Invasion The Return : The Battle of Mandalore [TN Invasion of TSE Mandalore]

[Valkren Calderon]

Briefing.​

If anyone would have told him he'd be fighting for Mandalore, alongside mandolorians- several in specific that had been on the opposite end of a blaster, he obviously wouldn't believe them. Things change, war happens. That's about as far as Valkren truly enjoyed getting into the politics of these things- even if he did understand them.

Valkren continued on watching during the lieutenant's briefing, taking in the information given before a fresh-face made an appearance in the room. Another younger individual in ranger bdu’s approached, carefully navigating the seats in which they were all listening intently in order to reach the commander and whisper something into his ear. After a few moments, the man would jog back out the doors he arrived in.

"Change of plans, Lieutenant." Commander Calderon spoke up suddenly, giving a sigh before slapping both of his legs and pushing himself to his feet. He’d move to approach the front of the room with Beltran.

The commander was still adjusting to this new information, glancing over to his teammate Beltran Rarr . He gave the combination of superiors and NCOs a once-over before continuing his thought.

"We're going to Mandalore."

So..Not just fighting for Mandalore, but on it. That takes the cake.

“Refit Icarus however you need, Lieutenant. I’ll need you to run overwatch with them during the evacuation attempts. We’re heading to Ronion, one of the few remaining cities with a friendly population. Hades will secure street level, eliminate any hostile forces before securing the civilians route to the escape ships. Icarus will be taking most of the attention away from us, or acting as overwatch on any buildings they can find a solid height advantage.”

He took a moment to let the group process the change of plans; it was more than enough to change a tactical plan, but this soon before the mission was dangerous.

“From there, we’ll be on standby for our allies in the Network.”

There were few murmurs amongst the several figures of leadership in the room, which Valkren expected. He was sure they’d subside when their boots hit the ground.

“Good luck gentlemen. See you all on the other side.”

Zero Hour
Location: Dropship heading towards Mandalore
Objective: Move to city of Ronion, secure safety of civillians.
Allies: Beltran Rarr and allies of the Network
Enemies: Sith //Better Tags incoming upon landing\\
​

To say that Valkren was still feeling torn was putting it light-heartedly. The dropship the Katarn-clad operator was on rocked violently as the attack groups disembarked from their carrier ships once in range of the planet and moon. The rangers of Hades were intent on making sure all of their equipment was in order, as they knew they wouldn’t have the chance once whatever anti-air the city had was locked on to them. When that happened and their ride got even rougher- they’d want to be strapped in tightly.

The commander scaled along the center of their dropship, keeping himself occupied by looking over his teammates as they secured one anothers’ kits and readied themselves whatever way they saw fit. Before long, Valkren found himself satisfied with how ready his people were.

“Icarus 1-1, Hades 1-1: How copy? We’re preparing to break from the main attack group now and begin insertion to Ronion. You on us?”

Soon after the initial groups split off to their relative objectives, the flak would start. Many Rangers within their boat could be seen gripping onto their seats on anything they could get a hand on- other more experienced members of Hades were more comfortable- waiting for the inevitable landing and perimeter securing that usually went along with their protocol.

Valkren was one of the calm ones, even with very little knowledge of what kind of opposition the silver jedi's forces would be against..He had faith that himself and Lieutenant Rarr would lead their rangers to the best of their abilities.

 

[Beltran Rarr]

Location: Mandalorian Space enroute to Mandalore
Objective: On second thought, save some Civvies.
Allies: Mandalorians, K Kaine Australis , Valkren Calderon
Enemies: TSE

Spoiler: Personal Kit:

Armor: OS-114 "Katarn Mk. II" Combat Armor

Primary Weapon: OS-109 Fate Assault Rifle (chest rig)

Secondary Weapons:

• OS-104 Reaper Blaster Pistol (drop holster, right side)
• OS-101 Retractable Vibrosword (On belt)
• Krath Itak Sword (back scabbard) Note to Force Users/Force Sensitives - this blade emanates a strong Dark Side aura
• Beskar Sword (back scabbard)
• 8 x frag grenades (chest rig)

Misc Gear:

• OS-112 "Valkyrie" Jump Jet System (Mounted on back)
• OS-108 Energy Shield (Left wrist)
• 2 x OS-107 "Hermes" Sensor Drones (chest rig)

Personal Assets: Icarus Platoon

Spoiler: Antarian Ranger Assets: Task Force Dagger

• Space Assets:
  • 1 x Chariot-Class Transport Frigate"Deliverer"
    • 1 squadron (8) Apex Heavy Escort Fighters - "Scimitar Squadron"
    • 2 squadrons (4x2) Arch-Angel Heavy Dropships - "Katana" and "Cutlass" Squadrons
    • 1 squadron (12) Damocles Tactical Drop Pods
  • 3 x Shadowfax Class Corvettes
  • 3 x Essex Class Starfighter Killer Corvettes
• Ground Assets:
  • 666th "Devildog" Mechanized Infantry Battalion- 550 Rangers
    • Maul Company (150)
    • Nova Company (150)
    • Ossus Company (150
    • Padawan Company (100)
  • Hades Platoon - 50 Rangers - commanded by Valkren Calderon
  • Icarus Platoon - 50 Rangers - commanded by Beltran Rarr

Briefing Room – Silver Jedi Frigate “Deliverer” – approximately 12 hours before invasion of Mandalore

Beltran had barely even finished speaking when Valkren Calderon began to deliver the new operational plan. The Lorrdian wasn’t prone to irritation, but this annoyed him. He didn’t blame Valkren, or really anyone in the Silver Jedi hierarchy for the sudden change. He knew exactly where it was coming from.

“Mandalorians…” He murmured to himself as he turned off the projector. “So temperamental.” They wanted to kill the big bad themselves, which Beltran understood to a point, but it was interfering with his own desire to kill things.

Oh well, he thought to himself. Their planet, their rules.

Pulling up his datapad, the Lorrdian quickly began sending out orders-informing everyone of their new duty stations. As Valkren had said, Hades platoon was detailed to secure the streets of Ronion while he and Icarus would perform overwatch duties. He detailed Maul and Nova Companies to land with them, deciding then to hold Ossus and Padawan companies in reserve. Maul company would support Valkren and Hades platoon in the streets helping with the evacuation. Nova company would hold the landing site, working with Mandalorian forces that Beltran assumed would already be on the ground to usher the escaping refugees onto Network transports.

With that done, nodded to Valkren and spoke, even as the rest of the officers and NCO’s were filing out of the room. “Alright, Commander. Everything is set.”

Zero Hour – In orbit over Mandalore

The battle was already in full swing by the time the Task Force from the Silver Jedi jumped into the system. They had hoped to be on station earlier, but the last-minute changes had created the expected amount of confusion and that, as it always did, slowed things down.

As soon as they reached orbit, the Deliverer’s Captain ordered the groups Corvette screen to take formation around the relatively fragile transport frigate. The Corvette screen was evenly divided between Shadowfax class ships, which were state-of-the-art Capital ship killers and a small group of mass-produced anti-starfighter ships.

Lasers flew and torpedoes raced through space, searching out for Sith targets who might pose a thread to the group’s landing efforts.

Beltran, for his part, stood near the front of his dropship looking back at his men. The men and women of Icarus’ first squad looked back at him, some wearing their helmets and others preferring to keep them off until they touched down. He’d given his briefing already, given them all their jobs and did what he could to sooth troubled nerves.

Now it was time to get some.

As the Arch-Angel drop ship they were on shuddered and then banked hard, Beltran flexed his arm muscles to keep from being knocked over. In his ear, the familiar sound of @Valkren Calderon’s voice buzzed. Within seconds, the ship began to shake and shift as Sith anti-air fired up at the group of dropships as they made their way down to the designated landing area.

“We’re here, Hades-1-1. Ready to kill some Sith.” Rarr responded, his voice calm amongst the storm of war.[/spoiler]

 

[Mythos]

Objective: Crush Puny Sith
Location: The underground Trams
Gear: The Spear

The only difference was in the way he fought, now with a weapon the monster fought like Mythos. His speed was unnatural, every bone and muscle was pushed beyond its limit to where they became broken And lacerated. The spear acted as his conduit and as Loreena Arenais-Valhoun blasted him with the light the spear flew from his arms aiming for the wrist of her arm, seeking to impale her arm into the durssteel walls of the trams behind her.

It would be quite painful if it worked... to be impaled through durasteel on a moving tram. Then a javelin came in the form of a sword Staff. The weapon landed right on his heart, spearing the Sith clean through and damaging even more of the tailored suit. His hand grabbed the hilt of the saber staff and with frightening speed ripped it right through his chest, cauterizing himself as he went.

It was now he could go on the offensive, using his enemies staff in one hand and simply bashing him with the larger, more dangerous weapon, attempting to hit Curtis Learchin Over and over again.

"GET. YOUR. THING. OFF. ME. PUNY. SITHSPIT!!!!"

It had been a while since he said sithspit, it was the rebel boys from the OS days that made it cool.​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Lernaean Base, Ruins of Sundari Palace
​

Objective: Prepare the giant monster, kill some time
Allies: Alexandra Feanor BobertEZ Irveric Tavlar Aerarii Tithe Avernus Vaulkhar
Enemies: Adenn Kyramud K Kaine Australis Stardust Solus Skirae Scherezade deWinter

Equipment: In signature

"I shall await your signal, my Lord," she replied to Darth Carnifex . "May our enemies come to understand their folly and enjoy your hunt."

The hologram ended and she let out a sigh, rolling her shoulders as she looked over at her long time friend. In the distance, she could hear the sounds of combat and explosions. A full frontal assault on Sundari, predictable and likely a distraction in some form to try and conceal the Mandalorian's true motives. It didn't take a tactical genius to know this wasn't enough to really push the Sith to their limits.

"Could you please tone down your desire to stab him while you're here?" she asked Alex. "You were practically screaming it in the Force, let alone your body language."

She turned her attention back to the observation window and the chrysalis beyond, beckoning for her friend to join her.

"You know, I still remember when Balaya first taught me alchemy," she laughed. "She always thought herself a Master of the art, with her giant exogorth and her silly oh I forget what they were called... Forsaken that's it. I think it's safe to say the student has surpassed the master, and long ago at that."

Even if Alex wanted to sabotage the beast as it neared the final minutes of being contained, it would do little good. Taeli had taken steps to protect her strongest creations from the Light, at least for some time. Plus, even the light couldn't really stop genetic manipulation.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Objective: Stop Mythos
Allies: Curtis Learchin
Enemies: Eversor

Lori was glad that she had armour on. Had she of just worn her spacer outfit, than she surely would of had her arm impaled as she tried to move past the Sith Lord. But as it was, her armour helped to stop the spear from penetrating her. Still the kinetic force of it was enough to throw her off balance.

Her eyes grew wide as Mythos turned his attack to Curtis, using his own weapon against him. She took out her blaster from it's holster and began firing at the back of the Sith Lord's legs. "Leave him alone!!"

Lori then focused on another ball of Force Light. Yet instead of making it explode, she threw it at Mythos' back like one would a ball.

 

[Ellie Mors]

BLOCKADES

Location: Fortress Imperious, Concordia
Objective: Divine Punishment
Allies: The Sith Empire | Darth Carnifex | Felix Astermo | Lirka Ka | Darth Ophidia | Eversor
Enemies: The Network | K Kaine Australis | Stardust Solus Skirae | Alwine Daye | Tahlah Cadera
Equipment: Orbalisk Armor | Braith's Spear

The tracks that the trams usually ran on appeared on the horizon of her vision faster than she'd expected, hardly noticing the effect that using the force had on her legs - and more importantly the speed at which she traveled - until she was already standing upon them. The intruders, Mandalorians and the rest of the ilk that thought they were clever to strike the most secure facility in the system, were now only just a little farther and though none of them seemed to bear a direct presence in the force in the manner that a wielder of its power might, she could tell their closeness in another, rather roundabout, way.

In the galaxy there existed creatures that could escape the grasp of the force, as if exerting the force upon an object was synonymous with reaching out with an outstretched hand and taking hold of it, and for the greater populace of the galaxy, wielders of the force included, these creatures could pass by undetected, even catching those that were purported masters unawares. Those that lived with these creatures, that grew accustomed to creatures that could seemingly resist the force itself, this undetectable nature was made less so by knowing what to look for - or perhaps how to feel for them. If reaching out to feel for another's presence with the force was like grasping for a purchase on a rough surface, then these creatures were like slippery, smooth, stone. Looking for them directly was futile, but understanding the sensation - the emptiness, the resistance even - that was caused by probing for these creatures was enough to tell of their presence.

And Mandalorians? For all of their tricks, the act of implementing the void stone into their equipment might have saved them from the fragility of their Ysalamir, but it stripped them of the absolute protection that the little creatures gave them - it robbed them of their absolute absence from the senses of even the greatest of masters. In return for practicality and slight mobility of a mineral, the void stone was in essence - for the intent of stealth - as effective as a Taozin nodule, or a living Terentatek. Effective, but not absolute.

Before she saw them, before they likely could see her, the witch felt their closeness, heard their footsteps - though that was hardly an impressive feat, given their enclosed surroundings that amplified sound as any tunnel or cave might. She carried on with her sprint and her spear was lowered at the tip so it was held perpendicular to her and she lifted it at the haft so it was under her armpit, hand sliding up its smooth length to stop just below two-thirds of its length. Even as she approached she could feel her the absolute control of her will over the force, over her form, slipping - the glimmer that shone like sparks, or perhaps stars in the eyes of those that knew what to look for, grew as her dark hair seemed to flow more freely. The flesh of her skin seemed to pale, color leaving her cheeks as she approached. The shimmer of light in her eyes, even, seemed to fade the closer she reached - though the determined expression on her face hid her realization, or perhaps even care, at any of this.

Not much further now until she'd engage - she could already see them twenty meters away, maybe a little more - and it appeared that the Graug were doing their job at slowing their advance. "What have we hear?" She managed, her voice ragged - she sounded more winded than she looked, something distinctly wrong that mere physical strain just could not explain. If anything she looked washed out - in the way only a painting submerged in water might.

 

[BobertEZ]

Location: Lorale Farmar: Aboard the Vodvtaki Siege Palace | Kascalion Giedfield and Xan Imcro (Sundari)
Objective: Repel the Network
Wearing: Lorale Farmar and Kascalion Giedfield: Armorweave Sith Robes | Xan Imcro: Duranium-Alusteel Battle Armor
Wielding: Lorale Farmar: Smoldering Ire & Frozen Passion | Kascalion Giedfield: Double Bladed Lightsaber | Xan Imcro: Gold Plated Lightsaber
Xenophage Primordial Playing: (X)
Allies: Irveric Tavlar Vaulkhar | Open
Enemies: Adenn Kyramud | Open

The travel to the former Mandalorian capital had been fraught with uncountable dangers to the shuttles departing the Vodvtaki. Almost immediately upon reaching the apex of their journey to the fields outside of Sundari were Lorale Farmar's siblings besieged in the air by heavy machinery fielded by the Mandalorians. Several vessels were downed by the blasts from Titan Tanks outfitted with anti-air weaponry, crashing into the advancing enemy lines like falling stars but doing nothing to stop them in their march forward to Sundari. The armor formations ensured that, sending waves of gleaming, beautiful destruction upon the defending forces who, to their immense credit, refused to balk in the face of the invasion.

Such was the contentious fight down below that Xan Imcro could barely identify commanders, persons of interest, or any individual in the mass of flesh and metal. Only when the surviving shuttles began descending behind the main gates of Sundari to unload its passengers were the siblings able to briefly make out the clashing forms of the apparent Mandalorian commander and the returning Vaulkhar, whom none of the family had seen for ages past.

"Lorale will not be happy with that," Kascalion muttered under his breath before opening communications with his brother's vessel. "Kascalion to Vodvtaki, who the hell is in charge with the defense of Sundari? We can barely see anything from the vessels."

"Irveric Tavlar, it would seem, Lord Kascalion," the middle-aged officer replied hastily over the channel, visibly wincing as the shuttle shook and groaned against the blasts bursting in the air. "Shall I contact him for you?"

The proxy's face fell expressionless for but a moment before contorting into one of disinterest, "No need. He is either fighting, dead, or has retreated, and it better be either of the former two lest he feel the irritation of a Dark Council member."

"You are more like the Wolf than you care to admit, brother," Xan coldly mused whilst hooking her lightsaber to her leather belt. "I find it odd you do not get along as well as you should."

The doors of the shuttle opened, allowing Kascalion to step out first, aiming to join the battle with disinterested fury, "He is why I am forced to use proxies such as this one, dear sister. Now, let us cease conversation and fight off these damned fools."

A perfectly aimed, albeit entirely coincidental, stray round from the armor formations would create a delay in that plan, sending charred remains of the proxy splattering across the interior side of the Sundari gate whilst blasting the shuttle onto its side. Xan Imcro, fortunately, managed to avoid the damage altogether by simply leaping out of the blast radius.

"That is problematic," she grumbled in exasperation before rushing to the gate with the surviving legionnaires from the shuttles that quickly departed for the Vodvtaki once more.

---

Lieutenant Grik, a young and ambitious man, was the poor soul to report the news to his liege, "Lord Farmar, we've received word that the battle at Sundari is becoming increasingly difficult. One of the shuttle pilots reports that Lord Kascalion's proxy was slain upon landing and Lord Imcro is charging with the surviving soldiers."

The Wolf hissed at the news of his brother's temporary demise and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Kascalion...you are too careless with those things. Are we holding? Is Sundari holding?"

"Yes, Lord Farmar, however-"

The Wolf growled to cut off the man's words and stomped to the front of the bridge, his hands balled into fists, "Blast it, I will not accept anything other than certainty. It will hold. Admiral Lore, prepare the Vodvtaki to de-anchor and plot a sublight course for Sundari. We'll reinforce the damned bulwark ourselves."

 

[Vaulkhar]

Location: Mandalore - Sundari Bio-Dome
Objective: Bring the m************ ruckus.
Allied Forces: The Sith Empire - Irveric Tavlar
Enemy Forces: The Network - Adenn Kyramud
Gear: Lightsaber | Sword | Armor
Companion: Rhaegos - On Loan from Uncle Mord
Theme: Iron Maiden - Powerslave



Before Adenn could reach up and take hold of Vaulkhar's shins, the fallen Jedi kicked off his chest and gained some distance. The lighter armor allowing the force-aided warrior to find his footing once more and avoid the electrical surge to his legs. He continued backpedaling, however, his lightsaber lashing out from left to right as he weaved back and forth. His vermilion saber slashed down, appearing more to chop or bat aside as many shots as possible to avoid the spray of molten metal. While the bastard's defenses were holding, the sudden spray of hot metal caught his lower abdomen, sizzling against the phrik plating. He growled in pain, lips pulled back into a fearsome snarl as he eyed the mechanical limbs. He watched which of the blasters was spewing the slug rounds, beginning to work around the weapon based on the booming sound as it was set off.

With the force whispering its soft warning into the halfbreed's mind, he began only parrying aside the normal rounds sent his way while avoiding the slug rounds entirely. With his pace slowed considerably by the dogged defense, the fallen Jedi could only dive off the tank to avoid the cloud of flame as it embraced him. While it was a second, perhaps even less, the heat set into his armor and sent a wave of discomfort across his body. His armored shoulder hit the ground first, leading his roll that sent him back to his feet. While his left hand fumbled with a grenade at his belt, Vaulkhar dodged around the tank and used its large shape as mobile cover from the brunt of the flame.

Only seconds ticked by in during the break-in combat, but it allowed Vaulkhar a few well needed seconds to catch his breath and reorientate himself. Though, his spite filled mind led him back into battle with a powerful leap into the air, launched up beside the tank. Rather than step back on, he threw a cryogrenade aimed to pop and entrap the Mandalorian's lower half to the tank beneath him. Vaulkhar's body dropped back out of sight as he began once more deflecting incoming blaster fire. The halfbreed raced away from the commander's current perch and took to an adjacent tank.

 

[Raya Najwa Zambrano]

Objective: Save Reyn the Ungrateful
Allies: The Glorious Sith Empire Vandra Zambrano Darth Carnifex Avernus
Enemies: Network R Reyn Australis Kovhorn
Equip: Ice Cream Waffle Cone, Lightsaber, Swords 1 2 Armour
Post: 4

I am the Daughter of the Dark Lord of the Sith. I am the Daughter and Heir of an Echani mystic so profoundly fethed up by the Force and her past that for most of my childhood, my mother Ahani was a ghost in a fighter’s body. Once in a while a creature of inhabitation, like some feinted goddess on a mount of sacrificial moments.

If I organized my toys, if I practiced well with Daddy, if I made her smile she’d come back. She’d be locked in the present with me, her daughter.

I wouldn’t be alone.

My father’s always been the austere strict sort of possessive megalomaniac, and maybe it’s my upbringing, but I like it. I’m used to being his daughter the way star systems are his dominion, the way millions of lives are beholden to the Sith Empire and thus, House Zambrano to survive. Sure, Uncle Braxus gives me the flying creeps, but the trick there is… well, I’ve seen Uncle Braxus smile.

Yeah. I know, right? Huh-WHAAAA!? Record scratch! What even is a record and what sort of implement scratches one? But yeah. I’ve seen the devious Lord of Lies, Ole’ Livin’ Death-y himself grin. Laugh. We were little, and I forget what Vigdis Zambrano did, no matter how often I go back to that memory I cannot remember what began it, but I was there.

I saw it. Darth Prazutis laughed for his daughter. Took me near a decade of measly years to realize why my entire life’s goal is to see my own Dad belly laugh. Wasn’t for a good long while I realized old bitter googly-spook Braxus laughed to make his daughter feel better. To make her smile. He laughed because he saw her, and in that one slim and imperfect moment, she was the only thing he loved in the entire universe… Aside from his wife, of course.

So maybe, if I can do the insanely complicated thing of bringing an alive and squirming Reyn Australis to the mighty and overdramatic Darth Carnifex, maybe I’ll get a little closer to the secret to making hellacious, evil men…

… give reassuring moments to their timid and terrified daughters.

‘Cause what else could I be, when Vandy-pand’s being screamed at by a thirteen year old marauder with hacky-slashy swords, who I’m supposed to be saving… who’s gonna end up dead because I, timid and terrified Raya Najwa Zambrano, can’t step up and fix it.

“Oh frick on a stick! Go... go hug your m-" Reyn rushes past me, and at first I'm glad for the space. A barrage of firepower strikes past us, aimed at the Sith Pureblood who swooped in. But that's less my worry than what Reyn stupidly Rams himself into next.

Vandra. My insane-o-bob older sister, raised with me every day of my life. Raised by Ahani.

"No! Ram don't!!" Vandra has no conscience or reason like others do. Vandy-panders is going to tear Reyn apart. Beskar’ham and all. The full strips of bacon and spare ribs on the side.

So I give him to her. Thrown in the middle of Reyn and Vandra, I reach up both palms, one to either head.

I am the daughter of Sith Lords, raised on Bastion amidst dozens of siblings in varying stages of this messed up act of growing up to ridonkulous responsibilities we either master, or get thrown down to the bush league of genetic offal.

The White Current flows like a mighty wind about me, two Sith Lords’ little disappointment. ‘She’s not fit for the Dark, Kaine… pity.’ I banish the rebuke of my mother’s lucid recognition of my more insidious failings, and dive into the breeze of the White Current. Its’ subtleties and light-bending properties.

For Vandra, the mirror image of Reyn Australis, a boy I’ve always known as long as I’ve known anyone but Mother, and Daddy and my half-siblings Vandra & Khabir. His form and his armour come as simple to my mind as the images of my parents and family. For Vandra, I can give her the satisfaction of hacking both his companion and Ram’ika to pieces.

Yet Reyn… tis much the harder trick.

The plasma-bolt sodden street of Little Keldabe fades in a blink. Cacophony gone for the rushing of the wind in my ears, as I pant at the expansion of my will upon the Current, a gentle quest for permission. For the ways of the Sith are Command, while the ways of the Fallanassi are a form of surrender.

I let myself go, and Vandra dissipates from Reyn’s eyes. From HUD or droid sight. The White Current aides in illusions which fault sensors and bend light. No other way to make an Epicanthix hallucinate but to make the hallucination appear around them. Sure, it means the others in eye-shot can see the different sides of the illusion, me in the middle. But it means Vandra and Reyn won't kill each other...

... and I promised. I promised Adara.

We’re in the living room of the Mand’alor’s Suite in the Never Again, a collection of marshmallows between us. Between couches hacked to bits by Reyn’s overwhelming angst and teenaged anger.

“Who are you angry at, Reyn?” My voice first, a tangible connection before the mimickry of outside voices kick in. A vision of my childhood self in that silly yellow jumper, with hair scorched off on one side stands on the couch cushions in front of him.

“Who are you angry at, Ram?” Yasha Cadera , Mand’alor the Infernal stands as I remember her, armoured and sad. Her amber eyes so often covered by her helmet until she visited Bastion and the safety of my family’s Palace. Her golden armour should glint, but I can’t hack it in the expanding illusions.

“Is it me?” The one I know best of all. Darth Carnifex stands in black tunic and matching trousers, hateful eyes descending on the boy with the echo of kindness in which my father has always used in my presence. I try to see him as the monster of outside systems’ nightmares, but I can’t. “Come, now boy. Out with it.”

“Ram’ika?” A still, small voice. Too timid for her lanky height. Adara Raxis in her favourite pink and white dress with the silly poofy skirts walks up to Reyn’s side, black and red eyes wide and filled with the emotion she’d had in our comm call. When she begged me to save him. “Please don’t be angry at me… everything was… everyone was asking me to be so… big and grown up… and I wasn’t ready for it. I kept telling them why, but adults are so silly so often and forget to listen to what we say. Please, Ram’ika… please come back. I… I won’t leave you. I promise.”

“Pfft. Fethin’ blighters. It’s me. Obviously, the boy’s angry at his old man.” K Kaine Australis saunters up in dusty green armour and I can’t help the unnoticed stare my father’s mental projection gives Yasha. It’s as part of my history as silver hair to all Echani and Zambrano purebred girls. Kaine Australis gives a saucy devil-may-care side grin, tossing his gauntlet to his head full of brown hair. “Who wouldn’t be mad at me? All the trouble I cause. Shot m’wife, too! Don’t forget that part… Yash and Reyn would’a had him… well, but for Tuulu dying… well and but for Yasha getting cut saving our boy… well… it’s me innit’it? You’re angry at me, aint’cha? Say it! Say it, Reyn lad! Who’re you so angry at?”

“Who, Ram’ika?”

“What are you mad at, Reyn Australis-Cadera?” A whisper not for effect but strain. Slicing two light-based illusions at once is enough to make my knees wobble, but I remind myself as the pain stabs at my brain that I’ve been through worse than a headache.

I am the Dark Lord’s daughter.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

Objective: None, Stab Darth Carnifex

Location: Sundari Palace Ruins

Post: 1

Nearby People: Taeli Raaf ,

Equipment:

Spoiler

• https://www.starwarsrp.net/threads/shadow-fox-armor.19813/
• https://www.starwarsrp.net/threads/the-historians-reach.115203/
• https://www.starwarsrp.net/threads/alexandras-lightsaber-s.23259/

"I am not sure comparing yourself in any manner to that worm of a woman is really a good idea." Alexandra moved out into the area her old friend stood in, dusting off the armor she wore and still getting used to being confined like this. Her hand reached up, moving the mask out of the way and to the side as she breathed out and sighed. Vulpesen could have made this armor a bit better on the body to wear, little more loose like her robes... or atleast more useful... aside from the two dozen daggers he hid in this thing. How many did he honestly need back then.

Her eyes settled on the creature again and a moment of disgust crept over her again as she forced the dark influence of the area around her away, standing out like a sore thumb in the force but atleast this kept that witch of a woman inside her head dormant by keeping the dark away from her body. She found herself looking back at Taeli and smiling, her next words addressing the first question Taeli had asked.

"As for your Abomination of an emperor. Ill try and tone it down but no promises on if it wont be attempted. After all, what would this tradition be without my attempts to exterminate the largest maggot in the galaxy." Alexandra smiled suppressing her desires in the force atleast and looking back forward and thinking.

"I remember helping with those old creations... wonder how many of them are still around. Ill have to make sure to correct those mistakes eventually."

 

[Cara Dorniarn]

​

Location: Mine yard of Ka'pruni.
Objective: Heart to heart talk.
Tags: Mig Gred Karina Lowe

______________________________________________​

One could never say Cara was a rushed individual, even when so close to what she deemed a mortal enemy; it wasn't how she functioned. If the Mandalorian had been taken back by her questions he was a fair sport for answering them and even better to return inquiry. There was bitterness in his words which Cara understood. The Mandos were always on edge, always the ones who played victim. But discourse was discourse. Cara wanted information as always, and one couldn't question a corpse.

"A leader. You must know many people. Friends in high places, connections between clans..."

Almost twenty-five years had passed since it all fell apart. Too long. Jikeb and Rorda Primia had likely been lost to the mindset of Mandalorian barbarity, no longer the children of their deceased father nor a promise of future to their grandfather's legacy. As their aunt she feared once found they would reject reason, leaving her the option to put them to rest. It was the least she could do for them.

"Dorniarn is my family name. Have you heard it among any Mandalorians, Mig Gred? Or perhaps even whispers of another name, such as Primia?"

Though the thought of her kin's possible fate weighed heavily one promise remained, the one that mattered most, that one which kept her searching this long.

She awaited his answer then bent her knees in a hybridized pose of Echani footwork and positioned her arms close to her body, "And please note Mig Gred, Alor and mando'ad'jetii, I can not let you pass." The unaffected tone of her voice faltered, sparks of malice heating her words.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Objective: 1a
Allies: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun
Enemies: Mythos / Eversor
Equipment: Viper (Light Armour), Parthalan (Swordstaff), Saberstaff
Post: 6

Curtis saw and heard the Swordstaff connect with the target, but the brief look a joy was quickly wiped away as he watched the creature simply pull the weapon out of its chest. With a flick of his wrist, his lightsaber leapt into his hand, the crimson blade extending just in time to defend against the oncoming onslaught.

"What are you?" Curtis grunted through gritted teeth as he deflected blow after blow. He could see in the thing's eyes that it was completely consumed by rage, and that right now, its only purpose was to kill. He kept on the defensive, seeing Lori fire and prime another ball of light. But his strength was fading fast.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Location: Mandalore
Objective: Objective II – kill stuff. Uncover the myster of the turkeys of war.
Wearing: Armatura | The Forgemaster's Ring | Ring of Stasis | The Sofitor
Wielding: 8 Nozhi Blades | 1 Whimsy Knife | 2 Nastirci Combat Knives | Clarion | Copero's Wail | Fire and Smoke | Combat Gauntlets | Tessen | 2 TOTT-001 Arc Light Blaster | 2 Dissuader KD-30 Pistols with Glitter Bullets
Allies: Omfg, I can't believe Scherezade is allied up with the Mandalorians. Hell hath frozen over, folks! | Open
Enemies: TSE & their friends | Darth Sephi | + Open

…

He had…​

He had…​

He had taken one of her cheese cubes! "Rude!" she half growled at him. Hadn't she offered him a cube just a handful of seconds ago?! Sure, it was pretty uch decreed for them in advance that they would fight, as he obviously was one of those Sith who believed in (or didn't oppose enough, depending on your point of view) the Sith Empire, but there was nothing that kept her from being able to offer food before they actually started. After all, it wasn't as though he was a Mandalorian or something like that.

Yet he rudeness was forgotten a heart beat later when the scent of the blood hit her. A Blood Hound could never not be aware of blood exposed, of the small drip, of the coppery taste that was now announcing itself inside her mouth even though she had not even touched or seen it. And now she knew. The scent, so condensed in her senses now, had told her exactly who his son was. Why it mattered though, was beyond her.

Her own blade now used against her, Scherezade was smiling again. From rude to surprise to grin, the mods flashed on her face and flickered faster than the frames of a holofilm. They were in combat now, and combat was the one place where Scherezade utterly lived and breathed for the moment. No traumas. No pain. No hurt. Only the song, her body, and her weapons.

Grinning, as the Sephi launched for her again, this time with her own blade, Scherezade moved back. To the non-Force using onlooked, the appearance of two might have looked like two blurs, acting and reacting quicker than the naked eye could catch.

"Violent kitty, quick kitty, little ball of war, Sithling kittie, stabby kittie, purr, purr, PURR!"

But she hadn't moved back just to get away from her own blade. Locked on to the Tessen, Scherezade grinned as she reached for the ground with the Force, yanking two sizeable chunks out of it, sending one for the elf's head and the other for his nether regions, her blades still dancing around him, aimed at the shoulders, arms, thighs, buttocks, back, druckmsticks – there were more than enough of them. And there was only one of him.

 

[Mythos]

Location: Undeground Tram
Objective: Smash!!!
Gear: The Spear

Curtis Learchin smelled, he had a very particular smell, a stench of the darkside of the force. As he blocked every savage blast Mythos waled on his blade again and again until his opponents blade hand tilted just a slight bit. Mythos used his combat training and grabbed his wrist and twisted it, settling his footing to move his opponent and switch positions with him.

When Loreena Arenais-Valhoun sent out a blast of light, instead of aiming at Mythos' back she would now hopefully be blasting her own lover.

"DIE PUNY SITH DIE!!"

The roar of the monster shook the tram, durasteel and struck fear into the helpless slaves stuck inside those trams. Mythos kept hammering, he kept up the brutal assault on the Sith aiming for his head, shoulders and neck.​

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Location: Fortress Imperious, Concordia - Tram track of death.
Tag: Darth Carnifex Lirka Ka Felix Astermo K Kaine Australis Taeli Raaf Alexandra Feanor Stardust Solus Skirae Imperius Ellie Mors Beltran Rarr Tahlah Cadera

Spoiler

Armour / Sabres / Belt / Edge of Atrophy / Wrist / Jin’Wodasir / Tsaisibola / Xiphos-class SSD / Satwasin

Ophidia nestled in a nook where one of the tram system’s walls dipped in to allow technicians and droids the use of cables. She listened as she tuned the sensors of her helmet. It did not take long before she could hear them, all of them. Graug and Sith on one side, Mandalorians and their allies on the other. The clanging of steel was everywhere. The Rattataki made nigh a sound as the thunderstorm drew closer.

Quietly, she gripped the tsaisibola at her waist as she felt the dampening effect of the voidstone.

It was as if she was struck by a creeping vertigo, a threat of dizziness that only will could keep away. She clamped her eyes shut, resisted the urge to shut her eyes, then exhaled and settled into the discomfort.

She was nowhere, she was nothing, no one, shadows, dust, stale air. Nothing.

The Mandalorians passed her by where she was nestled, just before they met with the fire of the Graug. Ophidia saw the green-armoured Australis grabbing one of the Graug in a chokehold and throwing it at the other large soldiers, but resisted the urge to slip in. It was too soon, she needed a stronger opponent to keep him occupied while she did what she meant to do. Instead, she looked to his companions.

Her hands traced over the bulges of her lightsabres where they lay nestled in her belt. No, that would give her away. The knife? Perhaps later. But the tsaisibola curled around her arm like a nubile garotte. The weapon on her wrist had its shikkar blade refitted with the alternative metal blade. With the amount of metal around her and on her body, it made little difference in terms of detection, after all.

Two small weapons and a personal stealth generator at her disposition; an army of heavily armoured warriors looking for any Sith to trample to mush. Darth Ophidia smiled cruelly at the challenge that she faced.

She darted out from her cozy nook with steps as fast as they were quiet. The sound of her own beskar drowned out by the clamouring of ally and foe. She stepped aside and pivoted away from a barrage of blasterfire as she wrapped her tsaisibola around a leg and pulled. While the serpent’s fangs only found beskar to bite, her target fell to the ground, allowing her the needed angle to insert the metal blade into the back of his neck.

She rolled out of the way again as his body was trampled by a berserking grag, wielding a, hopefully dead, mandalorian like a mace after having lost its firearm. She stepped into its path, cracking down on one fallen mandalorian’s throat with her heel as she plucked a grenade from its body and threw it back into the ranks.

Every move risked more attention, but she was good at staying unnoticed, even at this reduced affinity with the Force.

Yet the battlefield became increasingly more dangerous with bodies strewn about, troops moving, bullets flying, beskads and bludgeons swinging. She threw herself down among the dead as a barrage of graug slugs ripped through her nearest, denting their armour into them and pummelling them apart with sheer ferocious velocity.

 

[Irveric Tavlar]

Position: Sundari
Objective: Mandalore - Repel the Mandalorian assault.
Allies: Vaulkhar ; BobertEZ - The Sith Empire
Enemies: Adenn Kyramud - The Network
No Quarter
Equipment:
Battle Armor
'Vishnu' Military Shield
DG-41 "Inferos" Disruptor Rifle
HG-88 'Big Iron' Hand-cannon

---

Once Tavlar welcomed himself into the raging chaos of battle once more the visions shuddered back into place. What had been tempered to be instinct based sensory envelopment warped back into the sensation of paralyzing fear he felt twenty years prior. Tavlar's breathing grew deeper, heaving in his chest as he surveyed the battlefield silently ; uncharacteristically so. By now he would've already been spouting orders and sending men to their positions but in this moment he was silent.

Perhaps it was the warrior souls who'd long perished on Mandalore enveloping him in an otherworldly effort to let the mythosaur's skull fly in Mandalore skies once more. No - merely the searing memories of Tavlar's mind superimposing themselves over true death and destruction.

"Leftenant! Help me! Please my legs they're- arrrgh! Help me someone!" One of the many pleas that had permanently carved itself into Tavlar's subconscious. The sounds of a One Sith conscript grasping at phantom limbs as he was pulled away by two medics. Ashen urban dust crowding the sights of crimson ichor and gore. A dreaded nightmarish sight but only one of many that Irveric pinned back into the deepest recesses of his mind.

As swiftly as the traumatic evocation manifest itself, it was snuffed away once more to show a sight no more endearing to him. Passing him back into the city was one of his legionaries, draped in Storm pattern armor lined with the arid Enigma pattern camouflage he moaned and screamed with pain as a fragmentation explosion shattered his cuirass and sent grievious chunks of shrapnel into the armorweave layer beneath and eventually biting into bare flesh.

The trooper set on the stretcher reached out and grasped for the forearm of his superior, Tavlar feeling the tug and responding with a shift of his gaze to suffering eyes behind a cracked and broken visor. Pleading for any reassurance the trooper muttered out to him between heaving breaths.

"I'm sorry sir, I'm sorry...I jus- I just want to go ho- AUGH! I wanna go home!" The trooper pleaded and begged, a grown man ; a soldier broken and tempered through his Sith-Imperial training all but weeping in existential desperation, clinging to anything.

"You'll be just fine...we'll get you home, trooper. Stay awake, keep your eyes open for your comrades. Understand?" Tavlar offered in faint reprieve, tugging his arm away from the wounded trooper's grip before setting a hand on his unfettered shoulder, offering a reassuring jostle of the pauldron before the soldier was carried along ; offering but a sharp nod in return.

Not moments later ; a stray explosion would end the drawn out suffering. Perhaps for the better, permanently sealing the irreparable scars left on the trooper's psyche as he could grasp ahold of peace at last and a duty done. The sound of that explosion sent a shiver through Irveric's senses, knowing well what likely occurred. Regardless ; the more he dwelled on it, the worse it would get for the others under his command.

---

Whatever Mandalorians that breached the main walls ahead of the assault could only be met with the fiercest of opposing Sith firepower. The main roadways were blocked and clogged with weapon emplacements and the flanking buildings embarked with sections worth of Sith troopers. Here most any tactics would be forsaken in favor of fierce close quarters fighting. What the Mandalorians had in a strong warrior spirit the Sith equalled in rigid training and superior numbers whilst holding a defensive advantage within the urban area. Whatever holes in the Sith defensives might've very well been plugged by militiamen pulled to action from SINN broadcasts which transmitted widely and unopposed by the clandestine efforts of a Sith bureacrat.

From their defense and depth and defensive positions held within the city ; the Mandalorian advance would be a starkly difficult one with fighting still raging behind them. Meanwhile just beyond the gates ; the armored forces had completed their encirclement of the Mandalorian turtle formation ; in no due part to many of the forward advancing Carnivores and Claymores getting knocked out as they sought to close the distance. Regardless ; a line was held even if some of the gaps were strung together by burnt out husks of struck down repulsor-tanks.

The outward formation of em-placed Cataphract tanks would be the catalyst of thwarting any attempts to outflank the armored formation - holding close comms they picked out and focus fired any individual or formation of opposing titan tanks that sought to break from the encirclement ; all but slamming a wall of super powered turbo laser fire and tanksmasher missiles into the titans to prevent any breakthrough attempts ; acting as a steel cage to keep them enclosed in.

Regardless ; the Hell's Angel was still a competent threat that need be handled. In order to swiftly thwart the leviathan vehicle's change in target the second bomber squadron was due for arrival. With a dominance fighter formation falling in place around them it would serve to take the anti-aircraft fire once more before splitting off to intercept the fighter's released from the Hell's Angel's hull. What the Mandalorian pilots had in superior experience the Sith could make up for in numbers.

Once again the titanic size of the command vehicle would prove to be its undoing as the damaged bomber squadron landed its pay load of ion cannons, concussion missiles and anti armor bombs squarely atop its hull. All the while the HavT Barrage continued to trade blows ; its deflector shield puttering and flickering out in a red overlay of the vehicle to signal it was near disabled after which the intensely heavy forward armor would serve to absorb the Hell's Angel's fire for long enough to release more punishing volleys from its mass driver cannons in return to the lumbering leviathan. All the while the lava cannons fixed to cover all perspectives of the Barrage's hull would serve to send super heated magma toward the softer targets embarked on speeders or the advancing Beskad Warriors.

In order to further schism the Mandalorian forces the second layer of Claymore tanks obscured behind heavier Carnivores would close in on a gap within the encircled formation charging through both flanks in an attempt to split the Mandalorian force in two within the encirclement and force a lapse of judgement in target priority. Even if the swift heavy repulsor tanks were meant with staunch fire leading to several being knocked out, veering out of the control toward the soft backs of the Beskad warriors man could serve to open up near the legs of the Hellwalkers and engage the enemy at close range whilst embarking the troopers held in the rear compartments of the repulsor tanks.

Several were swiftly cut down by opposing fire but those who managed to find their way behind the cover of knocked out vehicles began to dig in and lay down heavy and special weapons fire, able to fortify ; fill the gaps and demand compromised target priority from enemy fire. Regardless of the positional advantage the Sith held here ; the close quarters fighting proved a brutal bout for both sides as the Mandalorians favored heavier armor and tenacity whilst the Sith disembarked with quick numbers and heavy firepower distributed liberally amongst the armored infantry.

---

The sight of Mandalorian jump troops pulsing their way past the forward fortifications of Sundari was a teeth grinding sight for the General but one he had to quickly cloud in favor of the battle ahead. Whatever overarching planning he issued soon melted into the front-line combat instinct for his subordinates.

For now ; his episode of war neurosis dissipated into violent reality.

"Fortify the line! Not one step back! Grenades, ordinance - all of it... these Mandalorians have no right to which they can not defend..." Tavlar sounded out. The cold and rigid military command spouting uncharacteristic rhetoric and violent yelling into his orders. Never the less it was carried out with affirmation amongst his ranks. However it was clear this encounter was the first in a very long time to rattle Irveric's senses.

Spoiler: Large Scale Actions Summary

• Another airstrike lands atop the Hell's Angel as fighters scramble to intercept the vessels released from the vehicle's hangar-bay.
• Sith troopers and roused militiamen battle with Mandalorians in the streets of Sundari to fierce deadlock amongst the alleyways and buildings.
• The Mailed Fist keeps a tight encirclement around Ardenn's formation - eventually sending armor and infantry to cut through the center of the Mandalorian formation to schism them further - sacrificing bodies in the maneuver in order for better strategic position.
• The Cataphract tanks priority target any Titan seeking to escape the encirclement with extreme rated turbo-laser fire - tanksmasher missiles aim fo the legs of the hellwalkers if they can.
• The HavT Barrage sustains heavy damage to its deflector shields (will last until next post) but continues sustained fire on the Hell's Angel with its main cannons and surrounding infantry and speeders with its other weapons.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

OBJECTIVE: Save the slaves
ALLIES: Curtis Learchin
ENEMIES: Mythos

The Sith Lord lunatic somehow spun him and Curtis around. She couldn't stop her ball of Force Light from going right to them. She couldn't direct it. The distance was too close for that.

If only she knew who Mythos was. If only Mythos knew who she was. Then maybe this fight would have come to a halt. Maybe.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!!" What else could she say while she closed the distance between them. She couldn't fire her blaster so she took out one of her thermal detonators and held it out for him to see. "STOP OR I'LL BLOW US ALL UP!" Of course she was bluffing, but the look in her eyes might suggest otherwise. Lori was a better liar than her Mom was.

 

[Talon Aegis]

Location: (Corvette) Achilles
Equipment: (Links glitched) M924 Grenade Launcher (https://www.starwarsrp.net/threads/m924-grenade-launcher.131890/) ; RSKF-44 heavy blaster (https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/RSKF-44_heavy_blaster); A280 blaster rifle (https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/A280_blaster_rifle)
Wearing: Talon's Beskar'gam
Tags: Vaulkhar Irveric Tavlar @Lorale Famar Adenn Kyramud

Red light a flashing, the world seemed to be falling. Halls filled with fire created smoke, it was hard to breathe for those without the proper equipment. Talon slowly stood up, a body was propped up against him. Alarms sounded throughout the ship. Finally coming to his senses a hand reached down to help him up. "The Captain has declared an abandon ship, get to the escape pods."

Talon looked up, a small black visor looking back, "What's happening down on the planet?"

"We don't know, but we are crashing towards it."

"Move to escape pods, I'll join our forces." Talon stood up without the help of the hand and walked off. The ship was nearing the planet, as Talon pulled open a droppod door, standing in launching as soon as he did. The ship was in a cloud close to atmosphere. Dropping, the pod darted to the ground, as it got closer, jets fired slowing its dissent. The chutes opening Talon launched the door off stepping out. While he expected resistance, he was surprised to find none. His HUD flashed with nearby allies, he decided to join Adenn Kyramud 's group. They were the closest.

Walking towards the group, he was nearby. Not much longer to walk, so he just kept moving, his equipment on him.

 

[Velok Brokentusk]

OUTER SYSTEM
OBJECTIVE: TAKE ISOLATED SHIELDCARRIER (Akita Silasrune)

CryoBan was vicious stuff, and the Blue Ice automatic grenade launchers churned out a stupid amount of it. Defenders froze solid. Doors did too, which was a bit of an issue, but there's not many bulkheads that a Whiphid with a few disposable vibroblades can't get through.

But they hadn't brought disposable vibroblades for this; the blades they'd carried had already been disposed of in relation to Mandalorians. Getting up close with Mandos was a crapshoot, even for a seven- or eight-hundred-pound Whiphid boar. Unflinchingly, Velok forced himself to recognize that he'd lost almost a quarter of his hunters, and their grenade launchers were running out of everything but basic frag. No more ion, no more CryoBan. Whirlwinds of shrapnel scoured the hallways, but only down stretches long enough to keep said shrapnel from perforating the Whiphids. He made a mental note to invest in automatic flechette guns. That might sweep things a little better.

As for the doors frozen solid or paralyzed by ion blasts, that's when and why they favored the KUT-42.

Huge plasma torches sheared deep through the carrier's bulkheads, carving doors where there hadn't been any. The sweltering heat overwhelmed the comfortable CryoBan chill in short order, and melting frost - melting frozen people, too - slicked the floors. Lights flickered as the KUT-42 torches sawed through hallways, conduits, control systems, everything. Harsh vapors bubbled and hissed against their space suits, got through rents and gaps, caused some pain.

But hey, chemical burns were only skin deep.

 

[Darth Sephi]

It was certainly a fighting style he could respect - he even remembered briefly hearing about Darth Traya using three lightsabers controlled exclusively by her telekinetic finesse. He mused on that thought as Scherezade lept from his reach, and even into the rocks that flew at him - but her move was more than obvious, likely because it was meant to be a distraction.​

​

He slammed her blade into the rock for his nethers, while he narrowly dodged the one for his head - reasonable enough, considering another dozen blades threatened his back and legs. Yet, she would see a beauty in his movements, something more on par with a professional dancer - where he seemed to dance, jump, roll and leap away from the blades with a refined elegance, like her blades were unknowingly apart of a dance set they had never choreographed.​

​

Inbetween these, he used both swords to create a near wall around him - slapping away the blade that came too close; but it was certainly a constant assault. It made it doubly hard to get closer to the girl - which only intrigued him more. She screamed ‘Bladesman’, yet she didn’t use any form he knew of; but fought in the ways of those sorcerers who had no skill in the blade, away from them, safe from the carnage of the weapon.​

​

Humorous.​

​

“This kitty -”, he grunted as he suddenly whipper her sword back at her, only to grip another one for his defense. It shot at her like a rocket, reinforced by Sephi’s own force abilities - but he remained planted away from her, unable to close the gap like he hoped.​

​

“- does not purr.”, he beamed.​

​

Just as the blade was about to reach her, however, the ground beneath her would quake and shiver - sending her balance awry at the last second. Much in the hope of shocking her into a mortal wound from her own weapon, but alas - he only needed her to falter for a moment to close the distance again.​

​

Scherezade deWinter​