Blood in the Snow [TSE Dominion of Rhen Var Hex]

[Onrai]

[member="Darth Excidium"] [member="Olrunn Darr"] [member="Xevek Rakama"]

Vanessa continued to proceed deeper into the monument, her absorption of the blaster bolts only furthering the power of the lightning emitting from her fingertips. a smile crossed her with each entity that fell, with each rebellious corpse that turned from life-filled to lifeless sending a shudder of joy down her spine. How wonderful it was to watch death after death come to those who chose to defy the natural order of Imperial rule. Soon the ways were clear and the sanctum at the heart of the monument was empty of life.

Within the burial chamber lay a sarcophagus, not at all unlike the ones found on worlds inhabited by the Sith. Of course, they were not Sith - merely a means of easily preserving the relics of Ulic Qel-Droma after his passing. His spirit was gone and his bones lay there for the taking. The power of the Force was used by the female Sith to start the process of unsealing the sarcophagus.

Within the contained space of the sarcophagus was a casket, a simple box made of wood that had long since been petrified or otherwise altered from its natural state. Within it were bones, dust, and a lightsaber. She reached out with the Force to find whether these were the items she sought, only to find that not even the slightest trace of the light side had been within them.

It had been all for nothing.

Grasping the lightsaber, enraged as she was, she activated the weapon and began to slice through first the casket, then the sarcophagus itself before booting the side of it and sending the top of the sarcophagus to the ground with a crack.

There was nothing here. But these bones would still serve her as the basis for the prototype of a new breed of abominations, creations of Sith art that would be a weapon of terror beyond anything ever seen before.

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

D. BYOO:
Fort Mekhis

Stone and metal clattered against the ground. The Cyborg Chiss covered her head with her arm. She heard shards pattering against the metal of it and felt them cut her skin where it was exposed. Dark blood trickled down the back of her head as she gritted her teeth and threw herself into movement. She could not stand still; movement was her only possible advantage, and the Force was her only ally.

The fortress would be hers, and no remnant would oppose her.

Filiae threw herself out into the mechanical beast's line of sight again, stopping for a second to draw its gaze.


As its head adjusted and the cannons aligned, she darted forward. The Force surged through her body as she pushed herself faster, faster, faster. Behind her, the plasma and shrapnel nipped at her feet. Filiae leapt, her sabre moving into a wide downwards arc. The beast shifted left, avoiding her striking its head. Her blade carved into the wall behind it while the mecha centipoid moved along the wall, sending shivers through the structure.

Once more, its cannons charged and pointed at the Chiss' direction. However, she was nowhere to be seen; all that was left where she were was darkness and scorch marks. Then, feet touched down on the centipoid's head and a sudden burst of red light emerged as the plasma blade was re-ignited. She plunged it deep into the monster's head and felt it collapse beneath her. The Chiss tumbled off it and fell into a roll. Her back slammed into one of the pillars and she saw one of the pointed legs of the monster seize its momentum a mere desimeter from her face.

"Told you." Slipping to the side, she raised her red blade high into the air and looked around. The path lead on, and Filiae set off running. Ahead, she could see a light and stairs leading up to it. Her feet pattered against the stonework and twice or thrice she slipped and caught herself. Her breath was visible in the cold air, illuminated only by the light of her sabre.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Filiae climbed the dais. Approaching the altar, her eyes narrowed and her heart sank.

The holocron was not there.

Her lips thinned and her fist shook in anger as messages pinged in on her com: "The Citadel is captured. Imperial control has been established." A sigh escaped her lips as she responded.

​

"Send in the ships, construction of the fortress starts asap."

She looked once more at the altar and sneered at it. At least the Fortress of Darth Mekhis could be rebuilt.

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

Objective B:​

Secure the Jedi Monument and defeat the spectral guardians protecting Ulic Qel-Droma's burial site​

Nearby Allies: [member="Vanessa Vantai"], [member="Olrunn Darr"], [member="Xevek Rakama"]​

Post: 4​

​

​

The fight ended rapidly, as one would expect against a small group of Sith. Blasters and lightsabers didn't typically end well for those with the ranged capacity, and it was no problem at all to overcome the weapon platform with Lady Vantai performing her power. Excidium appreciated the opportunity to see the ability in action, and was confident in his decision to pursue learning and mastering it. But, for now, the small group of Sith had to complete their objective, and find what may - may not - be within the Jedi Monument proper. The remainder of the trek there was mostly uneventful, with only some small skirmishes and confrontations with rebels; though the Sith Lord did note that they did not encounter the mysterious Force User from that point onward...

When in the sanctuary, Excidium ignored the casket, leaving Vantai to her own rummaging. Instead, the Sith Lord began to walk along the walls, arm outstretched, as he ran fingers along panels carved from stone and wood. The structure was well-designed, with a lot of the detail still quite visible in each panel, and very preserved considering the age of the place. Stopping, Excidium narrowed his eyes, his fingers running over a rougher and more defined area of wall work. He looked closer, moving his fingers around the edges of the panel of wall, feeling a distinct difference from the - what he now believed to be - older portions...

"Intriguing..."

Reaching out with the Force, Excidium clasped the panel with the invisible power, and pulled. There was a moment of hesitation as the panel ground, stone on stone, but then a crack as it gave way and revealed a cavity. Within was a small cache, it appeared, hidden behind a newer panel of the wall, made to match the remaining structure in all but material. Old stone was smooth, the carving losing detail and fading into the walls themselves. But this latest portion, likely replaced several generations ago, hadn't quite worn down to that same degree.

"It appears we may have something, after all."

Reaching into the dark space, Excidium pulled out a small lock box. There was also a skull, the species difficult to determine due to how poorly it had been preserved. Nonetheless, once the box was open, Excidium was delighted to see several items - an old holocron, several scrolls, and even a crystal. Turning to face the other Sith, the Sith Lord reached in and lifted the holocron. Clearly this item was his, claimed by right of discovery, but the remaining items were for his Apprentice and Xevek. Vantai had clearly claimed the mysterious lightsaber. The items themselves were newer, and had been placed there for some reason unknowable. Still, if it had been a wayward Jedi, or even a Sith, who needed to hide some items of importance, Excidium would know more after having a chance to examine.

"I expected more resistance than this," Excidium said, tucking the holocron into his robes. "From research, there should have been some kind of Force apparitions here, guardians, but it seems they may have already been dealt with... which isn't surprising, given how long this place has been here."

Looking over the open hall, the Sith Lord noted several destroyed caskets, but nothing else seemed to present itself. With a sigh, Excidium looked down to the box, before offering it to the Sith standing nearby.

"Not a wondrous haul, but not without some reward, I suppose. Decide whom gets the scrolls, and whom gets the crystal. Lady Vantai has claimed the lightsaber, it seems."

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Objective B.
Nearby Allies: [member="Vanessa Vantai"] |[member="Darth Excidium"] | [member="Olrunn Darr"]

Blood drying upon the mask of bone with every second that past, blood spilled from the foolish soldiers that had dared to stand against the group of Sith and whom Xevek had relished in hunting and utilising to slake the thirst of the primal instincts that stirred within his soul, Xevek watched on silent and without emotion as the Sith Lady lost her composure, tearing through the relics of a bygone age with rage. With every swing of the claimed lightsaber, the blonde woman lost more and more of what might have been the stirrings of respect for her power that Xevek held until, as she finally ceased to end her actions, a sneer was decorating his unseen lips.

Childish, that was the only word he could think up that would adequately sum up his opinions of this Sith Lady. Childish, volatile and lost to the whims of the rage that coiled within her rather than the opposite being true. A puppet might well also be a good way to describe her, one who's strings were pulled by the very Darkness that she seemed to believe she had conquered.

Rage, anger, fury. All of them played a role within the Darkness, within the hearts of Hunters and Predators, those that embraces the harshness of reality with open arms and turned the power that it granted them upon the weak, meek and pitiful - prey in other words. But, to let them control oneself and lead them into childish fits of rage? Xevek had torn down fellow Hunters among his Clan for less, beaten them bloody and broke them across his knee to teach them a lesson in control. What use was the power that the Darkness granted the Sith if they became nothing more than its prey, if they became nothing in the end but vessels of frayed tempers?

Scoffing silently, Xevek turned his attention to the only Sith Master of their group to hold a sliver of his respect - even if said respect might be tempered by the rage he so carefully fashioned so that it would be a boon in the future, focus shards of searing ice. Passing his attention over the reveal store of items, Xevek instead focused on the ancient engravings that Excidium had ran his hand across. Knowledge, history, both were true powers within the repeating cycle of the universe and there, set before him in rock and withstanding the ravages of time was just that. Amber eye gleaming, Xevek ignored muttered words from Excidium and even the presence of the Sith Lady and Olrunn to instead focus on the wall itself.

His fascination was soon shattered, however, as Excidium's voice finally broke through his haze and brought him to the matter of the prizes of the expedition. Grunting, Xevek cocked his head towards Olrunn for a moment, before his slightly muffled voice drifted from behind his mask - oddly enough, it possessed an almost dreamy quality as the Iridonian had yet to truly bring himself forth from the misty hazes of his own mind. "I have no use for the crystal." He paused for a moment, his single eye blinking gently. "I would have the scrolls." There was no question, no inquiry, just the stating of facts and the heavy silence as he patiently awaited an answer.

 

[Olrunn Darr]

The acolyte pressed forward within the ancient walls of the Temple. Lordess Vantai seemed to deal with their enemies so quickly while empowered by the previous absorption of energy. The ease of it even made her uncomfortable. She was not used to easy things, to practically avoid conflict besides the stray blaster bolts she deflected and the lost rebels she cut down with ease while they were gripped by fear. All the while, she had been waiting for the apparitions they had been warned about, she had been bracing herself for a battle that would truly put them to trial on their skills. But this day, apparently, the Force had other plans.

Upon reaching the sanctum of the temple, where the body of the ancient Jedi Master laid, she did not waste any time and let her eyes wander, remembering the structure and the details of the architecture from a time long gone. You could learn a lot about constructions, the way in which places were made. Architecture required a lot of forethought and if one looked beyond the decorations and aesthetics, there was most often a reason for every pillar and every wall. Her thoughts were confirmed as Excidium pulled through the force, pulling down with it a fake wall meant to cover an original extension of the ancient structure. Olrunn smiled slightly before approaching.

The Sith Lordess and the Magus slave had both picked their spoils, alongside her Master. She, on the other hand, had rather been the last to chose. She knew that most often those things left behind because of being categorized as those of the lesser value proved to be the greatest of assets. As one who had been the runt among her brothers, she understood how such an occurrence worked. She took a step forward and inserted her hand into the box that remained, pulling a crystal of a deep red, the deepest she had yet to see. The thought of comparing it to the color of thick blood was unavoidable.

The gurlanin directed a glance at Rakama, a silent answer that she had no quarrels with him keeping the scrolls. Her eyes then shifted onto the Sith Lord and she bowed her head lightly, in acknowledgement. "Gratitude, Master." After all, it had been him who discovered the secret resting place of these artifacts and had he wanted to, he would have had every right to deny them the opportunity of keeping any of them.

[member="Darth Excidium"] [member="Xevek Rakama"] [member="Vanessa Vantai"]