Burdens

[Darth Inheris]

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It had been a favourite of Varyn Rasks, so she understood. Quiet, verdant, and away from the noise of the Empire, it was near paradise, a place the former Emperor could have escaped to when he needed a clear mind.

Now that he was gone, things were slightly different.

While still controlled by the Empire, there was a tighter ship being ran. The local populations had been mostly subdued, being shopped off world when needed and kept busy here when not.

Today, she and Victress were here to inspect the merchandise.

As distasteful as slave labour was, it did keep the Empire running. And here, beyond the eyes of the galaxy, it was much easier to employ. Still, it wouldn’t be all easy. They’d need to break them in, round them up to ensure compliance. It was work, but some that had to be done,

“Work outpost isn’t far from here” Inheris called to Victress as their speeder neared the location, rushing across the fields of grass, scenery whipping past their eyes. It was a ways away from the built up areas, but it kept the nastiness away from the eyes of those who used Naboo like a paradise planet.

Neither could know though, the danger that followed them even now, and would soon strike.

@Faded Truth

 

[Darth Victress]

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Darth Victress had never been to this world though rumors were still plentiful; some of these rumors even centered around Varyn and his love for the quiet and peaceful escape from busy Imperial responsibilities. It was difficult to imagine that he was gone, as the dark councilor always had a profound respect for the late Emperor. She didn't have the same feelings towards slave labor as her counterpart, Darth Victress in fact had even supported it. She believed not all races were created equally and those who were worthy of ascension would rise in this galaxy no matter their birth circumstances. Those that labored and lived as slaves did so as they were unfit for anything greater.

A scant distaste in her mouth as they approached the work outpost, speeders travelling rapidly until they crossed the fields of grass and slowly came to a halt near a high-rise under production. Dark energies swirled around her, as the armored figure of the Sith Lord advanced upon a gathering of laborers and their field masters. These masters held whip and chain in hand, most likely to discipline those that did not follow through on orders. Golden eyes cast a glance towards the masters before her robotic and mechanical voice echoed from underneath her helm. "What do you have for us?" Darth Victress asked, a polite demand but a demand nonetheless.

However, before the man could answer, the sound of a whistling blaster bolt spewed from nearby as it narrowly missed Inheris' skull and instead smashed open the face of a slave. "SNIPERS!" One of the masters yelled, bodies sprinting around suddenly as several more blaster bolts rang outwards, evident that their targets were the two Sith Lords. Pity these fools had such bad aim, Darth Victress thought to herself. She knelt downwards behind cover, the Fallen blade igniting in her right fist as a ball of force energy pulsated in her left palm. In the horizon before them, two more speeders could be seen, exterior turrets maned by what appeared as armored Gungans.

Darth Victress shot a glance towards Inheris, "Ready?" She asked, a vicious snarl radiating out as it was well known that the Sith Lord relished the thrill of combat.

@Nightfall

 

[Darth Inheris]

The worksite was hardly anything to enjoy experiencing, and Inheirs certainly didn't. The dirt, the steel, the bark of the taskmasters. It didn't exactly make her wish to spend time here. Still, their task was clear, and mercifully easy. Inspect the goods, and get out. A task that anyone could have completed, but the secrecy of their end goal required the least eyes on every aspect as they moved onward with their task.

Ready to follow Victress's lead, the sniper bolt cracke past her head and whipped into a slave nearby, a hole cutting clean the Gungans skull as the pitiful being collapsed to the ground.

Glancing up into the building under construction she tried to get a glimpse of the snipers location, but as the speeders rocketed over the hill, she knew their wasn't time. They'd need to keep their eyes open to make sure they weren't again its target,

"As ever" she replied with a smirk to Victress, sliding behind a set of crates just to her allies side. There hadn't been a foe that had bested the pair yet, and she certainly wasn't going to have that today on what should have been a blue milk run.

Drawing the force to herself as she felt the whirring of the speeders draw closer, she edged from cover just for a moment as the speeders closed in. As one rushed on her she sent a blast of concussive energy shooting up from the ground just in front of the speeders nose that smacked into its underside and sent it flying off balance, the driver and gunner both wracked from the blast as they skidded to the side trying to regain control.

Igniting her blade in one hand, and her blaster in the other, it was time to get this started.

@Faded Truth

 

[Darth Victress]

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Darth Victress chuckled at her comrade's confidence, it too was shared with the dark councilor. Remaining behind cover for now, golden eyes pierced towards the scene and lay their focus on the speeder that Inheris had not targeted. Left hand reached outwards and summoned a whirlwind of greenish energies on its flesh, the mist materializing into what appeared as a manifestation of corporeal weaponry. Slowly taking the shape of a spear, it resonated with a touch of the void but spewed an aura of deathly dathomiri magics. The Sith Lord jumped out of cover and simultaneously hurled the ebony weapon forwards; pushed by an application of force guided telekinesis, it soared through the air before plunging itself into the chest of the driver.

His carcass launched off the Speeder and onto the welcoming ground below; the speeder, with no pilot and such a high speed, barreled side ways before cascading into a deathly tumble that dragged on for several meters. Metal, shards, and flesh torn asunder on the accident scene; such carnage bringing nothing but a smile to the face of Darth Victress, albeit hidden well underneath her duraplast helm. Lifting her fallen blade upwards, she flicked her wrist to block a series of blaster bolts that came afterwards. Force energies building in her now free hand, the armored form of the dark councilor slowly stalked towards the group of Gungan that gathered around the second speeder.

"Come... let us make a feast of these fools.." She stated, coldly and plainly to Darth Inheris. @Nightfall