Prologue: The Strongest Metals

[Tempest]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Charlyra Araano"]

Tempest nodded approvingly at what Siobhan and Lyra said.
“Let’s get going. Lyra, did you want any armour or weapons?”

They would be travelling on the Ardarvia to Arkas. The ship, among other interesting features was equipped with an extensive armoury containing every sort of weapons or armour which might be imagined.

Tempest herself wore heavy Beskar armour, as did Sio, but many Jedi preferred just robes or lighter weapons to better move effectively.

It would not be a long journey to Arkas, but enough for Lyra to get equipped as she wanted.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Charlyra Araano"], [member="Tempest"]


So they'd boarded the impressive frigate that was both mobile home and command centre for the Firemane couple. It also had some nice guns and could transport a contingent of troops.


"Tempest can show you the armoury if you need anything. The Force is a strong ally, but it's best to have protection beyond it," she added with a glance towards Lyra. The Countess only wore robes off the battlefield. The armoury contained fun toys such as Mark One Bolters, bolt pistols, duraplast armour and shatter pistols. Soon the frigate had set its metaphorical sails and was drifting off into the blue tunnel of hyperspace.

 

[Ria Misrani]

There was something of a wolfish grin along her lips. Charlyra had never bothered with armor, not really but she did venture into the armory anyway. Grabbing a utility belt and a few stims, a med pack or two. She pulls a hooded cloak over her, having been trained to fight as a duelist she prefers keeping as little armor on as possible. Anything heavier than the robe would only hinder her dexterity. Sheathing both her shoto sabres into either holster she emerges from the armory.

The frigate is rather impressive, but she's not here to be in awe of it. She's here for transport. "I am the force." She says announcing her arrival at Tempest's side. WULFSMAW! HAROO! The sharp memory of her youth pierces through her mind, and what something of a grin now solidifies. We hunt as one, strength in numbers. She begins to pace the floor as they travel. There's an almost animalistic quality to those who have been part of Wulfsmaw, a pull on the upper lip that resembles a snarl. Taking a breath she exhales settling herself, it'd been awhile since she'd seen proper combat. Even if they were only here for clean up.

"Tell me more of our opponents." She inquires of her Masters. "Is there a place where I might study them?"


[member="Tempest"], [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Tempest]

[member="Charlyra Araano"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
“That’s the spirit!” Tempest said approvingly. Lyra certainly didn’t lack for confidence, and this was a good thing.

“We know nothing about these enemies. From what the reports state…though they are a bit garbled…they are a species we’ve never seen before. We’re going into this practically blind. All we know is that they are reptilian in appearance, use blasters, and seem well organised. We’ll have to piece the rest together…and see if we can find any stragglers.”

New enemies, never a good sign.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Charlyra Araano"], [member="Tempest"]


Siobhan was waiting for them on the bridge when Charlyra returned from the armoury. She noted that the young woman's selection of items was rather minimalist, but made no comment. The Padawan had fire in her belly and a confident spirit, that was what was important.


For her part, Siobhan was clad in an imposing, but somewhat battered crimson beskar'gam that seemed to cling to her like a second skin. It was a bit like being encased inside a tank. A well-oiled Mark One Bolter was magclamped to her thigh, spare clips and grenades were strapped to a utility belt, a sonic blaster pistol rested inside a holster. "If we're lucky, stragglers will still be on the planet and we can get an idea who we're up against and whether this is just an isolated incident or a new serious foe," she commented. "We'll be there soon."


Time flies, as they say, and so a couple minutes later the Ardarvia emerged from the tunnel of hyperspace and manifested inside the Spola System. The fathomless void was dotted with stars, suns, planets and other celestial bodies. It was so serene and peaceful. No enemy ships appeared on their sensors or assaulted them, though appearances could be deceiving.


Siobhan nodded towards her two acolytes and quickly took off from the bridge, for an attempt to hail New Hope met with no success. Soon they were aboard a heavily armoured dropship and it shot out of the hangar bay of the frigate. The seemingly endless void was soon broken when the transport vessel pierced the atmosphere of the blue and white planetoid, Arkas.


The darkness gave way to blue skies broken up by white clouds. Siobhan looked impassive while her eyes gazed out of the craft's viewport. There were cerulean oceans and islands with sandy white beaches and jungle as far as the naked eye could perceive. It was the sort of place she'd love going on a vacation to. Alas, there would be no time to go scuba diving or worship the sun by lazing around on the beach while the warm sunrays kissed her skin. For suddenly the serenity was abruptly shattered when a burning village came into view.

 

[Ria Misrani]

They had emerged from hyperspace and moved to transport down to the planet. Charlyra maintained her silence, having never been to this planet (let alone heard of it) she did well to simply observe. Things had been eerily quiet, even as they made their way from the bliss that was the atmosphere of the planet. "Master." Charlyra spoke, something was off about this - even if there were stragglers. There should be signs of them even by now, and as they approached the location what had once been serene was now bursting with destruction and chaos. "Something seems.... Deliberate about this." If what she had been told, and what she had studied were as informative as they were meant to be.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Tempest"]

 

[Tempest]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Charlyra Araano"]

Tempest nodded readily to Lyra’s comment.
“This is very organised. It’s not a smash & grab like most slavers used.”

The village had been comprehensively sacked, the inhabitants taken it seemed. Some had resisted and had been cut down.

Tempest had once been a hunter and tracker on the plains of Dahomey, and now she moved around the village, using her comm to record details.

“Three landing ships, triangle formation. Footsteps as the warriors spread out. Moving in like hunters on prey. Herding the people into the settlement.”

She knelt to examine some stains on the grass. “Blood, but not much. Blunt impact to stun a victim?” She tasted it. “Human…not old,” she said.

By this stage she was going back 20 years to her lessons on the veldt.

Doubtless the other two would find discoveries…and be more coherent about it!

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Charlyra Araano"], [member="Tempest"]


It had indeed been an organised attack. While Tempest relived her younger days as a huntress and tracker in the savannah of Dahomey, Siobhan and the newest acolyte in the arsenal of the Fire Order had not been idle either.


The village had been thoroughly sacked, the inhabitants had vanished...but not all of them. Unfortunately, the ones Siobhan found were very dead. The bodies of the sickly looking and the elderly had been dumped in what seemed like a mass grave.


The first thing that gave it away was the smell. Siobhan was by no means squeamish. Indeed, she was probably more inured to war and suffering than was healthy, but she was still affected by the sight of the massacre. She bent down to examine the body of an old woman, pulling it around to get a better look. "Blaster shot to the chest. Poor woman," she said.


"There are no young people here. They killed all the old and the infirm. They probably herded them here and slaughtered them," Something else caught her attention when she got up. She stepped away from the grave. A few metres away a man had been impaled upon a spike. But what caught her attention was not the ghastly sight, but a trail of blood on the ground. It had a sickly looking greenish colour. It could not be the man's blood since he was human. The body of whoever had been bleeding was missing. "I suspect this is our enemy's blood. They took the body with them."

 

[Ria Misrani]

Charlyra studied as she walked alongside Master Kerrigan. "This blood is still fresh." Moderately so, but still it was fresh. She used her shoto to poke through loose vegetation. "I believe we are meant to follow." She gestures outward, where the blood dotted along a path that like the blood had been freshly made. Turning for a moment she examined their surroundings. "There will be more." It's not so much an observation but a statement. Walking away from the sight of the impaled humanoid, she walks toward the remains of the buildings.

"They would have made camp, these... Orks." She rummages through what has been taken. "Perhaps even a prisoners camp, though I believe the trail down that path would have us walk into an ambush." It's mostly conjecture but she's seen these tactics before. She's used these tactics when facing the Sith, although they did not mow down those who were defenseless. Charlyra is about to speak again but she stops, she can feel Saprus in her mind. Words, images and then she can feel something. Shaking herself off she marches toward Master Kerrigan. "Some from this village may be alive." Once more the dark lord makes her presence known and Charlyra struggles to resist.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]. [member="Tempest"]

 

[Tempest]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Charlyra Araano"]

By the time Tempest re-joined the pair she’d completed her circuit.
“It’s difficult to tell, but it seems that a group of them headed off down this way,” Tempest said, incidentally suggesting the same as the others had.

Their words were cut off by the whine of engines coming from down said path, and a ship began to lift off.
Tempest cursed, running forward to get a closer look. The ship lifting off was of unknown design, a small shuttle.
She looked around, but there were no interceptors nearby to assist.
“Sio, can you bring it down? Lyra, emulate me, focus your power into her if she tried to bring it down.”

It might be their only chance of stopping the invaders escaping.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"], [member="Charlyra Araano"]


Siobhan gave her girls a nod, feeling pleased with their conclusions. Charlyra clearly had a lot of experience in the field and a tactical mind. This was good. However, words were cut short by the sudden whine of engines.


Then a ship lifted off into the sky. "C'mon," Siobhan called to Lyra and hastened after Tempest. She did not recognise the design of the vessel, but it looked lik a shuttle. Logical conclusion was that the attackers were fleeing with it and their 'merchandise'.


"Sure. Cover me," she responded quickly. The shuttle's occupants seemed to have noticed their presence and the laser cannons spewed out a hail of crimson death. Siobhan sought cover as the bolts peppered her armour and whizzed past her.


She pulled at the tangled web of power and filled herself with the Force. As the shuttle was taking off into the sky, it was suddenly seized by an invisible force. It was like an absurdly massive hand had wrapped itself around it. The shuttle suddenly stopped increasing in altitude, as if a strong power had willed it to stay stationary. Try as the pilot might, he could not move his craft or escape the titanic grip. Then the enormous invisible fingers pulled, slowly forcing the shuttle down from the sky. Strain was evident on Siobhan's features, but she persevered.

 

[Ria Misrani]

It happened all so fast, the sounds of the engine and the orders being given. She spun on her heels dirt flying up as they charged down the trail. The shuttle was lifting off, and at once her masters began to use their force powers. Her hand outstretched she gave into the force. Feeding it with her strength, but as she did so she too could feel her masters' powers. Such strength, she felt so - so imbued with power feeling it as it coursed throughout her body. Closing her eyes she concentrated and when she did, something started to happen.

That aura of hers began to burn a bright magenta and she gasped feeling something she hadn't before. Her eyes opened and all around her, she could see a field. Everything was pulsating and looking up to the shuttle she clenched her fingers into a fist. The shuttle began to jerk. Using her other hand she swiped the air violently and as she did so the shuttle began to rip.

Marching forward, she began to soak in the force energy around her channeling it outward.

Her aura grew, and grew with both hands outstretched she grabbed at the air. The shuttle jerked again, this time, it opened a little wider and you could see the occupants, and then in an instant, the entire thing ripped open like a thin sheet of steel being shredded by something more powerful. Those inside fell out of it dropping to the ground.

Charlyra was filled with sweat, unsure of what had just happened but she could feel everything. Everything here was beating, vibrating into a new field. It was like a noise she couldn't block, dropping to her knees she knew she had over-extended herself. Gone too far, dipped beyond her own force abilities. Having fed off her masters' raw force power led her to the ground, now with her elbows planted into the dirt. The padawan was on all fours, gasping for breath, with her aura slowly decreasing.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Tempest"]

 

[Tempest]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Charlyra Araano"]

Under the combined pressure of the three Force users the shuttle was opened up like a tin of sardines. With a final ominous *krump*, the engines gave up and the shuttle slammed into the ground with a blast of flames and shrapnel.

Tempest lowered her hands, nodding at the rising smoke cloud.
“I don’t think we’ll get any survivors, but we might get some idea who did this attack.”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"], [member="Charlyra Araano"]


Hooray! The unknown raiders' attempt to escape had been foiled. Alas, their captives also perished when the shuttle suddenly opened up like a can of sardines. Charlyra's power simply overwhelmned it and the shuttle was shredded.


Bodies rained down from the sky and crashed upon the ground. There was a massive blast, flames spread across the wreckage, smoke billowed up into the air. "Ok. That didn't go entirely as planned," Siobhan said. Understatement of the week.


"Tempest, check the bodies," she ordered and quickly walked over to Charlyra. The young Padawan was on her knees, drained and seemed confused by what had happened, as if she'd had no control over her power. "Lyra, I'm here. What happened? I'm not angry." She bent down on her knees and removed a water flask from her belt, passing it to her acolyte.

 

[Ria Misrani]

Charlyra was on all fours, hands splayed into the dirt. Gripping into it while her aura smoldered around her body like smoke rising off a fresh roast. She could see Master Kerrigan's boots, then she could feel her right at her side. Slowly, Lyra sat up knees still bent into the ground but her body rested on her heels. Hands on her lap as she looked to see the flask being offered. She blinked a few times purposefully trying to shake the view out but she couldn't. "Everything's different, I can't - I can't shake this vision. All I can see are pulses, magnetic? I'- I'm not-." Everything was still pulsating, feeding into her sight like the grains of an old film. She didn't bother removing Sio's hand from the flask as she drank. "Certain..."

She saw something moving, off into the distance. Rising to her feet she spun around, focusing her sight. "There, over there." She's pointing but the direction is so vague, Charlyra acts on her instinct dashing off. Prior to her joining Firemane, force speed had not been a skill she knew. Tempest had been teaching it to her, and now - now she was running with it. Gone, "mistresses! Refugees!" Charlyra didn't know if they were behind her, or where they were in correlation to where she was. All she saw were these bestial creatures, stragglers finishing up the job they'd be tasked with.

The padawan skidded to a halt the sound of the force behind her. Catching the attention of the green-skinned ones, she growled and they beat on their chest. She reeled back into her own aura, arms outstretched in an animal-like form as she got low to the ground. A force-roar emitted from her sending at least one green-skin onto his back while the others were barely moved. Her upper lip curled into a snarl, and just before she could move she saw out of the corner of her eye movement. Taking the time to breathe, to try and focus - Charlyra deciphered it to be a child of the village. A child - and perhaps a few adults who were coming out of hiding.

Unfortunately, the green-skins saw them too and therein lied the problem.

So she circled with her back toward the villagers, anyone coming to the scene only saw Charlyra circling with green skins, rather they encircled her. She stood to see them surrounding her and it was proving to be a very, precarious situation. At least that was until her masters arrived...

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Tempest"]

 

[Tempest]

[member="Charlyra Araano"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tempest dutifully went to examine the crash, but found it lifeless. Some had fallen from the ship as it plummeted. Most had been burned up in the crash.
Wincing as she pushed through the wreckage she sighed.

Then, a noise, a sudden alarm from the Force, and she set off after Lyra and Siobhan, arriving there as there was a standoff developing.

Two of the monsters, tall green lizards with mouths full of fangs, stood there with weapons levelled.
“For the Imperator!” they cried and opened fire on the Firemane trinity with blasters.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Charlyra Araano"], [member="Tempest"]


Bang! As blaster bolts splashed against Sio's battered, but still serviceable beskar'gam, her Mark One Bolter roared, spitting out an APEB round. The armour-shredding shell impacted upon one of the lizard-like greenskins and tore through his skull.


Brain matter, blood and flesh splattered across the grass. Siobhan was incredibly angry. An evil Sith Lord was mucking with her Padawan's mind, plenty of villagers had been accidentally killed and these lizards dared defy her and wanted to hurt her Lyra. Now she finally had bad guys she could hurt.


Absurdly brutal telekinetic power suddenly gripped two greenskins. The monsters struggled when they suddenly found themselves gripped by what felt like the hands of a giant, which snapped bones like dry wood and threatened to deprive them of oxygen. Siobhan did not have the patience to wait. So she simply smashed them both into each other. Once, twice. There was a very loud crunch.

 

[Ria Misrani]

A couple of the green-skins had been taken care of, but it still left the rest of them. They numbered to about ten total, three for sure had been taken care of and Charlyra's hands hovered over her lightsabre. Her heart rate began to pick up, and she slowly looked to her masters on either side of her. Using the force she pulled her blade to her hand and spun horizontally in the air. Her blades striking the one green-skin in front of her, the others tried to shoot at her however with her free hand she utilized force disarm sending their weapons away from them.

Landing with her feet on the ground, dirt billowing behind her as she ran forward, grabbing hold of her second blade. Using such a finesse one might only see in someone so confident in the Ataru form. He fell, split in half and his compatriots attempted a charge she flipped backward dodging it. Throwing her sabre forward watching it cut through another. Grabbing it on the return she ducked and turn into him, feeling as the blood splattered against her robes. She watched now as the two she had killed served only to enrage their brothers. Charlyra's fury continued to stack, even as they shot for her she blocked using her metallic arms and lightsabres. Another powerful roar was unleashed as she charged forward toward her third opponent.

Both leaped into the air and missed their marks completely using the other as leverage to maneuver. For Charlyra she moved further up into the air, spinning around to see him as he turned, feet firmly planted ready to grab on to her. She could see it in his body language and used her blades to shield as she came down at such a rapid pace you could see air move around her. The x-like form of lightsabres crossed went forward and suddenly the idea of using his hands was a bad one. He side stepped and she rolled onto the ground, leaving herself open for an attack of opportunity. He grabbed her by the torso and flung her into the ground.

Ow. One lightsabre glides across the dirt. Ow. Second lightsabre glides along the dirt as well.

He was getting ready to slam her a third time into the ground, she had regained enough of her senses to break out of his grapple. Escaping like a criminal through his hands, breathing heavily she winced at the pain in her ribs. Yep, something was broken but she dusted herself off summoning one sabre to her hand and throwing the second one into his face and while he doubled back from the pain she took the one in her hand and charged him. Her field of vision became clouded again everything shook and it was throwing her off but she could see his armor, and her free hand went for it.

His armor began to buckle, outward at first and then with a fury it went in, shards of his armor dug into his green-skin and then with a violent pulse Charlyra used the sabre in her hand to finish the job before summoning her second blade. Turning over she noticed Siobhan and Tempest had finished off the others and had been standing there looking at her. "I'm fine." She lied, wincing a little more than before noticing the soft splatter of blood against her robes. Sheathing her lightsabres. Charlyra felt a sting in her leg looking down she sighed, it wasn't too bad but there'd definitely be a bruise, or three.

One of these days she'd have to send her old sparring partners a thank you note. She approached the villagers, kneeling down to the child and was going to talk when she saw a shadow loom over them. "Feth." She cursed herself for having thought it was over. Taking the child into her arms she ducked down and all that followed seemed to be a blur.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Tempest"]

 

[Tempest]

[member="Charlyra Araano"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tempest, who had a similar mindset to her boss, had disposed of a couple more of the lizards. It was after Charlyra had displayed some impressive acrobatics to dispose of her enemies that she saw a shadow loom up.

Quick as lightning – appropriately – she extended her hands and from them came a stream of actinic lightning which blasted the creature as it had its weapon raised.

When the electricity had taken its toll the beast lay charred and smoking on the turf.

Walking over to Lyra she extended her hand. “Nice work, and you saved the kid too.”

 

[Ria Misrani]

Charlyra heard the attack and then, saw the charred husk of green-skin as it smacked into the ground beside her. She flinched a little, mostly because dust in the eyes really does get irritating. Looking up she took her masters hand and then turned to help the child up. "Thank you." She huffs and then watched the girl who was no more than four or five at best. She had light blonde hair, hazel-blue eyes and she wore a little maroon dress with shoes that had probably seen better days. Villagers those who had survived approached the three representatives of Firemane.

The 'leader' of this bunch crossed toward Siobhan and Tempest, he then began to thank them and explain what happened. How it happened, and all the answers to questions she wasn't sure either one of her masters was going to ask. The poor man was in a state of shock, panic and gratitude all at the same time.

The girl, however; seemed lost, and it was a look that Charlyra recognized. It had mirrored her own, "where are your mum and dad?" She asked, and maybe her voice had been a little too loud. Some of the other villagers seemed to cringe. "Miss?" She knelt down to the girl and addressed her. Immediately the girl threw her arms around Charlyra and began to cry. At first, the padawan had no idea what to do, but then instinct took over and she hesitantly brought the child up to her hips and soothed her back. Crossing toward her masters looking at them because she honestly did not know what to do with a child.

So she moved along side her masters, settling between Tempest and Siobhan.

[member="Tempest"], [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]