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

Star Wars CLOSED Star Wars: Episode V: Twilight of the Force II: A Father’s Fate

Discussion in 'Role Playing Forum' started by Sinrebirth , Nov 5, 2019.

  1. Sinrebirth

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

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: Beaumont Kin
    Death Star Prototype, Deep Zone One

    The droids garbled screech was more than just that; it was an activation. The entire station rumbled, and it became apparent that the scans had been falsified or perhaps even fooled - the Death Star began to move, and it was exceedingly clear that the weapon had been holding position. Indeed, Kalenda, who had just returned to the station and headed to the bridge - was locked out of the system, unable to work out what was in-fact really operational.

    The Sentinel droid had been setup as some kind of failsafe, perhaps by Rax, perhaps by Palpatine. The wreck had settled here for fourteen years at least, and clearly his First Order had gone to lengths to repair whatever damage Krennic had done.

    From Qwi's perspective, the open access showed the debris around the Death Star was moving, even if the obvious rumble was not obvious. Beaumont's eyes widened. "We're moving." He looked at Qwi, panicked. "We're moving!"

    There was a noise, and Beaumont turned the blaster to face it, his other hand on his face -

    It was Jyn, leaning in through the airlock, holding her side. It was bloodied, and she looked pale. "Benthic is gone - the droid took his head off," she said, gasping. Looking down at Drayson, she pulled a face. "He can't be saved, Qwi. We need to get moving, see if we can stop this thing -"

    She stumbled, and Beaumont headed to her, tapping the controls to seal the door in-case the Death Star tried to eject them by messing with gravity.

    TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox
    ---
    IC: Abeloth

    Deep Zone Two, Supremacy, the Maw

    Although Abeloth was engaged in conversation with Qi'ra Ananke, she had grown in power enough to be in two places at once - at last, and she returned to her form to peer at Bernael, in the middle of his exertions. She reached out, a malicious presence washing over Katarn, Renn, Vhardia and Leia, and the woman grinned. Shara didn't sense a thing, of course, blasting tendrils apart with her blaster.

    "Yknow, I suspect I was always going to meet you, Bernael, and the Neti, and the woman"

    Even though Abeloth was in a non-Force users body, she still had her own powers, and even so weakened she could do plenty. Indeed, she intended to. "Shall we go after them together?"

    The Eye was cautious; Bernael had not yet fully recovered, and he would be ill-placed to bring his more esoteric powers to bear, but they had better odds with Abeloth besides them. Abeloth was already heading forward, ripping apart the bulkheads between her and her prey, exposing a hole in the metal construction so that she could see the four Jedi and the pilot-way-way-way out of her depth.

    "Um, guys?"

    TAG: @darthbernael, @TheSilentInfluence, @darthhelinith (combo again) O:), separately @QueenSabe7 (combo continues)
    ---
    IC: Owen

    Entralla, Moff's Residence

    Ecressys, predictably, didn't respond, and before Owen could make an alternate suggestion, the commandos, zealous to the core, launched their attack, boosting their jetpacks and launching forward. The AT-AT ponderously followed around the perimeter, but they had a good chance of breaching the compound before it was relevant -

    Owen reached out for Ka'rta, as this was technically the first time they'd had alone since they'd made it to Ord Mantell.

    "Look, we don't need to carry on with this. Thrawn is just using us, and say we do find out the world all this secret materiel is going - then what? What's the plan to stop Darth Zorn, Ka'rta?"

    But before she could reply, bolts sung out to ensnare them, and one took Owen in the chest, sending him face-down to the ground.

    He didn't move.

    TAG: @galactic-vagabond422
    ---
    IC: Ike Sera

    Shot, Coruscant undercity

    The two bolts took Ike in the back, and the man went down, sliding across the darkened floor, but there while there was smoke rising from his form, there wasn't the characteristic burn holes from the shots. Fett, taking a deep breath or two as he slid to the floor, looked at Tor. "He drained the power in the shots before it hit him," he said, gasping slightly. "Tough Force users can do that, so by the time the energy washes over them, it's more like a stun-shot."

    Ike was drooling, but clearly trying to use the Force to recover quicker, his body twitching.

    "If you shoot him now, he won't be able to use the Force to stop you," Fett took another breath. "So if you want to finish him off, be my guest. Even after we kill Graul, we'll be able to earn a tidy bounty for his death from the New Republic."

    "I wantttt youuuuu to killllll Aryyyyyan... I wantttt to helppppp...." Ike said, slurring from the floor. "Justtttt letttttt meeeee..."

    He trailed off, and Fett made a noise of derision and amusement. "Lucky us, eh, Tor?" Fett's gaze swept over the teen. "Your choice, Tor. Do we shoot him, ditch him, or make use of whatever intel he has? Aryan's bounty is more than his," he said, kicking Ike for good measure.

    This was a bounty hunter question, and test, clearly.

    TAG: @galactic-vagabond422

    TAG: @JediMasterAnne (Nola)

    TAG: @JediMasterAnne (Feyna, combo continuing)

    TAG: @HanSolo29 (combo's continuing)
    ---
    IC: Enric Pryde

    Aboard the Derriphan, Battle of Kashyyyk

    Finally he had the order. "With pleasure, my Lord."

    The Xyston-class Star Destroyer began advancing, sweeping through the Mandalorian screen and advancing on the planet. The underside cannon was fully charged, and Pryde merely needed to press through the collapsing Third Fleet line and he would destroy Kashyyyk. The irritating fighter defence that Joren Sole had lead would come to an end, and the Wookiee's would finally die, as they were destined to do since the Separatist Ultimate Weapon had visited this world fourteen years ago.

    As the warship advanced, Huyang detected the death of his master and knew that whoever had killed Galen would be too great a threat. Across the channel the team shared, he led the Rogue Shadow forward, communicating with Mace Windu and Lowbacca. "I am coming for you - the enemy has broken through, and a Star Destroyer is heading towards us."

    Joren was too busy to respond, but the Korrunai and the Wookiee had cut down the enemies before them just before the Jedi librarian droid reached out to them. Galen's death was all too clear in the Force, to them, but up above, with Madelyn, aboard a dying ship, less so.

    Agate took one more look at the way she wanted to go, and nodded to the Mandalorian - to the Jedi, the commodore mentally corrected. "I'm coming."

    The Unity was done for, and so she opened her comlink. "All hands abandon ship. Crew that can, set course for the nearest enemy battlecruiser; set for ramming speed, and then get to a pod."

    At that, she allowed her surviving staff to usher her and Madelyn to the pods, and in short enough order they were free-floating as the Unity slammed through the battlecruisers, detonating and allowing the Third Fleet some more time, and some more space - but they were completely unable to do anything about the advancing Sith Star Destroyer.

    At the fringes of the battle, Hapan Battle Dragons and Nova-class cruisers arrived, pouring fire into the behemoth of a droid fleet, the battlecruisers shifting their line-formation - which had been mid-flow to encircling the enemy and driving them back to the planet, as ordered by Lord Zorn - to compensate. His deployment may have devastated the Third Fleet's chances, but it exposed them to an ambush and the droid intelligence's - the GEMINI droids all linked to the Sith Eternal Throne - were confused and struggling to respond, pressing against his mental control for guidance. The encirclement formation was shattered, as some eighty Hapan warships surprised and overwhelmed double that number of battlecruisers, with another similar amount imperilled as the Third and Hapan fleets caught them in a lethal crossfire -

    Though of course such casualties would not bother Darth Zorn, not when he had hundreds more Eternal Fleet battlecruisers remaining -

    From Madelyn's perspective, the Mandalorians broke from their attack on the Destroyer to come to her aide, and in short order she and Agate were aboard a Pursuer-class ship, commanded by one Nivoc Vevut.

    [​IMG]

    "Mand'alor," he said, grunting, before trotting back to the pilots ship. Other Mandalorian ships unified to harass an enemy battlecruiser, before the Pursuer moved off. Novoc projected the battle to the central bay, so Agate, attended by an aide with limited medical training, and Madelyn could see the battle unfold.

    Gasping against the pain, Agate spoke up. "With the Hapans, we might have a chance to save Kashyyyk." She wasn't watching the lone Star Destroyer when she had so many hundreds of if not thousands of droid warships to face, but the Force was urging Madelyn to act now - though what could she do but watch? Agate opened her comlink to give orders to the surviving Third Fleet ships - less than half of which were still active, though they had a chunk of resolve remaining thanks to Madelyn.

    "The auretiise may be able to win," Novoc said from the open cockpit door, but its not our fight, Mandalore. We can't make a difference; we should get out while we still can." He turned the Pursuer around one of the few remaining TIE Daggers active in orbit, blasting it and eyeing up the Mandalorians who were still struggling with the one battlecruiser - but another was on the way.

    But as the Derriphan pressed through the Third Fleet line without any issues - it was a twenty-four hundred metre warship after all, and much larger than anything present - a grinning Pryde looked at the crew, and then back at his Dark Lord's hologram. "Fire!"

    The massive cannon on the underside of the Xyston-class ship turned, and the reactor funnelled energy into it for the shot -

    TAG: @BobaMatt, @LordTroepfchen, @TheSilentInfluence

    GM Note: As I have been off-schedule, any posts put up between now and Tuesday will get an answer from me, but otherwise next update will be the coming Tuesday. My apologies, I ran out of energy yesterday!
     
    Last edited: Sep 3, 2020
  2. AgentViper007

    AgentViper007 Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Mar 9, 2005
    OOC: Acombo with @Sinrebirth :D

    IC: Qwi Xux, Beaumont Kin, Jyn Erso
    Location: Death Star prototype base, The Maw


    As the droid eventually died it let out a screech so loud Qwi had to cover one ear whilst she was still holding the piece of cloth to Drayson's stomach wound.

    She knew she was losing the fight though, he had lost too much blood and even her ministrations were not stopping it. Her heart was sinking.

    There was a rumbling noise and thanks to the view of the outside she saw the debris field moving and Beaumont's panicked exclamation confirmed it...they were moving. And Qwi felt even sicker.

    This base is operational! Did someone do this? Falsified the stations data so it would look dormant but in fact everything had been fixed! Whomever it is I will tear them apart for activating this….

    The door made a noise and Qwi turned to see Jyn appear which made her slightly smile. She was glad to see the younger woman alive but she was injured too and she confirmed Benthric was dead too. More people dying so she could stay alive. And then Jyn told her to leave Drayson to die.

    "I've called for assistance" Qwi said "I cannot just leave him here to die on some cold floor, he doesn't deserve that and you two need medical attention" her voice turned sad and shaky "That droid came for me, it wanted me to join it in going to the Unknown Regions to create another superweapon. It attacked you and Drayson to get to me. I refused to join it and Beaumont was injured. Because of me!"

    She shook her head " People are dying and getting injured because of me, I already have the blood of Alderaan on my hand, and now Benthric and Drayson. Pascale is dead because he came to save me from prison and he died unexpectedly I don't want any more people to die protecting me, I want to see people saved." The trembling got worse "I need to stop this weapon before more people die but I cannot let people kill themselves for me, I don't deserve that ''.

    Jyn stepped off Beaumont and slapped Qwi in the face.

    "Stop it."

    "My father died sabotaging the Imperial Death Star; his sin stains me too," Jyn snapped. "Don't think you're the only one who feels responsible for everything which has happened." She pointed at Drayson. "That man is going to die. You can honour his memory by letting Rax get away with whatever he's doing, or you can do something about it."

    Beaumont grabbed Jyn, belatedly, looking at Qwi with surprise and concern in his face.

    Qwi fell slightly after the slap nearly ending up on her back. Her face stung but maybe it was the catalyst for her to do something. No that she wouldn't have anyway. But no doubt leaving Drayson there to die in a cold dark corridor was not the way a person deserved to go. Beaumont was a bit late in grabbing Jyn after the deed was done but at least he was showing her concern.

    She hissed at Jyn like a wounded animal "Do you really think I would let Rax get away with anything?" she shook her head "You obviously know so little about me. I've had a little chat with him and believe me I want to stop him as badly as you do. But at least I wanted to give Drayson some dignity. I really hope that one day you don't see a person you love die like that because you would want to give them some dignity too."

    She bowed her head over Drayson and spoke a quick Omwati prayer and whispered "I'm so sorry" before standing up and checking her blaster before holstering it again.

    "I will go and deal with whatever is going on" she looked to Jyn "You are in no shape to fight, go and get some medical attention or wait for someone to arrive to pick up Drayson".

    She looked to Beaumont her features softening "You can go with Jyn or you can come with me. Again I will not hold it against you if you wish to remain behind. But if Rax has gotten out I may need backup, sadly we don't have many people left…."

    Jyn sniffed, untouched by her aggression. "Come on then."

    She was walking off her wound - clearly her leg had been caught, Beaumont noting a tourniquet upon it.

    Beaumont watched her go, heading back the way they had come, probably towards Rax. "I heard that Jyn Erso used to fight for Saw Gerrera; the bad Rebels..." He released a small sigh.

    He dabbed his forehead, which seemed to be bloodied but mostly the wound was shutting. "Well, I guess it's time for us to move on." The younger man paused. "You know that I... care for you, Qwi, don't you?" Beaumont held up a hand. "I don't need you to reciprocate, I just need to know that you know."

    Drayson quietly, softly, almost, died, his chest stopping.

    If only his death was the end of the day...

    Qwi had heard of Saw Gerrerra, well rumored mostly. She could see why Jyn had fought with them and why she was so aggressive particularly to former Imperials like her.

    And then Beaumont dropped a bombshell. He...what?!

    This was not an equation she expected to deal with and so soon after Pascale's death. Qwi never thought someone would care for her after what she had done. But Beaumont had and he was willing to put his life on the line for her, and had decided now was the time to tell her the truth. Especially since they were probably about to go into battle against Rax. Her feelings were in a tailspin.

    She flushed a darker blue. Wasn't it too soon after Pascale? But this could be the only man that sees me for who I truly am. But it can't hurt to wait and see how it goes and hopefully no regrets if it doesn't work…..and I would put my life on the line for him. I can't lose him as he is the only friend I have.

    "Oh Beaumont…" she said gently and stepped forward standing up on her tiptoes and giving him a hug before stepping back "I had an inkling that you did care, thank you for being honest with me. You have shown that you have first with Aurra then with that droid. But I never realised it was deeper than that"

    Darayson died and Qwi felt sorrow for him. He had died needlessly. But she would get Rax. For him.

    She beckoned Beaumont to follow her before they lost Jyn, her ankle still hurting a little. "I never thought anyone would care for me, especially after Pascale died. And I'm scared of losing someone else be they a friend or a lover. It's a bit soon now but...maybe give it time and maybe see how it goes to give it a chance. You are caring, sweet and kind, a little clumsy but I find that...charming" she said with a smile "And hopefully we will have time to work things out".

    She pulled out her blaster "I wanted you to know my position before we go into battle. If we get out of this i'll patch you up on Firenze, and we can have a proper chat"

    He had grinned at caring, sweet and kind, his lips had wavered at clumsy, and they withdrew into a neutral, protective expression at but, though by charming his smile was back. Beaumont smiled broadly, and then straightened his face, focusing. "After."

    A new durasteel entered his voice. "Promise."

    At that, he checked his blaster's charge, and picked up Drayson, holding one each in hand, ready to go for it. Jyn had her own in hand, though she had turned the corner.

    They were on their way to stop a madman.

    Qwi began to jog her feelings still in a spin. It was way too soon after Pascale's death to even think about other things especially since Beaumont had spilled his feelings out to her. He was young like she was and who knew whether this was even the first time he had felt this way about someone.

    And a war criminal of all people. But watching his emotions he seemed pleased enough with her answer. And he had promised afterwards to talk with her.

    But now only Rax mattered, and it was time to stop him before this station tried to exit the Maw or Rax tried to turn it back into a full superweapon.

    As Qwi jogged her face became determined. She would stop him, whatever it took….

    TAG: @Sinrebirth
     
  3. TheSilentInfluence

    TheSilentInfluence Retired Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 15, 2014
    IC: Madelyn Linnett
    Battle of Kashyyyk

    Madelyn watched everything, winching in pain from her many bruises that were sure to form; and tried her best to listen to what everyone was asking for her at once. She saw how the battle was unfolding, and it did look like they were losing; but Madelyn realised that sacrificing even herself was probably foolish, so how could she ask it of her people. Madelyn shut her eyes and tried to focus on everything unfolding around her, there wasn't much time; she could tell, and the dark and evil forces wanted to get rid of all of them, but Madelyn did have something they didn't; her Battle Meditation. There was something energising about having even the slightest advantage, but she wasn't trained.

    "You're right Vode. " She turned to look at Nivoc Vevut. "Perhaps this is a lost cause. But how many more planets should fall like ours did? One by one they will destroy the galaxy, and any stand we have ever taken; by anyone will be for nothing." She paused. "I know I haven't given my people much to place their hopes on. And I wouldn't either. It's not like I was raised on Mandalore." She tilted her head, and looked focused. "But Mandalore and the people who have fought for her have faced impossible odds worse then this. Evacuate who you can. Get them out to the other colonies. I'll follow, as soon as I'm done here." She looked at Agate. "If you have a smaller ship on board this vessel, I would appreciate being allowed to borrow it. I can get closer to the battle and our people that way, provide them with the confidence to leave or to fight. Whichever they choose."

    Perhaps if she had come into this gift earlier, her life would have turned out different. Madelyn turned to look at the others, and opened her mouth to speak; before the gun started to get energy to fire. Madelyn felt a lurch in the force, and then stumbled forward. "We have to take out that ship." She said quietly. And she shut her eyes, holding up her hands and willing herself to somehow disable the gun or make their enemies lose enough hope to surrender. I am one with the force and the force is with me. And it's about time we do some serious damage to our enemies.

    Tag: @Sinrebirth @BobaMatt @LordTroepfchen
     
    Jerjerrod-Lennox likes this.
  4. darthbernael

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

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: Love building tension in a combo with @Sinrebirth, @darthhelinith, and @TheSilentInfluence

    IC Bernael, Kyle Katarn, Leia Skirata-Linnett, Vhardia, Renn
    Supremacy


    Bernael’s eyes shifted rapidly to the black within black as he threw up a mental wall between the Eye and the outside world. He felt the man’s strength in the probe that came his direction, ’Sated am I, Eye, your carelessness means I must spend energy to continue this charade.’ he whisper snarled.

    Outwardly he made his being even more slippery and unnoticeable. To further complicate matters he concentrated and allowed a spike in dark energy to build on the path to the Captain’s ready room. As he was ensuring that he could continue this game until it’s inevitable conclusion, he felt new presences arrive. A sliver of awareness flowed outward. ’Hmmm, one with the most minimal Force ability, what feels like a Jedi knight, and……’ his eyes widened, ’It is too soon for that one and I to meet, this whole charade needs to be tweaked.’

    Onboard the Otana Renn was staring at the enormous ship, ”That seems excessive.” he mused. He was reaching out when he reeled back slightly. He’d felt the lightest touch of Force power but the Light within him recognized it immediately. ”It’s there….the Dark, the other half.”

    He shook himself, trying to regain his composure, ”Just for a moment I felt it. It knows we’re here and now I’m sure it’s here. I can’t tell where, exactly but those Jedi ahead of us are deep in the jaws of the trap now.”

    Vhardia glanced at Renn.

    "You felt it too? It's so dark here."

    There was something about being near such a strong darkness that felt... familiar in some strange way. It felt like she'd been near such dark places before, and regularly. Perhaps the dark side was just really that seductive.

    Leia felt confused, the feeling was more apparent as she watched Master Katarn. Listened. She wasn't sure, but Leia felt like something was lingering on the edge.

    "I think it's a trap." Leia muttered, low enough so Master Katarn could hear. "But I don't think we have much of a choice Master."

    Katarn nodded. "I do too, but I sense..."

    The Otana settled down, following Katarn, and he turned to face the YT-2000. "Shara Dameron..."

    The woman headed to the ramp and lowered it, a blaster in her hand. "Master Katarn? Padawan Skirata-Linnett? This is Knight Vhardia and Master Renn."

    Katarn nodded to them. Their lights were interweaving now, and the Force of their strength shone, indeed the unease settled around them for a moment, unless of course Bernael sought to strain himself more to press upon them.

    The Eye mused. We are outmatched, without your love.

    There was that spike of darkness, of course, in the Captain's room, as a clear 'I am here' revelation.

    Bernael nodded, agreeing with the Eye, the newcomers had, among their numbers, the one that could completely disrupt all his plans. Admittedly facing Zorn was going to be a chore in itself but this one was literally the other half of the coin that was the Force.

    He withdrew his presence as much as possible, letting the scene before him play out as it could. Moving through the Fury he reached the room that held Abeloth. Touching her physical shell, ’I may be coming to join you soon, given the opportunity.’

    Renn could feel Vhardia as she considered what they had arrived at. He too felt an almost kinship to the darkness here, but the path that he’d stumbled into now meant that he would be opposed to whatever that called to him that way.

    Renn descended the ramp and nodded to the Jedi before him. Letting his senses range he could feel the darkness that filled the space, death and destruction was almost a palpable scent in the air.

    ”Greetings, this is a very dark place. What is true or not here, is obscured. I felt a being, one that I must face, as we arrived but I do not feel him directly, now. His energy I do feel deeper in the ship but there is no guarantee that it is not a deeper trap.”

    Leia eyed the newcomers wearily, though they seemed to know who she was. She gave a small wave when she felt the warmth of the force flow around them, and spoke, "I think we have better odds now Master Katarn." She looked over at him, feeling more confident than she had before, though whether this was an effect of the force she did not know. Leia shifted her gaze between the newcomers, and then back at her Jedi Master. I hope we really can turn the tide.

    Vhardia strolled casually down the ramp, feeling rather relaxed with the lightside presences around her, though she inclined her head to Master Katarn respectfully.

    "Good to see you again, Master Katarn, shame it's not in more pleasant circumstances."

    She started chewing a piece of gum and considered Renn's words.

    "Well it's no good standing around here looking pretty. I say we might as well spring this trap and find out what's going on."

    She offered a piece of gum to Leia, to be friendly.

    Katarn nodded, deactivating his blade and ignoring the captain - who, as far as he could tell, wasn’t really alive in the Force. “Whatever dark side madness is going on, we aren’t going to do the horror movie trope. Everyone keeps together, alright?”

    He lifted his chin to the depths of the ship. “There’s a darkness that way, it burst into existence when I shouted out an interrogative. So it’s responding or it’s bait.”

    The Jedi Master nodded to the Neti. “Master Renn, I don’t have your age or wisdom; what shall we do?”

    Shara piped up. “I’m staying with you guys, either way.“

    ”Agreed, together, and yes, it does feel that the majority of the Darkness is in that direction, Master Katarn. This vessel needs to be cleansed, section by section as we advance, to leave our foe very little space to hide.” He let one saber drop into his off hand as he let his senses range out.

    Returning to the bridge, Bernael watched and listened to the tableau before him in the hangar. A devious smile began to form behind the mask as they discussed what they intended. He closed his eyes for a moment, drawing on the souls he’d consumed so as not to draw on the local currents of the Force. He concentrated and sent out the energy in arcing motions, again to cause as few ripples in the Force as possible, then waited.

    Moments later the lights went out all over the ship. Emergency lighting, dim and red, sprang to life, leaving shadows looming over everything. Down the now dark corridor a voice cried out, high and female. “No….no please…” Sounds of a scuffle and thud and then, just at the edge of sight a desiccated body fell half in sight of the hangar. For a moment, there was the sight of a form, a blackly glowing saber in its hand, proboscises writhing around its face, not his, but a generic Anzati one. The body was real, one of the many resurrected bodies, its purpose now served.

    The figure above the body turned its head toward the gathering in the hangar then turned and strode into the shadows deeper in the corridor.

    Leia took the gum from the newcomer and smiled a little. "Thank you Master." She said politely. She looked over at Master Katarn and the others as they spoke, and agreed that they should keep together. Leia wasn't sure what was going on, but the appearance of one of the dead crew members frightened her a little. She looked around, and wondered how much more death she would have to see today.

    "Master, I think one of us should take point." Leia said, tugging on one of his sleeves. She had heard her mother say this before, to some of their soldiers. She had an idea of what it meant, that someone would be at the front, scouting ahead as they went along. "That way we won't be taken by surprise."

    Vhardia jumped as the lights went out and ignited her saber, mostly as an automatic defense strategy. She felt a little sheepish about it, but was then glad of the limited light it provided. It lit up the faces of her companions with a slightly sickly green alien glow.

    She turned towards the sounds of the struggle but just managed to restrain herself from running forward at the appearance of the shadowy figure, the lesson from the duel in The Works still fresh in her mind, though Renn would be able to sense how much self control it had taken...

    "...I think we're supposed to go that way." She managed, after a moment's pause.

    Katarn wasn’t sure what was going through Vhardia, but his resolve punched out in the Force and he strode forward, leading their impromptu group.

    The Eye whispered to Bernael. Do you intend to sneak by while they head deeper in the ship?

    The creepy ship of bodies was what it was, but with every passing moment Bernael was growing stronger, and he was able to see the voids in the innumerable bodies as not just marionettes but extended parts of himself he could fillet out, with sufficient practice.

    Bernael watched with a morbid fascination as the Light siders reacted to his display. So far they were following the script he’d laid out. He watched them prepare to follow the shape he’d presented and head down the corridor toward the captain’s ready room. To the Eye, ’Of course I do, there are many routes to reach that destination.’

    Putting action to words, the invisible Anzati slipped out of his ship, on the far side from where the lightsiders were. With the darkness of the hangar, only the emergency lighting giving any brightness to the gloom, he disappeared down a second corridor. Reaching out with his mind, ahead of him, he found one of the walking dead officers in the corridor ahead of the Jedi.

    He touched the mind of the officer, a pilot Lieutenant, and allowed a portion of his own essence, a part with no force affinity, to enfuse the man. In a moment he experienced split views of the Supremacy, His own body’s viewpoint and power, sliding through a door to the ship’s XO’s office, next to the Captain’s ready room. Settling into a darkened nook, he let his conscious spend more of its energy in the inhabited body.

    The pilot ran down the corridor, toward the hangar, hearing the voices ahead of him. He stopped short, in the shadows, before the corridor opened onto the hangar, unsure if he should burst out into the open space, whether these people were truly here to assist or not. At least that was what it appeared to be. Calling out, “Are you Jedi? Have you come to stop the darkness here?”

    Renn nodded to Vhardia, then slipped around her and moved near Kyle. He was about to speak when he felt a presence approaching. It was just that of a person, minimal Force energy. A voice spoke out, questioning them. He looked at Kyle then moved around him and approached to within a few paces of the figure he was certain was just within the darkness of the corridor. He began to see the faint outline of a being as he drew close.

    ”Yes, Jedi. We have come to end the darkness that has fallen on this place. How did you survive, while everywhere it feels like death?” He kept his saber close down by his side, in case this was a trap but he did wish to know how anyone had survived in this place.

    Vhardia saw danger everywhere.

    "Dang it, we should just nuke the thing." She muttered to herself, though she was only half-joking. The darkness around her nodded in agreement, as her blade remained on and ready.

    Leia followed, quiet and eyes wide; keeping close to Master Katarn and the others as the body was inspected and the darkness grew. She kept her eyes peeled around them, and kept reaching out with the force. Forward and Backward. Trying to feel everything and it all coming back muddled with darkness. I really don't like this place. It makes me feel sick.

    Kyle Katarn reached out, hard. "Jedi, we need to meld our powers and pierce the dark; sense the shape of our foe and defeat him together." In the Force, a hand seemed to unfurl between them, as he sought to draw Renn, Vhardia and Leia into a combined effort.

    The Eye winced, and softly added. I think we'll be in trouble if they do that.

    An echo of mocking laughter came from everywhere and nowhere at once. As it reverberated around the hangar and corridor leading to the Captain’s ready room tendrils of Darkness began thrusting upward from the floor of the corridor, beginning to tug at the legs of the ‘pilot’. He began trying to run toward the Jedi, as though through a thick, heavy syrup, the tendrils pulling at him, as though to absorb him into the floor. He reached out toward the nearest, “Help!”

    Even as he did the tendrils in the hangar began crushing fighters, ripping chunks off of them and hurling them toward the Jedi. The Darkness began closing in, tendrils worming their ways across the floor toward the four beings. Bernael, in the XO’s stateroom, thought to the Eye, ’That should distract them enough to avoid that particular action for a time.’

    Renn saw the man running toward him and reached out an arm, but before he could do more, a tendril of darkness wound its way around his extended arm. His saber flashed upward and the end of the tendril was severed, freeing his arm. He moved forward toward the man and included them in the circle of protection he, Vhardia, and the two Jedi they’d encountered were forming. He kept his awareness outward, his saber shifting right and left, slicing through debris as it was flung around. ”Into the corridor, deeper, there is less debris that can hamper our way, in that enclosed space.” he called out, then began moving into the corridor himself.

    Leia nodded in agreement, and shut her eyes tightly, slowing her breathing so she could draw on the force to help them. It was one of the first things her mother had taught her, to trust in the force, even if her mother didn't use it much back then, and Leia wondered if everyone had believed in some aspect of it. She steadied herself, and then was startled out of it by shouting. She watched as a man came running out shouting for help. She looked up at the others for guidance, and tried to draw on the force again, not wanting any further distractions.

    Vhardia followed Renn, her lightsaber slashing up a defence.

    "Keep behind us, padawan." She had been about to add you won't be much help here, but stopped herself, just in time. A couple of tentacles reached behind and tugged at Vhardia's loose braids in a teasing manner.

    "Geeetooff." She grumbled and struck out, low to sever them. "It feels like we're being drawn further in" she called out to Katarn and the neti.

    TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @TheSilentInfluence, @darthhelinith
     
    Jerjerrod-Lennox likes this.
  5. Sinrebirth

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

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: Agate
    Battle of Kashyyyk, coming to an end

    The Derriphan swept through the New Republic lines and took up position, it's weapon was fully primed -

    But in the moments before, Agate had a ship come to the side of the Pursuer; a two-person Y-wing, the pilot docking and shifting over to the gunner seat, cold-shirting it in the vacuum of space for a moment. Vevut coordinated the defence, driving off the battlecruiser with the other Mandalorian survivors. A wave of A-wings and E-wings - three of the former and two of the latter - sidled up, and a pair of Hapan X-wings were added to the numbers nearby in short order.

    "I'm Keyan Farlander," the pilot said, introducing himself. He was a small flame in the Force, making it clear to Madelyn as he gave up his seat. "I just refuelled and rearmed aboard the Unity before, well, y'know -" That meant she had a full deployment of torpedoes to make use of, and even as she belted in, Keyan opened fire with his ion cannon on the distant Eternal fleet.

    The remaining eighteen TIE Daggers formed up on Pryde's position as he guided the firing, holding along one flank between the Sith Star Destroyer and the battle above -

    The Eternal fleet GEMINI droids bleated out for more instructions, as the smaller Hapan fleet wrecked havoc upon their larger but ill-coordinated numbers. The battlecruisers were still far more numerous than the Hapans and surviving New Republic defenders, but they felt every loss of a ship and GEMINI as if part of their mind was cut from them.

    Zorn, for his part, would sense that in his absence of consciousness that the Sith Eternal acolytes were frantically whispering, ordering the destruction of some... research? Yupe Tashu was first and foremost among robed individuals, his mind as mad as a piranha-beetle with a needle through it. "If we couldn't do it in a year what were we going to do in the minutes we have left?" He cackled a slight laugh, clearly amused.

    He was referencing the year that Zorn had been in meditation, hunting his father. As Tempara had hid a child from him, the Sith Eternal had been hiding something else, and indeed the GEMINI droids responded as if he was roughly handling a difficult mind, needing to be broken in again from his control of the Sith Eternal Throne. The former Imperials of the Final Order had been thoroughly indoctrinated and slavish in their desire to avenge themselves upon the Rebels; there was no treachery evident in the tens of thousands of captains putting the Sith fleet through it's final paces.

    Huyang was desperately begging for Windu and his charge Lowbacca to join him, telling them unnecessarily that Galen was dead - the Force was not yet so chaotic that they could not sense that. The Rogue Shadow was turning, poised to swing and alight its engines -

    Crisis point.

    TAG: @TheSilentInfluence, @BobaMatt, @LordTroepfchen (updated TAG)
    ---
    IC: Galius Rax

    Deep Zone One, departing, in the main depot

    The Fleet Admiral of the First Order grinned to himself, holding the Sith Wayfinder in his hand, with his black-coat upon him again. He had always knew he might need an escape vessel, and why not make it a Death Star prototype? It had been child's play to repair the sabotage that Krennic had done to the station, and even simpler to make it appear as it was disabled to an external scan.

    Simple enough. Yes, the main superlaser was a much slower one than had ended up in the Death Star - no kyber crystals were wasted on a prototype, after all - but it could fire once, and still have enough power for a jump into hyperspace. He could re-charge within twenty four hours, and all would be safe.

    Perfection.

    He rued that it would have been awful for Bernael to have headed here first. Indeed, Qi'ra Ananke, though Rax knew not of her, would have worked out the prototype was not truly disabled, and could have commandeered it simply enough. That would have been preferable to him losing the Supremacy and the First Order, but beggars could not be choosers.

    With his command codes, he had sealed in the New Republic doctor and the alien samples, and Kalenda returned to the prototype to find it on the move. Serendipity had it that Ood Bnar arrived and entered the Maw in his Jedi Explorer craft and just missed the great weapon, following the irregularities in the Force to Deep Zone Two.

    For his part, Rax simply spoke over the wall speakers as Jyn, Beaumont and Qwi made their way through the station.

    "As you can tell," he crooned, "I always had control of the station, and even as a prototype, the main weapon is very operational. I created all of this for Palpatine, but he never came, so I guess I'll have to be Emperor." He chuckled. "I can only thank you for bringing me precisely where I wanted to be, Qwi. It is really quite appreciated."

    He laughed.

    Of course, in any kind of space battle, the prototype was horrifically redundant - it had no defences, no massive shields, no superstructure to protect itself. But it was a gun, and that gun was just fine. With a malicious smile, he keyed the comms again. "Now, I could simply open the entire corridor to space, but why would I do that when I have captive guests?"

    He regarded the wayfinder. "I will allow you, Qwi, to come to me, so we can have a chat about what you can do for me... and maybe I won't kill your friends." There was a shudder, and outside the viewports, they would see that the prototype had launched itself into hyperspace.

    TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox
    ---
    Deep Zone Two, the Maw

    As Ood Bnar's personal craft rushed into the Maw, noting the Imperial battle fleet and dreadnought lain out before him, the Neti reached out, forging a connection with his embattled Jedi friends. He was too far out to do much else; the decaying orbits of patrol craft had became a veritable obstacle course at this point.

    Inside the Supremacy, Abeloth finally stirred, flexing her tentacles as if stretching from a nap. She felt much more powerful now; indeed, she could maintain a presence Beyond Shadows, having her confrontation with Ananke and the Black-Coat, even as she leered at Bernael. Clearly, she had eked strength from the fear of those here, especially the young Leia Skirata-Linnett.

    "Shall we take me a new body, then? Kill the rest?"

    The Eye allowed its alarm to spread in to the Force, Stop her -

    With an exertion into the Force, she blew apart all the compartments between their hiding place and the Jedi, ripping a hole in the ship just so she could get to them. Kyle flexed his hands against the incoming wave, and was rebuffed, slamming into the bulkhead behind them and dropping into unconsciousness, his lightsaber rolling to Leia's feet.

    All of a sudden, they sat in spherical arena of sorts, and Abeloth could only grin, her teeth full of malice and violence. Shara stepped over to the Jedi Master, and placed a hand upon his neck. "He's fine." She looked back at Leia and Vhardia, to their ships in the cavernous hangar which was now even more so. A TIE dropped from a wrecked ceiling rack, crashing to the floor, but not touching either of their vessels.

    She did however knit her brow as she saw the debris attached to their YT-2000. It was white and orange...

    And magnetised to the hull.

    For a moment Shara wondered if they'd crashed into BB-8's wreckage, when the two pieces dropped, and rolled together, beeping as if drunkenly recovering from a very dislocating experience.

    She pointed. "Look! He survived!"

    Abeloth eyed the droid. "Not really the time, I think," Her eyes flashed, and she launched forward, bounding on all fours as if some kind of monstrous creature. Shara panicked, and took a shot, but before it impacted Abeloth launched for the group, her big, hungry, hungry eyes looking at Leia -

    TAG: @darthhelinith, @darthbernael, @TheSilentInfluence (combo again methinks)

    TAG: @galactic-vagabond422 (outstanding TAGs)

    TAG: @JediMasterAnne (Nola)

    TAG: @JediMasterAnne (Feyna, combo finale this week)

    TAG: @HanSolo29 (as discussed)

    TAG: @QueenSabe7 (combo please)
     
  6. JediMasterAnne

    JediMasterAnne Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 24, 2004
    OOC: Marathon combo with the GM

    IC: Chancellor Feyna Organa, Isolder, Winter, Piett, and Grand Admiral Thrawn

    Chancellor's office, Coruscant

    How in hells Thrawn had managed to find a secret passage directly into her office, that she didn't even know about, Feyna couldn't fathom. But she was keenly aware of how dangerous the situation could become; Thrawn could kill them all right here if he chose.

    She didn't trust anything he was saying, but she didn't really have any grounds to call his bluff, either.

    And Kashyyyk did need dealing with, quickly. She nodded to Isolder. "Contact the Hapan Home fleet, send whatever you think they can spare to Kashyyyk." Hopefully they wouldn't have to send too many ships; if Zorn was at Kashyyyk, Feyna was concerned that he might then turn on Hapes for the interference, and she didn't want to take away too much from their defenses. She didn't look forward to dealing with Ta'a Chume, either, should she kick up a fuss, but Feyna would rather face the Queen Mother's wrath, than do nothing and risk allowing another planet to fall. And Isolder knew his home system's military; he'd find the right balance to get help to Kashyyyk without leaving Hapes with too little protection.

    She eyed Thrawn warily for a moment, still wondering why he was sharing information with them (and asking them for intel), when he'd just attacked the planet less than twenty-four hours ago, and had implied that she and her government were in the way of his plans.

    She didn't know how to ask without sounding rude, though.

    She turned to Winter instead. "Do we have anything on that fleet?" She supposed he was referring to Zorn's fleet, but in the craziness of yesterday and this morning, her memory was a bit fuzzy.

    Winter nodded slowly. "It's made up of two different types of capital ships, and has a bespoke TIE design, which we can tell you a fair amount about."

    Isolder had tucked out the room, watching Thrawn as he went, and casting a glance at Feyna as he did. Thrawn didn't move to stop him, and simply appraised Winter before looking back to the Chancellor.

    "I am unarmed, Chancellor. I apologise for the manner in which we have met, but it is my belief that we are entering a crisis none too dissimilar to that of events fourteen years ago, which means the fate of the galaxy is sadly at stake." He paused, before pressing on. "My attack on Coruscant caused the minimal amount of casualties it could; in-fact if you study the data, my forces suffered considerably more than yours."

    Admiral Piett growled. "So it was an elaborate feint?"

    "Yes," Thrawn said, simply. "But not aimed at the New Republic."

    "Of all the -" Piett shook his head.

    "So the rumours are true," Winter said, bluntly, ready to go on but waiting for Feyna to say so. "You really don't have any political skills."

    Thrawn didn't appear offended. "Apparently not, though I am considerably more goal-oriented than most politicians." He lifted a hand lazily to indicate Feyna. "Like the Chancellor here, who undoubtedly would prefer to be able to deal with all her enemies in one fell swoop, even actively leading from the frontline, as he did in destroying the Ultimate Weapon."

    Feyna chose not to reply to his comment, steering the conversation back to greater concerns.

    "So who was your feint attack aimed at, then, if not the New Republic? Zorn?

    "Or what about the other fleet you tangled with at Metellos and Fresia?"

    Thrawn tucked his hands behind his waist. “The Yuuzhan Vong were my target, of course, to ensure that their infiltrators were exposed.” He continued on. “Of course, I also discovered that Qwi Xux was here, and I have a need for her...” Thrawn’s eyes blazed. “And the Senators Graul are very much threats to the New Republic that need to be baited out.”

    Winter interjected. “So the proverbial ‘killing two birds with one stone’ in several actions. You could have just comm’d ahead.”

    “I could, true, but would you have listened to me,” Thrawn said, smoothly. “And the time spent discussing it would have seen the Yuuzhan Vong discover my knowledge of them... though I do apologise for your difficulties on Hesperidium, Chancellor.”

    “And your attempt to snatch us?” Isolder said, having returned to the room by then.

    “I sought to have this discussion aboard my own Star Destroyer, and to accelerate the political machinations in your Senate. With no Chancellor and no Prince, the chaos would have seen the best-positioned Senators launch their coup early, before heir preparations were finalised,” Thrawn said softly, before his eyes glittered. “But I did have a team of my own infiltrators in the Senate building ready to intercept Pedric Cuf... but you moved to Hesperidium and they missed you.” He didn’t add any censure to his tone, but it was a fact-pattern that fit, though you had to take his word for it he’d sent a team to do just that. “I instead diverted the mission to capture Qwi Xux, but I did not anticipate Aurra Sing’s involvement. Again, my apologies.”

    Winter kept on topic. “Metellos and Fresia?”

    “Ah, yes, the Yevetha. A species of bloodlust that originally worshipped the Sith God Typhojem. The Empire discovered and suppressed them; in the fall of the Empire fourteen years ago they stole Imperial technology and built a Black Fleet for their leader... though at some point a Force user of some skill took control of them.” Thrawn paused, looking troubled. “On our way to Coruscant my people intervened as he attacked Metellos, but not before said Force user used a technique to attack the world. I do not believe it was Darth Zorn, as he has drained the very colour and sound from Mandalore, I understand.”

    Winter looked as if she had something to say about that; an update from the research team there, but she didn’t volunteer any information.

    “This doesn’t explain what is happening at Kashyyyk or Entralla,” bit out Piett.

    “And I imagine we would have heard more of this Force user by now,” Isolder scoffed.

    “Yes,” Thrawn said tightly. “That would be so, if he hadn’t - we believe - headed to the Maw Cluster, which of course implies a connection between Typhojem and that location. Which is one otherreason I have personally came to you.”

    He looked straight at Feyna. “The Yuuzhan Vong samples you have are the largest combined treasure trove of genetic material we have; in the entire galaxy. Without them, our chances against them will be greatly reduced.”

    “Your team there is in very grave danger.”

    Feyna was increasingly bothered by how much Thrawn already knew about the think tank; the entire purpose of sending them to the Maw had been so he wouldn't find them. Something had leaked somewhere, or Thrawn had definitely been spying.

    And the suggested connection between the Maw and Typhojem...Feyna wondered if it had anything to do with the Crystal she and Master Bnar had destroyed there fourteen years ago.

    "Comm Grandmaster Bnar," she instructed Winter; if Thrawn was right about this new Force-user, they might have to adjust the Jedi's priorities.

    "There are already two Jedi teams in the Maw," she explained to Thrawn. "All other qualified Jedi are scouring the galaxy for more Yuuzhan Vong." The Order was already spread dangerously thin; they didn't have the resources to fight Zorn, this new Force-user, and the Yuuzhan Vong.

    Winter keyed her comlink as Thrawn nodded. "I was already on-world anyway, but I was told about the Maw mission by an eye-patched man. Not sure how he fits in but he had escaped from our of your prisons, he claimed. So, I felt I should mention it before we get to - "

    "Entralla," Piett said, sharply. "Yes, you still need to explain that."

    "I would like to allow the Chancellor her line of enquiry, if I may," Thrawn said, smoothly.

    Isolder looked about ready to punch him. Piett took a step forward and the Chiss Grand Admiral simply arched an eyebrow and stayed perfectly still.

    Winter had the Grandmaster on the channel, and a hologram appeared. The Neti looked at Thrawn, and then back to the Chancellor. "Ma'am?"

    Eye patched? Arb Skyxnex had escaped? "Send someone over to Isard Detention," Feyna told Winter. "I want to know how yet another prisoner managed to break out. Have them check on Sing and Yarmond, as well." If Yarmond had also escaped, some of the detention's guards might be finding themselves out of a job very quickly. One escape was bad enough, though Xux hadn't really made a run for freedom, and Sing had been recaptured. But another breakout, less than a day later, was unacceptable.

    She took a breath to calm herself as Master Bnar joined the meeting; tempers were starting to heat up, and she needed to keep a clear head. Be careful, and keep a clear head.

    "Master Bnar," she greeted him. "Grand Admiral Thrawn has come forward with information about Metellos, that there appears to be another Dark Force-user involved, who may now be a threat to our team in the Maw."

    Winter was juggling calls, nodding, but clearly concerned Feyna was losing her temper. "I have the facility manager on the line, Feyna, he has all three in their cells," Winter replied quickly. "Arb, Yarmond and Sing. I've asked him to check on Arb, even though he's apparently asleep."

    There was a pregnant pause, and then she exchanged a few words.

    "
    No, wait, the Arb - it's a... well, it's someone who really looks like him." She looked confused. "Is Arb Skynxnex a Force user? We didn't have him down as one, but, the man they have woken, he doesn't remember how he got into Isard Detention."

    Thrawn's expression didn't shift. "A mystery solved, perhaps. A trickster, but I would not have mentioned the Maw without him, Chancellor, so it is a warning we can give..."

    Ood paused, and nodded. "I will go myself, Madam Chancellor. To get to the root of the problem, I will." Like Raddus, the old Neti had his preferred descriptors, but while the Mon Calamari used water metaphors, Ood used tree ones.

    He bowed, but didn't immediately cut the line.

    "We'll put out a new warrant for Arb," Feyna began, but another thought occurred to her--"Though he may be headed for the Maw." Chasing after Xux. Bnar could check that as well.

    It was possible that Arb could be a Force-user. Master Bnar had not indicated anything to that effect on the Home One, but that didn't mean anything; even Palpatine had hidden under Master Yoda's nose for years.

    She looked back to Thrawn. "Is there any chance that Yevethan fleet might turn up at the Maw, given the theorized connection to Typhojem, or have they been dealt with?"

    She didn't want to hold up Master Bnar too much, but she wanted to make sure he had as much information as possible as to what he was going in to.

    Thrawn shook his head. "My forces are blockading the Yevethan homeworld as we speak, so there won't be any fleet action."

    Bnar nodded. "May the Force be with us, and hopefully I will arrive in time to save the team." He signed off, leaving them alone again.

    The Chiss Grand Admiral looked at Isolder and Piett, and they looked back. Only politeness was keeping them from going for the man. Thrawn looked back to Feyna, and stood a bit straighter. "Now, shall we discuss my surrender to the New Republic?"

    "Yes, we should." Though what they were going to do about his superweapon project...he wasn't likely to budge on his belief that it was necessary, but he was never going to convince Feyna of that.

    "And you still need to tell us about Entralla."

    "Indeed," he said gravely. "Moff Eccressys has been collaborating with the Imperials who fled into the Unknown Regions after you destroyed the Empire. They upset the regional balance, and vanished. When Senator Treen had Kuat spin off a corporation into Imperial space - Kuat-Entralla - and Lianna did so to - Sienar-Jaemus - it became obvious that Star Destroyers and TIE fighters were under construction for these Imperials..."

    Not aware of any of this, for corporate vagaries were not his specialty, Piett blinked a few times. "And these Imperials are tied to Zorn?"

    "There is a world I need the name of, to be able to connect the dots between Zorn, Eccressys, and the forces that are even now at Kashyyyk," Thrawn said carefully. "So I diverted Ka'rta and the Death Watch to Eccressys - to take the name. Once I know the name... I will pass it to the New Republic and my forces will commit to the destruction of him."

    Isolder saw the flaw in the plan. "And what if you don't know the world that is named?"

    He looked grave. "Then we are indeed in trouble." Thrawn looked back to the Chancellor.

    "Have I provided you enough information to move against Treen? I can provide documentary evidence of some of this, but not all of it. But I can assure you that there is a new Star Destroyer and TIE fighter design at Kashyyyk - unique to what the intercepts are calling the Sith Eternal Fleet." Thrawn's eyed bored into Feyna, looking for visual cues from the woman.

    "I imagine my arrest will provide you enough political insurance against any fall-out that would occur?"

    Feyna slowly nodded, "It's enough to question her, certainly." She checked her chrono--"Shevu has probably finished up with Aryan by now--has he sent us his notes yet?" Winter or Isolder could check.

    She then turned to Piett. "Yesterday you mentioned that you'd noticed increased numbers of Stormtroopers and Remnant officers 'retiring' early, or just leaving--I wonder whether they've gone to Zorn?"

    Initially, they'd thought Thrawn had recruited those troopers and officers, but that seemed unlikely now.

    Piett nodded, slowly. "Yes, I did. Older officers and troopers, but we couldn't keep track of them."

    Thrawn smiled. "I may have arranged for the arrival of certain individuals in my Empire of the Hand when Amedda's Empire fell, but not recently." He shrugged. "Most Imperials that served the Galactic Empire were not ideal candidates for my forces, and those that were ended up in your command, Admiral Piett."

    "So they are likely serving with Zorn..."

    "The three main officers that went missing in the retreat General Brendol Hux, Admiral Galius Rax, and General Enric Pryde," confirmed Thrawn. Isolder glanced to Feyna. The latest reports from the Maw had mentioned that Rax had just been captured by Drayson in the Maw. Connected events? Or separate? Thrawn watched the interaction with steady eyes, as ever.

    Winter looked at the datapad again. "He has just finished up. Apparently Aryan confirmed he met Treen for a catch-up, and revealed - which we weren't aware of - that there is a meeting between him and Treen's allies later this afternoon. Shevu mentions that he tried to draw parallels between what Aryan claims happened to him with Amedda - that he was manipulated into being Emperor - and what Treen is doing to him now, but Aryan didn't seem to be concerned."

    Thrawn's eyes glittered. "Then they will be in the same place." He looked at Winter, speaking to her directly. "Do we know where?"

    Winter hesitated, and looked to Feyna. Piett looked like he had an opinion, but he was reluctant to comment. Isolder had a comlink chime, and stepped out again, but they would briefly overhear him speaking with the forces he'd sent to Kashyyyk.

    Treen and Aryan meeting up again was convenient... "You have an idea to take advantage of this?" It was more a statement than a question; Feyna wasn't sure she liked that glint in Thrawn's eyes, and she wanted to know what he had in mind before she let him know where they were meeting.

    "My preference would be to shoot them all outright for conspiracy to commit treason," Thrawn drawled, "but even I accept that will have political ramifications." He smiled slightly. "Personally I think you should have someone attend the meeting, perhaps even in person. Shock them to their core with all that you know, and deal a blow to their belief they can get away with conspiracy and sedition."

    His eyes blazed with his passion on the topic. "Or you could just take them into custody 'for their own protection', and say that you have a tip that an assassin has been deployed to kill them all."

    Piett snorted slightly. "And you?"

    "You should probably not lock me in Armand Isard prison. Perhaps I should be taken to the Home One for safekeeping?" He sounded somewhat amused, at that. Piett narrowed his eyes.

    Feyna would have liked a better option than the Home One, but Thrawn definitely couldn't go to Isard. And Raddus would keep an eye on him--though Feyna hoped his guards would be more effective than the ones at the detention center had been of late.

    She had a few more questions for him first, though. "Is there anything else you can tell us about Hux, Rax, or Pryde?" He hadn't indicated any knowledge that they actually had Rax, but Feyna wasn't going to volunteer the information, either. But if Hux and or Pryde were working for Zorn, it would help to know something about them.

    "And what is your concern about Norin Graul?"

    He'd mentioned that both Aryan and his father posed a threat to the New Republic.

    Thrawn blinked, and Isolder and Winter did their best not to react to her questions. His eyes flicked to them, and then back, but clearly he couldn't decipher the three of them. "Hux was a Stormtrooper trainer previously based on Arkanis, Rax, an orphan from a desert world named Jakku, and Pryde a Navy adherent from Alsakan. Hux and Pryde make the most sense to rebuild the Empire, but Rax was involved in more shadowy endeavors - his skill set does not translate so cleanly to that of Fleet Admiral, so presumably he had knowledge of more of Palpatine's secrets."

    "I would quite like to meet Rax, but I imagine he is deep in the territory Zorn has claimed, wherever that is in the Unknown Regions."

    "You don't know?" Isolder said.

    "No," Thrawn affirmed. "There is much of the Unknown Regions that remains uncharted, even by my people." He swung back to Feyna. "Norin Graul recently traveled to Mustafar and all I can ascertain from history, apart from the long-destroyed Separatist droid factory , is an ancient Sith connection. I cannot think of any reason a Senator of the New Republic to visit such a world."

    "A man who brought up Aryan Graul practically begs for more attention," Thrawn added, almost lazily. "Especially after his aggressive efforts to go through the planetary shield during my assault, and then, I gather, he headed to the Works - a notorious location of crime and graft."

    The Chiss was annoyingly good at putting two and two together, and he had done that through a battle he had been struggling to win...

    ... though he claimed he had no intention to win it.

    Feyna couldn't think of any reason for Norin to have visited Mustafar, either; she had known that he had bullied Kre'frey to let him past the shield, and that he'd landed on the far side of the planet from the battle. At the time, she'd thought he'd just been avoiding the fight, but if he'd been coming back from Mustafar, then that probably wasn't the case.

    Why was Norin visiting a planet with connections to the Sith? "Do you think Norin might be linked to Zorn?"

    "Norin opposes Treen, but so did Count Dooku," Thrawn said softly. "So, I cannot see it beyond Zorn to puppet both sides."

    Isolder spoke quietly, "and Feyna needs Norin's support in the Senate, too."

    "A Sith connection to either faction would undermine the New Republic entirely," Winter said, looking concerned.

    "But we're fighting the Sith, even as we speak," Piett insisted.

    Feyna pursed her lips in irritation--she could not have one of her own supporters secretly working for Zorn.

    "Where's Shevu at now?" He'd probably had his fill of the Grauls after Aryan, but they needed to get to the bottom of Norin's visit to Mustafar, quickly.

    Winter checked. "He's heading to the Armand Isard facility himself; he intends to relieve the warden of command and take direct control of the prison in the meantime."

    "Not an unfair response," Piett reflected.

    "As long as he keeps it out of the news," cautioned Isolder, still ready with his update on Kashyyyk.

    Thrawn remained silent, for the moment, letting them do as they saw fit.

    "Who else could we send to question Norin?" They were stretched thin, but both these problems needed to be addressed. "Or can someone else handle the prison?

    Isolder looked at Piett, who looked at Winter, who looked at Isolder. They all had a lot on, too. Indeed, it almost seemed as if some dark skein to fate had conspired to overtax the New Republic administration. Thrawn spoke into the silence. "I could speak to Norin, of course."

    "Don't be ridiculous," Isolder snapped. "An enemy of the state, interrogating a New Republic Senator?"

    "We'd have a vote of no confidence in a couple of hours," Winter said, drily. "Shall I go? I have this entire briefing after all, I won't need many more instructions?"

    Piett looked at Thrawn. "I want to escort our tame Grand Admiral to the Home One... personally, at that."

    "What did you have in mind for Norin, Feyna?" Isolder said, using her first name for a moment.

    Her brow furrowed again. Arresting Norin would be damaging to her support base, if he was working with Zorn, regardless of whether it got out or not. As it was, there was already discontent and conspiracy in the Senate; she couldn't afford for Aryan and Treen to gain any traction.

    "If there is a connection to Zorn, perhaps we could go the 'protective custody' route, if he cooperates. I'm hoping we're wrong, but I can't think why else he'd go to a Sith planet."

    Winter could talk to Norin; perhaps he'd feel less threatened by her than by Shevu or someone from NRI. And Firmus could take Thrawn to the Home One.

    "You're also taking Yarmond, yes?" She asked Piett. "What are we going to tell the public? Reporters were already asking this morning where he is..."

    Piett nodded. "I'll take Yarmond, definitely." Thrawn narrowed his eyes slightly at that, but said nothing as Piett grasped his upper arm. "We can just say Yarmond has been taken ill, I suppose."

    Winter nodded. "I'll tell Norin we've had word of an assassination attempt; especially after what happened to Aryan."

    Isolder grinned. "We could spin it that we suspect Bakura blames Norin, and there are rumours of a hit being ordered on him."

    "An excellent idea," commented Thrawn. "That way, if Norin was responsible for that, his own paranoia will pin him in place."

    "You suspect Norin ordered the hit on his own son," Piett said with some incredulity in his tone.

    "It seems a likely conclusion, one I look forward to proving," Thrawn said wryly. "If you do need my assistance with any analyses during my incarceration, please do let me know." His eyes glittered slightly.

    "Yeah.... we'll think about it," Piett said, ready to lead Thrawn out. "I'll get to this, Chancellor, if you have no further instructions?"

    "I don't think so"--Feyna started to shake her head, but then turned to Isolder. "What did you hear from Kashyyyk?"

    "The Hapan fleet arrived and is running over Zorn's forces," Isolder said, ready to reply. "Thrawn is right, there is a new Star Destroyer and TIE design there." He held out a holopad, showing the new Xyston-class and TIE Dagger. "And also these," he said, showing a battlecruiser design. "We reckon they are droid controlled, as there are no life-signs aboard - but we're talking thousands of the things."

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    "They've cut up half the Third Fleet and Agate's flagship, the Unity, before the Hapan fleet arrived, but now the droids are in a mess and haven't recovered yet. Part of the fleet has incinerated Trandosha and Alaris Prime - the other habitable worlds in-system, and the TIEs were harassing the surface for a bit but a local force has held them back."

    Thrawn leaned forward, as far as Piett's grip would let him. "Interesting. Those arches are evocative of an ancient empire from the Unknown Regions - from a planet called Zakuul. The Eternal Fleet, I recall, from my studies as a cadet. It was destroyed during the Sith Wars the Chiss Ascendancy were apart of. But seemingly not."

    Winter frowned. "I remember a little bit about them, but it was only seven or so years in the Sith Wars and their impact ended up pretty minimal in the overall story?"

    "Yes," Thrawn said, looking up at her. "But they did conquer the galaxy in a year, defeating both the Republic and Sith Empire."

    "Great," said Isolder irritably. "So Zorn picked up some old tech he found in the Unknown, and reunified a bunch of diehard Imperials."

    "Basically," Thrawn said soothingly. His frowned. "I seem to recall that this technology could be used on a planetary basis..."

    There was a chime, and Winter scowled. "Data updates from Metellos and Mandalore, Chancellor, about technological traces..." Her brow beetled. "They apparently match - there were both found deep underground on these worlds."

    "So our enemy may not be as powerful as they proclaim," Thrawn finished. "They're simply using ancient technology to create the impression that they are."

    Isolder frowned. "Didn't Ood say that the Sith used to do this?" He couldn't remember who had been in the room when Ood mentioned as much, but Feyna had been.

    "The battle?" Thrawn said, straightening.

    Isolder snorted, and answered to Feyna. "The Star Destroyer is making a run for the planet - the Hapan commanders believe there is an enemy ground force on the planet and they're positioning for an evac, as pretty as that weapon on the underside is, its too fragile for inter-ship combat, and too small to much but dent a city or two."

    "Are you sure of that," said Thrawn, eyes narrowing. "Why advance at all, when the droids could pick up any stragglers?"

    Feyna studied the new Destoyer, still frowning. After Mandalore, they couldn't afford to underestimate Zorn. They didn't know exactly what the weapon was that had decimated Mandalore, or what these new ships were capable of.

    "Focus on the Destroyer. See if they can take out the ventral cannon; let's find out how fragile it is." Even if the cannon wasn't especially powerful, it was a potential weak spot that they could exploit.

    "I'll give the order," Isolder said, tapping it out quickly. "Not sure who is in-charge, so I'll send it broad spectrum."

    Thrawn lifted a finger. "A group of fighters and Mandalorians seem to be availing themselves upon the Destroyer in either-case." Indeed, a small irregular group was en route.

    Piett squeezed his arm for emphasis. "Do remember that this is a New Republic operation, Thrawn."

    "I am merely offering analysis," he said softly, not responding to the slight pain. Thrawn's red eyes swept to Feyna. "You do believe me, do you not?"

    She met his gaze, trying to hide her irritation; he was annoyingly good at being right, and the projection clearly showed fighters already making a run on the Destroyer. "Unfortunately, I'd be lying if I said I didn't."

    Back to Isolder, "Nonetheless, send the order." Then to Piett, "Unless you prefer to stay for the outcome"--she made a small motion to the projected battle--"You can take him now.

    "Grand Admiral, thank you for your help."

    TAG: @Sinrebirth

    Mentions for @HanSolo29 @galactic-vagabond422 @Jerjerrod-Lennox and @TheSilentInfluence
     
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2020
  7. AgentViper007

    AgentViper007 Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Mar 9, 2005
    OOC: A combo with @Sinrebirth

    IC: Qwi Xux, Beaumont Kin, Jyn Erso, Galius Rax
    Location: Death Star prototype base, The Maw


    As the three of them continued to jog a familiar voice was heard over he comm….and Qwi seethed.

    So it seemed Rax wanted himself to be captured, either that or he had planned things really well.The madman had declared himself Emperor, and had implied that the superlaser and the whole station was now operational. All those years waiting for his Master, now he wanted to be like the Emperor himself although to be honest Rax seemed more insane and puffed up than His Imperial Majesty should be.

    I really want to punch him in the face. Firstly for activating this thing, then laughing his head off like some insane holo movie villain.

    Then the ultimatum. Meet with me or I kill everyone. And then the familiar job of a jump into hyperspace and now Qwi REALLY wanted to punch him in the face. And rip him to bits. Fantastic we now have a fully functioning superweapon about to pop back into the galaxy ....so Thrawn can get his hands on it and blow the Yuuzhan Vong to kingdom come.

    Qwi slowed down to a stop and looked at Jyn and Beaumont “Well you heard him. I don’t go to him, you all could die. If I do go to him I end up possibly becoming a pawn in his game and you all still could die. Three against one are better odds, if I go at him one on one I could end up the loser. And he will bring this superweapon into the galaxy, and by the way he’s going he’ll just blow up a planet for a bit of fun. To test it. And then present it to Thrawn as a mighty gift”

    She spread her arms wide “Your thoughts?”

    Jyn shrugged. "You should go, and when you get the chance, take him down."

    Beaumont glared at her. "Qwi isn't going to throttle a man with her bare hands."

    "Well that's our only play," Jyn sneered. "Rax is hardly going to let her approach armed, is he?"

    "Ten seconds, or my deals off the table," the obnoxious Imperial added, of course.

    Qwi sighed; don't bet on it, she thought, to Beaumont's suggestion that she might not throttle Rax. He had to be stopped for the good of the galaxy and for the mindless killing of Drayson. But she would try to take him down alive so perhaps he would know what it felt like to rot in a cell for the rest of his life.

    "Jyn is right" she said resigned and tossed her blaster to Jyn "I accept your offer" she said loudly so Rax and then looked at both her and Beaumont.

    "If I don't make it, well at least I went down fighting, he may even try to hold me hostage. If we do get out of hyperspace or if you can maybe try and get the others off and warn the New Republic. I will try and make sure Rax stays alive to receive justice. Other than that...I don't know. Just keep yourselves and the others alive".

    She then focused on Beaumont only "And if I do die, or I don't succeed all I can say is i'm sorry. I wish I could reciprocate your feelings. But if I do make it...we are having that chat" she smiled at him and then began to walk away from them both.

    Time to face the music…

    Rax was standing there, cloaked as if a savant, wielding the wayfinder.

    He had no way of knowing whether the coordinates to Ixegul within were relevant. Darth Sidious must have sent them to him for a reason. He must have. He hadn't slaved away for decades for nothing. He would cripple the New Republic, and advance to Ixegul to reap the secrets there - build a new Empire, and crush the galaxy.

    The not knowing was driving him insane, moment of triumph or not.

    He turned the command chair to face Qwi as she entered, and she would immediately note the half a dozen consoles dotted around -

    "Don't worry, all the controls have been slaved to this chair. Despite its size, the Death Star as it is has very few components for me to command. For example," he clicked a button, and the doors slammed shut behind her, audibly clicking.

    Atop one of the consoles was the Sith wayfinder, closer to her than he. He shifted on the seat to draw his blaster. "Now. Pick it up."

    Qwi knew as soon as the doors shut that there would be no escape, just her, him and the wayfinder sitting there looking innocent.

    I thought Beaumont had locked the door to the room after we left. Sneaky bastard, should have known Rax would try and grab them when he escaped…

    And so he had basically given her no choice. Touch the wayfinder or die. Once she had done this deed though Rax blaster or no blaster she would take the insane Imperial on. She would probably die doing it but she had to stop him at least maybe for the others to survive. Pascale would have called her crazy for doing it but if you had to save the galaxy from a madman...

    Well here goes…

    She stepped forward towards the console, reached out tentative then touched it.

    It glowed slightly, but only tentatively. On the faces, parts of the screens glowed, lighting up what seemed to be a star chart. But then it faded.

    "Aren't you Force sensitive, then?" Rax said, tapping the blaster upon the side of his forehead.

    "Or are you not?" He pointed it suddenly, and took a shot, nearly catching her arm. The bolt impacted with the wall, leaving a sizable dent. "Next time it'll be your head."

    "I need you to will it," Rax emphasized, and then looked thoughtful. "Perhaps if you think murderous thoughts... it is a Sith wayfinder after all; it's not a Jedi one."

    Qwi had failed so far, she knew that much after the wayfinder only reacted slightly. Before she could try again a shot whizzed past her arm making her shriek and withdraw her hand.

    She hissed at him in annoyance. Yes she wasn't a Force sensitive and perhaps Pascale's Force signature that he had passed on to her was beginning to fade. She had to act fast but hateful thoughts? She wasn't that kind of person, well not really.

    But she had to otherwise it was not just her who would die. So she tried again picking it up, imagining herself killing Rax in revenge for Drayson, for trying to kill her, Beaumont, Jyn and the others. How she imagined punching his face in again and again until he didn't get back up again…

    There was something there, as if a small thought was reaching out for her. It wasn't her, though, it felt, oddly, like how Rouser had made her feel - his smell, his touch, his sound - it was inside her...

    A Force sensitive?

    The wayfinder glowed, and Rax rushed from his seat to come close, grabbing cables from the console and placing them in the wayfinder, attempting a data connection. As he did, he put the blaster down, a hands grip from either them, a frantic look in his eyes.

    A chance?

    What the?

    As she touched the wayfinder again she felt a presence of sorts. Small fleeting yet it felt familiar to her. And she thought she could sense something simmering inside her, something that wanted to be unleashed but it was also….was that Pascale? She could hear his cultured voice, feel his hand brushing her hair, his familiar aftershave, was he now...within her?. And she remembered Beaumont’s words about the Echo, Pascale’s Echo which Arb had become obsessed about. Had the Echo passed on to her since Pascale’s death? Had something or someone wanted her to keep it safe within her? Could she use the Force now?.

    She couldn't dwell too much on it though as Rax had come over like an excited child wanting to play with his toys. He had a mad look and he hadn't noticed he had put his blaster down…

    Do it!

    Qwi quickly withdrew her hand and quickly went for the blaster, one of her legs kicking out quickly to try and move him off balance and her other hand extended out pushing with her will to try and push him away so she could grab it…..

    Had she grabbed the weapon, she would not have succeeded - Rax was a brawler at heart, having triumphed in his previous life on Jakku - but the kick surprised him he folded into the injury, hissing. Her push hit him, and with what would undoubtedly be a surprise, he was shoved by an invisible force.

    Falling back, he tripped and dropped to the floor behind a console -

    The wayfinder was there, glowing faintly -

    Success!

    No time to celebrate though, Qwi had to work quickly to make sure Rax stayed down and then go to the command chair to get the doors back open and bring the Death Star out of hyperspace. Qwi also felt a little drained after using the push, she probably had to try and get used to using such force.

    She grabbed the wayfinder with one hand this time tucking it under her arm and grabbing the blaster with the other. She moved quickly over to where Rax had fallen and making sure the blaster was set to 'kill' she shot him once in the left elbow and once in the left knee. Hopefully that would incapacitate him enough.

    Qwi then switched it to stun "You are going back to face judgement" she said with a growl "You tried to make me join you, you failed. You tried to kill my friends and the team here, I made sure I came here to stop you. This wayfinder deserves to be studied but not by people like you. You won't make it to your Masters domain because you will be in a cell where you belong"

    She began to back away towards the command chair, any attempt to attack her she would stun him "Oh and that force you felt pushing against you? That was inside me, my former partner as luck would have it. Come near me again and i'll give you the full force of it"

    She sat down in the chair dropping the wayfinder into her lap so she could work on at least trying to get the door open.

    Rax was not entirely standing from behind the console when she shot him, and he clattered to the floor loudly as she made her demands. His cape was a puddle around him, and his injured arm held his leg. When his other arm cleared the cape, it held a second blaster.

    "You fool," he hissed. "Why would I have but one weapon?"

    He lifted his other hand slightly, clearly pained. "Why would I not code the chair to my fingerprints." Rax chuckled. "We're locked in for Coruscant, and the reactor is fully charged."

    "Use the Force, pluck the location of Ixegul from the wayfinder, and I will have the Death Star hold fire. My Master may be dead, but I will take whatever he has left there and make it my own. My First Order was but the beginning," Rax sneered.

    "The Final Order will finish off the galaxy."

    It was a stand-off, of sorts.

    Qwi sighed, checkmate.

    She hadn't realised that Rax could have locked the chair out. And she didn't know whether she had the strength to open the door even if it was Pascale's Echo. The way she had felt after she had just used her will to push him was evidence enough.

    But was Qwi willing to call his bluff on Coruscant? If she made a mistake Rax could blow it up for a test and she would have more blood on her hands. If she touched the wayfinder she could get the coordinates...and unleash hell. If she killed Rax she may not be able to stop the station. Or if she failed he would just kill her. Beaumont and Jyn couldn't get to her…..

    It was a no win scenario. Qwi was going to fail either way, and she didn't want to throttle him, what would Beaumont think of her then?

    She picked up the wayfinder again once again thinking the dark thoughts she had before but keeping her blaster at her side just in case….

    TAG: @Sinrebirth
     
    Sinrebirth likes this.
  8. galactic-vagabond422

    galactic-vagabond422 Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2009
    IC: Ka'rta
    Entralla

    Ka'rta turned with her lips split into a snarl. He might have been her family but she was on the mission. The commandos were gone, already rushing ahead. There wasn't time for this, vengeance needed to be paid and this wasn't bringing her closer to it. So what Thrawn was using them, that fine as long as she got what she wanted. All she wanted was Zorn to hurt. That was what she was going to do to him, make him feel pain, as much pain as she felt when she watched her home die, felt her love die with it.

    As she was about to speak the guards opened fire Ka'rta turned answering their bolts with a few of her own. As she looked behind her she found Owen on the ground.

    "Come on old man, get up." She said sliding on a knee to roll him over and drag him to cover. "Get up." She shook him, reaching for a stimpack on his belt. "I said get up…" She slammed the stim into his neck. She wasn't going to losing anymore of her family.

    TAG: @Sinrebirth

    IC Tor
    Undercity

    Her hand was still shaking her heart racing from the exhilaration of firing the weapon. The man fell and her breathing almost quickened. Another life was taken by her hand. She wasn't sure how to feel about that, the first one she nearly retched, this one she just stood there quietly the tremors slowly fading from her hand.

    That was when his chest began to rise and fall, this annoyed the young hunter, she shot him he should die, that was how this thing worked. Fett explained and it just felt unfair, like what she had worked so hard to achieve was taken away from her, though no fault of her own. She planted her knee into his back using all her pre-teen weight to hold him down.

    "I wantttt youuuuu to killllll Aryyyyyan... I wantttt to helppppp...." Ike said, slurring from the floor. "Justtttt letttttt meeeee..."

    She pressed the barrel of the pistol against his skull as if daring him to absorb a shot at point blank. Her finger tightened on the trigger.

    "Your choice, Tor." Fett spoked, "Do we shoot him, ditch him, or make use of whatever intel he has? Aryan's bounty is more than his,"

    Her finger tightened again, now just a hair's breadth from ending this man's pathetic cheating life. The power of life and death was in her little hands. That kind of control would be intoxicating, but she just felt nervous again. She could end him, she wanted to end him, to take back the kill she so rightly earned. Her hand shook again, her grip on the pistol loosening. Part of her couldn't do it, couldn't kill a man in cold blood, not just yet.

    "You'd better talk and talk fast." She yelled a little louder than she needed to, "I already want to kill you so don't waste my time." She tried to sound tough, sound like her mother but it just came out too much like a little girl putting on mommy's clothes.

    TAG: @Sinrebirth
     
  9. BobaMatt

    BobaMatt TFN EU Staff star 7 VIP

    Registered:
    Aug 19, 2002
    Mace Windu
    Kashyyyk

    Huyang's pleas broke through to Windu as he stood back to back with the Wookiee, and he saw the ship descending through the canopy for him. "We should go," he said. "Leave the red one. We'll, uh...we'll make a new one." He leapt for the ship and the droid, feeling the Wookiee behind him - unaided by the Force, but rather by his own strength and a helpful vine or two. He collapsed onto the landing platform, feeling the pain and fire, the sadness permeating everything. He also felt a presence he hadn't felt since...

    "The girl...there's another Jedi here."

    He felt her presence filling the Force and buffeting other warriors. This felt like a battle meditation. Wherever she was she was bolstering...the Mandalorians? Windu turned to Huyang. "There's a Jedi here!"

    He reached out with his own mind.Where are you, girl?

    TAG: @Sinrebirth, @TheSilentInfluence, @LordTroepfchen
     
  10. TheSilentInfluence

    TheSilentInfluence Retired Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 15, 2014
    IC: Madelyn Linnett
    In Battle

    Madelyn felt flares in the force go up all around her, and eyed the newcomer warily as he came out of his own ship. She stood up; aware of things happening outside the ship; and felt anxious and confident all at once. She was sure it had something to do with her Battle Meditation, but that would be a thought for later. Madelyn needed to focus on the task at hand.

    As Keyan introduced himself, and reached out with the force to her Madelyn let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She smiled a little, genuine and bright and reached out herself; a greeting. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Madelyn Linnett." She dipped her head in greeting, and Madelyn stepped back to observe the situation as more of their fighters and ships from their allies came to their aid. "I hope you know how to fly that thing. We need to stop that weapon before it can do any damage. We take it out, and the rest of the fleet will suffer a huge blow." Madelyn steadied herself. "I could help you. I have...a gift. I can see the battlefield through the force, and I could help guide you to where you need to be. Whether or not you take the shot is up to you." Madelyn looked around, and wondered just briefly, how Leia was doing. She turned her attention away from her daughter when she felt another wave in the force, and heard a voice ask her who she was.

    Madelyn Linnett. Former Jedi Padawan. Some call me Mand'alor.

    She looked back out onto the battlefield. "We need to distract and demoralise those TIE fighters too. Those X-Wing's can do heavy damage when they want to and the A-Wing's can come up from above and behind,." Madelyn said out loud, listening to the force the best she could. She turned her attention back to the battlefield. "If we give up, if we let Zorn win then everything we've ever worked for will be destroyed." Madelyn shut her eyes and breathed out, letting the force flow around her and through her; around everything and everyone; boosting their confidence once again. "So let's go out there and show them just who they are up against."

    Tag: @Sinrebirth @BobaMatt @LordTroepfchen

    IC: Leia Skirata-Linnett
    Deep Zone Two, the Maw

    Leia felt like she was watching things in slow motion, the wall of the ship coming apart, her Master falling unconscious; the lightsaber rolling to her feet. Leia felt her heart clench with fear as she picked it up; eyeing the monster that seemed so focused on her. She looked up at the others for a moment, before slowly stepping to the side; away from them for the moment, and holding the lightsaber in her hand tightly. She was relieved to hear Master Katarn would be alright, though she could feel very little of his presence through the force.

    Then the thing, Abeloth launched at them, Leia heard Shara take a shot and she straightened her stance. What did mother teach her? Stand to the side? Leia copied the movement, and activated the lightsaber; letting it's weight, both force and physical travel through her hand and down her arm as she moved it in a circular motion. "Stay...stay back!" Leia shouted, and wondered why she of all of them was being targeted. Was it because she was a child? Leia would be lying if she said she didn't feel afraid and she waited for the worst of it. She wasn't even trained, so how could she stand a chance at beating this woman?

    Leia just wanted her to stop.

    Tag: @Sinrebirth @darthhelinith @darthbernael
     
  11. darthbernael

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

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC A short combo in the Maw

    IC Bernael, Abeloth, Vhardia, Renn, Shara, Kyle, and Leia
    Round One, Fight

    The Eye allowed its alarm to spread in to the Force, Stop her -

    The pilot officer slumped to the deck, apparently unconscious, as Bernael withdrew his essence from the body. His eyes flew open in the XO’s cabin, eyes blazing. ’Agreed, unfortunately.’ he thought to the Eye.

    Even as Abeloth ripped though the ships tearing sounds began to come from the opposite direction, the way the Jedi had intended to head. And then the entire corridor plunged into darkness, a deep chill settling over it and flowing out into the hangar. Darkness flew forth from the corridor as a chill wind blew forth.

    Seconds later the wind died and a form now stood between Abeloth and Leia. His black eyes glared up at her, ”Goddess you may be, power you may have, idiot you are.” His arm flung back toward the Jedi, finger stabbing at the Neti. ”That is my other half, the Light to the Dark, he alone could drain you to the brink.”

    Renn had flung himself toward Leia, trying to put himself between her and the angry, dark being rushing toward her. But before he could he rebounded off of something solid, and extremely Dark. Rolling across the floor he came to his feet again, saber in hand. Then the words of the being before him, one standing between Leia and the onrushing female, registered.

    ’Crap, that must be Abeloth, and that the Anzati.’ he thought. And then there was no time to think. He felt the Light inside him swell, blazing forth. He took a step, and then a second. As he approached the aura of the hangar changed. From the Neti a sphere of Light blazed forth and from the Anzati a sphere of Darkness.

    Bernael still faced Abeloth but his attention was now divided, he had to keep her from being too rash but this new threat he could not ignore. His head dragged around toward the Neti. In a grating voice, only partially his, ”My twin, you are not ready to face me, do you truly wish the extinction of the Light so easily?”

    The Eye was panicking, and all of a sudden Bernael would feel his power increase. You must strike, now.

    It was quite obvious that the Eye had been purposely holding him back - managing him, even.

    Abeloth hissed, and rebounded around the Anzati even as the Eye tried to exert itself to turn Bernael towards Renn.

    The Chaos Goddess bounded for Leia, ignoring Vhardia who now stood in the way, intending to swat aside with a tentacled mass.

    Vhardia swallowed.

    She dropped her lightsaber, inferring that it would probably be useless against such a creature, and instead brought her hands up against the tentacled beast, trying to create a force bubble of sorts around herself and the padawan.

    It was a skill she had rarely tried and though she was somewhat buoyed by the sphere of warm bright light rippling over them, she tried to remain focus on the task at hand for now, thus unable to process what the dark figure might mean by 'twin'.

    The sunlight bathed her arms through the sheer material of her undershirt in a pleasant manner and she found herself relaxing, enjoying the sensation, despite the seriousness of their predicament.

    TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @TheSilentInfluence, @darthhelinith
     
  12. BobaMatt

    BobaMatt TFN EU Staff star 7 VIP

    Registered:
    Aug 19, 2002
    Mace Windu
    The Rogue Shadow

    Linnett. Of course. He'd quite forgotten in all this time. But he cursed his frazzled brain. He'd meant to ask Where not Who. Still. She was focused, but her presence was aware of great turmoil. Immediacy. And calm, in her. She was deadly calm.

    Windu scrambled to his feet. "Huyang! We need to find the Mandalorian capital ships. One that's damaged. One that might be preparing to do something desperate. I'll explain as we get closer. Can you get us there?"

    He briefly felt insensitive. But there was no time. "We can mourn later," he added, softly.

    TAG: @Sinrebirth @TheSilentInfluence @LordTroepfchen
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2020
  13. JediMasterAnne

    JediMasterAnne Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 24, 2004
    OOC: More combo fun with Sinre

    IC: Nola Deidder, Captain Shevu, and Delan Deidder, with brief appearances of Jaka and Winter

    Nubian Embassy, Senate district, Coruscant

    Fortunately, Norin spent much of the morning refuting Javis Tyrr, so he was too busy to worry about what Nola and Del were doing. Unfortunately, it did appear that the Senator had indeed instructed Jaka to keep an eye on them (though perhaps it was just his usual nosy-ness), so they could barely even approach each other without the Mon Calamari looking over their shoulders.

    There were no scheduled meetings at the Embassy today, so the door chime startled everyone; and in the wake of yesterday's events, it probably wasn't anyone Norin would be happy to see.

    CSF Captain Shevu stepped inside, and from the sound of it, he wanted to talk about what Norin had been doing during Thrawn's attack the previous day.

    Jaka hadn't been there, and Del was on duty, which only left Nola. Great. Hopefully Jaka wouldn't take too long getting Norin.

    If she and Del could have had a better plan for how to proceed with the evidence against Norin, Shevu's unexpected visit might have been more welcome, but as it was, this wasn't the best timing.

    "Right this way, Captain." She led him to a quiet, out-of-the-way sitting room.

    "This is about yesterday?"

    "It is, yes", Shevu followed her, and shut the door behind Nola. He indicated one of the chairs for her to sit, and continued to speak.

    He wasn't strictly speaking meant to be here, but if he could pry something out of Norin's staff, all the better.

    "Threatening Kre'frey to open the shield for Norin allowed several other ships to breach the planet. Some of these were criminals, and bounty hunters." Shevu watched Nola carefully. "Such a severe security breach, if it were to leak, would do harm to Senator Graul's reputation, and destabilize the supporters of the Chancellor."

    He hadn't actually asked a question, but he often found he didn't need to.

    Nola had to be very careful with her response; she knew that Norin had gotten someone to open the shield early for him, and she did know that bounty hunters had gotten through--though Jaka had said that they had entered while other authorized ships had been leaving.

    But telling Shevu as much risked exposing Norin as the one who had put out the hit on Aryan.

    "I wasn't aware that any threats were made." That much was true, she hadn't known. Though it isn't surprising, but she wasn't going let Shevu know that. "As to criminals getting in--weren't the shields lowered shortly afterward anyway, once Thrawn left?"

    "They were," Shevu allowed, "but there wouldn't've been a big battle to distract us with if they had. They would have been processed, and probably picked up. Bounty hunting may be legal, but taking hits on Senators is not."

    He shrugged. "I'm just looking to find out whether the criminal incursion was coincidence, and not coordinated." Shevu didn't sit, not that he had intended to. "Two Jedi pursued some of the criminals from the Works into the Senate through a secret tunnel network, which is some mighty bad luck. So I am just tying up loose ends before we start digging through the lower levels of the building."

    It sounded innocuous enough.

    "I highly doubt that the Senator had the shield opened to intentionally let bounty hunters slip through."

    "I highly doubt it too, but it is a question someone may very well ask," Shevu said neutrally. He nodded slightly. "It may be worthwhile ensuring that the Senator's answer is watertight, ma'am. Witnesses and the like may tell a different - unlikely - story."

    "But thank you for your time," Shevu said, smiling. "I have an appointment at the Armand Isard prison, and this was merely one of the many things I have had to look into." The smile became more conspiratorial. "I've already spoken to Aryan Graul today, so it was refreshing to speak to you instead."

    Nola stood and started to show him out, though she got a little curious when he mentioned speaking to Aryan.

    It was probably about the trial, so Nola knew he couldn't say anything, but, "That does sound unpleasant."

    "Oh yes. He and his Centrist buddies are meeting for meal in about half an hour in the Indigo Tower. It's so much paperwork, but at least most of my daily troublemakers are in one place." Shevu pushed open the door, and nodded to Del, who was pensively doing a bad job of looking unconcerned from the entrance to the Senate apartments.

    "Good day, Nola."

    She gave him a small nod in return. "You, too, Captain."

    Nola waited a few moments, until she was sure he was gone, then glanced around to make sure Jaka wasn't around before speaking. "He was asking about the bounty hunters that slipped the shields yesterday," she told her husband in a low voice. "He wanted to make sure Norin didn't intentionally help them get past."

    Del frowned. “They’re onto Norin; they must be.” He whispered. “We should cut our to ties and head out while we still can.”

    He frowned. “Unless you’re worried about the kid?” Del was referring to Arek Graul, who was freshly not-dead. “Surely he’s not our responsibility, Nola.”

    Nola's brow furrowed as well; she hadn't been worried about Arek, but now that Del had mentioned him... "Do you think he'll go along with Norin's plan?" This wasn't the same Arek that had died fourteen years ago, no matter how much Norin might try to make it so. He didn't have the same experiences to understand Norin's hatred of Aryan. And if Arek didn't cooperate... They were talking about a man who had no qualms about putting out a hit on his own son.

    "I don't know the kid. We'd have to ask his Dad, and even then, he's not his Arek." He paused.

    "We'd have to have a chat while Norin and Jaka are distracted... and there's only two of us." At that, the door chimed, and Del swore. Jaka poked his head out of the other room, clearly having missed the prior moment. "Who is it?"

    "I don't know yet," Del grated, and he opened the entrance. "Oh."

    Chief of Staff Winter stood there, looking relatively annoyed. "I'm here to see Senator Graul on an official request from the Chancellor..." She regarded the three of them. "Or at very least to schedule an appointment at his earliest convenience." But, as she was here, with the Thrawn crisis hanging over her head - and all the other things they didn't know about - it was clear that the earliest convenient time was right now.

    Del looked at Nola, and raised his eyebrows.

    Now?

    Great, now Norin was on the Chancellor's radar...and Winter did not look to be in the mood to wait.

    On the other hand, it might keep Norin occupied; Nola wasn't sure how wise it would be to speak to Aryan about Arek (nor did she particularly want to), but perhaps with Norin distracted with Winter, Nola and Del could work out their next move.

    "Jaka, would you take her to the Senator, please?"

    Hopefully that would keep the other aide from snooping for a few moments at least.

    Jaka stepped forward. “Of course, Nola.”

    Winter eyed the pair of them with a slight frown, and headed on into the apartments. Del leaned forward once they left the room. “Did you want to check on Arek while I cover? He’s in the private apartments; y’know, through Norin’s office he never lets anyone in.” Del was telling the truth; Norin had his own area in the embassy, and only Del had ever been allowed in.

    Winter was, arguably, the perfect distraction.

    Nola nodded, though she still felt hesitant; if Arek was going along with Norin, he might tip Norin off.

    But talking to Arek was still less risky (and less unpleasant) than Aryan.

    "I'll try to make it quick."

    TAG: @Sinrebirth @HanSolo29
     
  14. HanSolo29

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

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2001
    The following is a combo with Sinrebirth – thank you so much! ^:)^

    IC: Senator Aryan Graul, Arb Skynxnex, and Sistros
    Enroute, Limo-Speeder, Coruscant

    Javis Tyrr’s opinion piece – which had called out the Chancellor’s shortcomings, while painting Aryan in a positive light – had hit the morning news cycle with a considerable impact. His staff had gone into a frenzy examining its merits and weighing the options on how the Senator could take advantage of the favorable publicity.

    But despite the general optimism that had quickly spread throughout the Bakurian Quarter, Aryan remained reticent. Sure, he had supplied his input where necessary, but overall, it had been a very subdued affair.

    He could thank Senator Treen and Captain Shevu for that.

    Ever since the Captain had departed his office following the preliminary interview, Aryan hadn't been able to stop thinking about the man’s observations. The most notable were the parallels he had drawn between the Senator’s current arrangement with Treen and how it related to events fourteen years ago. Was he truly that blind to allow himself to fall into the same snare twice?

    At the very least, it had been enough to give him pause and to reevaluate his goals. He had started by issuing an order to wipe the memory banks of his personal protocol droid, though not for the reasons that Treen had warned him about. Perhaps Gaerial had been right all along – he was losing sight of himself.

    And now, as Treen’s valet arrived to collect him for their dinner meeting, Aryan continued to harbor doubts. He realized that if things spiraled too far out of control, he would require a means of escape…

    But before he could seek out the loopholes and devise a satisfactory plan, the door slid aside to reveal a presence that sent shockwaves through the Force.

    “How’s it going, Senator?”

    Aryan instinctively rested his palm against the lightsaber hilt concealed within his coat, his blue-gray eyes narrowing dangerously as he studied the man before him. He stood tall with a suave elegance about him, a black eyepatch masking his right eye. Other than a few minor facial scars, it appeared as if he had not aged a day since they had last crossed paths. Then again, that wasn’t entirely surprising – there was always something elusive about Arb Skynxnex. This encounter was no exception.

    “So, you did manage to escape the infernal flame,” Aryan taunted with a wry grin, referencing the fire that had consumed Coruscant in Darth Ananke’s wake. He never truly doubted it; the man had been that witch’s confidant, after all.

    Of course, that also meant that he probably wasn’t in Senator Treen’s employ either. He had likely returned to repay Aryan for the pain and humiliation he had caused him fourteen years ago. They hadn’t exactly parted on amicable terms.

    “It certainly took you long enough to track me down, all things considered.” His hand tightened around the lightsaber's cool metal frame. “But something tells me you’re not here to escort me to dinner.”

    Arb smiled broadly. "Yeah... I got shot up a bit more after you kneecapped me." He shrugged, reaching out to hold the door open to the speeder-limo. "But no hard feelings; you had to do what you had to do, and I had to do what I had to."

    "I'm just here on a personal project," he added coolly, holding the door again. "To do with Ach-To, and your survival. Pretty miraculous, wasn't it?" Arb said leadingly.

    Despite the man’s clear invitation, Aryan did not make a move to board the speeder. Instead, he merely canted his head and narrowed his eyes further, both intrigued and surprised by Arb’s admission. Was he offering…assistance?

    And if so, why? What did he truly know about the complexities of what had occurred on Ach-To? He hadn’t witnessed it.

    Unless…

    “I assume Ananke has filled you in on the details, then,” Aryan surmised with a quiet scoff, his hand retaining its grip on the hilt. “How else would you have obtained evidence about such an exclusive event. And no offense to you, but I fail to see why someone of your…stature, particularly if you’re working unaided for your own personal objectives, would even care?”

    He was purposely downplaying the extent of what he knew about the potential impacts, not wanting to reveal too much in case Arb was only fishing for information.

    “Oh, Ananke assumes I’m dead. I’m waaaay too small fry to even be relevant to her now she’s not even a Sith.” He tapped his chin in exaggerated thought. “About now she’ll be claiming the title of Destructor, so.”

    “She might even be digging into the Change and all that spooky kooky stuff, y’know?” Arb smiled again. “Once I’d hooked her up with her Holocron, I thought I’d check in on Pascale Rouser, the other guy who survived Ach-To. He took a while to find, but when I did - off he went and suddenly died.” A shrug. “But I managed to have a decent chat with Vydra before he went on so it wasn’t a total loss.”

    The Holocron stirred in Aryan’s pocket, warming. “I mean, we can chat about this on the sidewalk, if you want? I’ve got all day - you’re the one who’s gonna be late for his dinner with the Centrist party’s brightest stars.”

    The Senator inwardly cringed, though his expression did not betray his emotions. “I think I can afford to take a little detour,” he replied coolly, his hand idly brushing past the Holocron as he relaxed his grip on the lightsaber, even as it responded to Arb’s brief exposition. It was unclear what had triggered Sistros, but much like the Holocron itself, the man’s words had aroused something inside of Aryan.

    Was it a form of jealousy? Revenge?

    Either way, the short look into Ananke’s affairs had awakened a latent hostility, something that he had worked hard to suppress over the intervening years. It brought back memories of his son and all of the anguish she had caused him. He realized then that he wouldn’t be able to relax until he found a way to usurp her, preferably by discovering the truth behind the Change before she could.

    He had already been tempted by Master Kuro, Sistros, and perhaps the Force itself to pursue this path; it now seemed inevitable. It was also possible that the key to true power rested with the Change alone, not with Senator Treen’s inner circle.

    That thought bolstered Aryan’s confidence as he crossed over to the speeder and settled into the passenger compartment. “You’ve piqued my interest, Arb,” he drawled in a more cordial tone, gesturing lazily for the man to join him. “I’m sure I can convince my guests that my tardiness was an unavoidable necessity. Business as usual in the life of a Senator.”

    He flashed a wicked grin before leaning back against the plush cushioning. “But now, I believe we have much to talk about.”

    Arb closed the door, and took the speeder controls, dropping the privacy curtain between them as he directed the limo to move. "Y'see, there's this big rush to work out what's Changed, and how, and what to do about it. If you find one of these so-called Holocron's of Prophecy, you'll get this brilliant view of how things were supposed to be, y'know?"

    He was only paying so-much attention to the airways, but the speeder was top-class; it could steer for him if need be. "But even then, if you had a look in, you'd get a head-start on figuring out what is gonna happen here, logic follows."

    There was a slight chuckle. "So let's say you found one before the Change, it also follows that that person was the one who changed it all. Scuttlebutt says it was Windu who should have died, not Palpatine, all those years ago in the Chancellor's Office."

    "Similarly, if you worked out how to make a new Holocron of Prophecy, you'd be able to change whatever you wanted, wouldn't you?" Arb was talking his mouth off. "It's all pretty tempting to go full hermit on, but lots of the changes affect who is in office, what with Palpatine getting replaced by Amedda and all that. Who’s to say what Aryan Graul was supposed to be, eh?"

    A faint sneer crossed Aryan’s features as he turned to regard the lines of traffic passing by outside the viewport. He couldn’t help but recall the broken, hollowed shell of a man he had encountered prior to securing the Holocon. If that had been his destiny, it was truly a sorry state of affairs…

    “That’s a rather curious notion, but what if this…altered timeline offers a far more positive outcome than the alternative?” Aryan wondered aloud, his brow furrowed in thought. “Could corresponding changes still be made to compensate for that? To better the future, so to speak?” He pursed his lips, clearly working this out as he went along. “In order to stop the Change from consuming the galaxy, one would need to acquire the knowledge of a Holocron? Or construct their own?”

    He suddenly remembered a small snippet from the Black Coat’s message; it seemed to resonate with this very moment: My legacy, you will need to unearth it…

    As if one cue, Aryan shifted his position, adjusting his coat so that he could touch the flesh of his right hand against the Holocron resting there. We have a lot to discuss, Sistros, he projected through the Force. I wish to delve deeper and to learn more about your secrets.

    Arb smirked. "Well, y'know, you'd have to spend some time consultin' with that Holocron you shouldn't have." He leaned back, holding the controls. "Because, well, I have the Holocron you should be chatting to right here." Arb reached to the duffel bag on the passenger seat and held up a red-pyramid.

    "I guess you managed to cross the Change with those Epitaph powers you and a couple of others have... naughty, naughty." The air-limo stopped as traffics shifted and Arb glanced back for a moment. "But that's just the way it is with alternate realities I guess. The galaxy is your oyster, Mr. Graul, and I hope you take it. Once you have enough political power, you'll be able to exert as much energy and resources as you want digging into what's gonna happen."

    "Could be pretty trippy, but sounds better than hidin' on a backwater for fourteen years, doesn't it?"

    Sistros was quiet, save for one whisper.

    Shadow.

    The single utterance gave Aryan pause. It briefly eclipsed the allure of the second Holocron and the potential it represented for his future. With so much at stake, he knew that he had to proceed with caution, and that necessitated a long, hard look at Arb himself. He could’ve easily accomplished that by reaching out to gauge him through the Force, but if something was truly off about the man, he did not want to inadvertently alert him to his concerns...

    Brushing his fingers across the Holocron’s smooth exterior, he nudged Sistros once more. I would appreciate more insight. What do you see in him?

    To ward off any suspicion, Aryan inclined his chin and decided to engage Arb about his latest ramblings. It was more of a stalling tactic rather than a reflection of his true thoughts. He wanted to learn more about the man’s intentions. “I fear by that point, it may already be too late,” he noted with a wistful smile, referring to his personal desire to surpass Ananke. “I would need to take advantage of every available opportunity.”

    He then leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, studying Arb through the partition. “Which brings me back to the Holocron.” He nodded toward the duffel and raised his brow. “I suspect that you didn’t dangle it in front of my face simply to flaunt a new toy. The potential is there for it to accelerate the process, and that could be beneficial to my cause.”

    "It could, sure, but I'm worried about temporal anomalies. You're playing with the Change, after all."

    Sistros spoke softly. Not to be trusted.

    He placed the Holocron on the shelf that acted as the barrier between them as he looked at the road. "Your decision, of course. All these temptations a'round makes you wonder what you really should be doing, doesn't it?"

    A small smile curled on his face, visible in the mirror hanging from the roof. "I mean, am I really any different to Treen?"

    The limo shuddered to a stop, and Arb leaned over his arm to peer back. "It's all up to you, Senator."

    With that, he sat up and opened the door to the limo, doffing a hat to conceal part of his features. Before his door closed, his words were evident. "Senator Treen."

    "Fashionably late, is it?"

    "As always, Senator." Arb shut the door, and stepped over, glacially, to Aryan's door.

    Despite the man’s slow amble to buy him time, Aryan knew that he only had seconds to choose his path. It certainly wasn’t ideal; the undue pressure of having to weigh his options in haste was already bearing down on him. Sistros had compounded the situation even further by issuing a quiet warning of his own.

    Unfortunately, it wasn’t as transparent as the Senator would’ve hoped for – who or what couldn’t he trust?

    It was easy to presume that he was referring to Arb due to the man’s cryptic nature, but what about the Holocron itself? Aryan couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. Everything about this meeting felt a little too convenient. Arb had made it seem effortless, which brought up the simple question – was he utilizing this new Holocron as a means to lead him astray? Perhaps as a decoy? It was possible that if he accepted his offer to claim the pyramid as his own, it would have broad implications for the rest of the galaxy, resulting in a more adverse outcome than if he had just stayed his hand. Was he willing to take that chance?

    Maybe it was simple intuition or the Force intervening on his behalf, but he knew what he had to do.

    You have my ear, Sistros, he pushed forth to the Holocron in his inner pocket, an impish smirk skirting across his features. And rest assured, I will heed your warning. Perhaps I’m not so obstinate as you first believed. I have learned certain lessons over the years, after all. Now is our chance to work together. Shall we?

    Aryan started to rise, casually adjusting his suit jacket in the process. He intended to keep his prize carefully concealed so that he did not attract unnecessary attention. Only then did he exit the limo and step out onto the permacrete sidewalk.

    As he did so, the Senator leaned close to Arb and spoke to him in hushed tones, his voice a gravelly whisper. “I have yet to apologize for shooting you in the knee all those years ago, and still, you come here and attempt to offer me a gift without any clear stipulations to make up for the trouble. Needless to say, I’m not convinced of your probity. And I won’t be fooled by charades.”

    He flashed a wry grin and canted his head, his blue-gray eyes hardening with conviction. He allowed his gaze to linger on the other man a moment longer before he ultimately pushed ahead to greet Treen, leaving Arb and the second Holocron behind in his wake.

    “Senator,” Aryan beamed as he reached out and captured her hand in both of his own. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”

    TAG: @Sinrebirth
     
  15. HanSolo29

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

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2001
    IC: Arek Graul
    Private Apartments, Nubian Embassy, Coruscant

    Minutes stretched into hours, though Arek hardly seemed to notice. He was too absorbed in the contents of his mother’s illicit recording. It was like witnessing a terrible speeder crash – no matter how much pain and disgust it imposed on his mind, he could not look away. He was frozen in place, peering at a twisted view of reality. At some points, it was hard to fathom that this was even his mother, this manipulative, unstable, broken shell of a human being.

    He did not want this recording to taint his memory of his late mother, particularly when it exposed a side of her that he never knew existed. It was perverse and crude, and it certainly put his Grandpa’s motivations into question. No doubt his father’s actions had also contributed to her behavior, as they had done in their own timeline, but this was far more extreme. It shook him to the core.

    Fortunately, Arek did not have to dwell on it for long. There was a slight twitch from his grandmother’s hand, the one that he now encompassed in his own. It was only a subtle change from her acute catatonic state, but a reaction that drew his attention nonetheless.

    As his blue eyes shifted in the darkness to gaze upon her pale features, a more intense sensation washed over him, pushing back at him with enough force to nearly topple him from the chair. If he could describe it in the physical sense, it was rife with fear, despair, and…desperation? And yet, beneath those turbulent emotions, he could feel his Grandmom calling out, reaching to him through their connection in the Force.

    Was that possible? What else could it be?

    Surprise radiated across the young man’s face as he reacted, clenching her hand tighter and leaning close to whisper next to her ear. “Grandmom…? I can hear you, I can––”

    A flurry of movement from the corner of the room cut him off in mid-sentence. Arek narrowed his eyes as he watched the shadows materialize into the form of a petite woman. A short gasp rushed from his lips, but before he could reach over his shoulder for the rifle leaning against the wall behind him, the stranger brought her index finger to her mouth to silence him.

    And then, almost as quickly as she had appeared, she withdrew back into the wall.

    Arek furrowed his brow and stared into the gloom for a long moment, wondering if she had ever existed at all. He then turned curiously toward Four-Dee, his lips parting as if he wanted to inquire further about what he had just witnessed, but he never got the chance.

    Norin Graul barged into the room without warning, a cascade of emotions trailing in his wake like a furious tempest. Arek immediately straightened his posture, either in a show of defiance or out of respect – it was hard to tell at this point – as he tucked the datapad into his jacket and reaffirmed his grip on his Grandmom’s hand.

    Again, he felt the rhythmic pulsing of her presence through the Force. It resonated with fear. But fearful of what or whom? Was it aimed at Norin? That would certainly change the dynamic of things.

    “Any change?” the old man inquired, his expression hard as he glanced over the computer displays.

    The young man inclined his chin and merely studied his grandfather from afar. He felt inclined to answer the question, though he knew it would have terrible consequences. If he found out that Grandmom was on the verge of consciousness and communicating to him through an intimate bond, particularly out of panic, the old man would lose his temper. At that point, he did not only fear for the man’s sanity, but their own safety as well. What was he capable of?

    Fortunately, Four-Dee stepped in to save him from a rather daunting situation. “None, Senator,” the droid confirmed in a neutral tone, turning to offer his grandfather a slight nod.

    “Hmm,” Norin intoned before refocusing his efforts on Arek. “Sorry I didn't check in sooner; I have been sidetracked with my duties. I assume 11-4D has briefed you on the dangers we face?”

    Still perched in his chair beside the medical bed, Arek canted his head and made a point to meet the old man’s gaze. Despite Norin stepping close to tower over his seated form, he did not give him any satisfaction by reacting. He would not cave to such blatant intimidation tactics. In fact, it pained him to see his grandfather behave in this way.

    Nevertheless, he nodded his head in the affirmative. “He did,” he replied coolly, pursing his lips together slightly. His eyes then flicked briefly toward Four-Dee, silently thanking the droid for covering for him about his Grandmom’s condition.

    “He showed me all that I needed to see.” His gaze hardened marginally. "And let's just say that it's been very enlightening so far."

    TAG: @Sinrebirth
     
  16. Sinrebirth

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

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: Arb
    Indigo Tower, Coruscant

    Arb simply sneered at Aryan, before bowing over his arm, as a good footman would.

    With a whisper that reached his ears, Arb simply added.

    May the Force be with you, Sistros.

    With that, he shut the door... and drove off.

    The reception was full of some of the most powerful politicians of the age. Beyond Treen of Kuat, there was Bramsin of Coruscant, Romodi of the Lambda Sector, Greyshade of the Commonality, Adelhard of Anoat and Sindian of Arkanis.

    [​IMG]

    Treen

    [​IMG]

    Bramsin


    [​IMG]

    Romodi

    [​IMG]

    Greyshade

    [​IMG]

    Adelhard

    [​IMG]

    Carise Sindian


    There were others, of course. But similarly, they were not as relevant as these. They represented control of certain committees, and even military resources to the Outer Rim, for Adelhard, who still stocked Imperial Star Destroyers as part of his sector defence fleet. It was an impressive array of political might, and Treen introduced them to Aryan in turn.

    "A pleasure, of course," slurred Bramsin, a slight quaver to his voice and indeed liver spotted hands.

    Romodi bowed formally, and then accepted back his wine and sipped his drink. "It has been too long since we crossed paths, your Majesty. I served you as Emperor briefly due to circumstances, but I would enjoy the opportunity to do so again."

    Greyshade went for the handshake, two hands gripping one of Aryan's and pumping. "A pleasure to have you on-board, Senator. The Commonality is eager to throw its finances at... an opportune regime."

    Adelhard, a governor rather than a Senator, sniffed. "The Anoat Sector didn't hold off the New Republic for as long as Bakura, but I was convinced by Senator Treen that making the New Republic anew into the New Empire would be more prudent."

    Sindian, as minor nobility in the Arkanis Sector, had friends across the other Houses, but was sufficiently minor that Lords and Ladies such as Senex, Juvex, Ucce, Cnorec, Vandron, and Qaqquppo could use her as go-between to the Empire Reborn without risking themselves unduly. She had used that opportunity to increase her power and presence, ensuring she was evident at every gala, event and secret meeting she could insert herself into. She was further away as Aryan strode in, and she merely toasted the older-Nubian-come-Bakuran with a smirk.

    There were only droids in service, of course, because a sentient servant could be bought, suborned, or even replaced. This was an impregnable fortress of secrecy, the one only real money could purchase. They would have plenty of time to wine, dine, and plot.

    Then, there was a shift in the Force, and nestled between plates of meats and cheeses, and bowls of fruits and sweets, and of course strong-smelling cafe, was the Holocron that Arb had offered Aryan a moment ago. It was completely hidden for the moment, at least.

    TAG: @HanSolo29
    ---
    IC: 11-4D

    Secret Graul Suite


    He had placed his jacket on a peg by the entrance as he entered, pausing when he caught the tone in his grandsons voice.

    Norin swelled his chest up, seeing just what Arek had in mind. He’d seen resistance in his son before, and his grandson had the same petulant child voice and pout on. He was enraged; after everything he’d done to get him here?

    Painstakingly reconstructing the erased data and seeing the mysterious Black-Coat and another, studious looking fellow, gather up the survivors on Ach-To and taking them to their ships, talking about the end of them and echoes... tracking down that selfsame coated man with no small amount of resources of Black Sun, burning his personal fortune to pursue all manner of eldritch and ancient connection to this great Epitaph that had been written about their lives.

    Fourteen years of effort, all for this... man-child. In the Force, Norin would come across as a deeply wounded and upset man, despair consuming him again and again.

    The name of the injury his psyche had suffered was fear; the inability to control anything in his life and indeed reality, as his wayward son undid everything he had ever achieved and killed his grandson.

    But Arek was supposed to be the answer to all his problems; not a new one.

    That devastation to his soul lurched into violence in a brutal second, and Norin smashed a meaty fist into Arek’s nose, breaking it, and in an abrupt moment balled his fist into the young mans stomach, and in that second he sagged forward he lifted his arms and brought down a double-fist upon the base of Arek’s neck - and kicked him when he was down - in the stomach again, in the ribs, in the head -

    The rage was so incredible that another Force user in the Senate would have winced. As it was, Aryan would faintly feel some discomfort, far away in the Indigo Tower. But Arek would know without a shadow of a doubt that concentrating on his newly found powers would be impossible when in so much pain.

    After a moment, the Senator released a breath, picked up his jacket, and pulled it over his bloodstained shirt, wiping his hands on the fabric beforehand and then reaching for a pair of matching black gloves from a pocket. His com link chimed, and Norin barked into it. “What?”

    “The Chief of Staff is here?” He turned aside, forgetting Arek, making a nonspecific gesture to the medical droid which he interpreted as permission, quickly stepping forward to attend to the young man. Without another word, Norin swept out the room, heading to deal with the surprise visit.

    As Nola snuck in her chosen manner across the Nubian Embassy, she would hear Winter quite firmly enquiring as to why Norin had been off-world before the attack on Coruscant. Del was marking Jaka, who was at a loss as to why the Office of the Chancellor had taken such a direct approach in the matter. Del for himself was even more baffled, for had not Shevu not just done this?

    Was there more focus upon them than they realised.

    Of course, 11-4D simply peered up from silently working Arek's wounds as Nola made her way through and in, with Del's entry key. He had briefly told her how to wipe record of her access, which of course he was aware of, for he had helped Norin setup the elaborate charade around the Senator's wife. She had been crippled by events fourteen years ago, and even moreso thereafter...

    Arek would likely put that together, who knows. His grandfather was clearly a monster. Just as obviously, he’d beaten someone up like that before.

    The medical droid paused, and peered at Nola as she made her way in, and back at Arek also.

    The droid promptly turned around, taking a slight step. "There are cameras on the resting Mrs Graul, Senatorial Aide Nola Deidder. I would block them... I have already used my audio to blanket the microphones."

    "Go, go," the medical droid gestured. "I must administer the latest set of sedatives."

    TAG: @JediMasterAnne, @HanSolo29 (combo, Anne starts, please).
    ---
    IC: Enric Pryde

    Battle of Kashyyyk, aboard the Derriphan, skirmishing

    The Xyston-class Star Destroyer rocked under the harassment of the gnats and swarms of enemies; Mandalorians. Pryde snarled. He didn't know what had happened - they had swept through the New Republic line without issue, had fended off the Mandalorians for the entire Battle of Kashyyyk. But now.

    But NOW!

    They were rallied, as if an invisible force had convinced them that they could win, and their courage was incredible.

    Madelyn Linnett had done that; her battle meditation had made it so.

    He growled orders at his officers, and what was left of his TIE Daggers, to clear the way, but his shields were so taxed he could not risk firing the main-gun without exposing himself. With a growl, he regarded the ships surging from the surface; the Hapan fleet chewing into his Eternal Fleet battlecruisers... and the lack of direction from Lord Zorn.

    The Star Destroyer could take the beating, couldn't it?

    "Lower the shields and redirect all power to the main-weapon. Fire as soon as you are able."

    The Force cried out in warning against them, but Huyang managed to follow the especially nonspecific instructions of Master Windu to bring the Rogue Shadow up to Madelyn's supremely battered ship. Lowbacca roared a wonder at the librarian droids actions, and pushed him aside to take the helm, assuring Mace as to their chances.

    They sidled up, and Huyang, redundant as he was, slapped the comms open.

    There were New Republic fighters among the mess, caught in the TIE Dagger swarm -

    There was only Madelyn and Mace's ship left, side-by-side - as a bolt seared through the hull of Madelyn's ship -

    An explosion to the rear, and she was losing speed, losing power -

    ---
    Chancellor's Office

    Isolder and Feyna sat together, alone, as the Sith Star Destroyer was besieged by the Mandalorians, New Republic fighters, and Wookiee defenders. They had come together, but an unknown ship had stepped in, and the small vessel that had been tentatively identified by them as that carrying Linnett, had been damaged.

    The Hapan fleet was ripping apart a disorganised but far vaster armada of ships, these ancient ships from Zakuul that Zorn had found. It could be said that the tide was turning, but in-fact it was narrowing upon this one, terrible moment.

    Indeed, the sensors confirmed, inevitably, what Feyna's instincts had told her; the Star Destroyer's weapon was directly tied into the power-core, one that appeared to include kyber technology, from the readings, when paired against Galen Erso's data from fourteen years ago. This was fed to them, neutrally, calmly, by Astarta, the Hapan General in the field.

    That the warship was a superweapon.

    Yes, there were reports about this Eternal Technology indeed being present on Mandalore and Metellos; reports about Jedi Knights discovering and striking down dozens of Yuuzhan Vong infiltrators; reports that Entralla had fallen; reports that Yarmond had been successfully collected by Piett and Thrawn and a detachment of the elite 501st Stormtrooper Legion, and would be shortly leaving the planet for the Home One, which still held in orbit above Coruscant with another ten capital ships, even as Raddus had his warships secure Metellos space; she had no news yet from Ood Bnar, from Winter, from Shevu.

    But here and now was where they were.

    Isolder found he didn't have anything to add, and he simply held Feyna's hand, begging the galaxy for a miracle; for one more moment where the tide would finally be turned.

    Once and for all.

    TAG: @TheSilentInfluence, @BobaMatt
    ---
    IC: Abeloth

    Deep Zone Two, the Maw, aboard the disabled Supremacy dreadnaught

    The entwining of Renn and Bernael was just the beginning; the energy set alight all manner of system aboard the Supremacy, lighting them, and indeed, many of the docked Resurgent-class Star Destroyers. Everything was active, and the connection began to reach out, sweeping energy even into the dispersed TIE patrols which were hovering.

    Ood Bnar noted it all, and landed in the blown-out hangar. As he watched, a Dark Anzati and a Monstrous Woman each faced his Jedi, and of course Shara. The Neti Grandmaster strode forward, expending all manner energy as he produced and drew a green lightsaber - and tossed one to Renn to catch. He shoved out with the Force, Abeloth rolling away with a chuckle of glee and then her tentacles, burned, cut, and removed, as they were, giggled and pushed her mind into that of Vhardia.

    A vision exploded within her head - of an alternate life. Of something Abeloth knew about her, or rather, one of her. In a moment, there was a mirror of herself in Vhardia's mind; that of Darth Helinith, the appointed Daughter of Darth Vader, one of many such Sons and Daughters. Her body, for it's part, dropped to the floor. BB-8 rushed to the side of Vhardia, producing from a port an electro-shocker to ward off any attack on the Jedi Knight.

    While Bernael and Renn's interaction became a sphere of light surrounding them both, enconsing them, sealing them, definiting them - Leia and Kyle and Shara were outside with Ood Bnar and Abeloth. She peered at the Neti Grandmaster, and with a thrash of her neck, sent him flying into a wall. She was all of a sudden beside Shara, and a whip of her tentacles - barely visible - sent the woman flying, leaning over Leia and reaching for her.

    Vhardia's lightsaber snapped from her belt to Kyle's hand, and he lashed off Abeloth's shoulder, sending her screaming and rolling away. She turned back, grinning malevolently at the two of them. Jedi Master Katarn took a deep breath, nursing a bruise, and smiled at his apprentice. "Blue suits you, Leia."

    He reasserted his expression into one of Jedi focus.

    "Together?"

    ---
    Deep Zone Three, Sinkhole Station

    A man who was more shadow in attire than he was in-self, though you could not say either way, sat crossed-legged in the Celestial-made station which held the Maw together. He was meditating himself to death, so to speak, so he could commune with Qi'ra Ananke, a woman he had nudged along a much different path, as he had with Pascale Rouser and Aryan Graul and Feyna Organa and so forth.

    Sinkhole was at it's wits end, but... if he could power it up, perhaps?

    TAG: @darthhelinith (combo with self/me), @darthbernael (combo with self/me), @TheSilentInfluence (combo with me), @QueenSabe7 (mentioned, TAG outstanding)
    ---
    IC: Galius Rax

    Aboard the Death Star, en route to Coruscant

    With an impasse, there was little to do but talk. Rax calmly, notwithstanding the bruise where Qwi had driven him off. The moments passed, and Rax gracefully checked on consoles while keeping his blaster trained on the Omwati, even as the Wayfinder glowed softly to itself. Rax hummed an Imperial concert tune, as he was want to enjoy.

    The Wayfinder was reacting to the contours of the energy that now skimmed beneath the surface of Qwi's skin; the Echo of Pascale. Not it's original owner, or even creator, but in hindsight death created such Wounds in the Force that an echo could be born. The ability to create such Echo's was a technique, Beaumont would have told her, of the primordial Sith Daritha's; or so legend said.

    Rax had eventually checked all the consoles, and twisted his face.

    "I know you can access it, but you'll need to hook it up to a navicomputer to get the Ixegul data from it, Qwi," Rax said, softly. "I could put my blaster down, and you could yours, too, being as we're unable to move forward with the shooting-and-murdering anyway?"

    "If you were Pascale, I would tell you about my meetings with Chancellor Palpatine in his guise as Darth Sidious, as a way to break the ice, but I doubt you care for those as much as he, or even Beaumont, does." Rax shrugged, and then winced slightly at the pain. "Your choice, my dear."

    TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox
    ---
    IC: Owen

    Entralla, Moff's Estate (former Estate, one should say)

    The stims propped up the older man, but the bolt had hit him hard. It wasn't a good moment, and Owen knew it. He needed immediate medical care, the best available, if at all possible - not Mandalorian field medicine, which usually involved a stim and a slap. He lifted his helmet, revealing an already pale and waxen face.

    "Ka'rta," he said as he clasped her upper arm to steady himself. "I won't die; I'm too damn," a cough, and a dribble of blood. "Stubborn and all; who do you think you got it from?" A chuckle, and then another cough, this time wet.

    There was a sound of blasterfire, explosions, debris, cries... and then silence.

    Trudging up, with a man who squealed like a swine dragged by fibrecord, was Moff Eccressys. The other Death Watch officers had made it through mostly unharmed, and had Ka'rta's prize. They dumped the bound and bruised man beside her, and he struggled to sit upright, peering at Ka'rta and Owen. The compound burned merrily, gaily even, behind them, adding a jovial note to a disquieting moment.

    Owen coughed again, and another Mandalorian dropped to one knee, conveying the medical prognosis. "We're talking Core-level care here, Mand'alor."

    Eccressys snorted. "You get... what you deserve, scum."

    TAG: @galactic-vagabond422 (combo)
    ---
    IC: Ike Sera

    Senate depths

    Released, Ike rubbed his throat and looked at them both with some admiration. "I should have known better than to tangle with a Mandalorian... but had I known it was Boba Fett and his personal apprentice, I would have never have tried a thing."

    Fett was unmoved. "It's a contract we've taken together," he said stiffly, of Tor's involvement. "Nothing more."

    "It seems a little more like training to me," Ike jovially suggested, but then Fett stepped forward and jammed his blaster in Ike's throat. "Okay, okay!"

    He produced a small remote with a sleight of hand. "Keyed to my voice and fingerprint; a personal shortcut into the Nubian embassy, granted to me by Senator Norin Graul. He owes me some favours, and Black Sun always collects. You can use it to bypass most of the security in the Senate Tower, if I'm alive. Or, of course, you can shoot me up and do it the hard way."

    "Are you saying we couldn't if we wanted?" Fett bit out.

    "I'm just pointing out that you have the entire New Republic security regime focused on you, and Aryan Graul is a Force-user wth training, unlike little old me," Ike said, pouting, and then wincing as Fett pushed the gun harder into his neck.

    Fett with his own sleight of hand snatched the remote and examined it. "He's right, Tor."

    TAG: @galactic-vagabond422
     
  17. AgentViper007

    AgentViper007 Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Mar 9, 2005
    OOC: A combo with @Sinrebirth

    IC: Qwi Xux, Galius Rax, Jyn Erso
    Location: Death Star prototype base, hyperspace


    Qwi continued to stare at the wayfinder but inside she could still feel Pascale's Echo as if he was sitting there, watching what was going on. She couldn't do anything at present, if she shot him, he would shoot her. She had shot him in the left elbow and knee already but hadn't taken advantage.

    Threatening to blow up Coruscant had been the clincher. Now here she was, about to send them to Exegol. With Rax crowing all the way and whomever was there gaining a superweapon. All because of her, because she failed to act.

    Beaumont is never going to believe what happened with the Echo. And Jyn is probably going to shoot me for not killing Rax.

    She held the wayfinder in one hand, the blaster in the other as she moved over to the navigation console and set down the wayfinder plugging it in. I hate giving in like this. But wait your chance Qwi….another could come.

    And he was asking her basically for a little chat about his little tete a tetes with Palpatine. But how did he know about Pascale and Beaumont?. Unless he knew them as experts in their field of course.

    She dropped her blaster beside her "And what guarantee would I get that you wouldn't shoot me? Or kill my friends?" She narrowed her eyes "And you are right, it wouldn't interest me but would definitely the other two."

    She spread her arms wide "But since we have nothing to do until we get there, might as well chat" she raised a finger "I know you like an audience, why not get Beaumont in too?. He could chronicle your story for the history books. And be a lot more...fascinated by what you have to say".

    "You have no guarantee, save for," he indicated with his own blaster. "Our own assured mutual destruction, should we start shooting. It's been a few years since I had a fight, but I have killed my fair of people in personal combat, after all."

    He reached with his free hand into a fold of his cape, and removed a small Shah-tezh chess piece; two, in-fact. The Imperator, and the Outcast, a piece from a much older version of the game that had been removed as being too disruptive. He placed them both on the nearest console. He ignored the suggestion Beaumont join them.

    "The Imperator - the chess piece - if it falls the entire board - the demense - must fall. Without that piece, the game ends, he had said, passing me these two pieces when we last met, just after General Grievous died." Rax chuckled. "Palpatine told me that his Empire was to fall if he was ever killed; that it would not stand without him. So I was to be his Contingency, the Outcast who would siphon off from the Empire and destroy it. As luck would have it, the Empire fell without my forces being needed, and Palpatine's missives from the Unknown Regions -" He indicated the wayfinder. "Presumably from Ixegul, that is, they ended just over a decade ago."

    "So which piece am I now, I wonder..." He tilted the Outcast. "And which are you?"

    And given my chance, if you unlock the door and remove your control I will mutually destroy you….oh well, sorry Beaumont you’re missing out on all the fun she inwardly snorted. Not.

    As he pulled out two pieces of whatever that was supposed to be from...was it some sort of pieces from a game? There was no way she would recognise those. Here it comes…

    “How the bloody hell should I know?” she responded sarcastically “I don’t play games, I deal with science. Do you know what I care about? No I don’t suppose you do. All I care about is saving this galaxy from tyrants like you and from an imminent alien invasion. So long as the New Republic is successful and my friends live and the galaxy does not fall into darkness and fear like it did in the Empire that’s all I care about.”

    “She snorted “People like you make me sick, remind me of what I used to be. A monster. I believed I was doing good when instead I was advocating evil. You and whomever your Master is on Exegol?, You’re going to be stopped. The Final Order will not come to pass, this superweapon will be gone and you can join your Master in Hell. I might be joining you there when all is said and done….”

    "... I imagine whoever has taken Exegol killed my Master," Rax said with a shrug. "But we'll get to that."

    "The entire galaxy is a board game, Qwi," he softly chided, as if lecturing a student. He placed the two pieces and stepped over, yanking awkwardly an extension cord from a console closer to her - awkwardly as he did it one-handed, with his blaster still trained on the Omwati. "You need to recognise that or you'll forever be a piece in someone else's game."

    He shrugged, holding the chord to Qwi, for her to plug into the wayfinder. "Palpatine, Amedda, Feyna Organa, Darth Zorn, Qi'ra Ananke, Thrawn... whomever."

    "Unless you play, you'll never get what you want."

    She took the cord, plugging it into the wayfinder. Qwi was watching him like a hawk, one false move...and she would be dragging him to that chair to relinquish control.

    And as Rax was speaking Pascale's Echo seemed to be shaking his head as if to say here we go again….

    "You know Pascale spoke to me of a hooded man that seemed to imply that he had played around with his life and others. That perhaps if the man hadn't played around, things would be different. Maybe he might not have met me, maybe he would have been killed by the Sith God on Ach To, who knows".

    "But if someone can do that, if a person is playing around with people for his own sick judgement then that implies that people do not have choices. That people's destinies are predetermined in fact. That is wrong. It should be determined on people's choices they make, what they decide to do. Otherwise what is the point of living?. I don't know if it was preordained that Pascale was going to die, I don't know. "

    She shook "But what do I know, I'm just a young former Imperial science officer who seems to be trapped in some sadistic game as you say. But whatever game it is I seem to keep losing. But I know this, I will not be a pawn in a galactic game, there are too many lives at stake to play around. I will decide what my choices are, whom to love and whom are my enemies. Not some hooded man".

    "And whomever is on Exegol….well only you know that it seems".

    Rax winced as he shifted around his wounded elbow, rotating it slowly and keeping his gun arm on Qwi. "Well, true."

    "I have an educated guess, but once the New Republic is ruined, I will head there with that wayfinder and perhaps, if you haven't done anything stupid by then, we'll both survive to see the truth of what has happened to my Master, regardless of the Black-Coat." Rax paused.

    "I met him, once..." Rax indicated the robe he had on. "He gave me this, told me to wear it if I was ever in danger. It protects you from the Force, specifically the dark side, he said. As part of my role was to feed poisoned hosts to the monster of the Maw, the Black-Coat reasoned that there would be a time when I might need protection from the Force."

    "Unfortunately, I seem to have inherited the Black-Coat's role to sow chaos, and ward off disaster," Rax sounded wry. "Perhaps you'll need to become such an agent to survive."

    There was a crash, and the Imperial glanced up, frowning, and indeed from the ventilation duct came Jyn, she had patches upon her face where she'd been wounded, and she as much fell as rolled forward when she landed. Rax took a shot, hesitatingly, remembering to turn back to Qwi -

    Sow chaos? No way was Qwi going to do that. She had been indoctrinated by the Empire which preferred order over any sort of chaos. Even the New Republic seemed less chaotic than the Rebellion. It seemed this Black Coat was the one trying to pull the strings.

    Before Qwi could reply a crash sounded and a very welcome sight emerged...Jyn!.

    She looked like she had gotten some medical attention and Qwi didn't know if she was armed. But two against one were better odds. And Rax got a shot off but he had been distracted….

    NOW!

    Qwi knew this would probably drain her again but she dug deep joining her strength with Pascale's Echo and shoving outward as hard as she could.

    "Don't kill him!" She called to Jyn, "he has control of the station using his fingerprint. If he dies we might get Coruscant blown up!".

    The coat didn't absorb every energy, merely detection, and so Rax tumbled over, dropping his blaster and fetching up against the wall. Jyn scooped up his blaster, grinning. "We can have his fingerprint if he's dead."

    "But not my voiceprint," Rax said, groggily, sitting up and wincing through his blaster wounds.

    "You tried to kill us," Jyn breathed. She gestured with her blaster. "You should die. We can work it out without you."

    Rax sneered back, regaining his composure even though sitting on the floor with the coat pooled around him. "Can you?"

    Qwi wobbled after using the Echo's and her strength and she felt she was tiring out slightly. This had been a bigger burst of energy but it had done the trick.

    Jyn meanwhile was advocating killing Rax. It seemed she had come on her own, probably had had enough of waiting and had left Beaumont behind. But killing him? Not yrt certainly, they still had to sort out getting control back from him to release Kalenda and Dr Eicroth.

    She bent down and scooped up the blaster near her foot before wobbling forward around the console and towards Rax. How to handle this stalemate….

    A lightbulb popped up.in her head...Rax's coat was supposed to protect him from the Force. But it seemed Pascale's Echo was'nt in the plan. So maybe if she had something resembling the Force….

    Force users could do it, let's give it a try….

    Moving forward she trained her blaster on Rax "Oh I think I might have a better idea I would like to try." She reached him and with one hand unclasped his coat. She did'nt know if this was going to work with it on. And this was probbably going to drain her energy again, but it was worth a shot…

    She began to stare at Rax, the Echo she could feel was joining in, a double stare, her thoughts stretching out. "You will head to the command chair and use your fingerprint and voice print to release your control on this station".

    TAG: @Sinrebirth
     
    darthbernael likes this.
  18. darthbernael

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

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: Mostly a combo with, ummm, myself and a little influencing by @Sinrebirth

    IC Bernael, Renn
    Round One, Fight, continued


    Renn caught the saber, rolling it in his hand, as his focus returned to the creature before him. He did not know this Anzati, he knew he didn’t but still they seemed familiar. And more than that, the Light within him was singing, calling out to the Dark he sensed in the other. Without even thinking, he took a step closer, ”Extinction of the Light? You sound very certain of yourself for someone I do not even know.”

    Bernael knew he would need words with the Eye later but for now this Neti before him had his focus. He could feel the power, feel the Light blazing forth, and feel what their coming together was doing to the Supremacy. A cold smile crossed his face, ”Yes, Neti, you seem to have the Light, but I can feel you don’t know yet what to do with it.” His black saber struck sparks from the hangar floor as he swept it up in an arc.

    He could sense Abeloth and her attempts to destroy the Jedi and take the youngest as her new host but, even though he knew a fight between he and the Neti would be short, he had to focus on it, the Dark Side itself would accept no less, would make him face it’s twin. As with Renn he took an involuntary step forward. Now within striking range of each other they stood, as though two master fencers waiting for the other to make the first move and the first mistake.

    The two beings, ancient and powerful, faced each other. The backdrop of the remaining Jedi facing Abeloth, the sounds of the ship coming to life, all of that rang around them, as they stood. Eyes ranged over each other's forms, not focusing on one thing or another, but as though in a haze to sense the first twitch of muscle that would proceed a strike. The blossoms of Light and Dark around them pressed in on them, demanding they strike.

    And then suddenly both were flying backward, sparks and ozone hanging in the air between them. No one would have seen the motion but in an instant, slowed down to a crawl, they had moved as one. Renn striking down at Bernael’s head and Bernael’s saber sweeping up toward Renn’s side. Neither strike hit as both had kept an unlit saber in their off hand. In the moment of the strikes both were lit and both strikes blocked, throwing the two beings back from each other.

    Renn’s blocked strike had tossed him over his back and he flipped in midair before landing on his feet. Sabers low his head whipped up and he charged back toward the Anzati. Bernael’s blocked strike had thrown him skidding across the hangar floor, until his talons dug in and he came to a stop. His eyes had followed the trajectory of the Neti and as the other landed he charged forward, sabers low as well.

    They came together and an explosion of energy swept out from the contact. But as the air cleared the two beings were straining against one another, sabers locked in a double X. Both twisting and turning their blades to attempt to pass the other’s guard. Feet lifted and kicked at the other as the other lifted theirs and blocked the kicks. Eyes were locked and the hate that shone in one was mirrored by the peace in the other.

    The Eye leaned on Bernael harder, egging him on to strike. More, locked away reserves were opened, allowing Bernael more and more strength to fight Renn.

    Power flowed into Bernael and the locked blades slowly began inching toward Renn. He had the full power of the Light behind him but he was at a disadvantage. This Anzati had obviously been awake and coming into his power for far longer than he had. Breaking the clinch, he rolled backward, feeling the heat of Bernael’s sabers cross over his form, leaving furrows on the bark of his back.

    A growl from Bernael as his strike did not fully connect and he followed the roll of the Neti, sabers sweeping down and around to strike again. Renn twisted and turned as he attempted to gain distance but the Dark one was fast, very fast. Little burns began appearing in his bark as strikes half connected and he groaned, Pushing hard against the floor to bound up and around to face the creature once more.

    Bernael smiled as the Neti regained his feet, this one, among the myriad others, deserved to die facing him, the most worthy of any foe. He knew the Eye would be disappointed that he didn’t press the full advantage but this was the Force against the Force and it had to end in a face to face combat. ”Show me everything you have, my twin, and I’ll show you why the Light is destined to lose.”

    Renn gritted his teeth, trying to maintain his calm but the Anzati seemed to know the right buttons to push. He reached out, trying to find a way to cut the creature off but was met by a solid wall of resistance in the Force, ’So, blade against blade it must be.’ he thought and moved forward once more to try and strike the Dark one down.

    TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @TheSilentInfluence, @darthhelinith
     
    Jerjerrod-Lennox likes this.
  19. darthhelinith

    darthhelinith Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 10, 2009
    IC: Vhardia and guest
    Beach of the mind


    Everything happened at once. Renn and the dark avatar were cut off from them, Katarn stood up, the tentacled creature leapt for her and suddenly everything disappeared.

    Vhardia opened her eyes and found herself standing on a beach. A late afternoon sun shone gently down, bathing the surroundings in a warm glow, like settling down in a cozy armchair. The sea lapped gently against the shore around a quarter klick away and behind her, palm trees stood in gossiping groups, waiting for the next saucy rumour. There was a slight stirring in the water far away and for a moment, Vhardia could have sworn she saw something dark and scaly sink beneath the surface.

    Nearby, a girl sat, close to her own age. Her hair was as short as Vhardia’s was long, she was dressed all in black, a form fitting jumpsuit underneath practical outer robes and dark brown combat boots. She was slouched in a deckchair, face hidden behind a magazine, which proclaimed ‘EXCLUSIVE: ABELOTH TELLS ALL!’ across the front and had the image of a woman similar to the abomination that Vhardia had just seen, minus the tentacles and teeth. She looked up as Vhardia stepped towards her and Vhardia jumped. The face was almost identical to her own.

    “You’re late.” said the girl. “But never mind, you’re here, that’s the thing.” And she indicated, quite warmly, to an identical deckchair that was within arm’s reach.

    Vardi shook her head, cooly. “Thanks, but I’d rather stand.”
    The girl shrugged and continued to read but with a glance to Vhardia’s belt, where her lightsaber sat. “You’re thinking of attacking me.”
    Vhardia blushed and moved her hand away. “No.”
    The girl sniffed. “Don’t lie. We’re rubbish at lying at the best of times.”

    There was a pregnant pause.

    “You’re a darksider, so…” Vhardia began as a way of explanation but the girl shook her head.
    “No, you’re a dark sider. Well, at least you’re supposed to be.” She threw the magazine behind her and looked Vhardia up and down, inspecting her appearance. “You don’t look nearly as dorky as I thought you would, although that hair…” she paused. “How do you find it?”
    Vhardia shrugged. “To be honest, it gets in the way.”
    “That’s what I thought.”

    There was another pause, and the girl went back to reading her magazine, although Vhardia wasn’t ever sure she saw her pick it up first. However, she was more preoccupied with what the girl had just said. Dark sider? What had she meant by that?

    “You’re a sith.” the girl responded nonchalantly, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. “I’m a sith, so you should be too.”
    Vhardia’s voice shook. “That’s not possible. I’m a jedi. I took the vows, I walk with the light side of the force.” Literally. she added to herself.
    “Ohh yeah, the neti.” and here the girl grinned. “Yes, he’s very interesting isn’t he? But let’s focus back on the whole light side dark side thing for a moment.” She shifted so she was sitting on the edge of the deckchair now, facing Vhardia.
    “See, it’s not likely, but not impossible that you could have been born in another universe, and in that universe you were never found by the jedi and became a sith instead.”

    Vhardia narrowed her eyes. “Wait. Is that what you are? You’re some weird, almost impossible version of me?”
    “Actually it's the other way round. You’re some weird impossible version of me." She stood up at this, gesturing with her arms. “When order 66 happened in my universe, the Jedi were killed and Emperor Palpatine reigned for about 20 years. I was born in the midst of an Imperial government and raised a Sith by the apprentice of Palpatine- Darth Vader. You shouldn’t exist. At least, not in your current form.”

    Vhardia found she couldn’t quite process all of this. The girl offered her some gum from her belt and she took it, appreciatively.

    They both sat down in the deckchairs, sith beside jedi, and there was silence for a couple of minutes, but it was more comfortable now, the sort of silence between friends when there is everything to say and no words with which to say it. Vhardia was still finding this all extremely difficult to process.
    “Vhardia…” she started but the girl interrupted her.
    “Helinith, is my name. Yours too, if you’d have happened to remember it.” Vhardia looked confused and Helinith shrugged. “It has no meaning for you because you’ve forgotten its significance.”

    There was another comfortable silence. The girl who had identified herself as Helinith blew a couple of bubbles with her gum and Vhardia tried to join in, but found herself out of practice.

    “Helinith… are there jedi in your world?”
    Helinith shrugged. “Of a form. I’ve not really had much interaction with them to be honest. They’re too busy trying to ‘fix the galaxy’ and all that spiel. But I don't go out of my way to hunt them down, if that's what you're worried about. My world is a heck of a lot more put together than what you’re currently dealing with. Your world’s just a mess.”
    Vhardia sighed. “Ain’t that the truth.”

    Two large cocktails had appeared on small tables next to each of the girls, and Helinith picked hers up and sipped it appreciatively. Vhardia studied hers and gave it an experimental sniff.
    Helinith watched, amused. “It’s not poisoned, if that’s what you’re thinking. This is your mind, I’m just camping out for a bit.”
    Vhardia took a tiny nip to taste and her eyes watered at the strength of the alcohol. “I’d better not.” She said quickly, “vows and all.”
    “Suit yourself.” Was the reply.

    The sun was close to setting now, and a deep orange haze fell over the scene being played out below as Vhardia remembered something that had been mentioned before.

    “How do you know Renn?”
    Helinith grinned. "That would be telling. But if you really want to know, ask him why neti grow flowers. That’ll help you figure it out."

    TAG: @Sinrebirth @darthbernael @TheSilentInfluence
     
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2020
  20. JediMasterAnne

    JediMasterAnne Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 24, 2004
    OOC: Combo with Sinre

    IC: Chancellor Feyna Organa, Isolder, and Senator Triebakk of Kashyyyk

    Chancellor's office, Senate building, Coruscant

    A Star Destoyer, with superweapon technology.

    Feyna's hands were shaking. She was scared of what was about to happen, but there didn't seem to be anything else she could do at this point; she could send more ships, but she didn't think they'd arrive in time to make any difference. She'd given the orders to attack the Destroyer's cannon, which did appear to be directly connected to the ship's main power source--it had to be, to accomplish its purpose, so it was definitely a crucial target, but all she could do now was watch and wait.

    If Kashyyyk fell, if Zorn's Destroyer blew the planet, Feyna was certain she would be ousted by nightfall; either voted out or forced to resign. Thrawn's surrender, the discovery of several Yuuzhan Vong infiltrators, those small victories wouldn't matter. She'd sworn this would never happen again...

    "Should we comm Triebakk?" She asked softly. There was no point alerting the entire Senate yet, but with comms to his homeworld currently jammed, the Wookiee Senator might not be aware of what was happening.

    Waiting and watching was the worst moment of a war-time leader. And they were at war; it was just not one they had known was declared upon them. By Zorn, by Thrawn, by the Yuuzhan Vong; by all of them. Isolder took both her hands in his. "Is that what you want to do?"

    He had his comlink ready. "I can put in the call, if you want me to go-"

    His voice hesitated. He didn't know what to do -

    She squeezed his hands, also hesitant, but nodded. "I'd want to know, if it were me. Tell him as much as he wants to know, he can come down to watch if he wants, or we can connect him to the feed..." The latter might be faster; it might be over by the time Triebakk got here, unless he was close by.

    Isolder pulled the comlink out, and kissed Feyna as deeply as he had almost two days ago, before Aryan had arrived and this had all happened. "I'll be right back." He held his comlink up to his mouth as he stepped out the room so the battle noise would not interfere, and didn't make it through the door before he flinched.

    "He cut the line - " Isolder said, hesitatingly. "I think he's on his way here?"

    She winced, but an angry response was not unsurprising. Feyna was angry, too, behind the fear.

    "Comm Piett, too--with this, and the evidence that Thrawn brought, I want to see if we can get a warrant to seize all of Kuat-Entralla's designs and blueprints." If they could confirm that Kuat-Entralla had created and supplied this Destroyer for Zorn, they could definitely move to confront Treen.

    "I mean, we'll have to get past Ka'rta first," Isolder grimaced, but -

    The door wasn't shut when Triebakk pushed it open, growling. [I just heard the news - we're under attack?]

    Isolder looked back at Feyna, and replied anyway. "Piett and, um, the contact," he said, wisely avoiding Thrawn's name for the moment. "Are in the middle of flight prep and securing the, um, guest," again not mentioning Yarmond. "I'll let them know to get in touch as soon as possible."

    The Wookiee looked from Isolder back to the Chancellor. [Chancellor?]

    Feyna briefly glanced to Isolder before explaining to Triebakk, "I was informed on my return this morning that communications with Kashyyyk had been disrupted. Ships were sent from the Consortium to investigate.

    "Darth Zorn was behind the attack at Mandalore, and it appears that some of his forces followed Mandalorian refugees to Kashyyyk."

    She tipped her head toward the holo-proj. "We've confirmed that the Star Destroyer is equipped with a superweapon."

    [Chewbacca's son was present at the battle], Triebakk said. [He fled with Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon... and Zorn's son]

    Isolder's eyes widened.

    [He wanted me to tell the New Republic and I was coming straight to you.]

    Zorn's son?!

    When had...how...

    Feyna had so many questions going through her head at this revelation, but she was conscious that this was perhaps a very dangerous thing to be discussing.

    "How do they have Zorn's son?" She asked, once the initial shock wore off.

    [Apparently Han tracked the Millennium Falcon to a base of Zorn's at the edge of the Unknown Regions with another rogue Jedi, Galen Marek,] Triebakk said, looking at the battle map with intelligent eyes. [A world called Durace, that Master Mace Windu had also discovered and raided and was present. They were driven from the base by ships matching the description of the vessels that now attack Kashyyyk. They chased the Falcon from Durace, from somewhere deeper in the Unknown Regions.]

    "Which doesn't help us find where these ships are being deployed from," Isolder murmured.

    [In the midst of arriving tracking a Sith ship that had fled Coruscant during the terror attacks here... Marek crashed with a departing Sith ship that was fleeing with Zorn's son aboard; they left with the child, but suspect Zorn can track it with the Force... so they're going to ground... apparently Solo wouldn't let Lumpawaroo tell me where.]

    She'd almost asked where they were headed, but Triebakk didn't know; of course Solo didn't want the Republic to know where he was, he was still wanted.

    But at the same time, perhaps they were better off not knowing where Zorn's son was; he wasn't with Zorn, which was about as much as Feyna needed to know.

    And Master Windu had resurfaced? "Is Master Windu still with them?"

    [He is apparently still at Kashyyyk, fighting Zorn's men. Most of Solo's team stayed behind as bait for Zorn, but this fleet turned up. Solo didn't expect this to happen.]

    Isolder sniffed. "Didn't Solo only listen to himself last time? Over the Crystal and the Box?"

    Feyna tried not to scowl; she didn't like to talk about Han and the Box.

    "Without their location, we can't be of much help anyway."

    Solo wouldn't want her help, either. She just had to hope he could keep Zorn off his trail.

    [My homeworld is at stake; we can deal with Zorn and his son after, no doubt], Triebakk added, in agreement.

    "With Windu and Madelyn there... we have a chance," Isolder said, watching as the warship charged it's weapons.

    He checked his comlink, but otherwise everything was going as planned; Winter was with Norin, Shevu at the Armand Isard prison, Raddus at Metellos, Astarta at Kashyyyk, and Thrawn and Piett en route to the Home One, which Raddus had left behind while he took half the First Fleet to investigate. The Jedi continued to report on the infilitrators they had found - dozens, so far - and it seemed as if they might even be getting a handle on all this.

    If they could win at Kashyyyk... it would be the first point where they'd succeeded.

    Feyna leaned forward against her desk, eyes on the battle, still so very anxious. Orders had been given, there was no time to send reinforcements...she'd done as much as she could think to do from here. All they could do now was wait.

    TAG: @Sinrebirth
     
  21. galactic-vagabond422

    galactic-vagabond422 Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2009
    (A combo post between @Sinrebirth and myself.)

    IC
    : Ka'rta
    Entralla

    It was bad, worse than she thought. She did what she could, finding some gauze in a quick med pack and stuffing the wound. Ka'rta looked at him with a grimmice as he grabbed her arm. Things were starting to fall into place around her. This was beyond just a quick patch up, this needed more, more than what she had on the Oisk, more than what this planet could offer. Unless.

    "Just stay alive you besom." She hissed at him propping him up on her near by cover. She kept pressure on the wound her darkened gloves becoming slicked with his blood. The rest of her team arrived, their prize in tow, just a little scuffed, that was fine.

    "We're talking Core-level care here, Mand'alor."

    "I know," She snapped at the commando.

    "You get... what you deserve, scum." The Moff scoffed.

    "Keep pressure on the wound and move him to my ship." She ordered her team directing them to the unassuming light freighter. "You," The manda'lor hissed planting a hard right fist into the moff's liver. "You are going to tell me everything you know about Darth Zorn, or I will enjoy personally ripping each and every one of your teeth out of your head with my bare hands."

    The Moff rolled to the ground, crying out in agony. Owen was lifted by the team, the man makin a moan even through his squeezed shut eyes. They kept the pressure, and he moaned again, no, he was saying her name. Ka'rta, just elongated, as he headed to the Osik.

    Babbling, rotund, Eccressys was in tears, blood dribbling down his lips where he'd been beaten by the men who seized him. "He'll kill me, I beg you to leave me. Hand me over to Piett, he'll keep me safe, then I'll tell you whatever you want -"

    The Mandalorians vanished up the ramp and began connecting Owen to the supplies in the ship. He was important to Mandalore, and so he was important to them. The Mandalorian battleship kept the Imperials at bay; there was no chance of an interruption, not with how her forces had bottled up the system.

    "He'll kill you..." Ka'rta gripped the moffs face and forced him to look into her emotionless face plate. "I'll kill you right here right now, and in ways far more violent than you could possibly imagine." Her anger was laced into every word she spoke the fire burning in her eyes. "Talk and I'll make sure you don't flay the skin from your body while you are alive to feel it." She needed this information, she needed to know. And she needed to know now. Owen was fading, and she needed to move as soon as to get him to the core, she still had some contacts, failing that who would really refuse an angry Mandalorian. "Start talking or we have a much longer conversation on my ship."

    "Exegol," he breathed. "I found out that the ships were going to Exegol," Eccressys said. "Let me come with you!" His voice was begging. "He'll know I told you, Mandalorian. He always knows."

    His voice caught as if swallowed, but clearly someone was taking the initiative to get the Osik started up to go; the engines roared to life, but the ramp remained down.

    "Please," Eccressys said, eyes streaming.

    "I'll save him the trouble." She put a bolt into his chest and walked up the ramp. "We have a location. Now lets find the best medical center we can."

    Eccressys lay back, his life ebbing, blood bubbling from his lips. The only revenge he could have upon them was that he knew the name of the world that Zorn was hiding upon... but it was a world that no known (or even unknown) map could lead the to.

    Unless, of course, you happened to have one of the two Sith wayfinder's in your possession...

    The Mandalorians of his crew had already plotted a course to the best location, and his second saluted and confirmed it to him. "We'll need to go to Coruscant, Mandalore... is that going to be alright?"

    "We go." She said taking a seat and taking off, setting a course for triple zero, maybe she would find Tor there.

    TAG: @Sinrebirth

    Tor
    Undercity

    Tor stood back letting Ike and Fett talk it out, feeling a little like she was back home. The adults talking about important things all the while she was just stood there. At least she was acknowledged sometimes she didn't even get that around her mother. There was a moment where she tried to cross her arms and tilt her head to the side, like her mother had done a hundred times. Though on her it didn't exude the same power and dominance it did when the Hand did it.

    "It's a contract we've taken together," Fett said, his tone stiff like he wanted nothing to do with the girl. "Nothing more."

    "Yeah, we're just after the same bounty." She piped up leaning a little into her family's dislike of the supposed 'Best Bounty Hunter in the Galaxy.' That's all this was, an alliance of convenience. Though she couldn't help but feel a little hurt at the distance being put between them. Then again, her mother always taught her that she could only trust family.

    And Fett was no Vode of hers.

    Fett shoved his blaster into Ike's throat and she waited for him to pull the trigger and be done with it. However he waited, Allowing Ike to go through some long winded explanation of what the remote he had in his hand did. Tor just wanted him to get to the point. Things were getting tense and she wanted to get on with this job. Not that she really had anywhere to be, she just wanted to get moving again.

    "I'm just pointing out that you have the entire New Republic security regime focused on you, and Aryan Graul is a Force-user wth training, unlike little old me," She rolled her eyes, she already knew that Graul had force powers, though he said it like it was something new. It did annoy her that it seemed everyone but her and maybe Fett had the force on their side. If this would get them up to the office without having to carve their way through the senate.

    "Let's go. If this will get us there faster, let's do it."

    TAG: @Sinrebirth
     
  22. Sinrebirth

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

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    IC: Abeloth
    Twist, twist, twist

    While she ensnared Kyle and Leia in her tentacles, Abeloth was growing strong enough to expand herself, and her influence. When Helinith and Vhardia gave her no fear to draw upon, she exerted herself upon their little happy clappy mindscape and dug hard.

    Ah yes.

    There it was.

    Helinith; she knew pain.

    She had lost love.

    A father-figure.

    A Master.

    She drew upon that fear, and bid it rise up from Helinith.

    The death of her Sith Master.

    Abeloth enjoyed the little wander around Helinith's mind, through Vhardia - she saw many things; other realities, much as Feyna, Aryan, Qi'ra, Ka'rta, Bernael and Han had. But Helinith, she had more, the kind of content she could draw from only certain individuals, and would have plucked from Rouser had he lived.

    How curious.

    The beech became darkened by clouds, and a man stood, his face shadowed and yet visible to Helinith.

    "You failed me," he said. "You let that Kaminoan kill me while you played DRESS UP!"

    There was a roar, and a tempest surged around the island, like a sphere of darkness drawing it in, lifting the beech up.

    [​IMG]

    Abeloth withdrew that slither of her consciousness from Helinith's mind, and watched as Ood Bnar rushed up, lightsaber in hand, her mind keeping an eye on the other Neti before he interrupted with her

    The wave of energy from the confrontation had surged across the Maw Cluster, reaching out of Deep Zone Two to Deep Zone Three, and then... One. It crested upon the ancient construct keeping the Maw together, and the Black Coat felt as it hummed to life. Ah. The Maw was an artificial prison... and perhaps... it could be...

    Tightened.

    Ood sensed it; Abeloth sensed it.

    But while she was already actively seeking a way to escape... Ood collected himself and launched himself into the orb of light anew, glaring at Bernael, his back to Renn. He was not entirely interposed, but the Jedi Grandmaster was serene in his placement. "You two... are each part of a problem. A wound in the Force, split and broken in two... if Master Windu was here, he'd see the shatterpoints between you, and indeed, the interconnectivity of the ending we face together."

    "I beg of you. Stop; leave this place, before it is all over."

    TAG: @TheSilentInfluence (combo continues), @darthbernael (either, or), @darthhelinith
    ---
    IC: Galius Rax

    Death Star Prototype; arriving

    "You will head to the command chair and use your fingerprint and voice print to release your control on this station".


    Rax had a glassy voice and lidded eyes, stiffly dragging his wounded self up. He stepped up to the command chair as instructed, repeating her words. Jyn watched in no small surprise, right until the Fleet Admiral plopped a finger on the command chair and said, wickedly.

    "Protocol 66."

    The station lights cut out, and the wayfinder vanished in the dark, clearly snatched by Rax. There was a clatter, and Beaumont and Eicroth, who had been trying to access the door, were on the floor, having fallen through as it whisked open, by the time the lights were back on. Rax was gone, a manic laughter in the distance as he rushed.

    Clearly, he had an escape craft tucked away somewhere in the Death Star - but he was running towards the hangar - to his own ship?

    Jyn was down, unconscious, and that left Qwi to chase the man.

    But, outside the window - they'd arrived.

    They were here.

    At Coruscant.

    This was bad.

    TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox
    ---
    Indigo Tower

    The politicians and hub-bub continued on apace, continually so. Graft and opportunities were discussed, and mention was made of the absence of Moff Eccressys, who would ordinarily attend these events, by Sindian. That elicited a shrug from Treen, who was disinterested in talk which undermined the momentum of her Event.

    This was the first time she had gathered the 'Imperial brain trust', as she liked to call it, complete with an actual candidate for Emperor. The last Emperor, named by a legitimate writ, notwithstanding that Amedda had not died at the time. He had died later, and so the wheels turned just fine for her. With a tinkle of a fork upon a wine glass, she drew the meeting to attention, Bramsin pausing mid-second helping of soup, the man grinning to himself and setting aside his bowl.

    "We are gathered here today to enact the final piece of legislation in the master plan that Aryan Graul has fomented, with my assistance. His glorious return to the Senate has been choreographed for years, and I have been happy to assemble all the pieces for our Emperor-to-be-again." It was all lie, but it was a lie that fed into Aryan's manpulations, realed and imagined. She hungrily regarded the man, and smiled to the others, who were all adopting expressions of their own. Gruff vengeance upon the military types - Adelhard, Romodi - avarice twinkling in the eyes of the Senators such as Bramsin and Sindian - and simple pleasure of a plan fulfilled in the rest. It was, indeed, the beginning of the end of the experiment called the New Republic.

    A return to the natural order of things - to the Empire - was in order.

    Arb was not evident, and his Holocron had settled beneath a dish covering, moving upon - evidently - little robotic legs that it seemed to have sprouted!

    Treen continued. "To our Emperor, returned to the throneworld at long last, and to the throne we shall assemble for him. With our votes, with our secret fleets, with our shadow empire. The threats which terrorise the galaxy we shall expunge, and we shall have it all - order, and, finally, peace."

    A droid jolted upright as if he had received an update via transmission, and rushed over to the Kuati Senator, who could not look more peeved. She swatted the droid, who tottered but did not fall. "But, Senator, I must speak -"

    "I'll have you converted to parts," she spat, angrily. Sindian looked especially amused.

    "But Senator!" He pointed out the window, which was, at this high a point on Coruscant, included a transparisteel display of local space.

    And of the new moon that had joined the orbit of Coruscant.

    Spindly, exposed to space, but clear and obvious to a man who had once been in its presence.

    A Death Star had arrived at Coruscant.

    TAG: @HanSolo29
    ---

    Senate chambers, Coruscant office, at the tower's heart

    The Battle of Kashyyyk raged on, unresolved, pivoted, hinged upon a disaster.

    Right until the hologram in the centre of the room was replaced by an image of Bothan General Kre'frey, the latest head of Coruscant orbital defences. Triebakk roared at the man, who bared his faces and glanced at Feyna, apologetic, his fur standing on end in his species' version of stress. He immediately tried to pat it down. "Madam Chancellor, I am sorry to interrupt your business but -"

    His voice faltered.

    "There is a Death Star in orbit."

    Isolder swore, and an image was piped through.

    Sure enough, there it was; more skeletal than before, but clearly a Death Star.

    "It's reactor, ma'am, it's charging - "

    There was a small shuttle evident in-front of it, and Isolder blinked. "Isn't that -"

    "Admiral Piett's shuttle, yes - the station has interposed itself between the fleet guard and the planet and it's his path."

    "Is that?" Isolder wasn't sure what to say aloud. About the Death Star prototype in the Maw -

    But here?

    [​IMG]

    TAG: @JediMasterAnne
    ---
    Arriving in orbit

    A small Mandalorian task force reaching the planet would ordinarily have been a problem, sure, but not when there was a Death Star in orbit. The half of the First Fleet in orbit nonetheless paused its turn to face the battle station, keeping it's guns trained upon the unauthorised arrival, unsure how to connect the arrival of the Mandalorians with that of a Death Star.

    The Osik arrived a handful of seconds before the rest of them, for it was a smaller ship, and Owen managed to hang on to life in the meantime. But there wasn't much time, and this was not the ideal thing. The planetary shields were still down, but on the wrong side of the New Republic force, which was the quickest way through. Hapan Battle Dragons, Mon Calamari battlecruisers and updated Republic-class Star Destroyers held between them and Coruscant, but fighters weren't deployed...

    Not yet.

    No interrogative was issued from the New Republic - they clearly had their hands full with the Death Star over by the planet some distance away, but the Mandalorians were ill-placed to have a conversation. But sensors very kindly allowed Ka'rta to pick out a medical frigate by the name of Redemption, which was nestled beneath the Mon Cal flagship, Home One. Even if Coruscant was about to explode... that would have everything she needed for Owen.

    In essence, she had the question of...

    Talk it out, or rush forward, and risk a response?

    And what of the world's name, that Thrawn had bid her risk everything for?

    And what of Tor?

    TAG: @galactic-vagabond422
    ---

    Inside the Senate

    Of course, to Tor and Ike and Boba Fett, a massive space station at the edge of the planet was less relevant to them in the hidden parts of the Senate tower. But, one has to think of them about now.

    It did, however, provide a near perfect cover and allowed them to bypass several layers of security which were occupied with a Death Star.

    It happens, and it's even more serendipitous when it happens without one knowing.

    Well, it doesn't happen that often, let's be fair, but in short order, the three of them were inside the Nubian Quarter of the Senate, in a secret corridor that was hidden even from Arek, Nola and Del. Because Norin Graul, the Senator who had put out a hit on his own son, was one of the most paranoid and rotten Senators in galactic history.

    They were in the Senate.

    Now they simply had to head out.

    Ike took the liberty of stepping into the public area, a twitter of droid aides ignoring him, and he saw the meeting room was occupied. In his typical gallant manner, Ike tapped the door to the room, and Norin opened it, eyes widening.

    Behind him sat Winter, the Chancellor's aide.

    Ike's eyes also widened.

    As did her eyes when she saw Tor and Fett.

    Fett shot her without another word; she toppled off her seat.

    The sound didn't reach Arek, Nola and the medical droid in the private rooms.

    Norin hissed, and grabbed Ike, dragging them into the meeting room. Winter was down, clutching her chest, and Fett swept into the room as the Nubian Senator snapped at the droids to leave him alone and slammed the door shut on him and Tor.

    "What the hell are you doing here?"

    He gestured at the woman. "That's the Chancellor's top aide."

    "Not anymore," Boba said, stiffly.

    She was a regal looking woman, even as she struggled to breath, and her eyes sought out Tor, appealing for him even though she couldn't speak. The other two in the room - the Mon Calamari aide and the human security guard, they didn't look happy, indeed the Mon Calamari looked a shade of green. Fett clubbed him, knocking Jaka out cold with his rifle butt. "I didn't shoot him."

    "That doesn't help," Ike said, drily. "Let's concentrate on what we have to do. Take out Aryan Graul."

    "And what about her?" Norin snapped.

    "We could just shoot up the entire embassy, and you can blame a Mandalorian attack," Ike said. "Or, you can say Aryan put a hit on you!" He grinned.

    His security guard watched Winter, and she kept peering at Tor, her eyes begging.

    TAG: @galactic-vagabond422
    ---
    Secret Graul Suite

    Similarly, as Norin had his drama involving Boba Fett, Tor, and so forth, the team had been warned to stay away, and the news had yet to trickle to them or indeed him. For a moment, Arek and Nola could continue their conversation, soft-proofed, and isolated, facing the monster that Norin was in the form of the comatose wife, and battered grandson.

    It made one think of when Alderaan was destroyed, fourteen years ago.

    How many civilians had simply died without knowing?

    Had just been engrossed in their own dramas, and lives, when it was all suddenly snuffed out?

    Well.

    A lot more would die here, of course.

    Unless Qwi Xux did something about it.

    TAG: @HanSolo29, @JediMasterAnne (mentioned only, combo continues)

    TAG: @TheSilentInfluence, @BobaMatt (TAG pending at Kashyyyk)
     
  23. darthbernael

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

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2019
    OOC: Bernael does a thing....or two, with @Sinrebirth

    IC Bernael, Renn, Ood Bnar
    Interrupted


    A growl met the words from the Jedi as Bernael skidded to a halt before him. ”That is the point, old tree, to destroy my Twin, to end the foolish ancient notion of balance and bring about the darkness of the universe. And...you...are...in...my...way.”

    He did not attack, the Jedi was not his true foe but was giving his foe a chance to recover. He seethed but then he felt it, the older foe, the one that had caused the Balance to move from its place in the cosmos to be on this plane, the one whose actions and further actions of others had brought about the creation of he and the other Neti. His eyes blazed, sucking in light as the darkness in them grew. ”Why should I not finish this while he has not the strength to face me? But there are things beyond you, beyond this, and they need doing.”

    He sheathed his sabers, eyes still blazing as he faced the Jedi.

    Renn, paused as Ood ran into the hemisphere of light and dark. ’Why is he interfering?’ blazed through his mind. The words his old friend spoke had sense but the overwhelming presence of the Light within demanded he face his Twin. Slowly, reluctantly, he sheathed the saber that had been tossed to him.

    And then he felt the other struggles around. A blast of energy came from Abeloth, but not directed at him, no it was directed at Vhardia. He could feel calm and then rapidly devolving emotional turmoil in her but he couldn’t help with this struggle still hanging in the balance. Turning back to Ood, ”I understand, old friend. But the battle is not just ours, the Force itself wills us to fight. And that is a struggle that will continue, again and again, as we meet time and again.”

    Ood looked to them each. "Your struggle is energizing the ship, and everything upon and around it. Within Deep Zone One is a Death Star prototype, a powerful superweapon that your actions run the risk of reactivating. It may even explode, and destroy the Maw, as well as everyone in it."

    "Your conflict is destructive, and it does not speak for the Light or the Dark."

    The ball of energy continued to surround them, drowning out their surroundings, and Ood had his blade out. "If you seek my Neti colleague, you must first go through me. Renn; flee, I shall defeat this scourge upon the Force."

    Renn nodded to his old friend. He turned to seek out Vhardia, to assist with driving off Abeloth and then something, a feeling, a sense, made him turn back for a moment, an almost sad expression, ”Thank you, my old friend.” And then he squared his shoulders and stalked forward to face the unstable goddess.

    Bernael merely smiled, ’The Maw, hmmm.’ he thought. He began his own stalk of the Jedi Master, his will rearing and swarming over that of the ancient Neti. The two minds slammed together and the Jedi’s strength was high, he had to admit.

    But….he wasn’t using his full strength either. The warning, threat, of the Jedi gave him an idea and the deepest part of his mind leaped out, tracing the patterns of energy that glittered and wove across the Maw. In the end, as on the physical plane he closed on Ood, he traced them all back to one point, one node, that was the key to it all. Reaching into it he found the key to the key, just as he came to halt before the Jedi. In a voice all could hear, possibly across the Maw, ”Scourge? I direct the scourge, and now….I release them!!”

    In that instant a several things happened, He turned the key with his mind, reversing the energies of the Maw which began to release every monstrosity and dark thing it had contained for eons, his mind refocused all its will on the Neti, and the shock of the reversal of the Maw hit everyone in the room.

    As the shock hit Ood, Bernael acted. His will surged even more, overwhelming the Jedi’s mind. Seizing control of the Neti he froze him into immobility, the look of shock was to be his last, as the black bladed saber swept through the neck trunk of the Neti, severing his head from his shoulders. A deep, dark laugh erupted from Bernael’s mouth and his hunger sucked in the soul of the Jedi feeding on it’s energies.

    Leaning down, he took the head by its ‘hair’. Standing he turned to those still engaged, singling out Vhardia as Abeloth had done, but also including his ‘Twin’, ”His power surpassed yours, for now, and he fell. Scurry away little ‘Twin’ until you are worth the hunt.” Holding the head aloft, the face turned toward the Jedi, ”Another Light extinguished from the galaxy, never to rejoin the ‘Living Force’.”

    His gaze turned to Abeloth as he, uncaring, dropped the head to the deck of the hangar, ”Come, mother of our chaos, pick one to be your new host and let us depart, the Maw cannot, will not hold anyone anymore.”

    TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @darthhelinith, @TheSilentInfluence, (@QueenSabe7 in the Maw so will sense the reversal of it's energies)
     
  24. AgentViper007

    AgentViper007 Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Mar 9, 2005
    OOC:A combo with @Sinrebirth

    IC: Qwi Xux, Galius Rax
    Location: Death Star prototype base, above Coruscant


    I've failed….

    That was Qwi's thought as Rax activated the station's protocol. She turned to try and spot him but it was dark. She heard a couple of bodies thump to the floor and then the lights came on and Rax was gone with the wayfinder.

    Qwi was relieved to see Beaumont and Eicroth but where was Kalenda? Jyn was down, had he hit her? And as she turned towards the viewscreen now more wobbly than ever she saw Coruscant. And her heart sank, he was going to blow it up anyway.

    She knew what she had to do, and she knew that she might die in the process. If she failed another planet's blood was on her hands. But she also knew that if she used the Echo one more time she could collapse...or worse. Qwi's body couldn't handle much more.

    Qwi didn't know if they were all unconscious but she spoke anyway "See if you can get this protocol disabled, i'm going after Rax" she shakily picked up her blaster then the other of Rax's that Jyn had. She dropped one as knelt next to Beaumont.

    I never said goodbye to Pascale and I regret it. Beaumont at least deserves one.

    She took one of his hands and squeezed it and leaned down so only he could hear this "I don't know if you can hear me, but if I don't come back, or if I fail and Coruscant gets blown up, I'm sorry. For everything. I wish I could protect you as you did me. You deserve all the happiness the galaxy can offer and I'm sorry I dragged you into this. I don't know if i'll make it out alive, i'll try. But know that I consider you to be the person I most trust in the galaxy. And I'll try and make sure Rax does'nt succeed".

    Qwi leaned back and lightly touched her lips to his hand before releasing it and standing up shakily picking up the other blaster. Pascale's Echo had watched the exchange with a little bit of sadness, he was also frowning a little but then a slight smile appeared.

    I'll explain later she thought I'm going to need your strength for the next bit. Rax is wounded and we need to catch him.

    Pascale's Echo seemed to nod before his strength began to flow through her, rejuvenating her a little bit. With a determined look she set off to catch him.

    Rax was hobbling, yes, but Qwi was as fragile as he was wounded, and she rushed after him as much as he fled her. The hangar bay opened before him, and he immediately saw his ship, as towed in by Jyn. All too easy.

    He glanced back, but vanished around the corner of the hangar entrance as quickly as he could, even as the Death Star rumbled from distant New Republic fire... but also from the shaking of the reactor at the station's heart.

    In the middle distance, there was a shuttle heading for the bay, weapons armed and engines hot -

    Dammit why am I not catching up!

    That was Qwi's thought as she tried to chase after Rax. She had hoped with him being wounded he might be easier to catch with a little boost from Pascale's Echo. But it wasn't to be. Her body was obviously still feeling the after effects of using the Echo.

    The station was shaking slightly probably because Rax had activated it and there were sounds of the station being hit by laser fire Hopefully one of the others could tell the New Republic that there was a team aboard before it got blown to bits.

    She rounded the corner and saw the hanger ahead. There was Rax's ship along sith Rogue One, Firenze and Drayson's. Qwi narrowed her eyes and focused forward trying to maybe trip him up but also firing her blasters to try and injure him some more.

    And hoped that the shuttle in front realised she was a friendly and shot Rax instead.

    You are not getting on that ship….

    She would have shot Rax, but the man had tucked in and hugged the hangar wall, so when she rushed into the hangar, he launched himself forward, shoving into her side with the intention to send her flying and use that distraction to rush for the ship. Of course, it was a risk, especially with that shuttle.

    The Fleet Admiral feinted towards the Rogue One, and the shuttle shot it apart, to which Rax threw himself in another direction, towards his actual ship in the conclusion. Rax was, annoyingly, as smart as they came, and though the glowing wayfinder fell from his pocket, he left it be, eyes crazed in desperation.

    It was getting close; the humming filling the station was growing…

    Qwi of course did go flying and landed on her side skidding across the floor. One of the blasters went flying also but she managed to keep hold of the other.

    Ow…

    She managed to drag her body upwards as Rogue One got destroyed. Rax was back heading towards his ship but if that got destroyed or if he decided to head for another one. Which meant Firenze was in danger.

    Pascale of course was well known for hating violence but he had seen one ship go up in flames, he wasn't about to see another go up, especially since it was Qwi's home now.

    Whomever was on that shuttle knew that no-one could escape...and the New Republic were intent on stopping the Death Star.

    Got to do this...oh God I might die….

    She and the Echo both gave Rax their hardest stare and Qwi reached out with her free hand towards Rax first to freeze him….

    Then with all her strength and the Echo's yanked back with her arm to try and smash him into the wall.

    Rax tripped, falling, and the shots from the shuttle skipped by him, missing her thanks to her Echo. The shuttle was close enough that Qwi could see the occupants - a human and a -

    A Chiss.

    Rax managed to tumble to his feet, heading for the Firenze but there was plenty of space for Qwi to shoot him -

    The shuttle dropped in-front of him, blocking her shot, and Rax wheeled away, heading for his true target -

    His personal freighter.

    The Death Star thrummed, building up energy, shaking with the power contained in its reactor -

    The lights dimmed, cutting out.

    "Qwi!"

    Beaumont cried, far behind her, trying to catch up, but really just a distraction -

    Stay calm, said a voice. Trust your Echo not to let you fire without killing. Clear your mind, and shoot, Qwi. You can do it.

    Qwi dropped to one knee as she saw Rax drop and the shots seemed to skim past her, she could sense Pascale popping up a little shield. But her energy was about to run out, her eyes were losing focus and all she wanted to do was drop to the floor and accept the coming darkness.

    But from what she could see of the shuttle, there was a man, was that Piett? And the other one was….

    Thrawn.

    Her heart sank, he had succeeded in coming for her. She would be snatched away from the team and made to do terrible things once again. She didn't want that.

    Rax meanwhile had tried to get towards Firenze, failed and was going back towards his ship again. A grin from Pascale's Echo at that. The Death Star felt like it was about to explode….and then came the voice of Beaumont.

    What is he doing? I have to deal with Rax before he gets here. I don't want him hurt again.

    There was a clear shot to Rax but with her strength failing she didn't know if she could shoot him. And a stray shot could kill him. And Qwi didn't want to do that, he deserved to rot in a jail cell.

    A voice then spoke to her, but it didn't have the cultured tones lf Pascale. Even the Echo was raising his eyebrow in confusion at the intrusion. But she had to trust the Echo and her to work together as one. Last chance saloon.

    She shakily raised her hand with the blaster and aimed for Rax. One last use of the Echo then...well only fate would decide she supposed.

    Ready?

    Ready came the response.

    Qwi and the Echo both focused on Rax, Pascale picking a place to aim for….then fired.

    The shot caught him in the back of his good leg - behind the knee. Rax went down, sliding hard, as the shuttle dropped its ramp. Rax cursed and swore, but he couldn’t move.

    The Death Star was starting to truly rumble.

    It was indeed Thrawn. “Qwi Xux... Fleet Admiral Rax...” his voice was curious. “The Death Star is about to fire on Coruscant - “

    Rax struggled to get back, and Piett removed the hood for them. “No! Put it back! She can put thoughts in your head!”

    Thrawn coolly glanced back to Qwi, not saying a word. There was the sound and crackle of energy, and Beaumont caught up, looking at Thrawn with alarm but -

    Clearly there was only one way to resolve this and only Qwi had it... but she’d failed once, and she was even more tired and exhausted than before. Could she...?

    And if she could... would she live to see the results of it?

    Qwi dropped down to the other knee and nearly dropped to the floor. She felt her body burning up, she couldn't hold on much longer. She could feel Pascale's Echo getting exhausted too, there was so much even a spirit could take.

    Rax was thankfully down and he was literally begging Thrawn not to pull his hood down from his cloak which he had picked up on his escape. She could see Beaumont had arrived out of the corner of her eye. She felt sorry for him, that he was about to see the woman he cared about, maybe even loved, die in front of him.

    She had to try the mind trick one more time. If he complied, the Death Star would be back under the team's control. If not Coruscant was gone and she would die a murder, forever a war criminal. She would fall down into Hell where she belonged.

    She looked over to Beaumont, sweet, caring Beaumont. She had never gotten to truly know him, or love him back. But she would try to live...for him. So she could have a future. Qwi gave him a smile, she wished she could say that she loved him back...it was too early…oh hell you're about to die. Admit it.

    Pascale's Echo was detecting this, he was frowning...but somehow he understood why she was doing this. To make sure he continued on and to ensure she could eventually move on without the shadow of his death looming over her. If she lived of course it was too early...but he was happy that at least it was Beaumont that cared for her. He couldn't think of a better person.

    Qwi spoke to Beaumont "Pascale's Echo...is within me...if I die...he passes to you. You get Firenze too.
    You...deserve it….and know...that your feelings for me….are reciprocated. I care...for you too...before I die...want you to know…"

    She turned towards Rax, her and Pascale uniting together once more giving him the double stare and trying once again.

    "You will go to the bridge and the command chair….you will...use your fingerprint...and voiceprint….to relinquish control….of the station…."

    Her vision was turning black and she was about to sink into the abyss…..

    TAG: @Sinrebirth
     
    darthbernael likes this.
  25. darthhelinith

    darthhelinith Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 10, 2009
    Vhardia and Helinith


    The sun set and as it did, something shifted in the air.
    Both girls sat up but Helinith was the first to identify it.
    "There's something dark here."
    Takes one to know on. Vhardia thought but she reached for her lightsaber and two blades, pink and green, lit up side by side.

    The water began to boil. The whole beach shifted suddenly and rose up into the air, sand sliding down into the frothing sea below. A dark shape launched from it, serpentine at first as it rose into the air, but as it poured onto the floating land, it changed and condensed into a robed figure that Vhardia didn't recognise. It glared severely at Helinith, who had gone white as cut coram rock.

    "You failed me," it said. "You let that Kaminoan kill me while you played DRESS UP!"

    Helinith fell to her knees. "No!" She croaked. "I couldn't, you were… it wasn't… No! NO!"

    Vhardia had no idea what was going on. She watched as the shadowed figure changed form again into an enormous, scaled form, a bit like a sea serpent. Deep ridges cut across it's black scales like ancient wounds from which it had healed. A purple colour swam in its snowy white eyes and from the way its fins twitched and shifted, she realised it could swim through the air.

    "Pay for your crime." It hissed at Helinith, who cowered in front of it.

    Three things happened at once. The serpent thing made to strike Helinith in what would have no doubt been an incredibly deadly blow. Vhardia ran forwards, raising her lightsaber to defend her, when Helinith cried out 'No!' and she suddenly felt a very strong pull on her ankles that was tipping her sideways. All of a sudden, Vhardia found herself sat up on a duristeel floor.

    Darkness. This was severe darkness, not physical, she could still see, but a heavy dark that pressed upon all sides of the soul. It poured out of the Maw, like a tidal wave. In that moment, Vhardia could see two realities, the serpent which was in her mind and looking at her with a rather nasty expression, and the head of a neti, held aloft by the dark creature that had brought them here.

    For a split second she thought it was Renn, then, even as she realised it wasn't and felt relieved, her relief was replaced with a storm of emotion.
    Shock froze her, on the floor, in place.
    "Todt Woo!" BB-8 nudged her, trying to get her to move but everything felt numb as she understood Helinith's pain and let both it and her own wash over her.


    Tag: @darthbernael @TheSilentInfluence @Sinrebirth
     
    darthbernael likes this.