Kicking the Nest [SOV Dominion of Kubindi]

[Aryn Teth]

Aryn Teth

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Kubindi, Calaron Sector, the Outer Rim Territories​

Interacting With: [member="Srina Talon"]​

Objective: 1 - Hive Kadsac​

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Aryn knew much better than to be lured by Srina's baiting comments. In fact, he was exactly the kind of man to play into them, than apologize or backpedal to her banter. "Extremely. Irritating." He clarified, as if to ensure that she understood him well enough, his comments were primarily a sort of idle banter rather than anything tangible or aggressive in any real way. Even her later comment, her incessant need to one-up his banter as he felt her voice in his mind, brought only a smirk to the man's face rather than any real sort of irritation.

Even at her insistance that the two of them needed to continue on, he sighed and looked down towards her, only feeling the most mild irritation as his gaze flicked over her face. It was an irritation that faded as quickly as it rose feeling her hand gently grasp his collar, feeling the brush of her soft voice against his ears as she spoke sincerely to him. He watched as she slipped away before any response could be forthcoming on his end, seeing as the woman descended into the darkness below him as he let out a sigh. "Not like I had a choice."

The comment was as sarcastic as any other he'd made for some time, but she would know its true intention, the mask his feelings wore though so many jibes.

Shifting deeper into the dark caverns which spread out below them, Aryn could feel the distant signature of Varik before she even spoke up again. The man was hiding himself, but Aryn had been linked to him as he had so many others, he would always be able to call upon the man's connection, especially in the relative proximity of these caverns. Though, the bodies were always a reasonable enough indication. Aryn only gave Srina a brief nod, his gaze scanning the area around them, he was out of his element not having the upper ground, without troops to order and in a tactically disadvantageous situation.

Indeed, Aryn was made uniquely aware of just how disadvantageous their position was soon enough as he felt and heard the skittering of footsteps, stopping alongside her as he heard her voice. As the blasters began to light up the cavern, Aryn shifted in a flurry of rapid movement all around Srina. He deflected bolts, sending them scattering into the groun, holding up his hand to halt incoming shots, but there were considerably more than he could have expected at any point. Aryn had not been in a defensive stance, and even with his telekinetic halts he could not stop all of the assaults as he did his best to prevent any shots from hitting Srina as well. He felt the sharp pain as a bolt slammed into the upper-right corner of his back, and another grazed across the side of his hip. The pain was immense and the smell of burnt flesh rose around him, yet Aryn continued to deflect and halt whatever shots he could, devoted to the defense of his friend, only hoping she would have the chance to counter-attack before he was overwhelmed.

 

[Eliza Teth]

Eliza Teth​

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'Silver Forest of Dreams', Kubindi, Calaron Sector, the Outer Rim Territories.

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Personal objective: study at the dark force nexus.
Interacting with: [member='Luyioth Dakwin']​

The scabbard bounced around in her hands, as Eliza finally caught a proper hold of it. If worst came to worst, she might not be able to utilize the hunting rifle slung over her shoulder; the thickening fog and narrow trails would see to that. She gave the sheathed blade an uneasy glance, though nonetheless she attached and adjusted the thing onto her belt.

Stepping out into the fogged outskirts of the forest, the faint chill in the air caused her to quiver, bringing her charcoal robes tighter over her body. Though barely visible to her, the forest struck Eliza with awe- she'd never so much forestry in her life, and certainly not of this size. Eriadu's barren deserts and savannas weren't particularly known for their foliage, after all. Hearing the voice of her master trailing off into the trees, she quickly snapped back to reality, pacing after Luyioth into the swampy land.

Eliza turned her head every which way as they journeyed deeper into the fog, ever alert, as she kept close behind Luyioth. "Uh- Master Dakwin? Have you been to this place before?" She asked the Zabraki woman.

 

[Varik Ice]

Varik Ice​

Equipment: Lightsaber - Armour​

Location: Kadsac Hive Tunnels​

Objective: 1​

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Varik had never particularly liked tunnels. Nor had he ever been a fan of underground complexes, of any sort. As he considered things he didn't like, a familiar presence seemed to reach out to him, and he could feel it nearby, giving a sideways glance through the undergrowth that surrounded him. [member="Aryn Teth"] was nearby. Well, that was just great. He would have to deal with that later, whether this was an official attack, diplomacy or simply the Jedi coming to settle scores. Though he would argue the thrown freighter accounted for at least some of that.

As he slid down a descending tunnel, Varik tried to land quietly, but he had found himself on the wrong leg. Stumbling for a moment as he realized where he was, he glanced - to see three Kubaz sentries in front of him turning to look towards him. Without much thought, Varik pushed himself forward and lifted the bad leg, colliding it with one of the sentries' proboscis and felt it push back inwards; it couldn't have been a good way to go.

Landing next to the others, Varik roughly grabbed the head of the middle Kubaz, slamming it into the other's head before his arms went around, twisting his neck and causing a violent snap. Shoving the body aside, he pounced forward to the one now on the ground, kicking his blaster aside as it fired and hit the ceiling of the tunnel. Reaching down, Varik gripped the alien's throat and began punching him repeatedly, smashing through the red-tinted goggles and eventually leaving the sentry unconscious.

That had been less subtle than he intended, but these three had the same powerful blasters as before - hearing scurrying and nasally speech, Varik moved into a dark corner and watched; a formation of Kubaz rushed past and up another tunnel, not even saying their laid out comrades. As he saw where the group had come from, Varik began to slowly backtrack their steps; he was almost there, now. He could practically hear the command centre, and using the force to keep the pain off and heal his leg at a faster rate helped him keep his focus.
[member="Srina Talon"]

 

[Cynan Hague]

Halo 3 ODST Main Theme​

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Cynan was late to the party as it was, he already surely intended to make it to the next, with drive and determination, his voice almost indistinguishable from a guttural bark "Alright let's move, there's still slime to sweep up". Hague offers Inyri a light nod, in spite of it all, despite her nature as a force user, she had earned some shall shard of respect from him, a shard he would respect. The slight nod of his head spoke it all, Cynan didn't need words, they were sloppy - at least the ones he knew were.

His hand forms a circular movement, returning to the grasp of his weapon, he lightly bumps Cassus, speaking almost patronly to the new addition "C'mon kid". Once more the AECO team walks into the woods, making their way just shy of a hundred long and dark meters ahead of the group when a bone-chilling shrill curdles the blood in his veins. Something was watching them, something malevolent whatever it was, it excited him a curl formed at Cynan's lips, the game was afoot.

He hunches downwards, his squad taking sudden notice and spreading out, sniffing out their foe. Something was rotting in his gut, a twisted feeling of anxiety, gnawing at his sanity. It was a strange sort of alien sensation, so unknown and undecipherable to him as to only provoke feelings of disgust and fear. Churning, the soup inside found refuge in the same dark pit Cynan always stuffed his suffering into, pain and fear masked as rage. He could control rage, he could use rage - an asset, no matter the kind, should be used.

 

[Vestille Thumahra]

Grand Commander Vestille Thumahra​

1st Legion Group​

Kubindi​

851 ABY​

Objective #2 - Neutralize Dark Side Threat, Eliminate Hostile Wildlife​

Post Four​

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The arrival of the AECO team was surprisingly stealthy. Usually they made quite a flashy entrance. It suited the role.

With the large arachnid dead, burnt to a crisp and the men branching out from their positions, the Grand Commander looked over the charred corpse with an expressionless gaze. Just why did the beasts across the galaxy have to be so large and so dangerous? Was he a game hunter? No, he was a soldier. Soldiers fight in wars, not fend off pests twice or thrice the size of himself, some even larger than that. Vestille didn't see the circumstances as unfair per se, more so it was inconvenient, getting in the way of his true directives and objectives. The witches that he sought to bring an end to were still deep within the heart of the forest, corrupting it with their evil magics and corruption. Deep down, Vestille's hatred towards the force bubbled beneath the surface, the visions of those that had been torn asunder by the use of such a power alone deep within the swampy nightmare that still loomed above the man like a shroud maintaining a near constant reminder that, despite the diplomacy and fresh start that the turn of events offered, the man freed from his slavery to an Imperial War Machine still held his grudges. Perhaps in that silence as they all stared at the smoking arachnid corpse, that point took its time to remind the man with a legion at his back just how the past had shaped him.

Out of the corner of his eyes, the figures moved, the spectral figures within the fog observed as they swayed in the gentle breeze that seemed to reach them through the leaves that covered the lands below in shade. Vestille knew them all too well, the souls that were tormented thanks to his orders and his mistakes, come back to act as weight upon his shoulders, a constant reminder to him that the death of an identity does not exempt the soul from its crimes. Instead of screaming at them or trying to force them to go away, the man behind the armor simply accepted their existence, a silent stare shared between the living and the dead. To everyone around him, it seemed as if the Grand Commander was staring off into the fog, watching and waiting for something to pop out again. Before the arachnid had let itself be known to the group of Sovereign soldiers walking through the woods, it had been a rallying cry of more than one howl past the fog. Perhaps he was waiting, listening through the silence to see if any more pests came to meet their maker.

Only he knew the truth as to what he saw.

The distraction of the figures beyond the grave was suddenly brought to a swift end as the leader of the Guardians assigned to the mission, Inyri Takan, spoke out to him with as dead of a tone as he could understand. Perhaps she simply knew the mannerisms of how the Grand Commander acted that she knew how to speak upon his wavelength, maybe that was just how she usually presented herself upon a mission, maybe she had been dragged through hell and back, the same as Vestille. Whatever the case, the Grand Commander nodded and gave a swift hand gesture to issue a rally, to which the men and women who had easily brought down the beast three times the size of them displaced themselves and made their way back to their Commanding Officer, ready to continue their push deeper into the woods. Though expressions were masked under all the armor, the General knew that the encounter with a beast such as that had been frightening to some of the newer recruits placed under his command. Vestille, with the command of a Legion Group, utilized a main core of veterans and experienced soldiers to act as mentors and backup for the newly trained Sovereign soldiers no doubt kicked out into service rear-end first. Those who listened and played it smart survived, those who tried to run in alone and take on an entire hive of bugs themselves got torn apart in seconds; this was just how it was and trying to change that fact through debate or first hand heroics never ended well. Despite being labeled as 'heroes' by the Sovereignty, they were still mortal, just like anyone else.

Natural selection had a funny way of maintaining its grip on things.

With the troops rallied, the Grand Commander ordered the advance deeper down the rabbit hole, albeit with some caution. The witches were still yet to be seen but the wildlife surely saw the display earlier. The capabilities of the intruders of the forest no doubt raised some alarms to the arachnids that watched from a distance, no doubt watching and waiting for an opening to strike. As the troops moved with caution, a three-sixty security of all around was upheld whilst the men and women in black and gold continued their search and destroy mission. With the inclusion of the AECO team, he knew that reconnaissance ahead would at least allow them to go in without being completely blind.

The ghosts followed him either way.

Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Cynan Hague"] | [member="Inyri Takan"] | [member="Cassus Stoma"]

 

[Proxy-1]

Story post​

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Unidentified compound, Kubindi, Calaron sector, the Outer Rim Territories.​

Objective 4: Investigation and espionage.​

Interacting with: [member="Koda Fett"].​

The smoke cleared about the door as what remained of it toppled over. Midst the chaos of blaster fire and ship engines, shouting echoed from down the hallway:
"He's getting inside!" shouted a voice, not entirely like the rasp of a Kaleesh: "Get the rest of the crew into the control room, we'll deal with him out here!" As the hunter pressed inside, he would find himself in what looked like an airlock, with the inside door already open from the prior cycle; pressing further, he would find a hallway running in either direction, overlooking what looked like rows of lab stations. The occasional terminal could be found along the hallway.

While mercenaries pressed up against the hunter from the left, they retreated from the right. They exchanged hand signals and shouted at one another, gradually becoming faster and more fluent in their teams.

Meanwhile, the hunters search for any symbols returned with a notification in the corner of his HUD. Insignia on the ships marked some of the freighters as private vessels, while the gunship itself was marked with the insignia of the mercenary company: the Steel Sleens.

 

[Luyioth Dakwin]

Luyioth Dakwin

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'Silver Forest of Dreams', Kubindi, Calaron Sector, the Outer Rim Territories.
Personal objective: study at the dark force nexus.
Interacting with: [member="Eliza Teth"].​

With every step, Luyioths boots seemed to sink a little further into the mud. Her strides became more aggressive, fighting against the ground which would hold her down if she gave it the chance, yet she never broke her stride.
"I have." she began, keeping her eyes forward as she conversed with her student: "I came here when I was an apprentice myself to do the same as you will be; or, at least with a few differences." Slowing her pace for a moment, she lifted her hand to one of the overarching trees, brushing her fingers over a symbol which almost seemed to be burned into the wood. Satisfied with whatever it was, she returned to full stride.

Despite the maze-like qualities that made up the swamp, Luyioth seemed to know her way; from mud ground to improvised bridges, she hardly stopped, only to check the symbols sparsely spread about the trees. Only occasionally did she stop to look over her shoulder, waiting if she needed for Eliza to catch up. Yet, soon enough, she stopped; she stopped in front of what looked like a small cliff, clad in an assortment of thick and hostile-looking vines. Despite their appearance, it did not stop her: lifting a hand, she reached out towards the vines, where given a moment, a glpyh - perhaps familiar from some of the trees - glowed red in the center of a particularly thick patch, before the vines parted to reveal an archway.

Pressing through, Luyioth passed into what might look like a cave at first glance; yet at closer inspection, there were trees overhead, packed so dense that only faint specs of light could press through. Behind the duo, the vines would curl shut, blocking the way from which they came. In the center of the circular would-be room stood a stone, stained black with lingering wisps of red about it.
"Come." Luyioth instructed, slipping her overrobe off her arms as she went. She continued as she laid it out on the floor by the stone, before lowering herself onto it: "Do you remember the basics of meditation that I taught you? Sit as you would and relax your breathing, then I will guide you."

Unlike the swamp itself, no creature peeped or chirped in the grove. In the near-darkness, it was deathly silent, with the faint red from the stone providing more to travel by then the cracks of light.

 

[Lemon]

Koda Fett​

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Unidentified Compound, Kubindi, Calaron Sector, Outer Rim Territories​

Objective 4: Investigation and Espionage​

Interacting With: [member="Proxy-1"]​

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Steel Sleens, a few faces entered his mind as quickly as they departed it; Ras'Kel'Kanto, Aurora, 'Faceless' - just to name a few. He hadn't heard from them since his short tenure within their ranks, it was extra credits, nothing more or less for that matter. Now though? It was safe to say that Koda Fett was the 'big fish' in the 'big pond', the apex predator if you may. The fact that they would flee only further determines the truthfulness of such a statement, or thought, whatever it may be. His prey lurked below, but they were merely a minor obstacle that would soon be disposed of. That much was certain.

The Bounty Hunter approached the door, or what was left of it as it slumped over. In truth he hadn't counted on that, and instead expected to make use of his Anti-Security Blade, however this would work all the same. Upon finding himself inside an airlock he came to the conclusion that this was where the chemical, poison, substance, the killer was transported. It had no other purpose, unless he would find one the further he delved inside. The room with the computers appeared as if some information could be learned, but first he had a skirmish to survive first.

The sound of glass crunching beneath a Mercenaries boot caused the Bounty Hunter to turn his head over his shoulder, his attention directed towards this individual for the briefest of moments as they exchanged blaster bolts. The Mercenaries soaring into a wall , whilst Fett's seared through it's chest. Three more followed closely behind but soon found themselves suffering an identical fate. The metallic material in which a WESTAR-34 was made of allowed it to fire so rapidly without overheating.

The Hunter's free-right hand reached into one of the many pouches around his waist, pulling a simple data plug that soon found itself within a terminal - from there Proxy-1 could give a readout of all the information that was present. Subsequently, Fett spoke over their communication line, "Give me a readout." Whilst the Mercenaries continued to pour inside like the meat for the grinder they were.

 

[Roella Arwyn]

Kubindi
Ground-Side
Objective Five
Interacting With: [member="Saul Ferasi"]

The ship was not the most. . . roomy, she had ever been in. Even with her limited experience in the greater galaxy, she knew it wasn't the most high quality and roomy starship this side of the Core. But, it was her brother's. It was Saul's, so that already made it better than most ships she had been on. She didn't know how long he had been in it, but it felt like. . . him.

Roella had been young when Saul had disappeared, her early teenage years. It hadn't been unusual to see her maintaining his old quarters, keeping everything exactly where it was, the way it was. It was a piece of him, something she believe she could never have.

And almost a decade later, he just dropped back into her life. It was overwhelming, almost. She was sitting in his co-pilot chair, looking at him, listening to him speak. He was here, she was here, they were both here. And she learned why he had left: he didn't want to be an Arwyn.

"I am here to assist the Sovereignty, and the High Sovereign, Varik Ice. I have pledged my sword to him and his cause. We picked up the distress signal while we were in orbit."

She ran a hand through her deep red hair, blinking her crystal blue eyes at him. Her brother.

"You did not wish to live the life of an Arwyn. . . our family? Our House? Twenty three thousand years of pride, of history, of blood? You left your family, everything you had, me, for this?"

She tried to keep the hurt out of her voice, she really did, but she was not as successful as she would have wished, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

[Arken Lussk]

Taking a dive into the hive
Hive Covluz, Kubindi
Obj: 3 - Aggressive Negotiations ([member="Urwin Darmos"])
Theme: Misfit

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The expeditionary force moved with a quickness. Supply pods were filled with weapons of war, equipping their already destructive fighting force to maximum capacity. Some of the men and droids stayed behind, forming a temporary base of operations whilst the rest of the Jaeger teams ventured forth towards their objectives. Arken Lussk strode with the latter formation, hopping atop Kaycee as she and several of her companion teams pushed through the leafless forests.

"Sensor scans are showing increased motion and activity. Contacts are approximately eight hundred standard meters ahead," Kaycee reported, shouldering her massive 40mm cannon.

"Don't worry, some of our contacts are expecting us. However," he grinned, "Most of them aren't. Let's just hope we show up just in time to crash the party."

Their ongoing journey was rather uneventful, save for some scares from local fauna. Terrifying things they were, oversized insects that seemed to have a penchant for consuming whatever living beings they could fit in their mandibles. The Jaegers dealt with them accordingly, their cannons ringing out loudly across the land. Elsewhere, more battle raged on below the surface of the world, so Arken figured their little skirmishes would go unnoticed.

As they closed the distance between themselves and the Covluz outer hive sector, dark-robed figures began to climb out of their subterranean homes. The Jaegers moved forward, lumbering towards the small delegation before dismounting. Kaycee tenderly reached upwards to clutch Arken, setting him lightly on the ground before moving to flank him.

"Master Lussk," the first Kubaz strode to meet him. "It's a pleasure." His raspy voice came out as he bowed deeply. The rest of the delegation followed suit.

Arken returned the bow just as deeply, closing his eyes in tactful respect. "Administrator Saldo, the pleasure is all mine. I pray the invasion hasn't affected you yet?"

Saldo shook his head solemnly, glancing at the ground with baggy eyes. "Not yet, though we're certain whatever this Sovereignty has in mind will spell our doom - of us or our independence. We are very grateful for your quickness, Master Lussk. You've no idea how important these matters are to the Matriarch."

"Of course, of course. Her Majesty and I have spoken prior to this engagement, and I found it of the utmost importance that I come to meet with you. Your independence matters to me as well," he gestured to the Jaeger teams with him, "And I've come personally to express that sentiment."

A gleeful sparkle shined in Saldo's eyes, stealing a quick glance towards the rest of his aides. "Sickness has befallen much of Hive Covluz, Master Lussk. What defenses we've been able to muster are sorely undermanned due to this plague infecting our food supplies. Supposedly, we've dispatched investigation teams to look into this. The Unor are our prime suspect."

Arken nodded thoughtfully. "They fear you, and they're right to do such a thing. You've powerful weapons and allies."

"Is that so?"

"Indeed, Administrator. Aegis Systems is more than prepared to assist with your security and infrastructure issues immediately. It would be a shame if Her Highness and her people lost their independence to something so easily thwarted." The young man smiled. "Let me help you. We can discuss compensation after this all has rolled over."

 

[Eliza Teth]

Eliza Teth​

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'Silver Forest of Dreams', Kubindi, Calaron Sector, the Outer Rim Territories.
Personal objective: study at the dark force nexus.
Interacting with: [member="Luyioth Dakwin"]​

The forest teemed with unfamiliar wildlife, hidden away by the thick foliage and murky fog lining their path. The further into the forest they journeyed, the more Eliza's legs ached, weighed down by the muck that begrimed her boots and robes. She quietly shook as the air grew more frigid, almost unnaturally so, though she pressed onwards without complaint, trudging along behind her master who seemed not at all troubled by her apprentice slowing up the trek. Admittedly Eliza was surprised Luyioth would even stop for her- she was almost expecting the Zabrak to leave her behind to fend for herself, at one point, counting herself lucky that she hadn't.

Eliza breathed a sigh of relief as the pair finally entered the enclosure, though her solace did not last long. The sudden silence from within the thicket irked her, barely able to see in the darkness. The dimly lit stone before her beckoned her to draw nearer, it's glow casting a faint red shade upon her as she slipped her muddied robes off her shoulders and onto the ground. She sat atop the spread out robe, lowering herself to the ground and crossing her legs as she listened for the sound of her master's voice.

"I'm ready," she spoke out.

 

[Zef Halo]

ABOARD THE CADIA
KUBINDI

Sour taste engulfed the confines of his mouth. He felt his stomach tighten. All the consequences of hurting his younger sister with his words. Saul squinted but kept on gazing into the horizon on the viewport, steering the ship onwards. The scenery ahead of him as monotonous as his life in the royal court had been. Thoughtful of a response that his sister could understand. Doubtful that she'd ever comprehend anything he could provide her as an answer.

Saul did not even register the answer she gave about what she was doing here. Sovereign, Soverignty, High Sovereign, Ice. All sounded the same to the navigator.

"I did what I must." He replied, hazel eyes still narrowed at the viewport where smoke in the distance could now be seen. A glance at the sensors told him that should be the source of the distress signal. "My existence is of no importance on Talravin. You know that, I know that, mother knows that. Just a piece to be put in a position of some sort to consolidate our family's power. Yet, she could do that perfectly with a cousin or a trusted man out of the family. Which she probably has done." Saul paused. "I did not mean to hurt you, Roella. Or anyone for that matter."

Despite that, the navigator knew his departure was rash and lacking any explanation. He blamed it on the flames of youth.

"Twenty three thousand years of histories will survive even after I disappear." Saul stated.

He drifted the ship around the crashed corvette and landed neatly a safe distance away from it.

"I am sorry." Saul finally said and turned to see his sister. He did not regret leaving but he wished he had not hurt his sibling. Nor did he know how to make it up to her. "Let's go see what all this is about."

[member="Roella Arwyn"]​

 

[Srina Talon]

Location: Kubindi, Calaron Sector, the Outer Rim Territories
Interacting With: [member="Aryn Teth"] | [member="Varik Ice"]
Objective: 1 - Hive Kadsac Tunnels (Headed toward Varik/Command Center)

‘…You could have stayed with the ship...’

Her almost teasing tone would echo in Aryn’s cranium, carrying the same softness of her spoken words, though with less of an Echani overtone. It was probably a personal flaw, but for some reason, she never could never let him have the last word. His thick sarcasm hid a rather considerate and intelligent man she knew to be buried beneath layers of dry humor. It seemed to be a defense mechanism, one that she understood, but could not fathom employing herself. In her eyes, it took far less energy to be direct.

Srina hadn’t realized that Varik and Aryn were so conscious of each other, not until she felt a spark, a sliver of the Sovereignty’s leader through the Commander. A slight frown crossed her expression but it was quick to fade. At the very least, they could use this awareness to find Varik, versus stumbling around blindly in the dark. The way ahead was bleak, a black and festering hole. The air was stale, as if it had not been disturbed, save for the recent cave in. The presence of dead Sovereign soldiers was unsettling.

Yet, not as unsettling as the sounds of heavy feet, and unintelligible language. Srina barely had time to process the danger they were in before the attack began. Apparently, they seemed to be taking the ambush that Varik had barely missed. The Echani activated the personal shield that was built into the gauntlets of her armor but it wasn’t large enough to cover them from all sides. Aryn moved, protecting her completely, versus focusing on himself. She breathed in sharply when she felt phantom echoes of his pain, the scent of his flesh, singed and burned in the air.

They were basically pinned, wrapped in a circle of enemies, outgunned, and outnumbered. She was caught in the arm, but instead of simply absorbing the blaster shot as it typically did, she felt more than impact, followed by a familiar burn. Srina’s eyes went flat as her emotions moved. They were sluggish, hard to activate, but with them, she drew on the Force. Silver eyes seemed to fill with starlight, taken with an odd glow, before her raw ability pulled on something she was wholly unfamiliar with. Wrath. She did not entertain such things. It created hastiness, mistakes, and yet her training had all but demand it from her. As such, ever practical, she turned it into cold fire and made it a viable weapon.

Srina did not speak, but in the same action of releasing her shield, her hand lit up and pale lightning arced toward the Kubaz ahead of them. She could see dark green-ish skin, long trunks, and spindle-like bristly hair illuminate in the darkness. For a moment, the cavern seemed to have its own sun, and the apprentice unleashed a storm from her fingertips. It was pure offense, unrefined, and just like all of her abilities, unrestrained. Squealing, jittering teeth, fear, and panic rose among their enemies. Srina used it, just as the Dread Lord had taught her so long ago on Kashyyyk, and sent the front wave of Kubaz flying away from them.

The young woman used her white bladed lightsaber to deflect more blaster bolts from the right as her lightning died, plunging the cavern back into darkness, and noted with a fair amount of concern that the shots seemed exceedingly powerful. Kubaz had from her initial attack, some electrocuted to death, and some merely unconscious. The Sith Apprentice did not have a preference. So long as they could no longer hold a weapon, could no longer harm her, or Aryn, she cared not. Death was an inevitability. A mere consequence in the grand scheme of the universe that she had no qualms with delivering.

‘Are you all right?’, she questioned the Supreme Commander, her mind brushing his, versus wasting the breath to speak. He would feel a sense of protectiveness coupled with wrath slowly draining away as she quelled the desire to turn fully to the Force. She would return to balance, to herself, just as easily as she had turned away. The slender woman remained a small target, weaving around the Jedi Knight like smoke, with the tangibility of air. She proved difficult for the Kubaz to hit. More than once they shot each other when she moved out of the way at the exact moment they pulled the trigger. Her movements were dazzlingly swift, blindingly fast, and she turned her shield on and off to get close enough to their enemies in order to cut them down with her saber. She worked from left to right and eliminated the bug-eaters without prejudice. ‘Do not lie to me…You know, I will know.’

Even though Srina cut through a great swath of them…There were more. Severed limbs twitched on the ground near her feet, recently liberated from bodies, but it didn’t seem to deter the Kubaz. No matter how many she dispatched they still kept coming. She took only the smallest comfort in knowing that if the enemy forces were focused on herself and Aryn, perhaps, Varik would be able to more easily accomplish his mission.

 

[Cassus Stoma]

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Cassus Stoma​

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Kubindi, Caldron Sector, Outer Rim Territories​

Interacting With: [member="Cynan Hague"]​

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There wasn't much that he saw when staring into the forest, jungle or whatever it may be. Though he knew what he couldn't see had it's eye, or eyes on him. Perhaps to these creatures he was of robotic nature, if you could even use the word nature to describe to robotic. The thought of it all entered his mind as he became so easily distracted by his own musings until they were abruptly forced from himself as the Sergeant gave him a slight nudge, the 'rookie' as it may be for the time-being, giving a look to the man in charge before following him back into whatever hell-hole came next.

With every sound and movement that didn't come from the AECO's, his attention was grabbed. It wasn't in fear or fright but wonder, all of this was a brand new world. Tund was awful, from each grain of sand to the radiation storms, the man so desperate for ardent exploration despised a planet with a fiery passion. Much like the ones that would spontaneously erupt on the planet he once called home. Though his head needed to be screwed back on, otherwise it would become lost in this very foliage - and so with a quick shake of his head and slap on the forehead of his helmet he regained what senses he had and focused on the task at hand.

At the very sight of the Sergeant ducking down, halting his position or at the very least moving minimally. The Lance had done the some, his eyes shifting beneath his polarized visor whilst his head barely moved. Something was there, and it wasn't out to make friends.

 

[Zedd Harkor]

Lord Admiral Zedd Harkor​

Orbit of Kubindi​

Objective: 1​

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One by one.

To each main vessel of the Kadsac fleet, their systems continued fail at a haste that increased only exponentially. To each vessel, their engines began to stutter – to fail. Various escape pods shot out from various sides of the ship they belonged to; it was apparent that their morale was fleeting as ever. Explosions erupted around each of the main battle fleet vessels, toxic gases leaking from various sections of the ship that signaled the bitter end for both those that still operated on the main battle line ships – and the fleet all together. The remaining cruisers would be no match for the superior might of the Sovereign Navy, with the Sovereign Navy still without a casualty for a ship. Soon later, many more explosions erupted from the Kadsac fleet, as the state-of-emergency for the three Kadsac star destroyers, soon effectively turned into cindering husks of ships. The ghost crew of each, now populated the battlefield, as the cruisers vainly held the line.

“Lord Admiral, sir!”, piped up the aforementioned anxious Ensign, the same that Harkor spoke some paternal wisdom into; “All enemy star destroyers have been destroyed! Four cruisers remain.”

“Continue engaging long-range fire.”, commanded of Harkor, "Stand-by for any transmission of enemy communications, in the event they so choose to surrender.”, continued he, speaking to the Ensign.

An order, phrased once by Harkor, was spat back out into a protocolized format for the surrounding vessels of the Sovereign fleet, to comprehend the orders. In turn, each vessel of the Sovereign Fleet continued to effectively mow down the remnants of the Kadsac Fleet. The onslaught continued. The lights growing dimmer for the Kadsac Fleet by the moment, by the second. Lest before long, the first of the shields began to faulter, to flicker, to a stoppage, the same consequence corresponding followed for the other remaining vessels of the Kadsac Fleet, as explosions began to erupt around the basis of their hull.

“Sir – we’ve penetrated their shields. We’re now damaging their hull, and we’ve yet to receive a formal surrender.”

“Continue, then. They've dug their own grave.”, spoke Harkor, coldly, not facing the Ensign, as he boldly stared off down the bridge, and out the transparisteel window, personally witnessing the fireworks that were now the Kadsac Fleet.

The assault continued. Soon, it was one by one, the cruisers dug their own demise, as escape pods raced out from various sides of the ship, as each were turned into a cindering husk, as were the star destroyers. Explosion-after-explosion, death-after-death, system failure-after-system failure; the Sovereignty had one this battle, doing so, without a single casualty of a ship, largely attributed so to the craftiness of the Lord Admiral, Zedd Harkor, given the distribution of the code slicing malware from earlier.

 

[Proxy-1]

Story post​

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Unidentified compound, Kubindi, Calaron sector, the Outer Rim Territories.​

Objective 4: Investigation and espionage.​

Interacting with: [member="Koda Fett"].​

It would have been safe to assume Proxy-1 had left the line. He didn't have anything to say for the duration of the battle, need not mention the trip to the battlefield. Yet, as soon as the transmission came through, the same distorted voice crisply replied:
"Receiving, wait one."

The mercenaries to the left fell, while those retreating to the right fired off a few stray bolts as they rounded the corner. Through the window, what looked like mostly Kubaz adorned in lab-coats and other sterile equipment wasted no time turning to flee, congregating in a room overlooking the lower floor based atop in the center of it. Inside, through that window, mercenaries could be seen watching - waiting and reinforcing, seemingly making their stand there.

"We've extracted what we can, but the system administrator has already isolated the control network." came the familiar distorted voice, punctual as always. "I'm forwarding a map to your heads up display now; we're updating it with enemy positions in real time. We've also discerned that the control network is based out of the control room. Patch me in there and I will search for the objective." On queue, a map would slip into the bounty hunters position of choice, complete with enemy and neutral positions in red and yellow respectively. Referencing the map, the tower in the center of the lower floor would match up as the control room, with access through either the lower floor or walkways at the east and west ends of the upper floors.

 

[Lemon]

Koda Fett​

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Unidentified Compound, Kubinid, Calaron Sector, Outer Rim Territories​

Objective 1: Investigation and Espionage​

Interacting With: [member="Proxy-1"]​

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The words of Proxy-1 one were heeded, and the truthfulness of them were apparent mere moments later. The foes he faced were taken down with haste, they couldn't match him, not even with their superior numbers. The armor, it's assisted aiming and more made him near unstoppable. It didn't help them any that Fett was in fact bred to fight. It was his one true purpose, and if anything else, combat was always the main feature of his 'engineering' as some may have put it, though him? He wouldn't know what to call it. It was just... another one of those things.

Shots came close as he made his way towards more and more enemies, one even managed to strike the beskar but found itself pinging off into a wall harmlessly, presenting more of a danger to themselves than he. Fett had placed the blaster pistol back into his holster whilst the carbine was grabbed once more, advancing towards the designated location upon his HUD. Whether he had to tear through them all or not, it didn't matter, he would get there. Koda Fett always got the job done.

 

[Luyioth Dakwin]

Luyioth Dakwin

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'Silver Forest of Dreams', Kubindi, Calaron Sector, the Outer Rim Territories.
Personal objective: study at the dark force nexus.
Interacting with: [member="Eliza Teth"]; [member="Aryn Teth"].​

"Breathe." Luyioth began, taking a breath in through her nose as she straightened her meditative posture. "Sit straight; sit proud, with temper and defiance. Do not shy away from what you might sense from the relic - instead, focus on it, breathe it in and analyze every last part of it. The force will always know when you are afraid, but it will take note when even then, despite that, you are brave." Following alongside her apprentice, she did as she preached: taking in the very aura of the dark force nexus and staring into its beating heart. She was not afraid of the abyss. They say that those who stare into the abyss will find it staring back at them, but she had once been chained to its very depths. Those who preach that saying do not understand what lurks in the abyss: for those who do know the way through its labyrinths are the ones who stare back.

"Do not run from what you may find. Embrace it. Embrace what it is and how it makes you feel. Hold onto that - so then, I may show you the start of the path. You stand at the foot of a labyrinth, but do not feel intimidated by the gates, for I will show you the way through. There will be those who look down at you - down on the abyss - but know that we are what stares back. The light serves the rich and famous as it maintains the status quo, but the dark - the dark serves the forgotten, the abused, the abandoned, for the dark seeks change. In a galaxy where the likes of us are abandoned and forgotten, the dark is revolution. So sit proud and stare, stare relentlessly, into what you find."

Opening her eyes, Luyioth looked across to her apprentice. While curiosity prompted her to look, it was something more from the vein of guardianship that led her to stand. She would now have to guide her apprentice into the abyss; it would not consume her, not on her watch. Yet, as Luyioth paced behind Eliza, she felt something shift: her senses widening, her perception growing. She had only felt this once before. As she looked across, she stared through the vision granted to her by way of the force, and saw her nemesis. She saw him fighting, saw him injured, with an unfamiliar face at his side; and as she looked, a content smirk came to her lips. One play threaded into another, another pair of cogs met; all while the greater cog, her greater conspiracy, turned a tick further.

Just as anticipated. Now all that is left, is to twist.

"Now, take what you have found." Luyioth continued, now staring at her rival through the ripple. "Swallow it to your stomach, but hold it there; do not let it consume you, but rather, you consume it. Then take that strength, reach through what you just studied and sense what is beyond. That, Eliza..." Luyioth paused, lifting her sight to stare into the eyes of her rival; lining her next word with subtle venom, she prepared to make the twist, the smug feeling of victory coming to her chest. "...my apprentice - is the force. That is what you will learn to wield. Learn how it feels, for it will be more distant outside of this forest. Then once you are content... as calmly as you arrived, exhale the power you swallowed, then leave. As you do not let it command you, do not let it be your master; stand with defiance, for you will be its master. Show it that with your actions."

 

[Roella Arwyn]

Kubindi
Groundside
Objective Five
Interacting With: [member="Saul Ferasi"]

She only had one thing to say to her brother before she stood from her seat, leaving the cockpit to arouse her knights.

"Perhaps you had no importance to Talravin, but you have importance to me."

Roella's Roses were relaxing against the walls, but stood to attention when she came into sight. One of them, a young knight from one of the islands surrounding the main Talravani continent, her brown hair peeking from underneath her helm, inclined her head towards the cockpit.

"Is that your brother, Saul? The one who left Talravin years ago?"

"He is."

The knight frowned, but said nothing more. The man's reputation had suffered on his homeworld, and he was not the most popular Arwyn by far. But despite their personal distaste, the knights would do as their princess said. Even if that meant walking besides a craven.

Roella walked down the ramp as it came down, letting her brother walk with the knights. Thorne, the sword of their House, was in her hand, the songsteel barbs along the hilt cutting her hand open, blood leaking through her closed fingers.

"Come, brother. The beacon awaits."

The crashed corvette was upside down in the marsh, it's front half submerged in the water, the back suspended into the air. Roella examined it from afar, a bad feeling rising in her. Something was wrong, very wrong.

"How do you suggest we move forward?"

 

[Zef Halo]

GROUND SIDE
KUBINDI

The Cadia landed while earlier his sister had left the cockpit towards the ramp. He had not bothered to call her back. What more could he say? Saul had hurt her more than he believed so. He thought the young age that she was when he departed would prevent the event from becoming such an emotional issue.

He was wrong.

Saul passed by the guardians feeling their disdain of him but he paid them no heed. He knew that was all part of the consequences of his choice eight years ago. A coward in the eyes of his people. Somehow - he relished that. For some odd reason, Saul liked to be hated by his own people.

He caught notice of Roella's bleeding hand but refused to comment. Saul, after leaving Talravin, saw how backwards his homeworld and culture was. Shame had rooted itself in his heart but he was not cold hearted to do voice his opinion to his sister now. Nonetheless, for some reason, the navigator had an innate belief that his beloved sister would be the light that will change Talravin forever.

Certainly a better choice than his mother.

Saul fixed the holstered ion pistol on his hip as he moved to face the corvette that was a short walking distance away. Still, a safe distance from anything catastrophic.

"My prowess end the moment I leave a starship, sister." He replied assertively but couldn't help and shoot a concealed jab at her knights. "Perhaps these fine warriors can be of help here." Saul kept his back facing the group while monitoring the horizon ahead and the corvette.

That thing wasn't flying anytime soon but from here he could not make out whether it was hit by another ship or if it was an accident of some sort.

[member="Roella Arwyn"]
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