Ask Eviscerate Them

[The Storyteller]

Eviscerate Them (Thread)

A terrorist attack in the heart of the Imperial Territories and resulting in several casualties. This shouldn't happen. The ones responsible have to be hunted down and be brought to justice. The Emperor wants them found yesterday. The only thing you have to go on right now is that they left the planet in a FT-19 Fondor Haulcraft going for the planet Anzat.
Participants: @Merian Sere and @Varyn Atrix​

Speed had been of the essence, so the ship that touched down in the misty valley on the planet Anzat was a S-161 Luxury Yacht with an Imperial Identification sequence and codes. This was not the standard spaceship in which Imperial Knights travelled, not by far, but it had been the one that had its engine warming up at the Raxus spaceport and the Imperial Security Bureau -in name of the Emperor himself- and requisitioned it from the Imperial Czerka Executive that was hoping to get to Etti IV tonight.

So while the executive lamented in an interrogation chamber and regretted choosing corporate space of the "stability and prosperity" that the Empire provided him, the two members of the Imperial Knights that had been send in pursuit of the terrorists touched down on Anzat. The FT-19 Fondor Haulcraft was last seen descending over this particular valley.

That the Emperor took this terrorist attack very serious was evident by the fact that he had send none other than the Lord Commander of his Imperial Knights. Varyn Atrix had been summoned to the Imperial Palace and told to get those responsible, whatever the cost. All seats in the S-161 yacht were filled, which meant the Lord Commander was accompanied by five other Imperial Knights, one of which being Merian Sere.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

This wasn't Varyn's first rodeo, but the entire situation had him more on edge than normal. Maybe it was the vague sense that so much was out of his control or maybe it was the speed with which this mission had been launched. The Emperor himself had called Varyn in and informed him to ensure that they captured the target.

Or maybe what set him so on edge was as simple as the planet they were going to. Anzat was not a hospitable planet, and even the way the Force flowed here was different and more wrong. It wasn't entirely unlike being in the arcane fortress on Ziost, and that wasn't a feeling or situation he had ever wanted to return to. As the ship set down in the valley, Varyn could hear the whispers of the dead that had been added to the Anzati's "soup." Or so the stories went, but Varyn had learned over his years that the stories that were told weren't always accurate.

In addition to his normal armor and lightsabers, the Lord Commander had decided to bring along a helmet today, sealing his suit off entirely to the outside world. With one final glance out of the cockpit's window, he slipped his helmet on and headed for the exit.

Stay with the ship and make sure to stay ready in case we need a hot exit. Keep the scanners going in case we can pick up any signs of the Fondor, he said to two of the Knights who had been piloting and co-piloting the ship. He had a feeling this hunt would be the old fashioned way, though.

The rest of us are going to find this ship. Pick a partner and if we have to split up, don't leave your partner, he said, knowing the "buddy system" was a time tested and true way of doing things.

I'm sure you've all read up on this planet. There's more dangerous things here than just our prey. Just because you're following someone doesn't mean you're not being followed. Keep your eyes and ears open and your senses attuned. May the Force be with us, he said, and headed for the door down.

Merian, you're with me, he said. Although he hadn't had the opportunity to meet her before, he was familiar with her record, and he was confident in her ability to work with him on this hunt... whatever it would turn into.

@Volene @Eccles

 

[Merian Sere]

“May the Force be with us,” Merian echoed, though behind her own helmet she frowned at Varyn’s use of what she still considered a Jedi saying. They may well need it. Anzat’s whole atmosphere and its dangers made Merian uneasy, and who knew what their lightsaber-carrying quarry was capable of? They wouldn’t have pulled off such a bold stunt in the heart of the Empire without some skill.

“Yes, Lord Commander,” she responded. The sole use of her first name irked her badly. Worried her, too. Had she somehow gotten on the Lord Commander’s bad side at that ill-fated ceremony? The New Order almost had her used to this kind of mistrust. Nevertheless, she walked to his side, if purely by obligation. At her right hip dangled a pair of stuncuffs where she would have wanted a blaster. But Merian wasn’t unsanctioned today, and the mission called for them. There would be no greater message than bringing the perpetrators back to the Empire to be judged in full view of the galaxy. No greater honor.

“They may be aware they were followed here,” she noted. “This could be a trap.”

@Eccles @Phoenix

 

[The Storyteller]

The mists swallowed them as they moved away from the Fondor Haulcraft in two pairs. Strangely it felt warm to the touch, the mist that is, and there no sound but the distant sound of a droplets falling into a small pool. If the scanners hadn't clearly shown the terrorists having disappeared into this valley, one could mistake it for not having been disturbed for days or even weeks.

Suddenly the sound of the falling droplets seized and the only thing the Imperial Knights heard was the sound of their footsteps on soft wet moss. Nearly inaudible and yet.. deafening.

For a few minutes they walked in silence when suddenly a red lightsaber ignited in the distance. Approximately one-hundred feet away, faint, but nevertheless cutting through the mist which was illuminated to appear as if a mist of blood. It was only alight for two seconds before it disappeared again in a swishing motion.

Did it beckon to come closer? Was it a trap by the terrorists like Merian Sere suspected? Or maybe, the ancient Anzati had tricks of their own while they hunted the Imperial Knights for sport.

@Phoenix @Volene

 

[Merian Sere]

Without a word, Merian stopped. Though the reports from Raxus hinted at a lightsaber having been used on the scene, seeing one now was confirmation only as much as it was cause for prudence. Merian drew her own weapon but left it dormant, unwilling to give away her position in case the Knights hadn’t yet been noticed. Her eyes went to Varyn. She would follow his lead. Every so often, she shot a glance behind her back, like despite her focus the worry of something sneaking up held onto the back of her mind. Either wise, or Anzat had already gotten to her.

“Switching to thermal,” she risked in comms, her voice low. Merian toggled the function, hoping for a clear image of their target through the mist. Again the agent’s reflex before the Knight’s. Only then did she purposefully open her senses to the Force, feeling for a life or a presence ahead.

@Phoenix @Eccles

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn nodded as she said that it could be a trap. Hard to disagree with her assessment on that.

Almost certainly, he agreed. The place felt wrong in all sorts of ways that wasn't just in the Force. Sure, there was the "soup" whispering to them, but it was more than that. There was no sign of anyone. None at all, which seemed to directly contradict what they were supposed to know about this place.

Year of training with the Jedi, the Sith, the ISB, and the IAF, and every bit of those training instincts was screaming in his mind now. He hated it here, but it was his duty to press onward, and he was going to.

He gripped one of the lightsaber hilts in his hand all the tighter, a familiar and comforting feeling amidst the thickening fog and deafening silence.

As Merian checked the thermals, Varyn took the lead, inching forward slowly and at the ready. His senses were open for any sign of his enemy, and he knew that based on the reputation of the Anzati, the Force was likely the only warning he would get of an impending attack.

He didn't approach directly forward, but swung out to the side a bit, rotating around where the lightsaber had appeared in order to come in from a slight angle at what was definitely a trap or his name wasn't Varyn Atrix. The goal was just to avoid moving directly through the killzone.

@Volene @Eccles

 

[The Storyteller]

Knight Merian Sere switched to thermal and immediately her sights lit up, blinding her with yellow and orange all around her. She had not thought about the fact that the mist had been warm to the touch and the sudden explosion of light in her eyes temporarily blinded her while her Force sense screamed. The Dark Side was all around her, but there wasn't a flare-up ahead of them.. it was behind them.

The Lord Commander would sense it, too. A flare-up of malicious intent and if he looked behind he'd instantly notice that the mists had swallowed up the other pair of Imperial Knights, blocking them from sight. Suddenly a sharp panicked, "AAaah!" followed by an ignited white lightsaber seemingly slashing wildly through the mists. "Contact! Cont-Oh"

The lightsaber, which illuminated the mists, suddenly moved quickly towards Varyn and Merian and breached the wall of mist as the Imperial Knight landed on the ground nearby. He was alive, but panic was written in his eyes as he crawled backwards towards the Lord Commander. "They," his voice was in an unusually high pitch, "Their faces," as he got closer and they were able to see his face, the scars on it were unmistaken. Anzati face-tendrils had attempted to grap the knight's head to suck out his brain, but failed for some reason. There was no sign of the other knight.

Then the knight, while still crawling backwards, seemed to slide forwards towards the mists where he had come from. He desperately clung to the wet moss ground, but something was clearly using the Force to pull him back into the mist.

@Phoenix @Volene

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn didn't know exactly what was going on, but there was no question that the jig was up, and the enemy knew precisely where they were. His saber burst to life in his hand, orange cutting through the mist around him.

His mind raced through their scenario, trying to piece together what was going on. A red and white saber meant either Jedi and Sith were working together on this - unlikely - or these Anzati had a history of killing Force users. This seemed the more likely explanation.

He moved over to help the crawling Knight, and upon seeing his face, was suddenly glad he had worn his helmet today of all days. Perhaps it was the Force or perhaps it was just years of combat experience that told him this was the day he would need it.

Before he could drag the man to his feet, he was being dragged back to the mist. Varyn knew the Force better than most who walked the galaxy, and he knew its limitations. He knew that it had limited range, and that it had to know where its target was. What he didn't know was how Anzati saw, but he would wager his own skills as Lord Commander surpassed whatever was hunting them.

He thrust his hand out and let the Force flow through him, sending a wave of energy into the mist. Its purpose was twofold. First, it would push back the mist if only for a few brief seconds, and secondly, it would - with a little bit of luck - hit the individual behind this. He could feel the Force itself working, and that was what he targeted.

Get him up and moving! he said to Merian, hoping that his move would be successful and they could save their soldier.

Shuttle two-four, get me a scan of what we're fighting! he said, letting the Force flow through him. The first thing he'd learned as as Padawan and an Acolyte was that your eyes could deceive you, don't trust them. The shuttle could provide overall data about numbers and general position, but the Force could let him hunt these creatures in the mist without his eyes.

 

[Merian Sere]

And there was the trap. Merian switched back to normal vision. The screams sprung her into action, her heartbeat surging as her training took over, unshakable focus that allowed her to stay calm.

“Yes, sir.” Merian knelt by the man whom Varyn had hopefully reprieved from being dragged and held out her arm for him to hold onto, in turn grabbing his, pulling him back if necessary. She performed a quick check for shock and visible injuries, though it had to be succinct. For all the functionalities the Imperial Knight armor provided, it did not incorporate a medpac, and now was not the time for an examination.

Merian would quickly assess whether the Knight was still in fighting shape and hopefully help him up if he could stand, but in either case she would ignite her own lightsaber and reinforce Varyn before long. They had to stay together and watch each other’s backs, give the Anzati no angle to surprise them under the cover of the mist. That was how they would prevail. That was how they would live.

Her body was taut with tension demanding to be aimed and released. Orange blade side by side with Varyn’s, Merian took slow steps, on guard, ready to capitalize on the Force wave at the first sign of an advantage over their foes.

@Eccles @Phoenix

 

[The Storyteller]

Varyn succesfully blasted away the mist and revealed, at roughly twenty feet, a feral looking Anzati man. Behind him on the mossy ground he could see the boots of the other Imperial Knight, who didn't move and was most likely dead, his brain sucked out of his skull like soup. His move had surprised the Anzat, who had stopped trying to pull back his intended prey and quickly dashed back into the mists. The Lord Commander would instinctively know that this feral-looking Anzat could not possibly have been one of the terrorists on Raxus.

Meanwhile Merian would find the knight to be panicked beyond reason. What he had seen had shocked him to his very core. He was young, most likely had only just started out as a Sith acolyte before the Empire ousted their Order and hadn't witnessed many of the horrors the Sith were accustomed to. He didn, however, seem to find some comfort in Merian and Varyn's presence and managed to get back up on his feet. Unfortunately he had lost his lightsaber in the initial confrontation with the feral Anzat.

Then the mists closed in again and all Varyn received in way of comms was or less static. "Lor-..-andor-..-mists-..-ive-..-li-..-saber-..-okay?"

It seemed like the trio was all alone in these mists. On one side they were being hunted by a feral-looking Anzat and on the other they had spotted a red lightsaber, which most likely pointed towards their reason to be onplanet in the first place. Sith terrorists. They were smart, the Sith, for using this planet and this species as a natural defensive barrier to their hideout. Hopefully the Imperial Knights could survive the Anzat long enough to find them.

@Phoenix @Volene

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn found himself suddenly wishing he had a full regiment to back him up. This was like marching into Dathomir with just the six of them. it was a nightmare waiting to happen. Or rather, a nightmare brought to life.

It was clear as the Anzati scrambled back into the mist that he wasn't one of those who had come here, but why had the Anzati not tried to eat the terrorists? They cut a deal or the face-suckers didn't know about them? And if it was the latter, perhaps Varyn could find a way to turn his enemies against each other.

The information from the ship wasn't much use, so Varyn just pressed onward. It was either that or turn back and leave.

I'll guard our rear and make sure no more of them come from behind. You two take the front, he said. Normally, he'd have taken point, but he actually thought that being in the rear was probably more dangerous based on what they'd seen so far.

Keep moving forward until we find the Sith base, he said. They may well be attacked again, but it was "just" a distraction. Their main goal was still ahead.

@Eccles @Volene

 

[Merian Sere]

“We’re down a lightsaber,” Merian pointed out.

She still took point. Unlikely they’d waste time looking for it, vulnerable in the mist with no assurance that the Anzat hadn’t picked it up and taken off with it. They couldn’t stay here. Yet the alternative of facing the Sith with one of them unarmed was anything but reassuring. The young man would be practically defenseless. Dead weight.

“Maybe his partner still has one.” By his corpse, she didn’t add. “Or I can lend mine if either of you have a blaster I can use.” Less practical for fighting Force users, but it was the former agent’s preferred weapon. Force-sensitive and extensively trained with the ISB, Merian was quick to aim and quite the lethal shot, truthfully a better marksman than she was a duelist. She’d make do, especially if it meant they could all contribute.

She waited for confirmation, ready to press forward.

@Phoenix @Eccles

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn handed his second lightsaber over to the other Knight so that he was not without a weapon.

 

[Merian Sere]

Or that, she thought. That works.

With all three Knights armed and ready, Merian led the way forward, deeper into the mist.

 

[The Storyteller]

The fear-stricken knight merely stared fowards as he was pushed in the direction where they had, moments earlier, seen a red lightsaber illuminate the mists. During their hurried movement there were no new attacks from the feral-looking Anzat and as the silence returned so did a sudden feeling of dread.

"N-no," the fear-stricken knight stammered as he, unarmed, suddenly turned towards Knight-Captain Atrix. "Why are we here?" he asked the most senior in his order. "We could've stayed-" he paused, seemingly remembered the history of the man he knew as Varyn Atrix, "-Sith."

His eyes, while normally blue, suddenly got a yellow tint to them. "No more fear," he said while it was fear for the Anzat that was clearly turning him mad, "No more chains." The tint expanded across both his pupils as he used the Force to push the mist away all around them.

What became evident to both Varyn and Merian, but not the other knight who was looking in the wrong direction, was that roughly twenty feet ahead of them the symbol for the old Sith Brotherhood was carved into the stone mouth of a dark cave.

Then, suddenly, the fear-stricken knight when for one of Varyn's sabers.

@Phoenix @Volene
OOC: the single-sentence follow-up posts have not been taken into account.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

This was not going well. Varyn was in the process of prepping to hand over his lightsaber to the other man, when he saw the way his face changed and shifted. His eyes yellowed, and he spoke words that were Sith words.

Kriff, Varyn spat, yanking back from the man as he lunged forward, sending another blast of the Force into the man to knock him back.

Stand down! he ordered the man, hoping to shake him from his insanity. If not, though, Varyn would strike. If the man wanted to be a traitor to the Empire and a Sith traitor, then Varyn would treat him as such. He had a single chance to recant.

He kept his saber at the ready, prepared to do what was necessary if it came to it, but Varyn hoped to the Force that it wouldn't come to that. Even so, Varyn's eyes flicked to the Sith symbols ahead. It was at least confirmation that they were in the right spot. He wondered if any of them were going to make it out of this place alive.

@Volene @Eccles

 

[Merian Sere]

To think I wanted to arm him.

Merian had been feeling Anzat’s pull from the moment they’d first entered its atmosphere, but the rookie seemed to lack the capacity to resist it entirely. When he made his move, Merian’s approach was otherwise more hands-on than Varyn’s; she’d taken the front and Varyn the rear, so when the man turned to grab the Lord Commander’s weapon she dove to tackle him from behind. The Force blast knocked them both back, though, and from there Merian began a struggle to bring the young Knight to the ground and restrain him with her stuncuffs.

With all due respect, the shift in his eyes didn’t look like the kind of thing he’d stand down from.

@Eccles @Phoenix

 

[The Storyteller]

The maddened yellow in the knight's eyes got brighter as he struggled with Merian. "I will free you," he groaned towards Varyn as he managed to toss Merian off of him, "From your shackles!" He, too, had noticed the old symbol of the Sith Brotherhood, the faction of the late Eternal and he began a mad dash towards the mouth of the cave. If he wasn't stopped he would disappear in its darkness as the mists once again started to regain their dominion over this valley.

Perhaps he had figured out that he couldn't hope to defeat the great Varyn Atrix, Lord Commander of the Imperial Knights. Perhaps he trusted in the mission statement that there was likely a strong Sith presence in this valley, the terrorists of the Raxus attack, and that -together- they would stand a chance against the Lord Commander.

If the pair follow him into the cave, or stop him and then go in on their own account, they'd quickly spot dim red lights that illuminate the way as the mists fade in favor of darkness. The path goes down, its ceiling low and the passages too narrow to always fit two people through shoulder-to-shoulders. If the Sith have a starship hidden in this valley, then it sure as kriff didn't come through this way.

@Phoenix @Volene

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn had tried, and that was about all he could do for the situation. Merian had leapt into action quickly, and he wasn't going to just leave her to fighting the man on his own. Plus the man started fleeing.

It was Varyn's turn to make a move, and it was going to be a decisive one. The man began to flee, and Varyn reached out to the Force, gripping him tightly before hurtling him into the ground with all the force he could muster. It was likely the man would be either dead or incapacitated.

Are you okay? he asked the other woman. She had gotten into a scrap with their traitorous ally and that could take many kinds of toll, not the least of which was physical injury.

If she indicated she was fine, he would press on into the cave, gripping his saber more tightly and preparing for whatever was going to come next.

Things became narrow as they moved forward, sometimes having to pass one at a time to wherever the path would lead. He tried to keep an eye out for any signs of a trap, but there was no other option but forward.

@Volene @Eccles

 

[Merian Sere]

“I’m fine, Sir,” she answered. The other Knight had tossed her off in their struggle, but nothing was wounded beyond her pride. And besides, he’d paid dearly for his treason, voluntary or not.

They pressed forward towards the cave. Merian wouldn’t say it, but there was something ominous about being down to the two of them before they’d even made contact with the enemy. That was their force cut in half; down to a third counting the two guarding the ship. Likely the very reason the Sith had picked Anzat in the first place.

“So they’re established here,” she remarked by the symbol at the entrance. “Permanently enough to mark their territory. And the Anzat leave them alone?”

Again, Merian found herself looking behind her back every so often as they progressed, adopting the same reflex she’d had before the attack that claimed two of their numbers. Even as the mist ended and the darkness began, and they stepped firmly into Sith territory and out of Anzati one, she didn’t feel any more at ease. Red lights reflected strangely off their red armors. They made their way down.

Merian kept quiet and watched their backs.

@Phoenix @Eccles