If You Want Peace, Prepare For War

[Shizuo Aramusha]

Great, is the power of Habit. It is a power that compels almost all, and that llulls those swept in its wake to a docile, serene sense of calm. An assurance, in knowing that everything was predictable and routine, that all factors in life were as set in stone as the rising of the sun, each morning. It was this Habit, this false sense of security, that the planet Taanab found itself fully embraced within, a world whose entire livelihood and worth, was measured in how much faith they had, in their fields and yields of crops. An entire world dedicated to the service of others, to growing food for those who never had to hunt, to harvesting goods for those who never knew of toil.


A fox could change its fur, but it could not change its habits. The republic had shed its coat into an Empire, but it remained a Republic at its core. The Imperial Republica was an empire of the Sith in name alone, and its left over influences had softened those within it into something lesser, something content, in continuing the Habits of the Republic. Taanab’s people were subservient, weak, and sought little more then to comfortably grow their fields, and their pockets. To be content in life, and to go about their days never striving for more than what they already possessed, and never striving to empower that which they already had. The people of Taanab, the Farmers of this place, knew only to fear death, and to love submission; to do whatever they could, to maintain Peace on their world.


But Peace is a Lie, there is only Power. And it was about time someone reminded the Imperial Republica, the real meaning of those words. Misfortune will come, swift and uninvited to Taanab’s soil. As the sun begins to set, casting a red hue across the fields of crops, a coating of bloody sunlight across the acres upon acres of flat plains and rolling hills, and as farmers begin to retire for the evening, Misfortune begins to grow. It hungers for blood; hungers for the lives of those here, and to turn the fields of billions into fields of ash and death. The time to merely sit and hide is Over. It was time to take up arms again. To step out of the shadows, and to strike at the Republica where it hurt the most, it’s greed.


In the growing dark of the night, 3 figures had come in secret to the outskirts of this giant farm. It’s crops dry, having experienced a pleasant season for growth, and now being almost ready for harvest. The 3 had come to teach this world a lesson, and among their number, was a kyuzo. Shizuo Aramusha was reminded of his homeworld as he looked around this pleasant world, a simple and rustic world of farming and self-sufficiency. But unlike his world, this planet was not constantly at war with one another. These farmers likely had only ever defended their lives once in a generation, and it made the sith both Envy them, and Pity them.


“These people will defend themselves, once they realize what’s happened…” Shizuo said to his companions, his voice was tinny and artificial, his words translated from Kyuzo to Basic thanks to his re-breather. The Sith looked to the fields through the tall fence around the properties border, made high to keep people from climbing over. “And they will likely try to put out the fires…” the sith said as he came to a halt in front of it.


“We need to destroy their Irrigation system first. Field by Field. Then, they’ll have nothing to save their precious credits from the Torch…” And with that, the Sith jumped up, and over the Fence, landing clear on the other side with merely a soft and quiet thump. He looked back to the others, shadows dancing over his features with his large metal hat as he waited for them to join him.

@Vian Windrider @Tasha Blackwell

 

[Vian Windrider]

Vian joined the Kyuzo as they stepped out of the shadows and onto the edge of the farm. The half breed acolyte looked over the modest simple fields, pitying the poor and seemingly unsuspecting farmers who were about to receive the wrath of the Dark Lord on their door step. These people were not warriors, or soldiers. They were peasants, simpletons to be governed and made to server and empower the Empire. Not be lambs to the slaughter.

"A few perhaps.." he replied to the Kyuzo with an exhaled sigh and then continued, "You think to highly of them, they'll likely run for the hills or whatever hole they think will save them from the flames."

As his companion continued and took a more agile approach to the task. To which Vian simply rolled his eyes, activated his lightsaber in his right hand and sliced the vertical line into the fence, and with a wave of his left hand used the force to open the fence and step through. Then continued to stride across the field without looking back. His blade cutting a swath as the Sith lazily held the weapon out from his right side.

"Why waste time with the irrigation when we can simply burn the houses with them still inside. The fires will spread from the homes to the fields, saving time and effort."

 

[Tasha Blackwell]

Tasha hated the fact that she was anywhere near a farm. The smell of manure made her almost gag, and she adjusted her robes so the cloth wouldn’t touch the dirt. She wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, and she showed up after the other two did. Her solid yellow eyes glowed of their own accord through the darkness, giving her the look of a predator. As the kyuzo spoke, she remained silent. There was no expression on her face to suggest whether she agreed with him or not. Next to speak was the human, and she had to bite back the amusement as she watched him cut through the fence.

As he stepped through, Tasha gingerly followed in behind him, making a point to scan the area around them, “There are enough of us to split efforts between lighting the fields and taking care of farmers with pitchforks,” She grinned at the image. Tasha glanced over at the kyuzo, “I will happily cut down anyone that attempts to spoil the fun,” Privately she agreed with Vian - it was unlikely that the farmers would put up too much of a fight. If it came down to protecting their families or fighting Sith over crops, it was much more likely they’d choose the former.

With that, Tasha made her way towards where the houses were. She wanted to get into a good position to take care of any problems. This would give the other two the opportunity to start setting the fields on fire. She knew it would catch fire easily and spread quite a bit before the people inside their homes even realized what was happening.

@Taz @Cainhurst Crow

 

[Shizuo Aramusha]

Shizuo watched his two companions dismissed his words of warning, giving a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders as Tasha moved past him and made her way towards the homes. The sith looked to the his fellow sith in this en-devour, motioning towards Tasha as he spoke.

"I guess that settles that then. You'd better go with her, if you want to set those homes on fire as well." The kyuzo said as he began to make his way through the fields as silently as possible. The crops were tall, they offered a cover from eyesight, and the Kyuzo himself stayed low as he made his way through the field. His companions were hungry for blood, that was good. But Shizuo's thirsts were for a different kind of quarry, one who would put up a fight for more then just their livelihood.

Like they said, these were Farmers. But this farm was their lifeline. It was what gave them the credits to buy their food, their shelter, and the future of their weak-willed spawned. Even a cornered rat was capable of putting up a fight, and a corner was exactly what they were shoving them into.

Shizuo made his way towards the main pipeline that connected the irrigation system to the main water pump, a simple tube that would be spread out to the tall and long sprinklers of the fields. The kyuzo acted fast, he drew his saber and spun it in a reverse grip, holding it over the pipe as he activated the crimson blade. The red beam of plasma dug into the ground and severed the pipe completely, burning the soil as he melted the metal apart, utterly separating the two.

He turned his blade over towards the crops, holding the burning red blade to the stalk as it crackled and smoked. It smoldered and then caught, the fire slowly crackling on one of the plants as the sith lord stepped out of the field, his saber held against the plants as he slowly walked the perimeter, each one slowly burning and then catching as well, spreading the fire crop by crop until it had begun to engulf the central most field.

@Sreeya @Taz

 

[The Storyteller]

This thread has not received any opposition and thus the remainder of the thread will be finished through Dice Rolls, starting with @Sreeya or @Taz 's next post. ​

 

[Vian Windrider]

Vian looked over his shoulder at the Kyuzo and then behind him at the stunning but slightly un-nerving Pantoran as he continued his walk toward a tiny barn, or perhaps some manner of outbuilding. His red blade cutting a torching crops behind him as he went along. He did not break his stride to get Shizuo's opinion on the matter, and in fact the blue skinned female was the one who was following him. Confirming to both of them that she was more then happy to cover the half breed Sith and cut down any foolish farmer who got in the way.

Shaking his head, the then returned it forward withing giving either companion another comment. They were all well aware of each others intentions and there was little need for further comments or confusion over who was following who. Vian approached the tiny building, opening the old sliding door. Inside was antiquated equipment that looked as if it was older then the Sith Empire itself. As he expected the farmers had old cans of fuel to power the old machines just sitting in the open.

Using the force, Vian would lift push over one can and lift another. Pouring a line from the barn to the house approximately ten meters away. Then traced the fluid up and down the nearest wall. He would then tossed the can aside and attempted to light the fuel with his blade. But nothing happened...

 

[Tasha Blackwell]

Tasha was scoping out the houses, having a nagging feeling that they would have some trouble on their hands. For now, she watched Vian get to work in spreading the fuel around. She kept glancing over to see if anyone was watching, but it was quiet for now. Tasha noticed Vian was running into some trouble, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. After a moment, she walked over to see the problem, realizing he was having a hard time setting things on fire. She had to stifle a laugh, but she knew better than to start trouble with a comrade. Tasha looked around in one of the empty sheds, finding an oldschool matchbox.

She walked over and lit it, the fire bursting forth at once. Of course, she wasn’t exactly flawless in her attempt, hissing as some of the flames licked her hand. Tasha sprang back, grimacing in pain. Despite the adverse effects, the fire was successfully roaring now, spreading rapidly throughout the fields. Tasha grinned proudly, knowing it wouldn’t be long before they could turn and leave.

Unfortunately, that was when she began to sense others nearby. She glanced up to see no less than 19 farmers rushing at them with pitchforks and other weapons out. Some even had blasters with them. Tasha’s eyes widened, and it was as if they had been waiting to spring a trap. She scowled and drew out both her sabers, knowing they had some trouble on their hands now.

“Shizuo.. We need backup,” She spoke into their shared comms.

@Cainhurst Crow @Taz

 

[Shizuo Aramusha]

Shizuo was busy using his saber to spread the flames, watching as the orange glow grew and grew, very slowly. He looked out towards the fields to see how much the fires had caught on the crops. Their spread was less then spectacular to say the least, the fires seeming to take their sweet time to catch. It was as if the crops had been wetted down to keep the fires from spreading, but that wouldn't be possible. Not unless-

He was interrupted by the call on the comms, deactivating his saber as he turned towards the direction of his comrades. From his position, he could see the mass of people moving, framed against the orange glows of the flames.

"Well well...must have known we'd be coming somehow..." He deduced out loud, throwing his one arm towards the flames as he ran towards the group, reaching out with the force as he manipulated its power. He felt it, the burning hot energies dancing and flickering, barely able to grasp them as he flung his arm out towards the farmers. Like a wave of sudden heat and life, the flames spewed towards the farmers, hitting some of them as the hot fire roared to life.

A few of them caught, dropping to the ground, but most of them did no. Shizuo was almost there with the others, and ignited his crimson blade as he dashed forward to rejoin his comrades.

And things had just started getting boring as well. This was more like it.

 

[Vian Windrider]

Anger and no small amount of embarrassment rushed through Vian. The heat from his plasma blade should of been enough to ignite the blaze he hoped to make out of this farm house. Added to his frustration was the sudden appearance of Tasha at his side and her poor attempt to hide her laughter, she did not make a sound but the ear to ear grin on her blue face before her hand covered it was clear enough.

The half breed was about to say something when his his blue companion to matters into her own hands and retrieved an old matchbox from the barn. Vian was more then happy to return the grin when Tasha managed to burn herself with the old wooden strike sticks.

"I have a..." He was about to say medkit, but trailed off as he looked over his shoulder toward the mob of farmers approaching them from out of no where. "He's never going to let us forget this", he commented toward the blue skinned Sith. Then tapped his comm,"Shizuo, you and I pull their attention. Tasha duck round the houses and flank them."

When the Kyuzo Sith pushed the fires toward the farmers he assumed, Vian assumed his companions were all in agreement. The half breed started to use his anger and frustrations to build his power in the dark side. As he did so, several of the farmers with blasters foolishly opened fire on the Sith. Vian batted the shots away and back toward the farmers, one and then another and another. Then unleashing a powerful force blast to knock the wounded into the rest.

One wounded farmer with a pitchfork would be thrown into an older man with a blaster rifle, stabbing the man in the arm with the fork. Causing his trigger hand to spasm and fire wildly into the bunched up farmers, Between Shizuo's attack and Vian's attacks the poorly equipped farmers were no match. Leaving only one poor woman to flee the carnage.

"All yours T." Vian said in his comms.

 

[Tasha Blackwell]

Tasha was thankful Vian didn’t make any cracks about them both struggling to set things on fire, “Let’s just keep this between us,” She murmured softly to him, a hint of amusement playing upon her smile as she looked at him. There was always something sultry about the way she spoke, even in the middle of a battle. It was tough to really get her worked up, and even a burned hand didn’t do that.

She shifted focus to the farmers rushing them, and she quickly bolted to the side to flank the oncoming charge. The Kyuzo got to work at once, sending the flames back towards the group. Vian did an excellent job in deflecting the bolts and expertly redirecting them. One thing was for certain - they were certainly better at cutting down enemies than they were at setting things on fire. Tasha rushed in from the sides, her sabers blazing and whirling around. It took her moments to slice people down from her lateral approach, the air suddenly loud with the shrieks and cries of farmers.

It didn’t take long before there was only one woman left that began to rush away. Tasha grinned as she lazily tossed her saber. The blade shot through the air and drove right through the woman, making her fall to her knees and slump to the ground. Tasha casually called the saber back to her hand, turning to look at the carnage they had created: The fields were ablaze and the bodies of the farmers littered the ground everywhere.

“So… anyone up for some drinks?” She grinned, not at all concerned with the destruction they would be leaving behind.

@Cainhurst Crow @Taz

 

[Shizuo Aramusha]

"I could go for a bit of Raava, myself." Shizuo said as he looked out to the burning fields. This was a blow to the Imperial Republica, a blow to their economic might, which they so heavily relied on. And of course, they would call for retaliation. The Imperial Republica would demand blood for the loss of their credits.

And the sith hoped they would come, as well. Things were a bit too stable between the Empire and the Republica, for Shizuo's liking. They were content to rattle their sabers at one another from a distance, making threats over the holonet but never truly doing anything about it. Two predators growling at one another without pouncing. It was a waste, and now, it would be war.

"Time to get the herd thinned out..." Shizuo said under his breath, softly to himself as he went to make his leave of the Farm. There was no point in stealth now, and the sith simply slashed out a hole to step through the fence with, deactivating the blade as he calmly walked his way back with the others.

 

[Vian Windrider]

Vian lowered his blade then deactivated it. The blue blur of Tasha flaying the last of the farmers with her blades made it clear there was little need for it. The half breed would tilt his head and make a kind of nod and half grin as he watched the pantoran female seem to dance with her blades and finally tossing her weapon at the final fleeing native. "Graceful..and kind of terrifying." He said, more to himself.

"Raava ? I'm more of a dark ale guy but I could be swayed to try it. I'll get the first round. I hear there's a new spot in Nar Shaddaa, might be worth a look." he replied. When the others joined him Vian would simply tap a button on his datapad to send a signal to their ship for a pickup. Soon the three of them would be watching from the loading ramp as the blaze consumed the remainder of the farming community.


@Cainhurst Crow, @Sreeya

//End Thread.