Cularin Excoriate [Closed]

[Darth Carnifex]

Imperial Inquisition Strikes II: Electric Boogaloo​

~The Purge of Cularin~​

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Near Cularin Hyperspace
From the depths of hyperspace came forth a small flotilla of Boneshatter-class Frigates and Shadow-class recon corvettes, vanguard of the First Sith-Imperial Strikeforce that had been sent to skirt around the Corellian Run to regroup at Iktotch, and then finally make the final approach to the planet of Cularin. The rest of the strikeforce would be waiting at the Rendili shipyards while the vanguard collected the necessary data, and even now the collection of frigates and corvettes neared the edge of the Cularin system, and then came to an abrupt halt right on the border. The Boneshatter frigates would hold for now, but the Shadow corvettes would then accelerate and pass into the sphere of Cularin's planetary sensor range, but thanks to the sensor absorbent coating that lined the hull of the ships.

They would get a close as they could without being detected visually by any sort of orbital defenses, and would begin to tap into the planet's comm systems with their advanced system of communication and interdiction systems. The crew relayed back to the lead Boneshatter frigate, First Strike, that the planet's defenses had not detected their arrival in the system, and that pleased the captain of the First Strike.

"The Republic barrack on Cularin is unaware of our presence, prepare to launch probe droids."

The various officials on the bridge of the First Strike complied eagerly, and began the pre-launch sequences of the probe droids, and after a moment or two of inaction the forward compartments of the various frigates would erupt outward as the small probe droids were launched towards the Cularin surface. Being as small as they were, they would only be detected as a slight astronomical anomaly that would mostly appear as an unexpected meteor shower, although any suspicion on what they really were would have to be formulated by the soldiers down on the ground.

They would land in the jungles around the barracks and the Jedi enclave, and as they emerged from their craters they would begin to collect data on the surroundings, the flora, the fauna, and of course the layout of the buildings in question. All of this information would be relayed via the probe's long-range transceiver to the Boneshatter frigates, and from there they would be relayed again to the remaining elements of the First Sith-Imperial Strikeforce at Rendili.


Meanwhile; Rendili Imperial-Titan Shipyards
The rest of the First Sith-Imperial Strikeforce consisted of three Pellaeon Mk-II Star Destroyers recently constructed at the Imperial shipyards at Kuat, and the massive warship that would serve as the flagship of the strikeforce, the Harbinger-class Star Destroyer known only as the Apotheosis. It's elongated two kilometer long form resembled the piercing claw of the crustacean killer known by the native people of Dac, whose engineers constructed this foul behemoth during the height of the Old Sith Empire. Bristling with hundreds of weapons, the Apotheosis was designed to crack through the defensive shell of enemy fleet formations, so that they could get in at the soft, delicious flesh within. The leader of this operation sat within the Apotheosis' command center, a dark and gloomy chamber illuminated by a pale green light. At the far end sat a series of nine thrones, the one in the middle being the largest and most elaborate, while the four to each of it's sides were relatively plain.

In those lesser thrones sat the various field commanders and naval officers that would be aiding the Sith Lord who sat in the highest throne in this military operation, although most of them were a sickly blue hologram as they patched in to the Apotheosis' main channel from their respective warships. Suddenly; the room was illuminated by a blood red light as the image of Darth Hauntruss, the Sith Lady of Corruption, appeared on the main holocommunicator.

"The time has come my dark brother. Begin Operation Excoriate. I shall take my fleet force to Dorin while you will take on Cularin. There is only one objective brother..."

"Wipe them out...all...of them."

As quickly as it came, the image of Hauntruss disappeared into nothingness, and the collective military commanders cast a glance towards the Sith Lord who sat upon the central throne. He was dressed in flowing black robes denoting his occupation as a Sith, over which black armorplast covered his chest, shoulders, and forearms, while a black hood obscured his features save for the lower half of his face, his mouth set into a grim smile.

"Milord, the vanguard from Cularin have reported back. The Republic garrison there is completely unaware of their presence, and the probes have reported back the data on the Republic fortress and the Jedi enclave. Our ships are ready, our armies assembled, we only await your word to begin the assault."

The Sith lightly raised both hands to his face, and with a gently tug he pulled back the hood to reveal his grizzled features, the long mane of black and gray, and the beard of the same coloration. His brooding eyes swept over his subordinates, and with a laugh he gave them their command: "Mobilize the strikeforce, we strike now at Cularin, and with it we will erase all traces of the Jedi from it's surface. Today, my friends, is the beginning of the end..."

The four warships detached from the shipyards, and their massive frames turned ever so slowly towards the endless abyss of space beyond the planet's orbit, and one by one they twinkled out of existence as they made their voyage to Cularin.

Death... was coming for all.


OOC SHIZZLE
The Gamemasters:

• Myself (Sith)
• [member="Corvus Raaf"] (Jedi)

Sith Participants:

• [member="Vi'kas Mirtis"]
• [member="Darth Veles"]
• [member="Vrag"]
• [member="Darth Helios"]
• [member="Tes Dralyn"]

Jedi Participants:

• [member="Drapeam Nyx"]
• [member="Kana Truden"]
• [member="Uri Aureleos"]

Remember that this is not an invasion, this is the first of a series of intricate plots between the Jedi and Sith, and you should not think of it as such. Jedi and Republic individuals can start anywhere in Gadrin, whether at the Jedi Academy in it's northeast corner, or at the Republic garrison near the center of the city, or you can even just start anywhere within the city or even in the jungle, it's really up to you.

Just remember, we're here to have fun and write a fethin' epic story, so get ready!

 

[RC 212]

Allies: [member="Drapeam Nyx"] [member="Kana Truden"] [member="Uri Aureleos"] [member="Venris Helion"]​

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Enemies: Sith​

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Location: Jedi Enclave​

Vassara and Venris had been split from the fleet for some time now. As of late they had set up two teams to explore the inner core worlds. Their mission? Find as much Jedi materials as possible and salvage them. Vassara had not counted on the Jedi still being around however and was surprised when her an Venris touched down in what was still a functional Republic settlement.

Asking around didn’t take the team of Rogue Jedi long to find the Enclave. Now the plan had changed. Instead of ransacking ruins they would be copying knowledge and bringing it back to teach the rest of the Rogue Circle.

Vassara stood on the steps of the building, clad in her black jacket with the red trim. She had her regular Czerka shotgun on her back, with her Void Ripper Revolver and Thunder Gun at her sides. Hidden within her frame was the Lightsaber Karen Roberts had given her. She also had her Glare Ice Lightsaber crystal hidden on her person.

She cast a sideways glance at Venris. They hadn't spoken much since Illum, both shaken by the ordeal of the caves trials.

"You ready to go meet some new civilized Jedi?" She joked.

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Vassara Raxis"]

Venris wore his usual dark and non-descript clothing, but a single significant change to his attire was the lightsaber hanging from his belt, a Glare Ice Lightsaber made with a crystal not disimilar to Vassara's in both its composition and how it had been acquired. The hilt was of a...unique design, and had been created because Venris had acquired the components ahead of time, before entering the crystal caverns. He had left behind his alternative blades and explosives, but had the Thunder Gun given to him by Vassara hanging on his leg opposite of the lightsaber in a thigh holster. Venris was not one for using guns, but he had found that the gun usually didn't need accuracy when firing it at an appropriate range: right up in the enemy's face.

"I fell all sorts of things right now, ranging from nostalgic to nervous." Venris replied, pulling his hood up. "Let us just pray that none of the Jedi here are any who were familiar with me. It might harm any effort at establishing favorable relations if they are." He began to ascend the steps, clearing his mind of any worries.

He established a non-invasive telepathic link with Vassara so that they could communicate privately for the moment.

I forgot to ask. How are you feeling about this?

 

[RC 212]

[member="Venris Helion"]

Vassara chuckled, moving up the steps behind Venris. He was so nervous, and over what? While she knew of his past a failed Jedi, he had certainly redeemed himself. What they had not described to each-other had been revealed when they had practised battle-mind. Her secrets were now his, as were his hers. It was the ultimate bond between force users, with no restraint.

You'll be fine. I doubt any folks here even recognize you. Beside most Jedi are a friendly bunch and wont turn away lightsiders who wish to learn. Use the force, calm your nerves. If anything bad happens we can handle it.

Vassara moved up past Venris and put her hand to the door, slowly swinging it open....

 

[Darth Veles]

Darth Veles knelt on the cold floor of his cabin, trying to connect to the Force and fill his body with its raw energy. With large eyes shut, the Mon Cal forced all distractions out of his mind and opened the inferno burning within his heart to use the passion stored within to enslave the Force with the power of the Dark Side. The Force refused to bend to his will though, no matter how hard he tried, it did not want to be controlled. The obedient servant denied the amphibious Sith Lord’s right to be put on a leash, not submitting like it had done so many times before. Curiously enough, when the Sith Lord extinguished the flames of hatred and love, becoming an empty and emotionless beacon of peace that called upon the Light Side to turn the Force into his ally, he achieved the same result. Nothing. It could be felt, manipulated to some degree even, but very unreliable at the moment, too unreliable to be trusted and utilized.

Still, despite the fruitless meditation, Avreet remained calm. He was never one to blindly trust the Force, choosing to believe in himself and his abilities. The unfortunate situation surrounding the Force definitely had to do with this mess the galaxy has found itself in. A terrible thing, a great tragedy, yet also an opportunity that had to be grasped if the Sith were to deliver a lasting blow to the cursed Jedi Order. A purge. Sure, Avreet did not particularly like this sort of thing, the very nature of the mission, but this wasn’t senseless killing. The galaxy had to be cured of the Jedi plague by any means necessary and if a few “dozens” of people loyal to the Republic died in the process… such a small price for peace. The sooner this was over with, the sooner he could return and be with Grima again, which also gave him the motivation necessary to carry out the task without being bothered by it too much.

Already outfitted in armour worn by soldiers of the fallen Sith Empire, one of the many things that told Avreet of the necessity to combat the hated Jedi Order, the Mon Calamari also armed himself with a blaster pistol. Not his style, but with one of his lightsabers mysteriously missing and the Force not working as it should, the amphibian decided to place a safe bet on an old classic, an old blaster pistol used by as a secondary weapon by the Sith soldiers. Nothing special, but a reliable sidearm that might come in handy.

The quarters he knelt in remained deadly quiet even though the massive ships started moving towards their destination. Letting out a soft sigh, the Sith Lord opened his orbs and stared into a wall for a good while, not really thinking about anything relevant to the mission. He was dead. He remembered killing himself. Yet he lived. It didn’t make sense, but not much did anymore… Shaking his large head, the amphibian swiftly rose to his feet and swiftly turned towards the bed where the helmet shaped specifically for his head rested peacefully, its black visor showing his reflecting. Nodding for a reason only he understood, the Mon Cal took the helmet under his arm, leaving the room to roam the hallways of the ship for a bit. Thoughts of revenge started to form within his mind. Revenge on the Republic and their Jedi allies for shamelessly conquering so many Sith worlds and destroying so much.

 

[Helios]

Helios released an unhappy sigh, rolling amber hues to the viewport of his ship as he witnessed the warships attached to Kaine's control dispatch and move towards the planet below. Another movement of his ochre eyes took his gaze into deep, empty space above as if he were mentally asking for the patience he had lost eons ago in order to deal with the speed of which invasions initiated. But this was no invasion and the assault would not end with this planet.


Standing with his arms folded across his chest, Helios even with the simplicity of his posture, could not appear harmless. Decades of war and battle had jaded the Eldorai, and his motionless posture remained in a manner of which many who had seen death both around them and at the end of their lightsaber would stand.


For a time the Sith had remained hidden, nothing more than tall tales told in hushed tones to children tucked into beds with the flickering light of a lit candle, the only thing to save them from the dark that threatened to swallow them whole. For centuries they slipped into the shadows of the night, never seen and never heard until their existence became myth and the things that legends were made of. Until their greatest lie became their absence, until the men and women of the galaxy forgot, but the Sith themselves never did.


Once revealed they would go on to present themselves at the doorstep of the Republic and not only force themselves into residence but take the entire house. Afterwards the One Sith gained territory and power, moving not with great speed but with slow assured steps, ensuring conquest with a calculated spread akin to Synox, another deadly poison.


Helios could feel the indifferent touch of the Force upon his body. His inability to accurately call upon it to do his bidding barely pulled a reaction from the pale Eldorai, though. Without doubt, Helios could feel that the invisible energy could not be trusted this day and to draw upon it's flow would bring about failure. Something not to be forgiven easily, even if it was something so often worshiped by Helios which was the Dark Side of the Force itself. However, despite it's worship and fanaticism, it could be cast away just as easily as anything else that could not be trusted. It was a tool just as everything else in Helios' arsenal. Golden eyes drifted back towards Cularin then as he opened the comms of his ship and the Left Hand awaited to be ushered to the surface.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Campaign: Imperial Inquisition – The Purge of Cularin
Location: Cularin
Objective: Try to understand what the Force is telling us
Allies: [member="Drapeam Nyx"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Uri Aureleos"]
Theme: What's that coming over the hill? Is it a monster? Is it a monster?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x29ug8gV5M


Ossus Academy – The Jedi Order Council Chambers

The Jedi Council was composed of five members: GrandMaster Corvus Raaf and Masters Kana Truden, Kian Karr, Phylis Alince and Knight Ryan Korr. Together, they they would ponder the balance of the Force and helped guide the Jedi Knights in their missions.

Leaving the lift tube and entering the Council chamber, Padawan Strath Azera bowed politely before delivering his message. “With your permission, I have been asked to share with you the news that there is something wrong with the Force.” The Naboo native blushed, “I mean, we know it’s…wonky, but some of the Seers have stated that access to the Force is returning to normal but that they see something. I mean, they always see something, they’re Seers, but this is different. They say we should investigate a possible disturbance on Cularin".

Corvus Raaf smiled at the Padawan. “Thank you for bringing us this message – we should deliberate what it is telling us.”

The Padawan bowed again and then looked at the unoccupied seat. “Knight Korr is missing.”

Corvus smiled again, "Always perceptive Padawan Azera is, to what visible is not." Fortunately most of the Jedi were used to what passed for humour in Corvus’ mind as she rarely turned down the chance to quote Yoda or Obi-Wan.

The Council deliberated. Cularin was no longer a Republic planet, despite their calls to be helped – but a priority list had been drawn and the route to help the planet required a lot of others to be liberated along the way.

Finally it was decided, there was an abandoned Enclave on the planet and it was reasonable for a few Jedi to go and check it over without starting a diplomatic incident or give false hope to the Cularin people.

#​

Outside the Jedi Order Enclave - Cularin

They’d all been briefed en route. Cularin was a planet in the Cularin system. It had two moons, the molten Rennokk and the barren Tilnes. The planet was known for its exotic hardwoods, especially the ch'hala tree, and the whole planet was considered strong in the Force. It had been part of the Republic many times during its history but was otherwise an unremarkable planet.

So, having arrived on Raven 2, the Jedi stood in front of the Enclave. To Corvus, the quiet felt ominous. It wasn't the quiet of busy souls going about their day. It was the wary hush of a building unloved and abandoned. And that felt so wrong.

If anyone glanced at Corvus, it would seem she possessed her usual composure. But of all those gathered, it was likely Kana knew better. She would be able to sense the sharp distress that ticked underneath the control.

Since the Council had met, the Enclave was effectively on high security, closed to outsiders – even though it was literally empty. But now even Jedi Knights had been ordered to stay away until further notice.

Corvus’ finger tapped the hilt of her lightsaber and then stopped. Her face smoothed out, as she reached out to the Force to find her Center of Calm. And as was the case now, she saw images of a woman flash through her mind. What it meant, she didn’t know. Nobody really knew, but it didn’t bode well. Maybe it was this woman that presented the threat to Cularin, maybe not.

“OK, let’s check there’s nobody home. It should be empty, like Ossus was, but we can’t be too careful. And as we don’t know what we’re looking for, only time will tell what we might find. And remember, patience. Use the Force. Think.”

She looked up at the exterior. She mused that the Jedi were predictable - if you've visited one Enclave, you've been to most of them. The large stone structure visible would no doubt encircle the main buildings. And there would of course be subterranean levels too. And through the entrance should be the main courtyard – which was always key to navigating the compound.

The north and east would have been busy in their day - full of hustle and bustle - but little of interest unless someone dropped something. To the south would be the landing platform - again of limited interest. The west promised the training areas and Archives - which ought to be emptied of anything valuable but still full of datacrons and records.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Artemis Vahl'Nyx]

OBJECTIVE: Defend Cularin
SUB OBJECTIVE: Learn Where Stone Was Forged
ALLIES: [member="Corvus Raaf"], [member="Kana Truden"], [member="Uri Aureleos"], Republic
ENEMIES: [member="Darth Vornskr"], [member="Darth Helios"], [member="Darth Veles"], One Sith + Friends

Cularin. Some non-important world with some Jedi whatever things on it.
She was here. That wasn't strange or unusual. Maybe she wasn't part of this family- not fully, at least- but these were her siblings. Silly kids wearing modernized bathrobes. At some point they had flourished on this planet. Many of them had called the cautiously beautiful home. Things, of course, had changed. Well, some of them had. Others remained the same. For one... Doctor Lydia Stone had come from Cularin. Her absence did not change that fact.

So she had come. The Zorren had come to walk the grounds that her... friend once had. That is what she did. Drapeam Nyx walked about, visiting old temples, exploring the most open ruins, and slept in hotel beds as if they were her own. Several nights had been spent living like Stone had twenty years ago, back when they called her Dia, dressed her up in floral dresses before sending her off to make sure her twelve younger siblings behaved. It had been an interesting experience so far. A few days in the sun had scorched her skin, laying dangerous kisses on it, staining her arm a brilliant red.

For once she hadn't really minded having another mark to carry around.
Of course, it had healed after a bit of treatment.

The sadness that came with not having Stone there to do the treatment was not so easily cured. Whatever joy the trip had originally brought was starting to slip away. No matter how tightly she held it in her hands it slipped through the smallest of gaps, running away from her. On day ten the woman stopped wearing her friend's robes. She instead donned her ECHO Bactarma armor. Mid-way through the twelfth day she smoked another cigar- breaking her promise to Stone. Fifteen hours later, on the thirteenth morn, she clipped her stolen lightsabers to her belt, slung her rifle over her shoulder, and left the city.

There was one last stop she was going to make: The Jedi Enclave where Lydia had once lived.

When she arrived, something had been off. Security had started to tighten visibly. Without a word she had retreated. Another evening passed before she returned. Trying to talk to the locals hadn't done anything to clear the mystery. But that didn't stop her. Drapeam Nyx was determined to get into the complex, with or without official permission. By the eighteenth day she had managed to get a glimpse into the main entrance... through the scope on her rifle. In addition she had snuck some secret force practice in. Her thought was that if she tried hard enough, she might be able to conceal her presence long enough to get inside. So far that hadn't gone terribly well. It wasn't like she had anyone to even tell her if her efforts were working or not.

After all, she refused to simply ask to be let onto the grounds. Why?... Well... she hadn't told anyone she was coming here. Officially she was still on Ossus, getting treatment from a different healer, someone other than Stone. According to that doc's records she was in Protectorate space visiting her step-sister. If you asked her boss over there... he'd tell you she was on Ossus, getting poison sucked out of her veins. The circle was simple. It was complete. No one had (as far as she could tell) noted her absence yet. Part of her found it disappointing. Most of her, of course, was quite pleased by that fact.

Seeing familiar locks of dark brown hair changed that in an instant.
"Corvus Raaf... If she's here, then... Chite."

The headmaster of the Ossus academy wouldn't be here without a good reason. One that likely went far beyond anything that Nyx could understand. Upon seeing the approaching shuttles she had once again pulled out her sniper rifle, using it's zoom to watch the enclave from a fair distance. What she saw had riled her up. Quickly she had slung the weapon over her shoulder and started running. Much like she had when she first looked for Stone (who was still missing). It hadn't taken to much time to near the area where Jedi were (apparently) gathering. Eventually she had slowed down, worried that they would think her an approaching enemy, slowing down to a casual jog of sorts.

Nyx found herself having to explain who she was to multiple people, showing each her identification documents, before she was able to get closer. Even then there was a good distance between herself and the actual entrance. Why was security this tight? Should she have stayed on Ossus?... This wasn't looking good. It got worse when a man (who stood even taller than her) stepped in front of her. He told he that she was definitely not allowed to go any farther. "It's dangerous. You don't have the clearance." Due to her lack of knowledge on the situation... she couldn't tell whether or not he was right. Was he? Was... was she going to have to come back another time? But what if these lot needed help? Or what if something important was going on?!? She couldn't miss it!

"Ahem. I guess you are unaware of who I am, sir. Private Drapeam Sahara Nyx, padawan of the Jedi order, soldier of the Protectorate, former Corporal of the Imperial army, granddaughter of the famed General Drosk Ssolas Nyx, Scourge of the Mandalorians, Bane of the Huttborn, Slayer of the Rogue Sith Lord Diamosei. I am Nyxius Stone. I hold the record for most sniper rifle kills in one battle. I've seen more combat than your scrawny behind ever will. More importantly... I am a Corellian. My planet, it's pretty much gone. So you really, really don't want to tick me off, bub. Now let me through."

"No."

"..."

"Now shoo."

"Did I mention I'm friends with Master Raaf?..."
"Somehow I doubt she'd be friends with an ex-Impy queen."

"..."
Well then. Unless the oaf let her go this was going to be a long, long day of absolutely nothing... or at least that's what the Zorren thought. As usual though, her luck was going to be very, very bad. Things were probably going to blow up. Seeing the inside of the Enclave was actually the least of her concerns at the moment. If only she had the gift of foreshadowing horrible events...

 

[Kana Truden]

A healer’s duty carried them to many places. In some cases it carried them to their neighbours and in other cases, such as this, it carried them off into the distance. Her experience as a healer until recently had been purely force-based but that quickly changed come recent events. The force had been wonky lately, no there was no denying that. At this point she had seen so many ways it could go wrong on her end. A wound could stabilize or be transferred over to your very own body. Your skin ripping apart at the merciless tearing of the force.

This time she had come prepared. The medical supplies were neatly stuffed into a pack on her back. The weight had it hugging her jumpsuit mercilessly but she could cope with it for the value of the treatment she could provide. It had her musing about a life without the force. At this rate she could definitely settle down as a doctor. Well, either that or a farmer. The quiet lifestyle and self-proficiency had really settled in nicely.

Opting to remain silent she merely followed Corvus’ orders to look around to see if nobody was home. She trailed close behind the others in order to keep herself safe. Her lightsabers clinged to her belt; a blaster and it’s holster hugged her thigh. Some people claimed it safe to use the force, but until things had truly settled she was in no mood to try; especially not with the memories of wounds tearing themselves open on her arm fresh in memory.

To put thought into her environment seemed pointless at this stage. Others had already done so in their post so Kana was like ‘Whatever’ about it. Anyway, it was probably cool and all but for now her writer decided to go a bit OOC and do self-commentary instead. Hopefully everyone was okay with that.

[ [member="Darth Vornskr"] ]
[ [member="Corvus Raaf"] ]

 

[Vrag]

Objective: Purge Cularin
Location: The Apotheosis
Allies: [member="Darth Vornskr"] | [member="Darth Veles"] | [member="Darth Helios"] | [member="Darth Carach"]
Enemies: [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Drapeam Nyx"] | [member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Vassara Raxis"] | [member="Uri Aureleos"] | [member="Venris Helion"] | Feeling a little outnumbered here, guys... ;-;

__________________________________________________________________________________​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSjr7nUb0fA​

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Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

She raised her foot again, but before the metal boot could hit the floor she was interrupted by the appearance of Darth Hauntruss herself. Sound effects, dry ice and red lighting included. Ugh, could they get any more cliché? Before she even finished the thought, the Lady of Corruption proved her wrong as she went on to give the order with what could only be considered as the most abused one-liner since the first Sith Lord had opened their mouth.

Vrag twirled her fingers in boredom, one leg hanging over the armrest of the throne as Darth Vornskr picked up where the Sith Lady had left off, turning to speak to the commanders seated around the room. Not one to be outdone, the gifted man — at least in the beard and bastards department — finished it all off with a Evil Laugh™, and the firrerreo narrowly resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him.

Not like it would matter, anyway. As always, the woman was wearing her trademark plate armor, the visor up and darkened to avoid any tricky situations like, say, smirking at a rather powerful Sith Lord. She liked her head right where it was, thank you very much, and resolved to be amused behind a darkened layer of transparisteel instead. Her blue eyes lingered on the streaking stars outside the viewport, and then with a pop, they were gone.

The inky black of space welcomed them with wide arms, and one by one the rest of the Rendili fleet appeared beside the mighty Apotheosis. The armored Knight cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders, blood already alive and thrumming in her veins. Force knows she'd acquired quite the appetite for destruction during the Rapture, and Cularin seemed like the perfect place to sate it.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Objective: Purge
Location: Relativity
Allies: [member="Darth Vornskr"] | [member="Darth Veles"] | [member="Darth Helios"] | [member="Vrag"]
Enemies: [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Drapeam Nyx"] | [member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Vassara Raxis"] | [member="Uri Aureleos"] | [member="Venris Helion"] | We’ll be fine, boo.

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Once again the hulking frame found himself sitting next to the armored Knight with the bemused aura, and once again the hulking frame was humming one of his songs as they waited for the actual festival to begin. The purge of the Jedi Enclaves was a thing that had to be done sadly, all knowledge was worthwhile, but the enclaves provided a network, a lattice of support one could say to the heresy of the Jeedai.

This had to be rooted out if the Sith wanted to assume the- yadadada, they all knew the reasons they were here. The Ministry of Truth had shown the path and the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge would be here to oversee the destruction of that which was heretical towards the glory of the Dark Lord himself.

In the meanwhile Carach would have a little fun, Eclipse had been too short to properly enjoy himself and this would be an interesting day out of the dusty tomes of the Sphere. Sometimes a man just needed to crush some skulls, break some necks and generally make a nuisance out of himself, such was the way of things.

‘Mhmmhmmm. Huuuuuum.’​

Quite so, yes.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToOa6M9zaPE[/youtube]​

En Route to the Cularin System
The journey to Cularin was relatively uneventful, the four warships taking the same path that the vanguard took to reach the planet beyond the Republic's wall from Commenor to Denon. Earlier they had briefly stopped at Iktotch before making the final jump towards Cularin, and by the navigator's estimations they were only thirty minutes away from the system. Already the crew was on full alert, the weapons primed, and what soldiers and vehicles the warships carried in their gullets were already moved to the hangers and were waiting for the moment to spill forth from the hulking masses of metal. The Pellaeons, however; did not have a large hanger capacity to be fully effective in an invasion, which is why the vanguard already at Cularin was made up of Boneshatter assault frigates and Talon support craft, the latter filled to the brim with ALCs that would deposit the Sith-Imperial soldiers down into the city below.

While Vornskr was the commander for this operation, he would not resign himself to brooding on his battlecruiser while the battle raged hot down below. No, he would leave the naval command of his ship to his trusted captain, and would venture down onto the planet and lead the charge against whatever opposition they would find down there. He honestly didn't expect much, but it was better to hit them with overwhelming force than underwhelming force. Still, even thought he was certain of victory, a nagging sensation at the back of his mind steadily grew stronger the closer and closer they came to the planet, and eventually that sensation evolved into a bludgeoning swelling sensation behind his eyes, the onset of a headache that caused the Sith Lord to absently pinch and rub the bridge of his nose. He was about to go mad from the deafening silence when the alert klaxons began to wail as they finally reached their destination, and the growing headache was temporarily forgotten as the sight of the green marble that was Cularin filled the sensor screens.

In an instant, the sight of four Sith-Imperial warships appeared in close proximity to the planet, and the flotilla of smaller ships began to close in as the warships assumed a blockade position around the planet, forming a tightly knit noose with the three Pellaeon star destroyers forming the hoop, while the Apotheosis formed the knot. The Sith Lord pressed a small button on the console in front of his throne, and his voice was then projected across the encrypted channels between the Apotheosis and all Sith-Imperial ships in the vicinity:

"Execute Operation Excoriate; launch all fighters, deploy all dropships, and assault the city of Gadrin. Imperial Edict: Naddist is in full effect, purge the entire city, and level the Jedi Enclave. Scorch everything you see, and leave none alive. I want this world brought to it's knees by the day's end."

-Gamermasters-
​Myself (Sith)
[member="Corvus Raaf"] (Jedi)

-Sith Participants-
[member="Darth Helios"]
[member="Darth Carach"]
[member="Darth Veles"]
[member="Vrag"]
[member="Tes Dralyn"]
[member="Vi'kas Mirtis"]

-Jedi Participants-
[member="Drapeam Nyx"]
[member="Kana Truden"]
[member="Uri Aureleos"]

-Expeditionary Participants-
[member="Vassara Raxis"]
[member="Venris Helion"]

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Location: The area surrounding the Jedi Temple
Objective: Destroy the temple, loot at least a couple of artifacts
Allies: [member="Darth Helios"] [member="Darth Carach"] [member="Darth Veles"] [member="Vrag"] [member="Tes Dralyn"] [member="Darth Vornskr"]
Enemies: [member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Drapeam Nyx"] [member="Kana Truden"] [member="Uri Aureleos"] [member="Vassara Raxis"] [member="Venris Helion"]

Vi'kas stood in his Imperial light corvette, preparing to deploy. He had the entire 21st Nova Corps with him, probably the most elite fighting force in the galaxy. These men were hand-picked from the training academies, and were all at the top of their class. These men were loyal to the Empire, but only through him. If the Emperor himself gave them orders, they would first look to Vi'kas before executing them. This gave him both satisfaction and a sense of security among his men.

His orders were to destroy everything, and leave no trace of the Jedi behind. However, he had his agenda. He knew there would be knowledge within the temple, and that was not something he could ignore. If his fellow Sith wanted to be that destructive, then so be it. He, however, would not be so ignorant.

The pilot shouted a few words over his shoulder, information that they had arrived. Now was the time to spill Jedi blood, now was the time that he would become a legend. He unclipped the lightsaber from his belt, the same weapon he had stolen from Ardeo Sophos before defeating, and nearly killing him. The landing hatch opened, and his men spilled out, securing a perimeter. He grinned. It had begun.

 

[Darth Veles]

Location: Flying!
Objective: Talk like always
Allies: Glorious [member="Darth Vornskr"], Amazing [member="Darth Carach"], Unstoppable [member="Vrag"], Sophisticated [member="Darth Helios"], Mysterious @Vi'kas Mirtis
Filth: Drunken Corellian [member="Corvus Raaf"], One legged cripple [member="Kana Truden"], That one **** [member="Drapeam Nyx"], I have no idea who those are [member="Vassara Raxis"] and [member="Venris Helion"]

The cold, sharply shaped interiors of the ship, the uniformity among its crew and the deafening silence save for the announcements coming from the intercom worked wonders on his mind. The Mon Cal could see the structure of the ship, the pattern it followed, the ever-present order, which helped him to focus on the task. After each walk when he mindlessly strode through the endless hallways of the massive ship, always throwing a polite and original compliment towards the female members of the crew as was expected from a gentlebeing such as himself, the Mon Calamari ended up in his room. All roads led in there, whether he sub-consciously wanted to return or just by pure luck. Either way, every time the door opened and he entered, watching the room that contained nothing but bare necessities, he stopped; while not wandering the ship, Avreet spent most of the time by trying to do what he did best. Hiding his signature and presence, bend the light around himself to seemingly disappear from the physical world.

And it worked. The same kneeling position as before, the same spot to meditate on. The usual stability wasn’t there yet; Avreet had to focus harder than normally to envelop himself in a cloak of shadows, become transparent until completely disappearing, but it worked. The peerless stamina brought to him by cybernetically enhanced muscles made the task vastly easier. When was the last time he felt exhausted, anyway? Probably just before his death. The lightsaber must have pierced his lung, stealing his breath and leaving the Mon Cal gasping for air in his last moments before the Netherworld took his soul. Quite a disturbing thought, remembering his own demise, but at least it made him somewhat oblivious to the fact he could meet the same fate again. If a Jedi or a stray shot truly killed him, he’d just wake up somewhere else. Like in a dream… would enemies slain by his hand also find their way out of the Netherworld? Hopefully not! Avreet preferred if his kills remained dead, their souls being ripped apart in the Void for all eternity. Now he knew there was no Void. Shame.

Only the honking and the following announcement ripped him from his thoughts, bringing the Sith Lord back to reality. Shredding the cloak of darkness, though keeping his signature hidden as best as the Master of Force stealth could, Avreet swiftly stood up, marching out of the room and making his way to the nearest dropship. He personally had no intention of laying waste to the city. That didn’t mean he had any ideas of stopping the others though; Avreet simply left the unpleasant task of destroying the city to someone who could live with it, while he intended to slaughter exclusively the armed forces present on the planet. There would be no mercy for them, whether they surrendered or not, but the Sith Assassin wouldn’t touch anyone who wore no uniform and wielded no weapon. Why to kill civilians and break his mantra when there were several other Sith and Force-knows how many soldiers willing to do it? There was absolutely no need for him to get his hands dirty with innocent blood.

Running into one of the dropships just as the door closed, he could feel the looks of the soldiers who checked their weapons and armour one last time before the battle. Fear could be felt in the Force, just as the soothing sensation of relaxation. Not everyone feared the Sith; some took his presence as a blessing. Avreet didn’t particularly care, but the tension and silence that hung in the air let him know they probably expected some kind of speech as the dropship neared the atmosphere.

“Men,” the Mon Cal stated, his thick Imperial accent surprising some, “Your orders are easy. Kill everything that isn’t one of us.” He used the word “us” on purpose; Avreet wanted to make them think he was one of them, a brother in arms despite his Force sensitivity. “Your hearts have to be stone. Your blood ice. It is time to get our revenge on the Republic for suffering so long under its oppression. As long as the Republic stands and has its base of loyalists, we will never have peace. As such, we have to burn the foundations of the Jedi Order and their Republic dogs and plant the seeds of our ideology into the warm ashes. We are building a new world. Only then we will come closer to our dream of living in a peaceful galaxy. So far, we have dealt with them as civilized beings, but it was like throwing pearls to ungrateful swines. It is time to take off the gloves and deal with them just as they deal with us. Gentlebeings. Have no mercy. Don’t ask for any. For the Empire!”

 

[Corvus Raaf]

As Corvus walked towards the Enclave, she was aware of two Force signatures ahead. Closing her eyes and using Force Sight, she was able to see through the walls, which appeared transluscent in her mind's eye, and saw two figures. Whereas not exactly Dark-sided, they weren't entirely Light-sided either - and they were certainly Force-sensitive.

"Be wary," she offered and quickly moved to where the intruders were. Jedi? Perhaps, but they had the obvious taint of death on them. The Jedi were trained to honor life - it was a core tenet. Every time a life was ended by a Jedi, it strengthened the Dark-side in them - unless the act was justified and unavoidable.

So she moved with her companions to see who was ahead of them and, as expected, saw the backs of two figures. "Hello," she said, bowing as a matter of course, "Your presence here is...unexpected. How can we help you?" Her voice was calm and soft and her face neutral. But it was clearly a tone that said she expected some answers.

Allies: [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Drapeam Nyx"] | [member="Uri Aureleos"]

Visitors: [member="Vassara Raxis"] | [member="Venris Helion"]

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Once the Marines had secured a perimeter, Vi'kas ordered them to set up a rudimentary camp. He set up the infantry platoon to guard the temple, in case anyone was trying to get in or out of it. The support platoon was setting up a comm station, securing a communications with the command ship, Apotheosis. Communications were also being set up with the ops command ship, with [member="Darth Vornskr"] . The rest of his men were set about, guarding the encampment. One could never be too careful.

Vi'kas was a Miraluka. Therefore, he was naturally a Master of seeing through the force. Upon arrival, he had noticed two very faint force signatures. He walked a few feet out of the surrounding forest, and closed his eyes. Even for a Miraluka, he was extremely force-sensitive. He saw through the walls of the massive temple, probing for the signatures. He noticed they were quite far away, and he had to strain his vision to find them. If he had not used force sight for the better part of his life, he doubted he would have been able to find them. Eventually, he did. He saw a group of several figures ( [member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Kana Truden"] [member="Uri Aureleos"] [member="Vassara Raxis"] [member="Drapeam Nyx"] [member="Venris Helion"] ) gathered within some sort of large chamber. He saw a few lightsabers among the group, most likely meaning they were Jedi. He opened his cybernetic eyes, and used them to plot the coordinates of their location. He had custom-made these eyes, and they had many features.

He stood there for a moment, pondering on what to do. Some of his... less intelligent Sith counterparts may have rushed in there, lightsabers blazing. He was a cautious person, and made educated decisions. As much as he would like to slaughter the interlopers face-to-face, he had other things to deal with. He walked over to his comm platoon, and spoke, "Contact forward air control, conduct an air strike on these coordinates. And while you're at it, contact [member="Darth Vornskr"] . Tell him that I think a few Jedi are in the temple, and that support may become necessary."

"Yes Sir!"

Vi'kas grinned. A few bombers would be here any minute now, and the currently unaware interlopers would be blown to bits. He walked over to the center of the camp to consult strategies with his advisers.

 

[Venris Helion]

@Vi'kas Mirtis [member="Vassara Raxis"]

Venris paused in mid step and immediately held out one arm to stop Vassara as they made their way into the enclave. "Wait...do you feel that?"

Shutting out all sights and noises, Venris began to immerse himself in the Force and listened through it for the danger that he felt in the back of his mind. Something was near...something with the familiar taint of the Dark Side, but he couldn't deduce where or what it was exactly. All that Venris could tell was there was an imminent danger approaching, but the exact identity and approach it bore were shrouded in a fog that he had long associated with the dark side, clouding his ability to perceive the oncoming threat. The last time that this had happened was before Sedita had ambushed him and his master, bypassing their ability to predict his approach and identity.

Perhaps it was something else, but the sensation was like a pulsing and growing pain in the back of his head: persistent and unwelcome. Venris briefly managed to view a shrouded figure with eyes that gleamed against its dark silhouette, and then received an image of the enclave from a distance, as though being observed...

"We may wish to make our visit here very brief," Venris advised Vassara while his free hand traveled towards his ligthsaber. "I have a feeling that we are not the only ones who have set eyes on what is concealed here."

 

[RC 212]

Allies: [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Drapeam Nyx"] | [member="Uri Aureleos"] [member="Venris Helion"]​

​

Enemies: Sith​

​

------------------------------------------------------​

​

Vassara whirled, beholding the Jedi group. Her spacers eyes travelled up and down their frames judging their body language. At this distance it was hard not to feel the overwhelming pour of the lightside from them. She smiled haphazardly and nodded.

"We are fellow lightsiders, here in search of knowledge."

It was at that moment that Venris spoke and she felt a tremor within the force. Outside the noises began to become strange and she could almost swear the sound of faint engines reached her ears. The enclave was suddenly not such a safe place. Vassaras eyes widened as she felt the multitude of signatures descending upon them. A storm was gathering and she intended not to be at the front of it.

"Unfortunately we have no time to stand on ceremony and chat. Something very dangerous is heading this way. We must leave, and quickly."

she didn't wait. She bolted from the steps, her hand drawing the Void ripper Revolver at her side and bringing it to bear. The sky was now alight with the unmistakeable sound of engines....

 

[Artemis Vahl'Nyx]

OBJECTIVE: Defend Cularin
SUB-OBJECTIVE: Watch The Skies For Trouble
ALLIES: Republic: [member="Corvus Raaf"], [member="Kana Truden"], [member="Venris Helion"], [member="Vassara Raxis"]
ENEMIES: One Sith: [member="Vi'kas Mirtis"], [member="Darth Vornskr"], [member="Darth Carach"], [member="Darth Veles"], [member="Vrag"] (I'm going to wreck you), [member="Darth Helios"]
"Is there a problem Greg-" A familiar voice went from a drawn-out Corellian sweet-tone to a halting stop. Like a runaway train driving right into a roadblock. But it picked right back up in an instant. "Well if it isn't Drapeam Nyx! Man, it's been awhile since I seen ya!" The man, known as Faal'en, said. For a moment he was clueless about the obvious tension in the air. After a second though he caught on. "Is, uh, is everything alright? Things seem a little, well... it's like you got a Gundark right outside the bantha pen!"... Corellians and their silly, silly metaphors. Nyx tried to forget that she had been pretending to be one herself.

"You know this woman? She's been trying to get in for about ten minutes now. Won't leave me alone."

"Then let her in! This lassy joined my squad for a few missions after Miku got raptured."

"She did?..."

"Yeah! Best damn sniper I've ever seen! This girl could-"

"Better than Miku?"

"Twenty times better."

"... Fine, she can go in, but you have to stay with her. Maybe she can be of some use to the Jedi or something."

With an excited grin Faal'en grabbed his old friend by the arm and started dragging her towards the enclave. They had, as he had mentioned, worked together for a couple weeks. In that time he had started to consider her a close friend, even though their relationship was quite one-sided. The Zorren knew a lot about the Firrereo but the Firrereo didn't even know that the Zorren was a Zorren. Generally he just assumed that she was the same as he was. Species-wise, at least. They didn't exactly have much in common. Besides, well, the obvious part about both working with the Republic as part of the military. Other than that... there really wasn't much. Not even size or shape. Faal'en was about 5'10" and a little on the scrawny side. The man was a field mechanic and robotics specialist. Meanwhile Nyx was right around 6'4" with an athletic build. As was already mentioned she was a high-class sniper, one who had already spent 20+ years in the field. For her... it was only a miniscule portion of her potential lifespan.

Faal'en didn't know that.

"So... since you're a sniper and all... how about you help me up on the roof? I'm checking one of the electrical units up there. You could keep an eye on the area to see if we have any unannounced visitors!" Sometimes the man got very, very excited over very, very small things.

"Sure."

With a little 'squee' the mechanic doubled his speed. It only took a minute or two for them to a ladder on the side of one of the buildings. Said climbing tool appeared old. Rusty. Unsafe. Did that bother her? Not really. But she let her companion go first anyway. He started going up, and up, and- several of the rungs broke. The lower half of it came loose, falling to the ground with a loud, metallic 'thud'. That was an actual issue. While Nyx surveyed the situation her comrade was busy apologizing and rushing about like a headless chicken. Really, the solution was quite clear. Had he forgotten that she was (regretfully, at times) a force user? With a roll of her eyes she gathered a bit of the force in her feet before jumping. Unsurprisingly she overshot it a little, ending up with her hands near the top rung, instead of towards the bottom, as had been her hope. The movement was a little jerky. But she managed to pull herself up anyway.

"Ey, bub, it's fine." Faal'en relaxed a little at her reassurance. And so the two moved on. The male went to work on some engine/power box/thing while she carefully climbed to the highest point she could find. From there she took out her rifle, put the scope on it's farthest zoom, and sat down. This was going to (probably) be a long and boring evening. Unless... "Something does feel sorta off..." Nyx mumbled, decided to keep a close eye on their surroundings. If someone tried to approach... she'd be the first to know about it.
-----------------------------------
EQUIPMENT: Sniper rifle, lightsabers, ECHO Bactarma Armor, fighting knife, blaster. {Link in signature}
INJURIES: None as of yet. {Sith Poison in veins}

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Allies: Darth Helios Darth Carach Darth Veles Vrag Tes Dralyn Darth Vornskr
Enemies: Corvus Raaf Drapeam Nyx Kana Truden Uri Aureleos Vassara Raxis Venris Helion
Vi'kas stood behind the treeline, thinking. He had just concluded a brief meeting with his advisors. They had suggested he carpet bomb the whole structure, but he decided against it. He had his own agenda; one he was intent on fulfilling. He thought carefully about the position his enemy was in, and how to destroy any chance of their escape. He already had men guarding the exits, but it wasn't enough. He needed something more. If he were a Jedi, what would he do if the ceiling was coming down on him? If he had had enough force power, he'd probably just use it to hold up the ceiling. With that thought in mind, he went back to the comm station. The bombers were about to arrive. He grabbed the comm device and said, "This is Night Stalker to Dragon Squadron, do you copy?"

The squadron leader immediately replied, "This is Dragon Leader, reporting in. What are your orders, sir?"

"After the first strike, wait about five seconds. Then, swoop in for another strike. Make sure you hit the same exact area as the first strike. I doubt they will be expecting it. I want that entire general area in ruins, do you understand?"

"Roger that. Approaching target area."

Vi'kas turned his head towards the temple by instinct, though he couldn't actually see it through the foliage. He heard a large explosion, as a series of bombs dropped on the coordinates. He counted out the ten seconds, and then listened as the event repeated. He grinned, knowing that his enemies must have been mortally wounded, if not dead. He was about to walk away when he heard a voice over the comm device.

"Sir, as we were sweeping over, I think I might have seen a few figures up on the roof."

Vi'kas froze. He hated witnesses. ​"Lieutenant," he said slowly, "Do you have any missiles on board any of your ships."

"Uh, yes sir. But they are meant for ship-to-ship combat..."

Before the officer could finish his sentence, the assassin cut him off, saying, "Then fire the projectiles, blow them to pieces. I want no survivors."

"Yes, sir. Roger that."