Faction Pt. 1 - Abaddon's Gate | Chaos Rising

[Ryv]

Even among the storm of war, the silence of chaos's champion seemed to deafen the battlefield. Ryv stared up at the spiteful gaze of the armored monstrosity as he stepped closer. A harsh cough tore through his body as he tried to stand, halting him entirely before Abaddon took hold of the kiffar in the force and slowly pulled him inches from the floor. Ryv struggled for air as the force enclosed around him like a giant hand, squeezing him to a point where he could feel joints popping from the pressure. He struggled against it, channeling the extent of his will outward, but he could not overcome the substantial power gap.

Within seconds Ryv found himself tossed through the air like a child's toy, impacting against the rotted fang with an echoing thud. He screamed out in pain, unable to maintain his stoicism as his body inched closer to collapsing in on itself. The enamel parted around him, seeming to accept him as it's own, as the will of Abaddon pressed him inward without slowing. Ryv felt the structure cracking further, breaking apart by the constant power that would not delay. Beneath the might of the storm, he could feel his skin splitting as dozens of small lacerations tore through his flesh. When it finally shattered around him, and Ryv once more went racing through the air, he couldn't help but be thankful, up until he once more collided with the dirt and tumbled a dozen or so feet.

The sudden appearance of another allowed Ryv enough of a reprieve to push himself to his knees shakily. Blood ran from a split lip, a tear over his eyebrow, and a half dozen other locations across his body he couldn't place. As he tried to stand, his vision went black, and he fell face-first in the dirt once again. Seconds passed before his sight returned. Everything appeared blurry or red, making it hard to tell which way was up or down, even in his prone state. Ryv reached out and took hold of the muck, beginning to drag himself back towards the monolithic entity slowly. He couldn't be sure how much time passed as he slipped in and out of consciousness, the pain and exertion sending him over the edge over and over again.

A Aeris ​

 

[Maynard Treicolt]

//ON-BOARD// X-01 'Skywalker' X-Wing
//THEME// Down To The Wire
//FOCUS// Ryv | Loske Treicolt | Cassius Callaesar

---

The thunderous impact of the colossal fang to which Abaddon embarked unto the battlefield sent a crackling fizzle through all of the electronic and computing systems within Maynard's X-Wing, threatening to stall the fighter as Maynard pitched his starship back higher into the air. He was able to level out for a moment as he sought to rejoin his squadron in formation only for a colossal chaos beast to pierce through the air from the heavens and crunch down the fuselage of his grey and blue Skywalker class, all but ripping the craft in two.

The idle blues and greens of the holopad control panels and status lights within the fighter's cockpit were all but universally snuffed out in favor of glowing crimson and low emergency alarms as the ship began to sputter and descend aimlessly toward the planet's surface. Maynard was all but silent over the comms as he struggled to even comprehend the eviscerated state of his boat. He'd had his ship downed before and it never got easier to deal with. It could only be described in flowery terms as 'a significant emotional event'. When he should've been communicating his physical state of being to his Squadron he fell silent instead, desperately trying to veer his course away from the main exchange around Ryv and Abbadon and sink the tattered remains of Saber One into open ground.

The sound of the Svalinn hull cracking and shredding apart upon its impace to the earth beneath was haunting, the Jedi jolting forward in his seat as the glasteel canopy all but shattered in wake of the impact, sending gruesome shards toward face. Managing to absorb the blow with two arms crossed over his gaze even still the glasteel fragments managed to dig into his uppermost layer of skin, drawing streams of blood down his face. Opening his eyes to the cracked orange face shield he peered about the flaming wreckage of his craft. Tapping his comm link he sought to relay his status.

"This is Outrider I'm up- I'm fine...headed to the...fuck." He said, attempting to speak through the comms only to get distorted static from the other end, the system fried on impact. Unstrapping himself from his seat he climbed himself up against the canopy of the fighter, slamming his elbow against a patch of glasteel, sending gruesome shards of the material streaming down to join the metal scraps embedded into the surface before he was able to crawl out.

"Hey buddy- hey you make it out alr-" He said only for his voice to fall on deaf ears in the attempt to affirm the status of his BB unit. Peering down he saw the astromech socket empty.

"Shit..." He said, grinding his teeth against one another before he'd reach down to his utility belt, pulling free a flare he'd pull the activation before leaving it on the ground by his downed fighter, slowly drawing his blaster pistol from his hip in wretched desperation.

 

[Aeris]

Abaddon's chitonous mask shifts to look down upon the witch as she appears before him, momentarily drawing his attention from the stubborn Knight. Why was it that sapient beings clung so desperately to their will to live in the face of inevitability? It was a pointless challenge - but one the Champion would accept. Although they would die in vein, it may at least be with dignity. A fight provided some need for thought among the bloodshed.

At the sudden surge of empyrean energy an unspoken curiosity sparks within. This was no ordinary use of the Light Side of the Force; it felt more raw, a primordial form untouched by the masses. The juggernaut watches idly as the woman enshrouds herself, his unwavering and fiery gaze unblinking. As the aura of Spasa's power grows, it's met with its antithesis in the overbearing presence of the Champion of the Mist.

He clenches his fists, biding his time in careful observance, waiting for the pinnacle moment in their natural disharmony. Finally, at the exact moment their dichotomous encounter is most unbalanced, he releases a disruptive bolt of Chaotic energy ahead of him. As the wisping green essence collides with the White Witch, the sudden surge of disharmonic energy causes an near instantaneous reaction. Mini detonations of power snap off in quick succession as a starburst of light emanates from Spasa. The light around the two bends inward, but before a reaction can be had a resounding boom shakes the ground.

The witch was gone. Not forever, Abaddon knew, but the momentary vortex opened in her destabilization was likely to have cast her deep in to the Mists Beyond. Their fight would come, but it would not be here - not now. Satisfied, the Champion's focus returns to the hole carved through the tooth.

He hadn't expected to find the boy standing. A faded memory surfaces - tired legs; battered body. The determination to push on.

A low, audible exhale comes from behind the mask like a growl. Enough time had been wasted humouring the kiffar's ego. This planet's time had come. The sparking blade of his saber retracts and he clips it at his side before holding out his hands with open palms. Once more the Force begrudgingly bends to his will, this time wrapping around the monolithic tooth.

It cracks and splinters in his hold, then finally buckles under the heavy strain. As Abaddon thrusts his arms forward, the tower tips and begins to collapse toward the young Jedi.

OOC: Done with Spasa's permission.
Ryv | Spasa | Seo Linn | Maynard Treicolt | Gala Geert
Tristan Evore | Kazuhira​

 

[Seo Linn]

Once Abaddon arrived the creatures stopped their assault on the small gathering of people. Chaos had calmed down as true terror hit home in the hearts of the observers. A few were able to continue their actions, but most had stopped. Even the Knight was slightly affected by the arrival of the entity. It didn't take her very long to recover though and she quickly realized she wouldn't be of much use.

As an investigator, she had learned about Psychometry and several other skills dealing with that. A touch of healing, some fighting and support, but for the most part, she just traveled and helped where she could. That is what brought her here.

The others focused on the fight happening outside of the fortifications and the civilians inside still needed to be evacuated. Focusing on that, the world was still counting down to the orbital bombardment that was going to happen very soon.

Looking up, she saw a ship arriving through the clouds of dust that had been raised. Igniting her blue lightsaber, she would use to help guide it down...if they needed. Closing her eyes for just a moment. When she opened them, she reached out with the Force to try and relieve the fear the people around her were feeling. Bringing their spirits up, some of them shook their heads to try and clear them. Others were untouchable though and they remained locked in their shocked state.

Hands reached out to take hold of them and help them up. As the ship came in for a landing, those that had regained their senses carried the helpless individuals aboard.

 

[Spasa]

Spasa felt the intruder counter her force and causing them to collide, collapse into one another and then all at once powerfully repel one another. The witch found herself hit as if by a forceful barrier and get caught up in its wave. She was carried off quickly thrust into the darkness of the Nether.

For a moment she had lost her senses, and when she did come to, she needed a moment to deduce that she is actually still among the living. The Light of Ashla worn upon her being like a mantle. Nothing existed anywhere she could see. Everything gave her a wide berth. The Fanged God laughed from a distance.

The witch knew the Nether for her sister had first taught her how to traverse it. A strange place. Some would call it Hell, for nothing made logical sense. It is far different from what is called the Empyrean. Nothing much here follows expectation. She never feared once what resides here, but then she used to be one of its best perpetrators, someone who belonged here. Today she does not belong here.

Spasa felt her Doppelgängar Pom Stych Tivé take notice of her presence. Strangely enough, she also got the notion that possibly neither can live on, if one or the other dies. "You must assist me," she sent a message to her evil twin.

She decided to begin studying the Nether from her point of entry. Spasa willed herself to return close enough to bear witness to what was transpiring there. She cloaked her presence and simply attempted to gather some sort of sense to the reasoning behind what is happening on to planet below. She watched and waited in stillness.

 

[Gala Geert]

Vuultin City // I.S.V. Ashaton // Evac Site-A
Dak // Leon Gallo // Seo Linn
​

The chaos outside had drawn people to press themselves against whatever viewport they could. Soldiers in their armour watched the arrival of a giant tooth, and the fight that happened on top of it as they encircled Site A’s evacuation point, guided by the cerulean blade of a Jedi indicating where it was safe to land.

Another ship passed by them. Outbound with a collection of civilians. And The Lord-Imperator.

“Hell of a distraction.” Gala tightened the straps of her armour and rose as the ship quivered to land. It was probably safe to assume the pilot was trying to avoid flying debris and hellspawn seeking to drag it down to the ground.

The airlock depressed and the door separating the commandos from the war outside lifted. Tired but organized, the group offboarded in two rows. Their backs were to each other, and weapons pointed and firing outwards. They separated to make clean rows where survivors could pour through. There wasn’t much organization to it -- only frantic actions and terror. All around them, the creatures had mellowed only slightly. Between the demons from above, and the citizens-turned zombies, Gala was nothing more than a finger on a trigger.

Shapeless, leathery masses burst into explosions of flesh and blood at every other press. Some screeched and tumbled, others cried out, some just dropped dead with thuds at their feet.

Gala ducked as a flying creature swooped close, it’s talons gripping at her hair and face. The nose of her weapon stuck straight up and she fired once -- the creature unable to handle the plasma and combusting all over her. “Ugh, yuck” she scowled, wiping the back of her arm over her face.

“Hey -- is he one of yours?” She asked crassly in the direction of Seo Linn , giving a hard jab over her shoulder in the direction of Ryv . Obviously not relevant to the goliath in headgear.

“Can you help him? Do a Jedi thing? We’re about loaded up here, and we really, really gotta go.”

 

[Leon Gallo]

Leon stood looking out the bridge view ports, motionless. A massive tooth had fallen from the sky; the Jedi's spirit seemed to fall with it. The sense of dread increased a hundred fold as the tooth fell, and a figure emerged from it. He stared blankly as a Jedi leapt onto the tooth and did battle with the figure, and as chaos erupted again around them. He swallowed hard, and cleared his throat several times, but no sound arose from his lungs. Whoever was on that tooth was the source of this. Leon could feel it. sweat dripped down his brow, and his gloves became damp.

The Jedi on the tooth was losing, badly. The evacuation was being rushed off the ground and the fighting resumed. A Witch appeared, and briefly fought the figure. She dissipated, and soon the corvette was past the view of the tooth. Leon stood there, arguing within himself. The Jedi on the tooth was doomed without help, but Leon felt unshakable terror in the thought of approaching that thing. Leon steeled himself, and slowly turned towards The Captain of the ship and Dak . His hands shook as the spoke.


"What's the fastest way I can get off this ship and onto that tooth?"


His mind had been made. the moment they would tell him how to get there, he'd run for it. Every ounce of self- preservation in his body screamed at him to stay on the vessel; his instincts told him to cower and hide. Leon ignored them. He couldn't let another person die on Brentaal IV. Already, so many had. Though he hated to admit it, the Jedi also knew that many, many more were going to die.


The Jedi tightened his grip to hide the fact, that he was shaking. Every muscle in his body seemed to shudder, but Leon refused to show it.

Dak Gala Geert A Aeris Spasa Ryv

 

[Ryv]

Ryv's fingers dug deep into the earth below him as he struggled to push himself up. Pain assailed him from all points of his body, his vision swimming as he struggled to remain conscious. Had the creatures wanted to, they easily could've overwhelmed him in his near-broken state. Fortunately for the kiffar, the presence of their champion kept them at bay. He brought both hands to his sides and pushed against the ground with all his might, biting back a scream as to not draw Abaddon's attention. He pushed himself a few inches before his body once more crashed into the dirt. Anger burned at his core, driving him to try again, only to fail as he did seconds before. He lifted a hand and weakly slammed it into the muck.

"I'm not strong enough," the words came out muffled by the dirt pressed into his face. Ryv looked up to see the primal champion raise a hand in the direction of the enlarged tooth. As it began to shift under Abaddon's power, Ryv closed his eyes and pushed once more. A burning pain flared through his left arm, immediately dropping him. "Dammit, man, I'm so screwed," he chuckled softly, even as his fear peaked and settled its chilled grip upon his heart.

"Do not give up, Ryv. Believe in the force. Believe in yourself."

The Jedi's eyes shot open as a familiar voice rang through his ears. He craned his neck to search his surroundings. Unable to locate the voice's source, Ryv took a deep breath and lifted his shaky arms once more. He pressed his palms into the dirt and pushed with all his might. As he slowly rose, he could feel a breath of fresh air enter his lungs, and a warm gust of wind pick up beneath him. Simultaneously, Abaddon would feel the presence of another within the force contesting his dark will. The fang would tremble as the combined might of two masters faced one another down, allowing Ryv enough time to get back to his feet.

The stranger's presence disappeared as quickly as it came, allowing Abbadon to bend the force to his unholy will and send the tooth tumbling down towards the Padawan. Ryv dove aside and hit the ground hard, allowing his body's forward momentum to carry himself back to his feet. He reached out towards his father's lightsaber half a dozen paces away and focused. The weapon flew to his waiting hand, activating as he tightened his grip once more. He'd reach out through the force, seeking the other Jedi nearby. A single word found its way to Kazuhira and Seo Linn alike.

"Go."

A Aeris | Seo Linn | Kazuhira | Gala Geert ​

 

[Cassius Callaesar]

Orbit of Brentaal IV // ISV Radiance // Bridge
Tags: Ryv Gala Geert Seo Linn Leon Gallo Spasa Kazuhira Maynard Treicolt

"Sir. We're... we're in position," the dreadful statement escaped the lieutenant with a quivering lip. They were words so simple, yet so powerful that they silenced the entirety of the battlecruiser's bridge. This was a situation that no commanding officer ever wanted to find themselves in - a nightmare. But these were unprecedented circumstances and the High Admiral had weighed the options over and over in his head. It was not easy - it was far from desirable - and it was something he'd never be able to forget. But even still, it was the only option. The lesser evil.

Not even in a thousand lifetimes would the Anaxsi forget the choices he'd be forced to make here.

"...Admiral Callaesar?" the Weapons Officer asks meekly, clearly not wanting to hear the answer she knew was coming.

A cold sweat washes over Cassius as the moment passes by in what feels like slow motion. He stares forward in a state of minor shock, eyes fixated on the hungry maw that stretched out from the Beyond, thrashing violently through space as it continues to pull itself further and further into realty. For a moment a strange calm overtakes him - the sounds around him muffle, leaving only the rise and fall of his own breath.

The shifting colours of the vortex dance along the transparisteel of the viewport, casting him in many hues of vibrant light. It was beautiful.

"Fire." the High Admiral's command comes abruptly. A quick reflexive signal from the Weapons Officer to her small ordnance team confirms the order, and the battlecruiser rumbles gently as each of the Covenant cannons begin to fire down upon Vuultin City.

A trembling exhale escapes Cassius, knowing there was no turning back now.

Spoiler: Anaxsi-Imperial Response Fleet (from Overture)

1 x Dictator-class Battlecruiser, I.S.V. Radiance​

4 x SF-58 Starfighter Squadron​

10 x REC/NCM02 Starfighter Squadron​

6 x Maia-class Interceptor Squadron​

8 x MP-TTG1 Support Ship Squadron​

2 x Tyrant II-class Heavy Cruisers​

2 x SF-58 Starfighter Squadron​

2 x GS-90 Gunship Squadron​

1 x REC/NCM02 Majestic II-class Heavy Cruiser​

2 x Maia-class Interceptor Squadron​

1 x SF-58 Starfighter Squadron​

1 x GS-90 Gunship Squadron​

2 x REC/NCM02 Shieldship II-class Escort Cruiser​

2 x MP-TTG1 Support Ship Squadron​

2 x REC/NCM02 Defender II-class Assault Carrier​

8 x REC/NCM02 Starfighter Squadron​

6 x Maia-class Interceptor Squadron​

2 x SF-58 Starfighter Squadron​

2 x GS-90 Gunship Squadron​

2 x Tyrant I-class Missile Cruiser​

2 x Maia-class Interceptor Squadron​

2 x REC/CC-01 Nagata-class Heavy Corvette​

2 x REC/NCM02 Sacheen II-class Light Escort Frigate​

4 x REC/NCM02 Starfighter Squadron​

2 x Maia-class Interceptor Squadron​

2 x GS-90 Gunship Squadron​

3 x REC/CC-01 Avalon-class Corvette​

 

[Loske Treicolt]

Vuultin City // sf-58 Thunderbird Starfighter // Airborne
Maynard Treicolt // A Aeris
Battle without Honour or Humanity​

The rest of Saber Squadron encircled the evacuation sites like vultures around a carcass. They were doing what they could to sear the ground with their wrath and pause the constant barrage of wicked beasties. Their flight paths matched that of a double helix, twisting amongst each other and winged ghouls.

The planet’s geothermal readings are being subdued by the army. Everything is cold. Frank reported while Loske made an arc to avoid the jaws of a skyward demon. Her shields were reporting low, forcing her to fly more defensively than usual.

“Yeah, you think it’s otherworldly?” Loske asked - her tone was testy while thumbing over from torpedoes to her laser cannons.

I do.

“The giant hole in the sky wasn’t clue enough for you? The big tooth was the kicker?”

Where had they come from? They weren’t of this world. What common laws were followed in this cosmic war? Who was the ultimate enforcer? Two rival factions could fight one another because they both obeyed the same laws of physics and consequence. When good and evil fought, were there common laws to obey? Did they respect one another?

It matches the vague thermal residue you had on Chandrila, after your and Master Cedric’s netherworld experience.

“Saber Seven - you’ve got something..on you!” Loske heard one of her teammates chime into the channel, breaking her from her thoughts.

“Agh! I can’t shake it!”

“Fly straight, I’ll see if I can shoot it off you.”

The Padawan couldn’t see the two ships trying to protect one another, all she could do was hear the exchange.

Within Saber Seven’s cockpit, the pilot looked around; unable to spot their aggressive hitchhiker. Something glared brightly nearby, so close that his starboard port burst.

“I got it!” Saber Three exclaimed happily.

“And me!” Saber Seven complained, twisting in a rotation while teeth sunk through the glass, shattering the window of the cabin. “It’s in!! AH! You didn’t get it--!” That was all he had time to scream before oblivion took him from behind. The creature had damaged the engine and flames raced forward to the shattered cockpit, erupting into a fiery ball that consumed both the pilot and netherspawn.

“But..I..I hit it...How..” Loske could hear Saber three whisper forlornly. The kiffar wished she could reach out and wrap her fellow pilot in a reassuring hug.

“We’re hitting too much interference in here!” Someone, sounded like Saber Ten, barked into the comms. “We’ve got to pull back.”

“Not until these evac ships are out. That’s the mission.”

“Their repulsors are firing. They’re getting ready to go, we should too.”

That was May’s call - whether or not they pulled out. But he was being eerily silent. Her radar flashed, and with her naked eye she could only watch helplessly as the spiralling wreck of Maynard’s craft hurtled to the ground. She lost visual as a creature flashed in front of her, and she reacted with a burst of plasma and wrenched her ship around so steeply that graining gyros whined to avoid a collision. “Oh no May, where’d you go..

Frank - can you get me a count?”

Nine Sabers remain airborne.

Loske clenched her teeth, hissing at the losses. This sucked.

Then it was like time slowed. Ryv was contesting with a wretched Goliath... P Placeholder 0128 had succumb to a building..and Maynard was on his way down. This was very, very bad. It was almost worse that she could see what was happening to her friends. At least with Cedric she had a bond that indicated he was still alive. Such luxury didn’t exist with her amigos -- and even from a distance, Ryv’s silhouette looked weary and alone. Maynard’s wasn’t even visible.

Today could not be the day she lost all three of those guys in her life. She wouldn’t be able to handle that. And as much as she was putting adrenaline before any rational thought, the reality of the loss they were facing on this planet wasn't something she could ignore and her emotions were threatening to overreach her pragmatism.

Babble crossed through the broadcasted comms and delivered an update that there was only one evacuation vehicle left.

“I’m going in - I’ll provide a final distraction for these beasties!” A member of the Anaxi squadron proclaimed. After a few seconds, he sounded full of regret: “My converter’s running wild!” This was an understatement. Every instrument on his control panels had abruptly gone beserk “Nevermind - I can hold her.”

“You’re too low!” Loske yelled, watching the trajectory of her Anaxes ally from a quickly closing distance.

The instruments in the Thunderbird weren’t providing proper information for the Anaxi, and at the altitude he was travelling the ship was simply prone to combustion. It collided gloriously with the ground, skidding and tearing through dirt and mounds of corpses. Loske looked away as fire peeled around the vessel, ensnaring the zombies in its wake and...unfortunately..the pilot inside as well. Everyone could hear the painful cries over their comms before it cut out.

“If my heart gets any heavier, we’re going to have an altitude problem too.” Loske muttered to Frank, who was respectfully silent to the somber quip from his pilot. She released another volley of weapon fire that cored through the bodies of biological opponents.

A flare shot up in the distance, and Loske watched it rise into the sky while a few curious bat-like things circled around it with intrigue. “That must be May!” Her exclamation sounded hyper-optimistic, given the circumstances. “Can you get him triangulated on the map? See which evacuation site he’s closest to?”

None. Frank replied too quickly.

“None?”

Well. He ran a few calculations. Sixty-two in a millisecond. Site A I guess.

“You guess?”

Site A is the closest evacuation site. And it's the only one with a ship still able to depart. Also, fleets above are readying their cannons. Really hot. Looks like preparation for orbital bombardment.

Looks like Saber One is blocked by the main exchange between our friend and the big bad. And I can’t...his communication system is offline.

Loske cussed and veered from her course. Her friends needed time. Both Ryv and Maynard. And Ryv couldn’t face this bad guy alone, and May needed to get to that Corvette. She set her course for a collision, angling down now that the tooth had shattered.

Electronic crosshairs lined up according to the computer-readout instructions, and Loske fired repeatedly at the monster in ironclad design. Distraction mode activated.

 

[Dak]

Vuultin City // ISV Ashaton // Evac Site A
Interacting With: Leon Gallo Gala Geert
Tags: Ryv Seo Linn Maynard Treicolt Tristan Evore Kazuhira Spasa


"Kid, you don't want to go there!" the Duros captain turns to face the Jedi Knight, his sunken red eyes showing his distress with everything at hand "this whole thing is a damn shab show. We need to get these people off this planet before we join these things in Hell." He breaks away from the two, marching down the command deck to stare down into the left crew pit. "Get on the intercom in the hangar bay; see how many more they have to board," his words are directed at a comms officer "We have to move. The sky's going to be falling down on us soon enough."

Dak watches Jaang as he walks away, then looks back to assess the young man before him. As much as Leon tried to hide his emotions, the DAC was more than capable of seeing through the facade. Perspiration, heart rate, body movements - these subtle signs did not escape the droid's advanced sensory suite. "Leon," he states, hoping to grab his attention despite everything going on "if you go there you will not help anyone. You will die."

He looks out the viewports, where the last of the evacuation camp's people can be see sprinting to their now landed corvette - desperate, but hopeful that they'd made it; that they'd be spared "These people need you here. In choosing to live, you are still able to help them. I know that Jedi Knight out there. He has made his choice - he knows what he is doing. Do not take that away from him. We have jobs to do and people counting on us."

 

[Maynard Treicolt]

// LOCATION // X-01 'Skywalker' X-Wing // Marooned and awaiting evac
// THEME // The Humbling River
// FOCUS // Ryv | Loske Treicolt | Cassius Callaesar

---

His head rung like a bell and soon enough he felt the entirety of his body ache, his muscles strained and bones sore from the crash. His adrenaline to free himself from the shattered wreckage waning only enough to sound the dread alarm through his body. His body still repulsed from the sheer force from his fighter's impact into the earth. His vision was hazy, distorted from the sheer rattling of his senses. With the gleaming sun bright red of the flare filling his vision it stuck in his sensory intake for minutes later, wiping at his eyes with the arm clutching his blaster pistol only to leave streaks of red along the jumpsuit sleeve. The sight of his own lifeblood was never reassuring but in the wake everything else on Brentaal, it was a reprieve to have everything else intact.

The distant banging of warfare continued to sound out in the distance before soon enough it fell silent...dreadfully silent. He could make it out with his eyes before he heard it as the Anaxes fleet erupted with a gut-wrenching symphony. Its instruments of death playing to a horrid tune, leveling Vuultin before his eyes. The situation was dire, to say the least. Between his only hope at a clean exit he had a large swath of the otherworldly host closing down on evac point A.

When usually Maynard had something to say, to his astromech at the very least...he was silent. Slowly clamoring back toward the wrecked X-Wing he sat himself against one of the S-foils. He had no choice but to hedge his bets on waiting for any evac. With his pistol gripped loosely in his hand he closed his clouded eyes to drown out the bright flare crackling out before him. It was then he heard through the whispering flames and distant bombardment that a pack of the chaos spawn had smelt blood in the water.

A meager band but still, a threat to the novice jedi partly blinded from the near concussive force he endeared not minutes prior. They weren't but a few yards away when Maynard set himself on his feet once more. With the beasts all but shallow silhouettes in his vision he slid the blaster into his holster, reaching across his belt with the same hand to unclip the hilt of his saber, at the very least the saber Wyatt Morga had given to him when he'd joined the Jedi Order once more. Clutching the hilt in both hands he flicked the switch only to hear the characteristic pssssht as the blue blade ignited to life in his hands.

Snuffing his vision he screwed his eyes shut as he slowly approached the nearest chaos spawn. Feeling out with the force he was able to latch unto the creature, shaping it within his senses as it lashed toward him with an outstretched arm only for the Jedi to scrape his boots along the dirt below and shift aside to cut down and slice the limb clean off before rearing the saber up to decapitate the creature with a horizontal slice at its neck, keep form with the follow through, offering out a heavy breath he reached out to form the next in his mind with the force.

Taking the initiative he surged forward digging the blade into its stomach with a long reaching thrust of the blade, extending his arms out fully to reach the chaos spawn before closing the gap more and pulling it up and out of its body to sever it clean in half. He called on the force to aid him in this most dire moment...and it answered, for the first time in his life. All the while he waited, a sentinel on his own position, his flare still sparking and clawing at the sky as a desperate call for help while Maynard all the same seemed well leveled with his mortality waiting, not suffering.

 

[Kazuhira]

LOCATION: Brentaal System, Surface of Brentaal IV
TAGS: Ryv | Maynard Treicolt | Seo Linn | Spasa | Loske Treicolt

---

The sudden, violent impact of the monolithic vessel meeting the crust of the planet generated a horrific wave of energy across the battlefield. Soldier and Chaos Spawn alike were thrown brutally across the killing fields that Brentaal IV's surface had become. Kaz braced himself, holding his arm out in front of his face, shielding his eyes from the dust and debris. Even with his use of the force, his old legs could only hold against the unanticipated shockwave for a small moment before he succumbed to its might and was thrown from his feet. The force of this impact sent him flipping through the air several times before he impacted against the ground, bouncing and tumbling against the hard ground before the friction was enough to halt his momentum. He lay on his back, eyes squeezing closed in labored blinks as he tried desperately to catch his breath.

The sight of an X-Wing streaking across his field of view in mid-plummet towards the surface is what finally served to pull Kaz out of his shock and back to the grim reality of his situation. He sat up, coughing heavily as he reached his hand out to retrieve his lightsaber from wherever it ended up. He had made it to a knee by the time it finally reached him. The leather hilt was worn and frayed from the acidic viscera that had spewed from the many chaos spawn that assaulted the planet. The old man finally made it to his feet, surveying his surroundings he could feel the panic and conflict that emanated from the battlefield. Both sides of this strife scrambled to recover from the explosive hindrance and resume their fighting.

"Go."
​

An unfamiliar voice reached out to him through the force. The intention was clear, to leave Brentaal IV before things got worse. Though an involuntary use of farsight Kaz could see and feel the younger Jedi's struggle through emotions, pain empathy, and vague images. Kaz was not privy to the idea of abandoning someone to their fate like this, especially not another Jedi. Despite this, Kaz understood how dire this situation was and he wasn't oblivious to the fact that his usefulness here was waning. The old master was exhausted, his old bones ached, and even now on his feet he struggled to catch his breath. Despite his mastery of the force, he was still limited by the flaws of his aged, mortal body. With every swing, every leap, every cut down Choas Spawn, the effort wore on his stamina and he became less and less effective. He needed to leave, as there was a clear difference between sacrificing yourself and wasting your life outright. That being said, he knew he'd not convince the faceless Jedi who told him to go no retreat, there wasn't enough time to do so anyway.

Kaz had no memory of how he had even arrived here, thus leaving would prove to be difficult. Suddenly he remembered the X-Wing that had downed just moments earlier. He felt no objections in the Will of the Force and could feel a strange pull towards the site of the wreckage. He began a labored run towards the site of the crash, saber blade exploding outwards and held at the ready during his stride. The threat of these creatures hadn't been eliminated. His retreat had only just begun, and the fight was far from over.

 

[Seo Linn]

She didn't know if the woman coming out of the now landed ship was the captain or not, but she did ask Seo if whoever was out there fighting was one of hers. Shaking her head, it would almost be pointless to try and speak an answer. The motion of her head should be enough of one. Not one to turn around and leave, the former slave stood her ground and made sure those under her care all got on board before attempting to do anything.

Giving Gala just a slight nod, she used the Force to propel herself back into the battle. As a person from Lorrd, she spoke through her body and actions. While she could speak, there was not a need for it, in her opinion. Her blue lightsaber slashed and cut down any of the wriggling worms on the ground in the area. Before long, all of the small creatures were taken care of and she stopped moving.

Taking a few deep breaths, the Knight finally noticed there were still large beasts to worry about. Jumping back to avoid one that came crashing out of the sky, the squishy thud of it hitting the ground was a bit of a shock. She had been so focused on keeping the ground cleared to allow others to escape, she had not noticed what was going on up in the sky.

A growl was uddered from above her and she turned around in time to find herself getting wrapped up in the binding claws of another crashing monster. Darkness took her as it hit the ground, her fragile human body getting covered by its mass. Whatever else happened around her, Seo was completely out of the picture. Just minutes away from an orbital bombardment and the Knight could not do anything in her state of unconsciousness. The Force had brought her to Brentaal, maybe it would see her off of the world as well.

 

[Leon Gallo]

Leon heard the Duro Captain's words, but did not understand a word of them. The raw emotion in his mind blocked them out.He stared down Dak , waiting for a response. A slight tremble shook through his body as he heard the droid's response. He had known it, deep in his rational mind. If he lived on he could fight another day, to save even more lives. Leon stood motionless for a brief moment before he turned to the door. He didn't bother trying to hide the tremor in his voice or his shaking grip.

"Yeah."

He left the room, trying to fight down the storm inside him. He couldn't do anything for that Jedi. Really, there wasn't much more he could do here. If anything, he could help the last evacuees get on board. Not many more people were left in the evacuation site. He'd not be able to do much there. The Jedi could only hope to avenge Brentaal IV another day. Who ever came down on that tooth was behind this. That monster of man.

Leon reached the hangar, seething with anger and frustration. He stopped outside it, trying to calm his outward appearance before he left to help the evacuation. Yelling and screaming inside the hangar helped bring him back to the present. It felt like a slap in the face. The people of Vuultin needed help now. Revenge for their homes and loved ones could wait. The Jedi stepped through the door to rush to the aid of the refugees and weary defenders.


Dak Seo Linn Maynard Treicolt Loske Treicolt Kazuhira Gala Geert

 

[Aeris]

A moment after the Radiance's first warhead breaches the planet's atmosphere a bright streak pierces through the dark clouds lingering overhead, disappearing behind Vuultin's skyline on the horizon. The earth quakes in the impact, silencing the battle taking place on the outskirts. Abaddon's body turns to look off into the distance, where the ravaged city can only be faintly seen.

Before the Champion is able to determine what had happened the detonation of the warhead's final phase is triggered. A flash of blinding light completely washes out the cityscape's distant silhouette, paired shortly after with a resounding explosion. By the time the searing light begins to fade, a mushroom-shaped plume has risen high above Vuultin.

They had decided to put up a fight afterall. But at what cost?

A second whir catches Abaddon's attention faster this time, prompting his gaze to snap to above them. With lightning reflexes he raises a hand to the sky, managing to catch the second warhead in a telekinetic hold as it bursts through the stratosphere on a collision course with their battleground. The juggernaut lets out a grunt, clearly taking some level of strain to abruptly summon the strength needed to hold off such a large and fast moving object.

Two more flashes can be seen from the battlecruiser high above as it unleashes a second and final volley. Anticipating the bombardment this time, Abaddon raises his second hand to meet them. An inward pulse of energy collapses upon him as he channels the Force to do his bidding. Each one rapidly decelerates as it enters his range before freezing in spot entirely, just below the cloud line.

Stuck holding off the orbital assault, the invader finds himself in a momentarily compromising position when the starfighter comes barrelling towards him. With few options left, the Titan lets out a monstrous and clearly pained battlecry. The air around him crackles with green bolts of chaotic energy as he roars, reaching inward to summon the primal power gifted to him from Beyond.

The starfighters cannons streak along the dirt toward him as the nose aligns with his position. Before his defensive field can solidify, several of the heavy bolts collide with his chitinous chestpiece. An otherworldly snarl escapes him and his boots dig into the earth from the collision, sliding him backwards a few feet yet somehow failing to pierce the cuirass or knock him over. The green energy field building around him finally solidifies, blocking the remaining shots from reaching him.

"Enough!" the thunderous voice that's cast from the armour is disembodied from his form. An omnipresent statement.

Still stuck holding back the three Covenant warheads raining down upon them, he opts to erupt the barrier around him into a massive shockwave.

Ryv | Spasa | Seo Linn | Maynard Treicolt | Gala Geert
Tristan Evore | Kazuhira​

 

[Gala Geert]

Vuultin City // ISV Ashaton // Evac Site A
Dak // Leon Gallo
Everyone's got problems: Ryv Seo Linn Maynard Treicolt Tristan Evore Kazuhira Spasa​

Jedi went to help, Jedi were told not to help. There was a yo-yo effect happening with the forcies that prompted her infamous eye roll, and she was partly remiss that Amaris Tanenat wasn't around to notice.

With a wave of her hand, a few straggling civilians lumbered aboard the ship. In the knick of time too. Gala'd had her back to the fight between the Space Wizards from this space, and the nether. Even though the evacuation site was a fair distance from the brawl, they weren't a sanctuary from the rolling telekinetic tidal that cut through the air. It hit her in the back, knocking the wind from her lungs before she collapsed on the ground.

The world went white.

Something pushed her, and something hurt, and the sound of her suit radio was still there but it was faintly distant. Her body seemed very large, like it had expanded to fill the universe, or the universe had shrunk down until it fit in her skin. Her hands seemed a very long way away. Someone was shouting her alias.

"GLADIO!"

Still winded, Gala struggled to reply: "I'm here..I'm.." she said, and felt like she was hearing a recording of herself. The pain started ramping up in her torso, stretching up to her head and pounding within her skull. She forced her eyes shut, gritting her teeth as if sheer will would force the aches away. Her hands searched for her weapon, finding little success with her limited vision and throbbing head. She was moving now, how? She wasn't..oh. Someone had come over and looped her arms over their shoulder, shouldering most of her dead weight and limping toward the ship's ramp. They must have been inside the Ashaton and were protected from the blast.

Her ears were bleeding.

"Let's take off, that's everyone!" A lieutenant bellowed too loudly next to her, and her neck became a noodle for her head to lull back.

 

[Ryv]

Crimson blood ran down the side of Ryv's face, cutting a path through the thin layer of grime. He wiped it away with his stained jacket sleeve, his flesh irritated by the latest sensation. Each feeling coursing through his body echoed endlessly, reminding him of pain, sadness, and failure. Those feelings welled up within him, threatening to overwhelm whatever resolve he had left. His desperate plea to those Jedi nearby, warning them to be away and find peace, was all he had left. He could feel his reserves of energy dangerously low as what remained of his concentration and stamina focused solely on keeping him standing.

A cold feeling suddenly swept over the kiffar, threatening to send him crumbling to the earth below. His head swung left and right, frantically searching for whatever caused the wave of panic to rise within him. When he came upon the lone warhead falling towards the planet's surface, his eyes widened in horror as reality set in.

"No, no, no," Ryv stumbled in the direction of the city as if he could do something about what would unfold. As the mushroom cloud crawled skyward, a wall of dust and grime crashed out from the city, buffeting everything in its path. The kiffar stumbled back as it and the tremors sent him sliding backward before being blown back a half a dozen feet to the ground once more. He covered his mouth and closed his eyes, balling up to protect himself from corpses and other debris as it flew past him in the direction of the nearby base. When the wave of destruction finally died down, he pushed himself up, and dry heaved, a mixture of grime and bile escaping his stomach this time. He wiped the tears and mess away from his dirty face, struggling to peer through the kicked out smoke.

As Loske's starfighter rained fire on the armored form of Abaddon, Ryv crossed his fingers and hoped she'd manage to take down the monstrosity. The Jedi stumbled back to his feet, just in time to take the telekinetic wave of energy to the chest. His body slid into the door, digging a body-sized groove through the earth as the world went black.

A Aeris | Loske Treicolt | Cassius Callaesar ​

 

[Dak]

Vuultin City // ISV Ashaton // Airborne
Interacting With: Leon Gallo Gala Geert Kazuhira Seo Linn
Tags: Ryv Maynard Treicolt Tristan Evore Spasa

Dak watches Leon walk away without any additional comments. He could understand that the Jedi was frustrated, but any attempts at sympathy failed him. As far as the droid was concerned, there were more important matters to consider than feelings in these dire moments. But he could not expect this logic to be shared by his organic peers, nor could he fault them for their natures.

"It's happening! We're out of time!" Dak's receptors shift to the Captain's position just in time to catch the initial burst of light behind him through the viewports, lighting up the entirety of the bridge like a laboratory. A series of gasps and shrieks can be heard in unison throughout the crew pits and upper stations, along with whispers of disbelief and lament.

At the lieutenant in the hangar's order, Jaang calls out hurriedly "That's everyone! Ramp up! Let's go, go, go!"

The Sensors Officer barks out with a sudden warning as the Ashaton rises from the landing pad at the now desolate Evacuation Site, "Brace yourself!"

The shockwave from the blast knocks the corvette along the port side, rocking it hard to the right. Cpt Vod takes a few stumbling steps along the command walkway before catching himself, though his eyes are more focused on observing the crew pits to make sure no one else was hurt. Dak, however, remains perfectly still - his magnetic plates and locked actuators ensuring the abrupt movements cause him no harm.

"There's a flare not far from here," the droid advises, observing the holo-map amidst the chaos "one of the Imperium's pilot." The Duros stares at the droid from down the walkway in disbelief. If it were anyone else the Captain might call them the bravest idiot he'd served with, but for a droid he simply tossed it under a complete lack of humanity.

Dak turns to meet the Captain's gaze, disregarding the expression "The sensors are also detecting additional bio-signatures along the route to it. If we fly low and leave the hatch down-"

"Leave the hatch down?!" the Captain interrupts "Have you looked out there?"

"Yes," the DAC answers simply, continuing afterwards "and if we leave the hatch down we may be able to pick them up while en route to the flare. These are the final moments and there is not much left in our control. But the survival of these last few people can be."

The old Duros' thin lips straighten into a line and he closes his eyes with a pained expression, letting out a frustrated exhale. "Gods be damned. You'd almost think they accidentally installed a heart in you sometimes. You pick real good times to pretend to be human, ya know?" Jaang lets out a groan and looks off across the bridge to the helmsman, "Bolts here is right. If there's a chance we can save a few more lives we all know we have to take it. Low pass over the highlighted coordinates, and make sure we've got guns aimed down that hatch in case anything tries to hitchhike."

At that, the Nox-class corvette presses off toward the position of the Jedi Master and immobilized Knight, en route to the pilot's crash site.

 

[Spasa]

Quiet ancient whisperings flourished the works of Ashla. Spasa saw her Winged Goddess approach in her physical glory for the first time ever. Before today she had only felt her divine presence. Never would she ever be able to deny the oneness of all beings of divine Light. The Nightsister born woman stood awestruck at her magnificent beauty. She slipped mindlessly to her knees. The Great Spirit lifted a finger to her lips to silence any outburst which might fell from the mouth of the cloaked Witch. She then stirred a finger and showed Spasa the land below as if through a window. Seo Linn rested unconscious upon the ground, and time is running out for the land. Much danger is at hand.

The others vanished into their spacecraft. Spasa leapt from the porthole and scooped up the unconscious woman, bringing her into the realm where she might save her. She turned her head to witness the Ashaton ( Dak ) head towards other surviving Jedi to retrieve them. The witch extended her hand over the land, and reaching out as far as her thoughts could take her, forcefully drew into her being all manner of remaining life. The Sorceress called forth to join her, the spiritual beings whose existence only her kind acknowledge. These magickal beings are small in stature, but in number they wield much power. She would not let them perish by the dark force which became hell bent towards the destruction of all. She offered to save them from peril, that they would join her on her quest to destroy this terroristic abomination. She was quickly met by everything within the vicinity which willed to endure, or simply those of resourceful spirit which beheld the will to join forces with her to retaliate. Their essences crashed into her's just within the porthole to the Nether Realm, as the percussion of the explosion struck the world below. She was closing the door behind their exodus, and she felt her physical body jolt like a rag-doll in the wake of the destructive blast. Seo Linn was torn from her clutches and tossed somewhere into the eerie darkness of this ethereal place.

Spasa lifted herself off the hideous blackened earth inside this misty nowhere place which she once understood and actually admired, even bragged about to have been a part of. Today she is diametrically opposed to the Nether Realm, unlike her evil doppelgänger, the Mistress Pom Stych Tivé . She searched for Seo Linn in the darkness, very concerned for her state of being. The many voices of the spiritual beings the Sorceress had called to aid her in the battle yet to come, spoke to her many things. They had already begun to raise the magick they would begin to utilize against the beasts they were called to challenge. Their hour would come to glorify the Winged Goddess, but until that very moment is at hand, the timelessness of the Nether Realm became the new home to each. They were caught up within its suspended animation with great forces of the Light on their side to endure.