Private War, What Is It Good For? Quite a few things, actually

[Ceri]

The greatest treasures... found in times of turmoil.​

Ziost was a mess of a place.

War, war had come to this holy Sith world, but there was nothing new about that. Holy meant nothing in a Galaxy such as this. Sith rend Jedi, Jedi rend Sith, it was all one and the same if you looked at it from just the right angle. Ceri was here and for once she knew that she was. Didn't she? Yes. She had come to Ziost to study the ruins. One ruin after another, scattered from planet to planet. All in an attempt to retrace steps that she believed belonged to herself.

A different self.

A Sith self.

That Ziost popped up on her nav-computer did not surprise her anymore. She must have been complicated once upon a time.

Either way- the work.

She had spend a few days deep below the ground. Studying the remnants of a mausoleum. Then the day came she climbed outside... and realized war had broken out around her. It had not been difficult to avoid the fighting, however. Both sides seemed more interested in killing and slaughtering each other than paying attention to a small presence at the edge. One that was wholly uninterested in getting involved.

So, Ceri left for her ship, it would be an easy trip bac-

Blink. Blink.

A green-skinned woman stood among the ruins of a Sith outpost. Burned out, blasted to pieces, but still containing some valuable loot. The fighting too intense and located elsewhere for either side to pay attention to it.

"Um." She blinked. "Oh fierfek it happened again..."

Darth Libertas

 

[Darth Libertas]

Ceri

Everything ended. Even the most glittering, glorious reign came to an end. How the battle of Ziost would conclude was still in a state of flux. But for Libertas, a general trend was certain: the Sith Empire was on the way out. She would not mourn it. It was failing for the reasons so many Sith Empires of old had failed: the vain glory and pomposity of its leaders, not to mention their penchant for needless destruction. In a way, it was balance. Doubtless the Empire's leaders would find a way out of this mess and claim that their nation's fall was all part of some brilliant plan. It was the usual excuse. Hopefully new, better Sith would nonetheless to oppose the present crop of Jedi.

But for now, there were other matters to attend to. "I see Ziost has a bombing weather," Libertas remarked. Indeed, this was quite literal, for one could hear the thunderclap produced by aerial bombings and relentless shellings coming from the distance. Her apprentice Nur Jahan rolled her google-like eyes and did not laugh. "No one appreciates my jokes," Libertas muttered.

"I laugh at them when they're funny," Koanai Pann remarked, but then the Twi'lek was all business. Rifle in hand, she led the couple Freedom Guards that had accompanied them with cool confidence. Each trooper had a buddy assigned to him and they advanced cautiously, one covering the other and checking all angles. They were clad in Stormtrooper Armour, though with camo painting that adjusted to march the terrain.

"The Jedi and their lackeys seem to have done a number on this base, boss. Should still have some crap we can salvage. Fuel, spare parts, guns, Injured stormies who'd appreciate not dying for this or that idiot. Some treasures a pen-pusher tried to get out before a bomb got dropped on him." She checked her map. "Command centre should be close. Going to be a while before either side makes a housecall. We can set up an ops centre here."

"Agreed. Stay alert," Libertas ordered as they passed some debris, along with broken husks of vehicles and a bunch of corpses. What a waste, she thought. But sometimes to usher in the new, the old must be put to rest.
"I sense a life form," Nur Jahan suddenly spoke. "Not far. A Force-User. Coming closer." She shared a look with her Master.
"Want to take care of it, lord?" Koanai queried.
Libertas shook her head slightly. "Not yet. Whoever didn't get themselves killed in this mess merits some consideration." She made a simple gesture and the troopers moved around, aiming to enclose upon the interloper from the other side of the rubble.

 

[Ceri]

Darth Libertas

Fierflek, fierflek, fierflek.

It was bad enough when it happened in a random Sith ruin.

During a war? That was worse. Where was she? How did she get here? More importantly how was Ceri supposed to get out of here again? She rubbed her brow, before freezing up. Something itched at the back of her neck. That's when she realized a multitude of somethings were approaching. That was dangerous in its own way.

She carefully turned around...

...and was faced with a red twi'lek that she hadn't been able to feel. The metallic clangs she had assumed to be some broken machinery in the building was actually... wow. She really had some work done on her, but that was not a wise thing to bring up, the girl assumed. Libertas would see the fascinated expression on Ceri two seconds before-

"Wow, you really had some upgrades done on you, do they work to your satisfaction?"

Then her face took a deeper shade of green. Embarrassment.

"Sorry, I um. Probably shouldn't have said that." The troopers attached to Libertas came around the corner now. Which was the right moment for Ceri to put her arms up. "Whichever side you are on, I am on it too." Trying out an awkward smile there.

 

[Darth Libertas]

Ceri

And without further ado, the Twi'lek cyborg found herself facing a green-skinned woman with the aura of a darkside acolyte and the look of a deer caught in the headlights. "Oh, they're loud and there's some itching, but other than that..." Libertas trailed off.

The woman's evident embarrassment seemed to amuse her. And just when the stranger made an awkward apology, the Freedom Guards came around the corner, rifles at the ready. Koanai did not take her eyes off the acolyte, but her finger did not squeeze the trigger - yet at least. Standing at her Master's side, Nur Jahan remained alert, stretching out her senses to discern whether there was anyone else hiding in the nearby ruins.

"What a practical position," Libertas remarked. "What if being on my side means that you must march to the nearest fire fight and get yourself blown to bits?" she asked rhetorically. A beat. "I jest. You have the Force. An acolyte, I wager. Not a Jedi, clearly. So you're either a Zambrano lackey who had the sense not to get herself killed for his vanity, or someone unconnected who's come to salvage the remains. Which is it?"

 

[Ceri]

Darth Libertas

"Loud and itchy..." She murmured thoughtfully. "You know I think it's possible to integrate and scale some of the-"

Aggressively pausing herself there. Honestly, Ceri couldn't help it, this is something she had noticed about herself the last few weeks. Whoever she was, there was something inherent about being a nosy lil chit who tried to figure out how everything worked. Instead she swallowed, forcing her attention on the twi'lek, rather than her soldiers and companions.

Always better to pay attention to the boss.

"Well..."

Would it be better to lie here? Another look at Libertas' eyes. Despite the humor, there was something disquieting about them. No, probably better to be honest for now.

"Um. Neither really? I was exploring the ruins nearby. With the war nobody really cares about what's happening to the tombs." She absently and nervously wrung her hands together. "I was heading back to my ship, but. Well, I somehow got here." She tapped her head. "Memory issues." It sounded completely ridiculous, Ceri knew this, but it was also the truth.

If Libertas bothered to check with the Force she'd know this too.

"You can have the salvage, of course!" Quickly added there. "I forego first finding rights." A nervous smile was added there. Obviously she would, considering Ceri was in no state to fight all of them.

But maybe it would please the Sith Lord to hear obedience.

 

[Darth Libertas]

Ceri

"Absurd," Nur Jahan commented stoically.
"And it's not a story you'd just come up with. She's telling the truth. So...memory issues. Do they just make you forgetful or is it something...deper?" she asked rhetorically. "You know I think there are ways to repair those...if one is ready to open a door that cannot be locked again." Libertas' tone left it ambiguous as to whether she was serious or just testing her reaction.

The Twi'lek thought for a moment. "Major, have your men secure the area. You and Nur Jahan have a look around and see if there's anything worth our while - or more surprises."
Her fellow Twi'lek knew her boss enough to just nod curtly. "Yes, lord. Come on, people."
Libertas turned her gaze to Ceri and smiled thinly. "Why don't you and I take a walk and you can give my your name and tell me all about these tombs?"

 

[Ceri]

Darth Libertas

A swallow in response to opening a locked door.

Something deep inside of her went off like an alarm bell. Multiple ones. Like klaxons screeching in warning. Don't let this Sith Lord touch your mind, it will destroy who you are.

Luckily Ceri didn't have to respond, because by the time she ought to, Libertas already moved on. However, the green-skinned woman doubted she had missed her initial reaction. Which was trouble. You should never let your enemies (was the twi'lek an enemy? She seemed okay) know too much about you and your issues.

"Um. Yes, of course, my Lord." Echoing the other Twi'lek's way of addressing, instead of using one of her own. Ceri took a moment and then fell in line next to Libertas.

In the meantime trying hard not to sneak glances to her side to catch a look of her cybernetics. They rattled every step they took. Absolutely fascinating.

"I am Ceri! These ruins... um. Well." Owlish blink there. "They are important? I think?" Why couldn't she remember what she had been doing here? She bit her lip as her thoughts raced, before snatching one stray lucid moment. "The dead in there have never stopped rising. They don't remember who they are, but that doesn't prevent them from being a threat, if they ever got out."

"Strike them down, reduce them to parts, they just keep coming at you. No matter what."

A nod there, happy that she finished that train of thought at least.

Belatedly-

"Um. Ma'a- My Lord? What is your name?"

 

[Darth Libertas]

Ceri

"Libertas," the Twi'lek responded simply. "So the dead don't rest easily here. Nexi and rifts have caused such effects sometimes. Or perhaps an artefact?" she glanced at the green skinned woman, who had identified herself as Ceri. No last name, but then the woman had supposedly lost her memory. She did comm her subordinate though. Undead dwell in the ruins nearby. Watch out if any venture here. She got a ping of acknowledgement from Koanai.

"Curious that you've survived, without looking any worse for wear. But I suppose there's more to you than meets the eye, isn't it?" she let the question hang. It was rhetorical. "Show me your...salvage." Though this might lead Ceri to believe otherwise, Libertas did not actually want to take it from her. It would make a poor first impression. Besides, simply stealing something from someone who was a lot weaker than you was not a sign of superiority, but of being a coward.

 

[Ceri]

Darth Libertas

"Lord Libertas." She murmured softly, inclining her head again in respect.

"I am... not sure, my Lord. I have faint memories of..." A slow blink and then pulling out a datapad out of a pocket. Ceri peered at it owlishly, before tapping a few buttons and watching the writings on it. "Um. I guess this is my salvage?" Hesitantly she put it in the stretched out hand of the Sith Lord. They contained notes on the ruins. Specifically the inscriptions on the walls, translations of the old Sith runes, but also more scientific theorizing that was penned by Ceri after she had (apparently) dissected one of the creatures in the ruins.

Not that she could remember that.

"Is that helpful?" The notes suggested that each creature in the ruins was tangibly linked to the location. Take them away too far, they'd stop functioning, which is maybe why the Sith Empire had never bothered to annihilate them.

They had never posed an issue for the larger nation.

But it did suggest that there was something about the location that caused the reanimation. Ceri's notes even had some hypotheses about it. The same ones that Libertas had posed, but nothing conclusive. She shrugged finally. "I guess? I can take care of myself." Rubbing her nose there. "Just that sometimes I lose a few hours here and there. It's a bit frustrating, but I am learning to work around it."

"We all have our little quarks, don't we, Lord Libertas?" Her eye going to the expansive array of cybernetics again.

 

[Darth Libertas]

Ceri

Libertas took a look at the datapad. Unlike a certain Atrisian Sith this writer had written once upon a time, the Twi'lek was not an expert on ancient Sith lore and tombs. Then again, she also wasn't a narcissistic hedonist, so there was balance there.

However, she understood enough. Moreover, the writings told her a few things about Ceri. The plant woman might come across as mousey and scatter-brained, but she was clearly competent. "It is, yes. Good work," she handed the datapad back. "We all have a chain we must break, dear. Yours are your memory issues. Admitting weakness is the first step towards surmounting it. The greater the hurdle, the more glorious the ascent."

Well, that was inspiring. "I would see these ruins for myself. You'll accompany me. Come on." She turned, desiring to see if Koanai Pann and Nur Jahan had found anything. They found the pair outside a ruined barracks. The Freedom Guards had set up a defensive position to keep an eye on the main road, covering it with heavy repeaters. They had also gathered up some loot.

Her two minions were standing over what looked like a badly wounded stormtrooper. He was a Weequay and looked up at them. "Who are you?" he grunted. "Here to hang me the desertion or send me straight back to die, m'lord?"
"Show some respect," Nur Jahan said sharply.
"Why, I'm dead anyway. Might as well not spend my last breaths fawnin' over a Sith. The whole lot of them have run away. Where's the frakking dark lord?"
"He ran away," Libertas responded. "House Zambrano runs when it gets though. Doubtless they'll spin a good yarn about how this was all part of their master plan to purge the faithless and rise to glory, by creating a new generation of Sith that's even more drone-like than the last. The question is, do you have the strength to rise? Or will you let despair and pain chain you?"

The soldier frowned. "You're not with them. Who are you?"
"Libertas. You could say I'm an interested third party who hates waste. What happened to your unit, soldier?"
"That piece-of-crap political officer wanted us to do a death charge. Some of us took a look at Adaste and disagreed. He ate a bolt. We tried to pull out, then the bombing happened. We scattered."
"You have a comm, yes?" He nodded. "Give him medical attention," she told Koanai, and looked back at the trooper. "Try to reach your comrades. Tell them there are ways out that don't involve trusting a Jedi's 'mercy'."
He nodded curtly. "Will do. Not dying on this damn ice ball." He paused. "Some troopers may have made a run for the ruins."