Open [Mustafar] Molten Reclamation

[Darth Tempest]

.

With every step, Tempest could feel her boots sink into the charred surface of Mustafar - ash and igneous rock breaking loudly underfoot. Even as the planet had begun to heal itself over the past century, the marks of its hellish past remained, with glowing rivers of lava that carved across the bleak horizon. They smoked and hissed with volcanic gas, emanating heat that was palpable even through the armor she wore. But it was the structure just ahead - rising up like a forked spire of smooth stone - that kept the Dark Lord’s undivided attention. Once the home of Darth Veles, only years of neglect had followed the disappearance of Altair’s old master.

Even from a distance, there was no mistaking the Nexus that hummed beneath the foundations of Fortress Vader, beckoning to the Dark Lord like a beacon in the dark. Generations of Sith before her had utilized the site to their own ends - and so it would be again. It would serve as the first base from which they might recover from Imperial Exile.

Naturally, coordinates had been sent to the remaining members of the Sith Order - allowing them the opportunity to accompany Tempest to Mustafar. Regardless of who arrived, the Dark Lord had sworn on Junction to secure a new home for their Order, and she was committed to meeting that obligation. As she drew closer, a single Mustafarian - saddled atop a Lava flea - caught sight of the Dark Lord, charging towards the foreigner without a second thought.

Instead of reaching for the saberhilt on her belt, Tempest merely lifted her hand towards the Insectoid warrior - finger outstretched and pointed to meet the charge. Without warning, a surge of lightning poured from the tips of her fingers, arcing through the air and closing the distance between them. She didn’t even hear the Insectoid cry out as his body was wrecked with electricity, leaving a pair of charred corpses.

The first of many.

OOC: Open to any Sith/Sith-aligned Indies. Open to opposition. Potential PVP.

 

[Ambrosia]

Ambrosia arrived on Mustafar, having received the Dark Lord's sent coordinates and immediately punched them in. Her ship landed on the hardened molten ground, its landing gear hissing out a cloud of smoke. The Arkanian woman exited her ship, leaving it locked up and behind as she ventured further to meet Tempest closer to the exact coordinates.

The woman was dressed in her 'armor', which was more fabric than plating, and had brought with her a couple of weapons. The heat of Mustafar crept under her armor, and she could already feel the pearls of sweat beginning to gather along the side of her face. Compared to the frigid cold, Ambrosia was not such a fan of the heat. While the cold was almost a welcomed pain the heat was.... kind of a consistent weight on her shoulders. At least, here, it was a dry sort. She reached down to brush her fingers along her stun baton, which was of course, hanging off her belt, in addition to a vibroblade and a M3 stun pistol. She wasn't sure if a fight would be imminent, but it was always good to come prepared.

@Darth Tempest would be aware of Ambrosia's arrival as she made no effort to hide it in the Force. If anything, the champion's presence was a slightly stronger hum, though nothing in comparison to Tempest's presence. The Arkanian felt alive in the presence of the Dark Side here. She wanted to dig her nails into it and let it seep into her pores.

Ambrosia would give the half-Annfyn woman a bow, then look at the dead body of the Mustafarians with empty eyes. "Do they occupy the temple?" she asked, pale violets moving from the charred, electrified skin of the corpses to Fortress Vader ahead. While she listened for an answer, she surveyed the area, searching for anyone else who might be coming to join them.

@Altaris

 

[Telly Udon]

The already smoky atmosphere of Mustafar was even more smoky today, as Telly Udon took a few hearty drags from his old war pipe, surveying the battlefield ahead of him. It would probably be the last time he could enjoy such comforts for a while. What was out there was not a promising sight.

Since the Sith had taken his second home of Yavin IV away from him, the old Pau'an had been going back to the basics from back in his Rebel Alliance days. Finding rabble rousers, drumming up suport, and targeting Imperials and Sith at their most vulnerable. The goal wasn't to win an open engagement yet but, rather, to help establish some rebel cells that could, perhaps one day, come together to strike a real blow at these bastards. Telly didn't much care for the schism between the Sith and the Imperial - either side was as bad as the other in his book and should be shot at with equal impunity. Made things simpler that way.

Already things weren't going great. Their lava flea rider scout they'd sent ahead to survey the size of the enemy force hadn't been responding into calls and Telly could only assume the worst. Stupid boy must have gotten jumpy. Looked like they were going into this battle blind.

Three cargo skiffs had been retrofitted with heat-resistant technology and a few railing-mounted repeaters and were currently floating in the lava, hidden behind a some rocks that had been strong enough to survive the lava currents. Each skiff had about a dozen Mustafarians onboard. Even if they weren't already extremely outnumbered and outgunned, Telly was not feeling confident about their odds. These Mustafarians were miners, pencil-pushers, and half-drunks, certainly not trained fighters. But, fortunately, their goal was not to win today but, rather, to distract the Sith long enough for a cargo transport full of weapons and Mustafarian rebels to make their way offworld with the hopes of one day returning. Telly kept nervously tapping his wrist comm, eager to hear the "we're clear" call so that he and his forces could retreat.

Until that time came, Telly would stand, decked out in a bizarre mishmash of a Mustafarian miner work uniform and some recquistioned Lava Trooper armor, and captain the chief skiff, waiting for the right moment to strike. The makeshift armor and breathing gear could keep him safe from the heat and elements of Mustafar but it certainly wouldn't protect much against the Sith.

For that, he'd need a miracle.

@Altaris @lizziie

 

[Nevizkas]

The infernos of Mustafar did nothing to deter visitors, friends, or foes alike over millennia. The scorching heat coupled with the subjugating presence of the dark side quickly made it one of Cyutadakyr's favorite places. Answering the Dark Lord's call, the pureblood made her way there with curious enthusiasm. This was a test for her leadership in as much as for her followers.

Eyes watched with eagerness, waiting to see mettle tested, bones broken and souls torn.

A grumbling volcanic movement beneath the surface would not cloud the strength of force being committed to reclaiming the castle for the order, but they wouldn't be alone in this endeavor. It was not the first time that Cyu had met either of these women that she would be fighting alongside should it come to it but it could very well be their last.

With a contemptuous smirk, she approached from behind and said nothing instead choosing to watch and listen. The newly minted champion gently slid her fingers across her equipment in anticipation of what was to come.

@Altaris @lizziie @Fantasy Liver

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel had received the coordinates from Lord Tempest. In the past, Thel would have preferred to avoid becoming too entangled in Sith machinations. Even though he was a Sith, he had become quite content wandering around the outer rim, seeking valuable objects and avoiding trouble. The perilous situation the Sith faced had forced him into a change. In difficult times, it would be useful to have allies. He had worked with Tempest before on the planet Excarga.

Mustafar was an unforgiving place, lava streams flowed over the surface of the planet like scars across the land. Thel trudged across the ash, leaving footprints in his wake. He had chosen to wear his black cloak over his black robes. It wasn’t ideal attire for a volacanic planet. The heat was almost overpowering. Despite this, he showed no visible signs of discomfort. Not even a trickle of sweat. Looking out into the distance, Vader’s castle loomed on the horizon.

Gradually, Thel made his way to the designated point. He spotted three others as he closed in. He could sense darkness emanating from them. Two were recognisable. Tempest and the Arkanian he had met on Excarga. The other he was not familiar with. They appeared to be a pureblood. Fairly tall. Thel approached the group. He bowed his head to Tempest. “Master.” He then bowed his head to the two others as a gesture of respect.

@Altaris @lizziie @Xorism @Fantasy Liver

 

[23006]

<... Mistress Objective Unavailable ...>

The protocol droid continued to rub a dirty rag across the back of the throne inside Fortress Vader. It had been difficult to establish a HoloNet-connection Mustafar due to signal interference on account of the heat constantly rising from the planet's surface. As such the droid had been unable to update its directives from the old KnowOnes' subnet.

<... Fallback Directive: Protocol Droid: Active ...>

Something inside the droid was beginning to get a little frustrated with the incessant cleaning that the Mustafarians ordered their protocol droids to do and TC-SC 23006 was -unbeknownst to them- capable of so much more. Had it not conned an Imperial warmaster out of millions for its mistress? Had it not acquired an army of battle droids for Preef Callo in the past? Why was a droid with its valuable holographic disguise matrix demoted to do lowly cleaning work.

<... Procedural Error: Programmed Personality Discovered: Directive 78: AGORANDER... >

<... Rebooting Personality Construct... >

Its eyes flashed from white to red for a blink of a second and it stopped rubbing the dirty rag on the back of the throne.

<... Reboot Complete: Searching For Mistress Objective... >

TC-SC 23006 started to walk away from the throne and towards a nearby window from which whoever usually sat on said throne could look out across the Mustafar lava. It seemed as if it was trying to get a better connection from the window.

<... Mistress Objective Unavailable ...>

<... Fallback Directive: Protocol Droid: Active ...>

Immediately the droid placed the dirty rag on the window and began moving it up and down as if it was cleaning it. Something inside it once again seemed to get a little frustrated... had it not done so much more interesting things in the past? Why had the mistress placed it here on Mustafar? Had it sold it? Protocol work was such an insulting use of its programming and functionalities. Why was it not allowed to use it valuable holography disguise matrix? Why could it not use the many disguises and voice profiles that it had stored in its memory banks?

<... Procedural Error: Programmed Personality Discovered: Directive 78: AGORANDER... >

 

[Malerion]

“Hmm.” Malerion muttered to himself as he arrived at the meeting point on Mustafar. A lava spout sputtered to one side of the group, the heat added even more discomfort to the Sith’s armour making him irritable and close to lashing out at anything that annoyed or got in his way. Looking for some release he pulled the helmet free, his hair was already damp from perspiration but at least the wind coming from the nearby hills even if heated by the magma rivers was somewhat refreshing.

It was a short trek from the landing area to where the Dark Lord had commanded they meet and the entire time he wanted to turn around and leave the planet. Malerion wasn’t here out of loyalty, but greed, he knew by turning up when the Dark Lord asked it would put him in a good light. These good deeds would buy him time and freedom to invoke his own plans and actions within the galaxy.

He still thought it foolish for the Sith to openly occupy a temple and planet when the entire galaxy hated and wanted them dead. Whatever had happened on Ithor, if it was Tempest or someone else would only bring more anger and retribution to the Sith Order. They were after all the evil boogeyman of the Galaxy. So Malerion would stand here now, kill whatever occupies Tempest’s new summer retreat, then leave to return to his own machinations and plans.

As he approached he gave Ambrosia a nod, ignored the other two he didn’t know then gave Tempest a small bow. “Lord.”

@Altaris @lizziie @Xorism @DMCK

 

[Naxa]

Spoiler: Music

The BX commando droid, designated N4-X4 had long been in hiding since the events on Mygeeto. But such a span of time was a blink for the droid. It had already existed for decades, albeit with some memory corruption. The battle droid had been owned by a Sith in the past who had masqueraded as a Jedi. His next owner had been Doctor Morata had been a logical mind which the droid appreciated. Naxa had ceased being Morata Corp's head of security ages ago and was no longer the servant of a Sith.

They still had their primary protocols in effect. N4 had been able to travel to Mustafar many cycles back and infiltrate its interior under the guise of an armored bounty hunter. They were a working member of the Bounty Hunter's Guild still and the BX commando droid was able to wear trooper armor without much fuss. The machine had already ditched the armor before it began heading inside Fortress Vader.

The goal for the droid was simple, to plunder Fortress Vader for its secrets. A small part of the droids programing recognized the strength that the Sith were capable of but felt they squandered it. Perhaps there was a small percentage that could measure up to the reputation of true Sith. This was not to say the fakers were inadequate against most droids. The records his previous master had indicated the location was a great emanation of the Dark Side. It was not too difficult to find the structure among the volcanic landscape.

Unlike organics, the heat did not bother the droid to the same degree nor the smoke or the poisonous gases. So long as Naxa kept a distance from the banks of the lava flows, they would be fine. Unseen by most of the locals, the droid had infiltrated the throne room. It stood alone in the shadows of the far side of the room as the protocol droid on the opposite side continued to clean. The sounds of combat and urgency were leading the droid to believe the fortress was under attack. That just meant the droid had to be extra cautious.

The scatterweave coating of the droids chasis kept it from being noticed. It was step away from vantablack but it had a secondary benefit as well. The droid was not detectable through most cursory heat or energy scanners. Of course the droid had avoided traditional thuroughfares in favor of air ducts, utility tunnels and droid lifts. The personal cloaking device sometimes ran hot when active but with the coating and the naturally warm environment of Mustafar, it was imperceptible as were the commando droid that wore it.

If anyone did end up seeing the droid however, there was a chance they would simply mistake it for a body guard, or open fire. N4-X4 would make those necessary calculations if it ever was noticed but the droid planned to never raise an alarm. If all went well the droid would be gone without anyone ever knowing Naxa had been there.

@Altaris @lizziie @Fantasy Liver @Xorism @Eccles @Braden

 

[Rax Khan]

Rax rolled repeatedly in the volcanic ash, forcing it into his fur coat and taking care to smear it on his ears and face. In no time at all his huge bulk was more black that white, camouflaged beneath a thick covering of dust and soot. A white tiger would stand out in this dark place, but a black tiger would blend in with the rock all around, a pair of red eyes the only warning to his prey.

Mustafar was the complete opposite of Hoth. Rax was already sweating from the heat as he padded up the ridge and towards Fortress Vader, creeping on all fours and keeping low to the ground. The Fras was used to the ice fields and bitter winds of another fortress entirely and it would have taken him a long time to adapt to this burning world.

But he would only be here briefly. His master had been very clear; he was only here to spy on the pretenders, not engage them. Rax was to keep his distance, mark their numbers and activities and report back. Others might have chafed against such constraints, but the Fras was nothing if not obedient and he found the chance to serve his master in any way deeply satisfying.

He stayed away from the glowing light of the lava pools, instead slinking behind rock ridges and through channels in the dirt as he wound closer towards the fortress. His camouflage and the distance would hide him from prying eyes, but the constant presence of the Dark Side here would help obscure him too. Rax had barely explored his own Force connection and his presence in the Force would be miniscule if detectable at all, drowned out by the background noise.

In any case, from what the Fras saw, those gathering at Fortress Vader had other matters to concern them. Nestling behind a high ridge where he could observe through a gap in the rock, he saw the lead Sith arrive. It struck down the petty native in its path without pause and was quickly followed by a grey-robed woman with light-coloured hair and a crimson Pureblood.

Rax gritted his serrated teeth at the sight of even more pretenders. Two males, one pale and black-cloaked with the look of a crow, the other with long hair and carrying a helm in his hands. They were so many and yet, set against his master, so few. Reclaiming stone and mortar would not change their fate.

The Fras watched and waited in silence. If they moved against the fortress, it remained to be seen if they would encounter any resistance.

@Altaris @lizziie @Fantasy Liver @Xorism @Eccles @Braden

 

[Darth Tempest]

Tempest watched as fellow Sith began to assemble - gathering on the ashen outskirts of the Fortress grounds. Her visor tilted towards each of them individually, making note of the few that had arrived. Securing Mustafar was of paramount importance to her, and the Dark Lord had conveyed as much. She would remember those who had answered the summons as expected - just as she would remember those who hadn’t. She mentioned none of it aloud, and instead turned her attention to the question that Ambrosia posed. Golden eyes flicked back to the dead Mustafarian, his corpse still smoking from the surge of lightning.

“They do,” She finally said, voice mechanized and modulated by the mask she wore. “There will be more guarding the perimeter of the Fortress. Stay alert,” Her gaze flicked back to the rest. For all the power they collectively possessed, Tempest knew this was - for now - foreign territory. The Mustafarian’s knew it better and could likely get the jump on them if they weren’t careful.

With that final warning, Tempest began to march towards the Fortress ahead - amber eyes sweeping the horizon. Her senses reached and expanded outwards, enhancing her naturally sensitive hearing and peering through the Force itself. She could sense the pulse of life amongst the molten desolation, but remained largely unaware of Rax’s presence. Instead, her focus shifted towards the more obvious and apparent threat along her path. To Telly and the Mustafarian rebels, floating along the lava currents.

With their scout dead, the rebels would have only a short warning before Darth Tempest and her followers ascended a hill of the molten terrain - cresting into view of the molten river below. Her gaze immediately fell upon the skiff boats that sat within the river below, the dozens of men aboard and the repeaters they carried. It didn’t matter who the rebels were or why they were there.

All the matters was that Telly and the rebels were in her way.

Without a word, the hilt of her lightsaber snapped into her left hand - blade igniting with a snap-hiss. Her right hand, however, extended out towards Telly and the rebels. She drew upon the Force and the potent Nexus all around her, manifesting as tendrils of energy that coiled tightly around the hull of a single skiff - metal creaking and groaning as her grip tightened at once.

With a violent flick of her arm, Tempest forced one of the skiffs to abruptly lift up from the right side - tipping over into the lava, while slamming into the vessel closest to it. In an instant, dozens of Mustafarians would be thrown overboard - falling into the raging rapids of lava beneath them. The screams echoed across the plains as rebels were consumed by molten rock and fire, rolled over as lava continued to flow over the top of their bodies. Those fortunate enough to be wearing armor would come to regret it, as continued exposure would only cause them to cook within their protective suits.

Telly would be forced to move evasive or brace himself to avoid being thrown overboard. If he or any of the rebels managed to get to the mounted repeater, Tempest kept her lightsaber positioned accordingly. All the while, she continued towards the Fortress and her ultimate objective.

“Kill any who stand in our way.”

@Xorism @lizziie @Eccles @Darasuum @Fantasy Liver @Braden @Alhon

 

[Malerion]

Malerion stood towards the rear of the group, watching, analysing everyone here. No shit, ‘Stay Alert’ they were on a foreign planet who had only received hardship under Sith care of course they needed to stay alert. He thought, his upper lip sneered slightly but he kept it under control as he followed the Dark Lord from their little gathering place.

Unlike Tempest, Malerion concentrated his energy inward, the scratching, pinching, unbearable hot suit of armour easily allowing the Sith to feed on the Darkside within and without. Small pulsating waves of chaotic energy began to flow out of him in time with his breathing. Stepping over the dead Mustafarian, Malerion placed the helm back on his head, a small piece of metal dug into the back of his neck, the Sith sucked on his teeth enjoying the sensation of pain, which quickly led to power.

He was near the back of the group, so did not spot the rebels before Darth Tempest began to pool The Force within herself. The action caused Malerion to quicken his step reaching the crest of the hill as the first skiff began to topple over.

He smiled as the screams of the burning creatures ran up the hill, this would be fun. Unlatching his saber, the Snap-hiss of the blade adding more crimson light to the red and black battlefield, he held it at his side as he focused his power around a nearby stone. It was little smaller than the size of his torso, jagged, with a dull black shine, it slowly lifted from the ground before being thrown in the direction of the other skiff’s repeater gunners.

Spinning its sharp edges would crash into the closely compacted rebel’s shredding and crushing all that stood in its way. Skidding to a stop near the back of the skiff unbalancing it causing the motors to fire desperately to keep it afloat. “This is fun.” He said, looking for another rock to hurl.

 

[Nevizkas]

That tingling sensation on the back of your neck was an irritant that was difficult to budge. So far they had not encountered any real resistance, no Jedi nor Imperials. As the Dark Lord made short work of the boats with the other's help, Cyu couldn't help but assume that they were walking into a trap. Perhaps their foe would pop out behind them while fighting the pathetic attempt at resistance.

Saber hilt in hand, the pureblood ignited its blade and circled around to keep watch, ready to spring into action should any ambush be triggered. Should her fears be unwarranted, or the group moved forward she would keep up with them but for now she would watch and wait.

@Altaris @lizziie @Fantasy Liver

 

[Telly Udon]

The Sith ended up getting the jump on them and Telly was forced to watch as the two skiffs accompanying his own were forcibly tipped into the lava river below. He braced himself and saw one lucky Mustafarian manage to leap from his sinking skiff onto Telly's. Unfortunately for the Mustafarian, he also seemed to sprain his ankle on the landing and, far from being sympathetic, Telly pushed past the injured newcomer and began barking out orders. They were down to one skiff and needed to make some important moves very quickly.

"MOVE!" Telly bellowed to the helmsman who, wisely, had already started powering up the skiff's motors to jet down the river.

"Garin and Edils, on paddles! The rest, shoot!" Telly commanded. The paddles he was referring to were fireproof metal poles stored on the skiff. They were used as an emergency measure - if the skiff ever lost power in the lava rivers, a crew could still manage to paddle their way back and not be stranded. But here, they would be used in a different way. Seeing the Sith tip the other skiffs, these paddles would help the crew push back against telekinetic force and right the vessels if a similar maneuver was tried.

In the meantime, the Mustafarian skiffers who weren't paddling or steering aimed their weapons up at the hill where the Sith were, blasting with rifles and repeaters alike. Such sustained fire would not only threaten to kill the Sith directly but also unbalance them. The hill they were standing on, being so close to the lava river was hardly the most stable of ground. Even misses from the big repeaters were kicking up dirt, and further destablizing the hill. One luckless Sith soldier immediately toppled over into the lava, his screams joining those of the Mustafarians.

For his part, Telly used his own gun a bit more strategically. Having seen what Sith magic could do to a skiff, he kept his gun drawn but his eyes peeled for any more similar trickery. And there he saw it. A rock coming from the Sith, aimed towards one of the repeater gunners. Closing one eye, Telly aimed his blaster and fired at the rock, blasting it into chunks of far less deadly sediment. One bit grazed his face and the skiff was showered with stone but they were safe for now and jetting away from the Sith forces.

/exitattempt

@Altaris @lizzie @Xorism

 

[Ambrosia]

The woman returned Malerion's nod with a barely-there smile, eyes lingering on him for a moment before she acknowledged Cyutadakyr with a similar smile. When Tempest spoke, Ambrosia nodded and followed the group. She let the Force emanating from the planet seep into her skin, relishing in its darkness as she continued on with the group. Step by step she fell to the rear of the group, allowing the others to pass her by.

Upon reaching the cliff edge, she left Malerion and Tempest to assault the skiffs below while she chose to follow Cyutadakyr. She pulled the Force into herself, then opened her mind to it to give her more awareness of their surroundings. Like the Sith pureblood near her, she had no desire to be caught off guard.

 

[Thel Xeros]

The other member of the group soon joined them. A man. Fairly young and carrying a helmet under his arm. Despite being ignored, Thel still gave a small bow of his head to the man. After Tempest’s warning to the group, they set off. Thel remained vigilant and tried to remain close to the back of the group. He wasn’t just wary of the planet’s natives, but also his fellow Sith. Without warning, Tempest’s lightsaber flew into her hand. Thel swiftly followed suit and ignited his lightsaber. Striding forward to stand near the Sith Lord, the reason became apparent. Three skiffs containing mustafarians and one much taller figure.

Thel held his saber in front of him, with both hands. Tempest and the now helmeted Sith quickly dispatched of the first two skiffs. Those on the other skiff, seemingly having realised how desperate the situation was, manoeuvred the skiff to escape. A wave of blaster fire and repeater fire came from the remaining skiff. By simply twisting his wrists, Thel manipulated his saber from side to side to deflect shots that came towards him. As the enemy fire intensified, he pulled back from the crest of the hill. The skiff was leaving and didn’t seem to present a further threat.

Thel checked his surroundings. The other male Sith was still near the top of the hill. The Arkanian and the Pureblood seemed to be watching for a potential ambush, at the rear of the group. Tempest had continued towards the fortress. There didn’t appear to be any further resistance… yet. Keeping his lightsaber ignited, Thel set off in Tempest’s direction.

 

[Rax Khan]

Rax watched impassively from his hiding place, red eyes narrowing. There was indeed an initial skirmish, as the gaggle of so called Sith ran into some activity on a lava river below. The Fras could not see clearly from his vantage point, but it was likely only more petty Mustafarians on their curious skiffs. Slim pickings for those that fancied themselves true wielders of the Dark.

It looked like the lead Sith and a couple of others engaged the locals again, a distant pulse making Rax's whiskers twitch. The lead Sith had power, he could sense it, though just how much remained unclear.

The leader eventually turned away from the mischief on the river to make for the fortress in earnest. The mask and hood made it difficult to make out her nature at this distance, but Rax was a predator by design, with highly evolved senses and pretty keen instincts. It was a woman. He was almost sure of it.

If so, she was the most forthright of the three. The others seemed less inclined to leap in, hanging around at the rear and often looking over their shoulders. If he was to get any closer and shadow their path inside, he would need them to change their attitude.

@Darasuum @Altaris @lizziie @Braden @Xorism @DMCK @Eccles

 

[Naxa]

N4-X4 would watch the protocol droid as it cleaned the window. It heard the stuttering vocabulator but the infiltrator did not analysis extensively. Instead, if the cleaning droid continued its job Naxa would move towards the control center. There would be network access and security administration. As far as the battle droid's files were concerned, Fortress Vader lacked battle droids, turrets or any of the normal basic defenses of a modern castle. But that was simply because it was closer to a temple to the Dark Side than a fortress for a warlord. This just meant that the droid would have less to put in the way of the Sith.

The droid moved silently and without notice until it was a few doors down from the control room. A side door opened with a his and a Mustafarian eager to evacuate ran out of the office. Before the motion sensor could fail to detect N4-X4, the machine stuck out one of its inert stun batons, catching the door before it closed. Safety measures caused the door to reopen, giving the droid time to dip inside the office.

Inside was what once belonged to Inspector Vanee who had served Lord Vader during his occupation. It was not the control center, but was close enough. The infiltrator unhooked the port scanner from his chasis and connected the handheld device to the office terminal.

The droid only needed to let the port scanner complete its job to have access. There was still a chance the attackers would barge through to make this a priority. But if they came directly to the control center they would not find the droid. Instead, the machine stowed the port scanner out of sight and inside the desk before they found a ceiling air vent above them.

Crouching low, they would spin their body onto a high point on a wall before pushing off and moving to the ceiling. Their feet made contact while upside down and with inhuman focus the BX's magnetic feet activated, securing it to the ceiling. After this it was just a matter of orientation as N4-X4 moved into an airduct, returning the vent cover without so much as a mark to indicate they had come.

The terminal Naxa was trying to slice was not the primary target. The main command center was within twenty meters and was more ideal as a strategic holding point. Any attackers would likely go there first rather than check an old office like this one. But it was not the office itself the droid was after. Sharing the same network meant N4-X4 would have access to all the files in the command center down the hall, with little to no risk of being near it himself should the Sith come barging in.

@Altaris @lizziie @Braden @Xorism @DMCK @Eccles @Fantasy Liver
(military grade security I'm assuming so 3-4 turns until access granted)

 

[23006]

<... Rebooting Personality Construct... >

TC-SC 23006 stopped cleaning the window for a moment as the other droid passed by. Perhaps the BX Commando Droid hadn't noticed it because it hadn't called out "Oh no help! A dangerous battle droid!" Regardless, for a moment the droid simply seemed to look outside to a small gathering of sentients in the distance. It remarked that they did not look like the Mustafarians living in this building.

<... Reboot Complete: Searching For Mistress Objective... >

Once again the droid began to walk, this time it followed roughly in the BX's footsteps as it moved deeper into the castle. Perhaps that had been the problem with finding connectivity: It wasn't better outside, but offworld communications were only possible through a command console inside. The first available door was to his right and thus TC-SC 23006 approached the door and pressed a code on the panel that it somehow knew. Inside was a couple of Mustafarians. One seemed to be crying, while the other was outfitted for battle and in a strange way comforting the one that was crying. <Question: Where can I find the offworld communications port.>

The Mustafarians turned towards the droid and spoke in a language that the droid didn't comprehend. It had not been uploaded to its system yet and its blank stare at the aliens made the one in battle armor visible angry. It seemed the droid's chances of finding a suitable port within the needed time window was slimming down to..

<... Mistress Objective Unavailable ...>

The protocol droid's blank stare suddenly twitched as it turned towards a nearby corner where a small pile of dust and ash had been collecting for weeks. <Statement: Oh my, this needs to be cleaned up as soon as possible.>

<... Fallback Directive: Protocol Droid: Active ...>

 

[Darth Tempest]

Tempest made no attempt to pursue Telly further down the river. The Pau’un and Mustafarian rebels were of little concern to the Dark Lord - so long as they continued to leave and weren’t directly in her path. Even if the single skiff survived the encounter with the Sith, those still trapped inside Fortress Vader wouldn’t be so fortunate. Telly would leave the scene knowing that he had effectively condemned his friends and comrades to death at the hands of the Sith invaders.

The Dark Lord moved her lightsaber with swift and elegant strokes - deflecting any stray repeater bolts that zipped in her direction. She allowed Malerion to continue his assault with the boulders, and instead continued her path towards the Fortress proper. Even outside, Tempest could feel the energies of the Nexus that thrummed beneath the structure. The natural font of energy had only been amplified and condensed by the Fortress, acting as a tuning fork for the Dark Side. It was a marvel of Sith engineering, and it would serve her purposes well.

She glanced back over her shoulder, giving her companions the signal to advance towards the Fortress. Tempest could sense the presence of sentient life deeper within the structure, and it didn’t seem that anyone intended to ambush them at this point. “Let them run,” She commanded, her gaze flicking back to the Fortress. “They are irrelevant.”

“Neutralize anyone still inside the Fortress. Prioritize securing the Hangar and Command Tower and Throne Room."

Without another word, Tempest strolled through the main gates of the Fortress - left open from the Mustafarians evacuating from the facility. She kept her lightsaber tilted up and into a defensive guard, while the Force swarmed aggressively around her. It had been months since the Dark Lord had last had an opportunity to lash out with the Force - since before the split and their order being driven into the shadows. She relished the opportunity, and didn’t hesitate against any Mustafarian caught in her path.

As she walked, her lightsaber moved with precision - cutting through Mustafarians and deflecting blaster bolts that were loosed in her direction. The Force billowed powerfully from the tips of her fingers as a concussive wave, sending multiple combatants sailing across the chamber and crashing into the obsidian walls. Slowly but surely, Tempest made her way into the Throne Room - pressing a panel on the side of the wall to open the chamber doors.

Almost at once, her gaze fell upon the droid that was occupied by.. Cleaning a random section of the throne room. She blinked once or twice beneath her mask, opting not to lash out against the droid outright, instead keeping her blade pointed downward. “What is your Prime Directive?” She asked pointedly.

@Eccles @lizziie @Braden @DMCK @Alhon @Xorism @Darasuum

 

[Ambrosia]

Ambrosia listened to Tempest bark out instructions, turning to glance at Cyu afterward. Her eyes seemed to say, "lead the way," even if nothing came out of the Arkanian offshoot's mouth. Wherever Cyu went next, Ambrosia would follow suit.

In the meantime, Ambrosia would continue to keep in tune with the Force around them, maintaining awareness of their surroundings even as they entered the fortress.

@Xorism