The Shadows of Life [ TSE Dominion of Ossus ]

[Lemon]

OSSUS

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AURIL SECTOR, OUTER RIM TERRITORIES | OBJECTIVE: 4

The dirt seemed to fade into stone with each step taken towards the old structure, lost to time. Overgrown foliage wrapped around each edge, flooding over every wall, floor, and ceiling. Constricting the lifeless corpse of a once populated building to the point in which it was to have it's supports torn out from underneath. A truly terrible place to make as one's home, but to each their own- this man was mad.

Booted footsteps of the Bounty Hunter echoed throughout. Fett found them louder then they had any right to be, much like the howling wind and whispering voice that trailed off the end of it. In the Mandalorian's experience, Jedi had always been one to avoid conflict, fighting only when necessary. Unfortunately for them, Koda Fett always made it a necessity. A variety of tactics were involved, it often changed depending on the opponent. However, disarmament always remained.

Fett tread carefully across the cracked stone flooring, the overgrowth ascending through the damage. The constant trickle of water ringing true, as the breeze seemed to speak. "You should not have come here." It sounded old, weary, weak. The Bounty Hunter did not respond. Acknowledging the voice was only going to give it satisfaction.

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[Darth Ophidia]

Objective: Watch and Enjoy.

Darth Ophidia was there, on the ground, when they had initiated their new hold on Ossus.

It was not the first time she had found factions of the light seeking to return there while the Empire encroached. For the longest time, they had held Ossus as a beacon of defiance against the Dark. She remembered raiding it with the One Sith when she was but a girl. The memory, in context of the present, made a smile creep over her lips.

Since the end of the battle, the Pale had stripped out of her armour, had some of her wounds mended, and met up with her piloting droid, Darling. He was a tall, humanoid figure of matte-black laquered metal and old imperial design given new interior. He held in his hands a frame, containing the severed and carbon frozen head of a twi'lek Jedi Master slain during the battle at the library. He had not yet had a chance to place it in the ship.

Ophidia, followed by her droid made an approach to the Dark Lord's procession from behind, making no effort to conceal themselves. And yet, the Pale seemed to slip into the background by default. The Rattataki could see him talking to another, seemingly female. Further details were difficult do extract.

She stopped at a respectful distance, making a slight inclination of her neck and waist to Carnifex and his guest, yet not taking her eyes completely off either.

[member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Corvus was a fool."

The Emperor made no attempt to disguise his disdain for the middle of the Raaf sisters, one whom he had butted heads with on more than one occasion during the war between the One Sith and Galactic Republic. Truth be told the knowledge that this desecration would cause her great emotion anguish made the Emperor experience something akin to joy, or at least a facsimile of the emotion. He had taken great pleasure in helping tear down the Republic and the Jedi Order she grandmastered piece by piece during the war, and now his dismantling of the Jedi Temple was the coup de grâce he had been anticipating.

"A fool for believing in such a failing ideology like the Jedi's, if only she had possessed your wisdom and foresight. Perhaps she would be standing here alongside you."

Another of the temple's annexes crumbled to the ground, automated drones moving in to collect the debris and further break them down until only dust remained. This was to be the future of all Jedi Temples the Empire came across, utter destruction.

Movement from behind them caught the Emperor's eye.

His lips parted in a charming smile, "Ophidia, my old friend. You look beautifully deadly as ever, come and tell me what you think of the temple's destruction."

[member="Taeli Raaf"] | [member="Darth Ophidia"]​

 

[Bethany Kismet]

Objective 2: Birth Fern and Flower
Nearby: [member="Coniferous"] [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] [member="Thyne"] and other fronds

With Coniferous's help, Vessa scrambled up onto his shoulder. Bare feet clung to his bark, but as always she was careful, respectful as she clamored up as best she could. Settling on his shoulder, holding on tight as he stood up to his full height, the girl peered up with emerald eyes to catch sight of something small and wild, already drawn to the forest and skittering up in the canopy, just beneath the shattered ceiling. Her legs swung idly as he lumbered over to the others, her attention only going to them once they were close.

"You're really tall!"

Of course, from her perch on Coniferous's shoulder, she was taller than the woman. Being the caretaker for a literal tree had the potential to mess with ones sense of scale, but Vessa hadn't forgotten that she was much shorter on the ground. Much, much shorter. She leaned over slightly, but despite realizing she could probably pat Joycelyn's head from this vantage, did no such thing.

Thyne, on the other hand, was way to short for her to pet from here, even if she'd been inclined.

"And you're pretty," she decided of Thyne, stating these things as a younger child might tend to- with conviction and without self consciousness.

Settling her staff into the crook of her arm, she answered the question posed. Coniferous was sometimes slow to speak, and this was something she could do.

"Something left behind by the Jedi, we think," she responded, face growing serious.

Coniferous didn't stop his plodding gait, so it was either follow them or stay behind. Of course, by this point, most of them had already made that decision. Swaying slightly with each of his long steps, Vessa continued.

"Maybe not something on purpose," she added, sounding very official. It would have been funny if how casually she had killed in the battle had not been as widely known. It was no secret that she had used the force to sprout seeds inside soldiers' mouths, strangling them from within, or choking them with vines called up through the stone of the library's foundations itself. "We don't think they knew to expect the forest's return."

Vessa stuck out her tongue and made a rude nose.

"Bunch of stupid-heads," she clarified that expression in case that wasn't clear.

"The forest always comes back."

 

[Dok Varuut]

Objective 3 - Exemplify The Sith
Location - Knossa, Ossus, Adega, Auril, Outer Rim

Dok took a deep breath, breathing in the clear air of the planet, much cleaner than what he had grown used to in his time among the Sith. In a way, it reminded him of Umbara, with it's vast untamed wilds and isolated cities. After a moment, he opened his eyes, pale blue orbs taking in the state of the town around him. He would have to spend some time with those memories later, for now, he had a job to do. Rising to his feet, and brushing off his coat, he looked around, debating as what his first course of action should be. Underneath the blue, and grey, fur rimmed cloak he usually wore was his Acolyte uniform, and unlike normal, he actual wore his cap to make him easier to spot as being in the public's eye was part of this mission. He shivered at the thought, he didn't like being so visible, he was most at home in the quiet darkness, though he never saw himself as an assassin, though several teachers over the years had hinted at him none to strongly that he had the skills necessary to start down such a path. If they were to be in the public's eye, then Dok would be in the public's eye, earning their trust, and hopefully, their loyalty.

Dok strode away from the bench he had been set on, and made his way to the very edge of Knossa, where the outcasts, or the poor tended to make their homes, and strode among them. He noted many different emotions on the faces he past, those who stayed where he could see them. Fear, anger, resentment, and some curiosity, after all, the cloak he wore hardly screamed Sith, but the uniform and lightsabers hanging at his side did. Dok ignored them, searching for an opportunity to make his mark, and perhaps finally take the next step up the Sith hierarchy, if one of the Knights or Masters noticed his efforts.

It didn't take long for Dok to find his moment, only about fifteen minutes of walking, a pittance of time. There before him was a rickety building, a multi-story shack built on old worn foundations that had long ago rotted away, and proved unstable. The thing itself was rickety, and as he rounded the corner onto it's street, it collapsed. Dok didn't even have to run, no one stood in his way as he strode through the gathering crowd, already some of them digging into the rubble. With a hiss, a lightsaber ignited in his left hand, glowing the ominous red that marked him clearly as a Sith. A few people screamed, he's sure he heard at least one person run, believing him to be lashing out in anger or to punish those digging. Instead, much to the surprise of many in the crowd, he began precisely cutting at larger pieces of rubble. With a grunt, and some exertion in the force, he began moving chunks of the rubble, getting the heaviest off the pile first, cutting into pieces those he couldn't move. It took a little time of him, now working alone, showing himself digging through the rubble before the others started to get to work again. They gave him a wide berth, still confused or fearful of him, but helped him dig, after all, there were still people in there.

As they worked, Dok had a moment of clarity and took a step back.

"Make room, there are going to be wounded. If you aren't going to help, step back, and let the others have room to work."

He was calm, and eyeballed the crowd, which quickly took several steps back as the first of the injured, an elderly woman, was dragged from the rubble. Deactivating his saber, he knelt on the ground next to her and checked her pulse. It was faint, and erratic, but still there. With a sigh, Dok closed his eyes, and called upon a technique that most Sith didn't use, a little technique called Vital transfer. Normally, he would put others in a healing trance, but with more injured on the way, and wanting to make a good impression, he chose this more tiring technique. By using is own life force, nothing permanent mind you, he could heal another's wounds by giving them his own energy. He wouldn't fully heal her, he didn't know how many were in the rubble yet as he was to busy with other things to stop and check, so instead, he gave her just enough that she would be able to wake up, and actual medics could treat her further.

He continued this cycle, growing weaker and paler, though it was hard to tale given his already white skin, as each new survivor was pulled from the rubble, and several who hadn't. Nine in total. Nine lives he had just saved in front of a crowd, and using his own strength to do so. Three lost their lives, and he gave the families space to grieve, though their incessant wailing grated on his nerves, he wanted to make them like their new rulers, not resent them. With his annoyance kept in check, Dok retreated to the side to drink some water, and eat some jerky he kept in his belt pouch, watching as medics checked wounds, and loaded up the injured to be treated in a proper facility. Tiring as this was, he believed it to be a good start to his mission, and chose to stay here, and wait until the crowd dispersed before moving on, making it seem as if he was insuring that if something else happened he would be nearby, when in reality he was just resting so that he could recover his energy.

 

[Lemon]

OSSUS

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AURIL SECTOR, OUTER RIM TERRITORIES | OBJECTIVE: 4

The voice persisted with various warnings, "Leave this place.", "This is not your fight.", and, "Do not be a puppet of the Sith." All of which promptly ignored as the seemingly old man rambled on, the voice flowed among the exaggerated breeze- wrapping around the entirety of the structure. As to where this Jedi was, Fett could not pinpoint. Nothing on his scanners, this wasn't good. A simple game of cat'n'mouse, but who was who?

A larger room was stepped into after the Bounty Hunter weaved through a particular set of rubble. Shattered stone falling to the ground, cracking once more as the man shuffled it out of his way. Old banners, ravaged by decay and war still soared in the temple. Their tattered weave aggressively waving in the wind. Foliage penetrated the walls, the windows, everything. The rapid movement of bare feet on stone could be heard, making it's presence known in every dark crevasse. Perhaps more then one entity as here. Fett shifted his weight, a combative stance assumed, sensors pinging but nothing could be fine. A cautious mind was all that could be offered now.

"You have come too far. I cannot allow you to leave, but you would not allow me such a commodity now, hmm? No, no, you wouldn't. You're a Bounty Hunter, a man of cruel breed and vicious nature. The presence you wield is... damaging. I will do the Galaxy a favour by ridding it of you." The ranting of an old man. Koda's sensors finally pinged. He had the location.

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[Kaira Eyeris]

Location: Temple Construction Site
Allies: [member="Lasky Rynn"] , The Sith Empire

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Kaira watched as the workers moved across the husk of the old temple. She stood upright, rifle in hand, her eyes searching for any signs of trouble. Exodus had been paid to work security for the site after workers went missing, and she'd seen to it that her men had coverage across the entire area. Any conventional adversaries would be spotted and detained. But, if this was something else, she could only hope that the amount of eyes she had on the problem would yield results. But, for now, there wasn't much to do except maintain the perimeter, and make sure everyone was doing their jobs.

Not that she was threatening the workers. That wasn't in her contract. But, the appearance of a group of heavily armored mercenaries did do wonders for morale.

One of her people, a young man with a sword and graying hair, moved around the perimeter on patrol, checking for signs of foul play. "Hey." She said, signaling to him as he stared up at the temple. "Find anything on your route?"

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Darth Ophidia"]

"Doubtful, my Lord," she answered, a thin smile on her lips even though her face was obscured by her mask and her voice altered. "She wasn't ready yet before her disappearance."

While Corvus had been slowly opening herself up to actually being a person and not a dogmatic Jedi, that had brought some... interesting side effects. While her goal may have been to eventually turn her sister and unite their family in the dark side, turning Corvus at the point before she vanished would have been ill-advised. Corvus had no way of controlling or dealing with her emotions in a way that would be conducive for a Sith. She would either suppress all emotion or allow herself to be swept by a wave of whatever she was feeling. It was a serious issue that had clearly been plaguing the current iteration of Jedi. Maybe if the Jedi actually taught their students how to healthily deal with their emotions, maybe fewer would commit destructive acts. Maybe.

Ophidia approached and... was her droid carrying a head? Behind the mask, an eyebrow would quirk up. The Rattataki's gaze was inquisitive, likely searching for anything that might reveal who she was. While several high-ranking Sith knew the secret, Ophidia didn't need to know it... unless the Emperor so decided. If he did, well it would be interesting as the last time they were near to each other, Taeli had been leading a Jedi assault team into the Sith Assassin base.

All part of the game of course, and it sold her cover quite well.

"Lady Ophidia," she said, bowing her head respectively.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Taeli Raaf"]

"Lord Emperor."

Not having a solid reference for Taeli's identity, she simply gave her a bow of recognition. Possibly the lady of secrets? - A name she had heard, but not found attached to a face or a solid record of deeds. It reeked of her own kind of work. It irritated her not to know, which showed only in the barest narrowing of darkened eyelids. She would rather not make assumptions or jump to conclusions without a good clue. Safe to say, she was curious.

"The efforts are thorough. Your workers are quick and efficient, -even zealous- in tearing down this house of lies." "I did expect a little more fire."

There was some cheek in her tone and just as she mentioned fire, a series of explosions sent an illuminated cloud of dust out from under a weighted blast cover; it was an effort made to dissolve the intricate mosaic floors and remove the very foundations on which the temple had stood. Ophidia seemed unfazed by the noise, save for the slightest curl at the left corner of her mouth.

"I am more excited to see construction commence." "It is easy to tear down, it is difficult to build something that won't collapse under its own weight."

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Objective 2: Birth Fern and Flower
Nearby: [member="Vessa"] [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] [member="Thyne"] and other fronds

There was silence coming from the tree as they plodded through the forest.

No.

Not through.

With.

The forest held no dangerous for Coniferous and those in his wake, similarly as he held no fear for all that it contained. It was of his, was it not? His and hers, their song entwined and shaping it as it flowed through ancient duracrete, ripping apart centuries if not millennia of mammal history to pave way for the return of the glorious forest of old. It was good, it was right and it had been long due as far as Coniferous was concerned. "The forest never truly left." His voice was as the shiver of leafs and the rotting of root to make way for the new coming tide of green.

Winter's end.... spring was coming.

"Nature does not leave by the will of the small, it sleeps... waits, until it feels the stirring of those in the... know." Rough face broke into a smile as he shifted slightly to catch Vessa's eye. "We will find the light there, little one." His pace did not stop as he glanced further to catch the eye of the other two mammals that followed them (in their wake more... they seemed strong, viable to be treated as living soil, no?)

Perhaps the forest would receive more to feed itself on this day.

"The Jedi seek to stop nature, they profess balance... they do not know what it truly means."

The slow track of his head moved back towards the path ahead. The forest around them listened to Coniferous' steps, roots slowly retreating, branches rising up just an inch as they walked.

No Sith under his protection would need to match their mettle against that of the forest.

Today they were friends.

Tonight?

Food, perhaps. They'd see about that.

 

[Sera Sadow]

Objective: 3 - Exemplify Sith Rule
Location: Knossa
Allies: [member="Jorryn Fordyce"], [member="Darth Lucifus"]

--

The 'simpering sycophant' ruse was always a gamble; fortunately, it seemed to have worked this time, if Jorryn's reaction was anything to go by. Sera fidgeted and hummed as she walked, a sickeningly sweet smile plastered on her face the entire time. And when her companion asked her a question, she responded with the sort of bubbly cheer that would have, under any other circumstances, made the young assassin nauseous.

"Oh! I was part of a militia when the Sith first arrived." Sera paused to giggle, and her voice took on a dreamy tone. "Of course, I ended up siding with the Empire. How could I not? I've seen what you - what we've, now, I guess - done to the Galaxy. When the Sith come for you, you serve. Or you die."

She was going to need a bath to feel clean after this. Possibly in lye.

And then, a small mercy. Before the duo reached the door, one of the Force Presences littering the admin building approached them from behind. Sera had taken note of its source earlier - a strikingly young Epicanthix man, with light brown hair and a scarred face - but, seeing as this was now Sith territory, hadn't paid him much mind. He was a Sith, same as most everyone else here.

The Sithling-in-Disguise turned on her heels at the sound of the man's voice, her head bowed in respect and her hands folded behind her back. In keeping with her submissive facade, she declined to speak, instead opting to follow her 'superior's' lead.

 

[Joycelyn Zambrano]

Objective 2: Don't burn the Fern and the Flower

"And you are very small."

Joycelyn gave a reassuring smile when she talked to Vessa- Well, she tried. Joycelyn was not very comfortable talking to children. She had never received that part of being raised in a large family. She only ever gave a damn about Evaelyn and herself. Though, some did grow on her a little.

The Vahlacanthix snickered at the comment on Thyne as pretty. It suited him.

As they walked through with the forest, Joycelyn kept a hand lingering on the hilt of her blade. She did not look overly ready to draw, rather it sort of rested against the grip and guard. She felt the familiar sensation growling through her arm, tickling her mind with its hate.

Jeeediiiiiiiiii​

​

"Whatever they left behind, we will have it sorted out."

Joyce was not one to think so much about nature. She had many thoughts about fire, how it worked, how to wield it, worship it. Trees were unfamiliar. Sure she had seen them. She could remember felling one on top of an opponent once. It was a good fight.

"The Jedi profess stagnation. A still pool where they can collect the algae they call their wisdom. Still pools are never clean, they are putrid." "A river is clean because it moves." "Fire is clean because it destroys all that clings to it, but cannot control it."

Trees? She didn't know about trees.

[member="Coniferous"] [member="Vessa"] [member="Thyne"]

 

[Thyne]

2 - But I wanna burn the Fern and Flower

The girl wasn't wrong when she called Joycelyn tall. He absolutely agreed, she was very tall. Ridiculously tall. It honestly wasn't fair just how tall she was. But that was to be expected, honestly. She had both years and genetics on the boy, both of which were out of his hands entirely.

But him? Pretty? He could feel his cheeks and neck grow warm, could only imagine the shades of red they'd no doubt turned into in patches. Joyce's snicker only added to his reaction, the boy suddenly wishing the poncho he'd been given came with a hood, particularly one that would hide his face from his compatriots. "Uh, th-thanks," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets, face making a point to stare at the forest floor that had suddenly become so entirely interesting.

As they walked on, he remained mostly silent, keeping close to the one familiar face as he listened to the trio discussing their foes. He found his mind wandering as they walked, at times not paying attention to his fellows, a couple distracted steps sent him nearly tumbling to the floor.

"So are we to be your guards?" he asked both tree and human, looking up pat the duo. "Or is this some sort of test?"

[member="Vessa"] | [member="Coniferous"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]​

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

Objective: Exemplify Sith Rule
Location: Knossa
Allies: [member="Darth Lucifus"] | [member="Sera Sadow"]

Her cheeks glowed a nice shade of pink as a grin grew across Jorryn's face, listening to the girl's admiration of the Sith and their exploits. Praise of the Empire would never go unappreciated by the Inquisitor, especially if it was something that she was personally involved with.

"Well I'm certain you'll find your place in our empire!" The Echani's own voice unwillingly matching the joy of the girl's, the bubbliness of her infecting the Sith's own attitude. "Plus it's better than serving any Jedi these days."

Jorryn's sweetness was cut short however as a man took his place up behind the girls before announcing his attention to join the pair, a quick action that caused the acolyte to slightly jump as the words parted his lips. The acolyte took a defensive stance as she faced the man, quickly observing his copper hair and scarred face.

"Actually I do." She said before quickly regaining her composure and staring the man down. "Who do you think you are to order me?"

The silver haired Sith hardly waited for the man to clarify before introducing herself, an impatient tone carrying the words.

"I am Inquisitor Fordyce and this is..." The words trailed off in an unsure voice as her eyes turned towards the girl flanking her side, a look of questioning in her amber gaze. "I actually haven't gotten your name yet, have I?"

 

[Vio]

.

 

[Saeva]

Objective: Open challenge

Location: Forest, outskirts of Knossa

Weak. Weeaaaak. The city reeked of weak.

And it meant he had nothing to do. But claiming dominion bling after one mere post seemed a touch undeserved, and so here he was, doing nothing.

Meditating on a bed of grass and moss.

Arsaces had no unit to respond to, no superior officer, no sub-cult to adhere to. Probably he ought to apply. But instead he had just sort of showed up. He fit the bill, and not too many questions were raised.

Saarashashin, perhaps? Saarashins? Saareshians? No. His eyes opened, and pulled out his datapad. He couldn’t get it out of his head now. Had to look it up.

Search… Search… Scroll, scroll, scroll- okay, there it was. Saaraishash. Okay, he had been close enough. The was almost reason enough to pick the other groups, but then again he probably shouldn’t judge a book by how difficult it was to pronounce.

The Shasharians could be a fitting outfit for him. He wasn’t really sure about the assassins. Were there anyone else he forgot?

But he was getting distracted. He was supposed to meditate. His mind was too distracted. Yes, no superior officer had a tendency to aid in that whole slacking off business. The they were strong, Ossus was weak. It wasn’t like they were crying for reinforcements.

His mind focused once more, and he began replaying past fights, and those he had observed of others. Typical moves, efficient counters to useful lightsaber styles. That sort of thing.

 

[Lemon]

OSSUS

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AURIL SECTOR, OUTER RIM TERRITORIES | OBJECTIVE: 4

Sporadic movements. Proximity pings were a constant, never fading, never slowing. There was no doubt in Fett's mind this was a trap, or perhaps a willingness to accept death, and have it meet him face-to-face one last time. None of which mattered in the end. Both these men were two cogs in an intergalactic machine, none altering the state of the people who resided within the galaxy. Just pawns, to a degree.

The Jedi dedicated his entire life to them, promising to stay behind and become a defender until his dying breath. What was he defending? A place of sentimental value? Outdated information, stories from long ago? One might even feel pity for a man lost in his own mind, trapped for an eternity as his faith consumes him.

The Bounty Hunter was a different kind of slave. He sought the credit, he sought the reputation, he sought the desire to be someone in a galaxy full of no-one. Ultimately, he got what he longed for- but once one hole is full another appears, and thus, maybe it is the smaller things in life that maintain that sense of happiness.

Fett stood within the doorway, now. His T-Shaped Visor stared down the small flight of stairs, earning the eye of a weary, old man. An Aleena who's skin had dulled in vibrancy, cracked in the sun, bones that had stiffened, and a mind that had fragmented. "I am sorry, but you have chosen your path." The Lightsaber in his grip extended it's blue blade as movements in the direction of the Bounty Hunter were made.

The Mandalorian hastily reacted. The Blaster Carbine that rest within his two hands had been raised with one, pointed in the direction of the Jedi. The sound of the aforementioned blaster echoed throughout the ruins.

---

 

[Bethany Kismet]

Objective 2: Birth Fern and Flower
Nearby: [member="Coniferous"] [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] [member="Thyne"] and other fronds

She had smiled and nodded, a little shrug along with it when Joyce said she was small. She knew it. But that was okay! Small was good she thought (it felt right in a way only a few things did). It meant she was quick and could get into places bigger people couldn't. Though, she did wonder what it would be like to be tall and strong.

That sounded good too.

She did SIDE EYE her slightly over the fire comment.

Mammals and their fire. Ugh. Savages.

Tilting her head slightly, she blinked at Thyne after his comment.

Reaching up to tap her chest, she smiled.

"I take care of Coniferous. Protect him. Help him grow, himself and other things. That's my job." It was clear that the girl took great pride in that.

"I don't know why you're here," she said truthfully. Her head tilted the other way, looking him up and down. "Haven't you figured that out yet? You're a lot older than me. You should know by now."

Clearly, she was talking about more than simply any 'assignment' in this moment.

The shadows ahead of them parted, and the group slowed, stepping carefully into a clearing. Nothing was immediately visible, it didn't leap out at them. But they could see how whatever was in this area was affecting the forest. Around the edges the trees were stunted, smaller plants withering. The moss crunched under their feet and Vessa frowned.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"A shame then."

A lie, but the Emperor quickly brushed it away as Ophidia neared. "If it's any consolation, once our historians and archivists finish stripping the temple of any valuables I will have flametroopers cleanse the interior before we further dismantle it." As the Emperor spoke, a large hovercart full of priceless artifacts, tomes, manuscripts, and other Jedi iconography was wheeled out of the temple's entrance and carefully maneuvered down the large stepped approach to where other cartloads had been positioned. An army of archivists were busy scouring through the collected information, cataloging it, and distributing it to different zones where they would be packaged and sealed in preparation for a final journey to Bastion.

Those that proved to be of no worth, or contained information that was already known to the Empire, was tossed aside into a large pit of crackling flames to crumble into ash and smoke.

"To defeat one's enemy, you have to know them. Their tactics, their philosophy, their ideology, everything about them must be at your fingertips. The better you know your opponent, the easier it will be to crush them under heel."

[member="Taeli Raaf"] | [member="Darth Ophidia"]​

 

[Darth Athora]

As Zahori walked up to the group of Neti currently disturbing the progress, the Neti each had looks of disgust and frustration on their faces. Zahori merely looked eager. She was ready and waiting to hear the Neti's complaints and deal with them. Permanently. "What's the problem?"

What appeared to be the eldest of the Neti stepped forward. "My people have made our home on this moon many centuries ago. Generation after generation have passed by in peace and now you have brought your instruments of war here, threatening the lives of my family. All I ask is why?"

"Simple, my dear. War is inevitable. You more than likely saw how the Sith went unchallenged in our previous attack on Ossus. And now we take the planet for ourselves. Your people willingly accepted the Republic on this moon long ago, you will accept us here. Or face destruction. The choice is yours."

The Neti elder sighed. "Come, my child. Bring the amulet."

A younger Neti waded through his family to the front, holding an object in his hands, wrapped in cloth. He brought it to Zahori, holding it up for her to take.

"What is this?"

"Something you will have more use for than us. This is our gift to you. I hope it will ensure my people's safety from your kind. We just wish to live in peace."

Zahori picked up the item from the child's hand and unwrapped it. It was a red jewel embedded in a gold chassis. It carried with it a strong dark aura. "It's an amulet. A sith amulet. Where did you get this?"

"Does that matter? It's in your hands now. All it has done to my people is cause trouble. It takes the minds of others and turns them to mush for the one wielding it to mold how they see fit." The Neti turned and walked away, likely returning to their home. Zahori looked over the amulet again and again before returning to the FOB.