Star Wars CLOSED Star Wars: Ronin: The Curse of Qalydon

IC: Janus Jerjerrod
Location: Back on the bridge….didn't I just get off this?

As Janus regained consciounessness again, he recognised where he was.

Back on the bridge again with all the death, destruction and bodies.

Was someone playing a cruel joke on him?

He could see someone nearby. Someone clad in some strange armour. His rescuer perhaps? His brain was stull fuzzy from the concussion but at least he was still alive.

Taking stock of his injuries would be a hard task but he knew he had a bit of recovery time ahead before he was released back on to active service.

For now he would let his rescuer do what he needed to do.

The battle for him was over.

TAG: @Sinrebirth , @Kurisan , @greyjedi125 , @CosmoHender @Mitth_Fisto , @Shadowsun , @Corellian_Outrider , @darthbernael , @HanSolo29

 

Dark and Light are not synonymous with 'Sith' and 'Jedi'
The distinction must be made and is a crucial one
Orders of the Force will inevitably lead to corruption, stagnation, or become misguided
That is if these Orders of the Force are tied to any political machine or entity
For the purpose of these Orders conflicts with the purpose of the State
For when politics is entered into an Order to rids the Order of its eternal meaning
Of its great and truest purpose
The affairs of State erode and destroy this purpose
And the affairs of the Order misguide the purpose of the State

- Excerpt from The Pathway of Nin circa 20 ABC

IC: Nin
Battle of Corbos

Nin would sense and feel the great Levithan barrel down towards them both, sealing any possibility of them joining together at this moment. He was confident that Tiona would survive, she was not one to die so easily.

The roiling mass of tentacles came down, undulating in its madness of the dark as Nin dodged and weave to move out of its destructive path. Nin ducked low as a tentacle came round to swat at him, his eyes narrowing. This would prove to be a great annoyance.

It would require all of Nin's focus to survive in this moment, his dark aura doing nothing to protect him from this creature. His mind wandering ever so briefly to that of his conversation with Tiona... of his future... had he made the correct decision? And perhaps more importantly, how would he know if he did?

The pain panged in his heart once more, the pain of an impossible situation with seemingly no correct path. A tentacle lashing once more as it struck Nin's right eye, a howl of pain escaping his lips as he clutched it, leaping back further into cover.

TAG: @Sinrebirth @darthbernael, @Kurisan, @HanSolo29, @Corellian_Outrider, @Jerjerrod-Lennox @greyjedi125, @Mitth_Fisto @CosmoHender

 

OOC: Combo with @Sinrebirth

IC: Marcus Dren

Battle of Corbos

Marc heard the beeping of the little droid and he turned to face it. Great, another droid. Though at least this one wasn't a war droid. He could easily destroy it, of course. But he had no reason to.

"Your Master?" Marc asked the droid. "He's probably dead. Things are getting really bad down there and a lot of people are being senselessly killed. Who was your Master, little guy?"

A hologram was shown of a Corellian man. FEN RENDAR. It communicated.

There was no sign of the man. The droid whistled sadly. ARE YOU OUR NEW MASTER? It asked in droid-speak.

Marcus considered it for a second. "Yes," he quickly said. A droid could be useful for him to have, after all. "My name is Marcus. What's yours, little guy?"

MY DESIGNATION IS D22E, the droid said.

BUT MY MASTER CALLED ME 2E.

The droid wheeled around and led Marcus to the cockpit with a cheerful whistle, eager to serve.

"Then that is what I will call you as well, if that's okay," Marc said as he followed the droid. "It's nice to meet you, 2E."

AND YOU TOO.

It rattled off a list of mostly cosmetic damage to the underside, but the damage to the under slung blaster was an issue. It would be inoperative until it was repaired.

The XB light freighter was a relatively new addition to the Corellian repertoire, but a good one - and a good find.



The droid had them up and running swiftly enough, and beeped its concern; an Imperial Dreadnought was dropping into low orbit, which was surely going to cause it to crash into the surface. It recommended they escape before then.

Marc agreed with the droid's recommendation.

"We're setting a course for Eriadu," he said as he sat down in the cockpit. Marc still had a few things there he could pick up. But after that... he didn't know.

He just knew it would be better than here.

The droid had the freighter active and Marc could slide out a side hangar on the other side of the Leviathan's attack on the gathered True and Dark Jedi. But breaching the blockade would be tough... could he do it, against the massed might of the entire Empire?

Dozens of capital ships, hundreds of escorts, thousands of starfighters.

All here to finish the war.

The Force was charged; panicked - a truly powerful Jedi Lord had entered atmosphere... the Grand Lord himself was here.

Ductavis.

But would that light blind the Jedi Lords in orbit as to him?

Would the atmospheric detritus sufficiently cover his departure from mundane sensors?

And would the damage to the blockade wrought minutes before, causing the fall of these two great ships from orbit, be sufficient for him to escape?

Let us see.

TAG: @Sinrebirth @darthbernael @Kurisan @HanSolo29 @Corellian_Outrider @Jerjerrod-Lennox @greyjedi125 @Mitth_Fisto @Shadowsun

 

~IC~ Entity known as ‘The Hunter’
Location: Bridge of Dreadnaught - Battle of Corbos

Spoiler: music

Movement.

The armoured figure’s helmet turned. The visor turned opaque and glowed a faint green as it regarded the injured Officer.

“You’ve sustained trauma. I’ve done what I could to stabilise you.” A modulated voice spoke then turned back to the console.

A droid’s universal computer interface popped down from the underside of the right forearm and extended to the socket. It wasn’t a natural part of the suit and had been grafted on and connected to the suit’s computer.

Going over the ship’s diagnostics. The vessel ‘wanted’ to live. There was a fight still left in it though sadly, in its current state, it will not be able to leave. Scrolling by the listings, a few key elements highlighted.

While shifting through the information, the figure explained further. “The infirmary appears to be functional. Getting you there might cause problems. I’ve sent an alert for a functional medical droid.”

Some of the weapon systems seem to have functionality, the generators are still producing power. Then the figure looked over it’s shoulder to the officer. “There’s a beast that needs subduing. If you have some fight left in you, I can set you at a weapons console.”

Returning back to the interface, it’s armoured fingers danced across the keypad while the makeshift droid interface cycled around.

The clamps on the bank of escape pods had unlocked.

Augmenting the data the suit had captured on the bio-energy signature of the leviathan with the data from the sensors. Refining the parameters for the firing solution then sent that to the fire-control systems...

Getting it ready for firing...

Now for a lure.

The bulkheads shuddered. A loud ka-thunk sound, followed by another as two of the escape pods jettisoned remotely, with the trajectory intended towards the raging leviathan.

---

~IC~ Konstance and Kallan e Solo
Location: Battle of Corbos

“Pleasure to meet you Tomas, I am Kontance-“ Konstance started as they moved together.
“And Kallan!” Kallan interrupted to include his name in the introduction.
“-of Corellisi.” She finished.

“Ah,” Kallan remarked as he looked over his shoulder. “Our situation has not improved.”

Konstance gave a quick glance at the twist of the leviathan’s path. It was arcing back their way.

“Should have let me take that shot. Could have blinded it.” Konstance growled.

“Not powerful enough. Would have ticked it off.” Kallan argued. “We best make for the crash.”

“Hey!” Konstance shifted her weight into Kallan, bringing Tomas with her as someone new landed almost into them.

“We don’t have long, one way or another, anyone else have a plan?” The stranger asked.

“High ground. Fall back to the crashed cruisers.” Kallan said. “It may provide cover.”

“Staggered retreat.” Konstance added. “Rotate every few seconds to cover each other’s flank from the tentacles.”

Two loud explosive sounds came from one of the downed ships. Twin objects with plumes of jets launched into the air.

“Escape pods?” Konstance remarked.

“Head for there!” Kallan said and unsheathed his sword with his free hand. He pulled away from Konstance’s support to ward off a tentacle. “Keep moving. I’m right with you!”

TAG: @CosmoHender @darthbernael @greyjedi125 @HanSolo29 @Jerjerrod-Lennox @Kurisan @Mitth_Fisto @Sinrebirth @Shadowsun

 

The Daemon, The Droid and the Jedi
Battle of Corbos

Dust gusted fiercely from the titanic clash between the Jedi Forces and those of the Dark Masters. In a moment of visual disorientation, Akuma Oni had lost sight of the ‘white pawns’, just to suddenly find himself next to a curious looking combat droid.

Was this one of the Dark Retainers? The daemon warrior was not entirely certain, as he hadn’t focused on the dark roster. However, one who was clearly an enemy immediately announced himself. A Jedi combatant launched himself in their direction while brandishing two green lightsabers.

Akuma Oni growled in response and acted immediately, whirling his double bladed vermillion weapon in a defensive pattern, even as he too launched himself at the Jedi, seeking to spoil his attack with a powerful deflection, then end him once he became unbalanced. It would be best to eliminate the Jedi quickly, in the event the droid presented himself as an enemy of opportunity.

In Akuma Oni’s mind, the Jedi was not the greater threat. Still, he could not afford for the two to join forces against him either.

K4-ZU-P8489, or Kazu, was not surprised to find themselves in yet another altercation. Statistically analyzed alone the chances of them finding a quiet spot to watch the battle and accurately transmit situational updates were so statistically unlikely as to not compute. The new pairing they found themselves facing was rapidly analyzed.

Subject one, ID. . .Akuma Oni - Hordes loyal retainer. Capable fighter.

Subject two, ID. . .Tedryn - Jedi Master. Dual wielder. Analyzing combat situation. Analyzing.

Jedi has initiated hostilities. Akuma Oni has given verbal sub-vocalization of acceptance of challenge, see growl. Defensive posture identified. Moving adjacent to offer flanking / assassination position for combat, passive and defensive self preservation routines activated until disabling or neutralizing opening identified. Audible warning deemed redundant.

Tedryn eyed the war droid as it moved adjacent, a flanking move, and refocused upon the growling masked foe.

There was no need for words; this late in the war, it was clear.

The Jedi Master flipped forward, crossing the distance between he and Akuma in a blink of an eye and slashing down with both blades -

The Jedi vaulted and slashed down! The retainer deflected and move past!! Vermillion brilliance clashed against the Jedi's verdant blades, sending sparks flying!!! There was a momentary impasse for both warriors, but the droid had changed the dynamic of the encounter as it sought flanked the Jedi and not the dark retainer.

Both Akuma Oni and Jedi Master Tedryn would take note of Kazu's positioning and draw their own conclusions from it.

As for Akuma Oni, his eyes narrowed dangerously behind his mask, a plume of hot steam flaring from his mask's nostrils.

"Green Blade...." He would intone with undisguised vehemence, almost as if remembering something from his past; his stance lowered and his weapon separated into two, effectively allowing him to dual wield just like the Jedi.

The dark retainer did not regard the combat droid, but certainly included him in the dynamics of the encounter. There had been no conversation between them, like he'd had with the unusual sephi. As far as he could surmise, the combat droid could be playing both sides at once, biding its time to strike them both down. It could all happen in a blink of an eye; and that sensation was....exhilarating.

Kazu dashed to the side slightly so as not have both combatants in a line, clearing a line for a clean shot whether hit or miss. Deploying his weapon he fired upon the Jedi Master's right shoulder, attempting to aid in disabling him - to halve his weapon capabilities. This was a fight above his class, but he could do what he could to aid.

They separated as the Red Blade addressed him by the colour of his weapon. Tedryn grunted, flexing his muscles and rolling his arms -

Kazu fired, and Tedryn deflected, batting the blade at the Dark Jedi and lunging after the bolt to slash at the man's legs at the knees, falling forward as he dove -

Akuma Oni’s eyes narrowed behind his mask. The Combat Droid did attack the ‘Jedi’ who'd deflected the salvo and now performed a lunging attack!! The Dark Retainer leapt into the air, himself deflecting the shot that came his way, then evading the lunge at his legs with a leap, retracting his own legs under himself as he rose.

Turning in place while suspended in mid-air, he exerted with the force at the diving Jedi, his intent to force his enemy to the ground, smash him upon the arid surface, not only to delay and frustrate the Jedi, but also to test the droid.

Akuma Oni remained unconvinced by the first shot. Would the droid take a second shot of opportunity at the temporarily vulnerable Jedi, or perform a different feat?

The daemon would be ready for any variance in the flow of combat, for as he landed, both sabers twirled, cutting a trail of vermillion ribbons in the air.

Kazu waited and saw the reactions of the attempts of Oni and the reactions of Tedryn. With the presentation of a possible opening Kazu dashed in, attempting a quick advance and hyper-extended lung at what should be a prone Jedi.

This time attempting to spear through the hip joint. Something low enough to still have an effect, and if effectual and the femoral artery is severed possibly deadly. Also low enough that a reactionary defense should be able to be seen and withdrawn ahead of prior to possible damage to his own casing or internal mechanisms.

Tedryn watched the deflection, the jump, and then sensed the droid lunge -

This Jedi was not just a Knight, he was a Master and a Lord. He transformed his essence into a sharpened blade creating at the point of his helmet, splitting the thrown Force push and sending it rolling off and down him into the sand -

Be touched the Force to his feet and inverted around his center of gravity to catch the deflected bolt anew and angle it back at Kazu, sending it zipping back at the droids photoreceptors.

By the time his feet touched the floor again he was already bouncing forward, his heavy-set armour not remotely impeding his strong motions,

Behind his Mask, Akuma-Oni leered openly. This ‘jedaii’ was not so easily dispatched. This was good, very good, for its would make the final blow all the more satisfying.

In an instant, the Dark Retainer crossed his vermillion blades before him, causing them to spark at the point of contact, then with an exertion of the force, coupled with a well timed forward leaning ‘X’ strike technique, he sent a wave of plasmic energy in a crescent shape straight at the bounding jedi.

Such an attack could easily cleave through a sheet of durasteel. Jedi flesh or armor would not stand a chance should it hit. But that was not all Akuma had in mind, oh no. Now that the combat droid had made its target clear, the Dark Retainer could well influence and exploit the flow of combat.

That is, if the combat droid managed to mount a proper defense against their mutual enemy’s counter attack at his photoreceptors.

Calculations were furious and redundantly performed by several eyes. The motions of the Jedi Master were paramount to survival, all combat subroutines were explicit on this stance. Probability predictions were conclusive that a failed attack would elicit an attack of reprisal from the Jedi Master, how and what was creating a collective overclocking situation - risking a cooling warning was worth it though as it registered the divert toward the deflected weapons blast. Reactions were clear, randomize motions to dodge and avoid critical damages, whatever they might be.

All it could do is wait while these titans battled and wait for an opening to stab it's own blades in if possible.

The droid dodged the thrice-reflected bolt, and Tedryn focused on the madman before him.

He flicked his arms up and blade down, surging the Force through the burning plasma and caught the X-attack on the lightsaber, turning his body and flicking the X up and into the sky -

Conscious that such a spin left him vulnerable, he touched the Force to his feet and leapt up and away, closing his eyes and weaving a basket of defensive slashes in anticipation of being attacked -

There was a moment of unspoken enjoyment as the daemon slashed at the Jedi who had also immersed himself in the flow of combat.
The X-strike had been a set-up, but his opponent managed a timely recovery and affected a worthwhile defense. Akuma Oni launched a barrage of red slashes, which was met with a counter-barrage of intercepting green ones, creating two colliding kill zones. A veritable spectacle of sparks blossomed from the lethal clash, for no quarter was given. A single miscalculation would end either combatant's life in a blink of an eye.

Yet, both lived still.

But for how long?

Above them, the firmament shook with such force that it caused the ground, nay, the very air between them, to reverberate in response. Something of impossible size was coming through the atmosphere, bringing with it the brightness of the Jedi's false light and the imminent promise of obliteration.

Akuma Oni growled, his moment of enjoyment now dashed to pieces. The combat theatre was changing rapidly, and not for the better.

Maneuvering into a flanking position Kazu slowly advanced. The prior adroitness of the Jedi Master was not a factor to be ignored in the computational analysis of the battle. Seeing what was coming as well as working out a rhythm of both combatants illustrated a weakness in the combat progression. If timed in conjunction Kazu should be able to lunge forward aiming at two points, one for the upper spine and the other for the femoral arteries. These diverse locations should make blocking with a single blade impossible, and with Akuma Oni pressing the attack both blades were already needed. Either Kazu or Akuma Oni should be able to land a strike and kill this Jedi Master.

After which they would be able to reassess the battle field situation due to the incoming alteration to the situation. In all computations one thing was constant, with Jedi or Sith the only truth was that things would change.

TAG: @Sinrebirth , @greyjedi125 , @ Any

 

IC: Akuma-Oni
Crepuscule of the mind



His eyes never wavered, his gaze never left his object of focus: the Jedi. He would do it, without a second thought. He would slay the jedi before meeting his own fate. He would rid the thankless galaxy of this single falseness, this agent from the brotherhood of betrayers.

But no such desire would materialize.

The force itself sundered as power was unleashed! Blinding brilliance was followed by deafening thunder and a tidal shockwave that swept everything in its path.

Death spread like wildfire, as it bounded through screams, as lives were snuffed out in that single moment.The Sith Leviathan disappeared in a flash as it had been at the epicenter of the catastrophic assault.

With a final act, the Jedi had chosen to demonstrate their superior might and flexed for good effect, for any lesser effort would have certainly failed.

Akuma-Oni felt the attack physically as well as mentally as his body careened through the air. The world seemed to tumble outside his vision as he attempted to remain conscious through the searing pain of broken bones that now assaulted his senses. Something solid hit him suddenly, or perhaps it was he who had hit something, there was no way of knowing, then it happened again. He was tumbling through the ground, every impact doubling, tripling his agony, until finally everything went dark.

*****​

A familiar sensation. Anger. A familiar place. He was dreaming again. A burning corridor. A Jedi with a ‘Green Blade’ decapitating a man.

A different being, wearing a dark mask took the head and began to ‘feed’ on it.

‘You mustn’t….’ he began to imagine an unspoken objection, when the yellow eyes on the dead-head regarded him and then spoke with the sound of a hundred voices, after undergoing a surreal transformation.



“We do not NEED your consent.”

Anger. Shame. Failure.

He blinked and the scene changed.

There was now a sense of insatiable hunger and limitless hate, a battle had been raging inside a ship. The masked being was here once again, but this time, fighting a large misshapen man garbed in a golden robe, one that carried himself as if Supreme, a titan in the powers of the Force.

A veritable inferno erupted around the man in golden robes, perhaps to consume him whole.

Fire and Ice came into lethal prominence at levels that defied description, yet still, the man in the golden robes, the one who was targeted, managed to survive.

Anger. Shame. Failure.

What did it all mean?

Another blink.

An item in the shape of a crude walking staff appeared then, floating in the void of space. It spun languidly, teasing, like a key just out of reach. From it, he could hear what sounded like far away echoes of mocking laughter. Was that the voice of a woman? A man? Both?

A wave of fierce irritation overcame him and he sought to strike at the image.

There was an odd thudding sound, almost as if he’d hit some kind of imaginary barrier, but the pain he felt from his hand felt real.

Real pain.

*****​

It was this sensation that caused his eyes to flutter open, to become aware of where he was.

His hand, it had struck glass. On his face, he could feel a breather mask, though he could not see much past the barrier, for the lights were off wherever he was. He felt a measure of surprised by the liquid environment that he found himself floating in, as he seemed to be encase in some kind of capsule or tank. Most strange was the feeling of faded familiarity.

Whatever this was, it was clearly not the battleground of Corbos.

So, was he a prisoner?

There was no way to tell.

In that moment, he felt drained of strength, shrouded by dull aches and groggy from medications. Sleep was forcing itself upon him once again, sleep that would cause him to dream of strange things he would hardly remember upon waking.

For now, the war was over. There would be no triumphant march over the corpses of his enemies, however, no enemy was presently threading over him either.

Akuma Oni accepted this, as he allowed his eyes to close once again, would allow himself to heal. In due course, he’d find answers to his questions, unravel the mystery of his person - and that of his current benefactor- but for now, he would simply rest and heal.

Tag: @Sinrebirth *( @Mitth_Fisto )

 

OOC: Combo with @Sinrebirth

IC: Marcus "Marc" Dren

Battle of Corbos

Seeing his opening through the blockade, Marc seized his opportunity to escape. He pushed his ship forward, past the fleet and away from Corbos. He could tell that the battle behind him had ended and with it the war. He felt a sting of guilt as he thought about how he had abandoned his fellow Dark Jedi, his own allies. But he knew that he had to do this. Once he was clear, Marc made the jump to lightspeed. His destination was Eriadu, his homeworld.

When Marc heard 2E realize that he was a Dark Jedi, the human turned to face his new droid.

"I was," he admitted, deciding to be honest. After all, he could easily wipe the memory of the droid if he needed to. "I made a lot of bad choices and down there I finally made a right one. Because I decided that I didn't just want to fight for myself anymore. Because I wanted to be more than a Dark Jedi. More than a killer. I'm not proud of myself and I once knew somebody else who also wouldn't be proud of who I became. But I saw the chance to hopefully change that and I took it."

2E hesitated. It clearly wasn't very happy to be in the presence of a Dark Jedi.

Everyone knew the stories of them.

Their monsters.

For a long moment it wondered, and then, a tweetle, as the white and blue of hyperspace rumbled by.

THE PERSON YOU KNEW, WILL THEY FORGIVE YOU?

Marcus thought about that. His sister, Auranae, would she have forgiven him? Where was she now? He hoped that she was alright, that she was doing well. He had no idea of knowing.

"I think she would," he finally answered, his voice soft.

THINK? WHAT PERCENTAGE LIKELIHOOD IS IT?

The droid asked the big question then, as they roared across the galaxy.

Marc smiled slightly. "She's my sister," he explained. "Auranae. Our father was... not a kind man. One day I decided to rid us both of him. I thought that she would be happy to learn that we were free of him, but there was no joy on her face. Only disappointment... and fear. She and her mother left after that. I never saw them again. Only later did I realize why my sister was so disappointed. Because I didn't kill our father for her. I killed him for myself. Just like how I became a Dark Jedi for myself. And I knew that I could no longer live like that. Not anymore."

The droid paused for a long time.

FIFTY-FIFTY.

THOSE ARE THE ODDS.

Marc looked at the droid. "The odds of what?" he asked. "Her forgiving me?"

YES.

The droid whirred off to go perform the necessary repairs.

Marcus nodded and turned his gaze to out of the cockpit, watching as the ship traveled through hyperspace. It wouldn't be long before they arrived at Eriadu and he would be able to pick up what he needed.

Soon.

They eventually arrived, crossing a battered and broken galaxy. The Imperial border had withdrew in the north and east in the century of violence, with Dark Jedi hordes reaching as far Coreward as Alderaan, Balmorra and Rei’izu.

To cross from Corbos in the far north meant navigating their way across the entirety of what they as known as the Fallen Worlds, until they reached the Corellian Run. Once that was passed, the 77 Sectors were islands of civilization on the Rim, for the Corellian had held their line, even though worlds as remote as Naos, Tascollan and Roon had been infected by the Dark Jedi.

Eriadu was a small colony world of the Empire, not as important as nearby Seswenna but determined to one day eclipse its big brother neighbor. At the extreme edge of Imperial space, it was frontier territory, the Unknowns of the south quadrant and Western Reaches beyond.

They settled down… and of course, they were noticed. The comms of the freighter chimed; Marc would recognize the identifier code…

Marc answered the comms. "Tarkin, this is Marcus. I'm just here to pick up a few things from my family's estate and then I'll get out of your hair. I know it's been a while, but I'm afraid I can't stay to catch up."

The Dren family were very familiar with the Tarkins, whose clan had been among the earliest pioneers of Eriadu. On this small colony world they were very influential and Marc had grown up with several of its members. He hadn't seen the Tarkins since he left Eriadu with the Dark Jedi, so it would definitely be an awkward reunion...

The patriarch of the Tarkin family was often known as simply Tarkin, and it was he who replied.

"Marcus," he glowered. "You've some nerve coming back here. You were marked as a war criminal in your absence."

"Wars over, I hear, does that mean you won?" Tarkin spoke nastily.

"The war is over," Marc confirmed. "And the Dark Jedi lost. I left before their defeat. I don't want any trouble."

"You best not," Tarkin said. "We don't want any of it. Eriadu escaped what befell the Colonies - we'd like to keep it that way. I have no doubt that the post-war galaxy will be as messy as the war one." He sounded so jaded, as if the time since they had separated had been the hardest possible.

"You have twenty-four hours, and I expect you to keep your comm open so I can track you. Any deviation from that and I'll call the Jedi Lords myself."

Marc nodded. "Understood," he replied. "Thank you, Tarkin. I'll make this quick."

Bringing his ship down near the Dren family estate, Marc reflected upon how he never thought he would be coming back here after he left Eriadu with the Dark Jedi. Being here again brought back a lot of memories. Painful ones, which is another reason he intended to make this visit a short one.

Marc quickly went through the abandoned estate, gathering up anything that he thought he would need: credit caches that had been left behind, expensive items he knew he could sell, and basic supplies. It took him a few hours to go through everything, but he had to make sure that he didn't give himself a reason to ever come back here. Before he left, Marc stopped outside of his sister's old bedroom. He paused and after a moment of hesitation, he went inside.

It was mostly empty and it had been that way ever since Auranae left with her mother. She was long gone and anything that Marc felt here now was just an echo. He sighed, hoping that wherever Auranae was now she was happy and she was safe.

Then something caught Marc's eye. Something underneath the bed. He knelt down and pulled it out, blowing dust off the object. It was a doll, home-made like all of her toys and Marc remember helping Auranae make this doll once upon a time. As he looked down at the doll, tears welled up in his eyes. He held it close to him, silently deciding that he would take it with him so that he would have a part of his sister with him.

Little did he know that his own daughter would be playing with that same doll in the future.

TAG: @greyjedi125 @Corellian_Outrider, @Jerjerrod-Lennox @Kurisan @Shadowsun @darthbernael @Mitth_Fisto @HanSolo29 @Sinrebirth

 

In the greatest darkness, light shines ever brighter

- Excerpt from the Pathway of Nin circa 20 ABC

IC: Nin
The Ship

Nin felt himself awake in the dark. He could barely piece together what had happened between him losing his right eye and awakening here. Nin would look down softly at his feet, his back lent against the cold metal of the ship. His mind was awash with much as the pain on his face continued to swell within him, an empty redded socket was all that could be seen of his right eye. He was surprised they were not all dead, although it was inkeeping with the Jedi way, just unexpected.

The voice of Grand Lord Ductavis rang in his ear, informing him along with the others of their dishonorable exile, of their fate beyond the stars. The one named Ajunta Pallspoke to them all, speaking on their new path before them. Of the world, the Dark Lord would carve for them. But what hope was there in such a word? What happiness could be achieved?

None. Nin concluded resoundingly his mind. His long, now managed hair, drooping by his side as he sat in the darkness. Thinking, pondering...hoping.

TAG: @Sinrebirth @greyjedi125, @Corellian_Outrider, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @Kurisan, @darthbernael, @Mitth_Fisto, @HanSolo29, @CosmoHender

 

~IC~ Entity known as ‘The Hunter’
Location: Remains of the bridge of Dreadnaught Foresight - Battle of Corbos

Spoiler: music

[Warning: Energy low]
[Energy: 18]
[Systems critical]

Looking past the pop up diagnostics report on the armour and systems. The view beyond the HUD was dark, save a faint slither of light.

A crushing weight on chest and limbs.

Unable to move.

Checking the diagnostics... swapping cannon configuration to plasma cutter?

Taking a moment to consider. Who knows what is atop. It could come crushing down... but then again? Being trapped here is not much better either.

Confirming the selection and depressing the trigger. The sound of the energy emitted from the barrel and the crackling of the cutter shearing into metal-durasteel.

Angling the tip of the cannon away to cleave out a section. A loud clank as cut fragments started to break free. Little by little, the weight started to lift.

It was beginning to feel easier to move and pressing against the sheet of durasteel. Feeling it budge.

Deactivated the cutter.

Pushing against the sheet to open a gap. Drawing a knee close. Then the other. Drawing the barrel of the cannon across the chest plate... twisting to push it further across to the left and clear of the other arm.

Activating cutter. Repeating the process.

Several loud clunks of durasteel later, the armoured figure pulled free from its temporary imprisonment.

Rising to its feet, the figure paused. Surveying the scene... what a sight to behold.

The decks above the bridge was no longer there. As though a giant hand had picked up the vessel and tossed it aside.

Sections of the wrecked ship were splayed open and strewn across the landscape outside looked as though it had been struck by an orbital bombardment. Faint dark dots peppered around an impact area... bodies...

Swapping visor spectrums. The helm looked down and across to where the officer had been. There was a faint glow of yellow and orange of heat from under some rubble.

The figure stumbled over and activated the plasma cutter. The right arm worked the cutter to incinerated a path to get to him as the left hand pulling back parts of crumbled armature and plating.

The officer was mostly cleared. The scans showed the vitals were still going, the person was alive.

The roll of thunder alerted the figure’s attention skyward. Zooming in. The HUD picked up transports in bound. It was time to go.

Raising the cannon skyward, the figure fired off a shot as a flare. The officer is their concern now.

Turning for the destroyed viewport. The figure turned and leapt clear.

Running along side the gutted hulk, using the twisted forms to obscure position from sensors. Estimating the time of arrival of the transports was a few minutes. There was a narrow window to escape undetected-

An alert popped up on the HUD.

[Target located]
[40 metres]
[29 degrees]

Angling in that direction without breaking stride. Leaping and bounding through the unnatural obstacle course of what once was the insides of the dreadnaught.

The counters ticked down and finally. In a distorted room, adjacent to what had to be the infirmary sat the prize. Breaking the seal of the crate marked for spectrum imaging, a brief scan indicated the components there were intact.

Perfect.

Giving one more glance for further souvenirs before turning for the exit. It was time to head back to the gunship with the prize.

---

~IC~ Konstance and Kallan e Solo
Location: Medical Bay - Imperial Dreadnought

It was not clear exactly how they survived.

Kallan tighten the robes about him as he walked along the corridor of the medical wing. So many injured recovered from the battle, so many losses. There was a victory but at what cost?

He checked on how Tomas was going, the acquaintance they met in the midst of battle, though was stopped by the medical droid. It stated that now was a time for the patients to rest and he too should return to his own bed. Kallan nodded and slipped past to briefly wave a greeting then made his way back to Konstance.

She was sitting up, conscious. The bandage about her head make Kallan feel protective over her.

“So what’s the verdict?” She wearily asked him.

“Spoke with the medical droid...” Kallan cupped his chin, a look of concern on his face.

Konstance tilted her head and looked at him expectantly. “Yes?”

“I’m sorry to say that our mutual friend will recover.”

Konstance blinked before what he said sunk in.
“You!” She grabbed her pillow and threw it at him.

He laughed as he awkwardly caught it then tossed it back to her. “I couldn’t resist.”

“Really?” She glared at him as she plumped up the pillow and placed it behind her. “At a time like this?”

“I know, I know... it’s a bit insensitive.” He admitted.

“Yes...” Konstance winced and touched her temple. “Don’t get me excited just yet.”

“I do have news... I’ve caught wind that father has sent someone...”

His voice trailed off as he noticed movement at the accessway to the room.

An imposing figure, clad in black armour bearing the crest of the dragon and bear. The Black Guard of the House of Isabeau.

Kallan stood to attention and smartly saluted. Konstance pushes herself back against the pillow to sit up.

“Grusse steele, General Lekhauf.” The twins both greeted in unison.

“At ease. Don’t get up.” The man had a commanding but warm voice.

“What brings you here?“ Konstance asked cautiously.

Lekhauf stepped aside and glanced back to the accessway.

“You, as a matter of fact, your highnesses.” A young woman answered as she stepped into the room. She was dressed smartly as though she was about to take casually ride on a slopewing. The only hint of her lineage was the cameo broach on her white blouse. She carried a parcel in her arms and placed it on the bed.

“Cousin Feya!” Konstance outstretched a hand to her to take.

Feya took the hand and squeeze it gently and she regarded both of them with warm smiles.
“You both are being transferred to the Jörmugandr. Your presence is required to attend the Althing at Saberhing.”

“Right now?” Konstance asked.

“After you both get dressed. I’ve brought you some clothes.” Feya gave them an amused look. “The media would have a field day if they snap a shot of two royals galavanting about in their hospital gowns.”

“We can’t have that, can we?” Kallan said dryly. This was puzzling. “What is going on?”

“All shall be explained on the Jörmugandr.” Lekhauf answered.

---

On the observation deck of the Jörmugandr, Konstance and Kallan watched as the Corellian warship withdrew from the allied forces. It wasn’t long before they felt a brief shudder as the pinpoints of stars stretched out to oblivion, a bright flash before the ship slipped into the purple, shadowy realm of hyperspace.

“Would you like anything brought to you?” Feya asked as she came around to sit with them.

Kallan shook his head. Konstance whispered “No, thank you.”

“Feya, it is great to see you after so long.” Kallan started.

“Don’t get us wrong but it brought joy to see you...“ Konstance added. “Though we are wondering why did you came to us? We would be returning soon after.”

Feya hesitated and downcast her eyes. “I volunteered to bring you home. You both are required to fulfil your duties to the Kingdom. I didn’t realise that you both had been injured until we arrived.”

Kallan placed a hand on her knee and she looked up to face him as he asked. “What aren’t you telling us?”

“The war... this hundred-year of darkness. It’s finally over. That’s what official reports are saying. That means every prospector, surveyed and thrill seeker will be firing up their crafts and charting new routes and territories.”

“That makes sense...” Konstance nodded slowly. “Is this to do with our exploration division?”

“We’ve got a hint of something special. On the fringe of the unknown. Rather than wait weeks to send someone there and back and then mount up a team, they feel we should go all in. Scouts are enroute as we speak but a colony ship is loading up for departure.”

“That’s risky.”

“We’ve only a narrow window of opportunity to do this and we are throwing what we can to make it a success. House Isabeau and our Black Guard will make sure of that.” Feya explained.

There was something in her tone that caused Kallan to pause. “What are you saying?”

Feya’s composure slipped. Her eyes started to well up.

“You’re going with them.” Konstance gasped.

Feya nodded. “It has been decided. Mother and father are coordinating with everyone but we are leaving with the ship.”

“All of Isabeau?”

“Everyone.” Feya confirmed.

“But why? That is a huge risk.”

“Father said that we are representatives of the family. Royal blood. We can make decisions on the spot and carry diplomatic leverage in the area rather than them having to wait for who knows how many weeks for messages and directives to go back and forth with Corellia.”

“I... I... that makes sense. The colony will have autonomy with you there. But still, our eastern borders will be vulnerable.” Kallan shook his head. “Who will take over?”

“That is why the Althing is being held. It shall be decided then. You both might not have had a chance to see us off and so I went and got you so we can spend these last moments together.”

Konstance reached over and pulled Feya close and hugged her. Kallan joined in hugged them both.

“It won’t be forever.” Konstance whispered.

“That’s right, once the colony is set up and lines of communication established, a path will be set for the trade ships and we will see each other again.” Kallan said, trying to sound cheerful. “You’ll be sick of us visiting.”

Feya chuckled softly and sniffed. “I really hope so. That would be wonderful.”

“No matter what happens and the distance between. We have each other. Family forever.”

---

The shipyards of Saberhing is where the colony ships were being constructed and prepared for their outbound journey. It was courteous of Jarl Guthrem to host the Althing at his hall, not that he had much of a choice. The hearth at the centre of the great hall crackled though it felt inadequate to heat the vast volume... or maybe it was the somber mood of having their family separating just when they could reconnect again, that made Konstance feel cold. The twins sat on the makeshift throne on either side of the larger throne, reserved for their father. She glanced across to her brother. The look on his face told her that he wasn’t happy either.

The space was starting to fill up as everyone took their seats about the round table. There were a few familiar faces.

Jarl Elika of the House Federov, Jarl Halfdan and his daughter, Lady Faye of the House Isabeau, General Lekhauf of the Black Guard, Colonel Solkrest of the Corellian Defence Forces, Masters Nye and Varin of the Corellian Order...

Then there were others they were not familiar with. Judging by the emblems and insignias, several other families and members of the Corellian Hegemony have sent their representatives for this assembly.

Corellian Security officers stationed about the room gave the all clear that the hall was secure and ready for them to proceed.

Jarl Guthrem stepped forward to offer thanks and tribute to their King before opening the stage to discuss the future of Corellia.

Spoiler: music

​

~OOC~ Special thanks to @pashatemur for your blessing and collaboration to use the House of Isabeau in such a way.

TAG: @CosmoHender @darthbernael @greyjedi125 @HanSolo29 @Jerjerrod-Lennox @Kurisan @Mitth_Fisto @Sinrebirth @Shadowsun

 

IC: K4-ZU-P8489, or Kazu
Sands of Corbos

Re-initialization in progress.. . .

Power levels stabilizing. . . .

Rebooting in SAFE MODE - Unknown Error -

System Scan in progress. . . .

Memory sectors cleared. . .

Processors Cleared. . .

Initializing core systems. . .

Sand. That was the first thing to fill Kazu's visual field, not blood, not battle, and not a repair bay. Sand. Memory kernals were slow to connect, but the last they knew was driving twin blades in for the kill.

No, that is incorrect. Damaged memory cluster was identified as several seconds after that lunge. Enemy bombardment detected.

Sidelining the processing of that memory and further reconstruction, Kazu began to focus on his surroundings and his current status.

The world of Corbos became like many other places that had seen a great battle; graveyards for starships. Like Uqine millennia before, or even the worlds of the more recently defeated Waymancy Storm, the scavs were over them like flitnats to a corpse, especially with how the so-called Fallen Worlds, a recent designation by the Emperor, were.

And so what had in-fact disturbed his subroutines was a young woman, a re-breather for the billowing sand to her face.



She was picking through the battle debris for anything she could sell, and when she had found the droid, her initial reaction had been joy, but when it awoke, she swore profusely in Huttese, reaching for her blade -

Processing the image and word of the woman before it, Kazu turned very slowly his dome to present his main eye. Preparing with as little threat as possible to perform an act of carnage or defense.

“Greetings and salutations. This unit requires updating. Date, status of war, and function or purpose for-for unit by *#*€*£*¥%#*.” The last was a more colorful form of the girls cursing in Huttese. Head canting slightly at that. “Apologies, full title of mechanic unable to capture. Designations preferred.”

"Oh great, a sparkin' war droid..." she muttered. "War's over, buckethead. Battle of Corbos, past tense. You've been in the sands for what, twenty years?" Keeping her weapon handy, she spoke up. "I'm Sieg."

"The Sith lost, y'know? Attacked the Imperial capital, retreated here, got blown up by the Empire. You're done," she emphasized the point to his programming.

System processes and further external verification would be needed. Yet what she stated calculated as most likely honest, if imprecise. Although there was an error in her calculations, how she could overlook such a thing while holding a weapon at the ready - well, that was programming error of organics. Always straddling two paths and unsure of both feet.

It made Kazu pleased his Maker had made him better. "Understood. Updating systems." Initiate deceptive evasion survival subroutines. "Awaiting Master Sieg instructions for unit K4-ZU-P8489. Alternative address for this unit designation Kazu." They needed a ship, and a means of updating and repair. It would be illogical to waste a resource such as this one.

Sieg raised her eyebrows. Master Sieg?

A Sith War Droid?

Oh wow.

She nearly bubbled up with joy as a gruff voice sounded out.

It was Plutt, the rotund Crolute stepping around the wreckage.

"What do you have for me, slave?"



She panicked, and then pressed on. "Kazu. Kill him."

Her tone was smooth, clipped.

Head swiveling, body raised into a crouch position as the Crolute had arrived. Kazu had merely delayed 0.537 seconds, or a mere half second as an organic would imprecisely gauge such a thing. That was an infinite pause of consideration on his part, a calculating and weighing with new information.

To succeed a slave master that specialized in scavenged material and war surplus would be a good starting point. Only such a being was as likely to sell Kazu as scrap as a unit to a new Master and chances of a memory wipe were high. Slave willing to have their Master killed were more likely to cling to their saving object if it held any personification or sentimentality. They had no sentimentality, but her visual reaction to being called Master indicated it might of triggered a personification of identification between this woman and this unit.

Launching itself at the accepted target Kazu drew his twin blades in a rough and jerky motion. Sand had reduced the efficiency of the joints operation. Automatic adjustments for wear were not allowing smooth operation - oil bath recommendation elevated to needed status. Internal hazard indicator raised to orange. They merely needed to stab one blade through the neck, another to sever an arm. Decapitation and second arm neutralization would follow.

The Crolute died.

Blood, well, it splattered everywhere.

Sieg was speechless for a moment, and then she grinned.

She pointed to a ship in the distance, visible as Plutt's body toppled. A broken-down scavenger ship, with all manner of hodgepodge addition. "We can take that." She grinned, saw the third member of the crew - a green-skinned Twi'lek named Yea, who looked stricken. "If you could deal with him too, please."

The scav began to scramble for a blaster -

Noting the possessions of the Crolute as it was gushing blood it's predictive software was not surprised when another being was spotted near a ship. Nor was it surprised when the slave giddy off of blood ordered another execution. If it had not already performed one murder that was witnessed then her viable choice stock was dropping rapidly.

Adjusting it's grip the calculations took nearly a whole second to adjust for the time and weathering to it's servos and processes. Once complete Kazu threw his short sword to fly forward and impale the fumbling being through the heart. If successful it would acquire the slaver controller from the dead Crolute, if not it would need to rush forward to finish the job before the being had time to properly aim its weapon.

The blade took Yea in the neck, actually, and he toppled. Not an accurate throw, but deadly enough.

The slave controller was in Kazu's hand and his new master opened her mouth in an O of panic.

"Oi, no! Droid!"

The slave rig showed two micro-bombs were active... one of which confirmed that the slave had been terminated as Yea died, and the other active.

Kazu had Sieg's life in her hands... and the ship was, by inevitable conclusion, empty otherwise.

"It is too late to reconsider." Kazu stated as it began stalking forward to retrieve it's short sword and the killed beings blaster. "The wound was fatal as requested. This unit has done as instructed as it's new goals were dictated. Murder. Death. Kill." It buzzed the last in a monotonous resound, like a mantra of those without feeling.

These tonal patterns were shown to have a demoralizing effect on the common troops and civilians. Slaves should be of similar enough temperament. It ignored the obvious leverage that it had clutched in it's hand. If she moved against him, Kazu now had a method of easy defense. "Maintenance required." he stated as calmly as stating that the sky was blue, both were perfectly equal in their obvious nature to his subroutines.

She was referencing the slave-owner controller, but Sieg swallowed her words.

"Alright. Let's get going, and get you oiled up and repaired. That sound good?"

In the blink of a second, she'd exchanged a Crolut for a murder-bot.

A Sith war droid.

"I have friends on Kijimi who specialise in droid restoration," she hedged.

Kazu swiveled his main eye towards her again, "An oil bath sounds like the best idea you have had. Master." He would not comment on the note of 'friends' in droid restoration. For a slave to have friends and be a slave meant the friends were either lowly to extreme, or not truly friends according to the proper calculations - merely people known superficially.

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

IC: Akuma-Oni
Kijimi

Everyone inside had fled shortly after his arrival, now he was the sole patron within the ‘abandoned’ tavern, aside from the zabrak barkeep. How curious, perhaps that was the sole reason why the bartender still lived, strangely enough. Well...perhaps.

Presently, Akuma-Oni occupied the stool at the far-end of the bar counter and motioned for yet another drink to be brought, despite having had so may already.

He paid no heed to the fear that poured out from the barkeep like a torrential river, for that level of fear was more the paralyzing kind- it was not the type to inspire reckless behavior, sadly enough.

Akuma's dark cloak was ill-suited for the frigid climate, yet he seemed completely unaffected by the ever present chill. Akuma-Oni’s hood remained up, allowing only glimpses at his daemon mask. Only the lower portion would open, releasing a cloud of steam just before he took a gulp of his drink. Behind his mask, his eyes would narrow to slits as he imbibed the intoxicant, to little effect. His body simply processed the toxins with incredible efficiency, seemingly its own - apparently far too disciplined a biological mechanism to do otherwise. This caused him to growl in response.

And so, there he sat and drank his fill, in what passed for contemplative silence. A powerful sensation in the force had compelled him to come to this forsaken place; that he could feel quite palpably, even now, with every breath he took. But that was not the source of his troubles.

His perpetual frustration originated not with what he felt, but by what he could not remember. Even after all this time, he could not seem to access past memories- almost as if something prevented him. Perhaps he was in need of a specific event to ‘trigger’ his memories? like some sort of key?

Akuma-Oni scoffed, a dark rasp issuing from behind his mask.

The whole conundrum was positively maddening. Faces, images, sensations, flashes of events would come to his mind, sharp- full of focus with information and revelation, bringing with them desperate lucidity - then they’d simply vanish, almost as soon as they'd appeared.

A dark feral growl.

Akuma-Oni clenched his hand, closing his fist over a drinking glass, which shattered into innumerable shards inside his gloved hand. He hardly felt it and simply ordered another drink.

Inside a moment, there was a surge in the Force: Danger.

Yesss….

The sudden and welcomed sensation stirred memories of Corbos.

And somehow, that event seemed like a life time ago. The galaxy had changed, yet he still remained the same, presumably so. Last he recalled, he’d been on a mission, a dark mission for one of the Dark Masters...Hmmm, No.Sith Lords. But that too had been splintered by fracturing memories. For now, only the dark currents of the Force guided him, moved him towards unravelling the mystery of his past and himself.


Tag: @Sinrebirth, @Corellian_Outrider, @Mitth_Fisto, @Kurisan

 

IC: Janus Jerjerrod
Location: CenSD Electrostar

It was amazing how twenty years flew by. He was now an Admiral, ther Jerjerrod name carried honour and he had a wife and child.

Well the wife bit was not going so well. Being berated constantly that he was never home, that he was supposed to be helping raise their son Artemis. It probably would not be long before a divorce would be on the cards.

But he had his own ship now, the Centurion Star Destroyer Electrostar. And he was aboard said ship now listening to the Emperor give out his instructions.

"The Electrostar and her crew stand ready as always Your Highness" he responded "If he has gone rogue as you say and joined the other side then he could be very dangerous".

"These mysterious ships, do we have any details? How powerful they are? Do they carry any fighter craft?"

The Emperor nodded, fully aware that the Admiral would zero in on the details. “The enemy warships are some 215 meters long, so not immense, but they are missile equipped and carry at least six starfighters.”

He looked concerned; heavier upon his brow. “They don’t have shields, but their heavy armour is quite substantial, so the analysts expect that the starfighter capacity is low. They’re slow, but so well protected it doesn’t matter.”

“We’ve taken to calling them battleships, because in-spite of their small size they are clearly designed to take on much larger vessels.” As he spoke images of starfighters appeared.



“Their starfighters have a triple blaster configuration that packs quite a punch I understand, but the larger problem for our starfighters is these ships.”



“Gunships, complete with six auto blasters - they can overwhelm most small freighters and fighter-craft.” The Emperor sounded concerned.

He let the Admiral absorb this information.

Janus tapped his chin, the wheels turning in his head.

It looked like the Electrostar would have to deal with these ships on her own with the starfighters in reserve.

"How would Dreypa be involved Your Highness? And why did he turn to the Dark Lord's side?"

“The starfighters used a ‘Fighter Slash’, whereby the fighters precede missiles to divert fighter defences,” the Emperor explained. “This was a tactic pioneered by Admiral Dreypa.”

The fighters advanced on a Republic cruiser and the fighter screen scattered to chase them, allowing for the missiles to pass into the middle of their formation and hit the cruiser.

“I would ask you to proceed at all speed to Yag’Dhul. It is not a Fallen World; it is an Imperial world. If the Sith have setup a space inside our space we need to know.”

Janus had noted that the question about why Dreypa had turned had gone unanswered. Maybe perhaps the Emperor did not want him to know such things.

"One last question sir. About Calrissian. I need to know who he is and his past history. So I know who I am dealing with".

"Then myself and the Electrostar will proceed".

"Calrissian?" The Emperor hesitated. "He's a decent enough man. Some call him a rogue, but his whip-crack mind is useful in sectors where we have limited resources and dull Academy-grown Imperials. Not an ounce of experience to them, unlike you, Admiral."

"I would vouch for him. He's from Socorro - on the Imperial side of the Corellian Run."

Janus nodded "Thank you Your Highness. That will be all from me. With your permission I will head onwards. And will stop this Dreypa and whatever he is doing".

"For the glory of the Empire"

"For the glory of the Empire," the Emperor said tiredly, his eyes closing even as he gestured at Jerjerrod to leave him.

"Go, my Admiral."

Janus deactivated the transmission as he bowed to his Emperor.

He commed the bridge and told them to get ready and their destination.

The Electrostar was about to go on a mystery tour.

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

OOC: Combo with @Sinrebirth

IC: Marcus Dren

Alderaan, Fallen Worlds

It had been twenty years since he had fled from the Battle of Corbos. Twelve years since the birth of his child. Twelve years since the death of his wife.

2E had stayed with him the entire time, despite the droid's initial unhappiness about serving a former Dark Jedi.

But Marcus was no longer the same person he had been during the Hundred Year Darkness and his appearance, which has changed over the last two decades, reflected that.



He went by Marcus Valor now, having adopted a new surname in order to better protect himself and his daughter. Marcus Dren was the name of a war criminal, after all.

He also moved himself and his daughter around a lot, always being wary of staying in one place for too long in case his past life caught up to him. Currently they were living on Alderaan, which was one of the nicer places that Marc and his daughter had called home. He was still a master of beasts, but a far less impressive one. Instead of controlling the dark side creatures created by the Dark Jedi... Marc was a nerf herder.

Not that he minded, of course. He was happy as long as his daughter was safe. At the moment he was making dinner for the two of them. As he prepared their food, he sensed his daughter's presence in the Force. He sensed her happiness. Once he was done, he went outside to get her.

He would find Aura, who took more after her mother appearance-wise, playing.

Aura was playing with a wooden animal, turning it with her hands.



Her eyes were full of wonder, and the Force was light and bright around her, as it always was.

Untouched was she by the barbarity of the Hundred Years Darkness.

Indeed, that self-same darkness had remarkably loosened its old on his own heart.

The peace had been good for Marcus.

She sensed her father coming, dropped the animal with a start -

Marcus hadn't seen Aura using the Force, though he knew that flowed through her just like it flowed through him. He had known this ever since she was born, but he had decided not to train her. Because he knew that if she became stronger, then others might learn about her abilities and want to use her like the Dark Jedi had wanted to use him. And the last thing that Marcus wanted for his daughter was for her have to go to war like he had.

"Aura?" Marcus called out. "Are you alright?"

"I know I'm not supposed to use the Force when you're not here," she said, sullen. "But I didn't see the harm. There are no Sith on Alderaan. We're in the Core, Dad."

Marcus sighed. Yes, he had decided not to teach her. But he couldn't stop her from feeling the Force and the Force was determined to have a relationship with Aura whether he wanted it to or not. He was still wary though, since the galaxy was not a safe place for young Force users...

"It's alright," he told his daughter. "Just as long as you're careful."

"I'm always careful, Dad," she rolled her eyes. "I know about big movements and small movements." Nonetheless, she reached down and picked up the toy with her hands. "Waves and echoes in the Force and all that."

Marcus nodded. Truthfully, he never had much proper training in the Force since the Dark Jedi had wanted him on the field as soon as possible. But he knew enough and he did make sure that his daughter at least knew the nature of the Force.

"Good," he told his daughter. "You know that I don't want you to be ashamed of your connection to the Force, Aura. Or afraid of it. I just want you to be aware that it can't be taken lightly. The Force is bright around you and I want to keep it that way. Because when the Force shines brightly, so do you."

He knew too well what happens when the Force darkens instead...

She twisted her face, embarrassed by his words. "Daaaad. Stop it."

But Aura smiled, broadly and brightly, filling the Force with light.

Marcus then heard 2E beeping at him from inside their home, apparently they were receiving a message over their comms.

Quickly Marcus rushed inside to answer the comm and hear the message. But what he heard he didn't like at all...

"Marcus Dren, I am Prince Thul of Alderaan. I know who you are, and I have a request for you. A request from Lord Tulak Hord."

Marcus flinched. It was bad enough that someone knew his real name. But then Thul mentioned a name that he had hoped to never hear again: Tulak Hord. One of the Dark Masters.

He thought he had left that life behind. But apparently not.

"What does he want?" Marcus asked, his fists tightening as he wondered how he had been exposed.

"He wanted me to convey a message to you. That he will reveal your identity and location to the Empire, unless you come to Yn system." The man sounded as servile and sneering as any that served the Sith during the Rebellion. "Lord Hord was quite insistent; he stated that it was time sensitive."

If Dren was to look up the Yn system, he would find it in the Inner Rim... inside Imperial Space.

"I understand," Marcus said before the transmission ended, his fists tightening in anger.

The Sith knew where he was. Not just the Sith, but Tulak Hord himself.

Time sensitive, huh? Too bad that Marcus didn't care. There was no way that he was getting dragged back into this, not after he had made such an effort to leave that life behind. He could not risk becoming that person again or getting his daughter involved. But their location here was compromised.

"Get the ship ready," he told 2E. "We have to leave as soon as possible."

He then rushed outside, rushed over to his daughter. "Aura!" he called out, his voice urgent. "Gather your things, we have to go! The Sith know that we're here!"

Aura jumped up, panicked. They'd, tragically, rehearsed this. Especially with the news that the Sith had struck at a Jedi Lord recently. "I'm coming!"

In a handful of minutes, she had her things gathered - the important things. "Where are we going?" she asked, as she rushed, breathless.

The wooden bear was left behind.

"I have the locations of several safe houses we can go to in the nav computers," Marcus told his daughter. "I'll figure it out."

As he ushered her towards their ship, he made sure that they didn't leave behind anything they'd need. He noticed the wooden bear and with his hand outstretched, he pulled the bear off the ground and to him.

No matter what, he was not going to lose his daughter... or her light.

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

~IC~ Entity known as ‘The Hunter’
Location: Hunter’s Gunship - Hapes Cluster

Spoiler: music

The plasma cannon rested on a cradle. It’s outer casing removed and the inner workings exposed.

Tiny sparks flew from the tip of the soldering tool as a launching mechanism was fitted into position.

The whole suit was designed in such a way to be upgraded with new and improved components. However, given the rarity of the design and the scarcity of compatible components, the trick was to modify what can be ‘salvaged’ into something of used. Trial and error.

What the cannon needed was an secondary weapon. The whistling birds of the Mandalorians would be nice though they lacked the punch needed to take down much larger targets. On top of that, the cost to replenish such a tool is higher and their clans don’t often like parting with their gear.
Portable launchers have been stripped out , their housings and launch mechanisms modified to keep the scaled down missiles protected from the heat of the plasma cannon and when switching configuration, feeds the missile into the chamber, ready to fire... in theory.

There’s always the weight issue. Having to modify the rest of the arm to support the additional weight and to be able to freely move without hinderance. At the moment, the chamber capacity can carry five but for now it probably be best to test with only one in the chamber. Don’t want to risk blowing up the cannon-

A twittering chirp sharply interrupted concentration. Looking up from the workstation and tilting head to listen carefully. The sing song chirping sounded like a bird.

Setting down the tools and leaving the workspace for the cockpit.

The trilling twittering came from the gunship’s computer however it wasn’t a warning of another contact. Sitting down in the cockpit chair, the figure paused for a moment to view the spiralling tendrils of the nebulous region, to see if there was something out there. Blinking, focus shifted to the reflection of their face, a set of tired green-blue eyes staring back at them.

Sighing softly.

“Little bird, what have you found?”

The computer had intercepted certain transmissions. Keywords indicated a potential target...

That there is a Sith on Kijimi.

Curious...
Someone has to investigate such a claim.

The navigation interface dial swung down from overhead. Upon keying in the destination, the gunship languidly rolled and angled on the vector for Kijimi.

Activating drives.

---

[Kijimi - Bryx Sector]​

The ice blue world of Kijimi looked beautiful from space. The database indicated that the orbit around its star was the reason for the cooler climate, that the surface temperature could reach sub-zero in places with extreme gale force winds. Despite such hostile conditions, life has been determined to call it home. Several spots showed signs of civilisation, structures, power readings, traffic...

Locking in a flight path, the gunship will land a few klicks from one of the larger settlements for the approach to go in on foot. The terrain is mountainous though there seem to be a stretch that shouldn’t prove too much of a hassle to traverse. With the helm given over to the auto-pilot, it was time to suit up for the cold...

TAG: @greyjedi125 @Kurisan @Mitth_Fisto @Sinrebirth

 

IC: K4-ZU-P8489, or Kazu
Kijimi

Landing on world and using the contacts of the one currently labeled Master had seen them off loading the salvage and initiating bank transfers appropriately. The oil bath had been sub-par, compared to the ship it was adequate, and the trip here had been uneventful as Kazu had asked questions to understand the current state of the galaxy.

The controller had been integrated into current design situation and was purposefully shown to be in such a place that if this unit was powered down without proper preparation it would trigger the device. Leaving the ship behind they had gone for this beings friends. It was during that journey that a message was intercepted.

THERE IS A SITH ON KIJIMI

As this unit was war droid, prior property of the Sith, the notion that someone had mislabeled his status was briefly considered. This notion of course was discarded as unlikely. The more likely course was that someone had recognized a Sith on world.

Kazu had no method for following such a notification at this time. "We should proceed to your, friends." it stated in passing to Master Sieg. "This unit still requires repair and upgrades Master Sieg."

TAG: @greyjedi125, @Corellian_Outrider, @Sinrebirth , @Kurisan (singles)