Your Overconfidence Is Your Weakness | Rebel Alliance Invasion of Sith Empire Held Dubrillon Hex

[Leliana]

Location: Dubrillion, Kolto Processing Plant
Objective: Find the Rebels, Kill the Rebels
Allies: [member="Djorn Bline"] | [member="Dr. Vain Jar'He"] | [member="Jairus Starvald"] | NPCs - Imperial Lawbringers | TSE
Enemies: [member="Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori"] | [member="Ari Vox"] | [member="Noah Corek"] | TRA
Equipment: Sith Lightsaber | Daggers | Hidden Blade | Assassin Armour

Leliana rolled her eyes slightly at Djorn's bit of flirting. Now was really not the time for such things, even if it weren't he would've got a similar reaction. She was just glad the man was quick to focus on the matter at hand. Leliana sealed the hatch the moment S-9 was back with them, from there she let Djorn alone to focus on the piloting.

Their journey had taken them through a series of underwater caverns, located between the Saaraishash HQ, and the Processing Plant. An additional four submarines had followed theirs along the way, until they finally reached the a secondary entrance on the other side of the facility.

One after another, the vehicles breached the water's surface and appeared in one of the Plant's Vehicle Bays. There was a small welcoming party, a composition of regular troops and a couple Quarrens, all with their weapons aimed at Djorn and Leliana's submarine.

Leliana was the first one to depart, eyes immediately fixed on the guns aimed at them. But fortunately another pushed through their ranks, ordering them to lower their weapons.

"Don't fire, they're with us!" He was dressed in more of a uniform, indicating he had some measure of authority in the facility.

"You got our message then?"

"Only a partial, but we were able to identify the source before the jamming hit us." As they walked, the other submarines opened up allowing their inhabitants to vacate the premises. They were all Nezumi, specifically the Imperial Lawbringers. It was a sight to behold, that was for certain. A few groups of the smol beings forming into their individual squads and prepping for the battle ahead.

Leliana snapped her fingers in front of the man's face, seeing him getting distracted by the Nezumi. "Status report, what's the situation?"

"Yes, yes of course. We've detected a small force that's managed to get inside the facility." That made Leliana frown. "And how exactly did they manage that?"

"We suspect they have a slicer, we received an alert about an unauthorized access at one of the external blast doors. Not to mention prior to that, we discovered a series of anomalies with our security system, specifically around that area."

Leliana cursed lightly, glancing over at Djorn. They had arrived too late to stop the enemy from breaching the facility, but now they could try and stop them from getting any further.

"S-Nine!" The small droid lurched from its position on Leliana's back, zipping around so it was facing her. "Get to a console and access the Plant's security system. Try and stop them, halt their progress from getting any further into the facility. Lock doors, vent the air - do whatever it takes." Leliana already assumed it was probably too late, the Rebel slicer had likely gotten to far into the system for them to be virtually kicked out without a greater effort - something beyond a Seeker Droid. Which meant they were going to have to physically remove them from the facility instead.

"Bline, where would you go if you were these Rebels? What would be their focus be if they wanted to take the Processing Plant?" It was one conclusion the Assassin had come to. They wanted to capture it. If their intent was to simply destroy, they would've attempted an assault - not an infiltration.

Meanwhile, as this was going down. The Seeker; S-9, had followed its masters orders and flew to the nearest terminal it could find. It raised one of its mechanical limbs and inserted it, twisting the dial around as it gained access to the console. S-9 first made sure it had a secure connection before using authorized codes to obtain further access, and what it saw was the equivalent of seeing a load of red flags popping up across the facility map. There was a program; a bug that was working its way through the security system, overriding and taking control of what it could. S-9 got to work, attempting to seal off the digital doorways that the program was getting through. But as it managed to shut one, the program managed to get through another.

If a droid could feel frustration, this would've been the time.

As S-9 continued this effort however, it also began running a trace to find where exactly the source of the program had originated, and in doing so; the location of the Rebels' forces.

 

[Ari Vox]

[SIZE=11pt]Equipment[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]

Spoiler

Re: Signature

Spoiler

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[SIZE=11pt]1st & 2nd Line Gear + BR-212 Jackal, Vornskr Mark 8 Scattergun

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[SIZE=11pt]Forces[/SIZE]
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Spoiler

1x

Spoiler

Ceraluen-Class Siege Submarine[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]2x Varindar-Class Attack Submarine[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]4x Maladon-Class Submarine Fighter[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]DOG Unithttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/130783-deniable-operations-group-dog/ - Viking - Team 01 - 5 Operators[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]15x 1st Unconventional Warfare Operatives[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]200x Rebel Alliance Soldiers[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]

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[SIZE=11pt]Mission[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]

Spoiler

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[SIZE=11pt]Insertion into the Area of Operations (Kolto Growth and Processing Plant[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt])

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[SIZE=11pt]Allies: Rebels - @[member="Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori"], @[member="Noah Corek"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Enemies: TSE - @[member="Leliana"], @[member="Djorn Bline"], @[member="Dr. Vain Jar'He"], @[member="Jairus Starvald"][/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“All fish in the water,” The message came through the T-Dek encryption and hit Ari’s heads-up-display mere moments before concussive blasts erupted throughout the depths of the Dubrillion sea. Sonar contacts that were analyzed and plotted by each of the submarines were subsequently passed on to each other ship in the [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]wolfpack, effectively doubling or even tripling the accuracy of the plots they had made and the shapes of the targets they had uncovered. The degree of certainty involved was massive. Static targets -like the turboblasters that lined the perimeter of the plant or a small contingent of surface vessels docking with the plant- were easy targets to plot and would fall rather simply to the weapons deployed against them. The horde of military submarines (recognizable by their sonar footprints) were[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] a higher degree of difficulty, but relatively simple nonetheless, and when the fish hit the water their targets had little chance to survive.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Behind the initial barrage of weapons came a secondary wave of almost identical sonar readings that trailed the first volley up until the plant itself. Manned by Rebel soldiers, these open compartment deployment vehicles were jettisoned in [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]a similar fashion to the weapons that the submarines had deployed and gave of similar readings as to confuse the Imperial readings and prevent them from fully grasping what was happening. Directed towards the plant, the weapons looked like they were destined to detonate[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] at various impact sites across the facility, while they actually hit the initial airlock that Ari’s team had inserted through.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]With the backdoor still installed via the DOG splicer, the rebels made to enter the facility with zero consequence and as orders had been given to retain their rebreathing equipment, they moved through the facility like an army of hazmat personnel, most taking their cues now from [member=Noah Corek] while the UWU soldiers made to link up with Ari’s DOG team. Sporadic engagements followed quickly, the DOG team having moved well beyond the airlock and deeper into the facility, their ability to retain any significant gains totally removed by the incredible speed at which they moved.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Their target was the security hub.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]They’d read it in the smatterings of schematics that the worm within the facility had managed to piece back out, and [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]tt[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] was here they faced their strongest opposition yet; Imperial Stormtroopers manned the hub itself and mounted a fierce resistance to the Rebel special forces who found themselves now bogged down and becoming besieged.[/SIZE]




[SIZE=11pt]“Covering!” Shouted the support gunner, his hellfire tearing across the open concept of the security hub’s central area, the rounds it spewed shattering massive floor to ceiling glass walls and sending stormtroopers diving for cover if they’d been so lucky as not to be hit. Behind [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]them the rest[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] of the team was moving, the carnage he released doing more than enough to cover their movement as they filtered from the hallway they’d entered from and took covered positions across the room. Desks were upturned, cabinets forced to the floor, and the rebels scraped and clawed for any piece of security they could possibly get.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Ari was the second in the room, taking the time provided by her heavily encumbered team member to peel off a pair of ion grenades and loft them high and far across the stretch of open desks and [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]holomonitors, their destination coming just a few feet short of a bank of computer servers that acted as the hub for the facilities security measures. Around her small explosions erupted from the DOG team’s Jackal ACRs, their miniature grenades pounding out the stormtroopers they faced and tearing through their ranks with well practised ease. When the ion grenades went off their noise was lost in the cacophony, but the effects were doubled tenfold[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt], as the lighting in the room went dark, the electrical surge from the servers tearing through the lightbulbs and popping them almost simultaneously. Small fires combusted across the room where the individual workstations were, their circuits frying with the power of the surge.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]For the [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]team, it was a minor inconvenience and one they had caused deliberately, their night-vision enabling in the darkness that descended and allowing them to pick their way through the remaining stormtroopers at their leisure. Beside Ari the slicer had been working feverishly on his holodisplay, typing madly at an invisible keyboard he could only see in his HUD and muttering a tirade of curses just beneath his breath. With the sound returning to normal, Ari knew[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] something was going amiss.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“What is it?” She asked, her hands working on autopilot to reload her spent power cell and her eyes scanning for further targets. This area would be their main point of contention, or at least they could hold it down from a more defensible position nearby, and Ari was anticipating that the counter-attack they’d face would be [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]dishevelled[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] and ill-prepared. In short, something that the small team of special forces could handle.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]She had no clue that there were Saaraishash agents deployed to the plant.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Something was trying to counter the worm, not sure the surge got it or not but I’m going to go to plan B regardless,” With that a small circular disk, shaped much like Ari’s own DRDS which flew around the room and down the halls around them, lifted from the splicers armour and made it’s way to the bank of [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]now-defunct computer servers, it’s destination being the one left that was still operational. Tucked inside a Faraday[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] cage the server was safe from the machinations of the world around it and was accessible only through a hardline connection, it’s sole purpose being for maintaining the facility in cases of emergency.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Within [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]its subroutines the server could control the basic functions of the facility, the airlocks, the ventilation system, the things that the facility needed to maintain in order not to fall prey to the deep sea ocean around it. So the small floating slicer droid latched itself onto the server, tucking itself just inside the cage that surrounded it in a free space on the rack and began to run through the controls that the server was enabled. IT could tell nothing of the status of the security of the facility, it’s nearest[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] possibility being the tracking of airlocks as they opened and closed. But the slicer used his droid to re-oxygenate the air within the wing of the facility they had previously breached.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Air’s back on,” The slicer’s words came as footsteps were approaching down the hall that the DOG had entered from, and having taken the lull in the battle to set up fortifications the best they could -stacking cabinets, desks, anything they could use for cover and concealment- the team trained their weapons on the hallway and met the rushing UWU squad as they punched into the room.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Friendly! Friendly!” Both sides called and their muzzles shifted to the other hallways that led into the hub, the UWU taking up positions and working to further reinforce the space they were to hold. From the rabble came a man, his silhouette heavy yet his footsteps light as he approached Ari at the servers, greeting the operation’s leader with a simple nod of his head.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Valkyrie Actual I assume?” Ari nodded back. “Glad we made it in time to help, should be more bodies coming any minute,” The Mandalorian turned to her [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]milky-eyed force using friend[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt], T-visor reflecting nothing of the immense concentration she was employing.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Any updates on that Sith?” And the [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]UWU’s[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] team leader seemed to straighten his back just a fraction of a hair.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Sith?”[/SIZE]

 

[Tabigarashu Madara]

Location: Dubrillion, Underwater Saaraishash HQ -traveling to-> the Refinery
Allies: TSE [member="Ardeth Zun"] [member="Khaji Ri'Had"] [member="Vestille Thumahra"] -> [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Vaylin"] [member="Samka Derith"] [member="Vaylin"] [member="Koda Fett"] [member="Jantar Keltainen"] [member="Kaalia Pavanos"] [member="Darth Prazutis"] [member="Darth Vesper"] [member="Darth Imperia"] [member="Vilaz Munin"] [member="Elani Zambrano"] [member="Comet"] [member="Braith Achlys"]
Enemies: Rebels, Jamming? ::waggles hand:: -> [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Romi Jade"] [member="Cedric Grayson"] [member="Cenric Marus"] [member="Aten Ramses"] [member="Ras Val'kor"] [member="Aryn Teth"]
OOC note: I am doing my best to tag everyone at the refinery (gosh there's a lot) *once* and in future posts will only tag those in scene. This is mostly for a heads up we are entering the fray!

"Carry it out," Hirou confirmed to Captain Thumara. "There will be Legion forces at your disposal."

As the Saaraishash agents moved to leave the submerged headquarters by various routes, Hirou attempted once more to send out a message to [member="Darth Saarai"].

"The signal is fading in and out- whatever vessel is transmitting the signal must be pulling energy elsewhere. Shields, weapons..... life support." It was impossible to guess. But the blurred noises, the voices over the comm system was shifting, turning- sometimes almost clear, other times nothing more than a haze of static.

"Continue transmitting the signal," Hirou instructed over the internal comms to the control room. "See if you can isolate a pattern- then transmit only during the lulls. It will be more likely to get through."

The Nezumi turned toward Ardeth, nodded once, and jumped up onto his hand. Carefully the little creature scurried up his arm to settle on the Muun's shoulder as they headed through the halls and toward the launch bay.

"The sensors and communication array here is excellent," the Nezumi assured him. "If anyone can get through, it will be them."

The great cat paused, waiting for the pair. Normally, Hirou did not trust cats. But Agent Ri'had had been the epitome of polite- and they had kept a respectful distance.... and not licked their chops at Hirou, as feline species tended to do. It wasn't easy always, but there was also a certain armor that the Nezumi's rank offered. A certain level of protection. Though Hirou suspected it was not necessary in this case. Probably.

The trio reached the surface docking platform, all settling into skimmer. Scampering down, Hirou settled into the middle of the back seat, where, to anyone else's surprise, they withdrew a tiny seatbelt from between the seats and buckled it around their waist. Getting comfortable, Hirou let one of the others pilot- while the various transports here had Nezumi safety features in mind, it had not been feasible to make them truly accessible to tiny pilots. Only tiny passengers.

"The sensor data we received showed the area around the nearest refinery to be quiet messy," the Nezumi shouted over the wind as they started off. "Approach with caution, please."

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Objective: Kill the Webuls, Kill the Webuls, Kill the Webuls
Location: Dubrillion Refinery Complex - Whichever one the plot demands
Allies: [member="Koda Fett"], [member="Taeli Raaf"], [member="Kaalia Pavanos"], [member="Vaylin"], [member="Darth Prazutis"], [member="Vilaz Munin"], [member="Elani Zambrano"], [member="Comet"]
Enemies: [member="Coren Starchaser"], [member="Romi Jade"], [member="Cedric Grayson"], [member="Cenric Marus"], [member="Aryn Teth"], [member="Aten Ramses"], [member="Ras Val'kor"]
Gear: Below Signature

Access to the refinery was easy to obtain when you were the Sith Emperor.

The soldiers stationed within knew your face, they knew your voice. Subconsciously hardwired to obey they stayed out of his way as he and his entourage of merciless killers stormed through the various walkways and refining decks that encircled the borehole, several workers, guards, and droids quickly giving him the proper respect as he thundered on past them. His very appearance was a rallying point for the Sith-Imperial Legionnaires who found themselves assailed by the anarchical servants of chaos, he was the anchor in which they could adhere themselves to even though the fight ahead might be grim.

However, in return he hardly noticed them. His mind was fixated on the Jedi and their sycophants and how he would destroy them utterly. He had sensed a familiar presence among them, one that had previously been incarcerated at the Citadel until a surprise prisonbreak had led to their emancipation from Imperial bondage.

"Master Starchaser," the voice of the Emperor wafted through the Force, "Back already?"

Carnifex sought out Starchaser's presence, honing in on it like a well-trained Vornskr (a humorous thought given the name he had abandoned) and prepared to engage with extreme violence and prejudice.

 

[Ras'kala'han]

Allies: [member="Darth Imperia"]; Sith
Enemies: [member="Cedric Grayson"]; Jedi and Rebels

◄[SIZE=9.9px]◎[/SIZE]►

"I thought nothing could move me to more anger, more disgust, than your failed assaults on me... I was wrong." The Blade of Ruusan's light aura was not alien to Vesper - he had felt similar pain at the battle for the Black Library - but no less distressing for that. The din of battle had masked its full potency, but this close he could see quite clearly that it wasn't just his connection to his enemy that had made finding him so easy; Cedric had come into possession of a truly powerful artifact of the Light. The wounds graven into Vesper's very soul stung, and his lips curled into a snarl, but he did not let himself waver yet. His very body was created by three Dark Side artifacts: the Seed of Rage, the Genesis Pool, and even the Trumpet of Revelation itself, the Darkstaff, granting triple power - yet also triple vulnerability. The blade's mere proximity burned his being to the core, but he would not relent.

"As a boy, I thought there was hope for you: you were stern, you had steel. You conquered ancient worlds of the Sith and unearthed their dark artifacts. You saw the big picture - one you seem to have forgotten. Your 'Great Enemy,' floating out there in the Netherworld, ripping at the fabric of the Galaxy through its still-open wounds, waiting, watching, returning. Now you quote platitudes at someone you no longer have anything to offer, and lash out for the sake of your feeble justice to avenge the worlds you could not stop from burning, the citizens who you could not prevent me from slaughtering like the livestock your ways had turned them into."

"You could have been among the greatest of the Sith at my side, but you have killed that potential within yourself. You were a boy, yes. Now, you are so much less. You have already died and lost in every way that mattered. Let me lay you to rest."

As he spoke, Vesper raised his hand, with ice-blue lightning leaping from it, untamed and unrestrained, his fist a brand of tangling threads of electricity and harsh light. He thrust it several times at Cedric, a high-pitched whine accompanying it - back, back - before opening his palm to loose a wave of aimless bolts in every direction - hoping to buy a reprieve from the painful radiance of his enemy's sword.

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[LT-137]

Allies: The Sith Empire.
Enemies: The Rebel Alliance.
Objective: Hold Refinery Complex Dorn until Reinforcements Arrive.

Dubrillion // Sith-Imperial Collection and Refinery Complex Dorn​

The Beaches.​

Time began to stretch like oil decanted over ice, as the natural and artificial adrenals began to blend within his bloodstream. The feeling was almost akin to bliss, as the world around him sharpened it’s focus; where every detail became crystal clear. However, despite the clarity that his body and powersuit had bestowed, the man’s sole focus was placed upon the armed Jedi before him. He could see the beads of sweat that threatened to crest his unkempt brow; the sands shifting beneath his feet, and the blood that trickled from his weeping sores.

As he had made his approach, the Sun Guard noted that his newfound foe kept a wary eye on the horizon, knowing that his doom would come - but it seemed that fate had a different outcome in store for the both of them. The Jedi momentarily broke his line of sight to rid himself of his Mandalorian aggressor, only to be taken by surprise by the sheer ferocity that the Scion of Thyrsus brought to the field.

Had this not been an assignment, nor a sprawling battlefield, Khonsu would’ve commended the Jedi on his reflexive instincts. For such spontaneous movements bespoke of years of training in the mystic and physical arts; the latter of which had only just begun for the Mercenary. He had latent powers, sure, but the man would never deign to admit it; merely state that his skills and a tremendous amount of luck carried the day.

When they came together at long last, the Sun Guard’s arm shuddered with unseen tendrils of telekine energy. Had he not fought against the rapid burst of aetheric will the lethality of his weapon would’ve been all for naught as it pierced the air.

Instead, the Thyrsian tightened the muscles in his arm and fought against the rolling tide with all of his might. It was then that the pointed tip of his Force pike speared into the Jedi’s thigh, splitting fabric and flesh apart with the impact. The Jedi screamed in anguish as the weapon, notorious for felling even the mightiest of Wookiees, utterly devastated the fibrous cords of muscle through the spasming currents and ultrasonic resonance flowing so close to a femoral artery.

Not only was Khonsu impressed that the Pike had missed such a critical juncture, but he surprised that the man was able to endure so much and still retain the will to fight. What constitution! Like before, if the man wasn’t marked for death, the Mercenary would’ve commended his iron-shod will.

Maybe, in another life, they would have fought as allies, with nothing but admiration and respect shared between the two. Sadly, such thoughts were ill-suited for the present and nearly cost him his weapon.

As the Jedi held true to his training, so too did the Thyrsian. From the corner of his eye, with the clarity granted by the adrenaline and thunderous war-drum beating within his blackened breast, Khonsu spotted the subtle shift in the man’s pauldrons; heralding a retaliatory strike. Knowing that his weapon’s coiling was exposed, thus vulnerable to his plasmatic retribution, he planted and dug his foot into the sand - partially arresting his forward momentum. It wasn’t enough to stop his gilded form from barreling forwards, but it was enough to wrench the force pike free from the Jedi’s thigh with a twist of his armoured torso.

This had saved his weapon from being instantly severed, as the plasmatic edge of the Jedi’s sabre connected with the electrified graphite. However, it had also damaged the weapon his dozens of hairline fractures; as well as throwing the weapon out of position. One more strike near the coiled grip and the weapon would be rendered useless; meaning that he would have to disengage to turn this fight in his favour.

As the lightsabre impacted the Force pike, the Sun Guard’s partially arrested momentum carried his powersuit forward - effectively throwing his burnished pauldron into the Jedi in an attempt to tear his balance out from underneath him. Maybe it would work, or maybe it wouldn’t. Khonsu wasn’t sure of what would transpire next…

Nor did he ever even consider the Mandalorian warrior rousing himself from the sand, or that he moved to strike. Was it an act of betrayal? Would his blade slid through his ribs, and claim his life instead of the Jedi?

Or, did the Mandalorian seek to claim what wasn’t his?​

​

[member="Alkor Centaris"] | [member="Wyatt Morga"] | [member="Corso"]​

 

[Cenric Marus]

Objective: Take the Refinery Complex


Location: Refinery - Access Hallway
Allies: Strike Team One
Enemies: The Sith Empire | [member="Jantar Keltainen"]



Bright blue struck against red, the bolts of the laser cannon flying towards the floor, wall, and eventually back towards the turrets themselves.

Batting away the blasts was a difficult task, their power was more than an ordinary bolt and every time Cenric struck one it felt like his blade was about to slip from his grasp. He had no idea how many he threw back, five, eight, maybe even a dozen. When he saw the bright spark of one of the turrets exploding he almost let out a cry of exhilaration, though his mirth was cut short as the other turret quickly redoubled it's efforts. His saber bounced back and forth again and again until finally he managed to deflect a bolt into the second turret.

The automaton shattered, pieces of it crashing to the ground with loud metallic thuds.

His chest rose and fell, breath quickly flowing into his lungs as he tried to steady himself. The constant drone of his lightsaber remained, his gaze darting across the ceiling and wherever else another one of those turrets could pop out from.

When nothing came he relaxed slightly, having no idea that just around the corner a Sith was waiting for him. The young Padawan straightened himself, not deactivating his saber but instead deciding that it was best to keep the weapon on for now. He frowned for a brief moment, an odd sort of prickle of goosebumps trailing up the back of his neck. Cenric hesitated for a moment, and then began to move forward again. Cedric would be waiting for him further into the facility. He had no time to waste.

Quickly the Padawan continued on the path, walking straight into Jantar Keltainen's path.

 

[Irajah Ven]

Location: Kolto Processing Plant, The Rift
Allies: TSE, incoming [member="Leliana"] [member="Djorn Bline"]
Enemies: Whoever is upsetting the Progenitors (Rebels, [member="Ari Vox"] [member="Noah Corek"] [member="Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori"])
In Scene: [member="Jairus Starvald"]

"Pleasant?" Came the incredulous reply. "Cramped and difficult to maneuver you mean."

Vain was still talking about submersibles.

Jairus couldn't see the dirty looks the doctor was shooting him beneath the mask. But then, he probably didn't have to, after the barely human sound of annoyance that the figure had uttered when he had encroached on her space. Grumbling unintelligible, Vain relented to the occasional side eye as the sub scraped the sides of the rift.

"Probably Jain," came the waspish reply. "Unless I'm Jain today, never can tell."

People could always tell.

Leaning over, motions short and irritated, gloved hands turned down the volume of the chatter coming over the comm. She didn't turn it off, just down so she could concentrate.

They were in the halls and passageways. The numbers were different, depending on who was speaking. They had utilized the standard lines of defense but it seemed as if it would be not enough.​

And then he asked the stupidest question.

"Why would you ask that? If I wanted to share what I was thinking I would say it instead of thinking it. Tsh."

The mask turned and Vain didn't take her eyes off of him as she deliberately reached out and turned the comm chatter back up.

They had reached the security station. They were here. ​

Vain did not care.

They sunk into the darkness- all was quiet outside. Aphotic depths of the rift, but something started to spike on the screens and Vain's attention shifted back to them, leaning in until the beak of the mask was almost touching the console. And then-

Something brushed past the sub, rocking it slightly.

"My babies," she cooed. Her hands started moving across the controls on her side. Nothing to do with piloting, no, she was choosing a particular series of chemicals the sub would be releasing into the water. "Have the rude people frightened you? Dear me, I dare say they have. Come now, no need to hide, you should speak up for yourselves."

The Progenitors of Dubrillon were clones of the original, the corpse taken in the days of the One Sith, subtly altered to make them less dangerous to those harvesting the kolto. To make them better able to live here rather than on their original homeworld of Manaan. They were not stronger or faster, but then, they didn't need to be. Vain had, however, kept certain features intact but dormant.

The water around the sub shifted, rocking them again a little harder. Shadowed outlines, scant lines of phosphorescence indicated the presence of the creatures in the depths.

"Come my lovelies," came the distorted sing song voice. The tone changed a moment later when she addressed Jairus again. "Keep us close to the wall- not THAT close- and be prepared to ascend...... NOW!"

While she had already released the chemicals into the water, she had been watching the spikes on the sensors.

"GO GO!"

Around them, the water ROILED.

The rift surged with Progenitors and Firaxan sharks, driven to rage by the bio-marker chemicals released by Vain. Up they swam, by and large ignoring the tiny vessel though their wake buffeted them, making it difficult to control. Once they hit water they exploded in every direction. And began the hunt. Submarines nearest to the Kolto plant would be attacked first, though others might reach farther afield. They would attack underwater vessels where ever they found them, potentially cutting off additional reinforcements to the kolto facility, as well as jeopardizing the interloper's ability to leave again when the time came.

 

[Warchief Waddles]

Location: Refinery Complex
Allies: Strike Team One
Objective: Take/Evacuate Refining Complex
Enemies: [member="Adrian Vandiir"] | [member="Xevek Rakama"]
Equipment: Powergaunts, Lightsaber, Asheran Armorweave clothing

Running down one of the walkways his boots clanging on the durasteel stairs Aten looked up once more as he heard and even felt a darkness fall over the building akin to an eclipse, it attempted to drown out the light… The Sith had finally arrived and Aten had left his master behind to fight them and attempt to take the facility. What were the chances that they’d all get out alive? In Aten’s mind it was near zero, they were outnumbered, if the Sith brought along a fleet and troops they’d be outgunned in every way. If anyone could make the impossible possible though it would be the Jedi.

Eyes training on the doorway ahead of him Aten saw the panel flash green and with a hiss the door opened revealing two more troopers their rifles trained on the approaching Jedi. Palm opening Aten called out with his will to the silver hilt that sat upon his waist. In response, it wobbled slightly before swiftly flying to meet the palm of its owner. With a shift of his thumb Aten pressed in the activation stud the blade of plasma coming to life before him held horizontally across his chest. The first bolt met the saber deflecting up into the ceiling, with a flick of his wrist Aten send the second on a return trip where it struck the second troopers blaster rifle and sent it tumbling over the railing. Wrist shifting slightly to the left and turning slightly Aten intercepted yet another bolt sending it into the first troopers chest right in the center of their armor. The impact knocked the soldier off his feet sending him to the ground a smoking scorch mark apparent on his chest.

It may be wishful thinking but Aten could only hope that the armor of the Sith was sturdy enough to protect those wearing it from a blaster bolt, a pang shot through the Jedi’s heart at the thought of taking a life. Something that he still found unnatural, the line between wrong and right was lost in war. Death was an inevitability on the battlefield. The second trooper had closed the distance a vibrosword in hand. Coming in with a slash from his left shoulder down to his waist the trooper was fully intent on dueling Aten. Left foot stepping back and body turning to the side Aten heard the hum of the sword as it passed by mere millimeters from his torso. Right fist lashing out it caught the guard in the side. His armor cracking as the sonic wave and vibrations tore at it and his bones shattering those beneath and throwing him into the railing where he’d slump to the ground. At least one was alive for certain, even if he’d spend a few weeks in a medbay.

Stepping over the bodies Aten entered the door and what he saw brought horror to his heart. Individuals who hid beneath and behind flipped over desks, who stared at the Jedi fear evident in their eyes. Further, in the room, a woman screamed as they’d witnessed the entire encounter between the Jedi and troopers. “Well Fu-“

 

[Wyatt Morga]

Storming the beaches, facing down death's odds...


Objective: Survive.
Enemies: [member="Khonsu Amon"] │ [member="Alkor Centaris"] │ [member="Corso"]
Allies: The Rebel Alliance


It was a sudden flurry of action that met Wyatt, between the nick of the weapon against the lightsaber, to the shoulder ram that sought to throw the Jedi Knight, he faced an assault from all sides. In these desperate times, the only ally he had was the Force; something he had advantage over both the men he faced.

The force that guided, the force that decided. It was the beginning and the end, and all that would be forever; yet Wyatt was not, and imperfect being utilizing the perfect. A strange relationship, but one that often went well. Today, in hindsight, Wyatt was sure the force warned him about, but in the moment he couldn’t really think about it. Not enough to know for sure.

The air in his lungs seemed cold as he inhaled, watched the roaring gladiator pull the pike from his leg with a slow draw. So long, it seemed slow, but in reality it was far faster than he realized. The shocks had semi-paralyzed his leg, and he could sense the danger from near his rear. Tactically, he had little options; fighting two opponents of high skill made for dangerous territory no matter how he spun it.

Things didn’t bode well.

With everything presented, he let his mind fall to what seemed the most natural; even if his balance was failing. The shoulder ram had taken advantage of his weakened leg, but it was the force that would turn that falter into a strength. Wyatt’s weight gave, but only after his hand reached out to grab Khonsu by his collar, a mixture of a physical grasp and telekinesis to lift and pull him with the jedi.

Using a mixture of his weight and the force, Wyatt broke loose an almost unnatural cry as he put his entire force into rolling Khonsu over him as he lay on the ground; using his leg to support him. All of this was time exactly at the time the already injured Alkor had closed the distance and swung, hopefully putting the Sith Conquerer in the way of the sword’s strike and his own; a makeshift shield.

It wasn’t a good position, laying backwards on the ground with nothing but a knee to support him, so he’d follow by using that same telekinetic force to throw the one into the other; for even a semblance of breathing room in the moment. It was a far reach, but the movements were natural and one of his only chances to break free of the two for a moment.

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Dubrillion​

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The Behemoth | War Fleet Black Iron​

Directly Engaging: [member="Jaster of Clan [/FONT][/SIZE][/I][SIZE=14px][FONT=georgia][I]Awaud[/FONT][/I][/SIZE][I][SIZE=12px][FONT=georgia]"]​

Indirectly Engaging: [member="The Slave"] | [member="Katya Shorn"] | [member="Judas Foster"]​

Allies Aboard the Behemoth: [member="Nyra Mazul"]​

"Initate screen Besh-Enth-Two-Four-Two," Fiolette remarked as she strode from the Behemoth's command station, the War Fleet's configuration would shift the three delta shaped patterns would turn. Forming something of a diamond at multiple levels to counter the enemy fleet. "Meet them when they arrive, engage on standard range." Frigates would meet and return fire with the corvettes and crusiers, aided the Xo'Xaans as each began to shift to from the diamond. Their weapons opened and worked to make contact with the rebel armada, whisps of green flashed from the barrels scoring across the depths of the black each one with the aim to strike their foes. This was the first in her plan, she knew she could engage the rebels in close combat and that was exactly what she wanted to do. "Engage gravity wells, Behemoth and Incapacitors."

"At your command, engaging gravity wells."

"Rearguard is now engaging enemy left flank." Reported another officer as the massive form of the Behemoth still churned in the space it sat. Her mighty guns coming to bare at T she could see the Lucrehulk. "Targeting on long range."

The Behemoth roared in response, "fighters are now engaged, unleashing another swarm of droid fighters and signaling another full wave."

"Good."

Fiolette's eyes watched the small blips of light across the board off and on, as life and death waged itself across the expanse. "Meet their right flank with the same ferocity, Commander." She noted that her opponent was trying to stay at long range, "continue our turn. I want the Behemoth to face them squarely." Memories of Castameer flashed across her mind. The Sloane had not been afraid to charge into the fray, and as the Rear Admiral placed her hands against the table that same tenacity began to show. It was here that the alarms caught her attention. Supreme Admiral Croscal emerged from the shadows his hand was out and she knew to stay her place.

"I know not what you Imperials did in the First Order, but the Behemoth is more than capable of handling such miscreants."

Kuragin. The Allianced used those same boarding pods then, and it was costly then and it was costly now.

A younger officer, an Ensign by the looks of it interjected, "we've lost several officers where the impact of the pod hit!"

"They shall be remembered."

"Ma'am reports from the fighter pilots, they can see droids floating around?"

"Destroy them."

"Aye, relaying to fighter corps now."

Meanwhile, Aquila sealed off what it could preventing any further loss of life. It caught momentary flashes of the intruder's faces and worked to try and clear up the images. The intruders were now engaged in some form of stealth however motion and mass sensors tracked their movements. Quietly the aritifical intelligence rerouted crewmen and officers, steadily shifting them away from the projected path of the intruders. In their stead, fireteams of Sith-Imperial troopers moved in utilizing their unique connection to the ship's AI and internal sensors to keep track of the intruders.

Bulkheads would now greet the intruders, attempting to isolate them from the rest of the ship as those fireteams worked to get established. Autolaser encampments would emerge to meet them as they made their trek. Beyond this the ship's own biometric scanners began to work its way to initiating a number of logs that would be later analyzed.

Back on the bridge Fiolette gave a nod of acknowledgment and at the Supreme Admiral's direction returned her focus to the battle at hand, leaving him to monitor the current situation. The Galidraani's azure gaze tracked the central configuration of the rebel armada, "Bring us down, maintain level formation." The War Fleet's own carriers worked their aim at the enemy central figure, just as several of the interceptors and their starfighter escorts moved to engage the droids that floated aimlessly. Switching to cluster missiles and various other ordance to be rid of them, at the same token they took note of the 'brilliant and discord' missiles. Some of the more skilled pilots were able work their way around them, others not so much. Death would reap her share on this day as some of the clever pilots would work to bring those same missiles back into the enemy starfighters using suicide tactics when absolutely necessary. Their lives for the sake of their Emperor and their nation? Of course.

Communications and sensor communications continued to be that of a systems relay however counters to the systems jamming were starting to take form. Enabling communication and data to be shared through encrypted/priority channels. Unfortunately, as far as Sith-Imperial Command on Bastion knew? The Emperor's ship was silent, his own priority channel to Bastion was now silent. Any hails or attempts to communicate from Command went unanswered. Fiolette now wondered just how long it would be before someone at Command noticed, and if they were not already well aware of the situation. In either case, she had to play this as if no reinforcements would arrive.

"Gravity wells have been engaged, no one's leaving this system unless we say so."

Another officer reported, "marines have landed they're working through to their objectives now, transports have just returned."

"Excellent."

"Recalculate Behemoth trajectory to enemy Lucrehulk. Once we're at the optimal degree engage full speed."

The officer again reported, "ma'am sensors from droid fighters picking up shuttles that had arrived to the enemy fleet."

They would be the last of the supplies to arrive out of the system. At least this was Fiolette's thoughts, any other supplies would have to come from the ships already here in the system. "Noted." She acknowledged and continued on the war path as the now diamond formed fleet shifted to mirror their opponents levels maintaining the formation as it moved to keep the Behemoth protected as it continued to turn so that it could better face the Lucrehulk and show it a most glorious grin.

The Emperor’s Fist
Action Report;

• Engage enemy left flank with rearguard left at standard range, exchanging ship to ship weaponry at standard range.
• Engage enemy right flank with rearguard right flank at long range, weapons exchange if/when possible.
• Central portion / vanguard continue to turn and engage enemy central with long range weapons exchange.
• Behemoth continues to turn now moving to face the Lucrehulk dead on.
• Fighters of all forms now engaged in full on contact with enemy fighters, some have been diverted to take out NN-13 droids.
• Intruders now engaged by automated bulkheads/autolasers, Sith-Imperial fireteams now move in as crews/officers are redirected away from the area.
• Behemoth and Incapacitors have engaged gravity wells/interdiction system-wide.
• Fighters/Fleet now have ship-to-ship relay communications, and have brought back encrypted/priority channels on an intranet basis. Still cut off from command, and Bastion.
• Marines have reached the surface, agents on the ground working with the Saaraishash may utilize them at their discretion to aid with reestablishing communications if they wish.

Spoiler

Black Iron Command

• 
  [1] Behemoth-class Super Star Dreadnought
  
• 
  [2] Heresiarch-class Command Battlecruisers
  

Black Iron Vanguard

• 
  [8] Marr-class Star Destroyers
  
• 
  [15] Shard-class Assault Frigates
  

Black Iron Rearguard

• 
  [2] Harbinger-class Carrier Battlecruisers
  
• 
  [4] Marr-class Star Destroyers
  
• 
  [3] Incapacitator-class Interdiction Cruisers
  
• 
  [10] Shard-class Assault Frigates
  

Black Iron Center

• 
  [20] Xo’Xaan II-class Star Destroyers
  

Sith-Imperial Starfighters

• 
  Sith-Imperial TIE Fighter
  
• 
  Sith-Imperial TIE Interceptor
  
• 
  Sith-Imperial TIE/D Automated Starfighter
  
• 
  Sith-Imperial TIE/HV Fighter/Bomber
  
• 
  Shadow Droid
  
• 
  Sith-Imperial TIE/K Sith Starfighter
  

 

[Djorn Bline]

Location: Kolto Plant Complex
Allies: [member="Leliana"] | [member="Jairus Starvald"] | @Dr. Vain Jar’He | Imperial Lawbringers | TSE
Enemies: [member="Ari Vox"] | [member="Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori"] | [member="Noah Corek"] | TRA
Objective: Find and eliminate

The Inquisitor caught his companion at his flirt which didn’t bother him. Getting brushed off didn’t hurt his feelings unlike other men in the galaxy that were too sensible when rejected or got “friend zoned”. You win some, you lose some; but right now Djorn has every intention on winning against the rebels and see them lose along with their hope. Losing Dubrillion to these scum would hurt him more than Leliana scoffing at his intent in flirting with her.

After their trek across the sea from the Saaraisash base to the Kolto Complex, they were greeted with weapons trained on them only to have them lowered by some officer. It irritated Bline a bit from this welcoming, but he pushed that aside as he had a mission to complete. His female companion did most of the dialogue with the officer only which he received a frown and a disgusted look from the blonde agent. If there was one thing he absolutely hated in this galaxy was incompetence from anyone. Sure, he could forgive the man about the rebels slicing one of the external blast doors which gave them a way to enter the interior of the facility, but what he could not forgive was how poorly they reacted to this. Where was the garrison replying to this threat? Now they were deep within the facility which meant they had to confront these rebels and terminate them. He’d love nothing more than that, but he’d much rather have them dead before they make any progression.

As Leliana commanded her droid to counteract the works of the rebel slicer, she returned her attention at Djorn and asked him the following. With his intuition, he tried to come up with a hypothesis on the whereabouts and activities of the rebels. If they wanted to destroy the facility, they would’ve made an aggressive attack. With infiltrating, they probably wanted to capture the complex. Capture it and be a tool for the Rebels, giving them an indefinite supply of Kolto for medical purposes. It also got them closer to the capital of the Empire, Bastion.

The two walked towards the exit of the Bay, along with the officer following them and the smol, yet brave Imperial Lawbringers. He pulled a small disc and revealed a blue hologram of the facility they were in. Studying it, his eyes went to the point of intrusion that the rebels started off. They couldn’t be that deep within, they’d probably be spotted and would be dealt with swiftly. No, he analyzed it further and would make an imaginary perimeter around where the rebels are - within it was the security hub.

”I do have a theory,” and circled around the perimeter he thought of in his mind, ”these damn Rebels wouldn’t have made it too far in the facility. It’d be suicide. With that slicer of theirs, they’ve already messed with some of the system around that area and with the security hub not too far...dammit!”

”We need to head to the hub, Leliana,” he exclaimed, sprinting off out of the bay and into the corridors of the complex unsure if Leliana would be behind him or not. He didn’t bother in telling the officer what to do, but he trusted him to be somewhat competent and order units direct their focus on the security hub. As for reinforcements...well, that was no longer available as the Progenitors, creates by Dr. Jain, would attack any submarine nearing the Plant. Ally or hostile, they attacked indiscriminately. Nor could they escape. Things hadn’t gotten worse yet, but they were bad as these sea creatures birthed from some lab surrounded them, forbidding them from ever leaving.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Intruding on the ship, looking for the mechanics...

Objective: Piracy.
Allies: [member="Katya Shorn"] │ [member="Judas Foster"]
Enemies: [member="Nyra Mazul"] │ [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] │ The Sith Empire

With Kate and Judas in tow, The Slave glanced around the area with a furrowed brow beneath his helmet. Bulkheads were closing, cameras orientated their way, and a localized alarm went off as they looked around. Corpses were near their feet, but a few officers dead meant little to him. Stepping on one of their faces as he passed, The Slave waited for their curtain call.

“At least we’re on board…”, he said somewhat quietly.

Meandering over the corpse and soon to be necrosis filled halls of the central areas, The Slave took care to look for any data terminals or networking areas aboard; though no came to sight so soon. In reality, they had a slim window to pull off the great escapade before they’d lose their chance to escape; though leaving was the last thing on his mind.

The Slave glanced to the datapad in his hand, then back up; while numerous soldiers relayed approximate positions and updates on movements, all of which meant very little as the group walked forward. An annoyance however, built up in the fact that the sword Judas carried continued to pulse with a dark side malevolence on par with The Slave himself; held back only by the necklace he wore. Holding his tongue for the moment however, he moved past the crowds of soldiers flooding their position, taking a moment to wait for the bulkhead to open for yet another fireteam to intercept.

As it opened once more, letting another of the Imperial’s finest through, the group meandered past as Kate kept the forcefield going; only to have The Slave berate the troupe,

“You know, we’re in luck that nobody cares to notice you Kate. I almost thought we were in danger."

 

[Vilaz Munin]

Location: Dubrillion Refinery Complex
Allies: [member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Koda Fett"] | [member="Vaylin"] | [member="Taeli Raaf"] | [member="Kaalia Pavanos"] | [member="Darth Prazutis"] | [member="Comet"] | [member="Elani Zambrano"] | [member="Samka Derith"] | [member="Tabigarashu Madara"] | [member="Darth Vesper"] | [member="Darth Imperia"]
Enemies: [member="Romi Jade"] | [member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Cedric Grayson"] | [member="Cenric Marus"] | [member="Aryn Teth"] | [member="Aten Ramses"] | [member="Ras"] Val’kor
Objective: Eliminate all Rebels

There was already crimson painted on his armor plates, composed by the iron of Mandalore’s veins and ciridium, along with his helmet piece and vibroblade. Following on Carnifex’s location via his military grade HUD, the Munin did encounter some rebels along the way. All of which would added towards the casualty numbers of the Rebels. Of course, they didn’t go down easily as they did their best in fighting Vilaz. Blaster marks could be seen decorating the plates, specifically the plates protecting his chest from most attacks. Some of the impacts left some little bruises on him, but it wasn’t enough to incapacitate him from the battle.

The Warlord finally rejoined the Dark Lord and his forces as his HUD guided him to the Zambrano. They marched forwards, the Mandalorian knowing there would be a fight to be had and was eager to receive it. Perhaps a challenge awaited him? Slaying rebels was fulfilling, but he’d very much like to face and conquer someone above these Rebel soldiers.

Something like...a Jedi. Yes, one of the many things he hated and despised of with a passion. With a rebellion such as this, there had to be some Jedi within its ranks as both the Jedi and these rebels shared common ideas and visions.

Just like the Rebels and their precious hope, the Warrior hopes that there’d be a bounty of Jedi to be encountered. Even one would suffice him as he craved for one. The Concordian did had an obsession of killing Jedi and for good reasons. They were a mortal enemy to his culture, and so they’d only receive the wrath of his spirit, the hatred of his heart, and the rage of his soul. His HUD was picking up hostile tags that were ahead of them, and multiple ones. The Warlord was full of anticipation of what would come next.

 

[Ellie Mors]

Thought You Should Know
Location: Dubrillion Refinery Complex
Objective: Get rid of the Rebel Alliance
Equipment: Orbalisk Armor, Lightsabers
Allies: The Sith Empire, [member="Darth Carnifex"], [member="Samka Derith"], [member="Taeli Raaf"], [member="Darth Vesper"], [member="Vilaz Munin"]
Enemies: The Rebel Alliance, [member="Aryn Teth"], [member="Coren Starchaser"], [member="Romi Jade"], [member="Cedric Grayson"]

There were a few stragglers that had tried to deal with the witch - likely unaware of the fate they'd chosen by lashing out against the Firrerreo. How long had she been gone, how long had it been since she'd stalked the night in the body of an Alunrovaan? She could hardly blame the two that moved towards her for not simply turning tail and running, and perhaps it was an admirable trait for the Jedi to put themselves against such overwhelming odds with blind bravery - but bravery, at its core, was little more than the rash decision to push away fear and rational thought in hopes of accomplishing a task far out of their league. Bravery didn't provide them with the power to take out the witch - it didn't protect them from the retribution she had chosen for their foolishness, either. Fire consumed the two even as they ran towards her, sending them to their knees with bewilderment, agony, and tormented screams that echoed along the walls of the entrance to the refinery. Further in she could feel the presence of the man she'd come to loathe, but she decided let their coincidental reunion slide for now.

She could think of ways to pay him back for watching her die when she wasn't as interested in punishing the Jedi for their involvement in pushing her to the breaking point some ten years ago.

Jedi that she could very easily feel in the ripples of the force, their shimmering presence in the force visible even from where she stood - to her eyes, at the very least. It was a pity this was the Empire's world and facility, it would have been much simpler to have ripped it apart to reach her prey sooner, though perhaps that was the dull ache of her bare feet speaking after walking for so long. "Not much longer now." She muttered under her breath, paying no attention to the two dying Jedi she left burning alive in her wake. She wasn't too certain of who she'd run into, if they weren't all already occupied with their own little dances, but she hoped it was someone capable of at least putting up some modicum of a fight - not that she had high hopes for any of them to truly excel enough to keep her from resorting to more arcane abilities out of boredom. Part of her wondered if any Jedi that had played a hand in the Jedi Council of yore were still around, the prospect of finding one here - and killing them for their prejudices - was an exciting one.

She strode onward and into the facility, towards the beacons of light within, while she pondered on the thought.

 

[Placeholder 0128]

Location: Refinery Complex
Objective: 1v1 rust quickscoping only (Take the complex)
Allies: [member="Romi Jade"], [member="Coren Starchaser"], [member="Ras Val'kor"], [member="Aryn Teth"]
Enemies: [member="Darth Vesper"], [member="Darth Carnifex"], [member="Koda Fett"], [member="Kaalia Pavanos"], [member="Vaylin"], [member="Comet"], [member="Lei Shandian"], [member="Vilaz Munin"], [member="Braith Achlys"], [member="Taeli Raaf"],


The Jedi Knight remained silent as Antherion spoke. They were close enough that he might assault the Sith - Cedric had always been more inclined to dealing with things with a lightsaber than with the force. Yet, for some reason, Cedric did not charge. He remained where he stood, cyan blade humming over the violent crackling of the flames around them. The battle for Dubrillon was being waged all around the two combatants, but Cedric paid it no mind. His focus was entirely on Antherion.

The blast of electric energy came in a whirling arc of color. Cedric had been ready for it, his weapon rising to meet the assault. The flickering veins of lightning tore through the air between them, the smell of ozone making Cedric scrunch his nose up in distaste. The murderous arcs fell upon him, staggering him back a step as they were drawn to his lightsaber. Pain shot up along his arms as stray bolts flickered off the blade, into his armor, and across his skin. The damage was not negligible, but it would not slow him.

"Antherion!" With a shout, he swung his blade toward the floor, the lightning that had traveled up its length dissipating into the durasteel below. The assault had left the Blade of Ruusan's aura weakened for the moment, allowing Vesper a moment of reprieve from its influence.

"The Great Enemy only grows from the actions of the Sith Empire. It feeds on chaos and death. The Dark Side can't stop them - it fuels them." He fired back, taking a step forward and nothing more. His blade returned to its defensive position. "I still see the big picture. I always have, else I would have fallen."

His tone was even, and carried no malice or hate. Rather it carried compassion, even sadness for Antherion's current state. "These platitudes you claim I offer are mercy," the masked knight sounded desperate. Not desperate to end the conflict, nor to preseerve his own life, but to make Antherion see that this was a mistake. "The Dark Side is death. For me, for you, for the galaxy. You've contented yourself to serve a megalomaniac psychopath in search of power, but all you'll find is emptiness. Power with nothing to live for is not power at all, but a chain. You've enslaved yourself to it. Your chains can never be broken until you let go of your hate. It will bring you nothing but regret and misery."

Cedric shook his head, and chose to take a different route. "Antherion, my friend, you've willingly blinded yourself. The Sith are failures. They always have been. The Republic stood for ten thousand years, and it has always risen. Your Sith can't manage to maintain a state for more than handful of years before you start killing one another. If you think that is the path to stopping the great enemy, then you're lying to yourself."

He paused, an audible sigh escaping his helmet's mic. "Whatever they've done to you, whatever you've done to yourself, it can be reversed. The Light can save you."

 

[Blackblade Guard]

Objective: Repel the boarders
Location: The Behemoth
Allies: [member="Fiolette Yvarro"], [member="Nyra Mazul"], [member="Vaylin"], [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]
Enemies: [member="The Slave"], [member="Katya Shorn"], [member="Judas Foster"]
Gear: Blackblade Armory

"They've disappeared off of our visuals, Highlord, but biometrics detect several heat anomalies moving in the vicinity of the breach."

There was an audible hiss of vented air as the hulking soldier known as Highlord Osbasid affixed his helmet over his battle-scarred head, rolling feeds of information being transmitted holographically into his tactical HUD as fresh air was cycled in through his suit's respirators. The man from Lianna had served the Sith for as long as he could remember, his earliest memories muddled save for the brief flashes of death and brutality he had inflicted upon the galaxy. His original name had been long since discarded in favor of the one his master had bestowed upon him the day he rose to join the ranks of the Gorebound nearly twenty years ago.

He was only Osbasid now, un-flinching and merciless.

"Little Jedi parlor tricks, nothing we haven't seen Lieutenant. What of the fireteams in the field?"

"More squads are being deployed to bar their path, but preliminary calculations do not bode favorably."

That elicited a laugh from the aged warrior, who had just finished connected a vibro-bayonet to the front of his laser rifle and double-checking its charge. "Our Glorious and Immortal Emperor sends such vermin to die and impede their progress, they are not meant to succeed. That is why he has us, Lieutenant. We are the solution." They were the Butcher King's most skilled warriors, the illustrious and infamous Blackblade Guard! They had stormed thousands of battlefields, slain thousands of more soldiers from Republics and Alliances across three wars, and had amassed a hearty body count of Jedi and Mandalorians.

Even though Osbasid and his Guard were fresh off of the Sacking of Coruscant, they were still hungry for more carnage.

"I'm sending my best hunters to sniff out their location, they will find your lost Jedi quite easily, Lieutenant."

Even as he spoke, half a dozen Blackblade Guardsmen equipped with PCDs stalked the empty halls of the Behemoth, zeroing in on the heat anomalies with every step.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Obectives: Stop the Sith
Allies: Jedi, Light Siders, Rebels, Alliances
Enemies: Sith, Dark Siders, Imperials

It was that sort of time. He had caught up to Romi and Cedric and nodded to them both. The feeling in the Force wasn’t getting any lighter, though. The man knew what it was. Darth Carnifex. The Jedi Master was excited. It was that passion for protecting the others. That was half the reason he chased down Romi. One, she was probably one of the more important people to him lately, and two, he knew that if he needed to, he could reach out to her, and help himself.

Looking at the other two, he nodded. “Time to play.” And that was when the Paragon of the Alliance had noticed Grayson heading off to Vesper. Fine. He could help with that after, the big prize was here. Coren could easily chase down Raaf for another grudge match, but considering the last time that happened nearly a city block was leveled on Coruscant, he felt it wasn’t the wisest move.

But yeah, [member="Darth Carnifex"], so much smarter. Way to go, Jedi Watchman. “Feel that?” He said to Romi before checking the charges in his scatter gun. Might not do too much, but for now? It was what he had. The Jedi Master rarely acted like one, and a good shot to someone’s head would go a long way in the fight ahead. Reaching out to the Force, Coren grabbed onto Romi’s presence while working, and stepping in the direction he knew Carnifex to be in.

“Be on guard.”

 

[Ras'kala'han]

Allies: [member="Darth Imperia"]; Sith
Enemies: [member="Cedric Grayson"]; Jedi and Rebels

◄[SIZE=9.9px]◎[/SIZE]►

Vesper looked at Cedric, behind his cold eyes curiosity - why? This was a man who had tried to kill him, once, but now - now he seemed desperate to save him, with a desperation that had only been matched by her.

The rains of Dromund Kaas slicked the woman's hair to her head, she bent slightly, hands on her knees as it pooled in the family garden. The roof had been blown open by the force of her last attack, shattered glass reflected periodic spasms of lightning, the moonlight

Not far away, her brother, dressed in immaculate white, heaved, dragging himself by scorched fingertips towards his lightsaber, hunger in his eyes. "Not... yet. Not yet!"

"Antherion, enough. You've lost."

"Thaina... Thaina please, this is the way. I've seen it. With your power, we could -"

"We could be no better than Father."

"No, this... this is different, please, Thaina..."

"Antherion... I'm begging you. No more. Don't make me do this."

The man's hand closed around the saber. Tears mingled with raindrops on her cheek. She gestured, and unconsciousness blossomed in the prone darksider, and the stern sadness on her face was the last memory he had before it all spiraled into the cold.

But she was blood. She had been family. And his family was buried, buried by the abyss of time, and had never mattered to him anyway - no, it was just another empty echo to touch an empty heart. This man was a stranger - he could not imagine him more invested in his salvation than the salvation of any robed Sith. This was self-interest. Again. He could not believe otherwise, for in his chilled heart, he knew that it was the only true emotion, the only true passion, and all the rest was masks it wore.

"Cedric, after all this... all this," he gestured around to the looming carnage, stepping back to the edge of the circle of fire he had cast, "Your desperation for someone, anyone, anything to save, to prove to yourself that you still have the ability... it's apparent. You speak a lesser truth, a stepping stone... the Sith Order has a history of failure, as does the Jedi. I have seen it played out over the turning of the years. Let me share with you the greater truth that shadows that, though - the truth of the old Galactic Empire, bloated with corruption and ineptitude, the truth of the fanatics of the First Order, the truth of the Empire of Vitiate that danced on his puppet strings... and the truth of our Empire today, the Mystery of the Dark."

"There is no Sith Order. There is only the Sith. Singular. The Prime Will. The peerage of God-Kings who saw their enemies destroyed and outlived their generations. Only the Force's own machinery could grind them to dust, and now, thanks to your so-called Enemy, the machine that deposed these eternal tyrants is broken. I will not repel these Outsiders, I will await them."

And then, for a moment, he seemed to grow like a creeping shadow, his voice resonating with the power of the darkness that birthed him.

"̜̝̙̞͎̮̌̏̍A͚̎́ͫ̿n̻ͩ̾̌͌ͭ̇ͦd̰͓̹̒͆ ́̽̑ͣ̌w͙̄͗ͨh͇̼̱̰̝̩́̉̒ͤͨ̅e͍͌̌̽̇ͮ̆n̼ ̩̹̭ͪ̑t͈̺͎͎̺͔ͭ̽ẖ̟̯̯ͥe̥͊̃̑͐y̺̘͎͉̥̅̒̍̀̈͐̄ ̟̲͔ͯ͌̊s͇̺̮̩̘̥̗̑͛ͦë̇̓e͈͙͕̟̞ͨͧͭͭͯ ͇̭͔̼̊̐ͯ͛̽͌̚ͅ ̬̮̺͓̪̾ͤͩͤm̫̗̓̌ͮͪ̋ͧͬͅé͔̬̓ͪ͂̎ͤ̑ͅ ͖͖̹͍̤̝̽͋̐i̪̳̝̖̥̣̪͗̽̌̒̓̆͗t̃ ͐̋͛ ̯͛ͅs̊ͩ͗̂͗ͪh̖͌̆̎ͧaͨ̚l͎̩̹̩͖̼͋ĺ̓ͭ̌̂ ̣̞ͥͨ̉̐ͦ͆͌b͙̌͒̉̀e̪̥̼ͅ ̘̜ͥ͆a͎̤͖͌́̽̓̄̎s͎̱͚̠͚ͬͯͫ͛ ̺̐͋͒lŏ͇̮̌ͮͥo̠̟̗̪̤̠k͔̈͆͆̓̒i͎ͬͨͥͮ̍̎ṋ͍͕̎ͩ̀g̙͚̺͇̰̝͉ ̰̠̫̻͕͗ͅa̅͂ͥͭ̾t̺͕̬̻̝͍̂ ̼̘̫̺͋̉a͕̜͖̝͉̗̓͋͒̎ ͋̓͛̾m͚͋́̏ͩͪͮ̋i̼̫͕͖̯ͪȑ̝̤̜̟̞̿͌ͪ̑ͭ̀r͉̣̠̦̳̒̽̂o̞͍̔r͇͉̓.͍̳͖̃ͨ͒̉ͤ̐̌"̣͈̜ͥͭͦͨ
͔̦͛̊̏̂​

He paused, though, and for a moment, it was as though a shadow lifted from his eyes, and he regarded the man with the closest thing his heart could muster to pity. "...as a token to you, before you die, know that you aren't the first to try to dissuade me. She was better than you, of course, stronger, but even she couldn't see that some truly are beyond your redemption. May you find 'peace' in joining my sister."

Then, with a flourish, he jumped backwards, through the fire, his cheeks blackened by ash even for the brief instant as he looked at the circle. The reprieve was all he needed - he would end this in a single blow. Speaking forcefully in the Old Tongue, blue sparks dancing on his fingertips, the circle he had cast to be the stage for their duel fled inwards towards the last one within it in a rush and a roar of air like a lion. Extending his hand forwards, he stoked it with his hate - and it grew, sparks flying as it shifted to blue, then he beckoned with his hands again and a pillar of solid white.

And, looking at his handiwork, lost in the shrieking wind and the scorching heat of the infernal tornado extending skyward, barely aware of the battle around him as he kneaded more of the Force into the flames, to the point where he had to turn away, because it was like gazing at the sun, and let it dim, his eyes were filled with righteous purpose, and terrible intent.

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[Vaylin]

Location: The Behemoth
Objective: Repel the Boarders
Allies: [member="Blackblade Guard"] | [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] | [member="Nyra Mazul"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] | TSE
Enemies: [member="The Slave"] | [member="Katya Shorn"] | [member="Judas Foster"] | TRA
Equipment: Sith Lightsaber x2 | Shoto Lightsaber x1 | Armour | Oculus | Firestarter |

The Zabrak had remained on the flagship, even after the majority of the initial party had departed. Darth Carnifex, Taeli, Koda, Kaalia - they had all flown down to the surface.

Albeit some had a bit more a rough landing than others.

Vaylin had remained on the bridge for the most part, silently watching as Fiolette commanded the Black Iron fleet as it fought against the forces of the Rebel Alliance. She was hardly experienced in fleeting than the Rear Admiral was, so it was intriguing for the Zabrak as she watched the woman do her thing.

She was waiting for the Valkyrie fleet to arrive, after which she was intending to leave so she could take direct command and assist the active Sith fleets. But that got put on hold quick, when alarms began to ring, in response to a pod striking the Behemoth's hull.

A boarding party.

It seemed Vaylin wasn't going to be leaving the confines of the flagship after all. The amount of forces onboard wasn't something to scoff at, but the Zabrak knew how efficient a small group of infiltrators could potentially be in such a large ship.

"I shall go meet these intruders." Vaylin checked her armour one last time, hands reaching down and ensuring it was all present and secure. After that, she turned to address Fiolette.

"Rear Admiral. The Crimson Valkyrie and the Vermillion Authority should be only minutes out. Once they're here, they'll provide assistance to the fleet."

If her focus was going to be on the intruders, then Vaylin knew she'd have the relegate command to someone else. The capable Captains within the Authority would be more than enough, along with the Rear Admiral's orders.