Ask Dead by Daylight

[Alexandria Voran]

The galaxy was filled with scary stories. Each planet passing down spooky tales to frighten children. Spirits, ghouls, bumps in the night spreading terror across bedtimes. Mothers and fathers would whisper to their children it was just a story…just a holo. If only they knew the truth. Horrors did walk the galaxy. Nightmares come to life. The Light barely holding the monsters at bay. The Darkside could conjure all manner of storyholo creatures, but the galaxy had managed to cook up its own. The AMS virus made even the darkest Sith cringe. The Infected gobbling up even the worst scary stories. When Darkness rose, so did the Light to meet it.

Jedi Councilor Alexandria Voran looked out towards Yantuh. The landing ramp of her shuttle resting behind her. Alex’s armor glinted in the sun, her saber hanging loosely at her waist. The Force roared through her chest as she built her mental walls high. One deep breath. The wind blowing through her short hair. Alex claimed she was still a healer…a diplomat. The picture she painted against her shuttled was anything but. Alexandria Voran was a warrior and she had brought her trusted right hand. Vahn did what she could not. He made the sacrifices she could not. Today, they fought together. The Jedi were here to heal Mataou. The New Republic hospital ships waited in orbit to send aid.

First, they had work to do.

Yantuh was being overrun. The Imperial Garrison outside the city was capable of activating a handful of the old Imperial defenses. It would allow the Republic forces to land and establish a perimeter, force the infected in a quarantine zone. That was assuming they could reach the garrison. The infected spread throughout and without Yantuh. Alex flicked on her com to contact the Republic forces above. “We’re on the ground. We’ll establish contact from the garrison.” The Republic had not only brought healers either. She flipped the come again, patching in to Vahn. “Hurry up, certain death won’t wait for us forever.” They needed to get moving. Sunlight was dwindling and she had very little desire to fight the infected in the Dark. Memories of the warehouse with Sevrin filled her mind. Awful.

@The Steel Stag

 

[Astra Ara-Nur]

"It's waited this long," Astra said, emerging from the belly of the transport, her blonde hair whipping furiously in the wind. "I don't suppose it could wait another five minutes."

The air on Mataou was hot and swampy, heavier than the atmosphere she had experienced on other desert planets. But with a sharp intake of breath and a clearing of her mind, the Force flowed into her and quieted her mind's reaction to the humidity. Then, her eyes cleared and sharpened and she descended the ramp to stand next to Alex.

Unlike her fellow Jedi, Astra did not wear armor, but a loose-fitting white tunic with a gold cloak draped over the top. Her two lightsabers sat on either of her hips, clipped to a thick leather belt that carried her comlink along with other necessary supplies for the mission. But for the thin tiara around her forehead, she looked like any other ordinary Jedi from the storybooks.

But though she might have looked ordinary, her assignment was anything but. Capturing the old Imperial garrison sounded easy enough; but it was usually the missions that sounded easy that tried to kill her the most. "I've been briefed on the situation in the city," Astra said. "But what of the garrison? Is it as overrun as the rest of this place?"

She had no qualms with fighting the dead. The thought gave her an odd sensation, somewhere between trepidation and excitement; but Jedi were not supposed to dwell on such things, so she didn't. She kept her mind focused on the task, and prayed to the Force the city's outbreak was not about to spill over into her mission and ruin her day. @Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

“Yes.” Alex turned to look at Astra. “The dead now inhabit the garrison but in smaller numbers than the Capital. As far as we know, the local defenses have nearly completely failed.” The infected were a dangerous foe. Ordinary security forces were ill equipped to handle the growing blood thirsty population. They had one chance to stop the entire planet from falling into chaos. Her mind reached out across Mataou’s surface. She could feel the growing terror mingled with the rage of the infection. Death awaited them.

“No speeders, the noise attracts them.” Alex set off in the direction of the garrison. They were about a mile from the abandoned Imperial stronghold. The ship was far enough out to avoid brining the infected, but any significant noise set the dead running. She took a deep breath and quietly worked the Force. The sounds of their footfalls diminished, the swish of their robes dying. They would approach silently. Whatever happened after that she could not predict. In time, the Force shifted. The rage running over the fear. She swore she could hear the groans of the dead. It was her imagination.

The maps put the garrison close, only a little while longer. A hill or two and they would see the old outpost. She pitched her voice low. The sun was getting lower. “We’re close now.” Alex said the obvious. All they needed to do was get the garrison on and working. Easy enough. She sank deeper into the Force, brining her full strength forward.

@Mockingjay

 

[Astra Ara-Nur]

Astra couldn't hear the dead, but she could feel them. The absence of life was as noticeable as its presence in the Force, and a gaping hole in it was practically a beacon. When they crested the second sand-covered hill ,and found themselves staring down at the derelict garrison, she saw why. The dead were everywhere, packed like sardines in the main gated yard. And because neither luck nor the Force had chosen to be on their side this day, Astra spotted the door into the garrison behind the mass of biters.

"Ten blazing hells," Astra breathed, her gaze darting across the scene, desperate to come up with a plan. One came, but she didn't like it. "We need to cut a hole in that fencing. Large enough for them to get through, but small enough to control the flow and prevent a horde from cornering us. One holds there and distracts them, while the other gets inside."

It was doubtful Alex would like that plan either. Jedi in general had an allergy for leaving their comrades in the path of danger, but this was how it had to be. If they both jumped in to the horde, they would be overwhelmed and slaughtered. Not even a Jedi could survive that.

"I'm going to be the distraction." She said it with conviction and without room for argument. Already, one of her twin lightsabers was in her hand, though she hadn't lit it yet. "Find a way to get those defenses online. The city doesn't stand a chance if we get stuck out here fighting these things all day." @Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

“Ah…” The single syllable escaped. “It’s worse than I thought.” Alex laughed. How could you not? “Delightful.” She listened to Astra’s plan in disbelief. It was a terrible plan, but also probably the only one. Of course, there was no convincible way the Morellian Councilor would ever let the Knight take the left threatening risk. “Jedi Ara-Nur.” Her voice was filled with command. “This is my risk to take.” The Force filled Alex. She breathed easily of the Light, filling every inch of every cell with the Force. The Lightside burned through her like an open flame. Her strength was undeniable. “You’ll be over run. I can give you more time than you can give me.” She held up a hand. “Not a criticism but the truth.” Her lightsaber hilt snapped into her hand.

She could feel her body responding to the Force following through it. “There are some choices as Councilor I must make…this is one of them…now hurry.” Alex felt only calm while she marched down the hill. This was her path. The path Max had foreseen. She was the shield of the Order. The teacher who guarded her students. She was the heart that beat for the Light. The infected saw her coming, because of course they saw her coming. They began to slowly move towards the fencing. Alex reached out with the Force.

The fencing began to heat as the molecules vibrated faster and faster. It shone brightly when she approached. A simple push within the Force and section fell away as cleanly as if cut with a saber. Her cyan blade sprang to life. A snap-hiss filling the silent air. She spun it in her hand as the infected began to move. Her mind reached for Astra. “Hurry.” The first screams of the infected reached her ears. Her breathing was even, her heart slow. Alexandria Voran was ready.

@Mockingjay

 

[Astra Ara-Nur]

Astra had little room to protest. Alex was already bounding towards the complex before she could even form the words in her mouth. And, though she had objections, she obeyed without further complaint. When it came to an official mission, she always deferred to the Jedi Council. There was a reason the Council had always guided the Jedi Order. They were the most attuned to the Force. What right did she have to question their judgement?

She sprang into action, charging the other side of the garrison while Alex distracted the pack of hungry dead. There were still a few lingering in the yard when she arrived, but the white blade she produced diced its rotting flesh with the ease of a warm knife through butter.

Reaching the door, she felt out the locking mechanisms with the Force only to find that it had been welded shut. When the Empire abandoned this base, they must have done so intending that the weapons within would not be obtained by the New Republic. The arrogance. They had expected their purge of the Jedi so complete as to not design contingencies against a lightsaber.

Astra plunged her white blade through the thick durasteel doors and watched as a ring of heat began to spread out from the shaft of her blade. Into her comlink, she said, ""It'll take me a minute to punch through the doors. Buy me as much time as you can." @Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

A nightmare shambled towards Alex. The stench of rotting flesh unmistakably wafting through the air. Astra’s words rang in the commlink. “Affirmative.” She would give the Jedi Knight as much time as she could. Infected began to move toward her through the whole in the fence, the soft glow of Alex attracting the beasts. She had no intention of allowing the infected to get near her. Fighting those beasts with saber alone was dangerous. One bite, and it was all over. Her armor afforded some protection, but it was not infallible. Alex waited just a moment for the infected to begin to move through the fence. What she planned to work in the Force would be exhausting. Her saber would be a last resort.

Deep breath.

Her right hand moved, grasping the saber hilt lightly. A barrier sprung up between the infect and the Jedi Councilor. It was as immovable as a duracrete wall. The infected were close, so close they could smell the blood running hotly through her veins. They wanted her but they could not reach her. They slammed against the barrier. Over and over and over. She felt the Force feeding into the barrier, asking for her strength. Alex lent it freely.

Her focus shifted to the sky. Her left hand extended towards the clouds. She felt the condensation, the wind, the potential. She set to work. The condensation bunched together, the wind above beginning to howl. Slowly, clouds began to build above. Now it was a horroholo. Thunder clapped….wind whipped…and lightning began to crackle in the sky above. Alex brought her left hand down. Lightening snaked from the sky, slamming into the ground around the base. Earth and infected alike went cracking into pieces. Alex reached for the sky again. Yanked. Lightning struck. More of the infected scrambled towards the hole in the fencing as they tried to escape the storm. Alex teeth were clenched as the Force poured through her.

@Mockingjay