Wrong way to Rutan

[Taheera Sollo]

Border Space Between First Order and Galactic Alliance
Near Rutan
Prior to cease-fire discussions

Chestnut-haired head tipped back against the hull plating of the wall as the ship shuddered again. Nothing wrong. Just normal space...bumps. That's what the pilot said anyway. Ugh, the healer hated flying.

Myrtle-ellipses cracked open as she felt the ship take a sharp starboard turn. Medical equipment in the Alliance marked boxes stayed well locked-down. They'd arrive on Polis Massus soon enough and drop off the relief the people needed. She'd assured Maalik it was a routine run. Besides, Gabe had him doing odds and ends around the homestead on Sulon.

It was good for them to become...acquainted.

"Change of plans, folks. We've picked up a faint coded signal on the outskirts of Rutan. One of our operatives. Since we're the closest we've been tasked with the extraction. Should be quick and easy. In and out. He was inured too so we'll need your help Master healer."

Purple-lips pursed into a thin-line.

"Are you sure that's wise Captain? We're not exactly equipped to go into First Order space."

The Captain shrugged. "Orders are orders. Just glad we happened to have someone like you with us."

"I hope your expectations prove to be well-placed," she spoke quietly. It wasn't that she doubted herself. She just couldn't shake the bad feeling about this. But if one of their own was in trouble? It didn't matter.

Green-fingers plucked out her comm and tapped off a quick encrypted message to [member="Atham'aali'kema"].

::Change of plans. Going to Rutan. Might be pushed back getting home to Sulon by another day or two. Don't worry about Dick. He talks to everyone like that and Gabe can show you where the off-switch is.

-Harla::

[member="Asharad Graush"]

 

[Asharad Graush]

Rutan was a planet that the Sith Lord had never visited before.

The only other time he had been in close proximity with the Rutan System was when the Order had assaulted the Mustafar System, and the then Sith Lord had branched off with his own forces to attack Barkhesh. Neighbouring systems such as Rutan had been hit by Special Forces he later found out when he reviewed reports within the database of High Command. The exact specifics he had never been privy to, not until he had been promoted to Supreme Commander, soon after the Barkhesh offensive.

Securing the Valley of Temples had likely been some of his best work, despite being ambushed in more ways than one.

Hmm..

"There is no need for a full-blown Citadel on the planet," the Supreme Commander's cold metallic voice spoke. "Barkhesh holds the Sector's Overwatching Citadel." His subordinates nodded as an alert came across one of the smaller computer modules nearby, nothing of actual import. "Special Forces hit this planet, this planet will be ran by a cooperative unit of both military and Security Bureau Operatives."

"Yes, Supreme Commander. We'll contact the Security Minister's Office now."

"Uh, Supreme Commander, Sir!" The helmet rotated about. "Uhhh, encrypted message was sent from a nearby location... It doesn't look to be one of ours."

"Distance?"

"Less than 100 klicks." He blinked. "It is only a rough area... We can't pinpoint it yet."

"Prepare my ship." The Force whispered to him. He had to be there, and soon. "Have additional forces on stand by."

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Asharad Graush"]

With a soft thud, the ship touched down within a small break in the surrounding canopy of trees. The trees were tall enough that the shade acted as a natural concealer to their craft once they were on the rooted and soiled ground. Small medical pack strapped to her back along with her staff.

They were a small group. Just the captain, co-pilot, four other ground troops, and herself. This would hopefully be a quick and easy extraction. "Everyone synced their chronos?"

Nods all around.

"Good," the team leader continued. "Coordinates of our two agents are loaded too. Should be just outside the city. Four klicks away. Let's move out."

Taheera checked her chrono one last time. Satisfied, she filed down the ramp with the rest of them. Senses stretched forward in the force, searching to see if any potential danger lay before them. Boots crunched softly along the soil and roots, the sun peeking through the canopy above casting varying shadows across her tattooed face.

 

[Asharad Graush]

Even within the comfort of Imperial Space the Supreme Commander utilized the cloaking mechanism that was built into his Daisya Infiltrator. The ship was made for cloaking and concealment, and so he would. Even if he was meant to be a more public figure, since attaining the rank he had kept himself away from the media as much as he possibly could. Not even his own features were public record anymore, few if any had even seen it. The White Wolves themselves had been disbanded, many of them reformed into his own personal legion as they didn't seek to follow anyone else into combat. Many of them had sworn allegiance to him in their own ways, all tying themselves to him, others simply didn't know or care what he looked like beneath the suit.

Some speculated he was perhaps all cybernetic, and he never stepped out of the suit.

It was true that he almost never stepped out of the suit, and today would be no different.

Lightsabre and hydrastaff on his waist, the Daisya Infiltrator was cloaked as it landed and the Sith Lord's booted feet touched down, only a handful of klicks away from the nearest city.

"A ship is landing nearby, somewhere near your vicinity, Sir."

"Noted." There were multiple barely audible clicks as he lowered the volume of his earpiece, and his mask and hood raised up and took their places on his face.

Time to move.

It was a light jog, nothing that would be exceedingly difficult to maintain as he went off in the general direction of the intercepted message. Sliding his DataPad from belt to hand, he was receiving updates every few minutes to showcase the strengthening signal the closer he got to it.

Almost there.

A border world and yet he didn't utilize his senses. He felt untouchable, and so he'd ignore his senses that sought to warn him of impending danger.

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Asharad Graush"]

Myrtle-ellipses that captured the color of the surrounding vines and trees widened as her senses picked-up on the approaching darkness. Quickly approaching. Powerful. The empath frowned.

Familiar?

Soft-booted feet jogged up to the commander. "Incoming sith...I believe. It would be better if you take the men and go ahead. Try to find our contact. I'll stay back and try to delay them." Them? One? Multiple? She doubted even a sith lord of the order would be jaunting around on their own. Not on one of their own worlds.

"Roger that. We'll rendezvous at the ship," the commander waved the others ahead and gave Taheera one last look. "May the force be with you."

The mirialan healer nodded, purple-lips set into a thin and determined line. Cortosis staff remained slung around her back. Steeling herself a moment, she finally turned and faced the direction she could feel it coming from, just up the shaded path they'd just come from. That quickly approaching wave of darkness. Senses in the force remained alert as she waited for the inevitable.

 

[Asharad Graush]

A voice spoke within his mind, one that he couldn't recognize, but one that spurned him on nonetheless.

Jidai...

His hand lowered to his lightsabre as if he were going to draw it in that very instant, but he thought better of it and immediately ran into the clearing to be face to face with the sight of a faintly familiar figure.

Shaking his head, the Sith Lord frowned, just as he heard a confirmation in his helmet.

"Location found. Orders?"

"Find the source." He said, speaking into the helmet's speakers, though not the ones that would project his voice outwards. "Kill whoever opposes you."

"Yes, Supreme Commander."

Click.

There was some distance between them, but the Sith Lord didn't need to wave a weapon, or utilize the Force to intimidate the woman. Instead, he just walked towards the source of the transmission. Which, naturally, took him on a course for the Mirialan Jedi.

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Asharad Graush"]

She held her ground. A soft breeze wove its way through the vines and branches of the sparse woods they stood in, blades of grass bending and shifting to its will. The breeze quieted as if the world around them was holding its breath. Waiting.

Green chin tipped slightly upward, myrtle-ellipses searching the details of the armored behemoth that approached.

Muscles tensed within her lithe-form but she made no move to draw the staff along her back. Gaze flickered to the man's hand near his own un-drawn hilt then back up to the mask that hid his face. Hid his eyes. What was he hiding from? Responsibilities of his actions? Identity? Was it easier to operate within the boiling waves of the darkside when you encased yourself within it?

Trusting her senses in the force, purple-lips finally parted to speak to the armored giant.

"Were you the one at Barkesh?"

 

[Asharad Graush]

The Sith Lord was aware of who the Mirialan female was, he merely kept approaching as she spoke out to him.

A'sharad felt no need to converse with her, not now. Letting his guard down had allowed him to be ambushed in those brief moments. Since, he had made sure to be the aggressor in every engagement that he had ever been in. If it wasn't thanks to her, perhaps the First Order would've lost far more soldiers if it hadn't been for the hyper-aggressive nature of the armoured titan before her.

"Move."

He knew she wouldn't move, and so the lightsabre was scooped off of his belt and it found itself in his cybernetic palm, but it didn't come to life. No, instead his walk began a jog which increased in speed with every step he took towards her.

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Asharad Graush"]

Feathered strands of hair shifted along her tattooed-face as the breeze blew once again through the woods. Jaw clenched, the smooth skin along her green face radiating tension. His voice added to his presence in the force and she knew. Knew he was the one from Barkesh.

He invaded and demanded surrender, leaving no room for negotiations. Trextan had made the first move. Yes. But somehow she knew, if he hadn't? They would've ended up dead. Or worse, prisoners of the Order. And surrender had never been an option. Not when she'd been charged to protect those on the Alliance world. Those now, she'd failed to protect.

And the cause of her failure was running straight toward her. She'd have to face him and be reminded of those she'd let down. The healer didn't move. Eyes closed. An invisible protective wall in the force expanded, flashing to existence to extend just in front of her, stretching behind the tops of the trees to the forest floor and out, horizontally on either side of her in each direction about eleven yards.

He'd either sense it or he wouldn't. She made no move to physically attack the Sith Lord. Only an attempt at getting his attention. To see her in the moment. To stop. Or be stopped.