Mission Strike First, Strike Hard

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Space, on board Lily's Osprey-class freighter
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Arwr Da, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed on her leg)
Allies: Silas Westgard | Eloise Dinn | Aiden Porte | Kito | "Templar" | Voli Cholrass
Opponents: Darth Strosius | Darth Carnifex | Ellissanthia

The group that agreed to join Lily on the mission was a fair size larger than Lily had anticipated it being. She did not realise that there would be so many that would want to join her on the first mission that she was leading. It was a good sign and Lily was all the more eager to get the mission underway so that it could be a success. She even used the Osprey-class ship that Lily had won on a spa day some time ago now. The ship needed to still be renovated to be more suitable for the needs of Lily but it was a decent size and with Lily now understanding that she was going to be travelling around plenty, heading off on missions across the galaxy. Making the ship feel more homely was definitely going to be a positive investment for her. It was just finding the time to sit down and go through everything that she needed to do.

Leaving the ship on auto-pilot, Lily headed to the middle of the ship where she figured it would be suitable to have a meeting room. "Hello everyone, glad that we could all make it here. The missions is both simple and complicated. We are aiming to strike a Sith Order transport ship carrying artefacts they desire to take back to Korriban. I think it would be a good chance to disrupt that, steal some of the artefacts and escape." Lily began, breathing in deeply as she looked around the room. "The Sith need to understand that there are going to be consequences to their actions. That they are not safe in running around doing as they wish and we need to ensure that dangerous, potentially powerful artefacts do not fall into the hands of the Sith."

Tapping the computer, a projector activated and allowed the people in the room to see the logs of the transport ship. "Here are all the artefacts, two that I noted were a holocron made by Darth Traya and a Sith sword supposedly connected to Darth Malak. However, there is a long list of items here that could be stolen and while we won't be able to take them all, what we can grab, we should and the more the better." Lily explained, highlighting the ones that she named in the list. There was a pause in her speech as she thought about how to correctly phrase the next portion of the meeting. "Reason we will have a chance to attack this transport is because it is stopping at a refuel station outside of the Sith Order territory. This gives us a short window where the transport will be out of hyperspace, trapped and a small window of opportunity to do our heist before reinforcements arrive."

"This is a transport that is guarded. We will be expecting resistance and resistance of substantial force. So, best we coordinate our movements, work in groups when possible and that way we can keep a buddy system maintained when the retreat order by me is given." Lily stated. "I don't want us hanging around too long since we cannot guarantee that Sith reinforcements won't be on their way almost immediately as we board this transport and we are not prepared to be fighting a full armada. No one gets left behind either." Lily stated firmly, she was not having people sacrificed while she was in charge.

Tying her long white hair into a tight ponytail, Lily looked around, "anyone got any questions or concerns? Voice them now since we will be arriving at this transport shortly." Lily knew that they couldn't stall any time with this since the aim was to attack before the transport got into Sith Order territory. Once it was within their space, the transport ship was safe and sound. They had to work quick and that brought a whole bundle of anxiety and stress to the mission. Lily just hoped that they could make any impact during the mission that made the resolve of the Sith unsteady.

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Eloise sat on the starboard side of the transport, in the seat closest to the aisle. Her green eyes followed Lily as the Echani debriefed them. The mission seemed simple enough: go in, grab the artifacts, and get out. She wasn't keen on the whole "buddy system" thing. For once it was less her being antisocial and more a genuine worry that these people, many of whom she had never met before, might not be able to cover her ass. But she could put her trust in the Force, if not in strangers.

"No questions from me," she muttered.

---

Eloise was one of the first people off the ship, bursting onto the transport with lightsaber in hand, ready for whatever awaited them aboard the Sith transport.

Lily Decoria Silas Westgard Aiden Porte Kito "Templar" Voli Cholrass Ellissanthia Darth Strosius Darth Carnifex​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"On final approach, commencing docking procedures."

The Sith transport slipped into the mooring clamps of the refueling station with all the fluidity hard-earned by the seasoned pilot at its helm. Large, bulky manipulators seized the ship and held it in place, anchoring the vessel to the larger refueling apparatus that unfolded around it. Boarding umbilicus telescoped out and connected to the transport's loading gates, sealed from the vacuum of space with a hiss of compressed air as the pressure equalized internally.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, the pilot ran a gloved hand across his scalp. So far, everything was proceeding within the parameters afforded by their schedule. The journey from the Core to the Rim had been largely uneventful, their path clear of any intrusions save for the migratory patterns of a pod of purrgil. This was the last stop before reaching the Blackwall, where they'd have to submit themselves to inspection from the Empire's border guards before being cleared through.

He'd passed through the Blackwall several times by now, carting artifacts and various other objects the Dark Lords believed were worthwhile to sequester behind the Blackwall. Though, this was the first time that they'd been given an order to stop just outside of it. Typically, they wanted their treasure haulers to make all haste back to the Blackwall, especially with artifacts of reported Sith origin. Why they'd allotted this singular stop perplexed the pilot, but he'd long since learned that it was better for his long-term health to not question the wiles and machinations of the Dark Lords.

It was even stranger when officials from the refueling station started to offload new cargo into the transport's belly. Normally, had this been any other job, he would've confronted them about it. But the instructions given at the start of this run had informed him of this possibility, and that he was contractually obligated to look the other way. Such discretion even came with a substantial bonus attached, so even though doubt and suspicion gnawed away at the fringes of his mind, he elected to ignore them and accept the generosity of the Dark Lord's endless purses.

Besides...

What was the worse that could happen?

Darth Strosius | Ellissanthia | Lily Decoria
Silas Westgard | Aiden Porte | Kito
"Templar" | Voli Cholrass | Eloise Dinn ​

 

[Aiden Porte]

Allies: Lily Decoria Silas Westgard Kito "Templar" Voli Cholrass Eloise Dinn
Enemies: Darth Strosius Darth Carnifex Ellissanthia​

Aiden stood a step back from the densest part of the crowd, not out of disinterest, but out of habit. He listened the way he always did when lives were on the line, with his full attention and no need to fill the air with his own voice. Lily's plan was bold, but it was not reckless. There was structure in it. There were contingencies. Most importantly, there was an insistence on bringing everyone home.

In the Force, he tasted the edge of what was coming, a tightening coil of urgency and risk, the familiar pressure of a narrow window closing. It was the kind of mission where seconds mattered, and where a single moment of pride could cost someone everything. Lily had said as much, plainly and without theatrics.

When the last question fell away and the room settled into that tense, ready silence, Aiden's gaze found Lily. He gave her a small nod, calm and deliberate, a gesture that carried more weight than any speech.

"You have the lead," he said simply, his tone steady. "I will follow it."

He did not offer to reshape the plan or crowd her with suggestions that belonged to a different moment. Instead, he shifted his stance just enough to make it clear he was already aligning himself to her command, already thinking in terms of support, protection, and clean exits. If there was a Sith aboard that transport, Aiden would not be the one to chase glory down a corridor. He would be the one who held the line long enough for Lily's teams to move, who made sure a retreat stayed a retreat, and who ensured that her rule, no one left behind, remained more than words.

 

[Ellissanthia]

Location: Refueling Station - Deep Space
Mission Objective:

• Prepare the trap.
• Spring the trap!

Jedi: Lily Decoria Aiden Porte
Sith Order: Darth Carnifex
Direct Engagement: Eloise Dinn

One Hour Before Jedi Strike Force Arrival

A Kharvoss-class shuttle touched down inside the refueling station’s hangar bay with the soft whine of grav-repulsors, accompanied by the hiss of hydraulics as the disembarkment ramp slowly opened. A hulking Vanguard strain Dread Sentinel stepped out first, compelling the hangar crews to move by virtue of its imposing presence. Ellissanthia followed a few moments later, her violet-hued gaze quickly scanning the area as she strode down the shuttle’s ramp. Without breaking her stride, the Undine made her way through the hangar before ascending the stairs leading up to the flight control tower.

It was there that Ellissanthia found the hangar chief, her eyes locking onto him with an almost predatory intent.

“Have the main hangar bay made ready for their arrival. Roll out the carpet.”

---

Present
Concealed Maintenance Closet, Refueling Station

Ellissanthia’s fin-shaped ears gave a sharp twitch upon registering the roar of engines from a ship entering the refueling station’s hangar bay. She immediately felt the anathemic presences contained within, like cold splinters befouling dark silk. Her nostrils flared in disgust as she rose from her kneeling position, robes pooling at her feet. As planned, the Jedi had arrived, to play their part in a carefully orchestrated pageant.

Swallowing the bile of her revulsion, Ellissanthia closed her eyes and chanted a prayer of cleansing. The words flowed from her lips like a honeyed poison, alchemizing her disgust into cold anger, her hatred into focused bloodlust, and her devotion into fury as sharp as a Sith warblade.

Redemption, she knew, waited on the other side of their silence.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Eclipsed Veil
  
  • Miscellaneous Equipment
    
    • FAE/U-01 "Serenity" Anti-Signal Field System
  • Accouterments
    
    • Red Accents
    • Eclipse Sect Symbol - Left Shoulder
• Talon’s Chosen
• Supernal Infusion Vials
• SHIVA Vials
• Siqsa-S1 Semiautonomous Seeker Obscuration Canister (2)
• Spirit Anchor Talisman
• Seer Stones

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Space, on board Lily's Osprey-class freighter
Objective: Retrieve the articfacts
Tag: Eloise Dinn / Lily Decoria / Aiden Porte / Darth Carnifex / Ellissanthia
​

Still seated among the group, Silas kept his eyes closed for most of the flight. Before any high risk mission, meditation was his way of preparing himself, steadying his thoughts, slowing his breathing, and keeping his nerves in check. Nervousness was natural, he had never viewed it as a weakness. If anything, it served a purpose. It sharpened his focus, kept his mind anchored to what needed to be done, and prevented him from growing too confident in a situation that could turn deadly without warning.

The ship continued to rumble beneath them, its engines vibrating through the hull. Silas finally opened his eyes when Lily began to speak, outlining the details of their mission. They weren't here for ordinary relics. These were Sith artifacts, dangerous, powerful, and steeped in dark history. There could be many more hidden where they were headed, but two had already been identified: a Sith sword and a holocron.

Returning empty handed wasn't an option. If there was anything Silas intended to leave with, it was that sword.

"No concerns from me," he said at last, rising slowly to his feet. His voice was calm, measured. His gaze swept briefly over the rest of the group.

"I'm certain everyone here can adapt to the challenge."

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Eloise knew they were likely walking into a trap. She figured Lily Decoria and everyone else on the team had figured it out as well. No Sith in a truly desperate situation would risk capture in such an obvious way. They were too proud, too stubborn. No, this stop at the refueling station was a deliberate ploy to attract their attention. Jedi attention, specifically.

As Eloise ran through the station, headed for the hangar holding the Sith ship, she was ready to face a more substantial threat than your standard transporter crew. She expected Sith Acolytes hungry to prove themselves, backed by experienced Knights. Probably not a Sith Lord; the bigshots wouldn't waste their time doing this kind of dirty work. But they might send in some Sithspawn monsters to wreak havoc. It's what her mother would've done.

<"I've reached the hangar. I'm going in."> she told her teammates over comms. A thrust of telekinetic force broke down the door, startling the workers within. "You have ten seconds to leave," Eloise announced. If they tried to fight back, they'd find themselves on the wrong end of her lightsaber.

Direct: Ellissanthia Darth Carnifex
Silas Westgard Aiden Porte Lily Decoria
Kito Voli Cholrass "Templar" Darth Strosius​

 

[Kito]

//: Lily Decoria //: "Templar" //: Silas Westgard //: Voli Cholrass //: Aiden Porte //:
//: Ellissanthia //: Darth Carnifex //: Darth Strosius //:

Kito was quiet; she wasn't one to overly indulge a plan or to offer any other opinions. She did as she was told. The woman in charge had proven herself before; she was a knight, and the others seemed to trust her. Kito, while holding her own reservations for now, did the same to an extent. Teams were new to her — the trained Shadow often worked on her own as a forward scout. She relayed messages and stalked the enemy, learning them entirely.

Today wasn't the case; she was on a strike team.

She nodded along, sitting next to an armored individual. They were the quiet pair, probably often forgotten even when they existed. The thought made her smirk; being overlooked meant they had the element of surprise.

Nodding in acknowledgement, Kito felt her hand rest upon the hilt of the blessed blade. This was her chance to return to her quest, focus on her atonement, and not worry about running into anyone she didn't want to.

The thought still lingered, frustrating her. If she did run into someone she knew, how would she handle it? It wouldn't be the first time, and Kito knew it wouldn't be the last time.

They were two sides to the same coin, joined in a way that the galaxy would hate.

Everything happened at once, and they descended into the awaiting transport. Kito's eyes fell upon Lily and the armored individual next to her. They were a team, and this was her chance to prove herself.

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Space, on board Lily's Osprey-class freighter
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Arwr Da, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed on her leg)
Allies: Silas Westgard | Eloise Dinn | Aiden Porte | Kito | "Templar" | Voli Cholrass
Opponents: Darth Strosius | Darth Carnifex | Ellissanthia

Hearing that there was no one needing any more information on the mission, Lily was relieved that she could be able to provide a thoroughly detailed mission report. It was something that Lily wanted to make sure that she got right the first time around. She breathed a sigh of relief internally that it had gone well before heading back to the cockpit and looked over the autopilot directions. It wouldn't be long and they needed to make sure that this was going to be something that could be conducted quickly. Lily thought about assigning everyone partners but realised that would be a little too heavy handed and overbearing.

Everyone on the mission looked and felt capable of handling themselves and knew when to call out for help so Lily wasn't going to be too motherly over it.

Dropping out of hyperspace, Lily took over the reigns of the controls and flicked several switches to begin the docking procedures. "Boarding the ship now, so get ready everyone!" Lily then flicked on the autopilot to boarding the ship so Lily could lead the way on board the ship. The Jedi Knight then looked over to Kito. "Hey, you can tag along with me." Giving a friendly wink to Kito as she headed to the docking port.

Jumping onto the Sith transport, Lily could feel the heavy presence of the Dark Side, with the familiar aura of Carnifex. A shiver travelling down her spine as she could recognise that presence anywhere. "Carnifex is on board so everyone be cautious." Lily whispered to the group, seeing that Eloise already heading off to a different direction. Lily pointed in an opposite direction, "I am heading this way to see if I can find anything, keep in touch via comms." Lily stated to the others who were still around, figuring they might not wish to go the same direction as she does.

Wandering forward, Lily kept her eyes out on the different artefacts and objects that could be easily grabbed. Especially on the way out. "Keep your eyes out."

 

[Ellissanthia]

Location: Hangar, Refueling Station - Deep Space
Mission Objective:

• Prepare the trap.
• Spring the trap!

Jedi: Lily Decoria Aiden Porte Silas Westgard Kito
Sith Order: Darth Carnifex
Direct Engagement: Eloise Dinn

As the workers inside the hangar scattered for cover, Ellissanthia stepped down from the gangway looming overhead. The artificial gravity claimed her controlled descent, carrying her down like a falling petal before she alighted soundlessly on the deck. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the Jedi standing at the broken-down entrance to the hangar bay, just over seventeen meters away from her position. She was tall and powerfully built, with purple hair that was close in hue to her own, albeit lacking the slight cerulean undertone that Ellissanthia’s hair had. Held within her grip was a viridescent-hued single-bladed lightsaber, wielded in such a way that hinted at equal parts aggression and contained fury, her stance betraying a belligerence that matched the violence of her entrance.

This one was a warrior, confident, poised, and aggressive. A perfect target through which she might earn her redemption.

Raising her arms in the Potency battle stance, Ellissanthia’s nostrils flared beneath her half-face mask as she took a single step forward. Her lightsaber stayed on her hip, though was ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice.

In line with her preference, she intended to fight this Jedi with the Force.

And so, eyes widening with equal parts focus and wrath, Ellissanthia plunged into the wellspring of the Dark Side. Her hands reached out, and suddenly, a grav-loader sled the size of a small vehicle shuddered and lifted free from the deck. Then, with a sharp cry of exertion, Ellissanthia hurled the colossal projectile toward the Jedi, sending the grav-loader sled flying towards her at blistering speed!

Spoiler: Loadout

• Eclipsed Veil
  
  • Miscellaneous Equipment
    
    • FAE/U-01 "Serenity" Anti-Signal Field System
  • Accouterments
    
    • Red Accents
    • Eclipse Sect Symbol - Left Shoulder
• Talon’s Chosen
• Supernal Infusion Vials
• SHIVA Vials
• Siqsa-S1 Semiautonomous Seeker Obscuration Canister (2)
• Spirit Anchor Talisman
• Seer Stones

 

[Darth Strosius]

​

Equipment: Lightsaber - Sword - Dagger - Robes
Tags: Lily Decoria / Eloise Dinn / Darth Carnifex / Aiden Porte / Ellissanthia / Silas Westgard / Kito / "Templar" / Voli Cholrass
--------------------------------------------

Stowing away aboard a vessel was no complicated matter, and certainly not an unfamiliar one to Him, but doing so on a Sith one was somewhat novel. Altogether He was rather ashamed of whomever had made the decision to haul relics and artifacts on such an unobservant and fairly unguarded ship. It only further cemented the necessity of His decision to smuggle Himself aboard, in order to ensure that the contents were returned to proper Sith hands. Namely His own of course.

Darth Strosius let the lid of the crate that had served as His hiding place for the past few hours slide open with a pressurized hiss, granting Him freedom from its confines which He didn't hesitate to enjoy. A brief stretch later and He'd fully clambered out of the crate, confident that by now the transport would be well underway on the final length of its journey and that He wouldn't need to bother with any crew around in the cargo bay. Now it was a simple matter of just storming the bridge and turning the vessel around, and He might not even have to spill any blood to do it.

Unfortunately before He could get more than a step away from the crate He sensed something was very off, which was proven by an alarm blaring just moments later. Something was happening to the ship and more than likely it was nothing that would expedite His own mission. "Oh it can never just be simple." Darth Strosius muttered under His breath as He reached up with a hand and out with the Force. The various lights, both those switched on by the alarm and those just generally providing illumination to the cargo bay, were easy enough to feel.

And with a clench of His armored fingers they each shattered, electrical pops and tinkling glass providing a brief symphony as the cargo room was plunged into darkness. No one was going to rip these relics from His clutches that easily, not the crew aboard the vessel nor whomever thought of performing a more overt strike on it than He.

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Some of the employees took Eloise up on her offer, attempting to flee from the cargo bay. Others didn't take as kindly to the interruption of their work. A ripple in the Force sent Eloise's gaze darting toward her foe: Ellissanthia .

The pint-sized Sith looked about as intimidating as a bowl of oatmeal, but that didn't stop her from telekinetically hurling a grav-loader sled at the Jedi. Rather than expend energy trying to stop the projectile, Eloise simply leaped out of the way.

I'm going to dropkick that little mermaid right out the nearest airlock--

"Carnifex is on board so everyone be cautious."

Carnifex? Are you kidding me?!

And then, as if things couldn't get any worse, the lights went out.

The green glow of Eloise's lightsaber illuminated her immediate surroundings - and highlighted her furious expression. She reached out with the Force, pinpointing the exact location of the tiny terror who had attacked her, and bolted there posthaste, lightsaber flashing in a lethal arc toward Ellissanthia's neck.

Darth Strosius Darth Carnifex Lily Decoria Kito Silas Westgard Aiden Porte​

 

[Ellissanthia]

Location: Hangar, Refueling Station - Deep Space
Mission Objective:

• Prepare the trap.
• Spring the trap!

Jedi: Lily Decoria Aiden Porte Silas Westgard Kito
Sith Order: Darth Carnifex Darth Strosius
Direct Engagement: Eloise Dinn

Upon seeing the grav-loader sled being sent flying towards the figure standing at the entrance to the hangar bay at considerable speed, the more stubborn among the employees seemed apt on evacuating the area. Ellissanthia spared them nary but a quick glance as they left, before snapping her gaze back towards the warrior as she leaped clear of the massive projectile. Doubtlessly, she was as swift as she was strong. In that, Ellissanthia realized that she would need to manage space so as to ensure that her opponent had a difficult time closing the distance.

It was then that the lights died. Fortunately, Ellissanthia’s aphotic-adapted eyes adjusted to the sudden gloom in a heartbeat. A sharp breath, and she jumped, leveraging her innate Undine athleticism to launch herself upward just as the warrior’s viridescent-hued lightsaber came slicing through the space that her neck had occupied only a split-second prior. Tucking her body into a mid-air reverse backflip, she alighted on the gangway from which she had descended only moments before, a soft hiss of exertion slipping from her lips as she glanced down upon the Jedi below.

Unlike her fight against the pyromancer in the diamond cave on Erinar, this time, she was more prepared to engage an opponent who was capable of closing space through preternatural speed.

Immediately upon landing, Ellissanthia’s left hand shot out in a gesture that was equal parts elegant and malicious. A cluster of metal quarkdrivers, hydrospanners, and a couple hammers ripped free from a nearby workbench, hurtling low and fast through the gloom toward the warrior’s knees in a deadly telekinetic hail!

Spoiler: Loadout

• Eclipsed Veil
  
  • Miscellaneous Equipment
    
    • FAE/U-01 "Serenity" Anti-Signal Field System
  • Accouterments
    
    • Red Accents
    • Eclipse Sect Symbol - Left Shoulder
• Talon’s Chosen
• Supernal Infusion Vials
• SHIVA Vials
• Siqsa-S1 Semiautonomous Seeker Obscuration Canister (2)
• Spirit Anchor Talisman
• Seer Stones

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Even with Force-enhanced speed propelling Eloise toward her target in the blink of an eye, Ellissanthia still managed to evade her. For a moment she didn't know where the tiny thing had gone, until her senses told her to look up. Her foe had leaped onto the gangway above.

With her rage redirected, Eloise reached out with the Force to crush the gangway as if it were made of tinfoil. As the metal began to groan and crumple under relentless telekinetic pressure, Ellissanthia was enacting another attack. Eloise's single-minded focus failed to perceive the tools headed her way until it was too late.

A hammer collided with her left knee, the impact heralded by the harrowing sound of crunching bone. Her leg buckling, Eloise howled in pain - and fell even deeper into the berserker rage. The telekinetic pressure shifted from the gangway her foe was standing on, to Ellissanthia herself.

Ellissanthia​