Open Event An End to the Killik Threat

[Alhazred]

Alhazred heard the jedi's aid (@Rom ) in restraining the queen in the Force before he felt it. It sounded good. Angelic even. For the briefest moment, he and the jedi's song in the Force were one, much like how the queen was with her swarm, making a perfect harmony.

When the fireball erupted, Alhazred lost focus and fell to his knees in brief exhaustion. The song was lost, and the queen was no longer restrained, and in her pain she began to flail wildly.

"She'll bring the cave down on us!" Alhazred declared in horror, a lump of fear rising in his throat. "Restrain her!"

Picking himself up, Alhazred desperately reached into the force and began to attempt Force Stasis again. A gripping of fists, a sudden holding of breath, a stiffness of the body. However this wasn't with any other pure goal other than the fear of being buried alive. He didn't see the weak point the other jedi could perceive. All he could think about was how he was going to die underground, cutt off from the stars of his gods. That could not be allowed to happen. The Queen needed to be stopped.

Alhazred was drained, and alone such a task was impossible, even for a knight or even a master, let alone a padawan like the Nu-Vaal. But perhaps with other Jedi aid like before, the thing could be held down.

Spoiler: OOC

Attempting a Force Stasis again on the queen, asking for help

 

[Tycho Denarii]

Tycho steadied the Nu-Vaal padawan as he stumbled, the exertions of the battle and the loud explosion throwing the cavern off kilter and throwing the Queen into a fit of madness and rage. The Ossein Knight grinned at the sound of celebration from their rescued prisoners, the unintended side effect of the Kill-It spray throwing the enemy hivemind into chaos - creating an opportunity to end it for good.

When the Queen began slamming her head into the ground Tycho saw it - a gap in her chitin plates, a weak point for a final, mortal blow. Gripping his lightsaber tightly Tycho turned to look at his fellow Jedi (@Wit @TheDudeMike @Mythos @Theia Durand @Aberforth @Narzen @Xorism @Arcangel ) and called out "Keep her steady for me!" with a soft smile and a nod before racing forward.

He had conserved his power through most of the battle, his saber could extend deeper - enough to pierce the Queen's brains and end this for good - and... at the end of the day, he would rather take the risk himself than leave another Jedi in danger.

He leapt, dodging the Queens flailing legs and landing on her back with his arms extended and the Force cradling him, guiding his steps as he fought to keep his balance on her heaving bulk. He scrambled up her back like a Kowokian Monkey Lizard, lightsaber held at the ready, and as he reached the gap in the chitin held his saber emitter just over the soft vulnerable flesh and hit the dual phase switch, aiming to send three meters of burning blue light stabbing downward into the killik queens head - trusting in his fellow Jedi to help him land the blow and end the Queen's tyranny and madness.

Spoiler: DM Actions

1. Called out for his comrades to try and hold the Queen steady
2. Vaulted onto the Queen, scaled her back, and buried 3 meters of lightsaber into her brain pan.

 

[Natalie Hope]

The can exploded! YES! Natalie could officially say she force fed a killik queen a spicy pill. One thing this did teach her though, thermal detonators were your friends in situations like this. After all the Jedi attacks, the queen still wasn't down for the count though, and when she began to thrash, Natalie saw a very large and painful reason to get out of dodge. Tapped out of the Force by this point, she wouldn't be able to do much now anyway.

She scrambled to her feet, turning toward the safety of the tunnels as she did so. As soon as she reached the wall next to the tunnel opening, Natalie stopped and turned, lightsaber hilt at the ready just in case. She'd done her part, now she'd let the others take it home.

Spoiler: DM Actions

• Natalie basically sprints to the wall next to the small mound tunnel to get out of the way
• Natalie is drained from Force usage

 

[Harald av Svendsen]

Backtracking from Queen's Chamber — "Thank you Rain" he said of the padawan as she previously helped get more bug prisoners to him and helped escort them out of the Queen's chambers and into safety.

And one of the ex-Joined said the voices were gone, Harald stopped. That is a great development. Did the Jedi do it, is the Queen dead? And that's what dropped any hold the Queen had left on them even in spite of the Kill-It Spray? Harald would then hug back, as it seems things are going in the Jedi's favor.

After embracing the relieved hostage, he would then contact the Jedi Fleet over his comlink. "Jedi fleet, this is Knight Svendsen. If the circumstances permit, we need transport for freed captives soon." Harald wasn't sure how the battle outside was faring for the Jedi. The Jedi fleet assembled is quite formidable, but the Killiks are just as much as a formidable foe if not more. But if the Joined are permanently freed from Killik control, then perhaps there would be disarray in the actual bugs.

With that out of the way, Harald would contuine leading the way out of the mound, escorting the prisoners. Still, Harald saw no other Killiks, and if they did, Harald was prepared and Rain was close-by. Although if they are in disarray, they can surely be easily vanquished or bypassed. Harald would breathe sigh in relief while doing so, the Killik threat that cast a shadow will soon be over yet...

Spoiler: abridged

dialogue, embracing the hostage who hugged him, harald requests evac for hostages as they contuine to make their way out the way they came from.

@Wit @Phoenix

 

[Theia Durand]

Theia's eyes widened at the sight of the queen getting a fireball of pain; the cavern shook from the power behind the Jedi working together, and Theia found herself stumbling as she ensured she stayed out of the flailing creatures fury. It screamed and thrashed about, making the situation even more perilous as they were so close to ending the Queen and her reign once and for all. The padawan took several steps back, careful not to trip, but also to watch for where the queen was throwing herself. She heard Tycho before she saw where he was going and held her tongue from discouraging him from not getting too close to the Queen. However, he must of saw something and she followed his command.

Along with Alhazred, the red headed padawan reached within herself, the strength of the light, pushing herself just a bit further in order to see this through and to help Tycho in his attempt to exterminate the queen. The padawan inhaled deeply and let out a long breath, the screams from the bug died down as she focused, her palm held outward as though she were physically grasping the creature. She breathed again, feeling the waves of the Force like the warm waters of the oceans she visited, it would be the peace she sought within and the peace she used to strengthen her skill as she empowered her stasis to help Tycho.

Spoiler: tl;dr

1. Theia ensures she is out of the way of the thrashing bug queen
2. Theia joins Alhazred in using stasis again to hold the creature steady for Tycho

 

[Zana Ryks]

With the success of the first attack, the end was drawing near. Not one to rush for glory, Zana held back for the right moment to support her fellow Jedi. When that arrived, she too used force stasis to slow the queen down for Tycho.

Spoiler

Zana supports the effort to force stasis the queen.

 

[Ezra Thorne]

It was Ezra alone here and no one else. If he couldn’t have a victory, he would at least need to take it down even if he died doing it. It was almost peaceful being here alone without anyone else to nag him or fuss over him. He was here at the behest of his own choices, his own actions, his own accountability. Ezra never understood what being a Jedi was at the beginning, but he learned there was no singular definition to it. It was something that came from within when he never went looking for it. It was something that manifested on its own without anyone telling him to. Just like this moment.

He saw that black, tar-like beast take form and rush at him with its claws and Ezra trusted in himself. He may have had the black mark on his chest, but he had learned to overpower it. The Jedi Master focused his energies, his eyes white from the pure Light channeling through him. The beast was unrelenting and Ezra cocooned himself in the Light, turning his entire body into a weapon. He was not limited by his physicality in this realm, he could take up every bit of space and every corner.

Ezra scattered himself into the Force, projecting himself as long spears of light that would unleash into the beast as a volley of charged bolts. The intent would be to tear right through the creature on multiple fronts with Ezra using himself as the projectiles after he disassembled himself in the Force and took full command of his environment.

Spoiler: Attack

Since this is realm of the Force, Ezra is manipulative the fabric to turn himself into Light side spears/projectiles to tear through the beast

@Phoenix

 

[Akari Moriko]

A'kari stood upon the backdrop as the others took to the forefront in lue of the Queen, exhaustion etched into both her spirit and form as the taxing began its toll. Even as the Battle Meditation emphasized her willingness to aid her compatriots, and that their marks remained true to their desire, A'kari became a steadfast beacon of Light within the Shadows. She would push herself even farther if it meant retribution for those this evil had already claimed. Her breathing deep and heavy, she let go of the Force in a moment of respite. And that is when she saw it.

Just above the neck, at the folds of the spinal column where neck and head met, a weakness in her chitin form was revealed in her moment of plight. And as the others took notice, A'kari readied herself for one final push as she drew upon the Force with all that remained. Even in her dire form, amidst the exhaustion and fatigue that ached to plague her form, she stood against her own short comings and felt the warming rejuvenating will of the Force embrace her one last time as she communed with it for her final assault. Extending her arm out, she let the Force flow from her with embracing intent.

"Here goes everything." She spoke in silence to herself amidst in the attacks that sought the Queen's demise and let forth a final barrage of roots as they ripped up from soil and stone in her beckoning. With her voice raised, she shouted at the others. "Mind the roots. They will restrain her."

The roots upheaval themselves, and like snakes hunting their prey, they snaked along the stone and soil from A'kari's location until they found justification to raise and recoil around the Queen's form, tightening more so as the Queen struggled against their constriction with the intent to restrain her movements long enough for the final blow. It would take everything that A'kari held in reserve, but the moment called for it and she would give it willingly. She had taken her first steps into the role of Jedi Shadow, and she would end Darkness wherever it decided to rear it's grotesque head.

Spoiler: Intended Actions

A'kari, although fatigued, manages to find enough strength to use Plant Surge one last time upon the roots buried beneath the soil and attempts to restrain and constrict the Queen long enough for the others to hit their mark.

Tags: @Narzen @Wit @GABA @TheDudeMike @The Good Doctor @Rom @StephDLegend @Arcangel @Phoenix @Xorism @Aberforth and anyone I may have forgotten

 

[Kaedan]

Kaedan had tried to slow Queen Killik down, however, even with Theia's help they weren't able to sever the leg of the big bug. Luckily, the other Jedi were coordinating different attacks which allowed them to successful put the Queen in position to receive a hot dose of pain. The combined efforts of all who wanted to put the Queen down brought a challenge that was a force to be reckoned with. They managed to get some Kill-it and a few fireballs into the Queen's mouth which seemed to have put mother bug into a frenzy. Queen Killik began thrashing around wildly and even started to repeatedly slam her head into the ground.

This was the moment that the Jedi could deal a devastating blow that would end the conflict. Jedi Knight Tycho decided to be the one to engage the Queen and he would need the assistance of his fellow Jedi. Kaedan put away his lightsaber and held out both of his hands in an attempt to assist the holding of the Killik Queen using Force Stasis. He slowed his breathing and allowed the force to be focused on the Big Queen Bug.

 

[Mako Krim]

Queen's Chamber​

Mako managed to dodge the falling Queen, just barely. He was still far to close for comfort and took several more leaping steps back as the Queen thrashed and flailed.

He saw the opening, saw another leap for it. He resolved his mind to aid in the killing blow as the others did around, disengaging his lightsaber to clip it on his belt as he raised both hands towards the Queen and concentrated.

Hold. He would hold the Queen still, as still as could be managed alongside the others who sought to do the same. He clamped his energies around her like a vice, pouring power into the stasis hold to freeze her movements and prime her for the death blow that Tycho sought out at the back of the Queen's neck.

Spoiler: DM Notes

1. Retreats further away from the flailing queen.
Raised both hands to apply a stasis hold to help prevent her from escaping the death blow.

 

[Drexus Brogroo]

Once he had sent the fireball down the throat of the Killik Queen he figured she was close to death. The bug was moving around squirming, but Drex had noticed the chink in the armor, and Tycho just ran straight to the Killik. He must be attempting to kill it, and when the Zabrak had looked around he noticed most of the other Jedi were helping with a stasis. Hopefully they would be successful, because after two large fireballs, Drexus had felt drained.

He would flee back some, and then hold up his hands and reach through the force with what he had left to help hold the stasis. It wasn't much help but it was help regardless, once the final blow from Tycho was struck he would walk back to the entrance he came from ready to return and bring the prisoners they first saw out of the caves.

@Phoenix

 

[Rain]

QUEEN'S CHAMBER​

Rain gave Harald a surprised look before giving the captive who had hugged a pat on the back. He had pulled away by the time the impact of what he had said fully registered. Realizing that the Queen's grip slipping must mean their companions were getting through to her, if not had already dealt with her, she looked back briefly with a smile on her face.

We're not yet out of the woods," she instructed the rescued joiners as she gestured them on, let's keep moving.[/]b]"

Now even more determined than before, she continued moving with Harald and their charges, keeping an eye out as they waited for their extraction.

@Phoenix @The Good Doctor

Spoiler: tl;dr

Rain ushers the rescued joiners on and waits on alert as Harald calls for evacuation.

 

[Perun]

QUEEN'S CHAMBER

Exhaustion clung to Perun like a heavy cloak, his once vigorous form now sagging under the relentless tide of the battle's demands. Yet, the Ma'alkerrite's spirit, unyielding as the core of a neutron star, refused to succumb to weariness. His golden eyes, now dulled by fatigue but still burning with indomitable resolve, scanned the tumultuous scene before him. The Queen's frenzied thrashings sent tremors through the cavern, a desperate dance of death and defiance.

Drawing upon the last vestiges of his strength, Perun extended his trembling hands, channeling his waning energy into the collective Force stasis. His breaths came in ragged gasps, each inhalation an effort, each exhalation a release of dwindling power. He could feel the unity of purpose among his fellow Jedi, their collective will joining together like converging streams into a mighty river, their combined efforts a bulwark against the Queen's onslaught.

Despite the encroaching shadows of exhaustion, Peryn's focus remained unbroken, his contribution to the stasis unwavering. He understood that their success hinged not on individual prowess but on their harmonized strength and shared conviction to end the darkness that the Queen represented. With a final, forceful push of his spirit, Perun bolstered the stasis, setting the stage for the final, decisive strike.

OOC: Exhausted, Perun joins the other Jedi in using Force stasis.
@Altaris @Narzen @Wit @StephDLegend @Mythos @Rom @Scoobert @TheDudeMike @Xorism @GABA @The Good Doctor @Arcangel

 

[Vanya]

Tycho was the one to make the heroic sacrifice. Were it not for his comrades in arms expending the remainder of the energy to slow the Queen's movements with stasis and vines, Tycho likely never would have had the opportunity to make the final blow and he certainly wouldn't have survived to make a follow up attack.

As it was, though, he managed to land the blow. The lightsaber pierced into the back of the Queen's brain, sending her into her final death spasms as she stiffened and flailed. Her head spasmed backwards and the pointed piece that could almost be called a horn atop her head pierced into Tycho's right leg above the knee, for all intents and purposes severing the leg outright and sending him tumbling to the ground.

Perhaps it was the mercy of the Force or the fact that the creature had already attempted - unsuccessfully - to squash a Jedi on the other side, but as Tycho fell to the ground, the Queen became still - laying the opposite direction of the Jedi Knight rather than crushing him under her bulk. Perhaps thanks were in order to Mako Krim for nearly being the other sacrifice.

An almost eerie stillness settled over the cavern, broken only by the sounds the Jedi themselves made. More than anything else, though, they would notice that... it seemed the buzzing was gone. They hadn't even noticed it until now that it was gone, but the quiet, subtle communications of the Hive carried their own "sound" in the Force, and it was no longer there.

The first reports began to come in from the Jedi forces on the surface that the Killiks were scattering and fleeing, no longer under a unifying command and vision.

They had won.

As Rain and Harald made it nearer to the surface, they would find that they now had a near free-route to their extraction zone, and needed only call back the shuttles and gunships to lift them free from this pit of darkness.

Small Group​

As Vanya held the ritual in place, she could feel the tether between this world and the other world snap. It became more and more difficult for her to maintain the connection the moment the lightsaber passed through the Queen's head.

This effort and all the Killiks had done was clearly at the behest of this lost spirit of the mask. An effort to raise it from the dead, and now that its host - because that was what it was: a parasite - was dead, it was slipping away.

Vanya groaned and strained audibly as her mind was pulled, drawing on whatever reserves she had in order to maintain the connection. To buy the time for Ezra to do what he needed to because... she realized she had ever confidence that he would come out on top.

And she wasn't disappointed.

Within the realm of the Force, Ezra's mastery of being here became clear. It was clear that this wasn't his first time within the Force itself, and he had begun to understand the limitations - or lack thereof - of a place like that.

His ingenuity in not limiting himself to the conventional form and structure without a doubt brought him the victory. The creature darted toward him, but even it didn't expect that he would so seamlessly strike out as he did.

The spears of light slammed into the creature at multiple points, using its own momentum against it even as he attacked. A classic Jedi maneuver whether Ezra planned it that way or not.

The creature was both impaled and burned, its body melting away into nothingness, its spirit seemingly obliterated or dissipated back into the Force.

It was only a few seconds more and Vanya could feel it. She knew that it was over and she prayed quietly that Ezra would still be there when she brought it to an end. She dropped the fibers of the Force that she clutched onto, nearly dropping to the ground from the effort.

Ezra!? she gasped out, moving over to his side to see if he was still there.

 

[Natalie Hope]

Natalie watched as Tycho charged and was successful in striking the queen dead, but not before taking a brutal blow to his leg. Natalie holstered her lightsaber hilt at the small of her back, bursting into action. She sprinted across cavern to where Tycho (@Rom ) had been yeeted so ungracefully, uncaring that the Queen was still and lifeless. Everything was a threat until it was shot twice. Ord Mantell rules.

"Congrats, Stumpy, you saved the day," she said, sliding to a halt next to him. Natalie got behind him, wrapped her arms under his and clasped her hands on his chest and lifted him up, dragging him back to what had been safety when the Queen was alive. Now obviously everywhere was safe, but again, double-tap; it's the damned rules. "Can I sign your new leg, or are you going to be one of those purists that want it au naturale?"

When she'd sufficiently dragged him far enough that the queen wouldn't be a threat if she reanimated, she let him down easy, huffing and puffing. Man needed to lay off the sweets, hot damn. Or the workouts. WHICH EVER ONE MADE HIM ALMOST 200 POUNDS, DAMN IT! It's alright, Natalie, he's safe now. We got him. You did good. Now just don't do leg day this week and you'll be fine.

"Hey Great Balls of Fire (@Scoobert )," she called, looking at the zabrak so he knew she was talking to him. He'd earned his new nickname. "Help me carry him." As she waited, she turned to every Jedi in earshot. "Good job, guys. We just saved a whole lot of lives." But there was one life that needed saving now, in particular. The leg wouldn't have been cautarized, and they needed to stop the bleeding. Natalie stared into Tycho's eyes, her own hardeneing and showing her seriousness.

"This is gonna burn, but we need to stop the bleeding," she said. Not a moment later, her lightsaber was in her hand and ignited, running just along the edge of Tycho's stump. He would regain the name of Stumpy once he was safe from bleeding out. The blade would cautarize what was there, but she tried not to bite into his skin and leg as much as possible. When that was done, he was ready to transport, and Natalie took her place under one of his arms, helping the Queen Slayer himself down the corridor towards the small mound.

Spoiler: DM Actions

• Dragged Tycho @Rom away from the Queen
• Asked Drexus @Scoobert to help carry Tycho
• Congratulated everyone
• Used her lightsaber to cautarize Tycho's leg and stop the bleeding
• Helps Tycho hobble toward small mound

 

[Kaedan]

Was this it? Was it finally over? Kaedan along with other Jedi used Force Stasis to hold Queen Bug as Tycho went in for the final blow. Tycho managed to use his lightsaber to put an end to the Queen Bug but not without cost. He ended up losing his leg, well from the thigh down. As he was thrown off of the Killik's queen and she fell to her lying state, Kaedan took a breath that he didn't know he was holding.

The stillness that came as a result was almost concerning yet comforting at the same time. From the loudness of the bugs to this? It was almost so sudden that if one hadn't heard the buzzing before they'd think it was all in their head. A bead of sweat dripped down the padawan's head. The day had been won and the Jedi gave their all. Now it was time to get out of the Cavern and head back to the surface.

Kaedan looked at Tycho who was being helped to his foot by Nat. She even gave him the nickname stumpy already. A small relaxed smile found its way to Kaedan's face as he thought about the fact that they were lucky to not suffer heavy casualties. All that was lost to his knowledge was Tycho's leg. That would be something that's replaceable with something less organic. Even so, it was up to the Knight. Speaking about leg replacements, Nat was asking if she could sign his.

When Nat congratulated the Jedi on saving the day, Kaedan nodded. "Thanks. I'm glad we were able to do some good without losing anyone in the process. Now the Galaxy don't have to worry about joining the Killiks or becoming Killik Queen soup. We did good."

 

[Akari Moriko]

Had A'kari been able to through her exhaustion, she would have surely left for joy the moment the Killik Queen became a befallen beast at their mighty feet. But, in the moment, all she could do was fall to her knees and weep tears of joy as her gaze shackled to each and everyone of them. It was a moment of both relief and gratitude that sunk upon her shoulders and the light embraced her form as a mother's embrace upon her child. Even the buzzing and clicks of the chitin forms had long dissipated amongst the backdrop.

As the congratulations began to spread, A'kari smiled chipperly and began wiping away her tears as she spoke a single word to them all. "Right!"

To her, it was all that needed to be said. Each and everyone of them had put their all into the moment and it's resolution. Herself included. And despite one of them losing a portion of his leg, they were each alive and well. If this generation of Jedi were capable of such feats in tandem, her generation, then the Galaxy was capable of being saved. But as her gaze met the fallen form of the Queen, she understood that each would need to play their part in the upcoming war upon the Horizon.

Rising, she would follow the others toward the surface where the remaining Jedi Forces would begin to gather and leave behind Rago. It was likely only the Diplomatic Core would inevitably remain, to help rebuild what the Killiks had destroyed and likely root out what remained. For now, she remained gracious, for their part in this play was seemingly over.

Spoiler: Intended Actions

/endthread?

Tags: @Narzen @TheDudeMike @The Good Doctor @Rom @Wit @GABA @Phoenix @StephDLegend @Arcangel @Xorism @Aberforth

 

[Alhazred]

Alhazred collapsed as the battle finished. Such a feat was an impressive accomplishment for the Jedi, slaying the mind of a Killik hive.

But Alhazred could not feel joy at this. Part of his brain was still fortified against the idea of killing anything, whether it was an existential threat to the galaxy or not. After all, did they not just speed up the process of the galaxy going towards that ievitible lifeless void the scriptures of the Dead God preached about? If members of his religion were here, would they condemn or condone the Jedi's actions?

"While victory is ours at last..." Alhazred commented as he picked himself up. "I must ponder... what will happen to the rest of the disconnected hive? What shall the Jedi do with the leaderless hive, especially those members who have known nothing but servitude?"

 

[Tycho Denarii]

The Force seemed to sing with the harmony of so many Jedi working in concert, united in purpose, and as the Queen's thrashing stilled under the combined power of their grip Tycho rose up onto his feet and plunged the burning cyan blade deep into the Killik Queen's head. The Queen's shrieking was suddenly silenced and the low, bone-deep hum that Tycho had tried to push from his mind finally ceased. The Ossein Knight had only a moment to revel in the victory, his eyes sweeping across the cavern to check on the status of his compatriots when the Queen seized and spasmed beneath him in her final death throes - and then pain washed away everything else as the Killik's horn sheared through his right leg like flimsiplast.

Tycho couldn't remember falling or whether he'd cried out as he tipped sideways off the heaving bulk of the Queen and hit the ground in a heap. Blinking through the haze of black creeping at the edge of his vision, the Ossein Knight looked up at Natalie's (@TheDudeMike) chin as she talked and hauled him away; each drag and bounce across the rubble strewn ground sending lances of fire up his bleeding stump. "Is everyone else okay? Did the prisoners get out?" Breathing shallowly, he huffed out a laugh at the nickname she'd given him and said through grit teeth, "Tell you what, Nat - find me something alcoholic before the medics get their hands on me and you can even pick the color."

A moment later he found himself leaning against the cavern wall and looking up into Natalie's eyes as she held her lightsaber at the ready. Taking a deep breath, he pulled off a glove, shoved the leather between his teeth and closed his eyes before nodding; the burning felt almost as bad as the horn itself and he bit back a curse, his groans of pain muffled as she worked to cauterize the wound so he wouldn't bleed out. Spitting out the glove, he winced as Drexus and Natalie each took a side and helped him hobble out the tunnel. He could hear Alhazred (@Narzen) behind them - the Nu-Vaal Padawan's voice giving him something to focus on besides the pain from his leg and the room spinning as his adrenaline slowly faded - and he looked back over his shoulder toward the fallen Queen before saying, "I don't know enough about how the Hivemind works to guess how the Killiks will restructure after the death of the Queen - for now, all we can do is be vigilant and trust in the Force."