Ask Event A Joining of Minds

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini bared her small, sharp teeth as the trio of droids approached, pressing herself back against the window as her gaze locked on the seething goblets each one held. Her own mount held up warning hands, palms out toward his advancing fellow mechanicals.

"That is quite far enough!" He stated in a forceful tone, head swiveling between each droid. "The Professor has told you she does not wish to be refreshed at this time! As her assigned valet I am obligated to enforce her wishes to the best of my ability!"

"I don't think they're in a mood to listen, Forteear!" Trini snapped down at her companion. "Are you strong enough to-"

The doors slammed open.

Trini had studied many ancient texts, some more recent than others. One was an account by an Alderaanian scholar of the great petrified mounds that dotted the plains of his home-world; he had studied them, as well as the remains of the long-vanished species that had built them...

"But that... that can't be!"

Trini watched the tall insectoids enter the hall, the overhead lights gleaming off their chitinous exoskeletons. The Amaran's awareness of the Force took them in, felt the energy that radiated from their cool shells... alien and menacing in a way that Trini found hard to classify.

She was brought back to herself as Forteear batted another goblet away from one of the droids. It did not splash back on the machine, and it lunged, crashing into Forteear and trying to pin the loyal mechanical as the other two advanced. Trini cursed, reaching down and seizing the restraining bolt of the attacker. She wrenched it off, and Forteear was able to push it back onto the other two. Trini was surprised when her mount took up a passable boxing stance, but suddenly...

CRUMP

Crystalline transparisteel shattered inward. Trini tucked into a ball around Forteear's head, feeling shards sting her flesh, but miraculously, nothing large hit her. Abruptly, the fire suppression system went off, and within seconds, blaster fire began to sound; Trini's mount stumbled blindly, and both yelped in alarm as they tumbled through a doorway that the Amaran was sure had not been there before.

"OHHH KAAARK!!"

Thankfully for Trini, and unfortunately for the loyal droid, Forteear took the brunt of the fall down the stairway, acting as a kind of toboggan for the Amaran before both of them collapsed in a heap on a landing. Groaning, the Trini clambered to her feet, and yelped as she narrowly dodged someone pounding down the stairs after her; they rounded the corner and went on, ignoring the Amaran, and were quickly followed by others.

Cursing, the petite academic did her best to help the dented Forteear back to his feet. One of the droid's photoreceptors was dark, and a manipulator dangled from a few ribbon cables off one wrist, but he looked around alertly.

"The emergency stairs! Good heavens what's that sound?!"

Trini's broad ears twitched, and she cursed as she recognized the steady sound coming from above, muffled by duracrete.

"Explosions... if I don't miss my guess, someone's pitching turbolaser bolts from orbit!"

Trini tugged the droid's good manipulator, edging into the growing stream of people. Forteear shuffled along behind her, looking as lost as a droid could.

"Turbolasers?! But surely the defense fleet in orbit would stop such a thing! What in the Maker's name is happening?!"

Trini shook her head, her own mind racing.

"Not a clue! All I know is that we need to get out of here, preferably to the nearest spaceport!"

 

[Ryssa Kalayli]

By now it had become clear that Governor Omah wasn’t himself, and that there was far more to this than one man gone insane. The minute she saw the Chancellor’s guard turn on him and the bugs burst into the room through the doors, Ryssa’s hand dropped down to where her stun pistol normally hung. With a jolt, she realized that she’d had to leave it on her ship for the conference, and she inwardly cursed her bad luck. Defenseless and trapped, one thing was certain— none of them would last long if they stayed here any longer.

Just when she was about to make some kind of heroic last stand that would likely amount to her throwing something like the Governor of Ploo II, she heard a familiar beeping sound coming from her comm. The message that came through afterwards was music to her ears, better than anything she’d heard in her entire life.

“We have to get to the spaceport before they lose it.” Despite the adrenaline coursing through her, her voice came out surprisingly calm as she stated the obvious to Lon and Galek. Searching for anything that might help them get there in one piece, her eyes were soon drawn to the group of FWA representatives that were fleeing toward the nearest emergency exit that had just opened up. She noticed that Stythani was calling for Galek to join them— what was the harm in one more? She took a step forward, about to follow them. There would be safety in numbers. Just as she did, one part of her protested that it would mean teaming up with the FWA, who had repeatedly disrespected the consortium’s efforts to do nothing but provide aid to those in need.

Her hesitation ended when she heard the piercing screams of the Killiks in the room. Now was not the time to let pride get in the way— in many respects this was a situation of life or death. Making her decision and not leaving any time for her to question it, she got down from the platform and raced after the other representatives, abandoning any of her composure whatsoever.

“Hope you don’t mind one more!”

 

[Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl]

The Grandmaster had offered herself as a sacrifice play, and a pang of guilt surged in Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl's chest as he remembered that the Jedi had been making such sacrifices throughout the course of the war. The Order had consistently stood against the dangers threatening the galaxy... and the galaxy- including the FWA- had consistently let them down. Even before the deal was rejected, the Wookiee had resolved to not leave the chamber unless Alexandra Voran also left with him. However, he was distracted by the sight of one of the Supreme Chancellor's aides drink the kool-aid and promptly try to force his boss to do the same. The Wookiee knew that this wasn't the unity or peace that Alexander Xeres (@Braden) was fond of rambling on about, and was in the process of moving to aid the Supreme Cheerless, when all hell broke loose.

The doors were opened, and a scene straight out of a horror movie commenced; dozens of insectoids swarming across the room while chaos ensued amongst the occupants of the room. Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl took a mighty two-handed swing with his Wroshyr staff at the nearest entity trying to serve him a drink, hitting the protocol droid so hard that the droid's chassis was caved in and the room's fire-suppression system activated. A fire-retardant foam began spraying the area, and the emergency doors opened. A hole in the net appeared, but they had to act fast.

A comlink activated in his free hand, and a message was sent out to the rapid response fleet on standby at Kashyyyk. As one of the closest systems, the Kashyyyk/FWA reinforcements would be among the first to respond; FWA vessels and troops fighting to protect not just their own representatives, but the entire assembly fleeing the bugs.

Celeste (@LadyRen) showed up with Victoria (@Xorism) in tow, along with a few other faces (@Sicadorito). Now that the ISC had skin in the game, Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl suspected that they would make for staunch allies, and perhaps this experience- assuming they survived- could be a catalyst for future relations between the FWA and the ISC. In fact, Galek's (@Altaris) nearby presence in this crisis pleased the Wookiee; he now had a chance to bury the hatchet with the Induparian.

Looking down on his fellow representatives from his 7ft height, Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl knew the role he needed to play in their dash for the exit; follow-up battering ram. "Follow me!" he roared to anyone listening, then took off at what could generously be described as a run in the wake of (@Nor'baal) Nor'baal's hoversled towards the exit. His Wroshyr staff, gripped in both hands, would be swung with centuries of practiced aim towards any insectoids who tried to stop them.

@Nefieslab @everyone

 

[Lon Tendree]

In the time that it had taken Lon to type out his message, the galaxy had fallen apart. Because Lon was the center of the galaxy, and everything around him had fallen apart. Guards were trying to force-feed people the Us Juice, explosions had unfolded, a kriffing rancor had shown up, and Lon was panicking. Oh yeah, and man-sized bugs. This was the worst thing that had ever happened to him by far.

Things were moving too quickly for Lon to react to now. Someone was talking about the spaceport, people were yelling for Galek, Galek was panicking, it was just all chaos.

Yes, yes, to the spaceport, he agreed with Ryssa, nodding his head furiously to the point he almost looked like an anxious bobblehead. Lon wasn't the bravest soul, and so things were quite obvious to him: follow the group, follow the Wookiee, get out of here.

This isn't how it's supposed to be, Lon complained, but started following along with the others toward the emergency exit, letting Aezz and his rather large club do what Lon wasn't going to be able to do.

Come on! he shouted at Galek as he pushed him along, half-dragging, half-shoving his friend along with the group, making for the exit and doing everything in his power to avoid being eaten, force-fed, shot, blown up, crushed, or any of the other numerous and awful ways to die out here today.

@Altaris @Sicadorito @SlagathorTheUnknown @LadyRen @Nefieslab

 

[Xyla Teresi]

The conversation began and ended before anything fruitful could come of it. They weren't summoned here to come to an agreement; they were to be forced into one.

Xyla was holding the offered drink when the chaos began, squinting suspiciously at the bubbling, alien liquid with an upturned lip and nothing short of distrust on her face. Thea had warned her not to drink it and to wait for others to partake first. The princess had no qualms about listening to her bodyguard's advice and never came to regret it. Pale eyes watched as those who threw back the drink began to breathe synchronously with others around them, and panic set in. Almost without thinking, Xyla drew her arm back, then shattered the glass in the face of the next person to insist for her to try the drink.

"How dare you attempt to force me into your cult! A Tren-"

Despite the blood dripping down their face from the cuts of broken glass, the Joined person was still reaching and calling out to Xyla, insisting alongside the nearby protocol droids that she drink. One of them reached out to try and grab her forearm but was sent tumbling back by the force of Thea's punch.

"My lady, we need to go. Now."

As the anti-fire system rained down on them, Thea grabbed Xyla and ran with her. One woman, Senator Stythani (@LadyRen), stood out among the others as a voice in the chaos, so the two of them immediately migrated her way. The woman had been outed as a former Sith, but neither the princess nor her bodyguard held any distrust for Force users. In fact, the opposite was true. There was strength in numbers, and protection when one could fashion a weapon from an invisible force.

other tags: idk who all is in the group here @Altaris @SlagathorTheUnknown @Nefieslab

 

[Carrick]

OOC Note: Joining to help people start attempting a rescue.​

Carrick had not believed the peace talks would bring any benefit to the Galaxy as a whole, let alone the ISC and, because of that, he had prepared a small flotilla at the closest part of ISC space. Not a full fleet, lest the FWA and Hutts nearby get anxious, but enough that he felt he was prepared in case things went as poorly as could be.

He was paid to be paranoid, paid to be the member of the ISC cabinet that thought the worst of the rest of the Galaxy and prepared to smack them back down to where they belonged.

But upon arrival of the news that members of the ISC cabinet were under threat, Carrick had immediately been vindicated - and he hated it. Being right, when you were paranoid, was never so much of a victory as it was a bitter reminder that assuming the worst in people was a practical consideration. As the jump to lightspeed was calculated, he spared the holocall of President Thorne a glance as he stood on the bridge of one of the battlecruisers, The Rose of Tatooine, that he was able to bring along with him on such short notice.

"Mr President, we are making our final jump. I'm glad you saw good sense and stayed behind to supervise the collection of a true Fleet."

It had taken him threatening to resign, emotional arguments, logical debate and, finally, begging in the privacy of the captain's cabin before Emryc had accepted the compromise of only being present during the initial strike as a holocall. Carrick had lost the argument about the President not being part of a larger, more organised, second wave before it even began.

The President merely stared at him silently for a few moments before speaking.

"Prioritize the safety of every ISC Governor and provide assistance to any other diplomats should they need it."

Carrick nodded and watched as the bridge staff around him seemed to take in the order from the President as well. It did them well to know that their President was so invested. From off to one side the navigational officer began the countdown.

"Synchronised jump to lightspeed in five... four... three... two... one... engaging hyperdrive."

The stars head blurred into blinding streaks of light pulling at the edge of his vision but Carrick refused to turn away. Instead he stood with his hands held behind his back at attention, doing his absolute best to be the absolute picture of calm under pressure. The reality was that he was itching for this - itching for the chance to batter those who dared try and lay hands on the diplomats of the ISC.

As the ships of the ISC shuddered back into real space, Carrick looked over the readouts carefully as alarms blared out across the deck. Local sensors were pinging them with messages about invading sovereign space but Carrick just didn't give a damn. They'd thrown the first punch - now it was time for the ISC to remind the Galaxy that it was not a good idea to get into a slugging match with the newest power in the Galaxy.

"Split forces along agreed pattern alpha-6. Bring half of the TE-2s in line with the Rose and half in line with the Heart of the Rim - divide corvettes in 4-4-2 pattern, 2 are to break off and follow the assault ships." he barked out bluntly, pointing to an officer, "You, contact the Admiral. Tell her to prioritize attacks on their interdictor. I want to be able to get our people off planet and out of the sector without worrying about those fields."

He turned to another officer awaiting orders.

"Launch all fighters. Escort duties to the assault ships to standard numbers. Remaining fighters to run anti-fighter runs against enemy capital ships - tell your aces to keep away from their corvettes." he demanded, his voice growing tighter, "And get me a line to the Specialists in the assault ships."

Waiting impatiently, Carrick looked at the enemy fleet on the sensors as they seemed to begin the motion to remove themselves from actively glassing the planet to face the emerging threat of the ISC flotilla. Snatching up the com unit from the second officer, he nodded to President Thorne's holocall.

"Specialists you have your orders; exfiltrate the ISC diplomats stranded on Ruusan, all others are secondary priority. Use of lethal force is authorized against any and all local forces."

Two dozen SS-54 Light Assault Ships, under fighter escort, peeled away from the rest of the fleet even as the main body of the flotilla split into two groups clustered around a battlecruiser each. As the ISC capital ships prepared to act as the distraction, 240 ISC specialists and rangers were given the unenviable task of staging a daring rescue deep in enemy territory.

Once upon a time he might have called to the Force for guidance...

"Bring our people back home."

... but he didn't feel the need to involve mysticism anymore.

Spoiler: ISC Flotilla

• 2x TL-2 Battlecruiser, Rose of Tatooine, Heart of the Rim
• 4x TE-2 Carrier/Destroyer, Rodian Pilgrim, Neimoidia's Revenant, Masquerade, The Defiance of Fate
• 10x CR-90 Corvette, Impulse, Signature, Requiem, Nova, Royal Fury, Rodia's Guidance, Dexterity, Bastion, Fluke, Vessel
• 528x TE-34 Wing Figher

@Sreeya @OthersWhoWishToJoinToTryRescuingTheOthers

 

[Arcturus Alkaios]

"What an unexpected development" the Sith Governor calmly muttered. It's true, no one could have foreseen this. So, these bugs are behind it all, they must how somehow been assimilated by them. The ground beneath them would shake and the glass would shatter. Well, looks like the plan is ruined. "Guess it can't be helped." he would sigh.

"Lets go this way" he would signal to his tiefling diplomat-champion partner (@llamallove) and start moving with speed down the path where the great Hutt and the others are going. While doing so, he would use his commlink to emit an SOS signal, incase the live-broadcasted chaos wasn't enough to get the Sith to come. Arcturus would keep his eyes shifting from ahead of him to behind him, with the Force flowing through him, Arcturus can readily respond to new stimuli as he sees fit lashing out with the Force.

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Though diplomacy wasn't her expertise, she had heard about the representatives dispatched to this meeting of peace. She found it odd, red flags raised as it seemed too...idealistic for something to be serious. However, it must have intrigued the current Empress to send out a diplomacy team to investigate and essentially participate further. Tiamat herself was busy calibrating and running drills on the Order's newest asset, the Eternal's Wrath and with it equipped with her revised path engine, the woman felt a giddiness that would match a child's excitement on Life Day morning.

Well, nothing made for a more exciting day to drills turning into actual action. There was alert regarding the lack of contact with the diplomats and a lack of communication bouncing from sith ships inside the Ruusan system to the appropriate channels in the Empire. For anyone with a lick of sense, jamming communications meant only one thing...

Tiamat patched in, answering the call for the fastest fleet available.

She stood silently on the bridge as her engineers and pilots prepped for hyperspace, the engine's low whirl brought a small grin as the path engine accelerated in power and soon lightspeed. Murmurs from her crew floated among them in the exceptional speed of the cruiser even after she returned to the bridge fully changed into her battle armor. The countdown to exit lightspeed begun and soon the stars became still and before them laid out a battle already occurring.

"Master Tiamat, it looks as though ISC has arrived also." it was announced.

"The rest of the fleet is arriving, shields are up, fighters deployed, ma'am."

"Good, launch the shuttles and troops, find our diplomats (@The Good Doctor, @llamallove) , no prisoners, destroy the defense fleet." Tiamat ordered, lips pursed in thought as she watched the battle unfold against the Ruusan cruisers and fighters, "Do not engage with ISC ships unless I state otherwise." she added as the rest of the sith fleet arrived.

Spoiler: Fleet Deets

1x 'Liberty' Class Star Cruiser, Eternal's Wrath
10x Yuso Class Corvettes
10x Nesuto Class Combat Carrier
12x Pugio Class Frigates
550x Fighters

OoC: Rescue Attempt

 

[Rrodossk]

Spoiler: Fleet Theme

Just as the other fleets had arrived, Rrodossk's lone personal ship, the Citadel-class Civilain Cruiser by the name of the Eternal Huntress, had made its presence known. He stood proud in the cockpit of the lone gunship, sitting in the void for a few moments before the seventeen other ships had pulled out of hyperspace around him. Intra-fleet chatter had been realitiviely quiet, as unlike others this was a fleet assembled out of those who already knew their jobs. Instead, Rrodossk opened channels to the other flotillas as he spoke.

"Greetingssss, thissssss issssss Sssssssenator Rrodossssssssssk of Dosh. We are releassssssing our fighterssssss and dropshipssssss to assssssssssisssst with the recovery actionsssss. But there isssssss one craft we are releassssssing that issssss new, pleasssssse try not to fire upon them, currently they are just being tessssssted and we would hate to ssssssse how effective they are againssssssst your ships." The first out from the fleet were the SS-54s, the Assailant drop ships, and these aforementioned unknown design (the Warpigs). Just moments after the last of those ships few from its hangar, the rest of the fighters spewed forth like a plauge of locusts.

Their fleet was no where close to the size of the flotilla that arrived, Rrodossk knew this. Unlike the others this fleet was mostly formed as a reactionary force made of mercenaries, bounty hunters, and smugglers who were in arms reach. So that means they would have to fight twice as hard, like the hounds of war they were, which was understood by everyone. This even led to the blastboats and even the Eternal Huntress to begin entering the atmosphere of the planet to assist with the rescue mission.

Spoiler: Rrodossk's FWA Flotilla

• 2x Quasar Fire-class Bulk Cruiser/Light Carriers (Total Recall, Judgement Day)

• 3x Vigil-class Frigates (Fifth Element, Face Off, A New Hope)

• 5x VCX-820 Escort Freighters (Tombstone, Pointbreak, Commando)

• 4x GAT-12 Skipspray Blastboats (Cobra, Top Gun, Salvation, Armageddon)

• 3x Blastfin-class Blastboats (The Terminator, Die Hard, Big Trouble)

• 1x ILH-KK Citadel-class Civilain Cruiser (Eternal Huntress)

• 8x Preybird-class Starfighters

• 8x Cloakshape Starfighters

• 12x Razor-class Starfighters

• 12x Tau-7 "Arrowhead" Starfighters

• 16x SS-54 Light Assault Ships

• 16x AA-110 "Warpig" Gunships (Intraplanetary Variant)

• 24x HKD-600 "Assailant" Dropships

• 36x Z-95 Headhunters

 

[Victoria]

Victoria had been known in her youth to get involved in fisticuffs, a little blood and sweat did nothin' but raise the heart rate and be a little fun. Tipping the contents of a goblet out, she placed it inside a small bag on her person as the other Senators planned their escape.

This mess however was not fun. The literal swarm of senators, politicians and numerous support staff suddenly scurrying about in panic amongst the shouting, screaming and what seemed like an impossible situation to escape. Victoria tried to follow Aezz and Celeste, and then the giant freakin' BUGS stomped their way into the room and started talking as one.

Victoria couldn't take it.

The stress of the situation had exceeded her ability to handle it, causing her to scream. Startled and afraid, she sprinted and jumped towards the only safe thing in her vicinity, grasping tightly like her life depended on it. The well groomed hairy back of @Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl.

 

[Galek Ordalos]

Despite his calm words from before, it didn’t take more than a few moments for any sense of decorum to evaporate from Galek’s demeanor. A life time of Royal luxuries and political training didn’t prepare him for crisis. And of all the variables he had considered, forced indoctrination into a collective cult simply wasn’t among them - and it was apparent by the panic that played out plainly on the Induparan Royal’s expression. He could hear the calls from Celeste for him to follow, but for that moment, Galek was glued to his seat - hazel eyes snapping down to read the message sent from local ISC forces. A follow-up spam of requests for help, and several frantic messages to Livi, were sent out with a flurry of the Induparan’s ring-covered fingers.

Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck..

The anxiety only continued to swell within Galek - reaching the tipping point as the doors burst open to reveal the Insectoids behind it all. Hazel eyes went impossibly wide as they began to all speak in unison - the Insectoids, their pets, and the Governor - as if somehow all connected. In that moment, as the raw terror and confusion was frozen into his fine features, Galek felt a distinct wave of nausea wash over him. It took a conscious effort to keep his lunch down as the situation simply began too much to handle.

And that was before he spotted one of the mind-controlled men start to move towards him.

With a shriek of abject terror, Galek reached for the nearest goblet of Us Juice and promptly threw the cup with all of his might towards his would-be assailant - which rather pathetically missed, kept going and worthlessly bounced off the chrome-plated exterior of a nearby protocol droid. With the exits guarded, it was only then that Galek proceeded to dive beneath the table where he was seated - arms flailing as he attempted to take shelter amongst the chaos. He felt the explosions that rocked the building, and it only elicited another shriek from the Induparan - the realization that he was going to die in this place rapidly starting to set in.

It wasn’t until Ryssa spoke up that Galek peeked his head around the table to see that the doors had opened and people started to flee, and it wasn’t until his friend Lon grabbed him that the Induparan actually started to move his embroidered ass. For the first few feet, Lon would practically have to drag the entirety of Galek’s weight as his feet failed to keep up with him. Once the Induparan did start moving, however, there was no stopping his mad dash to safety.

With a flourish of expensive fabrics and silks and a dropped dupatta, Galek proceeded to frantically make his way through the chamber - knocking into and pushing right past one of the many independent Represenatives. He half-ran, half-hugged Lon the entire way - finally coming to a halt once they reached the back of Aezz’s furry frame. For the first time in his life, Galek was thrilled to see the Senator of Kashyyyk - and was even more thrilled to see the man had forgone his ideological club for an actual club to bash their assailants.

Still panicking, Galek proceeded to latch himself onto the back of the Wookiee alongside several other Senators - getting a whiff of that good ol’ ‘Husky and Musky’ while also contributing to the little group-hug that was going on. Still unaware of the arrival of ISC troops, The Induparan held on for dear life, relying upon the Wookiee to bash their way free from the chamber. “Go go go go go go..”

 

[Alexandria Voran]

The galaxy stopped making sense. Alex had lived a long life. She had forgotten more than some experienced in their entire lives. Today, none of that mattered. Creatures lost to time suddenly filled the room. Gaps in her understanding shockingly filled. That weight..the heft of the Governor’s mind now made sense. It was because she felt more than his mind. She felt the hive. Alex briefly thanked the Force. Her mind reaching out to the Jedi already fighting to reach the chamber. She knew where that path lead. More brothers and sisters lost. There's death would not be meaningless.

The winds still roared around her. The Force burning in her chest. Blaster bolts came flying towards the Morellian Jedi. A deep breath and a wave of her hand sent a barrier springing before her. The bolt struck the Force as if striking a wall. Her right hand held the barrier while her left build the wind. Chaos erupted after. Windows cracked, durasteel screamed, and the chamber sunk into a greater mess.

The Force rippled with panic both from the blinded insectoids and the rooms politicians. Her mind raced through a hundred thoughts. A handful of guards she could handle. Hundreds of Joiners were far beyond her skill. She was still only one Jedi without a lightsaber. Only one path remained. Get out and take as many as possible with her. Her mind flashed again. She touched each of the Representatives in the room. Her eyes falling on the group surrounding Aezz. Panic still boiled in the Force. She spoke directly into the minds of the fleeing Representatives. “Push together.”

The winds howled as she began to make her way towards the Wookie. He savagely swung his club with the small gathering growing. The winds suddenly ripped at the servants around the Chancellor. They whipped all around the room, aiming to hurl the Joiners from the path of all the escaping Representatives. Alex worked the Force as she walked. Her hands performing a careful ballet to manipulate the weather itself. She could feel the clouds building overhead. The elements would answer her call as they always had. Thundered sounded and lightning raced across the sky.

@Nefieslab

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Who searched a sled?

Not the Ruusan security guards that was readily apparent. Despite being prepared for hidden and smuggled weapons, the idea that someone would be able to weaponize a glorified mobility scooter was lost on them. The end result was the security guard and the dozens of smaller Killiks that came close to Nor'baal and his sled. The chittering increased in pitch from the smaller insects as the gas began to burn away at their insides - the security guard was much more visceral in his screams as they were at least somewhat more easily translated than the sounds of the pained insects.

As the Hutt began to accelerate, he would smash through layers of the smaller Killiks but, in his haste, also slam into and through several of the panicking senators from places outside of the FWA, ISC, New Republic, Sith Empire or Hutt space.

In his haste, the Hutt was focusing on his own protection and it was that haste that allowed him to ram his sled straight through a trio of the fully grown Killiks guarding one of the main doors. Chitin and blood would coat the front of the Hutt as his sled rocketed forward and the Hutt was reminded that the Dome was on a higher floor to the tram station or ground floor exit - which meant stairs.

At speed, the Hutt would have to quickly regain control over his sled as it would begin to loose traction as the stairs right ahead of him loomed closer. If he wasn't careful, the Galaxy might actually get to witness a Hutt get some impressive air time.

As the Great Hutt Sled Race was beginning, Celeste was able to use the Force to Pull the Joined guard away from the New Republic's supreme chancellor and send the guard sprawling to the ground. Said Joined guard was quickly stomped into violent, bloody, unconsciousness by one of the Chancellor's other aides - who had never liked the guy much anyway.

Following in the wake of Nor'baal's bloodily explosive exit from the room, Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl's charge ahead would be mostly uncontested and the procession of FWA, ISC and Independent senators following along behind the Wookiee would find themselves bursting out of the Dome's main chamber to the top of the grand staircase. Below them the way to the tram station was clear, nothing barring their way onward.

Behind them, the sounds of insectoid screeching would serve as a reminder that the Killiks had only been temporarily blinded. As the senators were making good their escape from the room, the large insectoid creatures descended upon the senators who had been left behind, the senators for Chalacta, Boz Pity and more disappearing under the mass of chitin as the politicians did their best to save themselves from the same fate as Governor Omah himself - the fate of ending up a puppet, dancing to the tune of some mad hive-mind from across the stars.

At the base of the stairs, from the tram station itself, an unholy scream echoed up toward the escaping politicians. Four of the regular Killiks stepped out of the doorway at the base of the grand staircase with bladed-staffs in hand - but between them burst out another insectoid creature.

This one was different - it seemed not to be in any-way humanoid, instead it looked like it had been born purely to bite, rip and tear apart living flesh. The similarities to a regular Killik were few but it was clear that they had some similar ancestor. Those with the Force would be able to see how the Tainted Killik seemed to be a mess of constant pain, rage and hunger.

A hunger it would never be able to fulfil even with all of its biting and tearing as it lacked a mouth with which to eat, a defining characteristic that marked it as something beyond a mere evolutionary quirk.

It looked up the stairs at the fleeing political figures and screamed its blood-curdling challenge.

Spoiler: Tainted Killik

--__--__--__--​

The situation upon the spaceport had been one that could, charitably, be called contained just moments ago. However, that had been when all factions resent had been working together to try and hold the area against the combined assault of the brainwashed and the giant insects the size of Wookiees.

With both barricaded and motivated defenders in place, there was a chance that the collection of security elements from various major powers would be able to hold out long enough for their representatives to make it some kind of distance towards them.

"RANCOR!"

"What? Oh... oh KARK! RUN!"

"WAAAARGHL!"

Only the Rancor's lack of subtly allowed the defenders any warning at all that their defensive line was about to crumble in the most violent of manner. As it was, of the two dozen or so security personnel manning the barricade, only eight managed to jump clear of it before the Rancor came crashing through. Sith soldiers, ISC Specialists and FWA soldiers alike were crushed into paste by the rampaging creature as it seemed intent on killing everything in its way.

Around the legs of the Rancor, hundreds of the smaller insects began to swarm forward like a sea of chittering black plates and sharpened legs. Injured by the fall, one of the Jedi screamed as he was pinned and repeatedly skewered by dozens of legs by dozens of insects from dozens of different angles.

"Kark kark kark - work damn it!" the frantic ISC com-link officer muttered as he tried to fix the partially shattered com-unit he clutched to his chest even as the Sith soldier from early was providing covering fire and the FWA's Wookiee guard bodily dragged him, "We need to get a message through to the delegates - the port isn't secure anymore!"

The Wookiee roared in agreement before slinging the ISC soldier over one shoulder, causing the man to groan in pain.

"Get your collective arses over here so we can take cover for Force's sake!" the Coruscanti soldier called over to his new-found companions, "We can use one of the shuttle's com-units to boost the signal, now less whining and more moving. Come on Impette, you call that shooting?"

Said Sith soldier, the 'Impette', seamlessly flipped off the New Republic soldier even as she switched to her side arm rather than wasting the time reloading her rifle. Up ahead, past the remains of the barricade, the rancor would find itself suddenly coming face to face with something its own size. Duracrete cracked and shattered upward in a shower of dust and debris before the dark chitin of another insect emerged from a lower level.

Spoiler: Tanker Killik

Built like the demonic version of a beetle, the creature heaved itself out of the hole it had dug for itself before setting its sights on the rancor and letting out a scream of a challenge before lowering its head in the direction of the rancor. From a point above its shaded eyed, a stream of clear fluid was propelled toward the rancor before a spark caught the entire mixture alight.

The motley crew paused what they were doing for a second.

"Karkin'A. They shoot fire now... why the hell not, right? We are so fraking screwed."

--__--__--__--

Fire Exit Team​

With the result of a one-in-a-million fluke throw, Dusty and his trusty companion Kyle were able to fully get the jump on one of the guards. The human's eyes were even more glazed over than was typical of those who were Joined after the goblet bounced off of his head at speed.

While usually this same guard would have been able to wrestle both Dusty and Kyle to the ground with ease, the sudden dizziness in his head had caused him to find himself in the worst possible position; prone in front of a politician. Dusty's frantic kicks to the groin were enough to allow the Governor to grab the blaster pistol from the guard's belt before he succumbed to unconsciousness in the aftermath of such a savage beating.

Dusty's attempt at forcing a break for the closest fire exit brought him closer to where Trini and her loyal droid mount/valet/minion were being accosted by the numerous droids still trying to foist their poison brew onto the Amaran.

As Trini and Forteear were able to escape the clutches of the approaching droids through the creative method of falling-without-style, Dusty and Kyle would be able to barrel through the droids barring the way and race down the stairwell after the diminutive Professor and her beleaguered assistant.

Many of the unaligned senators and Governor were rushing down the same corridor but as they began to reach the bottom of the stairs the rush of people began to scream. At the bottom of the fire escape, a group of five Killiks screeched before beginning to rapidly grapple politicians and pin them to the ground before holding their mouths open... and seemingly vomiting the same bubbling mixture from the goblets, right into the force-open mouths of senators.

As the violation unfolded further below them, Trini and Dusty would be able to exit the stairwell on the level they had already found themselves on via a side door which would lead them back toward the main staircase that connected the dome's main room to the tram station they'd arrived at.

Ahead of them, blocking the way forward, a Killik drone stood hunched over a struggling Trandoshan as it was forced to swallow more of the dreaded mixture.

--__--__--__--​

In stark contrast to the chaos on the planet below or the barked orders of traditional military officers, the bridge of the Imperial II-Class Star Destroyer, Unbreakable, was utterly silent aside from the mechanical sounds of buttons being clicked, levers pulled and dials, well, dialed.

The bridge was not, as some might assume, empty nor was it manned by droids. No, the bridge was a hive of activity as Killiks, humans and other sentients carried out tasks related to the running of the ship.

Running the ship while seamlessly walking over the multitude of corpses - the bodies of those who had refused the Gift of Joining with the Kind. They had tried to seize control of the ships when it became clear that the Kind had infiltrated the ranks of the officers but it was too little too late.

The Killik drones outnumbered the non-compliant sentients three to one before the struggle even started.

Turning from the view of Ruusan on fire, the one-time Captain of the ship turned to face one of the sensor technicians. In eerie tandem, the sensor technician turned to face the captain. Nothing but silence passed between them, unblinking eyes conveying every piece of information needed.

Between those Joined to the Colony, there was little need for verbal communication - he had seen what she had seen.

The non-compliants had brought their fleets, or at least parts of them. They wanted to struggle, take the paths of most resistance against their inevitable Joining. They needed only to open their eyes to the blinding light of beautiful truth, instead of remaining lost in the darkness.

The Captain said nothing but thought into the void, into the collective within, and the bridge crew snapped into action as commands were input into the large capital ships to about-face.

Flights of TIE fighters, aged but still deadly, droned past the view screens as their pilots began to form up for the defensive shield pattern that the Kind had decided to adopt around the Interdictor Star Destroyer in the center of the formation. Others would begin engaging with the enemy forces.

What the would-be saviors hadn't considered, though, was that something else was out there floating in the darkness of space around Ruusan. Something far more dangerous than the enemy force of ships their eyes were currently drawn to. Patiently, they waited for the moment.

Reel the line in slowly enough and the prey won't even know it's caught until it was far, far too late.

@Phoenix @Altaris @Sicadorito
@The Good Doctor @Xorism @LadyRen
@SlagathorTheUnknown @lizziie @llamallove
@Braden @Valen Pelora @Nor'baal
@Fantasy Liver @AutoFox

 

[Dusty Daytonus]

Alright here...what were they working with here? Dusty had already fired five shots at various Killiks and droids as he made his way to the fire exit before actually looking down to check what kind of pistol he'd snagged. Oooh an ELG-3A - a classy pistol for a classy Governor, Dusty liked to think. He'd give the Ruusan guards credit - they might not be good at resisting hordes of mind-controlling insects but they sure knew which sidearms looked classy.

"Howdy miss! Love the shoes!" Dusty greeted Trini as he ran past her, ever aware of the cameras as the chaos unfolded around him. He was a swoop racer and a smuggler at heart - all this danger was just fuel for his adrenaline-seeking self and it didn't bother him so much as excite him. Even witnessing the five Killiks descend upon the poor world leaders was still a bit exciting, although Dusty didn't waste shots putting them down. Those poor saps at the bottom of the steps were long dead before he and Trini stepped forward to witness them so the best thing to do was to exit

Annnddd there was the inevitable Killik. How many of these Force-damned things were there anyways.

Dusty leveled his pistol and fired seven times at the Killik, trying to shoot quickly to save the Trandoshan who was struggling underneath the insectoid's grasp.

"Kyle and I have a yacht if we can just make it to the damn spaceport. And pretty lady like you is definitely welcome aboard! And so is this lizard guy, as long as he didn't go all bug guy on us." Dusty would say to Trini, assuming the Amaran followed him up the stairwell and didn't hang around watching the five Killiks rip apart the other Senators below.

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini, as she and dozens of others pounded down the stairwell, found herself wishing that she had brought her antique but still very serviceable heatbeam with her, for all that it would have been instantly confiscated by security. Perhaps not, though? She could have come in Old Tionese Formal, perhaps claiming that the weapon was part of her outfit and culture? Would that exception have been made? There were instances of such things happening before, and-

"Oh my goodness!!"

The Amaran's attention was brought back by Forteear's outburst, and by the report of several nearby blaster shots. Thoughts of hypothetical weapon smuggling banished as she skidded to a halt at the edge of a landing, claws at the ends of her bare footpaws gouging the laminate floor. She reached out to steady Forteear at the waist, preventing him from pitching forward to join the unfortunate representatives at the base of the stairs.

"Well kark that!!"

Turning, she saw an alien who she believed had offered her an irreverent comment earlier wielding a slender, chrome-plated pistol. She watched as he aimed at a Killik pinning a Trandoshan not far away and fired, splintering the insectoid's chitinous she'll. Once more, she craved her heatbeam, but gritted her teeth.

"The spaceport sounds like a fine idea!" She replied, falling in beside the alien, Forteear trundling up beside her. "But let me know if you see-... oh!"

The Amaran ducked, scooping an identical ELG-3A off the floor beside a waste bin. It had likely been dropped by the Trandoshan, but the reptilian didn't seem to be in any shape to object. She jogged after Dusty.

"Do you have any idea what's going on?!"

 

[Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl]

"Oh dear! Oh my! What in the Maker?" T-8R could stand it no longer as the chaos continued. The miniature protocol droid could not believe his photoreceptors.

Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl had only taken a few steps forward when he felt someone leap onto his back (@Xorism). The sudden and unexpected weight threw the old Wookiee off balance, and his Wroshyr staff suddenly became a support again as he stumbled forward, leaning on it to balance himself and accidentally impaling an insectoid at his feet as he did so. His momentum was further reduced as another panicked representative clung to him (@Altaris), leaving the Wookiee slowly slogging forward; a valiant charge in name only.

A stream of profanities escaped Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl's lips, which T-8R did his best to translate professionally for the surrounding senators; interspersed with warnings. "Please conduct yourself with dignity! Oh! Look out, master!" whumph "Oh, well done! You definitely hit him. Yes, as I was saying, please let go of Senator Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl! He simply must be allowed to put all of his energy into fighting!"

Fortunately for those following Nor'baal's sled (@Nor'baal), the way was mostly clear. Adding in the power of a Grandmaster, the escaping representatives managed to escape the chambers... only to be confronted with a new, even more horrifying threat. Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl worked to free himself of the clutches of his newfound harem; he would need as much freedom as possible. Perhaps in his prime, he would've been able to contend with this beast... but he was a long past his prime. Their best- and only- hope, lay with the Jedi. A pang of shame surged through the Wookiee; how often had that been the case these past several years? And yet, he'd failed them repeatedly on the galactic stage.

Perhaps he could begin to atone for those sins by standing with them today. "Grandmaster!" said T-8R, in between an unhelpful running commentary on how dire the situation looked. "Catch!" Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl's Wroshy staff- cut from a tree planted on his day of birth- soared through the air to Alex; the wood's legendary toughness would ensure that while it was not imbued with the Force, it was more than capable of serving as a weapon.

Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl knew his part in this plan, too; distraction. Raising his arms and making himself as big as possible, the Wookiee roared a challenge at the tainted killik (@Nefieslab @Logan), hoping to draw the beast towards him... and in doing so hoping to give the Grandmaster a chance to strike.

 

[Lon Tendree]

Everything was a blur for the Governor of Cato Neimoidia. There was blood and insectoid remnants scattered across the room, and he even saw the mangled bodies of some of the other senators as they were burned and crushed beneath the deathsled.

The continued gory mess caused Lon to immediately relieve his stomach filled mostly with the diet Coke he had been drinking during the proceedings onto the the shoes of Galek who was right next to him (@Altaris). Things didn't really get better from there as they continued to press on behind the Wookiee senator. The sight - and particularly sound - of whatever absolutely massive, screeching insectoid near them caused Lon to scream at the top of his lungs and flail around in hopes of finding any sort of cover.

When the Wookiee decided to give up his weapon to the Jedi and roar at the creature to draw its attention, he finally lost it.

What are you doing!? Don't roar at it, you idiot! he shouted (@SlagathorTheUnknown), giving absolutely no credit to the plan. He just saw that the best chance he had of getting out may well have just committed de facto suicide, and he wasn't having any of it.

No! Go away! he shouted at the massive creature, waving his hand in an "away" motion before grabbing a nearby wadded up newspaper from some dead aid and tossing it to the side as if the creature might fetch it like a dog and a ball.

Meanwhile, Lon moved away from the "ball" and away from the Wookiee who was trying to draw the creature's attention, heading generally in the direction of the Grandmaster (@Valen Pelora) and paying no heed once again to the fact that he was supposed to be drawing attention away from the Jedi.

 

[Xyla Teresi]

Thea was pulling Xyla along after the massive Wookie and the bundle of senators clinging to his back - literally and figuratively. She was the princesses' protector and guide; without her, Xyla would've frozen in place and likely had that awful concoction forced down her throat so that she might be assimilated into the hive mind like the enemies surrounding them. As her protector, the woman had decided that the company of not only a Wookie but the former Sith was the safest group to follow.

But while Thea was dragging her along with a firm grip on her lady’s arm and a look of somber determination etched into the weight of her brows, Xyla could not help but lose her composure. Beads of blood sprinkled across her skin from the face of someone she’d broken her glass over, and beads of sweat accompanied them as the panic set in. Her heart thundered like the hooves of racing horses and her breaths came quick and shallow.

”Thea?” The ambassador called out, but her voice was weak and shaky. She was dizzy. She was terrified. The woman who had been incensed by the situation before was reduced to nothing but a trembling, scared girl who was completely reliant on her bodyguard to get her out of this.

The two of them reached the door just as the others got it open and Thea burst through it with Xyla in tow. Xyla felt a wash of relief at the empty staircase, but the emergence of the creature revitalized the lingering panic and sent terror stinging through her chest once again. She felt dizzy, but before she could vocalize her condition the blackness pawing at the edge of her vision descended upon her and clocked her out of the situation.

-----​

Luckily, Thea caught the fainted woman in time. She cursed under her breath. ”Damnit, Xy." Xyla had only fainted, not injured, so she wasn't out cold and would be okay. But it was a clear reminder how vulnerable her lady was, and that was nothing short of bad when that a-bug-mination was making hungry eyes at them.

"How the f- Anyone got any ideas?" Before she could finish though, the Wookie senator let out an earthquake of a roar, supposedly to answer the bug creature's own from before. Assuming his plan was to distract the bugs from him, Thea began to formulate her own plan. There was one problem though: her princess was still unconscious.

"Shit, it's now or never," Thea called out to the rest of the senators around her. Her number one priority was Xyla, but it didn't mean she wouldn't try to help everyone else. Helping them was in her best interests at the moment anyways. "Let's move while he has its attention!" If Aezz kept the big one off of them, Thea was hoping that between her and the former-Sith, maybe they could take the others.

tags: @SlagathorTheUnknown @LadyRen @Altaris @anyone else here again idk @Logan @Nefieslab

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Stress wasn't good. Not good at all, but she couldn't help it. She kept reminding herself to breathe calmly and to keep her cool, but the mass panic was still slightly infectious. Within quite a short period of time their little group had grown and it was Celeste's intention to guide them all into safety, but the more people joined, the more chaotic it got, especially now that @Victoria and @Galek Ordalos began to panic. Funnily enough they had decided to hop onto the wookie train while the panicking @Xyla Teresi had also joined their group by now, directly followed by ISC govenors @Ryssa Kalayli and @Lon Tendree. "Keep calm! We've got this!" her voice beamed as optimistically as possible, as she was trying to calm the rest, but it costed her quite some strength to do so.

Unfortunately, their chaotic group did not prove itself helpful, especially now that they had managed to rush out of the emergency door and right into the arms of a new wave of Killik attackers, most notably led by a larger creature. Senator @Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl immediately started executing a new plan and Celeste understood that he was planning on distracting those disgusting creatures, however the Govenor of Cato Neimoidia was apparently not willing to follow this plan and so he started his own confusing maneuver, which only let Celeste quietly curse under her breath.

What a chaos. What a catastrophe. This had all started to go downhill so quickly that she barely had the chance to catch her breath, but she knew that she had to keep her composure. At least someone had to, even if the sight of the tainted Killik sent a shiver down her spine. She saw the noble ambassador (@lizziie) faint, but at least her guard seemed to be with her, yet the stray Govenor Lon was a problem. Letting out a desperate sigh, she released a part of the Force that was coiled around her and she Force pulled him back for his own sake, an invisible grip wrapped around his torso before she rigorously yanked him back to the group. With the beast's attention caught elsewhere, it was their time to make a run for it now. The problem was, however, that even if the group made it out there was no guarantee that there wouldn't be even more outside and so she didn't want to just send them forward on their own...

She was praying that any fleet would wait outside just waiting to pick them up, but for now those abdominal creatures had to be dealt with in order to clear their path anyway. She swallowed down that lump in her throat and gritted her teeth, furious at the fact that they hadn't allowed weapons, because a lightsaber would have come in handy right now, but this way the Force had to do it. She could not only feel the Jedi Grandmaster's (@Alexandria Voran) presence within the Force, but she could actually see what she was doing by glancing over her shoulder, and as Aezz started his diversionary tactic, she chimed in. "Yes! Move forward now!" she yelled loudly, her voice stern and serious and her eyes remained fixed on Lon for a second while she was agreeing with the guard. She would position herself in a way that she stayed inbetween the group and the creatures as she was getting ready to attack those insectoids if they would come to close. She was confident that the two of them could take them out if needed, but Celeste would also not let Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl behind.

@Nefieslab @Logan
@Xorism @SlagathorTheUnknown @Phoenix @Altaris @Sicadorito @Valen Pelora
@everyoneihavepossiblymissed

 

[Ryssa Kalayli]

This is actually happening.

Reality hit Ryssa like a bucket of ice-cold water. Before, she’d been too caught up in the excitement, if one could call it that, to process what was going on. This wasn’t some sort of holodrama, some made-up situation that somehow always resolved itself in the end. This was as real as the Battle of Ryloth all those years ago, where everything had turned upside down and after which she’d pushed those memories back into the farthest corners of her mind.

And those memories, along with the dread and panic that accompanied them, were coming back in full force.

Her head was pounding as she attempted to follow the group, struggling to keep up as she tried not to step on or look at the bodies of others who had tried to resist. As a result, she wasn’t looking where she was going, which mostly resulted in her stumbling forward blind, occasionally bumping into other representatives or falling over and having to stand up again. Stay behind the Wookie stay behind the Wookie stay behind the Wookie— Then all of a sudden, she heard the unmistakable sound of someone’s previous meal coming back up again, and turned around to see Lon hurling it all over Galek’s shoes.

“Come on, pull yourself together!” she yelled at him, pulling him away from the Induparan clinging to Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl. Immediately afterwards though, she stepped on the hand of the fallen aide that held the newspaper the Neimodian had thrown. She lurched forward, eyes widening for a brief moment before she found herself tumbling down the stairs straight at the Killiks that the others were trying to distract.

“KRIFF YOU!” Ryssa didn’t register the thumping pain in her head as she screamed her lungs out at the Killik drone in front of her. She scrambled to her feet, and without thinking, took one of her heels off and threw it as hard as she could at the bug.