.
For all of her experience as a sith, Vahliri couldn’t deny that the current expedition made her extremely nervous. Weeks had been spent to carefully prepare and carve a plan of approach, and the half-Annfyn had even been given temporary command of a fleet to execute her own strategy. It was due to her own track record of successes and military victories that she’d been granted such credence, and yet none of that could’ve prepared her for the stakes placed upon her in that moment. Perhaps because Thule was a planet like few others - if any - within the Galaxy.
In days of ancient past, Thule had been a Fortress-world of the Ancient Sith - a bastion of the martial tradition established by Kravos and his heirs, and a center of learning for new generations of the Sith Order. Its populace had been bred with those same ideals - sworn in undying loyalty to the Drast Monarchs of old. Even as the Empire faded from power, the people of Thule had held true to their principles, and it was thought the conflict of a dozen warlords that a new King and dynasty arose to claim sovereignty of its surface.
Eons had passed, and the people of Thule had survived the ages - their proud, Temple-cities still prosperous and the dynasty of its king unbroken.
By now, Thule had reverted to a position of xenophobic isolationism. The Empire had come again - but it seemed that the current monarch, a man seated the throne for less than a year, was none-too-keen to relinquish the authority his family had commanded for generations. Neutrality had been their shield against the flames of war, and not a single Imperial envoy had been allowed onto the surface of the planet. Those who attempted to bypass such rules and land anywhere were, unsurprisingly, never heard from again.
It was past time that things changed, and Vahliri would be the one to see things through. All the same, she knew that a direct attack on the planet would be nothing short of a bloodbath. Thule was heavily fortified, with trained legions and artillery mounted close to the capital that would tear through any invading force before they reached the surface. And it was for precisely that reason the half-Annfyn had discreetly taken a shuttle into the canyons outside the capital, avoiding detection thus far. While a larger force wouldn’t be able to slip through undetected, perhaps she wouldn’t need one.
For now, Vahliri waited behind the cover of stone - her weight leaned against a tall, ancient treetrunk. She was dressed a bit more subtle than normal, with her lightsaber tucked out of sight and black hair tied back into a loose bun. She couldn't afford the risk of a campfire, but instead the half-Annfyn positioend herself out of the bitter wind. It wouldn't be terribly long, she knew. A quick glance down at her chrono reveleaed her partner in the operation would be arriving shortly, and then matters could truly begin.
In days of ancient past, Thule had been a Fortress-world of the Ancient Sith - a bastion of the martial tradition established by Kravos and his heirs, and a center of learning for new generations of the Sith Order. Its populace had been bred with those same ideals - sworn in undying loyalty to the Drast Monarchs of old. Even as the Empire faded from power, the people of Thule had held true to their principles, and it was thought the conflict of a dozen warlords that a new King and dynasty arose to claim sovereignty of its surface.
Eons had passed, and the people of Thule had survived the ages - their proud, Temple-cities still prosperous and the dynasty of its king unbroken.
By now, Thule had reverted to a position of xenophobic isolationism. The Empire had come again - but it seemed that the current monarch, a man seated the throne for less than a year, was none-too-keen to relinquish the authority his family had commanded for generations. Neutrality had been their shield against the flames of war, and not a single Imperial envoy had been allowed onto the surface of the planet. Those who attempted to bypass such rules and land anywhere were, unsurprisingly, never heard from again.
It was past time that things changed, and Vahliri would be the one to see things through. All the same, she knew that a direct attack on the planet would be nothing short of a bloodbath. Thule was heavily fortified, with trained legions and artillery mounted close to the capital that would tear through any invading force before they reached the surface. And it was for precisely that reason the half-Annfyn had discreetly taken a shuttle into the canyons outside the capital, avoiding detection thus far. While a larger force wouldn’t be able to slip through undetected, perhaps she wouldn’t need one.
For now, Vahliri waited behind the cover of stone - her weight leaned against a tall, ancient treetrunk. She was dressed a bit more subtle than normal, with her lightsaber tucked out of sight and black hair tied back into a loose bun. She couldn't afford the risk of a campfire, but instead the half-Annfyn positioend herself out of the bitter wind. It wouldn't be terribly long, she knew. A quick glance down at her chrono reveleaed her partner in the operation would be arriving shortly, and then matters could truly begin.