Open Reckoning

[Nevizkas]

If the Dark Lord didn't already hold Cyu's loyalty by title or dignitas, she would have received it regardless, for the display of pure strength and ruthless determination shown. Each crack of rib, a muscle unbound and torn in a slow but deliberate execution brought such happiness to the malicious pureblood and all would see it.

Brutal. They had clearly chosen someone after her own heart.

Like the others, Cyu would follow the Dark Lord out without further fuss. The commandment to discard their lightsabers was a peculiar demand, one that led to an interesting thought as to what the Warmaster had in mind. Not that it mattered, Cyu promptly dropped the unremarkable hilt, watching it roll a short distance, coming to a halt with the others, before moving on herself to a ship.

Some of the Sith might hold fires in their heart to avenge the insult but she didn't. The force had set them on this path and it would be full of danger, treachery and only the strongest would deserve to see it through. Lightsabers could be rebuilt from nothing, like their order would need to be.

Only this way, without a lightsaber they'd have to do what Cyu liked best. Getting your hands dirty.

/exit attempt

 

[Iko Gark Lokan Jistos]

Iko remained silent for a few moments, but then he quickly followed the others that were leaving. He passed by the Dark Lord ( @Altaris ) and whispered "My Lady, if I may, I'd like to invite you to my laboratory on Tiss'sharl to discuss some matters, if you'd like to listen to this humble scientist." As he said that, he gave her a business card with his address, then he took his lightsaber and put it on the pile with the others, still following the woman, in case she wanted to respond to his offer.

 

[Celeste Stythani]

As an armored figure suddenly approached her, a glass of whiskey in his hand and his voice unmistakably the one of the Champion she had previously worked with a few times, she slowly turned her head, throwing him an icy glare. It wasn't necessarily the way he adressed her, but rather the fact that he had a damn glass of alcohol in the gloved hand that triggered her so hard that her hand immediately shot to the hilt of her lightsaber. The glass shattered and before she was able to let the lightsaber hiss into life, she suddenly felt invisible tendrils wrapped around her own throat, first forcing her to kneel before yanking her forwards.

Vahliri was not just her master, but the Dark Lord now. Celeste hadn't reacted quickly enough, her mind had still been busy processing everything that had happened within the last few hours and then there had been the Roman problem, so Vahliri immediately calling her back in line was no surprise. The Half-Anfynn constricted the air flow, letting out some words of warning before hurling her backwards, making her skid across the floor and coming to a halt withing the rows of what was left of the Sith, leaving her to glare up at Vahliri and knowing that not even the slightest mistake would be tolerates any longer. At least Roman was finally dealt with and the shattered bones had been nothing but pure pleasure to her ear and it served the Half-Anfynn well as a sheer demonstration of her sheer, raw power.

A few who dared to let out a murmur while trying to process what had just happened were suddenly interrupted by a very familiar voice coming through the halls. The ISB had apparently tracked them down within minutes, showing up to personally escort them out of Imperial space even if this week hadn't been over...

Altair's demand was nothing but a provocation. A worthless symbolic act of pettiness and it didn't fully add up for her. The Sith didn't need their lightsabers, but maybe it was exactly why he did it. Was he the one speeding up the process of pushing the Sith back to their roots? Ironic, given that he firmly claimed he was no Sith and how he kept denying he was anything else than an Imperial soldier, or well now the warmaster. She couldn't stop wondering why he even allowed them to live and let them regroup and rebuild, but perhaps this was what his own personal delusion looked liked.

She heard the Dark Lord's command and her gaze briefly flicked up before she pushed herself back toher feet. There was a wild storm of emotions raging inside her, yet she knew it would serve her nothing. They were not in a position to fight back, so she started to clear her mind, recalling her teachings and began to walk towards her ship with her expressions icy.

Walking out into the open still felt like walking into a trap as they were laying their lives in Altair's hands while the first lines of Sith started handing over their lightsabers. Not that she needed it to survive - she was versed in the Arcane and the Force alone was all she needed - but she kept wondering what purpose it served. Maybe he wanted to hand them over to the ISC or even the Jedi to kiss their asses further. She didn't even need an answer to that question, so she silently clipped her crimson bladed lightsaber off her belt and tossed it towards the pile, the cold sound of metal hitting metal echoing through her mind as she headed to her ship. She was leaving the ramp open for a few moments, allowing those that needed transportation to board and her gaze briefly lingering on the Tiefling's ship before she started the engines and waited for her escort.

The chapter of the Sith Empire was closed. They had lost their assets and their numbers had been decimated, however claiming such a thing was not even justified as those that had left were not to be considered Sith. Maybe some thought about self-preservation by denying their religion and bending the knee to the hypocrite warmaster, maybe some were foolish enough to assume it was clever to cower behind the Tiefling in silent compliance for now and wait for their time to stab him in the back, but not them. She didn't know many of the faces that left with them, yet while they were forced to hide in the shadows for now, they wouldn't stay there forever. At least they had been set free now from their Imperial shackles as well...

//Exit attempt

 

[Altair Din]

Any Sith below that didn’t respect the absolute power play he did had no concept of being a Sith. Altair stood around patiently, his tail calmly swishing back and forth as the Sith filed out and dropped their sabers. He cracked open a canned drink, sipping from it as he watched. There was only one tug at his emotion, and that was when he saw Vahliri walk out. But he buried it the moment it came. He saw a few of them glowering at him, and he tilted his head slightly to the side, “Aim the cannons.”

The Sith would see the cannons slowly lower and take aim at them collectively. They would see the glow of charged barrels and the familiar hum of lasers powering up. At the absolute last second, they powered down, “Just kidding,” Altair said as he gazed down at them all, taking another sip of his drink. After they all left the area with their escorts, he turned to one of his Commanders.

“Send a team down to clear the building and collect the sabers. Do a bomb sweep first.”

He didn’t anticipate any further drama at least today. Once all the sweeps and collections were done, the Imperials would leave the area.

OOC Note: This post assumes everyone has left their sabers and the area. No need to keep posting here unless your character would not oblige, in which case please let me know. Otherwise, please update all your profiles to remove sabers.

@Malon @Altaris

/End Thread

 

[Val Varthra]

As Altair's demands were carried out, Val had not been idle. She had deployed drones from the hangar bay to livestream every angle of the Sith withdraw from Junction. To capture reactions, the dropping of lightsabers, and even to capture the face of the new Dark Lord of the Sith for the entire galaxy to see. The luxury of secrecy would be even harder for the former 'Lords' of the Sith to maintain now; and the galaxy would finally have its proof that times were changing for the Empire.

"Everything has been recorded, sir," Val reported to Altair as crews began to descend for the discarded lightsabers. "This footage will be on every HoloNet channel before the hour is up." She leaned in closer and lowered her voice, so that her next words were heard by him and him alone. "And I will begin releasing the previous HoloNet holds blocking channels throughout Imperial Space, as we discussed, with all due urgency."

It would look like the Sith were behind those blocks that way. A brilliant PR suggestion on Altair's part. Val still wasn't sure how she felt about 'giving up all their authoritarian ways'. They were an Empire after all. But, so far, Altair's wisdom had won them multiple victories and perhaps saved the Empire from complete and total ruin. So, perhaps it was time to give his way a genuine try. For the good of the Empire.

@Sreeya @Altaris