Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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The Pyramids of Tygara (Siobhan)

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Saobhana managed to hastily dive back and scramble as the beam of energy scored into the wall. However, now Sahal sprung back into action. Her blade cut hard and accurately, penetrating the beast’s remaining eye. With a blast of energy the blade was shot free, shattering into pieces, but it had done its work and the beast reeled, blinded.

Kar’zakush ended the matter for now though, her heavy cannon slicing through the damaged monster and expiring what life remained in it, and also hitting the wall…though it absorbed the shot rather than damaging it.

The Kar’zun wandered over and prodded the fallen enemy.
“Usually they dispense money or items of value,” she said in disappointment.
 
[member="Sahal Jai Azal"]

And thus the last foe had fallen. Presumably this cyborg monstrosity had been a mid-tier boss. "Why would the metal demon carry coin?" Sahmara Jai Saobana asked, sounding a bit perplexed. "I cannot see what use it would have for it."
Kar'zakush shrugged her huge, stony shoulders. "I would not know. Guardians in ancient tombs just tend to have miscellaneous items they could not possibly use, but are of value to their slayers." Seeing that both Siobhan and Sahmara did not understand, she shook her head. "I need to introduce you to Compounds and Krayts."
"Good work, people. Now let's not dilly-dally. Stay focused," Siobhan commanded. "Kar'zakush, see if there's any data you can salvage from the bot. Ideally a map of this place." Having issued her order, she walked over to where Sahal stood. "You alright?" she raised her hand to examine the Qadiri's head wound.
 
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
The Kar’zun wandered over to the creatures and the computer terminal, but she soon became frustrated.
“Usually they happen to have a map,” she said as she rooted around. All the creature had though was its weird cybernetics and lots of meat. It had not been nice enough to have, say, a key or a voice message on it.
Finally she stood up. “It would seem not, boss.”

Meanwhile Sahal reached up to touch her head. She frowned at the blood. “It will heal, Lady,” she said confidently. “I thank you for your assistance. My Lady is strong and formidable indeed!” It was flattery, but genuine flattery.

Saobhan had wandered further down the corridor cautiously.
“Lady, I see a branching path ahead!” she called.
 
[member="Sahal Jai Azal"]

"And my knight is brave and noble. May Kashara bless her." They were on the job, so Siobhan gave her a simple pat on the shoulder. Alas, Kar'zakush's search had been in vain. "No items, no map, is this dungeon trying to subvert your expectations, Sergeant?" Siobhan could not help jest.
"Do not mention these words in my presence," the Kar'zun grumbled. Her favourite holodrama had been ruined by the desire of the writers to do the unexpected. In her opinion, they were not even writers, for they, in her words, 'kinda forgot about good writing'. Fortunately, Saobhan had found a way. The corridor led to two divergent paths. "Convenient that it is the only visible forward," Kar'zakush muttered. "Don't split up. It's every rookie's mistake."
 
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
One of the passages led down a set of tight right-angle stairs. The other led upwards in the same manner.
Saobhana edged cautiously forward towards the upwards ascent. “It appears to lead upwards swiftly. I cannot see where,” she said.

Sahal meanwhile was confused. “Lady, I remember all to that door. Beyond I know not what might face. I never moved beyond where we just were…I think. It is different in layout it seems.”

“Oh yes, these places often reconfigure themselves,” Kar’zakush commented. “I bet if we tried back to the entrance it’d not be where we left it,” she asserted confidently.
 
[member="Sahal Jai Azal"]

Siobhan considered their next step. She had never been one for dungeons and puzzles. "This reminds me of the video games Elpsis used to be into," she said airily, shaking her head. Siobhan had played video games in her youth, but preferred straight-forward shooters. "Let's go up."

And so up they went. For a while, they faced no hazards. No voices of doom and gloom, no monsters pounced them, and, surprisingly, the stairs did not give way beneath their feet and cause them to fall into an abyss. However, they never seemed to reach their destination. One moment they could see the end of the staircase, but when they got there, they only saw more steps.

And if at some point the intrepid party of adventurers decided they had had enough of this nonsense and should head back down, they would find themselves facing the same dilemma.
 
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
“We are trapped!” Saobhana cried, running up the stairs a few flights more before coming back down. “It is never ending!

“There must be a secret passage or illusion staying us!” Sahal said, running to the walls and running her hands over the stone. There were indeed symbols on the walls but they didn’t really seem to indicate much.

“Stay here, I will head up and mark the walls!” Saobhana called. She seemed to be cracking under the stress.

Kar’zakush meanwhile stared at a particular wall curiously.
“You know, I find if I just relax and think about things without flying about like a paper kite…”
She pulled out her massive gun, aimed it at the wall and without warning fired, blasting open a hole in it and exposing a passage beyond.
“…a solution will present itself!” she said happily. “It’s all to do with the carvings!” she commented gnomically and stepped into the exposed passage beyond.
 
[member="Sahal Jai Azal"]

"Get ahold of yourself. You're a soldier, not some maleling wet hen," Siobhan ordered sharply when Saobana showed signs of cracking under the pressure. It was her mistress voice. Good for the parade ground, the battlefield, the board room and other places.

Thankfully, Kar'zakush made them a door through some quick thinking. Her cannon literally blew a hole through the wall, giving them a passage they could walk through. "Whatever dark power lurks in this place wants you running scared and for you to lose your mind. But you're better than that. You're Qadiri and warriors of the Skyqueen," Siobhan added before she went through.

Strangely enough, the passage was long enough to accommodate four individuals. Indeed, the Kar'zun did not even have to blow another hole into the wall. Rather they found themselves entering another hall. However, this was not the only thing that was odd. Siobhan frowned deeply when she took in the very spacious hall. "This is far larger than it should be," she muttered when she looked up, finding that a staircase led to a truly dizzying height.
 
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
The value of a stern, authoritative voice could not be discounted. When the infectious panic was in the air someone – anyone – who was showing calm and order was an essential quality.
For her part Saobhana looked very contrite. “Beg pardon, lady,” she muttered.

Soon though they came to an impossible chamber. The pyramid was big, but it was not this big inside, and nor could the outer walls have been thin enough to accommodate such a space even if it had been.
“I do not understand what these creatures are trying to do,” Sahal said in annoyance. “These tricks are unworthy.”

The staircase seemed entirely unsupported, but seemed sturdy enough even for Kar’zakush to walk up freely.
At the top of the stairs was a shimmering figure. Who that was depended on the person. All saw someone who was a comforting – but otherwise non-descript – person. They seemed entirely unarmed.

Kar’zakush for instance saw a tall Kar’zun chieftain. The Kar’zun grunted and checked her cannon. “More tricks,” she said in annoyance. “Besides, I prefer wookiees.” The apparition obligingly shifted. “Better,” she chuckled.

Sahal meanwhile saw a figure which looked motherly and concerned. She glanced at Siobhan.
“What do we do?”
 
[member="Sahal Jai Azal"]

Siobhan took in the scenery ahead of her. In her case, the apparition had taken the form of a young, red-haired girl. "At least she doesn't look like one of the brats who turned on me. Needs better fashion advice," Siobhan commented with an air of irritation. She sought power inward, drawing upon the Force inside her.

A moment later, said power rippled from her in a powerful explosion. It swept across the absurdly large hall. Such was its potency that the air twisted in strange shapes, the ground trembled, pillars collapsed and a wall was blown apart. However, once the smoke cleared it became clear that the hall had simply rearranged itself to accommodate the destruction. Indeed, it looked even bigger. For some reason, the platform they were on seemed a lot higher now. Anyone who looked down might feel very uncomfortable and feel an urge to relieve their stomach if they had issues with heights.

Siobhan frowned. "Oh, come on," she grumbled. "Close your eyes, Sahal. Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them. Rely on your Zari alone to guide you. Don't see the hall. Feel it." That said she reached out to the Qadiri through the Force.
 
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Sahal found herself on the narrow steps and it seemed the height had grown. So far down now did it seem to be that an updraft blew into her face. She started to panic a little, but Siobhan’s words stilled her.

“Yes, Lady, I hear you…I feel you. Together we shall overcome these tricks.”

Through her Zari she felt the room was a twisting and roiling mass of power, curling and turning. Drawing and amplifying Siobhan’s power though the mists and illusions started to fall away. Suddenly there was revealed the true state of the room.

“Kar’zakush, Saobhana, do not move!” she cried. She sensed what those two could not; that just ahead of their feet was a trap.

Indeed the room itself was still large, but not as monolithic. Instead it was a trapezoidal room with a single stair leading higher to the top level, and one leading down again. In the centre of the room was a hologram projector showing a strange alien with a code shaped head and bugging eyes stalked out from its head. A Rakata, though Sahal did not know what it was.

The room was also covered in tiles, some of which the Force screamed to her were trapped to do some form of horrible harm. Both the Kar’zun and Saobhana were stuck in little islands of safety near the entrance, but were beset by an invisible minefield if they proceeded.
 
[member="Sahal Jai Azal"]

And so the veil was lifted. "Well, this is not bad," Siobhan admitted grudgingly. "Overly complicated, but nonetheless."
"You can see it, but I can't? That's bigoted," Kar'zakush grumbled.
"File a complaint."
"When the revolution comes all the 'luminous beings' will regret this..." the Kar'zun retorted.

Siobhan took in the scenery. The nature of most traps was not visible, though the Force screamed at her that they would do her harm if she activated them. It drew her towards the area that surrounded Kar'zakush and Saobana. She noted the holographic projection of the code headed alien.

"That there is a Rakata, Sahal," she decided to inform her. "Its kind used to rule the galaxy and built the first sky-ships." Had they? Siobhan thought so at any rate. "And they built this pyramid. Then they were reduced to a race of savages who commit cannibalism and have forgotten how to use all their technology." Perhaps learning a bit about the creators of the pyramid would help alleviate the Qadiri's fears a bit.

"Boss, cut the history lesson," Kar'zakush interjected. "I want to get a move on. Would you kindly get rid of whatever invisible obstacles are inside here and let me pass?"
"I was just getting to that," Siobhan said irritably. "Kar'zakush, Saobana, stay back. In fact, maybe activate your energy shield, Kar'zakush." Having said that, she stretched out her hands. Purple arcs of energy crackled down through the length of her arms and suddenly blasted in a sharp ionized current from both palms towards the traps.

Siobhan had learned this skill from Cira shortly after the Vandelhelm campaign. She had first seen the first Lady Protector display it while fighting Clockwork droids. Incidentally, Cira had used it after suddenly sprouting wings and using them to fly. This had taken place in the Fondorian skyline. In short, her being a Force-user and a shapeshifter had not been a well-kept secret at all.
 
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
With the trap neutralised, Sahal approached the console warily. The alien looked repulsive to her, but she acknowledged that was probably wrong.

“Initiating protocol 1521. Welcome, beings. I am Horizon, servant and interface of the Master. In his absence I am authorised to answer questions and allocate rewards and punishment. I see there are members of species 0632 and 0867 present.” It looked from Sahal and Saobhana to Kar’zakush.
“Also, species designate ‘Human’. Please wait, calculating.”

A moment.

“It has been 19 local solar cycles since last activation. You,” it looked to Sahal, “are recognised. Others are unknown. What is your purpose here?”

It did not sound aggressive, just…robotic and chatty, like other AIs designed to give peppy discussions.
 
[member="Sahal Jai Azal"]

In all fairness, Siobhan regarded the alien as repulsive, too. She liked to think she was cosmopolitan and stuff, but nonetheless. Regardless, the hologram introduced itself. "We got names too, you know," Kar'zakush said grumpily. The stone woman remained vigilant, just in case the AI decided to spring a trap on them.

"This planet is my domain," Siobhan stated. It kind of was. "A machine inside this pyramid is emitting dangerous levels of Zeta Radiation. This poses a threat to my subjects. I am here to shut the device down. How do I do this? And what is the purpose of this facility?"
 
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
“Conclusion possible. 15,118 local solar cycles have occurred since the masters withdrew. Probability of other lifeforms claiming control of this world given current information…99.8%. The radiation defined as ‘Zeta Radiation’ is a byproduct of this ship’s power supplies.”
Of course, since Tygara’s years were longer than galactic standard that gave a good impression that no one had been here since the fall.

“Ship?” Sahal asked, bemused. She knew more about the metal ships which traversed the void, but none of them looked like the pyramid!

“Yes,” it said simply. “I am afraid that details on the purpose of this vessel and how to interface with it are restricted information. I’m sorry I cannot assist you in that.”

“The illusion alien must be made to talk!” Saobhana said irritably.

Just then the lights flickered and a deep, low humming started.

The hologram’s voice never changed from perky friendliness.
“Intruders detected on the bridge. Activate purge protocols. The masters are returning….”
 
[member="Sahal Jai Azal"]

The pyramid was a ship! Kar'zakush had clear thoughts on this matter. "I pity whoever had to do maintenance when the captain forgot to turn off the illusions," she grumbled.

Sadly, it turned out that the illusion alien stopped being cooperative. Lights flickered, a low humming started, and turrets suddenly sprouted from their hiding positions and opened fire.

"Get down!" Siobhan grunted, feeling a sharp pain when a anti-armour round struck her. Her heavy armour kept it from penetrating, but this did little against kinetic impact. There was no natural cover, so she harnessed the cover of the Force, fashioning a barrier. It could shield the party from the hailstorm for a brief moment. "Take them out!"
 
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Sahal had understood very little of what had been said, but she now understood that the ugly aliens were trying to harm her and her Lady. That would not do!
Taking shelter behind Siobhan’s invisible shield, she summoned fire in her hands and unleashed it in a concussive, burning bolt which shattered one of the turrets into fragments.

Kar’zakush meanwhile couldn’t take cover and got several slugs hitting her. This only made her annoyed, and an annoyed Kar’zun was not something one wanted to face!
She angrily stomped on one of the turrets and then fired her gun at another.

Sahal spun around at a noise and let out a growl. Several spider-like droids were approaching, firing wildly with blaster weapons and flamers.
 
[member="Sahal Jai Azal"]

Suddenly, droids! Spide droids!

"Kar'zakush, Saobana, covering fire! Take out the remaining turrets!" Siobhan shouted to make herself heard amidst the cacophony of sound. The air was filled with the whine of blasters and the smell of ozone.

Fire leapt from the flamers, sweeping towards Siobhan's shields, while a hailstorm of blaster fire peppered it. She felt the heat rising. Holding back the tide had become painful. "Sahal, I'm dropping the shield," she stated in between laboured breaths, "and I'm going to ram them. Then I'm going to give you a push you towards one and you'll lance them."

She staggered under a blaster bolt. The shield dissipated. All the energy that had gotten into it suddenly exploded in a burst of power, when Siobhan poured it into a massive telekinetic wave that swept towards the droids and rammed them with absurd force. Some of the spider bots were smashed on impact, others ragdolled. Drawing upon her power, she gave Sahal a nudge, propelling her forward.
 
[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s Super Sahal! She didn’t feel so super though as she soared through the air. Siobhan had done well with clearing the droids out and back, and so Sahal was able to land directly on target.

The droid closest to her unleashed a wash of flame – the wrong move. Absorbing it, Sahal reflected it neatly into the other droid, and then rammed her blade deep into the machine’s vitals. In response it lashed her with one of the spidery claws and sent her stumbling back without her blade. However, she jumped back from another slash, drew her pistol and fired, keeping firing as she advanced until the droid was melted and shattered.

That left one more damaged machine for Siobhan to handle.

Meanwhile Kar’zakush had taken several slugs to her stony hide, chipping off sections. This just made the old Kar’zun even more angry and she blasted one turret with her cannon, then turned and literally kicked another so hard it shattered.

Saobhan, with less fanfare, had used her blaster to take out the last one whilst taking cover in the stone woman’s ley.
 
[member="Sahal Jai Azal"]

This one thinks Super Sahal needs her own comic series. Regardless, Siobhan faced the last droid. Her lightsabre gleamed with a burning purple light when she ignited it. A salvoe of bolts from the damaged spider droid's twin blasters came her way.

Using the elegant techniques of Soresu, she side-stepped and parried. Her lightsabre moved in a near-seamless pattern, intercepting bolts. Some were reflected right back at the machine, others struck pillars and walls. Recognising this, the machine reassessed its tactics and started firing at full auto.

Siobhan's lightsabre moved ever faster, but a bolt slipped past her guard and struck her leg. The Lady staggered. Seeing its chance, the droid ramped up the blaster fire. As Siobhan tried to regain her balance and deflect, she was hit by a wave of flame. She did not have Sahal's command of pyromancy, but she had other abilities.

Fire swept towards her, she absorbed what she could when her armour heated up and heat seeped through her bodyglove. And lifted the droid into the air, before smashing it into the ground. The spider bot landed on its back. As it struggled to right itself, Siobhan crossed the distance and her lightsabre pierced its power core.
 

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