Invasion Total Eclipse of the Heart || Objective 4: We'll Be Holding On Forever

[Drystan Creed]

SARKO IV: BOUNTY HUNTING

Drystan continued his relentless assault, satisfied to find some purchase—steel biting through armor weave and grazing skin, if only by a hair's width. Still, it was better than nothing. He even had to hand it to his mysterious ally ( V1-L8 ) in the wings; those blaster bolts had been well-timed, giving him a brief window to process Kyric's movements—precious seconds he did not waste. But now, the tide shifted. Kyric pressed forward with his own strikes, forcing Drystan onto the defensive.

As the Jedi's saber carved arcs toward him, Drystan's response appeared almost half-hearted, but it was nothing of the sort. Against the slash aimed at his elbow joint, he bent the arm in advance, pivoting outward to let the blade pass harmlessly by. He didn't retreat, even as the saber's tip carved into his songsteel plating, leaving a deep, glowing mark on the upper part of his cuirass. The next strike—a cut aimed at his knee—was met with the phrik casing of his scabbard. His left hand snapped forward, detaching it from his suit, while his right arm locked his sword into the sheath, twisting with Kyric's circling footwork to follow the movement.

Then—calm shattered. He allowed those strikes through, taking what he could with a shoddy defensive effort to keep Kyric in range. He

A sharp click rang out. His blade now fully stowed, the scabbard returned to his side, his right hand hovering just above the pommel.

His left index finger curled onto the scabbard's trigger, slowly pulling, preparing for—

CRACK!

His attention shifted upward, teeth gritting as the roof began to collapse. A chunk of stone crashed down between him and Kyric, cutting off his advance. Drystan's frustration flared. He wanted a sword fight, but this? This was no arena for one. And the bounty took priority.

With a sharp motion, he extended his left arm, palm open. The blackened prosthetic whirred, the node at its center glowing a menacing red.

WOOSH!

From that glowing node, a focused beam of crimson plasma erupted—like a lightsaber's blade given range and velocity, cutting forward with the speed of a blaster bolt. It punched through the falling debris, melting stone and carving a molten hole the size of Drystan's head as it roared toward Kyric.

IMMEDIATE ALLIES: V1-L8
ENGAGING: Kyric
INTERFERENCE: Cerys Dyn

 

[Rik Perris]

OBJECTIVE FOUR
THE RAID
WAREHOUSE DISTRICT
SARKO IV
Aperture Shut

"Uh Rik, we're getting our own company seems like."

A faint smirk marred the steady line of his lips, but he still didn't flick his own blade to life.

"Good," he said evenly, "that's the plan."

The shattering of one wall panel had made a great deal of noise, exploding inward, and he'd hoped their own would take notice and start funneling this way to escape the attempted massacre, but also knew his actions would enable the Black Sun to follow and also draw trouble for him and Sera in particular. How much and what kind, he couldn't say. Parsing the chaos with his senses would take too long, in this situation where he'd not been able to sense anything other than their own people at the start for reasons he hadn't been able to discern. They had to rely on visual confirmation, and Sera had just given it.

"Intent is to draw their attention, and everyone else's." Rik came up behind one shoulder of hers to take a peek inside, with her shield funneling away the gas. He brushed matted, wet hair from his forehead. This downpour wasn't letting up. He saw the two figures making their way through the Chaos and beelining for the opening. "I expect Karis and Sal-Soren's team will funnel this way sooner or later."

If it went as he expected, soon many more would follow suit and try to get out of the barrel. He clapped a hand on Rosh's shoulder, and slid his thumb over the ignition switch of his 'saber with the other hand, not yet pressing to ignite it.

"Let's try to keep the lane open, yeah?"

With: Sera Rosh
Come and Get It: Mercy • Thayne Tameron

Other Allies: Balun Dashiell • Brandyn Sal-Soren • Sara Celwik • Scavera • Talin Treicolt • Thayze Montserrat
Other Adversaries: Damien Dooku • Drystan Creed • Koda Fett • Morrow • Razmir Tezhyn • V1-L8 • Xeykard​

 

[Sal Katarn]

Katarn felt a small spark of satisfaction at blowing half a torso away, even if it wasn't the intended target. Something innate about people, watchin' things go boom. Just sparks somethin' in the blood. Probably somethin' vile, but Katarn didn't care too much. Galaxy was a world of hurt. He'd tried to step away time and time again, but the thing was.... he was just too damn good at killin'.

Weren't no surprise that Sal's next move was to start to aim for another shot at the Jedi dueling it out with the big, scaly lizard, another Jedi moving in to help engage. Katarn took a breath, held it, and sighted down. Katarn had been in more than his fair share of gunfights, made a livin' out of it after all, but this one had far too many Jedi for his liking. Still, even Jedi could be brought down. It was just a tall order.

And... say... was it gettin' hot in here or was it just him? Felt like he was standin' right over a caldera. Sweat soaked his face inside the helmet and he blinked it away. It drenched his back too. No time. He just needed to...

Suddenly, the ceiling groan and partially collapsed in on itself a ways down.

Paying him no heed, Cerys bounded up onto some crates, raised her blades, and prepared to cut through another of the pillars. She paused, just for a moment. Taking a breath before swinging. The building shuddered under its own weight in anticipation.

The mercenary spun about, just in time to see a Togruta Jedi come haulin' through, lightsabers dancing.

No time to sight in on her, she was heading for the next pillar and movin' fast. He pulled the anti-material rifle up and snapped off a shot. The composite beam blasted through the air, ripping straight for the padawan.

Not his best shot, but even a glancin' blow would take a limb off. That's all you really needed in this kinda fight to take someone out of it.

Cerys Dyn

 

[V1-L8]

DIRECTLY ENGAGING: Kyric
COLLATERAL DAMAGE: None
ALLIES: Drystan Creed
WEAPONS: M-300 hunting blaster, Sonic Stunner & YVH Chassis​

Kyric instead slashed through the durasteel beneath them. Molten metal split apart, unhinged and swinging opposite directions. Bolts and beams clattered downward alongside the two swordsmen as V1-L8's shots flew uselessly overhead.

Amidst the fall, Kyric struck out with the speed and fury of a tornado. The cerulean saber flashed forward in two measured cuts for Drystan; one aimed high for the bounty hunter's elbow-joint, the other low, for the side of the knee. The second strike came in a split-second before impact with the floor.

An aura of telekinetic energy encircled Kyric mid-swipe to ease the landing. He bent his knees and drew his weapon back on the landing just after the exchange. The Jedi Knight circled out to Drystan's left, the lightsaber once more in guard.

Time slowed as the YVH-2's processors and photoreceptors honed in on what exactly just occurred. He missed. V1-L8 rarely could claim such a thing, but this was a first even against a jedi. The calculations were perfect, but it was not the aim or timing of his shots. It was the unpredictable pattern that seemed to elude his rather effective thinking. He could of dodged and let the blast hit the other hunter.

It was truly difficult to comprehend. The droids body took a step forward on the catwalk, then another and another. Faster and faster gaining speed in till the metallic skeletal figure was in a repulsor assisted sprint. A blur of gray and glowing yellow eyes trailing like a smudge on a canvas. Both weapons, M-300 and sonic stunner, pointed up toward the ceiling with bent arms. Nearing the guard rail in approach, V1-L8 vaulted over the durasteel railing and propelled his chassis in the form of a flip down to the levels below. Only adjusting his position in preparation for landing on Kyric 's level.

His attention shifted upward, teeth gritting as the roof began to collapse. A chunk of stone crashed down between him and Kyric, cutting off his advance. Drystan's frustration flared. He wanted a sword fight, but this? This was no arena for one. And the bounty took priority.

With a sharp motion, he extended his left arm, palm open. The blackened prosthetic whirred, the node at its center glowing a menacing red.

WOOSH!

From that glowing node, a focused beam of crimson plasma erupted—like a lightsaber's blade given range and velocity, cutting forward with the speed of a blaster bolt. It punched through the falling debris, melting stone and carving a molten hole the size of Drystan's head as it roared toward Kyric.

The droid descended like a elongated needle and managed to glimpse a eerie glow that bathed his form in crimson light, ceiling debris and rain fall that had breached the interior of the warehouse. Weaving through obstacles before getting a clear shot and engaging full auto with both weapons. Set to land adjacent to the jedi bounty, V1-L8's volley's of stun fire and sonic energy intermingled with gravity!

" Your a womp rat in a maze, Kyric! Time has come to put you down!"

 

[Xeykard]

Brandyn Sal-Soren | Balun Dashiell | Cerys Dyn | Kingsley
​

He tested and probed, efforts simultaneously rewarded and frustrated. The Jedi before him made no mistakes, but his technique was uninspired. He stalled, bought time, keeping his form tight. Xeykard pushed him harder, corralled him towards the ray-shielded wall. Some droids drew close, as though sensing the imminence of the Jedi's death, but it was him who would claim the final prize-

The support beams groaned, a flash of the storm outside stalling him for but a moment. The other Jedi -- they would be next. But before he could complete his brutal work, the younger human came flying in, clean cuts delivering them both from the droids. Xeykard did not waste a moment, taking a step back to grasp a stack of boxes. With a thought they launched ahead, swarming to knock Sal-Soren into the ray shield, while Xeykard used the confusion to dash into range of the younger knight, a quick upward slash from hip to shoulder to set the tone.

No more probing, testing; each strike was meant to shatter bones and break Jedi.

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

Every now and then, I get a little bit nervous

His blade locked with the Sith's for a moment. A pause in the battle just long enough to feel a breeze, and the rainy night sky through the new hole in the ceiling. He pushed back again, but estimated he still had a few meters before the ray shield became an active and present danger.

Balun's arrival, though, brought a change to the pace of the battle. The Sith lifting his game was, all at once, understandable and insulting.

"Master, we gotta move!"

"No shit!!!"

The distance from the ray shield suddenly felt very small, as boxes flew towards him. Each one pushed him back as he dodged and sliced his way through them. His foot slid to a stop within inches of the shield, and he pushed forward again to engage with the Sith.

"Where the hell is Cerys?" He muttered, before catching a glimpse of her through the clearing gas. She was standing atop a pile of crates, in the midst of the warehouse. His last image of her was of that same blasted beam weapon hitting near her.

Protection instincts surged within. Balun was here. Balun could be saved. He would trust Cerys to be able to get out on her own. She was good enough, better than him in many aspects.

He reengaged with Sith, taking a large swipe at its tail. And put himself on the other side, heading back towards the gap in the wall.

| OUTFIT: xxx |
| DIRECT TAGS: Xeykard Balun Dashiell |
| EQUIPMENT: Lightsaber, spike pack |

​

 

[Balun Dashiell]

TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART: OBJECTIVE 4
INVENTORY: Spacer Apparel, Echo Stone & Lightsaber
LOCATION: Warehouse (Ambush)
DIRECT OPPONENT: Xeykard
ALLIES: Brandyn Sal-Soren
INDIRECT: Kingsley

Balun Dashiell's feet skidded to a halt as the droids collapsed, their alloy heads rolling across the permacrete floor as he turned towards Brandyn Sal-Soren and the Chistori Sith Lord Xeykard . Without warning, Xeykard had seemingly used Balun's interruption as a means of catching the Jedi Master off guard during his distraction and sending him back against the ray shields.

Tightening both hands around the hilt of his Lightsaber, Balun brought the weapon to the ready at his right side, the hilt angled to lean the blade slightly forward, yet not so much that the weapon was pointed directly at the Sith, but keeping it raised in anticipation of the need to fall back on the defence. The Sith, in Balun's experience, were aggressive, and to some extent, it seemed they instinctively moved on the attack. Perhaps it was too much of a leap to assume from his two separate occasions of engaging their kind previously, yet the Chistori did not seem intent on disproving this notion as Balun braced himself.

Xeykard's first attack was not overly complex, and yet the Chistori's size and natural strength were far greater than that of a human. Instead of trying to block the slash dead in it's tracks, Balun stepped off to the right where the blade would angle highest on it's exit, further encouraging the Sith's weapon to soar overhead, by swinging his lightsaber around in a clockwise rotation and meeting the underside of the blade, parrying it high as he ducked low and sought to take another couple of steps out to the side of his opponent.

It was at this point that Brandyn Sal-Soren re-engaged Xeykard by seeking to attack the Chistori's rear, aiming for a blow to the tail of the beast. The Jedi Master's recovery was quicker than expected, bringing a touch of relief for Balun, who naturally preferred they battle the Sith as a team. There remained, however, the looming threat of time running out. Cerys Dyn had already created an escape via the rooftop's collapse, and while Xeykard looked like he could potentially survive such extravagant temperatures, Balun didn't intend on sticking around to find out.

"Master, go!" Balun demanded of Brandyn, making it clear that he wasn't leaving without Sal-Soren. He wasn't the type of guy to leave someone behind, especially when Cerys had told him to take care of her former Master; "I'm right behind you" he reiterated while keeping his eyes upon the Sith, not letting his guard down until he could be certain he was clear to attempt the jump for the catwalk above.

"Speech"
'Thought'​

 

[Kingsley]

Koda Fett Razmir Tezhyn Balun Dashiell Cerys Dyn Xeykard

"The kark she is, you diseased looking little chit!"

"Rrrrawwk?!"

Kingsley's jawa blaster exploded in his talon when he tried to pull the trigger of a weapon cut in half. He dropped the useless scrap and clutched at his maimed hand.

"Come back, my love!" he called out after the retreating togruta, "Your scruffy looks scared her off-"

But Balun was already gone now too. Unaware of the creaking pillar behind him on its crushing descent, Kingsley plotted his revenge against the Jedi who broke his gun and stole his girl.

 

[Cerys Dyn]

Every now and then I get a little bit restless​

She hesitated, blades lifted in the air, ready to strike and bring the roof down. Those within would have to move quickly, those with the Force would have the advantage. The risk, though, was immense. If things went wrong, the deaths of Republic agents or Jedi could be on her shoulders.

Her determination wavered. And in that moment, awareness of an attack ripped her senses free of inaction.

The attack tore past her, as she fell backward towards the floor. And the beam she had been about to cut through was melted in moments. The roof warped, bending downwards. The heat dissipated. And Cerys crashed to the floor.

"Oof."

The Force flowed, dulling the pain immediately, but she still got to her feet slowly. Her arm ached from the gash, while her head rung from the impact of the fall. Something felt off...

As she crouched behind a crate, Cerys checked herself over and then saw it...on the floor. Her shortsaber was quickly deactivated and clipped to her belt, and she stooped to pick up a small datacard.

No cracks. No damage. Good...can't lose this.

She looked at the card, and pondered what it meant. Thought of the consequences. Felt the guilt that she knew she would live with forever. But then she heard Brandyn's words from yesterday ringing loud and clear in her head. From that moment forward, she had known her path. And she had come to Sepan with a primary goal, even if the secondary had turned into a nightmare ambush. She was still set on her path.

"We must consider whose path we walk," Cerys muttered to herself the words of Elenna. The woman that could have been her master.

"My path is my own." Her hand closed around the datacard in a moment of focus.

And using the one useful thing that Brandyn had taught her, Cerys' Force signature disappeared from perception.

It was time to leave it all behind.

⊱⋅ Once upon a time there was light in my life ⋅⊰​

Late yesterday...

Cerys paced, fists clenched and jaw taut. She paced outside Shiaraya's Sanctuary, around the far corner where no one could see her, and was letting off steam. But she was not alone.

He should have told me sooner.

Why did he have to tell me at all?

He got it wrong. It had to be wrong. How could it possibly be right?

The data didn't lie.

The internal arguments assaulted her like a berserk Wookiee. Her scattered emotions and thoughts were unrelenting. Her heart screamed for relief from the truth, hoping for a revelation that it was all some nightmare. And her friend...yes...no...not her friend...her colleague had yet to receive the tirade that was building, and it was no fault of her own.

Cerys held one of her lekku with both hands, teasing it out as if she could make it grow. It was soothing. Though the ache remained.

"I need to find an Oathwarden," she finally said, blurting it out, eyes searching Zahari's for understanding.

"Only they can fix this. Only they can help me," she said, eyes pleading for answers she knew were impossible for her fellow Togruta to give her.

"Cerys, I..." Zahari looked at her hesitantly.

"My... my master might know something. But she's back home, in Sith space."

She glanced from side to side, offering something from her pocket.

"Is that a risk you're willing to take?"

Cerys paused, eyes fixated on the datacard in Zahari's hand. It was too real. Too life-altering. She turned her back on the former Sith, and her head dipped in an attempt to hold back useless tears.

She already knew what she would do.

| Tags: Kyric Sal Katarn Balun Dashiell Elenna Sylari |

| fyi, Kingsley Koda Fett V1-L8 Razmir Tezhyn Mercy Damien Dooku Talin Treicolt Rik Perris Drystan Creed Morrow Scavera Nathan Bloodscrawl Thayne Tameron Sera Rosh Sara Celwik |

|| the roof is moments away from collapsing ||

| Equipment: Twin lightsabers - Vowsake, and Dyn's Mercy |

| Guest writer: Zahari Kaan |​

 

[Kyric]

Solemn Blade
"True mastery begins where individual ego ends."
Tempest of Blades

​

Kyric's gaze slipped down to Drystan's sheath and his eye widened in recognition. Not long ago the Jedi Knight carried Resolute in a similar device. The specifics of course eluded him, but the result was very much the same.

Get out of the way.

A broad chunk of fallen durasteel made the task easier as it forced the combatants apart. One devastating blow eluded, Kyric leaped back to put distance between him and the newfound cover. Again. A piercing cold exploded like fire in his chest. He dropped his lightsaber completely and thrust both his hands for the incoming shot a split-second before it pierced the sidelong catwalk. Plasma erupted and screeched crimson death as it crossed the gap for the kiffar's chest.

Hands wreathed in blue light met the bolt and burned white-hot. Kyric's energy manipulation was a point of pride to him, passed down by a now fallen Jedi Master. He poured his willpower into molding the energy like clay, shifting it around him entirely in a flowing pivot. His hands burned beneath the blast, palms melting under the inferno. The energy dispersed into a brief shield between Kyric and V1-L8, but his chained-onslaught chipped away the barrier succinctly.

Kyric thrust his quivering hand out for his lightsaber, fallen beside a chunk of rooftop duracrete. Three shots found purchase by the time the cerulean saber crossed the gap and activated. Two stun rounds pelted his left arm and it now hung limp at his side. A sonic round roared like thunder in his ears. His vision blackened; ears ringing like an endless stream of bells. He gritted his teeth and raised his other arm, the weapon deftly reflecting the spray uselessly back into the shelves.

The Jedi's mind was empty. The warehouse faded away from sight, the nature of his foes a blur on his senses. Peace overcame him like a rolling wave in an otherwise calm sea. His blade moved like it was possessed, flowing a perfect defense to divert the endless tide of blaster fire.

Do not hesitate.

Kyric snapped back to consciousness. Everything crashed upon him again and he chopped downward with his saber as if the killer droid stood in front of him. A tall shelf looming behind V1-L8 toppled overtop the droid.

Another stun round caught Kyric in his leg and he dropped to one knee.

Thoughts of the others trapped in the ambush flashed across his mind in an instant. He could do little more than stem a fraction of the tide, but it had to be enough.

The Order could turn the tide with or without Kyric Karis. It was larger than him.

A final string of bolts cracked past his saber and pelted him in the hip and shoulder. Kyric fell back, and crumpled into a seated-position. The rubble beside him left him propped up enough to see Drystan's form through the hole created by his blast. V1-L8 loomed closer, both weapons trained on the immobilized Jedi Knight.

Kyric looked past it all to see a familiar figure standing before Razmir. The kiffar's vision swam from the sonic assault, his equilibrium in shambles. He couldn't make out the scene. Only Damien speaking. Saying something. He held something out to the Vigo. Kyric struggled uselessly, his body numb to his mental commands. He needed to overcome the effects of that if he were to survive, but he couldn't tear his eye away from the man he called brother.

Standing dead-center of this nightmare.

Kyric mumbled. "Dammit, Damien."

???: Damien Dooku
Black Sun Syndicate: Drystan Creed | V1-L8 | Razmir Tezhyn

 

[Koda Fett]

His fight with the Jedi having come to an end, Fett moved on to the next.

But, overhead the roof creaked and groaned beneath the weight of itself. It began to buckle, to break, with pieces of metal turning to shrapnel from the pressure as the battlefield of the warehouse was soon to come breaking down around them. The helmet gaze upturned mid-stride, seeing a column being to crumble towards himself and the nearby Kingsley.

"Hrrn," the modulated voice groaned, if only because something in him had chosen to not leave Kingsley to a gruesome fate. The damned bird, as Fett knew him as so well, was on a collision course to being splattered and only the bounty hunter could rescue him from that. He knew he would come to regret it.

The jetpack flared to life, Fett moving along the ground and snatching at Kingsley in passing. "C'mon, freak." He grumbled, grasping at Kingsley's collar and flying up and out through a hole before it could all come crashing down. Landing the two on the rooftop of a nearby building.

Kingsley - Razmir Tezhyn - Balun Dashiell - Cerys Dyn - Xeykard