Star Wars: Return of the Sith

[Paendragon]

Tynan

"Come on, Goldenrod. We're going to take you home." He left his quarters and walked toward the hanger where his ship was berthed, consumed by his fury. He fought it every step of the way, but it continually bubbled to the surface. He was out of control, and he knew it. Anger was usful at times, but only when under control.

He walked up to the Talon and entered in his passcode. The ramp lowered, and he held out his hand. "After you."

"Why thank you, Sir!" The golden droid ambled up the ramp into the belly of the sleek black ship.

Tyna shook his head, and waited for the others to see if any would be joining him onboard. he took a deep breath, and reached out to the Force, letting it calm him. It even worked... a little.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Marius

I reached the hangar a few seconds later, seeing Tynan allow the droid access to his ship first, then walked up to him. I was considering taking my X-Wing, but it seemed unwise. They might see the battle vessel and assume that we meant more harm than good. It wasn't that Tynan's ship was any less threatening. Given his current choice in occupation, I guessed it might be more dangerous even, but it surely wasn't one of the more recognized fighters in the universe.
"Mind if I come aboard?" I asked him. "It seems beneficial that we all travel together, as only a few of us are going. The soldiers will travel separately. We must await Master Basaal. He has decided to join us."
"I'm here," Basaal said from behind me, moving toward the vessel. "Are we all traveling together?"
I looked to Tynan, respecting it as his choice.

 

[Paendragon]

Tynan

He gesture toward his ship. "Welcome aboard the Talon." He wasn't quite sure how he felt about having Basaal onboard. He wasn't sure the Master would be up to doing what might need doing to get Luke back. But he let it pass.

He followed them onboard, and gave them a brief tour of the small freighter. "I'm afraid you'll have to use these, he gestured to two bunks, and some storage space in the main area. And here, the food synthesizer. Most of it is just rehydrated rations, and stuff like that."

He activated the small wall unit, but all it did was whine, and sizzle.

"Damn. Shorty! Get up here!"

From the back of the ship, came an extraordinarily rude sounding beep, followed by some more just as rude squeaks. A small, silver and blue astromech droid rolled up.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Marius

I wasn't concerned about the ship, or the wall unit, but mostly just wanted out of here. Cloud City seemed too far away all fo a sudden. An, though i wouldn't want to admit it later, I was beginning to get excited. My first assignment as a Jedi...
When the droid rolled into the room, I hardly noticed it. I wished everyone's reaction had been the same as mine.
"Goodness," the golden droid piped. "R-2? Is that you? Oh, R-2, I haven't seen you in..."
The other droid whistled back, heading to work without hesitation.
"Still rude, I see, but I can forgive that for an old friend," 3-PO continued. "And your circuits seem to be operating quite well. How ever did you manage without me. you have such a habit of getting yourself into trouble."
The R-2 unit went to work, not seeming to notice the other beyond its original recognition. The little droid apparently knew the tall one quite well.
"Oh, well," 3PO continued. "You're probably wondering what I've been up to. Don't worry, I'll tell you all about it. I'll tell you everything. Where should I start? Oh, yes...I know..."
I closed my eyes, trying to block the droids voice out altogether.
"Jedi Tynan," a voice said, through a comlink I couldn't locate. "We're all above the transport and waiting for your lead."Good, I thought. Let's get this started.

 

[Paendragon]

Tynan

Tynan acknowledged the communication, and headed for the cockpit. The engines started up quickly.

"Ready for launch," he called into the communicator. "Buckle up if you need to..."

The Talon lifted off slowly, and rocketed out of the hangar. The ship was bult for battle, and was powerful. He had had to customise the intertial compensators to so the ship wouldn't shake itself apart when accelerating. Still, he preferred to dial them down to 95%, which was just enough to let him feel the ships movements, and not be threatened with blackout.

He set the coordinates to Bespin into his nav computer. "We're entering hyperspace. If you're planning on preparing yourselves in any way, do it now. Bespin isn't that far fro here."

Before him, the stars became starlines...

 

[Paendragon]

Darth Moridin

The gas planet loomed before him on the viewscreen, as the Super Star Destroyer Executor II came out of hyperspace near Bespin.

The boy was there... he could feel him.

"The planet is showing minimal defenses, My Lord," Captain Pern called out.

"Make contact with the planet, and lets see who answers. And prepare some assault shuttles."

He would not risk harming the boy if it could be avoided, and thus would not bombard the planet from orbit. Yet.

"Standard assault team. Stormtroopers and demolitions."

"Yes, My Lord," the Captain answered.

A few minutes passed.

"My Lord, we are getting a responce from..." the Captain hesitated, checking the name of the city, "Cloud City. Audio only."

"On speaker."

 

[Call Sign Oracle]

The battle of Ithor - part 3

*The Ithorian resistance held out as long as they could but, they simply could not manage against the coordinated strikes and experience of the storm trooper battalion. Many of the Ithorian resistance lay dead or stunned. Some lay to the side having been taken prisoner, shackled hand and foot, though realistically they would be executed later as soon as they proved to be of little use. After all, why spend the money and resources on housing, and feeding, when you could simply kill them off and feed your own men. These were the efficient, calculating, and cold measures that ran through Lt. Mackie's head as he continued the battle. And it was that cold calculating mind that stopped dead as a lone lizard man stepped into the line of fire with a lightsabre deflecting blasts, looking as if he were quite prepared to die out there. It was a last ditch effort by what he suspected to be a Jedi, he'd never seen one, but he'd heard stories and though this guy certainly didn't fit the bill in his minds eye, he was still doing what Jedi's could supposedly do. Lady Du'thar would grant a boon no doubt for capturing one of these guys alive. And perhaps he could earn his men some R&R if he succeded at it. Though that was simply tertiary right now, as he concentrated solely on keeping his men alive right now. If the Jedi was as good as the stories claimed he could deal with the squad he was sending at him. Which is why he sent three instead, After all the rebels here were all but taken and the mopping up was simply a matter of time. He gave the order and the men opened fire on the Jedi. While the other two squads moved to flank him.*

*Charis Du'thar could feel the source of that force pattern now quite well and finally managed to put a finger on it. The Wookie! Her rage consumed her as she flew and she could feel the power of the dark side practically filling every pore of her body with pure hate driven power. Her speeder couldn't get her there fast enough, as the tree's flew past her she paid no heed to the landscape, letting it simply be, for now. Finally she could see in front of her the source of her rage. The wookie Jedi that had defeated her before. This time she would have her revenge. She opened fire with the blaster on the speeder bike's nose as she sped for the wookie....*

*Doprekka felt the surge in the Dark side near him as he turned to the sound of an oncoming speeder as well as its blaster. He ignited his Lightsabre and turned in one fluid motion batting the blaster bolt back at the speeder bike and tumbling in a roll out of the way of the incoming machine. It exploded against a large tree as it sped past and Doprekka turned in time to see the rage filled face of Charis as she stood some fifteen feet away from him, dual red blades distending from the large hilt of her double bladed light sabre. The weapon of a sith. Doprekka stood his ground and gave a shake of his head. He would not be reaching the advance rebels in time now, thanks to the Sith, and he could only hope his Master was alright, as well that the rebel forces he had set up earlier still held their positions. He was alone for now, in this forest with her and he didn't much fancy it, though he knew it was unavoidable. He stood with his blue bladed sabre at the ready and cleared his mind of such things....*

*Charis hated this wookie. She had never once seen such a detestable thing as this. A wookie with the natural inborn talent for rage and constructive fury, yet he suppresed it with the pathetic teachings of the Jedi. He belonged to the Sith but that would not happen. So he would simply die, with the Jedi. Oh, but she would make him suffer....*

*Doprekka simply stood his ground watching her, and then, as she circled him, still at her distance he simply retracted the blade of the lightsabre and closed his eyes meditating and focusing himself on the force.

Charis continued circling letting her rage fill her at the sight before her. The wookie dared let down his guard to her, oh yes, he would suffer, and without another thought but to focus on her hatred and rage she lept at the seemingly defensless wookie.

Doprekka felt rather than saw the disturbance in the calm flow of the force as Charis lunged at him, and in an instant his eyes opened as he lifted his sabre, causing it to flare with power as he struck, a spray of sparks showered them both as he blocked Charis' strike and then pushed her back from him. They both circled eachother for a brief moment and then Charis moved in with a yell of defiance, striking quickly and precisely, though she was fueled by rage she was still a very good swordswoman. Sabres collided with eachother in blow after blow as Charis worked speed with her dual blades and Doprekka worked on precision,timing and power with his largely bladed sabre, counter stroke, block, parry, strike. It went on like this for several seconds, until Charis scored a well placed kick into the chest of the wookie proving just how much strength could be had when focused with rage, sending the large wookie rolling back, his lightsabre shutting down for safety as he lost control of his stance. In the blink of an eye however the wookie was back to his feet just in time to parry an incoming blow from Charis, the womans hate quite evident, sweat beading her brow.

"DIE JEDI!"

Her words were tinted with bloodlust as she struck again and again at the wookie, un-relenting in her attack and a bit faster than the strong wookie with her dual blades. Doprekka simply calmed himself, clearing his mind as he worked his sabre, fighting the Sith, he could see only her, and the motions she made, his strikes as deadly and precise as her own, they had covered much ground as they moved around in the deadly, yet graceful dance of fates. He struck as well driving her back somewhat with each strike, his powerful blows knocking her back from him and as she screamed her words in his face he pushed her back from him with physical force, knocking her to her back, though she was back to her feet in an instant and the deadly attack began all over again. Strike for strike, parry for parry, riposte and counter. Doprekka spun as he dodged a strike from her lashing out with his sabre and striking her own weapon on the hilt, just narrowly missing her fingers, one of the blades died out and he pressed the attack slashing and blocking as he kept pushing her back.

"(You cannot win Charis. Surrender.)"

The wookies calm manner under fire only served to enrage her even further and she screamed and attacked him outright. With a calm and cool manner Doprekka sidestepped her full on attack and sliced upward across her unprotected wrist, the sabre cutting through her right weapon hand like a hot knife through butter, only a second passed as Charis looked to her missing hand and dropped to her knees with a shout of pain. The one working hilt remaining of her lightsabre lying inert and smoking on the ground still grasped in her dismembered hand. The wookie looked over the fallen Sith and shook his head, though he still grasped his own weapon at the ready.

"(Surrender, you have lost.)"

Charis looked up at him and laughed with pain tinting it.

"You are the one who has lost. We will rule this galaxy, and this planet with it. You have changed NOTHING!"

And with her words she grabbed a small handheld device and pressed a button, on it. Sending out a signal to the waiting troop carriers full of Storm Troopers. They came down from the sky on her mark and began unloading troops and light tank walkers. Doprekka uttered a curse and turned, leaving Charis behind, to go and warn the Rebels, and his Master.....*


To be continued.....

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Cloud City, Bespin

"Sir," a voice announced over a comm unit. "A Star Super Destroyer has come out of hyperspace nearby the planet. Is this of yor fleet?"
Figgas looked to Vaine, disappointed. A fleet was a useful thing, but too much power meant much to the eye, and drew eyes to one. Attention was not yet thier want. Not until they were ready.
"No," Vaine returned. "We'll be there shortly."
Once the comm unit was off, Vaine looked to his master and said, "I did not form a fleet, master, as you instructed."
"Good," Figgas returned, pleased.
"Thouhg I do grow impatient."
"As do I, but patience is a virtue better not forgotten," Figgas insisted. "We'll speak with this Super Star Destroyer captain and request his business here, though I feel we have knowledge of who awaits up there."
Vaine looked at him, questioningly.
"Another Sith," Figgas replied, knowing the man's force signature, but not knowing exactl ywho he was...at least, not just yet.
"Tell them to patch the destroyer through."
Vaine did as he was asked, and when they had the signal, Figgas spoke clearly into the comm unit. "Super Star Destroyer, what is your business here? I suggest you be straightforward, as I have not had the best of times recently."

 

[Paendragon]

Darth Moridin

Moridin lowered his eyebrows. Very well...

"You have my property, and I want it back. A boy, stolen from me. Turn him over, and I'll leave this planet whole. My interests lie elsewhere, it would be a shame to cause conflict between us."

Although, another Sith is a potential problem. One that he would have to deal with eventually. Still, he did not know enough about this man, yet.
"Lets end the pretense. I know what you are, and you know the same. Give me what I want, and I'll leave you in peace." And he would... for now.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Cloud City, Bespin

Vaine glanced to the boy, uncertain if the child had heard the words spoken.
"What do we do?" Vaine asked Figgas, wanting to challenge the man right then and there, but not without his Master's approval.
"We invite our new friend to the surface to discuss the child's release," Figgas said, matter-of-factly. "Let's see if we can tell what this man wants with the boy. And let us not forget that he bears much strength in terms of manpower as he comes. An ally might be what is best for us right now, though remember that whatever he winds up as, he will be a powerful presence."
Vaine relayed the invitation and waited for a response.

 

[Paendragon]

Darth Moridin

He didn't trust them, of course, but what would it look like if he landed with a contingent of Stormtroopers? That he feared them?

No matter. What was important was that he survived this meeting. Still, it was a shame Charis was not here.

"I'll meet you on the landing platform."

He waited for there reply, and then cut transmission.

"Keep track of me on an open channel. If there is any sign of treachery, launch your attack." He used the Force to put a bit of compulsion behind the words.

"Yes, My Lord," Captain Pern answered.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Raine

"A...Jedi?" The man asked.
I nodded. "I'm looking for a man named Calrissian."
"Leroy? Yes, this way," the man said. I'd started him when i reached the lower levels of the mines, where the resistance troops were hiding from the cityfolk above. True hiding meant from everyone who might speak, for money or safety, or any reason. Only in true secrecy could they be safe, and even here, I guessed the Sith knew about them.
He led me into a room toward the back of the small compound, then asked I wait.
He was gone for a few minutes, then arrived with another man, a tall man, whose dark skin and handsome features I knew immediately.
"Leroy," I said, nodding to him.
"Jedi DuVal," he said, "Good to see you again, but you've come at a bad time."
"It is a bad time for all of us, it seems," I replied. "The Sith have made themselves very knwon, both here and in other areas of the universe. Mached V is no more."
He looked to his feet. "Who?"
"We aren't certain, but a man named Tholin Mod might have answers we don't. Perhaps by now the others have discovered the truth."
"What is your purpose here? Has the Council requested our assistance?" He asked.
I shook my head. "I am here of my own accord, but wish to request your help in dealing with the Sith in the city above."
"We've planned an assault, to take place shortly, in fact. We'll take them with whatever force is necessary. Hopefully, we'll manage discretion as well,"
"I will join in this attack, and let us hope we are successful, and with few casualties." I agreed.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Cloud City, Bespin

"Leave the boy here, under the guard's supervision," Figgas ordered, then moved toward the door, Vaine in tow. As they exited, Vaine turned to the nearest guard, saying, "Watch the boy closely."
The moved swiftly, the heads of guards along the way, turning in fear as they now saw two Sith, when they believed they would only see one.
After a short journey, Vaine in the lead, the two arrived at the hangar, and waited inside for the Sith to arrive.

 

[Paendragon]

Darth Moridin

The shuttle neither asked for nor received clearance to land. It left the two others in orbit, swooped into the hangar, and set down gently. The ramp lowered and Darth Moridin exited the craft. The two Sith were waiting already. He pulled in his Force signature to hide his strength, and walked toward them. His hood was thrown back, and his cloak was back over his shoulders, in case he needed to act. He stopped ten paces from the pair.

"The boy?" he asked.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Cloud City, Bespin

Vaine eyed the man. LArge, but not truly intimidating. He'd learned long ago the size might not always mean strength, and that often, larger men were plagued in battle by the need to defend so much more body than a smaller opponent.
"In safe keeping," he replied. "We ave business to discuss first."
"You are a man of much strength," Figgas said. "In terms of your forces in orbit at very least. We feel that you and we can benefit from one another, especially considering we share at least one common enemy, the rebellion. Shall we begin discussio of an alliance?"

 

[Paendragon]

Darth Moridin

An alliance? With a Sith? Interesting proposal. It might even have merits. For now at least. He definitely would not follow this man, so it would have to be a loose alliance...

"What do you propose?"

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Cloud City, Bespin

Figgas took over the talking explaining to Moridin that they need not be enemies so quickly, when the universe was full of others who might more deserve to die at this time than either of them.
Moridin seemed intrigued, but did not respond before Figgas continued, explaining that the rebels had taken up in the mines beneath the city and wished to attack.
"It would seem to me that in a case such as this, in which a common enemy seeks to attack us, the use of one another's resources, namely manpower and personal skill, might be beneficial to quelling this opposition," Figgas suggested.
"Sir," a voice said, coming from a comm-link nearby, mounted on a wall.
Vaine flipped the switch and listened, but was not surprised by what he heard.
He returned to the others.
"It seems more Jedi have arrived," he announced. "Radar has reported two vessels entering the atmosphere. Shall I give them permission to land?"
He looked to Figgas, but knew his master would await a reply from their possible new ally.

 

[Paendragon]

Darth Moridin

They had worked out a deal between them. Now, intruders. It was his turn to perform a pledge of good faith. Figgas had pledged to turn over the child to him as his pledge.

"There are several squads of Stormtroopers aboard my shuttle, with two more flying nearby. I will transmit for them to land, and take up defense of the city. I'll keep the Executor II in orbit on the far side of the sun, where it is. From there, it will be able to reinforce us, without showing too much of what we have at our disposal."

He looked from Figgas, to Vaine, and back to Figgas. "I'll transfer four squads to you, to do with as you wish." He knew it was impossible for the troops to be used against him.... there were certain safeguards in place that prevented that ingrained in their psyche.

He keyed his Comm, and gave the orders.

"Do you know anything about what we face?"

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Cloud City, Bespin

Figgas looked to Vaine now, unaware of what information he has obtained.
"Very little, save that our presence here has made them uneasy and that they now have the aid of a Jedi Knight. My guess would be that if the presence of what they must have thought was only one Sith has made them so uneasy, then they must be few," Vaine returned.
"This Jedi might prove a problem, but I believe my apprentice here will be willing to deal with her," Figgas told Moridin.
Vaine grinned, bowing slightly to his master. "I will meet with her first chance I get, Master."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Raine

I waited while the groups got together, men and women alike, high enough in number for such a small base, but still not too many. There would be no guarantee if the guards got involved. It seemed that wouldn't be a problem, however, since many of them were there with me.
I looked to Leroy, nudging him on the elbow.
"You're grandfather would be proud. However, we might hurry this along, being as another Sith is at very least nearby. I believe already in the city above. If they're gathering together, we haven't much time before this threat becomes unbeatable.:
"Do you belive he has forces with him?" Leroy asked.
"Most likely," I responded, "but if he's just arrived, they might not have come to the city with him just yet. In either case, many of the factions of the empire are small. Let us hope that's what we face, if anything."
He nodded, still smiling at my compliment about his grandfather, Lando.
I thought of the forces that attacked Mached V, wondering if this might be the same Sith who was responsible for that attack. Hopefully not. His forces had been intense, though the corridors of Cloud City might make the battle more to our advantage. Large number couldn't fit in such narrow corridors in a manner in which those numbers might benefit them. They couldn't just line up and run us down. That was good.
"We're ready, sir," a man said. He looked to me more than Leroy. I pretended not to notice, wondering if I was the first Jedi any of them had ever seen.
I scanned the troops here instead. Almost thirty groups of twenty or so, already divided into makeshift platoons. A decent number, given the job ahead. If there were no troops accompanying the Sith, many of them would not be of use."Ready your arms," Leroy announced to them. "We head to the surface."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Marius

As we came out of hyperspace, I felt it. I looked at Bespin ahead, seeing Imperial Starships in orbit above where Cloud City should be.
I glanced to Master Basaal.
"I can...she's here."
I could hear the amazement in my own voice.
"Yes," Basaal returned. "But she is not alone. Tynan, can you get us to the surface?"

 

[Paendragon]

Tynan

"I hope you don't mind that I'm not waiting for autorization. They're stalling. Hold on."

He swooped Talon low, under the floating city, and came in from the far side, just above the buildings.

"There," he whispered. A small hangar, which looked damaged, and abandoned. He set her down gently, and rose to his feet.

He could feel something.... strange

"I don't think Raine is the only Force-user here... and I don't mean the boy." It wasn't that he could feel anyone specifically... just an inordinate amount of danger. Just like when he faced Darth Storm... his old friend Dev.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Marius

"Indeed, Tynan," Master Basaal agreed. "I do believe that plenty of danger awaits us."
The other shuttle landed nearby.
"They should have picked us up on radar," I said, wondering why we hadn't been fired at right off.
"Yes," Basaal agreed. "Perhaps our own have some influence in the way of radar use."
"We should move quickly, in case ther are any storm troopers here," I suggested. "We mustn't give them time to plan an attack."
I looked to Tynan for agreeance.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Raine

"All ready, sir," a voice whispered through the commlink that Leroy Calrissian carried.
He looked to me and nodded, pointing to the closed door in front of us.
I'd become our leader somehow. Every choice he made, he cleared with me first, every question they asked him, they looked to me as well. I tried to remain silent and allow him to choose alone, but in certain cases...
I nodded in return, looking around at those with us.
Only ten now, as we'd divided into even smaller groups than before, planning to meet up with our other halves outside of the narrow corridors that awaited us nearby.
He held the commlink to his lips and whispered, "Go when you're clear. Move carefully, stealthily, and only engage anyone other than the enemy if it cannot be avoided."
"Roger," a voice returned. A few others repeated thier agreeance, then we were moving, pushing the door open and slipping into a narrow channel on the other side.
The elevators were up ahead, Leroy had told me, and we had men stationed in the security offices, making sure that our movements weren't being detected by the enemy on the various cameras scattered throughout the City and mines.
Once we were in the elevator, he looked to me, speaking quietly, "How will we find them?"
I looked back. "I'll know where they are. Just be ready."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Mogo

I had wandered the halls, Orin behind me, wondering what the hell I could possibly do for what seemed like forever. It made me sick to think she'd just left him here, but then, she hadn't actually left yet. She was still around somewhere, I was sure. I'd gone back to the hangar, deciding to give her a huge piece of my mind, and though I hadn't found her, I'd seen a craft that had to be hers, small but versatile, battle ready. A Bounty Hunter's craft.
I'd made a decision then, and gone back to the Owl, still outside on the landing pad where we'd left it. Not guarded, and why would it be? They probably couldn't wait to get rid of us. But we weren't leaving just yet.
There was something else I needed to do first. I gathered the things required and headed back to meet Orin. It would be fast, as fast as possible, then we'd have to run for it.