From Beneath You [TSE Dom of Gravlex Med Hex]

[Lord Depravious]

At least on his side of the battle field things seemed to be some-what calming down. The Sith Troops along with his own massacre and bloodbath on the right flank of the Sith forces had allowed them to begin pushing slowly through the caves. where the resistance they did meet wasn't ready for the ultimate might of the forces the Sith commanded, biological weapons or not.

Lord Depravious led any and all soldiers who would follow him on the right side of the battle field into the tunnels located on the more northern side of the mountain. His blackened armor looked sleek with the amount of blood he had already gathered upon the weapon. In the Dark caves any source of light reflected off of the liquid slowly dripping down his armor and face.

He hadn't heard [member="Darth Caecus"] 's Command to meet at the center of the tunnels but he had grown tired of the senseless slaughter of innocents. While mostly it was all slaughter to him - he desired a true test of his might and skill not the meager peasants he found upon this dung heap.

And yet, despite it all his halberd still sung through the air as him and his teams slowly began to make head way in the tunnels. Small defensive forces were mounted at intersections' and were met with a swift and brutal end. Any that Depravious didn't easily dispatch the troops following him massacred within moments after Shaidins entrance.

Stragglers left on the right hand flight who didn't want to follow Depravious also made their way over to the middle and left Flanks of the Sith's advance to help reinforce the lords they perhaps knew better than this man who charged in like a blazing star reckless and without much knowledge of their current battle tactics.

Lord Depravious had overheard there may be something very powerful, and very strong below - perhaps a challenge, perhaps this was something that he had so longed for instead of mindlessly slicing flesh that could hardly fight back. The fact that another Sith Lord had commanded the Sith Forces do this and make their way to the middle of the tunnel systems was a bonus for Lord Depravious - it didn't matter though because wherever he was; a trail of blood was soon to flow behind him.

 

[Cle-Var-Ri]

Kill any Anx that you find. That was easy enough. Better yet, it was exactly the kind of mission Cle-Var-Ri thrived in, with none of those pesky restrictions to still her talons. Said weapons tore through the stomach of an unsuspecting Anx with ease. It was almost funny how said creatures could live and mature for years, only to be cut and marred to ribbons in only minutes. Cle-Var-Ri relished in the kill, the first of many she'd bring this day.

Caught up in the thrill of the fight, the Tiss'shar went back and forth between wandering on her own and remaining close to her master. While [member="Darth Carnifex"] struck a lethal blow everywhere he set foot, Clever would find herself taking on the role of the scavenger, picking off those who for some reason thought they'd be exempt from the carnage. There were times, of course, in which Clever found herself getting too involved with hunting the remainders, almost to the point of straying from the group at her own navigational risks

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

Objective: (Laminanium mission: Write through the eyes of an NPC) Investigate rumours.
Location: Descending on Gravlex Med – Mountain Range.

K2-137 – Advanced piloting droid, that was his code and function. Well, that was before the ashen one, Darth Ophidia, became his master – mistress? – she preferred master. The blue one was alright too, she was better at fixing his circuits after they were inevitably shot at. The mistress was terrible at repair.

“I will require backup.” The blue one spoke to the Master “Darling will be more than happy to oblige.”

Was he?

The Master knew much, more than Darling, certainly more than blue. The blue one looked at him with that same, strange look – As if she wanted to pick him apart and set him back together. The droids who worked more closely with people used to talk about this setting: Fear. Was that what he registered? He sat down the tray that the Master so often ordered him to fetch, the one she had brought from Kol Huro. The cups steamed with warm liquid as she picked it up.

“The droid will do.” The blue one said.

Another adventure; he much preferred to go with the Master, she just had him fly the ship and carry bits and bobs. The blue one was less reliable, she tended to get wounded, and get him wounded. Nethil never seemed have control, whereas the Master had it always.

“Darling will follow the master’s commands.” Droids follow orders.

The blue one scoffed, he could register it in his circuits – Nethil did strange things to cybernetics. Perhaps because she was half machine herself? It was not Darling’s place to question. So, he flew the ship with the blue mistress and landed where she commanded. Strange owners took him to strange places, this much he had observed.

K2-137 did not mind. Perhaps he had an adventurous programming? The maker only knew.

 

[Judah Lesan]

The siren song of battle is what drew Xander Blackmoore from his own exile. The Assassins had gone quiet, a shell of what they had once been, and the Sith the same. There was a resurgence of their power which was stirring, and Darth Vizios could feel it. The cries of many souls lost to the power of death rang in his mind, and it came from the planet he now set his feet upon. His blade would join the chorus of those which already sung, but would this make him feel alive again.

Everything had been taken from him. The King had tried to love only to lose. His throne taken by the Galactic Alliance, and none of his allies had joined the cause to aid him. Xander was truly alone in the universe once again, and he scoffed at the cruelty of the dark side as he embraced it still.

His mind was only at the task of restoring his position within the galaxy, and if this was the path which would lead to that, the assassin, the lone King, would take it. The sharp violet hue of his blade pressed deep into the heart of some male. Xander did not look to see the faces of those he cut down. He simply acted with a ferocity he had not allowed to come from him since the she-devil known as Kazrah had seen it birthed in him. How he missed her, the red huntress, and regretted that she was not with him, was not his. How many would have to die today because of Xander's musings, his need to feel one with what she had brought out of him? Many... Today the noble Sith would announce his return to the ferocity that helped him capture his throne in the first place. He would be feared once again.

 

[Atlas Kane]

The force that pressed him into the bindings was no longer unbearable, yet the pain still remained. Digging into his wrists and legs, the sharp pain was steadily shooting through his body, with each pulse it faded, however. Though still, it fueled his rage. Each moment he remained powerless to fight against the ones who had captured him only added to the burning fire that was slowly building. Each mocking noise the guards produced, each one of their laughs echoing through the caves served as even more fuel for the fires of anger. It had been a while since he had felt sheer emotion on this scale, a period of time he had purposely tried to extend. His eyes seemed to burn with anger as he glared at the two guards, the Khil's words merely a backdrop to his rage.

He merely let out a quiet groan in response to the Sith's observations, only to be interrupted as the guards activated the device once more. His body coiled as the pain grew to a near unbearable point again, fists clenched tightly as he endured it, in silence, with a single long breath, similar to the other Sith. Anger directed towards their captors kept him going this time. Unlike previously, where his rage had been divvied between the various Anx, the Sith's defeat, his former master, and his own failure, this time it was more focused towards one target. The ones who had taken them, who had taken his mask from him, exposing what lay beneath, stripping away his identity and making him powerless. Following the device's deactivation, he left his head hang, black strands of hair covering his scarred face as he remained deep in thought.

Then, with only a few words from the Khil as a warning, he heard two gasps of surprise, followed by two screams and a prolonged hiss as both Anx guards were vaporized in front of him. The realisation his co-captive had been trying to convey now dawned on him too as his eyes shot towards the Khil briefly, the burning orange peering through the black veil of his hair. When the Sith turned towards, giving his instructions, Atlas nodded once in agreement to the Khil's plan. Then he watched as the Sith closed his eyes and began to go deeper into thought, turning his attention to himself again briefly after.

The rage Atlas felt had not yet subsided. With the death of their torturers and the freedom they had gained, it had figuratively been put on a leash to prevent himself from simply being overwhelmed by emotion, but it remained a great burning fire. A fire he drew upon as he bent the Force to his will to enhance his strength, infusing his natural abilities with the artificial power he now commanded. He then began pulling heavily against his restraints. First was the right arm. It broke free after a couple seconds following his sole focus on that part of his body, cable torn at about the halfway point. Then he repeated the procedure with his left arm, assisting using his free hand, then his feet, until he was entirely free, loose cables hanging from the restraints around his wrists and ankles.

He moved closer to the forcefield, concentrating on the control panel on the other side. Through the Force he reached out to find the button that would deactivate the barrier, but all the Force would reveal was vague patterns and shapes, nothing concrete enough for him to focus on. So instead he looked at the barrier itself. It was being projected by two rectangular boxes that were built into the top and the bottom of the door's frame. Actually being able to see his targets allowed him to gain the necessary focus to reach out with the Force and begin applying pressure onto the two projectors, wrapping the invisible energy field around the blocks and then slowly, but forcefully, constricting it until they burst with quiet cracks.

A moment later the Khil ripped himself free as well, faster than Atlas had done. The Epicanthix didn't turn back, however, simply walking out the cell's door and taking a few steps away from it. There he stood for a moment in order to catch his breath. Through the Force he could feel a sense of focused anger emanating from the Sith behind him, unlike himself, whose rage continued burning nearly unchecked. As the Khil took the dead guard's weapon and urged him to lead, he began walking forwards, towards the panel of the door that would allow them access to the tunnels.

As he stepped in front of it, the door opened with a quiet hiss. Atlas immediately surged forward, into the doorframe, as it was not him who had opened the door, but rather an Anx come back to check on screams that didn't belong to the prisoners. The poor Anx never stood a chance. He had stared at Atlas the moment after the door had opened, for a split second he had managed to see the face of the Sith, to see the weakness it betrayed, and in that moment the Anx had sealed his fate. Atlas tackled the Anx, using the Force to assist him in keeping the larger creature down, then, while he knelt atop the creature, he began striking the creature's face with hands balled into fists. The display was short, yet brutal. Blood splattered onto Atlas' front as he kept on his onslaught, the fire within him dying down with each of his strikes.

Finally he stopped, panting heavily. He began tearing a long strip of cloth from the Anx' robes that he proceeded to hastily wrap around his head, covering his face entirely while leaving only his eyes visible. Then he remained still for a moment, eyes closed, as he let both his arms hang at his sides, breathing in deeply, blood pooling beneath him, he released the air in a long and cathartic sigh.

He stood up, breathing returned to a calm pace and the anger within him having very nearly vanished. Turning back towards the Khil he said "Tell me your name.", voice quiet and calm. Following the Khil's answer, he turned again to move down the tunnel, reaching out with the Force. Only now did the sounds of battle and the presence of other Sith on Gravlex Med enter his mind. He began to grin slightly as this realisation struck, though he proceeded only to try and locate the unique signature of the crystal within his Lightsaber, rather than attempting to find the other Sith.

[member="Tsisaar Taral"]

 

[Shade of Decay]

Tsisaar watched impassively as the third Anx to enter his and Atlas's midst was brutalized, the open door through which the reptillian creature had come carrying with it the tantalizing scents of freedom and battle both. In short order, before Tsisaar could ruminate on the path to freedom any longer, the Anx was dead, blood making the floor slick as Atlas tied a covering around his face. So he must've been the one with the armour earlier. He didn't doubt that he was one of few who would ever see the man armourless and likely not suffer for it.

Interrupting his further thoughts came the man's fiery gaze, followed by a question. "Tsisaar," came the Khil's voice, a basso rumble juxtaposed against Atlas's higher pitched rasp. "Tsisaar Taral. And yours?" he shortly asked, following along as Atlas started moving again. The tunnels were rather dimly lit, although between their Force-enhanced senses and the light provided by Tsisaar's new electrostaff - purple arcing electricity causing shadows to dance along the floor in front of the pair - they were able to move perfectly fine.

Coupled with the use of the Force to make up for a lack of sight, Tsisaar could feel other things. The distinctive presences of Sith. Anger, hatred, lust (for blood or bodies, Tsisaar didn't distinguish which); and of the Anx, fear, more anger, and pain. The sensations and emotions drifted along the currents of the Force like a pungent scent, one that Tsisaar found quite pleasing in his nostrils. Almost unconsciously he began to pick up speed, electrostaff at the ready. He hadn't eaten in hours, he hadn't had a good, succesful battle in days, and most importantly, he was thirsty for revenge. It was time to hunt down the creatures that had thought to take him captive.

"I can sense a few Anx down the tunnel that branches to our right," he growled quietly at Atlas. "Two for me, two for you sound fair?"

 

[Via Dolorosa]

"Peace is a lie..."​

​

​

The new conquest seemed to be a yawn of strength, an attempt to conquer a world of peaceful natives to draw them upon an Empire that cared nothing for their nature. Not all Sith sought this as 'peace' as it was a flex of weakend dreams of a vision portrayed by to many juice drinkers. For the Queen of Madness, battles were picked and chosen by those who understood balance.​

​

Take a world by force and what do you gain, not loyal subjects but a rebellion spoke on the lips of those that only need a cause to rally around. The Sith had grown strong, but they forgot the most important mantra, 'Peace is a lie' where the only mantra that should be bannered was "We are Sith...you live by judgment of what you can provide.'​

​

"Ignorance is a truth"​

​

Taking a world by force, even those to peaceful to field a response means what? We have become bullies! Why wage a conquest upon a world that can't fight for itself, when the true enemy is sitting a kiss, a lick, from your gates.​

​

"...and we wait."​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The distant rumbling of artillery was like thunder, joyous with the echoes of destruction as it rang across the blood-soaked savannah. The Sith forces were not singularly concentrated on the rescue of the captured Sith beneath the blackened mountains of Ozlyn Gox, there were many more groups broken down into smaller segments that were charged with cleansing the rest of the planet. Saturating bombing became like rain, pouring from the heavens with little restraint to crack open the mountains and envelop the cavernous cities with scalding flame. Concentrated lances of plasma laid entire continents bare with howling firestorms as large and ferocious as hurricanes.

There would of course those who preached moderation, but their softness was pushed aside.

The Dark Lord swung his blade wide, slicing open an Anx's belly to free sizzling organs from their resting place. Another boiled treat for his apprentice, although it was becoming evident that she tended to enjoy the taste of raw uncooked meat. He could see her now, leaping with ferocity to tear into an Anx's back as they were turned towards some of his soldiers, her talons slicing through flesh like it was made out of paper to dig in deep. Blood coated her snout, arms, and legs.

It was good, he was proud of her. She was wholly bestial and vicious, and on the battlefield she was in her element. Just like he was. "The vermin are fleeing into the caverns, apprentice! They will find no solace in their tomb." He turned and chased after them, a cadre of Blackblades tailing after him as the darkness enveloped his retreating form.

[member="Cle-Var-Ri"]​

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

Objective: (Laminanium mission: Write through the eyes of an NPC) Investigate.
Location: Gravlex Med – Mountain Range.

“Approaching destination, preparing to land” A bump “Landed.”

K2-137 quickly flicked the switches and turned the dials to set the ship in protective standby. He had flown this ship since he was found by the Master, it was almost part of him. Darling engaged the cloaking mechanism of the Phasma.

“I will require your assistance in the search.”

“And leave the ship?”

“Yes. Just lock up. We’ll be back before anyone gets through.”

Droids follow orders “Yes mistress Filiae.”

The ashen one usually left Darling behind, well so did the blue one. It was rare for him to be taken along. Was he excited? Did droids even feel excitement? It was difficult to tell, but his programming did go into a mode of heightened attention as he followed the Chiss out of the ship.

They had landed deep in a mountain range, where a long-lost empire had once held a base during a war mostly forgotten. One could only see the landing platform if one knew it was there; the rock formations were just a little more linear than they ought to be, even though they had been weathered down by snow and ice, and time. Darling cradled a blaster in his arms. He was not programmed for accurate shooting, but his masters generally found it safer to give him a weapon – if only to draw attention away from themselves while they did their thing.

He watched as the blue one ran her hands over a half-frozen indent in the sheer rock-face. Her fleshy, speaking bits moved, but he didn’t pick up any orders. However, he did feel that strange sensation -It brought alarm. One would not think droids could feel discomfort, but there he was: uncomfortable- while Nethil used her strange programming that changed the programming of others.

Unnatural, but that was the way of these fire-eyed masters: They accomplished that which did not compute.

 

[Darth Caecus]

On the Surface:
[member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Antherion"] [member="Vaylin"] [member="Darth Lykos"] [member="Harley"] [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] [member="Cle-Var-Ri"] [member="Venthis Zambrano"] [member="Lord Depravious"] [member="Laguz Vald"] [member="Darth Filiae"] [member="Darth Vizios"] [member="Darth Venefica"]

All across the surface, the Anx were retreating. Into the caves, into their burrows. Almost as one organism, they dove back below the earth, into the black. Into twisting tunnels where they had the home advantage, knowing them intimately and having no hesitation to fight in the darkness. The Anx had evolved from herd creatures, not ambush predators, but they would take advantage of the underdark fully, and turn it against the Sith if given the chance.

They dove beneath.


****

[member="Luca Thorne"] [member="Atlas Kane"] [member="Tsisaar Taral"]

The Anx functioned as herd animals. When threatened, they went back to back, the weakest in the center, the strongest ready on the edges to lash out. Even with whatever was goading them, those deep, instinctual reactions to danger could not be shaken.

Her words only audible to Thorne, it was all that was needed. The pair converged, rifle offering counterpoint to the silence from her direction. She kept her saber in its spot on her belt, using the Force in a more intimate manner to accomplish her goal.

Caecus took no joy in the slaughter they wrought between them. If they had more time, or a greater familiarity with the tunnels, she would have taken the time to find another way. But sometimes, death was simply necessary, and she did not shirk from it when that time came. It mattered very little to her.

But then, few things did.

The last Anx hit the ceiling at the same moment a blast lit up the space behind it's eyes, falling in a heap between them.

She didn't need to tell him to follow when she turned. She had no interest in the bodies, no interest in cleaning up. Masked face flickered to the right- a small room, an armory? Now, simply storage for these were not a war like people- But something resonated there. A lightsaber, other personal items with the barest sheen of the darkside. She reached out her hand, drawing them to her. They belonged either to the Sith that had been slaughtered, or to the pair taken. If the later, she would return them. If the former, offer them to [member="Darth Saarai"]. Better than leaving them here to wait underground for a master that would never return.

They were nearing the place the pair were being held. A pocket of emptiness, the feeling of yslamiri, waited.

But behind the mask, Kith smiled.

Because she felt them now too. And it was no longer strictly a rescue. Good.

 

[Arage Bao]

The fight was over before it began.

No, it had been a slaugher.

A completely surprise overwhelming them before they could react in any way. But for some reason Luca felt that this was a mercy, because something was wrong with these sentients. It was as if a thick cloud had raised itself over their eyes, filled their heads, guided their hands, they didn't even seem to feel it when his rifle took them out one by one. A hole the size of a fist blowing through a stomach and the recipient had tried to claw its way towards Luca.

Only a shot through the head seemed to cause them to drop completely.

"Two of them fled, they went deeper down... below." Luca notified Caecus as they fell into a similar stride. They had been working together for a while now and Thorne had noticed that their partnership was acceptable. Little in the need of talk to relay meaning, their minds working on a similar level during a battle.

It made things easier for sure.

[member="Atlas Kane"] | [member="Tsisaar Taral"] | [member="Darth Caecus"]​

 

[Atlas Kane]

"Atlas Kane." he answered briefly, gaze still focused on the dimly lit tunnels before them. His attention remained devoted to finding his sabre, and with it hopefully his armour. It had become akin to a second skin for him. The habits of maintaining and wearing it wherever he went were comparable to those of the Mandalorians, though to Atlas it was not out of some misguided tradition, rather a subconscious need to remain hidden from the galaxy, to hide the shame of weakness that had been permanently seared into his flesh from others to view. Wearing the armour meant not showing his weakness and when he wasn't weak it forced the consequence that he was strong. This loop of self-loathing and the will not let his weak flesh drag him down drove his anger, but it also weighed him down. He saw himself less as a person and more as a creature driven by the teachings of the Sith, shackled to the false identity and image of strength that came with the mask, though he would never admit it to anyone, not even himself.

Their steps echoed quietly through the caves, accompanied only by the buzzing of the Electro Staff, though his attention remained centred within the Force, not the physical world around him. He remained unsuccessful in locating the sabre he sought to locate through the Force, impossible to pierce the veil of emotions that were running rampant on this world. He sighed quietly, returning back to the world of the physical, as the two Sith marched ever onward in search for a way to rendezvous with the others of their Order. While his own anger lessened by the minute, subsiding and giving way to a sense of resignation, Tsisaar's emotions only seemed to swell in intensity at the same pace that his walk increased in speed. Atlas quickened his own to match, falling in behind the Khil, allowing him to lead the way for a while.

Tsisaar's words reached him only moments before he felt them as well, the four guards in their vicinity. The Khil's words seemed more aggressive to Atlas, more driven. "Try to be efficient." He replied, his voice barely audible. As they came closer to the branching pathway he moved to the front of their formation, keeping close to the wall on their right until he reached the corner of the tunnel that marked the entrance to the path that led to the Anx. There he stopped, inching his way towards the edge to assess their situation with a quick glance.

He saw four guards, all armed with rifles of some kind, whether they were blasters of slugthrowers was hard to tell within the dark. Atlas' raised his left arm behind him, waving his hand towards the wall, eyes still firmly fixed onto the Anx. They were standing in the middle of a small room at the end of the tunnel, two on the left, one in the middle, the last on the right. They were somewhat illuminated by a ceiling light that painted them in a dim orange glow, huddled behind various pieces of cover that obscured them even further. Still, Atlas could make out that they were turned towards the entrance on the other side of the room, opposite the one the Sith would take. It seemed they weren't expecting anyone to come from behind, most likely still not alarmed by their comrade's absence.

Then he saw it. It had been hard to tell apart from the rusty floor in the dim light, but there was blood there and it came from the entrance the Anx were pointing their guns towards. Taking an even closer look now he made out several obscured figures within the shadows of that tunnel's entrance. They all resembled the Anx' reptilian forms. Several of them lay there, seemingly torn apart by the bullets and bolts of the Anx inside the room. This was an unexpected development. The Anx had seemed more bloodthirsty than usual during the battle, but to kill their own? That was more than just out of character for the Anx, it seemed absolutely mad.

Intrigued by this new insight, Atlas reached out with the Force, feeling the most prevalent emotions within the room. Fear? Despair? Dread? Sure, an all out assault by the Sith was a frightening bulwark, but the Anx had met them with courage and certainty before. Even if the new assault was far more numerous, Atlas doubted the bloodthirsty warriors he had seen during the earlier battle would be sitting idly by as their homeworld was being turned to cinders. No, they would have fought. This begged the question: What sort of foul circumstances could turn these reptiles into hunkering prey waiting for their slaughter when they had been the ferocious predators before?

Atlas didn't know, yet his curiosity was sparked. He looked back towards Tsisaar and nodded once towards him, followed by another nod towards the tunnel. He would wait a moment before then moving towards the tunnel that would lead them towards the Anx next to Tsisaar, so they could strike at the same time. His steps were quiet, barely audible over the quiet buzzing of the lamp within the Anx' room, though they did not seem to notice. It seemed their attention was entirely focused on the dark opening before them. It made Atlas' approach far easier, as he was not exactly the stealthiest of the Sith. The closer they got, the better he could see the corpses of the Anx laying on the other side of the room. Blaster and slugthrower wounds were not the only ones they bore on their flesh. It appeared there were claw marks, bite marks, and other injuries usually attributed to more uncivilised weapons. His spark of curiosity began flaring up with each step they came closer.

[member="Tsisaar Taral"], [member="Darth Caecus"], [member="Luca Thorne"].

 

[Hailey Sosis]

[member="Darth Vizios"] [member="Darth Venefica"] [member="Darth Pellax"]

Harley troops swept forward, killing the clansmen as they went. The Axe Blasters where not effective at range but as they closed in they, didn't have hack into the enemy. The blackblade guards forced them onward. Also if the slaves got out numbered, they just detonated them, causing clansmen to break further. Harley was livestreaming it all, and sending it to her friend, who was so interested in her, a chiss woman called [member="Isabella Fonti"]. She had no idea she was a Galactic Alliance agent, who had duped her. She just liked the fact she had a friend, one to share the chaos with. Soon her forces where pushing the men down to caves, they where in full retreat.

As she charged forward, she bumped into back of a man, he was roughly six foot high. He was quite muscular in build, but then again, all sith male warriors where. She then said, while her phone was on, in her hand Hay why you standing here, we got a fight to get on with? She stood their in hide armour, wondering who the hell he was.

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

Objective: (Laminanium mission: Write through the eyes of an NPC) Investigate.
Location: Gravlex Med – Faaaar up into the mountains.

A distinct cracking noise resounded from the flat where the blue one touched, and Darling would have recoiled if he had been programmed with such reactions. He was not. In front of them, what once looked like an abnormally flat bit of mountain now turned into a gaping hole. Ice flaked off as the door ascended into a hidden slot, sending a shiver through the frozen peak above. He could sense Filiae seize, looking up with pause.

The mountain did look a little unbalanced, like the uneven stacks of datadisks the Master set aside when she got the fervent look in her eyes. Fervent; what did that mean? He was not programmed for that. He was a pilot – Flying and the odd instance of accompanying were his usual tasks.

Droids follow orders.

Darling followed the blue one into the darkened maw and lit a lantern when the door shut behind them. He saw Filiae lit one too: The long, orange rod that hummed and glowed. It was not the best light, but he had registered that it was important. Perhaps he would get one someday.

They proceeded down the corridor. Frost crackled under Darling’s metal feet. Open and half-closed doors flanked them on either side, leading to chambers. Darling peeked inside one, but he registered no living organics, only frozen ones. He found some ammunition, but the canisters had expired. There was probably still some inside, but it would be volatile, or so his caution programme stated.

One, two more sets of rooms just like this. They varied in size, sure, but the contents were similar: Tossed, frozen, one even had a hole in the floor. What a state of decay.

“Did you find anything?” The blue mistress asked. Darling shook his head in response.

“Let’s go deeper. These rooms were probably already looted by the Anx. They don’t usually come this high, but.”

But what?

There was a distinct rumble in the distance.​

 

[Vaylin]

The slaughter had no end in sight. After taking down the three Anx, Vaylin had lurched towards more. Nothing but red, arcing and swooping through the air as she carved through more and more bodies. She felt the blood rushing through her body, the adrenaline high beginning to increase, practically buzzing across every fibre of her being.

But Vaylin paused, breathing in, coiled the bloodlust through her body and exhaled heavily. While this was a battlefield, it wasn't the time and place to indulge.

Instead she looked and watched, analyzing what was happening around her.

Their numbers were thinning, the Anx that was. It was presumed before deployment that the numbers that would be encountered across the savannahs would not consist of the main bulk of the enemy's army. They would be kept to the confines of their cities, bolstering their defence against the Sith Empire. But that would hardly matter once the two prisoners were freed and brought to safety? When the fury of the Sith would rain down upon their cities.

Vaylin's senses flared to her left, but before the Zabrak could act the enemy was already dispatched by [member="Kaalia Voldaren"].

"Understood." She followed her fellow Valkyrie as they pursued the group on Anx. Although as they moved closer, it became more and more apparent that plans had suddenly shifted. The group that had gathered suddenly began to run, as did the remaining Anx that were still alive.

They were fleeing.

The Zabrak kicked against the ground and launched into a run, attempting to catch up with them. However as she pursued them up a steep hill, they suddenly just dropped from the top and disappeared. Vaylin skidded to halt, soon enough that she wasn't at risk of suddenly falling over the edge. She peered over and saw down the other end there was a sizable hole in the side, a burrow that likely lead into the complex of tunnels underground.

"They're retreated to their hidey-holes." Vaylin said as Kaalia and the small Blackblade Guard unit caught up.

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

Objective: (Laminanium mission: Write through the eyes of an NPC) Investigate.
Location: Gravlex Med – Got to go deeper.

The deeper they ventured, the warmer it got. The crunching of ice-crystals under Darling’s metal feet soon subsided and gave way to the muffled sound of servos whirring with each step. At the end of the corridor, there was another door. The control panel was covered in rime and blossoms of ice flowers.

The blue mistress did not touch it, yet the door opened. A gust of warm air crashed against their form.

“That is strange”

Darling turned to look at blue as she spoke, wondering what was so strange about a facility that was still active. He would ask, but somehow, he knew what came next.

“This facility should not be active. It’s been centuries since...”

Darling looked down the corridor as it extended on the other side of the door, then stepped through in front of Nethil. What was she stalling for? The Master awaited their return – Another rumble, and another. Nethil turned her back to the newly opened door and looked to where they had come from, then backed through the door. Did she think it was advantageous to walk backwards through the door? Sometimes, it made sense to back a ship through a slot. Perhaps it was similar in some fashion.

“There are still no registered li- Correction: Six life forms, twelve and rising. Miss Filiae.”

The mistress gripped her long light with both hands and Darling cocked his blaster. Life forms usually meant trouble. He just hoped he wouldn’t lose any limbs this time. It was such a drag. Darling and Filiae moved further down the corridor, coming close to a bend. A light flickered from around the bend.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The Anx were not allowed to get away.

The moment Kaalia laid eyes upon them she saw [member="Vaylin"] pursue them. With a motion to the Blackblade Guard to follow her she went to follow behind her, after which she started to sprint after the zabrak. The Anx were long gone by the time they arrived, but when she peered down it was quickly obvious where they had gone. This was done with a purpose and the woman was not simply go after them inside of the tunnels, there likely was some kind of trap inside which they had to avoid. "So it seems," Kaalia answered, mulling over what to do. "This requires a change of plans."

After a quick second of deliberation the redhead decided that perhaps this situation could be turned into their advantage, however. "If we all enter at the same time, they will see us coming. Vaylin, you and I will enter first. The goal is to remain unnoticed while we pick off targets would we come by them." Turning on her heel she went to face the Guard to address them. "Wait here until I give the signal through comms. Once I do, sweep every path you take down there." The Guard saluted her and with that she turned back to Vaylin, giving her a quick nod before making her way down.

Peering inside, Kaalia couldn't make much out beyond the first few meters. With the Force however she saw much more and much further, which allowed her to know there was nothing of note around the entrance at the very least. That would likely change as they went further in however, but they would have to react to things that they came to them. With careful steps the Sith Lady walked further in, watching her every move.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Her bare feet moved across the planet, while her eyes watched the Sith ahead of her order their troops to massacre the enemy. The call to conflict had lost it's thrill for her, though she would find enough of the enemy to slaughter in her own good time. It had been eons since she took the life of another in combat, though plenty had died by her hand in exile. Fools, the lot of them. How dare anyone have the audacity to disrupt her chance at a new life, away from the galaxy's strife ridden existence! Fools, the lot of them.​

​

Stepping into tracks made by those in front, she took the time to familiarize herself with this new generation of Sith. Since her return, the Queen of Madness discovered there were far more new faces than familiar ones, though those that knew her before still might hold a grudge at her betrayal. There was no fault in their reasoning. If the opportunity presented itself, she would betray them again. For now, she would double her efforts to find a chain of loyalty to wrap around her being. She missed her family, though she would never admit it.​

​

From the corner of her right eye she spotted a female Sith, Harley her name was, using a phone that distracted her enough that she ran up the back of a male Sith. Whether it was the result of her fractured mind or this was indeed a funny moment, Darth Venefica found this to be rather amusing, considering the state of affairs.​

​

"Tell me Knight, what has you so preoccupied that a phone call is more important than watching where you're going?"​

​

She should have chided the Knight, instead she simply the girl a wink.​

​

​

​

[member="Harley"]​

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

Objective: (Laminanium mission: Write through the eyes of an NPC) Investigate.
Location: Gravlex Med – What the kark?

Darling halted in his step as the blue one signalled for him to stay back and be quiet. He shut down his light for good measure and proceeded to stand perfectly still, looking at the Chiss as she stalked closer to the bend, holding the orange bar of glowing behind her – How useful would it be behind her? He ought not question her.

Droids follow orders.

She stood quiet for a moment, Darling held his waiting pause. In the newfound quietness, he detected sounds that had previously gone undetected by his audio sensory array. Some sort of sparking, crackling -Plasma cutters! He knew because they were used sometimes used in ship repair (and the fixing of other machines) and any self-respecting piloting droid had rudimentary knowledge of the tools of emergency fixes.

Suddenly the blue mistress slipped around the corner. The sounds of plasma cutters and the hum of the deadly light-stick moving aggressively all blended up in a mixture cut with the beginning of a shout suddenly silenced. Darling ran to the corner and rounded it blaster first, aiming at all he could see, but there was only Filiae and two life forms in mid transformation to the “organic matter” category.

Edge-faced, green skinned, mouths opened and bodies cloven from shoulder to hip. The Chiss did not look the least bit bothered, rather she looked more concerned with what they had been cutting at: A section of wall. Darling walked closer to the blue one, pushing an arm out of the way as he did.

“What do you think they were seeking?”

Darling looked at Filiae, then at the wall. What were they looking for, indeed? Or were they looking for anything at al- Darling spun, aimed and fired a shot from his blaster just as a third edge-faced, green creature came. It was smaller than the others, holding a tray in its hands. It clattered against the ground. Spilling liquid.

“There are likely more, hither.”

Filiae stared at him with a look he did not know where to place; bemusement perhaps? He was not programmed to understand such things. The shot, however, did please him. It would have pleased the Master. Perhaps the last oil bath had improved his appendage–photoreceptor coordination. Or perhaps Filiae had tinkered with his programming while he was asleep.

It did not matter.

 

[Vaylin]

Vaylin followed behind Kaalia, and it didn't take long for the Zabrak to feel her skin crawling. It was a sensation that was familiar to her, either warning her that they were being watched, or the atmosphere around them was instilling that feeling to confuse her.

But she was use to it, from years of surviving in a jungle surrounded by beasts looking to make her their next meal. The Zabrak could differentiate between the two, and they weren't being actively watched. Instead, it was the construction of the underground network causing the effect. The entrance leading to a sizable 'foyer' like cave though the light from outside barely stretched across a couple feet.

The Zabrak blinked several times, her eyes adjusting to the dark as best they could. She would defer to [member="Kaalia Voldaren"]'s Force senses, knowing they were most likely far superior to her own. Instead, Vaylin would focus on using what she had learned on Dxun, utilizing her hearing, touch and sense of smell.

She listened as the wind blew in through the entrance, howling past them into the darkness and whistling down into the tunnels. Vaylin followed it, treading quitely over stone and dirt. Moving to where she suspected each main tunnel was, and then crouched down and touched the ground.

Footprints, freshly made.

But as she moved to each one, it became apparent the Anx had split up and went down all of them.

And idea came to the Zabrak, and while she hadn't much experience in telepathy, Vaylin had thought up an alternative. She moved back to Kaalia's side, standing just behind the Sith Lord. She tapped the woman's lower right shoulder with three fingers, then tapped with two fingers higher up the shoulder.

Three main tunnels, two higher up.

There were in the Anx's home turf now, they knew these tunnels much better than either of them. If they wanted to get the upper hand on them now, stealth was going to be required from here on out. No talking, no lightsabers, at least not yet anyway. Once they had an idea where the Anx had gone, then the slaughter would resume.