Private The Dread Experiment - Test run

[Darth Insatious]

Tag: Zoraya Ives-Ayres | Mathieu Brion | Chaussidier | Sakadi Marathi Sinvala | Location: Star Destroyer

Deep in space, moving silently through the empty void in the Kathol sector. Nothing much happened around the Zbroodica class Star Destroyer as its crew and personnel went on with their work. The Star Destroyer had been further out and was on its trajectory towards civilization again. Scouting ships patrolled daily around the large Star Destroyer as per protocol.

A couple of soldiers were on their patrol following the path along the many corridors and hallways on the ship.
"What are you going to do, when we get back?" Asked the first guard, keeping a light view of his surroundings as they passed many other people on their route.
"Seeing my wife and newborn kid" expressed the other soldier with a clear sense of happiness in his voice.
"No way man, congratulation, you're going to be a father!" congratulated the first guard, happy for his long time friend's growing family.

The two guards went quiet as an officer went by them and received a salute which the officer returned and they all went on with their business.

"So, is it a girl or a boy?" Asked the first guard as they turned a corner, walking down another long winding hallway.
"A boy and Kiera and I decided on Mathieu" stated the first guard proudly.
"Well, I'm happy for you man, congratz" congratulated the second guard happily as they passed a set of thick blast doors.

Behind the blast doors were rows upon rows of cells, filling the small prison. However, it was almost empty with the exception of one prisoner, Zoraya Ives-Ayres. Her cell didn't look much more different than the rest with one exception, it was completely soundproof and unlike the other cell she had been in, this one had a solid soundproof door, leaving her in a complete void of sound.
There was no bed, a bucket for toilet usage and a singular ceiling light shining an uncomfortable bright white light from the centre, lighting up the entire cell. her only way of getting food was every other day. The food was disgustingly brown mush and came in a black bowl made from material Zoraya couldn't break or use to harm herself. Her nightmares had continued ever since she had been captured by Insatious, though every time she felt like hitting the absolute limit of what her body and mind could handle, she got a calm and peaceful rest for a day. The peaceful rest felt weird though as if someone Forced her body to relax and calm. The rest might not help her mental state as it was just rest for a single day afterall, but it would be enough for her body to keep on going.

While unknown to Zoraya, a hidden camera up in the corner of her cell, captured everything she did, both awake and when asleep. In a lab, not far from the prison, stood a scientist writing notes and keeping a log over what Zoraya did, didn't and how her state of mind and body reacted to the Dread Experiment.

 

[Chaussidier]

The Dread Experiment​

"The front-facing weapons are now back to 100% operational, Admiral. Hangar bay 5 should be safe for use before we arrive, but only at half capacity." the Selkath communications officer spoke loudly for the elderly Admiral to hear. The bridge was busier than usual for multiple systems had been damaged in the recent battle.

"Good. Shields and hull?" sounding more distant than usual, the Admiral spoke to his communications officer, eyes not leaving the command console for a moment

"The shields are back up and are f-" the Selkath was cut off

"Activate them, we are about to drop out of hyperspace." The buzz on the bridge intensified for a few moments after Chaussidier spoke as they acted on his command.

After confirming that the order had been received, the communications officer continued "The hull's status is the same. The damages remain, Admiral."

Chaussidier let out a sigh, knowing that the ship's upper left midsection was vulnerable. "Very well. Anything else?"

"No, Admiral" The officer looked to Chaussidier for a brief moment before turning back to supervise his colleague who was coordinating the boarding parties.

The preparations that could reasonably be made had been made. Although the situation was far from ideal, it was better than anyone could have hoped for. The Nima II had recently engaged the Sith super star destroyer - the Red Dragon in battle. Damage was inevitable but having had a chance to recover, many systems were now fully operational.

In this battle, the advantage would belong to the Concord fleet. Despite the damages, they were the ones executing the surprise attack. Zoraya Ives-Ayres has been under Chaussidier's surveillance for some time - the tracker which Mathieu Brion had planted on her had yet to be detected. It was only upon investigating her unusual movement patterns that they discovered the whereabouts of Darth Insatious Star Destroyer. It was an impressive ship - but in this case, the elderly Admiral had ensured that the Concord would have overwhelming firepower.

With a sharp turn, Chaussidier looked to the two Jedi on the bridge. They were about to head towards the hangar bays as the Nima II and the Cabecou battlegroup were going to drop out of hyperspace. Still, a few words before their departure was warranted. "We don't know if there are any Sith aboard the ship. Stay on your guard. There will be many casualties today. Both on their side and ours." The elderly Admiral noticed how Mathieu's broad shoulders fell upon the mention of the casualties. Jedi tended to be particularly sensitive about the loss of life - what was more concerning was if Mathieu was blaming himself. His sharp cold eyes met those of the tall Jedi "Mathieu. In totality, this will be for the best. And it is my call."

Mathieu felt ashamed that Chaussidier had so easily been able to see what he had on his mind. Still, he appreciated the reminder that it wasn't really his actions that caused the battle to come - at least not directly. "Yes, Admiral. Thank you, Admiral."

Letting his gaze linger on Mathieu for a few moments and then shift to Sakadi Marathi Sinvala , Chaussidier spoke "You have direct access to my comms. Let me know if there are significant developments aboard the ship and if you need assistance." He bowed his head to the Jedi Master before turning back to the command console.

Soon, the Nima II and the five frigates of the Cabecou battle group dropped out of hyperspace. With the Nima II leading the charge, it soon became evident that all of the attacking Concord ships lined up to focus their firepower on the left side of Insatious' star destroyer. This was advantageous for primarily two reasons. It allowed Chaussidier to keep the Nima II's weakened left side away from direct attack. It also meant that the weapons mounted on the right side of the Sith vessel would be idle which reduced its effective firepower. In the initial stages of the battle, the Cabecou battle group would stay at a longer range while the Nima II sped on ahead to close the distance with its target.

 

[Zoraya Ives-Ayres]

Her isolation had forced some introspection into her own life, much against her will. In the earlier days of her imprisonment, it had troubled her much more but after a while the thoughts had grown more numb until they didn't bother her anymore. It wasn't like she expected to make it out alive so what did they matter?

She lay flat on her back, staring blankly at the light above her, waiting for the continuation of the routine that she had come to learn over the past few weeks... or months - she wasn't sure. She had not grown numb to the nightmares, though they did allow for a degree of predictability at times, only because she always expected the worst to happen.

She didn't know how long it had been since she had spoken to another person but it was long enough to inflict harm on her wellbeing, but that was the least of her worries. It was just one factor among many which compounded to create a personal purgatory.

There was an odd, almost ethereal feeling that unsettled her but she didn't react other than spare a few pondering thoughts on the matter. Even with a rudimentary perception of the Force and a desire to avoid it, she could still recognise the inexplicable feeling it caused. Only, all hope had been sapped from her by now so she assumed the worst; not that she could imagine what could be worse.

Darth Insatious Mathieu Brion Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

C O N F R O N T A T I O N
S A K A D I -S I N V A LA -#5​

A -S P A R K -O F -H O P E​

theme​

That rudimentary perception of the Force. That inexplicable feeling. It meant something.

It manifested as the soft touch of fabric against her motionless hand. Accompanied by the scent of lavender, and a head full of hair that mirrored moonlight on a cloudless night, that briefly shielded Zoraya's eyes from the cold, bright light.

"Hello? Zoraya?" The Jedi Master stood bent over her, with hands clasped behind her back. She offered the broken woman a gentle smile as her warm, lilac eyes sought a sign of life. "Please tell me you have not yet given up." Sakadi pleaded. "Where is that defiant Imperial Agent we've all come to know?"

She cocked her head to the side, letting her gaze sweep through the cell. "What a terribly unpleasant place..." Sakadi remarked. After a moment of looking around, the Sephi spoke again - bitterly. Ah well, it's not as if I expected any class from the man who misled my apprentice - but at least a little hospitality would have been nice." She drew herself up to her full five and a half feet, and spun on her heel. "So what do you think? It's about time you left this place, no?" She glanced over her shoulder to the Imperial agent. Her features hardening as she dropped the act. "Get ready. We'll do our utmost to rescue you, but I cannot promise that it'll go smoothly." Sakadi turned to face an empty corner, as if an invisible presence demanded her attention.

With a final glance at the agent, Sakadi uttered her parting words.

"Have hope, Zoraya."

"Hope, and faith in the Force."

Sakadi opened her eyes just in time to see the blue swirls of hyperspace fade in favour of their galaxy's star-dotted black canvas. The louder conversations between bridge personnel had informed her that they were in deep space, somewhere along a side branch of the Rimma Traderoute. It was there that they would confront the dagger-shaped cruisers commanded by perhaps the one person in the galaxy she bore a grudge against.

The Sith Lord by the name of Insatious was not someone she had wanted to engage without caution nor preparation. She had been informed of his perverse and twisted use of the Force. It made him more creature than man, driven by an inevitable and inescapable hunger. Cas had sought out direct confrontations with the Lord in his efforts to stop him. He had forgone the Jedi tenets of patience and knowledge in favour of ending the Lord's carnage. It were those tenets she had readily applied leading up to this confrontation.

Yet she did not feel wholly confident. The order of future events had shifted unexpectedly, providing her with this unforeseen route to confrontation. She had only been able to observe and react, despite wanting to grab hold of an intuited perfect moment to spring into action. Could she still find a shatterpoint in the Force that spelled the Sith's downfall, with a transient future not in her favour?

Sakadi reached for the crystal attached to the cord around her neck. The soft fabric of her tunic that shielded it from prying eyes felt warm to the touch. The artefact brought her a sense of relief. It was the one trick she had up her sleeve against the Sith Lord's more exotic powers.

Her lilac eyes traced the storm of activity on the ship. The bridge of the Nima II was the command center of this battle, and it showed upon arrival. She could sense the anxiety and tension of the crew. But perhaps more interesting was the eye of the storm. The calm and collected Admiral Chaussidier, who made his approach. "We don't know if there are any Sith aboard the ship. Stay on your guard. There will be many casualties today. Both on their side and ours." he said.

"There are, Admiral." Sakadi assured him.

"You have direct access to my comms. Let me know if there are significant developments aboard the ship and if you need assistance." The admiral continued.

She tilted her head ajar and flashed a small smile. "I will try not to be too vocal." Comms were only a one-way route to her. "Admiral. May the Force be with you." She decided to add before departing from the bridge.

Zoraya Ives-Ayres Mathieu Brion Chaussidier Darth Insatious​

 

[Darth Insatious]

Tag: Zoraya Ives-Ayres | Mathieu Brion | Chaussidier | Sakadi Marathi Sinvala | Location: Star Destroyer

The alert sirens went off throughout the entire Star Destroyer only a few seconds after the Nima II and the five frigates of the Cabecou battle group dropped out of hyperspace. While the Nima II had the element of surprise, catching the Star Destroyer off-guard as well as Long-range turbolasers, the Star Destroyer were more than equipped to handle the situation.
The bridge's blast doors opened as quickened heels clicked against the floor. Commander Morr entered the bridge of the Star Destroyer, a young man who had managed to rise quite a bit through the ranks, showing unwavering loyalty and many victories against overwhelming odds. Now a commander and that much wiser and older, he looked to the crew in full alert mode.

"Status" ordered the Morr with a stern commandeering voice.

"ETA 5 minutes before we're in position sir" explained an officer leading the team that controls the direction in which the Star Destroyer would go.
Nodding and looking in another direction on the bridge. "All armaments are active, prime and operating at 100% capacity" spoke the communications officer loudly for the armaments.

"Redirect 70% of our shield to the Port side and keep it there until we get in position then return the shield to its original distribution! And deploy four fighter squadrons!" ordered Commander Morr as he walked with quickened steps over to a holographic table where other officers were inspecting the battle map, to get a sense of the situation on the incoming threat.

It was clear that the Concord ships were gaining on them from a less favourable direction for the Star Destroyer and Concord ships were gaining speed. Despite facing the large Cruiser and five frigates, Morr wasn't deterred from fighting the incoming force as the Star Destroyer had overwhelming firepower.

10 Heavy Turbolaser Turrets, 5 Dual Turbolaser Cannon Turrets, 5 Dual Ion Cannon Turrets, 2 Assault Missile Tubes and 10 Automated Quad Laser Cannon Turrets all fired silently as the bright flash of fire lit up from the port side. the 2 missile tubes launched 8 collective missiles, as 4 assault concussion missiles were locked onto the closest frigate on the right and left of the Nima.

Both the heavy turbolaser turrets and the dual turbolaser cannon turrets packed a frightening punch and could punch through both deflector shields and armour on spaceships with the heaviest defensive layers. However, whereas the heavy turbolaser kept on firing in a two-two punch pattern, firing both barrels at the same time to just hammer down on the enemy ship's shield, the dual turbolaser cannon turrets fired in a one-two punch pattern. The one-two pattern was specifically designed to have the first laser attempt to knock out the shields or heavy armour protecting the target, then have the second laser hit the target itself.

Along with the heavy armaments, rows of automated quad laser cannon turrets each was outfitted with four linked laser cannons fired in rapid succession, hammering even more at the front of the Nima along with some of the closest frigates.

A few seconds after the Star Destroyer engaged the Nima and its frigates, both lateral hangars deployed two of three squadrons of Dominance-class Sith-Imperial Strike Fighter and along with two squadrons of Tuk'ata-class Sith-Imperial Interceptor to fully engage with the enemy.

The battle of the Kathol sector went on in full swing while the interior of the Star Destroyer was on high alert as everyone rushed to their battle stations. Meanwhile, Zoraya wouldn't feel a thing of what was happening as her soundless room completely cut her off from everything around her.

"What are the bloody odds of getting attacked out in the middle of nowhere?" Asked Roan his friend in disbelief as they both ran past the blast door, that lead to the prison, again. "Beats me, I was about to write to my wife during my break and then some assholes decided to attack and cut it short" commented Lars annoyingly, equipping his helmet like his friend as they both headed for debriefing.

 

[Chaussidier]

The Dread Experiment​

The gunners were at the ready. The Selkath communications officer stood with his hands by the panel, ready to give the signal when ordered. But the order would not come quite yet. Instead Chaussidier waited. The first volley could make a crucial difference in any battle. While he did not expect the Sith vessel to last long against the detachment he had brought, he still wanted to minimise the damage that it could cause before it was neutralised.

Soon, the Star Destroyer would launch its first barrage. The elderly Admiral watched as it came towards the Nima II as she had just entered effective range. Meanwhile the Concord crewmen held their fire and focused solely on finding their targets. A task which would become harder as some of the heavy turbolaser bolts impacted. The entirety of the large cruiser rumbled while massive explosions could be seen by its frontal sections. Watching from the bridge, Chaussidier knew that the first casualties of the battle had now occurred. Seemingly unphased, he looked to the communications officer. ""

"Launch five squadrons to screen against theirs."

"Yes, Admiral" the Selkath responded as he forwarded the order to the flight officers.

"And send Burra One and Two. One to secure the front and Two to secure the rear."

"Copy that" the Selkath spoke as his subordinate officer forwarded the order to the two Burra pilots. While the main bulk of the fighters quickly engaged those of their foes, the Burras would go ahead of and behind the Sith vessel to lay out a field of mines. The goal here was not to damage the ship, but rather to limit its movement.

The Concord detachment neared the Zbroodica-class vessel at a rapid rate. Since the Cabecou squadron had kept more distance to the Sith ship than the Nima II, it was possible for all missiles sent their way to be neutralised, seeing as how the powerful point defence systems of both the Nima II and the Ibbot-class frigates could all work to deal with the thread. Still, it was abundantly clear that the firepower of the Sith ship was increasingly straining as the distance closed between them.

"Fire at selected targets on my mark" Chaussidier signalled to the officer what his next order was going to be. Once more, everyone returned to ready positions as the battle between the fighters raged on outside.

"Now" barely a second after the word was uttered, a hailstorm of death and destruction would start to rain down against the Star Destroyer. If observant, one would notice that most of the well-aimed shots were heading towards the enemy's weapons systems and in particular, the heavy turbolasers.

Pathing himself into the captain of the Gouda and leader of the Cabecou battlegroup, Chaussidier gave one quick order before closing the connection "Captain, target the bridge"

As the five frigates' fire shifted towards the bridge of the Star Destroyer, Chaussidier would initiate the next phase of the battle. "Have the ACP target their internal communications and shut all blast doors. We won't be needing them."

"Yes, Admiral!" the Selkath officer responded quickly, his tone more worked up than earlier. Soon, the cybernetic warfare suites of the Concord vessels would start to target the internal systems of the ship they were attacking. If successful, the onboard communications would be filled with white noise while the doors inside would be sealed and locked.

"Five more squadrons. They will escort the transports. Launch when ready"

***​

Mathieu boarded an Argalothian transport. Its cramped interior and small viewport made it an utterly unpleasant ship to travel in. Hopefully, its functionality would make up for it.

Soon, a wave of Concord fighters, traditional transport ships and Argalothians would emerge from the many hangars of the Nima II. The fighters served as a spearhead as the vulnerable transports barreled through the battlefield on their way towards the target. The traditional transports would head towards the hangars of the targeted ship for a traditional boarding - very much helped by the sealed blast doors limiting their opponents' capacity to shift resources to defend selected points. The Argalothians would do something far less conventional.

Mathieu looked out over the shoulder of the pilot and saw how they were heading straight towards the top of one of the turbolasers that had not yet been destroyed. Despite being well aware of how the transport worked, it was still a terrifying experience. Soon, they crashed into the head of the turret and made a deep dent. Then, they turned on the drill, burrowing through the turret, past its armour plating and into its interior.

When they made it into a wide corridor, the pilot checked the crude transport's sensors It's safe. It meant that the Argalothian was blocking oxygen from escaping through the hole it had just made and that they could exit. And so they did. Hopping out first, Mathieu ignited his sabre. Nobody was truly hoping that they would be able to capture the Star Destroyed - but at the very least, they would aim to grab whatever sensitive information they could from it while also removing it from action.

 

[Zoraya Ives-Ayres]

Pensive Post #2

Darth Insatious Mathieu Brion Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Darth Insatious]

Tag: Zoraya Ives-Ayres | Mathieu Brion | Chaussidier | Sakadi Marathi Sinvala | Location: Star Destroyer

The emptiness of the void around the larger ships was lit up at both sides' fighters as the nimble vessels engaged in combat. The absolute carnage of an epic proportion was exchanged between the Concord and Imperial fighters, both sides seemingly going toe to toe with one another. Leaning over the holographic battle map with hands on the metallic edge, Commander Morr studied the enemy's larger ships. It was clear they opted for close-quarter fighting by keeping the Star Destroyer in a difficult position.

While the rear of the Star Destroyer wasn't nearly as decked out in armament, the Burras would still face a couple of Dual Ion Cannon Turrets firing rapidly at the Starfighters

"Deploy countermeasures!" Ordered Morr, hoping it was not too late upon seeing the focused fire upon the ship's heavy turbolasers. Luckily the countermeasures managed to be deployed to protect most of the heavy turbolasers due to the redirection of 70% of the shield to the port side. Despite the countermeasures, the impact still sent a ripple effect through the ship.

"Deploy our Jurgoran-class Sith-Imperial Bomber along with the last Dominance-class Sith-Imperial Strike Fighter, and have the Dominance-class deploy a defensive position around the bombers and target the Nima II's propulsion!" directed Morr, which then was redirected to the pilots at the hanger right before the ACP attempted to attack the internal communications and shut all blast doors. Not having much in terms of combating cyber warfare, it didn't take long before the internal communication was nothing but static noise. The shutting of all blast doors to the bridge came as quite a surprise as one of the communication officers literally had to yell to Morr, "Cyberware attack, we're locked out".

On any other ship, this would have been a devastating strike against the chain of command, but with cut down on crew complements, allowed the reduced crew to command larger portions of the warship without having to rely heavily on the chain of command as other vessels. However, the lockdown of the door to the bridge was a minor annoyance.

To further annoy the Commander, they had apparently gotten some unwelcome guests, but because of the blasted cyberware attack, the bridge was unable to direct a response. The only thing they could hope was that other areas on the ship near the breach could alert the rest of the ship.

Deploying further countermeasures against the frigates' firing at the bridge. It was obvious that the Star Destroyer was outgunned and outmanned. Having to actually walk instead of using the communication on the bridge, Commander Morr commanded the Star Destroyer to perform a rather uniquely manoeuvre noticing how fast the Frigates and Cruiser came at them.

Without hesitation, the crew put the order into motion and the next thing Chaussidier witnessed was a sudden dip from the Star Destroyer. Compare to the rapid rate the Frigates and Cruiser had to gain into close quarter firing, the Star Destroyer had kept a reasonable speed before the attack. While the turning rate was slow, the Star Destroyer had managed to turn its nose at the Concord ships on top of aiming at getting below the trajectory of the Frigates and Cruiser, opening up their hull below to the full armament of the Star Destroyer.

***​

As Mathieu and Sakadi exited the Argalothian transport, they appeared in a relatively empty hallway with a red warning siren going off around them. The Argalothian's impact, while getting them inside the Star Destroyer, completely shut off the corridor behind them due to the large drill in the front.

Spanning maybe ten or twenty meters long before they could see Imperial soldiers rushing to check out what had made such a loud impact, only to see the intruders. It was a small group of five men, but four of them immediately opened fire, while the fifth raised his wrist. "Intruders at sector 225E, requesting backup immediately!" Requested the fifth soldier, before joining his men behind the limited cover in the corridor. Looking past the firing soldiers, Sakadi and Mathieu would find a t-intersection, one route leading them in the general direction of the bridge, propulsion and many more areas, while the other way would lead them in the general direction of many crew compartments, prison wing and many armaments engaged with the ships. However, it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine both ways would have turbolift and other ways to get up and down the Star Destroyer.

Strangely enough, neither of them was able to pinpoint the Lord and owner of the Star Destroyer, however, there were multiple corrupted signatures of Cas Tynen in the Force all around them. It was clear that there were clones on the ship.

 

[Chaussidier]

The Dread Experiment​

The battle raged on. Despite the closer ranged barrage that the Concord vessels had produced, the shields of the Sith vessel had proved to be efficient. While morally bankrupt, nobody could deny the skill of their engineers and ship designers. Still, anyone with insight in naval engagement could see that it was just a matter of time before the overwhelming firepower Chaussidier's detachment brought would start punch through the shields of the enemy. The main guns of the Nima II kept focusing on the heavy turbolasers while the five Ibbots of the Cabecou battlegroup maintained a constant barrage on the Sith vessel's bridge. Meanwhile, the boarding operation appeared to be a success - some losses were inevitable but the five escort squadrons had kept the casualties low. The enemy commander's choice not to target them was also helpful.

Managing to hide his dismay well, the Selkath communication's officer spoke "Admiral, they-"

Chaussidier raised his arm and pointed his palm to the officer 'stop'. He had noticed the first Burra by the Zbroodica's rear going down himself. The report was not necessary and there were more urgent concerns that had to be handled. Primarily, the emergence of a bomber and its escorting fighter. Fortunately, the escort fighters were now freed of their duties - seeing as how the transports had made it to their destination. "Bring Escort squadron 1, 2 and 3 to intercept the bomber. Escort squadron 4 and 5 shall loiter. Have them make runs on the remaining turbolasers but shift to intercept Sith craft coming in and out of their hangars."

Quick to readjust, the communications officer forwarded the Admiral's order to flight command. It was clear that Escort 4 and 5 were put at great risk from hostile point defences - but with their communications cut, the enemy fighters heading home for repairs, refuels and restocking their munitions were bound to be caught at a disadvantage, making it plausible to believe that the rewards outweighed the risks.

With the press of a button, Chaussidier patched himself in to the comms of the Captain and leader of the Cabecou battlegroup "Captain, I need the Gouda to shift away from targeting their bridge and help with point defence targeting the bomber if it gets close."

The Captain barely had the chance to confirm that the order was received and understood when they all saw the nose of the hostile Star Destroyer starting to fall. Chaussidier spoke to the Captain once more "The Mahon, bring it down on an intercept course. Continue to concentrate firepower."

"Understood, Admiral" the Captain responded quickly.

"Chaussidier, out." What followed was a bold move from one of the frigates from the Cabecou battlegroup. A scan of its internal processes would reveal that it shifted much of its power from its weapons towards its shields as it entered an intercept course with the Sith vessel. Although the Mahon was significantly smaller than the opponent it was intercepting, it would - combined with the firepower from the rest of the fleet - serve as a good roadblock to limit the movements of their foes. Meanwhile, the surviving Burra was pursuing the Zbroodica to lay mines behind it.

The lower altitude of the Sith vessel meant that all of its cannons on the upper half would be able to fire. But it also meant that the weapons batteries on the lower half would be useless. Furthermore, with 70% of its shields shifted to the port side, it would now be particularly vulnerable from the attacks raining down from above. 'Impact sites' of Argalothian transports would be visible across the enemy ship. It was bound to weaken its structural integrity overall but it also meant that it was going to be infiltrated by Concord Marines. While outnumbered, the battle hardened boarders were nimble, well-coordinated and had functioning coms. Much unlike that of their enemies. If left unchecked, the squads were tasked with downloading information from data consoles and other system interfaces as well as planting explosives across the ship.

***​

It was uncomfortable. Had never truly managed to process the fact that Cassie had fallen. It was strange to have a person, a friend, be alive but also gone. The ship and its crew reminded him of how that eerie sensation - for on the one hand, he could sense what felt so much like Cassie - but on the other, it was abominable and corrupted. While processing and reflecting might have been the better long term options, he had only had time, energy and capacity to work through it so far.

Mathieu and the other boarders would hear the Selkath communications' officer's voice over the comms "It seems like we've been able to take out their comms and isolated the bridge. Exploit it if you can. Stay vigilant." The attackers acknowledged the information in silence - primarily due to the nature of the information.

Unfortunately, a team of Imperials had stumbled on the boarding party that Mathieu was part of. The one who called for backup didn't disturb him in lieu of what the officer had just informed them of. With one swift motion, the large Knight drew his sabre and ignited it. Immediately, he got to work deflecting bolts, both for himself and his allies behind him. Having spent much of his training focusing on the third form of lightsabre combat, it was something which he felt particularly comfortable with. "Return fire! I'll push on ahead."

With most, if not all, Concord Marines protected behind the Jedi's valiant defence, it was likely that it was just a matter of time before they would be triumphant - for it meant that they could shoot their enemies while their enemies had a hard time shooting them. Meanwhile, Mathieu advanced carefully and thus steadily making sure that he covered a wider area behind him. If there were still anyone left by the time he arrived at the enemy frontlines, he would start to cut them down.

Once safe, he would point towards the more populated area "That way! There's no point in going to the bridge." he said, knowing that Chaussidier's fleet may very well blow it - and its crew - up.

 

[Zoraya Ives-Ayres]

With no future or hope to cling onto, she spent a lot of her time reliving the past which was where she soon realised the years of pent up anger behind the memories, from being forced from her war-torn planet to being bullied at the academy, there was an insurmountable number of people upon whom she had wished revenge but it all seemed so insignificant now from within the four walls of the room that had become her purgatory...

*****
​

The floorboards above her creaked under the weight of the soldier acting on behalf of his Sith overlords. A neighbour had betrayed the family in an attempt to spare their own life, revealing the family's identity but most damningly their connection to the Force.

There was no time to run, only to hide. Being the smallest, she was able to fit in the small space under the floor of the living room while her elder cousins hid elsewhere. Her parents didn't attempt to hide but they stayed to fight and divert the invaders, to give their family a chance to escape, but to no avail.

Zoraya held her breath as the soldiers drew closer and she made no sound as blasterfire rung out above her, the light illuminating the dark space beneath the floor for a brief moment before it fell silent again following the sound of a heavy thud which shook the floor.

Soon, she could hear the voices of her cousins and expected that she would be next but the long seconds turned into minutes and the sound of footsteps grew distant until they returned several hours later. Only this time, they were accompanied by the familiar voice of her elderly neighbour who was investigating the household once it was safe to do so.

Zoraya pushed on the floorboards above her and pulled herself out of the hiding place with the help of the woman who pulled the girl into a comforting hug before immediately taking her hand and almost pulling her out into the deserted street. "Don't look back." She instructed.

The girl didn't need to look back. She knew what she would see.

*****​

After years of being ostracised by her peers, she had become accustomed to her own company. The xenophobia ran deep within the principles of the academy and she was no exception. Mocked for her appearance, she had quickly become targeted by one overzealous recruit who seemed to have something to prove.

There had always been an underlying rivalry between recruits, partly pertaining to the ID system which ranked all ISB members according to their position in the branch's hierarchy. A little competition was healthy but some people were overzealous. There was little camaraderie among the group where many were distrustful of each other - none more so than Zoraya.

It was difficult to say who started it: Val for throwing the first punch or Zoraya for inciting such a reaction. The crowd of recruits that had gathered around them quickly alerted the overseeing officers to the commotion.

"Stand back!" One of the officers commanded, immediately prompting a channel to open within the crowd that had formed. He marched in and roughly pulled Zoraya off of the woman she had pinned beneath her while the second officer pulled Val back on her feet and escorted the pair away from prying eyes.

Their stunt had cost them. Even when acting in self-defence, she was still an aggressor, so despite being only weeks away from graduation, the young women remained at the academy for a further year to 'learn self-discipline' as the officer who handed them their judgement proclaimed.

*****
​

In the years following graduation, she remained disgruntled about her experiences but was able to find some solace in her line of work. It was perhaps misguided to believe the Empire was the most realistic solution to finding the protection that she believed people were entitled to.

The Empire was not afraid to make difficult decisions, making them more effective than the passive Jedi. Only, she failed to see that the wars waged by the Empire were not so different from the wars she escaped. Both were wars for sovereignty, only under different regimes, but her skewed views had led to her undermining the faults of the Empire.

It had taken years but the cracks were beginning to show.

Darth Insatious Mathieu Brion Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

C O N F R O N T A T I O N
S A K A D I -S I N V A LA -#5​

Sakadi held on tightly to the safety harness that was supposed to absorb the transport's impact. She had gone through this process countless times, yet she had never been able to reign in the rush of adrenaline and the tension that came with it. In a way, it was funny. Jedi Master Sinvala could stand valiantly and fearlessly against the Dark Side. Yet a metal husk rocketing through space made her worried to the point of feeling sick.

The telltale sound of metal rupturing metal, as well as the serious risk of whiplash announced their arrival. Sakadi, still somewhat dazed and shaken, was the last to exit the transport. Setting foot on the dagger-shaped coffin didn't quite make those feelings fade either. It was the effect of the Dark side churning around her, resisting her presence. Fortunately, that was an age old enemy she knew how to beat. Sakadi sunk deeper in the rejuvenating waters of the Force, allowing her ailments to dissipate. It was a warm touch she spread to her allies, shielding mind and body from the corrupting influences of the Dark side.

She almost had trouble keeping up with the quick stride of the boarding party, but still found a way to make her own quick march look calm and collected. "It seems like we've been able to take out their comms and isolated the bridge. Exploit it if you can. Stay vigilant." Her comlink buzzed. "Let's try to use that chaos to our advantage." Sakadi remarked. "They'll have a harder time pinning us down if we keep moving quickly." The time it would take for the Sith forces to get their back-up systems running was incredibly valuable to their operation. It felt like a gift of the Force.

One that turned around just as quickly when a small team of Imperials came upon their route. Mathieu's blue blade came alive in a blaze of glory, and Sakadi immediately fell in line beside him. The whirling lightsabers made it a one-sided affair, ending the encounter as swiftly as it had begun.

The hallway brought them to an intersection with displayed directions. The aurabesh letters of the holographic signs flickered as the cruiser shuddered under another barrage of Concord fire. Say what you will about Sith and Imperials. But one can't deny the pleasant side of their efficiency. She thought, staring at the directions.

"That way! There's no point in going to the bridge." Sakadi remained standing in the intersection, the rush of the Concord Marines' movement gently tugging at her cloak.

One of the marines slowed down and turned to address her. "Master Sinvala? Are you not coming?" Deep in contemplation, the Sephi did not answer. "Master Sinvala?"

"No. Please go on without me." She finally said.

"Then where will you be going?"

She pointed a lavender finger at the reflective black panels of the floor below her. "Down." The tactual manuals of the Order's greater Battlemasters she had once read noted that in enclosed fights, most casualties happened in doorways, stairs, or elevators. With the lightsaber-wielding clones afoot, Sakadi decided to bore her own passage and skip over those parts.

Her lightsabers ignited in a flashes of white and lime green, the blades shooting down in the floor below her with a gentle flick of her hand. The blades, propelled and guided by her telekinetic control over the Force, cut a perfect circle around her. The ring of molten metal hissed as it made a last-ditch effort to keep the floor intact. A moment she took to wave goodbye to the Marine.

Then it burst through, dropping her fast enough to make her guts lurch. She had to remind herself that her joints only had a century of use in them, as her metal platform crashed down on the next level. The two lightsabers kept spinning, cutting through the next floors. Sometimes she was met by stray blaster bolts searing past her. At other times, just wide-eyed faces in shock. Sakadi counted thirteen levels before her sabers struck a floor too thick to cut through.

She stepped off her platform, having arrived in a nefarious long-winded hallway that reminded her somewhat of the personal quarters of a B'omarr monastery. Imperial efficiency. Unmatched. She remined herself once again, as she stared at the minimalist cold hallway. There was another hint of familiarity to the place. Or rather, the shape of the doors. It dawned on her that she had traced those from Zoraya's memory. Had she reached their destination already?

But first, there was the chaos behind her to deal with.

Sakadi glanced over her shoulder, staring straight at a dozen blaster-rifle barrels. No doubt more would follow, considering she had left quite a clear path for the Sith Forces to follow.

"Maybe I should thank the Force." The snarl of the distorted but familiar voice made a chill run down her spine. "For giving me the chance to cut off your wretched head." Sakadi stared blankly at the mirror-image of her former apprentice behind the defensive line of the wardens.

Sakadi fully turned. Calm and collected, with her chin raised high in slight contempt, she replied. "You've got his hairstyle all wrong." The green and white lightsabers whirled to life.

Zoraya Ives-Ayres Darth Insatious Mathieu Brion

 

[Darth Insatious]

Tag: Zoraya Ives-Ayres | Mathieu Brion | Chaussidier | Sakadi Marathi Sinvala | Location: Star Destroyer

Ever since Zoraya had become a permanent residence on board the zBroodica-class Star Destroyer, used for little more than to be experimented on had turned into such a monotonist life of hopelessness. In fact, the real break from her waking monotony was the neverending nightmares every other day. She rarely experienced the same nightmares more than once or twice with the only exception of one thing or entity, the entity was of an all-black suit, a complete faceless head except for the empty eye socket. Despite having different nightmares, Zoraya could always expert to be hunted by this entity, carrying a sickle as the choice of tool for torture.

Each nightmare, Zoraya faced him she either ran and was chased, or face the neverending story of her getting tortured. But one thing was certain, she would feel. Every. Single. Painful. Cut done to her body as she would find herself on the same metal table, strapped with no means of escape without the sweet knowledge of waking up after passing out from bloodlust.

However, for the last couple of days, the nightmares had dulled as she would relive memories of her life, good and bad. Each dulled nightmarish memory, she would notice the bane of her capture, the Sith Lord in the distance... just... watching. If she would try to reach the Sith Lord, she would never manage to, as he felt more like an unreachable shadow.

Zoraya wouldn't receive any more nightmares as the minor annoyance of an attack disrupted the final stage of the experience, causing Lord Insatious to leave the observation deck a level above the prison. Entering the hallway, the absolutely deliciously signatures in the Force hit him like a truck. That sweet nectar of unimaginable light was enough to make one mad with a ravenous craving for life. Sakadi Marathi Sinvala 's signature with the light completely overwhelmed Mathieu Brion 's own signature in the force, almost making Insatious' insatiable hunger for life and energy blind to Mathieu.

For just a brief second, the Sith Lord wanted to find the Jedi Master and feed on her life force, her very tethered soul to the Force, and yet, all the life out doing their little battle in the empty void were a chance he was unwilling to let go. More and more guards passed their Lord, heading toward the intruders, Insatious on the other hand? With two Death Troopers flanking him, headed in the direction of the bridge and his own personal chamber.

Standing in front of a large blast door, heavy with reinforced metal, wide enough for a two-person entering shoulder to shoulder, Insatious entered the chamber, an interior completely different from the rest of the sterile metal on the rest of the ship. First of all, the floor was of stone with a light brown texture to them. The walls had integrated runes and runic-like patterns spanning the entire room.
The ceiling had a similar texture as the floor as it was also built with stone, in fact, the entire room was built with this particular stone type. Each corner of the 60 by 60-sized room had large statues cut in stone to look as if they were forced to hold up heavy pillars for the room. The only furniture in the large room was 4 stone benches, one at each wall a few feet from the walls themselves.
On the opposite side of the main door, was a door like the first leading to a deeper area of this off-brand chamber, built on the Star Destroyer.

With the Death Troopers flanking the blast door Insatious had entered, the Sith Lord found himself alone in the square-shaped chamber. Closing his eyes under his weather-grey hood, the Sith Lord dropped his concealment in the Force and by so, his elderly flesh as the black-cloaked Sith Lord stood in his full might, mask and all.

Both Sakadi Marathi Sinvala and Mathieu Brion would feel their presence in the Light get challenged by unimaginable dreadful darkness as the Lord of Hunger himself pained the Force itself with his corrupted presence.

The power was truly overwhelming as Insatious' insatiable aura spread like cancer from his position, casting a shadow of terror over the entire Star Destroyer.

Standing in the centre of the chamber, Insatious opened his palms as sickly purple mist caressed his gloved hands. Raising his hands, aiming directly toward the fighting in space, the purple energy just started to spread outwards from his palms.

******​

The fighting was not working well for the Imperials and neither for the Star Destroyer, despite punctuating the larger Concord ship. Matter-of-factly, Morr saw little hope but to trust in his Lord. Despite taking out many enemy fighters, there were just too many overwhelming fighters for it to be an equal fight as the last bomber was shot to smithereens by the concord starfighters.

But then something strange happened. Chaussidier would start to get feedback of painful screams from more and more of his pilots engaged with the Imperials, which was odd given how his side was getting closer and closer to a victory. Then life signs started to blimp out, on the battle screen, not just from Chaussidier's side, but from the Imperial's side as well. It was as if every single life form engaged in the dog fight didn't exist anymore, wiped from the face of the galaxy as one by one pilots disappeared.

The only thing, if Chaussidier had looked out the window, was strange lights leaving the starfighters engaged with each other, only then for the lights to get pulled towards the Star Destroyer close to where the bridge was situated. Both Mathieu and Sakadi and even Zoraya would feel a massive amount of life forms in the shape of the star pilot's life force were removed from their bodies.

In an immense, almost imposing sense of dread, the amount of strength in Insatious' aura in the Dark Side of the Force increased to a frightening level as he fed on the very souls of both Concord and Imperial pilots alike.

******​

Meanwhile, Morr and the other personnel on the bridge both couldn't believe what they saw on the battle map, but also how their own pilots disappeared as well. For once in his life, Morr was unsure what to do as he just stared at the blips slowly by surely disappearing. "Sir?" Asked one of the lower-ranked officers, attempting to get an order out of his commanding officer.

"I-I..." was the only thing Morr spoke for several seconds before he managed to snap out of his shocked trance of dread over the lost and continuing loss of his pilots. "Redirect fire on one of the smaller ships!" ordered Morr, having gained back some sense of command.

Commander Morr knew the risk and hardened his focus, "good soldiers follow orders."

******​

Leading the Concord men, Mathieu would quickly find more soldiers standing in their way, firing at them. However, it wasn't just average Imperial soldiers, but two clones of Cadere , clad in their grey and brown robe with gold embroidered at the bottom of the sleeves and robe itself, along with white embroidered patterns running along the edges and bottom in the back of the robe. The two clones standing at the forefront of the guards, parrying and directing any shots back with their crimson Lightsaber, also wore a skull-like mask resembling Insatious' own mask.

"Was hoping to kill his Master, but I guess we can decapitate his friend instead and present it as a gift for our father" spoke one of the clones with a sickly grin behind his mask. With a flurry of attacks, the two clones went at Mathieu, quickly flanking him while the Imperials engaged the Concord soldiers.

******​

Twirling his blade once, lips curled into a twisted snarl at that comment. "I'm the improvement and I'm going to serve your head on a silver platter!" Yelled the clone, clearly not taking the critic well of not looking exactly like Cas Tynen or better by non-other than Cas' former teacher and Master. With a blinding rage, the clone dashed at Sakadi with his crimson blade and the guards following suit and opening fire on Sakadi.

******​

Meanwhile Sakadi's little duel-fighting, another clone slowly appeared in front of Zoraya's cell with two Death Troopers flanking him. Deactivating the forcefield, the clone entered the cell while the Death Troopers stood guard, flanking the door. "Quite the party out there, all of it just for your honour" began the clone, crossing his arms. Lowing his arms, "of course, they're too late now... Father has what he wanted" explained the clone with a sickly satisfied smirk.

Reaching out with his hand, Zoraya was lifted into the air and slammed roughly against the wall with the Force and held there. "Do you hear that?" Asked the clone as the muffled sounds of Sakadi getting engaged by guards and another clone. "Your little rescue party will be gutted and you will never again know the sense of freedom, little bird." explained the clone smugly at Zoraya.

 

[Chaussidier]

The Dread Experiment​

The Imperials were outmanned, outgunned and outmanoeuvred. Their vessel had not collided with the Mahon and the area behind it had turned into a minefield. Above it, the bulk of the Concord forces continued to rain down fire, particularly targeting its weapons systems - threatening to inevitably break through the shields and deal some real damage. While a large portion of the fighters had been pulled back, a plurality was engaged with the Sith fighters. One would be a fool to underestimate the skill of their pilots or the quality of their ships. Fortunately, the Concord pilots had both numbers and experience on their side.

A demoralising feeling of death on a large scale suddenly hit the elderly Admiral. Usually, he would see past the actual lives being lost during a battle. It was important to be focused and objective when it mattered - mourning was for a later stage. This, however, made it nigh on impossible to do so as it was quite palpable how the fighter pilot's were being killed in quick succession. For a moment, a pained and distraught expression appeared across his wrinkled features as his mind quickly worked to look past the fates of those who served under him. What mattered was saving those who remained.

Working together with his bridge staff, Chaussidier analysed the situation. En eerie purple mist-like energy had spread from the bridge-area of the Zbroodica bridge and enveloped the entirety of the space in which the dogfight took place. Those within it had all died as ships from both sides now appeared to have lost their pilots. Their deaths, while not instantaneous, were quick. The strange light that came from the starfighters travelled back towards the same point of origin by the bridge. Both the mist and the returning lights appeared to come straight through the Zbroodica's structure itself and was not projected through some kind of barrel. Chaussidier patched himself through to the entire fleet, reaching the bridges of all ships within the Cabecou battlegroup, the boarders as well as the remaining fighter pilots that were either making attack runs on the enemy vessel or loitering defensively around the Nima II. "They are likely attacking us through the force. Fleet: Evade the purple mist if it approaches you. It seems to kill whatever life forms it touches. The Nima II will shift fire onto their bridge to break their force user's concentration. Boarding parties: Upload whatever information you have. Plant the explosives. We need to get you out of there on the double."

With that, most of the Concord marines stopped trying to push further into the ship. Tech specialists started to upload information they had come across from various data terminals while demolitionists started planting explosives by the nearest structural weak point. The remainder of the squads would provide cover and start working on their exit strategy, still relying heavily on their opponents' lack of communications.

The Nima II did just what Chaussidier had ordered. The already strained shields of the Zbroodica were put under more pressure as yet another barrage rained down, this time all concentrated to where Insatious was assumed to be. Meanwhile, the Cabecou battlegroup continued their attacks which still targeted the warship's weapons. With the devastating blow to the fighter force, the remaining squadrons did their utmost to either stay defensively around the Nima II and Gouda or making increasingly aggressive attack runs against the Zbroodica. While the Concord ships had the Sith vessel boxed in previously, they were now once more on the move - no longer to gain better attack angles but instead to spread out and create distance from the seemingly deadly mist. The Mahon's captain made a risky manoeuvre - so far, the Concord fleet had managed to make sure that only parts of the Zbroodica's weapons systems could be used at the same time. In this case, it was only the top-mounted weapons that could be used. The Mahon sped further down to go under the larger Sith vessel. This meant that it would be exposed to much firepower but it also meant that it would be harder to target by the mist.

***​

Mathieu had noticed that Sakadi was no longer with them. Normally, he would be concerned for a person who had gone off on their own. In this case, however, he was more concerned for himself and the marines who no longer enjoyed the same level of protection from Sakadi.

The ride down the turbolift was quiet. There was a palpable lack of music in the Imperial elevators. Something which made the large Morellian's gasp upon feeling the presence of Insatious all the more noticeable to the marines. Where he had previously felt a multitude of force presences similar to that of Cassie, a greater presence now seemed to overwhelm his senses. While many Sith lords gave a feeling of anger, bitterness and rage, this one felt more like an endless pit of craving. Whether it was greed, lust or hunger was hard to tell but it was certainly hard to ward against its impacts on Mathieu's own emotional state. Looking to the soldier next to him, Mathieu shook his head "We need to hurry up"

As soon as the turbolift doors opened, the young Morellian's eyebrows shot up. With Insatious' overwhelming presence, detecting the two clones had been hard. Still, there they stood. The blue lightsabre ignited once more as he rushed out from the turbolift. The marines spread out behind him and returned fire on the Imperials. Mathieu was quickly put on the defensive as both clones produced a flurry of attacks. At first, Mathieu focused solely on defence. It was only through active footwork that he managed to produce an opening for himself to also counter attack. Mostly, he produced wide slashes to catch both the clones' blades. While the slashes may not have had the greatest chance of avoiding being blocked, it was a good way to regain some momentum.

Upon another instance of having all three sabres locked, the three of them could probably all feel the massive loss of life outside. The large Jedi pushed himself back to create some distance so that he could take in what was happening. He would only be given a few brief moments before the two Sith beings attacked once more. Meanwhile, Chaussidier's voice could be heard in his earpiece. While fighting off the clones, Mathieu spoke to the marines "Ready concussive grenades. We need to disengage. If we can get to the bridge, we might be able to distract him if the Nima's barrage doesn't work"