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[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

A small silhouetted object could be seen gradually growing in size as it gradually descended towards the small secluded settlement, the body of the object glowing a brilliant white as the sun light reflected off of the fuselage of the small personal scout ship as it broke through the final and lowest layer of clouds. Over a short period of time the personal craft gradually drew closer, until it reached the point that it passed over the peak of the space port control power before circling around and carefully swept down towards the designated vacant landing bay, before touching down and coming to a stop with a metallic groan as the suspension forks of the landing struts took the weight of the space craft.

Once the ship had settled down into its new berth, the engines of the IV-9 Scoutmaster started to whine as the life was extinguished from the two engine exhaust ports, powering down into a dormant state, a panel from the fuselage slowly lowered towards the surface of the landing pad, before a series of hydraulic steps extended out from the fuselage. Allowing the blonde haired figure to step out from the confines of the ship and descend down the ramp. Her eyes narrowing as she surveyed her new surroundings, watching the innate actions of the service droids as they scampered back and forth carrying out their pre-programmed duties, before falling upon the movements of the feline like humanoids that inhabited this world.

Stepping away from her craft the young blonde walked around the perimeter of her ship, taking her focus and attention away from the locals and placing it onto her ship, visually inspecting for any signs of damage to the hull that might of been incurred from hitting some passing debris whilst in space. Well partly for that reason, but also to take a quick mental snapshot of the condition that her ship was presently in, so to ensure that before she departs she would be able to shoot down any claims from the local maintenance crews that they had carried out repairs as a means of extorting more money from her. She had made that mistake before, and it certainly was not going to happen again.

Once the blonde had carried out her visual inspection of her ship, and waved over the service droids to hook up the various hoses and fuel lines to her ship. Alyse now found her gaze wandering around her surroundings, looking for the slightest glimpse of the young Jedi Padawan she had encountered within the ruins of an Imperial outpost on Lok. It was a curious situation, given how their encounter had played out, from what started as an initial and surprisingly civil exchange between followers of two opposing ideologies, had later transpired to the young Padawan requesting the help of the Sith Guardian to control his tendencies towards the dark side. Whilst the request for assistance was granted, it was to a degree heavily caveated with the risks that would come to the younger Jedi learner should he decide to pursue her teachings - in addition to the enforcement of a two week period through which the Padawan could decide and contemplate whether this was what he wanted, rather than making a potentially life changing commitment in a moment of weakness.

Figuring that there was still a few hours until the two weeks had ended, the Blonde elected to seal her ship and lock it down for the time being before venturing over towards the port's Cantina - Something was telling Alyse that her coming dealings on Zygerria will require her to have her wits and senses about her, not to mention her strength. With little time or effort passing, the blonde Sith had managed to find herself a small secluded booth within the cantina and was sitting nursing a large cup of caff as she waited for her food order to be prepared, her mind slowly reaching out into the Force, taking in the currents and general atmosphere of her surroundings. There were elements at play on this world that was disrupting the natural order, the world was once again falling back into the grasp of stagnant complacency as whispers carried that the slave trading empire was starting to once again take root. Not that she was there with the intent to rescue slaves from the bondage of servitude, no she was there to ensure that any future attempts of a slave trade arising would be met with resistance - generating conflict that would allow for the world to evolve and progress rather than regress backwards in an attempt to bring back the glory days of old.

@Noctyr

 

[Brahe Sienar]

The iconic screeching roar of Brahe’s TIE Hunter filled the air for a brief moment as he landed on Bakura not much longer after Alyse had arrived. Hooded in his Jedi attire, with his lightsabers concealed behind his robes, he exited the craft, leaving his scout droid with the ship to look after it and to deter any would-be tamperers.

The hooded Padawan’s clothing bore a mix of blue-greys and blacks, a stark contrast against the silver-blue hair on his head. Eventually he reached the cantina where Alyse had been in waiting, and he glanced in her direction, giving her a slight nod in recognition of her presence, before he pulled down his hood and walked over to her, taking a seat next to her.

He looked slightly anxious, a twinge of shame in his facial expression, but also one of solemn acceptance. He needed her help, and at the very least, she didn’t seem as evil as the stories of the Sith had led him to believe. Besides that, she had offered an alternative path- one that didn’t necessarily follow Sith teachings. That intrigued him, and he felt that surely, perhaps she’d show him a way to use his darker inner nature for good.

Exhaling in relief, he bowed his head to her and placed his hands on his lap in respect.

“I….have thought about what you said, and my stance remains the same.” He said in a low tone, eyes shifting left and right to look and see if there were any other Jedi in the cantina. The chances were one in a million, but he could never be too sure.

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

Setting down her cutlery, the blonde Sith looked up as Brahe approached her, nodding in turn in greeting before pushing the plate off to the side and reaching for the remainder of her caff. "Very well" Aylse spoke out before draining the contents of the cup and placing it down, only to be followed up by her raising to her feet - fishing out a credit chip from her belt and leaving it on the table before gesturing for the young padawan to follow her, out of the small space port cantina through to the winding transit streets that connected the space port to the various settlements that encircled it.

Once the pair had started to traverse the quieter back roads, the blonde glanced around her surroundings, taking in relative positions of any potential bystanders that were passing by in their daily routines. "The first lesson is for you to challenge the view points that the Jedi had instilled within you" Alyse spoke out, once satisfied that they were well and truly out of ear shot. As the pair navigated their way further away from the space port, the blonde took them off of the main transit road and down what appeared to be an old country lane of sorts, in the distance the faint outline of a rather disused looking compound could be seen as a faint silhouette against the morning sky.

The Blonde's eyes narrowing as she reached out with the Force, sensing the air of suffering and torment that was radiating out in the distance, her features darkening as she seemingly scowled at the distant compound. "Tell me, what would the Jedi's approach be when dealing with slavers?" Alyse enquired, as she turned her attention back to the Padawan following at her side, her features softening a little, but still carrying the look of disgust towards the subject.

Whilst there was no lie, that Sith empires of the past exploited slave labour to achieve and maintain their dominance over the Galaxy, the blonde Sith harboured an abhorrence to the practice, the senseless exploitation of weaker species did not sit well with her, preferring to make use the talents and skills of an individual for mutual gain, rather than it being of single sided benefit. Another part that had infuriated the young woman was the contributing factor that her father and those remnants of the Cult of Locura in his thrall had turned a blind eye from their seats of power within the planet's governance to allow for the Zygerians to set up shop in the southern hemisphere of the planet to enslave and traffic the native Kurtzen species that had slowly have found their lands seized by various mining corporations.

It was part of the wider plans that Alyse had formulated to dishevel and weaken the influence that her father had within the Government, with the intention not only drive up public discord against her father but to also cast doubt over his ability to take the mantle of Dark lord within the deluded cult - just enough for her to exploit the weakness within the ranks and finally put a final end to the Cult and it's misguided followers.

 

[Brahe Sienar]

Brahe stood up and followed her, biting his lower lip and keeping his head low as they travelled outside to a more secluded area.

“I’m not entirely sure. The old Jedi order freed the slaves of the Zygerrian empire and put an end to their slave trade, yet they never do anything about Tattooine and the Hutt’s slave operation. And Kessel….the slavery there was never truly ended. Heck, they still don’t do anything about it nowadays. Selective ignorance, isn’t it?”

He smirked, seeing the irony in it all.

“In the end, I guess it always was, and still is about politics….but I don’t think the Sith’s traditional promotion of slavery is good either.”

His thoughts wandered to the Sienar shipyards and the vast fleet of star fighters and warships the empire had requisitioned for use in dominating the people of the galaxy. That company had been run via close ties to the Imperial bureaucracy, and the use of slave labor in producing those weapons of war was commonplace in the era of the Empire.

And indisputably, it made his father’s side of the family as rich as they were, and had allowed him to learn about TIEs to begin with. The blood of a dozen generations had enabled the luxury his family now enjoyed.

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

"selective ignorance indeed" Aylse commented, as her brow furrowed, her gaze shifting over to the side to regard Brahe in her periphery. "Slavery goes against the Natural order of the Force, it is an abhorrent practice. That unfortunately even both of our ideologies have exploited" she continued, her gaze moving away from the padawan and back to the path ahead. "The Sith as you pointed out are just one evidenced case. Yet whilst the Jedi turn a blind eye to the Hutts, what of the clone army? Lives of millions all bread for the singular purpose that was to fight and die. Under the command of the Jedi Order" the Sith countered, as her arms tucked themselves away behind her back,

"What ever the reasoning for the clones creation and the purpose that the clone wars served, the Jedi willingly fought in open war, with countless lives cast aside and replaced by the next batch" She added, as her features contorted into a slightly darkened expression - so much potential snuffed out with so little a care knowing that the next batch would fill the ranks.

"Slavery in all its forms, is an abhorrent waste of life's potential. And, it is our task to ensure that a clear enough message is sent. One that will not be soon forgotten" Aylse continued after a tense silence fell over the pair, purposefully to allow her less than subtle dog at the Jedi orders hypocrisy and seeming willingness to turning a blind eye whenever it was convenient to them. "And to do that, and example will be made of these Zygerians. One that the teachings of the Jedi forbids" the Sith continued as she slowed her pace down to a stop, so to turn and face Brahe face to face. "This will be your first lesson in the under my guidance. Today you will learn how true justice can be achieved with the power of the Force at your will"

 

[Brahe Sienar]

Brahe rose an eyebrow, wondering what she had meant by “an example that the Jedi teachings forbade”. Was it killing the slavers? The Jedi code valued life as something precious, yet during the clone wars, countless lives had been lost. It could be argued that it was their greatest hypocrisy, being involved in such a terrible and costly war where countless lives were lost. But most Jedi valued the lives of their clones during the Clone Wars. While the tragic loss of so many lives had indeed occurred, rare was the Jedi general that did not value the lives of their men, even if they were to be easily replaced by the next batch of clones.

Brahe simply followed Alyse’s lead, wondering what she had in store for today’s lesson.

"Zygerrian slavers? On Bakura? I didn't exactly expect that...most folks come here for the repulsorlift coils."

He raised a hand to his chin in thought. What in the world could they possibly have been planning to visit and settle on Bakura?

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

"Predominantly yes, Bakura's main export is it's repulsorlift technology" Alyse spoke out confirming the young padawan's understanding of the planet, a brief softening of her expression flashing over her features for a moment, before they started to darken over once again. "But Bakura has a shady past of exploitation of the native Kurtzen species, their passive nature has for milenia resulted in their forced relocation to the southern hemisphere, far away from the Capital, their lands forever deminishing with each passing mining corporation staking a claim on the planet's resources" the Sith continued to explain as she resumed leading their way over towards the distant compound. "And now the government willingly turns a blind eye as Zygerians come to enslave and traffic them off world" she concluded, her tone almost as if she was speaking through gritted teeth - the bitterness and seething anger that coursed through her resonating darkly within the Force

A deathly silence fell over the pair as the distance between them and the compound had started to close, allowing for the Blonde Sith to channel her mind into the Force and reach out towards the compound. Her senses poking and probing at the sentient life that resided within the confines of the walls. In total she could sense a large concentration of perhaps no more than ninety or so beings hidden away beyond her sight. From the majority of those inside the compound she could sense the fear and uncertainty of what fate was to befall them, the air was growing steadily thick with the influence of the Darkside, feeding off of the emotions of the enslaved.

As the pair approached the front gates of the compound, Alyse cast a cautionary glance through her periphery towards the Jedi behind her. "Stay close, keep an eye out for the slavers and follow my lead" The blonde advised, before her attention returned to the opening compound gates, her eyes briefly looking upwards to regard four zygerians standing on the catwalk suspended over the gate - their guns leveled at the two strangers approaching their compound.

Her gaze shifted down towards three further Zygerians who were stepping out from the compound the one at the forefront of the group, holding his hand cautiously over the holster hanging by his belt, whilst the two flanking him held their rifles at the ready. "Are you the one in charge?" Alyse spoke, cutting off any words from the Zygerians short before they had the chance to speak. "If not, get him here, I will only conduct business with the leader, not his lackeys" she added, her tone stern and authoritative.

 

[Brahe Sienar]

Brahe felt a sense of despair and hopelessness wash over him. It was despair and hopelessness that was not his own, but that permeating the air from the miserable souls within the complex. He frowned at this sense, a twinge of melancholy crossing his face as he placed the tips of his fingers on his left hand to the side of his head, sensing the dark side swelling through the area. He looked at Alyse, nodding and following her lead, his unease growing as the slaver's guns were aimed in their direction. She seemed to know Bakura far better than he did, after all, and he figured he'd follow her lead, as she hadn't done anything to significantly sway his trust thus far.

He put his hands behind his back, tapping a button on his wrist mounted computer to send a signal to his seeker droid.

IF they needed it, he'd remotely call his starfighter to their location. Having remotely piloted air support against slavers was a bit overkill, but it didn't hurt to be prepared.

He stayed silent, watching the verbal exchange unfold, his hands now at his sides, hovering over the areas where his sabers were hidden.

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

Silence fell over the local area, the guards that remained continued to hold their weapons steady and pointed towards the two New arrivals as the one that approached to speak to the Sith retreated Into the confines of the compound to summon the ring leader. The blondes eyes narrowed as she observed the guards, before allowing her mind to focus and pour itself into the Force, actively channelling the energies through her and forcing it to yield to her will. There was every possibility that this would likely end up in becoming a slaughter fest, well part of her was intending on it becoming so - so long as the events that played out was within her control.

The swirling dark energies of the Force rippled out from the sith, as her emotions were focused and tempered into a concentrated boiling slue of the darkside. Her eyes looking out through her periphery to observe the Jedi Padawan standing beside her, gauging Brahes reaction if any to the growing dark presence that was increasing in potency beside him - knowing it would be the first time that the padawan would have witnessed the sith drawing upon her abilities with actual leathal intent.

Alyses's gaze moved forward, back towards the gate as the ring leader approached, standing out from the others by the simple fact that he was clad in the better quality fatigues and blast vest to his underlings. Looking over the humanoid feline figure in front of her, Alyse waited a moment for the Zygerian to introduce himself before reaching towards her belt, pausing slightly in her movement as she could hear the safety's of the weapons clicking off.

"I am here for some slaves, how many have you got?" Alyse spoke as she openly moved her hand towards a pouch that was hanging from her belt, her fingers clutching the stem of the pouch as the Zygerian raised an eyebrow at the announcement. "And how many are you wanting miss.?" the ringleader spoke, his words pouring out with a dripping arrogance. His emerald eyes lingering on the sith for a moment before falling down to the floor in front of him as a leather pouch was cast over spilling open and scattering its contents - platinum credit chips tumbling into the dusty ground at the man's feet. His lust full gaze at the money being interrupted as the Sith spoke out. "All of them"

The Zygerian stooped down to pick up the pouch and the stray credit chips up off the ground, feeling the heft of the windfall that he was now holding. A broad smirk crossed the Zygerian's features, not because of the small fortune that had been tossed his way, but because despite the appearances - he knew of the Siths immanent arrival. "well this certainly will be more than enough to purchase the slaves we have in stock" the ring leader purred out as he jostled the back in his hand, the smirk twisting into an obvious sneer. "but these slaves are not for sale to you, Ms Ti'Varnus" he added noting the narrowing of the blonde siths eyes. "tell you what, I'll keep this, and we'll let you leave un harmed" the Zygerian coyly spoke as he pocketed the bag of credits, and turned away from the proceedings gesturing for the guards to ready themselves to fire if the two chose to stay put. "Do give Khar my regards"

Despite the clearly obvious and venomous scowl that held over the blonde siths Features, there was little other visible tell that was giving out the seething rage that was building within her. They kriffing knew I was coming, Aylse mused to herself as her mind poured over all the possible means and explanations as to how. All of them like the Zygerians parting words fell upon her father - he had managed to track her down, despite her persistence of keeping a low profile on her home world, hiding in plain sight, the accursed Cult of Locura had finally managed to track and observe her movements. The realisation sending ripples of concentrated white hot rage out from her through the Force, building and building until the Siths presence suddenly went still, and erily cold - The cult will be dealt with next, but for now there was the more immediate matters to attend to.

Just how quickly the Force within the Blonde sith had falling deathly still, her presence erupted into life. As sharp crackling bolts of blue tinged lightning jumped forwards, the countless arcs of surging force energy made manifest, crackling and sparking off in every which way as it surged towards the slavers.

 

[Brahe Sienar]

Brahe felt the presence of the dark side surround them, coalescing around Alyse like a heavy, invisible fog turned to raw power as she channeled it into her force lightning, filling the air with the visible sparks of her hate made manifest. But the spectacle, despite filling the slavers with dread, only seemed to spark the light of realization in Brahe’s eyes that what he was witnessing was an expression of freedom made manifest into a power beyond that of the natural order of things.

And that realization gave rise to inspiration, spurring the young Jedi into action as he quickly drew the two lightsabers from his belt and began to defend his cohort. The golden yellow hue of his lightsabers flashed to life as he moved, using the things he had learned in his countless hours of practice. The irony was that he had been developing his twin lightsaber style to defeat the Sith in combat, and yet he found himself allying with one.

He felt the force swell around him, surging around Alyse like she was the eye of a storm, and then acted almost in concert with it, swinging his lightsaber blades in a dance that covered every angle that Alyse herself was not defending. Blaster bolts went flying back into the center masses of the shooters who had pulled the trigger only moments before getting knocked to the ground, their lifeless bodies limp on the floor. The death cries of Zygerian slavers filled the air as lightning and blaster bolt met their marks, the duo of Jedi and Sith working in concert to a scarily effective degree.

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

The cacophony of screams and blaster fire had reached its momentary peak, before it started to wain, easing off into a relative stillness that fell over the Zygerian camp, all that lingered was the constant reverberating humm of the padawan's light saber, and the light dissipating crackling of electrical arcs that were subsiding, leaving only the stray residual sparks of electricity that jumped from the seared corpses of the slavers to ground itself to earth.

A deep sigh escaped the blonde haired Sith's lips as the last of the Force lightning was discharged from her fingertips, the scent of ozone and charred flesh touching upon her nostrils. Whilst the smell was one that signified that those on the receiving end had met with the fate that they deserved, it was however not exactly one pleasant enough to relish and savor - at least by her own tastes, knowing all too well that the more sadistically inclined of her kin would draw great pleasure from what had just taken place. For Alyse however, it was just but a means to an end, the slavers were a plague on the galaxy and one that needed to be dealt with, without remorse or guilt - after all the slavers themselves exhibited no such emotion so why should their deaths warrant such a response.

Satisfied that the seven or so slavers that had been present at the front gate had been sufficiently slain, the blonde Sith reached out to her side, snapping up her own lightsaber into her hand and ignited it's purple blade with a sudden snap hiss, before her attention moved towards her side, to regard the young padawan beside her. "Now for the rest of the filth" Alyse spoke out as she swung her saber out the side. "First we deal with the guards, protect the slaves. Do not offer the slavers any quarter, for they deserve none" she continued, her instructions where clear and stern. She was cognizant of the Jedi way of seeking a peaceful resolution to prevent the loss of life - but all she cared for was to protect the lives of the innocent party within all of this, afteral the slaves did not want to find themselves in the position they were now.

Stepping forward as her grip tightened on the hilt of her lightsaber, Alyse paced through the open gates and into the compound, unceremoniously crushing the charred bodies under her foot like burnt charcoal, crumbling into ash under the weight of her boot. Her milky hued eyes, scanning around the inner perimeter for the first sign of the remaining slavers.