Private Something Wicked This Way Comes

[Kyyrk]

Kyyrk paced about the small waiting room nervously. The shot hadn't killed her, but he knew as well as anyone that things could sour fast. He kept replaying the scene over in his head. What could he have done differently? Could they both have made it out unscathed? No, he'd done the right thing. Flip the table. Take cover. Blasters out. His uncanny aim would handle the rest. He sighed quietly, sinking into a chair. The pit of his stomach burned at the thought of the harm he had caused her. The next few moments were a blur as Kyyrk was on his feet, standing in front of the doctor. "Both mother and child are stable. They'll pull through all right." Child. Child. Kyyrk didn't have a child. Next he knew, he stood before the kolto tank, hand pressed against the glass as he stared at the woman contained within. He could see it clearly now, though. Child. He had a child...

Voph might have smiled at the memory. But it carried with it a certain amount of pain. Longing. But more importantly, right now it was little more than a distraction. An attack had been launched against Felacat, and the Viceroy kidnapped. A team of Knights Obsidian had pursued them, and successfully boarded the enemy ship, but all communication was lost shortly after. Reports had finally reached Voph, and his worst fears were confirmed. Confessor.

Voph sat in the ready room of his own flagship, the Desolation, waiting for his chosen team to assemble. Well, Chosen was a strong word. He'd have taken an army if he could. But these were all he could manage on such a short notice. As the Desolation tore through Hyperspace after the Confessor, Voph reviewed the plan in his head. This was not the ideal time or place for such a confrontation, but he would have to make do with what he had. Voph finally stood, drawing the attention of the gathered to the Holoprojector at the center of the room. "My friends. At 0900 hours this morning, Geonosis Standard Time, an attack was launched on Felacat. Viceroy Raven Thystle was attacked, subdued, and taken aboard this ship." Voph gestured to the Hologram as it changed to that of the Confessor. "My intelligence has labeled this ship The Confessor. An ancient Dreadnought prototype that never left drydock. A team of Knights Obsidian stationed on Felacat were able to board the ship, but contact was lost shortly after arrival. Our mission is to infiltrate the ship, rescue the Viceroy, and neutralize the threat. Our forces are scrambling as we speak, attempting to plot an intercept. Until they arrive, we are all the support that we will have. Our course is taking us along the Mara Corridor, away from Confederacy Space."

Voph paused as the image of the ship turned to a more detailed scan, showing some of the internal corridors and rooms. "Our planned point of entry is here. The Obsidian Star has the stealth capabilities to get us in undetected, and get us out once our mission is accomplished. Raven will likely have been taken to the inner sanctum, here." Voph gestured to a rather large room near the center of the ship. "Our primary directive is to rescue Viceroy Thystle, and return her to safety. If accomplished, our primary directive then becomes to destroy the Confessor from within, and eliminate the threat it poses. Enemy resistance is going to be strong. They're prepared for this attack, we aren't. And knowing the minds behind the creation of the Confessor, they aren't letting it out to play without proper defenses. We face perhaps the toughest fight of our lives ahead of us. And once we are inside, we will be on our own. Only the men and women you see gathered here to rely on. We have approximately ten minutes until we are in position to engage. If you have questions, now is the time."

Beric Layne | Taiia Locke | Vytal Noctura | The Monster | Rylan Kordel | Prennis Keeoli | Raven Thystle​

 

[The Monster]

Location: The Desolation
Objective: Receive the Briefing

Spoiler: GEAR

TDW Gen 3 Armor System, HARM, 800 rounds of HARM Ammo, L-7, 80 rounds of L-7, Big Iron Hand Cannon, 60 rounds of Disrupter, 12 rounds White Phosporous, 12 Rounds of APDS, 30 lbs of DEX, combat cutting torch, 2 Frag Grenades, 2 Thermal Detonators, 2 "Nine Banger" Flash Bangs, 4 SYC laced Smoke Grenades, EBFAK

Theme: The Dire Wolf has arrived​

Boot falls could be heard on the cold floors of The Desolation as Sergei walked towards the site of the briefing. He was already in full kit, and his armor eerily silent as the only thing that could be heard was his metallic boots impacting the deck. Having a new contract directly with Voph had its perks, including that it didn't take long for him to find out about this job. The Dire Wolf was more than eager to repay the kindness he'd been shown. As he would approach the room the doors would hiss open and he'd see Voph, making certain to be one of the first to respond especially since now Voph had him directly on retainer. And he'd have brought his new Star Destroyer if the thing was fast enough to respond to this call, but instead he took the Gunship that he'd originally gotten long ago.

Sergei would only nod to the Miraluka keeping his helmet on as he stood in the corner of the room, watching any who entered like a hawk. He was ready. His body, his gear, his mind, was ready. Ever since Ryloth, the trial, and all the frakstorm between, he'd been a mess. A soldier with no cause, no battle to fight for. No objective to take. And now that was about to change. His brand new HARM was across his chest on his sling, the massive weapon for the equally massive trooper, it was no secret that Sergei was breaking out his newest and biggest toys for this run. And the armor, a massive step up from the 2nd Generation tech he'd used at Ryloth, this new suit was foreboding and one key feature would definitely be noticeable to anyone force sensitive in the room.

It was, or at least felt, entirely devoid of the force.

Sergei had come to find the armor itself was more of a necessity now than ever, as with more an more combatants in the field being the force sensitive type. And The Dire Wolf had an answer as the mad scientists that were Dr. Alphonse and his merry crew had come up with the new tech in his suit. The Synthetic Yorik Coral in his gear would not give off any kind of disorienting void in the force for any to notice except those that attempted to interact with the suit or its occupant.

And since Sergei was such a large being being in full kit, he decided that standing was the better option here as he listened and took to memory the briefing. Viceroy kidnapped this morning, assaulting a dreadnought that "never left dry-dock". So either the ship didn't exist, or the people on board didn't, which to him sounded like a challenge. Sergei did some mental math in his head to check his ammo counts. To take a proper dreadnought and secure it, Sergei knew that regular forces would need hundreds of well trained and well armed Marines. To take a ship of that size for The Dire Wolves, Sergei did some more mental math in his head. He'd need forty men. Forty well armed and now some of the best equipped and most terrifying fighting forces the galaxy has ever seen. While he was certainly a size larger than the average Dire Wolf Commando, his gear was just an example of what was standard issue now. And with their new weapons and a platoon at his back, Sergei was more than confident they'd be able to pull it off. Would it guarantee the safety of their target? No, which was why Sergei had come to assist with the operation, not run the thing.

One thing was certain though, Sergei could feel barely contained aggression running through his veins. He was ready. More than ready. He had that itch to plant his massive boot into someone's chest and crush the life out of them in close quarters. He wanted vengeance against the kind of people that stole his home from him, and killed his brothers and sisters at arms. He wanted blood. His arms were crossed in front of his chest as he sat and listened, noting the second objective once the package was secure. He looked across everyone here and felt a certain sense of confidence and at ease. He'd seen more than a few people here in combat up close. He almost felt sorry for the people about to be on the receiving end of their assault.

Almost​

 

[Raven Thystle]

KIDNAPPED​

Outfit: Current Outfit and Taozin Amulet
Tags: Kyyrk | Vytal Noctura | The Monster | Taiia Locke | Beric Layne | Rylan Kordel | Prennis Keeoli

Raven was shoved into the chair and although movement was slowly gradually coming back, it was the feeling of silver handcuffs that wrapped around both her ankles and wrists that caused the inevitable weakened hiss from her lips. Her head rolled back against the headrest of the chair, while vibrant blue eyes stared up at the ceiling above their heads. The vampiress couldn’t believe that she was in this situation to begin with, but then again she was beginning to chalk it up to the fact that she had become quite relaxed within the orbit of her own planet. The Felacatians were like her extended family and they cared for everyone that resided within their home towns. She had garnered some respect when it came to employing two Felacatians instead of vampires. No, she didn’t want Felacat to become a place for vampires, for she loved her Felacatians, even if she didn’t show it with emotions.

Nala and Nadia had been close to her side and would have been upon this day, if she didn’t give them leave to see their own families. Even Raven knew that family was important, even if her parents did not. However, it was partly why she was here in this chair, paralyzed with Nightshade and feeling the burn of silver against her skin. The attack was a surprise, one that she had not expected within the Felacatian Senate Palace. She had gone there to do some reading, to browse over the documents provided to her by a couple of people. One from the IGBC and another from Adron Malvern. Well, from his people. It was a general proposal drawn up and sent to her by one of Adron’s people about Customs stations.

It was all boring paperwork, where she decided that the Memorial Gardens would be appropriate to read over policies that could potentially affect her citizens when it came to their future. Chocolate eyes had been looking towards the cool water of the pond when an unknown reflection stood behind her. She didn’t have much time to react, but there had been more than one when it came to her kidnapping and they had had the element of surprise on their side. She had grown laxed, secure upon Felacat when she shouldn’t have. This was a firm reminder of this and a firm reminder to push her own agenda forward, rather than consistently looking over other potential policies that had been brought to her attention by others.

The door to the room that she was being held in, closed behind her kidnappers and the nails of her right hand dug into the armrest of the chair that she was seated upon. Raven could still feel the Nightshade pumping through her veins and although it had initially paralyzed her, the effects were slowly wearing off. It must have been a small enough dose in order to get her where they wanted her to be. With a great deal of effort, she raised her head so then to view the room she was being held in. Grey. Dull. It reminded her of a grey scale that made everything and everyone equal in colour alone. The texture and colour depths was the only thing that separated any differences to be made. There was nothing special about what appeared to be a room similar to a small studio apartment room, only that it was utilitarian and nothing more.

What she did notice was that she was left alone in the room, all by herself. The only real issue was the silver handcuffs that burned her skin and caused blisters to appear. Her skin felt like it was on fire and the Nightshade that was being processed by her body wasn’t any different. Whomever it was, had done their job right. They had to know her weaknesses according to her species in order to pull something like this off. The only question that was at the forefront of her mind was, who did she piss off? What was even worse, that her pants had small holes along her calf muscles. Who would ruin a perfectly good outfit? The woman quietly questioned as she gritted her teeth.​

 

[Vytal Noctura]

Vytal...

Emptiment. Formless emptiment. There was an all consuming darkness before her. With no features or sense of gravity's pull Vytal felt as though it were everywhere, and yet she couldn't be certain she had even turned to look. Point of fact being she wasn't even aware of possessing a body as she simply existed in this infinite void.

Vytal Noctura...

There was a voice, but from where did it come? Nothing was seen nor heard. There was no energy or spiritual current in this place, or sight of any living creature.

Even while she could not fathom possessing a form in this place, Vytal could feel the light touch of another on her jaw as it coaxed her to turn her head. Had it turned? There was no sense of tension, or of the pounding of her heart. How then did she know it was pounding? These questions died on the precipice of thought when the pale face of a man whose burning, red eyes bored into her swam into view.

I'm close, now. Can you feel it?

Vytal's bright green eyes snapped open with the pilot calling back her name. The Nightmother blinked, drew in a sharp breath, and acknowledged they were on approach to the Desolation -- Voph's vessel.

Fog of slumber and another plane of existence soon lifted as did the need to respond in the spur of the moment, which left her to reflect on what had just happened. And how flushed she felt. The beating of her heart had quickly begun to slow, but it would be several more seconds before the heat left her cheeks. A hard swallow cleared her throat of an intangible sensation that had lodged itself there. Slowly she shifted her legs together for a moment as she straightened up in the seat.

It had been possible to open a gateway to Voph's ship, but it seemed prudent not to send up such a signal flare. Instead, Vytal had utilized a stealth transport to convey her to the Desolation. Felacat was not that far from Ryloth, and the trek through hyperspace to where the rescue operation would assemble was equally nearby. It would take relatively little time to arrive.

Once the ship had landed in the hanger, the Nightmother in her customary armor strode out onto the deck. The whisper of the Fanged God was behind her, even if it was not forgotten. One sent to greet their latest visitor verbally conveyed the schedule that the ship's commander and Lord Commander of the Knights Obsidian had laid out.

Vytal acknowledged their intended destination, but did not engage in small talk along the way. It was not her way to pass the time 'nervously.' One's nerves were solidified when the voices of the Dead or Never Living whispered in your ear almost every waking second. The passage of time was not worthy nervous chatter. Though, her green eyes did behold the attendant sent to escort her to Voph's read room. They held their peace well, but Voph wouldn't have fresh recruits bumbling about this particular ship would he?

Once the briefing had begun, Vytal's eyes followed Voph as he spoke.

A small bag was removed from her waist, and laid open in the palm of her left hand. Soon, the pale woman drifted among those present as she spoke, each offered the chance to take one of the Rings of Self on offer. "This ring will protect you from being corrupted or possessed by the enemy. I carry only enough for those here, and the Viceroy; and I will require these upon our safe return." Any not of the Mandragora that thought to keep them would find it nothing more than a beautiful ring by the day after the mission was completed. A Witch could hold a spirit's attention and desire to protect; anyone else would be forgotten and the protective magicks dispersed. Vytal could ensure the spiritual protection so long as the mission was in progress, but not afterward.

After she passed through those assembled, Vytal turned her eyes back to Voph. "Will we all proceed to the inner sanctum, or will some be sent to disable the vessel?" Sabotage its command, destroy the engines, disable its sensors... Many possibilities, and she wanted to know his thoughts. If everything was as it seemed to the Nightmother, more people would be both blessing and curse at the center of the ship. She could see this playing out several ways.

Tag: Beric Layne | Taiia Locke | Kyyrk | The Monster | Rylan Kordel | Prennis Keeoli | Raven Thystle

 

[Rylan Kordel]

When the call for assistance came, Rylan was quick to pack his equipment and leave Vylmira to join the Lord Commander on the Desolation. The trip was relatively quick in his opinion, be it that since Ryloth he was on edge and waiting for a call to action, or that he was just in general ready to serve the order in any way he could, Rylan couldn't say.

When the shuttle he took landed, he was quick to race at a brisk pace from the shuttle bay to the briefing room. While he knew he wasn't the first to arrive, he was a bit surprised to be amongst the first three to show, he glanced around quickly to see who was assembled, giving a nod to both lord Voph and the Nightmother Vytal, both people he respected more than most he had met in his years of service, but it was the heavily armored soldier in the corner that caught his attention.

He bowed his head respectfully to the soldier, who if he had to guess was the mercenary Sergei whose exploits he followed from the battle at Ryloth, this was someone he'd like to keep an eye on, and given time try to get to know. Turning his attention back to Voph though, Rylan waited quietly as the others arrived, and then the briefing began. The only question he had, was asked by Vytal, who he once again nodded at, as it was an important question and very well could formulate the whole of the plan in what they would do once they made it on board the enemy ship.

Tags: Kyyrk | Vytal Noctura | The Monster | Raven Thystle | Beric Layne | Taiia Locke | Prennis Keeoli

 

[Saram Kote]

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Spoiler: Equipment

• Armor:
  • 'Vuhyr'yalilyr'gam'
  • Vambrace Weapons:
    • TBP-01V Tractor-Pressor Beam Projector
    • PC-05V Plasma Caster
      • Plasma Gas Medium Cannister (1)
    • MML-01V Miniaturized Missile Launcher
      • Electro Darts (4)
      • Explosive Darts (4)
      • Surveillance Tagger Darts (4)
    • NML-02VTB Nano missile Launcher
• Implant(s):
  • 'Rammikad' Enhancement Package
• Melee:
  • B-01M Beskad
  • Mono-molecular Edge Beskar Kal Dagger (1)
• Sidearm(s)
  • LRH-5A Verpine Shatter Pistol
• Rifle(s):
  • AR-2CQB Verpine Assault Rifle
  • AMR-4M Verpine Shatter Anti-Materiel Rifle
• Explosives:
  • Det-Packs (2)
  • Flex-5 Detonite Tape (1 roll)
  • Smoke Grenades (3)
  • Flash-Bang Grenades (3)
  • Concussion Grenade (2)
  • NOVA40 Plasma Grenade (2)

As she made her way through the ship's corridors towards the ready room, Saram pondered what was more difficult, convincing the CDF shuttle to drop her off or convincing the rest of her squad to stay behind. Well, pondered was perhaps too strong a word for the very scant attention she paid the two topics to keep her mind off how massive this ship was, and how much more she preferred solid ground under her feet. As she pivoted out of the way of a crewman hurriedly moving in the other direction, she definitely came to the conclusion that it was the latter.

Several hours ago

"If it was a 'standard' job, they'd have just let the rest of CDF handle it, 'alor," said Ran. They'd been having this argument ever since word had come in, and Saram had elected to go on her own to go and help the Lord Commander out. Everything about his SOS was about as standard as it got, but then again, when was the last time that the Lord Commander of the Knights kriffing Obsidian sent out a shabla SOS?

"Listen, we're trying to be helpful, not give the man a shabla aneurysm," she replied, attaching her AMR-4M to the magnetic weapon attachment point on the back of her armor. "And if you're right, I'll probably live long enough for you to say you told me so." Ran snorted at this, but looking at the face of one of her oldest friends, she knew that he knew there was no convincing her.

Present time

By definition, the Lord Commander of the Knights Obsidian was definitely a force user. There were few more obvious assumptions that could be made. Usually, on job like this, she'd have left behind her Ysalamiri Birikad, but she'd stopped to reattach the shabla thing moments before she'd left. She just had an odd feeling that maybe, just maybe, it'd come in handy. If he got too upset about it, she could always leave it aboard his ship and pick it up when the job was done.

It was too early to feel anything about the job, though she still couldn't shake the feeling she had that this was a lot more complicated and had far more dire circumstances than were let on. Which was fine by her by all accounts, she was used to being called on for the difficult jobs. She can't remember the last job she did on company time that wasn't a favor to Shuklaar or her brother that was particularly easy. Either way, one thing was clear; this was going to be interesting.

When she walked into the meeting room, Saram knew that she wasn't the first to arrive. Far from it in fact. There were a few 'faces' that she knew, one being Lord Commander Voph himself, another being Nightmother Noctura. If she was not wrong, the third member was Sergei Jachovich, the mercenary in charge of The Direwolves mercenary company. Though unfortunately she didn't know the fourth individual ( Rylan Kordel ), so she elected to run an ID scan in hopes that she'd find him in the CIS records that they'd been given access to.

She nodded respectfully at those present, something that was not the most obvious gesture for those who weren't used to dealing with Mandalorians in full beskar'gam, and then took her place around holoprojector. So she'd have access to it later, Saram began recording what the Lord Commander was saying and then focused on taking in the same.

Saram took a deep breath, known only to herself thanks to the privacy afforded to her by her sealed helmet. This was certainly an interesting job. The Viceroy of Felacat was taken by an unknown force aboard an ancient dreadnought prototype that was supposed to never have left drydock, which a team of Knights Obsidian boarded, but contact had been lost with them since. Saram was suddenly glad she did bring her Ysalamiri Birikad, because she didn't want to face down whoever did that, without one. Given that it was more than reasonable to assume the hostiles force sensitive themselves.

Saram had no doubt that the Lord Commander wasn't mincing his words. Tough fight, even given what precious little she did know, this was one haran of a tall order. Good thing she'd packed plenty of ammunition, and plenty of weapons. Sabotage wasn't a hard ask of her, she was perfectly suited to infiltrate any one of the ship's subsystems and attempt to neutralize it from there. Though she wasn't running this show, if they wanted her on the rescue op, she was perfectly happy to pitch in there as well.

She considered politely refusing the Nightmother when she offered that ring of hers. She wasn't the biggest fan of this sort of thing, but she wasn't idiotic enough to refuse its benefits. If that Ysalamiri in her pack was neutralized, then she'd prefer to have some defence rather than none. She took the proffered ring and placed it in one of the armored pouches secured to her person.

The Nightmother asked one of the questions she had. So she waited till she'd finished speaking before she spoke, "Any intel about estimated enemy force composition? Do we know who took the Viceroy, or other than the fact they have a deadly ancient dreadnought, what kind of force composition we can expect?"

Tag: Kyyrk | Vytal Noctura | Beric Layne | Taiia Locke | The Monster | Rylan Kordel | Prennis Keeoli | Raven Thystle

 

[Taiia Locke]

Search & Rescue​

Location: Desolation - Conference Room​

Equipment: Lightsaber​

Tag: Kyyrk | Vytal Noctura | Beric Layne | Saram Kote | The Monster | Rylan Kordel | Prennis Keeoli | Raven Thystle​

​

When the call had gone out from Voph for a team to undertake a mission she had wasted no time confirming that she would take part, she stood to one side as she watched the Lord Commander pace. Rather uncharacteristic for the Voph she was familiar with so she knew it was important, likely something bad had happened again, they never seemed to have any good luck. She kept quiet and left him to his own thoughts she would simply watch and wait for the others to arrive, the heavy footfalls of The Monster drew her attention immediately, emerald green eyes snapping to his approach as she regarded him. She had yet to see the commander of the dire wolves but already his band of mercenaries had made a name for themselves among the confederacy, between Artisia and now Ryloth, she would finally get to see these soldiers in action.​

Her eyes would turn again when the Nightmother Vytal Noctura Entered the room, whom she knew well of course, and having her near was always reassuring when it came to the spirits. A feeling only a few months ago would have been foreign to her but not so much anymore. She looked next to Rylan Kordel the head of the Acanthus chapter of the Knights Obsidian, her own chapter it would seem whatever Voph had determined he needed help with he had reached out to some very heavy hitters, when at last a lone Mandalorian Saram Kote entered she would simply nod to each of them in turn before she directed her attention back to Voph.​

​

At once he began the briefing and laid out what they would be facing and what had transpired in detail, to kidnap a viceroy of the confederacy, a very bold and foolish move and one they would have to make sure did not go unanswered. As Voph completed the briefing she looked to the Nightmother as she spoke and she took one of the offered rings and slipped it onto her hand without question before turning back to Voph. Both Vytal and the Mandalorian asked good questions, about dividing the team and opposition, she had nothing to add for now so remained quiet to hear the answers.​

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[Kyyrk]

​

R E S C U E​

Voph silently took an offered ring from Vytal, knowing full well that he was likely the sole reason she had brought them. Voph affixed the ring to the fourth finger on his right hand as he looked up at the Nightmother. "Our first and foremost priority is the safe recovery of Viceroy Thystle. All other objectives are secondary. If we secure the Viceroy, then we can divert to cause some damage." Were it another target, Voph would have suggested the team split up, and attack both objectives simultaneously. But he knew what the score was. They did not. Voph looked to the female Mandalorian as she made her own inquiry, and felt a lump rising in his throat. It was time to face the truth.​

​

"We do not know the exact composition of hostiles, but Nightmother Vytal and I have seen first hand that they are all too willing to employ Force Spirits, enslaved through dark magics, as their front line assault. Beyond that, we do not know. But we do know they are Sith, and they are cunning. Whatever they have, it will likely prove significant challenge to us."​

​

Voph paused, turning towards the door. How fortunate that they should be joined when they were. Just in time for Voph to answer the other question asked. Voph had sent word for a Medic to ensure that the Viceroy could be stabilized in the event such was needed. But what sick twist of fate was this to see who had answered his call. Voph stared quietly at Prennis Keeoli for a moment, before saying, "I'm afraid I know who took them all too well."​

​

A Holoimage appeared, displaying a young woman in her thirties, blond hair and Sith makeup, wearing an elegant yet functional blue dress. Voph turned to the rest of the group. "This is an individual called Darth Sovryn. She was the original commander of the Confessor, and I have no reason to believe this fact has changed. Sovryn was once an associate of mine. Once the Dark Councilor of the Sphere of Intelligence. Odds are, she knows exactly who is in this room, what we are capable of, and how best to defeat us." ​

​

Voph folded his arms over his chest, turning to look at Prenn once more. "Whatever awaits us will be difficult, make no mistake. I do not know what her plan is, but I suspect it is more than simply taking a Viceroy..."​

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Rann Thress | Saram Kote | Rylan Kordel | Prennis Keeoli | Vytal Noctura | The Monster | Raven Thystle | Beric Layne | Taiia Locke ​

​

 

[The Monster]

Location: The Desolation
Objective: Receive the Briefing
Tags: Rann Thress Saram Kote Rylan Kordel Prennis Keeoli Vytal Noctura Raven Thystle Beric Layne Taiia Locke Kyyrk

Spoiler: GEAR

TDW Gen 3 Armor System, HARM, 800 rounds of HARM Ammo, L-7, 80 rounds of L-7, Big Iron Hand Cannon, 60 rounds of Disrupter, 12 rounds White Phosporous, 12 Rounds of APDS, 30 lbs of DEX, combat cutting torch, 2 Frag Grenades, 2 Thermal Detonators, 2 "Nine Banger" Flash Bangs, 4 SYC laced Smoke Grenades, EBFAK

Sergei would watch the rings be offered but wouldn't budge, his first words since he'd been there being spoken over his suits speakers.

"I appreciate the offer Night Mother, but I cannot willfully accept a protection that I can't offer my men. My armor will serve me in this regard," His voice was full of respect and reverence to the Night Mother, especially after the hospitality her people shown him. He did not wish to incur her wrath or rage. When Rylan Kordel nodded in respect to him, he would be able to see Sergei's helmet move slightly in a nodding motion as well. Sergei didn't know the man personally, but he was here, then that meant the man commanded Voph's respect as a fighter. And especially since Voph was not only footing Sergei's bill with the CIS now, but also was a hardened combat veteran, if he had Voph's respect, he had Sergei's.

Sergei would listen to the other concerns raised along with who'd be sent to destroy the vessel if they split the teams. He had an idea for that, but wasn't sure if Voph or the others would like it. He would speak in a tone that conveyed his thoughts in a suggestion, and was doing his best to offer a helpful option for the group.

"If she knows we're coming, why don't we use that to our advantage?" Sergei paused, letting himself ensure that everyone in the room would be able to hear him "I have a team of Wolves with me, our TCD-1s and commandos are all armed the same way you see myself armed. Our armor is unable to be manipulated by the force and offers us the same protections. Our group could press forward as the main rescue force, leaving my Wolves to keep the exfil secure, and while she pays utmost attention to us, have a small team of my men move to the reactor. We would be under a lot of pressure, but having seen a few members here fight in person," He would glance at Kyyrk and Vytal Noctura , having seen them fight more than up close, "I have no doubts we could make enough of a distraction to hold her gaze long enough let a small team slip through. And while I still fully don't understand this space magic, I think it's an option we should consider,"

And then Voph would drop the curtain and revealed to them what they were facing. More force ghosts, and other types of apparitions. Sergei would immediately think back to the spawn he'd fought on Atrisia, and the hell he'd willingly threw himself and four other brave souls into. He could feel his aggression begin to turn to rage as he remembered his men being torn to pieces. And then he immediately brought it down as he got his emotions under control and he would speak in his helmet through his comm unit.

"John, pop the cork on that crate we brought with us. All of the heavies and I want double combat loads,"

"Yes sir," The droid would respond

The crate Sergei had mentioned in question was a box with more rifles like his, and L-7 pistols with enough bullets on board that every TCD-1 that Sergei had brought and every commando would have at least one of each, and also enough ammunition to fight several battalions of infantry. The men knew that their traditional 416s were only being sidelined for the reason that The Dire Wolf knew hell was coming. Sergei normally carried these weapons himself because of his stature and the fact that most rifles to him felt like toys. The HARM was the first rifle he'd ever held that he felt as if the rifle he was holding had serious power behind it. And given that it hit like a neuranium filled bus, that feeling was justified. He'd noted everyone else in the room, a Mandalorian, more various force using types, and finally Sergei with his Wolves. And on the one hand he felt that this team was more than capable, the way Voph spoke of their enemy, it made Sergei wonder just how conniving and capable she was. Sergei had fought plenty of those types in the past, and knew that he'd have to keep his emotions in check. But he definitely had questions, especially for what in the blazes a "Sith" was. Was it a people? A culture? A galactic nation? The way Voph had spoke about the subject gave Sergei a very, very bad feeling about all of this, and he certainly couldn't help but wonder what they were all walking into. His every instinct told him this was a trap. And as much as his mind wanted to back away from it, he knew they couldn't. They had a job to do.

 

[Rann Thress]

B R I E F I N G​

​

​

LOCATION: Desolation Briefing​

EQUIPMENT: N/A​

​

Rann walked proudly through the halls of the ship, wrapped in a set of black robes. A clothing style he'd grown very fond of since he left Onderon what seemed like a century ago. His hair was tied back into a ponytail, securing it out of his vision, and his right arm had an elbow length glove on it that he started wearing to hide his new mechanical forearm and hand. He wore the hood up and held his head up high with confidence. This was his first anything since Ryloth, and he was eager to get back to work. He was thankful for the chance to be here, and owed Kyyrk much in his short time for the Confederacy, the least Rann could do was answer the call when it came.​

​

This wasn't a mission for glory, however. Combat for accolades bled out of his head when he was laying face up in a bed of rubble during the Founder's Day Parade. Any notion of being rewarded for his accomplishments meant nothing now. He only needed one taste of war before deciding it wasn't something one should go into for glory. You fought to protect, he thought, AnD to KiLL! He shook his head and kept walking. These sudden outburst of thoughts were becoming ever more frequent. That wasn't him. Yeah he killed before, he'd kill again. But it wasn't enjoyable. So why was he thinking about how fun it'd be? He walked through the open door into the briefing room and found a seat. There were a couple people he'd recognized, The Monster chief among them. He was decked out in fancy armor, but Rann couldn't mistake that hulking frame anywhere. That was him. Rann gave him a playful fingergun and a wink with a smile as he walked to find somewhere to sit. He hates you. he found himself thinking. Probably he thought back. At the end of the day, Rann had every confidence Sergei wouldn't let him down in battle. Unless Rann scuffed his armor, he supposed. Of course, Kyyrk was there giving the briefing. Rann couldn't help but cringe as he remembered the Valborg party and how he made such a fool out of himself. He wasn't sure if Voph would ever forgive, or forget, that incident. But it helped motivate Rann to be here to make up for it.​

​

​

The Nightmother, Vytal Noctura he'd recognized. She spooked him. He recognized her, because he thought it best to remember the woman whose party he'd shown up too pretty much uninvited He couldn't quite remember if he'd made a fool of himself there, though. He started to wonder if there was a common theme to these parties that he'd gone to. Oh well.​

​

There were other faces Rann had to have seen in passing, somewhere, but had never actually met. That'd definitely change today.​

​

Rann sat and attentively listened to the briefing as it was given. Some Viceroy was kidnapped by some apparent Sith Sorcerors. Oh good. He thought. More Sith Magick. He'd had enough of that to last a life time, maybe more. But it couldn't be helped. He was here now, and he'd do his job.​

​

He lamented the lack of a lightsaber as he listened to the enemy composition, or lack thereof. He had every confidence in his hand to hand and force abilities to end fights, but he just felt naked without one. He'd have to make acquiring a new one by any means a priority either during or after this mission. But, for the time being, Rann was determined to prove that he wasn't a hindrance. That, in fact, his losses made him stronger. He was determined to prove himself more than the fool he perceived himself to be. Not for anyone else, not for Voph, or for the Confederacy, but for himself. It was a show for an audience of one, and the curtain was coming up.​

​

He listened with interest as Vytal Noctura produced some rings for the group. "This ring will protect you from being corrupted or possessed by the enemy. I carry only enough for those here, and the Viceroy; and I will require these upon our safe return." ​

His eyebrows raised. Possession? Corruption? What? He decided it wasn't worth finding out the hard way. He rose from his seat and went to go grab one.​

​

He reached his left hand out to grab the piece of jewelry. ​

​

DO NOT TOUCH IT! A warning exploded across his brain and he pulled his hand back as if it had been hit by a spoon. He stopped and looked at his hand, making a fist in front of him. A sense of dread came wafting off the Ring and he found his left hand to be shaking. He took a deep breath, squeezed it tighter and dropped it to his side. He looked at his robotic hand and reached out. The sense of dread was lessened, but still there. He exhaled slowly and grabbed the ring. Anger, rage, hatred, and suffering shot through his mind. He struggled to maintain composure. ​

​

"Forgot I uh.. I'm a righty." He said, shaking his closed robotic fist with the ring inside. He placed it back on the surface he had picked it up from, and returned to his seat. The sense of panic never leaving the peripherals of his mind until he was sufficiently far from it.​

"What's happening to me?" he found himself quietly asking no one in particular. He brought his left hand up to his head and rubbed his forehead. Another headache. Another reminder of Ryloth. But, he kept asking himself lately, was it more? He looked at Vytal Noctura . He hoped that, whatever was going on with him, she wasn't aware of it. She might try to stop me. WITCH! He looked away from her, the sense of rage dissipating as soon as his eyes left her. He squeezed his fists shut, placed them together over his mouth, leaned forward and paid close attention to the rest of the briefing. ​

​

He focused as intently as he could. It was just about showtime, and Rann used to be a performer. It was time to razzle dazzle.

He eagerly awaited his assignment.​

​

​

​

Kyyrk | Saram Kote | Rylan Kordel | Prennis Keeoli | Vytal Noctura | The Monster | Raven Thystle | Beric Layne | Taiia Locke ​

​

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

{ Equipment: Uniform, holdout blaster, gauntlet, ring, personal commlink }
{ Post: 01 }
~ † ~
​

Any ounce of worry Kyyrk wouldn't recognize after the bombardment of Ryloth her flew from the airlock when he stared over at her once, twice. The knowledge was written all over his face - she even swore at this point she could understand his inner turmoil through his mantle - but why wouldn't it have been? Though her holographic matrix had been crushed by the chaos of clansmoot and subsequent evacuation, her Force signature was the same. In such, Nightmother Vytal Noctura and Taiia Locke might likewise realize the newcoming Lorrdian was Prennis Keeoli. But if not by that, the Force, the stethoscope about her neck and the way the Lord Commander interacted with her would be telling, too.

Any strawberry blonde dye leftover from her First Order days had faded from her hair, giving way to her natural brown hues. For the first time in a long while, she felt comfortable in the skin into which she was born. She didn't feel the need to hide in a hologram's cool blue embrace - not from the Order, but from herself. Maybe, however, she would need somewhere to hide from the former again, all current galactic events considered. They appeared to be struggling with a comeback, but making headway nonetheless.

That was no concern to have now, though.

Prennis hung her arms from her neck, holding onto either side of her stethoscope. Voph's warning haunted her, though she couldn't figure why exactly. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that, the last time she had fought for him, she had quite literally marched on Chaos in a twisted tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. Something wicked indeed came her way.

 

[Vytal Noctura]

The Witch nodded at Voph's response that they would prioritize the safe recovery of the Viceroy. Seemed unlikely they would manage to 'sneak' under the enemy's nose or offer a suitable distraction. The direct approach would likely save considerable time and result in the same conclusion. Or so Vytal hoped. What would soon follow would not be easy.

Pale arms crossed over the Nightmother's breasts as Sovryn's image made an appearance. She knew who was present and how to defeat them? Well, given what Vytal had heard of the foe elsewhile that might be true. Nevertheless, she would wait to see these considerable skills for herself before trembling in fear. Though it did cause her to wonder... what was the best way to defeat Vytal Noctura? An intriguing question; one she hoped the answer to would not be put on display on the enemy vessel.

Green eyes slid over to Sergei before they returned to Voph. "If they remain with us, we may be able to keep her from possessing them. Do you believe she has already positioned her assets anticipating an attempt on the reactor?" If Sovryn knew they were coming then it stood to reason she might know how many of them there were, and anticipate diversionary tactics. On the other hand, Vytal couldn't say a diversion would be unwelcome. Matters of battlefield tactics at scale, however, were not her specialty; she left such matters to Sergei and Voph and would focus on ensuring they did not become the fiend's weapons to be turned against their allies.

Something akin to the struggle that plagued Rann Thress, in fact. The Nightmother's gaze didn't slip in Rann's direction, but she was acutely aware of the man and his 'guest.' An in-depth examination of the spirit would require more overt movements, which might trigger a needless conflict. Then again, walking into this spiritual battle with such baggage... Yes, Vytal would need to be mindful of that threat. Though, perhaps, the man had his reasons. Time would bear that out.

As for Prennis... Well, the woman was important to Voph and strong headed. Though she might very well become a target the moment they set foot on the enemy's vessel. It would seem they had a great deal of attack surface going up against a well prepared adversary. 'Interesting' was one way to describe what followed.

Tag: Beric Layne | Taiia Locke | Kyyrk | The Monster | Rylan Kordel | Prennis Keeoli | Raven Thystle

 

[Kyyrk]

​

R E S C U E​

Voph nodded once in response to Sergei's suggestion. Vytal's words were heard, but not responded to. Not directly. "I will lead the rest of the team directly to the Viceroy. Sergei, We're all counting on you. Keep the shuttle bay open, and do what you can to take down the reactor. No heroics." For once, Voph managed to say it with a straight face. He knew better than to think that those gathered wouldn't attempt some form of heroic maneuver. But he wanted it understood that no one was to risk their lives unnecessarily.​

​

Voph looked up at the main display as a chime sounded. The trap would spring in mere moments. "Gather what you need, and assemble aboard the Obsidian Star. We launch in five minutes. If you are not on board, we leave without you. Noctura. Keeoli, I need to speak with you privately." Voph turned, powering down the holotable and leading the way towards the Obsidian Star, forcing them to fall in step beside him. Once they were out of ear shot of the others, Voph began speaking.​

​

"I will beg your forgiveness now, for I was not entirely honest with the party. They do not need to know, It doesn't matter for the sake of the mission." Voph paused at the elevator and turned to look at Vytal. His tone carried a weight and severity that it rarely did. Witnessed to Vytal only when Voph was issuing orders on the battlefield. And witnessed by Prennis on a single occasion: Moments before he had died. "I'm naming you my successor, in both this mission, and the Order."​

​

The doors behind him opened as he said this, and he stepped within, waiting until the doors shut before he continued to ensure the three were alone. "Prennis, you deserve to know the truth. The truth that Vytal already knows. My knowledge of the Confessor does not come from an intelligence report. I helped design it. Her captain was not just an associate of mine..." Voph turned to look at Prennis directly, all hints of joy and mirth having fled from his face. What remained was a stone cold expression of duty. "She was my wife, and the mother of my youngest child."​

​

"She is the reason I walk this realm once more. I was brought back by her will, for her purposes. Her goal isn't the Viceroy. It's me." Voph looked back to Vytal, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I have asked you for nothing without compensation in the time we have known each other. But since that day on Crait, I have known this day would come. When I was ejected from the netherworld, I had a vision. So I am asking you now. If the worst should pass..." Voph pointed at Prennis, his attention still locked on Vytal. "You make her leave. If we have no other options, I am willing to give Sovryn what she wants. But only if you promise to keep her safe."​

​

Prennis Keeoli | Vytal Noctura | Rann Thress | Taiia Locke | Saram Kote ​

 

[Kyyrk]

Raven Thystle
​

After the door closed, the room in which Raven was held was quiet for a long moment. Until the handcuffs clattered to the floor, releasing Raven's hands. The Force stirred around her, and it was clear that it was by its influence that the handcuffs were loosed. "I'm sorry dear. I'm sure that hurt..." The voice that spoke was young. Feminine. And coming from behind Raven. It dripped with genuine concern. An oddity considering the confidence from which it spoke. Probably not a fellow prisoner. Soft footfalls echoed against the metal floor as the being drew near to Raven, stepping around to be revealed in the light.

Spoiler: The Captor

The woman, not appearing to be much older than her mid thirties, smiled softly at Raven. "Always a pleasure to meet a Viceroy. Though you're the first one I've met in person. Should I call you My Lady? Your Honor?" She smiled, turning away to collect a chair and drag it closer to Raven. "I do appologize for all the unpleasantness, Miss Thystle. If there were another way, I would have done it. But I had to make it look real. He suspects too much already." The woman took hold of Raven's arm, a medkit appearing seemingly from nowhere. "Colonel Sovryn, at your service, miss. Confederate Intelligence. You're safe now."

Sovryn smiled gently at the Viceroy as she continued tending to the wounds. Most were light. Meant to put on a show, more so than actually harm her. "I'm sure you have many questions. I'll answer them as best as I can. But...if you don't mind my asking..." Sovryn paused for a moment, looking directly at Raven. Her makeup was akin to that of the old Sith Lords, but it was not easy to tell if this was intentional, or just an aesthetic choice. "Voph's gone rogue, and he's bringing a team to kill you. Any idea what might have driven him to do such a thing?"

 

[The Monster]

Location: The Desolation
Objective: Receive the Briefing
Tags: Rann Thress Saram Kote Rylan Kordel Prennis Keeoli Vytal Noctura Raven Thystle Beric Layne Taiia Locke Kyyrk

Spoiler: GEAR

TDW Gen 3 Armor System, HARM, 800 rounds of HARM Ammo, L-7, 80 rounds of L-7, Big Iron Hand Cannon, 60 rounds of Disrupter, 12 rounds White Phosporous, 12 Rounds of APDS, 30 lbs of DEX, combat cutting torch, 2 Frag Grenades, 2 Thermal Detonators, 2 "Nine Banger" Flash Bangs, 4 SYC laced Smoke Grenades, EBFAK

Theme: Lock and Load
​

Sergei would simply nod as Voph told him to proceed, and even lead his men to take the reactor. He knew the stakes. He would turn on a heel, walking out the room as he headed to his ship, noting all of the men had already passed out weapons and were currently loading up ammo. Several TCD-1s were also milling about, having already had the weapons and ammo in question. There were very few who came armed such as The Dire Wolves, and Sergei had a feeling that while his men would didn't know what they were going to be up against, Sergei was confident that their opponent would be more than surprised at what he brought to the table. His men weren't your average mercenaries. Their weapons were anything but average. One of the men would spot Sergei as he approached and say something to alert everyone else.

As Sergei came to a stop before his men he would speak through his loud speakers.

"Alright ladies and gents, we got our orders. While the main body of our merry band goes forward and attempts to rescue the viceroy, our mission is simple. Push through to the main reactor of the vessel, and destroy it. We'll have a small force pull security on the ship in the hangar to ensure our escape remains viable. I'll be taking a squad with me to take the reactor, anyone who follows us from our group is welcome to stick with us. We are going to take advantage that a lot of the heavier hitters are going to rescue the HVT, which means hopefully they won't be focused on us. Bring double combat loads, don't be afraid to shoot things twice to ensure they stay down. Good luck,"

Sergei would then step back and turn as he started walking towards the Obsidian Star. Behind him, 40 men, women, and combat droids of The Dire Wolves approached the ship, all absolutely bristling with weapons and explosives. They were ready for a war, and Sergei knew that there would be a ridiculous amount of forces waiting for them on the enemy ship.

 

[Vytal Noctura]

Vytal listened quietly as Voph spoke. This was his show, as they said. Unless he made a fatal mistake, which was incredibly unlikely before the battle was joined, there was no need for the Nightmother to question his tactics or approach. He knew their opponent better than perhaps everyone else present -- even herself. Then as the group was set to motion, however, Voph called two women to remain a moment longer in his presence. She waited until Voph made for the door at which time she turned to follow.

The pale woman's black lips curled down at the corners as her brow drew lower over her nose. Successor? Maintaining order on the battlefield was important, and being a diverse and assembled task force the natural progression of authority was not inherent. But that was assuming it stopped here. Voph also named her Successor to the Knights Obsidian as well. Perhaps that too was less obvious, but it was also painfully thorough.

They had resurrected him before, they could do it again. Albeit, there was a question how many times a soul could die and be brought back without suffering...damage. There was also the risk a soul would slip back to the Source or choose it had tarried long enough. If they succeeded, yet Voph died, would he have reason to return? This is what did not sit well with the Nightmother. Command and authority were necessary evils of society; she was content with ensuring her Sisters and Brothers were well, and didn't seek to overturn Voph's 'rule' by act or circumstance.

"Very well," was all Vytal had to say aloud on the matter. Even though the only other person present was someone Voph trusted implicitly, she would not question his decision openly. She intended to bring him back alive no matter how dangerous this woman was.

Voph was not done, however, as he then spoke of a grave matter that would no doubt distract him in the moments to come. "I plan to keep you both safe." Her chin lowered so her green eyes peered out at Voph from the shadow cast by her brow. Even so, those were not the words that would satisfy the man and allow him to focus. So, the Nightsister added, "I will do as you ask." What of Prennis' thoughts on this matter? She was free to object, of course. Vytal would do whatever was necessary to obtain the greatest outcome, however.

Tag: Kyyrk | Prennis Keeoli | Rann Thress | Taiia Locke | Saram Kote | The Monster | Raven Thystle | Beric Layne

 

[Raven Thystle]

KIDNAPPED​

Tags: Kyyrk || Vytal Noctura | The Monster | Prennis Keeoli | Rann Thress | Taiia Locke | Saram Kote | Beric Layne​

Silence, Raven could do silence. In fact, she often preferred it because it meant that she could think clearer without the background noise of filtering body language and under tones into the equation. The only current background noise present was the fact that her wrists were burning and blistering with the contact of the silver cuffs. Then there was the Nightshade that was currently pumping through her veins and her three thousand year old body was trying to filter it out as fast as possible. Slowly, she closed her vibrant blue eyes for a moment as a sigh parted her red painted lips. There was a time to fight and there was a time to simply bide it. This was the time for the latter, for eventually someone was sure to raise their head and lay claim to these actions.

Someone always does.

Which turned out to be right as she felt the shift in the force, only for her cuffs to be unlocked by an invisible force. It was then followed by a voice, one that she did not know, nor hear enter the room. It had been empty only moments ago and her eyes opened to view the figure that walked with soft footfalls, out behind her, only to step into the light. A slow brow perked upwards as her gaze took in the other woman’s appearance and easily paid attention to the makeup. It was rather fascinating to say in the least, for being that she was old, she did recognize that the makeup’s origins were of the old Sith Lords. Whether her silence was by design or whether it was the drug, would be hard to tell. What Raven did know, was that she had remained silent deliberately so then she could glean more information from the blonde woman.

She watched as the other woman dragged a chair over, only to somehow produce a med kit and begin to attend to her wounds. While she would have naturally pulled her hand away, she still didn’t have full use of her limbs. The most that she could manage was to wiggle her toes and fingers. Yet she watched as the other tended to the burns and blisters around her wrist while she listened to not only the words, but for a heartbeat. Her face remained passive until the other finished speaking and a brow lifted in response. ”It’s rather fascinating that a member of the Confederacy Intelligence doesn't know how to properly address a Viceroy, or has things grown so laxed in manners these days, Colonel Sovryn?” She quietly mused.

Yet even as she mused, she pondered upon the information given to her. Information which made no sense. At least, not to her in any case. Not to mention that kidnapping a Viceroy from their planet, was a tad extreme when it came to protecting a Viceroy. ”It's Viceroy or Viceroy Thystle and however credible the threat, kidnapping seems to be a tad extreme to me. Including the use of Nightshade,” She said as she withheld a wince of pain. How was she to play this? Because she had her doubts about the woman before her. Oh she could be speaking a truth, one based on falsely fed information or she could be lying. The Colonel wasn’t someone that she knew and therefore, she didn’t place her complete trust in her.

”Another fascinating fact, Colonel, is that you think that Voph is out to kill me and that he is bringing a team. The team would have to be brainwashed or complete idiots. If you ask me, I severely doubt the integrity of your information, for I saw him rather recently. Nothing about him spoke of any ill intent and we had a rather pleasant conversation.” Raven said as she leveled her gaze upon the woman before her and angled her head slightly to the right. Almost as if she was daring the Colonel to prove her wrong.

What was she doing? She was biding her time.​

 

[Saram Kote]

B R I E F I N G​

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Tag: Kyyrk | Rann Thress | Rylan Kordel | Prennis Keeoli | Vytal Noctura | The Monster | Raven Thystle | Beric Layne | Taiia Locke​

​

Saram nodded in response to the Lord Commander's response. Saram resisted the urge to sigh. Retrieval of friendly personnel was rarely, if ever, simple. The simplest plans often went to osik immediately. HVT extraction was a whole other shabla mess on top of that. When he mentioned 'force spirits', however, she did sigh. Thankfully in the privacy of her own helmet. She nodded in acknowledgement, thankful for her ysalamiri birikad now, more than she was when she first arrived. Though she had no idea how she was going to fight that. Best left to those who did know how. She gathered there were more than a few of those present.​

​

Conventional, she at least had an idea of how to put down. She'd fought, and killed, more than her fair share at this point in her life. No matter how tough a target, precise application of appropriate force rarely failed to bring a target down. Failing that, complete and utter overkill was the next best thing. They didn't lack either. This confidence was not out of hubris, but rather aware of the crippling effects of fear of the unknown, and an attempt to minimize the effects aforementioned pre-mission jitters. While a powerful motivator, it also lent itself well to irrationality, and the latter had no place in preparing for a fight.​

​

Saram held her breath for a moment when Voph said that he knew who it was that had taken the Viceroy all too well. This was starting to finally make sense to her, even though she knew she didn't know all the details. It seemed more personal the more she heard. Did she know this for sure? No. She was making an assumption, but it may as well have been a precision 500m shot in total darkness with how little she knew about the situation.​

​

Voph then mentioned that her name was Darth Sovryn, and this Darth Sovryn was the ship's original commander. He went on to mention that she was the Dark Councilor of the 'Sphere of Intelligence', which Saram assumed she was the head of dar'jetii intelligence at some point in history that she was entirely unaware of. She wagered that it was the same case for a majority of people in the room right now.​

​

With that in mind, Voph's statement that she likely knew who was in the room, what they were capable of and how best to counter them bore far more weight that if he'd simply said it. Outnumbered, possibly outgunned, without the element of surprise and likely walking into a trap. She'd walked out of situations like that before. Add in the likely several hundred year old Sith with a specialization in intelligence, an ancient dreadnought, the fact that said Sith knew exactly how to counter them and they were in some serious trouble.​

​

Saram snorted at Voph's last statement. As if anything was ever simple with dar'jetii. Not that the jetii were paragons of simplicity either. Dar'jetii however, it seemed like they couldn't live without complications and scheming. Always scheming. It was almost like they couldn't make a shabla slice of toast without hatching five different schemes. When it came to a woman who was ostensibly in charge of dar'jetii shabla intelligence, she very much doubted any part of that plan could ever be described as 'simple'.​

​

Speaking of simple, Saram found something decidedly odd about one of the others accompanying them on this suicide mission ( Rann Thress ). He was far too...jittery, for her liking. She'd have thought that Voph would have brought only veterans along on this operation, but there was likely a good reason he was being allowed to come along. She decided to ignore that for the moment and instead refocus her attention to the task at hand.​

​

Voph gave them their tasking orders a moment later in response to a statement the Nightmother made, a statement that made her decidedly less than comfortable, but one she tried to forget for now. Tasking them to make themselves ready, before asking to speak to the Nightmother and another woman who Saram's armor's ID scan hadn't yet identified before she left the room. Saram eyed them leaving before she walked over to Rann Thress . "You okay there, burc'ya?" ​

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

{ Equipment: Uniform, holdout blaster, gauntlet, ring, personal commlink }
{ Post: 02 }
~ † ~
​

Another out of time? she thought as Kyyrk revealed his relation to Darth Sovryn. Now was not the time for jealously, but she was not even the type to expend such emotion on the past - hers or others'. What a strange phenomenon. In a medical and a mundane sense. What she might do to return to the days where the mysterious Ketal strain and unknown Ssi-Ruuk pathogens that had mutated after indeterminate isolation were the most curious of things she ever encountered. Her life had in many more ways than one complicated as she had run from the Order to Commenor to Kashyyyk to Vylmira.

Of course, that meant her return to the halls of FIV Malice - if she even still flew. The thought sent a physical shiver through Prenn. Rather, what she would do to not, to never go back. What she had done.

Her focus snapped back to the present and the Lord Commander as he addressed the Nightmother. "Voph, no," she she interjected a reply not asked for. Because he didn't face her, the nurse moved between him and Vytal, forcing herself to be seen. She spent just moment planning her following argument. Vytal was certainly trustworthy enough to hear what she had to say unabridged. "I spent my First Order tenure being protected by my combative betters. But I'm not the scared doctor I used to be."

 

[Kyyrk]

​

R E S C U E​

Voph watched Prennis for a long moment as the elevator continued to descend towards the hangar bay. She thought he was telling Vytal to protect her because she was unable to protect herself. Which Voph knew was not true. Not in the slightest. His brow furrowed as he studied her face. "I never said you weren't capable of handling yourself, Prennis. You have proven your resolve wonderfully. But it is that same resolve that scares me." Voph sighed quietly, looking away from Prennis and Vytal both. When he spoke again, his voice was soft. Hardly a whisper. "I still remember it. Every time I drift to sleep. The blade piercing my chest. The...scream that she let out when she realized I was dying. I had begged with Sovryn. Pleaded with her. All I wanted was to reap what I had sown. To rest. To go back home. But she pursued me to the ends of the galaxy."​

​

Voph looked back to Prennis. "All she wanted was her family. As broken and unhappy as we were. She did not want me to move on. So she found a way to right the wrongs that had been done to her. I escaped once, when I was brought back. But I always knew this confrontation was coming. This was never about the Viceroy."​

​

Voph left the rest unsaid. It had never been about the Viceroy. It was a trap. And a trap that Voph was leading his team directly into, on the blind hope that they could escape it unscathed. A soft announcement was issued across the intercom. Ten minutes to launch. As the elevator drew to a halt, and the doors opened once again, Voph pulled Prennis into a hug. His next words were quiet. Meant only for the ears of the girl he embraced. He held the gesture for a moment, then pulled away, turning to exit the elevator. "It is nearly time. The Star is waiting."​

​

Prennis Keeoli | Vytal Noctura | Rann Thress | Taiia Locke | Saram Kote ​