Faction The Blood Price | TSC Faction Thread of Metellos

[Arris Windrun]

Lily Rhodes
​

Arris stepped out onto the landing pad and kept walking.

Light cruisers rained fire from above while gunships and troop transports scrambled across the airspace. It was war... But it was oddly peaceful given all that's transpired.

She stopped and looked at Lily.

"None of us are too good."

There was a pause.

"But I understand. I told Ace the same thing. He didn't have the heart for this."

It's also why he couldn't kill her on Jakku. But that hesitation died on Bonadan.

Arris turned to face her fully, arms crossed.

"You followed me all the way out here, no questions asked. Just like you did in Hapes, Jakku, and on Abregado-rae.

"You gave up the quiet life. You left your girlfriend... And you chose me. You chose the Covenant."

Her arms relaxed. One rested on her hip while the other hung loosely at her side. She looked down at her feet for a second before raising her head just enough to see Lily's expression.

"Why? Because of what I asked?"

"Will you stand beside me?"

She pointed at the stronghold under siege, then turned towards it, standing on the edge

"Because that is my life.

"So - be very honest with yourself, Lily."

She turned back around. "Why are you here?"

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Tags: Arris Windrun​

Lily wasn’t looking at Arris, her voice washed over her as she tracked the movement of the war ahead of them, a backdrop that was slowly becoming familiar. Not comfortable, just something she knew and something she hated.

"You gave up the quiet life. You left your girlfriend... And you chose me. You chose the Covenant."

"...I love you.”

Her stomach twisted. “But I choose Arris.

Her lower lip trembled, a tidal wave of grief threatening to overwhelm her as she closed her eyes, refusing to let it win, refusing to fall apart in front of Arris. She’d already done that, she’d already given her a part of herself without meaning to. She shook her head, sucking in a shuddering breath and exhaling it slowly forcing it back down, back into its box where it belonged until she could survive letting it out.

“She asked the same.” she said finally, looking up, finally meeting her gaze “So did Ace.”

That wasn’t an answer.

“I’ve spent my whole life running. Running from Coruscant, running because being still felt wrong, running from the box my cousin wanted to fit me into, running from the truth of what I am, running from this fucking Covenant.” She let out a humourless laugh at that.

“I’m tired of running, of being made to feel insignificant, of people stepping on me because they can…but it's more than that…”

Her eyes drifted away back to the war, to the streaks of red and green that lit up the sky and the soft ember glow of fire and swirling smoke that coloured the horizon.

“I’m meant to be here. I need to be here. For better or worse. And I need you.” She looked back at Arris adding rapidly “Not in that way…I just…" She let out a nervous laugh and shook her head, her feet shifting beneath her.

"I need what you can give me, what you can make of me. So I never have to run.”

 

[Arris Windrun]

Lily Rhodes​

The mention of Ace caught her off guard.

What did he have to do with this? She caught, briefly, that they must've known each other on Jakku.

Arris frowned a little as Lily kept on, though. About her life. How she was running. Though nowhere in that did Lily actually reveal the why. Arris chuckled dryly when Lily corrected herself.

"Gimme a fuckin' break," she muttered.

Arris sighed. "Look at me, 'kay? I'm always running... but I can help you get stronger. Strong enough until you're only running from the one person you can't ever escape."

She reached out to put her hand on Lily's upper arm and lowered her head until they were eye level.

"All of this can feel better... It can feel really good. But you have to let go. You have to stop pretending there's weight to this world, or the last, or the next one. Stop pretending that the nameless matter. They've got their families, their friends. We've got ours."

She turned and straightened. She walked into the building and rode the lift until they were at street level. The Governor's stronghold was something else from down below. A gravity-defying palace armed to the teeth and fortified. That was how the ultrawealthy lived on Metellos. Literally above and detached from the rest.

Arris looked up. She knew Varin had his to kill, and no doubt others were put to the task. He wouldn't need her up there. Down the stretch, however, two squadrons of Sith troopers were pinned down by enemy fire. It seems the Governor's private army was more committed than they'd anticipated. Usually, mercenaries didn't fight too hard - they'd slaughter a village or harass locals, but put 'em up against a real fight? They'd take performative blows and call it a day.

She looked over to Lily. "Solve their problem."

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Tags: Arris Windrun​

The one person she couldn’t escape.

She’d been in Arris’ head, far deeper than she’d ever want to go willingly again but she understood. The business, the drugs, commanding the Covenant’s army. That was Arris running from herself, endlessly chasing stimulation beyond the reaches of her own mind so she’d never have to face it.

For a moment, annoyance flashed across her face at how easily she dismissed the nameless. The people caught in the collateral of the Covenant’s war with whoever dared stand against them. To Lily the nameless did matter, the nameless were who was left behind, the nameless was where she had come from. The nameless were the two kids she’d pulled off Celanon when the blackwing virus had hit, they were the jedi padawans whom Arris had spared on Hapes, they were the refugees scattered in the wind from Abregado-rae.

“I’m not going to do that, Arris.” she replied softly “Because I’m not a monster.”

Not yet.

“They do matter, what we leave behind matters. But you’re not wrong. They do have their own families and friends.”

She followed Arris into the lift, arms folding as she leaned against the wall, wondering for the first time what they were even doing here. The answer became evident enough as they stepped out of the lift the stronghold loomed above them, a grotesque representation of the gap that existed between the wealthy and the poor that stirred the anger in Lily.

It reminded her of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, of the shadow it cast high above those who fought to survive while they paraded around like white knights, incapable of solving the suffering happening beneath their feet.

“Fuck this place.” she muttered.

Arris drew her attention to the fight down the street, to the private military fighting far harder than they had any right to, because those above no doubt lined their pockets. She didn’t hesitate, she didn’t even ask for clarification. One moment she was walking beside Arris the next she wasn’t.
She appeared among them, her hand snapped out closing around the barrel of a gun yanking it off its trajectory as it fired, bolts slamming into the back of the mercenaries' ally. Her fist sailed for his jaw before he even had time to understand, pulling the weapon free as he stumbled then dropped with two glowing holes in his chest.

Lily killed two more before they even knew what was happening, their guns turning away from the sith troopers to her, but she was gone again. The rifle tossed aside as she appeared behind them, lightsaber snapping to life, punching through a skull before angling down to deflect blaster bolts back to their senders. Then she was upon them in a haze of fury.

These weren’t nameless. They were part of the problem, they protected that that kept the rich rich and the poor poor. They were a disease that could only be removed violently and permanently. Her lightsaber carved though the barrel of a rifle, the following swing removing a head, the saber settling into a reverse grip and driving back into the sternum of one trying to sneak up behind her.

The lightsaber deactivated as she teleported again, appearing behind one, so close he could’ve felt her breath on the back of his neck if she was tall enough. She reached for his belt, pulling pins on the grenades resting there before snapping away a final time reappearing beside Arris, spinning the rings on her finger.

BANG.

A very small, but very smug smile pulled at Lily’s face as the sound of limbs and rubble rained down

 

[Arris Windrun]

Lily Rhodes​

Lily disappeared just as Arris was about to say something.

She knew immediately what her apprentice was up to. Her eyes snapped to the mercenaries, to Lily right beside them. She cut through them systematically, weaponizing their confusion and using their own equipment against them. One by one, they fell to the slaughter - Lily was a veritable killing machine. Arris could feel the fear and panic. Even the Sith troopers who watched on were afraid of their own ally.

Then, Lily pulled the pin and appeared beside Arris. An explosion followed, followed by a rain of meat, torn armor, and broken equipment.

The troopers looked around in a panic.

"Move!" Arris called out to them.

Their attention snapped to the voice as it came from behind them. When they saw who it was - and the killing machine beside her - there wasn't any hesitation. They pushed forward.

Arris smiled faintly at Lily. "How did it feel to cut them down, to make them helpless?" She asked.

She activated her communication device. It opened across multiple channels. Varin Mortifer would undoubtedly hear the order. This was to be his world when he was done, but...

<:"Get tractor beams on those floating cities, and cast them into the wastelands.":>

If Mortifer wanted to override that order, he could. It was his operation, after all.

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace | Cross Guard Broadsaber | Wyrmfang

POV: Rak Tuban Grimmin​

His chest tightened as he struggled to breathe, his footing failing him as he scrambled into the halls, the sound of blasterfire began to quiet behind him, finally silencing as the doors slammed shut.

“AN ATTACK?! AN ATTACK ON MY GREAT CITY! THE SITH A CRAZY!!!”

He quickly picked himself up as a few troopers passed him.

“KILL THEM KILL THEM ALL I WILL GIVE TOP PROMOTION FOR ANY TROOPER WHO KILLS A SITH! AND ACTIVATE MY TURRETS NOW!”

Explosions rocked the city harsh from side to side causing the governor to slam into the nearest wall. The pain rocked from his head throughout his body, knocking the wind out of him leaving just a deep long winded grunt as he attempted to regain his breath.

“...My office! I have to get to my office.”

He took a step forward just as a small cleaning droid came through taking his footing from him. Pain pulsed from his legs as his foot shot from under him nearly doing a split.

“OOOOOOH YOU VILE THING I SHOULD HAVE YOU DISMANTLED!”

The small droid chirped and chittered before speeding off as Rak’s hand reached for it.

“NONO GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE-”

Another explosion rocked the flying fortress as he now began to crawl towards his office door.

“It’s a bad dream.”

A nervous laughter escaped him.

“It’s all a bad dream. Certainly the Sith would not target me??? Rak Grimmin!”

The doors to his private office opened as he crawled further into the room, the doors slamming shut as alarms ringed through the halls. Rak took his seat after struggling to pull his body up onto the chair. His finger pressed a button and his voice rang through the intercoms.

“Ahem…Dear Sith of the Covenant, Though your intrusion and appearance is much appreciated, get the hell off my beautiful city!”

His finger on the button released not realizing the button was stuck to the on position blasting his voice throughout the halls and the flying fortress.

“Ha, that will show them. They have yet to see my true power….wait…”

He fished into his robes pulling out a gaudy gold and gem encrusted communicator.

“Commander, release the battle droids! I want them all over this building! No nook and cranny uninhabited is that clear?”

Meanwhile: On the main surface of the city where the Sith fought, sections of the walls and floors of the main building opened up, rising from the openings were heavy automotive blaster turrets designed originally for riot control had been modified for lethal intent lobbing large plasma bolts towards the Sith.

Lysander von Ascania | Naniti | Kaelyr | Sorc Nenn | Isley Verd | Ayrith Drayen​

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace | Cross Guard Broadsaber | Wyrmfang​

Varin listened as each member voiced their opinions, seemingly split between killing the governor or bringing him in alive to make an example or gain information out of. Varin kept his focus on the battle as he held his stance against the barrage of blaster fire.

“We will take him alive.”

If for any reason Varin could take him in for questioning on some personal matters, but after that, whatever the Covenant wanted was theirs.

Varin watched as each member that had joined him took their places against the assault, some holding a line and others pushing forward. The flying city had turned into a warzone within moments of the Sith landing. Varin heard Arris’ orders of bringing down the flying cities.

<:"Get tractor beams on those floating cities, and cast them into the wastelands.":>

Varin’s gaze glared at the blockade ahead of them before he responded to the order.

<Leave the Governors city standing. The rest, pluck them from the skies.>

Varin’s attention shifted completely as heavy blaster turrets ascended from the round and the walls of the palace, firing down upon them. He quickly retracted his shield.

“MOVE!”

His voice boomed across the battlefield as heavy bolts of plasma rained down on them, his speeder taking a brunt of the damage utterly destroying his craft. A growl left Varin’s throat as he watched his vehicle blow into smithereens and engulf itself in flame.

Varin tapped into his comms to Sumire Raiza , hoping she was in place to help with the situation.

“We have heavy turret fire on us surrounding the palace. I want those guns silenced or turned on their own.”

This slippery governor was starting to become an annoyance to the young Knight. His attention now taken by a trooper with a bayonet at the end of his weapon aiming to thrust it into Varin’s gut. He side stepped the attack bringing the hook of his blade up to bite onto the barrel, he jerked the weapon around as the trooper desperately fired. Varin turned the barrel on to the other approaching troopers before leg sweeping the soldier then driving his knee on his neck with a loud snap.

“Naniti.”

His voice cut towards the violet Togruta that accompanied them.

“See if you can flank.”

His gaze moved to Kaelyr.

“Kaelyr and I will draw attention. We will cause as much havoc as we can. Just make sure the city stays afloat.”

His gaze then moved to Sorc and Ayrith.

“I want you two moving with her. Watch each other's backs.”

Finally he looked towards Lysander and Isley.

“I need you and Lysander to watch our backs as well. If there is anything either of you all can do about the incoming droids as well, take creative liberty.”

Varin’s orders were given to each individual, how they handled the job was up to them. Life would only be harder while the turrets were still up. Varin quickly stood back up, smoke erupting from his back to faintly conceal the battlefield before them, giving Naniti and her team a veil to be concealed behind.

Ayrith Drayen | Lysander von Ascania | Isley Verd | Sorc Nenn | Kaelyr | Naniti​

 

[Brool Koon]

​

The buzz of electricity flowed painfully from the tip of Brool's head to the base of his feet. He could feel each of his muscles reacting individually, then all at once. Tightening, loosening, tightening again. It was a pain meant to embarrass as much as torment. The type of pain that caused all your muscles to give out if you weren't expecting it. The Sith were masters of manipulation, both mentally and physically. The cruel shackle they had given Brool was only further proof of that.

He wasn't going to let himself die, though. He wasn't going to let himself be another victim of the Sith and their twisted games. Instead, he would play along for now. He would do what he had to do to ensure his safety. Then he would strike, sometime in the future, sometime when they least expected it. To do that, however, he had to break himself apart. He had to make part of himself strong enough to do what needed to be done for the other side of himself. He had to be like a broken mirror, refusing to let anyone see what was actually happening.

Then something moved.

It wasn't anything that would normally draw his attention, but with his life on the line, his senses were heightened. A box of files had fallen from a metal desk, papers strewn across the floor and feeding the fire that slowly crept through the building. Then came the sound of muffled, panicked talking. Not wanting to give the collar another reason to punish him, Brool made sure his thoughts and emotions were in line with what the Sith demanded of him. He reached out with the Force, trying to see if he could tell anything about his next victims. He knew he had to kill them if he wanted to live. The Sith could not see him as a liability.

Three lives, likely workers who had been caught in the crossfire. The Kel Dor knew he didn't have time to rationalize what he was about to do, and dwelling on who they were would only drive him mad. Instead, Brool reached out with the Force and brought down a durasteel bookshelf across from them. The weight alone was enough to kill them instantly.

"Nine."

His breath was shallow. He wasn't sure what would be worse, dying from the collar or seeing who he was if he survived. It didn't feel like things could get much worse.

"Actually, that only counts as one."

A voice from the collar broke his concentration.

They were listening to him too?!

"Seven."

OPEN​

​

 

[Naniti]

"Turrets." Naniti didn't bother igniting the sabers held in either hand. She took a step forward. As plasma was hurled toward them, the Togruta lifted her hands and commanded the bolts off course using the Force. Just a little judge of a high velocity projectile.

Suppose she should have seen Varin's speeder getting blown up as a result of the barrage though. Perhaps she had, but a woman that could peek into the future never told the whole truth. People started expecting you to tell them the Watto numbers.

Jaw tight, the violet woman took one step forward at a time under the onslaught. A Knight sought to skewer Varin in the meantime, and were slaughtered for their trouble. Naniti expected the rest would manage to keep the chaff from reaching her as she made the turrets' accuracy fall well short of expectations with the group clustered together as they were in that moment.

Then Varin called out her name and bright emerald eyes turned his direction.

If? A sharp nod followed the 'request.' Sorc Nenn and Ayrith Drayen were given leave to join the violet Togruta in that task as well.

A look was spared over toward Lysander, but no words uttered before she called out, "To the left." With that, her hands fell and she darted left along the perimeter of the structure they were to penetrate. There hadn't been timed to talk, and she trusted Lysander would understand what even a moment spared to share a glance was worth.

"Are you fast? Agile? Strong?" she asked those that accompanied her. "We must make it beyond that wall to take control from them." Simple plan: attack. Toward that end, she hoped her companions would offer up a little something about their capabilities. Perhaps she'd go first as a demonstration, "I can tell you where they will be when we strike." Who didn't enjoy knowing where the enemy would be around blind corners? Combat-hungry Sith, but Naniti would assume those with her might care for strategic advantages until she learned otherwise.

Varin Mortifer | Lysander von Ascania | Kaelyr | Sorc Nenn | Ayrith Drayen | Isley Verd | Ayrith Drayen​

 

[Astra Sadow]

"Why do you care?"

The voice rose from the shadows as a dark figure metallic heels clicked around the corner of a building. Adorned from head to toe in armor, the figure's glowing eyes easily found the blue lightsaber-wielding man growling to himself.

"They'd live only to die a minute, an hour later. Perhaps they'd escape, flee to some other worlds, scrape a living off barren rocks, and then die. You would suffer so they have that chance to feign a life worth living? Does that give meaning to yours?"

Armored fingers lifted and then curled into a fist off to her left. A loud snap and pop preceded the growing rumble of an avalanche; shattered duracrete as it succumbed to the pull of gravity. A monolith of ingenuity and progress turned into a bludgeoning weapon as it crushed another small group of five figures as they scurried away. Had there been small figures among them? Did it matter?

"Why do you suffer alone?"

Run? Really. Such a thoughtful man to languish in this desolate landscape for the vain hope of salvation. Astra was dying to learn what motivated him. What he aspired toward. Was it revenge? You could never look down upon a classic. And perhaps, one day, he'd have it. Perhaps. But did that matter? Everyone was different, and so she'd enjoy figuring out the puzzle that was this Kel Dor.

Brool Koon​