We All Thaw This Coming | ORC Invasion of Rhen Var

[Argis Volmir]

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Objective: Stop Voracitos
Enemies: Sith, [member="Darth Voracitos"] (The McYoda Supreme), [member="Romi Jade"], [member="Taeli Raaf"]
Allies: [member="Mav Vohaloveer"], [member="Yula Perl"], [member="Coren Starchaser"], [member="Zak Amroth"], [member="Zef Halo"]
Equipment: Armor, Temperance & Serenity, Coyonite Rifle, Firewall Grenades



For those that took delight in bloodshed the display that followed Argis pouring the force into Voracitos’ body would’ve been magnificent. Intestines, blood, and organs shot out coating the Dashade’s armor, landing all around him and painting the once white snow a violent crimson. The taste of copper was in the air, a heavy sigh of relief coming from the Jedi as he thought the fight over. He’d won, he’d defeated the Sith, but why was there still the presence of darkness? Why hadn’t Voracitos’ aura died with him? Why had it grown stronger. It took the exhausted Jedi a bit but finally the implications set in.

Head rising from the ground, vision blurred Argis stared at the inhuman before him. He’d thought Voracitos’ last transformation had been an abomination, no this superseded that. It a revolting portrayal of body horror that had taken place on the world of Rhen Var, if this was to be one who truly served the Emperor what was the Dark Lord capable of? Or was Voracitos truly the one who deserved the mantle for transcending what it meant to pervade the force?

Stomach tightening, darkness swimming at the edges of his vision threatening to claim the Jedi he attempted to keep his head up which simply ended with it rolling on his shoulders, before leaning back and looking to the sky. I’ve failed. The laughter of Voracitos taunted the Jedi, snatched away any hope of victory. He’d been destined to fail from the very beginning. The prediction that had taken place mere moments before coming to play out. Blood stained Argis’ lips as he coughed, rust-colored spittle painted what bits of his visor remained. A shuddering breath entered the Dashade’s lungs as he knew the end was near. Ever since he’d learned about the force, since he’d stepped upon the path of Light, Argis had known he could make a difference. Be the change that he wanted to see within the galaxy, going so far as to even become more militant than his fellow followers in the light. The Dashade had just known he’d be something great, and yet here he was at the feet of a true Sith Lord. Nothing more than a footnote in history. It hurt, it tore at everything it meant to be a Jedi. What use was he?

“I’m sorry Coren, I’m so sorry.” Suddenly yet another vision overtook Argis’ vision, an image of a tomb deep underground. Bodies piled high before it, from within the presence of the Fell Star reaching out urging for him to find it. That inhalation of air the Jedi had just taken shot out, more blood following it and dribbling down Argis’ chin.

No, he couldn’t allow Voracitos to make his way to the Star. Whether or not he made a mark on history was not for Argis to decide nor should it have been a thought to begin with. A Jedi didn’t fight in the name of becoming famous, they fought for the light for they believed in it. To bring about a brighter day. He couldn’t, no he wouldn’t let this monstrosity continue his rampage on this day even if it cost his own life.

“Open the bomb bays.” The words little more than a whisper within the Jedi’s helmet, sending the signal up and to the cloaked vessel above, The Azure Star. From within two Shadowbombs fell free. The Jedi used what bit of strength he could summon reaching out and seizing them with invisible tendrils of energy. Roaring at the sky in defiance, blood pouring from his mouth Argis accelerated the bombs down to the ground where they’d detonate simultaneously. Twin balls of flame and destruction unleashed upon both himself and Voracitos.

The ground which they’d stood on shook from the explosions before giving away as the explosions stretched past the surface reaching through the first few layers of the earth. Argis didn’t feel his own death, it was over in an instant, but what the Jedi did feel was warmth. The warm presence encapsulated him, soothed him, it welcomed him and when Argis next opened his eyes he saw the truth. Death wasn’t the end for a Jedi, it was only the pathway to something greater.

 

[Mav Halo]

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Location: Jedi City
Objective: Like we ever really had one in the first place.
Retinue: Pops ([member="Zef Halo"]) & the Kid ([Member="Yula Perl"])
Allies: [member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Argis Volmir"] | [member="Zak Amroth"] | [member="Racket"]
Enemies: [member="Darth Voracitos"] | [member="Darth Ledgermayne"] | [member="Vereshin"]

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“You’re telling me, these Jedi twanks can build a city that lasts…” Mav winced, digging at an ear with his little finger as he spoke. Trying to stem the ringing from the sonic grenade, his own blaster and the collapse of the tunnel behind them. A holy trifecta for a lifetime of tinnitus if there ever was one. Luckily the regenerative abilities he’d inherited from his mother would take the edge off within a few minutes. “Well, right up until we arrived, I guess… But they can build all that and what, they skimp on the whole holy artefact?”

He snorted and shook his head derisively. So much for getting a little compensation for this family outing. Spending time with the old man was a lot easier to swallow when he was suitably paid for his efforts. The cigarra blazed dully as he tried to draw new life into it, only getting a disappointing half-lungful of smoke before it died completely. The chill in these lower levels simply too much for the embers to contend with. Only a matter of time before the three of them were following suit.

“Fierfek.” He breathed, “Guess that’s that, then. We cut our losses and get the kark out of dod---”

The cigarra drooped almost haphazardly out of the corner of his mouth. Eyes widening with disbelief as the world blurred and shimmied with darkness around them, a cloud of bitter black smoke suddenly descending from out of nowhere. That in of itself unexpected, but nothing compared to watching to twist and writhe into a humanoid figure. Peeling back to reveal the form of the ghoulish looking Sith that had tried to gank them only a few minutes ago. Seemingly no worse for wear from the grenade or the crystal opponents they had left him to face alone, sadly.

To his credit, it only took him… Well, perhaps a little longer than he was willing to admit before snapped out of his slackjaw stupor. Bearing his teeth and flushing a dark shade of coppery-gold as anger suddenly flooded his veins. The kid was in trouble. Whatever he felt towards his father was complicated and unresolved, but he wasn’t about to let some slicked back, gaunt motherkarker interfere with his family.

The revolver was spent, so it was simply discarded. Tossed at the Sith more as a distraction than an actual attack, buying himself a second to facilitate the ace up his proverbial sleeve. His cybernetic arm clunking and whirring as panels, components and sections shifted and readjusted themselves accordingly. Hand giving way to reveal a meaty looking cannon.

“Hey, fethwad. Trying discarding this point.”

Not exactly the greatest of oneliners, but it wasn’t as if he’d had time to practice this in the mirror. The Phade crowd-control shotgun doing wonders to drown out whatever embarrassment Mav might have felt in that instance as it launched a wide blast towards the interloper.

And where that failed, the distant thump and deafening explosion that resounded in the distance above them certainly stepped up to fill the gap. A shockwave of raucous baradium energy rattling through the previously forgotten and abandoned corridors of the ancient Jedi city. Whatever damage Yula had done previously paled in comparison to the cracks and destruction that was juddering out from the epicenter. A rolling sea of ice and snow cascading down the labyrinthine tunnels.

“Oh, you gotta be fething kidd---”

And like that, the world went a deafening shade of white.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Jedi City​

Removal of Sith​

Allies: ORC [member="Zak Amroth"] [member="Argis Volmir"] [member="Yula Perl"] [member="Zef Halo"] [member="Mav Vohaloveer"]​

Enemies: Sith [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Kyrel Ren"] [member="Romi Jade"] [member="Darth Voracitos"]​

Starchaser was here for the purpose of being that fighter, the one who was going to stop the enemy. He knew his path and he had to get them coming to him. As he stepped on the bridge, he was reaching out farther in the Force, ensuring he was seen as well as he was heard. If he could take down Sith here, then there would be less Sith to cause an issue for the galaxy as a whole. And the ones he could stop in the cave?

They could fall here with their companions and the relics.

The Fell Star would belong to the Coalition, however that ended up. The Trash Family and Argis. He was still waiting for the call that it was time to wrap this up. The Jedi stood as he heard Romi, his pike on his right side, and the Force with him. He was going to be loud, he was going to make it a point that the Sith should come to him.

Hearing Romi, the lightsaber pike moved and ignited, and feeling the pulse Coren had the idea. The Fell Star, the Sith, and the Coalition, he knew what he could do. The fact hat Romi was calling for him, Coren reached out in the Force, and pulled it to himself before launching it out, in a blast centered on himself, following the curtails of the pulse he thought felt similar [member="Zark"]. This was the type that could help the Jedi, and hurt the Sith, something to inspire his team while doing what it could to dishearten the Sith, and turn the battle.

The blue blade ignited as Coren started running for Romi. calling on the Force again, readying a different assault as he felt a shaking of the world.

 

[Yula Perl]

Location: Jedi City Tunnels
Objective: Oh no
Allies: [member="Zef Halo"] [Yee] | [member="Mav Vohaloveer"] [Haw]
Enemies: [member="Darth Ledgermayne"] | [member="Darth Voracitos"] | [member="Vereshin"]

“No, you’re the queen!” Yula slurred at the Sith sorcerer who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. She was still trying to get her bearings, but the Zeltron was quick to respond to an insult.

And just as her head was beginning to settle, he snatched her into the air with an invisible grip. Yula yelped and immediately began struggling. If the Holodramas had taught her anything, it was that she’d be shortly choked to death. But no Force noose closed around her throat, instead she started to feel…strange. And not the good kind of strange that sometimes happened when you tried a new spice strain.

Unbeknownst to her, Vereshin was trying to erase Yula’s existence. Through what means she would not understand, but the smuggler began to feel nauseous, lightheaded and weak. It was unlike anything she had experienced before, and Yula felt as if she were helplessly fading in and out of consciousness. While the darkness never swallowed her whole to give her a reprieve from this terrifying moment, she felt as if she were swaying back and forth between the here and now, and memories that weren’t her own.

The Sith was speaking something about discarding frames, but Yula was too busy sitting in the chair beside a younger Vereshin’s bed, the latter wrapped in bandages and hooked up to machines. Something in that moment made her feel more confident, more self assured and almost giddy. By contrast, this Vereshin seemed more withdrawn and easily startled. In real time, she’d stopped struggling at this point, staring at Vereshin with wide eyes and a look of abject horror. And then she was violently ripped from experiencing her mother’s memory as her mother—not that she knew what that was—and the unsettling lightheadedness came back tenfold. He was doing something bad to her, something that caused the pit of her stomach to well with dread, but she didn’t know what was going on.

All at once, the sorcerer had released his hold on her, allowing Yula’s limp body to collapse back into the snow. Uncle Mav was on his feet, unleashing a blast of energy at the Sith. The sounds of battle were nothing new at this point, and they dimmed into the background as the Zeltron gave in to her exhaustion and finally slipped into unconsciousness.

Triggered by the bombs detonating above them, the rush of snow washed through the tunnel of over Yula. While unconscious, she had the strangest dream of a temple, corpses surrounding a pedestal that housed something of great import.

 

[Republic Engineering]

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Objective: Subdue the Emperor.
Allies: Outer Rim Coalition.
Enemies: The Sith Empire.

https://youtu.be/Trn1cSsY2t8​

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It wasn’t surprising that my peaceful offer was ignored. The man standing before me was the Sith Emperor, and he knew no authority other than his own. Taking him into custody was merely an unattainable fantasy, for after the armour-clad titan was in chains - who would I have brought him too to face judgement? Everyone who wasn’t on his side, either didn’t care about his crimes against sentient life across the stars, or were too consumed by the thoughts of vengeance to provide a fair, and just trial. So, in many ways, I suppose this was the inevitable, and righteous path. If I couldn’t subdue him with words, then perhaps I could teach him the errors of his darkened ways with my actions.

I wouldn’t kill him. It was almost impossible for me to bring myself back from the edge of the abyss the last time I slew a Sith Lord. My heightened emotions, brought forth by the death of a beloved Padawan, almost wholly consumed my consciousness and forced me to be enslaved by the darkness brewing within. I could only imagine what would happen to me if I ended up slaying the Sith Emperor. It was doubtful that I’d ever rise above the tides of darkness; knowing that my path to the Netherworld was paved with good intentions. I wouldn’t stoop to his level, for I was a Jedi and all life - even his - was precious.

Therefore, I wouldn’t dare to use my lightsabre to harm his armoured form. During my tenure to the Galactic Republic, during their war against the resurgent One Sith Empire, I took many severed limbs on the battlefield with the sapphire-hued blade. Due to the advances of medical technology, such limbs could easily be replaced by vat-grown replacements or cybernetic augmentation, so I never thought anything of it at the time. However, little did I know, that perversion of life rippled throughout the course of the War; inevitably culminating in the death of an enemy and my self-imposed exile from the fracturing Jedi Order. I couldn’t let that happen again.

My body would be my weapon, instead.

Bathed in the ethereal flames of my incarnated soul, I watched as the Emperor made the first move. He charged at me with twinned-blades in hand, whistling smoothly as it carved through the frost-touched atmosphere. The man’s speed belied his towering stature, doubtlessly reinforced and empowered by the darkness brewing within his rotting core. With every expedient step he took, the Dark Lord shook the very foundations of the corridor; causing scattered remnants of the sundered door to jump as his boots kissed the deck. Had I been a weaker man, such an imposing sight would’ve caused my resolve to crumble, and lovingly embraced by the icy sensation of fear. However, I was far from weak, and I wouldn’t run from a fight.

Instead, I allowed my martial training to take over. Breathing out a calm exhalation of breath, I drank in the Emperor’s measure with a glance; attempting to find an exploitable weakness. With time slowly slipping through my fingers, choose to meet the Emperor’s challenge head on. Not wanting to consign myself to an undesirable fate, my planted feet moved of their own volition; throwing my body weight forward into a diagonal leap. The twinned blade would narrowly soar past my figure and was fated to either bury itself in the duracrete plating of the corridor or be redirected whilst I took flight. No matter what path the weapon took, I didn’t care. I was too far into the warrior’s mindset to turn back. A leather bound boot, and my uncovered hand, pressed against the fluted passageways bulkhead that fleetingly arrested my forward momentum - before turning it into a proverbial springboard.

As the twinned blade swung towards the deck, I launched myself at the Sith Emperor; the azure flames of my incarnated soul roaring in unison with my frost-kissed throat. The clenched, but uncovered digits sought to penetrate the inner sphere of the Dark Lord’s defence - moving towards what was assumed to be a weakened midsection of his torso. It was a strike meant to test the towering behemoth’s constitution and see how impressive his skills were as a warrior with my own two eyes. While I believed that I was beyond his guard, the Emperor’s body - much like mine - was an Avatar of his Alignment. The Force was mysterious and worked in many ways to spread their influence across the skeins of reality. He could do the impossible, and I would be unable to stop it.

Regardless of what happened next, I needed to win. I never expected to encounter the Sith Emperor here, let alone fight him, but our fates were now intertwined in this very moment. The future wasn’t set in stone, and as my fist speared through the air towards its intended target, I felt a glimmer of something race through my mind.

Hope.​

Should I claim victory this day, and beat down the Sith Emperor in single combat, there was a chance I would reignite the fires of Hope across a Galaxy beaten into supplication. It was my alleged destiny, and I wouldn’t falter. In truth? I embraced the uncertainty that the future possessed, wholeheartedly. No matter the outcome, I would serve a will greater than my own in bringing back balance to the sundered spectrum of the Force.

| [member="Darth Carnifex"] | ​

 

[Romi Jade]

Rhen Var​

ALLIES: [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Ahani Zambrano"]​

ENEMIES: [member="Coren Starchaser"]​

OBJECTIVE: Retrieve Fell Star​

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Spoiler

[youtube]

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/kJHpmSIZjNk[/youtube]

Her bottom lip quivered with a deep rage,

hiss-crack!

She called her scarlet blade to life, fixating the weapon on Coren as he rushed her; her hand shook because she couldn't control what was growing inside her. Her chest rose and fell in a powerful staccato and then she fell into a stride whipping her lightsaber through a wild blur of motion, weaving scarlet snakes in its wake.

Ahhhh!

Because that's how she felt...

On and on she went, seemingly a wild and unthinking woman. She aimed to meet him head on, but in her last few steps she could feel the trembles gradually building - she didn't care. She kept going until her forehead shone with reflected highlights of ice and snow. Before she could even react and with Coren only a couple of steps in front of her...

She relented as quick as she could in that moment as it seemed the surface of Rhen Var came crashing down on them.

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Romi was breathing shallowly, her arms held up parallel with one another. Slightly hunched over, she was able to wrap herself in a protection bubble of kinetic energy. Slowly she would nudge and nudge the bubble higher to slide the rush of snow off the back...but she felt Corens presence again, and a pulse of strength with it.

Hair flung over face, she grunted.

She felt his eyes watching her and furrowed her brow - guess their fight was going to be stalled after all, but at least he was suffering the same way she was. She pushed harder on the Force, drawing it through herself faster and pushing more up against the fallen tunnel.

She looked up at him...because they had to of been doing this together.

At this point they were probably temporarily separated from Taeli.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Survive the Jedi City​

[member="Romi Jade"]​

The Force was the path to some ways that the Jedi could help their companions. He recalled the bear that had protected the city on Thyferra, at the expense of their own life. Jedi were protectors, and the Force gave them that armor, the armor that could bind those to this world, or push the enemies away. Here he had no qualms about using the Force to disable and end his enemies, no matter who they were.

Romi Jade.

Of course it was here. Raaf was going to send in the heavy hitter. His former partner, memories of Coruscant at the fall. These were the things that would set the Starchaser off. But he didn’t expect the desire to bring Romi not to death, but out of the darkness. He would have to fight, tire her out until he could expel the darkness. From there? He wasn’t sure where he could go with her. He had a war to fight and Romi could become a liability. But if he could pull her from Taeli’s grasp?

The Jedi had the Force around him again, hoping he could touch the lives under his guardianship.

But he also needed to protect himself. The Jedi felt the shockwave as the world above would come crumbling down into the cave. The Force was aimed to fight when he had it and he threw the blast, clearing an area within the crashing rubble. Sliding into that, the Jedi pushed out a bubble of protective energy. Gritting his teeth, he was pushing it up, clearing the collapse, and seeing Romi.

The darkness wasn’t stopping her from protecting, could she know others were here? Could she feel them? Was that why she was protecting more than just herself?

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

Location: Climbing the slope headed for her way into the Peak
Objective: Find ORC Forces and provide support
Equipment - Merr-Sonn Blasters | Taozin amulet | paint ball rifle with balls
Allies: ORC - [member="Kingsley"] | [member="Andan Solo"] | [member="Cyran Vaas"] |[member="Arcanus Sunstrider"] | [member="Ladro"] | [member="Veiere Arenais"] | [member="Ardasz Verd"]
Enemies: Sith

In her head she played a game as she climbed the ladder

It was so cold
How cold was it?
So cold that I farted snow flakes

Rekha laughed at her own joke while looking up she could see a step off point, probably a junction that made repairs easier. She was hoped that there was a way in there, like a door, or a hatch or...something. She rightfully didn't care at the moment. No one had answered back on the first frequency but her comm kept cycling through waiting to see if someone responded.

What if no one does respond? Hmmm Cap'n sarcasm, Mz smarty pants have you thought that out yet? Well, I guess I'll be looking for some goodies, there's a hangar bay could use some transponders. Could use a code book, could use a log book showing ships....yeah...so just in case

Yep....then there's the other question......how am I getting out of the fortress and off Rhen Var. Yep...better think on that some too...yep..

Rekha's fingers curled around the rung as she worked her way up. She felt a bit odd that so far she had not met resistance, but then again Sith were probably smarter about coming out in the cold. After all it wasn't hard to freeze to death on Rhen Var. She had jumped before planning typical of her really. It often was just by the luck of it all that she got out of it.

Luck.yep Lucky Lady. She would never sell it.

She finally reached the step off just as she figured a hatch. At first it wouldn't budge, the cold had frozen it in pace then there was that possibility that it was locked from the inside...but to her that made no sense. Because if someone was out here like this she'd leave it unlocked but she would put surveillance in the hall..or nearby. She'd have to look into that...

Her arms hurt badly from the climb it was taking all of her remaining umpf to get the hatch open. Frustration took over as she kicked the hatch, FETH!

Then the unexpected happened the hatch opened, she stepped back quick...ready to reach for her weapon...nothing happened. No shots...ok...she slowly peered down then a voice, "Get in here before you freeze to death. What are you doing out there anyhow?"

"I took a wrong turn and fell down the slope to the bottom...then..I just. um did what I thought was best." Ok...too good to be true but she'd take it. She climbed down into the darkness. As her feet settled on the floor the light came up to dim, "I don't recognize you."

"That's alright I don't recognize you either. Besides I'm new came over on lend from the First Order, from Bespin."

"Bespin." Rekha couldn't make out who was before her. A shiver ran down her spine something that happened when she knew when a lie or danger was around. The figure remaining in shadows walked, "come on. You are lucky I happen to be this far down otherwise you'd be an ice pop by now"

Rekha nodded, "ok..." I think...man my mind is yelling ITS A TRAP!!!

 

[Romi Jade]

Rhen Var​

ALLIES/ENEMIES: [member="Coren Starchaser"]​

OBJECTIVE: Not be crushed...​

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Spoiler

[youtube]

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/W0tMxqdXuCE[/youtube]

Uhnheh!

Her knee buckled, gritting her teeth..it took her a couple of minutes to refocus and get her breathing straight.

Her body grew stiff in the instant, seizing at the pain she felt; she couldn't place exactly where it was either. It was in her head..but it was also in her body but she fought through it...like she did everything. She was that one person you'd have to wear down...In truth, Romi was not reacting well to the sith poisons effects nor the enchantments. Naturally, her spirit wanted to fight back as it had been doing for the longest in suppressing the effects.

But...it hurt to fight back.

She caught his gaze again, and then shied away "Stop looking at me!" she bit back a sharp retort and pushed even harder. She wanted to hold on to this rage...or else it would be pointless. She nuzzled her face into her shoulder trying to hide that she was now conscious of that fact that she completely regarded reason.

"I-I hate you." her words were sharp but it seemed like she was trying to convince herself too.

For a moment...it seemed like that speck of who she was was clawing through. Maybe because her onslaught was forcibly halted.

She shot back, "You're a coward!"

A beat.

A momentary window of opportunity. Her head fell low...

"You left me..." her words almost a whisper, being drowned out by the ominous rattling of the snow piling up. "You abandoned me, why? Why did you do that?" it was audible this time, with the latter portion being slightly louder.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Survive the Jedi City
[member="Romi Jade"]​

The Jedi had to protect, where possible. And this? Coren could do what was possible to protect. That meant doing what he could to prevent harm to anyone, if he could prevent it. He needed to focus, but he was a warrior, it was up to him to put the Sith down, to slow them, to give them no ground. But no where did that state he needed to remove them. Omai Rhen was gone, the Alliance was gone. Maybe it was time for a change of tactics. Maybe too little too late, but the Light, it was needed. And he needed to push the darkness away.

Burn it out from the world and those in it.

This was a war, and it didn’t matter who was there. The Force gave him power, but even greater than that, Starchaser was a servant of the Light. The calm and purpose of his focus was holding up the bubble. Hope and caring, it was what got him through the times when he was not of the battlemind. The Jedi needed to be ready for war, but not to be so ready they threw others to the side.

“I couldn’t do anything. The galaxy needed me out there.” He stated, flatly.

“You’re stronger than this. She has your mind in a trap.” He continued, pouring the Force into the barrier, meeting hers with the hope and compassion. He had no answer. She was gone and hosting a crusade without the might of the New Jedi Order behind him was not a wise choice. Decisions had to be made, the galaxy had to be kept safe, and he needed to be there, leading the charge to protect the worlds that required it.

Romi could fight this off, it was not Coren's fight.

 

[Romi Jade]

Rhen Var​

ALLIES/ENEMIES: [member="Coren Starchaser"]​

OBJECTIVE: Not be crushed...​

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Spoiler

[youtube]

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/W0tMxqdXuCE[/youtube]

“I couldn’t do anything. The galaxy needed me out there.”

Ugh!

She rolled her eyes, "Oh please..." Closing her eyes to re-center herself, "Spare me the galaxy crap!" she cut it almost as she knew he'd take it there. The rush of icy smoke filled their makeshift room, tracing just the surface of her skin, but her adrenaline was high right now...she was more concerned with not being crushed....

“You’re stronger than this. She has your mind in a trap.”

She shook her head mild irritation, "Am I?" She shot back, "Is it just like when you were unknowingly made a pawn of the Chiss and worked in the interest of the Sith?" She bit down, tensing her facial muscles in an effort to hold her tongue...

A beat.

Hell she couldn't hold her tongue, especially if that was all she had right now "Stop using the galaxy and you effort to keep it safe as some sort of excuse to make people expendable!" her nostrils flared. "I've had your back every step of the way! Even on my worst days...and I --" she cut herself off.

Pushing into the barrier more, she slowly repositioned her hands, bringing them into a diagonal formation with her head at the center.
"One thing Taeli helped me realize...was the truth. I-I'd been harboring so much...anger and it inevitably led me down this path. I left that ship that day in order to ensure you made it out safe...and all I wanted to know, was if you saw the people around you who sacrificed for your little crusade!!"

Her head fell again.

"There was plenty you could've done..."

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Location: Dreya's Peak
Wearing: Armor | Pathfinder Boots | The Forgemaster's Ring | Ring of Stasis | Sofitor
Wielding: 10 Czerka knives | 2 Nastirci Combat Knives| Copero's Wail | Fire and Smoke (lightsabers) | Combat Gauntlets | Knight Obsidian Sword | 2 Dissuader K-30 Pistols with Glitter Bullets
Allies: ORC, CIS, anyone else on their side
Enemies: well this is somewhat complicated, isn't it? But definitely all the ME's Mandalorians. Maybe some of the Sith.
People of Interest: [member="Keira Cerdulan"] [member="Celessa"] [member="Anden Fancelo"]
Post: Three

There was no stopping now. Scherezade grinned widely as she continued her forward dashing and prancing, jumping over shrapnel and debris as it came her way. There was freedom in movement, freedom in being away from prying eyes, and she intended to grab that freedom with both hands and not let go until there was no other choice remaining. Despite it, she kept a tab on her mission partner, making sure that she could jump back and help should the need arise.

It wasn't long before the two Crows were at the fence that went around the peak's fort. Scherezade came to a full stop, holding her hand up to signal to Celessa to do the same. The fence has the expected protection on it, at least as far as she could see; turrets and the such. Normally, not something she would worry about. The more important question though, was there something else?

As she stood there, for what was probably no longer than three seconds, it was then that the actions of [member="Zark"] hit her. Scherezade screamed as she fell down to her knees, clutching her head. The vision, the relic, a tomb, the dead… The SIthling groaned as she forced herself back up to her feet. The vision had arrived uninvited, unwanted. She was not here for whatever relic it was that he Coalitionioers were after. Her reasons on Rhen Var were different, her interest in the relic nonexistent. She did not visons from what felt like the lightside, one of the sharpest weaknesses she harbored as a Blood Hound.

Looking over at Celessa, Scherezade gasped, waiting a few moments more for the pain to vanish from her mind. And when she opened her mouth to say something, it hit her – a turret blast, shooting straight into the center of her chest.

Scherezade was tossed backwards from the impact, a scream of surprise erupting from her lips. She landed on her butt in the snow, the smell of something burning harsh in her nose. Looking down, the Sith sighed with relief as she realized it was her fur coat that was damaged. The armor, had stayed true, as she had constructed it to.

"We've wasted enough time," she grunted as she stood up again, and pointed at the fence. "See the gap?" Scherezade asked, pointing at it. Celessa was tiny enough to fit through it with little trouble. Scherezade… would get a little bit creative. Maybe break the edge a bit before her butt got stuck in there.

Looking at Celessa, she smiled again. "You go in first, and take down anything that might want to take us down first," she nodded. Get through the fence, get into the building, and bam – they'd be good. Finding a terminal after that would surely not be too hard, would it?

 

[Kyrel Ren]

Location: Jedi Ruins
Allies: [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Romi Jade"] [member="Darth Voracitos"]
Enemies: [member="Zak Amroth"] [member="Coren Starchaser"]
Equipment: Vader's Bane Lightsaber, Raiment of the Vigilant, Kyrel's Harbinger Saberstaff
Forces: 10x BC-X Lightsaber Combatant Droids, 10x BC-2 Elite Centurion Droids 5x B2-GP Grapple Droids

Kyrel laughed upon hearing the Kiffar's retort. The fool that even reeked of alcohol had quite the mouth. Giving the Master of Ren a warning, it was futile as the dark sider disregarded warnings on the eve of combat. Such pleasantries was for the weak when it is known that two warriors rarely back down, while he was gritting his teeth. Even with the Force awsirl all over the ruins, he first saw an explosion in the distance and even more when he was about to speak stopped. Overcome by that of a massive Force Signature. 'It's there... The Center of the City I can feel it.' He did not doubt that the signature felt was that of the Fell Star... It was emerging from the center of the ruined city. If he felt it no doubt others would be on the hunt for it as well.

Unfortunately he could oversee it being taken away personally. Recovering his bearings, he spoke to the Droid Commando. "Go, Find the artifact within the center of this ruined city and bring it to me... Leave none alive." The droid nodded, "Roger, Roger." It said jumping forth past the opponent of Kyrel as they started to sprint with their clanking legs quickly to the center, using their visual scanners to detect to see if there was anything below the ruins. Prepared to encounter anyone they came across.

With Kyrel's attention now fixed on his opponent, firing his weapon the dark sider had barely time to react within the Force. Activating his saberstaff, overcome with the raw power, pain and hatred the blade offered to him, stronger than that of Vader's Bane he playfully deflected the bolts back and forth, until an electronic pulse slammed into his chest with a grunt, his systems taking damage as he twirled his blade jumping down from his cliff to meet the man face to face. Slowly moving towards him, lunging to strike his blade across the man's head, using the Force to quicken his speed, rage overcoming him. "Tell me boy, who are you. I wish to know the name of those who I will kill."

 

[Sol Stazi]

Location: Vehicle Bay Exterior
Equipment: Scout Armor, Autokrator Assault Rifle, SSK-7 Heavy Blaster, Combat Vibroknife, Thermal Detonators (Bandolier of 5)
Allies: [member="Kyle Farnes"], [member="Jend-Ro Quill"], [member="Arcanus Sunstrider"], [member="Tera Highwind"], [member="Janick Beauchamp"]
Enemies: [member="Kaine Australis"] (engaging), [member="Darth Carnifex"], [member="Darth Morbus"], [member="Ao Xian"], [member="Ahani Zambrano"]

---

Sol crashed back outside the vehicle bays, and with an agonizing snap he knew that his rib fractures had turned to breaks.

Flashing in and out of consciousness momentarily, when the duros commando came back to himself he realized that his left leg was now useless. He managed to crawl to a burned out Sith Claymore repulsortank, using the tread armor for support. It wasn't until the captain glanced up that he noticed its protruding antipersonnel laser cannon. It was only a matter of time before the Australis warrior caught up with him to finish the job, so despite his agony Stazi started climbing up the side of the tank with his arms and one good leg.

"Kriffing hell!" he swore to himself in pain after crawling through the Claymore's battle damage and into the gunner's seat.

A mortally wounded tank operator groaned behind him. Sol casually buried his vibroknife in the legionnaire's throat before checking to see if the laser cannon would fire. He could only move along a horizontal axis, but it appeared to still be functional. By the time he swung it around to line up on his target, the Sith mercenary was caught up in a hand to hand struggle with their own Mandalorian warrior, Kyle Farnes. Stazi cursed again, Farnes had probably just saved his life but now he didn't have a clear shot. Roaring in frustration, the Twilight officer angled his commandeered turret to one side.

"Coruscant!" Sol roared, unleashing the antipersonnel blaster on any Sith trooper or mercenary unfortunate enough to come within five meters of the struggling Australis and Farnes.

HOME GUARD DRILL TEAM​

5 KILOMETERS TO TARGET​

​

"Okay, that was an explosion."

"So why aren't we dead?" Colonel Sief's laser drill operator asked him.

"It was far off," the grizzled sullustan veteran reasoned out, "few dozen klicks at least."

"Where are we gonna come out?"

"None of our recon flights could get close enough to scan this deep," Sief explained ominously, "Could be anywhere."

 

[Kyle Farnes]

The Peak​

[member="Sol Stazi"]​

[member="Kaine Australis"]​

He didn’t have the chance to give a look over his shoulder to Sol. He had faith in the Duros, as a commander and as a survivor. He made it through Coruscant and was leading the Twilight Company. That spoke volumes of his skills and capabilities. The same way the loadout on the Australis spoke about him. Kyle was not a typical Mandalorian and that could make him dangerous. He was a fast mover and was the type to change from one style of combat to another.

As he came around again, he landed ready to hit the other Mandalorian, but the jack-knife that was Mando Armor was firing at him, actual spits of flame. A bit of a dive out of the way, off to the side, and not a full on roll, powered by the jetpack, pulled him ahead of the bout of flame. Still, the heat was not being too kind to the lighter parts of his armor, and Kyle moved to pull out one of his repeating blasters, training it on Australis.

Quick firing, he was going for the man’s blaster before adjusting his path and going to move in closer. If he could land without another blast of fire, Kyle could probably make it so he can turn the tide. The man was injured in the leg. Turning himself in flight, Kyle was hitting the ground with speed to slide into Australis to knock him off his feet.

With any luck, he’d be able to get up with a roundhouse swing to knock the Mandalorian over.

 

[Vorhi Alestrani]

Allies: [member="Griet van Vliet"] Orcs. The sage advice of [member="Tiland Kortun"]
Enemies: Dashade? Carnifex. Hoenstly, the whole damn thing. Also probably @darth voracitus just by virtue of being on the same continent as him, really.
Objectives: Darth Toboggan II: The Phantom Boogaloo, oh, and that whole 'Fellstar' thing.
Location: broken and battered



Vorhi continued dodging. With their numerous enhancements and slightly superior numbers, parrying and blocking was all he could do. And spill wine on the floor. And the walls. And taunt them. Like most "elite" Sith monstrosities, they weren't having fun with it though.


"What's the matter, am I too spicy for you? I thought you ate jerks like me for breakfast!" The grandmaster quipped as one of them lunged at him with the vibroblade, missing an hitting a chunk of wall. In all honesty, the hallway was getting torn up as he retreated, rounding the corner, knowing full well what was around.


In the history of the Salai Kasi, many of it's greatest practitioners used shatterpoint, the discipline of finding weaknesses and exploiting them. To combine this with force sight was dangerous and potent, and could empower one to fell entire armies, as Mace Windu once had. Thankfully, Vorhi was not doing that. He had, in his years, developed the opposite approach. Instead of identifying weaknesses, you just kept swinging. Moving faster. Hitting harder. To strike form so many angles you were bound to hit a weakness. It had made hi ma champion in the ring. It had made him a powerful asset to the ORC. It had made him wild and untamed in a sector that was as chaotic as he is. His blocking and dodging, his spilling walls, and his feigned retreat led him to be surrounded. They were six of these awful nightmare cyborgs by his count.


Suddenly, a vision occurred to him. However, it was easily filed. If there was one thing an oracle knew how to do, it was put a truly grand vision on background while doing derring do. Hell, it was easier than ignoring the fact that Voracitous was apparently turning into some sort of nightmare incarnate through the force. That was bad. He was also about to be hit with a lot of fire. Pick up the comm-link, because the blind man fething called it and saw it coming.


The Dashade leader of this squadron spoke. In his own tongue. "You have nowhere left to run, little Jedi."


"I'm not a Jedi, I'm an archaeologist," the man corrected as the creatures readied there blades. "And as an expert on ancient structures and their hazards, I'd like to note that you *geniuses* have vibrosworded through several load-bearing beams. Oh, and this wall's external facing," with that, the blind monk decided to use the flamer tank Griet had so Kindly provided, hitting it with a thrown signal flare as the Dashade lunged at him, bewildered. As the earth termbled and the bombs hit whatever the hell Darth Voracitous was becoming, The explosion here mixed with the moementum of the tremors. The floor buckled under both the blind man and the Dashade.


Keeerrraaacckkk!


The leader lunged. Vorhi caught the cybernetically enhanced beast by the arm with one hand. As Tilund Kortun had attempted to show him while sparring, he didn't need two hands to lock down an opponent.Hell, he didn't need one. The force was strong. He was strong. And he hurtled the mass and momentum of the charging, cybered-out, clearly angry dashade into a floor that was shaking, surrounded by wall that had weakened, as the earth itself seem to reel. The wall cracked. The floor cracked.

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/ntXJJwEk1NA

This part of the fortress broke, either through the will of the force or the raw power of all these fighting maniacs, and as it fell, Vorhi and his new fighting partner were riding it, the floor sliding down the ice of Dreypa's peak, a rickety makeshift mess of durasteel and gloomy Sith architecture, tumbling and spinning down the hillside. Vorhi grinned. A new ring. I guess not even fortresses are worthy opponents anymore.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Survive the Jedi City​

[member="Romi Jade"], [member="Taeli Raaf"]​

The galaxy was the bigger picture. His own life didn’t make a difference, but his continued existence, in the role he set out for himself, in the role he felt the likes of [member="Zark"] and Omai Rhen placed before him, brought to quicker fruition from the betrayal of Raaf, was important. He was the sword of the Jedi, the shield of the galaxy, the wall against evil, and the light in the dark. He was a Jedi, she had been one too. They both knew the galaxy was worth more than either of their lives. The Sith and darkness needed to be kept in check.

Was his mind closed? At times, and he knew that, it was a concern for him, and something Romi should have understood. “This one is more obvious than what happened to me. That witch is in your mind.” He called out, pushing compassion into the Force around them. The Jedi knew that he wasn’t the best leader at times. He had gotten himself into the tunnel vision of a crusader, and it focused on military targets and the enemies of the Alliance and the light. The team he had around him understood.

“You have, and you fell. I couldn’t get close, so I continued to what I know.” He concentrated, his voice filling the air.

“Killing Sith.” His concentration continued, and the Force around him flared with light and heat. Fire that would make the Sith uncomfortable, lessen the darkside, melt the snow, burn back the rocks. “Getting close to where you were was not possible.”

The Force lighting the barrier.

“But getting you here, now, that was possible.”

He didn't need to voice his intention. Get her to turn her back on the Sith, return to the Light.

 

[Elani Zambrano]

​

​

Throne Room
Onboard the Goliath


As Elani was forced to the side, she reached for her katana, Murakami, and pulled it from it's sheathe, taking it's grip into both hands. "What is it? Who?"

And then, the apparition appeared before her. A face she did not know. A voice she did not recognize. What she did know was it was not a welcome spirit. This one was born of the Light. A disgusting abomination. A perversion of the realm of death. It sickened her. One thing sickened her more, though.

"I.. am my...own..master!" Elani roared out as she lunged forward at the spirit and brought her sword up to impale the spirit's midsection.

[member="Zark"] | [member="Darth Prazutis"]​

 

[Darth Voracitos]

Enemies: [member="Argis Volmir"] (A Pity), [member="Coren Starchaser"], [member="Zak Amroth"], [member=Racket], [Trash Family: [member="Yula Perl"], [member="Zef Halo"], [member="Mav Vohaloveer"]]
Allies: [member="Kyrel Ren"], [member="Taeli Raaf"], [member="Adenn Kyramud"], [member="Romi Jade"], [member="Vereshin"], [member="Darth Ledgermayne"]
Followers: The Coven of Gluttony, including the Lady Envy, and the Savant Wrath

-----------------------------------------

The Lady Envy and the Savant Wrath limped together through the snow, going back to where they came, following the dark pit in the force which represented their master. It seemed to pulse and waver, as the force flowed inwards towards him like some black hole in the force... though it paled in comparison to the hole in reality the Lady Envy wore just under her robes. They trudged through the snow, dreading how their master would perceive their failure. They received the vision all the same like every other sensitive on the planet, the artifact and the room full of corpses... but to get there through all the chaos? It was beyond even their enhanced abilities. Perhaps if the Savant Wrath weren't such a brute with a lightsaber, and more of a sorcerer like his master or the Lady Envy. No, the only sensible way to get there was through their master, if he even saw fit to collect it himself... what would their purpose here be if he didn't need them?

Then, as the pair crested over the horizon and witnessed... a demonic hellspawn which could be nothing less than their horrific master, floating above the kneeling and beaten body of the Jedi. What had transpired here to have caused such transformation in their Lord? Imagination alone could do no justice. The Jedi's mouth moved quickly, and then the single eye of Voracitos tore through her soul... and all else.


-----------------------------------------

Voracitos spoke no words, relishing in the self-realization of failure in the Jedi. His mind was a book, through which he observed through his memories and thoughts. Though he did nothing to actively consumed his mind, he was placing tethers within his presence, like pre-digestive fluids before ripping out his soul from his living body. The Jedi would survive of course, that was his intention. The wallowing in self-pity was an added bonus, which would make the process all the more easier...

... until suddenly the Jedi decided to have a conscious thought, switching from self-pity to the resignation of noble self-sacrifice. Voracitos didn't even listen to the words, there wasn't enough time to properly conduct the soul extraction, and Voracitos did not anticipate the sudden change in behavior. He had not know the Jedi long enough to alter it fast enough to stop what he intended to do. There were many tales of Voracitos eating fellow Sith Lord's minds and souls wholesale at once, but despite their sudden deaths, many did not see the process of delving into their mind for months and sometimes years prior to the unenviable events of their consumption. The Jedi was safe from sudden annihilation, but Voracitos in his new forms infancy, was not.

Sensing his two remaining servants on the horizon, overbloated with the entire stock of souls the dozens of Starved Subjects had come to the planet with, Voracitos looked away from the Jedi, not listening to the final words of a petulant Jedi which would cause so much more objective chaos than his subjective sense of good. His eye fell upon the Lady Envy, the one who held the Iris of Ligier, his fail safe against failure. He had suffered enough today, and with the vision of the Fell Star's location, he knew just what needed to be done.

Out stretching his hand, the female Zabraks form began flying to his grip by her chest, grasping the bulge beneath her robes which was the Iris of Ligier, the cloth singeing beneath his oppressive touch. The Savant Wrath looked on in the distance, and dropped his saber, feeling the souls he had been granted revoked from him and transplanted into the Lady Envy. A look of dejected defeat washed over him, as he looked to the sky. He knew immediately that he had outlasted his usefulness to his dark master, not worthy enough to be saved from destruction. Then suddenly he was dead, his soul ripped out with ease, a small mercy from true death as a token of Voracitos' gratitude for faithful service.

The world went white, but by then Voracitos and the Lady Envy were already gone from this plane of existence...

 

[Adenn Kyramud]

Allies: TSE, [member="Kyrel Ren"], [member="Taeli Raaf"], [member="Romi Jade"], [member="Vereshin"], [member="Darth Ledgermayne"], [member="Darth Voracitos"]
Enemies: ORC, [member="Argis Volmir"], [member="Coren Starchaser"], [member="Zak Amroth"], [member="Racket"]
Weapons: Under "Everything always with Adenn in Bio"
Links:Boarding Shields; 5 Beskad Elite; 25 Beskad Warriors; Aegis Eternum
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marching along in silence only broken by the crunch of ice beneath their feet, sounds echoed within the tunnels, sounds from far and wide. As they walked, they heard sounds of fighting and talking, screams of the dead and dying, and those long dead from a city that died long ago. Properly following those sounds was futile as they echoed, so instead Adenn and his Mando'ade simply marched further and further into the darkeness.

As they walked, the ground began to shake, causing the group to wobble unsteadily on their feet before it calmed. That shaking had come from an explosion, the origin Adenn didn't know of. Snarling to himself, Adenn shook the snow and ice off himself before continuing on while trying to make contact with his ship. Each attempt failed, leaving Adenn frustrated and worried.

That worry faded away though when Adenn and his men emerged into a large cavern, one that they suspected was the Jedi city. Looking around, Adenn noticed some sort of black hole apparition that suddenly ceased, it had pulled them towards it ever so slightly, but then stopped. They didn't know why, but preferred that it remained so. Looking around, Adenn took stock of the situation and the various figures in the cavern, they were all spread out far and wide, and most were fighting.

Fighting, such a simple thing, but in reality so much more. Adenn and his men had come here to help fight the ORCs and Jedi, but looking around, he didn't know who was on which side. Sighing, Adenn decided to pick a group at random and began to make his way towards them. The group he had picked was [member="Coren Starchaser"] and those near him, though Adenn didn't know who he was. Walking along in front of his men, Adenn relished the feeling of power that came with commanding such men. Sure he was in his regular beskar'gam, but his men, they all had powerful suits of beskar on, and back up in the form of 10 "regular" Mandalorians, also in normal beskar. They spread out behind him in a tight wedge, with Adenn at their head. Grinning, Adenn kept walking, several dozen meters away from the group he had decided to approach.