Frieden ist eine Lüge (Vaylin)

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Vaylin"]

Coruscant Underworld

Executions had a way of attracting crowds. Indeed, they could easily become a spectacle. Today, the crowd was quite big. This suited Enyo just fine because it was supposed to serve as an example. Aleksandr Grishin had done good work. He'd hedged his bets and bent the knee to her when she beat the gangs into submission and founded the Iron Fist. His allegiance to her had been feigned. His treacheries had started small, then he'd grown bold. Too bold. Now he would die.


Jeers and curses could be heard coming from the gang members when two goons led Grishin to the execution grounds. Her group did not allow blindfolds. It was important to stare the executioner in the eye and vice versa. She could see the hatred in his eyes when he was forced down at the gallows. Her own eyes were empty and vacant. "Grishin betrayed us. And there is only one punishment for that - death. Let this serve as a lesson to all of you. I hereby cast him out the Iron Fist."


The Force swelled inside her. Like many in the group, he had foregone flesh in favour of cold steel, emulating his boss. Now the Force expanded outward like a nova and washed over him like a storm. An agonised cry of pain escaped his throat as the hybrid pressed her will upon his implants. This would, however, not be the end for him, for that would be too easy. He would simply be put through a lot of pain and immobilised.


She made a gesture with her bionic hand and the hangman, a burly Trandoshan, grabbed a shaking Grishin and wrapped a tight noose around his neck. "Go to hell, queen," the man snarled. Ignoring him, the lizard gave a thumbsup and the trapdoor sprang. Grishin was left dangling from the rope, with his own body weight being used to tighten the noose around the trachea and neck structure.


He struggled, but his attempts were feeble because his jugular vein and carotid arteries were blocked and the blood flow to the brain was reduced. He would slowly die of strangulation. Enyo watched him struggle in vain for air against the tight compression of the noose and against the weight of his body. "You're in charge of his district now. Put his house in order," she spoke, addressing her words to Tara.


The Garhoon's yellow eyes flashed with ambition. "I won't let you down, Boss. I'll clean house and make sure everyone knows who's in charge," she declared eagerly. Her eyes showed naked greed. "I suggest disposing of Hauser, Kamenev and Koepfler as well. They only turned on that swine Grishin at the last moment. We cannot keep trash like that around," she added.


"Corpses are no use, unless we start dabbling in necromancy. I suspect you only want them out of the way because they're not part of your clique," a calm, vaguely Corellian voice, that of Wes, spoke up. The tall, clean-shaven man was deceptively human looking, but actually an HRD.


The Garhoon glared at him, bearing her fangs. There was no love lost between them. "Look who's talking. It's strange that it took you so long to realise Grishin was about to sell us out, when I was warning you for weeks," she hissed.


"Enough," Enyo interjected flatly, her voice as cold as ice. "Slap shock collars on them and send them to the lowest levels to hunt a Taozin. If they succeed, they will have proven themselves. If they try to run, they die. Beta Squad will tag along."


This was clearly not what Tara wanted, but she nodded. "As you wish, Boss. Madame Shiari has been lagging behind on her protection fees. No doubt she got away with it because she was polishing Grishin's sausage. I'm going to send two goons to the Blooming Rose to teach her not to feth with us."


"First strike principle applies. Give her a good scare and teach her a lesson. You're dismissed." Enyo's eyes turned back to the suspended Grishin, who was being slowly forced into the next world, while the vampire departed. He would hang for a good while after he shuffled off the mortal coil. Then she'd feed the corpse to wild beasts.


"Mr Yerevan sends his regards. He says that he, I quote, strongly appreciates your efforts against Archangel and is eager to make a mutually beneficial deal regarding the blueprints," Wes said. His tone sounded more than a little wry.


"I could not care less about his appreciation. I may take his credits, but events are moving fast. Once I've achieved my objective, he'll bend the knee as well, or he may join Grishin." Yerevan was just another person who thought he could control her. He was gravely mistaken.


"Speaking of objectives, we may have a new customer. Someone in need of heavy muscle for a combat operation."

"Continue."

"You're going to like it. It involves killing Jedi."

 

[Vaylin]

It had been a while, but today Vaylin was finally going to enact something she had been planning for a while now. Two weeks after parting way with Sumiko, she had received a holomail from the Atrisian, containing a surprising bit of intel the Zabrak didn't know she needed.

The location of a Jedi Enclave, namely one that was believed to be home to a number of Jedi that Vaylin knew in her previous life. While she didn't doubt Sumiko's word, the Zabrak needed to see for herself if that were the case. Not like it was going to take much for Vaylin to go slaughter some lightsiders.

But she needed to know.

Vaylin followed the coordinates, utilizing the more stealthier skills [member="Aria Vale"] had taught her, on this occasion it was to minimize her presence through the Art of the Small. She remained there for a few days, simply watching and observing until she caught sight of some familiar faces.

She grinned like a nexu who had gone without a meal for months.

After that she had gone about searching for those who could help her. Sumiko had been correct in suggesting to find more to assist her. And it was around this time she took note of someone in particular. An agent, or something else entirely that had assisted the Sith Empire in one of the assaults, specifically Mirial.

Enyo Typhos.

Vaylin had followed the trial, finding that the woman was attached - no led a group known as the Iron Fist Consortium. A bit of research into them was all the Zabrak needed to know they would be a perfect hire.

So she had set it up, arranging for a meeting in Coruscant's Underworld. Vaylin was currently seated in a rather dingy cantina, taking up temporary residence in a corner booth waiting. She was dressed in her armor, it painted a clear picture that the Zabrak wasn't intending to wait around and sit on her hands. Once a deal was made, they'd be off to make it happen.

[member="Enyo Typhos"]​

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Vaylin"]


The cantina was the typical haven for scumbags, never-do-wells and scoundrels. It was predictably dark and smoky. The Eldorai bartender would be so obliging to mix just about any drink the customer desired. Naturally she hid a loaded scattergun beneath the counter. Last time it had seen use, it had made a mess of an overeager client who did not understand that her ears were off-limits. A pet warg had eaten his mutilated arm.


The humidor had a large selection of products for smokers to select. In addition, there was music and scantily clad dancers gyrated on poles. Their affection was negotiable and ranged from lap dances to backroom fun. The best form of diplomacy consisted of credits. Possibly stuffed into their paper-thin thongs or bras.


Enyo paid the debauchery no mind as she made her way through the bar. The bartender gave her a nod. The cyborg liked her. She took no crap from anyone and paid her taxes regularly. She passed some patrons playing pool and a few Rodians negotiating a drug deal. Their kind always struck her as annoyingly hyperactive.


Her steps guided her towards a figure clad in dark armour. Based on her horns, she was a Zabrak. Forceful being. Her aura radiated dark power. It was still that of an acolyte, but growing. Not that of a neophyte who'd never gotten blood on her hands. While a bit theatrical and archaic in appearance, the suit of armour looked like it had seen actual use.


Outwardly, Enyo appeared perfectly human. Indeed, Vaylin might notice an uncanny resemblance to a business moghul called Siobhan Kerrigan. If she'd seen her on the holonews. Or watched a certain non-PG13 holovid that had mysteriously surfaced on Galaxytube before being pulled from the 'net. No judgement. But Enyo was more martial in appearance than her mirror. Powerfully built, she was tall and broad-shouldered. Her steps were precise and mechanical.


"You're Vaylin," it was phrased more as a statement than a question. Without waiting for a response, she pulled a chair up for herself and sat down. Her bionic arms rested on the table while she scrutinised the other woman. "So you want to kill Jedi."

 

[Vaylin]

Vaylin was practically buzzing on the inside, ready to get going and return to the enclave and tear it down. That feeling lingered within ever since she had scouted it out, saw faces she recognized and the urge to have them kneeling before her, pleading for their lives echoed in her mind.

But the Zabrak had curtailed it, bent it to her will and kept it from controlling her.

It might've been a different story if it had been shortly after Dxun. Hell, Vaylin could imagine she'd have still manage to unleash carnage on the Jedi. But also end up dead in the process.

She was a beast back then, now she was something more.

Amber eyes scanned around the cantina as she waited, attention flickering only for a moment on the various bits of entertainment on show. She had been introduced to most of them. From alcohol and drugs with Aria and Joza, right to the pleasures of flesh with Sumiko. The only vice the Zabrak hadn't touched was gambling, something she had come to dislike during her brief time on Maena.

Her attention was brought away from those though, when she caught sight of a women making a beeline straight towards her booth. Vaylin watched her, eyes raking up and down her body as she approached. There was something odd that grabbed her attention, a slight stiffness in how she moved. But the Zabrak brushed it aside as her seeing things that weren't there.

"That's me, I presume then that you're Enyo?" She watched as the woman immediately took a seat for herself. Vaylin was already liking the straight to business attitude. "I do, an enclave full of them in fact. It's been scouted and confirmed that there's a number of them located within."

[member="Enyo Typhos"]​

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Vaylin"]


Maybe Vaylin and Enyo could bond over their dislike of gambling, for the cyborg was not fond of the practice. In her opinion it was the mark of a weak character to become addicted to it. Especially those who spent hours labouring on slot machines in vice dens.


Statistically, it was terrifically unlikely that you would actually win anything worthwhile. In all likelihood a gambling addict would end up ruined and in a state of debt bondage. She'd actually analysed the statistics once out of boredom. She also disliked liquor, narcotics and tobacco for similar reasons. Those who could not stay away from such products were weak, for they polluted their body.


The gentle reader might find it a bit counterintuitive that as a mafia boss, Enyo had no problem with profiting from these vices or even promoting them by peddling addictive drugs, but she saw nothing inconsistent about it. The strong would resist, and the weak were beneath her notice. [member="Amara Zarides"] was still not allowed to drink, smoke or eat fast food.


"I am," she answered laconically. Unlike Sumiko Tanaka, she disliked unnecessary chatter. Her tone was not unfriendly per se, but there was a chill to it. "How many Jedi do you estimate are in the enclave? What defences does it have beyond them?"


She gave the Zabrak a one-over. Her gaze was analytical instead of leecherous. While she noted that the woman was attractive, she was not the type to oggle. Furthermore, the pleasures of the flesh were rather difficult for her to appreciate because she felt little in the way of sensation.


"Do you want them all dead or would you like captives? I take it you will be coming along." She figured her client was a Dark Jedi or Sith, though her affiliation was not of importance to Enyo. Perhaps she wanted to satisfy a grudge against Jedi, or she was doing the bidding of a master, if she had one. Her suit of armour was an indication that she intended to participate, which might imply a personal motivation or at least a significant stake in the enclave's extermination.

 

[Vaylin]

The Zabrak remained silent for a few moments, thinking on her little scouting mission to the enclave. She had tried reaching out, using her senses to pick up on who exactly resided in the complex. But it wasn't easy when she was equally trying to keep her presence from alerting them too. At the same time though, there was no concrete data on the occupants. Simply listed as a community shelter.

"Their defence is minimal, they have a small group of the local militia patrolling the perimeter but that's about it." It had been easy enough to avoid them before, and Vaylin had no doubt the same would be the case during the return trip. "The enclave was established back during the Sith-Republic war, it's meant to be kept obscured and hidden. There's no data on who exactly resides within but..."

Again she paused, recalling the faces she had seen and how much of presence she had felt lingering within the building.

"I'd say anywhere between thirty to forty Jedi live there. A few masters, several knights and the rest are likely padawans."

Her eyes lingered away from Enyo at the cyborg's last question. Her thoughts turning to the Empire and the Valkyries specifically. While their job was to convert those on the battlefield, they also had a duty to find those worthy elsewhere too.

"Kill any that resist too much." The masters were likely to be in this category. "But overall I want them all captured and chained, after that then it'll be decided who lives and who dies." She turned to look at Enyo. "I'll be joining, naturally. I'm not going to miss out on slaughtering some Jedi."

Vaylin's lips shifted into a malicious smirk.

[member="Enyo Typhos"]​

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Vaylin"]


"I see," Enyo said laconically. Being frosty and businesslike seemed to be her standard mode. Bring some nonlethal weapons. Knockout gas grenades and Czerka headbangers should do the trick, she decided. After all, one blast from a headbanger was enough to put a Wookiee to sleep.


"I will take a fair share of the loot. The same applies to Jedi I consider worth my time." They could be broken in or ransomed back. Pulling the veil from their eyes and reforging them in the same way she had been born again in the furnace of the Age of Steel sounded appealing, though she doubted that many would be strong enough to endure.


She made some calculations inside her mind, then fished out a datapad and typed in a few numbers. After having done that, she passed it over to Vaylin. "This is my price." It was substantial, but affordable. Enyo had no interest in luxury or creature comforts, so every cent would be put to productive use.

 

[Vaylin]

"Sounds reasonable to me," she replied. Vaylin had little interest in what the enclave might hold in terms of items or loot. Her goal was to eradicate the Jedi that were present within, whether that was through death, torture or twisting them away from their precious Light.

Either way, provided there was a downfall of the Jedi then the Zabrak would be happy.

"Whether there will be any there worth being kept alive." She shared similiar thoughts to Enyo, although she was obviously unaware on just what type of conversion the other woman was thinking.

She waited quietly as Enyo went about her calculation, debating on what the right price would be. When the datapad was pushed over to her, Vaylin picked it up and looked at what this venture was going to cost her.

It was certainly affordable, even for someone like the Zabrak. She hummed silently, thinking it over.

"I can do that," Vaylin nodded as she slid the datapad back over to Enyo. "How would you prefer to be paid?"

Amongst all the Force training she had done with Aria, there was also more...well normal lessons she had been taught. After all she had been abandoned on Dxun at fifteen, after spending years away from normal society whether it was back on Iridonia or with the Jedi. It went without saying that Vaylin had been fairly rusty when it came to how the galaxy worked.

[member="Enyo Typhos"]​

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Vaylin"]


"They are inherently weak and blind. They will emerge stronger from the furnace or be consumed by it," Enyo remarked. Her few encounters with Jedi had left her with a terribly low opinion of them. It did not even have anything to do with Light and Dark Side. These were metaphysical concepts that Enyo neither liked nor understood. She had been trained by a Dark Eldorai and thus absorbed many of her views, despite having a low opinion of the space elves.


To her, the Force was Sciia. It was her inner flame that she tapped in, not some omnipresent energy field that permeated the Galaxy and possessed a will of its own. How could energy have a will? Or two opposing sides, like a pair of dualistic deities? It was illogical.


"Wire the funds to this account," she pressed a button on the datapad, presenting her account details. "Do you have your own ship to get to the enclave?" Presumably she did since using public transportation was something few Sith did, but it was still prudent to ask. If not Vaylin could hitch a ride on the Quasar.

 

[Vaylin]

"Weak, blind and hypocrites," she added. While the Zabrak had moved on from the events of Dxun, there would always be a simmering anger towards the Jedi because of it. The groundwork of her spite towards the Order and the Light.

They might not have caused the Netherworld to happen, to leave her alone on the Demon's Moon.

But all the same, they never came to find her.

They had simply forgotten about her, cast aside.

Vaylin took the datapad and with a few quick inputs had wired the credits to the account Enyo had specified.

"I have my own ship, yes." With that thought in mind, the Zabrak returned to the datapad and added the coordinates to the planet, and the enclave itself. "This is the location."

[member="Enyo Typhos"]​

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Vaylin"]


"I will mobilise my minions. See you at the enclave. This is my comm frequency," and so Enyo passed over her number, then got up. Turning on her heels, she walked away from the booth. She was a bit curious about this alien woman, but had work to do. Razing the Jedi enclave would be a good test for her minions.


However, before she could exit, a Twi'lek beauty accosted her. The red-skinned alien wore an outfit so brief that her frontal assets were practically...spilling out. Her hands roamed over the tall, broad-shouldered cyborg, in a pattern that was probably supposed to be stimulating.


"Hey, sugar, looking for a date?" she asked huskily, her warm breath brushing against Enyo's air. "I love these strong shoulders. Got a special just for you. Wanna go to the backroom?" Briefly her lekku seemed to stroke her face. The cyborg found the display rather disgusting.


Enyo's expression was frosty. "No," she said flatly, roughly removed the strumpet's arm and walked off. As she stepped out into the slum, she accessed her implants to contact Neda, one of her lieutenants. "Mobilise the Eisenkrieger and some of the Schlägers. Equip them for combat with Jedi. Priority is capture, not kill."

 

[Vaylin]

"See you there," Vaylin replied taking the number and looking it for a moment before slipping it into a pocket. She watched as Enyo left, once again noting the slight shift in the way the woman walked.

This time she didn't brush it off as something she was seeing, and instead put it aside to keep an eye on when they met back up.

Although her watchful eye did also catch sight of Enyo's interaction with the Twi'lek. Even Vaylin had to admit the woman looked attractive, but she was mostly focused and amused by how the reaction.

Stiff, unmoving and uninterested in every way.

The Twi'lek seemed deflated for a moment, maybe a bit anger at Enyo, but was quick enough to move onto the next person to entice.

Vaylin didn't wait long before slipping out of her seat and making a beeline for the exit.

It was time to go raid an enclave.

[member="Enyo Typhos"]​

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Vaylin"]


Sleek, stealthy and fast, Enyo's compact ship was perfect for a raid that was intended to be a surgical strike rather than a brute force affair. As a tradeoff it lacked raw firepower, but that was not what the mission demanded. The briefing room had no chairs, for Enyo believed they bred sloppiness. Instead there was only a long table dominated by a holographic display.


"The target is this Jedi enclave. Estimated population between thirty and forty Jedi. A few masters, bunch of knights, plenty of Padawans. Other defences are minimal. A militia unit patrols the perimeter. Their movements are to be monitored by probes, but we do not engage unless absolutely needed. If they become a problem, kill them all. Objective is three-fold: Raid the enclave, terminate their key players, subdue and capture the rest," Enyo elaborated.


She was surrounded by a mixed race crew of grizzled mercenaries. They were cyborgs, augmented with cybernetic enhancements mostly designed by her own hand. None of them would lose sleep about getting blood on their hands. They were professional killers, ex-soldiers or slum rats willing to pay any price to get out of their deplorable circumstances.


"The assault force will divide into two teams to breach the enclave. We shall deploy knockout gas to sow confusion. It will not be effective against the masters, but thin their backup. Shoshary, you'll be responsible for disrupting their communications," she glanced towards [member="Amara Zarides"]' Cathar helper. She was the odd ball in the group because she was neither a cyborg nor homicidal. "I don't want any transmissions to get in or out of the enclave."


"Sure, Boss," the cat woman said confidently. She tended to play tech support. If she had any issues with the mission, she hid them well. "Just remember that will affect our comms, too. But you can use your implants to communicate."


"Keep two things in mind about Forcers. Firstly, even a snot-nosed Paddy knows how to swing a glowstick or do a basic Force push. Don't assume they're down till they're dead or collared. Secondly, the average Forcer's dumb as bricks when it comes to tactics," Neda addressed the gang. The Zabrak was leaning against a wall, strong arms folded above her chest. She'd faced the 'guardians of peace and justice' before, as a stormtrooper in the One Sith legions.


"Keep up constant pressure, stay mobile, don't give them time to focus and pull off their tricks. Headbangers, sonics and scatterguns will do the trick. No blasters unless they're auto. Make sure that any grenade you use is pressure-sensitive. You can throw masters off their game by going after the young ones. They'll feel compelled to protect them."


There was a glint in her eyes. She shared a look with Enyo, as the hybrid took over again. "I want us to be ready to leave the enclave in fifteen minutes, twenty at most. We shall take anything of value, place det charges and exit. Grab your gear and get ready." The clone was not the type to waste time with small talk or snack breaks.

 

[Vaylin]

It had taken Vaylin considerably less time to get to the location and prepared for the raid, she was after all a single person in comparison to Enyo and her group. Ultimately the Zabrak left it to the Iron Fist Consortium to drum up the plan of action for attacking the enclave.

The Zabrak was presently crouched just within the treeline of a forest, one that was located not too far away from the Jedi Enclave. She had landed her ship deeper into it, cloaked by the trees and walked the remained of the way until she was in view of the building. Since then she had been keeping an eye on the premises through a pair of macrobinoculars.

Nothing had changed since she had last been here, no one had spotted and as such they were still unaware of what was going to be upon them soon.

Enyo had relayed what her group intended to do, splitting into two teams and assaulting the enclave in from different angles.

It was intended to be a swift strike, get in take out the those needed and capture those that remained.

Vaylin was practically buzzing in anticipation.

There were a few that resided within that she was most particularly interested in having a 'reunion' with.

She heard a rustle in the bushes behind her, but didn't even flinch nor look behind. The Zabrak knew it was either Enyo or one of her crew.

"Everything ready?"

[member="Enyo Typhos"]​

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Vaylin"]


"Yes," Enyo's hybrid body was encased in a shell of phrik, but despite the armour's bulk she moved with fluid grace whilst not making an undue amount of noise. Her movements were still just slightly off. Her suit was sealed up.


Green dots in her HUD depicted the placement of her squad members. Likewise it showed their weapons and armour status. One of them, this one a Chiss, carried a scoped, long-ranged rifle he used to observe the perimeter ahead of them. In any case, their cyborg nature allowed her to perceive their presence through her mechu-deru senses. "Neda, sitrep," she transmitted curtly. Brain implants were mandatory amongst the Eisenkrieger.


"Locked, loaded and ready to raise hell. Burlap Brigade is counting daisies," the Zabrak responded in affirmative. Her team would be taking the other entrance, cutting off a possible retreat option. The enclave's greatest defence lay in its secrecy, but now its cover had been blown.


"Shoshary," even as she sent the transmission, Enyo fished out a rebreather and passed it to Vaylin. "Put this one. We shall use gas grenades inside," she ordered. The masters would not be taken out of the game by knockout gas, but a number of the neophytes ought to.


Nerve gas would not have required inhalation since it also worked on skin contact, but the objective was to capture rather than kill. Moreover, it was a lot more difficult to acquire and best saved for special occasions.


"One, two minutes and the enclave will go dark," the Cathar tech replied after a brief moment's delay and a burst of static. The cyborg acknowledged her status report and closed the communications channel.


"We breach the entrance," Enyo let the words pass from her lips for Vaylin's benefit. Nonverbal communication passed between her and the team's demolition expert, a Trandoshan who carried a disruptor pistol and det charges. The Sith might notice that the squad moved like a well-oiled machine, but seemingly none of them exchanged a single word.

 

[Vaylin]

Lowering her macrobinoculars, Vaylin stood up to a her full height as Enyo came walking up. She glanced over at the woman, then turned her head fully to take the cyborg in all her glory. It was difficult for the Zabrak to not look impressed at the sight of an almost literal tank walking on two legs.

How Enyo was able to move in that was beyond her, at least for now. The fight ahead was more than likely to provide moments of revelation.

The two seemed to just stand there, staring off towards the enclave before them. Though obviously Enyo was communicating with her team during that time, Vaylin simply couldn't hear it, but she could certainly see how well they all seemed to move together.

Instead the Zabrak remained with her thoughts, leaving them only when she heard Enyo vocally speak again.

"Ah, thank you." She took the offered rebreather and secured it to her face, sitting quite nicely amongst the collar of her armour. "Good, the Jedi won't know what hit them until it's too late." Even with the rebreather on, it wasn't difficult to realize the Zabrak was grinning.

With everything all ready, the group proceeded towards the enclave. Vaylin kept her dark presence in the Force concealed, waiting until the right moment to unleash it and feel the dread creep into the very beings of the Jedi within.

It was going to be so much fun.

[member="Enyo Typhos"]​

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Vaylin"]


Inside the courtyard of the enclave, a training session was taking place. Under the watchful eye of the wise Jedi Master Dena Gallia, two Jedi Padawans tested themselves in the clash of blades. A sullen, depressed looking Padawan called Adrian Starwalker sat in the corner.


He was supposed to meditate, but it was difficult for him to centre himself. He was presently being reformed for committing homicide. He had not only slain wicked desert marauders, but the women and children as well. "There is no emotion, there is peace," he repeated this as a mantra.


Anyhow, back to the duel. As a matter of fact it was more like a beatdown. A young Twi'lek girl was doing her best to stem the tide of the powerful blows a blonde-maned human called Ewuld Goodrunner was unleashing upon her. Her name was Shakka.


Blade clashed upon blade. Feint, dodge, parry, strike and so on and so forth. But the outcome was not in doubt. Again and again he pressured her. Managing to duck under a blow, the Twi'lek zapped him in the knee, but this did not stop him for long.


Unleashing a powerful blow with the Force, he brought her down. "I win!" he declared triumphantly. "I have outgrown this little enclave. It is time for me to take my trials. I will destroy Dark Lords! It is my destiny."


"You're an arrogant jerk," Shakka snarled, feeling both angry and ashamed. She gave him a hard kick, whereupon he looked like he wanted to zap her.


"That is enough, you two," the Master intervened, approaching them. She sounded serene and calm. "Goodrunner, control yourself and put your weapon away. Pride is a grave sin, the first step to the Dark Side. And you, Alema, I sense much anger in you. You know that anger is the path to evil, don't you?"


The Twi'lek's cheeks flushed. "But I was in the right!"


"Padawan, stubbornness does not become you. 'There is no emotion...'"


"'There is peace.' I am sorry, Master."


"You will both learn in time. Goodrunner, we will discuss your errors. Alema, report to my quarters. You must...meditate. I will help you find serenity in the Force." For just a moment, she ran her hand across the girl's shoulder. One of the onlookers had to cover her mouth to hold back a snicker, as if she knew exactly what meditation meant.


"Yes, Master," the Twi'lek said meekly, trying to suppress how uncomfortable she felt.


In this moment the enclave was rocked by twin explosions, occuring in twin succession after one another. Cries of pain could be heard coming from the gates. "It is as I have foreseen! The Sith have invaded our holy enclave. I will challenge the archvillain to a duel and redeem him!" Goodrunner declared dramatically, igniting his lightsabre. It was one of those with a fancy curved hilt. At least it did not have a copter function.


"Don't be foolish, boy. To arms! Jedi Eragorn, get the Padawans to safety." As the enclave guards rallied, gas grenades were lobbed in.

 

[Vaylin]

Elsewhere in the enclave was Koss Makaal, a Kel Dor Jedi Master. He was currently situated on the other side of the building, enclosed in a dark room with not a speck of light shining through the windows.

He had been meditating for the past several hours, with nothing but peaceful silence filling his mind. Left undisturbed beyond the presences that lingered throughout the enclave. Of the other Masters, the training Knights and the hopeful Padawans.

That was until he went to leave his meditative state, when he was suddenly pulled into a vision.

Flashes of images blurred past, he saw a towering structure at the centre of a city. Several familiar faces being lost in a maze, the very walls and floors shifting behind them with every room change.

Jedi in chains...

Koss shot to his feet, immediately running towards the door to leave. Just then the explosions went off, rocking the enclave. He immediately reached into one of his pockets and pulled out his commlink.

"This is Master Makaal, we are under attack! Masters and Knights report to the incident zones, do not engage unless absolutely necessary. Keep the Padawans safe is our priority."

Meanwhile, Vaylin was stalking in following after Enyo and her group that were breaching the first entrance. She flicked her lightsaber on, a red glow illuminated the area around as she entered the enclave. She let her presence in the Force flow out freely, a dark corrupting presence that began to spread out throughout the area.

[member="Enyo Typhos"]​

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Vaylin"]


And so abruptly the feeling of serenity that permeated the enclave had been shattered. Just a moment ago, its Jedi residents had been sparring, studying or meditating. Now the enemy had stormed the gates of their sanctuary.


As improper as Dena Gallia's...interactions with some of her Padawans were, she did have a sense of responsibility. "Mobilise the security droids. Ewuld, Shakka, head to the hangar," the white robed Echani ordered.


"But, Master, I want to fight! I won't run," the Twi'lek apprentice declared bravely.


"No buts, Padawan. Knights, with me. We shall weather this storm," the Master retorted. Gripping her comm, she tried to hail the Kel Dor Master. "Master Makaal, I'm sending...," then she realised two things.


Firstly, all she got was static, for the blackout had gone into effect thanks to Shoshary's technological wizadry, scrambling communications. And secondly, clouds of greenish-yellow gas were blowing their way.


"Gas." Lacking a rebreather, she fell back on an old Jedi technique to hold her breath and drew upon her power to summon a telekinetic wind, aiming to disperse the cloud of gas. Alas, some Jedi would still fall to the ground or come down with coughing fits.


xxx


Her military career as a Sith stormtrooper had ended years ago. She had not enlisted out of patriotism or any affinity with Sith ideology, but simply because it gave her a chance to escape the slums. Moreover, the alternative had been jail.


However, Neda Chazzak still got special thrill out of fighting Jedi. There was something exhilarating about knocking these sanctimonious, holier than thou Force Gods down a peg or two, with nothing but brawn and brains. Mind you, she had no issue with fighting Sith either, but still.


"Remember. Priority is capture not kill, unless necessary. The Commander will handle the heavy hitters." Her squad burst through the broken gate, on the heels of a cloud of gas. The Zabrak knew that the entire raid force was inferior in number to the Jedi. However, it was not a pure numbers game.


Several of the Jedi could only be considered combatants in a limited sense. A number of them were Padawans who while able to use a glowstick still only had limited training. And since this was a remote hideout, some of the more experienced Jedi would be more instructors than fighters. Still, it would be folly to underestimate them.


The solution was simple: Speed, aggression and firepower. The Eisenkrieger moved like a well-oiled machine. Some of the grenades carried knockout gas, others Ixetal Cilona, which would seriously dampen a Jedi's connection to the Force.


She could hear some Jedi cough, and at least Padawan suddenly saw pretty colours when she inhaled the gas. The young one did not get to enjoy his high for long, for the Czerka headbanger of Neda's Trandoshan comrade knocked him into the dreamlands. Bright spots in her HUD marked her own boys and the Jedi, both those who fought and those who went down. The latter would be collared and restrained. Directing her goons via their brain implants to advance, purify and collar, she brought up her confussion rifle.


One Cerean Jedi seemed to be holding back the cloud. Spying a bright shimmering sphere surrounding him, she recognised it as a telekinetic shield. Boom. Her rifle unleashed concussive energy charge, producing a strong shockwave.


He tried to deflect it with his blazing sapphire lightsabre. This hurt his arm. His voodoo powers blunted the impact, but he was still blown back and slammed into the ground hard. Grabbing his lightsabre, he tried to deflect rounds as well as he could. She fired again, joined by other cyborgs, and he went down.

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They moved on, advancing over his body. A blast of invisible energy knocked her rifle out of her grasp, and she grunted, but she caught the lightsabre slash of a leaping Jedi with her lightshield before he could scythe her, then reached out with her cybernetic fingers to seize his wrist, twisting very hard.


xxx


Now that the assault had begun, Enyo dropped the cloak of deception that had obfuscated her Force Signature. Her dark aura flared to life, enabling the Jedi to perceive her. One might call it a challenge to them, for she relished a good fight. "Begin the harvest," she transmitted.


Light Side, Dark Side. These were terms that did not matter to her. Despite the bulk of her armour, she moved fluidly, as if it were a second skin she had been born into. Gas obfuscated her presence to a degree and she did not need to breathe anyway.


Her burning violet blade met a volley of crimson bolts that emanated from the blasters of security droids. Chaos ensued when she pressed her will upon one machine, causing it to fire on its brethren. Without breaking stride, she advanced as bolts were batted away by her sabre or bounced off her armour, and clove the bots in twain.


As they collapsed into smouldering wrecks, the noble Ewuld Goodrunner charged her with reckless abandon. His flurry of blows produced frustration for him as she let him vent by throwing himself against the metaphorical wall, like a teacher often did with pupils on the training ground.


Then she broke the interval with a precise, brutal cut that severed his arm at the elbow. As he wailed in pain, clutching his cauterised stump, she lifted him by the shoulder in a bone crushing grip and tossed him through the air towards another Jedi. Paying him no further mind, she advanced. Her predatory eyes fell upon the female Jedi master trying to direct the defence. A young Twi'lek stood close to her. This seemed like good prey.

 

[Vaylin]

"Master Gallia? Do you copy...Master-" But it was pointless, there was nothing but static now. The enemy, or whoever had attacked them, had disabled their internal communications. There was no way to reach the others in the enclave, or reach out to the local government to request aid.

All that could be done was to safeguard the padawans, get them to the hangar and to safety.

The Kel Dor had made his way in that direction, grabbing and directing every knight and padawan he came across. While the latter remained with him, he sent two of the knights in Dena Gallia's direction. Along the way they had to pick up some of the younger students, having been knocked out by the gas. Being a Kel Dor, Koss had no issue with it given he was already wearing a rebreather. But it also allowed for the master to focus on protecting the others, spreading out a protective shield around as many as he could.

Although this went a ways in weakening him in the long run.

They moved as one, lightsabers drawn and activated. Sounds of fighting echoed from every direction, the security droids were taking the brunt of the attack but the enemy was steadily pushing through. It was as they were nearing the hallway that lead to the hangar, that they crossed paths with Enyo's secondary team.

Koss' eyes were fixed to the Zabrak; Neda Chazzak, picking her out as the group's leader. He grew even more wary at the sight of the cybernetics.

"You two with me, we'll hold them here. The rest of you, push for the hangar."

With that, the Kel Dor Master and two knights stood in vigilance towards Neda and her lot, prepared to defend against their assault.

-x-​

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Vaylin laughed as she launched through the air, red blade carving through security droids and batting away the occasional padawan. Most of them were floundering around, dazed and slowly slipping away as the gas worked its way through their system.

There was an odd feeling of satisfaction for the Zabrak, watching as the young Jedi collapsed unconscious. Although there were a few that managed to at least attempt something despite inhaling too much of it.

A young Nautolan had lunged towards Vaylin, green clashing against red as he tried to fight her. But his bladework was sloppy, hands barely gripping the hilt. The Zabrak toyed with him, dancing around him until she spun and slashed her lightsaber across his head. It cut through a couple of his head tentacles, sending the young man reeling in pain. But Vaylin wasn't finished, and as he fell to the ground the Zabrak, Force pushed him into a nearby wall.

That's when Vaylin had sensed her fully, a twisted grin quickly appearing on her face. She moved up to Enyo's side, the cyborg coming to face with a Master and Padawan duo. Vaylin recognized one of them.

"Dena Gallia. Oh, it's been quite some time." The Zabrak was familiar with the Jedi, although not on a personal level. Dena had been a friend of Vaylin's master, and by extension the Zabrak had known her too. "I'm surprised to see you're still a Jedi after all this time...or have you been exiled here. Is that the case, Gallia? Is this enclave your harem?"

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[member="Enyo Typhos"]​