Dominion Tyrants Without Thrones || GA Dominion of Lazerian IV

[Resh]

Eloise Dinn
​

Resh did his best for a time, but found himself overwhelmed by everything. In a crucial moment, he became distracted, and yelped as a searing pain stabbed his forearm. A blaster bolt scorched through his sleeve and into his skin, his attempt to deflect overextending and the pain causing him to drop his lightsaber. And as the tank exploded, threatening not only him but Eloise as well, his pain turned to fear, and his fear turned to anger in a flash of a moment.

"Stop!" He yelled defiantly, as if events already in motion would cease on his demand. A shockwave of energy, with Resh at its epicenter, burst forth, throwing aside the troops that had been attacking them, and repelling the incoming shrapnel from the tank explosion. Resh had saved them in an uncontrollable fit, but had failed to control himself in the chaos, just as he had back when the Jedi first rescued him. Suddenly tired, Resh dropped to the ground, feeling himself on the verge of unconsciousness.

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Nos Voros

Jonyna got a chuckle as she joined him at the diner bar, ordering a burger for herself. The fact folks could get fresh, well cooked food seemed to lift the spirit of the refugee camp more than anything else before. Security was nice, beds were suitable, but food?

Food like this made them feel hope.

The folks around the diner seemed to congregate into groups of familiar faces. What had been a dour place of flight, had become a home away from home. People reconnected in ways they hadn't in years, told stories over a burger, and smiled.

It was everything Jonyna had hoped for.

"You're welcome, sir." Jonyna said with a smile. "So, what's it like being a senate bodyguard?"

 

[Caelan Valoren]

You've already seen this, Caelan. You already knew.

He sat there, staring at the ground in front of him even as Cora put her hands on his shoulders and did what she could to block his view. It didn't matter. He'd already seen it. The gesture was appreciated, but this was his problem to deal with. Though it had shocked him, and that shock had brought him to his knees, he knew that he couldn't allow it to control him. If he allowed it, this scene would ruin him completely, make him useless to his people, render him a liability to his friends. He couldn't allow that.

The soldiers had surrounded him for his protection, and he stood, wiping his arm across his face to remove the tears that had fallen down it. This was no place to fall apart. There was still work to be done. Bending down, he grabbed his lightsaber from where it had fallen. He shouldn't have dropped it to begin with. It showed weakness and it left him vulnerable.

He took a deep breath and then started walking towards where Drystan and Cora were taking down the pikes. What he did was not look at the bodies that were upon them. Looking at them would do nothing but slow him down.

"Thank you for cutting them down. We'll need to bury them, but it will have to wait," he said, pointing off towards the center of the park. "My home is that way. We need to get to it."

Though he was certain that they would not find his sister there, he had a feeling they'd find the people responsible for the death of his parents. If they were there, they needed to be dealt with. So long as those people remained on Lazerian they would pose a danger to his people and himself. Not a single member of this group could be allowed to remain. Whether they died or were captured and imprisoned no longer mattered to him. He just wanted them off his world.

"I know a secret way in."

He would lead them into the trees to a rather nondescript spot, one that he knew. He bent down between a few bushes, dug his hand into the dirt, and pressed a hidden button beneath the bush, which caused section of the ground nearby to rise, with steps leading down.

"It will take us to the level below the main. It should be safe."

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8

TAGS: Corazona von Ascania | Drystan Creed | Thralrii Hillbolt ​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Eloise didn't realize Resh was hit until he started shouting. She turned toward him, her attention off the enemy for a split second, and saw - nay, felt - his anger boil over. She raised an arm to shield her eyes from the shrapnel.

And then the troops, the tank, all of it was just gone. Blasted apart by the shockwave of energy that exploded out from Resh.

The Pureblood collapsed. Blinking wide eyes, Eloise crouched beside him, checking his vitals. He was alive, but unconscious. Whatever power he'd tapped into had left him severely weakened. "Resh? Resh, can you hear me?" She shook him a little, trying to revive him. But regardless of whether she got a response, she was already calling for an emergency evac. The carnage around them wasn't something you just brush off...

Resh​

 

[Nos Voros]

REFUGEE CAMP

Outfit: Senate Security Durasteel Armor
Weapons: Heavy Blaster Pistol | Vibroknife | Loadouts in bio

"You're welcome, sir." Jonyna said with a smile. "So, what's it like being a senate bodyguard?"

"Incredibly dull, until it isn't. You have to be constantly on alert for the very moment when things stop being dull."

Nos tentatively ate, trying to stay formal while biting into a burger - a feat easier said than done.

"Most of the time it's lost civilians wandering into restricted areas a debate getting too heated, or someone trying to get close enough to 'elevator pitch' something like they can just bypass the entire legislative process."

Sugar slid out of the trash bin, slight larger and with still-dissolving wrappers floating within. The sludgespawn blorbed itself to the seat beside Nos.

"When everything is going well, nobody even notices you're there - which is perfectly fine by me."

Nos did find satisfaction in his work; he couldn't even imagine what the life of a Jedi master entailed.

"How about yourself, Master Si? What is it like being on the Jedi council?"

Nos slid a few of the fries to Sugar, who was all too happy to consume them.

Jonyna Si​

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Nos Voros

"Every day, a new task. A new adventure, and a new stack of paperwork." Jonyna chuckled. "But...it's been my dream since I was a little kitten. Ever since I was running for my life from Stormtroopers, to when I was first trained as a proper Padawan. It's...humbling in a lot of places. Places like this." She gestured to the diner around them. "This was an I had thinking back to all the planets I had been to back when I was under the Empire. That was before I went in the ice 900 years ago, but..." She paused, smiling as she looked around the diner.

"I remembered the cantinas. The small places that Stormtroopers didn't know about, because the Empire didn't know half the planets they owned. I saw people with hope, talking about a better future. Learning to care for each other in hard times. We've had a lot of hard times nowadays, and...I thought I'd bring a little hope to the galaxy. Even if that means just a hot meal and a place to talk. Houses can be rebuilt, planets can be terraformed back to how they were, community can't. That takes time, trust, things that can't be fixed without places like this."

 

[Dean Walker]

Dean nodded at Katarine's whispered plan, his sharp gray eyes flicking toward the two darksiders as he assessed the situation. His grip tightened around the hilt of his combat knife, the matte black blade glinting faintly in the dim warehouse light. He preferred clean, silent takedowns — no blasters, no mess, just precision.

"On it," he murmured back, his voice barely audible.

He moved like a shadow, keeping low and sticking close to the edges of the crates as he advanced. The faint hum of the generator and the quiet murmur of the darksiders' conversation masked his approach. As he closed the distance to the guard on the left, his breathing steadied, his focus narrowing to the task at hand.

The guard shifted, taking a sip from his cup of caf, completely unaware of the predator closing in. Dean waited for the perfect moment, then surged forward, his movements fluid and deliberate. One hand clamped over the guard's mouth, silencing him instantly, while the other drove the knife into his side, just beneath the ribs. The guard stiffened, his caf cup clattering to the floor as the blade hit its mark. Dean eased him down silently, letting the body slump against the crate.

Wiping the blade on the guard's tunic, Dean glanced over to Katarine to check her progress. His smirk returned faintly as he saw her handle her target.

"Clear," he mouthed silently, signaling that his side was handled.

The path to the next section of the warehouse was open now, and Dean gestured for her to follow. As he crouched beside the fallen guard to retrieve a keycard clipped to the man's belt, he glanced at Katarine again, "Ready to continue?"

Katarine Ryiah​

 

[Nos Voros]

Outfit: Senate Security Durasteel Armor
Full Kit Deployment:

Spoiler: Full Kit

* Legion Combat Engineer Multi-Tool

• 4 X Combat/Utility Knife-Model 01
• 2 X Vibroblade-Model 01
• Legion Combat Pistol Mark I with Whisper-class Suppressor Series
• Legion Crew Personal Protection Weapon Mark I
• Combat Scattergun-Model 01
• 3 X Modular Hand Grenade-Model 01
• 3 X Anti-Armor Grenade-Model 01

* Bastion-class Load Bearing/Combat Vest and Helmet

• Combat Blaster Rifle-Model 01 with Tactical Accessories Series and Underbarrel Grenade Launcher-Model 01 (20 X Launchable Grenade Series)
• 4x blaster cartridges
• 2x stun grenades
• Ascension Pistol
• Fusion Lantern
• Datapad
• Garrote
• 3x stimpacks
• 3x bland survival bars
• 128oz Canteen of water.

The Cathar Jedi's whole description was foreign to Nos, except for the last bit. The Cantinas, the cozy places, the benefits of a place of comfort that he had learned as an adult.

"I wish I could say the same - except for the whole going in the ice for 900 years thing. I spent most of my youth checking the dumpsters behind such places - you'd be surprised just how much food people throw out when they don't have to worry about where their next meal comes from."

The sludgespawn sympathetically plopped its dumb little goo head with its dumb little smile on Nos's lap.

" Maybe that's why the little guy here gets on my nerves. Reminds me too much of myself." Reluctantly, Nos pat sugar atop the head.

*"At least we both seem to be in a much better place these days, and bringing this, this. . . taste of home, I suppose, to the refugee camp was a very thoughtful move."* Nos suspected he'd still be more comfortable digging through the trash like Sugar than accepting free food, even though he knew there was plenty for himself and the evacuees.

"I suppose that charitable instinct of yours helps within the Jedi circles?"
Nos silently was glad he didn't share the same connection with the Force as they did. There was too much doubt and suspicion in his life for that to have ended well.

Jonyna Si​

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Nos Voros

"Oh trust me, I'm well acquainted with dumpster diving for food. Back when I was too young to fight back against the Empire, I was doing plenty of that. I'm very glad I found several folks over the years who were willing to offer me a free meal." She looked around the diner, smiling. "And...yeah, I'd like to think it does. I just remember what it was like to live day by day. To see the freedoms of the people under attack on a daily basis, living in a galaxy where your home could be turned to ruin by someone who doesn't care. Doesn't know you, and doesn't want to. All they see is a new patch of dirt to claim. Being a jedi...it's just being a hero, at the end of the day. Whether you're communing with nature and The Force, or fighting evil, or even just helping people find hope. That's what a jedi should be, in my own opinion."

 

[Drystan Creed]

LAZERIAN IV: CITY OF DEVIT

Equipment: Standard (In Bio)
Caelan Valoren | Corazona von Ascania | Thralrii Hillbolt

After setting down the remains, Drystan turned to Caelan. "What's the first contact protocol? I'm guessing it's the same as how we handled the welcoming party." He tapped a few keys on his datapad. "Should be and is are two different things. We'd better prepare in case they've repurposed the entrance. Something more subtle than our initial assault I reckon."

Drystan thrived in the dark—it was where he did his best work. His only concern was whether the others could handle the potential shadow-work that might arise. Either way, he had no choice but to place his trust in them.

When the hidden entrance revealed itself, Drystan took a moment to focus. Shadows from the surrounding figures and trees began to writhe unnaturally, lapping around his ankles before spreading upward, cloaking him in a shroud of pitch-black wisps. His form dissolved into a dark, featureless silhouette.

His voice, now deep and distorted, resonated with an eerie cadence. "I'll take point. They'll have a much harder time seeing me."

Barring any objections, Drystan would step down into the passage that lead them underground.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Caelan Valoren Drystan Creed Thralrii Hillbolt

It was grim, quiet work. While Cora and Drystan were careful to fell the poles, a few of Hillbolt's soldiers moved in to help lower the deceased to the ground.

Fortunately, they'd hit a lull in the fighting which allowed them the space to absorb and reflect unhindered.

When Caelan approached, ready to move forward with their mission, Cora searched both his face and the Force. He was rattled - who wouldn't be? - but determined. She passed a cautious glance to Thralrii and Drystan.

In the cover of the trees, the Prince revealed their way in; a path concealed by a bush. Creed, their (now literal) shadow, melded into the dark and took point.

"Be careful," was all she said. Covert actions were his speciality, and hopefully he'd be able to detect any unfriendlies before they could detect him.

Instead, she turned to the Padawan, her metallic hand lying heavily on his shoulder.

"No one would blame you for withdrawing here, Caelan." There was a grave cadence to her words. "You've done more than we can ask for as it is."

Conflict danced in Cora’s mind; she knew how important it was for Caelan that he be here, but she desperately wanted to protect the Padawan from further trauma.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

He watched as the one who'd been a shadow of them turned into a veritable shadow. That was a new one. He didn't think he'd ever seen anything like that done before. Part of him wondered how it had been done. It seemed something that probably had to do with modification of the self, so he wondered if that was something he could learn. He might have to ask the man about it sometime when they weren't dealing with rescuing his world from really nasty people.

A hand fell onto his shoulder and he looked up to see that it was Cora who had placed it there. Her words hung in the air and he shook his head at her. She meant well, and he appreciated it, but there was no running from this.

"I appreciate it, Cora," he said, doing his best to be strong. "But I can't. I knew this would be hard before we got here. I can't run from that."

He reached up and patted her hand lightly to get her to remove it.

"I'll be fine in the end."

When she withdrew her hand, he would move past her and into the tunnel himself, following after the Shadow as they headed towards the lower level of the royal manse. It was a multi-story building, with the upper floors primarily dedicated to the royal family and guest rooms. The main floor was where he expected they would find opposition. The people that had killed his parents had worn completely black clothing, similar to the gear they had seen on the people they'd already fought, but without the red tinting. They had hoods, and he suspected they were far more gifted in the Force. Leader types.

He hoped they weren't there, but he knew his hopes weren't likely to be true.

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace)

TAGS: Drystan Creed | Thralrii Hillbolt | Corazona von Ascania ​

 

[Stevru Klamat]

⠀

Location⠀ Crystal Valley, Lazerian IV
Objective⠀ Crystal Valley
Tags⠀ Ariana du Couteau

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Finish them off. That was what the Mandalorian did, both in the sense that he bested them in combat, and that, with slow precision, he put single pistol shots into what forms still twitched and moaned upon the ground. Scanning their surroundings, flicking from electro-reception from thermal, the feed from the infrared component of his eye washed out with the crackling flames within the room, he deemed the environment safe enough to divert his attention to the Jedi.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀They were always younger than he hoped. Younger than they ought to be. Though his people at large, The Others, saw little issue with sending children to war, the youth of his own clan were too rare to waste on such folly. Observing her a moment longer, he registered her approach before she was fully in view, and straightened somewhat, features imperceptible behind his helmet, feelings and thoughts guarded, literally, as though by some subconscious barrier.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀If she was in the same room as him, that wasn't fairly safe distance. Where she'd relaxed and holstered her weapon, he remained vigilant, impassive mask scanning one way, then another, pistols yet in hand, shield still deployed. The weeping visage of his helmet centered on her as she asked after his intentions. A single eye narrowed behind the mask, and a soft rasp, amplified into a low growl by the helmet's external speakers rang out.

"People were taken from their homes. I'm here to take them back."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The way the solitary soldier spoke left little apparent room for argument.

"We scared them, but they'll regroup soon and counterattack. Maybe use the prisoners as hostages. We need to move."

 

[Drystan Creed]

LAZERIAN IV: CITY OF DEVIT

Equipment: Standard (In Bio)
Caelan Valoren | Corazona von Ascania | Thralrii Hillbolt
Drystan had ventured off on his own, keeping a fair distance from the group as he scouted the underground labyrinth beyond the entrance. He blended seamlessly in the shadows, almost as if it was his natural habitat, a trail of inky black tendrils trailing after his umbral form.

The pathway led toward the mid-levels of the royal dwellings. The air was damp and heavy, the perfect environment for a shadow. Caelan's prediction proved accurate—the area was devoid of security. However, Drystan's keen eyes caught the telltale signs of recent movement: dirty boot tracks. The weight and depth of the prints suggested a well-sized squadron of soldiers. It seemed the enemy had diverted most of their resources to fortifying the upper levels.

Satisfied that the path was clear, Drystan doubled back to rejoin the group. His shadowy form emerged silently before them, dissolving into his normal figure with a brief wisp of smoke.

"The pathway's clear," he reported, his firm tone lowering almost to a whisper. "But most of their forces are likely concentrated on the upper levels. There's been movement here, so we should expect company as we move up."

As he spoke, Drystan conducted a quick weapons check, preparing for any conflict that might arise.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora searched Caelan's face for a moment more. With all that he'd been through, the Padawan was intent on seeing this through to the end.

Removing her hand from his shoulder, she nodded. "We're with you, then."

Drystan had gone first to scout ahead, followed by Caelan. Cora took up the rear as they moved through the darkened tunnel, her senses spread further around them through the Force.

The shadow's voice emanated from somewhere ahead of them, seemingly from nowhere given how well he'd blended into their surroundings. She was glad that he was on their side.

"Understood, Creed," she said. "Let us know if you find anything. I can feel…something above us."

The knight's eyes fell closed as she inhaled deeply. Her Force sense drifted to the upper levels - she couldn't parse out what it was, but there was life there. Her hand palmed her lightsaber, thumb resting over the ignition.

She opened her eyes and exhaled, slow and controlled.

"Were are not alone."

Caelan Valoren Drystan Creed Thralrii Hillbolt

 

[Caelan Valoren]

Caelan listened to what Drystan had to say and then Cora and nodded. It was as he had expected. He did have an idea, though. There were passages within the home that were kept secret. One of them was how he had managed to escape. If he'd been able to get his sister to one, though probably would have been able to escape together, but they'd been cut off from it, which was why they were now separated. He hated it, but there was no choice in the matter.

"I have an idea, but it might be dangerous," he said, looking amongst them. "If the troops can go and attack from the outside, draw them out or keep their attention, I know a way we can get up to the main level unnoticed. There's a perimeter wall to the house. They should be able to keep them occupied without losses."

It was their best bet. If you ascended the stairs it would be a killing corridor. They'd likely end up all dead regardless of how strong any of them were in the Force. But if the soldiers did what he said, and drew most of them out, they could attack the leader from within, and then mop up the rest once he was disposed off.

Regardless, he pushed deeper into the building and through the tunnel until they reached the end. He opened the hidden door, slowly, and peered out. It was empty. To be sure they weren't noticed, since these people seemed to practitioners of the Force, he minimized his signature before stepping out into the lower level and leading them through a series of corridors to a nondescript wall, where he touched his hand to a concealed panel. The panel read his hand and a passage opened revealing stairs.

"Takes us to large meeting room," he whispered. "We don't have a throne, we don't work that way, but it's where we do all official business."

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace)

TAGS: Thralrii Hillbolt | Drystan Creed | Corazona von Ascania ​

 

[Thralrii Hillbolt]

TIME UNKNOWN
LAZERIAN IV: CITY OF DEVIT - Alpha Platoon
Caelan Valoren Drystan Creed Corazona von Ascania open!

Having stood alongside the young Jedi for any length of time required, Thralrii and the commandos were once again on the move, quickly closing in upon their target. With yet another lull in their travels the captain adjusted the helmet once more resting upon his face, and slowly rolled his neck in quiet discomfort. To those trained jedi, and those who knew him, it was clear the unsightly display just a few paces ago had been wearing upon the captain, but still he continued. When the young master Valoren voiced his plan to distract the garrison, Captain Hillbolt snapped to attention and offered a quick nod, before removing his helmet and digging out a quick shot of recaf desperately needed to function in the moment.

As the metallic canister lid popped did the commando address those under his command, "Alright folks listen up." There'd been a short break to down a few unsightly gulps of that beloved recaf, what kind of professional solider relied upon such stimulants to keep going? "Active camo up. We're going to assault the targets with bots, make a whole lot of noise and do as the kid wants, drawing out their attention. If we can secure the objective that'll be even better, but so long as their able to get inside we can worry about secondaries later." The captain once more paused in order to drink from his canister, before finally wiping his mouth dry and motioning around to those under his command. "Any questions?"

Few questions were asked, which received answers in short order. Nothing of note beyond 'why are we slogging it as trenchies?' which caught a bit of a glare from the captain before moving on. Still, with the readjustment of his helmet into it's proper position. A glance between the jedi later, and the captain was off towards danger with the rest of his lunatics.

Vanished out into the fray,

It took a few moments for the commandos to pick out their positions, sightlines and positions to poke their foes. Then, when all parties were ready for kick off, Captain Hillbolt and fireteam Anaconda opened the assault with kingsnake's Artillery. Not having been used until that point, the building shook dramatically in response to being slammed into by turbo laser fire from the north side, followed soon after by flurry of smaller explosions from the anti armor bots and their Salvos of Cluster and Guided missiles from every angle- All designed to disorient and distract their foes.

Was it fair?

No.

But from the roof to it's very foundations had the building been rocked by heavy artillery and missile batteries, demanding a response from the garrison, who with any luck would be too busy trying to return fire upon the bots and their invisible allies to notice or deal with the jedi making themselves comfortable inside their own home. Indeed, the Sidewinders of the TWENTY bots letting loose into the building pinned down most inside, tearing apart every room which dared to hold even transparasteel windows, which shattered like glass all the same under such heavy fire.

"Well kid, give us a second to keep the fireworks going, and I think you'll have plenty of room to move." The chatter over secure comms had been honest enough, although unlike the rest of the sanval, Thralrii seemed to be weighed down by the unsightly disturbance despite the mission at hand, even if he would continue to press on.

 

[Nos Voros]

REFUGEE CAMP

Outfit: Senate Commando Armor
Full Kit Deployment:

Spoiler: Full Kit

* Legion Combat Engineer Multi-Tool

• 4 X Combat/Utility Knife-Model 01
• 2 X Vibroblade-Model 01
• Legion Combat Pistol Mark I with Whisper-class Suppressor Series
• Legion Crew Personal Protection Weapon Mark I
• Combat Scattergun-Model 01
• 3 X Modular Hand Grenade-Model 01
• 3 X Anti-Armor Grenade-Model 01

* Bastion-class Load Bearing/Combat Vest and Helmet

• Combat Blaster Rifle-Model 01 with Tactical Accessories Series and Underbarrel Grenade Launcher-Model 01 (20 X Launchable Grenade Series)
• 4x blaster cartridges
• 2x stun grenades
• Ascension Pistol
• Fusion Lantern
• Datapad
• Garrote
• 3x stimpacks
• 3x bland survival bars
• 128oz Canteen of water.

[...] Houses can be rebuilt, planets can be terraformed back to how they were, community can't. That takes time, trust, things that can't be fixed without places like this."

Nos nodded along, following the heart of Master Si's words, but only in theory. He had seen Lady Sylvia Organa work to rebuild and support communities, but the very idea being part of one was alien to Nos. Perhaps when he was young, before he was taken and sold.
No.
Here, serving the alliance, was the closest thing to being a part of a community Nos has had. Just as Sylvia said, Nos Isolated himself more than others isolated him.

"It's a cause worth working towards." Nos agreed, albeit curt compared to the eloquence of the Jedi master, but Nos was no orator. He picked at his food.
"It can't be easy, determining good from evil. I suppose I'm glad the Jedi are there to identify which is which." Nos wasn't sure, all things considered, whether he would be categorized as good or evil. Only as good as the one who ordered him, he supposed. He was a weapon to be pointed and fired, or a shield to protect another above himself. Morality and ethics were not his responsibility, so he rarely truly pondered them.

"Do you ever question whether you yourself are truly good? Or is it something you can feel?" Was it something Nos couldn't feel, but was supposed to?

He knew the question wasn't really a fair one, but a glimpse into the life of one who seemed to effortlessly do the right thing, to be able to sense 'Light' and 'Dark' sides - it had Nos curious about a surety he would never experience.

Sugar slipped from the seat, the sludgespawn searching the floors of the establishment for dropped crumbs.

Jonyna Si​

 

[Drystan Creed]

LAZERIAN IV: CITY OF DEVIT

"I like that plan. Disorient and defeat. Simple. Effective." Drystan nodded in approval of Caelan's strategy, his gaze shifting as the commandos splintered off, taking their positions.

"With any luck, what ever you're feeling above, we can handle. Worst case, if we can't, you'll stop feeling anything all together." Drystan said, his gallows humor aimed at Cora. It was mostly a self-service to keep himself conversational. It had been some time since he had worked with others in such an intense situation and he needed to practice his communication skills more when able to.

Drystan followed Caelan down the scouted path, forgoing his usual shroud of shadows. The area had already been cleared, and with the group moving together, stealth was secondary.

At the door to the meeting room, he halted, turning to Caelan with a nod.

"Alright. Ready when you are."

This was the prince's home—it would have been rude to enter first and without explicit permission. More importantly, it was Caelan's call. Whether they used the distraction for a quiet infiltration or to launch straight into a fight with the remaining force, Drystan would follow his lead.

Caelan Valoren | Corazona von Ascania | Thralrii Hillbolt

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Despite the grisly sight of impaled bodies still lingering in their minds, the group continued to push forward. Their task was not yet complete; they could debrief later.

Caelan knew the layout of their battlefield better than anyone else, and Cora made no complaint when he suggested that the Captain's forces play distraction. Hopefully, that would give them enough cover to sneak in and cut the head from the snake.

Her upper lip lifted into a grimace at Drystan's quip, but his sentiment did not go unappreciated.

"As long as it's quick," she muttered. “I’d prefer bluebells on my grave.”

When they approached the entrance of the meeting room, Cora pressed her back to the wall, next to the door.

Along with Drystan, she awaited Caelan's signal.

Caelan Valoren Drystan Creed Thralrii Hillbolt