In Time [FWC Dominion of Onderon]

[Laira Darkhold]

Laira squinted her eyes at the Regent but he released her, allowing the wounded redhead to walk on her own power. His wisdom on this particular matter may have been jaded by years of occupation under the One Sith, but it didn't feel right to the redhead. There was little cause to jeopardize their budding relationship with Firemane over something like this. She was certain her mother and Kerrigan could work it out if it came to a dispute, but she really didn't want such a disturbance to occur.

Regent Girard picked up his own pace, moving with the small group of soldiers so that he was closer to the front of the wounded column. Laira instead slipped into the middle of the pack, keeping pace but only barely and struggling with it. Her leg ached and every step her thigh pulsed with pain. She was familiar with pain, but that didn't make her immune to its effects, only allowing her to power through it and continue onwards. "Captain Glory," she whispered, deciding to pick her words carefully, "It has come to our attention we could be walking into a very dangerous trap." Better to leave any mentions of the grimoire out until its existence was confirmed, but the danger it could present needed to be shared.

"Regent Girard seems to believe they could have some sort of weapon or power assisting them after his duel with their summoner." Where he had gotten off to during the conflict she didn't know, but she'd also never known him to outright lie. If he claimed to have been embattled with their demon summoner in an effort to prevent him from summoning more, she had no reason to doubt him. "If that's true we may not have the ability to take on more demons."

[member="Glory"]

 

[Glory]

[member="Laira Vereen"]


Glory looked instantly suspicious. "It has come to your attention?" she asked rhetorically, taking the younger woman aside. "I reckon this is what the Regent talked to you about earlier but did not see fit to share with me?" To her credit, she kept her voice low. Briefly her eyes fell upon Girard, who seemed to be walking at his own pace once more. However, this time he was being watched. Perhaps Glory was being a bit paranoid, but she'd been moulded by a harsh life on Dahomey. Codes of honour had counted for little there.


"Laira, you're a decent, brave woman caught in an awkward situation. Speaking ill of a superior is never easy. So I'll be straight with you. I'm risking my people's lives on a mission your government asked us to undertake. It's my responsibility to make sure they go home in one piece and not in a bodybag. Is there anything else the Regent told you? Anything he for some unfathomable reason did not deign to pass on?" She did not sound angry - not at Laira, at any rate - but intent and unyielding.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Laira thought for a moment, considering what to say and how to phrase her words very carefully so as not to cause any issues between the two governments. She spoke in a hushed whisper to the captain, ensuring that no one was within earshot. "The power might be a book." She said quietly, under her breath. "He fears it might have a very corrupting influence, and so he felt there should be a level of classification about it." A truth and a lie, "If it does exist it might be better that not everyone know about it, contain the information leaks about it you know." It was a good lie that defended the Regent's honor a bit, and a believable one since the tall nobleman hadn't spoken to the other Ranger as of yet. But it did make Firemane keenly aware of the possibility of a book.

The redhead kept her eyes low, though she could feel Girard's pearl white eyes upon her, studying her. Laira had very mixed feelings about the nobleman, first a sense of unease, then of reliability and confidence, now of unease given his secrecy about the grimoire. She smiled up at the captain, "I hope that helps captain. I think I better catch up with Hanzi just encase we need to fight another demon or something."

They were coming up on the river and waterfall, they could already hear it nearby.

[member="Glory"]

 

[Claire Organa]

A drink. Yes. No. Oh she just wasn't certain. But when the older man spoke she stood frozen to get spot. Oh my. He sounds so menacing what is he thinking

Hurt her? Holy feth did he just say he would put [member="Andulf Nicholas Teraan"] under the palace!

Here she was meant to represent peace and instead now felt like the cross between referee and princess.

"Oh. He wouldn't do that Mr. Darkhold Sir. He just well. " She didn't want to insult Andulf but he did come off as a bit weak and mousy not at all like a menace.

She couldn't help but still feel the eyes of the new royal family on her now that was menacing.

"A drink. Yes please. " She reached out and room a glass from Andulf hand. She smiled quickly her thanks.

"Did we lose the Duch'a?" damn.

[member="Garith Darkhold"]

 

[Garith Darkhold]

The Gala Party​

​

When [member="Andulf Nicholas Teraan"] spoke, Garith had finally finished turning to be directly facing the Alderaan noble. He felt the difference in his movements without his beskar’gam. There were no restrictions in his movements. There was no extra weight and the metal was not limiting in the way he currently could move his body. In truth he felt slightly naked. He could have just used a simple Sith illusion and wore his damn armor. Garith was trying though. No matter how delusional his daughter [member="Faith Organa"]’s believes in peace, Garith was still a father. He was trying to help her efforts. He may believe the end goal could work but he was still trying to make an effort in his own way. He was trying.

Garith was listening. He was observing. There may be some heavy cultural differences between him and the two Alderaan nobles he was talking to. Garith’s eye narrowed as Andulf spoke. Claire was the farthest thing from his mind? First impressions? Garith’s thoughts were, what is this guy some sort of pillow bitter? Then his next words? His presence was at the request of Claire? Ok Garith was then thinking maybe he was wrong. The guy maybe was some lousy male prostate? Maybe he failed formal decorum class? Ok maybe he was just a low class whore?

The Andulf said he would do nothing to betray such confidence.

There were other forms of communication, body posture and basic physical reactions. It differed from culture to culture. There physical reactions when they spoke. It was common though people gave more honest physical movements in reaction to how they feel.

Andulf seemed to have some confusion. That and the two did not physically move near each other like normal Alderaan couple did when they were romantically involved.

So they were not together romantically? His initial reaction was wrong?

Looking at [member="Claire Organa"], she too looked surmised and seemed like she was trying to surmise the situation?

She called him MR. Darkhold? While technically that was not his title Garith. For the moment he did not care. If he had? Well in typical fashion in the past he physically crushed those who did not give the proper respect while addressing him. Yes that would not be proper FWC decorum.



Andulf was not Claire’s date? Maybe he was or maybe he was not a pillow bitter. That and Claire motioned Duch’a? That meant they were just recently speaking to a Hapen noble.

“So you two are not a couple”, Garith asked rhetorically.

He shrugged his shoulders relaxing a little bit now.

“I apologize for nothing”, the Elder Kashi said to Claire and Andulf. “I will not give up the right of challenge”, Garith said referring to the mando’ade right of challenge. It was Mando’ade law, a form of keeping peace when a dispute happens. It was honorable combat between to aggrieved parties. It did not always end in death. It happened though and Garith seldom ever gave mercy to anyone.

“So the Consortium is here?” a question, he asked trying to see what maybe happening with that.

“Politics”, he did not sound enthused. “I thought I was just here to see a few old friends and put in good words for my daughter and her friends.”

 

[Andulf Nicholas Teraan]

[member="Claire Organa"] | [member="Garith Darkhold"]

"Oh. He wouldn't do that Mr. Darkhold Sir. He just well. "

He then heard her say which for the most part seem thought to appear to give the indication even she was at a lost. And see him as appearing to be not quite cut out for these sort confrontation. Another seem pompous brat that couldn't fight his way out of a wet paper bag if it came down to it. Of sort when in fact it was somewhat quite the opposite of if for if truth be told. There was more to him that what he appeared to be though he knew well to hide it under the seemingly calm surface. Especially now given how things were shaping up on the homefront. That he knew best to stick to the plan and promise that were made....something which thought it haunted as much as it weighed so heavily in his mind. There was no turning back from it so with a seem that he held out the glass for her take.

"A drink. Yes, please. "

Speaking as she did while he kept silent for now appear to be in somewhat contemplating tone. As he handed her the glass and the stranger whom he comes to overhear was called Mr. Darkhold which for a moment. Sounded resonate a strange familiarity with him but then again for the life of him, Andulf could not quite place. So let it be for now he then overhears Mr. Darkhold continue on speak.

“So you two are not a couple”,

To which he then pause and seem unsure of how to answer such a question.For as much, it would seem that of those most his peers that had survived till now had all but either settled down or were chase skirts.He did not be more preoccupied with the handling of affairs of the land and its people rather than the politics of it much like his sister was. That it was then exchanged glances with Countess Clair as the question had been posted that he seems somewhat relieved when she. Hit on cue change the subject.

"Did we lose the Duch'a?"

To which he replied.

"Not quite Countess Claire.... I am sure the Duch'a still around. Though I did ask my leave to her to get a drink and maybe see how things are with you and the meet with our host?"

 

[Glory]

[member="Laira Vereen"]


Glory considered the Ranger's words, thinking about what she said...and what she had not said. Suspicion still swelled up inside her. But she did not sense any malice or ill intent from the girl. No, the source of that must be elsewhere. Her thoughts drifted to the Regent. If this prissy aristo crosses me, I'm gonna blow his brains out, she thought to herself.


"Take this. You'll need it," she finally said, passing a rebreather over to Laira as they came up on the river and the waterfall. There was a deceptive silence, save for the splashing of water. With a hand gesture, she directed the only surviving Alderaanian Ranger other than Laira to scout ahead.


Though there was seemingly no sign of cultists or surveillance gear, she kept her voice low. "We shall enter from either side of the water. Ready wrist flamers and gas grenades. Lob gas in, light the bastards up. Team one, come in from the left. I'll take team two and go right. You're with me," she glanced towards the Regent.

 

[Claire Organa]

"A couple?" how ever did he come to that conclusion? She liked over at Andulf "no sir" she hoped she hadn't said it so matter of factly that it was offensive. But Andulf was not her type. At all.

"As for your other question. Yes. The Consortium has sent representatives. Duch'a Relina Zhan. Do you know anyone in the Consortium?"

It would help her with her mission.

"Also have you met the new royal family ? " maybecsge was nuts. But maybe she wasnt she hoped that he maybe could confirm.

[member="Andulf Nicholas Teraan"][member="Garith Darkhold"]

 

[Garith Darkhold]

The Gala Party​

​

Garith, courteous enough to look directly at [member="Claire Organa"] when she spoke. When she had finished asking questions, he turned to look at @Andulf Nicholos Teraan. After acknowledging he was still there he turned back over to Claire to address her questions.

“I do not personally know Duch’a [member="Relina Zhan"]”, Garith’s voice seemed a little calmer. Maybe less threatening? He had got his point across. There was nothing going on between Claire and Andulf. If there was he now knew Claire had an uncle that would not tolerate any abuse done to his niece.

“Maybe I still do know people within the Consortium”, Garith voice shifting hinting at something. “I did know the Duch’x [member="Aleister Grey"]. He at one time survived under my command in a joint task force. I hear he had an honorable death. He was a good warrior I’m sure the Consortium will miss his presence.”

Garith paused for a moment to shift the topic to address another one of Claire’s questions.

“As for the new royal family here on Onderon”, is it was a question he let linger for but a moment. His mind was shifting thinking about the right words to mention. His devious mind was thinking of an opportunity. How to play it mattered?

“The new heads of their house”, it was another rhetorical question as he led up to his point. “No, I do not”, he did not mention he knew their ancestors. That would deter from the direction he planned to take this conversation and confuse his point.
A sly smile crossed his face as Garith casually looked about who was exactly in ear shot. Garith lowered his voice so only Claire and Andulf could hear. “That does not mean I do not know anyone from there nobility. This individual has put in a good word and is helping to push future positive relations between Onderon and the FWC”, Garith being quiet about gaining support from one noble to another to support an alliance just hinted at something shady.

“I heard he would join us this evening but I hear he broke his arm falling down some steps”, there was an uneasy gleam in Garith’s eyes when he said that. He had actually enjoyed breaking that man’s arm. In Garith’s mind the man deserved it and he was lucky nothing far worse had happen so far. He was aiding pirates smuggling captured victims out of the Hapes Consortium. Piracy was always a historic issue around the Transitory Mists. Time after time the Hapes Consortium had to deal with policy their boards to protect their people from such predators.

“He was so gracious enough to give me this”, Garith pulled out a data chip and attempted to hand it to Claire. “It is a location of a pirate base located in the Transitory Mists. It is a system near the Sennex system in the Lorelli Reach. There on an icy moon is a hidden pirate base. There she will find some of her people taken in piracy to be sold off into slavery. If Duch’a [member="Relina Zhan"] asks where you came about this information? Tell her Lord Garith Darkhold father of Queen [member="Faith Organa"] and an old friend of Duch’ix [member="Aleister Grey"]…he had come across this information in his travels. That and he is more than willing to assist in traveling to this moon and aiding in helping in rescuing her people and bring these criminals to justice. I would refrain from mentioning any possible involvement from any Onderon’s noble class. It may bring some undue trouble for the new fledgling monarchy that is striving to make some positive changes among their people”, how Garith got this information seemed shady. If it were true, if people were being abducted to be sold off into slavery. It may not justify Garith’s actions. It was certainly a boon he had come across this information. It had left the Free World’s Coalition in a precarious position though. If it ever came to light Faith’s father was administering justice and bullying people into an alliance…it could harm her and the Coalition’s ambitions.

How Claire handled this mattered. The Hapes Consortium deserved to have this information. The Onderon government and the FWC did not deserve any backlash from this. How would Claire feel about this?

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Laira limped her way up near Hanzi the Qadiri warrior, spinning her spear in a circle with a twist of her wrist. She was ready to finish these guys off and be doen with them. Of her few skills outside speed and reflexes, earth and fire were her other go to abilities. Both would be a plenty in that cave. "No thanks, I'm good." She clicked her collar, activating the small energy field that covered her head. The invisible field emitted from a small collar that did contain a breathing apparatus.

"As you wish Captain." Regent Girard drew his sword, looking it over with his pale white eyes before nodding at the short haired Dahomian. "On your command." With the captain, the Regent readied to enter the cave and begin the painful extermination of the roaches.

[member="Glory"]

 

[Andulf Nicholas Teraan]

[member="Claire Organa"] | [member="Garith Darkhold"]

"A couple?"

He then heard her say as she took a momentary pause to add soon after.

"No sir."

Which was said in a somewhat nonchalant matter of fact tone as by his reckoning which for the most part. Most if any would find some offense or be pained by such comment but then again he thought himself spoke.

"Well, i assure you .....sir...ours is of simply mutual acquaintance and nothing more than that. "


Not that he'd not mind or that he'd not care for her or of what she said. It was just that his priority and commitment was focuse or gear on something else. Something which few knew off as he had made sure keep such matter internally. At any rate, he was soon enough relieved that it seems the topic had moved off to something else than the incident earlier. That of what seem to be regarding family affairs in which Royal house of Organa had been engaged in. To which he stood silently as for the life of him knew his own had been dealing with some their own for quite some time which for the better word of it. Had left him to estrange to his own thought few knew or even heard so much as a whisper of it as if nothing else. His family knew well how to keep secrets and such.....being in such a line of an industry as they have had been. As the old saying goes within their house play in the back his mind....cred talked as well as it can silence the most fierce storm if one knew well.


At which time take the time to take few sip his drink and let them be to speak between themselves. Letting Nice and uncle converse while he stood silently watching the proceeding on the sideline for now. As he patiently and silently scouted around take note those there along with taking mental note of the Duch'a presence. As he then committed such intel to silent memory for later use. A glance about before speaks just enough so only Claire or his uncle could hear.

"Well, i would think the DUch'a not far off....or could just be call in to meet our host after you had Countess Claire."

 

[Claire Organa]

She made a face, "you say he fell down some stairs how unfortunate" She gave him an odd look he was acting a bit odd wasn't he? Well she didn't know she had only met him a few times in passing at family dinners. He seemed quite....well preserved at them. She smiled at [member="Garith Darkhold"]

She took what he offered she looked at it curiously as he explained what it was. "I"m sure the Duch'a would find this very helpful to rescuing her people." Claire didn't know the names he spoke of but she understood the connotations with it all.

She had heard of Aleister Gray a fine military mind and a terrible loss to the Hapan's. She looked again at the disc, she looked around again for [member="Relina Zhan"] , "I don't see her......sir. But I will be sure to provide it to her or another representative of the Hapan Consortium to take to their Queen." Claire did not know the condition of the Queen.

She wasn't sure that the new royal family of Onderon were honorable or seeking such relationships but a relationship now stood and she had to live with it.

"I'm sure Faith will be most pleased that we can offer this information to the Hapans though it is another crisis for their people to have to face" She looked at [member="Andulf Nicholas Teraan"] "Do you think we can find her?"

 

[Glory]

[member="Laira Vereen"]


Hazani linked up with Laira. The Qadiri's sensitive elf ears had allowed her to hear at least some of the conversation between the Ranger and the Captain. She felt just a bit bad about telling on her, but in her mind she'd done her duty. "How are you holding up? You can have the amulet back if you like," she offered, though she'd probably been more seriously injured.


Then the Captain gave the order to attack. The elf received a signal on her HUD. "Bet I can take more fiends down than you?" she teased playfully. And so the strike team entered the caves, coming from the right and left. They were greeted by darkness, but the soldiers had switched to infrared vision modes.


They were also greeted by gunfire. There was no way but forward. As they stormed the cave, the Rangers lobbed in grenades. The explosive balls travelled through the air with blast and heat, and upon detonation produced a stream of greenish-yellow gas. One of the cultists, evidently a dark Force-user, tried to push the gas away but the Qadiri drew upon her gift for air manipulation to push it towards the enemy with a sudden wind. The darkness was pierced when the Dahomian Rangers unloaded with their wrist flamers. Here and there, an ignited cultist panicked and tried to jump into the stream of the waterfal.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Thanks." Laira replied with a smile taking the amulet back and placing it around her neck. She felt better almost instantly, but not healed. "I'm holding up alright. I'm still in one piece with all my fingers and toes." Epic foreshadowing to the other thread complete, the plot could continue onward. The Qadiri warrior-woman and Laira seemed to be making a fine team, however, Laira was horribly equipped to lead assault actions. Benefits were that she could earth shape to a degree and run on walls and ceilings, so the cave made an interesting dynamic of opportunities for the young redhead.

"Psssh, you're on. Loser buys the winner dinner anywhere they want." Super expensive surf and turf or caviar sundae in Iziz here she comes. When the team tore through the water fall, Laira stomped the ground with her good leg, forcing a small barricade to erupted from the ground in front of her and Hanzi. She punched the wall she had summoned, sending out a stone lance at her enemies. Unlike true telekinesis, Laira could not make course corrections, but only catapult the stone spears at her opponents.

Flames licked out from the Dahomian forces, burning cultists and illuminating the caverns they resided in. Liquid flames dripped to the floor of the cave, casting long shadows against the walls as bodies ignited and screams echoed through the cavern in a cacophony of combat. Laira dug her arm into the stone wall, encasing her forearm and fist in rock in preparation for engaging the villains in close combat.

[member="Glory"]

 

[Glory]

[member="Laira Vereen"]


"You got it, red-mane," Hazani declared enthusiastically. She was probably rather unfamiliar with foreign food, beyond what they served in Firemane cantinas. Coincidentally, elves tended to have a high metabolism, so if she won it might expensive for the secret princess! Hazani could not manipulate the earth like the redhead, for her element was air. As she pressed onward to close the distance to the enemy, forking arcs of electricity leapt from her fingertips. There was obviously only so much damage an acolyte could do, but she had heart. Elemental lightning joined the volley of stone spears.


Glory was right in the thick of things, directing her soldiers as they unloaded upon the enemy. Flames licked outward, roasting cultists and incidentally providing some illumination in the dark caverns. Screams echoed across the caves, but she paid them little mind, unless they came from her men. In close combat, the Rangers used their wrist flamers, vibroknives and bayonets. The scent of stinking death and charred flesh filled the air, blood staining the stone floors, and corpses killed by shrapnel or scorched by flame lay sprawled.


Laser fire scythed towards the Captain as she ran, firing as she moved. Her shots were not precise, but meant her enemy had to seek some cover. Repeater fire caused pieces of rocks to be torn free from the wall. The Dahomian warrior woman bolted, spotting targets on her HUD's infrared display as she located the repeater nest.


Ducking, she gave her men a signal to cover her. While Blade unloaded with his cannon to mow down or suppress advancing militants, one of her other comrades prepared a smoke grenade and hurled it across the distance, causing a plume of smoke to rise up into the air. Using her chance, Glory activated her jets and shot upward, surging towards the enemy position. Poorly aimed laser fire came her way as she weaved a path, and the last thing the shooter saw were flames shooting out of her wrist flamer before he was consumed.


As Glory's boots touched on the ground, a new enemy approached. This one wore black robes, a skull-like mask and carried a lightsabre. He charged her with a savage war cry. Bringing up her flamer, she activated it, only to find that the canister was empty. With a casual gesture, he lifted her off her feet and smashed her into the ground before pushing her into the nearest wall. Ouch. A deep groan of pain escaped her throat, and she felt that the sheer concussive force had knocked the wind out of her. Her armour had some decent padding, but pain shot through her body. Discipline took over and she pulled herself out of her daze, just in time to see electricity crackle across his fingertips.


Removing a grenade from her belt, she tossed it at his feet. The dark cultist unleashed a Force push, but unexpectedly for him, this caused the grenade to detonate in mid-air, and a stream of gas escaped. The cultist coughed as he inhaled it and swayed, becoming delirious. The lighting that shrieked from his fingertips gave the Captain a good, shocking zap, but little beyond that. Marching towards him, she produced a shatterpistol and fired high-velocity pellets until he crumpled to the floor and stopped moving.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Regent Girard kept his place near Glory, the stalwart captain engaging her foe at a distance. Unfortunately the venerable Knight had not brought ranged weaponry, which greatly reduced his usefulness in this particular battle. Instead he remained close, taking cover when necessary but close enough to cover Glory's flanks in melee.

His pale white eyes scanned the area for the particular grimoire he had been told about. He knew Laira had disclosed that information to the Firemane forces, and though it made things slightly more difficult, possibly adding competition from the fearsome upper echelons of the corporate dynasty, it was not a great hindrance to his plans. Alderaan desired to dispose of the text before it could fall into dangerous hands. Well, they would indeed push for such an agreement once they were informed of its existence.

As the robed warrior with the Lightsaber became embroiled in a fight with Glory, the Regent lashed out at him. Despite the long service as a knight his form seemed rather basic and balanced.

Laira surged from her cover after Hanzi unloaded her sparks of lightning, following the surge of elemental lightning. Her stone hand smashed into a cultist with tremendous force as she impaled a different one with her spear. The haze of combat and smoke set in to the cavern, gunfire became scattered and inaccurate, cultists firing bursts at shadows that startled them. Even their own members. Meanwhile the Firemane force maintained their military precision.

[member="Glory"]

 

[Glory]

[member="Laira Vereen"]


So far things, seemed to be going well. Gas, flames and so on had caught the cultists off-balance. They were reeling and their fire had become inaccurate. Excitement surged through Hazani as she charged into battle alongside Laira. One cultist fell to her Force imbued blade when she clove through his skull. Seeing cultists dive into a lake to escape the flames and the explosive microgrenades,


she raised her hand and sent an arrow of lightning fly towards them. The dazzling arc of electricity was not particularly strong...but water and lightning produced an unpleasant combination. The immediate result was electrocuted cultists, who became easy pickings for the Firemane soldiers' guns or Laira's stone spears. "They are losing!" she declared excitedly.


"Don't get cocky. Stay focused," Glory ordered gruffly. "A cornered animal is the most dangerous. They may still have more of their voodoo nonsense." That was one of the most annoying things about fighting space wizards. The really dangerous ones tended to have access to all sorts of weird 'powers' that were difficult for someone who was as Force-sensitive as a plank to quantify. She pressed onward, sparing the Regent a brief look. So the Dahomian pressed on, putting a wounded cultist out of his misery by shooting two rounds into his chest.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Laira shifted her weight, pivoting on her good leg to deliver a strong kick to the back of a cultists knee in what could have been a beautiful combination were she uninjured. Instead the following spin and rock covered super-man punch to the face looked sloppy and uncoordinated. It looked ugly, but the shattering rock against the man's skull worked nonetheless.

Her leg burned with a sudden sharp pain, the use of it while the muscle and blood vessels were torn was not aiding in the healing process at all. The redhead ducked, leaning backwards to avoid a burst of shattergun fire, pellets zipping past her face and chest into the cavern wall behind her. The princess retaliated by tossing her spear into the man, the blade sinking into the space between his sternum and ribs.

Regent Girard took a shatterbolt to the shoulder, causing him to turn sharply away from the weapon's fire. The impact left the phrik armor dented, a realitively mild injury to the wearer despite the powerful verpine weapon's impact. Anything was better than having one's arm torn off by the weapon in the grand scheme of things. "Captain, we should focus on causing a cave in! Disrupt, disorient, and disable." They could always loot the wreckage later and search for anything of value, plus if their were hostages being held in the rear of the cave complex fighting all the way too them would result in the cultists killing as many as they could.

[member="Glory"]

 

[Glory]

[member="Laira Vereen"]


There was bloodshed everywhere, but the cultists seemed to have regained some of their fire. One of the militants dashed towards Hazani, assaulting her with a war axe. The Qadiri dodged, but her speed was impaired by her injuries, even with the aid of the Force, and so while the acolyte's blow did not remove her head from her torso, it scored a graze across her forehead. Though not deep, the cut caused a spark of pain and drew blood. She tasted the metallic taste of blood on her lips.


Stepping to gain some breathing space, she raised her hand to unleash a blast of electricity, knocking the dark acolyte down. Raising her blade, she stepped forward to press the attack, but her opponent had feigned being stunned. Before the Acolyte of Fire could realise her mistake, the dark cultist swept her legs out from under her with a vicious, Force-powered kick and the elf collapsed to the ground. She felt a sharp, searing pain surge through her as her prior injuries reared their head once more. The healing amulet she'd borrowed from Laira significantly sped up the recovery process, but that would obviously do little good if she opened and tore old wounds again.


The Sith stepped over her, calling upon her powers to toss the Qadiri's sword away. But as she drove her own weapon downward, Hazani managed to roll away and grab ahold of her opponent's leg, pulling it. At the same time, she thrust her vibroknife between her enemy's legs. A pained cry emanated from the female Sith's throat and with a yank she was pulled to the ground. Hazani pulled her down beneath her and both wrestled for control, struggling to pin the other down. Hazani reeled under a brutal headbutt, but when her opponent's hands sought to wrap themselves around her throat, she bit her in the hand and jabbed her in the eye, then harnessed her elemental gift by channelling electricity into her knife as she thrust it towards her enemy's throat, electrocuting her.


Meanwhile, shattergun fire and grenades greeted Glory, forcing the Captain to halt her charge and seek cover. A round connected with her shoulder plate as she put a bullet into another militant's chest. While the duraplast plating kept it from penetrating, it caused her shoulder to feel numb and she cursed. "Grenade!" she heard the yell quickly enough to duck. Still, a sonic grenade explosion was bloody loud and she was thrown into a daze, causing her to momentarily go deaf as everything became a blur for her. As she lay there, militants charged, but then were mowed down when Sergeant Blade fired his weapon.


Regaining her bearings, Glory took stock of the situation. Pride dictated she press on, but she was a rational soldier. "Agreed," she said laconically. She tossed a smoke grenade to cover approach, then worked her way over to Corporal Blaze, the unit's explosive ordinance specialist. Pulling her fellow Dahomian behind a pillar, Glory yelled into the young engineer's ear. Not because she liked to hear herself yell, but due to the fact that all the noise made it difficult to bloody hear anything.


"We're gonna blow those columns over there and drop the cave on those bastards," while she said these words, she pointed to four pillars supporting the cave. If they could blow them up, they'd a notable portion of the cavern on the enemy. Without, you know, burying themselves as well in the process. "Get ready to bomb away. We'll cover you. Hounds, pull back. We're blowing this cave. Laira, if your earth magic can help, utilise it." Glory did not really understand how the Force worked, she'd just seen the redhead play with rocks and figured this meant she had some sort of aptitude with what the Order of Fire called terramancy.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Laira gripped her spear, still embedded in one of the Sith Cultists she had thrown it at. The fight seemed to be going well for the Firemane soldiers and the Alderaanians, but any prolonged fight would take its toll on the attackers. The redhead darted behind cover as the haft of the weapon shrunk back into her hand.

Her comlink buzzed, Captain Glory requesting her aid in causing a cave in further down the caverns, atop the Sith Cult's heads. It was a dangerous tactic for them, with significant risk, but would make it much easier to clean up their entrenched and vicious enemy. "Alright, I'll see what I can do." She didn't have a lot left in the tank, no grand expressions of earth shaping power to remake the country side and all that. But, perhaps she could take out a column or two.

With the Firemane group establishing suppressing fire and beginning their withdrawal, Laira dug her hands into the cavern floor, closing her eyes to concentrate. The earth was a web of energy just like everything else. Every stone was connected to the next, and each slab had stress points and cracks that could be exploited if one knew how. For Laira, it was about forming and reforming the stone to her liking. When she had been learning her master had handed her small pieces of marble and obsidian, ordering her to make a chess set from them without using tools. That had been a hard lesson in finesse.

The redhead followed the chain of stone and fractures until she found the columns that she desired. With a sudden jerk of her wrists, the columns twisted upwards, and then the loud crack and shattering of stone compressed beyond what it could stand. The sith behind cover felt a rain of pebbles and small shards of stone and a rumbling above them as the cave's ceiling strained under its own weight.

[member="Glory"]