Crystal Catch | CIS Dominion of Tarsunt [Y-42]

[Alwine Daye]

Objective: 3
Tags: [member="Caid Centurion"]
Wearing: Obsidian type Strike Armor
Wielding: generic vibrosword
Post: 10

​

She'd been eager to hear what he would say in return, yet she managed to conceal the disappointment from her face when instead he just nodded and said it was nearly time. Silently, she followed him back upstairs at a near running speed to keep up with his strides. As he gave the instructions to the pilot, she continued to listen, noting words that once again she did not exactly know, though at least this time she could easily enough glean the general meaning of it all. And then it was back to the cargo bay. Was all this running a warm up of what was to come?

There was no time to ask questions or do anything else before she was seized, her initial instincts demanding that she kicked him somewhere painful for doing that. Alwine held back with a frown, wondering what the, and the next moment, they were falling down. A high pitched bark escaped her throat as the wind swept by her face, the fresh memories of their enemy's soldier falling down playing themselves back in her mind. As soon as she stopped barking, both her vocal chords and the rest of her body froze, and she could not will her muscles to move so that she could throttle Caid before the two of them splattered against the ground. She didn't even realize they were beginning to slow down.

And suddenly, it was over.

Alwine's mind knew that they were no longer falling, but her body rejected this notion, phantom winds still sweeping her face and ears as she crouched down, the wolf within her threatening to come out, thinking it could somehow destroy the fall.

It took her a few moment to regain her composure. The angry look on her face, however, never wavered.

She nodded as she was instructed to lay low and quiet, looking towards where he himself was looking. She could sense the six figures, knew where they were, and more importantly, knew what was around them; trees and greenery.

I have been learning, she sent back to him, taking a few quiet steps forward before she crouched down to the ground and touched it with her hands. Uphill, downhill, it didn't matter. Not to her, who was well shielded from sight, and not to what she was about to do.

It took her few more second than she would have liked, but soon enough, the plants that she touched began to grow at an accelerated speed. How had Maple told her she could do this? Guide, instruct, tell them what she wanted them to do. And before long, the longer grass blades had twisted together into thick rope-like tentacles and moved forward, ready to wrap themselves around the six figures.

 

[Caid Centurion]

Objective: 3
Wearing: Light armor over lightweight black and crimson robes
Tags: [member="Alwine Lechner"]
Post: 7

Caid's progress slowed as Alwine replied back to him through their mental connection. However, the Sith Lord outright stopped the moment he felt the shifting of the Force around him. Slowly, Caid turned to regard the little wolf with a single arched brow. Rather than risk disrupting the woman's concentration, the Sith Lord took a knee. Closing his eyes, Caid allowed the darkness of his presence to swell and expand before he focused it in Alwine's direction.

As he had given her part of his strength before in the past, she would undoubtedly be familiar with the sensation to some degree. However, as he'd given her but a brief taste in the past, the dark-skinned Sith allowed the full weight of his presence to flow into Alwine this time. His objective was to strengthen her concentration, resolve, and finesse simultaneously. Full of surprises, Little Wolf.

 

[Alwine Daye]

Objective: 3
Tags: [member="Caid Centurion"]
Wearing: Obsidian type Strike Armor
Wielding: generic vibrosword
Post: 11

​

She was familiar with it. No change came to her features as she felt the surge of presence from Caid, flowing through things that neither woman nor wolf could see with bare eyes. For a moment, her grasp of the vines she had grown nearly slipped, but she held on to them, continuing to twist them into each other, making them stronger. An infant could tear apart a single blade of grass. It would take knives to undo what she was creating, and she knew her vines would have to be strong enough and prepared in order to strike once. There would be but a single chance to do what she wished, after which the element of surprise would be gone. Alwine had little doubt that Caid could take care of six individuals on his own. But they had not come here just so she could gawk at him while he did so.

It was a few minute before she was satisfied with her work, six vines ready to use, moving forward among the grass, slithering like snakes. How she loathed snakes. But today, they would serve her and her cause.

And then she opened her eyes, staring forward. Like the goddess of crops, she thrust her arms forward, no longer needing to touch the vines. There would not be much time before they dried up and died, not with what he'd done to them. It was important to move fast for that reason too. The vines were a blur as they moved towards the six, each coil wrapping around one of them like an anaconda, pinning their arms to their bodies, and a single coil around each of their necks as well. Just in case they would be successful in reaching their knives to free their bodies, Alwine would need to be able to work her pressure on their breathing as well.

Soon enough, she was satisfied, and she stood up to her full height, almost beaming in all her glory.

"Shall I snuff their lives out, or do you require any information from them?" she asked, looking at Caid for the first time since she had crouched to the ground.

 

[VildarnTentoria]

_________________

Crystal Catch | Dominion of Tarsunt
__________________

Objective: 3
Goal: Liberate Tarsunt
Post: 8
Location: Tarsunt
Time: Morning
Tags: [member="Caranekka Sigmaeus"]

Vildarn had a smile as he overheard what had occurred. Perhaps the Lieutenant General would realise he had his position for a reason.
There was small time for celebration however as the Imperial defence though repelled was still pushing back, never mind his fellow naval personnel who now had to be quickly rescued.

“Droids, load the wounded onto the MTT, I’ll request a shuttle to pick them up if one can be arranged.” he wondered how the Lieutenant General was holding up. “You may need to send the Lieutenant General back with them.”

He turned back to view the battle still raging around them, the Imperial forces though a shell from what they had once been had been trained well. “Clear out those trenches with thermal detonators, their remaining ATATs are going to cover their retreat, we need to target them before that happens.”

Both forces had nearly run out of troops but a few walkers on both sides still remained, however that meant taking the actual camp was going to be all that much harder. “Don’t follow them, if they retreat allow them to do so, I have another plan in mind.”

The battle droids thermal detonated the trench line as ordered killing a large chunk of the remaining Imperial stormtroopers brave but foolish enough to attempt holding the line. The majority of Imperial vehicles had been destroyed as had all of the Confederate ATATs and Hailfires. The remaining AAT tanks hovered across the smoking trenches and took out the fleeing infantry at range while the remaining ATAT walkers still under Imperial command acted as artillery to cover their remaining forces evacuation.

Vildarn held macrobinoculars watching the retreat take place, the camp ahead was heavily defended and a head on assault would really only end in another heavy loss of assets. “Get the wounded back to base camp as fast as possible, I’m going to make another droid delivery order.”

 

[Queen Bots™]

T A R S U N T ​

Void Station would be heavily relieved to hear that the remaining Imperials had been halted in their tracks on Tarsunt. Between the Eternal Empire, under the guidance of [member="Darth Tacitus"], and the Obsidian Knights, under [member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"], the execution had taken place swiftly. Some would have liked the Imperials to be taken alive for questioning but most were still just satisfied to see them dealt with. There is still a mystery of the data that had been extracted from Void Station, but, perhaps the fleeing Imperials hadn’t been the cause of the breach after all.

The CIS had hired a numerous groups to deal with Void Station, some of which, had slicing capabilities that far exceeded the knowledge base of the Imperials that had been taken out. There would need to be an investigation as to these claims but that would likely happen on an internal level. Tarsunt itself is simply pleased to have played their part in allowing the Confederacy free reign to track down their fugitives. It has given them access to trade routes and support that have otherwise been amiss since the departure of their previous governing nation.

There are still quite a few Confederate groups that are remaining on Tarsunt for the time being. Some have personal stakes in the outing, some are still investigating the crystal caves in the salt flats, and others are still concerning themselves with settling in and setting up camp. Gambling in the droid arena? A must visit location. All of the higher-ups are aware that Confederate outposts take time and effort to arrange efficiently, ergo, they have arranged to make their organic soldiers as comfortable as possible.

They have also ensured that a variety of droid battalions that have been deployed to secure the area surrounding their landfall. The embassy/forward operating base that was created for CIS use has been unveiled, mostly, with an intention to reduce any drain on the local population by a permanent foothold.

There is, however, a distinctly mysterious element. Spirits have been reaching out of the grave to the occasional Confederate soldier in strange times. The Adegan Crystals hidden on Tarsunt seem to give off a power all their own, but, they’ve never been documented to have such an effect. It’s worth documentation but no one really seems to have an explanation for it. Should they be frightened? Should they help the spirits? Should they avoid them entirely?

Time will tell. Especially, if the spirits follow them from world to world.

In the end Tarsunt has become a valuable member world. There is much that the CIS can offer to ease any struggles, and in turn, there seems to be a vested interest in setting up expeditions to check the planet for more Crystal Caves. They could be worth a fortune, especially, since they were previously an unknown export. It will be interesting to see what other secrets can be discovered on Tarsunt in the future.

 

[Kaden Farr]

TARSUNT
NETHERWORLD
INTERACTING WITH: [member="Daisy Americus"], [member="Scherezade deWinter"], [member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]
POST: Five​

---

---

Something was trying to reach him as Kaden flight hard to project himself into the land of the living. The distraction from what it was, or could be, had caused him to lose control of what it could have been. His message had gotten out, but the trio which had seen him, at least two had at least, they seemed intent on trying. The blonde, she did not, and yet for some reason hers was the strongest pull.

Kaden opened his eyes, and he vanished from their sight the moment he did. The darkness called his name, begging him to journey deeper. It offered him escape and freedom. If only he could believe it, if only it were true. Kaden truly no longer knew what to believe.

His life since leaving the Netherworld after seven years of living in it had been a sham. The one person he had thought he could count on to be a consistent part of his life was not. His life had been one disappointment after another, and one abandonment after the other. Kaden thought about taking up his true name once more. Farr, Kaden Farr, Son of Anger. His old childhood moniker would serve him well considering it was all his heart knew anymore. Kaden was angry, as he did when he was ten, he craved revenge now.

SHE would pay for what she had done. Kaden would be free and he would make them all pay. None of those who abandoned him would live, nor would they find their call to be with the Manda afterward. He would taint them all as he had been, and his hell would be theirs.

---

---

---

 

[Caid Centurion]

Objective: 3
Wearing: Light armor over lightweight black and crimson robes
Tags: [member="Alwine Lechner"]
Post: 8

A thin smile gradually etched its way into his features as the Sith Lord felt the fruits of Alwine's labor through the Force. Slowly, the casual heartbeat and eased minds of the wayward Imperials turned to confusion. It was mere seconds after that before confusion gave way to panic. Though the sensations of the weak generally did nothing for him, Caid took a certain amount of pleasure in the horror and outright fear that radiated down the hill and into his mind as the Imperials realized they could not, would not escape death.

It was only Alwine's voice that caused the Sith Lord to open his eyes and momentarily allow himself to separate from the strength he drew off the fading vitality of the Imperials. Silver-green eyes gazed at Alwine with something...different. It wasn't judgment, and it wasn't shock. In some form or another it crossed between a much more excitement-fueled emotion and outright pride. Though, he was keenly aware that the pride did not belong to him, she hadn't learned any of this under his tutelage. The pride was in the woman's ability and drive to constantly improve herself outside of the confines of what he'd had the time to teach thus far. "I require nothing...from them."

A simple smirk settled onto the Sith Lord's lips as he stood to his full height. "They are yours to do with as you please, Little Wolf."

 

[Alwine Daye]

Objective: 3
Tags: [member="Caid Centurion"]
Wearing: Obsidian type Strike Armor
Wielding: generic vibrosword
Post: 12

​

A confused expression quickly settled on Alwine’s features. He required nothing of them? Then… Why had they made their way to them? Why were they going to attack? Wait, were they going to attack at all or had she been too presumptuous when she’d begun to use her newly acquired ability to control plants? But whether she had or hadn’t been, Caid had made it perfectly clear; what was to happen with them now was in her hands.

The angry wolf, feeling very little at the moment, stared at the six strangers, knowing fully well that she had a few seconds to make her mind up regarding them.

She had always wanted to be a fierce warrior. She had dreamed of becoming one of the Shield Maidens on Stewjon, and had continued to dream of it even after they’d turned her out and mocked her. She’d wanted to be like her brothers, big and strong, capable of clearing out a battle field with less visible effort than those around them. But was this a battlefield? Who were these men, even? And if they were innocent, if all they were doing was just following orders, would killing them serve her purpose of becoming a Warrior at all?

She blinked, taking a step forward. What would her brothers have done? Of Gerwald, she knew, he would have killed them with ease and not spend another moment’s thought about it, the oaf that he was. Not for the senseless killing, but for the senseless way he sometimes went about life. Varick… Varick would have probably killed them too, though Alwine imagined he would have felt at least a grain of remorse over it. And perhaps he would not. While she was close to Varick, it was Gerwald whom she got to see more in action ever since they joined this Confederacy.

And she, the smallest of them, what would she do? To simply let the men live would prove what Stewjon always claimed; that women were too weak to do this kind of thing, that they served better inside the house or cleaning someone else’s. Alwine had always harped on and on about how she was the alpha among her siblings, how she was the strongest and fiercest one. But was that really true? She had been unable to break out of her confinement on Stewjon long before they put the shackles on her wrists, and now that she was free, it seemed the planet upon which she was born chased her everywhere she went.

But to kill them all when it served no purpose… What a waste it was, of both lives and a showcase of her abilities.

What was a wolf to do?

Sighing, Alwine hastened her steps forward, coming to full view in front of the six men. Her hands moved quickly as she controlled her vines, lifting them now up into the air. A minute or two was what the vines had left at most, the area upon which she had earlier crouched now little more than a darkened stain as all nutrition had been robbed of the ground so she could perform the little trick.

“You, you, and you,” she said, pointing. The vines coiled around their necks and moved a few inches, just enough for the snap of the neck to be heard, and then she let their corpses drop to the ground. Half of them, dead, at almost no effort on her part. Yes, she was strong. But what was strength when it came with a senseless mind, when it did not come with the ability to think and to direct it down the proper paths?

Her hands moved again as the coils let the other three drop to the ground. “The three of you, return to your masters,” Alwine said, “tell them the Confederacy takes no prisoners. If any of you or them ever try to come against the Confederacy again, your deaths will be slow and painful.”

She saw it easily enough, how one of them almost went for his pistol. But he hesitated, his hand freezing mid-movement. “I do not recommend that at all, not even from a distance,” she said, flashing him a wolfish grin, “you receive but a single chance to keep your life. Don’t waste it. Go home, marry your lady loves, and give them strong and healthy sons and daughters."

 

[Kintel Ee’everwest]

TARSUNT
DROID FIGHTING ARENA
INTERACTING WITH: [member="Maggie-Rae Americus"]​

POST: Six​

---

---

"You would be surprised," he said with a matter of fact response. Just because he was wealthy did not mean he was permitted to do whatever he wanted. "I've been groomed for public life ever since I could babble. There is a reason I am here gambling and not back home. My face is supposed to be on holomags, not caught by the paparazzi. I can already imagine the headlines if they caught me here, now, with you."

Kintel grinned as his voice made certain inflections on the last part, as if he was indeed WITH her. Any tabloid would make the insinuation, so why shouldn't he. Maggie-Rae was certainly an interesting individual thus far, and the flirting was fun, unless this was just her typical disposition. Kintel wasn't always the expert on when he was being flirted with, because most of the time it always was, especially when people knew how wealthy he was. There were always women after his credits, and it came with the territory. He supposed there were worse things in life, and so he tried not to let his set of issues distract him.

Naboo and it made sense, Kintel just smiled. At least she had personality, and she was looking for excitement. If that's all she was after, than the Naboo native would be happy to oblige. He was kind of fond of the accent after all, and she clearly leaned toward friendly. There was nothing dangerous about this at all.

"Too bad about that little bot there... good thing I changed your bet at the last minute," he said as the little thing went up in flames. "This place... exciting it is not, not until the bigger bots come out. What you need to a tour of the back. I can get us down in the pits if you're interested?"

---

---

 

[Caid Centurion]

Objective: 3
Wearing: Light armor over lightweight black and crimson robes
Tags: [member="Alwine Lechner"]
Post: 9

Caid lingered a ways away from Alwine as she casually almost lethargically set about her task. As silver-green eyes lingered over the diminutive woman's form, Caid forced himself to stay out of the woman's head. Fortunately, he didn't really need to read her thoughts. He surmised the hesitation was born largely out of an unfamiliarity with the taking of life. Yes, Caid knew that Alwine had killed in the past, but it had been...purposeful, she'd harbored an anger and hatred for her targets.

In a way, Caid was happy to see that Alwine did not merely adopt the Confederacy's enemies as her own without thought. That was not the type of student he was training. However, there was a fine line to observe. Death was merely another journey...hardly a destination. There were ways to make use of the passing of a sentient into the ether of the Force.

Once Alwine had killed half the men and released the others, Caid stepped forward, watching the three retreat with relative disinterest. "Little Wolf. You chose to pardon three. I am curious as to why, but first... Consider this. The Force is strengthened, composed of all the entities in the galaxy living and dead. Even in death..." The Sith Lord raised his left hand slightly as the air between it and the corpses shimmered ever so slightly. In that moment, Alwine may yet have felt the Force pulling strongly in Caid's direction as he absorbed the remaining life force of those still lingering just shy of death's door. "...there is life, use. It is not the Confederacy's laws that concern me in this instance, Little Wolf. Life and death are both equally fragile. Those with the strength to be of use, to prosper earn their continued place among the living."

As he was done absorbing energy to rebuff that wich he expended in Alwine's aid, Caid raised his hand to indicate the still visible forms of the retreating Imperials. "These Imperials had their chance. They were presented with a conflict and given the opportunity to prevail, to excel." Lowering his hand, Caid turned to face Alwine fully. "But they did not. In conflict, we are forced to become the best versions of ourselves. If their best version was to cower and hide in the mud, then they forfeit their place among the living. They have demonstrated that they have not the strength to be useful to the galaxy as a whole."

Managing a thin smile, Caid nodded his head. "Form your own opinion in time, Little Wolf. Yet...understand the truth of the organization to which you have pledged your loyalty. Do not allow the shadow of democracy to fool you. This government is a machine, a war machine. Those you provide mercy to today, live to be the enemies of tomorrow. Strive for complete, total victory at all times."

Abruptly, Caid raised his left hand. Instantly, the three retreating Imperials were lifted from the ground. As Caid made a fist, the full strength of the Force collapsed in on their bodies. It was not long before the sounds of crushing bones rolled down the hillside to the location of the two force users. Caid's eyes never left Alwine's, but if she reached out with her feelings, she would discern that the crushing bones soon pierced vital internal organs. The internal bleeding would be what killed the men in the end, lifeless bodies collapsing to the ground as Caid unclenched his fist and lowered his hand.

"We are done here, Little Wolf. If you have further questions, you can ask them on our way out."

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

Location: Makeshift cantina

Wearing: Armored flightsuit

Weapons: Viridian lightsaber, DC-17m(blaster configuration), 2x MSD-32 disruptor pistols

Ship:'Avadon' class assault gunship

Allies: [member="Daisy Americus"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"] [member="Kaden Mantis"]

Post:4

While his interaction with the two women had gone well enough during his time here, the sudden intrusion by the figure from the Netherworld had been an oddity. Such things were not unheard of, but much of his experience with these things came only from the research he had done for Raylia long ago. Reading about ancient Sith Lords who managed to return from there through possessing another and forcing their consciousness to obey or be destroyed. The accounts had seemed so far fetched, more like legends than actual events, and yet here they were. He was watching as the soul of another tried to possess the young blonde bartender here. As interesting as it was from a purely academic standpoint, he knew that it couldn't be allowed to happen. For the moment though he focused on Daisy's comment about Corellian ale and his favored drink, namana nectar.

"Yea, it is a bit stronger. I gotta say it's an odd feeling to drink something sweet that also has a burn going down. Though it isn't a bad thing, just an interesting contrast. Yea, I would order something stronger, but I'm still technically on duty, so can't be too drunk in case I get a call."

Not that it really mattered if he got a call, he wasn't going to leave the poor girl and her friend alone to fend for themselves against an angsty ghost person. That would have just been plain rude.So he stayed and attempted to help Madalena bring the man from beyond back into this realm with her 'forcie-rope' trick, but that attempt ended up being blocked by Daisy herself. Well that was a close one, but when she came forward with her reasons for doing so, he couldn't argue against her. He took a deep breath as he felt the emotion rolling off of Madalena. While she had only wished to help the stranger, it was an interesting turn to see her so upset by Daisy's refusal. The mention of needing training and discussing this situation with a master was one he could not deny would be helpful. Having heard the plaintive cry himself, though not as loudly as Daisy would have, he had worked on strengthening his own mental shields.

"Okay so I can understand why you refused as you did Daisy, Madalena also has a good point. Training can only help you in this case, especially against a similar type of intrusion. While she and I could supplement your mental defenses with our own strength, there are major risks that come along with such a thing. The Force is a complicated and fickle thing. Even if we were successful such temporary links can easily become permanent, and I tend to stray from creating such links as much as possible. My reason is simple, I have a proclivity to form Force bonds with those I get close to. It is not something I choose to do, it just happens. Granted they can vary in intensity, but...I know of the lasting scars that can be left by them. To reach any level of healing has taken many years, I try to minimize the use of any powers that affect others directly for that reason, I don't want to leave those scars for another person to bear."

Given the circumstances he hadn't gotten too in depth with how such things happened, but giving her an insight into why he had remained mostly on the sidelines was the least he could do. Though the spirit had vanished he still felt something was off, but resigned himself to sipping at his ale once more. However this played out he would be ready to face whatever the Force threw at them.

 

[Alwine Daye]

Objective: 3
Tags: [member="Caid Centurion"]
Wearing: Obsidian type Strike Armor
Wielding: generic vibrosword
Post: 13

​

Even in death there was life, there was use? The Lupine blinked, turning her gaze to Caid, who had just… No, she was not certain what he had done. She had felt the shift from the men who's necks she had snapped to him, but she did not understand what it was he was taking and why. If they were not strong enough, why take from them something that is weak? It was confusing.

The Imperials had their chance? Alwine stared at the bodies, not entirely certain that Caid's claim was correct. There was a conflict indeed, and an opportunity, but had they truly failed? Had she truly been the best version of herself, following an order without question, willing to kill all six if Caid had demanded that she does, despite her initial hesitation? Did a single incident prove what Caid said, that they demonstrated lacking in strength to be useful to the galaxy as a whole?

No. That last part, she could not truly believe, could not truly accept. This had been an isolated incident in a life to which she and Caid had only seen but the smallest fraction of. Had she been caught on Stewjon, a lowly servant who kept her head down, the same would have been said of her. She was harshly aware of it. Yet she had been given the opportunity to rise from it. Opportunity that Caid had just taken away from the three that she had let live.

But then, could she truly claim that she cared deeply enough to do something about it? She did not need the Force to hear the breaking of the bones; Lupine ears were sensitive enough for that. But it moved nothing within her, drew no emotion. Not for the first time, she wondered if that within itself was cause for concern to her mental constitution.

"Are we not always at war?" she found herself asking, eyes drawing back to the three dead that lay closer to them. "The kind that includes swords and guns and the Force simply seems to be one easier to understand at the surface level, as it is one that can be seen with the eyes and the mind comprehends the violence immediately."

In more ways than one, her entire life had been a war. But not with weapons. Her war had been against a woman who thought to cage three wolves. And Alwine had fought her every inch of the way, yet had remained demure and meek almost every inch of the way as well. She had not even fully comprehended what her mother had been doing until a little while before Gerwald left, and more than once had she thought that her mother was a victim of Stewjon just as much as her children had been. And now that she was not on Stewjon, she had another villain in her life; the alfauqe.

"If you had found me on Stewjon, if you had seen me as I were there, before the imprisonment or during it, you would have been able to make the same claims of you me as you have just of them," she decided to point out, "how can you truly discern if a life is worth living and should not be snuffed based on a single incident that reveals but a fraction of one's life? For all we know, we could have just killed the man who would've cleaned the galaxy entirely of any Imperial remnants and keep them from being able to return for generations to come."

 

[Caid Centurion]

Objective: 3
Wearing: Light armor over lightweight black and crimson robes
Tags: [member="Alwine Lechner"]
Post: 10

Caid's response was dead-pan. "No, I would not have. You would have been but a child in my eyes and, ultimately, not judged one way or the other." It was a simple but accurate response. For the time being, the Sith Lord did not respond to Alwine's question about war. She knew the answer to that already, so he saw no reason in the moment to continue that particular point.

Intent on departing Tarsunt as soon as practicable, Caid did not halt his steps to respond to Alwine's inquiries. As always, she applied rationale thought to that which she saw and heard. An individual did not have to always be right, they merely needed to be willing to learn in both failure and success. "Those men were not children. They were soldiers, individuals that had trained for and pledged oaths of service to an ideal and an entity. Single incident? You have to expand your understanding of the situation. There is no single incident. These Imperials have been in conflict with the Confederacy in several locations. Specifically those men were on Void station. They abandoned their position, their duty, and their opportunity to make a difference and came here to hide."

Falling silent for a moment, Caid halted his forward momentum to turn and regard Alwine fully. "For all we know, we just killed a group of men that would have been responsible for the next great genocide. Do not busy yourself with the distant future absent the training and experience to do so, Little Wolf. Even then, the future can and does change with every attempt to discern its course. It takes a phenomenal effort for any one individual to change the core of who they are. You're assuming that your compassion, neither earned nor warranted, would prompt them to be different, better? Why?" The question was genuine.

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

She had attained what she needed, the small but powerful lightsaber crystal pulsated in her hand as she walked along the salt flats, returning to the small speeder with which she used to get here. By now the imperial troops and other objectives were most likely completed and done, now all she needed to do was return to the base and get underway with construction. Hopefully there would be some sort of basic construction workshop at the new base, along with a small armory, her saber required more then just the usual array of tech used in the weapon. Afterwards the next step was to test it... though that could always happen later, keep it a surprise for anyone seeking to attack her.

 

[Alwine Daye]

Objective: 3
Tags: Caid Centurion
Wearing: Obsidian type Strike Armor
Wielding: generic vibrosword
Post: 14

​

"We are speaking of events that ceased a mere month and some ago," Alwine pointed out to Caid's dead pan claim. Had a handful of weeks been enough to change her that drastically so she was no longer seen as a child? She sincerely doubted it. And in many ways, she did not feel as though she was inherently different than what she had been on Stewjon. She was freer, that was to be certain of, and did no longer have to shrink the core of who and what she was to those who were not her brothers, but that core had not changed. Not truly.

"I do not understand," she admitted when Caid spoke of the men not being children, but soldiers. "What is the difference between them and us? I am being trained. You are trained. Whether it is within the Confederacy or without, we are both pledged to it, albeit in different ways and for different purposes. Would you be speaking the same words about me and you had the situation been reversed and they had bested us instead?" And the matter of Void station… "How do you know these men specifically abandoned their position there?"

And suddenly they halted. Alwine nearly continued to walk ahead without Caid, but she stopped herself at the last moment, turning to look at him now. "I assume nothing for my compassion, Caid," she answered him without needing a moment to pause, "I have none, save that which belong to a few individuals. My assumption is that I am woefully under-informed, and this infuriates me, as this keeps me from being able to make precise and objective choices in many of the things I do, especially when I am given free rein to do as I wish with those who are considered the enemies of the Confederacy."

 

[Maggie-Rae Americus]

​

Objective 1: Set Up Camp, sneak out and gamble
Post: 4
Making friends with: [member="Kintel Ee’everwest"]
Back at camp: [member="Daisy Americus"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"]

“Well, all of those things sound quite fancy, Mr. Kintel. Holomags, paparazzi…”

The Mandalorian wasn’t intimately familiar with those things, but she was getting the picture. Kintel Ee’everwest was quite possibly a big deal in some Nabooian circles. And while Mags wasn’t sure that the man was her “type” she did like his distinct features, his determination and that long straight nose.

“Let’s see,” said the redhead holding her index finger up. “The headlines would read Kintel Ee’everwest, notable figure of hoighty toighty linage fraternizes with backwater fire crotch from Concord Dawn?” She grinned widely to let him know she was joking. “I think hoighty toighty might not be a word that the journalists would use.” Fire crotch wasn’t either, but who was counting?

A man with plenty of credits was a tempting proposition. Still…

“You can take the girl out of the trailer park, but you can’t take the trailer park out of the girl. I think if anyone caught wind of us together, it would surely be scandalous. Which makes it fun, right?”

No, Maggie wasn’t a gold-digger. Now fun? That was what she craved and she could tell by Kintel’s smile and wink that he was interested in it too.

“Why, Mr. Kintel, I would expect you to buy me dinner before you would change my bet like that, but I’ll let it slide. As long as you take me on that tour you’re promising.”

She raised her palm with a flourish. “Lead the way.”

 

[Caid Centurion]

Objective: 3
Wearing: Light armor over lightweight black and crimson robes
Tags: [member="Alwine Lechner"]
Post: 11

Caid tilted his head out of curiosity. "Are you under the impression that you have made...an error?" Clasping his hands behind his back, the Sith Lord fell silent for a moment. Regardless of whether or not he directly addressed each and every comment she made, he always listened. He listened intensely to his student, his peers, his...superiors, and above all the Force. There was no specific science to the reading of people, and determining the fate of others certainly had no set method. In the end of the day, beings would choose to spare or end life according to their training and experience.

"Life is simple. We make decisions and we do not look back. If you believe in your heart of hearts that someone deserves to be spared, then spare them. If you do not, then end their lives. What I offer you is not a road map to decision making but merely a differing viewpoint and set of ideals." Casually, Caid began to walk again, but he had taken more than two or three steps past Alwine's position before he stopped once more and looked at her. "You have learned much Alwine, and you have come very far in a short period of time. However, if it helps to adjust your frame of reference, you are still a child in my eyes. I say this not as an insult or indication of incapability, merely a temporary lack of experience. Similarly, I do not have all the answers, and I continue to learn to this day."

Slowly, a smile of satisfaction spread across Caid's lips. "In the end of it all, you impress me with your conviction. You have no more or less information than myself. I, however, just have had different experiences." Adjusting his body position slightly, he faced her fully once more. "I've been the Supreme Commander of the Galactic Republic, trained with a Jedi Grandmaster. I've fallen for a Sorceress serving as a principal advisor to a Sith Emperor, and I've dispatched countless lives in the name of ideals and beliefs...good and bad. In all of the experiences and travels I have had among this galaxy, my personal belief is that those who truly posses inner strength, conviction, and therefore hold continued usefulness to the galaxy never back down. Do they pick their battles? Absolutely."

Casually, Caid motioned to the young woman. "You want to know the model for strength...then you need only look inside yourself, Little Wolf. Relative child or not, you are among the strongest that I know." Silver-green eyes abruptly darted skyward just before the Nightstalker decloaked above them. Without looking down, he made a simple statement. "It is time to go."

Slowly lowering his gaze back to Alwine's alluring figure, Caid smiled thinly, pointing up towards the spacecraft. "Ladies first."

 

[Alwine Daye]

Objective: 3
Tags: [member="Caid Centurion"]
Wearing: Obsidian type Strike Armor
Wielding: generic vibrosword
Post: 14

​

Having made an error would have been simple enough to deal with, Alwine thought. You did something, and it was either an error, or it was not, with very little leeway in between. What tugged at her insides though was not the thought that an error had been made, but rather that she was not equipped to know whether one was made or not. It was a different thing altogether.

But that was not what Caid was speaking of. He was speaking of offering her a set of ideals. Ideals which, when it boiled down to it, would decree from that point of view whether something was an error or not. Ideas that offered the opportunity to spare lives, but only if one truly believe they deserved it. Yet were Caid sounded so completely sure of himself, Alwine was not sure of herself on her own. There were things regarding which she was certain that individuals deserved to have the life snuffed out of them. But she did not have a list of things inside her mind that would ensure that would make other individuals worthy of living. Most people, as she'd gathered, were small; they kept their head down as she had on Stewjon, and went about their lives, trying not to stir too much trouble as they did so. To kill them all would be to leave societies without some very basic necessities; she would never be able to imagine a lord of Stewjon plowing a field or spending more than a minute in the scullery.

Returning her attention to Caid, there was little she could do but agree. She lacked experience. Having been grounded on that planet for so long, everything was new to her. Every step was a new experience, every event something that she had never gone through before. And now… Now she could add killing men who were not trying to kill her to that list. Perhaps… Yes. Perhaps she would need to speak to either Caid or Gerwald or Varick regarding her lack of emotional response when it came to the killing. But not now. Not was not the proper time for it.

She also disagreed with Caid's claim that they had the same amount of information. He knew much more of the galaxy at large, had seen much more things. Much of it had to do with the experiences he listed, which caused her to wonder briefly just how old he was.

But… No.

Alwine knew she was not weak. She had survived months without transforming into a wolf while she had been held in that prison on Stewjon, and she had maintained her sanity all through it, when Lupines tended to lose it after a week or two at most of not shifting. But she had done so because she had a reason to ground her; she'd been protecting Varick. She had since tried, a single time, to check if she could repeat the success, could manage not to shift while still remaining herself. She had failed miserably at that, the fourth day causing her brain to think in patterns that did not belong to her true self. Not to mention that she loathed sleeping in her human form. It took up too much space, despite her relative tiny size.

But not weak did not mean strong. "I am only alive because Gerwald showed up on Stewjon a handful of hours before I no longer was," she found herself commenting to Caid's last words. The only verbal response she had to give him after he'd been talking for the past few minutes. "So I do not believe the word strong is accurate. Not yet. But soon, perhaps."

And with that, she boarded the vessel.

 

[VildarnTentoria]

_________________

Crystal Catch | Dominion of Tarsunt
__________________

Objective: 3
Goal: Liberate Tarsunt
Post: 9
Location: Tarsunt
Time: Day

With his wounded superior evacuated and the fierce first engagement completed it seemed that their mission here had been considered mostly complete. Vildarn however did not consider his mission on this world complete and knew that more Imperials still yet lived and we’re going to plague this world and its people.

He crouched upon the edge of a cliff surveying the Imperial camp, stormtroopers patrolled everywhere yet the Imperials had set up camp near a cliff face that they had seemed to have carved a large opening into. His droids were ready to engage but to truly take this camp would require precise tactics.

He gave the order to engage as the first rockets soared from the top of the cliff and slammed into the neck of an ATAT. Sniper fire was initiated as the last remaining lumbering Imperial walker collapsed onto the shield wall resulting in a massive explosion that took out many Imperial forces inside and around the camp.

AATs hovered in with their main cannons charged and quickly took out the ATSTs that patrolled the outside of the camp. Vildarn and his droids rappeled down the cliff face, Vildarn once down turned and aimed, firing his Blurrg at the stormtroopers.

“Charge!” Vildarn yelled leading his droids forward into the now broken entryway, into the Imperial camp.

Stormtroopers collapsed as the red shots of his Blurrg impacted their armour. The droids swarmed into the camp firing their E5s. Imperial officers fired their blaster pistols back at him taking out a number of droids but without armour fell quickly to the accuracy of his own blaster. In less then ten minutes it was over and the camp was theirs. Any Imperial prisoners would be turned over to the Tarsunt government.

“Sir, the Imperials were sighted fleeing into the cave system, we have forces ready to pursue.” said an OOM command droid.

No doubt the main Imperial leadership had fled deeper into the caves to escape judgement, he had to go in after them.
He followed the command droid towards the droid troops waiting to enter the cave network, hopefully it didn’t run too deep.

 

[VildarnTentoria]

_________________

Crystal Catch | Dominion of Tarsunt
__________________

Objective: 3
Goal: Liberate Tarsunt
Post: 10
Location: Tarsunt
Time: Day

Turns out the cave system was extremely deep and with no Imperials yet in sight he imagined that this had been used ss a maze, luckily what was once just rock seemed to be becoming more detailed, however it was an odd design and not one he thought Imperial would make, spirals and curves that seemed more alien. Vildarn then came across a blown open doorway, this had to be indigenous as it certainly wasn’t Imperial, luckily from here the Imperials had left some lighting in place which meant he didn’t have to worry about the light from his droids being the only other source.

“Sir, this does not match any known Imperial architecture.” the droid Commander said as they entered through the doorway.

“I know.” Vildarn replied gripping his blaster tightly.


“Sir, the Separatist scum are approaching.” said a male Imperial officer.

“Of course, you will evacuate the artifact and get it off world, I will make my exit now.” said the High Colonel before turning to look st the deep hole carved into the Tarsunt underground. “Make sure they don’t discover the truth.


Vildarn came out into a large cavern, a massive hole stood in front though it seemed they were almost at the bottom. Looking up he guessed this had once been a volcano although the fact that so many designs had been etched into the walls so long ago told him it was long dead and buried.

“Sir, there!” the droid Commander yelled spotting Imperial command personnel on the opposite side a number of levels down.

The Imperials looked at them but then seemed to merely move off. Vildarn guessed the Imperials were going to try to escape, that couldn’t be allowed again, he could see that a way down the hole was possible but it would take some time.

“We rapple down from here, there is no time to waste.” this time their command personnel wouldn’t escape.


The bottom of the extinct volcano was full of fine soot, much of it though had been cleared when the former inhabitants had turned this into a base or home or whatever it was. stormtroopers has engaged them here, an attempted ambush that had been quickly dealt with suffering only a few droid casualties. Vildarn entered down stone steps with his droids into what could only be described as a secret storage area below.

“Separatist scum!” yelled an Imperial officer standing amongst a room full of stormtroopers with a massive crystal in the middle of the room.

The battle droids lined up with weapons raised copying the stormtroopers. Vildarn was slightly surprised the Imperials hadn’t fired yet and stepped forward to face the officer face to face.

“I am Commander Vildarn Tentoria, you are under arrest.” he aimed his Blurrg threatening the Imperial.

“The High Colonel told me what happened at Void Station, you are a fool for thinking you can stop the Empire from rising once again.”

“The days of the Empire are over, we defeated you at Void Station, we defeated you here, your armies and fleets are decimated, it’s the Confederacy that will bring freedom,justice and order to this galaxy.”

“I will not go down without a fight Tentoria!” the officer declared.

“Then you will die with the rest of your Imperial allies down here.” Vildarn said realising there was no way this would end peacefully.

“In your narrow foolish mind, do you realise where we are?” the officer asked confusing Vildarn for a moment.

“Not really, some kind of old forgotten remnant of a volcano probably used as some kind of shelter or base.”

The Imperial laughed hysterically.”This is an ancient prison and you have walked right into it!”

Vildarn glanced around now realising the truth but then what was the crystal in the centre of the room. He noticed some strange wires attached to it, and they were in turn connected to an Imperial power source.

“Watch now as an ancient sentience is unleashed upon the galaxy once more!”


Power flowed into the crystal as Vildarn opened fire, his shot hitting the officer and sparking a firefight between the two opposing forces.
The crystal began to crack from the power exertion, visible fumes began extending from the crystal form. Vildarn turned to look at the crystal as the power in the room died. For the longest time Vildarn had been cast into complete darkness with only the heavy breathing of the Imperials reminding him of the situation he was in.

The smoke that had emanated from the crystal began to glow a bright blue that lit up the entire room, it was beautiful and reminded Vildarn of the wonders of his homeworld.

Vildarn looked behind him and noticed his droids had collapsed due to loss of power, he was alone in a room full of Imperials and whatever this was.

“We have restored you oh ancient one.” the officer said holding his wound and turning to the light.

The stormtroopers lowered their useless weapons and also looked at the light. The light suddenly turned a violent crimson as crimson light shot out at the troopers, screams of pain echoed the room as they were turned into ash.

“No, ancient one we have freed you!” he yelled.

“I serve no one.” the light said as lightning shit out at the officer turning him too into dust.

“Vildarn Tentoria.” the light shone on Vildarn as he felt this living entity scour his mind for information.

“Return and inform your leaders of what you have seen here today, I will return soon to claim what is mine.” and then the being hovered into the ceiling and vanished.

<To Betrayal On Seltos>