Vortex of Terror (RED DEVIL CARTEL / OPEN)

[Lancer Damar]

The powers that be wanted some critical information. Nar Shaddaa was home to a lot bigger players than the Red Devils, or whatever gang was currently in the building. Lancer was contacted through a series of couriers, whoever wanted his part in this wanted to remain anonymous. Lancer was happy to oblige. He wasn't exactly a 'people person'. He worked for a lot of shady people and had done a lot of shady things. He got used to the lifestyle of deception after a while.

Thirteen minutes prior to insertion.

His equipment came to him in the form of a hardened plastic case left in an adjacent building, close to the Vortex tower. Red Devils had been rather careless with their security protocols. Tended to happen when you put out an open message. That, and the people he worked for, probably had ears everywhere. Whoever they were.

He checked his equipment, before donning it.

One suppressed slugthrower rifle. Sixteen inch barrel, holographic sight. Angular foregrip. Plastic magazines. Single-point sling. A hardened plastic stock, extendable. Sub-sonic ammunition. Meant that this thing was more or less entirely silent. The only real noise would be the shells hitting the ground.

One suppressed slugthrower handgun. Fifteen round capacity. Filed grip. Laser at the end. Same sub-sonic ammunition. Nothing entirely special. Just practical.

Vibroblade knife.

Garrote. Obvious enough.

Night-vision goggles- the nice kind that provided total depth-of-field, without sacrificing depth perception. These were his, actually. The rest of the ensemble was a black shirt and black pants, reinforced at the knees with leather. The gloves were simple, studded with hardened plastic at the knuckles.

One small, individual first aid kit, along with a ammonia-based spray to eliminate any traces of his DNA. And an external hard drive, to capture what he came for.

He cracked his neck, and put it all on.

Six minutes until insertion.

Gunshots marked the entrance of the Red Devils. They were acting like typical gang wars. Multiple entrances. Lots of violence. Not much precision. Didn't need it against these kinds of people, now did they? Lancer's approach was more subtle- he was going for the power. The Red Devils weren't stupid. But they were however, careless and cocky. He guessed only a few of them brought night-vision capabilities. However, Lancer needed a dominant position.

The sniper posted on the roof by [member="Ash"] was a careful marksman. He set traps and noisemakers up to his position, and took care to conceal himself. He didn't hear Lancer until Lancer was right behind him, actually. He pivoted and swung at Lancer with the rifle, missing Lancer with the buttstock by half a hair. Ash was right- the man was fond of his knives. He took it out first, swinging at Lancer in a wide arc. Unfortunately, it was stupid to bring a knife to a gunfight. And every fight with a professional like Lancer was in fact, a gunfight.

Lancer braced his forearm against the sniper's neck, shoving him against the rooftop's edge, and removed the handgun from his thigh. He dumped two rounds into his chest, at point blank. For good measure, he shot him again in the head. The sniper crumbled into a heap, silent in death. Lancer picked up the rifle, observing. From his position, he could only see through the windows. But this made the Red Devil's courage that much more sketchy.

Lancer picked up the communicator from the dead sniper. Very useful to be able to listen to the enemy. Given however, that the sniper may not have had comms with the entire Red Devil contingency inside. Lancer turned his head, and made his way down off the building. His next step was getting inside.

Four minutes until insertion.

 

[Zaiden Dean]

When each of the immediate threat was deceased, Vokun paused to reload each or his massive hand cannons. Glancing at his apprentice, he winked, "Not bad. You will make a fine..." He froze mid sentence, his senses else where. This was an apex assassin, his mind was used to the kill in front, but with his skills he also sensed those behind. It signaled an incoming rear based attack. Such as the death from outside of where death should have been occurring.

It was brief. Swift really being the best term. Precise and lethal... Another assassin, Vokun grinned as his every sense left his body entirely. Force Shadow was a true assassin technique, those having found its use never understanding it as he did. Undetectable, a literal transplant of his own senses.

While his body went slack in his standing position, his mind went soaring through a wall, ceiling, then out into the skies above. Rotating slightly, as a hover vehicle, or a helicopter of some kind, his mind narrowed in on the body of the sniper left by Ash. He recognized the difference between his allies and the enemy quickly, so knew something had come along and bested the man. One along the route Ash had followed, so he too knew which group he had accompanied, and who had told the man to stay.

In an instance, Vokun was back inside his mind, eyes returning to a focus while he tapped the com in his ear, "One of our spots is dead. Clean kill, proffesional. Likely on the coms now. Stay on target, watch your six."

Turning his cobalt hued eyes, he said, "Twenty two. Damned close for an apprentice." Vokun murmured, returning to the task of reloading. Then he holstered the guns, and picked up a fallen rifle. Checking the clip, and chamber, Vokun raised the butt too his shoulder and aimed down the sights. It was a good weapon. Nodding to the attractive woman, he said, "I think its time to have you take lead. Watch out, there are at least double in the next hall. I have your back." Vokun wanted himself between she and the potential threat from outside.


[member="Koda Berus"] - [member="Andorreth Vikar"] - [member="Andre Correb"] - [member="Arlo Jast"] - [member="Ash"] - [member="Darth Abyss"] - [member="Hala Jast"] - [member="Halifax Fett"] - [member="Kitty"] - [member="Mala Ciava"] - [member="Marcus Collier"] - [member="Seraya Whisperwind"] - [member="Tiberius Onar"] - [member="Tsido Edwi"] - [member="Valkren Calderon"] - @lancer damar

 

[Luther Lewis]

OOC:

Spoiler

There was a problem with the map (in the first post of the thread) I have fixed it and you should be able to view the layout of the stronghold again. I'll put another copy here just in case it is still broken.

Map:

Spoiler

I'll be doing a few more posts then exiting the thread. As some know, I'm not a part of the Red Devil Cartel anymore and I'll give a IC reason in this thread.

Zai waited until the gas had cleared before he removed his mask. The other teams were reporting in, looks like they were pushing in with ease. He commanded his team to secure the kitchen and made his way to the pantry.

His intel had come from a source inside the Vortex stronghold. A gang member called Locky had given intel on the stronghold. Weaknesses, sniper positions and patrols. He'd also given the location of the safe and had agreed to meet Zai there during the attack.

Zai swept into the room and pointed his blaster at the young gang member. Locky was unarmed and wringing his hands nervously. Zai grinned. "Alone and unarmed, glad you listened to reason Locky. We don't have much time, so quickly show me where the safe is." Zai had struck a deal with Locky. The gang member was in trouble with Vortex, he had been caught stealing loot. He was worried what they would do, so he negotiated with Zai. In exchange for the information, The Red Devils would extract him and offer him safety.

"R-right... ok..." Locky responded. He was a tiny slip of a thing, only sixteen years old. Zai wondered how someone so young got tied up with a criminal gang, then remembered he was only three years older. He didn't feel that young, he felt like he had aged years over the last few months.

He shook his head to clear the negative thoughts and followed the younger boy. The safe was hidden behind a cabinet that you had to shift to access it properly. Zai approached the safe eagerly. Cracking it would be tricky, and would take all of his engineering skill. But something was wrong. He examined the door and pulled the handle. It met no resistance and swung open smoothly. There was nothing inside.

He spun around. "Locky, do you kno-" the words died in his throat. Locky was standing stiffly, his arms extended. A small blaster pistol was clutched between his fingers, pointed directly at Zai. He immediately dropped the scattergun he had been carrying and raised his hands. "What the hell Locky! We had a deal!"

The boy's arms shook slightly but he didn't lower the gun. "Sorry Zai, the Red Devils seem like decent people but..." he bit his lip. "Vortex got to me after we met. They knew I had been talking to you. They wanted me to go along with the plan and lure the Devils here." Zai stomach dropped. "No." he whispered.

Locky clenched the pistol tighter as he said: "There is nothing I can do Zai; they have my Ma. They said once I got you here and the Devils were dead we were free to go." Zai was about to respond when the door opened. One of his crew was walking in. "Hey Boss, we gonna mo-" he was interupted when Locky turned around and shot him in the head. Zai dived for his scattergun, narrowly avoiding a shot from Locky's pistol. He brought the gun up and shot Locky in the stomach. The boy groaned and collapsed. He twitched twice, then lay still.

Zai stared down at the boy's corpse. What was he doing? Why was he running with a gang? This wasn't some sort of adventure, where he could do what he wanted. This was reality. He walked out into the kitchen, finally noticing all the dead bodies. His comrades dead by the door. The Vortex gang members, choked to death on poisonous vapour. He suddenly felt very sick.

He heard a loud noise from outside and ran to the door. Ground transports had pulled outside point C and were off-loading more Vortex troops. He shut what remained of the door and ordered his crew to open fire. He snatched his comms from his belt and set the channel to open.

"This is Zai Avery on all channels. The mission is a trap, the safe is empty and Vortex reinforcements have arrived. I'm calling off the operation. Make your escape however you can."

He was sure that wouldn't please all of the Devils, but he wouldn't risk more lives. He updated his crew and prepared to leave.

[member="Halifax Fett"] - [member="Vokun"] - [member="Ash"] - [member="Mala Ciava"] - [member="Koda Berus"] - @Lancer Damar

 

[Lancer Damar]

Things had become infinitely more complicated in the span of a few minutes.

Lancer picked up quickly. There wasn't much benefit in staying put- but opportune for himself, because the Red Devils were pulling out. He had to however, exploit it quickly. He raced down the building, leaving the dead sniper and his rifle. No point in taking it. Lancer was caught in the street, watching the Vortex troops offload into the building. He thumbed off the safety and popped around the corner, taking aim at the transformer on the power grid above him. The size of the building meant that it would most likely have a backup generator, but dimming the lights was marginally better than fighting in total brightness. Darkness wasn't necessarily cover, but concealment was just as good as well.

The shot to the transformer sent a flurry of sparks and startled some Vortex troops, but without a definite place of where the shot came from (a benefit of slugthrowers- blasters gave away your position, but slugthrowers let you be virtually invisible unless the enemy had a direction, or an idea of your position), they scattered into the building. He didn't have time to count, but he guessed more than he wanted to deal with.

That being said, he was going to have to deal with them. He heard the engagement begin, the reinforced Vortex troops engaging the Red Devils inside. Lancer exploited the opportunity, and the darkness he created to sprint across into the building. Once inside, he flipped on his high-grade night vision. He slunk into the bathroom, after clearing it. Only a dead body accompanied him in there. A knife behind the ear confirmed his suspicion that the person was in fact, dead.

Now, he had to wait, and with the darkened building, he had a slight advantage. That, and he wasn't participating in a shootout. He was just here to sweep up and get something from the library. In and out, with minimal complaints or problems. At least- that was the idea. What the Red Devils did with the Vortex reinforcements was their business. Lancer thumbed the safety off on his rifle, took a knee, and waited in the darkness of the bathroom.

Little did he know, there was someone else who knew that he was there. Or, at least, had an idea that there was another operator in the area. But Lancer was professional enough not to be concerned with Jedi- that was also the reason he brought a slugthrower. A lot of good a lightsaber did against a fully-automatic burst.

 

[Koda Berus]

Koda looked to her master as he winked at her starting to say something, but then stopped mid sentence and then just slumped like a rag doll in a chair. Her breath got caught in her throat confused and slightly freaked out. Her eyes widened as he didn't assume his original position for a while. During this two men came into the area, guns pointed towards her. She turned to see the two and stood confidently in front of her master, protecting him while he was wherever.

The two of them chuckled. Then one decided to taunt her, calling out her name, shocking her slightly. He started saying on how he was going to turn her in and mount her head on his wall.

"That's too bad.. You wouldn't get as much with me dead. Plus, you can't collect if you're dead."

She smirked. They both looked at each other confused and as if it was a second sense, she dodged bullets and started sensing ice spears towards them, distracting them first and then going in for the kill. Soon, they both lay dead and by that time, Vokun had assumed normal consciousness. Koda then soon heard his voice over the comms as he reported a sniper. Koda silenced her comm as he broadcasted out to their team and then turned it back on immediately after. She was relieved once he came back to life. He had quite a few tricks up his sleeves that she would have to learn about.

Koda turned and looked at him as he then responded to the number of men she gave him. She had only been two off. She then listened carefully as he then decided to have her lead their attack into the room behind the wall. She took a deep breath and nodded, holstering her pistols, realizing they were a bit hot, she then pulled out the hilts of her lightsabers.

With that, she held them tight with anticipation and then went into the room and ignited her lightsabers to the immediate rally of gunfire coming their way. She blocked multiple blaster shots coming her way and sent them back to where they came from, killing the men one by one. Koda them started advancing into the crowd, taking her days from the streets of Coruscant and putting her moves into now as she ricocheted bullets and struck down men at the same time. She spun and blocked with incredible form, but was only using a simple defense technique with each person.

Koda started taking a move to strike an enemy soldier beside her as a blaster bolt then grazed her left shoulder and right side abdomen at the same time. She grunted and stumbled, but recovered quickly and pushed on.

~ [member="Vokun"] ; [member="Ash"] ; [member="Zai Avery"] ; [member="Lancer Damar "]; [member="Halifax Fett"] ; [member="Mala Ciava"] ; [member="Kitty"] ; [member="Andorreth Vikar"] ; [member="Andre Correb"] ; [member="Arlo Jast"] ; [member="Darth Abyss"] ; [member="Marcus Collier"] ; [member="Seraya Whisperwind"] ; [member="Tiberius Onar"] ; [member="Tsido Edwi"] ; [member="Valkren Calderon"] ~

 

[Zaiden Dean]

Vokun proved a swift marksman, the rifle moved point to point, one shot each target. It did not miss, these shots. In a blur he was taking men down. Until he saw Koda hit, then his mind too reeled at hearing the voice say too leave. It was a trap. Shoving the lithe form to the side, behind a small table, he shouted, "Stay down!" over the waves of the gun fire.

Doing the same in the opposite direction, Vokun crouched against a sturdy desk. Shoving against the corner, Vokun tried to turn it so as to allow himself to have a wider birth of space. However when he did, a click sounded, signaling a portion of the wall opening with it. A hidden safe.. Inside he could see the shape of a small cube... An explosive went off just as he noticed, rocketing him into the wall, jamming pieces of debris into his shoulder.

Ignoring the pain, Vokun rose and began firing back again... A signal from behind. Turning back allowed him to see at least a hundred men coming for the front door. Were he at the peak of his power, his prime, he could handle this with ease. As it stood, this was not going to work. Lurching to his feet, ignoring the searing burn as rounds pierced his ribs, lodging there, his hip, exiting safely, along others, Vokun leaped across the hall, tackling Koda against the wall...

Except in a roar filled display of power, Vokun and Koda vanished from the building with an explosive displacement of air. The vacuum left in their wake filled quickly.

Dropping to a knee in his foyer, the Palace on Val'hala. Vokun coughed once, hacking blood soaked saliva onto the floor. What did he care? He was home. It was then he noticed a body beneath him - Koda. The trip had brought her with. Good. Fighting the encroaching darkness of unconsciousness, Vokun rolled off of her and began to check her for damage. He needn't do the same for himself. His trained mind had accessed the pain he felt, equating to potential damages.

He had at least three shattered ribs, a large wooden desk leg protruding from his clavicle, a concussion, a deflating left lung from the bullet that pierced it, and at least six rounds still in his body. Not to mention the surge of power necessary to displace them through space and time, at his current power, nearly killing him in the process. Only through his training as the Hand to the Empress, too never give in too pain, was he alive let alone conscious.

She would live. He would live.

"Paxim!" Vokun called to his servant, finally slumping to the ground. Dead to the world.

In his wounded hand, beyond miraculously he held the small cube.

While he slept, Paxim moved into the room, shouting for assistance. In moments, the GodKing of Val'hala was bathing in a Bacta Tank. Koda too would receive the treatment she needed. It was known that this was the GodKing's Heir to Power - few could possibly receive more honor and respect than she.

Paxim meanwhile never left his friend and masters side. It occurred to him to ask Koda what it was about her that made Vokun stupid. Why had Vokun not simply sent them into obscurity with a Force Cloak? Why did he not summon an Undead Horde? This was very strange for him.
[member="Koda Berus"]

 

[Koda Berus]

Koda kept pressing on after being shot in the arm and side. She thought she had only been grazed by the laser bullets, but in truth, she had been fully shot. Koda had been so used to being beaten in the past, that these only felt like they grazed her in two spots. She was having some trouble moving, which is when it occurred to her that she had truly been shot, but it had also been a little while since she had last been injured. Koda was good lately.

Another four went down. She heard the message for retreat from another man. This was a trap and everyone had come and basically were risking their lives for not too much. All of a sudden, an arm came around her and pushed her behind a table. Koda was getting ready to fight back as she couldn't see their face until she then heard Vokun's voice for her to stay down. It wasn't until now that she felt intense pain where she had been wounded. Then to add on, a bomb exploded nearby and she covered her ears and went into the fetal position as she then felt sharp objects raining down over her.

Koda looked over to see her master hiding behind a desk across the way from her and watched as he then stood even with shrapnel stuck in different places and started shooting at the enemy and then he ran across towards her, getting shot in the process. She watched with fear watching as he got basically a days worth of the beating she had gone through living on the streets of Coruscant. She honestly, never really healed from those experiences.

Vokun kept coming until he tackled Koda into the wall. She wasn't sure why he had done this, but either way, she grunted as she wrapped her arms around him, soon to find themselves somewhere else. She had been knocked out briefly at this sudden teleportation. Koda didn't wake up until she heard the coughing of a familiar person. Eyes flickered open to see a seeping warm light pierce her vision as she saw the familiar, worn face of her master who was checking her for injuries. He would find many many scratches from the last bomb, the left side of her forehead had a good sized scratch from shrapnel and then the two shots from when she was fighting.

Koda blinked her eyes a few times, getting used to the light in the room as she then looked around to see where she was. Koda then tried her best to push herself up, but pain was overcoming her right now, so she only came partially up as she rested on her elbows, even though it hurt.. Very very badly. She was nowhere near in much pain as Vokun was though. She knew that pain and he was in it. Soon, he collapsed to the floor next to her after he called out to someone.

"No.."

She whispered under her breath. Koda did her best to move to was him, despite the shot in her side. She was going to be tough for him, like he was for her. She sensed he was still alive, so she then calmed as people then came and picked him up, taking him elsewhere and then others came and helped her, helping her up and supporting her as she walked the best she could. Her vision started to blur and she almost fell over, forgetting that she had a scratch on her head. It had cut deep and it was enough to lose enough blood. Another woman was helping her, but then a bigger man came and picked her up, helping get her to the med area quicker. Soon, she was put into a bacta tank just as her master was.

~ [member="Vokun"] ~

 

[Zaiden Dean]

Vokun stood with arms folded against his chest. He wore nothing, still dripping green slime. When his body has healed enough, he had woken then climbed out. His wounds would continue too heal, still accelerated also, thanks too his Sanguinius blood and the excess Bacta. Currently he was pressed against the young ladies tank, speaking in a hushed tone to Pax.

"You frakkin idiot!!" Said literally the only person left alive brave enough too do so, Paxim looked ready to strike Zaiden - Vokun as he was called now, "Why didn't you do something else!? Even in your weakened state, when you held this much power before, you never reached this point unless in near unbeatable odds!!"

"Yeah, yeah. Look, Pax, I don't know okay? We got caught in a situation. It started easy, moved on too poodoo storm in seconds. I just acted." Vokun shrugged, "Besides I got us out."

"Luck! Sheer luck!!" Pax did hit him then, right against the side of his head, "Zaiden, shut it," He paused just as Vokun was going to correct his name, "You're Zaiden. I have been here since before you ever even came to this frakkin planet. I have helped you when you fought Jorus and Rave, when Ashin obliterated your body and you had that new one and didn't use it properly yet. You're Zaiden.

"You should have gotten out of there, much less damaged. What. Happened?" Pax ended finally.

"She needs to see me as a living breathing creature." Vokun replied. He had for a long time believed himself immortal. Even death was only a pausing moment between bodies for him. Yet... Could he have a woman believing her Master untouchable? It was stupid to allow it.

"She.." Paxim began, then sighed, "Are you planning to court her?"

Vokun laughed softly, "Its not off the table. She is gorgeous." Paxim laughed then as well, "But come on, lets let her be. She needs more healing I think. So do i." He said looking down. Then shrugged. His stupidity wasn't gone over night. He would let his body heal as it did, too test his new form. His old, the Miraluka-Tera Vampir hybrid would have taken a while. This one had better abilities.

[member="Koda Berus"]

 

[Amarant]

[member="Zai Avery"] @lancer damar


(OOC: sorry for not keeping up and congratulations on doing the one thign that'd tick off Mr. Ash.)


Ash frowned, staring the man pointing a pistol at him for what seemed like an eternity. And then, as if to make his life easier, the power cut out while Avery gave orders to retreat. Lovely. The lights flickering on the street bought him a distracted second, as he lunged towards the man and grabbed him by the throat, slamming into the Built-in China cabinet, that currently full of liquor. He smiled, chirping on his comm-link to the others. "Got it. Bailing out. Cobra, get out of here."


There was no response. Ash switched to thermal vision, looking towards Cobra. Son of a...he was down Not a good sign.


Ash switched comm-link channels again. A text-only message to Zai was sent out. "Someone hit Cobra. I'm going to recon. If there's nothing I can do to help him, expect my next move to involve a conspicuously large amount of murder. This may be a trap, but I'll happily make it a costly one for them. My right hand won't get injured for nothing."


Ash adjusted his tie, and proceeded out the kitchen door, walking up to the high point Cobra had been nesting in. He was on the ground, multiple gunshot wounds. Massive amount of blood loss. Brain damage. In spite of everything, or maybe due to some form of shock, Cobra was still conscious, if immobilized. "Sir...."

Ash shook his head. "Don't start with me. You screwed up, and that means five days of new recruit duty. Don't you friggin' die on me just to sneak out of your damn duty, Cobra. That's a fething order."


Ash's sensors worked over the man's body. It was failing at a rapid pace. But, he had a vehicle and a bacta tank nearby. There was a slim chance.


The man in black sent a series of encrypted comms to the other Scorpions nearby. "Asessor XVII, this is Ash. Cobra is severely wounded. I need a trauma system on a wagon, ASAP. I will provide a distraction. Coordinates are as follows."


Ash grimaced. He couldn't do anything for his friend right now, but he needed to keep eyes away from the flight path. He needed to be a distraction to those Vortex goons. He moved back, with a running start. The assassin droid gang-lord wasn't about to let this go down easily. Not for any of these fethers. He leapt off the building, aiming squarely for one of the vehicles the Vortex thugs where moving out of, landing on it like a bat out of hell, his own considerable weight pushing the hover-truck to it's side, as every gun in the street turned on him. "Wait, fellas, one second," Ash pulled an unlit cigar out of his pocket, placing it between the teeth of his rictus grin, his laugh echoing in a coarse, metallic way. "Now, which one of you morons is gonna light this for me?"

 

[Koda Berus]

Koda floated in the tank of green liquid with somewhat steady breathing. Preferring not to completely strip down, she remained in a sports bra and shorts. The entire time she was in there, constant nightmares of her past flooded into her mind's eye as she remained in a deep sleep while Vokun and his friend bickered outside of her tank. It would have been somewhat entertaining to hear what the two were saying, but sleep had still overcome her for now haunting her mind.

Over the past few hours that she had been in the tank, it had been like a movie about her life playing her her mind, showing everything that had happened since she had lost her parents. She'd had a rough childhood growing up. Every nightmare she ever had reappeared in her mind up until the point that Vokun had saved the two of them. The pain of everything came to her in an instance.

Another hour went by before ice blue eyes slowly opened once more. Koda looked around only seeing green. She blinked her eyes a few times before looking down to where her injuries were. All that was left to them were scars. Where was she? Looking around, people walked around the area. She assumed she was in a hospital of some sorts, but that didn't seem right. Had she been captured at last? Where was Vokun?

After a little while a woman walking by noticed that Koda was awake and smiled at her.

"Well, look who's awake!"

She said.

"Where am I?"

Koda asked simply. The woman smiled again and laughed slightly, turning the tank off and helping Koda out, wrapping a towel around the girl's body.

"You are in the Val'hala palace."

She responded simply. Koda looked confused for a second, but then things started coming back to her. This is where Vokun had brought her. Where was he? She didn't know, but the woman brought her over to somewhere private where she helped Koda get dressed. Her previous clothes had been practically destroyed, so clothes were provided. A dress hung on a hanger with black flats, and the whole shebang. Koda raised an eyebrow. She had never worn a dress in her life.

"Are there any shorts or leggings to wear underneath?"

She asked. The woman then handed her a pair of shorts for her to change into. She put them on after she dried off and then the woman showed her how to put on the dress and then she pulled Koda's hair down, fixed it and then put a black bow in it. In the end, Koda was a pale skinned beautiful girl.

"Where is my master? He's not gonna be seeing me like this is he? How do you train or fight in this?"

She asked. The woman laughed at her, shook her head and then lead Koda in the main room.

~ [member="Vokun"] ~

OOC: ((sorry, don't remember the spoiler code and not on my laptop atm)) The dress:

https://media.musely.com/u/2ab1d78c-3b6b-424f-a1a9-aaa3044ad373.jpg

 

[Zaiden Dean]

Vokun lounged in the main hall of the Palace, where his people would come too be before him when he allowed. Across his chest was a purple button down shirt, and against his legs were dark slacks - nothing grand. But in his hand he held the small cube, which he had managed, against the odds, to snag before displacing the duo too the palace. Paxim eyed the small thing with chagrin, choosing not to approach unless he had too.

It gave off an incredibly ominous aura.

Vokun saw the approach of his student, then stifled a laugh, "Pax, did you do that? That dress is adorable, but not rivaling her age. She looks like a child!" He said, the Force carrying the hushed words to his friends ear. To his student he called, "Welcome to the Shining Palace, my home. I don't know if you have ever been here before, but this is Val'hala, my domain, my planet." He said then gestured to a nearby seat she could place herself if she wished. It was near enough to his throne to show status as well.

"What do you know of this?" Vokun asked, sending the cube through the air via the Force. If she knew the Sith language, she would see it was a Holocron engraved with the nname, 'Vectivus'. Inside was lessons, master level, of Force Phantom. This was a skill he already possessed, but the more he thought about it, the more he was glad that he possessed it. It meant others wouldn't be able.

[member="Koda Berus"]

 

[Koda Berus]

Koda had looked at herself in the mirror confused. She had seen other girls wearing dresses before, but she seemed different. Her arms were defined and her waist was tiny and lean. Gentle hands went over the dress and flattened it. So much of her had ever been shown, partially the reason she was so pale. She looked at her legs up to her face over and over again.

"I feel weird.. Am I supposed to feel weird wearing something like this? How does it stay on? Especially with no sleeves on it?"

She asked just before they had made their way to the main room. Shaky hands ran over the dress once more as she then nervously looked up to see Vokun sitting on a throne at the other end of the room. Their eyes met as he the observed her and was visibly annoyed about something. Koda wasn't exactly sure how to walk in this dress, but she walked like she normally would if she were to be wearing normal clothing.

As Koda had seen Vokun, she wanted so bad to run up and hug him, but things seemed to be set in a more formal setting, so she toned her excitement down a bit. They hadn't been together for too long, but she had grown a liking to him. Once she had made her way up to him, he told her exactly where she was as he then offered a seat next to him. She was a bit stiff. Koda took a seat as she then responded to him.

"Thank you.. I have never been here before. It's beautiful.. Do girls here wear outfits like this or is this coincidence??"

She asked.

"Not to get anyone in trouble, but this one isn't very comfortable.. To be honest, I'm a bit nervous being seen in it.."

She said in a quieter voice directly to her master so others wouldn't hear it. She didn't want anyone getting in trouble. Her height may have thrown them off a bit possibly as no one had asked her age. If she was 14 or 15, this dress may have been ok, but she still would have been self conscious as she was now.

Moving on, he then asked her what she knew of something. She looked over to see a cube floating from his hand to her own. Reaching out and grabbing it once close enough, she studied it, sensed for it and analyzed it for a few seconds before responding.

"I know it's definitely a holocron.. Vectivus.."

She responded whispering the last word to herself. She recognized the language and word, but she had no idea exactly what it had meant. Koda looked up to Vokun with a questionable look.

"To be honest, I recognize the word and the language, but I don't believe I completely understand."

Koda said plainly. She ran her fingers over it for a few more seconds, then looking back up to Vokun.

~ [member="Vokun"] ~

 

[Zaiden Dean]

Vokun chuckled, "Yes people here wear formal dress, but really more age appropriate and not truly at all times. If you like, you can pause to tell my people your age. They can get more appropriate stuff." He glanced at Lotaun, a young woman from his staff, "Please, bring her some nicer stuff. She isn't a child." When they left he summoned back the Holocron. He knew there was a calling to open the Holo... It was darkness.

Darkness resonated darkness.. But he knew this was his new life. Once his darkness was powerful enough that he could open all Holocrons of the Sith, with ease. Now... He was a better person...

Concentrating for a time, Vokun channeled the darkness, and the Holocron opened. Listening to the whispering of the projection inside, Vokun sighed and closed the box. This was not a path he wanted to trudge... Was it? He would ask his apprentice.

There she was, returning to him, "Vectivus.. A powerful Sith of the past. That's who the name belongs too. Inside of it is, if I am correct, a powerful skill one might find in the darkside. Force Phantom. To open it, to embrace its teachings, we have too open ourselves to the darkness a bit."

He met her gaze, eyes twinkling. He had seen her urge to run to him, and had wanted the same. But he was a GodKing, he couldn't and still look the bereft leader he was.

[member="Koda Berus"]

 

[Koda Berus]

Koda looked at the man as he laughed at her comment about her outfit. She was almost slightly nervous to tell him that she had never worn dresses before. She had seen them before and had imagined herself in the dresses, but she never imagined they would seem like this. Figuring that she'd probably be getting to know these people a bit and more than likely staying for a while, saying she had nowhere else to go, it would probably be better if they did know how old she was.

"For all your information, I am 18 years old. If you don't know my name already, that is also Koda Berus."

She said aloud for everyone in the immediate area to hear. After Vokun then requested better things for her to wear, they left and then the two went back to the holocron discussion. Koda watched as he focused on the holocron and soon opened it. She watched from her seat, pretty much on edge. This took her mind off of the outfit for now and was focused on the holocron herself. All she could sense was darkness. She walked a fine line between the dark and the light.

Koda listened carefully as he started explaining what the name meant or more like who it belonged to. He then explained that they'd have to cross into the dark side a bit to learn what it had inside. She thought about this for a second before she sighed and then spoke up.

"Darkness is not the path I intended to go down.. Though I tread a fine line between the darkness and the light. My past is to blame. If we are to learn what is inside, I'm willing to go a little bit out of my comfort zone."

She responded. Koda was willing to go a little ways into the dark side so long as she didn't completely cross over. He must have seen her want to run to him and she was unsure he felt the same. Though more than likely she would once they were out of the formal setting.

~ [member="Vokun"] ~

 

[Zaiden Dean]

Vokun nodded silently, contemplating the situation. He could easily explain the ability, to the best of his knowledge, but that was barely enough to understand the methodology. It was no mastery of the skill, such as he believed would be found inside. But did he wanna make her turn to the dark? Did he risk it? There was no way this man ever would be a true lightsider, it simply was impossible. It was against his nature.

Yet... He knew the ability, and knew it needn't necessarily be a darkside attached power. If he dared... He could open it, study it, and learn its truest lessons. Then she needn't expose herself to the aura of the Holo.

"I think the best bet for this, is to wait for you to grow more. Then you can decide if the Holocron is a good maneuver for you. Besides that, I can study it, and simply teach you what's inside, without you risking succumbing to the darkness." Vokun offered, then he turned to the rest of his staff, "Leave us." As they scurried away, Koda would probably notice Paxim never left his position. Paxim was family. He could stay.

When they cleared he asked, "Are you happy with me as your teacher? What do you think of us sticking together for the near future?" Bringing his gaze to meet hers, he stared deep, trying to observe as much of her reaction as he was able.

[member="Koda Berus"]

 

[Koda Berus]

Koda knew that he knew more than a single holocron could teach. There was something about him that told her that. He was wise and caring.. More caring than anyone else had ever been. Koda could never go back to the streets. She wouldn't. That was a life she wished to forget, yet it's memory remained carved into her skin for eternity. Koda studied him for a second and realized he was planning something. His wheels were turning.

Koda looked up as he spoke, hearing that he'd learn the lessons for her so she could still learn them without having to be overcome by the dark side. She appreciated it. No one had ever done eve on as much as he had so far for her. Koda already knew he tread a little further into the dark side than she did, yet she didn't exactly mind because he at least understood, possibly, the oath she had gone down as she grew older. It had tested her many many times.

She started to think for a few seconds. This would be easier for her. She didn't want the easiest path, but if he was willing to provide it for her without making her go to war with her personality, then she would take it. Koda watched as he asked for everyone to clear out of the room. She looked over to the man who was still left and then looked back to Vokun as he spoke up once more.

"I have to agree with you.. I prefer to grow more skilled in the force before I take another risk and almost destroy myself."

She responded to the first question. Upon hearing the second question, she wasn't exactly sure what he was getting at, but either way, she thought for another second and then responded.

"Yes I am. No one has ever been so nice to me before. You're the first person so far who hasn't wanted to shoot or stick a knife in me. As for us sticking together, I don't want to leave you. I can't go back to my old life. I never want to see that side of me again. So I think us sticking together in the future is a good thing."

She responded truthfully. Koda had grown fairly attached to him in the small time that they had together so far. She never knew anybody like him.

~ [member="Vokun"] ~

 

[Zaiden Dean]

Vokun nodded after she spoke but didn't move otherwise. His mind was calculating and just moving through possibilities. There had been no reason to ask her about their relations other than his interest. She was his student, if she didn't appreciate working with him why continue to make her? Plus, this was an event that would take time. She would eventually grow too a Knight, at which point he would continue her training he believed, until he could help her reach Master.

Maybe they would come together under the hand of a faction. He had been readying to do so before recent events, so now might be a good time for their talk over it. With other Masters around, he would be able to use the fellow guidance to achieve the goal, hopefully quicker than otherwise.

After she was a Master, who knew?

"Im glad to hear you think highly of me. I care much about you already as well, even in our short time." Vokun said, than a wave of his palm drug the seat she had been occupying around to in front of himself. They needn't have that side by side appearance with just Paxim in the room, "Pax here can sense it too. He made a joke about us courting."

Pax stuttered, beginning to blush a bit at being thrown to the wolves like that. Reclining a bit more in his throne, Vokun crossed a leg over the other as be grinned to see the man stammer. He spent several moments doing so, to inevitably revert to silence, red as a tomato. What he had been trying to say? The world may never know.

When the man was done, Vokun grinned then rose to his feet. Walking past the young woman, dragging finger tips up her arms as he did, more of a grin broadening his cheeks as Pax saw and made a flabbergasted sound. If Vokun didn't plan too, why would he make contact like that, unless to just embarrass him?

"Come, you two. I think this might be a great time to use that whole training grounds made... What was it? Forever ago?" Vokun lead them into a separate hall, before he turned them back the direction they had come now in an adjacent corridor. It was obvious the Palace was gargantuan. Large enough to cover the grounds some would call a small city.

[member="Koda Berus"]

 

[Koda Berus]

Koda watched him as he just nodded after hearing her speak. She looked between him and Paxim for a few seconds, before her eyes just decided to stay on her master while he thought. She was curious about how he would respond to her. Koda wanted to know what he was thinking. Maybe she truly didn't, but she had to know. On her own, she truly had no idea what she could truly do other than shoot icicles, pistols and weird sabers. She rarely used the force to her advantage other than creating ice.

Becoming a Master in the force would be the greatest achievement she had ever accomplished. Even becoming a Knight would prove to her that she could go further than just being a Padawan. When he finally spoke up again, she listened. He even used the force and moved her chair in front of him so they could see each other eye to eye. It surprised her at first, but she just held on and let him do his thing. She was about to respond to him when she heard that his friend had mentioned about them courting. That wasn't the worst idea she had ever heard. He was much better than her last boyfriend. Koda smiled and laughed.

"Sure he wasn't just crazy from being away from you for so long and the way you brought us here?"

She asked partially nervous. Her heart had skipped a beat when he had mentioned courting. She looked over to Paxim and even gave him a look. She would talk with him once she got a chance. The man's reaction to Vokun revealing him was hilarious. She had never seen someone stumble over their words so hard before. Koda blushed herself without realizing it and laughed again. She then watched as Vokun got up and then took the tips of his fingers up her arms. She looked at Paxim's face and laughed again. He definitely had a personality all in his own. The noise he made just made her laugh even more. Koda saw where Vokun was going with it. Whether it was to actually embarrass him or not, she didn't know, but his reaction was priceless.

Vokun then motioned for both of them to come follow him and she quickly got up, messing with her dress for a second as she came jogging to his side with a small smile. Koda looked around in awe at this place. It was enormous and it was the most beautiful place she had seen so far.

~ [member="Vokun"] ~

 

[Zaiden Dean]

Before long they stood in a large courtyard that by every appearance, was an insane obstacle course. Just by eying the scenery, it would be noted that there were cameras that connected to blasters, be seen and be shot. There were trenches underneath barbed wire, under the dirt there was pressure plating. Be slow and be shot. This was a course designed for a warrior, to better become a warrior.

"Ah. My god. This place brings back memories." Vokun said, grinning as he stripped off his shirt, which Pax took from him. Rubbing his hands together to dry any moisture, he quickly began scaling a wooden pillar nearby. Nearing the top he reached up, placed a hand down palm flat, then simply through upper arm strength, lifted his legs backward. Up then over his head they went, until he was balancing on a one hand hand stand. A slight sheen of perspiration could be seen on his lean muscles.

A contrast to the blood and wounds yet to heal or be fully washed away.

"This area has everything. For everyone. What skill would you most want to train right now? Would you care to learn manipulating light such as i do? Or simply find out what your rarer talents are?" Still balanced on one hand upside down, he held out the other, from which it appeared too suddenly billow out the murkiest smoke like shadows. The darkness spread through the air quickly, removing all presence of light, "I am a photo-slash-umbra-kinetic. It means that manipulating light and removing it are my rarest skills. Most people can barely do anything by bending light.

"Me? Complete mastery. Without formal teaching from a fellow photokinetic as well." Finally dropping his feet down to where his hand was, righting himself so he stood normal, Vokun released his hold on the shadows and they vanished, "We can do whatever you want in here. Except get married." He grinned down at her from atop the vertical log pillar.

[member="Koda Berus"]

 

[Lancer Damar]

The Red Devils were outgunned now. The Vortex troops were busy cleaning up outside. Perfect time to filter through the building. Lancer was deathly silent. No movement noise. That was easily mitigated with a number of factors. He only had to pop two Vortex members, who were stumbling around in the dark. He made his way to the library relatively unopposed. And lo and behold, there it was. Paper on corkboard. The Vortex were smart. Most of their operation was handled non-electronically.

He took out a flashlight and set it on the ground. A microfilm camera, produced from his pocket- snapped away. He collected what pieces of paper were needed, but the general gist of their operation was there. Who they bribed. Payrolled important people. Payrolled cops. Pickup sites. Which docks were good. Customs agents that had been paid off. Things that an adversary- or a shady law enforcement member who wanted the Vortex gone and needed something inside- and couldn't get a warrant. Lancer didn't know. Lancer also didn't particulary care. Not his planet, not his home, not his problem. If the Vortex set up shop next to Lancer, they'd be gone in a few weeks.

After accidentally shooting themselves in the chest twice and in the head once.

He put the microfilm away, and made his way back out of the library. Now all he had to do was make it out of the building, and avoid the reinforcements. Easy day. In theory.