Star Wars: Darkness Rising

[True North]

Darkness Rising

Lucifarus - Midtown Hostel Interior

"I know the name of the buyer." A female humanoid with a pair of sunny headtails peeped. The Rylothian concernedly stared down at another humanoid of her race who knelt with arms bound. One of his head tails coiled around him like a bloody red snake. "I will tell you if you will release my love." Her accent thick and voice hesitant.

Negotiating above were three other figures of varying races. One of the shorter beings at the stained glass table, was a peculiar man with the snout of a pig. "Well what's it?" He snorted impatiently. The informant looked over to the other two figures. One of the two was a female with a shaved head and horns, and the other an alien resembling an aquatic creature. The devilish one cocked her boney brow as the Twi'lek leaned in to whisper the name.

CRSHHHH!
The sounds of crushing metal and glass were deafening. Startled squeals ensued as the chaos erupted. When the smoke cleared, the Twi'lek picked herself up from her defensive huddle; her body shaking and eyes wide. Now beside her in the rubble was the horned butch with her head broken open. The pig man squashed beneath the debris. That's when she next noticed the white noise of a flaring flow of fire. Hovering above was a man with long crimson hair. "Who are you?" She gasped.

"Let me introduce myself." The man retorted.

FLRShhh!
With a raise of his armored wrist, a blaze of fire roared outward. The unpleasant shrieks and sound of burning flesh filled the scene as her knees collapsed to the ground with her head ablaze.

"RAAVAA!!" Her lover frighteningly screamed helplessly from his bindings. His mouth fell open and his lips quivered at the sight of his wife roasting alive. All he could do was watch as his woman forced out her last tortured cry. And then all was silent with nothing but the sound of the flames consuming the flesh from the skull.

"I'm R. Tragic you had to see me melt your wife's face off." The red head casually walked passed the distraught captive and stepped over the now faceless burning corpse. Lifting an unfamiliar weapon, R blasted the aquatic-like alien who was coming to from the explosion. Bolts of white lightening projecting from the blaster instantly struck the dazed creature and caused the body to jolt and spasm erratically. "Hopefully your day gets better." He added to the new shaken widower before blasting off with a jet pack soaring him through the air.

Lucifarus - Main City Outskirts

"Just in the nick of time." R murmured as he landed on the pale blue sands of the planet Lucifarus. He observed a battle unit droid herding together willing captives for recruitment. "Get them onboard and bail out." He commanded the droid and glanced over to the towering starship. "I'm still enjoying myself." He finished before walking back toward the terrorized city.

Not too far from the sight, behind a steep sand dune, a figure emerged from a concealed hideaway. The young, blue striped togruta pulled himself from out of an old wrecked escape pod that had been made into a sleeping nest and shelter from the sandstorms. When he made himself over the dune, he shot down to the ground after being surprised by a battle unit that had possibly seen him in the distance. He took in the ravaged city in disbelief as he struggled to think of his next move. The invaders were still here, and his family was nowhere in sight. @Soverign @Ur Degaton

 

[Soverign]

Tyran sat at the pilot seat and connected to his master the hologram showing on the small display "My lord. We are keeping on schedule. I will have us return soon with the packages in toe" He said calmly before the display went dead. He turned and got out of the pilot seat. There were the candidates in the main section of the drop ship. Four in total so far all in cloaks given to them. He walked through them and the set of droid guards posted outside had weapons ready to deter citizens unworthy.

One droid nodded to the hunter and settled and seated them inside the ship. However he was passed by a larger more formidable machine. The heavy footfalls sharing with the world he was coming. He watched the few who have accepted enter the ship but then looked back at the red haired individual. He approached and stopped a few paces away "You may be enjoying yourself but did you acquire the target R?" Said his voice normally being a tone or two deeper than normal droids. Though the loyal enforcer was familiar with bounty hunter missions to capture targets this R was a spectacle. He enjoyed his work and was more than capable in battle. He just hoped he could curb his bloodlust to complete his task.

The war frame crossed his arms then looked around scanning the environment. There was a blip on his scanners but he paused and returned his focus to the bounty hunter "I can presume the smoke means you killed them. Or at the very least set them up to die yes?" He had grown to respect the bounty hunter's effectiveness even if he gets carried away "Walk with me R" He made his way towards town with a strike team of soldiers both droid and not with him "Though our master is strong hopefully these subjects will result in an apprentice. And your pay will be.......most glorious. But in order for our lord to get that apprentice he needs every possible student" He said as the populous is moved from their homes by other soldiers from the starship in orbit. The group had entered the city center and all who had been found were being guided there. Tyran chuckled "If they had any strength at all we would have broken a sweat. Or maybe.....it is yet undiscovered" He watched the groups being brought in wanting to see a fire in ones eyes or the desire to hear their message. If they did not then the result was clear.

Some soldiers pushed and abused those they guided and others had sheep like captives with no fight at all. He kept his hands at the small of his back waiting for the horde of people to settle. Tyran walked up onto a crate so he saw over the masses "Here you are offered a choice. Those who are gifted in powers of the force may step forward. You will be accepted and the chains on you broken. Power will be in your reach. Purpose of desire. You will be more than the weak huddled masses you are now. Those who are capable step forward" He said calmly. Though the declaration meant the individuals had to reveal themselves he had only information given by his master. And though his master is brutal his loyalty made trust. He trusted his commands. Or at the very least, knew his place enough to follow them. Raising a hand those who gathered the civilians aimed there weapons primed to fire.

"STOP!" a man said standing up. A male rodian used the gift to push some of the soldiers down. Tyran looked at him "A wise choice to join us" The man only scoffed "I will never join evil like you" Pointing at Tyran and R with a cupped finger. Lowering his arm Tyran gave his version of a sigh "Disappointing" He then drew a blaster and within a second the rodian had a burning hole in his head falling to the ground in a heap "Refusal results in death. He chose the path of weakness. My lord has offered you that are gifted to obtain strength beyond your imagining. Are there any at all who are wise enough to accept the offer?" He asked aiming his weapon at the group. The feeling of imminent slaughter creeping up the longer he waited and used intimidation at its best.

 

[Ur Degaton]

His heavy breathing was the only sound in the room. He hurt all over, the pain was incomprehensible. He tried looking around at his new surroundings but his heavily bandaged face limited his line of vision. He tried to move his arms but was met with searing pain, he tried moving his legs only to met with the same results. It was then that he realized that his limbs no longer existed, they were no more than bandaged stumps. He tried to yell but was met with a hoarse rasp as he coughed violently. Where was he? Why was he here? As the gears in his foggy mind turned the memories started flooding back.

Raiders, they attacked his home, they-

He grit his teeth as the screams of his family echoed throughout his mind. His eyes filled with tears as sorrow clouded his emotions. For awhile he laid there and cried, mourning what he lost. But soon that sorrow gave way to anger, pure, hateful wrath that overtook his senses. As he screamed a hoarse scream, the room shook violently, objects flying against the wall and the bed he laid on floating mid-air. His untapped potential, the very same potential his late father had kept him from, began to manifest in a frenzy of negative, primal emotion. He would find those raiders, and make them pay, at any cost.

 

[True North]

Very well. My enforcer shall be adorned with the desired upgrades upon the assignment's completion. The hologram to Tyran from a hooded entity fizzled out. A sense of urgency reaffirmed into the fray after the communication had ended.

"The target's a little tied up in grief right now." R said with a turn of his face toward the droid enforcer. He watched the seeping smoke from the damaged hostel's exterior as frenzied guests were escorted out. Some sustaining injury from the collapsing establishment."They're pretty dead, yeah."

The bounty hunter pivoted his feet and propelled forward with a roar of his jet pack to draw near to Tyran. His crimson hair trailing behind as they walked. "Your master, my employer." R corrected the well equipped machine. Even so, the mention of pay didn't seem to impress him much.

"And those students will be taught an invaluable lesson." The hunter contemplated while blowing clean his arm's flamethrower attachment. R overlooked the prospective students in question and his face remained absent of emotion. "A waste of perfectly good corpses."

His eye a shade of sun-kissed tan, scanned the horizon ahead. He left the walking machine to carry on with it's speech. Relieving his bladder on a nearby burnt carcass. Returning just in time to witness a rebellious rodian pointing a grimy finger at he and the droid enforcer.

R advanced slowly to the now deceased rodian with its brains oozing upon the sand and looked to Tyran. "Perhaps you failed to persuade them?" The hunter detached a saber handle at the small of his back and erupted forth the midnight glowing blade. "Or perhaps they're better off dead as I suspect." His gesture was met with immediate cooperation from the onlookers.

The ex-mandalorian withdrew the Darksaber and passed by Tyran. "Their cowardly expressions sicken me. Waste them all. There is no apprentice here." His words triggering fearful groans from within the group of gathered captives. With that, he blasted away into the sky and deeper into the city.

After flying back into the hostel in ruin, R exited with the clean-cut head of a familiar male Rylothian who's face retained that of broken-hearted despair. The lifeless head dangling by the snakish headtails within the hunter's grasp. "Fun to let you think you survived me." With his other hand, R inspected the area with a projected hologram of a radar floating above his palm while he hovered above the battered streets. A heat signature detected.

KURRVSHH. Blasting an opening into the roof of a nearby hospital, R conveniently descended into the building. After kicking in a door of interest, the red head cocked his brow at the sight of the hopeless remnants of a man floating against the ceiling in his cot. "Hilarious. A cripple showing more promise than the able bodied. Lucky for you your pitiful state is malleable." With a lift of his arm, a net shot out to entrap the defenseless target causing him to roll from the bed and drop toward the floor.

R activated a sensor on his wrist which resulted in the netting to tighten around the disabled man and magnetize. The netting began to drag after the hunter pulling the captive inside. R snagged the net and roared into the air to reunite with Tyran.

"Target acquired." Mocked the hunter with the voice of a robot. He dropped the head of the Twi'lek at the robot's feet and tossed the entangled cripple onto the ground. "Found us something to torture at the very least. He can't run very far. No arm flailing to disrupt the process." R joked. "Get this sack of shit to Destravan. We'll make use of him in one way or another."

Just then, the crimson hunter eyed a figure in the distance by mere chance. Unlucky for the young Togruta who fumbled to get up. R was already soaring toward his position and, with a flinch, the boy deflected the bolts of electricity that threatened to stun him. R's pack began to fail from the wave of the force and he unsteadily bounced in the air before landing on his feet uneasily in the sand.

Before the togruta teen could retrieve his weapon from under his cloak, a painful whip to his ankle caused him to fall over. A cord now wrapped around his leg. He attempted a desperate force push as he was drug along the sand. "Doesn't work on me runt." R informed the youth as he hauled him back toward the ship.

"I'll JOIN." The boy declared while wrestling against the sands.

"Yeah you will." R told the boy with the slight of a smile. "Your new friend." He said, pulling the togruta beside the cripple. The boy's eyes growing large upon seeing the state of the man inside the net.

"Your master awaits you." He said to Tyran, and left the captives in the hands of the enforcer.

 

[Soverign]

As Tyran looked down at the two R had dropped at his feet he simply watched the bounty hunter leave before returning his gaze to the pair. One limbless cripple and another probably barely young enough to do anything of value. But he did have orders, and if they could be made to be of use they were to be taken. Grabbing the two netted individuals he placed them on a hover table. There was a second one in the courtyard that had a casing around it that was darkened. He walked over to the Rodian who had refused his offer and ripped his head from his body showing it to the crowd. The bloody mess trailing behind him as he walked to the table.

Tapping at the controls the glass casing went from black to clean instantly revealing five heads. He opened it and placed the Rodian on the last open spot. He chuckled then waved the commander of the solders closer as he returned the glass casing to black "I want the plan to go as expected. Are all devices in position?" The solder nodded his voice being an average tone for a man his age "Yes sir, locator beacons also active" Tyran nodded and typed a command into the hover table making it stay a few feet behind him but following "Clean up here. No witnesses commander and get out in the scheduled time or you will be left here to explode with the city" He watched the group open fire on hundreds and knew in other sections of the city the same thing was happening. The army had set so many detonators that once the first section went off the raiders would come. Hopefully rival groups would investigate. Then detonating the others would cause a shootout and no evidence of their presence would survive. Only the tale of ruthless raiders that got detonator happy and killed each other.

As Tyran returned to the drop ship there were many now lowering to take returning groups to the starship. He walked in and up the ramp letting the young boy go from his netting and along with the cripple but he couldn't move even if he wanted to. Tyran spoke to them all "We now go to meet your new lord. I will present you to him. But let me be clear. If he speaks you listen. If he asks you to speak then use your voice. In his presence you will always kneel. If you fail to do these things i will make sure your suffering is beyond your imagining. But if you succeed in impressing, power is in your reach" Tyran then got on his frequency connecting to all operatives "Dropships are inbound and we expect all to exit at the specified time. You have twenty minutes to leave into orbit or join this place to oblivion" As the ship lifted he cut off the frequency returning it to the commanders and their squad groups.

The ship rose carrying the cargo his master needed but he was impressed as nearly 82% of all troops were on their ships as he gave is warning. The strong are already aboard their ships. If the rest of the squads are to weak to survive then they are best to die with the weak who lived here. Soon the landing bay door started to close leaving the only light to shine in being from minimal indoor lights and the sun glancing of the starship they headed towards.

He entered the cockpit and informed the pilot to leave. He closed the door so he was alone or as best he could be. He typed in a clearance code and when the code itself was run through he waited then he was allowed to speak "We are approaching. All viable targets secured. Some with.....limitations but otherwise sound. Permission to land at high security hanger?" He asked with utmost respect. The transmission was sent to his master and he kept the hologram projector ready if he did want to speak to him personally or use an underling to do so. Only his lord himself or those allowed could enter this private hanger. Those that made the mistake to land there without clearance........ended with agony at best.

 

[True North]

Aboard the sith transporter, the young Togruta struggled to catch the wind that escaped his diaphragm when the droid slung him with ease onto a floating surface. Even though he was now freed from his bondage, he wasn't stupid enough to try and flee from the deadly machine. He took the chance he could to quickly access his surroundings in awe as the droid diverted his attention. He had never been inside an actual starship before. He had only imagined what they looked like on the inside. His awe quickly turned to disgust as he witnessed the droid placing a torn head into some kind of display case. His stomach sank and his heart began to flutter at the unpleasant sight. Breaking his thoughts free was the sudden pull forward of the table toward the murderous droid.

His heart skipped a beat at the mentioning of the city exploding. Where was his family last. They were separated near the marketplace by the crowding of frantic Lucifarun citizens. The family bunker... His parents were the doomsdayer types who always prepared for the worst, so they could have made it underground safely. He desperately hoped. But his brother, he was leaving for a trip. Had he made it out of the city in time? Kyrro's forehead began to sweat and he rolled around onto his side anxiously in thought. As he sat up, he noticed the man in critical shape. Looking at the elderly man his brows raised in pity. Raising a blue striped hand, the boy waved it gently toward his harshly wounded body. His eyes slightly narrowed as he focused the force upon the man's wounds. With a grit of his teeth, he began to absorb some of the pain to reduce the disabled human's suffering. He could take very little. From the look of it, the elderly man had managed to close his wounds by way of the force with what little strength he had left. Otherwise, he'd have bled out by now.

New lord? They were being taken to submit to the demands of a higher authority. Made slaves? Power promised upon persuasive cooperation... One thing's for certain it didn't exactly look like they had anyother choice, but to play along. To Kyrro, this didn't seem like the smartest way to recruit loyal subjects, but ruling with fear WAS the way of the Sith. Would they be forced to serve by way of mind control or possession? It was all a frightening possibility he had read about once that made Kyrro's heart jump. Willingly choosing to serve would be the safest way presently available. The boy gave a quick nod to show that he understood the robotic head collector. He then curled his legs to his chest and waited anxiously in silence.

Ripping through the wind seconds before detonation, a high-speed bomber broke through the atmosphere to abort the planet.

Spoiler

KABOOM. R's transmission rung out through each evacuating starship's receiver as the city below erupted into massive blazes. With a flip of a switch, the craft blinked out of sight upon entering space by the use of the hyperdrive. Now stretching below was the shadowy home world of the sith emitting it's haunting song.

"You're clear to enter." An unknown voice replied to the transporter's transmission from Tyran. The hangar carved within the backside of a cliff with a brooding temple extended above. Awaiting inside were three golden cloaked figures with security droids accompanying them. When the spacecrafts arrived, they stood prepared with only one taking down their hood. She was that of an ancient Sith race. Her hair pale with fleshy horns protruding from her head and her eyes a glow of amber. "Welcome home Commander Tyran." Destra outstretched her arms in front of the two concealed beside her. Her very name honoring her home planet. "Our lord instructs us to escort your deliveries inside the temple. He's expecting you in the altar room." Her brows nearly met together when she glanced over to see who they'd be escorting. She immediately looked to the ones beside her, and without needing to speak a word one stepped forward and reached out to raise the injured man in the air by way of the force. Carrying him along in the air between them, the two hooded figures took him away to deal with his predicament. "Come close Kyrro Zayku. I am Destra. I will watch over you now. Surely Tyran wasn't too forceful." She spoke his name as if she knew him. Destra took the now baffled boy under her arm and guided him toward the sealed entrance.

Spoiler

The interior of the temple was visually seductive and complex in design with an extensive courtyard that led to many halls. The courtyard filled with crystals and plants from various worlds. A destramoth with its shining tails fluttered up to the high tiled ceiling as the three guides led Kyrro and the injured Delgo along the marbled floor. Awaiting Tyran as R said, was a hooded entity beneath a massive altar decorated with symbols distinguishable only to the Sith. An eery buzz vibrated from under the dark lords hood as he waited in the quiet of the sacred chamber.

 

[Soverign]

Tyran gave a respectful bow of the head towards Destra. He then turned to those present after her fixation on one of them was noted did he begin "You will follow me and i want two single file lines. One on either side of the table. Any deviation and you will follow the cripple to find a new limb" He looked over them then turned around. The table floated to only a few paces behind him and he looked to Destra but soon found his pace. It was not run but more of a ceremonial walk. Every inch of the temple they could see depicted battles. It showed history, the legacy of those who have met their end and yet through the stories live on. Guards in dark cloaks lined the path into the temple.

Approaching the smaller group ahead of them Tyran looked back to find several of them are looking around in awe. Or maybe greedy admiration. In both regards they had potential. But as he approached the mane sacred chamber he looked on and said nothing. His masters back to him Tyran's group joined up with Destra's. The machine then went down on his right knee in a bow to his master. A near growl emanated from his and soon those that could mimicked his actions. His eyes looking at the floor did he speak "My master i bring you gifts with beating hearts. I cleansed the city for all its strength as instructed. Though few they, like all things, belong to you" Still eyes to the floor he stood and stepped to the side letting the table move up and he typed into the panel. The glass went clear with some lighting inside.

"Secondary objectives were also accomplished. All individuals not among us were killed. Even the specific target you marked for me" He looked to the head in question. The female human was a rather strong force user but the orders were clear and the frozen face of fear and agony still marred her face. Once all his speaking was done he Knelt by the table eyes to the floor. Having been given no order to rise by his master he had only to wait for his words.

The buzzing he heard in his audio receptors he knew to be the work of his master. In meditation or focusing some power. What he hoped he had not done was anger him. He had survived disasters before but to anger this being he knew would be near impossible without help.

 

[True North]

"My reliable enforcer succeeds yet again," chimed the dark lord from the blackness inside his hood. His silhouette flickered near Tyran. His presence ghastly with each step. He was there, but not. Only a ghost in the temple. "The darkness praises you with an enhancement." On the altar were unknown pieces of tech. Hand attachments for magnetic integration. "Force power imitation." The dark figure paused in silence after his informative statement.

Circling around to see what his enforcer had to show him, he watched as the glass from the table lit up. A breath let out from under his hood, but the meaning behind it was unclear. There before him was the woman he had once made his. The glass opened and he caressed her cold dead face. "My Kallasandra. You finally lost for good." The caressing hand changed to a gripping claw on the flesh of her cheek. "You weren't worth ending myself. Poor, poor Kallasandra." His hood staring down at her withered expression and the buzzing emanating from him ending in a ringing silence.

"We grow nearer to finding my daughter, Serene." He nearly whispered. "I have a new task for you." The sleeves of his cloak now hiding behind his back as he traced back toward his enforcer with his new attachment. "Follow the mole."

In an instance, the Sith cast out a flurry of darkness that took form in the image of a Zabrak. "Our outer temple guard will lead you to the Jedi. Voltrex. He's an ally to the light. A snake in the grass. I want him captured alive so that I may have him to myself, but only after he's lead the way."

Spoiler

"Stealthily trail him. I know that you won't fail me." The lord of darkness said before vanishing in the shadows of the dark chamber.


Waiting outside the temple near the stone steps beneath the pillars, Voltrex stood by the entrance sealed tight like a tomb. He lifted his assigned electrostaff at the sound of footsteps approaching. The helmeted guard switched places with the relieved zabrak for his alotted shift. Voltrex descended the temple steps after the exchange and made his way into the rocky forest.

After a short walk down the black sanded path, he abandoned the trail and disappeared within a valley of boulders. Hidden behind the base of a boulder further in was a break in the rock which hollowed inward like a cave. Inside, the zabrak collected a travelling bag and an unusual saber handle. Once gathering his belongings, Voltrex headed out of the valley to a thicket in the forest.

Returning out of the thicket, the tanned zabrak zipped through the branches in a hovercraft speeder. It wasn't long before he made it onto the streets of Destravan and dodged through the bulk of street merchants. He dismounted his speeder once arriving at a boisterous diner. He blended in with the crowd as he traveled deeper inside to sit beside a figure at the bar.