Dominion Dread Wall (SO Dominion of Hand of the Makers)

[Darth Carnifex]

<"Thou needn't cry aloud, thou art chosen.">

His fingers traced small ternions across bare flesh, smoke rising where the digit pressed into skin. In its wake was left raw meat, the outer layers of skin burned away by mere touch. The individual to which the skin belonged to pulled hard against the restraints around their wrists and ankles, sheets of metal torn from the walls and tightly bent around each limb until movement was fully impeded. No matter how much they struggled, the bonds would not budge; and would even grow tighter over time, blood seeping out where the metal dug into their skin.

Demiurge was an innately ritualistic creature, drawn to symbolism and ornate ceremony. One could consider him the most devoutly religious of the pair, with Carnifex focusing more on the material world and its material needs. In a way, Demiurge was obsessed with the material as well, but with how to ascend it entirely. He believed that pain was the key, that through pain the abandonment of flesh could be achieved. Already, the pair primarily existed as formless energy, but without an avatar of flesh to act as a conduit for their power they could do little to affect the world around them.

He wanted to overcome that limitation, to pass beyond the barrier and achieve full incorporeal might. To this end, he subjected countless to immense suffering. His latest victim squirmed as Demiurge drew another symbol into his flesh, the stench of sizzling skin tantalizing to the Dark Lord's finely tuned senses. Conversation between them had quickly died out, as Demiurge refused to speak to them in anything other than ur-Kittât, which they could not understand. Even if they could, Demiurge's crypticism would only confuse them, for they were not as enlightened as he.

Suddenly, Demiurge perked his head to one side. <"It seems we are not as alone as I had believed."> Demiurge then slid his finger along the man's lips, fusing them together as though they had been welded shut. With his screams now muffled, Demiurge felt confident in leaving his canvas alone for a moment to investigate.

Darth Hadius | Darth Excidium | Cato Demora | Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Walking Nightmares and a little BYOO

"It is often the subtlest influences that can undermine the strongest minds," a voice would whisper into Alina Tremiru 's ear. From the shadows, a raven made of wisps of darkness and smoke would flutter out and alight upon her shoulder. Eyes of softly glowing amethyst would leave no doubt who the Sith familiar belonged to.

She had been quiet for some time, working on a project that required her full attention, even to the detriment of expanding this new Empire. But her attentions were once again returning as the project neared a stage of progression that didn't require her oversight. And while the region being subsumed was of interest her, she had only dispatched a few capture units to acquire more starweirds for the Arcane Syn's experiments with spirits and ethereal alterations.

"The next crop of Inquisitors will be better for this... experience."

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While her familiar interacted with Alina, another would emerge nearby to where the avatar of her oldest ally Darth Carnifex continued his grisly work. A flutter of dark wings would have it land upon his shoulder, the head of the raven turning as though inspecting the victim and the symbols being burned into their flesh.

"Zaisosut na tu'iyia rososutia wau? <Playing with your food again?>" the voice would whisper from its beak, clinking and clacking in rhythm with the language of the Sith. "J'us waria niyikada tsosutaiyi kam j'us tuti satchi ati timias tsudama. <You'll never find what you're looking for amongst these dead.>" There would be a tinge of amusement to the words as the raven spoke, channeling its master's voice across space and time from where she was enjoying the latest hospitality of the Senate.

 

[Dyyr T'Pada]

Darth Strosius
Dread Wall

​

Location: The bridge of the Star Destroyer Indomitable
Objective: III, Indomitable Will
Accompaniment: 200 Enthralled Davakar, 10 Qatilovçu, trained warbeasts, 5 Amon Sev
Equipment: Barad Glaive, HG-88 Hand Cannon

At the entrance to the bridge, the turbo lift doors opened. Several cultists were talking inside. Their leader was explaining their redeployment.

“All I’ve been told is that the time has come. Our resurgence will begin from the bridge.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. If they make it all the way up here, it will be too late to stop them. They’ll have the whole ship.”

“Ah, but you forget all he has foreseen. If it is true his strength is full, these interlopers stand no chance.”

The cultists marched down the hall, unaware of the eyes watching them through the lift’s emergency hatch.

“But why does he need to fight? There’s still a chance we push them back.”

“It is his decision to make. Would you shun the privilege to see him come forth?”

But instead of answering, the cultist screamed. The leader turned to see Dyyr rapidly carving through his men. He drew his blaster as his last man fell and opened fire, but Dyyr swept aside and thrust his glaive though the fanatic’s chest. Now he stood alone in the corridor, smirking at the doors. He had been unable to open them himself. When he had sent his skreev back down the lift shaft and seen the lift approaching, he had wagered his prey would bring a key. Now he stooped to loot his last victim but found nothing. When he stood, he saw the doors yawning open before him. His smirk died as he drew his disruptor. There were no targets in the gloom beyond the doors. He advanced wearily, beginning to feel a creeping premonition.

He now found himself in a dimly lit chamber. The only illumination was the eerie violet light from the transparisteel viewports surrounding the command deck. But it wasn’t just dark. Something was suppressing his senses. There didn’t seem to be anyone else inside the wide, cluttered chamber before him. But something was there. He wasn’t alone. He could feel it. Disruptor in one hand, glaive in the other, he stalked into the room, squinting in the darkness. Then he trod upon flesh. He looked down and saw a corpse. Eyes wide. Staring at the ceiling. It was the boy who had escaped him in the hangar bay. He had delivered his message. He stepped back and scanned the room for a killer. His eyes were adjusting now, and he could see them. Those shapes littering the floor. Not consoles or refuse. Bodies. Carnage. Most with their hands clutching their ribs or throats. Each lifeless on their backs staring blindly up. Dyyr’s heart was beginning to pound. If the boy had delivered his message, it was too late. He had to evacuate now before - The thought hadn’t even fully crossed his mind before the doors crashed shut. Out of the darkness, something pushed him to his knees. A ringing had begun in his ears, or a roaring? And his chest was beginning to collapse. The corpses around him began to stir, their heads simultaneously turning to look up in reverence to the center of the room where the shadows were pooling. Dyyr found his gaze following theirs.

There was someone there.

A terrible weight forced the shaman to his face, before he began to slide across the floor to kneel at the foot of the man behind the slaughter. A pale hand shot out of the darkness to seize Dyyr's throat, hoist him up, he couldn't move, couldn't breathe, and the familiar presence was far more frightening than any unknown horror.

“That’s not possible.”

"You seem surprised."

 

[Venn Kolis]

Dyyr T'Pada Darth Strosius
THE SITH ORDER
Dominion of the Hand of the Makers: Dread Wall

~The Ring~ ~The Torch~
Bridge of the Indomitable
​

"You seem surprised."

The screaming torment of Haijin-Rel's massacred followers coursed through Venn's body like a powerful drug. Delicious.

Even more wonderful was the sheer disbelief on his Executioner's face. When your right-hand-man was a 7ft tall monster with telepathic potential rivalling your own, it was essential to keep him off balance, to ensure continued loyalty.

For example, you could disappear for several cycles on a clandestine voyage to accrue power in the Force, stumble into a truly massive ancient wreck, merge with some immortal entity of the void, go slightly insane for bit and accidentally start a cult (something Venn normally did on purpose,) and then turn up unexpectedly, so you could hurl your monstrous prodigy through a viewport and into the black death of space.

Which reminded him! He hadn't gotten around to that last part yet.

Currents of dark energy swirled about the pair as Venn regarded Dyyr lazily. Though his grip was on Dyyr's throat, he held him purely through the Force: two human hands wouldn't fit around that neck, let alone one. Drael were obnoxiously large.

"Pay close attention, Tyro. It is time for instruction."

And he turned, and flung Dyyr into the largest viewport on the Indomitable's bridge. Clouds of inky rage raced from around the room to ensure the blast was sufficient, as with a mighty crash Dyyr smashed through the transparisteel panel and was immediately pulled into space, along with the corpses of every cultist who'd so far answered the call to retreat here to 'safety'. Alarm klaxons could scarcely be heard over the deafening rush of all air from the bridge being ripped into the endless vacuum. Against the immense pull, Venn felt one foot begin to slide. Annoyed, he adjusted his stance.

A second later, rayshield emitters flared to life, sealing the breach long enough for emergency partitions to slide closed over the viewport's ruined frame. Silence reigned once more, and Venn turned the pitch-black of his eyes back to the rear of the bridge. Reserve air began pumping. The lights came back on.

With a hiss the bridge doors opened once more, and in came what looked to be the last of the Haijin-Ka: 50 in all? 60? They'd nearly served their purpose. Dirty scavengers, devoted to an entity that cared nothing for them. Its only focus was strengthening its hold over Venn, until it had sole control of their shared physical form. The Pretender God was in for a disappointment.

The Haijin-ka could see their comrades were not here, and that the viewport had been compromised. The bloodstains had not been sucked into space. For the very first time, they looked at their deity with a practical sense of worry, wondering if they'd meet the same fate. Haijin-Rel was displeased by their doubt, and grimaced. Venn only stared at them all dispassionately.

"Battle stations, everyone. They will be here soon. Have no fear, for we are- I am with you."

Ha, he'd noticed that little verbal slip. Like a Drael Executioner, keeping Star Children off-balance was a key part of manipulating them.

The bland musings send a wave of peace through the cultists' broken minds. Being peace meant that it was, of course, a lie. The Sith force onboard this ship was enough to wipe them all out, and even if it hadn't been, Venn could sense his master's presence nearby. The Haijin-Ka were less than mynocks in the face of the Corpse God. They stood no chance, and they weren't meant to.

Resist Sith expansion?! The very idea. Venn was many things, but a traitor? Scandalous. Whatever he might've told Haijin-Rel and his scruffy flock, the Haijin-Ka had just one purpose now:

They were meant to cause Haxim and the Tsis'Kaar just as much of a headache as possible.

Venn's last battle on the bridge of a warship with Darth Strosius had ended... disappointingly. It was time they picked up where they left off.

 

[Darth Excidium]

II. WAKING NIGHTMARES​

The more cognizant Excidium became, the more he realized that numerous life forms could be felt.

Before him, the horrors of the place were whittled down, torn and ripped, brought to nothingness. Excidium's creatures weren't necessarily more powerful, so much as they were unified and numerous, with a persistent source of bodies scattered around to throw at the problem. While the darkness of the Holy of Holies, strong and permeating as it was, was drawn toward many sources. That created opportunity, it delivered weakness, and the sorcerer would capitalize on that.

The closer Excidium got to the central atrium, the more prevalent the sound of battle. Specifically blaster-fire. The flickering out of essence in the area continued, as whatever continued to shoot also continued to destroy the ever-present darkness of the place and its creations. Excidium smiled to himself, as he - and the small army of beings under his control - rounded the final corridors and approached the larger, more open hall where the Sith combatants fought.

One called out, demanding identification.

"I am Excidium," The Sith Lord said, as his emerald eyes sighted the Sith troopers. "Has the Sith Empire finally arrived at this place?"

The smoke demon in wampa form remained in a frenzied state, however the sorcerer exerted his influence and belayed the conjuration from attacking the - potentially - friendly forces in the central atrium. Instead, it continued to bound through the open area, passed the troopers, and continued down another hallway intent on seeking out its random victim... it was now dedicated to the task, to complete the purpose for being summoned, and Excidium released his control of it.

Against one wall, an individual spied the situation nearby.

Excidium glanced in that direction, spying the humanoid in turn.

"And you, trooper? Are you here on behest of your Emperor, Carnifex?" Excidium had felt the other Sith Lord through the Force, most certainly, though something seemed... different. It was a curiosity. "And take heed, this place will not stop until you are under its influence and power... what is your purpose here?"

The Sith Empire, for that was the last Excidium recalled being associated with Carnifex, was likely seeking to enact control. Excidium doubted such a thing was possible. Though, whether through stubborn pride or unfortunate hubris, he felt willing to try should that be the purpose of the Sith...

"You are not familiar to me," The sorcerer said, as he pointedly looked toward the blood-covered humanoid that leaned on the wall, a distance away. "Though I assume you are with the Sith, what is your name?"

The essence from the raven perched on that individual's shoulder, however, did seem more familiar...

Cato Demora | Darth Carnifex | Alina Tremiru | Taeli Raaf
​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Perhaps, if they survive. I can't say I'm too pleased to have to train yet another batch, but.. Ah well." She shrugged indifferently to the raven on her shoulder. Her Master. It'd been a while since either of them had turned their attention to the Sith as a whole. Or each other. Plots within plots, plans within plans. There were always things she needed to do to try and keep ahead. Or find a way to get ahead.

Maybe one day.

"Though I assume you are with the Sith, what is your name?"

"Alina. I am with the Sith, yes." She cast a glance to the man again, simply dipping her head in greeting. She didn't know him. But he was strong, that much was clear. "Who do you serve?"

Taeli Raaf | Darth Excidium | Cato Demora | Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Indomitable Will
Location: The Indomitable
Equipment: Lightsaber, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Dyyr T'Pada / Venn Kolis

The fight to get to the bridge proved to be the most challenging part of the Indomitable thus far. What the Haijin-Ka lacked in tactics and strategy they certainly made up for in sheer blind zealotry and rage against their Tsis'Kaar invaders. It idly reminded Alisteri of his own Legionnaires, except they were far more fashionable and well armed than the ship's locals. As they should be.

And then again silence began reigning as the hallways and passages would soon prove to be empty after the initial advance. Evidently the cultists were pulling back after all. His allies were reporting similar lacking resistance all across the ship by this point, a fact that brought equal relief and anxiety. What were they all pulling back to defend that was so valuable? His thoughts were interrupted as alarms suddenly rang out across the halls of the Indomitable, his head swiveling around to try and find some reason for the alarms despite the empty hallway that he found himself in.

:"Someone report! What the feth is causing that?": Alisteri tapped on his helmet's communicator as he strode forward despite the sudden alarms. He still had a bridge to reach after all. :"Something just flew out of the bridge's viewport sir. Looks like there may be a struggle up there.": The news brought a string of curses from the Knight, all hissed under his breath as he broke out into a sprint down the hallway. His Legionnaires were left behind despite their attempts to run after their leader, the Sith soon finding himself alone as he ran towards the nearest turbo-lift leading to the bridge. If there was someone there then the mission was at risk of being compromised.

They had come too far to lose now.

Alisteri arrived at a set of closed doors and wrenched them open with his hands, stepping into the turbo-lift and slamming onto the appropriate button that would take him up to the bridge. The doors couldn't close anymore but the lift moved upwards anyway and the Knight tapped on his helmet once again. :"I'll deal with the bridge myself. Scour the rest of the ship for any other activity and shoot whatever doesn't belong to us. This ship belongs to the Tsis'Kaar.": Whether it be interloping Sith forces or Haijin-Ka remnants, this ship would be purged of all intruders. There was no other option anymore.

His lightsaber, which he had deactivated during his run, hissed back to life once more as he watched the levels of the ship pass by. Upwards and upwards the lift carried him until finally it arrived at the bridge with a small dinging noise. He stepped out into the hallway and his gaze landed on the doors to the bridge. So close to his goal and yet still so far away. Not to mention there was some strange presence beyond those doors, something that he didn't bother trying to probe with his mind. Alisteri's wrath was too blinding for such a patient task. He marched up to the last doors in his way and plunged his red blade into them, starting to carve an entrance into them.

Whatever lay beyond was in his way and stood in the way of the Sith as a result. So it had to be pushed through no matter what.

 

[Cato Demora]

Operation: Regal Ichor
Objective: Waking Nightmares
Crown Squadron: Crown [Cpt] // Sovreign [Sgt] // Reaper [Sgt] // Monarch [Cpl] // King [Cpl] // Duke [Pvt]

"We have.", Crown said as he motioned for his team to fall at ease. If this man was a Sith, being in a combat stance would only illicit aggression - and to his own credit, he didn't imagine this man with zombies defending him would be able to outpace his own reactions.​

​

On his question of Emperor, Reaper's encrypted voice broke the silence in a heavily modulated tone -​

​

"Damn Kainite propaganda.", he said in a way none but the other Praetorians could understand. Sovreign gave him a testing glance even behind the eyeless glance of his mask.​

​

Crown ignored them and replied;​

​

"My callsign is Crown. We answer to Darth Empyrean, not Darth Carnifex - Sir.", he tied on the Sir like it was a point of finality. There would be no question to their loyalty.​

​

"You don't need to worry about us, Lord. We're built to be immune to the Force - It's the reason we're the only ones left with some sanity to 'em."​

​

He motioned his troopers forward as the others made their greeting, glancing at his map. A few more hallways until they could reach the central atrium and put a rest to this chaotic mess. The battery operated force disruptor would give them time to find whatever artifact was causing this - and allow them to isolate it. Returning this back to the Eternal's scholars would do well for the programs funding.​

​

He glanced back up and showed the others his map on a holo display from the palm of his hand;​

​

"Sith Lords and Ladys, our Squad needs to make it to the Central Atrium. Intel has informed us that the insanity is being caused by an artifact recently activated - we intend to disable the Force for a few hours, isolate the artifact, and bring it home under more careful hands. I'd recommend you join us."​

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Alina Tremiru // Darth Excidium // Taeli Raaf // Darth Carnifex​

 

[Venn Kolis]

Dyyr T'Pada Darth Strosius
THE SITH ORDER
Dominion of the Hand of the Makers: Dread Wall

~The Ring~ ~The Torch~
Bridge of the Indomitable
​

He was here.

Venn knew his presence well. Rage that palpable could scarcely be hidden from the mind of a Sith. The others in the room came to the realization a bit later. The crackling crash of a red lightsaber through the bridge doors sent a fright through the assembled scrappers. While Venn stood boldly before the doors, the survivors huddled behind whatever cover they could find: consoles, chairs, each other, and pointed every old rusty blaster they had at the doors. Alisteri had begun to work his way through the steel barrier in a laborious circle. Seeing what that blade could do was unnerving more than a few of the Haijin-Ka, who were realizing their bodies were far less durable than the blast doors.

"Steady all," came the voice of Haijin-Rel to his flock. He spoke through Venn's lips, and quickly realized Venn was giving him free reign over their speech. The Star Child, predictably, did what he did every time Venn let him speak without any input.

He began to wax poetic, and give an unimaginative speech.

"This Sith cannot truly hurt you, for he knows no god but himself. You have put your trust in a celestial being, and I shall not allow his dark magiks to corrupt your hearts, for the depth of your love for me is as deep as my absolute power-"

Feth, but that was annoying. As his mouth issued total garbage, Venn's hand stretched out to the debris scattered about the room. Shards of transparisteel swirled together into a single mass, which began to glow molten as it spun. The young alchemist frowned in concentration... or, he would have, if he wasn't playing vessel to a narcissistic nebula just then. The molten glass began to elongate and thin, becoming a rod of glass that cooled in seconds. It settled into his hand, smooth and flawless. It was only common glass, but it would do for now, until Venn could sit down at his forge and make a worthier piece.

The Alchemist's Eye burned bright on one finger, as Venn sent his will through the ring to his servants aboard the Indomitable. He could actually feel their confusion and elation through the Force as his presence was revealed to them, which made him grin around his mouthful of arrogant nonsense. His instructions were simple and not to be questioned: the Baedurin, the Amon-Sev, all warbeasts, every one of the Sith Eternal operatives Dyyr had brought with him were to evacuate the ship immediately, and avoid all Tsis'Kal forces. Once they'd gotten into a ship, they could start looking for Dyyr, who was probably getting very cold out there in space.

At this point, Darth Strosius had probably given the order to all Tsis'Kaar to start wiping out all Sith allies onboard. It was Haxim's signature move; begin a joint operation with the rest of the Order in good faith, and then stab his friends in the back the moment his goal was in reach. Textbook exploitation, and admirable form if you were betraying anyone else, but fellow Sith? Not even Maw heretics, but the Order's own? Revolting. It made him sick to think that he'd once thought of the two of them as- wait just a second what was his hand doing?

For as Venn lost himself in angry silent ranting at his once-friend, he'd failed to notice Haijin-Rel was lifting Venn's arm to reach out through the Force. The Star Child had levitated what looked like a handmade high-explosive from the pack of a dirty cultist saboteur, floated it across the room, and affixed it to the bridge doors. The ones Alisteri was standing immediately opposite, nearly finished cutting through.

It was at this exact moment that Venn realized, rather annoyingly, that he didn't actually want his friend dead.

And then the blasting charge went off.

​

 

[Venn Kolis]

My apologies, my internet has a disease.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Indomitable Will
Location: The Indomitable
Equipment: Lightsaber, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Dyyr T'Pada / Venn Kolis

The bridge door was tough, clearly meant to repel boarders and lucky shots from starfighters alike, but the durasteel would still give way under the intense heat of his red blade no matter how thick it was. Alisteri was nothing if not persistent after all. Well, persistent and wrathful. Both traits were being exerted against the door that dared to stand in his way at the moment as he slowly carved a hole large enough for himself to step though in the great door that separated him from his target.

He could sense movement alongside the strange signature on the other side of the door, almost able to hear the muffled sounds of some speech due to his excellent hearing. But between the door itself and the hiss of his lightsaber melting durasteel, he couldn't discern any actual words nor could he even tell when conversation began or ended. It didn't really matter what was being said in the end, soon enough the speaker and all their followers would submit or die. The masked Knight was almost through the door, pulling his lightsaber up to finish the shape and make a hole for himself to slip through, when the door suddenly exploded.

Alisteri was thrown back and a decently sized section of the door came with him, pinning him to the ground of the hallway as smoke from the explosion filled the doorway and hall. His lightsaber laid some distance away, under the door much like he was and just out of his reach. For two moments there was no sign of movement and no sound to indicate anything had survived the blast other than the inhabitants of the bridge themselves. And then the door that had been blown off and landed down the hall moved. It groaned as the masked man shifted and hauled it up, slowly coming to his feet with the door held high above his head as he stared at the still-smoking doorway that he had just been standing before.

Rage and wrath flowed off of the Sith in equal measure as he reared back. "IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO?!?!" With a grunt he launched the door forward through the breach, the flying door crushing the curious Haijin-Ka that had stepped forward to peer into the hallway and crashing into the bridge consoles that lay in the center of the room. A roar, something that betrayed his nature as something other than Human given the strange tone of it, ripped out of his throat as he ran forward towards the bridge.

His lightsaber, still activated and slightly singing the floor, flew to his left hand as Alisteri sprinted forward. Whatever shocked zealots managed to recover enough to raise their blasters and fire at their attacker were of little consequence as their shots either bounced off of his armor or were batted aside by his blade. The Knight raised his right hand and spread his palm wide, a sound like a quiet thunderclap booming through the hall before him and whipping both the smoke and a few unlucky Haijin-Ka back until the impacted the viewport with sickening cracks from the wave of raw anger in the Force that he had unleashed.

He leapt onto the bridge and his rampage actually paused for a moment as he noticed the lone figure seemingly undisturbed by the carnage and wrath of the masked Sith. "Venn." The name was rasped out in surprise and frustration in equal measure. "Fancy seeing you here." Despite the sudden shift in tone Alisteri's wrath was very much still kindled, his free hand letting loose a small storm of lightning bolts at a trio of Haijin-Ka that were hiding behind one of the many consoles on the bridge. His eyes and attention was on his friend though, not on the few dozen fanatics that were still aiming at him.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

​

OBJECTIVE: HALLOWED HALLS
WEARING: xxx
TAG: Srina Talon

Gerwald had never known fire to come from Srina Talon as an element she commanded. Ice had been something she had used to teach him a lesson with, but never fire. It had been unexpected, but not unwelcome. The time they had spent apart had seen changes within them both. They were no longer the same warriors who had once fought side by side. Perhaps they were now more equal than they had once been, save for the one Srina held a strong connection to. His strength would always add to hers. Together they were dangerous, which made Gerwald even more so by proximity.

"We need the barrier."

Gerwald nodded.

Little response was given as he continued to kill. The fire brought a small reprieve, one Gerwald added to with a demonstration of his own.

Ice formed from the vapor within the room, pointed shards like daggers. Each flew through the air with a whistle as the molecules around them were displaced at a pace faster than the naked eye could discern. Her fire and his ice cut through a large amount of their enemy, buying them the time to make eye contact once more.

“You will need help.”

It was not a statement of weakness, but one of fact. Srina was not one given to hubris, not like the guide which had failed in his task to keep the other safe from the things which now threatened them all. Perhaps the connection she had with her lover would be enough. It was something Gerwald had to choose to believe. They would all die if it were not so.

Again Srina spoke. They would have to get to the focal point of the ship, to the place where the guide had perished. Once again Gerwald nodded.

“Follow me then.”

He was not used to directing the Dread Queen as he had, but his time away from the Confederacy had seen the wolf grow. He no longer concerned himself with things like title or position. He would do what needed to be done, and he would tell others with him what they needed to do. If the Echani found any offense in his behavior she would be quick to inform him, but her wolf was not the same pup that required healing at her side.

A massive wave of force energy preceded their entry into the corridor. Whatever of their enemy that laid in wait for them would dissolve under the power of it. Gerwald did not have the strength to press through the entire ship, but he did ensure their safety as they pressed beyond where they had been to where they needed to go. They would face and kill whatever else threatened them beyond this.

“I shall ensure you are not interrupted when the time comes.”

It was his oath and his pledge.
​

 

[Venn Kolis]

Dyyr T'Pada Darth Strosius
THE SITH ORDER
Dominion of the Hand of the Makers: Dread Wall

~The Ring~ ~The Torch~
Bridge of the Indomitable
​

For a brief moment, Venn worried the blast had caught Alisteri off guard.

"IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO?!"

Then it was roaring, and tossing the door back at the cultists, racing forward with his saber humming in one hand. Yeah, he was fine. The repulse that blasted from Darth Strosius' hand actually killed a few of the Haijin-Ka via sheer acceleration. Their bodies flew through the air, limbs contorting, necks twisted into unnatural angles.

The Haijin-Ka were in disarray, their pain and terror flooding into Venn's blood. Those who were quickly fading from life underneath the thrown door, the ones groaning on the floor having been struck by a deflected blaster bolt. Darkness stole over them, fed by their fear, dissolving their will to go on living. Their usefulness, far from reaching its end, was swiftly approaching its apex.

As the two masked Sith stared each other down, Venn found he wasn't sure how to make sense of the emotions swirling in his head and heart. Did he want revenge? An apology? Did he just want to trust his friend again? Was that choking feeling in his throat rage, or was it longing for simpler days? Venn had spent months trapped within the Hand of the Makers, in the middle of empty space, floating in a near lightless husk older than his culture. Every waking moment had been spent lying to people he cared nothing for, or deceiving a creature hundreds of years old, while scheming to keep himself alive. And now an old friend arrived, and it was a fight? The loneliness was crushing. Why was he-

Oh. That's right.

He needed more power.

And, for perhaps the first time in years, Venn simply let go.

Haijin-Rel heard the name Darth Strosius called him by, and chuckled from behind Venn's mask. "Adorable. This Sith thinks he knows me. Child.... I am unknowable."

Venn's body levitated into the air, as Haijin-Rel spread his arms wide, tendrils of shadow leaking from his new body. "The vessel you see has ascended. And soon, you shall you join the pathetic boy who suffocated in my greatness."

His voice was silky, ancient, and refined- everything Venn was not. As he spoke, a wave of darkness washed over the lightning of Darth Strosius, snuffing out the brilliant storm. The attack landed too late to save the lives of the three cultists, and Haijin-Rel seemed vexed by this. He readied another wave of shadow to launch directly at Alisteri, calling out "Stand back, my flock. The Sith is mine-"

But the love of the Haijin-Ka seemed to surprise their god, as with crazed screams they began to launch themselves from cover, blasters blazing. They suddenly seemed heedless of their own safety, sprinting to approach Darth Strosius even as they opened fire on him. Once huddled and vulnerable, every survivor seemed to become an unhinged animal.

 

[Dyyr T'Pada]

Darth Strosius Venn Kolis
Dread Wall

​

Location: The vacuum of space, near the bridge of the Star Destroyer Indomitable
Objective: III, Indomitable Will
Accompaniment: Alone
Equipment: Helpless

“You are nothing in the void.”

Cold. Space was incredibly cold. As an Aeravalin, Dyyr was familiar with the cold. His body thrived in it. No. This was not merely cold. When a being says they feel cold, it’s because there simply isn’t enough molecular movement in their ambient atmosphere to maintain their natural body temperature. If that temperature cannot be raised, cold will eventually kill almost any organism. Cold was simply a lack of life. And this was no mere lack of life. It was the presence of… something.

“Every struggle syphons your soul. To fight it is to feed it.”

Dyyr’s senses were catatonic. His eyes squinted blearily into space, but he couldn’t see. Somehow, the light from the stars, the nebula, and the ship he had come from, had wandered off on the path to his eyes. An immense pressure was crushing his chest. The air was long gone from his lungs. Now they had collapsed together. His other organs were following suit. His blood was racing randomly through his veins, desperate for any escape. His muscles weren’t cramping, they were shriveling. The oil from his pores, the scales from his carapace, the heat from his heart, the perception from his mind, the will to stay awake. They were all silently slipping into the void. And in their place was a voracious vacuum. He could feel himself withering away.

“There is only the end. The beginning never was. Nothing is all there is. And you are Nothing.”

And then air rushed into his lungs. He gasped spasmodically, frantically. He thrashed with all the will he could find. He was drifting in a cloud. There was light caught in his eye. He blinked and heaved and reeled and realized the voice had stopped. He had been hearing a voice. He couldn’t remember what it had said, or how it had sounded. He only knew it was gone. Somehow, he was… he still was.

He would have been puzzled by the situation if he weren’t in it. He would have been shocked to find himself just drifting through a cloud of atmosphere in space, perhaps awestruck by the sinister beauty of the shimmering nebula around him. But he was still cold. And this was just cold. Plain old cold. He burned with it. It permeated every fiber of his body. It was as if there was still a vacuum inside him, sucking away any heat that reached him before he could feel it. It was radiating from him, turning the violet gas around his hands to glittering blue crystal. Tiny motes of ice were forming in the cold all around him. He clenched his frozen fist. The cold felt good.

 

[Darth Excidium]

II. WAKING NIGHTMARES​

Excidium inclined his head, as the other Sith introduced herself, and the question was posed.

"Alina, then," The sorcerer smiled, though it wasn't wholly pleasant. "I serve myself, as all Sith do. Although I align with the Sith Empire, despite being apart from them for a number of years. I now plan to return to the fold, as my schemes are complete here."

The undead controlled by Excidium remained silent, unmoving, and stared with dead eyes - or no eyes, depending - as the conversing took place. Yet, the Sith Lord's attention was taken by the Sith trooper that spoke, as the individual in armor mentioned something along the lines of Kainite propaganda... and that was a term Excidium was not familiar with.

"Darth Empyrean?" Excidium repeated, emerald eyes narrowed. "That is no name I recall, certainly not within the order I belong... interesting."

Still, not one to be bogged down by inaction, the Sith Lord also knew the group were in danger. Despite the trooper's insistence they were all immune, somehow, it wasn't only the threat of influence that brought death. Excidium released his control over the undead, as they each fell to the ground in once again dead heaps, before he motioned to the troopers to lead on.

"I know of the artifact you speak, I have touched its foul influence many times in these halls," Excidium started to follow, as he adjusted his robes and cast a wary eye to the other Sith present. "As we traverse this place, I would have answers. If you are not the Sith Empire, and Darth Carnifex no longer rules, the abridged version to return me to the present state of events would be appreciated."

Thankfully the Holy of Holies did not lack for dead, so the sorcerer had more than his share of servants to beckon, should the need arise. Intrigued, slightly confused, but willing to proceed with the group, Excidium followed the armored squad...

Cato Demora | Darth Carnifex | Alina Tremiru | Taeli Raaf​

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Indomitable Will
Location: The Indomitable
Equipment: Lightsaber, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Dyyr T'Pada / Venn Kolis

​

The reply did not amuse Alisteri in the slightest, as he genuinely believed it to be some form of joke. Perhaps Venn was still sore about that whole 'Darth Strosius' business that he had pulled on the Eternal's fleet some time ago. Perhaps it was merely some jest to keep the Haijin-Ka from shooting at the both of them, given that he seemed surprisingly unbothered by the zealous gang. Regardless he wasn't in the right state of mind to find such a joke as anything less than frustrating or annoying.

He watched as his friend ascended and sprouted mysterious appendages, the whole time speaking in a rather strange manner compared to what he had become accustomed to with Venn. Normally the display would have been impressive or even a bit funny but at the moment all it did was serve to keep the embers of his rage lit. In his mind no matter what Venn was playing at he was still an obstacle.

And while he would hesitate to slay his friend, he was in no mood to suffer an obstacle.

His lightning was snuffed out by the power that Venn now apparently held, although the cultists had already fell victim to it so it made little difference, and for a moment it was just the two masked Sith staring at each other and watching to see who would make the first move. However it was neither of them that would do so. Instead the last of the Haijin-Ka would burst out of their cover and hiding places with screams and yells that sang their zealotry as the rushed towards and fired at Alisteri.

With the pause of battle that their little talk had caused now well and truly broken, the Sith Knight did not hold back. Their yells soon turned to cries of pain as he lashed out with his lightsaber and the Force alike. He deflected away blaster bolts right back at their shooters and cleaved into the nearest of the cultists with his red blade as wayward shots flew through the bridge. Lightning crackled in his palm once more as he spun and decapitated another of the Haijin-Ka in one swift motion that ended with his free hand pointed at the group rushing in from his left.

Another storm flew from his hand and shot through the gangsters before him, lightning striking down one after another as it leapt between the combatants. With one side dealt with his head swiveled around and he cut a pirate that had gotten so close to firing his blaster right into his back in two, deflecting another blaster bolt before the body could hit the floor. He reared back as the storm of lightning stopped and turned to face the right side as he kept battering away any shot that threatened to wound him.

Alisteri pulled his foot back and kicked one half of the cultist at his feet into the crowd rushing at him to slow them down. As they toppled over one another he leapt forward and carved into their ranks with his blade and his fist alike. Each cut and slice led to a body dropping, each punch made a sickening crack and usually sent the receiving Haijin-Ka flying back from the sheer force behind it.

There was no mercy nor hesitation, no pause or second-thoughts. Only the sickeningly efficient manner in how the Knight dispatched the cultists that surrounded him.

 

[Venn Kolis]

Dyyr T'Pada Darth Strosius
THE SITH ORDER
Dominion of the Hand of the Makers: Dread Wall

~The Ring~ ~The Torch~
Bridge of the Indomitable
​

Pain. Fear. Panic.

"Silence!" Haijin-Rel wasn't sure what was going on, but the smug voice in his head wasn't helping. Again and again the Star Child reared back to launch a wave of decaying shadow at Haxim, and each time he held back. His followers stood too close to Darth Strosius, they were sure to be caught in the blast...

These aren't feelings I would associate with most gods, to tell the truth.

"You're dead boy!" And Rel launched an orb of dark energy as he shouted, so tense and anxious he missed Alisteri entirely. Two of the Haijin-Ka screamed out in desperation as their skin shriveled around crisping bones, the shadow stealing their vitality. With their death, Haijin-Rel could feel himself weakening. As Strosius spun amongst the angry rabble, the lifelines of Rel's power were severed one by one. A skull fractured in one solid punch to the face, a man cut nearly in thirds by the lightsaber, a woman cooked in her own skin by arcing blue electricity. Ten dead, twenty. Thirty. As his worshippers fell, his panic increased.

"Stop! Fall back! I command you!" His scream was shrill and hoarse, nothing like his silk tones of moments ago. But his flock did not heed his call. Forty now. He readied another attack, but the shadows were slow to obey him. He was growing tired... so tired... it's nearly time you rest, old friend.

"SHUT UP! You're dead! Do you hear me?! Venn Kolis is dead!"

No, Rel. Your Haijin-Ka are dead. The last person who believed you were anything more than a cloud with a bad attitude was just murdered right in front of you.

With a brisk jerk Alisteri pulled his lightsaber through the body of the final survivor. The last of Haijin-Rel's worshippers slumped to the ground, unseeing.

"NO! NO! NNNNNRRRRGHAAAA!!!"

Hunched over in his rage, Rel ripped Venn's helmet from the young man's face, revealing eyes like pools of ink. Teeth like huge needles clashed in his open snarl, as the score of black tentacles sprouting from his back doubled in number, thrashing about wildly as if they were in pain. Still screaming, Rel threw himself at Darth Strosius, a broken husk, a fallen god. As his coils attempted to squeeze the life from the Darth, Haijin-Rel was certain he could not exist for another second without the balm of retribution, or oblivion.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Indomitable Will
Location: The Indomitable
Equipment: Lightsaber, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Dyyr T'Pada / Venn Kolis

Alisteri barely noticed the shouting and wayward attacks of his fellow Sith as he carved into the ranks of the Haijin-Ka, and left bodies and carnage in his wake. Normally he would have turned to see what it was that Venn was ranting on about or especially to see if he was readying another potential attack but the ferocity of the Haijin-Ka was distracting him currently. They were fanatical and backed into a corner, they had never been at their deadliest before now.

Not that it mattered to the Sith.

Despite their fearless charges, their surprisingly accurate blaster fire, the risky and skillful strikes with their blasters or other weapons when he got close, the masked man remained unfazed and determined. He was wrath contained in flesh, a brutal warrior that killed with each movement of his arms, that left a body with each step. To the last handful of coherent zealots, the reality finally sunk in that death had come for them. Hooded, faceless, and wielding the red blade of a Sith.

The numbers of the cultists lessened with each passing second and with every strike that the Knight made, Alisteri cut them down from two dozen to only ten, and then from ten to three, and then finally he plunged his lightsaber through the chest of the last of the Haijin-Ka, letting the body fall to its knees before he pulled his blade from his slain foe with one swift jerk of his arm.

His head quickly snapped back to look at the only other living being left on the bridge as Venn screamed out, seemingly in pain just as much as anger, and nearly collapsed in sheer rage. Alisteri was caught off-guard by the sight of his friend unmasked and the strange things branching out of his back multiplied.

Until now he had assumed that those were some odd cape.

He actually stepped back in surprise as Venn, or whatever he had become, leapt at him in a fit of rage and screaming. The moment of shock and surprise was quickly replaced by action though as the raging Sith wildly attacked him, tentacles wrapping around him in a vice-grip before his hands could even get ahold of him. In one swift move Alisteri thrust his free hand out through the mess of tentacles and swiping hands to try and wrap his fingers around the throat of his friend in order to slam him into the ground, or the nearest console, anything to try and dislodge Venn to give himself some breathing room.

 

[Venn Kolis]

Dyyr T'Pada Darth Strosius
THE SITH ORDER
Dominion of the Hand of the Makers: Dread Wall

~The Ring~ ~The Torch~
Bridge of the Indomitable
​

The hand around his throat kept Rel from reaching Alisteri's face with his now elongated teeth, but that wasn't stopping him from biting. Gnashing at the air like a sick nexu, Rel's vision through Venn's eyes began to blur, as his head was smashed into the ship's communication's console. He raved at his attacker, trying desperately to choke the life out of him. "They were mine and you killed them-"

Aw, are you having a hard time seeing?

The slippery tone in Venn's voice told Rel that the Sith was up to something, but it didn't prepare him for the pain. The pain. Twin flames lit up in Venn's eyes, and Rel began to scream Venn's lungs hoarse. His eyeballs were on fire. "HOW?! Why doesn't this hurt you?!"

You think it doesn't burn? I always feel it. But it can't stop me. Pain's my oldest friend, but it's not yours. You don't remember much about having a physical vessel, do you Haijin-Rel? Allow me to remind you.

And slowly, very slowly, the flames began to leak from Venn's eyes. The bright yellow fire caught on his face, spread to the top of his head, began to spread to the rest of Venn's body. The Star Child could only scream and thrash. The entire time they'd shared a form, Venn had never once used his flames. This was new. This was awful. This was a nightmare. The vessel didn't burn away, but Haijin-Rel could feel it burning.

The ring on Venn's finger shone with a strange light. A voice spoke clearly through the Force to Darth Strosius then, familiar and glib.

"You might wanna take a few steps back, Haxim. I'm about to turn up the heat on this bastard."

 

[Srina Talon]

| HALLOWED HALLS |
| OS HYPERION |

Tag: Gerwald Lechner
_________________________________________________________​

"I must keep you on your toes, beloved.", Srina returned to Darth Empyrean while his whisper rang in the back of her mind like dark bells. Her right hand rose and she pushed at the ghostly voidborne creatures that seemed hellbent on invading her mind. She thought, not. The wintry Echani knew that her husband had the eyes of an eternal watchtower where she was concerned and wasn't surprised in the slightest that the incident had caught his eye.

"Lest you tire of my…charms…and seek eternity elsewhere."

Maliphant would feel the challenging and provocative edge of steel-driven words. Even in death…She took him with her. Wore his ring. Taunted him as none other would dare, if only, because it moved the ichor that replaced where blood had once been. Carried his—A flash of blood-red hair, of anger, told her that someone would suffer for the oversight.

Srina had learned to draw on darkfire just as easily as ice. Where she had once remained close to her roots, often, echoing the sentiments of House Talon—Her talent had shifted. There was a wide range of elements available if she had the strength of will to command them. Why choose only one? The flame that seemed to be born of this air was imbued with more than heat. It pressed against the eldritch beasts and burned them to cinders, phantasmal, or otherwise. She took no prisoners and cared little for ghostly screams. They had crossed the barrier. If they breached the walls of the ship?

They earned their fate.

Cold eyes turned toward Gerwald Lechner when he assumed what it was that she needed. Being able to anticipate her requirements versus being told what they were was new. So, her little wolf had developed a spine. She didn't dislike it but it would serve him well to remember that she could remove it just as easily as she'd once pieced it back together. For the moment, because it suited her and nothing more, she let Gerwald lead. It felt a little too familiar.

A little bit too much like their days moving within the ranks of the Knight Obsidian.

The memories that flowed to the surface were bittersweet.

Srina moved in the wake of the wolf until they reached the spot where the initial Force Guide had torn himself apart. His remains were still present. Her lip curled faintly into a deepening scowl but she stepped through it without thought. There was a small dais where the pathetic thing had once stood. Twin conductors rose from the floor and her hands found them easily enough. There was a hum in the air that would feel like charging static electricity.

"It will take time to raise the ward."

Her warning for Gerwald should have been obvious, but still, she felt the need to inform her. The Darkside was welling within her like a calling wave. Part of her wanted to give in. Sink into it. But that was never, truly, an option. She didn't know the depth of the pool of black that lay at the pit of her soul…But she knew it was deep enough to drown in. The flaxen-haired Echani began to murmur soft words that would only make sense to someone who understood a cursed tongue.

In a brief moment, she could feel the conductors heating beneath her hands. Drawing on her strength, her power, to bring the barrier back. She could smell the skin of her palms as it began to burn and the inherent pain only solidified her resolve. She drew on the fear that ran rampant through the ship and silvery orbs bled gold. Her skin paled immeasurably and her wrath began to build.

A bomb. A burst, akin to a thought bomb, but not so destructive. She needed enough to push the rest of the horrors out of the ship AND maintain the barrier. Her shoulders squared and her eyes closed as her head tilted toward the ceiling. The room would feel colder, darker, while metaphysical fingers took hold and anchored her to the ship. "More.", she murmured, though, Gerwald wouldn't know what she referred to.

More time—Or more power.