Open Sullust Springing Lieutenant Aran

[Preef Callo]

Just as Preef was about to take his first sip of the boiling hot coffee the whole building started shaking as if a grenade had gone off the floor above him. Startled, the rodian dropped his coffee as he automatically went for his blaster. "What the!" he cried when suddenly alarms starting blaring and a flashing red light illuminated the waiting room. "What in the-" clearly confused as Kark, Preef turned towards the Sullustan Defense Officer sitting behind the desk, but she didn't pay him any mind as she violently chatted with someone over a comm unit. "What's going on?" he asked, quickly making his way over to her, blaster in hand.

When she finally looked, the fear in her eyes surprise the rodian. "Suicide bomber," she stated matter-of-factly, "Apparently Jedi are making some kind of suicide run on the surface." He comm unit beeped again and she answered it without excusing herself to Preef, leaving him to his own bewilderment. "Suicide run on the surface?" he repeated in disbelief. Didn't the Jedi know the cities were below the surface? Bombing didn't really do anything to hurt the people or the infrastructure here. "What about my meeting?" he asked with just a splinter of hope, but the officer shook her head, "Not happening. You're dismissed. Report to the front."


dismissed!? Preef's eyes boiled with anger, REPORT TO THE FRONT!? What did she think he was!? A Sith lackey!? He didn't follow their orders anymore than you could tell water to flow towards land! Maybe that didn't make any sense... Angry, Preef holstered his blaster and headed for the elevator. "Report to the front my ass," he cursed and was once again surprised by a voice behind him, "You, too?" A squad of four troopers joined him in the elevator, forcing it to its maximum capacity and making Preef a bit wanting for personal space. "No, I'm going to my speeder, I-" but it was no use, the elevator was going up to the battlements.

Sixty seconds later, Preef was wandering in what looked like half a Sith temple and half a besieged military outpost. The first window he looked through he saw that crater that resulted from the freighter's impact and a glimpse of a balcony to his left, so he just headed over there. The two women standing outside overlooking the assortment of light freighters in the distance seemed like good company to him... well, at least better that the over-eager and ready-to-die soldiers that were jogging around. "Is that the Jedi suicide run they talk about downstairs?" he asked as he saw little figures moving closer to the walls amidst the rock outcropping. Clearly they thought that it was stealthy or something, but all it did was provide them cover... it didn't make them invisible.


@Painus @Wit

 

[Crix Aran]

Crix wasn't messing around with the defenses or the walls or whatever else the Sith had erected around their base. He knew well enough that he wasn't going to be able to get through any of that. He wasn't some trained Jedi or Sector Ranger badass or even a Mando Supercommando - he was just a teenager with the Force giving him hints, some equipment and a burning desire to save his mom for the hell that his actions had gotten her involved in. So he strapped on the portable rebreather he'd stolen from Talak's ship (the dude didn't need it cus he had a bigger helmet and stuff) and got to moving.

Pulling his hood up as well, Crix kept moving toward the wall of the facility but not for the same reason as some of the others. If they wanted to run at the giant hole in the wall (and hadn't THAT been rather unexpected) then they were free to do so because he wasn't about running into the fire like that... which was ironic really.

Crix was, instead, running along behind one of the obsidian ridges toward the right hand side of the facility. The side of the facility further away from the hole and the one that had what he was looking for; vents. He was small for his age because his growth spurt hadn't come in yet and there were vents and other intakes and exhausts that he could get through that others couldn't.

Such was the logic that had him darting from shadow to shadow in his dark cloak hoping to spot something he could exploit. Even without training he was twisting and screwing the feeling in his gut tight, the Force responding to his amateurish machinations to protect him from the heat of the planet and, hopefully, from the steam and other exhausts.

He kept his eye on the defenders he could see and their weapons as he stayed the hell away from the main attack and made his way forward.

@Dread

 

[Izel Thral]

"I suppose we need to do something to even the playing field a bit," Izel replied to Nara confidently. For her own part she was glad to be here, that familiar mixture of fear and excitement coursing through her veins. "The Sith would never stand a chance if they didn't see us coming." She would then turn back to Kori as she began giving orders, nodding in the affirmative. She was ready.

Her high spirits were interrupted though by the unexpected appearance of the red-haired woman Kori called a senator. She immediately aroused the Vratix's suspicion. She could sense the dark side around her, and it wasn't just Sullust. Could she be another one like Gale? She couldn't say, and now wasn't really the time to be worrying about such things. Instead she decided to worry about the massive explosion that just went off closer to the base. Well if the Sith didn't know they were coming before they certainly knew now, time to get started. Noticing the base was scrambling fighters she raised her comlink to her mouth and spoke urgently to her Padawan.

"Isen, if you're up to it we could really use a friendly bird in the air right now. Stick with Drow Venn and provide support to the ground forces." She ordered before turning to Kori and listening to the rest of her plan. Part of her worried about splitting their forces when they had no idea how many enemies they were up against inside that base, but she didn't wish to undermine Kori's command. So long as they remained calm and played things smart they would be fine. The Force was with them. The senator's presence though... That was cause to worry. Just one more thing to watch out for.

"I'm with you." She assured Kori with a nod. Whatever happened, she would stick by her comrades. One way or another they would make the Sith remember this day.

@Catbert @Charndley @LeonDrandell @Isen @Fantasy Liver

 

[Isen Ramm]

The young Padawan was making his approach, sloppy as it would be with his lack of skill, when a ship zipped by him and crashed with a massive explosion near the gates. Isen veered back and lifted the ship back into full flight again out of instinct. "What the..." Everything sort of played itself out over comms and Isen figured the gameplan was to just go in like gangbusters. He sorta liked it.

"Isen, if you're up to it we could really use a friendly bird in the air right now. Stick with Drow Venn and provide support to the ground forces," Isen heard Izel say over his comms.

The young padawan deflated at this. First, he was really wishing he had practiced his maneuvering in the X-wing on the way here. He was a poor pilot anyway, wasn't well-versed in this ship, and if stuff started shooting back, Isen wasn't totally convinced he wouldn't get shot down and die in a fireball. Not to mention that Isen really felt more comfortable and...he hated to admit it...enjoyed battling on the ground with a lightsaber. And to have a chance to go at with a Sith? But, it appears he would be relegated to air support...and probably a shoddy job of it at that. But if anything, Isen obeyed his commands from his Master. He gathered himself to not sound disappointed over comms. He certainly didn't want to come off as a whiny brat with so much of the order tuned into the frequency.

"Yes, Master," Isen said back over comms. "I'll do my best."

@Reyn @Catbert @Charndley @LeonDrandell @Fantasy Liver

 

[Maxims Tionson]

Leave it to Hannibal.

Most people wouldn't have thought that the term 'explosive entrance' was an instruction but Hannibal was not most people. Hannibal was the kind of person who would take it as not only an invitation but as something to be surpassed. Why make an explosive entrance when you could make the explosion and even bigger explosion to allow others to make their entrance?

Pure Hannibal logic right there.

Slipping a rebreather onto his face, Max did his best to stop smiling at the whole thing. This was going to be terrible in so many ways so he appreciated the levity that came from it. Of course he could feel the Dark Side pouring out from the base - there seemed to be one woman in particular and that was standing out to him. Already he could feel her through the Force and it was... odd.

He had never met her but he could feel her through the Force - why would that be the case? What connection did she have to something in his life? His smile faded into the frown it was going to stay as. He could just tell that it was going to be 'One of those Days' in the worst possible way.

"Got someone eyeing me, Hans. Know her?"

Making jumps between outcroppings, Max made sure to keep himself out of the direct line of sight of the defenders. They would be able to sense him, no doubt, but hopefully they weren't going to stamp carpet bombing the planet.

... crap that was just a matter of time really. Time to get a move on.

@Mr. Teatime @Dread

 

[Juniper]

Nara watched with equal parts shock and admiration as the ship flew forwards, wincing as it was blown out of the sky. Pretty fireworks, but kind of a waste. When Kori mentioned the word 'senator," Nara's face could've curdled milk. Just what in the living fu-

She decided to let the more diplomatically-minded of the group deal with the hero-complex politician. She'd stick to her strengths, which were...

I'm going to scowl at the walls until they're embarrassed enough to let us in.

Approaching the wall with the rest of the team, Nara looked around for anything that might've helped. A rough patch in the wall, some crumbling from the stonework, anything. Over the top was an option... so was a sewage pipe. Though, she looked around at the others before looking down at herself. Well... that'll be me going in the pipe then, if we find one. The eternal benefits of being scrawny.

"Get me inside. I just need a console, a panel, anything electrical. We can make some more chaos, cut off their troops from different parts of the compound, mess with their atmo controls..." Nara didn't know how fancy their electrical wiring would be, but Sullust wasn't a very hospitable planet. It'd be complicated to get a complex like that running and where there were complications, there were always more points of failure.

"Anyone bring a rope?" Nara asked, looking up at the wall. "Or maybe a grabbling hook? Starting to feel just a tiny bit unprepared here."

Next time, I'm bringing explosives.

If there is a next time.

@Catbert @Reyn

 

[Wiley Winnz]

"Ope, there's the battery." Wiley mumbled to himself as he put an unlit cigara in his mouth. The recorder had needed it charged nearby his bed. Just when he verified the charge was good, he heard the alarm to scramble fighters. The Klaxion sounded throughout the facility and for a moment Wiley raised an eyebrow and looked up as if debating which direction to head, re-stowing his cigara. The directive for scrambling the starfighters was his queue to get some decent action.

Just as the marauder left to grab a faster seat back to the hangar, he felt a shake from and what he recognized as explosion. But it was a singular rattling of the living quarters underground. Not a bombing run then. Going towards the elevator he saw one was filled with troopers and a rodian so he waited to get the next one. Oh, that's heading up anyways. Wiley entered the other one. "Need to make a stop down stairs fellas." He said and raised a hand to push the two scout troopers back a foot. The sudden push would make them stagger and bump into the back of the lift giving Wiley plenty of room to select the floor with the tram. "Thanks mates."

The doors closed shortly and only after it started heading down did he turn to the two troopers and ask them which floor they had been heading to. "Have a lovely day." He said and pressed the button on the way out of the turbo lift. The tram would be along in a moment and in less than a minute the marauder would be feeling the nice purr of his A-9 Interceptor. He turned to the other pilots and troops that were also scrambling and moving to battle stations.

 

[SenatorRosannaSnowel]

"Senator, I don't think this place is appropriate for..." Nykoria began as Rossana grinned at her through her own mask. Her smile left her face at the firework of an explosion, determination filled it in its place. "Senator, it's too dangerous out here. Won't be long before the Sith dispatch troops here and try to take our ships. It's best if you left Sullust..." "Or got your ship in the air and provided cover for the Serendipity." Rossana nodded and said, “Danger has never bothered me, being a Senator itself has it’s own risks, I’m merely going to be amplifying those in order to help another,” she gestured to the lightsaber on her belt and said, “I’m more adept at dueling then flying Master Nykoria, I think I’ll be better suited in your squad.”

The morally righteous (for the moment) politician, followed after the group and watched them look at the walls. She began to wish she could do something more, but she was a Senator and a closeted duelist, nothing more. She didn’t have the brains of some of the Jedi, or even the brawn of some too. She was just a woman, a woman with two lightsabers, red hair and a voice inside her head. “Look at them, so unsuspecting.... One slash and you could kill a MASTER JEDI or perhaps a few Knights...” Shrugging off that disturbing thought, the Senator wondered aloud after listening to Nara’s idea, “What if we tried propelling one of us up? Like one of us jump upwards and the others give them a little force-boost. Or... perhaps this one can get up there and then figure out a way to get us up!” Rossana pointed a finger at @Izel Thral , referring to her race’s special abilities.


@Izel Thral @Nykoria Tallis @Nara Allam

 

[Drow Venn]

From his days as a soldier, Drow had long ago developed the skill to see the funny side of battles, especially when they were extremely dangerous and of high stakes. This was a good thing since this rescue mission was quickly shaping up to be a doozy of an operation and Drow couldn't help but chuckle at it. Here, he'd been stubbornly insisting on the validity of the Y-Wing as a modern starfighter and it looked like he was about to get the chance to prove the theory since his fellow Jedi wanted him to remain in the air.

Fortunately, Drow might be lacking in a lot of things as a Jedi but he was a damned good pilot and had been for a while. As it was, he found himself naturally slipping into the role of a wing commander over the comm. Whether or not his fellow Jedi in the air would actually listen to him was another matter.

"Isen, this is Drow. I'm going to knock out those turrets. Hang high in the air and pick off any fighters they send my way!" Drow commed over to the Padawan.

"R2, switch power from nonessential systems to the forward shields and the thrusters." Drow told his droid, gunning his Y-Wing forward as fast as its slow speed would let him. He was hurtling forward in a straight line, trying to pick off the turrets quickly before they could go online, lock onto him, and fire upon him. He hoped his timing, his shields, or his speed would protect him. As he hurtled forward, he sent two of his proton torpedoes towards the turrets, hoping to take them out of the battle in one move. Assuming he was still alive and flying afterwards, he'd pull up and head for the sky as soon as the torpedoes were away.

@Isen Ramm @Nefieslab @Phoenix @Reyn

 

[Tycho Berand]

Tycho Berand's personal X-Wing fighter dropped out of hyperspace above the planet of Sullust on the far side of the planet. This mission was to be a stealthy one for him. His own unarmed fighter had its transponder changed to no longer represent the fact that he owned it. Instead today he was Corr Peles, owner of the "Shooting Star".

Tycho checked through his own sensors as he began a fast descent into the planet's atmosphere, making sure nothing appeared to have picked up his own ship. Somewhat confident his entrance had gone as planned he made one last call on his communicator to his security chief. "Insertion completed as planned. Going silent as soon as I hit the soup." The hologram of the young man who had worked for him for years back in the Ord Tindell Navy appeared on his dashboard. "Copy. I still disagree with this. Send me, or any of the others. We can do this for you. You're to important for this." He winced as soon as the word important came up. "You know better. Be careful with what you say on the comm. We can't guarantee whos listening in. This is risky enough without anyone scanning our comms and realizing there's someone important coming. Besides, I need to do this. The narrative needs to be carefully controlled. Corr out."

With his final words sent the old senator turned off his comm before finally going dark, engines and life support cut off just momentarily while the ship drifted through space. To any observers they would pick up a simple asteroid, potentially high in metal content entering the atmosphere of Sullust and burning up. Tycho could feel the S-Foils of his X-Wing straining as he picked up speed, he wasn't aligned for an atmospheric re-entry. He needed the excess heat to help mask his ship's signature. The senator felt beads of sweat form on his head. A message popped up on his displays from his astromech droid, displaying his current altitude.

"40 Kilometers. 10 KM/s

30 Kilometers. 8 KM/s

25 Kilometers. 7 KM/s"

Tycho flipped the switch to turn on his engines and pulled back hard on the stick. He pressed his head back against the head rest as he pulled a high-g maneuver that would have incapacitated even some veteran pilots. Luckily he had his droid incase he managed to lose consciousness, he wasn't getting any younger or even any fitter. As his engines throttled up he immediately felt himself pushed hard against his seat and the edges of his vision began to black out. He felt his head forced to its side where he could see his S-Foils physically bending at the high forces. His mechanic was going to be very annoyed with him for this one.

As he dropped closer to the ground and the engines arrested his vertical speed he felt the pressure keeping him against the chair ease off slowly. He glanced at his altimeter, only two hundred meters. He definitely was not as young as he used to be. He throttled back as he brought the X-Wing closer to the ground beneath him. He needed to stay below the sensor net of the planet, let them continue to think he had impacted against the surface. If they had paid attention and looked closely they may have noticed the last minute maneuvering but most people tended to ignore what they had explanations for.

Tycho brought up his map of the planet, although the surface was constantly changing he should still have a good enough map to get him to where the Jedi were launching their assault with the sector rangers. A very fortified position that made him whistle. He brought up the briefing again as the settlement came into view, unfortunately his contacts in intelligence hadn't been able to get him plans for the facility. He would be going in blind. Anyone looking out a window might notice the black speck moving against the ground or the four red exhaust trails from his engine but he doubted it. This was the perfect terrain for him to come in somewhat close without being spotted.

Eventually the former pilot identified a landing point far enough away from the facility for him to still be able to run. A rocky outcropping hid his X-Wing from view as he brought it down. "If the lava flows rise, or you get spotted BA-10 get the Reliance to safety. Their scanners should hopefully pick it up as unarmed and not a threat. Hopefully the Jedi have to many fighters in the air for them to want to hit you. I'll find a way out if that happens." The old senator popped open the travel hatch on his X-Wing and pulled out his gear. A set of armor better for sneaking through the facility in dark gray. A peacemaker now sat on his hip in its holster and he slung a BM-792 across his back. He attached a grappling hook to his left hip and he grabbed a holocamera and placed it in a pouch behind him. Confident in his gear he threw his flight helmet onto his seat in the cockpit and placed a combat helmet over his head. It would hide his somewhat recognizable face from anyone who would spot him. Lastly he placed a thermal detonator in a pouch on his chest. Could never be to careful.

Beginning his long trek to the fortress ahead of him the senator looked into the air at the dogfight occurring in the air above him. He resisted the urge to groan inwardly at the display of "piloting" going on but they likely hadn't been doing this as long as he had. All the more reason to finish this mission and get the Free World Alliance a proper military and the Jedi better equipment. As he continued to trek along the ground he looked up at the imposing ramparts of the fortress he was getting ready to infiltrate.

As he approached he noticed the tell tale movements against the background of the world. It appeared the Jedi were beginning their assault. He debated whether to join up with them or not. It may not interfere with his own plans and would make it easier to achieve. On the other hand it may interfere with his own plans. He sighed and changed course to join up with them. Being with them would help ensure he made it to the prisoner first.

As he moved closer to the fortress he began moving from outcropping to outcropping, making sure he wouldn't prove an easy shot for any anyone on the ramparts. He moved quickly despite his old age. He needed to catch up with the strike team. As he ran through the last clearing he waved his arm at them as he approached and dove to get up against the wall. He looked over the group and frowned. Was that Senator Snowel? Interesting that she was here, he was glad he had opted to wear the helmet instead of a hood. That would complicate things. He introduced himself, careful to give his alias for the mission. "Corr Peles, sector ranger." He wasn't worried about anyone investigating. He doubted anyone would remember the random name of someone who had been on this mission. "Whats the plan?"

@Izel Thral @Nykoria Tallis @Nara Allam

 

[Darth Vyrassu]

The Jedi she had locked onto was still out of her line of sight even as she walked closer and closer towards him. She expected him to come directly to her for playtime, but hide and seek didn't bother her too much.

She could sense another Jedi (@Mr. Teatime) heading her way too, but before either were in sight the Darth grabbed a random boulder with the Force and tossed it in the direction of the first one (@Nefieslab) screaming, "PEAK A BOO! I'LL KILL YOU!" in her cheery tone, laughing as excitement poured from her.

If she actually cared about anyone, she might've been able to recognize one of the Jedi's (@Mr. Teatime) signatures. She didn't though.

No one mattered to her but herself, and even then caring was hard. She was driven by her muses. Killing amused her. Taking Sol's assets amused her. Amassing power provided her the opportunity to continue amusing herself. Remembering Jedi signatures, faces, identities? Meh. Not unless she had to, playthings identities weren't worth committing to memory otherwise. The fun came in the battle.

 

[Nobody]

It’s not difficult for you to locate her; she’s the darkest presence around. You close your eyes underneath the mask, focusing...and she’s at it again. Chasing...Jedi, it looked like; you don’t want what happened to Sol to happen to her. She was one of those crazy ones, the Darksiders who charged into battle laughing hysterically, just waiting for the day their foolishness would result in certain death.

You’re just as foolish, that’s what’s running through your mind; nevertheless, you stalk in her direction quickly and silently. It’s a bit of a sprint, but soon you’re close enough to hear a shriek in the distance. Is she in trouble? Of course not; she’s toying with them. Like an idiot. You groan, not wanting to deal with this at the moment. Jedi were not a thing to be toyed with; they were dangerous, no matter how proficient you were in the Dark Side. Especially taking on two at once.

You’re somehow behind her as she heads in the direction of her prey, and she’s moving slowly, just walking. She doesn’t seem concerned at all; why would she be? She was convinced she was a god amongst men, but didn’t realize how close the Jedi were to taking one step up the ladder. That’s where you were not too long ago; at least that has changed. Nevertheless, you respect her for her power, influence, affluence, etc.; doesn’t mean you have to like or agree with her.

A few more moments would find him within meters of Darth Vyrassu, his quickened pace targeting her movements alone, rather than those she was chasing. His concern was not with the Jedi, but with her well-being. He rolled his eyes, hoping none of the Jedi would start smart-mouthing him about protecting a girl. They came here to commit suicide, and that’s exactly what they would get.
@Mr. Teatime @Nefieslab @Darth Vyrassu ​

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak got to the wall and wasted no time. His lightsabers worked in tandem to cut a hole into the stone, carving through the the inside of the base. He didn't care for fighting Sith, he didn't care for taking the base, or anything else. He was here to get Trys and then he was getting out.

The room on the other side seemed to be some sort of storage room, and Talak reached out with the Force. He needed to find Trys and quickly. The mark of her in his mind was enough for someone who spent years tracking targets to be able to identify her and he continued inside, deeper into the base.

There was enough chaos that with any sort of luck no one inside the base would even recognize he was out of place. After all, he could have almost been mistaken for a Sith. It wasn't like they wore uniforms.

Either way, he moved quickly, years of training in avoiding being detected coming in handy as he made his way to where Trys was being held.

 

[Preef Callo]

[

As Talak sought to find the entrance, so would Nykoria and her team. They'd capitalize on their advantage: the Sith attention was focused at the front door for now, so security elsewhere would be less than ideal. Perhaps the Jedi could even draw attention away from Talak. For the time being, they'd just have to keep their distance and look out for a way in: a back door, a sewer pipe, or a rock that that the facility was built into, towering over the walls. Maybe even a secret entrance/escape path that such facilities usually had.

If the Jedi wouldn't find any of that, even an unguarded or poorly guarded section of the wall would do. With Nara and Izel at her side, the Zeltron Jedi felt that she could overcome a lot.

Approaching the wall with the rest of the team, Nara looked around for anything that might've helped. A rough patch in the wall, some crumbling from the stonework, anything. Over the top was an option... so was a sewage pipe. Though, she looked around at the others before looking down at herself. Well... that'll be me going in the pipe then, if we find one. The eternal benefits of being scrawny.

"Get me inside. I just need a console, a panel, anything electrical. We can make some more chaos, cut off their troops from different parts of the compound, mess with their atmo controls..." Nara didn't know how fancy their electrical wiring would be, but Sullust wasn't a very hospitable planet. It'd be complicated to get a complex like that running and where there were complications, there were always more points of failure.

Preef had barely been out on the balcony when a Sullustan Defense Officer followed him out, jerked him back by the shoulder and handed him a rebreather. "The kriff you're doing addressing the Sith-" truthfully, Preef had the impression that addressing Sith was not-done for the regular folk out here and.... well, that kinda made sense considering their track record. "I'm not-" the rodian began, but was forced to put on the rebreather while the officer pointed towards a nearby repeater cannon, "Just make yourself useful already!" and then he marched off saying something about how stupid these aliens were...

Preef stood there for a moment, the Sith seemingly too preoccupied watching the approaching Jedi running across ash and rocks to notice him so he figured why not? If fighting off some jedi suicide bombers would ingratiate himself even further with the Sith Order, then what did he have to lose?

Quickly making his way over to the repeater, Preef flipped some switches and grabbed the repeater with both hands. "Never killed a Jedi before," he mused as the repeater's powerpack started charging and Preef got a running Zeltron (@Catbert) and a human (@Charndley) in his sights. They were approaching the wall together, clearly occupied by looking for weaknesses in the defenses and seemingly less concerned with their own safety while doing so. Without warning, Preef pulled the trigger and held it down, sending a flurry of repeater bolts down at the Zeltron first and surprising himself at how well he managed to keep his aim steady on the moving figure.

 

[Zarine Bashere]

Zarine watched with equal parts fascination and incredulity as the Jedi made the most absurd approach to the fort. Did they think they were hidden? Not that she could judge them, the Sith didn't seem to be any better as she spotted two loons run out all on their own to face the Jedi. This was a Councilor? Shouting like a lunatic, just blindly rushing the enemy. This is what happened when power was the sole criteria for elevation, fools climbed to positions they had no right to.

But that was a mistake to correct another time, for now the Jedi were the ones they had to focus on. She spotted the Rodian grab hold of a repeater and begin firing at the Jedi as they ran towards the wall, and decided to aid his efforts. She reached out to ground below them, grabbing boulders and raising them a dozen or so feet into the air before sending them flying towards the approaching Jedi. One, two, three, half a dozen medium sized boulders went flying to slam into the approaching force. Between the Rodian's blaster fire and her assault they would be forced to either open themselves up to attack or take cover behind another outcropping. Either way, they were not getting to the wall.

@Painus @Eccles @Catbert @Charndley @Reyn

 

[The Eternal]

The Eternal emerged onto the ramparts of the fortress and stood resolute. There was no sign of fear within it, and the mask betrayed nothing. It watched the Jedi approach, crouching behind mounds of rocks like the rats they were or even standing out in the open.

Utter fools, it thought, rage burning and swelling within it as they dared to come before its walls.

The rage of the Eternal would be felt by every being in and outside the base. An oppressive darkness that foretold of the death it brought.

The power of the mask could not be undone. The Eternal didn't have to move a muscle as the ground began to shake beneath the Jedi attackers. Cracks and fissures began to open in the dirt and lava began to seep from the cracks. Cover was robbed from the attackers as they made for the base, and those who remained in place would be consumed by fire, meeting a slow, screaming death that only fed the Eternal. New rivers of lava cut off the path of the assault and they would be forced to find a new route.

But finding a fresh route would be no easy task. It became unclear where genuine clouds in the sky began and clouds of ash and smoke ended. The only betrayal that there were real clouds above was the cracks of lightning and thunder.

Flashes of white lightning lanced down at the ground whenever the Jedi tried to move. Others tore across the sky, threatening to rip the Y-Wing (@Fantasy Liver) from the sky.

Any who managed to make it through the lava and lightning would be weakened and forced to face down against the Eternal itself.

Nothing awaits you here but death. So come and die, the Eternal said, its voice was carried and amplified by the voice, easily heard by every fighter in the area. There was no fear, no concern, only perfect confidence. They would come and they would fail.

More fuel for the fires. A mouth twisted up behind the mask into a hideous smile. Yes, this would work out nicely after all.

 

[Maxims Tionson]

What was his life that he was playing hide and seek with a demented Sith woman and it didn't actually register within the top five weirdest moments of the last decade for him? Probably said that he was far less boring than people had once given him credit for but that was neither here nor there. What was, was avoiding being crushed by a flying boulder the woman flung at him because he hadn't decided to jump up and play patty-cake with her or something.

He didn't really know what her deal was but she reminded him of a hyperactive child.

Using the Force he gave the boulder a Push from below that, combined with him crouching down, had the boulder sailing over his head to crash into some crevices behind him. Hiding no longer being an option, Max stepped out from behind the ruined remains of the cover he'd been using with one of his sabers in each hand. Alerted by the Force, he quickly jumped to the side and the fissure he had been using for cover began to crack open.

He didn't need to look up to see that it was The Eternal working their infernal magics, so he focused instead on evading the steam, the rocks and the lava. Thankfully even the Sith he was facing off against would need to be avoiding the same since The Eternal was nothing if not an equal opportunist when it came to murder by lava.

It's presence was sickening and weighted at the same time - he remembered the Mask he had encountered on Mandalore and he could almost picture it now as The Eternal spread it's presence across Sullust. Rather than trying to counter it's effects for others, Max focused on himself, knowing he would need the Light running through him to face the foes who matched him now. Hannibal was on the way but Max wasn't going to wait for him before introducing himself.

Even mid-movement his lightsabers ignited, bright blue blades standing in stark contrast to the black and reds of the planet around them. He slipped into a stance upon landing from his earlier movement, right side slightly forward, right saber held in a high guard and left saber in a guard over his mid-section. The Light buzzed around him as he held it close to his control.

"Hello there!"

Always a classic line when dealing with Sith.

"I don't suppose you've considered the error of your ways and would like to give yourselves over to the Light and redemption?"

The Force loved someone who tried.

@Mr. Teatime
@Dread @DarkSaber

 

[Isen Ramm]

"Isen, this is Drow. I'm going to knock out those turrets. Hang high in the air and pick off any fighters they send my way!" Isen heard over his comms. At least someone up here knew what they were doing and could give him some direction. Otherwise, Isen would have just flown in wide circles picking random things to shoot at.

"Roger that," Isen said back.

The Padawan pulled back on the stick and started to ascend even as Drow started an attack run on the turrets. Isen watched and grunted in frustration as it was not enemy fighters that the Sith had planned for air support, but a storm of Force lightning creating a web of death across the sky. The Force lightning crackled in all directions. Some headed toward the ground, others streaked across the sky, some too much too close for comfort for an inexperienced pilot. But more than that, Isen noticed that Drow was flying right into the teeth of the lightning storm. The air electrified around him and ionized as a result of the Sith attack so much so that Isen's thick, Kiffar braids stiffened and threatened to lay off his shoulders. The controls in the cockpit flashed periodically with the disruption and the comms alternated between crackling and clear. Isen pulled the controls to the right to create some distance between himself and the electric storm.

"Drow, Isen here. You good in there? Just a heads up...I'm a novice pilot. And novice is giving me too much credit. Just thought you should know in advance."

The Dark Side made everything murky. It was a heavy weight, and Isen was uncomfortable in the cockpit. He was unsure how much good he could do with the lightning keeping him at bay. If Drow was surviving it easy enough, he might just roll the dice...But first, he was curious to know how a more experienced pilot was handling the lightning attack. He also was reaching out and could sense his master, Izel Thral getting prepared to battle hand to hand. He worried for her. She was more than a capable fighter, but she was the only individual in the galaxy that Isen could truly call a friend. She was wading into deep, Dark Side waters, and Isen did what he could to put the worse case scenarios out of his mind.


@Fantasy Liver @Reyn

 

[Ana DAmico]

Ana remained atop the ramparts as the Jedi strike force bumbled their way forward. Across lakes of lava and islands of obsidian they traveled, heading towards what was assuredly their doom. Other defenders ran out to meet them head-on, while more still prepared their defenses. This was a siege, and for the Sith to abandon their strong defensive position was a foolish decision; it was far smarter to let the Jedi make their way to them, wearing themselves out in the process. Even the kamikaze ship flown at the stronghold was shot down before it could reach its mark, the defensive cannon bolts lancing through it and causing just enough damage to cause a premature crash-landing. Several defenders were vaporized, but those were acceptable losses.

Ana cast Zarine a cursory glance as she was addressed and tilted her head forward in acknowledgement before returning her attention to the charging crusaders. A rodian defender took control of one of the mounted repeaters and sent a flurry of bolts towards the closest Jedi while Zarine lifted and launched boulders towards that same group. Ana was about to raise her hands and begin her own assault when an overwhelming sense of dread washed over her.

It was as if a tidal wave of evil crashed against her very soul, twisting and tormenting what parts of her remained uncorrupted. This was a presence that had been felt blissfully sparingly, and every time it had been felt was almost agonizing. Whispers probed her psyche, offering profane gifts in exchange for total submission. She did not have to turn her head to see that The Eternal had arrived. No – any living thing could feel something so accursed and terrible. It was almost nauseating, were it not so sweet of an occasion for it to make itself known. The Jedi here truly did not know what they had stumbled upon. Ana’s mouth quivered into a gentle grin and she silently thanked the blessings of the ancient Sith for this momentous arrival.

The ground quaked in protest and the skies blackened as stone was torn asunder, spewing out gouts of superheated steam, lava, and shards of sharpened obsidian. Anything near the cracked earth would be hard-pressed to avoid such an onslaught, let alone the incoming bolts, boulders, and strikes of lightning. Such a devastating defense would be enough to turn away even the most dedicated of assaulters, but the Jedi weren’t known for their common sense. If they wanted to charge and die, then so be it.

Ana bowed her head obsequiously towards the Eternal and skulked off, figuring that those outside could repel the incoming Jedi. If a councilor and the Eternal were out here, then the Ranger would likely have a paltry defense. Even if they managed to find their way inside, there might as well be someone beyond a basic trooper to stop them. Being inside was more comfortable, anyways; she could at least take the rebreather off and breathe in “fresh” recycled air.

The base was abuzz with activity, and many of the defenders rushed past her as they moved to their battle positions. She headed towards the lifts that would take her down to the cell blocks. The entrance to the prison was above ground, but much of Sullust was subterranean, and this place was no different. She doubted any of the intruders could make their way down here, anyways, so there was nothing to worry about. Right?

 

[Crix Aran]

Reaching the wall had worked!

He had yet to be blasted to pieces or cut to pieces or whatever else it was that the Sith liked to do to people who tried to break into their fortified positions. Of course he got the impression they likely would do something that had to do with the Ungodly amount of Dread and Terror that had suddenly decided to be part of the battle.

How the kark had that thing managed to stay hidden before this?! He wasn't even a train Jedi and he could feel that presence - hells, he could taste the things presence. Or was that just the taste of his own blood? No, it was the blood - he'd bitten down on the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out in shocked horror at the Thing That Should Not Be.

It was like a black hole but instead of gravity it was a void of emotions that had held any passing resemblence to 'nice'.

If he had any lesser a reason than the safety of the woman he loved more than anything else in the Galaxy? Crix would have run. He didn't feel ashamed to admit that he would run from the source of the presence and the power that seemed to decide that the ground itself could do with a karking makeover because it, apparently, wasn't hellish enough. But he wasn't here for himself - he was here for something beyond his own emotions and beyond anything the Jedi were here for.

He was here for his mom.

Using a vibroknife and his multi-tool, Crix managed to get one of the vents open from the outside. It was pretty low to the ground so it was probably for waste air - yeah his rebreather was making the signs it did when high amounts of C02 were detected. Thankful that he had stolen it from Talak (he was never going to pay him back for it though), he pulled himself into the vent and started to crawl. It was big enough that he had some leeway around him, so he could crawl easily and use his hands.

Things were looking up for Crix - right up until he was about ten feet into the vent and there was a hissing sound behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he blinked as lava was splashed over the entrance, fusing the grate back shut behind him and pooling around it at the bottom. There wasn't a slope to worry about it rolling toward him but... yeah he was NOT leaving this way.

Kark it - he just kept moving.