[Sith Mission] Rule of the Strong

[Insoulent]

The Sith War Machine never stopped, in fact it thrived on expansion, like any true Empire. It needed slaves, workers, supplies and warriors of every kind of race if it was to truly succeed against the Jedi and their allies. There were few planets that could match Mustafar in terms of economical power. Their control of the wild lava streams that spanned planet-wide, made the entire planet a giant forge for precious metals and would no doubt boost the Sith's production of weapons and armor for years to come. It was no doubt why the Sith's higher ups set their sights on the planet. The Mustafarians had a masterful control over the planet-forge, and their subterranean cities were natural fortresses against the Sith's invasion.

Xander had spend the past few hours glued to a holopad learning what he could from Mustafar and talking very little to the two others tasked on the mission. It was simple enough, defeat the Mustafarian's leader and the rest would fall in line. It seemed almost too easy, and the higher ups made it seem relatively easy. But the Mustafarians weren't known much for being warriors, they were hardy enough to survive millions of years on the lava planet - they would not be pushovers, not by a long shot. There were two distince sub-species on Mustafar, the northern taller and slimmer Mustafari. These were usually lava flea riders and guards, their agility and height made them formidable opponents, if not deadly. The shorter, stockier southern species could handle the intense heat of the lava, and were much stronger than their taller subspecies. Both of course intermingled and lived harmoniously in their underground cities, but they were very distinct in their roles in society.

The Mustafarians mirrored the Sith well however, they valued strength over everything - and the Sith had some damn strong people in their ranks. Some small, some large - most inbetween, but this group had a good diverse group. Xander's first impression of his comrades on this mission were minimal. The smaller one, a Jawa, would no doubt serve well as a scout, even better as an infiltrator. The bigger one, the Barabel, well he was tank no doubt about it. Xander was in a good niche between the two, but he wondered - just how far could they go? How exactly would they go about killing their leader? The Mustafarians wouldn't like foreign invaders, and they wouldn't exactly open a clear path for them to challenge and potentially kill their leader. No, they'd be aggressive, they' try to protect him and he'd be comfortable in his throne room. Could Sith be so comfortable?

"We'll be arriving to their Warlord's palace in a few moments. Reports coming in planet-wide of our invasion, no doubt they'll be scrambling to strengthen their defenses. This will be our best chance to strike them, in the confusion." the human Sith mentioned out loud as he starred at the datapad in his hand. "We only have a small window before they try to launch a counter-attack, and our task is simple: we kill their leader. I can't find much on this fortress, but they'll no doubt have defenses against such a...small force." and no doubt they were small. Not accounting for the two pilots, and the three Sith, they only had about twelve Brotherhood troopers on board the transport the group was on. The Sith rarely made plans, their strength would have to be the sole thing that got them out of them, not a fancy plan. A simple tactical insertion and a whole bunch of killing.

 

[Vinn Esper]

Vinn sat in the transport silently, not bothering to respond to the other two warriors. As a conscripted member of the SBZ, Vinn had no more standing then any of the troopers in the transport. The message being sent to him by his presence on this mission was clear. Vinn was owned by the SBZ and the sith now. So be it, he had given his word to serve so the torture would stop.

The torture stopped and as far as Vinn was concerned, his word was the only thing that he still owned. Even though that word had been given under duress, he would honor it because that was what his own morals dictated.

These sith, disgusting Forcies as they were, we're Vinn's superior officers in this matter and Vinn would regard them as such. Vinn got up from his spot and moved nearer the troopers as he spoke, taking a seat with them, "all due respect sirs. You can consider me the same as them. You tell me what to do and I'll get it done or I'll die. Either way I guarantee satisfaction."

 

[TheBeta]

Jayt meditated over the past month or so of being a Jedi. It was stunting. He imagined it would do a lot to get him into contact with some Sith, perhaps even locate the individual present on the day of his family's death. The likelihood of him being present in any encounter with a Sith was almost non-existent, but it was certainly possible he could attain a name form someone. All Jayt had to go on his entire life was merely the feeling of the Sith's presence., one etched into his mind forever. One he'd only felt while holding his dead wife and son in his arms. What better a way to attract a Sith than to be a Jedi, right?

Jayt was awoken form his meditation by a Mustafari man, "He'll see you then."

Jayts presence in the Palace was nearly unwelcomed, but he gathered that since he wasn't frisked and removed of the blaster over his shoulder or the lightsabers on his hip that they weren't in the mood to create beef with the Jedi. Jayt had only jumped at the opportunity to seek out Jedi, and when he'd gotten word from his superiors that there were rumors of Sith in the area, he was first in line to see if the Mustafari were harboring Sith or working with them. So far, their lack of concern with his weapons wasn't a good sign of their presence on the planet. Regardless, he'd have his meeting with their leader, an apparently elder and injured Mustafari.

Upon what stories he's heard of the Mustafari in reports, he was -at least at one point- and excellent warrior, nothing to be trifled with, but upon the most recent reports, his injuries left him incapable of being able to fight at the present moment. Perhaps that was a good sign for Jayt, or perhaps a bad sign. It could force him to be in a very ill tempered mood, and getting any hints on Sith presence in the system would be impossible. If this weakness, however, was any hint at their society, then he may be ripe for the picking off of one of his inferiors.

Jayt walked into the throne room, located at the core of the palace, and knelt at the floor, several Mustafari warriors adorned in ornamental armors, but some of the later models of weaponry surrounding the floor of the throne room.

"My Lord," Jayt starts, "I am Jayt Saan of the Jedi. I have come to seek your council in regards of the Sith."
@Insoulent @Vinn Esper

 

[Versok]

Mustafar,the lava planet,the giant forge,the sith brotherhood´s next objective,his capture would be almost essential if they wanted to take the advantage over the republic,but it was also place of good warriors,often the southern Mustafarians,strong,good allies,good slaves.They respected only strenght,they would only follow the stronger leader,and that is why they were here,to show them which side they should choose,the stronger one.

Wigee spent all her stay in the ship meditating,levitating her lightsaber with the power of the force,to practice,to sharp her skills to the battle,because it won´t be as easy as her superiors told her to,"kill the leader and they will follow you",of course,kill the leader,but they are not gong to let the sith kill him so easily,they would defend him with all their might,but where is the fun when it is easy? And where is the fun if you only get to kill one person? the more, the better, they won´t only respect them by the end of the day,they will fear them, they will see what the true power of the dark side could do in the hands of an expert,they would see it,feel it personally.

The little Jawa didn´t talk to the the other two during the trip, the Human and the Barabel, they were big, at least bigger than her, and that would certainly be good for her, since usually the enemy thinks that the bigger ones are the most dangerous and focus the fire of them, letting Wigee take advantage of it, and she bet that those two would even survive, one was a sith like her, force sensitive and probably not weak, since the weak siths are always purgued, the other one was a brother of the Sacred band of Ziost,a big one, these bugs would be no match.


"Was that a pun?" The Jawa said when his companion said that they were such a small force,thinking he was referring to her,the droid head that she wore attached to her chest translated what she said "Because that was a good one" She stopped meditating,attaching her lightsaber to her robes and standing up "Well,you know,sometimes the smaller forces can be...The deadliest..." She looked to the Barabel,she liked his answer,and it was true,if he kills the bugs,he will amuse her,if he dies, he will amuse her. "Well then, this is it, let´s bring them hell, remember to kill them in the coolest ways possible, we have to impress the ones that survive so they join us."

 

[Insoulent]

"If I wanted satisfaction, I'd buy myself a slave. The Sith don't need is mindless foot soldiers. What it needs is strength, of the mind, body and soul - remember that, Barabel. Find a reason to fight for, to survive. You'll find that you're much stronger than you give yourself credit for, that goes for the rest of you. If you wish to die before you reach that potential, than so be it." the Sith said calmly as he looked around the transport, glaring momentarily in the visors of the small group of Brotherhood soldiers. And Xander meant every single word. He didn't need meat shields, he needed working brains, ones that realized they could do great things while under the Sith. They promoted strength, they had to incubate it too.

"Arriving at LZ, all forces prepare for the light up, we got a welcoming party." the intercom voice of the pilot came through the transport's speakers. "Persuasion through brute force is what the Sith are best at. We got this." the human Sith said in agreement with his Sith contemporary.

After a few short moments, the ship rocked as it touched ground. "Barabel, you'll be in charge of the rest of the soldiers. Lead them into battle, their lives will depend on you." the human let out coldly as the loading ramp descended. Smoke began to fill around the area as the human and the Jawa Sith stepped through. The soldiers fell in two lines behind the Barabel, while the Barabel would of followed behind the Sith leading the mission. Their uniformity was clear, they were prepared and it wasn't a casual mission. Their soldiers were outfitted in full Brotherhood armor, and heavily armed with blaster rifles and small explosives. Xander himself carried only his two Sith war swords on his back, and his light armorweave suit that would protect him from a few blaster bolts at best, though his swords would be ample defense for the human Sith.

The Sith weren't met unmatched, two lava flea riders seemed to immediately sit on the left and right flank of the Sith's transport's landing pad. Three heavily armored short Mustafari stood directly infront of the advancing Sith forces, their blasters at the ready. "To what do we owe this...visit, Sith?" a female's voice boomed from the middle of the three armored Mustafari. "I will only ask once, where is your Warlord?" the human stated bluntly. He wouldn't entertain their questions, he had been given a task, and he would do it. The Sith had arrived, there would be no happy ending. Should they be foolish enough to think otherwise, he would have no remorse walking over their corpses to get back to the transport with their Warlord's head in his hands.

 

[Vinn Esper]

Like that, Vinn found himself in command of twelve soldiers. As they exited the landing craft some bug asked them an irrelevant question which the lead Sith had not responded too. Vinn began to speak to the men he had been given command of.

"Y'all heard the man," he said, "you belong to me for the time being. If at any time you fail or hesitate to execute a command that I give you, know that I will not hesitate to kill you where you stand. Conversely, you will not carry out any order unless approved by me. If you do, you will also be killed."

Now Vinn raised his rifle with the kill dart loaded into it and took aim for the speaking bug mounted on the Lava flea. "Your first orders are simple," he said as he centered his cross hairs on the bugs head and pulled the trigger. The dart flew silently from his weapon and killed the bug that had addressed the lead sith.

As he lowered his weapon, he finished his last statement, "secure this area and clear the way for these two warriors to do their job. Kill everything that isn't Sith." His men raised their blasters and began to go to work firing on the bug as Vinn returned his weapon to its place and drew his electroswords.

 

[TheBeta]

Outside of the Lord's throne room, there was commotion, as if something important was happening. Whatever it was, it drew quite a bit of attention, but Jayt's focus was more pointed towards the Mustafari War Lord on the throne above Jayt. The was Lord emanated worry, and as much as it would be convenient for Jayt to just assume that it was due to being found out as aiding the Sith expansion; However, as nice as it would be to make his job as easy, Jayt somehow knew that it was in some relation to the events unfolding outside of the chamber.

Leaning forward from his throne, the Lord was far from approachable, and his entire demeanor screamed it as his snarled lips gifted a hissing tone, "Jedi Saan was it? To what do I owe this pleasure?"

The Mustafari words came as a series of buzzes and chirps, much like that of a cricket. However, the datapad did well to translate for Jayt. Without it, Jayt would be forced to communicate via the use of a protocol droid, and that was certainly not preferable. Droids were merely a reminder of the simple life he was forced to leave behind.

His emphasis on 'this' gave depth to the very short statement that Jayt became infinitely more curious towards, "What exactly do you mean by 'this' pleasure, my Lord?"

Unfortunately, Jayt's prying didn't get him anything of value, only a short, and quite obviously forced chuckle followed by an even hardier repetition of his original question, "Tell me why you are here Jedi, I have business to attend to, and playing games with you is quite frankly a waste of my time."

Jayt couldn't tell if this was the ordinary welcoming someone might attain or if it was a result to his somewhat recent injuries. However, it was abundantly clear that the only reason he was being entertained in the first place was as a courtesy to the Jedi, and clearly not out of genuine concern for the reason of his visit. It was the very essence of let's get this over with.

Rising from the kneeling position, Jayt tidied himself, brushing off some ash, "Very well. I have been sent by the Jedi to discern where your loyalties lie. The Republic have concerns that with the approaching Sith forces, that you may feel content with only a single option."

It wasn't difficult to interpret what Jayt was implying, but still, Jayt felt it necessary to soften the bluntness of the message. The Mustafarian Lord nearly cringed upon the message, and it was quite clear he was offended, "Are you accusing my nation of something?"

Despite his clearly unhappy reaction, his words, cold, were yet calm. His position of power allowed him a certain comfort regardless of his condition. Jayt, however, was less enthusiastic about being present here. It was becoming more and more obvious that he wouldn't align himself with either side so willingly, making a visit such as this less than fruitful. Furthermore, Jayt considered other tasks to be infinitely more meaningful.

Rolling his eyes visibly, Jayt took a breath, "Here's the thing, I don't desire to be here any more than you wish for me to be here. That being said, I only desire one thing from you before I leave here, and you don't have to see me again. I..."

However, before Jayt could finish, a Mustafari warrior entered the room with urgency and purpose on his face. Dropping to a hasty knelt position in front of the throne, he attempted to whisper, but it seemed that his haste didn't translate to subtlety, "They are not here for council. I'm afraid to tell you that your nephew Yangridge has been..."

Jayt could tell, without the obvious signs of the Force guiding him, that the news was grave. He couldn't finish the message, and a Jay could see in the eyes of the Warlord that he was about attempting to hide a great deal of anger. Jayt could see the contemplation in his eyes as he leaned back into his throne to become momentarily motionless.

Jayt recognized opportunity when he saw it, and it was now to take his chance, "My Lord, the Jedi are guardians, and make great Allies. All you need to do is allow me to know of your intentions upon being an ally of the Jedi."

Jayt could see his teeth grind a he continued in thought, seemingly ignorant of Jayt's attempt. The other Mustafari warrior once more spoke, "We should get you out of the city. If they plan to take over, they will likely be making their way to you, to kill you."

Looking him up and down Jayt could see very clearly that killing him would be a sincerely easy task for whoever the invaders were; A rival WarLord, Pirates, or especially Sith would have a very easy time with dispatching him. Jayt knew that his offer couldn't have gone unheard.

Returning his attentions to Jayt, the War Lord stood up from his throne to address Jayt, his voice taking on more of an apologetic, but demanding tone, "My people, as loyal as they are to me, if a new leader shows their superiority over me by killing me, they would follow that leader. If you truly are a Jedi Knight of the Republic, then you will show me your abilities as a warrior. You will act as my champion, fighting in my place against this challenger, supposing he may make it to my chamber. If you can do this, then I will be infinitely more gracious towards the Jedi and the Republic."

Jayt knew there was much more depth to the story, but his efforts to the Jedi were not to cease at simply delivering a message for them. He knew what he had to do despite there being no guarantee of the War Lord's loyalties, "Very well my Lord. I shall be your champion."

The Mustafari warrior at the War Lord's side began to protest, "But sir, the Sith..."

"Bite your tongue," the War Lord growled at him, "We will retreat our Forces into the tunnels. The Sith will find it very difficult to traverse the tunnels, and it will condense our forces. We know the routes, the lava spillways, and we are excellent at fighting in the tunnels. I would be skeptical to believe that the Sith are capable of navigating the tunnels to my position anyway."

"Very well my Lord," The Warrior muttered, defeated, before retreating out of the throne room.
***
On the surface, where the 'welcoming party' met the Sith, Yangridge fell from his flea, stiff as a board with a hole in his forehead as the rest of the Mustafarian Warriors stood nearly stunned by the fact that they were so openly and attacked unprovoked. In a frenzy, they jumped to life simultaneously to attack the intruders, allowing blaster fire to fly across a landing platform that was quickly becoming stained blood-red.

In the back ground, the above ground fortress was tiny at first glance, and very well determined so too, because the real living space of the Mustafarian race was below the ground, where the spit of magma was far less a threat. However, compared to the invading Sith, it didn't matter how may Mustafari warriors there were, there was a strength in the Sith that the Mustafarian species had a hard time fighting. That is precisely why they needed as much an advantage they could manage.

@Versok

 

[Versok]

As soon as the bug opened her mouth, her comrades attacked them, the Jawa was liking them, direct , brute, using no mercy , the living representation of how the sith deal with annoyances like these bugs, the Barabel and the soldiers opened fire and a skirmish between them and the Mustafarians started to counter attack, one of the armored ones jumped at her, who jumped to catch him mid-air , taking her lightsaber and activating it while rotating over her transverse and vertical axis, the crimson blade would slice the bug in two symmetrical parts , she herself would land safely without a single scratch,that one was a fool for thinking that he could stand a chance,so was the other ones.

"Try to keep the lava fleas alive,we could use them to travel faster and safeler,also I find them kind of cute,gotta keep one for myself" She said,seeming like she didn´t care about the actual fight at all, Wigee called to the force,to make it submit to her and help her to destroy the mediocre foes she was encountering, the force answered her call , the two lava flea riders could feel an invisible hand grabbing them from the neck, they would be lifted, leaving their mounts and being slammed against the floor, without being capable of getting up, it was obvious that the Jawa was using the force to inmovilize those two so they could be easy targets for her companions.

"Who wants to squish some bugs?" She said while holding the two lava flea riders on the floor, doing it was not exhaustive, but it would be annoying if her companions took some time to end them, Wigee was the kind of person that always wanted to be in movement, since she was an agile warrior , one that had to be dodging and attacking , moving everywhere and attacking everyone , and standing still much time would make her an easy target.

@Insoulent @Vinn Esper @TheBeta

 

[Arranev]

Arranev Sondo was seated in the cockpit of the ship he and fellow Jedi Jayt Saan had arrived in. He had chosen to stay behind while Saan conducted his meeting on the planet, as he felt one Jedi was enough in such a setting. Besides, he had always struggled with conversation, so he figured he could spend a little time meditating peacefully on the ship.

This was one of the first times Arranev had ever gone on a mission with another Jedi, thus he felt slightly uncomfortable. He had never interacted with Jayt prior to this assignment, and the two had not had the time to lead any meaningful conversations as of yet. He was insecure about how the two of them would get along, but at the same time, he was eager to finally have a chance to get to know a fellow Jedi.

As he sat in the cockpit with his eyes closed and his mind open, he eagerly awaited Jayt's return from his meeting. He tried to delve deep into the force to catch a glimpse of the future of this mission, but the vision was clouded, and he returned to waiting in silence for the time being.

 

[Insoulent]

The hesitation of the Mustafari to answer the human Sith's question - made him agitated. Still, the sudden explosion of blaster fire, well, it was even more annoying. If he could of only gotten a quick answer, he could of cared less if the soldiers behind him slaughtered them to pieces. Either way, now the Sith had to begin their hunt. With the blaster fire going off, the human quickly stepped forward before sending his blades from behind his back, to the necks of the two other Mustafari guards. Their heads dropped on the floor before their bodies buckled and fell on to the ground next to the human Sith.

It took only a few moments of blaster fire, and quick movements from his Sith companion before the rather small Mustafari welcoming party all lay dead on the floor. Little to no trouble, but the human knew they wouldn't have much time left before more forces gathered. "They'll no doubt be moving underground. Better fortified, I imagine. Narrower passages. Lava streams. It'd be foolish to go blindly into them. Find the entrance to their hole." the human said turning his attention to the Barabel commander. "Wigee and I, we can fill that hole with the lava here. Redirect the stream somehow. It'll take some time, but it would wipe out their forces with little to no trouble. Whoever escapes from the tunnels, we slaughter." the human Sith theorized, turning to his other Sith friends. "I mean, unless you have an easier way of going about it." the human questioned.

Time was of the essence, and the human's plan wasn't the quickest, but it was surely the least effort-consuming one. They didn't have weeks to search for a bug through tunnels, but to drown them in lava? That, they could do. No doubt they had smaller tunnels leading out, but even those would be filled up with lava with relative ease.

 

[Vinn Esper]

Vinn thought about the method the other Sith suggested. "I like your plan, but we need to confirm that the target is dead, do we not? My question is what if he can't come and the men can retrieve his body."

"Also there's the issue of the hills covering a wide area. It's a lot to defend in addition to covering you as you perform your magic," Vinn continued his response, "If you think that is the best approach then I will do my duty, but I do have a counter proposal."

Vinn paused for a brief moment before stating his plan. "We could perform a pinch on the mine shaft. You two could go into the shaft on one side, myself and the men from the other side. Make as expedient progress as possible and overwhelm the center where the target will be. Kill the target, extract.

Vinn continued to sell his idea, "The defenders will have to decide their forces but it will give you more magic to use inside. You have the special swords, so the close quarters works to your advantage, while on the other side, I have electro swords. The men have superior training of the sith and my leadership. If they focus too much on you we will overwhelm them from the opposite side."

 

[Valen Pelora]

OOC Note: I typically do not engage in PVP and therefore do not have an extensive “gear” list. However, given the nature of the thread and IC reasons for the Jedi’s presence I think it makes IC sense for Valen to have come prepared. So there is no confusion he is wearing what I would consider “average” armor he picked up from the Peacekeeper. Chest plate, gauntlets, greaves, ext. Nothing extraordinary but just some protection. The armor is equipped with jumpers.

Pain. Suffering. Terror. Death. He was on the streets of Coruscant, running, fighting, screaming. He watched Coruscanti die, he watched yellow eyed Sith carve their way through the people. He watched his students put their lives on the line and nearly lose it all. He felt the Force ripped from the Dark Lord of the Sith. He felt the Sith invade the heart of the Jedi. He felt a split in the Army. He felt a rend in the Force.

Jedi Knight Valen Pelora’s eyes snapped open. The gloomy antechamber came into focus as he dragged himself from meditation. Every time he closed his eyes and reached for the Lightside he relived Coruscant. He relived the Strength of Ilum. He had hoped, prayed, time would heal his mind. It had not. He had thrown himself into training Sigal and Irx. Nothing changed. He had finally decided he needed to do something. He had left his students a small mission and promised to return soon. He promptly attached himself to the mission to Mustafar. The Jedi had been dispatched to inquire on the Mustafarian’s loyalties. The planet was a massive forge and if the Sith gained control, or won favor, it could spell disaster for the war. The Jedi needed to fight back, the galaxy needed them. He had to place his trust in the Lightside. His faith in the Force.

He had arrived on the planet with two of his brothers, Arranev and Jayt. The trip had been pleasant as Valen had become acquainted with his fellow Jedi. When they had arrived Arranev had volunteered to stay on the ship while Jayt and Valen met with Warlord. Their ‘host’ would only entertain one guest at a time, Valen was more than happy to stay outside the chambers. He was not fond of Mustafar’s war mongering leader. The situation called for more diplomacy and tact than Valen could muster. A few months ago he would have relished the diplomatic challenge, now he was just tired.

Tired and hot. Mustafar was sweltering and the armor he wore only made it worse. He knew there was built in cooling but it wasn’t doing him any favors. He rarely wore armor, he was not comfortable. He had donned the protective gear, in part, to appear more imposing to the Mustafarians. After Coruscant and the attack on the Jedi Flagship he had sworn to never be caught unprepared again. He wore the hot uncomfortable armor and hoped he wouldn’t need it. Of course, he was wrong. He was always wrong lately.

He felt the Darkside descend on the planet. He felt chaos erupt in the Force. He felt the Sith arrive. His heart sank as he stood. He could not escape it. No matter where he went, no matter what he did, death followed. The Darkside followed. The Sith followed. His face became a stone mask, he unclipped his Lightsaber from his belt. Robes flowing behind him he pushed open the doors to the Warlords chambers. His emerald green Lightsaber sprung to life in his hand. He gave Jayt a quick nod.

“Sorry to interrupt but we’ve attracted additional guests. They aren’t as friendly as we are.” He took one deep breath and let the Lightside wash over him. He pulled in as much of the Force as he could.

@TheBeta @Arranev

 

[TheBeta]

The Sith. Of ‘course. It made a lot of sense, even if it wasn’t abundantly obvious to start. It seemed that the Sith had no intention to negotiate an alliance, but rather they intended to take the Mustafari people by Force. Brutish was the way of the Sith, and they were completely lackluster in cunning. It made them vulnerable to those such as Jayt. Because of their brash decision to neglect the power of words, Jayt was practically handed the Mustafari people provided he could protect their injured leader.


Already he was being evacuated to the lower levels of the fortress, and Jayt needed to move fast. Velan Pelora, another Jedi, was waiting for him in the holding room, and Jayt needed to catch him up on what was going on, then they needed to devise a method in which they could combat these Sith invaders. Jayt hurried through the halls back to where he’d last left Velan. The place was less a waiting room as it was a prison cell. They didn’t have much trust in outsiders, which was understandable, but now they worked on behalf of the War Lord, which was likely the sole reason Jayt was able to run through the hallways unaccompanied by an escort. For the time being, they were just another few drones, scrambling to protect their leader.


Bursting into the room, it would be obvious, by the buzzing alarms that something was going on, and that there was some sort of evacuation underway, leaving only necessary personnel behind. Velan would be next to unguarded by this point, allowing Jayt some privacy while he broke down their job.


“There isn’t much time. We are under attack by Sith Forces. They ar evacuating to the subterranean tunnels where they can better protect their leader. This means that they are not harboring the Sith as we initially thought, but in order to gain their trust, we need to protect their leader,” Jayt says, trying to pull up a hologram of the blueprints of the above ground fortress. Pointing to the north of the base, Jayt pokes his finger into a landing bay, “This is where Arranev is located, in the ship.”


Moving his finger to a lower level in the south, where the alarms were triggered, Jayt points to a series of landing pads ordinarily used for loading freighters. It was open, and an ample location to unload troops, making it an obvious location to land their forces. No doubt the Sith were no longer there, but it was a starting point, “This is where the Sith were as of a few minutes ago, last seen heading north west towards the Forge’s spillway. We need to cut them off within the tunnels to prevent them from entering the underground tunnels. If we can do that, then protecting the War Lord will be easy. I need you to determine the best routes to do that; And see if you can get any of the soldiers around here to stick around. We will need all the help we can get.”


Jayt turns his comm. Device on to pull up the blue hologram of Arranev at the ship, “The Sith are attacking. I need you to use your position to give us a view of what they are doing and where they are. That way we can cut them off inside the tunnels better. Valen is planning the fastest routes into the tunnels for now. It is imperative that you are not seen while you keep an eye on them. They do not yet know we are here, and I want to keep it that way until we are able to get close enough to sense each other. When you give us their location and heading, then we will need you down in the tunnels as fast as possible. We are to guard their War Lord from the Sith attackers.”

 

[Versok]

The Jawa looked at the human and then at the barabel,the human´s plan was more fun,but the barabel had a good point,the Jawa attached her lightsaber to her robe once more,she used the force to attract the two lava fleas that were used by the taller bugs as mounts,she pulled her hand over their heads,the creatures began to scream in pain,the Jawa was doing something to them with the force,she was using a quickier version of mind control over the beasts,quickier but painful,after a few seconds,she stopped,and the lava fleas stayed still,waiting for orders.

"You could use these beasts to cover us better,using them as a mount it should be easier to defend us. However,as much as I like Xander´s plan, it is true that we have to retrieve the body,but his idea is not bad at all, we could redirect the lava into all the entrances but one which we would be protecting. By doing that,they would have to fight against us and win before the lava kills them,we would only need to hold the ground enough time,anyway,we can always can do what you said,Vinn. In that case the only thing that I would change is that we,the sith,would use the beasts to rush them,so they would have even less time to react,being easier to overwhelm them since they will focus on us even more.

The Jawa explained while caressing the lava fleas´ forehead, waiting for a response from her two companions "But whatever we do,we shall do it now,they probably noticed us and they are probably strengthening their defenses right now" She added

 

[Mr.BossMan]

Cal sat in the Co-Pilots seat of his ship, Knight 2, side by side his Twi'Lek pilot Asara. Right now she was his companion on a recon mission for the Order. Apparently there was considerable evidence of an assassination attempt on a Mustafarian warlord by the Sith. The Jedi have sent two Knight's in to investigate but there has been no word back. Hence why Cal and his newfound traveling companion where making their way down to Mustafar's surface. Asara was a gifted pilot, easily better than Cal, and for the time being he let her do her thing. As they approached the planets surface and the warlords palace it didn't take long for Cal to notice a disturbance in the Force, a very dark disturbance.

Getting out of the Co-Pilot's seat Cal rested his hand on Asara's shoulder. "When we land keep the engines running and wait for me to return." Then he began to walk to the hanger doors but before he could leave the cockpit Asara grabbed his wrist and wished him good luck. Giving the Twi'Lek a nod Cal continued on his way. It wasn't long before he felt the bump as his ship landed on the dock of Mustafar. Countless times Cal has been in a situation like this but still he couldn't shake the feeling. His heart rate sped up just a bit, the hairs on his arms raised, but he remained still and calm. Suddenly that hanger doors opened and the Jedi walked outside into the heat of the Mustafar air.

His stark black robes whipped in the air and instantly the young Knight took in his surroundings. There was a long narrow bridge connecting the landing pad to the Warlords palace. This bridge was the only way on and off the pad and along the landing pad, where Cal's ship was, sat several shipping containers. Some of them large some of them small. The Jedi narrowed his eyes across the way, about 100 yards out was another ship on a different landing pad. He felt the obvious presence of two dark side force users and he could see many other soldiers with them. Sadly those soldiers were mere pawns, whether they knew it or not.

Cal let out a sigh and reached for his lightsaber, he didn't grab it, he merely traced his thumb over the cool metal.

Ready for the fight that was certainly about to transpire.

 

[Insoulent]

"Echo Team, this is Mynock - looks like we got a late addition snooping around. Doesn't look friendly, but be on the lookout, he's got your flank." the voice of the Sith's transport pilot chattered through the earpiece of the human Sith. The Sith turned around to look around the now-empty hallway. The bodies of a few dozen Mustafarian and defensive droids scattered across the floor as the team of Sith all huddled around. "Us two will go on forward into the throne room just up ahead." the human Sith said, turning to his Jawa Sith companion. "We take the fleas, they'll be good distractions for anybody who gets in our war." the human was certain just the two Sith would be enough to take some force-less Warlord.

"...and you..." he said as he held his hand out infront of him, the body of a Mustafarian barely alive dragged across the floor. "You're gooing to tell us how exactly we'll get to the Warlord." the human muttered. The tall critter tried to speak, clicking it's odd language. The Sith simply rolled his eyes, sending his sword through the creature's shoulder. It cried in pain as the blood trailed through the Sith's sword. "I know you understand me. " the human said bluntly while he sent a kick to the Mustafarian's ribs at full force. The creature scrambled onto it's feet while it cried, rushing through the palace's throne room. "Come on." the human Sith mentioned as he grabbed on one of the Brotherhood's thermal detonator's, tossing one to the Jawa and keeping another for himself, before he jumped on to the mindless lava flea. "The rest of you, make sure no one else comes into the throne room, we don't need any more unexpected visitors. We'll bring back this Warlords head." the human said confidentially as his flea rushed through the palace behind the injured Mustafari.

The layout was simple. The entrance from the landing pads led to the corridor where the Brotherhood forces were at, which led to the main hallway of the palace in a T-layout. A quick left and a few flights up large stairs led to an extravagant waiting room filled with Mustafarian weapons, art and other culturally significant relics the Mustafari revered. The room was wide, being held up by six large pillars. At the sides of the hallway two small streams of lava seemed to drop down to a reservoir under the floor. Behind this waiting room was the throne room where the Warlord was expected to be - though of course by now the Warlord had a good few minutes with a headstart.

A small legion of Mustafari held the line to meet the two Sith to stop them from advancing further into the throne room. "We come bearing no ill will, we simply are here to challenge the great and honorable Warlord. Single combat is what we seek. You seek the strong, the Sith wish to answer your calling. Should you reject our challenge - the full might of the Sith will arrive on this planet regardless, and the lives of countless of your friends and family will die, all for nothing. Or is he too busy hiding in fear?" the human Sith questioned looking around the room. A translator droid hobbled from the back end of the defensive line of Mustafari. "Our Warlord has a champion." it stated as it cut to shorten it's distance to the Jawa Sith.

"Ah...champion? Aha." the human Sith couldn't help but chuckle. "If he was too afraid, you should of told us. And you all - you accept your Warlord's fear in naming himself a Champion?" he snapped towards the armed Mustafari guards.

 

[Vinn Esper]

Vinn watched as the two sith advanced into the caves and waited a few moments. "All right men, I want four teams of three, covering each exit. Nothing comes in or gets out unless it's Sith. I'm going to check out that new arrival." Vinn drew his ACR-4-26 and began to slowly approach the landing pad where the new craft had recently set down.

He had to traverse two different bridges before coming close to the final bridge to the landing pad. He kept his eyes on the pad, but he saw no movement. He was sure nothing could've gotten past him as he had reacted as soon as he heard of the arrival.

He was across the bridge from the landing pad. No one seemed to be in the cockpit of the craft, and Vinn slowly advanced replacing his ACR and drawing his electrosword. "Come on out of there and make yourself known," Vinn commanded as he approached.

 

[Mr.BossMan]

Suddenly Cal heard a voice boom immediately to his left near the only bridge that connected the landing pad to the palace. The stranger, who Cal could only deem was hostile, seemed to command him to show himself. Cal closed his eyes and let out a long exhale, it seemed no matter where in the galaxy Cal went, the presence of the Sith loomed. Cal kept his stark black Jedi robes on and his dark hood covered his head just enough so that he couldn't be recognized. Turning around the young Jedi Knight walked out into the open and reveled himself to the stranger.

As he did so he took in his surroundings for the last time, the place where the battle would happen. They were on a big circular landing platform. With various shipping containers of all sizes littered all over the place. Cal's ship was in the back of the circular landing pad, it wouldn't interfere with the battle back there. It seemed Cal's opponent drew his electro sword and to Cal's surprise he wasn't a Sith.

The Jedi stood facing his opponent, approximately 15 yards away from the other warrior. Cal grabbed his lightsaber and ignited the grey blade. Then he spoke, his voice calm yet firm. "My name is Calvin Eltros, Jedi Knight of the Order, lay down your weapon and turn yourself in. Otherwise I have no choice but to kill you." Cal's tone was serious, he did not want to fight this foe, but he would not hesitate to do so.

 

[TheBeta]

It wasn’t long before Mustafari soldiers poured into the area from seemingly nowhere. When asked, Jayt found that they were merely answering the call of the Sith attacker’s presence nearing the throne room. From their description, it was a Legion and two Sith. Jayt thought it was actually rather convenient that they would come directly to him. It made things significantly easier to cut him off before attempting to pursue the rest of the Mustafari people into the tunnels. This was what he was waiting for.

Jayt was quick to follow the soldiers the short distance back into the throne room, his original plan of finding a route through the fortress being a moot point now, it allowed Valen to also follow, but Jayt gave him no orders. He was free to do as he pleased. In fact, as far as he was concerned, Valen could head back to the ship if he wanted for all Jayt cared. He was only here to get a name, even if it meant bending the Jedi rules a bit to get them.

This time, entering the throne room was different, and he’d found himself entering from the small hallway that lead the warlord to his escape. Ultimately, its significance to Jayt was in the new perspective it had given him of the room. He didn’t dare sit in the throne of another man, but from its vantage point, as well as having his back to the throne itself this time, he’d gotten a full view of the throne room.

Spanning from one ne dot the next, it seemed to be an oval shaped room lengthening the throne room to be quite the dramatic walk from the main entrance, from which the Sith emerged. Marking the half way point between the oval shaped room, two spires of magma assisted in lighting the room. Thankfully though, they were in some sort of, almost certainly pressure and heat resistant protection that allowed for no lava to splatter on visiting guests that, at the same time, allowed them to admire the beauty of what made up the Mustafari planet. This was more or less confirmed after a closer inspection that the lava did indeed splatter occasionally on the glass-like surface, jumping the short distance from the falling stream to the glass only to either dissipate or slide down immediately afterwards. From what Jayt could tell from his position on the stairs leading up to the throne itself though, there was some sort of deposit beneath the throne room floor that collected the lava to either reuse it in the fountain or to feed elsewhere into the palace.

From the very edges of the throne room, a short ledge held up positions in which the soldiers had stood during his initial visit to the throne room, giving them a sort of vantage point that allowed them to both stay out of the way without hindering them from keeping a very observant eye on guests that could potentially harm their leader, especially during his current recovery. However, instead of their usual perches on the rim of the room, they seemed to make a phalanx line of sorts from lava spire to spire, blocking the room at the mid way point. Incidentally, this allowed Jayt, and Valen, to descend the stairs from the throne into the oval in the middle of the room, incidentally hiding them in one way or another from the entering Sith.

It wound up taking a surprisingly immediate amount of time for the Sith to arrive into the throne room considering that they had travelled from the landing pad to the throne room in about the same amount of time it had taken for Jay to travel down the short hallway from the waiting room. It seemed that they wanted to waste no time; although it certainly made sense since they almost certainly wouldn’t have had much resistance thus far. Furthermore, Jayt was surprised that they’d come without their soldiers, likely opting to leave them outside or to secure the rest of the fortress. They’d be dealt with in short order, but first Jayt had these Sith to deal with.

Upon their entrance, the Sith that seemed to be in charge announced themselves, “We come bearing no ill will, we simply are here to challenge the great and honorable Warlord. Single combat is what we seek. You seek the strong, the Sith wish to answer your calling. Should you reject our challenge - the full might of the Sith will arrive on this planet regardless, and the lives of countless of your friends and family will die, all for nothing. Or is he too busy hiding in fear?"

The commanding Mustafari responded to him in confidence, “Our Warlord has a Champion," Which provoked another response from the apparently leading Sith, “Ah...champion? Aha. If he was too afraid, you should of told us. And you all - you accept your Warlord's fear in naming himself a Champion?"

Jayt tried his best to stifle a laugh at the Sith’s response, but he failed miserably, making a snort that echoed throughout the throne room, causing him to double over as the laughter seemed to flow freely, the few recognizable words seeming to be presented somewhere within his laughter.

“This is why… Ignorant to think… Hypocritical…”

Quickly gathering himself from his laughter, Jayt attempted to compose himself as he placed a hand on the shoulder of one of the Mustafari guards, stepping to the side to allow Jayt to make himself visible, the smile still wide on his face. It was the first time he’d been able to laugh as hard in a while, and its presence right before an imminent fight was very uplifting.

Taking a deep breath Jayt nodded his head, “Thank you for that. I needed that. To think that you are the only ones that want him dead… phew!”

Jayt was almost even baffled at how they could think that the Warlord wouldn’t have a champion, but clearly their intelligence was far inferior to that of the Jedi’s in not knowing that he was recovering from an injury, one he’d most likely sustained during another attempt on his life. However, Jayt didn’t hold it against the Sith. In fact, the main source of his laughter was in the oxymoron presented to him.

“So… you came for one on one combat, and yet you brought three Sith to do that?” Jayt remarked patronizingly.

Pretending to count on his fingers, he mouths the words ‘one… two… three… one,’ while looking up to imply thinking hard, “Yeah… that doesn’t sound like one on one combat. What were you planning on doing? One on one combat three times in a row? Pathetic.”

The irony was in the legion of soldiers they’d brought to simply make a challenge. For Jayt and his companions, he could have just as easily made the challenge himself when meeting with the Warlord himself. He was welcomed into the palace, proving that the necessity of the soldiers was zero. The only difference was that instead of fighting the Warlord’s champion, Jayt became the champion.

Jayt makes a hand motion, waving the Mustafari soldiers off to the ledge surrounding the room, allowing it to free up the flat place for the upcoming fighting to take place before adopting a more serious tone, “I am your Champion,” Jayt says while placing his hand onto the lightsaber on his hip, his fingers already poised on the activation buttons, taking note that there were two Sith in the room rather than the one Sith that he implied would be fighting him.
@Insoulent @Vinn Esper @Mr.BossMan @Valen Pelora @Versok

 

[Valen Pelora]

Valen’s head was spinning. One moment Jayt was asking him to plot a course through the tunnels of the lava world, the next striding towards invading forces. The Mustafarians were a resilient people. They would not be conquered easily, but they were no match for the Sith. The Brotherhood would bring warships, battalions, and the Darkside. Mustafar would fall. By the grace of the Light, the Jedi could hopefully stop the invasion before it began.

He could feel only two Force users, Dark pinpricks gathering ahead. The rest of the landing party would be soldiers. He glanced at Jayt moving confidently through the hall. He suspected his fellow Jedi was a more than capable fighter. If Valen could hold his own, perhaps the two of them could dispatch the Darksiders. If they could defeat the Force users, the invasion would come to a halt. He took one deep breath and shook his head. All they had to do was defeat two trained Sith, survive, and everything would be fine. Maybe. He prayed for the Light to give him strength. Thank the Force he wore the armor.

He tried to calm his mind as they walked towards the throne room. He paid little heed to their guides, the warlord or his fellow Jedi. He let the Lightside wash through him, carrying away his doubts, his fears. He was at peace. His nerves receded as he placed his faith in the Force. He was here for a reason. The Force would see him through. He was not the same man who had stepped on Argazda so many months ago. That man had feared conflict, had feared to fight, had feared to kill. Argazada, Chandrilla, Sophelus, Ryloth, and Coruscant had changed all of that. He was ready and willing to do whatever he must do. The Darkside was creeping across the galaxy, the Jedi had to be the Light. He would be a Light in the Dark.

Valen followed Jayt and the Mustafarians into the throne room. He hung behind his fellow Jedi as Jayt taunted the Sith. Valen grimaced. He thought it perilously unwise to provoke the Sith. They had enough to combat without adding fuel to the fire. He scanned the room as Jayt designated his target. Valen could still feel the Darkside but couldn’t find the source. He scanned the room again. Then he saw it, a diminutive cloaked figure wreathed in darkness. The other Sith. He absentmindedly spun his Lightsaber as he walked towards one side of the room. He pointed his Lightsaber at the tiny creature. He knew better than to underestimate an opponent because of their size. He was about 20 meters from the Sith when he adopted a defensive stance.

“That leaves you and me. I don’t suppose I could talk you into turning around and leaving?”

He brought his Lightsaber up, planted his feet, and breathed in the Lightside. He was calm. He was ready. They would win, because they had no other choice. He offered one last prayer to the Force.