Ask Event Korriban Korri-ban-Hammer

[Aadya Rasheer]

GROUP DIN​

The voices coming over the comms were a welcome sound to Aadya, though she couldn't help but notice there were far fewer now than when this whole event had started. All things considered, she was happy Ashla had made it out of whatever hellhole she'd found herself in, and if the lives of the others who'd gone with her had been the cost of her safety, then so be it.

When Tia mentioned engaging the Overseer, Aadya couldn't help but shoot a glance at Altair. He knew the woman far better than she did, but Aadya couldn't help but think Tia was taking an undue risk. There was nothing she could do that another barrage from bombers couldn't.

You should order the second strike, Aadya said flatly. Tia is smart enough to evade the danger. The Jedi is none of our concern.

Casualties meant nothing to Aadya, of course. It didn't matter to her in the slightest if Tia was caught in the blast radius the same as the Jedi, but she knew Altair would not see it that way. So she would at least pretend like it was a possibility that the Sith Master would be fine. And she very likely would be.. but one could never be too certain.

With things on this side of the battlefront seemingly calmed down, Aadya would start making her way over to where the overseer was being engaged. If Altair wasn't going to order the second strike, she would at least provide backup. And if he did order it, Aadya wanted to be within range to intercept if the Overseer managed to survive.

She would do so silently, leaving Altair with his choices to make - confident he would make the call that didn't put Tia and the Jedi in danger, despite it being the incorrect one.

OOC: Actions in white

@Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Group Din
​

Altair heard Tiamat’s message come through and his earlier suspicions were confirmed. She was waffling. He also heard the message from the bombers. There were many things to quickly consider, and he was already irritated at Tiamat all but telling him what to do. He was about to issue his orders when Aadya began to cut in. She barely got past ‘you should’ before he interjected.

“Noted, Champion Rasheer and Master Tiamat,” He addressed in the shared comms, “I will seek your counsel when needed,” There was no snark in his tone, but it was stern enough to remind them who was in command of operations here. It was also a gentle reminder that he was in no mood for unsolicited opinions.

“Negative on the request, Master Tiamat,” Altair stated back to her, “Airstrike will proceed. Tell reinforcements to stand down,” She and Crix would have seconds before Altair issued the order to the bombers.

“Permission granted,” He said to the bomber, “Eliminate the Overseer,” Altair said before switching channels again to address Ashla (@Wit), “We’ve only had radio silence from the group that went with Letous. Can you patch through to them and get the latest while making your way over?”

Altair turned to look at Aadya as she made her way over towards the Overseer. He wouldn’t follow just yet, keeping his focus on the towers and ensuring that dropships were being picked off. By now, he trusted that the Imperial fleet had called for reinforcements from surrounding Sith planets. For now, the tiefling sighed and walked over towards the dead Imperials Aadya had left behind, quietly picking up their dog tags to add to the collection he had going from this battle alone.

"Status?" He spoke in the channels with the admirals above, hoping that the tides were changing against the Killik ships.

@Logan @Phoenix @GABA

 

[Sarella]

[size]
It took quite a while for Sarella to finally overcome the panic that caused her to flee. Confined within the tunnels of Korriban, the Dark Side thrived like a living entity - and it mercilessly amplified her anxieties with its corrosive influence. The fear had gone, and it was immediately replaced with the guilt of her own decisions, and the knowledge that Kane had fallen because of them. If she ever made it off Korriban, she knew it would haunt her for days to come. For now, however, there was little time to dwell on it.

Through the Force, Sarella felt the presence of Letous closing in from behind - and her cerulean gaze promptly flicked onto the group of Kilik’s in the chamber ahead. Grim realization settled over the Consular, knowing exactly the position she was in. Exhaustion hung heavy, and she knew there would be no surviving another hostile engagement - not with either party, both of which closed in around her. And she knew there was no negotiating with the enemy that stood within the chamber.

It only left the Jedi with a singular, unlikely alternative. At this point, she had little to lose.

Without a word, Sarella summoned forth what strength she had left - unleashing a concussive blast of energy directly into the cluster of Kilik’s, in an attempt to knock them backwards and off their feet. If the Consular had anything going for her, it was the fact that her arrival had caught the Insectoids off guard - and she hoped it would buy her enough time to distance from them.

Regardless of what happened next, Sarella turned on a heel - bolting back through the dark tunnel away from the Kilik’s. Back towards Letous - and towards the sensations of death and dread that filled the air. Perhaps it was the decision that would cost Sarella her life - but there was little option besides.

Before she reached the Arcane Master, Sarella spoke - her voice echoing through the tunnel where she knew it would be heard. “Perhaps, we needn’t be enemies.” She began - exhaling a tense breath before she continued. “I’ve no desire to hinder you on your objective - and would rather help you see it through.” She had no stake in the power-struggles of the Sith or who became Headmistress. “You would get what you want, and the truth of it would remain buried.” While Sarella had deciphered the deeper meaning of the ritual, the rest of her companions had preemptively abandoned the ritual or died in the process. “We both leave this place, with the knowledge of the Kilik’s gained.”

Even as it sickened her, Sarella knew there was no fighting against the strength Letous possessed. Perhaps aligning herself with it - even temporarily - was her best option.

[/size]

Spoiler: TLDR

realizing she’s fucked, Sarella force pushes the Kilik’s and runs back towards Letous, trying to negotiate. Dialogue is relevant.

@Phoenix

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Group Above Ground​

A fountain of napalm erupted from the ground where the Overseer had been standing only moments ago and the flesh began to melt off of his bones in those final few seconds of screaming and wailing before death seized him.

@Crix Aran's decision to begin pulling back was the only thing that saved his life, but it didn't save him from a scorching as the edges of the napalm singed his flesh and clung to his right arm, burning almost down to the bone.

Whether @Tiamat and her reinforcements would experience the same would entirely be decided by whether or not they heeded Altair's warning or continued to advance on the Overseer. There seemed to be no response from Master Trelain upon Tiamat's attempted hail.

@Wodan was the only one that seemed to have decided that the relative safety of the room was better than pursuing the Overseer. As he and the troops with him began to paw through the acolyte's room, the one thing they would find several unusual tomes from the restricted section of the Korriban Archives where only Masters were allowed. The first was titled The Eternal: A Dynasty of Terror, the second was The Eternal: Legacy of Death, and the third Entities That Throw the Galaxy in Crisis. If they looked through them, they would find nothing specifically stood out as marked or looked at but it would now be a question lingering at the back of their minds.

@Altair Din, @Aadya Rasheer, and @Ashla Ti would all be able to see the fountain of flame in the distance on the side of the temple, scorching everything in the area. Even from their distance, they would be able to feel the faintest touches of heat in conjunction with the detonation. A moment later, they would also be able to hear the response of the ships above.

Battle in orbit is proceeding well. Killik forces have begun to fall back, a fighting retreat. Could still be a ploy. Standby, the comms operator reported.

Group Below Ground​

The good news for @Kasim Din was that the pivot had probably saved his life from the blaster bolt. The bad news was that "luck" alone wasn't going to defend against a blaster bolt. The sizzling bolt slammed into his left shoulder and staggered him back several feet. It did allow the spear to pass by him without killing him, however, but that, too, went both ways. It would knock him out of range of killing the spear-wielding Killik for the moment.

@Nova Trent's strike finished off the blaster-wielding Killik, leaving only the single spear-bug against the two novice Force users. What @Kasim Din may never know was that the work that his brother and his brother's not!girlfriend had done above ground to help drive back the Killik navy may well have saved his life. Rather than press the advance on the wounded Tiefling, the Killik - a part of the Hivemind - retreated back into the tunnels at a silent call of retreat.

Down the tunnels @Sarella would be able to feel the stifling presence of the Arcane Master and the Dark Side. The woman didn't seem to stop her advance as the Jedi spoke.

And why should I do that? Why not just kill you and move on? What can you offer me? she asked.

You can't even face me. You cower in the dark. Come out and show yourself, she called out.

Sarella would - for the faintest moment - believe she had noticed something that came from the same direction as the Killiks, but surely it was just a shadow. A trick of the darkness and the Dark Side down here.

She would finally have an opportunity to prove to Letous her value and perhaps find a means of escape from this dark place.

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Team Trelain?

No response came from the Sith Master, and her jaw tightened, even more so as her request was denied. Her pace stopped, "BACK! PULL BACK!" she hollered as she and her reinforcements stopped their advance and begun to put more distance between them and the incoming attack run by the bombers. The sudden urge of danger washed through the woman as she through up her palms, the darkside twisting to her immediate command as a shield shimmered against the sheering heat and energy. She felt herself thrown against the stone wall of the temple and instinctively covering her head as they could feel the heat of the napalm that incinerated the Overseer. The intensity of the fiery attack felt like it lasted an eternity even though she knew it was only a few short seconds. Her lungs burned on inhale, coughing painfully in response, but she and her troopers were alive.

She rose to her feet when they felt they were cleared of danger, or at least from the attack run. Her gaze rested on the charcoaled area carved out of the side of the temple; the powerful presence she felt earlier no longer existed. "Overseer has been terminated." she relayed in her comm (@Sreeya @Logan @Wit), though remained unconcerned for the fate of Crix (@Nefieslab). Though, what drew the most concern was the lack of response from Master Trelain.

Tiamat would return to Wodan, face bright red from the unintentional sunburn from the heat of the blast. "Overseer is dead, Master Trelain is not responding..." she told Wodan her concern obvious, and drummed her fingers feeling uneasy, "I think we should move our position with the others. Did you find anything?" she asked Wodan before lifting her comm, "Altair, Master Trelain is not responding, possibly MIA. Requesting to regroup for further orders." (@Sreeya)

Spoiler: tl;dr

Tiamat stops their pursuit and falls back, using the dark side to shield what she could from the heat of the blast.
Tiamat informs of the Overseer's death, does not concern about the Jedi and returns to Wodan.
She is concerned for the lack of response from Master Trelain and suggests to regroup with others.

@Phoenix

 

[Crix Aran]

Group Treelanes​

Pain and fire.

All his life was boiled down to these two sensations as his world was almost physically consumed by the flames of the Sith barrage. He had been backing up but in order to stay close enough to the Overseer to actually use his attack he needed to linger - and it seemed he lingered for far too long.

His scream of pain was instantaneous and without reservation - there could be no attempt to control the pain as it lanced through his entire body as his arm began to melt down to the bone. The only reason the borrowing lightsaber in his hand didn't suffer the direct heat was because it was held in his hand, the hilt covered by a hand that even now he could see white spots of powder writhing and boiling through skin and muscle to bleach his bones white.

He waivered upon the ramparts, the pain making white spots dance across his vision.

He swayed.

Even as the pain began to sink in, he began to change it. The pain was not a balm - if he left it as it was it would fester, it would drive him insane he had no doubt. Instead he needed to change it. So he did.

Before the Dark Side had been hammering at his mental defences, against his willpower, but this time it was just a light knock on the door. Nothing more was needed as he opened himself up to it in his totality in that moment, the pain turning to a righteous and burning anger and hatred. They were not a balm either but they were a promise, a promise that this pain would not just be his alone.

Snarling, he threw his burning, flaming, right arm in a wide arc, launching splashes of napalm from the ground into the reinforcements closest to him, burning them so he might escape. And there was only one chance at escape - with the vibroblade in his left hand, Crix dropped off the side of the ramparts, using the Force to help him dig the blade into the wall and slow him, to help him control his descent to the ground.

His right arm still crackled and burned and he knew that he had given it up as a waste of time, that he had made the decision to have it burn down to uselessness and replace it later.

If he had the time he might have thought it significant but he didn't - he was still about to die or about to reach freedom.

Spoiler: TLDR

Crix gets burned
Crix snaps and gives into the Dark Side
Throws napalm at the closest reinforcement troopers
Attempts to slide down the side of the rampart with the use of the Force and the vibroblade

@Phoenix
@GABA @Braden

 

[Wodan]

Team Tree​

The room was a mess, the bed was turned over frame facing the sky, bookcases torn asunder, bedding, clothes you name it was strewn across the floor. It was a clean freak’s nightmare, Wodan and two others were searching through the wreckage of the bedroom when Wodan noticed something strange about the back of the bookcase. Feeling with his fingers he felt a small notch in the wood, squeezing his nail into the opening he was able to peel back a small door which revealed three books.

Inside he found three books, all he had never heard of or seen before though from their titles he felt a sense of dread fill up inside him. Quickly flicking through he couldn’t see any markings or denotations to identify a specific item the Joiner was looking into. But he doubted someone who had access to a gigantic hive mind needed to read something twice to remember it.

Wodan was sitting on the edge of the overturned bed when Tiamat reappeared at the door, flicking through the pages of the last book. Just from reading a few pages he got an understanding of perhaps what they were doing here. “Only a few books, but putting two and two together I can have a guess at what they wanted with the Academy.” He showed the woman the spines of the three books before putting them into a bag he found in the room which he slung over his shoulder.

“I agree safety in numbers. I will tell you on the way.” He would lead Tiamat out of the room and head for the front gates. “My guess is they came to Korriban looking for power, their first avenue was, well, The Eternal.” He said looking over at the red haired woman, who he had heard was its last vessel.

Spoiler

Wodan finds and flicks through the books before Tiamat arrives.
He agrees with Tia and begins heading down towards the others.
Wodan assumes that the Killik came to Korriban looking for power and had identified The Eternal as their first target.

 

[Ashla Ti]

GROUP DI-N(eesan)

"Copy." The simple acknowledgement was all she could send back to Altair before Ashla's attention was drawn away by the sky opening up, bright lights pouring down as the bombardment began.

Not letting anyone linger, she turned away as the heat wave passed, and gave the troops a simple order to follow, making their way back towards the temple. She also sent a message on an open channel, hoping that someone would hear and respond.

"Master Letous, or anyone with her. Do you copy? What is your status."

Spoiler: tl;dr

Ashla tries to contact the Lettuce squad, while beginning to make her way back to the temple to try and follow after them.

@Phoenix

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

GROUP DIN​

Aadya had never seen napalm before. It was a marvelous if not slightly sadistic tool of war but she couldn't deny its effectiveness. As the plumes of fire rose into the sky a little ways in front of her, she noticed that even at this distance the heat brushed against her cheeks. The force of the detonation rumbled through her body and she found it oddly.. calming, in a way.

But that calm would not last much longer.

As Aadya arrived on the scene, her attention was drawn to the ramparts, to a man that she remembered but couldn't quite place. An odd feeling that didn't happen to her much. Aadya usually remembered everything.

As she continued to walk she saw him launch globs of napalm into the Imperial soldiers.. and then attempt a daring escape down the side of the building. Now that she was close enough to see him, the memories of just who Crix Aran was came flooding back to her. He was a coward now as he was then, back where her journey as a Sith had truly began.

Dantooine.

Darth Raze had spared the Zabrak and the albino Jedi on that force forsaken battlefield. It never occurred to her how robbed she had felt, despite the fact that she probably would have died fighting both of them. It didn't matter. Something taken from her so long ago had now been dropped in her lap. The force offered Aadya vindication and she would not squander it.

Taking off like a tuk'ata pursuing its prey, Aadya would cut Crix's escape off and stare him down, her lightsaber erupting to life as her face twisted into a snarl beneath her mask. She offered him no words, no taunts, nothing. Only eyes narrowed to slits and a hand outstretched.

Her focus was his still burning arm, manipulating the active napalm with pyrokinesis. It would snake up Crix's arm and bending to Aadya's will, she would try to burrow it into the Jedi's chest. It wouldn't be enough to simply snuff him out, not to her. She wanted him to feel agony, to feel every single second of the searing pain.

She wanted him to feel his lungs sizzle and boil, to feel his blood run hot throughout his entire body. Maybe, in a way, Aadya wanted Crix's pain to absolve her own. If she made him suffer maybe she no longer would. All the things she wanted him to feel were things she already did.

Altair's indifference echoed inside of her mind: Noted, Champion Rasheer.

Champion Rasheer.

Champion Rasheer.

A scream - shrill, inhuman, raw - erupted from Aadya as she focused on Crix. She wanted to engulf him in flames, to burn him down to cinders, reduced to nothing but ash.

Symbolic irony, maybe. To turn him into what it felt like she and Altair had become: nothing.

Nothing at all.

OOC: Actions in white

@Phoenix @Nefieslab

 

[Altair Din]

Above Ground​

Altair exhaled a sigh of relief when he heard that the fleet forces were retreating. However, his face grew rigid as he thought about what they were dealing with. He paused for a second before bringing up the commlink again, “Strategize their retreat and make them fall back towards Moraband,” He said as he thought of the earlier warnings they had, “A defense fleet should be waiting there by now to eliminate them,” The tiefling would take no chances, not when the enemy was this relentless. He would ensure they were wiped out and thought twice before returning here again.

“Maintain your positions,” Altair commanded the men that were manning the towers. He glanced over at Lt. Aval, “You all come with me,” He gestured for twenty Imperials to join him, leaving the rest positioned at the towers. He finally stepped out of where he was, making his way towards where the Overseer had been taken out.

He didn’t know Crix Aran, but he could feel the emotions and the Dark Side pulsing from Aadya. It was almost overwhelming and it hit him like a speeder as he approached. Altair paused in his tracks, catching his breath as he watched her unleash hellfire on the poor Jedi that just happened to cross her path. Everyone in her vicinity would feel the wrath of that attack, everyone would feel that almost tangible pulse in the Force, that sense of someone truly commanding the Dark Side.

As he watched her then, he thought of when he sang to her on that beach a century ago. Those promises he had made.

Sometimes all I think about is you, late nights in the middle of June. These feels been freakin’ me out, can I make you happy or nah?

Can I make you happy or nah?

Altair had ultimately failed her in that regard. He had been blind to what she had felt, oblivious to how he had come across. He took so many proactive measures to keep himself from getting hurt, that he didn’t realize how it wrecked others. He felt nothing but pain and agony from her to where it was indistinguishable who was actually being destroyed. He glanced over at the small group assembled there - Tiamat, Aadya and the remaining Imperials.

“We need to-” His voice was slightly broken and hoarse as it came through the modulated helmet, “We need to head to the last known location of Master Letous,” Altair began again, his voice projecting more powerfully that time. Both Tia and Aadya would notice his tail was limply hanging behind him and almost dragging the ground, “I believe that’s the last group unaccounted for. It's the only logical place for Trelain to go as well.”

With that, he turned and began to walk in that direction. It wasn’t difficult to know where to go as the Dark Side nexus pulsed more powerfully than ever. Altair began to descend down the Winding Stairs. He felt a deep sense of unease the further he went down, but he had more confidence that with Ashla, Tiamat, and Aadya with him, they could repel most threats.

“Our priority needs to be to get people out from there,” He said to the others, “Whoever is down there could very well attempt to collapse the tunnels. It’ll take all of us working together to prevent that if it happens,” Altair had no idea what would wait for them, but Ma always taught him to be prepared for worst case scenarios. He needed to get his head back in the game as he was still reeling from what he witnessed with Aadya.

@Wit @Logan @GABA @Phoenix

 

[Nova Trent]

Cave madness​

After finishing off the blaster wielding Killik, Nova had immediately turned her attention towards the other one, but while Kasim was grazed by the shots fired by the now decapitated one, the spear Killik immediately ran, even before she managed to slash at it. Bewildered, she stared after it into the darkish tunnel, the faint glow of her crimson bladed still shedding a red hue around them.

It took her a few seconds to process that Kasim got hit, but she knew they didn't have any time to treat that wound now. In the end it just merely looked like a scratch anyway and so she grabbed him by the elbow of the healthy arm and pulled him forwards. "Those fucking bugs" she hissed angrily, "This fucking master" she added, even more furious, "Fucking Korriban". (@SlagathorTheUnknown)

She still had no real idea where they were going, but she was dearly hoping Kasim could keep it together until they would finally make it out. She did not follow the Killik, but pressed on forward instead, however that was when her comms went off. She hastily pulled out her device while she kept walking, her voice still angered as she answered. "We copy. Nova Trent here. Our group got separated, the Master attacked us.." Would they even believe them?! "I've got Kasim with me...we need to find a way out of those tunnels. We have company" (@Wit) she spoked in a hushed tone, still walking fastly even though her strength was slowly faded, but she drew from her frustration and the anger. Just in case, she also kept her lightsaber activated.

@Phoenix

Spoiler: tldr

Nova grabs Kasim and pulls him froward, informing Ashla about how they are still in the tunnels and about what Leotus did via the comm. She doesn't stop walking, not following the Killik back inside though

 

[Kasim Din]

Cave madness
​

Kasim cried aloud as the blaster bolt slammed into his left shoulder, stumbling backwards against the wall and sliding down it to the floor. He knew from experience that Tieflings were fireproof, so why did it feel like there was a fire burning into his shoulder?

All thoughts of defense failed him as he grabbed for his injured arm with his right hand, waiting for the inevitable follow-up blow to come and put him out of his misery... but none came. After a couple seconds Kasim opened tear-streaked eyes to see the retreating form of the spear kilik, and Nova helping him to his feet; apparently she'd scared the bug off and in doing so, had saved his life. "Thanks" he said, voice hoarse and strained against the pain. "I owe you one." Part of him was embarrassed that he was crying in front of her, but he also didn't care; being shot sucked.

He'd follow Nova, gently shaking his good hand free from her grip and hastily wiped it across his eyes. With his left arm out of commission, he'd need to keep his right arm free as it was now his only defense. With that in mind, he'd resume his position to her right, hoping she'd defend from any attacks coming from their left. The red from her saber clashed with the light blue of the glowstick in his horns, bathing the tunnels in their soft glow. "We'll get out of here" he said in response to her angry mutterings; whether it was for her sake or his was anyone's guess.

Nova's commlink beeped, bringing in a query from someone important up topside. Kasim cursed himself for not thinking to comm someone earlier, but something told him that Altair finding out he was on this mission wouldn't go over well. At least Nova hadn't named him outright... there had to be millions of Kasims in the galaxy, right? Internally, Kasim winced as he imagined the sound that Ma's chancla would make as it hit him; a sound burned into his consciousness in the same way the blaster bolt burned into his shoulder.

As they walked quickly, Kasim would keep his senses peeled for danger, as well as any telltale signs of a tunnel that might lead to the surface, such as changes in temperature, the scent of fresh air, or a draft. Given the napalm burning aboveground and the progress they've made thus far, perhaps one of these tunnels would herald a clue leading to the way out...

@LadyRen @Phoenix

Spoiler: Kasim's actions

Kasim gets shot in the left shoulder, and reacts
Kasim then takes up a position to Nova's right
Kasim searches for evidence of the way out

 

[Crix Aran]

Burning 1v1​

Someone was barring his way.

A snarling masked Sith that he couldn't remember having seen recently but something in the back of his mind told him they'd met before. Something that caused the tattoo, the star map of Dantooine, to flare up as if to remind him where he had met the Sith before. He didn't think he ever got the name but that didn't matter.

Neither of them was up for much conversation.

As she called upon her anger and pain to bring the flames back up to full strength and lash out at him, Crix roared in pain even as his flesh sizzled and wrapped his own Force presence around the flames and the napalm that was their source and pulled them closer to his body. They burned through flesh and they burned through muscle but they would not reach his chest as he tethered them before smothering them with his flesh and a blanket of the Force.

It was beyond painful.

White light flashed behind his eyes and his knees threatened to buckle. He could feel strands of muscle snapping under the heat and his right arm felt more and more like an inferno until... it didn't. The nerves having been burned clean through, leaving his right shoulder feeling like the embers at the bottom of a firepit. The borrowed lightsaber fell from lifeless fingers, already half skeletal at this point.

As Aadya screamed her anger and pained frustrations, his vision blurred as he swayed in place. But he still acted on instinct - his left hand began to squeeze, applying a Force choke that would cut her off mid-scream (though actually probably closer to the tail end of her scream but he wasn't to know) as he poured every ounce remaining of his anger and pain into just making her stop. He didn't want to be here, he didn't want to be in so much pain that cutting off limbs felt like a blessing and he didn't want to have to keep going, to keep fueling himself with all of these things that burned through his mind and made him sick to his stomach.

He just wanted her to feel the way that he did and it... did it feel wrong? It felt like it might.

Already he could feel his control over the Dark Side waxing and waning. How did people live like this?

Could he?

Could he run from high to high, of pain and loss, just to keep hiding from what had happened to him here?

Spoiler: TLDR

Crix uses the Force to pull the flames back to his right arm and uses the flesh and Force to smother the flames out
Crix has burned through the nerves and many muscles of his right arm - it is now entirely useless
Crix reaches out to choke Aadya as she screams
Crix waivers

@Phoenix
@Logan

 

[Sarella]

In truth, Sarella knew that her options were exceptionally limited. Even if Letous had other objectives in mind, the Jedi knew there was little chance the Arcane Master would go for her proposal. But what choice did she had? Her fate was almost certain either way, so what did she have to lose?

As she slinked through the shadows, Sarella didn’t miss the shift from behind her - immediately causing the Consular to tense. Perhaps it was a trick of the mind and nothing more. But after everything Sarella had been through, and the knowledge the Kilik’s were still in that direction? She was taking no chances.

“Because I am more useful to you alive than dead,” Her voice echoed through the caverns. “I saw what you want - what you failed to finish through the ritual. You would have my aid - and someone to pin the blame upon, when accusations arise.” Letous would have a scapegoat to use if they managed to murder Trelain as was intended - an easy to believe culprit, killing any suspicions that might point back to the Arcane Master.

As she spoke, however, Sarella made no attempt to reveal herself to Letous. She wasn’t foolish enough to trust the Sith whatsoever - self preservation still pumping through her veins. Instead, Sarella lifted both of her hands - drawing upon the White Current to be her aid. As Fallanassi, thee we unique manipulation of the Force was something Sarella was well versed in - and hoped it would be enough to throw the Arcane Master off. Weaving her fingers through the air, Sarella attempted to project an illusion through the Force further down the tunnel - a mere shadow of the Consular that would pass by Letous in an attempt to run in the opposite direction.

Perhaps it would work. Perhaps it wouldn’t. Regardless, Sarella slinked into the shadows, attempting to hide herself within the tunnels. She would wait for the shadows that stirred behind her to pass - or for Letous to find her.

Spoiler: TLDR

Sarella senses the movement behind her and decides fuck that noise. Attempting to stall Letous, Sarella casts a minor illusion to throw the Arcane Master off and hide within the tunnels - hoping the shadow behind her will pass.

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Team Korriban​

@Nova Trent and @Kasim Din were alive, which was more than could be said for many this day. They would continue to twist and turn their way through the tunnels for a few minutes more before they could catch the first sight of something familiar. The stairs ascending back into the bowels of the Sith Temple from whence they had started this journey that would no doubt scar them for months to come.

Halfway up the steps they would nearly run headlong into @Ashla Ti, @Altair Din, and their party of soldiers that were heading down, no doubt much to the surprise of all the Tieflings involved.

But not everyone was out of the depths yet. Below, @Sarella still found herself with the Arcane Master who was quickly tiring of this game. As Sarella was still speaking, the woman appeared from around the corner in a rush of wind, the Force gripping the Jedi and raising her into the air and beginning to squeeze around her in what would no doubt be a crushing (haha, get it?) defeat.

That was until, without warning, Sarella would spot that same shadow for a fleeting moment against the darkness of the cave just behind Letous. It was less than a second later that a red lightsaber blade tore through the darkness and erupted out the front of Letous's chest.

You overplayed your hand, Andresa, Trelain hissed from behind Letous, using the Sith Master's given name rather than her Sith name and thus betraying an aura of familiarity between the two that reached all the way back to their Acolyte days.

Trelain had long known that Letous planned to assassinate Ericton, but she had never minded that thought. The man had been something of a mindless brute and little more, but this betrayal was more... pronounced. And more foolish. And now Letous paid for it with her life.

Trelain wrenched her blade free and through half the torso of the Arcane Master who slumped to the floor in a heap, gasping her last agonizing breaths. While she could not choke out the words well, Trelain could sense the anger flowing off of the woman and she simply smirked a cold, cruel smile down at the gasping woman.

I guess this concludes our competition, she said to the Arcane Master as the light slipped from the woman's eyes.

It was only then that the Warden's eyes swept over to Sarella. There was a cold moment of nothingness in that gaze as if Sarella were little more than an insect who one would pass without consequence. Not even worth the time it would take to squash her.

The moment passed quickly and Trelain bent over and touched a hand to the neck of the dead Master and for a moment, her gaze went far away as if she were seeing something and then she jolted back to reality with a deep inhalation.

She stood and looked at the Jedi, only the glow of the red lightsaber in her hand casting enough light to allow them to see one another.

Join me. I can ensure you become a Sith Master. You'll never have to cower in the dark again. I can feel that it's what you want. You've already taken those steps, she said, as if somehow she knew what had happened down here. About what had been done for the Jedi to survive.

She would wait only a moment for the Jedi's answer before raising a comlink to her mouth and finally responded to the hails from above. The nexus is secured. We have the location of the Killik Nest. Is the Overseer dead? she asked of @Tiamat.

As @Tiamat and @Wodan continued to ponder over the meaning of the Joiner's books, no one would interfere with @Crix Aran and @Aadya Rasheer as they duked it out. Perhaps this was because they were too busy or hadn't been ordered to be involved or perhaps it was because the very aura that the Sith Champion gave off was a warning even to those who weren't Force-sensitive not to get involved.

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Team Trelain, whom was not lost by Tiamat

The Eternal: A Dynasty of Terror
The Eternal: Legacy of Death
Entities That Throw the Galaxy in Crisis

The three titles of the books ran through Tiamat's thoughts as Wodan (@Braden) showed her what he was able to recover from the Joiner Acolyte's room. It was rare for her to experience anything shocking, but this was something entirely more critical, surprising, and in a way, infuriating for the woman as she felt herself squeeze the hilt of her saber tighter and tighter until she thought she felt it give some. Wodan would certainly feel the the chill roll off the woman, a stark contrast to the heat of the smoldering bomb sight where the Overseer was incinerated. It was making sense to the sith master why the killiks were interested in the nexus. Her next questions would bite viciously as to if they were successful, what did the jedi do with the mask, and if they were not successful here, where would they go next?

Tiamat finally received a hail from Altair as she could see them (@Sreeya @Wit) briefly in the distance, it was though she gave pause to watch Aadya (@Logan) walk away from the group on a clear path to where she now saw a burning Crix (Crixpsy?)(@Nefieslab) engage with the woman. Tiamat would not interfere, it was not her place to do so. Her attention turned back to Altair who seemed to be on the verge of surrendering to exhaustion, his tail drooping, his voice cracking briefly before he seemed to gather himself once more. She watched him, an ache to aid him, but she couldn't in this place, here it was about survival, it had to be respected. He gave his orders and Tiamat nodded, "We need to secure the nexus, what-" she paused hearing the crackling of her comm as Master Trelain finally responded. Internally the redheaded sith master let out a shout of relief hearing for one, she was alive, and secondly, she was not there to betray them.

"The Overseer is dead." she confirmed (@Phoenix), "Master Trelain, restricted books were recovered from the acolyte's room on The Eternal. I think it may be possible the Killiks are trying to use the nexus bring The Eternal back to this realm." she explained, thinking of the last title, brow narrowed, "And The Entity too." she explained further, knowing Renfry had sealed it away, but The Eternal, was it really gone? Or was the veil between here and the darkside too narrow for such a power to return without a tool - the mask, or a nexus like here on Korriban. She could still feel it, far, distant, but ever present was the connection. To think of anyone else having the mask brought feelings of ambivalence, the craving of power was there, but also to keep it from the wrong person...or bug.

Spoiler: tl;dr

Tiamat gets ready to go with Altair, gets the response from Trelain, and tells the Master her suspicion of the books and the killik's focus on the nexus.

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

GROUP DIN​

Aadya felt the Jedi flail against his inevitable fate as the tendrils of the Force began wrapping around her neck. It was commendable that Crix didn't simply give in and let the sweet embrace of death take him - well, it was commendable as it was foolish and futile.

In every way the the agony of pain and anguish fueled Crix, it did more for Aadya. This darkness of Korriban was hers to call on like an old friend. The darkside was hers to command, to control, to dominate. The Jedi, if he were to still call himself one, had no power here. The very land beneath Aadya's feet trembled. This was a fight she would not lose.

Before Crix's attempt to choke her could really take hold in any significant manner, Aadya would reach out with the force to manipulate the ground near Crix. Pillars of earth would erupt from behind him, their tips jagged and moving with more than enough strength to impale him.

After, while using the force to resist the choke as best she could - assuming Crix would look to hold it - Aadya would start closing the gap between the two.

Crix would not have much time to decide what he wanted to do. To keep his hold which Aadya was actively resisting and looking to interrupt, or to let it go completely and try, somehow, to get out of the way in time. All things considered, Aadya was still in full fighting shape. She'd managed to get through the battle up until this point entirely unharmed.

Crix, on the other hand, was literally melting before her very eyes.

She would not relent in her pursuit. There was no mercy to be granted or begged for.

Aadya would not let the Jedi escape her this time.

OOC: Actions in white. There is a gif linked under "pillars of earth.." but its hard to tell with the white text, so mentioning it for clarity.

@Nefieslab

 

[Sarella]

It took Sarella a long, long while to fully process what all had happened. Despite her best efforts to throw the Arcane Master off, the Consular watched with horror-filled eyes as the woman re-emerged into the open. She felt the pressure press down onto her neck, as the life was slowly squeezed out of her in a matter of seconds. It was exactly as Kane had died - and perhaps it was her own time to rejoin the Force.

And then she saw Trelain. In almost a blur, Sarella watched as the Devaronian stepped onto the light - crimson saber plunging through the Arcane Master’s chest. It accomplished what her and Kane could not manage of their own accord, and it served to save her own life. She lingered there, in the dirt - gasping for air as the life drained from Letous’ eyes.

All the while, Sarella’s gaze never quite fell from Trelain - gazing back at the Devaronian through the moment of silence that passed between them. It was impossible to gauge what was going through the woman’s mind - or whether the Consular would meet her end at the hands of yet another Sith Master. Completely exhausted, there was little defense Sarella could or would mount if that proved to be the case.

Instead, as if Trelain knew exactly what had occurred within those caverns, Sarella was presented with a choice.

It was a choice that Sarella wouldn’t have even considered upon arriving on Korriban - but things had changed since entering the tunnels. The power of the Dark Nexus - restored in all of its glory - bore down upon her mind like a shroud. It corrupted and twisted everything it touched, and Sarella herself was not spared from its embrace. In that moment, Sarella saw herself as she fought against Letous - a beacon in the light and yet powerless against the raw strength the Arcane Master wielded. She saw her own actions - actions that went contrary to her beliefs as a Jedi, and yet were necessary to her very survival.

She saw herself - as she was in that very moment. Broken and at her lowest point. Weak against the Darkness. Cowering in the darkness and the dirt. Trelain was right. Whether she liked it or not, Sarella had taken those first steps. Steps towards casting off her own chains and limitations, embracing everything the Sith Master had to offer. Everything she had denied herself based on tradition and doctrine of the Jedi - doctrine that would have been her own demise, had she not acted of her own accord first. Though only a moment passed in reality, an eternity passed in Sarella’s mind - with only a single phrase repeating itself, over and over again.

You’ll never have to cower in the dark again.

Slowly but surely, Sarella pushed herself to her feet - bracing against the wall as she found her footing. It was only even - level with Trelain, that she broke the silence. “Teach me,” She muttered quietly, cerulean eyes hanging on Trelain. For better or worse, Sarella had made her choice in the depths of Korriban.

@Phoenix

 

[Crix Aran]

Perhaps had he given into the Darkness before he had taken the damage that he had or perhaps if he was strong enough to channel more of it without burning through his body from the inside...? Perhaps there might have been enough in the proverbial tank to try and multitask.

Perhaps there would have been but perhaps not.

In the end, he waivered even as he was beginning to use the Dark Side, unaccustomed to it and not yet steeped in its usage to find it as instinctive as it might have been to others. This waivering meant he was unable to lock it in fully and the focus on it meant that the first impression he had of danger from behind him was the crunching sounds of earth.

He glanced behind him as his left arm dropped, the choke ending before it could really begin as a trio of earthern spikes impaled him from behind, bursting out his front. Gurgling a choked-out noise of pain, Crix looked down at the trio of spikes protruding through his front.

Even as he was right now, he could tell that at least one of his hearts had been pulped by the topmost spike of stone. Reaching up, he gripped the stone spike protruding through his chest and gripped it hard. His breathing would have sped up but it was hard for him to breathe with one spike through one of his hearts and the other two piercing through his abdomen.

The yellow that had taken his eyes began to fade away as he lurched forward, stone grinding against bone and wetly smacking against muscle as he gritted blood-stained teeth to forcibly pull himself forward. Crying out in pain, he lurched forward a step before falling right back into place, the stone spikes the only things holding him upright as his body began to relax against his wishes.

Strength fled his muscles and it was all he could do to drag another ragged breath from his shattered and perforated chest. He stared at her approach even as his eyes grew heavy and everything seemed to grow dimmer and dimmer. He opened his mouth to say something but there was no air with which to speak. Instead, he just hung there loosely for a second before closing his eyes.

It was easier to think of the things, the people, he had waiting for him on the other side when he closed his eyes.

It was easier to try and ignore just what depths he had fallen to, how those he left behind would feel, and in what such dismal locale he would die.

It was easier, for one last time, not to force himself to try and do more - it was easier just to end.

Spoiler: TLDR

Crix gets spiked
Crix recognizes that he has been impaled
Crix dies

@Phoenix
@Logan

 

[Darth Trelain]

Trelain looked down at what was left of the Jedi and smiled as she said that she would serve the Dark Side. The Sith Lord knew the truth of what awaited the Acolyte. It would be painful and destructive, but like metal refined in fire, she would emerge from the other side as pure power. Trelain would see to it.

Then come, my apprentice. There's much work to be done, she said.

She turned and headed back to the surface as reports came in from all across the planet. The Overseer was dead, the Killiks were in retreat, and they were looking into the Eternal and the Entity.

Trelain had read the reports about both extensively and knew that if the Killiks were involved with either it was bad for the Empire.

Understood. Secure all evidence, I'm returning now, she said. She pulled a datapad from her pocket and began to look at the reports coming in from all around the planet. Nearly 40% of the planet's defensive forces had been lost, and the navy had taken a severe beating, but one important thing stood.

They had won the Battle of Korriban.

This concludes the DMed portion of the Battle of Korriban​