Open Sullust Springing Lieutenant Aran

[Maxims Tionson]

Another Sith landed behind the infantile Sith Lord and suddenly things were getting so much dicier - namely because there was now lava involved, because of course there was. They WERE on Sullust after all. Someone, at some point, was going to use the lava against them - The Eternal kind of already had. Thankfully it split down the middle and half of it attacked the Sith Lord.

Neat - backstabbing mid-battle seemed rather Sith-like he would be honest.

Dodging to the left, he avoiding the worst of the lava that had been aimed at him and Hans both, waving his left hand as he did so to Push some of the heavier chunks away from himself. Hans could, and would, take care of himself. With the lava taken care of, he grinned at the greeting from the Sith Lord and felt it when she reached out with the Force to ensnare his neck.

Using the Force himself, he wrapped it around his own neck underneath her own control before rapidly expanding it outward to burst her noose-like grip on his neck, using his own Force to break the cohesion of her attack. It would be helped mightily by the fact that it was all he was focusing on and she was currently splitting her focus.

He also doubted he was the one she was focusing the most on - unless she took issue with polite greetings? Speaking of which...

"Your Shadows do good work Hans!"

Either way, he would move up closer to the Sith Lord instead of hanging back. Distraction was the name of the day after all and it was more distracting to be upfront. Assuming the same defensive stance he started his cautious approach against the Sith Lord, the Force ready to answer his commands.

@Dread @Wit @DarkSaber @Mr. Teatime

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

"Yes Izel, I hope I know what I'm doing too." The Zeltron was no military tactician—a police officer in training at best—so she had to learn on the go. "Try to keep people alive. Distract the Sith from Talak. Escape with Trys in tow. Don't get caught." Talak's plan wasn't too bad, it just didn't account for one small detail... THE KRIFFING DARK LORD ITSELF looming over the ramparts and unleashing hell. The Jedi sighed through her mask, her last thought reluctant: "Engage the Eternal?.. Only if there's no other way."

Taking cover behind Izel's rock—thank the Force that the lightning had stopped for the time being!—Nykoria reached out with her senses to try and better assess the situation. Her grasp on the battlefield wasn't nearly as solid as the Dark Lord's, but she hadn't been made a Master for nothing. Perception was one of her stronger suits, though she could normally see individuals, as if jumping from one to the other. They said that Oota Boan and Oren Zapan could do much more than that. Kori, on the other hand, just couldn't truly "let go" of herself.

The supposed "ranger" (@darkrei9n) is suppressed by repeater fire. Izel (@Reyn) is taking care of the gunner (@Eccles); time to take actual care of our ally. I reach out with the right hand, levitating one of the boulders—so graciously provided by the Sith—towards the man. If he crouches, it should serve as a good temporary cover.

Next up, Isen and Drow. Still alive and in the air. Isen got someone on his tail, but Izel is on it. Good. The senator is actually trying to deal with other repeaters on the walls? The fewer guards interfere with our escape, the better. Maybe, if Max and Hannibal were around.... Ah, there they are, still fighting the Sith. Don't seem to be in need of any help. With all the Jedi who came to Sullust, we might stand a chance. Even against the Eternal.​

Going farther and farther away from herself, Nykoria didn't notice as her conscience soared above the entire battlefield. It was a curious thing: seeing the entire battlefield and any individual at once. She felt the soldiers on the walls—her supposed "enemies"—wounded by the explosions, scared by the bombardments, angry and grieving for the friends they had lost. They weren't much different from the people who were fighting the Sith at the Sector Ranger HQ on Coruscant. Or the marines who fought and died by Kori's side at the battle of Ryloth. Just ordinary men doing their jobs.

Yet something wasn't right... Unnatural... Like a shadow above all of it, even above Kori. The otherworldly black void of rage that twisted, corrupted, and amplified every dark thought and emotion around it. So revolting that the Zeltron was forced back into her own body before she could even catch a glimpse of her only true enemy.

The out-of-body experience had only lasted for a few seconds. But even after that, the feeling of people suffering under the Dark Lord's ire—most of them even unaware of the true nature of their anger—didn't leave the Zeltron. On the other hand, the little success with "letting go" filled Kori with some confidence. For a moment, she even thought she had a plan for the Dark Lord. Not a plan B, C, or even D, but an option nonetheless. It was the last solution she'd ever use, so the Zeltron didn't share it with anyone yet. Hopefully, she'd have no need for it. But the situation was still salvageable.

Turning towards the ominous presence (@The Eternal), Nykoria simply looked towards it. Jedi and Sith could see much farther than normal people; so even at this distance, Kori hoped to see the culprit of everything that had transpired. A single thought crossed her mind; the thought that she feared would come to life: "Your move."

THEME​

 

[Ana DAmico]

The base was finally in full swing for its lockdown. The battle raging outside provided ample time for the hallways to seal and for security systems to go online, which meant that anyone breaking in or out of the base would have to wade through a sea of prison guards, defense droids, and hermetically sealed security doors. Ana felt confident that, with the help of the Dark Lord and one of the Dark Councilors outside, Sith victory was assured. Still, an uneasy feeling swept over her as her turbolift rapidly made its way down to the detention level the Ranger was being held on.

It was almost too perfect of a defense, even with the sheer chaos above. The Eternal could more than hold its own against a paltry gang of Jedi would-be heroes. Still, it was better to actually make sure their target was securely defended; trust but verify, right? Trys was held far below the surface of the planet, which meant that the Jedi would have to spend quite a bit of time traveling down to reach her, not to mention the return trip up, all while avoiding the guard positions and Sith defenders.

Eventually, she arrived on the cell block level and keyed in the access codes needed to unlock the turbolift. Once she stepped out, it sealed behind her with a quiet hiss, leaving her alone in the many long hallways. They were lined with cramped cells, each designed to isolate prisoners and aid in breaking them. Wails and pained moans occasionally echoed out, but they would never have an answer. Each cell entrance was sealed by an opaque shield that could be toggled by those with the proper access codes. There was no other way out of the cells but the door; the vents leading to each cell were simply small, spaced slits in the ceiling in order to prevent smaller prisoners from escaping.

Ana made her way down the rows of cells until she reached the one in which the Ranger was being held. A few guards acknowledged her presence, then resumed their patrols of the area; With the battle raging overhead, some of the prisoners had begun to cry out for help. Occasionally, they were remotely shocked by a passing guard just enough to shut them up. So far, nothing seemed to be outwardly out of the ordinary. She posted up against one of the walls and folded her arms across her chest, closing her eyes while she waited for the all-clear to sound out.

The overwhelming suffering permeating the detention block fed her dark soul. The Dark Side was strong here.

 

[Talak Rand]

Ana may have had an easier trip to the prison, but Talak had begun first and already arrived. He walked away from the guards he had just slain, and he could sense the darkness down here. The remaining guards had merely "vanished" from the block under violent circumstances and then he was there.

He could see Ana in the hall and he could sense the presence of Trys nearby as well. A single lightsaber glowed white in his right hand and the unignited hilt in the other.

Ana... he felt his breath catch in his throat. He didn't want to go through her. He wanted her to stand aside. But he'd reached out to her once and she'd rejected it. Now she stood in the way of him reaching the woman he loved. He wouldn't allow it.

He moved toward her, steady in his movements and eyes watching her.

Move aside, Ana, he said. He didn't want to do this, but he would. Nothing in the galaxy but death itself would stop him. @Painus

 

[The Eternal]

The Eternal was already irate about being attacked, but now that one of its own had opted to turn on the Council in the middle of the battle. It's ire zeroed in on Zarine. The attacks that had been tearing through the Jedi came to a halt.

The Sith had opted to assume that the Councilors would handle everything and then turned on their own in the middle of a battle. It would have none of this.

The Force wrapped around the throat of the Marauder. Its power was far greater than its underlings alone and it approached. It stepped with purpose, mindful that a battle still raged outside but intent on wringing the life from the one who could very well cost them the battle.

There was a good chance that Vyrassu would be overwhelmed and killed because this leech chose to attack its own.

The pressure around her throat would grow and she would feel herself grow weak, not from the lack of oxygen but from her very life, soul, and connection to the Force was drained until she was dry, an empty husk of a body. Lifeless. @Wit

 

[Isen Ramm]

Well, Isen's little disappearing act didn't work. He wasn't surprised. He was outmatched, there was no doubt about that. This guy was experienced and Isen was...well, he was still learning to fly with the necessary...pizazz...to be a good dogfighter. That was evident by his rear deflector shields taking some damage from the Interceptor. As a result, Isen didn't know how much longer he would last in this bird. As Isen came up over the wall, he saw that the Interceptor (@Darasuum ) had anticipated the move and was maneuvering to be right behind his tail again. And as fast the interceptor was, it appeared to be accelerating even more (due to the de limiter being hit). Isen pulled up on the stick to get some more altitude. He was going to need some space to navigate. He wasn't good enough to keep hugging the ground. The Padawan heard Drow over the comms lay out what he had accomplished and was about to ask the Jedi Knight to help him out in the dogfight, because without help, Isen was either going to die in a fireball or he would have to eject and hope he managed to survive....wherever he ended up on the ground...hopefully not a pool of lava. Izel, however, threw him a lifeline.

"Isen, if you can bring that tail in this direction I might be able to give you some help." Izel said. That was music to Isen's ears.

"Roger that," Isen said, and pushed down on the stick as he turned it hard and completely pulled off the gas to decelerate quickly. The result was rapid loss of altitude and speed. The Interceptor was moving and it was moving fast. Isen hoped upon hope that it would fly right over the top of his X-Wing as the result of Isen's sudden drop of speed and altitude. As soon as his X-wing completed it's 180, he accelerated full go. He needed space badly...Isen set his course not directly for Izel. He didn't want the Interceptor's blasters to be landing closely to Isen's allies. He would set a path to the left of Izel's location and circle around, giving her a long window to do...whatever she had in mind to do. With any luck, Drow would be on his way as well. Isen would take all the luck and help he could get.

@Reyn @Fantasy Liver @Catbert

 

[Juniper]

The frantic battle kept moving and Nara followed her friends, right into the erratic path of repeating blaster fire. It seemed to be aimed largely at the others but she lit her saber all the same, ready to slash and try and deflect anything coming her way. A good plan, until the rocks flew at them. Nara tried to dodge in and out of them, until one came right at her. With a slash, she cut through it and felt it spread wide... but it smacked into her cheek and arm, grazing her skin, cutting into the top of her shoulder. She felt warm blood ooze beneath her top and swirl in her mouth.

And that was before it appeared. The Eternal.

Every fibre, every cell of her being shuddered in revulsion and fear. She wanted no part of this. It was wrongness. It was evil. It was death, made in living form and ready to reap them all, barely anything but Nara's force of will keeping her moving. It felt like her body was in revolt, all of herself desperate to be anywhere else. Her legs felt like they were made of lead. Her arms sagged as she tried to hold herself in some kind of defensive form...

Until the ground cracked around her and the lava surged upwards, making Nara scrape and slide on the ground to avoid heading straight into one. Lucky she was so good on her feet. Luckier still when the lightning roared and sparked around them, as Nara rolled aside for more safety, feeling the pulse of the ground beside her where the bolts struck.

Her friends were around her, arguing over what to do. She felt their voices and heard their urges, Izel desperate for the attack and Kori... being Kori. She seemed to be half-zoning out, like she was hooking up to a power coupling in the middle of this ridiculous battle. Not that she could see much, with the clouds of ash and the haze of the heat around them. All while Izel prepared a fierce attack too.

To help, Nara stepped aside Izel and held her hands out, drawing on every bit of inner strength and concentration she had. Trying to shut out the horrors around her, trying to push past the physical, towards the deeper light within them all. Calling on that level of focus, pushing it through into the air around them. It shimmered in front of them, slightly distorting things in front of them. Nara held her hands out as her barrier emerged, providing them with some Force-based cover after Izel's attack. A chance for them to think.

With sweat beading down her forehead, Nara tore her gaze towards the wall. Up to... up to...

Holy shit.

"It's distracted... it's busy!" she yelled, seeing the Eternal move it's focus on someone else. "What do we do? We need to move!"

Spoiler: OOC

Sorry it's a late reply, personal circumstances meant I was occupied for a couple of days. I think I covered what I missed. Please just let me know if I've made a mistake/missed something.

@Catbert @Reyn

 

[Wiley Winnz]

The man had to make sure he fanned the triggers to his laser cannons and only when he thought he had a shot lest he risk crashing into the ground or pull from his starfighter's engine. The shields of the starfighter were depleting which was to be expected. Wiley was not trying to shoot his prey out of the sky just like that. The fear, the desire to escape and hide was palpable. The Sith was feeding off it like a shark on a blood trail.

The man sensed a tinge of something else in the air that followed. Almost like someone had put an annoying mint freshener in his cockpit. May that was what hope smelled like. Whatever it was, it caused the man to look up in time to see his target drop out of his sights for a split second. "Blast!" The Marauder's heart was racing and the pressure of his seat continued to remain as the thrust de-limiters never stopped. Wiley banked hard and fast but didn't sense the danger he had felt before in dogfights.

Coming back around. Maybe not a Knight then, maybe just a Junior brown robe. Wiley would have expected a Knight to put up a fight. But if it was a padawan, that would explain a lot. A second contact on the cockpits display showed one coming closer heading to meet the X-wing. Maybe they were elsewhere in the sky, or perhaps on the ground.

Whatever the case, Wiley's continued harassment of his intended victim would only be increased as the the Marauder activated the ground sweeper laser cannon. The modified weapon system came out of a covered compartment facing the rear and powered up, rotating around in a 180 degree to begin independently firing at the X-wing or any further target. The man flicked a switch and diverted power from the heavy laser cannon since the light laser turrets would be better at tracking the smaller craft. (@Isen Ramm )

THEME​

@Isen @Fantasy Liver @Reyn @Dread @Nefieslab @Wit @Mr. Teatime @DarkSaber

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel's heart caught in her throat as the Eternal suddenly turned it's attention towards Max and Hannibal (@Nefieslab @Mr. Teatime ), fearing the worst. She didn't have a clear view of what was going on past all the rocky terrain, but she could feel them through the Force. It was attacking... One of it's own? That's what it felt like, one dark presence lashing out at another. Perhaps the deep corruption of the world was interfering with her senses but that definitely seemed to be the case. Well have at it then. The Vratix thought to herself with some dark satisfaction. If the Sith wanted to fight amongst themselves that only made their job easier.

It seemed Nara (@Charndley ) took notice of the Dark Lord's change in focus as well. "What do we do? We need to move!" She shouted. Indeed, but where to? Personally Izel would have liked to resume the assault on the fortress now that an opportunity had arisen, but she would keep to Kori's (@Catbert ) direction for now. The Master would decide where they went from here. In the meantime she had her Padawan (@Isen ) to worry about. It seemed he had received her order, and was coming her way. Through the Force she could sense his approach, and that of his pursuer (@Darasuum ) as well. This wouldn't be easy. She would need to time things just right...

"Let's clear the skies first..." She said absently to Nara as she began to draw the power of the Force to her once more. From one of the fissures the Eternal had opened in front of them lava began to bubble up and rise unnaturally. Thanks for the idea you monster... She thought again. More and more lava rose up, breaking away from the main mass and being pulled together in a ball, Izel moving her hands to keep all the liquid together as she kept her eyes on the sky. Hopefully they would be low enough for this to work. She mentally calculated the distance and speed of each starfighter. Closer... Closer... Almost... Now!

With a great heave of her arms Izel hurled the ball of lava up into the sky right as Isen soared overhead, giving the Padawan just barely enough time to slip past unscathed. Then she opened her palms and the lava spread out in a great wall, right in front of the oncoming interceptor. She didn't know how thick it's armor was, but if the lava wasn't enough to destroy the fighter hopefully it would blind him long enough for Isen to wrap around and fire on it. Unless of course the pilot was skilled enough to evade the rapidly expanding wall. But to Izel's senses the Sith seemed too razor focused on gunning down her Padawan to react in time.

 

[Nobody]

The Jedi nonchalantly dropped his saber to block the lightning; however, his attention was elsewhere. Force lightning needed to be blocked with the Force; lightsabers had an electrical current, and thus, they were merely utilized as a tool through which to absorb or reflect the lightning's current. Nevertheless, he was met with success. Lightning was sporadic and random; the light side absorbed the dark energy into the glowing blade with ease.

Out of your peripheral vision, you can see the Sith Lord dodging an attack with lava and realize why the lightning strike was not the Jedis focus. You feel the flow of the Force as an explosive shock makes its way into your senses; your mind is racing and you act quickly. Instead of pivoting, however, you simply retain your hand in your cloak and shove with a wide yet short telekinetic push. It's already facing backwards and around your midsection, so the shove should be enough to stop any particles that are an immediate threat to your being. You have no idea who truly sent the lava, assuming its original source had been the Jedi anyways. Your cloak is lightly attached and rips clear off; it's a stroke of luck as the close particles could've easily caught it on fire.

You are confident that the council member can take on the other two and decide to see if this man would fall for the same trick (certainly he wouldn't expect it again) he had formerly. As the Sith Lord turned to be able to view both of her assailants (you hadn't realized the treachery yet), she has her back to you and should not be affected. A blinding flash appears as your left hand procures an incredible light; your eyes are closed, but you can still see through the force, ready for any attacks. After the light goes out, the Jedi would hopefully be blinded momentarily as your eyes open, lunging quickly with the right hand drawing a saber and igniting it just as fast. You would cover the distance in at most two seconds, stabbing straight forward for his midsection as, ideally, he recovers from the flash of light and the lightning deflection.
@Mr. Teatime @Wit @Dread​

Spoiler: OOC

I fired lightning as soon as I saw the intended target; Zarine saw us "facing" each other and began moving towards us. Not only did the attack come before the lava throw, but there was at least a second delay as well. Good luck! (Ping me in Dis if Disagree)

 

[Drow Venn]

Drow was busy trying to fight through the lightning storm, trying to make it to a safe distance when all of a sudden it all stopped. Evidently, the Eternal had found something else to distract himself with that didn't involve throwing lava and lightning at everything on the surface of this planet. While Drow was grateful for the reprieve, he was now faced with the question of what to do now.

His orders to retreat had not been overridden so Drow continued to gun his Y-Wing forward to be a safe distance. It was entirely likely that the strike team would need a bombing run or air support and he wanted to be alive to provide it for them. Honestly, they'd probably need an extraction at this point but in his one-mans starfighter, he wasn't going to be any help there. So, as it was, he'd probably just have to distract the fortress while the Jedi made a mad dash for their ships across the plains. Drow had to admit, he'd seen better strategies.

But that wasn't his place to question, no matter what his mercenary experience was telling him.

Instead, he checked on R2-500. The poor droid was still unresponsive but Drow's Y-Wing's console still registered that a droid was plugged in so he could probably repair the little guy once they got off this rock. He steered his Y-Wing straight, continuing his path until he was roughly one whole minute by starfighter away from the fortress. As he flew, his comrades grew smaller but the imposing fortress still loomed. A minute's distance was quick enough Drow would be able to quickly come to his companions' aid but far enough away that nothing from the fortress could really touch him. Once he arrived at that minute distance, he'd slowly circle the perimeter of the place, waiting for a call.

 

[Preef Callo]

Preef had a mad grin on his face when he saw that suppressing the human (@darkrei9n) had worked and he was separated from the rest of the jedi attackers as the cracks in the ground widened and lava became an insurmountable barrier for someone to cross without the aid of the Force. The human would be all alone now and Preef could take his time to rip out his guts. The rodian was startled by his own thought and snapped out of it just in time to drop to the floor to avoid a swarm of small obsidian shards to rip him to pieces. They had been extremely difficult to see and Preef could only thank his natural reflexes for not dying to the jedi's (@Reyn) attack.

"Bantha-kriffer!" Preef gasped as he quickly rose back to his feet and only then realized that the motherkriffing Eternal had arrived on the scene. With all he's heard of the masked Dark Lord of the Sith and all the atrocities his underlings were responsible for, Preef expected to be shaking in his boots. For some reason he wasn't.. the Dark Side of the Force did something very different to the rodian as the malicious grin reappeared on his face. Now with his blaster pistol firmly in his right hand, Preef stepped forward and join the Eternal in the latter's descent down the ramp. His eyes scanning the chaotic battlefied, the lone human, the group of jedi in the distance and.. the two jedi closest to the Eternal's victim. (@Nefieslab @Mr. Teatime) While mindful of the others, he focused on the two closest jedi.

Hearing the short exchange of words between them, Preef shoot at the first (@Mr. Teatime) from the hip. The chaos of several Sith doing Preef-knows-what with the Force and on top of that the Jedi himself trying to outsmart another Sith with the same magical energy, perhaps the Rodian hoped a quick shot towards the gut would come unexpected.

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

Spoiler: OOC & Positioning & TL;DR

Kori goes towards the Hannibal/Max vs Vyrassu/Nobody fight. She also calls in Drow for an attack run on the fortress. As per the map Eccles drew on Discord, they approach from different (maybe even almost opposite) directions. So, Kori would be about 40 meters away from Vyrassu and 70 meters away from Preef and the Eternal. To get within lightsaber-fighting distance though, the Jedi would have to cross a lava stream.

Whoever walks by Kori's side may (and probably will) be getting involved into a PVP and attacking/getting attacked this/next turn. With all those posting times, autohits, and stuff. Figured I should make it clear.

"Kark, it IS on the move!" Nykoria had one job: to keep the Eternal distracted. Technically, she was successful. But an idle or a storm-calling Eternal was better than the Eternal heading for Max and Hannibal.... Who already had enough on their plate. As Nara astutely pointed out, something had to be done. Like Kori, the human Jedi was scared drukless. Yet Nara fought through it, defying the horrors surrounding her. Sensing that only strengthened Nykoria's resolve; when the crunch came, Nara always was an example to follow. Be it on Ontotho, on Batuu, or on Sullust. The Zeltron Master was proud to have known her. "Come what might. A Jedi's life is sacrifice..."

A scoff came through the helmet, but Nykoria wasn't upset or frustrated. After a mere moment of hesitation, she stepped towards the grounds that the Force seemed to have chosen for that showdown. "We help our friends," she replied to Nara and everyone nearby with a calm resolve, as she continued walking; speeding up as she went.

The realization that the fight was now unavoidable was... liberating in some way. For all her training and experience, Kori still had attachments she couldn't fully let go of. Like her parents and siblings on Coruscant. She had always feared that the Sith might eventually use them to get to her. But after that fight, it wouldn't matter. She would either emerge victorious against that threat, or fade into the Force and irrelevance, securing her family's safety that way.

This new-found knowledge gave the Jedi Master some peace. Putting her fate into the hands of her training and the Force granted serenity. For even if she failed, there would be others who may succeed. For all the chaos the galaxy had been through, harmony always remained. Even if Kori died that day, the Force would still remain, seeking to maintain balance.

"Perhaps the Force itself has internal conflicts. Just like any Jedi." Maybe the gathered Jedi really were the light meant to meet the Eternal's rising darkness. "Only one way to find out." With trusted friends by her side, Nykoria felt less afraid. She just wished that Nara and Izel could share in her newfound confidence. If the Zeltron had become stronger for it, maybe her friends could gain something from it too.

Holding up her comlink, Nykoria spoke to anyone who'd be on the Jedi frequency: "The Eternal is on the move. The storm is over, and I'm heading for Max and Hannibal. Drow, that might be your opening to have another go at the fortress. Knock out their weapons, keep them pinned..." Kori paused again, shaking her head. "Stay alive and... Avoid casualties, if you can. The guards here are not our enemy. Only the Sith are."

With that, the comlink was clipped to the belt again. And one of the blades extinguished, leaving the saber-staff in Kori's left hand in a forward-facing grip. She reached out to the twin azure crystals that formed the core of her blades. The connection she had established with them during the Gathering all those years ago...

After the years, Nykoria began taking it for granted. But this felt like a good time to reevaluate a lot of things... such as living and breathing. Or the bond that the Zeltron had with the tiny sparks of warm light at the hearts of her hilts. "A Jedi is never alone, huh? Maybe they're right. Thank you... For always being by my side." That last thought was directed at Nara and Izel too.

Nykoria was still about 40 meters away from Hannibal and Max. So close... yet the last stretch was the hardest. Kori saw a narrow stream of lava a dozen meters ahead from her. It would cut off her path, and she'd have to jump across if she were to join the other Jedi and fight by their side. But she didn't take that maneuver just yet. It would've put her dangerously close to the Rodian gunslinger who accompanied the Dark Lord. They were roughly at a similar distance from the fight, but were approaching it from the opposite direction; almost twice the range of the stun pistol that the Zeltron had in the holster on her hip.

She saw and heard the quick shot that the Rodian gunslinger took at Hannibal. But at that moment, she had just barely gotten in range to use her own weapon on one of the Sith already engaging Hannibal and Max. Whatever happened next could define not only Nykoria's fate, but the fates of the Jedi, the Sith, and the galaxy... At least until the wheel would turn again.

@Charndley, @Reyn, @LeonDrandell
@Fantasy Liver (still in the air)
@darkrei9n (your senator seems to be farther off from our group)

 

[Crix Aran]

Alright so the life support system was constructively broken to now start allowing a greater build up in carbon dioxide within the detention level. With the number of people down here (well with the number of people he thought were down here) it could be that the levels started to rise rather quickly so he was going to need to get a move on. With the two extra rebreathers attached to the back of his belt, Crix left the life support room quietly, expecting someone to almost immediately jump him.

With the vibroblade he'd stolen from Talak's ship in his right hand and his blaster pistol set for stun in the left, he took a deep breath and started moving. The air felt thick as though weighed down by something and he knew, logically, that it didn't have anything to do with his adjustments to the life support. Only some hard activity would show any signs of more carbon dioxide in the area... so it was probably a Force thing.

Made sense - it made his stomach want to rebel and throw up everything he'd eaten in the last year. Luckily for him, his nerves had kept him from eating much recently so there wasn't any ammo in that chamber as it were.

He might not know how to throw a boulder with his mind but he knew what it felt like to be surrounded by evil - and he knew what it felt like to know that his mom was close by. The Dark Side felt like it was a snowstorm, with temperatures so cold that his fingertips burned from it's touch and everything felt so disconnected from him. It felt like he was alone and there was nothing he could do about it.

But beneath all that? Wrapped up tightly as though smothered and entrapped? Was his mom.

She felt like... a hug.

Like the last hug they had shared before the Galaxy had ramped up and suddenly they were apart. He remembered that last hug; remembered awkwardly trying to shuffle out of it. Remembered how soft and warm his otherwise unyielding mother was when she allowed herself to stop being the Sector Ranger everyone relied upon and to just be his mom. Remembered how she had held him close and he had, without meaning to, taken in her scent of strong coffee.

In the midst of the snowstorm that was the Dark Side's hold on the detention level, he could feel his mom's arms around his shoulders and smell the coffee on her breath.

"Mom...!"

Turning a corner onto the detention block, Crix froze at seeing the Sith lady (anyone in a Sith base wearing that much black was obviously a Sith) standing in front of a cell he knew held his mom. Oh and there was Talak, on the opposite side of the Sith woman.

Kark.

@Phoenix @Painus @Sreeya

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Oho, the Sith (@DarkSaber ) was paying attention and had turned down the gift, so Hannibal reset his hand back by his waist and belt. Though he was disrobing, so maybe he'd liked it a little too much? Could never tell with Sith, the mad lads. What with the clothing removal the masked Sith was probably getting ready to- Yeah, there it was.

Above all else, Force Flash required the element of surprise and, ideally, a closer range. But this guy had used it on Hannibal during their last encounter and he recognized the movement and the flow of the Force this time around. Between that and his tinted faceplate the Jedi was able to blink through it as the flash went off, turning his head a little away. The flash itself was little threat- HOLY KARKING SHIT!

At the last second Hannibal twisted his hips right along with his guard on reflex, a particularly accurate shot from someone on the wall (@Eccles ) streaking toward his midsection. Luckily he already had his guard in that area or he might not have moved it in time, the shot deflecting off his lightsaber and glassing a tiny section of black sand half a meter away. Did he fire that from the hip? The hell kind of crazy mercs were the Sith hiring?

But now the Sith was closing into melee range, drawing his weapon and running to try and take advantage of his trick. Hannibal reset his guard back, making sure to keep a mental eye on the shooter, and braced himself for the countercut. @Nobody thrust forward toward Hannibal's midsection, but he was trying to thrust past the Jedi's guard at a target in a side-face stance.

Hannibal drew his original green-bladed lightsaber with his right hand at the same moment, stepping slightly right and parrying the thrust left with the lower third of the silver blade in his left hand. At the same time as the thrust and parry his right-hand saber ignited forward at waist height just to the Sith's right and swung horizontally right, aiming to bisect him through the waist in a quick motion while keeping the lightsaber's tip facing forward for follow up.

Even if the Sith survived- Force users had a knack for surviving some crazy stuff- a clean hit was a fight ender and a partial hit could well be disabling. Which would be great, since the Eternal was making his merry way down toward them. Hannibal could feel the creepy masked presence getting closer. Maybe some other Sith would chuck lava at him too, that'd be nice.

@DarkSaber @Nefieslab @Eccles @Phoenix @Dread

 

[Wiley Winnz]

In a flash the Sith Marauder had caught up to the X-wing. The standard light laser cannon and the ground sweeper combined pierced the shielding and mortally damaged the starfighter it was targeting. Some of the engines went instantly down and the ship began to drop. Wiley knew what that meant, a subsequent crash or ejection in the next moment as the moment of victory passed in slow motion. Moving out of the way of the dangers of a crashing or exploding starfighter, the Sith broke off before coming back over the field where the ground battle had taken place. It felt like a maelstrom in the force that was churning from that nexus and it was best to not get sucked in. The ball of lava formed by the Veratix, hurled up into the air would go through the air in what would have been Wiley's path, harmlessly sailing through the air in vain.

There was still the Y wing somewhere. The pilot disengaged the thrust de-limiters after gaining some altitude. The scans ran searching for contacts would have him doing a wide sweep over the area and communicate his findings. But there was only so much he would be able to do from the air.

The supernatural storm continued to rage and Wiley was not about to flythrough it to chase after the Serendipity. "Shot down one x-wing over sector 4-J. I'll do another pass. Might want ta send a probe droid out there." He made a mental note to add an X-wing silhouette on the side of his A-9 when he next got the chance. A chuckled followed as he thought of the word 'probe'. It would be rather obvious his interceptor was coming around for another pass. For a starfighter, the distance the search area and the ramparts to the fortress itself were not too far apart. The A-9 continued to slow down, he would need to be able to see what was on the ground afterall and that was harder to do when breaking the sound barrier.

THEME​

@Isen auto hit and crash imminent on (@Isen Ramm ) due to not addressing attack in previous post
@Fantasy Liver @Reyn @Dread @Nefieslab @Wit @Mr. Teatime @DarkSaber

 

[Ana DAmico]

Ana knew exactly where she needed to be in order to deny their enemy access to the prisoner, and, even though Talak had beaten her down to this level, he still had to feel his way around blindly until Trys was located. Regardless, she now blocked the path to Talak’s prize. Still, she was unprepared to see the man after so long, and when they had finally made contact, a twinge of panic ran through her just as it had all those years ago when he set her down this path. Unlike back then, however, she knew to take that dark emotion and bend it to her will to lend her strength, and that is what she did.

”The betrayer has come back for what was once his,” she jeered, pointedly ignoring his order to step aside. Her lightsaber sprung to life to match his, the red of her blade bathing her in an ominous glow in contrast to the purity of his white saber. ”Is it the Jedi way these days to throw away the lives of so many for one person?” she asked, regarding Talak coldly. She could still feel the sting of his abandonment of the order, of his dreams of forming a lasting Empire. It was a hollow feeling, and seeing his continued survival was almost an insult to everything the Eternal stood for.

Another joined the fray before she could speak again, this time a young boy. Ana’s lips curled into a gentle smile when she saw him, her venom-green eyes studying his youthful face for a moment before settling back on Talak. ”A boy?” she remarked amusedly, ”Is he here to die for this woman, too?” She remained still, keeping her lightsaber held low and putting herself between them and the cell.

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak didn't want to go through Ana. She had been a friend and he wished he could have brought her out of the Sith with him. He had tried to reach out to her. He had met with her. She didn't want any of it.

And now she stood between him and the woman he loved. He couldn't have that. She refused to stand aside.

He advanced toward her without wasting any more time. He offered no response to her quips and insults, his mind was far too focused on the best answer to getting to Trys. That was until he saw Crix.

There were no words for Talak's reaction. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. After all that Talak had gone through to get him to safety and now he showed up here?! In the heart of Sith territory!

The moment of anger was replaced by the realization that Crix could get Trys out while he dealt with Ana. The sooner they were off this planet, the better.

You don't even believe in the Eternal. Just leave them, she said plainly. He didn't count on it gaining any traction, but he could try.

Either way, he wasted no more time. Her blade was held low and he struck. His saber lashed out at her, moving like a blur. His intent was to drive her back, force her to submit or face injury. But more than that, he hoped she would actually listen to him, heed his words.

 

[Darth Vyrassu]

Her choke was pushed away from the Jedi, but the pathetic Sith (@Wit / autohit from time out) that attacked her slammed into the ground so violently that her skull cracked open. Blood began to leak from that crack. The Eternal's attack followed swiftly after; while the woman lived through the slam, she was swiftly drained of life after. Now that she was dead, she was put completely out of the Dark Councillors mind.

All that was currently focused on her was the hide-and-seek Jedi (@Nefieslab). Vyrassu tipped her head curiously at the man, feeling that he was troubled by something. Perhaps it was simply the battle, but the Force told her it may be more. She decided to play a little with him before he closed the gap between them.

Her saber was still up and the ready should he try something tricky on the way, but instead of lashing out, she suddenly and violently dug into his mind. All she went for was surface level, to rip out a few thoughts before he'd likely try to force her out. She was more powerful than him, and he was her sole focus in the moment.

She saw three images, quick and simple. The Coruscant prison. A funeral. A face. All the images came with an inkling of... sadness, perhaps even... anger? Emotions that she could potentially exploit. Emotions that the darkness fed on. It all clicked suddenly as she recalled the single time she'd visited Coruscant. It was a face she'd forgotten till now.

"Oh, you cared for that kitty cat, didn't you?" she said loudly, since they still had some distance between them. "Well, I gave her head back to her Jedi friend, but he left it behind. It's probably still there if you want it," she added with a shrug.

 

[Drow Venn]

"On it!" Drow commed over to his comrades, as he engaged his thrusters and headed back towards the fortress. While the Y-Wing was often laughed off by other pilots when it came to dogfighting, Drow was a firm believer in the craft. And while it was true that the Y-Wing was a bomber first and a fighter second, its maneuvering capabilities and powerful weapons more than made up for its slower speed in Drow's mind. Besides, he'd flown in enough battles to know that speed was just as likely to get hotshot pilots killed as it was to help.

So, as it was, he shot his ship forward, unafraid of the Interceptor. Since he'd been circling the perimeter of the fortress, he had a straight line to the fortress and began blasting with his laser cannons and fired off one more torpedo at it, keeping a watchful eye in the skies for enemy craft. Since most of the turrets were out of commission, Drow focused his laserfire instead on the hangar of the fortress itself. This effect was threefold - it would scrap any other enemy ships that could be launched, it would cause further confusion and mayhem for the enemy, and the loud noise would alert the Interceptor to his location. After the first couple bolts hit the fortress , it would be followed by the loud explosion of the proton torpedo slamming into the hangar, no doubt rocking the fortress (that @Ana DAmico @Talak Rand @Crix Aran could probably feel being inside the walls ).

Drow would keep firing at the fortress unless someone tried to stop him. While he hated the thought of innocent guards being cut down in the blast, he hated the thought of his Jedi companions being cut down even more. As evil as the Sith could be, Drow sincerely hoped none of them were injured in the blast. No one was ever really truly gone after all. He was living proof of that after all.

"Come on, come on..." Drow said, hoping the Interceptor would engage him. Drow was confident enough in his piloting to be able to keep the Interceptor off of his friends' backs for awhile but he couldn't help but wish that Talak would hurry up with the rescuing already. He put such thoughts aside. They were most un-Jedi like.