The Cleansing of Ruusan

[Akhilleus]

Location: Tempus Ardet-class Bulk Freighter -> Ruusan
Objective: Destroy the Sith Triumvirate
Allies: [member="Zephyr Carrick"] [member="Celiana"] [member="Aria Vale"] [member="Joza Perl"]
Gear: See Sig

Walking to and fro in the cargo hold of the freighter that he’d “borrowed” From the silver sanctum, Akhilleus felt the anticipation building within himself. How long had it been since he had been alerted to Nikias’ death? How long since he had left the planet on this mission of vengeance, the planets he’d visited. The allies and enemies he had made. The training he had done. Everything leading up to this one moment. There were others on the list that deserved the retribution that would befall them, just not yet. None were more deserving than Haytham. On his left hand sat the gauntlet of the great Exar Kun. One of the greatest Sith to ever grace their order. It made for an odd look when the rest of his arm was draped in the Beskar armor that had once been his brother. Waves of dark miasma poured off the amulet filling the cargo bay with the sense of the darkside.

Akhilleus would never know how the Sanctum could even trust him with the lives that had joined him for this moment. A strike team of jedi… well somewhat close to jedi. They had been gathered for the specific reason of attacking the leadership of the Sith Triumvirate and finishing its topple from its perch of power. At least that’s how Akhilleus had phrased it. He could care less for the other members of the Sith. He only wanted Haytham’s head the others were of no consequence. Left hand opening and closing Akhilleus let the dark energy continue to surge through him. Within he could feel the dragon that he kept chained down. The dragon that was his rage, fear, bloodlust. It was the manifestation of everything the gauntlet amplified. Even the mental immunity of the Hellyni couldn’t completely protect Akhilleus but it was a great boon. A lesser being would’ve found themselves under the dragons influence instantly.

With a jerk the freighter exited hyperspace and Akhilleus knew it was almost time. HE’d have to talk to those gathered. How could he face them with the amulet? What would those that had stuck strickly to the light think? What would Joza think when she saw the amulet upon his arm? He had chosen the path of Nikias. Taking up the gauntlet with pride Akhilleus never removed it. Not that he couldn’t he just didn’t want to. Taking the time he had even had it grafted to his arm to never be removed. Extreme lengths to go to, but necessary. You know they hate you? In their eyes you’re no better than the Sith. They will turn on you. Kill you and then take me away. The dragon said feeding Akhilleus’ negative thoughts and amplifying them.

“When...” Akhilleus started in a whisper but stopped shaking his head. “If that happens I will be ready. But you’re wrong about them.” Moving away from the corner he had confined himself to for most of the flight Akhilleus moved to the rest of the group. “It is time my allies. Soon battle will be upon us. Say whatever prayers you must. Meditate if you have to but most importantly strap yourselves in.” Akhilleus didn’t plan on the typical landing. No the freighter when they reached the planet would be used as a battering ram to clear their way into the Ruusan temple. This was all he could say to them. He wasn’t one for speeches. Some could possibly even die on this day. What could the Hellyni say to comfort them? Assure them? Perhaps someone else would say what he couldn’t.

[member="Haytham Kaze"]

 

[Haytham Kaze]

Location: Citadel Training Room.
Allies: [member="Jorryn Fordyce"], [member="Cerita Sarova"], [member="Ashmedai"] if he still wants to.
Enemies: [member="Akhilleus"], [member="Joza Perl"], [member="Aria Vale"], [member="Zephyr Carrick"], @Celiana

"Apprentice," Darth Athyssius's commanding voice echoed in the relatively sparse training room.

"The Force is the most powerful tool a Sith can have." He said as he strode in front of her. "Not armour, not even a lightsabre. You are your strongest weapon, my Apprentice. In combat, I expect you to use it." The Force was the strongest tool. The strongest Sorceror versus the strongest Warrior would more times than not result with the Sorceror winning. Illusions, magic, alchemy, all these were tools that were gifted via the Force. Lightsabre combat and training specifically focused on the body.

Athyssius knew the strengths of the Force, especially of the Dark Side. So close to a Nexus of the Dark Side, it fuelled his powers. His senses reached to the end of the Ruusan System. The comings and goings of his people were all felt, none escaped him. So when the Jedi Strike Force entered the system, he felt them. Their approach wasn't close to a mystery to him.

"My Lord," a voice started on the commlink.

"Alert the Sith that remain in the Citadel and in nearby systems. When they're in range shoot them down."

The Dark Lord of the Sith looked to his Apprentice before him, "Have you ever met a Jidai, Apprentice? When you feel their presence, that's when you can leave the training room." There was a flourish of the black cloak he bore of his armour and he vacated the training room. That was all the two ever did. Trained. Learned. Killed.

Repeat.

Would she sense the Light Side of the Force out of place in the vicinity of the Citadel? She was not as strong as him, no, but when they were close, she would feel them. It was a training exercise, even in the face of danger. She would expand her sense across the surrounding plains. But the Jedi weren't even in the atmosphere of the planet yet, she had plenty of waiting to do.

"Redirect Stormtroopers to key locations. Keep out of my way." His voice echoed over the Triumvirate commlink.

 

[Joza Perl]

Location: En route to Ruusan
Homies: [member="Akhilleus"], [member="Aria Vale"], [member="Zephyr Carrick"], [member="Celiana"]
Haters: The Babe [member="Haytham Kaze"], [member="Jorryn Fordyce"], [member="Cerita Sarova"], [member="Ashmedai"]
Gear: In bio

After the Sanctum invasion of Ruusan, the Sith Triumvirate fell into the shadows despite winning the day. The cost had been a blow to the group’s leadership—all three Triumvirs were either killed or otherwise missing. Though they continued to remain active within their territory, the Sith had made no move to strike out against the Sanctum or spread their influence. Now, a small group of Sanctum fighters had gathered to clean up the mess that was Ruusan.

Only not exactly.

Despite her indifference, Joza was keenly aware of why Akhilleus had called for this mission in the first place. As far as she knew, he did not have beef with the Triumvirate specifically. Hell, she didn’t even know if he cared about stopping Sith at all. But she’d been the one to inform him of his brother’s death, and knew from the way he responded that the freshly crowned King of Makrosia was seeking retribution against one man in particular.

Surprisingly, it didn’t make her stomach twist as much as she had thought it would.

Neatly pressed against a wall in the cargo hold, Joza was perched atop a short stack of boxes. Her feet idly swayed back and forth, barely skimming the ground as she concentrated on the task at hand. In one hand was a mirror, in the other was an eyeliner pencil. With an artist’s precision, the Zeltron applied a thin line to her upper lid. Blackened Burgundy. A faint reddish hue peeking beneath a background of black, accented by a light shimmer. It was one of her favorite colors, and she wasn’t going into battle looking ugly if she could help it.

“Stop pacing. You’re distracting me.” Her voice held a tinge of irritation, but she was noticeably distracted in not karking up her makeup. The cigarra between her lips—lightly tinted with lip stain, of course—smoldered a bit as she idly sucked in a breath then exhaled through her nose. Even if she held a strange mixture of disgust and ill-placed adoration for a certain Sith Lord, she still wanted to look cute. But she was here for more than that. Ahkilleus, for all his loyalty to his brother, was far more aggressive and ruthless than the latter. Many of the Zeltron’s friends used the Dark Side to some degree, even the late Nikias, even her. But she was all too aware how easy it was for the tendrils of darkness to wrap around your mind, your very being and drag you under. It was a seductive power, that was for sure. She was here to keep track of the Hellyni and ensure that he didn’t let his emotions consume him like a raging fire, leaving nothing but embers in its wake.

“Keep your wits about you. We don’t know who or what we’ll be facing.” Joza took a quick break from her eye makeup if only to speak with clarity before returning her attention, this time to her other eyelid.

 

[NightSister]

Location: Tempus Ardet-class Bulk Freighter -> Ruusan
Objective: Destroy the Sith Triumvirate
Allies: [member="Zephyr Carrick"], [member="Joza Perl"], [member="Akhilleus"], [member="Celiana"]
Enemies: [member="Haytham Kaze"], [member="Jorryn Fordyce"], [member="Cerita Sarova"], [member="Ashmedai"]
Gear: Standard blaster, lightsaber, vibroblade

Pacing aimlessly about the ship as she tried to think of a helpful or motivating answer, Aria did her best to remain calm. It's just another mission, she reminded herself. Just another fight. You're good at those, remember.

Or she had been, at least. This was her first mission since her parents' death, and with the ceaseless weight it had placed on her shoulders Aria wasn't sure if she could fight the way she used to - free, agile, graceful but aggressive. She didn't feel free and agile. Hoping that once she was back in her element her old self would return, she had asked to be part of the strike team, but now it felt more like she was endangering the mission.

She let out a sigh, blowing a loose strand of hair from her face. Calming herself the best she could, Aria did her best to focus on the mission ahead of her. Her last confrontation with Sith had been considerably less dangerous, given that the Knight had been a deserter who turned himself over without a bother. She had a feeling that the Triumvirate wouldn't be quite so willing.
Doing her best to distract herself, Aria turned to see how the others were dealing with their nerves if they had any. The Zeltron woman she'd briefly encountered on Balmorra was fixing her makeup. The notion seemed felt silly to her, but caring to something as trivial as her appearance was a strangely comforting idea at the moment.

Well, perhaps you can seduce the Triumvirate into converting into Jedi, she thought jokingly. And a bit of extra confidence won't kill you.
"Any chance I could borrow that?" she said with the most relaxed smile she could muster, gesturing to the eyeliner currently being used to flawlessly line the woman's left eyelid. It was almost tempting to ask for the cigarra, but Aria decided against it. After all, she had just been warned to keep her wits about her.

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

Location: The Citadel: Training Room
Allies: [member="Haytham Kaze"]
Enemies: [member="Akhilleus"] [member="Zephyr Carrick"] [member="Joza Perl"] [member="Aria Vale"] [member="Celiana"]

She knew that Darth Athyssius was right, the force was the strongest weapon that the Sith had. She could feel the power of the Dark Side nexus seeping into her, strengthening all her powers with the dark side. Fickle bolts of lightning made their way between her fingers and her senses were all heightened by the power that she let in. This is what separated the weak from the strong, the Sith from the common vagabonds that walked the planets.

"As you wish my Lord." Bowing as her master answered his communicator. She knew what to look for, the call of the light was surprisingly common even in a sea of darkness. Ever trying to rise to the surface, casting out the shadows.

The Jedi were simply fools who restrained themselves, taught to be passionless in their motives so as not to beckon forth the sprinkle of darkness that would turn their sea black. They would never know what true power was, preferring instead to adhere to a set of outdated rules put force by an ancient theocracy that crushed all those below it.

They follow the force whereas the Sith dominated it, clenching her fist to feel the power coursing through her.

"I have seen a Jedi before, but never have I combatted one my Lord." She waited until he fully left the room, before sitting down and absorbing all the power that the Force Nexus had to offer.

Her senses stretched out far beyond what she was used to, quickly sensing entities that lay outside the closed room. Her gaze expanded onwards, encompassing the entire building. She felt a sense of liberation as her gaze continued forward, surging into the skies and encompassing the few living creatures that dared called this dark place their home.

A smile crept upon Jorryn's face as she felt what true power was, a sense of delight filling her.

This feeling swiftly disappeared when her gaze stopped advancing beyond the horizon instead being caught in the middle of the sky. The range was too small and she could not sense any glimpse of light in the darkness that accompanied her vision, so instead of delight she would use anger and frustration to advance her vision. This only succeeded for a small distance more.

So Jorryn would wait, for the Jedi to come to her.

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

LOCATION: Inside Matsu's labs in the Citadel.
OBJECTIVE: Greet our guests.
ALLIES: [member="Onley Xiangu"] | [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] | [member="Cerita Sarova"] | [member="Ashmedai"]
ENEMIES: [member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Joza Perl"] | [member="Akhilleus"]
Note: I will be writing Onley with Matsu, but if an apprentice from the SSC wants to go up against him, he's an Acolyte and I'd love to write him separately as well. Shoot me a PM if you're interested.

“I can still hear you,” she said quietly in to his mind, a voice placid in its patience. It was not a quality commonly associated with Sith, but she possessed it in spades. She opened her eyes when she heard her son sigh in frustration.

“Of course you can - it’s you,” he retorted.

“Blocking your mind is the only time in which anger and rage will not serve you. To stop someone from stealing your thoughts you must be above their attempts to unsettle you, you must not let them manipulate you in to letting your guard down,” she said, narrowing her eyes at the flash of a rude gesture from Onley’s mind at her coaching. He seemed to have inherited a cheekiness that wasn’t present in either of his parents but she would let it pass - it was almost endearing because she could feel his genuine interest beneath the veneer of his attitude. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t it you that asked for the lesson?”

“Fine,” was all he answered with, though she felt him attempting to put up walls around his mind again.

Onley built and built and was actually proud of what he’d created for once, but Matsu hadn’t said anything yet. He waited, wondering if he’d finally managed to keep her out. Still nothing. “Any good?” he asked, taking the risk to speak and break his own concentration. When he opened his eyes he realized his Mother was looking up towards the ceiling as if she could see something he couldn’t.

“How would you like to train in something else for a while?” she asked, amber frothing at the corners of her irises as she rose from the floor. Images of ships entering Ruusan space flashed across his mind as that strange mix of words and pictures with which Matsu communicated bombarded him. He rose from the floor without hesitation and the two were gone without another word.

 

[Vora Kaar]

Location: Tempus Ardet-class Bulk Freighter -> Ruusan
Objective: Destroy the Sith Triumvirate
Allies: [member="Akhilleus"], [member="Celiana"], [member="Aria Vale"], [member="Joza Perl"]
Enemies: [member="Matsu Xiangu"], [member="Jorryn Fordyce"], [member="Haytham Kaze"],
Gear: See Sig

The force was very clear here. It was so thick within our veins, it was almost palpable. Joza, Akhilleus and myself were likely going to be the heavy hitters of the group. Even more so with Celiana, a natural born swordswoman, and Aria Vale who I hardly knew, but could still feel the force flowing within her just as strong as any of us here. I could feel the anger and hatred from the King himself, or at least what I thought was the man who stood in battle armor. Joza herself seemed more concerned about others than herself. It was strange with how dark she felt within the force, but it was likely she was looking out for her own friend. One that wanted revenge for his brothers death. Even I knew what was happening. A particular Sith, unknown name to me, was down there. He was charged with the murder of his brother. As an ally, I came to help.

Miss Vale seemed to be nervous, or even afraid of what may happen. She looked rather new to this idea of fighting Sith, but still had some confidence about her. I smiled at the thought. Using my own abilities, I fed off of my friends fears, angers, and hatred towards the Sith Triumvirate, and the man they wanted to kill. Consuming their own emotions as though they were my own. Breathing in deeply, I stood there, holding on to the hand grip on the side of the wall as I was focusing with the battle coming. I needed to be prepared for whatever may happen down there.

Decked out in my own armor, much like the Hellyni, I was suited up in my Mandalorian armor. After taking my title as Buurenaar Cabur from my mentor, and surrogate father Isley, I had become a fully fledged knight. I was prepared, or so I hoped.

Opening my eyes for the first time when we exited hyperspace, I looked down to my left thigh. Making sure that the strap holding my hand-cannon inside its holster was tight, and wouldn't fall out should we jump from the ship. Checking all of my armor systems, their functions, and just giving myself the overall look through of my gear. Truthfully, I was scared. I didn't know who I would be facing down below. What powers they may have, the skills they have learned, or the amount of troops that I may have to face. I have seen battle. I was not scared of fighting, I... I was scared that I would make a poor choice like I did on Echoly'a.

I didn't want to lose another part of myself. Thinking back on my training with Darth Marr, Isley, My father, and Jericho, I had to find my purpose. What reason was I here for? It didn't take me long to find that out. I was here for Nikias. The man who I had trusted and followed into the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. The man who I trained with as an apprentice. I would do the same for his brother. I would do it for Joza and the small time we spent together. While we had our differences in ideals even while both training under Jericho, I understood her. I trusted her. Celiana was my friend, and ally. She was someone I believed in.

I smiled.

I was here for friends, Family, and the lives they have, or will live. I was here for my own. I fought for those I cared for. With Akhilleus telling us we should strap in, I knew what was happening. I growled in anticipation. I let the force flow through me in its raw form. Neither of the Dark, nor of the Light, but a mix of the two. Activating the magnetic components within my boots, I tightened my grip on the handle above me.

I was prepared for war.

 

[Celiana]

Location: Tempus Ardet-class Bulk Freighter -> Ruusan
Objective: Destroy the Sith Triumvirate
Allies: Zephyr Carrick, Joza Perl, Akhilleus, Aria Vale
Enemies: Haytham Kaze, Jorryn Fordyce, Cerita Sarova, Ashmedai
Gear: Character Bio (But the first post has what I'm bringing to the party)

My first real fight against the darkness and there was a hunger that I felt in the dropship. Interestingly feeding off of everyone's negative emotions to fuel the person devouring them. Zeph, the last we'd seen of each other was in his bed, before I'd sensed the darkness. Then I'd found Aria and I still couldn't be happier. I stood in my own set of Beskar' gam armor the majority of my lightweight weapons were here on me. My left thigh held a DC-9 blaster pistol while my right thigh held a DC-17m Blaster rifle with all the attachments. I had my duel Echani honor blades sheathed on my back and my sabers on either side of my ribs. My Mandalorian gauntlets with their hidden blades and phrik arm guards were along my forearms, and both sections of my adaptable Echani combat staff were stowed along my back with my honor blades.

I wore a green silk sash along my waist and the threaded saber crystals that dangled from my sabers tinkled as I moved. Locking all my weapons down to my armor with the suit mag-locks I pulled off my helmet and clipped it to my belt then looked from Zeph to Aria then back again to Zeph before saying to him mentally. "Don't feed off of her fear or anger. Anyone else is fine but not her Zeph." I was one large array of weaponry then I looked at Zeph and said to Aria where only she'd hear, "I'm here love and I'm going nowhere. I trust your skill and you look just as beautiful in armor dressed for war." I gave her a smile then glancing towards Zeph I began to drum out the beat to Dha Werda Verda on my armor and hoped he'd catch on we were after all Mando'ade...

@Akhilleus- [member="Zephyr Carrick"] - [member="Aria Vale"] - [member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

Location: Tempus Ardet-class Bulk Freighter -> Ruusan
Objective: Destroy the Sith Triumvirate
Allies: Some People
Enemies: Some other People... who are Sith.
Gear: Two Lightsabers, twelve Daggers, Gardener's Heart, and four Napalm Grenades.

Solan was sleeping for most of the trip, his hands and body curled up in the seat which he kept to. He needed to get back out into the galaxy and stop sitting around the world which he was connected to most of these days by the hip. He was starting to worry he might get rusty should her stay there for much longer so when he heard about a strike on the Sith, his mind had jumped faster than his body could move. This was a chance to get back out there and do some damage to the beings he really did hate, not really for any reason past what they are generally known for doing.

None the less his eyes were shut as he sat there, hands resting on the sabers he kept within the thin cloak he had on. He had no reason to hide himself, but the cloak did give him a bit of warmth in this ship and possibly on the planet should her need that warmth, reserving as much of his energy for the actual fighting. He wasn't sure just how all this would go over but in the end he smiled. They were about to strike at a Sith world, with the single group of them and do some damage hopefully, the only thing that could make that better was if he won the lottery while he was at it.

The smile remained as he went over his gear in his mind, the first thing being his armor itself. The same fiber armor he used almost all the time, designed to stop blaster bolts and small caliber rounds but not much. Its strength came in mobility though which he capitalized on with the use of the daggers he had strapped to the armor, careful to leave an equal amount on both sides of his body so that he could quickly reach for one with either hand. Then there were the napalm grenades, or rather what he considered fuel as he had specifically removed the ignition mechanism, preferring to ignite them on his own rather than allowing for instantaneous ignition after being thrown.

Lastly was a little green crystal he had in a pouch over his heart, relaxed thanks to the crystal as he sat there.

 

[Connor Harrison]

LOCATION: En-route to Ruusan
ALLIES: [member=Akhilleus] | [member="Joza Perl"] | [member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Zephyr Carrick"] | [member=Celiana] | [member="Solan Charr"]
ENEMIES: The Sith Triumvirate
GEAR: Combat Armour | Skywalker Lightsaber

Connor Harrison sat at the rear of the transport and said nothing, making no eye-contact with anyone. He boarded last and muted his presence. The dull armour he wore under the crimson cowl didn't attract any attention, as there were more on board with flashier weapons and armour.

Yet again, the Grandmaster didn't know he was here, but if he did Connor had the perfect excuse. Well, partly an excuse, partly truth.

The reason he was here mostly was to monitor three certain individuals who had crossed his path one way or another. Master Joza Perl. Padawan Aria Vale. Padawan Celiana.

Joza was a girl with honest intentions, but a fragile heart, and she could jeopardize the Silvers and safety of others if her heart was broken once more. Aria and Celiana, while he had not met the latter, were a duo whom Connor knew meant the world to each other, but with Aria struggling to asset her confidence and know how to control her emtions in the heat of battle - and with Celiana - he had to be sure they were not a danger to themselves and others.

And on the other hand, he was here to do as much damage off record to the Trimvirate after the mess that was the Ruusan invasion.

Sitting with his arms resting on his elbows, hands laced, he looked up under the hair flicking over his brow to quietly watch the collection of Jedi en-route to show the Sith that not all Jedi played by the rules.

 

[Kael Rose]

Location: En Route to Ruusan
Allies: [member="Connor Harrison"] [member="Solan Charr"] @Celiana [member="Zephyr Carrick"] [member="Matsu Xiangu"] [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] [member="Aria Vale"] [member="Joza Perl"] [member="Haytham Kaze"] [member="Akhilleus"]
Enemies: [member="Akhilleus"] [member="Haytham Kaze"] [member="Joza Perl"] [member="Aria Vale"] [member="Zephyr Carrick"] [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] [member="Matsu Xiangu"] @Celiana [member="Solan Charr"] [member="Connor Harrison"]
Gear: Blasters mostly, and an interesting little staff. See Sig.

Ruusan. A planet Kael had spent some time or two on. He was pretty intimately familiar with it's history, or rather some of it's history. It was strange going back after all this time but by all records the Sith Triumvirate had gotten out of town. Now seemed the best time to head over and get some closure about everything. Before the Republic or the Silvers or the Mandalorains or whoever popped up and closed the gates. Not every buddy seemed to like tourists on a Force Nexus filled battle site.

Kael's Ghtroc pulled out of hyperspace as Kael was filling Laurie with some XCL's. A quick glance and Kael saw that there was another freighter on his scanners. Not that it mattered any to Kael. Not like he was patrolling or had business to enforce here or anything. He was just heading over to . . . loom he guessed. Pay his respects. All of that business. Despite the reports of reduced Sith Triumvirate business he decided it would be best to stay armed, and made sure to keep his pistols holstered and a spot kept for his San-Ni staff. It always paid to be careful after all.

Looking for a dock he decided for one outside of a Droghda Citadel. It was rated at Stellar Class and his Ghtroc needed a little tune up or two while he was waiting. His ship didn't have any government ties so getting through customs shouldn't have been that difficult. Maybe they were on watch for Ghtrocs though, or had heard tale of the Void Turtle. You never knew, he just hoped this trip wouldn't have any trouble.

 

[Akhilleus]

Location: Ruusan Temple entrance
Allies: [member="Connor Harrison"] [member="Solan Charr"] [member="Celiana"] [member="Zephyr Carrick"] [member="Aria Vale"] [member="Joza Perl"]
Enemies: [member="Matsu Xiangu"] [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] [member="Haytham Kaze"]
Gear: See Sig
Unknown: [member="Kael Rose"]

(Alright everybody don’t go swarming the Sith. Make it fair if you’re going to engage them in combat and remember to discuss things. We’re all here for fun so let’s try to enjoy and make it fair k?)


The first one to talk had of course been Joza with that accursed stick of death between her lips. Distracting her?! From what her make up?! Who was she getting dressed up for the dead Sith Emperor? Akhilleus didn’t know but the comment had drawn his attention. On the edge of battle such comments were best kept to themselves when dealing with Akhilleus. No not him, but with the amulet. The bloodshine gem embedded into the glove shined brightly as it increased the emotions he was feeling. Instead of following his first instinct of crushing the make-up Akhilleus re-strategized. With the apprentice Aria wanting some he didn’t want to make her feel bad. Instead he put an inkling of focus into crushing the cigarette between Joza’s lips. From behind the visor she wouldn’t see the smirk on the Hellyni’s face but the movement of his shoulders suggested laughter.

Off in the corner Akhilleus gave Zephyr a nod before noticing the other apprentice Celina moving over to him. Seems as though this group wasn’t as reserved on emotions as Akhilleus had been told about jedi… That was good, those emotions would give them strength. With a mighty shake the ship entered Ruusan’s atmosphere flying through it without even slowing down. Digging into a compartment of his armor Akhilleus pulled out a datapad showing him what the pilots above were seeing. They were approaching the Ruusan temple quickly and the moment they entered the atmosphere the most powerful nexus in the galaxy washed over the inhabitants of the ship. At once it had been neutral but the Sith had corrupted it making it their own. The one thing about it though was that Akhilleus could draw on that energy as well.

Opening himself to the currents of the force the dark jedi let the darkness flow into him. The energy chilling his entire being as it filled him. It tried feeding the negative emotions the thing was to use the dark side there were numerous ways. While those who used it often focused on the darker emotions they overlooked others that could be just as powerful such as love. It was Akhilleus’ love for his brother that had brought him here and it was this that he used to bend the force to his will at times and work in concert on others. All Sith were Dark Jedi, all Dark jedi weren’t Sith.

Tapping his datapad Akhilleus signaled for it to fire upon the entrance to the temple clearing a pathway and not even thirty seconds later the sound of metal being sheered away, stone crumbling and metal against tile filled the ship. Bucking the ship threatened to throw all those not secured around the hull like a ragdoll. Akhilleus pinned himself in place with the force though still had to duck as a few of the cargo containers broke free. With a final shift the frigate came to a halt and the ramps began to lower. It was time. Rising Akhilleus made his way for the ramp dust filled the ship from the wreckage left in its wake. “Destroy everything here, leave them with nothing. Their library, vehicles, whatever you find destroy it.”

 

[Haytham Kaze]

Location: Ruusan Citadel Entrance.
Objective: Um
Allies: [member="Ashmedai"], [member="Matsu Xiangu"], [member="Jorryn Fordyce"], [member="Cerita Sarova"]
Enemies: [member="Akhilleus"], [member="Joza Perl"], [member="Celiana"], [member="Aria Vale"], [member="Connor Harrison"], [member="Solan Charr"], [member="Kael Rose"] cuz unknown.

The Light Side of the Force came closer to the Citadel. And that was at the point that the Dark Lord of the Sith was stepping onto the scene, black cloak casting him in shadow.

The Dark Side practically exuded from him as he inhaled deeply. The Jedi were rapidly closing in to the Citadel. They weren't stopping, and the Kaasian wasn't going to do anything to stop them.

The Citadel's defenses must've been offline or malfunctioning, perfect timing for their ship to fire and crash through the front of the temple. A stray bolt took out a support column behind him, but there were hundreds more to continue holding up the grand structure that was the Citadel. There was a frown on his face behind the black helmet he bore.

I'll have to execute the Stormtroopers on duty.

No matter. They'd be dead by the time the day was out.

On the other side of the planet, when a certain unidentified ship that belonged to [member="Kael Rose"] was spotted, those defenses certainly did work and he was most definitely locked on to and fired upon. Darth Athyssius ran the defense of Ruusan, even after he had at long last inherited the position of Triumvir, he ruled the planet with an iron fist. Unidentified ships were shot down. Simple. So he was receiving a welcoming gift.

Blaster fire blanketing the sky.

Regardless, when the ramp of the nearly two hundred metre ship broke through the front of the Citadel, the crimson glow of Athyssius's gaze intensified in confusion and rage before he was forced to leap to one of the higher levels. Shame. He actually liked the architecture. Despite orders he had given, no one could've expected what had come. The Triumvirate may have downsized, significantly but with Ruusan being their sole occupation, there were many more Stormtroopers in the Citadel's Complex. And oh, they were coming.

Hundreds, probably thousands.

But the fighting would've started long since then.

The ramp lowered, and the Kaas native leapt from the alcove above the now destroyed foyer and landed on the top of the bulk freighter.

"May as well just make them a tab."

In such close proximity, he could tell that he sensed the Zeltron that had attempted to kill him. She had known him as Haytham Kaze, even Darth Vanitas. But those two were dead. The only thing they shared was a face. Not even his presence in the Force was similar, not after he had supposedly cut down Nikias. No, since then, the Dark Side of the Force hadn't corrupted his aura. It twisted it, bent it out of shape until it was unrecognizable. The Dark Side of the Force gave and it took.

As all things did.

And together,

We have taken much.

 

[Lok Xiangu]

Location: The Citadel
Allies: [member="Matsu Xiangu"], [member="Haytham Kaze"], [member="Jorryn Fordyce"]
Enemies: [member="Connor Harrison"], [member="Joza Perl"], [member="Solan Charr"], [member="Akhilleus"], [member="Celiana"], [member="Aria Vale"]
Objective: Get some points
Gear: Sig

A forked tongue hissed and tasted the air around him. Many different, unique odors were treated his tongue and gave him thoughts of just slaying all of them for his precious goddess; however, he was not an ignorant fool like a bloodthirsty zealot and saw that this organization and its people could help him approve to be a better hunter and servant for the Scorekeeper. Yes, he did disappear after the battle of Ruusan initiated by the Silver Sanctum since wild things had happened during and after the invasion. It was also the time in which his first master had perished. Did Dagorn mourned for such loss? Absolutely not. When did he shed tears for the dead? Never and not even once in his life. While he didn't cry over the loss of Darth Orcus, he did wished he could've done the honors of ending him. A being like that deserved a whole lot of Points from the Scorekeeper.

Nevertheless, there would be a bountiful of Jagganath Points to be earned today.

"I sssssssmell...Pointsssssss," the Reptilian said with a sinister grin.

The tall figure of a Trandoshan walked about through the corridors of the Citadel, passing by the laboratory operated by Matsu as he headed towards the entrance of this fine piece of architecture to meet with the attackers that Dagorn hoped to offer to his deity.

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

Location: The Citadel - Black Panel Training Room
Allies: [member="Dagorn"] [member="Haytham Kaze"] [member="Matsu Xiangu"] [member="Ashmedai"] [member="Cerita Sarova"]
Enemies: [member="Akhilleus"] [member="Connor Harrison"] [member="Solan Charr"] [member="Celiana"] [member="Aria Vale"] [member="Zephyr Carrick"] [member="Joza Perl"]
Objective: Eliminate the enemies of Darth Athyssius

A mixed look of surprise and confusion came across Jorryn's face. She noticed small disturbance in the dark aura of the planet, only a small light in the eternal depths of dark. She would have immediately made her way down the courtyard, but she knew that she needed to focus longer and confirm that it was the enemy. If she had appeared before her master and they had not arrived yet, she could have his lightsaber at her throat instead of any Jedi's.

The ends of her mouth curved upwards into an evil smirk as the small glimpse of light grew closer to the Citadel, allowing her to finally see what it was. There was a small crew, all varying in terms of the colour and power of their essence. She opened her eyes and picked up her lightsaber. It was time for the slaughter to begin. Instead of joining her master in the courtyard of the Citadel, Jorryn made her way to the expansive halls of the training room. At the end of the hallway, there was an ominous door made of iron and chain. This room had been one of the most difficult to master, it was a manipulative maze that one could spend weeks in and still feel lost.

A wave of her hand and the door made a screeching sound as it slowly slid open, the smell of rust piercing her nose.

The room lit up in a dull glow as she entered it. Her eyes scanned the grid pattern of the room, laid out by metal plated located in the walls and floor. With a wave of her hand, the plates moved to form a flat arena and stairs leading to the middle of the room. She sat down and closed her eyes as she used the nexus to give her complete control of the platforms, a difficult task considering all the micromanagement that was required.

Jorryn allowed the dark side nexus to possess her even more, her eyes now burning crimson and gold as she used the force like tendrils to reach out towards the enemy. She knew that her master would hate for her to interrupt his fight, but she would at least lighten the load. The tendrils reached out to the landing craft of the enemy, whispering in the ears of the most impressionable among them, telling them the way to find her. Jorryn found herself smiling as the anticipation of finally being able to eliminate a Jedi, seeing the light fail them as they slowly drifted away into nothing.

 

[Aithne Charr]

Location: Ruusan, Near the Citadel in a forest.
Objective: Destroy the Sith Triumvirate
Allies: Some People
Enemies: Some other People... who are Sith.
Gear: Two Lightsabers, three seed pouches (Containing Baffor plants, Vines, and trees), Enigma Mask, twelve Daggers, Gardener's Heart, and four Napalm Grenades,

Solan groaned as he rubbed his eyes and stood up, gripping the cloak around him and walking to the ramp that would lead out of the ship, his eyes catching note of the various jedi like [member="Connor Harrison"] and [member="Joza Perl"] but otherwise remaining silent as he smiled and reached up to put a mask over his face. The mask is one of the few he owned and he smiled as he held it in his hand, pressed against his face and letting it seal off. His eyes peering out of the ship and onto the ground that started to affect him immediately as he breathed in and out. That feeling that he had been apart of causing during the last time he was here and he grimaced as he remembered being there.

His hands closed tightly before sighing and moving off the ship and immediately heading towards the nearby enemy halls, not wanting to deal with the enemy troopers heading for the ship. It wasn't a straight forward, basically suicide, approach. Instead, his body found the halls as his first interest, making certain to be in a place he was familiar and commfortable with even if it was corrupted like the rest of this place around them. He had remembered the feeling Ruusan gave him before all of this, remembering what that calming feeling was like and wanting to replicate it with his gardens. He remembered looking around on the planet and while it had its faults, that valley had been something a bit different than other places that he knew of.

Granted, the change in its feeling would only help him when it came to working with the force, but he still preferred the feeling of calm and safety that the light had brought to it.

His eyes were kept forward as he made his way through the citadel though, keeping hands crossed behind him and under the cloak that curled around him. His illusion no longer up but the corruption having faded to the point of not needing it, his veins still black, skin still pale, but he no longer looked like he was dead on his feet. He had refocused his efforts after the night that had occurred two weeks before, not wanting to deny the very things that were digging their way inside of him and accepting that it had happened and it would not change.

It made him smile as his hands reached out through the force to the plants nearby, moving with him and the vines nearby curling to work their way through the ground as he walked. It wasn't preferable, considering that he had to pull them up and out through stone and metal but they were still on the ground level and it was possible still after a bit of effort. They would be able to provide a shield for him if he needed one, one of which that was enough for him to protect him from anything that tried to find its home as long as the power of the shot was not too great.

With another outward sigh he let his presence be like a beacon, not that hiding it would have been possible anyways thanks to the crystal over his right breast. He knew that with that crystal on him, there would be no hiding from anyone who could sense him.

 

[Joza Perl]

Location: Ruusan
Homies: [member="Akhilleus"], [member="Aria Vale"], [member="Zephyr Carrick"], [member="Celiana"], [member="Solan Charr"], [member="Connor Harrison"]
Haters: [member="Haytham Kaze"], [member="Jorryn Fordyce"], Queen [member="Matsu Xiangu"], [member="Dagorn"]
Gear: In bio

Akhilleus was all but forgotten until a minuscule application of the Force pinched her cigarra while it was still between her lips. Startled, the cancer stick fell from her mouth and she shot an icy glare over at the young Hellyni, wholly unamused. “You’re every bit your brother.” Muttering just loud enough so that he could hear, Joza’s expression evened out into something more pleasant as Padawan Vale addressed her. Finishing her second eye—the lines didn’t appear overbearingly thick, but gave her eyes a wider appearance—she turned towards the other woman. After appraising the girl for a few moments—she wasn’t about to go handing someone a color that would look bad on their skin—she nodded once. “Sure, doll.” Handing over both the retractable pencil and mirror, she quickly went to work securing her hair up into a twist with a few clips.

Though able to sense the nerves from Aria, Joza elected not to comment directly on them. ‘So you’re nervous, huh?’ Was typically in poor taste, but there was little she could offer in the way of verbal comfort. “It’ll look nice against your skin tone. Not too harsh, but not invisible either. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t wake up like this.” Add in a cheesy wink for good measure. The Zeltron was typically not without some sort of makeup—be it a touch of mascara and concealer for her facial scars, or full-blown Zeltron-level face paint. Very few actually saw the woman without some sort of cosmetic enhancement.

A handful of bobby pins materialized from Force knows where as she began to pin stray wisps of hair up and in place, taking the time to look around the cargo hold at her allies. She didn’t know Aria that well, but something about her was vaguely familiar. Perhaps they’d crossed paths before? Zephyr was someone she’d worked with in the past, the pair beginning to forge a decent bond between them Celiana seemed to know both Zephyr and Aria, but Joza couldn’t place her face or name in her memory. Solan’s presence was calm and rhythmic, as it had been for the majority of the ride. She was keenly aware of Connor as well, despite the man having kept to himself. Both he and Solan had been with her during the invasion of Ruusan, and she almost cringed thinking back to it.

It hadn’t been pretty, but her time away from Haytham and the talk she’d had with Connor exposed her to some harsh truths. Questioning something she once held so dear was scary, but brought some sort of strange relief. She wanted so badly to believe that love would rise above everything, but gradually she realized that her relationship was not some fairytale. It was dangerous and volatile. Had it even been really been love?

She knew why they were here. What it meant. Strangely enough, she thought she caught a flicker of his presence—but it faded against a background of Dark Sided auras that were equally nauseating.

“There is a Dark Side nexus here. They can draw power from it.” She would murmur in warning towards Aria if she was still near before her focus turned back toward Akhilleus. Grabbing onto some piping overhead as they descended violently, Joza cringed as they nearly smashed the opening of the temple. Certainly one way to make an entrance, but that was of little concern right now.

Drifting through the smoke and debris like a spectre, the Zeltron reached into her bust to retrieve yet another cigarra, lighting it with the tip of her finger. Her left hand would grip her saber hilt as she took a long drag, drinking in the various Darker signatures that belonged to the Triumvirate Sith.

Now where is he…?

 

[Kael Rose]

Location: Crashing
Allies: Maybe [member="Akhilleus"] [member="Joza Perl"] [member="Aria Vale"] [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] [member="Matsu Xiangu"] [member="Zephyr Carrick"][member="Celiana"] [member="Connor Harrison"], But not [member="Haytham Kaze"]
Enemies: Maybe [member="Connor Harrison"] [member="Solan Charr"] [member="Celiana"] [member="Zephyr Carrick"] [member="Matsu Xiangu"] [member="Jorryn Fordyce"] [member="Aria Vale"] [member="Joza Perl"] [member="Akhilleus"] Definitely [member="Haytham Kaze"]
Gear: Blasters mostly, and an interesting little staff. See Sig.

Feth feth feth. Gonna have to skin whoever sold me that gorram map.

Kael thought to himself as his sublights were hit with an ion cannon.

Eh, I guess it's my bad though. Shoulda given 'em more time to clear before making a trip. Feth my impatience.

He thought to himself as he scrambled to take the controls. Why anyone would shoot at a tramp freighter before asking it to identify itself first was beyond Kael, but it didn't karking matter now did it? The turtle-like Ghtroc freighter tilted across what one might call it's x-axis, the right side coming up as the left side came down. Seemed the left sublights were shot and he was steering all right. Not as in like, doing fine but as in all on the right side. So he locked down his engine emissions to stop himself from flipping over, and directed the shielding to the ship's ventral side. It hit the ground of Ruusan with a skid, and 'bounced' ever so slightly before continuing it's slide towards another crashed ship. A much larger Tempus Bulk Freighter. The ship was down and relatively unharmed, far as crashes go, but the hair on Kael's neck stood straight out regardless.

See, Kael was a Teepo Paladin. Key word was. He didn't feel the Jedi were his home no more, but neither did he use the Force any different than what he used to. He wasn't as strong now as he was then but he still felt the Force around him. He didn't make waves, he read the ripples.

And there was a mighty ripple coming across the pond of the Force. Something was about to happen, something big. Mayhaps not as big as the battles this world had suffered through before, but big enough that he wanted no part of it. storming back towards the engine room he took a look at his sublight and his hyperdrive.

Akala help me. The man thought as he realized it would take him at least thirty minutes to fix what had been broken, that was if he wasn't getting shot or lightsaber swung at. And with what he felt coming? Well, that wasn't gonna happen. With a deep sigh Kael took out Laurie and made sure she had eaten enough for the coming fight before dipping her into her holster and doing the same with Sandy. Maybe he could have snuck off while the fighters were distracted and steal a ship, but he was bettin not. More'n likely he'd have to pick a side and give a good fight if he wanted to get out.

Click!

The hammer of his revolver drew back as Kael wandered over to the loading ramp. Luck might have favored the prepared, but it sure as feth didn't favor the passive.

 

[Vora Kaar]

Location: Tempus Ardet-class Bulk Freighter -> Ruusan Temple
Objective: Destroy the Sith Triumvirate
Allies: [member="Akhilleus"], [member="Celiana"], [member="Aria Vale"], [member="Joza Perl"], [member="Kael Rose"], [member="Solan Charr"],
Enemies: [member="Matsu Xiangu"], [member="Jorryn Fordyce"], [member="Haytham Kaze"], [member="Dagorn"],
Gear: See Sig

Various people were prepared. Each person was more than willing to fight, and capable. We continued to get closer when I could feel a mind prod against my own. Familiar as Celiana stated for me to fear or anger. Rolling my eyes, I had trained to use such an ability to allow myself to become more adaptable in battle. While I would not rely on it, it was a helpful tool. I didn't comment back to Celiana. Yes, she was a friend, Yes I found trust in her, but it was my time to work. I didn't need to confuse or distract myself from fighting sith. They would kill me as soon as they saw me.

The ship crashed into the building. Breaking through the front doors, and the ship finally sliding to a halt. Just before, I could feel it as Joza pointed out the dark side nexus that was building stronger as we spoke. I smirked a little under my helmet. As much as they used the Dark side, so did I. Breathing in, I exited the vehicle. Drawing my lightsaber in its crackling red and black edged blade.

Blaster fire assaulted me. The blade was considerably short compared to the hilt size. Using the flat of the blade, I deflected the blaster bolts to harmlessly slam into the ground or in a different direction. I couldn't redirect them unless I was fighting completely offensive. However, I wasn't moving forwards all that much. The point was to draw the attention of most of the blaster fire so others could get off with relative ease, and not have to worry about so much directed at them.

Hence why I pushed out ahead of the group just enough to draw aggro from a lot of the troops. Relying heavily upon Soresu to defend myself.

"Push forward."

 

[Celiana]

Location: Tempus Ardet-class Bulk Freighter -> Ruusan Temple
Objective: Destroy the Sith Triumvirate
Allies: Akhilleushttp://starwarsrp.net/user/10999-akhilleus/http://starwarsrp.net/user/10999-akhilleus/, Aria Vale, Joza Perl, Kael Rose, Solan Charr, [member="Zephyr Carrick"]
Enemies: Matsu Xianguhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/3856-matsu-xiangu/, Jorryn Fordyce, Haytham Kaze, Dagorn,
Gear: Character bio (but whatever I brought with me in my first post)


I'd started to drum on my armor when I felt the ship we were on veer downwards sharply. Rooting myself to the deck with The Force as we began to descend I winked at Aria and pulled my helmet back on. The HUD flickered to life and all the combat systems came online registering every weapon I had on my armor and that they were locked in place. Then we hit the ground and I felt the ship we were in slide along the ground. Next thing I knew everyone was filing out in their own way. Solan had gone off somewhere Joza was casting her senses about and Zeph had exited the freighter in a hasty manner igniting his saber which looked to be a reflection of who he was now crackling with barely controlled anger and contempt.

Disengaging my DC-17m Blaster from my right thigh I pulled the stock out until it clicked into place and simply attached the anti-armo attachment loading a frag grenade into the chamber and firing it into the midst of the approaching soldiers. disengaging the anti-armor attachment I engaged the mag-lock on my right thigh securing the blaster rifle in place as I called both sabers to my hands and interlocked them into the saberstaff configuration. Twirling my saberstaff in a tight circle I formed a shield and flicking either end I began sending bolts back at the troopers. I heard Zeph say to push forward but I would make sure the rest got off the freighter and defend them and reflect the bolts back thinning the ranks of opposing forces as I did. I feel into a pattern spinning sabers as a shield and tight flicks re-directing the blaster fire.

I felt the oppressiveness of the Dark-side nexus in this place as I fought but it didn't bother me. I remembered my promise to Master Gan to not use Lightning and I'd make sure I kept my word...