Star Wars Saga: The Aftermath of Mizra [IC]

[Yeshon]

Galactic history would remember the battle of Mizra as the single greatest defeat the Republic ever suffered. The records of Mizra were lost to time, but even the thought of it haunted the Republic for centuries after. What is known, is the Republic gathered their vast forces in a planet in the inner rim and fought the Sith. The Sith won, and gutted the Republic war effort.

This is not the story of Mizra.

Escaping the battle an armed freighter flies through hyperspace. On board, are some of the greatest warriors of the age. Whether through guile or strength these individuals were once regarded as the greatest heroes of the Republic.


This is their story.

All right, just give me the intro post as I requested in OOC and we'll go from there.

Also, it's safe to assume that y'all at least know each other's names (you've been on board for an hour), except for the Clawdite if she's still in disguise.

[Batpope Scott]

A quick step patters through the ship as the jedi in dusk green robes moves about to check on his fellow survivors. He'd calm down, but the moment has been a little too much for him to drop the adrenaline. He stops for a moment as a piece of metal shines his reflection at him. He's normally a rather handsome fellow with his short brown hair perfectly taken care of, though it is now frayed in places and a mess. He takes a moment to straighten it before noticing the rest of his appearance. His eyes, deep blue in color, have bags underneath and are missing the light they usually seem to have. His skin was very pale when he left for Mizra but has become a little darker from his time in the sun. He continues his walk, reprimanding himself silently for becoming distracted.

He walks up to look into the cockpit silently and gazes out into the stars as they shoot past. Hyperspace was always a rather memorable sight. He flicks his lightsaber over and over in his hand, the ebony colored handle spinning with ease. The silver metal that entwines up the handle giving the steady spin it's own blur of color. He thinks to the crystal inside, the blue Sigil that he was given by his mother. His thoughts waver for a moment before he blocks them out. Worry will destroy him if he lets it.

A jedi master who has trouble with his thoughts is one greatly perturbed, and this jedi can't help but think of Mizra. How could things have gone so badly? The republic organised a fighting force worth at least as much as any sith fleet he'd ever had the trouble of worrying about. Bad planning? Defenses weren't good enough? How did the sith know to attack there in the first place? These thoughts plague the jedi's mind as he recounts his experience on that planet. Separating from his parents had been foolish. They were supposed to stick together and he had gone gallivanting off like a youngling who still thinks he's invincible. He walks away from the cockpit and back to the cargo hold where he tries to find a place to sit and meditate and collect his thoughts. He grasps the jedi medallion on his necklace momentarily to remind himself of his duties. He will recover from this, no matter how much loss he suffered in this last day.

[Henry the 57th]

Adalric Dooku sits on his bed, eyes closed and legs folded in meditation. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no emotion, there is peace. he recites in his head, allowing his sadness and frustration to flow from him. He opens his eyes to look around. His well-appointed room looks the same as ever. He can see himself in the mirror. His reflection shows him a tall, thin man wearing dark robes and boots clearly modeled on the Jedi design, though not quite right. His skin is pale with only a slight tan, from his recent campaigning. His hair is blond and meticulously groomed, and his eyes are an icy blue color. He evidences the sharp, angular features common to his family. His cheekbones are high and prominent, his nose his perfectly straight, and his chin is so angular as to almost be pointed. A closer inspection of his clothing would reveal that the robes are soft black shimmersilk instead of the usual course cloth, and the boots are expensive, well-padded rancor leather.

Adalric sighs, feeling a mixture of pleasure at these signs of wealth and shame for violating the Jedi code in this manner. He squelches the latter feeling immediately. It's not as though I had a choice. For the good of the Republic and all... He gets up from his bed and exits the room, arms folded behind his back and brow furrowed in thought. As he exits the door, his modified 501-Z security droid, Shield, falls into line behind him. He walks briskly to the cargo bay, droid in tow. He notes Master Ramos meditating inthe distance, and gives him a wide birth. He is looking for something. Or rather, someone. "Symphony! Symphony! Come here girl!" he calls. After a moment, a Correlian Banshee Bird descends from her perch in the upper rafters, landing on his shoulder. Adalric strokes the bird, a pet given to him on Serreno, finding her presence soothing.

Adalric finds he is in great need of soothing right now. Sadness and anger still threaten to overcome his emotional control. The more he thinks of Mizra, the sadder and angrier he gets. How could this have happened? he wonders, for the millionth time. How could High Command make such a huge blunder? Of course the enemy would know about such a huge force assembling - anything that size has to have been penetrated by enemy intelligence. So why weren't we prepared? Sloppiness? So something more sinister? How did that sniper know where to find Master Ann? Have we a traitor in the highest ranks? Adalric ponders this mystery, continuing to stroke and coo his pet. He looks at Shield briefly as he sits down, Symphony well-balanced enough that she doesn't fall. And why didn't we have more droid soldiers? I told them it would be better to use combat automata against the Sith, but no one listened! And now we've lost because our living soldiers couldn't stand the sudden lose of battle meditation. Adalric sighs as he closes his eyes, vowing silently to fight on no matter what.

[MichaelGoldclaw]

A female, Lethan Twi'lek nearby Adalric can be seen preforming maintenance on her black and red armor. Her armor has some obvious modifications, such as mounted vibroblades on the exterior of the forearms. The upper half of the blades are currently folded on top of the bottom half, but at a moments notice can spring back into normal position. However that isn't the most notable quality. Her armor is Mandalorian. She finishes with the maintenance and puts her armor back on. Her helmet is always the trickiest part, so she leaves it off for now.

Mirza was two thinks for her: a mission gone FUBAR and a glorious battle. She tries to block the sadness of the lives lost there by thinking they died honorably, but that was pointless. So instead she tried to think how it was a first for her. She had never fought a Sith. She had only heard stories of powerful Sith and Jedi, such as Revan, who defeated Mandalore the Ultimate. Fighting Dark Jedi was a challenge, and it was glorious. something her friend back on Mandalore would be jealous of.

[Vertharrad]

Short black military style hair, alert green eyes, half-dried sweat coating his face as Tad runs the cloth across the disassembled repeating rifle. The room has no personal items in it other than his field kit, armor, and weapons. The power packs sitting against the wall as their partners are being recharge in the charger.

What was the Jedi thinking? You don't send a large force initially, you send small mobile strike teams to sow confusion and doubt. Well back to the business at hand, mom and dad did always say to clean your equipment whenever you got the chance. He's overwhelmed by the feelings of rage and grief as he remembers all who were lost to him because of this. The room seems to grow real cold as his thoughts go dark, contemplating retribution on the Sith. His feelings sit in the core of his being like a piece of food in your stomach that takes too long to digest.

With the rifle finished, Tad proceeds to clean and repack the rest of his gear. He then takes the chance to clean up.using a sanisteam or other means When he's finished he puts on his shadowsuit complete with everything he keeps on his ready harness. A duster gets put on over the ensemble.

Tad leaves his room searching for Dooku to see what the next move is. He doesn't intend to make the same mistake this time.

[Athany]

Alestina lies silently in a cot, her anxious breathing finally slowing down to a relatively normal rate. The enemy incursion had come so suddenly that all she could do was stand frozen and shell-shocked, as multitudes of the soldiers she supposedly commanded fell in front of her. It was only when a retreating jedi yelled at "Commander Talson" to fall back with him that she began to move, mindlessly following him to his ship. All she could do after getting aboard was to lie down and close her eyes, until now.

Though she was no stranger to death, she had never seen anything on such a scale before. The image of hordes of burning and flailing bodies would forever burned into her memory. But slowly, as the remaining emotional turmoil began to numb, the rational part of her mind takes over and immediately attempts to deduce what she can about the event that just transpired. Obviously, the Sith had known about the attack plans. So there must have been at least one of their agents among those involved in the planned attack. But how could this agent be identified among the many millions that were involved? And more importantly, what should she be doing now?

She suddenly sits up abruptly, and looks around. Seeing four strangers around her, she's considering if she should talk to them, when she remembers to check an important detail. In what appears to be an odd gesture, she touches her own face with her fingers, and her heart sinks as she realizes that she's still in character. Sithspit, she curses inwardly, as she's still portraying the spitting image of the popular and charismatic Commander Talson, one of the leaders of the Mizra ground forces. A human male slightly past middle age, his features are rugged yet handsome. His short white hair and a well groomed mustache makes him stand out from the crowd, and the obvious bulk under his now soiled uniform clearly indicate his powerful build.

Alestina fingers the Republic Intelligence ID she carries in her backpocket, struggling to find a good way to reveal herself to the others, when an interruption puts it all on hold.

[Yeshon]

The Freighter's alert system beeps, and then a mechanical voice sounds from near the cockpit, it is Dooku's protocol droid.

"Sire, we have received a holo-transmission broadcast on all frequencies."

The T3 utility droid unleashes a string of high pitched beeps. Obviously displeased with the GE's overly polite and halting speech.

"I was getting to that." The GE counters, and then continues to address Dooku, "Well sire, it seems the transmission was broadcast from Mizra. The T3 is recording it now, and we can display it on the central holo-projector at your leisure."

At this time, Reila's T3 contacts her, informing her that he has received a holo-transmission from Mizra. He also expresses his doubt that the transmission is worth anything as it just looks like some organic's trying overcompensate for one of nature's cruelest handicaps.

[Batpope Scott]

Overhearing the droid's alert, Keiran stands and walks over to Dooku before mentioning quietly that "It is unlikely that the message is from a republic soldier. If it's broadcast over all frequencies, it's either a civilian or the sith attempting to taunt us."

[Henry the 57th]

"Then by all means, do so immediately." Adalric tells. GE. To Keiran, he says, "I agree that that is most likely. However, it be behoves us to know all we can about what's going on at the moment."

[Yeshon]

The T3 dutifully rolls to the central holo-projector and plugs in. For a moment it flickers and then the image of a tall figure dressed in dark robes resolves itself. Strangely you can make out no face beneath those robes.

T3 swivels his head to the GE and unleashes a string of beeps.

The GE translates, "He says the duration of the transmission is 5 minutes."

Rotating his arm, currently plugged into the holoprojector, and the image begins to speak.

"Greetings citizens of the galaxy. I am Darth Skyr, Dark Lord of the Sith."

DC 20 K(Galactic Lore): No Sith has taken the title 'Darth' in over 200 years. It's believed that the other Sith would unite against any stupid enough to take Ruin's title.

"For those of you unaware, the New Sith Empire has demolished the Republic's war machine at Mizra. Not even I know the precise number dead. I extend my sympathies to any family who has lost a loved one in service to an unworthy Republic. For millennium the Republic has grown fat and complacent. Smothering its citizens with tributes and forcing them to protect the weak at the expense of the strong.

"But now, there are only two rims beyond the Empire's reach, the Core systems, and the Colonies. Should you live outside of those Rims, then I'm afraid the Republic has decided to cut their loses and abandon you.

"You will have noticed by now that the Republic garrisons on your worlds seem to be mobilizing. I am afraid, they are retreating and leaving your worlds defenseless in the face of what they think is a barbaric Sith Empire."

Darth Skyr motions to someone outside of the holo-projectors view, and a Kel-dor dressed in Jedi robes steps forward and bows, unescorted.

He looks distressingly familiar to any Jedi, but before they can place a name, Darth Skyr speaks again.

"What is your name?"

"Jae Plo, once a High Council Member of the Jedi Order. Now, Lord of the Sith."

Pausing for reactions and for more people to chime in.

[Henry the 57th]

Adalric's eyes widen briefly, then close. He bows his head in sadness. "A tragic ending for a once gallant Jedi."

[Batpope Scott]

"Darth...?" He shakes his head as this 'Darth Skyr' makes himself known. He whispers loud enough to be heard as Skyr goes on about the usual sith propaganda. "That title is not easily taken. Not without quite the battle, anyway."

As Jae Plo comes into the picture, Keiran goes rigid. "A traitor! And one of the high council! No wonder they knew so much..."


[roll0] Galactic Lore

[Vertharrad]

Tad stands there while the broadcast airs, snickering at the mention of certain details dealing with the Republics handling of the galaxy. He seems to be deadly calm until the Jedi mentions he's one of the enemy. -Underneath his breath- I knew we couldn't trust the Jedi to run a operation like this. His countence looks troubled, then a poker face expression takes over.

He waits until the transmission is done to speak. -Looking around at the others- You know Darth(he says it like a name, not an honorific)is right, the Republic has grown fat and complacent. I see it almost every place we travel to, instead of helping their people I see those that could be helped getting no assistance whatsoever. Do you know who the Black Reapers best customer was? The Republic...they couldn't even provide enough military strength to keep from needing mercs. The fact that a Jedi has turned out to be our downfall hurts the Republic's and the Jedi's image, a great piece of psywar. By the way isn't it the Jedi's job to keep the peace? So what's our next move, Sir?(looking at Dooku)

[Henry the 57th]

"Right now? We see what else he has to say. Then, we talk." Adalric says.

[MichaelGoldclaw]

Relia's fist tighten as the Jae Plo spoke. He was responsible for the loss of countless lives. "That Demagolka." she spoke in an angered voice. "I am going to tear his mask off plant a detpac in his mouth, and that is a mercy kill."

Demagolka is Mando'a for one who commits atrocities. Originated from the scientist Demagol

[Yeshon]

The transmission continues.

"And Lord Plo, were you the only member of the Jedi order who had accepted the ways of the Sith?"

"No."

"The only Master?"

"No."

"... the only high council member?" Darth Skyr's voice feigns hope as he says this.

"No."

There is a long silence.

"Thank you Lord Plo, now, please bring our guest forward." He turns to face his imaginary audience. The former master stands and walks off the holo-transmission.

"Lord Plo defected a decades ago, when I faced him in combat. On the surface of Korriban I gave him a choice, join me, or die. Now, citizens of the galaxy, I offer you the same choice. Any planet who defects from the Republic to the Sith Empire will be welcomed with open arms. We are willing to listen to conditions. Any who refuse this generous offer because of some misplaced loyalty--"

A Jedi bound in a Sith collar comes forward, escorted by Lord Plo, the former-jedi forces the man to his knees. It is then that you recognize him as Jaxon Dack, an ace fighter, and savior of the republic more times than anyone can count.

Darth Skyr unhooks an over-sized lightsaber handle and places it against the Jedi Knight's back.

"Will you serve me?"

Dack spits blood on Skyr's robe, "Go to Hell!"

Skyr does not respond, and a crimson blade erupts from Dack's chest. Jaxon manages to breath a word, then his eyes go blank. The lightsaber deactivates and Skyr replaces it onto his belt. Dack crumples at his feet.

"As I was saying, any who refuse the new order will be killed, and perhaps not with the same mercy I afforded Jaxon Dack."

Darth Skyr holds out his hand, "The age of the Republic his over." He clenches his fist, "The age of the Sith has begun. Be a part of this glorious new order! Or,"

The Sith Lord lowers his hand and glances at Dack, "Be forgotten by history."

The transmission stops.

The T3 unleashes a string of beeps.

"He claims there is more to the transmission," the GE translates, "it is apparently a list of Jedi who have defected to the Sith. He has begun downloading the information to your personal datapad sire."

[Henry the 57th]

Adalric sighs wearily. "Thank you T3, GE. If there is nothing more to the transmition, you may go."

Once they have gone, he turns to the others. "Now that we've heard that, I think it's time we should discuss what to do next. And, of course, introductions. I am Jedi Knight Adalric Dooku. This is Shield." He indicates the large droid still looming protectively over him. "This is my ship, Noble Dawn. I think we should proceed back to the nearest Republic-aligned space immediately. What do you all think?"

[Yeshon]

The droids obey, leaving those around the central holo-projector alone.

[MichaelGoldclaw]

I am Relia of the Mandalorian clan Ordo. Heading back to republic space would be a good idea.

[Batpope Scott]

Keiran stares in horror as Dack is executed and clenches his fists as he watches his dying eyes. He watches in silence, still as a statue.

When Dooku asks for introductions, he allows himself to relax and reaches down to twirl his saber hilt again. "I am Keiran Ramos. Jedi Master of the Green Jedi on Corellia. Pleasure to meet you."

His twirling stops as he looks over the assembled entourage "And I formally suggest that we get back in the fight where we're needed."

[Athany]

Alestina's fist slams into a wall as she watches the broadcast. "Traitors!" she mutters to herself, "even among the Jedi." It's unbelievable that those she looked up to as a shining beacon of justice could be coerced on such a large scale. But before the emotions can overtake her, she forces herself to think about the situation dispassionately, the way she was trained.

She mentally reviews the claims made in the transmission. It doesn't seem likely that every Republic garrison has been ordered to withdraw in such a short period of time - it would take time for such a decision to be made, more time to plan it out, and even more time to propogate the necessary orders. That part must have been propaganda. But a nagging doubt undermines her conclusion. But...what if the Republic already had plans to pull back? Then it would be completely plausible. In any case, the threat that's being made is a very serious one, and many systems could easily fall, whether by giving in, or even by panicking. Today could easily be the... But her thoughts are interrupted as Adalric calls for introductions and a decision.

As the others introduce themselves, she considers her options. It was definitely not the best of times to alter her form and reveal herself, not with the broadcast bringing news of such treachery, but if she kept up the lie now, her current companions might react even more negatively in the future. She chooses to take the middle road. "I'm Alestina, Republic Intelligence," she states plainly while retaining Commander Talson's form but slightly altering her voice, distinguishing it from the commander's. Pulling out her ID, she wonders briefly if anyone on board knew how to verify it before she continues to comment. "I agree with the notion that we should immediately head for Republic space, but it would be prudent to head coreward. We have no way of knowing if any other systems were also invaded or turned..." Her voice falters as she suddenly remembers her parents, still doing business in the Inner Rim. But it would do her no good to worry about them right now, so she speaks again. "If I could get in touch with my handler, I might be able to get more information."

[Vertharrad]

Tad waits to see what the others have to say first before replying. My name is Tad Messi, I'm the last surviving member of the Black Reapers mercenary company. Inclining his head in first Adalrics and then Relia and Alestinas direction each he speaks Dooku, Ordo, and Alestina have all hit upon most of my suggestions already. We get back to Republic held space and check and see what's going on. We do not attempt any aggressive action right now, we don't know what's going on and could end up aggravating the situation further. Right now regrouping, intelligence gathering, and defending what we can will be the more pressing matters, unless the top brass know something we don't.

He then looks at Alestina I know how upsetting this can all be, however your the one who needs to keep calm right now. It's the expertise of you and other Intelligence operatives that we're going to be needing here soon.

[Henry the 57th]

Adalric does not reply yet, but simply reaches out with the Force, seeking any hint of dark side taint on his ship or companions.

Use the Force: [roll0]

[Batpope Scott]

"It seems as though the decision is that we are headed towards a republic planet, but I worry that it might be impossible to avoid the chance of running into conquered space. The space lanes are going to be blocked in any area that's been taken, so we are likely to be fighting more sith before this trip is done." Keiran returns his lightsaber to his hip as he looks at Dooku and asks his question "I assume your ship is armed, Master Dooku?"

[Henry the 57th]

Adalric nods. "With double laser cannons and a dozen light concussion missiles."

[MichaelGoldclaw]

"If you are expecting trouble before we land, may I suggest we find somewhere nearby to land so I can get into my fighter. My T3 unit is operating it using the autopilot right now, but I don't think he can fly it in a combat situation."

[Yeshon]

So, the heroes have settled on attempting to gather intelligence from the nearest friendly system. A task easier said than done. Just a day ago, the entire inner rim was firmly under republic control, but Mizra was on the border of the colony rim only a jump away from Champala and absolute control of the Hydian Way.

Certain members among the heroes (the jedi and the spy) knew that if Mizra's counter-offensive failed the fleet would fall back to Champala to prevent the Hydian Way's capture. But no-one on board is aware of what the fleet was supposed to do if Mizra itself was attacked. Still, if the Republic were to regroup anywhere, it would be Champala.

Of course if the group wished to play it safe, they could make the slightly longer jump to Chazwa. There they'd find a Republic garrison at last report. While this would be further away from the hypothetical nucleus of the Republic command, it should be sufficient to gather some basic intel and safely. Of course, this assumes that Darth Skyr's proclamation was at least partially a lie. From Chazwa the heroes could advance freely coreward or rimward, the Perlemian Trade route being increasingly unregulated, as it falls deeper into Hutt hands.

Then there's the most dangerous option. The Republic front had been commanded by Supreme Commander Taro, and it was supposedly at Bogden. There has been no transmission from the Supreme Commander since well before Mizra, so it was assumed he had been captured. But considering he was one of the only Republic officers who could actually beat the Sith with an inferior force, he'd be an immeasurable asset to the Republic war machine. Though it is highly likely you'd be completely cut off from the Republic as soon as you made the jump. Still, Taro's skills would be sorely missed, and he may well be worth the risk.

Then again, there is a galaxy of planets out there, and perhaps one of the heroes had a better idea.

To get too far you have to start at one of the hyperspace routes, both Republic and Sith have a few Interdictor class cruisers at key planets, except for on the Perlemian trade route (as stated above).

[Henry the 57th]

"I suggest we should head to Champala. The Republic is likely to be regrouping there, and will no doubt want everyone available to report in."

[Athany]

Alestina frowns, deep in thought. "Yes, Champala was where we were supposed to regroup, but if the Sith knew of our plans to attack Mizra while preparations were still under way, there is a significant chance that they also know about that contingency plan. They might even have an Interdictor or two situated already on the route." She falls silent.

"It might be better to head to Chazwa." She suggests after a moment's thought. "There's a Republic garrison there, and it's not that much farther. And whether or not we find what we need, we can move along the Perlemian Trade route, which would probably be safer than the Hydian Way right now."

[Batpope Scott]

"I agree that Chazwa would be a safer choice. Who knows what the Sith have planned? It would be safer to stay away from the staging area and simply send a message from the garrison for our orders."

[Vertharrad]

Tad goes silent and looks deep in thought... I would suggest Chazwa as well.

[Athany]

As the final decision on where to go is still being made, Alestina chimes in on another subject. "We should try to be as prepared as possible for the unexpected when we make the jump. I'm useless with weapons, but the co-pilot's seat is probably where I can do the most good. I can handle the ship's shields and sensors, and if we open comms with others, I believe my expertise will be useful."

She starts to head towards an empty corner of the room, and sits down, cross-legged. "I'm going to try to rest a bit to regain my energy."

(Use the Force -> Force Trance)

[Henry the 57th]

"I am, of course, the ship's pilot when required. I allow T3 to handle routine duties." Adalric says in reply to Alestina. To everyone else, he says. "If you are all agreed to go to Chazwa, I do not see a truly compelling reason not to take us there." Adalric activates his wrist comlink, contacting T3. "T3, set course for the Chazwa system. Inform the fighter of our new coordinates. Alert me if there is anything unusual or alarming." Adalric waits for T3's confirmation, then ends the transmition.

"If there is nothing more you wish to say, I also have something I want to do." If no one objects, Adalric takes Shield to another corner of the cargo bay and draws the lightsaber from his belt. Shield uses his shockstaff, and the two begin a practice duel.

[Vertharrad]

Being there's already a pilot and co-pilot I can cover the role of mechanic, ship weapons operator, or ship defender.

Tad doesn't leave just yet and in fact watches the sparring session Adalric started.

[Henry the 57th]

Anyone watching the sparring with even a modicum of knowledge would quickly realize that Adalric is fighting defensively, without more than a token effort to actually attack his larger droid opponent. Instead, he is simply absorbing its blows on his humming blue lightsaber or even seeming to flow around them. He is obviously more agile than Shield, who is unleashing an unceasing volley of blows, jabs, thrusts, and swings.

At first the droid's performance looks impressive, but it soon becomes plain that it favors the upper half of the staff, and its moves are disappointingly simplistic and predictable to a seasoned duelist. "No, no." Adalric says as he parries an overhand swing aimed at his head, catching the electrified tip and holding against the droid's efforts to force the locked weapons down onto his head. "Stop using the standard attacks, use the unorthodox. You'll never-"

Adalric is abruptly cut off as the pressure on his blade suddenly lifts. The bottom half of the shockstaff darts for his legs, Shield nimbly shunting his blade to the side. Adalric leaps over the droid's head, avoiding the incoming blow and landing several feet behind Shield. It turns to face him rapidly, adopting a defensive position. No attack is immediately forthcoming. "Good." Adalric smiles. "But just as you must use the unexpected, so too must you prepare for it from your opponents. Now-"

Adalric is cut off yet again as Shield abruptly bursts into a charge, swinging the shockstaff hard at his head. Adalric sidesteps, but Shield quickly arrests its momentum, using it to twirl briefly on one leg and bring the staff down in another overhand swing. Adalric catches it again, but this time the droid kicks him hard in the shin. He stumbles, and Shield follows through with a rapid jab to the stomach. Adalric has already backflipped before the tip touches the space where he just was.

Shield doesn't waste any time, immediately breaking into another charge. This time, Adalric simply thrusts his hand forward, and the droid is bowled over by a wave of Force energy. He follows up with another leap, this time using the momentum to bring his glowing blue blade down at Shield's head. The shockstaff darts up in time to catch the blow, and the droid holds off the pressure.

Adalric releases the blade lock and steps back a pace. "Blades are not all you must face. To succeed in combat against the best of the Sith, you need to be ready for-" Shield takes advantage of his lowered guard to thrust the lower end of the shockstaff into his stomach, giving it so much length that its mechanical fingers are almost touching the other tip. Electricity crackles across his body, but he doesn't seem to notice. Indeed, he laughs approvingly. "Excellent. Catch me off guard. Destroy my focus."

Shield leaps to its feet and bounds forward, only to be met by another blast of Force energy, knocking it back down again. "You are making progress," Adalric says conversationally as his mechanical opponent jumps to its feet again. This time, it holds a defensive position. "But you are still no match for the best." Adalric raises his hand, and Shield is yanked off its feet, held immobile in the air. He makes a shoving motion, and the droid is hurled across the room, smashing into a wall. Its shields flare.

Adalric charges right up to Shield's face, ducking its swing and slashing his lightsaber over its chest. The droid's shields absorb the blow, but fizzle somewhat. At such close range, the shockstaff is harder to wield, and the Jedi casually deflects its more clumsy swings. Sheild can't back up to get more room, and after just a few more hits the droid's shields short out. Adalric swings his saber at its head, but stops just millimeters short of its neck. Shield freezes.

Adalric smiles and deactivates the saber, returning it to his belt. Shield's shockstaff is similarly deactivated. "You're improving. I'm proud." Shield tilts its head in acknowledgment.

[MichaelGoldclaw]

"And as I said, if we are expecting a fight before we land, I suggest you allow me enough time to get in the Darasuum Kote."((Eternal Glory)) Relia says "Now that I think about it, you can send me out the airlock and I can get into my ship thanks to my vacuum seals and jetpack." She watches the two spar in the cargo bay with interest. Sheild's fighting style at first seems similar to hers, but then it appears more different. She can tell that Shield is good, maybe enough to beat a Mandalorian, but not this Mandalorian, at least not on even ground. After Adalric wins, Relia says "If either of you need a different opponent, I'm you girl. I love fighting."

[Henry the 57th]

"Give me just a moment to rest, and I will fight you, if you wish."

[MichaelGoldclaw]

"Alright."

[Henry the 57th]

Adalric nods, then sits in a meditative pose for a few minutes. Shield spends the time regenerating its shields.

Adalric gets to his feet. "Ready then? he says, drawing his saber from his belt once again, its blue blade crackling to life.

He sits long enough to restore used up Force powers.

[MichaelGoldclaw]

Relia grabs her helmet and slides her lekku in her helmet. They are protected by metal rings on top of leather, but it still is vulnerable. She then gets up and her wrist-mounted vibroblades spring out. She checks her blasters to see if they were on stun, and that was the case. "Your move."

She wields her vibroblades Assassin creed style, except they are swords, not daggers

[Batpope Scott]

Keiran sits down a ways distant from the fight after watching Shield and Dooku go at it. "Hm, all I'm really good for is fighting and I might be outdone by the droid!" He fiddles with his lightsaber some, twirling, adjusting and flipping it, making sure it's all set for his next fight.

[Henry the 57th]

"As you wish." says Adalric. He drops into a defensive stance, and doesn't move for half a second. Suddenly, he raises his left hand as he calls on the Force to hurl the Twi'lek into the ceiling.

Move Object: [roll0] vs. Will Defense

If successful, [roll1] damage on DC 20, [roll2] damage on DC 25, [roll3] damage on DC 30, or [roll4] damage on DC 35.

[MichaelGoldclaw]

Relia is thrown upwards. Before she hits the ground, she activates her jetpack and moves in to attack. She swings her right vibroblade at Adalric's chest

[roll0] attack
[roll1] damage

[Henry the 57th]

The vibroblade misses Adalric by a comfortable margin. Perhaps she's still somewhat dazed from the hit? he wonders, even as he repeats his earlier gesture, hurling her at the ceiling yet again.

Move Object: [roll0] vs. Will Defense

If successful, [roll1] damage on DC 20, [roll2] damage on DC 25, [roll3] damage on DC 30, or [roll4] damage on DC 35.

[MichaelGoldclaw]

Relia once again hits the ceiling, and then he falls back to her original position. Relia then swings her swords in an X-slice

[roll0] att1 [roll1]
[roll2] att2 [roll3]

[Henry the 57th]

The swords again miss, though by a smaller margin than last time. Did I hit her head too hard? Adalric worries. This is just supposed to be practice. Regardless, he closes his hand into a fist, attempting to bind his opponent in place.

Force Grip: [roll0] vs. Fortitude Defense

If successful, she can only take one swift action next turn.

[roll1] damage at DC 20, [roll2] at DC 25.

[MichaelGoldclaw]

Relia was about to swing again, but then she started to get choked. She tries to move her arms to pull out her blasters, but she finds it to hard. Her blades move back into their sheathed form, realizing it would be futile to continue

[Henry the 57th]

Adalric releases her immediately, then shuts down his lightsaber and returns it to his belt. He walks over to her and offers his hand. "Do you need medical attention?" he asks, concern in his eyes.

[MichaelGoldclaw]

Relia looks up to Adalric. She takes his hand and says "Nothing serious, but a Medpac wouldn't hurt." Relia takes off her helmet. "Any other Mandalorian would look down on how you beat me, but I don't mind. It must take dedication to learn how to use those abilities."

[Henry the 57th]

Adalric thinks for a minute, then looks down rather sheepishly. I... don't have any of those. At least not any left. I used them all on Mizra. I apologize."

Adalric nods. "It does. Years and years of training. For as long as I can remember."

[Batpope Scott]

Keiran looks dumbfounded after the practice session ends. That wasn't much of a spar.

"I'm guessing you're not a force healer, either?" He looks over Relia curiously as most people would be a little irate after being bounced off the ceiling once, not to mention the second bounce.

[Henry the 57th]

"Regrettably no, Master Keiran. My talents seem to lie in a different direction."

[Batpope Scott]

"That really is regrettable, Master Dooku. I wish I could say otherwise, but I'm a swordsman. I can hit things and occasionally lift rocks." Keiran smiles slightly before turning to Relia "I tried, hon. Perhaps we could try and help you meditate? It's rather soothing once you can attain it. Might do your wounds some good."

[Athany]

Alestina feels refreshed as she emerges from her Force trance. Of all the things Master Jarosh had taught her, the technique was definitely the one she used the most. As she opens her eyes, she sees Adalric deactivating his lightsaber and helping a visibly bruised Relia up to her feet. She can't believe her eyes. They decided to spar in a time like this? Expending energy and vitality in such a manner when we need to be in tip-top form to face whatever unknown is ahead of us! I would have expected a little more wisdom from a Jedi...Maybe Tad is right after all; everything is rotting from within.

Her shock is compounded as she listens to the others discussing how they're unable to deal with Relia's injuries. Being in the presence of two Jedi, she suppresses the urge to simply go and do it herself, and instead makes a suggestion out loud. "Master Jedi, I've heard that your capabilities including being able to place a person into a healing trance? Wouldn't that be helpful here? Or is that what you mean by helping her meditate?" She focuses on being as diplomatic as possible as she continues. "I would also suggest holding off on sparring until we know more about our situation. We're heading into the unknown, and it would be best for all of us to be in top condition to face whatever we find. It could be the difference between life and death!"

She looks around at the others, hoping that they don't find it all too melodramatic. Indeed, she could think of more than a few bad memories where if she or her team members were in better condition, things might have played out differently.

[Batpope Scott]

Keiran looks back to Alestina with his grin still showing. "That is exactly what I meant, though I should have said that first, I suppose." Keiran turns back to the mandalorian and tries to look innocent "I could set you in a trance and your wounds would heal faster. Or Master Dooku could do so. It won't hurt, I promise."

[Vertharrad]

Tad watches the "fight" with a curious eye towards learning the combat abilities of his new comrades should they be forced into confrontation. Keirans assertions surprise him from what he remembers about the stories and what few Jedi he's seen they tend to have a few talents, not just one.


"Master Jedi, I've heard that your capabilities including being able to place a person into a healing trance? Wouldn't that be helpful here? Or is that what you mean by helping her meditate?" She focuses on being as diplomatic as possible as she continues. "I would also suggest holding off on sparring until we know more about our situation. We're heading into the unknown, and it would be best for all of us to be in top condition to face whatever we find. It could be the difference between life and death!"

Should you need it Relia I have a medpac on me. Alestina some light sparring won't hurt right now. I would in fact suggest some more as we keep traveling, it would help us get comfortable with the others. Or is that just my view on it? -upraised eyebrow-

[Henry the 57th]

"I remain open for anyone who wishes to fight me. I should warn you though: I do not currently possess a training lightsaber. I didn't think I'd have so many guests."

[Athany]

Alestina wrings her hands in exasperation. "Alright, have it your way. I can see that you lot enjoy the thrill and danger of personal combat." She shakes her head. "I already face enough risk everyday in my line of work, no need for fights to make my life even more dangerous."

She takes one last look at the others, before turning away and heading to one of the other rooms. "Suit yourself. I'm going to get changed."

[Yeshon]

Close enough to unanimous, I'll move it along.

The course is set, the heroes have decided the best route is a safe one, as such they choose Chazwa.

A Note on Chazwa

Chazwa is the last stop in the Inner Rim for any ship traveling the Perlemian trade route. As such it is usually inundated with both legal and illegal freighter traffic. It is, of course, common knowledge that one of Chazwa's major commodities is information... and Ryl Spice.

The Republic maintains a garrison there, but it's a token force to ward off pirates; Chazwa having been, until Mizra, quite safe from Sith invasion.

The Travel

The group elects to drop out of hyperspace along the spine of a local hyperlane, just long enough for Reila to disembark and re-embark on her own ship. That having been accomplished the two ships link up navcomputers and jump for Chazwa.

Arrival

The two ships drop out of light speed at the edge of the Chazwa system. Sensors pick up the opposite ship, but not visual scans, the two ships having drifted, perhaps, 1,000 km away from each other over the course of their travel; an impressively standard distance for light speed travel.

The system of Chazwa isn't impressive. Chazwa itself is a planet, who, like thousands of others in the galaxy is a little too far from the white dwarf it orbits, to be in its star's 'goldilocks' zone. As such liquid water does not exist on the surface of Chazwa, which is probably why there was little in the way of indigenous life when colonists from Coruscant came here over 20,000 years ago.

What is impressive is the freighter line here at the edge of the system. You see a mass of freighters in front of you, more than enough to fill one of Coruscant's major star ports and have enough left over to call it a fleet.

These disparate freighters are being hemmed together by three hammerhead class cruisers. These cruisers ring the freighters like a pack of Kath hounds.

The communicators on your ships beep.

*Incoming Star Ship please change heading to **** and join the queue or risk being fired upon*

Didn't make up a heading since there are two ships, use your imagination

DC 30 Spot(This one's probably done with the help of the ship's computer)

As one of the cruisers drifts close to you, you see what seems to be an electric discharge. At first you suspect the cruiser has recently been attacked, but the plasma scoring looks far too old. You realize that the plasma scar is a battle mark that had never been properly sealed. It's possible this ship had recently reactivated from some decommissioning lot.

DC 25 K (Tactics)As you watch the ship's pattern, you realize that their patrol pattern is not for battle effectiveness. Sometimes the ships expose their underbellies to the freighters, other times they even show their engines.

The current pattern can only be described as one that maximizes visibility not hypothetical effectiveness.

[MichaelGoldclaw]

Knowledge T [roll0]
Perception (rolling for a crit here [roll1]

Relia moves into the coordinates and joins the queue

[Athany]

Alestina nervously grips the armrests of her seat as the freighter drops out of hyperspace, but her tension eases slightly as she discovers no one shooting right away. Still, the three cruisers are enough to cause her concern. She instantly activates the freighter's passive sensors to see if she can get a better grasp of the situation.

Use Computer [roll0]

She frowns as she glances at the gargantuan line of freighters, surrounded by just three cruisers. "Hmm. Just three Hammerheads to control so many ships? Even if only a fraction of these freighters were armed..."

[Athany]

Alestina leans forward to look closer at the sensor readings. "Hmm, there's some damage on that cruiser that hasn't been repaired properly."

[Henry the 57th]

Adalric replies into the communicator in a polite tone. "Of course." He calmly directs the starship into the specified coordinates. He orders GE to the communications center with his comlink. "We may need you to translate something." he says.

Adalric ponders Alestina's obesrvations. "I suppose they weren't expecting so much traffic here. It was a backwater until recently. But things can change so quickly in a war..."

Looking out at the line of freighters, a thought grips Adalric almost immediately. How many of these are Sith agents? But the craft are much too far away to probe effectively. I wish my senses were stronger.

[Athany]

Alestina impatiently taps a fingernail on her control board as she stares once again at the long line of ships. "This could take awhile," she comments. "I wonder if it would be worth the risk to identify ourselves to jump the queue? Do you have any special encryption modules available?"

[Batpope Scott]

Keiran looks over the freighter assembly with a sharp glower. "Refugees, escaping from the new frontline, I bet. It wouldn't surprise me if we get stuck up here quite some time if they think we're just another freighter."

[roll0] Perception
[roll1]K. Tactics

The Jedi points to the cruisers and says "The cruisers don't seem to think these ships are a threat, either, as they seem to be positioning themselves to increase visibility, not their chances of survival in the case of an attack. A couple are even exposing their engines."

[Vertharrad]

This could turn ugly real quick if the sith attacked here right now. The panic would cause most of these ships to get in the way of the rest of us. Massive casualties due to panic and confusion.

Perception [roll0]

[Yeshon]

Those on Dooku's ship can almost feel the sensors scanning their ship.

GE indicates that he is at the communications center.

"What do you require of me sire?"

As Reila approaches the queue she receives an inquiry form. Most of the questions are pretty standard, name, Transponder #, reason for visiting, weapons to declare, etc..

[Henry the 57th]

"Merely that you be ready to translate if we need it." Adalric tells the droid. He makes no move to avoid the scanners. As far as he knows, they have nothing to hide (that can be detected by shipboard sensors, at any rate).

[MichaelGoldclaw]

Relia looked at the form and answered each line, not giving away anything classified, but not hiding anything relevant that isn't classified.

[Yeshon]

Misread Henry's postDooku's ship is only asked one question over the comm.

"What's your cargo?"

Reila's ship is asked to remain in the queue and await further instructions.

[Henry the 57th]

"Nothing but passengers at the moment." Adalric says, completely truthfully.

[Yeshon]

"Nothing but passengers at the moment." Adalric says, completely truthfully.


"All right, submit a passenger manifest and you can proceed to Chazwa. And for the record, is that Davaab Star Fighter your escort?"

Reila's ship receives no further instruction as of yet.

[Henry the 57th]

Adalric send them the passenger manifest, if he has one.