Private The Night Moves

[Aiden Porte]

Karlinus
Northeast section of Karlini City closed off.
Tags: Alina Grayson

It was terrible that it had come to this. The sun was just setting, and given what they were dealing with....

Terrible.

Aiden had arrived several hours after the attack had commenced. The Karlini government as well volunteers from Naboo were able to isolate and close off the part of the city that was infected. Rogue sith had release the nightmares upon the people of this city. The Rakghoul plague was nothing something to take lightly, the infection, what happened to you once the infection took hold.

There was no going back.

Aiden was dispatched by his father from Naboo, to help bring the city to order as well as ensure those responsible were brought to justice. Luckily the parties responsible were already ascertained. The only issue was now making sure that the sealed section of the city was restored to its rightful state. Which meant disposing of these creatures, and there was even greater danger. The command center was receiving several reports of innocents still trapped and were surrounded by these sithspawn.

There was so much to be done. Aiden knew he couldn't be everywhere. He chose to get a small team together and retrieve those left behind. Many others were providing medical aid, food, shelter to those that were in emotion shock and distress due to the incident.

Many had lost everything, many had lost their families.

The Jedi Padawan stood at the ready near the ship that would get them into the sealed off section, awaiting he rest of the volunteers to arrive.

 

[Alina Grayson]

Among the few volunteers who had arrived to help, Alina stood a fair distance from the ship, currently kneeling beside a pair of wounded guards. Their injuries weren't severe, but she was mending them with the Force, her focus entirely on the task at hand, blocking out any distractions.

She was a striking figure, her golden hair shining like the sun, and her cool blue eyes focused with calm intensity. Clad in white armor trimmed with gold, a royal blue cloak flowed behind her, its hood drawn back. Though young, Alina exuded a quiet strength, her composure and poise reflecting the rigorous training she had undergone.

As the last wound sealed under her touch, Alina rose gracefully, withdrawing her hands from the guards. She offered them a nod and a warm smile before turning her attention to the waiting ship and Aiden. She had been briefed about the mission—they were sending a team in to extract more civilians, and she fully intended to be on that ship.

Though she lacked practical experience with Rakghouls, she understood enough about the threat to know they would need every possible advantage. With steady determination, Alina made her way toward Aiden, ready for whatever lay ahead. She took a look around, sadly there were not many volunteers for a mission like this, still she looked to Aiden with a respectful nod. "Just us and the guard it looks like. I am Alina by the way" she extended a hand toward him and offered a warm smile.

Aiden Porte

 

[Aiden Porte]

"It's a pleasure to meet you Alina, despite these circumstance." Aide said as he offered his hand towards her and showed a smile.

Aiden glanced over to those that were accompanying them, the few volunteer guards. The pilot, but he was just there for the initial drop off. The Padawan reached into his pocket and pulled out the small device that soon showed a holographic schematic of the sealed off portion of the city. "The Pilot will here on the roof of this building." The red indicator showing the location. "That's where the first distress signal came from, near the highest floor of the building. If we can get to them in time they will lucky as they will be the first ride out."

Aiden let out a small sigh, as the various other locations were rather scattered, and some were close on ground level.

"The rest will have to gather along the way and head for the rendezvous point. The darkness will help us, but will also help those creatures too. We must be on guard at all times. If there aren't any questions, we should get moving."

Alina Grayson

 

[Alina Grayson]

Alina studied the holographic schematic, her eyes scanning it as she made a few mental notes while listening to his explanation. A gentle nod of her head indicated her understanding. As she turned, the azure cape attached to her armor swayed gently, the hood resting neatly behind her shoulders.

"We can talk on the way," she said, affirming his urgency while heading toward the transport with Aiden, her cape flowing behind her as she moved.

Once aboard, she glanced back at him. "Tell me what you know about these creatures. Any weaknesses? Do we know how they hunt?" she didn't want to pepper him with questions but the last thing she wanted to do was get into a dangerous situation with inadequate knowledge.

Aiden Porte

 

[Aiden Porte]

The lifted off towards their first destination and Aiden turned to Alina. "The are dark side creatures, with a hunger for flesh. They are feral mindless creatures, there have bee reports of previous cases that some have evolved and could even use weapons. However there is nothing to report here, that this is the case. They usually travel in packs of four to eight."

Aiden involuntarily shuddered at the thought of the last time he fought against them. "It's something inhumane, born of the darkside."

Aiden glanced around as he knew he wasn't the most experienced individual here. "We have to stay in constant communication and we cannot get separated no matter what. If we can take them out from a distance, that is the best chance. Close quarters as a last resort."

Alina Grayson

 

[Lyssara Talis]

(wrong character)

 

[Alina Grayson]

Alina sat with a quiet attentiveness, her hands resting gently on her lap as the shuttle vibrated beneath them. She listened to Aiden's words, her expression calm but attentive, absorbing each detail with the practiced focus of someone trained to prepare before acting. As he described the Rakghouls twisted creatures of the dark side her lips pressed into a thoughtful line, but her gaze did not waver.


She had read reports before, heard hushed stories but hearing it now, from someone who had faced them firsthand, gave those stories a weight they hadn't carried before. When Aiden finished, she nodded once, slowly. "Understood," she said softly, her voice clear and composed. "Keep our distance. Watch the flanks. Stay together." she repeated his advice to him, confirming she had heard and understood.

Alina reached up to draw the hood of her cloak over her golden hair, the motion fluid, almost ceremonial. She looked back to Aiden, offering a quiet reassurance in her gaze. "I'll have your back." As their shuttle descended toward the rooftop landing zone, the last rays of sunlight were swallowed by the horizon. The city below had fallen into deep shadow, the sealed-off district barely illuminated by flickering emergency lights and scattered fires that still smoldered from the chaos earlier that day.

A distant rumble of thunder echoed over the skyline.

Raindrops began to splatter against the shuttle's hull as they broke through the low cloud cover. What had started as a gentle drizzle quickly intensified into a storm. Wind swept through the streets, carrying with it the scent of ash and something fouler like decay just beneath the surface. Alina's eyes lifted to the streaks of lightning that began to dance along the edges of the darkened sky. It felt fitting, almost nature mourning the city's suffering, or perhaps rising to answer it.

As they neared the landing zone she stood up, withdrawing her lightsaber from her belt but not igniting it yet, she gently reached up taking ahold of one of the supports above her head with her free hand. "Well, ready or not it's go time"

Aiden Porte

 

[Aiden Porte]

The side bay opened up as Aiden reached for a support above his head, the rain had intensified. A prelude of what was to come by chance, the only way to get through this was together. Save as many as they could, as much as it pained him. There was no cure for this virus, which meant only one thing for those that were infected.

Aiden looked over to Alina Grayson "Let's do this." He nodded as he tossed the suspension rope outside, before clipping it to the support. Their first target was fairly easy, a six story building. They would land on the roof secure the top three levels. He tapped his comlink was soon as he hit the roof, letting go of the rope.

"Intelligence shows the civilians in this structure have retreated somewhere close to the top levels. They had reported they were under duress by the creatures lurking about before things went dark."

Aiden glanced down to his lightsaber, as that would be secondary measure for right now. The rifle he carried was a standard issue of the Naboo Republic, he had gone through every basic training that the Royal Military had. For situations like this he had to make sure he was at the least prepared for anything.

 

[Alina Grayson]

Rain slashed sideways across the open bay, wind howling as if to warn them away. Alina didn't flinch. She stood just behind Aiden, her cloak already soaked, pressed back by the downdraft of the shuttle. The scent of ozone filled the air tension, storm, and something darker waiting below.


She watched him clip the rope and descend, her expression unreadable, focused. Then, without a word, she stepped to the edge.


No rope.


With a deep breath and a calm exhale, she stepped off the edge of the shuttle.


Her body dropped like a stone for several meters before slowing, as though the very air bent to her will. The Force gathered around her in a shimmer barely visible through the rain, her descent smooth and controlled. She landed beside Aiden with grace that defied the chaos around them, her boots touching the roof in near silence, the rain parting for a breath before reclaiming her.


Straightening, Alina lifted her hood back once more, droplets glinting on her gold-trimmed armor. Her lightsaber remained unlit in her hand, her stance relaxed, confident almost serene. She cast a glance toward Aiden, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Shall we begin?"

With a snap-hiss, ignited her lightsaber. brilliant golden light flared against the gloom, the blade casting long reflections in the puddles beneath their feet. Raindrops hissed and sizzled as they struck the plasma, burning away in faint tendrils of steam.

Her gaze shifted toward the sealed rooftop access, the weight of the moment settling once more. "Let's see if there are any survivors to be found. And if those creatures are already inside… we move fast, we move clean." with a clean swipe she cut through the access panel and the lock with her blade making way their entry to the lower floors. She glanced back at him as she moved into the doorway. "I'll try to kill them at a distance but we may not have the luxury in close quarters like this." she started the decent as she turned back to the stairs golden light leading the way.

Aiden Porte

 

[Aiden Porte]

He wasn't gonna lie, that was a pretty smooth and cool move. Aiden glanced over to her and he showed a small smirk and nodded his head. Obviously she was very well versed in the Jedi arts, much more than he was. So he would make a point to follow any and all advice that she could give. Perhaps even following her lead in this, while his training in combat with military was good, he still had much to learn about the ways of the force and further on.

"Shall we begin?"

"Let's do it." Aiden spoke as they moved towards the door and he watched Alina cut through the access panel and the lock. He followed through the doorway as he noted her words.

"Understood." The Padawan raised the rifle as the moved through the doorway. The light on his rifle and from her blade lighting the way. They were here, and he could sense the presence of others in the building. They were riddled with fear and doubt. The Padawan reached down and picked up a small can and tossed it further down the hall. No sense in getting ambushed through one of these doorways on either side of them along the hallway. The small cackling and noise as it was incredibly too familiar and began to appear in the hallway. The creature took off after them and several others followed. "Hold formation." The Padawan let loose a series of rounds to take them down.


Alina Grayson

 

[Alina Grayson]

Aiden Porte

Alina moved with precision, her saber casting long shadows across the narrow corridor, the soft hum of plasma blending with the sharp hiss of rain still leaking through cracks in the structure. The heat of the blade against the damp air left a faint mist in its wake, illuminating the darkness as they advanced.

She paused with Aiden just behind, feeling the fear that clung to the air like smoke. The civilians were close. Their terror echoed through the Force sharp, suffocating, desperate.

When Aiden tossed the can down the hall, the echo of its clatter was met with something far worse. That rasping growl. The scratching of clawed limbs against broken stone. Rakghouls.

Her grip tightened subtly on her saber, the light flaring brighter as the first creature emerged feral, wild-eyed, driven only by hunger. It lunged, and then came more. Aiden's voice rang clear, his training kicking in, and the sharp crack of blaster fire echoed through the corridor.

Alina didn't hold back.

She stepped forward, blade raised in a defensive arc, intercepting one of the Rakghouls as it lunged past Aiden's volley. The creature's claws met the white-hot plasma of her saber with a sizzling hiss, severed mid-strike as she pivoted gracefully. She moved like water fluid, deliberate letting the Force guide each step, each motion.

"They're testing our line," she said calmly over the commotion, a ball of light formed quickly in her free hand as another beast closed in. "But they don't know our resolve." she lifted the ball of light toward the rakghoul and a beam of light ripped forward searing the creatures flesh and heating the air around them. Another came for her flank, and for its trouble it found a blade of superheated plasma in its gullet. "Keep your focus on the civilians. I'll hold the line."

A Rakghoul broke past, skittering toward Aiden's flank. Alina turned sharply, extending her free hand. The Force surged—a rippling wave that struck the creature mid-charge, slamming it against the far wall with bone-cracking force.

 

[Aiden Porte]

"But they don't know our resolve."

"No, they do not." The Jedi Padawan whisphered as he looked to her and gave her a slight nod. As she held the line, and Aiden moved through the first door on his right. He heard the slight muffled cries from within. Clearly shaken once more due to the noise from the dark creatures, and then the voice of resolve and reason that sought to give them a newfound breath of life. An inkling of courage that they regained due to the feeling returning of rescue and hope to live past this day.

The Jedi Padawan didn't waste time, there wasn't any regardless.

The door wouldn't budge. "Stand away from the door, out of its path." The Jedi Padawan called upon the force, his hand extended out quickly sending a strong yet small wave of energy through the door as it blasted from its hinges and into whatever was in front of it.

"Come on." Aiden spoke firmly, yet calmly towards them. His hand extending towards the couple, in their late twenties and a small child standing behind them. He reached out with the force, to give them a sense of relief and a sense of hope. "We are going to get you guys to the rooftop. It's just out this door, two soldiers will escort you up. It's not far at all. Are there any more people?"

"W-W-We heard shouts and cries earlier, but we couldn't tell where they were coming from." The young man spoke, his voices shaky at first but with the sense of relief his resolve and courage began to return.

There was so much more to do.

Alina Grayson

 

[Alina Grayson]

Aiden Porte

Alina stood at the hallway's center, a sentinel against the darkness.

The corridor beyond Aiden's position echoed with low growls and the scratching of claws against duracrete. The Rakghouls were gathering again sensing prey, driven by blind hunger. She could feel their twisted presence pressing in from every side, drawn to the fear and panic like carrion to blood.

But they would not pass her.

Alina closed her eyes for a breath, drawing deep into the Force, feeling the currents around her life, tension, decay, hope. She reached outward, and her hand lifted in one smooth motion. A lance of golden light erupted from her palm, streaking down the corridor like a flare of the sun. It struck the lead creature in the chest and exploded with blinding force, sending it hurtling backward into its kin.

A second wave surged forward, undeterred, their forms barely visible in the flickering dark. Alina shifted her stance, calm and unmoved. She extended her other hand this time the air itself answered. A burst of cold swept down the hall, frost crystallizing along the walls and floor as a bitter wind lashed through the enemy line. Limbs slowed, claws dulled, motion staggered.

She moved forward slightly, rotating her hands in a fluid arc as flame curled around her fingertips. The fire coiled outward in a ribbon, snaking through the corridor and igniting the ice-bound Rakghouls with precise, searing fury. The corridor lit up in flashes of white, blue, and gold each element bending to her will, the Force flowing through her like a symphony of power.

Still, one creature broke through faster, desperate. It barreled toward her, shrieking, and Alina moved in response without hesitation.

For it's trouble it would find the tip of a golden blade cutting a clean arc through the gloom. One step, one stroke surgical and exact. The Rakghoul dropped before it could take another breath.

She exhaled, turning her gaze toward the corridor Aiden had disappeared down, still holding the line.

"Secure them quickly," she called out, her voice calm but resolute. "I'll make sure nothing gets through."

And with that, she raised her hand again, another spear of light forming at her fingertips ready to meet the next wave.