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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. Mitth_Fisto

    Mitth_Fisto Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 29, 2005
    IC: Emperor Soliloquy the reluctant, And General Estarte (Serapis) & Admiral Astarta
    A Combo with @Adalia-Durron @DarthIshyZ & @Sinrebirth

    Leaving on a Hapan Vessel


    Preparing had been simple enough. A good meal for Blightling and a pleasant shuttle ride, the Emperor's needs were simple and private. Before leaving he had given his stamp of approval baring that the Hapan economy could withstand the burden for the added platforms. Right now that Shadow Hand should have finished being trained by the scientists on how to implant the surge corral and what it would do to hopefully help protect the Keshiri being given into slavery for a time. Not even the scientists new the other usage for the corral so that double edged knowledge was still private.

    Having found his way to the ship Astarta and Tomsini would use was easy enough, and he had taken up residence at one of the bridges comm stations were he worked at his pending messages in private from his two worlds. It looked like the first harvest was about ready soon. He might have to take a shuttle and stop at the water world to give a birthing speech on the way back. He had taken on the visage of a Hapan woman who had standing orders to replace the ships comm specialist and to keep charge of the Emperor's Pet that would be observing the mission. An odd request for certain, but then again Blightling was tapping through a pad on the floor that linked with engineering and pouring over the salvage operations for the wrecked vessels. The fact that the creature had the mind of a Jawa when it came to such things meant it was actually able to make useful observations and notions from the sensor readings it had access to. So a very strange bridge oddity that would occassionally exclaim 'Uttinnii!'

    (The Emperor's New Look as Comm Specialist / Royal Agent Erin Soong )
    [​IMG]

    Astarta walked off her shuttle in the hangar bay. She asked a tech if Admiral Tomsini had arrived. He replied, "She hasn't, but we expect her soon." She nodded. She turned to her entourage and ordered them to be useful, that she'd call for them as needed. She turned on her heel towards the bridge. On the way to there, she checked her pad. Her platforms would be completed and delivered within the week. Good. Good.

    Her heels clicked on the deck as she moved down the corridor. The Ser@pis A.I. in her brain reminded her she'd seen an identical hallway recently when she, Helinith, Renn and Grand Vizier Bo had stormed it. The walls looked quite different to human eyes. It smelled like petroleum and cleaning products. Interesting.

    She turned onto the bridge. As she made her way down the walkway to the command area, she sensed a familiar presence. She stopped and looked at Soliloquy, the Emperor. She winked. "Nice transformation. We need to talk soon," she whispered. Then she turned back and went to the viewscreen.

    Estrella stood silently behind the pilots as her shuttle landed on the hangar deck of the Thundercrest, touching down gently in precision accuracy. "Well done." She murmured to the pilots. "Secure the ship and report that unusual issue we encountered to the deck officer." She was rewarded with a 'Yes Ma'am' from both women. Turning she made her way to now descending ramp and moved down to it's base, stopping to survey the area. She didn't hesitate long before she strode across the deck, commanding attention by her posture and uniform, causing salutes and people snapping to attention as she went. Soon she was in a turbolift and she straightened her new Uniform as it rose. As it stopped she tilted her chin up slightly as she clasped her hands behind her back and entered the bridge of the Hapan Battle Dragon.

    "Admiral on the Bridge." Someone announced as she stepped forward. A few of the officers also pulled to attention before she waved them to relax. Her cool blue eyes searched till she found her quarry.

    "General Astarta." She gave a nod.

    The General had to stop herself from coming to attention when the Admiral's announcement came. She wondered, amused, if anyone had seen her flinch. Smiling, she turned to greet her. "Admiral. Good morning! I've brought along two dozen of my best women and men. They're under orders to put themselves under command of your people. I've also got some orbital guns being produced." She handed over the pad with the details of the defense production. "They're the ones that your predecessor encountered at Hapes, so you know what they're capable of. They'll be delivered within a week." She turned back to the starfield in front of her. "You ready to take on a princess and a chancellor?"

    Taking the pad, Estrella glanced over the information and gave a sage nod. "Very good, and thank you for your support, it is appreciated." She passed the pad back, "as for taking on, I prefer to call it a 'meeting of minds.' " She allowed a smile.

    A meeting of the minds with Luke's sister. Astarta stood, thinking about her encounter with Luke. Last he'd seen the Jedi, Serapis, in Rendarr's body was floating away from him, helpless. He remembered the hatred he had for Luke. He remembered swinging his borrowed lightsaber futilely in the air, wanting to free Luke's head from his neck. Now she was going to need to be diplomatic with his sister. It left a bitter taste in his... er... her mouth.

    What popped into her mind next was a surprise. "You know, I've never been able to command a naval vessel. Would you mind if I give the order to break orbit? Sounds silly, I know..."

    Estrella considered the woman's request for a moment and then allowed a slight shrug. "Be my guest."

    The General turned to the navigator station. This excitement was unreasonable, but it didn't need to be. She ordered, "Com, send instructions to the fleet to form up on us. Navigator, when they're ready, set a course to the neck of Hapan space and engage."

    The Emperor nodded at the order, performing the task quickly and efficiently. Looking back she nodded once the responses had come through, a simple signal for the Navigator to do their thing once the fleet was signaling all ready. With that she closed her eyes, subsuming himself into herself in the Force. When all was said and done, a major power was reduced to nothing more than a minor force sensitive individual. Comm Specialist / Royal Agent Erin Soong was on duty.

    Estrella turned to look to her officers and was pleased to see all in order, clean uniforms and well groomed, the way she liked it. Turning she strolled back assessing the staff when she saw someone new, a slight frown creased her brow, normally new staff were run past her first. She approached. "You're new on the bridge?" She asked casually but her tone indicated she wanted to know why and who they were without her authority.

    Astarta turned a bit and saw Tomsini questioning the Emperor. Obviously she didn't know it was him. She thought it was the com officer. This would be interesting. Astarta hid a snicker. The trip to the neck was just a few minutes. If Emperor Soliloquy was lucky, she'd be saved by their arrival.

    Standing at attention she faced the Admiral Tomsini, "Comm Specialist Erin Soong, Ma'am. Last minute transfer." Reaching into her uniform she pulled out a datapad which she unlocked and held out to the woman. It was a display of her transfer orders, "My orders Admiral."

    Displayed on the pad was her name once more, only instead of 'Comm Specialist' it denoted her as Favored Royal Guard - Agent Erin Soong. Royal Guards were under the direct authority of the Queen Mother and were in many instances body guards and secret police rolled into one. Status as Favored meant that she according to the record was a direct female descendant of one of the original one hundred Royal Guards from the time of the creation of the Hapan Monarchy. This meant that she could in theory outrank a common Admiral or General of the line, superseding them by being seen as a direct representation from the Queen Mother. Neither of the commanding women on the bridge were that simple of a rank, but it did mean in reality she answered to no one but the Queen Mother or other Favored Agents of the Royal Guard. "I hope to serve you well Admiral on this mission." She stated formally, keeping proper decorum for a junior in most respects.

    Estrella leaned forward ever so slightly to read the pad and as she did so she raised her eyebrows. She was no fool and knew how had the balance of power between them. Giving a nod she smiled, "Impressive qualifications. Welcome aboard Erin, and I am sure you will do your best." She inclined her head, before continuing her perusal of the Bridge crew.

    Astarta enjoyed the feeling of hyperspace travel. The low vibrations could be upsetting to the uninitiated. She felt like she was getting an all-over massage.

    She looked over Tomsini's shoulder at the datapad. She couldn't see everything, but she did see "Favored Royal Guard." She raised an eyebrow at Soliloquy, though it did give her ideas on just what plans they could follow.

    Speaking of plans, she looked at Admiral Tomsini. "What are the contingencies? Plans for this encounter? I hear Leia is Force-sensitive, too, so we should take that into account."

    "Leia maybe Force sensitive, but first and foremost she is a diplomat and an accomplished one at that. I do believe she will behave accordingly." She smiled and turned to her counterpart, "And if push comes to shove, we have other persuasive methods that I do hope we do not have to resort too." She turned back to the starlines, "I do consider myself a rather accomplished diplomat myself."

    "True. Being a diplomat, she'll want to talk. To be honest, I don't mind if they blockade for now. Just so long as they don't enter our space." She felt the Astarta and Rendarr consciousness inside her give their agreement. Hapan space was and will always be, independent. Not under Republic rule.

    It was a few hours when they reached the blockade line, and the three kilometer Mon Calamari cruiser and its far smaller escorts stood out. The frigates and corvettes were strung out, designed to intercept arrivals, and the Hapan minefield laid between them and the New Republic

    The channel immediately crackled to life.

    "This is Senator Leia Organa Solo of the Galactic Senate, representative of the Chancellor's Office. The elected government of the galaxy has come to the conclusion that the Hapan Consortium has been seized by the terrorist organization known as the Acolytes of the Beyond, and we are here to both help and also prevent the further spread of the threat. No ships will be allowed to leave or the Cluster until the Acolytes are handed over, and inspectors are allowed in to ensure the proper governance of the region in accordance with the Laws of Sentience."

    That was a mouthful, but the Alderaanian spoke with strength and poise, shining in the Force as an untempered beacon of Light.

    Astarta turned her back to the viewscreen. She spoke low so that only Tomsini and the Emperor could hear. "What a blowhard! Could she be more demanding when it's not even her own space?" To add punctuation to it, she shook her head a bit. The nerve of her threatening to invade Hapan space. Well, it's not like the Sith hadn't already done that, but that was another matter altogether.

    Estrella allow the softest smile as she held her hand to the comm operator, the new one who she hoped understood the gesture as she flicked her fingers before drawing a deep breath. "And Welcome to you Senator Organa Solo," Amusement tainted her tone as she spoke, "I am Admiral Estrella Tomsini of the Hapan Consortium and currently Fleet Admiral. T'is an honour to make your acquaintance." Another flick to indicate closing the comm before smiling serenely. "We will meet her attack with gentle class and decorum, there is no rush to this." she said quietly to Astarta. She hoped she caught Leia on the back foot, forcing the woman to either respond in a robotic manner or possibly, she hoped, be surprised by the welcome.

    In all the excitement and activity, Astarta was just remembering Soliloquy's admonition to reduce her Force presence. While she hadn't been actively using it, she hadn't been hiding it either. She concentrated and reduced her presence in the Force. It took some effort, but it seemed to have worked. Everything seemed a bit duller.

    As Tomsini spoke, Leia frowned at something in the Force, but it wasn't nearly as distinct as a full-blown darksider... she'd been in close proximity to several Acolytes of the Beyond, including, though she didn't know their names, Darth's Insipid, Manticore, Bernael, Helinith and also Renn and Leda. Indeed, Soliloquy she hadn't been close to at all, and Serapis only by vague association in his prior body, at very most.

    So it wasn't them, and she couldn't see the Acolytes of the Beyond - the terrorist organization the Sith were pretending to be apart of - were all that many in number. They knew the Inquisitors of the old Empire had numbered roughly ten Dark Jedi, so they were working on the assumption that these were roughly the numbers they were dealing with at Hapes - which was a fair assumption.

    Refocusing, she indicated to reopen the comms, tone even. "Fleet Admiral Tomsini, yours is not a name I recognise. I take it has been a recent promotion; congratulations, if so, and I hope your predecessor is well."

    Estrella pursed her lips for a moment before indicating to open the comm again. "A recent promotion, although I will attest to my own abilities and hard work. As for me predecessor, well, I am sure you are more than familiar with the....nuances, of The Hapan society? We have a unique way in dealing with those who do not live up to the excessively high standards of the Throne, as I am sure you are able to recall." She indicated to close again to avoid any potential mishap.

    Flicking the requisite switches Erin kept watch on the Admirals. It was curious to watch them work, she could feel her eyes narrowing as she evaluated the dance they were performing. So far, things were going well.

    Astarta had turned back to the screen. Leia from his time was known far and wide as a fair and open-minded leader. This woman was anything but open-minded. She was being influenced by that Jedi brother of hers. The com was closed, for now, so she leaned over to Tomsini. "I'd like to know her jurisdiction. Should I ask, or do you want to?" She narrowed her eyes, studying Leia for reactions.

    "Patience. I have said, this is not a race." Another flick of her hand. "Senator Organa-Solo, whilst your presence here is Admirable, I fail to see the necessity. May I ask, where did you get your information regarding the current perceived situation." A hand flick again. Estrella preferred silence between communications, for the safety of all involved.

    “Why?” Leia said with some arrogant amusement. “The Queen Mother called in outsiders to assist her, and then she dies, and her daughter rises. Then a few weeks later, those outsiders return, and take the throne themselves? A non-Hapan ruling the Consortium?

    She snorted. “How could such a thing happen except by force of arms? Or Force of blades?”

    Serapis thought back to when the Sith came back, to his own involvement in the takeover. The facts weren't far off. In fact, it was Serapis who killed both queens, in Rendarr's body, no less. He could still feel their necks snapping under his fingers.

    It was likely one of the disgruntled Hapan royals who couldn't assume the throne themselves that reported this info to the Republic. Jealousy, pure and simple. It still made him, er... her want to know how it was any business of the Republic what happened in Hapan space.

    Estrella smiled as she moved her fingers again. "Senator, come now. The overthrowing of Power in Hapes is almost akin to the amount of times you yourself have survived attempts on your life. The fact is, its the way our culture works and often the weak and un prepared don't get to stay where they are for very long. Oh please do not misunderstand me, I find the whole process abhorrent, but this is the way it's been for a millennia, not for me to change it." She gave a small chuckle, "well not if I plan to stay alive." She paused for a moment, "having said all that, you have not answered my question, where did you get your information?" Another flick of the hand. She kept her steely blues eyes to the front as she spoke almost without moving her lips. "Care to add or tell me anything that might help here?"

    Astarta put her hand to her mouth. "You're doing fine. I couldn't do better myself. Stick to your guns." She studied the image of Leia. She had a very good sabaac face. Though, even that could tell things. "I wonder... Could she be fishing? Does she really know anything? After all, most of the people who know the full story are royalty. And, most of them are dead."

    Estrella licked her lip elegantly and in the process the word, "noted" escaped as she awaited a response.

    Tapping the controls and double checking that it was on mute she leaned over, talking without her lips moving beyond a slight part, a soft whisper only for the leaders ears. "There are unconfirmed rumors that Prince Isolder might be seeking outside alliances for a marriage. If he fancies a Princess without a world -" Well, Erin didn't have to share more than that. No official courtship had been initiated, and it was common knowledge among the elite and aristocracy that current Queen Mother was merely an interregnum one until such time Isolder wed and the new Queen Mother could assume her duties. At which time the disposed interregnum Queen Mother would be merely a high Lady of the Court with a single world to govern.

    Leia pursed her lips, keeping her mind reinforced against mental intrusion if an Acolyte was aboard that Dragon. “It will not surprise you to hear that we have had contact from concerned parties within the Consortium. Though the last Queen Mother tried to kill me, so there are plenty of grounds for this blockade... though no more.”

    “We don’t have a right to intervene in the affairs of sovereign states, you are correct, which is why the terrorist Acolytes of the Beyond have shifted their focus to non-members,” Leia said, smiling slightly. “But similarly Admiral, if a single world in the Hapes Cluster petitions for membership in the Senate, we will have a legal right to intervene. Two Acolytes took control of Kamino recently, and the government invited us in to arrest them. The so-called Darth’s Cocytus and Styx are now in beskar boxes under the watch of my brother, silenced by our actions. So we have ample and recent precedent for our actions to defend New Republic signatories.”

    Leia’s smile grew carnivorous. “Are we clear?”

    Estrella waved her fingers again. "The Consortium, as you know Senator, has always had and will always have those who feel the need to ....whinge to the greater galaxy about how utterly unfair they 'system', for want of a better description, is. As I have stated, I cannot say I like it, but it is our way. " she paused. "You are correct, you have no right, and in this case, need to intervene here. I am very pleased that you have captured the usurpers and have them under your most expert seizure. Tis good to know the Galaxy is under such great scrutiny." She lied with a faint smile. "Rest assured, the Hapes Consortium is well in hand and under safe leadership. We appreciate your attendance, but as I have stated, it is not required. Are we clear?"

    Astarta smiled a bit, too. In other words, thank you, but get out. Estrella was good at this. Though she doubted Leia would take the hint.

    Erin frowned, it was a subtle down turn of the lips and brow at what Leia had stated. It held a predatory edge and the indication that if a single world of the Consortium had the edge of a dangerous promise. Making sure the comm was muted she spoke softly to the Astarta and Fleet Admiral Estrella, "She sounds like she has a possible world in mind. I'll send a message have it looked into. Immediately." With a nod she sent off a private and encrypted communique to the Queen Mother Interregnum Helinith and to the Royal Guard as a note from the Emperor concerning recent reports. Hopefully they could look into the Sixty-Four worlds rapidly since the Guard were supposed to already have someone there on every world already.

    Estrella gave Erin an every so slight nod and without moving her lips acknowledged her. "Please do, thank you, open first please?" She smiled at Leia. "If feels to me like you have a target? A planet you believe may wish to .......succeed from the Consortium. I, once again, assure you, we are a united Cluster of Contented worlds and you will find no discord here."

    Leia smiled thinly. "I would not want to get him in trouble, Admiral. With that aforementioned wave of assassinations, he may very well be subjected to one, and that would be unfortunate."

    She seemed satisfied by the woman's response, sitting back slightly in her chair. "I will let you know if New Republic intervention is requested in the Hapes Cluster, do not concern yourself with that. We of course will only step in when a planetary official requests, and as ever will be very clear that he is the representative and not wasting our time."

    "But the blockade will remain until we are assured that no terror organization is using the Cluster as a base for attacks inside our territory." Leia paused. "If we do discover this, should we inform you, Admiral, so you have the opportunity to investigate?"

    Estrella gave a sage nod. "Of course, it will be high priority." She wondered about the blockade so far out from the planets when the truth was there had to be other ways to exit the system, all be it longer. "I am here to assure you, we are all fine here, there is no need for your continued presence, but suit yourself. Thank you for your time Senator." A quick hand movement told her new Comm officer to cut the connection and once the image was gone she sighed. "There is always more than one way to skin a Loth Cat."

    Taking note of the final message Erin had a tight smile on her lips after it was done at the Admiral's words. She didn't expect an immediate answer to her own shared intelligence, it was something for someone else to make note on and follow up. She was certain her fellow Royal Guards would due their duties as the women were all true elites and professionals. Under her breath she sighed, "Or a Loth Wolf." Of course that was another story and situation entirely unrelated to this life. She made her plans to finish her scheduled service on the bridge and once this was done she would let the normal Comm Officer out of her sequestered status in her quarters to resume her normal duties, as Erin Soong had another pressing mission for the Emperor. . . Emperor - right, she was the Emperor. Still she kept that knowledge at arms length least the knowing causing her presence in the Force to flare or change to a true reveal. He needed to be careful of that and he needed to look in on things on his labs and those worlds on his way back to the seat of power in the Hapes Cluster.

    Astarta turned a steely gaze at the screen as it blanked out. She nodded at the summation that Tomsini and Erin provided. She tapped into her datapad orders to bring the stationary guns online as soon as they arrived.

    "A masterful performance, Admiral. Unfortunately, Leia's going to get bored just waiting here. She won't retreat. That only leaves her one option." War a second time in Hapan space could be disasterous. It must be avoided at all costs. "The construction of new ships must be advanced double-time. I'll ask the Queen to put in an edict for more personnel for the shipyards."

    TAG: @Sinrebirth
     
    Last edited: Mar 27, 2021
  2. darthbernael

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

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: Darn, we've been found. With @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, and @Sinrebirth

    IC Bernael, Manticore, Iudex, and Shimmer
    Oba Diah

    Bernael had chuckled softly as the Resurgent-class was displayed on the screen, ’Of course it’s one of those, again. Getting used to fighting against them, brother?’ he thought/asked to Manticore. As he considered their options the alarms began to blare. He glanced at their new ‘friend’ wondering too why a Hapan vessel would have come here.

    As he pondered that he reached out, trying to figure out who or why the beings aboard had come here. One seemed quite familiar and he had to chuckle, it was the one who’d feared that he’d eat him aboard the Beta-class cruiser at Hapes. The other made an eyebrow rise, ’One of those Sith aboard feels very much like Merel, who I know is dead.’

    Another thought crossed his mind, making him chuckle again, ”Apparently our arrival made the galactic grapevine, it seems someone has come to see why your Syndicate was attacked and beyond that if it was beings like Hate and myself who did so.” He glanced over at Manticore, ’Any wagers that if they find out it’s us they try to convince us to come back to take the reins of the Order?’ sending the thought with a tinge of humor.

    Manticore only briefly eyed the red-skinned Twi’lek named Bossa, especially to glean if she had the Force and how strong it resonated with her. The zabrak’s attention was mostly drawn to the combat theatre displayed before them via holo: specifically, the First Order Resurgent-class Star Destroyer.

    A snarl forms around the zabrak’s black lips at the sight of it, making his opinion clear.

    The First Order ship was tactically positioned within the Maelstrom, making itself the bane of the Pyke Syndicate and their spice operation.

    As for the other Pykes, Manticore let the Darkstaff take care of manipulating them to their purpose, at least for the moment, as it served their ends.

    The Darkstaff did well, convincing the Pykes that if two sith could destroy their base, they could in fact do the same to the Star Destroyer. Such an event was easy enough to imagine. Of course, the trick would be getting aboard the enemy ship.

    The zabrak allowed himself a scoff at Bernael’s mental comment.

    Lord Hunger and Lord Hate did bring down a First Order Resurgent-class Star Destroyer, unfortunately, Snoke managed to escape.

    At that moment, a sensation in the Force moved through him, accompanied by a familiar feeling. Lord Hunger, unsurprisingly, also felt it.

    Merel??

    How was that possible?

    Well, then again, given everything that has transpired so far….

    Alarms sounded suddenly as a ship was spotted in orbit. The holo displayed showed the Hapan Ambassador-class shuttle being approached by Pyke Headhunters. There was no communication between the ships.

    Manticore frowned.

    "What could the Hapans want with us?" The Darkstaff inquired.

    “Tell your pilots not to open fire, or forfeit their lives.” Manticore commanded, his eyes fixed on the holo display, even as his senses monitored that which was unseen.

    “These are not our enemies.” He added after a pause, understanding that he had not voiced a reason. He said ‘our’ because they were now ‘allies’.

    “Hail them.” He half growled.

    The remainder of the journey through Hyperspace had been mercifully uneventful, leaving Iudex alone with his thoughts. Thoughts which inevitably shifted to focus on one thing, the Sith, and their future. Shimmer, for her part, had exposed a sentiment the Falleen had only recently come to suspect.

    The Order was weakened, that much was sure. The deaths of Insipid, and Lords Hunger and Hate were enormously significant, and ever since, the Sith were left flailing, jumping from one crises to another. Iudex had sensed it, and tried to confront it. The knowledge that even the apprentices shared such similar concerns was, well, concerning. They needed a win, something big, if nothing else than to just boost morale. Otherwise...

    Iudex sighed quietly as he began to massage his temples. He, they, needed a plan of action. Holding onto the hope that Lords Hate and Hunger had somehow returned was not enough, and assuming if they did live that they would just happily return to the fold, no questions asked, was ridiculous. If they lived, they had stayed away from Hapan for a reason. He just had to figure out why.

    A few hours came and went, ending with Shimmer eventually rejoining Iudex up in the cockpit. He gave her a shallow nod in greeting, but otherwise sat silently as he stared out into the expanse of Hyperspace. Nothing about the situation he found himself in could be described as 'comfortable', best to stay quiet and preserve what little semblance of authority he had left.

    The shuttle's navicomputer chimed, indicating that the pair had finally entered the Oba Diah system. Iudex sat forwards, prepping the ship for it's return to realspace. "Prepare yourself. Could be jumping into a hostile fleet..." He stated, his hands now firmly on the controls.

    The moment they entered realspace, hostile craft were upon them.

    "Headhunters - four. Not even a query about our intentions."

    Iudex clicked his tongue, raising power to shields. He had expected the planet to be deserted, a foolish belief in hindsight. Of course the Pykes would investigate the world as well. "Take us to the surface, I'll do what I can to keep them..-" He faltered mid command.

    A boisterous laugh echoed throughout the cockpit. "I knew it!" Iudex exclaimed, clapping his hands together with a wide grin. "I knew they couldn't die that easily! Shimmer!" He said, turning to face the woman. "Open up a communications channel, I expect we're about to be hailed."

    While Bossa blankly returned the attentions of Manticore, the Force presence of those above was one which shone with a ripple of happiness of all things! Shimmer was quite surprised that Iudex had a laugh like that. The clone of Esmerelda - much like Merel, but without the mad bad science aspect, flicked a channel open as the Pyke-Darkstaff nodded to the techs to connect them.

    When Bernael sensed the sheer joy that was pouring from Iudex a dark smile came to his face. He knew the Falleen was sure that he’d found both Manticore and himself. But with all he’d gone through he was not as stoic as he’d been, as though a touch of Renn’s attitude had worn off on him.

    He glanced over at Manticore as the techs prepared to connect the holo with a glint to his eyes even as the smile broadened slightly, ”We have our own business and throwing him off whatever he wants from us when he thought it was us will give us more room to maneuver.” he whispered to his brother in arms.

    By the time the call connected there was not a tall, imposing zabrak and a robed anzati standing near the Pkye-Darkstaff but rather the zabrak, the Pykestaff, and...a Sephi.

    [​IMG]

    "Right, right." Iudex cleared his throat, extinguishing the joy he had allowed to seep out from his stoic exterior. A temporary, and ultimately irrelevant moment of weakness. There was a time and place for such things, neither was the here and now.

    The call connected, revealing three individuals, of only one Iudex recognized, that being Lord Hate. The other two were, for the moment, unknown. Ignoring his desire to immediately begin barraging the trio with questions, Iudex simply bowed his head in greeting.

    "Lord Hate, it is of great relief to see you back in the world of the living, much has changed since your.. 'sacrifice'." Iudex began, his eyes falling curiously on the two unknowns. "But where are my manners? I am Darth Iudex, a Lord of the Sith, belonging to the same Order that Lord Hate and Lord Hunger hailed from. Who do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

    Iudex chose his words carefully as he spoke, checking for any reactions from the trio before him. Hate was alive, that much was clear. Hunger was.. somewhere. He could still undoubtedly feel the Anzati's presence, so then, who was the Sephi and the Pyke? Iudex reasoned that it had to do with the reason the two Sith Lords had refused to come home after their resurrection.

    If he could find the why, it may just very lead into understanding the how.

    At least let’s hear what he has to say, he deserves as much.

    Manticore sent to his sith brother-in-arms, before folding his arms over his chest and viewing the holo.

    In the back of his mind, he also resolved to have a ‘chat’ with Bossa, but that particular exchange would have to wait. Watching peripherally, he took note as Bernael morphed into the shape of a Sephi. Manticore raised an eyebrow at how non-threatening the Anzati looked, though his aura remained the same. it was quite an interesting contrast to say the least.

    Within a moment, contact was made, and the form of Darth Iudex was revealed. Manticore only met him briefly during Emperor Insipid’s inauguration of the Round Throne Room. How ironic that such a time seemed so long ago.

    A solid nod is given to the Falleen Sith Lord as he begins to speak.

    “Lord Iudex…” the zabrak rasps during a convenient pause, acknowledging the sith. Briefly, his fiery eyes do search for the other being he senses near Iudex. His inherent mistrust of force clones, not withstanding, especially after their encounter with the ‘Twins’, could be said to have left him wary.

    A hint of a smile appeared on Manticore’s black lips while listening to Iudex’s careful address, which was suffused with sithly cunning. Could Lord Hunger be testing the new arrivals? Manticore was not sure, but he resolved to play along.

    “You and I are already acquainted.” Manticore intoned, so far, approving on the ‘feel’ of the Falleen.

    Turning to the Sephi, the Pyke Leader and the Twi’lek, he simply gestures and says:

    “Do introduce yourselves to the Sith Lord.”

    The smirk widens, but only a little.

    The Sephi could see the smirk on Manticore’s face and a similar one touched his own. ”Thank you Lord Hate, and hmmmm, a Falleen Sith Lord, how interesting.” He pulled a dagger from his belt, the tip cleaning his nails as he looked into the holo, at Iudex.

    ”Iudex, was it? I am...well not sure if it is was, am, or will be Artorius, an associate who felt the presence of an old friend here, the one called Bernael. I encountered Lord Hate here and now you. What, may I ask, has brought you here?” he asked, seemingly nonchalantly playing with the dagger. As he spoke a hint of black seeped in at the outline of his already dark eyes.

    Iudex caught the subtle knowing smile that was shared between Lord Hate and the Sephi, but remained silent on it. He was reasonably sure that the one calling himself 'Artorius' was in fact Lord Hunger, but couldn't prove it definitively. Besides, there was probably a good reason for the deception on Hunger's part, probably. If they wanted to uphold the charade, Iudex would remain a willing participant, if not for the moment.

    "A pleasure to meet you, Artorius." Iudex said, a twinkle in his eye. He gestured with his hand to his left . "Let me also introduce the Order's newest addition, Shimmer. Who just happens to be Emperor Soliloquy's apprentice.."

    He paused for the briefest of moments, looking to catch any hint of interest from the pair at the mention of the Emperor's identity. Iudex wasn't sure why the two Sith hadn't returned, but if he could implant some form of interest in the state of the Order, they may very well come back on their own accord. Would certainly make things easier on him.

    "To be transparent, from the rumors I've been hearing, I fully expected to find Oba Diah nothing more than a tomb. I'd been tasked with finding out what happened, and had planned my week accordingly. You can imagine my surprise to be greeted by Pyke fightercraft, not to mention a believed deceased Lord of the Sith" Iudex chuckled dryly.

    "You've missed out on quite a bit, my Lord." He intoned, looking towards Lord Hate. "What brings you to Oba Diah?"

    A dark chuckle escaped the zabrak’s lips at hearing the words ’Emperor Soliloquy’. He could not help but muse that the Force was filled with irony, as images of then Emperor Insipid’s fanged moment- all while arguing with Soliloquy during a Keshiri banquet, came to mind. Now in hindsight, the event seemed to have happened a lifetime ago.

    Manticore did wonder how ’Artorius’ took the news, though that was not as significant as Lord Iudex’s introduction of Shimmer.

    Without a single moment's hesitation, Manticore reached out with his force senses, eyes narrowing as he sought signs of clone madness.

    He found none. To his surprise, he found that which he associated with a measure of ‘Discipline’. It appeared that this one had proper training and seemed bereft of any erratic tendencies, at least any that was beyond a ‘normal sith’. How very curious, but not unwelcome.

    A small smirk of amusement did appear at the Falleen’s use of the word ‘transparent’. At least it did seem to carry some weight with Lord Iudex, much to his credit. Interestingly enough, Oba Diah would have ended as a tomb had a surge of inspiration not occurred, one which granted the Darkstaff a corporeal body.

    Indeed, it was becoming quite apparent that both Lord Hunger and Lord Hate missed a great deal concerning the Sith Order which was now based out of Hapes.

    "What brings you to Oba Diah?” Lord Iudex inquired.

    “That, Lord Iudex, I would much prefer to discuss in person. Come, let us meet and speak face to face, as is meet for us to do.”

    Turning to the Pyke Darkstaff, the zabrak intoned with casual respect. “Have your people escort Lord Iudex and Shimmer to the closest available landing pad. We should show our visitors that we're still capable of rendering a modicum of hospitality.”

    In the same beat, Manticore turned back to Iudex.

    “I look forward to seeing you both, so we can discuss matters at length.”

    Pykestaff sighed somewhat, and waved a hand. “You have ears; do as he says.”

    The red-skinned Twi’lek cast a look over her shoulder and headed to board a ship and add to the escort.

    At the news of ‘Emperor Soliloquy’ Bernael couldn’t help but join in the chuckle with Manticore. His reasons may be different but he could not imagine his ‘little brother’ being pleased that he was in command of the Sith. He stilled himself somewhat but at the Twi’lek turning to depart and bring the pair down to meet them he shifted, returning to his normal form.

    His black eyes raked her, ”Bring them back, without drama, they may actually have something of import to say.” his words trailed after her.

    His gaze returned to the holo, ”So, you found us both, while you wait to be brought down to join us in person I would tell you to ponder why Hate and Hunger have not yet come back.”

    Turning to Manticore, in a low tone that didn’t carry, ”I don’t feel the insanity of Merel on that one but I do not trust it still, and if I were Iudex I would attempt to convince at least one of us to return and take the reins of power. But we do have much yet to do.”

    He straightened, now waiting for Iudex and Shimmer to be brought before them. As he did a tendril of seemingly random energy caught his attention and he prevented himself from stiffening as his senses traced it back to the Pykestaff.

    Iudex's eyes flicked to Artorius at hearing the Sephi share in the chuckle with Lord Hate, almost as if the two were sharing in a private joke. A ghost of a smile crossed the Falleen's lips, momentarily pleased with the results his little trap had given him. The Sephi was indeed Lord Hunger, undoubtedly so.

    He refocused on Lord Hate, offering the Sith Lord a small nod of his head. "As you wish. I look forward to enjoying the fruits of your hospitality, my Lord." He said, gesturing towards Shimmer to set a new course. He simply offered Artorius an amiable smile in response, before ending the call with a final, respectful bow.

    "As if the question hadn't been at the forefront of my mind." He scoffed, settling back into his seat. The only obvious conclusion he had reached thus far was that their absence had to do with the way they had resurrected. Lord Hate seemed unchanged, but Hunger?

    Iudex's eyebrows furrowed. Hunger felt different. Less.. Feral, perhaps. Could his death have cured whatever had been afflicting him during the battle of Hapes? No, not cured. There was still something unsettling about the being, a presence which always seemed to follow in his wake. From what little Iudex could sense from this distance, that presence was still there, if not lesser than usual.

    "Treated. Not cured.. Maybe.." He muttered, idly stroking his chin. It didn't do him many favors that he had knew the pair for such a small amount of time before their deaths. Made it almost impossible to compare a before and after.

    Iudex finally sighed, before sinking further into his seat. Hyper-focusing on a pre-set conclusion would only give him tunnel vision, clouding another possible answer. "Guess we just gotta wait and see.."

    Indeed, the Twi'lek led the escort force to the sky, meeting the ships in orbit. Those that had initially interrogated Iudex and Shimmer turned to resume their patrol, and she signaled for them to follow her sleek Sienar transport, reminiscent of the old TIE designs but with an elongated nose.

    In short order, they would reach the surface, and Shimmer would remain pretty quiet through it all. She did, however, keep herself close to Iudex, shoulders touching. "Lord Manticore, and Lord Bernael." She bowed, slightly. "The Emperor will be extremely pleased that you are alive."

    Of course, they could now see the Merel comparison; Shimmer was a clone of Esmerelda, and Merel had been a mad-clone of the same progenitor.

    Bernael kept his emotions under wraps as he watched Iudex and Shimmer approach. Seeing her, his mind brought back the memories of the duel with Merel. His eyes twinkled for a moment, ”How many clones are there of your donor?” he asked, chuckling to hide the desire to flood her will with his own to determine if there was any of the instability her clone sister had.

    His head tilted to the side, a smile crossing his face, ”Oh I am well aware why my little brother would be pleased to know we live. Our deaths forced him into that post, one he did not desire, at all.” he quipped.

    Head turning like the turret of a SD, ”Oh yes I can tell, Iudex, and yes I’m still hungry. Thankfully the Pykes fed me decently before your arrival.” he teased the Falleen, reminding him of the trip through the cruiser. ”Never fear, Falleen isn’t on the menu, at the moment.”

    Without turning his head he sent a thought to Manticore, ’Tell me, brother, what does it say that our recent friend and an almost exact duplicate of the crazed twin were what was available to send here to see us?’

    "Quite." Iudex simply said in response to Hunger. It would appear as if his diagnosis made on Hunger's condition off world failed to live up to the scrutiny of an in person meeting. No, he had been far too presumptuous in thinking whatever had afflicted the old Vampire could be cured with something as simple as death. Unfortunate, but to be expected.

    Iudex folded his hands together, remaining as civil as ever. "It's encouraging to hear that the Pykes have fallen in line, especially so after bearing witness to one of your feasts, my Lord. Once the news spreads, threat of such.. thorough negotiations will bring other elements of the Underworld into the fold." He smiled thinly. "But that is irrelevant, shall we walk my Lords? I understand we have much to talk about."

    He was becoming all too aware that the two Sith had some vested interest in the Peon, the true reason of which he was unaware. Just another secret he had walked blindly into. Iudex had been made uncomfortably certain of how defensive the Emperor was of his apprentice, meaning that the fact this wasn't brought up at all was.. Concerning.

    Although no one really expected to see Hate and Hunger in the world of the living anyways, least of all Iudex..

    It would appear that the zabrak Sith Lord was in an uncharacteristically good mood as he chuckled at Bernael’s amusing comment regarding Falleen’s not being on the menu. He was fairly certain by the subtle shifts he felt that there was a story behind his words, but that was not the focus of their meeting.

    To Bernael he responded through their bond: / ‘I am also curious as to the circumstances that would lead to such an outcome./

    To that end Manticore wasted no time. He waited until Shimmer had answered Bernael’s question before he posed his own, while making sure to observe her reaction and study all and nay shifts in the force during her answer.

    “So tell me Lord Iudex, why is Lord Renn not Emperor? I envisioned the Queen of Hapes and the Sith Emperor as an unstoppable pairing, I wonder what went amiss.”

    The zabrak Sith Lord allowed a pause in the flow of conversation.

    “I’m also reminded of a certain Chiss Lord, what is the latest news regarding Lord Sabel….and of course….” A small pause “Any news of the Lord of Pain.”

    Indeed, both parties had many questions which required satisfactory answers.

    As the conversation continued, Manticore made sure to keep tabs on the Pykestaff and the Bossa.

    It was completely in character for the zabrak not to ever completely trust his surroundings, not after all the bitter lessons he had experienced as a sith.

    To Lord Hate's first question, Iudex genuinely shrugged. "Emperor Soliloquy holds the post, because as I understand it, the late Insipid had him next in the hierarchy after, well, you my Lord. Although, I can't help but believe Lord Renn skirted the responsibility of Emperor out of a sense of.. Playfulness, for lack of a better word. Maybe he thought it would force Soliloquy to finally work in the Sith's interests.." He said, making no attempt to hide his displeasure at the decision. "The Emperor has plans involving the Hapan Prince Isolder, as such, Renn was prohibited from marrying the Queen Mother, or something to that effect."

    Iudex paused, taking the moment to furtively glance towards Shimmer, finding her silence so far unnerving. Somehow he had found himself in yet another debriefing, made all the more frustrating by how similar the line of questioning was becoming. Finding Shimmer seemingly unwilling to speak up at the moment, Iudex moved on to answer his second question.

    "Lord Sabel." He repeated quietly, a humorless smile appearing on Iudex's lips. "Had plans which did not align with the path of our Emperor's." Iudex looked pointedly between the two Sith Lords. "After our rather Pyrrhic victory at the Battle of Hapes, the Chiss wasn't as.. Confident in the Sith as an ally, instead seeing us as nothing more than a nation to be subjugated. Combined with some sort of civil war of his own breaking out, it was decided that the Sith would not open a relationship with his forces."

    A minor chuckle. "So instead the Emperor has constructed a delicate house of cards through which he's gotten the New Republic to enforce a blockade around Hapan space, effectively tricking them into doing our job for us." Iudex shrugged again, in open acknowledgement of the irony of the situation.

    "I'll ask again, what brought the two of you to Oba Diah, and not back to your Sith?" He asked, ignoring Hate's question about the Lord of Pain. Frankly, it was the first time the Falleen had ever heard of such a Lord, but he wasn't about to just out himself so quickly.

    Bernael reached out, clearing the minds of the Pykes, aside from the Pykestaff and the Twi’lek, keeping all that was being discussed of Sith business out of their thoughts. He winked at the Pykestaff, sensing again a familiar presence now that it was free of its confines. Turning back to Iudex, an ironic smile on his face, ”Perhaps Renn decided that our little brother needed to get off his high horse and truly involve himself, that sounds like something the tree would do. Oh, and Iudex, not for public consumption but, Lord Insipid himself had already married Renn and Helinith before any of this happened, if you were close enough I’m certain you could sense that.”

    He glanced at Shimmer, still unwilling to completely release the unease he felt at a being who so matched Merel, especially knowing she was another clone. His primal senses told him to just feed and be done with it but she was Soliloquy’s apprentice. At the mention of Sabel he glanced again at Iudex, ”That doesn’t surprise me about him, from the feel of it he only felt his agreement was with Hate and myself, which when the rest of you ignored him it meant he would probably respond in kind.”

    And then he laughed, cutting off abruptly, stepping closer to Iudex, swelling, looming over the other Sith. ”You are speaking to two who have passed through and beyond death’s door, come back as more than we were before, all because of our sacrifices to ensure the Order’s survival, yet you question our commitment. Take it on faith that whatever reasons we have for what we do are the right ones, or don’t, I do not care.” he stated, a deep tone to the words, before he resumed his normal shape, stepping back to beside his battle brother.

    Iudex folded his hands together as he turned to focus on Lord Hunger, a wisp of a smile evident on his lips. "Naturally so, but publicly, the Queen Mother is unwed, as it shall remain. As for Sabel.." He shook his head. "Him and his Black Cloaked friend are distracting Snoke's forces for the moment. Even through rejection, they unwillingly help the Sith cause."

    Iudex held his ground as Hunger drew near, ever the welcoming smile on his face. The Falleen had been forced to tiptoe the event horizon of Hunger's cravings before, but this was different. Hunger was still a threat, undoubtedly, but at least for the moment, he was in control.

    Iudex bowed his head. "You mistake my tone, my Lord. It was not my intention to offend." He said with a soothing voice. "Forgive my eagerness, I'm still processing the fact you both are alive."

    -And still on our side, apparently.. Iudex thought, pleased at being given a piece of the puzzle so freely. Of course, he had already assumed the two Sith were still, well, Sith. How they came back, as well as what had kept them from immediately returning was still a mystery, and most likely would remain so for the foreseeable future. One step before the other.

    "Let me rephrase my question then, if you'll allow. What's with them?" Iudex asked, gesturing with a hand at the various Pyke gathered around them.

    Secretly, Manticore was enjoying the banter between the two Sith Lords. It was but a momentary pleasure, as he was not one given to sentimentality. There had been a time as an ascending sith where camaraderie was....well, that didn't matter any longer. That was then, this is now.

    "They..." Manticore gestured to the very same Pykes Lord Iudex did.

    "Will be allied with us..." Manticore purposefully did not clarify if that meant the Sith or Lord Hunger and himself. There were a few details that needed to be clarified first. "We help them with a local Imperial problem they have, and they help us when we require it."

    Manticore, aware that Bernael had made their conversation 'private', turned to gaze at the Pykestaff for a moment, gauging any reaction. "Spice is Life, after all." He intoned for effect, before turning back.

    "And that's just the beginning."

    In the Force, the zabrak Sith Lord could feel the Falleen's intellectual focus and discipline. This was very pleasing, therefore, he would not insult the Sith Lord by making things too easy to figure out. A sith preferred to earn his victories, not be insulted by handouts. On the other hand, Shimmer's reticence was somewhat concerning. As an Apprentice to Emperor Soliloquy, was she truly an agent of the 'sith' or a trojan agent? Her lack of interaction only increased the level of suspicion. Did Iudex feel the same? Manticore already knew Bernael's position in the matter. He could feel it like a bolt of sith lightning.

    Iudex narrowed his gaze upon Lord Hate, studying him as was surely being done to himself. It would appear as if the game had finally begun.

    "Curious, that we would have the same goal without speaking on it." Iudex said, his features softening. "Tell me of this Imperial Problem of theirs, I would offer my assistance, if you would have it."

    He could feel the two Sith's suspicions climbing with every minute Shimmer remained silent, she could as well, undoubtedly. Iudex's eyes flicked over to meet Shimmers, but found little in the way of answers. He found himself suddenly sharing similar suspicions as Lords Hate and Hunger, almost unwillingly so.

    "Pardon the Apprentice's timidness." Iudex said, clapping Shimmer's shoulder with a disarming laugh. "The Emperor is very specific with his training regimen, and much of it defies any conventional reasoning. He's probably filled her head with all sorts of horror stories about Lord Hunger 'ere, I wouldn't put too much thought into the matter."

    Iudex clapped his hands together. "So! Imps again huh?"

    Bernael tilted his head to the side for a moment at Iudex’s comment. Turning his black gaze upon first Iudex and then Shimmer, ”My little brother has little to fear of my hunger, we both come from ancient lines and there is a measure of respect, if even his is grounded more in an arrogance born of his kind.”

    Turning, gesturing at the display, the Resurgent prominent in it, he chuckled, ”You mentioned Snoke’s interest in the Chiss Admiral, I’d say this demonstrates his interest is more...galactic. That or he’s decided that one is no longer worth his effort. But, if you do truly wish to join us instead of being an errand boy,” he glanced at Manticore, ”I’m sure Hate and I could discuss it.”

    One talon reached up, tapping his lips, ”But the lack of acknowledgement of Lord Pain tells me that she has yet to reappear, which if she is gone that is a loss the Sith would have preferred to avoid.”

    Shimmer found her voice and smirked. “I mean, I know you two killed a mad clone of Esmerelda. It’s hard not to imagine you looking at me through the same filter, y’know?” She brushed a hand through her hair in a distracted manner, before squeezing Iudex’s wrist. “But I appreciate the support.”

    “Emperor Soliloquy has grown into the role, so I’m pretty reluctant for him to step down - not because of the loss of influence, but because I reckon he’s a bookish sort and his rule is good for us,” she said with a shrug.

    “But Snoke isn’t going away, and I doubt you’re just gonna let him go anyway -“ Shimmer looked at the two High Lords. “I bet you’re gonna go after him on your own. Separate from all the Hapan bureaucracy...” Shimmer’s tone came with a smile. “So do you want us to tell my Master you’re alive or not?”

    “Snoke….” The zabrak snarled in distaste.

    The wave of hate that radiated from Manticore was unfiltered and would cause lesser beings to wince. Still, the Sith Lord managed to compose himself despite his initial reaction.

    “Emperor Soliloquy has no use for glory. He is an artist and an academic who would dismantle an entire galaxy just to see its inner workings, form several versions of it, before finally resetting it to its original form, just to satisfy a curiosity. He doesn’t mind the long game, for very good reasons. I trust he can keep the situation in Hapes from becoming truly desperate after what I can only assume to have been a hard won victory.”

    The statement was a general one. Manticore briefly glanced at Bernael, then turned to regard Shimmer, though he paused to note the Falleen’s close physical proximity to the Emperor’s Apprentice. That was an interesting detail he filed away in his mind.

    “You will have to earn our trust, Apprentice.” Manticore stated flatly, in no uncertain terms. He needn’t explain why.

    “As for informing your Master, that will have to wait, as there is not much to report at the moment. As you can see, Lord Iudex has expressed a desire to join us in our mission.” Here, Manticore spared a glance at the Falleen and offered a small nod.

    “I for one, welcome a being of his caliber, though the final decision is not mine alone. The fact that he was spared by Lord Hunger speaks for itself. But what about you, Apprentice? Would you join us, or simply relegate yourself to the role of messenger?”

    Iudex let the waves of unbridled hate radiating outwards from Lord Hate wash over him, offering nothing in the way of resistance. To do so would only bring potential ruin. Instead, like a leaf he floated wherever the current decided to take him. As the flash of emotion from Hate finally receded, Iudex stood unfazed, the faintest of eager smiles fading from his lips.

    Mentioning Snoke so early had been a gamble, one that seemed to have paid off handsomely.

    The Falleen made a show of flicking away some nonexistent dirt from his pauldron, only then becoming aware of Shimmer's closeness. He cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing of the matter. Such trivialities could be discussed at another time.

    Iudex returned Lord Hate's nod with one of his own, before glancing expectantly towards Shimmer. Her answer wouldn't change much, if anything at all. Leaving now might very well crush any hope of bringing the two Sith back into the fold.

    Iudex leaned in towards Shimmer. "A true Sith would take extreme offense to the idea of being just a mere messenger." He hissed, voice dripping with malice. He was fully aware of the irony of the situation, considering his own role the past few weeks, and couldn't fully deny that that itself was why he was practically jumping at the chance to do something, anything different for a change. He wasn't about to let a mere apprentice rip such a chance away from him.

    Bernael let a wry smile form as he felt the sheer Hate radiating from his brother. He did not hate Snoke as that required a depth of emotion that spoke to needing to care about the being the emotion was aimed at. Instead, he saw Snoke as an insect, an immensely powerful one of course but an insect nonetheless that needed to be squashed.

    He chuckled at Hate’s description of Soliloquy, quite apt it was. It seemed now that attention was being fully turned by all three of them on Shimmer. His was a mixture of hunger, curiosity, and memory of her fellow clone, still. The fact that she and Iudex seemed close or was being demonstrated as close was intriguing. It signified a potential bond that could be preyed upon. His gaze stayed fixed on her, even as his senses remained alert, their new friend was such but, of course, would have their own agenda and they needed to ensure it stayed as theirs was.

    His head tilted for a moment as he thought before the smile broadened more, ”All I would add, Emperor’s Apprentice,” he stated almost sarcastically, ”is what were his orders to you, to ensure that you bring word of our survival to him should it be so, or to follow Iudex’s path and report back as or when you could?”

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

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

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: Combo with @Sinrebirth, Double post approved by GM

    IC Sabel and Zestus
    Jakku

    Sabel had just begun to chuckle at Zestus when the group opened up and two turrets had begun spraying the area with blaster bolts. He continued the forward momentum of his walk, ”Since we did not respond in their code they must have decided we are foes.” he said dryly to his companion as he deflected the bolts from around himself, as many as possible he deflected back toward the turrets.

    As the volume of fire increased he began an evasive pattern of his movement, as much as possible in the shifting sand. One saber flew into one hand, igniting as it did so, taking up the duty of deflecting shots from the little force shields he’d started with. He was certain that he would need the energy in the later stage of this exploration. ”Take the left one and I’ll take the,” he grunted as a bolt got through and deflected off the thighpad of his armor, ”right one.”

    Zestus had already leapt into an evasive roll, pitching forward and barely putting a foot down before he leapt off it, just about keeping ahead of the deadly stream of fire.

    With a pivot more suited to a ballet dancer than a warrior, he spun out, a green crease narrowly passing him by as he threw his lightsaber at the turret -

    The weapon turned to track Zestus and intercepted the blade, sending it ricocheting off at an angle but it meant that he had dropped to the floor beneath the next blast, bouncing forward on all fours and the moment his two hands he turned it into a forward cartwheel and touched the Force to send himself up off the roll -

    He landed atop the turret as his lightsaber returned to his hand and he drove it down -

    Sabel observed Zestus's antics out of the corner of his eye, a small smile coming to his face. He advanced slowly but steadily on the turret he’d chosen. As long as he had that turret’s ‘attention’ it wouldn't work to assist the other.

    As Zestus reached for his saber and began to bring it down onto the armor of the first Sabel reached out, closing his hand into a fist, crushing the turret into a ball of sparking metal. He tossed it over his shoulder, waiting to see the result of Zestus’s blow.

    "Fancy..." he stated dryly.

    Zestus managed a salute, but his entire chest was heaving. He had used a lot of energy there. “I couldn’t stand up to the turret like you, my Lord... footwork was my only answer... I am afraid.”

    Deep breaths, sucking in air through his helmet.

    Sabel nodded at the salute, a wry smile crossing his face under the helmet. ”I see endurance training needs to be added to the roster when we return.” he said, a touch of humor to his voice.

    He turned, beginning the short walk to the entrance to the facility. The sand covered most of it and he stopped, looking at it. His will rose and the wind rose with it, gusting against the dunes, sweeping what seemed to be the front of the facility clear of it. He kept his senses tuned so that any more distractions like the turrets would be sensed as quickly as possible.

    ”If you must, use a stim from your pharmacopia of the suit to help you get your energy back.” he stated almost distractedly as he worked to clear the building’s entrance.

    “Roger,” Zestus said, his Imperial Commando training resurfacing. “I mean, yes, my Lord.”

    There was a noise from the entrance to the submerged garrison. Numbers, mainly. Zestus paused. “Code?”

    The Force revealed all manner of catacomb and tunnel, and a scurrying of humans - as well as a decidedly different resonance that seemed to dive deeper into the planet…

    Sabel tilted his head to the side for a moment as the string of numbers went on. ”Search for a pattern, decode it. Find out what it wants. The sooner that we decode it and give it a response the sooner that we can gain access to more information on the facility and what it holds.”

    He let his senses reach into the facility as he left Zestus to his work. But, whatever it was continued to slip away from his grasp for now, as those teasing its existence while hiding itself from view.

    Zestus thought about it. It was a differing code, as if with a cadence to it... almost, conversation. His eyes widened. “Deathtroopers, my Lord.’

    Sabel smiled, grimly, ”How many and how long until they arrive?” he asked.

    “Easily thirty,” Zestus said, closing his eyes to count with the Force. “Four are approaching the surface, the rest appear to have another goal.”

    Indeed, there was a growing sense of danger approaching. The broken down door slid aside, and the numeric speech became audible to their immediate ears -

    “Easily thirty,” Zestus said, closing his eyes to count with the Force. “Four are approaching the surface, the rest appear to have another goal.”

    Indeed, there was a growing sense of danger approaching. The broken down door slid aside, and the numeric speech became audible to their immediate ears -

    Sabel made a snap judgement call, ”Distract us, destroy or transfer whatever they have there. What I’d do. Since your athletics have winded you, you get to be bait.” He stated it unapologetically.

    And then leaped, flipping in the air, landing as silently as possible on the lintel of the doorframe. He crouched, nodded to Zestus, sending a thought, ’Be ready my Guard, the moment I drop on them you attack.’ His saber flipped in his grip, into a reverse grip and his other was laid on the top of the lintel but the feeling of power arced in the air around him.

    Zestus huffed slightly. "Sorry, my Lord."

    He drew a blaster and shot at the door, which of course caused four Deathtroopers to come boiling out - one of which already had a live grenade. Zestus saw it as the enemy raised his arm to throw it -

    As the Deathtrooper’s arm came up to throw the grenade the already downward pointing saber seemed to fly without Sabel’s arm moving. It shot downward, slicing through the arm, before shooting back up to settle into his hand. The arm, grenade and all, dropped and detonated in the middle of the quartet.

    While the dust was still stirred up and the four were reeling slightly, Sabel dropped from his perch, into their midst. As he’d dropped from the lintel he’d taken his second saber back to hand and both were ignited now as he sank into a crouch and spun in a circle, seeking to slice through any lower limbs that came into contact with his blades.

    Numbers.

    Numbers upon numbers.

    Numbers upon numbers upon numbers.

    They travelled down the catacombs of the shaft, and it went on and on and on.

    Zestus took a breath.

    “That sounds ominous.”

    He gestured to the pieces of corpses.

    “They came to us this time; dare we come to them, my Lord?”

    Sabel chuckled, ”What is better, my Captain, than being able to set the terms of where you face your foes?” The sensors of his suit as well as his own senses were on alert, keeping a look out for what was approaching. He knew, as Zestus did, that there were still over twenty of the Deathtroopers down here, not to mention whatever it was they were seeking.

    ”Hmmmm, does it seem to you as well that they seem to be covering the approaches to a certain section of the catacombs? Poor tactics as they are telling us where it is..unless, of course, it’s a double blind and they’re trying to lead us away from it.” he stated as he checked the dispersion of the signals of the troopers.

    Zestus nodded. "I suspect that they're doing both, because the deeper borehole we can't detect this far away... and yet I am about 80% sure that the anomaly is there... our objective isn't to slaughter Deathtroopers, so I wonder if we can convince them to leave us be?"

    Sabel paused, thinking, deciding. A wry smile came to his face, ”Remember where we got the design for our armor?” he asked. Touching a spot on his equipment belt, he removed a small figure eight piece of metal. ”Do the same and these will be one part of our immediate advantage.” He stroked the back and eight small limbs unfolded from the metal and the small spider bot leaped from his hand to the floor.

    ”And,” he touched another spot on his armor and a catch opened, revealing a button. ”We engineered modern versions of stealth field generators into the armor. However they do have some drawbacks. We’ll have to hurry as they only have a ten minute battery life, but cannot move too fast or it will overstress the system. And, if any of our foes come too close they may notice the distortion field.”

    He pressed the button and disappeared from sight, sound, and sensors, except for, to Zestus’s eyes, a slight wavy outline in the view of the corridor. As he did another ‘Sabel’ appeared, the spider bot creating a spoof of him as it began to move off.

    Zestus nodded, and did the same, remembering from training that if he moved too fast he'd be noticed even before Sabel told him.

    The validation is nice.

    The other 'Sabel' headed onwards, as did the other 'Zestus'. They reached the nearest corridor branch, and were suddenly peppered with blaster fire - from two directions. One direction of which Zestus couldn't actually sense any Deathtroopers... automated weapons?

    Sabel turned as swiftly as he could, still trying to maintain the stealth field. As he did he sheathed a saber and reached out to where the turrets had to be. His hand began to close and the walls around whatever was firing at them began to groan. He wasn’t crushing their foe but rather attempting to collapse the corridor where they were located.

    He focused, raising his will more as he fought the strength of the corridor walls but he was determined to destroy their foe with minimal use of Force or armament.

    The corridor collapsed on the automated weapons, and that saw the four Deathtroopers at that intersection charge towards their foes, peppering them with an intense weapons barrage -

    With an almost instantaneous exchange of numbers, they realised they were firing at holograms. Two turned their weapons to target the floor and hammer the theoretical projectors, while two more stepped back.

    One covered the other as he called out a number and the troopers visors opaqued as a grenade popped from his hand, releasing an electric charge up the corridor -

    “Ion grenade!” Zestus hissed.

    Sabel’s offhand saber snapped back to his belt as he disabled the stealth field for a moment. A small hatch popped open and a shoto saber flew out, to his free hand. Holding it out as he pushed the grenade back toward their foes, he sucked in the stray electrical discharges into the blade of the shoto.

    As the grenade flew back and the electricity in the corridor diminished, he fired a bolt of almost pure lightning down the corridor, overcharged from the electricity he’d acquired. The Shoto was warm in his hand and he threw it in a sharp arc toward the quartet, after the grenade and the lightning, expecting the overcharge of the saber hilt to add to the chaos at the end of the hall.

    Zestus wasn’t as quick as Sabel and his suit shorted out. He swore feelingly, and expected to be fired on but the combination of attacks back up the corridor took all four down.

    He blinked a bit.

    “I’m beginning to feel like a weight on your shoulders, sir,” he said apologetically.

    In the Force, they would sense the Deathtroopers withdrawing, yielding the way deeper into the borehole - and the way of the Force anomaly.

    Sabel chuckled, pointing first at Zestus, ”Apprentice,” and then at himself, ”Master…that simple.” He didn’t bother with the stealth field again, whatever battery life of it that was left was potentially useful in the near future. Instead he gathered himself again and returned to seeking out the anomaly, Zestus close at hand.

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

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

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: Little combo with @darthhelinith, @Mitth_Fisto, and @Sinrebirth Triple post approved by GM

    IC Renn, Helinith, and Isolder
    Hapan Royal Palace, Hapes

    Renn sat back on his throne as Galney brought up the next point on the agenda, the Hapan prince that Helinith was technically regent for. As the hologram lit his eyebrow rose, the man seemed ill at ease with the situation. If he’d been physically present Renn would have been tasting his emotions to feel out how uneasy he was, to see if that went as far as even tacit support of those who had rebelled. But that too was most likely why the man was not currently here.

    At the man’s tone he chuckled, of course Isolder wasn’t pleased, he wouldn’t be until it was a Hapan sitting in Helinith’s place again but that was something that if it occurred would be a distant time in the future. As it was his little Craziness’s position as Queen Mother he decided to defer saying anything until she had a chance to do so. He merely sat back, a smile touching both corners of his mouth, a knowing one that he was sure told the man that he didn’t need his abilities to read him to a degree.

    "Isolder!"

    Helinith stood and greeted him with open arms, literally.

    "How nice of you to join us. Apparently the hospitality of the previous queen mother did not meet the tastes of the New Republic. Apparently setting battle droids on your guests is rather rude."

    She shrugged.

    "No matter, the situation is well in hand. The new admiral is on her way to have a friendly chat with our war-mongering republic.

    Perhaps someone should point out to them that the last time somebody tried blockading something it triggered a galactic war that lasted four years.
    " She tutted to herself. "Though I doubt our little disagreement is large enough to trigger such dreadful scenes."

    Soliloquy, Emperor Soliloquy was off in another room, having another meeting that needed to wrap up soon so he could get to a shuttle to join that bespoken mission leered at the pad hidden inside his chest that gave him an unfettered viewing of what was happening in the private chambers. Something which caused him to grin.

    Isolder was a bit confused by such a positive greeting. He’d clearly worked himself up to confront them over the handling of recent events, but clearly his mother’s actions had contributed to this. With one warm gesture, Helinith had completely disarmed him! “Um, I agree, actually.”

    “Which is why I travelled to Hapes - to ensure that we weren’t about to start a war we can’t possibly win, even before the coup attempt, we weren’t equipped to handle the New Republic.” He paused. “Maybe the Imperial remnants, but not now.”

    He suddenly felt as if he was almost pointlessly here. “So what is our, um, your plan?”

    Renn chuckled, trust his little Craziness to find a way to defuse the Prince. He considered what had been said already. ”First, welcome Prince. As to the plan, it is already being taken care of. We have been doing what is needed for the safety and security of the Consortium.”

    He glanced over at Helinith, knowing she needed to carry this discussion, given the Hapan attitudes but he would not stay silent. Smiling, apparently a friendly one now, ”Where do you see yourself in the plan, how do you believe you can assist in the rebuilding and settling down of the chaos?”

    Helinith nodded along to Renn's words.

    "Yeah, the blockade is far preferable to a war with a republic. We'll let them hang out, give them an uneventful blockade, a chance to get bored and feel like they're better off going off and bothering someone else."

    She sat down again, slightly slouched in her throne, and began fiddling absentmindedly with a sweet wrapper.

    "I see myself as out of the way, ideally," he said with a slight smile. "I'll do whatever public appearances you need to keep the peace, but I don't want to be actively involved if I can, and similarly I won't be a figurehead for someone else's political ploys. I want what's best for Hapes, and presently, that's you, Queen Mother."

    There was a message from the Emperor which chimed on their comlinks; Leia had apparently made the insinuation that a world inside the Hapes Cluster was considering seceding and joining the New Republic, which would give them the right to intervene more directly in their space.

    Isolder looked to them as both their comlinks had gone off. "A problem?"

    Renn reached into the pouch at his belt absently, a fruit twist appearing in his hand before he reached over to Helinith, handing it to her as he read the message. The flat expression on his face turned to a smile as he thought. Looking up at Isolder, ”Out of sight isn’t always what someone this close to a throne gets to have.” he began with.

    Taking another fruit twist out, he popped it in his mouth, sucking the fructose from it and sighing as it entered his capillaries. ”You say you do not want to be a figurehead. Fine. What about doing what is best for the Consortium? Trying to keep the New Republic from tearing it apart? Would you go and ‘show the flag’ on worlds that may be leaning toward listening to their propaganda or be beginning to consider it?”

    Helinith took the candy from Renn gratefully and began to chew. She wondered whether what Leia had said was true or whether she was just trying to stir trouble, and came to the conclusion it was probably a bit of both.

    "Yes, if I showed up it might be seen as too much of a heavy touch, especially as my predecessors were not known to be particularly forgiving."

    Isolder nodded. “I want to do what’s best for the Consortium. So I’m very content to go and show the flag at a world. I don’t want anymore Hapan blood spawned for outsiders wars.” He hesitated for a second. “Not yourself, I mean, moreso Snoke and his ilk.”

    The Prince seemed to have a thought. “I’ll probably need an escort... someone... skilled - with your particular brand.” He was essentially asking for a Sith bodyguard.

    He bowed. “But I am happy to do a tour, your Majesties.”

    Renn nodded at the Prince, ”Good to hear. And if we can wait a day or two we should have the sort of escort you would like to have on hand. Several are offworld but expected back shortly. And then we can provide that escort for you.”

    He looked to Helinith, ”That is, as long as the Queen Mother agrees.”

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

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

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: Shimmer
    Oba Diah

    ”All I would add, Emperor’s Apprentice, is what were his orders to you, to ensure that you bring word of our survival to him should it be so, or to follow Iudex’s path and report back as or when you could?”
    Shimmer looked to Bernael and chuckled.

    "Well, someone needs to let the Emperor know, and I doubt if I was to follow Mr Falleen here on his space road trip..." She grinned at them. "But, I'm only the lowly apprentice, if the Lords of Hate and Hunger and..." Shimmer smirked at Iudex. "You, direct me to return to Hapes, then of course I will."

    "Ah!" Pyke shouted out, looking up from the displays. "Something big coming out of hyperspace!"

    The displays showed precisely how big.

    It was an Executor-class Star Dreadnought, calling itself the Eclipse. Nineteen kilometers of durasteel and death - then two Resurgent-class Star Destroyers, each nearly twice the length of an old Imperial-class Star Destroyer. The three warships had arrived on a curious vector, but that was hardly the concern of the survivors of the Pyke Syndicate.

    The rather immense vessels were of course!

    TAG: @darthbernael, @Silvertough, @greyjedi125
    ---
    IC: Morrigan

    Hapes Cluster blockade line

    The two of them, aboard Lord Hades' ship, arrived at the edge of the Hapan Consortium.

    Morrigan
    had been distracted by Claiomh after all, but she wasn't distracted enough to miss a three-kilometer MC85 Star Cruiser!

    "Oh fierfek," she swore. "CLAI! Get to the guns!" She pointed at the station beside the cockpit chair -

    Aboard the flagship of the New Republic task force, Leia looked at the displays and ordered an open line. "Arriving vessel, this is a blockade line - no traffic is allowed into the Hapes Cluster. Please turn away or prepare to be intercepted." A pair of X-wings swerved towards the ship -

    Of course, the Sith ship had arrived in the middle of a tense stalemate that Admiral Tomsini had only just about managed to calm. General Astarta-Serapis and the undercover-Emperor Soliloquy, would have the news that the ship of Lord Hades had just appeared in the blockade line - with no Lord Hades aboard.

    It coincided with a comm call to the Admiral on her private channel - from Beed Thane - the Archon of the planet Vergill, a world deep in Hapan space.

    Leia spoke up to everyone in the local area. "I would remind the forces of the Hapan Consortium that if they do send any ships to support a blockade runner, I have authority to enforce the deployment with live fire." The woman managed to sound serene, but it was helpful that an opportunity to test the Acolytes of the Beyond had arisen. She had no doubt they were hiding somewhere, even if Tomsini was on the level, so to speak.

    They might not need Vergill to secede at this rate, Leia thought to herself.

    Of course, for the purposes of the two Sith aboard the Hapan flagship, they would sense that Lord Hades was not present, but whilst Morrigan was, a new darksider was present - this was Claiomh's first introduction to the Sith Order!

    ---
    Royal Palace, Hapes

    The news reached Hapes quickly, and Lady Galney ushered herself into the Throne Room - interrupting whatever Helinith would have said back. "A thousand apologies Queen Mother, Prince Isolder, Royal Consort," she said, bowing thrice - and eying up Isolder with a sultry smile. "I have heard that the ship of Hapan Lord Hades has just arrived at the blockade line and the New Republic are moving to intercept him!"

    Isolder looked down at his own comlink, which had just chimed. It was Beed Thane, the Archon of Vergill. He was messaging him to join a call with... Admiral Tomsini? This was terrible timing, surely. The Prince accepted the call, speaking to the Archon. "Thane, I am in session with the Queen Mother at present -"

    Galney looked to Renn. "I am obligated to point out that we do not have the military strength to stand up to the New Republic, so I am very concerned that we are trusting a new Supreme Commander to defuse an extremely delicate situation." In essence, the woman was panicking.

    TAG: @Mitth_Fisto, @ClaiomhSolais, @Adalia-Durron, @DarthIshyZ, @darthhelinith, @darthbernael (super-combo with the GM)
    ---
    IC: Mas Amedda

    High as a kite

    The Chagrian really wasn't paying much attention to the fighting that was occurring a few hallways down from his location, nor had he noticed that his staff of Office had gone missing. If anything, Mas Amedda, the Grand Vizier of the defeated Galactic Empire, was not really all that lucid as Azathoth headed his way. The man, gaudy in his attire and a golden medallion upon his neck, turned his eyes to the young man and wondered aloud.

    "Who are you, might I wonder?"

    He stood, holding out a blue hand. "Might I prevail upon you to escort me to the bar, sir? I am in need of," he licked his lips with a forked tongue, "sustenance." This was was a strange, strange ship, the Luxury Elite, and it wasn't all too easy to see precisely what was the angle here. But this was the ruler of the Imperial remnants, in the midst of presiding over the slow but inevitable annexation of the Empire's remaining Inner Rim territories, including Riosa, Corsin, and other key worlds.

    One moment he was a doctors pincushion, the next he had an Atrisian statue, stolen from a hidden vault, and the next he was in the presence of a Chagrian who was clearly suffering under some sort of concoction...

    All the while a titanic duel was on-going somewhere in the ship?

    What had Insipid dragged him into?

    It was a good thing he hadn't bumped into Aryan Graul or Darth Syren...

    TAG: @Shadowsun (combo), @Lady Belligerent (separate combo continues), @HanSolo29 (mention), @QueenSabe7 (mention)
    ---
    IC: Zestus

    Depths, Jakku

    They made it to a chamber within the crust of the planet, and it was clearly one that had been used before.

    Sabel would recognise the taste of conflict, and indeed, his old Emperor, Palpatine, but it was so faint as to be decades old.

    What was curious was the various pieces of Sith art on the walls, a few empty conches that had likely held artefacts of some kind, and a broken Chess board, with no pieces... it was some kind of message, but long since lost to whomever it had been meant for. Zestus spied a body, also, in some kind of cape and Imperial regalia. He'd been shot, and perhaps beaten to death.

    The room hadn't been accessed for a while, at very least, and there was a remarkable array of consoles that were in standby mode - and a staircase that led elsewhere into the complex. The largest feature of the area was the immense hole in the floor, which appeared to go down into utter darkness. The light from the miniature apartment didn't reach all that far down.

    The stink of the dark side was seeping up from here, though.

    All in all...

    It was a mystery.

    "And who might you be?" A cultured voice came over the comms, and a screen became visible. "I am Fleet Admiral Rax, and you are trespassing within my Emperor's Contingency" Zestus looked from the image to the body on the floor; it was the same person.

    He looked to Sabel, curious.

    "Is that you, Grand Admiral Thrawn? I thought you were dead, at Lothal..."

    TAG: @darthbernael (combo)
    ---
    IC: Darth Noctyss

    Atrisian Temple, Core Worlds, 35 ABY

    The Temple was easily enough accessed, even though built on the principle of the Rule of Two, many of its mechanisms had failed and the dark side would simply lead Darth Cocytus to where he needed be. Indeed, as he traversed the passages, murals depicted the ancient Jedi-Sith War, with secret details revealing the names of many Sith that he would not know. Sanguinis, Noctyss, yes, Siberus, too, but also Shaa and Momin, Tanis, Caldoth, Atrius, and others too - even Sadow, a name that he would recognise, curiously.

    It did not reach as far as Darth Bane, but clearly Siberus was not of the recent millennium-long legacy, for mentions were not made of Plagueis or Sidious either... though one mural did so Tor Valum some seven millennia ago during the Hundred Years Darkness... which would undoubtedly intrigue.

    The pain within Cocytus was impacting his every breath by this point now; like a shard of glass grating upon his lungs.

    A room of a room of a room was revealed, and a carbonite slab stood there.

    A beautiful woman, apparently frozen in a rictus expression of horror, was evident, and there was aurodium all over the floor, as well as shameless amounts of trinkets and jewels.... and a warning in the Force.

    "Now," Noctyss crowed. "Kill her. Kill her now."

    TAG: @Darth Cocytus
     
  6. Sinrebirth

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

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: Supreme Leader Snoke and the Architect of Death
    The Maw

    Ah.

    He had the update from Grand Admiral Sloane.

    They were nearly here.

    Good, good.

    "Everything is coming together," he said aloud.

    The Architect of Death, in the midst of becoming one with the prototype Death Star, paid him no heed.

    The Dark Man was irrelevant.

    There would be no End of Time here.

    Just Death.

    Pure, and complete.

    TAG: Nobody
     
  7. darthbernael

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

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: Combo with @Sinrebirth

    IC Sabel, Zestus, and ‘Rax’
    Depths, Jakku

    Sabel and Zestus had reached the depths without other problems with the Deathtroopers. Which made him suspicious, especially when they arrived at the destination. When they arrived he studied the place, trying to understand why there was such an apartment this deep in the facility. It had to have something to do with whatever was in the depths of the hole.

    When the screen came on, he looked down at the body then back up at the image on the screen. His suspicions were suddenly even higher, but he composed himself, putting a regal expression on his face. ”What makes you think I died there, I always have multiple backups, so if anyone would survive, I would.” he stated coldly.

    ’Be prepared, someone or something has taken control here.’ he sent the thought to Zestus as he waited for a reply.

    "Everyone dies, my friend. That is my existence; my role, to enact the Contingency, to lead Operation Cinder and burn down the chaff of the Empire and the Republic, reborn, new, or otherwise." He lamented. "My efforts were for naught, and I lay dead, not the Outcast, nor the Emperor, upon the board..."

    Zestus had his eyes searching for sudden weapons appearing, keeping his weapon to hand as Rax continued. "I wonder if the Black Holocron actually exploded... had it, then my task would have surely been assured..."

    Sabel managed to keep his head from tilting to the side as was one of his movements but not Thrawn’s at the response from the holo. His eyes glowed for a moment, ”The Outcast?” he asked. ”You are correct though, and that the Emperor perhaps had several Contingencies in place for just that reason. But the end of the Empire in it’s primacy did take place here, the space around the planet is littered with the evidence of that.”

    “That wasn’t the plan though,” Rax said with glee in his eyes. “The Emperor’s plan was for Jakku to explode, shattering the Empire and the Rebel fleets, and with a surge of chaos and criminality, the galaxy would fall!”

    Zestus twitched. “That’s madness...” The man looked to Sabel. “The Emperor was that...”

    “Spiteful?” Rax answered. “At his death? Why not?”

    Sabel nodded, glancing at Zestus, ”The Emperor believed that if he couldn’t have and control it no one could so yes, that does sound like him. Also why he had so many Contingencies spread throughout the galaxy and the Unknown Regions.”

    He looked back to the holo, ”Something must have happened to keep it from fully occurring, so what was it? And you did not answer my question as to who the Outcast is.” he reminded the image of Rax.

    "Oh!" Rax laughed. "That was me! I was supposed to be the Outcast, but wanted to be the Emperor... thus my death, I suppose."

    Zestus was looking around, but he was growing more concerned. "So his Contingency was to kill everyone who opposed or served him... what future is there in an Empire built on that premise?"

    The man was having a crisis of faith in his cause, rather clearly.

    Sabel turned to Zestus, he could taste the man’s emotions. ”Zestus, what have we built? Is what has been built a proto Empire built on such fear or one that seeks to bring the galaxy together?” he asked. ”Have I not built rather than destroyed?”

    He turned back to Rax, knowing that there would be more to discuss with Zestus, but they needed to finish this before they lost the opportunity, ”Do you honestly believe you were the only arrow in the Emperor’s quiver? That he did not have things set so that something could be built?”

    Rax shrugged. "Of course not. Palpatine was a dark side genius. He had more plans than either of us will ever be able to put together. Even I was just a pawn on his board..." He chortled. "I always wondered if he was playing against me, or not, mind you!"

    "I just seemed to be something he toyed with, nudged into place, here or there..." the deceased Fleet Admiral looked at Sabel. "Makes one wonder about your role in the Contingency, does it not?" He spoke as if with an unhealthy amount of knowledge on this point.

    Sabel shrugged, he’d been Sidious’s apprentice, secret or not, for years and so he’d been exposed to many of his machinations. ”Oh I know that Palpatine had a way of testing those he had in positions of extreme importance to the edge of destruction. As a matter of fact, I am sure I was to be the last, hidden arrow, should all the others fail. Aside from his other special little plan he never truly spoke of.”

    He paced over to the body, nudging it over onto its back with a toe of his armor. ”I wouldn’t have put it past him to have given orders to any that may survive and create Remnants to be antagonistic toward me so that he could continue to test me even after the fall.”

    Rax snorted. "Palpatine's greatest skill was to make you feel the most special, and then play two tools off against each other until he had the better one... he did it with Tyranus and Vader, and again with Skywalker and Vader... so I imagine Palpatine was just as happy to have you as his ultimate servant as me."

    "But I shall prove myself the better of the servants..." He raised a hand.

    "Now."

    Dramatically, the bore hole at the bottom of the shaft began to rumble, all manner of mechanism activated, and the temperature in the chamber raised dramatically -

    Sabel chuckled as the die was cast and Rax revealed himself finally. His head cocked to the side, the heat buffeting against the armor but not penetrating it. He’d overengineered the equipment, and the cooling systems were one that had had such treatment. Which reminded him of another. He turned to Zestus, the man having been quiet the last little bit, probably still working through the recent revelations.

    ”Find the nearest terminal. You have the gauntlet spike, with the system disruption protocol in it. Use it.” With the man’s distraction the statement was, in part, to give him something to do to distract him from his worries and partially to get him away from whatever was coming as his suit wasn’t quite as well engineered as his.

    He turned, keeping one eye on the holo and, in his peripheral vision, the deep borehole. He could hear the machinery and knew there was something coming but it had yet to have revealed itself. Setting himself he gathered his energy, preparing.

    Zestus rushed to the one Rax was commanding, and began attempting access, pulling out a slicer spike and jabbing it. It immediately caught fire, and Zestus growled, intensifying his coding. "The borehole was sealed by several beskar plates years ago, Rax has simply overriden it and reopened the path to the planets core; it's lava bubbling up, my Lord."

    "Not just lava!"

    There was a sound of clattering, and rolling around the corner came four droideka, with a stomping of a heavier assault force behind them somewhere -

    Sabel glanced at Zestus. The Guard was intent upon his task and, while they could use Rax being disabled what needed to be done would need his full attention. He smiled, the expression reached his eyes and they glowed in merriment. ”Interesting that you chose the metaphor of a chess game.”

    He walked closer to the intense heat roiling up from the depths, continuing to ignore it. Kneeling just before the rim of the shaft he placed one gauntleted hand flat on the rock floor. He glanced up at the holo even as he reached deep into the planet, touching the Force essence of it that everything had in it. It was an immense, glacial paced but living presence. ”In this case you chose to play black and left me white. And you fell for the King’s Gambit, my apologies, Zestus for using you as the pawn in this game but I need you to distract his mechanical toys for a time.”

    He closed his eyes, reaching his will and Force presence down into Jakku’s heart. He didn’t fight the planet’s Force energy or it’s presence in the Force but rather melded his own to it. As he did, the red of his eyes took on almost a white hot appearance, as though the molten heart of the planet was now a part of him. His voice took on a modulated timbre, ”You and your master attempted to destroy me. And now attempt to bleed me out for your petty scheme. This one has shown me respect and I accept his terms. I will sleep for now but lend him my power.”

    The heat of the core began to recede once more, drawing down into the depths, the low groaning that had begun as the magma and power had risen now fading. Sabel rose, his eyes a deep angry red to face the holo. The darkness that had been at the heart of Jakku now radiated from him, ”Game...set...match…” he stated in a tone whose temperature stood at odds with the heat of his gaze.

    Rax snarled as Zestus abandoned his efforts to hack the system manually and simply loaded up every port with every slicer he had to hand as the droideka’s stood -

    He spun away to Sabel’s flank and deflected rapid fire instead, even as the heavy clanking noise was revealed to be droid Darktroopers, eight of them -

    “My Lord?” The system clicked into place, and the metal plates down the bore hole slid back, cutting off the magma stream -

    Sabel’s smile was dark and toothy as he turned toward Zestus, ”Never fear, my Captain.” He turned to face Rax, ”And now to finish your toys.” he stated flatly to the holo.

    Tendrils of energy whipped out from him, four of them blasting through the cores of the droidekas, superheated energy blasting holes clean through the four heavy droids. The remainder sought out the Darktroopers, living or droid including those in the room they stood in, throughout the complex.

    As the filaments touched the troopers energy, power, borrowed from Jakku began to pulse down them. Each Darktrooper encountered began to glow as the heat and power melted, liquified their interiors, whether flesh or metal and circuits.

    His cold smile met the gaze of the holo, ”That Palpatine had to send the fleet here and your project still failed shows why you will remain a failure. Pity, I could have used a Contingency that he’d had faith in.”

    The droids collapsed, and the Rax seethed. “Then die.” He signed off and vanished. Zestus, breathing heavily, drew upon the Force and settled himself.

    There was a miasma evident though, but in the Force, it was something that clung to Sabel and his apprentice, a floating voice chuckling deeply. Rax’s voice echoed out.

    “What happens when an ancient Holocron is destroyed?”

    Sabel chuckled in response, ”What happens is that you have allowed an ancient spirit and a Sith to commune and come to an agreement whereby I assist it in it’s goals and it assists me. So thank you.” he told the ethereal voice, mocking humor in his tone.

    Turning to Zestus, ”My apprentice, my Captain, I will deal with this, your training hasn’t allowed you to reach the point that you could stand against an ancient spirit. Guide us out of here as I commune with it.”

    Zestus nodded, saluting and leading them -

    And the door to the chamber slammed shut. “Ah shavit.” He ignited his lightsaber as a great shadow lengthened on the walls.

    And who are you?

    Sabel smiled coldly as the door slammed shut, such a cliché and typical response, his foe had no imagination at all. He’d used slightly less than a sixth of the power that Jakku had given him and had reduced his apparent levels so that he was less than he was without the added power that he’d received. So the spirit could only sense that two Force Users, one more powerful than the other, were in the chamber.

    He hadn’t drawn his lightsabers yet and he stood, arms folded behind him as he observed the shadows moving on the walls. ”I am who I am, the better question would be, who are you that you believe the fool that freed you?”

    The Master… the shadow pointed at Sabel, and then at Zestus. The apprentice...

    That is what you said, did you not?


    And so, notwithstanding Sabel’s skill, the shadow enveloped him and they fell into a mindscape -

    A dark chuckle escaped Sabel’s body as the shadow fell over him and into him. As the mindscape formed and he began to appear in it he imprinted his power into his form, making it take on his appearance, his red eyes glowing, his arms once again clasped behind his back, legs spread in a commanding stance, ”That was easier to accomplish than I expected. I thought I was going to have to deliberately open my mind to you to get you to enter. Pity.”

    TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto
     
  8. Darth Cocytus

    Darth Cocytus Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 8, 2016
    Darth Cocytus vs Darth Siberus
    Atrisia.

    Darth Cocytus gazed at the long murals along the Sith Tomb Wall. An interesting bit of Sith History which suggested that Darth Noctyss and Darth Siberus predated Darth Bane's Rule of Two era. A list of other Sith Lords within this time period, with many names he knew not of but a few he did.

    And that of Tor Vallum also intrigued Cocytus indeed.

    What was Tor Vallum?

    The kaminoan's attention was finally caught by the resting place of Darth Siberus, frozen with an expression of horror. He grimaced for a moment as the poison stabbed at him once more, driving it back with anger, hate and sheer will. Not here. Not like this.

    Which made something Darth Noctyss said made him blink. "What? You mean kill a Dark Lady of the Sith whose name has fallen into legend in her sleep?" Darth Cocytus asked, "I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemies..."

    "Besides, what better way to demonstrate my power to the Modern Galaxy?" Cocytus asked as the kaminoan began searching for a means to awake the sleeping Siberus.

    Darth Noctyss smirked. "Good luck..."

    The carbonite had a simple enough mechanism, and began to stir and release Siberus. There was light, and melting, and she stepped free, appearing for all intents and purposes a damsel in distress, even to the point of frills and dress, her eyes unfocused -

    "Who has saved me from my prison? Who comes for my reward, and hand in marriage?"

    [​IMG]


    "May the best Sith win." Darth Cocytus agreed as he began the mechanism to awaken the Sith Princess with simple acknowledgement of what he may be getting himself into. Death by combat still seemed much more preferable, having much more dignity, than death by poison.

    The kaminoan's burning yellow eyes glowed as he watched the lady awaken. "I am Darth Cocytus, Dark Lord of the Sith, my lady." he replied with respectful greeting but also with devious smirk. He waved his hand dismissively at the question. "I am not one for marriage. Never have been much interested in such passions of the flesh. However, I do know you to be Sith as well, Darth Siberus. A very old friend of yours has sent me here though. To challenge your power. You remember Darth Noctyss, right? Even after way more than a thousand years of sleep?"

    His eyes glowed even curiously as he unhooked his lightsaber. "I do wonder though if we are more alike than we realize, considering the dangers of sleep by carbonite and why I am here to begin with..."

    “Noctyss? That fool?” Siberus snorted, but still patted upon the floor and then up Cocytus’ legs as she located him even though blind.

    “Hibernation sickness is a bore, I must say...” Siberus said wryly. “You have had a stint in carbonite? How long for my...” She inclined her head. “Kaminoan friend?”

    The Holocron remained quiet for the moment.

    "Compared to you, who have slept for well more than a thousand years, long before Darth Bane's Rule of Two era, that led to the near extinction of the Jedi and the transition from the Old Republic to a Galactic Empire ruled by Darth Sidious till his own end at the Battle of Endor, leading to the New Republic before it's destruction at the hands of the First Order, I have slept for about thirty years, waking up at Darth Sidious's second end at the more recent Battle of Exegol." Darth Cocytus grimaced slightly after roughly summarizing recent events as he watched her patiently. If this was going to be a duel, the kaminoan preferred to have her in a fighting state, although a well trained Sith or Jedi wouldn't need their eyes to fight, nor a fully functional body. "It occurred due to me... choosing poorly in my attempt to gain allies against my own Sith rivals, but my attempt have paid off nonetheless, now being among the last few Sith in all the Galaxy, free to establish a new Empire and a new Rule of Two lineage."

    He flinched slightly. "At the cost of being inflicted with carbonite poisoning." Cocytus added dryly, though with his ruefulness clear. His eyes glowed as he held his lightsaber. "Are you sure that the same hasn't happened to you, Lady Siberus? You should get yourself checked, depending on how this day goes..."

    "There's always another Rule of Two. The swing between radicals and moderates, it is very boring. Whether you're an Emperor or a Dark Lord or a King does not matter much to me... identify how you wish, if you have the power to do so." Her voice was a little ruthless. "If you exist by mere survival, then what have you won, I ask?"

    "Carbonite poisoning?" Siberus chuckled drily, and pointed to her eyes. "Blindness is a given after a spell in carbonite. Hibernation sickness, I have experienced it before and I shall recover... I would never be so foolish as to allow myself to be poisoned by my chosen method of longevity." She stepped back, regarding him up and down.

    Her Princess persona was completely gone, clearly, and her words were all edge, and the danger in the Force building. "Exegol, eh? It's been a while since I've heard of that world..." she flicked a hand, and a lightsaber hilt dropped from her sleeve into her palm. It was curved; wicked looking.

    "So why are you here?"

    "Ah... Interesting. I have long thought that the Rule of Two was solely and always Darth Bane's invention after millennia of Sith infighting and self-destruction and an abandonment of Sith tradition that made them weak." Darth Cocytus spoke with a hint of surprise, looking back at his own timeline. However the kaminoan's expression became that of a pleased thin smile at the ruthlessness of Darth Siberus. "The Sith Order after The Battle of Endor broke away from the Rule of Two, leading to a Sith Order ruled by a Triumvirate, a Rule of Three, led by Darth Insipid. That ended when war broke out among us, showing Darth Bane to be right that Sith power and ambition cannot be sustained among multiple Sith Lords, but only within two, no more, no less, a Master to embody the power and an apprentice to crave it."

    Darth Cocytus' eyes glowed as he saw the lightsaber in the hand of Darth Siberus. "As for why I am here, first Darth Noctyss offers immortality for me, at least so I may have time to get my affairs in order." The kaminoan ignited his lightsaber in a soresu stance. "Second, I wish to assert my power to this Galaxy and prove myself. Darth Noctyss insisted in killing you in your sleep, but how would that prove my power?"

    "Are you ready, Darth Siberus?" He asked, now full of determination, "Let's write one last chapter to the Fairy Tale that became known far and wide..."

    "A Rule of Three?" Siberus snorted. "Sounds positively heretical."

    She regarded Cocytus as if she could see him, through her eyes remained blinded. But with the Force, and ample practice, she had plenty of ability to see without functional sight. "Noctyss, eh? Immortality? The old shrew."

    Siberus didn't flinch when the blade ignited. "Killing me in my sleep would have been the smart move, my dear."

    He hand twitched, clawing as if reaching for Cocytus. He would suddenly feel a sizeable chunk of his life essence streaming from him, as if he was flaking away and dissolving, being drawn from him into her. This was not Force Drain. No, it was something all the more irresistible.

    "Ah. I thought I could sense Tor Valum upon you, but clearly he didn't teach you his greatest secret."

    Her eyes regained their colour.

    "What a shame for you."



    Darth Cocytus grunted and clasped a hand onto his chest as he felt something eating at him. It was likely Siberus's Dark Side power, which he clearly underestimated. Her words, what she was doing to him, infuriated the Sith Lord, however, feeding the dark side emotions and beckoning that cruel, malicious craving that the Admiral above made just moments ago.

    He looked at her defiantly with wide, glowing eyes that burned in the Dark Side.

    "NO!" Darth Cocytus snapped coldly in defiance as he threw out his arm in a release of a Force shove mixed with intense Sith Lightning.

    The shove and the lightning was a powerful combination, catching Siberus in the chest and flipping her up and over the carbonite slab she had just emerged from. She tumbled behind it and stood up, swinging a hand to send it clattering to the side, giving Cocytus mere moments to recover from the gaping hole in his essence -

    On one knee, blood streaming from a head wound and her lips curled into a snarl, Siberus clawed the floor and thrust out her hand, accelerating a quarter of coins to violently sharp speeds -

    Darth Cocytus took a moment to breathe and indeed take advantage of the moment with Darth Siberus down to recover from his wounded essence. His eyes remained locked and his stance in the defensive as he glared at the Dark Lady of the Sith. As the coins came flying, the kaminoan quickly waved his hand to bat them away with the Force before releasing another violent surge of Sith Lightning onto the Princess.

    Was this going to be more of a contest of their skill in the Force rather than skill with the blade?

    Siberus flexed her hand and the carbonite slab raised up to intercept the blast, and then threw up her hand again, unleashing her own blaze of lightning around it - and then pushing the slab at him! This was a very different fight than his brawl with Insipid -

    With his lightsaber back onto his side for when needed, Darth Cocytus raised his hands at Darth Sinberus's counterattack. With an added mixture of tutaminis to catch the Sith Princess's lightning, the kaminoan grabbed hold of the carbonite slab before shoving it aside. In response a surge of lightning was this time released from all six fingers.

    Aside from that variation of Force Drain, a skill that Darth Cocytus could use, but not exactly in the heat of battle, the two Sith Masters appeared to be at least equal in the Force so far…

    She drew on tutaminis herself and held his lightning firm, snarling as she did. Siberus’ eyes yellowed and she began to force wedge of energy between his attack and her -

    Darth Cocytus held his ground as well as his tutaminis as he continued to unleash Force lightning from his fingertips onto the Sith Lady while taking hers into his hands. It now seemed to have become a question of who can stand their ground the longest, which made this all seem a little familiar to the kaminoan. Cocytus snarled as he thrusted out his hands, unleashing pulses of Force Shoves through his SIth Lightning as to beat down upon Siberus's defenses.

    She withdrew a hand, straining to maintain the defence with a single limb, and flexed her fingers to prepare another drain, ethereal white energy writhing into existence.

    “You need to change the rules of this or she’ll kill you next move.” Noctyss whispered from his pocket.

    Cocytus grunted painfully as he once again clasped his hand onto his chest and nodded in agreement. The pain feeding his fears, his anger and his hate.. "Guess it's time for something a little out of character." He replied before lashing out with another bolt of Sith Lightning with a shove to catch the Sith Lady off balance.

    Using this moment of time of relief, the kaminoan ignited his lightsaber and charged in the offensive, striking with aggressive djem so.

    Siberus was surprised, and she released her preparations and backed away, trying to gesture to divert the lightsaber enough to survive, fumbling for her own hilt -

    She ignited it but in a clumsy fashion, clearly struggling to maintain the dexterity one needed for a lightsaber brawl -

    It was one thing to use the Force without skill atrophy, but physical combat...?

    She was exposed -

    Darth Cocytus smirked as he took the offensive with the blade, catching the lightning into it. The Sith Lord was entirely within his element while sensing that Darth Siberus obviously was out of hers. This meant that the kaminoan could cut loose with an entirely aggressive and elegant hybridization of djem so and makashi instead of hold back with soresu as normally he did with most other opponents. Calling upon the Force to enhance his natural strength, he slashed at the Sith Lady while cutting through and deflecting her defensives. All the while, Cocytus took every opportunity to find and give a killing blow to finally end the fabled Princess of Atrisia.

    In a flurry of movement, her head separated from her body and her look of surprise lasted for as long as it took for her face to go slack.

    Noctyss was impressed, clearly, and whistled. “Now you’ve finally done, shall I take you to my laboratory?”

    Darth Cocytus was satisfied with his kill and extinguished his blade, placing it back on his hilt. He summoned Siberus's lightsaber, collecting it as a trophy and proof of his victory, even if it made the kaminoan realize that he was beginning to act like a certain kaleesh cyborg general. "Yes, let's do just that, Darth Noctyss." Cocytus agreed as he placed his newly claimed lightsaber on his hilt. He didn't activate it, wanting it checked first for any explosives. "Just give me the coordinates and we shall be on our way."

    The kaminoan took out his communicator to the shuttle. "Shuttlecraft, this is Darth Cocytus. Prepare for my return and to board the cruiser above us. Darth Siberus is no more. It's now time for one last task."

    @Sinrebirth


















    Sent from my SM-A205U using Tapatalk
     
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2021
  9. Sinrebirth

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

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: Darth Noctyss
    Atrisia

    It was over.

    The body grew desiccated and turned into dust. Darth Siberus was done, after a millennium and more besides. The Jedi-Sith War had seen many Dark Lords rise up and fall, after all. But now another that had looked down on the other Sith were dead.

    Noctyss regarded the corpse. “Ding ding the witch is dead.” She chuckled. “Princess Fairytale is over, and it has a happy ending.”

    The Sith Holocron looked up at Cocytus. “So now I’ll give you the coordinates for my lab on Exegol. Unless you had any other business with the scraps of Palpatine’s Empire?”

    There were messages for the Kaminoan, yes. Sellik had left a message for him about Imperial High Command giving them data about a group of Mon Calamari cruisers which seemed to be holding position above the galactic elliptic - they suspected that the Resistance leadership was gathered there. Similarly, Admiral Poinard had received further orders to reinforce the defence of Yag’Dhul and wanted to ensure that the retreat was covered.

    Poinard wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be following the orders of Imperial High Command or Lord Cocytus.

    “Are you ready?” Noctyss pressed.

    TAG: @Darth Cocytus
    —-
    IC: Zestus

    Somewhere

    The shadow adhered to his masters form, but before Zestus could intervene there was a snap of Rax’s fingers and more droids appeared. “Oh come on,” he hissed, and dove into a line of Darktroopers.

    For his part, the spirit that lived within the Black Holocron seethed and rolled around Sabel’s mind. It moved without issue through his memories, picking at his entire life story in moments. A Chiss. One of the later species, evolved from humans. It’ll do. Oh? What is that? Pride. Why? Ah ha! Chiss usually lose the Force as teens, and rarely do makes exhibit it. How quaint.

    The shadow stood besides Sabel as he spoke to Darth Sidious. Ah yes, the Dark One... the one who performed the Change. How bothersome. I should have been in the hands of one of the most powerful Dark Lords in history... I should have duped him into freeing me from the Well... but instead I was destroyed as fuel for an ancient Sith superweapon.

    A sigh.

    The Dark Holocron will achieve nothing here.

    TAG: @darthbernael

    TAG: @Lady Belligerent (combo continue)

    TAG: @Shadowsun (combo continue)

    TAG: @darthhelinith, @darthbernael, @Adalia-Durron, @DarthIshyZ, @Mitth_Fisto, @ClaiomhSolais (combo continue)

    TAG: @Silvertough, @darthbernael, @greyjedi125 (combo continue)
     
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2021
  10. darthbernael

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

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: A combo with @Sinrebirth

    IC Sabel
    In his own Mind, Jakku


    The mental Sabel chuckled as the shadow searched his memories. He watched as the ‘holo’ of his past scrolled across his thoughts. ”For such a powerful artifact you whine the same way as a fresh acolyte that has found themselves being punished by their Master.” He knew that taunting the spirit was one way to drive it off balance and off it’s chosen path to try to overwhelm him. That and he was not about to let a Sith or Dark Spirit that had had their day and found themselves trapped in a Holocron to take him and replace him.

    ”I find it...interesting that you are most focused on the past, upon a time before I fully came into my own. You had a chance with Sidious but he proved too much and forced you to his will, did he not?” He chuckled again, ”Such a will should be brought out of the pit and serve a Sith that can and will expand it and his influence.” he suggested slyly.

    The voice snorted. You think me yet another scorned Holocron spirit. But that is not the case, my friend. Time is immaterial to me, but I shall make you dust for it. How else could I have persisted when my Holocron was destroyed years ago now?

    He lifted Sabel’s hand and ignited his blade, holding the beam of plasma close to the Chiss’s own throat. Might you respect me better before I cut you down?

    Sabel stood there calmly, not moving his head as the blade pressed to his throat. ”You may destroy your only hope to escape this place any time in the near future. Feel free. Zestus is too weak, he’d burn out before you exited the room. Rax obviously will not release you except as a weapon against those he sees has wronged him.”

    He closed his mental eyes, ”Respect is earned, spirit, and you have given no reason to do so. Power you have, I know, to have survived this long but even that fades in time. I see two choices here, you accept that to survive we make a deal or you kill me now and you remain a wailing spirit in the dark as Rax gloats about keeping you confined.”

    I could just erase your mind, take you over with little issue. But I find such matters more productive if we can come to... an accord. I need a vehicle so I can find the Lord of Heresies; so he can complete his destiny as he should have done…

    The voice was dry. I can of course increase your power…

    Sabel decided it was the better part of discretion that he not mention that if his armor’s biometric sensors discovered a change in his biometrics that would indicate he was not himself then there would be no more physical shell either. He had the spirit where he wanted it. ”An accord, yes. You aid me and I aid you. Just as long as you understand that seeking out your target is an endeavor that takes place when I am able to do so, not at your convenience. Or that any power you grant me is not something that is available only at your whim.”

    Defining the parameters of any deal was important or the deal would end up being decidedly one sided. He’d used such many times himself when dealing with others and wasn’t about to allow the table to be turned on him that way.

    The spirit seemed suitably mollified, and settled down, vanishing inside the Chiss.

    We have an accord.

    He was silent, and left it be.

    Zestus for his part was busy taking down all manner of danger, but by the time Sabel was back, the room was full of broken Darktroopers and B1 battle droids of all things. He'd taken off his helmet, essentially so he could breathe. "My Lord?"

    ”Rax is an even bigger fool than he appeared at first.” Sabel replied as he swung his gaze around the space. Nodding, ”A good battle, my Captain. Well fought. And we now have an ally, of sorts, the spirit and I have an accord.”

    He raised his voice, allowing Rax to hear, ”You have failed on so many levels it is uncountable, Rax. And have just given up your greatest asset to me. I no longer wonder why you were left behind here, after the defeat. And now I will leave what remains of you here as well, to ‘live’ with your failures until some poor fool finds you.”

    Turning back to Zestus, ”Let’s get that door opened and return to the fleet.”

    TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto, (@The Jedi in the Pumas, as he was curious)
     
    DarthIshyZ and Sinrebirth like this.
  11. darthbernael

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

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: Combo with @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, and @Sinrebirth, double post approved by GM

    IC Bernael, Manticore, Iudex, Shimmer
    Oba Diah


    Bernael chuckled at Shimmer, the comments she made showed her allegiance and she was quite attached to Iudex. His eyes tracked over to the Falleen and one eyebrow went up before the Pyke shouted. He turned, taking in the ships that were appearing in the display. Turning toward Manticore for a moment a dark smile crossed his face. He doubted Snoke himself had come but this was one more sign that the First Order was becoming more active and bold.

    Gesturing at the display, he looked at Iudex, ”I’d say whoever that is, and yes I’d say they’re First Order, are who is behind all the criminal syndicates being taken down.”

    He turned his gaze back to Manticore, ”How do you think Snoke will react if we destroy his flotilla here? Or take it over?”

    Iudex lumbered over to the display, nudging aside the distraught Pyke out of his path with a gentle push of the force. Three Imperial ships. Two Resurgents.. and one.. A low, appreciative whistle escaped his lips.

    "You might be on to something, my Lord." He said softly, his eyes never leaving the display. "Never thought I would see one of 'em up close, let alone board one.." Finally, Iudex turned to face the other Sith Lords, a mischievous grin growing on his face. "So, Hunger, up for Round 2?"

    Manticore too gazed at the holo-display and scoffed openly, even as he scrutinized them.

    "Round two, yes....." the zabrak rapsed, as plans began churning in his mind. "Taking them over, would be ideal." Manticore agreed with Bernael on this. If they could add the First Order toys to their own defenses, that could very well cause a power shift.

    With that thought in mind, his gaze slowly turned toward the Pyke Leader.

    "I would even dare wager you are up to this challenge..." He intoned knowingly.

    The Pykestaff rolled his eyes. "You say that, but the Syndicate cannot stand up to a dreadnought, my friend. Not after you took a chunk out of us a moment ago..."

    The Eclipse vanished into hyperspace, leaping towards coordinates in the Maelstrom, ones they could easily chase.

    The two Resurgent's took a slower journey past, and began to open fire upon the planet generally -

    It was a massed bombardment, clearly intending to defoliate the world -

    "I'll take that as a no...." Manticore observed with a palpable measure of disappointment. Still, he had given his word, to defend what was left of the Pyke Syndicate in order to better graft them to the sith cause.

    "Prepare a ship." the zabrak order without looking back. It was clear that the Sith Lord intended to engage the enemy threat.

    "If the five of us work together...." this he said in all seriousness, "We can have two new ships. As long as we make sure they are truly under our control." Manticore did not rule out some sort of unseen trickery from Snoke.

    His fiery gaze went from Bernael, to Iudex, to Shimmer, then the Pyke Leader and back to Bernael.

    "What say you?"

    A slow, devious, smile rolled over Bernael’s face. He stretched, the sound of popping joints, only because he enjoyed the sound, echoing for a moment before he turned to his brother. ”Two new ships, Resurgents at that, of our own. That would be pleasant. Not to mention,” he shifted for a moment, to appear as an exact duplicate of Iudex, down to the tone of voice, “with this, we could potentially have our in to taking the Eclipse and the other Resurgent with even more ease.”

    He shifted back, the smile still creasing his face. ”Especially after I feed on those that have the codes and protocols to do so.”

    His gaze traversed the room, ”So, how do we divide our forces for this endeavor? See, perhaps, how well our new friends from the Order do compared to us working together…?”

    "Prepare two ships, one for each Resurgent." Iudex said, watching as the Eclipse jumped to Hyperspace with noticeable disappointment. "We can't allow either of them to escape. We would have better chances if we capture both at relatively the same time."

    Save for a momentary smirk at Hunger's Impression of him, Iudex kept his features nondescript. Underneath, his blood had begun to boil, not from a source of rage, but excitement. For too long he had been shackled with the role of negotiator, a glorified errand boy. It would be good exercise to let loose once again, so to speak.

    "As convenient as it would be to try and get the crews of these vessels to surrender, I wouldn't bank on it happening." Iudex quickly added, glancing between the gathered Sith in the room. "Even when threatened to be fed to Lord Hunger during the Battle of Hapes, the crew of the Resurgent I captured needlessly continued their struggle." He rolled his shoulders. "..And died for nothing. If possible, I would like to learn what Snoke has done to earn such loyalty from his soldiers, or rather, why they fear him so. But..." A shrug, "Consider that more of a personal curiosity, rather than mission essential."

    Iudex narrowed his eyes at Shimmer. As much as he would like to pawn her off on one of the other Sith to look after while he had his own fun, it wasn't possible. Lord Hunger's mental stability, or possible lack thereof, remained a constant source of anxiety, which left him out of the question. Lord Hate for his part was certainly more trustworthy, but even then, questions remained..

    "Sounds like a plan to me, my Lord." Iudex finally said, returning his gaze to Lord Hunger. "I would suggest a race, but I prefer to gamble only when I have a chance of winning." A whimsical smile grew on his lips. "I'll keep the Apprentice alive. Regroup on the Super Star Destroyer?"

    The bombardment was growing closer, the room rocking. The other Pyke's cringed, and Pykestaff glowered at Manticore. "Maybe if I was in a Force sensitive body…" The others present looked confused, and the Lethan Twi'lek arched her eyebrows.

    Waving a hand which froze the witnesses in a stasis field, Shimmer pursed her lips. "The Emperor doesn't know about what is going on. We should give him the chance to send reinforcements, but being as there is a New Republic blockade... I don't know how we can let the Sith know without inviting the New Republic to intervene."

    She glanced at Iudex. "I'll be keeping you alive, probably."

    Bernael chuckled at Shimmer’s comment to the Falleen. He stepped closer, his nostrils flaring as though tasting Iudex’s scent as he appeared to examine the Sith. Wandering in a small circle around the other being, he chuckled again, before turning back to the clone. Ignoring the rocking of the room, ”I congratulate you, little clone. I cannot see or sense it but I clearly know that you have put your mark on this one. I am curious to see how he reacts when he realizes you’ve chained him to your ‘dungeon’ of commitment.”

    Stepping away from Iudex, ”None of my little brother’s forces could arrive here in time before we solve the situation on our own. If there are any the Hapans or Sith there could spare, or get past a blockade.”

    As he finished speaking one eyebrow rose and his head cocked to the side. Turning back to the display, he manipulated the controls, shifting the view to a section of space away from the Resurgents. A ship suddenly appeared from hyper, sleek, narrow, but not that small.

    [​IMG]
    Maurauder Class

    ”I do believe something in the form of reinforcements have arrived though.” he stated, a touch of humor in his tone. Facing the Pykestaff, ”Hail them, I believe that those are ‘friends’ of Hate and myself.”

    "I concur with Hunger." Iudex stated. "Besides, your Master has enough on his plate for the time being, no need to add more." He added with a pleased hum. He made no effort to respond to Hunger's other comment, offering but a single pointed look at Shimmer. Chained indeed. Whatever truth was hidden within those words would only be exposed during the struggles ahead, it was a waste of time and effort to ponder them now.

    The rocking of the room grew more incessant, as pockets of dust and debris were shaken loose of the ceiling above. "I enjoy the odd orbital bombardment as much as the next guy," Iudex said with a disarming chuckle, "But I usually prefer to be on the side doing the bombardment.. Shall we get a move on?"

    The display chimed suddenly, alerting the room of a new contact which had arrived in-system. Iudex, from where he was standing, didn't recognize the profile of the new arrival. He did cock his head to the side when Lord Hunger announced that he in fact did. "..That better not be Sabel.." Iudex muttered solemnly, staring daggers into the holodisplay.

    Manticore paused, waiting for the arriving ship to be hailed. He was both surprised and pleased when he felt familiar signatures in the force aboard it, but opted not to mention this yet. Of course, if he could sense them, he already knew Bernael had identified the passengers as well.

    It stood to reason things would be moving quickly going forward, what with the orbital bombardment and all taking place.

    That both Lord Iudex and Shimmer chose to join them was for the better in the end. It allowed them to collectively focus on what needed to be done as a Sith Order. As it was, the zabrak felt it was safe to assume the Falleen and the clone would remain together for the duration of the mission. That thought was in fact, mildly amusing.

    Turning to the Pyke Leader, Manticore took a few steps closer so he could be heard.

    "Join our boarding party. Should you find a suitable host aboard the enemy vessel, it would be yours for the taking."

    This, he hoped, would be a tempting offer the Staff would find acceptable.

    Especially since they would be going on the hunt at any given moment.

    The Pykestaff looked intrigued, and a wave of Pyke craft surged from the moon base and the base - not enough, but enough to give the Sith the numbers to put up a fight. Blastboats, freighters, armed transports, fighter craft, and of course in response the Star Destroyers released a wave of fighter craft -

    A squadron, two, four, six, twelve, eighteen, twenty-four squadrons - 288 TIE fighters -

    The holo lit as a call came in. Bernael, already standing by it, accepted the call and the image came into focus. Standing in the pickup was one armored form and a second in a cloak, shorter, more lithe. Both forms bowed deeply when they saw Bernael and then Manticore standing a couple paces away. “Lord Hunger, Lord Hate, we knew neither of you could truly be gone.” the shorter figure began.

    Bernael chuckled, glanced over his shoulder at Manticore, ”It seems your Aran Tyr and my Shadows are persistent.”

    The armored form nodded, “Yes, Lord Hunger, we may number only twelve total but we are yours and will follow you into the depths of the Seven Hells.” His companion shrugged, “It did help that we encountered that Chiss. When we explained our need he said he knew you both and freely donated this ship for our needs telling us to tell you ‘tell Lord Hate and Hunger I will assist them when and where they need, my fleet will be theirs.’.”

    Turning, Bernael bestowed Iudex a sardonic smile, ”Well, it’s not Sabel himself, but it does seem Manticore and I do have an ally outside the Order.” He turned back to the display, ”Our current objectives are those Resurgents, capture them if possible. I’m sure Hate will have orders for the Aran Tyr but he and I are taking one so the Shadows will assist there.” he then turned, allowing Manticore to have his own say to their returned warriors and assassins.

    Manticore did smirk at seeing both the Shadows and Aran Tyr. These were extensions of the Lords of Hate and Hunger, just as Hate and Hunger were extensions of the Sith Emperor, all would continue to carry out the will of the sith. He had to admit a measure of surprise regarding Lord Sabel's generosity. No doubt the Chiss was playing the long game, one that ended with the death of Snoke and the reunification of all sith.

    This was well pleasing to the zabrak Sith Lord.

    "Well done, Shadows, Aran Tyr." Manticore spoke, granting them a respectful nod.

    "We are not dead, and neither are you. Our enemy breathe so we must hunt them and make sure they do not."

    Lord Hate's arm gestured towards the remaining leaders which were also in view.

    "This is Lord Iudex and Apprentice Shimmer. They will join us in our efforts to purge our enemies and capture their ships for our purpose. This here is the current Pyke Leader, whom we are assisting. Prepare yourselves! A new hunt begins!!"

    Manticore's fiery eyes glinted with purpose before he turned fully to the others. He seemed heedless to the continued bombardment, though he was keenly aware of it.

    "I suggest you take the strongest and bravest Pyke warriors Lord Iudex, for this will be a fierce campaign; take it from us."

    The zabrak paused, the warrior's taste for combat now becoming more evident.

    "Fight with every fiber of your being, make every strike count....because the future of the sith depends on it."

    Manticore understood he might be overstating the obvious, but it needed to be said. For the continued sake of clarity. Despite liking what he sensed in Lord Iudex, this would be the first time he would witness Iudex in action. Lord Hate already assumed the Falleen to be capable, that fact was made crystal clear by his mere presence among them. Now it was time to act in concert, to outwit, out maneuver and overpower an enemy who presumed to be in control.

    The Sith needed Sabel and Sabel would need the Sith. It was time to sharpen the Sith War Machine into shape.

    A fresh wave of indignation swept over Iudex as he listened to the operatives' report. All it had taken to curry the favor of that blasted Chiss Sith was to drop the names of Lords Hate and Hunger. Nothing else mattered to him, apparently. The humiliation Iudex had suffered, all for naught.

    A truly shameful display. White hot anger bubbled forth within his blood, a powerful charge which awaited but a single spark. Such feelings were to be cultivated carefully, especially so before a battle such as the one he was to face. It would be the fuel which powered his retribution, or his death.

    "Just get me on board," Iudex said with a predatorial snarl, directed at no one in particular. "No strategy. No discussions. Get me there, the ship will be ours."

    The shaking of the room from the bombardment above had all but sealed his choice in the matter. Adrenaline was already pumping through his veins, even before the surprise visit of allies. Iudex wanted nothing more than to lash out, to take his frustrations out on those who had done him harm. Done them, the Sith, wrong.

    His revulsion of flying was irrelevant. As were the horde of TIE's that were screaming their way, and the Star Destroyers they were protecting. His instincts would guide his hands. Whatever was left after that, the Force would see to.

    "I am prepared." The Falleen said, rapping a fist against his cortosis-woven pauldron, his voice hardening in tune. "For the Sith."

    The wave of Pyke craft crashed through the TIEs like smoke billowing into a nest of angry hornets. It became a buzzing madness, the threads of atmosphere carrying through it the sounds of fighter screams, the crease of laser fire and the rumble of detonations. In a handful of moments the newcomers, scorned as they were by Iudex, had cleared a path for their landing craft, and in a handful of moments Iudex and Shimmer were settling down in a hangar under siege, as much as Manticore and Bernael would be able to do so.

    Each hangar had a duplicated setup, which rather implied a level of preparedness that they were not anticipating.

    There was no surprise from the First Order officers present, merely a trio of E-web repeating blasters in each hangar, backed up by a quartet of AT-ST walkers, with the upper gangway held by a dozen Stormtroopers, each sporting a rocket launcher. Standing besides the E-web teams was a quartet of soldiers for each - one flamethrower trooper, and three riot-troopers.

    In-short, they were extremely prepared.

    Shimmer blanched as their ship came under a hail of fire, holding up at the corner of the top of the ramp. She glanced at Iudex. "This is a bit hot, isn't it?"

    Meanwhile, the Pykestaff, of course kept close by the Lords of Hate and Hunger, glowered at them from around a corner inside their ship. "Well this is a brilliant start..."

    Bernael’s black eyes began to drip darkness as he turned a smile that, if seen, would have been full of teeth on the Pykestaff. ”Time for you to see why, besides my natural form, I am known as the Lord of Hunger.” he said in a voice that purred with harmonics that would, if they were aimed at a being, shatter their will.

    Chuckling as he turned toward Manticore, ”Perhaps ‘thanking’ them for providing even more of a meal for me may be the ‘polite’ thing to do.” he told his brother as the eternal Hunger that had stayed with him even after his Father stole his body rose in him. It was good that Iudex and Shimmer had taken the other ship, the Falleen would have recognized that feeling as the Hunger washed out, very easily.

    His eyes glowed with power as his will, highly augmented by the Hunger began to suck the very life from the troops around the hangar. ”Fire and flame?” he asked Hate knowing his brother’s preference to incinerate his foes. As his will washed out, the life beginning to flow into him he reached out in the Force, energy flowing into the E-Web launchers, energy they weren’t equipped to handle.

    The sounds coming from the hangar told him of overloading circuits, melting electronics, melting metal, as the launchers overheated. He stepped forth, his other hand outstretched, deflecting the bolts from the blasters as he covered the descent of his brother into the hangar. Reaching out with his mind, ’My Shadows, take out their officers.’ he commanded. Moments later he caught the slightest hints of motion as shapes flitted around the edges of their foe's formation and he smiled once more, his Shadows were on the hunt.

    As for Manticore, the zabrak Sith Lord had rather enjoyed Lord Iudex's ire. Such a powerful display of emotion felt like a fine summer breeze, for that level of vehemence was exactly what the Falleen Sith Lord would need to propel his team to success. Manticore was not concerned about Lord Iudex 'not' having a plan. Beings like him 'always' had one, even when they claimed they didn't. It was in their nature.

    ***

    Upon reaching their target hangar, Manticore seemed to be smirking wickedly at their reception. A dark glee was felt from the zabrak initially, then his trademark prominence of hate began to surface, quickly obliterating any other sense of him.

    "All that fire power..." Lord Hate rasped with condescension. "They have no idea."

    Manticore ignored the Pykestaff's comment and chalked it up to the weak vessel it inhabited. Had it not witnessed the power of the sith? The opposition was clearly ignorant. They could not be prepared for what they did not understand, for that which they had never faced.

    Manticore spoke a word to the Aran Tyr before moving into action.

    "I will draw their fire; cut down all enemy forces before you."

    With Bernael, he strengthened their connection. "Let's show them." He said simply.

    Manticore leapt out, working in tandem with Lord Hunger. To himself, the zabrak sith lord reached out with his will, encompassing the hangar, collecting all the energy being aimed at them. Flame, blaster fire, rockets, name it. He caused them all to coalesce together into a ever growing sphere of fiery plasma that only he could control. The moment the enemy fired on the sith, that energy would be taken to fuel the sphere. If they fired on the sphere itself, that too would be added. Such was the indomitable will of the sith, of Lord Hate and Lord Hunger.

    Manticore gritted his teeth in vehemence as he worked with Bernael. Perhaps some of the enemy might actually realized that they were helping the zabrak create the largest most powerful thermal bomb they had seen. One that would certainly raze the entire hangar in a flash once it detonated, save for the ones that had the benefit of Lord Hate's protection.

    Manticore wanted to taste their fear, before they all became ash...that is, if Lord Hunger did not consume them first.

    "I will be our shield. Stay behind me." Iudex barked at Shimmer as he readjusted the straps which bound his near obscenely heavy armor to his form. It would bear the brunt of the enemy's attacks, leaving him free to move with impunity. He would be the bulwark from which they would achieve victory. Total victory, or death. Anything less would tarnish the title of Sith.

    "We move as one." Iudex thumped his fist into his breastplate, content with his handiwork. He made his way to the shuttle's still sealed exit ramp with heavy footfalls, a disdainful sneer etched into his face. "Mop up what's left." His voice dropped to a low whisper as the shuttle came to a screeching halt, it finally having made it's way to it's destination.

    The ramp dropped, and before it could even hit the ground, Iudex was running. The air immediately exploded into a hail of laser fire, as the crews of three E-Web cannons opened up into the exposed shuttle. Useless. The Falleen Sith continued his march forward, laser bolts ricocheting off in armor in a deadly kaleidoscope of firepower.

    Iudex huffed condescendingly, pausing his stride for a moment. "Pathetic!" He shouted, enjoying the all too familiar sensation of adrenaline spiking through his system. His breastplate grew warm, the combined firepower of the E-Webs finally having somewhat of an effect. He chuckled.

    Couldn't have them get confident now.

    From the catwalks above, rocket-troopers finally opened fire, seemingly unhappy with their comrades' performance. Iudex jerked a hand outwards, catching the projectiles in a bubble of his will, before redirecting them into the now heated energy cells of the E-Webs. The resulting cascade of explosions eviscerated men and equipment alike, showering the hangar in viscera and debris. Iudex, unfazed, turned his attention to a pair of AT-STs, which now bore down upon them.

    Iudex lowered into a semi-squat, planting himself firmly into the ground as the air itself surrounding him began to tremble. The twin machines attempted to back away, firing as they did so. Their blaster fire, their rockets, all inconsequential when compared to the Force. Iudex exhaled slowly, centering himself, as he rose his hands to the sky. The AT-STs followed suit, rising slowly but surely off of the ground and into the air, and then into each other. Metal screeched against metal as the two frames violently compressed against each other,, drowning out the screams erupting from the pilots deep within the metal mass.

    "Shimmer. Cat-walks." Iudex directed, grunting as he hurled the crumpled mass of metal into the second pair of AT-STs. Something exploded, hopefully both of the blasted things. Either way, Iudex rose back to his full height, finding himself breathing harder than he would have expected, or liked, from the exertion. Something to work on later, he supposed with a chuckle.

    TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2021
  12. Sinrebirth

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

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: Snoke
    According to plan

    The Supreme Leader was no fool.

    He could sense he was hunted.

    The Sith were relentless.

    He should know.

    But they could be distracted, after all, and diverted. He didn't necessarily want them dead... not yet. If Snoke intervened, and Skywalker didn't, then the New Republic would keep hunting for his First Order. So it served him to have them nudged aside for his plans, rather than undone. Cocytus was already dealt with, after all, which was quite pleasing.

    Now for these four Sith... Manticore, Bernael, Iudex and Shimmer, he reasoned. There was a fifth presence... but he would come to that.

    But at this point, he knew very well that deploying two Resurgent-class Star Destroyers was simply a very pointless way to see the Sith take them.

    So, he didn't offer them the two ships in such a simple manner.

    Yes, he ensured they were fully equipped with TIE Fighters, and indeed, they had their hangars modified to increase the focus of the anti-personnel defenses, though he had little doubt that they would be nothing more than a nuisance, rather than a threat. He might get lucky, though, and trim down the numbers he had to distract.

    No, the true usefulness of these ships was that they were neat and tidy capsules.

    Indeed, the doors dropped, sealing the Sith in the hangars, along with their personnel, and their ships.

    Beskar plates.

    Very expensive.

    Then, the Star Destroyers pulled above the galactic plain, and, with their skeleton crew... leaped into hyperspace.

    He kept them together, because he wanted their target world to overreact. A single Destroyer would not be sufficient enough a threat.

    They both jumped towards Chandrila, the New Republic capital.

    They would announce their allegiance to the Hapes Cluster when they arrived, and open fire on the water-world.

    It was a perfect twist.

    The hangar crews were fighting back, both groups halved by the efforts of the attackers.

    In their hangar, Shimmer brought down the cat-walks with an exertion, huffing, which reduced the attacking fire to a dribble, but there was still one E-web that had managed to escape the carnage. Shimmer went to upend one from behind cover when the Destroyer rocked with it's hyperspace jump, and she stumbled into the stream of fire -

    The energy that Manticore had gathered indeed drew the fire of the enemy as their troop rushed them, disarming most of them so Bernael could follow and feed - and then the ship rocked with the leap into hyperspace.

    The rear of the hangar on both ships dropped to the floor with a clang, and twenty Stormtroopers rushed forward in each, adding a stream of rifle fire to the counter-attack -

    This was a Sith trap.

    They didn't have long until they would reach Chandrila -

    TAG: @Silvertough, @greyjedi125, @darthbernael
     
  13. HanSolo29

    HanSolo29 RPF/SWC/Fan Art Manager & Bill Pullman Connoisseur star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2001
    A very fun combo with @QueenSabe7 :D[face_devil]

    IC: Syren & Aryan
    Private Suite, Aboard the Luxury Elite, Coruscant

    Syren slowly moved closer to their prey, coming to a stop at Aryan's side. She looked up at him as he mentioned her and some of her more questionable interrogation methods. He knew what made her tick, and how to keep her on path.

    She bit her lip, continuing to grin lasciviously at her lover as he took the lead of their situation. Asserting control.

    "I’ll get my answers either way."

    "Yes, you will," she answered in a low purr, crouching slowly to be even with Valieri who remained perched on the floor, bleeding and wheezing. "Let's make one thing very clear..." Syren's darkening eyes bore into the woman, making a connection. She reached towards her in the Force, surrounding her mental barriers and beginning to press in with all the subtlety of a rancor in a nursery. "You are not leaving this room 'safely'. You are not leaving this room at all, not until you answer our questions. And even then-" The assassin laughed maliciously. "Well, who knows really?"

    A cruel stab inward at Valieri's mind - a brief taste of a Mind Shard, to be exact. "It can either be painful for you, or excruciatingly torturous." Her breath caught. "Please choose the latter. Please…"

    Aryan canted his head and simply watched as Syren knelt beside the broken woman, his lips pressed together into a thin smile. His lover had depicted a rather grisly scene, her words conjuring images of perpetual anguish and extreme suffering. He visibly shuddered at the thought, but it wasn’t due to his disapproval or disgust.

    He found it strangely provocative. Under these circumstances, where he sought retribution for the heinous acts Valieri had committed against him, it brought a rush of immense pleasure—both sadistic and sexual. He could hardly contain his emotions.

    Releasing a shaky breath, Aryan swept behind Syren, his fingers trailing across the nape of her neck before he settled down on her opposite side. "I hope you’ve had enough time to consider your options," he asserted in a gravelly voice, tilting his head to regard Valieri under a penetrating gaze. "I’m ready to begin."

    His blue-gray eyes reflected his indignation as he leaned forward with a sneer. "I know that you weren’t alone. The surveillance footage confirms that you had someone assisting you with your plan. Someone who would be interested in running a smear campaign, perhaps?" His expression hardened, clearly outraged by that notion. It only fueled his anger.

    "Who hired you and why?" he rasped sharply. "What happened once we went back to my room that night?"

    Syren did not allow Valieri the chance to respond verbally, instead allowing her need for vengeance to lead. She had only been hovering above the woman's mind before and now she hastily pushed inside, her already mangled body going rigid as she let loose a guttural scream.

    It only spurred Syren on.

    She crawled closer to Valieri as she mentally worked her way into the other's thoughts and memories, picking through them and tossing any nonsense aside. Doing this caused immense pain to the victim, as you are essentially reorganizing their brain by force and indeed, the former aide's body began to convulse as she fell back and curled into a fetal ball. It was then that Syren noted a gaudy-looking hairpin still hanging in her mangled, dampened locks - one that she knew the woman wore often. Syren now leaned over her, suddenly grabbing her head between both her hands and making sure one of them made contact with the accessory.

    At her touch, she gasped. Her burgeoning skills in psychometry remained unrefined.

    Hazy images raced through her own mind, the Force guiding her to the timeframe she sought; Valieri placing the hairpiece upon her head and examining herself in a mirror, trying on different outfits, all distastefully tawdry. Disjointed scenes of her alone and her with Aryan, switching back and forth between his disinterested attitude at the bar and his much more compliant self once he had been drugged. There were moments when he seemed aware, and then moments when he was clearly altered. Then he was lying down, feminine fingers working their way over the buttons of his shirt...

    Syren pulled out, cutting off contact as her rage blew her focus. But not before she had seen something else - Valieri conversing via comm with a faceless stranger, but calling them by a name she knew all too well.

    "It was Bellorum," Syren seethed, beginning to squeeze the woman's head still held in her grasp. "She was working with Lady Bellorum."

    Aryan leaned back on his haunches, his countenance an emotionless mask except for the narrowing of his eyes. The intrigue—and lust—he initially experienced upon witnessing Syren’s exceptional skills at work quickly faded when she revealed the truth. It felt like someone had thrust a vibroblade deep into his stomach, twisting it several times over to ensure that he understood the lasting implications. It was a damning accusation, one that he had difficulty processing after Bellorum had willingly assisted him with the surveillance tapes.

    And yet, it made a great deal of sense, especially if she was concealing something.

    Why else would she be so accommodating, so willing to facilitate his search for answers? She was Sith. Her very nature propagated deception and chaos. Much like Insipid before her, Aryan was a fool for being so complacent around her. He should’ve seen this coming, should’ve done more to prevent it…

    Despite all this, one question continued to nag at the back of his mind—why? Why did Bellorum want to subvert his campaign efforts? Did she feel…threatened?

    Clenching his jaw, Aryan instinctively reached out for Valieri and grabbed her roughly by the shoulder. "To what extent was Lady Bellorum involved?" he hissed through gritted teeth, his gaze shifting briefly toward Syren to indicate that he was ready for her to continue probing. "What did she promise you? What did she hope to achieve?"

    Syren elbowed Aryan away in her anger, pushing Valieri down against the floor and applying further pressure to her skull with her hands as well as her mind. She centered herself and entered again, finding no resistance as her victim's will broke away entirely. There were distant screams as images assaulted the assassin once more, echoing Aryan's inquiries, responding to him mentally through her.

    However, they remained in a scattered order; flashes of the night in question mixed with random conversations the other woman had in person and via comms. Names and orders were shouted, unknown faces seen, a laugh, a strangled sob... so much unnecessary mess that only confused what answers she was looking for.

    "Tell me!" Syren commanded out loud and in the Force, demanding its energies sort Valieri's memories to meet her needs. As her strength grew, she became peripherally aware of a trickle of liquid dripping from her nose, beads of sweat falling from her skin, furniture cracking apart. The hair clip that was her source had started cutting into her palm, though she felt no pain.

    She was creating the epicenter of a dark, swirling storm.

    And like she had crossed into the eye, there was an immediate halt to flurry and chaos - the image of a tall, horned creature walking away down a hypnotic mental wormhole before being sucked away out of sight, then the Luxury Elite, floating in the dead of space. "Amedda! He's here, or coming here." Syren gasped, her eyes clenched shut. She groaned, working on the other answers she so desperately wanted to uncover.

    Blood was splattering Valieri's face, and the woman looked to be horrified and beyond the point of pain. Her mouth was opened wide in a silent cry of terror, her eyes rolling back into her head.

    Syren had dismissed him easily enough, applying a rough shove to his shoulder to push him out of the way. Despite the disapproving look that crossed his features, he completely understood her reasoning. She wanted to grant herself more space to work—and perhaps to even protect him. Under normal circumstances, Aryan may have responded with a flippant comment to provide some levity, but in this case, he simply maintained his distance and allowed her to concentrate.

    And he was glad that he did.

    He could quite literally feel the pressure building within the suite as Syren delved deeper into Valieri’s mind. It pressed heavily upon his chest and set the hair on his arms on end, almost as if an electrical pulse had discharged throughout the room. It also generated enough atmospheric force to shatter furniture and other various adornments located beyond Syren’s protective zone—it was the sphere of influence where the three of them safely resided from the environmental elements; her personal space.

    This served as the epicenter of a furious Force tempest that continued to increase in strength and velocity. It was clear from his vantage point that it was rapidly spiraling out of control…

    In fact, Aryan was so concerned about the inevitable outcome that he opted to disregard the revelation about Mas Amedda—if only momentarily. What advantage would they gain if they didn’t survive to utilize that information?

    Or more specifically, what if Syren didn’t survive?

    He could already see that she was laboring, her countenance twisted into a perpetual scowl as sweat saturated her clothing and exposed flesh. But perhaps the most disturbing aspect was the thin trail of blood trickling down from her nose. It provided a visual representation of the strenuous toll the physical—and mental—exertion had taken on her body. How much more could she realistically endure before it negatively impacted her future wellbeing?

    Aryan wasn’t about to find out.

    Acting on pure instinct, he swept forward and placed both hands solidly on her biceps. "Come on, that’s enough," he rumbled into her ear, pulling back to disentangle her from Valieri’s form. "You won’t be able to extract information if you’re unconscious."

    He would find Syren immovable as he reached for her - muscles taut and firm, coiled into a solid, frozen statue. At this stage, she couldn't hear his words of warning, let alone allow him to stop her progress.

    She was there, on the precipice of the truth.

    Hitting that apex in her search, it was as if her body and mind had separated and she existed now inside Valieri's mental depths, her inner self pulled completely within. She was aware enough to note how unsettling this was, but everything she was being shown had finally become clear and organized, moving at a more reasonable pace to make sense of...

    Aryan, again on his back, head lolling from side to side upon a moderately sized bed. It was dark but she could make out the sweat that dampened most of his tunic and how his lips were white, cracked dry, cheeks flushed. His eyes fluttered as if he were trying to open them, though failing. Aside from the rapid rise and fall of his chest, the rest of his body didn't even twitch.

    Through Valieri's point of view looking down upon him, those same thin fingers she had previously seen began to undo his buttons once more, continuing the whole way this time until his bare torso was exposed. She watched, an intruding voyeur as the same was done to his trousers and anything underneath, pulled down to his ankles and then yanked free. The eyes she looked through like windows closed in on Aryan's nearly unconscious face, Valieri obviously leaning in for a kiss. Which she initiated in earnest, at first.

    Pulling back abruptly, it was then clear Aryan was completely passed out. Whatever drugs he had been given leaving him blissfully incapable of anything more than snoring. 'Damn it,' an echo of a voice said. 'Maybe some other time, handsome...' Then, it all cut to black.

    A rush of feeling careened into Syren in such a way that she was physically thrown backward off her knees as she returned into her own mind. The Force echoed her release of power in a pulse of energy that emanated outward from her body, of which Aryan would certainly need to deal with as well as any still intact furnishings that hadn't already been scattered about the room. Her ears rung and her body shuddered as the assassin rolled to her side, wheezing for breath.

    "You didn't do... anything," she got out quickly, her tone laden with relief. "Aryan, you were set up. She set you up." He would know what she meant. What she was implying. Rising to her knees once more, she looked for him, appraising the damage to both body and surrounding she hadn't been aware she had made.

    In those first few seconds, it was difficult to discern what had happened. Aryan remembered rushing to Syren’s side when it became obvious that she was waning; he remembered pulling on her arms in a desperate attempt to remove her from the danger; he remembered how she wouldn’t move or respond to his urging, seemingly anchored in place; he remembered a jolt of intense energy that dispersed through his body, causing physical discomfort...

    And then he was here, sprawled out on the floor amongst the scattered ruins of his suite. With a stifled groan, Aryan propped himself up on an elbow and squinted his eyes to survey the scene. It looked as if a mesocyclone had literally ripped through the room, reducing everything in its path to rubble.

    That typically would’ve been a cause for concern, but the sound of his lover’s voice quickly allayed any fears. Her tone was husky—strained from the recent ordeal—though her words of support were firm in their conviction. They served as a tangible line that slowly brought him back to the present.

    But perhaps more importantly, they relayed the truth. Syren had been successful in her endeavor, absolving him of any wrongdoing, which brought him immense relief. It finally granted him a reprieve from his internal suffering.

    Releasing the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, Aryan shuffled forward on his knees and pulled Syren into a loose embrace. "Are you alright?" he murmured quietly, a small smirk lifting one corner of his mouth. He inched closer as if he intended to kiss her, his breath brushing hotly against her lips. "I would never hurt you. I’m sure you probably realize that by now, but I wanted you to hear it from me directly. When I woke up this morning—"

    He trailed off suddenly, a dark shadow seeming to pass over his countenance as his mind wandered back to that night. Valieri had caused him pain—she had betrayed him—and he could not allow her to evade the consequences. They had to finish this.

    "What are we going to do about her?" He nodded over his shoulder to indicate the former aide, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "You’ve already overextended yourself, plus she’s not in any condition to withstand another round. I think we’ve reached our limit. She’s provided all the information she’s capable to give."

    Syren clung to Aryan briefly as he came to her, burying her face in his neck and steadying herself after such exertion. Psychometry was still a new skill to her, an entirely different beast she had yet to conquer. Because of this, whenever she attempted to use this burgeoning ability it tended to overrun her defenses and in turn, control her. This had been the most taxing encounter she had experienced yet.

    Breaking away, she licked dried blood from her lips and ignored the sharp pulses from the wound on her palm. Her whole body felt as though she had been hit by a speeder; heavy and sore.

    "I'm sorry," was all she replied after Aryan's reassurances. She hadn't doubted him and his loyalty, but she also hadn't exactly explicitly expressed that either. Deep down, buried within there was a place that would always fear betrayal from him, and that wasn't his fault. That blame lied solely with her extraordinarily lengthy past and those who damaged her enough to ensure it carried into her future.

    Still bringing her pulse to a more manageable level - and despite her exhaustion - her chest burned with each new breath. A burning that wasn't physical.

    It was her rage that hadn't yet been satiated.

    Aryan was right regarding Valieri and how they had come to the conclusion of this interrogation, and that as Syren had promised at the start - she wouldn't survive. The assassin's skin remained electrically charged and her feelings fully relinquished to the side of her that lived exclusively in darkness. The focused calm of a killer washed over her and she shifted, crawling back up to Valieri's side. The woman wasn't moving, save for extremely labored breathing. Her body had been badly mauled by Syren's methods, but... she still lived.

    "Come here," she whispered softly to Aryan, expecting him to arrive opposite her. As she waited, she pulled her vibroblade free from a thigh holster and held it above Valieri's still form. "Take this, and use it." Her voice was rough with desire and expectation, looking at her lover with eyes that darkened in lust. Passion came in many forms, but to her ending a life was equivalent only to passions of the flesh.

    She watched him, preparing to do her own part.

    Spurred on by Syren’s seductive power, Aryan released a shaky breath and began to ease forward at a measured pace. His expression had hardened into a stony mask, devoid of all emotion except for the crooked smirk that played mischievously over his lips. In a sense, he had become a slave to his desires; Syren’s apology had elicited the spark, and it only continued to prosper and thrive until it reached a culmination with her final command to take the vibroblade.

    This was the epitome of their existence together—of their deepest affections and their inclination to share those passions through this one, deliberate act.

    It was an act of vengeance, reconciliation, and…love.

    Aryan was practically shaking with anticipation as he settled down on the opposite side of Valieri’s prone form. His blue-gray eyes lifted to seek Syren’s gaze, seemingly drunk on his lecherous thoughts. He would require a release sooner rather than later, and he did not hesitate to initiate that process.

    Shifting his weight to alleviate his obvious—and growing—discomfort, he reached across the woman's body and accepted the proffered blade from his lover’s grasp. His motions were slow and methodical, almost hypnotic.

    Brushing his thumb across the handle, the knife activated with an audible hum that cut through the relative silence of the room. Aryan considered it for a moment, watching the scintillating patterns as the vibrant columns of energy traveled up and down the blade’s length. It was soothing in a deceptive kind of way; it concealed the violent intent of the weapon’s true nature. In many ways, it echoed his own true essence.

    The former Prime Minister sneered at that thought and roughly tore away the top portion of Valieri’s dress to expose her chest. He then trailed the edge of the blade over her flesh, drawing a thin trail of crimson in its wake. Once he reached the area around her left breast, directly above her heart, he plunged the blade deep.

    Syren released a breath as Aryan acted, their bond expanding and deepening in the Force as he did so. He wouldn't be able to feel it as intensely as she did and for that she held a modicum of regret, however, she knew he felt a great deal without. She sensed his pleasure spike as her blade cut down into Valieri's chest, the weapon reaching her heart.

    "Yes," she whispered, her gaze not moving from his face. She reached out with a splayed hand that hovered over his, the Force gathering in her grasp. Each finger slowly curled inward into a fist, their victim's body contorting in the throes of death. As her hand moved, the heart began to crush in on itself, the vital organ pulverized within seconds and Valieri finally went still. Her life force had been extinguished and the traitorous woman was no more.

    There was silence for a moment, the only sounds being the heavy breathing of both killers.

    "Thank you for an exhilarating evening," Aryan muttered in a husky baritone. His words could’ve had a dual meaning, but in this case, he was speaking solely to his lover.

    As he carried out the deed, he never once allowed his eyes—shining intensely with sensuous pleasure—to waver from Syren’s face.

    She smiled, her heart racing. In a flash, Syren leaned forward and grabbed Aryan by the throat, pulling him to her for an eager, long-awaited kiss, Valieri's corpse beneath them.

    With an audible moan that encapsulated his pleasure, Aryan dropped the vibroblade from his grip, leaned forward, and surrendered himself to his natural, sexual impulses. There was no hesitation as he cupped his mouth over hers and reciprocated her kiss with an insatiable hunger, his actions almost feral.

    His hands soon followed suit, threading roughly through her fiery locks before moving down to roam over every curve and crevice of her body. He ultimately centered his attention on her clothes, his movements adopting a surgical precision as he worked to undo clasps and buttons. All the while, he continued to satisfy his carnal desires.

    Eventually, they both lay exposed in each others’ embrace, consumed in their passion. This was a culmination between two lovers; they had committed themselves to this act of brutal vengeance—working in tandem to complete their goal—and now they both required a release to fulfill their physical and emotional needs.

    Breathing heavily, Aryan loomed closer to Syren, his eyes roving over her nude form in ardent anticipation. He took a moment to admire the view before he inclined his chin and sought her face.

    His gaze remained locked with hers as he finally pressed forth to consummate their love.

    TAG: @QueenSabe7; @Lady Belligerent
     
    Last edited: Apr 10, 2021
  14. Darth Cocytus

    Darth Cocytus Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 8, 2016
    Darth Cocytus
    Back to Exegol

    Exegol?

    Cocytus’s eyes narrowed. A world he thought and partially hoped that he would never see again.

    “Very well…”

    Back at the shuttle. the kaminoan pondered for a moment as the messages came to him, clearly thinking of what to do next while fighting back against the slowly growing pangs of the poison. As far as the Dark Lord was concerned, he was the Imperial High Command, being the de facto Supreme Leader of the First Order. However, that doesn’t mean he had to have his own concerns and the concerns of the greater imperial forces get in the way of each other.

    “Shuttle, prepare for take off, our destination Exegol.” Darth Cocytus commanded, his voice speaking to all three parties in communication. “Admiral Poinard, Commander Sellik, you both know your orders. As far as I am concerned, orders given by the Imperial High Command are my orders.”

    “Understood?”

    Commander Sellik was unperturbed by the addition of Poinard to their discussions. There were after all Admirals left in the Admiralty, those that hadn’t headed to Exegol - Vonn of Kuat, Reige of Bastion, Daala of the Meridian Sectors, and of course Poinard, who had previously had command of the Inner Rim blockade.

    He simply saluted, and Poinard nodded. “The commands coming were in the name of the Supreme Leader, so I assumed that was the case. I’ve deployed to Thyferra to secure the bacta production, of course. We don’t have the address to take on those Star Cruisers though, even if they are Resistance leaders...”

    “... we may need an assassination team?” Sellik suggested.

    The shuttle was ready to hit hyperspace, and then comms would cut, so this was the last response that Cocytus could make. To think that a simple Sith Holocron had the coordinates for Exegol in it - but the planet was a secret to the ancient Sith, which had been numerous.

    Darth Cocytus's eyes narrowed at the mention of the High Command acting in the name of a Supreme Leader. It reminded him that there was a Kylo Ren pretender about. A threat to his power and vision for the Galaxy.

    "Send out the best team we have at our disposal." The kaminoan concurred with Sellik before attention was brought to Poinard. "In the meantime, Admiral, did you track the communications you have had with our false Kylo Ren yet? Though the High Command is acting out in First Order interest, and therefore my interest, we cannot allow an imposter to interfere in our plans. Whoever they are, they must be dealt with as soon as possible."

    His fingers were folded and his glowing eyes glanced out as normal space became hyperspace. Surely getting to Exegol, once an Ancient Sith Secret, wouldn't be a problem now that its location has been broadcasted to the entire Galaxy, leading to that terrible battle. Even going through that dangerous nebula wouldn't be a problem if so many have done so before at this point…

    Poinard shook his head. “I couldn’t tell you where the High Command is even communicating from. It’s on the move, but it seems to have been prepared for this disaster oddly. I took it that there was a mysterious force in play and assumed it was you when we met, but now -“ he looked worried, and even Sellik’s brow beetled. “I’m concerned that inevitably conflicting orders will result in a clash.”

    The ice pain within Cocytus shifted; expanded. It was spreading, touching upon his heart -

    Cocytus grunted painfully at the poison and used every ounce of his power in the Force to drive it back as to buy more time.

    "In that case, deem it best to contact me whenever conflicting orders show up. For now, you know your duties." The kaminoan ordered, holding back his pain, "Darth Cocytus out."

    "How much longer?" He asked the pilot with gritted teeth.

    “We have just reached the Red Nebula, Supreme Leader,” the pilot confirmed. The area, known as the Nihil Retreat, concealing the Perann Nebula, and dozens of ancient Sith worlds, most abandoned, devastated or reaped. Exegol was but another failure of many, the Sith having colonised and abandoned and rediscovered this region in the Unknown Regions many times over over the millennia.

    In short order they threaded through the crimson sea, and arrived above the wreckage of the world he left so recently. There were thousands of Star Destroyer hulks across the planet, most of them still burning. The Holocron, perched to see the outside, looked curious. Darth Noctyss peered at Cocytus. “What in the Nine Corellian Hells happened here?”

    "The Battle of Exegol." Cocytus replied, his voice a paradoxical mixture of pleasure towards his revenge against Palpatine and regret at the destruction of a would be Sith Empire, "Darth Sidious, returning from his death on the Second Death Star above Endor, by means of Essence Transfer, foolishly and insanely thought once again that he could rule the Galaxy by holding it at Gunpoint. Yet once again Rebellion rose up and destroyed him a second time, putting a final nail in any credibility he once had."

    His eyes widened and expression became that of potential embarrassment.

    "Surely your lab wasn't in the same building as Sidious's Headquarters?" he asked fearfully.

    Reflecting on our grandiose and ridiculous it all sounded, Noctyss snorted. "No, I wouldn't put it up on the surface for anyone to find. The wayfinders were not in my possession; I could not risk it being discovered." She gestured vaguely, and an image appeared of the inverted dipyramid. "I placed it under the Monolith." The Sith smirked. "Even if the precious minerals under Exegol's surface were again dug at, nobody would interfere with the temple, not with its potency."

    "Ah. Good. Very good." Cocytus replied, sounding actually relieved that he didn't indirectly ruin himself further. That would have been painfully ironic for the kaminoan if Palpatine was destroyed along with the cure for the poison that he afflicted him with. "Shall we begin, then?"

    Cocytus gestured to the pilot to make a safe landing.

    Noctyss guided them to the base of the Monolith and a secret way beneath the stone, a staircase that led down and down into the dark depths. "My Master founded this, but I killed him and took it for myself. I left a thrall to keep an eye upon the laboratory, to ensure nobody interfered with it apart from my chosen. And so -"

    She didn't managed to warn Cocytus before a bundle of misshapen flash hammered into him from above. It was a twisted form, clawing and writhing, and it even bit his neck -

    "STOP!" Noctyss roared!

    Cocytus walked proudly through the ancient secret path, listening to the Holocron speak. He smiled thinly at how Noctyss gained the Monolith. Apprentices killing their masters. Exactly as the Sith Order shou-

    The kaminoan's train of thought broke at the warning in the Force. The abomination of flesh gave him little time to prepare and grunted as it bit into his neck. Cocytus shoved thing off him with Force enhanced strength and pushed it away with a Force push.

    "I'd take that this is your pet monstrosity Darth Noctyss?" He asked as he ignited on one of his blades, prepared the next attack.

    Darth Cocytus extinguished his lightsaber and put it back to his belt. He glared at the creature, deformed and misshapen from terrible Sith Alchemy no doubt. "I see... Seems like she had managed to keep herself alive throughout the Millenniums..." He noted, which brought up a horribly uncomfortable thought to his mind as the kaminoan continued his journey towards Noctyss's laboratory regardless of her trustworthiness so far.

    Noctyss shrugged. "What's the point of having a guard-dog if she dies out? I certainly didn't want to breed her."

    The laboratory was relatively nondescript, with an assortment of chemicals and vials, and its own silent power-source, charged by electrical strikes to the planets surface. But the Sith tome within it, that was definitely bespoke - beautifully carved and detailing a ritual that required an infusion of Force-strong blood as part of the mechanic. There were references to variants involving Black Orchids, and a large amount of Force users pooling their resources into a single action - later known as a thought bomb - which could be used to drain life energy into a single person with the appropriate technological aids.

    But this version was clearly the simplest.

    The Holocron supplied the answer to the question. "My thrall is of course in possession of high M-count blood, but without the capacity to understand the Force. The damage to her mind was sufficient to ensure she retained no higher functions, but her usefulness remains."

    Darth Cocytus looked around the laboratory, clearly impressed before looking upon the artfully crafted Sith Tome within which impressed him further.

    "I assume that this ritual this tome speaks of is the key to immortality." The kaminoan observed, then noticing the mention of something similar to that weapon Darth Bane used to destroy the Brotherhood of Darkness, beginning the Thousand Year Rule of Two Era. He gave the tome a reread before bringing his attention back to the thrall, now understanding Darth Noctyss's words. "And I assume that we will need her blood to perform such a ritual?"

    “As long as you take her entire heart, and consume it, you’ll first be restored to full health, and then to immortality,” Noctyss said. “The whole heart, it’s key to the infusion.”

    Darth Cocytus blinked for a moment at Darth Noctyss's words. Take the entire heart and consume it? He raised his hand slowly gesturing to the thrall to come to him. "By consume, I assume you mean I must eat her heart." The kaminoan replied plainly, albeit a little distastefully at the barbarism of the act, as he looked around for something more fitting to surgically cut through flesh than a lightsaber, "Let's get right to it then."

    “Remember, unless you eat the whole heart, you won’t achieve immortality. You’ll only achieve part of the ritual,” Noctyss said, with emphasis. She pointed at a drawer. “There is an ancient Sith sword in there, my Lord.”

    She suffused satisfaction.

    The thrall bounded to the table, laying down.

    Noctyss emphasised the point one more time. “Remember; the whole heart. Otherwise you’ll not get the entire effect...”

    The creature tilted back, lifting its disfigured chest in anticipation.

    Darth Cocytus nodded firmly and began to slowly surgically carve into the creature's chest till the heart was revealed in its entirety. The kaminoan carefully removed the heart and held it within his palm, staring at it as if in a moment of hesitation. Trusting in the Force, he then immediately began to devour the heart, making sure to take in every last morsel, gagging slightly as he did so.

    @Sinrebirth




    Sent from my SM-A205U using Tapatalk
     
  15. Shadowsun

    Shadowsun Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2017
    IC: Darth Azathoth
    Luxury Elite

    After finishing hearing the snippets of Arb's and Ike's conversation Azathoth continued to rush through the ship, in time he would come across a blue chagrian dressed in fine clothing. The man was clearly aware of the state of the ship or much of reality at all.

    Wait

    Was this the Mas Amedda his master had informed him about? Yes, yes it must be, in which case it may prove quite useful to bring him along.

    "I am... a friend...come with me if you would, I'll gladly escort you,"

    Of course, he had no intention of escorting him to the bar, but he would continue to look for an escape pod, ship, or Insipid, whatever he found first. He could still feel the duel pulsating throughout the ship, his master clearly engaged with the situation. They had only just gotten to this reality, he better not die already.

    Amedda was completely compliant and nodded. “Thank you, friend! I was looking for Ike. He has been... attending to me, while the Lady changes into something more appropriate.” He licked his lips as he glanced up and down Azathoth. “Are you my next entertainment?”

    Azathoth fought to suppress a smile. The cold quiet pacing echoing through the ship as he navigated his way to find what he was looking for.

    "In a manner of speaking, yes,"

    He continued to tug on the man, leading him along until he could find...well... something of use.

    The Chagrian listed behind him, struggling to keep up. "This would be so much easier if I had a lead..."

    He chuckled and then began to blink, once, twice. "Wait, I'm -"

    Mas Amedda's focus was coming back. "Who are you. Did you drug me?" The leader of the Imperial remnant looked at Azathoth as if he was going to kill him. "And where is my staff of office? That has been the symbol of the true galactic governance for twenty-five thousand years." He loomed over the Sith

    Damn, this man has truly lost it.

    Azathoth turned back to him, eyeing him carefully, his body tensing up in anticipation. He wondered to himself when was the last time he had a bath, too long, he then pushed the idly thought out of his mind looking to the chagrian once more.

    "No Sir I did not drug you, I do not know where your staff of office is, come if we hurry we might be able to find it," Of course he did know where it is, Insipid had it, but of course he wasn't about to tell him that.

    “Do you know who I am?!” Mas Amedda snarled. “I served the greatest leader in galactic history as his right hand. If this is a rescue, it’s a miracle you’re alive!”

    He had lost it, yes, but he was also a Chagrian who had lost everything in his lifetime. He was a figurehead for a planet and regime he no longer had any control over. But he demanded respect.

    Azathoth gave a small sigh as he looked to the Chagrian. He was of no use, and his words angered Azathoth. Upstart bureaucrats that never helped anyone but themselves, going from leisure to pleasure in one endless loop of self-indulgence. Men like him did not deserve to exist.

    In one fluid motion, Azathoth reached down to his side, grabbing the lightsaber hilt, igniting it, and making a movement to clean the Chagrian's head from his body.

    Amedda tumbled to the floor, falling back in surprise as he recognised the man reached from his hilt - a Sith? - he wasn’t fast enough to avoid the blow, losing a horn to his swing -

    The Grand Vizier settled onto his knees. He was in pain, but he was also in awe. “A Sith?” He clutched Azathoth’s arm. “At last! I was hoping you weren’t gone - that you would come for me!”

    Azathoth looked down at the man, now positively confused, but then he smiled. This was too easy. The sickly, sadistic smile only widened Azathoth placing the lightsaber away.

    He recalled the history of this time that Insipid had discovered during their arrival.

    "The empire is in pieces, and what do you to show for it?" He said snidely, contemplating for a moment, thinking back to what Insipid last told him. Did Insipid have some use for this miserable creature? He never directly stated, might as well keep him alive for now. The main objective remained the same either find Insipid or get off the ship and regroup later.

    "If you want to show me your loyalty to the Sith, tell me how to get off this ship,"

    “Come with me, my Lord,” Amedda said. “I saw ships in the private hangar. We can escape, and plot the death of these, these - criminals.”

    To think, if Bellorum has shown her true colours that the Chagrian would have served them without question. He’d worked for Darth Sidious for decades - and kept his secrets, even his Sith identity. He was a true believer in avarice and decay.

    Azathoth nodded, recalling the map he had been shown earlier. After a moment of deciding which direction to go, he began to move eyeing the Chagrian to make sure he was still following. He closed his eyes for a moment sending a final message to his master, wondering if he had been able to escape or defeat whatever opponent he had been facing.

    I am heading to the hanger, if I do not meet you there we shall reconvene.

    TAG: @Sinrebirth
     
    Last edited: Apr 11, 2021
    Sinrebirth and darthbernael like this.
  16. Sinrebirth

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

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: Mas Amedda
    Luxury Elite hangar, Coruscant orbit

    It probably wasn't in Bellorum's plans, and it certainly would not have been had Aryan not been busy with Syren, but here was Mas Amedda, convinced by his own prejudices that she and Ike were criminal masterminds seeking to extort the rump ruler of the Galactic Empire, and that Azathoth was the Sith that he had hoped to find in the years since Darth Sidious had died.

    "I knew my master would have a plan!" He was saying. "I worked with him for decades, after all, concealing his true identity as he became Chancellor, and then Emperor, and during the glorious decades where he ruled the galaxy. It has been a true horror to be treated like an idiot and a patsy by the Empire after he died." The Chagrian shuddered, still holding a hand to his jagged horn in awe of Azathoth in-spite of the pain. "Grand Admiral Sloane, and that cur Gallius Rax." He growled. "I outlived them both, and I will do so the rest of the imbeciles who believe they can rule the Empire of the Sith without one!"

    He shook his head. "I am so grateful to you, my friend." Leading Azathoth through the Luxury Elite, where Azathoth was battered by all kinds of emotions in the Force; many of them the most base and hedonistic. His Master, Insipid, had not responded to him whatsoever, but remained in conflict. The Sith apprentice had struck gold it seemed, but as the Grand Vizier led them to the private VIP hangar, Azathoth would recognise danger permeating the Force.

    Indeed, there were half a dozen mercenary heavies in the bay, standing before a souped up personal transport; two Mandalorians, three Weequay thugs, and a battle droid of some variant - tall, with a narrow frame.

    They turned to Azathoth as one, looked at Amedda, and raised the three nonhumans their blasters.

    TAG: @Shadowsun
    ---
    IC: Darth Noctyss

    Exegol depths

    There was a flurry in the Force, and a splatter of blood hurled away from the mouth of Cocytus, splashing to the wall with a smudge of flesh. "You idiot, Master," came a female voice. Gruff, angry, disappointed, it was nonetheless that of Styx. She emerged from the shadows, glowering, looking older, but also much stronger in every spectrum of imagination. "I track you from Rishi and find you here, falling for a simple ploy."

    The creature on the table was writhing, but it's chest was already healing of its own accord. Noctyss howled. "Kill her! Cut her treacherous tongue from her throat!" The Holocron was jabbing frantically at the woman, even as the Force rumbled and twisted and stretched itself through Cocytus, unnatural shapes in the flow of life, promising a contortion of pain to his body. Yes, the ice in his heart was receding, and that would shorten his breath at the agony, but his bones seemed to want to pull around himself, leaning inward as if his entire skeleton sought to become mishapen - fetal even.

    "She interrupted the ritual!" Noctyss was screeching by now.

    Styx shot a glare at the Holocron, reaching for it with her hand to smash it into the wall -

    TAG: @Darth Cocytus (combo)
    ---
    IC: Zestus

    Jakku orbit

    There wasn't much else to speak of.

    Sabel's loyal bodyguard found recordings of the complex before it all went awry, and confirmed the presence of a Black Holocron, and various Sith masks and amulets, all of which had been given to a purple-robed servant, who had been pushed down the bore hole to explode and trigger the destruction of Jakku. A knot of humans had stopped it, one brawling with and then another killing Rax. The man and the woman had left, while a second woman with a regal air had headed out of the main area, up the stairs -

    To a silver-plated yacht of Nubian design, which was manned by a red Sentinel droid, something Sabel would never have seen before.

    [​IMG]

    Zestus watched it with some surprise.

    "Isn't that... the Emperor?"

    The droid escorted the woman - who one day Sabel would know as Grand Admiral Rae Sloane, and the systems tracked her and her departure into hyperspace - and even gave Sabel coordinates through the murk of the Unknown Regions....

    TAG: @darthbernael (combo)

    TAG: @darthhelinith, @Adalia-Durron, @darthhelinith, @DarthIshyZ, @Mitth_Fisto, @ClaiomhSolais (continue combo)

    TAG: @Silvertough (continue combo)

    TAG: @greyjedi125, @darthbernael (continue combo)

    TAG: @Lady Belligerent, @HanSolo29, @QueenSabe7 (mentions)
     
  17. darthbernael

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

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: Sabel continuing to be led around by the ghosts of the Empire, with @Sinrebirth

    IC Sabel
    Jakku orbit, enroute


    Sabel held his speech while he watched the holo recordings. The last revelation had him wondering as much as Zestus but he could not let the Guard know that it had caused him that wonder. ”All I can say, based on that, is that something shaped like a droid somehow has a face that matches the Emperor. Whether it is he or whether the people behind it have created as close a facsimile as possible is something we will discover.” he said, his tone calm and commanding.

    He retrieved the coordinates, more of a series of them, that would guide them after their prey. He tapped the pad he loaded them to, ”Do you not find it somewhat convenient that our formerly murderous host happened to have footage that appears to display the Emperor, in some sort of guise, and then gives us the exact course to reach wherever they went?” he asked the Captain, attempting to get the man to think and wonder what else could be involved here, so he didn’t solely focus on the image he’d seen.

    Turning toward the bridge, ”We shall load the coordinates and follow them, but under stealth and with as much caution as possible, lest we fall into some trap. And, have our fleet elements with us follow a jump behind each jump we take. Either to assist if we are assaulted or to call in the fleet to do so, whichever is necessary.”

    Zestus nodded. "It is somewhat suspicious, but I wonder if the Rax AI was so aggressive because it was defending that data... or it had been corrupted by that spirit you took on." He would feel a bit concerned within the Force. "I presume the spirit was attached to a mechanism within the Holocron, which is not all that different to an AI, which made it easier to influence."

    They had reached their ship and orbit without issue, leaving the remaining Death Troopers, who had given them a wide berth. He keyed the ship, put the stealth aspects to maximum, and checked them over as well. "We are functioning at 100% efficiency and coverage. All engine emissions are concealed." He hesitated. "Did you need anything from me in respect of the spirit, my Lord?"

    Sabel could have double checked Zestus’s work on the yacht but with how shaken the man had been and still seemed to be, he didn’t need Sabel seeming to be unsure of his efforts. He considered the question that was asked. ”Set us on the course we have been given. But yes, afterward, I want you to dive into any of the records and recordings we recovered to discover who the spirit was that resided in the Holocron. It is being remarkably unforthcoming.”

    “Oh?” Zestus frowned. “Isn’t that even more concerning, sir?” He keyed the coordinates, checked again the stealth systems, and pulled the lever. They rumbled into hyperspace, and he looked back to Sabel. “Do you know anything at all?”

    Sabel glanced back at Zestus, thinking, ”It was remarkably unforthcoming in who it was in life. All I could get in the time I had when making the deal with it was a sense of age and power. Which means that it could be any number of ancient Sith.” He shrugged a shoulder, ’And you, spirit, what do you have to say about yourself?’ he asked it in his mind.

    There was no reply.

    None whatsoever.

    Unhelpfully.

    Zestus pouted. "Well, that's useful. But it's pretty hard to force a spirit to obey you, right? Unless we can find a way to bind them... or perhaps trap them?" There were legends of both such feats, but neither would be in Sabel's immediate repertoire. Zestus paused. "What do you make of the Emperor not including you in his post-death plans?"

    Even if they seem rooted in simple spite.

    Sabel chuckled, he was extremely talented in mental abilities as wella s others but binding spirits was not something he’d ever needed to have as a skill before. ”Surprise, surprise, the spirit refuses to respond when I do try.”

    He thought about the last message for a few moments. ”Given the command he gave, I believe we were set up to be the last, last resort of his plans. A ‘everything else has failed and I need something to bring the Empire back even if I am gone’ sort of plan. So having him use up everyone else and simply allow us to grow and prosper is not something I’ll waste energy on. It has done us well to be left out of those ‘let’s destroy everything’ plans.”

    "Operation Cinder," Zestus said, describing the name given to the pair of galactic assaults led by the Imperials that had eventually settled on Jakku. "Barbarism. To attack loyal and Rebel worlds without distinguishing... and then to focus purely on disloyal Imperials..."

    In hindsight, Rax had been thinning the Empire out to take ultimate control of it, but it was still unsettling. The Fleet Admiral had existed outside the Admiralty, and almost nobody knew who he was - only that he had managed to hang on to the last Super Star Destroyer in Imperial control, as well as the fleet attached to it. Zestus knew that much from the devastating reports the Red Knights had been privy to. He had never been aware precisely when their command board had been made aware of the Emperor's death, but his passing had shook the Force - Sabel could not have hid it.

    The ship chimed with their imminent arrival. Mentally, Zestus armoured up, psychologically preparing himself for battle…

    Sabel nodded as Zestus described Operation Cinder. He had known about it, it was hard not to have known with the reports that had crossed his desk with what could have been considered alarming frequency as events occurred. ”Somehow I get the feeling that our statuesque friend was a big part of that Operation. So whatever we are about to encounter is involved with at least one Contingency, if not more.”

    As the ship chimed the arrival notice Sabel smiled as he felt Zestus prepare himself. He approved, of course, after the mental gymnastics of Jakku it was good that the man would be ready both physically and mentally. He double checked his armor, then touched where it seemed the spirit had decided to dwell in his mind, ’Your first chance to assist, or not, is coming, my new friend.’ He composed himself then, when Zestus as ready, ”Take us in, but be ready for anything, this is going to be a very interesting experience, I believe.”

    They arrived at what appeared to be a blank spot in space, but there was a small space station evident, an Imperial design. It was darkened, potentially because it couldn't detect them with the stealth equipment. They approached without problem, and even were placed to land if they wanted. Indolent turbolaser batteries and ion cannons were evident - even shield generators and torpedo launchers.

    It was very well armed.

    ”Take us to the nearest airlock. This thing has the ability to dock with such and override their security so the station shouldn’t know that we ever landed.” Sabel told Zestus.

    He moved to a charging station and ensured that the air system of the armor was topped up. He didn’t trust a station that could or could not have enemies onboard to be kind to them about breathable atmosphere. When the suit beeped that it was done he stepped away. Taking his helmet in hand, ”When you’ve done so, do what I did, we’ll use the suit filters when we board and save the onboard suit tanks if needed so better to have them full. Something tells me we may need them.” he told his Captain.

    Zestus saluted, relatively sincerely. He suited up, tightening his traditional red Royal Guard uniform to vacuum seal it. "Ready when you are, my Lord." He checked his blaster was charged, and his double-bladed vibroblade was ready, and he even had a lightsaber hilt to hand also this time.

    He liked options.

    As the yacht docked and Zestus finished preparing, Sabel set his helmet in place, the display lit up as it sealed. His lip quirked at the comment from Zestus, if there’d been more weapons on board the Guard would have brought them with him. He turned, walking through the ship to the hatch to board. As it began to cycle open, he chuckled, ”Watch there be a group waiting to greet us, with some sort of surprise party.” he said, sarcasm deep in his voice. At this point most of the other forms of greeting from people they had encountered had happened so there were few other ways for them to be met.

    There wasn't.

    The station was completely silent.

    There were no life-signs, only emergency lighting.

    It was a ghost station.

    Sabel’s senses spread out and didn’t feel any other living presence close to them, at least, on the station. He frowned, the routing wouldn’t have brought them here without reason. But if it truly was abandoned that meant there were more stops to come and they needed to discover the next ‘breadcrumb’ on the trail.

    His helmet swung toward Zestus, ”Normally I would say split up and scour the station for the data or location where we must head first but something about this place suggests that doing so as a unit is the proper response. So we shall advance until we find a control node and rip the data from the core.” His head swiveled forward once more, ”But expect the unexpected, you know what happened with our last Imperial installation.” he cautioned before moving deeper into the station.

    TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto
     
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2021
  18. Adalia-Durron

    Adalia-Durron WNU/Costume/Props/EUC Mod. star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jun 3, 2003
    IC: Renn, Helinith, Soliloquy, Serapis, Estrella, Claiomh, Morrigan, Isolder, et al - Combo with a Cast of Thousands..... well feels that way :p
    Royal Palace, Hapes


    Renn listened as Galney spoke, listening to the words that were unspoken as well. A light chuckle sounded, breaking the tension that was building. ”Often, when one has one problem there are multiple solutions but when one has multiple problems often they can solve each other.” he said in a calm, steady tone. As he did, he sent waves of calming energy toward Galney, her panic wouldn’t help right now and they didn’t need it infecting anyone else.

    He stood, moving beside Helinith’s throne, on the other side of her now. ”So let us count and summarize.” holding up one finger, ”First, we have Hades ship, which the New Republic is going to try to stop and/or stop any Hapan ship from assisting, I’m sure.”

    He held up a second finger, ”Second, we have a world the NR says may request their assistance and suddenly we have a call for Isolder from Beed Thane, a known noble who supported the attempted coup, from his world. Suspicious, no?”

    A third finger went up, ”And third, we have our brand new Admiral of the Fleet on sight, with the NR representatives, trying to defuse the situation. Whether her allegiance is shaky or not we do have assistance for her on sight as well, two very knowledgeable and experienced people who can assist.”

    He absently handed Helinith another fruit twist, smiling as their hands touched, ”So...three main problems, and however many myriad secondary problems associated with them. But each is solvable, we just have to work out the solution.”

    Hapes Cluster blockade line

    Claiomh was deep into her meditation. Focused entirely upon bleeding the Kyber that floated before her, she almost didn’t hear Morrigan via the coms.

    She, in fact, didn’t hear Morrigan. She sensed it via the Force - the woman’s dire angst and sudden emotional outburst, as if sudden, horrible, awareness was thrust upon her.

    Claiomh’s eyes flew open as she leaps to her feet. Tucking the Kyber into her bathrobe pocket and snatched her lightsaber. She sped through the doors to the command area and her eyes fell upon the few screen. Growing even wider.

    “Ancient gods,” both a swear and a prayer came from Claiomh as the sent herself into the gunnar’s chair.

    The screens came alive with colorful targeting systems and the even more colorful outlines of X-wings approaching. Lifting her eyes, she saw the ships directly through the view screen fying from the massive MC85 Star Cruiser.

    “What the fierfek!! Who the fierfek?! What the fierfek do they want with us!”

    Her hands wrapped around the control sticks of the guns. Many, many thoughts ran through her mind, most of which was the speed, maneuverability, and armaments the ship possessed.

    Then another realization struck her

    Not only had she not reclaimed her lost skills from paying the boatman to cross the River of time, but her clothes...her clothes...were being laundered and she was sitting in The gunner’s chair wearing a bathrobe. Her hair still wet and stringy, clung in ribbons of orange-red to her bathrobe, long and untied.

    “Oh gods,” she mutters taking in maw level gulps of information with her eyes. The strength of the fleet they faced, the abilities of the ship they were in, and naturally - Instinctively - Claiomh reached out with the Force to gather all the information she could glean.

    Emperor Soliloquy The Reluctant's Quarters as Erin Soong - Blockade

    Having kept his eyes and ears open back home it was a simple enough thing to note what was happening as he sat, or rather she sat near the window of her quarters. One of the privileges of rank. Speaking over the comm device she softly intoned a verbal impression of his usual self to Ren and Royal Company. "Queen Mother, pardon the intrusion." She was the only one that actually ranked any outward sign of difference in this instance. "Hades is not present aboard the vessel, but a new darksider is. I will attempt to open a dialogue - as for the one calling the prince. There is no such thing as coincidence I believe."

    Opening a comm relay she sent a message to the Royal Guard looping them in about this errant Planetary Ruler. Next she went about setting up a laser relay out her quarters window to have direct - unable to listened in on or monitored communications with Lord Hades little ship. It had caused her to have to reform her face into an array of farseeing multispectral lenses for a minute to properly align it without interference, but once her face was set back to normal she began a private conversation on the new line in her temporary forms voice as Erin "This is a concerned observational party. I do not recognize you. Please identify, oh and do conceal yourself in the Force if you please. If you cannot I am not sure if I can save you as simply."

    Claiomh takes in a quick breath and with every part of herself closes in. Curling the eddies of Darkside energy in and around herself. While she wanted information, craved it, she also knew the dangers of actively seeking it - others might be able to sense her nature.

    “I am Claíomh Solais,” she answers in an even tone. “Morgana is with me and assisting me to find...the others. What is going on here?”

    Astarta sat in a visitors chair of Tomsini's ready room. She had her feet up on the other visitors chair. She nodded along as Renn ticked off the concerns they faced. She opened her mouth to add to it when the panicked voice of the newcomer came across. She leaned forward to speak up. "A reminder for everyone to ensure you're on an encrypted line. Don't want the hand the New Republic evidence we're harboring darksiders."

    Changing topics back to the blockade, she added, "I will say about Leia that we've got a powderkeg here... and we can't afford another explosion at this point."

    Claiomh sat up stiffly. “Who’s Leia?” Her voice trails off as her eyes scan the ships in front of them. She pauses and gathers her thoughts. “What must we do to get past this.... blockade? I have been...traveling for awhile and might be a bit short on recent events. This line is encrypted.”

    Standing from her place by her window she made sure she had a remote way to alter the signal device prior to leaving. That and that she had long range sensors pulled up on another pad as she made her way to the conference room. Patching into yet another conversation after linking what she had with them. Things were developing quickly, Erin Soong could not deny that, not one bit.

    In record time she stepped into the conference room and took a seat at the periphery. Inside Erin's guts the Emperor spoke into his own pad inside and so his voice would come from the speakers to all those involved near and far. "It might be best if she simply leaves and joins up with an agent abroad, that agent could then bring them back safely. Or do we have issues with that delay? Also, Prince Isolder, answer the call but keep the mic on isolate so that only your voice is picked up on that extra encrypted call."

    Isolder jumped, but looked at the Queen Mother for her view.

    He wasn't exactly versed in the Emperor's importance in matters.

    Renn chuckled as the conversation continued. He tapped a finger to his chin at the ast that Soliloquy had stated as he thought. He turned and winked at Helinith for a moment. ”They could do that but if they are that new, perhaps seeing if they could get through the blockade would tell us if they have what it takes to join us. And they would fill the role that we could use to assist Isolder if or when he visits Vergill.”

    He reached down to the datapad that had a secure connection to Soliloquy, they didn’t need the others or Isolder to overhear. ’And it could prove as a test for her, both getting through the blockade and being Isolder’s bodyguard. After all the Order doesn’t need those that cannot do what is needed.’ he sent to his little brother.

    Astarta sat up. "Excuse me, Renn. If they're in the position to get through, they're in a position to help. I'm expecting the orbital tanks to be delivered soon. I'm sure Admiral Tomsini has a few more Battle Dragons at this point. And more than a few Miy'til fighters. I'm not suggesting attack. But, if we can make ourselves look dangerous enough, and they have, say, a boarding or invasion from the other front... they might just leave." She considered her words a second. "If an animal swallows a frog, if that frog tastes bad enough, the animal will spit it out."

    Claiomh holds the gunnar controls of the ship. As voices talk among themselves on the com she listens as she keeps her eyes on the battle fleet in front of her. The X-wings swarm around like a flock of insects awaiting what her ship was going to do.

    She tests the maneuverability of the guns as they wait just out of rang of the blockade.

    Estrella listened carefully and as Astarta spoke she gave a sage nod, not feeling she had more to add at this stage. She was still learning who and what these people were and how she should react to them. Leia had nothing, not yet, but if they needed to control her, they needed to find the source of her potential leak and ability to intrude.

    Helinith sucked on the fruit twist appreciatively and nodded.

    "Personally, I'm all for Renn's idea. It's the sort of thing Insipid would do, as long as it doesn't compromise the blockade and it will knock the Republic down a peg, goodness knows they need it."

    She was starting to tire of meetings and politics, it felt like she'd been in meetings for several years.

    A tractor beam latched on Claiomh’s ship, and Morrigan swore again. “We’re caught, my Lords. Should we kill ourselves?”

    That was an insane suggestion, or at least it would appear to be to Claiomh or Tomsini, but it was a solution! Not the best one by far.

    The New Republic ships hadn’t moved forward, placing Claiomh and Morrigan at the extreme of their tractor range - Leia dare not advance for fear of being misconstrued... but as Morrigan threw the engines to maximum power they inched closer and close to tractor range of the Hapan flagship...

    Isolder flipped the comlink active and put it on speaker, looping in the Admiral too, and thus all Sith either at the blockade line or on Hapes. “Prince Isolder here. Archon Thane?”

    It was an audio line only.

    “Your Highness, and hopefully Admiral, I would be grateful for your support in seceding from the Hapes Consortium and inviting the New Republic to defend our throne. I would seek to found the new Hapan Kingdom, with a King Father - rather than a Queen Mother, creating a constitutional monarchy where the gender of our ruler matters not! Where we can reclaim our star cluster for the Hapan people!”

    Isolder blinked a few times, conscious that this wasn’t going to go well for anyone involved.

    Helinith bristled with a poorly concealed fury, although for the sake of secrecy, she kept her voice to a murmur to avoid giving the game away.

    "Who the hell does he think he is?! The sacrifices I have made for.... ungrateful son of a..."
    And here she produced a torrent of muttered expletives that were not appropriate for a monarch to know, let alone use.
    "Surely it'd be easiest to just kill him. And Morrigan you've got two choices, break through that blockade or sit out in space and starve."

    Renn sighed, with his Craziness in this mood there was going to be no time for subtlety, or to wait for the Admiral to see that Morrigan’s craft was in range of her tractor. On the same frequency as she’d used, ”Morrigan, push those engines, you are almost in range of the Hapan fleet’s tractors and out of the NR ones.” and then he raised his energies, as quietly as possible, sending his mind out to the Hapan task force first, to the Admiral’s mind, ’I said we’d be working closely, Admiral. Jockey your ships as though you were reacting to the Republic’s movements, only a few subtle adjustments and you can snag that ship with your tractor. Apologies for communicating this way but that little snake of a politician leaves me no choice.’

    And then he reached out one last time, this time to Isolder, ’Stall him. Tell him you are waiting for your Royal Guards to join you before you can join him. Even if he managed to get one planet to join him the rest of the Consortium, without Sith interference would scorch his world and salt the ashes.’

    Astarta gulped. There's the other shoe to drop, she thought. And an Archon, no less. It did explain why Astarta's loyalty crew hadn't been able to interview anyone on Thane's world, so far. The question followed, would Isolder go along with him, or stick with the original deal. If Isolder was as lily-livered as he seemed, he would stick with the Sith, since he knew what we could do to him.

    The timing couldn't be worse, though. Here were the two highest officers of the Hapan military on the flagship nose-to-nose with the New Republic.

    Though, maybe there was a way out of this. Perhaps play along for now and neutralize Archon Thane after the fact. She needed to speak to Estrella privately. She reached over to push the "mute" button.

    Claiomh narrows her eyes as she feels the right of war between their ship and the tracking beam.

    She ignores Morgan’s suggestion that they kill themselves as she gets up out of the Gunnar seat. “If anything unfortunate happened to you, your master would hunt me down - living or dead.”

    “Keep trying to get the ship free....perhaps some angles will help.” She pauses and gives the coms a dirty look. “Our concerned observers took to long it would seem. Perhaps we should have just made a run for it...”

    She shakes her head and leaves the room, “No matter now; at least this gives me a moment to get clothes on. I wasn’t looking forward to a shootout in a bathrobe.”

    Erin sat there, tapping a finger silently on the panel as she managed the comms traffic to keep anyone from hearing conversations they shouldn't. It was an interesting job, but so was the situation they were in now. They needed the blockade to continue. From inside her shell the Emperor Soliloquy looked at his own pad and sent a suggestion of his own. "Hold on Hapan beams, I have an idea. Have the ship identify itself on a tight band transmission to the X-wings as an information and ally gathering mission from Beed Thane attempting to return with information vital for his attempts to force reformation in the Hapes Cluster. Let's see if the blockade is as diligent when they believe their own interests are to let this one through."

    On another note Erin sent a copy of the recording from Beed Thane and a choice snippet from the Queen Mother to the Royal Guard. They would know what to do, and hopefully this renegade that thought males should be truly equals and even above women would be put in place before this comm call was fully finished.

    Estrella noticed as Astarta muted the conversation. "Thank you." She said quietly, "I suspect Thane has lost his mind," she allowed a small smile, "or will shortly." She faced Astarta, "He cannot be allowed to continue, the Hapes Consortium is at stake and war is the last thing we, and the Hapen people need. We've suffered enough."

    Astarta breathed. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath, but until just this moment, she was unsure which way the Admiral would go. She also moved her hand off her lightsaber hilt. "I agree, Admiral. To both sentiments. Can we make it seem like he has lost his mind? After all, he's just called down the New Republic on us. Making him sound crazy might defuse it." She hoped one of the other Sith was taking care of the Thane problem already.

    Estrella allowed a soft chuckle. "I don't think we will be required to do very much at all." She knew who or more so, what she was dealing with. Her very short and very quick research told her one major thing, Sith deal in absolutes. As far as she could tell, Thane was a problem, and there wasn't going to be dancing around that, they would deal with it, absolutely. "I feel the 'Powers that be' will move swiftly to remove this ......" she paused to find the right words, "thorn in their side."

    Astarta rubbed her chin. "Still, Leia's going to stick to her requirement: only one world would need to secede to call them in. That's happened." She gestured to the speaker to indicate Archon Thane's treachery. "Let's check in with the others. They're probably wondering about the silence." She tapped the mute button again, activating the speaker. "Your Highness, Queen Helinith, we're up for anything here."

    The Royal Guard acknowledged with not a word, and instead went to work.

    The suggestion of the Emperor was carried out, and the New Republic fleet paused, not increasing the number of tractors on Morrigan and Claiomh. Princess Leia came across the comms - she had been looped into the discussion with Estrella and Isolder - and thus all of the Sith. "Am I to understand, Archon Thane, that the ship presently running the New Republic blockade is one of your representatives?"

    Beed Thane paused. "Um, no, Princess. But are you going to intervene within the star cluster yet?"

    "Have you issued a secession?"

    "Well no, I wanted to ensure the Admiral and Prince were aboard -"

    "This is about the Acolytes of the Beyond, not a power grab, Thane," Leia's voice was durasteel.

    But in that instant Claiomh angled herself to break the New Republic tractors!

    Leia's voice snapped out. "Ion cannons! Now! Move forward to keep her in-range!" The Mon Calamari cruiser opened fire, lancing the path of Morrigan and Claiomh with disabling fire -

    They were about to stray into weapons range of the Hapans -

    A report came over the internal ship comm. The captain of the ship was reporting a chance to grab the loyalist ship with their own tractors. Without thinking, General Astarta punched the com and issued an order to activate the tractor beam, to do whatever they could to get the ship through, short of shooting. After finishing her orders, she felt chagrined. She looked at the Admiral, released the com button and said "Excuse me. Force of habit to take charge."

    Estrella waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine. There is no 'i' in team, and I'd like to work as a team with you." A gracious smile touched her lips. "But I seems our counterpart has been.......upset somewhat." She turned her attention to the viewport. "I do believe we have work to do."

    Claiomh senses danger and runs back, half dressed, into the command center. She notices Morgana was successful in orchestrating her plan to free the ship from the tractor beams.

    She dives into the gunnar seat seizing the controls and firing as she does so. Squirming in the seat she continues to return fire as she pulls her shirt down and her pants up, her lightsaber swinging at her hip.

    “What happened?!” She yells; her eyes flying across the controls.

    Still not sure who exactly was attacking her, or the events that inter-tangled the consortium with the Sith empire - she attempts to use her fire to intercept incoming fire - not knowing who could be on those ships, or held captive.

    Many questions flew through Claiomh’s mind. Where was Incepid? Was Bernael on that planet? She could sense him, but he was distant, and engrossed.

    But the only words that escaped her lips to Morgana in that moment was a single mantra.

    “Run! Run! RUN!”

    Renn glanced at Helinith, then his fingers began tapping at the pad, sending a message to Soliloquy, ’Recommend defensive fire, supporting the shuttle, if in range reel it in with the tractors. Exploit Leia’s paranoia about the Acolytes but deny that they’re present in the Consortium. Just my recommendation of course.’

    He glanced at Isolder, nodding at the man, encouraging him to keep Thane talking and sending a thought to him, ’Leia’s paranoia can serve us well, keep Thane talking about a ‘Man’s’ revolution to bring males to prominence in the Consortium. Only a short time more and we will have your bodyguard for the trip to see him.’

    His head nodded as he thought and he directed his gaze to Lady Galney, ’Who is the highest ranking loyal female on Thane’s world? Contact her and advise her that the situation is being handled but to be prepared.’ he thought to her.

    It was delightful when you got to see your subterfuge bear fruit. Erin felt a bit of a smile trying to break through as she thought about how the doom was already coming for Thane, how the messages were being controlled and routed by her in a seamless transition and with none of the wrong ears hearing the other parties that weren't supposed to be heard.

    Emperor Soliloquy idly looked at the message from Renn, the tree had alot to say for not being Emperor. Erin was not about to do such action without just cause though. . .ah yes. "Admiral, General, shall we open warning or covering fire for the ship? Something to deter the blockade without escalating it? Perhaps have the ship rise up to the a point between our forces so the Republic ships cannot fire without their misses hitting us? We of course could be gracious if they did hit as we tractor in the ship."

    Helinith scowled.

    "General, Admiral; I want that man's head on a platter, I am almost beyond caring about how it gets done." She chewed on the fruit twist and there was a sudden burst of flavour which lightened her mood considerably. She glanced over at Galney. "Can we get a video feed of this? Would make it easier to see what's going on."

    Estrella suspected that the Queen would order exactly as she had, the man was history in her mind. Striding to the Bridge she listened to the advice coming to from her Comm officer, it was an option she'd already considered. "Weapon's, cover fire for that ship, don't hit it or the one tracking it, just make a damn good show of it. Avoid hitting anything of theirs thought. Then I want that ship tractored here, the New Republic must not get it's hands on it! Am I making myself clear?" She hoped she was making herself clear. Looking out the viewport she clasped her hands behind her and bit the inside of her cheek slightly as she watched. There was a fleeting hint of sympathy for Thane, but it passed in a blink of an eye as she knew the man had signed his own death warrant.

    Astarta followed in the Admiral's wake to the bridge. This was not progressing peacefully. Neither Astarta nor Serapis was afraid of battles. They'd both had their fair share. But each time it was from a position of power. The Navy was not in its strongest position right now. She noted each person on the bridge efficiently going to work executing the Admiral's orders. The gunners, especially were taking great care in their task. It was quite impressive. Once she arrived at the command area, she sent a message to her lieutenants, those serving on the Battle Dragon and those back at base, to get a report on the production of those orbital guns.

    For a moment Claiomh faced an entire armada in front of her, including its x-wings diving towards them, guns blazing. Behind them was space, filled with cultures and people but to her as empty as a void.

    On the planet below was what was left of the Sith and perhaps the one she sought, or knowledge to his whereabouts.

    She did not survive an alternate time and fight her way back just to flee. The controls shifted, sliding, humming as her own fire returned in blazing streaks. The view shifted wildly as Morgana flew the ship, evading the fire.

    Claiomh fiercely fought the urge to use the Force to assist them. But her resolve to the recommendations of the concerned observers began to wain. Her fire arched upward, only to spin downward in shifting spirals. All tricks - to confuse, bait, and lure the x-wings into uncomfortable situations to keep their pressure from mounting.

    With no warning - fire irrupted from the Battle Dragon. Her eyes shot towards the glowing surface as streaks of fire flew past them at the attacking ships.

    “They’re covering us!” She yells to Morgana, unsure if in her focus of flying the ship knew what was happening. “We need to get closer! We need to get to that ship!”

    The engagement was growing closer to a full blown war by the moment, and Leia didn’t have authority for that - not until the Archon declared his secession. Without knowing precisely who or what was aboard that ship, she couldn’t risk it - the Senate would have her guts for garter, and Chancellor Mothma would have no choice but to let them have Leia.

    “Cease fire,” Leia muttered. After a moment where the attack continued, she raised her voice. “I said cease fire; all New Republic forces, withdraw immediately.”

    The X-wings abandoned their pursuit of Morrigan and Claiomh, leaving Leia to cut the channel without another word. That left the Archon on the line with the gathered Hapan and Sith leadership. He grumbled. “I’m ready for anything, don’t you worry, Prince, Admiral.”

    At that, he, too, cut the line.

    Isolder released a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding.

    They’d survived, and avoided a Galactic war they couldn’t win.

    Renn smiled as Leia cut the line and the New Republic forces began to move. He would have been even more pleased if she’d let them cross that line fully. It would have cost them, of no doubt, but it would have cost them more. As it is they had footage that, edited correctly, would show the NR in even worse light. They also now had the bodyguard for Isolder’s little trip. One’s who would have a recent experience of why the Archon needed his head removed as Helinith had demanded.

    With the Archon off the line as well, he had his pad scan the frequency the Sith were using to ensure no one was still eavesdropping before speaking. ”As soon as that shuttle is recovered, Isolder, you will have a pair of bodyguards, who will assist ith the little issue of the Archon. And will get them away from the main Palace area, in care the Republic wishes to send a delegation to ask about them.”

    He absently reached into his pouch and handed Helinith another candy before turning his attention to the Admiral, ”Admiral Estrella, that was well handled, praise is due to your cool head and expert timing, as well as your turn of a phrase about the Archon. Please have the occupants of the shuttle delivered as soon as practicable. I’m sure the Queen Mother would like to have a look at two willing to start a war with the Republic before we put them to use.”

    With that he sat back, taking his own candy and popping it in his mouth. He’d bounced back and forth over the line of taking upon himself things that were truly his little brother’s job but with that one playing his own game, or role, for the deliberations someone had to be the more public face of it and he did so.

    Helinith sighed in relief as she took the candy from Renn's hand.

    "Hapes 1, Republic 0!" She stood up. "Drinks all round! Or give yourself a pat on the back if you prefer." It wasn't clear if she was directing that comment to the other sith, the Hapeans under her command or both. She looked at Galaney. "We're on a roll! Let's keep going! Bring in the next item on the agenda!"

    Estrella clasped her hands behind her back, tightly. Letting out a soft sigh she allowed some of the tension to leave her shoulders as things had gone their way. "Cease fire and continue to bring that craft on board, eyes open on the opposition ships, we cannot make assumptions. They twitch, we swat them." She turned to Astarta. "Round one I assume?"

    The danger was passing. That was clear. The New Republic had blinked first. They'd stopped firing. The Battle Dragon was bringing the newcomer's ship in. Astarta had mixed reactions to the whole thing. While Serapis was shocked and relieved that it had ended the way it did, the General's and Rendarr's consciousness were simply satisfied. There was no doubt in their minds that this would end the way it did. Obviously Serapis could learn something from these two. To be honest, the feeling he was getting from them was downright disappointed. He put a good deal of meditation on the 'to do' list when they got back. To the Admiral's question, Astarta simply smiled a tight smile and nodded. A pause. "Uh, do you have a gym on this heap? I need a few minutes sweating with a heavy bag to relax." It was quickly becoming obvious to Serapis why Rendarr found working out such a good pastime.

    Estrella turned. "I'll thank you to refer to my craft and more than a 'heap', and yes, aft deck, port side, level 4." Turning back to face front she added. "Kindly show show some respect please?"

    Claiomh felt the ship lurch as Morgana evaded the incoming fire: dodging and veering towards the battle ship that was providing them cover.

    This time Claiomh felt even more pressure to open herself and use the Force. She needed to get to that ship but had no idea why or for how long they would continue to provide cover. Was their “concerned observers” in command of that ship? She didn’t know.

    A moment later she decided the situation was too fleeting not to take advantage of it and began to open to the Darkside, but in that very same moment she ship lurched, and shuddered. This felt very different from the maneuvers Morgana was executing.

    The suddenness jarred Claiomh from the Force as if the Darkside itself intervened ‘Not yet.’

    She looked at the controls to see not only the x-wings broke off pursuit, but now they were being towed into the battle ship that provided cover.

    Claiomh let out a sigh. Releasing her white knuckles from the gunnar controls.

    She leans back in the chair watching the huge ship grow larger in the view screen, quickly taking up the entire view. Strategically placed lights illuminated sections of the doors and surrounding area. Some blinked while others were static. Then there was a sudden crack of light that appeared as the door opened and their ship was drawn inside.

    Her hand went to her sabers instinctively, unconsciously. The smooth hilt of one graces her fingers and it’s Kyber chimed to her. But it was the absence of her second saber that drew her eyes to her side.

    She relaxed her hand and rested it upon the cleared Kyber, quiet in her pocket.

    With a deep pain she hid her eyes, only to returned them to the view screen.

    “This will be interesting,” her voice confident granite. But below the solid stone was a vein of concern and distraction.

    Erin finished her job of closing all the comm lines that were hitherto left open. With a sigh she stood as a waiting comm officer stepped back forward to resume her duties that Erin had taken over for this event. "Admiral, General. I shall retire unless you would like me to deal with these new comers to the ship?" She fully intended to go the gym for a quick session before she would gather her things from her quarters and appropriate a ship to her next destination. Unless ordered otherwise, then she could handle these newcomers handily, but that fell more so to the General and Queen Mother than anyone else at this point. After all she had voiced having them circle round for a guide ship through the mists, and she was no mystic.

    Without turning the Admiral waved one hand dismissively. "Thank you for your work, by all means."





    TAG @Sinrebirth @darthbernael @Mitth_Fisto @ClaiomhSolais @DarthIshyZ @darthhelinith @E. L.Knight @Silvertough @greyjedi125
     
  19. Darth Cocytus

    Darth Cocytus Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 8, 2016
    Darth Cocytus
    Return of Darth Styx

    Only having eaten a portion of the heart, Darth Cocytus turned around, glaring at Darth Styx, for a brief moment pleased to see her, if only for a split second. She was powerful in the Dark Side, older, stronger and wiser than when he found her all those years ago. And yet her words troubled the kaminoan, confirming the doubts he had the moment that he saw the thrall.

    He grunted and clutched at his body, now fully realizing the full treachery of Darth Noctyss, as his being began to enter a world of agony. Then he realized everything as it all came together in his mind, fully realizing what a fool he was and the wisdom of Darth Styx's words.

    "You treacherous harlot!" Cocytus snarled and cursed as he too went to destroy the Holocron, even as body felt as if it was trying to become misshapen, "To think that I should have known better than to trust another Sith outside of my vision! That creature! That creature was you wasn't it?! That is what you call immortality?!"

    Styx snatched the Sith sword and drove it into the thrall's chest, impaling it to the table. It writhed, but was unable to move for the moment. “It is indeed her; she’s trapped like that until she passes the curse of immortality onward. As you didn’t fully eat her heart, you should be able to resist the change...”

    His former apprentice curled her face into a wicked grin. “But if you push too hard, you’ll drive off the cute you sought.” The Holocron blazed back to life.

    “You ruined everything! I was finally going to be free! No longer trapped in this monstrous form! No longer even sentient!” The hologram reached out her hands as if she could throttle Styx.

    “Look inward, my old Master... and be perfect - because if you push too hard, the carbonite poisoning will surely kill you after this exertion, and if you push too little, you will be deformed, and ruined.” Styx was amused. “Perfection was never a quality of yours, was it?”

    The pain intensified and there was a loud crack as his body twisted, wrenching his back so his spine bent upon him -

    Darth Cocytus nodded at Darth Styx's wise words and sought to relax even as he gave one last hateful glare at the treacherous Holocron. He made the same mistake AGAIN, trusting, only to be toyed with by another of the Sith. First it was Darth Insipid, the Palpatine AI, then Darth Bane, and now the holocron Darth Noctyss in his time of desperation.

    The kaminoan sneered at his own folly before looking over at his apprentice, fully grown up, strong and wise, which gave him a sense of pride despite the pain. He began to meditate, focusing inward, just as Styx said, to push back against both the agonizing transformation and the lethal poison. He sought to perform a sort of balancing act in the Force, seeking ‘perfection’ as his apprentice called it.

    “Perfection is like peace, Lady Styx.” Cocytus chuckled a bit in thought, figuring to give another lesson as he continued the meditative balance, “A lie many a Sith and Jedi have sought for only to be gravely disappointed or destroyed by their delusion of what they think to have found. Besides, even if perfection was possible, what more would we have to live and strive for if we get there? All we would have left is stagnation and death. No room for improvement and, most importantly, no room for passion. Always strive to be better than you ever were before, but never perfect.”

    “But I guess I can make an exception with this form of perfection.” The kaminoan concluded with a thin smile beaming with pride, “My most wise apprentice.”

    "Well then," Styx said, stepping over and closing his eyes. "Lie to yourself then, my old Master." The woman sneered, and held out a hand to take the Holocron into it and shut it off. "It's what you were best at."

    Darkness took Cocytus, and he stood there, in the black - but he wasn't alone.

    His mutilated, twisted, gnarled potential was there, hissing.

    It wasn't to exist.

    To be immortal.

    There was a feminine wile to it, as Noctyss pushed upon Cocytus to accept her curse, to free her, fully -

    Lie to myself?

    As his apprentice's words lingered, maybe true sometimes, other times not so, Darth Cocytus snarled at Darth Noctyss with her empty promises.

    To die from poisoning was one thing, disgraceful yes, but to exist eternally with his mind lost forever as a husk, was something that no being should ever have to endure.

    He refused to accept such a fate and pushed back against the Noctyss's treachery while simultaneously pushing back against the poison.

    The kaminoan poured all of his will as he looked into himself, still following Styx's advice, not pushing too hard, but not pushing too little either, searching for that perfect balance to rid himself of both the potential of eternal agony and lethal poison.

    To lie to yourself is to think of yourself as always perfect. To deny that you are capable of making mistakes and refusing to learn, and there much mistakes I still have to learn from.

    Cocytus had managed to find that balance in himself, his injury was healed, his immortality lost, but his body was restored -

    It was pain, white agony, as his bones contorted and flesh stretched -

    And when he woke -

    Styx was already gone.

    The thrall on the table, it had managed to pull out the Sith sword and she snarled, discarding the weapon, already holding his throat as he came back to consciousness -

    It was like a physical nightmare as the poison was purged and the kaminoan's body stretched and contorted back to its natural shape.

    Then the nightmare ended and Darth Cocytus awoke, rejuvenated, with blazing yellow eyes glaring at the Noctyss creature.

    "Get your filthy hands off me, you treacherous cretin." The kaminoan snarled as he shoved the abomination off of himself with the Force.

    The kaminoan, standing back up, glared hateful at the creature, his lightsaber ready. Cocytus waited and dared the Noctyss creature to make another move against him. And all the while his vengeful mind thought of a thousand terrible different things to do to her…

    She rolled away and leapt forward, as scrabbling and mad as Vengean had been, but with how the wound to her chest had healed, it was evidencing how difficult it would to kill. A whole blade, cutting out its heart, and then impaled - and it was nothing more than a scar!

    Darth Cocytus glared hatefully with narrow eyes at the misbegotten creature, fuming with cold anger. However, he then realized that the fact Noctyss is still trapped in her cursed form was enough of a fitting end for her. The kaminoan summoned Noctyss's Holocron, making sure not to turn it on, and made a mental note to have it ejected into space.

    As Cocytus turned to leave, he reached for his comm, hoping that Darth Styx didn't kill off his ride.

    "Shuttle, this is Darth Cocytus." The kaminoan spoke, "Do you read me? Are you still there?"

    “My lord!” The voice came back, relieved. “We’ve been trying to raise you for days now. I was about to give up and leave.” He sounded apologetic.

    “A couple days ago, I started calling for you when I saw a TIE Whisper leave. I thought you might have left without me!”

    The Noctyss-creature scrambled after him, desperate to sink her teeth into him and rip out his throat -

    "That TIE Whisper would have to have been my apprentice, Darth Styx whom I just had an encounter with... two days ago." Darth Cocytus's eyes narrowed as he answered back. "Forgive me, but the process of my healing took longer than I expected. Prepare for my return."

    Closing the communications, Kaminoan turned back towards the scrambling Noctyss Creature and ignited his lightsaber to slice into her, even if only to buy himself time to get out of this dreadful place before she went after him again.

    Hoping that the creature would at least take time to heal, Darth Cocytus made a break for it to meet up with the shuttle and leave this Force forsaken planet for hopefully the last time.

    @Sinrebirth


    Sent from my SM-A205U using Tapatalk
     
  20. DarthIshyZ

    DarthIshyZ Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2005
    IC: Serapis (wearing General Astarta's body) & Emperor Soliloquy (disguised as Comm Specialist Erin Soong)
    - Special thanks to Mitth for giving Rendarr a voice -
    Onboard Gym - Hapan Battle Dragon

    This is the time she needed after that harrowing experience. She'd changed into her gi and was prepared for working out. She desperately needed some thing or someone to hit and kick. The hardest part was the stretches. They felt awful. Stretching her muscles and tendons farther and farther didn't feel right for some reason. Though she knew they were essential. Completing that ritual, she walked over to the mat and the heavy bag. There was no one in the gym, yet, so it would be a bit more challenging than she'd liked. No sense in stalling, though. She started into her front punches and combinations.

    Following his instincts Emperor Soliloquy decided to stop first at the gym. Erin's body might not need anything as mundane as exercise but appearances were worth something, so to was the well being of his subjects.

    Walking into the gym she spotted the General going at it with the heavy bag. Dropping her own bag of belongings she made her way over, silently nodding to the other as she moved to hold the bag. "I hope you don't mind, I took the liberty of neutralizing the observational and eavesdropping equipment for our workout." The offer was made, they could speak freely.

    Stopping for a moment, Tenee nodded her appreciation, went back to guard and kept up the pounding. "We've come a long way since I was a Force-sensitive salesman and you were a bunch of faceted glass in the library. Thank you, again."

    Letting her voice drop to his usual he kept the bag firm, unnaturally so. "Yes, I never thought you would go down a road like this. Nor I become what I have." With a nod she appreciated the moment in silence for a little while.

    "Have you found your own way? I tried to nurture you as long as I could before the Emperor stole you from me while I still pretended to be those shards of glass. I thought you needed more time." he stated with a sigh of wistfulness at that conflict that had seen the old Emperor bare his fangs and try to trap his form - something that had lasted nearly a whole mission.

    Astarta stopped and dropped her guard. Relaxed a bit and looked into the distance. "'Have I found my own way?' What a question." She shook her head. There was no way to convey everything that had happened to him since that day on New Moraband. "These Sith. Trial by fire is their way, that's for sure. I mean, I was a different sex, for god's sake!" She hoisted her breasts to add emphasis to that statement. "Well, you were... no sex at the time... but, still. And human, not Ithorian. Presumably Ike has my original body on ice somewhere, somewhen." She thought for a few moments. "You'd offered to help with these voices at one point. That would help. They have experience that's invaluable, but if I could just get them to quiet down sometimes. They distract me."

    Leaning against the bag she tilted her head smiling at her former student. “I think I’m still a tad hormonal from birthing and fathering a clutch of offspring, so use me while I’m in a giving mood. Cannot last more than a century or two tops!” Giggling gently she reached out a hand to the woman before her.

    “I could make it all go away. Make all the noise become raw generic soul bandages like what I fed you inside my crystal facets... but then you might be a vegetable for a few months or years as you recover and digest them to be fully yourself fully on your own. Only as you say, trial by fire so I cannot just do it for you.” Nodding her head a few times she thought on the problems of her student. “Pick one, focus on it. Draw it up into a mental plain where it is only me and you and one of them.”

    Serapis chuckled at the "century or two" comment. It appears they were going to be doing some meditation instead. She was just taking off her sparring gloves when Erin dropped the bomb. "Wait, wait," she began, holding up her hands in a "back off" stance. "This body, the General, can't be in a coma for months on end. You saw what just happened up there. I need to be able to walk out of here under my own power. This is going to be a lite version, correct?"

    Gently flexing her fingers she called the General to come closer. "I'm not doing it for you. That is how this is your trial of fire. I will teach you three paths, only you can choose which you walk down and how you handle your situation."

    He noticed that Soliloquy didn't directly answer the question. But, he'd never had any reason to distrust Soliloquy before. She finished taking off the sparring gloves and walked closer to Soliloquy. "I think I'll choose my last host: Rendarr. He and I had a good relationship until I, uh, killed his girlfriend." Seriously, he thought, what choice did he have? She was a traitor to the Sith. Still, that thought brought up some ire in a part of his brain. A mistake? "Should I sit down?"

    “Probably better than meditating while standing. Some Sith prefer an active pose, but I think they are displaying chauvinism staunchly.” Sitting down in meditative pose, knees akimbo and hands on knees, she waited for the General to get comfortable before reaching out for her hands.

    “Remember when Abeloth tried invading your mind and I shielded you? Now I need you to close your eyes, picture someplace comfortable. Invision yourself there without control over your body. Leave a door open for me to come in, and then I will suppress the others except this one you will pull up. I would tell you more but it needs to be a private conversation.” Smiling she bowed her head and waited.

    Serapis sat. Thought. Comfortable. He hadn't been comfortable in so long. He thought of the quarters that Insipid had created for him on the ship after he escaped Belligerent. That was good, but there was better. Further back. He saw a mud spa he'd visited before joining the Sith. There was better. His mind went back to when he was on Ithor. He was young, so young. There was a place he visited when he could. It usually coincided with the Herd Meet. An area planetside full of Bafforr trees. He could hear them, still. The smell was glorious. Happiness. That was it. There was no "door," certainly. He signaled to Soliloquy that he was ready.

    Feeling the acceptance he stepped into the mind through the open path, and that was just what it was. A game trail he found himself upon, skittering forward on his legs to see Serapis in his form, he was curious whether that form would project as his original form or that of his newer bodies influencing his mind and soul relationship.

    [​IMG]

    Having chosen that first form he had revealed to Serapis so long ago he stepped out from behind the Bafforr trees. "Very good, you chose the battle ground well. Now you have three paths before you - there are others to be sure but these three I feel best apply to your current situation."

    Raising a skeletal hand he pointed to the sky, "One, you can do nothing and slowly you and the other soul confined to single vessel will slowly meld over time. Neither will truly be what they were before, but together be a new creature over the course of years."

    Here he raised another finger, "You can fight, all out. Winner takes and digests all in a spiritualistic battle to the death. You risk hurting your regrowing soul and loosing pieces of what you might want to take for your own from him."

    Raising the third finger he also bowed his head, "Third, you could make a pact with his spirit. A deal. His body is already gone and the choice is there easily that he has to come to terms with. A binding and an agreement for his spirit to serve yours with some pre-arranged agreement of when you will set him free - or when that agreement ends and either a new one or the battle of souls needs to take place. You could even use this with your present body you have taken over as an agreement of when you might leave her to her own body, and serving the Queen Mother or some such." Pausing he waited to see how Serapis would react to all this information.

    The Ithorian stood simply as Jwob Sebb, the former trader, now Sith Serapis. He had the sturdy body, the eyestalk, the stereo mouth that had served him so well against so many threats. This body is one of the many things he missed. Humans are so weak in the area of personal defense that they have to invent things to do with their spindly limbs. It's a wonder they ever came out of the trees at all.

    [​IMG]

    He heard Soliloquy delineate the three "paths" he could take. The first one, the lazy one, do nothing. Allow the mixing to happen naturally over time. Two, the violent one. Battle it out. Third, the diplomats way. Talk. If he were a warrior or an assassin, the second one would be the way to go. As to the lazy option, that too was a non-starter. Jwob was a trader, and lazy traders don't stay traders for long. The diplomats way, it is.

    He looked next to him. There, finally, stood Rendarr, the queen's guard in his pressed uniform. As soon as Rendarr realized where he was, he went down into a martial arts guard position. Jwob recognized it immediately. "So, that's where I got that stance. I thought it was Astarta! Well, you can relax. We're not going to battle, much as you'd like to, guardsman. That was always curious to me. I thought all the queens guards were female."

    "All Hapan Royal Guards are, Hapan Home Guards are mixed on merit." Rendarr spat as he began to move around this creature that had finally taken a face, he didn't relax an ounce. But he did take a moment to start noting where they were, which was somewhere he had not a clue where. "Where are we?" he finally asked. Not that he would trust the answer.

    "My home, Hapan. It's Ithor. You're one of the lucky ones who gets to see Mother Jungle. Even Ithorians don't walk on the planet, such is our respect for the planet's flora and fauna. We live up there." He pointed up at the ships floating overhead. The ships appeared just as he mentioned them, as if they were an afterthought. Perhaps they were. This was Jwob's mindscape, after all.

    Jwob mused as the guard circled him. The wild animal, human. "You're going to make me dizzy if you keep that up."

    Squinting his eyes Rendarr was fine with Jwob being dizzy, as for the respect for tree hugging weirdos was not something that ever mattered to Rendarr. He was all about the ships and the women, he was trying to think of retort to that. Or at least was until he caught sight of the thing that looked like a giant black skeleton spider! "Queen Mother's Garters! What is that!"

    Meanwhile the thing, started chuckling darkly. "Better to set the parameters Jwob, start with reality and build to it."

    Jwob started laughing, too. Oh, the stereo laugh. Another of those things. A musical thing, it is. He turned a third of the way around so he was facing Rendarr. "That, sir, is my friend and sometimes mentor. I know him as Soliloquy. He is enabling this meet-and-greet. What he is, I don't know. Doesn't matter. What matters..." He stopped and pulled the gawking guard to face him. "What matters is us. We need to learn to work together. We're going to be together a long time." He paused a moment to allow that to sink in a bit. "Trying to battle against a Force User who can swap minds is an exercise in futility for you. It's like entering a swordfight when you have no arms. You're in this for the long haul, like it or not. But there are benefits to you, as well. You, Rendarr, weren't Force Sensitive before this. You are now."

    "So what? You killed me and you killed her, and you wanna be on good terms? Why so I don't haunt your every waking moment, distract you at the wrong moment. Why in the bright cluster should I want to do anything to make your life easier!" Rendarr replied with hate burning bright in his eyes as he shoved Serapis, the monster forgotten as they were drawn close to one another.

    Serapis in his Ithorian body could just stand there with his heavy Ithorian body and not move when being shoved. In spite of that, he allowed himself to fall back a step. His heavy hoof hit the ground with an audible thump. He'd have to explain it to this bag of meat.

    "You're a military man. If you get new orders, you could rage at the old and the new leadership, but what good would that do?" Now Serapis started to pace around Rendarr, though in a contemplative way. "It wouldn't change your assignment, though it could get you thrown in the brig." He added gravity to that last word. There was likely a way he could suppress Rendarr if he needed to through more meditation. Essentially, that consciousness would be locked up. "It would make more sense to find some way to contribute to the good of the new post. And you can. Each person who interacts with the Force does so in a different way. Brings some new talent, some new control to it. This combination of all of us could create the greatest Force user ever! Think of a Battle Dragon, with all those people at different posts, each giving their best to that role. If they're good, they can be unstoppable. That's what I'm offering. A post in that ship. Sometimes, even the captaincy of that ship, if the situation warrants."

    He was back around to the front of the guard again, back in his face. He held up one hand as if weighing a concept. "More power than you've ever encountered..." he held up the other hand, "or oblivion. Your choice."

    Staring as the Ithorian paces around him in its gangly body was sickening. But the words left a cold hollow in a gut he no longer had. He was sure if Serapis could get rid of him or imprison him he would have before now. That was probably where the monster came in, a way that could make these threats real, a mentor it had said.

    Biting back his want to fight this out, he looked from one to the other. “I’m rather fond of existing, even if it’s as a woman.” He ground out as he began to resign himself to the ideas that were being laid out.

    Serapis scoffed. "In your society, becoming a woman is a promotion!"

    Grinning he flashed what had been a winning smile, “In my position I rather appreciated being under it.” He added with a wink to highlight his own bias against this particular promotion.

    "Well, next time we'll choose a male body and drive Astarta nuts with the dangly bits." He smiled. "So, I feel we have a... truce?"

    Glancing at the monster before nodding, Rendarr begrudgingly held out his hand. “Truce.” For now... he added to himself.

    After shaking hands with the Hapan, things started to disappear. It seemed the meditation, having accomplished what was intended was coming to an end on its own. Jwob, Serapis, Rendarr and the rest of the consciousnesses joined back together peacefully. Astarta opened her eyes. She was pleased with how things felt. Much more put together. He had caught that last bit of duplicitousness in Rendarr at the end. That's OK. Generals don't employ "yes men" and expect to be successful.

    Tags: @Mitth_Fisto, @Sinrebirth
     
  21. darthbernael

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

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: A fun combo with @greyjedi125 and @Sinrebirth

    IC Bernael, Manticore, Pykestaff
    Onboard the Resurgent, Enroute to Chandrilla


    Bernael smiled coldly as the trap was sprung. This was Snoke after all and trying to force his foes to react and not act against him was his forte. The added layer of the Resurgents leaping into hyper meant that there was even more to the trap than just being stuck in the hangar. As Manticore swept back and forth through the hangar, the Aran Tyr rumbling over their foes, and the Shadows destroying any that showed any leadership he turned, eyes sweeping over the new arrivals.

    ”Poor decision boys…” he muttered. His Hunger howled and he let it fully loose, the twenty Stormtroopers dropping like flies. He strolled casually toward them as they attempted to fire at him, batting the bolts back at them with lazy sweeps of his hand. The last was still standing when he reached them. One talon extended, tapping against the chest of the trooper and he pushed, the body falling over backward, all the lives he’d just taken shining inside him.

    He continued his walk, knowing his Shadows would finish their mission, that Hate would decimate their foes. Reaching the hangar exit he rapped a talon against it. ”Beskar, hmmm, we must have damaged his mind when we burned him last time or he’d recall that heat is a friend of us both.” he mused, with a dark chuckle.

    Turning, his pace quicker now, he soon reached his brother. ”Beskar barriers, but even beskar melts doesn’t it, my brother?” Reaching out with his mind he sensed that the majority of the crew was the troops here in the hangar, only a skeleton crew otherwise. He opened the bond to the Shadows, ’Mop up the hangar with the Aran Tyr’s aid, Hate and I have something to do.’ he sent them.

    Nodding to Manticore, he walked through the carnage, to one of the hatches into the interior of the ship. Placing his palm within a centimeter of the hatch he forced heat into the metal, building the temperature higher and higher. Soon the metal began to glow, the colors rising toward a white heat.

    Lord Hunger’s realization filtered into Lord Hate’s mind. That of the trap, and the architect of the trap.

    Snoke.

    Manticore had yet to release the ever growing sphere of energy he controlled. The twenty troopers simply added to its potency. With a dismissive flick of his hand, Manticore sen’t a wave of incandescence that would certainly cook the enemy troopers. Those were unfortunate enough to survive, would be summarily cut down by either a Shadow or an Aran Tyr.

    Manticore’s irritation at the trap only served to incense him further, not to mention the sudden time constraint. Emerging upon Chandrilla would be extremely counterproductive to the overall sith agenda.

    Manticore took a moment to contemplate their choices as he began to help turning the beskar barrier to slag. That’s when inspiration struck him.

    “What we need, ideally, is a slicer…” The zabrak rasped, even as he maintained a great level of focus. “But, I believe I can improvise on something not too dissimilar…”

    Manticore sent a mental image to his brother-in-arms. Fueled by his near limitless Hate of Snoke and under his absolute control and Mastery, it was feasible that he could project all the energy he had gathered and direct it like a super cutting laser, through the ships bulkheads- literals perforating a path diagonally up- right into the Resurgent’s command bridge. Manticore was already capable of manipulating the plasma blade of a lightsaber. This was no different. Just bigger. A lot bigger.

    The task would take all his concentration and a great deal of personal energy, but he was quite confident he could perform it. Sith excelled at the ‘impossible’. Besides, it would save them a great deal of time.

    Still, he would not proceed if his brother could devise a more efficient use of their resources.

    The barrier went away, and then a string of speeder bikes with troopers mounted upon them hurtled forward - four in total rushing down the corridor firing as they went -

    What kind of layered death trap was this?

    Bernael paused in the heat he was generating against the door. He felt Hate through their bond and sensed the plan his brother had. His head tilted to the side as he considered. He was still considering when the barrier disappeared. Senses screaming, he flashed to the side, out of the line of fire of the speeder troopers.

    Turning his head, he nodded to Manticore, with the barrier down there would be even less resistance to what his brother had planned. His saber flashed, deflecting the bolts, giving his brother time to prepare to release the massive blast that was to come. ”Don’t destroy it all, we do want to be able to use it later.” he commented dryly.

    Manticore nodded somberly at his brother, in complete agreement. They would need the ship intact, that’s why the very act would require his total focus and concentration. In truth, he had planned to use this technique on Snoke, but a field test would be as good as any.

    Manticore did not waste any time. He already had all the reagents he would need for the task at hand. Emperor Insipid had always encouraged him to think ‘outside the box’, and so he would apply that lesson.

    Above, the enormous roaring sphere of fire raged as it slowly began to rotate on its axis. Mentally, Manticore bid his Aran Tyr to keep control of the combat theatre along with the Shadows while he worked. The temperature in the local area dropped as Manticore stole every iota and erg of ambient heat and fed it to the sphere, increasing its already enormous power by a small measure. He then began to boost it with pure hate as he visualized Snoke’s mocking face at the targeted end, way above, on the ship’s command bridge. As the sphere intensified, Manticore’s lightsaber seemed to unclip itself, then levitate before him at chest level. It tilted slowly, now pointing toward the flaming sphere.

    The zabrak was already beginning to sweat as his tattooed face grimaced, completely etched in a mask of great concentration. There also seemed to be a measure of pain involved, pain that was fuel, pain that served as a focusing lens.

    In an instant, the Manticore’s lightsaber ignited, its vermillion blade erupting like a blazing standard. There was a sharp take of air before and exhale- which saw the bright vermillion blade itself shoot out from the hilt.

    Everything appeared to go silent for a second, just before the darkside shuddered at the moment of contact. There was a sound like thunder and the hangar did seem to shudder from a shockwave. Manticore gritted his teeth as the fireball flashed, instantly transforming as it became bright vermillion red; a literal Gigasaber!

    The bulkhead shrieked at the violation, as the incandescent energy defied its resistance, slicing through it like flimsy. Manticore himself shivered at the exertion. He would have to control and sustain this power, as the giant shaft of vermillion made its way up and up, diagonally, towards the command bridge. His control needed to remain total, so the Gigasaber could remain cohesive and complete its work, better still, so that it wouldn't ‘inadvertently’ rend the ship in two.

    Whatever the cost, Manticore would do his part, if the others could keep him from being harmed enough to lose focus. It was a desperate gambit, but a worthwhile one. If they made it to Chandrilla, it would be better than to ruin the ship, than court the disaster that would otherwise follow.

    The blade had been so intensified that it could cut through the beskar like any other metal. One would wonder how it would do against a standard lightsaber?

    The speeder wave turned around to rush off, and the next wave was pending; a skittering noise was released down the corridor, which of course was an interesting sound. What would it be now?

    Bernael could feel the intense concentration of Manticore. The forces that he was dealing with, that he was controlling, were ones that meant that he, the Aran Tyr, and Shadows needed to keep from being broken or the entire ship could be deeply affected. He added to the commands that Manticore had given their ‘troops’ ensuring that they held the hangar and the surrounding area, from the more mundane threats.

    He took a moment to glance at the Pykestaff, the being not yet truly taking part in this exchange. An eyebrow raised, wondering how they would finally react and act to what had occurred.

    That would allow him to focus on the specific threats that came directly for them. He knew they needed to stop the waves of trap headed for them so that the two of them could reach the bridge and stop the mad rush of the SDs. Smiling, he shifted and power flowed through the new shape he wore, more like Renn with the multiple limbs as he waited. And then a skittering sound came to his ears. Something was coming, not yet revealed, and he set himself, waiting and ready to take on the threat.

    ’Focus, my brother, I and our troops will hold the line.’ he sent the thought to Manticore.

    To Manticore, there was nothing else in his perception but this target high above, safe within the ship's command bridge. Bernael, his brother-in-arms however, was still with him, anchoring him to the moment, while he unleashed the power of his hate.

    The first deck had been pierced with contemptuous ease, for it had borne the face of Lord Anguish, his former dark master, the one he had executed in a most terrible fashion. The second represented Jedi Grandmaster K’kruhk, whom he had defeated at the Battle of Coruscant. On an on, up and up, the Gigasaber tore through deck platings with an unfettered fury born of the darkside. Each deck representing an enemy both hated by the zabrak, for the Gigasaber was consuming itself and Manticore as well, as it did not have a proper power source, at least not yet.

    Snoke was at the end of the line, being the one Manticore hated the most. It was Snoke who had violated his will as a sith, who had committed the greatest violation, the greatest sin. The one who had turned him into an unwilling puppet, who’d given him the face of an animal. For Snoke, there was only death, terrible death in his future. That he was a threat to the Sith Order almost paled as a second motivation.

    Manticore’s form began to emit smoke as he maintained his incredible focus. Sweat now immediately turned to vapor as his body got hotter, as his form inherently assumed it too should turn into super heated plasma.

    Next to be obliterated was the recently destroyed Darsin, who’d been an obstacle in acquiring the Darkstaff. With that deck pierced, the next followed: Vyatoris. The manipulative sith had brought much trouble to the sith order and had allowed Snoke to manipulate him remotely. That level of disloyalty could not be allowed to exist- and he too was pierced asunder. Onward, the Gigasaber continued, moving ever upward, losing energy with each victory, which would be re-supplied by Manticore himself.

    Lord Hate was hunched down, but he absolutely refused to go down on his knees. The unseen titanic struggle only fueled his resolve, despite how much it drained him. Certainly, he would wish to be an anzati afterwards. Thankfully, he had planned on how to restore himself afterwards. The process was actually, ‘elementary’, that is, if he didn’t accidentally kill himself and all on board first.

    Still, Manticore was bolstered by the fact that he was nearing Snoke’s position on the bridge. He could almost see his misshapen outline, which only intensified his hate even further, to the point that black and red arcs of darkside energy began to coruscate around the Gigasaber.

    Darth Revan was pierced through ( another deck), followed by one of the twins, Sian ( another deck ). Next was Darth Haretisch.

    Manticore trembled visibly from both his exertion and exhilaration. He was almost to Snoke, he just needed to stay in control for a little bit longer.

    The hole was blown through deck after deck after deck after deck and there was a massive jolt - Manticore had just knocked the ship out of hyperspace!

    There were many, many alarms as the ship went into sudden deceleration and began to list hard. It was crippled, completely and utterly - the final point of Hate’s utter fury had pierced the bridge in his rage at Snoke -

    Bernael held the line, as he’d promised his brother in arms, as the Gigasaber tore through the Resurgent. When the alarms began to ring through the ship he grunted, that was the problem with any weapon of such power, even the smallest hiccup could cause larger issues. The bridge was destroyed, which didn’t help but…

    But, after the last big adventure he and Manticore had taken he knew a great deal about Resurgents. Whistling, he threw a spike to the Shadow closest to a command terminal. ”Lockout the Emergency bridge from anyone else’s control but ours, luckily it wasn’t in the direct line of the Gigasaber. Send a command to it’s computers to initiate control with the destruction of the bridge and stabilize the ship.”

    He turned toward Manticore, ”That was impressive, brother but we’re not out of it yet. That data spike will gain us control but we need to get to the Emergency bridge if we hope to gain full control and salvage this ship. And find out if we can stop the other Resurgent. If Iudex and Shimmer cannot stop it we will have to.”

    Whistling that tone again, the Shadows appeared and began racing through the tilted corridor toward the backup, emergency bridge, leading the way as he headed there himself.

    Manticore fell to the ground at the end, even as the ship shuddered and fell out of hyperspace. He heard the multiple alarms and cursed inside his mind. That was not what he had intended, but at least they were not all dead. The Sith Lord struggled to his feet, looking gaunt for the moment. The fury of survival was still burning within, the darkside roiling like a furnace inside him. With a gesture, he snatched a floundering trooper, grasped him by the neck and immediately drained him as he performed 'Darkside Healing'.

    A wave of partial relief washed over the zabrak, even as he discarded the now lifeless trooper and gestured to snatch another half-broken half living enemy. The last of their energy would be put to good use.

    "Thank you, brother..." he barely managed to say, his voice cragged, but improving.

    As he finished draining the second hapless victim, Manticore spared a glance at the makeshift tunnel he had created with the Gigasaber. He regretted not having had a greater measure of control, but he was definitely getting the hang of the nuances needed to better control such power. That, however, was not the current focus. There was still a mission to complete.

    Woe to Lord Iudex and Shimmer should they fail.

    True to form, Lord Hunger's vast knowledge and adaptability were able to salvage their present situation. Controlling the Emergency Bridge would be the key to victory now.

    'Aran Tyr. Take point.' Manticore sent to his soldiers.

    He planned to join them in the push for control over the Emergency Bridge, that is, as soon as he finished draining the third trooper of his energy.

    The emergency bridge was where the enemy had withdrawn to, consolidating their remaining strength. The back-up bridge crew was scrambling -

    "We've lost comms, the antennae went with the bridge -"

    "So we can't track the Conquerer? Could it have made it to Chandrila -"

    "Unknown, sir -"

    "Then find out! The Supreme Leader demands it of us -"

    The defenders were a dozen Stormtroopers, yes, and a single walker, wedged in the corridor and caught against the ceiling. But the skittering returned, and still had not revealed itself…

    The Shadows came upon the last corridor, where the defenders had taken refuge, had filled the corridor. One had returned to where Bernael was making his way forward, senses questing to find the source of the skittering sounds. He knew it was another layer to the trap that Snoke had set for the two of them but until the trap was sprung there was little that could be done besides be prepared.

    When the Shadow arrived, he briefed his Master. Bernael considered for a moment and then sent the man ahead with his orders, while continuing his advance, at a slower pace, allowing himself to be bait for whatever it was that was hunting them. He sent a thought to Manticore, ’If whatever it is that is making that noise doesn’t show itself soon, I will flood the ship with my Hunger and then we shall know if it is living or not.’

    The Shadow returned to his fellows and passed along Bernael’s orders. There were flickers of motion from the end of the corridor that they occupied and then objects were flying through the air toward the stormtroopers and walker. The troopers fired at the objects and several went off, making them realize that they were explosives of some sort, but the throws had been staggered to avoid having one detonation destroy them all. A low throw landed first but caused mass unease when it hit the deck near their feet but didn’t bounce, it stuck there.

    And then the other devices began to hit various stormtroopers and the walker itself, sticking like the first had to the deck. When a critical mass of them, in this case five of the troopers and several of the devices stuck to the walker, they began to detonate. The explosions threw the closely packed ranks into chaos as body parts and the shockwaves threw the troops around. One of the explosives detonated directly on the knee joint of the walker and that too added to the chaos, as it began to lean and fall in the direction of a group of them that the explosions hadn’t touched yet.

    That was the point an invisible whirlwind, it seemed to them, appeared in their midst. Bodies were tossed back and forth in the narrow space, the end of one of the walker’s cannons suddenly bent and then was pulled free. Those flying bodies grew rents and gouges in joints, limbs lopped off, and overall the troopers began to huddle together on either side of the corridor, what was left of them. The disabled walker blocked a decent portion of the middle of the corridor and then the chaos began to subside. What was left of the defenders looked down the corridor to see a cloaked figure, blood dripping from talons, appear from nowhere, other cloaked forms clinging to the walls and ceiling around him. And that was when the large, very angry looking zabrak appeared around the bend behind him.

    It was a symphony of motion the likes that enthralled any who witnessed it. Lord Hunger and his Shadows working in unison to shred the enemy who were bottle-naked down a corridor; a very bad tactical position for them against that which they faced.

    Manticore made a motion for his Aran Tyr to hold position and lend support fire, picking targets of opportunity. Firing at exposed troopers in a corridor was almost like fishing in a barrel. Lord Hate took that moment to recharge, once again using the force to snatch hapless enemies into the embrace of Dark Healing. Creating the Gigasaber and sustaining it for that long had cost him much more energy than what he had anticipated. He was far from helpless, but he needed to get his energy stores back to standard levels.

    To their credit, Manticore's Aran Tyr were a hardy sextet who performed their duty without flinching. They had seen too much by now to be affected by what the sith could do, though on a primal level, it might still be unnerving. Manticore smirked, feeling pleased at their strength of will. He had chosen well. In his own way, Manticore honored Bernael, his brother, 'feeding' symbolically as he would- it was a small homage towards Lord Hunger.

    Tossing the now useless corpse aside ( this one had been hardier than the previous victims ), Manticore was beginning to feel more himself. With ignited lightsaber in hand, he began to approach. The brilliant blade had down the attention of several troopers, who automatically fired on his position- making themselves vulnerable to Lord Hunger's Shadows in the process, even as Manticore deflected the shots.

    At this rate, the opposition could not last. Clearly, they knew they were doomed. But Manticore could also sense that they did not die 'in vain'. This was after all, a 'trap' for the Lords of Hate and Hunger, therefore, it was no casual affair.

    Manticore felt out with his senses to see if he could pin-point the location and origin of the skittering through the force. Clearly it was physical, it had form and weight. It would show up in the force one way or another, living or not.

    'We may need to dispose of all opposition to maximize our joint response.' Manticore sent back.

    But why had it not attacked yet? Why not assist the enemy forces as they were engaged. Because it was looking for something while they were occupied.

    'Come forward, Darkstaff...' Manticore sent to the Pyke Leader. Lord Hate did not trust Snoke not to interfere with his attempt to prevent 'The Change'. How would the Supreme Leader know of the staff's presence, he did not know, but he could not risk assuming that Snoke was ignorant of that detail - or that he would attempt something underhanded. This Manticore relegated to his battle-brother.

    "Make ready..." He rasped in warning.

    It was not a matter of 'if', but 'when', and there was no better opportunity but the moment they were in. Manticore could see the De'jarik table they were all a part off, and the move that was being made.

    The Darkstaff gloomily complied as a shout came out of the secondary bridge. “We surrender! We repeat! We surrender! Please don’t kill us!”

    There were a handful of life signs left in the auxiliary location, but that skitter-skitter noise was getting louder, and the Force spoke of energies moving behind the bulkheads…

    A slight smile touched Bernael’s lip at the cry coming from the bridge. But...these were First Order troops, whether they were a throw away skeleton crew or not and that made the surrender another potential trap. Turning his gaze toward Manticore, ”Recommend that the Shadows support the Aran Tyr when the personnel in there come out. They can ensure none of them left boobytraps or spiked consoles.” he said in a voice that wouldn’t carry into the bridge.

    ”But,” he turned, his sharp hearing tracking the skittering as the Force warned of the energies moving, ”I’m tired of these little creatures attempting to unnerve us with their movement.” As he finished speaking he reached out, first making sure with his senses that he wasn’t going to open the corridor to space with what he planned, then ripping the plating of the bulkheads from their mounting points, over where the skittering was centered, a short distance further up the corridor.

    “Surrender?” Manticore mused. Hardened First Order soldiers didn’t just surrender. This was a new tactic, a fresh layer of deception. These same soldiers were just fine bombarding a planet just moments ago.

    “Lay down your weapons or die. Three seconds.” Manticore rasped at them, while making the sign for the Aran Tyr to shoot to kill if anyone made a false movement. He simply did not believe or buy into their act.

    Manticore could feel it. A subtle ploy unfurling to rob them off their position, through deception and distraction. It’s not like they could not hear the skittering, or where it was coming from. It simply could not be seen, or pinpointed, but it could be sensed.

    Manticore’s lightsaber remained ignited, its deep hum reverberating subtly off the walls.

    He glanced over to Bernael, indicating that he was ready for the trap that would be sprung.

    At the very least they were not distracted by concerns of emerging on Chandrilla uninvited, though that issue was exchanged for a different one, which was slightly less dire.

    The seconds were ticking.

    If the ‘surrendering’ soldiers did not comply, then their failure would be a costly one.

    If they wanted to live, then the choice was easy. They could not hide terror from the Lord of Hate, whether it was from Snoke, the Sith or whatever else was luring in the walls.

    Walls with platings that were being peeled off by Lord Hunger.

    They were all coming to a decisive crossroad, and that moment was practically upon them.

    The walls released what was hiding; a stream of bug-like droids, hundreds of the things, some alighting on delicate wings, and others skittering across the bulkheads, some emerging from burning holes in the floor -

    Scarab droids.

    There were a lot of them.

    ’Of course…’ Bernael thought as he watched the tiny droids pour out of the floors, walls, and ceilings. He knew of them and knew that they had payloads that when delivered, especially from multiples of them, could cause a good deal of anguish even to one such as he.

    Without turning his head, Shadows, no surrender from the bridge crew is to be accepted, end them all.”

    He concentrated, sending a thought to Manticore, ’Mix of extreme heat and extreme cold again, brother?’ he asked. And then the bulkheads, ceiling, floor, and even the air itself of the corridor became an almost unbreathable cold. The cold was such a low temperature that the inherent magnetism of the metal of the structure failed.

    Electronic components, what drove the scarabs began to fail as one hand reached out and a contained Force Storm began in the hall, overpowered lightning lancing out in all directions. He didn’t have to aim it as the scarabs were everywhere.

    His breath steamed in the air as the temperature plummeted more and a rime of ice formed over the exposed surfaces, again including the scarabs and their joints. A small smile came to his face as he heard the creaking sounds begin as the droids fought against the freezing of their joints. When he was sure that they were closing on being immobilized he turned to Manticore, ”Turn them into molten piles of slag, my brother.”

    The First Order soldiers were doomed as they were sentenced to death by Lord Hunger. They had no specialist to bargain with, no force user to trade, no secrets to barter. No, it no longer mattered whether they complied or not. Hunger’s Shadows would slay them utterly, and Hate’s Aran Tyr would fire fatal blaster bolts for twitching the wrong way. In truth, they were all doom the moment they arrived on Oba Diah.

    Manticore quickly forgot them by the time he went into action.

    A swarm of Scarab droids. Snoke was consistently finding new ways to become more despicable with every encounter. How low would the Supreme Leader go to achieve a particular goal was beyond anyone’s ability to guess. It was simply best to have him eliminated. He followed no code but his own.

    Through the bond Hate and Hunger shared, the zabrak received Bernael’s plan.

    Mix of extreme heat and extreme cold again, brother?

    Manticore smirked as his fiery eyes glowed with new purpose. He noticed a plume of frosted breath as he exhaled, thanks to Lord Hunger’s tactical assault on the Scarab droids. It seemed Snoke kept forgetting about Anzati ingenuity. Needless to say, he was welcome to continue to do so.

    Lord Hate stood his ground as the swarm of mechanical insects was frozen and consequently glazed over with a coating of ice. Manticore kept his senses sharp, in the unlikely event that any scarab might be wily enough to somehow evade its ‘cryoBan cage’, though this he highly doubted.

    The creaking sound of solidifying ice and the popping of frozen joints were welcoming tell-tale signs. When Lord Hunger was sure the insectoid swarm was close on being immobilized he turned to Manticore, ”Turn them into molten piles of slag, my brother.”

    These words were like a magical sith incantation.

    Manticore placed a hand over the ignited blade of his lightsaber and immediately a ring of devastating fire flowed from him like a wave, roaring like a living creature. Lord Hate was aware that the bulk platings would be able to withstand the extremes of temperatures by design, but had no such faith as far as the Scarab droids were concerned. Manticore extended his senses to blanket all areas covered by the ice, with focus on the scarabs. Turning them to ‘slag’ was precisely what Hate visualized. As always, he prevented his allies from being affected by the heat and fire he generated.

    Hunger and Hate were Sith Masters who were exceedingly capable at their own specialties - and when they worked in tandem - even force titans would be wise to tread with care.

    The storm shredded the scarabs, but Hate especially would feel sincere fatigue as to their efforts. The auxiliary bridge crew were dead, and their men and women had secured the consoles. One looked up to Manticore. "My Lords, we were locked on to the Chandrila system, as was the second Star Destroyer. They have orders to attack the world and broadcast a Hapan signal as they do so."

    Their warriors all froze with realization of what the First Order was doing.

    The bridge crew got their bearings and confirmed they had fallen from hyperspace not all that far from Hapes, actually, but they were off the Perlemian at least. If they'd dropped out on the hyperlane, a crash would have been mildly inevitable! We don't need crashes. But a quick report confirmed the second Star Destroyer was nowhere to be seen, and that their hulk of a ship had no comms, but it still had engines and hyperdrive - and some weapons...

    But that meant Iudex and Shimmer were still en route for Chandrila!

    Their smaller ship could catch up with a Resurgent, but in the Destroyer they had, not so.

    The Pykestaff folded his arms and peered off. "So if you happened to arrive in-system at about the same time as the second ship... could you blast its comm relay before it inevitably blames Hapes for the attack on Chandrila?" He glanced at Hate and Hunger. "You can see the plan, no? Snoke is starting a war between you each so he can finish whatever project he's been hiding in the Maelstrom."

    Bernael glanced at his Shadows, ”Strip this ship of all it’s navigation data, especially that pertaining to First Order and their bases, Snoke’s location if available and in particular.”

    He walked over to a display, thinking as he considered all the possibilities. Calling up the orders the ships had been put under a small smile crossed his face. He turned back, facing both Manticore and the Pykestaff. ”There is merit to your idea but also one thing that was overlooked. If they manage to attack Chandrilla and we stop them before they broadcast that still leaves a potentially stranded Resurgent insystem there, with two Sith onboard.”

    He turned his gaze fully to his brother, ”How married are we to keeping those two alive, brother?” he asked flatly. To him they were two Sith, yes but sometimes sacrifices were needed to ensure that things occurred as they must, a philosophy he’d adhered to for millennia. ”Unless they can be brought off that SD they will fall with it.”

    He frowned in thought, ”Which brings me to the point of this one. It is damaged, hulled through mostly. While keeping, having a Resurgent would be a coup, something also tells me that Snoke has a way to track his craft so it would bring the weight of the First Order on us if we kept it anywhere. I recommend stripping everything of value and then destroy in place.”

    Manticore motioned to the leading Aran Tyr and made a hand sign, to which the soldier responded by going into his pouch. Dutifully, he administered a stim to the Sith Lord as he responded to his battle brother and the Pykestaff.

    The zabrak's fiery eyes fell on the Pyke Leader for a moment as he probed for deceit with his senses. In short, the Pyke believed that which he spoke as truthful, even if- by chance- could be misinformation. Though there was no confirmation, it was a high likelihood that what which revealed was true, given what they already knew.

    The soldier moved away when he had finished and returned to formation.

    A slow nod was offered to the Pykestaff by Manticore.

    "I rather like Lord Iudex." Manticore admitted. "He holds much promise, and we could benefit from a sith with his keen mind. As for Shimmer, she is the Sith Emperor's very own apprentice. Soliloquy has invested much in that one and likely has plans for her, given her origins. I imagine he would be very grateful should she be returned to him."

    Lord Hate rolled his shoulders and neck, feeling the effects of the stim rolling back the fatigue that threatened to slow him down.

    "Finding Snoke is a priority, however, stopping that Resurgent is of the highest priority, for obvious reasons."

    Manticore did not like being forced into a course of action, but sometimes there was no other recourse, other than to alter and adjust the expected response.

    "Yes, we could intercept that SD with subordinate crafts. I doubt Snoke will send additional First Order ships this close to Chandrilla. It's too risky, even for him." Here he nodded at Lord Hunger.

    "A team can strip what is needed here, then destroy what remains, if that is the wisest course, in your estimation. We keep that Resurgent from framing us, remove our people, and perhaps allow Chandrilla to destroy it, unless we can alter its course past or away from its target destination."

    Manticore made a fist, then clenched and unclenched his hand several times.

    "If Snoke can track these ships, then he's willingly sacrificing them, or playing another game, another layer. Either way, we cannot allow him to gain more intelligence on our movements."

    'No one in their right mind would sacrifice such prized vessels unless they had more to replace them with.' Manticore sent to Bernael. A few other thoughts crossed the zabrak's mind, but he would share those soon enough.

    "We should go." He rasped somberly.

    TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2021
  22. Sinrebirth

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

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: Pykestaff
    Near the Transitory Mists

    As the team of Manticore and Bernael rushed to move off from the Resurgent and to the Chandrila system, there was a rather inevitable side effect of their rather uncontrolled decant into real-space... they were noticed. A pair of X-wings called it in, and the closest task force was deployed as the other finished with the confrontation caused by Leia and the Sith there.

    That meant the Starhawk-class battleship under the command of Ackbar was swinging around the Hapes Cluster - preceded by several A-wings. The rest of the task force held at Roquo Depot, while the capital ship threaded its way around the Mists. The A-wings were interceptors so paced to get to the Star Destroyer in swift order -

    The Pykestaff was on sensors while the guards did the heavy lifting, and he spoke up the moment the A-wings reached the range of their transport.

    "Lord Hate, Lord Hunger... we have some Good Guys on the way..." He looked jovial. "Oh, and a good old fashioned Big Ship in a support role approaching. Orders?"

    They didn't have time for this.

    They had to catch up with Iudex and Shimmer, who were about to arrive at the Chandrila system in the Bormea Sector.

    The Hapan sensors reported the arrival of the Star Destroyer, of course...

    TAG: @GreyJedi, @darthbernael and mentions for @Silvertough (combo for latter to finish this week)
    ---
    IC: Isolder

    Royal Palace

    The Prince cut the call with the Archon of Vergill, and pulled a face. "I'll go to deal with him now, with whatever Sith you see fit to assign to me. The sooner I go, the better, I expect." He curtsied, slapping his gloves on his thigh in frustration. Isolder didn't want the Hapans to be invaded by the New Republic; he still intended to rule the star cluster when he was older.

    Which meant working with the Queen Mother. He reached for Helinith's palm and kissed it, and sketched an informal salute at Renn. "I will meet them at the hangar."

    That left the two of them, but Galney had no more business for them.

    They simply had reports of the slow pace of reconstruction, the reinstallation of the planetary shield generator, and general update from the Hapan populace into the military - which was low.

    The two of them would have some time before the next crisis...

    Well, would they?

    Bernael was closer to them than he had ever been, and using a lot of power, as was Manticore.

    Across the star cluster, they would sense them both!

    TAG: @darthhelinith, @darthbernael (combo)
    ---
    In orbit, the hangar, Hapan Battle Dragon

    The Hapan Battle Dragon had arrived in orbit from the blockade line within half an hour of jumping.

    Other ships held position, preventing Leia from stepping in.

    But overall, they had a meeting with the new Sith, including Morrigan. She was present in the hangar of the Dragon with Claiomh besides her, and she bowed to the Sith which came to greet them, likely Soliloquy and possibly the now-settled Serapis...

    Morrigan smiled softly. "May I present Claiomh Solais, a Sith from the old universe, who I collected on Haruun Kal." She indicated the woman. "Lord Hades has remained in the jungle there. I would not recommend any Sith returning to the planet... we made a mess." Her smile became a grin. "I believe the lady knows Lord Bernael, but I had not told her about his demise during the Battle of Hapes..."

    Of course, she didn't know about how Bernael's power had been surging at the edge of the Consortium, and nor would Claiomh; he bond had broken with him in the End of Time, sadly...

    A Royal Shuttle arrived in the same hangar, carrying Isolder.

    TAG: @ClaiomhSolais and @Mitth_Fisto (at least), option for @DarthIshyZ
    ---

    The bridge, Hapan Battle Dragon

    Otherwise, the Hapan Royal Navy handed a report to Estrella that Prince Isolder was en route with a shuttle to collect a Sith bodyguard, and had docked even as they arrived. Similarly, Astarta had a report of the construction of gun platforms and also a delivery of them due... though how they would get by Leia or Ackbar at the other end of the Consortium...

    But there was a further update from their teams - the Starhawk-class battleship under the Mon Calamari Admiral had left it's post, leaving smaller ships to hold Roqoo Depot, and was seemingly going to intercept a disabled Resurgent-class Star Destroyer that had fell out of hyperspace between the cluster and the Perlemian Trade Route.

    Estrella would have to act on the Intel, spread it, or sit on it, of course.

    She would receive an update that Vergill had consolidated two Hapan Battle Dragons and three Nova-class cruisers in orbit and was preparing for a Hapan deployment, a report which was passed to Astarta. Estrella would also have the option to head to the hangar and meet with Isolder, or make military plans.

    TAG: @Adalia-Durron, and @DarthIshyZ (optional)
    ---
    IC: Zestus

    Rendezvous, Unknown Regions, near Mokivj

    [​IMG]

    https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/s...rkiUmme.png/revision/latest?cb=20200629022120

    The station was still silent, but it was definitely Imperial-made, and seemingly relatively new. Zestus made a few attempts to access the systems, but there was no power. It was an odd thing, and he didn't especially like it. But at least with it being a design they knew, he could lead Lord Sabel towards the bridge.

    Again, there was nothing to speak of.

    Just silence, though the doors were shut.

    He hesitated, and activated their comms. "My lord?"

    TAG: @darthbernael (combo)
    ---
    IC: TN-1138

    Exegol surface

    The young man who was the pilot of the shuttle that Lord Cocytus had taken from the Dauntless was simply too relieved to see the Kaminoan, and TN didn't even care for nonhumans. But after days on this graveyard world, jumping at every crackle of lightning, panicking about every shift in the ground, he was just happy to be leaving.

    "I must apologise, my Lord, but I could not track the TIE that your... apprentice, is it? She headed quite swiftly into orbit," he did sound genuinely apologetic, and even had a medpac to hand just in-case it was needed. "But, I need to report - two days ago the HoloNet was cut. I haven't been able to reach the Dauntless, nor any other ships, including Admiral Poinard." He swallowed.

    "I don't know if the rebels have knocked out the relay at Esfandia," he said, referencing the HoloNet station there that connected the Known to Unknown. "Though we have enough First Order outposts in the Unknown to be able to connect either way..." It was baffling.

    There was a sensor chime, and TN pressed a button so that the information was projected to the cargo bay at the rear of the ship.

    [​IMG]

    https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Five's_warship

    A ship had just arrived in orbit.

    It was calling itself the Nil-Apharas.

    The dark side of Exegol deeply increased, as if a black hole had opened within another one.

    TAG: @Darth Cocytus (combo)
     
  23. Lady_Belligerent

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

    Registered:
    Jan 29, 2008
    A combo with Bellorum & Insipid!

    IC: Darth Insipid
    FIGHT!

    He separated them with a Force push, and hissed. “I am not your Insipid, I imagine you’ve realised.” He released a bolt of lightning at her. “I was created when you left; the lesser half of Insipid that could not follow. I’ve been sending Sith across, saving what little I could after you and Haretisch failed me.”

    “ME!” He roared. “Your Emperor!”

    This Insipid hadn’t yet caused the War of Three; hadn’t yet learned that his every action would play into Snoke’s hands; hadn’t yet realised that he needed his fellow Triumvirs. Bellorum was essentially refighting that battle from years ago, but instead of Insipid trying to kill Haretisch and her sidestepping them all, it was him going after her - his former apprentice and greatest rival.

    “When I left!?” Bellorum bellowed in disbelief. “I don’t recall I was given a choice, not to mention I’m still not altogether clear on what the hell happened to us.”

    Her violet blade sprang to life as she glared at Insipid, “and don’t mention that man’s name again in my presence. I’ve created my own Empire without assistance from either of you, so I don’t need you!”

    It wasn’t her desire to kill her Master, but if he gave her no choice she would do what was necessary. She and Ike had a plan in place to grab the authority, and the power that she deserved.

    She raised her blade, but she was studying the area where the walls met the ceiling in her peripheral vision.

    "When you jumped realities after Mortis, you left everything behind - to Him, to Typhojem. With no Jedi, no Sith, to stop the carnage, the End of Time began, an endless apocalypse. The Grand Sith Empire collapsed, and we lost everything." Insipid caught the reflected lightning and dispelled it, and then aggressively swiped his hand like a claw, intending to drive a mental attack into her mind.

    "You let him escape the Well, and abandoned the galaxy!"

    “I let him?” She shouted at Insipid as her arm swept up to try and stave off the attack on her mind. “No one allowed me to make a choice!” Her shout was weaker this time as she’d only managed to partially deflect the brutal attack, but rather than allow the pain to weaken her, she stretched her shoulders and let it fuel get anger. “You blame me for your own horrible mistakes,” she spat as she clinched her fist and imagined gripping his neck in a twisting vice.

    Gasping for a moment, he could only grit his teeth against the pain -

    He raised a hand and swatted it, slamming her fist aside with the intention of causing her hand to open and release him - Insipid's hand was pointed again, a bolt of lightning blazing from it as he shouted at her. "My mistakes? You were my apprentice, and loyal to Haretisch over me!" He drove that thought into her, not even knowing her pain over his disappearance was a psychological blind point that he could exploit -

    He wanted to know where Ike was.

    But he daren't ask, in-case she twisted that want into a damaging and debilitating blow.

    Azathoth reached out for him, but Insipid couldn't risk thinking about his new apprentice, for fear of Bellorum following that train of consciousness like a snap-snap-snapping piranha beetle -

    Bellorum gasped as the lightning arced over her, she grit her teeth to keep her focus on choking Insipid. “I am loyal to no one but myself,” she shouted at the man hellbent on killing her, and resisted the urge to repeat her demand that he stop bringing up Haretisch.

    After several seconds, Bellorum couldn’t take more of the lightning. Her hand dropped and she raised her lightsaber to deflect Insipid’s attack.

    The bolt reflected back, and he raised his blade to intercept but the electricity ran up his arm and his hand spasmed, dropping the blade -

    Insipid staggered back and threw out his free hand to try and seize her throat in the Force -

    “N-no!” She stammered and fought to breathe. Her left hand opened at her side and she tried to summon his dropped weapon, but her vision was darkening around the edges.

    His blade slapped into her open palm, and Insipid lifted is second hand to increase the the pressure on her before she could use his weapon against him -

    With his weapon now in her hands she stopped resisting his Force choke long enough to stare at the wall to her right. Bellorum collapsed against the durasteel and placed her finger tips against the cold metal wall at the exact spot her eyes has been fixed on.

    The metal emitted a screeching groan and shattered much like glass that rained down on the two Sith.

    Insipid let her go to cover his head instinctively, giving her a chance to both recover and strike back -

    He backed away, worried that he was exposed, weaving his fingers to take control of the sharp and glittering pieces -

    Tag: @Sinrebirth and anyone else on board the LE
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 19, 2021
  24. HanSolo29

    HanSolo29 RPF/SWC/Fan Art Manager & Bill Pullman Connoisseur star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2001
    OOC: With input from @Lady Belligerent for the last part:

    IC: Aryan Graul

    Den of Iniquity, Aboard the Luxury Elite, Coruscant

    The Den of Iniquity—with its trendy decor and expensive brothel, which connected to the main barroom through a lattice partition—wasn’t the kind of establishment that Aryan would typically inhabit. He considered himself beyond the frivolous pleasures that were often inherent to a business of this nature. Even at this early hour, he noted how it had attracted a specific type of clientele; from the filthy rich to the pathetically deranged, they had all arrived to indulge in their own sinful desires.

    Aryan turned up his nose at their foolish behavior and swiveled back on his barstool to finish his drink. It was a smooth blend of liquor, the sort that had a slight burn as it traveled down his throat. Under different circumstances, he might’ve taken his time to actually savor the amber liquid, but much like his tolerance for the shameless debauchery around him, it was only intended for appearances.

    He had to remind himself that he had a job to do. His presence here served two distinct purposes.

    For one, he hoped to uncover the truth behind Valieri’s duplicitous ways. The night before had garnered plenty of excitement, including a reaffirmation of his love for Syren. But perhaps the greatest revelation came when his lover had managed to extract a plethora of information from the traitorous aide’s mind. It revealed Valieri’s association with Lady Bellorum and a shared commitment to impede his efforts to win Coruscant’s open Senate seat. In addition, Syren had also discovered that Grand Vizier Mas Amedda had arrived on board the ship, seemingly at Bellorum’s personal request.

    But why would the Sith Lady want to deliberately undermine his campaign? Why perpetuate a scandal against him? And where did Amedda fit into this complex puzzle?

    It was a complicated web of intrigue that Aryan sought to untangle. He demanded answers and what better way to begin an investigation than to dig around at the local hotspot. The patrons were probably rife with gossip, which could work out to his advantage.

    And in terms of the other purpose?

    A wry smirk flitted across Aryan’s lips as he reminisced about the lurid act he had committed alongside Syren to consummate their love. It had been a perfect collaboration; an exhilarating experience that proceeded to send chills down his spine. Even now, he felt its residual effects as it surged through his body like a bolt of electricity. He had shown no regrets, especially since their own sensual impulses had inspired the outcome.

    But then something had shifted, albeit briefly, in the hours following their lovemaking.

    An underlying impression had seized him in a moment of unease. It wasn’t quite remorse, though it certainly reflected many of those same sentiments. It even held a hint of nostalgia, almost as if he had lived through a similar situation in the past—except he had expressed a more…favorable view of Valieri’s actions.

    Or was it for Valieri herself?

    Either way, it had rattled Aryan more than he cared to admit. That’s when he had decided that the time alone at the bar to think and work through his turbulent emotions would probably prove beneficial.

    The former Prime Minister shook his head at the reminder and threw back the rest of his drink in a single swallow. He winced to counteract the warmth of the alcohol before setting the tumbler back down on the bar.

    As if on cue, the bartender sauntered past his position, his head inclining slightly as he noticed his empty glass. It was the perfect opening.

    Before the man could refill his drink, Aryan covered the rim of the glass with his hand. He then canted his head to regard the barkeep, an impish grin evident on his features. "That’s all for now, friend," he drawled in a gravelly baritone. "Unless you can assist me by answering a few inquiries? I may be more inclined to indulge in another round."

    With his free hand, he flashed a pair of credit chips between his thumb and forefinger. It was enough to cover his tab, plus a little extra. Hopefully, the man would see it as an incentive to loosen his lips and divulge everything he knew. Aryan was counting on that as he reached into his jacket and produced a datapad with Amedda’s likeness projected on the screen.

    "Have you seen this man recently?" he raised his brow, carefully gauging the bartender’s reaction. "I have reports indicating that he arrived on board this vessel early last evening, and it’s imperative that I—"

    An explosion, followed by the steady cadence of tumbling debris, cut off the rest of Aryan’s reply. The blast had occurred in an adjacent corridor, and it had been strong enough to shake the deckplates beneath his feet. While he couldn’t discern a primary cause from this vantage point, he had a hunch that the Sith had either initiated the explosion or were intimately linked to its detonation. Whatever the case, he quickly realized that he was wasting his time interrogating a simple bartender. If he wanted to find answers, he would need to follow the trail of destruction.

    Leaving the credits behind on the counter, Aryan retrieved his datapad and leapt to his feet to flee through the ensuing chaos. Stepping out into the corridor, his hand slid inside his jacket to secure the grip of the holdout blaster holstered to his shoulder.

    The weight of the cold metal against his palm bolstered his confidence as he slowly followed the smoke and dust into the abyss. But before he rounded the corner, he activated the transmitter on the comm that linked him directly to Syren.

    Just in case.

    TAG: @Lady Belligerent; @QueenSabe7; @Sinrebirth; anyone else onboard the Luxury Elite
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2021
  25. QueenSabe7

    QueenSabe7 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 23, 2001
    IC: Syren
    personal quarters, Luxury Elite

    Steam billowed out from the open ‘fresher door and into the moderately-sized bedroom it connected with, rising to the ceiling and creating a haze that hung over the recessed lighting. It reminded Syren of the many seedy cantinas she had frequented over the years; smoke curling upward from various pipes and devices to fill rooms and give them a more secretive appeal, so deviant practices could take place freely without notice.

    Standing by her bed, having just dressed and now running her fingers through her damp red hair, she thought of Aryan. Her stomach flipped and goosebumps ran over her exposed arms, recalling their own joint venture mere hours earlier. She closed her eyes and saw his, filled with cravings and pleasures that only a kill could offer – one that they had completed together. She could still feel the life as she squeezed it from Valieri’s body, the currents of the Force emanating from Aryan as he used her own weapon and stabbed it into the same woman’s heart… she had swelled with such pride, watching her lover achieve such a high through the bloody art she had spent so much of her life perfecting.

    A passion she was finally able to share with him.

    A wicked grin spread across her mouth and Syren shelved the lascivious memories for another time. At present they had an interesting mystery to tackle, thanks to Valieri’s weak mental walls that she had torn down like sheets of tissue. It was the only reason she and Aryan had to separate so prematurely, so that they might be able to solve two parts at once.

    While he sought out information on Mas Amedda’s possible stay here on the Luxury Elite, she was to figure out Lady Bellorum’s part in all of this. Heat rose in her chest as she considered the former Dawn Herald’s hand in Aryan’s drugged assault, and just why she thought it prudent to harm him in such a personal way. Also considering his intimate relationship to a High Lord, assumedly trying to damage that as well?

    Snatching an almost-empty tumbler from her dresser and downing the remaining red liquid, Syren grabbed her jacket and strapped her weapons, intending on locating Lady Bellorum and speaking with her directly. Leaving through the main living room area of her suite, the assassin would try the Dark Lady’s quarters first and go from there, but she did not get more than a few feet down the corridor when she drew up short.

    It was nothing drastic, nothing that caused her to fill with dread, but it was noticeable enough for her to turn on her heels in another direction and abandon her search for Bellorum. Her bond with Aryan may be one-sided but it was as strong as ever, her senses hyper-tuned into him after the previous night. And it was clear that something had happened to put Aryan in potential danger.

    Quickening her pace, reaching out as far and wide as she could for him, her comm she shared only with Aryan pinged as she remembered he had told her he would be heading to the Den of Iniquity to search for answers regarding Amedda.

    Sure enough he was close to there, as he had thought to activate his transmitter so she would know just where to find him. And she did just that.

    ‘I’m on my way’ she sent via voice recording, quickly following the labyrinthian pathways to her destination.

    TAGS: @HanSolo29 @Lady Belligerent