Episode V: Akala Strikes Back

[Garza]

Location 3: Blade of fields

As the fighting continued, We fought off those around us. Hearing the apprentice try and talk to me as I cut another man in half. Trying desperately to keep up with the amount of people trying to kill us. It seemed like it was us three against the entire galaxy. Using my golden sword, I sliced into another person. My armor covered in blood as I expected for the fight to kill us all. it seemed like forever for us to fight.

I continued to fight even when I thought hope was lost. I had vanished. Leaving my world into another. I needed to reach Lexa. I wanted to see her face again. I wanted to be the father of the child that resided within her. I needed to survive. I wanted to only fight to survive. It was then almost my head exploded.

There was a rift. I could almost feel like my soul was pulling towards us. I needed to reach it. Yelling to the two.

"We need to get to the center!'

Slamming my sword pommel down on a man, only to kick him in his gut and send him flying. I used both hands to cut down on a man who seemed to be from another age in time.

"Go! Now!"

As much As I didn't want to accept it, these two were my responsibility now. I needed to protect them. Rushing towards the apprentice blade, I grabbed onto his clothing and pushed him in the direction of the most screaming and fighting.

"Follow the screaming. I'll be right behind you!"

I spun around to see a man running at me with an ax. I ended his life by rushing forward and slicing his gut open, Only his weapon had slammed down and had cut into my thigh. After the man fell to the ground with his guts spilling out, I ran after the two. Hearing guns, swords clash, and men scream in pain from the fighting.

[member="Laguz Vald"], [member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"],

 

[Verz Horak]

Location: Field of Blades
Allies: [member="Arla Balor"] [member="Ijaat Akun"]

"Like I've said before Arl'ika, I'm sorry. I will explain it to you once we get out of this place."

His suit's systems were picking up movement nearby. Verz swung his newfound rifle up and around to aim in the general direction of the ping. However, he paused when his suit tagged a faint friendly IFF tag in that direction, when it wasn't washed out by interference. Verz motioned to Arla, signalling her to follow him.

He still had no idea what this place held, so it was better to be safe rather than sorry.

Like he always said, it's always a good day for someone else to die.

 

[Malok]

Location: The Blood Wastes
Allies: [member="Ailyn Cyar'ika"] | [member="Vassara Raxis"] | [member="Elizie Adasca"] | [member="Shuduc Macar"]

After a few moments of listening to the symphony of blood squishing beneath his feet with each step, the Sith was rewarded with the sight of his newfound comrade. She, waving her arms to get the attention of those who followed him, approached from the front and collected her Droid into her grasp. What's more, she wasn't alone, which gave the rattled Darth Metus a reason to relax ever so slightly. Introductions were made, first with a rather dark joke that aroused a chuckle on the part of the hooded Sith. However, when the Padawan introduced herself, Darth Metus thought it proper to face her when he spoke.

"Well met Padawan Adasca. I am Darth Metus and this is my Apprentice Ailyn." he began, motioning to his young student. "You have nothing to fear from me, however. We are all stuck in this same, karked up ship and I'd work with the Grandmaster heeself if it meant getting out. That said, I'll have your back if you have mine." As the latter portion of what he said escaped his lips, the Sith Lord turned and nodded to the owner of the Droid. "That also applies to you. And I don't think any of us is hurt thus far, thank Manda, but it's good to know that you have supplies on hand."

With that said, the Sith Lord gave his Apprentice's helm a comforting pat once more before adding. "Keep calm, we'll be out of here soon. I'm sure of it." Turning, he then parted his lips to speak again...but instead heard a shrill voice over the rest of the wailing. It was unfamiliar, but it did draw his attention nonetheless. Upon searching for the source of this cry, Darth Metus was greeted by the sight of one who...was staggering about as if blind. Now there was a dilemma.

While his instincts demanded that they ignore this soul in light of potentially being slowed down, the presence of medical supplies encouraged the Sith to reach out. Saying nothing, Darth Metus jogged over to the blinded one and grasped her forearm; preventing an untimely step into a boiling mass of blood. "Easy now. You're not alone." he said, attempting to guide the unfortunate soul away from the puddle. "A few of us have banded together and are going to try getting out of this place. We have a few supplies and can help you. We're moving now, so if you want to live, come with us."

That was the extent of the Sith Lord's "benevolence", for after he said this his gaze returned to the owner of the Droid. "We need a heading. Thoughts?"

 

[Nima Tann]

Location: The River of the Dead

After having a blackout, yeah a blackout, that was a first, she slowly opened her eyes, expecting to find herself in her house, on the not so comfortable bed, instead she felt a sudden pain in her chest area... Screams and pain... Still looking around laying down, she could see a river just near to her... Oh how thirsty she felt... "H... hello?" Was she dreaming? It seemed very real to her but something wasn't right. "Where is this place?" She slowly stood up from her and examined her surroundings. She was near a river, rest of the place looked dead and she was on a low ground, as she could see a path all the way up. Immediately checking her belt to see if the lightsaber was there, yeah, luckily it was.

"Hello? Anyone? It's NOT funny!" She shouted to the emptiness once more. No reason to stay, she slowly started to move. Activating her lightsaber for possible danger, she took every step carefully. The question in her mind was... How did she come here... The last thing she remembered... She didn't remember anything actually. "Master E'ron?... Connor?... Anyone?" No one answered. Her voice returned back to her.

"Okay then..." She wanted to sense them if they were around, but only thing she could sense was the sharp pain in her chest, as if she was ripped apart by some invisible creature. "Alright... Nothing to worry about. You still have your lightsaber with you. You can do this." She talked with herself, she needed someone to talk to.

[member="Connor Harrison"] [member="Iella E'ron"]

 

[Kana Truden]

Location: Blood Wastes - Making way for that evil-doing rift exit

“Never say never.” Kana set her sights on the puddle. “Could make it worse too.”

Stating the obvious always helped with these things. Though maybe not when the outcome of your actions were as uncertain as ever. A few careful steps placed her at the very edge of the liquid’s surface. None of the others seemed to notice her yet a few soulless ghouls stumbled into the pool like toys leisurely dropping from a kitchen counter.

They never resurfaced. Which could only really mean two things. Death or, well, not.

Head turned to [member="Corvus Raaf"].

“Well, here we go!” Kana wrinkled her nose in a very ugly smile.

She took a deep breath and jumped in. Her hair whipped against her cheeks. Her body was caught by the mass of the liquid. Something felt wrong. Like if something grabbed hold of her. Not physically but mentally, she was… She felt… Angry. So, so, so very angry.

Slowly but steadily her breath ran out and her vision began to blur. Blood boiling she fell into a slumber, but only for a few minute. Suddenly things were cold and she was lying with her head and cheek flat on the ground. Her entire being shook she wanted to hurt people, someone had to die!

She didn’t know it yet, but the new Alderaan was greeting her.

This was only the beginning of her nightmare.

[EXIT EVENT/ENTER DOMINION OF ALDERAAN]

 

[Mrrew]

Location: Garden of Thorns
[member="Coci Sinopi"]

Mrrew turned quickly as he heard the brambles twisting and moving away, and something stepped through. On reflex his hand lowered near the AEL pistol that hung at his waist, though he didn't take it off it's holster. The thing looked... strange, otherworldly. Was it what had been singing? It seemed impossible for something like that to make the kind of music they'd heard...

The Togorian looked aside as Coci spoke. He'd met enough force users to know that if a force user can't use their force, something really wrong is going on. He knew Ysalamirs could do things like that... But there were no olibo trees here, and if there was they were long dead. So what the feth was that about? They'd worry about that later. First the... demon-thing that just stepped out of the brambles. The Togorian turned his attention back to the creature, keeping his hand near enough to his pistol in case it was needed.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

LOCATION: THE BLOOD RIFT

Jorus looked at the puddle that would take them out of Hell (and, though he didn't know it, straight to Vongshaped occupied Alderaan). Then at Akala. Then at the puddle again.

"If there's a chance of getting back to somewhere real, a chance is good enough for me."

I'm coming, Alna.

Sploosh.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Location: Blood Wastes - Exit stage...err down?

“Worse?” Corvus glanced around and shook her head. “I don't think so.”

As she stepped forward that feeling of frustration returned. Why was she here? What was going on? Somebody, somewhere was going to have to pay for this. And as Kana jumped, Corvus followed.

And the frustration turned to anger. None of this made sense. She was falling but there was no gravity. She was in a liquid but not getting wet. Suddenly she felt hotter and she felt like her blood would explode before it turned to ice and a feeling of despair grabbed her before that anger came back with a vengeance.

Her logical brain tried to rationalise things - slowly. But that other half - the one from Kashyyk - was too impatient. ‘Well this is an opportunity for us isn't it. We can have some fun now, can’t we. The only question is, who is going to be first.’


[EXIT EVENT/ENTER DOMINION OF ALDERAAN]

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Laguz Vald]

Location: Field of Blades
Allies: [member="Nickolas Imura"] | [member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"]
Undefined: [member="Verz Horak"] | [member="Arla Balor"] | [member="Ijaat Akun"]

____________________________________________________________________​

The blade-wielding goth metalhead behind him was shouting something over the din of battle, but damned if Laguz could hear the man. Xe hardly had time to slap a suppressor on the barrel, and the gun was making one hell of a noise. It was lucky xe realized that the Sith Lord was talking at all; well, almost. This plane surely was a clusterkark of scary and eldritch, but the Shi'ido wasn't deprived of xir innate powers.

Shift, crack, shift.

There, a whole new pair of ears that were more than capable of discerning the bladesman's words despite all the death, screaming and various other combat-related sounds. It was like a symphony of destruction, except with more violence and a drunk conductor. Not all that similar, really. In fact, the more xe thought on it — which is to say, not that much — the more it became apparent the mess around them was nothing short of a slaughter.

Laguz wasn't at home in such environments, and the lack of high ground and safety was making xem increasingly anxious. Xe was a good, accurate shot, and the constant morphing allowed xem to keep pace with the seemingly unending waves of attackers. Still, xe didn't have to be told twice when the Sith shouted his admittedly poorly worded directions. Follow the screaming? As if there was a place in this hellish world that wasn't filled with the wails and baying of the dead and dying.

Pushing aside a shiver of discomfort, the ever-changing form of the Shi'ido broke into a sprint, using the rifle in xir hands to ram through the horde of wraiths intent on eating xir brain. Xe didn't much care if the two followed or not, for Laguz was most likely running at speeds unattainable to the pair; seeing as xe was now sporting the legs of a felacatian, the sniper would be halfway across the plains by the time the master and apprentice even noticed xe was gone.

Oh, well. Such was the nature of lone hunters, even more accentuated by the otherworldly influence of the ghoulish battlefield they'd landed in.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Location: Sanctuary
[member="Alyesa Organa"] | [member="Rael sul B'an"]

"Well. This isn't good. My lady, I am afraid we are no more capable here than you. I have no feeling of the Force here. I cannot touch the minds of those around, I cannot feel the life of the Force. It is as if we are in a void of some kind. I remember waking up, and before that, I had gone to sleep on Ossus. What was the last thing you two remember before arriving here? Does anything here look familiar?"

Sera glanced around herself, the eerie feeling of darkness and emptiness rushed through her. Without the aide of the Force she felt secluded, isolated, and even a little afraid. Ever since she was a child she could feel the Force. Now, without it, she felt as if she were missing part of her soul.

 

[Not Ordo]

Location: The Dunes
Objective: GTHO
Gear: Hot as...well hell Beskar'gam, Heavy Ripper, Mythosaur battle axe.

Sand clung to everything as he trudged through the red desert. His icy blue eyes stared at the readouts from his HUD. The gps stopped working before he even woke up and his compass was just spinning in circles.

"How much longer?" a woman he didn't know asked him as the small Troup walked with him in the lead.

"As long as it takes." Came his short reply through the mechanics of his helmet.

"What if we die here?"

"Then you won't have anymore questions."

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Nima Tann"]

"I would not touch the water if i were you..." Unlike the other shades this one was sullen and his form almost that of a skeleton as the meet on his bones... didn't even seem to exist. "What will happen is a fate worse then dead to most, or even simply death to some." The man looked at her, nothing where his eyes had been, his hair either all gone or in single long strands of grew, his arms holding onto a long pole that seemed to be created from the robes around him. His voice echoed, almost as if there were two people there and not one. "So, what is a woman of the living doing here..."

 

[Kian Karr]

It was the smell.

The smell drew him out of his thoughts and out of what had been a meditative state. The smell of blood was so thick in the air that even through his anti-ox mask, the Kel Dor Jedi could taste the metal. Kian had experienced the sensation before on the battlefield, but he hadn't been on a battlefield. He had been in his room aboard the Gnost Dural enroute to a mission. He had closed his eyes to meditate and opening them now he found himself in a dark, dark place.

As a Jedi Shadow, Kian had learned to walk into darkness without fear. He had learned to hunt those who dwelt in it.

But this was different.

The shadow here moved with malicious intent....the air seemed to be full of blood....the walls of darkness seemed to close around him....and he couldn't feel the force. It was like being naked. Kian had known the force since he was a small child and now....nothing. It was worse then being naked, it was like being severed from a limb.

Rising to his feet, Kian felt for his lightsaber on his belt. It was there, and that gave him some solace. Where the hell am I. Kian thought to himself as he began to walk through the darkness. He ignited his lightsaber, the yellow blade lighting the way before him, but casting even more shadows outside his immediate vicinity.

Taking a deep breath and bracing himself.....Kian strode into the darkness.

 

[The End Narrator]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

Alyesa was becoming more desperate - it was like a sense of cabin fever was beginning to overcome her.

"Well that isn't good..." But she had to remain composed, well how could she really? I mean she was stuck in some form of purgatory. Had she died? Had these Jedi died with her? Had everyone died!?

She stood up and quietly moved over to the weapons cache, slowly picking up the bloodied sword and examined it for a moment. Without another word, she turned and chucked it into the water with a loud grunt. The sound of metal slicing through air echoed across the empty space and was soon replace by a loud "SPLOOSH" against the water as it impacted and no doubt sunk to the bottom. Alyesa stepped up to her tippy toes, attempting to see if she could catch a glimpse of it - maybe even a glint off of any light - but there was none. Despite the ambient light, there was no light. No way to tell dark from dawn or how deep the water was.

An odd bit about the water was, despite the waves that pushed the current against the docks - there were no true waves across the water, not even when the sword hit the water.

Interesting.

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

[member="Corrin Tal'verda"] [member="Galaar Tal'Verda"]

The little girl opened her mouth to say something, agree or disagree with her brothers suggestion. She soon forgot exactly what it was. Her eyes studied the figure in front of her, the armor. Familiar. One of her clansmen? Was he dead? He looked pretty dead. Most living people didn't bleed like that and stay living. And they certainly weren't transparent.

"Rawnie," she mummbled, touching the knife at her side, "Rawnie Tal'verda. This is my brother Corrin."

She remembered her mother saying something about talking to strangers when she wasn't on Mandalore. She said there were bad people out there. People who liked to do cruel things to little girls. She told her to cut them if they tried to touch her. But this spirit, for some reason, didn't feel like a stranger.

"We're looking for our village. Do you know where it is?"

 

[Zavzen Sae'ryx]

Location: Field Of Blades
Allies: [member="Laguz Vald"] | [member="Nickolas Imura"]

All around him was the sound of death and pain. The sounds of blades cutting the air, blasters constantly firing, screams leaving those on the ground, far from dead and the thuds of bodies landing on the ground. The smell of blood and death filled the air. All of this barely registered with Zavzen Sae'ryx. He had retreated into the depths of his mind in an attempt to hide himself from all of this, his body moving on instinct, reacting to the constant threats all around him. The only thing his mind was focussed on was keeping track of his allies. The will to survive was the only thing keeping him moving.

His blades were surrounding him, preventing all but the most determined of attackers from striking him. His body was covered in multiple cuts and slashes, most minor wounds but some were deep cuts, especially the one on his right thigh which was restricting his full range of movement.

As he registered Nickolas's order to head for the throng of fighting he faltered slightly, costing him a long, but thankfully shallow, cut to his left flank. In response to the attack his blades slashed out, Saviour separating body from head and Reaper cleaving apart the stomach. He stumbled slightly from Nickolas's push but quickly recovered, bringing up Saviour to block a strike that would have cleaved his head in half from top to bottom. Reaper swung to his back to block a stream of blaster fire. Saviour slashed out, bisecting the sword fielder while Reaper was sheathed. With his free hand he picked up the blade the recently deceased dropped, he threw it at the blaster wielder, driving it through there heart.

Running forwards, he drew Reaper and, in the same movement, cut the throat of the oncoming enemy. He could hear someone running up behind him and twirled around, only to find himself looking at Nickolas. Nodding at him he turned and continued to run after Laguz, pulling those that attacked him from the side onto his swords by using there momentum against them before using them as body shields.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Daella Feanor"] [member="Matsu Ike"] [member="Ophelia"] [member="Sanya Val Lerium"] [member="Caleb Brolen"] @Others that find our group. [member="Feena Mason"]

Alexandra looked over at Daella, moving over to her and taking her hand again, they needed to get somewhere safer. "Feena, This is not a dream, think about it. Why in the living hell would two... Jedi right? And a woman such as myself. As well as two children all every be in a dread off yours. Believe me or not but we are all getting out of here." With that she looked at the others and started moving towards a random direction that Ophelia had recommened.

 

[Galaar Tal'Verda]

[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"] Corrin Tal'verda

A second little one, a girl poked her head up and spoke. His ethereal blue visor stared and nodded along with her as she spoke. Both of these little grimlins have some common sense. I like them. Wait, do I? Why am I talking to myself. I should talk to them. Voices in his head held their own little dialogue for several moments before his head suddenly shook. "Huh? Oh! Oh! No, there are not any villages around here. Just this city as far as I can find. You're welcome to look of a village. I'd watch your step, however, we're not the only things out here." His vision passed from Rawnie to Corrin. The little boy looked exceptionally familiar. His mind prodded and scraped at the traumatized walls of that death had created within it, trying to find motes of why he suddenly felt so much aware.

His arms crossed and he stood in a rather soldiery fashion. Both of the children would have likely noticed the deep Mandalorian accent on the disembodied spirit's voice by now. It grew thicker with each word he spoke too, as if he were readjusting to his own voice, it even had eerily similar tones as one the two knew very well.

 

[Uriel]

Location: Blood Wastes

Screaming.

Incessant, unbearable screaming. Where the hell was he?

This was not his headquarters. This was not where he had started off - but there were other people here, Uriel realised, after a considerable period of time walking through a swamp so tainted with blood that the boots of his armour would never wash away the ichor that stained them. Neither would his mind, at this rate.

The voices. The voices.

Uriel could hear them all, singing choral death upon the quietest part of his psyche; the humming at the back of his mind a murderous, psychotic requiem. Singing their cantata of annihilation, these voices compelled him to do but one thing as he stepped through the portal back to the Galaxy at large:

Draw forth a river of blood so great it drowned out the entire Galaxy.

 

[Kian Karr]

The darkness was oppressive and Kian found himself clenching his jaw in tension from the bile that was creeping into his throat. Every step seemed heavier and Kian felt the weariness in his very bones. He had to push forward.....had to fight the need to lay down and take a nap. Kian knew that if he did that here, he'd likely never awaken again.

Then he heard it.

A single voice.....quiet and subtle as if carried on the wind. Kian knew that voice.

"Aria....." Kian said, his heart beginning to race. He would know that voice anywhere.....the voice of his wife.

"ARIA!" Kian yelled and began running toward the sound of the voice. Had he had the force, he would be searching for that familiar signal of hers....but he couldn't do that here. All the weariness, the fatigue Kian had been feeling faded with the excitement and adrenaline that was suddenly coursing through his system.

A part of Kian knew this couldn't be real. Aria, and their child Plo, had died years before.....before his time with the Jedi, before he had left Dorin. But that part of him was put on hold while the part of Kian that had to see her, had to hear her voice again, took over.

Kian came to a crossroad, a place where the floor faded away to bubbling puddles of what looked like.....blood. "Aria!" Kian yelled again, this time more quietly. "Where are you?" He asked, looking around at the darkness.

Then he heard the voice again....it still sounded far away and it drew him across the puddles along the narrow pass between the bubbling blood. Kian took a deep breath and started crossing, trying to ignore the smell of the puddles alongside them.