Ask A Coven's Castle

[Serene]

Per my OP template, thread is death enabled

Spoiler: Music

Song

Serene stood onboard the Thistle Oasis in its hangar bay, gazing at a holographic display that showed her intended destination . The Comet class star yacht descended smoothly through the planet’s frigid atmosphere towards the relatively comfortable pocket of green land surrounded by white tundra. She had waited until the weather of the planet had become ideally tumultuous. The storm forming over the biome was going to be to the Sith’s benefit and aid them in their assault.

Sitting in the temperate area was Castle Gaol, a fortress that had extensive control over the other subterranean prison complexes that ran throughout the planet of Belsavis. The Dark Side called to Serene and her own ambitions had led her to the frosty world time and time again. Historically the fortress had belonged to a former Sith Warden who had since gone silent. Chances were high that someone or something else occupied the castle and would make taking it difficult.

The Champion was joined by five of her Coven, each of which were closely paying attention. They had a few minutes to prepare before they made landfall and began their assault. Joining the sorceress troupe was @Ayomi Jakarta , a fellow champion who made a dynamic addition to the group.

"Vassandra, you will be in charge of controlling the storm. Cause as much interference with any perimeter sensors and defenses to cover our approach." The sorceress delegated specific tasks based on her subordinates' specialties. The Deucalian acolyte actually called this planet home if memory served. "Elandra and Lirael, aid Vassandra where it is needed. Once we are inside you may follow as the rear guard." They were still acolytes and had limits to their stamina as well as skill even when it came to their specialties. It would help to have some redundancies. The power of three witches combined exponentially increased their efficiency.

Isolde and Morywen were the two that would follow Serene and Ayomi in the vanguard. "The rest of us will approach during the storm. There are numerous security features that will make this a difficult task even once we are inside. Draw bridges, locked doors, turrets, droids and more. We will be descending through layers of hell so make no mistake, this will be difficult." This may even be the hardest thing they had done yet. But it was imperative if they were to control the planet once again in the name of the Sith.

"Once inside we will need to find the warden, or whomever possesses the access codes to the Castle's facilties. First is the receiving chamber. From there we will have options to go to the audience hall, training rooms, starship hangar or a set of turbo lifts that lead deeper into the prison system. Above the entrance are living quarters for staff and non-imprisoned residence. This is likely where a warden rests but we can't be sure of their exact location." They would be able to sniff them out once they got closer. "The control room is the opposite direction and is in the subterranean portion of the fortress. We will only go there once we have the access codes or if it turns out that is where the warden resides." If the warden was already in the control room it would definitely be an uphill battle.

With that information laid out before them Serene looked at her fellow Sith. They still lacked a great deal of information on the strength of the Castle's occupants. It was not enough for Serene to feel wholly confident. But her concerns sharpened her awareness and would keep her from growing complacent. "This is your last chance for preparations. Make certain you are ready."

@René

 

[Ayomi Jakarta]

A few weeks ago Ayomi had stumbled out of a coma in Serene's medbay, broken and battered but alive and reborn. Both champions understood the opportunity at hand to strike against shared enemies, accrue power, and lend each other complimentary skill sets in pursuit of those goals. The Tiefling was no sorcerer despite their new research interests, but the witch and her coven were helping with that. Likewise, Serene's plan to retake Belsavis for the Sith was in need of some legitimate muscle, and Ayomi was happy to oblige. They'd need to start making their own moves to build a powerbase soon, but for now helping Serene would suffice well enough.

While their fellow champion issued orders to the gathered acolytes of her coven, Ayomi checked the straps and fit of the light armor they wore in combat situations like this mission was expected to be. There was a cold, determined expression on their face, while from their belt hung both a double-bladed lightsaber hilt and their secondary blade, a single-bladed lightsaber with a curved hilt for close-quarters and finesse fighting. With a freshly fitted and equipped prosthetic hand, the Tiefling now had two hands again as well; they'd spent their weeks of recovery training both with and without it, to ensure it was neither a weakness to overcome or a crutch to be overly relied on.

With everything adjusted and prepared, Ayomi's attention turned to focus on Serene as she explained the plan of attack for the final time. If they were being honest, it wasn't a great plan. Too many what ifs, to many assumptions being made. Unfortunately, it was the best they had; but it wasn't the only thing. They had drive, willpower, a need for this endeavor to succeed.

They had two fully trained Sith recently inspired to let nothing get in the way of their rise to power.

The plan would eventually go to shit, in all likelihood. Ayomi understood this, and they knew Serene did as well; it made them that much more ready for the eventuality.

"I'm all ready. Let's hope the castle isn't." the Tiefling replied to Serene's assertion to finish preparing. "Either way, Belsavis will bow to the Sith once again."

@Darasuum

 

[Serene]

The golden irises of the near-human regarded her tiefling counterpart and nodded. "Let us begin." The sorceress donned her helmet meant for combat, hiding her beautiful visage. On the witches' hip she wore a few lightsabers of her own though she found herself using them less these days. Sparing with Ayomi proved to both be therapeutic for the injured devaronian offshoot while also keeping the sorceress's skill with a lightsaber from growing rusty.

At Serene's signal the trio of acolytes began chanting in the ancient sith tongue. The storm outside began to intensify per their combined will. The flight of the Thistle Oasis was mildly turbulent but the ship was a smooth ride and its crew were employeed by the space witch for a reason. They were good at their job.

The ship touched down a few kilometers away from the fortress. The clouds overhead brought down a combination of snow flakes and cool rain. But the woman's garb protected her from the inclimate weather. Ignoring the nuisance, the Sith champion led her infiltration team through the forest under the cover of darkness.

As she walked, Serene began chanting under her breath. The darkness around the vanguard squad of Sith darkened thanks to Serene's specialty with shadow magick. They would be imperceptible on their approach. Aside from the tedious task of trekking across land, they met no resistance or obstacle that slowed their movement.

Voices carried from the edge of the fortress. It sounded like there were organic guards on the ramparts and manning the defenses. Serene trained her ears on them but remained out of sight. They wanted to be as close as possible before making any hostile moves. As she focused on the words Serene recognized some of the speech. Without looking at her companions she whispered a single word just loud enough to be heard by her partners. "Deucalians." Whether they had been employed by the former owner of the castle or had taken it themselves hardly mattered. They were the occupants of Castle Gaol now and would defend it as necessary.

@René

 

[Ayomi Jakarta]

Ayomi returned Serene's nod as the woman donned her helmet, following the witch and her two acolytes into the Belsavian forest once the ship landed amidst the storm the other acolytes had conjured up. The Tiefling would never be a sorcerer, but being around Serene's coven served as a reminder that the abilities provided by a deeper utilization of the Force weren't something to be ignored. Indeed, they'd need to explore them more if they hoped to unlock the secrets of Raze.

For today, though, the witches had the sorcery covered; it was Ayomi's job to stick with what they knew. They heard the same voices from the top of the castle's walls, and though they didn't recognize the language Serene quickly identified them as Deucalians. Well known as raiders and wandering warriors, the Tiefling imagined they'd be a good warm up for whatever dangers lay deeper inside the fortress.

"I could jump from the top of one of these trees onto the wall, and take them out quietly while you all work on the doors down here." Ayomi offered, matching Serene's whispered tone as their yellow eyes watched the movement on top of the walls. Between the darkness, the storm, and some assistance from the Force, they didn't doubt they'd be able to reach the top of the wall. On the other hand, it was hard to tell exactly how many guards were patrolling it. Too many could mean the loss of any element of surprise, but if it was only a few Deucalians the group would be inside the castle in no time.

@Darasuum

 

[Serene]

From what Serene had observed and heard of Ayomi was a powerful warrior. Many people with brute strength felt they could overlook the subtleties of combat in favor of more direct approaches. The sorceress was glad to see that her fellow Champion was not so cumbersome.

Together the Sith unit moved as one. They remained a secret for the time being and Serene intended to keep the element of surprise for as long as feasibly possible. She was not one to discard without reason.

The stoic visage of her helmet was all that Ayomi would see look back at them, nodding in their direction but it would be followed by the woman's voice. "Be quick." Her tone was not an order, so much as an advisement and encouraging. If these Deucalians were organized then there would eventually be guards sent to relieve them. Clean and quiet kills would be prefered with as little of a mess made as possible. If Ayomi had the time, it may even be worth while to hide the corpses. But she left that up to the blue skinned tiefling.

Normally leaping from the trees to the wall would be an impossible feat without assistance from something like a jetpack or grapple line. But for the Sith they had the Force to aid them. Isolde relayed information from the minds of the Deucalians. "They're at ease. No alert, yet." Her specialty with mental manipulation was coming in handy. Morwyn remained silent, likely focusing on her umbral echo, a shadowy familiar that was scouting ahead in the event that more guards were on their way. Both would keep their matron appraised of the situation.

That left Serene to work on the door. Once again she began muttering under her breath. It had been some time since she dabbled with technological influence technique, otherwise known as technometry. Serene drew close to the outer gate and its external access point. With her empty gloved hands at the ready, she pressed them both on either side of where a droid or person would normally interface.

The sensation was cold and indifferent at first. But there was a deeper layer to this place, influenced by the nature of the dark side that flowed beneath the planet's surface. It was not too different from slicing the door's security but instead of a security spike trying to unlock the portal it was the woman's interpretation of cyber-space. She felt her way through the lock mechanisms like a snake moving through a garden with maze like hedges. In a matter of moments the gate unlocked and began to open. No other alarms or sensors were tripped. The control center would see the gate as 'closed' still as Serene implanted a false code with the Force that gave the illusion of its status. Serene and her Coven moved in, ready for the next step. So far so good.

@René

 

[Ayomi Jakarta]

With Serene agreeing to Ayomi's plan of attack, the Tiefling wasted no time dashing closer to the castle wall. Black clothing, shadows, and the Force helped to conceal their approach as they reached the edge of the forest treeline. Quickly identifying one of the taller trees, Ayomi began to climb; sure hands and balanced feet led the way up, though it was times like these that the champion missed the additional balance of their tail. Channeling the anger and pain of that loss into focus, the Tiefling reached the treetop without incident and began to survey the scene atop the walls.

There were three Deucalians patrolling the castle wall, appearing to be relatively relaxed; a telepathic message from one of Serene's acolytes confirmed this observation. Ayomi noted that one, who stood closer to their position, seemed more alert than the other two who looked to be in the midst of a conversation further down the wall. Perhaps there was some luck on their side after all.

Gathering the Force into their leg muscles and under their feet, the champion leapt from their perch in the trees with unnatural strength as they arced silently through the air. Clearing the wall completely was a bit too far of a jump, but Ayomi's hands caught onto the top of the wall and they quickly hoisted themself over before surveying their surroundings. The single guard closest to them remained unaware of the Tiefling's presence, tracking a bird in the distance through the scope of a rifle, while the other two were still distracted by their conversation.

Ayomi removed a small vibroknife from their belt, using the Force to help quiet their steps as they crept up behind the first Deucalian guard. Without warning they clamped one hand over his mouth and thrust the knife into his back, forcing air out from his lungs and preventing him from making any noise other than a soft gasp. His posture slumped, and the Tiefling tossed him unceremoniously over the wall; if he wasn't dead already the fall would finish him off, and the sounds of the storm would drown out the thump of his body hitting the ground.

A glance towards the other Deucalians revealed that they were still deep in conversation, but Ayomi was aware that the opening before they realized something was wrong wouldn't last long. They walked towards the pair with the steady pace of a fellow guard so as to not alert the guards with erratic movement in their peripheral vision, before breaking into a sprint once they got within a few yards.

"Hey, wh—"

Ayomi unclipped their double-bladed lightsaber and quickly thrust it in between the two Deucalians, flashing the twin blades on for only a moment as both guard's chests were impaled by the crimson blades. Quick and quiet, no fuss. As with the other guard the Tiefling immediately flipped both bodies over the top of the wall where they wouldn't be found, but not before snagging a keycard allowing them to enter a nearby tower and take a turbolift down to the fortress' ground floor where they arrived in time to see Serene and her witchlings enter through the main gate.

"We won't have too long before they notice nobody's responding on the wall." Ayomi relayed to the other champion. "But we're undetected for now, and this keycard should help us stay that way."

@Darasuum

 

[Serene]

Competency was often taken for granted these days but Serene was glad to have such a capable champion joining her. One thump and a wet impact made her acolytes notice the first body slam into the ground behind them followed by another two. None of them appeared to be Ayomi, indicating they were doing well above.

The Coven were soon joined by the tailless Tiefling. Serene and her witches appeared like an invited entourage approaching a noble's ball. Their postures were confident and powerful as if they had every right to be there.

Serene nodded her head. "Good. Well done." The keycard was an excellent find indeed. "I doubt it will lower the bridges." Too much importance was placed on the defenses. If anyone came along and did just as Ayomi had then they would have unchecked easy access to the entire facility. But it may still be worth a shot. She did not completely count it out. Perhaps it would at least allow the bridge to angle in the direction of one of the four possible destinations. That being the main audience chamber, a training dojo, a hangar, or to a turbo lift that led into the depths of the prison. Right now it appeared to be raised completely to deny any easy passage between sections.

The audience chamber was the most desirable destination that the draw bridges could lead to. Above them were the living quarters per Serene's earlier briefing. "Morwyn, send your echo ahead. Find the warden. I will lend you my strength." The red haired sorceress nodded and did as they were ordered. The two began to chant as the scout raced ahead at the speed of darkness.

It felt to Morwyn what it must feel like to teleport for a nightsister only the spirit moved from shadow to shadow. It lacked any real mass but allowed them to perceive through its senses remotely. Otherwise they could have manually over ridden the controls of the bridge from the far side.

In a matter of seconds they were in the living quarters above the audience chamber. The oppulence and serennian architecture was obvious but the younger sorceress paid them no mind. Serene kept her awarness more active and on guard near her body. It was too dangerous for her to immerse herself in the shared experience of Morwyn but still chanted under her breath while her hands moved over and around one another weaving intricate symbols in the air.

"I've found him, my lady. He is in the second largest bed chamber down the hall from the turbo lift landing. He appears to be reading files." Morwyn's eyes were closed as she waited for her orders.

"Very well. That is enough." Serene decreased the lent power as Morwyn eased out of the shadow familiar's perception. Beads of sweat had begun to form on Morwyn's forehead despite the assistance. Traveling and searching such a distance was not easy even for someone of her affinity. "We have his location now." Slowly but surely, they were making progress.

@René