Open Onderon A Measure of Chaos

[Zorya]

"Spyin' those city-folk, mistress?" O'bog's chortling tone cut through the heavy air of Onderon's jungle, his diminutive form fluttering around Zorya. "Scared as a pup in a den o' varactyls, they are!"

Without uttering a sound, Zorya surveyed the distant city of Iziz, its imposing walls a testament to the citizens' fear of the unknown. The mission was clear in her mind, as sharp as the edge of a vibroblade: incite chaos amongst the noble houses of Onderon, pitch them against each other, then leverage the ensuing civil war to cement Sith dominion over the planet.

Her senses stretched outwards, absorbing the clammy jungle heat, the biting musk of predator and prey. She tasted the rampant fear amidst defiance, a perfect brew for her objective. The whispers of the jungle creatures formed a symphony around them, completing the tableau of their silent subterfuge.

Zorya's gaze shifted to Kyros Vedas, a man carved from perseverance and unwavering loyalty to her. She had provided her own suad of Kage Warriors for this operation. With a curt nod towards him, O'bog squawked, "Let the Kage Warriors dance their shadow waltz, Kyros."

Unseen beneath the canopy, her Warriors scattered, phantoms in the night, agents of anarchy ready to sow their seeds. Each silent stride held the promise of upheaval, a testament to the chaos to come.

"Aye, a proper riot we'll be havin', eh, mistress?" O'bog fluttered back to his perch, his mirth masking the seriousness of their plot.

Zorya remained a silent sentinel, her inscrutable gaze focused on Iziz. Each heartbeat echoed with the rhythm of her purpose – to ignite the fires of conflict, to set the stage for the Sith's ascendancy. The storm was upon Onderon, and at its eye, stood she.

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel considered the endeavour to be a risky one. However, he had successfully worked with Zorya on a couple of occasions before, so he was willing to place some trust in her. Of course, he had his own ship ready in case he needed to make a quick escape. He had arrived at the coordinates provided by his fellow Sith. It was difficult to find a landing spot in the dense jungle, but eventually he found a place. He made the rest of the journey on foot. He had chosen to dress as he usually did.

Arriving at the location, he spotted Zorya along with her companion O’bog. They were joined by a man called Kyros. He wasn’t familiar with them, but they seemed to have Zorya’s trust. There were also a cadre of Kage Warriors along with them. Thel had heard of the warrior group, but he didn’t know much about them. Again, he would trust his fellow Sith’s judgement.

He stood behind Zorya, maintaining some distance, waiting to see how things played out.

@Aberforth

 

[Trael Osso]

Arriving at the designated meeting point he hears the sounds of the creature before seeing the sith or her pet. Donning his sith armor he was prepared for chaos. Coming to the lookout his fellow sith were at he crouches taking in the view of the city. Having a vague idea of the mission at hand. Political intrigue, an insubstantial beast simply requiring a well place piece of jewelry or clothing a few spread rumors or even a framed assassination.

He begins mulling over plans and machinations on turning the houses against each other. Also trying to think of a way to establish himself on the planet potentially though that may be something to do after solidifying sith control. The warriors and the man leading them were an issue as they were an unknown variable and could drastically change the atmosphere of the city. Which may in turn make the infiltration of the nobles even more difficult of a task.

Waiting for the go ahead he continues scanning the city. Looking for any areas he could use to cause the most chaos with.

@DMCK @Aberforth

 

[Zorya]

As Thel emerged from the verdant shadows, O'bog burst into raucous laughter, flitting toward him in a blur of iridescent wings. "There ye are, Thel, lookin' as cheery as a Sarlacc on Tatooine!" Zorya glanced at the new arrival, her black eyes reflecting the dim twilight. His presence was a familiar assurance in the sea of uncertainties.

Another soon followed, armored in Sith regalia, a promise of chaos contained within the metallic husk. His arrival roused the petrichor aroma of the damp soil beneath Zorya's boots, a reminder of the storm they were about to unleash. She sensed his eagerness, a palpable thread in the air, his thoughts whirling like a whirlwind of potential pandemonium.

In response to their silent anticipation, O'bog let out a cackle, "Ye look like ye're itchin' to kick a hive of kinrath, ye do!" The Ximpi's voice echoed the silent resolve Zorya carried within. The plan was a labyrinth of potentialities and dangers. One wrong move and they could be swallowed whole by the ensuing discord.

Zorya's mind was an engine of precision, each cog turning, each piece falling into place. Her gaze turned towards Iziz, the city's glow painting her silhouette in soft, undulating hues. The taste of the city's upcoming tumult was as tangible as the humidity clinging to her skin.

And so they stood on the precipice of chaos, each of them a vital instrument in the grand orchestra of strife they were to conduct. Zorya inhaled the rich scent of the Onderonian night, her heart pounding in sync with the myriad lifeforms singing their nocturnal hymns. O'bog, perched on her shoulder, echoed her unspoken command, "It's time, lads. Let's set the stars ablaze! But ye daft gobs, don't ye be wavin' yer glowin' toothpicks about! This here's a sneaky deed, gotta look like the handiwork of some lace-ruffed noble, got it?"

@DMCK @Javier esschoolbus

 

[Cyrian Vrax]

Cyrian had been labeled as MIA for years. Where once there had been the proud servant of an Empire, he was now dismally hateful of the new way. How the Empire could so willingly betray it's soul and go along without the Sith was absurd. He was a Soldier of the Sith Empire, not some faithless force that blamed its own defeats on those that had led them to glory.

The extended leave he had taken managed to link him up with the loyalist Sith forces. It was known that he and a garrison were there, but their allegiance was incomprehensible amid the firefight that broke out when three allegiances were claimed. Those that wished to desert, those that wished to stay loyal the Empire, and those that wished to remain loyal to the Sith.

Cyrian would never betray the Sith.

He had been lost for some time, but those surviving Sith had been slowly building a network. Working in the shadows. That was how he'd learned of Zorya and her band that took aim at Ondoron. He was well versed in asymmetric warfare and had no qualms about using it in service of a higher power.

His blackened scout armor was dawned, and now a confusing relic of a time forgotten.

He did not know how to answer the small creature that spoke for Zorya, but he was not disturbed by the clear direction.

"Our service and oaths are eternal." Cyrian nodded to the mighty figures beside him.

@DMCK @Javier esschoolbus @Aberforth

 

[Thel Xeros]

“Hello O’bog,” Thel replied, smiling slightly. Behind O’bog’s almost clownish exterior was an astute mind. Thel respected Zorya, but he was also slightly wary of her. She was ambitious and such individuals could be dangerous.

Two others had joined them. One was tall. They wore black armour, covered in a flowing robe. The other was wearing what looked like imperial scout armour. Thel listened as the one in the scout armour gave some sort of pledge to the Sith cause. That one could be very useful.

O’bog made it clear that they would need to conceal the Sith’s involvement. No using lightsabers. That much had already been obvious. “Are there any other requirements you would like to mention O’bog? I remember that the last time we worked together you became quite annoyed when I was inexplicably unable to read your mind and know the exact intricacies of your plan,” Thel said with a slight hint of sarcasm.

@Aberforth @Javier esschoolbus @Morse

 

[Zorya]

O'bog fluttered towards Cyrian, the newly arrived soldier, an errant specter donned in the spectral armor of a bygone era. "Eternal oaths, ye say?" he croaked, before cackling uproariously.

Turning towards Thel, O'bog's mirth softened into a mischievous smirk, "Ye'll have yer fill of intricacies, Thel. But this ain't a droid's game of dejarik. Adapt, improvise, and don't get caught."

O'bog's voice crackled in the air, echoing Zorya's unvoiced thoughts. "Now listen here, lads," he began, perched atop Zorya's broad shoulder, "This ain't a brawl at the cantina. This is a shadow dance. Slip in, cause the ruckus, then slip out. Clean, quiet. Got it?"

With the final words hanging in the humid air, the Ximpi spread his wings, circling around the gathered force, his boisterous tone turned eerily solemn, "Now, ye Kage shadows, into the heart of chaos!"

And with that, the jungle swallowed the Kage Warriors, their forms melting into the foliage, their movements as fluid and silent as phantoms. Zorya moved with grace, her form melting into the moon-dappled undergrowth of the Onderonian jungle. Each footfall was a whisper in the night, the rustle of leaves and the crunch of undergrowth beneath her boots merging with the nocturnal symphony. Her coal-black eyes were alight with an unseen flame.

Her sleek silhouette, robed in shadows, flowed through the labyrinthine foliage with lethal elegance. Her senses were heightened, every fibre of her being attuned to the world around her. The cool, moist air carried the musky scent of beasts and the raw aroma of foliage, enhancing the electric sensation of her anticipatory adrenaline.

The distant hum of Iziz resonated with her pulse, syncing in a rhythm that held a promise of the turmoil to come. The city, now a mere glow in the distance, was oblivious to the storm brewing in its periphery, the grandeur of its walled elegance about to crumble under the machinations of the Sith.

Finally, Zorya found her perch, a vantage point hidden in the shadowy embrace of an ancient Onderonian tree. Her heart throbbed in her chest, the beat a war drum echoing the impending tempest. The night held its breath as Zorya, in her silent grandeur, prepared for the onset of the storm.

@DMCK @Javier esschoolbus @Morse

 

[Cyrian Vrax]

Cyrian did not understand the purpose of the small creature that spoke to them, nor did he question it. It was not his place to question his betters. Perhaps if more in the Empire had understood that it would not be a hollow shell of what it had once proudly been. He instead listened to the nature of the mission, and understood it well. He was prepared to do his part.

As the warriors moved forward so too did the former Sergeant Cyrian Vrax. He had battled on a dozen worlds and been a part of the occupation of a dozen more. This would not be anything that was beyond the scope of his capabilities. What was more was that their adversary was likely entirely unprepared. A local garrison of militia might be the most they could bring to bare, but what was all the more likely was that it would be local law enforcement that never discharged their blaster in the line of duty.

Whatever stood before them was no matter. He was there to wait for the signal, do his part, and perhaps give the Kage Warriors some battlefield direction, as it served no one to devolve into chaos when bolts began to fly.

He may not have had an official rank or title anymore, but he was a leader of soldiers and he found a serenity in that purpose.

He was in position, a vantage near the wall, weapon ready and alert for the signal to engage.

@Javier esschoolbus @Aberforth @DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

“Fair enough,” Thel replied to O’bog, his voice giving nothing away as to his feelings about O’bog’s answer.

The Kage Warriors disappeared into the jungle. Their movements were an admirable combination of gracefulness and athleticism. He wondered how Zorya had managed to secure their services. Credits seemed the obvious answer, but he wasn’t sure if that was the case.

He moved through the jungle. Swift. Silent. The city loomed in the distance. He could sense the others as they also journeyed through the jungle. Hints of their emotions. Zorya’s eagerness. The scout’s composure. The focus of the Kage Warriors.

He landed on a tree branch, not far from Zorya’s position, and crouched down. It seemed that the Kage Warriors were going to be the vanguard. The ones to initiate the chaos that was to come.

@Aberforth @Javier esschoolbus @Morse

 

[Trael Osso]

Trael watched as the others pushed ahead. He began making his way to the city at a slower pace intending to slip by as the main event kicks off. Intending to be a clandestine tendril spreading the disease of chaos. Not sure of the other siths intentions yet, he would remain weary of them.

Moving through the jungle at a moderate pace he couldn't help but notice his companions moving swifter and more acrobatically than he had. The Kage Warriors presence was a surprise to him. They are not the usual type of support on missions.

Arriving near the city walls he leans against a tree trunk. Anticipating the coming chaos he prepares himself to either slip in or force his way in. Knowing he could always remove his armor if needed.

@Aberforth @Morse @DMCK

 

[Zorya]

O’bog alighted on Zorya’s shoulder, his impish face lit up by a devilish grin. "Right lads, it’s time to set the cockerel among the hens," he announced, his voice resonating through the hushed jungle air.

Through the Ximpi’s garrulousness, Zorya's calm determination remained untouched. Her eyes, deep pools of onyx, pierced the obsidian night, focusing on their target: the ostentatious manor of House Kaedan.

House Kaedan, a family of capricious nobility, had their roots sunk deep in the fertile ground of Onderon’s political landscape. Their ties to King Weylin, the current ruler, were strong, both families interwoven through marriages and alliances. Weylin's first wife, a daughter of House Kaedan, had pulled strings that worked in favor of their dominance.

The manor stood haughty, an architectural behemoth lavishly adorned with Onderonian marble and Coruscant gemstones that glittered like constellations against the night sky. Guarded by law enforcers devoid of any real martial experience, the stronghold was a lamb clothed in a wolf's hide, naive to the voracious wolves circling their lair.

Zorya signaled the Kage Warriors, her hand slicing the air in a precise and efficient movement. Like a shadowed storm, they sprang into action, descending upon the manor with precision, their presence hidden within the embrace of the night.

Zorya herself plunged into the fray, her movements a deadly dance of lethal finesse. Absent were the blazing arcs of a lightsaber or the weighty pulse of the Force; her assault was purely physical, an exhibition of her prowess and skill as a warrior. A whispered threat, her presence sowed the seeds of discord, the first salvo in their game of subterfuge and power.

As the first cries of alarm rose, echoing through the silent night, O'bog cackled with gleeful abandon. "Now there's the lullaby to rouse ye nobles, sweet as a banshee's wail, ain't it?"

@Morse @DMCK @Javier esschoolbus

 

[Cyrian Vrax]

Upon the given signal, Cyrian found a harsh excitement. So often were plans not put into action as they waited for their perfect opportunity. And yet even more often plans were not properly made before a half baked assault was initiated. Those tacts had all but lost the wars that he had fought in. But now, even though their numbers were few, they were honed to perfection.

Cyrian dropped down at the signal, bayonette fixed on the end of his sturdy blaster. He knew well how do use the entire instrument, and kept the blaster set to a non-firing position.

He could hardly see the Kage Warriors were it not for the illuminator in his visor. But he also saw one of the guards take notice of them. He appeared confused and not ready to call an alarm as such an attack would appear more likely a dream of one that had dozed off than an actual apparition of an assault.

Cyrian took him from his left side, the guard having no real idea what had happened, a bayonet driven into his chest, driving the wind from his body leaving no air left to scream with. He dropped to the ground as Cyrian finished the job.

He brought the blaster rifle to bare and advanced forward towards the main structure. Their target was clear, and like a dark wave hitting the shore they would sweep and clear the entire area.

@Aberforth @DMCK @Javier esschoolbus

 

[Trael Osso]

Trael seeing what the intentions of his contemporaries jumps over the wall using the force to aid him. Landing in-between two guards. Before either can react a thrown dagger slices through both of their necks. Using the force he recalls his blades. He is beginning to realize he needs to acquire a vibroblade at some point for instances he can't use his lightsaber though that is an issue for another day.

Rushing in with the rest of the group he keeps an eye on the sith. The warriors are obviously the distraction, a ploy for the sith infiltration at least that's what is believed. The alarm being raised didn't phase him though it did put him into alert mode. He continued following the leader of their merry band trusting in her plan.

@Aberforth @DMCK @Morse

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel followed Zorya and the others. He dropped down and took advantage of the confusion. Lunging at one guard, he delivered a right hook to the side of their face. The guard’s unconscious body collapsed to the floor. Taking the guard’s blaster from their holster, he set upon the next guard he saw.

Advancing on his next victim, they turned and raised their weapon at Thel. Having to react quickly, he used the blaster he was holding as an improvised projectile. Aided by the force, he hurled the blaster at the guard. The metal blaster smashed into their forehead, knocking them out.

@Aberforth @Morse @Javier esschoolbus

 

[Zorya]

O'bog fluttered around Zorya, his chortling laughter a stark contrast to the sounds of struggle and panic surrounding them. "Ye're all a bunch of crafty dogs, ain't ya?" he crowed, the mischievous glint in his eyes echoing the intensity of the skirmish.

Every sinew in Zorya's body was coiled, every nerve ending crackling with a fervor akin to the raw fury of an approaching tempest. The thrill of imminent confrontation, that final culminating clash of powers, was an intoxicating blend of danger and exhilaration. A warrior at heart, the Sith Master reveled in the maelstrom of chaos she'd helped to birth.

Her companions fought valiantly, their unique styles of combat weaved together in an intricate mosaic of aggression and control. Cyrian's ruthlessness bore the stamp of hardened experience, his tactics coldly efficient. Trael's maneuvers, infused with a dash of the mystical, were a lethal dance of dagger and will. Thel, driven by his relentless ambition, wielded chaos with a casual mastery.

The skirmish stilled, as combatants on both sides seemed to sense the arrival of a dominating presence. The grand doors of the manor house swung open with a deafening groan, revealing the figure they had not expected to encounter this night.

Rolan Kaedan, the head of House Kaedan, stood in the doorway, backlit by the manor's opulent interior. He was a hulking figure, his towering stature accentuated by his ceremonial armor. His thickset frame bore the marks of a lifetime of battle, while his visage was a jagged mask of scars and age-hardened resolve. His eyes, cold and impassive, surveyed the pandemonium before him with an almost disquieting calm.

In his hand, he held a scepter, carved from the thickest wroshyr wood and tipped with a large, gleaming Rancor tooth. As he stepped forth, the air seemed to ripple around him, an unseen aura of power casting a fearsome glow in the night's darkness.

O'bog alighted on Zorya's shoulder, his glib tone replaced with a mixture of reverence and excitement. "Well, ain't that a sight for sore eyes," he murmured, his gaze fixated on the formidable figure emerging from the manor. "Time to dance with the devil, eh?"

The icy silence shattered as Rolan Kaedan took his first step onto the battlefield. The very ground beneath them seemed to shudder at his approach, his sheer force of presence igniting an inferno of dread and anticipation. The final showdown was upon them.

@Morse @DMCK @Javier esschoolbus

 

[Cyrian Vrax]

Sith Trooper doctrine suggested that prisoners should only be taken if directed for the purpose of the mission. They were trained on weapons that were specifically intended to reduce the burden on the war efforts and to ensure that they were not making vengeful dissidents.

Those days may have been gone, and some may have suggested that the tractics did not make the Sith Empire any friends. As far as Cyrian was concerned it was just Soldiers that disobeyed orders at critical moments that cost them battle after battle. For proper application of their training was ruthless, efficient, and overwhelming in the face of the weaker foes.

Cyrian had ended the lives of a number of guards, and had proceeded from one target to the next.

At the appearance of the Magistrate, Cyrian was ready to do battle. But at the site of the Sith warriors squaring off before him, he recognized that may not be his purpose here.

The Magistrate did not appear alone. He had the remnant of his guard form up beside him. Cyrian saw his fight as defending the Sith flank, so he would.

He did not hesitate a moment. The haze of drama may play out for those that were more powerful than he, but his fight was with the magistrate's guards, and he would maintain to his training.

... And he still had not been directed to take prisoners...

He opened fire and charged the guards.

 

[Trael Osso]

Trael rushing the compound with the others was interrupted by another guard this one wielding a vibrosword. The guard lunged towards him trying to skewer the Sith who barely dodged away his cape becoming the victim. Using the opening he directed his knee into the poor mans abdomen. Causing him to drop the sword picking it up he uses it the finish the man on the floor.

A good substitute for my sabers. He would think examining the blade. Turning to see the behemoth of a man approaching. Still believing that keeping the Sith involvement a secret still important he readied his borrowed blade for battle. Joining up with the other two sith.


@DMCK @Morse @Aberforth

 

[Thel Xeros]

The battle suddenly stopped. The maelstrom of violence ceased. Thel turned and looked just as the entrance to the manor opened. A large figure stood in the doorway. Clad in armour. He looked over the crowd with a steely gaze. His steps thudded against the ground as he advanced towards them. He carried some sort of a sceptre.

Thel stood tall, maintaining his composed demeanour. He had managed to take a vibrosword from one of the guards. He held it low, to his left. Whoever this man was, Thel would not be daunted by him.

The remaining guards flanked the formidable figure that confronted the Sith. Let the trooper and the warriors deal with them.

There was an eerie silence, which was cut through by the soldier in scout armour. They took the lead and opened fire on the enemy.

@Aberforth @Morse @Javier esschoolbus