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

Star Wars OPEN New Sith Trials: Dark Reach: Episode I: An Order Remade

Discussion in 'Role Playing Forum' started by Lady_Belligerent , Jul 1, 2019.

  1. Darth Cocytus

    Darth Cocytus Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 8, 2016
    Darth Cocytus
    Oovo IV Depths

    More or less, Darth Cocytus's gambit worked, getting the prisoners out of his way with as little unnecessary bloodshed as possible, and possibly setting a new form of public relations with the wider Galaxy for the First Order. However, whoever was below, the presence in the Force, remained where it was, refusing to make it's true nature known to those above. The kaminoan focused on it on his journey through the many levels of this prison world even as he approached the commander with his guard.

    "Hmmm... Quite unfortunate." Darth Cocytus replied coldly as he gazed at Sellik who announced the fate of his men, although there wasn't any hint of disapproval in his voice. In fact, the Commander indeed brought as much satisfaction as he could. A thin smile grew on his face. "Have your men stand by, Commander. I shall go onward alone. There is... someone, or something, down at the last level. A presence in the Force. Leave it to me to deal with personally... I shall contact you when needed."

    Cocytus gestured to his guard to also stand by as well before moving forward to the locked door. He felt it gently with both of his tridactyl hands before igniting one of his his twin lightsabers to cut through the door. A demonstration that whoever was on the other end was in the presence of a Dark Lord of the Sith not to be trifled with.

    here was a sigh in the Force. A female one. A crimson lightsaber ignited in response, showing the pale woman holding it. She was willowy, and tall, adorned in the red she preferred. "So the Sith finally came for me."

    "A fish-face, at that?" She lifted a hand, and a motley array of nonhumans rushed forward, blasters raised. Her loyal core of supporters... fodder, in essence. The second wave had lightsaber proof weapons; energy staffs, even a beskar blade, and they all had lightsaber burns from the training they'd done with her.

    There was a small light in the Force within all six of the second wave…

    Cocytus walked through the rather long hole he created out of the locked door. He eyed the force sensitive female with a twinge of surprise and authority. He looked around at the armed prisoners, some wielding the all too familiar beskar like that the kaminoan was previously imprisoned in. The Sith Lord raised his free hand carefully as a sign of parlay while keep other hand, wielding his lightsaber, in a defensive manner.

    "If you may excuse me, Madam." Cocytus greeted in his cold, yet polite manner, ignoring the insult she threw at him, "But I have not a single idea of who you are, Dark Jedi, never mind of any Sith search for you. I am Darth Cocytus, Supreme Leader of the First Order, and I am on a search and rescue mission of utmost importance for an apprentice of mine. Stand aside and you all may be given pardon and clemency to the extent of law."

    "I, as of yet, see no necessity to destroy any of you."

    Cocytus tilted his head at the gear that the inmates. "Some of you are armed with beskar. Interesting." He noted. "Tell me. Where do they keep the prisoners who are locked in boxes of such metal, put to sleep in carbonite? That would be enough cooperation to earn you all pardon."

    “I’m Aurra Sing, and just calling yourself a Sith doesn’t impress me.” She sneered. “At all.”

    She raised her hand, but didn’t order her motley crew to fire. “There hasn’t ever been a beskar box here. There were two supposed to come here, I heard, like... thirty years ago now. Neither turned up.”

    Aurra pointed the lightsaber at him. “I don’t want clemency. I owned this world until you arrived. I heard the First Order is on the way out; mass uprisings... what is your pardon worth?”

    Darth Cocytus smiled thinly at the identity of the woman, but kept his guard up. "Ah! Of course. Aurra Sing, the bounty hunter!" The kaminoan greeted with cold enthusiasm, "Yes I have heard of you, but of course we never met in person. A pleasure to meet you."

    That enthusiasm, however, quickly died away as Aurra Sing explained the missing beskar boxes. So Darth Styx wasn't here after all. "That information is most unfortunate to hear. It means that one I seek is not here." Cocytus replied with a frown, "Although it's enough to earn your pardon and this world for you to rule as you see fit."

    The kaminoan stroked his chin in thought. An idea sprouted from such thinking. "Although, I could use your services if you are still in the Bounty Hunting business." Cocytus went on, offering her a job, "Name your price for aid in my rescue mission, for you have already earned pardon."

    "As for the First Order," The kaminoan went on thoughtfully, "The old older has indeed run its course, but from the ashes shall rise a new power, a Galactic Imperium, to rule, not through fear alone, but with one hand open in extension for friendship to those willing to cooperate and the other clenched in a tight fist against those who would violently oppose us."

    "A Galactic Imperium," Aurra said, drily. "I'll accept your... pardon, on the basis I'm left alone... and I'll run the prison for whomever comes for it." She paused. "I heard the boxes contained Kaminoans... and they were intercepted between here and Kamino."

    "Is that you, Mr Cocytus?"

    "That is Darth Cocytus or Lord Cocytus." The kaminoan replied simply before smiling thinly, "But, yes, you are quite perceptive, which makes you the bounty hunter you are known for. I was one of the prisoners meant to be here, but the Dark Side had other plans for me."

    Cocytus smiled ruefully yet also humorously at the irony of it all. "Tell me, Ms. Sing. Or Lady Sing. Where exactly was the transport ship intercepted? Perhaps we could continue my search from there..."

    She tapped a long finger to her chin. "I hear it was caught at Rishi. But the funny thing was that the crew didn't even realise, or perhaps remember, they'd been robbed. It was quite a mystery, which is why it caught my ear..." she cocked her eyebrow. "But what does it matter - it was nearly thirty years ago."

    Aurra didn't have any vested interest in whatever the man was building. The Sith had been, by all accounts, just routed entirely and completely, devastating an armada. It was a completely impossible blow to recover from. Yet here was Cocytus, a fish out of time, doing something about it.

    "Remember me when you're Emperor, would you?"

    "Rishi..." Darth Cocytus replied, repeating the name thoughtfully as though he heard the name before. In fact, actually, the kaminoan had heard of it of course. "The tropical planet. Thank you, Aurra Sing. I shall leave you now to your own devices. You have earned that..."

    Cocytus turned to leave, still set in thought. It wasn't much, but it was another start. The Sith, as the Galaxy knew them, were certainly all but destroyed. However, if Darth Cocytus could find Darth Styx, then the Sith would still have a future under the Rule of Two. If not... Well, even in a Galaxy in uprising there may be some candidates for a new apprentice.

    Darth Cocytus stopped and looked at Aurra Sing one last time in thought as she spoke to him. He certainly made a mental note to remember her indeed.

    "I'll have my men keep contact with you." He replied, "Who knows? Should I not be able to find my dear Darth Styx... perhaps you could prove to be a candidate for Sith apprenticeship, strong in the force as you are... maybe."

    @Sinrebirth






    Sent from my SM-A205U using Tapatalk
     
  2. Sinrebirth

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

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: Captain Sellik
    Rishi moon, 35 ABY

    The journey to Rishi was a long one. Basically at the galaxies edge, it was a waypoint to the nearest satellite galaxy - the Rishi Maze - and also to Kamino. As they jumped across the chaotic territory of the First Order, it was slowly becoming more clear how the shape of the conflict was flowing.

    The Hutts had of course laid a claim to their former territories, as had the Bothans, a fleet of assault cruisers not deploying to Exegol but to reclaim their sector of space. The Aqualish rising up, using former Separatist warships to stake out a claim upon their homeworld. The extended Tarkin family had walled off the Sesswenna sector, even as First Order loyalists retreated from the New Territories to eight sectors that had seceded from the New Republic - running in an narrow band starting at Borosk.

    The blockade of the Colonies was imperilled, besieged in a dozen places, heavy fighting on-going. Recently that had been where the primary buildup of the First Order was located, a wall from which they could launch forays into the Expansion Region.

    Sellik tried to contact the surviving members of the Admiralty, but the HoloNet was full of messages and propaganda and requests for assistance. There were a thousand critical points where the First Order could triumph if there were reinforcements - and the will to do so. But here they were, on Rishi, hunting down... what? He was already regretting his alliance, notwithstanding their relative success at Oovo IV. But Sellik was loyal, and he would accept orders from his new leader.

    When they arrived, Rishi was a quiet world with minimal to it. The First Order had a garrison here that requested orders, but Cocytus would feel the Force nearby, and vibrantly so - darkly so.

    “Orders, my Lord?” Sellik said dully.

    TAG: @Darth Cocytus
    —-
    IC: Ooru

    Edge of the Akkadese Maelstrom, present day 7 ABY

    When two became one, they rarely became one or the other. They more often were turned into something else, with both parties losing their identities. It was a continual struggle to be anything but the new personage.

    Ooru had already been fighting to possess this Hapan when Bernael made it here, and so both were emaciated by the conflict, the Hapan himself a broken shell. Getting off Hapes had been simple enough in the aftermath of the great battle, and so they’d headed into the beyond. What they’d been following, one could not say, but Ooru had been a memory of Bernael’s, and so eventually faded away, returning to him.

    He ended up at the edge of the Akkadese Maelstrom, of course, following his broken instincts. It was here that Manticore would find him.

    To say precisely what had happened to allow the Zabrak to find him would be difficult at best. Time was irrelevant to the Darkstaff, but it had been sufficiently long a journey to allow the staff to explain that there was another attempt to End reality afoot. That there was a wall that prevented the ‘staff from travelling all the way back to before its creation. It reasoned that one could not time-travel unless one had a version of oneself present at the location, and because the Darkstaff was an item rather than a personage it was timeless.

    Manticore had fallen through a gap in reality - but his personal experiences were from the final decades of the old galaxy and handful years of the new he had experienced. But his personal timeline existed; he was simply travelling through branch realities, not changing time. The Darkstaff explained that a Change could reverberate forward and backwards, if sufficiently immense, and the destruction caused by the Sith on Mortis would certainly qualify. Vy’ndall would vanish back into Manticore’s damaged psyche as it knit itself, at least, as the Darkstaff asked Manticore the fundamental question.

    What was different about the reality they now travelled to?

    Every Sith Lord knew the fundamentals of galactic history. The corruption of the Old Republic by Darth Sidious; the fall of the Empire to the New; the coming of the Yuuzhan Vong and the Galactic Alliance thereafter; the civil wars that followed, culminating in Darth Krayt’s rise and the Grand Sith Empire of the Triumvirate. Some had a greater knowledge than not, including of the Sith Wars that predated the Old Republic. Manticore had knowledge of Tulak Hord; Bernael of Ruin and Bane; Syren of the era of Revan; Haretisch of Typhojem himself.

    So the Darkstaff asked a very obvious question as to who their target had to be, to steer the galaxy back on-track.

    Who stood out like a mutated, twisted, venal, sore thumb?

    These thoughts would go through Manticore’s mind as he reached the lonely Hapan yacht that stank of death in the Force; of Bernael’s death.

    TAG: @greyjedi125, @darthbernael (combo)
    —-
    IC: Zestus

    Battle of Primea, from a hidden location

    It wasn’t a terrible surprise when Sabel’s forces arrived from the direction of Csilla, throwing the Primeans into a panic. It wasn’t a terrible surprise when the hitherto disabled Imperial warships reactivated, and Zestus had already directed his forces to have ion weapons trained on them; they were disabled anew in a matter of minutes.

    What was a surprise was the presence of the Super Star Destroyer, which definitely placed the enlargement Nikardun war fleet he had at parity with Sabel’s forces, even with the reformation of the Golden Destiny. But he’d already decided what to do; the Nikardun fleets had their orders the moment that the Chiss or other Imperial ships appeared; they fled into hyperspace.

    Eleodie frowned.

    “That wasn’t expected,” zhe said.

    “Your Majesties, we have a formal request from the Primean government that we leave their system, or they will declare war upon us.”

    The pirate Queen seethed. “Oh will they. Perhaps we’ll drop some asteroids on their population centres then.”

    TAG: @darthbernael (combo)
    —-
    IC: Insipid’s Holocron

    Hapes, Royal Palace

    The Holocron could not disagree with Soliloquy’s estimation. Snoke was a terrible foe because of just how wounded he was. It was obvious, in hindsight, and the Emperor’s analysis was sublime, as Insipid would say.

    Which meant he was conniving, powerful, and murderous at any point in time. In the meantime, orders were sent and made, and Hapan scientists delighted in having their ethical limits abolished and new work to set upon. Ships were sent to hunt Dashade, and Hapan Intelligence was ramped up to watch politicians and create a list of candidates. Though no one Hapan knew the whole plan, all acted at the orders of the Sith Emperor, especially as Helinith and Renn appeared to be locked in bed.

    In short order, Iudex would be due to report, and have updates from his burgeoning criminal network; the so-called capital of the underworld, Coruscant, was undergoing some drama. A new faction, perhaps two, had made a move into the two powerhouses; Arb, the head of crime, had been kidnapped and his organisation left to squabble over who would control it, and the former leader of the Empire, Mas Amedda, the Grand Vizier who had signed the surrender accords, was presently being hosted in orbit aboard a casino ship of some kind. There was some major changes afoot on Coruscant, and there was no indication that the New Republic knew about it.

    There was also an intercepted report that two Kaminoan members of the dark-side cult the Acolytes of the Beyond had been captured by Luke Skywalker and Admiral Ackbar of the New Republic, with their sentencing due. Their names, Cocytus and Styx, were appended as possibilities.

    So Iudex had all manner of information, and of course Sabel’s politicking, to report to his Emperor.

    TAG: @Mitth_Fisto, @Silvertough (you two please combo with the Holocron present), and @darthhelinith, @darthbernael, please continue on, while @DarthIshyZ, please get in touch as and when
    —-
    IC: Darth Insipid

    Aboard the Luxury Elite, Coruscant system

    He winced as his apprentice used the Force, though he himself had just stated there was no other way to access the mechanism. Insipid was both expectant of meeting Sith that he knew, but also conscious he had no idea how much had passed here, since they’d separated. He wasn’t their Insipid, and they were no longer his Sith. He had no control about the ‘when’ of his arrival in this reality, after all.

    All he knew what he couldn’t sense himself, which mean his other half had been killed... which raised the spectre of failure on the part of his loyalists, or treachery. Neither was an appealing thought. Thus he was being so cautious in his arrival, but it acted as a useful training exercise for Azathoth, and he would acquire much needed experience.

    He recalled many of his apprentices, summoning up his experiences, but also noting how different they were. Ardeur, Idoneus, Helinith, Anark... There were other names, of course, but he did not have infinite recall, nor did he need it. He himself had many masters, after all. Krayt, Lomi Plo, his grandmother, Caedus, Haretisch, let alone the Holocron of Darth Gorog, formerly Daritha Soros. But he was curious as to what sort of Sith that Azathoth would become.

    It was yet to be seen.

    But what Insipid had seen, warmed the Masters dead heart.

    Now to see what Azathoth would teach him, as any good student would.

    He was so focused on his musings as they exited the lift that he didn’t sense the doctor that stood down the corner. Insipid vanished from sight, basically appearing to be Azathoth’s shadow, even as Doctor Cal Jepsun frowned at the young man.

    TAG: @Shadowsun, @Lady Belligerent (as Cal)
    —-
    IC: Ike

    Not far from the VIP hangar, Sith quarters

    Amedda commented on how deserted the corridor was considering this was a gaming establishment. Bellorum stopped and turned to face him, “having private passages is one of the fringe benefits of being the owner.” She felt his hands on her waist and he slowly pulled her closer, suddenly he was speaking soft nauseating words of adulation.

    Bellorum couldn’t hear his nonsense over the screams of disgust filling her mind. Her plan was to take control before things got too weird, so looked up into his eyes and smiled as she leaned in as if to kiss him, instead she bit his bottom lip and tugged. Once she released it she took his arm and continued to walk towards the lift. “You will behave,” she gently chided him, “I am a lady, also Ike will be joining us soon.” With a smile, she took his hand and led him towards her suite.

    Ike met them in the corridor, smiling gallantly, attired in his silk robes and undergarments beneath. His feet were bare, and the only evidence of him having prepared was the hair removal, save for that on his head, and that he seemed decidedly oiled up. He appeared too shine in the light.

    "Grand Vizier," Ike said, emphasizing the last word with a bow. "I believe the lady needs to get ready for your evening... might I provide you with an appetizer in the meantime?"

    Bellorum leaned to air kiss both of Ike’s cheeks in greeting after a cautious glacé to take in his glistening appearance. “Ike darling, may I present my friend Mas Amedda,” she smiled but internally she was in complete anguish. She’d convinced herself she could set aside emotions and do anything necessary to take over Coruscant, but allowing anyone to touch her was not going to happen. She could not do it. “If you both will excuse me, I’ll go freshen up and meet you both in just a few.”

    It was a struggle not to run, but she remained calm on the exterior. If only Haretisch hadn’t ruined everything by leaving her. Bellorum made it to her suite before tears stained her cheeks.

    Ike glanced after Bellorum, concerned for a moment, and then he turned back to Mas. "Grand Vizier... " The Chagrian's eyes lit up as Ike stepped over and ran a bare hand over the folds of his montrals. "So you're the most powerful man in the galaxy."

    "No longer, I am afraid," Mas said, sitting heavily in the waiting area.

    "Oh, but you are," Ike said. "You just need the right... connections, no?" He settled above Amedda's head, behind him, stroking both sides and applying the Force gently to the man. "If you had them, you could claim rule of the Empire again..."

    "Dangerous," the Chagrian said, his eyes closed at the massage.

    Ike smirked. Coward. "Of course, so why take that risk? Why not be the power behind the throne... a figurehead... a beautiful figurehead, too," Ike leaned forward as he whispered, nibbling at the base of his horns. "No?"

    "You?"

    "Oh no," Ike said with a soft chuckle. "Not me, my Lord. Our host, she is the power here, and throughout many worlds... many underworlds, even. Support her, and we - I - could make your life quite..." He swung around to the front of Mas and grinned. "Comfortable."

    Bellorum filled the Force with gratitude for Ike taking Amedda. She cursed herself for being emotional, “this doesn’t make me weak,” she screamed as she unleashed Force lightning that shattered rows of crystal glasses over the bar.

    The smashing glass was loud enough that one of her guards opened the door and stepped in. Bellorum raised her hand to indicate she was fine, the guard acknowledged her with a nod and stepped back.

    She watched the door close before walking through the shards of crystal to take a bottle of wine. The cork appeared to slowly ease out of the bottle as she walked into her closet to change clothes for dinner.

    By the time she stepped in front of the mirror, she had regained a durasteel facade. Her amaranthine silk cloak flowed softly as she turned, it was the perfect shade against her pale blue skin. “Okay, Ike, I’m ready for this,” she said to the empty room. Hopefully she’d given him enough time.

    Ike had left the Grand Vizier in a daze, and rolled his shoulders to get the feeling out of him. He headed to get Bellorum, carefully placing his feet so as not to slide. With a rap, he went to open her door, ignoring the guards. He cocked his head, feeling something odd in the ship. What was it?

    He turned to reach out, trying to recognise it. He was still frowning, sensing what could not be sensed, when her door opened.

    “Did you sense that?” She wouldn’t, of course, as it had happened across the remnants of his bond with his spouse.

    He spread out his senses, taking in Syren, Aryan, Nehru, Hel and of course the Sith school. But after, there was a definite but unfamiliar twist in the Force. Ike’s eyes widened. “Or that?”

    TAG: @Lady Belligerent, @QueenSabe7, @HanSolo29, @Nehru_Amidala (TAG for Belligerent only, others mentioned).

    TAG: @ClaiomhSolais, @E. L.Knight, continue your combo)
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2021
  3. Darth Cocytus

    Darth Cocytus Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 8, 2016
    Darth Cocytus
    Rishi moon

    It didn’t take long for Cocytus to remember how close to his home planet hw was as they arrived at the Rishi moon. A mental note was made to make a visit. Should Taun We still be alive, the Sith Lord had a debt he’d very much like to collect from her. In the meantime, nonetheless, the search for Darth Styx continued, to restore the Sith back to power. Here, now, was promising, with a presence in not just the force, but the Dark Side of the Force itself.

    Darth Cocytus hummed slightly in thought before glancing at the commander who awaited his orders. “Simply have them prepare for my arrival onto the moon, Commander.” The kaminoan replied, “There is another force sensitive down below which I shall attend to myself. I am cautiously optimistic that it may be my very own apprentice if not someone with information on her whereabouts.”

    Cocytus continued to stare at Sellik, reading his thoughts. “Take ease, Commander.” The kaminoan assured him, “The First Order shall triumph soon enough at the points you think of, but the Sith Order needs an heir to ensure a new future for both of us to prosper in. An heir to the throne that the master must pass down their knowledge.”

    “A Rule of One is just as fatal to the Order as a Rule of Many…”

    @Sinrebirth



    Sent from my SM-A205U using Tapatalk
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2021
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  4. darthbernael

    darthbernael EU Community Mod, Fuego, Pyrofuego! star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    IC Sabel and Eleodie (With @Sinrebirth as Eleodie and the ever irritating Black Coat :D)
    Battle of Primea, from a hidden location

    Sabel stroked his chin for a moment, in thought. Zestus had a plan and meant to take even more. Which made him consider where the rogue Red Guard was headed. He had an idea and that was not a good thing. He was thinking about it so deeply that he almost missed what Eleodie said.

    ”Hmmm,” he began, thought for a second, ”Zestus and that fleet are priority but we cannot leave Primus to foment dissent behind us. And have these otherwise unused asteroids. So,” he turned to the one who had spoken last, ”Do as zhe said. Leave no large population center untouched.”

    He turned back to Eleodie, ”Now where did they go? We should comm every outpost, but I suspect they went for Base One;”

    The Primean defenses immediately set upon the asteroids, but at least some were going to make it through. The Primeans were too busy with them to mount any defense against the Imperial warships, leaving them unfettered. Primea called out over a wide-channel, begging the various hermetic-kingdoms in the area for assistance.

    But as Sabel's comms were raised, there was a flash of hyperspace, and the Nikardun deployment returned, this time, by the repeat-disabled Imperial vessels. Their tractors activated, and they advanced, clearly intending to use the same strategy that Sabel had proposed with his own ships; towing them as they launched fighter craft.

    Sabel chuckled, ”I was wrong, it seems. But they are wasting resources.”

    He turned to the comms officer snapping ”Launch the fighters.”

    In the same moment he concentrated and suddenly, behind the other craft of his fleet, several ships decanted from hyper, a significant proportion of the remainder of his fleet, or so it seemed. He was using his mental abilities to conjure the appearance of the craft, as though he was committing his reserves to the fight.

    Moving his gaze to Eleodie, ”The Liberty’s Misrule would be good to stand off and use her tractors to depopulate the asteroid belt. Use the targeting computer to compute trajectories to use them against Zestus craft, just because we threw the first few doesn’t mean the tactic cannot be used again.”

    Eleodie put across the instructions, but got a negative response. "They're too far out, Sabel." The Nikardun's turned to face the illusory fleet, but that enabled them to slingshot the Imperial ships they had under tractor. A wave of metal was on it's way at a not-too-substantial speed -

    The enemy fighters split, above and below the elliptic -

    A Chiss Nightdragon man-of-war appeared at the edge of the planetary envelope, broadcasting the pennant code Vigilant. It held off, sensors probing.

    The Nikardun fleet held position at a ninety-degree angle to Sabel's fleet, meaning they could throw a broadside at the illusionary fleet and keep half their weapons trained the other direction.

    Eleodie made a noise of irritation. "Naval strategy; not our forte."

    Sabel’s face was strained, he looked as though he was holding the load of the galaxy on his shoulders as he turned toward her. A small smile crossed his face though. ”Zestus has his surprises but so do I.”

    Suddenly the image of the Liberty’s Misrule wavered in it’s place as part of the formation of Sabel’s ships. Sabel let out a deep sigh as he let go, the image of the ship vanishing entirely. He could almost feel the worry and the concern of the scanning crews on Zestus ships as the SSD vanished, and then their deeper fear as suddenly it reappeared, to the system north, fighter squadrons flushing free, a sudden, massive presence outside the pincers of Zestus attack.

    He leaned against a nearby console, the strain of having hidden, created the illusion of a 20km starship having drained him to a great deal. His seemed weary as he straightened up, eyes tracking to the comms officer, ”Hail the Vigilant. Tell them that if Chord interferes with my interests here I will sever my ties to the Ascendency and retire from the Admiralty’s Lists.”

    Turning back to Eleodie, ”Have the squadrons target the engines and drive cores of Zestus’ ships.” He chuckled, a tired sound as an Ensign brought him a stim and a cup of stimtea.

    The exhaustion would seep further into Sabel, and his eyes would lid from the effort.

    Surging forward, the Vigilant responded, comms only, a woman's voice. "The Primeans have the impression you are a Chiss asset, and we would seek to rectify that impression." Tractor beams reached and snatched the asteroids the Primeans had missed - not a single one hit the surface, and the Primea forces set upon the rear of the Imperial fleet, placing them in a pincer. The woman continued to speak. "We will defend ourselves, but we will also defend our honour, too."

    Eleodie could see that the pincer of a pincer was an issue; the Primean gunboats were more heavily armed than their fighters, and too numerous for their capital ships to hit. The Resurgent was taking hits, fighters winking out. The Vigilant had not opened fire, and appeared to be disinterested in a fight.

    The Nikardun formation, lined at ninety degrees to the Misrule and the inner force, were able to focus their shields depending which ships were facing which way, providing them with a decent formation notwithstanding.

    Sabel, weary from his distraction, smiled. Zestus was doing everything he would have done, in the situation. He drank of the stimtea and felt his exhaustion fading to a degree. He looked to the comm officer, ”Execute formation Zeta Alpha Three.” The Nebula pushed forward, as though taking the battle to Zestus, one of the modified SDs directly behind it, from the viewpoint of their foe.

    He smiled once more, time to do something Zestus wouldn’t anticipate. He opened a channel, the background of the Nebula’s bridge, the frantic activity of the bridge crew the backdrop. It was an open channel, which meant the Chiss could hear as well. ”First, to our Chiss observers, you have shown that you do not support your out of Ascendency operations and that will be remembered. Second, to Zestus, coward I call you, not even worthy of the title of traitor. You disagreed with a decision of your sovereign and instead of standing up to him, me, you ran, like a dog with his tail tucked between his legs.”

    Sipping at the tea again, affected a disaffected air, ”You have a grievance, then air it, to my face, remove the stain of cowardice, which I’m sure the Nikardun are now finding it interesting to hear that you are. How long will you stay in command when I call you out like the dog you are and you fail to come forward and face me as a warrior? So, face me, one on one, now.”

    He smiled coldly as he closed the channel. The Nebula surged forward a slight distance again, still within the envelope of protection from the SDs but making itself appear as Sabel taking the field. As it did, Sabel reached out, mentally, across the system, to Eleodie, ’When he flinches, make your move, my dear.’

    Eleodie gave Sabel a mental nod, and then vanished from the Force.

    A Nikardun destroyer, sleek and sharp, stepped free from the formation, advancing forward.

    It was silent in the Force, though, as much as the Nebula was.

    The Force pointed... to the Liberty's Misrule.

    As they danced, the Imperial formation crumbled slowly but surely.

    The Vigilant didn't respond, simply watching.

    Sabel smiled and the Nebula advanced at the same pace that the Nikardun Destroyer did, slowly, deliberately. It’s weapons systems, from the point of an outside observer, appeared silent and waiting but any naval officer would know there was a hive of activity going on inside, just as there had to be in the foe.

    The ship flew unerringly on a direct course toward the Nikardun ship, and it soon became apparent that this would be a massive game of which captain would turn their ship aside first.

    The Force grew more urgent, emphasizing that there were Force users aboard the Misrule.

    The Destroyer for its part continued onwards, the sleek prow approaching; with how it was designed, it would slice through the Nebula.

    The Nebula dove and rolled onto its side at the last moment, firing its broadsides into the underside of the Nikardun destroyer. What was missed, however, was a small blip that was on an unpowered trajectory to the Misrule and had been from the moment Eleodie disappeared from sense in the Force.

    It had launched from the SD behind the Nebula, unseen behind its shadow and by the time anyone would have noticed it would have been considered just a piece of debris from the recently destroyed asteroids. Except, at the last moment, it powered up and swooped into the hangar of the Misrule. For a moment the TIE X1 sat there, still and creaking as the engines powered down. And then the canopy opened and a figure in Sabel’s red armor stepped free.

    It looked at a readout on the left gauntlet and then began stalking through the SSD, seeking out the source of Force energy that had been found.

    The battle continued, relatively, the main Imperial force being swarmed by the Primeans, the Nikardun one exchanging distant fire with the Imperials and the Misrule, the Chiss holding off.

    Eleodie spoke up across Sabel's comms. "Where are you, my love? We have a... situation on our bridge. Remind us; how many Red Knights did you have?"

    The armored form glanced up when Eleodie commed Sabel, before it dropped a Red Knight. The man was unconscious, his mind hit with a psychic shock. The Knight was left there, his thoughts of turning against Sabel now overwritten. It was a quick and dirty intrusion and would last until they could be secured and a deeper interrogation and return to Sabel could be affected. The figure tapped the pad on his wrist a few times.

    Several moments passed and Sabel replied to Eleodie, ”My dear, I began with a dozen Knights, but with the current situation I do believe only 7 are still active that have rebelled. The other five have suffered...non-lethal accidents. But I have a question for you, does your pilot still love you?”

    "He does, of course," she said, wryly. "But to be honest, there's eight standing on the bridge, our love; one in black, too?" Eleodie's voice was slightly higher than normal. "Not sure about the black guy.. he's a bit out there."

    "Helloooo, Sabel," came a voice; high pitched, melodious, even.

    The armored figure found itself standing before the door to the bridge. The helmeted head cocked to the side for a moment as it considered the message Eleodie had sent. It tapped a few more times on the pad on it’s wrist.

    A few more moments passed, where those on the bridge could clearly see the armored figure standing there before the door. And then Sabel’s voice came over the comm, ”They have been recruiting even more minor talents then, isn’t that right, coward?” he stated flatly.

    "I don't suppose you can come out and play," said the man in a Black-Coat. "We're going to cross paths in, what, five years time, by my Eye." The red guards were all armoured, weapons pointed at Eleodie.

    "It would be a tragedy if we met again in the future in a more... tragic reunion."

    The armored man looked up, the visor seeming to look directly into the security camera. And then the figure raised it’s hand and a hollow booming sound echoed in the bridge, the metal of the door vibrating slightly with the knock. ”Oh, my connection to your security system tells me you have a guest at the door of the bridge…”

    "Yes, yes, I know. But I'm talking to you." He gestured, and the doors opened.

    The Black-Coat held out his hands. "Wouldn't it best to resolve this amicably... before?"

    His voice pitched slightly higher.

    ”Before…” came from the comm before the figure removed it’s helmet, the distinctive blue skin, hair, and blazing red eyes of a Chiss being revealed, ”Before your plans are ruined, in five years when I help you finish your plan. But turning my apprentices into cowards and rebels brought us to this point.”

    His head cocked, looking at the ones around the bridge, no emotion radiated from him but his eyes said enough. The eyes swung back to the Black Coat ”Tell them to lower their weapons that are pointed toward Eleodie or we will not discuss this.”

    He gestured a hand, the fingers wagging down, and the Red Knights lowered their weapons. "So it is you," the Black-Coat said. "I kinda wondered if you'd mind-control a Chiss to come to the bridge for you." He swept a hand to the seven. "Zestus isn't here, by the by."

    "He's recently apprenticed himself to someone... else."

    Sabel smiled, flatly, ”That is his loss then, he will find that my ways, while harsh were gentler than many Sith would ever use.” He chuckled, ”Your Eye doesn’t see everything my ‘friend’ or you’d also know that his name was not Zestus, but that is a title, that of he or she that leads my Red Guard. And when you return them to me there will be a new Zestus.”

    He held out a hand to Eleodie, ”My dear, they will not bother you if you join me and I’d rather there not be an accident if one of them makes a mistake.” While he waited for her to do so, his head turned back to the Black Coat, ”What was so pressing that you had to attempt to destroy my polity to do so? And five years early at that.”

    "Not quite an attempt," he said, with a chuckle, gesturing for the Knights to let Eleodie go. The Knights looked at each other, and then back at the Black-Coat. "But what if I told you, there is a contradictory timeline running through this one, eh? The problem being someone trying to force a Change."

    "Lots of little ones," he said with a shrug, and gestured again to the Knights. One reached a hand to check a comm ear. "Well, I bluffed my way here, it's up to you now." The Black-Coat dove, and the seven Knights drew lightsabers, and Eleodie was shoved to the ground by a Force push.

    A meld emerged between the seven Knights, and they became almost hive-minded; and their power overlapped and increased to make them a single unit.

    "Sorry!" A voice came from behind a console. "I taught them to do that!" They launched at Sabel as one, and he would know, with absolute Force certainty, that together they outmatched him.

    The pad on Sabel’s gauntlet beeped and he placed the helmet back on his head. The visor turned toward Eleodie, ”Sorry for this my dear.” he said, almost calmly. And then several things seemed to happen at once. He wrapped an arm around zher, the armored windows of the bridge exploded inward as cannon blasts fired at the melded Guard, and four shapes landed on the deck of the bridge as the force screens snapped into place, preventing air loss from the bridge.

    The shapes unfolded, into battle droids. They began firing at the seven, attempting disabling shots where possible as Sabel’s saber leaped into his hands. Gazing at Eleodie once more, ”Arm yourself.” he stated calmly as he moved to face the Guards. His TIE was still outside, having flown there from the hangar at his command, weapons automated, firing controlled bursts through the screens at the Guards as he flowed into combat.

    The guards separated, abandoning their meld as the TIE opened fire, shredded consoles and lifting into the air the corpses of several of the dead. The moment passed, and the guards regrouped, less two, grabbing at their meld but vulnerable for a brief moment -

    Eleodie was hidden beneath a Black-Coat, who had sprung to cover her. "Bit reckless of ya, Mr Sabel."

    Sabel laughed, as he went to war. His mind leaped out, his will sliding between that of those trying to reform the meld and the others, blocking it. Even as he did he slid forward, saber spinning, slashing at a leg her, a torso there, and then up between an arm and the body.

    Stepping back for a moment, his will still fighting the meld, he let his eyes flash over to Eleodie and the Black Coat before returning to the Guards. Another laugh sounded, ”You think I would accept a wilting flower as my partner? Oh, Eleodie, you don’t still happen to have that poison coating your sharp nails do you?” he asked, humor in his voice as he surged again, saber flashing as he taught his former pupils why he was the Lord and they mere apprentices.

    The meld surged back, and there was a slight back and forth with the remaining four apprentices, they had woven their will, and the Black-Coat glanced at Eleodie, who looked perplexed. "What's your role, dark man?"

    "Oh," he chuckled. "Not that, I assure you. I'm just here to stop someone from changing things anymore than they have already." He wagged a finger. "Sabel and you, you're fine, you're supposed to be here." He pointed out the sole remaining transparisteel display at the Resurgent. "That's the problem, you see."

    The four Knights retreated from a bevy of blows, and together pushed Sabel back with an outstretched hand. The gaps between their meld sealed, and they were ready. Equal, perhaps, to him. The Black-Coat held out a pinched finger and thumb, ready to snap. "Need a hand, Sabel?"

    Sabel withdrew his will from the bond the four remaining apprentices had reformed, letting them have their moment. This would be a lesson indeed, should any of them survive. He chuckled as they pushed him back, taking all four of them to do so.

    When the Black Coat spoke, he turned his head, helmet facing the man, ”Hmmm, help you say?”

    In his moment of distraction, the four apprentices charged as one. What they forgot, however, was that Sabel had not risen to his position by being less than as flawless as possible. They missed that his free hand was pointed toward them. As they charged, his finger twitched and the floor became frictionless.

    Head whipping back toward them his second saber flew to his free hand and what he’d done to the floor was reversed, making the apprentices stumble, just as he appeared among them. Both sabers went out, blocking the blades of the Guards. He heaved, flipping them onto their backs.

    And then stabbed downward, the physical motion as his sabers extinguished before he sliced through the floor of Eleodie’s ship mirrored by a massive push in the force, slamming the skulls of the men against the deck. He held them there, even as blood dribbled from ears, noses, mouths. Sending his will back out he could feel that the bond had shattered and they were simple four smaller wills, not one. He checked and deepened the unconscious state of the four before turning back to the Black Coat.

    ”Help...seriously, against those? You may have taught them to meld but I was their Master and will be again, when they wake, having lost four to one against me.”

    He glanced out of the remaining viewscreen, moving closer to Eleodie, subtly between her and the Black Coat, ”So explain why that,” he pointed to the Resurgent, ”is the issue.”

    TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto
     
  5. Nehru_Amidala

    Nehru_Amidala Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2016
    OOC: - corrected and updated-
    COMBO with @Darth_wanderguard continued
    IC: Lord (Lady) Hekate and Cranjis McBasketball
    Location: Luxury Elite hidden Sith Academy




    Heeding Lady Bellorum's words, Hekate took the child by the hand while he grabbed his bag. Briskly walking away from the hangar bay, Hekate began to explain she was going to be his teacher, and his new school was going to teach him how to use his powers. Pretty soon, he would have lots of new friends to play with.

    Activating the panel, she led him down the backlit corridor into the main corridor and showed him to one of the preschool dormitories. "Here you go, your new room. Set your stuff down and then we will get something to eat," she told him.

    Cranjis had followed Lady Hekate dutifully though the corridors, wearing a smile and proudly toting his bag. When they arrived to the dormitory, however, he would prove less than cooperative.

    “I have POWERS?” he asked. “I do??”

    Upon her instruction to leave his things, he became something between belligerent and pitiful. He needed his bag.

    “No! I don’t want to!” he protested. “Ineedmybag!! Ineedmybag, Lady Kahtay!”

    He then set the bag down as if forgetting that he had been loudly protesting a moment before. “Whatwegettoeatladykahtay?” he asked excitedly. “When my mama and dad come back? I missthemsomuch!”

    He paused. “Hey, I needmybag, I don’t want to leave it here!” he insisted. “I don’t want my own room! I want to stay in your room Lady Kahtay! CanIbringmybagtoyourroom??”

    Hekate let out a low, soft sigh. Three year olds are and always will be mercurial, it comes with the age. From a developmental standpoint, Cranjis's ambivalence to following the rules and self-autonomy as well as a deep need to see his parents was normal. However, the Force was strong with him, his parents had effectively abandoned him, and he needed to sleep in his own room. Back in her exile days, she had read studies about parents who co-slept with their children and in her own opinion, stifled self-reliance and independence skills. She was going to have to tread carefully.

    Kneeling down, she smiled gently, "But of course you can. After that, we'll have macaroni and cheese and then you can call your mommy and daddy. How does that sound?" She was going to use an elaborate mind trick on Cranjis to make it seem he was speaking to his parents. Of course, they would be happy he was gone, and pretend promise to contact him. In a way, she was gaslighting the little fellow, but it really could not be helped. She had to have him sever his ties to his parents, and the sooner the better.

    The sooner he settled into a regular routine, the sooner she could coax him into sleeping in the dorm.

    Cranjis wrinkled his nose. “Idon’tlikemacandroniandcheese!” he protested. “I want to bring my bag! Ineedmybag!”

    He set the bag down again and looked across the dorm at something that had caught his attention.

    “Hey!” he exclaimed. “Heywhat’sthathing?” he turned and skip-hopped toward a shelf that held belongings of the other children. “Is this all my stuff??”

    "No, that is not your stuff. Put your bag down, and you will eat your lunch. We get what we get, and we don't get upset," Hekate told Cranjis sharply. It was time to nip this behavior in the bud, and the sooner the better. It also helped of she used some Dark Side techniques as well.

    Scooping the child up, she left the bag in the dormitory and saw to it lunch was served.

    "No, that is not your stuff. Put your bag down, and you will eat your lunch. We get what we get, and we don't get upset," Nehru scolded as she scooped Cranjis up into her arms. Cranjis did not take kindly to that.

    “Hey!!” he exclaimed. “Put me dowwn! Put me down you, ugly ass kriffing noodle head!” he fussed, beating on her chest with his tiny fist. “PUT MEE DOWWWN!”

    Hekate frowned, this would never do. Apparently, Cranjis was used to this sort of language at home (who spoke like this in front of a toddler? Did his sire and dam not know not was this developmentally appropriate, but children at his age were likely to repeat what they heard at home without being aware of the ramifications? Never mind the fact, many parents butted heads with teachers over behavior. Lev Vygotsky* would be rolling over in his grave if he heard such language.)

    "You will not speak to me in such a way," Hekate scolded sharply, dropping her warm and kindly demeanor. Using a tendril of the Force to gently restrain the child, she walked towards the empty cafeteria, before handing the bag to a droid. "Take this to the dormitory."

    Returning her attention to Cranjis, she told him, "I have a message from your mommy and daddy. Would you like to see it?"
    Cranjis darkened as the droid took his bag, and he felt the unfamiliar sensation of the force being turned against him instead of only as a tool of attack. He ignored the question about his parents. “I,” he started, “need. My. BAG!!” the final word escalated into a force scream. A visible shockwave would emit outward from his form, distorting that in its path as it spread.

    The droid was knocked off center by the scream, teetering for a moment before righting itself. It was a short lived recovery, as Cranjis squirmed and finally wrestled free from the arms of his captor like a greased piglet.

    “GIVEMEMYBAG!!” he ordered hysterically, and loosed a wave of force energy that overheated the droid’s central processing unit and caused the thing to explode. The bag fell to the floor from the droid’s now-limp hands as it stood in a shower of smoke, sparks, and shrapnel pieces. Cranjis scurried up, surprisingly fast for one so small, and grabbed the bag mid-stride. Then he darted around a corner and was gone down one of a few possible corridors. Now all was quiet.

    To say that Hekate was flabbergasted by Cranjis's outburst and display of (uncontrolled) Force powers would have been the understatement of the decade. By this demonstration alone, several theories about the child in her custody. Cranjis's parents did not have Force-sensitive relatives, or if they did they were all long dead. Ergo, they were ill prepared when he was born, and when his powers manifested they quickly gave him whatever he wanted so he would leave them alone. They did this mostly for their own sanity, despite what others around them might have said. This was why he was so difficult to work with now, he was far too used to getting his own way and having adults cave in every time he threw a tantrum. That would not fly at all here, time to nip this in the bud.

    During her exile, Hekate had dealt with spoiled children and their self-entitled parents more often than she wanted to admit. She had used the Dark Side to manipulate them into acting like fools and then projected hallucinations so that the children would cry foul and Child Protective Services would have to called in. As a Lord of the Sith, she had many tools at her disposal, both physical and psychological. Considering how he reacted to having his bag taken away by the droid, she felt it would be wiser to go with a psychological approach.

    Sheilding her Force signature (so Cranjis would not put two and two together), she conjured up the image of his bag and created cute, little wind up vehicles to draw the child out.

    The corridors of the Luxury Elite were, often, like a maze. A maze which Cranjis was now frolicking through with abandon. In truth, although the boy was massively powerful in The Force from a raw brute power perspective, he had little control of his powers and even less understanding of them. He had also never encountered another being who shared his force sensitivity - and had not yet realized that next to Hekate, and Bellorum, and indeed most of his new compatriots, his powers were no longer so unique.

    “Mybag!!” he yelled, and scurried out into an intersection of corridors where he thought he had seen his precious bag. When he got close, though, it disappeared. “Where’smybag?? Ineedmybag!!” he cried. He would he standing now in plain sight of Hekate, but would spot her in time. “Iwantyoutochaseme!!” he laughed hysterically, and darted out of sight. “Chaseme!” he called again, though this time his voice would seem to come from behind Hekate’s position. “Chasemeeee!” Now the voice came from above, before shifting down to one end of the corridor and racing back by Hekate to the other end. Then Cranjis darted back out into her line of sight, shook his backside back and forth at her, and was gone once more.

    TAG: @Darth_wanderguard , @Lady Belligerent and @Sinrebirth




     
  6. Silvertough

    Silvertough Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 19, 2018
    Combo II: Electric Boogaloo

    IC: Soliloquy, Insipid’s Holocron, and Iudex

    Hapes, Royal Palace

    The Holocron was sitting at the edge of the arm of his impressively overly large chair with it's ornate pillars at the back. So far it seemed all initial works for progress and advancement were proceeding smoothly. The natives were still needing integrated on either world, but the job of Emperor did not allow him the time to properly travel just yet. The room otherwise was desolate beyond four large hermetically sealed tanks full of smoking mushroom stacks that were producing spores at a prodigious rate. All the mushrooms of varying shapes were brown, but the spores were a varied colored shroud. Purple and red on either end, the blue and green to the second left, and pink and yellow in the second right.

    In short order, Iudex would be due to report, and have updates from his burgeoning criminal network. Soliloquy sat there, seemingly lost in thought as he reviewed the plans and all the moving parts within the Hapes Cluster that he knew about. Arraying his pieces, his responses, his triggers and warnings, waiting for final pieces to see how they would alter the scheme of all things. Perhaps Shimmer would call after this meeting with good news from her side of things.

    "Here goes nothing.." Darth Iudex muttered, pushing through the large double doors that led into Soliloquy's throne room. He held a stack of datapads firmly in the crook of his arm as marched inside, making no effort to hide the displeasure etched on his features. He just wanted to turn in his report, and get out. Although, with what information he possessed, such an exchange would be far more drawn out than he would prefer..

    Iudex came to an abrupt halt at the foot of Soliloquy's throne. "My Lord." He said, bowing his head. "I have established contact with a Lord Sabel, representing the Chiss Ascendancy. And, surprisingly, the pirate Queen Eleodie Maracavanya, of Maracavanya's Pirates. Of which both have extended conditional offers of allying themselves to our cause."

    "The entire conversation was recorded for your record," He said, raising a datapad into view. "But, more immediately important, I am of the belief that we're about to get a visit from the New Republic in the near future. We need to prepare accordingly."

    Tilting his head after a moment of reflection Soliloquy muttered the name over and over. "Maracavanya-Maracavanya-Maracavan'ya. . .hmm." Reaching up he tapped his index finger on his chin as he pulled the datapad to him in the Force and turned it on, as well as sealing the chamber with them two inside.

    Letting it play as background noise Soliloquy looked at Iudex. "We already have had them sniffing about, what time table would you attribute to their arrival? What preparations do you believe need to be made?"

    Iudex reached up to stroke his chin. "Well.. While Lord Sabel didn't mention the exact route he took, he was clear in that his forces departed from Hapes through standard Hyperlanes. If we are to assume he wanted to take the most direct path back to Chiss Space, he would of had to take the Hapan Spine route through to the planet Taanab. From Taanab, he would have access to the Perlemian Trade Route." He stated, dropping a holo-puck at his feet. With a nudge of his boot, the puck expanded into a large galaxy map, with the trade route in question highlighted.

    "It was revealed that Lord Sabel's forces were intercepted rather soon after exiting Hapan Space, which would indicate to me that the New Republic were already waiting for vessels of some kind to travel out through the Hapan Spine. That being said.." Iudex paused, studying the galaxy map. "The Pirate Queen admitted to intervening on Lord Sabel's behalf with a Super Star Destroyer. Such a display of force would undoubtedly send shockwaves throughout the New Republic fleet, no? I haven't heard of any such news from my contacts, at least anywhere near our borders, which would suggest the interception occurred somewhere more coreward.."

    Iudex shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "All that being said, I wouldn't be surprised if we were visited by a New Republic delegation within the week, a month, tops. Clearly the news of some sort of struggle occurring within Hapan Space has spread, so above all else, we need to appear legit. Legal. I don't know if the New Republic would send Jedi, but it might be a good idea to hide our own presence, scrub any mention of the word Sith from the public record."

    A cough. "At least until we have the ships to defend our borders."

    "Hmmm." Soliloquy noted what this little one was saying. Some of it was a bit of conflicting information, a sign that his contacts were hazy, but so far he did not find fault in the analysis. "So your response is that we should hide all of ourselves, including the Queen Mother and her Consort, so we appear legit? You do realize there is a reason I have a design team working on Force cloaking belts? Not all Sith can do what you suggest and I could shield everyone if we all holed up in this one small room."

    Here he couldn't help but to grin and chuckle dryly. "Of course locking a gaggle of Sith in a room with no privacy for a day let alone a few weeks or a month, well, we either will singlehandedly destroy the Sith ourselves - or create the First Sith unintentional baby boom experiment. That does bring a side note to fore though, what does the criminal element have in way of ships that might be brought to brunt if need be?"

    Iudex shook his head. "No, as far as I understand, Helinith is now the rightful Queen Mother, as per Hapes law. What I'm saying, is that we need to, at least temporarily, remove our titles of Sith. As far as the galaxy should be concerned, we were just a group of scheming Hapan nobles who took the throne. Just like every Hapan noble before us, you know?" He shrugged as he began to pace back and forth.

    "What I'm trying to avoid is a situation like the Siege of Mandalore. By all accounts, the Sith Lord Maul was legally the leader of Mandalore, but, due to the Republic taking offense to his title of Sith, they staged a coup. I would prefer if that doesn't happen to us."
    He said, flicking on a new datapad.

    "Maracavanya's Pirates represent one of the larger 'free states' of the galaxy. I know for a fact they have at least one Executor class Super Star Destroyer, which rumor states Maracavanya took by force. That would suggest zhe has an impressive flotilla under their command. As for specific numbers.." He shrugged. "I don't think anyone knows but the Pirate Queen themselves. What I do know is that pirates and renegades across the galaxy have been flocking to their banner for years now.."

    At such a crucial juncture, it was better to tell the truth, or at least admit certain shortcomings, than pretend. He didn't have the answers to questions that would certainly be asked, But Iudex did hold pieces to the puzzle, even if he wasn't fully aware of it.

    "Which brings me to my main point. There will be no deal, no treaty to sign, unless Lord Sabel himself can personally command our forces." He muttered darkly, a faint sneer growing on his face. "He was.. very insistent on that addendum being ratified. Naturally, the Pirate Queen won't send us aid if Lord Sabel won't, and vice versa.."

    Soliloquy's gaze darkened at that request. Turning to the pad that had been playing quietly of the meeting he sped up the replay rate so he could basically flash through the play. Using his innate nature and the Force to retain what otherwise would be a squawking blur to others. "You entered negotiations from a position of weakness. Not to mention you allowed a slight of one of the most egregious failings in any negotiation, the mention of bartering a homeworld! Luckily they were playing with that notion and you did not agree to it."

    Sighing heavily he knocked on the armrest a couple of times, sounding out the idea. "Agreed for all mentions of us as 'Sith' to be struck from the records. We cannot claim to be natives of this land but we can be what we are, affluent immigrants that have risen through the chaotic hierarchy to our present positions as Lords and Ladies of the Hapes Cluster. Never call us an Empire let alone a Sith Empire - That is a banner and name for open war, we are not in position for such things."

    "As for the last. . ." Reaching up he caressed his dancing tendrils, "As for the last I find no fault in his wording for the addendum -" here his jaw clacked open slightly and what issued was a perfect reproduction of this Sabel in voice and intonation: "Sith be tested in how well they handle task forces or fleets, otherwise they will accept my command of the joint fleets when working in conjunction." With a clack he close his jaw back to normal. "We shall change the verbiage, we are not Sith openly so let it be all Lord's and Ladies of the Hapes Cluster will be tested. Most already are by tours of service except those newly minted in this latest trouble as just a natural part of Hapan culture. This will be a limiting factor by his own words - He will have lead if only we have not been tested and ONLY of joint fleets when working in conjunction. He does not lead nor command the Hapan Navies except in joint sorties." Good gracious he was talking a lot for a meeting where he was supposed to be getting a report. "I am surprised you are so willing to give up members of your criminal enterprise so early, but that is yours to do. Now what did you have in mind for the bio-data?"

    Iudex nodded along to the Emperor's words, finding little reason to interject. Overall, the debriefing was all going according to plan. Iudex folded his hands within his sleeves as he spoke. "We are agreed on all accounts, my Lord. As for the bio-data.." A shrug. "The Pirate Queen failed to be specific in her request. Her own fault. I'm sure the Hapans have something stored we could exchange without consequence. I understand zher nation is based upon zher flotilla of ships, without a stationary capital. I'm sure they could put some hydroponic systems to good use.. Maybe some advanced air recyclers.."

    He smiled thinly. "If this 'alliance' were to fall through, and you were feeling particularly vengeful, I'm certain the New Republic would be interested in obtaining this recording." He said, tilting his head towards the datapad. "I made sure to call ourselves the Sith Empire more than once. This Lord Sabel character stated that he assisted the Sith Empire in toppling a legitimate government, and crushing a loyalist resistance. Both of which the good New Republic would take offense at.."

    He clapped his hands together. "But! I have no reason to doubt such a measure will be necessary. Do you have any other questions my Lord, or shall I ratify the alliance?"

    "Hmm." This one seemed rather pleased with himself, that was never a good sign. "I would suggest the biological air filtration systems the Hapan's had on file before my assistance started. But I figure since we are on the topic there is something I am forgetting." Reaching over Soliloquy tapped the Holocron of Insipid gently, waiting to see if the disposed had any unique perspective on the situation.

    The Holocron activated, appearing sedentary. An eye opened, and he glanced at them. “Sure, wake the mini-Insipid. Chiss darksider strong-arming you into an alliance, right? Not much else you can say about it. Criminal underworld open inside the shrinking Imperial remnants, not really for them to handover, New Republic always angry of course.”

    “Next?”

    "Ah, a good point. What is he actually bringing to the table beyond himself? A potential rival? Another point open for betrayal? We have only seen two ships, that didn't do much. Pardon me, but before we ratify a treaty with him I would need more. The pirate queen, her territory does not abut ours, so unless you think her worthy for your criminal syndicate I would pay her to be on good terms and leave it as a non-aggression treaty. SSDs are always more trouble then they are worth. . .except Eclipse, that thing was beautiful." Shaking his head Soliloquy smiled, "I became so entangled in the matter of doing what you stated I forgot to ask why we were setting an alliance in the first place. For a potential fleet, one which he apparently does not command and the other states her own intents to steal you. . .sexually as well as professionally. Why do we want these complications?"

    "Sounds good to me." Iudex said simply, casting a curious eye to the miniature projection of Insipid. "My Lord." He said, bowing his head in respect. "Not an elegant solution by any means, but.." A long sigh. "A needed stop-gap for the moment. Once we're allowed to settle, reinforce ourselves.. We can go about restructuring certain deals after the fact, once we're in a position of power to begin with."

    Iudex grimaced. He had gotten so close to being able to skip around the central question of why. So close, yet so far.

    "As distasteful as I find Lord Sabel's arrogance.." He began, "It was because of how he commanded his two ships during the battle that we're able to discuss such matters in the here and now. If it were not for him, Lord Hunger and I would not have been able to board the hostile Star Destroyers.."

    He waved his hands. "Irrelevant. I entered into the call with the understanding I would be speaking to a Lord Sabel alone. That the Lord Sabel I was to speak to was in command of the Chiss Ascendancy, or at least held some sway. Now?" He sputtered, throwing his arms up in a shrug. "I've got no idea. Apparently he's in bed with one of the galaxy's newest criminal powerhouses? It was alluded at some point that their dealing with a civil war of their own now? Citrus.. No, er, Zestus or something, I don't know. I don't know..!"

    Iudex pinched his nose between his thumb and forefinger, becoming all to aware of his rising frustration. "Look.. We're going to be attacked by Snoke fairly soon. We know that for a fact. And now, with with hints from Lord Sabel, it also looks like we'll be visited by the New Republic within a similar time frame. What I'm suggesting, is that we take whatever deal gets thrown our way, no matter how inconvenient or nonsensical, so we can at least survive!"

    Rubbing his chin, Soliloquy looked down at the little holocron. “No.” He simply stated with a sigh.

    “No. I did not cease my existence as a Holocron to discard a core lesson, nor have I died more times than your days are long fall into that old habit.” Leaning forward he spoke low and soft, “Survival is not enough. Survival and greed is why the word Empire fits our merry little band no more. To play it that safe is to play it low and slow, I do not want to jump from choke hold to choke hold, crises to crises ever replacing safety nets. The New Republic we will face without that safety net and without need of fleets, and you will make yourself scarce when it does. As you have blackmail records for the New Republic I am sure both the Chiss and the Pirate do as well on you now-beware the baited traps you lay so you do not catch yourself.” Shaking his head he nodded. “Pay them off, deny an alliance but request an open ended nonaggression pact with extradition treaties. As for Snoke, we will burn that bridge when we come to it. Fleets will be icing but never win a war on Hapan Turf alone.” He would need to fast track several of his projects, such as amphistaffs and dovin basals if he wanted to make all ready.

    “Without a safety net?” Insipid said, wryly. “You seek to intrigue against the New Republic, directly? To attack, rather than defend? Not with fleets, of course, but with destabilization tactics, from the get-go?”

    He stroked his holographic chin. “This could allow the Consortium to insulate itself from the Sith; the New Republic thinks in term of wars and territory - the Hapans are militarily too small, they won’t look at it for tactics like that...” There was a glance at Soliloquy. “Was that your intent?”

    "That's a side effect of my tactic yes, as we seek to insulate ourselves to gain time, why not make it so that our neighbors do it for us? The Republic is in no position to fight a non-aggressive Cluster, but they are in a position to try and blockade us from joining forces with say a certain Pirate Queen in any meaningful way in fear of us going on an expansion spree in the chaos they are sowing. A belief in territory they ought to understand, especially if allowed to see our weakened state and need for resources. If they so happen to help block Snoke's forces as well, well every multitude of problems can often help tend to each other in some fashion." Soliloquy stated with a wry grin. Of course he expected some talk back from Iudex and the Holocron of Insipid, but he was feeling good about the new turn of thoughts he was thinking at the moment.

    “A New Republic blockade would essentially surround us in defenses... the Consortium is self-sufficient.. and no blockade is going to stop a skilled Sith piloted ship exiting and entering...” Insipid looked impressed. “A perfect tactic, in-fact.” He eyed Iudex. “Your Dark Lord has a clear grasp of strategy, I would say.”

    Iudex's gaze switched between the two Lords first with exasperation, then anger, and now finally, resignation. The subtleties of politics and grand strategy continued to elude him, a fact that was only becoming more readily apparent with each encounter. It was a humbling lesson indeed.

    "..Fine." He finally said with a sigh, slipping his hands together between his sleeves. "We'll do it your way, my Lords. But, if the New Republic comes knocking, and they will, it won't be me doing the talkin'. Now, if you'll excuse me.."

    Iudex offered both of the figures a bow of his head, before quickly spinning on his heel to walk away. "Someone has to deliver the good news to Sabel and crew...." He muttered from clenched teeth.

    Tags: @Sinrebirth , @Mitth_Fisto , @darthbernael (mentioned) , @darthhelinith (mentioned)
     
  7. darthbernael

    darthbernael EU Community Mod, Fuego, Pyrofuego! star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: Fun combo with @darthhelinith

    IC Renn and Helinith
    Matriarch’s Private Chambers, Hapan Royal Palace


    When the door shut behind them, leaving Renn and Helinith alone in her, or was it their quarters, he knelt down to examine her hand first, to make sure there wouldn’t be a scar, that their dual attempts at healing her had succeeded. When he was sure, he leaned his head down and kissed her palm. ”My Craziness, I’m glad this was all you suffered in that attack.” he said quietly.

    The floor shook for a second as he sat down on it, letting himself shift back into his normal appearance. A sigh, ”I wish we had time right now to go to my world and explore but it seems we must prepare the Hapans for Snoke. You know I will help you in any way I can but the final words must come from you as their Queen.” He was slightly weary, he couldn’t deny, he’d just insulted and derided one of the more powerful beings in the galaxy and had an immense target on his back now.

    Looking into her eyes, almost level, even in his seated position, he smiled slightly. He wouldn’t let Snoke hurt her and he knew she felt the same. So they would both do what they must to keep the other safe as well as ensure they didn’t lose to the maniacal being set on destroying them.

    Rest was welcome, long overdue, and Helinith couldn't help but think that she had hoped being a queen would involve far less work than the day had actually entailed.

    She glanced at her hand and gave Renn a look.

    "Superficial. Forget me for the moment, are you sure you're okay?"

    She touched his face lightly.

    "You've had a pretty hard time of it recently."

    Renn smiled at the feel of her small, warm hand on his face. ”My Craziness,” he began softly, ”perhaps I have but I’d go through it all again, by your side.” Two fingers of his large hand stroked the shorter hair she currently wore, ”Some time under a real sun or two would be good, if we ever get the time for it.”

    A slight chuckle, ”Until then, more lights that mimic the sun would be good around here.” he rumbled in a bit of mock humor. His eyes sparkled for a moment, ”Besides, I’ve got to be here to make sure you don’t turn Hapes into one giant candy factory.” a small fruit twist seemed to appear from nowhere in his free hand and he placed it on the table beside them.

    Helinith looked wistful for a moment. "Imagine the progress that could be made, the technological advancements in confectionary."

    For a moment, she was distracted, wondering if it were possible to make a holocron out of panels of melted sugar.

    She shook herself and gave him a reproachful look, moving her hands away for the moment.

    "But I meant more... about Bernael."

    He looked down at his own hands, a pang of grief spiking for a moment. ”The vampire’s been around so long, been a part of my life, my friend. I could always feel him in all that time. And now...there’s nothing.”

    The floor shook as he dropped to a seated position, ”I always thought that he’d outlast us all.” His eyes met hers, ”But...if anyone can return, it’s him...and Insipid, I’m sure.” The last said quietly, thinking of her own recent grief.

    Helinith lent forward, wrapped her arms around the Neti's neck and took a moment to blink back tears.

    "Even if Insipid is around, he's not here right now. You are."

    She waved a free hand, to make sure the drapes were open and as much light could reach into the room as possible.

    "It's funny, whenever I think of us, I think there should be so much fun, and it is fun" she added quickly, "but we've had pretty rubbish luck too." She chuckled. "Either one of us getting blown up, targeted by assassins, possessed by ancient deities..."

    Renn’s laughter joined hers, ”Yeah, we really have.” He sighed, luxuriating in the sunlight the open windows allowed, and smiled at the shine it brought to her eyes. ”Our one constant though, is that we are side by side. I can see one of us being sent to hell and in the end walking out of it us both ruling the place because neither of us would leave the other to that fate alone.”

    A deeper laugh sounded from him, ”Of course, now I can see demons running and shrieking as you cannonball after them, while I cover your back.”

    "Perfect... Ohhh! And I just remembered." She pulled away slightly.

    "You know how you got me a gift," here she touched the place where the pendant lay under her clothes, "well I finally figured out what to get you. So stay sat here."

    Helinith hopped away into a larger space, wriggling out of the gold dress. The light petticoat underneath was comfortable and breezy. She turned to face Renn, her expression suddenly quite serious. "Now if you tell anyone about this I really will have to kill you." It seemed she was only half joking. "I haven't done this in years," she continued, "but when I was training as a kid some of it involved dance lessons and, since you got me a gift," A flush crept across her face. "So, Tree-boy, this is my gift to you."

    She bowed low and began.

    It was part dance, part acrobatics, a routine that she knew well. First leaping up, then twisting out and around. Flowing from one movement to the next, every placement of her feet was powerful with a chaotic energy, honed to a graceful edge.

    As she continued, the force crackled and little threads of lightning danced between her fingers and her toes as she moved, creating trails like ribbons. the occasional wobble betrayed that she had not practiced recently and there was no music but she knew that wouldn't matter to Renn. She danced for him, to express her joy at sharing this moment with him.

    She finished with a final twisting jump.

    Renn watched, eyes bright, as Helinith moved. A smile filled his face as she prepared herself and then he kept himself silent as she spoke. But what came next kept him silent. He found no words as she moved. What she was giving him was a gift, indeed. She flowed gracefully, fluid and beautiful.

    When the Force rose in her movements it added even more beauty to her dance, highlights of the lightning throwing shadows and light across her. He was entranced, immobile as she moved, this moment would be seared into his memory for ages.

    The final move came and as she leaped through the air he surged, lifting to his feet. As she reached the zenith of her twisting leap he was there before her, taking her into his arms. Leaning his head down, he kissed her deeply.

    Helinith felt large arms wrap around her in mid-air, as Renn's lips met hers. Her fingers threaded through the branches that hung like dreads around his face. Delicious forested scents washed over her, the smell of moss, damp earth and subtle pollens as both their bodies met and twisted back to the floor. The neti landed with surprising lightness of foot for a being of such considerable mass, and Helinith suspected the force was involved in some way, not that she cared.

    She pulled away just long enough to whisper, "Show-off." and her eyes blazed as she teased her lips against his before resuming their kiss.

    His eyes sparkled with joyous laughter as they kissed. Her warmth against him renewed his energy more than even the sunlight pouring through the windows. He held her closely, feeling her heart beating against his chest and it filled his mind with happiness as well as darkness aimed at any being that would possibly threaten her.

    He could taste the sweet softness of her lips as the kiss continued. As he could feel her love and desire in her kiss he hoped she felt his. These were the moments that made every moment of chaos and war they went through worth that pain and injury. He did hope they could find, have, time where this was the norm rather than the exception but he’d go through the fire to make that the case.

    He turned and sat on the couch, settling her on his lap only breaking the kiss for a moment, ”So beautiful…” knowing she’d know he meant not just her beauty but also the gift she’d just given him.

    Pleased, Helinith's cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson, indeed she was blushing so hard she thought her face had burst into flames. Unused to anyone directly complimenting her with such sincerity, she opened her mouth to say something and, unable to come up with any sort of clever response, shut it again.

    Her fingertips traced ridges of the neti's face and for a moment there was something deeply vulnerable present in her eyes.

    Renn sighed, in happiness and love, as he felt her fingers gliding over his bark. His eyes met hers and he could see the depths of her soul in them, see, feel all her emotions and he felt an overwhelming love for her. He felt a fierce love, tenderness, and desire to keep her safe, knowing she’d still throw herself headlong into danger but he’d be there to not let her or their foes harm her.

    As he gazed into her eyes he could feel something, feel a small sprout beginning. In the warmth of their feelings, in the light, it grew quickly, into a small bundle of flowers. Ren reached up and pulled them gently from his bark, holding them up and letting her see, ”For you, my Craziness…”

    [​IMG]

    Helinith watched this process curiously.

    "And they're my favourite."

    She took the flowers into her hands and played the petals between her fingers, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth as she considered something that amused her.

    "The perfect... man? plant? plant-man? Either way, you're going to have to watch yourself, you're in danger of making this deal permanent."

    She placed the flowers on a side table nearby, and wrapped her arms round his neck once more. "There's no such thing as the perfect man so what deep-seated, terrible secrets or flaws are you hiding from me, tree-boy?" A finger traced his lips playfully as she continued, "Maybe you're a Clawdite in disguise, a Jedi spy or a figment of my imagination."

    Renn smiled as she spoke, kissing her fingers as they traced his lips. ”Oh I’m far from perfect. Definitely not a Clawdite though, or a Jedi. But I guess what it comes down to is that if our flaws, as we find them, are something we both can live with, in each other. Like, can you stand that I’ve been told I snore, or that that I tend to hog the covers?” he asked playfully.

    "Snoring huh. Absolutely terrible." Her eyes danced playfully. "But stealing the bedclothes from a queen is unforgivable."

    Her fingers ran down his neck and across his chest, her lips met his softly, lingering and teasing. "Unless, you can make compensation, of course."

    He smiled, melting into the kiss as her fingers moved, murmuring happily. ”I believe compensation can certainly be made.” he whispered then returned to the kiss. His fingers slowly traced the curve of her side, from shoulder to hip.

    Helinith sighed in delight at his touch and let herself enjoy every moment of his affections as their bodies intertwined once more and drank of intimate desires, enjoying each other's company.

    It was some time later she flopped back on a mountain of pillows, cheeks still flushed and chuckled.

    "Definitely paid in full... for a little while, at least." She surveyed the rest of the room from the large bed. "And hey! The furniture survived this time!"

    Renn smiled, enjoying the emotions that still swirled around the room, their emotion having entwined as they had and were still drifting. He glanced up, looking around the room then had to laugh because yes they’d managed not to destroy anything this time. ”Think our Hapans have already begun reinforcing the Palace because of us, no matter the room?” he teased.

    Helinith grabbed a pillow from her pile and threw it at him.

    "Only cause you've got a personal vendetta against wooden furniture. Anyone would think your mother had been cut down and turned into a wardrobe."

    She ducked down the side of the bed in case Renn decided to throw it back, grabbing another pillow to defend herself. "Hey what do you say to joining me for a shower?"

    Renn’s laugh got cut off as the pillow hit him right in the face. He grabbed it as she leaned over the side. Affecting an outraged tone ”We live in a galaxy that has people like me and they still make furniture out of trees…”

    His arm whipped forward but stopped before the pillow left his grasp. Dropping it, ”I’d be delighted to join you.” he said, then slid out of the bed next to her, holding out a hand to walk with her to the fresher.

    Helinith wrapped her arm in his.

    "Every plant needs a bit of water, yes?" She chuckled and kissed his cheek before leading him to the bathroom.

    TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @darthhelinith, @Mitth_Fisto, @Silvertough, @E. L.Knight, @DarthIshyZ
     
  8. Sinrebirth

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

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: Commander Sellik
    Rishi Moon, aboard the Dauntless*

    A shuttle drifted down with the Kaminoan Sith aboard, and the darkness grew stronger.

    The Rishi moon was a cold place, like the dark side itself.

    There was an old broken down Republic base in the distance, but also an ancient cave system, as well as various dangerous native creatures. In the craters adorning the surface were Rishi eels, and Neebray made their way through the thin atmosphere, pouncing upon what eels they could find - and humanoids.

    Cocytus would feel that he was discovered; the Force curled out, and it felt similar to Styx... with an odd reverberation to it, likely a cause of the cave of caves of caves.

    "Commander Sellik," came an officer, sounding alarmed.

    "What?" He said, sharply, looking away from the sensors following Lord Cocytus.

    "We have a communique..."

    "From?"

    "You won't believe it."

    TAG: @Darth Cocytus (combo)
    ---
    IC: Shimmer
    Communicating with Hapes, not far from Kuat

    There was an update due to Dark Lord Soliloquy, of course; the report of his apprentice, Shimmer, from the Core Systems. She had escorted the Senator back to Kuat, rebuilding his psyche. Apollin declared his undying love for a few times on the way back, and she managed to divert that without physical interactions.

    It was shortly after Iudex was dismissed to communicate with Lord Sabel that she would get back in-touch, as Lady Galney regrouped the monarchs and patched them through from their bedchambers... a relatively normal affair in the Court of Ta'a Chume, who often hosted discussions in lounged attire.

    She hadn't technically requested the Queen Mother's permission, but a communication on the Kuati Senatorial chamber warranted a royal touch... and Galney was loyal to the Hapan Throne, not the Sith one; personally to Queen Mother Helinith, and, as long as he was present in her company officially, Prince Consort Renn.

    Similarly, Lady Galney sought to patched General Astarta as well, who had been detached from affairs interviewing suspected Republicans and of course keeping tabs on the imprisonment of Aurra Sing.

    "Salutations from Kuat," Shimmer said to whomever responded beyond her Master. "The Senator is back here and has reconnected with his allies in the Centrist Party." She held up hands and counted. "Kuat, Hevurion, and Riosa... there's talk of Coruscant joining too, ditto Arkanis, Comra and Orinda, when those sectors of the old Empire are absorbed into the New Republic."

    She smiled slightly. "It would seem that we are up for discussion in the New Republic Senate... a full debate is being levelled about whether to impose sanctions, a blockade, or even an invasion." Brushing a bang out of her hair, for she was back in the Pilot persona, she smirked. "I've also had an update that two Kaminoan darksiders were apprehended on Kamino and are on their way to Oovo IV in beskar boxes... and I found that there is a warrant for that Aurra Sing in New Republic space... it might be a negotiation point."

    "Politics isn't my thing, but I doubt an invasion is going to be voted for... the Chancellor's aides, Leia Organa Solo and Sinjir Rath Velus, are reported on opposing sides of the debate..." She would eye Renn if he was present. "Leia is apparently pushing for a full invasion, but Sinjir wants to take a more measured approach while the Imperial remnants remain in existence..."

    She shrugged. "That's my report."

    TAG: @Mitth_Fisto, @Silvertough, @darthbernael @darthhelinith, @DarthIshyZ
    ---
    IC: Zestus

    Aboard the Harbinger, arriving in-system

    The words of the Black-Coat - of Wapoe, were revealed.

    A trio of Resurgent-class Star Destroyers appeared from hyperspace, and he glowered.

    "You're supposed to be here," he said, drily. "Insofar as much as you both existed... and what has happened since is what was to, because of what has... Changed." Wapoe chuckled. "But you intervened at Lehon... which connected you to Hapes... which connected you to the source."

    He gestured to the three battlecruisers. "These forces belong to Snoke, as you well know."

    "But when you intervened at Lehon... in the backyard of the First Order," Wapoe said... "He offered to help Zestus in reforming your polity... in joining the new Imperial power."

    The comms sounded out with the voice of the traitorous Red Knight; just his voice. "These are the warships Harbinger, Invincible and Agonizer. Supreme Leader Snoke of the First Order intends just that; first, Order. Not the arbitrary madness of the self-proclaimed Lord Sabel.

    Queen Eleodie lidded zher eyes, golden flecks shifting as zhe glanced at the Chiss.

    This was shaping up to a much larger engagement than planned.

    TAG: @darthbernael (with @Silvertough, if he immediately calls)

    TAG: @greyjedi125, @darthbernael (continue your combo)

    TAG: @ClaiomhSolais (we shall continue our combo)

    TAG: @Shadowsun, @Lady Belligerent (combo continue)

    TAG: @QueenSabe7, @HanSolo29 (combo continue)
     
  9. Lady_Belligerent

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

    Registered:
    Jan 29, 2008
    IC: Bellorum

    “Did you sense that?” She wouldn’t, of course, as it had happened across the remnants of his bond with his spouse.

    He spread out his senses, taking in Syren, Aryan, Nehru, Hel and of course the Sith school. But after, there was a definite but unfamiliar twist in the Force. Ike’s eyes widened. “Or that?”


    Bellorum’s expression was filled with concern when she saw Ike, “by the stars!” She exclaimed over his condition and removed her cape then wrapped it carefully about him. “Oh, dear, the smell is all I can sense,” she burst into laughter, “sorry, I couldn’t resist. There is some disruption I feel, I believe one of our young students has escaped Hekate. I’ve received security alerts on that.”

    She pulled Ike inside her suite before asking, “did Amedda agree? Were you able to convince him?”

    She paced the length of her drawing room, “I received another alert. One of the listening stations in a bar picked up a conversation about Amedda being on board,” she sighed, “that’s on me because I sent his security detail back rather than killing them all. It won’t be long until Graul finds out and will want in.”

    ————

    Hel turned down a corridor and a small blur ran directly into her knees. “What have we here?” She laughed and raised the child up to her eye level, “should we go find your parents?”

    tag: @Darth_wanderguard @Sinrebirth @Nehru_Amidala
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2021
  10. DarthIshyZ

    DarthIshyZ Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2005
    Encrypted transmission commences

    A communique to Iudex
    Copy to Queen Helinith and Soliloquy
    From General Astarta

    We continue to interview people for members of the Hapan loyalists, the Republicans. I started with my central command and with our Military Intelligence. I have found my Force abilities have allowed me to sense things that the General likely could not. That has given me the upper hand.

    I was disappointed to find one person in those two groups that displayed Republican leanings. I have established a part of our prison complex to hold those prisoners. It is quite secure, and those guards were personally interviewed by me for loyalty.

    Both Intelligence and my central command are under orders to be loyal to the current Monarch and her allies. They have done their job well and found to date 54 Republicans within our ranks, though we have cleared nearly one thousand for active duty. Within a week, I estimate we will have six garrisons cleared.

    I recommend that we expand this program to the diplomatic corps. That way we can surreptitiously root out those Hapan royals still loyal to the formal royalty.

    Transmission is set to degrade after five minutes.
     
  11. darthbernael

    darthbernael EU Community Mod, Fuego, Pyrofuego! star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: Betrayal abounds in a combo with our devious GM

    IC Sabel, Eleodie, Zestus
    Aboard the
    Liberty’s Misrule, Primea

    The Battle of Primea, at least round one it seemed, was over. Round two, with the arrival of Sabel’s former apprentice, was about to begin. He took in the three craft as they entered the system. They were fresh, undamaged as the Resurgent was. But, he’d not spent the time he’d had with the Resurgent to not learn about their systems and their strengths and weaknesses.

    He didn’t smile, his eyes flaring a deep red as Zestus spoke. When the man finished he waited a heartbeat, then triggered the comm as well, letting the signal bounce around the remains of his fleet before it broadcast, making it harder for the man to realize which ship he was on. ”The traitorous coward finally appears. Wastes his resources then shows up when the battle is done. Is that the type of leadership your new master has taught you? Oh and I strip you of the name Zestus, you are unworthy of it, of the lineage of Darth Sidious.”

    As he spoke, he began a quick review of what remained of his fleet here as well as what resources he could call upon swiftly. He took in the Chiss ship still in orbit and considered something for a moment before typing a quick message to the Ascendency High Command. He was still an active member of the Admiralty and it would not do for them to have Snoke’s forces so close to their own borders. The message was sent, bypassing the mere captain here in system.

    He turned to Eleodie, ”Our friend here,” he gestured to the Black-Coat, ”helped engineer all this and I’m sure will not give more than blank words to assist in this battle.”

    He held up his hands. "I did nothing of the sort. I've been skirting Snoke's perception. I can tell you with absolute certainty that he needs to die. It's all spinning out from his existence; he's the one who reached out to Zestus, not me. I've tagged along to make sure you beat him." His hooded voice had added emphasis, while Eleodie commed for crew to come and take back the bridge.

    The First Order Star Destroyers unloaded ion fire on the Misrule in the moment, taking advantage of the attack on the bridge. But then they moved out of range, heading towards their beleaguered Imperial vessels. The crew took back control, but the damage was significant enough to require a rerouting of power and damage reports filed.

    Zestus had cut the channel, snorting slightly. The comms were raised by the Chiss man-of-war, and Admiral Ara'lani already resonated with her unhappiness in the Force.

    Sabel knew that Eleodie would ensure her ship was in shape to face the traitor and destroy his forces, which meant that he needed to discuss things with the Chiss Admiral. He checked his armor for a moment then answered the comm call, ”Admiral Ara’lani, Admiral Settu'asol'rerrist, your response was swift.”

    “I’m in-system,” she said frostily. “Watching this farce. In-fact, I’ve been watching you and your conflict of interest for some time. The Houses notified me of your attempt to woo them.”

    ”Farce it is, and not of my making,” Sabel chuckled, ”Someone,” he did not glance at the Black Coat, “”manipulated events to cause my former Guard to do as he did. As to the Houses, they cherish their power and the peak of the warrior culture but are as insular as the old Empire was, do not see the value of diversity of species. Why else do you think that several of us, included the greatest tactical genius our kind has produced, left the Ascendency? We found success that the greatest of the Houses that have kept behind the ‘walls’ of the Ascendency have not. I wooed them on purpose, to cause such reaction from them.”

    He glanced over at Eleodie, a small smile touching the corner of his lip as he watched her coordinate a response before turning back, the smile fading and a hard edge coming to his expression. ”But, no matter my own opinions or beliefs, I am Chiss and have remained an Admiral in the Ascendency’s fleets. I am cleaning up my own mess, but because of that outside interference a deeper threat has reared its head. If the Ascendency is so blind as to ignore it you may tell the Admiralty that Snoke will swallow them whole when he finishes here.”

    The woman paused. "You style yourself as a Thrawn but speak as a Vader." Ara'lani's eyes blazed. "You are worthy of neither legacy."

    Her tone was cutting. "You seek to be equal to the humans, when you should be their superior. We are Chiss, Sabel, not rabble. We do not become entrenched in grand alliances or polity plays. You chose this system to confront your foe, and not another. Were Thrawn here, he would have thought as a nonhuman, and used it to his own advantage."

    Eleodie looked concerned, back at him. "The Primeans?"

    The Black-Coat shrugged. "They're not especially xenophobic, just defensive..." He was staring at their Resurgent.

    "Thrawn would have taken an impediment and turned it into a lever," Ara'lani sniped, as the three First Order Star Destroyers carefully lanced his Imperial formation with fire... a formation which was essentially falling apart.

    Sabel smiled as two thoughts came to mind at once. He cut the audio feed to Ara’lani for a moment as he turned toward Eleodie, ”My dear, please instruct the fleet to scatter, but not to the extent they cannot cover each other still. Besides that I know you can keep our forces in good order, especially as the Misrule comes back to full potency..”

    He turned, a predatory smile on his face as he looked at Ara’lani, a chuckle, then he opened a second channel, to the Primean High Command, ”I’ll be short, we’ve had our differences but I have no intention of your destruction. However, should Snoke’s forces win here they will depopulate Primea. Therefore, I would suggest that we have a common foe. I propose a mutual defense treaty, assist me here and I will keep your system secure, from Snoke or the Nikardun, in the future.”

    Turning back to the feed from Ara’lani he opened the audio feed once more, ”You’re slightly mistaken, you do forget that Thrawn was just as much a friend of mine as he was yours and I learned from him as you did. I’m sure it is a thorn in your side that I am still a standing Admiral in the Navy as you are, in command of a freestanding territory while you put out the Ascendency’s colonies fires. But I serve the interests of what I was ordered, both Imperially and in the interests of the Ascendency.”

    Eleodie nodded mutely, and set to issue orders. Zhe seemed concerned by how things were going.

    The Primeans responded pretty sharply. "We don't care who you are. As far as we can tell you humans are having a civil war inside our territory and it's unacceptable. You're all to leave." As the Supreme Commander spoke, the picket fleet moved to attack the First Order ships, as Eleodie had their forces scatter out of the way. The three Resurgent-class warships began firing, giving Sabel an opening.

    Ara'lani sniffed. "Thrawn thought he could straddle both sides, just like you... and yet, he was proven wrong, nearly marked a traitor if not for his defeat at the Battle of Lothal. But you have your chance; because the Primeans think themselves superior." She signed off.

    Sabel let the comm signal cut then laughed, humor in his eyes. He turned and strode over to Eleodie. ”Oh yes, she ‘hates’ me, so much.” he chuckled.

    He stopped by various stations of the bridge, checking the functions and repairs that had been made since Zestus thought he’d stranded the Misrule at this distance from the battle. Each stop did nothing to diminish the smile on his face but as he returned to Eleodie and the Black Coat it was turning positively predatory.

    ”Zestus has forgotten Rule 9, Never leave an enemy in your rear. Of course, so have the Primeans but why don’t we teach them exactly why that is a bad idea? The Misrule, I just checked, is back to full function and none of those ships, the Resurgents as well as the Primeans, can stand against it.” He took zher hand, then pulled her close in an abrupt kiss, before releasing her to stand beside him.

    Turning to the Black Coat, ”And what does the following five years say if we manage to pull this off and add the other three Resurgents to the fleet?”

    The Black-Coat shrugged. "The more attention you garner from Snoke, the more attention you'll get." He glanced at the Pirate Queen. "And how much attention do you need?"

    "You can never have too much attention," Eleodie said with a grin. "Ladies and gentlemen," zhe said to her crew. "Fire." There was a tingle in the Force; a last warning.

    The Misrule opened fire on the Imperial ships - a full ion cannon attack which smashed into Sabel's forces.

    The helmet landed back on Sabel’s head, sabers lit and lifted from his belt, hanging in the air before him. ”A little trust goes a long way. The less you use, the further you'll go.” came from the helmet’s speakers. He tapped a stud on his wristpad, ”Execute Omega...Yes I will.”

    The fighters from his ships broke off, multiple ones interposing themselves between the incoming fire and the SD’s as the parent ships turned, and then the streak of hyper jumps filled the screen. Outside the bridge’s windows, but inside the Misrule’s main shields, his TIE turned, weapons tracking inside the bridge, the battle droids unfurling once more, weapons twitching, waiting for his command.

    ”Honestly I believed the betrayal would take a little longer to happen, slightly past the time you’d ingratiated yourself into my forces enough that they’d try to betray me again. But people often think they see an advantage and take it.”

    TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto
     
  12. Sinrebirth

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

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: Ike
    Zoned out, and then back in

    "Sorry," Ike said, paying attention to Bellorum's words belatedly. He glanced back at Amedda. "He's so far under my influence, I could convince him to kill himself at this stage. He's such a stressed, anxious wreck that he's basically a trauma away from a break-down. We can shape him to our hearts content, Bell." He grinned a bit.

    "So you could pretty much marry him, push him down the stairs, and call yourself Empress and he'd probably still thank you for the pleasure!" He chortled, and then frowned again. "Can I not be involved in chasing down Hekate's child? They're vile, terrible things." He had half-a-memory of an extended chase of a child... before... but he lost it before he could remember it.

    "And where is Aryan, anyway?" Ike said, frowning. "Still making up with Syren?"

    ---
    A room over

    Darth Insipid continued to wander through the rooms and shadows of the heart of the Luxury Elite, and found himself staring from the corner of the room at a rather sated looking Chagrian. He looked in a state of ecstacy, in-fact, as if drugged. Force-drugged. Insipid frowned, confused as to why in the Nine Corellian Hells such a man would be here, when he noticed the sceptre of office off to the side - it had Sistros atop it.

    The Sith Lord's eyes widened.

    Was that the Grand Vizier of the Galactic Empire?

    Mas Amedda himself?

    TAG: @Lady Belligerent, @QueenSabe7, @HanSolo29
    ---
    IC: 'Eleodie'

    Aboard the ersatz Liberty's Misrule, Battle of Primea

    There was something to be said about being cautious, and Sabel had foresight in spades, but between the Primeans, the First Order, and now this betrayal, the Chiss Admiral was going to struggle to keep up. The crew hadn't demonstrated any sense of betrayal whatsoever, not that most of them had been of relevance to Sabel.

    Indeed, they had no intent against him because the bridge crew were all under a mind-trick, as evident by them paying zero attention to the words that the Chiss said as he issued counter-orders to his ships to disperse, which were only marginally successful.

    Wapoe cringed as Eleodie turned to face Sabel. "You don't know all that much about Snoke, do you?" Wapoe pointed at Eleodie. "He's a mutated thing. A Sithspawn. Someone who experimented on themselves - or was experimented upon. Mad, bad, Sith science... which created an insanely brutally insane Force user." He pouted a bit, his body language exaggerated to communicate as much. "I'd usually be able to tell you a bit more, but I can't see all the way into the future at present."

    Eleodie twisted and surged into some kind of shape; sprouting limbs and flesh.

    "It really wasn't a massive leap for him to make a Sithspawn of his own, y'know?"

    He gestured to the entire bridge. "This is the Eclipse, a First Order Super Star Destroyer. I assumed you knew, and were playing along?" Wapoe pointed at the double-doors. "Shall we go?"

    TAG: @darthbernael (with @Silvertough, if he immediately calls, combo either way, Bernael)
    ---
    IC: The Devil and Death

    The heart of the Akkadese Maelstrom

    The Death Star prototype - as it was called, was functional. A proof-of-concept, ready for use. Construction vagaries applied no matter the timeline, and it had been a matter of ease for Snoke to find it, secure it, and prepare it for deployment. Indeed, he was quite tempted to develop it into a full battlestation, but he had other, more useful plans, in the making.

    But he knew that Death was impatient, so it served his purposes to simply offer it up.

    "I could become a bridge..." Snoke offered. "Between you and it..."

    The Architect of Apotheosis and Apoptosis, a spherical entity hidden by a hood - only his head was actual corporeal - turned slightly.

    "Explain."

    Snoke lifted a hand, and bid his personal vessel step forward.

    "The Sith made use of meditation spheres, directed with their thoughts along. They had biomechanical processes, allowing them a degree of sentience, even access to the Force..." Ship, the Eternal design built on the same principle, reluctantly crept forward. "In the hands of a Sith, such vessels could amplify your strength."

    Death turned to look at the prototype.

    "You intend to merge the idea with this... weapon?"

    "My divine Lord," Snoke said, smiling cunningly. "I intend to merge it and you with that weapon."

    After a moment; Death decided he liked that idea.

    He liked it a lot.

    TAG: No-One

    TAG: @greyjedi125, @darthbernael (continue your combo)

    TAG: @ClaiomhSolais (we shall continue our combo)

    TAG: @Shadowsun, @Lady Belligerent (combo continue)

    TAG: @QueenSabe7, @HanSolo29 (combo continue)


    TAG: @Darth Cocytus (combo continue)

    TAG: @DarthIshyZ, @Mitth_Fisto, @darthbernael, @darthhelinith (combo continue)
     
    darthbernael and HanSolo29 like this.
  13. darthbernael

    darthbernael EU Community Mod, Fuego, Pyrofuego! star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: Fun, yeah that's what it was, fun, with @Sinrebirth

    IC Sabel
    Bridge of the Eclipse, Battle of Primea


    Sabel chuckled, as he was already headed toward the double doors himself, ”Try to keep up old man, you’re right, we better get out of here.” He didn’t say anything, not here because while the bridge crew might not notice, the Sithspawn, as the Black Coat had called it, would.

    He reached the doors, slipping through them, the droids and his TIE had received commands that when he was out of sight, they were to distract the crew just long enough. He’d been doing more than just checking everything when he’d made his way around the bridge, he’d been leaving small, but powerful thermal detonators and other explosives in out of the way spots on each terminal. It may not slow down the sithspawn but it would certainly end the threat to his SDs, at least until the secondary bridge could be brought into play, but long enough for the damaged craft to jump.

    And to let the fresh craft he’d not told Eleodie about to jump into the system, at an angle from the elliptic, having sent orders earlier to strip one ship from each picket system, not truly a safe tactic but he was not going to lose what he and his people had created.

    There was a gesture from the Sithspawn, and the explosives fizzed out. “What do you think we had been doing while you gyrated with your Red Knights, our love?” Zhe lifted zher hand and the bodies of his Knights stood, and began to rush after them like possessed madmen.

    “Oh my,” Wapoe said, gesturing to slam the doors to the bridge behind them. He caught one Knight in the door, but three more rushed through -

    And then the doors blew out, as if a hammer had been thrust through them, an undulating mass of flesh surged through the gap. “I hope you have a better plan than technological tricks, Sabel!”

    Sabel chuckled, ”Of course, I just find it humorous that she thought I’d use only mechanical detonators to set off the charges, or that the first set I planted were the only ones.”

    He concentrated for a moment and suddenly there was a hissing, crackling sound that came from all sections of the bridge at once, the second set of bombs hadn’t been bombs as such but emitters and rebroadcasters for certain frequencies of energy, in this case him sending out a mental pulse to disable or debilitate the consoles and crew, what may be left of them.

    And then the three Guard that had gotten through first were there, the pulsating mass of flesh not far behind. Sabel flipped backward, opening the distance, and as he did his sabers jumped free of his belt, igniting and beginning controlled, sweeping slashes, thrusts, and slices at the resurrected flesh of the Guards.

    The Guards took the blows and would only stop when completely cut down, to be subsumed into the fleshy pursuer. Wapoe grabbed at Sabel’s shoulder - “Can you stop trying to one-up everyone and hurry up? We don’t have time for this!”

    Indeed, the First Order Star Destroyers had routed the Primean defence force, a wave of troop transports and fighter craft emerging to engage the planet. A single Destroyer held back by the Misrule/Eclipse, and Zestus dwelled darkly aboard the bridge of that ship. Brooding; challenging.

    Sabel laughed, a harsh sound, as he called back his sabers and ran, ”And where are we headed, the hangar?” he asked as they ran. He headed for the turbolift, if that was Wapoe’s plan, but in the back of his mind he could sense Zestus. His former apprentice wouldn’t just let them leave and so he figured that the two of them would have to confront the man to end this threat.

    “I have a cloaked ship on the upper hull,” he said, hitting the ‘up’ button on the lift. “You head to the hanger and they’ll anticipate you.” His tone was matter-of-fact. “It was a gift from a Dark Lord of the Sith I manipulated once - oh, a timeline ago or so.” He sounded rueful.

    They reached the bridge docking port with relative ease, but when the lift spilled out into the small bay there was a liquid presence pooling through seams in the floor, through gratings, up the lift chute itself.

    It became the Eleodie-spawn, between them and the ship. “Gen’dai DNA,” whistled Wapoe. “Completely decentralised nervous system.” He gestured for Sabel to go ahead. “All on you, Blue Boy.”

    Sabel rolled his shoulders, he disliked Gen’Dai intently, almost a cheat on the system, but they did have weaknesses. Just because it could pool, be almost liquid, didn't mean that it couldn’t be stopped.

    He chuckled, ”All we shared and this is how you repay me, tsk tsk tsk.” he let the snark flow, this creature was something that it didn’t matter whether he stuck to his usual calm reserve or not.

    And then he blurred, his sabers seemingly suddenly in his hands, flashing this way and that, cuts and stabs along every limb, as deeply as possible each time. He needed to get this hybrid off balance and knew that multiple severe injuries was one way to get them to slow and need to recover, but he had to do enough damage in as quickly a period of time as possible.

    The creature was shredded as it advanced, chunks falling from its golden hide as it loomed over the Chiss. It’s flesh congealed around his feet and the creature sought to incorporate Sabel -

    Sabel laughed and, pushing with the Force as he sliced through the thicker sections around his feet, he leaped over the creature, landing several steps behind. Landing, he stepped back to open the distance between himself and the pile of Gen’Dai on the floor. Turning to look at Wapoe, ”Hurry, before it begins reforming.”

    Wapoe sketched a salute. "On my way." He flounced to the airlock, began cycling it.

    The monster reformed, almost immediately, and rushed after Sabel. As he closed, a fist was raised and formed a giant hammer of a hand, crashing down upon the Chiss, even as it flared out its legs into an ensnaring tangle -

    Sabel turned to follow Wapoe and, as he did, he heard a sound. Breaking into a run he could feel the sithspawn closing. The airlock was just ahead, door closing. And then a massive fist came down on his head. As his legs began to go out from under him he pushed with the remaining grip of his feet, body flying forward.

    His head felt somewhat fuzzy, even with the helmet having absorbed a decent portion of the blow, but he Pushed, against the floor and the creature, making the skid of his body across the floor even more swift. He curled into a ball as best as possible before he felt the edge of the airlock door hit his back, spinning him as he slid through the closing space. Hitting the inner surface of the outer door, he groaned then concentrated, banishing the wooziness for a moment as he got to his feet, lurching for the inner door to keep the sithspawn out until the doors could close fully.

    The creature snatched at Sabel with the Force but it stank of death, of something stolen, and taken. It was putrefied and voles and Wapoe visibly cringed. “That’s heresy right there.”

    “Sabel! It’s an artificial Force user!”

    A gravemind…

    The Black-Coat had a moment of blinking into the Force, as if an obvious thought reached him. “Gen’dai are -“ He moved out of the airlock towards ‘Eleodie’, hand outstretched, and was smacked into the wall by a swung meat-fist, slamming hard and sagging to floor, chin on his chest - unconscious.

    Sabel growled slightly, ”Of course he gets himself knocked out.” He drew his saber in one hand, deep purple lightning crackling in the other. Speeding forward, inside the reach of the massive hybrid, he slashed at the arm as it swung back, then thrust forward, intent on stabbing the creature through its eye and into its brain. The hand with the lightning touched the hilt, sending the massive shock of electricity through the blade and, hopefully, into the brainpan of the creature, one of the few ways he knew to destroy such a creature.

    The creature howled, recoiling for a moment as it struggled. It hadn’t been wounded before now, but clearly that hurt. The brain would reform; but with every reformation a Gen’dai would struggle more and more. A decentralised nervous system didn’t lend to a decentralised mind!

    It flailed away and the two of them were, for the moment - until more traditional forces came to fire upon them, safe.

    The creature backed off, certainly in deep pain, and Sabel took the opportunity to grab Wapoe, lifting him over his shoulder, legs dangling by his knees. ”You’re heavier than you look and you better wake up soon, need to get your ship going.” he muttered to the unconscious form. Using his free hand he slapped the airlock panel, the door beginning to shut behind them.

    TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto
     
  14. DarthIshyZ

    DarthIshyZ Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2005
    IC: Lords, Ladies, Queen Mother and Consort, as well as The Sith Emperor - Soliloquy The Reluctant.
    Communicating from Hapes, to not far from Kuat

    Lady Galney regrouped the monarchs and patched them through from their bedchambers...there were others on the line as well but not a one made Soliloquy give a toothy grin as that one. He didn't have to say anything, he didn't have to point, but he did have to give a gentle nudge when Renn was looking at the camera.

    "Salutations from Kuat," Shimmer said to whomever responded beyond her Master. "The Senator is back here and has reconnected with his allies in the Centrist Party." She held up hands and counted. "Kuat, Hevurion, and Riosa... there's talk of Coruscant joining too, ditto Arkanis, Comra and Orinda, when those sectors of the old Empire are absorbed into the New Republic."

    She smiled slightly. "It would seem that we are up for discussion in the New Republic Senate... a full debate is being levelled about whether to impose sanctions, a blockade, or even an invasion." Brushing a bang out of her hair, for she was back in the Pilot persona, she smirked. "I've also had an update that two Kaminoan darksiders were apprehended on Kamino and are on their way to Oovo IV in beskar boxes... and I found that there is a warrant for that Aurra Sing in New Republic space... it might be a negotiation point."

    "Politics isn't my thing, but I doubt an invasion is going to be voted for... the Chancellor's aides, Leia Organa Solo and Sinjir Rath Velus, are reported on opposing sides of the debate..." She would eye Renn if he was present. "Leia is apparently pushing for a full invasion, but Sinjir wants to take a more measured approach while the Imperial remnants remain in existence..."

    She shrugged. "That's my report."

    "We don't want sanctions although that would drive black market prices higher, and we would rather avoid an invasion as we are not ready for the Jedi. I would with the Queen Mother's blessing move for our Centrist allies to push for a blockade. With them in place it handles out need for a fleet to be a buffer with the First Order and it should not stop you my dear - nor the Lords and Ladies on this call gifted in navigation from continuing outside trade."

    At the start of the call, Helinith dived back under the bedclothes. "There's a holo-pickup IN THE BEDROOM?!" she hissed to Renn, from underneath the duvet. She listened to the ongoing conversation and stuck her arm out of the covers for a thumbs up in the direction of the call at Soliquoy's mention.

    "Blockade sounds fun, certainly less resource-heavy than a full scale war. I'm surprised some of them want to invade, that seems rather drastic for a government that is supposed to be all peace and love or whatever." She called out from under the blankets.
    "Renn, you gotta find me some clothes!"

    Renn refrained from a chuckle, Helinith deserved some privacy and holo pickups in the room would be something to be addressed with the staff, later. He scrutinized the room seeking the pickups. Slipping from the bed while making sure she stayed covered, he found her some clothes. Moving so, as he shifted into a more expansive form, he blocked the camera from viewing her, ”Here, my Craziness, some clothes, and I’ve blocked the camera if you dress right here.” he whispered.

    Turning his head, he addressed the others, ”A blockade would work, if we have the ships of the line to maintain it.” His gaze drifted to Iudex, ”Of course it would help if there was a reinforcing fleet to assist.” he mentioned, unaware of what the other had discussed with Soliloquy.

    ”My biggest question would be, will we be able to get one in place before we get an unannounced ‘peace and harmony’ visit by a New Republic Task Force?” He remembered an earlier visit here where he and Helinith had been ambushed by Ta’a with the presence of Leia.

    Shimmer shook her head. "I believe the Emperor is suggesting we let the New Republic form the blockade line, and create a wall between us and the First Order, Prince Consort." She looked back and forth over the assembled Sith. "This way we don't need to be impacted by our lack of warships. We're self-sufficient, we don't need to get out, save for in our personal ships - and we're Sith, we can avoid a measly blockade."

    Astarta wiped the sweat from her brow as she paused her workout. The first thing she saw when looking up was tree butt. "Agh! Too much for this early, Renn!" She forced her eyes to another of the assembled images. "I think we'll be good. Even if it's in defense of the home planet. But, I think I have narrowed it down to a viable candidate for Admiral of the Navy. I'll keep you informed."

    Soliloquy smirked at the subtle play of nudity and reactions thereto. It was a fun instance of seeing how these that still wore clothing were so indentured to it's presence. Still he had to nod to Shimmer when she gave her words of clarification, preventing his need to say anything much at all. "Indeed. Let our neighbors do our work for us so our own meager fleets are able to resort to base protection and growth encouragement. I look forward to the viable candidate for Admiral of the Navy, and as another note of business would like to amend a conclusion from a meeting earlier today - in expectation of Republic Representative Leia coming here, I would request that we strike the word Sith from the Hapan network in reference to us so that nothing more than a name does not encite her to invade. Let her sense of darkness be enough to encourage their blockading of ourselves as a perceived and contained possible threat. That is if the Queen Mother so agrees." Always had to amend that last bit on a Hapan network.

    Astartis nodded in agreement. She knew first hand the benefits of "laying low" with Force abilities. From as far back as before the Sith, the trader that she was wouldn't advertise those abilities. Jwob wouldn't deny if he was asked. Yet he would use his abilities to sweeten the pot, as it were.

    She looked at Soliloquy and Shimmer. "Should we try to minimize Force abilities, as well?"

    Snorting Soliloquy felt the shimmering change in colors of the one that had once stolen him from a library table so many suns ago. This one was growing quickly, but altering shells or bodies was a long and hard lesson to learn. "You, definitely. I would recommend the Queen Mother does so as well, but the rest? There is a delicious dichotomy of reasons for and against that I shall leave up to the Queen Mother and others to choose."

    Unseen, Helinith scowled to herself as she finished dressing. The time she'd spent in hiding back in the old universe, having to hide her abilities, was maddening enough but...

    "I see your point." She sighed, resigned, and kissed Renn's neck. "I'm done, you can stop showing off your ass."
    She considered for a moment. "A neti is a mythical creature anyway, as far as most of the galaxy is concerned, so I don't have much issue with Renn continuing to use his powers openly. Plus it will deter any nobles with ideas above their station."

    Renn chuckled, ”Awww, but I was just about to start dancing, shaking it.”

    However, he shifted again, reducing in size to his normal dimensions as he moved to the side of the feed, turning as he reached her side once more. ”I do see I misunderstood the blockade, and agree, let our enemies do so for us.”

    He nodded to Helinith, ”Having one with Force ability is not unheard of near the Queen Mother and yes, I also agree that most have no idea what a Neti is, let alone what we can do, so letting them assume works to our advantage. As to the others, that would have to depend on how public their persona is, how much the Hapans not aligned with us or visitors would be able to identify them in such use.”

    "Shimmer do you think you can do that then on your end, as well as pick up my pet before returning? Poor boy is probably the size of a veratyle by now and missing his mother! I do hope he's been eating well and not reproducing against my last orders." Soliloquy stated with wholly expressed concern and leaning forward with sad moist eyes into the pickup. Sometimes it was good for the Emperor to seem sentimental about something, it gave anyone a target adjacent if they so wanted it after all.

    Shimmer sketched a small salute. "Of course, Master." She glanced at the others. "I seem to recall that Lord Insipid made use of the terrorist Acolytes of the Beyond name, to conceal Sith actions. We could just return to that system for missions?"

    "Oh," she also remembered something, glancing at Iudex. "I heard on the HoloNet grapevine that the crime lord of Coruscant, a guy named Arb Skynxnex, he's been overthrown - the criminal underworld there is expected to blow up because of this." Shimmer shrugged, glancing behind her at some noise. "Time to sign off, my Lords - Queen Mother." She did a little bow to Soliloquy, and then another to Helinith, and left.

    Darth Iudex had stood in silence amongst the Sith as they talked among themselves. Most of what was being talked about he had already been made aware of, if not already directly taken part in. So, he simply kept his hands folded between his sleeves and passively nodded along to what was being said.

    He had nothing new to add, at least until the damnable mess with Sabel and Maracavanya was sorted out. A mess which, as soon as this briefing concluded, he would have to dive back into.

    Politics, how tiresome.

    Iudex's eyebrow rose at the mention of 'The Acolytes of the Beyond' being tossed around so casually, and remained so as he failed to notice a single other Sith look surprised at their mention. Or enraged. His hands, hidden underneath his sleeves, tightened into fists as he stared daggers into the hologram of Shimmer.

    "I will.. Take this into consideration." He finally said, slowly unclenching his fists. "I have little to present in way of new information." He continued, looking at each of the holograms of the gathered Sith. "The Chiss, or at least their representative that assisted us during the battle, appears to be embroiled in his own conflict at the moment. Negotiations are currently ongoing with a new, third party."

    "Negotiations which.." Iudex glanced at his watch. "I may be running late on. I'll remain on call if you need me for the rest of this conference." He said, bowing his head to the group before his hologram vanished from view.[/COLOR]

    Renn frowned for a moment, the Sith were all over the complex but it didn’t mean that if he tuned in, as it were, to one or another of their essences that he couldn’t get a sense of their emotions. When Iudex signed off he sighed. Turning to face Soliloquy, ”Little brother, something in that one is tied to something quite negative in regard to the Acolytes of Beyond. I wonder if sticking with that will or could cause a schism. And we do not need another rogue Sith out there.

    "It’s bad enough that Cocytus is out there doing who knows what, or that we’re distancing ourselves from another who now has plenty of evidence about us to cause us trouble if we leave him distant, but to lose one that has such intimate knowledge would cause us even more chaos.”


    He thought for a moment but couldn’t see an alternative, unless... ”Hmmm, an idea, the New Republic already suspects that we were heavily involved on Kesh and possibly Nouane, why don’t we begin to blame things on the Lost Tribe of the Sith. We know of them from our own timeline and if others do not, or they may not be fully established here, it could prove an opportunity to sow even more chaos until we can determine this ill effect the other has on Iudex.”

    Soliloquy probably had the deer in the headlights frozen expression when Shimmer signed off. Similarly when Iudex did as well, the words of the twig snapping him out of his shock. “We are so frelled.” He simply stated looking at Ren.

    Reaching forward he nudged the holocron, “This is your mess. You tell them.”

    Astarta watched with interest, though her excercises were calling to her. She wanted to sign off, too, so she could get them done. Then Renn mentioned the Lost tribe and shifting blame.

    She did a brief double-take as Soliloquy talked to the holocron. Ironic feelings washed over her. But, back to matters at hand.

    "Renn, I like the idea of shifting blame. But, why not shift it onto Cocytus. He's been a thorn in our side for so long. They can get him off our to-do list. We just need to appear, as Soliloquy said, as an ordinary group of Hapans. The New Republic will shift to the bigger threat."

    The Holocron looked up at the Dark Lord. “What did I do?”

    “Apart from my agreeing that blaming Cocytus is a good idea, whatever works. Not really too sure why you’re not blaming Snoke and that mess, though presumably we don’t want to peeve him off too much?” He swivelled. “Setting up a whole ersatz Lost Tribe could be pretty long... and should we not want to keep Kesh secret for as long as possible? We lose that and we have no world to regroup and retreat to...”

    The Holocron had a vague idea that Soliloquy was referring to Arb, but...

    Astarta nodded. "Every foothold is important. We have one here, Kesh, presumably Moraband. It's important to maintain each. Cocytus, and Snoke," she indicated agreement in the holocron's direction, "are both good patsies. How do we see who's more vulnerable?"

    Lifting up a hand he began ticking off fingers. "Well we would have to be careful, I believe at the start of this conversation Cocytus is indicated to be imprisoned by the Republic already - so we either need to break a Kaminoan free or make sure everything works to that timeline. Lost Tribe is bit too much old universe, in this one we are the closest thing to actual lost tribe members. Iudex seems perturbed as soon as the Acolytes of Beyond were mentioned - and right before he does a comm call with a pirate queen with an SSD and a purported member of the Chiss Ascendancy. So someone needs to check on that flower and let him know about checking for other darkside groups to blame that we discussed as his underworld might have more groups. Snoke already declared war on us and I just got to my last finger on this hand. . .so sure. If we can find another nascent Dark Side group to play patsy for our antics that would be fine. Changing it up regularly or having choices ready ahead of time is never a bad option. And you," he stated with a look at the Holocron, "Keep your shame for now, but I'm not forgetting this."

    "Alright. Before we start verbally chasing our tails and I start growing one, anything else or shall I sign off and tend to my garden?"

    The Holocron lowered his brow, as if mock scolded. “Nothing from me!”

    Renn grinned then glanced at Helinith. Turning back, ”More to discuss later I’m sure, but nothing more I’d add either, for now.”

    Helinith was very interested in the prospect of growing tails (as mentioned by Soliloquy).
    "Like Renn, I've got nothing to add. I'll let you guys do the heavy-lifting."
    I'm just here for the ride. She thought to herself as she began to look around for a pair of fluffy slippers to match her hastily put-together ensemble.

    Tags: @Sinrebirth, @darthbernael, @darthhelinith, @Mitth_Fisto, @Silvertough
     
    darthbernael and Mitth_Fisto like this.
  15. Silvertough

    Silvertough Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 19, 2018
    IC: Iudex, Sabel, and "Darth Trayus"
    Star Home, Personal bedchamber of Darth Iudex

    As one call ended, a new one had to begin. Darth Iudex sighed, shaking his head as he tuned his room's holoprojector to the right frequency. He hoped this would be the last time he would have to talk with the pompous Chiss that was Lord Sabel. But reality was often disappointing.

    Iudex's finger hovered hesitantly over the call button, fresh waves of annoyance already beginning to ebb and flow like the tides of Hapan. He had been caught of guard the last time he had attempted galactic diplomacy, forced to remain on the back foot as the Chiss walked all over him. Iudex had no intention of making such a mistake again.

    As uncomfortable as it was, such a call might be the only chance he had to ask a Dark Sider not affiliated with the Sith some very Sithy questions..

    Iudex activated the holoprojector with a tap of his finger, and once the machine accepted the inputted frequency and began to call, he took a step back and slipped his hands back underneath his sleeves. An unconscious mannerism that he had only just started to notice himself doing during calls. "Come on Sabel.. Let's get this over with.." He muttered to his empty room.

    The airlock door closed behind them, hiding the remains of the creature as Sabel lifted Wapoe in a fireman’s carry over his shoulder. As he did, he felt his wristpad vibrate. Looking down on it, he scowled, ”Of course he wants to talk...now.” he muttered.

    Detaching a little disc of a projector he activated it and let it float before him as he activated the airlock leading to the ship Wapoe had mentioned, ”Sabel here…” he responded, an edge of irritation to his voice. From the state of his armor it was obvious he’d recently been in a fight but he couldn’t change that at the moment.

    Iudex raised an eyebrow for a moment, a dozen thoughts popping into his mind at once. Just like last time the call was beginning unexpectedly. "We just have to stop meeting like this.." Iudex finally said, a hint of a smile on his lips. "I see you're busy, so I'll make it quick. The terms of the alliance has been rejected outright. The agreed upon reparations will be paid, specifically that of fightercraft lost during the Battle of Hapan. A different route has been chosen for the future of Hapan. I have been authorized to offer nonaggression pacts, and maybe sign an extradition treaty with you and Queen Maracavanya..-" Iudex paused, suddenly noticing that Eleodie was in fact not currently present for the transmission.

    "I take it your conflict with the 'Zestus' figure hasn't gone according to plan?" He asked, his eyes flicking up to the unconscious body flung over Sabel's shoulders.

    Sabel scowled, eyes beginning to blaze, and then he laughed. ”Send the reparations. All else is rejected, no nonaggression pact, no extradition. You’re on your own and good luck with that, Snoke wants everything and I’m going to let him redirect his attention to the Known galaxy.”

    He paused for a moment, the inner airlock beginning to cycle open to the ship, ”Oh, and if you have any ideas to betray my people to the New Republic to save your own skins it will end badly, I have enough evidence of Sith involvement in Hapes to keep them interested in you all for a long time. As to my own situation, as you do not desire an alliance it is of no issue to you, save that you would not wish to find yourselves in Zestus’s place if you tried.”

    Iudex tilted his head to the side. "Our negotiations are concluded then. Pity." He said, without an ounce of regret in his voice. "I have no intention of betraying your people to the New Republic. Besides, such a act would bring little gain. It would be.." He narrowed his eyes, searching for the right word. "..Suicide. I don't tend to be that spiteful. But, if you make that decision, you will force my hand. Tit for tat, I believe is the expression."

    "Now, unless something truly catastrophic has occurred to shift the power dynamic in your relationship with Maracavanya, I'm under the impression they speak for themselves.." Iudex made a show of having his hologram look around the room. "Where is Eleodie anyways..?"

    Sabel chuckled, ”Your tit for tat holds little weight, they already know of me or the alliance with Eleodie would not have been necessary. But I admire your attempt to find a common ground of mutually assured destruction.”

    Another, deeper chuckle almost bounced Wapoe off of his shoulder as the airlock closed behind them and he looked around for the route to the bridge of this craft.”As to Eleodie, well...she’s in, hmmm, about a thousand pieces on the other side of the airlock so it would be slightly difficult to speak to her. Price of betraying me, I’d say.” he responded, dark humor evident in his tone.


    The Black-Coat sat up, looking at the hologram exchange. “Oh Sith. Don’t tell Insipid I’m here!” He waved his hands at Iudex.

    Now Iudex did frown. "Zher loss will be felt throughout the Galaxy." He said with a sigh. "They know that you're involved in some way with the old Empire, if your choice in capitol ships were any indication. But.." He waved a hand. "Bah, such matters are irrelevant, and won't be brought up again."

    He grew silent, narrowing his eyes at the black-cloaked figure who was apparently conscious after all. There was something eerily familiar about him, about the tone of voice, about his black cloak, but, try as he might, he couldn't put his finger on why. Maybe it was just Iudex's imagination, but he could swear he'd seen him sometime recently.

    ..Maybe in a dream?

    "..And who might you be? I can't not tell Insipid about you if I know nothing about you, can I?" He said finally, raising his hand to stroke his chin.


    “Oh, so he’s not dead anymore already? Or, rather, he’s back?” The Black-Coat tapped his chin. “Call me Darth Trayus,” the man with the covered face allowed a frown to fill the Force. “No, wait...”

    He looked to Sabel. “Um, ignore me. I’ll steer the ship away from the First Order Super Star Destroyer, k?” He swept off-screen.

    Sabel listened to the exchange with some interest. He was gaining a bit more insight into the chaos this Sith Order was sowing in their own ranks or in the Known galaxy, which could be of use in the future.

    He nodded to Wapoe, ”Good idea, I’ll deal with this Sith and be there shortly.”

    Iudex stood quietly, running the name Trayus over and over and over again in his mind. Nothing came to mind, nothing of immediate importance at least. Something to ask the other Sith when he had the time. Another question to add to the growing list, it would appear.

    "Darth Trayus." He said, both in greeting and farewell, as he watched the figure disappear from view. "Interesting. Now, if that's all," He turned to look back at Sabel. "I'll leave you to your battle. Good luck, I'm sure a Fleet Commander of your skill will triumph spectacularly." A thin smile grew on his face, before dissipating as quickly as it came.


    Sabel scowled but chuckled at the last from Iudex. Retrieving the little disc he attached it back in place and proceeded through the ship to the bridge. ”We’ll see how well they leave me alone, but I doubt that one will ignore what you told him.” he told Wapoe as he joined the Black-Coat.


    Wapoe looked up from the console, closing down a screen and moving to another one. “Well, yes. But I didn’t mean to tell him that name, or about Insipid.” He shrugged again. “Eh, it happens.”

    He pressed a handful of buttons again, and the engines whined, and he mover again, pressing a switch which popped out a pair of joysticks. “Trust me, two controls are all the rage in the future of TIE design.” He gestured the Chiss to the seat. “On you.”

    “It’s a stealth yacht thing that I found in one of the Contingency warehouses. A few of these around so that Palpatine could keep his artefacts and stuff out of a successors hands.”

    He turned back to a fourth console and keyed the stealth generator. The first console, however had sent a fair amount of data along the open channel to Iudex...

    A recording of the Battle of Primea essentially, and the overall civil war ongoing within Sabel’s polity.

    The call ended, leaving Iudex alone with his thoughts. His quest for answers had, per usual, only unearthed new ones. Questions whose answers wouldn't be easily given. Who was Trayus, and how did he know of Insipid? Or, more accurately, who was using the name of Darth Trayus as a disguise?

    "And Maracavanya's dead.." Iudex murmured, staring thoughtfully at the silent holoprojector. "So, both the Crime Lord of Coruscant, and the Outer Rim's Pirate Queen are dead.. All within what, roughly 24 hours? Two power vacuums that need to be filled immediately, otherwise It's going to be like the Hutt Cartels all over again. Unless.." An inkling of an idea began to form in his head, the beginnings of a plan so grandiose in design Iudex almost ignored it on common sense alone.

    Almost.

    The room's center console chimed once, an indication that it had received a transfer of data. Looking through it, Iudex was confronted with a series of recordings of a battle, and, if the they were to be believed, a costly one. Iudex's eyes widened as ships he recognized passed by the whatever device was recording the scene.

    "Why thank you Mr. Trayus.." Iudex muttered as he made several copies of the data transmission. "Looks like Sabel isn't as infallible as he puts on.."

    He shook his head with a chuckle. "Well, looks like the Conference has concluded, shame. Would have been so much easier to add in what I've learned there at the end.." Iudex said, running a hand through his hair. "And ask them about the Black-Coat.."

    "... Starting to feel like a glorified secretary with all the calls I gotta make.."

    Tags: @Sinrebirth , @darthbernael @Mitth_Fisto , @darthhelinith , @DarthIshyZ


     
  16. darthbernael

    darthbernael EU Community Mod, Fuego, Pyrofuego! star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: Oh it seems Bernael and Manticore both found ways to survive, in a fun combo with @greyjedi125 and @Sinrebirth

    IC: Bernael and Manticore
    Edge of the Akkadese Maelstrom, present day 7 ABY


    Whoever the poor Hapan soul had been before Ooru first commanded his body was gone, fragmented, devoured, fled by the time the command Miy’til with Ooru and Bernael reached the Akkadese Maelstrom. Even Ooru recognised the futility of the fight against his originator, by that point and given his own emaciation reluctantly accepted being reabsorbed into Bernael.

    A portion of the emaciation that Bernael felt was that the body they had fought over kept changing, shifting, as the battle went on, now Hapan, now Anzati, now Ooru, and many others between. It was one way that Ooru had attempted to wear Bernael down, by using up physical reserves but the Anzati had held out longer than the fragment of a God, partially by using the opportunity of each shift to drink in a little more of the fragment’s essence.

    Now the ship sat, drifting somewhat, at the fringes of the chaos that was the Maelstrom. He needed to get to, needed to find, sustenance so that he could regain his strength. He was of very little use for any of his allies, or himself, until he fed again. There were creatures in that Maelstrom that he would have used as food, if he had the strength but now he only had his anger, his power, and this weakened form. Something would have to change and he wasn’t sure what that would be as he sat and gazed at the swirls of color and waves of energy radiating from the massive storm in space.

    He hadn’t paid much attention to the passage of time as his mind was awhirl cross-referencing all that he had learned so far.

    Manticore could barely begin to imagine the wealth of knowledge and experience stored in the Darkstaff, but understood the magnitude of what it represented. Indeed, it was an extremely powerful piece on a mutli-layered game board, and he could not, would not, squander this opportunity: He would make his move.

    But there were, oh, so many variables. So, so, many possibilities, enough to seem almost daunting. Almost.

    The essential problem with choice came when one did not have a plan, or an inkling to what one desired. Manticore knew full well what he wanted- the issue was maximizing this opportunity to achieve various objectives, and not just the one.

    He wasn’t quite sure when he began to feel it, the disturbance. It fluctuated between familiar and unfamiliar, but it was there…it was palpable to his senses.

    The zabrak turned his head and looked out to viewport, his eyes beholding the grandeur of their new location. He glanced at the navi-computer to learn more.

    “The Akkadese Maelstrom….” he said in a low rasp, his fiery eyes narrowing to slits, even as he peered out to the edge of the Maelstrom.

    Recognition hit him and he stood up slowly, reaching out with the Force.

    “Bernael….” he said. It wasn’t a question.

    The Darkstaff was granting him wishes?

    Perhaps, but Manticore was no fool. There was always a price for such things.

    Always.

    There was a touch, a whisper of something, as Bernael stared out of the viewport. Something brushed against his senses, something familiar. Slowly his head turned, a ship was there, just outside the Maelstrom. His mind replayed the sensation of that energy that had touched him. In his weakened state it took a moment to run through the sensation of the essences of those he knew best.

    His mind reached out, following the trace of that energy, to the ship that was hanging on the horizon, ’Brother…’ whispered across the distance.

    There was a change to his brother, but not in such a way that would change their bond as brothers. They were both changed, evolved, but they were, it felt at their cores, both the two that had begun this journey.

    He touched the controls and the Miy’til slowly turned, fuel supply already low, until the canopy faced Manticore’s ship. The Maelstrom hung in the canopy, to the side, an observer to this reunion.

    ’Brother, I am hungry…’

    The sense in the Force confirmed it, more so the words that follow and the soul chilling hunger. Manticore could not help but to smirk as pieces began falling into place.

    “Brother….Lord of Hunger.” The zabrak sent back both in greeting and respectful salute.

    Manticore could not see Bernael, but his senses told him everything he needed to know. The Anzati required immediate substance, or he would go into a very deep slumber.

    No doubt the Lord of Hunger was in such a state to be sated by consuming a Summa-Verminoth, but that was not presently on the menu.

    Turning to the instruments, he scanned Bernael’s ship and realized its conditions. Without wasting a second, he moved his subtle closer and engaged the tractor beam as his mind worked.

    Oba Diah was the closest planet.

    Which meant Pykes and the Pyke Syndicate.

    No one was likely to ask questions if a few Pykes went missing.

    Manticore flared his nose.

    Perhaps there would be a Spice Transport under attack that they could 'save', but he was not too focused on appearances at the moment.

    Through their brotherly bond, Manticore made his plan known to Bernael.

    “Much has happened, but first you must be made whole once again.” He declared.

    As he entered the coordinates for Oba Diah, he looked upon the Darkstaff.

    The mysteries he’d learned would not go unaccounted for. The mission to stop the Change was still very much on the table.

    But first things first.

    Bernael felt as his Miy’til was captured by Manticore’s ship. It began to move behind the other craft and he smiled slightly as he heard Manticore’s words.

    ”Yes I believe much has happened for us both. I know we have much to discuss about that once I can feed. I am pleased, however, that neither of us is dead.”

    He leaned back in the pilot’s couch as he felt both craft moving, trusting Lord Hate would know where near here they would find enough sustenance to rejuvenate him. Closing his eyes he kept enough of a channel in the Force open that they may speak, without overdoing it energywise, keeping himself from the healing sleep as long as possible.

    Oba Diah was a world of the Pyke's; it always had been, and always would be.

    The world was surrounded by all manner of smuggling craft, travelling in and out. The fall of the Empire had been lucrative for crime, which was rife in the Outer Rim for years since the Battle of Endor. But now the New Republic was reaching the Rim, it's time would come.

    Little did the criminals know that it had already arrived.

    In the form of the two Sith.

    There were slaves, there were enforcers, there were leaders.

    It was nothing more than the standard criminal set-up.

    Both of them had encountered it a thousand times... this time, the leader was named Helun, and he was, of course, a Pyke. The only fact of note was that he had scavenged droideka's holding his port, and a pair kept with him at all times. He cared not for the syndicates of the Imperial remnant, hated the Hutts, and was only intrigued by profit.

    The pair of ships, one being towed behind the other, were approaching a world, Oba Diah, if his sensors were correct. His eyes opened, dark as the void of space, as he felt the life on the world, felt so many meals waiting for the taking. If he recalled what he knew of the world they wouldn’t be missed either, criminals, slavers, and the like.

    He felt a small surge of his remaining energy as his body responded to all the souls and minds out there, almost salivating at the knowledge that soon he would be returned to health. One thought that brought a twist to his lips was that one of the tiny fragments of Ooru’s knowledge and self that had been passed between them was his shapeshifting. A mind vampire with the ability to completely change his appearance would be of such value, once he had the energy to do so.

    His smile stayed in place as the ships descended and Manticore chose where they would land and begin his rejuvenation. There were very few beings he would trust with this, or his life, but his brother he would without hesitating.

    Manticore remained silent as he let the darkside of the force guide him. Darkness attracted darkness, thus, he would follow the most conducive trail of villainy he could sense. Those without scruples would serve as a sacrifice for the continuation of the sith, in this instance, that of Darth Bernael, The Lord of Hunger.

    Indeed, Manticore could feel it. The Anzati’s anticipation. Ironically, he too had a feeling or anticipation all his own, thanks to the Darkstaff.

    “Brother, once you recover, I have something to show you…” The Lord of Hate would send to his counterpart, without giving the faintest hint.

    “There.” Manticore said to no one from the pilot’s seat, as he found a suitable port to land.

    Oh, how he would welcome any interference from the Pykes or any other species who might believe themselves bold enough to actually do so. One ship towing another, it was a clear sign of vulnerability, weakness even. They couldn't begin to suspect that which was hidden.

    “Soon…brother, very soon….”

    The path to fulfilling the grand mission had begun, yet still he Manticore would proceed with the necessary precaution. He'd seen what could become of the 'best laid plans'. Still, he could feel this time, things could go very differently.

    Down on the port, the zabrak could sense other lives, just waiting to be plucked. There were ships about as well as storage areas and some kind of central structure. The details did not matter, just the end results.

    Carefully, the shuttle was brought down for a landing, the Miy’til following gracefully and also landing smoothly.

    A smirk appeared upon the zabrak's face, if only for a brief moment. His eyes gazed out as they burned with intent. How they milled about, unsuspecting.

    “Let us wait and see if they come to us, if not, we shall go to them.”

    The Pyke's of course sent enforcers to enquire of the new arrivals; this was their world. Five of the alien species that matched the syndicate's name wandered over, a waddling Droideka behind them, it's shields up.

    [​IMG]

    The leader spoke up, calling out to the ship. "You don't have permission to land here."

    In the distance, a turret turned to peer at the ship, an anti-aircraft weapon.

    The shuttle lowered its ramp, hydraulic mechanisms hissing, bathing the area in steaming mist. A lone figure made it down the ramp, shrouded in a hooded cloak, his face obscured, and a simple looking staff in his hand, tapping as he walked.

    "We have come a very long distance...." It declared factually as it moved, steadily. unafraid.

    "...and we require..." he pause, "...sustenance."

    The Pykes would not see the zabrak smirk under his hood, but would notice him raise his gaze slowly.

    "Will you help us?" He inquired, fiery eyes now visible to their hosts. The specimen standing before him seem hardy enough, though he doubted they were sufficient in number, but it would be a start. Manticore would serve as distraction, of course. These security types were predictable. His smirk widened as he came to a stop at the base of the ramp. No need to be in sight of the turret...yet. As for the Droideka? well, it should consider itself fortunate that the present threat was confined mostly to the living.

    As the eyes were fixed on Manticore, the mist hid the canopy of the Miy’til opening, and the figure that slipped out of it. The figure disappeared into the mist, even as it began to dissipate, the canopy closed once more.

    It held back the chuckle as Manticore spoke, these Pyke’s would be a snack that lifted his energy a little, enough to get to the next batch and the next. It slipped closer to the quintet, coming from the side and the first notion that the remaining four had that something was wrong was that the droideka whined as it’s turret turned toward where the fifth of their number had stood.

    His place was vacant now, the assault droid searching for the life sign of the Pyke. The torso spun this way and that, seeking the body heat of the being and, after a short search it found a slowly cooling patch that approximated the fifth Pyke, if that being was emaciated then tossed under a ship to hide it.

    And then its sensors flared once more. Turning back, there were still four Pykes so there was no reason why the sensors should have flared but when it turned further another cooling pile was spotted by its heat sensors. The Pykes were still being belligerent to Manticore, although the one that had been opposite the first to disappear glanced directly into Manticore’s eyes, it’s eyes turning fully black for a moment, one winking, before they returned to their normal color.

    The fifth Pyke becoming a cooling patch was pretty much an indication that violence was necessary; not that they needed an excuse. They lifted their blasters and unleashed an attack, as the droideka picked Manticore to gun down, and the turret in the backdrop powered up to obliterate the whole area if need be -

    He gave no outward indication, but he could feel it a moment before it happened: Aggression.

    Lord Manticore; a Sith Battlemaster, a creature that lived for the crucible of combat. He who’s slain may a great Jedi warrior, clashed against fearsome Force Imbued Mutants, who has dueled to the death against a Sith Triumvir. What were angry Pykes to one such as he?

    Every fiber of the zabrak’s being was suffused with the Force, even as he tapped the Darkstaff once against the ground, causing it to remain standing like a black marker.

    Even as the Pykes drew their blasters, Manticore was already drawing his lightsaber, the red blade igniting and piercing the air with a snarling snap hiss. The Pykes opened fire, raining a barrage of blaster fire at the zabrak sith lord. Manticore stood his ground, deflecting the bolts, his speed an accuracy enhanced by the force, smoothly deflecting their attack. His eyes were not on them.

    Finally, the Droideka committed itself and attacked! Manticore defected the shots from the Droideka at the Pykes, taking them out in sequence. Manticore’s combat awareness had already warned him of the Turret powering up, so he baited it by stepping into plain view. He was the greatest threat and could not be ignored.

    In an instant, the Turret fired- and he was ready. Manticore moved a fraction from the center even as it fired, while simultaneously flaring his lightsaber blade, increasing its deflective potential.

    The first shot from the turret was redirected at the Droideka’s shield, which faltered. Of course, the Droideka just kept on firing, which he deflected in response. Manticore sensed the turret about to fire again and immediately gestured, hurtling the Droideka right in the path of the second shot.

    A brilliant explosion marked the destruction of the mechanical nuisance, but the encounter was not over. A third more powerful shot from the turret was coming his way. Manticore turned and lifted a gloved hand right on time!

    He snarled visibly as he brought about his force mastery over energy. A Sith Lord’s will was greater than any construct, thus, the brilliant shot was reflected directly back at the turret.

    Less than a second later, a satisfying explosion indicated the end of the turret.

    Manticore’s lightsaber vanished in a flash, even as he gestured for the Darkstaff to return to his hand. His eyes regarded the Pykes. The were not dead, for they were to serve a greater purpose. However, more Pykes were likely to follow, after the not-so-small, demonstration.

    “Feed, brother….” he said in solemn tones.

    The only sign that the Pyke that had winked at Manticore wasn’t a Pyke at all was the fact that just as the blaster bolt from the droideka hit them all there was a slight shimmer right over where the bolt would have hit. The body still fell to the tarmac along with the other three but it was not heavily wounded as they were.

    It stayed on the tarmac while Manticore dealt with the droideka and the turret, feigning death so as not to cause a distraction to his brother at an inopportune time. When the firing had ceased and he heard Manticore speak, the ‘dead’ Pyke that had winked stood once more, shifting as it did, into almost the same form his brother was used to him having. He moved over the three remaining Pykes, kneeling to make it easier with the still low energy reserves and his vast hunger. The proboscises sprang from his cheek pouches, then multiplied, into six total, two each diving into the downed criminals.

    His eyes lifted, the black within black of them swirling with some edges of dark grey. ”Do you like my new ‘toy’?” he asked Manticore, ”I had to devour the remnant of Ooru to get a body back, and a benefit was gaining his abilities, like shapeshifting.” His form filled out slightly more as the three Pykes took on an emaciated look, becoming husks before their eyes.

    The multi-proboscises withdrew as they finished, curling back into two, and then back into their pouches. He sighed, feeling the increase in his energy. Standing he moved over to Manticore, one hand lifting for a moment as his saber hilts flew from the Miy’til and settled on his belt. A smile creased the corner of one side of his lips, ”I see you found what you were seeking, my brother.”

    The detonation of the turret had the effect of setting off the entire complex.

    Alarms rang out, and more than two, three, four dozen Pyke's streamed out of the front of the building. Also, ships began to lift off from other segments of the base, the Force becoming charged with the intent of the enemy. A pair of droidekas rolled forward, joining the stream of attackers -

    The exploding turret seemed to have set-off a series of unexpected explosions in its wake, taking the entire complex with it. This was certainly an unexpected surprise, but not an unwelcomed one. In that moment, Manticore turned and observed as Bernael simultaneously consumed essences from the three remaining Pykes. He had seen too much in his experience to be disturbed by such a sight- instead, he could feel the Anzati regain a portion of his strength. Good. The Pykes should be commended, for they had served well.

    As for Bernael’s words, Manticore did raise a curious eyebrow.

    “Consume Ooru?” He said, echoing his own thoughts, then nodded, accepting the full gravity of his brother’s statement. Lord Hunger’s appetite was indeed something to be truly feared.

    As for Bernael’s polymorphic abilities…

    “I almost did not recognize you, if it weren’t for our warrior bond. For a moment I assumed something had gotten into your eye.” Manticore rasped, yet chuckled lightly- which was very unusual.

    His fiery eyes then regarded the Darkstaff once Darth Bernael mentioned the artifact of legend.

    “It found me…” Manticore admitted easily. “…but it seems to sleep.”

    No more was shared as alarms rang out, drawing their attention. Several dozens of Pykes emerged from what buildings still remained standing. Manticore extended his senses and keenly felt the combat theatre. There were more droidekas being rallied by their enemy, even ships would be brought against them.

    A dark and sinister smirk began to slowly appear upon his face.

    The zabrak battlemaster opened himself to power, becoming oversaturated with it, even as he once again placed the Darkstaff down as a black marker.

    “Are you ready, brother?”

    Bernael chuckled and moved over beside his brother, for the moment keeping his usual form but the sounds, the noise, the chaos was quite familiar. ”Is it me or is this seeming more like home for us than any peaceful situation these days, my brother?” he asked, only semi-rhetorically.

    With his energy returning he felt the rise in power in Manticore and approved, just as he had his brother was even more powerful, fitting for the premier warrior of the Sith. He sensed too that more foes were approaching, that the explosions and chaos had not gone unnoticed. The chuckle and smile on Manticore’s face told him that they were about to truly enjoy themselves.

    He threw back his head and a sound that was quite unusual for an Anzati to make, a deep laugh, rolled from his throat. ”Hmmm, that felt...appropriate.” he said as his gaze dropped. The weapons pointed at them bothered him not, they’d faced beings on the level, almost, of gods and were once again standing.

    His form became wreathed in darkness, little tendrils like tentacles swaying in the increase of power both of them were allowing to build. His was not yet on par with his brother but, given the sheer amount of beings even their snacks of souls would build him back up again, swiftly.

    With his new ability he thickened his skin, knowing that he would take some damage in the upcoming fight but hedging his bets to ensure he did not fall into the healing sleep too soon. The whole purpose of their visit here was so that he could regain himself fully. His talons extended and he leaned forward, seeming excited at the prospect of tearing through the Pykes that were advancing.

    ”Let us dance and feast, my brother.” he stated, calmly and flatly, his normal demeanor beginning to return.

    “Long Live the Sith!”

    Manticore rasped in response, even as he joined the two ends of his lightsabers, fusing them into an even mightier weapon. The first wave of armed Pykes approached, already firing on the two sith. Manticore’s weapon erupted to life, twin blades flaring at either end of the joined hilts, even as he raced forward, deflecting blaster shots as he went.

    The zabrak Sith Lord became a blur of motion, making himself almost impossible to track, his weapon leaving crimson streaks in the air, followed by an increasing number of severed limbs left in his wake. The Pykes were required to aim their weapons, thereby creating easy targets to slice. This, of course, was only the beginning of that which was to come.

    Bernael smiled as he saw Manticore set to his enjoyment as, with the first few strokes of his brother’s sabers he saw the plan. He moved along close to the warrior, using his power sparingly, mostly to create there and gone again shields to block blaster bolts or strikes from the Pykes that came too close to Manticore. The purpose of this visit was to renew his energy so most of his actions were to sweep up the wounded as the zabrak left them in his wake, swiftly drawing in their essences, his proboscises swaying as multiple tentacles, ripping through skulls to devour the physical matter that was needed then.

    As his energy increased he ventured slightly farther out to claim the less wounded that only came close to the Battlemaster rampaging through their ranks. Daggers appeared from nowhere, in the air, taking Pykes in the arms, legs, or torsos, ones that threatened to turn the corner on Manticore, get around him. These too were left cooling on the ground, as the yells and battle cries turned to screams and terror, realizing that the battle wasn’t necessarily to destroy them but to devour them.

    The Anzati Assassin and the Zabrak Warrior worked in seamless symmetry as they cut down the armed resistance brought against them.

    Manticore gestured and a powerful force avalanche crashed against another wave of Pyke enforcers, sweeping them off their feet. The zabrak was a red and black blur of speed, exploiting his advantage for all that was worth, leaving behind him sections of bisected enemies for Bernael to devour.

    He could hear and feel them, these hapless Pykes as they served a greater purpose, as The Lord of Hunger consumed their essence in a most indelicate manner, while the Lord of Hate served them up without remorse.

    Still Manticore kept alert, his combat awareness as laser sharp as his weapon of choice. It was only a matter of time before these criminals and mercenaries attempted some greater measure of resistance, not understanding the futility of it.

    They couldn’t understand that it would take a single Sith Lord to crush their base. Two Sith Lords? Well, that was simply overkill. It was simply their turn to experience the misery they often brought to others - and serve a higher purpose while doing so.

    A laugh echoed across the landing field, enhanced by the Force to send waves of chill and fear into the ears of the unfortunates that heard it, at least those it was directed at, the poor souls who still rallied to attack Hunger and Hate. Through the bond between them there was no conscious need for direction, Hate mowed through the Pykes while Hunger bounded across the field from side to side, his energy levels swelling as he drained the mutilated bodies left in his brother’s wake.

    As he returned to himself his speed picked up until there were two blurs, both Sith rampaging across the field. The second would pause for mere seconds over every body like some twisted angel of death before moving again, leaving husks of bodies scattered across the field. From time to time the blurs would stop as the second sensed an attack, suddenly appearing before a Pyke that had gotten to close to the first, a death’s head smile on his face, the Pyke falling, drained, and they would move on, every step closer to the terminal and what lay beyond.

    They thought he wouldn’t notice, that he would be too busy killing the foot soldiers, but he did notice- and he had no doubt that Bernael noticed it as well.

    Manticore took note that a few ships entered their airspace, yet decided to just hold position. Perhaps there were still too many Pykes left alive for them to simply fire on their position, without making it look as if they were purposefully killing their comrades. Speeding along as he was, the zabrak also noticed how the Droideka’s tried to keep pace with them, taking shots of opportunity, but without much success so far. It was almost as if they were coordinating, attempting to keep them corralled.

    After slicing through a particularly persistent bunch of blast-happy enforcers, Manticore spied a few more details. Several Pykes were getting on speeder bikes, after realizing that being on foot was a clear liability. A not so distant trio made themselves busy, rushing through the set up of an E-Web.

    Now that would make things interesting.

    Finally, these Pykes were ramping up their defense, one almost had to wonder if they ever would. However, what actually caught the Sith Lord's interest, was something that was coming out of a half demolished building.

    [​IMG]

    Curious. Most curious, indeed.

    Now why would the Pykes have such an expensive toy?

    Bernael finished off the remaining Pykes that Manticore had wounded before he closed the distance with his brother. He’d seen the ships jockeying for position, seen the E-Web being set up, and this newest development was interesting indeed. The Pykes must have either paid a pretty penny to acquire such a thing, or stolen it from someone. It mattered little but could prove an interesting encounter. ”Hmmmm, choices, choices.” he murmured. Studying it a moment more he turned to Hate, ”That could be fun to play with but I wonder, is it immune to the flame?”

    He let his awareness drift over the battlefield and a smile came to his face. ”How about I take the high ground and you enjoy yourself with the toy?” he both suggested and asked. Putting deed to word he suddenly blurred, bounding across the field, up the nose of a grounded ship and then leaped, up and over onto the top of one of the Pyke craft that circled them.

    Kneeling just over the bridge of the craft, he put a palm on the metal and concentrated. A dark smile crossed his face as he sent his will surging into the bridge, overwhelming that of the crew. The ship shuddered for a few moments as their wills fought his before the craft steadied. It flew in a new pattern, lining up a shot, before its cannons fired on the three that were setting up the E-Web, before shifting and beginning to fire upon the other Pyke craft that were airborne. Bernael stayed firmly planted to the roof of the craft as it flew, his body having latched firmly to the metal of the surface, digging in.

    He laughed as it flew and fought, the other craft beginning to, finally react, firing back on his.



    It was almost as if Lord Hunger knew the mind of Lord Hate.

    No, not almost. Of course he did, for they were sith brothers, the Left and Right Hands of the Sith Emperor.

    Manticore chuckled darkly. Darth Bernael knew the zabrak, for he had taken to higher ground with good reason.

    The Lord of Hate stretched forth a hand, opening the blast furnace of his hate, releasing Sith flames across the field.

    The Pykes mounted on speeder bikes attempted to outrun the flames, but were overtaken, their vehicles exploding into roiling fireballs as a result. Everyone who was on foot began to wail before they began to succumb, as they were immolated on the spot. The three who had failed to set up the E-Web, thanks to Bernael, would have thanked him for his mercy, if they could have, for Manticore showed none.

    The hulking armor immediately became surrounded by a shield as it lumbered forward, Manticore only smiled. Another gesture, and the two droidekas found themselves levitating off the ground, no longer having a plane on which to skitter or roll. Manticore turned them and directed their blaster fire at the incoming armor- which only bounced off. Of course, the hulking armor did not slow its pace, for it was confident- just as expected. The zabrak's smirk widened.

    The armored enemy raised both his arms and opened fire. The heavy repeater emitted its barrage from one arm, the other fired a searing lance of electricity. The shower of slugs pelted the zabrak's force barrier and cascaded to his feet. The electro lance appeared to have hit its mark, charring the zabrak's garment, but not the flesh beneath. In fact, the surrounding flames seemed to increase in intensity because of it.

    Perhaps that's when the armored assailant finally noticed the droidekas, which had gone from glowing red hot to white hot. They had been supercharged and were about to go-off!! The armored contender began to backpedal, but it was too late. Both droideka's exploded like make-shift thermal detonators, ripping the armor's shields and making it topple backwards.

    Manticore removed his ruined cloak, casting it to the flames where it was consumed in a flash, even as he walked forward.

    The armored foe rose to his feet as quickly as possible and attempted to re-engage his shield, but the generator had been damaged during the fall and only granted him a shower of sparks. Understanding his new predicament, it fired a rocket at the advancing zabrak, who swept the missile aside with a negligent wave of a hand. Before another action could be taken, Manticore's hand formed a claw and all movement from the armor stopped. It shook violently for several moments as Manticore poured his hate into it and even raised it from the ground a full meter. Still, it continued to shake as long muffled sounds could be heard from within. Wisps of steam could be seen coming from cracks after the shaking ceased.

    Releasing the armor, it fell to the ground, clanging like a piece of abandoned junk.

    Manticore turned and roared his vehemence for all to hear.

    From his perch on the Pyke craft, Bernael could feel the heat rising from Manticore’s battle. A smile, dark and sinister crossed his face. Concentrating once more, he directed the craft to fire on the others that circled. As it flew it closed on the other craft, he bringing it closely enough to reach out and rip the souls from those he could reach. The physical feasting he couldn’t accomplish without bounding from craft to craft.

    Several ‘meals’ were lost as he couldn’t fully direct the fire from this one at the perfect spot each time, burning pyres of craft on the ground attested to that. Within minutes, the craft he was on was the last in the sky and he was back to slightly more than half reconstituted. Only this crew remained. Flowing into a sinuous shape, he lanced out with the force and shattered the viewscreen, flowing over the pilots, devouring them as the craft fell from the sky.

    Finishing his meal quickly, he reformed where he’d been standing on the top of the craft. Timing his leap he jumped moments before the craft smashed into the tarmac, flipping in the air and landing near Manticore, rolling and coming to his feet. He looked around, a satisfied look on his face. ”I do believe we got their attention.”, the humor evident in his tone.

    TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto[/I]
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2021
  17. Darth Cocytus

    Darth Cocytus Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 8, 2016
    Darth Cocytus
    Rishi

    Darth Cocytus connected himself with the Force as the shuttle descended upon the moon world below, closing his eyes to get more in tune. The presence in the Dark Side was most apparent this time, unlike back on the prison world earlier where it was more ambiguous. Could it really be Darth Styx, though? The Kaminoan could not help but ask himself such a question in thought, as the shuttle finally landed on the moon surface.

    As they moved forward away from the shuttle, Cocytus felt quite at home in the coldness of this moon, clearly strong with the Dark Side itself. A perfect Sith World, if it wasn't one already long ago, should the Order ever truly rise again to sustain itself, the kaminoan thought with a thin smile. Cocytus glanced at the various strange creatures, both humanoid and otherwise, finding life to be quite creative in its art.

    The kaminoan stood at the entrance of the cave, or rather the entrance to an entire labyrinthine of caves. The presence of the Dark Side was stronger now than ever before since shuttle moon landing. So much like Darth Styx and yet…

    Cocytus's glowing yellow eyes widened as someone approached from the cave of caves and a thin smile grew on his face.

    There was a shadow, darting between the caves and the dark, and suddenly a twist in the Force saw one of the cave-eels redirected.

    The ground beneath his feet exploded outward as the creature attacked Cocytus. The other animals and sentients on the moon were so cajoled, and Cocytus would sense a well-trained darksider behind them.

    A Sith.

    A Sith who felt like Styx...

    Testing him?

    Cocytus sensed hostility in the Force as he smirked and prepared himself, lightsabers ready, and his feet in a stance. Yet the ground explosion beneath still knocked him off his feet and onto his back with a grunt. As the creature attacked him, the kaminoan quickly ignited one of his blades and swiftly slashed at it.

    The Darksider behind him though? Such a question grew quickly in Cocytus as he felt its presence. Could it be Darth Styx? Did Sidious succeed in what he ended up failing at?
    The creature split open, and the shadow withdrew deeper into cave system.

    There was an echo as the voice spoke.

    You feel familiar to me. Like my Master, but not. But perhaps I feel similar to her, as her apprentice.

    The noise was being thrown with the Force, a fairly esoteric technique.

    Could you be the Master that abandoned her all those years ago?

    Darth Cocytus stood up as the creature vanished but kept his guard up in case of any more surprises. Was this Darth Styx or not? It felt like the girl he set onto the path of becoming a Sith Lord as his apprentice and almost sounded like her. Could she just be playing him? However the Sith Master could not take anything as definite just yet.

    "Abandoned?" Cocytus asked, blinking at the question but keeping his thin smile, "No, of course not. I would never abandon her. Darth Styx was the heir to a newborn Sith lineage if not for the stubbornness of that foolish Skywalker denying my offer, ironically leading to his own annihilation and the destruction of everything he held dear. Nonetheless, what I sought to do happened regardless and all my enemies were wiped out, leaving me alone able to fill in the vacuum of power in the Galaxy."

    Cocytus stepped forward carefully. "All I need to truly begin anew is my apprentice back at my side." The kaminoan went on. "Only two there can be as you may know, after all, no more, no less. A master and an apprentice."

    The voice wondered.

    I was about to lure my Master into a trap and kill her... and take the mantle of Master.

    There was an air of bemusement.

    Perhaps I have just found my own apprentice. After years away, you will be weak, no? There has been no struggle to make you great, and powerful…

    A sneer.

    You were outsmarted by a Skywalker; you lost the mantle of Dark Lord to Snoke! Yet, he was merely a puppet for Darth Sidious! You were never the Master!

    Darth Cocytus made a scowl at the voice's berating words. Skywalker didn't trick him. He was just a stubborn fool who refused the help he would have needed to bring down Snoke and Sidious. The Jedi indeed paid the ultimate price for such failure. As for Palpatine and Snoke, well, that is self-evident to the rest of the Galaxy.

    All of Cocytus's enemies were gone, destroyed by the very seeds planted by his own words. He was free now to take control of the Galaxy as he wished. All the kaminoan needed was an apprentice to take his knowledge and eventually surpass him in accordance to the Rule of Two.

    Still, Cocytus suspected that he may need a brush up and resharpening of his skills. So there was that which the voice was correct.

    And yet...

    "Twice I was offered an apprenticeship after my initial one ended under Darth Hesper." Darth Cocytus replied, referring to Insipid and Snoke. The Palpatine AI didn't quite count for reasons that he wasn't even real. "Both times they were nothing but empty positions leaving me not as heir of the Sith Order but as nothing more than a puppet. Why should I believe you to be any different?"

    The answer, to Cocytus, of course, is that he shouldn't. Treachery was the nature of the Sith and their words should not be taken without caution. No doubt it would be the same for this voice, whomever they may be.

    "Who are you anyway?" The kaminoan asked, "And who was this female master you are referring to?"

    "You truly think that your apprentice would wait for thirty years for your return? That she would not return to Remnicore, or Korriban? That she wouldn't seek the mysteries of Exegol, even if she could never reach it? That she could not complete her own training?"

    The voice, a male more clearly this time, snorted.

    "Your arrogance astounds me, 'Lord' Cocytus."

    There were a chorus of snap-hisses. Or, perhaps, one, echoing again and again through the cave system.

    Cocytus smiled thinly in thought.

    "Ah so Darth Styx chosen to carry the torch in my absence?" The kaminoan mused with a pleased grin. "Yes, that thought did cross my mind. Truth be told, I am actually most delighted to hear just that, and truly I have chosen my apprentice well, even if I had inadvertently failed her."

    Cocytus stepped forward. "Come. No need to hide yourself in a cave, my fellow Sith." He reasoned, "Show yourself. Tell me, what has Darth Styx named you? Or have you named yourself? Truly this is a sign that our Order indeed has a future despite what has happened on Exogol."

    The Kaminoan then thought of something. "You say you are luring Darth Styx to fight her?" He asked, "Most unusual. Surely an apprentice would face their master themself. Is she on her way here? Or is Styx still missing out there and you are looking for her just as I am?'

    There was no response.

    A seething set of thoughts rotated around the Force, leaning upon Darth Cocytus.

    "My name is... Darth Vengean."

    The ground collapsed beneath the Kaminoan's feet, the entire cave system collapsing into the depths -

    Darth Cocytus grunted as the ground collapsed entirely beneath his feet, falling into the depths below. His lightsaber extinguished as it fell from his hand. The kaminoan did a flip mid air to dodge one of the falling rocks, his precognition guiding him. Then he reached out into the Force to manipulate the debris as well his own movement as to make a more or less safe landing, even if he didn't quite land onto his feet.

    "Darth Vengean?" Darth Cocytus repeated as he stood back up. The name rang a bell from his studies, long, long ago. "I know that of one who went by that name, having lived thousands of years ago in the Old Republic and Old Sith Empire. Apprentice to one Darth Baras. Of course, though, that was another timeline which met a grisly end. Are you still in living flesh? Are you a Sith Spirit? Or some other form of Sith life born out of twisted Sith Alchemy?"

    Cocytus's eyes narrowed. "Enough of these games, hiding in the darkness..." He said coldly as he summoned his lightsaber back to his hand.

    The lightsaber as it was summoned was accelerated by a Force push, sent to Cocytus with an aggressive force.

    There was a flash of crimson as a pair of blades emerged from a corner to slash at his throat - held in two hands by a masked man -

    Yellow eyes glowing at the foreseeing of the coming attack, Cocytus caught the lightsaber nonetheless as it was shoved into him and immediately ignited it to bat away the masked Dark Sider's attack. He leapt some distance away and smirked at his new foe as he ignited his second lightsaber.

    "Now this is more like it." Cocytus spoke with an excited grin as he got into his defensive soresu stance.

    The man stood back, revealing his true visage.

    [​IMG]

    He regarded the Kaminoan and his twinned blades, but also his stance of Soresu. He clearly had an understanding of lightsaber forms, and so he opted to mirror Cocytus.

    The Force was marshalled around the man, powerful and also potent; he was clearly the subject of a great deal of training, and a Sith in his own right. “Master Styx spoke of you often, respecting what you were and had achieved in the short time you did. But even then, she could tell she was subjected to events that were out of her control. Until that shadow was revealed in full, we prepared.” Sarcasm dripped from his tone. “My master was wise.”

    Darth Cocytus smiled thinly as the masked Sith warrior, knowing that despite the sarcasm, Darth Vengean was quite right. Darth Styx was quite wise to carry on without him continuing to build the legacy that he wished to build.

    "Good, good. And Darth Styx has taken the Rule of Two to Heart as well. She has learned well from me in our short time together." Cocytus replied as he held his stance. "Of course the Rule decrees that only one of us can leave here alive should your master still live!"



    "So come to me, Darth Vengean!" The kaminoan challenged "Come show me what your master has taught you!"

    The Sith snarled and placed his foot forward and swept his one behind, lashing with both blades down at his head. He was already using the Force to rip at the rock beneath Cocytus feet to unsettle his Soresu -

    It was all footing, after all.

    Darth Cocytus smiled thinly, using the Force to hold down the rocky floor beneath his feet. The kaminoan was already well introduced to his opponent's tricks upon falling down a Cave-in the first time. Now it was really more about who was stronger in the Force as he acted to counter Darth Vengean's use of it.

    Now Cocytus, being a Kaminoan, was taller than most humanoid lifeforms, although he was crouched with his head partially low in his soresu stance. As Darth Vengean stepped forward with his downward attack, Cocytus stepped back quickly, his posture at full height now. Stance still held, he began to block and parry the coming enemy blades until they were locked.

    "Good, good." Cocytus smirked as the blades held, pushing against them. There was genuine praise in his voice, especially towards Darth Styx. "I am ashamed that I never trained your master fully in the art of lightsaber combat but utterly pleased that she managed to become self-taught in my absence. Sith Masters should have more pride in their apprentices, even as they train to kill and supplant them. The apprentice is the future of the Order they are shaping after all."

    "Now your defense!" Cocytus commanded as he broke the lock of blades and began to lash out at Darth Vengean, his stance and form switched to an aggressive djem so with super speed.

    Vengean had barely planted his feet, his Soresu off-balance as he backed away, defending and deflecting but only just. He switched to Ataru, flipping to the left and off the cave wall, throwing a triple attack at Cocytus’s head and using the Force to keep him planted even though upside down -

    Cocytus wasn't impressed with Vengean's soresu. Sith had a habit of choosing brute offense and leaving defense at the backseat. Likely comes with the anger and aggression that is integral to Sith Teachings. A strategy that can as often lead to defeat as much as it can lead to victory. The kaminoan, meanwhile, had sought to find a balance during his training, taking a page from Kenobi, of all people, as well as Anakin, and Darth Tyranus. Resilient Soresu, aggressive Djem So and elegant Makashi. Much like Darth Vader who also took a more balanced approach to the Lightsaber art from after his defeat on Mustafar.

    Cocytus watched and prepared as Vengean switched to ataru, a form that he purposefully neglected due to finding it impractical with his tall physic. He switched back his soresu, deflecting and parrying each of his opponent's acrobatic strikes.

    "Good offense." The kaminoan commented as he deflected and parried several more strikes, "But for the future work on your defense. A good defense can make the best offense as a good offense makes the best defense."

    Vengean hissed, then refocused his rage into his form. Djem So did not lend itself to dual wielding, and so he zipped his off-hand weapon from his palm with a Force push, sending the blade straight at Cocytus face even as he secured a two handed grip on his hilt and launched forward -

    It was all attack, now.

    Cocytus smiled thinly as Vengean got into rage and extinguished one of his blades to hook back on his side. Soresu was much more proficient with a single blade rather than two even if the kaminoan was just as skilled in the third form in jar’kai. He held his ground as Vengean charged at him, creating an impenetrable wall with each block and parry at the coming attacks.

    Already Cocytus had a good guess of exactly how this duel was going to play out, having studied lightsaber duels of the past. His favored style of the lightsaber art was built specifically for the likes of Darth Vengean. Buckle down and wait out the aggressive enemy to give everything they have while plotting to do a thousand terrible things once they tire out.

    Vengean’s thrown blade was smacked aside, tumbling and switching off as it impacted a wall and slid down.

    Snarling with irritation, he swung a two handed blow to try and beat down Cocytus, even lacing his blade with coruscating electricity to add to the impact. As he did, he rolled his inactive hilt a few centimetres at a time towards Cocytus, intending to reactivate it when it arrived beneath the Kaminoan -

    Assuming he didn’t tire out before, and Cocytus didn’t try anything special. Vengean this sought to ramp up his attacks, conscious that he didn’t want to allow himself to be deflected too far out of line in the meantime -

    Cocytus held his ground with each and every strike Vengean threw at him, his sorsue of blocking and parrying supplemented with counterstrikes of djem so. As the duel went on, however, the Force warned him of another danger not too far from behind, slowly approaching. His eyes glowed with venom and with the next strike, the kaminoan locked his blade with the opponent's. This bought him just a spare, although brief, moment enough of time to reach out a free hand to summon Darth Vengean's slowly approaching weapon before throwing it towards its owner with a Force push mixed with a surge of Force Lightning.

    Darth Cocytus learned from his duel with Darth Insipid to never again turn on the enemy's lightsaber while they still live.

    "Never treat your blade so shamefully." The kaminoan hissed as he prepared for the next barrage of attacks. He was pushing Vengean's buttons now. "Surely your master taught you that your weapon is your life, did she not?"

    The hilt, and electricity, impacted Vengean's chest as he focused on Cocytus’ words. He stumbled back, exposed for the most tantalising for moments as he grimaced against the bolt -

    Darth Cocytus glared at the fallen Sith Apprentice, finding him to be quite pathetic compared to how he found Styx. Taking advantage of the moment, the Sith Master raised his hand as the anger he kept within himself was set loose into pure malice. A brutal raging storm of lightning was set upon Darth Vengean from the kaminoan's fingertips.

    Cocytus figured that if Vengean had poor defenses in his lightsaber form, he would have pretty poor tutaminis as well, if any at all.

    With a scream the Sith dropped to the floor. He vanished in the Force, clearly down and out, his breathing shallow. The Sith apprentice was not yet a Master, clearly.

    Darth Cocytus stared at Darth Vengean, fallen and exhausted by his power. He could very well kill him right then and there and be done with it. However, the kaminoan figured that he'd have a use for the apprentice of his old and presumably former pupil.

    As bait, Cocytus hoped as he summoned the Sith Apprentice's lightsabers with the Force to his hands as to disarm him.

    The kaminoan hooked the lightsabers to his belt in exchange for his communicator. "Commander Sellik, this is Lord Cocytus. Are you still there?" He spoke. "Send a team down here immediately. We have a prisoner to bring aboard."

    @Sinrebirth








    Sent from my SM-A205U using Tapatalk
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2021
  18. Sinrebirth

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

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: Wapoe, otherwise, Darth Trayus
    Battle of Primea, personal ship of Wapoe

    The yacht was a sleek affair, and indeed he had liberated it from a secret storehouse on Adumar, one of several part of the Contingency, across worlds as distant as Utapau, Wayland, Jakku, Cerberon, Vetine, Pillio, and Byss. With it's advanced systems, Trayus moved the ship towards the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer that Zestus was aboard, and he simply waited.

    "Well?" He said, shortly. "Yes, I sent everything out. The Sith need to know what's going on here, after all." Trayus shrugged. "Your existence is not all that secret, because you chose to intervene at Lehon, Sabel. You do have to roll with it... and doing that, well, it sent your timeline somewhat off-course. I'm just helping you back to your safe and secure polity."

    He pointed at the bridge of the Star Destroyer.

    "I'll lend you this ship if you go and kill Zestus. It'll all be neat and tidy then, because Snoke isn't interested in doing things himself." His tone was soothing, weaving around some battle debris. "He needs a proxy. If he doesn't have one, he'll back down... he had an apprentice that was supposed to head to Hapes and finish off the Sith, but because he didn't, Snoke lost the battle... funny, right?"

    "How's that sound for you?"

    TAG: @darthbernael (combo)
    ---
    IC: Holocron of Darth Insipid

    Soliloquy's chambers

    Of course, Iudex was going to have to come back and speak to Soliloquy again, because his discussion had been short and indeed sweet with Sabel. His criminal contacts also confirmed that the Pyke Syndicate was under attack on Oba Diah, their main base was presently being smashed into pulp by an unknown faction. That left the Hutts and Crimson Dawn of the criminal families. It was, as the Falleen had reasoned, an incredibly open period in the criminal underworld.

    The Holocron of Darth Insipid was active, and fresh off chit-chat. "Well that went well, and I managed to not have to get drawn into another discussion about the End of Time... alleluia. It's not as if you're going to win explaining that to them... most of them are not the most worldly of Sith, are they?" He whistled. "It's going to be hard work."

    A herald announced Iudex, even though he probably didn't want to be.

    "Oh lord, you're back? I've heard about brown-nosing, but green-nosing? It's incredible."

    Insipid looked at him with some disdain. "What do you want now?"

    TAG: @Mitth-Fisto, @Silvertough (combo)
    ---

    Private Rooms

    The two of them were left alone, but of course, business was business. The Senate did vote on the blockade of the Hapan Consortium, and it did pass, and inevitably there would be a comm call from the New Republic Diplomatic Corps to notify them. Lady Galney had all manner of updates for Helinith and Renn as well, including the disposition of Aurra Sing, an update about Prince Isolder, and other affairs within the Hapan Cluster. There were also several ambassadors wanting to give gifts to the new Queen Mother.

    She was politely standing at the open door, and rapped the wood lightly.

    "Might I interject, Queen Mother and Prince Consort?" Galney did smile, however. "Or do you need some more time?"

    TAG: @darthhelinith, @darthbernael
    ---

    Hapan Military Headquarters, Royal Palace

    Of course, Astarta had an appointment with a candidate for Admiral of the Hapan Royal Navy - when it was rebuilt, that is. The armada had been decimated at the Battle of Hapes, with a hundred Hapan Battle Dragons and most of their loyal crews killed, as well as an equivalent number of ships and crews that had belonged to the revolting nobility.

    What Estrella Tomsini's opinions of all that could not be said.

    The Hapan Consortium had gone through two Queen Mother's recently - with Ni'Korish and Ta'a Chume both dead and now Helinith as the monarch, and her Prince Consort was a Neti, of all things. The military had discussed the arrival of the new order of nobility, of course, but after the attacks on the Consortium by nobles backed by Imperial remnants, most of the Hapan nation was firmly behind the current Queen Mother.

    Whether Estrella would be, of course, was another question.

    In the last three years the Galactic Empire had lost it's Emperor and collapsed, and now the New Republic was rewriting the stars outside the Hapan Cluster. It was a dangerous time, and they were now ill-placed to defend their borders.

    With Astarta now interviewing for high-level military positions, Estrella's staff had been guided to make sure she was available for a discussion with the new Queen Mother's military aide.

    TAG: @DarthIshyZ, @Adalia-Durron (combo)
    ---
    IC: Vram Krim

    Oba Diah, Kessel Sector

    The immediate area grew quiet with death.

    Even the Force grew silent, as the threat had been essentially ended.

    But it did stir, as a lone Pyke emerged from the wreckage.

    He was unarmed, and he still had some pride, even if wounded.

    He was Vram Pyke, and he simply stopped a distance away and spoke up.

    "What do you want?" He looked across the chaos. "Who are you?"

    TAG: @greyjedi125, @darthbernael (combo)
    ---
    IC: Commander Sellik

    35 ABY, in orbit above Rishi

    "Yes my Lord, I am," Sellik said. "But the security situation is growing more precarious locally. The Aqualish have seized several First Order assets at Ando, and the Bothans have released several Assault Cruisers from secret shipyards to secure their territory. Ryloth has rose up as well, part of the allied fleet from Exegol has arrived there..."

    He had basically named three worlds not far from Rishi.

    "... but I have a few inconsistent reports as well, my Lord... our largest dreadnoughts are not accounted for. I can't locate their whereabouts, because any faction that secures one of them would basically be able to set up the nucleus of a new kingdom." A shuttle was already en-route, with a crimson-armoured guard, freshly painted to provide Cocytus an honour guard.

    "I suspect there is one not far from Nal Hutta..." Sellik continued along the channel, as he sent the readout for the Mandator IV-class Super Star Destroyer - an eight kilometer siege weapon. "But am I to take it that your mission was successful?"

    TAG: @Darth Cocytus
     
  19. Darth Cocytus

    Darth Cocytus Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 8, 2016
    Darth Cocytus
    Rishi

    Darth Cocytus frowned at the news Sellik brought to him about the nearby worlds rebelling against First Order rule. Yes, the Kaminoan thought, it was about time that he brings his attention to actually saving the First Order now that he at least had something that he wanted. Whether or not Darth Vengean would prove his worth as bait in the meantime will have to be seen.

    "Very well, Commander." Cocytus replied, "Prepare your team for pick up then set a course for the nearest world in need of our aid. As for my mission, not quite successful, but quite promising. Turns out Darth Styx has taken the role of master in my absence and found her own apprentice, Darth Vengean. Make sure that he is under the utmost of security aboard the Dauntless."

    "
    Darth Cocytus, out."

    Cocytus cut communications and stared at Vengean. His sparing of the Sith Apprentice's life doesn't necessarily violate the Rule of Two. Should Darth Styx actually come for her apprentice, and she proves her worth, his long awaited meeting with her may very well be their last. So it would help whoever were to survive to have a spare Sith Apprentice about to keep the Rule of Two line and spare the efforts of a long search of another.

    @Sinrebirth
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2021
  20. ClaiomhSolais

    ClaiomhSolais Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    May 4, 2019
    The Jungle

    TAGS @Sinrebirth @E. L.Knight


    As Morgana plunged the syringe of adrenaline into Claiomh the substance immediately hit her system.

    Her green eyes flew open and in a rushing flash - pain, cold, hunger, and - memories - flew into her. Even in her weakened state, rivers of electricity flowed down her arms; her finger tips glowing. It was the memories, memories of how the towns people treated her when she crawled wanting only help - sick and weak from the jungle. And they did thisto her.

    “I will kill you all!”

    Morrigan leaned back as the woman snapped at her. "Calm, calm! You collapsed at the edge of the jungle, everyone thought you were dead." She held up her hands for the moment. "Or, they wantedyou dead."

    She held out the lightsaber to her. "I found this, and came to find you... I imagine the rest of your things are dotted around the City..." Morrigan swallowed. "We're part of the Sith Order, building up our Empire again."

    Claiomh grabs the sides of the morgue tray she’s lying on. Her chest heaves as the adrenaline begins to wain. Finally, her eyes shift to the woman standing next to her.

    She blinks taking the sight in, black hair and Sith tattoos. Claiomh swallows hard. “Yes, I - I lost track for how long I was in that jungle. And....these miserable people,” her racing mind begins to clear and her thoughts start to clarify.

    She begins to squeeze the side of the draw shelf. “I meant them no harm and they do this to me.”

    At this point she notices the toe tag dangling from her big toe. It even wiggles a little as of to drive home the indignity. In the next moment it’s sailing through the art and hits the wall with far more mass than was natural.

    “Thank you,” she says softly after regaining herself.

    Morrigan gestures to a drawer, keeping her eyes on the woman's eyes too, rather than the rest of her. "Your personal attire is in here -"

    The door suddenly opened, revealing a medic in a uniform. Morrigan dove into a corner, even as he looked at his datapad and only belatedly noticed Claiomh. "You're supposed to be sedated until cremation -".

    “How inconvenient of me,” she states coldly. Claiomh sits up and limbers up her shoulders. She then slides off the draw, unashamed of her lack of attire, and walks towards the man slowly. Her eyes like a falcon on prey.

    He suddenly realizes that he’s in danger, and he calls out back the way he came -

    "She's awake!"

    There is a rustle, and two burly looking Korunnai come rushing forward, drawing blasters even as the doctor tried to get out of the way.

    Without saying a word, using the Force she grabs the blasters away from the two guards. As they fly into her hands she fires a bolt into each of them. Quickly she kicks out at the medic to knock him off his feet. He tumbled even as the guards died. Holding up his hands to protect his face from further assault, crying out. "I'm sorry! I was paid not to ask questions! I was told you were a threat!"

    Morrigan reappeared, Claiomh's lightsaber hilt in hand. "You were told right."

    As Morrigan reappeared with her lightsaber Claiomh’s mood improved - only just. Keeping one eye on the medic she takes her saber from Morrigan, but also offers the woman the two blasters.

    “Who told you I am a threat?” She questions the medic.

    “The Korunnai - they said the Aak Dogs labelled you as a...” his eyes flicked to Morrigan to Claiomh. “Darksider. It’s been three years since Palpatine and Vader died - we don’t need anymore of that.”

    Morrigan wondered how Claiomh would react to that little piece of news... she suspected she might be from this time, just like the majority of the Sith.

    Claiomh’s eyes narrow as she thinks about a name she’s never heard before the Korunnai.

    Her eyes flash to Morrigan as she hears the news about Vader and Palpatine. She attempts to keep her expression neutral to avoid drawing additional attention to her. As at least now she now knows she’s in the right time. But how did the Aak dogs pass the news through the time gate. Or were these new aak dogs who could simply sense her.

    “Even if I was a darksider are your people so hopelessly foolish to believe hearsay to the point of murder? Even if I were a darksider they are not all psychopaths. To make matters worse - for all you know I could be a Jedi who survived order 66!”

    The doctor cringed back. “But the Korunnai said you emerged from the dark heart of the jungle... they have the Force, they control here.”

    Morrigan watched Claiomh carefully. She shifted the lightsaber hilt back to her. “Are you a Jedi?” Her tone expressed some distaste. “There’s only one Jedi at the moment and we’d rather not double that.”

    Claiomh shoots Morrigan a look. She takes the saber but addresses the doctor. “Who are the Korunnai? What do you mean they have control?”

    She turns her attention back to Morrigan. “Bring me my clothes, I’m tired of standing here like this. There is information I need to get from this doctor and can’t turn my back on him.”

    Morrigan gestured towards a bin. "There's a straight jacket and some leggings, but not much else."

    The doctor shook his head. "The Korrunnai are the natives! We're the settlers, the Balawai, in their tongue. Most of the Korrunnai, they're Force-sensitive, y'know. Deep into shamanistic Peloktan drivel, but they control the place. What they say, it goes."

    “I see,” mutters Claiomh as she takes her clothes out of the bin while keeping an eye on the Doctor as she dresses.

    Back to focusing on him completely “I am missing a number of my other items. Where are they?”

    "The Korunnai took them... probably to the Temple. They'll destroy them, if they can't, um, cleanse them." Morrigan raised an eyebrow at the Doctor's comment. He continued to explain. "They can apparently purify lightsaber crystals? Heal them up all blue, green or yellow?"

    The amount of rage that instantly begins to flow through Claiomh causes her finger tips to begin to glow. She closes her hands, attempting to look simply cold. Fighting to control herself, the dark burning fiercely in her as she closes her eyes to hide the red glow.

    In a measured voice she asks “Where is the temple that has my items? Is there anything else you know about this race so that I can give them the respect they deserve?”

    She shivers in anger but shows it as being chills as she continues her ruse.

    The doctor paused. He placed a hand on his chest. "Call me Exor," he said, and stood slowly. "They've this lightsaber-proof armour - chromium. That's all I can say otherwise... I can draw you a map to the temple, of course." He perked up. "Or better yet - " He reached into his jacket and Morrigan was suddenly there, hand on his wrist. "It's a datapad."

    Morrigan stepped back, and Exor handed it to Claiomh.

    Claiomh peaked at Morrigan when she grabbed Exor’s wrist. She hid her surprise. No one had attempted to protect her from anything since...a very long time. Given her current state of missing her top skills, she appreciated the gesture. She bit her lip and forced control to herself, dimming the shine of red in her eyes.

    Claiomh took the datapad, and glances at it. “I’m not surprised your force sensitive friends misinterpreted me.” She glances back at Morrigan, and clears her throat.

    “Darksiders can be misleading and cloud visions, disrupt the senses of the light,” continuing her ruse to mislead the doctor.

    "So you are a darksider," Morrigan grinned. "The Dark Lord will be pleased if I bring you back to the Order. He may reward me and my Lord." She turned back to the doctor, and punched him in the jaw. He dropped, unconscious. Morrigan smiled at Claiomh. "Shall we go to that temple and kill some people?"

    Claiomh watches the Doctor drop with a lifted eyebrow. “You have some interesting talents,” she says. “If those Ashla worshipers have done anything to my other saber...they won’t die quickly.”

    She pauses and regards the other woman. “Yes, I am looking for a Dark Lord and look forward to rejoining the others...eventually.”

    A Dark Lord?" Morrigan kept her voice neutral. Checking the datapad, she nodded. "Well, the Temple to Peloktan is marked here." She held the datapad out. There was a curiosity to her, an interest.

    She wanted to know more about her, clearly. "Well, consider this a... interview. I'll vouch for you if those... what did you say? Ashla worshippers pay." Morrigan grinned, flirtatious, and checked her knifes and blaster as she went to leave.

    Claiomh gives a slight nod and smiles dimly. She searches around for something to conceal her saber with. “Morrigan, I don’t know you or what you have endured. I have been alone for a very long time. It has thought me that at times...it’s best to conceal we are Sith. We know they have armor, but we don’t know how many there are or what kind of weapons they have. I was planning to convince the Doctor I was a Jedi Knight, you were my apprentice. Once there, perhaps I could get half of them to start questioning if their sight was in fact compromised - get them to start fighting amongst themselves. And in the chaos get my saber and anything else we want.”

    She looks at the unconscious doctor.

    “I’m not sure if they were the ones who told the medical professionals to drug me and plan to incinerate me. But if they were, we might have a harder time getting what we want without a ruse.”

    Morrigan looked down. "Ah, sorry." She shot the man in the head. "Well, he wasn't going to be much use." The woman grinned. "If we make enough of a mess here, then they'll split their numbers from the Temple and coming to investigate..."

    Claiomh grins, the full red light of her eyes shine past the jade green. “Or...we can do it that way.”

    Her saber ignites; a brilliant red blade with a platinum core flares to life. Hissing and sparking as both Sith are bathed in the red glow reflected from the walls.

    “Start here and work our way up. Agreed?”

    "Agreed," Morrigan said. She pushed open the door into the facility proper. There were a half a dozen civilians in the main lobby, clearly dropping off bodies or collecting them for burial. "After you?" She said with a smile.

    Claiomh’s eyes slid towards Morrigan and she chuckles quietly. Extinguishing her lightsaber, she raises her hand, slightly- keeping my her side, but her intention is sent out to one of the corpses.

    Using the Force she levitates the corpse, like a sloppy puppet she attempts to make it seize one of the civilians in a “dance.”

    The woman that was grabbed by the puppet screamed, as did several of the others present. Morrigan stepped out of the room after it and shot a young man in the head, and cried out. “If you want to live, get on the floor.”

    Half a dozen dove to the floor, and Morrigan grinned, rather enjoying playing the madwoman.

    Claiomh eyes Morrigan as she shoots a person in the head. She sends another corpse flying into a civilian assisting them to the floor. “We can’t cause a panic if they are all dead.”

    She Force levitates another corpse, but this time brings it infront of her. “Now horror on the other hand...” she says as she ignites her saber and runs it up the body cutting it nearly in half. It’s guts stringing down as she levitates it up and hooks it to the wall. Waving her hand she splays it out a little more for maximum effect.

    There’s all manner of commotion, and an attention upon them intensifying in the Force. Morrigan simply shoots the kneecap off a Rodian, and grins. “You want to head to the Temple? They’ll definitely send Force using Korunnai here, so you’ll have an easier time getting your blade back.”

    She eyes the noise of approaching speeders. “I’ve got this, don’t worry.”

    Claiomh hears the speeders coming, “Are you sure Morrigan? How much ammunition do you have left?”

    As she speaks she begins to head towards the door, her time was running out and she needed to take advantage of the distraction. Then Claiomh pauses. She ignites, and walks to the door closest to where the speeders seem to be heading. Instead of cutting into the door she passes the blade over the edge of the door. Effectively melting it to the door jam.

    “That will slow them down,” she mutters.

    Turning towards the back door, “Last chance, are you sure you want to stay here?”

    Morrigan sketched a salute with her hand. "My Lord is about, he wouldn't let anything happen to me." She smirked. "Go, have fun, get your revenge, and I'll collect you when you're done. The Sith await, my Lady." The woman sketched a curtsey, and chuckled.

    Without another word Claiomh turns and exits the backdoor. Her boots hit the ground with a subtle crunch. She lowers her weight lightly upon her feet as she moves forward. Stealth was not her specialty, but given the situation it was a good time to start appreciating other combat styles.

    The crematorium skirted the jungle edge, thankfully giving her a degree of cover. There were murmurs in the Force that passed her; Peloktan worshippers that were heading to deal with the disturbance. The Temple, made entirely of the local wood and ensconced in brassvine thorns, was the tallest of the structures in the settlement, and the oldest by far.

    Within, she could sense her weapons, attuned as they were to her... but they felt different, especially her second lightsaber.

    The Force ran hot with the presence of three sensitives, one of which was a beacon of danger. His power was different to hers; it was from the Jungle, it wasn’t comparable to the wider Force, but it was equivalent to her in her reduced state.

    But the dark side was with the woman... and the dark fed even on the Jungle. This would be an interesting confrontation...

    ... as she approached, her connection between her crystal and herself lessened - it was being cleansed!

    Claiomh moved quickly, just on the inside of the forest as she past the corner of the crematorium. As she travels towards the temple her focus remains on being as quiet as possible. Via the Force, she could sense Peloktan worshippers rush to confront the disturbance in the crematorium.

    The temple was not far, and its wood and vine construction appeared to be the oldest. Her saber, and her Force imbued dao were there - she could feel them. But something was happening to them as she senses them.

    Her pace doubled and speed became the instant priority over stealth. Her weapons were not the only presence she felt. Three Ashla worshippers were with her weapons and as she sped to the door she could feel her connection weaken with her second saber.

    She could feel one of them was quite strong in the Force but she did not allow her mind to dwell upon it. They were cleansing her beautifully attuned Kyber and she had to move fast.

    Upon seeing the wooden structure of the temple she was tempted to set the entire structure on fire. In her short amount of time to strategize, she ultimately decided stealth and surprise would be the best option.

    As she approached the temple she searches for a side entrance, a window, anything to get to her kyber. Bursting through the front door swinging was also not completely ruled out as an option. Time was not on her side and she sought the fastest option.

    There was a side-window, leading to the private chambers at the rear of the temple... and there was of course the silencing bond. It was almost... entirely... cleansed...

    Part of her mind began to fill with light...

    She waisted no time. Clamping hard upon her own mind with her will, she smashes though the window with a rock. Knocking any glass to the side she leaps through the window. Upon entering she races towards where she can sense her Kyber. Claiomh’s heart pounds as she can feel her Kyber slipping further from her. Anger grows as expands her senses to find the gem as quickly as possible.

    The room reveals three.

    One elder Korunnai, his face shadowed by a brown cloak. He has a droid hand, and in it he holds her crystal. It’s nearly clear now, and he does not stir to intervene, remaining cross-legged.

    No, that is left to the two men.

    One is skinny, his teeth bright white as he grins and draws two slug-throwers - physical weapons which cannot be deflected. The other is large - easily a head taller than her, and holds two immense and golden shields on his fore arms. He triggers them, the edges buzzing with malice.

    The Crystal burns white, and so does Claiomh’s mind, filling her sight for a long, terrible moment, in which there is only the sound of paired twangs as the ‘throwers fire -

    Her momentum does not slow as she draws. She sees the elder Korunnai, her crystal in his hand.

    His two guards on either side.

    And her Kyber. It’s beauty fading. The connection fading. The close, perfectly refined connection, fading.

    Tears stream from her eyes as the only word she can loose “No!” Is blended into the scream of her saber, and the sound of the slugthrower.

    Using the the Force she dodges the slugs as they rocket by her. Her empty hand crackles fiercely with force lightning.

    “I could have been reasoned with,” she screams.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2021
  21. Sinrebirth

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

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: Morrigan
    Sieging a Crematorium on Haruun Kal

    The violence had acquired a lot of attention, and all manner of Korunnai, some Force wielding, but the majority being local law enforcement with standard weapons, setting up half a dozen speeders as cover, and Morrigan had seven hostages left. It was plenty to keep the locals focused on her while Claoimh went off and recovered her weapons.

    Of course, it didn't precisely bode well for her, as Morrigan only had her blasters, knifes, and wits.

    Plenty, usually, but not when attempting an armed siege.

    She grinned to herself.

    In essence, it was the perfect setup for Lord Hades to step in and do his thing.

    @E. L.Knight (combo)
    ---
    The Temple

    The Force lightning crackled in her hands, but the larger of the three men had thrown his vibro-shield at her as she dodged from the slugthrower shots - the two Korrunai had advanced and coordinated, clearly expecting to be able to manipulate her into position so the latter could throw one of his weapons.

    If Claiomh went to block with her lightsaber blade, the vibro-shield would, to her surprise, undoubtedly, not be immediately cut apart. The golden material they were made of was lightsaber-resistant, and would deflect off at an angle if blocked. The thinner Korunnai was already tracking the attack, whole the robed old man released the Sith crystal to the ground - it clattered, completely blank, as he stood and disappeared out the curtains to the rear of the Temple.

    She was clearly not worth the bother for the elder.

    The two here were plenty, as it was.

    TAG: @ClaiomhSolais (combo)
     
  22. Adalia-Durron

    Adalia-Durron WNU/Costume/Props/EUC Mod. star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jun 3, 2003
    IC: Serapis/General Tenee Astarta & Admiral Estrella Tomsini (An awesome political intrigue with @DarthIshyZ)
    Hapan Military HQ, Royal Palace Complex

    Astarta had just finished clearing another high-level operative for loyalty. She checked her schedule. She was due to meet with Admiral Tomsini. Unfortunately, that meeting was scheduled five minutes ago. She activated her comlink to her assistant, "Is Estrella there?"

    She was late. She hated being late for anything. Admiral Estrella Tomsini was not known for being tardy nor was she known for tolerating those who were. Striding through the reception area and without looking to the desk barked "Where am I supposed to be now, and be quick about it!"

    The General stopped in her tracks. She held her temple to fend off a headache. With her voice she tried to insert some brightness and spoke again over the comlink. "Good! Admiral Tomsini, you're there. I'll be there in less than a minute. And please take it easy on Julita. She's been a loyal member of my staff for over ten years now. Astarta out."

    She turned off the comlink and attached it to her belt next to her lightsaber. This was the best candidate they had for Admiral of the Navy, she reminded herself. Going through her memories she found they had met before at a joint military function last year. Her strategic analysis of General Calrissian's Battle of Taanab stood out as nothing but brilliant. There was nothing she could find about her being... difficult. Possibly because Astarta and Tomsini were cut of the same military family cloth.

    Astarta turned the corner and was met with an icy stare. She raised an eyebrow and stepped past the Admiral. "Julita, you know to hold anything that's not the world blowing up. Admiral, this way please."

    She walked into her office and went straight to the fresh caf at the side of the room. "Admiral, some caf? Water? Or do you prefer something else?"

    She watched the other woman with cold eyes, calculating and assessing her as they walked and entered the room.

    "Thank you no." She responded calmly. "I prefer to get to business as soon as possible."

    Astarta smiled a bit. That's military precision for you, she thought. "Good, then." She turned and looked Estrella in the eyes. "It's a promotion." She paused a moment to see if there was any reaction. Then she took the cup she prepared and headed to her desk. Taking a seat and a drink, she asked, "Care to take a bit more time with this?"

    Estrella cocked her head to the side, her expression curious. "Promotion, and what are we taking time with?"

    Astarta tried to scan her using the Force. Research was one thing, and she checked out for that part. There was more that needed to be explored, though. There was resistance, though. This would have to be done directly.

    "Admiral of the Navy. My equivalent in the skies. You'll report directly to Queen Helinith. As such, there's tighter security. I was vetted. You'll need to be, too. Your thoughts?"

    Estrella regarded the woman opposite her, she was aware of the recent happenings and knew what her role in this played. "Vetting is not a problem, you will find nothing. As to the position, may I ask what brought you to this decision?"

    "Estrella, we know each other. I've followed your career, and I'm sure you've, at least, looked into mine." A sip of caf. "You're one of the few Navy people I respect. We need someone we can trust. And, personally, I feel there's way to many men in a position of power these days."

    A very small smile at the final remark. "I have reviewed several careers, yours included as for your respect and trust I appreciate it and I am honoured." She inclined her head again. "So......Tenee, you are offering me this position?" She used the woman's first name as she did hers, but felt uncomfortable in her military position doing so.

    Astarta had gotten enough glimpses into this woman's Force presence to know she could be trusted... for now. Time to take the next step. "Of course. Now, you'll have to talk to Queen Helinith. That's a formality, though. I'm confident in saying the position's yours. Full disclosure: there's not as much of the Navy left as last time we met, but you know that. And this upstart New Republic is threatening our borders. That'll likely be your first difficulty. Should I have the Queen Mother's office call yours?"

    "That would be suitable. Thank you." She lowered her gaze for a moment before speaking again. "As for the Navy, I had noticed." She added sarcastically.

    Astarta gave a wry smile. "There's more Battle Dragons in various stages of construction. You know that. Just don't become a traitor, like the last woman in your position, and I won't have to cut holes in your ships. Simple as that. Any other questions?"

    "Maybe one? I have heard.........shall we say, rumours, of there being Sith involved in all this." She kept her cold blue eyed gaze on the other woman, hoping to read something in her features.

    Astarta took a sip of caf to "hide" her guilty look. Every lie has enough of the truth to be plausible. She put the cup down and sat back. "Yes. We have some dark side Force users that call themselves Sith. You may meet a man they call 'emperor.' You'll likely meet another named Iudex. They even carry the title 'Darth.' This very lightsaber," she removed the lightsaber hilt and put it on the desk, "belonged to one named Serapis. But, considering the Hapan Consortium came from pirates all those years ago, is it really a big deal?"

    Estrella drew a deep breath. "I do believe there is a great difference between a pirate and a Sith." She regarded Astarta, "I am sure you understand my concerns." She didn't want to push the issue too far but did need it made clear of her concerns.

    The general shrugged. "After having Queen Mothers who would backstab their own daughters, I guess it's just not a big deal to me. Is it a dealbreaker? Do you want to turn it down?" Tenee steepled her hands in front of her lips. This was a power play she didn't like to make, but if the Admiral couldn't work with the Sith, it was a problem.

    Estrella considered the words carefully, or at least appeared to be doing so. "Of course not." she spoke calmly. "They are different but somehow similar and it bothers me not."

    Estarta smacked the table with her hands, such was her excitement. "Excellent!" She smiled and stuck out her hand to shake Tomsini's. "I think we'll make a formidable pair."

    Tomsini replied, "Formidable and maybe a little intimidating."

    Tags: @Sinrebirth, @Adalia-Durron
     
  23. darthbernael

    darthbernael EU Community Mod, Fuego, Pyrofuego! star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: Fun in a combo with @Sinrebirth

    IC Sabel
    Battle of Primea, personal ship of Wapoe

    Sabel let out a small huff, there truly wasn’t a need to send the data about this battle to the Sith he’d just finished speaking to although...the more he considered it Wapoe had actually done him a favor. The other Sith would now believe he was in a weaker position and therefore more willing to make a deal. They didn’t realize that once Zestus was dealt with and Snoke turned his full attention back to them he would be back in full control of his territory once more and actually be in even a stronger position.

    He glanced as the Black Coat, ”Yes, the one formerly known as Zestus will be dealt with. He broke faith, acted in much the cowardly fashion, then took refuge with that creature that believes he can rule the galaxy. He needs to be shown the error of his ways and that does mean his death. So I accept that offer. Let us take the battle to the coward.” he finished, gazing over at the SD that his former Red Guard Captain was now ensconced upon.

    "Well alrighty then," Wapoe said, and he sent them forward. As he did so, a pair of task forces arrived, of differing alien design. They did not intervene, but did launch operations to assist the Primeans. The Chiss warship began to make it's way over to the group, keeping defense screens raised but weapons inactive.


    The three Resurgent-class warships held their fire, simply finishing off the few forces of Sabel's that had not managed to flee. Wapoe pointed at the unfamiliar ships. "The Lioaoin Regime," and at the others. "Pataatus." A third element arrived. "Ah, the Tower Dimension." He chuckled slightly. "Now we shall see the power of a unified Unknown Regions, perhaps."

    The ship steered towards the Resurgent, and he eyed Sabel. "Where am I going? Actually -" He let go of the controls. "You're up."

    Sabel took the controls, ensuring that Wapoe had not messed with the stealth systems, the man was an erstwhile ally but he’d already shown he was willing to make small tweaks. That done, he brought the craft up to the Resurgent, using the maneuvering thrusters to bring it just alongside an airlock on the same level as it had been on the Misrule. The docking tube reached out and the programs aboard the yacht infiltrated the systems, locking them in place, making the security systems ignore the craft that had just latched on like a leech, and overrode the airlock controls.

    He turned to Wapoe, ”Coming with?” he asked, certain that if he left Wapoe on his own he’d leave him on the SD with no other way off. ”You’re the Watcher, are you not? And this moment could change the future of the Unknown Regions, at least for the next few years.”

    The man shrugged. “I have a Gazing Eye which sees the future, is all. It’s presently wandering somewhere in the Core, not so useful admittedly.”

    He gave an exaggerated full body sigh. “Alright then, I’m coming.” He glanced over the console, and flounced after him.

    Sabel withheld a sigh, he wasn’t going to give the Black Coat a reason to stay behind, or vanish while he was finishing the business he had at hand. He walked through the docking tube, entering a code that opened the airlock, then waited while Wapoe joined him. ”Flouncing, really? For what, or who rather, you are that’s...odd.”

    "It's how I feel right now," Wapoe said. "A little gaiety never hurt anyone." He spun on his heel. "Lighten up, Sabel! You're taking things far too seriously. You don't have to dominate every single interaction with everyone!"

    One eyebrow rose as Sabel looked at Wapoe, ”I’m about to go kill a man who could have been my right hand when we unified the Unknown Regions, at the least, after escaping a Sithspawn in the shape of someone I bedded. Excuse me if I’m in a bit of a serious mood.” he said, sarcastically.

    "Oh yes you did the nasty with that thing, I forgot that," Wapoe grinned. "Must have been... flexible?" He held up his hands, to mock-ward off any blows. "My bad, I know." He straightened, leaned over, voice hard. "Perhaps you should remember what Zestus was to you before you do the killing bit, eh?"

    At that, he skipped into the corridor. "Oh hello!" The Stormtrooper that he walked into looked baffled, and the Black-Coat pointed back the way he came. "He's here to kill Zestus, incidentally." The 'trooper looked startled, raised his blaster and moved his hand to the ear of his helmet -

    Sabel’s eyes flared a deep red and the trooper’s hand froze where it was. The corner of his lip turned up, ”Wapoe, I do believe this trooper has chosen to be our formal escort to the bridge. It should prove handy, for keeping destruction, at the moment, to a minimum.”

    His smile broadened slightly as the trooper tried to fight his will, the man’s mind racing and battering at the overpowering will of a Sith Lord. But he was just a man without the ability to stop one such as he. The battle short, the man’s hand dropped to his side, turning to lead them deeper, to the confrontation with Zestus.

    "How wonderful," Wapoe said lightly. He allowed the trooper to precede them, and as he arrived whispered. "Don't forget to announce Lord Sabel."

    The Stormtrooper swiped a keycard to open the bridge and, as a herald, loudly intoned. "Lord Sabel on the bridge!"

    Sabel glanced over at Wapoe, ”Thanks, there goes the true shock of Zestus when I arrive.” he muttered sarcastically.

    Still he walked onto the bridge as though he owned the SD, his predatory gaze shifting from station to station. He was prepared for violence from each and every person in that room but knew that the true battle would be with his old apprentice and so he sought that man out.

    The man looked up from the datapad he held on the platform. His countenance was grim in the Force. On the command chair, turned at an angle, was his Royal Guard helmet, a double-ended hilt hanging from his belt. He was Zestus. It had been his name, and now, he knew, it was a title.

    The crew looked up, but nervously. "Carry on, Lord Sabel won't harm you unless you attempt to harm him." A wry smile briefly touched his lips. "He's like that."

    "Oh is he," Wapoe said, exaggeratingly. He had his hands on his hips, and leaned forward. "Tell me more."

    Zestus's eyes didn't deviate from Sabel. He walked slowly, replacing his helmet. "I do what I must, my Lord." He fit it, slowly. He was tempting his Lord to strike at him as he settled into his combat armour.

    Sabel’s eyes flared for a moment as he finally saw his wayward apprentice. Shaking his head, the corner of his lip turned up. ”It’s called a sense of honor, Black Coat.” Since Wapoe hadn’t had his own name announced he was not going to provide it for those present.

    His helmet floated from his belt as he released the hold on the stormtrooper’s mind with a nudge in the Force that if the trooper stayed out of the upcoming fight he would not destroy the man. The helmet settled on his head and the systems fully activated. A light chuckle emerged from the vocorder.

    ”Your Lord?” he asked, one arm gesturing to the bridge, ”I’d say this demonstrates you fled my service to another’s service, one who, I would say, has shown complete willingness to sacrifice you to me to be done with this quadrant.”

    He shifted to a combat stance, but remained relaxed in posture, ”You know the gulf in our abilities but I will give you this, you at least stand and fight, once cornered.” He let a hard, mocking edge underline his words, not falling for the trap of the first strike, instead offering his former student the opportunity to strike first.

    "I was hoping to appeal to your sense of fair play, and honour, yes," Zestus said, igniting his double-bladed lightsaber, twin crimson blades twirling before him. "The Force is not my ally, after all. It is yours."

    Wapoe snorted. "I wouldn't go that far."

    Zestus ignored him. "My Lord, that man claimed he served Snoke, but I realise now he manipulated me so I would not check. He has flittered through, with his own goal, and own plan. I would ask you to not trust him, if there is any chance you do."

    Sabel nodded to Zestus, ”Confirmation received. I was almost certain every aspect of this entire campaign had been orchestrated by him. He, from what I know, always follows an agenda, one of his own devising.”

    His sabers leaped into his hands, igniting, the hiss and spit of them even louder, stronger than the saber in the hands of his former apprentice. ”You could have, would have been my right hand, if the interference had not occurred, if you had not drifted from my side.”

    His stance was still relaxed, at ease, watching for the first movement from Zestus. The tips of his sabers twitched, in a come hither gesture.

    "I never once drifted from our path," Zestus said grimly. "It was you who drifted."

    Wapoe took a seat, gestured a hand lazily at the crew. "Don't mind me, carry on." He tapped a mike at the console. "All First Order forces cease fire. This your Supreme Leader." He pitched his voice as that of Snoke's, and the three warships stopped for the moment, clearly wanting to check the situation.

    "There we go," he said. "We don't want the First Order firing on those coalition forces and making this a bigger mess, do we?"

    Zestus ignored him, keeping twirling. He advanced slowly, building up speed and strength, his expressionless mask focused on Sabel.

    Sabel all but ignored Wapoe, the blank slate of his mask turned toward Zestus. ”If you intend to attempt to kill me, just do so, apprentice. Your attitude and expression, not to mention the belief you hold just shows how unprepared you were for advancement. Your place was to suggest the options which you did, but to flee after I gave good and sound reasoning for my actions, that, that is how you drifted.”

    A snort sounded, ”Did you honestly believe that you, apprentice that you were, were privy to every choice, every decision, that I made for my territory and my people? Recent events have shown how right I was to do as I did, given how you responded and brought a blight into this region, you acting as though a ‘savior’ assisting him. So show me what you have learned…”

    In the entire time he had not changed position, had not seemed to draw deeply on the Force, had not done more than twitch his sabers at the other armored form, enticing him closer.

    Zestus didn't say anything. He simply stepped forward and whipped his blade around his waist behind him and stabbed forward with one end, expecting contact, or to be dodged, muscles poised to whip the staff back -

    The saber in Sabel’s left hand was left floating in the air as his hand reached out, deep purple lightning suddenly crackling in his palm and between his fingers. The saber suddenly stopped, abruptly, as it hit his palm.

    Inside the helmet he smiled grimly, then the lightning flared, arcing down the blade toward the handle of the double saber as his hand slid down the blade of it. He stepped into the range of Zestus and his right hand saber came sweeping down toward the crown of Zestus’s helmet as he kicked at the knee joint of his former apprentice’s armor.

    Zestus touched the Force to his feet and tugged away, though the tip of Sabel's blade traced a molten line across the crown of his mask.

    He placed a hand down as he inverted, cartwheeling and landing firmly.

    Sabel would feel unable to follow up, as Wapoe held him with the Force, his fingers fluttering as he sipped on a caf cup that had appeared beside him thanks to a polite aide of the First Order.

    "He did say he was expecting to appeal to your honor, no? That you would not abuse your proficiency in the Force?" A light chuckle. "Is that not to be? If not, you may as well just kill him and be done with it."

    Sabel smiled coldly inside his helmet, his voice came out just as coldly as he spoke to Wapoe, ”You are being deliberately dense, Black Coat. You manipulated this entire situation solely to disrupt things, in this case, in my polity. I would hazard a guess that Zestus here doesn’t even recall the first thought he had to betray me as his own.”

    He grunted slightly as his body shook against Wapoe’s power, ”And even more dense in what you just said, I never said I would be honorable in the duel, there is no such thing. I only said I would honor the fact that I would not attack the bridge crew if they did not attack me. Now releasing your hold on me might be the best option as even the First Order crew here is now seeing that you do not prefer beings to follow their own choices or rules, only yours.”

    Wapoe flexed his fingers and let Sabel go. "I misinterpreted you, clearly. My apologies," he said, and it sounded almost sincere. He returned to his caf. "Go on then, my friend."

    Zestus took the chance to twirl his blade around his head, and then lash down with the end, a hit directly aimed to cut Sabel in two, but his foot was braced to ensure it was not fully stretched out - it was slightly bent so he had the coiled strength to push off it and give himself the space to the angle a riposte on the swing up.

    Sabel’s smile was cold as Zestus attacked, the other knew too that there were no real rules in a duel to the death save to survive. The second saber leaped back into his hands and they swept up in an upward crossing motion. One he pulsed as it was used to block the downward stroke, increasing its power for a moment to slow the saber blade. The other had swept out lower, aiming to slice through the hilt of the double saber, reducing Zestus to a lesser option in how he could fight. He slid a foot slightly forward to either respond to a secondary oncoming attack or to give him options to dodge, should it become necessary.

    Zestus inverted his wrists and separated the two hilts, rolling around his hand to stab straight at Sabel as his blade slashed through empty space -

    Sabel slipped, or seemed to, as he went horizontal. As his body fell down toward the deck it moved faster, as his forward foot lashed up, a touch of Force power speeding it’s motion, aiming to break Zestus’s wrist the juncture of the gauntlet and bracer. At the same time he pointed the tip of one saber at Zestus’s gut, a bolt of lightning arcing down the blade and at the spot the tip of the blade was aimed at.

    It didn't take much for Zestus to shift his attack slightly so the foot caught the bracer, but it would take more to dodge the lightning bolt. However, his armour simply took the attack, diffusing it and the energy leaking off into the floor, and Zestus held both blades up and slashed down at Sabel -

    He'd clearly prepared his armour for this encounter.

    Sabel Pushed, against the lower legs of Zestus’s armor. Whether it threw the man's legs out from under him or not was secondary, what it did do was rocket him backward, the sabers heat felt in his toes as they passed very closely to the armored boots. Rolling in the push, he flipped over backward and onto his feet.

    ”Good, my former pupil, you have learned something. It is a shame you didn’t stay or you could have learned even more.” he stated calmly, as though he was not in the midst of a death battle.

    His sabers whined as he ran the blades against each other, then brought both down into an open stance, tips out and downward. He stood, statuelike, in that stance, humor radiating from his form even now. ”What else have you learned or is this the best you have?”

    Zestus didn't rise to the goad as he reset.

    He reattached his saber, deactivating one end, and held the staff ready. Allow me to show you, he thought, sending the idea as a hammer at Sabel's mind. Though he was too distant, he twirled the blade around him to build up strength, and as he completed a turn hit a second switch on his hilt and the blade extended to almost double in length as he swung it at great speed at Sabel's neck -

    Sabel grasped what Zestus was doing as the man began to sweep the saber around himself, at least partially. ’I think you’ve forgotte....’ he began the thought but then changed his mind and decided to demonstrate what his former apprentice had done wrong. Even as the last sweep rounded Zestus his saber on that side snapped up into a block, reinforced with the Force.

    He’d spent the last several exchanges evaluating Zestus’s armor and while it was upgraded it still had several weak points. The double length saber hit the block, stopping as though it had hit a beskar wall. And that was when simple physics took over. The saber became a lever, a very long one, that Zestus was at the end of. Sabel stepped forward, slightly to the side and as Zestus came off his feet at the force of the circular impetus it was the simplest thing in the world to arc lightning through his second saber as he stabbed into the weak point of the joint in the underarm of Zestus armor, the blade stabbing deeply, into Zestus’s chest cavity, the lightning flaring through the buried saber.

    The man choked, coughing out, dropping his lightsaber-pike and gripping the shoulders of Sabel as his knees were unable to support him. He reached for his mask, ripped it off, revealing his face. Blood was dribbling from both corners of his mouth already, his eyes were wet with tears - they had been shed as they fought.

    He returned his hand to his Master’s shoulder, both squeezing as firmly as he could to keep him on his feet, his mouth moving in unspoken words, fear in his eyes -

    The faceplate of Sabel’s helmet cleared, allowing his former apprentice to see his face. It was as much sentiment as he would allow, the galaxy was a place constantly filled with traps. But the man had fought as well as he could, given the disparity. He could see the fear in Zestus’s eyes, feel the life slowly draining from his body.

    ”You never were going to win. You were a pawn but never realized it.” he stated flatly before the blankness returned to the faceplate and he stepped away allowing Zestus to slump to the floor, the saber removed from the body and both still blazing in his hands.

    Turning toward Wapoe, but keeping one eye on Zestus, ”Time for this battle to end, for me to unify this sector of space.” A vibration on his wristpad made him glance down for a second, before he returned his gaze toward Wapoe, a small smile on his face inside the helmet.

    Zestus hung on to his face, not letting it turn to see Wapoe.

    If the Chiss were to look around for the Black Coat anyway, would find that he had left - Wapoe had finished his caf, of course, and taken it with him so as to leave no genetic trace.

    "Master," Zestus said, struggling. "I... was always a pawn... but I wanted... to make sure... it was me..." He swallowed. "If it was someone else... you would not... have been able to win." Zestus's mouth worked, blood girdling at the back of his throat. "It had to be me, he is... so strong, so powerful, more... than you" he said, with strength. "I did this... so you would have that... chance."

    A hand dropped, drew a datapad from his pocket. On the screen was his last set of instructions. If you do not do this, then I will intervene personally. With all my strength, with all my forces; you will know that I will prevail. If you do anything but use all your power, all your intellect, I will kill Sabel myself. Do you understand?

    The message was from Supreme Leader Snoke.

    Zestus flopped, and his breathing stopped.

    Snoke's words were timed to just before the Lehon excursion.

    His loyalty... it had been manipulated against Sabel, all along.

    Sabel’s eyes blazed, sabers extinguishing and leaping to his belt. He knelt beside Zestus’s body, one hand touching the wound, sending a jolt of lightning through it, cauterizing the wound and jump starting Zestus’s heart.

    He heard the crew gasping, for two reasons, seeing Zestus’s body jump at the shock and the man’s eyes open and because of something Sabel was not paying attention to but noticed in the flashes of light reflecting off of the rear of the bridge, that over half his fleet had jumped into the system, covering every direction of the compass, weapons systems online and fighter squadrons deployed.

    He looked down at his former apprentice, ”Why do you think I insisted upon the excursion to Lehon? I already knew. I had to set it up so that you had the opportunity to do what you did. That it had to be you at the end, that I admit was Snoke. But know you fulfilled your purpose and strengthened our position.” he said in a quiet voice, that only the slowly expiring Zestus could hear.

    Zestus’s eyes were clouded, full of pain. “Thank you, my Lord.” At that, he collapsed again, and this time he could not be resurrected. His body was just too broken.

    Sabel stood, his eyes still blazing. The helmet lifted from his head allowing the smoldering orbs to be seen by all aboard the craft. His gaze swept across all, not a difficult feat as almost all were watching what had just happened. ”I will give you and your compatriots on the other two craft a choice, accept defeat and service to me, or be obliterated by my craft as a funeral pyre for Zestus. You have until I finish the next transmission to decide.”

    While he let them decide, he strode to the comm station, opening a channel to the Lioaoin Regime ships, the Pataatus craft, the Tower Dimension craft, the remainder of the Nikardun that survived, and the Primeans. He was sure Ara’lani would pick up the transmission as well. When the channel showed that all those craft had their channels open he began, a low, cold tone to his voice.

    ”I am Settu'asol'rerrist, commander of those craft, and leader of the territory they belong to, that now are surrounding all your craft. I am not offering you a choice, send your chief representative to meet with me, to discuss your polities being absorbed into mine, under my protection. It is time to unite this sector under one banner as end the internecine warfare that has plagued our region. Failure to comply will result in the decimation of your polity.”

    His eyes continued to blaze, ”I expect an immediate response from each of you confirming this. Or my fleet gets to avenge the already wounded craft of mine that you attacked.”

    He muted his end, turned to the bridge crew, ”Time is up, what is your decision?” he asked in the same tone.

    Their response was cut by the response on the comms. "This is Grand Admiral Ara'lani." Her voice was curt, and sharp - and on an open channel. "You stand before a coalition of ships that belong to the alliance known as the Empire of the Hand."

    An even larger group of vessels arrived - more Chiss, more Pataatus craft, more Tower Dimension craft, and even more Primeans vessels from their other holdings. "We would request all First Order and Imperial forces depart the system in fifteen minutes, or a state of war will exist between our nations and yours." The Chiss capital ship held position in-front of the coalition of forces, deploying fighters to interpose themselves between the ships and Sabel.

    The Chiss woman was firm that he would not dominate this region of space.

    The two Resurgent-class Star Destroyers began to pull out of the system, and the voice of Wapoe would echo within Sabel's mind. The rebellion against you will collapse now Zestus is dead, as he hoped. But remember what I said. If you hold onto a Resurgent, then you will draw the ire of Snoke. His technology, his secrets, his plans; he wants you to have nothing to do with it. Let go, and you will save everything.

    The words left.

    Oh, and I left you the Contingency yacht. I never needed it.

    A dipyramid ship in black swept by the bridge, and the crew, still talking among themselves, was at a loss what to do.

    Ara'lani spoke up. "Your move, Settu'asol'rerrist."

    Sabel smiled back at her, he was sure it would confuse her as it was a perfectly friendly gesture. ”One moment.” He muted the comm on his end. Turning back to the command crew, ”I can sense your choice. Very well.”

    He slid the helmet back on his head, transferring the comm call to the small pickup he had. He sat a course to the Hand fleet into the guidance computer, then locked it. Striding from the bridge he unmuted the call, ”Very well, my forces and I are departing, but I captured this ship so I am gifting it to you, I have no need of it.”

    She must know that his forces were depleted so the fact that he said that, while true, would also make her begin to doubt, to wonder why he felt confident that he would not need a new, stronger ship than he seemed to currently have under his command.

    He crossed through the docking tube to the yacht, disengaging it. Returning to the bridge, he set course to one of the Imperial II’s that had entered the system, sending a message ahead to redeploy all craft back on board and prepare to depart the moment he landed in their hangar.

    One last time he turned to view Ara’lani, ”But I must thank you, you have shown me what I wanted to see, to know who was behind the recent movement of forces in this region. And, I must say, I am disappointed.” He cut the comm as he watched the Resurgent soar toward her ship and he finished the flight to his fleet.

    Ara'lani paused at that. The Resurgent he had captured was still fully crewed; her sensors could tell that. But the technology on offer... a stream of shuttles emerged from the Hand fleet, heading to take the ship into custody. The other two Resurgent-class warships leapt into hyperspace, heading obliquely into the north-eastern-most Unknown Regions - as did the Eclipse.

    That left Sabel to leave, his forces departing, and his original frigate came to his aid, the captain small in the Force, worried about what had happened, and what was to follow. "My lord? What happened to the Queen?"

    Sabel chuckled, ”She was the proverbial gift horse, Captain. Yes, she wasn’t what she seemed. She was a trap I managed to get out of, from Snoke.”

    He looked through the viewscreen to take in the sight of the Hand forces taking control of the Resurgent-class, chuckling again. ”Now, it is time to return home, Zestus’s little rebellion will be well on its way to collapse at this point.” As he spoke, the fleet jumped to hyper as he’d commanded they do when he returned to them.

    TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto
     
  24. Silvertough

    Silvertough Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 19, 2018
    OOC: Yet another fun combo with @Sinrebirth and @Mitth_Fisto ;)

    IC: Iudex, Soliloquy, and the Holocron of Darth Insipid

    Personal Chambers of Emperor Soliloquy

    Darth Iudex had spent the few minutes he had to himself during the ever frustratingly familiar walk between his and the new Emperor's chambers confirming and then reconfirming the news which had just reached his ears. The Pyke Syndicate, the galaxy's supplier of the infamous narcotic 'Spice', was under siege, their main fortress summarily smashed incredibly recently. And, if the rumors were true, smashed by two figures wielding red lightsabers.

    Eleodie Maracavanya, the Pirate Queen of the Outer Rim. Arb Skynxnex, the undisputed Crime Lord of Coruscant, and now, the Pyke Syndicate. All similarly crippled within 48 standard hours.That only left the Hutts, who were already suffering after the death of Jabba, and Crimson Dawn. Arguably the Black Sun could be tossed onto that list as well, but even they had fallen from their seat of Galactic dominance in recent years.

    Iudex was no conspiracy theorist, but even he could sense something fishy was going on. Far too many of the established criminal syndicates were imploding in far too short of a time. Which meant someone was orchestrating it. But who? And more importantly, why?

    Iudex reached the door to the chambers of Emperor Soliloquy, and after a pointed glare to the guard positioned outside, was ushered in, his arrival being announced to the occupants inside. He ignored the snide remark from Insipid's holocron, and instead strode right up to Soliloquy themselves.

    "I'll skip the pleasantries, I think we're all getting a little sick of seeing so much of each other today." He said bluntly, casting a sidelong glance at the Holocron. "Maracavanya is dead, at Lord Sabel's hand. I've also just learned that the Pyke's are under siege at their compound on Oba Diah, which totals three Syndicates in ruin in under 48 hours. That is.. alarming. Power vacuums are never clean affairs, especially on a Galactic Scale."

    He frowned for a moment, before turning to look directly at Insipid's Holocron. "By the way, spoke to a uniquely informed friend of yours, my Lord. Wanted me to tell you he definitely wasn't alive and helping Lord Sabel. Weird guy, called himself Darth Trayus, wore a black-cloak, you know, real suspicious like." Iudex crossed his arms and smiled humorlessly. "Know anything about 'em?"

    Soliloquy was sitting there with a mostly spent mushroom head in his hand, actively sucking spores out of it when Iudex decided to barge. He had wanted to talk with the man sure, but couldn't an Emperor get a few private moments to himself between conversations! Coughing slightly he emitted a cloud of cherry red spores as the other went into a tirade of a speech. Eyes wide he quickly reached out in the Force pulling back the spores to himself and sucking them into his mouth and back on track to the storage container of a nodule in his right lung.

    After quickly making sure the mushroom wasn't leaking any more spores Soliloquy took a moment to recall what the other had said during all of this. Thankfully it had been a long tirade. "So, drastic opportunities and upheaval that does not seem natural. I am curious about the Pyke's, if you can at all take advantage of that one it might prove the most useful, followed by Coruscant and Maracavanya's forces. Although her's might be the most easy for you to plunder to your Forces. And, you met someone we now all know in this room, probably in equal measure." Just to make sure he made a Force Illusion life size image of the man or rather black encasing robes. "Is this the man?" He then triggered the form to speak a few words 'Oh, hello there. Yes, I rather do enjoy this old clock-tower.'

    Insipid cringed. "Does he speak like that?"

    "Darth Trayus, eh?" He tapped his chin. "Trayus was the name of the founder of the Malachor Sith Academy... his Sith specialized in wounding the Force... using it to create unholy aberrations... men who could not die... men who consumed life... a woman who betrayed without end, creating wounds with her very words."

    "Did you get to speak to him, Iudex?" The Holocron was deeply curious."

    Iudex raised an eyebrow as he studied Soliloquy's Force illusion. It was remarkably similar to the real thing. "Yeah, that's him all right. Ally or enemy? I have the sneaking suspicion I'll run into them in the future."

    He turned to address the Holocron. "And no, I didn't, barely more than a sentence or two. That being said.. He did send me a rather dense video file covering Lord Sabel's recent conflict, Haven't had much time to watch it fully yet."

    "I'll begin looking into the Pyke situation first. There's been a number of reports that lightsabers were involved.. And as far as I know, the New Republic isn't in the business of dismantling Crime Syndicates by pairs of Jedi.." Iudex said, with a hint of excitement in his voice.

    Eyeing the holocron Soliloquy gave it a flick of his finger, "Everyone's a critic." he muttered to the others reproach about his illusions speech choices. Waving a hand he dismissed the image as Iudex finally replied that it was correct. Always nice to confirmation.

    "Excellent. Ex-cel-lent! Perhaps my tenure as Emperor shall be brief, and I can enter into the very short annals of those that have survived such a position." He said with a positively giddy expression at the mention of twin lightsabers being spotted.

    "Alright, I agree interesting name choice, and since he has been alive for longer than I have or at least scattered presence over a longer time period. . .let's say neither for now. He is an odd one that is as likely to save your life as he is to take it, tread easy Iudex, he is not a fixed point. His only concern is own goals and how to aid them by your usage or removal. I was used, something I am still studying."

    "I reckon we should tell him everything," Insipid said. "He's pretty much dedicated to you now you've proven yourself to have a plan." He didn't comment on being flicked. Clearly Soliloquy had plenty of experience on how to antagonise a Holocron.

    A herald announced via comlink that Shimmer had returned from the Core, and would be arriving within the hour.

    The Holocron turned to look at the Falleen. "But I suspect that our friend here wants us to hunt down the real Acolytes of the Beyond. He did greatly twitch when we mentioned them..."

    "Oh, I doubt that. He's a sith and made of sterner stuff than the whimsy of wanting to hunt down a rival order we have been using as a cover since we left Kesh! Although that would prove useful, tie up a loose end, but I like the thought of him controlling the Pyke interests first. With that in hand we could be set up better for implanting our false replacements and have ways into dens of ill repute that politicians frequent." Musing Soliloquy looked back to Iudex and sighed, "Or I could just be missing the simple things of life, it has been a while since I indulged in revenge fantasies."

    Iudex huffed in mild indignation at the comment on his apparent dedication to the cause, but made no effort in correcting the statement. If that's what they wanted to believe, so be it.

    "The Pykes are the immediate concern." He said in agreement, choosing to ignore the obvious bait. "A contract between Insipid and myself was agreed upon upon my induction into the Order, clearly you were made before that, otherwise this conversation wouldn't be happening." A weary glance towards Insipid's holocron.

    "The Acolytes.. Will be dealt with, in time." Iudex stated definitively, any indication of his inner discomfort vanished. "Is that all?"

    The Insipid Holocron was miffed. "I was merely arguing your case." His voice was not offended at all, however. He was as ever causing intrigue for its own sake. "Are you going to go yourself? Alone?"

    The Holocron eyed Soliloquy, as if it considered that an obviously bad decision.


    "Hmmph." Iudex grunted, pausing to stroke his chin. "Oba Diah should be relatively safe, doubt there's many, if any, defenders left to bug me. But.." He shrugged. "Always better to err on the side of caution. Can you spare anyone for what will undoubtedly remain a simple reconnaissance mission?" He turned to look at Soliloquy expectantly.

    Sighing at the Holocron Soliloquy rubbed a flowing tendril. Honestly they were a little short on Sith at the moment. Still, one was practically due to waltz through the door with his baby any minute now. "Lady Shimmer. She has just returned but should be available for your mission." he stated with a thoughtful air.

    Leaning forward he jabbed his spent mushroom cap at Iudex. "If you impregnate her or make her think in any way you are exclusive in a relationship so as to hurt her feelings when you are not. . .you will understand how protective this Master is of his Apprentices."

    "Shimmer." Iudex repeated quietly. Not the name he was particularly hoping for, but, it wasn't that big of a deal. Besides, having the Emperor's apprentice alone to question might turn up some interesting results.

    Iudex finally nodded his head, accepting the mission. "With that settled, we'll head out for Oba Dia..-" He began to say, stopping as Soliloquy continued to speak.

    "Er.." He blinked slowly, making no attempt to hide his bewilderment. "I don't uh.. Have any such plans? Don't think you gotta worry about such things.. With me.." A cough. "She's uh.. not really my type.. Tend to.. stick to my own species.."

    The Falleen eyed Insipid's holocron in desperation, wordlessly begging for it to change the subject. This was weird, and oddly uncomfortable. How strange to feel completely at ease when fighting for his life, and be reduced to a sputtering mess when discussing carnal relations. How Iudex wished for the day to finally come to an end.

    With an arched brow Soliloquy stared at the depths of the man, "Lie to yourself if you like, not to me. I could taste Gallany on you."

    Leaning back he flicked the mushroom to a back wall by the tanks on the far left. With a bow tilt of his head he gave what felt would be likely parting words. "Take care Iudex, and may the odds always be in your favor."


    "Just because I played the part didn't mean I got any enjoyment out of it.." Iudex muttered indignantly, before turning on his heel. "I'll begin my preparations immediately, who knows, maybe I'll bring back some new friends.."


    With the (hopefully) last debriefing/briefing of the day, Iudex packed what minimal supplies he needed for the journey, and began his walk towards one of the Star Home's many hangar bays. Once Shimmer joined him, they would set out for the former Pyke stronghold of Oba Diah.

    Tags: @Sinrebirth , @Mitth_Fisto , @darthbernael , @darthhelinith






     
  25. darthbernael

    darthbernael EU Community Mod, Fuego, Pyrofuego! star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: Combo with @darthhelinith and @Sinrebirth

    Helinith, Renn and Galney
    Private Chambers

    "Might I interject, Queen Mother and Prince Consort? Or do you need some more time?"

    Helinith looked at Renn wistfully. "Always." she whispered as she kissed him softly and sighed. "Back to the real world."

    She grabbed a robe that looked formal enough to slip on over the other clothes and opened the door to the bedroom.

    "Okay Galney, who or what is first on the agenda?"

    Renn smiled softly as Galney spoke, they both wanted time just to live but the galaxy seemed bound and determined to keep that from happening, for now. His sigh met Helinith’s in the kiss, ”Always,” he said softly, a touch of sadness at the world intruding, ”Time to make the galaxy give us time to just enjoy life.”

    He straightened as she finished dressing, turning toward the door, wondering what news Galney would have that would require their attention and their or, mostly, Helinith’s response.

    Lady Galney bowed. "I have a request from Aurra Sing that you grant her an audience, firstly," Her tone was amused at that, but she wouldn't decide for her Monarch - that would be improper.

    Helinith snorted.

    "What, so she can try killing me again? What does she want?"

    She gave Renn a look.

    We should probably just kill her.

    Renn laughed, tilting his head and gazing at Helinith, ’Killing her would be the safest option.’ he thought back to her.

    He turned his attention back to Galney, ”Force cuffs, prepare focused ultrasonics to disrupt her concentration, she will not be allowed within 3 meters from either of us or others the entire time, she so much as twitches she will be shot, and she will be changed into a simple prisoner jumpsuit after a full scan and probe. If she doesn't agree then no audience.” he stated flatly.

    Galney said. "To argue her case, and offer a solution to the, and I quote, 'New Republic' problem."

    She then addressed the Consort, as was proper. "I shall of course make that suggestion, but she is, and I again quote, 'happy to have any restriction that the tree lover and her tree boy want'." Galney kept her disdain from her face, but even using the uncouth words was upsetting for her... notwithstanding that she had only recently been shooting Stormtroopers.

    With a bow, Galney went to go. "I can arrange this now, if you wish?"

    Aurra did appear to have anticipated the caveat. Which didn't make her any more or less dangerous than before of course.

    Renn was wary, he remembered the last time and that Sing had come close to hurting Helinith. With the dark thoughts he didn’t notice, entirely, as his body responded, shifting to the slightly taller, dark form he wore on occasion. His hands reached, checking the location of his sabers and he prepared.

    Raising his gaze to Galney, he knew his eyes now had taken on a brighter, more yellow tone, ”The Matriarch will see her as soon as it is arranged, before she is placed in a deeper hole, if her interview proves fruitful, if not,” he smiled coldly, ”she will not leave the room a living being.”

    Turning away, he sighed slightly, not always happy when his anger at a subject took over. His eyes rose and he too in Helinith, a true smile crossing his face. ”Going to see her in your nightgown and a robe, my Craziness?” he teasingly asked her.

    Helinith blushed and then chuckled.

    "Heck yes! I'm a queen! I can do what I want! Let's hear what she has to say, but..." she suddenly looked thoughtful.

    "Let's change it up a bit. Can we meet... somewhere different? Somewhere she wouldn't be expecting, like the big pit I filled with glass statues. You know, in the off-chance she's stashed a detonator or weapons somewhere."

    Galney nodded, bemused but enjoying the creativity of her Queen Mother.

    "Of course. I shall set up you two thrones in that pit area."

    She bowed, and headed off swiftly to set it up.

    TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @darthhelinith