Star Wars: Shadow of the Galaxy O/A

[Wrathful Deity]

Karasai Khal'Nes



Karasai knelt upon the ground with armored gauntlet resting upon it's blackened surface, while the armored plating of his right knee scraped against the hard permacrete. His mind wandered for the moment as it blanketed both his presence and the young Twi'lek male who stood next to him. He wanted nothing more than to avoid that particular squad out of hopes of trying to resolve this peacefully. Wishful thinking. He knew that Jedi and Sith were to attack them on sight, and the other was the same. It pained him to think of the soldiers of the Empire being so... wastefully expended. It marked his pride, and incited an anger that rested deep within him. Though his mask hid his concern for the lives of those who he had once fought alongside with, he could not deny the fact he was thankful that his face was exposed. These masks served a purpose, they were a symbol of their anonymity towards all others, that they were the faceless guardians of the Empire in the shadows. His friend's previous comments had earned a stir out of his humor, but only a silent one. He hadn't spoken since he knelt down upon the ground and awaited his response. It was soon given, along with the snark that seemed to accompany each statement he made. It was a welcoming thing when comparing what he experienced in the past. Jedi, Master, Traitor, Leader and once again Betrayer. He had listened to the blue Twi'lek's response quite diligently and honestly agreed with his reasoning. If there were Jedi to be found, he would be wise to meet with them... regardless of whatever they thought of him or his reasons.

"I had a plan until our engines decided to not work, it is quite difficult when the fuel lines rupture within your own ship. We were the only two crewing that monstrosity and I had my own abilities to thank for keeping it flying... relatively straight." He mused out loud, almost thinking of the disastrous situation in a rather humorous manner. It was a funny thing to Karasai that the ship even made it off planet on where they had found her. Regardless, the former Shadow Empire soldier kept his thoughts to himself. "I agree with your timely suggestion, my blue friend." He spoke with a subtle sense of relief, as he had not wished to engage those whom he'd call brother. It was like fighting family, to spill their blood. He didn't wish to... but it was eventual on the path he walked. Inevitable. He shoved his thoughts of reluctance away when he caught the presence of another presence in the force. Malicious, well... two of them were malicious. From a distance, he could have felt them like a flare... and the squad should have reacted. Key word... they should have. He reached back and placed a hand on Roh’sahr's arm. "Wait. Others force sensitives approach, though they are not Shadow Empire. I feel that they are Jedi or Sith. Let us not reveal our presence just yet. "

Closing his eyes, he felt the battle through the force. He felt the waning lives of those whom the newest presence had fought and from the sounds of it alone... there were Lightsabers in use. Jedi or Sith. His suspicions had been correct, regardless of the fact that he simply waited and allowed the squad to fall silent. His heart felt a stab of pain as conflict filled his mind. He was a patriot who loved the Empire, and he had no wish to allow them to die... but what else was he to do? These Fanatical Sons and Daughters of the Empire struck deep into the heart of Republic territory. They were the traitors, but he wished to save them nevertheless. There was aggression in this battle as the cries of both sides seemed to echo into the city streets, a fact which caused him to slide his hand down the handle towards where his blade's activation switch rested. All it'd take for him to get involved is a single switch and he'd turn into a killing machine. A weapon perfected over the course of thirty years, and they'd never be the wiser. There was only one person who survived his blade in a hostile engagement, and she was here... in this city. Cries of pain and then... silence. He knew of the two presences, followed by another in the distance. He supposed that his former pupil was approaching.

Could he hide himself any longer? That was when he heard the other's voice. It was distorted by the respirator the man wore, that much he could tell from the tone alone. This one was... Sith. The female however, had a softer note to it. Judging by how she spoke... was she a Jedi? He could not tell. He looked towards his friend and spoke in a hushed tone that only he would hear. "We are hidden from them, as I would not risk my bro- our... enemies detecting us. I do not wish to incite conflict where it is unnecessary, but I feel that these are Jedi who can be of use... at least one of them. Hopefully. Stay with me, I will ensure your protection from both Jedi, Sith or even the Shadow Empire." He took pause before he'd reveal himself. "Ready yourself, the Shadow Empire will come down on this area like water on rock soon enough..."

Slowly, Karasai stood to his full height of six foot three. A giant among his own kind, he held a rather imposing appearance to go with it as well as his cloak hid the battle-armor he wore... it was like he was a member of the Shadow Empire. He used his free hand to slip his hood back to expose the ornate designs upon the mask he wore. Unlike his former comrades, it commanded the appearance of a face withdrawn into a state of rage. The ornate designs upon it's surface also gave it incredible distinction. Even so, his broad shoulders remained straight, even as the weight of those slaughtered weighed upon his mind. He keyed the switch on his blade, and a four foot lance of energy exploded into life, it's color commanded a silver-green to it while the blade itself appeared to be highly unstable, as though it were a failing power source. He held his blade at the center of his hilt while it's obsidian form rested upon his back. Stepping around the building he came into view and regarded both the Sith and the... Jedi.

"I wouldn't provoke this one, friend. She might just bite your little maggot off." He stated right off of the bat as his gaze was fixed upon the Sith who stood to the side at a gentle enough distance. He knew that he was a variable who needed to be watching, and if both of them had any sense, they'd draw their weapons out of sheer instinct. For all intents and purpose, he was apart of the Shadow Empire, and the mask was enough to prove it. "Your work was unnecessary unless you like spilling blood so freely, since when did the Jedi's practices become so callous a thing? Regardless, you are to be commending on the sheer luck of your survival, others would fall where you did not. You have potential, but it is misused." Karasai made no moves to engage either despite his drawn weapon, he was no fool to walk into a free for all with a sith, jedi and himself without his weapon drawn. "As for you, boy, the little Confederacy has been lax in their abilities compared to the Republic. They fell just the same when I was apart of the Empire's military." The older man shifted his footing as though readying himself for combat, though keeping his distance all the same. "I have people to meet, particularly what members of the Jedi order are on this planet. I know who's in charge of this assault, and I have intent of killing him."

"That alone, would be in both of your interests, no?"

[Kothar TBM]

Val'ga grinned behind his respirator as a third party appeared in middle of the standoff. "Oh, now this is just too perfect. The Empire, the Sith, and the Jedi are equally represented in this very arena." He drew his own lightsaber igniting it but holding the weapon with a casual confidence. "I think you read too much into my comment though stranger, none the less, they say the wildest ones are the only ones worth taming. She does have a lot of potential as a warrior under the right tutelage she could become quite the useful weapon."

He kept himself positioned to respond to either the Jedi or the Imperial should they attempt to strike. The smell of the fires was wafting toward them and carried the scent of burning bodies and blood as well. "This is a war Imperial, and what was a measured battle of attrition on Theed was just turned into whole sale slaughter by you and your very own people, You're in no position to preech to me about unnecessary killing. Besides, these fools on Naboo are too weak to survive, and without any other usefulness, keeping them alive would be a waste of effort. I can't argue about that blockade though, the nemoidians never had the strongest of spines, probably couldn't bring themselves to attack unless they had the upper hand. But I enjoy a challenge, I thrive in the shadow of death and chaos."

Val'ga waited to take the measure of the Imperials abilities beyond his preaching words, he at least seemed earnest in his desire to kill who ever was leading the Empire, but internal power plays were nothing new to him. Even he had designs to remove his own masters head and take that mantle for himself. "You think the high and mighty Jedi will listing to you Imperial? I appreciate the strength and tenacity of the Imperial war machine, but the Jedi will only try and preach peace to you with honeyed words, all the while they amass military might to cow others into following them for protection. You should know you can't defend and attack at the same time, so either the Jedi will be shattered as they attempt to shield the weak, or they will reveal the worth of their words when they have to abandon them in order to strike out against their enemies. That is why I love war of this level so very much, you can't lie on a battle field."

[Miss Loops]

Location: Theed, underground xxxxxx Company: Rachi, Karasai, Roh'sahr, Val'ga xxxxxx Condition: Unharmed, but covered in dust and dirt.

Aleirea set down the child upon being promoted. She didn’t really know the lavender twi’lek personally, but she had seen the girl around the temple before. Before leaving the youngling, Allie knelt down to her level and put a hand on her shoulder. ”You see that woman over there?” She indicated the queen. ”She’s very nice and will help you. You can trust her.” She smiled at the child as she smoothed her shoulder length brown hair.

She felt the twi’lek prod with the force to find out more about her. Allie allowed this, seeing no harm in it. She made a note to ask for hers later, feeling uncomfortable with just taking the information.

Aleirea followed the jedi to the surface which had been rendered beyond recognition from the Shadow Empire’s brutal attack. She followed through the smoke filled air, leaping from rooftop to disheveled rooftop, after the jedi shadow. As she felt the twi’lek shroud herself in the force, she stood back. The human hybrid felt that she would serve better as a distraction for the enemy at this point rather than drawing unnecessary attention by accident if she lost her concentration.

Aleirea saw her jump down from the roof and waited until she heard the sounds of battle to jump in herself. The first thing she heard was the mangled screams of the shadow soldiers. The jedi frowned at this, seeing what the twi’lek did as cruel. They were in unneeded pain. But would they be able to realistically survive anyway? Allie briefly considered putting an end to their agony but decided against it for moral reasons.

The remaining three soldiers began firing blasters at the two. Allie blocked the shots as Rachi did easily enough. After the twi’lek force pushed one of them to the ground, she caught the look in her eyes. Aleirea didn’t like it. She wondered about this woman, standing back to watch her, covering her back, making sure no one tried to attack her from behind. The more she watched the woman, the more she began to wonder. She must have been a jedi… but had she been corrupted? Who was she? Did anyone know about this? As much of a serious problem this could be, they were questions for later. Right now, Theed needed both of them. Light or Dark.

The jedi rushed forward to assist when one of the soldiers grabbed onto her lekku. She knew this would be a devastating attack. Except… the twi’lek seemed to be fine. She kept fighting just as she had before. But how? Aleirea had never seen a twi’lek recover from such a low blow. This was an impressive thing to do, but overall, Aleirea didn’t know about this woman. She felt chaotic…

The jedi also felt the dark presence, but she falsely attributed it to the twi’lek. Then the man came out of hiding when the woman called him out. To his comments, Aleirea didn’t respond. They weren’t worth responding to.

What happened next, she wasn’t prepared for.

As soon as he revealed himself, she knew who he was. He was so familiar yet entirely foreign. Aleirea struggled to calm herself. She drew on the force to keep her state of mind level. Her sabers were already blazing, illuminating her in a pale blue glow. She gripped them tighter, her eyes darting from the stranger to Karasai. As he spoke, she wondered what happened to him. He now wore a mask and spoke in a mechanical way. What broke him so?

When he spoke of the way of the jedi, she had to speak up. ”The jedi’s practices are still as they have always been. But in times of darkness, sacrifices are made.” Aleirea wearily kept an eye on his saber. He had not deactivated it so she still couldn’t tell if he meant harm or not. The last time she had seen him, she was fleeing the deadly strike of his saber - her scar a poignant reminder.

When he shifted his footing, Allie’s eyes locked onto his. She wasn’t going to let him take her by surprise. She held her sabers in a defensive position, readying herself for anything.

To the ill looking sith, Aleirea frowned. ”You will not be turning her into anything.” She caught what his comments implied and wouldn’t not allow it. This woman was a part of the jedi order, though the hybrid knew not what this role was. What he said next also didn’t make much sense. ”So you would rather stand down and have the Shadow Empire enslave Theed, and potentially the rest of Naboo?” All the while, she ignored the blue twi’lek’s crass comments.

She never took her eyes off of Karasai for long, even while responding to the sith. ”And what makes you think I would trust you?” She retorted. ”I would be a fool to lead you to the jedi.” Her eyes held unspoken pain and anger that was threatening to further cloud her judgment. But was her judgment really clouded? After his betrayal she was right to be incredibly suspicious. With so much at stake here, she needed to be suspicious of everyone.

Ooc: I can't get into my account. Hopefully this issue will be resolved quickly.

[Rue S Cross]

Jakob Griggs
Infamous Bounty Hunter, "The Ranger"

Location: Unregistered Civilian Space Station, Hutt Space.

The latest in a long line of wars, that is what brought Jakob Griggs to this sector of the galaxy. The bounty hunter was leaning against a large metallic crate, arms crossed, in the middle of one of four landing bays within the space station, waiting on his contacts. It made him uncomfortable. Ostensibly, the station was civilian, an unregistered trading post on the way to Kessel, but in actuality, it was a hideout for criminal dregs that were under Hutt protection or a place for the trade of illicit goods, which is what brought him here under contract with the C.I.S. If it wasn't for the sizable payday waiting for him on delivery of the goods, Jakob would never have come. The bay was largely empty, only his ship, The Rumour and one other parked nearby and the heavy crate Jakob was leaning against had been lowered from his own cargo bay, containing an eight month supply of contraband goods; death sticks, various narcotics. The trade was for a large shipment of weapons, which Griggs was to ferry to the closest Republic outpost. Tenuous as it was, the Republic was taking advantage of the C.I.S's alliance with them along with their shady resources, like himself. He heard lowered voices and and saw a group of three men approaching, Trandoshan slavers, the leader carried no weapons, but the two flanking him were wielding heavy blasters, already not a good sign...

Jakob straightened up, holding out his hands as he put on a smile, "Crudok! Greetings, I am Griggs, the one you're to meet here. I've brought the shipment, as promised," he said, reaching out to shake the Trandoshan's hand, but Crudok sneered, "Hatcherd jahumba," he said in greeting, though it sounded more like a curse, then switched to gnarled standard, "I know who you are, Griggs. Do not worry, I have the agreed upon weapon crates, but I was wondering if perhaps there might be further incentive, after all, we are taking a great risk by meeting you here," Jakob frowned slightly, but kept up a friendly demeanor, "As am I, Crudok, as am I, perhaps even greater than you. I'm the one that has to carry these crates back and forth and besides, I..." he trailed off, his expression darkening. To anyone other than a Lorrdian, it would have appeared that Crudok hadn't made a significant move, but Jakob saw it nonetheless, "Before you raise that hand, let me tell you how this'll play out. Your buddy on your left will raise his weapon to fire in roughly point three seconds. The one on the right will hesitate, he keeps glancing at you and then Left Guy, that'll give me exactly enough time to draw," here, he reached down, his hand hovering above the butt of his DE-10 blaster pistol for emphasis, "and plug you twice in the face. Your boys might get me afterwards, but by then they'll be out of a job, won't they? So ask yourself, Crudok, this little double cross worth it to you?"

There was a tense few seconds before Crudok scoffed and then waved his hand in a disarming gesture, "Very well, Ranger, we will bring you the proper weapons crates as agreed. Ten minutes," he said, then to his goons, "Lacumba!" and the trio turned away to get the crates, while Griggs called after them, "Hope you won't be too offended if I check those crates before I leave!" which further rankled the Trandoshan leader. With a small chuckle, Jakob turned back to The Rumour, a modified HWK-290, painted gunmetal grey with a blue stripe down the middle of both sides. Among the many aftermarket modifications were the inclusion of forward facing laser cannons and a top mounted double barreled laser turret, there were many more modifications indoors as well, related to the career of a bounty hunter. Two of the six passenger quarters near the engine room had been converted into holding cells and the smaller of the two cargo bays on board had been turned into an armory and training gym. Griggs jogged up the ramp into the larger cargo bay, where Gilliam, an R6-series Astromech was waiting. Gilliam greeted the bounty hunter with a series of whirrs and clicks, to which Jakob rolled his eyes, "No, I do not think you could have negotiated that better," he said, to which Gilliam responded with a low whistle and then another whirr, "watch your language, Gilliam! Keep watch on the bay, let me know when Crudok returns with our shipment. I'm going to go make a call."

((First post is ago!))

[iGamma the Electric]

Even in these chains, you can't stop me.
Even in these chains, you can't stop me!

Once upon a time
There was a nasty, little piggy filled with pride and greed
Once upon a time
There was an evil, little piggy typical disease
You see this little pig is slowly becoming my own worst enemy.
You see this evil pig she's a blood, blood, blood sucking part of me

Rachi turned her body towards the source she hadn't felt before but she frowned at him none the less. Her sabers stayed in her hands, and stayed on. My dear? No one has called me my dear since my mother.... She thought to herself before she felt her Jedi friend's worry over her power. Her eyes half closed as she connected her mind with Aleirea's. Do not freak out. My name is Rachi, and I am a Jedi Shadow. I have trained with Master Yoda and Master Windu since I was 15, and I am the best of 15 of us, the only one capable of being solo amongst the strife. My job is to hunt Sith and destroy them using their own powers. I am your ally." Her attention returned to the sith, but before she could say a word to him to threaten his life some more because this guy was clearly a moron, another figured walked out, along with another of her race. Her immediate reaction was to pull her Lekku forward, for better communication with him. But her Lekku were bruised badly, turning a dark purple against her lavender skin from where they had been grabbed.

Her eyes took in the appearance of the taller man seeing the armor and the cloak wanting to see his actual face. He was dangerous as his saber suggested, since it was silvery green and looked ready to fail out at the worst possible moment. "If you think you'll get anywhere near me and won't die you're in for another thing....friend." she said as she looked at the Sith. "Not only am I standing right here, you have nothing to teach more, nor can you tame me. I am a warrior already, and a weapon you don't want to mess with." She snarled at him, before she glanced at the other Twi'lek. Her lekku twitched in silent communication with him, telling him that she would be able to protect him no matter what happened, she would see him safely off Naboo.

But then she heard Aleirea and turned how she held her lightsabers. From offensive to defensive. She slid her purple lightsbaer closed and rested her hand on Allie's shoulder for a moment. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." She whispered softly to the Jedi Knight. "What ever your former interactions, we can't do this alone, and we're the only Jedi here as far as I know." Her body was tense, and she drew her purple saber again, so that she was ready to fight at the drop of a hat. She was going to have to learn and learn quick, how to work together with people. It was so difficult for her to work with someone as she always left them for dead. But she couldn't do that to another of her people, at the very least.


ooc: that wound up shittier then I wanted it to. Hopefully better next round. Let's do this.

[Wrathful Deity]

Karasai Khal'Nes



Karasai stood at odds with the group, knowing quite well of what his position was exactly on the entirety of the politics of this war. He would not speak a single word of it, however. He couldn't, not without revealing his intent but he knew the cost of helping the Jedi and... Sith. Within his mask, he could already see the battle unfolding should either parties make a move against him, or each other. If the Sith attacked, he'd respond with force, if the Jedi attacked... he'd defend himself. Karasai did not arm himself with any wish or want to inflict harm upon those whom he viewed as potential allies to himself, and even then... he was disgraced and untrustworthy. His former Padawan was right in her mistrusting nature, as what was to stop him from trying to kill the Jedi again? She knew he was apart of the Shadow Empire, but his involvement? Not in the slightest. Time was limited, but explanations were needed. He shifted his footing, but his stance remained the same. His lightsaber blazing behind him, peaking over his head for another foot. It's very appearance casting an image of a weapon born to destroy... rather than defend. Regardless, the masked man stayed his ground until finally he spoke again, addressing the Sith first.

"Preach? It is no wonder you and your kind, Sith are swatted away like flies by those who seek to stand by the Lord Admirals." Karasai spat distastefully at his reproach, knowing quite well that this scum was already preparing himself for an attack. One that would smash into him like a tidal wave if he so chose. "Had my men been involved, I'd have decided to wipe you from the face of this forsaken galaxy." His voice grew dark and laden with anger mixed with fury, how he had changed since he had left the ranks of the Jedi. His presence, his voice and very atmosphere had adopted a more threatening feel, he was... more militant. "The Jedi have proven their worth over the countless centuries that they have persisted. More so than the Sith and their former Empires which have risen and fallen like the tides on the Seat of the Shadow Empire. Your presence is nothing more than a temporary one, a visitor in the dark. I would rather deal with the Jedi, than leave the fate of the galaxy in the hands of maniacs crazed for power." Karasai remained still, gripping his blade as tight as ever. He wanted to make his move, to strike this man down. What good would come of such? Nothing, it wouldn't solve his problems, but how he wanted to do it. He was born a Jedi, raised by the Jedi and his faith had always remained upon them. Despite he himself having strayed from their path, secluding himself within the shadows as something... less. That was what Karasai viewed himself to be. "Even still, I will endure your presence, and ask for your help in this. If you allow this particular Lord Admiral any leeway, and he will do more than take this planet, he will burn it, and then strike into the Republic and the Confederacy like an unstoppable wave. "

"I understand your apprehension, Aleirea. I commend your suspicion and I believe you are correct in your mistrust of me." He stated in a calm voice, knowing quite well that he couldn't bring himself to try and kill her again. How that action alone had destroyed and broke his spirit. He had forsaken the Jedi to become a Military Officer within the Empire he supported. He betrayed what he held dear, how could it not effect him? Regardless, he knew quite well that he'd have to convince his former Padawan to lend a hand otherwise he'd be rendered incapable of lending his help... and all would be for naught. "Regardless of what you believe, I have destroyed three vessels on my way here, and this man here can confirm my actions. I have come because I do not agree with what is going on here, and neither do certain political forces within the Shadow Empire. I would not have come otherwise. I burned Coruscant under false pretenses, and I will not stand by to see such atrocities be committed anymore." He knew the revelation of such information would not pass lightly, but regardless that alone, he continued to plead with the Jedi. "If you will not help me, then the Lord Admirals will sweep the galaxy regardless of how hard you fight against them. Not all have arrived, but more ships will come and soon the CIS and Republic will be gravely outnumbered."

"By that time, it won't matter if you believe me or not." Karasai shifted his blade off as he hooked it on his thigh were it remained. He took a step back and finally stated in a calm tone. "I will surrender myself to the Jedi Council if you want that much, I will even give you my lightsaber. Regardless I just want your tru-"

A flash of energy lanced in between the group and struck Karasai right in the shoulder, knocking him clean off of his feet, sending him back at least several meters. This shot was soon heralded by several more, directed at all who were present in this meeting. Soon after, at least five soldiers belonging to the Shadow Empire appeared a distance away from the group, taking positions and opening fire. Five, became ten... and ten became thirty. The Empire was responding to the earlier hostilities brought forth by the Jedi Shadow, knowing that answering with overwhelming force was the best course of action. These soldiers were soon backed up by a vehicle that rested upon the ground, heavy treads ripping into the street. It's main weapon, a long barrel swung around to meet the group down the street. A flash of light followed by a deafening boom echoed into the air as the building to the left of the Jedi was now no more. The very structure of the building had been blasted off through the sheer force of the shot it fired. As it sat in the intersection down the road, it's barrel begun cycling once more, as jolts of electricity begun lancing from it's form, raking the ground. It soon joined the fray by adding blaster repeater fire, filling the air with more lances of energy.

As all this happened Karasai laid firmly upon the ground, his head was ringing for the time being as he struggled to stand up. The shot that hit him wasn't exactly a fatal one, but it was enough to disorientate him. He activated his comlink and called for his other friend to arrive with the object they had refurbished. "Atin'kot. I'm in the city, not too far from where you are. I need your support now. Bring the droid, Atin'kot. We're dealing with a lot that we'll not be able to stand up against, but I need you to help the Jedi and Sith survive this and get away."




OOC: Don't die friends ;D

[Rue S Cross]

Jakob Griggs
Infamous Bounty Hunter, "The Ranger"

Location: Unregistered Civilian Space Station, Hutt Space.

The ladder leading up from the main cargo bay allowed entry into the cockpit of the Rumour. Jakob Griggs stepped into the main corridor between the pilot and gunner station and looked both ways. No sign of his partner or any other noises, except Gilliam's complaining clicks from the level below. The wall on either side of the door leading to the living quarters had communication screens inlaid and Jakob stepped to the one in the gunner seat and keyed it on, dialing in the coordinates for his contact, then sat down in the swivel chair behind him and waited. Hutt Space was a long way from Naboo and with all the other traffic bouncing all over the galaxy it would take some time to establish a connection. There was a screen saver for several minutes and Jakob laid his chin in his palm, swinging the chair slightly back and forth until a figure appeared, deep in shadows, causing him to jump up. "Ah! Excellent, sir, I'm glad I caught you," Jakob said in greeting, but the robed figure merely waved an impatient hand, "Report," he ordered in a commanding, low voice and Jakob sat up a little straighter, "Crudok gave me a little bit of trouble over the price, but the weapons crates are being brought in as we speak. I'll have them all loaded up and out of here double quick. Shouldn't take too long to get to Naboo from here." he said, the figure silently regarding him, before nodding once.

"Good to hear. Do not worry about Crudok, he will be dealt with later. As for you, you must wait a little longer. An associate of mine is on that station and requires transport," he said in return and Jakob sat forward, "W-wait a minute, sir, you know how last minute changes work, especially when it isn't related to the main j--" he said, holding up his hands in a shrug, but his contact interrupted him, "Your price will be doubled as agreed, just get him here quickly. The situation is escalating." Jakob nodded, still unsure, but there was little he could do about it and anyway the screen went dark as his contact cut the call. Just in time, he heard Gilliam whistling up to him from the bottom of the ladder, "Yeah, yeah, I'll be right down, keep your panels closed!" he called down and jumped up from the chair, heading to the hatch and sliding down the ladder. Once there, he jogged across the cargo bay to the open ramp, at the bottom of which he could see five large crates on hover pallets and Crudok's two goons...but Crudok himself was nowhere to be seen.

That already was something to give the bounty hunter pause, especially when the Trandoshan bodyguards looked up at him with smug grins...or as close to grins as the reptilian bastards could manage. It looked like these guys were going to double cross him after all, now that their boss was safely out of reach. Jakob barely backed up the ramp and drew out his blaster before the first of the reptilians raised a heavy blaster rifle and opened fire, scorch marks tracing their way up toward his feet. Jakob raised his blaster pistol and fire once, twice, three times as he fell backwards onto his backside and then rolled out of the line of fire. Two of his three shots scored a hit and the Trandoshan with the heavy blaster fell, but the other dived for cover behind the weapon crates and began firing up into the ship. Jakob rolled out of the way, returning fire, his blue beams crossing the hangar bay parallel to the Trandoshan's red ones, "s**t," he grumbled, he would have to find a way to get the b*****d without damaging the goods...

[Saruta]

"I used to believe that being a good soldier meant doing everything they told you."

『C C - 2 8 4 0 1_ " S p a r k "_』

Bits and pieces of calls and messages had been coming in to the Republic fleets close to the Chommel Sector, each depicting the scenario taking place on Naboo differently. Some claimed that the sky was on fire, others said that Naboo was lost, others were simply calls for help. Due to the situation, the Republic found need to at least learn what was going on. A scout ship was sent in the form of a single Acclamator Assault ship, to be followed by a greater force one it had been established what was going on. The ship held a sizeable force of Clone troopers in the form of the 126th Legion, led by Jedi Knight Akalar Thul, also aboard was the Jedi General's bodyguard, and Clone Commando - Spark.

Spark held his helmet under his arm, most of his brothers - particularly those with the same designation as himself - chose to customise their armour, but it was something he decided against, his armour looking quite similar to that of a 'shiny' apart from the small black scorch mark on his chestplate. Wandering through the halls of the ship, Spark was on his way to the General's quarters when he felt the ship lurch slightly - the usual sign of it coming out of hyperspace. He slowed down for a moment as the ship moved before he continued on, having been used to the regular shift, but he was not expecting what came almost immediately afterward.

Spark was knocked to the ground as a powerful explosion suddenly shook the ship, the reactor alert klaxons blasting throughout the ship as he pushed himself off the ground quickly, putting on his helmet to hurry down the hallway, his DC-17m in his hand as he made his way to the Generals quarters, Opening the door, there was a gruesome sight before him, the quarters had been badly damaged in a secondary explosion, and the General had been impaled by a series of damage and torn girders, shaking his head, Spark stopped for only a moment before he closed the door and hurried towards the hangar, shifting slightly as he ran as a result of the secondary explosions rocking the ship. He was still oblivious as to what had exactly happened, but his main focus now was on escaping.

Plenty of his fellow clones had the same idea, and as he reached the hangar, Spark boarded one of the LAAT gunships with a number of other troopers, including one ARC trooper who he happened to know rather well. It wasn't long before the ship took off and left the hangar, at first it was lucky enough to avoid the coming fire, many of the other LAAT's being destroyed almost immediately after leaving the hangar. Heading into the cockpit, Spark peered out the display port to see the carnage which was taking place above the planet, giant, incredibly powerful ships tearing apart the CIS blockade and his own ship, near unopposed. For a fair stretch of time the LAAT avoided incoming fire, until it began to enter Naboo's atmosphere.

Grabbing onto the wall, Spark stopped himself from falling over as the side wing was struck by a stray laser, severely damaging the engine, the LAAT was unable to recover as it came through the clouds, providing the view of the burning Theed below, unable to pull up, and unable to land properly, the LAAT made a hard crash landing in one of the many streets of the city, stopping as the gunship collided with the side of a burning building. As Spark slowly recovered from the crash, disoriented and with a sprained ankle and bleeding head, he peered through the LAAT, he seemed to be the lone survivor of the crash, likely on account of his superior armour. Taking hold of his weapon, he carefully opened the side door of the gunship and climbed out, beginning to carefully make his way through the streets until he heard the sounds of blaster fire.

Following the sound, it did not take long for Spark to come across the scenario involving the two he could tell were Jedi, along with another two force users and a Twi'lek who appeared to him just a simple survivor. It wasn't exactly difficult for Spark to tell who was on his side. Ducking behind cover in the form of rubble, he took his DC-17m and began to quickly convert it, adding a longer barrel and holographic scope to convert it to a sniper, bringing it to bear as he paused for a moment, taking note of the targets before deciding on one, he took another moment to line up his shot, taking a deep breath and perfectly aiming it as he fired, the beam following the blaster round likely giving away his position to anyone as the shot would leave the soldier to drop to the ground, smoke rising from the hole in the side of his helmet. "Boom."

Condition: {Wounded}
Location: (Theed)
Squad: |N/A|

O.O.C: Hope this is a decent starter!

"That's how they engineered us. But we're not droids. We're not programmed."

[Miss Loops]

Location: Theed, underground xxxxxx Company: Karasai, Rachi, Roh'sahr xxxxxx Condition: Unharmed, but covered in dust and dirt.

Aleirea was surprised to hear the female twi’lek’s voice in her head. So Rachi was her name… She hadn’t heard of her before and found it strange. When she was able to meet with the other jedi, she would inquire about her as well as report on what she witnessed today. Even though the jedi now knew of her purpose, it was still questionable. Especially since destroying the sith was oddly counter-productive these days

”Not this one.” She said bluntly. Usually, yes. The enemy of your enemy is your friend. But this one was way too volatile and had betrayed Aleirea and the Jedi order. What if he was just acting as an agent of the Shadow Empire? What if his true goal was to find the jedi on Theed? Then there would be nothing stopping the Shadow Empire from laying waste to all that they had saved here as well as her brothers. She didn’t want to tell Rachi that there were other jedi here. The less Karasai knew of them the better.

At this point, Aleirea had disregarded the sith. He was unneeded in this situation and didn’t seem to be the brightest otherwise. But her former master. She agreed with what he said about the sith rising and falling. Throughout history they never seemed to have a decent enough foothold to anchor themselves. She even found herself believing his words regarding the admiral that had led this battle. Could he be right? Or could this be just a ploy to scare them into accepting his help? She didn’t know - couldn’t know… Either way, she was still adamant about rejecting his help at this time. Maybe in the future if he wanted to make amends with the jedi truly… But until he returned to the light, he was a threat and potential enemy. She shifted her grip on her lightsabers, refusing to deactivate them in his presence. He even stated that she was correct in her mistrust. Did that mean that he really did have distasteful intentions underneath his pretense?

When he started talking about how he destroyed other ships, she spoke up. ”It could have been staged. The Shadow Empire could have sacrificed those ships to gain our trust which is more valuable to them.” She had seen this logic in others before. It was gruesome and lacked humanity, but she had to admit, that it was often successful. And then he even admitted to burning Coruscant. It didn’t matter if it was under false pretenses or not. He did it know full well of what he was doing. She narrowed her gaze. ”You can’t prove that this isn’t just a setup. How am I supposed to believe you?” She said in a sincere and saddened voice. She wanted to believe him, but her training was too good. She had learned to see through lies and look for the truth.

But then, he started saying that he would allow himself to be turned over to the counsil. Now this might be something. He even offered his lightsaber… She was hanging onto every word he spoke now as if she had hope but then he suddenly stopped talking as bright light raced through the air, hitting Karasai. As he fell, Aleirea whirled around to find the source and determine if it was a friend or foe. She found nothing. The hybrid decided to resort to her arkanian sight, searching for the shooter in infrared. The only indication the others might have that she was doing this was her eyes flashing arkanian silver. Once she found him, she immediately stopped. ”The shooter’s over there, on that rooftop.” She stated while waiting for natural colors and shapes to come back to her. The world looked fuzzy right now. But as soon as it returned to normal she wanted to know why the shooter was aiming at them. Perhaps he was actually a friend. Then, she heard several more shots and depended on the force to know where they were so she could evade them. Soon, her vision was back to normal again. But then more soldiers were moving in, and then a large vehicle demolished the building they were standing next to. Her ears rang with the sound it made. She'd have to forget about the first shooter for now.

The hybrid searched the area for the best route to take to get out of here. Once she found it, she motioned for Rachi to follow her. But then she stopped and looked back. Her former master was wounded. She took another step toward the nearest tunnel entrance, planning on leaving him behind. He was too much of a risk. But she couldn’t do it. ”Head for the tunnels!" She told Rachi.

Aleirea headed back to where he had fallen. ”Tell your friends to cancel that.” She grabbed a hold of his good arm. ”Get up! Now!” She yelled, fearing the oncoming soldiers. ”You can’t wait for them!” She didn’t know exactly what she was doing. She knew he was a threat, knew that this was a terrible idea. It went against everything she had just been saying, but she couldn’t leave him to die.

She tugged him toward the nearest tunnel entrance. When she found it, she quickly opened its door and ducked inside. The door led to a dark room that had a staircase descending into the ground and disappearing out of sight.

Ooc: Still can't get into my account...