Invasion Technologic | SO Invasion of GA Held Woostri - Objective Three

[Corazona von Ascania]

Allies | Ran Serys | Taam Moghul | Nir Si | Lycus Merita | Connel Vanagor
Engaging the lovely | Madrona A’Mia
​

Cora couldn't take pleasure in watching A'Mia get pockmarked by the hail of shrapnel - her boot caught on something slippery, and her balance left her.

"Ngh," she grunted, bracing her rather ungraceful fall with a free hand while her knees hit the ground.

"It is the providence of the Sith to embellish and twist their words into poi-"

The Jedi let out a strangled groan as the second sithspawn wrapped a vine around her leg, dragging her onto her back. The plant's carnivorous properties were moderately resisted by the cortosis weave of her trousers, but she could feel an unsettling heat where acid began to dissolve fabric.

Tiny hairs at the back of Cora's neck stood, and she jerked her head only centimeters away from the first duracrete chunk. The rock exploded into a hundred jagged fragments as it struck the ground, peppering the exposed skin of her face and neck. As the second chunk hurtled towards her, she managed to nudge its path toward the sithspawn trying to consume its prey.

A sharp sting bit into her skin as the creature's digestive juices successfully broke down the protective fabric of her pant leg. Cora jerked and groaned in both surprise and pain, before blue plasma severed the hungry limb. Clambering to her feet, she hissed in a mix of discomfort and irritation - a red welt twining up her leg, little dots of blood and dirt freckling her face, and her hair oily with slime.

She grimaced up at the arboreal menace’s perch as if to say, Really?

Cora ran her fingers through her hair, attempting to squeeze as much of the gunk as she could from blonde locks. A sweeping wave of her hand slowly gathered green ooze from the ground, the viscous liquid hovering awkwardly before it was telekinetically lashed back at its creator like a gooey whip.

Spoiler: Actions

Cora slips on the sithspawn's ooze (gross) and falls to the ground. The second sithspawn's vine grabs her leg.

A'Mia's first projectile misses Cora's head, but explodes into bits that cause tiny wounds.

Cora redirects the second projectile to strike the sithspawn attacking her.

The second sithspawn's vine begins to digest part of Cora's leg, but she slices it from her person.

Cora gets up, and throws the ooze she slipped on back at A'Mia.

 

[Drystan Creed]

Tags:
Enemies: Zachariah Conway
Allies:
Equipment: Standard (In Bio) | A gift​

Despite Drystan's constant micro-adjustments, his body could only keep up for so long. His mind was sharp, strategies forming with every passing second, but execution faltered under the strain of his battered body. Fatigue was creeping in, compromising precision.

Finding himself on the back foot again, he widened the gap, keeping the Sith Knight at blade-tip distance. His eyes narrowed, his foe's words only stoking his ire further.

An introduction in the heat of battle? Not happening.

Teeth gritted, voice barely escaping between heavy breaths, he snapped:

"Shut up and fight."

He barely had time to curse before Zachariah's elbow crashed into him. But Drystan caught something else—the rock hurtling toward his back.

He adapted.

Instead of resisting, he moved with the elbow's force, exaggerating the stumble, letting himself fall onto his back.

The rubble missed him—but the Sith was already lunging again, blade aimed straight for his chest, ready to pin him into an early grave atop the concrete.

Too fast.

With a sharp grunt, Drystan's hand shot to his belt. At the last second, he placed something in his spot and rolled away, narrowly escaping the piercing violet blade. The saber struck stone instead.

Where Drystan had just been, Zachariah would find a small, cylindrical device—beeping.

Faster. Faster.

Then—a drawn-out apex.

A flash grenade.

Blinding white light engulfed the area as a loud bang crashed through the still air.

Drystan had already shielded his eyes, using the chaos to retreat, putting precious distance between them, half-limping deeper into the city ruins.

He needed a moment—to recover, to recalibrate. Formulate a proper plan in peace to take down this Sith Knight.

 

[Westenra Mina]

Lynda, Demon of Jedha, left nothing of the Sith alive in her wake. Behind her were already piles of dead and dying, maimed and bitten and run through by her Katana. Biological X-Ray vision let her spot a Sith Soldier hiding behind an overturned vehicle and she pounced on the victim, the next seconds nothing but horrid roars and human screams, followed by Lynda coming out from behind the vehicle leaving bloody boot prints behind on the ground.

Her enhanced senses spotted it. A Sith bomber streaking overhead. Preparing to deliver a payload on her coordinates. The streets were slick with gore and viscera, the brutal slaughter already prompting the arrival of reinforcements.

Lynda started scaling the wall of a nearby building in anticipation, swiping a thermal detonator off one of the meat piles in the process. As the fighter descended just enough to properly release the payload of napalm like materials (Her slaughter of Sith forces was already so insanely brutal it had been decided nothing less than going scorched earth would be sufficient to annihilate the threat she posed.) she initiated the repulsor gear arming it as she flew at the fighter with her armor's top speed, and tossed it with superhuman strength at the cockpit, diving down as it detonated on impact, sending shreds of Star bomber into war torn streets. Lynda landed superhero-style into the bloody pavement. The path to the Archives was clear...

At least, that was what she thought.

But this place was truly under siege as she arrived. Droids, Sith, their minions, all bitterly determined to take control of the buildings precious data.

(Demon of Jedha's Theme Plays)

Blood Sister went active, a remnant of happier days, it's plasma a rod of deep red with a glittering pink to white exterior aura.

Being this form was something the Android considered a personal punishment. It was in this guise that she had first met Laertia Io at Atrisia, and befriended her. It was this guise that had been used when inducting her into Clan Li-Ves.

This form she now used had been used to commit the single worst mistakes of her life. In this form all of her doubts and self hatred couldn't help but pour out in her databases.

Why didn't I spot it? Why didn't I spot it? she asked herself almost constantly.

Did I love Laertia as a sister too much? Or did she simply con me?

Laertia had given her the kind of familial sense of belonging she had never gotten from Vera in those days. If Vera had developed the capacity to feel sooner... would she have proven as vulnerable to Io's charms?

What did I see in her? Lynda asked herself as Lightsaber and Katana worked hand and hand to smash through squads, chop them apart, destroy hand held weapons, databases giving her feedback on all senses, allowing her to map and predict enemy movements in a 360 radius as she shredded into the enemy brutally, Biot Adrenaline making the world slow enemies down to a crawl, her will being translated by the gauntlets she wore into a large field of near total darkness.

(ERROR, ERROR: RIDDICK CATCHPHRASE CANNOT BE LOADED. PLEASE CONSULT TECH SUPPORT)

First came the darkness and then soldiers felt a razor across their bellies, revealing the secrets within and netting her a sweet fifty XP per kill as she killed her way past them, taking nasty wounds in the process. A whirlwind of blood and gunfire and thermal heat signatures and hard, exotic steel from a bygone, more hopeful era in her life and the hum of a lightsaber she had made to defend someone she thought she could trust.

She would have killed to go back to those days, go back to her young self, entertaining ideas of being some sort of hero and scream at her to leave her sympathy at the door when it came to Laertia. Leave the beautiful, scarred, pale woman to her fate and leave it to chance. Leave her as just a struggling magician being stalked by a vicious sorceress. Laertia herself would probably have been better off in the end, had Westenra not been so starved for genuine affection.

How many innocent people were dead because of her empathy towards Laertia, she asked of herself as she beheaded a common soldier, reports of a nightmarish murderer hacking apart their forces starting to spread to Sith Military Units already in her vicinity, and eventually starting to filter into the reports of Commodore Helix as her slaughter began to drench the archives paths she hunted in.

Her slaughter at Jedha had given her that moniker she felt such ambivalence towards: Demon of Jedha. Something that made her more than just a mad, heartbroken android taking her inner rage and pain out on targets of convenience.

She would get another title after today:

Butcher of Woostri.

 

[Ysennia Lee]

Lt. Col. Ysennia Lee | 42nd Assault Battalion
Allies: Lupa Visz Gress D'ran Jessikal Skea Shan Pavond Nos Voros
Enemies: Festerruman Sachiel Darth Nefaron Veradun Sharr

​

Despite what some in the battalion would say about Courier Company, it was probably one of the most demanding assignments ever with some of the most tedious to boot. Everyone always had to be doing something if you weren't given a break. Pvt. Tico Pek was lucky enough to be given his after going through the ammo dump making sure everything was in order for the nth time. The sergeant was a hardass to be sure and Pek was sitting on a crate with his helmet on the floor beside him.

"Shift done?" A familiar voice to Tico called. Looking up was Pek's friend in the company, Pvt. Fawel Selson. A duros who became friends with him thanks to being new and also from Corellia, same as Tico. He nodded at Fawel's answer who sat on the floor beside him and started lighting a cigarette.

"You're gonna die before you see fighting y'know?" Tico said monotonically. Fawel was quick to indulge in a cigarette whenever he had the time. He heard the concern in Tico's voice but brushed it off. He knew that his friend was only exaggerating, but he also knew that if you wanted to win a war, you had to believe you were already dead... or something like that. He heard from someone in basic training and wondered what that guy was doing now but it was his excuse for indulging in a vice to relieve him from the boredom of his assignment. Like Tico, he was also part of the logistics unit and went through inventory an insane amount of times. Tico just shook his head at his friend before a shimmer from the corner of his eye caught his attention.

A trio of GADF soldiers had stood in plain sight, but Tico had his focus on a guy with his helmet under his arm. He looked similar in age to him, but with features anyone would call 'majestic.' His hair was more grown than Tico's buzzcut and parted to the left. His eyes were a glistening emerald sea and his auburn hair flowed seamlessly in the wind.

"Hey Fawel." Tico said to his friend who stopped his smoke break. "Who's that guy on the left?"

Fawel squinted his eyes to check before giving his answer."That's Quinn. He's in engineering. We played pazaak a few times. Why?"

"No reason." Tico said nonchalantly. However, his constant staring told a different story, and Fawel chuckled to himself and shook his head.

It wasn't long until Quinn had separated from his group and walked away by himself and Tico took the chance to introduce himself. "Excuse me?" He called out before Quinn turned sensing the voice was calling out to him since he was alone.

Quinn looked confused as the buzzcut man approached him. "Can I help you?"

"I heard you were friends with Fawel, figured I introduced myself."

"Oh you know Foo Foo?" Quinn's face suddenly lit up.

"Foo Foo?"

"Long story. I'd tell you but I just got a mountain of chit to do so." Quinn said before shrugging.

"Oh...uh maybe you can tell me whenever you're free?"

Before, Quinn thought that Fawel was talking to Tico about him. But given Tico's bashful nature, it was clear to Quinn what his intentions were so he gave a slight smile. "I'll save you a seat at Maclunkee's when we get out of here." He said softly.

Tico's face turned a deep red. "Y-Yeah! Yeah... Sounds like a plan." He stammered.

"By the way I didn't get your-"

An emergency siren was going off. "ENEMY ARTILLERY FIRE INBOUND! ALL PERSONNEL BRACE FOR INCOMING HEAVY BOMBARDMENT!"

The two troopers without a word looked at each other, words failing to escape as they now had to be soldiers and return to their units. With a look and a nod, the two soldiers ran in opposite directions. Tico was running back to Fawel so they could find their sergeant. Quinn was on his way back to the engineering platoon on the other side of the base.

BOOM!

An explosion sent Quinn flying, crashing onto the ground and he saw only black.

"Ma'am! Enemy artillery hit one of the ammo dumps! There's a fire by logistics!"

"Get the AZR droids out there to rescue anyone near the blast and put out those fires!" Ysennia shouted to her comms officer as artillery rained around them. It was scattered so it wasn't as if the fire was concentrated on her position. Still, they were unlucky. Definitely some casualties. But Ysennia had to worry about that later.

"...Hellstomper Bravo to Stormpiercer, moving on the phase two."

As if the bombardment going on around them wasn't indicative enough. She immediately contacted her artillerymen.

"Stormpiercer to Marksman Alpha! How copy?"

"Solid copy, Stormpiercer."

"Sending you target data. Immediate Suppression." Ysennia pushed a few buttons on her command council to send the targeting data from the ravens to unload on the Sith's assembly area.

"Data recieved, Immediate Suppression, Out."

The crew inside Marskman Battery's 6 SPMAC-A's were redirecting their cannons and fired charged bolts to crash down on the sith until ordered to cease. Besides damaging the Sith army, Stormpiercer's goal was to get the Sith moving deeper into the city where the Alliance was dug in. They needed the Sith to be reckless on the offense so that the Alliance could find their opening.

"Stormpiercer to Pit Stop! How copy?"

"T-This is Pit Stop."

"Yusani I need immediate suppression on those same coordinates! How copy?"

"Solid Copy! Right away ma'am!"

Echoes of the mortars could soon be heard again as they started firing all they had at the Sith army. All they could do was bombard them until they could move on to the next part of the plan.

"Ma'am! Incoming hostile signatures. Drop pods are descending into the city.

Ysennia looked at the tactical map. Red dots scatted across the holographic layout of the city. Good shock tactic. The 44th especially was going to get bogged down and eventually overrun. While Ysennia kept the gunships on standby, she knew the threat to their back line had to be cleared as soon as possible to prevent further damage to Alliance forces.

"Howler Alpha this is Stormpiercer Alpha! Come in!"

"This is Howler. Go ahead Stormpiercer." A low feminine voice could be heard.

"We have enemy drop pods dropping in behind our front line, deploy the infantry and GARTs."

"Howler copies. We're heading out."

Summary:

Spoiler

Artillery from Festerruman Sachiel hits Lee's command post inflicting casualties. Ysennia retaliates by firing 8 mortars and 6 SPMAC-A's at the bulk of the Sith army.
8 GALAAT-30 Ziios are sent to deploy infantry along with GART-57 walkers to intercept the shock troopers close to the rear.

 

[Kartus Lok]

It all happened so fast, faster than he could see, faster than he could react to, no sooner had Kartus' finger brushed the trigger than the scene before him seemed to explode into motion. The Jedi and Empress had seemed to still for a moment, a lull in their combat letting him snap off the shot.

Or atleast that's what he'd thought. He really should have known better.

The Jedi's blade blurred as he span around, dodging Srina's strike as the blade cut at the blaster shot. It was those pesky lightsabers, they just weren't fair. That had been a kill shot, a beautiful reaction, the kind that could only be achieved by hours and hours of training, all rendered useless by a stupid Jedi's unnatural reactions and that broken weapon that allowed them to reflect blasters willy nilly. How was anyone supposed to kill one of those robed pests if they could wipe out your attacks so easily?

The storm of thoughts whirled through the man's head in a moment, the span between one second and the other as the reflected blaster flashed by his head. He could react fast enough to look at it, let alone think about dodging it. It was lucky for him that the Jedi was such a poor shot, seriously they needed to teach them how to aim at that academy of theirs.

It wasn't until the Jedi's smug little rejoiner that Kartus realised what he'd done, the blood draining from the soldier's face as he slowly turned to the device he was meant to protect. The device that now had a burn on it's surface, char coating a wound I the device's chassis, damaged wires beneath sparking ominously.

It definitely wasn't meant to do that, he hadn't intended…those weapons were…but wait, the Empress…she'd told him to protect it.

Dark eyes met the gazes o the rest of his squad for a moment before he slowly turned on a heel, eyes flicking towards the empress before glancing away, unable to keep that guilty stricken look off his face.

"I…uh…"

Damn Jedi!


Srina Talon | Judah Lesan | C1-1347

 

[Srina Talon]

Ally Tag: Sith Order - Kartus Lok
Enemy Tag: GA - Judah Lesan
Location: Now on the Beach - Outskirts of Gopsthal
Equipment: Robes | Saber | Ring | Ring
Ship: Landing Castle x | Cruiser [Requiem] x | Frigates [3] | Beacon
______________________________________________________

Silence.

Not in the battlefield…In her mind. Darth Empyrean had not replied to her words and it made something twist sharply in her chest. With the devastation of the Woostrian City lingering in the back of her mind like a black cloud, she longed to hear just a few simple words. It wouldn't make sense to most. Why she was so focused, waiting, for his thoughts to twine with her own. It was just a few words that didn't belong in the vocabulary of a Sith but they were all she needed to push through this ghoulish nightmare of their own making. She could press through it all—Conquer it.

If only…For the response, she heard all too often, all too little, and could not function without.

Perhaps, that was why the refracted bolt from the blaster rifle slipped by her. She did not look at Kartus Lok . She did not need to, nor, did she trust herself not to burn the Sargent to a cinder for adding one more layer of complication to this campaign. She had no time for failure, no patience for incompetence. The beacon had been struck, damaged, by an oaf with poor marksmanship and the sheer arrogance of a Jedi. Why did they always choose the path of idiocy?

“I hope that was not important,”

"More important to you, than me."

The old man wouldn't understand the statement any more than he understood his ass from his elbow. Without the beacon, if the intelligence inside the archive could not be claimed, the task of enacting the final full measure would fall on the Mors Mon. It would be far worse than anything the device she had brought could enact on any populace. Gopsthal would be turned into a literal fireball and left so barren that the ashes didn't even make it into the chronicles of history holos. That was what waited for Woostri. As malefic as Srina could be—Empyrean, wouldn't think twice.

"Fix it." ​

The order came like a blade against the flesh—sharp and immediate. It was a command issued by one who was used to being obeyed, without thought, without question. If it could not be repaired in time there was a very real possibility that Sargent Lok would fail to see the next sunrise. There was a very real possibility that the loyal, well-meaning, Sith loyalist was already dead. "—And do it quickly."

Gold-hewn eyes turned back to Judah, her patience, at an end.

He reached for her again, the Force wrapping around her body like unseen hands, pulling—

Srina did not resist. Rather, she moved with it. The pale Echani allowed the Jedi to draw her in—closer than he intended, closer than was safe. His saber slashed upward. An even, perfect cut…But the moment he committed to the strike, she was already slipping past it. A subtle redirection of weight. A half step inside his guard. A flick of the wrist that tilted her crimson blade just out of alignment with his, the energy fields shrieking as they kissed but did not bind.

As the impact vibrated through the hilt and sparks sought to blind them, she kept pressing the attack. Her free hand shot out, elegant fingers curled into a claw, while the darkside roiled inside her to wrench unmercifully at his balance. The moment his footing wavered, even for a moment, her saber would break from his and descend in a clean downward slash, meant to exploit any hesitation.

The wintry woman expected him to counter. Mostly, because he wasn't god-awful. Just…Human.

She was not.

Srina could see what he would do, perhaps, before the thought percolated and became real. She pressed forward, her attack unfolding like a flawless sequence, her mastery of the lightsaber far beyond mere aggression. It was precision. It was artistry. Every movement was designed to trap, to control, to strangle his options until there was nothing left. She spun around and struck again, changing the angle, forcing him to adapt and meet her. The unrelenting stance she took forced him to react rather than dictate the engagement. The moment he tried to seize control; she changed the tempo—her weapon flickering with impossible speed.

The biggest advantage Judah had was his mechanical arm. She recalled doing away with the last one…It was likely they would need to repeat the process. His natural guard would be stronger, but she was Echani. Combat was her blood. Battle was her language, and she spoke it fluently, brutally, and elegantly. Her sisters would have critiqued her every step. Her every breath. The Jedi Master would never know any of that. A thrust, a parry. Another sudden step to keep her inside his guard where she was the most dangerous. Her presence pressed against his, dark and unyielding, as she used the Force to drive into him with the weight of a storm. If he staggered back?

She would pivot, ducking down, to sweep up with another strike.

His defense was solid, honed by experience, but his focus? Was it there? Or was it fractured? The death of thousands still clung to him like a shroud he could not shed. She could taste it eating away at the excuses he made for standing in the Light. "Are you breaking, Master Jedi?"

The whispered question was breathless, while her saber pressed against his, locking for a moment. "You felt them die. I saw you, drowning in their screams. The Force betrays you. It carries their suffering to you and you've felt it as if it were your own…"

Srina leaned close, her voice dropping to something soft, while her ochre gaze held his like a magnet.

"Does it burn?"

Then, she abruptly disengaged, while she twirled away with her footwork kicking up shards of glass. As her opponent sought to recover or come at her for the next attack her fingers splayed toward the ground. Darkness, pure, and potent answered her call and the area beneath Judah ruptured violently in a concussive blast that was meant to throw him around like a rag doll.

 

[Ran Serys]

"Strike Team Fay, Knight Serys. I'm engaging an enemy, Sith, Unknown, in the Southern Wing."

As Jhyrack stalked, Ran rooted herself in place. Her lightsaber's blade met Jhyrack's as they clashed in a battle of plasma. Jhyrack's blade flashed a crimson red. It looked and sounded volatile, unstable, like it was ready to cause hurt. Ran's blade was a steady sapphire blue. The sight and sound of it an angelic harmony, serenity and peace even under great stress. She batted the thrusting test strike of his greatsaber back as she pivoted forward off her left foot. Jhyrack was massive and strong, but Ran had a mutant's might.

"You can do better than that, Darksider. Show me." Ran commanded as she brought her lightsaber down diagonally. A strike at his midsection, followed by several speedy swings as she pressed forward. Ran began to move with the force. She'd enhance her speed, resolve, and accuracy soon enough.

Allies: Corazona von Ascania Taam Moghul Nir Si Lycus Merita Connel Vanagor
Enemies: Jhyrack
​

 

[Kasir Dorran]

Allies: Sith Order, Kivah Srina Talon Darth Strosius
Foe: Galactic Alliance, Connel Vanagor

​

The sangnir found himself captivated by the brutality from his companion– how swiftly life could be extinguished by hands alone. And when she casually drew a blaster, masking death with deliberation, the Sith's nod of approval reflected their mutual understanding.

As Kivah's words filled the space between them, Kasir’s focus shifted, his gaze drawn to a scene of destruction— a series of explosions executed by a small team that’d been engaged with Sith Troopers. Although the Jedi wasn't seen during the process, his presence was undoubtedly felt. A subtle curl of his lips and a spark of dark intrigue in the Sith's orbs hinted at his interest.

Now, it felt as though he were being pulled in every direction, the grip of the Force coiling upon his being, both seducing and intoxicating all at once; his very essence quivered with excitement at this new surge of power. As the ripples of destruction raged, for a portion of Woostri was annihilated, he too fed upon it, allowing it to fuel his own connection, which heightened his senses. Yet amidst the chaos, a familiar presence was felt at the edges of his consciousness, like a whisper. Kasir recognized it, one of several detected aboard the Requiem earlier. It was like a distant echo of someone he’d known since his days as an acolyte. It pointed in the direction of the data center.

<<The Emperor has spoken and a piece of Woostri has been permanently removed. There are fewer places now for the Jedi to scatter and hide when they hear you coming. All available must push into Gopsthal—Do not let the Alliance form another defensive line.>>​

The Darkseeker's mind was well known to be a storm of mindless rage; fortunately, the Empress' telepathic message served as a compass, pointing him towards a task that was more dutiful, one with purpose. His head slowly turned back to Kivah. "I agree," he murmured, his voice dripping with malice. "My main target will be the Jedi. I will not allow him to interfere any longer." Noting the direction they fled to, heading south, his gaze now carried the intensity of a predator ready to hunt prey. “His death will break their spirit, and any remaining hope shall be extinguished.”

With a final nod, he continued, "Kivah, do whatever you feel is best. Whether assisting with the Jedi or pushing past their lines and sparing no one, the choice is yours.” Each carried their own merit, efficient in their own right, unlike the coddling feelings those who served the Light desperately clung to.

Without another word, he set off towards the southern flank, both fluidity and grace radiating from every step; his movements were a testament to his training as an assassin. Drawn to the explosion earlier, Kasir navigated through the ongoing chaos. He effortlessly avoided blaster fire and all debris in his path, a true master to his craft. He was honed in on a single target, consumed with desire for death.

From the recesses of these streets, he finally emerged– a figure draped in black, his cloak heavy with the rain. The sangnir crept closer, approaching another soldier who was oblivious to what lurked from behind. His mechanical hand lashed out, covering the man’s mouth, muffling any cry that dared to escape. The sharp edge of his ceremonial dagger pressed against the flesh of one's throat.

Holding him in place, he locked onto the Jedi engaged in combat not far ahead. It was as if he were recording every movement, the slightest shift, then downloading the very data in his consciousness. A telepathic message, cold and direct, would be sent to Connel Vanagor .

<<Show me your commitment to the Light, if you dare. Test your strength against a real Sith.>>

A beat later, crimson liquid splashed from sliced flesh, its warmth pouring over Kasir’s durasteel fingers. The body crumpled. And with a flick of his wrist, the cloak would be tossed aside, free from the extra weight that only burdened him. Underneath, he wore the chest piece and leggings of the Leidimas armor, but the vambraces and gauntlets were absent.

He swapped the dagger for his saberstaff, then shifted into a wider stance, prepared to showcase Form VII, Juyo.

There was no worry, no fear; his full focus was fixed ahead.

Then, a single blade ignited with a snap-hiss, glowing with malevolent energy. A brief pause followed before the second came to life, as he waited for the Jedi to respond to his challenge.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Secure the Data
Tags: Commodore Helix / Open!
------------------------------------------

"Unless you brought some breaching charges with you I don't see that happening." His lightsaber could make a new doorway of course but unless they were near some sort of thin spot in the structure then it would take far too long to cut through. An existing entrance would be their only real option, either that or a window. Before He could survey the building for a potential weakness or alternative entrance though a metal swarm flew past Him and impacted the wall directly ahead.

Within moments He could spot tears and rubble forming in the otherwise solid wall, soon enough with the whole section crumbling to the ground and allowing a much swifter entrance inside. "That works too, I suppose." Much quicker than cutting a doorway with His lightsaber if nothing else. The screams and sprays of blood that followed did little to deter Darth Strosius from following the swarm inside, blade ignited to bat away the stray bolts that came His way as He idly watched Helix set about clearing the room with extreme prejudice.

Making His way over and around the remnants of the carnage left in the swarm's wake He scoured for some sort of access point or control room, anything that would provide a landmark to their goal. Finally He spotted something out of the ordinary, a trail amidst the spots and specks of blood that adorned the floor and walls alike. Choosing to ignore the crunching sound echoing elsewhere, He pursued the crimson line down a corridor and spotted its originator.

A heavily injured technician that was futilely trying to reach up and touch a scanner next to a blast door. The man couldn't quite reach given lacking most of his legs at the moment but right as he was about to give up and succumb to his injuries, a gauntleted hand harshly wrapped around his wrist and yanked him up to slam his trembling hand onto the scanner. The hissing of a blade tearing through his core right before the scanner gave off a cheerful beep would be the last sound the man hear, his body cast aside as Darth Strosius stepped past the threshold.

He reached up and tapped on the side of His mask as He strode past the pillars of servers and terminals, His head on a swivel just in case the room was more occupied than His senses implied. :"Then let us be quick about this, I found an access point. Rendezvous at my location.": His hand fell back down to His side as He returned the weapon clenched in the other to His belt. With the press of a button on the closest keyboard a screen projected, reflecting lines of data entries on His visor as a smirk adorned His hidden features. :"Do hurry Helix, we shouldn't leave behind anything for our enemies to recover after we're done.":

 

[Connel Vanagor]

"In my experience,
when you think you
understand the Force,
you realize just
how little you know"​

[COMM TRAFFIC]
LOCATION : Woostri - Gopsthal | OBJECTIVE : Defend the Core | TAG (FRIENDLY) : Ran Serys (Indirect)| Corazona von Ascania (Indirect) | Taam Moghul | Nir Si | Lycus Merita | Shan Pavond
TAG (FOE) : Madrona A’Mia (Indirect) | Jhyrack (Near) | @Kasir Doran (Nearby)

"Strike Team Fay, Knight Serys. I'm engaging an enemy, Sith, Unknown, in the Southern Wing."

Connel heard this through his comm-link and while he felt for her, Ran would be able/have to handle herself. He was in the middle of intense combat with these “Death Fighters” or “Death Brigadiers” or whatever they were. He did not care at this point, they were killing senselessly, they were soulless in his eyes and most of all, they were a terrible threat.

He was using everything he knew and throwing it at them, it was only with a combination of using his lightsaber to break the plane of their armor and then “Force Crush” did he get any specifically true success.

Shan Pavond was moving around, that was good, but would have to be celebrated later. He had more of these walking cans t….

Cans?

Why did he no longer sense his connection to his father?

Where’s Caltin Vanagor?

It was bad enough that the old man would not let him get involved in defending Kashyykk, but now Connel can’t sense him? Father could “mask” his aura, but not outright “Cloak” it. Could that mean that he was… no… no… no...NO.

He didn’t fall to the Dark Side, but Connel was balancing that proverbial fence already and was tipping. At this point, he was not out to simply push them back, or just get them off the planet. If they were not Jedi, if they were not Woostri citizens, if they were not Galactic Alliance…

… they were as good as dead…

… especially since a Sith Acolyte just cut “Barachiel” to pieces. Literally.

Bastard!

Open up on him!

As the two survivors of this detachment of Omega Squad redirected fire, Connel yelled out something surprising. No! Raphael didn’t stop firing, but looked at him. He’s mine!

In a blur, the Shadow was on this assassin, and tore into him with a ferocity of a hangry Nexu. He had yet to even process what he just felt through the Force, or in this case loss of feeling. Connel's eyes blazed with an intensity that mirrored the fire of his lightsaber. He wasn't just fighting; he was exorcising his own demons, each strike fueled by a desperate need to prove he was still on the right path. The Sith Acolyte, now a mere shadow of his former self, crumbled under Connel's relentless assault.

[Just letting you boys know, we have all charges set.]

Finally some good news.

[Your call, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Azrael have some fun.]

[Agreed.]

Explosions rang out through the streets as Omega Squad knew what this was.

The Southern Entrance is compromised.

Go… we’ll hold.

We all go.

No, I have a feeling this is your fight. The others are no doubt moving our way. Go.

Connel didn’t say another word, he just silently made his way towards the Southern Entrance, where he saw Ran battling a Sith. Any others in the area would feel his wrath at the moment. She had this handled, but anyone else trying anything would have to understand their mistake, be it of their own volition or by his hand.Connel's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation, his grip tightening on his weapon. Ran's movements were swift and precise, a testament to her training. He knew better than to interfere in her battle; she was more than capable. Instead, he positioned himself to intercept any other threats, ready to unleash his fury on anyone foolish enough to challenge them.

Then he felt it... a voice in his head... a mistake they would soon regret.

<<Show me your commitment to the Light, if you dare. Test your strength against a real Sith.>>

~Your funeral, Yakhead. Come find me and learn just how big a mistake you just made. Unlike you, I'm not hiding.~

Spoiler: Summary

All of @Shan Pavond’s traps have been reinforced by explosives, and those explosives as well as charges were set on the buildings to either side of any other roads leading to the Datacenter and were detonated.

The explosives in/on the buildings were not in position to crumble the structures but to push debris onto the roads slowing the Sith approach to a crawl/ outright stop.

The explosives with the traps were set to explode “away” from Shan’s traps, effectively leaving them intact, so they were still viable.

Connel has lost connection to his father through the Force, and that to him meant one thing, and he just snapped.

Galactic Alliance 305th Special Forces Unit - Codename "Omega Squad"

Spoiler: TEAM AND LOADOUT

Michael - Team Leader, Gabriel - Tech, Azrael - Explosives, Raphael - Heavy, Barachiel - Combat Medic, Sariel - Sniper 1,Jeremiel - Sniper 2

[Any text in brackets signifies comm-link usage and not face to face conversation]

 

[Jhyrack]

TECHNOLOGIC

ENEMIES: Ran Serys
Nearby: Corazona von Ascania Nir Si Lycus Merita Madrona A’Mia

She was stronger than she appeared; more venom came through her defensive block than he expected.

"You can do better than that, Darksider. Show me."

Jhyrack kept his saber in the defensive posture for the first of her testing blows. The blade was long enough that she either had to drive it aside or move so quickly that she could get past his guard.

Until he deactived the saber on her next swing.

The lightsaber struck hard, cutting through armour. It stopped fast against his skin, hissing and spitting.

"I am Lord Jhyrack."

He looked down at Ran from beneath his great horns. He flashed a row of sharp fangs. The Force enhanced his body. If she was particularly sensitive to the Force, she might sense something akin to a the use of Force Weapon to protect an inanimate object.

"And you will have to do better than that."

His left arm swept across his body, swatting her saber aside. His blade reactivated, scarlet hissing through the air as he slashed horizontally at the height of her sternum.

This time he did not let up. She had shown spirit and now he would find out if she could hold his attention for an entire battle. The next series of blows were not tests. For such a large creature, he moved deftly through an offensive routine to test the mirialan.

 

[Commodore Helix]

Primary Objective: Transfer the data.
Secondary Objective: Obtain a copy, per the request of Malum
Equipment: Flamestaff, Horror Matrix, E-4H Blaster Carbine
Tags: Darth Strosius , Zachariah Conway
OPEN
​

The living razor-swarm that was Helix fluttered up to Darth Strosius and re-solidified into its more familiar, hulking mechanical form. Three glowing orbs began peering over the Sith's shoulder to see what he was looking at, before spotting the dying technician. "Apologies, Lord Strosius. I must have missed that one. I will admit my perception is somewhat imperfect when dispersed so widely." It was true: he had no such thing as a central processor anymore. Only countless tiny minds working together to create one consciousness. It was more difficult to think when the constituent bodies were spread into a flying cloud of death, rather than a nice, orderly droid body.

"I will dispatch him for you." He chimed helpfully, a meter-long blade already sprouting from his forearm. He stopped, however, when he saw Alisteri put the poor fellow to better use. "That works too." He said cheerfully, dutifully following the Sith inside as the door sprang open.

He doubted somewhat that this was all the data they had come for, but he figured they would find that out soon enough. He was confident he could get it sent to the enormous vessel currently swallowing up most of the sky; the vessel that Darth Empyrean himself no doubt squatted in now. Probably debating whether or not to turn that terrible weapon on a location somewhat nearer to them, to encourage haste.

The thought prompted a flicker of concern in Helix's mind-swarm. What complicated matters yet more was that he'd have to process it all twice; he did not intend to bring back nothing to Darth Malum of House Marr . He wasn't even entirely sure he could process the data once. True, he had made this form to be a mobile supercomputer, but this would be its first true test.

"Very good. Let us begin. They will perhaps sense the intrusion, but given time, I can seize control of the entire system, and simply order it to send the data wherever we will. Given that we are dealing with the data of trillions of persons at minimum, however, this will take a while." He lifted his right arm, and placed it gently, almost reverently onto one of the consoles. The nanites dispersed, and seeped into the keyboard, then began their spread throughout the entire system.

Helix began processing, and while his capabilities were great, he could hardly hope to match up to the entire building at once. Names, numbers, births, deaths, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, marriages, divorces, remarriages, wars, treaties, d̵̢̤̤̚ä̷̡̩́͒̐t̴̰̃ả̴̢̱͠d̷͍̦̔a̸̘͂̽̽t̶̩̱̊̓͜a̴̯̍d̸̼̗͊a̵̡̭͎̒t̸̻̟͇̂̿̕a̷͇̭͑͒d̸̻̐̚͠a̸̺̻̒̍͐t̶̥̒̄͘a̶̳̲͖̓̍d̶͈͎͓͌͋̿a̶̟̋t̴͚̭̬̄ă̷͖̣͔. It slammed into his consciousness like a binary tidal wave, but it was a machine, in the end. All machines were his to command, and a touch was all it took. Let the system writhe and scream if it wished.

He wrapped tendrils of his consciousness around the system, feeling its mechanical distress. It fought him. Arcane and expensive cybersecurity measures. These meant little, however. He wasn't slicing, so much as simply remaking, and the system was beginning to acquiesce. "You will contact the Mons in orbit above us." He ordered, battering the system into submission. "And tell it everything you know. Every last shred. Then, you will self-terminate. Render all data unrecoverable." He repeated the commands over and over, his influence slowly spreading throughout the entire server bank. Throughout his entire server bank. He was hollowing out what was there, and replacing it with himself.

This, at least, was the gist of the silent conversation between him and the monolithic data center. It wasn't sentient, as such, but it was a machine. It had to listen. It would take time to transfer, and there was little he could do about that. In the meantime, he'd busy himself with plundering data for Malum. This, he simply began to take for himself. Particles of himself surged through the system, stealing, copying, re-copying. He wanted to be damned sure he got it all, and that sort of thoroughness would, unfortunately, take time.

"The transfer is beginning." He said out loud by way of informing Strosius. "But it will take some time. There may be something of use here for the Tsis'kaar, buried amidst the sea of meaningless names and tiny lives."

Lastly, he sent out another hail to Zachariah Conway . "Transfer procedures beginning. Kindly inform the Emperor, or whomever else it may concern. If you are no longer alive, then my condolences. Efforts will be made to recover your remains."

 

[Westenra Mina]

A severed head of a Sith Soldier tumbled to the floor. Another was dragged screaming into the darkness generated by the Gauntlets The Demon wore. She was prepared to deal with the soldiers, but as she watched the databanks go dim by the slicing attempt initiated by Commodore Helix , she knew she would need to act fast.

She looked for the technician labs. The archives was a warzone, so she couldn't afford to be in one spot. She found some interfacing equipment and using the tools, quickly modified one piece into adhoc Droid Source Ripper, and Jammed it's hookups carefully into the back of her skull, her own foreign Neuro systems now hacking into the databases...

She had never been exposed to such a massive amount of data. Births, deaths, marriages... technical and financial data. Insights into the very core of how society worked were for the taking...

The Demon of Jedha shrieked in agony as she forced herself to interface with the data, her own digital security programs flooding the network, reinforcing it's security barriers against the slicing attempt. She dropped to her knees, the strain of her cells taking in terabytes of data from everywhere all at once made her flesh ripple extremely violently as it absorbed technical and genetic schematics, gaining insight not only into genetic modification itself, but a greater understanding of how to access and interface with her own cellular mechanics.

It also drove her slightly more insane than normal for her. She grinned, the inhuman smile plastering her face as she gained a twisted enlightenment. Or was it madness?

She pushed, pushed past her limits as she picked up her sword and her security programs began to adapt to his methods, trying to cut him off from the databases he was trying to send to the ship in orbit. Preventing them from deleting themselves wasn't easy, but interfering and silencing their attempts to send the signal in orbit was the much more difficult part. She had to get to the other slicer's location however, as she knew the best way to stop him would be to physically interfere with their hacking attempt. Lynda, merging with the system itself, was now constantly fighting back his slicing attempts, which caused her to lose less processing power for fighting, and it caused her to take more chest wounds as she began to stiffly cut her way to the other droid (It was distinctly Droid like, the presence in the systems. Westenra would have just felt foreign to Helix. Like something that should not be given embodiment in computer code. Her programs behaved less like typical anti-slicing systems and behaved more as an auto-immune response to his intrusion, trying to interfere with data access and transfer like a host sending out anti-bodies for an infection....

 

[Nir Si]

Tag: Lysander von Ascania Taam Moghul
(Current) Gear: Lightsaber Armor Sword​

Nir hated the waiting. Anxiety always got him in moments like this. He had promised to stick by his master's side, but...

He couldn't. It was easy. Easy to slip away unnoticed, easy to navigate the city, easy to keep track of where he was going. But where was he going?

The Force seemed to guide him. Wire, flip, slide down a pipe, twirl, land and climb up a wall. It was all routine, an adjustment from the tree-surfing of his home-world.

Where was the Force leading him? He didn't know. All he knew was-

The sound of combat ahead of him.

Corazona von Ascania was fighting, but...

Nir saw it. Someone watching her. Waiting to ambush her, surely. That had to be the case, by the person's get up. A mask like that, could only be a sith.

Without a word, Nir leapt from his elevated position, igniting his saber, and in a flash of light, allowing his sword to teleport to his hand, slicing down towards the sith with a vengeance.

"Hey Vader, why don't you go back to being dead!"

Good one Nir. Totally keep that one for the quote of the day. Sweet Sylvar, could you be anymore corny?

 

[Everest Vale]

Location: Woostri, City Streets
Outfit: Battle Tunic, Padawan Robe
Equipment: Valery Noble's Lightsaber (1), Backpack, Bacta supplies
Tag: Tigris Naamino Zuukamano

Flurries of plasma bolts tore back and forth through the street as the fighting was brought to the street. The previous eerie silence immediately escalated as soldiers on either side emerged, opening fire on one another. Calling for Tigris, Eve ducked behind rubble as shock started to set in. Her tender heart beat abnormally whilst her breath started hyperventilating, as the two opposing forces engaged one another in a brutal exchange.

"T-T-T-T—" She couldn't manage the words as the panic sunk its teeth into her. Overhead, a single bomber ripped through the sky, dropping a bombardment along the streets around them, and Eve could see several GA soldiers flung against buildings and pushed in all directions. Silver eyes widened, as the mounting pressure that she should do something pressed at her skull, but her shaking was becoming uncontrollable. Tigris herself had already engaged the enemy, delivering brutal attacks to the Sith soldiers that advanced on them. To see Tigris suddenly in such a way — moving like a shadow and delivering unseen, vicious death — caused a shift in Eve that she wasn't ready for, and she could feel a part of her heart sink.

"Jedi! Fall back!" came the voice of a GA soldier. The call was enough to shake her trance, and yet she couldn't keep her sights away from Tigris. Both entranced and fearful for her safety, Eve watched with growing anxiety, and as they neared one another again her eyes glanced to a Sith infantryman that had managed to circle around Tigris — who was far too occupied in the fighting — and was preparing to strike a mortal blow at the Padawan.

In that moment, something changed.

"N-no!"

Master Noble's lightsaber hissed into activation, a brilliant purple light spilling onto the rubble and refuse, and without any hesitation Eve's focus shifted to her feet as the sense of Light seeped into her lower body. With a single step, she leapt forward several feet at haste and — blade primed at a low position to the side — she struck upwards diagonally towards the Sith soldier before they could reach her beloved. Purple plasma melted through the armour and flesh as a scream filled Eve's ears. Her eyes widened as she realised what happened, watching the Sith collapse before her. Did she do that? Did she just... take a life?

Her senses darkened as she felt something inside her tug loose.

"I-I-I—"

"Jedi! We're falling back!"

More laser bolts tore past her as she struggled to pull herself together. But the adrenaline had started to kick in, giving her little chance to truly process what had just happened. As she spun on the spot and started running back towards the GA line, another explosion hit. Stumbling, Eve fell forward just close enough to be caught by a soldier who pulled her back.

"Wait, wait! Tigris!" she screamed, but amidst the smoke and the noise, the advancing enemy and the plasma being slung back and forth, she couldn't see her. The soldier pulled her away from the street at haste as tears streaked down her face, and she pushed her mind through the Force.

~Please, please, please be okay...~​

"We're retreating to the data centre. We must defend it at all costs!"

As they reached close to the rear of the data centre, the fighting seemed to be getting worse, as full-scale war unfolded before her. Above, the storm was worse; fierce crimson ripped through charcoal skies. A sense of dread started to creep its way into the sides of her senses, further articulating the gore that surrounded her in further and more dramatic ways in her mind. Trying desperately to get her senses together, she could no longer avoid the conflict and had no choice but to fight. Through tears, she shakily brandished her Master's blade again, deflecting stray bolts as they came to her and pushing away anything that got too close.

Glancing towards a platoon of GA men, she saw marching from afar the oncoming onslaught of something that truly struck fear in her.

A Sith.

Her heart dropped as a familiar face of an infantryman amidst the platoon — terrified and struck with horror — stuck out to her.

"M-Mike..."

The storm above raged on and on.

 

[Veradun Sharr]

Direct Tag: Darth Nefaron
Nearby: Naamino Zuukamano // Haro Aven // Srina Talon // @whoever else is in the vicinity​

Veradun kept his head down and did his very best to remain as small a target as possible as the battle raged around them between Alliance forces and Sith forces. A deep seated fear clung to the boy - the fear of death, of dismemberment, of many numerous things that could happen to him while out on this field of death and destruction. But that fear powered the churning darkness within his soul, fed his hungry need to make others suffer.

It was why he had no complaints about obeying his Master’s orders to inflict fear and suffering upon their enemies. Veradun knew in the depths of his heart that the Jedi and their allies would show him no mercy, even if he was just a boy, a child…so why should he show them any?

His Master directed the boy’s hidden gaze back across the river, and the boy looked to see a large orange and decidedly toxic looking cloud beginning to disperse amongst the enemy ranks beyond. Hidden behind his helm, the boy felt a smirk curl at the corners of his lips - and an excited thrill raced through his veins.

Any moment now…they would know what it was like to feel the terror of Nefaron.

Blaster fire grew quiet, and though it was a bit difficult to hear over the thunderous roars of artillery and the constant explosions that rocked both sky and ground, Veradun could hear the faint sounds of terror filled screaming on the other side. His grin widened further, and for a brief moment the boy simply enjoyed the sounds coming from the other side. He wondered was sort of nightmares his enemies were reliving, what they saw when they looked upon their compatriots right beside them…

…Judging from the blaster fire that began ripping into friendly ranks, it must not have been pleasant.

A hole had been created - exactly what Darth Nefaron had wanted. They now had little time to waste, and they needed to push forward and towards the datacenter if they were to reach it before anyone else. The boy was smart enough to know though that their forward progress would be hindered by the pockets of remaining enemies on the other side, whose sole purpose was to keep the Sith away.

Veradun almost got up to follow the Corpse Legionnaires as they began to move forward and towards the river, but a cautious hand from his Master held him back and together, both Apprentice and Master watched as hidden pockets of Alliance fighters opened fire on Nefaron’s forces, cutting them down…but in the process also revealing their position to the Dark Lord.

Without wasting any time, Nefaron prepared a couple more canisters of toxic gas and handed them to Veradun, who now knew what his task was to be. He obeyed the orders given to him without complaint and without hesitation, his prior fear now having turned to an emotion of…excitement, elation even. The desire Veradun felt to see and hear his enemies succumb to what he was doing to them…drove him to launch the canisters with lethal accuracy, speed, and strength.

Despite the constant threat of death that was all around him, Veradun found he was actually beginning to enjoy this work. Could his Master feel the dark current of excitement that radiated from him? Would he be rewarded for it? Perhaps in time, but for now all he could do was focus on the task at hand.

When at last it appeared that the most pressing dangers had been dealt with, Darth Nefaron stepped out of his place of cover with confidence, though Veradun waited just a few moments longer to see if his Master would receive fire, and when he did not, the boy slipped from behind his barrier to approach the Dark Lord.

And then the Nagai was slammed with an onrush of potent Darkness, so visceral and strong that it sucked the breath from his lungs. He froze, feeling the power and energy that was around and within him somehow amplify itself. He’d felt something like this before, albeit on a much smaller scale - the rush of power from the Dark side, whenever he had killed someone.

Somewhere, Death reaped its dark toll - snuffing out the life of thousands in an instant. The onrush of Dark power was intoxicating, and Veradun could not help but fully immerse himself in its gloriousness. For a moment, he felt invincible. Behind his helm, icy blue eyes transformed into orbs of corrupted amber as he fully surrendered himself to the Dark side.

The boy stood straighter beside his Master, and watched in awe as the Dark Lord built a crossing point for them from the destroyed bits of the bridge that used to be there.

"Forward. No Survivors."

Though meant for the Legionnaires that now came pouring from every nook and cranny, the Nagai took those words to heart himself too.

"Embrace that rush of power. Let it consume your very being, let the terror and rage guide your hand. Slaughter any who oppose us, but do not fall behind. Our goal is the Data, let our servants taste blood and distract our foe."

He didn’t need to be told twice; Veradun couldn’t push off that onrush of dark power even if he had wanted to.

“...your will be done, Master.” he said as he withdrew the stolen Wonosan Sith blade from its scabbard at his hip, his voice cold but edged with dark purpose. He had his directives now, and there was no denying the excitement that continued to build within him, the eagerness to shed blood, to watch the life fade from the eyes of those who would dare cross him. He wanted to kill.

No, he needed to kill.

Slowly but surely, the two Sith made their way across the makeshift bridge until they reached the Alliance side. Beyond them was the datacenter, their destination, their goal. But they would still have to fight to get there.

Not too long after crossing over, blaster fire erupted upon their position from a couple distant spots that had been just beyond the edge of the toxic cloud. Those soldiers no doubt had witnessed their comrades turn into raving lunatics before either killing themselves in a desperate bid to escape their fears, or turning their weapons on their fellow soldiers and friends.

Veradun could feel their fear, their anger, their hate for the monsters who had done this to them. He drank it in as he reacted with a Nagai’s lightning fast reflexes, batting away the incoming blaster fire and returning them to their source. Dark rage flooded the boy’s veins as a gauntleted hand reached out with the Force and snagged the closest fighter, who began to claw at his throat as his airway suddenly squeezed shut. Veradun didn’t end the man’s life quickly, no…he let him suffocate beside his companions, letting the sounds of his death be heard by anyone else nearby who were firing upon the boy and his approaching Master.

A moment later, a trio of Corpse Legionnaires flooded the scene - and the remaining Alliance soldiers went down screaming as they were butchered without thought or mercy. Veradun let the body in his Force grip drop, before he turned his murderous fury ahead of him, moving forward to try and clear the way for his Lord. For now, he would be his Master’s sword and shield, until Nefaron decided he had another purpose to fulfill.

Spoiler

Veradun and Nefaron have launched fear toxin canisters across the river to affect any soldiers on the other side and create an opening for the two Sith to slip across.

Veradun reacts to the massive surge of the Dark side caused by Darth Empyrean unleashing the weapon upon the Mors Mon and decimating a city somewhere else, allowing it to fuel him for a short time.

Nefaron and his forces cross the makeshift bridge and are now on the GA side, making a push for the datacenter.

 

[Anthony Gray Sun]

Tag: Darth Strosius Commodore Helix​

Anthony had been all over since the fall of the Tingle Arm Coalition. Wayseekers like him often found themselves showing up in places they weren't expected.

But the Alliance was always his home. Returning to that home was always a bit of a daunting task, especially when he had left without telling anyone. Well...

He had told Jasper Kai'el , but that was a matter of coordination with the TAC leadership.

Still, Woostri was under attack by the sith. He had to be there.

Having arrived that morning, he had spent the last few hours helping soldiers prep, avoiding other jedi where he could. He felt like an outcast, but he had to help.

Now was the time to get over that.

"Ya know, you shouldn't touch stuff that isn't yours. It's rude."

That's all he said before throwing his Axe at the tactical droid.

The fight was on, and Anthony was intending to take on both of these guys at once. He'd fought mandalorians, imperial troopers, but sith?

Maybe this was a bad idea...

 

[Judah Lesan]

WEARING: Robes
WEAPONS: 2 Lightsabers
ALLIES: Gallactic Alliance
ENEMIES: Srina Talon

For those who believed in absolutes and were often black and white in most matters, Sith were rarely direct when they needed to be. The machine was important, but the Echani was not about to divulge how important it was. She would not have given a command to fix it if that were not the case. What Judah did not know was what the device was, or what they had planned to use it for. Had they wished to destroy the city, it would have already been done by now. It meant the information in the archive was important to them. If they simply wanted to cripple the Alliance, they simply needed to destroy it.

In the short gap between their combat, Judah sent a message off to those defending the center. His comm went out to all those within range.

<<< "They want what's in the archives!" >>>

Whether the message would reach anyone or not was not up to Judah. He was not in a position to help them. The decision to go after the Echani which he had faced on Echnos could have proven to be a deadly mistake for more than just himself. He would not give up, however. If he could make a difference, even by stopping her, he would.

The darkness was overwhelming. It was different than their last meeting. On Echnos the weapon was fear. Here, it was destruction. Judah knew what the Sith were capable of. His life had been dedicated to fighting them in some capacity or another. From the moment he joined the Army of Light, his path had been set. He believed the darkness needed to be purged from the galaxy, and he was willing to do whatever it took, even if it came at great cost to himself.

Judah could not lose his focus. His opponent was more than formidable. The Shadow had never faced a Sith like her before, and he knew he never would again. Srina Talon was not one to simply destroy in rage. Her attacks and her counters would be precise and intentional. Judah was a skilled duelist, a master with the lightsaber, but he knew the Echani would be his greatest test yet.

His pull worked the same as it had before. The difference was he had picked up the right mark. Srina demonstrated control, allowing the energy to pull her toward his attack. Her body moved, twisted, in an almost unnatural way. It was not that she did anything the body was not meant to do. She was Echani, and master of every muscle and joint she owned. The energy of their weapons touched, barely. Sparks erupted between them, but her movement denied his blade the end he sought.

Judah had expected it, but had hoped their fight would not be drawn out.

Srina pulled at his footing. She used his own style against him. It was difficult to defend. Niman was a form with no apparent strengths and weaknesses. He could only try to pivot, find his grounding again, but her attack was relentless. The Echani moved at a speed which was enhanced by her species genetics. Just because they looked human did not mean they were.

Judah's timing was enough. His blade intercepted hers, but his movement was sloppy. He hated it. The Jedi was more accustomed to being precise, but it was not often he found himself opposite an expert Echani warrior. Srina reminded him of his battles against Sianna. She had been the last Echani who attempted to seduce Judah to the darkside. Even then he refused to falter even if she also proved a superior combatant.

The Winter Empress continued to press her attack. She was close, constantly pushing her way into his guard. It made it difficult to defend from the sheer physics of their physique. Judah's arms were longer, and he was taller. That gave her the advantage in close quarter combat. The Shadow had to push her back, he had to distance between them. The only way he could see to do that was step back, or press in.

It did not matter what he did, where he moved, the Echani met every answer. She countered every attack. Judah pivoted and she twisted. The Jedi stepped in, driving his saber forward, and she stepped aside. Heat pressed against his skin, reminding Judah that no matter how fast he could be, she was faster. The Empress would add to the scars his body bore.

To any who may observe them their movements would seem like a blur. As the force enhanced their movement, the pair continued their duel at an unrelenting pace. Sparks sputtered as their blades met. The crack and scream of their sabers echoed around them. Their song danced across the storm tossed ocean behind them. The lightning gave harmony to the ballad which the two composed with every thrust and parry of their weapons.

Then came her words. A fight with a Sith was never just with their blade, and Srina had already proven she was an expert at twisting minds.

Was he breaking?

"No."

His breathing slowed as a break was given to their combat. No matter how short the reprieve, the Jedi would take advantage of the respite. Sweat beaded on his brow, it was not the physical exertion which brought it about, but the pressure which came from maintaining his focus amidst the crushing weight of the lives which had been lost. She would know. Srina Talon would sense it. The Jedi fought hard to block it out knowing that the devastation had the power to weaken his resolve and snuff out the light which blazed brightly inside him. It threatened to expose the darkness he kept at bay, locked and hidden away in places no one else knew about.

Did it burn?

"Yes."

Why lie.

"Once again you use the innocent, and for what this time? The Alliance attacks the shipyards on Sulis Van, and the Sith Order does what… Eradicate a city."

Judah knew the Sith did not believe in measured response. They had even discussed this in a way when they faced each other on Echnos. The Alliance had invaded first. Srina would see this as justified. At least, Judah assumed she would.

The ground beneath Judah began to crack. Glass shards erupted into the air, tossed by the shockwave of shattering energy which the Empress released. Judah had no choice but to leap out of the way. His hand reached toward the pieces once more, this time creating a barrier between him and the sharp bits that threatened to cut him to pieces.

Boots landed on one of the lower platforms of the landing castle. This was twice now the Echani had used the glassed beach against him. It was time to return the favor. There was enough distance between them now. Judah closed his eyes for a moment, the storm raging outside inspiring the action he was about to take. Judah opened his eyes as his fingers seemed to dance about in time with the cadence of the wind. It began as a small breeze within the shield, but soon it was a howling gust.

Judah was the conductor. The air circled around the Echani, picking up the glass around her. Soon she would find herself in the eye of a tornado, one made of the same sharp bits of ground Srina had turned against the Jedi. The storm would begin to close in on her, collapsing with each passing second. He had to change the pace of the battle. Judah had to take control. He needed this disruption.

Judah Lesan was desperate.

 

[Katherine Holt]

Location: Woostri, Gopsthal City
Objective: Overwatch & Help Hold Back the Sith Forces
Gear: Lightsaber (Physical Crossguard)/Lightsaber Pike | Armour
Allies: Lupa Visz | Jessikal Skea | Gress D'ran | Shan Pavond | Everest Vale | Tigris (GADF/NJO)
Enemies: Tamsin Graves | Alana Calloway (Sith Order)

What the hell just happened?

She had been making steady progress, pursuing her opponents as they tried to seemingly fall back. Katherine continued to intercept the soldiers’ verpine bolts, using her enhanced reflexes to quickly grab rubble to block the impacts. But then she felt it.

Death and Destruction.

It happened in an instance, blink and you’d miss it. Somewhere else; close to the city, was full of life one moment, then it was snuffed out the next. Katherine felt it in her heart, wrapping it in an icy grip.

What the hell had just happened, for so much life to suddenly be gone?

The Valkyrie was distracted, enough so that she almost missed the fact her current piece of rubble was gone. It was only the effects of the Battle Meditation that gave the redhead’s senses a kick.

Katherine let out an audible curse, just barely Force grabbing something to intercept the next bolt. Fortunately however, it seemed to be the last one before the soldier needed to reload. But that wasn’t the only thing she had to worry about.

She watched closely, as the dark-haired woman placed her hand on her partner’s armour. Words began to flow, a language that Katherine didn’t understand, but it wasn’t the details that concerned her.

It was the voice. It didn’t sound human.

Something within the Valkyrie stirred, reacting to the dark malevolent presence that was hidden in plain sight before her. The markings across her body; hidden beneath armour, began to glow, to burn as Light reacted to Dark.

Even as echoes of the dead screamed at her through the Force, crashing against her like waves to a cliff. Katherine remained resolute, determined and focused. And did not hesitate to pursue her two opponents.

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Woostri, Data Center //:
//: Ko Vuto //: Colette //:
//: Kaila Irons //: Eira Dyn //:
//: Attire //:

The horrors continued to bleed, filling the Force with darkness that choked the light. She could feel it, every ounce of their pain bleeding back into her, feeding them. Each scream, each horror consumed, only strengthened the Dread Lords that inhabited the core. As their influence grew, so did the power of the illusions. Whispers turned to screams, and everything amplified as she unlocked another barrier of her mind.

As Quinn felt her mind open, connecting to anything and everything around her, she could hear the sickening laughter of their souls. They were forever bound to her, contained in the core that gave her life. She was their prison and their home. Throughout the years, the Princess came to terms with what she was and what she had deep inside her. These years were filled with constant training and understanding of where she ended and where they began. A clear boundary between her mind and theirs. It was the only way to survive; with this training and their power, she would accomplish her dream.

The third barrier fell, releasing more of their stench into the Force - it hungered, wanting more; it needed to feed on the light, to destroy it, forever consuming. Thick, black smog began to filter around the feet of the Echani, spreading like cancer to the battlefield. As the dark fog filtered across the floor, anyone who touched it only felt agony - their minds filled with the darkest nightmares and visions. Sith would feel empowered while Jedi and the light would suffocate. The dark battle meditation would continue to flow, corrupting whatever its dark tendrils would touch.

---

Everest Vale

Already, the storm had struck fear into the young Jedi's heart. The darkness swirled and threatened to consume. As she would seek comfort from those around her, a sudden shot of cold would grip her spine, like a snake constricting around its prey. Sudden memories swirled as the dark python chewed through them, searching and hunting for her weakness. Upon finding it, a voice meant to bring warmth and love to the young Padawan echoed in the back of her mind.

"Where are you?" the voice called, worried in her tone. "They're coming," she spoke again. The sound of tears and fearful mewlings filled the Padawan's mind. "They're coming…so close…" the voice continued. Eve would hear her mother's cries as a whisper, begging for protection.

Was this a vision from the Force? Or was it a poison masked as an apple waiting for her to take a bite?

---

Connel Vanagor

Horrid feelings would amplify as the dread thickened. Fueling the dark feelings that swelled in his chest - whatever news he had heard would only repeat itself repeatedly. The men he commanded would struggle to be recognizable, their faces turning into black horrid shadows with wide-fanged grins. They were coming and hunting, and there was nothing the man could do. There was no hiding, and only fear lingered.

It threatened to consume him, ripping at his light and sanity. Everything was closing in, and there was no escape. The whispers continued, repeating the horrid truth - he was going to die here, everyone he cared for was going to die, and if they didn't.

They would wish they did.

There was no escape; there was only darkness.

---

Quinn could feel their pain, the way they shrank from the darkness like cowards. They feared it, and instead of confronting it, they ran. Her heart swelled with the power of the core; this was her doing. The power she would feel bled through her connections, and the darkness soon reached out to her apprentice, who gave the woman what she needed from her. Kaila would be completely in tune with the Echani, her movements fueled by the dark entity that Quinn was becoming.

The power of the dread lords bled through the girl, her true power becoming real.

Suddenly, something didn't feel right. Her body was moving, and her eyes could see the sky and not the battle below her. It was hard to breathe, and a sudden unfamiliar weight was pressed against her body. Her eyes refocused as Quinn regained control of herself again. In front of her was a very angry beast clinging to her petite frame. Thick hands gripped at the Princess' throat as they fell from the sky. They were high, far higher than Quinn had initially anticipated.

She could feel the Jedi's anger and frustration; whatever drove her to this point, she felt the Echani was at fault. The grip tightened around her neck, but she smiled as they plummeted. A hand gently caressed the sharp features of the Jedi, "Beautiful." she whispered through the choke. Quinn pulled at the woman's grip as her hazel eyes burned red; the dark side fueled her hate for this woman. As her hand pulled at the choke, Quinn twisted her body, trying to buck her off.

The impact hit hard, but Quinn could absorb the impact through the Force, her body sliding hard backwards with Colette still pressing her weight against her. Quinn finally pulled the grip loose enough for her to speak. "Don't. Touch. Me. Filth." She spat, as the blade Gerwald had made for her, one that spoke of her destiny to become great.

Its thick hilt felt light in her hand as she shoved the blade into the Jedi's side, its edge blessed by the blood of the light. Quinn pushed it as deep as she could, twisting it as the hilt drew closer to the flesh. A smile would cross the Sith Lord's face as she stared up at the fool who dared lay a hand on her.