Empire's elite stationed on the planet. Barely audible was the message, only the words Time Foundry easily understood. This newly acquired facility was in the stages of being fully explored for it's potential and what possible capabilities it could mean for the Sith Empire.​

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Unsure of the nature of this attack, the Sith Lady deduced that this might be linked to the events at Outsider Station, where the whispers of something called The Contingency began to emerge.​

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Arriving to the outskirts of the space station several other ships where amassed around it, each one trying to find a means to infiltrate it. Through the chatter coming from the other vessels, there seemed to be no defense system in place though it wise to remain cautious.​

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Slowly and carefully her ship, The Maleficum edged as close as possible. The order was given to raise their own shields and keep the weapons on high alert. Her ship was not the traditional war vessel, though it could handle a few rounds with an enemy. The only possible solution to enter the facility was through one of the airlocks, thus a transport shuttle would be required.​

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The shuttle docked with the airlock's extended arm, which seemed foreboding to the Sith Lady. If every organic was dead, who was operating the station's systems? Slipping inside, she did something she rarely did these days, she retrieved the swaying hilt from her utility belt. The smell of death fumigated the hall she stood in. There was an unsettling feeling that she was being watched. ​

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[member="Emerald"]​

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

When the sight had been lost in his right eye years prior, a consequence from a wound garnered through torture, he had been disparaged at such a fate. Why had the Gods chosen to curse him with such a cruel destiny? Why had they chosen to steal from him such a precious sense and in such disgraceful conditions? Yes, people without sight managed to live, but, they did not need their sight so as to distinguish tracks upon the sands of Iridonia as he once did. They had not trained for years, since a simple child not yet filled win an understanding of the realities of life, to hunt and track as he had. And so he had despaired. When he had then gone on to lose that very same eye, to feel his skull shatter and eye be ruined, he had despaired all the more at the pain he suffered and the finality of his weakened sense of sight. No more would there even bet he faintest glimmer of hope that he would one day find a way to heal the damaged done.
However, from that despair had come strength and through that strength he had managed to warp and eventually shatter the very chains that such a lose had set upon his shoulders. He had learned to see beyond the physical, to peer into the Force on a constant basis, to see instead of see. And, as such, boons had been lain before him. No longer was he restricted to staring forwards only, now he was capable of seeing all around him - defying the rules of biology and reality in equal measure. No longer was his sight restricted to the Now, either, through the Force he could see what had been, what was and what could be in equal measure.

And, in time, he had finally begun to see beyond even that, to be able to peer at the Force and see the strands of creations that wound their way through everything; see the very song of life and Force. In payment for such boons all he had had to sacrifice was his eye and a week of rest every few galactic standard months. Or so he had thought. In recent times, a new payment had begun to make itself known. At times, his vision would blur and shift as, as he had come to recently realise, such a sight beyond sight weakened and began to ruin his remaining left eye.

"Master...?"

But, even with such a knowledge of the fate that awaited him, he could not stop staring into the Force in compensation for the eye he had lost. He could not return to that time in which he had been limited to sight upon the physical planes. How could he when he had been granted a vision of what many could not see? No, even with the knowledge that continued usage of his boon meant that he would soon lose sight in his left eye as he had once lost in his right eye, he could not stop. Nor, as he sat and pondered the question while staring and the vibrating and writhing stands of the Force, could he force himself to do so. Sacrifice would always birth strength, evolution, and if his loses meant that he did not remain stagnant and would continue to move ever forwards, then, so be it. He would accept his loses with grace and dignity.

"My Lord...?"

The voice finally registering for a second time broke the Iridonian from his musings, pulling his bowed head up so that his slowly clouding left eye would stare upwards from where he knelt; his robes settling around him like a shroud of physical darkness. Blinking slowly, deliberately, as his vision swam and fought to focus for a moment, Lykos waited for his sight to return to the sharp clarity he could still savour, even as he knew who stood before him. For, with his boons granted and sight into the Force, he had studied that which had been unveiled within his loss of half his sight and the degradation of the other half. Born from those studies, he had found a way to bind and fasten his souls and his Hand's soul, fastening her loyalty to him eternally and making it so that, even if he was resting his sight and was unable to see around him, he could always tell when she stood before him.

Eventually, as the seconds of silence finally passed and his sight sharpened, Lykos was greeted with the vision of Tiae'khta, Darth Gvibr as he had so titled her, stood before him. Dressed in robes of a similar fashion to his own, her figure was obscured as was the form of any weapon she might be carrying on her person. As was typical for the young woman, no skin was exposed to the surrounding air as long, black lace gloves covered the hands that hung at her sides - fingers fidgeting in what he knew to be anticipation as he felt the emotion resonate along their bond. Not even her face was visible as a white, porcelain mask with no features carved upon it apart from curling, flame like markings around the eyes and along the sides.

Grunting softly as the action pulled at a old scar that traveled the length of his leg, Lykos gracefully, despite the pain, pushed himself to his feet so that he was staring down upon his Apprentice instead of her staring down upon him. Cocking his head slightly in an instinctive and almost animalistic manner, Lykos' voice rumbled out in a growl. "Yes?" A single word, as was common for when Lykos spoke to Tiae'khta, for the emotion and meaning behind his words resonated stronger within their bond, assaulting the young human's mind, that if he had chosen to use a cascade of words.

"We are nearing the event horizon of the Rift."

Nodding his head at her words, and the unspoken meaning behind them, Lykos strode past Tiae'khta to step into the cockpit of the ship that they were both stood upon. However, he did not chose to take a seat, instead, he took a position stood against the back wall of the cockpit, arms crossed across his chest and his one eye staring unseeingly into the void of space and clouds of dust as he delved into his sight. And what a sight it was that greeted him. Before him the threads of the Force seemed to compact in upon themselves, vibrating and signing at a higher pitch at that point before abruptly slowing to the norm as soon as they extended out from that point. And song that they sung was so viscous and tainted with blood, the tales of death and uprising and pain and promised torment unable to match what had already occurred, tantalised and lured him ever closer. So deep into his sight was he that he missed his Hand stepping around him and settling into the pilot's seat of the Interceptor.

It was only when the human chose to clear her throat, that Lykos was able to break his charmed gaze away from what had happened and what was promised to happen to return his attention to Tiae'khta. "Activate the cloaking systems. Divert all other power that is non-essential to the thrusters and get us there fast."

Lights dimmed and the temperature within the ship began to steadily drop as the Iridonian's orders were immediately obeyed. From sight and sensors the ship disappeared as the stygium systems of the craft were activated and a lurch beneath the pair's feet told of the engines also receiving a surge of power - the vibrations of travel no longer dampened. Passing into the Rift's time dilatation was a sight of curiosity for Lykos as he resumed his gaze into the Force. The rapid vibrations and songs that had seemed so impossibly fast started to slow and settle as the threads of Force that they left behind seemed to freeze in place, their stories stretching out towards eternity. However, such a sight only held his attention for a moment before his thoughts turned to what would greet them. New of the droid incursions had been spread among the Empire, even if his Eyes and Shadows around the Galaxy had alerted him of the situation first, and the message they had received had spoke of a similar situation playing out upon the Time Foundry. The Foundry, when he had last approached it, had been without defenses but that did not mean that data-based lifeforms pushing their way into the Galaxy and slaying organics would not had built defenses to defend their claim.

However, even with this knowledge, it was not that fact of the Incursion that mainly held the Iridonian's focus, but, instead, that honour belonged to the events he had felt​ the last time he had journeyed into the Rift. Once before he had felt the Nether, during that time when the boundaries between the living and the dead had frayed and split. But, he had not felt the Nether as keenly then as he had done so on his last visit. A spirit, one of foulness, had remained upon the Foundry and had sought to defend its stakes as surely as the droids would seek to do so. Its ghostly fingers brushing upon his spine had chilled him in a manner the galaxy-large event had not for, within that touch, he had glimpsed what he would become within the Nether. Ever since, he had felt cold in a way that was different from the frozen fury that always rested within in. Cold, and lusting for more knowledge on what awaited him.

That was why he delved into the Rift towards the Foundry now. Not only because he sought to reclaim the Foundry from the grip of the Droid, but, because he also sought to know more, desired and lusted for that illusive knowledge even as whispers warned him not to do so.

[member="Emerald"]​

 

[Vaylin]

En Route to the Chiloon Rift - Time Foundry​

Vaylin stood in silence as she watched from the viewport as hyperspace zipped past them. The Sith Fleet had been mobilized not long after the message from [member="Darth Saarai"] had managed to reach the Empire. It had been a short and curt one, giving minimal information other than the fact something had gotten into station and was killing everyone onboard.

Then there was nothing, leaving the fate of the Thirriken Lord in the wind.

The Zabrak sighed as she rubbed her temples. Nothing about this was going to be in their favour, especially given the time bubble that was wrapped around the Time Foundry. They were heading there knowing full well the invaders would likely have bolstered the defences in anticipation of their arrival.

But that wasn't the only thing that was drumming up a headache in the Valkyrie. It was also the fact she was suppose to be leading as well.

A small cog in the bigger machine, leading others into battle.

"Vaylin, you're going to be taking point on this mission."

"W-What do you mean taking point? I don't lead I-"

"You'll be leading a unit of Sith once the fleet has managed to pierce through the Foundry's defences."

"But I-"

"Vaylin. You have proven you can rain death and judgement upon our enemies. But you also need to prove you can lead, that you have evolved from the what you were on Dxun."

Vaylin sighed, remembering the conversation she had with [member="Aria Vale"]. There had been a bit more back and forth after that, but ultimately it was an order from both her master and her superior in the Valkyries.

For now though, she remained on the bridge watching. It was only a matter of time before they arrived in the Chiloon Rift.

[member="Emerald"]​

 

[Ardana 'nilim]

The possible power of the station itself was of little value to Ardana. She merely desired to complete the task at hand, as per her master's request. Darth Ophidia had intrigued the Twi'lek with promises of knowledge of the Sith and their teachings. It was an opportunity to regain her purpose, and bring destruction upon those who had once wronged her. To have her name feared, rather than squashed under betrayal.

But first, she needed to prove herself. Her loyalty, of course. Ardana found herself assisting in the various missions across the galaxy to simply prove her position as a worthy apprentice. She was given a small ship and crew for her travels, nothing more than the necessary equipment to complete her tasks. For if the Lord was to share her powers, her surroundings needed to be secured. And the safety of her empire took priority above all else.

She found herself in the space of the Time Foundry, a station lost to unknown figures. Not much was known about the mission, save for the location, and the emptiness surrounding the area. Seeing another ship utilizing the airlocks, Ardana ordered her pilot to do the same, soon finding herself behind [member="Darth Venefica"]. Seeing the Lord searching about, clearly anticipating some sort of attack, led Ardana to shift her eyes from one side to another. She could feel the same threat.

Breathing in through her nose heavily, she could sense something, hiding perhaps, or waiting in full force, utterly prepared for their arrival. But she remained unsure as to what.

"Perhaps our enemies are closer then they seem..."

 

[Vereshin]

En route to the Chiloon Rift

The singularity coiled into a spiral of stretching light beyond the thick pane of a drifting shuttle. Silence hovered in tepid air above a calm waning before the storm to come. Drawing the end of a pen lid over the glass, Vereshin rested on a cigarette away from his notes sprawled across the table and drew invisible lines across the glass to connect the stars. The Sith breached the Time Foundry today and the upcoming Acolyte joined them subtly as the violence commenced, not in search of any disruption to the regime. For something far more valuable, knowledge, of how to manipulate time.

Vereshin paid no heed to the combat, he master taught him well and he could defend himself if need be. Defeating the droid incursion was only his exterior agenda. His true means lay within the core of the foundry. Sitting by the window, he heard the other passengers stir outside and glanced over his notes. Esoteric mathematics indiscernible to the common eye, swirled beneath his grip as he continued the final equation for a further moment. He finished a slice of bread with butter and left his desk to refresh.

The ship surged into the airlock and blastfire echoed from a distance away. Ignoring the noise, Vereshin listened to the drone of the engine and combed back his hair before the bathroom mirror while the cigarette hung from his lips. He wore his long, beige coat and slid his notes inside the breast pocket. Striding out of the room, he discarded the cigarette and passed by the entrance to meet his fellow Sith, an unusual looking woman, something he hardly complained about. The scholar had yet to find a convenient reason to wear robes on his journey to becoming a Sith Knight.

"Hello madam." He greeted the eccentric warrior just outside of the airlock. "I prefer the shadows to the saber, if you don't mind and I intend to make my entrance subtle." Vereshin pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as the airlock opened with a deep hiss. Vereshin raised a hand and blanketed the two of them beneath a transparent cloak, destroying the light particles and concealing them from view. The cackle of droids echoes down the wide corridor and signs of blastfire marred the walls.

"The core of the foundry is my destination." The wayward scholar heightened his senses and peeled his eyes as he traversed into the first hall of the time foundry. Harley and Vereshin strode through silence. They were alone, for the moment.

[member="Harley"]

 

[Hailey Sosis]

Location: En route to the rift
Equipment: 2x lightsabers, Hide Armour

Harley was here as she was told to be, that was all. As she met the sith she was to help, she looked at him all and she saw was sickly looking man. She listened to him, as he spoke she did not understand the word SUBTLE. Okay, was her reply, despite not knowing what he meant by subtle. She followed him on the ship and took a photo of herself, and sent it to [member="Isabella Fonti"], with the words #premissionselife. She did not add anything else, as she had no idea what the mission was, or where she was going. As [member="Darth Carnifex"] was not daft enough to ever tell her that sort of thing, but he did see her uses as a killer. He then put a blanket of some sort, and then said To core of the foundry's my destination is my destination. She now understood what subtle meant, it meant SNEAKING. Ahh gotcha, Subtle. She followed [member="Vereshin"] they where alone for now, and she was moving on her tippy toes, trying not to giggle, as she was sneaking. She also could not help thinking, was the little puppy going to collapse due to not eating.

 

[The Major]

Deep within the Time Foundry. . .​

Meditation was real key to thriving on the battlefield. This had been both programmed and instilled into the Verdant Knight's daily routines since her creation. It channeled your energy and expanded your reserves. For the strong of mind this even expanded the strength of one's abilities. In this instance a different type of purpose had been served: the warrior could sense a number of disturbances in the Force, and such angry ones as well. There was of course no way to tell what exactly would be knocking on the station's doors soon; but it was clearly going to be an organic threat. Fine, if these imperfect beings sought destruction then she would gladly bestow their wish. Perhaps there would even be time to use the new supply of flesh to construct a number of new Jewels.

Or, maybe these beings had come to pledge their loyalty to the great [member="Emerald"], the true herald of good fortune and evolution?

Moving across the threshold, Verdite presents herself to the Commander, her expression steeped in practiced stoicism.

"Master, shall I activate the Iron Knights and prepare them in a defensive posture? These imperfect beasts thrive on subterfuge and deception: no doubt they will attempt to sneak around like the bugs they truly are."

Spoiler

[member="Darth Abyss"] [member="Harley"] [member="Vereshin"] [member="Ardana 'nilim"] [member="Vaylin"] [member="Darth Lykos"][member="Darth Venefica"] [member="Atmeiktes"] [member="Darth Caecus"]

 

[Via Dolorosa]

"I suspect you are right, [member="Ardana 'nilim"]. What concerns me is the lack of a welcoming committee. Whomever is behind this attack wanted to draw the Sith here...we are here...they are not."​

​

Another concern the Sith Lady dealt with was the sinister plot to draw the Sith further into the station. It was unclear how the enemy managed to kill all the organics, though she suspected it had something to do with the air filtration system. This too concerned her. Without proper breathing apparatuses, what could prevent this unseen enemy from drawing one Sith after another deeper into the bowels of the facility, only to suffocate them at leisure. The Force was infinite, the holding of one's breath, even aided by the Force, was not.​

​

A decision was made.​

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"We need to investigate this situation further. We have to risk going deeper into the facility to possibly find at least one survivor that can shed some light on this catastrophic turn of events."​

​

Walking down the hall, her red-black flecked eyes continued to scan the limited area. If the enemy was waiting in ambush, the advantage could go either way in this restricted combat zone. It didn't take them long to discover the first group of dead bodies. Crouching down to examine them more closely, she shook her head.​

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"These bodies lack the signs of combat."​

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Darth Venefica glanced up at the vents pointing to the murder weapon.​

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"That's how they did it."​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

The Time Foundry​

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It surprised Emerald how easy it was.

These organics had no order, no focus, chaos ran through their blood and guided their every move. Without regard or pause they stormed into the immediate space of the Foundry... the fact that there seemed to be no defenses whatever? It did not seem to worry them one bit.

"Now?" Of his siblings Emerald had always been the one easiest adjusted towards command. When they found it he was one of the first to start upgrading his body with what they found.

As the short syllable filtered into his audio-systems Emerald shook his head. "No. Soon."

The moment was not yet there, but it was fast approaching. Behind him one of theirs approached- Verdite - she was young, she was new. One of his own designs, body shaped for battle while seeming weak and fragile. Using the expectations of the organics against themselves.

"Master, shall I activate the Iron Knights and prepare them in a defensive posture? These imperfect beasts thrive on subterfuge and deception: no doubt they will attempt to sneak around like the bugs they truly are."

Emerald tilted his head, before nodding. "Some have already arrived- they are but a vanguard... yet, they must be eliminated all the same."

The Iron Knight looked over to Verdite now. "Make sure they track the data we need for this, Verdite."

_____________________________________​

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Darth Abyss

His assumption was correct.

The very existence of the laws of physics dictated two things: every action evoked an equal and opposite reaction and that power could not come from a simple vacuum. No, it needed to come from something and that could be noticed by those observant enough. Abyss found himself in shadows, in night, darkness surrounding all of him.

This was not a scenery made in excess, no, it was the natural consequence of a room devoid of light.

Silence even for two moments after he popped back into existence from his travels. Then... hard noises, whirring, servodrivers carrying huge loads coming into action.

Ten pairs of eyes shifting from black to crimson all around him.

They would be there soon.

Darth Caecus

Caecus had picked a different approach.

One that bore fruit, because for the moment nobody seemed to be aware of her existence in that little supply closet. Perhaps it was luck or perhaps it was competence, but just as she slid the door shut behind her? A small patrol of droids turned the corner and passed right past it. Had she been even a moment slower or louder she would have been caught by them.

She would note a small maintenance panel to her left, isolated from most of the important and large systems it seemed to be uninfected.... for the moment.

Perhaps some information could be gleamed from it.

Darth Venefica & Ardana 'nilim

A question should be asked: if this uprising wished for all organics to be exterminated... why would they have allowed the airlock procedures to go just as planned?

It would have been rather trivial for an all-encompassing artificial intelligence to simply vent the tunnel as both of the Sith stepped through it, correct?

Whichever assumptions they made about this development the airlock behind them sealed itself without prompt. If the panel next to it would be questioned, perhaps commanded to open it? It would only return scrambled text. For the foreseeable future they seemed to be trapped on this station.

Next to them they would see the body of an engineer (by the way of his uniform) and two droids destroyed around him. The engineer was still holding to a datapad, one which he seemed to have been protecting fervently.

Vereshin & Harley

The application of stealth was smart, but their presence was still noted.

After all... they, too, had come through an airlock which had to be operated somehow. They entered one of the halls adjacent to the airlock they had come through and it was empty - well, as empty as a hall could be with some kind of machine set up inside of it. A glass dome was filled with crimson substance, gooey in nature and it seemed to hiss periodically.

If they circled around it... the other side had some sort of vent with a mechanism that opened and closed periodically.

There wasn't a terminal or anything else that seemed to give the option to interact with the machine though.

[member="Verdite"] | [member="Harley"] | [member="Vereshin"] | [member="Ardana 'nilim"] | [member="Vaylin"] | [member="Darth Lykos"] | [member="Darth Venefica"] | [member="Atmeiktes"] | [member="Darth Caecus"] | [member="Darth Abyss"]​

 

[Darth Abyss]

The darkness was nothing new to Abyss. He had lived within the shadows for so long that they had become part of his very nature, shrouding his every steps, his only allies that could not be threatened, broken or bribed to betray him. The lack of light didn't inhibited his sight the slightest, it didn't much when he was still a man, and now it made no difference at all.

His way to see the galaxy was different to that of droids and organics alike, a set of senses all born from the force. The ability to translated sound into sight, the ability to sense the auras that surrounded and connected the living through the force and most importantly the ability to hear and see future and past of everything his hands touched.

They might knew he was there, but they still would not see him coming.

From one moment to another the Mindeater seemingly faded from existence again, yet not in the same way then before. Instead his presence in the force had simply shrunken into but a faint glimpse of darkness, masked by the various other sith approaching or already entering the Foundry. The same was true for his physical presence, as the dim glow of ten crimson eyes broke through the darkness. There was no sign of the husk, only a strange twist in the weak light, barley if at all noticeable in the almost complete darkness of the room.

Yet that was not all that allowed the Prophet to move like the ghost the legends described him as. His steps left no sound on the ground, as he carefully, slowly closed in on the noises close by. Even a scanner would reveal little, the being that walked in the dark had no heat signature, no heartbeat, nothing but the darkness and alchemy that allowed him to exist in the first place.

From his back he reached for a weapon, no sword or saber, not even a trinket of arcane might. Still hidden under the shadows he moved further, the claws holding the Ghostmaker Acid Launcher tightly in their grip. The launcher had proven reasonably useful on Far Harbor, as it allowed him to simply melt himself a way towards his target, and would probably be equally useful eroding droids.

At no time the Mindeater dropped his guard, waiting for the slightest move to reveal himself and release a storm of dark force and acid on whatever the Contingency meant to throw at him.

[member="Emerald"]

 

[Vaylin]

Vaylin was already down in the hangar by the time the fleet left hyperspace, watching as the rest of her squad was going through some last minute gear checks. But her attention shifted when nothing happened, there was no immediate attack on either side from the fleet or the Foundry's defences.

The Zabrak wasn't exactly knowledgable about space battles, but even she knew something was amiss. As she looked at the others, it became apparent she wasn't the only one who had noticed.

But right now she had to focus on the specifics, namely getting herself and her group onto the station.

"All equipment accounted for? Comlink's removed?" She received a series of nods and grunts of confirmation. "Excellent, get your arses on board the shuttle. We're departing the moment we have the signal."

They didn't know a whole lot about what was going on in an overall sense, just that something big had been stirring in the galaxy and several higher up folks in the Empire suspected the sudden take over of the Time Foundry was linked to it. As well as reports of other seemingly random attacks happening elsewhere. The Saaraishash had apparently been keeping an eye on these events after receiving a piece of intel that had alerted them.

It was why Vaylin's squad was going in with limited technology, at least in terms of what could be hacked. If the attackers had control of the station, then it meant they had the means of tracking everyone inside. And depending on the nature of what exactly they were dealing with, they couldn't dismiss the notion they could potentially find a way of messing with their own equipment.

Eventually their shuttle; along with several others, left the confines of the hangars and made their way towards the Time Foundry.

Vaylin was standing in the cockpit, watching as the pilot flew them steadily towards the station. What concerned her though, was there was nothing in there way.

"Anything on the sensors?" She asked, and got a shake of the head in response.

"Negative. There's literally nothing out there, just scrap, wrecks and asteroids."

"Something's not right...there's no way they didn't bolster their defences within the time it took us to respond." Vaylin stared out the window for a moment. "Get us to the station asap, we don't want to be caught out in the open." With that she strode from the cockpit and back to the others.

The shuttle docked it seemed with one of the station's airlocks, situated some distance away from where the others had gone. The fact that the system was even working; responding to them was an immediate red flag to everyone on board.

"This is a trap." One of the other Sith had spoken up.

"Of course it's a damn trap. But we're ultimately going to achieve nothing just remaining outside of the station. We need to get inside and hit it fast." The Zabrak waited until she heard the final hiss, signifying the airlock had been fully connected and sealed. "Remember, if we come across any bit of surveillance, destroy it. The sooner we can blind them from watching us, the better."

With that, Vaylin and her group departed the shuttle and boarded the Time Foundry.

[member="Emerald"]​

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Desire and caution waged their wars within the mind of the Zabrak as the ship surged ever closer to the Foundry. The closer the ship drifted, the stronger that lingering sensation of the Nether grew and the stronger it grew the more it reached its fingers deep into his mind. Lust for knowledge built and built, a desire that seemed to exist above the common spectrum, one driven by a deeper and more eldritch thing than pure emotion alone. For, even as he found himself falling victim to it, Lykos could sense that it was not a neutral intent that pushed such an emotion upon him. Something, whether it was that foul spirit or something within the Nether itself, had felt him gazing forth beyond the living realm and had gazed back at him in equal turn. However, as much as that desire fought to grow, Lykos was an Assassin first and, as such, as the ship drifted ever closer without signs of defense, a scowl worked its way across his lips and caution grew along side, and eventually surpassed, that desire to just jump ahead.

A heavy hand would clasp upon the shoulder of Tiae'khta suddenly and without warning, yet her training under the Zabrak - and being able to feel the very caution that welled up within him - meant that no surprise at the action seized her. "Direct all power to the stealth systems only. Hold out position."

The vibrations beneath the pair's feet came to a halt as the ship's engines immediately cut off, leaving the vessel to drift slowly towards the looming, hulking, form of the Foundry. Within the silence granted by the halting of the engines, Lykos' heartbeat echoed and thrummed loudly within his ears as his eye flickered from side to side, delving deep into his thoughts as he was. Before him, small plumes of curling vapour began to dance and play beneath his nose and along his mouth, writhing and twisting in the air as it was brought into existence before slowly falling and settling as it slowly faded away; however it would be replaced nearly immediately. After all, with all the power of the ship being directed to the stealth systems, the oppressive cold of space was slowly lowering the temperature within the ship.

Focusing his gaze upon the Foundry before him, ignoring the fact that rather than seeing the looming station he now saw nothing more than a splash of blurred grey atop inky black, Lykos stared back into the Force once more. Again, the sight of strands of fluctuating destiny, writing past and solidifying present greeted him and they danced and wrapped themselves around the rolling waves of threads that compiled the Force itself greeted him and, for the briefest of seconds he felt a sense of relief that he would never be truly blind before duty reaffirmed itself.

Directing his sight towards the Foundry itself, a hairless brow would raise in a mixture of curiosity and annoyance. Already, it seemed, that Sith were aboard the station, delving deeper into the maws of the enemy. The only question that did remain was simple. When would the jaws clamp shut? Seeking to see the answer to that question, Lykos sought to delve into the future of the station but instead of being able perceive even the slightest possible future, he was greeted with a mess of nothingness and uncertainty: a future that was still being written and was so malleable that it would not solidify into the Now until it actually was the Now. Rather than becoming completely discouraged, Lykos took a moment to stare into the Past to see who, of the Presences he could sense, were recent arrivals and who had been there for a while.

Growling slightly beneath his breath as he spoke, Lykos began to vocalise his thoughts out loud; seeing nothing but blurs as he retreated from seeing in the Force. "Six Sith are already aboard the Foundry. A couple of more obscured Presences are also there; I can only assume that they must belong to incursion forces. I cannot find those that sent out the initial distress call that brought out attention. None have been harmed yet. And yet that is what bothers me."

"Because," seamlessly, the voice of Taie'khta chimed in when Lykos' voice trailed off, "you then must ask why are there no defenses set around the Foundry if not to lure people in so as to immediately eliminate the threat they present."

"Precisely. If Nath's Grace has not already been brought upon the head of these Sith, then, what are these Droids planning? What traps have they lay out to serve as a welcome? What hazards would line out way? And, more than that..."

"What do they seek to gain from playing this game?" For a short while, silence ruled between the pair, as the coldness of the ship grew worse and worse, before Tiae'khta spoke up again. "I assume that we will be springing this trap." A statement, not a question. One that was greeted and confirmed by a feral, growling chuckled from the Zabrak. "So, what shall our plan be?"

Again, silence returned. But, it was a silence in the face of a lack of sound only. For, within the Force, Lykos' will was being exerted and the threads were being wrapped around himself and his Hand. Soon after, as the ship drifted ever closer, the pair's Presences in the Force might well have been gone, for no longer could they be discerned from the background sound of the Force itself, let alone the fact that the weight upon the ethereal fabric had been reduced to near naught with the lessening in size of their Presences until nothing more than a pinprick remained. The threads of Fate and Thought that fastened to their minds and souls were gone, shattered and severed as they met cold masks that possessed the sensation of a black void. This was why Darth Lykos was the Lord of Oblivion and one of the Four Horsemen of the Assassins: he could reduce himself and those bound to him through Soul and Mind, like Tiae'khta, to near Nothingness.

A heavy hand would be set upon the shoulder of Darth Gvibr as she rose out of the pilot's seat, ready and prepped for what was about to occur after gleaming her Lord's thoughts through their Bond. For a moment, it would be as if the Force around them had held its breath such was its stillness. Then, it screamed and writhed as wounds grew and split through the threads. It thrashed about in pain as an unnatural will was imposed upon it, fighting to escape that which it could not escape. However, soon it would be over and nothing more than a scar upon the Force would remain as the now empty ship continued to drift aimlessly towards the Foundry.

Physics ruled that nothing could be created without something to create it in the first place - energy requiring energy, mass requiring mass. However, it would appear to an outside observe that such rules were being momentarily overwritten by the Force as two cloaked figures - one with a hood drawn and mask fastened to their face and the other with a hood down revealing a mess of ashen grey dreadlocks, tanned and scarred skin and a gleaming amber eye - would appear upon the Time Foundry.

Removing his hand from the shoulder of Gvibr, Darth Lykos dropped it to behind his back to clasp it with his cybernetic hand as he slowly swiveled his gaze from side to side. They were watching, of that he was certain, where from he did not know. But he knew none the less. And he wanted them to see him. "Whomever you are that took control of this station, and do forgive me for not being able to address you by name, I applaud you for managing to achieve what conquest you have." He cast his gaze to the few dead bodies and the dismantled droids present within the hallway for a moment, before starting to slowly scan around once more. "But, you have more planned for this station, I am sure. Why else would you turn your gaze here? However, the question I am most curious about at the moment is thus: why have you let me and other fellow Sith aboard? Why have not opened all airlocks?"

A low raspy chuckle would sound out into the quiet as Lykos spread his arms out wide and Gvibr positioned herself to stand at his back. "Come, try and kill me? Reveal intent within your actions? Or," the arms lowered and were clasped behind his back once more, "perhaps, we can talk as civilised beings?"

Throughout his words, the Zabrak's voice would never falter, never give away the fact that whispers had begun to assault him the moment he had set foot upon the Foundry. "Come to me. Come to me and see what you will be. Stare into the void. Come to me."

[member="Emerald"]​

 

[Yaadri Osi-Yyn]

The Time Foundry,
Chiloon Rift.

A signal had escaped The Time Foundry. A call for help, to alarm the Empire to the oncoming threat of the Contingency. Venthis dropped his studies, immediately. Running for his ship from his personal homestead. He jumped into The Chiloon Rift in little time. His ships systems, lowering into low power as he slowly drifted towards The Time Foundry. A place he had only heard stories of, in the recent events taking The Black Library, Venthis did not take part in the events of what happened at the facility. Though he knew that there would be a battle of sorts there, today.

After weaving through countless asteroids and floating pieces of rock, his ship slowly drifted itself into an airlock, landing softly onto the metal. His lid opening, revealing the young Sith Acolyte. He stepped out, with a dark cloak dragging behind him. Little was said about what was to expect, but due to his haste, he was unable to equip himself with armor, a major mistake on his behalf. He made his way out into an inter twisting corridor. His heart pounding slightly. He peeked his head out to see countless droids marching in one direction, causing him to quickly duck his head back into cover. Several moments pass before he would look again to see nothing and that alarmed him more than what he saw before. Silence followed. This startled him.

He flung out from behind the crate, storming down the hallway. His lightsaber clipped to his belt. Though something would leave Venthis' ship behind him, from the storage compartment. It slid across the floor as if it were following Venthis. It's tongue flickered out of its mouth only releasing... hisssss.

[member="Emerald"]

 

[Vereshin]

The oddly dressed woman remained close to Vereshin as she crept behind him on her toes, while he maintained the Force cloak which covered them both. They moved around a corner and into a sparse corridor, stark white walls stood above a glass dome built into the center of the room. Small in size and built on top of a metallic stand, a red substance filled the dome which released a disconcerting hissing. The smell of chemicals filled the air and Vereshin already started to feel light-headed.

The sliding door behind them closed down and locked and immediately Vereshin released the Force cloak and ran to the door at the other end of the corridor, only to find it locked fast. Panic rose into his chest and he felt sweat gather on the back of hid neck. Moving around the dome, he tried to look for any kind of device which might deactivate the gas, destroying the glass would no doubt cause it to release faster.

"It's releasing a toxic gas, we can't destroy the glass or it will only release faster. We have to find a way to shut it off or escape." Vereshin explained to Harley in case the woman had not yet picked up on the situation by her own observation. Rushing a hand into his coat pocket, he procured a black handkerchief and covered his mouth and nose with it, which only aided in masking the smell of the gas to a degree. If he was an alchemist, he could turn the substance into oxygen, but possessed no knowledge of alchemy.

"Harley, slice us a way out, I'll try and stop the gas." Vereshin found himself commanding the woman with a certain uncharacteristic dominance. She did not seem overly capable of thinking for herself and he appeared responsible, a sensation alien to him, though he did not waste time contemplating the idea. Moving around the dome, Vereshin extended his palms forward and created a barrier of thick energy around the dome, stopping the flow of gas and collecting the substance inside the invisible barrier.

Slowly, Vereshin dispersed the space of the barrier and compacted the matter of the substance. He pulled the surrounding gas inwards and formed it into a gathering sphere, gently pushing the space inward and carefully trying not to smash the orb. Beads of sweat fell from his forehead as his breath grew thinner, while he pushed the barrier inward and cautiously dragged the gas from the room, forming a growing red orb inside of the glass.

[member="Harley"] [member="Emerald"]

 

[The Major]

In addition to all the growing problems associated with this Sithly incursion, another threat loomed within the corridors of the station. Two pairs of Iron Knights had begun a patrol of the facility. Highly trained in the art of the duel, they would be an issue for any unlucky enough to encounter them alone.

As most mechanical monstrosities, however, they had an unbelievable, nigh annoying tendency to have a sense of superiority and honor programmed into them.

Their clacking footsteps could possibly be heard as they clanged about. Mission priority? Eliminating any organic threat.

 

[Hailey Sosis]

[member="Vereshin"] [member="Emerald"]

She followed the puppy into a room with a glass dome, it was beautiful she loved it. It was like being a giant bubble, how the light shimmered of it. She smiled and had a contented look on her face, as she looked around. She heard some noise it was a hissing noise the gas, helped the shimmer of the glass and she could see a rainbow in the glass, she smiled in delight. Then puppy began to talk, something about toxic gas. She though arw they being so nice, to put a gas in that makes better rainbows. Then he order her to destroy the bubble, this upset her greatly. She then grimaced he was in charge, her face turned into a sulk, she did want to leave it. A tear rolled down her eye, it may been the gas or just the fact she had to leave something so beautiful. She lit up her crimson blades, and then stepped forward, she did not have usual pace about it, she was slacking a bit, as part of her did not want to leave it. Then she grimaced, and went to and plunged her sabres into the door, and began cutting it.