DEVASTATION: Base Delta Zero (Act Two)

[Vora Kaar]

LOCATION: Sisio, Starport
OBJECTIVE: Interference for Sith Troops - Kind of
ALLIES: ORC/Civilians
ENEMIES: TSE
NEARBY: , [member="Loske Matson"], [member="Veino Garn"], [member="Cedric Grayson"],
INTERACTING: [member="Lark"]
POSSESSIONS: Ranger Armor, Two generic Six shot slugthrowers.

A relapse in my memory. One that was short lived. Almost as though my brain was forcing me to forget what happened as soon as the nose of the A-wing slammed hard into the weapon. While I was sure that I would be in pain, it didn't flood to me quite yet. About the only thing in tact of the ship that I could see, was a majority of the cockpit. Even then, the floorboard was taken out from under me, and I was quite sure to be looking through the floor up to the ceiling of the vessel of this massive weapon. Shaking my head, hands moving of their own accord to remove the belts and restraints of the seat from me. Only then did I start to feel the pain of the crash. Maybe a broken rib or two, I wasn't sure if two of my fingers on my left hand were just sprained or broken as well. Slipping down enough to move out of the seat, I pulled out my slugthrower.

Holding the barrel, the weapon was used as a bashing instrument on the corner of the cockpit's window. Already being smashed to pieces anyways, I just finished the process to make a hole large enough for me to get out. Literally crawling out from the wreckage I could finally feel all of my senses coming to me. The force was powerful in the air. I was sure there were going to be a number of people coming to check out the crash soon, so I would need to move fast. Flipping the weapon around, I slid it back into my holster only to look up and see a man wielding a sword.

"By the force..."

I rolled my eyes as apparently I would have to be facing a younger, much younger man than myself. Wielding a sword and brandished like a true Sith wanting to prove their mettle.

"Look kid, turn around and go somewhere else. I'd rather not like to face someone who is less than half my own age."

His life had only just begun in truth. Ending it would be a travesty. If push came to shove then I would, but I would rather not since I have to get further into the ship at the moment.

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

Location: Sisio - Outside Starport
Objective: Destroy enemy counter-attack
Allies: TSE
Enemies: ORC | [member="Coren Starchaser"], [member="Kale Seleare"]

It was long before the Coalition's forces had begun to band together to form a proper front against the incoming force that Jorryn led, the blaster firing raining heavy in the streets as they began to reinforce the outposts and buildings that lay in the way of the Spaceport. The head Inquisitor had hoped they would have gained more ground before this, but it seemed that the ORC militia was significantly better organized than she had hoped.

Still we must press forw-

The thought was interrupted as a blaster bolt shot through the middle of the battle straight for the silver haired Sith, it didn't take the enemy long to find the strike force leader. Normally Jorryn would take it as a compliment, but instead a cold glare would be returned to the sights of the shooter as the Kiffar Sith flanking the Echani slapped the bolt out of the air.

Manus, as always, acting as a reliable shield.

"Inquisitor Manus," A seething tone addressed the Kiffar, even as her gaze stayed frozen to the shooter. "I want you to take a force and go eliminate whoever thought they could end me with a single shot."

Stoic as always, Manus gave a curt bow before signalling a few of the other troopers to follow him in a nearby building that he could use to snake his way towards the sniper's location. Quickly vanishing from his sight as Jorryn brought the hilt of her saber to her hand, unable to rely on Manus as he went to solve her problem.

The Inquisitor began to chew her lip as she saw the streets beginning to fill up with more of the enemies' forces, slowing her advancement to a crawl. Any hopes of her ending this counter-attack against the Ultima weapon fading quickly as she saw her forces being picked off or forced to take cover. These new forces were lead by a Jedi, and the Echani doubted that any of these troopers would be able to kill the figure. At least not without letting themselves be overrun. Both of her fellow Inquisitors had already left her side, Esclus force knows where and Manus taking care of her sniper issue.

So, with an irritated sigh, Jorryn ignited the crimson saber resting in her hand and readied herself.

This starport would not be easy to take.

------------------------

Esclus had gotten in a bit deeper than the Trandoshan had hoped, but as long as his double-sided saber properly struck flesh he knew the Scorekeeper would feed his wrath. He had been forced into a side building as the blaster fire intensified, unable to keep up with all the shots being taken at his lumbering figure. His grip tightened with frustration and he glared towards the few soldiers that had followed him, the anger he felt at his own inability shoved onto them.

Even the Trandoshan knew how to lead however, so he could only empower his men if he showed them who they followed.

A bestial roar escaped his scaled lips as he began forward once more, cutting through the men in the alleys and building rapidly. The tight room allowing for his power to compensate for his lack of speed.

But just as the bloodlust began to cloud the area around him, he felt a searing pain across his back. A loud scream coming out as he lumbered forward and turned to face his attacker, the droid standing tall behind him with a green lightsaber held in it's grasp.

For just a moment, the bloodlust faded as he realized all the troopers that had followed him had been eliminated. It was just him and the droid now, and the footsteps in the building near him told him his time was limited. But for now all he felt was pain and rage, and he put all he felt into a single downward strike against the droid as he roared with his blade.

 

[Loske Treicolt]

Objective: Whatever it takes to make this supermama weapon not fire ​

Allies on Ultima in order of proximity: [member="Cedric Grayson"] / [member="Kiyron"] + NPCs/ [member="Atlas Drake"] + NPCs / [member="Vigil Rostu"]/ [member="Tiland Kortun"]​

Bad guys on Ultima in order of assumed proximity: [member="Credius Nargath"] / [member="Lark"] / [member="Darth Carnifex"]​

Soundtrack​

If the arrival of the StealthX’s ships wasn’t such a familiarity to Loske, she would have found herself startled by the well-timed interruption of the Stealth masters. Only a slight jerk of her head indicated she wasn’t prepared for the human to speak, and she exchanged a brief glance with [member="Cedric Grayson"]. Well, she assumed she did. Compared to her companions she wasn’t so well dressed.

“That’s a good bout of hope.” The blonde grinned, easily the most visible of the entire group, even though she’d pulled her blonde tresses into a braid to at least keep it closer to her person. The stealthy person’s statement then morphed into a question of insertion, and the girl gave way to a nod.

“This entry point is the most fallible on the entire weapon. And agree, we’re probably best to work to destroy from somewhere other than the primary power source where...The Force is just bloating its existence.” She tossed another glance inward the corridor. Blessed be, nothing had shown up yet. “Also, hi. I’m Loske.

How’s your slicer doing?”

As she asked the question, something at the back of her neck tickled. Clashes of memories that were not her own nagged at the recesses of her mind. Brilliant flashes from places she’d never been. She was seeing cut scenes from Zeltros, Coruscant - all twisting around. This place reeked of oversaturated darkness, and she’d been mostly able to ignore it since she wasn’t particularly force sensitive, but the longer she stayed herself in the corridor the more it pressed into her pores. The darkness, but moreso the itching familiarity that, unknowingly to her, belonged to [member="Darth Carnifex"].

 

[Placeholder 0128]

Wrote this on my phone. Bad formatting, probably a few mistakes.)

Allies: [member="Loske Matson"], [member="Kiyron"]

Enemies: [member="Credius Nargath"], [member="Darth Carnifex"]


The approach of the coalition soldiers was impressively silent. Cedric almost took no note of them - his senses were particularly dulled within the miasma of bogan that pervaded this wretched place. The masked knight inclined his head toward the soldiers in greeting. "I'm pleased to have warriors of your experience fighting alongside us today," Cedric mused, the slightest hints of admiration coloring his words.

The Jedi remained silent as his companions debated what target to hit. The discussion was more or less irrelevant to him. Cedric had no authority of any capacity over this operation: he was here to be a hammer, and little more. When they decided on the control room, he gave them both a slight nod. "A sound plan. I'm not certain I could do much good in the core without another Jedi to work alongside me," he tilted his head toward Loske. "I'm afraid you don't yet qualify."

Something stirred within the bowels of the ship. Cedric felt the shift within the currents of the Great Ocean immediately - a storm brewed at this station's heart. A fleeting, primal sensation of being hunted made the hairs on Cedric's arms stand up straight. "They know we're here. The Sith have sensed us," he warned.

The sounds of metal grinding against itself came from just down the corridor. One of the doors, which had been sealed via the hacker's efforts, was being lifted up by a massive red hand. A curse fell from the Jedi Master's lips as the door shuddered, and then sparked as it was forced back into its housing. The massive red robed warrior lifted a vibro-axe the size of a fully grown man. The sound of war cries rumbling from a dozen throats came from behind the robed warrior. A squad of Yuuzhan Vong rushed in from either side of the giant, led by a single human woman brandishing a crimson blade. The giant simply stood in the door way, as if curious to see what side would survive the confrontation.

The Blade of Ruusan flashed with golden light as it was drawn from the terentatek-skin sheathe. The first of the Vong raised what Cedric vaguely knew to be an amphistaff. The alien got within three paces of the Jedi when Cedric's weapon came to life. The Blade of Ruusan was a tool that had been crafted to destroy the Dark Side wherever it could be found. The shadows around them dissipated at its bright cyan blade roared to life. The weaponized nexus would serve as a beacon to any force sensitive nearby: a beacon of light amidst the shadow.

Cedric adopted a two-handed grip as he stepped into the Vong's swing, narrowly avoiding the amphistaff by a few precious inches. The Blade carved clean through the Vong warrior's midriff, bisecting its lightsaber resistant armor as if it were naught but melting wax. The weapon burned with the Light's righteousness - few mortal materials could halt its judgement. The alien fell to the floor, grasping at the massive gash in its torso and screaming bloody murder as it struggled to hold in its insides. Cedric's nose scrunched up in distaste as he spun the blade back, mercifully decapitating his foe rather than leaving it to a slow death.

The Jedi's voice brooked no disobedience when he spoke. "Stay behind me and gun the runners down. I'll hold them back." No sooner had he spoken than four of the Vong had come to surround him. Cedric drew in a deep breath, attuning himself to the living Force as his opponents' weapons lashed toward him. He kept his lightsaber tight to his body, moving through the practiced sequences of Soresu to keep his attackers at bay. Each of his movements was sharp, lightning fast, and calculated to minimize as much movement as possible. The conflict felt as if it had lasted hours, though Cedric knew that only a mere seconds had passed. Hyperaware that he could not utilize the empyrean against these foes, he opted for a different tactic. The Jedi Master willed that energies of around him to flow into the blade of his weapon; the Blade of Ruusan's glow grew brighter still with the effort. Each of the Vong struck, and each was left in varying degrees of shock as his amphistaff cracked in two bisected pieces as they met the weapon.

It was a small mercy that each of the Vong only had to undergo a second or so of terror before Cedric cut them down with efficient body strokes. The four aliens collapsed in several pieces. The Jedi was only allowed a moment of respite however, as the Sith woman was bringing her crimson blade down toward his shoulder shortly thereafter. The two engaged in a brief but heated duel, whilst the remaining seven Vong surged to murder the soldiers at the Jedi Knight's back. The situation only darkened as the red-robed giant stepped into the fray, brandishing its massive vibro-axe threateningly at the soldiers.

So much for stealth.

 

[Kaleleon]

LOCATION: Sisio, Starport
OBJECTIVE: Evacuate Everybody
ALLIES: ORC/Civilians
ENEMIES: TSE
NEARBY: [member="Romi Jade"], [member="Vaulkhar"], [member="Coren Starchaser"],
INTERACTING: Civilian NPCs, ANON, [member="Jorryn Fordyce"],
GEAR: Pistol w/Holster, Lightsaber, Boots w/knives, Jacket, Lodestones, Gel Packs

That completely astounded me. A rather large man literally slapped aside the blaster fire that I had directed at the silver haired individual. The amount of speed, and strength required to do that was, to be honest, scary to see. A couple other security guards that were near the starport were already attacking at those who were attempting to strike at the people. However, even as the larger walked closer, I could see the red blade being activated behind him. I growled to myself as clearly this person was subservient to this woman.

My father taught me to treat all people with respect if I could. However, I had to draw a line. There was no way I could stand aside and let a woman do this just because she was as such. I had to get to her and stop her. Even if it meant going through this guy. Taking step after step, we mirrored each other as I drew the saber from my belt as I placed the pistol back in its holster. The Kiffar drew his own weapon. A staff that suddenly lit up much like the "Sunfire Swords" I had seen before. This was new. He had range on me compared to my own weapon. Looks like this will be more than just a challenge than I expected.

Romi wouldn't care if it was, but would still want me to face him even if I was at a disadvantage. Fighting with her, was always about fighting at a disadvantage, and then finding a way to overcome that, or make it turn around. The guards that followed him raced forward ahead. Three other to be exact. Not only was he likely a Force Sensitive, but he had troops with him, and a weapon advantage. This will not be fun.

Troops fired on me. I barely needed to think about activating the lightsaber and deflecting the bolts away from me into the ground. However, As one drew to my center mass, the light blue saber blade slammed hard into the bolt. Sending it flying backwards with increased speed at the closest of the troopers. It was only my luck that the bolt slammed into the throat just below the helmet. Sending him dropped to the ground. My off hand reached for my belt. Grabbing one of the Lodestones, and tossing it at a second one. It was attached to his gun, and I activated its increased gravity function. Causing him, and the weapon to be slammed into the ground. I closed the distance quickly and sent the saber blade into the troopers back as the third one closed the distance as well.

He slammed the butt of his rifle across my face. Won't lie, that chite hurt like hell. As my left hand was now empty, I pushed his rifle away from me, and used my main hand to slam hard into his windpipe. I could hear through the helmet his choked breathing. Giving me time to draw my saber from the first man, and stabbing him with it as well.

My face will be bruising up badly in a couple of moments, but for now, I had to tend to the Lightsaber pike. Seemingly shaking his head at how useless the troopers were he started out in a jog and broke into a run at me. Shutting my saber down, I dropped the trooper from where he was and then activated the weapon again so I could come to stand and clash with our blades against one another. The crackling sparks broke out between us, but much closer to myself than him. In fact, My own saber was within inches of my face as I pushed into the clash.

Grunting against the mans weight and strength, I pushed back.

----------------------------------------------

Anon found a strike against the Trandoshan The large lizard being clearly was taken back by his now lack of troops, having been followed by the droid. Green saber held aloft in two hands by his side, standing in what could be reminiscent of a Soresu stance. Prepared for the return strikes that would be sent his own way.

The blade came quickly for Anon. However, the droid was built to train and fight force users on a daily basis. More so, his settings could allow for very powerful forms of the Lightsaber arts. In fact, Anon held back many of the times that Kale had to face him. Mostly because he had limits to his fighting procedures so as to not kill the young man. However, this is war. This is a fight against others who were killing innocent people.

The downward strike was met with the green bar of energy meeting upwards together. Full hard stop. While many beings of the universe can be powerful as ever physically, Droids were resilient. Meant to last ages and to work well beyond that capable of fleshy beings. They did not tire, they did not breathe, they did not sleep. The did not require food. It was only their programming. Because of that, Anon could quite easily contend with some of the more powerful beings of the universe with Soresu. A stalwart defense against anything and everything that was sent his way.

Twisting it's wrist to the right and around, He attempted to fling the bladed weapon away from himself, and then came forward. Closing the distance to send a metallic hand, opened hand, using it's palm as a forward push. Directly headed for the beasts snoot. While the chest would afford no real injury, it was the nose, and face that was very sensitive. A single strike there could disorient foes for quite some time if done correctly. Even more so when their nose and mouth extended further than your average near human.

Should it connect or miss, A step backward would permit the green saber to be drawn inbetween the two, and trusted forward towards the chest of the lizard being.

 

[Credius Nargath]

Location: Ultima Central Control room
Allies: TSE
Enemies: ORC & Allies | [member="Cedric Grayson"] [member="Loske Matson"] [member='Darth Carnifex']

​

​

He was tired of it, this entire period of waiting. Was it fear, caution, was his enemy just too blind to figure out where to go or had something happened to them even he could not foresee or sense. No matter how he tried to use his sight through the force, not even when it was so greatly enhanced by his own armor's capacities and the constant influx of necrotic energy, The Sith Lord could only sense the jedi and what Halcyon believed to be the jedi's comrades and the jedi only seemed to move within a small radius, as if he was fighting something the Sith Lord couldn't see. "Did those impudent Vhong get to them?" If there was one thing, the Sith Lord hated beyond everything, it was those biologically engineered creatures, remnants of a galactic invasion, dead to the force and as such invisible through it. "Those brutes really lack any refinement, but than again I think they fit the emperor wonderfully well in that regard."

Opening his eyes again, the sith lord stood up and moved towards the exit of the control room, only to turn his head towards the armored operators within it. "Keep this place locked down and secured as long as I'm not here...should you get compromised, start the firing sequence and scramble the deactivation code."

"But, milord...The emperor...urck" The operator's words got cut off when the Sith lord's hand was raised slightly into the air. The operator felt the grip on his throat, the crushing pressure on his thrachea, squeezing out any air left within him and preventing him from taking in a single ounce of air. "The Emperor has his own issues to deal with, this is war ensign and in war, drastic meassures must be taken, am I clear?" Only able to nod within his predicament, the ensign could only hope that it was enough confirmation to Dath Halcyon, which luckily it seemed to be as the ensign dropped to the floor, coughing and hackling loudly. "The Emperor wants to see that planet ground to dust, do you really think he cares how it happens in a situation such as this one? Do your job and do it as I told you and you might be able to live another day."

With that being said, the Sith lord walked out of the control room, tapping with his fingers upon the control next to the door to lock down the facility in its entirity before turning his attention to the sith troopers he'd arranged to keep guard on the control room. "I want you to guard this place with your lives...contact me should anything happen."

With that all out of the way, Darth Halcyon started moving towards the location where he had sensed that 'jedi' to be, eager to see what he could learn this day...

 

[Kiyron]

[member="Loske Matson"] [member="Cedric Grayson"]
[member="Credius Nargath"]

Kiyron nodded and then turned as he heard the door begin to creak open. A silent signal through the suit comms and the small team split, Kiyron covering the slicer while another covered the side of the hallway, and the final one cover the rear. Massive figure with an axe and Vong soldiers. Kiyron squeezed the trigger and three small pffts sounded from the muzzle, dropping one of the Vong, while another burst came from the other side.

"Contact front." He murmured into the throat mikes and the one in the back rotated half around, shooting past the Jedi and Loske. Two more Vong went down and Kiyron held his position as the Sith moved in to engage, and a quick burst of high velocity slugs spat her way.

"Got a target," the slicer said. "Projection rings. A bit vulnerable where it connects to the ship." He tossed the discarded data spike to the ground and pulled out his own carbine, taking a firing position at Kiyron's left.

Between the four of them, they provided four lines of fire to relentlessly keep a steady stream of armor-piercing slugs zipping down the corridor at any enemy soldiers.

"Plan to disable?"

"Looks like it could be vulnerable to charges at the attachment points."

Kiyron chewed his lip for a moment. The rings would get dropped into orbit around the planet below, but it would serve to keep the weapon from firing. A major orbital impact would be preferable to utter planetary annihilation, but not by much. He nodded. "Confirmed. Status on control room?"

"Hard lockdown."

"Jedi," Kiyron called over the combat. "Control center in lockdown. Hard target."

The giant figure strode down the corridor towards them. "Big one. Focus fire."

The four operatives switched targets to put multiple bursts of slugs at the creature, and as a magazine dropped from Kiyron's carbine, he pulled one of the jacknife pistols from his waist and leaned over, clearing his line of sight. One trigger pull and three bursts of hard sound ripped down the corridor, exploding on impact with whatever they hit and creating a small shockwave towards that end of the corridor.

"Get us a route to the targets!" Kiyron called, ears ringing slightly from the explosion, but that soon faded.

"On it!"

 

[Loske Treicolt]

The action erupted as quickly as a slugthrower could discharge a..slug. From crimson hands lifting the door apart to spiky brings erupting in chaotic union, the girl was inundated with an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.

On instinct, her arms levelled again and her aim sought above the armour of the onslaught. Her fire was precise as she worked behind the whirling Jedi and alongside the concealed squadron. The first fire made a connection. A splatter of flesh and impacted bone fragments. It gave her pause. She’d never actually seen a death from her doing, she’d only ever wounded someone on the ground. Never killed. The way the Vong creatures black eyes lost their aggression, the way it lost half its spikes face, and mid-jolt forward just dropped to the ground to be trampled by its brethren. For a handful of precious seconds, she was transfixed on the exoskeletal opponents demise and less so everything around them. Her hands suddenly felt abnormally hot, and she had to give her head a physical shake- telling herself that these creatures were manifestations of darkness itself. She was beyond the point of being able to reason with anything on this ship - they were fuelled by nothing but evil.

Salvos belched from the wall of Rebels and into the flesh and bone of oncoming darkness. Weapons whirled overhead, and required tight dodges to avoid collision. This was only a handful of what this station had to offer.

Amid the chaos, Loske switched weapons from the silent fire to her A280 for a more accurate shot into the depths of the oncoming Vong throngs. Between the six of them, they’d be able to keep momentum forward if that’s the direction the slicer would indicate.

“If the projection rings are weak, we can get our birds in the sky to assist with targeting. Some star fighters should be able to get within range.”

Where were the other teams right now? This all felt very off.

(Phone post.
[member="Kiyron"] / [member="Cedric Grayson"] / [member="Credius Nargath"])

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"You forget yourself, Jedi. In the beginning there was nothing but darkness."

The Emperor approached left hand outstretched as the wave of Light approached him, shadow gnawing at its edges as the Dark Lord drew on the power undulating at the heart of the malefic machine. The entire ship was permeated in a thick miasma of Dark Side energy, radiating out through every chamber, hall, and landing bay that stretched out in the labyrinthine intestines of Ultima. It was here that the Emperor was in his true element, where the Light had little sway and the Sith reigned supreme.

"Light is weak, mortal, fleeting... fragile."

Electricity arced out from the Emperor's body as the light washed over him, breaking against the bulwark of shadows that rose to safeguard him. Literal darkness rolled off of the Emperor's massive body like water, spilling across the floor in a wave of turgid inky negativity. Anger, hatred, disgust, fear, jealousy, everything that a thinking being could experience that could cause them mental and spiritual distress radiated off of the Emperor, a deep frigidity descending across the room in tandem with the encroachment of the shadows.

"Darkness is final. Darkness is eternal. And soon, everything you have ever known will be consigned to the abyss. Stand there and watch as my weapon render this pitiful world to little more than dust, and let it stand as another failure of the Impotent Side of the Force."

Over the course of the entire conflict, Ultima had edged closer and closer to Sisio as an implacable object. It was so large, so massive, that it could easily ram through smaller ships that blocked its path, and its multitude of Dark Side turbolasers could shred through shields and armor with concentrated volleys of direct fire. The boarders who had managed to infiltrate the weapon were being blockaded at every path, bulkheads lowering to cordone entire corridors while kill-teams were dispatched to hunt them down wherever they were detected, the critical stations strengthened and reinforced.

"What do you hope to accomplish, Jedi?" Asked the Emperor, his arms now spread wide as he gloated, "Even if you destroy this weapon, there will be another, and another, and another. It was blind luck that allowed you to discover Ultima, but I assure you such happenstance will not avail you again. The Sith are like the rolling tide against the shore, ever-present, ever-looming, and one way or another you will be broken down into nothing. Your struggle here today is futile, as has and will be all others."

[member="Tiland Kortun"] | [member="Credius Nargath"] | [member="Cedric Grayson"] | [member="Loske Matson"]​

 

[Placeholder 0128]

There was a certain peace to be found in combat that Cedric suspected few other Jedi experienced. It was the sense of comforting familiarity that came with any long practiced craft: for as long as he could remember, Cedric had been fighting. He rarely ever felt so in tune with the Light as when he fought in its name. He envisioned his mind as frozen water trapped within a chalice - no matter how much the chalice was shaken, the water remained unmoved.

The Jedi vaguely heard the words of [member="Kiyron"] as he drew away from the crumpling Sith. Something about hard targets. "As you say," he spoke plainly, the modulator in his helm allowing his voice to carry over the cacophony of combat.

The red-cloaked giant strode forward through the throng of dead Vong. Bolts crashed into the beast, slowing but not halting its advance.

Its axe raised high to bisect the Jedi Master. Cedric peered up at the thing, his legs bending in preparation to launch himself into the creature's face. Fortunately a small concussive blast rendered the creature's head bisected clean from its shoulders. The monster's body wobbled, then collapsed to the floor in a bloody heap.

"I'm not sure you even needed me here," Cedric mused, clearly impressed. He took a position as the edge of the corridor, waving a hand for the others to join him. "Have the slicer lead on. We'll have to move quickly, whatever pretense of stealth we might have had is long gone now."

[member="Loske Matson"], [member="Kiyron"], [member="Credius Nargath"], [member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Kiyron]

[member="Cedric Grayson"] [member="Loske Matson"] [member="Atlas Drake"] [member="Vigil Rostu"]
[member="Credius Nargath"]
==============

Kiyron held himself still, head tilted before he nodded and gestured to the rest of the team. "Well, needed you to keep Sith lightsabers busy and them distracted while I shoot them in the back. Just because I once fought Sith hand to hand doesn't mean I have any desire to do it again."

He slipped another magazine into the carbine and reholstered the sonic pistol at waist. "Huntsmen Three, take point. Find us a quick route to the projection rings." The other operative nodded and pulled the data up on a display, running through the quadrant they were in. Already, Kiyron could hear bulkheads beginning to slam shut in the distance and the tramp of feet as anti-boarding teams began working their way through the vessel. "And kill as much local power as you can manage. Get us every possible advantage."

The man nodded again and pried a wall panel open before reaching into the guts of the circuitry and firing two blaster bolts. The wires flared and sparked before the main lights in the corridor went dark. After a few moments, the back-up light kicked back on again.

"In behind here. Ventilation shafts." Kiyron nodded and punched in through the back with his cybernetic arm. It cracked open and he ducked inside the shaft, switching to infrared and thermal vision. The small space leaned ahead of him as the slicer took the lead, stepping past him into the shaft before leading them in. Kiyron followed right behind, while the other two covered the entrance to let Loske and Cedric enter before crawling in backwards to cover the rear.

Kiyron and the slicer moved forward through the shafts, winding their way inwards and down through the tunnels. They were quiet, for the armor was designed for this kind of operation and the friction additions on their hands and feet let them climb where it wouldn't be possible any other way.

They kept silent, except for the quiet rasp of breathing as they made their down until at last, the slicer nodded and gestured to an access hatch. Kiyron nodded and pressed himself against the shaft on the opposite side. After a moment, he nodded and the slicer attacked the hatch controls until it slid open. Kiyron stepped through, covering the left, while the slicer stepped through at the same time, covering the right.

"Jedi first," Kiyron said with half a joke. "In case you were feeling useless."

 

[Credius Nargath]

Location: Ultima Hunting
Allies: TSE
Enemies: ORC & Allies | Cedric Grayson Loske Matson [member="Darth Carnifex"]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUNNXecb6nA[/youtube]

He could feel him, taste him even, that spec of light side of the force within the overwhelming presence of darkness. Because the Sith Lord could sense that that very speck of light was shifting and moving again, he did not doubt that this jedi and whomever they had on their side were able to dispatch those useless Vongs that were employed aboard the superweapon. Just as he managed to slip around the corner of one of the corridors leading to one of the various exits of the Ultima, Halcyon just noticed how someone was able to smash through a grate sealing off the entrance to a ventilation shaft. He was honestly rather surprised they'd want to go through something like that, as he was pretty certain that those ventilation shafts only accommodated for the places where the regular personel would be present. However, the emperor's chambers were also accounted through these shafts and though Halcyon was pretty sure that the monstrous Sith could probably hold his own against a few people, it was still his own head which would've been taken if something like that would ever come to pass. Cussing under his breath, barely audible through his helmet's rebreather and vocal modulator, the Sith lord stretched out his arm in order to push the crumbled corpses of the Vhong into the direction of what he'd describe as a ragtag group of infiltrators...and a Jedi...

"You?!" The Sith's voice boomed through his helmet, looking straight at the one whom he'd been sensing this entire time, whom he'd been tracking. While still aiming to block off their escape and subsequent path through the ventilation shaft by throwing one corpse after another at the entrance to the ventilation shaft, the Sith lord's other hand instantly started to be surrounded by black sparks of electricity, his anger boiling and the fear of failure empowering him just as much as the crystals on his gauntlets were doing by allowing him to further elevate his controle over the force and within the Ultima, the dark side reigned supreme. "Let's see if you can find your way out of THIS!"

The black sparks accumulated into a torrent of black lightning ripping through the air, clambering alongside the walls and ground towards the group of infiltrators, tearing through whatever corpses remained upon the ground between them. It was a clear indicator of just how powerfull one could be through the dark side when in the presence of such an overwhelming locus of it. "By the will of the Emperor...you shall be executed."

 

[Tiland Kortun]

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

"Ah, the Sith," Tiland said, letting the Light drop from his hands as it clashed against the waves of darkness. "Always so utilitarian. Really, I had hoped for a rational conversation..."

His voice trailed off as the room grew darker, colder, more ominous, and voices whispered in the far corners of his mind. Their words were familiar. Feed. Drink of his soup. You have the power, the skill. Embrace your heritage.

They were words he had been hearing for a thousand years. Yet they were more potent now, more pressing. What if there was no other way to stop him? To stop the weapon? It was, after all, ridiculous what he had done. Infiltrated an enemy superweapon armed with nothing but tea and a long stick.

A stick. That sparked an idea. But where had it gone? It had rolled away into the darkness when he hit the ground? He let his knees buckle as he staggered around the room, eyes trying to peer through the murk until he saw it, on the far side of the chamber, near the viewports.

He let himself sink down a little further, leaning against the wall as he stumbled in that direction.

"You know," he said after a moment, "I never know why the Force leads me places. It just does. Even when things go... poorly." He sank down against the bulkhead, placing his foot atop the staff and cradling it. He recognized this flavor of Dark Side magic. Had seen it before. But how had he countered it? What had it taken?

The Force, of course. He let himself sink into the Force and opened his being to it. It flooded into him, strengthening him, and pushing the voices back into the recesses of his mind. It still held close though. If he unleashed himself and embraced all that he was taught of the Dark Side and Anzati assassination, he could end this. Perhaps end all of this. Challenge him for his position of Dark Lord of the Sith. End all of this.

Did the Sith even work like that at this point? But no, that would be a defeat, even if it was a temporary victory. The only true battle was against one's self. Was that not what he had been teaching his pupils? Was that not one of the core tenets of the Way of the Light Hand? Could he betray everything he taught and believed in for the sake of this planet?

What was the sacrifice of one's self when it came to saving a world? Yet, what would the costs down the road be? If he pursued such a path, what other atrocities would he commit in the name of the greater good?

The Light was filling him now and he looked up to where the Sith emperor towered in the room. Mind now cleared, he had a sense of what he needed to do. Slowly, pained from his injuries, the old Anzati pulled himself up on his staff, leaning back further against the corner.

The Force flowed through him, into his body, and he slowed his body down. Even for an Anzati that already seemed like a corpse, his mind and body slowed, and he teetered on the edge of consciousness, channeling the Force into the staff and into his body.

"But perhaps I came to accomplish this." He put the entirety of his considerable strength, both physical and Force enhanced, to slam the staff into the viewport, sending splinters and cracks across the view to try and break it wide open and leave the throne room vulnerable to the ravages of space.

 

[Loske Treicolt]

Objective: Disable the Projection Rings​

Buddies: [member="Kiyron"] / [member="Cedric Grayson"]​

Bullies: [member="Credius Nargath"]​

Soundtrack​

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The lumps of previously living bodies stagnated around them and Loske remained mostly silent for a change while the operatives worked. Warily, she gast a glance away from the corridor to a nearby viewpoint, realizing that what had previously been onyx spattered with diamonds and a soft glow of the planet below had been replaced by the orange, smoke-covered haze of a planet below.

“We don’t have much time.” She murmured somberly. It wasn’t a particularly helpful observation, given they were all doing as much as they could within the constraints that were offered. If she were to concentrate deeper, she could feel the height of the ship’s sinister intent beginning to reach its full potential. It was gearing up for something beyond dastardly.

Sparks reacted from the machinations of the Huntsmen operative, and Loske took the cue to reholster her weapon and crouch to enter as instructed. This was an entirely different process that twirling throughout the skies and avoiding torpedoes, this seemed to take forever. When she was skyborn, hours above felt like mere seconds. The adrenaline was different. Here seemed to be obstacle after obstacle.

The folks they were traveling with were as silent as space rodents, largely untraceable by audio alone. She was fairly light in her movements, conscious of being heavy footed or striking a knee where it ought not to. All the while they moved, Ultima continued to as well. And that nagging feeling of familiarity felt like a blossoming group of tendrils against the nape of her neck. Her stomach knotted and she grit her teeth as they drew to the next grille. There was a moment’s pause before that was popped as well, and they’d be free to stand and operate efficiently once again, instead of crawling. That sensation against her skin grew more and more agitated. It was also when all that caf hit.

As the Force would have it, another impediment bade them salutations when the door popped open. Honestly, it was expected at this point given they were crawling deeper into the belly of the beast and had left a puddle of carnage behind them from where they’d started. It would either be the janitorial committee after them, or a hot shot Sith looking to ensure the rebellion’s flame was snuffed out. Given the get up was not coveralls ahead of them, it seemed the latter was more appropriate.

On the other side of the grate were perhaps a dozen of technicians who were..by and large surprised at the arrival of the well armoured Jedi and group. They looked sickly, and drained of a sense of purpose other than operationalizing this damnable contraption. Loske herself felt greatly uneased once they’d drawn so near to the room. Her cheeks felt sunken and body heavy, wearied by the saturation of darkness in the room. With a grimace, she struggled to focus on the objective here.

That was distracted by the shout that demanded attention. It seemed the technicians were doubly surprised by this presence. The cackle of energy emitting from the fists of the Sith seemed to frighten them, and that fear turned to anger when the electricity licked throughout their room, causing sparks to some of their operational machinery. “Hey!” They complained, although realizing something was going to happen one way or another, between team members of their own or the boarders that had cheerfully appeared. They armed themselves against their attackers.

The strike of electricity was mostly aimed at [member="Cedric Grayson"], although uncontrolled sparking tendrils did not spare her own flesh. Reticent about the pain, she couldn’t help but get Metellos flashbacks. That dark attack, coupled with the seeping energy from the centre they were privy to, and the irking sensation that prickled along her skin of Kaine Zambrano's mere presence was too much.

Something inside her started to spark and boil.

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

As Frank ​

Coordinating with autopilot on was a blessing. Alongside him in darkness, several other astromechs piloted the pre-plotted route that encircled the weapon. Fleets were barraging each other outside the realm of the super weapon, far from the shields. The modified StealthX ships were in close to Ultima, skirting just beyond its shields.

When the timing was right, the crew of StealthX ships revealed themselves near the pointed towers. As there were only six ships, they’d split into pairs of three to spread out damage. Glop bombs dropped from the ships against the tower’s sides, followed swiftly by Bunker-busters. It was woeful they were so underarmoured as stealth machines, but this was as near as they could get without getting plucked out of the sky merely attempting to close the distance between the flagship and Ultima.

Frank let out a hoot of excitement which was echoed by sister astromechs when the first buster initiated through the hardened primer of the glop bomb. Whichever control tower this was, it would be reporting damage and the StealthX’s would need to clear away swiftly. On cue, they curled from the location - but not before one of them was clipped by the Ultima’s reactive defenses. The previously invisible X-Wing exploded into shrapnel of glass, wasted weaponry, and fractions of the droid that had been remaining to pilot the aircraft.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The staff moved slowly, time like liquid as the Emperor's accelerated senses witnessed the blow descend in agonizing micro-seconds.

It struck the glasteel barrier separating the throne room from the vacuum of space, the material buckling as snaking cracks spiraled out from the point of impact, spreading outward until the pressure equilibrium was altogether unbalanced.

Then the entire glass wall gave way.

Emperor Carnifex flung himself down onto the ground, for though his boots were magnetized to the durasteel floor, he didn't dare rely on them alone to protect him from the gale that now assaulted the throne room. The guards that had been silently watching their Lord's battle with the Jedi Monk were suddenly pulled from where they stood, siphoned out into the darkness of the void before they had a chance to react. The Emperor dug his armored fingers into the metal, calling upon the strength of the Dark Side as well as his own to keep him rooted.

He angled his body to look around, reaching out with one hand to fire another crackling barrage of lightning at the Jedi Monk right as the emergency systems started to kick in, a sliding wall of turadium rushing out from the partition to seal the breach.

[member="Tiland Kortun"]​

 

[Tempest]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]

The lightning was doing its job, but Enyo was just so incredibly resilient that she was still coming at her!
The situation was getting more dire, but got just a little bit worse when her HUD started to malfunction. Fortunately the HUD was not opaque, but she temporarily lost all her comms and info. This was too much of a coincidence to not be the work of Enyo. It made sense that the cyborg had power over machines after all!

Precognition screamed at her, and her exposed hand was on the chopping board! Quickly she raised the forearm beskar plate to block the strike, but as she did the purple blade slid down and for just a half second scored across her unprotected hand. Agonising pain hit Tempest, and to her horror she saw her left hand pinkie fall to the floor.

Anger filled her, and finally overcoming the stun she parried the blade with her own lightsabre. She had to act, but right now lightning was out of the question. Suddenly she had an idea.

Propping herself back awkwardly, she used her damaged left hand to extract her remaining ion grenades and hurled them at Enyo’s feet. Simultaneously she used the Force to craft a protective bubble around herself, just as Siobhan had taught her to do….

Meanwhile her ill-aimed salvo of lightning had struck home on some controls, causing a very important circuit to be tripped. They don’t…or perhaps do considering the Death Star…make planet killers like they used to!

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Tempest"]

Undaunted, Enyo readied another strike. In that moment, Tempest's barrier formed. A potent telekinetic slam, aimed at Tempest's face, crashed against it, causing the translucent bubble to shimmer under the strong pressure. The impact might still hurt her. Rather than hew away at the bubble with her lightsabre until it gave way, she stepped back. And heard the grenades hit the floor. There was no time to pull out and avoid the point-blank explosion. Enyo was fast, but weighed down by her heavy armour.

Moreover, the lightning and ionic assaults from earlier had damaged one of her legs. Thus she could not run. All she could do was face the detonation, rely on her suit's countermeasures and try draw the energy into a ball and channel it away from herself. Boom. Sparks flew, and ionic energy crawled over her. Smoke coiled from her armour. Her damaged eye gave up the ghost. The other closed. Her brain box heated up. The Cyborg hit the floor with a loud thud.

Meanwhile, control pads exploded, there was a sudden power surge, and the station shuddered. It was going the way of the many superweapons that had preceded it. As alarm sirens blared...Enyo's remaining eye opened. It would not stop flickering. Her good hand clenched and unclenched, fingers twitching until she got it under control.

She arose mechanically. Standing a bit shakily, the Cyborg heard the klaxons blaring. She felt the damaged machinery. It was in its death throes. If Enyo had been a fanatic, she might have continued pressing her assault - and then died when the station followed the death star into oblivion. But she was no zealot or a Sith minion. Her relationship with them was purely contractual.

The shudders grew worse. "The st-station is doomed," she assessed dispassionately. "Further c-combat is il-ilogical." Her tone was bland. Her words came across as slurred due to the damage her vocabulator had sustained. It was time for her to depart.

 

[Tempest]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
Tempest could see she was having an impact, but she was not in great condition herself. Her mission was to destroy the station, and it seemed through either blind luck or the will of the Force she had accomplished this mad goal.

“Yes, but we will meet again…especially if you insist on working for the Sith.”

Walking was agonising, but at least she had her jetpack, the Force, and a lot of sheer determination. The Sith on the station were fleeing the sinking ship, and paid no mind to her as she sought out and found a likely ship and exited the station.

Behind her she’d see the beautiful fireworks start to happen as she headed for the Firemane Fleet’s hangers…being careful to transmit codes so she didn’t get blasted out of the sky.