Faction RNR: Negotiations Got Aggressive

[Elias Edo]

​

Tags: Efret Farr
Objective 2: Establish a Beachhead
Location: NABOO

The largest of the portals, which the locals were calling ‘rifts,’ had erupted right in the heart of Theed. Elias expected hordes of Netherworld monsters to be pouring out like the reports from 30 years ago read, but instead he saw teams of Shirayan Jedi stepping through to the other side. He found the closest of their number, a young man clad in fine red and brownish-black armor.

“What’s the plan?” Elias demanded. The Shirayan Knight was hesitant at first to divulge, but Elias was quick to flash the lightsaber hilt handing from his belt. The Knight quickly nodded his understanding. “The Sal-Soren’s and the Riftwalker have already entered the Netherworld,” he said. “There’s an… Archdemon, on the other side. The Riftwalker believes we must fell it for the rift to close.”

Elias nodded, signing as much to Efret. <“We go through. We help. Kill #demons, make distraction. Help close portal.”> He was ready, and when she gave him the go ahead, he ran past the Knight toward the nearest rift.

It was like a stab wound through the air itself, though three-dimensional, defying his perception of physical space. The rift was like a floating window through which he could see the violent, raging plane from any angle. Elias swallowed hard, gave Efret a nervous smile, then turned to step through.

The transition was so different than what he expected. Jedi records had construed this dark dimension to be a hellscape of fire and torment full of the souls of long-dead Sith Lords and the angry spirits of their followers; this place was nearly the opposite. Stepping through the rift was more like diving into an icy ocean, floating beneath the surface, and then stepping back out again. It was cold, bitter, and craggy; no fire, no Sith ghouls, only a vast purple sky above craggy, misshapen earth.

It was entirely possible that the Netherworld was different further in, or that it was even separated into smaller pocket planes, but there was no time for studying.

In the distance, a horrifying roar drew Elias’ attention. <“That way,”> he signed to Efret. Nonverbal communication was going to be paramount here, especially if her assistive devices were rendered obsolete by the Netherworld’s energies. The monstrous rage was coming from what looked like a strange, hollow reflection of Theed.

Bright blue crystalline water glowed in the river channel where Elias and Efret were standing not an hour earlier. Some buildings were recognizable while others were crude attempts by the Nether to duplicate their world. If the mirrored city held any significance, Elias suspected the Archdemon was somewhere near the palace. <“Find demons in #Theed. Fight them. Keep busy.”>

 

[Rook Merriex]

​

Location: Theed, Naboo
Objective 2: Form a Beachhead
Tags: Brandyn Sal-Soren | Briana Sal-Soren | Lily Decoria

​

The Archdemon’s collapse sent a wave of relief over the young woman, but Rook knew their victory would be short lived if they did not escape quickly. “The rift is unstable,” she huffed as she jogged over to regroup with Sal-Soren’s and Lily Decoria . “With the Archdemon dead, it’s only a matter of time before this plane collapses. We don’t want to be here when it does…”

Rook wished she had a more concrete explanation of what would happen if the portal closed with them on the Netherworld side of a dying plane, but she’d thus far avoided such a predicament. From a distance -and a good distance at that- it looked like islands of rock and earth crumbling apart as it descends into an endless ocean of oily purple.

“Catch your breath and gather your forces soon. We don’t have long.” Rook hated speaking with authority and hoped that doing so wouldn’t piss off Brandyn Sal-Soren too terribly. This was his show, and even before she’d been pulled here all those years ago, Rook wasn’t a high ranking noble; certainly not high enough to command a Sal-Soren.

She hoped her experience would suffice when it came to informing their decisions. One learns a great many secrets when trapped on the other side.

 

[Kahne Porte]

Theed
Palace Front
Eliminate the Strays

Mother Askani Dagos Terrek Ruus Kote Lysander von Ascania Kalantha

The roar the beast emitted was utterly horrible. Enough to shake even the most stoic of spirits on the battlefield. The fire came to stop as the force around the creature gave way and it stumbled a few moments. The Jedi Master reached for his hilt and the blue blade came to life as he would move forward and strike the beast down if it was necessary.

Another step or too and it let out another roar before it fell forward, the creature was dead.


The Jedi Master's blade retreated back into the hilt as the Jedi looked around, the battle was seemingly over in this part. "Gather our wounded, get them medical attention immediately." The Jedi Master continued, their job wasn't done, not yet.

It wouldn't be for a long time.

"I'm not gong to make it am I?" The Jedi Master knelt before a man, whos wound were indeed grievous. He wasn't going too, however he wasn't about to inform him of that. His stoic presence giving no indication of that, he just provided comfort to the man. "I'm scared...."

Kahne placed a hand on his forehead, while the other reached for his hand giving it a small squeeze. "Don't be, it will pass." Whatever lasting comfort the Jedi sought to give him seemed to help, just briefly. The man took exhausted breath before he finally gave to his wounds.

The Jedi Master let out a deep sigh, hand moving to close the eyes of the civilian.

He stood up taking another look at the wreckage around them.

His way forward, was ever clear long before this battle. The Jedi Master would fight as hard as he could, for as long as he could.

The force would take care of the rest.

 

[Efret Farr]

OBJECTIVE: Establish a Beachhead

The most profound horror was silent.

Efret had come to know that after being cursed by Malva'ikh Dralidok in the Holy City. In her dreams and waking moments when she had his dagger's Darkest visions, their memories came in waves of silence. Her Deafness was only sometimes an immunization against the fear, for sometimes silence leeched it away until the only emotion a scene could invoke was dull discomfort or disgust, but other times silence compounded on anxiety or terror, inflating either emotion until no others could coexist with it.

As she and Elias quickly approached the disturbance, she could feel the ward that Nazar had put over her beginning to slip for the first time. Was how Nirrah felt when it came time to molt again—to have something slip from your pores at once, to make itself free and ready to cast off? But instead of such an uncomfortable sensation being necessary for survival, as it was annually for the convorees, it was the opposite for Efret. She desperately wanted this feather to stay and shield her body against the influence of the Darkness that had been chasing her for months.

If the ward fell away, the visions would find her again.

She reminded herself on the apotropaic name she had been gifted during the ceremony in Deep Well. It offered her enough comfort to see her to the rift. When it came time to step though it, uncertainty drove her to grab hold of Elias' forearm just below his elbow moments before he passed into the Netherworld, hoping to anchor them together in case its strange energies would otherwise warp them apart. Once she had stepped through behind him, though, she let go. She gave a forceful nod before rushing off down a facsimiled street, hoping that he would follow her now.

They made it down two long, paved avenues with no trouble, at least not externally.

Efret, for her part, was beginning to hallucinate. She swore she saw a tall shadow moving between the buildings in Nirrah's peripheries. The memory of feeling stalked as she and Astri had been in the Coruscant Temple tightened its grip on her with each passing moment. They had done nothing more but run and hide from him then, both decisions that had almost gotten both Jedi killed, and yet it had been the only reasonable choice. But the circumstances of today were different. Efret had a fellow master with her rather than a padawan.

Don't run, she thought to herself in Sign Language. Look. Now.

She suddenly ground to a stop and turned around.

The movement of Elias startled her, causing her to stumble backwards. She caught herself with a mix of footwork and the Force. Once she had steadied herself, she scanned the environment but all she saw was crumbling cream stucco of apartments and the withered flowerbeds kept in front of them.

<Sorry.> Her interpretation unit did not shine a light or make a sound. As Elias had suspected might occur, the technology was rendered useless in this realm. Fortunately, they could still communicate. <Think I saw someone, past.>

Nirrah rustled her feathers. She turned her head a full half circle to regard a figure that had shambled around the street corner between fifty and a hundred meters behind Efret.

It walked a few more strides hunched over to the point of defying gravity, then stopped under Nirrah's gaze and began to straighten, its vertebrae stacking slowly to reveal grey-blueish skin taut over bones.

Efret's hand gravitated to the durasteel, leather-wrapped handle of her lightsaber and unclipped it from her belt before she tuned around to face the being. With one hand, she waved Nirrah off her shoulder.

That was when three more demons just like the first also appeared from around the corner.

The first charged at them.

Efret thumbed her weapon's ignition. The rusty orange of her changed kyber crystal reflected back on her face until she angled the plasma away and sliced the demon in a diagonal across its abdomen. She wasn't one for violence but she assumed that any attempt at diplomacy here would only hasten her and others towards early graves.

Another demon came at them.

Elias Edo​

 

[Lily Decoria]

​

Location: Naboo
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Crossguard Lightsaber, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed)
Tag: Briana Sal-Soren | Brandyn Sal-Soren | Rook Merriex

Lily heard the call from Rook that things were going to get unstable soon and she looked over to Brandyn. "Get to the portal, I will grab Master Briana!" She dodged one attack and barely successfully got out of the way from another strike which clawed over her stomach. Lily grunted the injury wasn't life threatening but she wasn't pleased to feel the injury. Meant more time getting it recovered in the medbay.

Rushing over to Briana, she put one arm over her shoulders and helped her Master get towards where they had come from. Her Lightsaber deflecting attacks and switching from an aggressive fighting stance into one of defence and her demonstration of the ease she had in switching Lightsaber stances was on display.

"Are you okay, Master? You took a hard landing there." Lily stated, both impressed with the skills that Briana demonstrated but knew that there should have been a more cautious approach as Briana keeps drilling into her own head.

Jumping headlong into danger was not an ideal approach.

 

[Kalantha]

ELIMINATE THE STRAYS

There was much more to discuss, but the courtyard was quickly becoming the very last place she wanted to do so. With the palace secure and Mandalorian beskar protecting its perimeter, more and more civilians were piling onto the palace grounds. She gave Aiden Porte a look that suggested they would finish their conversation at a later time. Perhaps once the dust has settled and the city was secure again, she could afford and afternood away from Theed to spend in contemplation with him and his keen judgement. Aiden was an excellent confidant and Kalantha valued his support greatly.

The pair crossed the short distance between them and the Padawan. Streaks of magenta lightning pierced the angry sky overhead, but any thunder that may have followed was drowned out by the sounds of a city reeling. Kalantha soon reached Lysander von Ascania and bowed, despite the unothodox circumstances they found themselves in. A queen is a queen, after all... even if her city is full of hellish portals and demonic blood was soaking the flowerbeds.

"All of Naboo thanks you," she added with a smile. She wasn't trying to outdo her friend by any means, but it was the truth. Everyone who stood against the incursion was a hero in the eyes of the crown. With things quiet for the moment, Kalantha took a moment to look the Padawan over. "Were you injured at all? How have you fared?" Hopefully well, she thought. There was no telling how much longer this hellish day would last.

Tags: Aiden Porte | Dagos Terrek | Gil Horn | Kahne Porte | Lysander von Ascania | Mother Askani | Ruus Kote​

 

[Elias Edo]

​

Tags: Efret Farr
Objective 2: Establish a Beachhead
Location: NABOO

Elias followed suit, igniting the emerald blade of his own lightsaber and stepping with intent toward the oncoming demons. He placed his free hand on Efret’s shoulder in passing, the met the demons’ charge with a Force dash that propelled him forward, blade pointed right for the nearest creature’s chest.

The plasma tip penetrated the demon with ease. Elias slashed in an upward diagonal motion, nearly bisecting it. He lifted the second off its clawed feet with the Force and pulled it closer, holding it off the ground just beyond arm’s reach. It scratched and hissed but Elias glared at its dark eyes unphased. “Your master,” he said in a tone that he was grateful Efret couldn’t hear. “What are its plans?”

The demons writhed. “Tear the flesh, rip and eat! You will die! All will die!”

“Are you alone?”

“Never alone! Even now, we are legion!” it hissed. Elias furrowed his brows. “That may be so, but you will die alone.” Before it could rebuttal, Elias threw the demon with great force against the facade of a marble building. The crunch of its bones was all Elias needed to hear to know it was dispatched.

The switch flipped in his mind after that, and he turned to face Efret. <“Knew nothing, only threats. Dangerous to let go. Hive-mind.”> Darker applications of the Force was something he picked up during his work alongside the RJC Shadows.

 

[Efret Farr]

OBJECTIVE: Establish a Beachhead

As Elias was busy was two of the demons, Efret drew up a Force barrier to keep the third off him. After crashing up against the invisible wall of energy, it turned towards her with a snarl.

She couldn't be sure if it was speaking to her or not, as her focus was not on establishing communication. Instead, she seized forward and slashed her blade again. Her nose wrinkled as the bisected body fell to the road.

She looked to Elias, sweeping her loose hair off of one of her shoulders as she listened to him so that Nirrah could alight on her again. Sometimes, a hive mind was harmless to outsiders, and even insiders, but it could be a very malevolent thing as well. Efret couldn't imagine the first scenario in the Netherworld, especially given the encounter they had just concluded. Her bet, then, was the latter case. In those situations, it was all too easy to fall victim to whatever greater influence permeated the collectively-formed consciousness. <Protect your mind,> she signed back, insisting what he likely already knew to do.

He was the only one of the two of them who had a good chance of doing that.

Efret led them around the corner and in the direction the demons had come. This street looked as abandoned as the first two until the very final stretch of the last. <Weird. Where they come-from?>

Elias Edo​

 

[Elias Edo]

​

Tags: Efret Farr
Objective 2: Establish a Beachhead
Location: NABOO

<"Think ambush group,"> Elias signed back impatiently. It wasn't towards her, naturally, just a side effect of not knowing just how much the others -if there were any- knew about them now that he and Efret had directly engaged their kin. He wanted to keep searching in case there were others, but his attention was drawn by another bellowing roar in the distance. The sound was so loud that it vibrated the cracked marble beneath his boots.

The Shirayans were giving it hell, by the sound of things. He signed as much to Efret with relief. <"#Naboo winning,"> he surmised. It was difficult to see anything from here, but the screeches were pretty indicative of the situation. Satisfied for now, he looked to Efret again with a curious expression. <"We keep going? Try find more demons?"> It couldn't hurt. Unless, of course...

A sharp, ringing scream made Elias' head turn on a swivel to the end of the street ahead. There, standing right in the middle of it, was a lanky, unsettling creature with hooked tendrils for legs. It had an eyeless face and a wide, toothy maw that was ready to bite and rip. Elias gave Efret a single nod before igniting his emerald blade once again and pushing forward hard. His dash was propelled by the Force, sending him toward the squid-like demon with incredible speed. It matched his charge and lifted from the ground by roughly a meter, levitating through the air in a chilling mass of teeth and tendrils.

Elias brought his blade down against in, singing its flesh as he sliced through two of its many appendages.

 

[Efret Farr]

OBJECTIVE: Establish a Beachhead
Escape the Rift

Efret was right behind him until Nirrah's head jerked skyward.

Thus, she saw a jagged fracture break down this world's version of the heavens.

She stomped her heels on the cobblestone, grinding to a halt. <Elias,> she sighed reflexively, forgetting that her interpretation unit wasn't working until Nirrah directed their shared sight ahead again and they didn't see the unit's green lights.

She made the decision to call his name more quickly than she could consciously process it.

"Elie!"

Her voice was breathy and raspy, cracked like the marble façades all around them and now the sky above, but loud—or at least she hoped it was as she tried to force it out of her throat with all of the air she could muster. Though she had a theoretic understanding that air pressure controlled speech volume, she had never had a chance to test the fact. The syllables also didn't come out exactly as they had when Valery Noble had taught her how to say his name, but there would always be next time to try again, hopefully in an altogether calmer environment.

Right?

In any case, this wasn't the situation she had hoped to be in when showing off this specific skill, but she was grateful to know it now, to be able to get his attention in a way she would not have been able to otherwise. But she didn't know how to say anything else, so it was back to signing from here.

<Leave-it,> she told him whenever he turned around with urgency before seizing forward to grab his hand if she could. With her other hand, she pointed up to the sky, unsure of if whatever happened had been accompanied by a noise. Either way, she turned and led them back in the direction they had ventured.

Elias Edo​

 

[Aiden Porte]

As the Queen and Lysander exchanged words and she thanked him for his service. Aiden eyes fell upon the carnage around them. A wave of sorry was cast over the Jedi Padawan as he looked upon those that had fallen. He placed his hands behind his back, taking a deep breath. For a fraction of second he cast the glimpse of his own father. He didn't have his strong hope, nor his unyielding spirit. That was something he was going to have to strive towards though.

Together as one Naboo would have to stand on its own. All of Naboo would need to be united to prevent acts such as this from happening anymore.

Aiden glanced back to the Queen and Lysander for a brief moment, then turned to rejoin their company.

"I will help clear the wounded and get them to medical and then I will assist with moving the dead." Aiden said with a soft expression on his face.

There was still so much of this day left ahead of them. Aiden looked forward with a level head and bright thoughts, as his father would.

Kalantha Lysander von Ascania Mother Askani Dagos Terrek

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Outfit: XoXo | Equipment: Lightsaber, Echo Stone | Tag: Brandyn Sal-Soren, Rook Merriex , Lily Decoria ​

Briana winced as Lily slipped an arm around her shoulders, helping her to stand. Her ribs protested the movement, but she gritted her teeth, and pushed out a sharp, hissing breath, waving off any notion of stopping. "I'm fine, Lil." she lied, her voice tight, body protesting against the words even as they left her lips. Bruises were no doubt swiftly forming and the pressing pain made her think there might be other injuries. "Just a little bruised, is all." There wasn't time to lick their wounds and Briana didn't want Lily's focus on her, she just wanted them to both get out of here alive. Reaching through the Force, Briana pulled the current a little more tightly around herself like a make-shift crutch, the radiating ache becoming dull enough that she could breath a little more deeply and actually move. "Thanks for covering me before."

Her gaze flicked to the towering Archdemon, now collapsed and lifeless. Her eyes swiftly swept over the creature, searching for any undeniable sign of life. Then, as if sensing her wavering faith, the Force offered her solace; she could feel Brandyn, his vital energy coursing through him, until only moments later he emerged, unceremoniously from the creature's mouth — covered head to toe in demon goop. Despite their circumstances, Briana couldn't help but let out a short, incredulous snort, though it was quickly overtaken by the reality of Rook's warning. The air around them seemed heavier, the ground quaking with the vibrations of the rift quickly destabilizing. Briana tightened her grip on her lightsaber and turned her attention to the retreat.

"Let's regroup with the others and get the Frak out of here, follow Rook."

​

 

[Rook Merriex]

​

Location: Theed, Naboo
Objective 2: Form a Beachhead
Tags: Brandyn Sal-Soren | Briana Sal-Soren | Lily Decoria

​

"Back out the way we came," Rook said curtly. Time was of the essence here, but luckily for them, there was no fancy methodology in order to get back. Even with the archdemon dead, the portal would work the same until it inevitably collapsed. If they ended up on the wrong side, however, that would be a different story - one she hoped not to tell.

Rook walked with the victorious Shirayan Knights, but she kept her distance. She knew that her arrival was viewed as strange at best, and suspect at worst. Were it not for Brandyn Sal-Soren being the one to find her first, she'd have likely been jailed by Royal Intelligence. They might even have thought her an accomplice of the interlopers who threatened Theed once again. Rook was lost in these thoughts when she heard Briana Sal-Soren a short distance away, directing her Padawan Lily Decoria to follow. The purple-eyed woman glanced back and tried a comforting smile.

"You did well today," she said to Lily. She looked to Briana and nodded praise to her as well. "Defeating an archdemon and stopping an incursion is no small feat. It's good to know that Theed is protected by those who will stand against the Netherworld."

 

[Elias Edo]

​

Tags: Efret Farr
Objective 2: Establish a Beachhead
Location: NABOO

Elias snapped his head back to face Efret, then followed her point to the fractured sky. He was no expert on the Netherworld by any means, but one didn't have to be to realize what was happening. Pebbles rumbled on the ground and the sky splintered overhead. This place was growing unstable and there was no way to know how long they had left or what would happen if they didn't make it back in time. Elias threw his hand around toward the tentacled creature, shoving it back with a muffled yet still potent Force push. It stumbled -or perhaps slid?- backward, giving the Jedi a brief moment to break away and grab Efret's hand.

He only made it a few steps before a scratchy, guttural voice penetrated his mind. It started as a sharp, gravelly whisper in the back of his skull that tingled and stung its way past his temples before settling behind his eyes. "Do you really want to leave, Elias Edo?" it asked.

"You're so very good at leaving. You did it so well when you left your men to die at the hands of... mmh, yes, the Empire."

Elias' fingertips slipped from Efret's. His feet slowed from a sprint to a jog, then to a reluctant walk. He turned to face the demon, anger boiling behind his golden irises. It was fueled and stoked by the demon's disembodied taunting. "You left your followers behind on Dagobah as well. Do you remember the way they screamed for your help? Do you remember not being there to save them? I know you do. I can see it. I can taste it."

"That's not true," Elias growled. "Get out of my head!"

"You'll have to cut me out, Elias Edo," the demon returned. But before it could torment him further, Elias was dashing back toward it with his blade at the ready. With a short flick of his wrist, he brought the lightsaber diagonally through its midsection, then straight up, bisecting it into a wide obtuse angle. As it slid apart, its voice rasped a chilling final threat: "Welcome home."

Elias wasted no more time with the demon. By the time he'd finished it and fixed his gaze on Efret, she was a good distance away - and the portal they came through was growing smaller by the second. Elias burst into a relentless sprint, pushing his body hard. His muscles were screaming under the intensity, burning as he pushed them to their limits and then demanded more through the Force. The logical side of his mind had already realized he would not make it. 'Welcome home' was not an ill-fated quip from a dying demon, it was a promise from the legion.

"Efret!" he screamed, but he knew she couldn't hear him. She was barely going to make it as it was, and him? There was no chance. Not now. He let his anger and shame guide his hand, but all his hand did was tighten the noose. "Efret!"

He was close to her now, but not nearly close enough to pass through. She was, though, if only after a little push...

... and so he pushed her.

A wave of Force energy propelled the woman through the portal just before it became too narrow to pass through. Elias' boots skidded across the cracking brimstone just inches away. If he tried to go through now, the portal would close with him partway through it - a fate he chose to spare himself, and Efret, from enduring. Instead, with the final few moments before the gateway between worlds collapsed, Elias reached into his pocket for the parcel he'd brought with him. Inside was a golden blossom, an eternal flower known as the Picture of a Lady. Native only to Cathar, found at the tops of the jungle's mightiest trees.

It was a symbol of eternal devotion. Of honor and respect. Kindness and love. It was a pledge, and he'd climbed to claim it for her. He'd dreamt of the moment she would open the parcel, of how the flower's gentle petals would reflect in her eyes. He'd practiced signing the worlds "I love you, Efret Farr" a thousand times, just for that moment.

As it passed through the portal without him, he couldn't help but cry. And then, in an instant, there was no more portal. No more gateway to Naboo. Only the endless hellscape of the Netherworld beyond was there for him to see. He fell to his knees, and softly said, "I'm so sorry, Efret Farr."

 

[Lily Decoria]

​

Location: Naboo
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Crossguard Lightsaber, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed)
Tag: Briana Sal-Soren | Rook Merriex | Brandyn Sal-Soren

Lily sighed deeply when she heard her Master downplay her injuries and act as if everything was okay. It was a stubbornness that rubbed off on Lily who would often do the same when she was in a similar position. In fact, her Master had been furious when Lily overdid it with her training when she was recovering from the torture she had suffered under the Mandalorian Enclave. Pushing her body too hard, too quickly after she had returned to the New Jedi Order.

"Uh huh, well lets see what the healer says before I accept your assessment." Lily stated bluntly, not wanting to leave her Master behind, Lily purposefully lingered and made sure that she was the one that covered the rear, not Briana.

When ordered to head up to Rook, Lily noticed that Briana was lingering a look over to the situation and she coughed loudly. "After you Master." Lily gestured for Briana to lead the way, "no heroic sacrifices for either of us here." Lily growled, she was not going to watch her Master leave her to deal with some more nether monsters. That was not happening. Either they left together or they were stuck here together. That was the decision in Lily's mind.

 

[Efret Farr]

OBJECTIVE: Establish a Beachhead
Escape the Rift

None of the pain registered at first—not the jolt in her knees, not the muscles slightly jammed across her upper back, not the scrapes on her palms. She didn't even realize yet that her vision bond with Nirrah was severed as she looked down at the tan pavement of the plaza. As she desperately flipped around, she unknowingly smeared a small amount of her blood over the street. Elias' parcel connected with her chest, bouncing softly into her lap. It went unacknowledged for now too.

She couldn't see him, only the glowing edges of the rift quickly disappearing into the void in the center of her vision. Just as she shifted her head in hopes of glimpsing him out of her peripherals, the Netherworld's connection to reality blinked out of it.

Efret made a strange sound, surprise stuck in her throat as she tried to understand what had brought her here: from a foot bridge over a peaceful river into a waking nightmare and back. Her mind worked over the last thirty minutes of her day multiple times in the space of just a few moments. Then comprehension snapped into her.

Elias was gone, Nirrah with him.

She scrambled to her knees, setting her gift aside to she could walk forward and reach up to where the portal had been mere moments before.

Was it just her, the pulse strong against her chest, the adrenaline fizzling into shock throughout her body, or did the air still feel warm with the energy of the world that lay beyond?

A burning wail pushed its way out of her throat clenched with grief.

In some of the planters that bordered the plaza, ornamental flowers and bushes sprouted healthy, new growth.

Elias Edo
Exit thread​

 

[Ruus Kote]

Friendly Units:
'Mirshir'verd'jurkad'gam' and 'Ysalamiri Birikad' Nutrient Frames have been issued force wide.

• 3 squadrons of Busayr-class Heavy Assault Transports
  
  • Lead squadron: I'dadr squadron
• 3 squadrons of Jai'galaar-class Fighter-bombers
  
  • Lead squadron: Asmulr squadron
• 3 squadrons of Kyr'galaar-class Multi-role Fighters
  
  • Lead squadron: Kalikir squadron
• 1 squadron of Ram'ser-class Super-Heavy Bombers (Ash'amur)
• 2 Strill Securities Jurkad Verde Shere'shoy Mechanized Infantry companies
• 2 Strill Securities Jurkad Verde Kad b' Marev Armored Battalion companies
• Ruus Kote's HQ Company

Units in Reserve:

• 2 Strill Securities Jurkad Verde Shere'shoy Mechanized Infantry companies
• 2 Strill Securities Jurkad Verde Kad b' Marev Armored Battalion companies
• Nyles Kote and the Darasuum Morut in orbit.

Tag(s): Aiden Porte | Kahne Porte | Lysander von Ascania | Gil Horn | Kalantha | Mother Askani | Dagos Terrek | Neeva Dran

Equipment

• Armor:​
  • 'Verd'jurkad'gam'​
    • Left Vambrace:​
      • NML-02VTB Nano missile Launcher​
      • PC-05V Plasma Caster​
  • Right Vambrace:​
    • TBP-01V Tractor-Pressor Beam Projector​
    • MML-01V Miniaturized Missile Launcher​
      • 4x Cretanr'ika-lcass Guided Plasma Micro-missile​
      • 4x Striilir'ika-class Brilliant Micro-missile​
  • Back Mount: A-03S Verpine Shatter Autocannon​
• Weapons:​
  • B-01M Beskad​
  • M-06S 'Skirata' Mra'jitr (2)​
  • RP-05A Ripper Pistol w/ 'Kyrayc Sur'haai' Short Range Optic​
  • AR-2CQB Verpine Assault Rifle w/ UGL-02 Underbarrel Grenade Launcher and 'Kyrayc Sur'haai' Medium Range Optic ​
• Explosives:​
  • 3x CG-02 CryoBan Grenade​
  • 3x PG-02 Incendiary Plasma Grenade ​
  • 2x BG-02 Baradium Grenade​
  • 2x NGG-02 Nagnol Gas Grenade​
  • 2x AWCGG-02 Anti-Energy Weapon Countermeasure Gas Grenade​
• Implants:​
  • 'Verd' Enhancement Package​
  • 'Gar Tkiriyr' Neural Interface​

Buy'ce gal, buy'ce tal
Verbor'ad ures aliit
Mhi draar baat'i meg'parjii'se
Kote lo'shebs'ul narit.

​

The Mandalorians' response to the unnatural aggression and resilience and fortitude of the netherspawn was their response to more or less anything that was impolite enough to refuse to die; superior firepower. Ruus watched from his command tank's display as before long the local defense forces rallied behind their assault, helping shore up the perimeter that they'd created around the palace. Targets appeared, were quickly acquired and then vanished from his display, both the tactical and commander's display. This was a fairly by the book engagement, even if it was against an unconventional foe, there was little that he needed to do beyond watch the fireworks.

The seemingly endless hordes of nethersprawn seemed to finally have a number. "All callsigns, this is Ke'gyce 6, let's finish this up. Marev 6, start pulling the stragglers. Asmulr and Ashamur, make sure you keep them right where we want them, check your tactical display and double check with ground units for presence of friendlies and civilians. Shereshoy 6, make sure your lines hold, they'll be coming right at us." A chorus of "oya" and "elek" answered him.

The battle outside reached a fever pitch. Jai'galaar fighter-bombers made low passes while Ashamur's pilots rained in super-heavy mass-driver fire from afar. Missile use had been scarce, they were trying to help take back the city, not reduce it to rubble. Normally there'd be a lot of return fire, but Ruus had fought the unnatural forces of the netherworld and all manner of other unnatural shabuire before to know that more often than not when it came to fighting these things.

It'd be easy to assume that fighting an enemy that came to you was a very static form of warfare, but it wasn't a question of if they would reach your position, it was a question of when. When they did, it paid to be mobile. In melee, up close and personal, was precisely where they wanted to be. In close with Mandalorians was not where most people wanted to be, a few notable exceptions notwithstanding. These things however, were another case entirely. That suited them just fine, rapid maneuver warfare in the confines of an urban battlefield was something Strill could do in their sleep.

The commander station's display alerted him to Drar Kyrdol, Shereshoy Aurek 6's approach. Just to be sure, he checked the display to make sure that it was clear and then hit the hatch release switch. "Fresh batch, alor," said Drar, nodding in Neeva and those with her's direction. Without moving his head, Ruus glanced at Neeva, who he could see making her way over. Ruus wasn't quite sure what to make of her, but something told him there was a very good reason for the composure she'd managed to retain in a situation like this despite her immediate appearance not providing any apparent evidence for the same.

"I am thankful for you and your men Commander Ruus, without you, I would not be alive," She bowed her head in a display of respect for the commander, speaking in a soft monotone as she did so. "I am not a warrior by trade, but I can assist you if needs be. I can help manage things that need oversight, as well as taking on Administrative duties. Any non-combat roles you may need filling, simply ask for them..."

"It's Colonel, actually," said Ruus with a smirk spreading across his features under his buy'ce. "But I'll take all the help I can get. If you can help get these civilians out of harm's way and somewhere that's safer than out in the open, you'll be doing me and mine a big favor." The high pitched crack of his command tank's mass-drivers discharging punctuated his sentence as Ghes sent some horror back to haran where it belonged. "I'm on comms if you need me," he called after her as he saw positions shifting for the final assault as the enemy made one final effort. Or he sure hoped to the Manda that it was one final effort.

When the end came, it was quiet. Calm calls of "utrel'a" went out over the comms from the various company commanders before one final sweep was coordinated by Mirta and Aamer, after which, they both reported the same over the command channel. "Jate. Meet me back at the palace. Let's see if we can't have a talk about all this with whoever the shab's in charge." Ruus hopped out onto the tank's hull and then effortlessly dropped onto the ruined palace courtyard, walking toward the palace entrance, aware that Mirta and Aamer were soon to join him. He looked around to see if he could find Neeva, but didn't do more than that. The fact that the civilians were seemingly well out of harm's way told him enough.

 

[Thayze Montserrat]

|| HER, THE HERON HURIED AWAY ||
Head in the Clouds - Prologue
Closed​

THEED, NABOO

Thayze has been waiting for the Summit in Theed for a while now. As much as he knows that all the training sessions were instrumental in his rise as one of the Order’s most promising Padawans, he feels much more in tune in social settings with influential people on every corner. His Master could never relate to that side of Thayze. He is not one of his upbringings nor is he a big personality like Thayze is. A man from a humble beginning, making his name in imperceptible deeds rather than glamorous heroics. Yet despite of all the differences, the two still stand side-by-side at the Palace when the honorable guests are pouring in into the function. Naturally, Thayze takes all the attention between the two, initiating small talks with the Lords and Ladies, praising the flourishing economy of the region, flirting with young debutantes. It was all going well. Until a portal opened and with that, dozens of hellish hounds.

"Escort the guests to safety!"

"Let me fight besides you!"

"No Thayze, their safety comes first! That's an order!"

If only he knew that it was the last task his Master will ever give him. Covered by Jedi and the Royal Security Corps, Thayze disgruntedly help the guests reach the safe room.

"It won't take too long, the Order will seal the portal, and I'll invite you all to the first and best underwater nightclub in the galaxy, all on me!"

Thayze joked and entertained the frightened visitors, that's all he could do. Deep inside, he is also doing it for himself. He had to distract himself from the looming uneasy feeling of the what ifs. He is a Jedi after all, he can sense doom from miles ahead. And so, he continues to joke, entertain, and wait. Until the door was opened by Security Corps officers, signs of relieve on their face. It was successful endeavor for the Royal Naboo Republic, at least statistically.

Yet the reality behind the statistics, are the real people, the individuals who make up the number. While visitors sighed in relieve, Thayze waited once more, 15 minutes that felt like 24 hours. Of course, his nightmare comes true. They found his Master's body, ravaged by a pack of beasts from all sides while protecting civilians. Out of everyone, it had to be his Master. When you are playing dice with Gods, even the smallest chance of failure would magically come to life and wreck your world like you would never imagine before.

And so, a city celebrates while a young man mourns, all alone. Isn't that cruel? Such is life in a galaxy, far far away.​

​

 

[Rook Merriex]

​

Location: Theed, Naboo
Objective 2: Form a Beachhead
Tags: Briana Sal-Soren | Lily Decoria

​

Rook slowed her pace to trail behind the pair of Jedi and the rest of the Shirayans, both to guard The group’s rear and to bid one final farewell to the horrid realm that had become her home for all these years. She wasn’t going to miss it, she hated this place and everything in it, but - she would miss it. It was a barren hellscape and a mockery of the world she left behind, but it was familiar. Predictable, in a lot of ways.

She’s dreamed of going back home, but five minutes in Theed under the careful eye of Brandyn Sal-Soren made her realize that the home she remembered was gone. People she cared about had moved on, or even died. She was alone, and suddenly, it didn’t seem all that different to where she’d been before.

“The portal’s closing!” one of the Knights announced. It put a pep in the others, but they didn’t need to rush. They were close enough to the rift to pass through without leaving anyone behind. “Time to go,” Rook said to herself. Her eyes trailed over the crumbling vista in the distance, then she turned to follow the Jedi through the swirling darkness that would take them back.