Oh, Hoylin | CIS Dominion of Hoylin [Hex X-39]

[Asher Malvern]

​

Location: The Nothing | Objective: Investigate the pathogen | Tags: [member="Rashae"] [member="Tellu Talon"] [member="Darth Tacitus"]​

​

The scientist exhaled softly as he looked out toward the ships that were rocketing towards the unknown region beyond them. Those ships and their markings were unknown to the man yet he could guess who they were. Eternal Empire. A nation of psychopaths who had been allowed to operate within The Confederacy. No matter who the nation or the leader was, Empires brought fear into the former Jedi. No nation should be held in the grasp of a single individual, much less a Sith. As more of the Eternal Empire's shuttles continued to land, Asher's attention was pulled away when a woman with snow white hair made her approach. Asher opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the woman's own words. He nodded, silently not caring to speak against the woman. "Sure." He promised, turning to make his way towards the main research tent.

It had not been long before [member="Rashae"] finally appeared in the tent. Asher made his way to her side, inclining his head towards her respectfully. "Minister." There was not much more to be said as the Minister should have been familiar with Asher as he had advised her department in the past. Asher produced a small datapad and looked over it before gesturing out of the tent. "The Jedi representative is here and the Eternal Empire." He told her before placing the datapad back in his pocket. Rashae made her way out and Asher followed closely behind, keeping his eyes focused on the wall before them. Whatever was going on was certainly something considerable for such big names to be called out.

Rashae and Asher would find Tellu and Tacitus speaking, seemingly arguing about the way to proceed. A Jedi arguing with a Sith was a rather odd site. At least when it did not include their lightsabers. Asher was careful to mask his presence in The Force so he would not stand out as someone capable of utilizing it's power. It was for the best such things remained hidden. When he looked to the Dark Lord he could not help but stare a bit. The man held the noticeable features of Asher's family and this only made him even more uncomfortable. He kept the most bare contact with his nephew yet he knew his brother's eldest child was alive and well, in the form of this monster who stood before him. He cleared his throat as they approached, yet kept quiet while the others began to talk.

 

[Wresto]

​

​

Location: Dojo Near the lake
Objectives: Learn to cook
Post: 3

Eddlo listened along to [member="Kurenai Yumi"]'s words and instructions. He looked over all the ingredients and was beginning to feel like he bit off more than he could chew. For most of his short life he'd never really cooked his food before. He just kinda ate what he could. One time he ate these really sweet berries that made him really sick. So he typically avoids such fruits.

Based on what he was told about this meal was that it seemed like a real jack of all trades kind of dish. But once she left to make her delivery he got to work. Easily reaching over the other students to get his own ingredients. For the meats he was wanting to pick what he deemed to be the more exotic seafood. It was really just shrimp but he'd never seen it before so it was very much new to him.

However, what Eddlo began to make seemed more akin to a crab cake but made of shrimp instead. With some veggies thrown in for good measure as told to by his "double man". By the time his meal was "done" it seemed pretty under cooked for the most part. Since more rare food was what he was used to he didn't want to over cook it, but he may have overcompensated and didn't cook it enough. When he felt like it was done, he added some green onions similarly to how his instructor did, and then poured a thin wavy line of some sort of Yum Yum sauce over the it. To Eddlo it seemed like the most fancy piece of edible art he'd ever laid his eyes on. "It may still be a little wet for me, but so long as you like it I see not really issue with it." His inner voice told him.

 

[Warmaster Nyâsh]

Location Hoylin, Southern Hemisphere, The Nothing, Quarantine Zone base camp
Orders Primary: Security of the Confederate research team; Secondary: Quick reaction force stand-by; Tertiary: Securing the source of the plague
Part of Eternal Empire´s Research Expedition, 82nd Ultranaut Attachment

Unit designation Grimus-8-2, 82nd Ultranaut Regiment
Unit strength three companies of Ultranauts; assault-shuttle attachment

​

​

With a swift gesture, Colonel Halbrecht was sending his second in command, Major Marckensen to continue overwatching and coordination of the fortifications. It was disgusting to see these Lotus fellowship coming here with their good faith and light side naivity, raising some light buildings and starting their research on a hostile and aggressive infection or plague without security measurements.

The Major could evenly well handle this build-up. Marckensen. He was a relaible officer with a great reputation of being a calm and reliable officer who values discipline and accuracy more than anything. The fort would be exactly how it should be with maximum perimeter defences.

Efried Halbrecht was meanwhile watching the encounter with that pathetic Jedi and then with the arriving Minister. He was not surprised that these tourists want to go out there without further preparations, run for their lifes when they should encounter something big enough to scare them and cry for help of those they despise from their high horses. Hypocritics.

The Minister was more reasonable and supported the approach of the imperials. He would have continued with his considerations and thoughts, but the words of his liege surprised and shocked him. Two units lost? That was highly alarming. Without a word he send a non-verbal message to his unit and activated one of the company´s for deployment. They would be ready within ten minutes if necessary. The situation just got serious.

[member="Darth Tacitus"] | [member="Tellu Talon"] | [member="Asher Malvern"] | [member="Amilthi Camlenn"] | [member="Rashae"]​

 

[Cassius Droma]

Objective: Locate Missing Hoylin that Disappeared in the Nothing
With: [member="Gianna Aegis"] | [member="Amilthi Camlenn"]

Like always, seeing Gianna helped brighten his spirits and erase any doubts in his mind. As she checked him over, he tried to feed off of her never-ending supply of goodness and strength. Just her physical touch was enough to send a warm shiver down his spine. He’d yet to tell her what had happened on Jabiim, as it was something he wished to discuss with her in person, rather than over a holo-call. It wasn’t too distressing or earth-shattering, but it was certainly something he needed guidance was on. After all of this was done, he’d have to talk to her.

Amilthi Camlenn was a familiar face, but one he didn’t know too terribly well. “It’s good to see you too,” he smiled, nodding to her, unsure if a bow or handshake was appropriate. He had seen her on more than one occasion at the temple on Deneba during his brief stay there, but nothing had gone past cordial hellos. That was back when he was still under the tutelage of Romi Jade, before his involvement with the Silver Jedi and far before he met Gianna. It all felt like a lifetime ago – he’d grown so much as a person and Jedi since then. Hopefully that growth could help him escape the influence of not only his master that had recently turned to the dark side, but his master’s master that had also turned prior.

Gianna explained to him their current situation, and how the Nothing seemed to have a strange effect on the Force. Cassius lifted a quizzical eyebrow as he looked out across the muted plains. His lips pursed ever so slightly, and his eyes squinted as he processed that information and tried to analyze it. “Fascinating,” he breathed out, his attention now focused. Yet another puzzle that he wished to solve. Even on the way over here, he hadn’t the chance to glance upon this territory much, but seeing it now, and even having that little tidbit of information… it just drove him to want to enter it, really.

Once everyone was loaded up and ready, Cassius gunned the engine and they were off. The change was near instantaneous – the air felt more dry, and the mood seemed to darken without reason, as if someone had just shared news of a death in the family. He angled the blue speeder west as Gianna instructed. The path was clear enough that Cassius’s eyes could wander across the terrain, and his mind could run wild.

“How long as this been here?” he asked over the low whirring of the speeder’s engine. Did something happen for this emotional plague to take hold of the land, or had it always been here, since before colonization?

“There’s a scanner in my pack,” Cassius said, reaching behind him and patting a leather traveling pack in the empty seat. “Could help us take some readings.” The really scary thing would be if the readings were the same as before they entered the Nothing.

 

[Chikako Liona]

Objective: What ever [member="Scherezade deWinter"] is teaching
Post: 1
Attire: dress

The call from ally never seem to have come, leaving the young Echani more or less alone with nothing to do, caused to wander the camp site with no friends, lost in the voice of indecision. A woeful story that not should ever have to-wait was that a lesson on fighting? Walkign forwards Chikako came to d the dojo, seeing quite a crowd of people in the room, most crowded around [member="Srina Talon"] and[member="Adron Malvern"], even the food stand run by that strange Vampire lady had people around it. It seemed every area was taken aside from one.

Looking to the side the girls silver eyes fell upon Madalena by herself in an separate corner, seeming to have no one to parlay with. It was a little interesting and peaked the young girl curiosity, the white haired princess slowly walking over to the older women, giving a small curtsy. "Good day to you Ms Antares, may I inquire to what lesson you are running today"? She guessed it was combat related, and with no one else around it more or less became a private tutor, hopefully, she would need to gauge the women's response before deciding anything.

 

[Ria Misrani]

​

Tellu wasn't without her protection, standard quarantine suits for her and her team and as she headed deeper into what was left of the city she let the weakling speak. Elisea was beside her with a map of the area on her holo. Elisea switched it off for the scanning device and gestured into a particular direction, "there, the hospital should be that way. I was busy with the station when we were here the first time. Grandmaster Kismet and Healer Zanteres had led the charge then." She revealed as the two stepped over broken duracrete, "let's get a survey of the area from here, we can mark this."

"Then go to your precious dropship," Tellu said with irritation, "we've already brought new contaminants to the site, but if you wish to conduct your studies from the safety of your dropships then, by all means, sir." She gestured back toward the camp she was more than just bothered by his presence. He was an irritant that was clearly more full of himself than the traditional dark side lot. Tellu wondered if she would cut herself on the amount of edge he provided to his ego. "And do you not think that I have not brought my best people? That I've just come out here in robes and a special stick to wave about while muttering indignations about the Force?"

"Perhaps you should see to your lost men."

Tellu then turned to the Minister. "The camp has been here for at least week, preliminary findings should be on your datapad and if not we're close enough to base that you can ask for them to be transferred. Samples were taken yesterday but if you would like you may take your own samples. I am sure there are plenty." Tellu gestured out to the emptiness of the Nothing, the eerie form of the place took center stage. There was something more here than just a normal pathogen, "ah but did you not just say you had teams working on samples? If not then perhaps you can join Sir Dropship in his shuttles and fetch samples there?" She turned away from the Minister and crossed to meet back up with Elisea.

If it wasn't clear already, Tellu had little time for either one of their nitpicking. "Now if you two are quite finished, get your quarantine gear on and meet me at the hospital. Here are the coordinates." She turned to the other man in the group who had for the most part been silent, "if you could please, come with me while these two figure out what they're doing." Tellu already had a mind on what she was doing and how to do it, and quite stubbornly was not going to be removed from her point. Nor was she afraid to tell either of them how she felt. "Elisea."

"Down this way, I've pulled back the Lotus's old records and overlayed it on my map, here."

"Excellent, now let's leave the tags for either of the teams to pick up and study when they can."

"Of course," the Avalonian woman acknowledged, as she continued to follow Tellu toward the inner of what had once been a vibrant city. The hospital wasn't exactly close by and the other teams checked in with their progress. She waited a little bit at least until she knew they were well out of earshot of either of the representatives. "Don't you think you were a little harsh?"

"Maybe, but no one got anywhere in life by being a delicate flower." Tellu motioned for the scanning device and began to record this area's pathogen traces. "As for the Minister, while I respect that she is the Minister." She handed it back and inputted the data into her pad, "she's not the only one in the Confederacy capable of science and determining when a sample is too old, and reports, while dated, are still valuable. Now, as for our, dark and broodish friend he can join every other dark sider that is not related to me."

"I see." Elisea conceded as she took a moment to log this information into her map. "Now then we have an easier go at visualizing the pathogen's route. Hopefully, the hospital will have more data for us."

[member="Rashae"] | [member="Darth Tacitus"] | [member="Asher Malvern"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

​

Post #3​

Objective: Investigate pathogen, weaponize if possible​

Task Force Echo Red: Devil's Claws Sorcerer (1) | Ultranaut Squad - 40th Regiment (10 - On Standby) | Ultranaut Squad - 28th Regiment (10 - On Standby) | Wolfguard Squad (5) | Psi Corps Operatives (2 - 1 On Standby) | Scientists (3) | Wardens of the Shroud (2) | Styx-class Dropships (4 - 3 On Standby)​

Equipment: Shroud of Desolation | Personal Molecular Shield | Wither | The Triad | The Shrouded Blade | The All-Seeing Eye​

Attn: [member="Tellu Talon"] | [member="Asher Malvern"] | [member="Efried Halbrecht"] | [member="Rashae"]​

​

• Quarantine Site
  Hoylin, near the Nothing

And there it was. Pride. A more dangerous double-edged sword there had never been. Without it, people were susceptible to the control of those who had it, malleable like clay, lacking the ability to place value on their own potential, on their achievements and identity both as individuals and as a nation. Yet, if left unchecked, pride could lead to complacency and stagnation. Pride could only ever be allowed to exist if tempered by the proper application of discipline and self-control, something which the Eternal Empire had learned the hard way, paying for the galaxy's harsh lessons in the blood of its people.

As hard as it may have been, Tacitus was not above backing down when he took things too far and was certainly not the kind of man to be ruled by base impulse. He looked at his options and made the best decisions he could. He could certainly see that he was wrong to have ruled out this woman completely, despite the camp's shortcomings in security. So the way he saw it, the options were to either continue arguing for the sake of pride, or put pride aside and find a way to work together for the sake of the mission. There wasn't really any choice at all.

"Perhaps we started off on the wrong foot, here," he said to her, reconsidering his position. "I'm not debating whether or not you didn't bring your best people. I'm just stating that I brought my own, too."

His eyes drifted across the desolate landscape, his mind seeking memories of what occurred on Haven, years ago. Posture shifting, his mask slipping for just a moment as , showing the briefest glimpse into what lay beyond the man he wanted the galaxy to see. Gone was the assertive ruler who behaved as if he always know what to do. Gone was the dismissive cold that was often seen as arrogance by those around him. In its place, was left the lonely sorrow of a man who wore a heavy burden on his shoulders and tried his best to manage it in a way that did not result in a disaster for those who followed him. And he was so terribly tired.

Just a glimpse. And then his uncle and the minister arrived and the detached, collected mask was back on. Talon. That certainly explained her stubbornness. His face obscured by his helmet, Tacitus allowed himself the briefest smile. He knew someone else like that and she was the closest friend he had.

"Minister, uncle," he greeted them, slipping into the formal tone he was so comfortable with. "We have brought additional equipment and laboratory supplies, it is being unloaded as we speak. Colonel Halbrecht's troops are establishing a defensive perimeter in case the creatures mount an assault and our best xenopathology team is on site, setting up additional equipment as we speak. And should the problem turn out to be more esotheric in nature, we also have three experts in Darkside lore available, along with myself."

"Colonel, Echo Red here is now our QRF. If this anomaly is anything like what we faced on Haven, a large force will do us no good, other than attract attention and after what happened with Blue Flight, I'm allowing no more than one dropship into the air out of the four I brought along with me. The other three, along with Alpha and Bravo squads and one of the Psi Corps operatives, are staying here, on standby in case we need a quick exfil. You are to select your best squad and accompany us to provide additional security for the scientists," he instructed, It was easy to slip back into his soldier's boots.

"Uncle, Minister, I need you to compile a list of the equipment you will need, keep in mind it will have to fit into one of the dropships," he said to them. "If you require hazard suits or additional weapons, there are several spares being unloaded from the second dropship, along with KC-47 assault rifles and ammunition."

With the instructions delivered, Tacitus reached for the cold, familiar touch of the Darkside and drew upon it, uttering the words of the necromantic spell. Fortunately, the ruined city bore the markings of Death's passing, so the currents of the Darkside responded easily, coagulating around him in shimmering barrier of what looked like translucent black smoke. It was a calculated risk, choosing to exchange the protection of a hazard suit for what his armor and the conjured barrier could provide, along with the mobility that would be so vital if they were beset by foes. Hopefully, it was enough to keep the pathogen at bay and if not... There was always the sword. Death was not the end for him, before and it would not be so, now, if that was what it came to.

Fortunately, he did not have to set up a separate rescue operation for the missing dropships. OPCOM reported their last known coordinates as being in the same direction Tellu was now heading. It did not take long for the Sith Lord to catch up with her, his Wolfguards forming a diamond formation with him at the front, the Wardens and the sorcerer at the center. The scientists would follow along with the dropship, maintaining a safe altitude and would only land when the circumstances were appropriate.

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Post 1
Objective 2

Ah Hoylan, sun fun and everything in between, also plenty of wild life which was always a plus for Arte, she loved animals and anything to do with nature. So to say that Hoylan was one of her favorite places was an understatement, it seemed so rural yet it was still a city, and as such it had all the things a girl could ever want.

Artemisia was about as far from a stereotypical girl her age as you could get, however when it came to the way she appeared on the outside you would never guess it, this day she wore a short crop top and a skater skirt her favorite pair of white hightop converse. It was really her mind and personality that made her not your average teenage girl. She had maturity well beyond her years as well she could be described no better than by calling her a kindred spirit.

She strolled along quietly deep in thought as she made her way along the coast, beside the surf shop, she took a seat on a lounge chair enjoying the sun

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

​

Location: Dojo near Lake
Objectives: Teach or assist
People Nearby: [member="Eddlo Taphilic Hoc"]
Gear/Equipment: Attire, grill, ingredients & utensils
Post: 3

Kurenai quickly made her way back into the Dojo, interested to see how her students were going with their own dishes, so far no sizzle of a grill being heard, indicating that non had yet try and pour their creations just yet. Upon getting close she was immediately approached by several of the students, each asking questions and for tip, most ranging from 'which ingredients work best together' to the usual 'am I doing this right?'. "Seems this may be a little harder then expected, I will come to each of you in turn, just wait a few minutes, once everyone is taken care of we can move to the next part".

All the students returned to their own stations, Kurenai slowly going through each of their questions individually, her rounds eventually leading to Eddlo and his own little creation. Her eyes scanned his movement and choice of ingredients closely, giving short nods of approving nature while he carried out the work, only raising an eye brow near the end as he added in the soy sauce. "Most people put the dressing and sauce on after it has been cooked, but if you like your dish sweeter then usually and a little black so be it... or did you make a little mistake in your process"?

It looked as if the man was just copying the example she had done herself, if so it was understandable to make a small slip up, if not, well everyone has their own tastes and likes. "If you are good with your creation we can move onto pouring and cooking, if not I can help you make another quickly, no rush plenty of time to get things right".

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Location: By the lake
Tags: [member="Ode Vi'dreya"] | [member="Chikako Liona"]

Sitting by the lake, no one had shown up for her classes so far. Madalena could see people interacting with each other in the distance, some of them already active. Had her class been advertised enough? Did people even know it was happening? It would've been a waste of her time to come all this way only to have no one show up. She would've preferred doing something else; spend time with Baal, be training, be out there killing some stuff or some people… This waiting thing felt like it was dragging on for a forever. She could feel Beacon Man ([member="Gerwald Lechner"]) in the vicinity too, but after the last few months, she utterly refused to dwell on it, even if his sister was a new friend of hers.

To pass time, Madalena sat herself on a rock, and pulled out one of her many Czerka knives. Without much fuss, she began to clean her nails.

So it was with good reason (if "distracted" ever is a good reason) that she did not notice [member="Ode Vi'dreya"] walking up to her. Glowing green eyes looked up in surprise as her gaze befell on a lovely young girl that she was certain she'd never seen before. As the friendliest of smiles spread on her face, she felt forward, both with the Force and her blood hound abilities. Another child of the Vicedude? Madalena laughed. They really were coming out of the shadows now. She wondered how many more would reveal themselves in the near future.

"Hi!" she said in her bubbly voice, jumping up from the rock to hold her hand out, "This is indeed it! I'm Pathfinder Madalena Antares."

Another woman ([member="Chikako Liona"]) joined them, and Madalena greeted her with the same bubbly friendliness as well.

"Okay, so before we begin, I just need to know what your training and abilities are, more or less. Wouldn't want to throw you into a sarlaac pit if you don't even know telekinesis, you know what I mean?" she laughed.

 

[Amilthi Camlenn]

​

Objective: Locate Missing Hoylin that Disappeared in the Nothing[/font]​

Tag: [member="Gianna Aegis"] | [member="Cassius Droma"]​

​

_______________________​

"We don't know when this phenomenon first arose. It used to be localised, perhaps undetected for a long time, and then it spread. But it's been a real concern for well over a decade." Neither did she know the rate at which it has spread, or the geographical local of the epicentre, if there was such a thing. Surely the scientists of the Sacred Lotus must have done some modelling, but it hadn't occurred to Amilthi to gather information to do the same. Upon reflection, that seemed odd. Mathematics wasn't foreign to her - but somehow, to put things into a bigger temporal and historical context hadn't seemed significant. She would have to reflect upon this, determine whether it was a pattern - perhaps she had taken the habit of living in the moment a bit too far.

Sitting on the back seat, Amilthi reached over to Cassius' bag to hand it to him. Somehow she expected the difference in lighting not to be a measurable fact, to be merely a matter of their minds; but it wasn't a very strong expectation, nor was it grounded in any particular theory of what was going on. It was essentially just a hunch.

She looked out over the plains into the distance, where hills and mountains rose. Mists hung over their rugged, dark grey form, clung to it, slithered downwards into the valleys, grasping for the ground. There was a strange attractiveness to them, and for some reason it seemed like the expedition must have made their way into one of those valleys. Perhaps it felt so obvious because no sane person would abide in these ghastly plain, the Grey Barrens as they were called. But the strength with which the notion, obtrusively, suggested itself was suspicious. Amilthi wondered if it was once of the Force's inspirations, or a treacherous insinuation of this place - and perhaps there wasn't even a difference between the two in this case. Whatever would draw them towards it might have pulled in the hapless scientists as well. In this vehicle, it wouldn't be too long before they arrived.

Amilthi looked at the back of Gianna's firey head of hair. Her friend, if she could call her that, seemed no more gloomy than ever, in stark contrast to, indeed in defiance of, the surroundings. Amilthi smiled faintly, and looked at Cassius. "Well, what do the readings say?"

 

[Ode Vi'dreya]

​

Location: Near the Lake - Hoyin
Tags: [member="Scherezade deWinter"] | [member="Chikako Liona"]​

​

---------------------------------------------------​

​

Ode offered a tentative smile as Madalena noticed her, gently rocking up onto the balls of her feet as she attempted to not look as awkward as she was feeling. As the leggy brunette unleashed the short burst of laughter, she felt the smile falter and a small frown tugged at the edges of her mouth. She glanced down at her outfit and felt the burn of a blush bleeding into her cheeks as she shoved her hands a modicum further into her pockets. When the woman approached and offered Ode hand, she forced another excited smile into place and reached out to take it, giving a firm handshake in return.

"I'm Ode." She shoved her hands into her pockets once more and rocked back onto her heels as she glanced across to the other young woman who had wandered up. She nodded her head in the girl's direction before turning back to Madalena as well.

"Training has been minimal... I know a bit of hand to hand combat, and I'm told I've got some latent Force abilities most likely... Figured this would be a good place to start learning a bit more."

 

[Chikako Liona]

Objective: Hopefully not to die
Tags: [member="Ode Vi'dreya"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"]
Attire: Dress
Post: 3

Her gaze turned to the other women present for a second as Madalena began her introduction, the small Echani women giving a smile before concentrating back onto their teacher. She seemed rather excited to be here if their body movement was anything to go by, she seemed quite new as well, interesting though to be honest she was a little excited herself. The young princess heart beat faster then usual, this being the first time she had interacted with the Knights Obsidian let along was trained by one.

"I have undergone decent training, I am almost a master of form one combat and I know a decent amount of combat related force powers and spells, I a master of animal bond and due to the Jart pack know dominate mind with ease". "Still I would not call myself a seasoned fighter, it has been a while since I've been in any form of combat, ministry duties tend to take up more time then I would like". Her over protective guards didn't make things better, even in the odd combat situation they insisted in taking care of the problem themselves.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Location: By the lake
Tags: [member="Ode Vi'dreya"] | [member="Chikako Liona"]

Madalena nodded with a grin to Ode. She was new, but that only meant that there was a lot she could be taught, which was awesome. Turning then to listen to the pale haired one, Madalena nodded too, though her smile faltered a little bit at the mention of the word Jart. There was something inside of Madalena that was uncomfortable with any of the Mandragora, though she did her best to not let her show; especially when she had no clue why that was. Either way though, comfortable or not, both girls would be receiving the same amount of attention from her, and the same amount of help.

"So first thing we're gonna do is I'm gonna ask you to get your weapons out and-"

But there was no time for Madalena to finish speaking. The ear-ripping sound that was heard behind them, coming from the lake, was enough to make her pause. The tall Sith turned around to take a look at what was going on, and all three ladies were greeted with the sight of something coming out of the water; it was at least twenty feet tall, its visuals reminding her of a battle-turtle with claws and tentacles, and it…

Well damn. It was looking straight at the three, and began to make its way towards them. It was, very obviously, going to try to eat them.

"First lesson, girls," Madalena said with a grin. "Don't turn into turtle food."

With that, she pulled her twin lightsabers out.

"Chikako, toss spells at it," she ordered, getting into a defensive stand, "Ode, behind me. Your job is to hit tentacles that get near and run away if it gets too dangerous!"

 

[Iapo Sim]

​

Location: Minister Kenway's Class Cabin, by the lake.
Objective 1
Attire: Dark pants/ light shirt and jacket/ hiking boots.https://ibb.co/2sHcN3Z
Weapons: kitchen knife in her boot/ BlasTech DL-22 in her backpack

Iapo wandered around the tents and simple houses of the Confederacy bootcamp. She caught short snatches of conversations and looked around at the plethora of eclectic personalities that had been led to this peaceful woodland area.

The young woman had trained hard the last few weeks since she’d joined the Confederacy and had felt that the bootcamp was a perfect opportunity to learn a little more. She was very much a stereotypical outer-rim girl, raised in isolation and taught to survive but lacking the kind of complex strategic understanding that she needed now that she had joined a faction as sprawling and influential as the Confederacy.

She had heard of a workshop on the Art of war and Leadership which seemed to be the kind of knowledge she was severely lacking. The young half-human had hesitated to join, feeling out of her debts but had admonished herself that if she truly wanted to progress, she needed to have the guts to do something about her ignorance of certain necessary skills.

That’s how she found herself opening the door of a cabin near the lake that she’d been pointed towards and found herself face-to-face with a severe looking man, entirely clad in black who was sitting in the half-light of the room. She took in the set-up of the room: the tables and holograms, the books on the subject of the class and the name written on the board. Her gaze landed back on the man sitting at his desk, the Minister of war of the Confederacy if she was remembreing that right. She gulped, suddenly nervous, but forced herself to concentrate on her original aim, arriving on the planet: focus and learn.

“Hello”, Iapo began, “I was told that this is Minister Kenway's Class Cabin, and that there is a workshop that is to be held here. My name is Iapo Sim, I’m a new recruit of the Confederacy and I was hoping to learn from you”.

Caesar Kenwayhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/19562-caesar-kenway/

 

[Ode Vi'dreya]

​

Location: Near the Lake - Hoyin​

Tags: [member="Scherezade deWinter"] | [member="Chikako Liona"]​

​

Ode gave a small nod and sheepish grin back to Madalena in return for her own as she also glanced to the lavender haired girl standing adjacent to them. She had heard a bit about the Mandragora, but this was the first she'd ever met. The girl looked harmless enough, but the assurance that she'd received some training already made Ode frown a bit. Perhaps coming here wasn't the best idea; not if there was going to be a large discrepancy between her knowledge base and that of those who were joining in on the class... Holding people back didn't exactly appeal to her sense of self-social preservation.

She didn't have much time to second guess however, hearing Madalena cut off with her instruction to pull her weapons as the massive reptilian-looking beast clambered out of the lake beyond them. Ode's eyes widened a fraction as she stepped back a bit, keeping her instructor between herself and what she heard Madalena fondly refer to as a "turtle". She swore quietly under the breath as she reached instinctively over her shoulder, gripping the shaft of what appeared a simple black staff, swinging it free and spinning it once to grip it firmly in her dominant hand, bouncing it gently at her side.

​Hit the tentacles that come near - deal. She stepped in closer to the bombshell ahead of her and put herself into a defensive stance, her grip on the staff fairly light as she prepared to swing it at anything that decided to come closer. "You got it!"

 

[Luca Donskoi]

​

Location: Waterfront, Elbright City, Hoylin​

Objective(s): Meet Someone New​

Attire: Navy Trunks, Black Tee, Sunglasses, Flip Flops​

Tag(s): [member='Damsy Callat'], [member='A’Runda'], [member='Gray Venasir'], [member='Lirka Ka']​

Post: 1​

​

​

Life had been hell these last few months and I was happy to see something of a change. A nice time to myself for some quality relaxation and “fun in the sun” as they say. Sure, this world had its demons and horrors, but they hadn’t been able to make it to Elbright so far as I could tell. And I certainly couldn’t have any complaint toward what I did now.

The water, clear as crystal, washed over my body as I floated lazily in the lake on my back. My dark sunglasses shielded my eyes from the bright sun, though that didn’t really serve a purpose so long as my eyes remained closed. Yes. This was definitely a life I could get used. It was a life I hadn’t lived since the glory days of the former Galactic Alliance as these luxuries didn’t seem to exist in any form or fashion within Hutt space where I spent my time between then and my time now. Everything seemed good and on the up now and that was good enough for me. Good another to bring an increasingly rare smile to my face.

But then something caught my attention. I had noticed the mumbles of a distant conversation in the background before, but I had paid them no mind. This was time for me to have to myself, but as I heard a splash in the water not far from where I leisurely floated, I couldn’t help but allow my attention to be drawn in its direction. Another splash, this time throwing droplets of water onto my face and glasses. Because of the reaction it drove from me, I lost my floating position and splashed a bit on my own as I regained control over my position in the waters of the lake.

“What the – “ I thought to myself as my eyes came across not one, but two species I had never seen in my life before. And to top it off, my eyes fell upon another species that looked very out of place, a Tusken. Quite the gathering, I guess. Perhaps a merry one too? Never the less, I was still new to this Confederacy, and I guess now was as good a time as any to start meet the people that resided within it. So, I swam over to them to, at the very least, say hello.

“Hey,” I said with a slight wave of the hand. “Mind if I join you? Surely it’s time I meet a few of the faces here, right?”

 

[Helly Reyne]

​

​

[SIZE=10.5pt]Location:[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] Cathedral in the woods[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Wearing:[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] Orange crop top turtleneck and blue jeans[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Tags:[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] Nobody. Join at your own peril.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]The ringing of the bell had stopped hours ago, but she kept following the same path that she hoped would take her there eventually. It had felt like [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]days,[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] even a full week since she had last had interaction with another individual. Another [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]real[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] individual. If she had known it would end up being this cold, she would have worn something that covered her midriff.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]"But like, it sounds too formulaic..." she muttered to herself, deep in the process of thinking up a new song to distract herself from the horrors of the night. "[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]I can't think of who I am, so just maybe, maybe I'll see you in- No... Doesn't say enough, sounds too much like stray thoughts…”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Something dripped down to the dead leaves on the ground from a branch above, taking her by surprise as she jumped back an inch. Her eyes moved to the branch it had come from, and brows sank in the realization that it was blood, and that the source was a freshly murdered corpse. Most of the victim was already missing, but enough remained for her to be sure that it was once humanoid.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Feeling sickened, she took several steps back, her breathing returning to its erratic pace as her eyes scanned the area above her. Barren branches, nothing more. She couldn’t even be sure if the grisly sight was real, given how these woods worked. Nothing was certain.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]The bells tolled once more, close by that time. She turned her head to face the direction it was coming from and was soon putting one foot in front of the other towards it. Whatever waited for her could be what killed her, but it was likely better than having her battery eventually die in the middle of this place.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]The woods grew thicker there, but she was so close to the bells. She was sure that it was practically right in front of her, behind the dense formation of trees blocking it. With her right foot planted into the ground beneath her, she felt something there as she tried to pull away from it. Taking a look to her leg, she saw that there was a set of cold fingers wrapped around her anklebones stretched out from an emaciated, deathly-looking body. Its eyes were practically bulging from their sockets while its jaw hung wide open, gasping for breaths before the entirety of its head was impaled on the tip of a blade.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Helly slowly raised her head to see who had dropped down from the trees just then. A woman with hair of silver below a tricorne hat stood there, taller than her by several inches, twisting her sword into the corpse before their eyes were able to properly meet.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“You don’t smell,” the woman said, still holding firmly onto the handle of her blade.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Not knowing the words to say in the moment, Helly shifted her eyes a bit before responding, “Thank you…?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“You have no blood,” the woman went on to claim. Her voice was deeper than most, grave and to the point. “Droid?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Helly shook her head a bit. “Cyborg.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“Why did you heed the call?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“What… call?” She thought for a moment about the tolling of the bells. “Oh. No! I’m just lost. I’ve been looking for [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]anything the entire night. Please, if you could help me get back to my people or tell me what’s going on, anything, [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]please.[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Looking elsewhere, the woman fixed her hat and brushed the dirt off of her long coat that hung around a dark vest and trousers. At her back was a brown cloak, completing an ensemble that was far too dignified for the situation at hand. “You’ve stepped into a pale night; thank your gods it wasn’t a blood night. This place isn’t for your kind.” As she spoke, Helly could barely discern in the light of the stars that her teeth were misshapen. Her canines seemed elongated, like proper fangs.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Oh.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“So if you could help me find my way back, I would greatly appreciate it,” Helly said, mostly as a way to stop the woman’s train of thought, wherever it was leading.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“There is no escaping a night in these woods,” she answered to Helly’s dismay. “Only the light of day can break the twilight, and I’m afraid that won’t come for quite some time. I won’t kill you tonight, but you would do well to steel yourself within the cathedral. The others would heed my words, lest Abyless speaks a different tune. Should this have been a blood night, your luck couldn’t have bought such fortune.” She stepped toward where the ringing had been coming from, turning back only to say, “Come.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]She shouldn’t have, but she knew she had to. Even if this woman [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]was[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] a vampire, even if the ‘others’ she spoke of were vampires, she didn’t see any other options popping up.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]All of a sudden, the prospect of being grilled by anti-Hartlite publications while in the comfort of her own ship didn’t seem so bad.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]The cathedral was certainly what she had come to expect based on the clothing of at least one of its residents, made with dark stone into gothic architecture. There was nothing welcoming about it, and yet there she was moving towards it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]A gate needed to be opened to reach the entrance of the cathedral, and waiting there in the courtyard was another woman adorned in black armor with vibrant red frills jutting from the edges all the way down to a white skirt that covered the entirety of her legs. Her skin was exceptionally pale, contrasting with her bright red lips, hair, and eyes. In one hand was a red dagger, while the other was held out to greet them both.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“Lennidus,” she said in a sweet, unassuming tone, “what have you brought me?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“Don’t look at her with high hopes, Abyless,” Lennidus replied. “No blood in her.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“No blood?” Abyless moved closer to the two, specifically Helly, seemingly without the use of legs as she hovered above the ground. “I smell flesh on it.” As she circled around her, Helly stood as still as possible, hands subtly reaching for the hilts of her sabers. “It’s not [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]real flesh… Lennidus, why didn’t you kill it? On a pale night, leaving such a thing to live would be cruel, would it not? Look at it... frail, afraid, squirming… It’s practically [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]begging[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] for a sweet embrace to take it away from these cursed woods.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“I’m here by accident,” Helly pleaded. “My name is Helly Reyne. I have a band called Hartlite. We’re pretty famous around the galaxy.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Abyless tilted her head to one side, pouting her lips. “Isn’t that precious? It thinks it’s important.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“It thinks you’re kind of a queen,” Helly added, having had enough of being called ‘it.’ “I just wanna get back to the Confederacy. Have you heard of them? They’re currently lending aid to this very planet.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]A grin curled on Abyless’s face as she floated back a bit of a distance. “Oh, my. It has a bite about it, doesn’t it? Yes, I’ve heard of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Hoylin seems to be quite independent, does it not? Has it become the next victim to be swallowed whole by the monster that dresses itself in violet?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“That’s an awfully willing victim. We haven’t come to conquer or stick a flag in the planet to call it a day.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“That’s a shame. I’ve always had a love of conquerors and those who take what they want. There’s something romantic about it. Wouldn’t you agree, Lennidus?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“No,” came Lennidus’s voice almost immediately as Abyless rolled her eyes.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“We can’t all have good taste. Tell me, Helly Reyne of ‘Hartlite,’ how long do you plan on living?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Narrowing her eyes at the question, Helly had to take a moment to think. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t ever had the thought come up, but to answer someone who clearly wouldn’t be opposed to disposing of her at any moment was a bit nerve-racking. “Forever, I guess,” she concluded. “I don’t have an expiration date. Do you?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“There are always ways of extending an already long life such as mine,” Abyless replied quickly. “But I suppose if you’re not as disposable and useless as so many in this galaxy are, it would be a shame to end you just yet if there’s nothing to gain from it. You may live, but you may also plead for the lives of your peers in purple. Make a good case as to why I shouldn’t have Lady Lennidus here hunt them down to consecrate the soil of these words with the blood it craves? Thank you for letting us know of their presence here, [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]by the way…”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]As her eyes came to the realization of what she might have started, she shook her head. “They’re not exactly easy pickings, you know.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“Some of them must be… You[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] are. The woods have longed for the taste of outsiders. It’s feasted on nothing but [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Hoylin’s[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] own for so[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] long… I bet they’re aiding with the southern hemisphere or searching for victims lost to this world’s fickle nature. Depending on who they’re looking for, they may never find those friends. So many of them litter this very same cursed wood. Lennidus, gather a team. You’re hunting on the outside this night. And Helly, congratulations! You’re being held [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]prisoner[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt].”[/SIZE]

Before she could reach for the hilts of her lightsabers, Lennidus had already grasped both of her wrists with painful intensity, using her foot to shove her into the ground below. With her hands being tied behind her back, Helly grunted and cursed loudly as she turned her head to one side against the soil. "We can work something out!" she shouted. "The Confederacy would pay big money to get me back!" At least, she hoped. "You can come out of this with a fortune!"

Abyless knelt all the way down to speak to her closely. "We don't negotiate with credits, but I appreciate the pathetic groveling."

Helly merely groaned, coming to terms that she may not be able to get through to these people. They had their own priorities.

 

[Chikako Liona]

Objective: Explosions
Tags: [member="Ode Vi'dreya"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"]
Attire: Dress
Post: 4

Chikako cocked her head to the side as Madalena's drop in a smile, did she say something wrong? Did the witches have some strange bad reputation among the other members of the CIS? Hopefully that would not put a damper on the whole training event, she'd hate to have her first interaction with the Knights Obsidian be ruined. She'd just have to do her best and show them her strength and skill in combat, what ever it was they the three would be facing, it didn't seem like this place housed any deadl-.

Any thoughts were soon put aside as an enormousness beasts emerged from the lake, sending out an ear splitting roar, it's beady eye focusing down on the group instantly. For a brief moment she stood still, looking in awe as the magnificent beat, it's size reminding her of the pet rancor back home that she had made a familiar... oh if only he were here, such would make for a very interesting fight to watch, but alas the trio needed to take care of the massive 'turtle' on their own.

"Spell throwing", she shouted after being given the command, Chikako throwing her hand out in an elaborate manner "Crepitus"!, a second passing before a loud explosion erupted from just in front of the beats head, making it stagger for a second. "Do you have a plan for this beast? or are we just trying to stay alive and see what it may be sustainable to"? While awaiting an answer see began to slowly chant another spell, dark and somewhat purple clouds forming above the beats head as is slowly lumbered towards the girls.

 

[Wresto]

​

​

Location: Dojo Near the lake
Objectives: Learn to cook
Post: 4

Eddlo looked down at his instructor as she asked if he made a mistake. His one eye gazing as he thought up how to respond to her simple question. His pause was longer then he'd like, but eventually he said something. "No, I just though it would mix the...flavors better..." He said, looking away and back to his meal. At least there was a train of thought and some logic behind his actions.

"I'm fine with how mine has turn out, thank you..." He added, all the while repeating the internal voice's words. Eddlo was also eager to see how the rest of the cooking lesson and didn't want to slow things, even if it wouldn't be an issue. It would seem the big shirtless man was a tad insecure, something the more experianced woman could probably sense.

Eddlo kept his eye on his meal as awaited [member="Kurenai Yumi"] to move onto the pouring and cooking.