Mariunhus

Tue Mar 08, 2011 2:23 pm by Cleite Kallas

*The black rook is moved ahead three spaces and my Lord Governor speaks three lines.* *I do not take my eyes from him as he speaks, a habit or quirk some find disconcerting, and while I am well aware it may be, coupled with the lack of animation in my expression, intimidating - and have sought to use it thusly - it is, most frequently, simply my desire to attend fully to what is said, to the speaker's eyes, expression, mannerisms, tone.* *Save his glance at and alteration of the chess pieces, my Lord Governor reveals little with his body, only his tone when he speaks of the Jedi and the Sith conveying the fact we hold little regard for either.

Xendor is a name any Jedi learner or padawan would know, but I do not react to hearing the name of the one time Jedi Knight that, his lover Arden Lyn beside him, waged war on the Jedi Order in the First Great Schism. Dark Jedi, like Jedi and Sith, is a word applied to so many groups it has lost any meaning, or so I had thought until now. The Jedi teach that Xendor was able to sway so many from their ranks because he spoke against the rigidity of the Code, implying that Xendor and those who followed him from the Order lacked the discipline adhering to it requires. Anyone with wit, I thought then and think now, would know it was the limits the Jedi's impose on their access to the power that could be theirs if they but used the strength of their emotions to augment their control of the Force that caused Xendor, when recognizing that simple, undeniable fact, to leave their ranks. Fascinating to learn that his teachings endure, that, if my Lord Governor speaks true, there are those that have not allowed themselves to be diluted by time or by adjusting their teachings. I have never heard of a Code attributed to Xendor or those who joined him, nor have I heard him referred to as a Dark Jedi, but the appellation suits him and what little there is known - through the Jedi - of his teachings more than many who are. Oral traditions, the Lord Governor had said, explaining the dearth. More secure than written yet more fragile, as they could be lost if those that carry them should not pass them on before death claims them. Fascinating to think there exists a wealth of knowledge I had never known existed, and I wonder if it is why I have always been called home to Muunilinst, for this path to present itself.*

*Keeping my hands resting on the ends of the arms of my chair, I do not move, save a slight nod to acknowledge I have heard what has been said. My intriguing Lord Governor has not, for the first time, asked a question of me, nor has he moved to go, which seems promising; I have his attention.* *It may be as simple as having encountered a creature outwardly similar to himself that holds him, the natural inclination to see how deeply the similarity runs, or, as he is as inscruitable as I, it may be he plays with me as I toy with him and is only attempting to confirm I am no threat as I quest for the means to take hold of his strings - there is no way to know, not for sure and not for now. I wonder idly what would happen if I elected not to speak, not to make the next move on the board; how long would we sit as though carved and just as silent?* *Amusing to think of, but he has given me control, or the possibility of it, of the conversation's course, and so, aiming for more, of course, than the question itself would suggest, I ask evenly and with a carefully chosen and subtly employed note of curiosity,* "How did you become a Dark Jedi?"

*I do not elaborate on the question, I leave it for my Lord Governor to decide how throroughly to answer, if at all. If he is as observant as I suspect he is, he will not fail to note the ever so slight hint of curiosity that accompanies the question, and whether my Lord Governor chooses to believe it is aimed at learning more of him or of the Dark Jedi, I think he would be inclined to indulge it as the former flatters him and the latter his Order, but only time will tell.*

Thu Mar 10, 2011 9:26 am by Eversio

*Eversio listened to her speak and contemplated deeply on her question. Most of the time, prior to his encounter with the Umbaran, he refused outright to divulge about his past. There were only two living people who knew what Eversio's story was exactly. Though it was nothing controversial or particular dark about Eversio's past, however, to the Jen'jidai, the past served no functionality whatsoever. The past was simply got a person to where they were in the present and to dwell on the past was a fool's folly.

The Dark Jedi Master brought his eyes from the Umbaran in front of him as he pondered about the basics of which he did not know about her, like her own past, for instance. He could sense the force sensitivy within her though he was not compelled to bring that up just yet. Instead his eyes danced from her to the chess board, more specifically, the pieces that were closest to her.

While his eyes met her pieces on the board, his left hand came up from his lap and subconsciously stroked the "king" piece on top as he replied to her question. His eyes had a far away look to them and his voice revealed a truly thoughtful man, despite the little elaboration that he provided to her at the moment, that was far afield in thought that was so clearly not navigated regularly.*

"Formerly I was a Jedi. For a while, on Coruscant and then later on Corellia..."

*It was the only information that most knew about him. It was where Walja Clibos ended and Eversio began in the narrative and very few were privvy to just those basic details. However, the opening to further question was temporarily set aside. Eversio then removed his hand from atop the chess piece it had previously occupied and brought his eyes back to her own. The Zealot took this opportunity to inquire about the Umbaran and left little time after he was finished divulging about his Jedi past to ask her in his hallmark stoic and seemingly dispassionate gaze but with a twist, his voice was not monotonic, he spoke just above a whisper. He consciously did his best to not seem too cold, even though he received, and had been receiving, a less than warm reception from the Umbaran. That was to be expected, Eversio thought to himself, after all he started this social interaction with a door knocked to the floor.*

"What about yourself? Your background."

Thu Mar 10, 2011 7:43 pm by Kaia

*Kaia headed out into the streets and made her way towards the nearest spaceport. Once there she bought a passport for Ruusan. With passport in hand she boarded the shuttle, which soon made its way into orbit.*

Thu Mar 10, 2011 8:42 pm by Cleite Kallas

Eversio wrote: "Formerly I was a Jedi. For a while, on Coruscant and then later on Corellia ... What about yourself? Your background."

*My Lord Governor's answer is no answer, though it does reveal something of the forces that had a hand in shaping him. A former Jedi, like myself. In and of itself the fact alone leaves much uncharted, but it is clear from the way the human shifts the focus, with little to no pause, back to me that the subject is not one he wishes to pursue. The absent way he touches the chess piece is out of character with the rest of his behavior - wasted movement, seemingly unfocused, where he has, before now, been economical and controlled in all he has done, all he has said - and I wonder what it is about the altered nature of our interaction - decisive and confrontational at first and now, a tentative move towards civility, perhaps even more - that has effected the lapse and how I might take advantage of it, and what there might be to gain from that advantage.

His voice, too, alters slightly, less cold, hinting at an accessibility that had, heretofore, been wholly lacking, and preserving that shift, preventing the ever so tiny gap in the wall my Lord Governor has erected around himself from closing is my first goal.* *I allow myself to move, where before I have been utterly still, only to appear as though I, too, am lowering my defenses some small degree, and, moving my right arm only, lift my right hand with an economical precison that has a consciously languid note nonetheless, placing my thumb beneath my chin, index finger extended along the side of my jaw with my second, third and forth fingers resting beneath my lower lip - meant to suggest I am reflecting on the question, perhaps even considering whether or not to answer at all - and keep my eyes on his while holding my silence for a moment.* *Revealing my own past is not something I am inclined to do, which I am certain the Lord Governor knows or suspects from our interaction thusfar, and doing so - to the precise degree I wish and no more - will further the illusion of my stepping from behind my own wall.*

*After the pause, I blink slowly and say in the same even tone as before,* "Most you know, *I begin - as he already knows of the time I spent at both the IGBC and the University of Coruscant and there is no need to repeat the facts or reveal any more about them - and pause before continuing, allowing an ever so slight hint of animation - not indicative of warmth or an eagerness to speak of myself, merely the suggestion I am speaking more freely than I have been until now - to enter my tone,* My family left Umbara when I was twelve. On Coruscant I, too, was . . . among the Jedi for a time, before leaving to find my own path. *With a small, faint shrug of my right shoulder, as though to say 'that is all', I follow my Lord Governor's example and leave no time for him to pursue the answers to the questions the gaps in my narrative likely give rise to, instead, to maintain the flow we seem to have joined - exchanging answers to questions for the right to question anew - asking,* What led you from the Jedi to the Dark Jedi?"

Sun Mar 13, 2011 2:48 pm by Eversio

*Eversio contemplated, albeit briefly, on the possibility of his path and her own crossing unbeknown-st to either of the two. While his feelings towards the Jedi Order were negative and absolute, his feelings for Coruscant were ambivalent. There was something about being able to get lost in the sea of faces in the giant city planet that appealed to him. In truth, he cherished the idea of one day being able to fade away into obscurity and live his own life in retirement. However, there was a trade-off to being able to simply disappear into anonymity. This required being around more people and The Zealot loathed most people. He believed life to be wasted on the many. The Jen'jidai never held humanity in high regard, finding that there were so many ignorant drones who roamed the galaxy like the putrid rodents he believed them all to be. There was some consolation in the mind of Eversio that the term was well far off from the days that his bones would require rest and he would be able to seriously ponder a life in retirement. The Jen'jidai knew there was still much to be done.

The Dark Jedi Master had the aforementioned thoughts race through his head in what was no more than a few seconds as he sat across from the Umbaran, Akulina, and listened. Her story, though vague, struck the Jen'jidai. He filled in the blanks to her story and deduced greatly from the words she did not speak which he knew was both foolish and dangerous; and because he knew this he did not open his mouth on the topic for fear he would reveal his non-factual inference.

Reluctantly, the Jen'jidai continued to divulge information about his past. He had hoped she was satisfied with the information she had received thus far, but clearly that was not the case. Before he spoke, he heard rustling in the woods though at the time he did not think on it further. His attention was on Akulina, though his demeanor was more relaxed and his tone less frigid, his answers were still vague. The Zealot chose his words very carefully and then spoke, having not realized the potentially awkward moments of silence in between her question and his answer.*

"I was found by Darr'tah C'thulu Plaga, a legendary Dark Jedi Master. He showed me the way to true fulfillment and purpose. He showed me...the way of the Dark Jedi. To use one's emotions but control them is something the Jedi and the Sith never understood, and cannot understand. C'thulu knew this very well and taught me most of what he knew about the power of the Force and bending it to one's own will."

*There was no redirect after he spoke. He did not ask her a single question in reply. He simply looked at her in a more relaxed demeanor and waited to see how she would react to the answer.

But before she could answer, he heard movement outside and quickly he became uneasy. The stoic Jen'jidai recalled the blinking red light on his com-link and reckoned that this might be the time to check the message left on it. He reached into his robe for an ear piece and plugged it into his com-link. He then brought the ear piece to his left ear with his left hand as his right hand raised and his index finger extended which indicated, non-verbally, that he needed a minute. In his left ear he heard the following, a message from Asanze Naruun, his most trusted intelligence officer and a fellow Dark Jedi Master.*

= Asanze Naruun=

"Master Eversio. There has been a rebellion on Harnaidan. General Fuc'jo has taken the mainland. Our casualties have been great. Word has gotten out that a small scouting party of about ten to fifteen have penetrated the blockade of Mariunhus. Lord Reign's office has been notified. This is war, Master Eversio, and The Rebellion poses a real threat"

*As he listened, Eversio's face did not give off a single emotion. He simply powered down his com-link and removed the ear piece and placed both into his inside pocket in his over-robe. The Jen'jidai stood up and looked down to Akulina.*

"It seems we are not safe here."

Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:19 pm by Cleite Kallas

*My Lord Goveror does not answer immediately and I wonder if our exchange has ended, but after a pause he speaks, his reluctance to do so evident. It may be mere arrogance on my part, but what he reveals seems no revelation at all - I have known the ways emotion can bequeath a strength to my ability to wield the Force that the calm the Jedi preach can never hope to achieve; suspected it even when I was one of them and confirmed it after I was no more. The account, however, like my own tale, is terse, and so there may be further depths to explore if I can tease more from the Lord Governor.

That exploration, it soon becomes apparent, will need to wait for another time. With a slight nod I convey my understanding when my Lord Governor excuses himself, and look away from him as he attends to his comlink, turning my head slightly to my right to afford him some small measure of privacy. I turn over all that has been said, exploring the edges of the simple facts, tracing their contours in my mind to divine where they fit together, what shape they suggest has begun to form, to surface. Our pasts, at a glance, are not dissimilar, though my Lord Governor seems to have been more fortunate than I, finding - or being found - a way to further his understanding of the Force free from the dogma of the Jedi and the reckless destructiveness of the Sith. His devotion to the Dark Jedi is interesting, for I sense in him an independence and drive for solitude that not only rivals my own, but seems at odds with the loyalty he evidences. I remember my trip to the ocean's depths, how I had been thinking of why it is I am always called back to Muunilinst, and wonder again if I may not be closer than ever before to learnng why. The Dark Jedi intrigue me, what little illumination my Lord Governor has cast upon them making me curious to learn more. I give no external sign of this, of course, for it is not my way to allow any hint of my thoughts to surface on the placid mask I wear, and I wonder how to lead my Lord Governor towards revealing more of the Dark Jedi without making my interest apparent.

I have little time to consider it, however, as my Lord Governor, when he next speaks, announces that we are not safe. The choice of words is interesting - 'we' implying that he, too, is in danger, and that, perhaps, he has begun to think of me as less an enemy, or potential enemy, than before - though it causes me no fear. Whatever the danger my Lord Governor feels we are in, I trust my ability to remove it.*

*I turn back to my Lord Governor, my expression unconcerned, leaving my chin resting on my hand as, arching my left eyebrow inquisitively, I ask calmly and rhetorically,* "Are we not? *The left corner of my lips curls up ever so slightly in a small smile, amused and confident, and I say,* You have no cause for concern so long as I am near, my Lord Governor. Explain what threatens our safety and I will . . . remove it. *Dropping my hand from beneath my chin, the smile and amusement subsiding as I stand from my chair, and look towards the stairs and call out,* Cleite, the grounds."

=Cleite Kallas=

*Sitting atop the stairs, her chin resting in her hands, the HRD stands and heads back to the office, lifting the dataterminal and bringing up the camera feeds from the grounds surrounding the house, narrowing her blue eyes as they flit quickly between the various views to see if there is any sign of the threat implicit in the Umbaran's request.*

*Head tilting to the left as something catches her attention in a feed from the western side of the grounds, Cleite brings the feed alone up to get a better look and purses her lips as she sees several humanoid forms through the breaks in the treeline that surrounds the house. Watching a moment longer, she is able to count at least five beings, armed and moving as though scouting the area.*

*Walking from the office, Cleite, her DC-15s sidearm in the waistband of her quarter length khaki pants at the small of her back and a curved silver and black lightsaber hilt - Akulina's - down at her side in her right hand, heads quickly down the stairs into the living room area where the Lord Governor and Akulina are waiting and says to Akulina,* "West. Minimum five tangos. Armed. Moving inland."

*Looking from Cleite to my Lord Governor, knowing from his statement the beings are not likely to be with him or the Dark Jedi, I do not smile as I ask dryly,* "Shall Cleite and I deal with those that concern you ourselves? Or will you be joining us?"

Mon Mar 14, 2011 5:11 pm by Eversio

*Eversio eyes were wide and quickly he regained composure of his outward emotion though he knew his eyes betrayed him. The eyes were the gateway to the soul, the Jen'jidai thought. Interestingly enough, that was not a doctrine nor a dogmatic teaching of the Jedi nor the Dark Jedi but rather something he recalled his mother telling him at a young age and the Dark Jedi Master took it to heart.

The Zealot had never found himself in the position where he was asked if he needed protection. He found himself without words and thus formulated not a single word in reply to Cleite or Akulina. He simply turned and looked to the door and knew the easily penetrable entrance was his fault. His grimaced face was his outward scorn to himself though inwardly he had much more to say on the matter to himself. The Jen'jidai had made it all too simply for those who sought him out to find him. He hated any misstep, especially his own.*

"Looks like they have an easy way in."

*He looked to Cleite and then to Akulina. He wondered, for a brief moment, why he decided to risk his life for them. That thought was soon usurped with the rationalization that it was not about them nor himself but rather the preservation of the Code and the Order. The juxtaposition of emotion, however, was ripe within him. He felt an undeniable conflict over take him. The desire to protect her but also to serve as a faithful monk to the Dark Jedi Order.

He pushed his black over robe back which allowed for the pupil of C'thulu to remove his saber and saberstaff and he held the foul weapons in his left and right hand respectively. It twas not but a few seconds after that the sabers ignited with a snap hiss almost in unison. The brilliant blue and purple hues shone brilliantly against the abyss-colored robe that Eversio sported.

The Jen'jidai displayed both his skill with a blade and his anticipation to kill those from the Rebellion who had infiltrated onto the island of the Dark Jedi, as his right arm crossed gracefully and seamlessly over his left. Subsequently both arms turned palm-side to the ceiling and retracted back to their respective sides and pointed outwards. There was no look on the face of The Zealot, there was no sense of the immeasurable hatred he had toward humanity, disloyalty, and threats against himself and the Order. It was as if he mocked statutes and challenged stillness with his very essence.

He called to Akulina in the more monotonic tone that he was well known for. The Jen'jidai was disappointed deeply that he would not get to converse more with her, though ironically, he had not provided much information to any of her questions thus far. It was, however, the first time, in quite a long time, that any had taken a single iota of interest in getting to know the man behind the phlegmatic exterior and there was a part of him that cherished such attempts which he branded as genuine.*

"There is no where to run. We should stand our ground and make them come to us."

*And with his last word, a flash-bang grenade shattered the glass of one of the windows in the room in which Akulina and Eversio stood. The Jen'jidai turned and looked at the ill-begotten grenade as it erupted and spewed its foul gas designed to blind temporarily those who were affected by it.

It was too late. The attack had arrived...*

Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:32 pm by Cleite Kallas

Inside

Eversio wrote:"Looks like they have an easy way in."

*He pushed his black over robe back which allowed for the pupil of C'thulu to remove his saber and saberstaff and he held the foul weapons in his left and right hand respectively. It twas not but a few seconds after that the sabers ignited with a snap hiss almost in unison. The brilliant blue and purple hues shone brilliantly against the abyss-colored robe that Eversio sported.*

=Cleite Kallas=

*The left corner of the brunette's lips curls up in the hint of an amused half smile at the Lord Governor's mention of the fact he has unwittingly provided an easy means of ingress for the hostiles without the house but she says nothing as she walks calmly to the Umbaran's side and passes the curved lightsaber hilt to her before reaching to the small of her back and drawing the DC-15s sidearm from the waistband of her khaki quarter length pants.

Bringing the blaster into a practiced two-handed grip as the Lord Governor ignites his weapons, Cleite looks at Akulina, arching her right eyebrow interrogatively. At the Umbaran's cool nod towards the western facing window, Cleite moves towards a cream colored sofa that will provide a moderate amount of cover.*

Eversio wrote:"There is no where to run. We should stand our ground and make them come to us."

*And with his last word, a flash-bang grenade shattered the glass of one of the windows in the room in which Akulina and Eversio stood. The Jen'jidai turned and looked at the ill-begotten grenade as it erupted and spewed its foul gas designed to blind temporarily those who were affected by it.

It was too late. The attack had arrived...*

*No sooner has my Lord Governor finished the suggestion we make our stand inside the house than the option, so it would seem, is taken from us. The grenade that our foes open their attack with is designed to temporarily neutralize our combat effectiveness - the flash of light, even with my protective contact lenses, activates all of the light sensitive cells in my eyes and blinds me and the blast deafens me. Both conditions are temporary, this I know and so I feel no panic, and would not even if the effects were longer - sight and hearing are not the only senses available to me after all; the Force is mine to command and I summon it to me as the smoke designed to screen the hostile's movements begins to expand outward.* *I remain utterly still for two seconds, focusing on the unique rippling in the currents of the Force living beings create to locate the hostiles - three rapidly approaching the window with two staying further back to cover them, five closing on the front door, another five moving to cover or breach the rear entrance of the house.*

*Cleite will, as instructed, cover the window and so I decide to handle those foolish enough to approach from the front, thinking we are blind and deaf and therefore helpless, prey to be hunted. I will show them who is hunter and who is prey.*

*At four seconds after the grenade hit the fIoor I hear the sharp staccato barking of Cleite's DC-15s from behind me as I break my stillness, lowering my right shoulder as, calling the Force to me and feeling it's song building within and coursing through me, I charge for the front door, my lightsaber as yet unignited in my my left hand at my side.*

Outside

*Hitting the door, I drive it back through the frame and then pivot to my right, shoving it towards the trio of hostiles crouched and moving cautiously for the entrance. As the door slams into the leader of the trio and one of the two to my left takes aim for me, I summon the Force and become a blur of violent motion, darting towards him with the preternatural speed the Force lends my movements and, with my left forearm, push the barrel of his rifle aside and throw him off balance. My right hand lashes swiftly out, the base of my palm shattering the insect's larynx, and as two of the hostiles behind me open fire, the sounds slow, like something heard underwater, I continue the motion of my right arm and shove the dying human behind me into the path of the fire. Igniting my lightsaber, I lunge as the burst of speed begins to fade and stab the keening emerald blade through the second hostile's sternum, withdrawing it and turning fluidly in a crouch to face the remaining three fools that thought themselves hunters . . .*

Inside

=Cleite Kallas=

*As Akulina, the blue of her dress shirt and grey of her loose fitting pants becoming a blur of motion as she charges the door, moves to handle the front, Cleite fires a trio of shots at the window, anticipating the tangos will be approaching. The second shot is rewarded with a grunt, and the HRD ducks behind the couch as a hail of blaster fire answers her initial salvo, the red flashes illuminating the smoke filled room eerily.

Her position has been compromised so Cleite, knowing that if you are not shooting in a blaster fight you should be moving, moves - the smoke obscures her movements as well as those of the tangos and she has no need to breathe, nor are her artificial eyes irritated by the smoke. Darting to her left in a crouch, Cleite hears the thump of a tango's boots as he enters the window and she stops, turns and, her DC-15s in a steady two-handed grip, fires a pair of shots towards the sound, a feral and strangely cheerful smile on her face as she hears the wild shots towards the ceiling that accompany his fall backwards. Two down, she thinks, moving forward towards the cover of the chairs near the chess set. . .*

Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:28 am by Eversio

*As soon as the flash-grenade exploded, the next thing Eversio felt was the sensation of a ringing in his ear which denoted temporary deafness which was accompanied by momentary blindness. The Jen'jidai, like Akulina, did not move, but rather, remained perfectly still.

His sight returned before his hearing and he could see Cleite open fire on those troops posted outside of the house they stood in. He saw Akulina erupt in a beautiful display of magnificently controlled chaos which, he knew, would result in the death of many. The Zealot tightened his grip on the hilts that already laid in the palms of both of his hands and he advanced forward and moved with his natural speed, unaccompanied by the Force, towards the door.

The Jen'jidai blades moved in a propeller-like fashion and spun with such beauty that the blue and purple became difficult to distinguish separately as the two colors seemed to blend into one hue of death. Eversio moved forward with certainty and his form of saber combat was a blend between the utilization of strength like Shien and the emphasis on being light in the feet like Juyo. He returned the fire, through deflection of their own blaster shots back at four troopers, which killed two instantly. As he moved forward, striking distance became less of a possibility and more of an inevitibility. The Dark Jedi Master ceased his spinning of his blades and immediately drove his left saber into the chest of the trooper on his left and decapitated the soldier on his right.

The Zealot looked down at the soldier; stabbed through the chest by the weapon of the Dark Jedi, the soldier took heavy and exaggerated breaths. His eyes were wide, his mouth open though he could not bring himself to speak. He looked as though he begged for more time, more breath, and help from the Dark Jedi Master. Eversio showed the soldier no emotion of his own, let alone any desire to assist him in a painless death. Eversio watched as the man clung to life and, because he refused to die quickly, Eversio decided to speed up the process. He brought the same saber that stabbed the man in the chest to a horizontal strike which resulted in the severed head of the soldier.

The pupil of C'thulu simply watched the head separate and subsequently fall from to the ground and roll just once. The eyes of the soldier peered up at Eversio and the Dark Jedi Master simply looked back with the distant sounds of blaster fire and screams of soldiers killed by both Cleite and Akulina. He had taken so many lives that he had grown numb to the experience. He was the master mind behind the brutual extermination of his own; those Jen'jidai subjectively deemed to be "False". The slaying of a useless and ineffective soldier phased Eversio not. He turned and looked toward Akulina. He started to run over to her to see if she needed any assistance but he was quite certain that he knew the answer to that question already.*

Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:42 pm by Cleite Kallas

Outside - West

=SPC Nicilo Conetta=

*The house is situated near enough to the Villa Obscurum that their SGT decided to secure it as a beachhead, staging area and observation point for the rebellion. It looks like some rich, pampered civvie SOB's summer home, so resistance was expected to be minimal. It was supposed to be easy.

The first indication that the SGT's assessment might be off just a little bit came when PV2 Maola, moving for the window to be the first in after the flashbang, took a blaster shot to the chest before reaching the window. General consensus was, briefly, that a civve got lucky and so PFC Olivera, laying down suppression fire, entered next without hesitation.* *When Conetta follows after him, and sees that the PFC is down as well, shot in the upper thigh and probably bleeding out, he tries to track the female that is messing everyone's day up with the barrel of his A280 blaster rifle and, firing all the while, hits nothing more than some furniture and chess pieces as she darts to cover.*

=SGT Kateb Rahal=

*Kneeling at the edge of the treeline and aiming at the window, the Lorrdian curses when the sound of blaster fire does not cease immediately after Olivera enters the residence, wondering what the frip is going on when a trio of armed and trained soldiers cannot secure a fripping civilian residence within a minute. Keeping his eye on the window after Conetta enters, Kateb reaches up with his left hand to toggle the comlink clipped to the shoulder of his tactical vest and demands curtly,* :: Conetta, sitrep. Is the position secure? ::

*When there is no answer, Kateb looks over at the PFC holding with him and nods towards the window, about to issue the order to move in when the sound of blaster fire comes from the front of the house. The first hint of concern appears on Kateb's face, erasing the irritation, and he toggles his comm and says,* :: Toure, move in now. ::

*That's when he sees a tall, bald pale chick with a lightsaber down at her side walk around from the front of the house . . .*

Outside - North

=PFC Aamil Toure=

*Lifting his right hand and waving it forward towards the rear entrance to the residence, the Korun signals his team to break it down and move in after Kateb orders them to move in.* *It sounds, Aamil thinks, like the civilians are putting up more of a fight than expected.

Things go textbook for about a minute - Chein busts the door, Tabor and Gairden covering him, enters and tosses a flashbang. Then things go south - a trio of shots pierce the smoke and Chein and Gairden are down. Tabor opens up, moving for cover as Toure and Dabbin lay down suppressing fire and advance.*

*The return fire stops, so for about twenty seconds Toure thinks the civilian is either hit or pinned and motions for Tabor to move ahead.*

*That's when a brunette woman, smiling cheerfully, is revealed laying on the floor as the smoke begins to clear . . .*

Outside - West

*The Lord Governor crosses the threshold as the intruders open fire, and, trusting him to deal with them, I dismiss them from mind and turn to deal with those outside the window.* *The look of mild commingled worry and surprise on the face of the first soldier to see me as I stalk towards them is amusing, as is the man's attempt to move his blaster towards me to take aim. Amusing because I summon the Force to me once more and move so quickly that I am beside him before he has had the chance to process that I have moved at all.* *My lightsaber purrs silkenly as I disembowl him with a stroke, and I have my eyes on the last of the five, marshalling my species' ability to influence others and augment the effort via the Force to make my command,* "Stand down," *all the more persuasive. Though the intruder does not stand down, the mental struggle to resist the command is sufficient to make him hesitate long enough for me to close the distance seperating us and, unigniting my lightsaber, I slam the hilt visciously into the side of his head to render him unconscious - a gift for my Lord Governor. Kicking his rifle from beside his hand, I turn towards the house, now silent once more, and then lean down to grab the drag handle of the unconscious intruder's tactical vest and drag him towards the front of the house.*

Inside - North

=Cleite Kallas=

*Shaking her chin length mop of brown hair to shake the bits of chess pieces and plaster from it, Cleite tilts her head towards the side as she hears the back entrance of the house being forced open. With a last glance at the two tangos she has dropped inside the house, one still outside when she killed him, Cleite slips out of her shoes and smiles chipperly as she pads quietly towards the back door.

The second group repeats the flash-bang entrance and Cleite takes advantage of the smoke's obscuring haze by firing three times left to right at about chest height, moving all the while to prevent revealing her exact position.* *The antique desk she has taken shelter behind is destroyed as the hostiles return fire and, as bits of wood rain around her, Cleite does not fire back, instead electing to wait patiently for the inevitable pause in the firing.*

*When the pause comes, Cleite drops to her stomach and rolls from behind the desk, smiling as, with surgical precision, she fires a trio of shots - one into the forehead of each tango. Standing as the three fall, Cleite tilts her head to the side and looks at them for a moment, listening to determine if the conflict is continuing anywhere else. Hearing only silence, the brunette woman turns and begins heading for the front of the house.*

Outside - Front

*I do not smile when I see my Lord Governor approaching, Cleite emerging from the front door behind him, merely stopping and releasing my hold on the drag handle of the unconscious intruder's tactical vest and gesturing towards him as I say dryly,* "I have a gift for you."

Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:27 pm by Eversio

*Having dispatched those men that tried to bring himself, Akulina, Cleite and the sacred Temple of the Dark Jedi, death, Eversio contemplated on his next move. There was something not right about this whole rebellion and though he had killed this small group of soldiers, with the help of Cleite and Akulina, he still thought that the Rebellion put up a much greater fight than he expected. Nevertheless, The Zealot expected his next move to come to him and thus by the time he had approached Akulina he was clear of thought.

He listened to her words whilst he looked at her. It was, by far, the most arousing thing she had said to him thus far in their brief time having known each other. To the Dark Jedi Master, she was a woman who could hold her own in a fight, was calculated in her movements and controlled her emotions hence Eversio's inwardly immense delight to the unconscious Rebel Soldier being dropped before him like the a rodent being surrendered from the jaws of a feline. What made it truly sublime was the dry and seemingly dispassionate tone that Akulina took with Eversio. The Dark Jedi Master was careful to not display any sign of how much he truly loved this moment save for two small gestures. Eversio ignited his saberstaff which was held in his right hand. Almost in sync with the snap hiss of the purple hued blade was the Jen'jidai's raised left side of his mount. This was a faint indication of a smile.

The apprentice of C'thulu gazed upon the unconscious soldier and then back to Akulina and said in an equally dry tone, though he had just smiled and activated his blade moments prior..*

"Thank you, Akulina. There will be no prisoners."

*He kept his gaze on the Umbaran female and simply extended his right arm downward and drove his saber through the throat of the unconscious, and now deceased, Rebel Soldier. This was easy given that the soldier was dropped in front of him and the Dark Jedi Master used the Force to guide his blade true. The death of the rebel caused Eversio's heart to beat heavier and there was a certain sense of euphoria that over took the Dark Jedi. He enjoyed killing the Rebel Soldier. It was something completely different for Eversio who considered himself more of a warrior out of necessity than of trade or preference.

When he exhaled slowly from his nose and came down from his euphoric feeling, Eversio's eyes befell something on the right arm of the now vanquished soldier. There was a crest. It was that of the Black Guard and the Dark Jedi Order but turned upside down with a much larger sword being driven down the middle. In front of the sword was a small banner that read, in ancient Sith, "Purity for the pure".

The Jen'jidai knew not who was behind this but it was clear that the war had driven a very distinguishable line between Eversio's military. He knew these men who lay dead at the feet of Akulina and himself. The Jen'jidai knew the families of the men who were laid to waste by Cleite. It could not be denied that the ripple effect of the actions of a few to remove the many, would be felt by everyone on the planet. There was not a person on Muunlinist that did not have, at the very least, their life to loss. The only difference was that some were willing to make the sacrifice.

It was not long after Eversio noticed the patch with the Crest of the Rebellion, did Eversio's stare rest on the Umbaran female. He continued in his traditionally bland and emotionally devoid manner of talking as he suggested something to both Cleite and Akulina.*

"It seems to me that you two are not safe here. The Dark Jedi Order could offer you...both...refuge in our Temple..."

*Eversio then moved his gaze just squarely onto Akulina*

"...I would feel better about it..."

*The Jen'jidai then waited for an answer as the dead bodies of the Rebel Army lay dead in Mariunhus, to which he naturally head nne.*

Fri Mar 18, 2011 11:37 pm by Cleite Kallas

*It may be my imagination but I believe my Lord Governor smiles ever so faintly and briefly as he ignites his saberstaff, the purple blade's illumination bathing his pale features in it's glow as it silkenly hisses and then seethes as he thrusts it through the throat of my gift. Though I find the execution somewhat surprising - were our places exchanged I would have questioned the doomed fool first to learn all that he had to reveal of those who sent him, but it was my Lord Governor's gift to do with what he pleased - I merely watch without expression, my attention on my Lord Governor rather than the prone soldier. I wonder what it is I see in My Lord Governor's eyes - his stoic expression unchanged, but something in his eyes belies the outward calm, though I cannot say what it is.

Following my Lord Governor's gaze I see the crest on the man's arm - nearly like that of the soldiers that boarded the Frona to search it, but reversed and subtly different. The war Frajj spoke of would appear, so it seems, to be a complicated one, the patch suggesting those that oppose the Dark Jedi are somehow related. Curious, but not, now that those who had trespassed on my little sanctuary have been dealt with, of great interest to me.*

*Meeting my Lord Governor's eyes when he turns his gaze to me, I nearly smile, even almost laugh, when he suggests we are not safe here - there is no place I am unsafe - but allow only a slight arch of my left eyebrow to suggest I think otherwise.* *When he then, surprisingly, offers to open the temple to us, I very nearly widen my eyes but am able to keep from doing so - the offer seems strange in light of what it is that brought him here - and then need to suppress the smile that threatens to surface on my lips at the realization of how very much I welcome the offer; his terse description of the Order, his unswerving loyalty to it, had captured my attention, kindled a desire to learn more of what knowledge they have in their possession and it seems, now, that my curiosity may be sated. Refuge is not, of course, the same as opening the Order's wealth of knowledge to me so that I might grow stronger, but it is a step further down the path leading to that end.*

*I purse my lips and blink slowly as though considering the offer, having not failed to note that his closing statement seemed to be directed to me alone and feeling the thrill of satisfaction knowing I am closer to making my Lord Governor my creature fill me. Opening my eyes, remaining otherwise utterly still as I stand with my curved lightsaber held loosely in my left hand at my side, I look from my Lord Governor to Cleite - who stands, herself, as still as a stature in the doorway with her DC-15s down at her right side - as though silently consulting her to further the illusion I wish to cast that I am not overly eager to accept the invitation that has been presented, and, when she nods after a pause, look back to my Lord Governor and shrug my right shoulder ever so faintly as I say dryly with the tiniest upward curl of the left side of my lips to suggest I find the suggestion we are in need of protection amusing,* "If it . . . pleases our Lord Governor, we accept the invitation."

Mon Mar 21, 2011 6:13 am by Eversio

*The curl of Akulina's lip did not go unnoticed to Eversio, who silently took slight insult to her reaction. He had hoped for something more from the Umbaran though he valued any person who was confident in their abilities and had good reason to be. Akulina had proven her skill with a blade and her control of the fight was something that Eversio both respected and was trained to do as well. He quietly wondered if, perhaps, she had ever come across any Dark Jedi before. Regardless, Eversio does not show nor speak as though he took insult to any degree by the slight non-verbal cue. For a man who spent most of his adult life in silence, it made him keen in obeservation, however, this was a man who believed that all emotion was vulnerability and it was best to display as little as possible.

The Zealot concluded that the two had proven even the slightest amount of comrodery and for that he appreciated them both. Interestingly enough, Eversio still had not concluded that Cleite was not a human being, a sentient, like himself. The fact that she was an HRD was completely lost on the Jen'jidai. It was a truly perculiar juxtaposition to the Jen'jidai being one to excel in observation; being cognizant about Cliete, however, was not something he was overly pre-occupied by.

Eversio nodded his head and turned back towards the house. In the distance he could see the Villa. His gaze moved from the Villa to the ground beneath his feet. He knew this rebellion on the mainland would pose a real threat to the Order and perhaps the only serious one that any Jen'jidai had ever known. The Dark Jedi Master turned so that his chin was parallel to his shoulder with his eyes to the woods to his left.*

"It looks as though you both picked an interesting time to show up on this planet."

*The Jen'jidai looked away and back towards the Villa that was no more than a quick stroll from where they stood. Eversio reholstered his sabers after he deactivated them. He loathed war but understood it's functionality in terms of the need, as he saw it, to purge the weak from the cosmos. Those leeches who sucked the blood from the strong, needed to die. It was the only way and while Eversio understood this, and had fought in nearly a dozen or more wars in his thirty-five year existence, it seemed as though he had grown more sensitive to them.

Regardless, the Jen'jidai marched forward towards the Temple, and expected the two to follow shortly behind. He needed to do much for this war and believed that he found two good allies in both Akulina and Cleite. They may prove to be useful as this war esclated, Eversio thought. As he got closer to the Temple he contemplated on how he realized that he was using them for war. Two more soldiers to bring to the slaughter to exact death on the rebels. They were more bodies in his war of attrition.The thought that dominated the mind of the Jen'jidai was so strong that he gave not a single thought to how, maybe it was himself who was being used and not the other way around...*

Mon Mar 21, 2011 10:14 pm by Cleite Kallas

*With a faint nod of my head I convey my agreement with my Lord Governor's assertion that Cleite and I have chosen a captivating time to return to Muunilinst and, without a glance back, follow silently behind him as he begins to stalk for the temple.* *There is nothing behind that cannot be replaced should I desire to replace it; the house merely one of many shells I have left behind me in my restless wanderings for the nameless thing that has driven me to search for it - a nameless thing that I may, at last, have found a path leading closer towards.

We make an odd trio, I think as I follow my Lord Governor - intent, grim and robed in black he leads us onward silently like a wraith, and, Cleite at my side, we follow, equally silent and intent though our casual and unremarkable attire most likely makes us, deceptively, seem less so than he - and I wonder absently what those at the temple will make of my Lord Governor inviting us into their lair.

I am reminded, as we leave the grounds of my home, of the delicious moment during a dive when the surface world is left behind as I first enter the water, exchanged for the sea and the mysteries that await me there, things unseen by many - just as the temple we are bound for is open to, I assume, only the select few. Though I give no outward sign, I feel the euphoric thrill of anticipation that always accompanies entering the sea and beginning to descend into the unknown, the unexplored. Not only has a door I had long since believed would never be found appeared before me unexpectedly, opening onto a path to furthering my knowledge of the Force and my mastery over it; but my Lord Governor's war will quite possibly be open to me as well, a chance to test myself, to hone my abilities. The solitary challeges of mountains, deserts and seas are one thing, as practicing with Cleite is another, but the war could be a proving ground of a wholly different magnitude, a crucible I will emerge from stronger, tempered and reforged, or not at all. The prospect is strangely appealing, and I begin to plan how to make my Lord Governor allow me access to all that I sense lays waiting ahead as we continue silently onward to the temple.*

Wed Apr 06, 2011 9:53 am by William Reign

*Ever since the rebellion against the Dark Jedi had started, led by one of their very own generals and supported by a cadre of extremely wealthy Muun aristocrats, the island of Mariunhus had been in an uproar, with units on full alert. Although this island was the heart of power for the Dark Jedi Order, the island city simply wasn't large enough to hold the kind of troop numbers that Harnaidan did. And it now appeared as if any troops in the planetary capital that hadn't switched loyalties had already been eliminated, which the exception of a single company of Shadow Legionnaires who had apparently escaped into the countryside to wreck havoc upon rebel supply lines. Yet despite lacking the same troop numbers, Mariunhus was not without advantages; some obvious and some not.

The first ring of defence was strictly a naval one; a roving patrol of water-borne warships that protected the island from approach by sea. Under the waves, two concentric rings of proximity mines made approach by that method rather hazardous, unless using the designated safe paths...which had been shifted since General Fuc'jo's defection. On the island itself, high-tech sensors kept a watch over the skies, with a network of fifty All-Terrain Anti-Aircraft scattered across the city for aerial defence. These emplaced defences were further bolstered by eight batteries of five Self-Propelled Heavy Artillery, making approach by capital ship rather difficult, even should they manage to slip past the orbital defence platform "Thanatos", which sat as sentinel in geo-synchronous orbit above Mariunhus. Two squadrons of fighters were also stationed on Mariunhus, and since the beginning of the rebellion a flight remained in low altitude patrol constantly on a rotating basis.

In addition to the laser canon emplacements in bunkers that overlooked all the major beaches, the golden sands that had once been graced by bodacious bikini babes bathing in the sea and sunlight were now dominated by patrols of Dark Jedi soldiers on single trooper aerial platforms. They roved the shore line in groups of four, and each STAP had inbuilt a emergency beacon that could be activated with the push of a button, in the event that a patrol was attacked and about to be overwhelmed. Also, if pressed twice, the button also activated a countdown timer within the platform that - if not deactivated by an authorisation code within a minute of activating - caused the aerial platform to detonate.

But for all this, the truth was that the basis for any good defence was manpower, and although the Mariunhus garrison lacked the numbers of the mainland, it made up for it in quality. After months of planning, followed by months of selection, followed by many months of training, the first legion of one of the most secretive and elite fighting forces of the modern galactic age was ready for battle. Though they were new and had not yet entered into legend, they were the Immortals. Currently a thousand strong, they were masked and armoured and silent as the grave. They drew the inspiration for their fanaticism from the Zealot himself, and their courage from the confident and charismatic Sage. The will of the Jen'jidai was their will, and may it be done swiftly and surely. General Bashere, who had taken over management of the project, estimated that within a month, a second legion would be battle ready. The question was...would Mariunhus still be standing in a month? Could the Dark Jedi Order hold with the forces they had, or would the great Order fall, betrayed by one of its own?*

Wed Apr 20, 2011 4:50 am by William Reign

*General Bashere, long-time Commander of Reign's ground forces and newly-appointed Commanding Officer of the Immortals Project, paced the floor of her office behind her desk, deep in thought. The Togorian had never really liked sitting still for long periods - though she well understood the value of patience - and particularly when she was deep in thought she liked to maintain some level of movement. She had just recieved a communication from Admiral Hunt that the King Trogdor had been neutralised in order to stop the rebels seizing it, and the Admiral Cage was currently engaged against a hostile fleet. With Harnaidan now firmly under rebel control, it seemed as if the situation for the Dark Jedi Order had continued to deteriorate.

What did appease Bashere somewhat was the level of support that seemed to remain among the general Muun populace, particularly among those many commoners whose fortunes had risen greatly with the arrival of Lord Reign and his Order. It seemed the largest dissidents were actually the wealthy minority; those Muun who had lost the most in Lord Reign's drastic re-structuring of the status quo. Nevertheless, such undercurrents of support meant nothing unless they could be capitalised on from a military perspective, and that is exactly the problem that Bashere grappled with now; how could the Dark Jedi Order launch an offensive against the heavily populated and defended Harnaidan without significant collateral damage to the civilian population? At this point, did civilian considerations even matter?

Perhaps most important was the big question on Bashere's mind; were the first two legions of Immortals truly ready for the mammoth task ahead of them? The answer, after she thought about it for a moment, was a resounding yes, and the 2.4 metre feline flashes a toothy grin at the thought of seeing them in battle.*

Mon Jun 06, 2011 6:57 am by William Reign

*So far the rebels had stuck to the mainland, attempting to consolidate their control there and in orbit before making the attempt to try and take Mariunhus. The island city, which boosted a DSS-02 shield generator much like the one that protected Harnaidan, was well fortified from every angle, so it made sense for the rebels not to attempt an assault too early. Yet no defence was impenetrable, and should the rebels gain control over the mainland and the skies, they would be able to launch a pronged assault capable of taking out even Mariunhus' prodigious defences. But General Bashere was of the opinion that the best defence was an offence, and for this reason she had begun pushing for authorisation to mount an attack on the rebels with the two legions of Immortals currently under her command. Two legions; ten thousand men. An elite fighting force of fanatically loyal masked men as silent as the grave, and as deadly as the Reaper himself. They had the best equipment and training the Dark Jedi Order could afford to provide, and the Dark Jedi Order could afford alot of both.

All Bashere needed was authorisation, and she would personally lead them in a surgical strike deep into the heart of rebel territory. The rebels would expect such an attack on Harnaidan, which is exactly why Bashere would target Muun City first - strike and withdraw. Only after the garrisons around Harnaidan had been whittled away would she strike at the heart itself, and re-take Harnaidan or die trying. And if she did die trying, she planned to take half the damn city with her. She smirks at the thought of her contingency plans - a toothy feline grin that looks only half as sinister as the cunning mind which resides behind it.*

Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:50 am by Alkor Centaris

*Pushing out of the Villa was one of the easiest things he'd ever done; no one even suspected Alkor was going to leave. Getting through Marinhus to the commercial port, however, was going to be one of the hardest. Flagged as one of the Jen'jidai, he'd have to get through the rebel presence that was mounting up in the city and attempting to put a stranglehold on the Villa. Not that he cared about that.

The other Jen'jidai were too busy with their infighting and genocide campaigns to watch the lone Alkor walk away, in the shadow of the bloodshed. It wasn't where he'd been renown for moving in the past, but it served him well here and now. He doubted sincerely that he'd be followed, but if he was, which wasn't impossible, knowing what the other Jen'jidai and the Black Guard were capable of, how much they knew...

Beneath his swathing black cloak, he carefully held Absolution in the firmest of grips. But she was slowly fading away from him. Or was it the other way? Somehow, Alkor found himself feeling out of sync with the lightsaber, and he was growing to hate the weapon. It would serve him well in spite of itself, though he had thoughts of casting it away.

The code... what had he ever stood for? What had he killed all of those people for, and for whence had he caused his tears to run dry? Alkor had no more love for this Order, it's xenophobia, it's message of genocide, or its prayers for chaos. He just wanted to be free- and he knew now that he had only ever been a slave here.

Emotions swirled like a maelstrom within him, though he kept them guarded as best he could. Conflict was good, he recalled, though if he did end up on the receiving end of a Jen'jidai... he would need to act quickly to make it out with his life. Especially considering...

Bam! Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tah!

He looked slowly around, a sonic grenade not too close, and yet not so far in the distance causing a moment's worth of shell shock, and his eyes widened. Slowly, his eyes returned to normal size, and he could hear again, though not before he saw it. The hellish pyre, rushing upward to meet the darkened heavens. The war was upon the Jen'jidai's gate.

With a dry laugh, Alkor shook his head and struck his walk up anew. He was almost free of this place, these people and their dogmatic beliefs. More importantly, he was almost free.*

Sun Sep 18, 2011 1:04 pm by Eversio

*News of Major General Asil's march over a 90 mile span of Harnaidan reach Central Command of the Dark Jedi Order with a boisterous delight. It is not long before air support is ordered to assist Asil on Harnaidan. The planes brought countless amount of food supplies to the troops as well as speculators from Reign Enterprises who determined the best locations to set up business mines once more. For as sad and tragic that war is and can be, there was also lucrative business to be gained with the buying of burned and ruined land for cheap to later sell it at an astronomically high price to the highest bidder.

War was cold and so was business. Everything and everybody had a price and value and these speculators knew that if they did not perform their jobs, there would be meetings with the Sovereign, Lord William Reign, and none of them wanted that.

On Mariunhus, inventory is kept on the supplies and weaponry and the citizens are alerted of the news from the mainland through the state's holonet network. It seemed, at least for now, that the war was close to its completion. Although, not to be caught off guard again, The Dark Jedi Order's forces kept a firm handle on the amount of trained military police who enforced strict curfew and expelled the citizens rights to congregate, speak freely and have a free press. The suspension of individual liberty for the collective liberty of a system was a tricky balance to be sure...*

Mariunhus

Pajari Residence - Eastern Coast of Mariunhus

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Pajari Residence - Eastern Coast of Mariunhus

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Pajari Residence - Eastern Coast of Mariunhus

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Pajari Residence - Eastern Coast of Mariunhus

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Pajari Residence - Eastern Coast of Mariunhus

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Pajari Residence - Eastern Coast of Mariunhus

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