defy the tyrannous stars
I have whirl’d with the earth at the dawning
When the sky was a vaporous flame
I have seen the dark universe yawning
Where the black planets roll without aim
Where they roll in their horror unheeded
Without knowledge or lustre or name.
KADAVO SURFACE
[member="Deacon"] had seen better days.
He was used to this kind of undercover work, but the Zygerrian's main labor processing hub was a kind of hell on earth. Escape artist or not, he was glad it was almost time to get this show on the road because he was sweating through his rags. Nestled in the caldera of a supervolcano, only repulsorlift suspension fields kept this whole place from sinking underneath molten lava. Under ordinary circumstances, it would be a very effective escape deterrent, but these were interesting times.
Zygerrian security was robust, thankfully most of them were simple-minded enough creatures. Some hijacked Sith Imperial landing codes, a mind trick here and there, it had been a challenge smuggling armed rebels planetside but slavers were used to keeping people from getting out. Most of their security precautions did not even consider that anyone would be insane enough to try and break in.
"Hey there sweetheart," he called out to his pen's sole female guard, "What's the word?"
Her feline features twitched, and from the way she began stalking toward him, he could tell the slaver had violent thoughts. Deacon had been watching her for some time now and noticed how she was even more ruthless with the stock than her male counterparts. Probably felt like she had something to prove. That's what he was counting on. Most of the time they kept their distance, but every once in a while they leaned in close to taunt or provide discipline.
With a sneer, she raised her pain stick to send electric waves painfully coursing through his body. Suddenly the force field between them vanished. Shocked at this turn of events, the Zygerrian hesitated, but Deacon had been anticipating this very moment and did not. Lightning fast reflexes struck out, gripping her wrist and twisting the pain stick back around on its wielder.
PROJECT SITE - TRIUMPH
A wave of cold water struck his face, and [member="Zak Amroth"] blinked open his eyes sputtering."Wake up, Sheriff."
"Where the hell am I?" he wondered aloud, and immediately regretted it.
His head was pounding, the lights around him were oppressive. He was definitely hungover. Zak couldn't remember the previous forty-eight hours, but that in itself wasn't unusual. His surroundings, on the other hand...he felt like he was sitting up inside an optical illusion. Non-euclidean geometry made him felt like he had to retch. This place felt like a dream, but the pulsing waves of pain radiating out from his skull served as a constant reminder that he was very much awake.
"Good question. We're off the edge of the map, that's for damn sure."
Slowly the pieces started to fall into place from the night before. The Underground had called him in for an urgent job, but on the way to the rendezvous, a strange ship appeared on his sensors and knocked him unconscious with a flash of light. Next thing he knew he was at the meeting he was supposed to be, but on their enigmatic hosts’ terms. They had offered to help, far more than they had ever offered before as far as history went.
Zak stumbled off the ship and sobered up at the sight of so many Sith Imperial personnel lying unconscious around their strangely beautiful transport. The massive station's automated facilities stretched impossibly onward, which meant there were certainly more defenders where these came from. But their benefactor's unexpected assistance had delivered them into the bowels of the enemy's stronghold before Sith Imperial sensors even picked up the arrival of a Coalition task force dropping out of hyperspace simultaneously.
"Alright gang," Sheriff Amroth pushed past the others, taking lead with an air of unearned confidence, "Move out!"
ERROR >> LOCATION UNKNOWN
"You know I'm here, don't you?"The Jedi spirit raised his eyebrow in mild amazement when the mystic bowed its head in affirmation. He could walk the paths unseen, shield his presence completely from the living with a simple thought. Somehow this alien's consciousness was not so limited by matters as trivial as life and death. It seemed able to pierce that veil as effortlessly as one might pull back a curtain.
You are always here.
"I see," Zark said, even if he did nothing of the kind.
The Aing-Tii were known to be masters of time, through the practice of flow-walking they were even able to see time itself. In a sense, they existed everywhere on the timeline at once. This was a jealously guarded secret, there were only a handful of times in cosmic history when the monks had interfered with events outside the Kathol Rift. To so willingly aid the Coalition, after years of ignoring their very existence. It had drawn the Conclave's attention.
Ask your question.
"Why are you doing this?" the spirit ventured after a long pause, "Why help now?"
That is not the right question.
Its thoughts resonated in his mind, the concepts vague and undefined. Spoken language was a foreign construct to the Aing-Tii, its responses were as much a feeling as concept. This one crashed over him like a wave, so much so that his presence recoiled. Gathering the will to try again, Zark considered a different approach.
"Have you reconsidered the Conclave's offer? Are you finally taking a side?"
That is not the right question.
This time it was more forceful, and it was all the Jedi Master could do to keep his essence from spiraling back through the Mist-Beyond. One more chance. He remembered something Braxus had said to him over Rhen Var, about bending the Force itself to his will if it allowed the Sith to have their revenge. For years their Emperor had been obsessed with ancient artifacts, dig sites across the galaxy...
"The Dark Lord's building something," Zark realized out loud, and when he noticed the Aing-Tii offered no response he hesitantly added, "What is it?"
The beginning of the end.
SURFACE ENGAGEMENT ZONE/SHARED SPAWN
Hovering over one of the larger calderas of a super volcano, Kadavo’s central processing facility is the main artery of a slave trade which is critical to maintaining the excruciating timetable for whatever secret project is under construction in orbit. Coalition militia forces have been smuggled down to a site already infiltrated by Underground agents. Orchestrated slave revolts are currently underway, provoking an overwhelming response from the Sith Imperials in orbit who have dispatched a full scale assault to counter this uprising.
SECURE DATABANKS
ORBIT ENGAGEMENT ZONE
Deep within the Sith Imperial construction yard are whole decks of technical databanks from which automated droid brains can access copies of the Empire’s entire schematic catalogue. It is the only known location outside Bastion of any information on Project Triumph. Thanks to assistance from the Aing-Tii, a Coalition strike team is en route and all Sith forces not already on their way to quell the uprising have been summoned to battle stations.
AUTOMATED FACILITIES
ORBIT SPAWN (ORC)
Although they will not explain why, Aing-Tii monks of the Kathol Rift have taken more direct action than any time in recorded history and provided the Coalition with a Sanhedrim ship to breach the Sith Imperial construction yard’s robust defenses. Blinking into existence and neutralizing any living soul in range with non-lethal weaponry, enemy operatives are now on the loose inside Project Site Triumph.
COMMAND TOWER/SANCTUM
ORBIT SPAWN (TSE)
Near the center of the construction yard is a control tower and High Command sanctum, where senior personnel of both the military and Sith Brotherhood can monitor progress and oversee the station’s internal defenses. Both are currently in a state of controlled chaos as sensor readouts and distress calls struggle to confirm the impossible intruders.