Dominion The Mines of Silence | THR Dominion of Kenari

[Inez]

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Objective 1 - The Mines of Silence
C A V E R N S
Allies: Aiden Porte Roman Vossari Raylin Fall Verity Suun
Foes: Scour Torn Eskol

Blasterfire still tore through the air, hot streaks of red searing past as Inez pressed herself low, the scent of ozone and dust filling her lungs. Her gaze swept the chaos until it caught on a flash of movement behind the half-collapsed crate.

Roman.

He was hunched there, frozen stiff in that sort of stillness that wasn't born of discipline but the kind born of terror. His eyes were wide, unfocused, and the tremor in his hands told her everything. The quick-tongued redhead who couldn't shut up was gone. What remained was someone fighting ghosts.

A shadow moved behind him. A Twi'lek enforcer, blaster raised.

Inez didn't think. Two shots, quick and clean, cracked through the chamber. The first hit center mass. The second dropped him where he stood. The echo of the shots faded into the hiss of smoke.

"Hey! Hey!" she called as she closed the distance, dropping to one knee beside Roman. Her blaster swept once more across the dark, covering their flank before she turned her attention fully on him.

"Come on, Dream, I need you to focus," she urged in that sharp, commanding tone that had an edge of nobility to it. There was no time for fear. No time for care.

A gloved hand caught his chin and tilted his face toward her with quick, firm pressure.

"Roman." Inez snapped out, slicing through the noise. "Focus. Look at me."

She held his gaze, refusing to let him drift. "I need your help. We need to find Kalantha. You with me?"

 

[Verity Suun]

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OBJECTIVE I
Equipment: Seraph Eques III Armor, Igneus Gladius IV Weapon
Allies: Aiden Porte | Roman Vossari | Raylin Fall | Inez
Hostiles: Scour | Torn Eskol

The heavy boots came to a stand still as Aiden signaled for the group to stop. Admiral Suun's weapon snapped parallel with the ground as Aiden's barrier appeared. Interesting technique. His concern for their safety went unheeded, but the opportunity to shift back into carbine mode was not missed. A scattergun had been useful in case they stumbled upon an enemy around a corner; with them being at distance it only made sense to adopt a more effective tactical posture.

Raylin and the Pathfinders found purpose in assaulting those ahead. Their loud cries were not unwelcome. As one that wore the Imperium's armor a flashy entrance to strike fear and Knowing into the hearts and minds of the enemy was a time-honored tradition. There was no need to cloak their approach in darkness. They had the stars themselves on their side.

Aiden took a side route as Roman and Inez pushed forward. The Knight Commander's attention swung from the Jedi's back to the direction of the doors he'd suggested a captive might be on the other side.

The thunder of the Admiral's carbine cannon filled the tunnels as she leveled the barrel at enemies that sought to overrun their team. Her steps were slow, but steady with little time to seek cover or nimbly evade every shot sent her way; if anything, she tanked the enemy fire while returning her own without hesitation. A few shots grazed weaker areas like the joints, but the numbing sensation was otherwise unremarkable. She'd endured worse.

A wet crack and pop followed the Admiral's armored fist being planted in the face of one of the hostiles. "On your feet, Soldier. Your comrades need you." She brought her arm down on that of another warrior's limb; the grasp of their weapon instantly lifted and it fell unsupported toward the ground. A swift kick to the midsection by the anvil of a boot caused them to lurch upward before they crumpled motionless to the ground. Verity couldn't begin to imagine what haunted Roman -- perhaps Inez was well aware -- but until they got on their feet she'd be their shield from the advance of hostile forces.

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Location: Objective II
Tags: Dominique Vexx

Aurelian glanced sidelong at her. Her words were silk wrapped around steel, and he'd always admired that about Dominique. She had a way of delivering a sharp edge while still making it sound like a compliment.

When he finally looked back at her, the grin was easy and sharp. "Between us, I've no great desire to excel at this whole Chancellor business. My council insists I show my face and say the right things about unity and resolve. I find it all rather dull." He followed up with a lazy, dismissive shrug. "I'm only here because they said I should be. It keeps them quiet."

He didn't mention the real reason he insisted on being stationed close to this cursed planet. That was a complication Dominique didn't need to know.

"If you manage to terraform this rock, claim the glory for Denon. Hang the banners, sell the story, name a crater after yourself for all I care." He waved a hand toward the desolate expanse, as if offering her the planet itself. "I've no interest in stealing your miracle."

Her suggestion about a defensive station drew a different sort of smile from him, smaller and shrewder. "But a listening post…" He tilted his head, studying her with amused respect. "Now that's clever. Denon gets to be the visionary, the Republic gets its watchtower, and we both pretend it was altruism. That's why I like keeping you around, Dominique."

He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial drawl. "That, and you're far better company than Cassian Abrantes and his endless reports about pylons and power grids. Consider yourself a mercy."

Aurelian straightened again, brushing a layer of fine dust from his coat. "Very well. Proceed with your plan. Whatever Denon wants to accomplish here, you have my leave. Just make sure when the historians look back on this miserable rock, they call it your triumph, not mine."

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[Roman Vossari]

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LOCATION: Objective I
TAGS: Inez | Verity Suun

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Roman's breath hitched, each sharp pull a struggle in the thick, choking air. The tunnel warped, the flashing red blaster lights blurring his vision. Then, a sharp, clear sound cut through the chaos.

"Roman." It was Inez's voice.

A gloved hand forced his chin up, bringing her face into focus through the haze. His eyes twitched, trying to grasp the movements, the words. Her tone was steady, commanding, real. Through that voice, the fight clawed its way back to him. Verity's carbine thundered behind them, each shot striking like punctuation in the air, a rhythm of survival. He blinked hard, once, then twice, watching the ghosts bleed out of his vision's edges.

"I..." The word caught. He swallowed, jaw tightening. "I'm fine." It came out hoarse and defensive, too fast. The lie hung between them, but he couldn't dwell on it. Not here, not now.

His eyes darted toward the fallen bodies near the crates, then to Verity, who stood like a wall of iron, holding the line. He couldn't stay here; he couldn't be seen like this. Not by them, not by anyone. Roman looked down at his legs, willing them to move. His fingers twitched, then his knee. The motion felt stiff, forced, but it was enough. He drew a breath tasting of dust and blood, pushing himself up from the crate.

"Need to find Kalantha," he murmured, almost to himself, his gaze fixed past Inez toward the far tunnel. His blaster came up with a shaky but deliberate grip. "For Aiden."

He didn't wait for her answer. He started moving, each step stiff but slowly finding a rhythm. Every instinct screamed at him to keep going, to stay ahead of the noise, ahead of the looks. The blaster fire behind him faded into a low hum. He just needed to move; anything was better than standing still.

 

[Aiden Porte]

Scour
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The crimson bolt shot toward him, cutting through the smoke and dust. Aiden's saber came up in a flash of blue, catching the shot mid-flight and deflecting it into the wall beside him. The explosion of stone and sparks lit his face in a cold, brief flare.

He stepped forward through it, calm and measured, his silhouette steady against the haze. The Force swelled around him, quiet but deep the kind of still power that came from restraint, not rage. His gaze locked on the man before him the, the blade humming with unnatural energy, the unmistakable shroud of the Dark Side that hung over him like smoke.

"The Black Sun seem to be getting desperate." Aiden said evenly, his tone neither mocking nor afraid. "Or are you just another fool who thinks hate makes him strong?"

Aiden closed the distance. The Jedi's movements were measured not the wild flourishes of a duelist, but the controlled rhythm of someone who had fought too many times to waste motion. A series of precise and coordinated strikes launched against Scour, as Republic Soldiers and members of Shiraya's hope pushed past to clear whatever rabble was left. Down in these tunnels.

 

[Cassian Abrantes]

Forward Operating Base
Kenari-One

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A comm tone pinged softly at his wrist. Cassian raised the device a message from orbit, patchy and half-corrupted. The text flickered but the source was clear: Kenari Recon Team – Status Unknown. Contact Lost.

His expression hardened. He keyed the nearest comm tower. "Lieutenant, alert the perimeter patrols. And have the landing pad crew prep a shuttle. I want a search team ready within the next fifteen minutes"

"Understood, sir."

The hum of the generators filled the silence.

He lowered his wrist, looking out toward the horizon beyond the perimeter, the endless, whispering desolate landscape that had already taken too much from too many.

"Kenari." he muttered under his breath.

Then he turned and strode toward the command tent, already getting into his gear and donning his armor to lead the search team out.

"You just couldn't stay quiet, could you?"

Thread Exit

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[Isobel Serraris]

THE MINES OF SILENCE​

Location — Forward Operating Base, Kenari
Objective — Aid the members of the High Republic in setting up their base.
Tags — Taelen Velara / Open
Paraphernalia — Lightsabers

Though there was the light spark of humility to be found in Taelen's words, the state of the outpost dared disagree with him. The place had livened up plenty from the holo-entries and while one may not yet call it lush, the efforts to improve were already made. With a handful of flowers, and driving away the pest that was the Black Sun, this planet may yet prosper once more. "Do not sell yourself short, Taelen, you must have done plenty to get this outpost to where it is now." She reassured, if only she had arrived earlier to aid the High Republic in their efforts. . .

There was little time to ponder on what ifs and what nots... As the mention of planting multiple millaflowers in one spot reached her, Isobel dropped a nervous laugh and shook her head lightly. Recalling her father's sharp warnings: "I would advise against it... Part of why the flower smells so pleasant is the fact it tranquilises your senses, and plant enough together in one place and this increases by tenfold." She tried to explain, having them sparsely around may yet benefit the base, but too many and it would pose a risk. One she preferred not to have on her conscience, and certainly not one she would explain to the ones in charge. With a sharp tug, she moved the red-and-blue flower back to the crate with supplies.

But she could not deny the small blush that reached her when he thanked her and her family. Something that she had never learned to control, unfortunately. "But, yes, we should find a place for them, before we crowd the entire place with medical supplies and what not." The Nabooan quipped in agreement and looked around the landing zone for an entrance to the operating base itself. Currying up the strength to carry the crate once more, before finally doing so.

 

[Sven Halestorm]

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Objective: II - The New Frontier
Location: Kenari Wilderness
Tag: Isla Reingard


Sven listened without interrupting, his expression warm but thoughtful, as though he were less hearing her words and more weighing them gently in the space between them. When she spoke of greatness through strategic avoidance of responsibility, one eyebrow arched in amused resignation. “Ah,” he said lightly, “a prodigy of creative evasion. The archives will have to make room for you.” His tone was dry, but there was fondness in it, humor delivered like a teacher who refused to scold curiosity out of a student simply because it was inconvenient.

When her answer shifted, when real feeling threaded through her voice, his gaze returned to the valley below. He didn’t correct her or brush aside her instinct. Instead, he breathed in the quiet she had noticed. “You’re not imagining it,” he said softly. “The Force doesn’t only speak in serenity. It remembers loss, too. Worlds grieve for what they’ve endured just as people do. And sometimes…” He paused, letting the gold-filtered stillness answer for him. “Sometimes the young notice it first, before routine teaches them not to look.”

He folded his hands loosely behind his back, his posture relaxed but attentive, present in a way few adults ever were with a student outside a lesson hall. “Your teachers aren’t wrong that feeling can tangle you,” he said, gently clarifying rather than dismissing, “but neither are they entirely right. Emotion isn’t the enemy. It’s the current beneath awareness. What matters is whether you drown in it, or learn to ride it.” His eyes shifted to her, soft but steady. “You listened honestly. Most Padawans would have tried to explain the feeling instead of recognizing it.”

When she teased him about riddles, at last, his faint smile returned, familiar, patient, edged in wry good humor. “I don’t speak in riddles,” he replied, as though sharing a small conspiracy with her. “I simply leave room for the answers you haven’t found yet.” He gave a small tilt of his head toward the forest, a subtle invitation to walk again. “Besides, if I said everything outright, I’d rob you of discovery, and you’ve already declared yourself a future great explorer. It would be terribly discourteous of me to outpace you.”

He resumed their pace, the path narrowing into a corridor of soft light and swaying leaves. “Kenari isn’t waiting for something,” he continued gently, “it’s waiting for someone who listens long enough to understand why it waited at all.” He glanced sideways at her, not challenging, but quietly certain. “You’re closer than you think.”

Then, with just enough dryness to remind her he was still perfectly capable of a well-placed barb:
“And for the record, I only sound mysterious because you Mistook focus for brooding. I assure you, if I were truly brooding, you’d know. There would be far more sighing.”

Sigh​

 

[Dominique Vexx]

Objective II​

Aurelian was shrewd, but apparently not inconsolably ambitious. The Chancellorship did not interest him, was it? He found it dull? Well, politics at that level was rarely forgiving and could quickly lead to war between nations being too flippant or disrespectful to others. Undoubtedly not as much 'fun.'

Dominique listened attentively as Aurelian proclaimed no interest in 'stealing' her achievement. Her tongue was still, though there was a flash of curiosity. Why not? After all, she'd offered it to the him -- the Republic. Perhaps Aurelian didn't want them feeling too beholden to reciprocation? She'd yet to ply pressure for such so a concern of falling into that trap might be considered premature. Or appropriate, depending on your point of view.

The quip about her company was followed up with a personal aside, which kept Dominique from asking if her efforts to manipulate events to her advantage were the only reason he liked keeping her around. Though, to be called a mercy from dry reports wasn't exactly the sort of praise a woman wanted to hear either. The man was impossible to get closer to no matter what she seemed to offer. Though she hadn't sated his carnal desires, Dominique wasn't inclined to be that sort of influencer.

"It would seem I have no room to complain." Dominique laughed softly to herself. Well, she wouldn't complain if they credited her with such efforts. It wasn't exactly how she saw leaving an impression on the galaxy -- at this rate someone was liable to call her a saint -- but it was a circumstance easily turned to her advantage. Provided it worked. If they could hasten the redevelopment even further then there'd be no shortage in customers.

"Aurelian, if there is anything you should need, especially while all the eyes are upon you, you have only to ask." The Director smiled across at him. "I am always available to help my friends accomplish what they set out to do." Did Aurelian consider her a friend? What was a friend? She left that to him to decide, and trusted that despite whatever answer those questions returned he'd appreciate the offer extended toward him. In case he hadn't already been aware of it being on the table. Dominique would make the first move if it helped establish that relationship.

Aurelian Veruna​