Faction Terminal Punishment | (Sith Order)

[Aspect of Resolve]

Terminus​

​

One of the gems of the Outer Rim that had fallen into the hands of the Sith in recent times, and one that held no shortage of value. Being positioned at the meeting point of two famous trade routes had made the world a hotbed of activity and trade both illicit and legitimate, with ports of all kinds and affiliations around the world.​

​

The Sith Order’s conquest of the world had done relatively little to stifle the trading business, other than impose some new tariffs and inspection teams of course. However, when more than one relic of the Sith had become unaccounted for the hunt for most of them had led all investigators and Inquisition seekers to Terminus in one form or another, the world serving as the prime place for black market auctions that not even the Sith had been privy to until recently.​

​

The first teams sent to recover the artifacts and punish their thieves had been surprisingly halted or even outright killed however, the work of one of the more violent and rebellious criminal organizations that called the world home. ​

​

The Durasteel Compact, a confederation of gangs, bandits, and other minor criminal syndicates that have all been gathered under a council formed by their various leaders, has taken control of the main black market auction house on Terminus and refused to give up their stolen relics out of both a desire for profit and a spiteful attempt at resistance. ​

​

The Terminus Auction House has been fortified and defended by the Compact’s forces for nearly two days of siege by the planet’s defensive guard and clearly more direct measures are required. A contingent of soldiers and Sith has been gathered alongside a small collection of vehicles with one mission.​

​

Breach the auction house, reclaim the artifacts, and slay the Compact.​

​

Objective 1: Party Crashing​

Our heavier vehicles and air support have decimated the outer defenses of the auction house and now the main doors have been breached and the enemy awaits our first steps within the auction house's lobby area. Our forces stand ready at the main entrance as well as a couple other, slightly less defensible, access points.​

​

Break into the auction house and slaughter all who stand inside. Show no hesitation and attack without mercy, these criminals have had their chance to surrender already.​

​

Objective 2: Great Escape​

As our forces assault the front and other flanking entrances, we have discovered that the auction house’s starport is not empty. The Compact has been loading some of the more valuable artifacts as well as their own leaders into a cargo freighter hidden at the rear of the building.​

​

Several possible infiltration points into the spaceport have been identified and a handful of squads have been redirected from the main assault to prevent the freighter from escaping. We cannot allow these leaders and their valuable cargo to slip away so easily.​

​

Objective 3: BYOA​

Terminus is a planet at the crossroads of two important Outer Rim trade routes, there is always business to be done.​

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Party Crashing
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Open!

​

The grand doors of the auction house groaned as they fell back, their hinges freshly blown off by some well placed explosives and turbolaser shots. The deafening crash of them onto the floor of the lobby was rivaled only by the subsequent battle cries and blaster fire of the defenders within. Overturned tables and furniture, panels torn from the walls, and even what appeared to be bathroom stalls had all been cobbled together into makeshift barricades and defensive positions that the criminals of the Compact now occupied. The whole lobby area, once ornate and grand, had been turned into a fortified battle ground just waiting for the first of the attackers to run into and die.

The criminals had wasted no time in opening fire upon the newly open doorway, intent on cutting down as many of the first wave as possible before the smoke had even cleared. Unluckily for them, the soldiers of the Sith Order and the Sith themselves had come prepared. The wild fire was met by the stalwart wall of a ray shield positioned outside of the doorway, the troops within safe from the defenders barrage.

Alisteri ignited his lightsaber in one hand and tightened his grip on his sword in the other as he watched the blaster bolts impact the ray shield to no effect. Not even the heavier blasters and mounted laser cannons scattered around the ranks of the criminals could punch through it. The Sith Knight's eyes narrowed as the barrage began to gradually slow, many of the blasters and cannons having to vent due to the constant firing. Finally the screen of blaster fire thinned enough and he raised up his lightsaber to signal the squads that had been placed under his command for the mission

"CHARGE!" Similar orders were yelled across the assembled forces at the main door and all at once the assault began. Sith spearheaded the first wave, batting away blaster bolts as the soldiers stormed in behind them and began taking their first shots at the criminals before trying to find cover from the inevitable wave of fire that the defenders would soon unleash in return, the cooling of their guns only allowing a few precious moments of pause for the attackers.

 

[Lark]

Location: Party Crashing
Goal: Get some good stretches in
Tags: Darth Strosius , open

Nary a week had passed since Lark was behind a counter, serving drinks and cheap food to drunk fraternity brothers and students relieved that their final exams were blessedly over, or disparaging over the fact that now that graduation had come and gone it was time to do something with that silly little piece of paper they worked so hard for. Live musicians played their jazzy tunes for passing strangers in the same way a snake-charmer might play their pungi for a dancing serpent. Enthralling, captivating. Inviting. Music so charming Lark almost found himself floating away from his spot behind the bar and out into the open air, hoping to find a dance partner to enjoy the show with.

But is was not brass nor woodwind instruments that Lark danced to on this day. Instead it was the cacophonic crescendo of blaster fire, collapsing architecture, and unintelligible battle cries from composers on either side of the fray. It had been some time since he was in any sort of conflict of this scale, other than throwing out the occasional drunkard who was too inebriated to even pose much of a challenge, Lark had hardly even given anyone the stink-eye in his years away from the Sith. He didn't have much equipment. Just a new lightsaber from some dusty storage room that probably belonged to a nameless, dead acolyte, his trusty enchanted knife, and a can-do attitude.

Wonder how rusty I'll be, Lark thought, stretching his arms high above his head and letting out a slight, quiet shout to get in the zone, as he grabbed a shock grenade from a nearby supply crate. He had the makings of a plan. There was bound to be some degree of rust, but the nature of the Sith had always been sink or swim. The purloiners of history in the auction house before him would be a fine warm-up.

As the courageous soldiers at the frontline withstood the first volley of blaster fire and continued to move forward, Lark went up. The detonation that blasted down the auction hall doors left holes and indents from the blast or where the hinges were previously held, and soon the unretired Sith had scaled to the top, leaping to the ornate rafters above the battlefield. Stepping across the beams with the grace of a gymnast and cloaked by the smoke and blaster fire below, Lark reached a position above a group of four or five historical highwaymen.

Though it played host to battle, Lark would rather avoid gratuitous, wonton destruction of any artifacts that were still within the auction house. Sometimes the material remains humans leave behind are the only evidence left of their existence. Of what use was this operation if the artifacts were not preserved?

Dropping the shock grenade, and watching the thieves spasm as a sudden burst of electricity left them immobile, Lark descended through the smoke like a gargoyle might appear during a foggy night. Landing in the center of their rickety fortification, Lark spun his saber around in a circle just one time, and the heads of five heisters hit the ground a moment later, signaling that Lark's vacation was over.

Fitting then, that his first fight was on Terminus.

 

[Maerae Verdan]

Objective: Great Escape

There was fresh blood on her vibrosword.

Maerae marched down a long hallway, with five of the Order's finest troopers at her back. Well, four. The fifth would be along soon: she was disposing of the body of a worker who had tried to deny them entrance to the terminal, even though they were on Sith Order business. That alone tipped Maerae off to the idea that some of the spaceport's personnel had been bought. The Durasteel Compact had deep pockets, it seemed.

Though the young Acolyte would have preferred to have been part of the main assault, considering that direct physical confrontation was both her preference and her speciality, Maerae knew that to argue her superior's orders was a death sentence. One did not question a Sith Lord, not if they were of sound mind and body. It wasn't all bad, however: how many Acolytes—not Sith Apprentices, who had a master, but Acolytes— could say that they had command of a squad?

Perhaps it was a small thing, compared to the power of a Sith Lord, but it reassured Maerae that someone had noticed her capabilities. Perhaps it had been Strosius. She didn't know, and now was not the time to ponder such a simple thing.

Maerae approached yet another door, one that, to her knowledge, was supposed to lead her to the spaceport terminal that connected to the hangar she was looking for. This time, two spaceport guards stood at its entrance, blasters at their sides. As soon as they saw her and her entourage, their hands went to their weapons. Maerae couldn't risk blaster fire, not if she wanted to make it to the hangar unnoticed.

With both arms she made a gesture: reaching out, grasping at air with her fist, and then suddenly pulling her arms back. The holsters on the guards' thighs were ripped clean off, tearing even the fabric of their slacks, and leaving a friction burn behind. The torn holsters, still holding their blaster pistols, clattered to the ground in front of Maerae. She stepped over them, and approached the now trembling guards.

With a quick, brutal motion, Maerae ripped her vibrosword from its sheathe on her hip, and slashed both their throats with a single stroke. They fell to the ground with a thud, scarlet blood pooling from their twin lacerations.

Footsteps sounded behind them, and Maerae turned to see the fifth trooper finally catch up to them.

"My Lord, the corpse is taken care of. By the time anyone finds it, we'll be long gone."

"Excellent work, soldier," Maerae commended, "now make similar arrangements for these two."

---

Darth Strosius Lark

 

[UX-0626]

Location: Starport Terminal, Terminus Auction House - Terminus
Objective: Great Escape
Dialogue Legend: <<Ghoul-Speak>> │ “Galactic Basic” │ <”ur-Kittât”>
Tags: Maerae Verdan

Once more, she had been deployed to Terminus.

With the civil war concluded, UX-0626 didn’t anticipate that she would have to shoot at any rampaging heretic Sith like she had during her last deployment to Terminus. This time, the strand-cast had been tasked with an infiltration, assigned to an elite fireteam under the command of Acolyte Verdan. Their objective was to prevent the Durasteel Compact’s cargo freighter from taking off with the stolen artifacts aboard.

With her armor’s integrated stealth systems, the strand-cast sniper was nigh-imperceptible even as she marched behind the Acolyte’s tall, dark-clad figure. Footsteps inaudible, her armor constantly changed colors to camouflage her in sync with the texture of the area behind her. On thermal sensors, the thermoguard systems rendered her heat signature invisible, while the shadowskin-reflec coating turned away most scanners.

In short, she was a phantom.

Once the Acolyte had handled the two guards in swift, brutal fashion, UX-0626 plugged her slicing multi-tool into a nearby computer terminal. Before long, the strand-cast had retrieved a map of the auction house and the starport, which was promptly downloaded and transmitted to her allies.

“My Lady, I’ve transmitted a map of the Auction House to your device.” UX-0626 intoned. “We’re getting close to the hangar.” She added.

Spoiler: Loadout

• "Taral" Sith Trooper Armor - Designation: UX-0626
  
  • Gauntlets
    
    • FAE/W-15 Gauntlet Energy Net Projector - L
    • Wide-Beam Sonic Stunner - R
  • Undersuit
    
    • UL-14 "Virtus" Class Underlay
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
  • Thighs
    
    • FAE/MDW-01 Active Defense System (2)
      
      • Seeking Anti-Warhead Nano Missiles - L
      • Pink Vapor Nano Missiles - R
  • Droid
    
    • ID10 Seeker Droid
• “Extinguisher” Precision Pulse Cannon
• Freebirds Industries L-7 Heavy Pistol (2)
  
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
  • Ammunition and Magazines
    
    • 7 Round Armor Piercing Ball Ammunition Magazine (6)
• Flash Grenade (2)
• Impact Grenade (2)

 

[Quintessa Zambrano]

Location: Terminus Auction House - Terminus
Objective: Party Crashing
Dialogue Legend: <<Ghoul-Speak>> │ “Galactic Basic” │ <”ur-Kittât”>
Tags: Darth Strosius Lark

The tension was thick in the air.

It finally broke when the massive doors leading into the auction house were blown open, smashing into the floor of the foyer in a flurry of debris and dust. Nevertheless, the defenders, as valiant and perhaps, foolish as they were, immediately opened fire, only for their lasers to be swallowed by the massive shield bubble encompassing the Sith and the soldiers of the Order. For her part, Quintessa drew her chakrams from their place on her back, before shooting off in a blur of movement when the assault began in earnest. Within a flash of a second, she was at the flanks of the defenders, one of her chakrams slicing through the air before decapitating a trio of nearby criminals as it flew a looping arc. The speedster’s second chakram was in the air before their bodies even hit the ground, decapitating a pair of gunners manning one of the laser cannons.

By the time the criminals within her vicinity registered the threat within their midst, she was gone.

Only a moment later, the speedster reappeared at the other side of the foyer, dust flying in her wake. However, behind her was a trail four bodies long—the disemboweled, maimed, and dying forms of criminals who had been cut down by chakram and vibroblade. Not content with the confusion and devastation she had inflicted thus far, Quintessa launched one of her chakrams once more, catching a nearby criminal in his upper chest—an uncharacteristically bad throw, but the wound was hopelessly fatal regardless. As if to make up for it, her second chakram was thrown in a looping arc, before suddenly cutting back to behead a pair of criminals directly to the speedster’s left, who had just been leveling their blasters towards her chest, believing themselves to have gotten the jump on their target.

The two criminals had precious few moments to contemplate their misunderstanding, before their severed heads hit the ground with a pair of heavy, bone-cracking thuds, silencing their thoughts forever.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Pulsiva Bodysuit
  
  • Gauntlets
    
    • FAE/M-02 Energized Gauntlet Vibroblade (2) - L/R
  • Sith Talisman
    
    • Spirit Anchor
    • Amulet of Many
    • Jin'Wodasir (2)
  • Utility
    
    • Supernal Infusion
    • FAE/U-01 “Serenity” Anti-Signal Field System
    • Poison Reservoirs
• Dancer’s Wheels
• Quintessa’s Twin Lightsaber Shotos
• Krath Council Stiletto

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Party Crashing
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Lark / Quintessa Zambrano

With the first waves beyond the threshold of the doorway, the vehicle projecting the ray shield was slowly pulled back to allow the last of the charge a few more moments of protection as they ran inside of the auction house. Already gangsters and some troopers were being cut down in one form or another, although it was quickly apparent that finding cover was the main concern of both sides.

The laser cannons and heavy blasters were quick to open fire the moment that they could, gunning down a few unlucky soldiers that were either too slow or too late to find some solace from them. Most of the initial chargers had made it to the first few rows of seating and tables that had been left behind amidst the rapid barricade construction from the criminals but a handful of soldiers had made it to those barricades and were either hurling grenades into them or leaping up into them themselves.

The doorway of the auction house was soon filled again although not by another horde of soldiers this time, instead two of the tanks that had helped destroy the last fortifications before the door only a few minutes ago were rolled up and took position at the entrance. They fired into the heaviest of the barricades and especially into where the criminals had mounted their heavy weaponry, most of the heavy blasters and laser cannons being destroyed by a single shot.

It was bloody and brutal close-quarters fighting, but it was also clear that the Sith forces had the upper hand.

Not even the most professional of the mercenaries were a match for the veterans among the soldiers, and they were certainly no match for the Sith alongside them. Alisteri leapt into one of the defensive positions with both his blades bared and cut down two criminals that were desperately trying to vent the heat from their blasters.

The third gangster that had been manning this barricade was quick to turn and fire at the Sith, only for his shot to be deflected right back into his chest. The masked man stood and glanced over as he noticed a flash of red hair hit the ground at a nearby barricade. "Just like old times eh Lark?" He also caught a glimpse of a smaller, and particularly deadly, figure as well but chose not to address her. For now.

 

[Lark]

Location: Party Crashing
Objective: Save the artifacts
Tags: Darth Strosius , Quintessa Zambrano , Open

It was a sickening thing, seeing artifacts as immortal as the stars imprisoned in such a manner as Lark found them within that slimy auction house on Termina. Hand-crafted ceramics and woven adornments, tools carved out of stone and buttons made of shell picked up from some beach several millennia ago. All perfectly preserved, and yet in the worst hands they could have possibly found themselves in. Smugglers and looters, criminals who had no respect for the ones that last held the possessions they so carelessly bartered off to the highest bidder. No care for the story behind the artifact. No semblance of acknowledgement that the quilt being auctioned off was weaved by a mother trying to keep her children warm as they fled from a war, with almost no other resources to their name. No, all these antiquarians cared about was the fact that these objects for sale were old. They wouldn't study the artifacts, and they cared not for the people responsible for their creation. They'd be hung above some mantle for decoration and forgotten about until the lamentable host had guests over, where he would then provide a bastardized version of the truth.

The creators of these artifacts had passed long ago, and these cruel auctioneers would slaughter their memory all over again. Such a crime was akin to murder, so as Lark popped the head off of some worthless, unrepentant looter with a quick jolt of lightning, he would sleep as sound as a babe whose mother sung them the sweetest lullaby.

A sudden barrage of tank fire from behind the Sith's frontline exposed their own disregard for the artifacts within. Oh for the love of... Lark thought, before another round of artillery shook the building. Letting his feet drift off the dusty ground, just an inch or two, Lark gathered a bit of strength, then pushed all of the cabinets and shelves that held artifacts within the auction house. He pushed them towards the walls and under alcoves, where they were least susceptible to damage from blaster fire or being crushed by falling pieces of the auditorium. The sudden burst shook the walls of the hall, but it was subtle enough to not halt the advance of the Sith.

That quilt wasn't much, really. But it was all that the mother had left. It needed to be protected.

"Just like old times indeed, Alisteri!" Lark smiled as he got most of the artifacts into a position of safety, once the battle was over it was his hope that they would be placed into a proper museum for appropriate public display and consumption. And maybe, by some miracle, the descendants of whoever created these artifacts would come forward and relish in what their forebearers produced.

"I believe that I've got most of the artifacts into a place of safety, at least the ones still in the auction house. Not sure what's going on at the spaceport. What's our next move?"

 

[Maerae Verdan]

Maerae had almost forgotten about the sniper at her heels. She was a subtle thing, more of a spectre than a living being. Silent, unheard, and unseen, except for the brief moments where she wanted to be. It was impressive, but also greatly unsettling. If not for her sixth sense; if not for her awareness in the Force, the young Acolyte would not have known she was there at all.

And even then, if the infiltrator hadn't wanted her to know she was there, Maerae suspected not even the Force would have warned her of the soldier's presence.

The infiltrator sliced into some terminal nearby, and though Maerae wasn't quite sure what she was doing, the young Acolyte opted to wait and see. She was certain it would be something useful. Sure enough, a few seconds later, and the soldier had transmitted a layout of the auction house and its starport to her datapad. Maerae held it out in front of her, inspecting the map for a moment.

"Well done," Maerae commended, before adding, "our route to the hangar is quite direct, and I don't expect much resistance, especially with the assault underway. Even so, I want you to scout ahead of us. If the Compact has left us any surprises, I want to know about them."

It was a little odd, Maerae thought, to be giving commands to a soldier who had more experience in the field than she'd ever had. Especially since she was still an Acolyte; still lacking a master, and therefore, not truly Sith yet. But, if she was to become Sith, then commanding had to come as easy as breathing. She could not let something as simple as a lack of experience, or lack of confidence, deter her from their shared objective.

---

UX-0626

 

[Quintessa Zambrano]

Location: Terminus Auction House - Terminus
Objective: Party Crashing
Dialogue Legend: <<Ghoul-Speak>> │ “Galactic Basic” │ <”ur-Kittât”>
Tags: Darth Strosius Lark

Quintessa grunted as the tanks unleashed their firepower upon the heaviest of the barricades. It was partly due to her own bloodlust—she could have cleared them out on her own and with far less collateral damage. It was only the swift action of the redheaded Knight in pushing the cabinets and shelves away from the blast that saved them from significant damage. Nevertheless, with much of the foyer cleared of resistance, the speedster took to clearing out anything that was left, along with those attempting to retreat deeper into the auction house. Once more slipping into a blur of motion, Quintessa moved to intercept a squad of gangsters as they sought to pull back, with more than a few of them nursing injuries. Having looted a smoke grenade from the body of a fallen gangster, the speedster tossed it into their ranks as she sped by, the explosive going off a moment later to bathe the group in a thick cloud of blinding smoke.

It was the last thing most of them would ever see.

Switching to thermal vision, Quintessa heaved a chakram into the smoke, the bladed disc inflicting a spate of death in its wake as it arced through a quartet of gangsters, blood spewing out from the decapitated stumps of their necks like four roman candles. With a grunt, the speedster launched her second chakram into the smoke as well, a low throw which slashed through the hips of a another gangster, severing his body in twain. It then arced around to cut off the hand of the last gangster, causing the man the unleash a terrible scream as blood gushed out from the wound.

By the time the smoke cleared around him, all of his comrades lay dead or dying.

Suddenly, the tiny speedster responsible for their deaths appeared on top of him, dust kicking up in her wake as she leveled an ignited lightsaber at his throat.

"You were born under a lucky sign." Quintessa commented in an eerily conversational tone, before loosely gesturing to the maimed, decapitated forms of his comrades. "That said, I'll say this once. Tell me what defenses wait deeper inside the auction house. What are you thugs hiding?" She questioned.

"What is in here that's worth dying for?"

Spoiler: Loadout

• Pulsiva Bodysuit
  
  • Gauntlets
    
    • FAE/M-02 Energized Gauntlet Vibroblade (2) - L/R
  • Sith Talisman
    
    • Spirit Anchor
    • Amulet of Many
    • Jin'Wodasir (2)
  • Utility
    
    • Supernal Infusion
    • FAE/U-01 “Serenity” Anti-Signal Field System
• Dancer’s Wheels
• Quintessa’s Twin Lightsaber Shotos
• Krath Council Stiletto

 

[UX-0626]

Location: Starport Terminal, Terminus Auction House - Terminus
Objective: Great Escape
Dialogue Legend: <<Ghoul-Speak>> │ “Galactic Basic” │ <”ur-Kittât”>
Tags: Maerae Verdan

“I will see it complete, my Lady.” Taking the Acolyte’s cue, UX-0626 activated her armor’s mimetic stealth system with a mental command, bending light around her form to render it functionally invisible. Simultaneously, her seeker droid detached from the docking point at the back of her armor, floating ahead to search the large terminal area for any additional guards. Before long, the droid pinged the locations of three guards inside the terminal back to the Acolyte, who had positioned themselves at select points on the upper gangway.

After climbing up the wall, UX-0626 unsheathed her gauntlet vibroblade as she came up behind one of the guards. Then, with a swift, surgical motion she punched the blade through the lower back of gangster’s head, the vibrating blade tearing through his helmet before punching into his skull and turning his brain stem into mincemeat. The man dropped wordlessly to the platform, at which point the strand-cast stepped over his body and made her way to the nearby door, which she hoped would lead her to the hangar bay proper.

After slicing the door’s controls, she found herself inside a narrow, winding maintenance passage. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for the strand-cast to make her way through. As hoped, the passage led into the hangar bay, spitting her out on a gangway overlooking the area. She found exactly what the intelligence reports had predicted—a large complement of armed gangsters and droids, the latter of which were supplemented by a trio of towering, heavily-armed HK-379s. The cargo freighter was there as well, though there was very little activity transpiring around it.

Marking each target in her HUD, UX-0626 quickly sent the report back to the Acolyte. However, the lack of activity happening around the freighter told her that something might be amiss or at the very least, off from what the intelligence had suggested.

Spoiler: Loadout

• "Taral" Sith Trooper Armor - Designation: UX-0626
  
  • Gauntlets
    
    • FAE/W-15 Gauntlet Energy Net Projector - L
    • Wide-Beam Sonic Stunner - R
  • Undersuit
    
    • UL-14 "Virtus" Class Underlay
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
  • Thighs
    
    • FAE/MDW-01 Active Defense System (2)
      
      • Seeking Anti-Warhead Nano Missiles - L
      • Pink Vapor Nano Missiles - R
  • Droid
    
    • ID10 Seeker Droid
• “Extinguisher” Precision Pulse Cannon
• Freebirds Industries L-7 Heavy Pistol (2)
  
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
  • Ammunition and Magazines
    
    • 7 Round Armor Piercing Ball Ammunition Magazine (6)
• Flash Grenade (2)
• Impact Grenade (2)

 

[Maerae Verdan]

Maerae waited patiently as UX-0626 carried out the orders given to her. The soldiers at her back didn't fidget as she had expected: proof that they were of a higher quality than the task force Darth Strosius had commanded on her last mission under his command. That was good. It meant that she could actually expect these troopers to fight and die for the Order without hesitation. She wouldn't have to threaten or prod them into performing their duties.

The infiltrator sent back a report after a few moments, one that Maerae accessed on her datapad, and the young acolyte frowned. She had expected to find the ringleaders well on their way to the freighter, but all UX-0626 had found were some gangsters, their droids, and their bigger droids. Really, the lack of activity isn't what concerned her, nor the gangsters that had amassed.

No, what Maerae was worried about was the three large droids. If she had possessed a lightsaber, perhaps they wouldn't have been a problem. But the young Acolyte held only a vibroblade. One trooper at her back had a rotary blaster cannon, but if those large droids had ion shielding, it wouldn't so much as dent them.

"UX-0626," Maerae spoke into her commlink, "those three large droids concern me. Do you have any armaments that might turn the situation to our advantage?"

The smaller droids and gangsters would be no issue. Maerae could cut through them with ease, especially with the squad at her back. Securing the freighter shouldn't be all that difficult of a task, so long as they could deal with the three hulking roadblocks that called themselves HK units.

---

UX-0626

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Party Crashing
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Lark / Quintessa Zambrano

​

With their advantage in positioning and firepower quickly dropping, many of the gangsters began pulling back in a fairly disorganized retreat. Some were brave, or foolish, enough to try and hold their ground even as their comrades fled around them. Those brave souls were quickly encircled, flanked, and gunned down in short order.

Alisteri watched the wild flight of the criminals, idly batting away one of the stray bolts that many of them were firing behind themselves in an attempt to cover their retreat, with a sigh. "I suppose we'll have to go chasing after them. An auction house like this will have many places for them to hide and hold up, not to mention any secret exits or entrances that our scans couldn't detect."

At the very least most of them were already dead or dying so it wasn't as if they'd have to hunt down the entire Compact. "We could make our way to the spaceport but that would give these survivors time to fortify or escape. I trust the forces we have heading there already can handle it." If the Acolyte that he had requested for one of those teams was there then they would have at least one competent member if nothing else.

With the artifact secure, or most of them anyway, then that did open up their options a bit.

Alisteri tapped on the side of helmet as the last of the gangsters either fled, surrendered, or died where they stood and the lobby thus fell under full control of the Sith forces. The first hurdle had been jumped over but there was still more to go. :"This is Strosius to command, we have some runners fleeing deeper into the auction house. Requesting flametrooper and breaching support teams to move in. We'll have to smoke them out.":

The hope that the Compact had only fortified the entrance was replaced by concern and confusion as the sounds of marching feet was soon heard from the doorways and halls that the gangsters had fled into. "Oh what now?" A few squads of Sith soldiers that had drifted close to the doorways in order to follow after the gangsters were quick to fall back as the marching grew louder and blaster fire began spewing forth from them.

Columns of droids marched forward from the doorways and engaged the soldiers in unflinching formations. "Well...chit. Open fire!"

 

[UX-0626]

Location: Starport Terminal, Terminus Auction House - Terminus
Objective: Great Escape
Dialogue Legend: <<Ghoul-Speak>> │ “Galactic Basic” │ <”ur-Kittât”>
Tags: Maerae Verdan

UX-0626 quickly initiated a scan on the three hulking assassin droids. Indeed, their capabilities were as the Acolyte had feared. They were shielded, heavily armed, and robustly armored. Fortunately, her pulse cannon would be able to tax, if not even outright overwhelm their shields. After all, it was capable of dealing damage to armored vehicles. However, it was of little satisfaction to know that she might be the only member of the group capable of taking them out. She needed to find other ways to exploit their defenses, beyond simple brute force. Transmitting her sensor findings to the Acolyte, UX-0626 took a moment to simply watch one of the droids as it moved around the hangar bay, leveraging her experience and training to analyze them via her own senses.

Before long, she found something that might prove exploitable.

“The HK droids are shielded, heavily armed and armored, my Lady.” UX-0626 began, starting with the bad news. “My pulse cannon might be able to take them down, but your vibroblade will likely only be capable of damaging through their joints. I would also expect them to have a sensor suite, as well.” She continued. Fortunately, the latter issue hadn’t been a problem for the strand-cast due to her armor's stealth systems, but it might prove as such for the others in the group. “These are formidable machines, but judging by their gait, they’re very top heavy. If we can manage to knock one down, it might take some time for it to get back up. They may also have trouble keeping up with you in melee. Their weight will hinder their agility, but I can’t speak for their speed.” Two related, but ultimately different concepts.

“I recommend that you have the others engage the security droids and the gangsters. I have two flash grenades on me, which I can use to overwhelm their sensors and buy us some time, which you might be able to leverage to close the distance. I’ve also marked the location of the maintenance tunnel that took me to the hangar. The gangway I’m on will give us the advantage of the high ground and some cover.”

Spoiler: Loadout

• "Taral" Sith Trooper Armor - Designation: UX-0626
  
  • Gauntlets
    
    • FAE/W-15 Gauntlet Energy Net Projector - L
    • Wide-Beam Sonic Stunner - R
  • Undersuit
    
    • UL-14 "Virtus" Class Underlay
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
  • Thighs
    
    • FAE/MDW-01 Active Defense System (2)
      
      • Seeking Anti-Warhead Nano Missiles - L
      • Pink Vapor Nano Missiles - R
  • Droid
    
    • ID10 Seeker Droid
• “Extinguisher” Precision Pulse Cannon
• Freebirds Industries L-7 Heavy Pistol (2)
  
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
  • Ammunition and Magazines
    
    • 7 Round Armor Piercing Ball Ammunition Magazine (6)
• Flash Grenade (2)
• Impact Grenade (2)

 

[Lark]

Location: Party Crashing
Objective: Solve the archaeological curation crisis
Tags: Darth Strosius Quintessa Zambrano Open

For the moment, active combat within the auction house had subsided. Sure, the occasional round of blaster fire would ring out from where the hideous antiquarians hid behind shelter, but the rhythm of battle had tuned itself so that the Sith had a notable advantage, and the criminals behind shoddy barricades were forced to regroup. The little pink-haired demon had done a fine job clearing the auditorium of any enemy combatants that Lark, Alisteri, or Sith artillery had missed, so for a brief drop in time there was a lull in the battle. One that Lark intended to take full advantage of.

Alisteri issued his commands, which Lark listened to with an imperceivable curiosity. For the two had spoken of things recently. Grand things, that might affect the future of galactic history. Lark believed in his friend, but he had to see how the man conducted himself when faced with turmoil. Every aspect of the man must be considered, from the bravest behavior in combat to the most subtle emotional change when something didn't go the way he intended it would. So far, not bad. But he wouldn't mind a bit more conviction in the young man's words. I suppose, he said. We could, he would declare. He had the right plan, every time. Lark hoped that Alisteri would trust enough in those plans he hath made to speak with unyielding conviction.

Of course, Lark would never follow the whimsical ideas of someone without reason. So when Alisteri stated that their allies covering the escape at the spaceport could handle whatever it was they were dealing with, Lark reaffirmed his purpose for returning to the Sith. Trust was imperative. No one could conquer the galaxy all by their lonesome.

It felt nice, to fight alongside a friend as opposed to a meandering warlord. Lark couldn't even remember the first time he had ever met Alisteri, it was probably during some duel or training exercise when the Empire still stood tall. He knew it was towards the end of his original tenure as a Sith. For all of the ones Lark had first trained with were either dead or missing. Few, if any, acolytes from Lark's introductory class had survived the fall of the Empire.

But Lark could not bid farewell to the Sith. They were, in a perverse way, his home away from home.

He gave orders to nearby soldiers, ensuring that the artifacts that had survived the initial bombardment of blaster fire and artillery barrages would be dutifully evacuated to a position of safety. "Make sure they're place in acid-free bags," Lark would command, regarding any artifacts that had fallen outside of their original provenience. Perhaps the Sith's main purpose on Terminus was a symbolic slaughter against those that defied them, but Lark would ensure their victory was taken a step further. That the cultural and material heritage of civilizations past would survive to be properly witnessed by modern populations.

And then, in perfect unison, Lark heard a stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp...

And as Alisteri commanded OPEN FIRE!, Lark pushed himself off the ground, high up into the air. And as he spun up towards the rafters up above, he unsheathed his saber and let it fly like he was throwing a discus. The blade spun in the air, cutting through the beams that held a rafter up in the air. It was as though his lightsaber was like a fillet cutting through salmon. The rafter shredded off it's foundation like the scales of a fish, and came crushing down on a number of the droids that approached.

His saber returned to him like a boomerang as he landed with the grace of a ballerina. But the droid threat was not dealt with. Who knew what traps still laid in wait farther into the auction house?

 

[Quintessa Zambrano]

Location: Terminus Auction House - Terminus
Objective: Party Crashing
Dialogue Legend: <<Ghoul-Speak>> │ “Galactic Basic” │ <”ur-Kittât”>
Tags: Darth Strosius Lark

A Ratakan Gravewalker Talisman.

Quintessa had turned the captured gangster over to the medics after he revealed the presence of the artifact. While it might not have been the most powerful or valuable item in the horde, it was something worth retrieving, if only to deprive any potential heretics of the advantage it might represent. However, by the time she finished interrogating the gangster, her ultrasensitive ears had picked up on the distinct rhythm of marching security droids—the reinforcements her prisoner had mentioned.

She would have to make it past them in order to claim the artifact.

The play of the redheaded Sith Knight in triggering a rafter to collapse over a number of the droids did not go unnoticed by Quintessa. Still, there were more droids left to cut down, which were now being supported by a veritable swarm of drones, darting through the air like in a nigh-unpredictable aerial dance as they unleashed salvos of laser fire on the Sith and their troopers.

Recognizing the threat they posed to the lives of the troopers, Quintessa heaved one of chakrams into the air, throwing the bladed disc in an arc that cleaved through two of the drones, turning them into sparkling scrap. Her second chakram yielded more results, slicing a veritable swathe through four of the drones, sending them flying down to the floor.

Still, there were more.

Calling her chakrams back, Quintessa placed them on her back and drew in a deep breath as she willed the dark side into action. Suddenly, a concussive burst of pressurized air exploded out from her hands, carrying enough force to shatter stone. The burst caught nine of the swarm drones in its radius, sending them crashing to the floor in heaps of metal and plastoid.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Pulsiva Bodysuit
  
  • Gauntlets
    
    • FAE/M-02 Energized Gauntlet Vibroblade (2) - L/R
  • Sith Talisman
    
    • Spirit Anchor
    • Amulet of Many
    • Jin'Wodasir (2)
  • Utility
    
    • Supernal Infusion
    • FAE/U-01 “Serenity” Anti-Signal Field System
• Dancer’s Wheels
• Quintessa’s Twin Lightsaber Shotos
• Krath Council Stiletto

 

[Maerae Verdan]

UX-0626 had an idea as to how to take on those droids, and frankly, she was the only one. Though Sith was what she aimed to be, Maerae wasn't too proud to accept advice from someone who had more experience than she did. All the young Acolyte cared was that their task was accomplished. Darth Strosius would likely not be pleased if they botched the mission just because she let her own ego get in the way.

"A sound plan," Maerae agreed, "I will relay it to the squad, and we'll breach the door on my command."

She turned to look at the soldiers at her back, taking a moment to examine their gear. Aside from the man with the rotary cannon, they wielded only blaster rifles with a pistol as a sidearm. UX-0626 thought they were better suited to taking down the gangsters and generic droids, and Maerae agreed wholeheartedly.

"Listen well," Maerae addressed them, "the hangar behind these doors is occupied. An assortment of scum and their droids guard the freighter, accompanied by something else: three advanced HK units. Their plating is ion shielded, and as such, your weaponry will be useless against them. Fortunately, our attaché is in possession of equipment that will suffice in putting these machines down, and has formulated a plan that will yield success. On my mark, we will breach these doors, and you will engage the criminals and their lesser droids. I will assist UX-0626 in dismantling the HK units. When your targets are eliminated, you will secure that freighter, and ensure it does not leave this hangar. Are these orders clear?"

She recieved a layed echo of "yes, my Lord."

"Good, now get this door open. There is no time to waste."

---

UX-0626

 

[UX-0626]

Location: Starport Terminal, Terminus Auction House - Terminus
Objective: Great Escape
Dialogue Legend: <<Ghoul-Speak>> │ “Galactic Basic” │ <”ur-Kittât”>
Tags: Maerae Verdan

Shifting over to the far side of the terminal, while still remaining on the gangway overlooking the area, UX-0626 tuned in to the field briefing as she moved, in order to stay on the same page as her squadmates. Once more, the level of respect she had earned from her allies never failed to surprise the Hapan, especially as in this case, it came from a Sith. It was an uncommon achievement for a strand-cast born amidst the fires of the Third Imperial Civil War to have survived to the point of becoming a veteran. Perhaps she should have taken more stock in it, but the hate, shame, and humiliation that the war represented still lingered.

She was no war heroine. Only a survivor left with a slavish devotion to the Eternal Father and a relentless dedication to the continued work of the Eclipsing Mission.

Pulling a flash grenade from her belt, UX-0626 flicked off the safety and readied it for arming. All the while, her seeker droid floated stealthily around the area, marking the locations of as many targets as possible.

“I will be able to stun two of the HK units as soon as you breach, my Lady.” UX-0626 transmitted. “I’ll try to take out the third with my pulse cannon, or at least draw its attention.” She added.

“I’m in position, over.”

Spoiler: Loadout

• "Taral" Sith Trooper Armor - Designation: UX-0626
  
  • Gauntlets
    
    • FAE/W-15 Gauntlet Energy Net Projector - L
    • Wide-Beam Sonic Stunner - R
  • Undersuit
    
    • UL-14 "Virtus" Class Underlay
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
  • Thighs
    
    • FAE/MDW-01 Active Defense System (2)
      
      • Seeking Anti-Warhead Nano Missiles - L
      • Pink Vapor Nano Missiles - R
  • Droid
    
    • ID10 Seeker Droid
• “Extinguisher” Precision Pulse Cannon
• Freebirds Industries L-7 Heavy Pistol (2)
  
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
  • Ammunition and Magazines
    
    • 7 Round Armor Piercing Ball Ammunition Magazine (6)
• Flash Grenade (2)
• Impact Grenade (2)

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Party Crashing
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Lark / Quintessa Zambrano

​

As the soldiers dove back into cover and began pelting the advancing droids with waves of blaster fire, Alisteri brought up his blades and began blocking and deflecting the first of the barrage from the droids as he backed up to find cover for himself to hide behind. Not even he could hold off that many shots at once. Thankfully Lark was quick to leap up and drop some beam from the ceiling to crush a row of droids and give a small yet welcome break in the fire.

The masked man threw himself behind one of the makeshift barricades and took a moment to compose himself and readjust his grip on his blades. The droids were still advancing upon them and had indeed caught them off guard but thankfully the ample cover that the gangster's had provided worked just as well for the Sith soldiers as it had for them. That was until the drones flew in of course.

Alisteri growled in frustration and quickly raised his lightsaber to deflect a stray shot from one of the drones right back into it. The cover wouldn't be much good against them, as a few unfortunate soldiers had already learned. "Focus your fire on the drones first and use your grenades to keep the droids at bay! Clear the skies!"

Thankfully the little pink imp creature was doing just that, cutting through a fair number of the drones as the soldiers shifted their blaster fire up to them instead of at the advancing columns of their counterparts. The droids would still be an issue but with well placed grenades they could hopefully be held back until the drone threat had been neutralized, not that Alisteri intended to leave it to chance.

Instead the Knight leapt over the barricade and began the blocking of the bolt barrage from the droid line once more, working his way closer to the most forward rows. Once he was only a short distance away his fingers crackled with lightning and he spread out his hands wide, unleashing a torrent of arcing lightning at the first wave of droids to disable them and scorch their internals. At the very least that would slow down the ones behind them, even if it did mean he was a bit left out in the open after his little lightning wave had subsided.

 

[Maerae Verdan]

UX-0626 let Maerae know that she was in position, and that was all the confirmation that the Acolyte needed. With their infiltrator set up to stun two droids, and distract the third, there was nothing left but to breach into the hangar. It seemed, however, that the soldier slicing the door was having a little trouble. With the Compact's leaders potentially on their way to the freighter, they didn't have time to waste on a stubborn door.

"Step aside," Maerae ordered, ensuring her voice carried over her commlink, "I'll open it myself. UX-0626, you'll hear it open. When you do, deploy your stun grenades."

Before the words had even left her mouth, Maerae had outstretched her hands, gripping the durasteel door with her strength in the Force. With a groan tearing its way out of her throat, the Acolyte threw her arms outward, and wrenched the door open. It squealed, metal scraping against metal, and a came to a grinding halt with a bang that echoed throughout the hangar.

To their credit, the soldiers moved into the hangar immediately, even as the gangsters and droids took notice of their loud entrance. The best and brightest of the Sith armed forces ducked under blaster fire, taking positions behind cargo crates, and lobbing thermal detonators in the direction of the opposition. All in all, Maerae was certain they would fulfill their part of the task.

And so she turned to hers: that of the three hulking HK units. Armed with only a simple vibrosword, Maerae charged the three advanced droids, trusting that UX-0626 would give her the opening she needed to relieve them of their legs.

---

UX-0626