freedomliveson

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

Alright, so this summit...I believe we decided that the following would occur from this, but feel free to remind me if I've got it wrong:

-The summit is naturally going to start off with bickering, self-righteousness, anger and an overall sense of disunity
-Yerbol and Aria will recount their story, presenting evidence
-More arguing, but eventually members of the summit begin to realize that they'll need each other to combat the True Sith
-It is agreed that some should go to the True Sith homeworld to try and figure out the motivations behind their takeover of the galaxy as well as ways to stop them(Ari and Yerbol are selected to go due to their previous experience there)
-Others stay behind to try and rouse others to their cause. Havoc Squad CO Dorne(who is at the meeting) along with Neta(also there) try to reach out to embedded contacts and scrounge whatever resources they can find.
-Party goes to Sith homeworld and gets back to the final area Yerbol and Aria had explored(the library). They go from there and through some navigating find a data archive room with, among other things, a list of embedded Sith in both Empire and Republic forces. Taking the list triggers not only a number of deadly traps within the Temple/complex, but also spawns several powerful True Sith projections infused with raw Force energy, feeding off the power invested in the planet/temple.
-Party fights off projections and traps, gets back to base where Neta and Elara suggest information warfare and assassinating True Sith contacts, spreading info about the Sith over secure and unsecure channels while forming assassination teams to go after sith contacts. This period of time could last anywhere between a month to six months. I'd figure it would go for a bit longer, seeing as with the slow elimination of contacts, more and more would be persuaded to join their cause.

I feel like I'm missing something...doesn't Bracknell make an appearance?

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

Check the characters tab?

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

Yerbol walked to Aria's side, standing next to her with his arms crossed over his chest as he fluidly synced up with their connective bond and said:

She seems just as powerful as your father is...tell me she isn't going to bring the whole building down on us. Cause she looks the type to get set off REALLY easily.

He looked down at her with a knowing smile.
"I do think it was a pretty good sign that we were able to work together like that." Janika and Manso warily crept alongside the older duo, the former saying quietly:
"I don't like that woman."
"Gives me the creeps." Manso added, Yerbol turning his attention to the younglings:
"Keep thoughts like that to yourselves, alright? We're already walking on ice about a millimeter thick. Remarks like that could make whatever idea of an alliance we have in mind fall to pieces."
"But-"
"If you have objections, we can talk about them in private when two Sith Lords aren't close enough to impale you on their sabers." That seemed to do the trick, Janika and Manso looking at each other for a moment before they mutually shrugged.
"What do we do now?" Manso asked, hands fidgeting.
"There are still a couple of more people scheduled to arrive. Why don't you and Jani to talk to Commander Dorne? I'm sure they could use some help getting set up. In fact...Manso, why don't you ask one of them to help you with the droids? One of them has GOT to know how to get past the A.I. scripts you were having trouble with."
"It would be nice to have someone more experienced to watch what I'm doing...with computers, though. You're experienced...you know what I mean." Skittering up the steps, Manso entered into the Temple, Janika following his lead, leaving the two in the now dimly illuminated circle.
"We need to take a look at those crystals when we have the chance." Yerbol walked to one of them and picked it up, turning it over in his hands.
"Don't know if we'll have the time, but soon enough..." He yawned widely, shaking his head, the full brunt of their strenuous efforts coming to bear almost all at once.
"Think I'm going to try out one of those cots Neta set up. She says bigger men than I have slept in them, so maybe I'll be able to get some rest after all."

_________________
The end of all things. The balancing of the universe created by imbalance. The perfect restoration. The harmonization of the galaxy.

Who-

Identity matters little, youngling. All will be balanced. You will contribute to that balance. Be honored.

Balance? Harmony? How?

The Force is strong with you and your companion. I could not foresee this. If only you had come into my care sooner.

Your care?! You're a genocidal maniac, a hate fueled-

You speak of matters you do not understand fully. Someday you will know. And you will pay the price for that knowledge.

I understand the outright destruction of two Orders! I understand that you want nothing but chaos! COME OUT OF THE SHADOWS AND SHOW YOURSELF!

. . . . .

__________________________

[12 hours later]

He sat up, right hand grasping his saber, teeth gritted, breath coming in heavy, angry gasps. Wild eyes scanned the room, noting the closed door, absorbing the silence. Shaking his head, he dropped his saber, head cradled in his hands as he brought his feet to the chilly floor. He sat there for a few minutes, eyes eventually cast forward, cold droplets of sweat tracing down his bare upper body.
"He knows." Startling himself by the statement, he shook himself, rising to his feet with a wobble.

__________________________

[Two hours earlier]

"We just got a warning from Neta. Says there's going to massive atmospheric turbulence and to tell you that it can be navigated with some help from the Force." Kira groaned, looking out the viewport towards the incoming planet.
"Alright big guy, how do we do this?" Voldon looked to Matt, the latter nodding.
"Mutual meditation. Should help us focus our energies enough to form a shield around the shuttle." It was a difficult undertaking, but with some careful piloting by Ed and the combined powers of two Jedi masters and a very powerful Knight, the shuttle managed to find the beacons along with two other shuttles that had to be cautiously navigated around before setting down on level ground. As Kira and the Masters walked into the facility, Neta greeted them, gesturing around them:
"Welcome to the beginnings of our little rebellion slash uprising. Masters Carnagie and Naylon along with Knight Naylon?"
"Got that right." Kira quipped, her eyes darting to a figure in the upper right hand corner of the room, a lithe, menacing figure...
"Voldon, that's-"
"Darth Noctis." Voldon grumbled, his gaze wandering to the Sith Lord before returning to Neta.
"He's cooperating?" Neta chuckled.
"Oh he is. We all are to a point. We've got a common enemy now, Master Jedis...and we'll need all the help we can get."
"Agreed." Matt added to his affirmation:
"Allow us to get our bearings and then we can meet with you all."
"We've decided to hold our general pow wow in the main hall we're in right now. Check back in with us at around..." She checked a chronometer she had strapped onto her wrist before venturing off the ship.
"Eight am? We're running on GST, which means you'll have thirteen hours to yourselves. I'll have one of the kiddos show you to your rooms."

________________

As he straightened up, he could feel a massive uptick in Force energy, as if almost the whole facility had been infused with even more of the Force. Had the Masters arrived? And where was Aria? Hopefully not getting into too much trouble without him...

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

Yesssssssss. It's going to be so fun for Yerbol and Aria to go: "HA! See?! This is why the galaxy can't trust either Order!"

No worries on that front. Managing THIS many characters is going to naturally require some characters to take a backseat in terms of development.

BAHAHAHAHA. I mean, sorry about the ferret wrecking furniture, but BAHAHAHAHAHA. I'm just imagining a ferret running around squealing about it's newfound freedom xD

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

Awwwww yus. Let the heated exchanges commence! xD

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

Feel free to have your Sith people arrive in your next post! I'm going to have the Jedi and the one Sith arrive in my next one so we can get the ball rolling. That sound ok? Anything you want to add before we have the general summit?

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

"ACK!"
"GET BACK, GET BACK!" The droid let out a synthetic growl, blade in hand as it trudged forward towards Manso, who had already been shocked by the sparks that had bit into him when he activated the droid. In a smooth motion, the Knight dashed forward, stabbing the droid through the back. A squawk bounced off the walls, then a grinding sound, then nothing, prompting Yerbol to sheathe his saber and check on the young Twi'lek, whose hands and legs were visibly shaking.
"You ok?"
"Yeah, yeah...well, my fingers sting a bit from the sparks, but nothing else is hurt or severed or injured or anything." He sunk against a wall, arms at his sides.
"I think I'm just gonna go back to my room for a while and not look another droid for a significant amount of time."
"Good idea. If you can get some rest now, I'd suggest you do it. I have a feeling we're going to get some visitors that'll require all of us at attention."
"Oooooof course." Manso shook his head, about to leave when Yerbol stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You're doing great, Manso. Thanks for the help. Not your fault that you couldn't activate a droid that could be thousands of years old." The Twi'lek snickered, mumbling a thank you before leaving. Yerbol followed suit a moment later, deciding to check on the status of the party members who had been in the main hall. When he arrived, Neta was in the middle of giving orders over a comm link:
"Atmosphere is going to get VERY bumpy when you get within sixty thousand feet. Advise that you put maximum power into stabilizers and shield. Might be able to get you some help." A tinny voice could be heard in response:
"Roger that. Setting coordinates to-" White noise engulfed the channel, prompting Neta to swear hastily and turn to Yerbol, eyes locking with his before making contact with Aria.
"We're going to need your help again. I'm betting that the storm is going to kick the winds up even harder, which means they're not going to survive unless we get out there and make sure that they don't crash into the side of a mountain." Jogging outside, Yerbol motioned for Aria to follow, Neta calling out:
"IF YOU CAN USE THE FORCE, GET YOUR CARCASS OUTSIDE! WE'VE GOT A SHUTTLE INCOMING!"

The group of Force Users assembled in a similar pattern as before, channeling their mutual energies together to form a protective sphere that extended about one hundred feet up(Roan was the one who suggested the idea, seeing as it would be impossible to shield the shuttle so far up in the air. He was also the one who quickly taught them how to summon the sphere using their collective powers). Yerbol breathed deeply, calming his mind, allowing the Force to use him rather than him attempting to control it. The meditative technique, which was normally effective, seemed to be enhanced even more by the presence of the crystals, which not only were activated as gleaming beacons, but were emitting trails of multicolored vapor that wafted within the sphere before settling in different areas of the circle. These tufts of energy then extended towards each of the Force users, wrapping around them in a loose, protective circle that tightened every few seconds. Yerbol would've been fascinated with the display if it wasn't for the absolute focus he was channeling, shutting out the now present whine of engines, the musty scent of hyperdrive wafting into the sphere, the clicking of landing gear setting down in the clearing and the eventual cheers of relief from Neta and the younglings. It wasn't until he felt the energies of the sphere dissolve that he opened his eyes to find a group of four looking around cautiously at their new environment. A blonde who stood just ahead of the rest was approached by Neta, whose face scrunched in confusion for a moment before she nodded.
"You're Elara Dorne, aren't you?" Elara winced.
"That normally isn't followed by anything good." Neta chuckled, shaking the other woman's hand.
"Netanya Orso, former Spec Ops number two seven five two." A large, dark-skinned male whistled.
"You're THAT Orso?" She glowed from the compliment.
"If by THAT Orso you mean the one who was part of the first commando units to break the siege of Belsavis, you betcha." A Kel Dor nodded in approval, the green skinned Mirilian breaking from the topic at hand by asking:
"So what, are you guys the resistance Bek was talking about?"
"In a sense. We're in the very, very beginning stages." The Mirilian snorted, which earned her a glare from Elara, who then turned to address the group with a pleasant smile.
"I'm Elara Dorne, the commanding officer of Havoc Squad. Bex is the large one behind me, Abbeth is our munitions expert and the cynical one there is Zora. We're looking forward to hearing what you all have to say regarding our current political upheaval. Is there a place we can set up shop?"
"Yeah, come on, I'll show you."

Havoc Squad was given a large room near the back of the facility that was more than likely a meditation chamber given the circular design, but the members didn't seem to care, instead bringing out their equipment and other such paraphernalia from their shuttle. A formal assessment of their situation would be given, according to Neta, when the other contacts arrived. She assured them all that they would be here within the next day or so, which seemed to calm Zora's obvious reticence about their situation. It was just now a matter of waiting...

That was the easy part.

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

The Trooper storyline in SWTOR is SUPER good for the first two acts, but then loses steam. A lot of potential was there for some amazing work. I'm hoping we can give Havoc Squad the rightful treatment they were spurned in the game xD

Well, yes and no. There will be shouting, that's for sure!

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

That they do! Two of the same personality don't seem to mesh very well.

Behold, Havoc squad! It's a modified version from SWTOR lore, but meh, it's our bloody universe xD

Edit: Included bio of Havoc squad members plus Sith found by Kandar

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

He hadn't expected the hug, but when she wrapped her arms around him, he instinctively returned the gesture, drawing her head to his chest for a brief second. There was a quiet moment of understanding on Yerbol's part, a comprehension of something important that had occurred in their innocent display. He couldn't pin down WHAT that piece of knowledge was, but he knew he would discover what it was sooner or later. For now, he wouldn't say anything, although he had a sneaking suspicion that Aria felt it too. Whatever "it" was.

He snorted a laugh, quipping back:
"I suppose I'll just have to shake your hand from now on? Maybe shoot you a polite nod? Would that be better? Cause you know, hugs are awful things to be avoided." His teasing seemed(to him) to make her blush, his partner brushing past him with the excuse of wanting to check up on the storm.
"I'll be with you in a sec."

____

Indeed, it was seemingly only a second that he would be able to spend with her for the next several hours, their movement towards the training facility naturally separating them to different duties. Yerbol stayed onboard with Neta to help scan for a clearing that was closer to the facility, allowing the others to forge their way ahead to their new base of operations. It took some time along with swearing from both pilot and co-pilot at the gusty conditions which were wreaking havoc on the stabilizers, but they spotted an area about seventy yards away from the training facility that was clustered with trees. With some precise blaster fire from the turrets, Yerbol cleared enough of a space for the ship to land. Getting to the ship on foot wouldn't be too hard, but transporting supplies would require some deft movement("Oh please, one time I had to extract a durasteel crate filled with contraband through the wilds of Kashyyyk. This is nothing, especially for the Force...right?").

They had sleeping arrangements sorted out and the main hall would be the common area slash meeting hall, so for the first time since they had started their journey there was a relatively safe place they could hide out in, which came as a relief to the Knight, who was currently looking at the training droids with Manso to see if they could be reprogrammed for security purposes...well, it was more Manso doing all the work while Yerbol stood at the ready in case the droid decided to use it's well preserved training blade mounted on it's back to whack Manso unawares.
"Think we'll be able to get these guys up and running?" Manso had been tinkering with the back panel of one droid for about thirty minutes, mumbling to himself about compensators, gear switches and technology older than a Hutt. Yerbol needed a status update to maintain his sanity.
"Uh...well, kinda.'
"Kinda?" Manso peered at Yerbol from behind the panel.
"Yes and no?"
"Just give me the bad news." Manso sighed, standing fully upright and closing the panel before proceeding:
"So it's simple enough to activate them, but..."
"But what?"
"But their A.I. programming is totally set. I tried to reset the scripts, but there was no chance I was going to be able to do anything without ruining the droid's programming completely."
"Right, so why is that a problem?"
"Well, it might not be if they think we're their Masters." Manso gulped, pointing at the twenty or so droids that cast eerie shadows dancing in the dim lighting above.
"If their security protocols perceive us as threats, then we're done for." Yerbol grimaced, looking the droids over.
"Activate one."
"What?!"
"Just do it, Manso. I can handle one droid."

________________

"Beacons would be a smart idea, but they would need to be bright enough to see through the storm." She pursed her lips in thought, hands on her hips. The pilot stood in the entrancway, examining the muddy, sleet covered path up to the training facility with a wary eye.
"There might be a big enough clearance for a small shuttle, but the landing would have to be extremely precise. We would need some kind of cushioning on top of navigational assistance to help the shuttle land without crashing into us." Neta's eyes then widened.
"Aria, you mentioned something about crystals, how they cast a bright light...if we could maybe get some of those in a circular formation and light them up with your powers, get them to stay lit for a period of time and use those as our temporary beacons?"

_____________________

"Wild Space." Bex flatly commented, not able to find the correct words to grasp the gravity of their latest operation. He turned to face Zora, her olive green complexion seeming to turn a tad lighter as they barreled towards the coordinates they had been forwarded by Bek, who didn't have to use much of his famous persuasive acrobatics to get them to at least listen his proposal.
"We're sure these are the right coordinates?" Abbeth asked, looming in the doorway to the cockpit, his normally placid demeanor laced with a hopeful anxiety.
"Yeah...yeah, we're good." Zora responded, hand on the throttle as she guided the ship even closer. Boots clicking in a measured stride came echoing towards the gathering, a woman of about five seven with blonde hair tied back in a severe bun appearing, hazel-blue eyes examining the planet from the viewing window.
"I don't like this, Chief." Bex grumbled.
"Neither do I, Bex, but what choice do we have?" Her Imperial accent made the question even more severe than she had intended, but wouldn't apologize for the tone or their change in direction. They wouldn't stand idly by while the rest of the galaxy burned. Not if she were still around.
"Send a communique to the comm unit number we received. Let them know we'll be there shortly."