Campaign Shadow Over the Rim: Tund

[Revna]

Objective: The Arks; play with the Jedi for a bit
Gear: same as before
Tags: Jackson Lesan



A small smile touched her lips when she was finally able to coax the young Jedi to commit to a dance of blades with her. He deflected her strike and made a lunge with his saber for her chest, which she saw coming and reacted to instantly, parrying the thrust to force his blade away and to the side before aiming a swift kick towards his knee that was closest to her and following that with another stab of her own, saying as she did so with a goading smirk:

“Blue is a nice color…but red would look better for you, I think.”

Swordplay always exhilarated her, even in such a tense situation as this, and despite her seemingly almost playful attitude given the circumstances, she still held her focus on the fight, channeling the anger and frustration she felt into her movements and speed, allowing them to make her more fierce and her strikes more strong than what her small stature might suggest. She kept the swell of her emotions under control, as she knew what happened when she was consumed by her stronger feelings. There was a place and a time for unleashing more violent emotions…and she felt that this little spar did not require her to tap so deeply into such things. That didn’t mean she was underestimating the Jedi before her. She knew better than to do that; she was simply feeling him out, getting to know him and how he chose to fight her.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Objective: See who is playing in the backyard
Tags: Darth Strosius Commodore Helix (since he's in space)

It had taken a few hours for news to reach Erilnar of what was occurring on Tund along with the distress call from the planetary defense forces, but such attacks were bound to draw the attention of the recovering Centrality and its benefactors. One such benefactor was very interested to see who exactly was active in her backyard, as it were, considering the significant corporate resources she had present in the sector.

Tund was an odd choice for an attack to begin with. Its history as a refuge and planet of the Sith was well known, and it was also known how the Sorcerers of Tund had developed into their own sect before they had been wiped out by some sort of radioactive bioweapon or Force technique. Then the Bryn'adul had come and terraformed the world during their attacks, actually giving it some life again that the settlers of the Scarred Worlds were trying to build upon. Aurora Industries and Spaarti Creations had supported and continued to support those efforts, along with studying Bryn'adul specimens and technology. An attack in the region was hardly going to go unnoticed by her for long.

The only warning would be sensors on the flotilla in orbit for the attackers alerting them to hyperspace reversions. Several Shockwave-class cruisers accompanied by Delita-class and Orran-class frigates and Anubys-class corvettes would arrive, disgorging escorting Aeros fighters and Aevis interceptors in a recognizably practiced way. The commander of the responding Aurora Industries built fleet, a tall Korun male in a dark officer's uniform, would make an announcement over all frequencies.

"Unidentified forces, this is Aurora Defense on behalf of the Centrality and Lady Raaf. You are to stand down and explain your presence in system or be fired upon."

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: The Arks
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Robes
Tags: Commodore Helix / Taeli Raaf

With the aid of the droids bringing in a mechanized contingent that the Sith forces were lacking themselves, the grinding progress that he had initially been expecting was proving to be far quicker than anticipated. There were still plenty of surprises of course, ambushes that took chunks out of the advancing columns and firefights over open areas that were starting to stretch into longer periods as the seconds ticked by, and of course the occasional halt as a trap or mine was triggered, but overall still smoother than he had planned for.

"Icing on the cake indeed." Darth Strosius glanced at where the evacuation ships were highlighted on the map, roughly in the city center where what had once been the main administrative spaceport was now serving as the last bastion of the planet's government. In truth there was little stopping him from sending the order to just destroy the transports, even just disabling the engines with precise strafing runs wouldn't be all that difficult. And indeed if they started to take off then that would occur to keep them grounded, but it wasn't his first choice. That would be too easy. That would be what a conqueror would do. But a revolt wouldn't take such measures, no a revolt would breach into the pocket and drag out the heads of state so that their punishments could be done for all to see. So that was what they must do,

The prisoners were starting to flow in as well and as such some of the reserves were being splintered off to handle them, gathering surrendering soldiers and frightened civilians alike into parking complexes and shopping plazas where they would be overseen and held until the fighting stopped. More than likely they'd be detained for a good few days until the last conflicts on the planet were reduced to smaller skirmishes with individual holdouts, so he'd have to look into arranging for some proper bedding and food to be supplied to their holding areas before the end of the day. It wasn't ideal but until they could get the new government established it would have to do.

"Very good work Commodore, progress is decent but I think we should redirect-" He was cut short as a blinking light and noise popped up on the console, a request for a communication to be answered appearing and disrupting the view of the map. The masked man sighed and accepted it with a simple tap of a button. "Report." :"A fleet has appeared in orbit High Priest!": He tensed, his hands gripping the console as he muttered a curse under his breath. Interlopers were quicker to act than he had expected.

:"They're transmitting-": "Patch it through to me, now." They had come too far to be halted at the final hurdle, all they needed was another day to finish off the main remnants of the planet's defense forces and Tund would be in Sith hands once more. Nothing was going to set them back now. The message, or more of an ultimatum really, made his teeth grind together as he hissed out a name like some vile poison. "Raaf." Of course it had to be related to her in some way. They never did finish their business back on Krayiss Two, and now it seemed as though it had come back to bite him.

He seethed for another moment before straightening up and shaking off his anger, appearing composed and calm as he opened up communications with the fleet. :"Aurora Defense this is Darth Strosius, Lord Inquisitor of the Sith Order's Holy Inquisition, and these forces are mine. This Centrality is unfamiliar to me but I do know of Aurora and Lady Raaf. This is a Sith operation and if there is any discussion to be had in regards to it then I shall only do so with Lady Raaf herself, otherwise my forces will continue as they are and any attempts to fire upon them or halt them will be met with appropriate force in return.": Hopefully that should buy some more time.

 

[Commodore Helix]

Tags: Darth Strosius Taeli Raaf​

Helix restrained an 'I told you so' with great effort, instead simply listening to the warning transmissions from his own droids in orbit.

Binary data flooded his mind. A decent-sized little war flotilla. Far more ships than he had brought for what was supposed to be a quick and easy knockout. If he lost them, it would pinch, as they had not yet undergone retrofitting, but he would survive. "Stand by." He told his crews simply, before turning to his employer.

"This complication poses some issues." He said, selecting his words very carefully. "It may be prudent to hold the citizenry in the square hostage to make them rethink any aggressive action, just in case their leader does not agree to your terms." By Strosius' response, he inferred that the interloper was not exactly a stranger to him, and that perhaps he'd even half-expected this development without mentioning it. This was something of a breach of professional courtesy.

"In case they do not, or if this interloper is the sort not to care about collateral as you do, it would also be wise to consider alternate strategies." He calculated a fairly slim chance the newcomer would be willing to parlay in this way, and if he was wrong, it would be the first time today his calculations had come up incorrect. "I can retask the fighters back to space, but they won't do more than buy time, at this stage, should violence break out. I cannot speak for the value of your own orbiting assets, but I calculate an 89.16% chance that my own would lose in a protracted battle, albeit inflict some losses. Said battle might buy us time to bring in reinforcements, however, if you have them to spare." He mentally flipped through a list of his own free assets. Only the Symmetry was free, and he wasn't risking her to take one wretched mudball.

He turned his gaze away from the room he was in, his enormous mechanized intelligence turning over the problem as he viewed the naval situation his crews in orbit were showing him. "Unless you believe you can reason with this 'Raaf'."

 

[Jackson Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Revna

Red!? Wait… was this chick really trying to convince him to join the Sith… again!? She did not give up, at least he could say that about her. There was a certain tenacity it took to be what she was, to be Sith, and he supposed that meant it took just as much to remain a Jedi. His resolve was there. So many Lesan’s had been a Jedi, and to his knowledge there had only been one to have fallen. That Lesan was no longer alive as far as anyone knew.

Her foot collided with his knee.

“Ouch!”

This was certainly not a spar where his opponent was going to take it easy. Still, he did not expect her to kick so hard. It really hurt. The impact also forced him down on his knee. A quick high rise block with his saber deflected her blade easily.

Once again attacked.

This time as he stood, he stepped toward her and swung his blade at her neck. This was not a kind battle at all. They were trying to kill each other…

Kill…

Did a Jedi kill?

“Hey hold on a minute… other than the fact that Jedi and Sith are supposed to be enemies… why are we doing this? I mean… I am not sure I am supposed to be trying to kill you.”

 

[Revna]

Objective: The Arks;
Gear: same as before
Tags: Jackson Lesan


While Revna had hoped her kick would cause the Jedi some distress, she was still briefly surprised that it had actually worked. His leg buckled under him and he dropped to a knee before her, blocking and deflecting her blade with his saber before it could bite into him. He kept her at bay long enough to get back to his feet, stepping towards her as he took a vicious swipe with his saber towards her neck. Once more the little Acolyte reacted almost instantly, bending her body out of the way just enough to avoid having her throat burned open, or worse-decapitated completely.

She fully expected him to push his attack against her, but then he faltered and spoke and his words caught her by surprise-enough that she broke away from him and put distance between them, holding her blade in a defensive guard as she regarded him in suspicious silence. Surely this had to be a trick, right? Make her drop her guard enough to launch an attack against her that she wasn’t prepared for?

Yet…he didn’t come at her with another assault. His blue saber hummed, and she looked from it to his face. He seemed to question why they were fighting at all in the moment, and he questioned his reasons for trying to kill her.

“ ‘Why are we doing this’?” She echoed his words back at him tonelessly. Revna tilted her head at him and her brows dipped in a frown before she stood a little straighter and her blade slowly dipped until its point was facing the compacted ground under her feet. His words made her think, and before she could stop herself, the words just flowed from her mouth, those things that had been sitting on her heart this entire time. “Well, you tried to stop me from helping an orphan boy get to a safer place, and it aggravated me. You didn’t understand what I was trying to do. You didn’t believe me when I tried to explain, and you questioned my reasons for what I am doing, why I am here with my Mentor and his troops, which only further frustrated me.” She responded with honesty, her voice hard at first before it softened, as did her eyes. “But…I can’t blame you for questioning, for not believing, Jedi. The Sith have been responsible for atrocities for millennia, so I suppose you assumed that we…I and my Mentor and those aligned under his banner…are committing atrocities here simply because we call ourselves Sith.”

She sighed, exhaling her breath heavily. She still did not let her guard down completely, but her momentum to fight him was rapidly disappearing. “I and my Mentor are…different…than the wider Sith you’ve no doubt been taught about. We are…outsiders in our own Order because of things we believe and what we do.” She paused again and continued to regard the young man before her before speaking once more. “And…perhaps we are 'doing this'...because it is what is expected of us, as rivals, as enemies. Jedi verses Sith…the eternal war waged that seemingly has no end in sight. If I can be honest with you…I also took this opportunity to fight you because I need the experience, first of all. I was…rather excited to actually fight one, to test my mettle, my skills, against a fellow warrior. And second of all…in my nearly thirty cycles of being alive in this galaxy, you are the first Jedi I've ever seen. In fact, I'd never even heard of the Jedi until I met my Sith Mentor. Did he try to instill a measure of hatred for your kind into me? Absolutely. Just as I am sure your mentors and teachers have tried to indoctrinate into you that the Sith are all evil and should all be wiped out of existence and killed. I recall telling my Mentor that whenever I came across a Jedi…I would show no compassion, no mercy…because none was ever shown to me by your kind. As a victim, it hurts to know that there are people out there…people trained and meant to help people like me…and they weren’t there when I needed them the most. I think that my anger is justified, and I took this moment to take my anger out on you. I…don’t know why I am saying any of this to you. I don’t suppose you care to hear any of this at all.” Revna said bitterly, her stormy eyes turning more somber and haunted as a couple of tears dripped down her cheek. She held her silence for a few moments later, turning her face away from the Jedi as she tried to wrestle herself under control once more. She hadn’t expected this to happen, hadn’t expected to say what she had said. But she couldn’t recall the words, so she left them to hang between the two of them, for better or worse.

The young woman began to hear the sounds of heavy, metallic footsteps and a quick probe with the Force told her that droid forces were on their way, moving street to street, reinforcements from a contract her Mentor had made with someone before the campaign had commenced. She knew that time was drawing to a close for this encounter between her and the Jedi. She knew that she either needed to resume the fight and try to finish it, or they needed to go their separate ways. She felt confliction boiling within her, and she didn’t really know what to do with it. On one hand…this was a Jedi…her supposed enemy, someone whom she should hate and want to kill. But on the other…he was a lot like her. Young, inexperienced, and with a whole life ahead of him.

She also wasn’t expecting him to be so, well…handsome. And she really felt it would be a shame to destroy such a good looking man. Everything clashed within her, and instead of exploding with chaotic emotions and losing herself to them…she simply went numb. Maybe the words she spoke to him now would have meaning; perhaps they would plant a seed, and he would come to question what he had been taught, and try to figure things out for himself. Maybe...they would open the door for further conversation between the two of them. Because, even though she knew she shouldn't feel this way, she really wanted to get to know him more.

 

[Jackson Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Revna

"But that's not fair," he retorted.

Jackson sympathized, but he was smart enough to know that the Jedi could not be everywhere at the same time, and as much as they wanted to end all suffering, it was not possible. There would always be those the Jedi could not save, and as such innocents would still be mistreated. They were not divine.

"I'm sorry you suffered, but you realize the Jedi can't save everyone. The Sith can't even do that. You saved that boy, which I thought I was trying to do, but how many were you unable to save?"

He was not about to accept she was Sith simply because of an unrealistic expectation that not even she could live up to. There was something deeper than that. Yes, she was angry, angry at those who made her suffer. The Sith offered the power to get even. Was it really that simple? Fortunately Jackson harbored nothing which could be used to exploit him in that way. She would find it hard to convince him to be Sith, because the allure of power and vengeance held no sway over him.

So then why was he afraid of falling? Jedi preached a message that equated to being vigilant lest they fall, but why did they have to? He was not sure either of them had the answer to why they were fighting each other aside from the obvious which had already been laid out. It was a misunderstanding. It was also confusing. Jackson did not want to kill the Sith, but he could not let her go.

He pulled his place back up.

"You're still hurting these people. I cannot let that continue."

Jackson took a step forward.

"You're still under arrest."

 

[Revna]

Objective: The Arks; say good-bye to the Jedi
Gear: same as before
Tags: Jackson Lesan


“Don't lie to me, Jedi! You and I both know you feel nothing for what I endured. My suffering means chit to you.” Revna retorted back sharply in response to his words about her suffering. She made no remark towards his statement about the Jedi, nor her kind, being able to save anyone. He was right in that regard, but she didn't have the time to continue this enlightening conversation with him which would only continue to go around in the same circle and get them nowhere. She sighed heavily and shook her head; of course, she had to be foolish and get into this kind of conversation with a Jedi here-while in the middle of an active warzone, of all places. But, live and learn, she told herself. At least this was proving to be an eye-opening experience for her, and she was learning something. She was learning that the Jedi, at least…this Jedi…could be as stubborn and stuck in their ways as she could be, and it really wasn't worth the headache in trying to talk (reason?) with one.

Oh if her Mentor learned about this whole little situation, she was sure he would give her an earful about it.

She returned her gaze back to him, her blade still before her in a half-guard. She wasn’t going to be so foolish as to sheathe it while they were still engaging one another. “It is a shame someone as handsome as you could be so blind. I’ll tell you what would have happened to that boy if you had saved him. He would have been abandoned at the shuttles at best because he is an orphan who isn’t valued by anyone here, or at worst he would have preyed upon and enslaved wherever he and the others would have been taken if they were allowed to leave this place. The powers that be here-which will soon no longer be in power thanks to our efforts-know of others just like him and they did nothing! They allow the suffering to persist like this. Trample on them, use them as fodder for their own gain, and I will not tolerate it and I will do my part to end it. At least I know that he will get fed, clothed, and placed in a creche. You would have only perpetuated his suffering, possibly even allowed him to be enslaved, thinking you were doing him some good.” Her eyes blazed at the thought, the idea of the little boy being chained down and enslaved evoking a deep seated hatred within her.

Distant blaster fire suddenly echoed through the empty streets and alleyways, shots coming from the enemy side which were quickly silenced. Her mind briefly went back to the boy she had carried to safety, and made a mental note to check up on him when all this was said and over. But she needed to deal with this Jedi problem first.

The Jedi spoke again, telling her that she was still hurting people here, and her eyes and face hardened as her anger flared back to life. She could tell he wasn’t going to give up, especially when he said he couldn’t let her continue. She had to hand it to him…at least he stayed true to his beliefs. Just like she was sticking to hers.

“You have no room to say that we are hurting people when you refuse to learn and see the truth for yourself!” she snarled, her eyes now blazing like an inferno. She was not going to stop doing what she was doing. She knew that she and her Mentor were right in this, not to mention ancient and traditionally Sith worlds belonged to the Sith…belonged to her and her Lord. These people were theirs to care for, to rule over, as they saw fit. And no Jedi was going to change that, as noble as he thought he was being.

Revna moved with sudden swiftness and a honed, controlled fury that she channeled into her movement and her blade. She shifted last second to the side to avoid impaling herself on his humming saber and slashed out towards his face with vicious intent, hoping to leave him a scar to remember her by. A scar she would recognize should they ever cross paths again, since she had decided to let him live against her better judgment.

“Go back to your precious Order and your Core worlds, Jedi!” She snarled savagely and as she said this she unleashed the power and energy that had been building up within her this entire time, letting it rip from her in a powerful Force blast that would hopefully send him flying from her and crashing into the opposite building across the street with enough force to crack bone.

Hopefully that would get the message across, and send him scurrying back to whatever hole he came from.

Unfortunately, their little dispute had caught unwanted attention, and as soon as she unleashed the blast, blaster fire from a trio of City Security forces began to pepper the surrounding area, firing at both her and the Jedi. She internally smirked at this; clearly the forces here weren’t too keen on a Jedi being around either and were just as willing to kill him as they were her.

The little Sith turned her battle lust to the three firing in her and the Jedi’s direction, and her rage turned lethal as she used the Force to crush the throat of one before she propelled herself at the remaining two, her leap aided by her blessings in the Force. Her Sith sword plunged through the sternum of one Security soldier, and as she ripped the blade free, she pulled from deep within her-just like she had been taught by her Mentor-and channeled the anger that had been festering into her hand to unleash a torrent of purple tinged Force Lightning directly into the face of the remaining enemy soldier. He shrieked in pain and his body contorted as the lethal currents passed through him before dropping dead at her feet, the scent of ozone and charred flesh filling the air. In killing them, she had possibly saved the young man’s life...though she highly doubted he would see it that way.

Revna cast a fiery, molten look back at the Jedi before she pulled her Force presence in towards herself in an attempt to hide herself from his probing senses as she once more slipped back into the shadows. If he did manage to follow her…then he would find himself deep in enemy territory, surrounded by loyal troopers and legionnaires to her Mentor…and perhaps even face to face with the Sith Lord himself.

If he managed to make it that far and still be alive.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Objective: Clean Up the Backyard/Educate
Tags: Darth Strosius Commodore Helix
Forces Deployed:
Shockwave-class Missile Cruisers, Delita-class Heavy Frigates, Orran-class Esscort Frigates, Anubys-class Heavy Corvettes
Aeros Fighters, Aevis Interceptors

The Korun commander of the flotilla waited for a response from the attacker's leader, and he did not have long to wait as the voice came through the comms:

"Aurora Defense this is Darth Strosius, Lord Inquisitor of the Sith Order's Holy Inquisition, and these forces are mine. This Centrality is unfamiliar to me but I do know of Aurora and Lady Raaf. This is a Sith operation and if there is any discussion to be had in regards to it then I shall only do so with Lady Raaf herself, otherwise my forces will continue as they are and any attempts to fire upon them or halt them will be met with appropriate force in return."

When the message ended, the Korun half turned to the holographic image of the aforementioned Lady herself projected from Erilnar. She was wearing an amused expression as she processed what had been said and who was commanding the attack. He turned his attention back to the tactical display, highlighting the ancient Providence-class and the three equally ancient Munificent-class frigates along with the escorting fighters and bombers.

"I'll give him this, he's audacious," Taeli remarked. "Do we have a lock on his location from the transmission, Commander?"

"Yes, my Lady. We can transmit to it directly as needed," the Korun affirmed. "Analysis of the space assault force is mainly droid forces along with additional fighter craft and bombers we're identifying as produced on Formos. We may take some losses from the Providence, but we could breakthrough what they have in regard to naval assets. Then it would just be a matter of waiting for the Centrality's response force to retake the ground if we did not want to deploy our own."

"Very well, hold off on engaging for the moment. I'll speak with their commander," she remarked. "Patch me through."

It would not be nearly as much time as Alisteri was likely hoping for as the image of Taeli Raaf, Darth Arcanix, would appear in front of him. Her arms were crossed, whether out of irritation or exasperation would be for the masked Lord Inquisitor to figure out, although her expression was one of amusement. She would notice the tactical droid near Alisteri, likely the origin of the droid forces. If he had any contact with the Holonet, a quick data search would reveal who she was and her reputation.

"To answer your question, Alisteri, the Centrality is the sector government for the worlds in this region of space that form a loose confederation that Tund is a part of as part of the continued recovery operations in this region after the Bryn'adul. It has not been an insignificant investment to rebuild these worlds after they were decimated and recovery is still ongoing" Her expression would turn more serious. "And then reports come in that a world at the very edge of their space, at the end of the local hyperlanes, was under attack. Just what were you thinking launching an attack like this with hardly any naval assets on this planet and allowing a distress call to get out? We both know this is not a sanctioned mission from the Emperor otherwise you would have brought forces from the south. Were you hoping to stage it as a local revolt or did you have some other idea on how you would have held this world? Explain it to me... now."

The last word would echo with the experience of having fought in multiple wars and her position within the Sith Order.

 

[Jackson Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Revna

She was wrong, wrong about so many things. There was no way she could know that he did not care about her suffering. It was a heartless thing to say or think. Of course he cared. Just because Jax had not experienced it did not mean he found no remorse in the idea that one sentient being could force their will upon another. The brutality of living things was something Jackson despised the most about free will.

Could he stop it?

Sometimes.

Revna was also wrong about what would have happened to the boy. She assumed, incorrectly, that Jackson would abandon him to some local authority. Maybe he would have, but maybe he would not have. It was something he didn't even know if he were honest in the moment. All he knew was the Sith were not the best option. The woman could have been right though to some degree…

Maybe the Sith were not the worst option

Everything moved fast. There was no reasoning or rebuttal she would hear, so Jax simply attempted his arrest once more.

He moved.

She moved.

Her movement came with an attack, or an attempted defense. It did not truly matter as her blade tore through his skin. Pain radiated from the right side of his face. Immediately the Jedi dropped his training saber, the blade silenced as the safety switch turned it off. He reached for the wound and watched as the woman fled the number of troops which closed on their position.

Fortunately for Jackson they were friendly to the Jedi. They were not the monsters the Sith had been there to stop. A soothing Bacta patch was placed over the eye, and pressed firmly to cover the nasty cut.

"This will help numb the pain and heal it, but you're gonna have a scar."

Jax nodded.

"As long as I don't lose the eye."

"Won't know that til we get a healer to look at you. C'mon boy, let's get you to a medical frigate."

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: The Arks
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Robes
Tags: Commodore Helix / Taeli Raaf

"I can count the amount of Sith that care about civilian hostages in my head without pause or hesitation Commodore, because they all serve me." While that wasn't entirely true, he highly doubted that Taeli Raaf would care all that much about a few hundred or even thousand civilian lives. From what little he knew of her she seemed very practically minded and inclined, so a few civilian casualties in exchange for eliminating a rogue and interloping element would probably be a fine trade for her. Even he had made such a decision before.

Thankfully the Commodore had another solution, that being trying to buy time with what few naval assets they had at present while he called for aid. "It's not the worst idea...but I doubt that even with your ships and mine working together that we could hold off this flotilla for anything more than a few hours at best." He sighed and drummed his fingers on the console as he tried to think of how they could best fend off the forces of Aurora. "My fleets nearby are currently spread out into raiding groups to hunt pirates and cartel patrols. It'll take far too much time to gather a fleet with enough firepower to challenge them, Aurora ships are hardy and armed to the teeth."

If there were any planetary defenses or satellites that could be brought to bear then they'd be valuable assets, but in order to ensure that the invasion would go smoothly such assets had been taken down or sabotaged and rendered useless before the initial landings and uprising began. "I doubt I can reason with the likes of her, but hopefully she'll take the time to attend to me personally given my apparent slight. That will buy us time." Time that was ticking by and running out by the second. He quickly began making calls and summons for a battlegroup to be assembled to reinforce Tund, but he knew that it was unlikely for them to arrive before Helix's ships and their fighters were all gone if a battle were to break out.

Unfortunately the image of Taeli Raaf herself would be patched through to his communication's console far quicker than he had thought, the map of the city and the situation in orbit fading out to give the Sith their full attention. He growled as his eyes narrowed at her projection, finding the crossed arms and mixed expression to be idly reminiscent of some disappointed figure of authority. As if he was about to be scolded like an unruly Acolyte.

Which, much to his frustration, he soon was.

"An explanation? You come to meddle in my affairs and make demands of me?" Darth Strosius scoffed, not bothering to note the irony in his own words in regards to the situation that he currently found himself in. "I am no puppet of Empyrean's! I don't need his approval, his acknowledgment, nor his forces to accomplish the goals of the Sith. I highly doubt this 'Centrality' of yours is any more sanctioned by the wider Sith Order than my actions here are!" The gall that he would be talked down to, even with her hanging a fleet over his head in orbit, was insulting.

"If you must know, I'm doing my duty as a Sith! Bringing worlds that were once underneath our banner in ages past back into our fold, giving the downtrodden and mistreated a chance to reclaim their rightful place as Sith once more. Especially if that means that the current rulers are in need of usurpation so that Sith rule can be established without interference." The masked man crossed his arms and held his head high as he spoke, hoping that his blazing glare would carry through both his mask and her hologram. "Why have you failed to do so despite having ties to this sector's governing body hm? Why is this Centrality not counted amongst the Sith worlds already?"

 

[Commodore Helix]

Tags: Darth Strosius Taeli Raaf /Open​

Helix would've blinked in surprise if he possessed the means to do so. He listened to them argue on about whether Strosius had a right to his actions or not. Well, it wasn't that surprising, come to think of it. He'd had a sneaking suspicion that this operation wasn't exactly... sanctioned by the wider Order. The relatively light assets being deployed by his employer did suggest he wasn't enjoying much (if any) wider support. That also handily explained why he had been hired.

He sent out some mental feelers, pinging various droids in his command network and exchanging a high-speed blizzard of information from the holonet. Well, that confirmed it. Strosius was almost certainly a rogue element, if the data he'd gathered on the woman currently haranguing the man was true. Under normal circumstances, he didn't dig too far into his clients' affairs in this manner. Discretion was a large part of his fee. He didn't usually ask or even care about the 'why' of things. The leaving out of this pertinent information was making him rethink this practice.

He checked and re-checked if he had any more vessels available. His assets were considerable, but he had many clients, and they were spread out all over the galaxy. It was a question of if it were worth leaving other efforts understrength for this one, and of if it would make any difference with the modern warships still under construction or scattered too far away to matter. And, of course, if they'd get here in the short time it would take for the hostile admiral to draw issue with Strosius' tone and strike them from orbit.

This would prove inconvenient to his continued employment, to say nothing of his wider goals. Therefore, he stayed silent for the moment. There was nothing he could add to this discussion that would not at best have no benefit, and at worst simply make things worse. He focused instead on coming up with possible solutions.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Objective: Clean Up the Backyard/Educate
Tags: Darth Strosius Commodore Helix
Forces Deployed:
Shockwave-class Missile Cruisers, Delita-class Heavy Frigates, Orran-class Esscort Frigates, Anubys-class Heavy Corvettes
Aeros Fighters, Aevis Interceptors

"I see the lesson of subtlety and diplomacy was lost upon you," came her reply once there was a pause in the younger Knight's diatribe. Her expression wouldn't change overtly so, but if she had been physically present, her eyes would have become much harder in response to his defiant stance and no doubt fierce gaze from the mask. "To begin, it is not my Centrality. I did not form it, but then even a cursory lesson in the region's history would have told you everything you needed to know about that. Clearly you did not do such research when you launched your attack."

Her arms would unfold as she regarded the younger Sith. So filled with fire and zealousness, so filled with righteousness of his ideas. Ambitious and audacious, and yet not tempered nearly enough in the crucible of the galaxy. It made her wonder what exactly Ophidia had taught the man before her. She could also tell just from tone she had wounded his pride, but then what had he truly expected?

Her voice would take on an almost mocking, pitying really, tone as she continued, "Your duty as a Sith to bring far flung worlds of ancient Sith history back under our banner? To elevate the downtrodden? I want you to think about this very carefully, Alisteri. You launched an attack on a world and a region of space that was devastated by the Bryn'adul, that has barely gained even a semblance of recovery in the intervening years since they collapsed. You unleashed chaos and death on a world that is barely populated, that is on the end of the hyperlanes in this area, on some quest to bring direct Sith rule to it. That was foolish on both a strategic and tactical level."

Her gaze would shift to the tactical droid briefly before back to the masked Sith.

"You ask me why this region is not counted among the Sith worlds, and my answer is quite simple. Direct Sith rule of this region of space is currently impossible. It is too far from our base of power, and an Imperial remnant based on Lianna is nearby and could easily move into the region. It is far better to exercise soft power in this region, which is the method I employed by engaging with and supporting the Centrality as they recover and rebuild. Why waste lives on military action when credits and soft words can bring about the same result?"

Her expression would immediately harden again. From the console, a slight black smoke would start to rise from her image.

"Your actions today have the potential to completely undermine all that work, all in pursuit of hoisting a banner over a world the Sith haven't cared about in centuries. I give you two options: You can stand your forces down, retreat from the world unmolested and with whatever you've taken, and we can discuss a more practical plan in a more pleasant setting. Or..."

Her image would start to harden, energy becoming flesh and smoke as Darth Arcanix emerged from the holotransmission using a technique of the Nightsisters. Purples eyes had become amber as she stepped towards the masked Sith and the tactical droid, hand already on her lightsaber.

"Option two: I destroy your forces, here and now, and then I wipe out Faldos and Formos to teach you what hubris can lead to."

 

[Revna]

Objective: The Arks; return to Strosius, try and talk some sense into him
Gear: Armor, Sith sword , standard issue pistol
Tags: Darth Strosius , Commodore Helix , Taeli Raaf


She was frustrated and angry.

Revna knew she had wounded the young Jedi, but she hadn’t killed him. It was a failure on her part, one she internalized as she weaved through the shadows of the street, headed back towards the cafe where she had left her Mentor. She didn’t know if the Jedi would try to follow her, and so she hoped to lure him into a far more dangerous situation if he had.

She recognized that coming back from her mission before being recalled might get her in trouble, but for some reason she had a feeling that something was…amiss. She didn’t quite understand why she was feeling this way, so she made the decision to return to Darth Strosius and check in. If he wanted her back out there, he would tell her to go and she would.

Revna passed by droid forces that were moving deeper into the city, and knew she was getting close. Other forces seemed to be on standby, awaiting further orders. She still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong; it settled in the pit of her stomach, making her uncomfortable.

She appeared from the shadows of one building, noticing with some small satisfaction that one of the militiamen who had been nearby nearly jumped out of his skin by her sudden appearance. He had started to raise his weapon when he realized that she was not an enemy, and just watched her cross the street towards the damaged cafe. She could feel her Mentor’s presence within, angry and frustrated like she was.

The little Sith woman also felt another dark presence inside, one of power that she did not recognize. Something was definitely off, she mused darkly as she stepped into the shadows of a blown out cafe door, her eyes quickly taking everything in, and her ears absorbing what was being said.

Revna arrived just in time to hear and see a projection of a woman talking to the Sith Lord and Commodore Helix, who stood by waiting and listening to the conversation taking place. The atmosphere inside the cafe was very tense, and unconsciously Revna moved into parade rest as she listened in on the conversation being had.

Whoever this woman was, Revna could tell she was rather irritated with her Mentor; she was speaking to him sternly, but she was also trying to be civil. Her Mentor was less than enthused and reacted with prideful remarks that made Revna raise an eyebrow.

She knew her Mentor to be grumpy and opinionated at times, and he seemed rather resistant to whatever the woman was saying to him. His stubbornness and unwillingness to speak on perhaps more civil terms in regards to his attack on Tund quickly caused the situation to dissolve into further tension. It was difficult for Revna to watch her own Mentor be schooled by someone else, and apparently his pride would not allow for it. But watch she did, because she knew there was a very important lesson to learn from this situation.

Everything came to a head when the image around the woman began to smoke slightly, and the presence and sensation of power grew. The strange woman gave Revna’s mentor two options as her image began to sharpen until she appeared in the flesh before Darth Strosius.

Revna had never seen such a display of power and ability like this before. She swallowed hard as she felt her blood drain away and a coldness drape over her as she processed the woman’s choices given to the Sith Lord.

One, he could pull his forces back and leave Tund…or two, this woman would destroy his forces here, then she would come for Formos and another place Revna didn’t recognize. Briefly, that coldness she felt gave way to a flash of rage and fear that someone would threaten the place she called home, and threaten to annihilate the people who were slowly becoming her family. Revna’s heart hammered away in her chest as rash and frankly stupid thoughts tore through her mind, and it took all of her willpower and strength not to say something in the moment towards this stranger, her power be damned.

Revna’s wisdom and sense of caution overpowered her desire to rip this woman a new one. This was a situation that she, as an Acolyte, had no control over. This was a conversation, a dispute, between two Sith of higher rank than she. If she spoke now in an angry outburst, she could make the situation far worse.

The little woman turned her angry and fearful gaze towards her Mentor. She had a feeling this woman’s options were not going to sit well with him, and he was already agitated and trying to defend his reasoning for being on Tund. This…could get ugly.

Maybe…maybe Revna could help it not go the way she was fearing it would. She had to try.

“...please consider doing what she suggests, my Lord. I really don’t desire to see the home and the family I just got destroyed over this. I don't want to be killed over this either.” the young Acolyte responded, her voice quivering ever so slightly at the fear she felt, despite her best efforts to keep it at bay.

She absolutely believed this woman would do as she said she would, and Revna did not want to lose everything she had gained thus far. And when the woman said she would destroy all his forces, Revna also assumed that she would be included in that. But she knew the choice was not hers to make.

She just really hoped her Mentor would understand just how dire this whole debacle had become, and listen to her voice of reason and caution.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: The Arks
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Robes
Tags: Commodore Helix / Taeli Raaf / Revna

The masked man simply scoffed at the subtlety and diplomacy remark, as though such things were needed in this case. A world away from major powers and seemingly uncared for by them, aside from this Centrality apparently, that was just waiting to be reclaimed by the Sith. One that was ripe to be returned to the fold and brought back to prosperity. Had Lady Raaf not intervened at least. "Do I even want to know why you're part of an organization that isn't Sith nor under your control?" He didn't really care about the answer but if she wanted to argue then he could argue right back.

Darth Strosius felt his fingers dig into his palms as they clenched into fists at her tone, shifting on his feet slightly in order to somewhat exercise the bubbling anger that she stoked with every word. "If this 'Centrality' hasn't helped restore Tund to its former glory even so many years after the Bryn'adul's demise then they are not worthy of it. Especially since they are not Sith in any capacity." He knew some tales from the days of the Bryn'adul but nothing that he had bothered looking into all that much. An oversight on his part perhaps, but one that had yet to bite him until now.

Before he could belt out any more petulant responses to her admonishing, the sight of black smoke emerging from the console would catch his masked gaze. "The feth-" Then she had the gall to issue him a choice. As if she was the one- and there she stood. He took a reflexive step back as one hand shot down to his belt to wrap around the hilt of his lightsaber, glaring at Taeli Raaf in the flesh. Well, at least she had saved him the trouble of having to hunt her down later he supposed.

In a proper fight he had his doubts that he'd be able to take her on, but she was in the backlines of his assault on the city. She was just one Sith and he had brought an army both from the locals and from his own forces. Those were odds that he was willing to take. Just as he started to pull his lightsaber from his belt however, another voice spoke up. Given all the excitement he hadn't even noticed Revna's arrival.

Her plea made the masked man grit his teeth, his fangs grinding against one another as he glanced between his apprentice and Lady Raaf for a few moments. She did make a good point, the risk of going against a Sith like the Lady of Secrets was far too much to justify gaining one planet so far away from his own base of power. With a breath hissed through his teeth, one that seeped out of his mask not unlike the growl of a beast, he relented and dropped his hand from his belt.

"Fine." The word was practically snarled as he fought off the temptation to try and go in for a surprise stab on the Sith before him. "I'd be more than happy to pursue worlds that the Sith 'actually care about' Lady Raaf, had Empyrean not handed the ancient worlds over to Carnifex as a reward for his treachery and had you not torn down the defenses of the Krayiss Two library in order to steal it for yourself!" Darth Strosius pulled himself to stand up straight, reluctantly leaving the slightly crouched form that would have prepared him for a coming duel. "But please not insult me any further by pretending you want to discuss a damn thing. You just care about keeping other Sith from reaching the same heights and power as you and all the wretched 'Sith' like you."

He stomped past Lady Raaf to move around her in order to access the console and begin issuing orders for his forces to pull back and prepare for a general retreat from Tund. "My forces will leave Tund as you demand. I cannot promise that the local militia that we have spurred into taking up their own destiny will do the same however. In fact I shall take great satisfaction if they choose to pursue the officials in our stead and slaughter them wholesale." A spiteful little smirk wormed its way onto his hidden features. "I wonder how much of a wrench that would throw into this precious Centrality of yours hm?"

 

[Commodore Helix]

Tags: Darth Strosius Taeli Raaf Revna
Equipment: Bulldog RLR, Electrostaff​

"Your actions today have the potential to completely undermine all that work, all in pursuit of hoisting a banner over a world the Sith haven't cared about in centuries. I give you two options: You can stand your forces down, retreat from the world unmolested and with whatever you've taken, and we can discuss a more practical plan in a more pleasant setting. Or..."

Her image would start to harden, energy becoming flesh and smoke as Darth Arcanix emerged from the holotransmission using a technique of the Nightsisters. Purples eyes had become amber as she stepped towards the masked Sith and the tactical droid, hand already on her lightsaber.

"Option two: I destroy your forces, here and now, and then I wipe out Faldos and Formos to teach you what hubris can lead to."

Helix stepped back closer to Strosius as the figure emerged into the room, an electrostaff crackling to life in his hands. Outside, at a mental command, his MTT's laser cannons swivelled toward the building. The droids he'd left outside spun on their heels as one, levelling their weapons and beginning to approach the building. He wasn't one for fair fights, when they could be avoided, and while he had gotten his hands dirty plenty in the long centuries of his existence, this wasn't a fight he relished.

He was ready for the conflict, if it needed to happen. Worst came to worst, he'd just level the building on top of them. Not a particularly elegant (or profitable) strategy, but he doubted he'd have an enormous amount of choice. It had been a mistake on his part to take the client at his word and bring relatively light forces. He'd ignored his better judgement, and his initial reservations had proven correct. He determined not to make that mistake again in the future.

“...please consider doing what she suggests, my Lord. I really don’t desire to see the home and the family I just got destroyed over this. I don't want to be killed over this either.” the young Acolyte responded, her voice quivering ever so slightly at the fear she felt, despite her best efforts to keep it at bay.

Then the girl spoke up, a ward of the client's, he believed. He could see Strosius' body language change. Incredibly, the Sith seemed to have some of the fight taken out of him. Helix had been certain they were seconds from violence. He recognized all the signs. His certainty that his client had history with the interloper rose to 100% as he spoke, then surprisingly, agreed to leave.

My forces will leave Tund as you demand.

Helix could almost feel his credits vanishing into the wind. He'd been somewhat relying on the material plunder from here, not to mention his cut when things were over, but that was the way of things. There would be other jobs, ideally even other jobs with the same client. Brash and unpredictable as Strosius was, he was also generally polite and respectful, something Helix didn't get much of. It had been... refreshing, a change from the usual crime lords and rogue governments. He didn't desire or need respect, but it was nonetheless nice when it came. He approximated a sigh, and gave the order to his own forces to stand down. "All units, return to the landers. Stand down. This mission is concluded." He was certain he'd lose a few more droids as they retreated, the locals being no doubt emboldened by their inexplicable retreat in the face of apparent certain victory. He made a note to ask Strosius whether this meant the campaign was ending, or just the assault on the one planet. With luck, he could perhaps salvage this situation and hang around for the rest of the crusade, if there was to be one.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Objective: Clean Up the Backyard/Educate
Tags: Darth Strosius Commodore Helix Revna
Forces Deployed:
Shockwave-class Missile Cruisers, Delita-class Heavy Frigates, Orran-class Esscort Frigates, Anubys-class Heavy Corvettes
Aeros Fighters, Aevis Interceptors

Amber eyes watched as the younger Sith took a step back in surprise before reflexively reaching for his own lightsaber. The shock of her sudden appearance had unbalanced him, and she could see by his body language he was gauging if he could take her. He had numbers on his side, she was one Sith. Just how bad could a fight against her be? A cursory glance at the tactical droid and the sound of a coordinated turn of metal on stone told her the droid was issuing commands. Just how bad could it be?

And then the apprentice spoke up, her fear giving her clarity in the situation. Amber eyes would regard the younger woman as she pleaded with her Master to not take the fight.

"I was not the one loading transports up with the contents of the library or assisting a rebellion against the rest of the Order," she replied quietly as he appeared to listen to his apprentice and ordered his forces to stand down. Begrudging though the order was, and his wounded pride and his hatred towards the leading Sith causing him to once again verbally lash out. Amber would turn back to amethyst as she looked at the angry younger Sith, her lightsaber still in hand but held loosely to her side.

"Nor do I seek to deprive you of... the glory and power you seek," she continued. "It is neither an insult or fallacy that I offer you the opportunity for a discussion. It is a chance to forge an agreement, to create a path of cooperation. You have ambitions, lofty ones, but to accomplish them... you need more than what you have. You need allies. You need resources. You need soldiers."

She would continue to look at the masked Sith, ignoring the spite he had unleashed. He had been stung, and it was an understandable reaction that he might wish ill upon establishing order back on Tund. It wasn't the Order he wanted to see. She could see that his lessons and development as a Sith had led him down the path of a purist, and while that could be a strong path to follow, it had many pitfalls.

"Perhaps most importantly you need a practical patience. It grates upon you that the Holy Worlds are in Kaine's thrall, or in the domains of other Sith that have differing ideals than yours. It frustrates you that worlds steeped in Sith history are aligned with the Jedi or other galactic powers, but this..." she would gesture around in general to the chaos he had unleashed, "is not the way to accomplish your goals of 'liberating' them. You need to work within the systems of power around you, to make allies that are strong enough to actually tip a debate or battle in your favor, to subvert worlds quietly to not attract undue attention until the moment is too late."

It was becoming a lecture, she knew that, but perhaps it was a lesson that Alisteri needed... or perhaps it was one he would only learn once he stretched himself too far and attracted the wrong attention such as the Jedi or the other higher ranking Sith. He had already captured hers, and she had a reputation as one of the more lenient Sith. Even then, the tension was there. Perhaps it was a lesson his apprentice would learn from as well.

"Or you can continue on your current path, spurning all for holding a 'less pure' ideology, and see what happens. The choice is yours. If you choose to accept, meet me on Erilnar in a few rotations and we can discuss this further. Bring your apprentice along. If not... keep in mind where you tread and who might have interests there."

Her attention would turn to the tactical droid, a datapad appearing in a whirl of purple and black smoke into her hand. Regarding him, she could see the markings from one of the newer mercenary companies in the galaxy. The droid would find a transfer of one million credits deposited into the accounts of Helix Solutions from Aurora Industries as a 'convenience fee'

"For your troubles. Oh and Alisteri... my forces will remain in orbit until yours have departed. Think on what I've said."

In the same purple and black smoke, she would be gone as suddenly as she had appeared.

 

[Revna]

Objective: The Arks; prepare for departure
Gear: same as above
Tags: Darth Strosius , Taeli Raaf , Commodore Helix


The situation between the two older Sith was tense…and that was putting it nicely.

Revna had noticed just how close her Sith Mentor came to full on attacking the intruding Sith woman. Darth Strosius was not happy in the slightest, and Revna could understand why. The arrival of this new Sith definitely threw a wrench into his plans. The threats hadn’t helped the situation at all, but it had given Revna clarity into the direness of the evolving situation…something she noticed her Mentor either didn’t notice, didn’t want to notice, or was too damn stung to take heed of.

Her pleading words to her angry Mentor had been heard by both Sith, and she waited with bated breath as the masked Sith seemed to contemplate his options, torn between a voice of reason and his own pride. It took all of her strength of will to remain standing as she was when she felt his livid gaze pass between her and the Sith woman, and she briefly met the golden gaze of the woman before averting her eyes. She couldn't really recall a time when he had been this angry, at least when she was around. There was an intense presence of power in this small place, and for a moment the little Sith felt…small.

Please don’t fight her…not with your home, your people’s lives, at stake… Revna silently pleaded, casting her gaze back to the man.

Darth Strosius relented, seemingly having heard what his little Acolyte was trying to convey to him. His angry snarl made her physically flinch however, and she cast her gaze downward in a subconscious reflex from her days as a slave; she wasn’t afraid of him by any means…but she didn’t know if some of that anger was directed at her for getting involved in this situation, for speaking out of turn, or perhaps stopping him from doing what he really wanted to do. But if she hadn’t…surely he would have tried to fight the other Sith. And Revna had a feeling that wouldn’t have gone very well. She also didn’t know if she could have just stood by and did nothing if a fight had broken out, knowing herself.

The masked Sith retorted bitterly towards the other woman, and Revna was quick to catch that he called her ‘Lady Raaf’, and stored the name away into her knowledge banks as she watched in tense silence as her Mentor agreed to recall his forces and stand down in his operations on Tund, and following in his footsteps was Commodore Helix who called his droids to stand down and return as well. Darth Strosius still spat venom towards the other woman, making it clear what he felt about everything going on. Revna couldn’t blame him; all the time and energy and credits spent on this just went up in smoke…and she felt partially to blame for that.

Revna didn’t really care about the success of taking the planet, not when weighed against the lives of men, women and children who no doubt would have been destroyed by this woman’s forces had the masked Sith actually taken up a fight.

The little Acolyte continued to observe the interaction between the two, learning valuable lessons in doing so. When the offer was made to her Lord to discuss different alternatives than what he was currently doing, Revna sorely wished she could lend her own voice, especially when the angry Sith turned the offer down. Though this woman had just threatened everything Revna had come to hold dear, she could perhaps see advantages to discussing matters with this Lady Raaf. She agreed that they needed more resources, more bodies, to secure the future that her Sith Mentor wanted and had ambitions for. They were stretched thin as it was; surely accepting to have a discussion that could result in better preparation for future campaigns wouldn’t hurt. Though the little woman was wise enough to know that there would most likely be ‘add ons’ to any agreements reached.

But that wasn’t her call to make.

Revna was intrigued by this strange woman; she agreed with what the woman was saying. Not only that, but she knew there was a “free” lesson to learn here as well, and she absorbed what she was hearing, storing it away in her mind for further reflection later on.

Lady Raaf extended an invitation for Strosius to meet her somewhere else, and for him to bring his young acolyte along, before vanishing in purple and black smoke-but not before making it clear that her forces would not be leaving until his had…an incentive most likely to make sure he did what he said he would do, or face the consequences. Revna regarded her Mentor in the heavy and tense silence that followed the other Sith’s departure, keeping her distance from him. This was not how she thought this day would end, and she knew he certainly felt the same. She sighed heavily, some tension leaving her as she did so, and she partially turned away.

“I’ll return shortly.” She muttered to him, turning and walking away before he could say anything to her to stop her, and if he did she feigned not hearing him. She needed to be alone for a moment, to wrap her mind around what had just happened. They would be leaving Tund soon, without anything to show for it.

A sudden face appeared in her mind, and she paused. The little orphan boy…she…she couldn’t just leave him here.

“Ah feth.” she muttered as she set off down the side street she was on, her strides quick and purposeful as she made her way towards the closest civilian staging area where she hoped the boy would be. Luckily for her the boy was there, getting his face scrubbed clean of dirt and grime as he sat on an empty cargo crate, kicking his short little legs. When people saw her, they immediately began to ask her questions, trying to ascertain the veracity of the commands to stand down and retreat that had come over communications. She answered the questions she needed to bluntly and honestly, but ignored more probing questions as to the reason why the Sith forces were suddenly departing when victory had seemed so certain and within view. She stopped before the little boy and lowered herself ever so slightly to bring her face to the same level as his.

“We are going to be leaving soon, but I wanted to ask you if you wanted to stay here or if you wanted to go with us?”

The boy blinked his wide eyes at her before he looked around himself. “I…don’t like it here.” he muttered in his small, childlike way. “Can I go with you?”

Revna smiled. “Of course. Just to be sure…you do not have anyone who takes care of you here? No mom or dad, uncle or aunt?” He shook his head no, and Revna brought herself up to her full size and extended a gloved hand towards the child. “Then come. I know we can find a place for you to stay where I live. Maybe even a new family to be a part of.” A couple individuals moved to stop her, but a cold and pointed stare at them made them stop in their tracks and back away. The little boy slid off the crate and took her hand, and she pulled him close to her side as she walked back towards the cafe with the boy in tow. As they walked, he looked up at her, shielding his eyes from the bright sun above them.

“...will you be my new Mommy?”

Her heart both melted and broke at the same time as she looked down at him and into his innocent eyes and his somewhat gaunt face. “No, I can’t be your Mom, unfortunately. But you will have a family who will love and care for you, of that I am certain. And you will live where I live…so we can see each other more often if you want.”

He nodded and fell silent as Revna turned the corner and brought him inside the cafe where she had last left her Mentor. Seeing the tall, still fuming Sith Lord in his mask and robes, made the little boy shy and a little frightened, and he hugged her leg and partially hid behind her as he buried his face into her dark robes. The little Sith woman gave a small smirk as she gently pried him free and guided him in front of her, subtly encouraging him to face that which frightened him. “Don’t be afraid. Lord Strosius won't hurt you.” Revna murmured to the little boy. After a brief pause, she looked down at him, a curious frown on her face. “Do you have a name?”

“I don’t know…you can give me one if you want...”

His innocence melted her heart, and she smiled. After a brief pause, she settled on a name…one she had come across in her studies of Sith history. “How about… 'Veradun'? Do you like that name?”

The boy paused for a moment as he seemed to ponder the name before nodding, and Revna smiled before she looked up to cast her gaze upon her Sith Mentor, her hand resting on the boy's shoulder.

 

[Darth Strosius]

​

Objective: The Arks
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Robes
Tags: Commodore Helix / Taeli Raaf / Revna

"You'll be laying a trap on Erilnar, yes yes I understand. Must you continue to pester me?" He waved a hand dismissively as he typed away on the console, having heard enough of the other Sith's words for the time being. Even if there was wisdom in them he was in no mood to listen. The moment that Taeli Raaf vanished and the smoke which signaled her departure had faded, the typing stopped. A seething sigh escaped through clenched teeth as he punched out and embedded his fist into the nearby wall, chipping off bits of it and leaving a crack as he pulled his hand back and flexed his fingers.

"The next time I see that meddling witch I'm going to tear her limb from limb!" Darth Strosius hissed under his breath as he practically shivered with rage. Twice now Lady Raaf had interrupted his plans, twice now she had proven herself an enemy to him and the destiny of the Sith he sought to bring to fruition, the third time he would not suffer another defeat at her hand. The next time they faced off would be the last, he would make sure of it.

He reluctantly finished off the retreating orders for his troops but paused as if considering something before making one last order and shutting off the console. The other command staff could recover it and bring it back with their forces, he was simply in no mood to disassemble and pack up the console at the moment. He knew better than to try it for himself and wind up ruining some component or the other due to his wrathful state. Right now he just had to try and recompose himself before he did something foolish like trying to board the fleet in orbit with their shuttles.

He glanced around and idly noticed that Revna had slipped out while he was distracted, rolling his shoulders to try and soothe himself as his gaze flickered to Helix. "My apologies for the inconvenience Commodore." A waste of time and credits on both of their parts he supposed. "I'll make sure you still get your fee, and see if any of my other fronts need your assistance to make up for this...incident." Credits alone were not enough as payment, he knew that for certain, but hopefully the offer of easier prey would be enough. Smugglers and pirates never pulled up to battles with large fleets after all.

Darth Strosius made his way out of the cafe and sighed at the sight of his soldiers and their vehicles pulling back down the street, a few of them casting him a wary glance as his hands clenched into fists. It wasn't fair to have them retreat in the hour of victory but letting them die for his own pride was far less desirable than one unnecessary loss. They would get their well earned victory in time.

His wandering gaze landed on the Acolyte after a few moments as she returned, his head cocking to the side slightly as he regarded the boy clinging to her side. Seeing the boy's obvious, and admittedly understandable, apprehension and fear of him; the masked man knelt down and adopted a calm façade in his words. "Greetings young one, I am Darth Strosius." He waited for the boy to return the greeting but Revna realized before he did that the child may not have one. Perhaps the boy was an orphan of a sort then?

"Veradun hm?" Darth Strosius smirked the boy agreed to the name, glancing up at the Acolyte as he stood. A clever reference that was not lost on him in the slightest, evidently she had been keeping up with her assigned readings after all. He stepped to the side and gestured for Revna and the newly dubbed Veradun to move alongside him. As he looked over their heads towards the city skyline above he saw as his last order was carried out, when two bombers swooped low over the city and emptied their destructive payload on the evacuation transports at the center of the city. "Come along, the shuttles to bring us home are this way."

 

[Commodore Helix]

Objective: Leave Tund
Equipment: Bulldog RLR, Electrostaff
Tags: Darth Strosius / Taeli Raaf / Revna​

The droid would find a transfer of one million credits deposited into the accounts of Helix Solutions from Aurora Industries as a 'convenience fee'

Helix was surprised at this. He wondered what her game was, and doubted it was simple generosity. Still, credits were credits, and he wouldn't turn them down. He gave a simple nod as she sent him the money, unsure what else to do. He was just glad Revna had talked some sense into her master, and still couldn't believe he wasn't currently fighting for his life, or at least, his current body.

"I'll make sure you still get your fee, and see if any of my other fronts need your assistance to make up for this...incident."

Helix, once again, gave his best imitation of a sigh. "No need." He said, shaking his head. "Given we were forced to retreat, I'll waive my fee for this one. To actually charge for no results would be somewhat unprofessional. Besides, your interloper paid it, and a little extra. We'll simply have to learn from this and be more cautious in the future."

He was surprised to hear Strosius was interested in repeat business, given how things had gone. Then again, if not for outside interference, this would likely have been a rollover victory. Simple bad timing and bad luck.

Against his better judgement, he also spoke his personal opinions on the matter. "For what it's worth, this defeat is no fault of yours. The strategy was sound enough on paper. One can have the best strategy in the world, but bad fortune will break even the surest victory. If you intend to continue this campaign, we could always return later, better prepared, and make another attempt. Tund certainly isn't going anywhere, and enough structural damage was caused that they'll likely be weakened well into the future."

This wasn't perhaps entirely true. He had brought up the possibility of outside interference early on. It was a known possible factor. Then again, he'd also brought a relatively small, dated navy to take it, on the assurance that the Outer Rim was largely undefended. That had been a blunder, one he wouldn't repeat.

After Strosius left, he stood in the cafe alone for a time, thinking. Even after a shuttle landed to take him back to his vessels in orbit, he was silent the whole way back, not engaging with the droid pilot. He hoped this wasn't the beginning of a pattern of ill fortune, as he had a lot riding on this campaign. He'd simply have to devote more resources to it, to ensure the like wouldn't happen again.