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Location: Dark Sider Hanger Objective: Centre of Omega Around:[member="Samka Derith"]@Vustia@Wolf
Doc who taken cover near the ramp of shuttle continue to fire short burst from riffle at sith forces before quickly returning to his covered position. After about 4th of 5th time of doing he holstered his riffle and throw out 2 grenades as he stinted down the ramp to another cover position “How many of the bastards are they’re slowing down we need to destroy this thang and fast!” he yelled as he upholstered his riffle and began freeing in short 5 to 7 round burst again.
Objective: Cut the Head off the Snake (Take the Bridge) Nearby:[member="Wolf"] | [member="Thresh Sken"] | [member="Samka Derith"] | [member="Kierel"] | [member="Vustia"] | [member="Darth Ophidia"] | [member="Doc"] | [member="Daxton Bane"] | [member="Nomar"] | [member="Darth Abyss"] | [member="Jude Falkrowe"] | [member="Matsu Xiangu"]
As the united darkside forces cleared the last of the remaining rogue Sith that had not fallen back, three rogue troopers and a sith acolyte ran out of the room and directly into CT-47B's path. Two blasts of his X-11E sonic rifle sent them all flying back inside, their white armor reduced to crumbled and cracked sheets of plastic, as the Sith experienced the simultaneous failure of several organs as the force of the blast pushed his shattered ribs into his heart and lungs. As he moved inside he ducked down to pick up the Rogues deactivated lightsaber, placing the rare trophy upon a magnetized slot on his belt before continuing inside.
As he entered he paused, before announcing himself to the haphazard group of individuals before him. "Sergeant CT-47B of preemptive landing party Alpha of the Vindicator ready to assist. You may have more First Order reinforcements coming from Hangar A, but we cannot count on when or if they'll arrive." He looked around for a moment, back towards the entrance he had come from. "I've gathered Intel and directions from a captured officer, and as a separate party will be attempting to seize control of the bridge for capture or scuttling of the ship, regardless of where you plan to go."
Down the hallway he had come from, a trail of troopers and low ranking Sith caught unawares by the Stormtrooper as he cut through the back of their lines would be strewn across the place, their bodies limp and broken. The officer he interrogated laying dead with a blaster shot from CT-47B's pistol having burned through the back of his helmet. He had taken the officers pauldron, and cannibalized it to replace the segment damaged by the Mandalorian in the other hangar (pvp).
Out where the fleets amassed, the Admiral's actions came back to haunt them once again. The great ship, the Spirit of Druckenwell, was destroyed by the blast from Omega intended for Coruscant. It's commander, [member="Ayden Cater"], wrenching through the Force, took aim with the only thing he could, to strike back at the beast.
From the Depths of Hell....
One of the wings from the Spirit struck the Omega. Everyone in the ship, knowing the cause or not, would feel the shudder as it shook the ship. Those with the Force as their ally would have a moment's notice before it hit, allowing them to prepare. Some would lose their footing; others, their lives- as enemies with the ability to recover more quickly took advantage of the distraction.
The bridge was in chaos. Red emergency lights flashed, warning klaxons screamed. The hit from the Spirit wasn't nearly enough to destroy, or even to cripple, the Omega. But it had opened up a gash along the starboard side, making the weapon vulnerable to ship based fired as it hadn't been before.
Darth Sicarii over saw the chaos, keeping a small team of officers focused on the task at hand.
"Will this affect firing time?"
"N-no sir. In five minutes, the ship will be in position. But it will be another twenty minutes until the power is sufficient to destroy our target. Ten minutes, if Darth Moreth and her team succeed."
"Even at this range, it will take that long?"
"There are limits to physics, sir."
Sicarii gazed out across the enormous room. It took, after all, almost a hundred people to keep the Omega functioning properly. The circular bridge looked out over the fleet battle. Though silent, the bright flashes of light indicated the shots being fired- the ships being lost. Soon, however, the ship would have rotated far enough that they would have to rely on sensors to give them that data.
Soon, Castameer itself would fill that view screen.
Fifteen minutes (assuming Moreth could do her part) until the Omega would open fire on it. As per Darth Molior's instructions, Sicarii was going to take what they could out of this mess. The crawling, mewling life on the surface? Well. Perhaps some of them would have time to escape. He didn't really care.
The Reactors
The hit from the Spirit had opened up the third reactor to space, but had not damaged the reactor itself. The troops there had perished enmass, unable to fight an enemy that came at them from hell itself. Those who survived the hit itself could not survive exposure to the vacuum of space. Those who wished to damage this reactor would have to contend with the vacuum now, rather than protective troops.
The first and second reactors were protected by Stormtroopers. Darth Moreth worked with a crew at the second reactor. It would take some time, but their goal was to over charge this particular reactor. It would allow them to send that power surge through the Omega's firing crystals- granting them the extra power needed more quickly to destroy Castameer. Even with the distance, Molior had not thought that the Omega could afford the luxury of a twenty-five minute charge up time.
It was a gamble, of course. Super charging this reactor also made it more unstable. If something were to happen here, it could have catastrophic effects on the whole of the Omega.
Which was why Darth Moreth was there.
Center of the Omega
The Heart of Darkness
It was Molior's favorite part of the Omega. Normally. Right now however, the cavernous central chamber was crawling with Stormtroopers. If she could have, she would have extended Silence on them all. But necessity out weighed comfort in this instance. Molior was nothing if not practical.
The enormous central chamber of the Omega was strung with catwalks- the only way to get around were these narrow, swaying passages. Easy to defend by only one or two troopers. The room was over twenty stories tall- entry passages to the Heart of Darkness were on the 'ground' level. At ground level, there was a central shaft, plunging down in to darkness. The room was darker than the rest of the ship- she had only deigned to allow *some* lights for the sake of the Troopers. It was also cold- only a few degrees above freezing.
From the top, Kith Verloren looked down. The height did not bother her. Up here, she could look down, white hands upon the railing. A verdant light, reflected from the large focusing crystals, bathed the pale Sith in a sickly glow. From the top, Molior could watch everything that happened in the chamber. And protect the focusing crystals. Anything else damaged, they could still potentially fire the Omega. But these- she trusted no one with them save herself.
As the ship shuddered, she looked around slowly, the barest trace of a frown on her lips. Things were unraveling.
She had been so close.
Outside of the Omega
The rent caused by the wing of the Spirit opened up a new opportunity. The third reactor, visible through the wound, was now open to space. Fighter craft that could evade the surface defenses and enemy ships could now target that in addition to the Omega's firing portal.
Those Just Arriving on Omega
The Omega is in chaos. Enemies and allies move through the hallways like blood through a giant's veins. While those who came before were greeted by enemies in the hangars, these last few straggling ships are no longer considered a threat. Not in comparison to what it already happening on board.
The information from the previous DM post is available to your characters. Choose wisely.
Thoja was in the thick of it yet again, blasting the helmets off of Stormtroopers as they tried to advance. He saw movement in the corner of his eye, but didn't have time to register what or who it was. He concentrated on pushing this wave back, and after a long gunfight, he and the others managed to beat them back. He was tired, but The Omega couldn't be left to terrorize the galaxy, no matter who controlled it. On his belt, several explosives could be seen, swaying as the Grand Marshal moved. He picked up the comlink from his belt and activated it.
"Jedi forces, this is Grand Marshal Arlos. I'm heading to the second reactor, and will be planting explosives there. I don't expect to survive, but you better be off this damn thing before they detonate. Arlos out." Arlos said, before clipping the comlink back to his belt. He'd then make for the nearest door, and follow the corridor.
//Cloaking Engaged//
He made his way down the corridor, keeping a watchful eye out for any opposition. Not that they would be able to see him anyway, but he had to be careful. After walking for about five minutes, he came across an engineer, attempting to fix a broken valve. Arlos approached, pistol in hand, and genitally pressed it against the engineer's skull.
Location: Walking out of Dark Side Hangar
Objective: Center of Omega
Allies: [member="Wolf"] [member="Samka Derith"] [member="Vustia"] [member="Doc"] [member="Kierel"] [member="Nomar"] [member="Darth Ophidia"]
I nodded at Vustia to let her know I had accepted her apology. "I'm just glad we all made it out in one piece" I said. I watched as Wolf and Samka Derith came over to the downed Sith. They crouched around him and started invading his mind.
I watched in awe and fascination as the mental battle was painted all over the Sith's face. First, a smile. But as time progressed fierce determination took over. Looking down at the rest of the Sith's body I was shocked to see that the mental invasion had a palpable effect on his body. His torso convulsed, racked by tremors, seemingly besieged by the minds of my companions. Then I noticed the new presence next to me, Nomar. He was trying to elicit information with more physical torture, demanding that the Sith speak. But he held his silence. My companions drew away as the Sith fell limp again, and I could only assume that they had found all they needed to know.
I heard Samka Derith's softly breathed words, The heart of the beast. That was what Jereth had said back at the Sith Academy. Whatever it was, it was apparently important. As my companions strode off I rose to follow them, it wasn't that hard to guess our destination. Wherever it was.
As I caught up to Samka Derith, I heard her speak her warning. "I can feel them too" I spoke up, agreeing with the wise words of my companion. All kinds of beings were swarming over the Omega. Some of them allies, some of them not. It would be easy to come across beings affiliated with the Omega. We just had to be careful we didn't attack those who weren't if we ran across them.
Unable to reign in my curiosity any longer, I asked "Where exactly are we going? What did you find out from that Sith?" I wanted to know what we were up against. I wanted to be prepared.
I added to my mental list the "Mind Invasion" and "Sith Lightning" powers to ask about when we got back to the Knights of Ren Citadel. They both had been used to great effect here on the Omega, and I was lucky I had allies to utilize those powers. Next time, I wanted to join in with using them.
Location: Lightside Hangar Moving to Reactor 2
Allies: Team Light Side, [member="Thoja Arlos"], [member="Elpsis Elaris"], [member="Arla Balor"], [member="Cole Dagos"], [member="Funky Balor"]
Objective: Help Converging Forces Sabotage Omega Reactors, Face Evil
DM: [member="Kith Verloren"] [member="Omega"]
won't you come down heaven won't you come down won't you cut through the clouds won't you come down
Even on the brink of total and final destruction, the Sith forces fought on bitterly in the hangar to the very end. In the service of evil or not, Captain Pulsar had to admire them for their last stand. Save the few that had retreated into the bowels of the station, he grieved for the deaths of such men and women of honor. They had been true believers. Holstering his heavy blaster, Zark tried to remember the last time he had held that much faith in anything in the galaxy. The Knight surveyed the carnage all around him, felt the psychic death knell of thousands of souls in orbit around them and on the planet below, and wondered what it had all been for. Around him, the surviving members of the special forces team scrounged for compatible power packs and thermal detonators. Two of Zark's men had been killed in the firefight for control of the hangar. Although the responsibility was technically the unit commander's, he vowed to write the letters to their families himself.
This is part of your plan? the Captain thought to himself, though the words were meant for the energy that bound together life itself, Is there no cost too high in your lust for balance?
Jedi, Sith, in the end they were all just men with too much power, squabbling over religion while the rest of the galaxy burned.
"Orders, Captain?" his third officer asked, and Zark pushed such thoughts from his mind if only to keep Arix from seeing the hopelessness in his eyes. The job wasn't done yet.
"Have two men stay behind to assist in guarding the transport," he said, avoiding looking directly at the cyborg Padawan until he was certain he had regained his resolve, "The rest of them are with us, we need to take this station down before any more lives are lost in orbit, at all cost."
"This place is massive, we'll never find the reactor core or whatever is keeping this monster in orbit in time."
Arix was right, there wasn't enough time to search the station top to bottom. With a superweapon as terrifying as this one, massive naval casualties was really the best case scenario. Exhausted as he was, Zark knew what he had to do. He opened himself up to the Force again, the torment all around them nearly overwhelming him before he pushed past it. There was a dizzying array of Force signatures scattered throughout Omega by this point, by now most of the Jedi forces that had penetrated the hangar had spread into into the belly of the station, but in another life Zark had spent a lifetime studying how to manipulate and understand the Force all around him. Three auras were distinct among the rest, pulsating with Dark Side energy and malevolent towards everything and everyone around them.
"Three Sith..." he said, eyes still closed, "One is surrounded by life...the second deep in a hive of machinery...and with the third is...nothing. Just darkness. At the center of the station, there is only dark."
"The second Sith is most likely the one near something breakable..." Arix trailed off.
"But you want to go to the center anyway," Zark finished for him. He had been afraid of this.
"The Force is calling us there."
"The Force has many facets, many interpretations of the omens and visions it sends us," Zark reminded the Padawan, "We have our objective, and a responsibility to our people, as well as the billions of innocents that could die if this weapon survives the day. To abandon that path is to abandon the oaths we took as Jedi."
The explanation seemed to mollify the cyborg third officer, even if Captain Pulsar got the feeling he didn't completely believe it. Zark wasn't even sure if he believed it himself. The Force, it tested and tempted endlessly until perception of reality became completely warped. Taking point, he led them out of the hangar and into the labyrinthine corridors of the station's heart. They passed the bodies of half a dozen more stormtroopers, and the Jedi Knight could see evidence of wounds not consistent with any weapons fire he had seen at the air base. Perhaps the Jedi weren't the only ones who had made it onto Omega, and the thought both gave him hope and gave him another potential enemy to worry about. There were no guarantees these strangers wouldn't see his Galactic Alliance uniform and shoot on sight. Following the presence of a Sith, Zark's route had taken them on a meandering path towards Reactor 2, and the stormtroopers they encountered had been sparse and easily put down by the combined firepower of the soldiers and his heavy blaster pistol. As they drew nearer the Dark, however, they began to face more organized resistance. The Captain suspected that meant there must be something down here worth guarding.
The Sith is close by, Zark projected the thought into his Padawan's mind, Be on your guard.
Their little breathing space was interrupted by the running Stormtroopers coming their way, their footsteps could be heard from the distance, coming closer and closer. So they had to act fast. Nodding to Elpsis, she said "Agreed. Destroying the superweapon is our first priority. There will be no Darth Molior when the ship explodes." and went with the plan, started to run towards the middle road which would bring them to the reactors if she remembered correctly. Of course, there were more people on their way, so activating her lightsaber, she took her stance once again meanwhile rushing forward, slicing and dicing, blasters reflected away from her, carving a way for both together with Elpsis, who, looking in the educational way, seemed to need a little practice about swordplay. Going all offensive was a good tactic to surprise your enemies and dominate them as fast as you could, but it worked for both ways. So, when an enemy surprised her, she could've been caught defenseless.
Anyway, enough teacher mode, she returned to the scene, as the two continued to kill the ones in front of them. Soon, by taking the turns, right to left, left to right. They would arrive somewhere very loud, loud machine voices to be exact. She could sense... electricity. Not in a natural way. And the darkness behind the doors was... disturbing. "Elpsis we need to destroy the pathway behind us, we can't let people coming in every direction! Got any explosives?" She said, that meant they would destroy their only way to go back, but it was still better than getting surrounded and a certain death, since she assumed this room they were going to head into would be filled with a lot of soldiers as well, and she wasn't the one to take chances. She reached out to the Force, and let out a big Force Push towards the corridors that were behind them as the footsteps could be heard coming closer. She could hear some people falling, as grunts and loud voices could be heard very close to their location. Some of the Stormtroopers were lucky enough to save themselves from the Force Push, as they have appeared from the end of the corridor, aimed and prepared to shoot. Nima took her position and shouted to Elpsis.
"I'll cover you. Set one near the door, the debris would be enough for buying us some time." After her words were finished,Nima jumped to the audience that continued to increase, lightsaber ready to slice. Once the explosions were set, they would quickly move on to the next room and progress the story!
(( Nima and Elpsis will explode near the reactor room door to buy them some time and don't let enemies surround them. So if you are in the area, either you gotta be quick or find another way in ))
To put it plainly, Elpsis did not hold back in combat. Restraint was a word that did not exist in her dictionary. She was unrestrained fury and passion, burning as brightly and as tempestuous as the flames she called upon. Right now, she felt as if she were on fire. She had strong so much on her powers that her hands were scorched.
Even as her body seemed to fail her and common sense dictated she could not push herself any further, she pressed on. To look upon her aura was like to stare into a firestorm, a barely contained wild fire. Of course, this had its downsides. Eventually...fires are extinquished. Even the brightest stars perish over the passage of time.
Her sabre glowed with orange fire and stormtroopers died, being carved in half, beheaded or simply set ablaze when she tired of using her blade. Today's battles were taking their toll on her, but she pressed onward. The redhead was probably lucky that Nima was there, keeping her from being overwhelmned or gunned down in a salvoe of blaster bolts.
The Twi'lek got a curt nod and a grunt in response to her order. "I can feel a Sith. She's close. Not Verloren, but close enough." The dark presence made her blood boil with rage.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that a man in Galactic Alliance uniform and a bunch of minions had joined them. His aura felt like that of a Jedi. Elpsis could not stand Jedi, but if he wanted to blow up the Omega, cool. "You there, get a move on. There's about to be a bang." Without a further word, she bolted while Nima covered her.
Not bothering to deflect blaster rounds as they splashed against her armour, she drew upon her gift for pyromancy, unleashing a salvoe of flames that acted like a broom, sweeping away hostiles with searing heat. Hitting the ground, she placed a potent det charge, setting a timer, then hastened into cover. Boom. An ear-crushing explosion ensued, raining down debris upon Sith defenders and burying them. The pathway behind them was wrecked, impeding Sithies who might want to ambush them.
Smoke rose up into the air. Lightsabre in one hand and with a fireball already forming in her other one, Elpsis turned and stepped into the chamber holding the second reactor. Presumably Nima came along with her.
Location: Central Control Allies: [member="Matsu Xiangu"] (? ); First Order Enemies: Rogue Sith
The appearance of security startled him, truly, yet not as much as what transpired next. Matsu had taken the reigns of attempting to cover their asses, and after witnessing what had happened, Jude almost wished she had more experience in acting. With every single answer she gave to the officer, the security became more alert and more inquisitive. They were not buying it. That was not the problem though.
As with every doubt that the officer shot at Xiangu, the greater the hunger he felt from her. Their mental bond was still there, although not as strong or connected as before and it alerted him. A growing darkness from within her, almost unexpectedly, it engulfed her. No. Not as an intruder that corrupted one. No. More as something concealed beneath tons and tons of emotional and mental walls. That darkness was no invader of her fortress. No. That darkness was the king of the fortress.
The mixed feelings within him grew even more at the sight of the gruesome ending the last soldier was given by the otherwise fragile-looking woman. Now he knew by far more, or at least he could assume much more with greater certainty. The chance of Matsu being a Sith rose drastically and Jude did not know what that would mean. Until now, they've been a great team and the more they closed in on the Omega, the more the external factors tore at their mental bond. Was she a Sith ? Possibly. He had heard they were great at deception. Was this going to be a game of deception ? If it came to that, could Jude win ? Deception would do you only good until a game turns from deception to a game of Force powers. A Sith with the power level, he assumed she had considering her feats and his link with her, would most likely make quick work of him.
So many ways to go, so many paths to go and each less clearer than the other.
“The bridge it is,”
With just a nod, he took the lead towards the bridge. The schematics projected as holographic from his wrist datapad made it easier for him to navigate through the labyrinth of corridors that under all the commotion above. While most were fighting face to face their enemies and turning things into dust, Jude and Matsu were wasting no time for obstacles. Simply skipping all.
One maintenance turbolift. Then another. A few more corridors and probably almost a hundred of turns were needed for the duo to cross to reach their designated target. During all that time, Jude kept his focus on the mission not uttering one word. His mind was still busy finding the right path to take. Yesterday's ally could very well turn to today's nemesis.
Abruptly, a dangerous and malicious presence interrupted his thoughts. Not Matsu. Not this time, at least. It came from right ahead and Jude slowed down his pace as they reached the exit of the maintenance corridor that lead right into the Central Control of the Omega.
The agent halted before the door and took a glimpse at Matsu before asking reluctantly.
"You feel it, do you not ?" He was absolutely sure she had felt it. Jude paused as he contemplated their plan. Looking at the datapad, he shut its holoprojection off when he realized they had only one choice left. No longer stealth could help them. "This is the only way in through here and is not exactly stealthy. At all. We cross this threshold, we are immediately recognized as intruders."The agent was perfectly aware of that. They could not hide. Not from that strong presence in the middle of the Central Control room.
"Let's, at least, have a blast." Jude sighed. Even with the moment long smirk on his face and the humor he demonstrated at such a critical situation, he perfectly knew well that the possibility of not surviving this encounter was high. Was it all worth it ? Being an agent was his job, his career, for good or for bad. Was it worth it for this ? For what was to come ? Was he afraid ? Of course, he was. Only the insane felt no fear at the possibility of death. Not that he could go back now but the questions kept repeating itself in his head. In the end, what was he ? Just an employee at a company. Intelligence Bureau or not, all the same. Paycheck every two weeks, security number. Stress. He was not, as many other agents, a blind follower of the First Order. It was just the government he was born under, it was that government that had given his family safe refuge and the ability to start over, and a better life. Jude Falkrowe was not some special hero, from a prominent dynasty, or catalyst of galactic events. In the end, he was just a man doing his job, paying his bill and trying to enjoy his life, more or less.
This mission was nothing ordinary and it shook his foundations. Was he doing his job now or trying to be a hero ? Or both ?
And most importantly.
Was it worth it ?
The image of his parents ran through his head and a stinging feeling of sadness ran through his gut just before he tossed himself into the 'flow of the Force'.
Cole was thrown against the wall as the ship shuttered and shook. He barely had time to curse as he became overwhelmed by enemy fire. Cole rolled firing back semi-randomly as he did until he was back around the corner. He slowly pulled himself up using the wall as support. Every few seconds he would fire back around the corner a fresh hole in his leg as it appeared he didn't move quick enough. Cole hit is comm.
"Arla..........Arla come in." "Sitrep..............any idea what that was?"
He knew it was bad to affect the whole ship like it did but he was still alive so maybe he still had time. He turkey peaked around the corner firing a few more shots towards the enemy. By his calculation he only had one more turn to get to the reactor. The problem was well he was in bad shape and there was not time to call for a medic even if one was nearby. This was beginning to look like his last stand. He hit the comm again.
"Hey Arla......... if I don't make it out of here..................getting to know you was some of the happiest moments of my life." "Tell Kaia I love her and I am proud of her."
Cole clicked off the comm unit and forced himself around the turn firing as fast as his blaster would let him letting out a battle cry.
Objective: Reactor 2
The citadel group
allies: ? [member="Zark"] [member="Nima Tann"] [member="Elpsis Elaris"] [member="Thoja Arlos"]
[member="Cole Dagos"] she heard the message as she jogged down the corridor she was not looking forward to this alone, without ner vod. But she had started out on this alone it was only fitting she go it alone.
She could hear voices as she got closer boots lots of boots, and voices. What were they doing? She was close enough to where she could peek into the reactor room. feth troops every where..oh goodness gracious.
She gave a half laugh and though about life once more, she heard Cole as if it were his final message, she sent him one back no knowing if he would get it or not. "you made a promise and you owe me a drink, you are not allowed to die"
she closed the com. She had made a will out a while ago, if she died at any time everything went to him that she had. She needed someone to raise Avrum she left him to her buirs Rianna and [member="Ordo"] with a mention that they should get in touch with [member="Garrus Garon"] . He would be interested in him.
She had one grenade and one missile it would have to count. The trek around the ship had taken more from her that she would ever admit. Her armor was banged and bloodied, her leg she might lose it yet. Her should was killing her and her head was splitting from the headache when her ears had not stopped ringing yet.
The ship rocked an explosion but from where Reactor 1 or 3 or some where else. Was Cole alive, was Funky alive.
Her family, her son....
there were sounds behind her, she was pinned now, there was no way out..she wouldn't know friend from enemy here in the corridors of the enemy Omega.
She leaned against the wall, should she wait should she go in alone...oh manda give me a clue. wsa a explosion again behind her...what the heck was everyone blowing everything up?
Grenade behind,, missile into the reactor...yeah..maybe...
Tiland paused as he felt another presence approach behind him, a Jedi by his presence. Tiland gave a quick greeting, "Well met, young Jedi. Thank you for coming with me. I was not sure who would all follow me message," He pursed his lips as something flared through the Force, and he braced himself, setting both feet wide apart and using the staff as an anchor. The massive ship shuddered to its very core. Tiland swayed, but stayed upright.
So the ship was far from impervious. Whatever had happened would have done dramatic damage to the hull and destroyed any other ship. But this one still flew and he couldn't even feel any difference in the atmosphere.
He could still feel the dark presence in the center of the ship, that big black hole - so far away from everything else.
"The Force is guiding me to the center of the ship, this..." A phrase popped into his mind, "Heart of darkness."
It was accurate indeed, from what he could sense. "Will you follow me?"
Regardless of the answer, he would start walking again, more energetic now, almost excited. The Force was surging through his body, giving him an energy and lightness he hadn't felt in quite some time. Destiny guided his footsteps here, into the chamber. It soared above his head for hundreds of meters and he had to stop in surprise. The only way up was through catwalks that wound their way through the room. All quite narrow and heavily defended by stormtroopers.
But there at the top, she stood. The darkness radiated from her like a spider weaving a web. The issue was simply how to get up there. The only way he could see was to fight his way up to the top, which would waste time and lives. There had to be another way. He turned to his companion.
Moving so fast he was almost a blur, Daxton entered the Central Chamber a cut down a pair of defenders before they realized he was there. Three blades lit and orbiting around him to deflect away blaster bolts, he push another pair of troopers over the edge with wall of Force Air.
Bellowing at the top of his lungs he issued a challenge. "FIGHT ME!" The echoes of the Force Scream echoing not just in their ears but in their minds as well.
Location: Omega, approaching the Reactors
Affiliation: The New Republic and her Allies Nearby: [member="Zark"]
The past minutes...or maybe they were hours?...Dax had lost track...they had all just blurred together. He remembered boarding a transport with the man who had saved him a many troops. The light above his head glowing red, his saber in hand, a white knuckled grip around it. The sound of blasters being loaded, checked, safeties being turned off. Words being spoken, yet sounding distant and far off. The light turning green. Blaster fire, flashes of light and the glow of his blade. Screams and shouts as men around him died. The sweat and ache of his muscles as he fought on, pressing the attack.
Now he found himself walking towards the reactors of what was perhaps the most deadly weapon in all of history. Worse than the Death Star or the Thought Bomb of Ruusan. What had brought him to this point? The Force? Not much could be said on the topic he found. Dax looked around him, surrounded by troops and two Jedi, unified in a single cause. Survival. That was what had brought him to this point. Survival...
Location: Finally aboard the Omega
En route to the center of the ship.
Objective: Find an Archives, any Sith artifacts, Holocrons, or anything of use before the station explodes.
Khan's little stolen shuttle buzzed through the chaos surrounding the exterior of the Omega like a frightened bird, trying to avoid the brunt of the crossfire between the Omega's forces and everyone else's. Luckily, the shuttle's shields held long enough for Khan to make his way to one of the open hangar bays. The longer it took for him to get abord the Omega, the more anxious he became. He already saw many ships in the hangar that weren't from the Omega, there were surely plety others aboard the station by now. And he was sure that at least some of them would either want to loot or save anything of value, as quickly as possible. And they were all far ahead of Khan. He was sure that a space station of this size that had housed an entire order of Sith for so long would surely have what he was looking for. An Archives or library somewhere, somewhere to store holocrons and the like. He just had to find where they may be. The Sith left his shuttle as soon as it landed safely in the hangar and took a moment to look about. For a moment he thought the hangar was empty, that all of the defenders had headed deeper inside the station to defend against whoever else was here. It seemed he was only mostly right. About a dozen stormtroopers were stationed at the edge of the hangar, simply waiting for Khan to exit his ship before they opened fire.
The Feleactian raised his hand as soon as he saw them, a weak shimmering shield of the Force forming in front of him a moment before blaster bolts would've torn into him. His barrier was weak and shattered with the blaster bolts, but it was strong enough to buy him a few seconds. Khan quicly stepped behind his ship before they could let loose another volley. He couldn't afford these distractions... The longer he was delayed, the less likely it was that he would find anything aboard the station before everything was looted. He could hear the stormtroopers running across the hangar to get a bit closer, probably to start chucking thermal detonators at his cover.
Khan waited. He was right. After a few seconds pause he heard a series of familiar beeps before three detonators were flung around the cover. Khan turned suddenly just as he heard the beeps, letting loose a wave of the force against the grenades, flinging them back to their original source. Three thermal detonators blew amongst the little group of troopers. Khan didn't even wait for the smoke to clear before he headed off to the corridors. He didn't have more time to waste.
Khan paused once he got a good distance from the hangars. The Sith closed his eyes for a moment, extending his senses in the Force to search for where he might find his goal. The Dark Side was everywhere here, dozens of Sith. The station was huge... It would take him hours to search through it for anything worth finding. But... part of it was... hidden? He could sense dense populations here and there through the ship, probably command centers and the such. He could sense some massive machine, likely reactors or engines. But in the center of the ship... there was nothing. A blank. Khan opened his eyes, smiling. Something cloaked in the Force? That is where the Archives would be, if there was one. That was the way he headed.
Location: Shuttles, landing in Omega, Allies: [member="Cabur Aranar"] (Not by choice) Enemies: Omega troops Objective:Not get shot down, don't crash, land safely
"Wait, that ... you ... you do know I'm not female, right? And that the wink was not some kind of attempt at flirtation?"
"I do not really care at the moment, I apologize if I gave out the impression that it was otherwise."
The droid quipped, within the shuttle he would point towards one of the seats, few random stragglers were already joining them, Sith, non-Sith, Omega and otherwise, all seeking to be rescued from the blood covered airbase, or just shuttled to the Omega to join the fight. Once Cabur would sit down a Sith soldier next to him would give him a casual nod, sitting there holding to the safety bars attached to the seat.
HK went into the cockpit, indicating he was going to pilot the machine. Then few seconds later he came back right out, this time with the actual pilot that was supposed to fly the shuttle, holding the Sith pilot over his head. He moved through the shuttle, with the pilot screaming and kicking over the droid's head as HK threw him out of the dropship with a loud thud before looking at the passengers,
"He- he was not feeling well."
And he slunk back into the cockpit closing the door as the shuttle powered up, its engines whirring, his voice would soon enough ring out through the shuttle to make an announcement,
"Good morning, this is your captain speaking- uhhhh- we will be flying today to the latest planet-destroying superweapon- uhhhh- the weather looks slightly rough with high chance of turbolaser raining down so expect turbulence- uhhhh- I will be honest, I have only basic piloting protocols and never flew a shuttle, I am not an assassin droid not an astromech, do not judge me."
The ramp to the shuttle close with a hiss of the air pressure sealing within the vessel,
"Uhhhh- either way, it is too late to escape now, so might as well get it over with."
The shuttle would jerk violently as the droid brought it up off of the ground, somehow managing to get the landing gear already ripped off of it already as he quickly got it out of the hangar of the airbase, gaining altitude as he pitched it up aiming at the Omega Superweapon. Leaving the atmosphere and closing in on the spacecraft quickly they would soon reach the area of the spacebattle, wreckage from Spirit's wing crashing into Omega, random stray bolts from both the craft conducting dogfights and the defense systems of the base whizzed by the shuttle as it quickly jerked and rolled through space, tumbling about to dodge threats.
"Uhhhh- research shows that in one's last moments thoughts should focus on happy memories, try not to think that you might die at any second in a shuttle full of strangers but your accomplishments- uhhhh- for me it is beating Darth Vulcanus in a pie baking contest, he burned a planet of innocent but it was worth it."
The shuttle jerked dangerously as a turbolaser shot flew by too close for comfort next to its wing.
"Uhhhh- if it provides any comfort for you, it is never too late to accept the Machine God as your one true Iron Lord and savior, he does rule with an cold, steel, loving, yet efficient touch."
Reactor 3
In his mad flight towards Omega, the droid was able to spot a wound upon the base, and through it what he identified as a reactor,
A good place as any to land.
The machine thought, making one more announcement to his passengers, the survivors of Pollux base,
"Brace for impact."
As he took the shuttle racing towards the wound, he would attempt to see how much closer he could get the ship past the base's defenses, either landing in the hangar closest to the opening within the base's hull, or, what was his current plan, crash landing the shuttle right next to the reactor to disable it right away, and hopefully not cause it to explode.
HK realized how risky that would be, but then again he was made from Phrik so he calculated his chances of survival pretty high, he was not as sure about his passengers though.
Location: from Corridor to Bridge.
Objective: Take central controls.
"I'm nearing the main control room, ner vod." Ordo said into the closed Mandalorian channel, "I'm trying to disrupt the fire sequence and scuttle the ship."
He slid his beskad into his H-harness and pulled his heavy ripper. He focused on making his force presence smaller in the hopes of being underestimated by any sensitive enemies as he moved. The sounds of more boots faded as he neared the room his HUD already picked up the life signs of a full control crew. It was poor odds even for him but the map he had downloaded had given him a fast route that combined with his speed had gotten him close.
He rounded another corner and to the entrance way of the central control room. The room was massive and filled with equipment necessary to operate the huge vessel. He ducked to the side as he assesed the threats. He was certain a Sith Lord would be here, it was typical of their kind to have a Lord in charge of the command crew. Luckily, he had killed enough Sith Lords in his time to know how to handle them.
"I've got about one hundred crew and a commander, likely a Sith." He warned the other vod. "Approach with caution, I am engaging."
He sighted in on the likely commander and opened fire with extreme prejudice. Concentrated fire was the name of the game.
Location: Omega Hangar Nearby: [member="Tiland Kortun"] | [member="Daxton Bane"] Objective: Center of Omega
[member="Kith Verloren"] | [member=Omega]
The other Jedi, who matched the initial image of an older man that Audren had first flashed upon, greeted him upon arrival. The younger man was too polite to say it, but it looked like nobody else had followed the message. Maybe they were busy on their own routes, maybe they hadn't heard it, or maybe they'd ignored it. Who knew. More importantly, who cared? Point of the matter was that they hadn't come.
He was saved from having to point out the obvious by the pending danger. He caught it a split second after the human did, giving him barely enough time to react. As he didn't have a staff or anything else to brace himself with, he dropped to a three-point crouch. When whatever it was hit - and it had to have been big considering the size of Omega, there was a fair bit of sliding. No damage though. Not to him...the ship they were on was another story. Distant alarms started blaring, barely audible even to the Sephi's ears. There was no rush of air indicating a hull breach though, and power still thrummed through the vessel. What would have cored most ships merely shook this one. Heartening.
When the shaking stopped, the Jedi stood. He could now sense something ahead. Darkness, a presence more stained with darkness than any he'd felt before. The wording chosen by the older man was apropos. The follow-up question, about following the other Jedi, wasn't worded in a way Audren particularly liked, but he wasn't about to quibble over such a minor detail.
"Light shines brightest in the dark. Let's go."
The room they found themselves at was cavernous to say the least. It was well over fifty meters tall, which was enormous on a starship. Dimly lit, though that wasn't so hard to set up. Comparable to the awe of the size however was the temperature, especially when contrasted against the hallway mere steps behind. The Sephi's breath frosted almost immediately upon entering. Starships tended to retain heat, even to the point of having thermal ports to expel it. Space was cold, but there was also no pressure there. Either the designers had devoted a fair bit of temperature conditioning to this room, or they'd opened it up to space somewhere and held the air in with a magcon field. If it was the latter, that was impressive...they were almost literally in the heart of the gigantic vessel.
The brightest lights were green, generated by the focusing crystals held inside.
Unfortunately the crystals and whoever was at the heart of this dark place were suspended far above. Catwalks provided the only paths up, but they were guarded by stormtroopers. This would normally not be a problem, but fighting up twenty stories worth of catwalks with opposition able to fire upon you from every angle was not a winning strategy. The option of a jetpack was brought up, something Audren couldn't help but chuckle lightly at. If he had a jetpack, or even a booster pack, his day wouldn't have been nearly as eventful. Of course, it probably still would have been depleted by this stage given his initial fall.
"Not with this suit. Better to turn the gravity off anyways."
Not that he knew how to do that or expected the other man to. That would pose its own set of challenges, but they would be more easily overcome than fighting upwards. No sooner had he said that then someone entered the room from another direction and cut down some stormtroopers. The shouted challenge echoed through the chamber; it was foolishness of the worst sort. Then again, it might well be a blessing to the two Jedi as the stormtroopers and possibly even the one radiating darkness above them might focus on the newcomer rather than them.
More questions. Wolf did not turn around this time as he spoke to Vustia while walking. "Yes we will destroy it. And on our guide, that's a risk we must be willing to take." Internally he was not so sure. Jareth's confidence in the existence of these focussing crystals and their location was not overwhelmingly confident, it was more an educated guess. Nevertheless, it was not only the Sith's mind they had interrogated that drew them towards the centre, but also what they could feel with the Force. He nodded as he heard Samka's words from behind him. Indeed there was no need to make unnecessary enemies. Here, for this unique and dire occasion, all factions would have a shared goal. At least, that was what Wolf hoped. He heard [member="Doc"] somewhere from behind him shouting something, and Wolf simply raised his hand and motioned for him to follow. He then heard [member="Thresh Sken"] speak, though Wolf felt more compliant when it came to a question from a fellow member of his Order, he had more of a right to know. Rather than speaking, his mind brushed against Sken's, sharing with him the layout of the space station they had acquired from the Sith, with the great void that lay in the centre, and reminding him of the guide's words back in the Sith Academy that there would be focussing crystals deep in the heart.
They were stopped by another trooper, who introduced himself as Sergeant [member="CT-47B"], and told them of his own operation to seize control of the bridge. Wolf looked him up and down inquisitively. "You will be seizing control of the bridge? I trust you would not be doing so alone. We are headed to the centre of the Omega to destroy it. Follow if you wish, I will not hold you." The Knight of Ren was growing more and more aware of the lack of time before the next use of the Omega weapon, there was a sense of urgency as he turned away from the sergeant and continued onwards into the corridors of the Omega. This sergeant could follow if he so chose, or not. As they drew nearer to the heart of the space station, there was a growing sense of the darkness that awaited them. Wolf steeled himself as they neared what was to come. Red emergency lights blared through the winding corridors, and his stomach felt tight with anticipation and foreboding.
Eventually they reached their destination. They were greeted by a central chamber and a gust of cold, and Wolf's breath puffed out in vapours. He thought he had seen the last of the cold for some time after leaving Castameer, but evidently not. Wolf remained in the corridor that led to the ground floor of the central chamber, halting the group, not entering yet as he noticed the stormtroopers that patrolled the catwalks and had begun firing down below, and the others that had already arrived. His attention was immediately drawn to the Sith they had seen earlier [ [member="Daxton Bane"] ], screaming on the ground of the central chamber for someone to fight him. A mad dog can be a dangerous weapon. Often, however, it is more prudent to put the mutt down, Wolf mused to himself. The central chamber extended up high, at least around twenty stories by his estimate. There were a series of catwalks that would lead up there, and Wolf could sense a dark presence that lay at the summit. He could see someone looking down at them, though the distance between them meant the figure was not very discernible.
His attention returned to the ground floor, and the other two that were already present [ [member="Audren Sykes"] & [member="Tiland Kortun"] ]. Wolf could not discern whether they were Jedi or not, but he certainly could not feel the Dark Side emanating from them. They were discussing something, and Wolf could only surmise they were discussing their best course of action, given the daunting prospect of climbing twenty stories, met with enemies on all sides. Indeed, for someone who was alone it would be a difficult challenge, having to deflect blaster bolts from every conceivable angle. But a Knight of Ren was never alone. Wolf turned to the group that had followed consisting of both the First Order and Sith. Gesturing at those who had already arrived in the central chamber, he spoke to his allies.
"Shall we give them a lesson in co-ordination?" He looked up at the catwalks again. He could not think of any other way to get up there other than along the catwalks. He remembered the words of Jareth, who had also spoken of them. Perhaps after those two on the ground floor finished their discussion they would come up with a better plan. Wolf did not have the time to wait around, and thought back to their time in the Sith Academy on Castameer, when they had been barraged by blaster fire either side of a corridor, a trap sprung to test them. He continued, "On those catwalks we will be greeted by immense firepower from all directions. A challenge even for a Knight of Ren," he faintly smiled, though his expression was no less serious, "but together, this should not be an issue. I will take the forward flank. Troopers, remain in the centre of us, while firing at the enemy and helping us through. Thresh will guard our left flank, and Samka our right." He glanced to Samka briefly for a sign of approval. She was his equal in rank, and he did not presume himself one who could issue commands to her. He continued, speaking to [member="Vustia"], and [member="Nomar"] if he had decided to continue with them. "Sith, guard the rear." With each of their flanks guarded, each lightsaber user would not have to cover every angle of blaster fire from the catwalks around them, and have a much easier job. Wolf readied himself in the corridor. His thumb flicked the ignition switch of his lightsaber. "Now!"
He emerged from the corridor, his lightsaber snarling as they ran across the ground floor to the first catwalk that would begin their ascent. He glanced at [member="Audren Sykes"], [member="Tiland Kortun"] and [member="Daxton Bane"] as he ran past, nodding to them. They could join them if they so wished, taking up the rear and helping to deflect the blaster bolts. Perhaps Bane's challenge would not go unanswered, and the one who dwelled at the summit would come down to them. Wolf would not wait to find out. He took the forward flank, and trusted that the others would heed his advice and take their respective positions. If the Sith were to cause any trouble now, he had to put his trust in Samka and Sken to deal with them. They moved together as a group as they climbed the first catwalk. It was narrow, and they could not travel too fast for fear of misstep. Neither could Samka and Thresh stand abreast of the troopers to cover their flanks. They would have to position themselves in such a way that they stood to the side of the troopers, but ahead of them and behind. Once again Sken's double-bladed lightsaber would be of most use.
As they began to ascend, they were greeted by the expected hail of blaster fire. Wolf's arms moved in arcs and swerves as he moved forward, deflecting blaster bolts from in front of and above him as he went. It was not an especially difficult task provided he concentrated, given that blaster fire from behind him was being covered by his comrades. He came to the first couple of troopers on guard, who backed away as they fired at him. His lightsaber span around as he neared them, his blade a crimson blur as it cut through them. There were many more to come, but thanks to the narrow width of the catwalks, he would not be overwhelmed on all sides, only having to deal with one or two troopers at a time. Now it was a gruelling matter of rinse and repeat as the group made their way up the catwalks. Wolf found himself grow increasingly tired, though his mind cried out to the Dark Side to give him energy, to surge through his muscles and keep him going.
Provided all went according to plan, and they worked as a team, they arrived at the summit...
Location: Center of Omega Allies: [member="Wolf"] [member="Samka Derith"] [member="Vustia"] [member="Doc"] [member="Thresh Sken"] Gear: Sonic Pistol, Slugthrower pistol, Lightsaber, 3 bottles of liquor, datapad
It would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the suffering of the Sith as I crumbled his bones too naught but dust. His groans and moans of pain were music to my ears as I conducted the blood within his body like a marionette. If I truly wished to I could’ve imploded the body painting the walls with the Sith’s blood, baptizing myself in it and showing these other Darksiders what it meant to truly accept the darkness within yourself. Despite the voice in my head screaming for me to comply and do it I continued to let the First Order continue on with their examination of the captives mind. The mention of the young one letting me live was quite frankly hilarious, I don’t think any of them were ready for the fight on their hands if they had chosen to turn on me.
With the interrogation finished I released the blood of the captive Sith but not after causing him a few last seconds of agony. His other leg would crumble inwards bones shooting up into his core to puncture internal organs, his ribs collapsed inwards further damaging his innards and the shoulders were crushed beneath the compressed pressure of his blood. Each second my head bobbed as though listening to a song no one else could here. It was the song of death. Sith such as this were a stain on the galaxy. Willing to help in its destruction just because one of their betters said so. Disgusting. Finding myself refreshed after the incident I left the Sith to have his neck broken. It wasn’t all that bad a fate compared to what I had planned for whoever had built this weapon.
This weapon had been built to exert control over the galaxy, fear, bring great destruction. The Sith code spoke of freedom yet so many that followed it did nothing but place themselves in control. They all wanted to be deities of great power hence why it was my duty to ensure that not one of those responsible for the creation of this weapon lived another day. As for the First Order soldiers they could still learn the error of their ways, but I wouldn’t be the one to enforce it on this day. Instead I joined them on the venture to the center of the beast. Into the darkness I followed them as a temporary ally. Yet if I found them trying to keep the weapon operational there would be no hesitation in slaying them.
Pulling out a bottle of liquor I began chugging it letting its warmth fill me. Expand through my body, I may have pretended to be drunk on Castameer but I was indeed an alcoholic. Entering the Center of the Omega I looked upwards past the rising catwalks that stretched high into the air. At the top I sensed the dark presence. Grip tightening on my bottle I looked back at the First Order troops. “You’re all thinking like dirt generals.” Holding the rear my right hand raised. Condensing a section of air behind us it converted into a solid wall that the blasterbolts struck doing no harm. Yet their heat chipped away at the wall forcing me to constantly condense more to have a sturdy barrier. I wasn't like the others, I couldn't enhance my speed to a blur to block the blasterbolts. At least not in a conventional manner.
Taking another swig of liquor, I looked back to the top. “I can carry one or two to the top. But we have to act fast and it will have to be the best you have. By the time we reach her this way we would’ve wasted energy on these pointless troops.” Looking to [member="Wolf"] who I thought to be the leader of these First Order knights I hoped he would agree. If not there would be nothing stopping me from flying to the top by my lonesome. Even then it had to be the best as flying made one an incredibly easy target. I'd prefer not to get shot out the air.
))
