[The Kathol Outback]: Dominion of Jelucan Hex

[Tarok Vassket]

Location: Shiva IV
Nearby: [member="John Shepherd"], [member="Leo Vandermolen"], [member="Aerin Kath"], [member="Yarva Adisu"], [member="Tilzi"], [member="Cody Bantam"]

The assaulting forces had fired smoke to cover the advance of their walkers. For Tilzi this presented something of an opportunity. Whilst the smoke protected the accompanying infantry as they advanced and didn't hinder the sensors of the walkers, it gave Tilzi enough cover to get into place on a cliff face maybe half the height of the walkers.

Whilst 'The Beast's brought up the rear of the force, a number of two legged scout walkers were the spearhead of the confederacy. Tilzi took a breath to steady herself. She closed one hand into a fist, starting at as her focus to summon her magick.

Darting out of cover she sprinted through the smoke and leapt. The Force gathered about her and drove her up through the air, smoke billowing in her wake. With a loud clang she landed on the flat top of the walker. A turret swivelled quickly towards her. With panic in her eyes she reached forwards, jade flames engulfing her hand. With a screech of tortured metal the turret rattled free. Not enough force to rip it away, bit enough to leave it stuck in place and unable to lock on. His a satisfied nod she unclipped her lightsaber.

 

[Leo Vandermolen]

Location: Surface (Fox-Hole)
Allies: [member="Cody Bantam"] | [member="Aerin Kath"] | [member="John Shepherd"]| [member="Dax Fyre"] | [member="Yarva Adisu"] |
Enemies: CALIAN CONFEDERACY
Objective: #2 (Let's get fight'n)
Post: #8

Surprised by the sudden glow of the duel orange sabres sprouting from their hilts in Dax's hands, Leo smiled as an idea came to mind. "I need to get on one of those walkers." He said, hoping that Dax had caught on to his plan. "You think you can use your force mumbo-jumbo to give me a boost up?" He asked. This plan was just plain ol' crazy. But it might just be crazy enough to work. 'Alright' Leo thought to himself as he readied himself for what was to come next... here goes nothing.

 

[Dax Perl]

Location: Shiva IV
Objective: Let's play ball
Nearby: [member="John Shepherd"], [member="Leo Vandermolen"], [member="Aerin Kath"], [member="Yarva Adisu"], [member="Tilzi"], [member="Cody Bantam"]

"...give me a boost?"

Dax grinned as he the mercenary's plan formed inside Dax's head. Although the mask obstructed anyone's view of Dax's expression his nod to the man was enough to say he approved of the merc's brand of crazy.

Dax deflected a couple more bolts and brought both his saber's down across the chest of a Confederate soldier, the man falling with a yelp. Deactivating his sabers, Dax reached towards the mercenary with the Force, both hands closed in fists around the sabers. With a grunt the merc was heaved forward, and suddenly launched high into the air, his flight path would find him landing on the top of one of the incoming walkers.

 

[Tarok Vassket]

Location: Shiva IV
Nearby: [member="John Shepherd"], [member="Leo Vandermolen"], [member="Aerin Kath"], [member="Yarva Adisu"], [member="Tilzi"], [member="Cody Bantam"]

Tilzi was ahead of the game on this one, but the crew of her walker were already aware of her presence. The walker took three quick steps, swaying from side to side. Only some clever computers kept the thing upright as they tried to dislodge their unwelcome guest.

With a grunt of frustration she tried to hold on with one hand. The other found her lightsaber. A sudden lurch and she went from on her knees to splayed out flat across the hull of the walker.

Finally the thing started to level off, likely because the drivers feared getting ahead of their support. Tilzi took the opportunity to push herself back up to her knees. She flicker her saber into a reverse hand grip and switched it on. The bright scarlet blade snapled into life and was thrust down into the mounting of the hatch. She turned her face away from waves if radiated heat as she started to cut.

 

[Leo Vandermolen]

Location: Surface (In the air...)
Allies: [member="Cody Bantam"] | [member="Aerin Kath"] | [member="John Shepherd"] | [member="Dax Fyre"] | [member="Tilzi"] |
Enemies: CALIAN CONFEDERACY
Objective: #2 (Weee)
Post: #9

Leo was suddenly flung upward, sailing right for the top of one of the walkers. He he tucked in and rolled, landing in a crouched position on the head of one of the AT-ST's that were advancing on their position. Withdrawing his Westar and Combat-knife once again, Leo slid over to the entrance hatch and jolted it open with a few well-placed blaster shots. He grasped onto the ledge of the walker as he swung into the body, a boot firmly kicking the man inside as Leo dropped in. The smaller AT-ST's were usually manned by only one person, so it was easy enough to 'commandeer' this one. Pushing the body out of the walker, Leo looked at the control panel, "How the kark is someone meant to control this thing?" he asked out loud, trying to garner some basic understanding as to what each individual button and control does. "What about... this one?" Leo slammed his hand down on one of the buttons, pulling a control lever as he smiled with glee...

 

[Dax Perl]

Location: Shiva IV
Objective: Make sure Leo doesn't crush me...
Nearby: [member="John Shepherd"], [member="Leo Vandermolen"], [member="Tilzi"], [member="Aerin Kath"], @@Yarva Adisu, [member="Cody Bantam"]

Dax moved through the field of battle, darting from one soldier to the next, each of his blows landing and severing limbs and heads, scarring armor and flesh. Both sabers flashed around him, creating a swirling tempest, a fatal dance.

A large metallic foot crashed right next to Dax, crushing a Confederate nearby. Of course it had been the walker he'd launched the mercenary..."Hey!" he called up to the hulking machine, "Watch where your stepping!" Dax swore if he died now because some mercenary accidentally squashed him, he'd come back as a Force ghost and haunt the man till the day he died...and then some.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Joza Perl"] [member="Nate the Bounty Hunter"] [member="Narbo"] [member="Bryce Bantam"] [member="Matthew Justice"] [member="Kimiko"]

There were only so many options available to Lady Ajira Cardei of Theed Hangar. Fortunately, phone booths had equivalents everywhere.

The process of transformation had more to it than that, of course. Leave while others were leaving, as the evening wound down a little. Take a cab a decent distance outside the academy; take a second cab to a rendezvous. Meet Shambleau in a place with no possibility of observation. Change clothes, don mask. Return.

Return just soon enough to feel your old friend dying.

She'd never been one for precise Force senses, but that much was clear: Commandant Jaemes Tiberius was not long for this mortal coil. She got a vague sense that he was still in the main building where the ball was going on. He'd been wrong: the plot hadn't been against that busty alien princess. It had been, for whatever reason, against him. Something in his past, maybe, or some issue he'd opposed or championed in his prestigious role. The reason was largely irrelevant. Someone, several someones, had conspired to kill him, and they were succeeding. Would succeed, long before she could find him.

If she couldn't help him, though, she could at least avenge him.

A hooded and cloaked figure, reeking of the Dark Side, walked into the ballroom and ignited a red lightsabre. Screams rose. The figure's mechanically altered voice punched through the uproar.

"Someone here has murdered Commandant Tiberius."

​

 

[Azimuth Industries]

"Murder? Oh poodoo."

In Narbo's vast and sordid experience, strange people showing up in hoods and masks almost always ended up in someone getting hurt. Seemed he wouldn't be selling any dope, least not to the Pinky and the speciesist.

He started walking steadily backward toward the nearest exit.

 

[Bryce Bantam]

Location: Do something, the plan is going to feth
Allies: [member="Joza Perl"] | [member="Jorus Merrill"] | [member="Nate the Bounty Hunter"] | [member="Kimiko"] | [member="Matthew Justice"]
Enemies: Qektoth and FO agents | [member="Ajira Cardei"]
Gear: Executive Protection Armor Holo-link Defender Bracelet


Bryce was near the new player that just appeared. He clearly heard what they said and knew it would ruin their plan if they didn't do something.

"What, a First Order sith? You're here to murder Tiberious, I will not let that stand. Everyone, stand clear we have ourselves as assassin!"

Kid was young but he knew how to work a situation to his advantage. He didn't know who they were but anyone with a pinch of force sense could feel the dark side on this one. Now Bryce didn't have a weapon, or much proper armor to fight this new force user but he had enough gaul to try.

"Whoever you are, your plan will not work, leave at once the Commandant is under our protection and you will have to get though me to kill him."

Bryce slowly left his hand drop to his defensive bracelet, if they attacked it would be his first line of defense.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Bryce Bantam"]

A hollow chuckle rang out from the helmet. "Commandant Tiberius is already dying, boy. I came to save him, but I was too late. There are murderers in these walls."

She stalked up to the tall, skinny young redhead, sabre down by her side. Its tip scored a hot line in the floor; cadets and guests shied back from her and the sparks. She stopped two paces away from him, just barely inside lightsabre range, if she wanted to cut his throat with the tip of her blade, and overextend to do it. His reach was longer than hers; if he had a sabre somewhere too, he'd have a clearer shot at her than she did at him. But it would be a cold day in Hell before a kid like this one-shotted her.

"You say he's under 'our' protection. Who, precisely, is we?"

 

[Azimuth Industries]

This looked like it was about to get real ugly. Anything with a glowing laser sword that could leave a smoking line like that in the floor was way above Narbo's pay grade. He could barely see through the stunned crowd, but now people were moving to get away from the middle of the scuffle and unintentionally created a ring around the arguing figures.

The Aqualish's three fingered hand started creeping toward a conspicuous bulge in his pants. No, not that one. He took one step back, then another. So close to the east exit he could taste freedom between his tusks.

 

[Bryce Bantam]

Location: Do something, the plan is going to feth
Allies: [member="Joza Perl"] | [member="Jorus Merrill"] | [member="Nate the Bounty Hunter"] | [member="Kimiko"] | [member="Matthew Justice"]
Enemies: Qektoth and FO agents | [member="Ajira Cardei"]
Gear: Executive Protection Armor Holo-link Defender Bracelet

"Your lies will not work, who ever you are. Anyone who hides their face behind a helm, stinks of the darkside as you do, and wields a red glow stick holds little sway with me."

The strangers new proximity didn't go unnoticed to Bryce, he was now well with in her striking range still he held firm. His left hand now clasped the bracelet on his wrist, his pointer finger on the activation trigger but not engaging it yet. He raised his shin ever so slightly as if daring the new strange to try and strike their focus, his neck. A show of aggression would only play further into his ruse. The crowd would see him standing proud. Chin up and unafraid of this face covered monster. In truth it was only his well practice meditations that kept his heart from pounding from his chest. Bryce knew he had the means to defend himself for a time and allies on this very dance floor. If things want to poodoo, he had friends.

"This is obviously part of the very conspiracy you speak of. Surely one of your other agents is at this moment is stalking the good commandant hoping to make your blatant lies a reality. So enough of this, take that light sword and be gone with you. The puppets of the first order are not welcomed here, and this academy will not bow to their kind."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Joza Perl"] [member="Nate the Bounty Hunter"] [member="Narbo"] [member="Bryce Bantam"] [member="Matthew Justice"] [member="Kimiko"]

An irritated hiss echoed through the helmet's vocoder. "So by default I'm lying because of, what, my colour scheme? Smarten up, boy. I asked a simple question. But I suppose I have my answer. We're a stone's throw from the Kathol Outback, and this academy doesn't boast any...masters of the Force, however green. No, I can only assume that you come from the land of righteous indignation, the ranks of the morally superior. The Underground."

She sensed a hint of emotional resonance from others in the crowd, many of whom seemed unsurprised and defiant. She took a long breath. "I see that I'm right. Well, the Underground has certainly caused me enough trouble over the years; why change now? You're fortunate that my friend is dying, or I'd be killing you. If he's your friend too, then go find him, go check on him. Maybe you'll be able to save him, though I doubt it. I didn't come here in hope; I came here to find his killers and avenge myself on them. And I will find them, boy."

 

[Joza Perl]

Location: Ballroom
Allies: [member="Matthew Justice"] | [member="Nate the Bounty Hunter"] | [member="Kimiko"] | [member="Bryce Bantam"]
Enemies: Qektoth and FO agents, [member="Ajira Cardei"]
Objective: Find Kimiko and pretend we didn’t murder anyone
Post: #11

While she would normally have Bryce’s back on this one, this wasn’t one situation she was charging belly first into. Sorry, Doc. I’ll make it up to you later. Instead on leaving immediately, she focused on finding her good friend who was currently in danger given that her fancy for the evening had been murdered! Nevermind that the two women barely knew eachother, but she’d have to compliment Kimiko on her acting later. For now, Joza would continue to play dumb, but they’d need an excuse to leave after she managed to find the Kitsune woman. Patting her stomach idly, she stared down at her large figure—only a few weeks out from her due date. Certainly this would hinder her movement but perhaps…

“Oh!” She feigned open mouth shock at the red lightsaber, clutching Matt’s arm as if she were truly frightened. “So..someone murdered the Commandant while he was escorting Kimiko? We have to go see if she’s alright! Oh, Gods…” After she was done wailing, she proceeded to waddle off towards the corridor the pair had disappeared down, dragging Matt alongside her and playing the part of the distraught, concerned friend. The concern was absolutely real, given the dictionary of curse words running through her head.

I’m too pregnant for this poodoo.

 

[Leo Vandermolen]

Location: Surface (AT-ST)
Allies: | [member="Cody Bantam"] | [member="Aerin Kath"] | [member="John Shepherd"] | [member="Dax Fyre"] | [member="Tilzi"] |
Enemies: CALIAN CONFEDERACY
Objective: #2 (Pew-Pew)
Post: #10

The foot of the AT-ST cam crashing down, almost turning Dax into a paste. "Kark." Leo muttered to himself, he put his head up to the viewing hole of the walker and yelled out to Dax, "Sorry about that bud!" He finally grasped the basic controls of the walker and turned it around, raining down hell upon the unsuspecting Confederacy troops below. After realising that one of their walkers had been taken over, they immediately began opening fire upon Leo. "A little help over here guys?" Leo blurted into the comms, doing his best to evade the fire while also shooting back.

 

[Dax Perl]

Location: Shiva IV
Objective: Keep the merc alive
Nearby: [member="Leo Vandermolen"], [member="Tilzi"], [member="John Shepherd"], [member="Aerin Kath"], [member="Cody Bantam"]

The Rogue groaned as he heard the merc speak over the comms. "You're in a phrikin' walker-" his speech was cut off as he plunged his saber into the chest of another man, grunting as he kicked the man off the firey blade, "and you want us to help you" If someone ever said the Force didn't have a sense of humor, Dax would laugh in their face.

The Rogue lifted his arms into the air. Most of the troopers had metal on one part of their body or another...'This had better work' he thought to himself as he envisioned the lightning arc from his fingertips to a trooper, and then to another and another...and so it was. Five men suddenly screamed out in agony as their chest plates became live conductors, electicuting them and stopping the hearts. As Dex released his hold on the energy which tied them together, their bodies would hit the ground, a slight sizzling and the smell of burnt flesh rising off them.

 

[Kira Vaal]

Location: Near Shiva IV
Objective: Battle the Beast. Claim Assets of the Confederacy.

General. That is what many of the soldiers in the Underground called Kira Vaal, a long running veteran of the group from during the Sith Occupation of the core, yet more and more readily the group had been a seperate entity to Kira who had been given near immune freedom from the causes of the Outback.
The resistance movement had started to form into a solid military to watch over the denizens of the Kathol and it was this that had pushed Kira, now a Jedi and holding responsibilities after the Omega Crisis, further afield.

Yet even she could not ignore the encrypted messages that had come through to her from Shiva IV, or the reports of apparent radio silence from many of the key members within the Undergrounds more recent Hierarchy. So she had departed her more recent location of Rutan and made the short jump to Shiva IV along with several agents of the Rebellion who could help with the situation.

As the Falcon dropped out of Hyperspace the YT dropped into radio silence and gunned it towards the dark side of the planet where if the reports could be taken as true would lie several Confederacy Refuelling Depots and the hopeful ability to cripple their presence in the sector.

 

[Joza Perl]

[SIZE=9pt]Location: Ballroom[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Allies: [/SIZE][member="Matthew Justice"] | [member="Nate the Bounty Hunter"] | [member="Kimiko"] | [member="Bryce Bantam"]
[SIZE=9pt]Enemies: Qektoth and FO agents, [member="Ajira Cardei"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Objective: Not have a baby[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Post: #12[/SIZE]

Stress wasn’t good for the baby. Stress also wasn’t good for the mama, and said mama was very stressed. Putting yourself in a strategic turned deadly situation generally wasn’t good for either.

While normally lithe and agile, Joza’s rotund stomach and swollen ankles weren’t giving her any leeway today. Her feet were tired, she was hungry, she had to pee, and Kimiko was around here somewhere with a dead or dying politician. Not to mention the angry lightsaber wielding combatant engaging Bryce, who had somehow figured out that the Commandant had been murdered. Yikes. Whoever they were, hopefully they wouldn’t be able to trace the murder back to the TKO, specifically Kimiko. Now she felt guilty, pushing the task off to the Kitsune woman…but with her bubbly demeanor and high status, hopefully it would be enough to evade detection.

Pausing as she bustled the best she could down the hall, Joza grimaced and fell back against the wall, a hand on her stomach. She could feel her abdominal muscles tightening, cramping up and her eyes widened at the sensation. It was not unfamiliar but…was this sort of thing normal in pregnancy? Were these contractions? It was uncomfortable, but didn’t match up to what she’d learned in popular culture. Where was the earth shattering pain that ripped through her body? That’s what it was supposed to be like, as far as she’d learned.

“No,” She whispered harshly, staring down at her belly. “You’ve still got to cook for a few more weeks, kid.”

 

[Dax Perl]

Location: Shiva IV
Objective: Keep the merc alive
Nearby: @Leo Vandermolen, @Tilzi, @John Shepherd, @Aerin Kath, @Cody Bantam

The only thing Dax heard was a deafening clang. The next moment he found himself lying on his side on the ground, his ears ringing, head hurting as if a bantha had sat on it for the past several hours. Things swayed before his eyes, a blurred vision of movement and light. Slowly, hearing began to return, the ringing in his ears slowly subsiding. What the kark was going on? The man blinked as he turned onto all fours slowly standing. On his feet, the man had to take a couple steps to steady himself. His vision and hearing were almost back, and before his eyes he saw a man charging at him, vibrosword in hand. Moving quickly, Dax barely stepped out of the way of the man's blade, quick reaction the only reason he was alive. Allowing momentum to carry the man forward, he lifted his knee, the man colliding with it at the gut, the wind driven out of him, he toppled over, only to have a saber plunged into his back.

The saber buried in the man's back hissed off, the hand which held it moving to the Rogue's face. It pulled off the metallic mask and flipped it around so that he could view the front. The skeletal appearance was further marred by a small divot and burn. A blaster mark. Right above the right brow. He must've taken a shot to the head...The Rogue Knight place the mask back onto his face. Now he was pissed.

 

[Myles Vylumnar]

Location: Shiva IV (In the skies...)
Allies: [member="Cody Bantam"] | [member="Aerin Kath"] | [member="John Shepherd"] | [member="Dax Fyre"] | [member="Tilzi"] | [member="Leo Vandermolen"]
Enemies: Calian Confederacy
Objective: #2 (Air Support)

"I'm comin' in hot, stay on 'em kids, I got your back." said a young voice over the comms.

Suddenly, a ship jumped from hyperspace. It was a fighter, an E-wing to be exact. Immediately, it began raining down hell on the Confederacy troopers from the skies. Blaster fire collided with two AT-STs down below, destroying them both as metal debris ejected from the explosions.

"Double-kill!" proclaimed a static voice as the ship zoomed past, close to the ground.

As he performed sweep after sweep on the Confederate forces below, the young pilot Myles Vylumnar put on an impressive display for his first time out on the field (or skies) as he skillfully evaded fire from AT-STs. Although he was taking heavy blaster fire, it would take a lot more than that to penetrate his shields. With an amazing twist of irony, an AT-ST blindsided Myles as he went down for one more sweep. It would blast at his left wing, causing smoke and flame to emerge from his ship's side.

"Kark! I'm hit!" he cried out.

His ship swerved and swirled downward, creating a spiral of smoke in his trail. With all his effort, Myles managed to bring his ship upward, though his flight would be unstable from there on out. Now vulnerable, The Beast fired upon his damaged ship, which would've surely taken him down. However, the rookie pilot managed to barely evade the shot. The damage, at this point, was extensive to his ship. He considered retreat, but he knew he couldn't back out. He was a bit of an exhibitionist, and wanted to put on a show of fireworks for the ground troops below. If he was going down, he was going down with a blast.

Give the enemy no quarter.