Open Malastare Culling Cultists

[Asminys]

Darth Asminys mood was grim as the shuttle touched down well outside the barrier that the Malastare PDF had erected around the abandoned refinery, blaster bolts chasing it from the factory walls as it passed overhead. The cultists of Darth Malicia had rooted themselves wherever they were based when the cull had been ordered by Darth Stolas, digging in and fortifying themselves all over Sith space. Nowhere was the root more firmly planted than Malastare, the cult's homeworld. Drug up from the poverty stricken slums of the world, three hots and a cot was a situation that few of the desperate souls had been willing to pass up. Drugged up and fed a daily dose of brainwashing, the wretches were more than willing to pay the price of utter devotion to their goddess. They were even willing to fight to the death in her memory after the woman's fall... or they knew that death was the only thing waiting for them with the Sith hellbent on removing their blight from existence.

Asminys knew this was a test of loyalty, if anything. The Eternal likely wanted to see if he was willing to destroy what he had helped create. A task he was more than willing to fulfill if it meant the Sith Lord could sate his bloodlust, if even for a moment. Touching down, Darth Asminys strode from the shuttle. He wore his newly adopted armor, the mask covering his face, no skin bare save for his bald pate, dark Sith tattoos stretching across its surface. A matching pair of rather plainly adorned black metal lightsabers rode his hips as he walked down the boarding ramp. Behind him marched out a few more Sith, and a squad of Eiattu Legionnaire's, whose continued service to Darth Asminys was seen fit by the Eternal.

"The crazies have dug themselves in deep." The dug commander of the PDF forces said as he approached the Sith Lord boldly. Perhaps too boldly. Darth Asminys stared at the lowly creature who's stooped form left his head well below Asminys'. He continued to stare as he recalled a particularly fond memory of slicing one of the creatures throats open on his first visit to the planet.

"My Lord?" The Dug would question as a blaster bolt zipped overhead from the compound, uncertainty radiating off the alien as he waited for the staring Sith Lord to speak. Asminys' eyes boiled behind the concealing black googles of his mask, hunter's eyes no longer visible to their prey. The Dug couldn't see what danger he was in as his death played over again and again in the Sith Lord's mind. Instead he would feel a tightening around his throat, eyes bulging as he struggled for breath. After half a minute of gagging, the pressure disappeared from his throat, and the Dug officer stumbled to his elbows, clutching his throat with his feet.

"I did not request the sound of your voice." Ant. The word echoed in Asminys' mind unspoken. He walked past the wheezing officer where he lay, a newfound fear radiating off the PDF and Eiattu forces alike as he left the Dug to contemplate his mistakes and his close brush with death.

Darth Asminys did not care for a situation briefing or report from the soldiers. He was here to do one thing, kill everyone in the refinery and reclaim it as his... The Empire's own. His eyes were locked on the front gate, and the trio of bearded cultists who manned the repeater over the gate. They would be the first to die.

"Surround the compound. Let none escape alive." He ordered his legionnaires who had already taken command of the situation. Speaking into the comlink in his mask, Darth Asminys spoke directly to the Sith who were present. "Enter the compound. Exterminate all inside." His rough and rarely used voice almost sounding eager for the carnage to come.

 

[Myec Kienaan]

The shuttle that had brought Myec and his troops, who were merely extensions of the troops Darth Asminys commanded, to the refinery at least two shuttle lengths south of the Darth's position. Myec is simply there to help get the job done and make sure the troops follow the orders. Which he knows the orders all too well. Which are simple. He and other Sith are to enter to exterminate those inside the refinery and don't let anyone escape. The soldiers will stay outside to kill whoever comes running out to escape. Even though it is a simple order the Marauder pounded the orders into the troops heads as well as reminding them that failure will not be forgiven.

As soon as the ramp had lowered everyone onboard filled off the shuttle. Quickly getting to work. Myec looking for a way in while the soldiers started setting up a makeshift perimeter. With his unlit lightsaber in his left hand Myec observed the area through the lens of his helmet. Catching someone running away from the scene Myec quickly gripped the person with the force and threw him or her into the outside wall of the refinery with the sound of crushed bone and armor sounding through the air.

Oddly that was a bit satisfying to Myec whom often doesn't find joy so easily.

Well it was certainly enough to get the troops with him into gear as they started looking for good places to take up positions at. But like with Darth Asminys' position there were two brave but foolish cultists who armed themselves with repeaters. They shifted between shooting at the
Legionnaire and him; effectively pushing the soldiers back from the refinery as they looked for cover from the bolts that came flying in their direction. Well they will be the next to go.

Switching on his lightsaber the flame red blade flicked to life. He precisly deflected bolts back at the two shooters. If there were others preparing to open fire they had fled into the refinery.

Walking over to the door he slashed his lightsaber over the door controls, causing the doors to slide open. Inside the sound of panic and chaos could be heard bouncing off the walls.

Some soldiers who either had somehow forgotten their orders or eager to have a part in the action had followed Myec to the doorway. Turning to them he barked, "You have your orders. Stay out here and make sure no one gets away from here. Go!" He watched them turn away to take up positions elsewhere then proceeded to enter the refinery as ordered.

@Arclight

 

[Jerex Dorn]

Aaah, yes, fighting against cultists...What are cultists really? Just very devoted people that did what they had to do as part of a bigger system, people that weren't usually understood, people that were often either feared or hated...Jerex understoond, being pretty much a cultist himself, usually he would have nothing but respect to others that were as devoted and fanatic as him, but...Unfortunately, these people, the ones that were shooting at them...they were devoted, yes, but their devotion was misplaced, and as a result, they were in the wrong...fighting for a woman that was dead and didn't have a place in the Sith's grand plan, it couldn't be helped, devoted as they were, they would understand the devotion of the righteous today.

Jerex simply listened as Darth Asminys gave them orders, arms behind his back and his gaze focused on the battle ahead and the poor stupid soldier that spoke out of turn, the old marauder couldn't help but smile behind his old helmet of Ren as he couldn't help but remember the Coruscant prison battle...good memories, good memories indeed, hopefully this would be just as fun!

Jerex Dorn went for his lightsaber and advanced forward with a chuckle, his forces were small in number, but all of them force sensitive, a small group of acolytes he would lead with promises of greatness and carnage, they were a devoted bunch, much like him, he really liked the young folks, all so energetic and eager to prove themselves...Jerex would try his best to give them good use as they advanced forward, a small wall of lightsabers deflecting whatever fire came their way until Myec and his forces dealt with the people outside of the refinery and then getting inside with his small squad as the troopers set up a perimeter.

And well, it was a good thing they managed to force them inside so quickly because a group of four cultists were about to set another repeater right at the entrance corridor of the refinery, which would have been a bit of a problem, however, thanks to the swift advance of the troops, Jerex and his group entered right before they finished up the preparations. The old marauder opening his hands and stretching them towards the four poor cultists as lightning hit them hard and fast, the weaklings falling to the ground in pain as the scars ran deep, not quite enough to kill them in the amount of time Jerex used to shock them...but more than enough to give the other sith time to close the distance and finish the job.

With a menacing cackle, Jerex advanced forward, lightsaber lit and the force coming to him, the repeater blaster crew had worked as warm-up, but now the real fun was about to begin "Rejoice, rejoice! For your pathetic lifes will serve a purpose today...Today, you are a sacrifice to the force! Let them feel our wrath, let them feel pain like never before, paint the stars red with their blood and make pyres of their mountain of bodies!" Jerex's modified voice by the helmet resonated inside the refinery with a deep, powerful tone as he gave the opening speech to the slaughter that was about to occur, not a single one of them were going to leave alive, he was sure of that.

 

[Asminys]

Darth Asminys did not dawdle after issuing the orders. Facing the main gate to the facility, Asminys began to walk towards the facility at a leisurely pace. He watched the cultists manning the repeater point at him and start shouting before opening fire. A steady stream of crimson blaster bolts began to spit from the crew weapon and scream through the air to snuff out the Sith Lord.

"My Lord, we are detecting a communications signal from the compound. Your orders?" The troop leaders voice crackled in Asminys ear as twin black saber hilts flew into his hands, igniting with a snap-hiss to meet the first blaster bolts as they reached Asminys. Unable to respond, Asminys left the soldier on standby as he focused on deflecting the stream of blaster bolts. Twin crimson saber blades wove in front of him as he continued his steady advance.

He would have been inside the refinery if he still had his legs.

A burning hate flared within the Sith Lord as he recalled the slash of pain, the blue blaze that seperated him from his limbs. Darkness rising, Asminys, predicting the flow of blaster bolts, stepped to the side and pivoted away from the main stream of bolts. Spinning low and sweeping low with a blade, he caught a far straying blaster bolt and sent it flying the distance to strike the gunner in the throat. Continuing his sweeping spin, Asminys second blade was sent spinning from his hand, towards the gate.

The weapon fell silent for a moment as the remaining two cultists reached for the trigger. Neither of them made it. A spinning red lightsaber swung an arc over the gun in passing, sending both of the cultists heads toppling to the ground by the time the blade returned to Darth Asminys hand.

"Trace the signal." He ordered as his blades retreated back into their hilts and Asminys continued to walk to the now unmanned gate. Reaching the reinforced gate, Asminys held both hands out towards it, grasping it with the force as he began to pull.

-----​

As Myec slashed the control panel, he heard the sound of chaos echoing through the facility as the cultists inside came to arms. It was perhaps even loud enough to cover the quiet shuffle of feet around the corner. As he stepped into the room and began shouting orders to the over eager soldiers that followed him, he might even hear a double clinking sound. Or see the swift movement of a pair of grenades bouncing around the corner and into the room.

"Grenade!" One of the soldiers would shout, interrupting Myec before taking cover behind the doorway. After three seconds of bouncing down the hallway and into the entryway room, the pair of fragmentation grenades would explode and fill the room with deadly shrapnel. A pair of bearded cultists down the hall would turn the corner and begin to open fire after the grenades explode.

@Nommie

-----​

Jerex and his field trip of sith acolytes would find their path leading only one way, taking two empty turns before they would find themselves at the lower level of a large warehouse building. The inside of which was quite clear, except for around a dozen cultists that lined the second level walkways above and across the warehouse floor. These scruffy looking cultists were all armed with rifles, which they had trained on the only entryways Jerex and his posse could enter through. The cultists would look deranged, glassy eyed and clearly high on something as they twitchily watched the door, awaiting their coming dooms with fear.

@Versok

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

Meditation was a rare pleasure that Laeonas was ever frequently indulging in. As the years drew on, it began to give him as much pleasure as drinking did. The effects were wildly different ofcourse; alcohol turned him into an even more irrational, impulsive and often aroused version of himself. Meditation provided a peaceful counterbalance to his most self destructive hobby. He could spend hours, exploring the force and the profane world, detached, and aware of a greater existence.

There was a nasty problem with meditation though. Whenever he was really, truly beginning to enjoy himself, he'd be interrupted. This didn't always happen, but it was fairly often. The force had no sense of humor (and if it did half his life would be a punchline,) but if it did, it was a repetitive one. The man was at that moment reaching out when a disturbance hit his senses. His meditation broke, and the naked force user quickly sat up-- and smashed his forehead against the durasteel bulkhead.

After a few minutes of recovering from his injury, Laeonas would slip into some pants and wander into the cockpit. He'd began meditation when he arrived in the Malastare system, choosing to meditate for a few hours before he went through the hassle of landing. Yet as he'd put the ship on autopilot, approaching Malastare at the speed of a primitive rocket, the ship had picked up on a signal. It was simple, repeating, and it was absolutely bizarre. Laeonas could hardly tell what he was reading, but he picked out a few things.

First and foremost, whoever had written it was either high, insane, or very, very rushed. It could've been a combination of all three, but that wasn't important. What mattered was the repeated mention of some sort of dark, world eating goddess that the author (and the intended receiver) apparently worshipped. It was directed to some people on a planet he'd never been to, Darknell, and it kept going on about how the author and the place he was in was under attack. Something about unbelievers, servants of the false god of the eternal, or mentions of...

Laeonas' pale face turned an entirely new shade of white when he realized what he was reading. This wasn't mad raving, or simple screams into the void. This wasn't some church being attacked by terrorists, or a missionary getting raided by savages.

It was a Sith civil war.

The man had to pause, falling back into the captain's chair and staring down at the message for minutes. What the hell was he supposed to do? Malastare was under Sith occupation, so if he got involved there was a reasonable chance he'd be captured. He'd come to this world to sell some spice he had in the hold, and if he was lucky, steal some trinkets. But a Sith controlled compound, under attack by other Sith... the situation would be chaotic. Tracking one man alone in the fray would be next to impossible, even with the aid of the force.

He got to work tracking the location from the transmission. This was, apart from Mataou, easily the most high risk venture he'd ever been stupid enough to attempt.
​

@Arclight @Versok @Nommie

 

[Myec Kienaan]

If Myec didn't have to partially look away from the hallway he was about to enter to address the over eager soldiers he would have fully caught onto the cultists that were rounding the corner. However the Marauder did catch the faint sound of clinking from the grenades that were thrown. Grenades huh? How fun. Myec quickly used a push of the force to push the grenades back towards the cultists before ducking back behind the doorway.

Groaning at the sight of one of the soldiers that had followed him standing there like a complete idiot Myec quickly grabbed the man and pulled him out of the doorway, "If you want to live to see home don't do that you fool!" He yelled before the blast of the grenades made it impossible for him to be heard. Due to the bolts that came flying out of the doorway, Myec couldn't tell if the blaster fire is coming from the same two cultists or more came to be in the hallway. There isn't time to contemplate on it though. The longer he remains outside the longer they have to get better organized.

Deactivating his single blade lightsaber he grabbed his two blade staffsaber Myec activated both ends. Quickly he threw the weapon down the hallways, the weapon spun horizontally at a blinding speed as it flew towards the cultists. With the staffsaber now, hopefully clearing out any cultists foolish enough to remain in the hallway Myec entered, activating his single blade lightsaber. Swiftly catching the staffsaber when it returned Myec deactivated one of the two blade ends. He kept one blade level with his chest and the other about hip level to defend himself from any blaster fire that may come his way as he made his way down the hallway.

@Arclight

 

[Jerex Dorn]

Jerex was advancing with his little acolyte posse as one would expect, the fact that he didn't get to kill someone for every five steps he took meant that the enemy cultists were probably taking another advantageous position, so as soon as he entered the warehouse building he noticed the trap the enemy had set for them, managing to fall back with the acolytes before they could focus their fire and overwhelmed them as they deflected shots that unfortunately didn't take out any of the cultists...the positioning was a bit disadvantageous, but good positioning is insignificant next to the power of the force.

"The fools think being up there will save them from our wrath...they will soon learn that heights are dangerous allies that can betray them at any given moment...Shield and sword formation, draw their fire, protect me and I'll end them." The old legionnaire ordered the fresh blood, who prepared their lightsabers and marched forward while he actually put his weapon away, he only needed the force for the next part.

As soon as they stepped inside the warehouse building, blaster bolts flew their way once more, the cultists standing in front of him as he kneeled to use them as cover, laughing quietly and creepily as he made incantations, his hands moving slowly and calmly despite the situation, of course, moving forwards with nothing but the lightsabers would be too costly, the acolytes were struggling a little bit already and a few of them would have fallen already if the cultists learned to focus their fire, but they were clearly not in their best state of mind at the moment, which was understandable given how only madmen would dare defy the sith.

After a few moments that probably felt like an eternity for the acolytes, Jerex was finished with his incantation...Darkshear was ready, a vertical spear of midnight black ready to be thrown at their enemies, the acolytes deflected a bolt or two before dashing out of the way, allowing Jerex to unleash it on their enemies. His aim was true as the Darkshear cut through one of the ends of the walkways, making the rest of it descend as it lost balance, most of the cultists hugging the railings to avoid falling down, way too occupied to keep firing. The few cultists that weren't there and could still shoot were a lot more manageable, the bolts coming back to them now that the acolytes had the luxury of reflecting them now that they weren't overwhelmed, afterwards it was a matter of time before the cultists from the hanging walkway fell down and were ended swiftly by Jerex and the others before they kept marching deeper inside the building.

@Arclight

 

[Asminys]

The gate strained in front of Darth Asminys as he stood there, arms outstretched, lightsabers held loosely in his hands as he focused on the gate. At first there was silence except for the wild shouts and noises that came from beyond the gate. Then came a creaking of metal. Pop. Pop. Pop. The sound of durasteel bolts breaking.

The gate crashed free of its restraints and a few blaster bolts hit it from the other side as Asminys gritted his teeth, holding the gate floating in place.

He drew back his hands, the gate move and rotated slightly as he guided its weight with his mind.

He shoved.

The thick durasteel gate flew through the opening it had once filled, chasing short cut screams as it thudded to the ground, silencing them.

Asminys walked into the compound, twin crimson sabers springing to life once more.

His blades danced as the remaining cultists guarding the gate opened fire. Blaster bolts ricochet around the compound away from the Sith Lord as he steadily walked towards the dead men.

"The brother is here!" One of the man screamed before turning to run. The others kept firing as they were one by one picked off by their own blaster bolts. Behind his mask, Darth Asminys grimaced as he plodded through the compound. He longed to run freely among the slaughter. To feel joy as he ran from kill to kill, slicing through his enemies face to face, a blur on the battlefield.

Instead he felt nothing as the last man fell.

@Tom @Versok @Nommie

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

As always, preparations took... awhile.

He had slipped out of the casual pants he wore, returning to the fibrous mesh that he wore under his clothes on all missions. Tight fitting, carbon weave pants slipped over his legs, and an even tighter black tanktop slipped over his torso. He put on his coat slowly, fastening his equipment properly. His blaster rifle, and some very basic equipment found their way into the trappings of his coat. Clipping on his belt, he'd grab the familiar grip of the dead sith's saber, locking it on before he took back the reins of the ship.

Entering the atmosphere on many worlds would head to the planetary government immediately becoming aware of one's presence. Malastare was one such world, but unlike others, it didn't choose to act on this information. There were plenty of activities unofficially taken by the Sith government in which Malastare wasn't encouraged to interfere with. Based off where his ship was going, it appeared as if Laeonas was just another person joining the fray. While that was true, it wasn't in the way one would expect...

He chose to land his ship a good mile away from the base, wanting to avoid drawing any immediate attention. Stepping off the boarding ramp, Laeonas would draw on the force as he began to run. His legs carried him faster than any normal human being could go. What should've taken him 6 minutes at his fastest pace only took him a minute. When he arrived, it immediately became obvious as to the scope of the attack.

From a distance, he was able to watch as the Sith began to make their way through the compound. One was shrouded in robes, carrying two, but he barely got a glimpse of the man as he made his way inside. The other was carrying a... what was that? It looked like a saber, but there were... two more blades sticking out the side? It looked stupid, he looked stupid. Why would anyone carry such an unwieldy thing?

His last point of focus was... oh, man. Reaching out with the force, Laeonas could feel a maelstrom of hate and power radiating off the last one. What kind of a monster had the Sith produced? To have that amount of power shouldn't have even been possible, and yet here it was. Not even that freak he'd seen on Coruscant all those years ago matched him...

He'd pause for a moment. Laeonas wasn't going to risk engaging the most powerful one, or the two lesser Sith. He could probably take out one of the weaker ones alone... he hoped. Both would probably prove to great of a challenge, and he knew that there was no scenario where he could beat the very, very powerful one. All he could do was creep along the outskirts, remaining out of sight and senses.
​

@Arclight @Versok @Nommie

 

[Myec Kienaan]

Walking down the corridor Myec kept his blades in defensive positions as he neared the corner. Rounding it he sensed that behind the doors at the opposite end that there are people on the otherside preparing themselves. Well it is quite obvious that they are waiting to set off an ambush. Coming to a stop Myec observed the doors then looked around to see if there is another way inside.

Well now that he is in front of the doors he could see that the hallway didn't end at the heavy doors but continued to his right, on one side he could make out a single doorway. Hm. Decisions decisions. Myec thought to himself. He could go through these heavy doors and set off the ambush. But if the other doorway is another way in he may be able to set up.an ambush of his own. But equally there could be another trap being set there as well. But with how frantically they had reacted to him so far. They most likely haven't thought that far ahead yet. He couldn't sense anyone down that way either.

Decision made. Myec deactivated the remaining blade of his double saber and put it away. Keeping his single blade active Myec headed down the hallway to the smaller doorway. Entering the room he noted that the lights are off but the room was lit by small screens dotting the room. To keep himself hidden Myec stuck to the dark corners and even switched off his lightsaber for added measure. Just as he had thought; it is in a ways another way inside if he broke through the window separating the two rooms. He couldn't help smirking as he watched them look at eachother confused. Well he knows why they are confused.

Noting that two of the six men were standing right under a massive statue at the opposite end of the fairly large room. Myec quickly hatched a plan on how to ambush them. Gripping the statue with the force he quickly pulled the statue so that it toppled at it's base. Falling right on the two men. The remaining four went into panic mode, yelling loud enough for the Sith to hear them through the window. With a slash of his blade after quickly turning it on the window went crashing into the room, flying everywhere as Myec cut down the two men standing closest to the window.

The remaining two attempted to flank him at either side of him. One attempted to shoot at him with his blaster. Which Myec easily deflected back. The single remaining bloke foolishly came charging only to be grabbed by the thoat and the lightsaber ran through his midsection. Dropping him to the floor Myec will continue on his way as he headed to the next door at the other end of the room.

@Arclight @Versok @Tom

 

[Jerex Dorn]

With a small smile of nothing but pure satisfaction, Jerex took a last look at the carnage he had taken a part of before advancing forward, signing the others siths to hurry up and finish the ones that were gravely wounded before moving on, there were still many more people that needed to be killed.

"Little jedi talks of peace and good ways~" Jerex began singing cheerfully as they made their way, his lightsaber still up as his distorted voice filled the hallways "So the sith decided to come and play, for the jedi he wanted to slay~" More people came their way, those that thought they were prepared before...But now they were a bit too terrified after hearing what had happened ahead of them, the screams as the ambush turned out to not be successful...With fear in their hearts that they had not conquered, they were going to die, there was no saving them "A bloodied, future jedi corpse offered a plea, but the sith knew the dark side would set him free~" Jerex kept chanting as the slaughter progressed, blaster bolts being deflected as some retreated, only to be hit in the back, lightsabers cutting them down and the old sith having a great time while it happened.

"...Another bloody body hanging on his wall...for those that oppose the sith always fall." Jerex turned his head as yet another group of enemies came across them, already a bit exhausted and very scared "Hello there..." The old marauder smiled as he understood what was going on, these people were supposed to be fighting one of the other two sith but opted to run away! Unfortunately, they had nowhere to run, however... "I sense fear in your hearts...Have you finally understood that our cause is just? If you want to live, I reccommend you drop your weapons!" The cultists, doubtful at first, pointed their blasters at Jerex and the acolytes, too afraid to shoot. However, one of them, the most cowardly or intelligent one of the bunch, decided to drop his weapon...And the rest followed.

"Good, very good! You may one day see the galaxy for what it truly is, you may one day understand your true holy purpose, you're astray no longer children!" Jerex said as he turned off his lightsaber, approaching the one that dropped his weapons first and...giving him a hug. The man cried, tears coming down as a result of both the fear he had and the relief of having a chance to not die, but it didn't matter to Jerex that the man cried like a newborn child, for he had accepted him and knew that he had a different role...or so he thought.

Suddenly, Jerex's sacrificial dagger went through the cultist's throat, the blood spurting and staining the marauder's mask of Ren as his thirst of blood was quenched "Your true purpose, of course, being a sacrifice for the true side of the force!" And with that said and done, Jerex yanked his dagger back from the man's throat as he choked on his own blood, a sickening laugh coming from him as he looked at the others, turning his lightsaber back on "If you can change teams so quickly...then your faith is meaningless, it isn't true, weak wills don't belong in the sith...they belong in the cattle we slaughter!" And with that said and done, the acolytes massacred those that gave up, mercy would not be given today.

@Arclight @Nommie @Tom

 

[Asminys]

Darth Asminys strode into the compound, quick on the heels of the man who had run. He could see him at the end of the hall, turning the corner as Asminys entered. He let him run. They would all die in the end. He traversed the hallway, following the sense of fear that the running man left behind in a trail, when a doorway to the side caught his attention.

There was life there. There was fear there. He could feel the fear of many beings. Their fear was rightful. They were about to die.

Busting the door to the room down with a heavy kick, he found himself face to face with a room full of youth. Children of the cultists, orphans being groomed for future service. He knew not. He cared not. A hand rose and lightning crackled, illuminating his masked face as screams filled the room. Stepping back into the hallway to continue his chase, he didn't even notice the likely stolen Sith tomes stacked in the corner.

@Nommie @Tom @Versok

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

Clad in black, and hundreds of meters away from the Sith, detecting the man was almost impossible. One would've had to be actively searching for him, and they didn't-- couldn't know that he was here. Yet as he crept closer, nervousness slipped into his consciousness. It was a natural reaction to approaching such potent evil, ofcourse. He knew that the people he was trying to avoid would think nothing of ending his life. A natural consequence of that was fear.

But if it came down to it, Laeonas doubted that he'd hesitate to cut any of these people down. Except for the pit of hate he felt moving through the compound. He'd probably turn tail and run... and that would probably be the best decision he could make.

Moving along the hillside, he'd look down to witness just how steep the descent was. It was practically vertical, and because of how smooth the sheared surface was, climbing wouldn't be an option. Not like it would've mattered if it was; Laeonas had never climbed natural terrain in his life. He'd be more liable to fall and snap his neck if he tried. "What a way t'go; ferget tha Sith, just fall of a fuckin' cliff." He muttered, drawing out his saber.

Taking a deep breath, Laeonas pulled at the force, tugging at it's currents. Bright aquamarines closed, and he stepped off.

For a few seconds he was in free fall. Than, drag, unnatural, manufactured by his power, began to catch him. That violent, rapid descent began to slow-- but not quickly enough. Eyes fluttering open, Laeonas panicked, having mere seconds to correct his error. Drawing his saber from his belt, he ignited the crimson blade. Plunging it into the rock face, his descent slowed, ancient stone being carved like cake before he landed.

"TO CLOSE," He hissed under his breathe, wiping the dust off his coat. Curses escaped his lips as he looked around. He was on the edge of the front platform, away from any major lighting. Up ahead were a few troopers, paying attention to the main entrance. It didn't take a tactical genius to figure out why they were there; placed in the back, they'd bring down any cultists who'd been lucky enough to avoid the Sith inside, but to fool to realize going out the front exit was a death sentence. It was a common tactic he'd witnessed in the many gang wars back home.

Common, and merciless.

It appeared as if all the "Sith" were gone. That was a relief; all Laeonas had to do was not wind up in the same hallways the three of them were in. From the sound of the emergency transmission it seemed more like the Sith were here for general slaughter. They wouldn't be focused on any central command hubs, or valuable libraries, or treasuries. No, they'd be going from room to room, butchering everything alive. Just indulging in that sociopathic evil he'd had far to much experience with.

Reasoning a bit, it didn't take long for Laeonas to realize that going through the front was a foolish decision. He'd almost certainly alert the guards, and even if he managed to distract them, he'd still have to come out the front by the end. He had to search for a seconda-

"HALT!" A muffled voice shouted. Laeonas froze, not even making a slight movement. "Identify yourself!" The same voice barked, the muffling clearly caused by a helmet. He felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead, and his heart beat hard in his chest. Turning round, he was faced with a legionnaire in fully armor, blaster raised. A few others seemed to be catching notice, and they were slowly approaching.

...than, a laugh escaped from his lips.

It was... amused. That was the best way it could be described. It was a laugh of patronizing dismissal. "Ai... am Kayden Skyler." The man cooed, lips curling into a tight smirk. "Ai 'ave arrived ta... cleanse this pit of tha degenerate followers of this traitorous cult." He stated, cocking his head slightly.

The squad's blasters lowered slightly, but the forward man still held that turgid stance. "Why did you not show up with the rest of the advanced party?" He asked, using a similarly aggressive tone-- but less as a bark, and more as a question. Laeonas' eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward. Blasters raised again-- and than, a cry escaped from the forward man's helmet.

Sprawled at an odd angle away from his body, the legionnaires' right leg was snapped. Were it not for the plasteel armor, bone would have been exposed. "Ai will not be questioned." Laeonas whispered in a tone that carried a heavy threat behind it. Instantly the other troopers' blasters dropped; the display of barbarism showed that he clearly belonged. Aquamarines burned like the rising flame off an oven top. "...did Darth Asminys know that you were coming?" another asked. Laeonas turned his gaze to the woman, and she took a few steps back.

"...yes. There's no need to alert 'im; 'e should be aware that Ai would be behind schedule." He stated, stepping past the broken man he'd left on the landing pad. "'old yer posts and summon a medic." He commanded the trooper.

Laeonas stepped through the front entrance. Death, cruelty and horror radiated from this place. It washed over him, like he was being bathed in a tar pit of agony and despair.

A tear rolled down his cheek as he made his way inside. He'd felt violently disgusted with himself the entire time he'd put on the act. Every moment of it had been him pulling out his absolute worst impulses, and imitating the mannerisms of the monster whose sister he'd claimed the saber of.

But what disgusted him most of all was that, for a brief moment, he'd enjoyed it.

He made his way through the halls. The distant sounds of sabers slashing and blasters firing could be heard through the place. Drawing his weapon, he didn't ignite it.

Yet.
​

@Arclight @Versok @Nommie

 

[Jerex Dorn]

Jerex reveled in the slaughter of the cowards that had given up on their convictions, their screams dying on their lips as their deaths fed the dark forces that the old sith followed with zealotry...Not only that , but he could also feel in the force the dark acts that were going on around him as well: The overwhelming presence of Darth Asminys as he called upon the force to extinguish life itself, the other champion's swift but brutal cunning...And a turmoil of emotions coming from someone strong in the force...Behind him?

"Go on ahead, slaughter them like cattle, don't need good old me to help you young ones take care of the scattered remains of the cultists, do you? I'll be right behind" Jerex ordered the acolytes, who would simply acknowledge his words and do exactly that. Meanwhile Jerex would sit on top of the pile of corpses that he and the acolytes had created in that very room...He didn't know who those conflicting feelings belonged to, not could he sense him accurately enough to know if he would come this way or through another path, but Jerex figured this was probably another sith late to the party, so he would be a team player and wait a little bit for him just in case.

@Arcangel @Tom @Nommie

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

Everywhere that Laeonas looked, there was carnage. There was no viscera, per se; near every blow on the bodies of the dead were cauterized, caused by blaster shots or the cuts of sabers. Yet the sight of so many dead was... new for him. He'd seen death in large quantities from before, but always at a distance. Even in his first encounter with the Sith, the path that the masked terrorist had left only left half a dozen or so bodies. By the time he'd gone down two hallways, he'd already seen two dozen.

The rooms he entered were purged of life. There were still trinket valuables left here and there, especially the barracks. Yet Laeonas felt very uncomfortable even standing in a single place for to long. At first, he could stand in a room, grab a few trinkets, and than head out in under a minute. Yet as the pilfering continued, in and out, in and out, he had to leave quicker and quicker. The crushing pain in the air, the imprint left by the suffering of those that had existed in the profane world and had been so violently forced into the ethereal...

This had been a terrible idea. He'd known that the Sith were despicable, murderous. Just three months ago, one had nearly killed him. One, singular Sith with the power of the dark side at his beck and call. Yet he'd felt not one, not two, but three of them when he'd arrived in this place. Two of them were... normal, when it came to reference with the other force users he'd met, but the last one was different. It was like feeling a black, all consuming pit, bottomless and full of hatred and spite and all that made the galaxy terrible to live in.

Advancing down another hallway, Laeonas would begin looking for an exit. He'd begun working to suppress his presence in the force, trying to mute anything that could give away his location. With how well the actual Kayden Skyler had tracked him, Laeonas didn't doubt that his presence had already been sensed. Whether they'd recognize him as an intruder was another question entirely.

​

@Versok @Nommie @Arcangel

 

[Jerex Dorn]

And so, Jerex waited for a few moments, he waited as he kept focusing on the new force sensitive that had entered the building...But eventually he stopped sensing him. How odd, if this was a sith...Why would they feel the need to supress it? It's not like he was getting farther away from him, in fact, he was actually getting closer.

The old champion decided to stand up from the seat he made of cultist corpses, walking in the direction of where he had lost Laeonas, too curious to let this event go. After all, if this was a jedi, the soldiers outside would have definitely warned the people inside and attacked him, yet this behaviour was quite odd.

"Go to sleep, go to sleep, little child~" Jerex began happily singing once more, his voice modified by his mask being the only thing breaking the silence of the corpses as he walked around in search of the source of his curiosity, the old sith doing the opposite of Laenoras as he became a beacon of the force, of the dark side "For this night will be feral and wild~, Skies are red... monsters are under your bed, lights are snuffed, the sounds are muffled!...as the dark takes hold...all is cold~"

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

The turn down another hallway caused the man's stomach to sink. It had been here recently; the source of that all consuming power he'd felt. It's proximity wasn't near to him, thankfully-- probably had gone off somewhere else in search of more to kill. Turning to his left, he'd glance at an open doorway into a barrack. He could feel the imprint of suffering in the force, the fear and pain that had been left behind. He almost didn't want to enter, but he did.

Entering the room, the smell of burning flesh hit his nostrils first. Turning his head, aquamarines trailed over the sight of corpses. Charred, mangled piles of flesh, clothing fused with melted skin. He couldn't identify any defining features, beyond their facial expressions-- mixtures of utter pain, and overwhelming terror. Laeonas' face twisted in a mixture of revulsion and horror, turning away from the grizzly sight. His mouth hung wide open, and his eyes bulged from their sockets as he stood there.

Rushing out towards the doorway in a hurry, Laeonas didn't bother paying attention to where he stepped. His foot smashed into the pile of tomes just in the corner, and with a yelp, he fell forward and out into the hallway. Scrambling out, he threw himself against the outer wall of the hallway, breathing rapidly as he stared wide eyed into the room. It took several seconds for him to calm himself, closing his eyes and trying his best to meditate his troubles away. By the end of it, he was no longer gripped with absolute horror, but he was not calm.

Eyes eventually left the back durasteel wall, as he realized that there were scorch marks left by whatever had burned the poor souls inside. Just thinking about what had happened made him tremble. How small they'd all been, like... like...

The realization prompted the man to finally throw up. The contents of his stomach emptied out onto the durasteel floor. Tears welled up in his eyes from the abrupt, painful fit. Looking up, they'd fall on a stack of absolutely ancient looking books. His eyes remained fixed on them, blinking, but not once stopping his focus. Even as he wiped a trail of spittle from his lips, he kept looking, slowly crawling over and grasping the tomes.

Than he heard the singing.

Without thinking, Laeonas ran into the barracks, not looking at the bodies as he stayed in there. He was breathing heavily again, clutching at his chest as it rose and fell. Reaching down, he'd grip the hilt of his saber tightly, gritting his teeth as he'd try to focus. There was no way he'd be able to hide from the Sith. Running now would probably get him gunned down, and he still didn't know a way out. Confrontation was inevitable; but he wanted to do it on his terms.

If the Sith turned down his hallway, he'd find a man clad in black, leaning on the wall. He wasn't paying attention to anything, and under his arms would be a stack of worn, leatherbound tomes. He was staring at a wall, as calm and collected as one could expect in a place like this. His feelings would project the same; impassionate indifference.

He just hoped that he'd ignore the pool of vomit on the floor.

​

@Versok @Nommie @Arcangel