What's that coming over the hill? (OS Dominion of Gratos)

[Sage Bane]

Objective: B, Explore some catacombs
Location: The Ruins of Groxus
Allies: [member="Darth Callidus"]
Enemies: [member="Darth Callidus"]
4/20

A frown crossed the Sith Lord's face as he stared at the dead bodies of the Graug. It was a pity that they creatures had gone mad. Attracted to dark siders, it was possible that both Sith Lords could have enthralled the creatures to do their bidding. Force knew that in a place like this, it would be handy to have some guard dogs.

"Indeed," he said morosely.

Sage and Darth Callidus walked another mile, and as they did, the shimmering in the Force got stronger and stronger, leading them to a squat stone building that was all but buried in rubble. Running his hand along the ancient stone, the pattern of ridges told Sage that there used to be ornate carvings on it. The ruins looked like they had once been the entrance to the holy city's legendary catacombs, and sure enough, after investigating the structure, the Sith Lord found an opening. Cloaked in the darkness beyond, was a stone staircase leading deep down into the earth.

"There is a dark sided object somewhere down there," Sage announced. "If not the Abattar, then perhaps some other valuable Sith treasure."

The Sith Lord's mouth spread into a roguish grin as he extended his hand towards the stairs.

"After you."

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[SIZE=9pt]Post: 9/20.
Objective A. Find exotic poisonous frogs. Avoid hypothermia.
Location: Swamps -> A tree.
Allies: Boat, the Force.
Enemies: Cold, wet clothes.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Some describe passion as a fire, and Darth Ophidia was turning her body into a furnace. Her skin was cold and her eyes stared into nothingness as she sat in complete stillness. While she appeared serene, there was a battle inside her. It grew in intensity as she drew on her pain and her will to live in order to vanquish the elements about her. It was not the optimal place for practicing such a skill as Tapas. An icy planet such as Csilla had a better type of cold: One that attacked you with its sheer force. The cold of swampy Gratos was like a poison; it seeped through you skin and took a hold in the depths of you, from there it strangled your will. Ophidia would not allow it.

She could remember her knighting on that nameless, desolate planet. The hollow faces of forgotten Sith Lords, watching down upon her as she faced the Darkness. Her right hand clenched as she felt a burning sensation in her dark mark. Memories of that dream often made the mark burn and the burn reminded her of the challenge she had taken from that shadowy serpent. She felt the electric sensation of him coiling around her shoulder to whisper that challenge once more.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Womohtsara ao kûts, tsioâ tuti tu'iyia ridis. Dursi kaj arji[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Success or Death: that was her way. No surrender, no complacency, no peace. Peace is a lie there is only Passion. Her passion would grant her life. Sweat begun to bead on her forehead as her body heated up. Her eyes burned like furnaces, reflecting the state of her mind and soul.[/SIZE]

 

[Darth Timoris]

[Post=[/COLOR]8+2=10]​

Objective: Objective B – Investigate the Lost Lands
Location: Inside the facilities
Allies: One squad of Sitherhood troopers (minus one)
Enemies: tbc
Theme: More monsters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEXykmKWebQ

Melori stood and moved forwards. The trooper was dead and nothing could be done for her now. But they didn’t come on a sight-seeing tour. So she stepped over and around the debris and carried on. Her sight was slowly returning but she relied on the Force to see for now, she was becoming more and more accustomed to it.

She reached the first junction in the corridor. The air this was dusty, dark, and hot. Here there were pipes and ducts hidden behind the walls giving the impression of the canopy of a durasteel jungle.

She reached out with the Force, searching for the presence of any more ambushers or explosives but found none.

Then she tested the air again and tasted the sour tang of fear. She felt an emptiness in the Force, a dozen meters ahead and off to the left, and she knew someone that could use the Force was trying to hide from her, drawing their aura in tight so she would not feel their panic and fear. She saw an intersection ahead and heard a boot heel scuff across the durasteel grate-work. She turned the corner, already reaching for her foe in the Force, and found ... nothing.

A prickle of danger sense raced up her spine, but she already knew what was coming, and already she was whirling to meet it.

Too late.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[SIZE=9pt]Post: 10/20.
Objective E: Stay alive.
Location: A tree in a swamp.
Allies: The Force.
Enemies: Environment.

She was regaining internal heat. Hypothermia would not be a problem if she could keep warm. Still, her clothes were soaked through and barely growing dryer in the damp swamp-air. She had no spare clothes or blankets. There were also nowhere she could safely build a fire. She would have to continue relying on the Force for warmth. Ophidia also recognised the need to get out a signal. She was quite reluctant to make this swamp her permanent home. She had eaten well before coming there, and she was accustomed with fasting. All she needed was some clean water. She could not risk the swamp-water. Rainwater, perhaps. Morning dew if she had to spend the night.

As her attention diverted to the subject of survival in practical terms, Ophidia could feel the heat intruding on her once more. It took a burst of will and concentration to keep her body temperature level, and it was wearing on her. Could she keep this up for a whole night? She may have to, but other options were worth investigating. She closed her eyes and went into something of a relaxed state. Her passions were still running on high gear to fuel her body, but her physical form became more relaxed to conserve energy. She needed to think, plan, consider, employ her mental faculties, and use her little grey cells.[/SIZE]

 

[Darth Timoris]

[Post=[/COLOR]9+2=11]​

Objective: Objective B – Investigate the Lost Lands
Location: Inside the facilities
Allies: One squad of Sitherhood troopers (minus one)
Enemies: The usual fare
Theme: More monsters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoTEnaAI9Fo

Too late indeed.

A figure stood in front of her, in the gloom beyond the intersection, one hand raised toward her chest, his dark eyes filled with cold fury. Melori brought her own hand up, lashing out with the Force and trying to knock him off-balance, but it was no good.

He had fooled her, and now he had the drop on her. As she unleashed her attack, his slammed her in the chest, lifting her off her feet and hurled her into the wall behind, driving the air out her lungs. Limited vision and now no breath. She was on a roll.

Saba used the Force as she dropped down the wall she’d hit some ten feet off the round. When the cold durasteel began to slide down her back, she flipped forward – ensuring she was no sitting duck.

“Good one," she said. "Very tricky." She wanted him to speak, to reveal who he was and what he wanted. She wanted some measure of him.

As she landed and scanned the area using the Force, still not trusting her eyes, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Not funny," she growled. "Not funny at all."

So she searched thoroughly for him in the Force. Again, no presence. She hissed in frustration, then started forward. There were two doors ahead and he had to have gone through one of them. But which one?

 

[Vrag]

[1/20]
Objective: Train the [REDACTED]
Allies: OS​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uek9vCFfNB0​

These days, it was becoming a rare sight, to see the Hand without her near-trademark headgear, and it was very likely the reason why nobody spared her a second glance even as the warrior — clad in unconspicuous Vonduun — poured from one of the many Yaret-Kor peppering the surface of the beleaguered planet.

Instead of the helmet whose living horns usually adorned her terrifying visage like a pointed mockery of a halo, Vrag was wearing only the nondescript helmet that was initially molded to her form along with the rest of her Skerr Ygdris. There was nothing particularly notable about the tall creature moving amongst a sea of other, similarly clad aggressors, and today, this suited the firrerreo.

She hadn't come to Gratos seeking to lead the many contingents of the Sith as the spear of the assault, like she was wont to do otherwise; she'd come with a very specific goal in mind, and it was crucial to its success that she maintain as much of a low profile as she possibly could. Given the fact that her face — her real face — was known to a number of people she could count on one hand, that feat wasn't particularly hard to pull off, and it was with great satisfaction that the incognito Sith Lord arrived to a secluded spot upon the surface, having separated from the main mass of attackers a while ago.

If anyone did happen to drop by, they'd see little more than flickering outlines of a slightly darker green amid an ocean of similar hues whose corporeality was all the more obfuscated by the uneven passage of sunlight through the thick canopy of leaves and vines overhead. In short; they were hidden.

And it was here that Vrag would address her hand-picked group comprised of visually eerily similar individuals, virtually secluded and shielded from prying eyes and ears as her orders were conveyed to the dozen.

Men, women, and people of uncertain gender persuasions; they were brought there solely because their skill and expertise far outclassed any other in their respective fields, making them the perfect candidates for what the firrerreo had in mind.

Forgoing traditional speech in favor of the faster — and safer — communication with the help of the oggzils that served as their mouthpieces, the Hand would explain, patiently and curtly, what was expected of the twelve. To people such as them, who had liquid steel flowing through their veins instead of blood, and in whose muscles was ingrained decade upon decade of rigorous training and experience, the briefing was nothing new.

A change of pace, nothing more.

Well, that, and perhaps more exciting undertakings looming on the horizon. Who knows?

 

[Isamu Baelor]

Objective: Objective B - Investigate the Lost Lands
Location: Inside the ruins.
Allies: A single squad of One Sith soldiers.
Enemies: None; at the moment.
Post: 2/20

The brave soldiers of the Sith descended into the unknown. The darkness was overbearing, and all consuming. It surrounded them, smothered them. Every step taken was a step further into the abyss. One flashlight turned on, and another, and another, until the darkness had been overcome by the light.

Isamu and his squad found themselves at the entrance to a large chamber. They cautiously entered the chamber, one after another. Their vision was obscured by the thick dust that danced around the room, swirling in and out of the light, flowing between the soldiers. It was everywhere, covering each and every surface in the room. Soon, the dust settled, allowing the soldiers a clearer look at the room surrounding them.

The light travelled across the chamber, revealing three giant stone statues. One by one, their faces were illuminated. One, cracked and broken; another’s razor teeth glaring; but the female was different. It looked surprisingly human, except for the razor sharp teeth shared with its male brethren. “A Graug holy temple” Isamu remarked.

Isamu reached into a sachel on the belt of his armor, and pulled out a small holographic device. He pressed the button, and a blue holographic map of the area appeared. The blue light illuminated the soldiers. The map wasn’t detailed; it showed no rooms or tunnels in the ruins, just how far they were from the signal. “The signal is emanating from somewhere in this temple.” Isamu announced to his soldiers. As they continued through the large chamber, more and more religious relics that adorned the walls came to their attention. Isamu couldn’t help but muse to himself. “Hmph, their gods abandoned them”

The gaze of the statues seemed to follow them, as if the eyes of the gods were looking down on them. It was an uncomfortable. Some of the soldiers nervously looked over their shoulders, scanning the room for movement. “We’re being watched, sir” Joran said, hushed and nervous. With a blunt tone, Isamu replied. “I know.”

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[SIZE=9pt]Post: 11/20.
Objective E. Stay alive.
Location: A tree in a swamp.
Allies: The Force.
Enemies: Environment.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]After sitting still for what felt like hours, Darth Ophidia stood up. She wrapped herself in the damp robes while staring out into nothingness among the canopy of the swamp-trees. The robes were still not dry, nor were they dangerously wet. Most of the water had dripped out of the silky fabrics. To give herself better movement, she folded and tied up the robe so that her legs were free to move. She had decided: It was time to get out of this swamp. Her three frogs would have to do nicely. From the samples they provided, the One Sith would be able to synthesise their deadly poison.

If she could get back to her rendezvous-point, then her crew would undoubtedly come look for her. She extended her left hand over the side of the branch and focused on her datapad. With a little quiver, it started floating up to her hand. Her right hand held on to the satchel containing the specimens she had collected. Her datapad settled in her hand and she quickly put it in a compartment of her satchel before securing the lock on it. She would have nothing falling out of there. She checked one more time that she had everything, and as she looked down towards her boat, she noticed it was significantly lower in the water. Water was bubbling up through the bottom. Since when? She had no idea. This was a strange swamp indeed.[/SIZE]

 

[Darth Atrox]

Objective B: Currently attempting to knock off the unwanted passenger
Location: The Ruins of Groxus
Allies: [member="Sage Bane"]
Enemies: [member="Sage Bane"]

​

The terrain did not get any better in the next mile the two walked in silence, high piles of rubbish heaps, scrap, bones and dirt were about as good as the scenery got. Finally the two reached a flat roofed building, slight indentations in the side. As Lord Bane examined the side, Mala slipped a sharp rock into his pocket, tapping it to make it look more discreet. In his mind however, he only vaguely masked it's presence, it was obvious that a Sith Lord would be able to pick up the fake apprehension and sinister smile, all put on, and use it to his advantage.​

​

"Where are my manners?"​

​

The Zabrak replied within a few moments of Sage's offer to head the way first.​

​

"You can go down first - I insist."​

​

Rolling his eyes with a short 'ugh' he stepped back.​

​

The Zabrak dug a heavy boot into the back of the Human's skull, pushing him down into the deep hole. The familar snap of a lightsaber emanated from above the hole, held in a Soresu stance, ready to parry if the Sith Lord came back out in a rather quick manner. As he didn't, the sharp stone was sent down, the sharper end cutting through the stale air and hopefully puncturing an oxygen tank.​

​

Any spice down there?​

 

[Vrag]

[2/20]
Objective: Train the [REDACTED]
Location: Graug temple
Allies: OS​

​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1zxfJbfDCs​

The beauty of working with professionals was just that; they were professionals. While it could be said that the armies of the Sith were well-trained and disciplined as a whole, there was nothing quite like talented individuals devoted to their task.

It pleased the Sith Lord immensely as she watched them work, noting to herself how quickly and aptly the twelve asserted themselves with nexto to no communication, bar that which was conveyed through actions and deeds alone. Without needing prompts or orders, each of the dozen found their place in the group, seeking out the position which fit them the most and where they could make the largest impact.

It was like this — organized and coordinated — that they arrived at the gates of one ususpecting temple, spilling through its halls like a dark, silent plague. The graug weren't prepared for the strength of their assault, or for the skill of their attacks, falling before the thirteen adroit killers like trees in a storm. The stone floors greedily gorged on dark blood as it flowed from interrupted veins, and the chambers, once meant for prayer, now dutifully echoed the screams of those who were unwilling to sumbit.

It was impossible to say who was who, not even once they stepped out into the large courtyard, black wounds in the near-iydillic garden surrounding them. Their figures barely differed in height or stance, and they all exuded an aura of danger which they wore like a second skin, for they had been born into it. The rest of the Galaxy would persecute them for their nature, but not them; not her.

Vrag smiled behind her helmet, and it was a genuine smile, but its existence never bled into her voice as she spoke, calling out to the graug watching them from the other side of the courtyard.

"Join us."

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[SIZE=9pt]Post: 12/20.
Objective E. Escape the Swamp.
Location: A tree.
Allies: The Force.
Enemies: Environment.

Ophidia’s eyes scanned the surrounding trees for a path. Not finding a clear one, she closed her eyes and exhaled through her mouth. Darth Ophidia felt the Force and allowed it to direct her, she felt pulled in one direction as though by a magnet, and she knew it was the way out. The Rattataki crouched on the branch and swung herself over the side. Her hands caught the branch and climbed out into the thinner parts of it with only her arms.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]When the branch bent dangerously, she started swinging herself back and forth until the thick branch almost broke. Using the tension in the branch and the momentum she had created, she launched herself far enough for her legs to wrap around the thick branch of a second tree. Her left leg curled around it before locking against her right leg. Dangling upside down, she opened her eyes. Her satchel lost traction and fell, but with a quick hand, she caught it in time. She would not lose her specimens after all this trouble. [/SIZE]

 

[Komo]

Objective B: Explore the Lost Lands
Location: Entrance to Ruins
Allies: [member="Sage Bane"] [member="Darth Callidus"] [member="Isamu Baelor"] [member="Darth Timoris"]
Enemies: None so far
[1/20]

Exploration.

That was what had brought Greta to the planet of Gratos. Apart from participating in the dominion, she had heard about the stories about the once-famous holy city that made pilgrims from all over the planet converge in its premises. Now, it was nothing but a mass of ruins, the result of an orbital bombardment by the Jedi. Numerous Graug had been wiped out that day, such a vast number that one even lost count of those who perished.

It was startling to think that the Jedi could be capable of doing something that closely resembled a genocide. In the aftermath of the bombing, the once grand city's sole occupant was the cloud of highly toxic sulphur dioxide gas in the air, snuffing out any life there once was in these parts. Like every other explorer, Greta was suitably dressed in a hazardous environmental suit dyed in the One Sith colours of black and red.

The acolyte was completely alone except for the pair of Sentinel drones for her personal defense and protection. Not that she was incapable of doing so herself, but it was always good to have a backup while one was occupied with something else. She had always been more technologically-inclined among her peers and loved using gadgets and the like.

Reaching into the force, Greta could feel that there were Sith in the vicinity, probably somewhere deeper in the ruins. The tempting aura of the dark side was enticing and unmistakable. Using the various sensory equipment she had brought along with her, the acolyte would move deeper into the ruins to possibly join up with whichever possible ally she could find, in the hopes of exploring together.

 

[Sage Bane]

Objective: B, Explore some catacombs
Location: The Ruins of Groxus
Allies: [member="Darth Callidus"]
Enemies: [member="Darth Callidus"]
5/20

As Knight Callidus flashed a sinister smile, Sage returned his own with equal wickedness. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to choose a victor if the two Sith Lords had a sinister smile-off with each other. Bane knew that some kind of attack was brewing, he just wasn't sure of its nature. The Sith Lord had just begun to gather the Force around him in preparation, when the man's boot came flying towards his head. Sage tumbled down the stairs, his environsuit collecting cobwebs along the way. There was a crack as something inside of him broken, likely a rib. He landed at the bottom of the stairs like a crumpled ragdoll, winded, his breath fogging against his mask. He was down...

...but not without the Dark Side. Callidus stood at the top of the stairs, just a silhouette and a brilliant red blade. Sage drew the Force into him as Callidus sharp projectile was flung towards his environsuit. Sage's hands shot up and using a slight push, diverted the rock's trajectory so that it whizzed past him.

Sage felt the Abbatar's power, calling to him, soothing him like a mother's dark lullaby. By the blazes, the artifact would be his, and in exchange he would leave a gift for it. A zabrak body to keep the cadavers company.

 

[Vrag]

[3/20]
Objective: Train the [REDACTED]
Location: Graug temple
Allies: OS​

​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93ByMEx50Zc​

Some were smart, and practical, and perhaps ambitious; in the end, Vrag did not much care why they took that step. All that mattered to her was that they took it. HR and inter-people relations could probably be considered her anti-skills, so trying to claim that she knew — or cared — what it was that drove them to cross the courtyard would be foolish at best. And though she was a lot of things, a great many of which were considered bad, or even evil by some people, the Hand of the Dark Lord was not a fool.

She watched, placid and calm as the Graug filed out one after the other, her back protected by the twelve as she kept her eyes on the host of moving bodies. One by one, they came, some heads hung low, some chins held high, while others still dared not even glance in their direction.

In the end, only a fair few remained, and those knew full well they had signed their death contract. She could see it in their eyes, that firm knowledge of the inevitable breathing down their necks; all that was left for them to do was try and take as many of the enemy with them.

Vrag rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck, and then she calmly pulled out her rifle and nocked it into the crook of her elbow, firing at the opposition unrepentantly.

Yes, one of those bad things she was often called was, you guessed it, unfair. But it was also practically a job requirement in her line of work, so the firrerreo wasn’t exactly going to shed any tears for being more pragmatic than the next guy, and therefore still alive.

Dead men may tell no tales, but they also don’t care about honor, or dignity, or pride, or any of those other, well-loved moral high ground values that her usual enemy loved to spout at her.

There was a particular satisfaction to be found in the fact that her swift act of aggression was seamlessly followed by others behind her, a mix of bolts, slugs, and a colorful array of bugs the parting gift that the Hand and her twelve imparted to those who dared resist.

They would do nicely, indeed.

 

[Komo]

Objective B: Explore the Lost Lands
Location: In the Lost Lands - Deep in the ruins
Allies: [member="Sage Bane"]
Enemies: None so far
[2/20]

As she went deeper into the ruins, Greta came across many structures that borne the damage of the bombardment of days lost past. There were buildings that were totally wrecked, right down to the its foundations, as well as those that still remained part of a skeletal frame of what they once were. Many of them also had chunks of them missing, said chunks accounting for the various heaps and piles of rubble one saw on the ground.

Unlike the rest of the planet, the ruins were completed devoid of any life, the reclamation back by the nature hampered by the cloud of toxic sulphur dioxide gas that now haunt the ruins in a yellowish fog. The acolyte past towering statues of religious figures and totems that the pilgrims once upon a time worshipped.

Greta could feel the dark side calling to her, its sweet call like that of an doting mother calling for its child. Every fibre of her being wanted to turn towards the direction of the call, and the acolyte would not object, instead letting it bring her closer towards the location of the enticing aura of the dark side. For something as potent as that, it either had to be an important relic steeped in the dark side of the force, or a figure of such.

Moving on, she would see a flat-roofed building somewhere in the distance, still relatively intact, albeit with some indentations on the side. Using force sight, she could see and feel the force signatures of the ones she had felt earlier emanating from within. Her next location had made itself known to her, and Greta would oblige.

 

[Darth Atrox]

Objective: B, explore the Catacombs.
Locations: Underneath Graxus
Allies: His wits and his lightsaber
Enemies: [member="Sage Bane"], [member="Greta Kohler"]

The Zabrak tutted and shook his head. "What a shame, you're alive." he spoke down the hole in a hollow monotone. Truthfully, Mala was not surprised he was alive, and kicking, but still it was unfortunate. Using the Force as a sort of trampoline, Darth Callidus leaped into the air, and down the tunnel, aiming to land squarely in Sage's chest or abdomen, lightsaber aimed to pierce his head or throat.

"The Abbatar shall be mine, My Lord." ​

​

Along with the spitting tone of sarcasm, Kulan gave a low, mocking bow as he walked away, further down the hall, slightly more relaxed than prior his betrayal. A new sense of urgency kicked into him, adrenaline rushing through his veins as he figured he must of been getting closer, a few more minutes and the Abbatar would be his, for his uses, and the One Sith. He had no doubt in his mind until his senses peaked again. Another Sith. [member="Greta Kohler"], one whom had been with him on Glee Anslem, they had never really spoke, but now Mala never planned to. Another one. She must be disposed of.

Now altering his pace to a sturdy jog, Darth Callidus was fully alert, for possibly two Sith on his trail.

 

[Darth Timoris]

[Post=[COLOR=#ffff00]10[/COLOR]+2=12]​

Objective: Objective B – Investigate the Lost Lands
Location: Inside the facilities
Allies: One squad of Sitherhood troopers (minus one)
Enemies: The usual fare

Without the Force she relied on the tried and trusted, ‘keep left.’ It always worked in dungeons.

She searched once more in the Force. This time, the only presence she could feel along the corridors were the troopers, about a hundred meters behind her and moving cautiously but calmly. Once more she hissed in frustration, then started toward the back of the huge room.

She looked up and saw a catwalk above. This room was at least three times the height of the corridors and she realised she’d misapplied basic science. She was looking two-dimensionally for her assailant, when she should also have been looking up.

As she looked up, she was startled as a pair of hawk-bats suddenly dropped out of the superstructure above. In the quiet of the room, all you could hear was their shrill cries. But she could feel in the Force that they were more angry than frightened, and the way they kept circling back into the darkness suggested they were trying to protect a nest somewhere up on the girder. And no doubt to protect it from someone.

As she ran her gaze along catwalk she finally spotted a shadowy figure running away from her. She raised a hand and used the Force to jerk him off the narrow walkway.

The man cried out as he fell, his voice now drowing out the hawkbats. Once he landed, he looked in Melori's direction, his mouth was gaping in rage, his arms flailing and his eyes filled with hatred.

Melori simply stepped closer to him and caught him with the Force, then pulled him toward her.

His hand dropped to his side, and as she floated him towards her, he had his lightsaber in hand and ignited it. She hurled him into the nearby wall, slamming him into the durasteel - face first, then grabbed her own hilt and was standing above him as he looked up. His nose was gashed, crooked, and pouring blood.

She activated her own blade. "Who the feth-," she yelled, trying to make herself heard above the sound of the flying rodents that still circled overhead.

She barely lowered her blade in time to keep the man from cutting her off at the knees. He was only trying to drive her back ... she was sure of that. Instead of taking an easy counterstrike at his head, she rolled her wrist and sent his blade flipping away, then stepped forward to stomp on an elbow that was suddenly no longer there.

He was rolling in the direction of his saber, but his lower arm came around to club her behind the legs. She tried to escape by stepping forward. He was too quick, landing a Force-enchanced blow that buckled her knees.

His attack dropped her to her knees at his side. She lashed out, more by instinct than will. She pushed hard, pinning him against the wall.

"Enough!" she bellowed. "I am losing patience."

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[SIZE=9pt]Post: 13/20.
Objective E. Escape the Swamp.
Location: A tree.
Allies: The Force.
Enemies: Environment.

Swinging back and forth in her upside-down situation, Ophidia gained momentum. With contraction of her abdominal muscles, she managed to swing herself up on the branch. Her hands latched on to the branch draped with swamp-lichen despite its slipperiness. The Force augmenting her strength enough to make the bark of the tree crack under the pressure of her finger-strength. Her eyes stared seemingly into nothingness as she raised herself up on her hands and spread her legs to the sides before pivoting on the branch so that she faced the trunk of the tree, rather than the point of the branch. Her knees bent, and her feet touched the branch before she slowly stood up on the narrow surface. Then, with all the balance and elegance of a Makashi expert, she balanced on the slippery branch until she reached the trunk of the tree.

Needing to get around the trunk, she slung the strap of her satchel around an overhead branch and kicked off from the branch before throwing her hips off to the side to swing around the thick trunk. She did not consciously know what awaited her on the other side, but it was what the Force had led her to do, and she would trust it. Or rather, she trusted her affinity with and ability to interpret the Force. Her trust paid off; as she let go of one end of the satchel’s strap and dropped, her boots connected with another thick, lichen-clad branch. She almost slipped and fell, but maintained her balance with difficulty by flailing her arms wildly. So much for Makashi-gracefulness.[/SIZE]

 

[Darth Timoris]

[Post=[COLOR=#ffff00]11[/COLOR]+2=13]​

Objective: Objective B – Investigate the Lost Lands
Location: Inside the facilities
Allies: One squad of Sitherhood troopers (minus one)
Enemies: The usual fare

He glared back at her, eyes burning with self-righteous fury. He snarled something in a language she did not understand, something so filled with hatred it turned his Force aura sour and cold. Suddenly Melori understood how badly she had misjudged the situation. This was no intruder to subdue. He was her with the sole purpose of killing her, but if she killed him too soon, she’d never find out why.

The fire in his eyes changed to ice. She brought her guard up and blocked the blade flashing toward her neck. She countered with an elbow trying to catch him below the ear, but her angle was poor and his jaw snapped instead. His eyes want wide, rolled back, and for an instant she thought she might have knocked him unconscious despite the miss.

She should have known better. She felt his palm striking the centre of her chest. Her breath left in an anguished gasp, and she found herself tumbling backwards.

He continued to attack with the Force, banging her up and down, trying to break her. But then, without warning, he changed tactics. Still using the Force Push at her, he came charging at her, his lightsaber weaving a basket of red light as he tried to camouflage the attack pattern he would use.

For a moment they stood toe to toe, their lightsabers sparking and flashing as they tried to drive each other back. During the first flurry he did a good job of keeping her off-balance, varying speed attacks with subtle counters and streetwise knee attacks. He was as formidable a foe as she’d ever faced. She relied on power attacks, hammering at his guard hard and fast, coming back time and again in an effort to wear him out before she had to kill him.

Finally, he was too slow bringing his guard up after a brutal overhand slash. The need for information was secondary as she leapt in to finish it, flipping her lightsaber around for a backhand pommel strike that would surely have knocked him unconscious – had he not been dropping to his haunches and swinging up at her rib cage. She saved herself only by Force-flipping over his head and coming down two meters away.

She spun around to find him launching attacks against either side at will, repeatedly pivoting back and forth so that she would have to face him square-on instead of presenting a flank defence. She had to keep the pressure on, to keep him so busy defending himself he had no chance to attack her but her nagging desire for answers meant she continued to fight at a disadvantage, expending most of her energy defending herself, but launching a kick or a Force shove or even a threatening slash any time he gave her the chance.

 

[Vrag]

[4/20]
Objective: Train the [REDACTED]
Location: Graug temple-ish
Allies: OS​

​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq2OZcDBEVA​

​

​

With subjugation came conversion, and though the Hand, personally, didn't care for religion on any kind, officially she had to make an effort to at least seem that way. Anybody that knew here better than simply in passing would know that it was just that — a façade — but the horde of graug before did not fall into that category, and neither did the twelve standing behind her in a half circle.

It would have to do.

"Alright, listen up," she started, ever the eloquent orator. That's what [member="Darth Carach"] was for, after all. She beat them down, he sweet talked the rest of the fight out of them; fool-proof combo. Too bad he was feeling so lazy these days.

"Swear your undying loyalty to the Dark Lord, and you will be granted prospects and power beyond your wildest dreams."

"But refuse him, and you will know destruction the likes of which you've never seen in your darkest nightmares."

She let the sounds of the sprawling jungle consume the last echoes of her words, content to watch their flickering facial expressions as they deliberated with themselves. Despite being a people with a burning spirit, the graug had served once, and they would serve again, for they knew the rewards granted by triumph.

Whatever they craved, be it riches, fame, or lands, the campaigns of the One Sith offered ample opportunity to gain all that and more, should the individual be driven and ambitious enough. With the military might and the strategic prowess they possessed, no goal was truly unreachable, and no obstacle truly unsurmountable.

With that pleasant thought in her mind, Vrag glanced to the group of hand-picked men and women behind her back, noting that they were, indeed, the embodiment of that aggressive adage. Every single one of them had shown exactly that; desire and will to succeed, which is why they were here, standing beside the Hand of the Dark Lord and slated to work as one of the most elite units bound to her word.

"So… what shall it be?"