Onslaught of the Empire

[Nelowulf]

Knight-errant Jian Yakamura
Location: Thule
Personal Location: Canyon of the Long Winds - The Tomb of Lord Kosan
Accompanying People: None
Current Attire: http://phoenixlu.deviantart.com/art/Taoist-priest-146500461

The speederbike's initial thrust was soon reacted to, and just in time. As blasterbolts whizzed about, some even closer than he enjoyed, Jian was just doing anything he could to take off and leave the accursed ruins of the sith's dead bones. Red flashes glowed like lighting across the dust clouds, as the noise deadened. Jian felt a small flash of pain on his right shoulder; not hit, just grazed by the heated plasma of a carbine belching it's technological promethium. He winced in pain, grasping it for a second before moving along. He couldn't afford to slow down, as the enemy was bound to have their own ways of pursuit. They would follow as best they could, and there was no reason to get slow or sloppy now. He would wait a little longer before trying to contact his ride offworld, instead favoring the flat out speed of crawling hills, taking only the time to glance behind him and make sure he wasn't followed yet.  

[Cale Darksun]

The enemy was getting away, and the soldiers were preparing to mount up and pursue when one of the troopers spotted a crimson figure marching solemnly out of the collapsing temple. Armor damaged and helmet dented from impacting hard upon rough and ancient stone, Cinn still emerged triumphant from what, for lesser men, would have been certain doom.

"Sergeant." Cinn demanded, calling forth the squad's leader. The man stepped forth and was about to speak when Cinn cut him off. "Radio back to the city and order a work force to begin excavation efforts immediately. I will not be denied my trophy. You and your squad will remain here and hold this ground until that work force arrives. I will be returning to the capitial."

"As you say my Lord, but what about the acolytes?"

Cinn had walked past him and proceeded to board the transport speeder, pausing at the door to glare at the Sith Trooper Sergeant when he spoke up.
"Only the strong survive to be Sith, Sergeant. I will not suffer any cowards or fools to join our ranks."

The Trooper saluted, understanding his master's words clearly. As Cinn's Speeder departed, the Sergeant aimed his blaster at the Acolyte that had emerged from the ruins earlier. This man, whom the troopers had clasped in irons after Cinn had gone into the ruins, looked up with horror at the realization of what was about to befall him. A plea of mercy died on the man's lips as the Sergeant blasted the acolyte twice in the chest.
"Sweep the interior." The Sergeant commanded as he pointed to the tunnel. "Any survivors are to be executed before the work team arrives."

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An hour later, Danika's Cell was opened, and Cinn, still bearing the battle damaged armor from his encounter in the ruins, stepped in, an interrogation droid on his heels.
"Woman." Cinn spoke, his voice harsh and deep. "I found another of your pathetic order poking about our world. You will tell me everything about him."
There was no room for compromise in Cinn's tone. He wanted answers, and he intended to get them.
 

[Darkened Angel]

Danika stood up and faced the Sith when he entered. She looked him over and noticed he had clearly been in battle recently. " I'm afraid I don't know much. I came here alone and thought I was the only one here. Your men found me before I could do anything, so no communications were established. I'm just as in the dark about this as you are. " she said.

She stepped closer to him and looked him in the eyes, or where she assumed they were behind his helmet. She was showing that she wasn't afraid, but also that she wasn't going to resist. If the Sith had come from the battle to her like this, it was clear that he had won. " I assume it's the same one from Ruuria as well. I had only just met him there, so I know very little. I don't know what his objective was, and he likely didn't know I was here at all. I can only imagine he was here searching for something. If you had any SIth artifacts on the planet, that might be it. " she said, then bowed her head.

" Interrogate me all you want, but you likely won't learn anything useful. My own objective was to simply monitor things, which didn't go too well, obviously. From our own little confrontation earlier, you probably figured out I'm not much of a fighter. You've won this day, and it would be foolish to attempt to defy you now. " Danika looked back up to face the Sith. " So do what you will. If I may though, I only ask to see the face of my conqueror. "  

[Cale Darksun]

Cinn studied the face of the woman carefully, looking for any sign that she may be up to something. His helmet was a tool of protection and intimidation, and were he to remove it, it would be one more weak point for a cunning enemy to use.

Cinn didn't completely buy into the woman's submissive act completely. Deception was something he himself had utilized in times past. But he could sense enough honesty in her response to know she was uninvolved with the Jedi who had eluded him. Furthermore, she believed him dead, which suited Cinn just fine.

"Very well." He said as he reached his gauntleted hand up to unfasten his helm. "I'll humor you, woman."

The Helmet hissed as it was unsealed from the rest of the suit, and Cinn pulled it off to reveal his crimson face and yellow eyes. He had the face and barbs of a Sith pureblood, but facial hair and ears like a human, hinting at his mixed blood ancestry.

"Look upon the face of Cinn, Jedi, and know the face of a Champion of the Sith."
 

[Darkened Angel]

Danika's eyed widened in surprise. " You're... a real Sith. " she said, mostly to herself. Losing herself in intrigue and curiosity, she unwittingly brought a hand up and caressed the side of his face. After only a moment, she realized what she was doing and quickly pulled her hand away, blushing slightly, then composed herself. " I thought your people died out. " She looked over his face again and noticed he had other characteristics. " Mixed race? " she asked.

" I'm mixed myself. You likely know by now I've got Zeltron in me, but I'm also half Arkanian Offshoot. " Danika said. She took a step back and took a dancing pose. " Half seductive, half servant race, and I end up being a dancer. It figures, doesn't it? " She stepped forward again and lowered her head. " But I guess that doesn't matter now. I know how you Sith tend to operate. They dispose of what's useless to them, and as I said, I know very little of whatever you'd be after. Should I expect any different from you? "  

[Cale Darksun]

"The reports of our extinction were greatly exaggerated." Cinn remarked dryly, holding his helmet unter his arm. "Did not Darth Revan warn you we still existed? Or did your order ignore him as you have so many other things? If so, then our conquest of the Republic will be swift and brutal."

He narrowed his eyes at her touch but did not oppose it, instead studying the Jedi prisoner before him and considering her value as she spoke of herself. She was indeed comely, and certainly was more powerful in the Force than the whelp he had fought in the ruins, but in spirit she was weaker. A useful tool, once properly honed.

He reached his gauntleted hand to cup her chin, lifting her face to stare into her eyes.
"It is true we cast aside what has no value. However, I see worth in you."
 

[Darkened Angel]

Danika looked into Cinn's eyes as he forced her gaze to his. " I see... " she started, her tone showing she was reluctant, but accepting. " I'm afraid I would make a lousy apprentice, but something tells me you have another idea in mind. " She paused for a moment, trying to figure out his intentions. " I was a slave once before, so this would be nothing new to me. " She sighed, and her tone changed to show her reluctance, but she knew Cinn had all the power between them at the moment. " ... Master. "  

[Cale Darksun]

"Interesting." Cinn remarked as he released the woman. "It seems we have other things in common aside from our half breed nature." Cinn himself had once been considered of the slave class before displaying Force Potential, though his situation no doubt was drastically different from hers.
Cinn gestured at the Interrogator droid and the machine left the room.
"What was your name again, woman?"
 

[Darkened Angel]

" My name is Danika. " Danika said. " I don't really know my parents. I was captured by slavers at an early age and I remember nothing of my life before that. I don't know my family name, or if any of my relatives are even still alive. " She started to look away, feeling intimidated by Cinn's gaze as the situation reminded her all too well of her past life.  

[Cale Darksun]

Cinn's amber gaze did not abate as he took in this new information, and he stroked his goatee while he viewed his new prize.
"I did not ask for your family tree." He told her. "I only asked your name."
The droid returned with a collar, which it swiftly attached to Danika's neck.
"You are now the property of Cinn, Danika." Cinn said as he placed his helmet back on. "The spoils of war. Your days of serving your useless Jedi Order are at an end. Now, you serve me. Rest assured, however, that this is a superior fate to being shipped to Dromund Kaas in chains."
 

[Darkened Angel]

" Just saving you the trouble of looking it up later. " Danika said. It was then that that droid returned and locked a collar on her neck. " Yes, Master. " she said in response to Cinn's words. " I am yours. "  

[Cale Darksun]

"As it should be." Cinn said. "Come then. We're leaving for my ship."
The Dark Knight of the Sith then strode out of the cell, looking back occasionally to ensure his new acquisition was behind him. There was little more for him on Thule now. All he needed was the recovery of the beast he had initially sought and he could rejoin his fleet. But now he had two things to kill time while he waited for his trophy. On one hand, he needed to repair his armor. On the other, there was his new slave to test out.
 

[Nelowulf]

Chapter 3
94 Days since first contact...

The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

 

[Nelowulf]

Lieutenant Warren McJump
Location: Minos Cluster - Adarlon System
Personal Location: Bridge of the Indefatigable
Accompanying ships: 2 Wayfarers.

Two months since the incursion of the Regellia system and the subsequent attempts of the Republic to push back. Success, however, had been sparsely limited to halting the advance with a line in the sand. The line, being most notably, a dedicated force which neither pushed nor pulled back. But, the details of the invasion would have been simple to dismiss, if not for the fact that the Republic fleet had not only the issue of actually repelling the sith, but the internal strife as well. Warren may have been an anti-piracy force, but even with the acquisition of a new starship, a thranta-class corvette and not some wayfarer, the crew hadn't seen a drydock in the last two months. The entire cluster was in a bit of a riot, with the simultaneous attacks by the sith, nobody knew where the enemy would hit next... but everyone was as much at risk. Civilians everywhere were starting the first round of an exodus of fear, while more steadfast (or poor) people were left to be on the planet. Opportunists meant more smuggling action, both on or off, and the duty of enforcing the "peace" and upholding the "law" was just as much a need of the republic military as any planetary policing force. Every other day, some call of protest needed to be quelled, something which Warren dismissed as much as he could to prevent the obvious recoil of those suggesting "Republic Oppression", when in reality, only the minority of stowaways and civvies were realistically imprisoned. Such details, however, were left for the courts to decide, and just as fairly, the limit was such.

Orbiting within the Shesharile system, the Lepi gave a dejected sigh, unsure what his next orders might be. However, if the tip he got was right, this might be a big payoff. If it was wrong, he'd get a reprimanded. Not like that hadn't happened before....  

[Cale Darksun]

The World of Nabrilldor was under attack. A swampy, muddy world light on gravity, it was the latest victim in Drma Cinn's march of conquest through the Minos Cluster, its situation not at all helped by the fractious nature of its inhabitants. The people who had colonized Nabrilldor had developed into a patchwork of rival states, each competing for supremacy. When the Executioner and her escorts deployed in system, smashing aside the independent fleets of gunboats and fighters hurled at it peacemeal by the nations of Nabrilldor, many nations immediately surrendered to the superior Sith War machine, while still others attempted to resist.

That was two weeks ago.
Now, all that remained of the Free States were a few stubborn holdouts surrounded by the Imperial army and the rivals who had joined the Empire. But conquest was taking too long for such an out of the way world. Darth Cinn wanted it conquered and made servile to his whim, so he could move on to other matters. It was time to take direct action.
_______________________________________________________

A boxy Imperial Military shuttle descended from the skies outside the besiged capital of Majundar, one of the last nation states to oppose the Empire. Behind the front lines as Imperial Infantry and shock troops prepared for a fresh assault, the shuttle landed, and the towering figure of Darth Droma Cinn emerged, his repaired Crimson armor a shock of color among the masses of black and grey soldiers assembling for the attack.

"These insignifigant worms." He growled, his helmed visage staring a the walls of the city. "They will pay heartily for their defiance."