Public When the Cards All Fold (Kaeshana/Invite)

[Coryth Elaris]

@[member="Ordo"] @[member="Arla Balor"] @[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] @[member="Hevana Martin"] @[member="HK-36"] @[member="Verz Horak"] @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

(Can skip time skip a bit if we want to. Up to those flying)

"More cruel than I think you may know." Cory having gotten much the short end of the stick on cruelty in the Galaxy. She gave a nod of understanding, "It's almost a shock, to be honest. Never expected these things to happen. Not like this." Managing a smile she spoke, "Appreciate that, one more person to help, to aide, to go to, is always appreciated."

She cringed slightly sensing the deep pain with his brother, "They are not just cruel, sinister, evil and then some. A few border on the edge to the light, a few can be saved, but so many are truly lost. I hope that is not the case with your brother." Her eyes grew sad with his words, "Well, I understand that. I've got no family left anymore. Mother gone when I was seven, and on my own since. Father I never knew until I was in my late teens, and only a few months." Something about the words there held more pain than she would dare admit to. So much pain from losing her father, the force would have allowed her to save him. Just her father refused, believing it his time to go. Something that broke her heart forever.

"Don't have any siblings that I know of. Always wondered what a family was like." She then glanced to the others in the room, "The people here, are the closest I've gotten to a family. Never really knew much of it."

Another nod, "If I can come back from the twisted darkness that I fell into, anyone has a chance. Everyone deserves that second chance." The one she never believes she had deserved. "So have a little faith, it may not be the end just yet. Sometimes they need the right motivation to return. But don't give up hope. You give up hope and all truly is lost."

Before the injection, she had started to cry. The voices in her head growing so loud she just wanted to make it stop. His hand squeezing hers, felt a fair bit of fear at being touched by him, but between the pain and the urgent need for medicine she didn't do anything beyond pull away to reach for the syringe. Had it been any other time, any other moment, she might have thrown him across the room.

As the medicine flowed through her veins she started to relax, and shook her head as Josh withdrew. "Stop." She whispered, eyelids starting to slowly flutter as tiredness overwhelmed her. "Don't be sorry for trying to show compassion and concern in a moment like this. Yes.... there is history, and by males most I don't ever let touch my skin, very few ever get to, male or female. A good decade without allowing people to touch me, and I've been sensitive to it. Nerves are messed up and its not always pleasant but..." She shifted back on the bed, pulling the covers over her. "I've just been afraid to be hurt again, and let that fear keep me from people." Talking and revealing far more than she usually did about herself, and that part of her past. "Fear keeps me from a lot of things, and I need to stop reacting as harshly as I usually do, breaking wrists, throwing people across rooms, just because of a touch. Because I'm afraid. Very afraid."

She let silence hang in the air for a while, tears starting to well up as a very much high Coryth lay there in bed, "I'm so scared." She admitted openly. "I'm afraid this is going to fail." She not really aware of what she was saying at that point. "I'm afraid I'm not going to survive this journey." Lastly she whispered, "I just want the pull to stop, the voice that haunts me to go away, the visions ... the visions of the golden box, it calls to me." Both hands holding her head frustrated, but finally revealed the things she'd kept hidden. This point, she nearly asleep, but awake enough to still respond, just not aware anymore. Anyone really could have asked her anything, and she truly would have answered completely and fully in the semi-awake state she was in.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He nodded to her words, though he was surprised by her reaction to him withdrawing. He figured she'd have stabbed him by now. He let out a large breath, in relief, a need to breathe, whatever you wanna call it...

Then Coryth began crying. The Jedi Master bit his lip and wondered what he could do... She was scared, she said... She was obviously frightened and in a bad way, but... What could he do?

He decided to risk it, for her sake. Breathing slowly, he shakily reached out and took her hand, lacing his fingers between hers and planting the palm of his other hand on top of if, trying to give as much support as he could. Coryth could feel his hands shaking. Despite her words, he didn't know if he could trust her, internally he was still afraid to be hurt.. His trust had been abused so much lately that with someone with a penchant for breaking people that touched her .. Well, that left him a little paranoid. But he'd try... For her.

"Hey..." He said, smiling faintly, trying to comfort her. "You don't have to be scared..." He whispered, breathing slowly. "You're gonna be fine. I won't leave your side" he promised, tilting his head. "I'll help you stop all this.. Don't worry about it..." He said quietly.

@[member="Coryth Elaris"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

@[member="Coryth Elaris"], @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

If Coryth was being an open book, honest and forthright even amidst the pain she was enduring, Siobhan was the exact opposite. Partly this was because she was an inherently suspicious person. She considered herself close to Coryth, but to none of the others in the room, so she was not inclined for sharing. More to the point she loathed appearing what she considered to be weak.

"The only way to deal with Sith is to kill them. Traitors always betray again," she said quietly, more to herself than to anyone. It was not elaborated on further, but suffice to say she had plenty of reason to hate Sith - it was what her character was all her about and she had spent a good portion of her life fighting them. In this she was cold and unyielding, perhaps closer to the darksiders she fought than might be comfortable, especially since her use of the Force was that of a tool. It was one of the few areas where she had a strong convictions, since beyond that she did not care that much. Well, beyond that she thought that space elves were awesome and was a card-carrying femnazi since her Jedi teacher Adril Tythorin - well, Jedi in name only really - had been an Eldorai, but that was besides the point.

Coryth's last words seemed to break the ice though and she quickly moved over to her, taking her hand. "Don't say that, Coryth. You'll be fine. I'm not gonna be leaving," she said soothingly, but then the words about the Golden Box seemed to make alarm bells go off in her mind. "What do you mean the 'golden box' is calling to you? Some sort of Sith artefact? What do these voices say?" Outwardly she was composed, her voice was serious. Clearly this was not something Coryth should have kept hidden!

Voices...inexorably her mind drifted back to the terrible episode where she had been possessed by Shadow and driven to madness.

 

[Ordo]

@[member="Coryth Elaris"] @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] @[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] @[member="Verz Horak"] @[member="Arla Balor"] @[member="HK-36"]

Ordo reached down and hit the switch for ship wide intercomm.

We will be dropping from hyper space in one hour." He said his deep voice as pleasant as he could manage, "I repeat one hour until we drop from hyperspace."

Ordo killed the comm and rebooted the pilot droid. The droid came back online and began to look around as it assessed its functionality.

"That was uncalled for Master Ordo." The droid said.

"But strangely satisfying." Ordo replied, "we have one hour left of hyperspace take the stick so I can get some caff."

The droid focused it's photoreceptors and moved to resume flying as Ordo stood. He walked baack toward the galley and began making his favorite non-alcoholic beverage. He just hoped he could help the Jedi woman. He remebered what a Sith woman and her twisted master had done to him. Maybe this would be his way of seeing his own scars healed.

 

[Arla Ordo]

Arla smiled broadly, "I know but sneaking around is so much fun don't you think?" She was not always sure how she had lucked out to get him to open up, but she was always glad that he had. She enjoyed their short moments together.

"Oh" She signed as Ordo's voice came over the intercom system, "Just when it was going to get interesting" She pat the front of his armor, "maybe later?"

@[member="Verz Horak"]

 

[Coryth Elaris]

@[member="Ordo"] @[member="Arla Balor"] @[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] @[member="Hevana Martin"] @[member="HK-36"] @[member="Verz Horak"] @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

Coryth closed her eyes every so sleepily, and for a moment it didn't seem like she'd wake. But those steel grey eyes opened slowly again focusing on those in the room. "I'm just frightened..." She said softly, "Worry a lot." A small chuckle, just showing how much she was out of it, "Too much probably..." She actually squeezed his hand back, truly showing her fears as under any circumstances other than this, she'd never have let Josh even get so close much less hold her hand. Tired, drugged, terrified of her reality. "Voices make my head hurt... won't stop talking, whispering ... It doesn't end." She shook her head quickly for a moment as if trying to physically force them away. "Gets worse when I dream ..." Part of why she was actually trying hard to stay awake for as long as she could, given the circumstances, but between the drugs, and the illness, it wasn't going to last forever.

Feeling Siobhan take her other hand, sitting beside her, Cory rolled her head over to her quite drained and not quite with it, but a little clarity came through as Sio took her hand. "Thank you Siobhan." She managed as her voice cracked a bit. It took a moment for the little Jedi to gather her thoughts to the question her dear friend asked. And for a moment Coryth seemed confused, furrowing her brow but finally softly spoke, "Complicated."

For a while she was quiet, blinking slowly, "I keep seeing it in my dreams. It's been pulling at me, no matter what, asleep or awake, it wants me. Speaks cryptically, in riddles, puzzles, images." While the Jedi laying in bed did have visions of the future, what she described was no vision. And once again she grew quiet, eyes flicking back and forth seeming to be thinking.

"Don't know what it is. Inscribed in runes, old. Feel like it knows me. Knows about me. It wants to help, I think." She finally said softly, admitting what she had been feeling and hiding from the rest all along. "Everything it shows, hints at, seems that it can help me... Well, us... End this..." She wasn't being specific at all, but too weakened, too drugged, granted by her own doing on that part to really put proper words together, to think clearly.

"It wants to keep me away from Tatooine, calling me elsewhere. But the force is pulling me to Tatooine." Probably the most clear she'd spoken since the drugs had kicked in.

Looking between Josh and Siobhan, Coryth seemed certain of one thing. "I have to go to Tatooine, something there can help me. I know it." It may have seemed like the worst idea in the world for her to revisit the very place she spent brutally tortured and raped, but something was stuck in the little Master's mind that she was not willing to let go. And despite great pain, and voices from so far away calling to her, she was determined to get there. "Please, I have to...." She whispered.

 

[HK-36]

@[member="Coryth Elaris"] @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] @[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

The droid's datapad would beep and he would reach for it to read off of it. Nodding slightly at the message he would look to others,
"It seems that our Spacer friend is already waiting for us, now if you will excuse me,"
He would nod to Coryth, reaching over to softly squeeze her head before looking to Siobhan, his photoreceptor quickly turning off and back on in electric wink, and he would give a slight bow to Joshua.
"I have a friend to threaten and blackmail before capturing his ship for us."
And with that the droid would strut out of the medical cabin, tapping on his fingers on the surface of his datapad in order to punch in the number for secure channel he could send a transmission through to the Young in Spirit. On his way to the cockpit of the ship he would pass through the galley, nodding to @[member="Ordo"] and @[member="Arla Balor"] he would spoke up,

"Master Ordo, my associate is already waiting for us in realspace at the rendezvous point here, can we prepare for docking with him right away?"
HK would gesture for Ordo to follow slightly, the droid would enter the cockpit, giving a nod of greeting to the pilot droid and he would look up at the tunnel of hyperspace, waiting out the couple minutes they had left before arriving at the meeting point.

Exiting the hyperspace they would be greeted by sight of an aging Munificent class frigate, it was the Young in Spirit, a civilian traveling space-motel and free broadcasting station. As they came into the sight of the ghost-ship HK opened a transmission to the ship, speaking into his datapad.
"Young in Spirit, this is Baron HK-36 the Iron Knight, I hereby request landing clearance, do not resist."

The droid would pat his fingers on the shoulder of Ordo's pilot droid,
"Can you take us on the course into the frigate's hangar, please?"

 

[Sammo Hache-Khe of Rae]

And aboard the Young in Spirit,

Captain Sammo, the associate of the droid, sat on his captain's chair, supporting his chin on his hand as his fingers idly tapped the armrest of the chair. The droid was asking for quite a lot lately, especially since every time the Spacer visited him on Abregado-Rae he was pretty much chased off to do more adventures rather than sit around idly.
And now he had the Captain running errands for him, dropping everything he had going on to come back to Abregado-Rae for a bit of shopping, even bringing the droid's two favorite Iron Knight guards, armored mercenaries who insisted on bringing half of their armory with them, claiming they had their orders.

Finally, the Spacer's wait was over as the ship carrying the droid and others jumped into the system and soon enough transmission was received from the ship,
"Young in Spirit, this is Baron HK-36 the Iron Knight, I hereby request landing clearance, do not resist."
The private encrypted channel served as good enough proof it was the droid, unless somebody was hacking them or captured and reprogrammed him. But who would go through so much trouble to hit a wandering space-motel?

Either way, Sammo rolled his eyes at HK's unnecessary show of dominance as he motioned to his droid communications officer,
"Open transmission back on the same channel,"
The droid nodded to Sammo, showing the transmission was opened as the Spacer replied,
"Charming as always, Baron, you have clearance, I will meet you and your friends in the hangar, may the Force be with you."
The response would be audible to @[member="Ordo"], assuming the Mandalorian followed with HK to the cockpit, and Ordo's droid pilot, who was right there next to HK.

Sammo would push himself with a sigh, glancing to Second-In-Command as he adjusted his spacer nerf-leather jacket,
"I'm heading to Hangars, in mean time the ship is yours, have the welcoming committee join me there."
The B1 droid nodded as he relayed the orders through his console,
"Roger, roger."

 

[Onrai]

"Tatooine is a CIS world. Considering what they did to my company's factories, they will lynch me if I step foot on the planet. I don't doubt that whatever crystalline entity you are, you wield significant power. But I really would prefer to stay alive rather than have to be reborn again. It would be very embarrassing to be reborn at Rave Merrill's hands once again."

She paused, sighing. "I'll contact her on my datapad. Maybe we can meet at neutral ground. There won't be a lynching today if I can help it.

[member="Coryth Elaris"]

 

[Ordo]

[member="Coryth Elaris"] [member="HK-36"] [member="Sammo Hache-Khe of Rae"] [member="Verz Horak"] [member="Arla Balor"]

Ordo sipped his caff as he came back into the cockpit and took his seat. The ship before them was a beautiful thing at least to an old pilot. He looked over at the pilot droid.

"Well what are you waiting for a memory wipe?" Ordo said pointing at the ship in the view port, "take us in! You can land can't you?"

"I needed autorization to board the unknown ship." The droid replied dryly.

"Don't you try and pass the blame!" Ordo said before taking another sip of the hot black liquid, "I am docking your pay for this."

"You don't pay me sir." The droid said as it began docking procedures.

"What do you call free maintenance and cleaning. What about those power packs I slipped you?" Ordo said eyes wide and acting shocked.

"Error! Error! Does not compute." The droid said even though it continued to fly perfectly into the large ships docking bay and land.

"That's what I thought." Ordo said hitting the switch to lower the boarding ramp.

"Boys and girls, vod and aruetise. We have landed aboard our connection next stop Tatooine." Ordo closed the comm and headed to the boarsing ramp to meet their benefactor.

Ordo walked to the boarding ramp, his armored boots ringing out as he made his way down into the larger ship's docking bay to meet the contact.

 

[Sammo Hache-Khe of Rae]

[member="Ordo"] [member="Coryth Elaris"] [member="Verz Horak"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Hevana Martin"] [member="Arla Balor"]

Once Ordo would exit the boarding ramp, indeed once others would exit as well, they would come upon a peculiar sight. It was an aging man in his middle-ages, smiling at them, with a group of fixed-up B1 battle droids, part of the droid skeleton crew of the ghost-ship motel.
"Welcome!"
He called out to them raising his hands in greetings,
"Welcome aboard the Young in Spirit, finest traveling motel all around,"
Slightly turning to the droid crewman he motioned to them as they nodded. A couple of them walked towards the ramp with those flower-necklaces they give out at fancy tropical tourist locations. If Ordo allowed two such necklaces would be put by the droids over his head around his neck. Another droid would offer a pamphlet, a map of the Young in Spirit, some background information about it, and then list of attractions and features it offered. The rest of the droid welcoming committee was composed of two droids playing a tropical tune on banjos to make the atmosphere complete.

"I am called Sammo of Rae, captain of this fine vessel."
The spacer smiled to them.

 

[HK-36]

"Stop wasting time, I am going to the bridge to take control and get the ship moving."
Those were the warm words HK greeted Sammo with, stopping the droid crew from putting any flowers on him or offering pamphlets with a stern dismissive wave of his hand.

The droid would simply strut past Sammo and head for the bridge, he was on a mission, and while others could have taken their time to interact with Sammo he was there to get them to Tatooine as fast as possible.

And without much more ado, the Young in Spirit would soon enough make its jump back into hyperspace, this time heading towards Tatooine.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Ordo"], [member="Coryth Elaris"], [member="HK-36"], [member="Hevana Martin"]

"Well, that wasn't what I was expecting," Siobhan muttered to herself as she beheld their...droid welcoming committee. She had to suppress bursting out into laughter at the sight and how 'well' HK evidently got on with Sammo. Eyes focused briefly on Sammo of Rae as he introduced himself as the captain of this vessel, the former Exarch stretching out with the Force to read him, but drawing a blank as obviously an HRD would have no presence inside it.

Extrasensory perception was not something she excelled at; indeed the first time she had met Maelion she had oblivious to her true nature since she had not bothered to dig deeper. But then that might have been because she had been far more distracted by admiring her...assets. However, the void of Force presence would suggest he was either force dead or an HRD, and given that the crew seemed entirely composed of machines she was inclined to believe the latter. Which made how well he and HK got on even more comical. "Nice to meet you, I'm Siobhan Kerrigan," she said in greetings, though she stopped the crew from putting any flowers on her or flooding her with pamphlets with a quick gesture. "As fun as introductions are, I'd like to get into space right now."

Clearly she was being terribly polite as well. "I see you two to get on...a lot," Siobhan could not resist snarking to HK as she followed him, along with her ridiculously over the top arsenal of death dealing toys in her military duffel bag, and soon the ship was setting sail for Tatooine, planet of pod racing, Sand People and annoying escaped slaves with a tendency to whine and randomly murder people.

 

[Coryth Elaris]

[member="Ordo"] [member="Arla Balor"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Hevana Martin"] [member="HK-36"] [member="Verz Horak"] [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

Coryth moved slowly behind the others, thoughts that ran through her head made her wish to remain there in the shadows. But this whole thing was for her, and staying hidden in no way got her to the end goal of it all. A heavy sigh came as she made it off the ramp and onto the shiny floors of the space hotel. Sadly a touch too slow not to be bombarded by the flowers, but she managed to dodge the pamphlets.

Her eyes came to focus on Sammy, a familiar looking soul for reasons she couldn't quite put her finger on. Hearing Sio, her own sentiments were much the same. "I'm with Siobhan, we need to get moving on, and quickly at that." Something about the redhead's tone was colder, darker. Now a stone's throw from her final destination and what she hoped would yield results for them all. She needed a cure, a solution, anything .... Something that would buy her time. "Don't exactly have the time to mess with the frilly stuff but do appreciate the hospitality you've offered to us all." Changes were happening to the little Jedi as if that wasn't clear enough, the strange and painful dark lines were starting to inch across her skin once more from their origin point. Only this time, they just were not as thick, and thankfully had not ruptured.

The pull of the darkside grew and the voice in her head seemed to be gaining traction, more traction than she wished for it to have. Coryth managed barely to keep up with the others, at least in sight of Siobhan at all times, but she lingered as she moved to find her space in the ship.

Like the last of the herd she seemed for a moment just lost staring at a wall, but really Coryth was seeing something entirely else, something that she wasn't going to share. Not yet, it isn't time. She reminded herself. After a shake of her head she moved onwards and found her room, flopping down upon another bed, and even now she trembled a little thinking forwards to Tatooine and how often the planet tried to kill the little redhead. The idea of returning, not one she relished in.

 

[Sammo Hache-Khe of Rae]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Coryth Elaris"]

The Spacer smiled to both of the lovely ladies as he greeted them,
"Well he has always had a rod up his arse, but turns out it was his spine all along."
He quipped in an answer towards Kerrigan, nodding in agreement to both Siobhan and Coryth as they tried to hurry the whole thing along,
"Well I am sure that he has it under control, come, let me show you where your party will be staying."
Their inn-keeper would lead Coryth and others to their little rooms in furnished metal containers, rather small but pretty cozy.

Soon enough, Cory flopped onto the bed, Kerrigan was most likely with HK on the bridge the whole time, messing with him and trolling him somehow as Sammo showed the rest their living spaces.

And soon enough, the space-motel would enter the real-space once more, this time, in orbit of Tatooine.
The frigate would come to stop in planet's far orbit, they would get a lovely view out of there. It would signal civilian codes to any CIS forces that governed the planet, although it wouldn't be the first time the Spirit visited Tatooine, it wasn't anything out of ordinary that ships would leave it and head towards the planet's surface, or come from the surface to land in the frigate and tag along for its next journey.

Either way, HK turned on the intercom of the Spirit, letting those aboard know,
[member="Verz Horak"], [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"], [member="Hevana Martin"], [member="Ordo"], [member="Arla Balor"],
"Passengers, attention. We have arrived near Tatooine and we are entering its orbit. We will be staying here for unknown amount of time, please consult the Spirit's holo-net site for updates on schedule of journeys. Thank you for flying with Young In Spirit, currently under regime of Iron Knight's Iron Fist. Beep-boop."

Meanwhile, Sammo would gather the party in one of the meeting rooms of the ship, one especially close to the motel section where they would be able to hide any equipment should CIS decide to do a search of the ship for some reason.

Either way, in the room were gatherer a couple of Iron Knights summoned by HK from Abregado-Rae, with them they had a shelf in the room of gear they bought for any others to use, among them the infamous Bolters, designed in mind to take a Force-User's life, both MK's I and II's, as well as Protectorate's Anti-Force User grenades, something Hevana would recognize, the Iron Company was a big fan of her work, and Electrostatic Gel Launchers, among others.

 

[Coryth Elaris]

[member="Ordo"] [member="Arla Balor"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Hevana Martin"] [member="HK-36"] [member="Verz Horak"] [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

Tatoonie, so it has come to this... Coryth thought to herself, rising from the bed. Almost instantly nearly doubled over in pain. It had been a while since her last dose of anything, but given the circumstances they were about to encounter, pain she was going to have to deal with as not to have her senses dulled by drugs or other substances. Taking a deep breath she steadied herself and headed down to the room where the others had gathered, she the last one to enter.

Walking in, seeing the weapons laid out she swallowed hard. They, she knew were weapons meant to take care of her kind. To kill a force user. The idea, not one she liked. Taking lives in general was not something she even wanted to think upon. It hurt too much the first time and she was not ready to do so again, not now. Not ever. Still, she knew too well a time could come when she needed a weapon such as the one's before her. With a sullen expression she picked up a single bolter, MK I. Pray I don't need it. He really should be gone, dead, and nothing else there. Too many traps for just anyone to come in and take over.


The black lines that had been slowing progressing, now visible upon her forearm, where they desecended down from their origin at her shoulder. She closed her eyes for a moment, leaning against the wall before she opened them again. The weariness showed drastically on her face, and nothing she could do could hide it. One more sigh before she spoke, her voice full of concern, worry and perhaps even a little fear, and in the air a darkness seemed to hang around her, easily noticed by the force users present. The planet did not seem to have a good effect on her.

"I'm thankful you all have come this far. I don't know if we will find the answers I need here or not, but it's my only shot to get ahead of this thing." A hand flew to her forehead, pain striking her like lightning. After a moment, to regain composure she finally looked to the room. "I said it before, the compound ..." She shook her head, seeming to fighting something internally before going on, "The compound should be empty. The sith, sith who owned it is dead. Should be dead." Knowing very well if said sith had found what he was looking for, he very well could still be breathing now. "There are traps, many, and frequent throughout the building. Droids left behind and so on. Most should be able to be sensed by the force users in the party, but ... This Sith was no fool, there are traps even for us, so be on guard at all times. All that I can hope for is that the place has been worn down by time, and the sands of the last decade and no one has reclaimed the compound. Otherwise we are in for a hell of a fight." She stated simply.

She gave pause for a moment, seeming to debate something, "It's far in the desert about eight miles from Mos Eisley, a long trek and not meant to be easily found as it's shrouded by illusions similar to what I use. Best bets is to land nearby and go from there. No matter what, we will be seen coming if it all still is in working order." The look on her face said it all, she hoped it was just dust, just crumpled ruins and maybe just maybe there was a vial of the poison inside.

"If there is nothing else, let's hop on the other ship and head down." Coryth didn't wait, having grabbed what she needed though really didn't want to have to carry, and really there was little else to say. There was a job to do, and she was going to see it through. Though the voices were growing louder now as she headed off to the hanger, and into the ship they had left only what seemed a little while ago. Finding a seat she strapped in, and patiently waited for the others who had seen her this far along. As soon as all had gathered on board they would desend down to the coorinates that Coryth had left with the driod pilot, leaving them less than a mile out from the compound, as she dared not put them closer.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Coryth Elaris"]

Siobhan was not concerned about the traps. Nor about the Sith who could very well be still alive if Coryth erred. Perhaps it was arrogance talking but she had defeated Sith Lords, faced zombies and demons. No, what concerned her was Coryth as she quickly followed the woman into the transport, not wasting time with unnecessary words.

The black lines that were spreading across the redhead had not gone unnoticed by her. Likewise she could sense the darkness emanating from her. Of course, Siobhan carried a strong darkness inside her as well, these days she was probably a good deal closer to those she hunted than she would have liked to admit, but that was her. If Coryth succumbed to what was festering inside her and became a threat, there was no question what Siobhan would do. She would not like it, indeed she would not hate it, but such sentiments had never stopped her before and would not stop her now.

Siobhan doubted and felt guilt. Butcher Kerrigan was thoroughly incapable of that - and likewise fundamentally incapable of holding back. She hoped it would not come to that. So it was with a heavy heart, before she steeled herself, resolve showing upon her viciously scarred features, which ironically enough should be showing some signs of corruption soon, that she entered the ship and then took a seat, armed with what amounted to a small armoury, but then that was her combat style, dual MK1 bolters featuring prominently, force-enhanced strength making itself useful by allowing dual wielding in a practical manner. Weapons designed to terminate force-users - she had never thought of it as terminating 'her own kind', just more targets, threats a tool had been designed to eliminate - though by no means I win buttons, but then nothing was. Of course, her greatest strength was her mastery of telekinesis. Coryth had faced her before in a training duel, but Siobhan had changed since then.

For the better? Debatable, probably not. Become stronger undoubtedly. A good deal stronger. But then brutal violence was her only talent really.

Hopefully it would not become necessary. She pushed those thoughts from her mind as she took a seat, her bionic hand, indistinguishable from her organic one unless one knew what one was looking for, taking Coryth's in hers, giving in a squeeze. Trying to reassure, as much as that was still possible.

 

[Verz Horak]

*post forgetfulness time warp*
Ordo Arla Balor Siobhan Kerrigan Hevana Martin HK-36 [member="Coryth Elaris"] Joshua DragonsFlame

Verz looked over at Coryth as she spoke. He wasn't a Force User, but he had been around enough Darksiders to feel a bit of negative energy in the redhead's presence. He looked over at Arla as Coryth explained the dangers they could face. He was worried about Arla's safety more than his own. He, like Siobhan, had fought Sith Lords, he had bested many foes, and had conquered planets. Something like this was just another op to him.

As Verz strapped in he wondered why there was evil. Sure, there was supposed to be balance in the universe, but did there need to be evil to counter good? Why would- Verz mentally slapped himself and told himself to focus on the dangers ahead. Now was not time for philosophy.He did one last gear check.

Crushguants, check. Madalorian compact assaul rifle, check. Thermal detonators and concussion grenades, check. TB cartriges for his blaster, check. He had even strapped a MK 1 bolter to his hip, and with his beskar, heavy it may be, Verz felt unstoppable. His body instinctively started upping adrenaline production, as it had associated gear up time as 'time to get ready to get shot at'.

He looked over at Coryt. "Don't worry, Master Jedi. I've stormed compounds that were as heavily defended before. I don't think you want many details, but just know that I have faith in your guidance. I know you'll lead us just as well as any Field Marshal or Admiral I've ever known." It may not have been much, but it was the Mandalorian's honest opinion.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Coryth Elaris"], [member="Verz Horak"], [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Ordo"], [member="Arla Balor"], [member="Hevana Martin"], [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]
Aboard the shuttle taking them down to planet's surface,

HK looked to others aboard the shuttle, the meeting up on the ship came and went pretty quickly, he still calculated about the words he heard from Coryth. Many and frequent traps, it should be a challenge at the very last, although knowing Kerrigan, she'll probably ruin it all for him by just crushing the whole thing.
"If we will find any droids, deactivate them but do not destroy, I can slice them and find out what they know about this place."
He looked to others, they had a good crew going.

Coryth, even in her weakened state she was not easy prey, he knew her, he taught her. Sitting on her other side, HK reached to touch her other hand softly, letting her know he will be there, mimicking Siobhan's gesture.
Siobhan, HK had a soft spot for the slowly corrupting Colonel, she reminded him of a Jedi he once took on as his son. She even reminded HK of himself! Back when he preferred to rush into combat, lightsaber blazing as he cut from foe to foe. He hoped that she will end up better than his son, a Jedi HK was forced to execute when he has fallen under influences of the dark side and led the Sith movement at the time.
Speaking of Jedi, they had Josh at their side, HK simply glanced to him and nodded. He knew him, he knew he can handle his own. Little did the droid knew, the Jedi HK killed was an ancestor of Joshua's bloodline, the droid would knew that if he remained by them and protected them like he promised.

Then there were Mandalorians, three of them, including ex-Mandalore, HK was glad they were there, they knew how to fight, should they enter combat with a Sith, their team could make a short work of them.

And, he wouldn't forget about Hevana Martin, the only person on the shuttle who may be just as crazy as Kerrigan, even more so most likely, and every bit just as destructive.

The short meeting in the make-shift armory wasn't too eventful, people grabbed some weapons, any gear they needed, and before they knew, they were all on the shuttle heading for the surface. But HK had something else he wanted to give to them,
Reaching to one of his pouches he pulled out a small sack given to him before, it was filled with black spherical objects, he would start to take two at a time, giving them to everyone on board.
"Take these, everyone, they are another toy from the Protectorate, one of my design. Well, I borrowed the design from Old Republic's arsenal, but I have updated it."
Each of them would receive two DUST balls,

"We call these DUST in the protectorate, Durable, Ultra-small, Sticky Transmitter. Activate them, throw them at the ground, they will create what looks like cover of grey dust, it will obscure vision and tag anyone that finds themselves inside it, transmitters then can be tracked, making finding our target, if there will be any, so much easier."
Once the droid would finish, he would put the sack with DUST balls away,
"These have been set to have a lifetime of two days, after that you better get rid of them, they may explode on you."
He nodded slightly, they wouldn't, of course, but they would just be unusable, and rather hard to reverse-engineer afterwards.

 

[Coryth Elaris]

[member="Ordo"] [member="Arla Balor"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Hevana Martin"] [member="HK-36"] [member="Verz Horak"] [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

(OOC: anyone who was lost along the way just time warp to here and it all works)

It was a trip that seemed an eternity as they descended to the surface, ever so slowly. Slowly, drifting, drifting thoughts over and over again. The voice haunting her, chasing her as it seemed to gain purchase in the one place she wished it never could. Tighter than anything it clung to her very life, as much as the little redhead did herself. The two living and dying with one another, a strange symbiotic bond and something far beyond her skill to tame, to depart with, but no... Coryth wouldn't tell the others as she heard the calls of blood, heard the terrors cry in the darkness. Her empathy so weakened, nearly every last guard being striped away as they all drifted towards the surface. Everything, she felt it all but said no word. Her expression of pain, of worry said so much. Perhaps too much.

Her eyes closed for a long moment, Siobhan reaching for her hand. A gentle squeeze in return, to let her friend know she was felt, wanted and needed. What was coming, Coryth feared, and it would be everything she had been afraid of to begin with, but the others didn't know it. Coryth hadn't even seen that future. HK, the same cold iron grip that somehow always brought her comfort in dark times. Even when those dark times were only the days she feared her weaknesses in combat would fail her fellow soldiers, and yet now those problems only seemed so tiny, minuscule to what was happening now.

Cold grey eyes opened, focusing on Verz for a moment, her expression so somber. "No, I probably don't want to know. You do have that correct." She spoke softly, letting her eyes shut again for a moment's rest. "I hope I lead you well." I need to lead you all well. I will not lose anyone here. Not in this darkness. But what of the darkness you run from? I guess that will have to wait. You know it won't Cory. I know, but they don't need to. Her brow furrowed in concern for the lives she was putting in harms way today. For she'd never led more than a handful of people, and on nothing that felt so important as this mission did now. Then again things always got more interesting when a life was hanging in the balance, and never had it been hers, until now. Everything about it felt wrong, Coryth just the giver, the healer, not the one in need. Very wrong indeed.

Once planetside Coryth wasted no time. Already she felt it calling, pulling at her. She knew where to go without even taking the time to gain her bearings. A small tremor in the force could be felt rippling towards her, fears coming full circle. She grimaced and turned a head back to the party. "They know we are here. Seems immortality was not so far out of his grasp after all. He was dead, is dead ... hell if I know, but I feel him. Here." She closed her eyes already feeling more defeated than ever. He who had come so close to breaking her and now ... to face him, or perhaps it was just another clone? For him to be alive, she'd seen him die with her own eyes. He was dead. Was ... The thought she hated. This journey might just kill her after all.

She turned her back to the group looking ahead into the desert sands, "He will be waiting for us." Coryth said firmly steeling herself against the reality that had come to pass. The one that had slipped her sight. "Be ready for anything. This will be no ruined compound, and the monster's roots run deep. Smart and cunning. He cloned himself long ago though I thought them all dead. I was wrong, I have to be. He really can't still live." The last sentence whispered by her, wanting to be heard by no one. For she doubted everything now. Living breathing monsters they would face tonight.