The Times, They Are A Changin... [Corellian League Rebellion of Corellia]

[Iron Giant]

Unfortunately, despite the size of the picture the Captain saw... it wasn't the whole thing. There were small, tiny details, easily missed. Easily lethal.

Forty five seconds later, and a blast would shake a freighter, alerting the half dozen Resu in that ship they were in range, and which direction the Corvette was in. Iron Giant wasn't on this freighter, but her tactics were. A Resu Veteran, known as Steel Broker, was leading this half of this particular sequence. He was known for his intelligence, and was thus entrusted with this freighter. He had been the one to lead the operation which took the first Corsair, and now he was on to his second mission utilizing a different strategy that Iron Giant and many of his fellow Resu were against, because it had involved deceit.

Deceit, for the Resu, was extremely dishonorable. Although not always grounds for being exiled, it was a common cause. Luckily for Steel Broker, no such fate had come of him, although a great unpopular distaste for him was present. Nonetheless, few could argue against his deceptively brilliant mind and his efficient stratagems. Such efficiency was just now being put into use, and about to prove that the Resu could become more than what their tradition had shaped them to be. It was only on the approval of Iron Giant, who she herself was an exile, that the CybeResu were able to put in some measure of trust in Steel Broker, and if he proved to be successful... it meant big things for them.

At that moment, Steel Broker gave the command, and the escape pod blasted off into space rocketing towards the Corvette. Almost mmediately the Corvette's tractor beam slowed down the pod in time before it crashed and detonated across its hull. They wanted them alive, but unfortunately for them, they would see them alive. It would be revealed, that cables had been attached to the back of the escape pod, connected to the half dozen Resu, including Steel Broker, who were now landing against the hull of the Corvette with loud "thumps!". Much as before, they were on the surface of the ship unscathed. What was even better though, was that despite the presence of more than one ship, they were able to board both of them without sacrificing any freighters as they had done to initially take the Boneshatter now dubbed, Corellian Giant.

The plan was efficient.

(Post 13; Boneshatter - COMPLETE. Corsair [x1] - COMPLETE. Corsair [x2] - 3/4)

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Keira Ticon"] [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Dredge"] [member="Darth Vulcanus"] [member="Kytra Odran"]
--------------------------

It was a resurrection. Nothing quite like the Sith and their obsessions with coming back from the dead. Although to be fair, he had come back once or twice himself, so probably couldn't judge them there. In his defense, however, he had never attempted to kill a city to come back. Then everything went black, like a thick blanket draped across his forehead. But the silver in his scars glowed even more brightly. Then flames and searing heat tore through the room.

The children began to scream. Veino bit his lip as his focus on assisting Taeli slipped. The children were being burnt alive, the padawan was being possessed, and...wait. This one seemed strangely familiar. Images flashed through his brain. A man, young and proud and determined to reform the ways of the Jedi and save the galaxy from the Sith, atoning for past crimes at the head of the Ession Reformation, but there had been lingering darkness within. Then he had disappeared and Veino never saw him again.

A surge of the Light flooded through his body and he pulled away from Taeli and her Force Light. He threw his hands wide, casting out a wall of the Force around the children and himself. The heat dropped suddenly around them, but they were still hurt.

Veino's hands shook, then his arms, as he worked to keep the barrier. Every muscle burned with the effort. Then the fireballs hit the barrier and he stumbled back, momentarily losing his concentration. The wall vanished in a flicker, leaving Veino bent half-over to watch as things began to unfold.

"Vulcanus," Veino spat through gritted teeth as he pulled himself to standing again. He had to interfere before the kid lost her body. "We met before. You were hitchhiking on Cyril, weren't you."

Now there was no more time for diplomacy or games. His lightsaber slid into his hand, but the blade didn't ignite. Not yet. He wavered as he stood, skin singed and smoke rising from his coat, but he made his way to stand between the children and the Sith.

"If you're hoping to pester him again, he's long since vanished."

It was now that his lightsaber blade crackled to life. A beam of pure white silver, matching the white glow of the scars that traced their way across his body and his eyes.

"Go back to the Netherworld."

The Darkness was still pressing in on Kytra, and it would crush her. Dredge had already tormented and twisted at her presence, bringing her to the brink. He took a deep breath, feeling to the Force that emanated within his lightsaber and the Solari crystal within. It filled his limbs and mind- setting himself at peace.

In his mind, he could see the reflecting pool. Still and quiet, immovable. Its still waters seemed to permeate his spirit, becoming one and the same. The sense of what was coming settled a deep weight in his stomach, making him almost sick. But he had done it before, when Force Madness had threatened to overwhelm an entire Sith temple during an Alliance invasion.

it had unhinged his soul from his body, throwing his presence deep into the Netherworld. He had been at his peak then, a Master of the Force with amulets and Force bonded armor to strengthen him even further.

Now he had nothing, but he had to try anyways.

Veino opened his mind- dropping all mental barriers. His empath nature surged at the sudden influx of emotions. He could feel them all. No, once again, he became them all. Their rage, their fear, their pain, their conflict, their arrogance. Yet even more, he became their peace, their serenity, their love, their compassion. Both, not in equal measure, and one stronger than the other.

Veino Garn barely existed now, hanging on to his presence by the slimmest of threads- a purpose. He took in all that emotion and plunged it into the pool. The waters hissed, steamed, and frothed, but died down in the eternal stillness of its shadows. Silver glinted across its surface for a moment.

He saw himself there, from a distance, body still singed and coat smoldering. Smoke rose from the ends of his hair. Then he snapped back into his body, collapsing to his knees. Only one thing mattered now. That stillness had to go out.

Taking that stillness, cast it out into the room, pushing it into Kytra's soul- aiming to extinguish the fire within. Then it was gone and he was completely himself. His lightsaber blade extinguished. Hopefully that would be enough.

Still he hung by a thread until words slipped from his mouth.

"I am the protector of truth..." His senses sharpened, pain flooding through body, but he continued. "I am the guardian of worlds." Veino's voice was soft, distant, but growing in strength. He picked himself up, fingered clasping around the hilt of his saber. "The galaxy knows not of my existence."

He gritted his teeth and flung himself to his feet. He was Veino Garn. That he knew again. But who was Veino Garn and what did that mean? His voice rose, growing stronger with each word. "I pledge myself to the Jensaarai for I have found true life in the protection of those I love!"

At the last phrase, his lightsaber blade snapped to life once more and he took the opening Soresu stance.

Now Veino Garn, Jensaarai Defender, had truly returned.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Keira Ticon"] [member="Veino Garn"] [member="Dredge"] [member="Darth Vulcanus"] [member="Kytra Odran"]

Taeli wasn't exactly talkative at the moment, or one to make an exclamation about the rebirth here and the spirit's attack. Force Light was an exhausting ability, and even with Veino supplying additional strength to draw upon, she was still tired and needed a moment to compose herself. He had defended them from the flames, but even then, they both had caught some of the excess flames and smoke. Still, tired as she was, she still kept her attention and senses open, catching the name spoken by Veino on who the spirit was.

Vulcanus... can't say she remembered much about him from the annals of Sith history... oh wait, he had been an old emperor or some such, supported by the Graug. Before she had even become a trained Force User so she couldn't say she knew him very well at all.

Still... why try and possess the young girl? Was it because she was Force Sensitive or was it for some twisted reason that only the spirit, in its madness, could comprehend? Taking several deep breaths, she centered herself again and drew her own lightsaber. Not that it would do much good against a spirit... when the power of the Force would work so much better at putting him back in his personal little hole of the Netherworld.

 

[Leos Palle]

[member="Keira Ticon"] [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Dredge] [member="Darth Vulcanus"] [member="Veino Garn"]

Whether or not it had worked was completely lost to her. When the power surged through her, it nearly ripped her apart. The flames did their best to kill her, too, burning much of her clothes away and leaving her burned across a wide swath of her skin. Her hands suffered the worst of the burns, burned by the Force itself via the sword she'd taken hold of. In fact, she was successful, with the help of the two other Jedi, in stopping the ritual from killing many more of the people in the city than it otherwise would have, but there were still many dead, and the ritual may turn out to not even be the worst of it all.

When it was done, she collapsed in a heap upon the ground. Her eyes were closed, her breathing shallow. She was perfectly awake, but she found that she couldn't move her body in the slightest. She was a broken, burned mess. And the worst of it all was that now, a new monster had been drawn from the fathomless depths of the Force, returned to life from the hell it deserved to be in. A spirit of darkside energy.

It showered her in darkness, hemming her in. It need not have done so. She couldn't move away to protect herself even if she tried. Trapped in her own body. It was a hell worse than death, and made even worse by the revelation that now the creature that had been unleashed was descending towards her with ever intent of taking over her body and using it for his own ends. He was going to take her body and do heinous things with it. Worse things than even she had done in the past. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes, knowing that she would have rather died in her endeavor than be the cause of this monster being unleashed.

Then the dark woman spoke its name, and she felt something being done to her. Something being gifted to her by Veino. Stillness. It rushed into her, past the wall raised by Vulcanus. It didn't affect her body. No, it went deeper. She'd hurt the darkness within her with what she'd done, but Vulcanus had been drawing it back. The stillness from Veino, combined with the distraction of both him and the dark woman recognizing Vulcanus, allowed the stillness to race through her very being, shattering it into a thousand tiny shards.

In the minds eye she became nothing but bits of glass, falling into a black abyss. The glass became droplets of water; rain falling on a black pool. Each drop splashed harmlessly. At first they just added to the darkness, but slowly, the droplets became splashes of vibrant color. Each new splash pushed away more darkness, as each falling drop brought her closer to life. It poured within her, eating the blackness away until nothing was left but the color of life itself. She was whole again. She'd not been whole since before she'd been taken captive as a teenager. But now, with Veino's help, she'd returned to who she was.

She began to glow within. The Force welling with her. A light of goodness pushing back at Vulcanus as he attempted to Force her out. There's would not be a physical battle, but it was certainly a battle. She resisted because Veino had shown that he wanted her to. He'd given her a gift beyond what any ever had before: freedom from herself. She would use it to fight back against the beast with their help. Maybe she wouldn't have to die after all. Maybe.

 

[Iron Giant]

"What in the blazes?!" The Captain exclaimed as the report came in. "They launched escape pods at us, both ships?"

"Yes sir, and additionally it appears soldiers have landed on our hull! Sir, they are marching to the bridge!" Everything started to click in the Captains mind. He knew exactly how these monstrosities had stolen the Boneshatter, along with its smaller Corsair cousin. How there had been so many bodies floating in space... how an unarmed ship could be the minimalist transportation needed for a marine strike force to take down a ship leagues larger than themselves. Thoughts of a larger conflict crept into the Captain's mind... an old habit formed from the long war against the withering Republic, even as his inglorious empire fell apart at the seams. If the Alliance has possession of such a force that can infiltrate past all defenses and hijack star ships as quickly as they have... the implications were enormous.

The Alliance though had no need for ships... this was a different animal, a different kind of opportunist. Something the Captain wouldn't have long to dwell on.

"Sir, what do we do?" It was then he realized he had been silenced in thought... the realization of his imminent mortality prevented him from calming his deckmates. There was nothing they could do. Not really. Even as the Captain called in for One Sith troopers to fill in the bridge. It was all for show. The Boneshatter he witnessed being stolen had been owned by a local Sith Lord... if he could not stop the thievery and death he now witnessed, how could he, a simple Captain?

"By the force..." The Captain breathed as he witnessed the neighboring Corvette become hollow, as it vented its occupants out into space along with its atmosphere. Shortly before the heads of Steel Broker and his CybeResu kin brought their plasma jet to the transparisteel glass.

Both ships suffered the same fate, before sent into hyperspace to join the spoils of the CybeResu's flash war against the One Sith Navy in Corellia.

(Post 14; Boneshatter - COMPLETE. Corsair [x3] - COMPLETE.)

 

[Van Bri'tsyd]

Objective (done mind me just liberating another ship)

The greenhorn didn't say much, which was good, newbies should be seen and not heard in Cody's eyes. He was a far different commander than his half brother. While both cared for those in their command Cody was a leader first and formost. The mission came before all and today it was to bring this ship to the underground where it could start doing some good.

As the Coronel lead the small boarding team out of the shuttle and into the One sith ship they were greeted by the captain and his command staff.

"Are they safe?" it was the only thing the highest ranking officer asked.

Cody didn't answer so much as hold out a holo device. As it flickered to life the image of a middle-aged woman appeared and smiled as she looked at the lead officer.

"Felicia," he said. The the two began to talk about matters of family and personal secrets only she would know till he was convinced she was alive.

"Where is she?" the commander asked.

"Safe, we will take you to her, once this ship is secure," Cody replied.

Before she could reply a blaster bolt pierced his chest, spraying blood and gore around all who were near. From behind him a new group had appeared, dressed in black armor they looked to be some of the ships remaining marines.

"Traitor! You were always weak Noland, by the authority of the One Sith I'm taking command and you boarders are under arrest!"

Feth, though this might actually be an easy one...

[member="Victoria Treadway"] |[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]

8/16 Liberate the dark blade

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Cody Bantam"] [member="Victoria Treadway"]
9/16 of Dark Blade

Mara's empathic senses burned bright and hot with someone else's deadly intent. By instinct, she brought up the metal staff, though it wasn't much of a weapon. An instant later, hostiles rushed in and put a bolt through the Captain's heart.

She triggered the staff, put all her focus into it, and nothing happened. Nothing visible, anyway. But the killers faltered as guilt flooded their minds. Mara kept her focus on the staff and poured in what energy she could. The killers stood poleaxed until someone mowed them down with a long burst of automatic fire. Overwhelming guilt turned to pain and rage, then vanished.

She lowered the spent staff and tossed it back into the shuttle. A blaster rifle would have to do from here on in.

"Orders, Colonel?"

 

[Van Bri'tsyd]

Objective (done mind me just liberating another ship)
10/16

Cody held still for a minute thinking then pulled a cigarette from his ear and lit it. Taking a few seconds to enjoy the smoke he exhaled and blew the smoke at the downed death troopers in front of them.

"You two, yeah you're the only fething bridge officers left alive right?"

The two were stunned by the bloodshed but were quickly snapped back into reality by his words. "Yes, ... ah sir." one replied.

"Good then which way to the captain's quarters?"

Looking at the two behind him Cody added, "We play dress up."

Cody was in full improvise mode but he had a plan, for all the rest of the crew knew the shuttle that just docked could have brought them new orders or new officers, Cody planned to play the part of the latter. He was on board now, and committed to his mission. By hook or by crook, this ship was coming home with him.

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] | [member="Victoria Treadway"]

 

[Darth Vulcanus]

[member="Kytra Odran"] [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Veino Garn"] @Dredge


Vulcanus felt his power consuming the young Jedi piece by piece, his own essence burning her spirit away as fire burned away homes and forests. Soon he would have his prize, a body just powerful enough in the force to contain his degrading force presence but weak enough to be easily twisted to his will. He had learned this much from Choas, his spirit was far too powerful to be contained long in a body too weak or untraiend in the force, or one that had grown too powerful in the lightside. He would take this lesser's body as his own and with it, consume those who he had left standing in his first life.

"Pathetic little Jedi...now you witness true strength!"

As the last bits of light were being burned away from his victim, the Dark Lord felt something new. A presence pure in light and powerful in the light, it flooded into the young girl and pushed back against his presence. The burning eye turned back towards the Jedi, it's gaze resting upon Veino as anger filled the disembodied lord of fire.

"Jedi filth! You dare stand against me?"

Flames burst high into the air as Vulcanus' anger manifested itself. There was no time to continue this ritual with these Jedi in his way, soon the power of the sacraficed would wear away and he would be doomed to return to Chaos.

Never. Never again was he returning to the black heart of death.

Turning his attention to the Graug body that Dredge had sacraficed, he growled to himself. It was weak and untrained, his presence within it would give him months at the most before it withered away as his old body had. It would do for the slaughter of these ignorant lessers, however. "If you wish to challenge me, weak little Jedi. Then you will die screaming at my hands."

Vulcanus' voice echoed throughout the hollow tunnels beneath the city, the flames wrapping around Kytra receding and engulfing the motionless Graug corpse instead. The fire surged around the body, engulfing it from view in a vortex of black flames. The Jedi would catch a glimpse now and then, however, as the body shook uncontrollably; the eye of fire watching over it as it's arms grew larger and it's teeth longer.

The eye disappeared from view, the fire growing darker as the corpse began to move, it's arms raising it to its feet and it's eye growing sulfuric as it reached for the long Sith Sword being grasped by Kytra. Long claws wrapped around the hilt and with a strong yank, attempted to break it away from the young Jedi.

Scaley flesh peeled into ash, revealing the muscle tissue beneath. Already the Sith's new host was stuggling to keep a handle on the power surging through it's undead corpse.

"I see you, Krag"

The words shifted Vulcanus' gaze, dark, reptillian eyes resting on Keira who stood so defiant. The beast's teeth gritted and he starred down the Dark Jedi...she was strong in the force..her body was radiating with the darkside...she smelled of dark power...she would make a much better host than this weakling at his feet. And her face...her presence...it all seemed so familar...yes.

It was her. The one he had seen through the eyes of Choas and watched so carefully in her younger form.

A deep, booming laugh slipped between the gnarled fangs of Vulcanus,

"Ticon girl, I have seen you through the fire. A much more interesting challenger, I will kill you in a moment."

With that, Vulcanus turned his attention towards Veino and threw his open palm forward,

"But this whelp dies first!"

A swirling black vortex shot from Vulcanus' hand, faces and disembodied arms reached out from the swirling flames; souls trapped in eternal anguish. The very touch of the fire would beckon the soul from the body, touching the victim with the taint of Chaos.

"I have grown only stronger in death. The Eternal Fires are mine to control!"

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Darth Vulcanus"] [member="Kytra Odran"] [member="Keira Ticon"] @Dredge

-------------------------------

The shadow shattered away from the girl as Vulcanus moved his attention elsewhere. Just for a moment, it went to Keira. In that brief moment, the impact of what he had just done hit his body like a crashing speeder. He was drained by that effort, every movement heavy and difficult. What little strength he had left was in use just keeping him upright. Legs heavy as tree trunks, arms like weights. But Veino gritted his teeth and held up his lightsaber, its blade still burning white.

Vulcanus was focused on the Dark woman now. Ticon. They were an interesting bunch, from those he had encountered. Did tend to run more to the Dark Side, which was unfortunate, but nothing that could be done about it at the moment. Then the Sith Lord's attention came back to him. Volcanic eruptions of shadows erupted his way, filled with agonized apparitions and despair. It came from the Netherworld itself.

Veino deactivated his lightsaber and dropped it into his coat-pocket. The Force flowed through him once more and he raised his arms, sending a Force barrier between him and the incoming attack. It glimmered beneath the hellish flames that licked around the room. Then the shadows slammed into the shield and Veino felt the impact clear through his body.

He poured everything he had into that shield, sweat pouring down his face, but still it buckled and weakened. Then it shattered. The entire assault swarmed towards him and slammed into his body. Everything seethed with fire and agony.

But only for a milisecond.

Then Veino floated, disembodied, above his crumpled body, surrounded by fellow dead. Their screams echoed through his soul. Suddenly he was elsewhere.

It was a vast plain, with a massive tower rising beyond the sky. All was quiet and draped in thick mist. He had been here before, but couldn't remember when or where it was. Twice, wasn't it? The number of times he had been here? Time was immaterial in the place, everything simply was. Distant people made their way through the mist around the tower.

He was dead. Again. That brought a faint smile to his pale form. What was it? His second or third time? Did it even matter? A few moments that felt like centuries revealed that the answer was that it probably didn't. Two figures materialized in front of him. One was a boy in his teens, with a freckly face and cocky grin. The other was an old man, hair silvered and skin wrinkled by age, off-set by sparkling eyes. He knew them. The man definitely knew that for sure. One had been his best friend before a fatal accident. The other- his first Master. Yet their names eluded him- slipped from his mind as surely as the mist would slip from any attempts to grab it.

It wasn't important. Names mattered little here, for they had become one with the Force, and once once became one with the Force, what other name was needed? He bowed to them both and they returned it solemnly.

"Veino," they said, voices in eerie unison, "You must go back. Vulcanus' manipulation of Chaos frays the fabric of reality. The nature of the Netherworld was never meant to be brought into the afterlife."

That was his name then. Veino. He'd forgotten it again. It tended to happen in this place. Perhaps it was a shame or perhaps it was a blessing. He was no longer sure which was which. Going back was an option again then. How did he always end up getting sent back to the living world when he died?

"It is tied to your destiny," the two answered the unspoken question, "As the Sith tear themselves back into the living world, so you are sent to balance their blight upon the living."

A cosmic counter-weight. It was exactly what he had always wanted to be when he grew up. But he was here now and it was a place of peace, a place to unmoor from the pain of wars that dragged on too long and far too many lives lost.

"I'd rather stay," Veino said after a slow moment, following the curls of a mist around his hand. "Let others balance."

The two figures seemed to grow in stature and their faces took on a cold appearance before speaking again.

"You are Jensaarai. You are the Protector of Truth and the Guardian of Worlds. As such you pledged your life and an oath of such a nature follows you even after death. You were gifted by the Force with great empathy, to know compassion for the suffering. Do not turn your back on the galaxy now."

Veino stood there, watching as clouds passed. Years seemed to pass as he stared blankly forward, working through it. They were right, and it was a revelation he had just received. He was meant to be a Defender. Not in the Jensaarai manner, but in its truest sense, to stand between the Dark and those whom it would destroy. Whether he won or lost, any being he could save would be counted as a victory.

"I'll die immediately upon my return," he added as an afterthought. Such things usually caused distress, but for him, it was more of an absent-minded observation. "I don't have the strength to face him."

"We can help you," the two said, more figures materializing behind them. Jensaarai and Jedi that Veino had known, fallen to the blades of the Sith in the recent decades. "When we carry you back, we shall come with you. For as he has brought imbalance here by forcing spirits out to harness their power, so too shall we return and grant you ours. But time is short."

The mists and tower began to evaporate.

"One last thing," The voices said ,"Once you are back, you will no longer be as human as you were, for you are nearly one with the Force now. And if you die again, there can be no return. The galaxy shall suffer its imbalance. You must remain alive to maintain balance."

Veino sat upright with a gasp, chest heaving in the hot room beneath the city. Had that been a dream or a vision? Even now, most of it was fading rapidly. He caught the last line of Vulcanus' monologue and pulled himself to his feet. His eyes now were of purest silver that gleamed in the darkness.

"I did too, Vulcanus," His voice carried across the room, despite its softness. "The power of the Netherworld's not meant to be brought here. You risk forcing the mortal and after realms together into one. Let it go."

Another silvery gleam appeared beside him, then one to the other, and a few more behind him. Nobody would see them except for Veino and Vulcanus, but the presence of the Light could be sensed by all. Every tendon in his body ached with the pain of that last attack, but still he stood there. He had already been embodied, so he couldn't be sent back, but perhaps the damage could be contained.

"As Dark, so the Light, forever seeking balance," Veino intoned, "As are you, so am I."

 

[Keira Priest]

Instantaneously everything about her sixth sense extended itself forcibly outwards in an attempt to halt the attack made by [member="Darth Vulcanus"], a shimmering barrier manifesting between the twisted vortex and the Jedi. There was strain evident on her face, her muscles taught and the line of her jaw hard. Never had she made an effort to suppress a power of this intensity on her own, but while it caused her harm it also brought about a strange sort of volatile, highly destructive peace that only the Dark Side itself was capable of constructing. It was a paradox only those of their sort would ever truly understand, but it wasn't one she could maintain for long, lest she kill herself in the process. She wasn't about to give him that satisfaction.

Her hand shook visibly due to the effort needed to hold the full strength of his power at bay, that corruption slowly beginning to eat at her even as she pushed it back. What the dark took it always gave back, and oftentimes neither of those processes were pleasant. Pain and euphoria blended seamlessly into one, coexisting in some strange manner. A fraction of the difficulty was eased when she felt the Jedi exert his own will against the attack, and her barrier shrunk back just slightly as she moved to conserve her energy and implement another tactic, one that was liable to get her killed if she abused it for too long. It was in the next second the Jedi's guard shattered, and being suddenly overwhelmed hers did as well.

Slowly she opened up some kind of connection with that dark power the Sith emanated, drawing on just the barest fraction to fuel her own strength. Even that drove the breath from her, overwhelming all of her senses in a single rush before she managed to force herself back into the present. A jolt of raw energy tore through her, and she allowed herself to ride that wave, pulling it into her core. Almost at once she released it, a tidal wave of Vulcanus' own power flying towards him.

All at once a strange sort of exhaustion began to seep through her form, but she forced herself to remain alert, pushing past it for the moment. Her legs felt shaky beneath her, a spike of pain stabbing through her skull. "Breathe. In and out. Breathe." The voice of the AI was the only thing that brought her out of that stupor, and she coughed, shaking her head hard to clear it. It was then her attention turned to Vulcanus, a slight corruption having bled through her from drawing on the same well of power as the Sith. "He told me I killed you once." Communion with another dimension was a strange thing, but over the years she had learned to accept a lot of impossibilities as truths. "What's to stop me from doing the same again?"

[member="Veino Garn"], [member="Taeli Raaf"], [member="Dredge"], [member="Kytra Odran"]

 

[HK-36]

[member="Darth Vulcanus"], [member="Keira Ticon"], [member="Veino Garn"], [member="Kytra Odran"], [member="Taeli Raaf"],

The droid, who was supposedly still wandering the Corellian wastes aimlessly, reading through the mail he missed during his latest slumber, finally crossed his path with Vulcanus and the group trying to fight the malevolent spirit off.

The cloaked and armored machine rounded a corner casually, rubble cracking under his feet, puddle of some dubious ichor splashing through his movements, he stopped as he came upon the scene, scanning over it to calculate and determine whatever was going on, the letters he was shuffling in his hands stopped.

Finally he decided on a course to take during the tense situation,

"Hey, guys, what are you up to?"

He spoke up, still in his position, mechanical muscles prepared just in case someone was going to throw or shoot something at the machine. However, HK probably wouldn't be able to see Vulcanus' spirit, being a droid and all and not really present within the Force, while that did give him a benefit of not being affected by some Force powers, like Mind Trick, it also meant that the droid wasn't able to sense or see beings made from the Force, like Force Ghosts.

 

[Victoria Treadway]

Tori looked at Cody again, "Dress up" She looked at the officers and then really applied what he said.."oooohhh dress up." Slowly she smiled as she got the idea. So she imagined his plan was to pilfer a uniform and put the fear of the Outback into the others around them.

It might just work, she imagined, she had done a bunch of things in her time but this, yeah this was off the track and beyond her scope. But she'd follow and do what she was instructed to do.

It was difficult to follow sometimes the thinking, she wasn't sure she'd ever adapt to this way of thinking. She would have to develop her own, she needed to stand on her own feet...carve her future.

[member="Cody Bantam"] [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]

 

[Van Bri'tsyd]

Objective (done mind me just liberating another ship)
12/16

After cleaning up the mess the death troopers had started, Cody had the remaining command officers take them to the captains quarters. The uniform fit Cody a little more snug than he liked but it would pass for regulation. As he finished one of the remaining officers brought in uniforms sized to fit [member="Victoria Treadway"] and [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] . Not being a total scoundrel he left the room and gave them privacy to change. Once they were ready all three would head to the bridge and pose as the new command crew.

That is if nothing else when wrong...

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Cody Bantam"][member="Victoria Treadway"]

13/16

The uniform fit her like a flour sack, and it was a Small. She rolled up the sleeves inside themselves, freeing her hands but making a hard round cuff. That strategy wouldn't work for her pants due to regulation boot issues, so she folded the excess fabric along her calves and tucked the whole mess into the boots. She did something similar in the small of her back to deal with the baggy tunic. The belt, drawn tighter than was comfortable, gave her ensemble a measure of structural integrity.

One fully functional, marginally convincing Sith uniform: check. Even the regulation sidearm was too big to be comfortable, but she didn't have time to recharge the staff through meditation.

She'd avoided glancing at the other woman as they changed. Half-Zeltron or not, Mara had some sense of propriety. Now, though, Mara turned to her and snugged the uniform cap around her braid.

"How do I look?"

 

[Victoria Treadway]

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] [member="Cody Bantam"]


Tori looked over as she pulled the shirt over her head, "You look fine, its a little tight maybe it will stretch out some. Whatever you do don't bend over"

She pulled the pants on..yeah..they were big and it was all she could do to get the center up where it belonged..."I feel like I missed my era" She did a little dance and stopped. Ok she pulled on the boots..."feth...the people have little feet"

She pulled on the uniform jacket and buttoned it up...it was big..."Do you think they'll notice?"

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Victoria Treadway"] [member="Bryce Bantam"]

15/16

"Too tight? I did it too- Let's see." Mara reached around to the small of her back and untucked part of the long folded flap. That gave her a little leeway. She did the same with the trousers down by the boots, letting off a little slack. The uniform was much too large for her, but Treadway was right: you could overcompensate pretty easily, tucking and folding and all that. Eventually, as the sounds of combat filtered in from distant halls, Mara found some kind of balance, an arrangement of fabric that would let her move and fight while passing for a One Sith officer.

"I think they've got a lot more on their minds than ill-fitting uniforms," said Mara. "I'm an empath: I can push their worries elsewhere a little, distract them. People have their agency and all that, so what I do isn't totally reliable, but still. I'm betting I can keep the holes in our story from getting noticed."

She adjusted her cap over her braid and left the side room. "Good to go, Bantam," she said.

 

[Van Bri'tsyd]

Objective (done mind me just liberating another ship)
16/16 - All done

In all honestly this plan should not have worked between the ill-fitting uniforms and bad high Gothic accents any competent crew that wanted to see through this charade would have. But this crew was tired, battle weary and just wanted to go home. They bought into every word Cody said not once questioning where the other officers had gone. This was a way out of the constant battle for survival, taking punches like a concussed heavyweight shock boxer that was ready to turn in the towel.

So they were more than happy to hear they were heading to a safe port, one with good food and a place to hide. As the hyperdrive spun up and the coordinates were calculated Cody just looked over at the two.

"I love it when a plan comes together."

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] | [member="Victoria Treadway"]

 

[Ria Misrani]

CorSec HQ
Firemane Forces

The basement was torn, the paramilitary forces of Firemane Industries swore they could see the dirt beneath their feet. Equipment had been brought in to help stabilize the building, it'd been a long road from FOB Ashira to here, HQ Alcori. "Alcori to Ashira, you there?" Corporal Nassir asks, "Ashira you there?"

"We're-'ere-'ou-'opy?" Came the scattered reply and the Corporal slapped the communciations unit a few times, "this is Ashira to Alcori, we're here - holding steady, a lot of karkin' force activity going on."

"We've got HQ, well barely, did the teams make it back?"

"They did, where's Sergeant Matthieu?"

"She just got here, doesn't look great but we're fixing her up."

"Copy, we'll refortify and check back with you, Ashira out."

Nassir looked at the ragged table, sweeping her arm across it she swiped the dirt off and then rose from her folding chair. Boots crushing the dirt and rock beneath them, "Ashira's still holding," she then gives a motion of her hand to Sgt. Mattieu, "you good?"

"Yeah, just," she looked at her armor, "need some patching up."

"Where to next?" She asked Kala, as she walked down to help carry crates into the basement, "Sergeant?"

"Secure a route between here and Ashira, we'll need a steady supply chain." Kala mentions as she rises to her feet, "and that will be a battle and a half. We'll have to establish an outpost between here and Ashira, Outpost Harmony," her finger on the tablet with the display of the map, "where's Corporal Devaroux?"

"Here," Devaroux says as she walks into the basement and puts down a crate, and walks to the lift, "bloody feth, what happened here, someone set this off?"

"Yeah, looks like it," Nassir confirms, "we'll need to reinforce it."

"Aye, but we'll need engineers." Devaroux remarks and looks toward Sergeant Kala, "you called Sarge?"

"Yeah, gonna send you and Nassir on a little trip."

"Oh?" Devaroux quirks a brow and looks at Nassir, the two ladies are quick to form up side by side with their gear in their hands, "do tell."

"Here, go here, scout out the surrounding buildings and report to me," Sgt. Mattieus gave them but a look and the two Corporals were off, as the rest of their unit hauled in crates and other things to help secure the former CorSec HQ.