Event Log

You can add RP logs here as well as short stories you've written about your characters that you want to include as canon.

Trespassers
Involved: Empress Vergerre, Darth Ezrian, Darth Andrann, Darth Bilrysso, Kelliz, Lord Onokon, Prince Corvanus

Bilrysso set his empty glass down on the counter, his cloak billowing in the tellings of the storm on the horizon. The Dark Lord turned at the sound of boots clicking as an agent snapped to attention to provide a report. He narrowed his eyes in irritation at the nuisance, why was one of the Aritash’s underlings bothering him anyway.

“Sir, there’s a situation developing at the spaceport.” Bilrysso seemed unimpressed with the report. “Care to elaborate, agent?

The agent glanced nervously between the other Sith Lord, Onokon coming to join the Magister as well as the mercenary, Kelliz. “We’re tracking a cargo barge that veered off her landing trajectory briefly over the jungles in the Expansion District. She’s reached her intended cargo bay but is not responding to flight control’s attempts to contact her.”

Bilrysso opened his mouth to speak but whirled to look down at the city below as he felt a massive surge of life lost in the Force. A thick black plume of smoke rising from the spaceport. Alarms claxoned throughout the Citadel and the sprawling capital below the acropolis. The agent shouted in her comm to deploy emergency responders and to place the city under martial law, barring civilians from the streets unnecessarily. The Citadel’s garrison deployed to assist with bringing the chaos to heel below.

Those that remained soon fell victim to a second series of blasts overrunning the garrison’s headquarters. Those present in the cantina hurried to the Imperial Palace sensing the Force reaching out to them from the Empress in a call to arms. The two Sith and the mercenary entered the Palace finding Darth Andrann and Darth Ezrian inside with the Empress.

The Empress seemed distracted as if looking at something the others could not see. The future ever in motion and hard to predict. She glanced down at her towering former apprentice. “Lord Onokon, secure the spaceport and take command of the soldiers pacifying any anarchy brought about by these terrorists.”

She leaned back in the throne about to say more but let out a gasp. A sharp knife in the Force felt. She nearly stumbled from the throne as she descended, her words escaping through gritted teeth as the first contraction hit. “The prince is coming."

Ezrian and Andrann helped her up and commanded the Blackguard to take her to the medical center and to seal it. The Hand peered into the Force, even from here she could sense the operatives fanned out into positions all around the Citadel to secure the temples and the Palace. Darth Ezrian felt a few spots seemingly void of the Force drawn on themselves. “Jedi,” she whispered, as the first shots of the impending battle fired. A sniper missing Darth Bilrysso. The Magister reached out with the Force and pulled him from the roof of the Embassy into his waiting grasp. He tightened his grip until the Republic soldier slipped into unconsciousness, he threw him lazily to the side. His lightsaber flying into his grasp as soldiers spilled into the plaza.

Darth Andrann raised both hands a dozen bolts of lightning flying through the ranks closest to her. Her pale red lightsaber a blur as she exploded into action alongside Darth Bilrysso. The two Dark Lords nearly impossible to follow as they deflected, redirected, or pivoted and danced out of the reach of the Republic soldiers’ fire. Ezrian stood in the entrance of the Palace observing. Kelliz took a glancing shot off the chestplate of her armor. The Zabrak raised her blaster and fired three quick shots into the perpetrator. She depleted a power cell pouring blasterfire into the skull of another soldier.

Darth Andrann unleashed a shockwave of kinetic energy bowling over a line of troopers. Her saber soaring through the survivors in a lethal arc to cut apart those still standing. Three brown-robed figures dropped from the roof of the Palace. Two Knights and a Padawan attempting to ambush the Sith. Ezrian turned away and stepped into the throne room, sensing the other Jedi on the upper levels of the Palace. She needed only wait a moment until three Jedi Masters dropped onto the obsidian table in the center of the room. A female Cerean with a cobalt blue blade. A male Iktotchi sentinel with twin gold blades. A human male with an emerald blade. Ezrian merely smiled at them, her twin blades snapping to life as if courting battle.

The Hand weaved out of the reach of the Cerean. The three Jedi surprisingly coordinated in engaging the same target at once as they sought to overwhelm her. She repelled their initial assaults effortlessly. She toyed with them, probing their defenses and sending the human soaring across the room with a lazy flick of her wrist. “How disappointing Master Jedi, I would hope the Order could muster better than this.”

The Cerean reengaged her with a snarl. Ezrian sidestepped her easily and intercepted the Iktotchi’s suddenly aggressive assault on both blades, parrying them quickly before delivering a powerful kick to the rear to strike the Cerean under the chin. She flipped over the Iktotchi Master and landed on the table. Her blades leaving thin scars on the obsidian. She studied the Cerean carefully, she was rash and quick to anger. She would save her for last. Her eyes swept over the human quickly. She could sense him emboldening the other two’s efforts through his aura. The Cerean seemed oddly fixated on protecting him. There had to be a deeper connection to exploit.

Ezrian traded a flurry of vicious blows with the Iktotchi, her rage focused and clear as she felt it pulse through her blood. She never tired, never faltered. She could sense the disbelief and frustration of her opponents as the three Jedi Masters failed to overcome her defenses. Ezrian unleashed a powerful kinetic blast in the Force sending the Cerean and the Iktotchi flying across the room to smash roughly into the walls. She seized her window and moved with blinding speed towards the Consular, her blades smashing into his green blade. The human gasped as he nearly staggered backward from the momentum the attack he had been gathering in the Force fading as his concentration broke. Ezrian disarmed him and flicked a shallow wound across his chest. The Jedi collapsing to the floor wounded. He would live for now.

Ezrian drank in his fear as she stood over him. Her blade pointed at his throat. She heard the hum of the Cerean’s lightsaber as she leapt across the room to intercept on behalf of her companion or perhaps lover. Ezrian stepped back watching her smash into the statue awkwardly and regain her footing. She peered into the Cerean with the Force. She could sense the emotion swimming within her. “There is no emotion, there is peace,” she chided. The Cerean responded with a blow that nearly caught Ezrian off guard. She flashed a feral smile and traded a sequence of blows with the Cerean before backflipping over the charging Iktotchi behind her. Her blades intercepting the twin golden blades already reaching up towards her. She landed on the table once more and dropped low under a coordinated attack before deactivating one blade and reactivating it just beyond the Iktotchi’s guard before he could react. Her blade carving him from shoulder to hip.

Ezrian returned her own lightsabers to her belt, taking his from nerveless fingers before his corpse hit the floor. She weighed them and twirled them in her grasp. Her sulfuric eyes taunting the Cerean. “Kind of poetic don’t you think?” she asked her. The Cerean seemed to be running low on energy after her latest assault. Ezrian ducked and weaved under every blow. A powerful Force enhanced strike with the flat of her fist blasting her through one of the statues. She turned her attention on the wounded Consular. The Force responding to his call as every chair and bench assaulted her in a whirlwind of furniture. Ezrian unleashed a repulse of raw energy devouring the incoming obstacles.

The Consular struggled to his feet. Ezrian moved forward quicker than he could react and ended his life with a scissoring motion of the two golden blades. She kicked his corpse over and smiled, as the Force exploded within the Cerean. A wellspring of grief, anger, and hatred overtaking her. The human’s lightsaber soared into her hands and she whirled through the air bringing the green and blue blades smashing into Ezrian’s defenses with renewed vigor. “I can feel your hatred, it fuels you…makes you stronger. Do you feel its power? Only your hatred can destroy me.”

“SHUT UP!” the Cerean roared a massive blast of kinetic energy shredding through Ezrian’s hastily thrown Force barrier and smashing her into the wall of the throne room. Ezrian returned to her feet, shrugging dust and debris off of her armor. “Much better. But you have to mean it.” Ezrian lunged, her twin blades striking high and low. At the waist, abdomen, and neck. The Cerean parried them all and tried to take her legs off at the knee with a counterattack. Ezrian leapt over her and left a smoking wound down her back as she landed.

The Cerean gasped in pain, the momentum of her anger failing as pain and fear took control. She stumbled to her feet, limping around the room as Ezrian circled her as if a vornskr deciding how best to take down her prey. The Hand drank in her fear, hammering away at the Jedi’s defenses until they broke. The Cerean was still drunk on the dark side’s power, the high fading as fear of the inevitable set in. Ezrian severed her hands at the wrists, and placed one of the golden blades at her throat. “You failed. All you have sacrificed today was for nothing.”

The Cerean stared defiantly up at the red-headed Sith. “Even if we fall today, more will come to take up arms against the evil of the Sith. Your reign will be short...Empress,” she spoke the last word with venom. Ezrian stared at her impassively for a moment before her stoic mask fractured to amusement. She let out a derisive laugh as a pulse of anger in the Force exploded from the medical center, pain and rage focused in the timing of the contractions as the medical droids delicately delivered the prince into the world. “I am Darth Ezrian, Hand of the Empress. You didn’t even reach your intended target.”

Ezrian continued to laugh as the realization set into the Cerean’s features. She sensed the hope leave her as the twin blades drove through her chest ending her life. Her corpse toppled beside the human’s. They could be together in death. Ezrian turned towards the plaza. The two Sith and the mercenary beginning to overtake those still standing. The remainder of the Republic forces had breached the main temple of the Magisterium.

“Follow me,” Ezrian commanded. “We need to secure the Empress.”

The four entered the Magisterium and leapt down to the council chambers below. Several Jedi Knights battling the beleaguered Blackguard. Ezrian landed before a female Bothan. The Jedi Master turned toward her calmly. A violet saberstaff humming to life at the arrival of the Sith. “She’s mine,” Ezrian claimed her.

The Bothan didn’t protest and the two met in a furious series of blows. Both masters of Juyo as the two women moved in mortal combat. Darth Andrann engaged two Jedi Masters and Darth Bilrysso took the remaining Master and a Knight. The mercenary dealing with the remaining Padawan. Ezrian flipped over the Bothan as she her blade passed close to her hair. Twin golden blades, locking with both ends of her sabestaff. “I don’t think they suit me very well,” she suggested. The Bothan frowned, she clearly recognized who they had previously belonged to.

Ezrian continued her onslaught, trading blow after blow with the Bothan. She gave in to the roar of emotions and adrenaline coursing through her. Her battle meld taking control as she perceived every blinding strike and blow before it fell. Neither the Bothan nor Ezrian seemed able to overtake the other. The Bothan reached out with her mind and snapped two of the stone hands from the Chandelier using it to momentarily suspend Ezrian off the floor. She lunged to end the fight quickly.

Lightning flying to strike the Bothan and blast her across the council chambers before she could reach the Hand. The stone hands crumbled to dust and Ezrian returned to her feet and lunged, sinking one blade into the Bothan’s shoulder. The Bothan screamed and drove a Force-empowered punch into her abdomen, sending the Sith flying towards the upper level of the pyramid. Ezrian landed in a crouch on the overlook. A orb of ghostly blue energy sailed from the Bothan’s hand and exploded as it struck the stone. A cloud of dust and rubble raining down on the lower level. Ezrian burst through the smoke, her stolen lightsabers meeting the Bothan’s saberstaff abruptly.

Bilrysso ducked under the Knight’s blow and fired his hand cannon into the Knight’s abdomen, nearly disintegrating the upper half of his body. The Dark Lord turned his full attention on the remaining Jedi Master. A stray shot distracting him as he deflected it away. Bilrysso aimed at the phrik hilt of his lightsaber nearly taking his hand off as he disarmed his foe. He slashed laterally and cut him in half at the waist.

Darth Andrann  left one Jedi a smoking ruin after pouring lightning into his body and shattered the other’s knee with a Force-empowered kick and sliced both arms off with two swift motions. Her blade spinning around her back in a whirl to plunge into his heart. Andrann kicked behind her to drive the corpse off her pale crimson blade and deactivated it.

Ezrian and the Bothan traded a vicious series of blows before she slashed the staff in two. One blade driving through the hand trying to shield her body from the coming blow. The Hand slashed through her chest with a snarl before deactivating both golden blades and tossing them onto the Bothan’s corpse.

Kelliz kicked the dead Padawan with her foot, blaster wounds covering the Nautolan’s torso. The Zabrak seemed unimpressed with the fight the Jedi had put up.

Ezrian moved to enter the sealed medical bay the doors parting as a Jedi enveloped in a blast of violet coronal energy soared across the council chambers. The medical center was torn apart as if a proton bomb had gone off. The bodies of Republic forces, Jedi, and Blackguard alike dotting the floor in mounds. A few of the Blackguard remained beside the Empress’s medical bed. Several of the droids had not survived the fight.

Vergerre lowered her hand as Ezrian and the others entered. A small bundle clutched tightly to her chest. “Is the city secure?” she asked in a voice barely more than a whisper.

Darth Andrann stepped closer to peer at the bundle in her arms and reported. “The survivors of this attack have been taken prisoner or killed.”

“Excellent,” said Vergerre, leaning back as if the tension had left her. Ezrian moved beside her friend looking down at the prince. Vergerre offered him to her to hold, “His name is Corvanus.” Ezrian bent to kiss her forehead gently, and took the infant prince in her arms. He was so fragile yet she could feel the power of the Force even now within him. His red eyes peered up at her curiously. His skin was lighter than his mother’s likely due to his father. “He’s beautiful.”

Vergerre responded with a small smile, drawing her robe tighter with a sash to cover the scar on her belly as she slid out of the medical bed. “You should rest,” the remaining droid counselled her. The Empress shook her head. “The people need to see me. They need to know this attack failed.”

Vergerre stood on the bridge connecting the two halves of the Citadel and looked up at the media probes swarming the scene to broadcast her words to the rest of the galaxy, “Hours ago, Republic forces acting in concert with the SIS and the Jedi Order incited terrorist attacks in the heart of the Empire. They attempted to assassinate both myself and my unborn child in this act of sheer cowardice.” The Empress’s fury was evident, it faltered as she felt Corvanus’s mood become affected by hers. The cameras took note of the prince and zoomed in on the small infant in Ezrian’s arms. Vergerre turned to the line of prisoners behind her, a Blackguard behind each one. She raised her hand, “Justice will be meted out wherever necessary in atonement for these crimes.” She lowered it as if slicing the air with a blade and the Blackguard struck them down without question.

The Empress turned away from the bridge and stalked back toward the Imperial Palace already under reconstruction efforts to repair the scars from the battle. Droids and engineers assessing the damage to the Citadel.''' '''

-One Standard Day Later-

Darth Vergerre stood before the altar that had been built over the nexus of Force energy that the Citadel had been built upon. A necropolis and temple built to store the ranks of the Sith to come. The Empress meditated on the altar. Several of the Magisters standing witness to the ritual being conducted by the Empress and the Magister of Ancient Knowledge.

Vergerre drew on the strength being lent to her by Darth Andrann and bolstered it with her own, tapping deep into the Vergence below them. The Pureblood closed her eyes and felt a rush and felt her senses nearly overwhelmed as she emerged in the din of the Galactic Senate in one of the lower pods. Andrann stood beside her. Both seemed eeriely younger a false reflection of themselves yet powerful. Vergerre steered the pod up and away to glide up before the Supreme Chancellor’s. A collective hush silencing the chaos as the Empress lowered her cowl. Screams of fear permeated the air but the Vice Chancellor raised a hand for silence. “Supreme Chancellor Cassius Valorum, I am here to dispense justice for the crimes done to the Empire only a day ago. Do you deny having any involvement in the disgusting intrusion into Imperial sovereignty?”

The human seemed to pale but answered, “I do not. You are a threat the Republic cannot afford to ignore. You would watch the war waging between the Republic and Sith Empire and watch as both sides fight to ruin to be queen of the ashes.”

“Such actions are well beyond reasonable for a declaration of war against the Republic,” the Empress began to the horror of the Senators. Many renewed calls for his resignation drowning her out until she empowered her voice with the Force. “But I am a reasonable woman. Justice will be meted out where necessary. The people of the Republic are not responsible for the actions of a corrupt few unwilling to adjust to the new reality.” Vergerre turned her furious gaze on Cassius. “I’ll even spare you the trouble of a vote of no confidence.” She clenched her fingers into a fist and lifted the Supreme Chancellor from the podium, the older human clawing at his throat. She waited for the cameras to drink in his suffering before ending by closing her fist tightly and releasing the corpse.

“All Republic emissaries have less than a standard day to evacuate from Imperial space or they will be treated as enemies of the Empire. All diplomatic relations between the Empire are now terminated in light of the repeated attempts to depose sovereign leaders of the Empire and its protectorates. Further aggression will be considered an act of war.”

The Empress spared one last glance around the Rotunda before the two Sith melted to shadows. The Empress returned anchored on Varika with a gasp and rose unsteadily to her feet. The ordeal having drained her greatly. She still stared down at the three Sith confidently. “Prepare for war.”

Long Awaited Rescue
Involved: Bilrryso, Ellenda

Recently the Darth had acquired information from his contact, a close friend who he had fought with many times, on a lead to start searching for Ellendas lost lover Diana that had gone missing 6 months prior. The information consisted of the file on a disgraced darth who lost his title, and the name of the darths second in command. The former darth being a pureblood named Tsiwat Simus, and the second being a rattaki named Kieran.

After quickly contacting Ellenda, who recognized Tsiwat as the former apprentice of the darth that took her eyes, the two hatched a plan to draw Kieran out, and question him for the location of where Diana may be. They would meet at the Vaiken space station, and Elennda would ask around for Kieran, as the two were once comrades in arms, until one of his goons showed up to confirm it is her.

Upon reaching Vaiken the two spoke briefly and Bilrryso explained that two others would be assisting them to provide backup just in case. Longshot, a redhead women who was a crack shot with a rifle, and Shockjaw, a chiss combat medic, both were people that Bil had worked with before, and he trusted them. Everything went according to plan and when Bil came down to see if there was a problem when the goon that came to talk to Elennda they easily threatened said goon and got him to have Kieran meet in the hanger where Bilrrysos ship was docked thinking that Elennda was captured.

Kieran, followed by three others, soon arrived in the hanger and after a few brief moments the plan went into full effect. Shockjaw and Longshot took out two of the guards while Bil jumped down from his hiding spot on the ceiling of the hanger and impaled the final guard before blasting Kieran with a stun round from his hand cannon. After a brief struggle, involving Elennda holding him down to get a second stun round off, Kieran was on the ground. Following a series of questions, and a bluff from the darth instilling fear into Kieran, they got the location of Tsiwat. He was in Shadow Town on Nar Shadaa. Elennda proceeded to crush Kierans windpipe killing him, and the duo that assisted them left to head to Nar Shadaa where Bilrryso and Elennda would meet them.

Upon arriving at Shadow Town they managed to avoid sensors that were nearby, and acquired a key card from a sleeping guard. After getting to the main building where Tsiwats office resided they realized there was too many guards around to take on themselves. Bilrryso had Shockjaw and Longshot, who were finishing checking the cell areas at the time, create a distraction. Nearly a minute later an loud explosion was heard and many of the guards left leaving 5 and one on a mounted blaster turret. Using her stealth field generator Elennda snuck past while Bil created another distraction.

Upon entering the building and searching the first floor to find nothing Elennda went to the second floor. She came upon a heavy locked door with the stench of blood radiating off it. However before she could do anything she was slammed against the wall and Tsiwat appeared with his arm outstretched. After a brief exchange of words Bilrryso showed up, and when Tsiwat realized who Elennda was he threw her to the ground to deal with after fighting Bilrryso. A quick duel began with Bil taking very few hits while taunting the former darth, and after throwing him across the hall the darth got up, and Bil used the rage he had towards the pureblood to summon a darkshear and throw it impaling him through the chest quickly killing him.

After cutting through the door they found Diana chained up, without clothes, covered in bruises, bleeding, and hanging from the ceiling. They quickly got her down using a key found on Tsiwats body, and Bil offered his shirt to keep her covered while they returned to the ship. Bil quickly escorted Elennda, holding Diana, to his ship and left to take her back to the capital. Diana was put in a bacta tank on Bilrrysos ship for the return trip and then transferred to the tank in the capitals medbay.

Interview with a Shadow Hand
Involved: Laori Vaus, Kieyanna Turann (NPC)

TRANSCRIPT OF THE ORIGINAL BROADCAST

Kieyanna Turann: Recently, the Empire has negotiated an alliance with the nearby system of Kaon. Negotiating this treaty was young Shadow Hand, Laori Vaus. Laori (pictured) is a relative newcomer to the Empire, joining the ranks of the Sith as an apprentice several months before Empress Verrgerre rose to power. The young girl caught the attention of the Empress as she became one of the Empress's personal apprentices, known as Shadow Hands.

We reached out to young Ms. Vaus recently and requested an interview to discuss her recent diplomatic victory. Usually when we request an interview with a member of the Sith Hierarchy, we're declined and told to wait for a press release. Much to our surprise, Ms. Vaus responded and agreed.

Kieyanna Turann (KT): Thanks for sitting down with us, Ms. Vaus.

Laori Vaus (LV): Please, call me Laori.

KT: All right, Laori. Most Sith turn down our request for an interview. What made you decide to sit down with me tonight?

LV: Not sure, to be honest. It seemed like something fun to do. Nobody objected to the idea. I got a few *deeper voice* 'Be careful with what you say. They'll twist your words." *laughs*

KT: You seem different than the usual mold we see for Sith. You seem upbeat and smiling which is quite a break from the typical Sith you hear about in other media.

LV: It's just how I am. If we're not having fun doing what we do, then what's the point in doing it. Ver--- the Empress always told me to be true to who I am.

KT: Ah yes, the Empress. You're her...

LV: ... apprentice. Yes. And no, I don't know why she chose me. She said she saw great potential in me. She's actually taught me quite a bit about the Force and the Sith Philosophy since I came under wing. Some lessons stick better than others, though. *laughs*

KT: You're referring to your recent trip into the wilderness of Varikka with fellow Sith, Bilrysso Cheerno.

LV: *laughs again* You heard about that?

KT: Of course. You and Cheerno went running off into the wilderness late one evening. The next morning, he emerged from the jungles without you and carrying your possessions. There was suspicion that foul play was involved.

LV: Far from it actually. I got involved in finding an ancient Sith artifact (which is now firmly in the hands of the Empress) and in my haste I dropped a number of my possessions. Bilrysso was nice enough to retrieve them for me.

KT: No foul play, or even an attempt at foul play, was involved? He wasn't trying to remove you from the field to further his own ambition?

LV: *laughs again* Bil? Nah, he's a great guy. He's like a big brother to me. He's always watching out for me because I always (As he puts it) "leap before I look."

KT: Well that's a relief. We received reports that after your brief disappearance you reappeared on the bridge of the Empress's flagship completely unclothed. Care to comment?

LV: If you got it, flaunt it. *laughs*

KT: *chuckles* Now let's turn to Kaon.

LV: Yeah, that was a big deal apparently.

KT: With no diplomatic training, you verbally sparred with the Republic ambassador, Yevra Kos, and emerged victorious having Kaon become our new ally. Ambassador Kos is not know for rolling over lightly, so what you did was nothing less than astounding.

LV: I just said what I was thinking. My friends and allies say that's how I always am. I can't really say much more about the alliance as it's still in the final negotiating stage.

KT: What went through your head when the Empress gave you this assignment.

LV: *laugh* Why me? The Empress also sent Bilrryso with me in case I needed backup and the whole time I'm there all I'm thinking is "Don't k**** this up! Don't k**** this up!" Fortunately, things worked out for the best for everyone involved.

KT: Fair enough. So where are you from, Laori?

LV: What do you mean?

KT: What system were you born in?

LV: Ooooh. Honestly, you've never heard of it. It's not even there anymore. The Eternal Empire when it was moving through the galaxy came over my world, a simple peaceful agrarian world and razed it, killing everyone. I'm lucky I survived.

KT: You're the only survivor?

LV: As far as I know. I was just a simple farmer's daughter before that. When I got away from the world, I hitched my way through the galaxy and well, here I am.

KT: We're certainly lucky to have you. *pause* Are you seeing anyone? There were rumors that you were romantically linked to Chief Engineer Grada Spire.

LV: Untrue, but not from lack of trying. I haven't seen him since the arrest of former Grand Admiral Rav'ara.

KT: Were you involved in her arrest?

LV: No, the Empress kept me back from that incident and sent in the Hand. From what I understood, it got pretty crazy on that ship and she may have been doing it to since I'm not fully trained as a Sith yet. I'm sure she had my best interests at heart.

KT: You have a lot of affection for the Empress it seems.

LV: Yeah, she's been very kind and patient with me. Even I know that I can be difficult sometimes.

KT: What do you mean?

LV: I can be a bit... reckless sometimes. I sometimes say some things without thinking about them ahead of times. There was this one time... *The rest of her statement here has been redacted by the Ministry of Intelligence*

KT: That's quite a story. I'm surprised you survived that.

LV: Me too, honestly.

KT: Moving on, we've heard that you're a fan of the children's show 'My Little Jawa.' Care to comment?

LV: *laughs* That show is just too adorable for words.

KT: You have plans to go see the upcoming movie?

LV: Of course! I'm most likely going to be taking the son of one of my colleagues since I sense that he's not into it.

KT: Well, that's about all the time we have today. Thanks for coming and sitting down with me. I hope we'll get to talk again real soon.

LV: This was fun. I hope the same thing.

THIS HAS BEEN A PRODUCTION OF ESN: YOUR SOURCE FOR NEWS IN THE EMPIRE OF ESSTRAN.

World Between Worlds
Involved: Laori Vaus

(WARNING: Contains a small amount of NSFW material)

Laori slowly opened her eyes. A brief moment of panic overtook her as all she could see was darkness. She quickly sat up and realized her lack of sight came from the lack of lighting rather than her lack of sight.

She shivered as she began to realize how cold it was. It probably didn't help that she was still damp from her swim and completely naked. "Admittedly, not my brightest idea." She said to herself quietly.

Laori felt around the ground around her and found the holocron. As soon as she touched it, it's crimson light flared into existence, illuminating the area around her. The chamber she was in was vast. She appeared to be on a platform floating in the middle of the chamber. All around her she could see various pathways winding between other platforms. None of the pathways seemed to connect to the platform she was on, however.

YOU'RE AWAKE.

Laori jumped upon hearing the booming voice. "Who's there?" She held the holocron to herself, feeling the cold stone pressed against her skin. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

QUITE INQUISITIVE, AREN'T YOU, LAORI VAUS?

Laori stood defiantely. "Funny thing about questions: It's how you learn new things." She smirked, thinking Verrgerre would be proud of her for that statement.

The voice chuckled. INDEED. YOU SURPRISE ME, LAORI VAUS. NOT MANY MAKE IT TO THIS REALM. EVEN FEWER ARE AS DEFIANT AS YOU ARE IN THE FACE OF A GOD.

Laori laughs. "A god, you say. My allies and I have a tendency to take gods on..." She pauses for emphasis. "And win."

Laori's smugness was cut short as her entire body became wracked with pain. She dropped to her knees, crying out, but still she held on to the holocron.

DESPITE YOUR ARROGANCE, I STILL LIKE YOU, LAORI VAUS. YOU ARE QUITE DEFIANT EVEN WHEN FACED WITH YOUR CERTAIN DEMISE.

A scene unfold nearby of Laori being taught a lesson by the former Blademaster. The dream image of Laori runs at the swordmaster, who disarms her and sends her sprawling onto her back. The Swordmaster walks over her and places his foot on her chest, pressing down. She grunts under the pressure. "You made your point.

The Blademaster grips his weapon and holds it so his blade is barely an inch from her throat.

The dream Laori spits defiantly. "If you're gonna do it, do it."

The Blademaster sneers. "You do not seem to understand who you have the honor of addressing, so let me do it for you. Holding your life in his hands is, Current Blademaster of the and Supreme Commander of her forces."

Dream Laori says through gritted teeth. "You people should wear nametags..."

DEFIANT TO THE LAST. AND YET HE DID NOT KILL YOU.

"He lacked the courage."

Numerous other scenes play out, each one with the same theme: Laori saying whatever she damn well pleased, even in the face of a more powerful presence.

QUITE A HISTORY.

"Yeah, I guess that doesn't bode too well for you."

Laori is again wracked with pain, dropping her to her knees.

YOUR DEFIANCE IS NOT WELCOME HERE, LAORI VAUS. BUT STILL, I AM CURIOUS. YOU DON'T DISPLAY THIS SORT OF ATTITUDE TO THE USURPER, VERGERRE. IT PUZZLES ME.

Laori stands up again, her legs weak. She clutches the holocron to her chest. "Verrgerre gets me. She respects me without expecting anything in return. She teaches me things I want to know as opposed to things that others think I should know."

INTERESTING. IT IS OF NO CONSEQUENCE. HERE IS MY OFFER TO YOU, LAORI VAUS. YOUR APPRENTICESHIP TO THE USURPER IS OVER. YOU BELONG TO ME NOW. DEFY ME...

Laori screams again as her body shook hard by intense pain, even more intense than the last.

...AND SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES. OBEY ME AND...

The pain immediately leaves her. She breaths softly before her entire body shakes again, but this time in intense pleasure. Laori rolls onto her back as the wave of pleasure washes over her young body. Her hand instinctively moves between her legs feeling the dampness there. She clutches the holocron to her breast as she rose to her feet.

THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM IF YOU SERVE ME, LAORI VAUS. I CAN TAKE YOU BACK TO YOUR FAMILY.

Laori cries out. "No wait..."

A bright light flashes and Laori finds herself in an open field, wearing a sun dress she had thought lost long ago and still gripping the holocron. "I'm on Damara... it's so... alive." She deeply breaths in the frest air. A rare, actual smile plays across her face.

"Laori?" The pink haired girl turned to face the voice and she stumbled backwards upon seeing her older brother, Sial standing there.

"Sial... you're... you're..."

"Dead, I know." He moved closer to her. "We can be together again, just like we were before." Her brother moved closer to her and hugged her.

Laori returned the embrace, fighting back tears. "I've missed you so much, Sial. You and everyone."

"I know, Laori. You just have to give him the holocron." He started to pull it away from her.

Laori's eyes snapped open and she was back on the platform in the dark chamber. She gasped for breath. Her entire body was flushed. "No deal, godling."

A form appeared behind her. She whirled quickly and saw Verrgerre standing there. She was almost relieved for a moment before Verrgerre backhanded her sending her sprawling.

INSOLENT GIRL! YOU DON'T KNOW WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH OR WHAT YOU'RE GIVING UP! The thing that took Verrgerre's form held out it's hand and shadows swirled around it forming itself into a lightsaber. YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED. NOW GIVE ME THE HOLOCRON!

"No chance of that now, drama queen." She quickly leapt to her feet and dodge the incoming blow. "The real Verrgerre wouldn't have missed me or have given me a chance if I had something she wanted."

A black spike shot up from the ground stabbing the girl in the side. Laori screamed again as she pulled herself off the spike. She thought 'I really should have brought my own lightsaber. Verg is gonna kill me.'

The false Verrgerre paced around the platform, prowling like a wolf moving in on its prey. It slashed its lightsaber at Laori, who seemed to suddenly come alive with her movements as she ducked easily beneath the blade. The being continued to press his attack on Laori, who dodged blow after blow from the creature. It created debris from the shadow stuff to hurl at her. One piece at a time, then two, then more.

Laori could feel herself starting to fatigue as the being pressed its attack. Never giving ground, always creating a new advantage for itself. The girl was nimble, but she could not keep the pace up and finally, tripped backwards over a piece of debris that seemed to appear from nowhere on the ground.

The false Verrgerre stood over Laori. With both hands on the lightsaber, it raises the lightsaber over it's head. IT'S OVER, PATHETIC GIRL.

Laori kicked the false Verrgerre in the knee hard. But her bare foot had no affect on the armored knee. FUTILE.

"Can't blame a girl for trying."

GIVE ME THE HOLOCRON.

"Not going to happen. Not while I live."

THAT CAN BE ARRANGED. YOU SHOULD FEAR ME, I'VE KILLED THOUSANDS OF SITH AND JEDI.

Laori smirked. "You should fear me. I'm gonna kill a god."

Shadowstuff formed around her hand and a lightsaber appeared, which she quickly thrust into the false Verrgerre's chest. The being stumbled backwards, shadowy smoke pouring out of the wound.

HOW...? HOW COULD YOU...?

Laori stood up, still holding both the lightsaber and the holocron. "I figured your game out a while ago. This place is a prison to you. You need this holocron to escape. I'm surprised you didn't notice me forming a piece of debris myself... my mistake for tripping over it. That was dumb, but at least it helped set me up for a good quip, so I'll call that a win."

The false Verrgerre stumbles to the ground. YOU CAN'T DO THIS.

"Yeah I can. Vergerre taught me to truly see and I saw how desperately you wanted the holocron. Once I realized you were trying to get me to let go of this holocron, I held onto it as if my life depended on it. And apparently it did. As long as I hold this, I can control this place." As if to emphasize her point, she wraps herself in clothing and her lightsaber shifts colors to a dark purple. "It's the key to your jail. You may be master of this place, but you can't leave it"

I'LL KILL YOU.

"You had your chance. Now it's my turn." The ground swells up around the false Verrgerre, encasing it in stone, leaving only it's head exposed. She then wills a bridge into existence leaving from the platform to one of the pathways. "See... it's not so hard." She starts to walk towards it and stops.

"Oh right. I forgot something. I did make you a promise." She walks over, lightsaber still in hand. She raises it up to swing at the false Verrgerre's head then lowers it slowly in disappointment. "Damn. This is the part when I'm supposed to have a good one-liner before I kill you. That's kind of embarrassing." She shrugs. "Well, like they say in the Sith world, no witnesses."

With a single stroke, she removes the false Verrgerre's head. The headless body slumped to the ground once Laori released it from the stone encasement and walked up to the newly formed pathway that crumbled behind her.

Farewell
Involved: Darth Vergerre, Grand Admiral Rav'ara

Vergerre observes as six red-robed guards escort a Chiss in binders into the palace. Her amber eyes gleam with utter contempt. Rav’ara stands before the obsidian table before the throne with a large bruise on her face, and blood staining her once pristine white dress uniform. “My Empress,” she says with apparent respect.

Vergerre remains seated and waves her hand. The rank insignia plaque tearing off her uniform and flying into her outstretched palm. She gave a mirthless laugh, “You still play the dutiful servant well. Do you deny the severity of the charges levied against you?”

Rav’ara tilts her head minutely to the side, a cold smile on her lips, “Not in the slightest, the blacksite was to further your Empire, just as I promised long ago.” Vergerre returns the smile, her presence in the Force intensifying as she allowed the enormity of the rage trapped inside her to charge the air, the Force bidding the Chiss to kneel before her. “You delude yourself with your sycophantic philosophies and heretical dogma. Emotion is not a weakness. Thinking like that would have you better suited to being bound to serving the Jedi.”

Rav’ara lets out a sudden gasp of pain as her body is forced like a puppet, eyes fixed downward in deference. “Emotion will destroy us all...as will the Jedi, they pretend a life free of it but they are ruled by fear,” she replies through gritted teeth as she sinks to one knee. The Force still holding her in an iron grip.

Vergerre drums the fingers of her left hand on the armrest of the throne. “You would have my Empire be a future of masses of mindless drones built to serve their betters. I seek only to impose order and stability to the galaxy. A view you once shared. You murdered the entirety of the crew of the Fate’s Hand in cold blood. Some of the finest officers of the Imperial Navy served aboard that vessel. Your actions do not strengthen us you are a parasite that must be removed lest the foundations of what we built erode.”

Rav’ara purses her lips as her body screams to resist the oppressive energy rooting her in place. “I murdered no crew,” she replies, expression as blank as ever. “The foundations of an Empire built on betrayals and harm will not benefit you or what I have created. Force sensitive individuals should utilize their time contributing and preserving the Empire instead of wasting their energy bickering and schemes. Our military can be disbanded for more constructive benefits,” she remarks with a somewhat sour expression. “The Sith would never die, the technology I used on my guards was not what I had planned for the galaxy.”

Vergerre snarled at the Chiss, “Then your abominations poisoned them of their own accord, perhaps you are not as in control of them as you would have yourself believe.” She expands her influence over Rav’ara, her subtle Sith spells interfering with the Chiss’s neural pathways and blocking the pathways that stimulated her senses and emotions leaving her in a void of nothingness.

Rav’ara stares blankly forward into darkness as her vision fades. Devoid of all feeling and sensation an empty husk trapped in limbo untethered from the Force. She remains still there for what seems like an eternity before she musters the words. “I...appe...appear to be...deaf..” she says with a slight slur, more commentary than anything else. Vergerre blinks impassively at the comment and after a moment severs the connection of the spell and all sensation and emotion surges through her in an instant nearly overloading her nervous system.

Rav’ara lets out a sudden gasp as her eyes adjust, touch and nervous systems smashing her like a freighter. If not for the energy in place, she would have likely leapt up or collapsed from the sheer thrill. “Wh..Why are you so hell bent on revenge?!” she snaps, anger in her features for a moment. “All I built was FOR YOU!”

Vergerre feels a glimmer of satisfaction at drawing out a display of passion from the Chiss. She revels in her anger for a moment, “Explain yourself,” she commands. Rav’ara locks her red eyes with Vergerre’s for a moment, “A galaxy without war, or pain, or loss. Without illogical wastes of space taking drugs or committing crime. All under the same order, following the same rational goal for the future of our Empire. The only true way to make such a one exist in this state. No crime, no murders, just reason.”

Vergerre still doesn’t seem convinced by this ideology, “How do you plan to enforce that? Or even bring it about in the first place? Trillions of beings would rise up to destroy us if we tried to impress such a society on them in the first place.” Rav’ara purses her lips for a moment, “I lost control of the blacksite to the very method I would have done it. A Rakatan artifact capable of suppressing emotion and imposing a unified goal among us.”

Vergerre is genuinely curious now. “Where did you find this artifact?” Rav’ara tilts her head ever so slightly, “You questioned my methods, but not my results, my Empress. Why change now?” Vergerre waves her hand in dismissal. “I have no intention of even entertaining what you propose. Merely the causation of your little utopia.”

Rav’ara grows her cold, dead smile for a moment. “Empress, with the site acting outside of my influence...You know that means it's already furthering the goal, knowing I am but the spark to ignite their engine. You can kill me and prove the point that emotion and spite rule your life. Along with the fact that my agents continue my work.” Vergerre stares at the Chiss with amusement, “We already know the location of your blacksite. Your plot dies here with you, Rav’ara. They will be annihilated and erased from all existence with prejudice. And the Empire will endure without you.”

Rav’ara looks at peace even with Vergerre’s response, a calm and almost smug look in her eyes, “Without me, your military will crumble. You know this to be true.” Vergerre raises a finger from the armrest of her throne and the Chiss rises from the ground levitating before her. She held her there for a moment her eyes contemplating the many ways to kill her. “Admiral Nor will be more than sufficient as a replacement. You have created the heir to your very downfall you fool.” Rav’ara floats in front of the Empress, a frown on her face from being thrown around and dangled like a puppet. “Why do you think I fast tracked her to her current position, my Empress?” she replies dryly. Vergerre ponders the meaning of her words before allowing a rumble of amusement to escape her lips, “I first met Jevicca Nor many years ago when she was apprenticed to a woman such as yourself. She had her own ideology and goals for the Imperium. Yet, unlike you she fell into the avarices of corruption and blasphemy of the One Sith. She entertained her radical ideology for a time before she finally exposed and eliminated the traitor.” She allowed the words to fester and sink in before continuing, “Your replacement is a Sith.” Rav’ara looks like she was punched in the gut for a split second, “No...she couldn’t be a Sith...she agreed with my goals...that’s,” she pauses, taking a deep breath. “The pirates will run rampant and kill your fleet and your connections. It’s all going to crumble without me.” Vergerre delighted in her confusion. For once, the seemingly omnipotent admiral had missed a crucial detail. “She is a Sith. Loyal to the throne. And you have lost.”

Rav’ara twitches violently, emotion rolling from her for a few moments. “Then she will die, her last known location was enroute to my blacksite...neither of us have control. The very traitor has already executed herself,” she replies. Her composure struggling to recover. Vergerre seems unbothered by her proclamation, “Doubtful. Her passions give her strength. Your creatures compared to the might of the Force is insignificant.” Rav’ara lets out a shuddering breath, raising her right hand to point at Vergerre, the restraints digging into her flesh. “You overestimate your Sith, always going above and beyond to delay schedules and take...extra liberties..on subjects below them.”

Vergerre gestures at the offending arm and a compressed wave of energy shatters every bone. “The weak serve at the pleasure of the strong. Those that wish to break such a cycle must find the strength to depose the strong.” Vergerre seems disappointed in the Chiss as she continues, “What you fail to realize Rav’ara...is that conflict is the evolution of civilization. Conflict is the fundamental drive for technological advancement which in turn benefits society through the adaptation and application of these discoveries.”

Rav’ara lets out a sudden scream as bones pierce the flesh from the sheer crushing force of the blast of energy, blue blood flowing freely from the wounds. The former Grand Admiral glares daggers at the Empress as she tries to hold back the splitting pain. “Conflict breeds much of this you are cor...uh...rect,” she groans mid-speech, “But what if we didn’t need conflict..aah..a world..free of it all..Developing because it's the reasonable..logical thing to do..” she says with a heavier breath.”What about evolution seamless through whatever will benefit us most?”

Vergerre basks in her agony. Her delight visible in her eyes but her face remaining grim. The Pureblood rose from the throne and descended the dais, her fingers grasping the side of her face and tilting her head as if to examine the dark bruise tainting her cobalt skin. She released her roughly and turned her back to the Chiss. “An unobtainable fantasy. It is the nature of sentient species to compete and come into conflict. Galactic peace is a child’s dream. I seek only to preserve as much of the galaxy as possible. The Force has been thrown into chaos by recent events. Even if my Empire one day extends across the charted stars, there will always be unrest to suppress.” Vergerre turns her grip on the Chiss shifting like a vice on her throat and maintains the grip while she watches the life fade from the Chiss, releasing just at the edge of the abyss.

Rav’ara pants hard as the blood continues to drip from her hand profusely. “The Force will be your downfall Empress. It’s a novelty...a crutch for those who haven’t-” she trails off as the air escapes her lungs. Her hands desperately clawing at her throat to free herself from the invisible hand. Panic filling her features as her lungs felt close to bursting. “It would seem the opposite is true from my point of view,” Vergerre replied as she released the Chiss, observing her choke in air and massage her throat.

Vergerre raised both hands and violet energy crackled on her fingertips, hatred manifested into primal energy. She unleashed it in a quick blast sending the Chiss hurtling over the desk to roll across the rug. “Did you forsee this moment Rav’ara? Your death at the hands of one your consider inferior to reason?” Rav’ara struck the hard ground with a sickening crunch, her shoulder popping out of its socket. She struggled to push herself back to her feet, blood staining the red carpet purple from her hand. “I will become a martyr of reason. And you will remain but an echo of the Sith Empire..nothing separates you two..you will be trapped in the same cycle your orders have been locked in forever.” She remarks in a low tone full of sadness, “You are killing your one and only true ally..we share the same goals...or so I thought,” she says, cradling her ruined hand. The once pristine uniform stained with her blood and scorch marks, her ranking insignia torn from the fabric and neat hair ruined. Pathetic compared to her once intimidating presence.

Vergerre walks around the desk as she struggles to rise. “Perhaps. We just have different methods of reaching it. Your ambitions will sadly never become reality even if I permitted you to attempt them. Nor can I trust you to abandon them.” She almost felt pity as she looked down upon the once proud Chiss. Rav’ara manages to regain her full posture, pain bleeding through her features, the mind desperate but the body unwilling to cooperate. “For the Empire,” she says, restrained hands moving in her best attempt at a salute. “Treat my ship well,” she asks of the Empress in a quiet tone knowing there is no escape. Pure and unrivaled hopelessness echoing from her mind.

Vergerre raises a hand. “You served me well Rav’ara. Your sacrifice for the greater good of the Empire will be remembered. Farewell.” She twists her fingers in a jerking motion and snaps the Chiss’s neck. The Chiss lets out one last gasp of pain and drops to the floor in a heap. A final breath escaping her lips.

Ghost In the Shell
Involved: Darth Andrann, Jevicca Nor, Lord Bilrryso, Lord Onokon, Shatta'jir, Morana, Admiral Rav'ara, Darth Vergerre

* Entry has been reviewed by the Bureau of Public Information and all information pertaining to the Old Order has been reneged under the executive authority of Empress Vergerre Morrigan.*

Darth Andrann summoned the Empire’s most promising warriors to the bridge of the Fate’s Hand to carry out the Empress’s directive. They were to venture into the past and infiltrate the derelict remains of the to recover the treasure trove of knowledge within its memory banks that had been lost in the. Lord Bilrryso, Lord Onokon, and her two most promising apprentices Morana and Shatta’jir answered the call.

Darth Andrann gave the order to make the jump to hyperspace and waited deep in thought until the stars had returned to their normal forms rather than blue streaks flickering past the transparisteel viewport. With the battered remains of the looming before them, she departed the bridge for the hangar and prepared to lead them to board the prominent figure from their pasts.

As the shuttle landed in the hangar, they fanned out and searched for any sign of hostiles. They found nothing except for two deactivated patrol droids guarding the turbolift access. The bridge access had been manually locked from the lift they were on so they were forced to detour to the engineering deck. They arrived in what appeared to be some sort of medical laboratory and noted the corpses of scientists strewn about the floor. Morana kneeled and inspected the chief scientist and noted the signs of asphyxiation. The vessel’s life support had failed but was now restored. Three tanks full of pulsing crimson liquid stood in the corner of the laboratory. The team decided to press on to search for some sort of access console to restore access to the bridge.

The team moved through a corridor and entered a massive control hub filled with consoles and different maintenance access points that interconnected the entire belly of the. The room appeared to be the heart of the ship in the design. Jevicca spotted a console in the center of the room and began working to restore power to this level of the ship. A door to their left opened as a platoon of patrol droids entered the chamber and spotted the intruders.

Morana immediately activated her lightsaber and dropped into a Shien ready stance and deflected the first volley of blaster bolts. Lord Bilrryso rolled under the blaze of fire directed his way and brought his twin crimson blades up and through the droid’s mechanical limbs and finished the droid off with a savage swipe of both blades removing its head in a shower of sparks. Lord Onokon crushed one droid with the Force into a ball of durasteel and cannoned it through the ranks of the droids. His lightsaber flew from his grasp and cleaved another droid in half. Morana redirected the second burst of blaster fire into the ranks of the droids, downing a few of them. Shatta’jir made quick work of three droids with his blade and Darth Andrann unleashed the dark side of the Force on the remaining droids, crushing them and overloading their circuits with devastating bursts of lightning manifested from her fingertips.

As the last droid fell, Jevicca managed to reactivate the power to the deck and the center of the control hub glowed as a holograph of a cowled woman flickered into existence. She asked them why they had come and after a brief conversation with Lord Bilrryso and Darth Andrann revealed her identity as a gatekeeper to the Archives of the, . Now her consciousness had been uploaded into the complex network that comprised the Sovereign.

 condemned the individuals present for their betrayal of the Imperium and the One Sith and activated the ship’s defensive subsystems, the engineering deck beginning to seal itself. The team quickly departed the control hub and headed for the starboard side of the ship to reach what was likely the location of a control terminal to override the manual lockout of the bridge access. Jevicca and Lord Bilrryso remain by the turbolift trying to disable the ray shield blocking it off and Darth Andrann and her apprentice Morana press deeper into the starboard side of the engineering deck.

Morana stops as she senses danger in the Force and rolls to the side as a palid corpse drops from the ventilation and slowly rises to its feet. Its mouth, a blank expanse of stretched discolored skin. The red eyes fix themselves on the two Sith with a hatred and hunger that was nearly indescribable. The mannequin Sith activated a crude lightsaber in its grasp and lumbered at them with surprising strength behind its blows. Darth Andrann and Morana worked together to drive off its attacks, a few of their own finally removing the creatures arms. The being felt no pain and knew not when to stop. Morana raised a hand and let out a furious scream, the room going cold as she froze whatever liquid was within the abomination and tore it apart as it crystallized into ice.

Darth Andrann summoned the others to join them by commlink and they traveled further into the starboard side of the ship before finally coming across the access console they were searching for next to an airlock access. Jevicca immediately went to work to break the encryption that was locking them out ignoring the drumming of hands on the other side of the airlock’s doors.

There was evidence of a fight in this room prior mangled corpses of crew and soldiers alike that had failed to evacuate the ship in the midst of the surprise attack during the Sacking by the vessels Nightfall and Shyrack under the command of Darth Vergerre.  manifested watching them work and ignored Darth Andrann’s attempts to anger her. She was above such emotions now. She watched the Zabrak work and was genuinely surprised when she finally managed to break the encryption.  manually accessed the airlock control and depressurized the contents within so the access doors could open.

Hundreds of the mannequin Sith spewed forth as the doors slowly opened like a flood. The team retreated quickly running for the turbolift access and doing anything to harry and slow the flood of experiments chasing after them with a vengeance. Lord Bilrryso threw a few with the Force to trip up the creatures in the front and the turbolift doors slid closed right as a creature nearly reached them. Jevicca had restored access to the bridge and the team prepared themselves to finish what they had come to do.

The turbolift opened and revealed an empty bridge save for a single cloaked figure near the command salon that nearly escaped their notice. The cowled figure rose as they approached, finally turning to face them and lowered his hood, the scarred and burned face mangled by the melted shattered remains of his helmet that had clung to his flesh. A single amber eye burned with fury and betrayal as he regarded the people before him. 

Darth Andrann briefly traded words with him before his final answer came in the form of a wave of raw dark power. Morana and Darth Andrann barely managed to throw up a barrier to absorb the force of the blast and Lord Bilrryso and Jevicca rolled behind cover.  activated his lightsaber and went on the offensive. Darth Andrann parried his blows deflecting the momentum away from herself so he could not penetrate her defenses. Morana summoned a small storm of lightning to strike where the Hand stood.  shielded himself and the lightning wrapped harmlessly around him. Lord Bilrryso burst from behind cover his twin sabers a blur as he danced with in mortal combat for a moment.  countered most of his attacks but one breached his nearly impenetrable defenses and left a furrow down the chestplate of his ancestral armor.  retaliated like a rancor his blade ripping through Bilrryso’s defense and leaving a deep wound in his shoulder.

Jevicca Nor interceded in the other Sith’s defense and rolled forward, two knives flashing almost quicker than the eye could follow into knees. He grunted in pain and removed them with the Force ignoring the blood slowly seeping from the wounds. Morana rushed forward and he countered her charge with a vicious kick that caught her under the jaw and sent her tumbling past Darth Andrann. The Sith worked as one to strike at him like vipers, slowly wearing him down through coordinated attacks. Jevicca managed to wound him several more times with her knives and Lord Bilrryso brought both blades down behind him. His lightsabers penetrating the armor but only burning the flesh of back.

 was ready for Morana’s counterattack and seized her in the Force, holding her as he choked the life from her. His blade continuing to defend and parry attack after attack. He was forced to finally release her as Darth Andrann unleashed a massive torrent of lightning. The two Dark Lords of the Sith remained locked in combat trying to wrest control of the lethal flood of energy trapped between the two of them. Darth Andrann forced him down to his knees and seized him with the Force after finally overwhelming him.  slammed painfully into the ceiling of the bridge before being hurled at the stairs leading up to the command salon. The distinct crunch of several vertebrae could be heard audibly and he remained sprawled there defending against the Pureblood’s attacks.

Darth Andrann gathered her strength for another attack and was taken by surprise when  unleashed twin blasts of lightning that she managed to deflect away from her but did not react in time to the Darkshear flying from his hand. The spear of darkness narrowly missed her heart and she dropped to one knee as it dissipated leaving a corrupted wound. She rose with determination, her rage carrying her forward through the pain and renewed her assault with lightning made manifest.

She seized him once more in the Force and slammed him into the central control console. The console executed a function had entered before they had arrived disabling the coolant systems that maintained the thermal levels of the ships reactors. An alarm began trilling loudly throughout the ship.

Admiral Rav’ara flanked with two of her guards arrived on the bridge of the and spoke briefly to Jevicca before the two slipped away from the battle raging between the two Dark Lords of the Sith and made their way back to her personal shuttle to return to the Fate’s Hand.

Darth Andrann seized with a finality and a sickening crunch could be heard as she crushed the rest of his spine and neck. She allowed him to drop back to the deck of the bridge as she turned towards the others watching and commanded them all to follow her back to the hangar where their shuttle was waiting. The team regrouped in the hangar, Lord Onokon and Shatta’jir carving their way through hordes of battle droids thrown at them by trying to prevent their escape from the destruction of the.

The team boards the shuttle and escapes the in time and make their way to the bridge of the Fate’s Hand. Admiral Rav’ara calmly issued commands for full power to reverse thrusters so the Fate’s Hand would be safely out of the radius of the meltdown. Jevicca began to upload the data she had retrieved to the Archives of the Fate’s Hand. The other Sith had departed leaving the two alone on the bridge with the crew until the Empress arrived, silently appraising the self-destruction of the in a cataclysmic blast. Most of the debris vaporized but remained was pulled into the gravitational pull of a nearby moon.

The Empress was debriefed and Admiral Rav’ara received her orders to begin assembling a team of emissaries to represent their Empire before the royal family of Kaon. They were tasked to assimilate the Kaon system into the Empire’s fold so they would have a foothold in the Tion Hegemony.