Public The Shadow Raid

[Kahlil Noble]

"Their leadership is on the way, feels like."

Kahlil took a breath as he set down a cluster of Kyber, then reached a hand down to pull them up. The Force swelled in an instant, stone and rock forming over the gems into forms vaguely humanoid. They moved on their own, circling around the runes he'd set in the middle of the room. They flared to life as the golems got to work. In an instant the whole of the Temple was shrouded in a barrier.

The kind that couldn't be shot through, but walked through.

"But now they've no choice."

Valery Noble

 

[Drystan Creed]

JEDI ENCLAVE: ARCHIVES

Equipment: Standard in Bio | Blaster Rifle| Grenades

In the main hall of the archives, Drystan perched silently in the rafters, a sharp gaze scanning the dimly lit expanse below. The sensors embedded within the archives pinged softly, detecting a presence. Without hesitation, Drystan tapped a series of commands into his datapad, gaze narrowing as the feed confirmed what he already knew.

The hallways of the archives stretched tall and narrow, their sterile lights providing ample vision. That clarity lasted only a moment. A sudden, sharp click echoed through the corridors as the lights began to shut off one by one, plunging the space into an oppressive darkness.

A deep and unnerving silence followed, broken only by the faint hum of the enclave's systems. Then came a high-pitched whine from the public announcement speakers, piercing through the silent void like a drill.

Drystan's voice followed, cold and laced with venomous disdain. "Let's talk." The words lingered in a subdued threat.

"You have committed crimes against the Jedi Order. Trespassing. Assault. Terrorism. Murder. Surrender now, and I will guarantee you a life sentence in a maximum-security penal station." His tone darkened, a promised consequence layered beneath the feigned offer of mercy.

"If you don't comply, well…" Drystan let the words trail off into static before cutting the feed. The hallways ahead remained cloaked in an inky blackness, an abyss that seemed to swallow all light.

Ellissanthia

 

[Lady Varokscar]

Location: Ground - Heading to Down Fighter
Gear: Lightsaber
Tags: Darth Callidus / Darth Imperius / Dannica Pastel

The back of the transport shuttle dropped, slamming briskly against the concrete surface. From the opening, a flood of troops poured out, blasters blazing, testing the early defenses of the enemy. I, with little regard to medals or stories spun of my heroics, causally strolled down the ramp, observing the surroundings. Above, several fighters from both sides were heavily engaged in aerial combat, pilots challenging the skills of their counterparts, whilst ground-level an intensified battle was roaring around the Temple; the source of this chaos.

The Temple, along with the Jedi and their supporters, would not easily be persuaded to give up its secrets; they would fight bitterly to protect those sources of what they held to be sacred. A cause, I found obscured by doctrinaire ideals, they would willing sacrifice their live for, such sweet little lambs. It was through the chatter that reports rushed in of down enemy fighters to the east of the Temple, survivors trying to indoctrinate themselves into the defending ground forces. This would pose problems, for scattered fighters would simply outflank the main assault causing causalities whilst they moved back behind the lines to regroup.

I looked at the Temple, seeing she was not ready to be impregnated, and made a decision. I would let the Sith front-liners die courageously in their proposition to capture the Temple, while I would take a few soldiers with me to hunt down survivors. To my delight, there was indeed a down fighter, with a lone female survivor Dannica Pastel resting in the ship's pilot seat. I ordered the troops to fan out to look for any others, I would handle this one.

"There is an old saying among my people," I said retrieving my hilt while calculating steps brought me closer to the pilot, "That it is far better for the fly to die in a crash than to be ensnared by a spider's web. consumed leisurely."

 

[Dannica Pastel]

The pull of the Force urged her back to consciousness.

Get up! It whispered. The darkness is here.

The blurry red outline of a Sith lightsaber as it ignited…the low hiss of it echoing in her ears….the sound of boots scurrying over the ground….these were the sights and sounds that compelled her to shake her head and climb out of the fog she had been sleeping in.

Danni inhaled sharply and groaned while she tried to slither from the broken cockpit. She slipped over the side of the ship and dropped into a pile on the other side, turning her face away from the oncoming troopers, and the dark figure leading them with her lightsaber.

It's a Sith. Danni closed her eyes and doubled over, attempting to stand on two feet. Her hand fumbled for the hilt on the waist of her brown robe.

The Sith! They're here.

She exhaled slowly and clutched onto the side of the ship. She would not show fear. This was the time to defend Sedasia. It had been her home for twelve years.

The Jedi Knight appeared in front of the Sith woman, igniting her blue blade and raising it in front of her with one hand while the other pressed into her side, nursing a bruise from the fall.

She looked at this dark creature - something she had never seen before, and therefore had no name for. She was some creature of the night - black hair, large bat-like ears, and eyes that knew only the dark side.

She looked like a dream, emerging from the smoke that was now rolling over the meadows and plains.

"Stop right there!" Danni called out. She began carefully circling away from her ship, her back to the Temple, keeping an eye on the troopers who were under this Sith witch's command.

She ordered them away, and they scattered over the plains.

"I won't let you into the Temple…" she called out.

Lady Varokscar

 

[Ellissanthia]

Location: The Archives of Solace, Temple of Solace - Sedesia
Tag: Drystan Creed

Ellissanthia pressed deeper into the shadows, her azure-hued features shrouded in darkness as the lights cut off in sequence down the lengthy hallway. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the lack of light, the violet hues of her pupils illuminating to pierce through the gloom. Even feeling the weight of hidden gazes upon her, the Undine registered an irresistible surge of pride in the fact that she was among the first of the raiders to reach the archives. Whether it was through simple luck, daring, or some other quality, she had made it further than the others.

And it was she who would have the pick of the prizes waiting within.

Drystan's voice followed, cold and laced with venomous disdain. "Let's talk." The words lingered in a subdued threat.

"You have committed crimes against the Jedi Order. Trespassing. Assault. Terrorism. Murder. Surrender now, and I will guarantee you a life sentence in a maximum-security penal station." His tone darkened, a promised consequence layered beneath the feigned offer of mercy.

"If you don't comply, well…" Drystan let the words trail off into static before cutting the feed. The hallways ahead remained cloaked in an inky blackness, an abyss that seemed to swallow all light.

Without breaking her stride, Ellissanthia rolled her eyes, pristine teeth bared in the process. In her mind, the message served as a convenient warning, as the Undine now knew for certain that she was being tracked. Thus, she instinctively magnified her already potent senses, webbed ears twitching as sound from sources both far away and unseen filtered into her awareness.

If all went according to plan, she would be more than ready to meet the ambushes and surprises lying ahead.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Pulsiva Bodysuit Mk. II
  
  • Boots
    
    • FAE/A-14 Energized Foot Gear
      
      • Jetboot Thrusters Removed
  • Helmet
    
    • FAE/U-06 Collapsing Mirrors
  • Miscellaneous Equipment
    
    • FAE/C-04 Dermal Hydration System
    • FAE/U-01 "Serenity" Anti-Signal Field System
  • Aesthetic and Accouterments
    
    • All White Coloring
    • Eclipse Sect Symbol - Left Breast
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
• Standard Lightsaber
  
  • Purple Blade
• Supernal Infusion Vials
• Spirit Anchor Talisman

 

[Darth Callidus]

Tags: @Ope, descending to the surface

Darth Callidus stood at the viewport of the Umbral Claw, her hands clasped behind her back, as the first fiery blossoms of the bombardment bloomed on the surface below. From her vantage point, the strikes were distant and silent, a grim spectacle of precision and destruction. The Jedi enclave, once a bastion of tranquility nestled among the serene valleys of Sedesia, was now engulfed in chaos and flame.

Her amber eyes narrowed as she observed the unfolding devastation. Reports streamed in over the ship's communication channels, each one painting a clearer picture of the chaos her forces were unleashing. Skytroopers had landed in swarms, their metal frames glinting amid the smoke and rubble as they advanced. Resistance was immediate and fierce, as expected, but it was uncoordinated. The Jedi defenders were scrambling to organize under the weight of the surprise assault.

A smirk flickered across her lips as a report confirmed the accuracy of the bombardment coordinates. The positions of Lady Falentra and Lord Dvasius had been engulfed in targeted strikes, forcing them to act as unwitting vanguards. "They're performing admirably," she murmured, her voice a purr of amusement.

Turning away from the viewport, she addressed a waiting officer. "Prepare my shuttle. The time has come for me to join the battle. Inform the ground forces to hold their positions and maintain pressure. I will lead the Evocati Legionaries personally."

The officer bowed deeply, quickly relaying her orders. Callidus walked briskly through the corridors of the ship, her cloak billowing behind her as she approached the hangar. The hum of activity intensified as she neared, the air alive with the sound of engines powering up and troops making final preparations. Rows of Evocati Legionaries, clad in dark, imposing armor, stood at attention near their shuttles, their discipline and readiness a testament to her exacting standards.

As she entered the hangar, every movement seemed to slow, her presence casting a palpable weight over the gathered forces. The Legionaries snapped to attention, their salutes precise and synchronized. Callidus swept her gaze over them, her expression impassive but her eyes burning with resolve.

"Legionaries," she said, her voice cutting through the din with commanding clarity, "the Jedi cower behind their walls, clinging to their hollow ideals. They will soon learn the price of their arrogance. You are the hammer that will shatter their defenses, the blade that will carve their illusions apart. Show them the strength of the Dark Side."

She strode toward the lead shuttle, pausing only to survey her assembled forces one final time. "We descend as one. Let none stand in our way."

With that, she boarded the shuttle, its ramp hissing closed behind her. The engines roared to life, and the ship lifted off, joining the others as they descended toward the raging battlefield below. Darth Callidus sat in silence, her mind sharpened to a single purpose. Soon, the enclave would fall, and with it, the Jedi's fragile illusions of peace.

And soon enough, she would have her prize.

 

[Darth Imperius]

Allies: Darth Callidus
Enemies: Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble

The Dark Lord had steered his shuttle to a small stone platform about a hundred meters from the Enclave's walls and the chaos that engulfed it. There were still drop pods crashing down, some busting open like dropped eggs on the shield the Jedi conjured, others simply dropping outside of its limits and spitting out their droid fighters.

The Skytroopers were not issued special command units due to their expandable deployment. A decoy, an inconvenience. They were to keep the enemy busy while the actual fighters advanced. Better programmed and equipped than B1 or other clunky clankers, they would prove more than a nuisance to the lesser Jedi and ordinary guards if there were any but still no match for the experienced, battle hardened veterans that were around. It mattered not.

That was why Darth Imperius was here.

His lightsaber hummed in its unstable sound, the crimson blade pointing downwards as his steps crossed the rocks, rubble and even burning debris on his way to the walls of the Enclave. He knew there was a bigger plan here, Callidus would not merely raid it for the fun of it, even though it was a valid blow to the Jedi - she was seeking something. And to make sure she would get it, someone needed to draw in the major attention. His large figure and the aura, a menacing shadow laying over the Force as if an eclipse removed the sun while only hinting at a singularity of pure wrath, should be enough to find what the enemy had to offer. And if he had to switch to his sword or not.

The tall Zakuulan rushed forward, a group of Skytroopers ahead of him, the blasters firing away as they apparently had a target solution or laid covering fire. An explosion erupted in front of them, desintegrating two of them, while the others swarmed to avoid suffering the same fate. Imperius did not move from his path though. From the outside it was simple show of determination of willpower, maybe even stupidity to go straight through the middle - but inside his mind and helmet, he knew everything. Every Skytrooper transmitted to him and by now he had a very clear vision of what was going on, where, who was involved.

They breached a portal towards the sanctum, the Jedi who had stood guard was a collapsed corpse, bones shattered outside. It was the mixture of combat feed and the Force that guided him here. That showed him where to find the challenge he was seeking. Two figures stood together, their radiance impressive.

His lightsaber was still in his hand, having tasted blood had sent shivers and needles down his spine. The pain of it in his hand always a reminder of focus and concentration. The crimson blade raised towards the two, wordless, in challenge.

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Sedesia
Objective: Defend the enclave
Tag: Lady Falentra / Lord Dvasius

A few hours later...

Hellfire rained down upon the planet like a hail storm, destroying and leaving no trace of what was before when it made contact. Silas, who had been helping defend the inside of the enclave temple had been well sheltered from the bombardment. It only took one direct hit to change that, thankfully for now the temple had only been partially affected by what was going on outside.

At the same time, they were also facing wave after wave of Sith who were determined to crumble the foundations of the Jedi. None of them made it through yet, and it would stick that way for as long as Silas breathed.

Cutting down the last of the stragglers, Silas took a deep breath and looked to his Jedi brothers "That all of them?!" Silas shouted out loud, which was answered with a few silent nods by the other knights "Good, we must keep strong for the next wave to arrive." he said to all of them as he looked down the same stairs he was sitting on hours before.

They were feeling the strain, but that wasn't going to stop them.

Just when he was about to turn around, a bloodcurdling screaming erupted in the area. It was one of pure agony and hatred, almost like the person had lost something dear. Silas knew the sound of such things firsthand, you can never get used to such emotion even if it isn't affecting them directly. There was no way he was going to investigate, but from what he could sense whoever had been desperate for revenge was quickly coming their way.

Sighing, all he could do was prepare for the broken individual coming his way. Like the rest of them, if they did not falter, they'd also be dealt with appropriately. ​