The Sister of the Eye of Palpatine [Jedi Mission]

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

The Sister of the Eye of Palpatine

Location: Rothana​

This dangerous weapon of an ancient Emperor had resurfaced and he had to help prevent it from being created. A small band of Jedi were recruited to seek out the information of its schematics on a distant, frozen planet with hostiles of an unknown level. But to bring along three Padawan as well as himself and one other, the mission would be completed and successful. He didn't doubt his own ability, not anymore. After his mission on Corellia, he was more sure of himself than ever. In the hanger, he readied his body with a Valor that proved powerful and permanent. Hopefully the Padawan with him would feel comfortable and sure of him if they weren't already sure of themselves.

"The Light will protect and guide us, my Padawans. There is nothing we can't accomplish when we call to the Light. We are powerful because the Light is powerful and, thus, we cannot perish."

These short pep-talks had become commonplace before missions. If they weren't to others, they were to himself. Conflict was always difficult for him to anticipate but he was able keep his emotions level and allowed the Light to consume him and shield him from the Darkness. The few times he's implemented Vaapad, the Darkness had flowed through him and into the opponent, effectively converting the evil to his opponent and using it against them. It was always very controlled and even withheld. His confidence was high and he felt no doubt within him about this mission.

He did not rise from his meditative state until everyone was present and they were told their vessel was prepared to take them to Rothana, which he knew nothing about. He couldn't help remember the mission on the unknown planet he went on with an old friend, Akacen. This was a distant memory but a fond one regardless of the horrifying sights they witnessed. These Padawan were stronger than him at their age, so he had confidence in them as well.

 

[Fusion]

Those words... mean very little to me, Knight Solborne.

Atreia had worn her traditional Sith-style armor with a heated bodysuit underneath to keep her warm. Her cheek tendrils twitched, irritated by the cold temperatures of the planet.

Do not take my words as insulting, but I find the thought of the Light and only the Light being the force we should rely on rather ridiculous.

Crossing her arms in the armor she wore, Atreia leaned back against the wall of the vessel they were in as she waited for them to reach the site of their objective.

 

[Nirvana]

His padawans, he wasn't his master. He had one, but he understood the reason why he said something like that. To make them feel safe about this mission, John didn't want to feel safe. He wanted to know the danger of the mission, he wanted to know what he would go up against. The power of the light, the power of light was non-existing in him, it was only the force. Nothing more, nothing less.
John almost smiled at the words Ateria said, she was wearing a sith armor from what he could tell. Even though he didn't know much about the woman, it was still to have her on their side. Though it might just be an act, but he didn't care about it now, they were on a mission.

 

[Django]

"I am not your Padawan, Knight. I am a Padawan. But you are not my Master and I do not seek comfort from your words. I seek wise words gained through experienced, and nothing more. Now if you would, lead us on, Knight Solborne. We have work to complete."

Shoza said the words with a slight chuckle to show the Knight and the other Padawans she didn't mean any disrespect. She scanned her fellow Padawans. Ateria, she had heard about this one. A Sith pureblood... she would be interesting. Shoza wouldn't be surprised if Ateria turned back to the way of the Dark. And a younger man who she didn't know, he looked like an interesting characters. He looked youthful but old because of his scars. She hadn't earned very many for herself yet.

 

[Batman]

Terri entered the hangar and steadily made his way toward the crowd of Jedi who were getting ready to leave. He was wearing his issued cold-weather equipment that would stop him from freezing to death or becoming hypothermic. Other than his CWG, Terri had brought an array of surveillance equipment, a knife, and some small rations. Even though Terri was an Initiate, he had found himself assigned to this mission and hoped to gain valuable experience that would help him later in life. This mission wasn't considered to be relatively dangerous, the danger was more of getting lost and being captured instead dying by the blade. Terri was well prepared to subdue his enemies and even prepared to kill if necessary, on his way to the hangar he had acquired a single blade lightsaber from the armory; he had felt that his training with a vibro-sword while practicing San Soo would be similar to the single blade.

"Hello everyone! How's everyone doing?"

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

It seemed none of them understood his words. They may have heard them and taken the literal translation of such, but it was clear they weren't wise minds. It didn't matter to him, though. There was no time to explain what it was he meant by "the Light" that the Jedi were to follow and how they were "his Padawans" under his protection for this mission. The Light was not a characteristic of the Force, he knew that. The Force was the Force, but Jedi follow the Path of Light, of Peace, Knowledge, Serenity, and Harmony. They were too young and naive or corrupt to understand such lore at this time, but the announcement for their shuttle to Rothana called again and he rose to lead them to the shuttle.

He wouldn't admit to such, but he was truly offended by these Padawan's words, regardless of how they may have put it. They didn't see him as their superior or someone to respect or look up to. They just saw him as someone else on the mission. Perhaps he was to learn something from this, and not them. Regardless, he was silent during the entire flight, meditating deeply in order to ignore any more biting words from the Sith, the Man, or the girl. The boy who entered last was given a silent nod and a flat smile. He meditated on his knowledge and wisdom acquired over the few years he'd been a Knight. Perhaps this was the cause of their attitude toward him and his words.

"No one is wrong here. Your words were pure as were their responses. You have no control over how they interpret your words. Do not linger over these thoughts," a voice whispered to him through the Light. A more genuine smile would show on his face. If was then the shuttle had landed on the icy planet where they were to conduct this search mission for schematics to a devastating weapon of the Empire. He quickly rose to exit before the others, waiting for them to form a small circle in the freezing winds blowing around the hardened snow.

"There will most likely be resistance when we get closer to our target," he began. "If it isn't the Sith then it will probably be mercenaries attempting to gain some sway over others who owe them money. Regardless, this isn't going to be a safe mission without any toils. I expect everyone to stay together unless I explicitly say otherwise." He thought being more direct, authoritative, would prove more effective. "Everyone will need to hold their own."

Since he felt compelled to speak in such a tone, he felt uncomfortable after as he led them to their first location. They landed in a remote location, the only small building being that of a small satellite station that tracked the weather conditions while also having notes of surrounding key points within the terrain. He was told that they were to travel to a small cave to the southwest first as that was the last sighting of any traces of electronic activity unconfirmed by the inhabitants. He quickly exited the hut and into the cold with his normal dressings and showing no signs of hypothermia. Force Body was able to keep his body warm in such conditions, and with a natural Revitalize as well as Force Affinity being practiced and almost perfected together, the deep and hard snow they had to trek through on foot did not bother him.

Terri was directed to stay directly behind Sebastian, with Atreia next, then Shoza, and then John in covering their rear. If there were unfriendly forces already at this cave, they would have noted the landing of the spacecraft and would expect them to use it to approach the cave. The shuttle would be their first target, so travelling on foot and in the cover of the storm, they'd be safer longer, even though the time it would take to arrive there would be cut. He looked back several times to make sure everyone was doing alright, but the visibility decreased as the wind picked up. He would call out to them periodically, making sure he heard each of their voices. "Make sure to keep in my footsteps," he suggested.

 

[Rameth]

The mouth of the cave was bare any signs of life. As would be expected if it wasn't the entrance to a facility. The roaring snowstorm soon blinded anyone in the area making stealthy observation difficult. A few minutes of careful examination would show the mouth of the cave was safe to enter. Once inside only the howling wind made any sort of immediate impression. A few meters of travel through a winding tunnel would set up an interesting scene. A single body lie on the ground next to an open door, his armor that of a Sith soldier.

Once through the entrance the tunnel would give way to a larger holding area. Bodies slowly began to litter the floor, some Sith soldiers and some, not wearing any indication of origin, most likely Mercenaries. The two groups had obviously fought a pitched battle, with most of the slain belonging to the Sith side. This room seemed to be a security checkpoint for the screening of visitors. Not much was of interest aside from the evidence of conflict. A few crates and benches where strewn about, used in the battle as what limited cover they could provide. Obviously apparent that it wasn't enough to fend of the invaders, whoever they may be.

The main facility's entrance stood large and grandiose to meet any who entered. The metal wall stood as if it was a secret entrance to a fortress, no doubt several meters wide, the door being the only way quick way inside. Two turrets were mounted on either side of the door, one destroyed and the other offline. The door itself was shut, a single panel hung next to it. An arm, cut off from elbow, lie directly below the panel. A grim display of the key the Mercenaries were awarded for the winning the battle. Entrance was only an arms length away, so to speak.

 

[Fusion]

Atreia eyed the main door. One of the turrets was offline... Aiming precisely with her war sword, she jabbed the weapon into the wires connecting the turret to the computer, sending sparks around as the turret was disconnected. Picking up the bloody half-arm containing the key, Atreia casually looked at it before handing the bloody piece of information to Knight Solborne.

Here you go. Now let's get in there...

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

The visibility stayed low as they neared the small cave that was their first destination to learning something about this Eye of Palpatine. The only thing the Padawans had to guide them were the deep and consistent footprints he made. The Light was able to guide him, if only barely, toward the direction of the icy mouth where further secrets and clues would, hopefully, lie. He didn't fear anyone being able to see them since they couldn't see, or sense, anything nearby. It took a while, but they eventually made it into the cave.

Sebastian's body was covered in snow which was quickly melting from his ability with Force Body. Survival was the key in such conditions and he was well equipped with his available skills to be able to handle this kind of terrain, or virtually any, for that matter. Regardless, it would come as a relief that they entered some kind of shelter away from the piercing winds and shard-like snow. This initial opening was small, but it soon opened up to a more comfortable size, if only for himself. He wasn't a fan of smaller spaces. The sight of a dead mercenary didn't help the situation much, either. Fortunately, it led the way through the cave.

He couldn't tell what had happened, but as they entered a larger opening further into the tunnels, it was clear that two forces were fighting each other for something. Hopefully, it was their Eye. Also hopefully, they had killed each other off, for the most part, to make it easier for them. However, such luck, or Will of the Force, was not common.

Past this, the scene turned militaristic. The walls became metal and security measures more frequent. Two turret sat disabled aside a door to their next destination. Atreia was bolder than he'd cared for, destroying the turret for, apparently, no reason. However, since it had been offline, that meant that it could be turned online and against them. Ultimately, she made a good decision and nodded to her, showing he appreciated the initiative. "Thank you, Padawan Atreia," he paused, taking the bloody card key apparently for this particular passage. He waved to the Padawan for them to hide or take some kind of cover as he swiped the card through a scanner which activated a loud shift that echoed through the metal walls. He slowly dragged the door ajar across the floor with metallic shrieks filling up the small room. He cautiously looked inside, Tutaminis covering his exposed areas to the following room to protect him from any physical dangers which might occur.

 

[Batman]

Terri followed the others to the shuttle and found himself a spot near the door, he would be the last one in and the last one out. His equipment hugged him snuggly and would keep him warm throuough the coldest of environments. His lightsaber hilt stabbed his abdomen and his gear was too tight in some areas but he seatbelt straps prevented him from adjusting. He thought about bending the rules and slicing the straps off with his lightsaber but realized he couldn't reach it underneath his cold-weather gear and if he was able to the seatbelt stopped him from gaining access anyways. Terri just enjoyed the ride, he couldn't help but smile from the feeling of excitement. He noticed that the ride was smoother than the training simulators that he had been on, but also noticed the ride was bumpier on the way into the atmosphere. The team of Jedi exited the shuttle and formed a circle while waiting for instructions from Knight Solborne. The instructions given from Solborne were clear, stay behind him and check in regularly to ensure that none of them passed out from hypothermia; Terri's cold-weather gear did its job keeping him warm from the arctic temperatures

"I'm feeling good," Terri responded to the team leader.

After many paces from the landing zone, they arrived to the entrance of their first objective. They passed debris from destoryed weapons, dead bodies, and even organs that were struggling to survive. The heat from the blaster bolts warmed up the body parts and increased their smell by ten folds. By the time they were in eye-sight with the entrance of the tunnel, one of the more experienced Padawans destroyed a turret and killed a guard; it didn't bother Terri that he had witnessed murder, in fact he considerd it part of the mission. Although Terri could have disabled the guard without killing him, he knew the time would come when he would have to use his hand to hand combat skills. He just followed Jedi Solborne into the tunnel, expecting more guards. Again his fellow teammate, Atreia, took out the turrets and watched as Sebestian signaled for them to take cover. Terri withdrew his lightsaber and held it in his hand ready to fight some enemies, he kept it off just in case anybody was listening.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

There was nothing. Just more tunnels through the door. Sebastian pushed the door open and motioned to the others to follow him quietly. Unlike the room before, there were no dead bodies here. They just walked until they reached the end of the icy tunnel where it began to grow darker but warmer. They soon entered a computer room with no on present. It looked abandoned, for now at least. He looked around to find out what it was they were computing and if this was what they were searching for. "Cover me," he told the others as he pressed several buttons attempting to go through the files and get coordinates that had been recently used. However, he wasn't skilled with computers so the attempts were short, but not entirely wasted. He found some communication logs that hinted toward the weapon they were there to find and usurp from those who were constructing it.

"You three, stay here. Don't let anyone come through. See if you can't get anything else out of these computers, while you're at it." His command was direct but there was some kind of lightness in his voice. "Contact me on the comlink only if you need me back here. I don't want to leave the line open for someone to intercept." He didn't look back at the group, only continued through the hallway which led further into the base they were apparently. The Phoenix lay silent behind him, but he still kept his senses sharp. He didn't want to leave the Padawan alone but he also felt the situation safe enough to leave them there for the time being.

Sebastian walked casually down the corridors except his head which pivoted all around him constantly. A low humming could be heard the further he traveled. It'd been ten minutes since he left the Padawan in the computer room, so he was deep in the tunnels now. It wasn't long until he entered a large room with some kind of reactor in it. The energy was a cool blue and it wavered and fluttered like fire. The low humming now suppressed his chest and the power could be felt from this mechanism, whatever it was for. This room was not empty like the others, though. As he entered, three mercenaries were on different computers, probably trying to hack the generator to their own personal use. Sebastian decided to spoke as if he was with them, though it was clear by his appearance that he was not.

"What do we have going on here?" His voice echoed against the metal walls yet was absorbed by the reactor. The three mercenaries looked up with their blasters pointed right toward him. He rose his arms in faux-submission.

"What are you doing here?" One of them interrogated with his low voice.
"I'm here to seize the schematics for a super-weapon. The Sister of the Eye of Palpatine."
"Well, we already got it, so you can be on your way."
"I'm sorry-"
"Disarm yourself and walk out the door," another one said, his voice sounding younger than the one before.

Sebastian only lowered his hands while keeping the same blank look on his face. They weren't a threat to him, so he stepped forward which was countered by a shot to his head. It diffused quickly from a prepared Tutaminis but he had to stop and blink from the bright light which obstructed his vision. "Wow, good shot," he commented tritely. "Now, if you'll just tell me how to deactivate this thing and let me take it to the Order, I won't hurt you."

"Wait, you don't want to use it? You're not a Sith?"
Sebastian just looked at the third one with a slightly confused face.
"They're on their way with more troops. We were here to destroy this thing, but it absorbs our blasters if they get close enough. We can't target the structure."

His answer to this was pacing toward the structure which began to attempt to suck him in. His fist rammed into a beam which held it in the hole it was crafted in. It hardly bent when he used much of his strength. He slammed his fist into it once more, but it seemed to buckle stiff. He'd take it down manually, so he stepped back and swung his heavy leg, imbued with the Force, to hit the beam in a different direction. It snapped off and fell into the hole which the reactor took for its own. The structure didn't shift at all, though. It was strong, well-built.

"Um, we got a problem, boss. Troopers, a squadron and a half made there way in here."
Sebastian turned around to the one who gave this message. "How long have been here trying to shut this thing down?"
"Probably 20 mintues..."
"Go. There are Padawan in the computer room. Aid them in taking care of the Sith. I'll try to break this down."

The mercenaries obeyed and rushed out of the room. They'd meet the Jedi after the Sith troopers would. Meanwhile, Sebastian continued to use his body to destroy the reactor.

The Padawan, if looking through the communication logs, would eventually find a distress call to a Sith headquarters requesting more help and that an affirmative answer was relayed. This meant that, by the time Sebastian reached the reactor room, the cave would begin to fill up with Sith troopers once more. It wouldn't be unlikely to hear the roaring ship near the cave and hear men shouting and running through the caverns. 30 of them were dispatched as specifics of the threat were unknown. They were advanced troopers, assuming the mercenaries were cunning and great marksmen. The Padawan would have a difficult time taking care of the elite squadron.

 

[Nirvana]

For most part of the mission John had just kept quiet and followed the rest, thinking about what this weapon would be. Would it be a planet destroying weapon like the death star used a thousand year ago by the empire, or maybe a world killer like the World Devastators, though there were several other super weapons that had been used throughout history.
Once they had arrived in the cave he had been on alert most of the time, going from thinking about the past to focusing on the present. Like he had done when he fought against the sith.

When Sebastian told them to stay in the control room he just sighed, was he afraid that they would get hurt if they followed him. Oh well, it wasn't anything that he would argue against. But when he asked them to see if they could find something in the databanks he smiled some, finally something that was actually fun to do. John had always liked tinkering with machines, it kept his mind occupied.
Taking a seat at one of the computers he removed the mask he had been wearing after landing on the planet, placing it in his lap he started to hack into the computer. It was an easy encryption he thought, though the other would most likely think it was hard.

“Hey boys and girls, look at this.” he said and pulled up the most recent parts of the logs, so the sith were on there way, a full three team with elite troopers. Even if they were elites, they shouldn't be harder to deal with then a sith in a duel.

 

[Batman]

Terrigan looked at the computers and decided that he would be the one watching their back. It took over less than a couple of minutes before results were produced by one of the Padawans; he looked over the screen and read the logs. It was still cold in the cave, no use in taking off his gear, they might have to leave in a hurry. Terri wasn't a seasoned Jedi who has been on many missions, but he knew things could get worse without warning, just like sparring. He closed his eyes, thinking about the situation at hand, dead soldiers were scattered across the entrance; where were the reinforcements? It's not like they'd risk so many lives and just give up, they were missing something. It was then, John had announced his findings and Terri put two and two together. He looked at John, whom he had utmost respect, and realized that they were about to be overrun. He felt lifeforms approaching and ignited his lightsaber.

"Hey guys do you feel that? Let's get ready for this."

Terrigan walked to the door and hugged the wall on their side, waiting for anyone to approach, his lightsaber ready to strike.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

Sebastian continued to bash into the structure of the weapon's energy core. It took him a while, upward of ten minutes, but eventually all of the beams were crippled by the strength of his body but also that of the force. The energy spun out of control and harmlessly dissipated. He went over to some of the controls nearby to file through what the mercenaries had sifted through to find the schematics for the weapon. He downloaded them onto a datapad and pocketed the information, rushing out of the room and into the corridors where the Padawan and mercenaries would have finished off the Sith troopers.

Before reinforcements would arrive, he rushed the Padawan with him to their shuttle and escaped from the planet with the information they came to gather. The mission was a success.