Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Survival of Two

@[member="Avreet Zatarus"]

With the Sith Empire in ruins, scattered to the four corners of the galaxy, many of the Order had been killed, while others went into a self-imposed exile, others simply vanishing, and still others had moved offworld to plot the return of the Sith. As long as one Sith survived the onslaught brought upon by the hated Jedi and their Republic puppeteers, then the Order would never die. For Darth Zarrah, she was a survivor. She fought her way off Korriban then used the Force to dominate the mind of a Republic officer to expunge herself from the orbiting Republic fleet using his freighter that was recently assigned to patrol the Felucian star system.

Hiding in a vent shaft in the cargo hold, Darth Zarrah sat meditating on the previous day's events. She had witness Apprentices, Knights, and a few Masters try to repel the invaders only to be overwhelmed and cut down like rabid animals. Her own Apprentice had been killed. She didn't see the killing, but the cold feeling she received at the time of her Apprentice's death told her all that she needed. She wondered if her former pupil, Knight Zatarus, had survived the invasion or was he offworld at the time. Prior to boarding the Republic freighter, she had risked using her comlink to send him coordinates to meet her at the old abandoned fortress on Felucia if he survived. She would have preferred to use their mental link but without knowing his exact location, she didn't want to cause a spike in the Force and alert the Jedi to him; or her.

Snapping her eyes open, she felt the vibrations of both the ship and its engine begin to wind down; a sign that they were moving into orbit around Felucia. Darth Zarrah was not sure if the fortress was still standing but she knew this planet, steeped in the Dark Side, would be a danger to any Jedi who tried to tread upon its grassy surface.

Moving to the grate and viewing out the slits, she saw that the Force was on her side. There were only two workers at the bay, one of them seemed to be a pilot. She watched them as they carefully loaded a shuttle with supplies and her heart nearly sunk. Was Felucia under the dominate rule of the Republic and Jedi? If so, was she leading Avreet to his doom? She snarled to herself and stripped those thoughts from her mind. She was Sith, she will endure.

She watched the last of the loading done and the pilot bid farewell to his co-worker and entered the shuttle. With the other worked exiting through the sliding doors, Darth Zarrah kicked out the grate and jumped down on a set of crates, then Force leaped to the waiting shuttle. She entered quickly and found the pilot, using Dominate Mind on him, and took control of both his mind and actions. Darth Zarrah sat in the back, out of sight of the viewports, and waited for the commandeered shuttle to take her to the planet below.
 
Avreet felt overjoyed, yet ashamed at the same time. His joy came from a message he had received several hours ago. The incredible shame he could feel in his heart came from the fact the Empire had fallen, yet he stood still alive. He would have rather honorably died in defense of his Empire and ideals than lived to see the apocalypse that followed the Empire’s destruction. Despite fighting against the Republic forces, eliminating many high ranked officers and saving even more Imperials from certain death, the young Sith was just about to commit suicide in order to regain the lost honor. The beeping sound on his comlink stopped this from happening. The Mon Cal thought his beloved Master had perished during the bloody battle of Korriban, but the Sith Witch was alive and well. This warmed his heart and the infiltrator immediately plotted his next action to get to her in a stolen Justice-class shuttle. Avreet never understood why the hypocrites named all of their junk by such inspiring names when the only thing the machines brought was death and destruction. Nevertheless, since Avreet filled Your Grave with explosives and allowed the Republic soldiers to take the technological marvel of the Sith Empire, only to blow it up a second later, the Mon Calamari had to borrow this vessel.

As his Justice-class shuttle exited the hyperspace, colonel Pengel received a holocall from a patrolling Republic ship. After the Republic officer that called him confirmed the ship’s number truly belonged to the colonel, the man was allowed to land on the planet. Felucia, such a lovely world…yet Pengel was not there to enjoy the beautiful nature, he had a Sith to find. A dangerous Sith Master, to be precise. The war veteran allowed himself to relax for a while, leaning back in his seat, yet his hat remained firmly attached to his head. Thinking for a while, he glanced at the window and studied his reflection with great interest. What will the Sith do once she sees him? Attack him without hesitation? He had no doubt the Sith Master was filled with hate and anger.

The ship’s alarm returned him to the present. Gripping the control in his hands, the colonel masterfully maneuvered the ship towards the landing pad that stood in the sea of various trees and flowers right next to the small Republic base. The ship slowed down and violently shook as it finally landed. With one flick of his right hand, Pengel pressed several switches, turning off the ship’s engines and computer. The man looked at his reflection one last time, watching his brown hair with several grey spots before standing up and marching out of the ship. The ship’s ramp descended and hit the floor of the base. The officer that stood at attention first saw the colonel’s black boots, and then the rest of the man’s Republic uniform came into view. Colonel Pengel, a war hero of the Republic, proudly wore many medals on his chest, each one of those having a history. The officer saluted, to which the colonel responded in kind. “Lieutenant,” barked the colonel as his brown eyes looked at the officer’s insignia, “Do you know of an old abandoned fortress on this planet?” Pengel started marching towards the door leading to the base. “Sir?” asked the lieutenant, question in his eyes as he paced behind the colonel. “Our intelligence has intercepted a message from a Sith to her apprentice. Apparently, the two want to meet on this planet. Is there some sort of an old fortress?”

“Yes, sir, but I assure you, no Sith could slip…”

“Then prepare a transport for me. I’ll solve this personally.” Pengel said with determination in his eyes. “Tell your men not to attack the Sith Master if they see her. She’s murdered many of my men, and she will undoubtedly kill your men too if they attack her. If she appears in any of our bases, give her a transport to take her to the fortress.”

“But sir,” opposed the lieutenant, “It is too dangerous to face a Sith Master alone, more so her apprentice will attempt to meet her.”

Colonel Pengel smirked and reached to his belt, taking off two lightsaber hilts. “Her apprentice won’t do anything. I have intercepted his ship on my way here. There is one less Sith to worry about,” chuckled the colonel darkly and continued, “This is personal, lieutenant. I have fought and killed many Sith. Once I present her with a proof of her apprentice’s death, she will be enraged, make a mistake and slip into her own grave. Her apprentice’s lightsabers will end her life. Call it a poetic justice.”

“But sir, we should at least,…”

“Denied,” said the colonel, his face stone, “Neither you nor your boys have to die today, son.” Pengel put his right hand on the man’s shoulder and smiled, “Just get me the damn transport.” Clipping the lightsabers back to his belt, he entered the base, not even glancing at the soldiers saluting. He had a Sith Master to meet and greet.


@[member="Darth Zarrah"]
 
@[member="Avreet Zatarus"]

Darth Zarrah exited the shuttle, leaving it and the corpse behind, stepping onto the surface of Felucia for the first time in months, perhaps it was years even. She had sat in the back patiently listening to the pilot give the proper code sequence to a communication officer, granting permission for the pilot to land on the surface. With that out of the way, Darth Zarrah invaded the pilot's mind, directing him to the far side of the Mureten Mountain Passe where he was to put the shuttle down in a clearing just outside the Zoriy jungle. Once the shuttle landed, she killed the pilot. There was no foreseeable advantages to keeping him alive nor was his purpose needed anymore, all options had expired, so he did to.

Quickly, she began walking through the jungle toward the old fortress which laid many miles to the east of her location. She didn't mind the long walk ahead for it gave her time to clear her mind and formulate some plan of action. Felucia was now under the control of the Republic, or so it seemed to her, which meant the native Shaman were either dead, imprisoned, or being watched closely. Any help she thought of seeking from them was now gone. However, it was better anyway that her presence here was unknown to all, save one. The word exile tried to force its way into her mind but was quickly cast away, she was not an exile nor was she running from the Republic and Jedi. She would fight the foes from the shadows and through various techniques available to her. Over time, she hoped, the Sith would unite, rebuild, and strike a deadly blow into the hearts of those religious fanatics, the Jedi. In order to accomplish such a feat, self-preservation was not only in order, but it took precedence over everything else.

Stopping near a river bed, she crouched down cupping her right hand to scoop up some of the clear and cold refreshing water. Her eyes roamed about the area while the last of the water entered her mouth and made its journey toward her stomach. Something was wrong. She had felt the presences of others in the jungle, Republic patrols and few predators, but there was something else here, watching her. Suddenly she stood up pulling out her twin blades. Jedi! This Jedi had attempted to mask its presence in the Force but had slipped up. Or was it that she had slipped up allowing herself to grow comfortable in her surroundings?

Igniting the two blades, two black and purple blades emerging from the hilts, she bellowed, "Jedi! I know you are there....I sense you...smell you....and your fear and confusion on how to deal with me is overriding your bravery to attack me. Come now Jedi....surely you wish to come and kill a Sith Lady....doing your part in the war. Unless, of course, you prefer to hide behind the glory and fame of others." From the bushes emerged a female Jedi, a Bothan, with her hilt in her hand. Darth Zarrah observed the Jedi just as the Jedi was observing her. Darth Zarrah snarled then attacked.

Her left blade came down in a slashing gesture forcing the Jedi to both ignite her weapon and fight the Sith Lady. The Bothan parried the attack then was forced to backpedal from the powerful strike form Darth Zarrah's right blade. Darth Zarrah smiled at the lack of ability in this Jedi in terms of lightsaber combat. How had these fools beat the Sith was lost to her now. The Bothan attacked with her weapon, was parried, and felt the Sith Lady twirl around her furry body so quickly she didn't have time to react to the blade driven deep into her back, coming out the front. The death of the Jedi increased the anger and hatred Darth Zarrah had for them. She wanted a challenge and was robbed of it by dealing with a weak opponent.

Retrieving her blade from the dead Bothan Jedi, she powered down both her weapons replacing them to her belt. If one Jedi was here, that meant there could be more on Felucia. Good! However, Darth Zarrah still didn't want her presence revealed so using the Force, she jumped up into the trees, using the massive limbs to leap from one to another in the direction of the fortress. Using the Force yet again, she cloaked herself then masked her presence in the Force. From her high advantage pointe, she could keep an eye on all the patrols, predators, and the Jedi.
 
Relaxing for a while, the colonel watched the planet’s beauty. The Republic soldiers were preparing an armored speeder for him, one that’d allow him to travel and without complications. Once his eyes had enough of the view, the Republic colonel went to visit the armory. Even such an experienced Sith killer like him had to prepare. Without much hesitation, he picked a flamethrower. Force users could not do much about flames licking their robes, so it was an obvious choice. Pengel checked the fuel canisters, and upon seeing both were full, carried the weapon outside of the base. His transport stood in front of him, a big armored transport vehicle and not a small speeder he expected. With a frown, he looked at the lieutenant who spoke to a squad of men, all of them fully armed. Pengel hissed through his teeth, his strides filled with anger as he walked towards the Republic officer. “I told you I do not need any men as a backup.”

“You will need all the help you can get, colonel.” Someone said from behind him. The colonel froze, shocked, but quickly regained his cool and turned around to see a Togruta dressed in long brown robes. “Master Jedi,” Pengel whispered in disbelief, “I believe I have made myself rather clear. This is personal, and I already have a plan. Our boys will just get in the way.”

The Togruta smiled at him and shook her head. “Revenge clouds your mind, colonel. Let me help you get rid of it…” The red skinned woman reached out with her hand to touch the colonel’s forehead, but the man took a step back. “I do not want or need your magic, master Jedi. I am not like you. My emotions keep me going; make me feel I am still alive. I will let go of my anger once the Sith lies dead.”

The Togruta shrugged, “Colonel, there are powers around us you cannot even imagine. I am a Jedi Master, yet I do not fully understand the nature of the Force. Your goal is to kill the Sith. My goal is to restore the light and balance in the galaxy by eliminating…”

“And the grass will be greener, air cleaner, bread cheaper,” interrupted the colonel wryly, “With all due respect, master Jedi, your religion clouds your mind. I will not allow these men to get killed just because you thought…”

This time, the Togruta was the one to interrupt, “Me and the brave sons and daughters of the Republic will go with you. That is not open for a discussion, my dear colonel. Either you deal with it, or you’re not going to board that transport.” She frowned right back at the colonel, who shook his head and sighed.

“Alright. You can come. Just do not get in the way.” Pengel went back to the flamethrower and picked the weapon up, then slowly paced towards the vehicle. As he stood next to the driver’s cabin, he saw a driver already sitting in the place. Sighing, he walked to the rest of the men, boarding the small interior of the vehicle and sitting opposite of the Togruta. She looked so plain, yet he knew the woman possessed incredible power. He would not want to fight her. The Jedi Master noticed his gaze and gave him a reassuring smile, “Do not worry, Pengel. It will be alright. The Sith Master you’re after will get what she deserves.” The Republic colonel glanced at the flamethrower in his lap, his hand gently stroked the fuel canister. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”

The journey was almost completely silent, except for two soldiers excitedly chatting about taking trophies from the Sith Master once she fell. The Jedi Master had her eyes closed, probably meditating. Despite the way being very bumpy, the Jedi remained in her position for the majority of the journey. One could only imagine what was going on in her head. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and she gazed upon Pengel with great sadness. “One of my sisters was slain by the Sith,” explained the Togruta, “I could feel her life disappearing. Yet, I cannot feel the Sith we are after…something is not right.” Pengel looked towards the driver’s cabin. “How long till we get there?!” he barked over the sound of motor. “We’re almost there, sir! I can see the fortress already.”

“Stop the vehicle!” Pengel yelled at the driver, “We cannot let the noise this thing makes warn the Sith of our presence!” The transport stopped. Pengel kicked the door open, flamethrower in his hands. The others were just getting up to follow him when he unleashed the burning inferno. "Burn, Jedi swine, burn!" Not even the Togruta had time to react. The small interior of the vehicle was soon filled with fire, burning skin and armor alike. Their pained screams echoed through the area as he dropped the flamethrower and pulled a blaster pistol out of nowhere, aiming towards the door leading to the driver’s cabin. Once the remaining Republic soldier opened, Pengel popped him into head, spraying his brain over the window, and calmly paced towards the abandoned fortress. Everything seemed very peaceful again.

“Where are you, Master Volitu?” The colonel whispered to himself in a voice not belonging to him and his Force projection slowly started to disappear. The entire body, including the clothes, disappeared, leaving another one in place where the Republic colonel stood just a second ago. A young Mon Calamari dressed in dark robes appeared, glad he only had to focus on hiding his signature in the Force, the projection drained his energy far too much.
 
@[member="Darth Veles"]

Darth Zarrah caught a vibration through the Force , a vibration that was mechanical in nature and knew it had to be some sort of transport for she was detecting several presences inside when she probed further. She snarled to herself when she first caught the presence of the Light Side radiating from a powerful Jedi, but not just any Jedi; a Jedi Master. Then to her surprise she caught a small glimpse of another that was infused with the Dark Side, but they were flickering in and out of the Force quickly enough so that the Jedi could not detect him. It was as if they were sending her a beacon and this beacon, this signature in the Force was all to familiar to her. Avreet Zatarus had arrived. She began to wonder why her star pupil was riding among not just the Jedi Master but a Republic patrol. Then she smiled to herself. Knowing Avreet, he had some sort of sneaky tactic in mind. She began to applaud his efforts.

Moving through the trees, leaping from one branch to the next, she allowed these vibrations to guide her toward the machine. Suddenly the vibrations came to a sudden stop but she was already committed, stalking toward the machine's cargo like a predator seeking the flesh of a wounded animal. Her booted feet just landed on a branch when the vehicle first came into view followed by the side panel door being knocked out. She was reaching down for her two lightsabers when she spied a lone figure emerge from the transport, with a flame thrower in its hands. Her lips curled into a smile when she saw the first flicks of the flaming tongue reach out and sample the first of exiting soldiers.

She watched with extreme amusement as the fiery fingers first gripped the soldiers in its hot embrace searing both flesh and silencing their screams, then turn its hellish gaze toward the occupants inside. She felt the death of the Jedi Master happen almost instantaneously and she allowed herself to laugh. The Jedi had fallen prey to the tricks of the mind and for her foolishness to capture or kill Darth Zarrah, she had let down her own defenses allowing her fame and glory of capturing a Sith Lady muddle her senses. When the scene finally played out and the projection ended, she heard the familiar voice of the Mon Cal asking for her.

"Impressive entrance and display of trickery, Darth Veles," Darth Zarrah announced as she rose from a crouched position overhead. Leaping down from above, landing with both elegance and grace, close to the Mon Cal Sith Knight, she took a quick glance at the ruined vehicle; taking in the smells of the burning corpses and inhaling their deaths. Turning her attention now to the Mon Cal, she added, "I had feared my transmission had fallen of deaf ears...in fact...I was unsure of your fate. So many had died when the rampaging hordes of the Jedi and Republic soldiers fell upon Korriban. My young Apprentice had been killed during the strikes. I can see that you are not easily killed, Avreet."

Clapping her left hand on his right shoulder, she said quickly, "We must make our way to the fortress if it still stands...there is much we need to discuss. Mainly, I think the Order has been infiltrated and betrayed." Looking around the jungle that surrounded the two Sith, she stretched out with the Force and felt only the scurrying of small creatures. She knew the Republic would be back and soon. "But we will discuss this and much more at the fortress. The Republic has been increasing their patrols and with this latest incident," she said pointing to the burning vehicle, "they will surely return in stronger numbers. And if the Order is to survive...then we must not be here when they arrive."
 
“Master Volitu…” The Mon Calamari sobbed upon hearing his beloved Master’s voice. He had missed her so much, her wisdom and guidance that he needed now more than ever before. With the Sith Empire crumbling, reduced into burning ashes barely reminiscent of its old glory, Avreet needed something else to live for. With Master Volitu alive, there was still a chance for the Sith Order to recover, stronger than ever before and set the galaxy right again, bring order to the chaos. As Grima’s Hand of Order, it was Avreet’s duty to help his former Master in any way he could.

He spun around, both of his eyes desperately searching for the familiar form of Togruta and gazed at her upon finding the woman, the left eye slightly watery. Those tears were vastly different from the tears he had shed when the Empire fell though; Avreet cried tears of happiness now, unable to hold back his strong emotions he felt upon seeing the beautiful woman, elegant and graceful as ever as she landed near him. “It’s been a while, Master Volitu … and you are more beautiful than ever,” Avreet gave his former teacher a wide smile, though he did not mean his greeting sarcastically at all; almost as wine, Master Volitu blossomed into beauty with years and power. Togrutas aged very gracefully, though Avreet knew very well his Master adhered to a strict diet to stay in top shape.

Basking in her presence, the Sith Knight felt genuinely happy now, his expression for once breaking its typical neutral gaze and he allowed himself to smile and relax. The idyllic moment as they both watched the burning corpses of their enemies lasted for only a second though; Avreet’s expression hardened as the Togruta mentioned her apprentice, making the Mon Cal remember Vyrzen. He had seen the boy upon rewarding him for his victory in the tournament, not realizing it might be the last time to ever see him alive. But he did not feel regret, he did not feel he should have attempted to find Vyrzen as the hordes of Republic soldiers and Jedi filth invaded the Sith Empire. While Avreet loved Vyrzen as his own, proudly watching the young apprentice gain victories and power, he could always train another. There was only one Grima Volitu though, and losing her meant losing the Sith Order.

As the Togruta Sith Master clapped his right shoulder, he reached out, his webbed hand touching the Togruta’s hand and holding it there for a second as the amber eyes stared into the corrupted yellowish orbs of Grima Volitu. Nobody will ever know what they thought as they stared into each other’s eyes in that moment, maybe they did not know it either. The Mon Cal broke the gaze, worried look in his face. “I agree, Master. Let's get into the fortress.” He said and telekinetically lifted the burning wreck, throwing it far into the vegetation. Luckily, it was not thick enough to catch fire, but good to hide the vehicle. The thought of betrayal lingered in his mind, though the Mon Calamari had his own theory.

The amphibious Sith quickly paced on a way towards the fortress, his strides long and filled with purpose. “I already have an escape plan, Master.” He threw his right eye back and looked at the Togruta, “I will explain everything to you. Before that, I am most interested in your theory though. I personally do not think an infiltration would have done this much damage, caused the entire Empire, Imperial military and the Sith Order to collapse in a wave of losses on all fronts! I believe our leaders are to blame,” explained the Mon Cal Knight his theory as he stood in front of the old fortress, “How did our leaders allow the most powerful Empire in the galaxy… to die? The answer is really quite simple: Incompetence. Incompetence at the highest echelons of power. We put our trust, our faith, in halfwits. Our intrepid leaders had everything they wanted! Power. Wealth. Prestige. And it made them lazy, Grima. Oh yes, and laziness breeds stupidity.”

Scanning the door leading to the abandoned fortress in search of a locking mechanism, the Mon Calamari continued, one of his eyes watching Grima while the cybernetic eye went through the wall, focusing on the electronics inside. “Do you remember those degenerates who laughed at me? Said I am not a true Sith, claimed I devote too much time to training and missions instead of wasting time by drinking alcohol, taking drugs, having…sex. They became soft and now their corpses littler the sands of Korriban, more crimson than ever! I am alive while they will never devote themselves to primitive pleasures again. I am a true Sith!” The Mon Calamari laughed, feeling incredible satisfaction at that. Pressing a hidden panel with his webbed hand as he finished the sentence, the door to the fortress opened.


@[member="Darth Zarrah"]
 

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