The Despoliation Of Tython: Fuel To Fire

[The Confessor]

[fancybox2]

TYTHON
2100 Hours

To corrupt a world needs more than just the power of the force, it needs violence. Tythons natives still live in the hills, harassing our forces. Find their houses and burn them out, eliminating some of the last remaining threats.

Mission Page ; Self DM ; 48/hr Posts
@EmilyHuene ; @Nefieslab ; @Nightfall [/fancybox2]

With the reappearance of the Jedi to the galaxy, a message needs to be sent, a symbolic victory to counter whatever hopes might have been lit by these Galactic Alliance rebels and combat thirsty Mandalorians. History means something, and a world of great importance to the Sith and Jedi lays just outside their borders, the world of Tython.
One of the Jedi's most sacred lands, despoiling it would show them that nowhere was safe. This was the mission in mind.

The Imperial Republica had turned its sights to the system known as Tython. This land that once was a stronghold for the Jedi has stood for too long outside the lands of the Sith. The Imperium should have taken the Deep Core centuries ago, but for reasons lost to Eriana Fox they stood independent of the great faction. Finally someone else seemed to have the same idea and now the Sith were in full force to bring the planet under their rule.

The short trip from Coruscant to Tython was next to nothing compared to the journey's she'd been doing recently. As such, Eriana was perfectly content taking her vexatious-class starfighter out of the hanger bay once more. She hated flying, with a passion, but at least in her custom designed ship she didn't feel as out of control as she normally felt when being shuttled to and fro. The reason for her travel insecurities was because the woman was blind. Eriana had been born into that darkness, something she believed was actually a gift for it allowed her to trust in the Dark side of the Force to do any simple task. This would instill a certain mentality in her that she was chosen by the Dark side and thus turned to worship the mystical powers as some form of deity. It was also the reason she had just recently begun to construct a church on the cold planet of Ilum with this specific ideology behind it. True spiritual belief was the only way to use the Dark side of the Force and through it a stronger power, far greater than anger or hatred would ever bring up, would arise in a Sith warrior.

It was in this trust and belief in the Force that Eriana prayed to every time she set foot inside a space craft. While she could see the world around her just fine when connected to the Force, her visual prowess was limited to the area around her. She could not see things that were far away. So, when she was in the cold recess of space, she felt absolutely alone and lost. She had no idea if her ship was plummeting toward some burning star or if a broken meteor shard would come crashing into her hull at any moment killing her instantly; or worse, sucking her out into the cold dark and suffocating. These thoughts plagued her mind any time she was in the passenger area of a shuttle. It's why she preferred to fly alone and at the controls. At least then she could somewhat control things that were a danger to her.

Even still, the moment she landed at the Sith drop zone on Tython, Eriana couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The journey still gave her awful anxiety and she felt more than ever that she needed a drink. No such time for that though; she was on a mission. She had been informed on the ride over that she was to be assigned to a razing mission. A terrible burden to put on anyone in their right side of mind. How could any normal person bring fire and destruction to people's homes, or other people in general? The answer was simple: Eriana believed what she was doing was for the greater good. The Imperial Republica was built with grace from the Dark side and through it she was doing her faction a blessing. Those not in service to the Empire were misguided. They were savages in chaotic and barbaric lives. Eriana would bring them peace and stability. This was the only way.

Ever dressed for the part of the Sith, Eriana strode to her rendezvous location to meet her partner clad in Sith maurader armor, only hers would not look the same as her other kin. She'd tossed away the shoulder and upper torso pieces to the suit, and tailored the lower part from her chest down to her waist the only actual armor she had. It would protect her vital organs which were the only things she needed anyways. And in doing this, the suit would fit more like a corset which both gave her an hourglass figure, but also made her look like some powerful and sadistic, domineering type. What better for a Sith than to look like someone who enjoyed bringing pain?

Her shoulders were not bare though, and she still had a thick leather bodysuit on that would protect her from harsh terrain and hand to hand combat. She also kept her arm gauntlets and shin guards as well to help her should she ever get into a fist fight with one of her enemies. Not that she ever expected to lose her weapons, for her two curved lightsabers would be what she forever fought with. Each was custom made to look identical and produce red beams of energy when ignited. They were clearly expensive and not just made from scrap parts lying around the garage. Eriana's identity and looks were everything to her for her parents had taught her to be the best that she could be. She'd grown up in the Core and was always expected to present like nobility.

Moving into the encampment Eriana would find the first soldier pawn she could and ask him where the man by the name of Valar Dohaeris was. The agent, after saluting her, would point to a camp just down the line where the two had been instructed to gather. She sauntered off without so much as a thank you; her long black trench coat -with the Imperial Republica insignia stitched onto both shoulders- would flare out behind her as she walked. Eriana made her way to the tent and entered inside without bothering to knock or ask permission to pass through.

"Lady Eriana Fox, reporting for duty."

 

[Valar Dohaeris]

Valar wasn't ready.

His armor had taken a bit of damage during one of his missions and one of the quarter masters was taking care of it as he stood in his tent, looking over a tactical map of the area with a glass of whiskey in one hand. Was it standard operating procedure to be standing in the command tent naked from the waist up aside from the medical sleeve bolted into place over his burned left arm? No. No it was not.

But as the single most powerful Sith in this current task force, no one questioned him when he said or did something. Besides - he was wearing the lower part of his armor. It was only the top half that needed some repairs. Looking up as Eriana entered and introduced herself, he stared at her for a moment, looking her up and down in a blink of an eye before moving on.

"Eriana..." he began, completely bypassing any title and going straight to the informal, "Nice of you to join me. I was just looking over the tactical map."

She was blind, the reports said, so it wasn't worth mentioning the map again.

"Our scouts inform us that the local agitators have their homes up a simple mountain pass - we will be attacked along the way by the fighters, no doubt, but once we arrive they will be truly desperate. And then?" he chuckled a little bit as he pulled on his repaired armor, "Then we make sure there are no more locals. Anything to add before we march?"

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

If there was one thing Eriana was thankful for in this moment it was the fact she was blind. Not that she had any problem looking at a man without his shirt on, she'd hoped to not do it in such a formal setting. It might have been socially acceptable if they were say, at a beach or swimming in a pool, but in the middle of a war zone? Not exactly common procedure. The funny thing about it was, she didn't even realize he was lacking said shirt. Or armor per se. She would come up closer to the table as if it was just any other meeting between two Sith.

He would then explain to her he'd been reviewing the map. A slight twinge appeared by her lip from the fact she couldn't view it with him. That was the handicap of her sight she hated most. While she could move around and function just fine without them, she'd never be able to read things or scope out objects in a distance.

Thankfully her counterpart was kind enough to explain the crucial details that she was lacking. Their targets were a simple trip up a mountain pass. He would also bet there would be resistance on their way up there. She'd be shocked herself if the opposite came to be. For once it might be nice to have a mission without any bad guys. But that would never happen. They were at war after all.

She'd then watch his shadow of an aura make the motions to putting on clothing and that's when it occurred to her he hadn't been wearing a shirt. A warm blush came to her cheeks as her Force intuition painted her a picture of what he probably looked like. How accurate it was would be something she'd never come to find out, but the Force had a way of not telling lies.

Trying to stay focused she would clear her mind and reply to his question, "I am normally against the killing of innocent women and children. If we are going to kill mercilessly, I insist that those who are unarmed be killed swiftly and painlessly. These are my only conditions."

She would then continue and explain to make sure he didn't think she some sort of softie, "The Dark side is strong with us. But that does not give us the right to take lives as we see fit. We challenge one another for strength and power. These natives are not in our way, merely victims of circumstance. Killing them does not bring us any glory and fruitless abuse of our powers is like spitting in the face of the gifts given to us."

Eriana hoped that would be enough for the man and that he would accept her conditions. He didn't need to hold to them, but if they were going to get anywhere he'd have to go along with her plan. As she waited for an answer she would cross her arms behind her back and wait patiently. He might notice that not once during the entire time she'd been in the room would she look in some other direction besides straight forward.

 

[Valar Dohaeris]

He didn't notice that she noticed his brief state of undress because he was getting dressed at the time oddly enough. Setting about making sure that his armor was properly in place, he took a deep breath as he readied himself for what was ahead of them. There would be a battle and then there would be the slaughter and he would need to be ready for the both of them.

Valar heard her say that she didn't want those who were unarmed to die painfully.

Valar also didn't care what she wanted.

If she wanted them to die quickly then she would be the one to do it - he wouldn't care how he killed the people and he wouldn't care if some of the more sadistic troopers took it upon themselves to be extra cruel. The civilians up in the hills were people he did not care about and as people he didn't care about?

They were worthless to him.

"The women harbor the men. The men harbor the women. They make blades and explosives alongside their daily bread." he told her simply, "The children will not stay children forever - they will grow into young men and women with anger in their hearts and a thirst for vengeance against us and people like us. They will rebel. Loyal citizens and innocents will die - because we stayed our hand."

He glanced at her, noting how she wasn't reacting to any visual stimuli.

"I don't care how they die, Eriana. I care that they die." he told her bluntly, "Not out of cruelty. Not our of malice. Out of a desire to see to it that today's children and wives and husbands don't become tomorrow's rebels. Come - it is time to march."

Striding forth from the tent, he took his crossguard lightsaber in one hand and ignited it's red blade as he marched along the ranks of the Imperial Troopers towards the front of the column.

"There are those of you among us today who have suffered at the hands of these people. Their raids have hurt you, killed your friends and brothers in arms. You have hatred and anger within your hearts!"

The troopers verbally saluted, clapping their fists noisily to their chest armor.

"I will not deny you your kills - I will deny you your lust however." he declared bluntly, "Your bloodlust. Your lust for flesh. You will CURB IT."

A burst of Force Fear radiated outward from him, washing over the troopers and causing them to flinch.

"None may suffer unnecessarily." he declared as they began the march up into the valley, "ALL MUST DIE."

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

His response to her request was....unpleasing in some regards. Yet, he spoke a truth that she couldn't deny. The women and children were just as responsible for the rebellion as the men. The women helped care for their warriors either in health or in arms. And that was troubling. The children would grow up to replace their roles. It was a never ending cycle and had to be snuffed out before it got to that point. Eriana could understand the importance of that simple fact.

But Eriana felt something else in his words. He was....so firm. So routed to his core with no doubt whatever that the mission needed to be carried out. A smirk came to her face as he practically ordered her to get moving. He wasn't treating her at all like she was some freak, but a warrior just as he. Her smirk turned into a more pronounced smile with even a slight blush coming to her white cheeks. Hearing him take command was just so exhilarating to hear.

Following after him she continued to observe her surroundings with the Force so she could navigate the field with ease and not stumble into anything. She walked behind the Sith as he ignited his blade. She didn't feel any threatening presences in the area, so she gathered he was activating the blade merely to be intimidating. And it worked. She could feel the anxiety of the ones around him not knowing what he planned to do with his glorious weapon.

And then he began to speak. Eriana's chest burned while she listened to the hard, and steadfast voice of Valar. His words were meant to inspire the troops and that anxiety she felt inside them would turn to just that. She could feel their blood lust rising and a desire to seek revenge build up inside each of their hearts. It was wonderful. Eriana was in awe. People....well they didn't really listen to her. Or when they did they did out of pity due to her disability. This was different in every aspect, and she couldn't stop herself from getting caught up in his words too.

The men would cheer and Eriana would raise her hand to do the same. She cried out a war cry of victory and the troops would all begin to move forward at their master's request. Eriana let her arm fall to her side and would turn to Valar with her arms crossed behind her. She felt a strong desire to raise her blades as he had, but she let the feeling fade. She wouldn't use her blades until she was ready to take someone's life. It was something she had promised herself long ago.

"I will follow your lead, Acolyte Dohaeris. Let us bring glory to the Imperium."

She would then begin to follow after the troops with her hands now striding on either side of her legs as she walked. Her sabers still waited patiently on her hips to be drawn. While she walked, Valar might notice Eriana saying a quiet prayer to herself. It wouldn't be loud enough to draw much attention, not unless he was directly looking to her that is. But she kept her head down as she walked which wouldn't have been possible for anyone except one of their own kind.

"In the name of the Dark side of the Force, I pray. Hear my words, those of your humble servant. I ask in your name, strength to defeat my enemies and send them to your welcoming arms. Please protect me so that I can continue serving in your name. To this I pray."

 

[Valar Dohaeris]

Valar didn't miss the blush that he seemed to have produced on the face of the pale Sith - it was hard not to notice a blush one someone usually so pale after all - but he was a little bit surprised that he seemed to have been the cause. Most people tended to take issue with his way of addressing them but it seemed as though this Sith found it to be more appealing than anything else and that was strange to him.

Welcome, but strange simply because it had never really happened before now.

The men cheered and they were ready to move out so there was nothing for it now but to march. Some of the troopers, he was sure, would be marching to their deaths. He couldn't really say that he cared too much. In battle, people died because that was the nature of battle; it did not determine who was right, merely who was left standing. He turned to regard the other Sith, noticing that as they marched she muttered a prayer to herself.

To each their own.

Valar himself didn't pray to anything or anyone and never would. To him, the Dark Side was a tool to be used, not something to be adored or worshiped. Instead, he advanced, leading the way up into the mountain paths. Almost sheer walls of rock formed on either side of their path as it began to get steeper and steeper.

"They will be here."

It wasn't that he had sensed them with the Force or anything like that - it was simply because if he was to set up an ambush? He would set it up here.

True to form, the local militia appeared atop the stone embankments on either side of them and began to let loose warcries as they fired down on the Imperial Troopers below. Valar gestured forwards with his saber to the end of the trial, where it leveled out with the top of the stone embankments and where the troopers would be on level ground with the attackers.

"TROOPERS - ADVANCE!"

Patting Eriana once on the shoulder, he gathered the Force to him.

"Eriana - with me."

With one all-mighty leap, Valar was suddenly atop the stone embankment on the left side, his lightsaber cutting through the surprised locals like a scythe through wheat.

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

Valar's words brought the blind Sith out of her meditation. "They will be here." Eriana calmed her mind and sure enough she sensed the oncoming attack. Just as he did. Her arms crossed across her frame as she went into a light crouch and then she whipped her hands back out extending her blades as she did. The iconic hiss of the saber sent warning to all around her that she meant business. The red beams would also cross a dark hue across her dark leather giving her the appearance she was not to be messed with.

Just as Valar predicted the men of the local militia would come out from their hiding spots and begin opening fire on the Imperial troops down below. Valar quickly shouted to them to move forward and they broke formation to get to safety while also taking up fire of their own. Blasters zoomed up and down from both sides as the opposing factions tore into one another. One was even so brave to turn and try to shoot the Sith; Eriana blocked them with ease. She didn't even have to use both sabers to do so.

She was about to run in and protect the troops, when Valar put a hand on her shoulder. Explaining he wished for her to join him instead, he gathered the Force about him and lept higher than any normal person should have been able to do. That was the gift of the Force. Eriana took a breath to gather the same energy and she would vault herself up to her partner. No sooner had she landed would she take off running after him, targeting any he left behind. She continued to let the Force flow through her giving her far more speed only attributed to a Force user.

Like many Sith who used two sabers, she practiced the Florentine style of combat. Her body would turn and spin as she cut down foe after foe; her feet perfectly lined up to tilt her body whichever way it needed to turn. She looked like she was dancing, and the red beams of the saber followed her like beautiful lights. It resembled a choreographed motion, practiced hundreds of times over until perfection. And while Eriana might have trained with those sabers for hours on end, she could not predict such a turn of events with each soldier she was supposed to cut down. Even still, she looked like she'd done this before, again and again. Enemies fell to her dance of death and she continued moving forward to cut down one after another. This was the terrible might of the Sith.

 

[Valar Dohaeris]

Now that they were up on the same level as the attackers, the enemy would turn their attention to them almost entirely. It made the entire situation rather chaotic and dangerous for the two Sith but it meant that the enemy were not actually concentrating fire on the Imperial Troopers, who were advancing up the path at a blistering pace now that they were free to do so. Dancing through the masses of the enemies on one side, Valar was very aware that the other side were attempting to blast them as well.

He made sure to draw fire, only to duck behind another man at the last second so the shots instead tore apart one of the militiamen he was currently fighting instead.

Slicing through another militia member, Valar used the Force to pull Eriana back from a group of enemies... just as a PIPE rocket from the other group slammed into where she had been. The other Sith would be fine but the men and women surrounding her would be so many visceral chunks.

"Keep going!" he encouraged Eriana as he eviscerated another one, "The troopers are moving into position to flank them!"

Not too much longer now.

The Imperial Troopers were reaching the same level even now and soon the militia would find out the difference between shooting at Troopers who couldn't fire back and fighting against angry Sith Troopers who knew exactly where they were.

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

Now came the real challenge. Her surprise attack only got them so far but now that the main forces realized there were two Sith picking them off from the sidelines they would turn around and start firing at them. Eriana could no longer advance as fast as she had wanted and now had to focus on defense rather than speed and offense. It mattered not, at least in terms of difficulty, but it did mean that they were slower to push through. Time was on their side for the most part, but she didn't want to have to worry about losing more of her men than they needed. She continued trying to move forward while using her main as her right hand to block the majority of the ones coming at her, and then using her secondary which was her left to counter the bolts by reflecting them back at the oppoents when she got the angle lined up just right.

The Force would guide most of her movements, something she felt so in the zone with it hardly felt like she was moving at all. She was so intuned with the Force she sadly did not sense the rocket heading right for her. Which is exactly why it was always a good idea to have someone as your backup. valar would open his energies to align with her and Eriana felt like she was being grabbed by some large giant hand. But she didn't freak out. She saw that there was nothing orge-like around her, so she wasn't literally being grabbed. What she did see was the same aura or color of flame that Valar had and recognized it to be his own.

Much like it was some traphese act, Eriana was pulled backwards and she sailed from the ground and arched her body to flip while doing so, landing in a low crouch; one knee hit the ground to support her weight while she held her arms out on either side to balance herself. She sensed and more specifically heard the loud explosion of the missle that very well would have torn her to pieces. Valar -before Eriana could thank him- would then shout for her to continue on. He wasn't doing so in a chastizing way, and that made her gently bite her lower lip in pleasure. She rather liked that he was encouraging her and not trying to pity her or hold her back as so many often did.

Still, she found herself saying to him, "As you command!" before taking off again into the heat of battle.

Eriana didn't have the slightest clue was possed her to say that. Valar was no more in charge of her than any other Acolyte. He had no authority to give her commands. But for the life of her, Eriana really did't care. She took it in stride that he was taking the lead on this mission. It allowed her to stay singleminded and goal oriented. Kill the enemies. She could do that. it's one of the reasons she had no desire to lead her own squadren in battle. She lacked the foresight -no pun intended- to be able to make on the spot choices as commanders often did. But that didn't mean she wouldn't mind having subordinates under her authority, such in the fact as she knew she would when she got promoted in the Grand Imperial Prison. That was her dream.

Rushing back into the midst she zig zagged across the body-littered terrain, dodging holes from smaller explosions and then flip jumping over the larger one that nearly destroyed her. She'd land with a roll and come out of it with a spin. She bent her knee and spun on her ankle and flew up like a top to get back to her feet. Four halves of two bodies dropped. She'd then side step another incoming rocket which was aimed more at her rather than below her which would have been more effective. Eriana was almost tempted to raise her hand and choke the life out of the fool, but in a split second decision decided that a death by her blade was a far more punishing end.

She'd launch herself at him with full force skidding on her knees after crossing her blade upwards from his right hip to his left shoulder. Sadly now she was right in the fray of the majority of those that were remaining, and in the same place that her troopers were fighting. Eriana would stand back up and start back stepping using now both blades to block the laser fire from both the enemies and the missed shots of her commrades. There was simply too many to try and deflect them back, but the battle was nearly over anyway. What valar didn't get on his own the troops would soon finish.

 

[Valar Dohaeris]

As he commanded huh? Valar would be lying if he said he didn't like the sound of that but that was something he knew they could hardly afford to focus on right now.

Instead, Valar let out a roar as he returned to the grind, to the red mist and the killing. This close the enemy were unable to bring their rifles to fire on him before he was already inside their guard, lightsaber slicing through their armor like it didn't exist. Again and again he cut through blasters, through hands, arms and torsos. There wasn't any poetry in his killing because this was not poetry - this was war, this was battle.

And with every step he took and every swing of his blade, Valar knew that battle was what he loved more than anything else. The way instinct blurred with training to create a mindset that he couldn't fully explain. It felt like everything was slowed down to a crawl but, at the same time, going a mile a minute. Everything was so clear to him in this moment that he felt like he had finally found a place where he truly belonged.

And then it was over.

His saber sliced through the torso of another militia member and there were none around him to replace the man he had slain as his next opponent. He turned, expecting to see the enemy on the other side of the path, ready to open fire on them now that there was no longer anyone from their side to get in the way.

Instead he saw the Imperial Troopers finishing them off, shooting the wounded dead or stabbing them with their vibroswords. There were more than a few Imperial casualties he noted but the main force was still intact. Raising his saber high in the air, he roared across the divide at his men.

"IMPERIA VICTRIX!"

The troopers took up the chant as Valar extinguished his saber for the time being and picked his way through the corpses they had created to approach Eriana. He held out his free hand for her to take.

"Come." he bade her to follow him, "The village is undefended and we must press on. Our victory here must be made complete."

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

With victory in their pockets Eriana would stand tall and try to catch her breath. Coming down from that warrior's high was always an overwhelming feeling that made her more tired than she realized. Valar would then shout loudly, proclaiming their victory for all to hear. The troops would all raise their guns or their fists and so too would Eriana.

Raising one of her sabers she cried after them, "IMPERIA VICTRIX!"

Sensing the familiar presence of her new comrade Eriana would turn to face him. It wasn't something she needed to do as she didn't see straightforward in her mind's eye anyways. So she was doing this strictly for his benefit. Maybe she was doing it out of respect? Maybe there was something more. She would also disengage her sabers and place them back on their respective places at either side of her hips.

Valar would then offer his hand to her and in his commanding voice instruct her to follow with him. Eriana was flustered for a moment, not sure what to do about that. Why was he holding his hand out? To be friendly? Or was it pity? She was used to people expecting to lead her places because they didn't believe she could see. But after that show she's just put on surely he wouldn't think that of her now. The only logical conclusion was that he was being kind to her.

Taking his hand in her own gloved one she would let him guide her to the village. As they walked he explained that even though the battle was over, their mission was not. This was the part Eriana had had problems with. She didn't wish to have the women and children be killed without mercy. They deserved to die quickly and efficiently. No malice. Simply duty. Valar had explained that to the troops, but how well would then listen?

"I understand," she'd reply back to him. "The village must burn. We will do so with righteous fire stomping out any would-be traitors to the Empire. I know my duty."

With that she stayed silent, building up her connection to the Force once again. While she didn't expect to get into any fights, she might have to use her powers to speed run around the place and stop anyone from escaping. That was her biggest expectance of what would come to be. As soon as the villagers realized the troops on the hill were not their own they'd surely turn tail and flee. Their own troopers would not be quick enough to stop all of them, and then they'd waste precious resources and time trying to track them in the forests they knew nothing about. No. Eriana would not allow a single person to get out of her web.

Coming to a decision she would decide to speak up after all, "We should try to surround the village. Come in from all sides of the mountain if possible. You've seen the map. Would such a thing be possible?"

 

[Valar Dohaeris]

Valar could see that something still flustered Eriana but he didn't make a big deal out of it. What was flustering her was her business and no one else's. He would respect her privacy considering it was one of the few things that Sith managed to keep within the Empire considering it's control over their lives. She was right to point it out though - the village needed to be destroyed and it's population needed to be undone in service to the Empire.

There was no way around it; they had to die.

Still, he could sense a certain amount of reluctance in Eriana that he could quite easily understand. When she mentioned that they should surround the village he couldn't help but touch his com link.

"Agreed." he told her firmly as he spoke to the Imperial Trooper commanders, "Create a circle around the village and advance inward in time. Tighten the noose slowly - ensure that none can escape - and make sure that none of them are killed. Bring every man, woman and child of this village to the village square and line them up."

Still holding Eriana's hand, Valar walked into the village. There was nothing but fear and hate surrounding them as they walked into the village central square as the ring of Imperial Troopers began to tighten around the village, runners being tackled to the ground and subdued. Valar stopped in the center of the village square and released Eriana's hand, instead gently moving a strand of her hair out of the way of her face.

"Do you know why I commanded our men to bring the villagers here rather than gun them down where they were found?" he asked her before giving her the answer, "Because we will not hide behind our men. Our men are not disposable tools to be used to do things that we ourselves, as leaders, are not willing to do. We cannot ask men and women under our command to kill these people if we are not willing to do so ourselves."

The villagers were beginning to be lined up along the square, roughly fifty of them including a couple of infants too young to even be fully aware of what was going on. One of the mothers of such an infant held the crying baby out towards him in a pleading fashion. Valar looked at them for a moment before gesturing to one of the men.

"Take the babies." he command him, "They are too young to remember this, let alone seek vengeance. They will be taken into the care of the Empire."

The men weren't exactly gentle in securing the babies but Valar would let it slide. Turning to Eriana, he leaned in close to her. Rather than speak to her so that everyone could hear, he leaned in close and whispered into her ear so that it was only she who could hear him.

"I can do this alone if you do not wish to do this."

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

Eriana was glad that some of her expertise in the matter had counted for something. She'd never handled a mission like this before. Her tasks were usually go in and clear a place out. Or handle a simple objective of capturing one criminal. Never had she been instructed to watch over a platoon of soldiers or use them in such a way to bring down a whole village. It was....a power trip to be sure. She wouldn't lie that it felt good having that control. Perhaps she ought to get some troops of her own?

That being said, Eriana was still very much unsure of what to do about the fact this man was holding her hand. Still! She'd already decided it wasn't out of pity or him leading her anywhere, but when would this kindness end? That being said, kindness was not something usually akin to a Sith. He must have some ulterior motive. Not that she minded in the slightest. Even though she'd just thought to herself she was happy that she had control over a group of men, she liked that she was in his control, from a matter of speaking.

The two walked without fear as they entered into the village at the top of the mountain. Eriana could smell the fear in the air. It gave her strength as their fear was like a drug to the Dark side Force user. She was almost humming to herself in delight of it all. That control over their lives. That power. Eriana had -for the most part- complete control over what would happen to these defenseless villagers. Every sadistic bone in her body was beginning to rise up and beg for a chance to show the world what she had locked away in that twisted little mind of hers.

Valar would then release her hand finally and turn to her; she didn't move from her spot because she didn't need to look at him when she talked. She often didn't. But he then brushed some of the hair from her eyes and it caused her to flinch and tense up. That was an unexpected touch to say the least. Why had he done it? She didn't need him to; the hair would not bother her sight or get in her way. It was merely a distraction at best, an itch she pushed aside. Yet...her heart fluttered. How was he doing this?! Was he magic!?

He would then ask her why he insisted on rounding up the villagers and presenting them to her. Explaining that they would not let their men to the dirty work. Only they were worthy enough to end the lives of the people present. "The only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed." It's not exactly what he said, but it was the first thing that came to her mind. She'd heard that somewhere, but she couldn't remember where. Not important for the task at hand.

"I understand," she would say to him after he finished his reasoning.

Having some mercy about him, Valar would then see a tiny babe and command the men to take the children into their custody. The infants at least. Eriana stood there stone as a statue; the deed over what was to come was looming over head like a rain cloud. She wasn't afraid by any means, just nervous. As the men searched through the crying civilians for anyone too young to be considered a threat, Eriana's head was spinning with Do's and Don't's. She was so unsure of herself.

It was then that Valar whispered into her ear, excusing her from the execution if she so wished. His words made up her mind. "No," she'd say with conviction. "I will assist you." Turning then to a soldier she held out her hand, "Soldier, your gun please."

He would be confused for a moment, only to come to his senses and obey, offering it to her. Before he'd even managed to get both hands off the gun she'd pull it with the Force like a lasso in her hand and it flew into her palm like it was attracted by magnets. She'd catch the weight of it with her other hand as she started walking to the center of the group. Eriana took one pause to clear her thoughts and then began to speak.

"People of Tython. For too long have you lived in an erratic and unguided state. You are impure, prone to destructive thoughts. But fear not, this blame is not all yours to bear. The Empire has come today to cleanse you. Do not cry tears of loss or sorrow, for your deaths serve a greater purpose. Today you will join those fallen before you in the living Force and find your true destiny within your souls. As a servant of the Dark side of the Force I shall shepherd you to the other side. Rejoice! Your baptism awaits!"

And then she pulled the trigger. The gun went off and a well aimed shot would take out the first poor soul. Eriana kept her hand on the trigger and bolt after bolt made its way into the crowd of unarmed civilians. Firing blindly (pun intended), Eriana cared not for where she was aiming because there was no way to miss. Bodies dropped left and right as she emptied her clip. She didn't hear over the gunfire it Valar was joining her, but he'd likely make the process go a lot faster if he did. Otherwise she'd need to reload.

In front of her, screams cried out in pain, and loss, and fear, until they were cut out. Eriana could feel each life vanish like a candle being snuffed out. Each flame she saw with her Force vision flickered away until it was nothing more and she was faced with darkness. Eriana would then toss the gun aside, not bothering to return it to her soldier's care. She'd then turn and start stalking away from the travesty behind her. Even though she'd just killed a good two dozen plus men and women, she felt nothing. No sorrow. No guilt. She felt nothing. And that's what bothered Eriana Fox the most.

 

[Valar Dohaeris]

Valar didn't take a blaster.

Instead, Valar ignited his saber and made his way down the line in silence. He was deaf to the pleas of those who begged for their lives, the curses of those who damned him and everything in between. Instead he focused on the hum of his lightsaber, the splashes of claret and the way they winked out in the Force. He cut though the villagers at the neck, decapitating each and every one of the ones that he reached.

It didn't take too long before he and Eriana met in the middle, the last of the villagers now dead and the only sounds being the hum of his saber, the scattered cheers of the troopers and the cries of the infants who had been spared from the purge due to their age. Letting the silence extend for a moment, Valar extinguished his lightsaber.

"Captain." he called out to one of the officers, "Burn the village, burn the bodies and stake the heads around the perimeter of the village."

As the troopers went to work, Valar put his saber back on his belt and turned to Eriana. He took one of her hands in his own and moved to stand in front of her. She still had some concerns, some confusion and emotional turmoil. She would have had to have been made of stone not to. Bringing her hand up, he kissed the back of her hand gently before releasing it.

"Acolyte Fox, it was a pleasure to work with you." he told her with a small bow of his head, "I hope... I hope that you come away from this mission with something more. More knowledge or more passion, it matters not. I hope that your convictions have held firm."

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

Valar was much more bold than Eriana. He decided to personally hold the lives of the civilians in his hands and end them one at a time. Such an act was honorable to only a Sith. But Eriana couldn't go against her own humanity in such a way. A blaster was much more impersonal, and faster too at that. While Valar worked swiftly, Eriana couldn't help but feel a mild terror of this man. What kinds of deeds were he capable of if ending the lives of these innocents -arguably of course as he'd done before- without so much as any hesitation. It was a little nerve wracked for the blind Sith.

And then it was quiet. As Eriana walked away Valar called to the captain of the troops to burn the place down. And then...more shocking, to pike them. That way everyone would know what occurred here. Eriana was glad she'd never see the results of their actions today. She imagined if she were to come across a holovid of the villager's heads on spikes then she'd surely puke. The thought made her stomach queasy.

The cold and ruthless man then caught up to Eriana and grabbed her hand. She turned suddenly as if to slap him, but found she couldn't. There was no anger in her blood right then. Just emptiness. Until he kissed her hand. Her hand stayed where it was even after he released it, the slight wetness on the back of her glove felt like it gave her wings or something. Her heart fluttered again. There it was again. What was she feeling? She felt so weak, like her knees would just give out from under her at any moment.

"Acolyte Fox," he'd call her. It felt...almost insulting though he hadn't meant it. It was off-putting hearing her rank before her name and not "Lady" which she liked to call herself. He'd then go on to to say he hoped she would learn something from his mission, and that she would not have any doubts in the future of where her rank and position was. If anything, those words solidified her thoughts. She knew right then she didn't want to be an Acolyte a day longer. She would do what she could to get herself promoted so the next time she faced this demon in front of her she'd be a Crusader. That was her goal now.

"You've made several things clear to me, Valar Dohaeris. We are Sith. We are above the lives of others. And we take what we want."

The mission was over. They'd stopped the band of rebels and burned the village to a crisp. Or at least they would once the troops finished the chore. Now all they had to do was return to base and let their mission pack leader know they'd succeeded. As Eriana claimed, they'd done what they needed to do. At their own volition.

She'd then lean in and kiss him.

~END THREAD~
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Spoiler: OOC

d-AMN! Your post gave me chills. Hopefully mine doesn't cross any bounds. It can go forward from here or leave it at that. Your choice. But I hope I get to work with you again. It's been fun!