Cardinal of Ashla
Pietro Demici, Cardinal of Ashla & Commander of the Holy Guard
Location: Korriban (in orbit)
Loadout: lightsaber, armorweave priest's vestments
Allies: Isla Draellix-Kobitana , Fiolette Fortan, Aerarii Tithe , Caarlyle Rausgeber, Zark San Tekka , Albrecht F. Herlock , Tristan Evore, Relynia Sorrene, Constantine Oliva, Dracken Pryce, AC, NIO, GA, SJC
Enemies: Tu'teggacha , Darth Carnifex , Marlon Sularen , KV-6000, Derix Tirall , Aldo Garrick , BotM, Sith
Fleet Composition: The Light of Ruusan, 4x Dominion-class escort frigate, 2x Bastion planetary invasion ship
Part One: The Turning Tide
Another Maw ship blew apart as the Light of Ruusan pushed its course, and from his command chair, Pietro smiled. The battle had seemed to be going as planned, and soon the Maw would see their super star destroyer completely destroyed. Such a decisive victory would likely garner greater support for the Crusade across the galaxy. To defeat the Maw so soundly would truly cement the new Ashlan movement as a major power.
"Your imminence, the last of the fleeing ships have been eliminated."
"Excellent, commander. We shall focus our remaining efforts on the Fatalis. Have all-"
"Sir! It appears that the Maw superweapon is charged and ready to fire!"
His eyes shot a look to the comms station.
"Is the planet the target?"
"No, your imminence. It appears that they intend to fire it at the allied fleet. Sir... we need to get you off of the ship. We may not have enough time to jump to hyperspace."
Pietro couldn't believe it. How could he have been so blind? His grip tightened on the arm of his command chair, his face growing grim.
"I will not abandon the fleet. By Ashla, we must find a way!"
The Holy Guard stepped forward, motioning to the door as they tried to get him from the seat. The commander turned toward them as they tried to move the cardinal.
"Your imminence, please. You are too important to the Crusade to die now. Get yourself to an escape pod, and get out of here. We will do what we can to get the ship out of the kill zone."
Several moments passed, and Pietro didn't utter a word. His mind swam with confusion and frustration, mostly directed at himself. In his moment of hubris, Pietro had doomed these men to die. Finally, the cardinal stood from his chair, starting for the door. As he exited the room, he looked over his shoulder.
"It has been a pleasure to serve with you all. May Ashla welcome you with open arms."
He rushed to the escape pods, along with the Holy Guard that had been tasked with protecting him. They entered the pods, and immediately launched. As the pods jettisoned into the great vacuum of space, Pietro offered a prayer for those aboard the Ashlan ships...
And then came the impact.
Part Two: Savages
Location: Somewhere near the temple
Tags: Cedric Grayson Darth Solipsis Romi Jade Bernard Dagon Kaze Starlin Rand Mikhail Grayson Ishida Ashina
Savages
Pietro felt a severe ringing in his ears as he came to within the escape pod. His vision was blurred, and his mind fuzzy. Once his mind was clear enough to assess the situation, Pietro realized that they weren't moving. One of the Holy Guard was pulling him from the escape pod, now a burning mass of acrap metal. The others had created a small perimeter as they cleared the cardinal from the potentially dangerous wreckage. Pietro took a moment to gather his thoughts before looking to the stars. As his eyes met the sky above, he was left speechless...
Remnants of the light from the Avatar of War could be seen, and the sky was littered with fire. There was no way of telling the level of damage, but Pietro feared the worst.
"Casualties?"
One of the Holy Guard shook his head.
"Unclear. We haven't been able to establish communication since we landed. We'll keep attempting to get through, though we aren't sure that we'll get an answer. We may have to assume the worst."
Pietro's mind was in chaos. How could the barbaric hordes of the Maw have managed such a feat? Was he really that distracted by potential victory?
No... it was THEY who fired the weapon. It was THEY who killed countless innocent people. No... no more. He would not stand for it.
The cardinal's eyes narrowed as he looked across the barren plains of Korriban. So much life lost, all for this giant rock of darkness. Pietro could feel the stench of the Bogan in the very air, creeping up from the deepest parts of the planet itself. He realized that there could only be one solution...
The planet must be cleansed, at any cost.
"My brothers, we have a new course of action. I will be devoting all of my energy to one decisive strike against the Bogan. We will remain here until the deed is done."
"What would you have us do, your imminence?"
He turned toward the Holy Guard as he spoke.
"Pray."
His hands lifted up toward the burning skies above as he called out to Ashla. The light filled him once again, piercing through the darkness of Korriban. Golden light began to pour from his eyes as he continued to call upon every scrap of light that he could. From his body, a wave of Force Light began to spring to life, forcing its way outward and across the planet. Alone, it wouldn't be enough, but the cardinal knew that others would sense this, and join him in the ritual. The glowing light continued to push its way outward as the cardinal let the Force flow through him like electricity through water.
By Ashla's light, the planet would be cleansed...
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