Heart of Darkness (DMed Story)

[Samka Derith]

Location: Shuttle en-route to Omega
Nearby: [member="Wolf"] [member="Thresh Sken"] [member="Doc"] [member="Kierel"] [member="Vustia"] [member="Darth Ophidia"] [member="Daxton Bane"] (?)

The shuttle lurched suddenly, Sam could see on the control panel in front of her the docking procedures were going through without issue. It seemed the blind man had been right. Sam spun the pilot's chair around and got abruptly got to her feet. Just behind her were a few of the others. [member="Wolf"] was staring out at the space battle outside while [member="Doc"] was performing a weapons check.

Sam cleared her throat loudly to get everyone's attention and stood in the doorway between the passenger and pilot's area.

"My name is Samka Derith..." she began slowly, not quite making eye contact with anyone. They probably were clueless on what she was doing but there was a sudden compulsion in her to share herself just in case the worst should come to pass...

"I was born to Maria and Lyrk Derith on Cloud City 16 years ago. I attended North Private School before being sent to Lady Ilka's School for Gifted Girls when my academic scores went through the roof. I became best friends with Madlin Ordlin, I still miss her to this day. The proudest moment of my childhood was winning the Bespin gymnastics championship for our school with a perfect high score. When I was eleven years old, the Force began to flow through me and I... hurt the other children. The ones who were cruel to Madlin and I. A year later I... I snapped in a public place and strangers were hurt. I was submitted to Cloud City's Institute for Psychologically Vulnerable Children." The history of her mental health was something she struggled with, something she certainly was not proud of, so admitting it here was difficult. "I was rescued by the Knights of Ren, I don't remember how I ended up in their care but I did. They cured me and set me on my current path. I am a dedicated member of the order but I never forget who I am." She absentmindedly stroked the fringe of her lavender hair. "This is why I dye my hair, why I don't don a mask and keep my birth name. I fight for in the Knights of Ren but I am an individual and I am proud of who I am. If I expect any of you to die by my side... you have to know who I am."

The shuttle rocked and hissed. They had docked. Without another word, the teenager marched to the exit. If she was to meet death on board this station, she was now prepared.

 

[Thresh Sken]

Location: On an Omega Shuttle-heading towards Omega
Allies: [member="Wolf"] [member="Samka Derith"] [member="Doc"] [member="Kierel"] [member="Vustia"] [member="Darth Ophidia"]

I slipped onto the ship Wolf and Samka Derith were on. I searched around the shuttle until I found a vacant room, which I entered and sat down in. I needed some time to myself to prepare for the upcoming battle. For there would be a battle, but wether or not anyone would survive it is a different question entirely. I sat criss-crossed in the center of the room on the cold floor, and set my lightsaber down in front of me. There would be no fighting for now. Instead, there would be contemplation. Revitalization. And, I hoped, a connection with the Force.

I closed my eyes and reached out into the Force around me. I started to mediate, calming my frayed nerves and replenishing my energy with the Dark Side. That deadly trap with lasers bolts had required much concentration, both for protecting my comrades and myself.

As I meditated I felt my pain from the blaster burn I had acquired during our movement through the hall fade away, becoming a distant memory. The glancing bolt had done no serious damage but was distracting. I had alleviated the pain for the time being, but wasn't sure how long it would last.

I was concentrating on the meditation so much that I almost didn't feel when we left the sound suppressant field. I noticed first the other beings's senses on the ship flare for a second. My curiosity piqued, I was about to rouse myself to ask them what it was, when I picked up the rumble of engines in the background. I flicked my ears to make sure I wasn't imagining things. Yes, the engines were there. I let out a sigh, which I noticed I could audibly pick up now, and smiled.

Normality had returned for a little while. At least, until the fighting began. I settled deeper into my meditation, trying to garner as much power as I could before we landed. I knew I would need it for the battle to come.

 

[Nima Tann]

Location: Shuttle
Objective: The Omega, Grand Finale
Allies: [member="Elpsis Elaris"]

As the turbolift continued to ascend further and further towards the roof, surprisingly silent, no music, no sound of battle, just herself and her thoughts, she realized how every inch of hers ached from all the action. But it was necessary, and they were both alive to see the end of it, and that's what mattered. Besides, she had worse and she managed to survive. Anyway, she was sleepy also, which was again surprising considering the fact that she didn't sleep that much, but it was a good feeling. Maybe after all this, she could have a well deserved sleep with no nightmare to interrupt. Nah, probably that wouldn't be true. She wasn't that lucky. But maybe less, yeah, she could do with less. The sound of silence was a good sound to listen, but after a while it would become disturbing to be alone with you and your thoughts. Luckily, she didn't need to do it further since the turbolift has arrived to the destination. She reached out to Elpsis once again to see where she was. And, of course she managed to find a shuttle for them.

She kind of reminded her of Sio. Brute force, maximum damage and always getting the job done. She wasn't just a teen, she was walking in the path of the warrior. Not necessary to say, but this battle made Nima impressed about Elpsis' skills. And she wanted to help her walk in that path without killing herself in the process. So a meeting between them would be good afterwards. Anyway, she moved towards the shuttle and entered, heading to the front to meet with Elpsis, who looked tired. Hell, who wouldn't be after all this? She gently touched to her shoulder, and talked, like it was all over. Well, they deserved a little happy moment. "We did it, Elpsis. You did great." But then, reality kicked in. "Let's go meet the [member="Omega"], shall we?" And then she added. It was a little awkward. "I assume you know how to fly this thing." She had no idea about flying a shuttle, not at all.

 

[Vustia]

Location: Shuttle
Allies: [member="Wolf"] [member="Samka Derith"] [member="Doc"] @Kieril [member="Darth Ophidia"] [member="Thresh Sken"]

Vustia followed onto the shuttle, realising everybody had ignored what she said. After watching people walk around she got frustrated at the sounds of repeated footsteps. Then it clicked, she could hear again. Vustia remembered during the blaster bolt trial she had shoved somebody out of the way. She wanted to know if they had any injuries because of that.

Vustia looked inside the rooms until she found the one [member="Thresh Sken"] was occupying, she then said:

"Hey, is it alright if I come in? I wanted to apologise for shoving you out of the way earlier."

 

[Lark]

[member="Thoja Arlos"]

Lark was more than happy to take cover behind Thoja. He tried to diminish the anticipation, the pure excitement he was feeling. He'd rather not have gotten sidetracked, forced to help out at the Control Tower, but it wasn't like any of these people would just let him go off on his own. No, once this was all over, they would still be suspicious of him, still have questions for him. Whatever meager amounts of trust they had for him were only temporary. Lark would have to find some way to escape the Omega on his own.

The question of whether or not going through all of this was worth a trip to the Omega had crossed his mind. Even if Lark managed to get up there, and even if he saw what secrets it held, how would he obtain it? The Jedi certainly wouldn't let him, and Lark was sure there were other parties at play here. But this would be the start of Lark's story. If all went as Lark hoped it would, one day he'd be in a position of power. It all started here. On Castameer, in the Omega. In this pathetic Control Tower.

Thoja probably came here to free the slaves. Lark didn't care what happened to them one way or another, but if helping free them increased his odds of being brought along to the Omega, he'd free every damn slave in these mines. If he had to, he'd-

A guard popped around a corner. Thoja didn't see him, or if he did, even he wouldn't be fast enough to react.

Lark could have done nothing, maybe Thoja would have reacted fast enough and dispatched the guard. Maybe the guard would have panicked and missed. He could have been rid of Thoja. But Lark needed someone to trust him, even a little bit. The guard raised his gun, but before he could pull the trigger, Lark placed a bullet right inside his heart.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Location: Shuttle
Objective: Omega
Allies: [member="Nima Tann"]


Perhaps one of Elpsis' issues was that she might be trying a bit too hard to be like one of her idols, though ironically she and Siobhan weren't close. She had an easy rapport with [member="Tegaea Alcori"], but the other Firemane matriarch was quite distant to her.


Regardless, Nima appeared and slipped into the shuttle. Elpsis looked quite tired. The girl wanted things to be over and done with, but obviously that would not be the case because the event still had a couple days to go and they had not arrived on Omega yet.


She flushed a bit at the praise, looking a bit embarrassed. "Uh, thanks. You're hot stuff and kinda badass." The Twi'lek Master might notice that Elpsis was missing a finger on her right hand. You see, trying to block a Sith lightsabre with your bare hand was not really a good idea.


"I totally know how to fly this thing." Her remaining fingers danced over the controls and the shuttle took off into the sky. Sith grunts sprayed it with blaster fire, but the transport ship had lifted off the roof and was now shooting straight towards the @Omega. Hopefully the superweapon did not get charged by the power of a star and wipe out an entire planetary system in the meantime. Undoubtedly there'd be a ton of flak, but she had the Great White Wolf on her side. That had to count for something.

 

[Darth Caecus]

“I have wrestled with death. It is the most unexciting contest you can imagine. It takes place in an impalpable greyness, with nothing underfoot, with nothing around, without spectators, without clamor, without glory, without the great desire of victory, without the great fear of defeat, in a sickly atmosphere of tepid skepticism,​

without much belief in your own right, ​

​

and still less in that of your adversary.”​

​

-Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness​

​

​

The Omega​

​

Spoiler

[member="Tiland Kortun"] [member="Thoja Arlos"] [member="Xiarr Sair"] [member="Matsu Ike"] [member="Zark"] [member="Bryce Bantam"] [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Zonia Kalranoos"] [member="Arisa Yune"] [member="Dax Fyre"] [member="Choli Vyn"] [member="Kira Vaal"] [member="Galen Adina"] [member="Audren Sykes"] [member="Macharius Solaire"] [member="Claire Ouron"] [member="Riven Black"] [member="Jaster Starfallen"] [member="Solan Charr"] [member="Raeya Papanoida"] [member="Rylan Thatcher"] [member="Karen Roberts"] @Maeriala Lavellan [member="Viktoria Kess"] [member="Jakkor Kess"] @Lucien [member="RC-506 Lock"] [member="Jatt Cath"] [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] [member="Ra Vizsla"] [member="Rhan Komo"] [member="Damien Daemon"] [member="Lyth Meran"] [member="Thraxis"] [member="Flannigan Mcnash"] [member="Cadan Tazi"] [member="Ghorua the Shark"] [member="Korro Kenyu"] [member="Ronan Vizsla"] [member="Nara Basaar"] [member="Werah Unon"] [member="Drogh"] [member="Cole Dagos"] [member="Arla Balor"] [member="Dean Letham"] [member="Funky Balor"] ​[member="Nima Tann"] [member="Elpsis Elaris"] [member="Charlyra Araano"] [member="Doc"] [member="Vustia"] [member="Samka Derith"] [member="Matsu Xiangu"] [member="Wolf"] [member="Thresh Sken"] [member="Daxton Bane"] [member="Kierel"] [member="Darth Ophidia"] [member="Jude Falkrowe"]

"Why aren't they waiting and allowing the Omega to charge up to full power?"

"I do not know, my lady. Perhaps the Admiral thinks that it is unnecessary? After all, they are fighting mere ships."

"Obviously the Admiral has underestimated these mere ships."

What fools these mortals be! They had assembled a fleet that, she had been assured, would be more than adequate to deal with any force hurtled against them. The Omega should never have been needed for such paltry tactics as naval tactics.

She reached out, chilled finger tips caressing the panel before her. She could barely feel the metal beneath her hands, and the barest trace of a frown ghosted across her features. How much longer then, did she have?

"Charge the Omega fully. Let us allow her to sing."

​

To Be Continued.....​

​

Apocalypse Now​