Dominion CIS | The Red War: Naalol

[Darth Elyria]

Objective: BYOO [Chasing a Mad Man - Finding Dinner]
Tag: Darth Metus

She did not yet grasp why it was that Darth Metus wished her to ascend to this place.

It was lowly.

The path at her feet faded whilst it led into the darkness of the woods. Somewhere along this trail lay the quarry she required. A guilty soul that, against all morality, was required. The narrow strip of naked earth seemed to extend on forever, among roots, among life, while creatures scurried about. She could see them skittering about. Running. Fleeing, from her might. Graceful fingertips touched the green leaves and they withered at her caress. She pulled vitality from them to sate her bottomless pit of a stomach. The unbridled dark ebbed from her—Draining them dry.

It was a meager morsel.

Pathetic. At best—It made this hunger bearable.

This was the world of the heathen, craven beasts. She lived in the dark, in the deep, but that was neither here nor there. This forest set about to robbing basic senses while heightening others. It would have been disorienting if she were so weak as to succumb to such mortal fallacy. It wasn’t the footsteps she trailed, nor, was it the broken path between the trees. It was the steady beat of a terrified heart.

A heart she would soon devour.

“He is not far.”, she announced to Isley Verd, almost stately, while slipping from shadow to shadow. Her hair plumed around her, reaching, and tugging whilst guiding her forward. Onyx tenders billowed outward like a cloud, acting as hands, that moved things from her path or helped her over them. She moved with the surety and refinement of one who knew that there would always be a clear path beneath her feet. She was in control. She—Determined the balance between life and death. There was no good. There was no evil. Only, power. “Soon, he will no longer plague this territory.”

“I can smell copper, old blood, on his breath. His hands are slick with it. Soul, stained with it.”

The Vicelord had brought her to hunt. She understood the double-functionality of the mission. It benefited the Confederacy as a whole not to have a serial killer on the loose. It benefited her to have meat and flesh that no one could claim—Did not deserve punishment. Elyria did not put men in chains. She merely acted. As the wind moved. As water flowed. As the sun rose—So did she decide.

So, did she move.

Dark eyes seemed to become darker. They drew in shadow rather than light. The scent of jasmine and rain unfolded whilst she flowed onward. It was the herald of her arrival.

“This land will not miss him. I find him kindred in his cannibalism; however, his methods are distasteful. He leaves a trail. Evidence. He is uncontrolled and unsettled in his own mind. For that—He must die.”

Not many would understand her thought process. The pristine creature was blessed by the moon in this life. Referred to as Selene. She was not the cooling embrace of reflected light. No, the Mother Dark was a hunter. She was a murderer. She was the same as the killer that they sought. The only difference?

She was better at it.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

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WEARING: xxx
WEAPON: xxx
TAG: Meili Feng | Naedira Darcrath | Abel Denko | Aela Wren | Pravus Cruento | Vytal Noctura | Stardust Solus Skirae | Saint Azidalf Elde'gaud

"You don't want to deal with possessed animals," Gerwald questioned the fox at his side. Considering what both of them were, Gerwald found that comment to be a little humorous. Still, considering how quiet it was, and what Gerwald was sensing, possessed animals was a possibility. The wolf did carry a ghost with him wherever he went, so the paranormal was no longer something which bothered the Lupine.​

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The fox at his side could not use the force as far as he knew, and yet those above him saw fit to pair them up for certain missions. Gerwald's interest in her was simply because he could tell she was another shifter. Life among the Confederacy was sometimes an adjustment, but so far Mei seemed to be far more progressed than others he had helped. Still, there was something prickling his senses which was off.​

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Everything was off.​

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Gerwald reached for the ring as he felt something within. Usually he could not feel the ghost. She would simply appear. She would speak. Now Gerwald felt something, he felt... her. He was not supposed to. Her connection to the force had been cut off, their bond had died when she had, and yet, now, a glimpse of it was there. Naedira Darcrath was among them.​

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Why couldn't Gerwald see her? Why could he not hear her.​

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Blue eyes looked to the cave ahead, and where the Lupine would likely continue with the banter, the teasing, coming from the apprentice at his side, something about the cave ahead had stolen all of his attention.​

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"You cannot feel that," he asked puzzled. A single brow raised as he motioned toward the cave.​

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His boots carried them forward, yet something was stopping him, stopping them. Certainly Meili Feng would feel that. Why was someone, why was she, trying to stop them. Gerwald felt as though he was losing control the closer he moved toward the cave. For some reason she did not want them to get closer, or at least him. Yet, the mission.​

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Gerwald stopped as he tried to reach out toward the cave. He sensed...​

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NOTHING!​

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It was more than nothing. There was void, a vacuum, then a shout.​

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Gerwald heard that. He looked to may.​

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"Please tell me you heard that," Gerwald asked.​

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So why couldn't he see her?​

 

[Meili Feng]

Tagging: Gerwald Lechner | Naedira Darcrath

“Who would want to? A wolf or a tiger is bad enough, but if they’re possessed, can you imagine?”

A shudder passed up the woman’s back at the thought, the memory of possessed creatures sneaking through the darkness creeping up on them. Dark eyes flicked to the sides, staring at the undergrowth for a moment as if she expected to see a set of bared fangs bearing down on her. She knew there was nothing there, she’d have heard them coming long before that but it was an instinctive reaction now from years spent traipsing through the wilderness around her house. It wasn’t to say she hadn’t fallen foul of one or two of the creatures that stalked through the wilderness, but well…one or two of them might have snuck up on her before. It was a lesson learned the hardest wat, thorugh the mind-numbing terror of experience.

A deep breath, hold and release and let her tension flow out of her just like her trainers had taught her. Fall into that state where instinct and reason co-existed, where your body was loose enough to react, hands held above her weapon as she followed the man’s gaze towards the cave entrance, her head tilting to the side.

“Feel what?”

She knew the Sith had senses that she didn’t, could sense and feel things that no-one without access to that energy that linked all things. The same senses that her mother could use, that would always find her whenever she tried to hide from her. It was unfair, that ability to sense out her guilt no matter how well she tried to hide, to bring her unerringly to justice no matter how much she tried to evade it. She’d learned just how…effective those abilities might be, as distasteful as she might find them personally. Effective enough that she couldn’t just disregard his instincts, the wolf’s reaction to the cave. The petite woman stepped in front of him, letting her hand drop down to rest on the shaft of her weapon as her eyes narrowed.

“What kinda feeling?”

Dark eyes settled on the cave entrance, that shadowed portal that seemed to draw the eye, draw in her attention. White teeth sunk into the soft flesh of her lower lip, she could feel…something, something cold that left the hairs on her back standing on end. A feeling that struck in the core of her being, leaving her wanting to duck and cover, to hide. The feeling of cold claws dragging at her soul. It was fear and horror made real, for a moment Meili wanted nothing more than to curl up, to make herself so small. Until she took that breath, sought to find her centre, that safety that she could find in those techniques of her childhood.

She had opened her mouth to speak before a scream tore out of that cave, driving her a step backwards before she could catch herself.

“I heard that.”

Her voice was a quiet whisper, unwilling to shatter the deathly quiet as her eyes stared into the darkness, straining to catch sight of whoever was in there, whoever had warned them.

Deep breath, one step in front of the other as she forced herself towards the cave, one hand resting on a door as she hesitated for a moment at the portal. Just a half-second beat before she passed inside, standing waiting for an attack, for something to happen.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

 

[Naedira Darcrath]

The Wilds
Direct Tag: Gerwald Lechner | Meili Feng
Nearby: Mic Gallagher | Abel Denko | Teyla Sal-Soren | Aela Wren | Pravus Cruento | Vytal Noctura | Stardust Solus Skirae | Saint Azidalf Elde'gaud
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Run.

It was all she could do. It was all she had done for what felt like an eternity. They were here. Always, here. Just a few steps behind. She could feel the heat on the back of her neck. Smoke and brimstone made her eyes burn. It was so hard to see in the dark. So hard not to fall. Trying to warn those she cared about would cost her. What would it be this time? What memory would she lose?

Her first foray into the Force? Worse, her own name?

These creatures peeled away at the layers of her mind as if it were an onion. They couldn’t flay her because she wasn’t alive. She was a specter, a ghost. Pieces of thoughts and broken remembrances. She had no form. No substance. That didn’t mean they couldn’t hurt her.

There were worse things.

The bearer of her tether was getting closer to the cave that loomed in the distance. His presence grew. Not within his own realm, no, she could feel him in this world. In this realm of glass hurricanes and dire monsters. They were designed for this prison, specifically, for torture. Something was wrong.

The fox and the wolf were too close.

It was too late.

They could smell them. Taste their humanity—Their mortality.

Their nearness presented her cloven-footed captors with an opportunity that they were often denied by their creator. Fresh meat. Fresh memories. Naedira darted toward the mouth of the cave as fast as she could. They, or it, were not far behind. Why hadn’t they listened? Chestnut hair flew behind her like a dark ribbon and brown eyes flared with reflective light. The very air would shift before Gerwald Lechner and Meili Feng . It would warp and give the pair a glimpse of what lay on the other side.

They would hear the torrid scream of glass shards whipping through the sky at hundreds of miles per hour. The darkness was not only visible. They would feel it as it was intended. A hopeless, bottomless pit. Naedira would appear last. Expressive eyes were filled with emotions that had no name. Dark circles mottled what had once been youthful skin while her limbs seemed a little too thin. A body that had once been healthy, even if death, seemed to be reflecting the time spent in the madness.

Once—She could have been considered beautiful. Now?

Haggard.

“Why are you still standing there? Have you gone deaf—You need to run!”

Her words were barked out with a similar tone that she might have taken as a Knight Obsidian. Gerwald would find it reminiscent of when they had fought together. As if she were in control, somehow, in this impossible situation. Her eyes told the truth. Whatever it was that she kept glancing back over her shoulder for kept her tense. Shoulders tight. Ready, for something to strike her down.

The heat was getting stronger. It was definitely too late.

“You—”, Naedira gasped out, pausing, while a shudder ran through her. She could feel the Knight Obsidian ring that Gerwald dutifully bore. Her expression was grim when her gaze fell to his. A million words passed the span of a second. A million secrets. Only one mattered. “Destroy it. The veil between worlds is too thin here. A rift, a tear, I don’t know. Destroy the ring and close the tether. Close the way Gerwald—"

“—They’re coming.”

Shadowy flame began to lick around the mouth of the cave. It grew brighter, stronger, while it began to catch in the foliage from the real. From incorporeal to corporeal. How could that happen? The ground began to rhythmically shake with the sound of heavy, deafening, and definitive footsteps. From the depths of the darkness, the beast began to appear. Noćna Mora. Fire appeared first. Fire, then dancing poison flame. She tore her eyes away when cruel horns began to pull from the black. Naedira stepped forward and slapped her hands in front of Gerwald’s face to get his attention. The sound, surprisingly, was deafening. It echoed like thunder. “Do you hear me? Destroy it! You have to do it now!”

The Devourers had come. For now, just one.

One was enough to turn an entire population to ash. One. Just, one. If Gerwald couldn’t do what she asked of him he faced far more casualties than losing her.

“My life…It isn’t worth losing anyone else. I’m dead. I'm nothing. You have to let me go."

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[Mic Gallagher]

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TAG: Pravus Cruento Aela Wren​

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These people really weren't the brightest crayons in the packet. Did they not realise that stupid questions and snarky comments weren't going to help them get what they have to get?

Not that Mic knew what it was yet. But still - duh?

The girl, Aela, stomped off into the woods. Pfffft. This was going to be a long trip. He looked back at Pravus.
"You might want to put a leash on your girl, mate. We don't know what kind of snot monsters are in there. They could blob all over her." he said, motioning with his blaster in the direction Aela had went. He added a disgusted shiver at the thought of blobbing snot monsters. "Let's go."

He holstered his blaster for now and followed the girl into the woods with, hopefully, Pravus in tow. Under the canopy, they caught up with Aela. He looked around. Creepy would be an understatement to describe the Wilds. It was eerily quiet. His beach bum attitude fell away - laid back quips was not going to save their bums on this adventure. It was time for tough bum attitude.

He checked their bearings on his personav. He sincerely hoped he had gotten the right information from his old bounty hunter buddy on Nal Hutta.
"If the intel is correct, the temple is North-East." he said, dropping the device back into his pack. He started to walk in that direction, but turned back slightly to face his companions. "I think it's quite obvious, but I'm going to say it anyway - keep your eyes open. This isn't a picnic." he said earnestly. He then turned back and moved deeper into the trees.

As they moved, Mic had that funny feeling that they were being watched. For good measure, he unlatched his one blaster before drawing the other one. He won't be blobbed on today.

 

[Pravus Cruento]

Put a leash on your girl.

Pravus had neither the emotional strength nor the will power to explain why calling Aela ‘his girl’ was about as stupid a mistake a fully grown man who wanted to keep his ability to procreate in working order as one could make, let alone the idea of a leash on Aela.

He glanced upwards, the mental image exiting his wandering mind as quickly as it had crawled in...

North-East. Pravus loathed this sort of location. He was from the Core. He’d grown up on Coruscant for the most part. Stumbling around getting covered in bugs, catching dysentery or worse still being eaten by a snot monster we’re not what he considered to be ‘fun’. He hadn’t even heard of snot monsters up until this point – he didn’t know he should’ve been afraid of them all is life.

Another thing to add to the list of reasons why he should never leave the club.
He prayed it was still standing. Too many fights, fires and fracas in such a short time meant Prav now slept with a blaster next to bedside.

He trundled after Aela and Mic and wished to high-Scarif that this journey would end swiftly, though preferably without incident.

Pleeeeeeeese.
Aela Wren Mic Gallagher

 

[Rann Thress]

C O M P L I A N C E​

Tags: The Monster​

Rann looked around the room. It was clear these military-types didn't much respect him. Whether it was just his parentage, or if it was also his Force Sensitivity he didn't know. Or much care.​

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Nevermind, though, that Rann put himself through hell on the daily to prove he was more than his Sire. Nevermind that, for over twenty years, Rann had no idea who his Father was. Nevermind that he never asked Isley for nothing. Nor would he. Ever. Rann was self-made. Always. More than his blood.​

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These comments shouldn't have bothered him. But they did. He bowed his head, bit his tongue, and turned to leave. He gave a small nod to Sergei as he left. Hopefully, they'd treat Jack a lot better then they seemed to want to treat Rann. If Rann knew anything about the giant, it was he didn't mind bloodying his knuckles, especially when it was from disrespectful superiors. Rann hoped, for their sake, they'd hold any disdain they may have for the Dire Wolves secret. Otherwise, they'd be the first casualties of Fort Callat.​

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He left the Command Post and began walking towards the expansion area where he'd need to clear. The busy bodies of the Fort never ceased during Rann's few minute absence. In fact, if anything it seemed to have increased. More drop ships coming in carrying more troops, supplies, and building materials. More drilling in the area, and even more teams being sent out to secure the surrounding Wilds.​

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So why me, in this particular spot? he couldn't help but wonder.​

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Part of his inner-narcissist wondered if it was an assassination attempt? Perhaps to strike back at his daddy dearest? Rann shook his head. He thought he was a big deal, not that big of a deal surely. At least, not enough for anything more than a two-bit assassin with a hand me down blaster.​

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More I think of it, the more I'm okay with no being the target of an assassination. he continued as he approached one of the gates leading out of the Fort.​

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Before walking through the Fort, he turned around and took a long look at it. It shared the name of his Sister, whom he hadn't seen in too long. A ping of sadness erupted in his heart as he turned around and walked out the Gate.​

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For her, and for the Confederacy. Though this job was an insult, he'd do his best. Fort Callat will be the strongest, best fortification in the known galaxy.​

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Tags: Naedira Darcrath Gerwald Lechner Meili Feng The Monster ​

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The Confederacy's engineers and laborers worked hard to clear the trees from the immediate areas around the Fort. It certainly wouldn't do to allow people to have an approach covered by trees and foliage to, what Rann wanted to be, the greatest stronghold in the Confederacy. It took a few minutes to enter the actual wilds around the Fort from the gate, longer still to reach the area the projections called the next great expanse. Rocks, caves, and yet more trees dominated the area.​

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And Rann felt...something.​

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It didn't feel like a direct threat. Not yet. But he felt it. Nearby he sensed allies. Two he hadn't met yet, but knew of. They seemed to be approaching this enigma. Like trying to view a picture through heavy fog, or smell a scent through plate glass. Rann knew something was there but he couldn't discern what.​

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Suddenly, this nothing assignment seemed to be turning into something... more. But it was technically outside his mission area.​

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"Screw it. If there's something there, something dangerous, I might as well make sure it's not a threat or it's destroyed right? Right." he said to himself quietly as he began moving forward towards the feeling. Before he got too far, however, he sent a commlink message to Sergei with positional data. If something happened, He'd be glad he gave someone the opportunity to find him. Even happier if that was Sergei.​

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As the two other Confederates grew closer to the anomaly, Rann quickened his pace in order to try and meet them. He hoped to reach them before they antagonized whatever beastie or presence may yet lurk in the area, because he wanted to be there for the fight. If they had dealt with the creature before he could at the very least help them defeat it? Well, then Naalol would just be the planet he stood around in a forest in killing angry forest creatures while imagining they were uppity Military commanders.​

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After a few more minutes of a moderate jog, Rann arrived to the entrance of the cave. A wave of dread that had been building for the past few hundred yards had seemed to reach it's apex point now, and Rann found himself beginning to strongly consider just returning to his do-nothing assignment guarding trees. Yet for some reason, he found himself continuing forward. The others were close now and Rann had to fight every urge to shout out, regroup with them and proceed together.​

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He stopped and reached into the Force, hoping to see through it what his eyes could not show him. ​

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The force of the word in his mind felt like a tidal wave that Rann struggled to stand through. He looked back at the entrance to the cave, eyes wide, and blinked a couple times. Without a word, or really a thought, Rann drew his lightsaber hilt, Amber, from his waist and held it in his right arm. His squeezed the metal of the hilt with the metal of his hand tightly, a more concrete sensation of fear flowing throughout his body.​

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We need to leave this place.​

I can't. I have a job to do.​

This isn't our job. Our job is to guard-​

You don't get a vote, shut up.​

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With his internal drama settled, Rann moved forward, hoping to meet up with Gerwald and Meili.​

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[Vytal Noctura]

Tag: Saint Azidalf Elde'gaud | Stardust Solus Skirae | Gerwald Lechner | Meili Feng | Rann Thress
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Ah. Of course. Vytal came to a stop in the temple as voices carried on unknowable currents. "I hope you will forgive me, but there are those in need on this world elsewhere. Spiritual matters." A polite excusal for her present company of Saint Azidalf Elde'gaud and Stardust Solus Skirae . The Witches were not there to police the galaxy, but when it came to spiritual disruptions... Well, maintaining the Balance was a necessary evil. One could not study in peace if the galaxy were on fire, nor could one contemplate such academics if reality itself unraveled. Entrusting this to others was not an option; though external help would not be turned down.​

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With a less than subtle introduction to the living, the general location of the disturbance was not difficult to locate. Her armored gauntlet waved across the open air before her to bridge two points in space. A doorway through which her green eyes beheld the area near the cave, and a male soul ( Rann Thress ) making his approach. Not the only one that felt the call for help? Or the scream of terror, which a charitable (or exploitative) soul would take as a call to action at least.​

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The Pale Witch strode through the doorway, though it did not shut immediately in her wake should either of her companions deign to follow. Not that she had suggested they must. After all, neither were under her authority of the Solanaceae, and she did not recall the Saint troubling himself as a Knight. If they did come, however, she would not besmirch their aid or merely their banter. It was nice to have people to commune with. Living ones. Vytal heard the Dead all too often.​

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"Mister Thress," the Nightmother called out, "here with friends, or have you come to investigate the disturbance?" Rann did not seem in immediate peril or the subject of the disturbance. Naturally, the Witch was curious if he was part of a larger group. Someone else was likely further in the cave from which poured a great deal of energy exploded just through some trees where the cave sat. "It would see the time for conversation is at an end. Let us move swiftly," Vytal added with little time given for a response.​

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The red armored woman surged forward to pierce the veil of vegetation obscuring their view of the cave from whence the darkness came. From where Gerwald Lechner and Meili Feng stood. For a man interested in staying out of the affairs of the Witches, he had a nasty habit of involving himself in such matters. Perhaps he would be wise to keep one of those he shunned closer. "This has become far too common of late," the Nightmother said by way of announcing her presence. Seeing how Gerwald was here, however, she let him retain command of the scene... unless it became clear it had gotten out of his control and required an immediate reaction not discussed at length before hand.​

Template By: Darth Metus (Guy)​

 

[Aspen Dray]

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TAG: Juli Moore

The Southern Systems. Aspen had been told he could find a fresh start away from the crime he once knew away from the Core. His life had taken him all over, but never did he think he would find himself among the Confederacy. Had it not been for his friend, companion, whatever it was they were, he never would have. Juli had a secret, one Aspen knew of, and the Confederacy seemed to have others of her kind, ones that shared the same secret. Maybe it was curiosity, or perhaps for the first time in his life the Zeltron was making a decision which was not about him, but he knew they had to go. Whatever they found, they would at least find it together.​

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Today was humanitarian, which felt good. A new fortress and center was being built as an outpost, and training the locals to protect it was something Aspen could do well. He was not a military man by any stretch of the concept, but his time in the Coruscant Underworld and as an officer for the Coruscant Security Force had given him a background in security. Security is what the base would need.​

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There was something happening close by, in the woods. It seemed others were leaving their posts to aid in whatever commotion was taking place. Aspen would stay. There was work to be done, and not everyone could simply abandon what seemed like the lesser task. If this was supposed to be the command and control center, than it was the most important mission.​

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"Can you sniff anything out about what's going on," he asked Juli as his head nodded toward the direction the others ran off to. "There isn't about to be trouble here is there?​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

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WEARING: xxx
WEAPON: xxx
TAG: Meili Feng | Naedira Darcrath | Abel Denko | Aela Wren | Pravus Cruento | Vytal Noctura | Stardust Solus Skirae | Saint Azidalf Elde'gaud | Rann Thress

"I know this feeling from my..."​

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Gerwald stopped himself. He knew the feeling all too well. The darkness, the emptiness, the cold, and the hopelessness, that poured from the cave until the world before them began to change was all too familiar. What haunted his mind at night, when his eyes were closed, was invading his reality.​

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He gulped, slow, loud. There would be no denying he was nervous. Meili Feng would hear the shifting of his boots even though he was frozen. She would hear the way his throat contracted as he swallowed hard once more. The beating of his heart pounded against his chest like a war drum, loud, strong, undeniable. The lupine drew in several deep breaths as he steeled his senses for whatever they may face.​

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"Welcome to my nightmares," he said to the fox at his side not even questioning if she saw the world shift around them. There was no way she could have missed it. The cave was a portal to something, an opening, a mask, a thin veil, meant to keep the Nether at bay. Perhaps it was a bridge between worlds. Regardless something was drastically different.​

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"Stay back," his voice boomed toward the others he could feel approaching. "Something is not right here."​

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Gerwald looked over his shoulder, his eyes landing on the visage of the Nightmother Vytal Noctura . He nodded a greeting toward her, a polite gesture before his thoughts invaded her mind. She had been there when they last attempted to rescue Naedira. The witch knew her face, knew her voice.​

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"SHE is here."​

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The three simple words would ring in the Nightmother's mind for as long as the woman would allow them too, but Gerwald hoped she understood the message. Would they have another chance at freeing her? The lupine could not answer. Something was terribly wrong different.​

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"No, no, no, this is all wrong, I should not be able to feel her. Only if..."​

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His words stopped as Naedira finally appeared. Once again he looked to the fox at his side. He was always with someone new every time Naedira appeared, always another student or companion. Gerwald wanted to make introductions as though the ghost in front of them was real, a physical being, yet for once he was mute.​

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"Our bond..." Gerwald finally managed, "I should not be able to feel you."​

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“Why are you still standing there? Have you gone deaf—You need to run!” ​

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Yet he didn't move.​

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“You—” “Destroy it. The veil between worlds is too thin here. A rift, a tear, I don’t know. Destroy the ring and close the tether. Close the way Gerwald—"​

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“—They’re coming.”​

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He shook his head. Destroy it, the ring, the tether? How could he? Gerwald had made a promise to Naedira, one he intended to fulfill. She wanted to live again, she had said as much. Every time she appeared he would always ask, and the answer had always been the same. The wolf looked over his shoulder, the lion mane of his hair moving with him. His blue eyes settled on the others. He knew why. Even in death she was choosing duty. Naedira was always protecting.​

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“Do you hear me? Destroy it! You have to do it now!” ​

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"I can't! If I do... you will... and I promised. Naedira I promised."​

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Gerwald could only imagine what Meili thought of the scene playing out before her. Had she ever seen such things? The fox had mentioned not wanting to deal with possessed animals, but here was Gerwald talking with a ghost, one that was warning them... they were coming.​

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Who were they?​

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There was no time to question or debate. Naedira's voice only grew more demanding. She was the Knight Obsidian once more, the one who had once formed a battle meld with a wild lupine, untrained, but full of potential. Gerwald had surpassed her skill now in the time she had been gone, and yet she still commanded him.​

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“My life…It isn’t worth losing anyone else. I’m dead. I'm nothing. You have to let me go." ​

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Alkor had warned him of the burden. Once he had even asked if the Lupine could make this choice. Even as his head shook and the tears fell from his face to wet his beard, Gerwald knew what had to be done. Carefully he pulled at the chain which hung around his neck, the chain which bore the ring which Naedira had been bound to. The wolf had mastered shatter point, a skill he used to protect his sister on Rodia. He had demolished an entire building with a touch. What was a ring compared to a building.​

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It had come to this.​

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"I will never let you go, you know that," he said.​

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There was no point in lying to her. Naedira would know the truth now that they could feel the bond once more. Even as Gerwald placed the ring in his hand and used the force to find its weak point, she would know the one truth Gerwald had never uttered, never stated.​

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"I love you, Naedira Darcrath"​

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No sooner did the words leave his mouth than a lone finger touched the ring. He would do this for her, for the lives that could be saved if he just did this one thing.​

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The ring flew from his hand and hit the dirt... unscathed...​

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HOW!?​

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There was no time for questions... IT WAS HERE!!​

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Gerwald ran for the ring and scooped it up while shouting to Meili and the others.​

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"FLY YOU FOOLS!!!"​

 

[The Monster]

Location: Fort Callat
Equipment: RA2-Series Power Armor - (U/A/S), TDW-HARM, L-7
Time: 0930
Objective: Help Rann out
Tag: Rann Thress , Open​

Sergei would step inside the room standing at the back as he waited for the orders to be issued. The man speaking to Rann obviously knew who he was. And he obviously knew of his.... heritage? Was that the word these civilized people used for their parents? He sighed inwardly, and subconsciously thanked whatever was above that he didn't have to deal with this political bantha dung. Rann had actually seen the field of battle. He'd survived. Lost a bit in the process but most did. The fact that he wasn't cowed into hiding behind his title or lineage to avoid such conflict again showed at least he wasn't a coward. If anything the boy could probably be even a nobler, more selfless type more commonly seen in the ranks of TDW. This is why when he heard the tone and what was said he decided to wait until Rann was finished with receiving his objective before saying anything. In fact he waited for Rann to leave the room giving him a slight nod to let him know he'd be following..... soonish. As Rann would leave, the door would hiss shut, and Sergei would stride forward with two large metallic thuds as he approached the diminutive by comparison people.

"My apologies for having to wait behind the, child Mr. Jachovich, I -"

"The 'child' has a name,"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Disrespect is an unbecoming trait of a commanding officer in the field. Where I was raised if a man of your station had shown even a modicum of such uncivilized and arrogant behavior he'd be whipped at the post,"

"Now hold on just a min-"

Sergei would lean forward as his voice became cold as ice, barely loud enough that everyone else in the room would just be able to hear him if they strained to listen.

"If I EVER, and I mean EVER, even hear of such treatment or disrespect again, I'll have you stripped of command. You are a leader of men. You are a commissioned officer. So bloody act like it. That child was on the ground on Ryloth, and deployed with me on Rodia. That 'child' lost his karking arm in defense of the civilian population where my brothers and sisters gave their lives. Do not, under any circumstance make light of, or disrespect that sacrifice or I will tear your throat out through your arsehole and strangle you with it. You have severely disappointed me, sir. Do not dig yourself a deeper hole, and get your act together. I will go oversee the expansion and task out several units to support your engineers,"

The room was dead silent, the officer who had once sat high and mighty was now fuming that some mercenary had the gall to call him out. Sergei wasn't wrong though. Not a word he'd said was untrue. Having made his point Sergei turned about and was about to leave when the commander spoke up.

"I am the ranking officer here mercenary, and you will show me respect my commission demands,"

Sergei responded by simply punching the door panel, caving in the weaker metal and causing the emergency release of the door to initiate forcing it open. He smiled under his helmet and spoke in a jovial tone.

"Have a nice day, sir,"

Sergei would look out as he walked after Rann. Other than the blasted self righteous commander of the current post here, the day had gone quite beautifully. Sergei hadn't had to shoot anyone yet which was nice for a change. He had a feeling it wouldn't last but, a man can dream.

Sergei would take off from the ground and fly through the air as his HUD mapped out where Rann had wandered off to, and then plotted an intercept course. Unfortunately for Sergei, Rann had quite the head start. He would key his comms to send the units out to the zone that had been mentioned earlier to keep the workers secure as they cleared out the surroundings for the expansion. He had a feeling he needed to chat with Rann.

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

Tags: Rann Thress Gerwald Lechner Meili Feng Naedira Darcrath Vytal Noctura​

Sergei was flying overhead when he finally got the positional data from Rann. Which was.... strange. He paused as he considered what might be going on. Rann could be just giving Sergei an update. But honestly, that just didn't feel right. If Rann was just checking in he'd have just sent a signal that he was good, not send his grid. Sergei would radio up to his comrades at the base proper.

"QRF set to condition yellow, Dire Wolf moving to investigate," He spoke as he vectored in onto Rann's location. "I'm coming Rann," his voice spoke to no one in particular as his comms were cut by then.

His suit would be heard roaring overhead as he banked hard to port, circling as he tried to figure out what was going on. Rann was alarmed, something was wrong. But Sergei couldn't see what was happening.

Maybe today wasn't going to go so well after all.

 

[Meili Feng]

Tagging: Gerwald Lechner | Naedira Darcrath

​

This wasn’t real life, it couldn’t be. Life was a crazy procession of circumstances, there was no denying that, the very nature of war was the very definition of that. In a galaxy full of planets and resources, full of life and wonder people still chose to fight. They fought over land when but a short trip away were countless gems, untouched planets just waiting for someone to reach out settle on them. It was perhaps the galaxy's greatest irony, every life lost in those wars that waged across the galaxy a tragedy writ on a cosmic stage.

Or at least that’s what she’d thought before today.

The Sith and the ghost. There was a history here, a history she didn’t know, couldn’t know but…you would have to have a heart of stone not to see it. To not sense it. Mountains of history and emotion built upon this moment, writ in the pain in his eyes, the quiet voice filling the cave.

Mountains that came tumbling down in a moment, as a finger fell on a ring, a crack that filled the cave.

The Sith had called this his nightmare, that feeling of cold fear that seeped into your bones and threatened to leave you a quivering mess. If not for the others, for her refusal to show even a hint of weakness, Meili would have run, would have been halfway to the hills by now. It had taken everything she had to hold herself still, her body shivering with adrenaline, every fibre of her being screaming at her to be anywhere but here.

Yet she couldn’t hide, couldn’t move, couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sight in front of her. When she was younger her family had taken her to see a play in the theatre, a classic play that had been preformed for hundreds of years. It was the story of love lost and found and she’d eaten it up, the tragedy, the emotion. The 7 year old had never seen anything like it, had been hooked.

Every performance she’d ever seen paled in comparison to the scene acted out in front of her now, that single soft confession.

If she could have cried she would have, fallen to her knees at the depths of that pain, that loss. Who could watch this and not want to help…but that wasn’t her place, she didn’t know how. What was left was duty, obedience. The Ghost seemed to know that, understand that on a basic level, putting the good of the many ahead of herself. It was the ultimate act of sacrifice, giving up your life for others, for those you had never met. It was the stuff that stories, that legends were made of.

It was a story that occurred all over the galaxy day after day, countless heroes, countless sacrifices made in the shadows, in the fringes. They were never seen, never recounted, never celebrated.

Not today, not this one. Hands pressed together, head bowing. Mei looked up at the ghost staring at Gerwald.

She would remember.

Then a searing heat washed over her the stamp of a claw on the ground, throwing up a veil of dust as something was there. One minute they had been alone in the cave, then red burning eyes and a massive bulk. That feeling of dread she’d felt doubled and tripled, pressing on her senses with a pressure that she’d never experienced before, never imagined could exist.

She didn’t need to hear it twice, to be told again, dark hair swung out behind her as the woman took heed of the Sith’s words, of her screaming instincts.

It was time to be anywhere but here.

 

[Naedira Darcrath]

The Wilds
Direct Tag: Gerwald Lechner | Meili Feng | Rann Thress | Vytal Noctura | The Monster
Nearby: Mic Gallagher | Abel Denko | Teyla Sal-Soren | Aela Wren | Pravus Cruento | Stardust Solus Skirae | Saint Azidalf Elde'gaud
_____________________________​

Instead of fleeing as sensible, normal creatures would have—They gathered nearer.

One by one.

Like moths to the flame. Paper wings, frail bodies. Little things for the monsters to break. With bones that would crush like toothpicks and blood that would flow in crimson rivers. Naedira could feel the intent of the Noćna Mora before it arrived. She could feel the deep laughter it emitted like rumbling thunder that rolled across the planes of her mind. It was amused. To the Devourer? This was a hunt. This was sport.

A bloody massacre, to the winged-demon, was fun.

Naedira felt nauseated as new Force Signatures appeared in the back of her mind. It was like little lights going off in the halls of her eyes. She had been kept in the dark for so long. She had been without the Force for so long. They blinded her. Life—Blinded her in such a way that it felt like her noncorporeal head would crack open from the pressure. The heat the Devourer exuded was not something she was immune to. She had always felt the fire. Always, known it to burn.

What would hell be without flame?

The former Knight could see Gerwald struggle as he always did. Her presence brought him pain. Memories, most of which, she no long had access to. Naedira relied on what she had learned since her passing to tell friend from foe. She didn’t have the heart to tell the ever-loyal wolf that she couldn’t recall the same things she did. For the first time; she felt a spark. Recognition. The auburn-haired woman knew him by more than just sight. She knew, him.

The bond would stop him. Feeling her on the other side made her real. More, than some bothersome ghost.

“…You must.”, she responded, softly, but with the same amount of firmness. His indecision warred within her. Guilt. He felt as if he should have been able to protect her. There was nothing that could have kept her safe from the Mountain. Once his black booted feet set foot on the shining metallic floor of the Fortressa, her fate, had been sealed. She could have never left her brothers and sisters to fight alone. She could have never let him roam freely on that ship. “…I made a choice. Me. Not you. I knew what the Mountain would do. I knew…”

Naedira had chosen sacrifice. Now, she could only hope that Gerwald would listen.

That it wouldn’t all be in vain.

He fought her mentally, for a moment, but the Noćna drew closer with every second wasted. It would soon pull fully from the world that had seemingly birthed it and step into the real. Her heart froze when he claimed he would never let her go. Yes, that was true. Some part of her knew what he would say before he said it. But, he would do it. He would destroy the ring while hot tears pulled from eyes that were made for gentler things. He would break his own heart.

For her.

“Forgive me.”

Her eyes closed. This was it. Part of her felt relieved. She wouldn’t have to return to the dark. She wouldn’t have to lose herself. She wouldn’t have to remember the last words that Gerwald Lechner had ever spoken to her, and wonder, how long he had been harboring such a secret.

Or what it meant.

The Force built within the wolf while the scent of brimstone began to fill the area. It was here. Too close, too near. It could smell them. Once it had their scent? The Devourer would never let them go. A sharp crack filled the air. There was a shockwave that rippled, invisible to anyone, save her. It knocked her from her feet and left her to land none too gently on her ghostly backside. The proverbial wind felt as if it had been knocked out of her. Dazed, a new, and sudden horror set in.

She was still here. IT was still here.

…Could the ring not be broken?

The Devourer lumbered forward to stand at her side for a moment while breathing clean air. She tried to roll onto her stomach so she could push herself to her feet. What it exhaled was dark, smoky, and filled with embers that burned away the greenery without care. It flickered. From solid to phasing. As if it were there and not there at the same time. Standing between the great divide of two realms. It lifted up a lava-cracked foot and pressed down on her back, forcing her, back down into the dirt.

She could feel her bones begin to give and crack beneath the sudden titanic gravity of something so large. Bones?

How?!

How could it touch her? It never had before!?

Naedira had forgotten physical pain. It had been so long since she had endured anything but the metaphysical that she was immediately sent back to the eve of her demise. She could feel the hand of the Mountain ( Darth Prazutis ) wrapped around her throat. She could feel the immense weight of the Dark Side that flowed through him, dwarfing her, all over again. The scream that welled in her was stifled by the fact that she couldn’t draw a breath deep enough to exhale. Instead—Her head turned and she found that the wolf had finally taken her advice.

Perhaps, perhaps, he and his friends would escape.

<<…Run…>>

The word was tender, though, covered in unmistakable agony. It would slither from her mind to the men and women that had flocked to the cave and echo around their ears like the pitter-pat of rainfall on a tin roof.

<<Run.>>​

 

[Queen Bots™]

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Direct Tag: Gerwald Lechner | Meili Feng | Rann Thress | Vytal Noctura | The Monster
Noćna Mora [The Wilds]
[ - X - ]
_______________________________________________
​

This world was weak. Pathetic. It was not comprised of the beloved blackness that blanketed their home so completely. The music of singing glass did not touch this noisy, bright, ruddy existence. The Noćna did not like this place. But, it did like the bags of flesh and bone that had come to greet it. They smelled new. Sweet. Like his dear one. Naedira. It followed the spirit that had become a bounty through the rains of glass and smog, only to find, she had others beckoning to her. The Devourer stepped on her frail form, just enough, to hear the satisfying sound of a human breaking. That was pleasant.

It had never been able to draw such pleasantness from her before.

<<You cannot escape, Naedira.>>, it spoke her name for all to hear. As if they were intimately acquainted. For all intents and purposes, they were. It held every memory that it had ever stolen from her. The horned beast knew the young woman he seemed intent on grinding into dust far better than she knew herself. Especially, after all this time. <<Why would you try? Do these souls provide hope?>>

It laughed. The group would hear it just as they would hear its ancient thought-speech rolling around unbidden in their craniums. They wouldn’t know that the more they heard, the more they watched, the more they endured its unearthly presence—The Force would work its will. It would draw them in with every growl. Intensify despair. Leave them paralyzed. Flightless, brittle birds.

Perfect for eating.

<<…You know the truth. There is no hope. There is no escape. Not, from me.>>​

The Devourer released the woman beneath his foot and drew back, a little too quickly, so that it could kick her in the midsection. The hit connected and his little jewel of terror and pain would fly through the air toward Rann Thress . It did not worry. It did not care. The laws that governed it were clearly in flux and the creature had no difficulty exploiting it. Soulless eyes slipped from one person to the next.

It growled low and began to advance on a terrified youngling. She had black hair and the fear that radiated caused the Devourer to breathe in deeply. Inhale. She had so many memories that could be taken. So many moments to exploit. The creature sniffed the air but it couldn’t find anything more delectable in the area than she. It wondered, idly, what flavor of terror she held. The link that held with Naedira Darcrath ensured that her anxiety arrived slowly. It was hard-won—As her strength of will forbade her from bending. This one was different.

Softer.

It projected images into her mind. Her friends, burning. Her home on fire.

<<Your fault. All, your fault. What have you done…Meili?>>​

The Devourer turned its senses on a pale witch, with eyes of emeralds, and chuffed at her. She would not be such a simple target. It did not know Vytal Noctura , but, it would. In time. The man in armor (@Sergei “Jack” Jachvich) was a soul aflame, without, any help. His temper radiated in a colorful wave and the winged beast flexed poison claws. Perhaps, this boy could be more than food.

An Avatar would also suffice.

The Sith Spawn turned its sights on Gerwald Lechner , trusting, that the other childe ( Rann Thress ) would be distracted by the care package that it had carelessly flung in his direction. Perhaps, if his desires were great, he too could be corrupted. The witch posed a challenge.

<<You already know your sins, wolf. See what you have done to the woman you love. See, your failures.>>​

If the Devourer could have smirked it would have. This one would be the simplest of all. A broken heart made for all it would need to tear down his walls leave the creature a hollowed shell. As Naedira had known Gerwald? So, did the Noćna Mora. The others would all be unique in their taking. Some were food. Some were far more valuable. They would have their own moment beneath a black hole sky. They would be the most dangerous things that a Devourer could create.

Pawns.

 

[Aela Wren]

She waited under the canopy for the two cave-men to catch up. Pravus looked like he was going to have kittens by the litter again. She could almost relate. She may be a hardened traveler that has seen things, but Aela felt uneasy in this place. She was not Force sensitive, but the bad joojoo that Mic spoke of, was almost palpable in this place.

While Weequay Wannabe pranced around with his personav, she approached Pravus.
"I'll have your back if you'll have mine." she told him softly. She may shower him with quips, but he was one of few that had earned her loyalty - that has kept her life interesting enough, spark plugs and all.

Mic found their bearing, made a stupid-ass comment about the trip not being a picnic and then started marching in the direction they had to take. She and Pravus followed suit. As they moved deeper into the woods, Aela felt her skin crawl. She noticed Mic draw his one blaster as well. Huh. So he wasn't the Spice-ridden scum she thought him to be. Hopefully he had some redeeming qualities. She drew her own blasters and kept her eyes and ears open.

After a while, she heard voices not too far in front of them. She held out her arm to stop Pravus.
"You guys hear that?" she asked, bringing her other blaster to the ready. Yes, she was trigger happy. Over the last few months, she had heard it a lot.

Pravus Cruento Mic Gallagher Gerwald Lechner Meili Feng Naedira Darcrath Stardust Solus Skirae Vytal Noctura Saint Azidalf Elde'gaud Rann Thress The Monster Abel Denko Teyla Sal-Soren @anyoneelseimissed

 

[Juli Moore]

Fortress​

​

Tags: Aspen Dray​

​

There was never enough time in the day to make up for all of the things that had been done in the past. While true enough, the past that tainted Juli's present had been necessary - she had been a child with nowhere to turn, nowhere to go - it didn't change the lingering filth that the brunette secretly felt like she carried around all of the time. She hadn't been a truly bad person; she had never killed anyone, but she had ruined plenty of lives certainly in one way or another. Growing up and making the decision to walk away from everything she had ever known was one of the hardest things she had ever done.​

​

But, that led her back to Aspen.​

​

Despite there being no defined situation between herself and the Zeltron, it didn't stop the pair of them from making sure the other was taken care of. That what they needed, body and soul, was taken care of. And for Juli? While she wasn't physically alone, there was that part of her always clawing beneath the surface that had always been alone. The beast that lived beneath Juli's skin was more clam with Aspen around, sated but not fully satisfied. There was more out there, more like her, and that was what kept Juli moving forward. And moving forward just so happened to bring them to a place that needed the same sort of help she and her companion had both needed at one time.​

​

It had been no question to step in and offer aid. Everything from helping move supplies, showing a few defensive maneuvers, and at one point running around the area with a man who had been on the brink of a total breakdown until the run got him through it and wore him down. Giving back felt good, but it never seemed like enough.​

​

Juli had just found her way back to Aspen when he spoke up to her, not that she had gone far before that. Her gaze swept in the direction those who left had gone and her expression darkened just a little. There was...something out there. It wasn't a tug for Juli, it was warding, off putting, though she wasn't as connected or trained as most to reach out and try and get a feel for the situation. So she shrugged. "Something's definitely up," she stated the obvious, but shook her head. "It's not inviting, whatever it is. And while I don't know if it'll come this way? We might wanna be prepared for just about anything. Just in case."​

​

It was sound enough advice, considering she didn't know what was going on out there.​

​

 

[Mic Gallagher]

TAG: Pravus Cruento Aela Wren | Naedira Darcrath Gerwald Lechner Meili Feng Saint Azidalf Elde'gaud Vytal Noctura Stardust Solus Skirae Rann Thress The Monster Abel Denko Teyla Sal-Soren @anyonenearby ​

As they ventured through the woods, that funny feeling grew. Mic had been around enough tombs and stuff to know when bad joojoo was around.

While on their trek to said temple, Mic heard a commotion up ahead. He immediately pulled his other blaster. It seemed he wasn't the only one, as Aela had also stopped and asked if they heard it.

Great. Competition.

Oh heck no! He won't let anyone else take a trinket before him. He cleared the last of the trees with more caution, ready to shoot if he had to. On the other side was a cave and around it was a troop of people, all reacting differently to something.

Weeeeird.

He was just about to land a legendary quip at the other dull crayons, when all hell broke loose - literally. Mic had seen some chit during his travels, but this.....this was a snot monster of galactic proportions. He froze in place for a second as the winged demon was wreaking havoc on some of the people surrounding the cave. Finally his mind caught up with his galloping heart. No money in the world will make him face this thing. No suit, no firing squad, no lightsaber. Heck no! He backtracked before turning tail.
"Go. GO! Or I leave you behind to deal with this chit!" he said, eyes wide and shooing his two dull crayons back in the direction they had come from.

He did not wait. He kept moving, running his legs off while the snot monster was distracted by other fleshy beings. All he could do was hope that his two companions would follow just as fast. No blaster in this Galaxy would balk that thing. He was getting his bum the kark out of here. As he ran, he brought his commlink to his mouth.
"Olly! Fire up! We need to get out of here like yesterday!" he hollered.
Olly bleeped a confirmation at him. Thank the cosmos!

Spoiler

End of thread for Mic, Pravus and Aela

 

[Vytal Noctura]

Tag: Saint Azidalf Elde'gaud | Stardust Solus Skirae | Gerwald Lechner | Meili Feng | Rann Thress | Queen Bots™ | The Monster | Naedira Darcrath | Aela Wren | Mic Gallagher
​

A mirthless smile crossed Vytal's lips as she returned the subtle gesture Gerwald had given her. The cry of alarm for yet unknown guests was unnecessary, but the very real cause for that alarm made this moment less amusing than it might otherwise be. The pale woman did not tremble before spirits. Not even the sort seeking to tear its way into their world that very moment. If you showed fear the dark denizens of the Nether would strike. She had not survived being the Nightmother by showing hear fear. Though that did not mean she was immune to it.​

​

Even the mirthless smile faded with the man's projected, telepathic voice. Gerwald was free to speak to her in this manner long as he willed. Mental privacy was something she did not enjoy, especially wearing her armor. Everything came with a price. The manner, however, was far from unpleasant; it was the content of what Gerwald shared that burned. She? Naedira? The soul that got away so to speak. Vytal was not accustomed to losing souls, and had not been particularly taken when they'd not managed to retrieve the woman the first time.​

​

Evidently the woman felt like making herself known soon enough, which drew both of their attention for a spell. Her green eyes did stray toward Gerwald, however, when he rambled about feeling her.​

​

Meili was taken by the dramatic tale of two lovers parted in death. Meanwhile, the Nightsister stood idly by as they struggled with one another verbally and spiritually. A contest of needs and wants. The desires of them as people, and the burden of galactic responsibility. It was a heart-breaking sight, but then Vytal hadn't the pleasure of getting that close to another. Few seemed willing to risk approaching a woman of Dathomir, and Dathomir itself while within her power to visit was equally furthest from her grasp.​

​

After a great deal of agonizing, Gerwald sought to do as Naedira asked only to be thwarted at the last. The choice seemingly taken from him despite finding the will for the task. Shocking when it was least expected and the need most dire. Not so much for a third-party observer that a moment after it happened recognized the obvious. Of course whatever sought to come this way now would not leave its victory to the chance Gerwald would lack conviction. Or, perhaps, they'd simply delayed too long. Either way, events were now in motion.​

​

"Akicita, iron root and World Tree, and Econs, briar patch of the True Self, hear the cries of your children," the Witch intoned as she called upon protectors of the body and mind as terror seemed to spread across the world among those present, and the Beast stood tall over its prey. It gloated as a foul thing was prone to do. Ego. Vanity. A world where it had risen long since to power few others could comprehend and all thought of opposition had vanished.​

​

Now it had entered a new world. One it forgot, or had never the pleasure. A new world with new rules.​

​

Rule Number One: never remind a woman of something that enrages her. Certainly not a Nightsister.​

​

Brightly glowing, green eyes peered out from the dark sockets of her pale features at the creature as it prowled. It sought to stalk and lay claim to one juicy 'dish' after all. And it only spared her a look as it set upon the first, fresh meal.​

​

Rule Number Two: never shun one woman in favor of another. Unless you were prepared for her wrath.​

​

"A Nightsister does not fear Death. She basks in its presence. She commands it. And you," her right hand grabbed toward the Earth in the direction of the cave, "you are naught but a shadow of Death." With a sweep of her clenched fist, Vytal remotely guided tendrils of malleable, yet hardened rock to lash out at the monster. They'd seek to snare, to bind, to hold, and even draw back if it was caught so off-guard it lost its footing.​

​

If it would like to properly terrorize her, the Nightmother would gladly descend into the bowels of the Nether claw-in-claw with the Beast. Perhaps it would like to experience that overwhelming sense of helplessness and desperation a soul felt when plunged, unprepared into the realm of the Departed. Perhaps the Nightmother could educate this creature in matters it had never before felt before. Fed on, certainly. However there was a great difference between eating a cow, and being marched to the slaughter as one.​

​

Or if this foul fiend was fortunate enough, perhaps it would just be flung back into its cesspit. That would be fortune by far.​

​

"Stand your ground," the Nightmother snapped to those in the surrounding area. "You have faced worse than this. Recognize it for what it is, and prove your worth." Might some of them perish trying to overcome such a creature? That was possible. Then again, what was Life if there was no risk of Death?​

Template By: Darth Metus (Guy)​

 

[Rann Thress]

M O N S T E R​

Tags: The Monster Naedira Darcrath Gerwald Lechner Vytal Noctura Meili Feng​

With a shaky breath and a gulp, Rann approached the Cave. Words of warning, please for him to leave, and dread. These things filled his mind as he entered the cave.

He exhaled out of his mouth, afraid, and ignited his blade.
Psheeeeeew

"Okay..." He rose his blade high to illuminate the cave, and continued inside.

<<Run.>>​

His eyes went wide and he exhaled again, "Alright. Alright come on. This is nothing." His hand began to shake, shaking the lightsaber.

I feel...hrm. Advance. We must investigate.

Rann gulped again and moved forward. His hand was sweaty, and shaky. He was almost paralyzed with fear, and every instinct was screaming at him to leave.

Well. Almost every instinct.

We must face this creature.
Why?
It is a threat. We will accomplish our mission.

And so, Rann continued forward. As he pushed on, he was assaulted by more images and words.

​

<<You cannot escape, Naedira.>>​

Who the hell is Naedira?
This was a name Rann hadn't heard before. Yet, he could hear it now clearly in his mind. Who was Naedira, why were they trying to escape.....and what from?

<<Why would you try? Do these souls provide hope?>> ​

Is...it talking about me? Us? The entire episode continued to get weirder and weirder, and ever more frightening.
Rann had dealt with darkness before. It had become a daily routine. But this? Evil. True evil. A cosmic entity. Even the darkest Sith could not compare. Not to this. An entirely different league.

So why did... he want to investigate more?

And why was Rann following his direction?

<<…You know the truth. There is no hope. There is no escape. Not, from me.>>​

The voice seemed to be coming from everywhere. And nowhere. Rann turned around on instinct to check behind him and notiThe light of the outside world was fading fast, as if a light being switched off. Rann hadn't advanced that far. Not far enough away that the day light behind him would seem so....distant. He drew his second lightsaber from his belt and turned back around.

And he stopped. For a brief moment.

Somethings comi- A shape, a girl emerged from the shadows. Panicking, Rann dropped both of his sabers and held his arms out. The momentum of the woman knocked Rann back onto the ground and knocked the wind out of his chest. He gasped on the ground for a second, squeezing the girl in his arms tight. "I'm ss-" He wheezed, struggling to catch his breath for a few seconds. The darkness seemed to encroach further upon him now, and he could no longer feel his lightsabers. But the girl was here, she had to know something.

Rann coughed, "What's happening? Who are you? Are you okay? Where're my lightsabers?" he asked.

She felt...cold. Different. He couldn't quite place it, but it reminded him...of Ryloth. Of Metus raising the Dead.

It reminds you of Me.
​

 

[The Monster]

Equipment: RA2-Series Power Armor - (U/A/S), TDW-HARM, L-7
Tags: Rann Thress Gerwald Lechner Meili Feng Naedira Darcrath Vytal Noctura
Theme: No mercy, No retreat, No surrender​

Sergei was making a second pass when he finally caught sight of Rann Thress , with his lightsaber drawn. Sergei would immediately feel the hairs on his neck raise as he went on high alert. What in the bloody blazes was going on?!?! He looked across and saw another two people, Gerwald and the Nightmother. And everyone was on high alert.

Like they were about to be attacked....

And my day had been going so well he idly thought to himself.

And then it started unfolding extremely quickly, and while Sergei couldn't see the spirit of Naedira, he could quite clearly see the wannabe Sith Spawn in front of the group. He yelled into his comms in an emergency broadcast to the fortress.

"BREAK BREAK BREAK! ALL CALLSIGNS CODE BLUE, CODE BLUE!"

The flash code he'd just put over the net would ensure that the fortress was now well apprised of what was going on here. Enemy forces present, unknown strength, all non-combatants are to lockdown and all combat forces are to muster. This code had been predetermined by Sergei's forces, and in seconds the alarm at the Fortress would be raised. Evacuations would start, security forces and commandos directing civilians to safety while all assets in the Fortress would scramble. Battle stations were manned, more Ghost Company Commandos were taking to the sky to immediately head in Sergei's direction, and while they would take time to get here, they were on the way.

And Sergei dove head first towards the danger, seeing that Rann had been hit by someone?!?! This kept getting worse and bloody worse by the second. His first thought was to grab Rann and get him the hell out of the way, but judging by the distance between them and that... thing, no time. Sergei instead opted for the more offensive option cutting his main thrusters and orienting his feet in front of him as he drew his rifle with his right arm and his L-7 sidearm with his left. Time seemed to slow for the battle hardened commander of the TDW, bringing both weapons to bear as he flew just over top of Rann, and with a smooth flick of his thumbs disengaged both weapon safeties. And then pulled the triggers on both weapons, unleashing a roar of his fire breathing, durasteel and lead spitting dragons on the beast before him. The rifle going on full auto unleashing a hail of bullets with the hand cannon of a sidearm firing rapidly on semi-auto. He didn't know if the weapons would work, he didn't even know if they would even phase such a massive enemy. He regretted not bringing his Hellcat heavy pistol, as the heavier and more armor piercing rounds for it would probably hurt a hell of a lot more than his current sidearm. His feet would hit contact with the ground not even half a second after he started shooting, sliding for another half second before he took off at a charge towards the enemy. He had to buy time for Gerwald and the Nightmother. Sergei had left most of his gear at the fortress, and so he knew that more than likely his weapons would do little aside from anger this thing.

His loudspeakers would however tell a different story as they bellowed his roar. And to the otherworldly monster his intentions would be clear. Sergei moved with the purpose, the intent, the absolute drive that he was either going to kill the thing before him, or die trying. Gods as his witness he would not falter this day. His weapons firing as fast as they possibly could as the pistol emptied its magazine, Sergei simply holstering the weapon on his thigh plate. He would charge past Vytal and Gerwald, shouting as he rushed towards the large beast.

"Cavalry's ten mikes! Do your thing, I'll keep it busy!"