[ Vanguard Campaign ] GA Dominion of Bpfassh & Death By Teacup!

[Vexen]

[member="Micah Talith"]

Besides the odd glance, no one really paid Vexen much attention. She walked boldly through the streets and no one pointed, shouted at her, or called her ‘daemon’. She tried to figure what caused this. Was it the brightly coloured sash and goggles that made her stand out?

No, she decided, it was her demeanour. When she had been younger, she would slink through the shadows and watch for opportunities to steal food or items she could trade with Rajick for food. It pained her now to realise what she had been doing: stealing personal possessions for the rodian to sell on for a great deal of credits in exchange for a simple hot meal. She hadn’t really understood at the time, had felt she was simply ‘cleaning up’. That was what he had told her.

But now she walked boldly through the street, head held high. Folk were used to all sorts of species out and about. Just because she was barely more than a silhouette didn’t seem to bother them. Because she was trying to look like she belonged, folk just seemed to accept she did. The pleasure this brought the diminutive Wraith was beyond measure.

 

[Isha]

OBJECTIVE: 1
ALLIES: [member="Loske Matson"] [member="Elaine Thul"]
Post: 10/10

The scans were going well. The Yodaling padawan gave a turn of her head, panning her gaze over to the starboard side of her starfighter. They would soon reach optimal altitude to drop the reconnaissance drones for an up and close look. These would ideally drop into the thin atmosphere of the icy moon, their small shields protecting entry, and then spend the next few hours flying in a hover to acquire samples and testing materials.

Beyond this, there were at least two more moons that the Alliance would scan. Hopefully, things were working well with the main planet and the population therein. It had been formally within Protectorate space, so they are more familiar to outsiders than the time before the plague.
“A new heading, we head off to.” her voice would crackle throughout the comm to the other scouts.

 

[Choli Vyn]

OBJECTIVE: Bring your own!
Space Port
11/20

Bpfassh wasn't Tatooine, so it was a nice speeder bike ride towards their objective. Chloe said that Nreie Va was someone she'd enjoy meeting, and certainly would give her a new perspective when it came to the Force and who could weld it. That promptly made Choli a bit suspicious, given the devilish twinkle in the blonde woman's eyes. However, Cho knew that Chloe didn't have any bad intentions, and everything she'd been put through so far had been to teach her a little bit more about the 'Verse and what was in it.

What could time with Nreie bring? A small beep from behind told her that R4 was still a bit skeptical, but there was no convincing Choli otherwise. They were both here for the long haul, and following Chloe's and Jannik's recomendations would help the young Tatooine native learn just a little bit more. Help her hone her senses.

There was still so much out there she'd yet to see. Yet to experience.

The 'verse was her oyster and she could do anything.

 

[Cecily Demici]

OBJECTIVE: Custom
ALLIES: House Valeria
1/10

"We have reached the planet Bpfassh, Your Grace," a strapping officer, emblazoned with the rose of House Valeria said dutifully as he entered the chamber where Cecily and her guardswomen were resting. She looked up as he gave her a salute and smiled gently.

As she stood, it could be seen that a large golden box was cradled in her arms. It contained a complete history of the Church of Light and all of the sacred writings that followers of the Faith held dear, including accounts written by her own ancestor. Cecily was on a mission to deliver these databases to a small group of faithful transplants on the harsh planet in the hopes that they might begin to spread the religion.

"Thank you lieutenant," she nodded, before motioning to her companions, "come ladies, we have an appointment."

The ramp hissed as it opened onto the dock below and a troop of House Valerian guards descended, Cecily following closely behind. She was not particularly concerned for her own safety, but the planet did have a nasty reputation and her family thought better than to take the risk. So, she set off with a full compliment, to her meeting with the devout of Bpfassh.

 

[Irys Arist'lar]

The bridge shook as the Resurgence-class opened its account with a wicked volley of torpedoes and batteries. The scene was set, but their captain was clearly going for a roll of the dice to overload the Majesty's shields.

But she held. Many fighters peeled out if the zone between the capital ships as they closed. Their work done and the space between the ships no longer an appropriate place to be. Laser fire passed back and forth in a brilliant light display. The Vanguard battlecruiser started to turn. The sign Irys was looking for.

"Full spread on their shield generators!" Irys called.

"Yes Ma'am."

"Four direct hits, detecting instabilities all across their deflector grid."

"Offer them terms," Irys snapped back.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

Jacen was in no mind to go down into the courtyard and face the acolytes in an open space. With his back to a doorway he held the wall. Three acolytes launched towards the lip. Two he pushed back down with a telekinetic blast.

The third found himself alone. A probing strike, a low feint and sudden twist of the blade and Jacen rolled that scarlet saber wide. The next swipe took his hands off halfway up the forearm. Jacen had no time to pause however. He could sense them all around now, several coming up the passage behind him and more scaling the walls.

He backed up, keeping the passageway as an exit in case he was surrounded. Three acolytes in black robes came at him together.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Post 2:

The starlines flared through the mottled sky, and shrank back into stars, and she had arrived.

Sorel took a quick look at the tactical holo floating over her display bank. She had come out of hyperspace exactly as planned, within touching range of the double planet of Bpfassh and its complicated system of moons. Fighters were launching from the third moon, but nothing was visible as yet.

'Friend or foe,' she pondered.

Sorel could see the fighters now, coming at her like a swarm of angry insects. "I think I'm about to find out."

 

[Isha]

OBJECTIVE: 1
ALLIES: Loske Matson Elaine Thul
Post: 11/20

The second moon they were to scout was more of an ore rich brother of the ice moon. Only this one had its own small asteroid belt. The tiny Yodaling would lit herself an inch to peer with those wide, violet shaped eyes as they approached. It was of a darker slate grey hue. No known atmosphere. No known lifesigns. The large and wide olive ears gave a slight perk, and her tiny nose scrunched up in contemplation. At two hundred years of age, Isha was still relatively young. Most would consider to be by human standards in her early twenties or late teens.

While she may be young, she had plenty of time to wander the galaxy already. It was one of those reasons why Isha enjoyed working with the Jedi AgriCorps and any of the exploration scouting parties. A finger would toggle the new deployment of drones for this particular moon.

Preliminary studies had suggested that perhaps there were ample fields of quality gas in various pockets. Lommite, Turminium, Chanlon, and mirkanite were all possibilities. Maybe even more. The final analysis would reveal which soon.

 

[Choli Vyn]

OBJECTIVE: Bring your own!
Gorson Valley
12/20

Plains turned into deep canyons. Mesas and plateaus would flank the young padawan, her goggles protecting her eyes as the dust and wind blue past her. A small beep in her holographic wrist map would have her adjust course. R4 gave another small beep and a hoot, relaying that they were going beyond an hours worth of travel.

"She said he'd be here..." she told him, slowing down to a halt beside a ravine. A frown drew over her brow, and the young woman would lift up her goggles. Squinting, she set them on top of her head, twin clean spheres around her eyes the only bit of skin that wasn't grimy.

"Okay... " a quick tap and she reviewed the landmarks with her map.

"Two klicks more." she told her companion, who only gave a petulant series of beeps and boops. Chuckling, Choli readjusted her goggles. "Right, let's go then."

Over beyond the canyon, one shadow would peer down at the small incoming dusttrail. A visitor.

 

[Republic Engineering]

Objective: Two - Diplomatic Envoy
Allies: The Galactic Alliance
Enemies: The Vanguard
Post Count: Three​

​

As the Imperial Officer had taken his seat, Astarii's eyes whirred into motion. They devoured every facet of his being and relayed the converted data into the depths of her mind. In an instant, she had known him better than he probably knew himself. Every scar that could be seen was revealed, and the probable cause was listed beside the minuscule patches of synthetic flesh and blanched scar tissue. He was a man that wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty, and if they were ever to engage one another in close quarters combat, he would most likely overpower her. While she would've typically been perturbed by the very notion of being subdued by an Imperial, let alone a Man, she knew that there was no other choice at this juncture. She was alone, outnumbered, and outgunned. That would've been considered a Target-Rich Environment, were they in space and clad in the impressive bulk of the Eidolon. Here on the ground, however, she knew that she was nothing more than a prisoner - armed with nothing more than a teacup and the accompanying saucer. Whatever would she do?

Astarii cocked a snide smile as she brought the ceramic mug to her lips and poured more of the steaming bitter liquid atop her tongue. She had to remain calm. There were several guns trained on her, and it was likely that if she made a move that they deemed hostile, she'd be gunned down on the spot. The fact they haven't done so already meant they wanted something from her, though she was unsure what exactly that was. Placing the demitasse down upon the table and folding her arms across her lap, the Captain retained her contemptuous grin as she addressed the patchworked Vanguard Officer.

"I wouldn't dream of calling for assistance. I'm a big girl, and I think I can take out the Trash on my own."

The man smiled, apparently amused by her insulting remark. Well, Astarii mused, At least this one has a sense of humor. His grip tightened on the service pistol as he pointed it's barrel towards her heart. One shot of superheated plasma and all she would feel is the sweet chill of Death's embrace. She had to be careful, but insulting her supposed betters was far too much fun!

"You think we're Trash?" He asked, cocking a curious brow.

"Just jump into a Bodybag to complete the look."

That time he didn't smile. No. Instead, he laughed! What an intriguing soul. It was a shame that he chose the wrong side in this seemingly endless proxy war. Shrugging off the thought of what could've been, replacing it with what was, the Hapan Captain smoothed out the edges of her uniform and let her augmented eyes burrow into the hazel gaze of the Imperial opposite.

"You know, for an Alliance Captain held captive, you're acting quite rashly. There are five guns trained on your person, and yet... you mock my comrades, and I. Was I not a more generous man, I would've ordered my men to riddle you with holes. Then I'd dumped your carbon-scored corpse on the sandstone stairs, and watch as we tore apart the units of Jedi scouring their lost domicile, all the while listening to the dying screams of your friends in the space."

The Hapan inclined her head at the mention of her comrade's objectives and wondered how exactly this rodder had known about them. They must be watching their movements, either very carefully or perhaps through much darker means. Or, and she hoped that this wasn't true, but knowing it was how she came to serve at the Alliance's behest, there could be a traitor amongst them. Such things were all considerable possibilities, but none of them could be explored at this venture. She had a job to do first, and that - was to take command of this farce.

"Very well, the brash approach isn't working. Perhaps the diplomatic one, yes?" She nodded, almost as if she was answering her question which in turn caused the seed of confusion to sprout within the man's mind. As she continued, her tone became increasingly mocking in nature, hoping to lure him into a false sense of security with how sincere her maddening words would seem. Perhaps once he had reached that point, his guard would be dropped, and she could turn the tables about on this horribly timed situation. "I will surrender into your custody on one condition. You let these delegates go. They're already in your pocket, as far as I can see, and will be more endearing to your demands once they're free. An Alliance Officer, for the lives of four innocents? I'd say that's a good trade, no? Just think of all the secrets I could be persuaded to reveal."

"I highly doubt you'd give yourself over so easily, especially for the lives of these Xenos Filth. You're not going to Surrender into my Custody, because I'm afraid to say, that you're already in it."

Now it was Astarii's turn to laugh.

"Hah Ha! I'm sorry, Commander... Something, is it? You must be new to taking prisoners schtick. When you've got your intended target dead to rights, you're supposed to clap them in irons."

He nodded and beckoned one of the Stormtroopers forward with a quick successive flick of his dominant hand. The Alabaster clad soldier trundled forward, cautiously advancing towards the Captain with his rifle raised. Now here was a smart man, She thought. As the man had made his final steps, he lowered his weapon and slung it over his shoulders, all before drawing out a pair of binder cuffs. The silvered lattices of her augmented eyes pirouetted within their sockets, filling her sight with a tactical overlay - bathing everything around her in variable shades of crimsons threat markers, topaz outlines to signify non-combatants, all placed upon an encompassing sapphire-hued background. She was ready. Now was the time to act, for Astarii wouldn't get another chance once those binder cuffs were in place.

The Hapan burst into action, flipping the table before her onto the Vanguard officer, temporarily pinning him to the floor. He screamed in agony as the boiling bitter brew from the kettle splashed across his face, causing his flesh to blister. Should he survive, this would merely be another collection of scars for him to remember her by. No. Such a fatalistic notion won't be tolerated. Act! Act! No time to think. With the table flipped and the Officer pinned, she pivoted on the spot and whirled around, just in time to see the gauntlet of the nearby Stormtrooper sweep past her face. Had she not twirled about, she would've been thrown into the wall like a ragdoll and would've most likely blacked out from the shock. Thankfully, the Imperial hadn't expected the lithe Captain to move so fluidly, and thus had left himself wide open for her immediate reprisal. Astarii grabbed the man by his elbow and sent her uniformed knee into his groin. The blow hurt the both of them, but it had given the Captain the leverage she needed to spin her foe about to face those that remained standing.

Crimson bolts of light thundered into the Stormtrooper's back, sundering his betaplast carapace and ending his life almost instantaneously. His body became rigid as the suit sought to compensate for the corpse the Alliance Officer now held, inadvertently bulking out his weight. Astarii grunted as the man, already hefty in his own right, became even heavier. Her muscles screamed at her to relieve herself of this dead weight, but as a second volley of bolts cascaded into her meat shield, their protestation became a myriad of silent agonies. She needed a weapon. Something that would allow her to dispatch the other Alabaster clad warriors that now sought to encircle her. The rifle! How could she have forgotten something so crucial to her efforts of survival, when it was staring at her in the face? So many distractions. The reason why she didn't recall the Blaster wasn't necessary. All that mattered was that it was where she had seen it last, and by the grace of whatever God's she deemed true, the weapon was still slung over his shoulders. She couldn't reach it, and it was aimed the wrong way. That was terribly inconvenient. The Pistol! Now that was something that she could use. Shouldering his lifeless burden and slipping her dominant hand down towards his belt, Astarii unclasped the holster's flap and withdrew the man's sidearm.

A heavy blaster, Imperial-issue. It might do the trick - had the man who previously owned it took care of it as Protocol would dictate. It turns out; the man wasn't as smart as she first surmised, as the first shot she made with the weapon went wide of her mark. Even without her augmented eyes, that now set about calibrating the targeting reticle, she would've been able to make that shot. He must've kept it dirty for that purpose, or the karkin' rodder was utterly careless and favored his primary weapon. She cursed under her breath as several more rounds tore through the Stormtroopers corpse, ever closer to fulfilling it's purpose and slaying the woman beneath if the relentless barrage was sustained. Compensating for the filthy focusing lens, Astarii fired off a staccato of bolts that tore through the weak points in their armor. A Stormtrooper went down, several carbon-scores across his breastplate and a smoking hole burrowed through his gorget. Another had dropped, the lens of his helmet shattered and billowing smoke. Finally, as the last Imperial Soldier fell, his knee bored open by the super-heated discharge of Astarii's pilfered pistol, the Hapan officer had cast her smoking shield aside.

The stench of burning meat had accompanied his fall, mixing with the subtle hint of cinnamon that permeated through the air. She hated the smell, but at least the sickly sweet bouquet hadn't made her gag just yet. She hated it because it reminded her of how she had gotten the scars that marred her face, and the very tipping point of where her life had been turned upside down. Swallowing the demons of her past, Astarii advanced on the collapsed Stormtrooper and put him out of his misery. She fired the pistol until the charge had been expended, and a soft chime had cut through the din of battle.

"All that effort for nothing." A familiar voice had said. At first, the Hapan had believed that the sound had solely been emitted from her weapon, but the truth of the matter was, it also came from the pistol now held by the formerly pinned Vanguard Officer. It seems that during the commotion, he had recovered from his ordeal and righted himself. Now the odds were somewhat even. She had taken his advantage of numerical superiority and from the looks of things, had caused his smoldering flesh to pucker and blot out his vision in the right eye.

"I wouldn't... say it was for nothing, Imperial. One woman against Five men. Others couldn't have faced those odds and lived to tell the tale."

He scoffed, spitting out his rancorous venom with a swollen tongue.

"Lived? The ordeal is far from over. I still have you dead to rights, and while the Bpfasshi Delegates may still live, after I gun you down, they won't be of concern for much longer. The Vanguard shall claim this world, and will strike at the heart of your pitiful Alliance!"

Even wounded, the man still wholeheartedly believed in what he was doing. Had the Vanguard taken control of this arid world, they would've subjected it to the myriad cruelties that came attached to the Imperial Regime. While Astarii was no fan of alien life, she wasn't unnecessarily cruel to those that haven't wronged her. They deserved to live free and die as they pleased. As to why they had thrown in with the Imperials in the first place when the Alliance was more suited to allow them to live out their wildest dreams? The Hapan couldn't fathom the reason. They were more than likely coerced into accepting this terrible fate by the Imperials threatening the well-being of their families. It was the most logical and had fit with the Imperial modus operandi.

Anger surged through her veins as she watched the man slipped his finger into the trigger guard. Even though they were disgusting pallid offshoots of humanity, she couldn't let them endure the horrors of what ruthless Imperialism would bring; they deserved better. Burning with the righteous heat of depthless rage, spawned forth from the demons of her past and the circumstances in which she was now engrossed, Astarii surged forward. She ducked low as the first bolt was sent astray. The Hapan Officer doubted that she'd be so fortunate the next time. Her dashing stride had closed the gap between the two opposites, and the both of them had come crashing down onto the debris littered floor. She struck at him, as He smacked her. They traded blows as they rolled across the ground, both shouting obscenities and giving voice to their combined agony. After several moments of struggling, Astarii came free from the man's embrace and had straddled him above the waist. She pinned his arms with her knees and reached for the nearest object that was within her grasp.

It was of no use to speak any further. She wasn't some cunning linguist that could sow the seeds of betrayal with a silvered tongue. This man was a believer, and it was almost impossible to shatter someone's faith without the careful application of time and supporting evidence. So, instead, Astarii elected to end this charade and take the man as her prisoner instead. Perhaps they'd be able to... persuade him to give up the location of the nearby Vanguard Bases.

"Just get on with it. End me! Kill me! Prove to these people you're nothing more than a worthless murderer! How keen they would be to join the Alliance then, eh?" He laughed then, the sound itself was seemingly forced through his compressed diaphragm and held a sonorous note when compared to his haughty Imperial Accent. "The Vanguard will have this world. One way or another!"

What did he mean? She wondered. Then, at the last moment, she saw it. A subcutaneous transmitter. The Imperial Officer had a communications device implanted beneath his flesh, just below his jawline. The Hapan didn't see it before and believed it was hidden from her sight until the boiling liquid had blistered its fleshy pocket. It didn't matter. Whatever the man was about to do involved utilizing that device to its insidious potential. That meant he had units stationed around the city and was about to activate them. No. That couldn't happen. They'd slaughter the populace! And with the Jedi so far away, it'd be too late for anyone to save them. She needed to do something and fast. Keep the populace safe or Capture an Officer vital to ending the Vanguard Conflict? Choices had to be made, and this one was the hardest she'd ever made. Grasping onto the knapped edges of an object that felt ceramic, Astarii drove the shattered remains of her teacup into the man's throat - cutting off not only his connection to the rest of his comrades in the city but utterly severing one of his carotid arteries. She collapsed onto the surface of the upturned table, beside the crimson painted officer. Her flesh was hot, and she felt like was going to combust spontaneously in flames. It had been some time since she killed a person up close, and as she did then, the Captain wished that she was back aboard her ship. At least then, they could sequester themselves within their quarters should the sight of void warfare and the agonizingly high death toll became too much to bear. Down here on the arid surface, however? It was far too intimate for her liking.

She breathed in another mouthful of sickly sweet air and tasted copper on her tongue. It got into her mouth. Disgusting. The woman laid there for a moment as the adrenals in her system slowly secreted out of her body. She was drenched from head to toe in sweat, blood, and dirt. It was a good thing she didn't have someone in her life to impress, for they'd be horrified at a sight like this. Astarii felt herself chuckle at such an outlandish idea, especially now that she was coated in the vital fluids of someone else. Maybe if her life had been different, and she hadn't chosen to free herself from the tyrannical reign of the One Sith. Maybe then one of those disgusting Sith Lords would've found such a sight as this, appealing in some sick and twisted manner. Shaking her head and feeling her... everything pulse with fresh tremors of pain, the Hapan slowly fell prey to the darkness crawling at the edges of her sight, while all too familiar voices rang within her mind.

 

[Ipsy]

Objective 3: Exploring the Praxeum

@Z'Zharen | [member="Abel"] | [member="Audren Sykes"]

"Eep!"

A small squeal emerged from Ipsy as the crazed figure rounded the corner. His mottled form appeared monstrous in comparison to the large Whipid who had shifted in front of her, though in reality he was likely much smaller than her companion. The intruder's fearsome anger, however, appeared largely unmatched. Nevertheless, Ipsy was determined to not show her fear.

She reached for her lightsaber, then scampered forward until she stood, weaponed paw outstretched, between Zhar's legs. She glanced quickly toward Abel, but he seemed filled with the same resolve as she. They wouldn't be yielding anytime soon. Returning her attention to their attacker, she huffed at the Sith's proclamation, terrified yet intent on continuing their exploration of the temple.

"Interrupting wasn't nice at all," she scolded the unkempt savage. "And we are most certainly not bits of deliciousness or leechy buglings. We will fight you if we must, but you should pay more attention to the stinky mattings you call fur than to our exploratories of the temple. I think you'd feel much better after a nice warm bath. What do you say?"

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

A myriad of coloured sparks rolled across the dusty flagstones. Jacen didn't hear his own grunt over the screams of an acolyte clutching their severed stump. This was supposed to be a quick scouting mission, or perhaps diplomacy. But they have been waiting for him and [member="Ayme Katash"].

Jacen cut a complex pattern through the air with his golden blade. He weaved a path that threw off the attackers as they tried to find their rhythm. Instead he stepped forwards and raised one palm. All four nearby were thrown to the ground. Jacen's blaster raised from his hip on its own accord. It firing several times scattering stun bolts in all directions. A trick he'd been practising.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Post 3:

The lead fighter became more than a distant blip, the second following hard, their manoeuvres tight and sure. Within moments, the enemy - led by two tiny bright spots - came into visual range. Pirates.

Kaytoo bleeped. Sorel had guessed as to the type of ships, but it was good to get a second opinion.

"I see it that way too. The modified X-wing is leading."

As the range meter numbers scrolled down to firing range, the oncoming starfighters opened fire. Curiously, the enemy TIE interceptor held in close behind the X-wing, dropping just beneath to fire, rising above to fire again.

The two pirates bobbed and juked, ducking fire as they returned laser blasts. Their return shots slammed into the X-wing's forward shields, dissipating meters short of the X-wing fuselage.

"This could be fun," she said as she used every trick she knew to try to get the two to separate.

Red laser fire from her X-wing hit the TIE low on the circular transparisteel viewport. It exploded in a bright flash, and the other pirate rocked, hit by gases swelling from the detonation. She was glad the other pirates held back - but was also a little concerned too. Why not swarm her?

 

[Elaine Thul]

Allies: [member="Isha"] [member="Loske Matson"]
post 4/20

She sent a message to her escort, This is Elaine Thul to escorts scans complete, and we think have found a possible area to get Turminum. Though we only truly know once we begin mining it, but the rest data will have to be run though at later date. I am not sure do we have any more scanning runs to do? She was not sure where they where up to, as it had been long day already. Though if the was more to do, she was being paid for it so she get on with it, and have tiffin later.

 

[Audren Sykes]

OBJECTIVE: 3
ALLIES:
Post: 6/20

"You're right, I didn't. Not until you ordered him to kill me."

"Nothing personal."

Nothing personal? A standing order to kill anyone who saw the droids, like the original order, wasn't personal. Cruel, unnecessary, and potentially criminal, but not personal. A direct order to kill the Sephi, even if not by name? No, that one was personal. It didn't matter that the man tried to play it off after the fact as not being personal. And all over some trinkets. They'd better have been good trinkets if he was willing to kill over them.

"Right. What 'stuff' are we talking about?"

The man didn't bother answering, his face merely set. Fine, if that's how he wanted to play it. Audren took a step back, then another, and crouched down to the bag. Rather than the artifacts he'd expected to see, even possibly fakes, he saw explosives. Ah. Not so much an explorer as a saboteur. One who relied on droids to help him do his work. Well, he was older, maybe that was why. When he held one up to the light though, it became obvious that these were concussion-based explosives. Of all the types possible, these were the least likely to permanently harm the location yet kill those inside. He quirked an eye at the man, who simply shrugged.

"Ready-made base. Your bad luck to be here when I was cleaning."

"Vanguard?"

"So sue me."

"You know, I was hoping to explore the old place, maybe learn some history if it had been left. I really didn't want to arrest anyone."

"You're not."

Those two words heralded the sudden appearance of two holdout pistols and began shooting. The shots weren't aimed at Audren though, but at the bag of explosives lying before him. The Knight's lightsaber was still active, and it was child's play to block the shots. Most went into the ceiling, but a couple found their way through the man. He was dead before he hit the ground.

For his part, Audren picked up the bag and headed back the way he came. He was no explosives expert, and there was a good chance some had already been planted. On the way out, he opened up a comm channel on GA frequencies. An open call, anyone in the Temple and rough area around could hear it.

"Alliance, be aware of explosives on location. Unknown number or triggers."

 

[Irys Arist'lar]

[SIZE=12pt]“They’re refusing our hails,” called the comms officer. The bridge of the Majesty rocked as another batch of ordnance struck the shields. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“Starboard shields fluctuating!” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]‘I believe that was our answer,” Irys replied. “Have a squadron of B-wings strike their bridge. The time for games is over.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“Bravo Squadron inbound. Deploying bombs. Direct strikes.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Irys looked through the viewscreen. She couldn’t see the fighters against the inky black, but the affect they produce. A bright flame burst from the front of the enemy bridge as the air was vented and ignited simultaneously. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“Signal them again. Let’s see if their secondary command are more affable,” Irys called. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“They’ve requested surrender already Ma’am.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“Ceasefire, prepare boarding crews.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Space fell dark within moments. The Vanguard ship powering down weapons and the Majesty following suit after them.[/SIZE]

 

[Cecily Demici]

OBJECTIVE: Custom, The Church of Light
Post 2

At last, Cecily and her escort came to a small steepled building on the outskirts of the town they had landed in. It was not a particularly tall building, nor was it extravagant. It had been built by simple townsfolk, followers of the Church. The tall windows all had the Symbol of Light stained into them. The same symbol was carved into the doors of the chapel. Outside, several parishioners of a variety of species (predominantly human) had gathered to await her arrival.

"My Lady, we have eagerly awaited your arrival," said a comely looking man with a shock of red hair and a matching beard. He was wearing simple rough-spun robes of light grey that would have denoted him the leader of the flock. He gave a slight bow, which Cecily returned graciously as his eyes darted eagerly to the golden tome she held in her hands.

"Is that it?"

"It is," she smiled at him as the parishioners gathered around, "might we step inside for a moment? I'll show you how it works."

The little man nodded happily, gesturing toward the doors of the chapel and led her and his followers inside.

 

[Choli Vyn]

OBJECTIVE: Bring your own!
Gorson Valley
13/20

---

]

This is it.

A dust devil cut across the entrance to the canyon. The entire place was practically deserted. Nothing for several kilometers in all directions. Under her scarf, Choli bit her lower lip, feeling the dry skin there. Chole said he would be here, but ... where?

Slowing down to a halt, the young woman hit the breaks. Turning off the engine, she swung a leg over her seat. Bringing her hands up, she slipped the dusty goggles up on top of her head. Sand and grit would crunch under her boots, taking a few steps forward. Slowly, she panned her gaze along the crimson rockwell before her.

"Hello?!" she yelled out. Her voice would echo along the canyons, resonating with the wind. Off in the distance she saw a bull like creature. Reminded her of a bantha really. Huh, maybe the guy raised banthas?

"My name is Choli!" she said, using her hands to cup her mouth to project her voice.

"Chloe Blake sent me here!"

Maybe her voice startled the bantha, because it started to wander on over. A beep boop from R2 questioned if the guy was even here.

"He's here... he has to be."

The bantha like creature trotted on over; Choli didnt pay it any mind. Up close, she realized that it wasn't a bantha. It had a bony frill around his neckline, armor plating on his back, hornlike projections from his jaws, and spikes protruding from his shoulders. It also had four legs that ended in a set of sharp, strong claws, ideal for slashing. Okay, definitely not a bantha. She would just keep it at a distance. At least, until it spoke.

In Basic.

"Greetings Choli." The Tchuukthai greeted the padawan warmly.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

"Give it up!" Jacen shouted as he backed into the corridor. There were several sounds behind him, moving quickly. He slashed out ahead of him, forcing his pursuers back.

His demand was rewarded with a round of laughter. He'd thinned there numbers but he couldn't fight them in the open any further. Now they only had to back him into a corner. But Jacen wasn't done yet.

As he sensed movement behind him he lashed out with all his strength through the Force. Not only did the telekinetic blast knock them back out onto the walkway, but a blinding burst of light emanated from Jacen's hand.

The Marshall turned and strode back into the darkness purposefully. Those coming up behind him suddenly found themselves fighting a Jedi Master with the high ground and only able to fight one abreast. Before the acolytes above him could recover, Jacen had cut two down in his path and reached the bottom of the stairs.

Now he had a choice of backing himself into a corner or fighting them in the open courtyard below. Perhaps it was his nature, rather than a tactical decision, but Jacen chose the corner.

 

[Cecily Demici]

OBJECTIVE: Custom, The Church of Light
Post 3

The inside of the chapel was as simply built as the exterior, the walls were made from salvaged wood and the glass windows were misshapen and thicker at the bottom then at the top. The aisle was marked by a dirty yellow rug with uneven sides and crudely made designs had been sewn into the fabric. On either side of the aisle sat three pews of the same rough wood that made up the walls of the chapel. At the front of the long room was an altar and a lectern from which the leader of the church would speak to his followers.

Cecily and the leader of the chapel made their way to the front where she sat the large golden tome upon the altar and heaved it open. From within the tome, a nearly blinding light cascaded out and filled the room. It was difficult to look at, but only for a moment until their eyes adjusted. The parishioners awed as they filed into the pews, watching on as Cecily reached into the light and produced what looks like a ball of light.

"This device holds the whole of our ancient history," she said, working at the device and pressing a variety of buttons until suddenly the light being cast on the chapel walls shifted into scenes of the past, "the founding of the Church of Light, the devotion of its followers, and the Holy Writings we hold sacred. I do trust you speak High Galactic?"

The priest nodded, still awing at the device. Most smaller chapels around the galaxy were forced to recite most of the writings of the Church of Light from memory, but the work that the Sisters of St. Cecily did would bring the Word of Light to all of those chapels.

"My Lady, won't you please join us for a service?"

"Of course," Cecily delicately handed the device to the priest and made her way to one of the pews to listen to the first true service this chapel had seen.