Act III: Insurrection

[Sargon Vynea]

The entire affair was simply more then the zabrak could adjust to as he stepped away from the fighting. The future or a dream it all seemed mad to him as he struggled to accept even the fight itself against such enormous odds, how had it come to this. Maybe he was simply stuck in his own mind, locked inside a dream or nightmare of his own making. Who knows maybe he was unconscious in a bacta tank at the moment sleeping as some vicious damages were healed.

He found one thing in this entire place though he couldn't deny, a presence he simply had come to know too well to deny. His steps brought him ever closer and a bit farther from the actual fighting until he finally came across her, with a small smile the Zabrak laughed. Placing his hand on her shoulder he squeezed it, “Well, seems I found something that makes sense in here after all. Though I left you watching those damn holosoaps that rot your brain out.”

Little did the Zabrak know he wasn't alive in this version of things, long dead defending Fringe space and the ideals it represented. Opening his mind to her he was immediately put to his knees by the mental forces Phobos was throwing at her. “Fine I'll stop picking on your soaps.”

@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Not Ordo]

@[member="TiCira D'Arr Hawk"] @[member="Verz Horak"] (get some Verz'ika)

Oryuken had slowly followed their path and now he was within charging distance. The hodge podge armor of fallen Mandos hung from his bulky frame like a death shoud calling for the witch and Mandalorian to join them. His hand and a half beskad was raised as he began to charge. To his twisted and broken mind they were angry demon tormenting the innocent Jhaega and the servants of SHE. A could almost hear music in his torn psyche like a climactic explosion of sound as he closed and swung for the witch.

He was not expecting the huge amount of vines however as they sprung from the ground like tentacles from a sarlaac and stopped his beskad a mere foot from her little head. Had that part of his brain been able to do it he would have roared. His mouth gaped silently behind the 'T' of his visor as he began to rip and tare at the plants from hell. He would not stop attacking the witch. The combination of his destroyed psyche and Zealous devotion to HER would not permit it. He freed his hands and swung at her again harder this time as his legs became entangled.

 

[Duggan]

Rebels - chooting dragons​

'So much kursed.' Kallion thought as he fired at multiple kursed before hearing Calicos orders to fire at the dragons stomach "Alright, time to die dragon!" he yelled as he aimed at it's belly, then he started firing in bursts, the plasma would hopefully sear though it's tough scales 'this better work, or we'll be in trouble.' it had started becoming a rhythm, each burst releasing more plasma upon the dragon.

@[member="Commander Calico CC-247"] @[member="CC-117 Canal"] @[member="Spencer Jacobs"] @[member="Phobos"] @[member="Zius Aurus"] @[member="Tracyn Ordo"] @[member="Oryuken CC-128P"] @[member="Verz Horak"] @[member="Marek Starchaser"] @[member="Jhaega"] @[member="Galaar CC-252"] @[member="TiCira D'Arr Hawk"] @[member="Spencer Jacobs"] @AllOthersForgotten

 

[Verz Horak]

Dragonslayers



Suddenly, Verz was no longer among the smoke and ash and fire. He was back on a forested world, and he was no longer a grizzled war veteran. He was a boy. He couldn't move, but his perspective shifted, and he saw his father walking next to him, helmet off. Verz's memories of Quilarra had been dragged to the surface by Phobos.



***********



The forest was warm and moist from the last night's rain. The soldiers around Verz and his father moved quietly. Some wore camo, others wore makeshift ammo belts. Their commander had hired Verz's father to help with a raid on a heavily guarded settlement. His buir had brought him along, as is the tradition of Mando fathers and their sons.



The dense forest prevented detection from the enemy, but the dim dawn light made it hard to see. They moved silently, only a klick from the settlement. Verz, being just over 4 feet tall, had no rifle. They were just to unwieldy for an 8 year old. He instead had a blaster pistol and his own plasteel chestplate. It was exciting for him, as it was to be his first real battle. Within an hour they were at the edge of the forest, ready to raid the settlement.



The settlement itself was devoid of civilians, as they had abandoned it when the rebel forces took control. The raiding party, 50 soldiers plus Verz and his buir, began to set up. The snipers, of which there were 3, set up in dense cover. The rest prepared to attack. Verz looked up at his dad, who donned his helmet. Verz put on his, a plasteel and durasteel piece that protected his head and neck. The computeried displays in a real helmet were to complex for him, so he only had the reticule and ammo count for his pistol.



The snipers fired at the watchtower, killing the guards and starting the raid. The troops that were attacking rushed the settlement, Verz and his father included, and started engaging the enemy soldiers. The fighting went on for over an hour until Verz heard a grunt and a thud. He turned, and saw his buir with a blaster hole in his abdomen. Verz cried out, knowing that his father was badly injured.



"Boy, I need you to do something for me. Take my helmet- *cough* and go home. I'll, meet you there, I promise. Use the ship, the computer knows where to take you, ok?"



Verz nodded somberly, tears streaming down his face. He took his father's helmet and gave him one last hug, then ran, terrified that he would be caught and killed.

******************

Then the memory ended, with a flash of light and calm. Spencer's battle meditation had driven away most of Phobos's control of his fear and grief from long ago. With the light came happier memories, meeting his squad for the first time, @[member="Mia Monroe"] , @[member="Mirta Kar"] , @Huutun'Kyramund and Jorn Mair before deployment to Taris. The celebrations when Junction was liberated, his promotion to Rally Master, then Field Marshal as Mia's right hand man, his rise to Mand'alor, and meeting @[member="Arla Balor"] and getting to know her better. All these memories brought forth from the dark that suppressed them and gave him new hope and determination. He didn't know if he would survive, but he knew that he would go down fighting.



With a grim determination, Verz reaimed his weapon and fired at the swarming Kursed. Suddenly a clone ran at him and TiCi, swinging a beskad wildly at the Plantsurge. Verz aimed at him, then realized he was a fellow Mandalorian. He hesitated, but fired anyway, knowing it was for the good of the galaxy.

@CC-117 Canal @Kallion @Spencer Jacobs @Phobos @Zius Aurus @Tracyn Ordo @CC-117 Canal @Oryuken CC-128P@Oryuken CC-128P @Ordo @Marek Starchaser @Jhaega @Galaar CC-252 @TiCira D'Arr Hawk @Spencer Jacobs @[member="Oryuken CC-128P"] @AllOthersIForgotToMention

 

[Vaudin Miir]

@[member="Kallion"] (sorry mate I got bogged down)
@[member="Galaar CC-252"]
@[member="Commander Calico CC-247"]

@[member="CC-117 Canal"]

Vaudin had gotten swallowed in the surge of Kursed who were swarming the rebel scum. His blasters spun on his fingers as he looked for the man he had just tried to kill.

He had managed to find friends this time. Vaudin opened fire on all of them at once. They would serve HER they Must serve HER!

 

[Phobos]

Slowly Ashin faded out of reality as she died, one last terrible moment before her body vanished, and the hand landed on @Spencer Jacob's shoulder. It was another face lost in time, and this one too could be used against her. Slowly the wounds began to open on the Zabrak at the moment of his death, the flow of blood from the deeper wounds unrelenting. Another dead ghost, you should have faded with them. Instead look at you alone in the darkness with nothing to lean on. You've failed them all, now you're about to fail again, give in and find them through the force, before I cut you off from it, and them, forever.

 

[Bloodknight]

@[member="Vaudin Miir"]

Upon a far rooftop layed the veteran mercenary Xanthos. The mindless chaos, death and mayhem reminded him of his home planet. He hated his home planet. He'd been doing some serveilance and it seems the majority of these people are being controlled. Their extremely similar behavior and observable thought process made that clear enough. The only solution is to pull the weed out by the roots. But before that, it couldn't hurt to shave off a few branches.

Disruptor rifle aimed at Vaudin, shooting a straight beam of yellow destruction that means to completely obliterate him on impact.

 

[Lief]

@[member="HK-36"]
Jhaega was preparing to head back to the Fortress where his Brother awaited, when he got an instinctual sensation. Turning he was able to miss a volley of shots from below, a bellowing laugher erupting from his chest. Vines were running riot on the ground and the Dragon was, at present, in the heart of the storm. But he kept airborne all the same.

It was then that something struck his moving form. At first it felt like nothing, just another glinting shot against his scales. However, the further he flew the worse the sensation got. At this rate, he knew he'd be unable to make it back to the Fortress in one piece, he was easy pickings for whoever had struck him...

Turning the beast rounded, directing a heavy breath of fire down toward the fleeing HK droid. All along the right of Jhaega's side the scales had been torn from the flesh, heated blood running from his form. A droid?! The dragon had been hit by a droid? It was almost humorous... But not quite. With a rumbling growl the Dragon lit up the entire sky, his rage unlike any other. Swooping down he spread fire down across Kursed and Rebels alike.

And in his rage he became blind-sighted to the task at hand. Flying higher he set a path away from the battle. Phobos could wait, Jhaga wanted... He wanted to break something. The Rebels would fall either way, the Kursed were too many, the Brothers too strong. "AKALA WILL REIGN SUPREME" He boomed again, as his figure disappeared over the misty mounta--- the skyscrapers in the distance. Smaug had not been defeated, but struck... And that made for a very mad dragon.

 

[HK-36]

@[member="Jhaega"]
Now Running Away From the Fury of Wounded Dragon
HK fell back, spreading his arms to take flight as he saw his hit strike true but the dragon's scales proved too thick for a singular shot to take him down. He would take what he was given however.

The droid could not let himself fall in peace for too long, soon enough fire blazed and burst around him as Jhaega came back for revenge. The droid calculated as best as he could, raising his pistol up towards the tops of roots, now filling with embers and burning leaves as he pulled the trigger. He attempted to deliver another shot as Jhaega passed over head. However, this one had much lower chances of striking true as it flew with rustle through the trees and disappeared from sight. HK had no visual confirmation whatsoever to see where the dragon was or whether his second shot even came close.

What the droid knew for sure, however, was that everything started to set on fire from the dragon's flame.

Using his repulsorlifts the droid span in the air, his legs facing down now as he caught onto a nearby strong upward root, spinning to the side as he dodged a large collapsing tree, set on fire. Whatever was left of his cloak and tunics was gone now, burned to ash by Jhaega's flame strike. The droid thanked his luck and earlier encounters with flame-based weaponry for strengthening his body against such attacks. He was going to be able to get away from the counter-attack, but his body was visibly blackened and scorched.

And Going Back to Reunite With Ti'Cira and Her Team

The droid activated his internal communications systems, sending a transmission to those who were able to receive them, mainly Team Dragonslayers and Other Rebels,
@[member="TiCira D'Arr Hawk"] @[member="Racket"] @[member="Zius Aurus"] @[member="Antares Windu"] @[member="Kara Avoyos"] @[member="Galaar CC-252"] @[member="CC-117 Canal"] @[member="Sarah Frostlight"] @[member="Marek Starchaser"] @[member="Kallion"] @[member="Voroll Dey Astaar"] @[member="Ordo"] @[member="CC-935 Bluejay"] @[member="Oryuken CC-128P"] @[member="Vaudin Miir"] @[member="Commander Calico CC-247"]

"This is HK-36 the Iron Knight, I was able to wound the dragon with a shattergun, I have torn his scale armor off of his body on his right side, if any of you have anything that can bring him down use it now. I have lost visual contact with the dragon during my escape, I have lost some of my equipment but I will be able to continue the fight, I am now moving back to Elder Witch's position, may the Force be with you."
So far, he was unaware that Jhaega disappeared over the skyscrapers

Soon enough, the fire set by the dragon after the escaping droid would diminish with the rain and storm, it was a close call but HK would be alright for now. He would slide down on a vine nearby Ti'Cira, his lightsaber once more in his hand, his shatterpistol still held in his other hand.
"Ti'Cira, I have wounded the drake, I should be alright, just could use a bit of cleaning after this is done."
He would scrape off a coat of blackened burned paint off of his heated body, quickly cooling down with the easing touch of the cool rain.

In the end, he wasn't really sure how he should feel about himself after the attack. His shot did strike true but it did not kill his target. Perhaps his past is part of who he is today still? And just because he was given those skills it did not mean he had to use them only for assassination and destruction? He will have to meditate on it later on.

 

[Ordo]

@[member="Jhaega"] @[member="Phobos"] @[member="Spencer Jacobs"] @[member="TiCira D'Arr Hawk"] @[member="HK-36"]

CHASING THE DRAGON!!

Ordo had chased the Beast far enough as he lifted his weapon and fired at the creatures back. The Ripper did next to nothing as it barely even registered the attack. Ordo could spend no more time however, his jetpack was out of fuel and unless he had landed on the draconic creature, he would do little to hurt it. He could feel something wicked approach his mind as he chased the dragon. The mentalist whoever it was did not prod or rub his thoughts like most. No , the being grabbed him and plunged him into years of fear, pain and loss. Everything he had been through. All the years that stalked him like a nighthunter in the shadows of his mind. All came rushing in at him and tarring away at his determination.

~The grey mist swirled like an endless fog as he stood naked and alone. The cold silence gripped his ears as he looked around lost in the thick gloom. He felt a small hand touch his arm and looked for who it could have been. It was a girl of about 9 years old. Dark hair and blue eyes stared at him as the mist made way for her.

‘Cora?’ he said in disbelief.

‘Why didn’t you protect me Jasper?’ she asked.

‘I tried sweety I tried! I came for you!’ he said pleading

‘You let me die, you know?’ she said as she looked to the side.

Another figure walked from the mist. Long dark hair hung loosely around her shoulders. Her dark eye looked at him with a sadness that would have broken the hearts of the hardest man. Her full lips quivered as a tear and the tears began to run slowly down her face. His mouth hung open as he looked at her. Tears began to fill his eyes as the woman looked at him.

‘Bria? Bria, I…” he said stepping forward with outstretched hands.

She backed away and slapped his hands aside.

‘How Dare you!’ she said, ‘You think you can touch me after what you’ve done?! YOU LEFT ME! I TOLD YOU NOT TO GO AND YOU LEFT!’

‘Bria, I never…’ he began.

‘WHAT JASPER? Hmm…you never what?!’ the woman’s sad eyes filled with hate as she spoke. ‘ You never meant for me to find out? You never meant for me to be beaten? Torn? WHAT DID YOU NEVER?! COWARD!’

His hand reached out again as his scarred face became wet with tears. His lips quivered as his heart broke once again. The years spent searching. The lives he’d taken to get to her. The bonds he had feel into on his quest for one more day at her side only to find her dead after so long.

‘I came for you Bria.’ He said he felt chocked by the lump that had taken over his throat. ‘8 years I searched for you. I love you.’

‘Love? What do you know of love?’ she spat her words and they brought him to his knees, ‘you found out I was dead and moved on that day! You disgust me!’

‘Bria, no, please…’ he was on his knees now. The soft ground sunk slightly as he crashed down.

‘She’s right you know?’ a voice from the other side of Bria came before the shape and face parted the veil of the mist. The woman’s dark eyes and tanned skin were something he knew so well her hair was held back at the base of her neck and she wore those same black cloths she had worn to Mygeeto.

‘Rianna? No No not you..’ he said putting a hand to his mouth as he reached for her. ‘Cyar’ika?’

‘Please. Ordo.’ She said her voice calm and cold. ‘Please don’t touch me. Everything you touch dies. Can’t you see that you leave nothing but misery everywhere you go? Ordo it’s time you stop hurting the people who love you.’

‘Please…’ he begged his heart was in shards within his chest. They were right! They were all right! ‘Your right!’ his sobs came now like a damn bursting he wept bitterly his tears streamed through his thick fingers as he held his face in his hands. ‘Kill me!’ he begged his will to live torn to shreds as he longed for the pain to stop. ‘ please…please just kill me…”

He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was warm in the bitter cold of the mist. His red rimmed eyes slowly turned up to see the face of the Echani girl. She didn’t speak. She just left her hand on his scarred flesh and looked with pity at his huddled form.

‘Not yet Ordo’ the now woman’s voice whispered, ‘Not yet.’

He slowly pushed to his feet and drew himself up as he felt the pain ease slightly.

“No. No, not quite.” He said as the fog slowly disappeared. ~

His armored body sailed through the sky after the dragon he dropped his beskad and pulled his lightsaber and held it unlit as tears continued to stream down his face. He was sure to die very soon. But not quite yet.

 

[Rusken Shaxx]

Among all this chaos there seemed to be no hope. There appeared to be no sign of a peace without blood staining the hands of another individual. Where does it all stop?

These voices... they return again to remind you that your life is a total and utter lie; your actions won't mean anything in the long run of things, yet you believe your cause is greater and far above that of the responsibilities of men and women who died to keep your peace untouched and without question? Selfish... you always took the good for granted and expected everyone else to carry you along. Why do you keep fighting?

"You have no reason to live, none! Where is your family? DEAD! YOU'LL NEVER HAVE A HAPPY ENDING, NO FUNERAL TO BE MOURNED, NOTHING! PEOPLE DON'T ACKNOWLEDGE SCUM LIKE YOU, ZIUS! WHAT DO YOU STILL HOLD ONTO? WHERE IS IT?"

"Break the tide of war and lay down your weapon. Allow your foes to cut you down as they so deserve. You think just because your life was unfair that you get to have a sense of entitlement for vengeance? Fodder, and nothing more. There is no value in your journey, no benefit. You're damned and nevermore will this notion of individuality set you free. You're a monster and everyone despises you."

What do you stand for? Why do you stand at all when all you want is to see death among the civilizations of men, women, children? Nihilist, murderer. What can you show the galaxy that hasn't been done before?

Stop.

With all these things happening within his mind at once, he countered Tracyn's swipe with his own saber and looked toward the ceiling with the intention to make it rain. He quickly attempted to cause the damaged stone to rumble and pour on top of the exiled Jedi- not to kill, but to buy Zius enough time to regroup with Calico and the others. Even if he wasn't meant to live for much longer, he'd make this is best effort to be redeemed. One man and nothing to lose, become nothing. Embrace that killer instinct just for a bit longer. Fight until you die, soldier.

He spoke in his comm once again on a public channel trying to reach everyone within his radius.

"I'm headed towards your position, Calico. Keep fighting, stay strong."

Something suddenly emerges, and a sense of beauty unfurls from within the cold exterior of his armour. He felt hope once again. He felt the grace of forgiveness that he'd been longing for, to accept what he had done and to live with the sin of his own making. He would go through great lengths to destroy himself for men that were mere clones, nothing exceptionally special or unique. They were faces he had seen a thousand times over, but these soldiers would be his allies. A claim to be staked on the soldiers he would hold close as his own in battle.

No more burdens, no more pain.

Zius smiled just a bit.

You fight because killing is what you're best at, murderer.


@TiCira D'Arr Hawk @Racket @Antares Windu @Kara Avoyos @Galaar CC-252 @CC-117 Canal @Sarah Frostlight @Marek Starchaser @Kallion @[member="Voroll"] Dey Astaar @Ordo @CC-935 Bluejay @Oryuken CC-128P @Vaudin Miir @Commander Calico CC-247 @[member="HK-36"]