Public The Shadow Raid

[Darth Callidus]

Location: Sedesia System | Bridge of the Umbral Claw | Temple of Solace
Tags: Darth Imperius Mellifluous Magenta Lady Falentra Lord Dvasius Kahlil Noble Silas Westgard Lady Varokscar Valery Noble Drystan Creed Serina Calis

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The bridge of the Umbral Claw was a study in menace and majesty. Obsidian walls glimmered faintly in the dim light cast by holo-displays and faint embers, while jagged crimson runes etched into the deck pulsed in rhythm with the ship's core. At the very center of this dark sanctum stood a throne of jagged stone and searing fire, a monument to power and pain, its edges licked by flames that neither charred the stone nor burned the figure seated upon it.

Darth Callidus reclined in her throne, her presence a storm of dark energy that coiled through the room like smoke. Amber eyes, sharp as razors, scanned the gathered crew and flicked intermittently to the void beyond the transparisteel viewport. Her raven-black hair, pulled into a severe braid, gleamed faintly in the light of the flickering flames. She was clad in her customary black and crimson robes, interwoven with armor plating that hugged her lithe frame, her dual lightsabers resting on her belt like coiled vipers awaiting their master's command.

Anticipation coiled like a serpent in the air, its presence palpable, though none felt its bite as keenly as Darth Callidus. Each glimmer of starlight whispered promises of triumph, each streak a reminder of the inexorable tide of her ambition. For months, she had orchestrated this moment, her plans as intricate and unyielding as the web of a predatory spider. Every detail of the assault had been scrutinized, recalculated, and forged in the crucible of her relentless mind. Her messages had snaked their way across the galaxy, some cloaked in honeyed words to entice potential allies, others sharpened with threats that cut to the quick. Those who resisted her will had been broken or coerced, their resistance crushed beneath the weight of her purpose. She would not stand alone this day against the Jedi.

Callidus did not merely prepare for victory; she willed it into being. Failure was an alien concept, a phantom that had no place in her universe. As the stars streamed past, her lips curled into the faintest smile, sharp and cold as a blade's edge. This was not hope she felt—it was certainty. Today, her enemies would kneel or burn. She would see her goal achieved, not because she wished it, but because she had made it so.

The Umbral Claw emerged from hyperspace with a shudder, accompanied by an assortment of support ships that formed a grim procession behind the flagship. Sleek frigates, bulky troop transports, and agile starfighters drifted into formation, their arrival coordinated with precise discipline. The fleet held its position just beyond the range of the Temple of Solace's long-range sensors, their emergence from hyperspace carefully plotted to put the Sith fleet behind a satellite of the world. The fleet of Sith vessels were consumed by the shadow cast by the moon, only the glow of their engines visible as the ships regrouped for the next stage of the operation.

Callidus stared at the holographic image displayed before her, the planet they were hidden from growing larger and larger until the image broke through the atmosphere of the planet, and plummeted towards the valley between two mountains. The Temple of Solace, nestled deep within a vast forest, was an unseen target—for now. The fleet's positioning bought them time to assemble and prepare, an advantage Darth Callidus intended to exploit.

She looked around the bridge at those who had joined her for this part of the journey. Her messages had found many willing ears; fellow Sith eager in one way or another to take part in this strike. She inclined her head to them all, both new and old comrades to her, before turning back to the task at hand.

Her voice, cold and resonant, cut through the stillness as she activated the holocommunicator embedded in her throne. A large holographic display flickered to life before her, projecting the forms of her allies and fleet commanders as they joined the transmission.

"Brothers, sisters, and seekers of power," she began, her tone rich with conviction. "Today, you stand on the cusp of greatness. The Jedi, with their hollow dogma and suffocating morality, have held this galaxy in their grip for far too long. But now, we—you—shall be the storm that shatters their sanctuary, the shadow that extinguishes their light."

Her gaze swept over the crowd, those present already and those entering the bridge should they wish it, and those viewing through the transmission, her expression cold yet electrifying. "You have chosen to join me this day, not out of obligation, but because you see the truth. You see the rot within their walls, the lies behind their serenity. And for that, I commend you. You are not followers—you are harbingers of change."

Callidus's voice grew sharper, more fervent, the fire of her passion unmistakable. "For those who hunger for spoils, the treasures of their sanctum will be yours to claim. For those who crave glory, your names will echo in history as the ones who toppled our sworn enemies within the New Jedi Order. And for those who demand blood..." Her lips curled into a wicked smile. "You shall have your fill, for their screams will ring in your ears, their blood will stain your blades, and their defeat will be your triumph."

Darth Callidus's amber eyes narrowed to predatory slits as her tone dropped to a chilling whisper, the kind that seemed to seep into the bones. "And yet," she began, her voice laced with a venomous sweetness, "should any among you falter—should the weight of destiny prove too heavy for trembling hands—I will understand." She let the words hang for a heartbeat, her gaze like a blade sliding over each face. "Failure, after all, is an opportunity—a lesson to be carved deeply into the flesh, etched into the soul. And I, as ever, am a patient teacher." Her lips curled into a smile that was too sharp, too cruel, as if savoring the thought of delivering such a lesson. "So I implore you, my dear allies, do not disappoint me. I would hate to waste such... potential." The unspoken promise of retribution lingered in the air, chilling as a shadow falling over the heart.

She deactivated the holocommunicator, leaving her words to hang in the air like a specter. Her gaze returned to the viewport, where the fleet's vessels maneuvered with precision, forming up for the coming assault. In the silence, her gloved hand rose to adjust the golden clasp of her cloak, a gesture of idle thought.

"Bring him in," Callidus said, turning her gaze towards the two Evocati Legionaries standing at the entrance of the bridge. The soldiers bowed their head, stepping through the threshold of the bridge for a moment. They returned, dragging between them the bruised and bloodied figure of a Jedi Padawan, the young twi'lek groaning as he was thrown to the ground before Callidus's throne. Callidus leaned forward in her throne, looking down at the Jedi with a dark smile spreading across her face.

"Now, I believe you were going to tell me the frequency you and your little friends use to cloak your Enclave," Callidus said, arcs of lightning beginning to cascade between her fingers.

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Hello all! This is just the opening post to set the stage for the coming battles. For the Sith among you interested in this story, you can either be aboard the Umbral Claw with Callidus or on your own ships brought in, once everyone has made a post we will get things rolling. For our Jedi friends, and other good guys types, you can either start on the temple grounds or in space, or wherever you wish honestly. If anyone has questions please don't hesitate to message me to help clear things up!

 

[Darth Imperius]

Allies: Darth Callidus | Open
Engaging: Open

Darth Imperius commended Callidus for her target and her thorough research with the captured padawan. It was an operation that would breach the wall and open opportunities to strike and eradicate the Jedi with relatively minor effort. This was not a military show of force, it was a testament of will, a clash of nature against its perverted defenders. In his years with the Imperials and Eternals his duties removed him from fighting the Alliance and their lackeys directly, there were more pressing enemies. More capable ones. But now, the Jedi were the obstacle that prevented the Galaxy from achieving its natural order.

It took neither negotiation nor convincing for Darth Callidus to acquire the Dark Lords aid for this. It was a minimal expenditure with maximal effect and just the opening of the floodgate. Violence would decide the victor, as it always did. Conflict was life. The Jedi considered it a last resort and yet fought, battled and committed atrocities just as any other person of the military would. Victory by any means necessary. It was in their blood just as in his, but he was not hiding it for hypocritical about his nature.

Next to the Umbral Claw another ship left hyperspace, its characteristic cross-shape silently gliding side by side with the Weaver of Fates' formation. Unit Dorn-7013 was not different than many of its other units, it was seemingly a random selection that bore neither preference nor value. Fact was, its selection had been calculated by the tiniest margins of energy usage as it was in an optimal path from the Dark Lord shuttle point to the hyperpsace jump. A calculation so marginally unimportant, that it would have an estimated one in a hundred-thirty-five-millionth of a difference to the one next to it. Both the GEMINI unit and Imperius saw the data and while the former acted on it, the latter noticed it but paid no further heed to it.

The Vehemence had landed in its small hangar and the Heir had positioned himself on the bridge next to the floating droid-captain. They did not speak to communicate and he was as connected to the ship as she was, seeing her data, reading it and evaluating before even she did. But she steered the ship as intended and expected.

Upon the command of Darth Callidus, Unit Dorn-7013 would unleash its drop-pods onto the location of the Jedi Enclave and swarm it with Skytroopers. Both to cause chaos, breaches, maybe even victory and to conceal their actual assault. Everything was ready.

So was Darth Imperius.

 

[Lady Varokscar]

Location: Umbral Claw {Bridge}
Gear: Lightsaber
Tags: Darth Callidus / Darth Imperius / Open

Between the parted doors, standing silently in the threshold, I observed the inside hanger of the capital ship, absorbing the sights and sounds, the busyness of those employed by the Sith to complete the final preparations, and the overall organization being delicately handled. It fascinated me, to say the least, how one commanded such respect, or fear, that any potential delays could result in permanent punishments, the prowess this Lord possessed with simple words. I wondered, inwardly, how much she desired her power, to what lengths would she ride the backs of those under her, whipping them and tugging their reins, to achieve a status befitting to the Gods?

And how much resentment had she given birth to these scurrying workers, plotting and waiting for that one opportune moment to strike back, to revolt and discard this overseer. Surely, one as powerful as this Darth Callidus could foresee the foundations of ruin, she was sowing, with the reaping just a breath away. But alas, I jettisoned such thoughts; for this held no effect over me.

Drawing the hood from my midnight black robe over my head, I exited the shuttle moving through the hanger, ignoring the stares from puzzled eyes, confused expressions painted artistically upon faces while I passed through uncaring of the unwanted attention. I was rare, unique, and of a species not often seen in the galaxy. To these laborers, I was exotic. From the hanger bay I continued my journey to the bridge, where upon my arrival caught the display of an interrogation being carried out. I hate Jedi, though I'm no friend of the Sith as well; but the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Noticing, though not publicly acknowledging, other Sith, in lowering ranks, were in attendance to witness the torturous techniques being exhibited by our gracious host, I causally watched the elaborate event before me. Where one could find the infliction of pain, one would find the Sith congregating like holistic monks; an addiction, or attraction, drawing them like moths to a flame. I found their philosophies, different but effective. And the Jedi, their dogmatic views were outdated as the Order itself.