Populate Through The Fire | GA Populate of Ponemah Terminal

[Gorthalon]

OBJ. 1: I Hate Sand.​

​

Atmosphere.
PONEMAH TERMINAL
LANDING BAY & REFUGEE RELIEF CHECKPOINT
Tag: Elpsis Kerrigan
Nearby: Kalie Alverez
TLDR: Gorth approaches Elpsis and basically asks who she is.​

The Yuzzem sniffed the air. His snout was unable to register anything other than a crucible of body odors, all from different species; pheromones professing the varied psychological burdens of the masses, ultimately culminating in a sour note he could only describe with one word; desperation.

- Is there more? – Gorthalon inquired, looking down at a military officer tasked with distribution. – Yes. Don't know about details, but there's an incoming shipment from someone outside the Alliance. – The officer cleared his throat that has dried out by the non-stop talking. – It looks big. You'd help by sorting it out. – He nodded in a general direction. - Platform three. – The Yuzzem looked over the crowd, sighed, and in his utterly deep voice added. – I'll take care of it.

Confidently he crossed the rows of people waiting for whatever may get them through the day. – Please, wait in line. – He said to most. – No, the Maw didn't follow you here, sir. You're safe. – After being stopped again and again, it took more time to reach the landing platform, but once he got closer, he immediately recognized the entourage that the distribution officer referred to. The sight stopped Gorthalon in his tracks. A visibly close-knit and well-equipped group of off-worlders like himself; yet one stood out above all. A stunning, young woman with pale eyes whose face was severely scarred – the scars themselves aglow like embers. Truly a contrast to the ghostly faces surrounding her. A slight limp in her gait immediately revealed that she had a cybernetic leg; combined with the visible robotic arm, the Yuzzem concluded that the person sternly giving out orders in the distance was no ordinary dignitary or ambassador. Far from it.

Gorthalon quickly recognized the lightsaber at her hip, and the strange features suddenly felt more understandable. He woke from his pondering slumber and decided to approach the lady. His enormous stature, combined with his heavy, rumbling steps evidently forecasting his approach, he looked straight in the eyes of the mysterious stranger.

The wind picked up a little, sweeping dust and sand across the crowded platforms and ruffling his light brown fur. Lifting his chin slightly, his sharp fangs reflecting the mid-day sun's hollow rays of light, Gorthalon greeted the young lady. – Excuse me, ma'am. – The Yuzzem bowed slightly, unsure of how politically important the person he's addressing right now is. – My name is Gorthalon, and I'm with the Alliance Army. – Calmly placing, then releasing his open palm from the Starbird insignia on his chest. – I'm here to assist with distribution. May I ask who the generous donor is? – Gorthalon did not realize that his gaze had drifted towards the lightsaber and unveiled his curiosity.​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Gorthalon

Specialist Shikoba - she never used the rank, regarding formal ranks and hierarchies with an air of utter indifference - had wandered off to help the downtrodden. That left Elpsis and the Tephriki duo plus miscallaneous House Kerrigan minions. The Vashyada was very competent, if odd, so Elpsis did not make an issue of it.

However, as they walked down the landing platform, they were greeted by an unusual sight. Elpsis was by no means unused to encountering myriad alien species. She'd been a ganger, and itinerant mercenary, then Firemane soldier. Her own platoon was quite multispecies, though the most typical aliens were Tygaran elves.

Still, she hadn't met a Yuzzem yet. Elpsis was, of course, not immediately capable of identitying his species. The insights granted by Force Sight could be quite extraordinary, but also limited in other ways. For one she could not see faces or colours properly. She could tell the newcomer was incredibly tall and probably furred in some way. Elpsis was quite tall for a human female, but he towered over her.

She looked a bit taken aback when he seemed to bow. "By generous you mean lots of money to throw around?" she snorted. "Guess the question is whether the donor wants to actually help people with it or just look good for a photo-op," she remarked sardonically. "Name's Elpsis Kerrigan, Lieutenant, Firemane."

Technically it was Baroness Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori. She never used the noble title or her full name. Before Tephrike, she'd gone by Alcori. Now it was Kerrigan. If a family name was identity, then she had gone through many. Kallikora, Elaris, Kerrigan-Alcori. Each metamorphosis had painfully stripped illusions from her. Each time she shed her skin, the new one was harder. "That's Diona and Rhea," she indicated the tall, strongly built human female and the Rattataki. Both had the build of warriors.

"And Shikoba's off somewhere. Probably the only elf around. Anyway, nice to meet you. Cut the bowing, I'm no one special. I'm just someone with a bunch of supplies I gotta get to people who need it. So wanna get started?" Her tone was a bit brusque, but not unfriendly.

 

[Taiia Locke]

//: Allyson Locke //:
​

The Obsidian Lord felt the darkness begin to wane and she slowly opened her eyes, she felt tired as if all the energy in her body had left but as she had been pouring most of her power into Allyson only to suddenly stop and have a sudden rush back made her head swim for a moment. She drew a breath before reaching a hand up to her ear and turning it on. "Still here love, by the sounds of it, you are too. Thank the force." Taiia stood from the ground slowly and as she did the little spider droid quickly lept up onto her hand and climbed up onto her shoulder, the redhead paused and reached over with a single finger gently tapping the little droid on the head. "Good job little one. We make a good team" she was still a bit unsteady but she was recovering quickly.

She took a moment and closed her eyes anchoring herself in the force before drawing a deep breath she started feeling normal again, then opened emerald eyes turned to sweep the horizon back toward the black site. Black smoke billowed out of it, she took a half step back toward it she wanted to go and help any survivors but the hurt she sensed from Allyson gave her pause. The redhead turned on her heel as a green vapor wrapped around her and she vanished little droid and all.

Within a few moments, Taiia appeared in front of Allyson, emerald eyes looking her over. She was exhausted she saw the wound in her shoulder, the little spider droid beeped happily at Allyson as it danced a bit on the redhead's shoulder. Taiia lifted a hand to the wound on the brunette's shoulder, she showed concern but it didn't seem life-threatening so she looked back to meet Allyson's eyes. "Are you ok?" she reached her other hand up to touch Allyson's cheek.

 

[Ruus]

Tag: Aerarii Tithe | Auteme | Jem Fossk | Dagon Kaze | Kirie​

---

Ruus looked over to Auteme as she suggested that the group should keep moving "My apologies but it is the Chancellor's decision." he was matter-of-fact in his tone though it was clear it was nothing personal against the Chancellor's companions. As the Chancellor began to move ahead having finished posing for the holos Ruus looked from the Chancellor to Auteme "It seems he's taken your recommendation." Ruus quietly responded and gave her a nod of his head as he took to the fore of the formation "Starbird in motion. Formation Xesh." he ordered over the subvocal communicators within the Guards' helmets. The Senate Guard were arranged in a triangle of blue robes preventing many of the reporters, and would be assassins, from getting a clear shot of the Alliance's leadership.

As the Chancellor's attention was caught by the Padawan, Ruus moved aside so the Chancellor could speak with this new person. Though the watchful eyes of the Guard, shrouded by black visors, were wary of the newcomer. She was Jedi but there was no guarantee she was a fan of Tithe. Ruus moved to the Chancellor's Aerarii Tithe side "Chancellor this sector has minimal security. There is space enough in the formation for this one." he motioned to Jem with a small motion of his head "I suggest we keep walking until we reach the secure location." the Senate Guard had an advance team of Senate Commandos secure a structurally sound two story building for the Chancellor should he desire to address the press in a more formal manner.

"Suspicious actor return sighting Sector 15." a voice reported in Ruus' ear. The same sector had seen the same 'suspicious actor' return. Suspicious activity was a vague label for anyone that appeared to the Guard on sentry duty as a possible security risk. Be it the way they were dressed, what they were carrying, or their movement patterns "S.A. moving towards Flock." Ruus straightened and the entire posture of the Guard changed as they began to aggressively push the press away "Create space!" they ordered individually as they pushed the reporters back with the middle of their long blaster rifles. Not enough to harm, of course, but enough to cause most to stumble backwards creating an extra foot or two of space between the perimeter Guard and the masses "Understood. Vornskr is to intercept." Ruus said as he put a hand on the Chancellor's shoulder with a firm squeeze indicating that something was amiss "Vornskr moving to intercept." responded the raspy voice of the apparent leader Senate Commando team 'Vornskr'. Ruus' crested helmet turned towards Auteme as she now had his attention again "Keep the rear." he had never seen Auteme fight but he was positive that anyone with such a reputation as her could provide additional security should it be needed. Which was unlikely given that this 'suspicious actor' would need to overcome a Senate Commando team before getting anywhere near the protective detail of Honor Guard but stranger things had happened.

 

[Auteme]

Aerarii Tithe Dagon Kaze Kirie Seto du Couteau Jem Fossk Ruus ​

Auteme was surprised for a moment by Dagon's demeanor. They hadn't spoken since Coruscant -- she'd worried he'd still resent her. But, it seemed like his life had continued. Something she felt defined her didn't have as much weight to everyone else.

Oh, how selfish she had become.

"Hi. Sorry," she said, nodding to him. "You should get yourself to a doctor, Dag." Bandages were one thing, but he obviously needed a bacta bath.

Seto spoke, then turned to leave, and the Chancellor stepped forward to speak to Jem. Kirie stepped closer, and the Guardsmen formed up around the Chancellor.

"Are you alright?" she asked Kirie.

 

[Jem Fossk]

Aerarii Tithe stepped forward. Jem stepped back, her fingers white against the bandages she tied off on Dagon Kaze 's side. He was right, they really were establishing a routine. It was the only comfort she had in that war-ridden street-- the knowledge that she had someone to fall back on.

It also grounded her. Every part of her wanted to scream-- to yell-- to accuse. How else do you make sense of such senseless destruction?

“My dear,” he asked, stepping forward, unsure what about her drew him in. “Is anything the matter?”

The bitter urge to lash out returned, but it was buffered by the sudden sobering reminder of just who she stood before. His guard rumbled, his entourage watched at his elbows. War or not there was still protocol. Saan'an would be horrified to learn she chose now to throw a fit.

"My friends are dead," she uttered, unable to hold Aerarii Tithe 's cool gaze as she said the words. A spark of courage, or stupidity, sparked to life inside her throat.

"They're dead and you're not, and no offense but that doesn't seem right."



"...Sir."

 

[Darth Solipsis]

DARK LORD OF THE SITH | VOICE OF THE MAW
Ruins of the Temple of Kyber
Kai Bamarri

​

“They can’t help you.”

His eyes remained still, unmoving. The Dark Lord’s hand recoiled in, balling back into a fist.

“No one can.”

The still extended arm turned over on itself, raising up to level with @The Doppelganger’s head. His fingers rolled out from under the oppressive grip of his claw. Reaching out toward the stranger, reaching out into the empyrean, into the Force itself.

He attempted to wrestle a hold over the Doppelganger’s head. With a slow squeeze he applied pressure with the intent to continue until something popped. He sought to Force Crush the Sithspawn’s head.

The Dark Lord’s lightsaber was somewhere beneath the rubble, under wreckage of the temple proper. He would have to rely on his cunning and mastery of the Force if he was to get off this planet alive.

 

[Kai Bamarri]

Objective: Survive
Location: Ruins of the Temple of the Kyber
Tags: Darth Solipsis

At first, he attempted to resist. His comlink exploded in a shower of sparks that spurted from his ear, its casing and circuitry unable to withstand the pressure. Realizing that he could not hope to fend off an attack of such strength, Kai lashed out with a telekinetic push aimed at the stranger’s center of mass, hoping to throw him off balance and disrupt his concentration.

Foul-smelling black blood trickled from the boy’s temples, and his head looked a little misshapen. Yet rather than caving in, it had adapted to the new mold imposed upon it. The combination of an unusually pliable physiology, a decentralized nervous system, and the unnatural alterations of alchemy to his cells had saved him from what would have otherwise caused instant death.

He quickly realized he was up against a foe far greater than any he had ever faced before. This man, battered by rubble and covered in ash, was no joke. Perhaps he was a high-ranking Sith that had been left behind during the Maw retreat, mistakenly believed to be dead and buried beneath the ruins of the Temple.

Kai couldn’t hope to face him alone. But he could perhaps keep the Sith occupied until help arrived.

If help arrived...

Activating his lightsaber, Kai closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, thrusting the blade toward the Sith’s torso.

 

[Creuat]

K N I G H T
GALACTIC ALLIANCE
JEDHA
LIGHTSABER | JEDI ARMOR
Lord Letifer

The last things he remembered was the destructive noise of the Devastator, the valleys of the Jedha desecrated by its touch, and the ominous mask of the Sith Knights. All of that before darkness fell upon his eyes when the Devastator crashed into the earth. Pitch black as he lay unconscious in the sand and dust, his blue tendrils of his face coated from it. The moment Rhis began to regain his consciousness he could feel how irritating his skin was with the sand settled on him, the Nautolan picking himself up as he stood on his knees. His lightsaber was still in his hand which gave him immense relief; a lightsaber was integral to the life of a Jedi.

The Jedi Knight began to wipe the sand off his face when suddenly...

His eyes flared up and rose to his feet, the lightsaber in his hand coming to life. He could sense him, the Dark Warrior he faced on top of the Devastator that crashed.

Still alive.

A shame, though the Sith must’ve thought the same if he felt Rhis through the Force. The battle was over, but theirs was not.

“Reveal yourself.”

 

[Kirie]

Auteme | Aerarii Tithe | Seto du Couteau | Jem Fossk | Ruus | Dagon Kaze​

Standing at the back of the group, Kirie watched the senate and Jedi groups meet for a moment before stepping back into lines, like oil and water refusing to mix. The Jedi were a sorry sight, wounded and exhausted covered in the filth that comes with battle. Standing beside them, the cleanliness of the senate crew felt like an insult. Idly, Kirie wondered if Chancellor Tithe noticed the juxtaposition.

Bristling with tension, the Senate Guards moved in to protect their posse as Tithe addressed the assembled Jedi. Auteme asked if she was okay, and Kirie leaned over to whisper a reply, her eyes still trained on the people ahead.

“Fine. I just don’t like this at all.”

Ahead of them, a Jedi Padawan Kirie did not know finished tying Dagon Kaze ‘s bandages and faced Tithe. Anger showed clear through her features, and Kirie felt a stab of sadness. How many Jedi had been forced to go through this torture, how many more would go through meat grinders like Jedha before something changed?

The Padawan’s anger was not directed at the war, or the devastation that surrounded them though, it was clear when she spoke that it was Tithe and what he represented that she hated.

This was perhaps the central contention between the Jedi and the Alliance. In the face of apparently endless war and suffering, each pointed the finger at the other as the cause of the trouble. To the politicians of the Alliance, the Jedi were an unwieldy asset, sticking their noses in business that wasn’t theirs. To the assembled Jedi, people like Tithe were the spineless bureaucrats who sat in their offices and sent soldiers to their deaths.

Standing here, in the ruins of Jedha, it wasn’t hard to see why either side thought that.

Kirie stood very still, watching the young Padawan confront Tithe and hoping that the Senate guards surrounding them wouldn’t get jumpy, and that nobody would try anything rash. Looking around, it was hard to tell the sentiment of the crowd, were they angry, disapproving? She didn’t know what would happen if there was some sort of violent escalation here, but it wouldn’t be good.

 

[Dagon Kaze]

THROUGH THE FIRE
THE GREAT ERROR vol. II
Issue #7 w/ Jem Fossk Aerarii Tithe Auteme Ruus Seto du Couteau

His brow furrowed seeing Jem evade his question. Something was wrong. There was barely any strength left in his tank to tap into that investigative flair of his to piece the puzzle drawn on his apprentice's face. Whatever it was, they would discuss it later when the crowd of political ears was nowhere near the duo. Ever since Coruscant Dag had grown a little more cautious, a little more vigilant, and a little less trustful. Rough justice had become rougher.
​

Jem shook her head and forced herself to look away. "You're bleeding" She uttered tightly, her hand leaving her saber to grab at the bandages trailing off Dagon's chest. She stepped back behind him, tactfully removing herself from the politicians' sight.​

"Hi. Sorry," she said, nodding to him. "You should get yourself to a doctor, Dag." Bandages were one thing, but he obviously needed a bacta bath. ​

One eye squinted in pain as Jem wrapped the tail end of the bandage running across his shoulder blade. "It's fine," he lied but did not lay a hand on hers to cease her motions, "...thanks." then he looked up back to Auteme , huffing a laugh, "I've got-- ouch!... one right here." Dag jerked his head at his apprentice, then said nothing in response to Tithe except a meager shake of his head. The raven-haired Knight's earlier remark had been enough - there was no point in stretching what would turn out to be a fruitless back and forth.

At the corner of his vision, he spotted the arrival of another Jedi - Kirie - along with the coterie accompanying the Chancellor. Recent, painful memories from Coruscant emerged at the forefront of his tired mind. Both Auteme and Kirie had been key elements surrounding the bloodied nightmare of the Sacking. The Knight held no contempt, nor blame at neither - well, maybe some frustration that they had allowed themselves to be led on - but the burden of guilt, as always, he packed onto his shoulders. The testimony from a fellow Jedi rubbed him wrong - not in the sense that seeking justice was wrong (it wasn't) but everything surrounding it felt, no, was a carefully orchestrated sham, along with Auteme signing off on the lockdown Order.

But it had been his fault that he'd complied when he should've driven the New Jedi out of the temple sensing the troubling echoes through the Force. And yet, he stayed put relying only on calling Jedi across the galaxy to Coruscant. As hard as he tried to look for it - there was no silver lining in that. At all. He had just risked the lives of more Jedi. And their blood marred his sleepless nights.
​

"My friends are dead," she uttered, unable to hold Aerarii Tithe 's cool gaze as she said the words. A spark of courage, or stupidity, sparked to life inside her throat.

"They're dead and you're not, and no offense but that doesn't seem right."

"...Sir."​

He blinks. Once, twice, as Jem's response yanks him out of his uninvited dwellings, looping him into a conversation he wasn't keen on seeing unfold.

"Jem..." he starts, voice hoarse like sandpaper but whatever he wants to say next does not escape his tongue. Blue eyes drift to the Chancellor, then to his posse - both guards, dignitaries, and a helluva lot of media. The worst place to be. All this spotlight was life-threatening. He didn't want his or Jem's face plastered across every holonews in the galaxy, not when Darth Solipsis had made it certain that he was out to eradicate every single one of them. They had to go, leave. Back to Denon, lay down in low profile. Especially Jem.

"Hey, get these cameras out of here, man!" he called out, head lowering down and away from any lens, "Auteme, get 'em away."

The last thing Dag wanted was Solipsis' daughter making the GNN's evening news. Or his, for that matter.​

 

[Gorthalon]

OBJ. 1: I Hate Sand.

Atmosphere II.
PONEMAH TERMINAL
LANDING BAY & REFUGEE RELIEF CHECKPOINT
Tag: Elpsis Kerrigan
Nearby: Kalie Alverez
TLDR: Gorth continues his conversation with Elpsis, then receives orders to investigate already processed refugees that are causing trouble at the nearby tents in the desert.​

- By generous, you mean lots of money to throw around? – The crimson-haired lady in front of him answered in a teasing tone. Gorthalon's eyes widened, his head bobbed back a little, and immediately after, a wide smile revealed his approval of the informal tone. The light-hearted banter was a nice change after hours of grim labour, and the giant soldier honestly appreciated it. - Guess the question is whether the donor wants to actually help people with it or just look good for a photo-op. Name's Elpsis Kerrigan, Lieutenant, Firemane. – The Yuzzem made a single, slow nod as a form of greeting his newfound acquaintance. He has no idea what Firemane is. - That's Diona and Rhea, and Shikoba's off somewhere. Probably the only elf around. – Listening intently, the Yuzzem looked and subsequently nodded once at each of the aforementioned individuals, providing a single, calm salute in the process. - Anyway, nice to meet you. Cut the bowing, I'm no one special. – Gorthalon made a short chuckle, which sounded more like a grunt to the ears of others. - I'm just someone with a bunch of supplies I gotta get to people who need it. So wanna get started? – The robust soldier slowly blinked and smiled again, then dusted off some sand from his shoulders and drew in a breath to reply.

- I like your style, Lieutenant Kerrigan, and yes, I'm ready. – He turned his head in the direction of the military tent in the distance, where he had previously conversed with the distribution officer. He raised his left arm, and pressed the comm link in his ear to open a channel. – Officer, this is Pathfinder Gorthalon. We are going to need more people to distribute the aid packages the new arrivals have brought. Over.

- Roger. Sending a few of the guys over... But something's come up and I'd very much appreciate if you'd investigate in the meantime. – The officer replied. Gorthalon furrowed his brows and kept the channel open - comm device pressed. – Nearby in the desert, numerous tents have been set up for those that have already been processed. – A spike of static flared up in the channel. Perhaps a result of electromagnetic disruptions in the planet's atmosphere. It made the Yuzzem's face wince a little, but the officer continued. – They're getting a bit riled up over something and local peacekeepers have requested aid from us. I can't order you to do anything, but I have noone else to spare. Over. – Gorthalon locked eyes with Elpsis, and responded over the comms to the distribution officer. – Roger. On it.

- Some kind of trouble is brewing in the tents nearby where they're providing temporary housing for those that have been processed. – Gorthalon explained to Elpsis in his regular, bass voice tone. – I've been asked to investigate. That's all the info I have, sorry. – Then, with a half-smile on his face, the Yuzzem flicked at the exotic lady's waist belt with his clawed finger. – That lightsaber of yours demands a lot of respect, Lieutenant Kerrigan. I'd be grateful if you'd accompany me into the desert, while the others sort out your supplies.
​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Gorthalon

"He's a Yuzzem," Diona whispered quietly to Elpsis for her superior's benefit while Gorthalon talked with his boss. And it turned out that apparently there was some trouble among the refugees. She could imagine the sort. Desperate people did desperate things. An overcrowded camp where people dwelt in tents or prefabs in the desert was a breeding ground for strife. Water, electricity, food - all that would have to be provided to people who had lost homes and often family.

Elpsis nodded. "Sure, I'm game," she glanced at Diona and Rhea. "Back in a bit. You two can sort things out here?"
"Yes, ma'am," Diona responded curtly.
"You know, we're officially not on Firemane duty, you can drop the ma'am."
"I'm aware." Without another word, the tall human, who judging by her appearance had to be a couple years older than Elpsis, took her superior's crate, holding it with telekinesis since her real hands were full.

"We can ignore the agitprop people? Even if they're Firetruth." Rhea asked, referring to the few journos that were up and about. Where she came from, free journalism was nonexistent. A journalist was simply a government minion peddling propaganda. Her experiences with Firemane's news agency thus far had not given her much reason to reconsider that assessment.

"Especially if they're Firetruth. Just don't punch 'em."
"I'll leave that to you, Elpsis."
"Laugh it up, Rhea. Alright, let's go. Lead the way," Elpsis told Gorthalon.

 

[Kalie Alverez]

MISSION CODENAME: MUNDET
LOCATION: PONEMAH TERMINAL (REFUGEE CAMP)
ACTIVE AGENT: KALIE ALVEREZ
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: OBJECTIVE ONE: I HATE SAND
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: PRESENT AID AS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE KOBITANA FOUNDATION.
TOP SECRET OBJECTIVE: DEVELOP SECRET HIDDEN UNDERGROUND STAGING AREA FOR SIA & BLACK OPS OPERATIONS INTO BROTHERHOOD OF THE MAW TERRITORIES.
TAGS: Gorthalon & Elpsis Kerrigan

CURRENT PERSONA: TIRESH KOBITANA - SENATOR OF LUJO

"I think we can live with that compromise. Let's push it forward." Tiresh said to Mitka as her datapad buzzed in her bag. Mitka nodded, deactivating the holoprojector and calling back in the two gentlemen from before. Tiresh opened the door and walked back out into the sand, pulling her scarf tighter around her face as she read the message...

-

Scanning... Authenticating credentials... Confirmed
Activating Secure Connection... Established
Receiving transmission... Received


From: Goliath

Sorry K, We have a situation. There is a conflict occurring in the temporary refugee camp... in ARC1. Conflict seems to involve our asset. Request that you urgently assess the situation, as we could be compromised. Be advised, the military have already dispatched armed personnel to the location.

//ENDING TRANSMISSION//TERMINATING CONNECTION//

Tiresh paused, her eyes looking up towards the ARC1 Refuge Camp, which wasn't visible due to the sand storm that was continuing to get worse. She sighed heavily.

Great... she had hoped that she would have been able to finally get some rest, as she had been running hard for a while now. But it seemed that there was once again another pressing matter to attend to. She needed to discover whether the asset had been compromised, and if that was the case... she would need to terminate the asset somehow while not drawing any unwanted suspicions from whoever the military had sent in.

"Kriff..." She said under her breath as she beckoned some of her own personnel to follow her with a hand gesture. "BRING WEAPONS!" She shouted to them through the storm. They nodded, picking up some blaster rifles from the depot as they followed Tiresh through the storm towards ARC1 Refuge Camp. Tiresh was feeling grim about the whole situation, and she desperately hoped that this would somehow end without another cold body being necessary.

 

[Gorthalon]

OBJ. 1: I Hate Sand.

Atmosphere II.
PONEMAH TERMINAL
DESERT REFUGEE CAMP NEAR THE LANDING BAY
Tag: Elpsis Kerrigan | Kalie Alverez
Equipment: Gorthalon's Greataxe, cortosis forearm guards, IB-series blaster, a single radiation grenade.
TLDR: Gorth and Elpsis arrive at the refugee camp, see Kalie already present, and before they could even enter, an explosion erupts at the far side of the camp. Hell breaks loose.
​

Gorthalon and Elpsis were taken to the refugee camp in a small, rickety shuttle.

The shuttle's side doors slid open, and a violent gust of wind rushed in, carrying significant amounts of sand on its wings. The haunting sight of an approaching, dense sandstorm in the distance the size of multi-story buildings greeted them. The heavy winds are the herald of its coming. Turning his head and squinting in response to the sharp pebbles and sand hitting his head and torso, the Yuzzem steps out of the shuttle. The refugee camp is in view, located straight ahead. A couple of speeders of the local peacekeeping force are parked at the entrance, accompanied by a few militia men with rifles. The white, plastic tents are symmetrically placed and are bordered in the shape of a circle by a tall fence made of some cheap material.

Standing tall next to the shuttle, but still squinting, he also registers a quite distinct person approaching the camp entrance. The fair lady in the howling winds shines as a pebble; adorned by tasteful, expensive clothes and a fancy hairdo. She could only be one of the wealthy donors that came to aid the refugees - the Yuzzem thinks. He raises his eyebrows in surprise, as the prior intel on an escalating situation is only compounded by the presence of a dignitary - thus one more person to look after - but immediately regrets it, as he now has to rub his eyelids in an attempt to remove the sand particles that irritate his eyes.

Just as he looks at Elpsis beside him and opens his mouth to talk, a sudden explosion from the back of the camp startles him and he snaps back towards it immediately. His senses kick into overdrive. A black cloud the size of about two-to-three tents paints a whirlwind of dark colors above the camp, his snout soon picking up on notes of burning oil and fuel; the flames reach the height of about ten-to-fifteen meters (~42 feet) at the far side of the camp.

The few members of the peacekeeping force instantly rush into the camp, towards the event and bump into the dignitary ahead as they pass. Screams begin to proliferate between the tents and chaos is about to consume the premises. The Yuzzem sighs and exclaims to Elpsis. – Let's go.​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Gorthalon , Kalie Alverez

A sandstorm, a bunch of tents, and only a few guards. It was perfect for something to go...wrong. And so it did. Premonition screamed in Elpsis' mind. Too late to have any effect. Boom. With a sound akin to a thunderclap, a huge explosion erupted at the far side of the camp. A black cloud billowed up into the sky. The air was clogged with smoke and dust. And flames.

The few peacekeepers instantly raced towards the camp. Immediately, Elpsis reached out through the Force to Diona. Of the two Tephriki, she was the stronger telepath and Rhea didn't respond well to mental contact. Problem. Big explosion. Assume hostile contact. Perhaps her two companions would be able to come here, despite the imminent sandstorm, perhaps not.

Shikoba, where are you? She could sense the Vashyada somewhere, but not pinpoint her. There was so much desperation, fear, anger and pain resonating through the Force. So she focused on what she could affect. "Get the refugees out." And so she quickly moved towards the scenery of chaos and devastation that was unfolding in front of her. At least as quickly as one could move when one walked with a limp and was still getting used to a brand-new leg prothesis. It caused her to stumble.

Unlike the peacekeepers, Elpsis made no attempt to avoid the flames. Far from it, the raging fire was her destination. Elpsis was not wearing any armour, just a standard uniform. The thick smoke made her cough violently, causing pain to surge through her sensitive throat. Flames embraced her. But while they could burn her clothes, they could not burn her. She was fire. To an outsider it might have looked as if they were staring at a woman formed of flames. Distant flames were drawn towards her.

Her hair looked like it had been set on fire, a firemane in the most literal sense of the word. Heat spread through her body like wild fire, as she drew the heat of the raging flames into herself. Energy crackled across the palms of her hands, both organic and mechanical. The cracks inside her flesh seemed to glow ever more fiercely, as she projected her will into the flames to calm and die down. Her full concentration was focused on that task.

 

[Kalie Alverez]

MISSION CODENAME: MUNDET
LOCATION: PONEMAH TERMINAL (REFUGEE CAMP)
ACTIVE AGENT: KALIE ALVEREZ
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: OBJECTIVE ONE: I HATE SAND
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: PRESENT AID AS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE KOBITANA FOUNDATION.
TOP SECRET OBJECTIVE: DEVELOP SECRET HIDDEN UNDERGROUND STAGING AREA FOR SIA & BLACK OPS OPERATIONS INTO BROTHERHOOD OF THE MAW TERRITORIES.
TAGS: Gorthalon & Elpsis Kerrigan

CURRENT PERSONA: TIRESH KOBITANA - SENATOR OF LUJO

"Senator? What... are you doing here?" One of the peacekeepers asked in shock at her presence at the camp. With the dispute that had been reported inside and the sandstorm quickly approaching, it seemed to be the worst possible time for her to grace them with her presence. She walked briskly up to him, beckoning her personnel to move forward into the camp, "Assess the situation, keep me informed!" She said loudly over the howl of the wind. They nodded, moving past the peackeepers and towards the entrance, who allowed them to pass without resistance.

Tiresh's scarf whipped violently in the wind, her eyes squinting at the peacekeeper in front of her, trying to keep the sand out of her eyes, "There is a family in this camp that needs to be relocated to ARC VIP! I came to oversee their transfer personally!" The man looked back towards the camp nervously, "I understand, it's just... we have a situation..."

Suddenly the darkening sky erupted with brilliant color as an explosion rattled the camp. Both Tiresh and the man jumped back in surprise, taken aback by the suddenly violent display. Her heart dropped at the sight. This was the worse-case scenario.

All the peacekeepers rushed past her to help inside the camp as she called out on her comm link back to HQ, "Commander! Commander! Can you hear me?" The storm seemed to be effecting all communication, causing her to desperately pull out her datapad and type out a message briefly to Mitka, her head of operations...

-

Scanning...
Authenticating credentials... Confirmed
Activating Secure Connection... Established

Send encrypted message to: Mitka
Message:

IMPORTANT...
Bring support craft and our full security detail to ARC1 ASAP! Theres been an explosion.


///Sending encrypted message... Sent

Tiresh put the datapad back into her small bag and ran into the camp behind the others, holding her scarf tightly around her face. She suddenly saw her 10 armed personnel running back towards her.

"Senator!" The leader yelled over the chaos around them, "WHAT IS THE PRIORITY?!" Tiresh looked around at the confusion and the fear that filled the poor refugees as they stumbled around, dazed and without proper protection from the storm. Hadn't they suffered enough already?

She pointed towards the exit of the camp, "GET EVERYONE OUT OF HERE! SUPPORT CRAFT SHOULD BE COMING SOON!" He nodded, turning and rallying the others to the cause. Suddenly he felt a pull on his blaster rifle. He looked back to see Tiresh's hands on it, "GIVE ME THE BLASTER!" She shouted. He paused, then complied, pulling the blaster strap off his shoulder and handing her the weapon. "CAN I KEEP TWO MEN WITH YOU, SENATOR? FOR YOUR PROTECTION..." She shook her head, holding up one finger, "YOU CAN SEND ONE WITH ME." He nodded at the compromise, motioning for one armed member to stay with the Senator.

It was quite a contrast to see the beautifully-adorned senator in the midst of an incoming sandstorm with an assault blaster in her hands, running towards the chaos. But she did not have any time for formalities now... She needed to assess the damage.

She approached the rising flames and carnage, the fire brightening everything around them. She stopped with her accompaniment alongside the peacekeepers, looking up in awe of the effects of the blast. Suddenly another smaller container exploded as well, sending debris shooting out towards the gathering crowd, Tiresh covered her face with her arm as her escort pulled her back further from the display for her safety. There wasn't much they could do until the heat died down...

Tiresh felt someone brush past her. She turned and watched as a woman in nothing more than a uniform walked straight into the flames as they licked up against her body and seemed to consume her entire frame in an instant.

"NO!" Tiresh gasped, eyes wide, which was her instant reaction to what she had just witnessed. But the women seemed to pull the flames and heat into herself. She was controlling the fire! Tiresh watched in amazement as the flames began to recede towards the woman. She looked and saw that they could now get past and enter into the main area where the explosion had taken place. She beckoned her support to follow her as she carefully moved past the burning woman and into the area of interest.

She raised her blaster, coming to a stop, turning left and right, looking for any threats. They slowly began to move forward again, moving around the burning tents and other debris, slow and quiet.

 

[Maijan Paisea]

TASK FORCE XESH

THE ILLUSIONIST
|| JEDHAMOUR GRIEVE ||
JEDHA | UNMARKED LOCATION | SIA BLACKSITE
Valery Noble | Boluc Laar

"Didn't think you were a Jedi lover,"

Maijan would have barked out a protest, but instead human knuckles bruised against the fleshly side of her face and she felt knocked backward in a blinding sting of shade and stars. The pain was wide and sudden and bright, temporarily eclipsing her conscious and overwhelming it with kaleidoscopic pops of brilliance and darkness all at once. Slippery copper seeped through her cheek and onto her tongue and she forced out a gasp of surprise, gulping at the air and blood that conflicted the ins-and-outs of her mouth.

"The hell were you thinking?!"

Her response was a wheeze, catching herself on her golden hand and letting flesh touch flesh in muted shock. Silence was all she exchanged, her jaw hardened in a set line of defiance to her handler when he asked if she heard the echoing call from the rubble.

Not a sound slipped from the fallanassi, she just nursed her aching cheek and watched out the direction the sound has come.

She watched long enough for the apparition of the Jedi to appear, blade ignited.

Something in her throat caught, and she sucked in her cheeks, chewing on them for a moment. More copper. More blood.

"Please identify yourself,"

Golden gaze flicked to Boluc, then to the weapons he had on his person, before she gave her head a shake. He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't give this Jedi anything. And while Maijan had a little nano bomb in her neck, she reckoned he'd be too busy with the Jedi to detonate anything in her skull.

Wordlessly, she shook her head and twisted over to the side, hoarking up a glob of saliva and blood and spitting it onto the dusty stones that had once been the backsite. It was as clear a 'no' as if she'd denied the opportunity with her words.

In the next second, she was gone. Wrapped up in an invisible cloak of the White Current and concealed from the naked eye. She pushed herself to stand, gingerly, before back pedaling away from the scene and leaving Boluc to deal with the sabre-weilding Jedi with orange eyes.

"Good luck."

---

​

​

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

PAY THE TITHE
JEDHA CITY // JEDHA

Auteme | Ruus | Jem Fossk | Seto du Couteau | Dagon Kaze | Kirie

The young Padawan gave Tithe a verbal lashing, wishing that her friends stood before her instead of him. Such emotion and unbridled passion. She was thankfully not an employee; Impulsiveness was not something the Aargauun looked for in others. “A terrible, terrible tragedy,” he replied. “Their scarifies will not be soon forgotten.”

The empty placation seemed to imply that Tithe knew the dead friends Jem was talking about, which he certainly did not. “Liberty" he added, trying to avoid an awkward silence. "Was truely on our side today.” The campaign slogan fell flat given the circumstances, but was so long as the holocams were rolling, he needed to keep parroting it for the voters.

The scene was threatening to backfire. Dagon, perhaps sensing the pain of his colleague, ordered the holocams to leave. Knowing nothing good could come from talking to the pair, Tithe bowed his head and offered some parting words, as suggested by focus groups. “May the, ah, Force be with you.” The retinue continued down the street with Senate Commandos clearing a path. Captain Ruus was eager to get somewhere safer, and tighter the formation as they made their way down the street, laying his hand on Tithe’s shoulder to keep him moving.

“Now,” Tithe said, turning to Auteme and Kirie as they moved toward the refugee camps. “What did you make of that?” The Chancellor was no stranger to war and had himself seen the horror first hand. But there was something odd to the exchange which had just played out. He couldn’t shake the sense that there was something untold going on with young Padawan. Was it a sign of a bigger issue brewing within the New Jedi Order, or the emotions of a young woman scarred by conflict?

 

[Jem Fossk]

Jem's nails dug into her palms as Aerarii Tithe , Auteme , Kirie departed.

The small words had done nothing to sooth the holes burning inside of her, if anything it just made the sense of injustice feel larger. The senate was infiltrated, and likely still was. What would to stop this from happening again?

Why was Courscant left standing? Why was the Senate left largely intact in the attack? The fact that the Chancellor was struck down along with the jedi spoke volumes to Jem. They were the threats. Not the senate, not Aerarii Tithe . What did her father need from the Government?

Her fist shook as she watched the man walk away, all the blame funneled onto to his questionably full head of hair.

"Tragedy," she echoed, to Dagon alone. "What a load of chit." She pulled away from him and started to storm the opposite way. She pushed through the crowd and towards the temple's ruins. She was tired of standing by as things fell apart.



If her father could take on the galaxy, why couldn't she?