Ask The Real Power in the Shadows

[Arla]

The conversation came to a conclusion, and the Falleen headed out. Arla continued eating in silence, mostly because she was still thinking about what had just happened when Caerllion spoke up.

She nodded, quite glad to hear what he was saying.

Good, I'm glad I'm not the only one who was getting bad feelings from him. I don't trust him at all. I would also feel better if he was dead, she said. Or thoroughly under our thumb, she thought to herself. She knew of the mind-breaking tools in her arsenal, but she wasn't so sure that he would be easy to break.

Though I'm doubtful we'll be able to get anyone into the meeting directly. It's likely to be very tightly regulated. Unless they go as Orlathan's guards, she said. She tapped her fingers on the table several times, considering the fallout of what they were proposing. They had already destabilized the planet's power structure, and it was only going to get worse. Much worse.

We're going to need those agents for hunting down the rest of the Falleen's men, too, she said. Though, I suppose that job will also fall to us. I don't want any dissenters when this is done, she said. She could already see how his men may claim the deal was off because he was killed in the crossfire.

What do we need to do to prepare for this meeting? Three weeks is a long time to wait, she said.

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

While Arla talked, Caerllion was eating some more of his food. However, he paid close attention to what the Champion was saying. The Annfyn shared these same conclusions with her, believing that Zunsuj would be a difficult individual for them to bring under their control.

“I share this same feeling. While official sources say that he wasn’t part of the Black Sun anymore, I believe that he could still be part of it. If I go with their plan, we can end having to deal with the presence in Collumex.” such possibility could end being a problem long term. “His death is for the best.”

“Sending the Sith agents as Olathar’s guards is perfect. We can instruct them to protect him, unless you think that we dispose of him already.” while he agreed that the Twi’lek wasn’t essential for the control of Collumex, he was proving to be a very useful pawn. Losing him so early in the game would be a shame, and replacing him would be problematic.

“We can also bibre the works of the place where the meeting was going to happen, while also studying the place for possible ways that the agents could enter here without being noticed.” with the time that they have, it could be arranged.

“I think that knowing where it is going to happen and ways of putting the agents here are our priorities.” with the meeting being in three weeks, Caerllion thought that they had much work to do. “Also, we need to know more details about their life. I think that their families would also need to be eliminated. At least those that could take vengeance or rebel against the Sith rule.”

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

No, I would prefer to keep Olathar alive. Someone who is actually loyal - or at least mostly - will be useful, she said. She just hoped he would be up to the task of actually keeping everyone in line. But presumably, he'd made it to teh Hutt's right hand for a reason. If he proved inadequate, he would be replaced.

Arla nodded in agreement to the rest of what he said. The families would need to be dealt with, he was right. It was unsavory business, but so was being a member of Black Sun. He knew the risks he had taken when he joined with them.

We'd best get to work, then, she said.

---​

The three weeks since they'd killed Garlon and taken over his business had been quite productive for the pair of Sith. Arla had become far more comfortable on the planet, and they'd managed to scout out everything they would need for the meeting. So far, there was no indication that the Falleen knew they intended to double cross him, but she wasn't going to rely on that.

The ten man covert team had arrived on world a few days after she'd sent for them, and they had also familiarized themselves with the meeting place. Two were already set to accompany Olathar, and the pair of Sith were on standby as well.

A large speeder was parked out front and contained the two Sith. Surveillance equipment operated by the agents had been set up, and she was struck by how remarkably professional they were. They exuded calm confidence in what they were doing, and it was reassuring to her even more so because it radiated in the Shadow as well. It wasn't just an act.

If all goes to plan, the agents will take care of things. If it doesn't, we'll need to finish things up, she said to Caerllion as they waited. Her lightsaber was with her, but hidden so as not to draw attention when they entered. If the Shadow was with them this would be over within a few minutes and the planet would be theirs.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion nodded, while eating another piece of meat. Since Olathar had been useful so far, the Acolyte also believed that he could remain alive. It would be a headache to find someone that was loyal and also understood the administration of Garlon’s business. Replacing him with a Sith would also be problematic, it could spark rebellions.

“Yes, we have much to do.” the Acolyte said, while finishing his dinner. While they had three weeks until the meeting, the two Sith still had much to do. Search, bribes and infiltration would be taking most of their time in the next few days. If they aren’t careful, there might not be enough time to make it all.

—--------------------------------------------------------------​

These three weeks flew by. Between the preparations for the meeting, Caerllion also had discovered more details about the life of Four. He hoped that using them would increase the chances of their purge being more successful.

At this moment, Caerllion was discussing the last details of the plan with Arla. The Sith agents were already prepared and would act as Olathar’s guards. Beyond that, they were also successful in placing some of them in the place where the meeting was going to happen. All that thanks to some bribes.

“I agree. They are already prepared to deal with the Four at the meeting. However, I think that we will need to do our part too.” he said, before picking his Datapad. “I discovered that Rim Bricktet has a family living here at Collumex. Their presence can be problematic to us long term.” the Acolyte expected that these people could lead a revolt against their rule, if they were left unchecked.

Then, he turned to look straight at the Champion. His voice had a serious tone. “For the good of the operation, I propose their total elimination, including his wife and children.” after saying that, Caerllion waited for her answer.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla frowned for a moment at his suggestion, not because she was angry or unhappy about it, but just because she was giving it thought. She could see why the proposal was being made - at least to a certain extent - but she was... unsure of it.

He's the most upstanding of those who remain. Do you think his family will have the leverage or wherewithal to cause problems? she asked. If need be, she would do what she had to do, but she also didn't typically kill people without cause.

If this were the Falleen - whose family we may also need to kill - then I would be more in agreement, but Brickett? she asked. And as she had made the statement, another thought - a potential problem - occurred to her.

If we're making the Falleen's death look like an accident, how are we going to justify the killing of the family? Stage it to look like retaliation from one of the other Four's remaining troops? she asked thoughtfully.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

”While they are common people, his children can grow up and become a threat for the Imperial control of Collumex. Even if he is upstanding, we can’t say the same of them. They will grow without their father’s presence. What if they decided to create their own powerbase? Or they become resentful with the Sith?” the Acolyte wondered if he was being paranoid. He had learned that when dealing with politics, there couldn’t be loose ends or they can return to trouble you.

“Regarding how we are going to do it, we could do as you said, or…” he paused, while looking at Arla. The Acolyte was unsure if the Champion would like the next idea. “We could cause an accident and if it was investigated, the blame would be placed over one of the other Four.”

With all this plotting against the life of an innocent family, Caerllion wondered if Arla would think that he liked gratuitous violence. However, he was only being pragmatic. Their existence was still a danger to their plan in the long term.

“Another option is that we simply find a way to maintain them away of Collumex. Maybe facilitating them to leave the planet, under the excuse that is for their own protection.” Caerllion would not mind if they used this plan too.

“However, it would be necessary to be careful for them to never return. Maybe putting them in the list of individuals that could be dangerous to the Empire and need to be watched. When they do something considered suspicious, they are terminated.” this was all that he could offer as alternatives to deal with this situation. Now the choice was in Arla's hands.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla considered what he said in silence, weighing their options for a long moment before making her decision.

Okay, we'll eliminate all the possible threats, she said. We can deal with Brickett's family ourselves and let the ISB troops deal with the Falleen's family. I like the idea of staging the Falleen's family's death to look like remnant troops from one of the other Four, she said.

And it was decided. That simply, the two of them had just decided to kill at least a half-dozen people, and neither seemed bothered by it. It was the nature of the work they did, and the Empire came first. Ultimately, all returned beyond the Veil. Death was not the end, only the beginning.

For the Empire.

Her attention turned back to the holorecordings from the meeting upstairs. It appeared everyone was in the room, and she watched with rapt attention. She let her feelings flow out as she watched what was happening, trying to gain a sense of the room even from just outside the building. From the recon she knew that if they went through the window above they could be inside the room in ten seconds, and that was good.

It began with some standard opening statements and greetings when the Falleen spoke up.

Unfortunately, there's been a change in management. With Garlon gone, I'll be taking over all operations. With Imperial backing, of course, he said. In a flash, Arla could see the Falleen guards whip out their pistols and open fire.

Blasterfire spat back and forth, and after only about 3 seconds, the holocamera had been shot out, leaving the two Sith completely blind to what was taking place within.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

”So be it. I’ll send a message to them.” Caerllion said, before picking his datapad and typing the instructions that the ISB troops would need to follow. “After the meeting ends, we can go visit Brickett’s house. We could use blasters to eliminate them, this way giving the impression that they were killed by one of the other Four.”

With this matter settled, Caerllion turned his attention to what was happening in the holorecording. The meeting was going to start and soon they would be reaching the moment that the purge was going to begin. Even if they had planned every single detail, the Acolyte was still nervous with the possibility of something going wrong.

While Zunsuj talked, Caerllion’s grip on his datapad increased. He wasn’t going to be able to relax now, when everything could go wrong. When the image in the holoscreen disappeared, the Acolyte knew that things were going to derail. “It isn’t good. We need to call the ISB and discover what is happening there.”

Then, there was a loud sound coming from somewhere outside the room and the entire building shook. “It’s an explosion!” the Annfyn stated the obvious. He moved to his datapad, seeking to make contact with the troops. However, there was no signal in it.

Suddenly, the door of their room exploded. Caerllion had only time to use the Korriban magick to create a shield around him and Arla, this way avoiding them being hit by shrapnel. From the smoke in the place where once the doors stood, came four droids that the Annfyn never expected that he was going to see in his entire life. “Are those Magna Guards? What in all hells is happening here?”

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Things sat wrong in Arla's stomach as she watched everything unfold and then the room detonated. She couldn't be sure what had just happened, but it wasn't part of the plan.

The door to the speeder was torn open in a blast, but the debris was already intercepted. She had never expected to see these droids, but there was a deep, burning hatred that bubbled to the surface. It wasn't often that Arla tapped into pure rage, but these droids had incited just that in her. They had been participants in the slaughter of Talzin's Clan in the Clone Wars. The predecessor to the Forgotten Valley Clan.

She drew the Shadow to herself and unleashed it in a concentrated blast outwards. All four droids were flung back, and Arla leapt forward, saber in her hand already. She didn't even know what she was doing anymore. She was no duelist, but she was passable with a saber and it was only a defense for her while she executed her opponents with magick.

She would have mentioned she thought they were being betrayed by the Falleen, but she was too blinded by rage to think about anything but blood.

She focused in on the droid to the far side of the group, wrapping the Shadow around it in a ring of green and flinging it once again at the wall, slamming it hard against duracrete. She didn't fancy fighting two of these things at once, so she knew they would need to deal with things quickly, but she had agility on her side as the others started scrambling back to their feet to attack both she and the Acolyte.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion had barely removed the shield from around the two and Arla had already moved against the droids. He watched the Champion attack the droids with the Force, sending them flying backwards. Her actions made him think that she was seeing nothing more than the Magna Guards.

Not wanting to stay only watching, the Acolyte moved to help her. Stretching his hand, Caerllion focused on one of the Magna Guards trying to get up. Rather than setting it on fire like how he used to do most of the time, the Annfyn created circles of red energy around its legs and arms.

When he closed his hand, the circles cut off the members of the droid, making it fall to the floor. Then, he moved with his lightsaber activated and cut off its head. While he did it, the other Magna Guards had already got up and were preparing to attack the two Sith.

As if it wasn’t bad enough, more Magna Guards were starting to come. Soon there were seven more of the droids, all of them armed with energy batons. Caerllion thought that they needed to get out of here or they would end up being overwhelmed with so many enemies.

“Arla, hear me! I think that we need to make a tactical retreat. Can you teleport us?” he said, while blocking an attack of one of the Magna Guards with his lightsaber. “Arla! Can you hear me?” he would say again, trying to bring her attention to him. Since the attack had started, the Champion seemed to have gone berserk like a beast.

If calling her wasn’t enough, the Acolyte would try to reach her through the Force. More three Magna guards would appear, making their time short. He could blast some of them with his magick, but it would end up making him tired. “Arla, focus on my voice. There are too many of them, we need to get out of here and regroup with the agents!"

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla's power was boiling, her saber slamming against the electrostaff and bending over the side, plunging the tip into the creature's chest and raking down. The Force clamped around another and flung it once again into the wall, several pieces of the century-old droid coming off but not "killing" the thing.

She heard Caerllion shouting at her, but she didn't care. She wanted the Falleen dead. She didn't want to retreat.

Go! I'll catch up! she said. Teleporting both of them out was far too draining, and frankly not what she wanted. Regardless of whether he retreated or not, she continued to press the attack, killing another of the droids only for three more to appear.

Her hand rose and green lightning poured from her, slamming into one of the droids and sending it twitching and spasming down.

KRIFF! she screamed, furious but as one of the electrostaffs slammed into her and sent her muscles on her side spasming, she knew she had no choice. She had to fall back or she would die.

Press on at any cost. Through victory your chains are broken, a voice said in her mind. A dark whisper that she wanted to listen to. But there was another part of her that reminded her of something more important.

Live to butcher him later, it said. The choice of word very particular. She would kill the Falleen, and he would beg for death before she granted it to him.

She was struck once again, but leapt forward, trying to avoid another strike as it came at her. Her saber was knocked from her hand and she let the Force flow through her, exerting all her energy in one final blast that knocked all the droids back.

Her face was hard, angry, but she snatched her saber and ran, making a beeline out of there and to the nearest speeder she could find.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

While he blocked the attack of another Magna Guard, Caerllion wondered if Arla was crazy. There were so many droids that he doubted that only the two of them would be able to destroy all of them. Even channeling all the anger that she was feeling at the time, the Annfyn didn’t think that the Champion would be capable of surviving much longer.

She wasn’t using her anger as a weapon, but allowing herself to be consumed by it. Arla could end up acting like an uncontrollable beast and leaving herself open to attacks. It was exactly what happened when the Acolyte was already sprinting toward the closest speeder. He had saw how the Champion was distracted in her fury and ended up not noticing one of the Magna Guards approaching and hitting her with its electro staffs.

Before the droid could hit her again, Caerllion had thrown a ball of Korriban magick at its body. It collided against the Magna Guard and exploded, destroying it. This was the last help that he could offer to her, because he soon jumped in a speeder bike and left the place. Now he could only hope that they would be able to catch up in a safe place.

—------------------------------​

After moving around the streets for some time to mislead possible pursuers, Caerllion went to an abandoned warehouse. He had sent the location to Arla, so they would be able to regroup here. With what happened early, Garlon’s estate wasn’t safe anymore.

While he waited for the Champion, the Annfyn was searching in the Holonet about what had happened. Apparently Garlon’s cousin, Tarlon, had decided to take Collumex as his territory after the death of his relative. He attacked the meeting and issued a message with his intentions. There is no information if the people inside the building were alive.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla had hijacked a speeder, ditched it, and paid for a cab out to the locations that Caerllion had sent her. She was still seething, but out of the fray of the fighting, exhaustion and pain had started taking more of a course. Her muscles were sore and spasming still, but she was in one piece, which was more than she could say for anyone at the meeting. She was highly suspicious that they were all dead including the quartet of ISB troops they'd sent in.

There were still eight more agents on planet, but they would be regrouping as well. The droid driving the speeder pulled up and she climbed out before heading inside the building.

She said nothing as she walked up behind him and looked at the holoaddress. Well, it was out in the open now. The Hutts were here, the public knew that the Empire was coming, and the bombing and assassination were out in the open. Of course, the Hutt was painting himself as being a protector, but they all knew that was a lie.

How did we kriffing miss this? she spat. Although it was directed at him it was directed at herself just as much. She didn't like being blindsided or making mistakes.

She didn't need to say that she was out for blood now, the only question was their next step. They could move in to clean this up themselves or they could call for reinforcements. Pass it up the chain of command and move to a full invasion. Doing so, however, risked losing them the influence they were trying to build in favor of some Moff, Master, or General that they went to for support.

We need to fix this. He'll be expecting us so we need to figure out what kind of resources he has, she said.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion didn’t flinch when he heard Arla talk. With the much anger that was coming from her, the Acolyte had felt that she was approaching even before the Champion had entered the building. He thought that with her fury being so apparent, even an Acolyte still in an academy would be capable of feelinh her presence.

“It seems that we were so distracted with the possibility of Zunsuj betraying us, that we didn’t pay attention to the possibility of another party interfering in our plans.” this was a terrible miscalculation on their part. Now they would need to correct this mess.

“The Hutt took control of Garlon’s estate, turning it into his headquarters. His men are patrolling the city, crushing any signal of rebellion." Caerllion said, repassing the information that he was receiving from the agents that were still alive. “Orlathar probably died during the meeting, so the place is empty. We’ll need to send agents to investigate his resources.”

While he read the information in his datapad, Caerllion started to think in a way that the Sith could turn this setback into an opportunity. “Perhaps we could turn the population to our side. Tarlon is also showing an oppressive side against them. If we could make it seem that our presence on Collumex is exactly because we were invited to stop this Hutt plot, then we could have some support.”

However, to make it work they would need to have more information about the Hutt’s plan and an inhabitant of the planet that could have been aware of Tarlon’s plans and called them to stop it. With how the situation was dire for them, such things would be difficult to find.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla thought about the suggestions he gave, but saw some potential issues with them as well.

Except Tarlon's already outed us. That'll be a hard angle to spin, she said. She took several deep breaths, doing her best to think clearly. Being rage-filled wasn't going to help anything if she couldn't think clearly.

She tapped her foot on the ground before finally moving over and taking a seat. You're right, we need someone local. Maybe even someone inside the Hutt's organization, she said. She had tricks that even he wasn't likely to know. Tricks that were old and secret.

If we can isolate one of them, I can turn him as a mole, she said. She didn't offer an explanation of how, but she knew she could get it done. She'd heard the stories about what her mother had done in the Republic in the old days.

We know Garlon's place, we spent three weeks there. Think we can find a way in? she asked. Or they could just bomb it the same way that they'd had their own meeting bombed.

Get a mole, that gets us inside, we take him out, she said. She half expected they were going to have to bring down a whole Hutt Clan, but maybe they'd eventually get the picture.

Then we go your route. Present it as cleaning up crime and the populace, she said.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

While the Champion explained what they should do, Caerllion wondered how she was going to convince one of Tarlon’s men to back their plans. Of course, they could use bribery, but Arla didn’t seem to be in the mood to do something like that. Perhaps she wanted to use violence to convince them. While this method was effective, there wasn’t a way of stopping a possible betrayal.

“I’ll send the agents to capture one of Tarlon’s men.” he turned back to the datapad, reading the most recent report that he had received. “He was now using his cousin’s place as a headquarters. He was seen arriving there by some agents. They are going to snatch one of his closest servants and bring them to you.”

“I know that it’s risky, but the agents believe that they already found a candidate.” he showed her his datapad with the information that the Acolyte had received. “One of Tarlon’s chief mercenaries seems to have already developed a taste for Collumex night clubs. They can take him there.”

With that settled, they only need to wait and hope that the agents would succeed with this effort. If they ended up failing in taking control of Collumex after all that effort, Caerllion would feel really pissed. He would even support the possibility of glassing the place, this way no one would have it.

“If you allow me to ask, how are you going to convince them of being our mole?” the Annfyn was really curious about it. “Are you going to use some method of bribery or blackmail?” he wondered if she was going to use something else.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla nodded as he mentioned that the agents could capture one of the men. That was fine with her, and meant she was going to need to turn her sights to the next phase of the job.

Magick, she said, except in this case it wasn't a joke like it would have been for most people who said it. But I need a place where I can work. Preparing for the ritual and eventually performing it, she said, pushing herself to her feet.

Somewhere in the woods, preferably, she said, pulling out her datapad and scrolling through some things before finding somewhere that looked adequate and holding it up for him to see.

How about here, she said. It was a small wooded area of forest just outside of the city limits.

We can have him delivered to us, I'll prepare for the ritual, and he'll be on our side... she said before pausing. ...Or he'll be a vegetable, she added. It was a difficult ritual and though she had learned it from her mother who had performed it around Arla's age, it wasn't quite a guarantee.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

When Arla said that she was going to use magick, Caerllion’s interest was sparked. The Acolyte had heard how Korriban magick could be used to manipulate the mind of other individuals, but he never tried to do something like that. It was an advanced ability that someone on his rank wasn’t prepared to do.

He wondered if Dathomirian magick was capable of doing something similar, or if Arla was going to make a ritual for other purposes. Whatever it was, Caerllion didn’t ask her for more details, preferring to wait and see what she was going to do. Perhaps he could learn some new tricks.

“Yes, this place seems suitable.” Caerllion felt a bit silly in giving this opinion since he had no idea of how her ritual would be. However, he knew that the woods distance from the city would allow them to not be disturbed with the presence of other people. “I’ll tell the Agents to bring him to the woods.”

The Acolyte stared at Arla when she said that if the ritual went wrong, the target of it would end as a vegetable. His reaction wasn’t because he was uncomfortable with the idea that a person would suffer, but because they had great chances of losing a good asset for their plans. Finding another one could be problematic and they didn’t have time for it.

This possibility of failure sparked a thought on the Acolyte’s mind. He wondered if it would be possible to bring people to their side without needing a complex ritual that could break them. The Annfyn would think about it in another moment.

“There is anything that I can do to help you during the ritual? Perhaps Korriban magick could be useful here too.” Caerllion was unsure if both magicks would work well together. Perhaps they could make an experiment today.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla nodded as they picked their location and knew the agents would do their job well. Now it was just a matter of getting herself centered and the ritual prepared. It wasn't a... hard ritual per se at least not when it came to preparation. It just took considerable concentration and precision once things were underway.

I don't know enough about Korriban magick to answer that, she said honestly. While her mother had found ways to blend traditional Sith magic with Dathomir magick, that wasn't the same as energy drawn from two separate worlds. Not to mention her mother was exponentially more knowledgable and powerful than either of them. For now, she told herself.

My gut tells me they won't blend well, she said. Like putting two predators to hunt in a single arena. They were more likely to kill each other than work together.

She reached up and rubbed her face for a moment. You might be able to help if I can draw on your focus, she said. It was a precarious technique, but she knew a way to allow her to draw on his energy during the ritual.

But that can be dangerous, she said. If I overdraw, the results could be... bad, she warned. It wasn't the same as drawing on your own reserves, and she didn't know how he would feel about it. Ultimately, it was his risk so his call.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion reflected on what Arla was saying. Indeed, blending these two types of magick could really end in a catastrophic way. Like how she said, they had no knowledge of each other's powers to attempt to use the two in this ritual. As far as they know, the two could end up dying in the process.

However, he contemplated if deepening his studies about the Arcane parts of the Force could change that. Perhaps he could even find a way to combine the two magicks in something new. Of course, the Acolyte would need her help for that.

With that thought on his mind, Caerllion contemplated the offer that Arla had offered to him. While it was dangerous, the Acolyte’s curiosity was making her contemplate the risk-benefit of it. “I’ll decline, perhaps in another oportunity. Our numbers are already depleted. If something happens to me, we are going to have even less people to fight in case of the situation becoming violent.” he justified his decision, not showing any sign of fear for his life.

In the end, the Annfyn was only doing what he thought was logical. Caerllion wanted to learn more about this ritual, but in the middle of a precarious mission like this one wasn't the ideal moment to do it. Even less try something experimental.

“Maybe later we could compare this ritual with one regarding mind control that can be done with Korriban magick.” he proposed. “While it’s advanced for me, we could still study it together.” then he turned to look at his datapad, where a message from the agents had arrived. “They are going after the mercenary, we need to go the woods.”

@Phoenix