freedomliveson

Alliances (VenusSTAR/Freedomliveson)

Clark rolled his eyes at the television screen before turning the device off with a nearby remote. The celebrity gossip was tiring, but to consistently hear Lex being talked about as one of the social elite and not as the maniacal tyrant that Clark knew him to be was exasperating. How many times had he fought against Lex in the public eye? How many jail sentences had Luthor served? Of course, any sentence was commuted early into the duration and somehow, someway, Lex associated himself with the latest charity of the month, ingratiating himself into the good graces of the public once more. He had maintaining the sham for much longer this time around, going so far as to demolish some of his defense manufacturing plants and committing them to “cancer research”.

It made him sick.

Then again, Clark was grateful for the break. He was able to spend more time with Lois and Kara and actually make friends as Clark Kent instead of Superman.

Speaking of friends…

“You know I can always hear you come in.” Clark looked to his left to find one Bruce Wayne garbed in the uniform that struck fear and awe into those that saw it.
“And you didn’t have to come in costume…although with the choice of wardrobe, I assume you’re here on business.”
“Talia. What do you know about her relationship with Lex?”
“Nothing.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Lex has kept himself clean, Bruce. I’ve kept an eye on him ever since his latest ‘good guy’ façade and have found nothing.”
“You’re not digging hard enough.”
“Oh?”
“There’s a reason why Lex formed a partnership with Talia.”
“Other than love?” Clark gave Bruce a teasing smirk, to which the latter narrowed his eyes at.
“Love is something a sociopath like Lex can’t know. Talia is too committed to her own interests. Something’s not right.”
“And that’s why you’re here? To confront your former lover slash master assassin?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want my he-“
“No.”
“Figured I’d ask.”
“Your time is better served trying to figure out what Lex has up his sleeve. I’ll deal with Talia.”
“You going to tell me what you have planned?”
“I just did.”
“Right." Before Clark could utter another word, the Dark Knight had left.
"I hate it when he does that." He muttered to no one in particular, rising from the couch before headed to the fridge, opening it to find a multitude of containers that were labeled with either very precise, neat handwriting.
"Lois' fried chicken or Kara's street tacos?" When Lois had informed Kara of her two week trip to visit her parents, the duo had decided to make sure that Clark would be well fed while his wife was gone. The timing of the trip was also helpful if Bruce's suspicions were correct and Lex was plotting something with his soon to be bride. Although Lex still hadn't figured out who Superman actually was, it was still comforting to know that she was across the country in "the largest cesspool of vanity and scum there was" (Los Angeles to everyone else).

Deciding on the fried chicken, he withdrew the food container in question and was ready to heat it up when another visitor landed on his balcony, this one not nearly as much as a surprise than the first.
"Someday, I think you'll use our front door. Someday." He cast his cousin a playful smirk as he motioned to the food:
"I can't thank you enough for helping with this. I think I'll continually be in a state of 'full' for the next two weeks." Although not a mind reader, Clark thought he could feel some apprehension coming from Kara.
"What's up? Coming by to eat or..." He frowned.
"Did Bruce ambush you, too? He tends to do that once he knows you relatively well."

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

The plan seemed to work smoothly enough, their shuttle lifting off into hyperspace with enough gear and food to help several Alliance squadrons make it through several weeks of field work. Yerbol knew that the supply convoys were transporting important supplies, but to see the sheer size of resources being stolen by these Faceless was troubling. What were these "Faceless" planning? Anarchy? Destruction of the Qyaari through brute force? Somehow forming teams of their own to strike at various Alliance strongholds? All of the above? The amount of doom filled scenarios that floated through his head made the Champion even more eager to eliminate this threat as soon as possible. While the Alliance was reaching a point of stabilization through Saresh and Won's combined efforts, there was still a lot of unrest across the galaxy. Pressing on the right nerves could prompt mass panic and chaos from the general public.

These thoughts and many others floated through his mind as the shuttle entered hyperspace. Yerbol plopped onto the floor of the spacecraft, legs crossing, back resting against a bare wall as his eyes closed in preparation for meditation. Before he could slip into a trance-like state, Ari asked Voldon for any advice, prompting Yerbol's eyes to open and follow up on the question:
"Ari and I both. We've faced off against a number of threats before, but this just...feels different. Any idea why we're feeling so jumpy?" Voldon grunted in agreement with their shared feelings, taking a seat on a nearby crate.
"You should be jumpy. Manus has the most brilliant mind I know. Cunning, tactful, always ahead of his opponent..." He shook his head, a remorseful chuckle crawling out of his throat.
"Manus and I were trained by Masters who frequently collaborated, which meant we were in contact with each other quite frequently. We became Knights together and quickly pushed into service with the Republic soon after. His mind gravitated towards more strategic matters and I was much more prone to cutting someone down rather than trying to figure out how to disable his armor's shielding." Something like sorrow crept into the Elder's voice as he carried on:
"We were successful on so many operations together that when our opportunity to strike at the Emperor together, we took it. He guided our entire effort from Coruscant. It was so flawless, made it look so easy. We took down the most powerful Sith in the known galaxy and Manus had me on a shuttle fleeing the Emperor's temple within two hours of our arrival. In a word, he was magnificent...until a couple of months before Bracknell made his move. Manus had become more erratic in his behavior, disappearing for days on end from his post on Tython with no explanation as to where he had gone. When Bracknell decided to initiate his purge, I tried to find Manus, looked for him everywhere. That's why you found Kira and I on Nar Shaddaa. Manus gravitated towards old wisdom, ancient knowledge, that kind of thing. The temple ruins on Nar Shaddaa was one of my last hopes for finding him." He snorted a derisive laugh.
"To think that he turned to this..." He cast a steely glance at the Champions.
"If Manus appears, you will stand down. I have to talk with him first. See what his reasoning is behind this 'Faceless' nonsense is and hopefully put a stop to him. Hopefully Jean hasn't corrupted him."
"Did he and Jea-"
"No."
"Bu-"
"No." Taking the hint, Yerbol closed his eyes once more, telling his partner through their bond:

Looks like Jean Soto is a touchy subject for almost everyone we meet. Wonder why for Voldon, though?

He cast a mystified glance at his partner, then for a third and final time decided on meditating, but not before he asked:

Feel like sharing your meditation session? Wouldn't mind a partner.

_________

Mutual meditation had become a common practice, but the strength of their relationship seemed to make it even more rewarding than before. Their minds, which were once very closed off to each other, were practically open books, allowing both of them to draw on the other's strengths and "sync" their "energies" together(this subject has been one they've been studying through old Sith holos from Quensu and consulting with the Elders, hence the "buzzwords"). Currently they were taking a breather, Yerbol telling her about a time that he had almost stumbled into the Chamber of Secrets on Tython because he was trying to find a dog that had run into the ruins just outside the Chamber when they felt the shuttle rock violently. Coming out of the trance, Yerbol could hear the pilot shout:
"Three bogies incoming! Six, nine and three o clock positions!" The shuttle shuddered as the pilot proclaimed:
"Shielding hit! Staying stable at...eighty five percent!"
"Get us on the ground somewhere! We need them exposed!"
"Gonna be bumpy!" The pilot swore profusely as she glanced at her instrument panel, weaving around a burst of turret fire from another shuttle before she shouted:
"Got Kashyyyk in view! Emergency landing in progress!" Voldon commanded the Champions:
"Help me get a shield around the shuttle, NOW! We have to make it to planet-side!" Bracing against a weapons crate, Yerbol threw his hands upward, focusing on the exterior of the ship as he channeled the Force with the other two Force users. A blueish green sphere surrounded the craft as it descended rapidly towards the Wookie homeworld.
"HOW LONG TILL IMPACT?!"
"SOON!" Was all the pilot could scream as the thick tops of Woshyr trees greeted the incoming shuttle, the craft managing to squeeze into a minute gap in between two trees before screeching further down.
"BRAKES, BRAKES!" The pilot slammed on the panel in front of her, engines slowing, but not fast enough for a smooth landing. The shuttle bounced off the forest floor a few times as it rocketed forward, coming to a halt by way of slamming into the base of yet another Woshyr tree. The impact knocked Yerbol over the crate and onto his back, head connecting with the metal floor of the shuttle. It took a few moments, but the Qyaari managed to eek out:
"Everyone....ok?"

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

Faceless incoming!

So I looked at a handy galaxy map and noted that about halfway between Wild Space and coruscant is Kashyyk. Might be interesting to have the shuttles crash/emergency land on the planet and have the initial confrontation between Vo and the Qyaari in the Shadowlands. What say you? Any other ideas?

Looking for Ciri [Witcher] [shamelessly looking again]

Bump

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

Yay for being better and wow, bless you for typing on a phone. That would frustrate me to no end xD

Got a post up! Figured I could give Ari a way to change/modify what Malu has up her sleeve. Be prepared for some of Voldon's personal baggage to be exposed!

And ah...well, I don't know if I want to do this yet, but I've been...well, let's just get to Manus and Voldon before I say anything else xD

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

He knew that his alarm would have come through their bond or the way he was looking at her when they exited, not saying a word on the subject until she was finished. A part of him wanted to address what she had done in the interrogation room now, but confronting her about it right after she set her nose back in place wasn't the best time. Deciding to file the incident away for when they had time, he agreed with the ideas she put forth:
"You're right about Malu. From the hints she dropped when we left, she already knows who's running this network and just needed evidence to confirm her suspicions. Could probably use the communications hive above us to reach Zinuthra." He took a moment to evaluate whether or not Sho's help would be beneficial, walking to the elevator that they had taken before vocalizing his input:
"She held her own against them in super close quarters. I suppose it would be nice to have somebody who can precisely fire a rifle in the back of an enemy who may have one of us cornered." After asking the guards posted at the elevator to ensure that there was proper security around their new inmate, they rode up to the main level before finding a private office not being used that was set up with a comm terminal that featured holo calling. After dialing up Malu's frequency, a blue-tinted projection of the Elder appeared, her features betraying grave concern.
"I assume you two have found out something worthwhile?" The Champions recounted their venture into Justicar territory and subsequent interrogation, Malu cutting Aria off right after she was done describing the vision:
"So it IS true...Jean had help from Manus."
"Who?"
"Manus Vo. Former Jedi Master and thorn in the Empire's side for years. He was one of the battle strategists responsible for taking down Dromund Kaas and giving Voldon a clear shot at the Emperor."
"Master Vo...I've heard of him. He was talked about like a demi-god by those who met him."
"He can be rather charming. I fought with him a couple of times before the Treaty was signed. He almost convinced me that I didn't need to send him flying off a cliff on Tattoine..." She shook her head, returning to the present:
"Manus' name had been circulating among some of the contacts I made within this strange 'underground network'. Some said that he was responsible for the entire network, others claimed that he set it up, then quickly abandoned them for reasons unknown. In any case, making sure we bring Manus and Jean into custody should be first priority. Even if they aren't responsible for the attacks on the convoys, they'll probably know who is."
"So you want us to take them alive?"
"Ideally."
"So two former Jedi Masters, one of whom was renown for being five steps ahead of his opponent and probably is anticipating us?"
"I didn't say you should kick down the front door. We'll need to smoke them out somehow, which I think will be much easier when you have some back up. I'll inform the Elders of our progress. No doubt Voldon will be joining you two in figuring out how to trap Manus."
"Voldon? Why?"
"I'll let him explain their connection. For now, I suggest you coordinate with Garza and gather the resources I'm sending you now." Withdrawing his comm unit, he read the list aloud:
"Food and water rations, two crates of scatterguns, one crate of military-grade armor..." He looked at the projection of Malu with skepticism, asking:
"So you want us to pull together supplies? That's it?"
"This is the kind of cargo that our transports had been carrying when they were intercepted. If we can assemble a payload like this and, say, flag it as mission critical and say that the destination is for one of our outposts-"
"Then Manus might be tempted to come out of hiding and snag the shipment before it leaves? But why would he risk leaving the comfort of his own lair? If his operatives are the ones knocking our transports off, then why would he bother doing it himself?"
"Well, if this transport were to, say, have two Champions on protective detail..."
"So we're bait, too?"
"Well, you and Voldon." He thought for a moment about the validity of the plan, then added:
"How are we going to get the word out about this shipment so that it doesn't smell like a trap?"
"Well, you DO have a young man in your custody who could be persuaded to put the word out..."
"He didn't seem very cooperative."
"Who's to say that you try to get him on his side? Just simply make sure he overhears that there's a very important shipment headed to Zinuthra that's guarded by you two. I think you both are creative enough to figure out how that's executed. Get the boy to believe there's a shipment headed out, release him and then coordinate with Garza...unless you have another idea that I'm not thinking of."

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

*waves profusely*

Good to have you back in the land of the living! Did the week off help in terms of getting the creativity flowing again?

I'll be checking in on the post in a few. Need to do some reading/curriculum development.

Wasteland (freedomliveson x gathering gloom)

Bethany has me intrigued. Looking forward to seeing her in action!

I was thinking Mansfield would be around late 30's? He needs to be young enough to, you know, move around xD

Wasteland (freedomliveson x gathering gloom)

Mansfield

"And if you could actually make sure the drinking water isn't, you know, surrounded by ghouls, that'd be great." His broad shouldered frame jostled happily as he chuckled, speaking into the beige cylindrical object that wrapped around most of his left forearm:
"That was ONE time, Jocelyn. One time."
"Don't make me send Hank down there. If he knows that his bro-wife is in trouble, he'll spring out of the trailer and come running with his latest invention in tow."
"You know he loves you more than he does me, right?" A sigh came through the singular and miniature speaker located on the very right hand side of the object.
"Sometimes I don't know." Another laugh, this one shared.
"I'll be back before dusk with a report. Just let Ignus and Zoe know that this is a promising site..." He looked across the mutilated road, past the chunks of pavement and rotted vehicles down towards the river.
"Minus the potential for mirelurks. But I can deal with that."
"Alright, fine. Just...be careful out there, big guy."
"I'll try."
"I hate it when you say that."

With the communication over, his right hand twisted one of the three dials located on the right side of the machine and navigated back to the black and green colored map that seemed to ever be expanding. There were several icons that were visible from the wider view the map defaulted to, but Mansfield wasn't interested in heading to any of established points. He zoomed in on the triangle that represented his location, noting the lack of anything featured on his display.
"Time to change that." He mused aloud, looking once again to the right in the direction of the river before turning his attention to his left. Mansfield stood in the alleyway of two run down buildings that had somehow managed to withstand the nuclear assault of the past and the dangers of the present, serving as an example of what humanity was attempting to become...well, minus the rundown part. Of course, many of the people Mansfield had met on his travels were in worse shape than the edifices he stood in between. What did it say about humanity that their creations could endure better than the creators?

Ok, ok, back to business.

He headed left deeper into the alleyway, which naturally curved right and opened up into a wider, square shaped space. The remains of a fountain stood in the center, cracked and unused. Before the war, this was probably a nice centerpiece to a courtyard that denizens from the buildings flanking the fountain could enjoy watching while eating their lunch in this courtyard(assumed courtyard, anyhow). Mansfield's eyes narrowed, examining the other entranceway past the fountain, which led to the street that intersected the one running parallel to the riverbank.
"Perfect." Nodding in approval at the rusting and/or crumbling arches that hung over areas to provide shade, he pressed a button on the left side of the "Pip-Man" (bless Hank) to record his findings:
"Log one hundred and two, remains of downtown D.C. Possible settlement close to river..."

A few minutes of spoken observations later and Mansfield was satisfied, ending the recording before making his way across the road and down the gentle slope to a path that ran right alongside the river. In the distance stood more ruined buildings, a few moving shapes that looked like mirelurks waddling along the opposite shoreline, which was thankfully at least half a mile off.
"Probably will need a fence he-" The relative quiet that permeated the ruins was pierced by the roaring of a gas motor, a few shouts of command floating from down the road, maybe a block(or two?) away. Uttering a curse, he withdrew the sniper rifle slung across his back and flattened himself on the ground, granting him slight cover thanks to the slight elevation of the road. He was able to see part of the road, which hadn't made himself

There's someone on the riverbank.

Footsteps coming from his left.

His rifle was quickly trained on the potential intruder, finding a young girl of maybe twenty approaching him as a leisurely pace. Her pack was jangling far too loudly for his liking, so he hissed:
"Get down! Now!" The motor had stopped, voices much more understandable:
"You know the drill! Into the buildings!" They were here to scavenge, probably. If this was raider territory, Mansfield would have to clear them out somehow...and he would need help. Spotting the rifle on the girl's person, he asked her:
"You good with that thing? Cause if you are, I could use the help." He nodded towards her pack.
"I can get you to a settlement to trade, warm food, clean water-"
"Check the river! Don't need to get ambushed by bloody mirelurks." Mansfield then hurriedly added:
"Now or never, kid. What's it going to be?"

Wasteland (freedomliveson x gathering gloom)

Sounds great! Will get you a reply tomorrow :)