Dominion Trials of Cularin | CIS Dominion of Cularin Hex

[Oleander Webb]

INVENTORY: x | x | x
TAG: Gerwald Lechner | Kyyrk | Kurayami Bloodborn | Open

The Waking Nightmare was not as quick on his feet as a beast. He had not paws nor the support of extra limbs to propel him forward into the forest. He did, however, have the added benefit of moving unseen while the wolf started a ruckus, clearing a path that could've complicated things. Well, could've for one not so well versed in their trade. As he moved along, he reached out with his senses, taking a mental inventory of the surroundings.

<12 more, on patrol.> He broadcast the information directly to Gerwald Lechner as he moved in, manipulating the shadows cast by the trees around him as he closed in on a trio. He pulled one into the shadows, activating his lightsaber into their throat before they could emit a sound. The near-translucent blade offered only a faint glow in the contrast of natural lighting. Another, he dealt with again in a similar fashion. <Make that 10.>

The third one, looking like a leader of sorts, he didn't go for the immediate kill. A quick flick of his blade cut through the individual's weapon before it could discharge, the Anzat moving in to catch their throat with his free hand as he did so. The hidden proboscises now not so hidden, as they wriggled and writhed toward the person. "Shh.."

. . .​

<9 more, in motion.> he resumed the communication after a minute or two of radio-err, brain silence. He inhaled once more, taking in the scents and sensations ahead of him as weight hit the ground with a foliage-muffled thud. <Standard weapons, less than standard perception skills. Nothing extraordinary. I suspect more...seasoned individuals ahead, though.>

 

[Var Talon]

Wearing: Obsidian-type Strike Armor​

BYOO: JUNGLE, CULARIN

Well, wasn't this grand?

This afternoon was certainly going to be filed under "wrong place, wrong time." It had began as an opportunity to get the heck outta the South for a little while. There had been no end to the Echani's mission load, and thus it was high time for a change. And luck would have it that the bubbly caretaker of all things creepy and crawling had a job to the north. The effort was simply to re-home a few creatures that had outgrown their need for Obsidian captivity. And Cularin had the perfect blend of herbs and spices. All Var had to do was handle the transfer paperwork and tag along for the ride.

And given how light of a "job" the trip was intended to be, he invited a long his growing "crew." There was Zaiya, his childhood friend turned Bounty Hunter. Redd, the aptly-named Wolf Queen. And Sylvia - the best pilot in the Galaxy. (He totally wasn't biased). Together they'd accompany Eliana into the jungles of Cularin to release the beasts from their cages. But. Just as their vessel began to unload, the comms began to go nuts. Above, the growl of anti-air weaponry told Var all he needed to know. Cularin was no longer the peaceful locale it was cracked up to be. Something had gone down while they were in hyperspace.

Worse still? Their vessel wasn't combat ready. It was a civilian-tier freighter. The most lethal thing aboard the bucket was its cargo.

It was then that the Echani called the "crew" together - a quick gathering over the campfire they had erected. In his dominant hand, Var held aloft his comms device - which was buzzing with the sounds of battle. The interference from the surrounding woods was making it difficult to parce what exactly was being said - but one thing was absolutely certain. With as many fireworks going off above as there were, there wasn't any getting off the planet the way they came in. Even with Sylvia at the helm. "Alright, so, from what I can gather, chit's going down in a big way." he began.

"Don't know why or who, but there's some serious fight in the area. Woods are fething with the comms so there's no telling what's really going on. But, I've got an idea. We can't fly there - but I spotted an old outpost when we were coming down. We can probably use that to boost our signal, find out what's going on, and hopefully get a clean exit."

The outpost in question was due east. About a kilo out. A kilo through Gods knew what in the jungle. "Questions? Comments? Things you want to throw at me?"

Elliana Wess | Sylvia Alvaro | Zaiya Valessa | Redd​

[/code]

 

[Alessandra Creed]

B Y O O​

Location: Jungle
Tags: Valessia Brentioch & @Mishel Kyrze

Alessandra had no problem spending time with Mishel.

How her sibling came to be was of no concern. They were blood. From the moment the young woman had slurped up partially masticated beef in a warehouse in front of her, somehow, she had settled herself firmly in her life. A small smile quirked the edges of her lips when Mishel complained about the locale. Sometimes, they had very similar thinking. There was something she didn’t like about being in the jungle like this. Being out in the open.

She couldn’t put her finger on it.

“…So we do have the option to leave?”

The cheeky words were mostly meant in jest. Alessandra liked this outing, secretly. Mishel hadn’t grown up with her. She hadn’t had the chance to go through the muck and mayhem of being a Creed while trying to survive the cutthroat nature of Brentaal IV. It was one of the reasons she was able to operate so well with the Confederacy. Their economy and political structure was childs play compared to that. “But—After a day like today? I think tea would be a good way to unwind. They might even serve it sweet and cold, Mish.”

Rather than interject, most of the time, she just listened to the banter. It felt nice. There was something about the way Valessia Brentioch spoke that she found soothing. Even, if she seemed vaguely annoyed. She had to hold back her laughter when her sister figured out what their mother was up to. She had such an aversion to being outdoors that she would rather withstand the heat on Geonosis? Just because it was habitable, with domes, didn’t mean she would enjoy it.

In fact—Alessandra loved it. Which meant, Mishel would hate it.

The promise of food (a lot of it) seemed to quell some of the prickliness in the Jedi. It still confused her on multiple levels how her sister could, somehow, hold faith in the light side of the Force. Alessandra had seen Mishel at her best. At her worst. Somehow, someway, she managed to pull through every experience by the skin of her teeth. Even death had nothing on her.

Leaves and twigs snapped back on her ankles when Mishel let them go, but she paid it little mind. Instead, she busied herself in memorizing the path. Taking note of landmarks and unusual geological features. As Valessia had requested, though, she slowly began to open her sense to the world around them. There was a hesitance. Almost, as if her presence in the Force had been wounded.

A force bond, forcibly, broken.

The feeling of endless energy rushed in and for a moment inky liquid seemed to fill her eyes. It was gone as quickly as it arrived. “You’re right, mother.”

Alessandra could feel something in that direction. It was old but strong. It covered a wide area versus being pointed. A hesitant hand reached out for Mishel. Their abilities were opposed, but just like on Tatooine the young Minister thought that she might have a chance at amplifying her senses. As Mishel had unintentionally used her as a battery pack she assumed it would work similarly well if the other party was a willing participant. If Ale could get them to the right area—Perhaps her sister could narrow down the locale.

“I meant about the path; Not about vying for power. There’s plenty of that to go around.”

And she would never, ever, betray her blood.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

W A R R I O R​

WEARING: xxx
WEAPONS: Wolfsbane | Ferrum Solus | Icebreaker | Stormafbryder
ALLIES: Oleander Webb | Kyyrk | Kurayami Bloodborn

Gerwald heard everything Kyyrk muttered underneath his breath. It was rare the Lupine commented on the things he heard that others did not mean for him to hear, but Gerwald was under the impression this particular comment was meant to be heard. The wolf that hunts alone dies alone. The quote itself was misguided for a couple of reasons, the primary being it was obvious Gerwald was not alone. There was Voph, whom he sent to ensure that the other who had been behind them was not alone, and Oleander. They were all hunting, and they were togehter.

< “But I am not alone,” the wolf pressed into the mind of his former mentor. < “You should be aware that I am rarely ever alone.” >

There was an attitude which came from Voph that Gerwald would have to address at a later point. If he felt the need to challenge him so much, then perhaps he needed to actually challenge him for the position he had vacated. There was only a certain amount of insubordination Gerwald could tolerate. Were it not for Voph’s direct relationship with Srina Talon , perhaps Gerwald would handle it directly. It would be wiser to allow Srina to handle it herself.

< “Just be sure the one trailing us isn’t left alone…” >

A communication came through on Gerwald’s HUD. The only problem was he could not readily answer it as a wolf. He needed to reach out to Oleander Webb . Fortunately for the lupine the shadow of death had already reached out to him with a status update.

< “Good. I just received a message from a Fleet Marshall Verin Oldo . I can’t reply to him as a wolf. Can you send him our coordinates and ask him to monitor our position.” >

Twelve guards had become nine. If the entrance was that heavily guarded, the wolf did not want to imagine what they would find on the inside. They needed to deal with those on the outside before getting that answer, but Gerwald was also not foolish enough to press ahead with just Oleander.

One of the cultists tried to flank him. The sound of a twig snapping caught his attention, and the wolf bolted into the woods, finding the shadows once more. He now had the advantage, flanking the lone attacker who was looking at him. One leap was all it took, and the predator had his kill.
​

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

wearing: xXx
tag: Elliana Wess | Var Talon | Zaiya Valessa | Redd

This mission... it felt strange. Not for any reason that was out of the ordinary but rather because it hit too close to home for the former-rogue-commanders liking. It reminded her of the missions she used to go on with the old through; when she was thick as thieves with them, and when she had a lust for life. But now? Now she was more world-weary, harder and colder, crueller, with fewer faks to give. But there was one good thing about it... and that was him. His voice was echoing through the comms, calling the rag-tag 'crew' to gather, and the pilot couldn't help the small smile that found her mouth.

So, yeah, okay it wasn't all that bad.

Var was here and that was something.

Having settled the ship down she moved to gather with them. Sylvia stood more to the back, leaning against a wall with a hand on her hip, and the other holding a datapad. Her green eyes were narrowed and her expression was cold as she sized each of them up. The woman had some thoughts about each of them but kept them to herself while Var explained the situation. As he spoke she appeared disinterested, now looking at the datapad in her hands as though it was the most interesting piece of equipment in that room when her attention was focused entirely on the conversation.

"We don't need to worry or panic until we know what we're actually dealing with," she said, raising her eyes to meet Var's and then looking at the others. "I'd wager we all been in through hell at some point or another. So let's just focus on getting to that outpost. We can use the ship's location to help bolster the signal, and we can deal with whatever chit comes our when it comes our way."

Truth be told, she wasn't that worried, not even afraid. It felt good to be doing grunt work again.

 

[Elliana Wess]

This was supposed to be an exciting moment. The bated anticipation of the release of the local fauna of Cularin. There had been several Emmosi lizards as well as a Mulissiki that had been set for freedom. Elliana had been excited to see Var again, a smile on her face as she greeted him and the others that had joined them on their trip. They had all seemed to be nice enough- Elliana wasn’t afraid to explain to anyone who would listen about the creatures; anything from their eating habits to their way of living. She did her best to cover for the fact that she stood out sorely against them and despite the bright smile and happy eyes, she knew she was very much different.

Even as they landed and unloaded, she couldn’t help but contain her excitement and happiness for the fauna that were being released. But something was wrong. Something wasn’t right but she had no way of fully knowing what. "Alright, so, from what I can gather, chit's going down in a big way..." Var and a woman named Sylvia conversed between each other as well as the young Zookeeper and the others, leaving her blonde hair to bob some as her head looked between them. Elliana wasn’t a fighter - she wasn’t a pilot. Simply a Zookeeper who was meant to look after animals. "...I'd wager we all been in through hell at some point or another..”

Her green eyes went wide for a moment at the thought of them all getting in the middle of all the chaos it was a scary thought. Her hand landed on the blaster at her hip- she knew how to use it and with a look of bold bravery and determination splattered on her cute features, she resolved that she’d do what she had to. The animals needed Elliana and she would protect them as best as she could. "Questions? Comments? Things you want to throw at me?"

Elliana raised her hand feebly, only having one question and to her, it was the only one that mattered. She figured everyone was tough enough to take care of themselves but the animals? She worried about them and her sweet, light voice dictated just that. “What about the fauna? They can’t fight for themselves.” ​

•••

SINGLE | 23 | HETEROSEXUAL | SINGLE BLASTER | Sylvia Alvaro Var Talon Redd Zaiya Valessa ​

 

[Zaiya Valessa]

Zaiya stepped out from the ship, her boots tapping on the steel ramp. Her eyes swept the area, not sensing anyone in the immediate area. She tapped the scanner in her hand as she moved to join the others. Overhearing the end of the conversation and the question from the one named Elliana.

“Fauna?” She asked with a slight frown. “I would think we had more to worry about before we need to worry about every critter in the undergrowth, if they are any kind of clever, they will have fled the area as soon as their instincts kicked in. I suggest we worry about our own skins first.”

True enough she liked most animals more than people, they were simpler and honest. There were, however, more pressing matters.

She knew little of her new crewmates, they all seemed to be acquaintances of her Captain, and while she did not know enough about them for her taste, she did trust in her Captain. Flicking through the limited scans of the topography, it was jumbled but there was at least a path.

“Here.” She offered, holding out the scanner. “Imperfect directions, but gives a decent guide as to the tower, in case the trees obscure the path.” While she had a sensitivity to the Force, she knew not all other beings did, so there was a chance they would need to rely on the scanner. They could also use it when they reached said tower.

She glanced to Captain Talon with a nod, “Ready to move out when you are, sir.” ​

​

Var Talon | Sylvia Alvaro | Redd | Elliana Wess

 

[Oleander Webb]

INVENTORY: x | x | x
TAG: Gerwald Lechner | Kyyrk | Kurayami Bloodborn | Open

His feet slowed to a halt as Gerwald Lechner 's telepathic reply came through. He sighed. When he joined the Knights Obsidian, he hadn't signed on to be someone's personal assistant. And yet here he was, leaning against a tree as he fiddled with his comm. Communication with the ships was a pain to establish, especially if they weren't the ones establishing contact first. A few moments later, a message would be conveyed to Verin Oldo

"Fleet Marshall, this is Knight Webb. The Lord Commander's preoccupied at the moment. I am sending you his coordinates now. Have your people monitor our position lest we need backup."

He stashed the comm, his other hand pushing his hair away from his face, out of his eyes. <Message passed along.> He paused. It seemed some of the cultists had thought to try and surround him. Cute. He'd have to put himself on a diet at this rate. A hand reached out, grasping a cultist through the force, dragging them onto his blade. No, scratch that. No need for diets if he had enough physical activity to burn the extra calories.

<Shall I go on ahead, then? Uncover whatever these people are protecting? Surely the stragglers can clean up the rest.>

 

[Khyr Beviin]

Jungles of Cularin
​

Flashes of memories leaked into his mind, though they were conflicting. Some saw the man in a place of glass and steel, wearing soft clothing as a child and adolescent. Others were more akin to how he found himself now, except armored and fierce. Neither type of memory told him much, only that each was part of him, part of the whole that he was but couldn't reach.

With an effort, he pushed the memories aside and focused on the here and now. He moved high in the trees, the ground barely visible below him. Without having much to go on, he had decided to try to backtrack the path his original quarry had come from. Every few meters he paused and listened. Sound traveled oddly in the jungle, so any time he thought he may have come upon something, he had to practically circle it in order to verify just what it was. So far he hadn't found any other hunters, and he was starting to wonder if he'd need to figure out everything on his own when he heard a gravelly voice nearby.

"Do not come to me with excuses, come to me with that man's head." A voice spoke through a poorly tuned vocoder uttered. The sound, unnatural in the extreme, silenced the animals around them. That made it all the easier to hear.

The man moved methodically in the direction the voice had come from. It didn't speak again, but now that he had a direction he was able to hear other noises in the same direction. As he moved, the sounds became more distinct.

Finally, he was close enough to make out the sounds more and see a bit through the leaf cover. A camp of sorts was being set up beside a rocky spur that cut up through the forest, the highest shelf of rock still a meter below the level the man was at just now. The people doing most of the work were reptilian like the one he'd killed earlier, but the ones with the biggest guns were different. A couple were more like him, one was a giant with fur, and the final one was darkly armored in a manner similar to some of the memories he'd been having.

Moving methodically once more, the man moved around the camp, sticking to the trees. He was one man against a larger force. He wasn't sure what was telling him, but he knew he needed to be careful. So he counted the people in the camp, mapped out the best vantage points to watch it from, and then found a vantage point that allowed him to see the best two vantage points to watch the camp. In this last spot, he cradled his stolen weapon and let himself zone out to something near sleep. He needed to wait for night to begin taking out the camp.

 

[Lyli Dragi]

Wearing: 90 Suit

Armed with: Blade of Falsehood (Single Bladed Red Lightsaber)

DC-19 Stealth Blaster

Came to Cularin in : The Closed Casket (VT-49 Decimator)

Objective: BYOO. (Assassinate Maw Brotherhood Contacts)


Syd sighed as she sent the letter to Starlin through encrypted Holomail.

She was so confused, so deathly confused and uncertain of what she wanted.

She loved Laertia. Loved her. Not being near was like a dagger in her heart.

For all her Strength, Laertia was a vulnerable creature Psychologically, who needed someone to love and be loved by, even as she did her bloody work. She had been around The Black Knight long enough to know Laertia craved Love more than anything, more than even the death of The Bryn'adul. Syd had wanted to be the one to give her the Love she craved.

And then, at Csilla, it had all peeled back for Syd, laying bear for the first time just how far off the deep end Laertia had gone, working with The Cult she founded.

She had wanted to be someone, ANYONE, but Syd Celsius right now.

The Force Spawn, desiring to submerge herself to buy time to think, began the ritual as usual.

The red headed Force Spawn's flesh warped and wriggled like rats were underneath her skin as she meditated in the Ritual circle, holding Lyli's Lightsaber, submerging herself in a selfish, but ultimately superficial persona.

Lyli Dragi, a creature that was secretly the Master of Starlin Rand , opened her eyes, a pale skinned, yet athletic creature with curly, Dark Red hair, wearing what she believed to be a trophy from a Jedi she believed she had slain, gold and navy blue with a metallic sheen, and rose to her feet.

Ever since the Destruction of Csilla, the Confederacy had been paranoid about Agents of the Maw setting up planets in their territory for a similar Tragedy, and had ordered a general sweep of worlds like this one, dispatching agents such as Lyli.

Not questioning why she had woken up in the ritual circle, Lyli instead went to the cockpit, half tempted to call up Laertia for a chat but thinking the better of it just as suddenly. She had Maw agents to hunt.

Lyli set the ship down deep in Cularin's jungle, far from where the Agents were conducting their operations, but not so far that she could not reach it.

Lyli scowled at the Jungle as she walked through it, her catsuit reflecting everything around her. Jungles were the worst. Ambushes from every possible angle. She would have to be mindful of disturbances in The Force.

There was no word on how many potential Maw Agents she was facing, but that was what scouting was for. The fun part--actually killing The Bastards--would come later.

Lyli felt strange. It wasn't the environment. It was from within.

It was like she was afraid, dreading what was on the horizon, but she couldn't name it. Her inner self could though. Even as Lyli, Syd couldn't find full relief from her mistakes and her guilt, and that guilt and fear and shame over those mistakes caused knots of discomfort in Lyli's stomach that she didn't understand.

Lyli came across tracks. She crouched down. Fresh tracks. Not CIS boots. Nobody should be in this part of the Jungle.

Lyli got out her rifle, feeling a strange tingle in the back of her skull. The Dark Side was near.

The False Dark Jedi proceeded through the brush cautiously, holding out her rifle as she came across a wounded Civilian.

"Hey!" The bleeding man said, holding a hand up as he rested against a log. "Don't shoot!"

"I'll think about it, depending on what you tell me." She replied with a malicious sneer, even though The Syd hiding in her would never have allowed Lyli to harm him.

"What happened?" She asked disinterestedly, sitting on a log.

"I was on a... extracurricular supply run when I suffered an engine failure. Tried looking for help. Ran into the Locals. They...they weren't friendly."

"Of course not." She mocked.

"I'm bleeding out here! I need meds! Bandages!"

"You'll get them if I like what else you have to tell me." Lyli replied, the Force Spawn hiding in her mind playing up the Dark Jedi Cosplay to a T.

"What else you wanna know?"

"You see any other non locals? Where's your ship?"

"Lady, I been running for my life. You think I had an opportunity to go sightseeing?!" He snapped angrily. "My ships about four or five kilometers behind me...I think. Think the shot that got me...it came from the east...opposite of wear I was chased. Might wanna look there."

Lyli sighed, pulled out a healing Stims, and injected him with it. The wound on his side immediately started sealing up.

"Thanks."

"Get out of my sight, weakling." Lyli snapped, in a bad mood as Syd's guilt and shame over Laertia built. She headed east.

 

[Valessia Brentioch]

BYOO

​

Mishel wanted to add more to the idea of being able to leave, however; she gathered that her mother wouldn't let her do that. Instead, she decided to focus, the Tygaran took a deep breath and exhaled, quietly listened to the sounds of the jungle around them. She stepped out ahead of her family and listened as birdlike creatures chirped. Mishel looked up at the canopy above and followed the movement of the leaves her vision taking in the view of the deep green around them. The Force pooled around them as it did all creatures, and it moved like water flowing through a river and like any river rocks butted beneath it.​

​

Other rocks would reach out parting the river. Mishel realized what part she was to play, neither her mother nor sister could discernably hear or feel the light the way she could. Even in its dying moments, moments that echoed in the Force here on Cularin. "This way," she remarked quietly as she gently brushed the leaves away with her hand. Careful with her steps, "step lightly, for while the Great Jedi Purge occurred here, there may still be traps laid out by the armies of old."​

​

She doubted any of them survived this long, but perhaps one or two Jedi cranky enough to make one last... ​

​

"Just what records are you looking for that you couldn't find in some holonet database?" Mishel asked with something of a serious undertone as she navigated ahead.​

​

Valessia held back the malicious smile and replied with sincerity, "mining records, Mishel. I want to know what the Empire was mining exactly, and if they were looking for something more than just minerals." Often mining operations were a good cover for something far more sinister. Valessia was after a rather unique set of materials not so much native to Cularin, but materials that would have been brought over during the mining operations. Materials that were utilized before, during, and after the purge, "and I thought you might find something interesting here. After all, the Force does create some rather unique items, don't you think?"​

​

"I'm going to be an adult and pretend that wasn't a slight at my expense," now Mishel was slightly irritated as she sensed there was something malicious afoot and she knew Valessia would turn this relationship against her. Maybe the Jedi would take it as a lesson; don't go hunting down your darkside parents. The cries of some of the native creatures snapped Mishel out of her thoughts and then she stopped dead in her tracks. She looked around them and noticed the break in the jungle, no longer did a sea of lush green greet them. Rather, now loomed the ruins of what had been the Galactic Empire's mining operations, overgrown and rusted. Reclaimed by nature, and other beings, Mishel involuntarily shivered. "Something isn't right, here."​

​

The matriarch stepped forward and was surprised when Mishel did not resist her pulling the woman back, "stay with your sister." Valessia's tone was firm as she reached out with the Force. Mishel could feel the dark side's allure calling to her like the demon that it was. ​

​

Mishel looked toward Ale and gave a nod of her head, indicating that Ale should stand beside her. Mishel rolled her head to the left and right, focusing on the path ahead of them. ​

​

The ground shook beneath their feet, and then it shook again. The birdlike creatures fluttered away and the sounds of the jungle went silent. And again the ground shook, and this time the trees swayed unnaturally. Another shudder from the earth and this time the ground began to crack. "This way, now, we don't have much time," urged Valessia as she waved her daughters forward toward a dilapidated building. ​

​

Alessandra Creed ​

 

[Kyyrk]

​

Voph frowned under his helmet as Gerwald rebuffed him for his comment. It was the truth, no matter how overconfident in his abilities the wolf was. But it was his place to overextend himself and his team, not Voph's. Voph picked his way through the undergrowth, following the twisting feeling in his gut. The closer they drew to the compound, the more Voph dreaded what they would find. His path was quiet, save for the pilot at his flank. It would seem that the assassin and the wolf were indeed adept at fighting in the confines of the jungle.

Though the sounds of struggle were growing louder with each step. As he and Kurayami drew near, he saw the Assassin pull a combatant into his blade, and several more cultists moving forward to avenge their comrade. Voph's blaster snapped to attention, and fired a pair of shots to fell two more cultists. Frankly he'd expected stronger resistance. Which made him dread entering the compound all the more...

Kurayami Bloodborn || Oleander Webb || Gerwald Lechner

​

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

​

Wearing: Aquila armored flight suit
Inventory: T-7 ion disruptor, MSD-32 disruptor pistols, Viridian bladed lightsaber
Tags: Gerwald Lechner , Oleander Webb , Kyyrk , Open

As the compound grew ever closer, Kurayami trailed slightly behind Voph paying close attention to not only their physical surroundings, but also the ways in which the Force flowed. Trailing a couple steps behind was done for two simple reasons... lack of trust for the one leading him and giving him enough room to engage anything that tried to sneak up from behind them. There was something familiar about the auras except for the one who had stayed with the wolfman. These were people he had encountered before though the circumstances escaped him at the moment.

Outside of the struggle taking place slightly in front of them and dispatching a couple cultists that tried to attack from the left as he and the gunslinger were about to meet up with the other two, the path had been silent. It was clear through the Force that there was certainly some sort of powerful artifact within the compound as well as the fact that these were not cultists that just attacked whatever they saw. Entering the compound would be fun to say the least.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

W A R R I O R​

WEARING: xxx
WEAPONS: Wolfsbane | Ferrum Solus | Icebreaker | Stormafbryder
ALLIES: Oleander Webb | Kyyrk | Kurayami Bloodborn

Gerwald could sense the displeasure from Voph. He did not care. The man had an attitude the previous version of himself would not have carried. This one seemed to assess Gerwald as being overconfident, but in truth the lupine had known exactly what he was capable of. The suggestion that Gerwald hunted alone was misplaced when there were three others in his company, including another predator. Besides, Gerwald was not foolish enough to bust into the compound alone. His only goal for now was to clear out the guards.

A question came from Oleander. Should he move forward?

< “No, we wait for the others.” >

They were not far behind. Gerwald could sense them draw near, as did some of the cultists. The pair dispatched those sent after them with relative ease. A lone member advanced, but was stopped short of reaching the target when a massive wolf in armor wrestled him to the ground. It was not hard to end the man’s life, and when the deed was done, Gerwald shifted back to his human form. The armor he wore changed with him as the metamorphosis took place.

“There is going to be a lot more inside. A direct assault could prove foolish. Find me another way in.”

Gerwald did not care who found it. He just wanted it found. It would be much more effective if the cultists thought the attack was direct. The guards had been taken out, the illusion created. The only question now was if they could find a safer way, another option. A team of four could do a lot of damage yet still move with stealth.

“We need to secure the artifact and stop these cultists now before they can create further problems. I am not interested in taking prisoners today, if that helps.”
​

 

[Oleander Webb]

INVENTORY: x | x | x
TAG: Gerwald Lechner | Kyyrk | Kurayami Bloodborn | Open

He gave a short sigh when Gerwald's answer came. Shame. He would've enjoyed the exercise. Also a shame for the cultists upon him now. He set his sights on another, tendrils once more slipping out of his cheeks, anticipating the meal to come before-

The cultist's body crumpled to the ground, death by blaster from the two bringing up the rear, it would seem. Oleander turned sharply, tendrils sucking back into his cheeks under the guise of looking for more cultists, the Lord Commander's one stipulation of just be sure that you are not caught fresh on his mind. Another shame, certainly, and a nuisance to regain control of instincts in the midst of the hunt.

With the four of them gathered, and Gerwald ordering that they find another way in, Oleander bit back the urge to point out, 'Well, I could've found one if you hadn't killed the last of them.' He did, however, stoop down to observe one of the fresh corpses with almost clinical precision. Like other cults he'd encountered in his time, they were not without their symbols of membership. Not without their complicated symbolism and telling between those in the know and those playing along, but there was a very real advantage to be found in a meal's memories rather than simple observation.

"Here we are," he hummed to himself, pulling a bracer off an arm and a clip from their belt. "Some could pose as hostages, sacrifices, maybe. Others, as members of this cult. A couple phrases, keeping head down unless addressed. They won't know who's friend or foe til it's too late."

 

[Alessandra Creed]

B Y O O​

Location: Jungle + GE Ruins
Tags: Valessia Brentioch & @Mishel Kyrze

“Lovely.”

The deadpan response that fell from the deep lilac-painted lips of the Minister of Commerce would make it plainly clear that she was not looking forward to potentially being rendered “inert” by ancient traps from a war long since dead. She had retained the displeasure of experiencing the distinct burn of Force Light and didn’t relish repeating the experience. Regenerating skin was her least favorite week-long activity to indulge in.

The exchange about “what sort of records” between mother and daughter caused her frown to deepen. Alessandra knew that her mother loved a good relic, but she also valued her legacy. She wouldn’t place two-thirds of her offspring in mortal danger for a hunk of lommite ore…Would she? The little exchange that turned into a barb made her suck a little air between her teeth. “Mother, enough.”

Alessandra would have said more, perhaps, with a little taste of waspish Creed determination—But they’d arrived at what seemed to be the intended destination. Mishel wasn’t the only one sensing that there was more to this family outing than familial “bonding” and the moment her sister was pressed back toward her, eyes of onyx, liquid black sent a glowering stare. Mishel felt that something wasn’t right. Alessandra felt something.

Not wrong, perhaps, but it pervaded. It called.

The faint nod that Mishel gave caused Alessandra to grind her teeth together. She hated being left out of a plan. She had long since outgrown the moments when a little adventure turned into a fire-fight simply because of a lack of intelligence. She didn’t know whether she was going to step on a bomb or a root. When the surface floor of the jungle began to shake, she shifted from her position behind Mishel and her teeth gnashed. A groundquake?

Here? Now? What were the odds of that?

“Mother what in the hells have you gotten us into?”, Alessandra demanded, though, still obeying the command to move forward. Toward the looming skeleton of some decrepit Galactic Empire failure. What could possibly lay within that Valessia wanted, so badly, that the earth beneath their feet threatening to split apart caused little more than a baleful sense of urgency? “What did the reports say they were mining here?”

Whatever it was, it felt like a lie. The way the ground shook, the birds fled, she could feel the hair on the back of her neck standing on edge. The air felt charged.

Ale glanced around the building and bit her lip.

“This this is going to bury us alive if it keeps up much longer. The supports are rotten and it’s almost completely rusted through—Why is this so important?”

 

[Valessia Brentioch]

​

BYOO​

​

There were a lot of reasons why Valessia had to be there, from a bygone Imperial base that still held secrets buried beneath the rot of time, to the effects of the darkstaff that perhaps still lingered around the planet that was on its own already strong with the Force. The ground shook again and the building protested, its walls and foundations ached with each unholy movement caused by the pervasive element that began to flow around them like water rushing into a tunnel. ​

​

The building was dark, Valessia instinctively held out her hand, and there spawned a small ball of fire that under normal circumstances was colored in its natural state of bright orange and deadly yellow hues. This time it was a brilliant shade of blue with white at its tip, the hottest point of any fire. Valessia could feel the fire burn, her teeth pressed against one another. "Well we're in the right place," she evaded the question, and Mishel wasn't having any of it.​

​

"It hurts to be here, and you know this, why did you drag me out here?" Mishel all but demanded as she summoned light to her hands the familial trait of fire also signaled blue and white. "Wait- you said Great Jedi Purge, this whole planet is strong in the Force - then you have a purge which would have more than bled the darkside out." She then pieced together with other parts of Cularin's history, "add the darkstaff making the planet poof for ten years, but there was a more recent crusade wasn't there?"​

​

Valessia stopped in her tracks halfway between a set of stairs that led down into a basement, she cast a knowing look over her shoulder. Mishel punched the wall in rage extinguishing the fireball in her hand, she breathed through gritted teeth. "Carnifex himself came to Cularin and conducted a purge as part of the Dark Crusade. Raaf later came here collecting crystals, THAT'S WHY I'M HERE, ISN'T IT?" Her voice was louder than she intended and Mishel could feel the dark side there within her, aching to be released. ​

​

Mishel raced past Valessia stopped her mother in her tracks, "and she's just here for insurance, isn't she?"​

​

She gestured toward Alessandra, her barb directed at Valessia, "you kriffing schutta."​

​

Valessia's lips turned and in an instant, she held Mishel by the chin, holding who she perceived to be a petulant child in her grasp. "Cularin has been subject to Jedi, Sith, Republic, and Confederacy over the last several hundreds of years. The artifacts that I seek will benefit us all, but yes you are right, you are here for the crystals but more importantly, you are here to make sure that she gets out of here alive."​

​

Mishel pushed Valessia away from her, "right, of course."​

​

Once more the ground shuddered and this time the building did more than groan, "and we have to move, now." Valessia told Mishel and looked up toward Alessandra, "if the maps that I studied are correct the path here will lead us into a tunnel that could take us to the temples that were left in ruins here. Nevermind that there's still an older Imperial base, and more recently in history Republic bases that your nation can use." She pointedly stated toward Alessandra, "and the crystals that we find here need to be studied."​

​

The building began to shake violently, "what we're feeling is the work of the cultists which means they're still active and we need to move, now before whatever in the nine hells they're summoning shows up."​

​

"Fine," the heated agreement from Mishel as she let Valessia take lead and the family rushed down toward the tunnels as the building collapsed behind them. ​

​

​

Alessandra Creed ​

​

 

[Alessandra Creed]

B Y O O​

Location: Jungle + GE Ruins
Tags: Valessia Brentioch & @Mishel Kyrze

She loved her family.

She loved her family.

She loved her mother. She loved her sister, her father, and her brother.

Occasionally she wanted to commit murder, though, that seemed to be deeply frowned upon. Were it not for the fact that she had no desire to suffer some sort of ridiculous incarceration or make orange the new black, on a bad day, she might have throttled the woman that birthed her. If she ground her teeth together any harder she was going to need dental work. It was disconcerting to love someone so completely and at the same time feel entirely enraged with their actions. "In the right place for what?"

Mishel who was always smarter than most gave her credit for was able to put the pieces together far more quickly than she did. Alessandra knew next to nothing about this world, save, for what her mother had briefly given her on the flight over. It wasn't much. Jungle. Artifacts. Hoodoo. The fact that Mishel was in pain bothered her more than she wanted to admit. After everything had gone so horribly wrong on Atrisia it felt awful to realize that her sibling was placing her first. Again. "You can still go back. You shouldn't be here, Mish."

"We can deal with this and I don't need a babysitter."

It was wishful thinking. If Valessia thought that Mishel was needed, for whatever reason, it was probably true. Alessandra seemed to be a little slow on the uptake once the lights went out and the building groaned around them as if it were some great, dying beast. Insurance? What did Mishel mean by insurance? In the blink of an eye, it made sense. Neither sister would leave each other in this place. Mishel wouldn't go back as long as she was in danger. Alessandra wouldn't leave Mishel, and she certainly, wouldn't leave her mother alone.

Kriffing, schutta.

The groundquake tore her from her thoughts and she stumbled for a moment before gaining her footing. She thought that the light from her mother and sibling would have been adequate, but, that wasn't enough. Just as they held an ability for flame, so did she. The only difference was that it didn't seem to be limited in shape. Let alone, size. Flame licked away from her fingertips and stole the same strange coloring before it wrapped around her wrist. It burned, in a fashion, before it arched up to hover overhead. "Let's just get this done, then. The Confederacy might be able to get some use out of some old Imperial, Republic trash, but I'm not an archaeologist."

"I don't like digging in the dirt. And I'm even less fond that our mother tricked us to get here."

When Valessia mentioned that the cultists were still active, Ale frowned, but felt her shoulders roll. Even in a pair of unflattering hiking boots, she could raise all sorts of hell. Better, than what these cheap freaks had to offer. She almost wished they might stay to fight it off but that could mean separating. Part to find the crystals, part, to deal with the problem. It seemed that they would be running down a path at breakneck speed to find some old, rank, crystals. Because - Who cared if they made it out alive?

"We're having a long talk when we get out of here."

As if sensing her malcontent a beam pulled down from the ceiling and would have smashed headlong into the side of her body if quick reflexes hadn't thrown up a telekinetic wall. It stopped inches from her. Inches. Slowly, the auburn-haired woman dared to breathe while she moved out out the way to let it fall so she could continue. "A really LONG talk!"

 

[Kyyrk]

​

Voph walked over and kicked a cultist so the corpse rolled over onto its back. "They'll know. If they're as cunning as the Lord Commander expects they are, they'll know. And how peculiar would it be for two survivors to bring back two of the assault team, and not brag to anyone about how they were the ones to bring us down?" Voph turned to look at Oleander as he said this. It wasn't malicious in intent. Just pointing out that he didn't expect it would work. He glanced down at his blaster, and tossed it into the undergrowth. "There are three service entrances on the structure that I can discern from here. One guarded, two not." His blaster made a lot of noise. It wouldn't be effective inside.

"If we want a route in besides storming the front door, that's your best bet. Closest one is on the north side." Voph stepped over to another cultist, and rolled the body over so it lay prone on the ground. A hand reached out and plucked the weapon from its back. An energy bow. A weapon not unlike one that hailed from Voph's homeworld. And one considerably more quiet than a blaster. "But I leave it to you to decide, Lord Wolf."

Kurayami Bloodborn || Oleander Webb || Gerwald Lechner

​

 

[Valessia Brentioch]

BYOO​

​

"Talk, and food, lots of both." Mishel agreed as she pressed onward. ​

​

After a while, Valessia and Mishel spoke softly with one another as each one stood before a different opening in the tunnels. One led left and the other right. Mishel shook her hand the flames went out and she looked between her mother and sister, "you're not looking for a crystal are you?"​

​

"No." Valessia answered plainly, "however, you will find great interest in it considering its connection to the Dark Crusades, but what I'm after is something far more mundane."​

​

"And you think it's down wherever these temples are?"​

​

Valessia gave a slight cant of her head, "yes and no, yes that what I'm looking for - a clue may be at one of these temples." It was just a single piece of the puzzle. Cularin was filled with the mysteries of the past, and she wanted to uncover them. She also wanted to study the materials embedded here. The bases' structures and how the Force and impacted them, the artifacts she was after had been there the entire time. The temples, the bases - they were all up for study. "But there is a rumor of a crystal here, and I thought that you might..."​

​

"Might have an interest, well, maybe you do have a heart."​

​

The older woman scoffed and walked away leading them down the left tunnel.​

​

"It might be shriveled but it's there," Mishel pointed out as she stood there with her hands on her hips. "C'mon," she called out toward Alessandra whilst gesturing in the direction Valessia walked in. "Let's follow ol' shrivel hearts before she gets herself killed, Sith or no-Sith."​

​

The tunnel itself was dark, light from three helped their journey but it was the Force that was their strongest tool. The closer they arrived at the other end, the stronger it called to them. The darkside grew stronger and Valessia every so often looked toward her daughters, Mishel specifically who did her best to control her abilities. Eventually, they could see light, natural fire-giving light, and what greeted them were torches and lanterns that had been carefully placed in what appeared to be a massive cavern. ​

​

"Going to guess, that we're not invited to their party." ​

​

"Which is why you are here," Valessia looked over at Mishel plainly, "the darkside is strong here, too strong, and you, my dear are the light."​

​

"Wait- what?"​

​

Valessia approached her oldest daughter and smiled sweetly, "you are the light, and you can defeat them." A shift in her tone as she then looked at Alessandra, "and you are going to stay with your sister and together the two of you will take on the cultists, or what's left of them. I suspect your Knights would have cleaned up whatever else lingered on the planet."​

​

Mishel would have asked where Valessia was going to be, but she needn't ask. The Sith had already disappeared the clouds of purple smoke all but gone the moment she turned to ask. Mishel looked over at her sister, "beauty before age." She gestured with a smile toward the cultists who were just beginning to take notice of their presence. ​

​

Alessandra Creed ​