Stare into the Abyss

[Rom]

Floating in the blackness of space, on the edge between known and unknown space, a solitary large asteroid wheeled calmly through space. Placed here centuries ago by enterprising crime lords wanting a piece of the profit that came from exploration and research, Epsilon Eridani serves as a refueling station for the many adventurers and scientists that journey into the Unknown Regions, seeking their fortune and fame on the undiscovered and bizarre worlds that exist beyond the Outer Rim. Alongside it's 'legitimate' business as a high-traffic spaceport, Epsilon Eridani serves another purpose. It is a staging ground for a massive smuggling ring, and the asteroid is home to dozens of smugglers and bounty hunters. Spice, sentient beings, and illegal weapons all passed through Epsilon Eridani before making their way Coreward. No one asks questions, and everything is legal. That's how it is out there, beyond the Rim. It's just good business.

It is here that a small research shuttle, The Voyager, begins it's landing sequence, flying sluggishly through the massive tunnel that leads into the interior of the asteroid base. Blaster scouring and gouges cover the sides and rear of the shuttle, as if it had quickly fled from a firefight. Moving past an outbound YT-3400, the research ship began to relay it's name and cargo in text format, explaining that the internal communications were too damaged for the pilot to answer the holotransceiver. After receiving docking permission, the battle-scarred transport flew down into the deeper levels of the asteroid - the more affluent district near the top of the asteroid would never let such an unsightly ship berth at it's docking pads. This shuttle was bound for Level 4, where the poor and desperate gathered, trying to get a slice of the profit. Coming to a shuddering halt above the designated landing pad, the engine made a sharp whining noise just before the repulsors died and the shuttle came crashing down onto the hanger floor. Thick black smoke clouded the main viewport, blocking the cockpit from the security personnel surrounding the crashed ship until a red beam burst through the transparisteel and began to move in a large circle, effectively cutting through the barrier. As the smoke billowed out into the main room, no one noticed the blurred figure leap from the wreckage and swiftly duck into a side corridor and disappear from the hanger.

Just a few seconds later, the shuttle exploded. All logged crew members were listed as deceased in a tragic accident, and that was the end for the crew of the Voyager.... at least on paper. In all likelihood, they were being mauled to death on a small jungle planet, many light-years away. But that was only for one to know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cursing to himself as he silenced his coughing, a large figure crouched within the main ventilation shaft leading into the hanger, waiting for the emergency sirens to cease their ear-rending noise. His features masked by a ratty black cloak caked in mud and dried blood, the creature let out a brief sigh of relief as the sirens stopped and the security forces moved away from the wreckage, leaving it to the maintenance crew to clean up the mess. It had been too long since he had even seen a hint of technology, and he tried not to let his admiration for the sleek ships and crisp displays show as he stealthily removed himself from the hanger and entered the throng of people moving towards what seemed to be the entertainment district of this level. While a small part of him enjoyed his time out of this world, where one could only rely on themselves against the harshness of the environment, it was a relief to be surrounded by cold metal and easily kill-able meat sacks rather than unforgiving razor winds and giant predatory wraiths.

Uncoiling his tail from it's secure position around his waist, the figure shrugged off his ruined cloak, the heavy thud of scaled flesh and metal meeting the floor echoed around the corridor. As the cloak fell away, more of the figure was revealed; ragged but carefully repaired krayt dragon leather armor adorned his athletic, yet thin frame with a bandolier holding two fang hilt lightsabers resting on either side of his hips over top, leading down into similarly worn armor, a kama and greaves covering his waist and legs over durable military-esque pants. The light seemed to be absorbed into the black keratin scales that made up his flesh, visible in between the damaged pieces of armor. Sanguine eyes glittered with amusement as he loomed over the people around him, the silent judgement in them causing more horror than any words could. Smirking fiercely at the nervous faces of the onlookers, attracted by the loud noise, the newly revealed Barabel reveled in the fear he could feel through the force. Unfurling his tail out behind him, allowing the strange metal armor and blade held tightly along his thick whip-like tail to be seen, the reptilian Sith stalked forward through the crowd, inwardly hissing in laughter as they scurried to get out of his way with murmured whispers of 'Darth Vereor' filling the air. Even after being gone for so long, and so far from the Core, his terror inspiring reputation for viciousness and bloodshed proceeded him.

Centering himself within the dark side, Vereor stood in the center of the entertainment district, sending mental feelers out into the different bars and night clubs littering the street. He had only three goals in mind. Food. Information. Transport. Feeling the malicious presence of the Hungry One enter his mind, the barabel let himself be guided towards a small out of the way bar called "The Blue Moon". Moving calmly through the crowd, Vereor placed a hand atop the bar counter, one of his lightsabers clenched between his claws as he glared the stuttering barkeep into silence.

"This one would like three platez of cooked meat, rare, delivered to that table in the corner," pointing at the table in question. It's current occupants, two bounty hunters and a spacer, immediately got up and moved to the other side of the room. "Along with the meat, this one would like two large glassez of ice water. You have five minutez... do not disappoint." His voice was raspy and the words were halting, showcasing his isolation in the jungle; these were the first time he had spoken a word in months.

Ignoring the now panicking barkeep as he ran into the kitchens, the reptilian Sith slid himself quietly into the booth facing the doorway, appearing to ignore the now silent occupants of the bar as he examined a datapad one of the hunters had left behind. Tapping his claw against the screen, he attempting to navigate his way through the menus while waiting for his food. He needed information desperately. Much must have changed in the previous months, and without the right knowledge, he wouldn't be able to prepare. It wasn't enough to the Hungry One that he had finally returned.

He had a war to fight.....

 

[Black Noise]

Epsilon Eridani, the hell kind of place was this? Tiny rock in the middle of nowhere, not worth the time of a worthless acolyte, let alone a Sith Lord. Yet, it was here that the venerable Darth Vereor decided to emerge. Such great coincidence that Mira Albion, a Master among the Sith, had decided to take a 'vacation' to this place at the same time. Coincidence, or the Force? Mira did not know, and she did not care. Now, the only thing that mattered was Vereor. Darth Vereor was a name she had not heard in a very long, and for much of her life he and everything he stood for had been her enemies. Now, they were allies, one and the same, fighting for the same cause in the grand pursuit of power.

Slowly, the Sith Juggernaut made her way towards the booth by the door, the very booth now occupied by the Barabel. A tattered, red cloak covered shining red armor along with a red blindfold across the woman's eyes. It could be easily assumed she had a 'thing' for red, but no, both the cloak and the blindfold were white when she acquired them. Things just had a tendency to turn red around her. Sitting down at the table, the woman brushed back her hood and below waist length white hair. Without a care, she leaned back and nonchalantly spoke to the Barabel.
"Such a large amount of food, surely you must be starving. But, so would I if I had been 'absent' from the galaxy for so long. Welcome back to the realm of the beings who matter, how do you feel?"

Mira grinned widely as she spoke. Vereor had always been as one who she could never touch, whose power was beyond her comprehension. Now, as they sat across from each other, Mira had the strength and courage to not give a damn about the gap between them. The gap was no longer the canyon it once was, when Mira was a child and Vereor a being so frightening that he existed as the Anzats, a nightmare to haunt the beds of naughty children. Yet, Mira could not deny, the gap was still there, and while she had no want to test the former Dark Lord to see how far the gap reached, she could not deny her mild curiosity about it.

 

[Apollyon]

Audroti had followed Mira Albion into the small dirty bar; he hadn’t spoken a word since they left Sith Space. His hatred for Mira knew no bounds, the only reason he had come with the woman he barely considered Sith was to repay her for the lesson on Juyo when he was an Acolyte. Audroti knew his job on this mission, he was more or less a meat shield, he would destroy anyone who dared approach the two Sith. Audroti stood with his back to the table, his arms crossed, his Durasteel armor covered in small nicks and scratches from countless battles, his four lightsabers hung on his belt, each a trophy claimed from the defeated or dead.

Audroti ignored whatever the two Sith said, something he would do unless directly addressed, he was here as a bodyguard not for Mira but Vereor. The Sith Lord had been absent for years, Audroti didn’t doubt his power but until his health was assured to be strong he would be treated as injured. Audroti’s red eyes surveyed the room; he felt every emotion in the small hole in the wall restaurant, the fear that seeped from every breathing being made Audroti feel perfectly at home.

We could kill them all, you should let me out. A twisted voice requested in Audroti’s mind.

No, you will remain recessive; I do not need you presently. Audroti replied mentally to his other half known simply as “The Beast”.

The Pureblood suppressed “The Beast’s” bloodlust, to any Force Sensitives around him his emotions would feel contained waiting for a reason to break out and be channeled into combat. Audroti felt disturbances; presences with increased hostility towards what he didn’t know or care. Audroti was not one to take chances and a spectacle of blood would only cost the Empire at this point, something he wouldn’t be a part of.

My Lords, with all due respect we should be departing soon. If I can sense that in the distance I know you can as well, whatever is the cause is growing closer and is aggressive. The Empire doesn’t need a slaughter on the streets here with Sith to blame; perhaps taking this conversation to the ship or on the way? Audroti suggested his voice filled with respect, his back still turned, his senses still alert to the crowds.

 

[Rom]

'... Infernal piece of technology!' Hissing in annoyance, Vereor tossed the datapad aside, ignoring the shattering sound as it skidded across the table and hit the floor. The newer screen designs could not read the tapping of his claws. His initial attempt at information gathering proved fruitless. Staring at the peeling paint on the tabletop, the reptilian Sith barely acknowledged the prescense of the terrified waitress, his tail flicking back and forth in aggitation. He had been gone for Sith knows how long, and this wait was driving him mad. Just on the edge of his senses, he could still hear the incessant noises of the jungle. Never ending thunderstorms... Skittering claws... the cry of the Wraiths as they moved through the trees.

'No! This one haz left the jungle behind. There are no Wraiths here. It wasn't that he feared the Wraiths... Like any creature, they could be killed. But they were drawn to his signature in the Force like carrion birds to the battlefield. And they were a legion onto themselves. Too many for him to fight at once. The more power he drew on, the larger the attacking packs grew. Years had been spent supressing the bulk of his Force power, keeping just enough to put himself into force trances for several months at a time, and to feel for anyone approaching his distress beacon.

Even now, his presence in the Force was smothered.... Not that the mundanes around him could ever tell. Dismissing the server with a negligent wave of his tail, paying no mind to her pained shout as the blade cut deeply into her leg, Vereor started to tear into the meat infront of him like a savage, abandoning all notions of civility or etiquette. He had eaten nothing but plants and grubs for more meals than he cared to admit... And he was going to savor this.

Reaching for his glass, the Barabel went to wash a particularly chewy piece down with water *not* collected from puddles when two, relatively strong, dark side signatures entered the bar. Gripping one of his sabers, Vereor prepared himself in case a conflict was imminent. The jungle had reminded him of his earliest teachings as a child.. Strike first, strike hard, and never let them see you coming.

One of the sightless sat down across from him without a care, her feelings conveying nothing but amused curiosity. She spoke with familiarity, without any fear. He immediately could tell that she had come to the Sith after his disapperance. Few who had passed through his classes on Korriban could even be in the same room as him without feeling a small shiver of fear.

Part of him respected her for not fearing him based on tales alone.. It made her a challenge. And yet... He could feel the arrogant cockiness seeping through her thoughts. Perhaps he should... After all. There were no Wraiths here. Shrugging in response to her question, the Barabel slowly unwound the layers of concealment over his core, nearly giggling with delight as for the first time in nearly a decade, he followed the Sith code. His self-made chains were broken.. and through the Force, set himself free.

Immediately, even the force blind in the room could feel the change in pressure. An opressing and malignant power coursed through the air, preying on the fears and doubys of the other patrons. While his power had decreased some due to lack of training, it had not lost any of it's potency. The bounty hunters from before fled the building. The barkeep fainted. And with a quick flash of his fangs, Vereor swallowed the last bit of his meal and centered his gaze on the Miralukan.

"Never better."

Turning his attention towards the armored Sith, Vereor ignored the feeling of resentment towards the Sightless one and contained tension. He seemed to be a fighter - respectful, but focused and driven. A soldier. Someone that Vereor could approve of... for now. Pushing aside his own growing lust for battle as his senses zero'd in on the approaching aggressers, the reptilian sith nodded.

"That might be for the best. This one must return to Sith Space, Longfang Judicar needz to hear the report, and then this one will return to the War effort. This one requirez a detailed report about what has happened since the... disappearence. Sightless one, begin. Soldier... Lead the way.

 

[Black Noise]

Mira began grinned as the Barabel released his power, letting it flow throughout the room and frighten even the most dead to the Force and all its intricacies. Relishing in the fear throughout the room, Mira let her happiness show until Vereor inquired of 'Longfang' Judicar. Reaching up and scratching her neck, Mira shook her head in mock sadness and spoke.
"Oh, forgive me, I truly did not realize how long you have been away. Emperor Judicar is dead, and so his apprentice, Darth Exodeus. Exodeus's wife, a woman by the name of Andraste, has taken the throne as Empress after removing a temporary upsurer who sought to bring back the old age of the Empire. Do not despair, Andraste is by far as cruel as Exodeus and perhaps even more cunning and powerful than the late Emperor Judicar. You should meet her, though, from one Sith to another, allow me to tell you this. It is rumored that the Empress's second in command, an Anzat by the name of Arcturus, is the one who truly holds the reigns of our grand society.

In terms of the War effort, I would suggest you attempt to get back into battle as soon as possible. Our soldiers, our Sith, and the Mandalorians are leading an assault to the core as we speak, within a few months, the Galactic Alliance will crumble and the Jedi will be scattered unto the win. This is not fancy, nor Sith propaganda, this is the truth, we are rising once more."

Standing up in the chair, Mira pulled her saberstaff from her belt and twirled it with the Force. She cared not for the chaos that would soon erupt. The Empire was at its strongest point these days, and as of currently they weren't too close to the core of Imperium space. In Mira's sightless eyes, bloodshed was the only thing she hoped to get out of those in this station that failed to realize their place in the world and the necessity to back away from the Sith who ruled them with a Durasteel fist.

Turning to Vereor, yet not actually in a position where it could be assumed she was 'looking' at him, Mira questioned.
"May I ask, what did happen to you? Where did you go? What heads did you collect in your disappearance? You have always fascinated me, Darth Vereor, and the fact that, even after all this time you've been gone, clearly you still deserve that title."

Mira's speech was littered with courtesies, flatteries, and praise. However, if Veroer were to assume she was exalting him in an effort to become 'friends,' then he was sorely mistaken. Mira spoke from the truth, with no intention to 'kiss up' or unnecessarily praise the Barabel in order to increase her status. Anyone who knew Mira, knew she did not give a damn about who anyone was or what position she held, if disrespected, she'd kill you. Even the Empress was not above owing respect to Mira, in Mira's eyes. And by that logic, Mira would show respect where she believed it due. In essence, giving respect only because it is what she demands in return.

 

[Apollyon]

Judicar? Audroti thought Judicar has been dead for some time now, as had Exodeus…apparently. His thoughts continued.

Audroti knew better then to openly believe the boasts of anyone who claimed to be a fellow Sith, deceit was one of their core virtues and it was not only limited to their enemies. Audroti had learned as an Acolyte only to believe what has been proven to exist, such as the infinite power of the Dark Side and what his eyes had seen at times he learned to not even trust that sense either. However Audroti kept that thought to himself, he wouldn’t be the fool to die challenging the legitimacy of his betters. His judgments would forever remain his own, just as his secrets would, even if asked he would lie.

His attention immediately returned to the aggressive presences closing in, one in particular caught Audroti’s attention. A single being among the entourage of presences was very defined, strong, and confident. He could feel Darker emotions rumbling inside this being but it was no Sith, to him it seemed closer to Mira’s own presence, wild and untamed.

A Dark Jedi? Audroti thought.

If he was correct an encounter with his Orders ancestors could prove lethal, while a Dark Jedi is not as controlled as a Sith they could devastate an opponent with equal finesse and far less hesitation. This development caused Audroti to turn and face his two superiors for the first time, allowing the Barabel to see his Pureblood lineage for the first time.

Do you sense that my Lords? Untamed fury now closes in; our time for leaving is now drawing to an end. Audroti reported calmly.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Anger flowed through the fallen Jedi Master, bitterness had driven him to abandon the Order, and the faces he had once called family. His mission was simple, crush these Sith and ensure the Galactic Alliance wouldn’t fall by robbing Sith of life one at a time. To complete this task he had used a combination of Force Persuade and deceit to gather a small mercenary following. These mercenaries were able to take the Lightsabers of fallen Sith and trade them in for credits, in return they followed him without question into battle.

The posse consisted of ten Mercenaries, two reconstructed and heavily remodeled IG Assassin Droids, and the Jedi Master himself. The group was more than noticeable and more than intimidating as they passed through the streets, shoving citizens out of their way as they approached their target.

Five of you take the back entrance, the rest of you follow my lead. The Jedi Master commanded.

The Mercenaries and their pair of IG droids obeyed wordlessly, soon a group of eight stood at the entrance and five at the rear exit. The Jedi Master had effectively sealed off their only two exits as both teams were strategically set up with overlapping firing lines, he would force the Sith into the open and then gun them down.

Open fire boys. The Master demanded.

Grenades would shatter the front windows suddenly; their explosions would claim the unfortunate who sat near them and several patrons sitting at the bar. The slaughter wouldn’t end there, blaster and slugs would rip indiscriminately into the bar, and killing those who sat frozen by the gory display they had just seen. This was the difference between a Sith and a Dark Jedi, collateral damage among Sith was acceptable but avoided if possible; to a Dark Jedi, innocents did not matter, they would accomplish their goals no matter how many it cost.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Audroti gritted his teeth as death suddenly covered the bar; Audroti only remained unscathed thanks to his quick reactions and knowledge of Force Barrier. Shrapnel laid at Audroti’s feet, as did a small Zabrak boy robbed of life. While normally this wouldn’t have bothered Audroti in the slightest for some reason the sight of the hideously deformed remains of the child sparked something deep within the Pureblood, he desired vengeance for the fallen child. His eyes were pulled away from the corpse as another command was shouted from outside the bar.

Prepare the next volley of grenades, bring the bar down upon their heads, and make them suffer. An older gruff male voice shouted calmly.

I can hold a barrier on one of these windows my Lords; the other three will be unguarded without your aid. Audroti spoke, his voice was strained as if he was beseeching them for aid.

Soon another volley of explosive death would land deeper within the bar, if Audroti didn’t receive the aid requested everything in bar would be decimated and the Dark Jedi would exact his vengeance without lifting a single finger.

 

[Rom]

Doing his absolute best to hide the shock he felt at the Sightless Ones' words, Vereor schooled a mask of indifference onto his face, the only sign of acknowledgement being a slight widening of his blood red eyes. Emperor Judicar, dead and replaced? Two Longfangs dead and replaced in his absence... He had failed, irregardless of the details. As Shadow Hand, it had been his responsibility to safeguard the Longfang of the Sith Empire. His time in the jungle had cost more than he had ever realized. But there was one bright point. Little Andraste, his former Apprentice, had become the Empress.

Allowing a smirk to grow as he listened to the Sightless' assurances about Andrastes' cruelty, Vereor softly started to hiss, his tail whipping out behind him in a quick repeating motion, slapping the bar floor and cracking several tiles with the "light" motion.

"Of course Emprezz Andraste iz cunning and powerful. She waz this onez' Apprentice. From lightsaber form to force manipulation, this one guided her through her time az an Acolyte. What else could she be?" For a moment, the Barabel lost his vicious exterior, a small kernel of compassion visible within his sanguine eyes. "Emprezz she may be, but to this one she shall alwayz remain the little girl who crafted flowerz from the sand and couldn't keep her balance in a practice duel."

Although he spoke with a sort of fondness, it was evident to the careful listener that there were unresolved issues between the Reptilian and his former Apprentice. Shaking himself from his trip into the past, Vereor visibly pushed away the nostalgia and continued analyzing the Miralukans' words.

"This one iz most appreciative of this newz.. To think that this one would return in time to drive his saber into the heart of the Alliance. Truly the Hungry One haz smiled on the hour of our meeting."

Time was truly shorter than he had feared. To think that hiz glorious war was nearly over before he took part in it. Turning his mind towards star charts and battle scenarios, he nearly stumbled as the Miralukan asked him a series of questions. Where had he been. What happened while he was there. What foes did he test himself against. The roar of the Wraiths filled his mind, nearly causing him to slam his Force Concealment back into place. The smell of mud, and mildew, and blood filled his nostrils. The greasy fat of the large grubs filled his throat and nearly made him heave.

But this internal struggle was invisible to anyone but himself. To the outside world, he appeared as unshakable as a mountain. Closing his eyes to debugger himself, Vereor slowly began to pull more and more power from within himself as he began to speak, unconciously defying the circumstances of his forced exile.

"This one waz on a mission for the Dark Council, to map out hidden paths through the Unknown Regions to allow alternative attack routes ibto the Core. There are many strange and deadly placez beyond the borders of our Galaxy. One such place was a uncharted system with a single planet, far from the established hyper routes. It was much like the planet Dromund Kaaz... constant lightning stormz covered the sky, with the sunlight only penetrating the dark cloudz once every few hours. And yet despite the lack of light, the plantz thrived, covering the entire planet in an unending jungle.

This one had felt many strange presencez in the Force on the planet. They felt organized, but savage. Thinking they could make excellent toolz in the war, this one set course for the largest concentration to gain their allegiance. Unfortunately, as the approach was beginning, this onez ship was struck three times by huge blasts of lightning. Only the energy absorbtion skill saved my life, though the burns were severe. The ship, and this onez droid were not so fortunate. Though I managed to recover Irvingz' datacore, the ship was damaged beyond repair.... And as I levitated myself down to the jungle floor, they appeared.

This one does not know what they truly were. They appeared to fur-lezz vornskr, with pitch black flesh that oozed a poison that burned through stone and scale like acid. They had strange abilitiez that made them unique thoigh. While they hunted through the force lije the Vornskr, they had a strange telepathic link much like the battle meld of this onez people. They hunted completely in sync with each other and blurred through the treez like smoke. They were the creatures this one had sensed from space. They were too numerouz to fight, too swift to out run.

This one called them Wraiths. And this onez great power did more harm than good. Thiz dark.signature surrounding uz drew them in like carrion birds to flesh. To survive, this one waz forced to bind his power, lower than that of the weakest acolyte."

It was here that his story was cut off by the sudden explosion of grenades at the window. Closing his eyes, Vereor stood unflinchingly as shards of glass and wood flew past him, the pieces that did hit him bouncing off the thick keratin scales that coated his body and richotched into the crowd. The feeling of lives extinguishing around him were intoxicating, and as the screams and moans of the injured rose up around him, the Barabel couldn't stop the quiet hissed chuckles that soon erupted into a deep, rasping manical laughter.

Opening his slitted eyes, Vereor concentrated on every fading or wounded life force in the bar, and grasped the slipping energy in a vice-like mental hold. Gathering his full power, the Dark Lord slammed his fist down into the ground, breaking through tile and stone as he pulled. The air became still, and for a split second, the bar was silent. The Force seemed to scream in horror as the life force of two dozen people was forcefully ripped from their bodies, the unharmed patrons running out into a hail of blasterfire in sheer terror as the wounded and dying withered and decayed into ash right before their eyes. Their energy too was ripped away and pulled into the swirling vortex of invisible energy centered on the still cackling Barabel.

Standing taller than before, his starved and battered form weak from years of malnourishment appeared stronger than ever before. His once pale red eyes now glared out at the mercenaries, a deep blood red. The drain was difficult, but he had mastered it within the Jungle, to pull the life from his foes when he needed more to live. It was a brutal technique, and one that the Barabel hated to employ, but he refused to enter a battle outnumbered at less than half his strength.

His voice, no longer raspy from lack of use but strong and cold, began to direct the two Sith around him. "Sightless One, aid the Soldier with the defense of the windowz, prepare to force push the grenadez back towards the attackers the minute you feel them release. Soldier, when I say so, drop your barrier.

Steeling himself for another heavy bout of force manipulation, Vereor reached into his pant pocket and retrieved a lumpy leather bag, sealed with a simple drawstring. Turning the bag upside down, several dozen small metal marbles fell toward the floor only to be caught in a strong mental hold inbetween Vereors hands. Letting out a shaky breath, the Barabel began to shoot sparks of force lightning into the marbles, imbuing them with electrical energy as they started to spin and revolve in orbit around the reptilian sith, bright lines of lightni.g jumping between each ball. Ignoring the sweat beading on his forehead, Darth Vereor moved into the center of the room, ignoring the panicked screams as the whizzing of the marbles became louder the faster they moved. Glaring outward, Vereor swept his arms apart and with a loud cry "NOW!" sent the small blizzard of electrified balls whizzing out the windows and through the wall in a cloud of metallic electrified death. Combining their initial inertia with the powerful force push, if any of the balls made contact with a living being they could easily break bone and imbed themselves into flesh, delivering a high voltage shock to the targets.

Leaping backwards to stand in between the other two Sith, Vereor snarled under his breath as he waited to hear the screams of pain from his barrage. The attack wasn't meant to kill, merely to incapacitate as many as he could and prevent to large a number of grenades from bombarding the building. Drawing one of his sabers, the Barabel dropped into a familiar Soresu opening stance while reaching out with his senses to redirect any incoming grenades. The darkside thrummed within his mind, his power begging to be unleashed... But it had been so long since Vereor had really cut loose, and he would need time to recover before he could pull off any other elaborate tricks.

 

[Black Noise]

Vereor trained the Empress? This, Mira did not know. The newly presented information only caused Mira's fascination in this Sith to grow. The thought that Vereor was lying never crossed the Sith Master's mind. Sith of Vereor's level, they did not lie to increase their status, no, they were more cunning than that. Simply lying as a way to increase their power in the sight of another was, quite frankly, the stupidest thing any being could do. Vereor was powerful, and had no reason to tell a lie, at least not yet.

As Darth Vereor began to recount his 'adventure' into deep space, Mira crooked her head and listened carefully. While it appeared her mind was fully devoted to the Barabel, it was, in fact, divided. It was 'watching' the approaching Jedi Master, it was sensing the Barabel's heart rate of irregularities, and it was calculating the correct time to rise up in defense. However, as the story became more and more interesting, Mira dismissed the approaching master as nothing other than a disgruntled Jedi who would likely charge in and attempt to cut them down in pitched combat, an impossible feat. She heard Audi's warning, and chose to ignore it. As the grenades exploded and the mercenaries open fired, Mira cursed foully aloud at her own arrogance and at their Jedi intruder. She would not make this mistake twice today.

As Vereor began his drain and shouted orders for Mira to assist her apprentice, Mira was already leaping up from her seat and clenching her fists in rage. This death was utterly unnecessary, and it pained Mira. The Juggernaut was a master of creating barriers, and as such had no need to make physical movements to show that she was, indeed, casting barriers, yet her clenched fists showed she was doing as such regardless. The other three windows were protected as the next volley came flooding in, and just as Vereor shouted 'NOW' Mira did as she was ordered and dropped her defense of the windows.

The Dark Side suddenly became as a whirlwind around them as Mira violently drew upon the emotions of the room and her own. She could see and feel every being that was injured and died in this room, in the other rooms, hell, the entire facility. It stuck at her heart, at that tiny bit deep down that unconsciously reminded Mira that there still was some Jedi Knight left in her. Her soul crushing sadness and pain had turned into a raging storm of anger and unfettered rage. As Vereor took up the stance of Soresu, Mira sidestepped, reached out, and briefly clenched a hand to Audi's shoulder and Veroer's shoulder. Instantly, both would feel the Force flooding into them in the form of Force Revitalize. The Revitalization would instantly and simultaneously restore her allies's lost energy and, if he allowed it, slightly increasing Vereor's reconnection to the Force. It would not do much, but if allowed, it would do enough for Vereor to feel the difference.

Releasing them and drawing out her dual bladed saberstaff, Mira ignited both sickly orange ends and verbally reaffirmed what all three were likely thinking.
"We leave none of these bastards alive."

 

[Apollyon]

Audroti heard the orders given by both Lord Vereor and Master Albion, as a servant to the Empire he would obey, as a Sith he would use the disgust he felt to destroy this schutta. Audroti paid heed to the direction the blaster fire came from while he upheld his barrier over the window once the order to release was given he would feed these twisted intruders superheated plasma. Drawing upon the hate and outrage he felt for their needless murder he fortified his barrier through these channeled emotions, exercising control over not only his emotions but his force reserves he ensured his next move would be done flawlessly, death was calling for these monsters, Audroti would be the instrument of their demise.

Time seemed to slow as the grenades left the hands of their opponents; Audroti tracked their arcs with his eyes as they traveled gracefully towards the windows. His attention was so closely locked in on that decisive moment he barely heard Mira’s words, “We leave none of these bastards alive.” Her words were not the ones he was searching for, but he couldn’t agree more, they would make each of these mercenaries suffer the cruelest of deaths.

“NOW!” Vereor shouted

Audroti dropped his barrier and felt the wind rushing past him as the steel marbles jetted from Vereor’s control to impact unexpecting targets. Audroti was soon behind the marbles, his muscles imbued with the strength of the Dark Side and the Fury of his hatred. Audroti leapt from the destroyed window with such explosive energy and speed that the only remaining window intact shattered as the wind created from his leap impacted it. As he sailed through the air four lightsabers leapt from his Fauld, as if on their own accord, their crimson blades surged towards four separate targets, destined to slice through flesh, bone, and metal as if it were just bread and butter. The last remaining two Lightsabers leapt to Audroti’s hands and erupted to life, the single Orange blade and the twin Red blades of the saberstaff sliced through the mercenary before he realized what had even occurred.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Destruction rained around the long fallen Jedi Master, yet he remained unfazed, the lives of these mercenaries were meaningless in the long run, they were just pawns to be sacrificed. He however, would not allow harm to befall his person, he called upon the Force to create a protective Force Bubble around him nothing would penetrate it. His corrupt yellow eyes bore into the confines of shanty bar, he witnessed the Red Skinned Sith explode from the confines and rip several of his men from this world, but he didn’t flinch. He hadn’t come here for the other two, oh no he hadn’t, inside this bar there sat the Sith who had begun this war, Lord Veroer, and the Corrupt Jedi would have his head, the other two were just an added bonus.

The Jedi pushed a single button on his wrist, it caused the IG droids to waken from their drone like state and step into combat. Thousands of years ago these droids had inspired fear in both Jedi and Sith alike, while not as efficient as their HK counterparts, they were excellent in taking lives and now capable of analyzing and learning rapidly from their opponents as well as heightened mobility and reaction speeds, these droids were nearly perfected. Instantly the pair drew their weapons, in the metallic grasp of one sat a grenade launcher, in the other was a heavy repeater capable of leveling entire squads in the blink of an eye, in unison they would destroy whatever stood against them.

The Jedi fully intended on dividing the trio, he would leave them no options but to divide their focus and force them from their stronghold. His left hand touched an ear piece in his left ear and a single command was given.

“Open Fire.”

Instantly blaster fire would rip through the back of the bar, threatening to end whatever life was left inside indiscriminately. However, if the Jedi had calculated correctly, it would also force Vereor from his cover and into a direct engagement with him, while still being able to lay down suppressive fire on his opponents.

“Come out and face me Vereor, come and taste what fate has in store for you, come and find vengeance at the end of my blade.” The Jedi called out, knowing full well he had left his opponent little choice but to do such.

A cruel smile parted on the Jedi’s aged lips, soon he would have his revenge, soon the fallen would be avenged.

 

[Rom]

Vereor released a hiss of satisfaction as he allowed the healing energies of the Sightless Ones' to flow through him and revitalize him, pushing away the weariness he felt and empowering him to be near his former prime. It would suffice for now; only with true healing would he be able to unlock all of his reserves, but they werent needed here. Not against this enemy. Vereor raised his head as Audroti charged through the window and wielded death as a personal extension of his arm. The reptilian was glad to see that the training standards had not slackened since his disappearence.. at the very least, he would stay alive through the conflict. He turned slightly towards the Miralukan and inclined his head gracefully; "The droidz are yourz... the Master is mine."

Without another word the Sith Lord seemed to blur, disappearing from view in both the physical sense and within the Force. Ignoring the look of confusion he left in his wake, Vereor carefully picked his way through the rubble until he was past the IG droids and had a clear path to the Jedi Master, cackling madly as he watched the devastation rain down around him. Activating his lightsaber with a single muted snap-hiss, Vereor dropped his stealth and charged forward with a snarl, his saber held across his body in the classic starting position of Juyo.

The Master would barely have a second of warning as the Demon of Konstalleon hit him like a freight train, a single red bar of plasma stabbing and slashing in fast and precise movements. The Sith was aiming for limbs, seeking to prolong the suffering of this fool who had dared to attack him, here at the hour of his triumph. As he fought, he glared at the fallen Jedi unerringly, his sanguine eyes slowly turning black as an aura of horror surrounded him, forcing doubts and fear into the Jedi's already shattered mind like hot knives through butter. He was unpredictable, the physically daunting form of Juyo flowing around him like red water, never striking at the same target twice.

Vereor was out for blood, and he intended to claim it.