Ask Event Vengeance of the Sith: Shattered World

[The Storyteller]

Fortunately for her, Cyutadakyr would have little difficulty scaling the final stretch of the wall - cresting over the top and sliding down in the interior side. The Sith Pureblood would immediately find herself within a courtyard of base, training equipment and basic supplies neatly scattered about. There were multiple doors that led further into the base, each sealed with a key-panel on the wall just adjacent. This was - however - where the Pureblood’s luck would run out.

Without any intelligence shared by Kaldar, Cyu would have no idea which direction would lead her towards their objective, or which door would bring her face-to-face with incoming patrols. The blaring klaxons were still audible in the distance, coupled with the heavy trample of bootsteps nearby. She would have mere, precious moments to choose a direction - but the Pureblood would almost certainly do so blind.

Curiously, the Pureblood would find that Ralak didn’t follow her deeper into the facility. In the blink of an eye, the Inquisitor had completely vanished from sight - leaving Cyu to her own devices.

Meanwhile, Kaldar and Azar would continue to find significantly more success and thus lack of resistance along their path - deeper into the base. The schematics provided a clear layout of the enemy fortifications, and abandoning their fellow Sith - cruel or not - kept them largely separated from the commotion caused by Cyrian. In the end, such was the way of the Sith.

While the water purification station wasn’t particularly high priority for trooper security - especially during the current state of high alert - the corridors and hallways leading to the area weren’t entirely devoid of activity. As they approached the door leading into their objective. Just around the corner, Azar and Kaldar would be greeted by a small swarm of viper probe droids - five individual units floating idly infront of the sealed door.

Too many to destroy without an alarm being raised.

It would almost certainly be necessary for someone to distract them away from the door, enabling someone else to slice past the locks. But there was the dilemma, wasn’t it? Kaldar’s decision to abandon Cyu and Cyrian was fresh. Could the Pureblood trust his tentative ally not to do the same again? Could Kaldar trust the Pureblood, when Azar had kept the poison to himself the entire time?

Precious moments ticked by, forcing the pair decide rather quickly.

The situation for Cyrian and Devos only devolved further. The spotlight was secure, but effectively useless. The Inquisitor could guess that his allies had already made it inside the base, and the advantage of their stealth was nothing but a distant memory. It would enough to make his blood boil - attention fixing onto the single, Sith trooper responsible. Devos had no love for the Non-Force Sensitives - even those who had remained loyal to the Dark Lord. They were weak. They were a liability - and this one in particular threatened to cost them everything.

Without a word, the Inquisitor seized hold of Cyrian and threw the Sith Trooper with the Force - pushing him towards the incoming wave of enemy troopers. The man would either die fighting, or be captured and tortured, but Devos didn’t particularly care. Cyrian didn’t have high enough clearance to reveal anything of importance, especially if these were the same people responsible for attacking Mustafar.

Using the opportunity to escape, Devos slinked his way through the facility for a while - carefully dodging patrols and probe droids along the way. Their plan might still work, if Cyrian was a distraction for long enough. He knew where the others would be headed, and poisoning the water supply just might ensure their success.

But Devos would never reach Azar and Kaldar.

Just as the Inquisitor rounded a corner, he was stopped dead in his tracks - eyes going wide behind his mask. His sense of surprise and fear reverberated through the Force - and the surprise would forever be etched into his face. “You-“ The words barely escaped from his lips, before a single blaster bolt pierced through the center of his forehead - killing him instantly. His body would be left to be found some time later, his fate entirely unknown to his remaining allies.

@Sreeya @Phoenix @Morse @Xorism

 

[Kaldar]

Kaldar came to a stop outside the water sanitation facility. The droids outside of it were going to be a problem, and Kaldar knew that if they just cleaved said droids down, that was going to be a problem. As in a problem that would spoil the whole plan.

He only had moments to decide, but decide he did.

I'll distract the droids while you deliver the poison, he said. It was less about trusting his partner and more about the fact that he was confident that Azar would deliver the poison because it was in his own best interest to do so. If the Champion was confident in his own skills, then that was what mattered, and he was confident he could find his way out of most situations. He was slippery if nothing else.

He waited to see if Azar made any objections. In truth, he was putting a lot of faith in an Acolyte, but the pureblood had proven himself capable thus far, and that was far more valuable to Kaldar than a semi-empty rank. He'd met plenty of Champions who didn't impress.

Not that he intended to put himself on the line, per se. He reached out with the Force and instead focused on a nearby electrical panel, reaching into its circuitry and bringing out a series of sparks. Then he tumbled over a nearby tray of tools, making loud clatters on the floor. And he would continue to cause such slight, unusual disturbances that demanded the droids investigate. Of course, it was never a Sith or anything, but always just enough to keep the droids distracted for a bit longer and draw them just a bit further away from the target facilities.

@Sreeya @Altaris

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar stared at his companion, studying him for a moment. The man was a complete crook, but so was Azar. This splitting up business left them in a sticky spot. However, when the man proactively offered to go distract the droids, the Pureblood’s translator suggested he was about to go dancing with them. Azar put the pieces together and nodded solemnly, deciding to agree to it. It was suspicious, but they didn't have much choice.

“Is there… air….tunnel?” He tried to mimic crawling through a vent shaft, not sure if he was making any sense. In the end, he gave up, unless Kaldar could make sense of what he attempted to say. Going through vents would circumvent the droids entirely and the schematics would give them blueprints on where they were. Regardless of what Kaldar did, Azar split off and waited for him to find a way to distract before slowly inching closer towards the water tank.

@Altaris @Phoenix @Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

Sliding into the courtyard, Cyutadakyr was confronted not only by a lack of direction and a vague sense of comradely, but a quick glance over her shoulder saw that the inquisitor babysitter had vanished. Good, she thought to herself. With a little luck, Ralek would be able to deal with problems before they reached the pureblood, although with some poor luck perhaps she would be the source of them.

It would come down to something of a dead reckoning, basing her decision on knowledge of previous bases she had been on and the direction from which she had come, Cyutadakyr took the door which she hoped would lead toward an armoury of some kind. If she couldn't find the main target they were after, she reasoned that their second priority had been to cause as much damage as possible.

And with their cover blown, by attempting sabotage somewhere it would likely draw eyes away from the main target that the other Sith were hitting, allowing their cold poison to do its deadly work.

@Altaris @Sreeya @Morse @Phoenix

 

[Cyrian Vrax]

"In the absence of orders you act" The memory from Cyrian's training rang out in his ear. "And in the presence of your betters you attend to their commands."

The Empire was gone for him, but it's training still rang true in his mind. The mind of a trooper was militant and obedient, and he was good for following orders without question.

But the memory was all that rang out when the alarms sounded from the droids. Perhaps Cyrian made a mistake waiting for the command. It was his training. It was the programs that the Sith had overseen that made him what he was.

Things moved quickly and Cyrian shifted focus to the incoming troopers in front of them. He held for just one more moment preparing to fire as he would.

But that was when his body froze. As though every muscle in his body was tense and arrested from all momentum. Even his lungs felt tight, and his nostrils could not even flare.

He regained his movement only to feel a sensation like falling. He was not falling. He was flying through the air. The duraplast armor he wore clattered on the ground.

There had been no explosion.

He had been thrown by the Sith!?

Was it to get him to a more advantageous position? Was he being used as a distraction?

Cyrian could not tell, but he realized he'd lost his rifle and was staring at incoming enemy troops.

He was in the open. He was exposed. And he was helpless.

He drew for his pistol, but was fired upon quickly but those that had weapons on him. The first bolt struck his hand. The blaster pistol discharged a bolt into the ground and Cyrian dropped it.

He fell backward in the pain, but before hitting the ground he was struck in the chest by the boot of their adversary. He was hit in the head but the butt of their rifle. He was slammed to the ground. Flipped on his back. He was restrained.

He was detained.

Cyrian could only guess what would happen next... but in that moment all he could feel was his rage and failure consuming him.

@Altaris @Sreeya @Morse @Phoenix @Xorism

Spoiler

OOC: I apologize sincerely. I went out of town for a week and failed to notify anyone.

 

[The Storyteller]

It only took moments for Cyrian to be detained - completely overwhelmed by the incoming patrol. The man would be provided no small mercies, as the enemy troopers all took the opportunity to beat the man senseless. Cartilage in his nose would break with the impact of a rifle butt, and ribs would crack from repeated kicks to his torso. It was only after what felt like an eternity - when the Sith Trooper barely drifted in consciousness - that they moved to handcuff and transport him. There was no indication of where they would take the Sith Trooper, but interrogation and continued torture was almost a guarantee for the man.

Such was the price of his failures. Such was the price for incompetence amongst the Sith.

Fortunately for the Pureblood, the failures and commotion caused by Cyrian afforded her a small window to move - picking a direction to rush blindly towards. Without a glimpse of the acquired schematics, it was little more than guessing where the door might guide her. As she crossed the threshold, she would quickly come to realize she had not discovered the armory.

Rather, Cyu walked directly into an open and spacious mess hall - filled with dozens of benches and seating that lined the room. A buffet counter and kitchen was tucked against the wall straight ahead, while two doors, east and west, led further into the facility. Entrance into the base afforded the Pureblood with a momentary respite, avoiding detection by the troopers that would almost certainly pass through the main courtyard.

But that didn’t mean she went completely without resistance.

Before she could make it more than a few steps, the east doors opened - revealing a pair of troopers in full armor, rifles slung across their bodies. It was clear they were moving in the direction of the alarms, and had crossed through the mess hall along the way. They spotted Cyu at once. “Halt! Identity yourself!” One of them shouted, as both raised their weapons towards her. The first blaster bolt wouldn’t be fired by either, though.

Instead, it was the Besalisk chef positioned behind the buffet counter - wielding a pistol on one of his four hands, alongside a giant chef’s knife in the other. It was clear that Jubo The Chef was a ‘shoot-first-ask-questions-later’ type of man, and gave the Pureblood only a moment to defend herself.

Trust was a rare commodity amongst the Sith Order, and perhaps there was little to be shared amongst Kaldar and Azar. Nevertheless, both had continued to work together through the mission - and it was that cooperation that ultimately had placed them leagues beyond the rest of their compatriots. It only took a few moments - particularly after the clanging of tools on the ground - for the droids to respond to what Kaldar was doing. In unison, the probe droids began to drift towards the source of the sound - rounding a corner that placed them beyond immediate line of sight. It was exactly a large window of time, but it would likely be enough for the pair to progress into the water purification room.

Wherever Kaldar was, the Champion would briefly catch sight of something moving across his peripheral vision - just slow enough that he would be able to turn to face the source of movement. A distinctly humanoid figure moved across a corridor at the end of the hallway, vanishing through another door and beyond sight. It wasn’t clear who they were, or if they’d even noticed the pair of Sith that inched towards their mission objective. Only the Champion could decide whether investigating further was worth the time and effort.

Assuming Azar either progressed through the air duct or simply sliced through the unguarded door, the Pureblood would have little difficulty making his way inside the water purification room.

Cramped and humid, the room was lined with a network of water pipes - running across the walls and ceiling, snaking across the floor and towards the colossal water tank built into the center of the room. There was no one to guard the otherwise insignificant piece of infrastructure, with only a few air ducts positioned overhead, connecting it to the rest of the facility. Though it would likely take some tinkering, Kaldar and Azar combined would likely have little trouble depositing the poison.

While Klaxons blared distantly in the facility, the water purification room was completely silent - with only the soft whirring of machinery as ambience. For the first time since arrival, the Sith would find no resistance in achieving their goal - no one to stop them taking those final, crucial steps.

@Sreeya @Phoenix @Xorism @Morse

 

[Kaldar]

Kaldar caught sight of something or someone moving in the edges of his vision, and though there was little detail to be made out in the relative darkness and shadows of the base, he knew just by looking at it that it left a feeling in the pit of his stomach that was a warning all its own.

Let's just go in a not-that-direction, he thought to himself. He was sure that some Sith would have said it was cowardly, and if he were Darth Vader, he'd probably have gone over there. But he wasn't Darth Vader. He wasn't Darth anything yet, and until then, he would bide his time and survive.

Instead, he went with Azar into the water facility and the two of them would work to get the poison deployed. Amidst that, there was the sound of blaring alarms, and Kaldar couldn't help but mutter aloud.

What the kriff are they doing out there? he muttered. They weren't making their best showing out there, and Kaldar was, in fact, judging them.

@Sreeya @Altaris

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar had no clue how to do any slicing, so he opted for the air ducts. He easily climbed in, his lithe body perfect for scenarios like these. He crawled through the vents, having an idea of what he was looking for thanks to the schematics. He was able to hear the soft churning of the water tanks before he saw them, arriving over the room. Azar opened the vent and soundlessly dropped to the floor, glancing around for any cameras or sentries. Spotting none, he proceeded to climb up and dump the poison in various different tanks that supplied water through the pipes leading out of them.

With his portion of the job completed, he jumped down, finally tapping into the comms channel shared by them all, “Poison deployed,” He said simply before he hopped back up into the vents. He, of course, had no clue what the other Sith were up to, but they would all know that at least the poison angle was completed. Azar would return back where he had parted with Prettyboy, knowing at least that hallway was cleared. With luck, he would find a way out without being noticed to let the poison do its work.

@Altaris @Xorism @Phoenix @Morse

 

[Nevizkas]

Entering the mess hall was clearly a detour from where the pureblood had intended, but as luck would have it, an opportunity presented itself as she came under fire.Assuming her companions were as half competent as their confidence projected, no eyes that saw her would open the following day.

Focusing on the immediate danger, the snap-hiss of her crimson blade provided no warning as she deftly blocked the incoming blaster bolt and returning it to its owner. Her retaliation was swift and brutal, subjugating the chef to an intensely crushing telekinetic choke surrounding his throat.

Speaking to the troopers in an authorities tone, she commanded their compliance. "She sent me. What the fuck are you standing there for, there are intruders on base. We must protect the armoury."

Cyutadakyr remained on guard in case her little ruse failed, contemplating her options quickly.

@Altaris @Sreeya @Morse @Phoenix

 

[The Storyteller]

She?

There was but a moment of silence from each of the troopers - just as the words echoed from Cyu’s lips. The authoritative tone of her voice was unmistakable, and it elicited a bemused expression from each of the men who’d only just been firing upon her. Perhaps such a ruse might’ve worked, were it not for the multitude of factors that were working against the Pureblood.

Suspicion was already at an all-time high within the facility - and the appearance of Sith already stoked those anxieties higher. But it was the name that the Pureblood attempted to invoke which ultimately spoiled her deception. Perhaps the man and women garrisoning the base did answer to a Dark Lord. But there had been no verbal indication of that fact for Cyu to base her suspicions upon.

And they most certainly didn’t serve the same woman that the Pureblood did.

Without another moment of hesitation, both of the troopers leveled their rifles on Cyu, firing four stun bolts - two from each weapon in rapid succession - towards her legs and torso. Chef Jubo struggled and choked against the constriction to his throat, but that didn’t prevent his third arm from hurling that chef’s knife towards her. It was a crude weapon, but it would bury itself deep into her abdomen if not defended against.

Despite the intensity of fighting, Cyu would very quickly have decisions to make. Their objective within the base had been stealth to begin with - and prolonging any fight with the troopers was only going to attract more attention to their presence within the facility. She could attempt to dispatch the trio and keep moving, and risk further exposure in the process. Or she could allow their stun bolts to find purchase - if only to give her allies the breathing room necessary to get the job done.

Could she trust the others would even complete their job, or come back for her when it was over? Could she trust what might happen to her within the captivity of their enemy?

---

It was done.

From his perch, Azar would watch as miniscule portions of the poison were deployed - dripped into each of the tanks and pipelines, contaminating the entire water supply for the enemy base. It only took seconds for the inky clouds of toxicity to fully dissolve and become undetectable to the naked eye, but its effect on the denizens would be no less lethal. Every meal cooked would serve as a carrier. Every sip of water would kill within minutes. Men and women would choke upon the noxious fumes of their own shower steam. Hundred were dead already. They simply didn’t know it.

But that hardly meant Kaldar or Azar were out of the woods. Not quite yet.

The Pureblood would have enough time to reunite with Kaldar without resistance, clustering within the hallway that had previously been secure. It was apparently - if only due to their continued absence - that the probe droids had floated further down the networking hallways to investigate the disturbance caused by Kaldar. They were seemingly alone within that corridor, isolated from the chaos that seemed to befall their allies. There was still silence that fell over the hallways. Silence, broken only by the steady, quickening pace of footsteps that rushed straight in their direction.

Both would have just enough time to register the sound and turn in its direction. Shadows that clung to the corners of the hallway that seemed to shift and move with a life of their own, housing the faintest outline of a humanoid figure - the very same that Kaldar had spotted only a few minutes prior - visible if they stared direction at it.

The familiar visage of Ralek stepped into the light, shedding the cloak of shadows that had kept her approach concealed. Not a single word escaped from her lips as she advanced upon the pair. Her intentions were unmistakable, heralded by the snap-hiss of dual blades of crimson plasma.

Devos had been eliminated. Cyrian and Cyu were well-on-their-way to ensuring their own failure. But these two? Each had consistently moved with more success than Ralek had anticipated, and their decision to disable the communication systems was the only reason the Inquisitor hadn’t alerted security the moment she abandoned the female Pureblood. Systematically, the rogue Inquisitor had hoped to sabotage the Sith and their mission without ever revealing her true loyalties. Kaldar and Azar had proven to be the only obstacle in that objective. The only ones that required her direct intervention.

Encrypted transmissions from Mustafar would suddenly make sense to Kaldar, and though Cyu wouldn’t know it, her worst fears regarding the Inquisitor had proven themselves to be true. They would know precisely who the the traitor amongst them truly was.

Without a word, Ralek stepped in close - carving one of her crimson lightsabers in an upwards, diagonal arc, attempting to slice through Kaldar’s shoulder from left hip to right shoulder. The lightsaber in her left hand was kept in a defensive guard at a forty-five degree angle, crimson eyes briefly flicking to the Pureblood. Anticipating a fight against numerical odds, in the event that her ambush proved unsuccessful.

@Sreeya @Phoenix @Xorism @Morse

 

[Kaldar]

Kaldar was halfway to congratulating himself on a mission well done as Azar returned. Unfortunately, that feeling was cut short as the mysterious figure appeared from the shadows, saber igniting in her hand.

Well... that was unsavory. He wished he could say that he trusted Azar to have his back, but he didn't. Kaldar wasn't a bad duelist and was a firm believer that every Sith should be competent at killing, but he preferred to be in control of his combat. This was not his preferred outcome.

His own saber leapt to his hand and burst to life.

Can't we talk about this? he asked, looking for a way to even the playing field if only a little or even negate the problem altogether. He had no real gauge of how powerful this Inquisitor was, but he would err on the side of caution as he felt out the duel ahead of him.

But then, if Azar actually offered to help out, then they might have a chance. By Kaldar's reckoning, if he died, she'd come for Azar next, and he hoped the other Sith would come to that same conclusion.

His own saber swiped down, catching the woman's blade as he leapt backwards and to his own left, maneuvering in such a way that in order to face him, she'd have to put her back to the Pureblood. He was a practitioner of Shien - albeit without the impractical reverse grip - and that used rapid follow-up attacks.

True to form, Kaldar did just that. As soon as he was certain his body was clear of the blocked saber attack, his wrists both rotated around in a flick, attempting to take the Inquisitor's attacking arm off just below the elbow in a flicking, downward cut.

@Sreeya @Altaris

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Initially, Azar appeared to be entirely worthless. He didn’t jump in to help when they first engaged. His hand reached down, and he seemingly appeared to be adjusting his clothing. Kaldar and the traitorous Sith were clashing blades, and at some point the Sith’s back was turned to him. She likely expected him to rush in with an attack, but he did no such thing. Instead, there was a subtle flick of his hand and he launched the cracked vial of the poison remnants directly at her body. It was when Kaldar was out of the target area. The vial was clear and she likely wouldn’t see such a random attack coming. The tiny glass shards, laced with poison, would embed through her clothing and pierce into her bloodstream. If successful, the poison would weaken her rapidly and kill her soon.

In order to distract from his deceptive maneuver, Azar followed up by coiling the Force around her neck in an attempt for a choke. He had no desire to close the distance and join the little dance Kaldar began with her and his fancy saber waving.

@Altaris @Xorism @Phoenix

 

[Nevizkas]

With the ruse annihilated, all that remained was to fight.

With three threats to contend with, she concentrated on dealing with the chef first. With a twist of her arm, the force choke twisted the man's head to snap the neck as she stepped forward to avoid the first volley of incoming fire. Brushing aside the cleaver with her own blade, she counter strafed to avoid the second volley with less luck than the first time.

One of the stun bolts struck her in the chest armor, while it mitigated the main effects, the bleed through tore a callous electric pain shooting through her body. It was at this point Cyutadakyr faced a critical decision. Now that Azar had informed the others of their success, it was near pointless to continue wandering though the facility alone. How they had ghosted through the base without so much as a peep was perhaps more surprising, but that was perhaps a discussion held better face to face.

"Copy." Was all she said in response.

Using the force, Cyu gripped a bench near the troopers to throw in their direction, ideally crushing them in its heavy impact. Further, she held her lightsaber out defensively, ready to intercept the next volley while making her way towards them to potentially finish off the unlucky heroes.

@Altaris @Sreeya @Morse @Phoenix

 

[The Storyteller]

It only took minuscule moments for a decision to be made, heralded by the counteroffensive that Cyu immediately launched back at the enemy troopers. She had chosen to fight despite the risks - so be it.

Unfortunately for Chef Jubo, there was very little that could be done to avoid his fate. Just as the cleaver left his hands, his head was yanked harshly to one side - snapping the bones within his neck and killing his instantly. The formidable man dropped at once, banging and clanging as his body hit the mess hall floor. The rest of the soldiers, however? Wouldn’t be so easily felled.

The barrage of stun bolts didn’t cease - even as Cyu continued to move and strafe around the messhall. Even as she reached out to seize hold of the bench, she would be forced to defend against two additional stun bolts that sailed towards her right leg and left shoulder.

The barrage did, however, cease even the bench was hurled. Both troopers immediately dropped their weapons and attempted to dodge the projectile, though only one of them was successful in his endeavor - with the more agile trooper proceeding to book it out of the mess hall unless stopped. One unfortunate trooper was crushed beneath the thrown, metal furniture - pinning him to the ground and slicing deep into his legs. Blood gushed from the injury, and was accompanied by loud, bloodcurdling screaming.

They were the screams of a dying man. One whose final moments were nothing but blistering agony and the terror of a Sith as his execution. And it presented an immediate problem for Cyu.

Patrols were heavy - and the men who had apprehended Cyrian were still nearby, alongside those who passed through the main courtyard. While the Pureblood might have been able to avoid detection and fight at the same time, the combination of screaming and the sound of an entire bench flying across the messhall? It was simply too obnoxious to be missed by the men outside.

Within moments, Cyu would hear the footsteps that stormed towards the messhall - striking like thunder until they finally burst through the wide doors. Six men forced themselves inside at once, leveling rifles upon the Pureblood. More we’re almost certainly behind, and this time, there was no verbal warning to drop.

Only the volley of stun bolts that would almost certainly find their mark.

---

For Kaldar and Azar, it appeared that their luck had finally caught up with them - despite the record success they enjoyed during the mission. Betrayal came without warning, and it almost certainly would leave them grappling with how deep the conspiracy ran.

For her part, Ralak relished in that momentary chaos. She could feel every ounce of anxiety and uncertainty that coursed through the weaker Sith - intoxicating as it polluted the Force around them. She was careful and methodical in her planning, but it was the thrill of the hunt that she craved the most. The sweet rush of adrenaline - one that came only after playing her cards to her chest for so long. She was a Master in strength, and so rarely did she have an opportunity to exercise that strength.

“If only we could,” She said with the faintest hints of a smile beneath the mask. The Inquisitor was actually impressed with the originality and skill in which the pair had conducted themselves, and it left her with the faintest hints of regret. It was almost a shame for such talent to be wasted.

Almost.

“The Pureblood has already ensured your failure.” It didn’t take more than a moment for both to realize she wasn’t referring to Azar, the words tinged with smug inference. None of them had been in contact with Cyu since their mission began, and there was no verifying what that become of the Pureblood. Could they trust that the woman hadn’t betrayed them? That she hadn’t alerted them of the poison, setting off the alarms in the first place?

Ralak tracked Kaldar as he moved to her own right - crimson visor tilted towards the Champion with lethal intent. To her own misfortunate, the Inquisitor instinctively turned to keep the Champion in her field of vision. As his own blade lifted from the block, Ralak stepped backwards - pulling her elbow and tilting her saber upwards to catch against Kaldar’s flick. Her second lightsaber was poised to defend, still kept close against her body.

But that didn’t prepare her for the decreptive tactic that Azar had employed.

The shards of glass found this mark without resistance - cutting through her armor and piercing her skin at once. Kaldar had forced the Inquisitor to reposition and defend against his own attack, and it left her open to the poison-based ambush from the Pureblood. She had no time to react, feeling the Force coil abruptly around her neck.

Glancing back over her shoulder, Ralak abruptly stepped to her own left - attempting to move further away from Kaldar and free the space between the two Sith. Her own strength in the Force coiled around Azar, two fingers lifting off her lightsaber as she attempted to fling the Pureblood directly into Kaldar and his fancy saber swinging. She attempted to collide the two right into each other, or perhaps skewer the Pureblood on whatever aggressive follow-up was employed by his comrade.

@Sreeya @Phoenix @Xorism @Morse
[/QUOTE]

 

[Kaldar]

Azar hadn't run off, but he wasn't exactly helping, which made it almost as bad as taking off. The realization that he might be on his own for this was... unpleasant, and left him wondering if he was just going to get killed.

Not easily at least. But the woman wasn't talking about Azar causing their failure? The other woman? Must have been here, but what did that mean? And what was Azar doing? He had shown himself to be cunning, and he could only hope this was... a ploy? He couldn't plan on that, though.

She blocked the follow-up strike with relative ease, but she gave no direct counterattack to him, which gave him a moment. It also let him see the move that Azar pulled, and he felt a wave of relief wash over him. It seemed to strike true, but the woman wasn't downed yet.

Well kriff, he thought to himself.

He didn't know how long it would take the poison to set in, but the woman was already counter-attacking. Kaldar was unable to perform his own counter-attack as the woman made her attempt to hurl Azar. Truthfully, though, it was a "buying time" game now. Rather than make any further attempt to attack, he would leap back to avoid any potential flying Azars and prepare to fend off the Inquisitor's counter attack. It was a classic Kaldar move, really. Find his advantage, and outright abuse it for victory.

@Sreeya @Altaris

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar knew the woman was in trouble the moment his shards found purchase. He was thrown at Kaldar, and he ducked and made himself as small a target as possible, keeping close to the ground as he was thrown. He would stumble into the Champion, but he recovered quickly enough, springing back to allow distance.

“You will have pain,” He called out to the Sith, “Agony. You bleed from every opening,” He said calmly in his low, guttural voice with the thick accent, “Tell who you serve and where pureblood is. I give you remedy,” He offered, “Or take you saber and stab in your own neck…because pain from poison will be bad. Very bad.”

It was in the woman’s best interests to let Azar finish speaking. If she moved to interrupt with an attack, Azar would react accordingly. However, she would realize his words rang true - soon enough her insides would begin to feel as if they were being torn apart and shredded in a blender. Her nose would begin to bleed first, and she would feel a sudden urge to vomit. If she did, it would be nothing but blood and black tar. A great weakness would start to take over her. She had a choice to make. Azar wouldn’t make it for her, and he wouldn’t grant her the mercy of a quick death. She had two very different ways out of this.

@Phoenix @Altaris @Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

The triumph of her success would have to wait for another day, as the cacophony of bone, steel and shrieking was overshadowed by the arrival of more playthings. For the time being, the departure of the other trooper meant that she only had the new arrivals to worry about, as the puddle of a man wasn't in the position to attack her.

On the one hand, it would be an exciting adventure to continue fighting and hear the wails and gnashing of teeth as she crushed the next six beneath her might. But she was frustrated by the fact that even if she did, their number meant that they would simply replace their losses faster than she could ever hope to deplete. It was therefore leaving her with but one alternative, to fall back.

From where she stood near the middle of the mess hall, there was an option to race towards the mangled man and hope that the door would be an exit, but that didn't seem prudent considering troopers had already used it. The other, more sensible option seemed to be the kitchen itself, which was less likely to be guarded as all the kitchen staff were likely not present at this time and therefore a safer escape route.

Jumping forward toward the kitchen in a combat roll to avoid the first of what would be many volleys, no doubt, the pureblood just needed to buy enough time to make the short distance in one piece. With her free arm outstretched toward the group of troopers suddenly, she used force flash to temporarily blind them. Given that they were all staring and trying to follow her movements, it would likely work.

In either case, she sprinted for the cover the Chef's body lay behind, aiming to jump it and escape into the kitchen. Perhaps of all the places she had been so far, she hoped the kitchen might illuminate her whereabouts and provide some quick information that could help in her withdrawal. In any case, assuming she got this far, she wouldn't want to leave them empty-handed. Before leaving, she would want to open a few gas hobs and an open flame, just for fun.

@Altaris @Sreeya @Phoenix

 

[The Storyteller]

With every minute that passed, Cyutadakyr seemed to revel in the chaos that she unleashed. It was no small effort to dodge the multitude of stun bolts that streamed towards her - and the Pureblood would ultimately suffer from the momentary gaps in her defenses. While she darted forward in a combat roll, a single stray stun bolt found purchase in her left arm. While it wasn’t enough to incapacitate the woman, it would render her arm worthless for the time being.

She would be moving slower. She would feel the odds slowly turning against her, as additional troopers flooded into the area that the Pureblood simply had no map of.

Fortunately, the Sith Champion still managed to move ahead of the troopers - through the kitchens and towards the exit doors in the back. They were the only way out besides the way that Cyu came, a door which was quickly being swarmed with additional manpower. Assuming she exited through the back doors, Cyu would find herself outside once more - positioned near several full trash cans and bags of old, rotten food. She had the option to attempt scaling the walls or running further into the facility, but the sound of footsteps echoed not far behind.

All the while, gas continued to leak into the kitchen - a ticking time bomb that slowly inched towards detonation.

---

For a brief moment, Azar and Kaldar were spared from any swift counterattack. The Inquisitor was frozen where she stood - the gravity of the situation slowly dawning upon her. She could feel the toxin that worked through her body. The fire that burned within her veins, her stomach twisting itself into knots so tightly it felt as if she would combust. It was agony like Ralak hadn’t experienced in her life, and despite all of her training and conditioning.. She couldn’t help the cries and groans of pain that escaped from her lips.

She staggered backwards, ripping off the helmet that covered her face. Revealing the face of the Firrerreo that had sworn herself to Darth Andruil ages ago. Who had served loyalty until her retirement - until their glorious Empire began to stagnate and collapse upon itself.

Ralak did indeed vomit - streaks of red and black staining the durasteel floors beneath her feet. There was a choice before her, and the Inquisitor had only moments to make it. Death had almost certainly come for her. Perhaps. Desperation was amongst the most primal of instincts, and it drove even the more loyal creatures to actions they wouldn’t otherwise consider.

Gripping the hilt of her lightsaber, Ralak finally shook her head - golden eyes fixating onto Azar and Kaldar.

“Occidius,” She spoke the name - blood trickling from the corners of her mouth. “Darth Occidius. He is the Master I serve. The true Dark Lord of the Sith.” It was a name that predated both of them. One that had barely been uttered since the ascension of Darth Andruil and the pathetic, botched investigation into his whereabouts. What they chose to do with that information was entirely left to them.

It made no difference.

The second question? Ralak opened her mouth to speak - but it was another sound that provided the answer. The boom of an explosion that tore through the facility, originating from the kitchens where had left from. It was an explosion that would spread fire through the messhall and deeper into the facility. It would trigger every klaxon and alert every soldier present. For the time being, it would draw them away from the multiple sources of water that had been spiked.

Whether Cyu knew it or not, her loud and destructive resistance was the only thing preventing the mass death of those who garrisoned the base.

For her part, Ralak could only smile - lightly chuckling at the entire situation. Each breath of amusement eliciting another splatter of blood from her lips.

“It seems.. You have your answer.”

@Sreeya @Phoenix @Xorism @Morse

 

[Darth Arcanos]

The name meant nothing to Azar, but he glanced at Kaldar to see if it sparked recognition. In any case, he could tell the woman was telling the truth. The Sith calmly watched as she started to choke and vomit blood, experiencing intense pains.

“No antidote,” He said with a cruel grin, shrugging casually. He had lied about a cure, of course. The woman was always going to suffer horrible fate the moment the glass shards hit her. Before he could turn and leave the corridor, he heard the explosion from another section of the facility. The alarms blared and people began to scramble and exit or gravitate towards the explosion.

His plan was falling apart thanks to the other Sith being complete idiots on the mission. Then again, could this have been prevented by Kaldar sharing the map to begin with? Azar glared at his comrade, growling to himself before he spun on his heel and began to make for a nearby exit. He was done with this place and wouldn’t linger around to get caught. The commotion needed to die down before he could assess whether his plan worked or not. As far as he knew, technically no one discovered the poisoned water yet. He just needed to make himself scarce.

Ralak would drop dead by the time he crossed the corridor and Azar didn’t look to see if Kaldar joined him or went further into the facilities. Of course, before he left, he drew Ralak’s weapons to himself as a nice little token of his time here and her treachery.

@Altaris @Phoenix @Xorism

 

[Kaldar]

Kaldar took a step back as the woman began to vomit onto the floor, streaked with red and heralding her quickly approaching death.

Kriff, that doesn't look good, he said, though the statement was as much a mockery as anything. He wouldn't lose any sleep over this backstabbing traitor choking on her own bloody vomit as she died.

Darth Occidius? The old failure from the Eternal's council? That's who you picked to follow? Kaldar scoffed. The man had been sitting around with his thumbs up his backside for how many years now? More years than Kaldar had been alive.

His eyes rolled up at the sound of the explosion, and he could only hope that the other Sith would at least have the decency to die or be captured soon so the poison could do its work.

When Azar said there was no antidote, Kaldar choked out a laugh that he turned into a "cough." The Pureblood was cold hearted, he'd give that.

She met her end standing right in front of them. Might want to make cures just for yourself, he said when the woman finally died. Of course, Kaldar assumed there actually was a cure and Azar had just opted not to share it. Who knew? Who cared?

Kaldar had no intention of sticking around any longer than he had to and with their part of the objective done, he headed toward the exit without hesitation. It was a waiting game now, and with a little patience, he had faith that victory would be theirs. They just had to make it to the exit without being killed.

@Altaris @Sreeya