From The Beast About To Strike [The Collective vs. Zombies]

[NightSister]

Space - Approaching Hok

"Alright, people, we land in ten minutes," came the voice of Captain Atar from the ship's control deck. "It might be bumpy considering the dark, but they won't see us coming."

As soon as they began, they'd be hard to miss. But as soon as they began it would make little difference. This mission would not be a subtle one - all the same, the darkness served to shroud them well. The element of surprise was a powerful thing.

Aria smiled, and said nothing.

From hyperspace, the ship had dropped into a black velvet sky that watched over Hok. Since the days where she'd grown up on the nearby Eshan she'd seen and heard nothing of the planet- until they'd caught word of the murmurings of a group hiding beneath its obscured surfaces as it silently, steadily grew. They'd named themselves the Arosen, and within their hiding place they prepared to strike against the Sith. Naturally, it made all their lives easier if these plans were dealt with before they could become anything more than plans.

But the Sith were fond of efficiency. The Arosen were one bird of two that a well-thrown stone would kill.
The second, of course, were the undead in the hangar.

The pair of Sith Lords on board who'd animated the Woyunokut from corpses on Mirial hadn't offered their names (or, and perhaps more importantly, how to spell Woyunokut), but Aria was interested enough in the mission not to mind - since the Silver Jedi's attack on the planet the creatures had needed some relocation and this attack had offered a chance to use the undead as an attack force. And paired with Matsu's Jiéshù squad - her smile widened at the memory of fighting those creatures a lifetime ago - well, she was sure it would be something to behold.

The dead of night had welcomed the massive craft carrying the Valkyries and a handful other allies to Hok, and the journey had been long but straightforward. It left time to plan. Time to prepare. That had been the easy part. But everyone knew their roles when it came time for the hard part.

With a thud, they landed some distance from the Arosen's rumored base. The plan was simple enough, because they knew their enemies didn't expect them. Because as far as the Valkyries knew, only the Arosen had done much at all to get in the way of the unexciting situation around Hok.

The element of surprise was a powerful thing.

Spoiler: Background n' stuff

1. This is Hok. This is happening on the dark side of the planet (obviously). There are crystal caves and stuff about, and anything else you want to add.
2. These are the Woyunokut (I can't pronounce it either, don't worry) and this is the Jiéshù Squad. You can fite them at your leisure.
3. Your PC bad guys are [member="Kaalia Pavanos"], [member="Elani Zambrano"], [member="Jacob Crawford"], [member="Juliet Varos"], [member="Matsu Xiangu"] and yours truly - hit any of us up if you want to tango. [member="Cerbera"] and [member="Darth Ophidia"] are here too, but they're just looking chill and badass in the background.
4. The story is: the Valkyries heard there were some meanies on Hok and brought zombies to take them out without realising the Collective is there lurking in the shadows. Also, I wanted to write spoopy things.
5. If you're not part of either side but want to join, please PM me/tag me in the OOC and we can work something out.
6. If you need to plan/coordinate/post funny gifs, here's the OOC thread.
7. Remember Wheaton's Law and have fun!

 

[Elani Zambrano]

Location - Hok's Surface
Objective - Prepare


There she was. The first child of the Dark Lord, the heir to the Panathan Empire's throne, Elani Zambrano in all her dark and brooding glory. She sat upon the durasteel ground of the ship, murmuring incantations and the like and she prepared her mind and body for the upcoming battle. She required absolute focus so that she may call upon her magics without hesitation or trouble. She wore robes, black in color and ragged in style like that of a witch. She knew what she was going to face, or at least what her superiors had told her she'd face.

Elani slowly opened her eyes, revealing her violet irises to those close enough to get a glimpse at them. Slowly, she rose to her feet and inhaled sharply. Her mind returned to her physical body at this time. She was ready for what was ahead. Her body, mind, and soul were all intertwined. Failure was impossible for Elani once she achieved this level of focus. The dark side flowed through her like a river, permeating through her flesh.

"I am ready."

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"] | [member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Juliet Varos"] | [member="Matsu Xiangu"] | [member="Aria Vale"]​

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

LOCATION: Disembarking to Hok's Surface
OBJECTIVE: Rile zomboos.

Matsu wasn’t particularly fond of Sith Empires. Those who had been with her during her One Sith days would attest to her repeated absence from the meeting of councils, her barely repressed rude snorts of laughter when another Lord suggested something garish and cliched within her earshot, and her cool disregard for the phantom under the so-called Dark Lord’s moth-eaten cloak. She was asked more than once why she was even there - and it had been for friends, for family. She’d bloodied herself on their battlefields, sacrificed flesh and nearly her life several times for their goals.

And that was the same reason she stood on the vessel carrying the Valkyrie and their allies to Hok that night.

Though her own personal goals and beliefs did not align with the Empire’s, she cared for many of those within it. When she’d been asked to bring her beloved necromantic abominations to the fore to eliminate a potential threat, she hadn’t had to think about it. Two of her former apprentices would be on the ground with her, now forces in their own right. For that alone she would bring her strength to their effort.

The Undead let up a singular groan of anticipation as the ship began to tilt, finding a place to land on the planet’s surface. They were, as always, very, very hungry. It was an insatiable need, the stimulation of primal instinct in a creature who needed no sustenance to live. For it did not. They all shuffled in time, eager for the hangar door to open and let them stream out. One, talon-like fingers of bone opened and closing in to fists, started screaming. It was a horrible sound, one to set even the most stoic aboard on edge. But from the dark, Matsu’s delicate metallic hand reached out to cradle its chin.

“Shh…” she crooned lovingly, leaning to rest her forehead against its rotten cheek. “Soon, I promise.”
It quieted, soothed by a press of her sorcery against the bindings that animated it.
[member="Six-O"] walked beside her as they perused the army, safe as they had no use for his metal and gears. He wasn’t delicious at all!

The ship touched down and Matsu manipulated her connection to the horde, tightly controlling their frenzy so that when the hangar door dropped they would be a singular, sprinting tide.

[member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Elani Zambrano"] | [member="Kaalia Pavanos"] | [member="Juliet Varos"] | [member="Cerbera"] | [member="Darth Ophidia"] | @anyone!​

 

[Janeth Farr]

PLANET HOK
Collective Base

On the dark side of Hok lied the Collective base. A small, well-hidden cache and listening outpost. Though by no means a fortress, the natural defenses of the crystal cavern entrances made it particularly difficult to locate and attack. Certainly once discovered, a well placed orbital strike could cave it in. But fortunately the natural density of mineral resources made it difficult--if not nigh impossible--to detect from orbit without specialized sensory equipment, and a good idea of where to look.

That meant one thing: If anyone discovered their presence, they would do so by stumbling upon it face first.

Janeth went about her routine day-to-day, having been placed in charge of the base's defenses for the last month and a half. She trained, inspected the entrances, and kept some of the edgier personnel in line. Artificial light in an secluded environment did little to rest the paranoid mind.

"We're getting some kind of interference." One technician said.

Another confirmed. "I'm seeing similar problems. It's not just you."

"What's the fethin' holdup!?" Janeth was not happy.

The second incident today. Inspection day. The inspector's shuttle had landed moments before the Sith ship broke atmosphere.

"We're picking up a new signature. Looks like a --... Force it's massive...." The man muttered.

Janeth turned back to the display, seeing for herself what the commotion was about. Not now. "Turn everything that we don't need running off. If we play it smart they won't know we're here." Whoever 'they' are.

"Plan for the worst." The inspector said after entering the room. His cold demeanor did little to rest their worries.

[member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Elani Zambrano"] | [member="Matsu Xiangu"]

 

[Evoros]

//Begin Transmission...

Attn: all agents-

An unidentified starship has dropped out of hyperspace above the attached coordinates on Hok. We are unable to tell who the guests are but we anticipate some form of attack on the area.

The strength of their forces remains to be seen, so any agents who are able should report to the above coordinates in order to ensure security and/or defend the area. As always, your actions will be evaluated and your successes rewarded.

-The Board

//End Transmission.

Evoros blinked at the green-lit text that crawled across her screen. Blinked again. Then she sighed, head falling into one hand propped on her elbow as she looked at the holocomputer in resignment.

"Chit."

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Location: Space, approaching Hok
Objective: Squash rebels, spooky style

---​

​

Perhaps this kind of mission was not common to be taken on by the Valkyries, but to Darth Avacyn that mattered little. Enemies of the Sith had to be removed, it was that simple, and she would gladly assist in such operations. The fact [member="Aria Vale"] was the one who had orchestrated it only made it easier to agree to come along. She was the only fellow Sith in the galaxy she truly considered to be a friend instead of just an ally, and for friends the woman would gladly lend a helping hand. This time was no exception.

The command over the undead would be left to the others however, she had something of her own to test out now that the perfect opportunity had shown itself. In a solitary chamber the redhead meditated, her senses turned inwards to focus only on herself. From the outside there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary, yet at the very least, but if one were to look through the Force they would notice that was far from reality. A combination of the knowledge other Sith and ancient incantations Avacyn focussed the Force around her, before breaking the silence in the chamber by chanting something in the old Sith tongue. She didn't not fully understand the language, she was still learning it, but what she was saying was very much known to her. While speaking her appearance started to change, taking spectral properties more and more as she did. It was mere an illusion, but one strong enough to even make some who were strong in the Force believe it was very much real.

When the Sith Lady finished her glowing eyes opened, satisfied by the outcome of her efforts. Getting up she collected her gear and made her way out of the chamber, immediately making her way towards where Aria was. A grin appeared on her face as she approached her, curious to see her reaction. "I'd say the result is quite stunning, don't you think?" The woman's voice had been altered too, one that matched her spectral look. "I am certain this will strike fear in their hearts."

Anticipation rose within the woman when the craft landed, eager to get to work. Enemies of the Sith were to either die or be converted, but this time she was certain only the first would happen. Today, their rebellious spirit would be quelled.

 

[Faceless]

Shadows to Faceless were basically like a hood to someone's clothing. A second skin, his work space and perhaps unbeknownst to everyone else who knew him, probably the place he felt most comfortable.

The base had been secure ever since it was constructed, its unique construction and location meant that it was impossible to locate beyond seeing it with one's own eyes. A listening post and a supply cache for agents in need beyond the ones that had been assigned there. In truth, Faceless was new to the whole 'hidden away supplies and bases' tactic, having typically holed up in Nar Shaddaa and not exactly needing a place to lie low considering his job was typically done on site and was discreet with the cleanup as well as the wet work he performed on a daily basis. Regardless, there he was, stood within the cavern out of sight and out of mind, away from the base and located near one of the entrances of the cavern for 'fresh' air and perhaps just a little bit of sightseeing. Who said that essentially guard duty had to suck? Pretty sight, decent pay for a job so easy even a toddler with an arm missing could handle it. He missed the thrill of the hunt but easy money? Even though he could afford to say 'no', he wouldn't turn it down.

That was, until the transmission from the board came in. The feeling of 'easy money' drained from him like a water tank with a large hole in the side of it. Perhaps he should have been more careful what he wished for or maybe this was the call to action a part of him deep down really wanted and hoped for each sentry duty job he picked up for the utterly out-of-reach places that it had to be pure chance for someone to stumble across it. Grabbing his rifle and making sure the rest of his kit was secure, he'd speak out on the local comms though had no voice in his mind to adopt, sounding like a scratched record mixed with various voices to make something horrific, normally he had a person to adopt, a face to wear... Yet he had nothing.

"FaCeLeSs HeRe, MoViNg To InVeStIgAtE."

Probably the last thing the comms wanted to hear after being spooked by a large force deploying nearby but that's just what it was. The assassin moved out alongside his best friends, the shadows, making way to find some sort of high position where he could keep tabs on the coordinates given and report back. If it wasn't shooting someone, it was observation and reconnaissance.

Not as fun but it'd do.

 

[Juliet Varos]

Normally, battle was not Juliet's favorite place to be. She hated dirtying herself, hated debasing herself. However, she had accepted the fact that to advance in the Sith Empire, she would have to get her hands dirty, occasionally. Today was one of those days, it seemed. She was on a shuttle, on the way to attack something or other. She didn't care, personally. They were not Sith, which made them irrelevant. If her superiors said to attack them, then she would attack them, with everything she had, which was not much, frankly, but she thought it might count for at least something.

She sat in the shuttle, examining the purple paint on her fingernails, worrying that today's activities might chip them. it would certainly be unfortunate, as she had spent a very long time on them, and the polish was expensive to procure. Oh, well. For a chance to impress the Sith Lords, it would be worth it. This one time. She refused to wear black, even for the Lords. She prepared her mind, for its probing tentacles. She was aware the other Lords mentalism likely far outweighed hers, but she hoped to contribute. If all else failed, she had her shaky grasp on Sith Lightning. For now, as the shuttle landed, she just had to wait for the undead to do their work, so she could come in behind them with the other Valkyries.

[member="Aria Vale"], [member="Elani Zambrano"], [member="Matsu Xiangu"], [member="Janeth Farr"], [member="Evoros"], [member="Faceless"], [member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Jacob Crawford]

Location: Space - Descending towards Hok
Objective: Wait & Prepare

Will information had always been a key resource in Jacob's opinion, it had been further emphasised throughout his time as an Inquisitor for the Sith Empire. Being part of the Saaraishash provided numerous means and resources that made that easily possible in a much wider scale. Of course, his more personal goals were kept closer to his chest and away from prying eyes - and unfortunately from that network. Nonetheless, he always had an ear to the ground when it came to the Empire's movements, their defence of Mirial being the latest.

In turn, he had caught wind that Aria Vale was spearheading a movement to make use of the undead that had been threatening Mirial for some time. Apparently there was word of a hidden group on the planet, intending to strike out at the Sith once their were ready to move. It seemed as though the founding Valkyrie wanted to hit them before they could even get a boot off Hok. Jacob couldn't disagree with that, and ensured he was part of the flight that would bring them to the chaos. He was curious to see what his friend and ally had up her sleeve.

Namely, bringing Matsu Xiangu along to help. If there was someone you went to; to control the undead, you'd be hard pressed to find someone better than the Atrisian. Jacob had seen her work up close a number of times now. The first had been on that beach; that felt so long ago now, then when he was her student. Placed squarely amongst the zombies, to test his mettle against overwhelming odds. As well as examining the more 'failed' experiments that eventually found their way to the depths of the Asylum.

It was safe to say Jacob was excited to be on the ground, fighting alongside her. Now a Knight; and technically no longer under Matsu' wing, it was an ideal time to show how he had advanced since making his own way in the galaxy.

What caught his interest though, was hearing someone chanting through an old Sith tongue. Jacob's own dabbling into that area had opened his mind to it in general, enough that he could just about hear it from where he was standing. And he could feel it through the Force, shifting and churning to the will of whoever was chanting.

He raised an eyebrow when Darth Avacyn finally departed the chamber, revealing her new form. How interesting...

Jacob's attention shifted back to the undead, hearing the horde moan and groan. He knew they were just itching, ready to just storm down the ramp and rush whatever enemy lurked in the darkness. There was a certain air around them, one Jacob was familiar with. And made a mental note to wait until after the horde had departed, before doing so himself.

You never get in the way of the undead and a meal.

Allies - | [member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Matsu Xiangu"] | [member="Six-O"] | [member="Elani Zambrano"] | [member="Kaalia Pavanos"] | [member="Juliet Varos"] | [member="Cerbera"] | [member="Darth Ophidia"] |​

Enemies - | [member="Janeth Farr"] | [member="Faceless"] | [member="Evoros"] |​

 

[Evoros]

[member="Lassiter"] | [member="Kaori Arai"]
OOC: Pushing this along to the ship landing and the zombies zombie'ing just so we can get straight into the action. Have fun, and don't get eaten!

It was only a short hop to Hok from Arkania, but not short enough that the shuttle touched down before the wave of undead released from the bigger ship's hangar.

Undead.

"Those...are zombies."

Half incredulousness and half searching for confirmation, the words disintegrated through the air, replaced with a fear that curled around the craft as the viewing port's feed grew larger. She had come to Hok expecting enemies that would leave her be once she asked nicely enough (once she sent the words to grip their minds like a snake squeezing its prey, nested a presence whose command felt simply impossibly to ignore), that she could kill quickly and calmly.

But she couldn't twist the minds of creatures who didn't have ones. Maybe if she found the one controlling them... but that wasn't the battle she'd signed up for, and it wasn't one she expected to win.

She'd calculated one risk and gotten another.

This wasn't something she knew if she could survive.

The problem? It was too late now for that to matter.

Evoros looked to the rest of her crew - only a handful of agents, as many as could fit within such a small vessel without the team being cramped for space. Her hallmark smile was non-existent, the knife-sharp seriousness of survival in its place.

"Well then. Let's try and not get killed, shall we?"

[member="Janeth Farr"] | [member="Faceless"]​

[member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Matsu Xiangu"] | [member="Juliet Varos"] | [member="Kaalia Pavanos"] | [member="Elani Zambrano"] | [member="Cerbera"] | [member="Darth Ophidia"] | [member="Aria"] V- wait​

 

[Faceless]

Faceless had faced some pretty wild folk before.

Some were killers of hundreds, tattooed like a tribal, mentality of an animal who would stop at nothing to kill or reach their goals. Really, people varied on the hunt; the spectrum of weird was host to all and never discriminated against those upon the board marked for death. Faceless had no quarrel with killing, it was his job, his life-long occupation that he had wove his life to revolve around. It wasn't like his life could deviate and take on a new career or scheme of education; he wasn't about that. Whilst many in the galaxy made their money through pacifist means and did well for themselves, everything about being an assassin and a mercenary took care of all of that for him and then some. The thrills and adrenaline rushes, that was one of the few things he lived for, what he woke up for in the morning.

Though, when he killed someone or something. He expected it to stay dead, the life drained from the little flesh-puppet that kept it in a cage or well... That's how someone he knew put it once. Having taken a position up high, looking over the shuttle that had landed, his eye poised down the scope to watch for movement. The shuttle hadn't come with additional support or anything like that, it was on its own, alone. It wasn't a small one by any means and no doubt they were gonna have trouble with a bunch of goons armed with guns and the like but a majority of the Collective knew how to handle a threat like that; the game of cover shooting and being one step ahead was the way to go. Cut them up and kill them off little by little whilst keeping your feet and body moving to the beat trying to avoid the fire being thrown your way by the guys sent to kill you. In those few moments, Faceless felt confident that the few goons that would come down that ramp would be easily dealt with.

The ramp dropped and...

A tide of rotting carcasses moving like beasts on a stampede came into view; body parts missing, chunks of flesh absent. Lifeless eyes yet seemed to carry a sense of hunger, anguish. The dead had risen from the grave, puppets upon the strings of their masters. They too showed themselves in time, the assassin could only really describe them as Sith. Wasn't like the Jedi to pull something unspeakable like this. Whatever confidence that the mercenary had, it was gone, falling apart like a sand castle trying to stand against high winds. The man who typically kept cool and collected was stood there speechless, unable to truly comprehend the fact that something that was once dead had come back to life. Natural order had been defiled, cast aside like a frail old woman and the results were... Right there, rushing around with their senses of a meal pulling the strings on their primal, reanimated minds.

"...YoU sEeInG tHiS?" he'd state, fumbling to take a hold of his comms and speak into it clearly but hushed at the same time. He sounded scared, more disturbed than anything else. After all, he had never seen anything undead before. Heard about it? Sure, though he more often than not was stubborn on that front, disregarding it as gibberish from someone who's taken a little too much trauma that they could handle. Only now it seemed as if the tables had turned.

He was gonna have to try and take a stand at some point and with the arrival of several fellow agents, Faceless pulled himself upward and stabilized his rifle, taking aim towards the mass horde and doing what he did best, aiming for the head and starting to fire out of reckless hope of killing as many as he could. Stealth was out the window and his mind was racing.

Tonight, it was do or join the ranks of those once considered resting in peace.

Allies: [member="Evoros"] | [member="Janeth Farr"]
Enemies: [member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Juliet Varos"] | [member="Kaalia Pavanos"] | [member="Matsu Xiangu"] |[member="Elani Zambrano"] | [member="Aria Vale"]

 

[Janeth Farr]

COLLECTIVE BASE
The Eastern Tunnels

"What the hell do you mean zombies?" She asked Evoros.

Then when Faceless' communications came through it was if they were playing a practical joke one her. Though she didn't take mercenaries for the lying type, not unless that's what they were being paid for. "Just stay put or something... Whatever you do don't give away our position, got it?" She hoped their special assassin wasn't feeling particularly trigger happy.

She looked over to Evoros. "You're coming with me. Or something..."

"We're going to die in here, aren't we!?" One technician panicked.

"Just do your karkin' jobs!" Janeth shouted back. "Do that and you won't get killed, understand?" Her stone cold expression certainly wasn't doing him any favours, but at least he knew she had a gun and wasn't afraid to use it. For good or bad.

"I understand..." He relinquished his complaint. "We'll stay right on it."

"Good," Janeth muttered and looked back to Evoros. "Let's follow the tunnels. There's no way they have us fixed, so as long as we draw them off then we're safe." The Mandalorian made her way through the tunnel network, following along a flanking path whilst Faceless continued to watch.

Allies: [member="Evoros"] | [member="Faceless"]
Enemies: [member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Juliet Varos"] | [member="Kaalia Pavanos"] | [member="Matsu Xiangu"] | [member="Elani Zambrano"]

 

[Lok Xiangu]

Alarms were sent out when the sensors picked up the ship and all combat personnel was ordered to move it. Lok, however, was a mercenary for the shadow group as his father made some deals with the faction. Of course the Munin could sit down, not do anything, and shoot anyone who told him otherwise but this was the worst stationing job he had experienced yet.

Spice made him some company, but even that bored him when on this dark base that was on the obscured side of Hok.

But with what everything that was happening, he was excited and was already moving.

Finally some action.

Of course he was a bit under the influence of spice, but that was okay. This wasn't his first time fighting while intoxicated by drugs.

In another area, away from [member="Janeth Farr"], with other agents there was murmuring as their comlinks were filled of talking about zombies unleashed on Hok. The whole place shook with fear by the way their voices' were, and Lok was somewhat afraid of them. The only time he encountered the living dead was with an awesome Sith Lady in the underbelly of Coruscant. Those were fun times as a young Lok and the Lady, by the name of [member="Matsu Xiangu"], played with the zombies on having them devour some gangsters.

"Just shoot it in the face, that's all. Though they can be a bit fast sometimes, so keep in mind that and how much ammo you got."

Priceless information, but that would be effective on how the agents handled the undead.

"Let's back up the defenses. Try to aim at the face like I said and you'll be fine.

[member="Faceless"] | [member="Evoros"] | [member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Juliet Varos"] | [member="Kaalia Pavanos"] | [member="Matsu Xiangu"] | [member="Elani Zambrano"]​

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Location: Hok surface
Objective: Squash rebels, spooky style
Allies: Valkyries and friends
Enemies: Rebels, the Collective | [member="Faceless"]

---​

When the boarding ramp lowered and the horde of undead started their march forward, Avacyn patiently waited until they had vacated the ship before moving out herself. Despite having been on Mirial, during the Silver Jedi's invasion to be exact, it was still an odd sight to her. Disturb her it did not, it was not like they were still living people, but she couldn't stop and wonder what its creators had thought when they turned these lifeless bodies into what they were now. It was a weapon, she supposed, but it was nothing she herself would have come up with. In the end it mattered little to her- the ends simply justified the means. A crude assessment perhaps, but the galaxy was no pretty place. Sometimes a measure such as creating undead was the most efficient solution to a problem.

The horde had moved out, and not soon after Avacyn's spectral form would make its way out of the vessel as well. The armor she normally wore was left behind, as it interfered with the illusion in its current form, a flaw she would have to rectify for future use. Without it her maneuverability would not be hindered however, which was a considerable advantage. Her two lightsabers, as always, hung from her hips, ready to be reached for at a moment's notice. A glowing red amulet hung from her neck, one that radiated powerful Dark side energies unmistakable to those sensitive to the Force.

It seemed they were expected, however. Blaster fire of some sort was targeted at the horde of undead, looking at thinning the numbers. Almost immediately the woman cast her head towards the source, trying to take in the area from which it came. Luckily the sniper did not try to remain hidden, or if he did he did not not do it well enough, allowing her to get a general direction to move towards for the time being. She was still too far away to pinpoint an exact location, but that would become easier the closer she got. With a quick look backwards towards her allies she nodded, notifying them she was moving out. "I'm taking out that sniper. That should give us a better way through." She took two steps backwards and brought both her left index and middle finger upwards, suspending them next to her head at eyeheight for a moment before saluting, her inner huntress awakening. "Happy hunting," she said as a final remark before turning on her heel and beginning hers, her target the sniper.

​

[member="Lok Munin"] | [member="Janeth Farr"] | [member="Evoros"] | [member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Juliet Varos"] | [member="Matsu Xiangu"] | [member="Elani Zambrano"] | [member="Aria Vale"]​

 

[Faceless]

Bang.

Reload.

Bang.

The slugthrower rifle wasn't suppressed, meaning the loud cracks of the weapon echoed over the soon-to-be battlefield as the assassin simply kept firing, paying no mind to try and conceal himself, thoughts flying around in his head like they were packed with rocket fuel and blind panic. With the advice coming through from Lok, it only confirmed what he was trying to do anyway. Head housed the brain and everything needed that to operate at all. Of course, that didn't take into account that he was shooting at literal walking corpses with a hunger that never seemed to wain or cease; the flesh of a living was what they desired most and, with the situation that he and the Collective found themselves in at current, would mean that it was them that they were intending to eat and, once they were finished, make the half-mangled remains rise again to march alongside the undead legion. To think that most of his life he had completely waved any possible chance of the dead coming back to life, believing that a shot to the head or a vital organ would be the end of it. This, quite literally, changed everything. Despite the popping heads within the horde and they seemed to be still once the headless bodies returned the floor, the assassin couldn't help but wonder with blinding paranoia...

Is it enough?

As the double-dead seemed to remain still on the ground with their new wounds, Faceless couldn't help but notice that one of the Sith accompanying the horde. Sith was a loose term, she looked much more like the spawn of some demon rather than the Sith that Faceless knew only from stereotypes, guesswork and the very scarce bump-ins that he had with the order of Force Sensitives. Work mostly took him along the neutral side of things, the factions of Light and Dark could usually handle their own work themselves without having to rely upon mercenaries and the sort, meaning Faceless' more favored customers were those under the Hutts and independent solo factions like the Collective. Although right now, he wished that he had picked any other assignment than this, for he was looking at the half-spectral figure whilst the other half seemed very much human. Nonetheless, every side-track and inner thought was halted once that very same figure began to move towards his position, more likely than not with the intent to kill him or at the very least stop him from firing upon the undead.

Whilst the second possibility he was more than happy to oblige, the first was another story.

The assassin withdrew from his position, knowing all too well that Janeth had told him to keep them away from the listening post. A brief moment was spent to make the choice of disregarding that order and finding a place to hunker down or to try and draw off, isolate and hopefully only get chased by the ghost-lady. He broke into a mad dash, trying to duck and weave through whatever concealment and cracks he could to lead further and further away from the field of chaos... Away from the listening post as far as possible.

It was hunter versus hunter, now. First port of call was to level the ground between them so that the fight would be as it should be, rather than simply being targeted and cut down like prey.

At least the Collective couldn't string him up for revealing the position of the base.

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Location: Hok surface
Objective: Squash rebels, spooky style
Allies: Valkyries and friends
Enemies: Rebels, the Collective | [member="Faceless"]

---​

​

The huntress was stalking her prey.

Swift feet pushed Darth Avacyn forward, dashing to different pieces of natural cover to make sure she wouldn't get hit by sniper fire instead of the horde. Her ears were fixed on the source of the firing, the only thing that occupied her mind turning the hunter of the undead into the hunted. Glowing eyes darted side to side, taking in the environment and quickly closing the distance between the two. An aura of dread followed in her wake, only adding to the haunting image she had created for herself. Shot after shot chipped down the number of the horde, but that was of no real concern to the Sith Lady as long as they weren't aimed at her.

When the woman came closer the firing suddenly ceased. As she looked towards the location she know they were stationed at, a figure shot away, retreating into the shadows. Her lips curled up into a grin, knowing the hunt had only just begun. They would fight back eventually, no doubt, but for now it was the thrill of the chase that fuelled her. Calling upon the Force she grasped it tightly, wrapping it around her feet. Suddenly she gained a burst of speed, allowing her to steadily catch up to the sniper. "You can't run forever," her spectral voice whispered, the words remaining unheard as there was nobody around to hear them.

Her spectral figure halted for only just a moment at the place where her target had fired from originally, quickly assessing the direction they had dashed off to. Pushing out her presence through the Force she sought them out, and when she sensed another aura somewhere nearby she immediately turned towards it. "There you are," she said at a normal volume now, although it was likely the one who was supposed to hear it was still too far away to do so. Avacyn started sprinting once more, now it was time to pounce.

 

[Faceless]

A lethal game of cat and mouse. Whilst the roles seemed set, Sith weren't invincible, even ghosts. They could sense you and draw in on you yet the assassin wasn't about to roll over and let himself become food for the undead horde of a ghost's punching bag.

Faceless kept running, similar to vermin as he would move along the cracks, keeping himself out of sight and constantly moving. Stopping now would be a sure way to allow his head to be removed from his shoulders; something that he wished to avoid at all costs. As far as he knew, Sith weren't the type for decisive kills, more so toying with their prey and getting as much out of the act as they could to fulfill whatever dark twisted dreams those half-loose heads of theirs carried. Then there was the undead horde he had left behind to face off with the rest of the Collective. Part of him wished that he hadn't abandoned them in the time of their greatest need but at the same time, he wasn't exactly willing to sit around and willingly put his head on the chopping block. The further into darkness he went, he knew that the specter wouldn't be far behind. With how much she gave off a twisted radiant glow, the lack of night vision would be more than made up for the easy target he'd have on the Sith.

It was a ghost, though, how was he sure that his rifle would do anything? Could he even do anything to it? Only one way to find out, with how the passage went and the numerous obstacles in the way, there was only really one way to tell if the ghost-demon woman was truly as looks said she was or if there was any possible chance of physical confrontation with the spirit. Faceless knew nothing about ghosts, only what he had heard in passing stories about such things; that they could rip you apart and soak up whatever bullets or blaster bolts like they didn't exist. He had no real legitimacy on the stories, having never really seen anything like this before in front of his own eyes, though one thing was for sure.

He wasn't about to go down without a fight.

The passage eventually came to a cut off point, a chamber shrouded in darkness with one one way in, one way out. The assassin was trapped, or perhaps the spectre had thought. He'd stand at the center of the chamber, rifle aimed at the semi-large crack that needed some wriggle room to get through. His thermals watching, waiting to spot the spectral being come into his sights. This check was vital, he needed to know what he was up against in the skirmish to come. Everything was silent, waiting, other than one question on his mind.

Can I kill a ghost?

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Evoros]

LOCATION: Collective Base, Eastern Tunnels
ALLIES: [member="Lassiter"] | [member="Janeth Farr"] | [member="Kaori Arai"]
ENEMIES: Zombies. Also Valkyries. But mostly zombies.

"Nobody's getting killed, folks."

Her bad mood was beneath the surface of deadpan features, but it wasn't at all hard to read. She rarely showed genuine emotion - it took a lot to draw a strong reaction out of Yvonne Evoros, in truth, but sometimes it paid to seem open - but a wave of undead swarming Hok was more than enough threat to make her lack of cheer authentic.

"We're not the targets." The Collective was fond of the background as a place to operate. You got more done without so many targets on your back, so many eyes tracking every move. "If nobody does anything stupid, nobody dies. Simple as that."

"And we stick to the shadows." She turned to the group moving through the tunnels with her. "Work out what's happening and fix it before things get out of hand."

The sarcasm was thick in her voice. Things had gotten out of hand as soon as a horde of zombies had shambled onto their doorstep. But the point remained. The mission remained. She had escaped death so narrowly a dozen times over, cheated her murderer years ago. These creatures, whatever they were, would not be what took her out.

Evoros didn't like the odds so much. But it was too late to worry about odds. She'd simply survive. It was what she did.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Location: Hok surface
Objective: Take out the sniper
Allies: Valkyries and friends
Enemies: Rebels, the Collective | [member="Faceless"]

---​

Avacyn's approach halted for a moment as she approached a chamber with seemingly only one way in, the presence she had been hunting down very clearly inside it. Perhaps he had been boxed in, but even then a cornered being was a being with nothing to lose. And those were the most dangerous. The crack she stood next to, making sure not to stand in front of it, was not one she could easily dash through. They could have easily been waiting with a rifle on the other side ready to take free shots at her, and although blaster bolts couldn't hurt ghosts, she only looked like one. The woman wasn't going to risk anything if that wasn't a necessity, not in the slightest, so she thought of a way to attack him without having to stare into the barrel of their rifle.

Fire.

Avacyn connected with the Force once more, drawing it closer to her being. From the inner fire of her spirit she willed it to manifest itself in a physical manner, a flame igniting in the palm of her hand. Fire shaping it was called, a technique discovered by the shapers of Kro Var, the planet she found her roots in. From an angle she held out her arm before feeding the fire with the Force, causing a continuous stream of flame to enter the chamber. This would no doubt solicit some kind of reaction, one the Sith Lady could potentially capitalize on. The ball was in the sniper's court, and she waited for him to make his move in their game of cat and mouse.

 

[Faceless]

It was nice and dark in the cavern, though why Faceless thought he could hide from a Sith, he didn't really have a reason or any logic behind it. Maybe he was just doing it to draw the ghost away from the main fighting happening some ways away. Was it personal glory? A tale to tell on how he fought a ghost and lived to tell the reasons? That would certainly catch himself some listeners; who wouldn't want to hire a guy that killed a ghost of all things?

Now, however, his big punch upward in the social ladder with a pretty epic tale was suddenly deflated and flew about in his head like a deflated balloon. He was in a dark cave, alone, with no actual real evidence that the ghost could actually be harmed or even touched. It wasn't like he could call for any backup, he didn't know where he was in the caverns that spelled doom for nobody but himself in that moment. This ghost was probably going to be the last thing he saw as it ripped him limb from limb, probably taking its time with the whole thing as well. The undead was one thing and if it had been them knocking on his door he would probably need a new bodysuit with how much he would have soiled himself. This, however? Having too many scrambled thoughts at the time, there was one thought that kept him semi-focused and able to keep his cool, even if a little bit. Despite the fact that he was probably going to meet his maker in a few mere moments, he couldn't help but think...

...At least the ghost was good looking.

The few moments of weird but humorous thoughts were sharply broken as he he noticed a glow coming from the entrance of the cavern. He had hoped that the ghost was going to pass through and how it did so would let him know if it was really a ghost or... Something else, what that would be he couldn't even begin to guess. It was in that moment that through everything, he had tied his own shoelaces together and put himself in a position of no escape, like an animal caught in a trap. His cunning turned out to be the complete opposite. As the glow grew larger, he began to notice the flicker, the glow, it could only mean one thing...

Fire.

Fortunately, Faceless was not one to shy away from fire or have any fear of it, besides burning alive obviously. A quick drop down onto the floor and a roll to the side to avoid the wave of flame would resort in his life being saved from becoming something equivalent to a roast dinner; the heat was insane, there was no doubt about that, the heat causing the assassin to sweat in his bodysuit and make things extremely uncomfortable as the heat was trapped in the cavern, causing temperatures to rise and problems began to take hold; though they weren't really present for anyone to see thanks to the helmet but if that were to be removed... Someone wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

With this new advantage and luck of not burning to a crisp, the assassin drew a device from his belt; a stun grenade to be exact. With how the phantom had followed him and tracked him down to his specific spot, he could only guess that she had some sort of help thanks to one thing or another. As he primed it, he'd cook the grenade until tossing it towards where the wave of fire had come from, the intent to have the grenade land and detonate right by the ghost's feet or close enough, blinding and putting the ghost at a disadvantage.

If he could blind her, even for a few moments, he'd be able to get a shot off and see if all that glowing and ghostly details were really all it shaped up to be.

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]