The Rot of Heresy - TSE Dom of Vjun | Hex AF,21

[Darth Carnifex]

Putridity.

Rot.

Decay.

Dark eyes, molten crimson swimming in a sea of black, looked down upon a world wreathed in pestilence. Acrid clouds concealed the revolting brown and yellow soil, oceans saturated with acidity, and once proud mountains whittled down to gnawed at outcroppings of hardier stone. The remnants of pollution ruled this world, the only thing remaining of what might have been a highly industrial past.

Now not even the fragments of factories remain, melted away. All that remained was waste and ruin.

Except for one thing.

Looming over the barren wasteland was a castle, a mighty structure built so resilient that it could withstand the corrosive atmosphere of the planet. It was Bast Castle, one of the strongholds of the ancient Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader.

And it was inhabited by heretics.

The man who looked down upon this world, the Emperor of the Sith, would not stand the presence of heretics on such hallowed ground. He would see them exterminated, root and stem, torn free from the castle and eradicated utterly. He turned to look at those who stood next to him on the bridge, many of whom were Sith and Magicians that frequently comprised the Emperor’s ever-present entourage.

One among them stood out, for he was not of the Sith religion like the others. His appearance was similar, but he differed on philosophy and allegiance.

He was [member="Kyrel Ren"], a Master of the Knights of Ren, and an ardent ally of the Dark Lord of the Sith. The Emperor had summoned him to Vjun to enlist his aid in cleansing Bast Castle, as Ren and his benefactors, the First Order, had done likewise to Fortress Vader on Mustafar.

“We will be disembarking soon, Master Ren. I presume that you are prepared?”

Occupy Bast Castle: For many years, heretics have inhabited the sacred fortress of Darth Vader. We can no longer allow this sacrilege to occur, and thus the heretics must be cleansed from Bast Castle at all costs. The Sith Emperor, Darth Carnifex, and the Master of the Knights of Ren, Kyrel Ren, have organized a mighty strike force to reclaim the castle for the true inheritors of Darth Vader.

Discover the Secrets of Château Malreaux: Eons ago, the Viscount of Malreaux dabbled in the forbidden and profane science of manipulating midi-chlorians. Their experiments drove them and the inhabitants of the city of Bitter End mad, and the house fell into ruin not long after. There remain many uncovered secrets beneath the old château, secrets that are ours to discover.

BYOO: Do yo thang

 

[Jaeson Starchaser]

Mysteries of Château Malreaux
Staring Jaeson Starchaser​

"Come at me Brah"​

Jaeson walked through the corridors of the expansive manse that once belonged to the Malreaux Family. Age hadn't been kind to the the walls which were already painted in a hideous yellowing white and red, their color faded and sickly from the erosion of time. The structure itself had held up well despite it's age, of course there was nothing too terribly unusual about that as no doubt over the centuries it had been inhabited multiple times.Pirates, gangsters, refugee's and the odd Sithling searching for sources of knowledge had no doubt called the ramshackle structure home throughout it's existence. This of course meant that while being picked cleaned throughout history there was no doubt other items of dubious worth left behind.

Case in point, as Jea moved down the corridor he found a large decorative bowl of unknown origins with primitive drawings carved on it. Swiping it from its pedestal he deposited the booty into his backpack and continued down the corridor.

A smile crept over his face. It wasn't theft, it was salvage. The little lies one tells themselves to get through the day, then again even if it was theft Jae wouldn't care. Shrugging the thought off he continued down into the darkened interior of the villa searching for more loot. The databse had been right about this place, the last inhabitants had left without much time to spare and the remains of their habitation were left scattered across the grounds. A datapad here, some scanners there, and perhaps if Jae was lucky a scroll or some other peice of ancient knowledge. Good money in antiquities.

Looking through the remains of what he assumed was a bedroom, Jae was scouring through personal belongings before hitting the jackpot, jewelry. It's age and full worth would be determined later but for now he stuffed the assortment of rings, necklaces, and large amulet into his bag. a clanking sound behind him caused him to turn rapidly quick drawing his blaster and scanning the hallway.

A small rodent ran past causing Jae to narrow his eyes.

 

[Riamah]

Location: Vjun, Bast Castle
Objective: Escape

The slow encroachment of the Sith Empire had been noted and Ra knew the time would come they would come for her home. That day had arrived. She had already made sure her forces were gone, only herself and one other person remained within the walls of Bast. Her old servant man, Vincent who refused to leave her side.

The Dark Hand had vowed to destroy this Empire, but they just did not have the strength to make a stand against them. Not now and alone they might never be able to. Ra had started to make different alliances and connections, but for now, they had nobody to help them. A retreat was the only option. They would need to find a new home and base to mount an offensive from and she knew this.

In her time on this world, she had made sure to keep Bast updated and everything was turned on. Even if she had to run, she wasn't going to leave without some resistance to this Empire. If a single person approached the castle, their welcome would be warm. If an army came, then things would be different.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Location: Vjun, Bast Castle
Objective: Capture

[member="Riamah"]. Leader of the Dark Hand. An ironically named group made specifically to destroy the Sith Empire. But that came second to the reason Kahlil had made his way to where she was known to reside in the castle. She was the consort of the Silver Jedi Grandmaster. The opportunity to break the Jedi's confidence in their leader by taking his lover and forcing him down a darker path.

"D̛̦͇̘r̲̺̯ò ͙͉̺̞̣̺r͉͡i̠͖̦̟̪̰̞ ̟̭̦̳̦̫̘͠J͕̱͍͙͈̰i̸̤̗̥̰n̵͇͉͉'̠̕ ̯̣̰Ṋ̺͎̳̦̮͕u҉̝ ҉͎a̤̮̮̩̭ͅṇ̨a, ͏̫͎̱͓̫t̠̙̗͇͝s͉̖̖͙̳̲a̰͈ͅr̲̪̘̳ͅi̵ o̢i̖̲̥͔̯̖ͅ ͔̘̙̹̟͈̭a҉̟̙̞i͏͉̭͈̥ m͎̦i͙̥̮̜ḑ̣̮̜̳w̴a̬̤͎̼n̢̪ ̷̭̘̼̘̻̹͉į̹̼̼r̰̰̞͙̘ͅ ̞̣̲͢k̪̲̝͘í̳̠̣͈ ̪ͅd̷r̛͚̤̰a͏͇̪̰̹̰̙k͓̬̟̻̮̲̹ị.̱̹̙̭̭ ͓̦͟D̹̩̞r͏͕̩͇̯̼o̢̺̣̤ ̢͙r̞̣̝͖̙i̫̯̣̜̖̻ ̜̳j̛̙̗͙̟̟͕i͏͎̟͍̼n'̼̝̰̮̰͓ N̺͜u̖̫̟̝̬ ̱͚̤̜n̫͍̟͚o͉͚̞̻͙̝͕u͕͖ṣ̖͢,̗̮̮̹͚̻̰͡ ̤̠w͓̜̥͇͟o̘͔͇ ͕ń̳a̶ ̴̱̦̫͇͇̹̦r҉͚̱̮̦̫i͓ ̰̬̫̻̣̯h͈̰̼a̮̳̮̼̮dź͕̗͙̳ͅu̱̘̙̱͎̥ș͉̦̪̻͙̠͠k̢̮̖̥ͅa̬̱̹.̯̞̮̮̦̫ ̞̠̖̼D̸̤̙r̸o̟͇̻͙̩̙ͅ ̩͙̣͖̮̦̤͜r͔͙̗̜̙ị̘ ̰̳̳̱͢J͏͓i͟n'̼͓̮͍̞̲ ̥̹͉̲̠̗N̨̟ṷ̥̰̙͙̘ ̮͉̜̳͇t͚̜̺͚̀u̡͚̫t͎i̪.͙̖̰̩̳̯."

​

​

A gateway of pure darkness formed before the young Sith as he finished his spell, consuming him as he continued his stride forward. For a moment, he was surrounded by pitch black, the light gone. It was bother a welcoming and horrid experience, but it was over in a matter of seconds. He stepped out into the light as it reformed before him, landing him right in the path of the fleeing master and her servant.

"Ah, there you are. We have much to discuss."

 

[Riamah]

Location: Vjun, Bast Castle
Objective: Have a conversation?
Interacting with: [member="Kahlil Zambrano"]


To say Ra and Vincent were fleeing was a bit of an overstatement. The two of them were rather calmly walking through the halls of the castle they were being forced to depart from. This had been home to them for a long time now and she was still reluctant to just give it up without a fight. Sadly that was going to have to happen.

They stopped walking when a portal appeared in front of them. Out of it came a stranger, but he did not attack straight out. His words caused her to lower her brows and tilt her head slightly. Her attention was fully on the stranger as she looked at him. The two lightsabers up her sleeves remained there. They would until he might express an interest in attacking her.

"What is there to talk about?"

 

[Kyrel Ren]

Allies: [member="Darth Carnifex"] TSE
Enemies: Dark Hand, @Riamah
Equipment: Vader's Bane Lightsaber, Raiment of the Vigilant

​

​

This was Kyrel's first formal invitation to the conquering of a world within their territory, but it was not any other world that had gained the interest of Kyrel. It was Vjun, the home to the second or even third Castle of Vader. Kyrel was one of whom had worshipped Vader, he was even created in the likeness of him, Scientists, of course, obsessed with an Imperial Scientist known as Doctor Cylo had rumored to have created Vader, and since than cybernetic or flesh and blood he was known as the Enforcer of Ren, the Heir Apparent to Vader, strong as him perhaps not. Even as much as he wished to rival the Dark Lord.

Yet he was no Sith Lord, he was a Master of Ren, one of the few within the secretive group known as the Knights of Ren. A group not known in particular to either the Jedi or Sith, but wholeheartedly seen as an evolutionary step in the dark side, while not inheriting the hunger for power like the Sith, they operated as one in absolute loyalty to the Supreme Leader. Ren and the First Order having filled the power vacuum left by the One Sith, rising as the true successors to the Empire, and while he didn't agree with the Sith that much, he still agreed that even the Ren took some influence from those that came before them.

He stood on the bridge of the Destroyer, He cursed himself for not bringing his Harbinger, but it was still undergoing repairs, and he had to answer this, for here he stood not just on the bridge of a Destroyer, but that of Emperor Carnifex, he had heard of the man many times, from his time spent in hiding amongst the First Order, where one of his line Ara Zambrano became a Master of Ren, had long since disappeared following Lothal. The man's presence was akin to that of Sieger Ren, far more powerful than even himself that was clear, and even more so amongst his flock of Sith Lords, that answered his beck and call.

He was clad in his Raiment of the Vigilant, an armor to which he took amongst a Force Sect now extinct after their encounter with the Ren, made with his own personal touches, a dark red armorweave cape, and hood, a helmet that was crafted in the Ren style, but held as an homage to Vader himself mixing designs of Sith, Mandalorian, and Ubese. His arms crossed when he finally saw the poisoned world within his sights, excitement filled him as he was going to explore yet another link to Vader, but most of all kill all those that dare dwell within it.

Looking upon the Emperor, to which he could even comprehend being in the same room. Kyrel spoke answering him with a cold and mechanical tone that masked the dark core world accent within. "To explore the halls of Lord Vader? I am always prepared Lord Carnifex, for the Force and a Saber is all I need." He gave the man a quiet stare, as he could see they were approaching the world, and not only was it something to explore another castle of Vader, but the conflict was few and far between nowadays with the Alliance gone. To destroy heretics with Carnifex was truly an opportunity if not learn more in scopes of power perhaps from the Sith Emperor himself.

It was clear that in the name of Vader Bast Castle must be cleansed.

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Vjun

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Vjun System
Testing the New Station

Vjun was as Kyle Katarn once stated, a big, dead, important dead rock. Fiolette couldn't find a reason to disagree, what she could find however was a place to estasblish a new station. A scientific research station, once it had been built for the First Order. Now it would be built for the Sith Empire formally on behalf of the Dark Lord himself. In all honesty Fiolette built this with her wife in mind not that Taeli was in any dire need for new research stations. No, it was a chance to test new technologies and new methods of construction. Small changes to the station had been made the first of which was a meditation chamber built with darkside aligned crystals farmed up from various worlds. The second establishing elements for the Shrouded Assembly, and the third the Reliquary's antechamber that laid below the meditation chamber itself. Here students from Galidraan's Reliquary could continue their more scientific studies and find meaning between the lines of science and the dark side.

A flicker of sulphur broke through the azure sea within Fiolette's eyes the bond with Taeli had given her more than just the ability to sense her wife's presence and overall wellbeing. She could feel the Force, something that had not been known to her prior. The station's overall construction had been completed over a week ago, as the hum of recycled air filtered through the vents and the station's core thrummed. Slight vibrations beneath the Galidraani's feet let her know that everything was working the way it should. Dressed in the Sith-Imperial military uniform, hair pulled back into a tight bun her boots scarcely made a sound as she stepped through the main rotunda. The station's flourscent light glowed around her as the Victorian Imperials marched toward her, Admiral Walzer to be exact with Commodore Galeway not too far behind him. "The Sith Imperial Armada are due to arrive soon, and a representative of the Shrouded Assembly wishes to speak with you."

"Excellent, have them meet with me on the promenade," she replied and then continued on matter-of-factly, "and is that a hint of disappointment on your tongue, Admiral?"

"No, of course not it's just-"

Fiolette stopped to give Walzer her full, undivided attention and then in a knowing tone, "you miss commanding more than you admit, and would rather get back into the action of a full aramda... Rather than be just a lap dog?"

He pursed his lips and hung his head lowly, "you certainly know your way around words."

"As you well know." She remarked mindfully, "well, so long as you go through the proper channels I shall do what I can to help."

Walzer only nodded in acknowledgment, and then stated. "I'll go meet with the Armada's officers..."

 

[Darth Banshee]

Allies: [member="Kahlil Zambrano"] [member="Kyrel Ren"] [member="Darth Carnifex"]
Enemies: [member="Riamah"] well I think
Equipment: Armour, Lightsaber, Healing Amulet
Objective: Clearing out hertics

She stood alongside a knight of ren, they worshipped the past to much, though nonetheless they where effective warriors. Though she thought the man next to her, would be taller for some reason, though only idiot would judge someone for their size. She was here with a company of her Palace Guard, and a battalion of Serenno Marines who are just started to be formed. She was toeing the line with imperial law, but was making sure Serenno kept its character. The only change she made, was making herself Queen, this was so she could control the military. As she did not want large forces, that nobles gathered to be able to oppose her. Though in doing this she left herself vulnerable, to [member="Adron Malvern"] as he still had support on the planet. Though he had his enemies too, after all his family was murdered on that planet. She did not want the feud, but it may happen anyway.

She turned to the Knight, who her emperor had entrusted with this mission. She was beside him on the bridge of the destroyer, and then she asked him So what is our plan of attack? The question was quite important, the place was a fortress after all. Though they where coming in, with overwhelming numbers, this did not mean they need to take extra casualties. She believed victory was best served, with more body bags on their enemies side than their own. So she wanted to know the plan, and make sure it was not some fools errand before they set off onto the drop ships.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Location: Vjun, Bast Castle
Objective: Capture

"You're going to die. You didn't leave when you had the chance, but you remained. Pridefully assuming you could withstand the power of the Emperor and his allies." Kahlil spoke calmly through his mask, standing near a full nine feet tall from the horns extending above. He slowly flexed the spiked fingers of his gauntlets, letting a small amount of sparks dance between them.

"I think that's a waste. There is much I can use you for. Though, I'm not here to ask your permission." As soon as he finished speaking he raised a hand, unleashing a torrent of lightning for [member="Riamah"] with enough force to send her flying back if unprotected. Lightning was by far his most nonlethal skill, but it could inflict immeasurable pain. The best of both worlds it seemed.

 

[Riamah]

Location: Vjun, Bast Castle
Objective: Don't die
Interacting with: [member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

The redhead listened to what the sith in front of her said. There was no doubt in her mind that he was with them. His arrival was too perfect for him not to be.

"Who says I stayed because I assumed I could withstand the strength of your Empire? In that, you are mistaken. Look around you, feel... do you sense any other life within these walls? Everybody else is gone. There is just myself and Vincent and we are leaving. Not in body bags either."

His size did not scare her and Ra did not back down. Vincent stepped forward and took the blast of lightning. He spoke softly to Ra as he walked past his mistress.

"You gave me life and purpose. I give you mine. Get away and leave me."

He seized up and the blast took him off his feet, knocking him down the hall. His crumpled form landing and resting peacefully. Ra almost lost her control in watching this and ran to him. Holding the old man in her arms, she cried and almost calmly waited for Kahil to approach her.

 

[Lyra Vaal]

V J U N

She was not impressed.
In fact from the sounds of it nobody in the entire Legion was impressed, least of all the General; Daven Zane. Vjun, it turned out was no more than a grey mass of floating rock that resembled little to nothing more then a what it first appeared. Far from the great mythological talk that it inspired among the Sith and other dark-side practitioners. Yet the 122nd Legion hadn’t been dispatched from Ord Radama to enjoy a holiday, or indeed care what rock they were put on. No it was there job to dig their heels into whatever soil was placed beneath them and assure victory for the Sith Empire.

With the planet looming large before her Vestara stood within the troop allocation hold of the bulk landers, great craft that rivaled many of the ships that accompanied the Armada currently sat within the orbit of Vjun, around her many of the 122nd were currently checking over their gear, sharing jokes with each other and generally appearing calm about the whole matter that lay before them. It was to be expected, these men and women of Gilderaan were fresh as fresh could be, at least in Legion terms having been in training on Ord Radama only days prior to this deployment.

Fresh as they were there was still experience she was reminded as Captain Eril Frayn, commanding officer of Blue Company walked passed her, his cold blue eyes regarding the Sith for just a moment before he continued on his way inspecting the troops final preparations. Such was the way for a Legate, essential for the loyalty and success of a Legion, yet unwanted and un-trusted completely by those they served alongside.

Vestara wouldn’t let it effect her.
Not in the slightest. The ships had started to break orbit and the rhythmic clang of air-defence batteries had started to break against the outer hull. She had more pressing matters to attend to now, mostly the heretics that sat upon this planet like a plague and how she was going to assure victory for the Empire.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Our plan is to assemble near the base of the Castle, secure the lower levels and sweep up to the very pinnacle. We will eliminate every trace of heretic from Bast Castle, purifying the land with their blood. We three will spearhead the assault, now let us depart."

Already the forces of the Sith Emperor would be in transit, gunships brimming with his dark-plated Blackblade Guardsman cutting through the smoggy atmosphere of Vjun. Several areas near the base of the tower had been identified as suitable landing zones for the Empire's strike force, and it was there that they began to congregate in preparation for the Emperor's arrival. Pre-fabricated barricades were erected at the most defensible positions as several platoons of Guardsmen assembled in rank formation as the Emperor's shuttle descended from the acrid clouds.

His shuttle landed a short distance away from the main gathering, the disembarkation ramp lowering to allow the occupants to emerge into the rancid air. Fortunately, there was no major acidic downpour in the area so only a few weather-resistant tarps were erected to protect from blowback when the fetid air rolled across the cliffs and dislodged some lingering acid pools. Carnifex strode through the camp with authority, Kyrel Ren and the other Sith following after. He made his way to the camp commander, a grizzled warrior of many wars who had lost most of his body to enemy fire.

His cybernetics whirred as he saluted the Emperor and his compatriots, "Your Excellency, Master Ren, preliminary scans of the castle have revealed that very few lifeforms remain in the structure. From our estimates, it appears they caught wind of our expedition and fled off-world. Call them what you will, sire, but they were not so stupid as to stay and fight against a superior force." That was unexciting, but nonetheless, it was beneficial to the Empire. They would expend fewer resources in taking Bast Castle than originally envisioned, and hopefully whatever damage was done to the Castle in the heretic's occupation and flight could be undone in time.

"Very few lifeforms is far too many for my tastes, Commander. Assemble the Guard and prepare to move upon the citadel's lower structure, we will cleanse Bast Castle from the foundation up."

[member="Kyrel Ren"] | [member="Darth Banshee"]​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Location: Vjun, Bast Castle
Objective: Capture

"A waste." Kahlil commented as he watched [member="Riamah"] rush to her fallen friend. He had told her to run, but instead she remained. Kahlil turned his head to where he could sense the growing army of his father closing in. He raised his hand once more to the woman to unleash another torrent of lightning. If he wanted his experiment to go well, he needed to capture her before the kill order was given.

"Submit."

 

[Lark]

Location: Bast Castle
Nearby Allies: [member="Kahlil Zambrano"] [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Darth Banshee"] [member="Kyrel Ren"] maybe others
Nearby Enemies: [member="Riamah"]

Lark lounged underneath on a box of supplies underneath a small tent meant to protect the Sith from the harsh elements that rained down from above. He languidly watched the shuttle of the Dark Lord descend from the noxious clouds above, before he and his cohorts made their way to a nearby commander. Lark wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying, but he had an idea. Many of the heretics fled Lord Vader's castle as soon as they discerned that the Sith Empire would soon be upon them, unwilling to face the consequences their idolatrous beliefs brought. The heathens were only delaying the inevitable. The rest of their pitiful lives would be filled with fear and uncertainty. Once they saw what would happen to those who remained on Vjun, they'd be wise to end themselves on the spot. It was the most merciful death they could receive.

The grandeur of Bast Castle was impressive, since Lark arrived at Vader's former abode with the initial landing forces he had been eager to get inside and discover what secrets long forgotten lay hidden within. But his scholarly desire would have to wait until the remaining heretics were purged from this esteemed site.

The ensuing conflict had no need for the mind of a scholar. The Sith had one goal: To slaughter the heathens who so foolishly deigned to stay behind in the vain hope that they could hold out against the Empire. On the off-chance that anyone paid any mind to the mere acolyte sheltered under a tarp, they'd notice a strange shift in personality. A mind of curiosity was replaced with one inclined for war. Lark's mannerisms shifted, in an instant he rose from the supply box and joined a group of soldiers facing the temple. He gazed at the castle with feral eyes burning with the corruption of the Dark Side. But there was a beauty to this new persona, an attentive thought process akin to a magnificent beast hunting his prey.

As the Sith began their march towards the bastion of the Sith, Lark drew his enchanted sword. In time, it would bathe the hallways of Bast Castle with the blood of heathens.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Objective III - BYOO
Lead an Occupation of Bitter End

A city upon the far side of the Bay of Tears, Bitter End had suffered much throughout its history. The experiments of Count Malreaux had spread like a plague, inflicting Vjun's inhabitants with madness and sickness. Bitter End had been the hardest hit city, being close to the chateau of the count, and its population had reduced itself until only a few had remained. That had been before even the ancient Clone Wars, and the next few centuries had seen only moderate attempts at rebuilding the city.

Then the Gulag had struck, once again reducing the city to near ruin. But now, it was time for it to be returned to its former glory... but only after it was brought into the Sith-Imperial fold.

It had been a long time since she had led Sith-Imperial forces to take a city, but here she was; Darth Arcanix, the Triumvir of Power, leading Sith forces to take a city and restore it to its rightful alignment. She had requisitioned a few battalions of Legionaries as she wasn't expecting too much resistance, but she had also brought along some of her personal Adepts from the Order of Shadows. The Emperor might be focused on Bast Castle, and others might be at the chateau on the other side of the bay, but there would still much that could be learned here.

She had heard the cemetery of the city was quite extensive and preserved.

 

[Riamah]

Location: Vjun, Bast Castle
Objective: Disable...no escape

She had hoped Kahlil would close the distance between them, but he did not. Her hand gripped on the knife hilts that were hidden in her boots. While she mourned the death of Vincent, she knew his death had a purpose. Instead of taking the chance to escape he had given to her, she had wasted it.

Her intruder had a point. This time it would not be wasted.

When he shot his lightning at her, she did not attempt to evade it. What she did do was use it as cover. Taking a hold on the limp form of Vincent, she gave him a farewell and vowed to get revenge. She would eventually have the power to strike and make a mark on the Sith Empire.

His blast knocked her through the door of the room next to her and she took off running. Sending a Force Push against the glass of a window in front of her, Ra jumped through head first. As soon as she landed, she went into stealth and disappeared from view. Hiding all trace of herself in the Force, she fled from the grounds of the castle she had called home for many years.

 

[Lyra Vaal]

Vestara’s booted feet kissed into the grey slime of the assembly area, already the harsh conditions mixed with the constant movement of Sith resource had started to turn the area into a mess. It reminded her somewhat of Drommund Kaas, slick with the ever present threat of dangerous weather, only difference was this planet would melt your face off if it had the chance.
Nearby three of the 122nd’s Captain’s, including Frayn were stood around a portable holo-table that also bore the audience of several ranking members from other regiments. She noted the colours of the Korriban Wyldfolk, a savage group that was more akin to a Penal group then it was to a legion. The Bastion 5th were also present, with their easily noted blood red helmets. There was also a large creature of a thing that wore Legion armour plates, she was uncertain of his colours, yet there was a suspicion he may be more mercenary then loyalist.

“You’ll take the centre advance, move up the gantry towards the main doors and hold the position that will allow the main task-force to enter the castle.” The comment was aimed towards Captain Frayn, the stern faced Galidraan nodding. “There should be little resistance so be prepared for an easy….”
Another figure appeared next to the speaking soldier, a blue fuzz as his hologram was projected by a small floating ball of a droid. “Sorry to interrupt. We have a situation.” There was a strange crackling in the air as he spoke. “They seem to have activated some form of shield around the castle, we can’t pass through nor engage.”
Vestara stared up towards the towering monolith, now the point had been made it was true that the air shimmered around it, glazed against the dull surrounds that occupied the planet. This would make things interesting.
“The plan doesn’t change. 122nd, you will advance on the front and find someway around, or to disable that shield. We will continue to surround the keep and will somebody please get the artillery on that shield!”

Falling into line with Captain Frayn as he left the meeting Vestara was stuck by how calm he appeared to be. She knew he had served for many years within Galidraan’s own defence force and there had even been rumours of mercenary work before that, but they were about to launch an assault against a castle that seemed to be impenetrable and he might as well be going about preparing lunch on the rolling fields of home.
“You’re to stick with me Legate.” He finally said as they got a distance away from the briefing table. “Do what you do best, but understand that it is my company and my orders.” He paused and pointed a finger towards her, emphasizing his point.
“It may be your company, but it is the Emperor’s legion.” She said slowly, not backing down assuring that her emotions were calm and to the point. “However you have my support, I am your Legate and as such this Legion and by exertion your company mean more to me then my life.”
He gave her a curt nod and they began to head on their way again to where the troops were massed.

Overhead the sky began to scream as artillery opened upon the castle announcing the start of the Sith attack. It crackled and snapped as it continued to hit the shield placed around the castle, shimmering as each shot was de-energised.

It was going to be a long day.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Château Malreaux

The Viscount of Malreaux.

A powerful man dabbling in the dark side another individual trying to unlock the secrets of manipulating the very force, to master the art of life. The man erected a state of the art estate to conduct his work and filled the halls with layer after layer of defenses. It wasn't long before a paranoia set in, a madness creeping to the forefront of his mind as he climbed deeper into the rabbit hole that was the dark side of the force. The experiments pulled on the fabric of reality itself and it pushed back in the form of a crippling darkness that drove everyone insane. The entire city of Bitter End went insane along with the Viscount and the man was never seen again.

While his estate endured.

Its defenses remained operational and it continued to be the most secure location on the entire planet, in the sector for that matter. It was so great even Count Dooku made use of it as a refuge during the Clone Wars, a crafty man who managed to infiltrate and deactivate most of it twisting it to his advantage. But after he left it's mysteries enduring even the Sith Lords presence the defenses returned to their default programming, it continued to last throughout the centuries.

Until now.

There was a minor disruption on the shield dome surrounding the estate on the rear end, a prolonged flicker that set off pings deeper into the estate. A swarm of turrets, heavy cannons, and mobile drones descended on that end of the estate while a squad of war droids left the back entrance. They moved towards the location and walked in a search pattern for a length of time until the disturbance was cleared, and equillibrium returned. Unbeknownst to them a cloaked force passed through the lawn unnoticed, their movements slow and deliberate. They were the Shadow Killers elite commandos led by the Shadow Hand Darth Prazutis. In full armor his movements were careful, deliberate as they carefully followed the droids path back inside. A careful application of the force held the doors open long enough for one of the operatives to splice into its mechanics, disconnecting its sensors from the mainframe so they could open and close it as needed.

Once they entered the main foyer the force surrounded Darth Prazutis who stood alongside its leader, and his champion Gorkai. "The mainframe must be shut down before our search efforts can begin. We head for the hub." Prazutis ordered. Immediately the cloaked brutes began to sweep down the halls towards where the security hub was located based on the maps they had at their disposal alongside the Sith Lord.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Location: Vjun, Bast Castle
Objective: Capture

"Foolish." Kahlil muttered as he watched [member="Riamah"] use her friends corpse as a shield. She wasn't going to just up and get away that easily. The Knight pointed his clawed left hand again for the woman, this time forming a sphere of black just before his fingertips. It launched forward from his grasp, flying right by his foe and halting just in the window she was going to jump out of. With a clench of his fist the Sith finished the spell, the orb detonating in a fury of fire and hate.

"You can't get away."

 

[Lyra Vaal]

The sky continued to scream. The ground underfoot screamed. In the distance, men and women scream too. The thunder of artillery and the crack of the shields protecting the heretic-held fortress of Vader’s Vjun castle overcame everything else. It was catastrophic in scale, the steady thuds of energy blasts impacting with a protective layer currently keeping all and any from stepping closer to the Sith’s planned occupation and capture of the castle.

Blue Company of the 122nd had already pushed up into the ‘killzone’, the area of ground that was directly at the base of where the shield was shimmering away beneath the energised explosions of the artillery currently centred upon it. Captain Fayne, Vestara in tow had managed to link up with Adran Tol, Captain of an elite strike team and the one who had sent the initial message about the shield being in effect, the team linking in with Blue Company as they took precautions to assure that they were in what cover could be offered.

“We can’t pass through it.” Adran had explained simply, indicating to a pile of burnt out ash nearby that used to be one of his men by the tone he had taken. “Yet we think there has to be some form of under-passage or generator that we can get to and potentially shut it down.”
Captain Fayne had remained silent as he pondered the thought, occasionally glancing over Vestara who had also remained as quiet as she could in the lead up to the castle. Yet he had clearly been thinking it over as he pulled over Son Marnis, his communicator and took hold of the legion-wide radio.
“Blue Company. We are under the belief that there may be something in the ditch.” Vestara glanced to her left, a large cliff edge led to a deep crevice that acted as some form of natural protection. “Permission to go and see if we can get under this damn shield?” Another crackle as a shot impacted into the shield directly above them, showering them in a warm heat as the energy skipped like lightning around the area, it was for ages the only noise other then the constant drum of the battle around them.
“Permission Granted. Green Company is moving up to reinforce your holding position.”

The climb down into the crevice had been hard for the Legion soldiers, taking steady footholds as they moved deep into the shadow. For Vestara it would have been a breeze, her training making her more then capable of embracing the force to leap down, but she was trying to win over these men and women, so she climbed, like the rest of them.
At the base they found nothing but dirt and darkness, the occasional stream of light from crackling lightning overhead or the quick blast of an explosive. So torches were removed and ignited, sending streams of light across the seemingly abandoned area.
Adran had fallen in close to Vestara and Fayne, behind him his team intermixed with the handful of Soliders who had been ordered to come down.
“I don’t know about you…but I have a bad feeling about this.” Adran murmured, getting a mixed couple of grunts back.