Public The Shadow Over Bespin [Open]

[Darth Carnifex]

Something was wrong.​

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Where once the sound of slot machines, laughter, cheers, and groans of dismay filled the colorful atmosphere of the Royal Casino, now there was only a grim haunting silence permeated the empty rooms and main floor. If one were to stumble upon the casino as it was now, they would find it completely empty. Devoid of life. All that remained were scraps of clothing and fallen instruments of gambling strewn about haphazardly. Weapons were also present, resting where they had landed from the weakening grasp of security guards who were now just piles of torn clothing.​

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The rest of Cloud City was filled with similar sights, the streets vacant and the buildings which bordered them abandoned or filled with the same scattering of clothing as the casino. Ships sat in the starports, still running but unoccupied. Fires burned across the city where whatever the dark shadow that had consumed the city had encountered resistance, the fires moving through empty spaces without anyone to combat its spread.​

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Suddenly, a sound rang out through the air.​

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It started softly but grew louder as the sound waves bounced off the empty street corners and wide avenues. The sound of scuffed footfalls was a welcome break in the abeyance of the city gripped by an unseen horror. The heavy steps found their origin from a lone individual stalking the streets, a heavy cloak and hood obscuring his features as he approached the Administrator's Palace. Unlike the rest of the city, the Palace had been untouched by the darkness which consumed everything else. Hundreds huddled together in fear at what had occurred over the past twelve hours, the gates barred and soldiers stationed on the Palace's high walls. They gripped their weapons tightly as the sound now reached them, their eyes turning to look at the wide idyllic boulevard which yawned outward from the gates.​

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They could see the lone individual, the man who moved with such fierce and determined steps. They could see the dark cloak which obscured his identity. But most importantly, they could see the other who was being dragged by the dark man. It was one of the city's influential residents, a man of substantial wealth and station. He was held by the cuff of his jacket, dragged like a sack behind the larger man as he approached. Suddenly, the dark man stopped well beyond the effective range of the Palace guard's blasters. ​

​

He held up the man for all to see, still alive but unconscious. Then dark energy enveloped the man's body, and right before their eyes, they watched as his vitality was drained away. His skin shriveled into dust, his body breaking apart and collapsing before disappearing altogether. All that remained were the scraps of clothing now discarded at the dark man's feet. His fingers grasped only the dead man's jacket, which he too threw aside.​

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Stunned by fear, the Palace guards could do nothing but stare at the dark man as a new sound cut through the air.​

​

The sound of ten thousand gnashing teeth.​

 

[Veino Garn]

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION
OUTER RIM
==================

Veino stared down at the pile of information and data he had gathered from his search on Korriban, in had received from Jend-Ro Quill and Auteme as the engines reverberated beneath his feet as his ship cruiser slowly through the void.

He was brought out of his reverie by a sudden, urgent beeping on the large console in the back. Veino strode over and leaned over the console where a red light flashed rapidly.

Veino pressed the button and watched, his fave growing hard and cold as the images flickered through the display before the footage was drastically ended, as the hand holding the small stylus recorder disappeared. Turns out his research was kicking up stones, if not directly. He spun around and connected to three different isolated communications networks before relaying the information to the ORION, Underground, and Rimward Trade League communications channels.

He added only a single message.

The Underground wishes to inform you that Bespin requires your assistance. All Jedi and all who wish to do good for the galaxy. Use caution. The threat is extremely high. But if we can get in and get people out, it will be at least a small victory for the good of the galaxy.

 

[Scar Worlds Commscan Relay]

The Underground wishes to inform you that Bespin requires your assistance. All Jedi and all who wish to do good for the galaxy. Use caution. The threat is extremely high. But if we can get in and get people out, it will be at least a small victory for the good of the galaxy.

The Spacer Guild had ties to both the Underground and the Rimward Trade League. One way or another, the message reached a Guild relay, which promptly put out an advisory. It copied the original message, of course, but it also notified the Guild that Bespin was under attack by parties unknown. Some Guild members might want to fight. Others might just want the heads-up to stay clear of the Ison Corridor for a bit.

 

[Ven Asher]

Ven liked Bespin. On some days, he might go so far as to say he loved the place. The gambling, the drinking, and especially the drunk gambling. He remembered those memories fondest of all, when he could actually remember them anyway. Among those memories was a friend of Ven's, a woman by the name of Allie Opal, a rather spontaneous and excitable worker at one of Bespin's gambling parlors. Allie had helped Ven through some of his darker times during his self imposed exile from the Jedi as a whole, and he owed her no few favors for all the help she had offered him. Her friendship was one of the primary reasons he was where he was now, recovering and with a new purpose in life.

So when he got a brief message from her asking for his help, he did not hesitate to take his ancient Y-Wing starfighter, the only thing he could afford at the time and head to Bespin. He was not entirely sure what to expect, Allie's message had been cut short, but the fear in her voice had been all the motivation Ven needed to speed up his departure. He would have to settle some tabs after this was all done, but he would figure that out when he got there.

The Y-Wing dropped out of hyperspace near Bespin, the simple act causing a hull plate to go flying away from the fighter. Turning around in the cramped cockpit to look at it drifting off into the space, the Je'daii let out a series of curses as he worked to bring the fighter back under control. Directing it towards Bespin, Ven was about to open a communication line he and Allie had set up when his stomach suddenly turned. He fought back against the urge to gag as the overwhelming feeling of dread clouded his mind. The overwhelming and all too familiar cold, enveloping taint of the Dark Side began to touch the edges of his mind, and Ven glanced up at Bespin cautiously.

"Allie, what have you gotten dragged in to..." Bringing the fighter in towards Bespin, a small light began to flash on the console to Ven's right. Shortly after he had gotten the message from Allie, his long range communication system had gotten knocked offline. His astromech had been working on it during the trip to Bespin and had apparently just now gotten it repaired. Grimacing, Ven flipped the switch and opened the waiting message held within, the grimace turning into a full frown.

The Underground wishes to inform you that Bespin requires your assistance. All Jedi and all who wish to do good for the galaxy. Use caution. The threat is extremely high. But if we can get in and get people out, it will be at least a small victory for the good of the galaxy.

"R0, you pick the absolute worst moments to do your job." The astromech replied in a series of beeps and trills that almost brought a smile to Ven's face, though the ever increasing feeling of the Dark Side kept him in check. "Try and get clearance to land R0, if anyone is still on the line. I am not picking up much chatter on any of the channels. Try to contact Allie again while you are at it, I am gonna take us towards the landing port."

Darth Carnifex

 

[Malakai Shorn]

Veino Garn , Ven Asher , Darth Carnifex

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​

From the obsidian backdrop of space, littered with pinpricks of distant ivory stars, slipped out the single Corona class frigate. Refurbished to a modern standard, it still sported the scars of past battles that had since long been forgotten. Momentarily languishing in orbit of Bespin, it began its steady descent to the gas giant below. It was safe to assume that the vessel had picked up the message forwarded by Spacer Guild Commscan Relay. Whatever their reason for being there, the frigate wasted no time in entering atmosphere to close in on Cloud City.

Preliminary scans were done in orbit, but when it neared the colony, the Frigate began more in-depth scans to get readings on the status of the city. Footage of the events replayed constantly throughout the ship for the crew aboard. Mostly made up of droids, they did not possess the parts to observe the clips of the life being drained from other beings before being rendered to dust and floating away. With only a few loyal humanoid sentients aboard, their devotion to their captain transcended logical thinking. Unless otherwise ordered, they ignored the repeated footage and hastily spliced together clips.

Traveling through the Frigate, a partnered duo of two dark skinned humanoids made their way to the Hangar. Boarding a shuttle, the pilot lifted from the bay. At this very instant, the Frigate sat some dozens of kilometres above Cloud City, cruising.

Connected to the frigate’s comm systems, the voice of Malakai Shorn was transmitted to the Administrative Palace on open frequencies. Other vessels in proximity and those on the mining colony below were likely to hear it, but it was safe to assume that he did not care.

“This is Captain Malakai of the Sheisty Manticore. We received disturbing footage and alerts originating here. My ship has room for evacuees to nearby systems. Get me a location to land, and I’ll get your people out of here.” Cutting off the transmission, in the Frigate other shuttles were readied for transport. This one, manned by the duo of Malakai Shorn and Jacen Novastar, swept in low over Cloud City repeatedly, in search for an open space to land and to see with their own eyes what occurred on the stationary city.

Sweeping in, it descended below the convex saucer in order to land in the lower hangars regardless of administrative direction.

Wordlessly, Malakai disembarked from the spacious shuttle. Reaching out into the Force, a hum emanated from his throat.

There were many reasons to come here for a pirate. Fame and renown were one. Malakai didn't possess the restraint to not want to be famous, for good or evil made little difference to him. But Bespin had a reputation for its infrastructure and mining. If they could steal something of note, Malakai could consider this venture a win.

"So begins the days work."

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Any attempts to hail flight control resulted in only silence and static, the spaceports empty and devoid of life. Their landing would be unimpeded, most of the ports empty of ships or other obstructions. Exiting their ships, they would find that an eerie quiet had fallen over the city, discarded clothes and signs of struggle apparent at every junction.​

​

The Dark Side was prevalent everywhere, overpowering. ​

​

As one moved deeper through the empty city, a new sound rose to replace the droning silence. An inconsistent high-pitched chittering, like that of an insect, articulated by almost mechanical groaning sounds. The source of said noise quickly revealed itself as what could only be described as a horror meandered around the nearest corner. ​

​

The creature itself had a body shaped like a stone obelisk roughly seven feet in height, a single eye peering out from near the top of its body on all four sides. The body terminated into four insectoid legs ending in razor-sharp spikes, a mass of coiled tendrils drooping down from its undercarriage. The creature scuttled about the empty streets, prehensile tendrils emerging from below its body to search inside of unopened crates and other confined areas in an eternal search for sustenance.​

​

Suddenly, one of its eyes fixated on the new arrivals to the city, a loud droning sound emanating from the creature similar to that of a chiming gong. The sound of more creatures approaching could be heard elsewhere in the city, while the one closest to them charged to attack with tendrils now tipped by a razor-sharp talon.​

​

Veino Garn | Ven Asher | Malakai Shorn ​

 

[Jerec Asyr]

The Dark Side felt like bad humidity. Jerec gave an 'ugh' and stripped off his jacket just inside his shuttle airlock. He'd been on his way out here for used-ship acquisitions purposes when the Spacer Guild relay pinged him. He'd landed for curiosity's sake. Now he was regretting it.

"Red seas of Knores," he grumped. He tossed the jacket on an empty crate and cracked the sensor-stealthed smuggling compartment in the shuttle's hold. Though he kept a blaster on his thigh like any respectable adult in his lines of work - and his laser sword in the small of his back - he pulled out a much nastier weapon: a Multispectral Radcannon.

If the local paucity of lifesigns was any indication, he wouldn't need to worry much about collateral damage.

He slung a radiation deflection badge around his neck, tucked it under his shirt, locked up the shuttle, and got busy.

Veino Garn Ven Asher Malakai Shorn Darth Carnifex

 

[Cyran Vaas]

If Cyran hadn't had such fond memories of Bespin and it's city in the sky he might have ignored the call. Well, he ignored the first one he got. But then came a second soon after. That wasn't good, he also knew people from the planet and when he tried to contact them there was no answer.

Years ago Cyran and some of his bounty hunting buddies scored big as a team on the planet. The event was like the legends of old. Tales of noble bounty hunters standing with their nation to apprehend those who would do the galaxy harm, and on this very planet too nonetheless. That event is what sold Cyran on the life of a bounty hunter, and what solidified his appreciation with other bounty hunters so much that they made their own team, founding it on the planet's floating city.

Good times, but the worst was thought of as to the fate of the planet now. Like a shadow had fallen over the planet. For those reasons Cyran would answer the call, at least the second call he got.

Flying "Pinky II" though the atmosphere the old imperial sentinel-class landing shuttle had yet to get a fresh coat of pink camo, which Cyran put on all his ships. Communications didn't seem to work, nobody would answer as he approached. He saw a few other ships coming in as well. Other do-gooders? Who knew.

Landing on a empty pad near the more luxurious top of the city, Cyran got ready. Getting his Speeder bike ready activated an old probe droid he got his hands on as well. Hovering in the ship some Cyran made sure it's video feed could be scene and operated from his helmet. Opening up the landing shuttle the droid flew out first to aid Cyran ins scouting ahead and providing a Birdseye view. Following it out with his speeder bike. As he entered the unsettleingly empty city Cyran's ship closed up behind him.

Jerec Asyr | Darth Carnifex | Malakai Shorn | Ven Asher

 

[Veino Garn]

Veino couldn't help but remember that the last time he was on Bespin, he'd crashed a freighter after having to fight a duel on its top while it careened towards one of the landing platforms. It was hardly one of his preferred planets, despite its many amenities, luxuries, and the like. He sealed up the hatch of his ship, adjusting the comlink in his helmet as he pulled up the mask on his armor before slipping into the corridors.

He felt living presences through the Force around them, but only one reeked of the Dark Side. The others, he wasn't sure about. He tightened his belt with his lightsaber and handcannon before dispersing his Force presence throughout the planet and wrapping himself in the Force like a cloak, warding him from sight and sensors.

With that accomplished, he started picking his way deeper into the depths of the complex, pausing only to collect samples from the piles of dust that had once been sentient beings.

Information was the key to winning a war and they were playing catch-up. Especially with whatever and whomever this was. Who were they and what were they doing. He froze as he heard the sound of the machinery and strengthened the layers of the Force that wrapped around him as he held still, listening and observing. They were bizarre monstrosities he could definitely not recognize and he crept along to a wall and crawled himself up, trusting in his Force cloak.

One hand activated the recorder in his visor to get footage for better analysis later. Assuming, that is, he survived.

Darth Carnifex Jerec Asyr Malakai Shorn Cyran Vaas

 

[Darth Ananta]

Death Row​

'Where he is, so, too, must I.'

A spirit that consumes, an amalgamation of hatred, of pain, suffering, and rage - Aneshe in the time of ancient Sith, Ananta to the Jedi during the conflicts between the late Galactic Empire and the Silver Jedi's myriad of allies during the height of her power - by all rights Irina Volkov should have been dead, silenced, snuffed out, by the uncle of man now wreaking havoc over the Cloud City of Bespin.

And yet there she hung, a proverbial snake among the leaves, as alive, as free, as she had been a decade ago.

"More, devour it all." She said softly as she opened obsidian eyes.

The whisper was small, pitched high, pixie-like, and simultaneously so very, very, cruel. White hair swept over the side of a porcelain face, marked only by the red lines of tribal tattoos that she'd donned in her youth. Black clothing, contrasting like a shadow to the bright light of her face and hair, swathed around her like the robes of a temple's holy man. From the shadows she stepped, as though she had simply been just beyond the line of sight of those who could catch glimpse of the infamous Darth Carnifex .

"You've kept yourself busy while I slept, cherub." She said with a hint of idle fancy, drawing closer to him as he drained a man of the entirety of his vigor.

"I hope you haven't missed me."

 

[The Major]

Location: Cloud City
Morale: Low (Fatigued)
Outfit
Equipment: Datapad, FO-COMLINK Mk I, FO-LIPSTICK Mk I, Stun Baton
Darth Carnifex | Jerec Asyr | Malakai Shorn | Cyran Vaas | Veino Garn | Irina Volkov ​

Investigation turned out to be dull, repetitive, and frustrating work when leads were so few and so fraught with dead ends. The First Order, scrappy Outer Rim Imperial nation, scrappy insomuch compared to the behemoths chugging in open war across the galaxy, for whatever reason, found itself recently spending time aboard the various cities and platforms floating over Bespin. The strategy involved less in the form of sprinting stormtroopers and invasion, and more of a support of the various major guilds. In part this meant getting into the gritty cracks of the municipalities to weed out criminal elements —elements more than experienced in giving police the run around.

In anycase the Major couldn’t comment on the big picture. She had her case to work on in particular: a missing persons report that somehow connected to a mysterious culprit poking around the maintenance levels of two of the planet’s floating platforms —causing a ruckus by drawing troubling amounts of power and diverting it Nether knows where. As the leads of the case looped back and suspects vanished, the irritation within sly Shepard grew with each passing day that kept her running around this giant ball of hot air. Couldn’t even stop to enjoy the exciting views and thrilling pleasures of Cloud City with the hours her Intel Section was putting in.

The agents of the section were tired, dangerously so. Cutting corners. Close to phoning it in.

Mistakes were made.​

For instance, landing at Cloud City with only a single shuttle from Chinook Station. As the Major piled out with a squad of troopers they took no notice initially of a lack of staff at the dock: this had been privately secured and nobody was really supposed to be there while they conducted this investigation. They didn’t even have weapons drawn for the routine of their endeavor had included no single danger of action or ambush. No one in this party had thought to call ahead or check that everything was normal in the City Among the Clouds.

Deeper they progressed, working on autopilot due to fatigue before the biggest test of the week presented itself. ​

 

[Jerec Asyr]

APEX OVERLOOK
CLOUD CITY​

It quickly became clear that Cloud City had seen mass death, the sort that turned people to dust and left faded clothes on the ground. The Bad Feeling extended to the city's wealthier and more powerful sectors, where Jerec could at least comfort himself that the dead were people worth less mourning.

In a grand open-air meeting area at the city's peak, he finally came face to face with a potential reason for the Bad Feeling. Face to obelisk, rather. The creature looked like Korribani architecture on crab legs. Jerec wasted exactly zero time in leveling the multispectral radcannon at the creature and pulling the trigger. Everything from gamma rays to high ultraviolet cooked the biological-looking components cataclysmically. With an appetizing smell, the creature collapsed in the ruins of its own undercarriage. The obelisk toppled and cracked.

This was significantly more than Jerec had bargained for, and it called into question the wisdom of getting off his ship in the first place. In fact the more he poked at the demolished thing with the toe of his boot, the less the word 'wisdom' bore any relevance.

Options: take an emergency hoverbelt ride down the slope of the city toward the base of the structures where he'd landed - and risk sliding right off the city.

Or shoot his way out, past the skittering obelisks that he could already hear.

Or hold up here, a halfway defensible position in that it at least had plenty of cover and good fields of fire.

He tapped his comlink just so, a distress ping-squelch that any commlink in the city could hear and track to Apex Overlook. He felt safe in assuming the obelisk creatures did not have comlinks, as they did not have hands.

The Major Veino Garn Malakai Shorn Cyran Vaas Darth Carnifex Irina Volkov

 

[Onrai]

A small shuttle soon traveled to the lower portions of Cloud City, the depths where the starships used by the mining vessels were located. It was here that the perfidious semi-deity known as Onrai would seek to further her actions and provide those who served her with superior armaments to what they currently were utilizing. For this, she was going to need the tissue of a Beldon itself, in order to determine whether such a creature's ability to convert nutrients into tibanna gas could be exploited for a more functional means. So it was that the goddess stood near the base of the city, seeking to with her power summon one of the great creatures up to the platform.

For now, no one else had joined her.

The Major Veino Garn Malakai Shorn Cyran Vaas Darth Carnifex Irina Volkov Jerec Asyr

 

[Malakai Shorn]

Veino Garn , The Major , Cyran Vaas , Irina Volkov, Jerec Asyr , Darth Carnifex , Onrai

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Save for the faint hum of power that continued to flow through the station, Malakai heard nothing. There was no sign of life, save for the remnant scraps of clothing that littered the ground with scatterings of dust. Lifeless, save for the presence of the Dark Side that lingered like a bad smell. Without a perceivable source in sight, it meant little. Brushing his hand across the saber that hung from his belt, he could sense the wrongness of it all. The perversion, and the allure that followed. It was a call that he had rejected in the past, and day by day he furthered himself from its uses, despite valuing the lessons that he had endured growing up.

Pausing, he had journeyed through the city for sometime, carelessly dragging his feet through the remains of the villains of the seemingly pointless killings as he gradually ascended to the higher levels. Out from the industrial quadrants of the mining colony and closer to the commercial sectors of the casino and the money-grabbing attractions, he heard the sound of them.

The sounds were unfamiliar, but before he could question what creature could've made such a sound, he spotted the quadrupedal moving.

Rapidly.

Coming right for him.

"What?" Malakai muttered. As if to give answer to his surprise, a sound emanated from the creature. Loud, surely far-reaching, and playing at a steady level. A signal. As soon as Malakai recognized the sound for what it was, his right hand snapped upwards, his upper lip curled closer to his nose in a sneer, and his telekinetic willpower collapsed on the two front legs of the obelisk totting quadrupedal. Crushing them, he watched it topple forwards, and Malakai lurched forth with a brief application of the Force, lightsabre snapping up to his palm.

With the ignition button pressed, the crimson saber sprung out, and his wrist flicked, the move looking almost effortless as it carved through the undercarriage of the thing. The lightsabre burning a swath through the place those tendrils dangled from underneath it, and taking a moment to pause, he watched them flop to the ground before deactivating the saber.

"Chuh," Malakai huffed.

In moments, he heard the chittering sound resumed. Many more than earlier, and he was on the move. Commlink beeping from his wrist-pad, he saw a location ping. Survivor? And he took off in the opposite direction of the approaching creatures.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Two blaster shots, vain attempts to exact some form of justice, crashed uselessly against a scintillating barrier a meter out from the dark figure. The rest of the Palace defenders were focused on the swarm of living obelisks that rushed the walls, guided by a singular purpose to overwhelm and devour. The dark figure did not move to join them, he only watched with disinterest as the scuffle unfolded. ​

​

It wasn't until a woman emerged from the shadows to his right that he moved, his head swiveling to fixate on her with bright molten eyes. A hand reached up to grasp the hem of his hood and pull it back, casting light on the face of Darth Carnifex; the Sith'ari.​

​

"Ananta," purred the Sith Lord, his voice deviating from the often emotionless rumble that accentuated his speech. He reached out with his hand to gently touch her chin and jawline, "I had wondered when you would return to me, fairest shadow." It was not common to see the enigmatic and detached Carnifex display emotion that wasn't connected to those he had taken for his consorts and concubines. The Shakkai ritual had deprived him of so many sensations that all he could experience were the most intense passions and desires, so to have any emotion at all was an incredible rarity.​

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"Your absence had been noted, it pleases me greatly to see you walk at my side again."​

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His eyes swept over to a point imperceivable to their immediate senses, a ripple reverberating through the Force like someone plucking the string of a valachord. Carnifex could sense that others had arrived on Cloud City, roughly seven in total. They varied in their personalities, allegiances, and power. Some had already engaged his minions and slew those that they had come across. Others had yet to make contact with those who roamed in the city in eternal hunger.​

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"We have visitors." He did not need to elaborate, Ananta was strong in the Force and could discern for herself. A single command then rippled through the myriad of obelisk beasts that occupied Cloud City, each and every beast ceasing in what they were doing to suddenly converge on the lifeforms that their Lord and Master had sensed.​

​

"Shall we greet them?" He then held his hand out for Ananta to take.​

​

Veino Garn | The Major | Cyran Vaas | Irina Volkov
Jerec Asyr | Onrai | Malakai Shorn | Ven Asher ​

 

[Ceri]

Veino Garn , The Major , Cyran Vaas , Irina Volkov, Jerec Asyr , Darth Carnifex , Onrai , Malakai Shorn

In the middle of Malakai Shorn's journey to Jerec's location ping he came across a strange sight.

One of those pyramidian creatures with skittling legs suspended in the air.

How?

Roots everywhere, rammed and run through stone and walls, holding it up in the air. Even there it was trying its best to murderize a survivor of the ghastly influences permeating through Cloud City. A young woman. Green, literally, from hair to skin. Currently trying her best to whack the living nether out of the creature in front of her with a stick.

Like a piñata.

"No! Bad! Stay down!" Ceri screeched as she snapped the stick again against its legs. "I. Just. Wanted. Togetsomethingtoeat."

Every word was punctuated by another thwap before it became a flurry of attacks, one after another. It all cumulated into a final jab that accidentally penetrated through the creature's eye.

This seemed to have done the job- it emitted a piercing screech and then slumped with a shudder, seemingly dead.

She sighed there, rubbing her brow, before noticing Shorn. "Um." A glance to the creature behind her and then to him again. "It attacked me first, you know."

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

Rekha leaned against the bulk head looking out in the direction of Cloud City. How many years now had she had the Underground here on Bespin, how many governments had come and gone and how the feth had she managed to keep the staff alive during it all. It was a mystery to her.

It was beautiful here in its own way the endless expanse of sky which contributed to her feeling of being free. The clouds, the thranta, and the variety of ships coming and going all of it fed her soul and made her grateful for what she had.

But Bespin had also seen its share of death the shadow still hung over them with reminders of what had happened. Memorials, statues, buildings still under construction and the emptiness of the room in Rekha's quarters. Lila had been on Bespin during the bombings going to school...doing the things kids often did. Rekha didn't understand it all, but there it was and it was the new normal for her.

She swallowed hard, Yep time to head to Cloud City.... She was heading to the levels where the miners lived she was doing her best to help who she could.

She had no idea what was happening on Bespin right now. Moments later she was heading over towards Cloud City.

 

[Jerec Asyr]

APEX OVERLOOK

was fast becoming a diverse and active social hub. On the one hand you had a couple dozen survivors who'd gathered to Jerec's comm signal. On the other hand you had Sithspawn obelisk monsters - 'tombstones' had fast become the shorthand - who were closing in, dying, and piling up into ramshackle fortifications. Those crab legs and stone cores made decent barricades.

Jerec's multispectral radcannon had run empty to make that happen. The big gun was plugged into a socket that had fed an ornamental light fixture. Whether it would recharge enough for a couple of shots later on was an open question.

In the meantime, Jerec had his blaster (left hand), his burnt-orange laser sword (right hand), and the skills that Jegy Sesara and Tiland Kortun had taught him here and there. Today offered zero time for anything fancy. Push, pull, jump...Force Weapon pistol whip. Melee strikes with the Force-wrapped blaster spiderwebbed cracks through the tombstones' obelisk cores. He worked his saber through utilitarian Soresu - again, nothing fancy. Cuts and bruises had taught him quickly that this was kill or be eviscerated.

In a spare moment he sent out an audio message with his comms beacon.

"We're holding at the top of the city. Closest thing to safe harbor you're gonna find. Come lend a hand."

Rekha Kaarde Ceri Veino Garn The Major Cyran Vaas Irina Volkov Darth Carnifex Onrai Malakai Shorn

 

[Zephyr Krayt]

The hangar door opened a couple of hundred feet above the city and the Mandalorian within leapt out and activated his jetpack so the pilot could assess whether it was safe to land. Zephyr flew down towards the city, using his infrared function on his HUD to scan for any discrepancies or signs of life. At first glance, the city seemed devoid of life but as he got closer, that proved not to be the case.

He neared the rooftop of one of the buildings and slowed down to land on it. Still quite high up, he used his rangefinder to get an enhanced view on the street below. "What are those..." He said to himself with a look of confusion and concern as his gaze moved between the creatures that scuttled in the streets below and then his focus turned onto those who challenged them.

A call through his comms drew his attention to the city overlook where others were holed up. His gaze moved to the high point in the city and then back to those in the street. Deeming them to be faring well enough on their own, he activated his jetpack and headed to the overlook where he landed on the railing surrounding the edge of the platform and fired blaster bolts towards the legs of any of the creatures that were within his range. After a few moments, he stepped down off the railing to get to a closer range where he could use his flamethrower.

"Good evening." He greeted the other there before unleashing a burst of flamethrower on the nearest monstrosity.

Jerec Asyr Darth Carnifex Rekha Kaarde Ceri Veino Garn The Major Cyran Vaas Irina Volkov Onrai Malakai Shorn

 

[Darth Ananta]

Not Human​

Fairest Shadow?

Dark, empty, eyes cast their gaze off towards where Darth Carnifex stared, feeling the presence of those beyond them like echoes in the dark. This reunion of sorts was quite unlike their initial introduction to each other, where she had been brought to him in chains while he sat atop a throne - a hand was extended to her, a hand which she accepted with her own. 'Experience has changed him.' Her voice came, whispers in the back of her own mind. "I slept for far too long to remain in the shadows for much longer." She said.

"It would be rude for us to keep them waiting for much longer."

Veino Garn The Major Zephyr Krayt Jerec Asyr Ceri Cyran Vaas Onrai Ven Asher Malakai Shorn