Invasion The Bacta War | Sith Order Invasion of High Republic Thyferra Chapter 2

[Taeli Raaf]

Nearby: Kaivaan Raaf
Allies: The Sith Order Darth Carnifex Darth Nefaron Darth Malum of House Marr Arris Windrun
Enemies: The High Republic (Open for tags and psychic opposition)

Location: Orbit of Thyferra, Eschaton-class Star Destroyer Idirsholas
Equipment: Camlann, rest in signature
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Thyferra... the last time she had been to the planet had been when the Tenth Sith Empire had invaded, where she had dueled Darth Prazutis to maintain her cover, and where the GA had established Pheonix Station once the battle had concluded and reconstruction efforts had commenced. That had been... over forty years ago now? Time certainly flew, and now the Sith had returned to the world. She understood Gerwald Lechner 's plan for the planet and the opening campaign of the war with the High Republic, could even see the rationale behind the destruction the Sith forces were to unleash, but it was not how she would have fought it.

She would have preferred to capture the planet intact, had even argued for it quietly in meetings of the Dark Council leading up to this, but the decision had been made. For her, while others led the devastation below, she would focus on the battle above. Capturing the large freighters of bacta would be helpful in their goal, and boarding teams were already assaulting them. Her eyes roved over one in particular, the Quibbler, that was already flashing on the holo-readout as contested. Another was flashing with the colors and emblems of the Kainate and their Master. She had directed forces and boarding craft to head for the venerable station for capture as she knew its residents could be useful along with its shields. The operations were already well underway, but there was something about the Republic response...

Something was needling her in the back of her mind about it...

Perhaps it would be revealed to her soon enough. She would turn from the holomap to her grandson and the assembled sorcerers from the Order of Arcane Syn, already deep in their augmenting meditations, waiting for their Mistress. "Now remember what I said about melds and Battle Meditation. You will be connected to many of those fighting and dying. You need to remain detached from it to a degree, like a puppetmaster, as you augment your allies and hinder your enemies. While I'll be essentially conducting, I want you to be first chair of the orchestra, Kai. You'll be my eyes and ears for our boarding crews while I seek out their own Force users and engage them. If you need my attention, a thought will be enough."

 

[Ala Quin]

The howling of the crimson blade filled the silence, its tortuous light casting long, dancing shadows across the cavernous room. Ala did not move. She did not take the bait to step forward into his waiting guard. Instead, her gaze dropped calmly to the crackling plasma sparks dancing across the deck plates.

"You speak of a test of wills," Ala said, her voice steady despite the suffocating pressure of his presence. "Yet you draw your weapon."

The physical contrast between them was absolute. Carnifex loomed over her, a massive Epicanthix warrior built for butchery and war. Standing before him, her slender, compact frame felt entirely microscopic, completely dwarfed by his sheer mass and the monolithic shadow he cast. To any outside observer, it was a match already decided by the brutal physics of scale.

Yet the ancient warmth humming in her soul kept her feet moored to the metal floor. She met the smouldering glow of his hateful eyes, refusing to look away from the monster beneath the man's mask.

A faint, silent pulse vibrated against the collar of her environmental suit. Across the wrist mounted display of her low-profile visor, a brief string of encrypted text scrolled into view. It was a secure transmission from her shuttle crew. They had disembarked a split second before their transport was obliterated, and ambushed a pocket of Sith forces in the security. Disrupters had proven the only thing of use in destroying the droids, and crushing its slicing sphere before it could finish its mission.

"Fate is not a kind mistress," she said softly. "But neither is she inerrant."

She looked closer at his horrific features, studying the writhing ink upon his brow and the murderer's smile parting his lips. A strange, quiet realisation washed over her, prompting her to mumble a thought meant only for herself.

"You are not the face in my vision."

Her hands dropped to her waist. With a fluid, simultaneous motion, she unclipped a pair of much smaller, elegant hilts from her belt. She did not rush him. She simply stood her ground as the snap-hiss of twin lightsabers finally shattered the dark, igniting two brilliant blades that bathed her small silhouette in an unyielding light.

"As with all before you, I offer you this one moment to renounce the Dark Side. Seek the light. You will find a hand willing take yours upon the journey," she said with a calm, assured resolve.

Addendum: Till Death Do Us Part

Darth Carnifex
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[Verity Stuyveris]

LOCATION

HRNS Grace of Theed

THE BRIDGE

WHENEVER

♫ NO

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Just like that, the bad penny dropped. Verity resisted the urge to say something cutting; they were in front of a senior officer, after all, and there iwas no good that could come of alerting Rath to dissension in the ranks, as it were. Too bad, though, she had some pretty good ones in the chamber.

Senator Veruna. I thought I smelled brass polish and drug store cologne. Or perhaps, Your Majesty, how good of you to greet us with your usual contribution of an imbecile's idea of wit. Or perhaps even, If I cared what you thought I'd put a flechette weapon in my mouth and pull the trigger with my toes

You know. Lighthearted banter between colleagues.

Instead, she allowed her blue eyes to settle on his approaching reflection in the viewport, guileless. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean," Verity said quietly. For starters she wasn't wearing pants, instead having opted for a chic charcoal sheath dress and a matching jacket with navy embellishments and lining. "I'm not even wearing pants. Are you referring to something operational?"

Reluctantly she made space at the console for him, so that the two senators and the commodore formed a rough triangle across the command table.

"Now, why am I not comforted by your bravado, Senator?" Verity asked, folding her arms around her middle. Veruna's relationship with the truth was certainly as flexible as any politician's and, she suspected, rather more flexible. "Commodore Rath, I appreciate and agree that blindsiding the Sith could be an enormous tactical advantage. If this artifact does what we think it does, safely, and can be controlled -- without crippling our own defenses -- then I am fully prepared to endorse your plan."

Rath's plan. Not Aurelian Veruna's plan. She turned her attention on the King of Naboo.

"But I don't recall receiving the briefing I requested on the device. How we know what it does and what or doesn't do. The long term effects of its use. Side effects. For instance: there is compelling research that isolating clones from the Force makes them susceptible to severe psychological impacts. Has anyone tested for anything comparable here? Or are we just going to take Aurelian Veruna's good word?" She scoffed, dismissive, as if the notion was too ludicrous for words. As far as Verity Stuyveris was concerned, it was. "Last I checked, trust me, bro was not a reliable security certification."

She glanced out the viewport, her pale features growing paler in the face of battle. She inclined her chin in defiance against her own fear.

"Not to mention a significant percentage of our personnel in the operations area are Jedi as well. Has anyone asked them? Or even warned them?" Verity glanced between Rath and Veruna. The former she doubted she would convince, and the latter she knew merely by stating a position he would take the opposite. Verity hoped the Chancellor would see sense -- and for that, Dominique Vexx could usually be relied upon -- and better yet, that she had answers to Verity's questions that, for some reason, could not be shared with the Senate at large.

x

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WITH

Tiberius Rath • Aurelian Veruna