main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Star Wars New Sith Trials I *Voted Best RPG Summer 2016*

Discussion in 'Role Playing Forum' started by Darth_wanderguard, Jan 24, 2016.

  1. Sinrebirth

    Sinrebirth Mod-Emperor of the EUC, Lit, RPF and SWC star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    GM update 3 of 3

    IC: Darth Insipid, Proper
    Empress Teta

    Sigel Dare was down, taken apart by Digrant and Anark; Shado Vao was dead, defeated by Manticore, and Hespar had defeated Tobias. Save for Titus and Asaak Dan, all was done.

    Insipid watched Hespar tower over the vaguely conscious form of Tobias. He was a pretty boy, and Insipid could do with a distraction from events of today, and his connection to the Skywalker family might be interesting. But no, Hespar seemed to have a private battle to win here, none too dissimilar to that of Robyn, but Hespar seemed determined to pass through her struggles, not shamelessly evade them.

    Insipid nodded to himself.

    'I leave you to it.' Insipid checked himself, and nodded, rattling off a room number. 'Your cabin is there. Further back through what is left of the ready room.' Insipid smirked, and walked off. Tobias groaned, lightly, as he spoke to her softly.

    'Thank you.'

    Now the violence was done, the survivors in the primary flag hangar peered out of their hiding places. Lanara was pained but alive; Anark's slave was probably mildly concussed but her mind had survived the tumult of a full blown Force battle intact, and a single GA soldier was alive, having fell unconscious during the fighting and under debris. He saw Manticore towering above him, saw the corpse of Shado Vao, and frantically made himself prostrate. 'I place myself in your service, my Lord. I have knowledge of the Federation that I would parley to save my life. My name is Li. I do not beg for my existence, I merely seek to prove my worthiness of continuing.'

    Words were clearly tumbling from his mouth, but they were good words, for one who sought to survive. Perhaps.

    Anark's slave reached for her master, as she returned from her hiding place. She had bacta salve, and ushered him to sit, so she could assuage his facial disfigurement. Now the calm had set in and adrenaline ebbed, the pain would come on, cripplingly sharp and radiating through the Force.

    Insipid padded through the ready room, his face down looking at his datapad, picking up information about the battle itself. 'Excellent, all. Apprentice, dampen down yourself in the Force before I get a headache.' He ignored that Titus still had Asaak to handle, it was a minor detail.

    'High Lord Manticore, with me, please.' Insipid spoke as he turned, rattling off room numbers for them, deeper into the ship. 'We're going to the bridge. Anark, Lanara, Lord Titus, I expect you to recuperate. The plan has changed - too many ships escaped; we're going straight to Coruscant... And I expect that those targets you were to kill have taken the 'initiative' to jump from Relus to here to 'help us' and 'save the Vapid.' The Emperor's voice rippled with sarcasm. 'So I shall rearrange things so your targets are with you on the front.'

    Insipid's voice trailed off as he walked deeper into the ship. Whether or not Manticore immediately caught up, or the others sought his attention, he paid no attention; they were adults, they could amuse themselves if they needed to. Digrant's room had an exotic dancer in it, under sedation - some kind of gift from the late Emperor that Insipid simply did not care about, because he had already left a cortosis bracer there for the man, as a weapon was if considerable more use than an object of gratification - and Lenora would have to get medical care.

    Hespar's room included a Jedi Holocron which might have caught his eye if he had been less busy - if only to see if Hespar maintained a connection to the light that could open it. Dreadwar must have had a plan for her. She actually had a more opulent room than any other, with a queen sized bed to boot. That Dreadwar had not assigned himself quarters gave Insipid a sickening feeling as to his intentions. It would have been his style.

    But all and all they had to get ready before they moved onto the real battle.

    Insipid arrived at the secondary bridge and pulled a face at the captain. The wily Rodian Venik warbled as he arrived, not even snapping to attention. He likely wouldn't, to be fair. Insipid's expression was less to do with his lack of military respect and more to do with the situation. 'Yes I can read. The Relus fleet has arrived already. Who called them here?'

    The captain simply reported that it had arrived of its own initiative and chased off the enemy fleet before it had done too much damage to the flagship. An adjunct also reported that three stations along the upper starboard flank were not reporting in; a gravity well generator, a turbolaser turret, and one of the various engineering rooms across the ship. Insipid waved a hand; it didn't strike him as important enough to tarry. 'Jump the ship, order the fleet to do so also. They are to make sure that their ships are configured to launch all fighters and drop ships on arrival, and the Vapid must have the superlaser fully charged.

    'This will be a straight of line assault through the Coruscant defence grid, which should be pursuing the Chiss task force out of the system by the time we arrive. I want High Lord Manticore, Lord Titus, Lord Digrant and my apprentice in the same landing groups as these individuals...' He handed over the datapad of targets from earlier. 'And I want them all to be on the ground outside the Senate chambers within an hour of our arrival - or wherever our assets believe that the Triumvirate or as much of it as we can find are.' Darth Insipid paused, looking to the crewers by him, and any of the Sith, perhaps. 'Thoughts?'

    The captain spoke up first. Apparently those names on the 'pad were the ones who had ordered the Relus fleet to jump. 'Shocking, I must say. Absolutely shocking.' Insipid's sarcasm could have cut beskar. 'Do as I say. The Emperor demands it - and clear up the flag hangar, I need our landing craft and fighters to be clear. Move Darth Hespar's TwinTail to that hangar as well, when she is finished with the Jedi there; we will use it to screen our team.'

    The crewer who had presented the report about the damage to the Vapid seemed to disapprove. 'Fine, I'll assign someone to look into that. Maybe I'll go. The Emperor himself. Happy?'

    'Anyone else?'

    --
    Engine room

    The Dark Man chuckled, as if T'tkura's decision to trust him was sufficient to loosen his humour. You are incorrect - Insipid believes in redundancy; he made sure the shipwrights made it so that the engineering was decentralised. No massive reactor to power things, just smaller ones and scattered. No sudden explosions that could destroy the entire ship on his flagship. Very wise. The man's voice was amused.

    In point of fact, he set up a tertiary bridge by the flag hangar, and moved all of his central systems there; right by his chambers. He saw no need to travel kilometres from the bridge to the hangar, why not combine them? Any traditional landing force would waste their time focusing on the bridge tower... And there is nothing there! He bellowed, and then lifted a gloved hand to his mouth, finger up, a shush motion. After all we can't have him hear us!

    Another laugh.

    Shado Vao has aroused the suspicions of Insipid and his High Lord, Manticore. He attempted to draw attention away from
    the ship when he recognised your presence. He's dead now, as well. Sigel Dare too... Asaak Dan soon, as well.'

    One of the soldiers held out a datapad, having accessed the entire gamut of the system now they had access. 'I can confirm everything he's just said, sir. And that we now have a Sith fleet to hand. The leaders of the fleet and the Super are all going to be landed on Coruscant wherever their intelligence tells them where the Federation Triumvirs are...'

    The ship rumbled with a jump. 'And we're our way.'

    'We're on our way to Coruscant.'

    The Dark Man shrugged, his cloak rippling. And what do you propose to do? My only stipulation is that I must leave with Darth Insipid. Everything else is unimportant to that, my Jedi friend.

    --
    Coruscant, Jedi Temple Prison

    When Darth Rozic awoke from his drug-induced sleep, he would immediately sense something was amiss. Instead of the lean and suitably impressive Jedi Knight defending his cell as he awaited trial, a scrawny Padawan defended the force-field laced bars of beskar, and the aura was charged.

    As soon as Rozic woke the Twi'lek Padawan ignited his lightsaber, a green blade showing. 'Coruscant is under attack. I've been told that I can kill you if you do anything dangerous.' The words were supposed to sound threatening, but they were quite the opposite, in a voice that had not yet hit puberty. The Force sang with conflict, but the Padawan reached out for confidence. 'Your Sith friends haven't even breached the shields to the planet. We're going to beat them off, and win.'

    A rumble in the distance shook the Jedi Temple, restored anew after its Sith conversion two decades earlier under the late Darth Krayt. Now it was different Sith, with the same goal; conquest.

    But there were no darksiders in orbit, only Sith allies, a flotilla of Chiss Star Destroyers, but there were many Jedi in orbit fending them off. As such Rozic would sense that the Temple was nearly empty save for a handful of Padawans, a strong presence near a gaggle of smaller ones; a Master defending the younglings.

    It could be the perfect time to escape.

    TAG: Darth Master Titus, greyjedi125, corinthia, dragonsith13, Snokers, Darth Rozic


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  2. corinthia

    corinthia Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 16, 2016
    IC: Darth Hesper
    The hangar

    Hesper stood above the Jedi Tobias Sun, heaving for breath, lightsaber aimed at the man's head. "I leave you to it," Insipid said with a nod, and gave Hesper the room number for the cabin she would take. "Your cabin is there. Further back through what is left of the ready room." Insipid gave a smirk, and turned to leave.

    Hesper's entire body pulsated with the adrenaline of rage and action. It's true Hesper loved academia and study over all else, but oh, how she loved a blood-racing fight. The feeling of such life! She looked to the ceiling for a brief moment to gulp down a large breath of air. It seared her lungs with a wonderful sort of pain. Insipid exited the room as Hesper looked back down at the Jedi under her foot.

    "Thank you," the man gasped, ever so softly.

    "Thank me?" Hesper retorted, her voice just as soft as she pressed harder with her foot on Tobias' neck. "What ever for? For giving you the choice of which part of you I'll put my lightsaber through?" Tobias choked for air, coughing and gagging. "I hope you didn't think I would spare you." Keeping her foot on the Jedi and flicking her hair over her shoulder, Hesper knelt down, putting her face close to Tobias'. "Loss is a funny thing, Tobias. Does strange things to people; makes them do unusual things. My Jedi husband was away on some mission when I lost something very precious to us, and until he returned several standard months later, I went all delirious." Hesper stood again, using the foot on Tobias to push herself up. He gasped as Hesper's foot left his windpipe.

    "I guess you could say I'm still a little delirious," Hesper said grimly in her faint voice as she walked a circle around the gurgling Tobias. He spat a mouthful of bile and blood onto the floor. "So where shall I put my blade? I considered your head, but your face is far too pretty," she said, trailing off, seeming to be lost in thought. Then, unannounced, she plunged her saber one-handedly into Tobias' gut, just below the rib cage. "There," she muttered with bleak finality. "Right where I put this lightsaber when I killed my husband."

    Tobias violently sputtered blood and Hesper deactivated her blade, nonchalantly clipping it to her belt and standing over Tobias with her arms crossed as the life leaked out of him. When the last of it flickered out in his eyes, Hesper turned on her heel and walked in the direction of the ready room. Spying the dead Jedi's lightsaber on the floor nearby, Hesper scooped it up and clipped it horizontally to her belt at the small of her back, under her long coat-- right alongside her dead husband's saber. She gathered her hair behind her head as she walked, smoothing it down and combing her fingers through it. Sighing greatly, Hesper found the room number that Insipid had rattled off for her and stepped inside, tired grey eyes taking in the room and its massive bed and lavish decor, and the-- the Jedi holocron?

    Hesper frowned as she stepped closer, first removing the rifle blaster from her back, then her jacket and the Jedi sabers, and finally the blaster pistol from her thigh holster, dropping everything onto a sofa. The holocron sat on a low glass table in the center of the room, simple-looking amid the ostentatious room. Hesper sat on the sofa beside her things, and contemplatively reached her fingers out to gingerly touch the holocron. It had been so long since she'd seen a Jedi holocron, and even longer since she opened one. She wasn't sure she still had enough of a connection to the Light Side to open it... She pulled her fingers away from the cube. The knowledge it may hold was so tempting, but Hesper thought it best to leave the holocron untouched. Insipid might know what she was to do with it; if Dreadwar had prepared this room, perhaps he'd had the foresight to tell Insipid what she was supposed to do.

    Suddenly exhausted, Hesper leaned back into the sofa. It had been a long day-- and she knew the days following would grow longer and longer. Hesper closed her eyes and wished for a moment of rest before she would need to spring into action again.

    TAG: Sinrebirth
     
  3. Halle Dray

    Halle Dray Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 6, 2016
    IC: Lady Kwea Acantha
    Korriban

    Kwea felt the pulse of energy that her Master sent her to rouse her from meditation. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw Octavious speaking with their Master. Lady Arach was rising from her seat and Kwea noticed a smirk on her face. Standing up, she stretched and brushed off her clothes. Kwea looked out the transport window and gazed at the red sands. She had never been to the valley before and the one thing she was certain about was the beautiful old architecture there. She still had nervous feeling about her but the meditation had helped a bit. She was a bit more at peace with herself and knew that she would just have to try her hardest. However, with what Haretisch had told them, she'd have to watch her back for Octavious and Arach. Perhaps even her own Master. "Who knew what this entity could do to their minds.

    Tags: Darth_wanderguard, Moonspun Dragon Anedon
     
  4. Snokers

    Snokers Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 8, 2015
    IC: Darth Anark
    Teta


    Tarkana approached a severely wounded Anark with a hefty detail of medical supplies, he knew this was something that had to be done if he wasn't to bleed out or go into some kind of shock from his injuries but that did not make the thought of it any easier to bear. The slave woman ushered him to sit on the debris-strewn floor and applied bacta salve to his bleeding face. He could feel every burn, cut and gash in his face begin to smart and then it felt as though his whole face was set alight. Only a low grumble escaped his mouth but his pain could be felt in the Living Force, he could feel it pulsating every which way from his broken form and even noticed Tarkana's hands begin to tremble as she tended to him.

    "Apprentice, dampen down yourself in the Force before I get a headache." Insipid's words came in a bored tone but the young Sith detected a threat buried within them. He tried to do as he was asked and conceal the pain, locking eyes with his slave he slowed and deepened his breaths. "You're hurt." he said as he regarded a bloody tear on her temple. "My wounds are superficial, my Lord, yours require urgent attention." she propped herself up on both knees and now used two hands to work on his face. Anark gazed over her shoulder, his face still throbbing and saw Insipid marching toward the exit.

    "We're going to the bridge. Anark, Lanara, Lord Titus, I expect you to recuperate. The plan has changed - too many ships escaped; we're going straight to Coruscant..." The Dark Lord continued to speak but 'Coruscant' was the last word that Anark coherently took in, his vision was beginning to blur and that ringing from earlier had come back to plague his ears. Looking back into Tarkana's eyes he could feel himself swaying, and then... darkness.


    He awoke with a start and found himself sat up on a bed in one of the quarters, looking over to his left he saw Tarkana hunched in a chair with her head in her hands. He could now only feel a dull throb in his face, manageable pain, he was not interested in finding a mirror yet to assess the damage. "How long have I been here? Where are the others?"

    She lifted her head from her hands and revealed eyes that craved rest. "Your Emperor awaits you, I suspect the others are already there."

    Anark swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat for a moment, reaching a hand down to his belt to make sure his lightsaber hadn't been lost. It hadn't. The both of them sat facing one another now, he on the bed and the slave now upright on her chair.

    "To what end will you pursue this path?" a tremor in her voice indicated that she was aware she was probably talking out of turn. "The Sith will use you to serve their agenda and then cast you aside, you are not exempt from their treachery, you are not unique!" with this last sentence her complexion began to turn a deep red and her upper lip quivered.

    Anark stood up, feeling an ache in one of his knees. "And what if I too have an agenda? Has it crossed your ignorant brain that my 'comrades' may be a pawn in my game of chess as much as I may be in their eyes?"

    She showed him her palms in submission. "Even if that is true, you are powerful but you are not invincible. You will die, Kade, we can leave right now, we can disappear, find somewhere safe in this galaxy where you can leave this life behind."

    Anark lifted a hand and swiped the slave woman's face with the back of it. She recoiled in horror clutching her cheek with wild eyes. "I don't know why you think you can plead with me to commit such foolish acts of betrayal and... just... weakness! You are nothing here, if I struck you down with my blade right now the only thing I would have to worry about would be how to dispose of your corpse without staining the Emperor's floors." He lowered his still raised hand. "And don't ever call me Kade."

    The look of horror remained on Tarkana's face as her gaze followed him toward the door. "Come on, time to re-group." Anark said without taking a look back at the woman he'd maimed.

    As the two of them strode through a narrow hallway, Tarkana trailing a few paces behind Anark, the Sith peered into the crack of a cracked open door. Lady Hesper was in there. They hadn't officially met but he had heard of her and recognized her face, she sat on a sofa looking down at an odd looking artifact beside her, upon closer inspection he made out the shape of a holocron. A Jedi Holocron. "Curious." he whispered to the dark corridor and then walked on.

    As he neared the exit a slight shudder rippled under his feet. The ship had entered hyperspace.


     
  5. Mira Grau

    Mira Grau Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    May 11, 2016
    IC: Darth Octavius
    Valley of the dark Lords


    “It is imperative that we remain together. We will be accosted from all sides by attacks against body and mind. We will only survive by the collective strength of one another.” This surprised Octavius for a short moment. A Jedi would have used the same words. He had always thought the Sith would rely more on individual strength than on working together but then he scolded himself for this idiotic thought. Every child knows that a group of fighters working together is more effective than a handful of strong individuals. Their empire couldn't afford making the mistakes of the ancient Sith. When we want to kill the false emperor and destroy the federation we must stand united. He had tried to fight alone but he failed. He stood up: “Master I have some experience with the Force Meld. If it’s your wish, I can use it to unite our thoughts during the mission but I have to admit that I haven´t used this power very often.” He had spoken his thoughts out loud but he already guessed Haretisch wouldn't allow it. I´m just an apprentice and he would have to give me some control over his mind. He knew his master would never take such a risk. The others… Kwea would possibly do it, but Arach? He knew basically nothing about her so he couldn't tell. He even felt nothing around her in the force. For a short moment he was unsure if Arach was actually a force user, but then he realized that she probably used a Sith power to hide her presence. So I will never know if she standing behind me, or about to drive her lightsaber into my back. He decided to be even more careful. When he was younger he had always trusted the other Jedi to watch his back, but here on Korriban the things were different. Then his master left the shuttle and Octavius followed him.

    The valley of the dark lords lay before them in all its dark glory. The enormous graveyard of the ancient Sith was even greater than Octavius ever imagined. This place is a symbol for the strength of the Sith. They may be dead for thousands of years but these buildings remember everyone and their might. He asked himself if he would one day also be buried in a crypt like this. But he wasn't even sure if some knew about this kind of architecture today.

    Haretisch led them a path down to an incredibly old door. With a gesture of his arm, Octavius' master opened the gate and the four Sith stared into a dark corridor. Octavius noticed that faces where carved into the walls. Screaming faces. Whoever designed this crypt must have had a very bad day while working on it. Octavius hand reached to his light saber and he fought against the impulse to activate his weapon right now. Even the air down there seemed to be toxic and he gave a quick thought about using his breathing mask, as his master stepped over threshold. “And here the adventure begins.” He muttered to himself as he followed his master into the dark abyss awaiting them.

    Tags: @Darth_wanderguard, @Moonspun Dragon, @Halle Dray,
     
  6. dragonsith13

    dragonsith13 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 3, 2005
    Draconis
    Cremation Abattoir -- Grand Sith Temple -- Korriban

    The fires of the furnaces danced, the room was silent and still. Draconis knew it was coming, and there it was... the sound of boots scraping against the stone floor, and the impact of something falling quickly confirmed to him to the fact that he was not alone. He had expected that whomever had been sent to keep tabs on him would be capable, and so seemingly had been... in concealing their presence. However his or her missteps or apparent prompted stumble.. betrayed them. The sound of the dart traveling through the air after the sense of danger alerted him just enough, as the dart whizzed passed his head. Draconis whirled and darted to one of the sides of the room, as blaster bolts flashed by impacting the stone walls as they trailed after him.

    Betrayed his position the stalker had, only through the physical disturbance of his or her surroundings and the subsequent forced attack -- no doubt from their unfortunate stumble. The stalker's hand had been forced, not doubt knowing that his or her position had been compromised thus giving way to the forced but sloppy attack.

    Draconis did not retaliate, at least not directly -- the direction from where the attacks came from was clear, close to where two of the examination slabs lay that he had passed by when entering the room originally, the bodies atop the metal examination slabs covered in white sheets. It was these sheets that flew up, as Draconis with a flick of his wrist loosed them from the bodies they had previously draped. They hung in the air briefly, then began to fall to the ground spreading out where the attack against him had come from. Gracefully fluttering in the stale air of the crematoria as they fell down poised to drape anyone in the direct area. Little more than an annoyance as anyone would have to briefly sort themselves out of the simple white cloths, before regaining their lines.

    Draconis hid back, observing after he had directed a force push at a metal tray carrying several blades, pliers, and examination tools. The mix of metal items and tray crashed down towards the furnace end of the room scattering the tools as they clanged as metal against metal bouncing off of the metal examination slabs and stone floor. He did not mask his presence, just simply used the natural surrounding as he watched the potential confusion play out, watching, listening, and learning... waiting.

    TAG: Sinrebirth
     
  7. Mikaboshi

    Mikaboshi Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 12, 2005
    Lorekeeper and Darth Cruor
    Fortress in the Valley of Golg

    It was a good thing that The Lorekeeper was a bit slower than Ike and Bellorum, he hadn't gotten more than a few steps before the young fop sent the course of events yet again astray. He created an escape and forced Bellorum through the opening and to relative safety below even as the treasury began to collapse around them, quick thinking led him to throw the holocron toward the smelly librarian, his eyes left no question that it was time to flee.

    As he retrieved the holocron and stuffed it into his pouch he saw the sorceress strike Ike and send him violently into the nearby wall, his limp form fell to the ground hard.

    "Run, you fool." The voice implored, but he couldn't tear his eyes off of the witch.

    The collapsing roof broke his gaze. Dust and debris rained down yet he suffered no harm, through the brown haze he could see the sorceress shielding them all, her gaze set firmly upon him. He would have fallen to his knees in homage to her horrifying power, even if wiser voices pleaded against such an action.

    Again something falling from above broke his gaze, no rock and mortar this time, it was a giant of a being. The black robed figure had landed in a crouched position between he and the witch, though on the near end of what remained of the treasury. Terrified at what was unfolding in the room the Lorekeeper screamed and raced from the room, he ran as he had not run in decades, following the path he believed Re'van had taken. Regardless, it was one of 3 exits from the treasury, and the only one not blocked by some terrible creature not looking to kill him.

    By the immortal gods of the sith! He hoped he could still find her.

    Darth Cruor immediately focused on the most powerful being in the room, even before the collapse of his floor he could feel a surge of power from below. His hooded head tilted slightly as he regarded her for a moment, but a scream from behind him drew his attention away.

    The scream came from a decrepit and pathetic looking creature who was fleeing rapidly. The Gen'Dai turned back to the sorceress one more time, yes, he knew her. However she was not his goal, today. The Gen'Dai turned away and gave chase to the human he had seen previously, there were things he needed to know. It took little time to catch the poor specimen, even for a human this one exceptionally weak and malnourished, and he smelled more of the grave than the newly risen Sith Lord.

    A giant hand reached out and picked up the white haired and crazy eyed man but the Gen'Dai continued to run, at great speeds he wove into the structure towards the ground floor, following the only path that the little creature he held was following. Once secure in the knowledge that he had left the sorceress behind he paused, re-positioned the trembling librarian, and held him aloft with two hands as to meet eye to eye.

    "Show me what you know." His haunting voice commanded.

    There was no option but to comply, the ancient Sith Lord reached out and probed the mind of the Lorekeeper. He learned of his youth, of his life as a Sith. His failures, his successes. Even the gem was not hidden from his probes. Through the Lorekeeper's eyes he saw the events of the room, for the first time he saw the newly ascended Dark Lady Bellorum as she embraced the powers of the helm and heart.

    She did not have his mask either.

    He learned one other morsel, this was a trap. Something darker was approaching, a great evil whose power was beyond any of those living. Dathka had come for the Helm and Heart, but he would not leave with the Mask.

    Without any further consideration he put down the librarian and turned back into the heart of the tower.

    Trembling heavily the Lorekeeper stood silently a few moments after the Gen'Dai left, the gem sensing it was safe urged him to get out of the tower. The Lorekeeper did so with surprising speed.

    Emerging from the same route Re'van had escaped from he was not far from the Gorog, he could see it turning away from the tower and seeking his eternal foe.

    He could not help her from her, and help her he needed to do, she was his best chance of getting out of the Valley alive.

    HunterPrime Sinrebirth Lady Belligerent
     
  8. Darth_wanderguard

    Darth_wanderguard Game Host star 6 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2005
    IC: Darth Haretisch -- Valley Catacombs

    "Possibly," Haretisch replied curtly to his apprentice's question about the usefulness of a dark side meld. He was hesitant to open his mind to the others in such a way, though certain that it would be needed in the end.

    The darkness grew oppressive as they descended the stairs, and at the lower steps all sunlight faded, consumed by the claustrophobic confines of the tomb.

    In the darkness... I wait...

    Then with a subtle wave of the Dark Lord's hand, a score of torches flickered to life on either side of the corridor which joined to the staircase at its lower terminus. A long hallway stood in wait, and a haze hung in the air laborious to the lungs and to the mind. The stairs had been tight quarters, and seemed to threaten squeezing inward against one's shoulders. Garments felt tighter. Breath was heavier. The passage which stood before them was physically wider, but still no less dismal.

    [​IMG]

    A large room stood at the end of the corridor, and they would feel a moment of relief from the confined passage which had led them there as they stepped into it. In the far half of the room, at the foot of a wide staircase and double doors atop it, stood a row of coffins. Four. Sealed, finely carved stone, with faces ornately engraved showing family crests. Across the walls hung a collection of weapons - warblades, daggers, even polearms. This was a tomb of proud red Sith.

    You invade holy ground... Vulgar footsteps...

    "On your guard," Haretisch ordered, speaking for the first time since the group had last seen the sun. From his back he drew a long, thin, black sword. Something was coming.

    DIE... JOIN ME IN DEATH...

    A ripple of anger passed through the force, and just as it was beginning to die, the stone faces of the coffins burst into dust. Bony hands reached out to grab at the now jagged edges of the coffins, and with strength impossible of the dead, they lifted themselves to sit, and their faces were revealed.

    Lady Arach. Kwea. Octavius. Even Haretisch himself. Each stood from a coffin. Pale white. Emaciated. Bloody lips, cracked and drawn tight in terrifying grimaces. Eyes of endless black.

    Near-skeletal hands extended, and the weapons which hung upon the wall clattered, divesting from the rusted mantles where they rested and finding themselves gripped by the undead.

    Dead Kwea wielded a single warblade, dead Arach a pair of daggers. Dead Octavius held a long polearm with a short, jagged blade, and dead Haretisch wielded a sword which had erupted into flame upon being touched.

    Each doppelgänger leapt from its perch, and in an instant were bearing down on their counterparts.

    YOU COULD NOT SAVE YOUR MASTER, NOR COULD YOU SAVE YOUR PARENTS. A voice shrieked in Arach's mind alone as the facsimile slashed at her with each dagger.

    Octavius' opposite was upon him with a crushing downward swing of its polearm, an attack too brutishly powerful to block. WEAK FOOL. THE FORCE ABANDONS YOU. He would hear the words echo in his mind like the horrid scolding of an abusive teacher.

    TOO YOUNG, TOO STUPID. POOR LITTLE UNLOVED WRETCH. Kwea was accosted as well by the terrible voice, as her copy stabbed viciously at her again and again.

    The simulacrum of the Night Herald, too, launched itself forth with impossible speed, and as Haretisch rose The Foil to deflect its attack, he found himself in a blade lock, his sword sparking against that of the accosting specter, beginning to glow red hot. He gritted his teeth, struggling against its terrible strength. LIAR. TRAITOR. WEAKLING... He shuddered.

    MUUUURRDERERR.

    TAG: Moonspun Dragon, Anedon, Halle Dray
     
  9. E. L.Knight

    E. L.Knight Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 4, 2012
    Darth Hades
    Landing Bay, North Hangar, Moraband

    Lord Hades' trip on the shuttle had been longer than he had expected. He was forced to leave his own ship behind and be taken to the surface of the planet by an Official Sith vessel. It had only been a few short weeks ago when he had felt a pull in the Force. Something had changed and with such power shifting it left a ripple in the Force felt across the Galaxy.

    Hades knew this was his time to return, it was a time of renewal, of a gathering of strength.

    He had left before, returned, and left again. No one would understand that struggle. It was born of an internal battle, and a longing to be accepted, but also, to find purpose. For a long time, he had lived a dual life with dual identities battling for dominance. His birth name, Zandoran Celix, had been the only thing left of his family, his real family. His taking of a Sith name, as Darth Hades, should have been a removing of his past and moving forward with a new life, but he had struggled to let his name go, to leave behind the only time he had known love and acceptance.

    He had left fr several reasons, but the main one had been that he felt the Sith were far too focused on the wrong kinds of power. the Sith should hold dominion over the Force, wield it like a weapon and use it to glorify themselves, but time and again the Sith rose to political power, building Empires and hunting the Jedi. All of which, Hades had decided, was for naught.

    In his self imposed exile, he had traveled and studied as many Force traditions as he could, gaining bits of knowledge and materials, artifacts, whatever he could lay his hands upon and taking them back to Taris. During this time, and this Journey, he studied the Force, and the Sith and their histories. Learning what he thought would be the path to real power. He was wrong.

    His exile had made him weak, it had taken a gift he had and downsized it. He had been woefully ignorant in realizing this until too late. Now, though he was a Sith Lord, he was no where near as powerful as he once had been.

    He felt the shuttle land and the loading ramp lower. He stood, about to disembark when he felt a presence so powerful, he knew that he was about to endure his first test upon returning. The Hangar was so quiet, one could have heard a pin drop. Then a voice filled the space as he exited the shuttle, and there, as a phantom of nothing but pure power, stood the Dark Lord of the Sith.

    'I call you out, Darth Hades. The Zabrak Who Ran.'











    Hades had no answer to the accusation. He had ran, but it had been, what he thought, was the will of the Darkside.


    My Lord, I did indeed run, but I felt it the will of the Darkside. I entered a self imposed exile because too long, I believed, the Sith had focused on the wrong kinds of power. I left to unravel the mysteries of the Darkside and to grow in its power. I was woefully ignorant.
    Hades strode forward and knelt before the Dark Lord.
    I pledge myself, my mind, and my body to the service of the Darkside. To grow in its power and to expand the Sith into greatness as I can, and upon your will. Too long did I stay in the shadows and now I am weaker for it.

    Hades remained ready, in case this was going to grow into a confrontation. He truly did not want to try his weakened skills against the Dark Lord, for he knew he would lose.

    TAG: Sinrebirth

    OOC: I apologize for the spacing, but for some damn reason, I can't get it to be normal.
     
  10. Darth Rozic

    Darth Rozic Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Dec 27, 2015
    IC: Rozic. Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Prison Block, Cell 42N. "You want to release me" uttered Rozic to the padawan. The padawan just store back at him and simply chuckled. "You obviously haven't perfected the art of the mind trick" replied the padawan. "Oh but I'm not trying to trick you.... you want to release me". "Oh I don't think I do want to". Rozic force pushed the padawan against a wall and started smashing him into the ground. "Now you want to release me DON'T YOU" demanded Rozic. "I can't" the padawan said as he was smashed against the ground again. "I don't know the override code to unlock your cell". Rozic continued smashing the padawan until the point of near unconsciousness. Rozic realised the guard really didn't know anything and stopped. He then used the Force to raise the padawans lightsaber of the ground and cut through a fuse box next to his cell. The force field flickered out of existence and all the lights shut down. Rozic had deactivated the cell blocks power. After the force field was off-line it was easy for Rozic to get out of his cell. The padawan managed to stand and reached out his hand for his lightsaber which was a metre or two away from Rozic. The padawans ignited weapon came flying towards him, but before the padawan could grasp the hilt Rozic used the Force to knock the saber off course and right into the padawans head. Several prisoners started escaping their cells and the few Republic sentiels were outnumbered even with their blasters. The prisoners overwhelmed them and began running for the stairs. A human with brown hair, Caucasian skin and a large scar across his right eye approached Darth Rozic. "How did you do that?" He questioned. "That's for me to know and you to well... not know" answered Rozic. "Okay then. Well I've got to go" replied the escaped criminal. "Wait, I don't usually like to help others but here's a tip, don't go outside" "What?" "You heard me, don't go outside. The cities crawling with Jedi Knights and Republic Commandos. Come with me to the docking bay, there you can steal a shuttle and escape" "Umm okay thanks I guess" Rozic and the criminal ran up a staircase to the docking bay. It was completely abandoned. No ships, no personnel (aside from a G7 series astromech droid), not even Guard. Damn Rozic thought to himself. So he and the criminal went to a control room. "So what's your name?" Inquired the criminal. "Rozic, Darth" Rozic replied. "As in a Sith?" Continued the criminal. "Yeah I guess. So what's yours" Rozic asked as he fiddled with some buttons. "Garmen Nate, as in the infamous Bounty Hunter" "Nether heard of you". Garmens smile dropped. "Oh" said Garmen. Then Rozic told Garmen to shut up because he had to do something important. Rozic grabbed a microphone that was connected to a communication device. "Attention Commander Pruw'odusa'ormick of the Star Destroyer no. 12879912638, this is an escaped Sith seeking refuge from the Jedi Temple. It shouldn't be too hard to send a small shuttle as most of the planets defense's are made to destroy capital ships. Please come immediately"
     
  11. Snokers

    Snokers Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 8, 2015
    IC: Tarkana Sydon
    Hyperspace


    Tarkana was following behind Darth Anark, her footsteps silent, almost scraping across the floor as she reluctantly trudged on. The Sith apprentice stopped abruptly and peered into one of the doors of the quarters that accommodated the Emperor's minions. Anark looked in for a moment and muttered something under his breath that was inaudible from where she stood. He walked on and she resumed following a few paces behind him. They had only gone a few more feet along the narrow corridor when he stopped once again and her body came to a halt instinctively, as if she were on auto pilot - a symptom of fear even though she loathed to admit it to herself. But she was afraid, Anark stood at least two feet taller than her and was strong in the Force, she was aware he could probably crush her windpipe without expending much energy at all and now questioned why she ever thought she'd be able to have a sudden passionate outburst and convince him to leave the Dark Empire. Despite this, despite all the fear and trepidation he caused within her, she couldn't deny that there was also a feeling of security when he was present, he had physically hurt her and even cruelly tormented her back before the battle but she had concluded that if he'd wanted to kill her she would've been dead some time ago.

    Anark doubled back down the corridor to the door he'd peeked into. Before he walked in he told her to stay put and ran his fingers softly through her hair. "I won't be a moment." His voice had adopted a soothing tone, a far cry from when he'd stuck her and threatened her not to use his given name just five minutes before. "After we've met with the others, I will see to your injuries but it will have to be quick, it won't be long until we reach the capital." She gave a submissive nod which was met with a faint smirk as he disappeared into the room.

    She now faced an overwhelming internal struggle, one which ruminating on her conflicted feelings for Darth Anark would not help. He was a Sith! He was just another in a long line of hateful, destructive, evil beings who's only desire was to bring the galaxy itself to it's knees to satisfy their own selfish lust for power. Coruscant was her home, the home of her family, her friends, people she'd known and respected her whole life. In a flash she'd made her decision. She could not help Kade if he was not willing to help himself. She didn't even care if she was to lose her life, this was now a matter of ensuring the safety of her people. She rotated her body and turned to look back down the corridor the way she'd came and did not hesitate for a second. She started running.

    With her heart hammering against her chest, she ran, she felt a spasm in her right leg after the first step but did not relent, she sprinted all the way to the room she'd been sitting in with him, opened the door as quietly as she could, stepped inside and activated the locking mechanism. She was hyperventilating, each breath fought desperately to catch up with the one overlapping it. She sat down in the chair beside the bed, her shoulders bobbing up and down as she still tried to slow her breathing. There wasn't a lot of time, Anark may have already realized she was missing. The slave woman grabbed a piece of cloth she'd used when tending to the Sith's wounds and stuck it in her mouth, she was bracing her mind for what was to come next as she reached into her back pocket and pulled out the only weapon she owned, a small, curved blade she had been permitted to carry in the event of danger. She hadn't dared use it on any of her Sith captors, they would sense her intentions before she had a chance to strike. Adjusting her grip on the handle, she closed her eyes and tried to transport her mind back to less dark days, happy days when she'd been surrounded by her family in the warm core world air. After mustering up what courage was left inside her, she plunged the dagger into her bare thigh with one swift downward motion. She bit down hard on the makeshift cloth-gag which muted her scream. Blood oozed, a dangerous amount of it, but her medical background assured her that she hadn't hit anything major. She had to open her eyes for this part, she moved the blade through her skin slowly, crying and whimpering as she cut, feeling the agonizing sensation of nerves and tendons being severed until she'd eventually achieved something close to a square in her flesh, she drove the blade in deeper until she felt what she was looking for, once she had it she flicked the point of the blade upwards and with a few tugs it shot out of her skin and landed on the ground in front of her with a clink.

    The tiny holo-transmitter was still in tact, save for a red film of blood that covered the entire thing. She sat for a moment and tried as hard as she could to push the pain passed the threshold into her subconscious. She failed miserably at this but time was still of the essence and she reached down for the transmitter regardless. Tarkana brushed off what blood she could from the thing and wiped it on her robe. A wave of relief washed over her when it activated as soon as she flipped the switch and she proceeded to push a few more buttons and then held it out before her. A hologram beamed up from the small oval and a small-scale image of a well dressed man sitting in an uncomfortable looking chair appeared. Tarkana took a few deep breaths and shed a few more tears before she spoke, but when she spoke, her words were clear...


    "Coruscant, I have information from my mission and the situation is grave. An attack is imminent. Begin preparations!"



    TAG: Hmm... unsure.​
     
  12. HunterPrime

    HunterPrime Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2004
    IC: Re'van
    Fortress of Golg


    As Re'van rode her bike around to the other side of the castle, she heard the spirit respond to her earlier question. It's voice less than apologetic. "Plan or not, I would rather that the others bear the risk." Then, perhaps thinking better of things, its tone changed and it took a more apologetic tone. "I panicked. I have survived death and for a pretty boy to throw it away was not in my interests." Re'van chuckled. "I have no interest in allowing any such things either." Re'van gave a smirk, as the spirit called Ike 'pretty boy.' Re'van picked up her head, looking about as the spirit continued to speak. "I am Kalara, ignore the masculine tone of my voice, it was but the last voice I had before my final demise." Now, that sounded like an interesting story indeed. But now was not the time to press for such question, for they still had a rather large Gorog to deal with. Kalara continued. "I would teach you to surpass your peers,' Kalara stated. "I would caution though, I also have the ability to make it so that your next actions are internalized... You may think that you have done something, and indeed your comrades may sense that, in their own perceptions, but you will have thought of them, not always done them - I have applied it to the others, in their battle with the sorceress, to confuse matters enough to allow for our escape. It is not incontrovertible, especially when you know I can do it,' he hastily added, before dropping his tone, 'but I would caution you against harming me...' And again the tone lifted. "But I can teach you it, and also teach you how to use my amulet, once we wipe the stain of Skywalker from it." Re'van instantly sought to strengthen her mental shields. Now that was quite an interesting trick indeed, if Kalara spoke truth. The female name, but male voice, made Re'van wonder of perhaps it was two spirits involved. That, and the fact that the tone of its voice was constantly in flux. And it even felt confident enough to attempt a threat. But now, she did have a task to do, as she neared the other side of the castle. She paused her bike and searched the scene before her.

    The Gorog, save for its part in thrashing through the wall, was still alive, although Re'van had managed to blind it. If it was angry before, it was in full Rancor mode now. It had reared up, crashing up through the higher floor as as strange ship suddenly blinked into existence next to a shuttle that was sagging as the floor it sat upon broke. Even know she could see that it was searching with its one good eye, looking for her. Re'van did not take her eyes off the thing, as she spoke once more. "Well Kalara. I have a task to do. I must remove that thing." Re'van scanned the area. "So do not interfere." She did not see Ike or Belorium exiting the castle. Nor did she see the Lorekeeper. She frowned, but she had not sensed any other deaths. She again looked at the Gorog. It had small legs, considering how big the rest of its body was. The creature was quite resistant to direct attacks, however, the same could not be said of what it was using to hold itself up. And there was such a lovely gorge on the other side. Re'van did not have time to worry about who ever had just arrived. She needed to get rid of this thing, before the NEXT visitor was due to arrive. Time to stop entertaining herself. The creature had done its job. Now it was time for it to be gone. Re'van revived up her bike, and shot around the other wall, to where she could get a clear shot. She focused, using the Darkside to guide her shots, as she used a tripple attack. With her cycle, Re'van launched a volley of rockets, no so much at the creature, but at the base of the creature, on whatever he was standing on. As that was done, she then released a volly of Force Lightning upon the creature as well. Between these two attacks, there should be more than enough debris and large chunks of rocks about now, if not while the creature had been actively tearing down the place. Re'van then called forth Force Avalanche, and as she moved around the backside of the creature, making it have to turn about, she directed the storms towards his feet and torso area. With luck, he would hit the ground. With the Darkside, he would find the gorge he had crawled out of, and hopefully, fall back inside of. She buffeted the creature on all sides, rocks, walls tables, anything that would make it hard for it to stand or move, and make it even harder to track her, now that it was sightless in one eye. She hoped that the others, once the creature was clear, would find their way out. And perhaps she would be able to find out who the new arrival was as well.



    TAG: Mikaboshi, Lady Belligerent, Sinrebirth, Darth_wanderguard
     
  13. Lady_Belligerent

    Lady_Belligerent Queen of the RPF, SWC, C&P, and Pancakes & Waffles star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 29, 2008
    Combo with Super Sinre

    IC: Bellorum
    Fortress

    Poor Apollyon, the Lorekeeper was humane and ended her suffering. As insufferable as she was, Bellorum really would have wished her a more honorable death. There wasn't time to ponder that thought or even show respect for the smoldering remains of the once proud Sith Lady, they had their hands full and the other team members seemed to be keen on running. "We are here to kill this witch, and we're stronger fighting as one! What happened to your plans?" Bellorum shouted over the chaos in the treasury.

    She felt movement in her sleeve, and knew her pet was back and settling in, it would take more than the bottom of the Witch's boot to harm him. Moments later she watched Re'van flee, oddly the sorceress didn't engulf the woman in flames. She seemed uninterested in her, but Bellorum wouldn't forget her turning from the fight and leaving team behind.

    Bellorum was trying to get the three remaining party members closer to the opening in the wall, then Ike's grasp on her neck had tightened, 'You can't do this, not yet.' Before she realized his intentions, he shattered the floor and shoved her down. She tumbled with the rubble and landed with a very un-ladylike thud several floors below. Looking up with a pained expression she tried to find Ike, she'd lost him in the Force and he didn't follow her. She'd sensed a moment of what seems to be fear from him, then nothing.

    Rising to her knees, she glanced quickly around the chamber and gasped softly. 'What the kriff?' She checked to see if maybe she'd suffered a head trauma, because she seemed to be back in Lord Insipid's chambers. Then she saw the differences.

    One, there was a pedestal within it and a Holocron throbbed red in the twilight.

    Two, the mirror spoke. 'Greetings Dark Lady,' her voice was soft, melodious, the very echo of who had spoken to Bellorum and the others before the sorceress had arrived. 'Yes, I am her, I am Darth Ardeur, former lover of Darth Insipid, now Emperor.'


    Bellorum felt an overwhelming desire to close her eyes, then rub them briskly before opening them to see if the scene would have changed. Instead she blinked and then addressed the mirror, "Hello Lady Ardeur, I didn't expect to find you here," she stated the obvious while trying to work out what to do next. Since she was clearly on her own now, she might as well try and find out all should could from this mirror.

    "Emperor? Yes, I felt a shift in power and very good news this is," Bellorum was finally gathering her thoughts and went over to look into the mirror.

    'Know that I did not misspeak, and you are indeed correct; anointed by Insipid and Haretisch, you were, in your absence.' Her voice crew amused. 'They think you will be easy to control.'

    "Oh? I'm sure they do," Bellorum was so amused at the notion of being easy to control that she chuckled out loud. "I guess we'll just have to see about that...if what you say is indeed true."

    She pulled a chair closer to the mirror and sat down, it felt a bit foolish to be addressing a mirror, but stranger things had happened before. "Why should I trust you, and do you know what has happened to Ike and the Lorekeeper?" She asked and glanced towards the ceiling, as if she was hoping to see them appear.

    The visage in the mirror smiled. 'You do not trust me, yet you ask questions of me?' A hand cupped her chin. Darth Ardeur was a usually smiling woman, a brunette, but often a hard smile at that. However, in the blue-washed image of the mirror she was vague, and her features not sharp enough to convey how attractive she had been in life.

    'Aden's paramour lives, but for how long I could not say. The old one is caught between competing forces, but his salvation might have arrived.'

    A shrug. 'I don't ask you to trust me. But you know both your fellow triumvirs. They scheme for their own ends.' Ardeur seemed on edge, as if mentioning Ike had annoyed her. The woman gestured lazily. 'That is the real Soa Holocron, obviously.'

    'The one above works, but it conceals an explosive large enough to destroy the Sith Academy. Baradium, I gather. This is not my concern.' Ardeur leaned forward, knowing she was rambling over her irritability, and not giving Bellorum opportunity to reply. 'I'm more interested in what you intend to do.'

    Bellorum examined the mirror closely and grimaced, "to be honest, I'm working on that still." She'd heard tales of Darth Ardeur, but was hesitant to be lured into a trap. Rising she crossed to the glowing holocron, "I apologize for being insensitive and asking you about Ike, I was clearly still reeling from the fall," she glanced back to Ardeur and smiled. "I need proof that this isn't a parlor trick, because the sorceress could be masquerading as you." She reached into her tunic and pulled out the holocron Ike had given her, and compared it to the one on the pedestal.

    'Oh look. The sorceress did a number in you. Focus on the Holocron you hold with the Force...' Ardeur smiled, slightly. 'It might vanish.'

    'She interposed several of these illusions, so the original bomb laden one is likely still with little Ike...' Ardeur sounded wistful. 'I don't resent the boy, not really. Insipid always had his little eccentricities... He should have been a Zeltron.'

    'Never mind, what is done is done.'

    The Holocron Bellorum held vanished. 'There it goes.'

    'That one is the real one.'

    Bellorum blinked at her empty hand, "Thank you, Ardeur," she said then gave the mirror a small bow. Reaching out, she levitated the glowing holocron to her hand and caressed it.

    "What is the Sorceress' weakness? Do you know how I could defeat her?" She walked back to the lady in the mirror holding the holocron in the palm of her hand.

    'Her weakness is your weakness.' Ardeur snickered. 'She's reliant on amulets.'

    'Take them away, and what are you?' The mirror gestured to the Holocron. 'It depends on that. Soa's secret. It wouldn't tell the Sorceress.'

    'It might tell you.'

    Bellorum was getting impatient, and for a moment wished they'd allowed Re'van to leave with the baradium loaded Holocron, it would have served her right for leaving them to deal with the witch.

    'Why are you here?" She asked Ardeur as she walked over to the table with the book and picked it up.

    'I'm here because Insipid has made a mistake. He's been tantalised by the idea of a Sith Pantheon. We argued about it; I lost. But at the same he didn't kill me; I woke up as a mirror, less than I was, but able to see much more.' The women turned thoughtful. 'He had cut the dark from my eyes, and let me see. So I wonder if he has risen me to be the opposition, to keep the Sith keen, to cut loose the madmen. But I think he's already too far gone to be saved.' A pause. 'Don't even get me started on Haretisch.'

    A spectral gesture, and the Holocron of Soa activated. 'The book must be read in conjunction with who the Holocron chooses.'

    A red skinned Rakata appeared, and spoke in an unknown tongue. The book in Bellorum's hand glowed, and suddenly the gabble became understandable. 'I am Soa, Red Sith Emperor, foe of the Pantheon, the master of the Infernal Council, the leader of the Betrayer of Adas.'

    'I sought to wrest control of the Infinite Empire from the Pantheon... and lost. But in defeat I completed this Holocron, and it was not sealed away with me. I have waited nearly twenty eight thousand years for someone worthy to continue my work.'

    Ardeur spoke up. 'We don't have time for your definition of worthy. They would have had to kill a Jedi while they were in the womb.' Ardeur pouted.

    'I shall judge who is worthy!' Soa barked. 'Tell me, Sith wench, of your worthiness. Beg. Grovel.'

    Bellorum cringed internally at the notion of begging, instead she curtsied before Soa and stated, "Greetings, I am Dark Lady Bellorum." She paused before continuing, "it's not in my nature to grovel or beg, instead I shall ask you, and pledge to you that I am indeed worthy."

    "I will defeat the Sorceress, because I have it on good authority that Graush is going to be paying a visit and I'll need to deal with him too. Your knowledge will allow me to accomplish these tasks," she ended with a small nod and held her breath waiting.

    Soa paused. 'You are worthy.'

    'Sithspit,' said Ardeur.

    'Pardon?' Hissed the Rakata. 'You dare disagree with my pronouncement?'

    'You're scared.' Ardeur stated.

    Soa snarled. 'It does not mean she is not worthy!'

    'Be honest!' Ardeur spat a laugh. 'You might survive.'

    Soa growled and looked to Bellorum . 'A Holocron and it's true disciple has to have respect between them. I am not a mere AI, I am part of Soa's soul and essence. A partnership is always more fruitful than a dictatorship.'

    'When you are in a position of weakness, sure,' Ardeur looked to Bellorum with a grin.

    Soa growled again. Ardeur shook her head. 'I saw Insipid rip knowledge from a Holocron once, I could always teach you that? I don't think he got everything he could from it, but it was quicker.'

    'No!' Soa snapped, turning to face Bellorum. 'Absolutely not!'

    The corner of Ardeur's smile turned into that of a secret grin, just turned so that Bellorum could see it.

    "I'm honored," Bellorum spoke up, "I am worthy, but please Soa, there is an urgency, Graush is on his way." She glanced over to Ardeur with a knowing look. "Lady Ardeur, is this mirror your prison or are you capable of transferring to another object?"

    Ardeur smiled, and a drawer popped out. 'I can be transferred from reflective surface to another.' A small mirror, surrounded by a filigree frame, was in the drawer. 'Place it to the mirror and I shall move along.'

    Soa grumbled. 'I would suggest that you leave her, but you are clearly thick as thieves... Predor Soa is my title.'

    He continued, presuming Belligerent would follow up with transferring Ardeur. 'I have mastered how to transfer the power behind amulets and artefacts from the items to you, permanently. And as such the trinkets can be dispensed with over time. It is a masterful skill, allowing baubles to trick your opponent into believing that by removing the items, such as the Helm, you will be easy to strike down. I was well on my way to collecting enough items to surpass a deity when I was sealed away.'

    Her eyes grew quite round as she quickly realized the possibilities. "Teach me, Predor Soa," she said quietly, "don't worry about Ardeur, I'll keep her in check." She winked at Ardeur so she'd know her words were only meant to smooth Soa, and she must gain his knowledge.

    "Mirrors shatter, what about gems?" Bellorum reached under the helm and tugged the rainbow gem diadem loose, "these guys are reflective and may serve the same purpose." She laid the diadem against the mirrors surface, then turned back to Soa. "I'm ready."

    Ardeur looked quizzical. 'That should work. Bellorum, are you sure?'

    'A Sith with consideration? What next? Face masks and massages? We are darksiders, not wenches.' Soa snapped up.

    'You'd be surprised how much a little civility will get you!' Ardeur snapped back. 'Now teach the woman before we all die!'

    Bellorum cleared her throat for their attention, "Im the one who just crashed into this hell, with a less than qualified leader who had no real plan - I might add," her voice a steady crescendo, "and then I was all but tossed down three levels. So, if anyone has a right to be bitchy here it's ME!" Bellorum took a deep breath and lowered her voice, "Predor Soa, we are running out of time," she shifted her eyes to the mirror, "Ardeur, yes I'm sure. Transfer to the diadem's jewels, it makes the most sense for now."

    Ardeur nodded, and went through the motions of transferring herself from the larger mirror to the smaller, from the smaller to the diadem.

    Predor simply refocused, and started taking her through the motions of finding the centre of power in an artefact and moving the locus from the item to herself. The idea was fairly simple but it was potentially painstakingly detailed hard work, as the locus was often very tiny, and the fulcrum point was delicate.

    Satisfied that everyone was now focused on making progress, Bellorum gave herself fully to Soa's tutelage. Ardeur was silent as she made her transition, and the room was silent except for the murmurs of Predor Soa. The mayhem and destruction that occurred just three floors above her, had faded into the background.

    Tag: Sinrebirth HunterPrime Mikaboshi
     
  14. Darth Kronos

    Darth Kronos Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2016
    IC: Darth Kronos

    Darth Kralkus was clearly angry, given that he was clenching his jaw rather tightly. It was the angriest Kronos had ever seen him before. Yet, despite that, Kralkus deactivated his lightsaber, and invited him on the team! Which made no sense to Kronos. Kralkus did not trst the bounty hunter, Tek. That much was obvious. Consdering he basically made it a rule that Tek doesn't leave Kralkus' sight, like a little kid in a shop. But there was nothing he could do about it. This is how it would be. It's just extremely unfortunate.

    Hours passed since the new addition of their new buddy. The ship became colder and colder the closer they got to Hoth.

    Time to put on the snow gear.

    Kronos had simply stood up and put on his snow gear, not really caring how annoying it might be to anyone else. He was simply too focused on th bounty hunter, and the mission itself.

    Once he had finally gotten his gear on, Kronos noticed the one they call Zalen get up from her seat, after what was probably a violent nightmare. She wandered off to the washroom to do whatever. Maybe she was freshening up, maybe she was going to use a deathstick. The latter was not very likely, but it was just more fun to think like that.

    She walked back out, looking more spiffy than before.

    The ship landed.

    Kralkus spoke: "It is time".

    The ramp lowered, revealing the icy terrain they were entering in a much closer detail. Kronos moved closer to get a better look at it all. It was beautiful.

    The team was now at the ramp, ready to face whatever they would encounter.

    Because even Kronos knew this wouldn't be an easy in-and-out mission.

    There would always be something.

    TAG: Darth_wanderguard Sinrebirth Lady Belligerent Ktala
     
  15. Darth Master Titus

    Darth Master Titus Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 10, 2014
    Darth Titus
    Vapid Hangar

    At last, Titus squared up with Asaak Dan for what was likely their final bout. This was the final duel here in this hangar, for his fellow Sith had finished off the other Jedi who made one last attempt to by time for Shado Vao to escape.

    The pink Togruta Jedi ignited his lightsaber, positioning himself to fend off Titus' ferocious attacks. Titus wondered why the Jedi was in a defensive stance...he must be a fool. He was certainly going to perish this day in this very hangar. This would be the last fight of his pathetic life. ATTACK! Do not defend.

    "What a craven," Titus spat at Dan. He charged the Jedi. With a force leap, Titus found himself over Asaak Dan and slashed at his neck. Dan being positioned in a defensive stance easily shifted his feet, making Titus whiff on his attempting kill. Dan tossed a hunk of metal at Titus in an attempt to catch the bloodthirsty Sith off guard. But Titus' senses were on full alert.

    As the metal came flying at him, Titus hacked the metal in half with one cleave of his lightsaber. There was nowhere to run for the Jedi. They stood arms length apart. Titus swung right, which we was easily parried away by Dan. Titus quickly slashed left and then right again. As the flurries were quickening, so was Dan. This was easily Titus' most difficult foe.

    Dan moved with ease, never seeming to tire. Good, now I'll have to work for my kill." Titus pressed forward, not giving the Jedi an inch to breath. Singed air could be smelt as the lightsabers crackled with forceful collisions.

    This one sided hack and slash lasted nearly a minute before the first blow struck. While Titus swung forcefully and relentlessly, he wasn't tiring. Dan on the other hand was losing a step in his defense. As a desperation move, Dan kicked out and just barely caught the Sith on his knee, slightly tearing a muscle.

    Titus roared in annoyance more than pain. So he pressed again. And this is the true strike that connected. Titus feinted a swing left, and Dan bit. He fell for the feint and shifted his stance to deal with the supposedly oncoming strike. But it never came. Instead, Titus spun left and cleaved Dan's arm at the elbow.

    "You ran well my foe. Now you will die as cowardly as you fought". Even though that was not the truth. Dan fought well, just not well enough. His head fell next to his lightsaber on the cold floor of the Vapid's hangar.

    @Sinrebirth, greyjedi125, corinthia, Mikaboshi, dragonsith13, Snokers
     
  16. greyjedi125

    greyjedi125 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 29, 2002
    Combo post with Sinre


    Lord Manticore

    There was no lasting pleasure in killing Jedi Master Shado Vao, aside from the satisfaction of finally having faced a worthy opponent.

    The deed was quickly filed away in the zabrak’s memory to be studied later, as present situations required his attention.

    Lord Manticore offered a solid nod to both Digrant, who’s name he finally remembered and the Emperor’s Apprentice. Darth Anark. They had dealt with the female jedi in a deservedly ironic fashion. She had sought to double team one of the sith, but was instead double teamed herself. Such was the way of the darkside.

    Anark emanated a great deal of pain through the force, which Manticore found refreshing. The zabrak sith master experienced a twinge of disappointment when Emperor Insipid basically ordered him to damp down. No matter, there would be more pain prominences to draw from. The war had only just begun.

    Lord Manticore, noted the pain coming from his own wounded arm. To him, it was nearly negligible. The lightsaber had pierced only flesh, but nothing vital. The kolto or batca patches were already mending him. He could feel the salve working through his wound. Manticore flexed the muscles in his arm, then his hand, testing his present level of dexterity and mobility.

    He was satisfied with the results.

    “High Lord Manticore, with me please.”

    Manticore turned his head and his fiery eyes beheld the form of Emperor Insipid which immediately reminded him, if only for an instance, of the late Darth Dreadwar. There was a lesson there, of that he was certain, one he would meditate on when the opportunity arose.

    “Yes, my Emperor.” The zabrak rasped in a low and respectful tone, moving silently to join the Emperor. Manticore was not surprised to hear that the plan had changed. Seldom was plan ‘A’ executed without a hitch. So, they would go straight to Coruscant. Good. It also pleased him to hear that their initial targets were given ‘priority’. Manticore smirked at this.

    It was at that moment that the battle between Darth Titus and the pink Jedi, Dan, reached a crescendo. Titus’ anger was palpable in the darkside as he became unrelentingly aggressive in his assault against the jedi. Manticore did not slow his pace, but he did spare a glance.

    Good. very good.

    None of the arrogant Jedi were spared. Darth Insipid had declared that the Jedi had come here to die, and his decree was carried out. Conversely, sith casualties were minimal, with exception of the former Emperor, who was a true powerhouse in his own right. Having felt the shift in the darkside, Manticore briefly wondered where all that power had gone? Who did the darkside find favor in, since the very nature of the galaxy abhorred power vacuums. The same could be noted of the fallen jedi.

    A thought for another time.

    Manticore decided to congratulate Titus on his kill at some later time, for now, his focus was to attend the Emperor. As a High Lord and Stygian Executor of the Sith, this was his sworn duty.

    “What is your will, Emperor Insipid?”

    Manticore rasped in an almost conspiratorial tone. How could he not. Listening to the Triumvir rattle of numbers in the manner he was, could only mean he was working on some cunning scheme to defeat the jedi and claim Coruscant. Manticore could not help but feel a sense of thrill, much like that of a hunter, ready to chase some big game.

    Insipid seemed to refocus as he felt the last Jedi die. Sorry, he thought wryly, the Imperial Knight. It was such a slight line between grey and black and white, apparently, if one looked right at the line. Manticore was here, and inclined to succeed, as ever. Insipid absently noted the wound on Manticore less than he did the fact that his robes had a tear in them. Unseemly.

    'We need to be much more direct now. We can't afford for the legacy Imperials to interfere with power plays. As such they will be with you and the others in the opening moments. They may strike at you at the least opportune moment, so you cannot afford to tarry in crushing them.' Insipid found himself jabbing a finger in the High Lord's direction. 'Whatever you do, no matter the damage to the Senate building - I do not care. You will be in command of the ground assault and I will have forty troopers assigned to your personal retinue.' Insipid nodded to himself.

    'The Alliance triumvirate cannot escape, either. The Vapid will provide cover and likely end up facing Stazi anyway, but the Empress and Grandmaster are the primary targets. Even if for whatever reason we lose the battle, and have to pull back, their deaths will polarise the Federation.'

    'I am being abrupt as I cannot make any more clearer how short on time this distraction at Teta has made us. The first flotilla will be retreating from the Coruscant defences - slowly, to lure away the hsiss' share of the enemy fleet - and we will have to go directly through the breach.'

    "Yes, my Emperor." Manticore rasped without hesitation, understanding fully what was being asked of him. Play time was over.

    Time was of the essence now.

    "It will be as you command." The zabrak asserted. The Emperor was in need of his other talents now, and required far more immediate results; and results he would have. The kill order was given and the rules of engagement set. The Empress and Grandmaster would die, along with their precious Senate building. The Alliance and Jedi Leaders, along with their symbols would be brought low.

    "I shall go and rally the assigned troopers for our imminent assault. By your leave, my Emperor."

    Almost absently, Manticore made a mental note to change into unsullied robes and combat gear. It would not do to present himself in any other manner than his very best, before the troopers. This had nothing to do with vanity. He would expect the same of any worthy leader he would associate himself with.

    Besides, Darth Insipid had eyed the flaw in his robes unfavorably.

    'Wait,' the Emperor said, producing the Holocron. 'I need not hold this as an enticement to you. I bestow this upon you. You are my High Lord, you need not curry favour any longer.'

    Insipid's lips gave way to a slash of a grin. 'Of course, if you fail me...'

    He nonetheless held the Holocron of Tulak Hord out.

    Manticore could not help it. His eyes grew wide in surprise. This, he had not expected at all.

    "My Emperor." He said and bowed deeply, before righting himself.

    "I shall not fail you."

    Manticore dared look into the Emperor's eyes not as an equal, but as one offering the force of his conviction. Only then did he accept the highly coveted Holocron of Tulak Hord. He understood it was not easy to gain favor from a Triumvir, and favor came at a high cost. No matter. Lord Manticore's ambition was bolstered even further. He offered a conspiratorial smirk to the Emperor.

    "Coruscant will fall to the Sith. History will know that it was by Emperor Insipid's design that this was accomplished."

    "For the Empire."

    With a graceful motion, Manticore took hold of the precious holocron, then hid it within his robes. Only his smirk remained for a moment, but only the Emperor would feel his burning loyalty. Nothing could have pleased him more, and now, the Jedi and the Alliance were truly lost. The Age of Darth Dreadwar closed as Darth Insipid's Era rose in its stead. Such was the way of the Darkside of the Force.

    Darth Insipid smiled. Manticore was renewed. They had always understood each other, and Insipid appreciated that. The Emperor could not help but be troubled. 'I shall need to talk to you about several things before we return to Moraband. But for now the material realm awaits.'

    'Go, my conquerer of Coruscant.'

    Darth Insipid was a complex creature, but in an enviable manner, for he blended cunning and intellect in unexpected ways. The tactician in Manticore could stand to learn a few things from his Emperor in that regard, and he expected to, if only by dint of exposure.

    A promise to engage in future discourse was welcomed. Whatever it was, he would grow from it. For now, he had his orders.

    "Your Stygian Executor will dispense your will my Emperor."

    With that, the vehement zabrak turned to fulfill his duty, completely unhindered by trivialities or concerns. Few creatures were presently this focused, or more dangerous than he.

    Through Power, I gain Victory. Through Victory, my chains are Broken.

    The Force shall free me.


    To be continued…
     
  17. Darth_wanderguard

    Darth_wanderguard Game Host star 6 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2005
    IC: Darth Kralkus -- Hoth (Combo with Sinrebirth)

    The wind whipped cruelly above Kralkus' head as he walked hunched over across the trench, with Zalen, Kronos, Esmerelda, and Borek Tek in tow. The snow fall was at least mild at the moment, and visibility was not nearly so much a factor in the misery as the frigid temperature only made worse by the strong gusts.

    What portion of the wind they were exposed to, however, would become a hardship soon forgotten as the team made their way into the cave. It still howled at the mouth of the cave, sending an otherworldly chorus singing through the enclosure, but they were shielded nonetheless.

    As they pressed on, the ice and stone of the cave shortly gave way to aged, cold steel. They found themselves in a long metal hallway, widening in the distance into a larger room, at the far side of which stood a sealed metal door, and a blinking control panel beside.

    Kralkus stepped forward, toward the door, and gestured back to Esmerelda. Only she could open it.

    Esmerelda had spent the trip eyeing up Kronos and Tek, and had been quite distracted. She felt like there was an awful amount of pressure in place around her, and the young woman was not sure how to respond to it.

    Thankfully, though, she had a more direct issue before her. The door was a problem she could answer with a solution. She darted to the door and settled to the floor, pulling out a slicer cable and selecting the appropriate connection. It may seem like a job of a computer whiz, but ancient Sith technology, especially that from seven millennia or more ago, was about history, about glyphs and symbology.

    She recognised some of the masonry from a book that echoed Sadow-era architecture, and promptly opened the dusty book to a pre-tabbed page. Time to get to work.

    The moment she plugged the slicer into the system, tamper alarms began to howl, and suddenly the team was bathed in red from the flashing strobes which sat above the door on either side. At the point where the corridor widened, a thick metal door slammed shut sending a loud pang through the complex. There was no running away from whatever was about to make an attempt at stopping them from opening the door.

    At each of the two far corners of the room, a pair of small ceiling panels retracted, and four automated blaster turrets lowered from the openings, heat sensors quickly finding their target and raining a continuous stream of blaster fire down on Esmerelda.

    Kralkus darted in front of her as she kneeled beside the door working methodically, and he threw up the strongest force barrier he could muster to shield her from the volley. The force of the blasts pushed him back minutely with every impact, and he gritted his teeth as the bolts began to push his barrier to the very limits, nearly perforating it. If they did, both Kralkus and Esmerelda would be torn to ribbons. This was bad.

    And then bad turned to worse as several explosions from outside caused the room to quake. The sound of the cave from which they had entered collapsing in around the exit would be unmistakable. Something wanted to ensure that they could not leave the way they had come.

    "Good it would be, if work quickly you did," Kralkus urged.

    Worse became catastrophic shortly thereafter, as slats along the floor retracted same as the ones on the ceiling had done, and more turrets followed. There were eight now, and as the entire lot focused fire on Kralkus, his barrier was overcome, and burst with a miniature explosion which hurled his tiny body against the door next to Esmerelda and left him in a disoriented heap. Luckily the explosion had sent a wave of heat through the room as well. It was not enough to injure anyone, though it would be discernible in the otherwise frigid air of the room, but the turrets' heat-based targeting systems were disrupted nonetheless, and a window of opportunity would remain open only momentarily before they reacquired Esmerelda and resumed fire on her - now unprotected.

    TAG: Darth Kronos, Ktala, Lady Belligerent, Sinrebirth
     
  18. Lady_Belligerent

    Lady_Belligerent Queen of the RPF, SWC, C&P, and Pancakes & Waffles star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 29, 2008
    IC: Zalen
    Hoth

    They had disembarked and walked through the frozen wasteland. It felt like they'd been walking for hours, but it had really only been minutes, and Zalen was relying on the Force to keep the cold at bay. She smiled as she followed Kralkus, he looked like a small monkeyman waddling along bundled in his bulky gear.

    Entering the cave gave them a break from the biting wind, but there was no relief from the cold. The silence had been almost unbearable for Zalen, so she thought to lighten the mood a bit as the girl was working on opening the door. "I wonder why Haretisch felt like we needed so many people? This appears to be fairly simple with no obstacles so far," she shrugged.

    "Uh, oh - Guess I spoke too soon," she muttered, as the door behind them slammed shut, and hell seemed to have descended on them. Her lightsaber was instantly in hand and she was deflecting bolts, it was tricky in the confined space. She had to keep them from being redirected at a friendly target, and Kralkus was doing his best to protect Esmerelda as she worked but he appeared to be starting to struggle.

    Oh, no! She felt a warning and then heard the explosion. 'So much for easy,' she thought, as she realized the cavern entrance had been blown up. She rushed through the maze of blaster fire, dodging the blasts and the other team members, landing next to the girl just after Kralkus had been tossed back into the door by the force of his barrier being overcome.

    There was a momentary pause in the blaster fire, and Zalen took up the task of shielding the girl as she worked. "Hurry," she urged Esmerelda, "I have a feeling this was just the welcoming committee."

    Quickly she glanced at Kralkus to see if he was conscious, "Kronos, Tek! Take out those turrets!"

    Tag: Ktala Sinrebirth Darth_wanderguard Darth Kronos
     
  19. HunterPrime

    HunterPrime Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2004
    COMBO w/the Sinrebirth

    IC: Gorog and Re'van
    Angry


    The Gorog was not what one would consider a sentient creature, and probably not even semi-sentient. In point
    of fact, the species was strictly speaking extinct, giving birth to dark rumors that Darth Sidious had alchemically resurrected the breed and bandied one around on Cato Neimoidia as a sport animal. This one was no different. Ever since the One Sith resurrected the Leviathan, there had been an undercurrent of research within the Sith as to alchemical creations again, a leaning towards the traditional sorcery of the Sith which had largely been abandoned by the Sith en masse since the times of Vitiate. Darth Sidious represented a notable exception to the rule, but being as he was generously an exception to every rule that applied to Sith, it was no surprise.

    In that, the Gorog was an exceptional beast too. And, for its sentience, it recognized pain, and the causes of pain, and needed no direction from the Sorceress to act. She did, however, cast a protection spell upon the creature to make it more difficult to use Force based attacks.

    The effectiveness of said spell would be determined by how much her attention was divided by the Lorekeeper and perhaps Darth Cruor, but Kalara, for their part, because gender pronouns were difficult at the best of times for Kalara, kept quiet, even if absently terrified.

    The creature could cover tremendous distances with a few steps, and its size meant it could keep pace with
    Re'van and her speeder, especially while angry. The sorceress, through a mental link to the creature, absently wondered if the Lorekeeper would be a pathetic enough threat that she could split her attention to add more spells to her Gorog. But she may as well be cautious, and the beast was formidable enough as it was.

    The surrounding areas of the Citadel were largely crevasses and tunnels, some large enough to allow shuttles, many not. Most were unmapped, and could terminate in dead ends, in the literal sense, but equally most of them would not trouble the Gorog for long, which had sheared more off the Citadel simply by turning to follow her. It began with a full roar, a roar directed in her direction and sufficient to deafen, to disorient, to confuse, and it reached for her with a hand. There were a thousand things that Re'van could do, but how effective they would be was largely unknown - the only other known Gorog kill was from dropping it from a massive impossible height, at the hands of the legendary Starkiller.

    This could be messy.

    Re'van's eyes sparkled darkly, even as she felt the thrumbing from the Darkside soar throughout the place. This entire area was all but pulsing in a deep, angry howl of energy. The Gorog was livid, and she could feel that. Considering it was mostly directly at her, so that was not unusual. Kalara, for the most part, was staying silent. Good. She had more important things to concentrate upon. For her part, after she barely injured it with her lightsaber from earlier, she suspected that the creature had been 'protected.' But even its protection did not stop the Dark ball from doing damage. That was good. But now, she sought to topple over the beast, and if she was lucky, send it plummeting back down the gorge. The surrounding areas of the Citadel, Re'van would use to her advantage, as she attacked. Re'van launched her volley of rockets, at both the creature and the wall and ground the creature stood upon, seeking to weaken his balance. After that was done, she then released a volley of Force Lightning upon the creature as well. Between these two attacks, there should be more than enough debris and large chunks of rocks about now, if not while the creature had been actively tearing down the place. He turned, and took down even more of the Centadel, in his efforts to reach Re'van. She then called forth Force Avalanche, and as she moved around the backside of the creature, making it have to turn about, she directed the storms towards his feet and torso area as well. Revan began to move, using the crevasses to keep the Gorog from reaching her, weaving about wildly. She kept the storm focused and tight. Now that the creature had only one eye, it should make it even harder for it to follow her. If this didnt work, she had one more trick to try.

    The Gorog howled in irritation at the rockets, and outright shuddered at the lightning bolt. But still these were gnat stings, and the creature swiped - and missed - as Re'van swerved around it. The creature turned, snarling, but shuddered as its lower body, the less naturally shielded, took more hits - hits he protection of the Sorceress could not entirely take. It was getting caught up in the debris around it's feet, and one piece cut a bloody gouge in its leg - a gouge which Re'van's Force storm could find purchase through, avoiding the creatures hide or the sorceress's nebulous protection. It dropped to one knee, skinning itself again. More cries, and it wobbled as if to fall entirely.
    Re'van had it on the ropes, so it reacted; crashing its hands down on the ground, hard, sending forked gaps
    through the ground and causing the entire Citadel to shake.

    It was simply trying to make it more difficult for her to dodge, so it could reach for her. But being as the Gorog could barely keep track of Re'van, it was on the edge, figuratively and literally, of death.

    Re'van felt the Darkside energies flow through her like a thunderous river, right at the edge of the rapids. Her eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, as she concentrated her darkforce energies at the Gorog while it howled in irritation. Re'van focused her Force Storm even tighter around the lower half of the beast, even as it had dropped to one knee. It was time to end this, before other enemies found them wanting. She needed to find out what had happened to the Lorekeeper, Bellorium and Ike, as she never saw them emerge from the now rather large opening within the Centadel. And another ship had landed as well. She did not think that a coincidence. She turned her attentions back towards the creature. As her lighting blast snaked around the creature, she moved, dogging its massive paw, as she darted about. It then gave off a strange cry, and slammed the ground hard with its hands. Re'van held on to the bike handles, and leapt high into the air, as the ground shuddered in groaned in shockwaves she could not believe. Goh ha! This creature was strong! The very ground opened up ending every widening gaps to suddenly appear around the area outside, as Re'van could hear sounds of things within the Centadel breaking. Landing hard upon the outskirts of the Centadel, Re'van turned her bike aside.

    Re'vans hair was loose now, and flowed about her head and shoulders as she concentrated once more upon the
    creature. There were various rips and tears within her clothing, but nothing she could not deal with. The darkside surrounded her, and she felt nothing but the Force rippling in its powerful ebs and flows around her.

    "This ends now."

    Once again, Re'van called back from ancient memories not so long ago, as she directed her Force storm to swallow the Gorog. She pelted and beat the creature with every lose projectile she could summon, concentrating her all into pushing it further and further back. The creature had huge holes that seemed natural within it's forearms, and Re'van directed the rocks there as well, hoping to break them, even as she continued to concentrate in the lower regions of the creature. Over and over, she continued to hammer the creature down, the sweat beginning to form on Re'van's forehead, as she concentrated. She rocked the creature, both figuratively and literally, as she swung the Force storm about, battering the Gorog about on all sides, not letting it find any sort of respite. Her anger of the current events so far, only fueled her resolve, as she sought to totally destroy the creature, making sure it would not rise again.

    Gorog howled in pain. There was so much. Too much. Holes were opening along gaps in its hide, and it was
    being completely buffeted, and the damage to the ground around it gave it little purchase. The creature strained against the very elements, eye fixed on Re'van, directing every ounce of anger it had, focusing all of itself on muttering the little person and her whining steed.

    He would kill her.

    The howls of the Gorog only strengthened Re'vans convistions to end the beast hear and now. She could see
    holes beginning to open in its hide. She hissed, as she felt its pain flowing freely through the Force, and she relished in it, feeling the strength from its suffering. Good. It would strengthen her, replenish the energies that she had waited on this creature. There was still the matter of where the others had gone, that she needed to find answers for.

    The Gorog turned it's head and looked at her. It have out a loud howl.

    And then -

    - he fell, the light leaving its eyes as it dropped down the gorge with an impotent scream of fury.

    It suddenly fell, as what was left of its footing gave way, leving it to scream its fury on the way down. Re'van leaned back, breathing in deep, after watching the creature fall, the hot air blowing around her. She gave a moment of thought, before she slowly allowed the storm to dissipate. As it did, she slowly turned her bike, and then suddenly accelerated as she rode back towards the now rather large openings within the Centadel. Rest was for the dead. Time to find out what happened to the Lorekeeper and the others.

    TAG: Mikaboshi, Lady Belligerent, Sinrebirth, Darth_wanderguard,
     
  20. Ktala

    Ktala Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 7, 2002
    IC: Borek Tek (Tek)
    In a fancy cave, Hoth

    It was quiet for the most part. That seemed to suit Tek just fine. Gave him time for a quick nap, and a bit of a check equipment wise. Hoth was not very forgiving of the ill prepared, and even though Tek knew that his equipment was in top shape, it never hurt to keep an eye on it. And that even included his companion. The lady Esmerelda that Tek had been hired to protect, kept looking over at him, and then would turn away, when he looked up. She probably trying to make sense of all of this, just like Darth Crazy was. After many hours of lots of non-talking, they landed on Hoth. They disembarked and walked through the frozen wasteland. Each being looked as if they had their own way of staying warm, some with winter coats and ponchos, others using other abilities or functions. Tek gave a grin.

    As they pressed on, the ice and stone of the cave shortly gave way to aged, cold steel. They found themselves in a long metal hallway, widening in the distance into a larger room, at the far side of which stood a sealed metal door, and a blinking control panel beside. Kralkus stepped forward, toward the door, and gestured back to Esmerelda. Tek raised an eyebrow, but was silent. She darted to the door and settled to the floor, pulling out a slicer cable and selecting the appropriate connection. Ahh. A slicer, maybe? Interesting. Tek looked around the area, looking at the interesting images on the wall.

    One of the ladies spoke out, against the lingering silence. "I wonder why Haretisch felt like we needed so many people? This appears to be fairly simple with no obstacles so far," she shrugged.

    The moment Esmerelda plugged the slicer into the system, tamper alarms began to howl, and suddenly the team was bathed in red from the flashing strobes which sat above the door on either side. "Uh, oh - Guess I spoke too soon," the other woman muttered as a thick metal door slammed shut sending a loud pang through the complex. Tek brought his rifle up to the ready position, as his eyepiece began to scan the area for targets. That was answered quickly enough, as at each of the two far corners of the room, a pair of small ceiling panels retracted, and four automated blaster turrets lowered from the openings, heat sensors quickly finding their target and raining a continuous stream of blaster fire down on Esmerelda. One sith darted in front of his Esmerelda, as she kneeled beside the door working methodically. Tek saw what he was doind, but knew he would not be able to keep it up for too long. And then bad turned to worse as several explosions from outside caused the room to quake. The sound of the cave from which they had entered collapsing in around the exit would be unmistakable. Something wanted to ensure that they could not leave the way they had come.

    "Wonderful." muttered Tek as he moved up where his charge was located, his shields now on full. "Good it would be, if work quickly you did," Darth Cranky urged.Tek drew down his hat.

    Worse became catastrophic shortly thereafter, as slats along the floor retracted same as the ones on the ceiling had done, and more turrets followed. There were eight now. Tek had had enough of this bad plan. "ZEET, SHIELD!" Tek bellowed out as Zeet quickly flew up over his shoulder. Even as another Sith yelled out, "Kronos, Tek! Take out those turrets!" Zeet's shields would guard him, Esmerelda, and anyone who was close to her.

    "Your wish, gorgeous!" Tek yelled back, as he drew a bead on the closest set of turrents.

    Tek dropped to one knee, and began to unload some hightly explosive rounds into the two turrents closest to him. Zeet, could hold his own easily, and take care of Esmerelda while she worked on the door.

    And if the shells didnt do any good, then Tek had a surpise for that as well, but one way or another, those turrents were going down. He had come prepared and with many tools to assist him. He sure wasnt going to bit the bullet, because of someone else's poorly planed assault. Tek scanned the area, his eyepiece looking for any energy sources, or any other openings or something, that might show another way out of this friendly little death trap that they had walked up upon.




    TAG: Darth Kronos, Lady Belligerent, Sinrebirth, Darth_wanderguard
     
  21. Darth Kronos

    Darth Kronos Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2016
    IC: Darth Kronos

    The adventure had officially begun.

    The cold was already blistering. It sent constant shivers though Kronos' spine. Even with the big coat and other protective gear he had, it still felt like he was already getting frostbite. He was already starting to lose all feeling in his hands and legs. It began to get harder and harder to keep up with the rest of the group. Though, Kronos took comfort in knowing he wasn't the only one feeling this. Zalen was also having similar troubles with the cold. The cold was, indeed, an awful experience for Kronos. The walk was quick, it was about 2 minutes long. But, it didn't feel like that. It felt like it took 15 billion years.

    But, Kronos had his helmet to protect his face from the cold. At least he had that.

    To add on that, Kronos had noticed that Esmerelda eyeing him up. It didn't really bother him that much. He barely had any time to notice... or care. He only caught it out of the corner of his eye.

    Once they reached the door, Esmerelda began to open it. And, thankfully, she knew what she was doing.

    They were inside. Everyone had stepped in, and Kronos had begun to take in his surroundings.

    Zalen spoke up: "I wonder why Haretisch felt like we needed so many people? This appears to be fairly simple with no obstacles so far."

    That was when the door slamed shut.

    And turrets popped out, and started shooting at all of them.

    "Uh-oh. Guess I spoke too soon," Zalen muttered.

    Damn right you did.

    Kronos whipped out his lightsaber, deflecting the bolts from hitting him, and being extra careful to not hit anyone. Zalen had the same stratagy.

    Farther away from Kronos, Darth Kralkus had jumped in front of Esmerelda, shielding her from any laser bolts that would be shot in her direction. But, like Kronos expected, things di dnot go according to plan. Several explosions shook the room they were in, causing Kralkus to fly to the other door, opposite from Esmerelda.

    Now it was up to them to protect Esmerelda. Kronos had gotten closer and closer during the onslaught of laser fire to protect her from all of this.

    Luckily, Zalen had taken up the task to do that. She ran to Esmerelda, doing what Kralkus had done initially.

    Then, more turrets sprung out, this time from the floor. Eight were now visible.

    The bounty hunter, Tek, had grabbed detonators to destroy the turrets. Kronos, lacking these supplies, would just have to deflect the bolts with his lightsaber. He would have to hope that they would be destroyed.

    Zalen's voice broke through the chaos: "Kronos! Tek! Take out those turrets!"

    What do you think I've been doing?

    He brushed that off quickly. That wasn't the problem at the moment. Kronos had dodged and blocked any bolt that would end up in his way. Time, like always, would tell if he was able to destroy those bloody turrets.

    TAG: Darth_wanderguard Lady Belligerent Ktala Sinrebirth
     
  22. Sinrebirth

    Sinrebirth Mod-Emperor of the EUC, Lit, RPF and SWC star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: Emperor Insipid, Lesser
    Moraband, Academy, North Hangar

    A notably polite reply. Correct to a fault. A little bit of concern to it. Anticipation. But also deference, not out of fear, but of respect. Lord Hades was a smart man.

    Darth Insipid sensed that the removal of his personal vessel was of discussion. Not something for immediate debate. 'Excellent.' The Emperor stepped closer. 'Welcome, Lord Hades. I have chambers for you prepared, and a slave will be there for you as well. A personal gift.'

    He gestured, slightly nudging Hades to follow him. 'Come, I shall personally show you the way, and perhaps you can regale me of what you have learned from studying the wider view. A peer of mine, Darth Caedus, believed in such things, and Darth Traya, the headmistress Holocron of the library, in the absence of Lorekeepers, often speaks of it.'

    Insipid was giving him an opportunity to voice his concerns. They stood relatively side-by-side, but the Emperor kept his lightsaber hilt to hand.

    He could still use it, yet.

    Before they left the hangar, Insipid spoke up without looking back. 'If you have time to watch two Lords discuss matters, then you are expendable.'

    'Get on.'

    TAG: E. L.Knight


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  23. QueenSabe7

    QueenSabe7 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 23, 2001
    Triumvirate Approved!
    ________________________________________

    Character Sheet

    Name: Darth Syren
    Birth Name: Xia Cass
    Age: 26
    Sex: Female
    Species: Human
    Height: 5’8”
    Weight: 135 lbs
    Occupation: Sith Apprentice
    Physical Description:
    Hair: Slightly longer than shoulder-length, straight, crimson
    Eyes: Dark grey
    Skin: Fair and unmarked
    Build: Lithe and toned
    Clothing: Outfit of choice is an all-black fitted jumpsuit with various holsters as needed and a utility belt, knee-high black boots, and black traveling cloak with large hood.
    Weapons: Primary weapons are dual lightsabers, red in color. The hilts are a simple, unadorned design and are worn one clipped to each side. Secondary weapons are a pair of 6-inch serrated vibroblades. These are worn concealed in her boots.
    Description of Abilities: Syren’s specialty is close quarters combat, the intimacy of which she craves. Her aptitude with the Force has served her well when forced to move unseen and in the shadows. She is most proficient with her dual vibroblades and lightsabers, but is always eager to improve.

    Biography:
    Syren was born Xia Cass in the seedy lower levels of Coruscant to a pair of former Jedi Knights. Unable and unwilling to live the repressed and narrow-minded life of the Jedi any longer, as well as deny their feelings for each other, her parents turned away from the Order so they could have a life and family together.

    The connection to the Force that Xia was born with was strong, one that her mother and father sought to train her to use without the constraints and limitations they had while with the Jedi. They themselves had learned, through various unknown means, to walk the fine line between the paths of the light and of the dark. They knew its advantages and dangers and wished their daughter to have that same knowledge. The small family began to move around the galaxy, training and learning as they went.

    As the years went by and Xia moved into her late teens, the formerly tight-knit family had become drastically altered. Love turned to hate, compassion to aggression. Over time both her parents had wavered from their precarious perch on the in-between and fallen prey to the pull of the dark side. The stronger and more powerful their daughter became, the more resentful they became towards her as well as to each other. They were unaware that while they were so singularly focused on themselves that Xia had realized she’d grown beyond them. She craved more than what they could offer her and their constant in-fighting was proof that they were weak. She knew the dark side was a great and valuable ally to those that knew how to harness the vast darkness and power. They were too foolish to accomplish all that Xia knew she could with the right teachers.

    One night on some unremarkable Outer Rim planet, she made her move. Xia had no further use for her parents. She did not love them, had not in quite some time, and severing what was left of this familial attachment was a final necessary step. As her father slept, she drove one of his own vibroblades into his chest. His eyes flew open in the split second it took her to pierce his heart, connecting with her stormy-grey ones. That look and feel of pure shock and terror followed by his death unleashed a feeling of such elation she had never truly known until that instant. Her senses heightened to a new level, she was not unaware of her mother standing a short distance away. The anger and rage pulsating from her came in waves of which Xia turned inward to fuel the darkness that was quickly filling a void that she never knew she had. Turning her gaze, burning with the feverish afterglow of her first kill, she tossed the bloodied vibroblade aside and reached for her lightsabers… the very weapons her mother had shown her how to construct. The stronger of her parents, Xia steeled herself for a fight. In the end, she overestimated what was left of her mother’s true abilities and took her down after a few violent clashes of their blades. Standing above the bodies of her parents, the young woman felt nothing but extreme warmth and satisfaction…. Of something she did not yet understand, but yearned to. This was what the dark side was. THIS was what she was missing. And she knew then that the only way she would unlock her full potential and all the dark side had to offer her was from the true dark masters: The Sith.

    She immediately discarded her life as Xia Cass and became Syren, chosen for the deceit and destruction she craved to one day master. She then embarked on a journey that would take many years, but would lead her to her to be taken as an Apprentice of the mighty Sith Empire…

    Class: Assassin
    Level: 6, Apprentice
    Skills (7 points):
    Force Choke
    Force Jump (+1)
    Force Sprint (+1)
    Force Stealth (+1)
    Force Barrier (+1)
    Soresu
    Jar'Kai (+1)
     
  24. corinthia

    corinthia Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 16, 2016
    IC: Hesper and Anark
    Heading towards Coruscant

    Combo post with Snokers, GM approved!

    - - -

    Anark was apprehensive but absorbed in his usual confidence when he crossed the threshold into Hesper’s room. The woman remained seated even as he deliberately amplified the sound of his footsteps in an effort to startle her. Hesper’s head was cradled in one of her hands as she rested, and not even a look to him was spared as he stood there like a lingering shadow. This was either a woman who was too exhausted to deal with any social interaction right now, or a woman who was not intimidated by him at all or simply uninterested in why he was here.

    Anark cleared his throat. "Lady Hesper, I do not believe we’ve been formally introduced..."

    "No, I don’t believe we have," Hesper responded quietly, her chin still cupped in her hand, eyes focused wearily on the holocron. "Anark, I assume." She took her cheek from her hand and cast a tired look at Anark, who nodded affirmatively. Hesper could tell he was trying his best to look bigger and more intimidating than he was-- Hesper blinked, unimpressed, then rose to her feet and stepped around the holocron’s table. She came to a stop before Anark and stared up at him, hands on her hips. "Is there another reason why you’ve come and interrupted my rest?"

    "Nothing more than to make your acquaintance, my lady... but now that I’m here I do wonder how you came to possess what looks like a Jedi holocron..." But he knew she would not be forthcoming with an answer or explain herself to someone she’d just met, no less someone whose presence she seemed to be so indifferent to. "Maybe I’m prying; I do not wish to stick my nose in your business. Your eyes look heavy." A smirk began on his face. "Are you sure you are in a condition to be engaging in battle? I suspect we will be closing in on Coruscant soon."

    "Dear Anark," Hesper said, smoothly, quickly, with a half-smile. Her heart had lurched into her throat at the mention of Coruscant, and she did not intend to let it show, but in her mind’s eye-- Home. Her studio. The Temple. A shadow of an unidentifiable emotion swept across Hesper’s face, betraying her. Swallowing hard and clasping her hands behind her back, Hesper said, "I know I am the bookish type, and a petite woman, but I am always ready for battle." She arched a single eyebrow.

    After a pause, she spoke: "Pray tell, Anark, where is the woman you were with before you so kindly intruded into my quarters?" Hesper cocked her chin and looked at the man with probing eyes.

    An attitude. He liked it. Anark couldn’t decipher the expression on her face or why she was inquiring about the slave. "She is waiting in the corridor, I didn’t want to risk her ending up leaving the room without her limbs because of your headache." He granted her a playful smile. "What are your plans for the holocron? I can hold onto it for you if you wish, or do you plan to have some poor Jedi open it for you on Coruscant before you behead him?" As he spoke he could have sworn he heard rapid footsteps coming from the other side of the door...

    Hesper simply shrugged in response to Anark’s questions. He didn’t know her-- didn’t know her past, or what she was capable of doing. The brief sensation she had gathered from the woman in the hallway had not been quite right, however, and the approaching footsteps in the corridor bespoke of something odd. Hesper held up a hand to silence Anark.

    She pointed with the same hand at the doorway, then turned away, moving towards the sofa and gathering up her long coat and weaponry. Anark felt the blood rise in his cheeks as she abruptly motioned at him to be silent. But something was off; Tarkana was the only person in the corridor, and either she’d noticed that one of her wounds needed urgent medical attention, or she’d been summoned by someone else. Anark hoped that she would not answer to the orders of anyone except for himself, or maybe Insipid, but he would have no interest in speaking to the slave woman; it was likely that if Anark hadn’t shown an interest in keeping her around she would have been executed some time ago. He could not fathom any other reason why she would suddenly dart down the corridor. He watched as Hesper grabbed her things then turned to the exit to investigate.

    "Tell me," Hesper said, quite nonchalantly, as she shouldered on her coat and passed Anark on the way to the door. "Did you notice that your woman ran off as soon as you closed my door?" Shoving her pistol into its holster and draping the rifle by its strap on her shoulder, Hesper turned to cast a questioning glance at Anark. She turned back to the door and fastened the Jedi lightsabers at the small of her back once again, then punched the door's "open" button.

    Once out in the hallway, Hesper turned back to face Anark and her room. "We'll be approaching Coruscant soon," she stated simply. Then, she held out her hand and used the Force to call the Jedi holocron to her palm. She gave a smirk, closing her slim fingers around the holocron, and started down the hallway.

    Anark’s pride was hurt as he quickened his pace to keep up with Hesper, and his kleptomania was not satisfied when she seized the holocron without even addressing his question about 'holding onto it for her', but there was no time to dwell on that; Tarkana was missing, and that only fueled the fire that Hesper had ignited. Could the idiotic woman not just remain at the post he had assigned to her for a mere couple of minutes without going on some spontaneous adventure around the ship?

    "No, I did not notice the slave flee when I entered your room. While you were feeling the beginnings of a headache during our battle with the Jedi scum, I was having mammoth shuttles hurled at my person so excuse me if my wits have not made a full recovery yet," he said, unable to disguise his anger and frustration. He was even more enraged when Hesper didn't answer him, nor did she seem to be paying much attention to him at all. The two Sith continued down the corridor until they came to the room Anark had awoke in earlier. Hesper placed a thumb on the opening mechanism and the door shifted to the left. Tarkana was here.

    Anark almost slid on what turned out to be a trail of blood leading to the seat she was sitting in when he rushed into the room. He grabbed her by her shoulders and knelt down in front of her. "What happened?" He asked plainly.

    She did not speak for a moment; then finally said in a weak voice, "I had been bleeding since you lost consciousness. It had to be patched up immediately. Forgive me, Master." But there was something in her eyes, made even more suspicious by the fact that Anark actually had to contort his neck and follow them to force her to look him in his and when they locked there was a glimmer of what looked like guilt in hers.

    "What have you done?"


    Tarkana said nothing.

    TAG: Snokers, Sinrebirth
     
  25. Moonspun Dragon

    Moonspun Dragon Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 6, 2011
    IC- Darth Arach (combo post with Darth_wanderguard)
    Inside the Catacombs

    Arach only vaguely heard one of the apprentices ask about using a dark side meld and Haretisch's reply. She was occupied with her surroundings. She had a feeling something was in the shadows watching the small group. Something that triggered the instincts she had to hone while scavaging. This thing watching them meant them harm.

    In the darkness... I wait...

    Suddenly, the torches came to life. They dispelled the shadows in the immediate area, but created deeper ones outside the light. The voice hid within these shadows.

    Arach's breath became heavier and deeper. She began to breath through her mouth, forcing back that panic that was threatening to overwhelm her. Something was horribly wrong, her instincts were urgently telling her. Run. Run back. Back to the open clean air. Where there's sun. She forced herself to keep walking, albeit more like creeping, down the corridor. Her instincts, becoming more and more urgent as she went.

    Right when she thought about going back, the corridor ended into a large room. Arach felt a strong sense of relief, though her body tensed as if preparing for a fight. There's nothing here, she told herself, examining the weapons on the wall. Wait, was the response.

    Arach brought her attention to the nearest of the weapons and the faces bearing their family crest. Curious, she reached out to touch it, her mouth open to ask about them....

    You invade holy ground... Vulgar footsteps...

    "On your guard," Haretisch ordered, speaking for the first time since the group had last seen the sun. From his back he drew a long, thin, black sword.

    Arach immediately snatched her hand back before she could touch the carved face. She quickly backed away toward the center of the room, withdrawing her dormant lightsaber as she did so.

    DIE... JOIN ME IN DEATH... She reflexively braced herself from the wave of anger that followed. She waited.

    Suddenly, coffins burst open and skeletal figures crawled out. Arach couldn't help the flash of fear that ran down her spine. The coffins occupants were of them all. She glanced at Haretisch. "This is not what I signed up for," she said, half- jokingly.

    Her attention returned as her own copy advanced toward her, brandishing a couple daggers.

    YOU COULD NOT SAVE YOUR MASTER, NOR COULD YOU SAVE YOUR PARENTS. A voice shrieked in Arach's mind alone as the facsimile slashed at her with each dagger.

    A violent feeling of grief flared, for a moment. It was quickly overcome by a fierce and fiery rage. She dodged the blows from her doppelgänger. Once out of reach, Arach glared into her clone's black eyes and released a Force Scream filled with her heartbreak and rage. She ignited her lightsaber at the same time and recklessly charged her opponent.

    The eyeless beast recoiled - repelled by the strength of the force scream - but only for a moment. It felt Arach's grief. Her rage. Her self-doubt.

    As she charged, she would suddenly find her copy slightly to the left of where it had been only a moment before. But it hadn't moved. And it hadn't stayed still. It simply stared as her charge missed its mark, and then in a blink it was upon her, filthy, grimy fingers clawing at the cloth draped across her shoulders, it's face now nearly touching hers.

    Die. DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE.

    The word would reverberate painfully in her skull, seeming to bounce off of the furthest corners of her consciousness and back across the whole of it, leaving a scorched path with every movement. The fingers upon her shoulders gripped tightly - almost tightly enough to rip at her skin. And then again, as though it had moved but not, it once again brandished twin daggers - crossed at her throat, ready to slash the head from her shoulders.

    Arach caught the flash of movement and saw her, it, standing off to the side from her original position. The assassin slid to a stop in confusion. It didn't move, so how could-?

    Her thought was cut off as the Thing was suddenly on her, gripping her shoulders hard enough to bruise. Arach turned her head as far as it could to escape the stench of its rancid breath.

    Die.DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE.

    With each 'die,' Arach fel a migraine grow in her skull. She fell to the ground, clutching her head in pain, tears streaming down her cheeks. The corpse's grip tightened further, slightly breaking the skin in a couple places.

    Before she could react, there were daggers crossed in front of her neck. Arach froze, feeling the cold from the metal inches from her unprotected skin. She closed her eyes and reached for the pendant she had found in the desert not too long before.

    As soon as her fingers touched the stone, her mind calmed as did her racing heart. She, suddenly, felt as though a burden had lifted and she started to laugh.

    "You use my fears and guilt against me?" She turned her head to look at the creature hanging around her neck as much as she could.

    Her rage was strong and gave her strength to push against the almost crippling pain. "Tell me, creature," she spat through clenched teeth. "What do you fear?"

    She delved into the corpse's mind, wreaking Withering Affliction to every area she touched.

    Weakened, the creature opened up to her mental probing, and instantly Arach would be drawn into an infinite hellscape. Heat and darkness enveloped her in equal parts, and in the shadows she would see the faces of all those whom she had loved, and all she had wronged. She would be left floating weightlessly in a sea of fire, and blackened, disembodied hands would grab at her from every direction.

    Screams and the gnashing of teeth would fill her mind to the point of overpowering every thought - and she would be pushed to the very brink of her sanity. The manifestation of every fear she held would stand before her as real as her own flesh and blood.

    "Claw your way back," the Night Herald's voice briefly cut through the cacophony. "These are your own fears, nothing more."

    Words were easy.

    As soon as she entered the creature's mind, Arach knew something wasn't right. There were no thoughts from it. No feelings. No memories. Nothing but scorching heat and infinite darkness.

    She tried to turn around to examine her surroundings, when she suddenly felt like she was surrounded by fire. She yelped in surprise and pain. Arach tried to move away, but was held in place by burnt hands that appeared in the fire that engulfed her.

    Attached to these hands, faces surfaced. Faces of everyone she had loved and lost snarled at her, growled, and screamed. They screamed at her to save them, and to blame her. To say she had failed and was worthless to them.

    The assassin heard the voices of her mother and father, of Sadie, and her now dead master. Her guilt overwhelmed her and she couldn't do anything but kneel in defeat. "There was nothing I could have done," she whispered.

    You didn't even try! they responded. You could have if you had been strong enough!

    "No..."

    We died because of your weakness!"

    "There was..... nothing....."

    You are too weak!

    "I..."

    Sacrifice is necessary for redemption. Their voices became softer as if making a suggestion.

    Arach raised her head and looked at the faces. "Will that reverse what has been done?"

    The voices became seductive. Yes. We will live again should you sacrifice yourself.

    Arach stood, shifted her weight then-

    "Claw your way back," a single and familiar voice briefly cut the spell that had been placed over the young master.

    She started and looked up at the dark nothing overhead. What.....?

    Do not listen, the voices said, cajolingly. Join us and you shall be free.

    Her gaze was drawn back to the faces. "Free...?

    "These are your own fears, nothing more," Haretisch called.

    Her gaze leapt up, again. Haretisch?

    She, then remembered where she was and what was going on....

    Don't you want us to live again? Don't you want to be free?

    Confusion, despair, and guilt, pressed on her again. They were heavier than before, urging her to join them below.

    Arach felt her fear and panic. Her hand gripped the pendant around her neck....

    JOIN US! SET US FREE!

    Arach, her mind finally clear as soon as she touched the necklace, released a Force Scream in the form of a word. At the same time, released her Force Lightning. "NEVER!"

    The air vibrated about her for a moment in the wake of the force scream, and Haretisch's voice as well as the beast's would fall to silence. The artifact she had taken from the ship would prevent him from sensing her thoughts beyond what the creature was tormenting her with, and she overcame it, the mental link with him was extinguished as well. Dead Arach was no more, the illusion had dissipated, and as for the sarcophagus from which it had come, she would look upon it and see that it was still sealed, the face intact, an unfamiliar family crest engraved upon it.

    Arach came to, kneeling on the rocky ground, panting. It took her a moment to realize that she was out of that nightmare world. That she was back in reality.

    Her gaze locked onto the coffin her doppelganger had come from. It was still sealed with it's occupant inside.

    Fear and shock froze her in place. It was all in my head? This entity is powerful, she looked at Haretisch. Perhaps too powerful. She returned her gaze back to the coffin with determination. We'll succeed. Or die trying.

    TAG: Anedon, Halle Dray, Darth_wanderguard