The Strike (Pt. 2)

[Alysanne Drast]

Coronet, Corellia​

She wasn't really used to wearing armor, but Valentine and his friends had insisted on it, so she had been forced to actually find and wear some. She wasn't sure they approved of it, it was hardly anything compared to the fancy stuff Valentine's friends were wearing. They were Mandalorians after all, doubt anything she did was going to get their approval. Besides, the key point here was the fact that he had left her here with them. What kind of Jedi Master had Mandalorian friends? But things had happened so fast that she hadn't really had the opportunity to question him about that. One minute she was watching Lyanna's stupid Kaggath declaration, the next she was flying to Corellia to help Valentine with something. How was she to know that something was Mandalorians? Even now the Kaggath was probably going on, or about to begin. But instead of watching that, here she was.

Still, the fact was that she was in armor, uncomfortable as it made her, and she had thrown on a poncho to cover it up. Just another in a sea of bodies, many dressed in a similar manner to her. She was sure she would fit in. She wasn't so sure about the mandalorians, were they planning on being subtle about this, or did they not really care? Either way, she had come prepared for any eventuality, with her blaster and the lullaby holstered on either thigh, hidden under the cloak. As was a gift from Valentine as they had parted ways after landing on the planet, his old lightsaber, lent to her till she replaced it with an actual blade of her own.

She was alone right now, but others would soon be arriving. Valentine's friends, the dozen rebels who had been assigned to her after Naboo, and another new recruit she had briefly met. Having arrived first at the rendezvous point outside the Capital Tower, she waited and hoped that Valentine, getting ready nearby at another entrance to the Tower, was sure about this. She just had to wait till the others arrived, as Valentine had instructed.

"So it begins."

@Phoenix @Rom

 

[Narir Solus]

Narir was off to war. And this wasn't the kind of stealth operation that they'd been pulling where they snuck into a facility and blew it up. This was a whole different type of operation that the entire galaxy was going to see. There may have been a Kaggath going on, but this was going to be competing for coverage just as much.

His weapons were all in place and he slipped his helmet on as the ship flew through the atmosphere above the drop site. He checked his chrono to ensure that they were precisely on time, and the seconds ticked down. 3... 2... 1...

It's time.

Somewhere elsewhere on the planet, Raz was preparing to do the same, and Narir wondered what she had gotten them into. She had warned him about Jedi and the thought of it caused his skin to almost crawl, but she'd asked and he'd answered. Hopefully the woman on the ground wasn't going to be as bad as he was concerned about. But now it was too late to second guess that. There was an operation, and he was going to see it through.

The ramp lowered and immediately wind whipped through the small hangar space. His heart was pounding, a lump rose in his throat, and his breath seemed to catch. He'd never tried this, but the tradition said it was safe. Go time, boy, he said, slapping the back of his basilisk. Just like that, it plunged over the ramp and Narir was in free fall. The wind tore past his helmet and his hands grasped the reins more tightly despite the clip that kept him from flying away.

The thrusters boomed as he grew closer, slowing his descent enough and alerting the locals below to scatter. The thrusters only slowed the impact enough to stop Narir from being broken, and there was still a thunderous crash from the impact. Heavy cutting claws sunk into the duracreet of the street. The adrenaline was flowing and Narir had never felt more alive.

 

[Aro Saa]

Slipping through the crowds surrounding the base of the Capitol Tower with practiced ease, ignoring the occasional dirty look thrown at him for the temerity of being a non-human in such a prestigious part of the city. Standing taller than many of the Corellians milling about him, it was difficult to hunch his frame into the expected pose of whipped subservience the residents of the Republica expected his kind to take, but after years of similar infiltration work, he was more than familiar with slipping into the role. Still, he generally did not do so in full armor... but today was a special occasion. Finally, the Alliance would be striking back directly at the Empire - not sabotage that could be explained by faulty equipment or theft that needed to be blamed on filthy pirates. An actual organized military strike was underway against the Sith scum! If he were able to do it without attracting attention, the Kel Dor would be *skipping* to the rendezvous point.

Recognizing a figure in the distance from his briefing, A'ro quickened his pace to reach her side of the walkway and casually leaned against the wall a few feet away from Alysanne. "Nice day for a party, Star One. Wraith Three reporting as ordered." His vocoder was pitched to carry, and the Kel Dor sketched a quick nod at the young woman - privately trying to remember if he had ever been so young.

The sound of thrusters booming and panicked screams filling the air swept those jaded thoughts to the back of his mind while his hands reached beneath the concealing poncho, his left hand grasping the hilt of his vibrodagger while the right rested on the grip of his pistol. Tilting his head back, A'ro couldn't keep the whistle of appreciation quiet as the Basilisk War Droid thundered toward the ground. "Do y'think Hugo will be able to get me one of those?" he asked rhetorically while scanning the square for CorSec or Imperial forces gearing up to respond to the Mandalorian cracking the duracrete.

 

[Pierre Lindegaard]

Pierre Lindegaard had some business on Coronet City. It was business of the trivial and mundane variety that unfortunately left him unable to catch the Kaggath between the new Empress Lyanna and a certain pretender false Emperor that shall not be named. It's a shame though, because Lyanna is going to crush that fool at his own barbaric practice and prove without a doubt she is the true Empress of all the Sith. He of course had all his lightsabers on his person, and his armor, and his other gear on him (including his freshly-charged blaster pistol which would be hidden by his vestments).

Just as he turned right around the corner around the block to see the Corellia Capital Tower which would be in front of him, where he had business things to take care of. He could see the crowds. Afterwards his eyes were drawn to the sky as concerned citizens started pointing at the sky as the Basilisk War Droid was coming down and coming hard and it's going to land ahead at fifteen meters. "Oh bugger" he said annoyed.

Never a dull moment on Corellia. And what perfect timing too, as the Kaggath would be ongoing. He supposes if someone wanted to do something to make some sort of statement, it would be now he supposes. It was only a matter of where and it happened to be on the planet where he is standing.

As the Basilisk was about to make an earth-shaking landing. Pierre's stance hardened and starting letting the force force through him as he would quickly retreat back around the corner for cover where he came from, putting himself out of line of sight of the rebels and Mandalorian's position for now. He would draw his lightsabers to his hands (Purple to his right hand and Red to his left). Pierre supposes that he is obligated to defend against this.

The Sith Acolyte would have the force flowing through him building up still. C-Sec is on the ball dispatching men with their standard issue armor and blaster rifles to help deal with the disturbance. After Kuat the Core Worlds would be taking security more seriously, especially of a planet as important as Corellia.

Spoiler: OOC

NPCs for flavour of course

@Arclight @Lazy Swordsman @Wit @Rom @Phoenix

 

[Jarek Ysirath]

Turbulence rocked the Imperial gunship as it approached the dropzone. Looking down at the smiling face of his helmet, staring back up at him, Jarek prepared himself for battle. Jarek had been on duty at the Imperial base near the capitol when the warning sirens had begun blaring. Never one to sit idly by, Jarek had boarded one of the dropships heading for that combat zone, launching within moments of the reports. The attack had been too sudden to mount any sort of air defense, leaving the military with little choice but make an attempt at containing and mitigating the damage and loss of life that the war droid could cause.

Donning his helmet as the ship approached their landing zone, Jarek turned to the Imperial troopers assembled in the starship. "This thing is heavily armed and dangerous, our first job is to protect the capitol building and evacuate civilians." As a Sith, Jarek was de facto leader of this group of soldiers, regardless of whatever rank they might possess. There was little time for anything else as the drop door opened, the gunship having swooped down to hover a few spare meters above the ground. "Go! Go! Go!" Jarek shouted as he led by example, first out of the dropship as he activated his lightsaber and hit the ground running. Behind him troops disembarked and spread out, attempting to direct the panicked civilians that fled from the massive war droid.

Ahead the basilisk war droid rampaged, and Jarek could make out the operator riding the half sentient automaton. Black and red armor of course. No other clan possessed the sheer daring that it took to operate within Imperial Republica space. Solus. The upstart clan was turning out to be a major thorn in the Republica's side, with their attacks becoming more open and ferocious than ever before.

@Lazy Swordsman

 

[Allerius Katress]

This was supposed to be his day off. He had planned to drop into the local Cantina and meet up with Talik to watch the Kaggath. Their odd new Empress had challenged the Dark Lord of Korriban to a one on one duel. It was one of those old Sith traditions that the archaic Sith of the Rim cared about and the Republica ones couldn’t care less about. First he had to make a stop at the planetary Imperial Intelligence Office to make a report before he could take advantage of his free time. He still wasn’t sure why he had to make the report while his Twi’lek assistant got to chill out while he did all the work. She was already sponging off him enough these days living at his manor, eating his food, spending his credits.

Folding his arms petulantly he walked towards the office to finish off the paperwork having already provided a handler with the verbal report. A beep went off on his communicator and he sighed before answering it. “Yes?”

The answering response came back froze him mid-step. An attack by Mandalorians and mercenaries here. This was the core. How was it even possible?

Cursing he ran towards the exit, knocking some sort of officer of his feet as he did so although right now he couldn’t summon the energy to care. The Core of the Empire was being attacked by treacherous elements. Was this more fallout from Elix’s misrule or had they made other mistakes to get here? The Sith where supposed to protect the Empire but it appeared they where failing.

Not this time.

Exiting the street he activated his comm-line again and demanded the co-ordinates of where the attack was happening. He had only let slip the request when he saw the Basilisk War Droid plummet through the sky as it hurtled towards the ground. Well that answered that he supposed.

Drawing the Force into himself he felt the Dark Side empower his physical form, the strength flooded into his limbs and his speed increased as he did so. With a gentle flick of the Force his lightsaber flew from his belt into his hand. A flick of his left arm brought his shoto down from his sleeve into his other hand. Igniting both red blades just as he felt the ground beneath his feet tremble, no doubt caused by the basilisk striking the surface.

He could also sense the power of other Sith nearby who no doubt were also reacting to this unexpected assault. The Force quickened around them, the Dark Side filled the air it could only mean that violence was near. It wouldn’t be long now before he reached the enemy.

Seeing another man in front of him. A Sith holding a red and purple lightsaber. Reaching the other Sith he could only sigh. “Never a day’s rest.”

@Wit @Rom @Phoenix @Faster Than Light @Arclight

 

[Alysanne Drast]

She didn't have to wait long before she sensed one of her companions approach, thankfully it was one of the other rebels and not a mandalorian. But not for long, as her eyes were drawn to a droid hurtling down from the sky. Eyes wide as she stared at its descent, she couldn't deny that the mandalorians sure knew how to make an entrance. "Wraith Three, good to ha.." The words died on her lips as the droid simply crashed to the ground. She had thought it would slow down as it got close to the ground, at least not by much. She took an instinctive step back as a shockwave of dust radiated from the impact. "What have you gotten us into Master Rayth?" The words escaped her, forgetting for a moment that she wasn't alone, hoping that Wraith Three was distracted enough by the mandalorian's arrive to have missed it.

She sensed it then, the darkness, tickling against the edge of her senses, and she turned away from the mandalorian towards the capitol building itself. "Switching to mission channel." she said to Wraith Three before she reached up to her ear as she switched her comms to the channel Valentine had specified so that she could talk to the mandalorians as well. "We have company, Sith. Definitely Sith." Her guess was confirmed moments laters as blades starting lighting up, and a shuttle showed up to drop off soldiers and another Sith. This was getting interesting.

"Take cover!" She shouted at Wraith Three as she started running for cover as well, coming to a sliding stop behind a rectangular slab of concrete that supported a long silver pole atop which the Imperial flag was fluttering even now. She pulled out her blaster, not the lullaby but the standard one she carried, and flicking it over to stun, began peeking out of the corners of the slab and firing at the soldiers that were firing at them even now.

That was when her comms hissed and a voice spoke up. "Red Squadron checking in." She saw more blaster-fire start raining on the imperials, the soldiers of her rebel squadron has arrived. But they were just six, and the Imperials were pouring in. Showing her age, as she fired blindly in slight panic, couldn't bring herself to calm down for a few seconds to center herself and try to think up a plan. Wraith Three and the mandalorians better have some tricks up their sleeves.

@Phoenix @Rom @Faster Than Light @Arclight @Lazy Swordsman

 

[Narir Solus]

OOC: As agreed, this is cPvP so no maiming, killing, etc without consent. Just have fun
​

The sound that came out of Narir's mouth could really only be described as cackling. This was his first opportunity to really let loose with the Basilisk War Droid, and it was far more fun than he had anticipated. Lightsabers. Well that was a quick response, Narir had to give them that. Record time for them to already be here.

Was it overkill to fire the pulse canons? Yeah... it probably was. Did he do it anyway? Yeah... he did. The canons had a moment to charge up, which would give the Sith time to move before a ground-breaking crack rang out. The canons fired as one, tearing a massive hole in the ground behind the Sith where his soldiers would be as Narir lined up a shot with his rifle and fired.

He couldn't believe the way his insides shook with the shot. It was one of the loudest noises he'd ever heard - or felt - and it tore a sizable hole into the ground and no doubt sent some body parts raining down. I see them, he said as the light canons began to open up as well. For the moment, Narir had only fired the single shot at the Sith (@Arclight) and was hoping that the terror of his firing droid would be enough to keep him out of the line of fire as he began to sink further back onto the droid and behind the cover of its armor. @Wit @Rom @Faster Than Light @Arclight @Lazy Swordsman

 

[Aro Saa]

A'ro had been having such a beautiful day; the sun was shining, Republica bureaucrats were screaming, and the Kel Dor was now considering finding a buxom Mandalorian to wed - if only to get access to one of those shiny War Droids. And, as per the usual state of affairs, his good day was ruined by the arrival of the boys in black. Chuckling darkly behind his rebreather, A'ro ducked low under a salvo of blasterfire and followed after his young commander. At the very least killing a few Imperials would cheer him up.

Using the flag monument base as cover, he peered around the corner at the square that was rapidly filling with Imperial troope... 'Ah, fierfek... there's the sabers.' Switching his comms to the mission channel, he took a moment to observe the positions of his new favorite armored friend, the Mandalorian perched on its spine, and the squad of Rebel commandos leaping into the fray. The situation was not... ideal, but A'ro had been in worse scraps than this. He couldn't think of one right then, but he was sure he'd survived less favorable odds. Odds that were not at all helped by the stun rings flying out from the other side of the monument.

Turning incredulously toward Star One, already taking a deep breath to -respectfully- ask what the hell his new commander thought she was doing, he froze a moment as his eyes caught the details. Shaking hands, hunched shoulders, and eyes that darted around so fast they were liable to fly off if they weren't attached. The girl was panicked, and rightly so - she was young still. She didn't have the experience to hide it, nor a tough as nails Captain to pull her out of her fear like the Kel Dor had during his first real fight.

A'ro reached out a heavy four-fingered hand and gripped Alys' shoulder, pulling her into cover beside him as a blaster bolt winged just over her head. Meeting her panicked eyes, he squeezed her shoulder tightly and clicked off the mission channel; his words were only for her.

"Take a breath, Commander. Focus past the fear, because we need you at your best. Sure, we're outnumbered and outgunned; but we always are! That's what being a Rebel means! When the Sith go to put their boot on your neck, you only get two choices; to stay on the ground and let them..."

Releasing her shoulder and twisting around on his right foot, A'ro stood to his full height, drew one of his pistols, leaned around the corner of the slab, and fired three shots in one flowing motion. In the square, three voices cried out in pain and the volume of fire aimed at them fell as the other soldiers ducked for cover. Turning back to the young human woman, he offered her a hand to pull her up to her feet.

"... or rise up. On your feet, Star One - we've got work to do!"

 

[Jarek Ysirath]

The basilisk loomed ahead. The barbaric and animalistic war machine of the Mandalorians. Seemingly built with one savage purpose. Rampage. Wholesale slaughter and destruction. Jarek led the charge off the gunboat and into the Imperial Square. The flag of the Empire and the flag of the Republica flapped in the wind overhead, behind the Basilisk. Rearing its head to meet their charge, its nose glowed yellow as its sinister weapons charged.

"COVER!" Jarek screamed as the pulse wave array fired, absolute death glowed yellow as it raced towards the Imperial charge. The force swelled beneath Jarek as he leaped high arc into the air, somersaulting over the deadly cannon shot, frontflipping into a spin, deflecting the Mandalorian's rifle shot back at the basilisk. Guilt ripped into Jarek. The men behind him did not posses something within them to achieve the supernatural. Jarek could feel their fear as he avoided death, abandoning them to their fates. They died. Simple as that, the array of pulse wave energy ripping them apart at the cellular level. A brief flash of utter agony ripped through the force, tearing into the minds of those who could feel their pain. Mandalorian shock tactics at their finest, the beast roaring with amplified vocabulators, its guttural cry driving terror into the hearts of soldier and civilian alike.

The force cushioning his landing, Jarek flowed up into a kneeling thrust, pushing forwards evenly with both his hands, his momentum balanced as the twin light laser cannons red bolts met crimson saber blades on each side of the hilt, reflecting back towards the basilisk as Jarek roared back in defiance, the bolts flying just overhead the Basalisk and its ride, just overshooting it as one bolt grazing the flagpole as it burst across its side, spraying stray particles over the terrorist's (@Wit @Rom) heads, the flagpole creaking as a chunk was taken out near the base, the other bolt slamming into a bare piece of wall surrounding the Imperial Tower. Behind Jarek, the surviving Imperial soldiers found respite behind the Jarek's protective rage as they made cover of some thick stone planters that surrounded the square. Rising from their cover to fire, three soldier's were picked off in an instant as the shots lay too far off to Jarek's side with his fowards momentum.

Grief fueled anger churned within the Sith. One thing was for certain, he would not get out of this fight alive if he did not tap into the Dark side. He embraced his anger and sorrow, letting to dark side embrace him as the monster that he kept locked away inside stirred. Hungry.

 

[Alysanne Drast]

"Stay on the ground and let them... or rise up. On your feet, Star One - we've got work to do!""

The words echoed within her head as she huddled beneath the shadow of the concrete slab, eyes squeezed shut as she tried to push everything away. She had seen death, and she had thought she understood what it meant. But she had never seen war, not up close, not like this. And it terrified her. She sank into the Force, using it as a wall to shut it all out, and in her desperation she sank deeper than she had ever before. Wraith Three's words still resonating within her mind as she sank deeper.

And she saw it again, the vast empty landscape, with one small woman sitting in what might well have been the center of existence, the center of her existence. The woman was wreathed in darkness, but as she bent to look at the bundle in her hands, a tiny ball of light shone out from the very core of her being. To protect what she loved, somewhere deep within Andraste still lingered the girl who had been Alais.

Alysanne grabbed the light once more, and eyes opened with a faint white glow to them. Alais had wanted to protect what she loved, Alys could do the same. She wasn't as strong as Alais had been, but maybe she was strong enough to protect those near her at that moment. Narir and A'ro, and everyone else who had risked life and death to be here. She could try and protect them.

Grabbing A'ro's hand, she rose to her feet, her free hand slipping behind the her back to reach for the cool cylinder that rested there. And as a shower of sparks rained down on the two rebels, she climbed onto the concrete slab that formed the base of the flagpole, rising as the embers rained down around her and the groaning flagpole collapsed under its weight. Facing down the Sith, the soldiers, and everyone else, an eerie calmness enveloped her. Staring down the Sith, she pulled out the silver cylinder in front of her and pressed down to bring forth the flaming blade of blue and white that would ignite the flames of hope within the hearts of those witnessing the sight. Swinging the bright blue blade of light through the air as the Imperial flag swung past her, cutting it in half, she stood resolute as the two halves of the flag fluttered to either side of her, flames from the heat of her blade setting them on fire.

Perched atop what remained of the concrete base of the flagpole, she stood with the lightsaber now held in front of her, the bright blue blade of light defying the darkness she now faced. "The Jedi Knights,", she whispered, though her voice somehow rang clear in the ears of all witnessing the sight, "have returned."

@Phoenix @Rom @Faster Than Light @Arclight @Lazy Swordsman

 

[Pierre Lindegaard]

"Never is" he would say as he looked towards the other Sith @Lazy Swordsman. With that, Pierre is ready to take the fight to the invaders. He would then round the corner while closing some of the distance to get to where the battle is taking place, although he ignited his lightsabers and deflected any blaster shots that would come his way as he kept his senses stretched and his eyes peeled up front for any attacks or threats his way. Pierre did see (and heard the War Droid fire it's shot over towards another Sith who arrived on the scene and any Imperial troopers that were in the way that couldn't get out in time would perished. Pierre was out of the line of fire, but he could feel the loss in the Force, he didn't shed any tears for them though, for they will be avenged in good time. The Mandalorians are a lot like their War Droids, in the respect that that they are war machines that are basically animals and little more than that. Like any other diseased animal though, they need to be and will be put down.

By the time Pierre was fully on the scene, a younger woman then stop atop a concentrate slab where a flagpole is. Pierre stopped and was curious as to why a random young adult girl was suddenly decided to get a on there, but she pulled out a metalitc cylinder and then a blue lightsaber blade sprung to life. ::Oh?:: the Sith Acolyte paused in his footsteps and thought. She then said it, the Jedi Knights have returned.

While any stray onlookers, if this was broadcast viewers would be shocked to hear such news. But Pierre, consumed in his own arrogance, didn't take the girl's words at face value or anything else she did. In his mind, any girl, even ones that have latent force-sensitivity could find an old non-bled lightsaber somewhere and call themselves a Jedi to 'fight the power' or something like that. Only fools would cling to ghosts from five-hundred years ago in his mind. This isn't a fairy tale after all.

With Pierre in a battle stance with his two lightsabers ignited and in hand, he would snap his right hand forward while also extending his index and middle finger outwards, unleasing some of the force energy he was building off to do a potent Force push that would aim to knock the wind out of that girl and also throw her off the concrete slab. Lets see how she handles that. Pierre would be smiling beneath his mask.

@Lazy Swordsman @Wit @Arclight @Rom

 

[Narir Solus]

Canon shots converted into dead bodies in an instant, but the Sith was resilient. Narir might have admired the acrobatics if he didn't find who and what they were to be so disgusting. But he learned something new every day. He knew their sabers were capable of deflecting blaster shots, but he'd never realized they could even have their way with a laser canon, sending the bolts streaking back and away from the Imperials.

The Sith had closed in now, and the Basilisk responded in kind. Its massive cutting claws slammed into the duracreet walkway and under its stone. Then with only the cracking sound of stone, tore free the entire upper layer of duracreet and sent it spinning and tossing at the Sith (@Arclight). It allowed Narir the time to look to the Rebel who now had a saber of her own.

Narir hadn't ever actually talked to or met a Jedi before today, and he wasn't sure what he expected, but somehow he didn't expect her to be so young. In his mind, they were just as bad as the Sith. Space Wizards who used the normal people for their own ends. The Sith had manipulated the Mandalorians into hunting them down for a grudge match, but now that Narir saw one, he could almost feel the anger in the air and the shock at having seen this ancient enemy. Perhaps... just perhaps they were something else.

Maybe all the stories Narir had heard about who and what the Jedi were was just the propaganda of the Sith. Maybe there was an alliance here that could unravel the iron fist of the Sith. Maybe there was a hope for the galaxy again...

 

[Allerius Katress]

Smiling faintly at the other Sith’s response Allerius kept moving forward, a step behind his colleague (@Faster Than Light), as they turned a corner to close the distance. Like his compatriot the Acolyte’s lightsaber would flicked up to deflect any stray oncoming laser bolts. As the invaders came into sight he quickly tallied up these enemies of the Empire. The Mandalorian seemed the greatest threat at first sight with his War Droid which seemed to be focusing fire on another Sith who had entered the battle separately and with a group of troopers. He sensed the death of numerous individuals from this attack but it seemed it had only been the troopers that fell to this assault. Fury and rage flooded through the area roaring alongside the Dark Side. It seemed the other Sith was taking the loss quite personal. Although he didn’t much care for these common troopers the assassin had to admit that the Mandalorians where a dangerous threat to the Empire, they had to be put down and any remaining deviance needed to be destroyed before they caused any more harm to their rightful rulers.

Allerius’ consideration that it was the Mandalorian who was the greatest threat swiftly became overridden. A young woman, rather common in appearance, who the Alderaanian believed to be just another malcontent. Some mercenary or such that fought against the Empire. She soon proved to be much, much more. She came into sight as a blue blade ignited in her hand and her words drove a blade through Allerius’ heart. Through the Force he felt like her presence was searing him with a harsh and painful light. Logically he knew any fool could find an old kyber crystal and lightsaber, any force sensitive could learn to swing such a blade, any such person could claim to be a Jedi.

But he knew it was true. And he feared it. The Mandalorians where a threat. Rogue hostile mercenaries where an annoyance. The Jedi would be a threat not only to the Empire but to the Sith themselves. She had to be detained. Questioned. Her kind had to be tracked down and annihilated in the name of Galactic Peace and Order.

Two fingers of his right hand peeled away from the lightsaber to point at a slab of ferrocrete, a piece of road which had been shattered by the War Droid’s impact. With a swift gesture in the Jedi’s direction (@Wit) he hurled the heavy rock straight at her chest. Put her down quick then he could drag her back to Intelligence for questioning. For his Empire.

@Rom @Arclight @Wit @Faster Than Light @Phoenix

 

[Aro Saa]

For one brief moment A'ro feared that he hadn't reached the young woman, that his words couldn't break through the fear that gripped her heart. She seemed to sink into herself and flinch, a grimace of terror and twisting her face, and then her face smoothed and a small smile graced her lips. She opened her eyes and took the Kel Dors' hand, climbing to her feat with fire burning behind her eyes and purpose squaring her shoulder. A'ro grinned behind his mask and turned to look back out on the square before a thought struck him like a freight tram.

"... but Humans don't have glowing eyes."

Whipping his head around to see if his eyes were deceiving him, he caught sight of her steadily ascending the monument and drawing a silver cylinder from behind her back.

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO LITERALLY RISE UP OUT OF COVER, YOU DUMB SCHU..."

His words died in his throat as a burning bar of light extended from her hands with a snap-hiss, more blue than the waters of Dac or the skies of Tatooine. "Jedi..." he whispered the word like a prayer, blaster held limply at his side and tears prickling in the corners of his eyes, and her next words confirmed his desperate hopes. The Knights were returning, specters of a past where evil and corruption were something to be fought, not accepted as the norm. All A'ro's life he had heard the stories whispered about the old guardians of Peace and Justice... he never dreamed that he would meet one.

A wave of power seemed to pulse away from Star One as she faced down the Sith forces arrayed before them, the Republica flag fluttering in twain behind her, and the Kel Dor felt something within him stir in response; a warmth that seemed to reach out toward the aura surrounding the Jedi Knight... an explosion on the other side of the Tower snapped his focus back to the ongoing battle, and he smacked his helmet lightly with his free hand.

He knew that the kid had just painted a target on herself the size of a Star Cruiser, and the hungry posture of the Sith across the square confirmed his fears. Rolling forward from behind the monument, A'ro came up in a crouch behind a raised stone planter bed and sighted down on one of the Robes (@Lazy Swordsman) as they gestured toward a lump of broken permacrete. The Rebel immediately opened fire with his blaster, sending four red bolts whizzing toward the Sith - two aimed center mass while the other two went lower, one aimed at his pelvis and the other at his leg.

"Hey you! Tall, dark, and ugly; how bout you fight a Jedi a little more your size!"

He bluffed, desperately, drawing the wicked looking vibrosword from its sheath across his back and beckoning the Sith to come at the commando with a fencers salute - the laziness of his stance contrasting the finesse of the gesture; clearly demonstrating that he did not believe the Sith would put up much of a fight.

"I can't let her fight them alone... fierfek, this is going to hurt."

 

[Alysanne Drast]

She could feel them on her, the eyes, locked onto her. And she didn't care if many were locked on with hate and malice, because she sensed the ones that saw her and watched on with something else. With hope. This simple act of defiance, of revealing who she was had changed everything. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought that she would be able to give that to anyone, not with her cursed name. But she was more than her name, more than her past. She was a Jedi.

Feeling more connected to the Force than she ever had, she felt the Force stirring in one of the Sith and jumping up and back from the slab of concrete as the Sith unleashed the telekinetic attack at her. Flipping backwards through the air, going with the flow of the Sith's attack rather then oppose it, she landed on a knee a few feet behind the flagpole and brought her blade down to slam it into the ground. Using the blade to anchor her, she came to a skidding stop, still facing the two Sith but a little behind where she had been before the attack. With A'ro having intercepted the other Sith's attack, she didn't have to worry about the debris he had tried tossing at her, though with the acrobatics she had used to avoid the first Sith's attack, the second Sith's attacks would have missed her as well if he did manage to get it off. As she pulled her blade out of the ground, there was a sharp tap as something dropped onto a nearby speeder, followed another tap, then another, and another. The skies had opened up, and as she got to her feet, her blade held to her side, wisps of steam began rising from her blade.

Staring down the Sith, she felt no fear as the Force flowed calmly through her. "My turn." Her blade held in her right hand, she reached out with the Force as she gestured with her left and grabbed the slab of concrete she had been perched upon and pulling her left hand back, she thrust it forwards as the Force pulsed out from her. The slab of concrete was ripped from the ground and sent flying towards the two Sith, who, luckily for her, were clubbed together, making it easier for her to attack them at once. She used that moment to catch her breath, this fight was just beginning, and she was going to be of no use to anyone if she tired herself out before the end.

@Phoenix @Rom @Faster Than Light @Arclight @Lazy Swordsman

 

[Pierre Lindegaard]

A lightsaber, the force flowing through her (one not of the taint of the dark side), and those acrobatics, even with this evidence in his eyes, he still refused to believe this girl was really a Jedi. The Jedi are dead. But Pierre Lindegaard stood there and gritted his teeth in irritation as his force blast was avoided by so-called Jedi and as she began to raise the concrete slab out of the ground and. With that fine display of the force he wondered behind his venomous expression if she really was a Jedi after all.

Still it was time to act. Some other rebel shot at Pierre's sith compatriot, but didn't fire at Pierre. Pierre wanted to focus on the girl as to make an example of her for her defiance and declaring the Jedi have returned.

Pierre sprung into action when the first stone was cast (in this case the concrete slab), Pierre was light and quick on his feet and had the force giving a slight aid to his movements and reflexes. The Sith Acylote would take a wide side-step to his right, avoiding the thrown concrete slab with the flagpole that was mounted on top that she stood on top of previously.

After that movement, the Sith acolyte would begin to dart forward with the intention of engaging her in lightsaber combat. He will find out if that girl knows how to use one of those. His lightsabers are still ignited and his blades are ready to sink their teeth into her once he gets close.

@Phoenix @Rom @Wit @Arclight @Lazy Swordsman

 

[Allerius Katress]

The Sith’s growing hatred was turned away from the Jedi the alien next to her dared fire his blaster in his direction. Snarling he ran forward as his lightsabers darted out with the long blade flicking out in front of his torso to deflect two of the blasts while his shoto went low to parry the two bolts aimed further down. Although his red blades had managed to stop all four of plasma bolts he was only able to send two back towards the Kel Dor (@Rom).

Already moving he sensed a flare of power from the Jedi and glanced to see the slab of concrete flying through the air towards him. Deactivating his lightsabers Allerius hit the ground and rolled under the slab that had been hurtling towards him deciding it was better to slow down slightly in his charge and save his Force Energy for the oncoming engagement.

Coming smoothly back to his feet Allerius reactivated his blades but focused now on the Kel Dor and his words. Another Jedi? That wasn’t possible! If the Sith Assassin had been a bit more mindful he could have easily sensed the difference of the Force power between this second invader and his female comrade. However he was not clear minded. Fear, hatred and desperation battled within the Sith. So when the Alien called himself Jedi Allerius immediately decided to refocus his aggression. This one only had a vibroblade clearly denoting his lesser rank. He would be easier to cripple and capture.

Trusting the other Sith to deal with the Human woman Allerius breathed deeply of the Dark Side, letting it build within his chest like a burning flame, preparing to use it when needed. His two crimson lightsabers hummed and once in range the Acolyte would be ready to use it on his target.

@Phoenix @Rom @Wit @Arclight @Faster Than Light

 

[Jarek Ysirath]

The Darkside surged through Jarek, empowering his movements and opening his mind. And with it came hunger, a gnawing, clawing hunger that seemed to tear at his very being, urging him onward. His senses spread outwards as he continued to rush the Basilisk, something stirred within the force that made him hesitate, if just for a moment. A strange, utterly foreign sensation within the force, one that he had never felt before.

Light.

Stopping in his charge, Jarek's eyes were drawn to the woman climbing the flag monument, the source of the unusual disturbance. He could feel the warmth that radiated from her, the Force answering her call in a way that was utterly foreign to him. He could sense no anger, no pain, no hatred. Only serenity and purpose. Balance. And then it happened. The crisp snap-hiss of a lightsaber igniting cut through air gone still as she drew her own lightsaber, its startlingly blue blade, the color of which hadn't been seen by Sith eyes for centuries.

"The Jedi Knights... have returned."

The whispered words echoing through the air, heard by all in the square as if riding on the currents of the force itself. Blaster fire from the Imperial troops lulled if for just a moment, shock and fear radiating from the soldier's as they faced a new, unknown enemy. The hunger that roared within Jarek seemed to quiet for a moment, before returning full force with its attention focused on the Jedi. The time that had seemed to slow returned once more, pitched battle underway as Jarek struggled to resist the urge to charge straight for the Jedi, the monster within him scratching at the walls of his will for a chance to consume the light that radiated from her.

Slashing upwards, Jarek's lightsaber cleaved the duracrete slab flying towards him as he released pent up rage into the cut, a powerful force push that combined with the saber cut cleaved the slab in two to fly past Jarek and tumble to the ground behind him. Pelted with debris, Jarek shielded himself from the smaller pieces of rubble that broke off from the slab, wincing as each small bit struck to batter and bruise. "SOLUUUUUS!" Jarek yelled as he returned his focus to the true threat on the battlefield, perhaps not to the Empire or the Sith, but to the men under his command.

"WHERE IS YOUR HONOR!" Jarek continued as he leaped forwards once more, finally closing the distance between himself and the Basalisk mounted soldier. Landing lightly, he lashed out with his saber at he Basilisks leading claw, a sweeping horizontal blow intended to cleave into the limbs joint. "Have the Mandalorians so easily abandoned their hatred?" The words seemed to come from nowhere, bidden forth from Jarek's mouth but not from his mind. Swept up in the cold hunger of the Darkside, Jarek had let go of himself and embraced power. A power that he hated, but the power he needed, to protect the people of the Empire.

@Phoenix

 

[Narir Solus]

What did this Sith know of old hatred? What could he possibly understand about what the Mandalorians had gone through? Did Narir like the Jedi? No, he didn't. He didn't trust any Force users, and saw them as little more than manipulators who pulled the worst from people and dumped them on the side of the road once they were finished with them. The Jedi probably did that, too.

But Narir knew the Sith did.

Maybe the day would come when Narir would have the chance to hunt and kill every single zealot who called himself "Jedi" or "Sith" but the opportunity to start with the Sith presented itself, and he took it. They were the ones that had used the Mandalorians as war dogs. They were the ones who had stripped his people of their culture and identity. They were the ones who had crushed the Mandalorians under their boot heel once they were done with them.

It was all the Sith's fault, and Narir was going to have his revenge on them.

He leapt off the basilisk he was on, pressing the button for his jetboots as he fell. He had spent hours practicing maneuvering on these devices, and he had an incredibly natural balance, which left him in a position to begin opening fire on the Sith as he hovered above the ground. His carbine spat a pair of lasers at the Sith just as the saber clipped into the basilisk. Sabers could go through everything, but even they took time to cut through heavy armor. Even so the droid roared in rage, firing its plasma cluster toward the ground in front of him, cutting a massive hole into the ground as it ran back.

I hate you! he yelled at the Sith, though his voice was mostly drowned out by the sound of blasters, canons, and cracking duracrete. Blaster shots continued to spit at the Sith who would no doubt be distracted with him as the basilisk backed away, heading to the building and preparing to cut into their target with its heavy laser. @Arclight