Dominion Paint It Black [MP Dominion of Yavin IV]

[Drego Ruus]

Tag: Arla Rodarch Skye Mertaal Brooke Waters​

It seems the Supply Train was the last moments of respite. Team Three has been wandering for a while and two of you have decided to scout ahead. Except you find yourselves in the middle of a swamp filled with debris from various wars, worse, you feel as if you are sinking. Unaware of what's going on, one of you begins to panic, the other must try to calm you down. Panicking only escalates the sinking, meanwhile the other members are looking for you. Beware, however; there are hallucogenic mushrooms in the area. They need only be popped for their spores to spread and for even the strongest of you to become victim to your own hallucinations. The debris in the area may also be explosive, a fact you learn as the Horde begins to swarm the swamp. There are additional ranged weapons on your path, perhaps you can make use of them either as a way to pull yourselves out of the sand, or to attack the horde. Team Three will need to make it to the COMMUNICATIONS TOWER.

“Are you okay? Where are we going now…”

Restocked, Drego felt more confident about their ability to push through. Breathing deeply into his helmets isolated rebreather, Drego knew he needed to keep on top of things. The swamp was swallowing them. As soon as he realized this, he activated his jump boots, electing to float slightly above the water now. Even if it made his movement a bit more erratic, he needed to make sure he was ahead of the curve.

"We need to get to the comms tower." Drego reaffirmed, looking around. War had long ago ravaged this area. He could seen an old LAAT that had crashed back during the Clone Wars sunk into the mud. That was a good starting point. "Get to that LAAT. We'll use that as a jumping point. Watch for mines and other explosives, this place'll be the death of us if we aren't careful." He looked back to Driver , hoping the soldier would have something they could use here. "You got one of those fancy probe droids I see the GADF using nowadays? We could use some eyes in the sky if you have one."

 

[Mia Monroe]

Team One: After alerting the horde, the team was able to back track to the safety of a bunker with a little help from an unexpected ally in Darth Malum of House Marr and revealing incidentally his relationship with Elise Ahana-Gwyneira perhaps fueling further tensions between the Mandalorians and the Sith. Aloy Vizsla with the help of Liorra made use of a rotary weapon from a crashed ship. Perhaps the weapon will come in use in the future. Under Mia Monroe 's guise the team collects themselves, readying for the next stage.
After departing the safety of the bunker, Team One find themselves within a Jungle Cavern. As they push through the cavern that two of their own have gone missing. Worse, there is a huge chasm that they must cross and in the chasm lay the undead gnawing at anything that drops down. Behind them the Horde can be heard, and ahead of them signs of light. There are additional caches of shields on this path, perhaps they can be of use. The shields are physical in nature and can stop kinetic attacks but not energy attacks. Warning, the Horde have use of blaster weapons and are compromised of those who are not entirely undead, yet. Team One will need to make it to the SUPPLY DEPOT.

The tension following her outburst back at the ship was palpable, given time and energy to process and reflect, Mia knew she would regret her actions, but with how long they'd already been fighting for... when they got out of this, when they had time, Mia would apologise. In the meantime, she simply hoped that Elise Ahana-Gwyneira understood. She moved ahead of all of them leading the way through the covern, Aloy Vizsla and Liorra taking up the rear of, with the latter chatting constantly, perhaps out of nerves, or an attempt to drown out the tension between the three people ahead of her.

Chewing the inside of her cheek, Mis focused on her task, getting them out of the damn cavern alive. The drone of undead ahead of them snapped her out of her thoughts as she quickened her pace. The great chasm stretching before them the groans rising up from beneath. "Shit." she muttered, turning to the others...only to find it was just her, Elise and Darth Malum of House Marr .

"Where are the others?"

Where was Liorra?

Fear gripped her chest. Irriational. Her ad'ika Liorra may be, but she was capable and so was Aloy.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

"They decided to look for an alternate route sometime back, I am surprised you did not notice," Malum answered, leaning off the chasm edge to look down at the sound coming down from far below. Dead eyes stared back, their glimmers having been stolen long ago, but rogue lights shining through the cracks of rock walls gave enough indication of what was down below, if the sounds were not enough.

Of course, he imagined that Liorra and Aloy Vizsla 's absences had more to due to the fact that trudging through this cavern was nightmare enough, without three of the members avoiding words with each other. Still, even with the awkwardness in the air, he doubted splitting up was the right course.

Regardless, such was their decision, he knew Aloy was capable, and Liorra... well despite her youth, she had fought well enough on Ordo, and he needed to trust the fact that Mia Monroe had brought her along for a good reason.

He gazed back toward Mia, softening his orbs, as his fingers continued to idly tap on the helmet strapped to his side. Elise Ahana-Gwyneira had refused the helm when Mia had thrust it into her arms, but neither was he going to simply allow her to abandon the thing, thus... a strange compromise of a Sith Lord carrying the Buy'ce as they were called.

Truly the little things one picked up when dat- courting a Mo- Mandalorian.

Though he supposed if he was courting her was still an open question.

He turned to gaze upon her again… his Elsie… he had found himself gazing upon her often. Unable to speak, he claimed that was because it would lead to Mia slamming him against a wall next…

…But that was a cowardly lie, he knew that much. He did want to speak to her, solve this. The other part of wished to put it off as long as possible, in fear of what could go wrong.

He turned away from her, back to the chasm below, “Either we can lay those corpses to rest… or I can bring you both across… or we need to look for another path.”

He raised the options, it was up to Mia and Elsie to decide, this was their operation after all.

 

[Elise Ahana-Gwyneira]

Elise Vizsla
Mandalorian Protector.
Student of Mia Monroe .
Pupil of Siyarr Ahan-Mitharran .
Third Dreamrune of the Novanian Shamans.
Alor'ad of Vercopa Squad.
Dreamseer.

Mia Monroe Liorra Aloy Vizsla Darth Malum of House Marr

Cyan colored text indicates an illusion.

What Does It Mean To Be Mandalorian?​

Elise gazed down into the pit, into the horde of undead below. They looked like the armies of regret in her dreams. Reaching, grasping, calling for her blood. The idiotic, forsaken Dreamseer who was good for nothing. Unable to save, unable to serve, and unable to be worthy of love.

Ever since her mother figure had slammed Elise against that ship wall, a part of her just... shut down. Undeniably wounded inside, but given the message of being unable to heal it. Then again, when could the Third Dreamrune Shaman heal anything? She had been completely mute from that moment on, unless it was absolutely necessary to speak to someone. The ice ridden, cold exterior of an exhausted but unresting soldier pressed on. As much as Mia had angered her in her lack of understanding, she had been right. But Elise's grim focus on fighting zombies only further darkened her thoughts. Essentially isolated from the people she needed most, despite being right next to them, Elise was only accompanied by the gnashing of the undead and the welcoming caresses of a decomposing worldview. The dead surrounded her, the remnants of what all the great heroes of the galaxy had failed to save. The remnants of Elise's own failures, when every self sacrifice she had ever made had been for nothing. Elise looked down at the pit of the dead, kneeling down. As multiple hands reached up in her direction, her hair hid the utterly void expression on her face.

She extended her hand, downwards, as if inviting them to finish her off -

Mia and Malum's voices were distant ghosts, but the topic was enough for Elise to withdraw her arm from the pit. She looked over with dull eyes as they discussed the separation of the team, and Elise blinked. She had not noticed their absences until now, despite her sharp awareness of where every undead nearby was, even in the bushes. She stood up as Malum suggested that they either wait... or leave them in their graves as they themselves move on.

Any other day, any other time, Elise would have immediately protested the idea of leaving anyone behind. Elise needed to know that everyone was safe. As the Alor'ad of Vercopa Squad, her unit had not seen a single casualty under her leadership. But now? The dead surrounded them, and the rotted words of a scourge swirled in her mind. The Butcher King.

"Your dying race is on borrowed time."

Elise lifted her hand to her head, touching her sweat painted brow as she winced at the memories.

"You cannot save anyone, let alone yourself, not while you wear that armor and style yourself Mandalorian. A dying race in a galaxy that no longer cares if they live or die."

Elise felt the phantom pains of all those impalings and lightsaber cuts. Where her decline had begun.

"You can keep fighting, only to watch everything turn to ash."

Darth Carnifex's words had stuck with her. The person she hated more than anything in the entire galaxy, and he... started to make strange sense. After all, Elise was still here. Broken, agonized, and weak in the face of tragedy. No matter how many zombies she ruthlessly cut down, she was nowhere closer to her mission of rescuing this planet from the schemes of those abominable Sith. As Malum spoke of leaving some of their group behind, Elise realized... perhaps, it was a sacrifice worth making. It would not have been the first time, after all, that she had left a little sister behind in her moment of need. Why should she try? When she would only fail once again. Swallowed up by misery, she spoke in a monotone, lifeless voice.

"Whatever Monroe thinks is best."

There was no sass, or anger, or challenge in Elise's voice. Bitter perhaps. Hurt, maybe. But there was no attempts to defy Mia's position, as she was plainly stating that the Alor'ad knew best. There was the body language to back how she was upset. She never looked directly into her Buir's eyes. But there was no disrespect to be seen in her posture, words, or tone. There was only the cold.

Her buy'ce was gone. She had lost her old spear in the fight as well. Her ammunition was gone, and she only had her vambraces and knives to turn to. She was losing pieces of her armory, pieces of herself, and she was exhausted. But she showed no signs of slowing down as she stood at the ready, waiting for her leader's decision. If squad mates died today, she would feel guilty later. But now, her mind and emotions were unstable and she only felt the cold.

​

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

​

The Command Post had given the small team a bit of respite from the insanity of the constant struggle of surviving the horde outside. It was brief but needed. Of course tensions showed up as was to be expected and miscommunications happened as well, but Kurayami was not one to let such minor things come between him and getting a mission completed and everyone out alive. That was the overarching objective outside of getting the witch to the site so she could perform the ritual and help close the forsaken portals. The chance to maintain his weapons a bit better was also welcome and one he had happily taken, making sure to get the SE-44C's correctly aligned once more. With such a seemingly minor task done, he moved on to the ancient DC-17m, field stripping and cleaning out the old piece of kit. Once it was back together he double checked his crushgaunts and gauntlet vibroblades, all set on his end. He holstered the weapons and followed the others as they headed back into hell once again.

There was no way to know just how apt that description was going to be. Unless it became dire and he needed more range, he was going to stick with the pistols. A short walk from the command center they came upon a clearing...or what could be mistaken for a clearing were it not for all the militart machinery littering it. Oh, and the activated droids that were fighting. Haunted droids maybe? He didn't have long to ponder as the ground nearby shook and a massive tank made itself known. Ordo went one way as the heavy repeater he carried started to sing its dirge. Kurayami focused a moment boosting his dodge th opposite direction of Ordo with Force enhanced speed and opened fire on any unfortunate unit nearby with the SE-44's, taking care to make sure that no friendlies were in the immediate vicinity of any shot he took. Particle shots rang out at a slow but steady pace, the concussion from each explosion sending gore flying from the unfortunate zombified victims. Of course it also sent supersonic shards of metal flying, which was....fun. Yea, that's the word.

Ordo | Evelyn Rekali | Daesyn Rodarch | Asaaj En Kelsani​

 

[Evelyn Rekali]

Team 2
Daesyn Rodarch Asaaj En Kelsani Kurayami Bloodborn Ordo
​

She could feel something in him shifting, resting at the command post, Evelyn had massaged her knee, while waitng for painkillers to kick in, her eyes on Ordo , watching him carefully, just as she did now as they moved forward into an old battlefield. A battlefield still rife with activity.

Even with restocked ammunition, Evelyn hadn't unhooked the disruptor rifle from her back, wanting to keep the ammo for dire consequences only. The tanks seemed like the dire enough consequences.

As Ordo peeled one way drawing the tanks fire, Evelyn moved with Kurayami and the others, sliding behind a downed fighter for cover.

"Kura! Cover me!"

She slid the disruptor from her back, the rifles weight a familiar comfort in her hands as she slotted s round into the chamber, dropping to a knee as she slid out of cover the rifle nestling smoothly into her shoulder as she took aim at the tank firing after her Hunter. It wasn't anhard shot to hit. The rifle hummed to life, a single bark from it as she squeezed the trigger. Sparks rippled through the tank as it sank into the mud.

 

[Skye Mertaal]

Location: Yavin IV
Objective: Team 3 - Goal get to the Supply train
Tags: Brooke Waters | Drego Ruus | Arla Rodarch | Driver

It seems the Supply Train was the last moments of respite. Team Three has been wandering for a while and two of you have decided to scout ahead. Except you find yourselves in the middle of a swamp filled with debris from various wars, worse, you feel as if you are sinking. Unaware of what's going on, one of you begins to panic, the other must try to calm you down. Panicking only escalates the sinking, meanwhile the other members are looking for you. Beware, however; there are hallucogenic mushrooms in the area. They need only be popped for their spores to spread and for even the strongest of you to become victim to your own hallucinations. The debris in the area may also be explosive, a fact you learn as the Horde begins to swarm the swamp. There are additional ranged weapons on your path, perhaps you can make use of them either as a way to pull yourselves out of the sand, or to attack the horde. Team Three will need to make it to the COMMUNICATIONS TOWER.

---

[ I'm fine. ] She wasn't. It was a bold faced lie but Skye wasn't about to admit it. Instead, the Huntress gritted her teeth. Leaving Brooke Waters to her own devices for a moment, Skye went over towards to search for any ammo or what she could use before they made headway towards the tower. While her visor would filter out any hallucianigens, if she were to take it off, odds were, in her state, the hallucinations would only grow worse.

Then again, with her drug withdrawals, the hallucinations were going to hit her tenfold anyways.

Drego Ruus called it right, it was time to move towards the Comm Tower. Turning towards the witch, she gave a cant of her head, shaking her hands to try her best at hiding the trembles. It was then that the voices began. It always began with them. A whisper right ar the edge of her hearing.
Thousands of lives lost. Souls desiring their reckoning.

[ Let's go. Witch, you are with me. ] the Huntress tersely replied. Off in the distance, the slow-moving horde shambled closer to them. The only issue was that it was about that time that a panicked cry from one of the soldiers indicated they were stuck in sinking sand.

[ Fuck. ] Skye cursed, only to look for something that would allow her to reach out to him and get him to grab it. With another curse, she untangled her bear retractable light whip. She sent it out with a throw for the man to hold, who desperately clutched at it. With a heave, she did her best to get him out of the sand, calling out to him, [ move slowly. If you go any faster you'll only sink further. ]

 

[Liorra]

"I'm telling you, we could probably thicken up the shields," Lio tapped the makeshift shield she and Aloy Vizsla had crafted previously. "Pretty sure we just need to find some ore and we could probably break it down. Unless we come across another crashed ship or tank." Lio hadn't a clue as to where she was going, she was following Aloy. "Look if you hold this maybe I can fold it over? It'll be a little smaller but stronger, maybe you could use it to bash in one of the bigger zombies. Remember the one from two weeks ago that looked like it could jawa toss an AT-AT?" The young girl had been greatly distracted rambling on beside the older Mandalorian.

It was only then that she realized, "hey... wait, vod, where's the al'verde?"

Lio turned one way then the other, her HUD gave her no feedback on to the location of Mia Monroe or Elise Ahana-Gwyneira or Darth Malum of House Marr . The kick of rocks down to the chasm below told her that not only was it a long way down but that below them the undead awaited. "Chit." She muttered and looked at Aloy again, her T-visor concealed the concerned look her face. Lio's voice would've given that away, and as if things couldn't get any worse there was a rather ominous set of noises from behind her. Ahead of them a narrow strip of cavern to get them across but even that looked unstable.

 

[Aloy Vizsla]

Aloy was inhumanly quiet for much of the journey through the cavern. In years past the old Vizsla was known for her long but often encouraging speeches, especially when it came to rallying her younger kinsmen in battle, but such were the conditions of Yavin's lightless jungle and the events of this day that she opted to busy herself with whatever task became available sooner than speak. Lest the once warmaster's fiery temper sew seeds of infighting yet again.

Everything from collecting munitions from the dead to indulging Liorra 's makeshift crafting.

Anything to keep Darth Malum of House Marr out of her head. The man who was claimed to know of her daughter's whereabouts. The man who was charged with bringing her home safely. The man who had inspired false hope, lied for credits and favor. Her little girl was dead. Nothing would bring her back, not even Sith sorcery. It was one of the few reasons she had opted to scout the secondary path when the tunnels split, leaving Malum to deal with another woman- perhaps one of many- he had hurt in his own ways.

Her temporary companion's youthful ramblings made for distraction from those thoughts which would otherwise may have resulted in violence. Even if she found the girl to be odd.

"We don't have the time to glean anything useful from raw ore," She finally chimed in, gaze locked ahead as she pushed herself and the heavy gun forward by the strength of her cybernetics and crushgaunt alone.

"Alloying ore isn't like welding plates together. It's an art much as armoring, taking time and singular focus. Years in the forge has taught me this and more"

She pat kinetite-hammer about her hip to illustrate the point, setting the large cannon down while the two attached their makeshift shield to the gun. When needed, the use of a plasma-caster allowed her to weld Liorra's shield to the gun's mid-point, keeping it's center of balance roughly the same as before. She could lift it well enough for now, but still that weight earned considering even with the aid of her cybernetics. She was no giant, after all.

The project was given just enough time to cool, smoke still wafting through the air as she stood once the metal had gone from dull red to barely visible in the dark tunnel. It was then that she pressed on.

"hey... wait, vod, where's the al'verde?"

"Remember your At-At tossing friend? There were others with him, I beleive your commander went with Elise and her... and the Sorcerer when we were separated. They can handle themselves. Better that we search for an exit than linger with the Dar'jetii I think"


Liorra

 

[Ordo]

The ripper barked like it was rabid as it bucked against his shoulder. The smells of carbon and ozone mingled with the rot and humidity of the jungle world. Corpse soldiers with their heavy repeating blaster cannons and tanks tore chunks of wet steaming earth from around Him as He ran. Trees burst from the heat of blaster bolts and tank bolts. He felt like His skin was blistering from the heat of the close calls as they missed Him by centimeters.

He felt the farmer in The Manda. He moved. He was there on the farm and then He was gone. His tether snapped. He paused and dropped to a knee from the loss of connection to the other half of His being. He only saw the massive tank energy bolt at the last moment. The luminescent blue cast His grey armor in azure light for a fraction of a moment before it lifted the huge Mandalorian and carried Him back through the treeline. His beskar'gam smoked from the joints and the smells of death and burnt jungle mingled with the fresher smells of fresh sap and torn soil. He'd been hit.

Kurayami Bloodborn Evelyn Rekali Liorra (Cuz I said so) Daesyn Rodarch Skye Mertaal Brooke Waters Mig Gred Arla Rodarch Elise Ahana-Gwyneira Darth Malum of House Marr (nerd) Valery Noble Aloy Vizsla

 

[Mia Monroe]

Team One
Darth Malum of House Marr Liorra Aloy Vizsla Elise Ahana-Gwyneira​

Mia shot Malum a glare and though it was concealed beneath her t-visor he'd no doubt feel the heat. She should have noticed, she should have noticed that Aloy was uncomfortable and not wanting to be around Malum, she should have noticed that Elise was faltering...she should have noticed Liorra's voice drifting away.

There were a lot of things she should have noticed, a lot of things she should be reacting to, but she couldn't see it all, she couldn't catch it all. While Ijaat Mereel focused on projects in the forge it was up to her...

She crouched at the chasms edge, removing her helmet setting it onto the ground and passing a hand over her face. The mission was taking its toll, great shadows hung under her eyes and her eyes were a dark red, not the soft sapphire blue they should be. The dark side was sustaining her, she was relying on it too much. A wince cross her face at Elise's use on her name.

She'd never called her that.

"El'ika..."she began softly but stopped at the sounds of a horde creeping up behind them. She snatched her helmet off the ground, jamming it back in place. Her heart in her throat as she opened comms. "Aloy, Liorra, do you copy?"

Only static answered her.

"Chit."

She turned to Malum. "Take us over. We'll see if can reconnect with the others on the other side."

Something red passed across her vision, pain slamming into her whole body as she staggered sideways, grabbing cavern wall for support. She sucked in a breath, feeling Ordo through their bond, her heart stopping for a moment as the blinding flash subsided to a dull ache. It took her a moment to establish that the flash and the pain was from him, and was not in her immediate surroundings.

"Damn it Jasper." she muttered straightening with a groan.

 

[Liorra]

Stage II​

Liorra wouldn't have much time to respond to Aloy Vizsla as the unholy sounds of the undead pressed ever closer. The young Mandalorian made haste across the chasm. "VOD!" She shouted, as there was no point in trying to fight back, the horde's numbers were too great for the two of them no matter how powerful they were. Lio was sure she grabbed at Aloy's armor in an attempt to throw her vod forward. She didn't remember, all she knew was to run, panic began to set in as she sprinted through the chasm that seemed to get narrower and narrower by the moment. The echoing moans of the ensuing undead horde reverberated off the jagged walls the cursed cavern. The chilling cacophony not far away as she leapt over a small gap in the chasm, she turned to do her best to help Aloy across before picking up the pace.

The relentless advance of the undead could be heard and undoubtedly was going to go for all in the cavern, leaving Lio concerned for Mia Monroe and Elise Ahana-Gwyneira she spared a thought toward Darth Malum of House Marr but figured he'd be okay. Yet, as the advance continued Lio glanced over her shoulder to see the horde. It resembled a dark, writhing mass, their hollow eyes fixed hungrily on their fleeing prey. She looked over head and noticed that there were undead on the cavern's cielings. She shot off fire balls, where she could, but her lungs were beginning to burn. Lio had never run like this before, and with each step there was the thunderous sound of the horde. The ground quaked beneath her feet, and each step seemed to threaten to send her tumbling into the abyss below.

Desperation fueled her movements as she raced against the encroaching darkness. Her desperate screams filled the caverns echoing across the chasms, she focused a telekinetic blast toward the beast out of panic sending him tumbling back. His grip released just enough for her to fall down. Not a moment too soon as she reached the ground, and continued to run. She raced against the encroaching darkness, her heart pounding in her chest like a drumbeat of impending doom. As she glanced over her shoulder, terror gripped her heart. The horde was gaining ground, their outstretched hands reaching hungrily for her. With every passing moment, their numbers seemed to swell, closing in on her with terrifying speed.

Somewhere in the midst of her running she had lost sight of Aloy, alone she knew only to run.

Driven by sheer adrenaline, Liorra pushed herself to the limit, her muscles burning with exertion. But the chasm seemed to stretch on endlessly, with no end in sight. Panic threatened to overwhelm her as despair clawed at the edges of her consciousness. In a desperate bid for survival, Liorra veered sharply to the side, hoping to find some hidden escape route. But her efforts were in vain as the undead horde closed in from all sides, cutting off her path with their relentless advance. With nowhere left to run, Liorra found herself cornered on the edge of oblivion. The abyss yawned menacingly below her, its depths swallowing the feeble light of hope. As the undead closed in for the final onslaught, Liorra braced herself for the inevitable, her heart heavy with the weight of impending doom.

 

[Brooke Waters]

Where were they going? That was really the question. Brooke came here as a Witch, not one of the leading Mandalorians. But she was hoping to help the latter and in a way help her and her own kind. It was what brought her here. With the potion she stole (inherited) off the fallen witch (zombie?) she was feeling a bit more like herself. A short rest, a chance to catch her breath, and the pure ichor that was filtered and woven into the potion gave her that boost she needed.

At least a form of mental clarity to feel the magick and Ichor in the world.

And Yavin had that in spades.

Get to the LAAT, she nodded. Really, Brooke would rather be in something that wasn’t zombified, but her people, however later she joined them, were at home in the wilds, and she was really at home anywhere. Wilds, urban, but here? It felt more like a war zone.

More immediately, her attentions were on Skye. The one who was lying, probably. Brooke didn’t have the bandwidth in her mind to try an old Jedi trick she knew, yeah, as much as she sacrificed an old holocron for her sunshard ritual on her lightsaber, and hell, carried a lightsaber at all, she had a basis of her training in the Jedi arts. Following Skye, and allowing Drego and Diver to their teamwork, she nodded. This was a bit of a wild place here.

A step, and another. Sand. She saw Skye and a soldier ahead. “Not good.” She looked around and reached forward, whispering a spell in old Pacean. It would slow the sinking but not stop it all together. Not at this stage in the day. Having her lightsaber here would have been good, but wait…

“We can use that whip and my net, make a bit of a swing… bridge thing over the sands?” Even with her bounty hunting gear she’d not had a jetpack. And with her spells? Teleporting can occur but she’d rather not risk it today.

Skye Mertaal Drego Ruus @Diver Arla Rodarch

 

[Mandalorian Silarya]

This stage concludes April 21st
​

The Mandalorian Protectors have pulled and pushed through obstacles that may have resulted in death, or dismemberment for some. At times on low ammunition, or absolutely none. Each team has pushed through the second stage, reached their safe houses. Replenished on ammunition, supplies, and some decent grub (even if Mando Ready to Eat Meals, feel like the end of the world). Each team is now ready to face the third stage and as they emerge from their safehouses they can all see the big, green portal it's not far now. Even better, as they trek through the jungles of Yavin IV they come across a large ruined battlefield that feels more like a graveyard. Yet, as they survey their surroundings they find something they hadn't found before.

Each other.

Teams Two, Three and Four can now see each other, close to team two ( Daesyn Rodarch | Asaaj En Kelsani | Kurayami Bloodborn | Ordo | Evelyn Rekali ) they find a pack of dunelizards and they even look semi-operational. If team two can manage a flyer or three they can start clearing the skies, which means someone else can call in for aerial support. Meaning the Mandalorians' very own fighters and aces can finally begin to put a dent into the horde. Meanwhile, team three ( Brooke Waters | Skye Mertaal | Drego Ruus | Arla Rodarch | Driver ) has come across scout walkers meaning they can begin to race ahead clearing the way for the larger pack of vehicles that have finally begun to make progress through Yavin's thick jungles. Team four ( Noah Corek | I'dadr Gargon | Mig Gred | Domina Prime ) has found perhaps the best thing of all, one old, yet somehow just functional enough assault tank.

Meanwhile, the pockets of Galactic Alliance fighters and soldiers have followed their Mandalorian counterparts through to the clearing. Jedi ( Valery Noble ?), and their healers have also arrived with shields and more weapons. Just in time, as from the portal emerges scores of demons, and other creatures. Pour over the ridge from where the portal sits, and just as the Protectors look for team one ( Elise Ahana-Gwyneira | Aloy Vizsla | Darth Malum of House Marr | Mia Monroe | Liorra ), the ground beneath them begins to quake. One large telekinetic blast from the center of the ruined battlefield shoots debris into the air. Emerging from Yavin's newest sinkhole, members of team one. Whilst the horde and their demonic leaders rush toward them and the Mandalorian Protectors and their allies rush up from the other side.

The goal now; get to the ridge, from there the witches would be able to start shutting the portal down.

(Not on Spotify Yet)


​

 

[Liorra]

​

With the relentless horde of undead closing in around her, Liorra found herself backed into a corner, her heart pounding in her chest with a mixture of fear and determination. Summoning every ounce of strength and courage within her, she focused her mind on the Force, channeling its power with unwavering resolve. In a dazzling display of telekinetic mastery, Liorra unleashed a devastating burst of energy, causing the ground around her to tremble and quake. With a deafening roar, the earth split apart, revealing a blinding shaft of daylight above.

Seizing the opportunity, Liorra tapped into her innate connection with nature, calling upon the ancient energies of the Force to manipulate the surrounding flora. With a powerful surge of telekinetic force, she commanded the plants to entwine and intertwine, forming a makeshift ladder that stretched upward toward the surface. With a fierce determination burning in her eyes, Liorra began to ascend, her movements swift and sure as she climbed ever closer to the light above. Each step brought her closer to freedom, her heart soaring with renewed hope and purpose.

As she emerged onto the surface, her gaze fell upon the portal shimmering in the distance, her eyes narrowed on the unholy portal. A quick look over her shoulder and she could see the Mandalorian Protectors, and members of the Galactic Alliance as they rushed forward united in their unwavering resolve to see the mission through to completion. Ahead of her, Liorra saw the demonic and undead horde left in the wake of the Sith's departure and though they loomed menacingly Liorra took the fear that she felt and turned it around. Whilst their twisted and writhing forms rushed toward her with their malice and hunger.

Liorra standing on her feet gave a defiant roar and charged forward with her beskad pointed toward the enemy, her spirit ablaze with courage. In a sequence that echoed the epic battles of legends, Liorra surged ahead, her every movement a testament to the indomitable strength of the Mandalorian spirit. With each strike of her blade, she carved a path through the ranks of the undead, her resolve unyielding in the face of overwhelming darkness.

Mia Monroe | Elise Ahana-Gwyneira | Darth Malum of House Marr | Aloy Vizsla | Ordo | Evelyn Rekali | Mig Gred | Skye Mertaal | Brooke Waters | Drego Ruus | Arla Rodarch | Driver | Daesyn Rodarch | Asaaj En Kelsani​

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

​

Though Kurayami had taken the order from Evelyn Rekali without a second thought, or so much as a nod to show he understood, simply rising from his place and covering her flanks and their exposed six as she prepared her shot to disable the tank and buy Ordo some more time to split the hail of fire coming in. The completely zen state he seemed to be in while dispatching both zombie and mechanical foes alike was eerie to some, but with as many years as he had under his belt as a soldier and as many battles as he had seen...well you learned to compartmentalize some things to preserve what shreds of humanity you still had.

As that fighting slowly died down and the group managed to find the next safehouse, Kurayami sighed. The 44's were holding up fine for now, but he knew that the portal was getting nearer, it was a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something so unnatural was ripped into being and he was here to make sure that the ritual didn't fail, no matter the price. His helmet sat on the ground next to him as he finished the MRE. God how he loathed and lauded them, if only because they would keep you alive. Damned if they they didn't taste like they had been twice digested by the time you ate them though. Oof. Thankfully, with this resupply he had enough ammo that should he need it, he could use the DC-17m without having to stay on single shots for every single target this time. Still three round bursts would be best if he could manage it. A deep sigh as he looked around at those who had fought alongside him this whole time, even with the disagreements and misunderstandings they had managed to work themselves into a rather formidable team in the end. He smirked as he sealed the helmet back to his armor, a few more deep breaths to center himself as they exited the safehouse for the next portion of their journey.

At least it was easy to figure out which way to go towards the portal now, all you had to do was look up and if you see the green glowy thing, that's it, you got the direction right. Utilizing this highly advanced form of navigation by Mk I Eyeball, the group continued on until they came upon another ruined battlefield. Immediately the feeling here was different in the Force, there was little to no spark of life outside that of the wilds surrounding them. This was a graveyard, or at least it felt like one. Taking a moment, Kurayami started to scan utilizing different sensor systems on his armor looking for any sort of traps that could be used against the horde that he was sure would soon be upon them, or any other weapons. Focused as he was on this endeavor he nearly missed the arrival of other presences in the area, not undead though, no these were living people. Had the other teams made it here? Either way he saw something which caught his attention even more.

"There are fighters nearby! Operational dunelizards, well mostly operational by the energy signatures I'm picking up. I can easily repair any damage to those things with some cover fire. After that I can get one in the air and clear the way for some of our flyboys and girls to really put a dent in this horde. If you want one too, just give me a little more cover, pretty sure there is a two seater couple hundred feet from the single seater I marked. Could probably do it without cover...it won't be the first time, but it'll be a lot faster with cover fire."

Without awaiting a reply the Corellian dashed off sliding to a stop next to the two seater that was further out from their position, popping the canopy open with a little bit of guidance from the right crushgaunt to loosen it and slid into the pilot seat, quickly powering up the systems and running a diagnostic. Nothing too major just a couple busted power couplings and a etheric rudder that was stuck. Okay, now to do the same on the single seater, quick sprint over, startup and diagnostic. Mostly good but needed lots of hull panels replaced on the wings. Forget that, not enough time. Gotta find tools and address the big stuff on the other one, if he could at least get the power couplings fixed that might be enough to temporarily boost they hydraulics and unstick the rudder? Grabbing the DC-17m from his back, he fired a few three shot bursts as he sprinted again towards a nearby fighter looking for any sort of repair kit. Little did he knew he would get a few moments respite only seconds later when Liorra absolutely lost her shit and exploded the ground nearby making a very pretty sinkhole.

Mia Monroe | Elise Ahana-Gwyneira | Darth Malum of House Marr | Aloy Vizsla | Mig Gred | Skye Mertaal | Brooke Waters | Drego Ruus | Arla Rodarch | Driver | Daesyn Rodarch | Asaaj En Kelsani

 

[Aloy Vizsla]

"Contact!" Aloy shouted as the swarm caught up unexpectedly. Maybe the horde below threw off her scanners, it didn't matter now. She felt herself being grabbed by Liorra but it was too late. A dozen hands clawed at her and she was pulled by her prosthetic arm, swept into the rotting tide bucking and kicking like an animal.

She quickly lost sight of her comrade, for better or for worse. She wouldn't dare ask the girl to come back for her now, better that one survive than to die saving one who was already lost. If Aloy Vizsla of the Black Fleet were to survive today it must be by her own will and not the sacrifice of another, that was an uncomfortable truth she had come to accept in the Shadow Crusade's aftermath. You can't save them all, you'll only condemn more to die trying.

But that didn't mean she would accept death.

It took all the strength she had even with her cybernetics, but she pulled as did her assailants, playing tug of war with quite lethal stakes as they chewed on her metal forearm and fingers which turned mechanically numb as all sensory lines to the prosthetic shut down in a near instant. With her other arm, she swung a long Vizsla Kal that seemed more like a shortsword with which she cut down anything that dared approach her from that side, it's plasmatic blade coming alight in a shower of fiery sparks that lit her way with an ominous glow akin to a sith lightsaber.

The undead were cut to ribbons for what felt like an hour, but could have been mere minutes for all she knew. The bodies had been pilling up on one side, occasionally she had to drag herself and the enemy away so that she had room to swing, to keeping them at an arms distance. She found herself thankful that the cave wall protected her back, else she easily would have died a few times over. Still, her blessings were few, and each breath seemed more labored than the last as an enemy uncountable and untiring slowly wore her out.


Her cuts and jabs too were slow now, until at last she was not quick enough.


One of the abominations closed he gap, getting a grip on her other arm and biting deep into her arm where the gauntlet meets the elbow. She howled in pain, nearly dropping the blade in but a moment's hesitation. Even so she held on in the end despite being unable to plunge it into the foe from this angle. Instead, she regathered her senses and kicked the thing's leg out from underneath it with her own prosthetic foot, causing the creature to fall on one knee with a sickening snap, just low enough to plunge her blade into it's skull now that her arm was free.

And with her grappler dispatched, she could see the edge was now near, and great chasm below. There was a moment of hesitation as she looked at the horde still pulling at her from one side, then the abyss on the other.

And finally, at her bleeding arm.

Her jetpack set few of the undead alight as she shot up a few feet off the ground, still weighed down by a few who clung to her metallic arm with an unrelenting grasp, or at least until she cut the remaining hands from their limbs now that her blade was free. The shedding of this weight propelled her high into the air and above the chasm where she was free to hover for at least a few minutes.

Long enough to think.

She made a promise to Tan'yill Vizsla that she would come back, some how, some way. That was one oath not even the Manda could make her break. Blackwing however, was now testing her oath, bleeding her life away and feeding the undead far below who crowded where the drops fell. Aloy's breath staggered as the reality of her situation caught up with her mind, and an uneasy choice was made.

In their many years as enemies, Apollyon The Betrayer and her so called "Wolves" had taught her one thing:
The wolf must do anything to live free. Even chew off it's own leg to escape traps laid by it's enemy.

Her good hand shook while transferring the blade to her prosthetic grip, holding it high above and her wounded arm out in front of herself. And with a scream of rage and pain that caused her helm's annunciator to break, she severed her own arm to prevent infection, cauterizing it and casting both flesh and beskar into the depths below.

That was the last thing she remembered of Yavin IV. Not the cave opening up overhead, not her flight out or the familiar faces that picked her up afterward, not even the sight of that strange portal nor the hellspawn that came from it. Not even the moment she feinted of exhaustion shortly after touching the ground later.

But this moment, this one she would remember for all time.

 

[Skye Mertaal]

Location: Yavin IV
Objective: Team 3 - Goal get to the Supply train
Tags: Brooke Waters | Driver | Drego Ruus | Arla Rodarch

It seems the Supply Train was the last moments of respite. Team Three has been wandering for a while and two of you have decided to scout ahead. Except you find yourselves in the middle of a swamp filled with debris from various wars, worse, you feel as if you are sinking. Unaware of what's going on, one of you begins to panic, the other must try to calm you down. Panicking only escalates the sinking, meanwhile the other members are looking for you. Beware, however; there are hallucogenic mushrooms in the area. They need only be popped for their spores to spread and for even the strongest of you to become victim to your own hallucinations. The debris in the area may also be explosive, a fact you learn as the Horde begins to swarm the swamp. There are additional ranged weapons on your path, perhaps you can make use of them either as a way to pull yourselves out of the sand, or to attack the horde. Team Three will need to make it to the COMMUNICATIONS TOWER.

---

"We can use that whip and my net, make a bit of a swing… bridge thing over the sands?"

[ Let's do that. ] Skye replied with a grunt, but now the trembles and shakes as she gripped the hilt of her beskar lightwhip were even more evident. No hiding it now.

[ Ready.. the net. ] It took considerable effort to say the words and make sure that she didn't stammer it out. That was the con of the withdrawals; the shakes, the hallucinations, the constant sweat and hazy vision.

Oh look at you now... how far you have fallen, oh dearest sister...

Aaarki's voice was seductive and condoning all at once.

[ You are not here. ] Skye muttered under her breath, unaware if her voice was loud enough for anyone to hear.

 

[Brooke Waters]

With the net at the ready, she followed Skye’s lead. She didn’t need to let the other woman know that she was quite capable and a combatant in her own right. Let the others see her as the fragile Witch, and not as the agile striker that she really could be, when she acted instinctively, and in her own armor. Fast and hard she could strike, with knives, the Force, and her polearm.

Her lightsaber helped too, but she didn’t let that get exposed all that much. Allow others to tell the tale.

“Are you okay?” Brooke asked as she noticed the shakes. She still was at the ready, but concerned.

Skye Mertaal Driver Arla Rodarch Drego Ruus