Invasion Welcome to the Jungle! [OS - Republic Invasion of Kashyyyk]

[Darth Arcis]

Location: High Orbit, Kashyyyk
Controller: Darth Arcis/Dranok Lussk
Forces:

• Skarr-Ro'ik Carrier Analog (1) - Replacement of ground warfare equipment for Taral and Galaxy craft.
  ​Coralskippers (120)
• Taral-class Starfighters (40)
• Galaxy-class Bombers (20)
• Yorik-Trema (24)

Objective: 3 - Eliminate enemy carrier
Allies: [member="Selka Ventus"], [member="Colrenn"], [member="Yurzhoc Shai"]
Opponents: [member="Ryan Korr"], [member="Jack Rand"], [member="Talon Vosra"], @Than Drexel

Darkness and light thrummed in the void still. It revitalized those who listened to the deeper meaning of existence and rewarded them with the power to tap into the potential of the hearts and souls of thousands. Dranok Lussk was one such man who made it his lifelong calling to tamper with the ethereal powers - bringing pain to those who stood in his way and offering more than just a hand to fallen allies. Yes, allies, just allies. No friends, no family, nothing else besides enemies and allies. Trust was something even more rare than luck in this galaxy.

"You hear me?"​

​

"I do. I am called al'Juin."​

​

"You please me to respond... so promptly."​

​

Yammosks were such a delight. Having one practically built into this beauty of a vessel was nothing less than pure joy. Dranok rather appreciated having a mind so similar to his own operate along the same frequencies in this plane of existence. This al'Juin had ascended past the need to fight physically and instead chose to conquer hearts and souls with heroic tales of fortune and valor or the dooming, vile stories of things disappearing in the night and relentless torture. Pure agony.

They almost didn't even notice those missilse headed straight for them. Dranok felt the surge in the Force as soon as the warhead left its launcher, detecting every inch of the payloads as their miniature thrusters kicked it. al'Juin felt them too. Dranok, having dropped off the face of the galaxy in his Battle Meditation trance, had very nearly established a near-instantaneous link with the Yammosk. They fought as one and reacted together all the same - and having a killshot on a carrier wasn't exactly their cup of tea.

Four of the payloads propelled through space from unknown sources, as if they merely materialized, and zeroed in on the carrier.

Invisible fingers etched themselves around the center missile, squeezing tightly to crush the measly explosives inside with enough force just spark it. it erupted into an explosion that could - and would - consume the remaining trio of projectiles in the blast.

However, the rest of the missiles that had gone unaccounted for would hit their mark. An entire quad of Jedi Shadow Bombs would lace across space and smash right into the hull - right where the Villip Choir was housed. Since the earlier situation with the bombs had alerted al'Juin, the Dovin Basals were already fully erect. Though the bombs tore all the way through the hull and turned the Choir into charred organic mass, damage done elsewhere was fairly minimal.

It was time to relocate.

"Let us leave, brother."​

​

"We will move for the enemy."​

​

The carrier lurched forward, moving towards the Coralskippers and their Jedi opponents.

 

[Cryax Bane]

Location: North Eastern Branch
Objective: B
Allies: [member="Reverance"] [member="Matsu Xiangu"] [member="Xenia Nastassia"] [member="Darth Vornskr"] [member="Mordecai Zambrano"] [member="Darth Adekos"] [member="Darth Praelior"] [member="Darth Hauntruss"] [member="Dredge"] [member="Vrag"] [member="Keira Ticon"]
Enemies: [member="Shule Windspeaker"] [member="Kana Truden"] [member="Ayden Quell"] [member="Aaralyn Rekali"] [member="Varus Shatterstar"][member="Sochi Ru"] [member="Meeristali Peradun"] [member="Dak Canton"] [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] [member="Marakai Al'Orren"]

NPC Droids:
Location: North Eastern Branch
Controller: Cryax Bane
NPCs: Mirari bodyguard Droids [3]
Objective: Objective B, protect Cryax Bane
Opponents: [member="Marakai Al'Orren"][member="Meeristali Peradun"]

NPC Slicers:
Location: Rogue unmarked space station in the skies over the Stronghold
Controller: Cryax Bane
NPCs: Red Raven organic slicers [5]
Objective: B, Jam rerouted enemy commlinks AGAIN
Opponents: (Republic technicians trying to get the comms back online [member="Kian Karr"])

Cryax had been so laser-focused on his task of disabling the turret, when he finally looked up from his Datapad, he was massively confused. The scene on the battlefield was beginning to look like the Circus Horrificus. From behind his cover, he saw clashing forces of Wookiees, Vong, Droids, Jedi cat people, and smoky black profane creatures rising up around the Wroshyr branch. He’d only heard stories about the Siqsa, darksided creatures that devoured souls, and his assumption was that these hellspawn before him were those very creatures of legend. Luckily, Cryax had barely a sliver of soul left to provide enough sustenance, should one come to take his.

Suddenly, the Chiss hit the deck as blaster fire ripped through the air around him, bolts of energy pinging off of Keira Ticons’s lightsaber as she deflected enemy attacks. He spotted a pink Twi'lek Jedi heading towards both he and his Raven ally and watched as Keira took up arms against her.

“Boss, boss!” Cryax heard the high-pitched voice of Acid, his Twi’lek slicer team leader warbling through his Cryptnet commlink. “This better be good news,” he growled from his position on the ground, his nose hovering way too closely to what smelled like a disgusting pile of Wookiee dung. “Their code monkeys rerouted. But we’re working on jamming it again!” Acid assured him cheerfully in her singsong voice. “You fething better!” was his only warning before he snapped off the commlink with a grunt. Cryax knew he was being hard on his slicing team, but If the Chiss crime boss returned to Darth Vornskr having failed him, he would be skinned alive, so they could stand a little verbal abuse if it would keep on the right side of Vornskr's mercy.

Then he heard Xenia’s voice over his commlink from the local channel, telling him that she had something she needed to transfer to his Datalogger. With Keira Ticon covering his back against enemy fire, and his slugthrower ready, he dashed to Xenia who crouched behind the other disabled turret, and held out his wrist so that she could plug in. He raised a brow to her as the data transferred over, hoping this was their mainline to the Republic mainframe. Cryax never underestimated the insecurity of the galaxy’s so-called safest networks, and the tendency for even the most intelligent people in the galaxy to use the word “PASSWORD” as their password.

Spoiler

[member="Kian Karr"]. I'm coming after your network again. It's all about perseverance.

 

[Caulder Dune]

LOCATION: Stronghold Wubba-Lubba-Dub-Dub, Northeastern Branch
OBJECTIVE: B - Take/Destroy the Stronghold | Hamper enemy defensive measures
ALLIES: [member="Keira Ticon"] | [member="Matsu Xiangu"] | [member="Darth Hauntruss"] | [member="Cryax Bane"] | [member="Xenia Nastassia"]
ENEMIES: [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Ayden Quell"] | [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] | [member="Dak Canton"]

The Umbaran watched with no shortage of amusement as the mercenary ripped the magazine from his weapon in a frenzied attempt to save the rifle from further damage. They locked eyes, and Adekos cracked a condescending smile, starting to laugh. It was a good tactic, laughing at people, because it generally unnerved or enraged them. This made them prone to mistakes. Ultimately this backfired on Adekos, because his derisive snickers and pretentious smirk suddenly gave way to a horrified expression and a thoroughly dismayed yell.

Free hand extended in desperation, Tyrin unleashed a torrent of lightning at the fast approaching Canton. Ultimately it could not stop Dak at that speed, and the Fringe Enforcer slammed into Adekos with little hindrance. Adekos was hardly large enough to inhibit Dak's speed either. Dazed, winded, and probably injured from the impact, Adekos could do little more than wheeze painfully into Dak's ear as the two continued to fly down the branch path, in the opposite direction of the front lines, knocking gaggles of Vong and Sith troopers aside as they went.

This was all very unreasonable.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Location: The Southwest Branch
Objective: Objective B

• Destroy / Capture the Republic Stronghold
• Climb just a little bit longer
• Fight!

Allies: One Sith

• [member="Reverance"]
• [member="Mordecai Zambrano"]
• [member="Darth Adekos"]
• [member="Dredge"]
• [member="Cryax Bane"]
• [member="Darth Praelior"]

Enemies: The Republic

• [member="Shule Windspeaker"]
• [member="Aaralyn Rekali"]
• [member="Sochi Ru"]
• [member="Kiyron"]

Music: Black Blades by Two Steps From Hell

The enemy soldiers fell like stones as Vornskr ripped them from their hiding places, and soon enough the threat to him and his Blackblades was virtually non-existent, and the Sith Lord continued to climb up the towering trunk of the wroshyr tree. Sometime later they would come in sight of the massive branches that jutted out from the trees near the stronghold they were climbing towards, and as one group they stopped and began to prepared the launchers attached to their wrists. From them would fire thick wires attached to a piercing hook that would embed itself in the bark of the nearest branch, and with a push of a button the wench-system within the launcher would begin to wind back up. The Blackblades would detach their boot spikes and climbing hooks as they flung themselves towards the other branch, and immediately hooked themselves into the new bark, and began to climb to the top-side of the branch.

Few by few the Blackblades would swing over to the branch, and begin to rise up to join their allies already engaging the Republic forces on this particular branch, opening fire with an array of Santhe-manufactured weapons. Some would immediately be cut down in the crossfire, but many more would find their footing and begin to unleash a furious barrage of energy-based fire at whatever opposition they would encounter, be that Republic Soldier, Wookiee, or Jedi. Vornskr himself would be the last to make the crossing, and would not require a grappling hook at all, but rather relying on his strength in the Force to propel his body the appropriate distance, and to give him the grip needed to latch onto the side of the branch. Taking out his climbing hooks once more, Vornskr followed his soldiers up and over to the top of the branch, and quickly hurried to join the fray.

His lightsaber flew to his hand at the request of his will, and with a small application of pressure with his thumb the crimson blade sprung to glorious life. Those within immediate range of the Sith Lord's blades were eviscerated in a most brutal fashion, but while they were the first to taste the ferocity of the Butcher-King's blade, they would not be the last by a long shot. Whatever enemy lay before him, he would meet them with the overpowering madness of a berserker combined with the cunning of a grandmaster swordsman, and the ruthlessness of a psychopathic murderer.

 

[Placeholder 0133]

Location: Mid-Bridge

Allies: Jeddiisss

Enemies: [member="Vrag"]

Objective: Fight Time!

The force was a powerful entity. One that provided access to all things, and opened a pathway into the afterlife. At least, that was what the Jedi taught.

For the Dreadguard, it was nothing. They were as force dead as the Vong, living entirely outside of it.

Their armor however, was not, depending on the Dreadguard. Book himself was entirely immune to the powers of the force save for their lightning attacks. Jason was not.

The younger Dreadguard was sent tumbling back, though his body did not respond to the push. In essence, he himself was a rock keeping the armor as a whole from flying over the edge. DG-13 skidded back from the blow, and scrambled for his rifle, only to be hit by the mass of troops. They hit him head on, and Jason tumbled over the edge.

Book was experienced when it came to fighting Sith, but no amount of experience could account for confusion. The lightsaber glanced across his Phrik armor, of which all Dreadguard wore, and cut a shallow gash into the lightsaber resistant metal.

Book himself stumbled back from the blow, temporarily dazed.

"What was that? Where's Jason?"

"Sith. To your left!"

Book turned about toward his attacker. The heat of the lightsaber still singed his skin underneath the armor, and it hurt like a schutta, but it would take a few good hacks to actually pierce it.

The Dreadguard brought his rifle up to where the Sith should have been, and sprayed in that general vicinity.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Location: Yugwaaargh (Republic Stronghold): http://starwarsrp.ne...452-yugwaaargh/
Objective: B - Defend the Stronghold
Allies: Bookhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/4943-book/, Varus Shatterstarhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/5307-varus-shatterstar/, Ayden Quellhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/6609-ayden-quell/, Sophia Walsh, Seamus Valik, Kana Truden, [member="Kian Karr"], Layna Akhora, Meeristali Peradun
Enemies: [member="Matsu Xiangu"] | [member="Keira Ticon"] (Primary Target) | [member="Vrag"] | [member="Cryax Bane"] | [member="Xenia Nastassia"] | [member="Darth Hauntruss"] | [member="Dredge"] | [member="Reverance"]

NPC Info:

Spoiler

Location: Northeast Branch
Controller: Seraphina Shel'tah
Forces: 250 Wookie Footsoldiers
Objective: Defend Northeast Branch.
Opponents: Sith Forces Approaching.

Music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iX7iUr6TUo
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cross out the eyes; Blur all the lines
Tearing this canvas from the wall.
Cross out the eyes; Put lines through these cries
Pull all the leaves from the trees that fall

Eyes fixed on [member="Cryax Bane"] as she continued her approach, The Twi'lek Jedi slashed through countless Sith troopers as if they were nothing more than incessant pests to be banished from Kashyyyk, knocking away their relentless barrage of blaster bolts again and again. Their effort was remarkable, though they should really just lay down their arms and surrender to the Republic, as they were not losing this planet today. A stray bolt careened towards her, her right eye shifted as it was nearly on top of her. The right hand lifted upwards, holding the lightsaber between her thumb and index finger as she summoned forth a small barrier in the palm of her hand, deflecting the shot out towards the turret to which [member="Cryax Bane"] and [member="Xenia Nastassia"] were now hiding beside. It would not hit either, but it would be a small gesture to wake Cryax up from his focus, a bright red flash directly into the object in front of him.

Immediately following the small display, she made note of another, slightly more interesting presence that had their own focus on her ([member="Keira Ticon"]). More Sith scum? Never a dull moment I suppose. Turning her gaze from Cryax after hopefully interrupting his little computer game, she watched as the lightsaber wielding Sith girl approached her, greeting with an extended saber. She paid the woman no greeting, no words, no emotion. She simply continued her path which had now been interrupted for the time being. The sounds of battle around her quieted, the explosions, the screams, and the howling became a distant echo as she focused on this new opponent. She had become centered, calm, and connected in whole to the Force with the assistance of [member="Aaralyn Rekali"] and her battle meditation.

Once more she slashed the few remaining blaster bolts away from herself without so much as looking in their direction, sensing their approach. The Chiss and his compatriots needed to be halted, and so it must be done. The Jedi halted a few meters from [member="Keira Ticon"], her right foot pivoting to the side, the same knee bending partially to lead off with, the left leg joining in her fancy dance style as it slid forward. Her right hand reversed the lightsaber horizontally behind her back, while the left was held diagonally in front of her torso. Eyes squinting, hands relaxed on the grips of her weapons, and body fully prepared for radical, intense movement.
____________________________________________

NPC Actions:

250 Wookie Soldiers continue holding defensive line nearest the entrance of the stronghold. Focusing their assault in extremely tight groupings of fire solely on mingled approaching Sith forces controlled by [member="Vrag"] and [member="Reverance"] as they advance on the branch, in support of the droid and wookie soldiers under command of Jedi Master [member="Kian Karr"]. They would no longer continue to push so freely into the ranks of the Republic soldiers and Wookie lines, not without heavy casualties of their own.

 

[Leora]

Location: Beachead Wall
Objective: A
Allies: Jedi/Republic
Enemies: [member="Darth Carach"] [member="Alicia Drey"] [member="Darth Nephthys"] [member="Darth Arcanix"]

NPCs
Location: Beachhead
Controller: Meric Nadun (Sorry, no joy for Carach)
NPCs: 2000 Graug
Objective: Objective A, Face the Onslaught
Opponents: [member="Darth Arcanix"] and her horde

As soon as he'd regained his composure he'd noticed that something was amiss. The Graug were starting to get overly agitated, and some were beginning to turn back towards the walls as if they were going to attack. Meric would have none of that. While [member="Darth Carach"] was trying to manipulate over 11,000 warriors, no small task even with the help of someone else, Meric limited himself to just the two thousand, and he blanketed them with his mental will and domination, forcing out the prying attempt from the other Sith Lord. He might gain control of the multitude of warriors, but he would not gain control of the ones under the command of the man known as Silence.

Darkness, pain, and suffering would rack the brains of the Graug. They would tremble in fear of the imagery he showed them. The image of true damnation in the fires of the Sith. He would show them the ultimate fate of all living beings if the Sith were allowed to conquer the galaxy. Not peace, but eternal destruction, the eradication of species after species as Sith turned on each other in a war for dominion. He would show them the ultimate eradication of the Graug as only someone with the Sight could see.

His two thousand would turn back, and face the coming onslaught, pincering the attackers. They would certainly all die, but they would take many with them. This would not be so simple for the Sith as to steal control of the work of others with simple mind tricks. No. They were opposed.

Sith Lords were coming and he prepared himself to do battle, but first there was a pest he needed to take care of. From within the minds of the the Graug, while asserting his dominion over the will of the distant Lord, he had surmised his foe's location. No smile adorned his lips. He did not enjoy this battle. It was only out of necessity for the preservation of the galaxy that he waged this personal war. That and the desire to end those that had taken from him the one person who had always loved him: his mother.

The downside to being in a forest was the presence of insects. Pesky insects that liked to sneak into little crevices and burrow their way into places they didn't belong. Nasty things. While flies buzzed and were obnoxious, ticks drained the blood and carried diseases. It was these that began to fall from the trees, raining like water from the heavens, down upon where [member="Darth Nephthys"] and [member="Darth Carach"] were. They would fall, burrow, and do anything at all possible to find skin where they could latch on and gorge themselves.

Being annoying is fine. Draining blood with bugs is precision.

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Location: Yugwaaargh
Objectives: Objective Number 2 - Defend the Stronghold at all costs
Allies: [member="Kian Karr"] - [member="Rael sul B'an"] - [member="Book"] - [member="Flint Dexen"] - [member="Ayden Quell"] - [member="Sophia Walsh"] - @Samus Valik - [member="Sochi Ru"] - [member="Kana Truden"] - [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] - [member="Taheera Sollo"] - [member="T-Eya Carn"] - @Marakai Al-Orren - [member="Aaralyn Rekali"] - [member="Shule Windspeaker"] - @Ta'Mur Rokar
Enemies: @One Sith

This was where Varus shined. In battle was Varus at his strongest, nothing and no one to hold him back as he burned a trail through bloodied and bruised foes at the stronghold he'd been tasked with protecting. It was his skill to fight. It came naturally to him, as tall and powerfully built as he was. He was an artist and the battlefield his canvass, ready to recieve his own personal touch. The mark of an artist of war.

He preferred alternatives to violence, but to say that the excitement of such things like war and unrest didn't get to him would have been a lie. He was stronger, faster and most of all, he was technical. He picked one opponent apart, one at a time as he danced through the swell of enemies and allies in their blood soaked clash. He was graceful, but his strikes were precise and he moved with purpose, a true artist among monsters and demons.

Varus dash forward past Ayden, reached out and swatted a red saber away from a blaster toting soldier. He then reached up with his opposite hand and cut across the Sith's thigh in front of him, sending the man to his knees. He then walked passed and swung his right hand across at the Sith's shoulders, severing his he'd from his body. His body fell back, head rolling across the path of two others who then attacked the Jedi who wielded two violet blades. These two were Vong warriors, the very pinacle of darkness in the Galaxy, and he was pleased to make short work of them, each one at a time, lopping off one's head and then splitting one in half from it's left side to it's right shoulder.

Reaching out with one hand, Varus used the force to sweep their lifeless bodies off into the darkness below. He then glanced back at Ayden, blue eyes watching him while nodding at him in confidence. He'd still keep an eye out for him, but he Varus knew he'd make it through that war. He had a long career as a Jedi ahead, but for now Varus would trust in him and the force. The next moment, Varus glanced around in search of Kian, his heart wanting to protect them all, though he knew he couldn't, and so he fought deeper into the enemy force, his cobalt gaze searching for the Kel Dor Master.

 

[Dredge]

Location: Northeast bridge, trees besides the bridge
Objective: Objective B
Allies: One Sith and [member="Darth Vornskr"]
Foes: [member="Book"] [member="Gherron Vael"] [member="Rael sul B'an"] [member="Kian Karr"]

NPC header
Location: 310 Kaalonians at staging point. 218 Graug and Vong climbing trees
Controllerredge
Forces: 218 Graug, Yuuzhan Vong. 310 Kaalonians
Objective B: Scale trees
Opponents: [member="Gherron Vael"]

NPC KAALONIAN STAGING POINT

9%

The beasts were quickly learning that the rat folk were not to be messed with by species of their intelligence. The Kaalonian infantry let out their little howls of blood lust and began to send the creatures running, cries of triumph and victory let sound. The Kaalonians however made sure the same mistake wasn't made and they set up a rather sturdy position behind multiple pieces of gear and equipment.

"DIG FASTER!" A voice said after the crack of a whip

The Kaalonians did their jobs and kept moving forward through the dirt and roots of the wookie home world. They were getting closer and closer and they needed a lot more time but eventually they would arrive.

TREE NPCs NORTHEAST BRIDGE

The Yuuzhan Vong forces remained on the trees sturdy branches besides the bridge, the riflemen kept up on laying down steady streams of fire on [member="Book"] and [member="Kian Karr"]'s men and defensive lines. Put enough explosives on any position and it would crumble as well, magic force wizards and force dead commandos aside.

"RELOAD!!" The Vong commander said

The Yuuzhan Vong rocket crews placed the beetles and a few more of them were picked off in the process. They finished reloading and the Vong commander let out a war cry before screaming loud enough for his fellow Vong to hear

"FIRE!!"

*THUD*

The twenty launchers opened up a new salvo on republic lines and the force dead beetles with the punch of an RPG screamed forward to slam into their lines along with the steady streams of rifle fire.

Bellow the Graug had finished their work on the Wookies, all fifty of them lay dead on the floor a kilometer and a half on the ground. The hundred plus Graug roared and soon they were going to take quick care of whoever remained on the trees. Now from multiple sides the Graug began to take aim at the Jedi and open fire on [member="Gherron Vael"] and his padawan from multiple directions on the trees. They were surrounded on all sides now and their corpses would make lovely decorations for the ground.

DREDGE

That really pissed off Dredge. The barrier snapped closed and the oxygen quickly burned out in the course of a second or two snuffing out the fire. However that was all it did to him, piss. him. off. Lifting the darkside nexus that was his sword Dredge let out a massive battle cry and the Darkside Nexus of a bone blade came crashing down on the force barrier ripping it into ribbons like a hot knife through butter. Dredge roared again and the game of cat and mouse was over.

"DIE JEDI FILTH!!" He screamed and soon the darkside began to pump through his veins and the force began to swirl around him in a aura of red ambient light

His muscles and bones hardened growing stronger using the force to augment his strength, and he became faster now that the armor had weighed less. He was tapping into the knowledge that Krag had left him with and now he was charging up his power. He gripped the sword and began to channel pure hatred into his blade and the fire ignited within it. And a wave of fire that was blindingly white hot poured out in a joust that was much thicker than before. The Jedi would have to find a way out of being shot at from almost every angle by multiple blaster rifles and find a way to counter the massive wave of fire that was headed their way.

"I WILL KILL YOUR FAMILIES!! I AM YOUR DOOM!!"

 

[Marcus Tritum]

Location: On the Northeastern Bridge
Objective: B
Allies: [member="Book"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Meeristali Peradun"]
Enemies: Surrounding combatants: [member="Matsu Xiangu"] | [member="Vrag"] | [member="Cryax Bane"]
Primary Opponent: [member="Darth Adekos"]

You know what hurts? Force Lightning. To the face.

Crackling tendrils of blue voodoo poured out of the guy's hands right before impact. Poured out of him and right into me.
It didn't stop me, force equals mass time acceleration and all that, but I don't have any lady-like words to describe how it felt.

A bajillion volts seared through my body. Felt like somebody'd replaced all my blood with lighter fluid and then lit a match. The terentatek leather body glove provided some resistance, lowering the total current coursing through me to something less than deadly, but more than sack shriveling. I bit down on my tongue and tasted blood.

Our bodies collided, my arms still managing to wrap about the Sith as we bulldozed through ranks of Vong. Painful spasms rocked through aching muscles. If my hair hadn't been matted beneath a helmet it would be standing on end.

The warm liquid cascading down my thighs alerted me to the fact that I had, in fact, just pissed myself.

​Better than puking in the helmet I guess.

Well, there we were, smashing Vong warriors aside like ninepins. Surprised me why the impact with one of them hadn't snapped his spine, but whatever. I'd do him one better. Arms still wrapped around him, I brutally punched at his lower back with my right hand, aiming for the kidney. Then I remembered this suit of armor didn't have phrik knuckle daggers. Not a death blow, then, probably just really painful.

I corrected my mistake by rearing my neck back. Shame he couldn't see my smile behind the stormtrooper helmet. It was blood red. I snapped my head forward.

You know what else hurts? A duraplast helmet headbutt. To the face.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Location: Great Wroshyr Tree, bottom level.
Objective: Capture Kachiro City, Objective A
Allies: [member="Lady Exedō"] [member="Khan Ra"] [member="Faye Terrik"] [member="Darth Carach"] [member="Anja Aj'Rou"]
Enemies: [member="Elizie Adasca"]


Her legendary haunting smile glowed with satisfaction. The Jedi, drawn into a debate, had led his men into danger. The Sith Knight felt the familiar presence in the Force and it was time to crush the opposition once and for all. Thumbing the stud, the crimson tongue licked the air as it sizzled, and the Knight rose the blade up, then twirled it down. This confrontation was about to go up a notch, and she felt the craving of battle rumble in her stomach.

With a menacing hiss, she dominated the mind of one the Republic soldiers quickly, weak willed and full of fear, and forced him to open fire on his comrades, creating controlled chaos and alerting [member="Faye Terrik"] to attack, while the soldier standing by her dropped to a knee and added his blaster fire into the mix. "Fear...the greatest emotion of them all." With the skirmish breaking out behind the female Jedi, it left her to face the Sith, alone. With a mock salute aimed at the Jedi, the Dagobah Sith attacked.

The Jedi had made it easy by repeatedly stepping closer and closer to the Sith, failing to turn the Sith Knight to the light. Darth Venefica lunged the tip of her blade at the Jedi but quickly snapped it to the left before the Jedi could block it, a gesture meant to keep the girl off balance. She didn't know what the skill set of the Jedi was, so before fully committing to a full on attack, she wanted to study her opponent. Again she repeated the tactic, drawing her blade away to the right before the Jedi could make contact.

Darth Venefica, gripping the hilt tight with her left hand while keeping her right hand free, now rifled off a series of three swinging attacks aimed at the midsection of the Jedi; constantly aware of what the Jedi's right hand was doing. The Sith knew by the girl's stance that she was a practitioner of the Makashi style, and Darth Venefica also a follower of the style, knew both the strengths and weaknesses of the form.




NPC

Spoiler

Location: Moving toward Kachiro
Controller: Darth Venefica
Forces: Nightshade Squadron- 92 transferred to [member="Faye Terrik"], 1 with Darth Venefica
Objective: Capture Kachiro
Opponents: Republic, Jedi, Wookies, Not trees

 

[Keira Priest]

Location: Northeastern Branch
Objective: B
Allies: [member="Reverance"], [member="Matsu Xiangu"], [member="Xenia Nastassia"], [member="Darth Adekos"], [member="Cryax Bane"], the One Sith
Enemies: [member="Shule Windspeaker"], [member="Kana Truden"], [member="Ayden Quell"], [member="Aaralyn Rekali"], [member="Varus Shatterstar"], [member="Sochi Ru"], [member="Meeristali Peradun"], [member="Dak Canton"], [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"], [member="Marakai Al'Orren"], the Republic/Jedi
Primary opponent: Seraphina Shel'tah

It wasn't that Keira had a personal vendetta against any of the Jedi or the Republic in general, because that was far from the truth. That wasn't to say that she agreed with or saw nothing wrong with some of their principles. As she would put it, there was a reason she'd left the Order those years ago. Their ideals conflicted with her own sense of right and wrong, so she abandoned them, simple as that. Of course, any devotee to the Republic would be hard-pressed to admit just how flawed some of their ideas of morality were, but she wouldn't split hairs. The woman standing across from her in the war-torn treetops was an enemy, and would be dealt with as such. Which was to say as quickly and efficiently as possible. It was just business, after all.

Unsurprisingly the Twi'lek simply took up a fighting stance across from her, waiting for the first move to be made. That was something she would never understand, about anyone really. Being the one to strike first set the tone for the rest of the fight, often working it in your favor. If this Jedi wanted to give up a possible advantage later, then so be it. There would be no complaint from her. In response she shifted her feet and let the tip of her blade drift in the general direction of the woman across from her. Not so much a formal fighter herself, she included elements of her favored forms of lightsaber combat, Ataru and Djem So, in her tactics, but none of her strikes could be completely attributed to any one style. Something she had a feeling this one wasn't anticipating.

And of course Cryax had to distance himself from her in the next second. It was too late to really do anything about that now, so she only hoped that he knew what he was doing, though that thought didn't last long as she narrowed her focus to the immediate area, her focus on the Jedi. The Force provided her with her own sense of clarity, certainly, her aura tinged with darkness where it hadn't been before, not that she expected any of her adversaries to be able to tell the difference between her and the Sith.

Her attacks began simply, as they always did, for now she was simply testing the mettle of her newest opponent. The orange blade held in her left hand flashed up in a simple strike at the saber closest to her, gather Force energy in her right hand as she did so. With no further warning in the next second she released that same energy in a controlled burst aimed for the woman's midsection. There was a high chance that she'd sensed the move coming and would most likely be fully prepared to either block or redirect it in the same moment, but this wasn't the time to hold back on any fronts. This was quite different than the sparring matches she'd taken part in recently. And she liked everything about it.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

LOCATION: Southwest main branch, Republic forward positions, outside the gates of Yugwaaargh
OBJECTIVE: B
ALLIES: [member="Sochi Ru"], [member="Aaralyn Rekali"]
ENEMIES: [member="Reverance"], [member="Darth Vornskr"] (claimed), [member="Darth Praelior"]

He had no time to answer Master Ru as the exchange of massed fire rose to a frenetic pitch. Soresu was his blood, but it was all he could do to circle-step around blasterfire and razor bugs. The branch before the gate had become an immensely hostile place. Waves of death washed over him, buffeting his senses, and more often than not he found himself taking shelter behind Wookiee structures, fresh-cut Republic bark trenchwalls, military materiel or mounds of the dead.

Shelters that ceased to matter as bark dimpled under the descending claws of seventy-five biocatapult-propelled Vong warriors with singularity mines on their backs. Mines triggered on the event of their deaths; deaths pretty much assured by jumping face-first into an entrenched position held by thousands. A mine went off near him, and he reeled back as a small portion of the immense branch just ceased to be, along with a dying Vong and a pair of Republic soldiers. Hostile troopers with climbing gear were swarming up the sides of the branch, and a man in hideous armor led them. Maybe he'd get there to fight what was certainly a Dark Lord, and maybe not. For the moment, he was too busy watching seventy-five rapidly triggered singularities chew their way through nearby soldiers -- watching bloated Sithspawn sail overhead to splatter against the walls -- watching thud bugs blot out the sun -- watching miniature black holes burrow into the branch hungrily.

The branch was a true Wroshyr master-shoot, the kind that could be turned into a landing pad for a small capital ship if cut properly. Its weight certainly measured in the millions of tons. Compared to that, the additional weight of thousands of infantry, walkers, warbeasts, voxyn, rakamats and beasts without name had to be a drop in the bucket. But when seventy-five singularity mines chewed down into the already-bombarded wood in their brief seconds of life, over a fairly small area relative to the branchtop battlefield, some combination of moment of inertia and structural deformity found a breaking point. An immense groan shook the branch with the force of an earthquake and a noise whose magnitude defied metaphor. The branch bucked with an earsplitting crack, and Shule tumbled down into the deep, irregular, splinter-filled trench that the mines had just created one by one. Sharp-edged wood, still oozing sap and twisted by localized gravitic forces sufficient to erase matter from the known universe, gashed his face, scraped his armor and snagged his robe, only to tear free. At the base of the trench, the exposed, brutalized heartwood was riven with cracks; another appeared and he clutched the sides of his head in agony at the sound. Only when he drew on his very old, very comprehensive knowledge of Crucitorn did the pain become endurable. This was sound that resonated in his bones, his bowels, and down here in the irregular pit that nearly spanned the branch, he was at the epicentre.

Blessedly, the thud bugs were descending at an angle too steep for the singularity-chewed pit/trench; they spattered on the jagged wall nearby. The straight-line fire from chitin carbines passed over him entirely. Heavier weaponry, such as the laser cannons of Praelior's walkers, added their own fiery depredations to the top of the trench as they fired on what remained of Republic forward positions.

Another crack split the wood near his feet, and he backpedalled as rapidly as he'd stepped away from one of the seventy-five singularities. He'd died, oh, dozens of times in the seven centuries since Darth Shule of the One Sith botched his immortality spell in a really spectacular fashion, but there was a way to die, and crushed by shifting, splintered wroshyr wood ranked down there with black hole spaghettification at the bottom of his preference list. Heartwood grain, brutalized by rapid gravitational warping, snapped and sprayed the air with shrapnel; a Wookiee or two simple ceased to exist, leaving only clusters of bloody splinters imprinted in an equally jagged wall.

Shule let out a slow breath and realized something that he should have realized as soon as the singularities met the tree branch. His realization came in the form of an old memory. He'd been a father four times, and his first son, Esper, had loved to watch holocartoons. The memory involved Shule and Esper on a comfortable old couch, chuckling as an anthropomorphized animal on a tree branch sawed with abandon. The animal -- some kind of cartoonized sentient nexu -- had sat there in midair for a comedic moment until he realized he'd cut away his own support. Only once awareness dawned did gravity take effect. If only gravity was something people could ignore.

As he took his first steps, a long splinter scored up his calf, starting just above where the spun-plast boot had ceased to turn the edge. Thus far, he hadn't really done anything. Fifty years ago, running the Brotherhood with Sky, he'd been neck-deep in a messiah complex; five or ten years ago, as Grandmaster and Crusader, he'd felt similarly. It was one of the aspects of himself that he'd forcibly excised and buried, right along with...well, many things he didn't wish to recall just now. And despite the shallow but wide dark side nexus being cast over this portion of the battlefield, despite the exigent circumstances and the adrenaline and the fear that demanded flight or fight, he was surprised and pleased to feel none of that messiah complex now. No desire to be the white knight, no overt sense of justification for whatever acts might be involved, no love of centrality or recognition or fame.

Not at first glance, anyway, and he had no time to look inside his soul. In ancient times (a doctrine long fallen by the wayside), the Jedi had taught their students to avoid meditating inwardly for fear of nurturing self-centeredness. Instead, the Jedi arts had prized outward focus, perhaps without recognizing that an expanding sphere of influence has a central point regardless of whether it's examined or not, and perhaps without recollecting that self-examination is one of the few antidotes to the growth of absolute justified controlling righteousness. Certainty; hubris. Having walked all of those roads, Je'gan -- no, I'm not Je'gan anymore -- Shule had chosen a path, with the Dagoyans' help, and that path led outward. Out past what he could control, out to where only his ability to feel the Force had relevance to his interaction with his surroundings. Sense abilities, rather than Control or Alter powers, were his strongest assets now; he'd deliberately sacrificed power for the ability to feel.

He'd done so in hopes of hearing the will of the Force, as a long-deafened prodigal who'd been far too sure of himself. But if the Force had a voice, he had yet to hear it as such. All he could do, when presented with a task like this, was to bow his head and hope he was hearing correctly -- not some prophetic voice of destiny, but the repercussions in the short and long term, insofar as he could sense them at all.

Shatterpoint was, at its heart, a Sense ability, and he had no patience for those who used it to shatter bones or armor or structures. It had always struck him as disrespectful, and he believed that a Jedi should use the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack. Far better to listen to the Force and know the exact, proper point to cut in order to maximize effect -- and hope he was doing the right thing.

As the splintered walls of the singularity-chewed trench pit trembled around him, his sabre sank into the cracked heartwood of the branch, in just the right place.

SOUTHWEST BRANCH SUFFERING MAJOR TREMORS​

BRANCH SERIOUSLY WEAKENED AHEAD OF THE SITH ARMY​

 

[Kiyron]

Location: Objective B (Above the Forest)
Objective: Make it Rain (One Sith Forces Remix)
Allies: @Aralyn Rekali [member="Sochi Ru"] [member="Kian Karr"] [member="Shule Windspeaker"] [member="Ayden Quell"] [member="Dak Canton"]
Enemies: [member="Matsu Xiangu"] [member="Darth Vornskr"] [member="Reverance"] [member="Darth Adekos"] [member="Cryax Bane"] [member="Keira Ticon"] [member="Vrag"] @Dredge

Kiyron watched as the missiles and blaster fire tore into One Sith troops from above and all directions. Then his troops began falling out of trees for no good reason and ammunition was exploding. That didn't go well.

"Get me a report! Who inspected our ammo?"
"Ammo was fine, colonel. Some Sith poodoo is messing with the PLEX ammo." Kiyron grunted. Figured. Of course they would. Not only were his troops getting pushed out of the trees like flies, but someone was messing with his ammo.

"Rogues, anchor yourselves to the trees so you don't fall. Quarantine the PLEX ammo but keep using them." Despite being rebellious and not prone to following orders, they weren't stupid and drove climbing gear into the tree branches and tied themselves in. It hindered their movement

Stuff started going down on the Northeastern branch. He couldn't quite tell what it was though. Lots of dark fog and clouds and explosions and the occasional lightsaber beam. Not even alternating through different visor modes worked. That left only one option.

"Concentrate fire on the middle and enemy end of the North-East branch. Use the PLEXES and Judges. Don't be stupid."
Everyone within range did so, and rather hurriedly in regards to the missiles on both the enemy occupied side of the branch, and the Vong troops on the branches around it, especially the bug launchers. Missiles exploded in the launchers and midair, of course, injuring and killing Rogues. Kiyron couldn't feel it. He wasn't Force sensitive or an empath. What he was a survivalist and a fighter hardened by keeping himself alive without help or supplies for months in a barren wilderness. There were prices to be paid and this was one of them. The Rogues understood and respected him for it. They had all agreed to pay the price when they volunteered.

He shifted his attention back to the climbers. Blaster fire was, for the most part, splashing off their armor not unlike his troops' own Warden armor. Some got through of course, and Sith troops joined his own in the long fall to the ground below. Hopefully their grenades detonated on impact.

He went to contact one of the brigade commanders. Then nothing. He frowned and tapped his helmet. Jamming. Of course. Karking Sith. Time for standard operating procedure. The regiment would disband and move as independent units except those with designated targets, like the ones that had anchored themselves to the trees in time to catch themselves from being hurled off by Vornskr. The ones manning the heavy machine guns were replaced by anchored soldiers who continued to barrage the troops climbing, and then began switching to target their climbing gear and grappling hooks by spraying the entire side of the tree with fire as they approached the Southwest branch and then climbed atop it.

At least Kiyron could see who their commander. Vornskr. Emperor of Placebo or something. Butcher of Togoria. Number one most wanted by nearly every decent government in the galaxy. He pounded his own climbing anchors into the tree and strapped himself in. If he was going to try and snipe the most dangerous man in the galaxy, he wanted to be well secured. He settled his MX-1 onto the limb in front of him and settled in to watch the man's actions. He was a killer, cutting through and crushing everyone in his path. Usually he would only use one shot, but the MX-1 had fifty pellets of ammunition and little recoil. Not to mention the armor he wore was undoubtedly incredibly formidable.

How would a Sith respond? Probably by attempting to deflect or evade. One single line of pellets would not be anywhere near effective. It'd need to be a scatter gun pattern, as broad and full as possible. He focused his sights on the man's back and squeezed the trigger once, twice, thrice, and then so on until he had emptied his entire magazine of fifty pellets in as broad of a net based pattern he could create in such a small time period and fifty pellets magnetically launched at extremely high speeds. He dropped the magazine and reloaded.

"Colonel, we have comms back up on a secondary channel."

"Roger that." Kiyron scanned the battlefield again. Chaos. And enemy troops breaching the fortress wall. "Drop 1st brigade into the fortress. Rappel only. Some Sith sarlaac spawn might mess with other tech."

"Roger, wilco, over."

Kiyron considered for several moments and then sent a tight beam up to the fleet, watching as his troops dropped from the trees, slinging downwards on ropes and harnesses, metal screaming as it surged past the rope and soldiers fell and were cut down when they took too much fire for their armor to handle. Others maintained a constant fire to tear into the enemy forces closest to the fortress and even getting inside.

Position is being over-run. Requesting reinforcements. He grimaced at what he was about to say next, but said it anyways. ​Send Berserker Regiment.

He paused. A team of Wookies were firing at the forces on the Northeastern bridge, but while it was difficult to trace to all the blasterfire, they didn't seem to be hitting anything. That was strange. Some thought Wokies primitive, but they were among the fiercest fighters in the galaxy and knew how to handle their weapons.

"Have someone coordinate with the Wookies there-" He marked a position on the HUD. "Their weapons seem to be malfunctioning."


NPC:
Location: Forest Canopy Surrounding Battlefield, shifting positions
Controller: Kiyron
Forces: 14, 256 Rogues (5,100 just rappelled into fortress, diverting command to [member="Sochi Ru"], @Aralyn Rekali, and [member="Kian Karr"] if desired)
36 Oversight Droids (Still buzzing around firing on enemy forces)

Objective: Hold the Fort.
Opponents: See listed above. I think I got everyone covered.
Fire is focused on NE and SW branches, but continues to assault everything Sith based that is moving

 

[Shuduc Macar]

Shuduc Macar
Location: On route to objective A
Objective: regroup with Mistress [member="Darth Venefica"]
Allies: [member="Darth Venefica"]
Enemies: Republic/Jedi

As things broke down and Communication became impossible with the other Sith forces she had to abandon objective B. Attempts to regain comm link was a failure, she wasint sure who was running this task force but they had done little to impress the Woman today. She began to move using the force to hop along the tree lines toward the first objective. She'd find her mistress there and regroup. It however was taking time. She tried communications. "Mistress I am moving to regroup with you, the task force seems to have fallen apart at the seams I cannot get communications or find nay of them. I may be strong but i cannot fight an entire entrenched position on my own yet. I am moving to you now. Where are you?" She continued to move occasionally battling off Wookies or slashing droids trying to scout her positions or shoot. Blaster fire flew at her and even small man portable heavy weapons blasting tree limbs off all aimed to kill the young sith. But her speed and acrobatics saved her as did one pulled light saber blade batting shots off.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Location: Yugwaaargh (Republic Stronghold): http://starwarsrp.ne...452-yugwaaargh/
Objective: B - Defend the Stronghold
Allies: Bookhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/4943-book/, Varus Shatterstarhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/5307-varus-shatterstar/, Ayden Quellhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/6609-ayden-quell/, Sophia Walsh, Seamus Valik, Kana Truden, [member="Kian Karr"], Layna Akhora, Meeristali Peradun
Enemies: [member="Matsu Xiangu"] | [member="Keira Ticon"] (Primary Target) | [member="Vrag"] | [member="Cryax Bane"] | [member="Xenia Nastassia"] | [member="Darth Hauntruss"] | [member="Dredge"] | [member="Reverance"]

NPC Info:

Spoiler

Location: Northeast Branch
Controller: Seraphina Shel'tah
Forces: 250 Wookie Footsoldiers
Objective: Defend Northeast Branch.
Opponents: Sith Forces Approaching.

Music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmQoF-5of78
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

End over end I've been living.
Through fire, through dirt, and through stone.
Abandoning all, unforgiven,
So tighten the noose that keeps me hanging.

Sera's eyes observed her opponent's positioning and movements. They were unconventional. Either this girl had chosen to walk a separate path of both Light and Dark, or she had an improvised fighting style. Both options were potentially dangerous, and her better judgement advised caution when dealing with a wild card like this. The Sith, or, whatever she was made their attack first, with impatience, with emotion, and without words. Three simple things that would provide the Jedi with substantial information regarding the attitiude of this duel. Her right wrist flicked, that saber then reversed direction almost instantly and rose to parry the orange tipped saber of her enemy, lightly pushing it aside and out of harms way. Following the strike came a Force fueled energy burst towards her.

And so, the dance begins. The twitch of her Lekku, coupled with the aide of the Force, indicated the impending strike toward her midsection. A cheap trick, but one she was used to after the invasion of Manaan. With a cat's grace, she performed an aerial, which was essentially, a cartwheel without the use of one's hands. Launching herself to the side of her foe, sabers still drawn and at the ready, she made an 'X' formation slash from low to high as her feet landed, and her body rose upright, immediately following with two arched cross-slashes aimed for her opponents shoulders. Many followers of Ataru were radical, wild saber wielders with little in the way of elegance, grace, or gymnastic talent. Fortunately, Sera had all three, and would exploit each in their full.
_____________________________________________

NPC Actions:

No change since last post.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

Location: NARROW EASTERN BRIDGE of Yugwaaargh - in a not so hidden perch just before the bridge
Objective: B - Defend the stronghold!
Allies: Jedi
Enemies: @Randial - come at me bby #cheatingforsexynewavatar

Arms slowly uncurled from around her head, keeping her duck and cover style in case any flying shrapnel happened to fly up and zing her position. A chunk of what looked like the speeder's exhaust embedded itself into the bark about six inches just above where her head would've been. Camouflaged-vest rustled as her chestnut-haired head popped up from her perch.

Myrtle-ellipses met a pair of crimson eyes that matched a crimson lightsaber. She knew before she made eye contact that her position was already compromised. Wearing a pair of light-weight climbing shoes, she pushed to her feet. A utility belt snaked around her waist with the cylinder of a lightsaber and a blaster holster clearly visible.

Fingers gripped a whole different type of cylinder that expanded into a beskar-coated staff. Little did she know it was the same preferred weapon as the original. It was probably better she didn't know.

"Surrender now and I can get you a gluten-free meal plan in the prison," voice deadpanned but there was a spark of mirth behind her gaze because she knew like he knew, the odds of his surrender were probably a kazaillion to one.

 

[Seamus Valik]

Location: Strong Hold North bridge area.
Objective: Objective B
Enemies: [member="Darth Praelior"], [member="Darth Vornskr"], [member="Matsu Xiangu"], [member="Vrag"], [member="Cryax Bane"], [member="Dredge"], [member="Keira Ticon"], [member="Darth Hauntruss"] NPC'S of [member="Reverance"]
Allies: [member="Kian Karr"], [member="Sochi Ru"], [member="Shule Windspeaker"], [member="Dux Kotass"], [member="Marakai Al'Orren"], [member="Gherron Vael"], @Ta'mur Rokar, [member="Ayden Quell"], [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"], [member="Rael sul B'an"], [member="Layna Akhora"], [member="T'eya Carn"], [member="Kana Truden"], [member="Book"]

Seamus was not the most combat adept, nor was he the strongest of Jedi, but he had lived a very active life ad a boloball playet and with the force he had half a chance. He grabbed a belt of grenades, a stouker concussion rifle and used the force to push a singularity mine into another and back toward the Yuuzhan Vong forces.

Seven Wookie catamarans streamed through the very many trees and teamed up to fire on one target at a time to overwhelm the dovin basal as Seamus kind of recklessly went out into the fray and closed the door behind him. He took a Carbonite grenade from the belt and tossed it at the front of the vong lines. His right hand that had released the grenade reached for the grip of the concussion rifle as he dropped to a knee and fired at the m8ne carrying vong. With luck and the force...he might not die, yet.

 

[cowboyrepeater]

Location: Stronghold, NE aka Objective B
Goals: Defense of said Stronghold
Allies: [member="Seamus Valik"][member="Taheera Sollo"][member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]@Kiyron@Shule Windspeaker[member="Dak Canton"][member="Varus Shatterstar"]
Enemies: [member="Keira Ticon"]@Dredge[member="Darth Vornskr"][member="Darth Adekos"][member="Cryax Bane"]

Layna Akhora was in the thick of the battle now. Sith troopers and the Yuuzhon Vong were pressing hard into the bottleneck. They seemed more afriad of their Sith masters than of dying. What a horrid existence, serving the Dark side must be, she thought.

Even if she were to die here this day, she would do so for the Light and for the innocents. She had chosen to be here, unlike those poor fools. Layna Akhora was a shield, a defender. If today was her day...there was no death, only the Force. The Twi'lek smiled a serene smile.

Her blade swept across in front of her, the Sarlacc Sweep, cutting down a pair of attackers. Form I was as old as swordsmanship and yet it worked just as well this day. She turned to face her next opponent. At the last second she ducked down, sensing an errant deflected bolt.

The bolt grazed her upper back and she hissed in pain.....

 

[Veino Garn]

Location: Objective A (Great Tree)
Objective: Protect the tree
Allies: [member="Soliael Devin Talith"] [member="Kira Liadain"] [member="Sabena Shai"]
Enemy: [member="James Mathison"]
------------

Veino staggered as the tree shifted and sunk a little. Explosives. Not again. This was just like Zeltros again. It could not be allowed to happen again. He swung himself up onto the Stinger speeder bike and gunned the engine, sending himself flying through the air, reaching out through the Force for the source of these impertinent saboteurs. Just for good measure, he cloaked his presence in the Force so they wouldn't sense him coming.

There. A slight presence in the Force, not overly strong, as if they had been working to hide it. Much like his own attempts had been when he was younger and less experienced. Not a master then. That was fortunate. He'd fought the cannibal Sith Lord Shinju on Zeltros and while he had survived and kept the hub intact, it had been incredibly painful.

He zeroed in on the presence and cut the engine of the speeder in the branches above and raced along the branches. There. A figure in the brush below him. Veino took a deep breath, centering himself in the Force while remaining hidden and jumped, somersaulting down to land, using the Force to soften the landing and brace his body from the impact.

He drew his lightsaber, but didn't activate it. Not yet. But he spoke, loudly enough to be heard, but quiet enough that the icy edge carried.

"Drop your weapons, step away from them, and kneel on the ground. Violence is not necessary in this situation unless you escalate it."