Holding the Reins (Sith Mission)

[sparrow]

OOC/Discussion Thread
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"... you are to place yourself near the turrets so that you can quickly take them out once you receive the signal. But before the signal is sent, it is essential that you do kill anyone, or make your presence known in any way."

Zarene Yin sat in her room on the Sith carrier Taipan, gazing out the viewport at the bluish-green planet below. Her fingers tapped the armrest of her chair in a series of metallic clicks. "Yes, I think that about covers everything. Send it." The protocol droid B3 nodded as it finished typing out Zarene's words, hitting a button to send the message on it's way.

The door slid open as a gruff, middle-aged man dressed in Sith commando armor stepped in. "Commander, Captain Haviar wanted you to know that Droknel's people have given the clearance. Your shuttle is ready."

Zarene nodded as she headed over to the mirror. "Thank you, Byar. Are the men in battle positions? Does the captain have the ship ready to dive as soon as he receives the signal?"

"Yes."

"Good. Does Droknel know who he'll be meeting yet?"

"He has not been told."

She chuckled. "I think he'll be expecting a member of the Sanctum. Or one of the Lords. Instead he gets me." She looked into the mirror as she pulled back her long hair, securing it in place with a pair of metal hairpins. Her coat lifted up for its stand across the room, floating over to her. Slipping her arms into the sleeves, she began doing the buttons, starting from bottom to top. "Still, have to at least try to look sharp. Give me a few minutes."

"Do you really expect the negotiations to fail?"

"A distinct possibility, given that he's stupid enough to try to pull this sort of stunt in the first place," she replied as she finished the last button. Her smooth, bone-white half-mask was placed over the right side of her face, covering the scars and hiding them from view. "Besides, always pays to plan. Now, take me to the shuttle."

[kreyopresny]

Lord Ruuken Droknel shifted uncomfortably on the large throne like seat, complete with a raised dais, carved from the natural stone that made the floor for the entire first level of his mountain palace, as well as the criss-crossing maze of tunnels, dungeons, and servants quarters rough hewn into the mountain beneath them. The black streaks and silver flecks seemed to dance in the polished red rock under the flickering torch light that illuminated the great hall in which he sat, his fingers laden with flashy rings tracing a familiar pattern in the arm rest. A rich Wrodian carpet ran from the main doors of the room, to the foot of the dais, forming a walkway flanked on either side by ornate columns, several of which concealed scanners and defense turrets. The space between the pillars were decorated with a number or sculptures as well as ornate display cases filled with many trinkets. Some jewelry or small totem statues, but the overwhelming majority of the sizable collection consisted of various weapons crafted by master smiths of various species from all across the galaxy.

Droknel shifted again on his throne, adjusting his green and gold robe, it's fine silks sitting awkwardly over the concealed body armor beneath. The durasteel mesh annoyed him severely, but he was not so much a fool as to face the Sith Order without some level of protection. At this thought his hand drifted into his sleeve, fingering the compact blaster and dagger strapped to his wrist within the billowing silken folds. To either side of the throne stood a total of 4 of his personal guard, each armed with an electrostaff and a blaster worn hanging on a bandolier across their chests, their armor the same green and gold as his own robes, the colors of house Droknel. Their faces hidden between the grotesque mask of their armored helmets, large red tassels decorated in ornate knots hanging from the pointed "ears" of the mask. These were the men he literally trusted with his life, and Droknel knew they were scattered all about the fortress, knowledge which made him feel very secure. Who he was unsure of were the Sith Empire military, their plain military armor while certainly effective looked so drab and out of place in his ornate fortress. He'd offered several times to outfit them more fashionably, but their commander Captain Granth had firmly refused. More than that though, the way the Sith Order had taken over the war effort, he had serious doubts about their loyalty to him.

It was this same Captain Granth who stood at the foot of Droknel's dais now, detailing... something. Lord Droknel found he had quite the difficult time listening to the man when he talked. Almost undoubtedly, he was going on about some military or defensive strategy that had come into his head. Droknel knew he'd once again have to deny his request for deeper integration of his troops, positions he preferred to entrust only to his own private guard. Interrupting the Captain, Lord Droknel asked,
"If there's nothing else," He smiled to himself at that one, knowing it would leave the Captain fuming,
"I want you to give me an estimate on when our guests will arrive." Despite the casual tone of voice, it was clear to anyone listening that this was not a request, but an order. Yet, Droknel seemed completely preoccupied, his arm extended and hand pulled back so he could examine a particularly stunning lustrous black stone set into one of his many rings.

[Cirith An'Gol]

"...so, you see sir, if we had more resources, we could account for the.." Captain Samuel Granth of the Emperial Military was saying before being interrupted by Lord Ruuken Droknel.
"If there's nothing else.." Droknel interrupted Granth mid-sentence "I want you to give me an estimate on when our guests will arrive."
Captain Granth gritted his teeth in annoyance "Yes sir" Sam said with a bit of sarcasm added at the "sir" part. He took a moment to compose himself before answering his employer "if they're not already on their way. I'd say we have four hours, maybe less. If they are, which I assume is the case, two hours. Tops, and that's if they're coming from Korriban" he tried to look past the smug Lord's head and to a spot on the wall behind him but, he still saw the way Droknel regarded his information and his men, as if it all was a complete waste of time, looking at the precious gem on his finger instead of paying attention to his Captain.

Granth rather hoped the Sith would descend upon this place and kill Droknel, the man was the most delusional, arrogant, self satisfied, smug Sith "aristocrat" that Granth had ever had the displeasure of working under. Droknel was a fool if he thought the amount of men that Granth had been permitted, let alone his own trusted militia, were going to stand any chance against against a real Sith Lord, let alone a Acolyte. He'd heard the stories from his grandparents that had actually fought during some of the legendary battles along side their Sith masters.
He'd even been to Taris to see the devastation that just one Sith Lord had done, just to see if the rumors and stories had been true. They were. He knew that the instant he'd looked upon the surface of Taris. He knew that most of his men had like himself, been brought up in a military family and had descended from the survivors of the battles of old. He'd served with the foot-soldiers here for years, and he was damned if he was going to throw away their lives, so an already arrogant and foolish man, could have more power and privileges to misuse. He didn't agree with Droknel's actions of complaining to the higher ups about how he deserved more power and privileges. The man was little more than a child in his eyes, complaining that he didn't get the grape sucker that he'd wanted, to a very big and very scary Rancor Beast.

"Is there anything else Lord Droknel?" Granth said, sincerely hoping there wasn't.

....................................................................................................................................................

[From Strength of the Dark Side on Korriban]

Xerron Delzaren looked down at the planet below, Sernpidal, it's main colors of green and blue stood out among the other duller colors of red, yellow and an almost pasty brownish white. It was the third planet in the Julevian System and most of it's terrain was dusty, with flora and fauna being fed by underground aquifers. The native species, the Sernpidalians, say that five times fast[/color] Xerron thought as he read the information on the datapad, were humanoid with dark skin, white hair and red eyes. Needless to say, this was not a planet that Xerron would have usually visited. He preferred planets with a darker atmosphere and with more populace, like Nar Shaddaa, Muunilinst, or Farrfin, where he could disappear into the crowds easily. He knew the rules on planets like that, here though, on this dust bowl of a planet was new territory.

He didn't know anything about it, had never even heard of it until he'd been summoned by one of the Sith Masters for this mission, given the coordinates and a short briefing on what was to be done while he was here. When he'd gone to report to Lord Callidus about his new mission, he'd arrived at an empty room. So, he'd simply left a note on a piece of flimsiplast, telling his new Master his whereabouts and why.

Now, he was sitting in the passenger lounge on the Sith Carrier Taipan, his hood and half mask covering his features as he read up on the planet below, as the ship descended into the atmosphere. His role was simple, he was the muscle and should it be needed, the saboteur, while Zarene Yin, a fellow Sith was to do the talking and lead the mission apparently. Delzaren mostly kept to himself through the trip from Korriban to Sernpidal, practicing his skills in Force Shock, and doing a few lightsaber drills in the ships training room. He felt the rising anticipation in the crew of the Taipan and knew that they were nearing their destination, rising from his seat in the lounge he began making his way to the shuttle that had been provided for them, his two lightsabers swinging gently as they hung on his belt. He arrived a few minutes later and took a seat near the loading ramp, and waited for the others to show.

[kreyopresny]

Droknel shifted again, unaccustomed to the tight rigid fit of the body armor, before responding,
"That will be all Captain, I'm sure you've got perimeters to secure or something." As soon as the words were out of his mouth his attention completely left the man, the change was instant, like someone had just flicked a switch. He raised his hand slightly off the arm rest and flashed a hand signal, summoning a Twi'lek servant girl with a silver tray bearing a pitcher and heavily decorated goblet. Like his guards, her uniform also bore the green and gold of his Noble House, even the red tassles mimicked by soft red earrings, though the outfit was considerably tighter and more revealing. He openly leered down her blue cleavage as she bent over to fill his cup. If she noticed or cared, he most certainly didn't.

He waved the girl away before, sipping the Ryndonnian spicewine, he settled back in his seat, squirming again against the body armor, before finding a comfortable position. Nothing to do now but to wait for his "guests" to arrive.

[Rugs]

"Do you know why you have been summoned, Initiate Onin?"

Nieraan looked at the tall figure standing across the table from him with a muffled sigh of annoyance. "Well, let's see... I haven't gone helping tear down columns again, nor have I mouthed off to a Lord recently. Any beatings I've given out have been to my apprentice or in the sparring ring to the idiots that deserve it. " He pulled a chair to his right out from the table and settled into it with an arm lazily thrown over the back. "So, if I had to make a guess on that and the fact that this room is usually where I'm called before getting sent on some errand, I'd have to say it's because someone somewhere wants me to do something, and I have to nod and say yes like a good little Sith because I don't really have a choice in the matter.

"Sound about right to you?"

Silence. Then a sigh. The man tossed a folder across the table to Nieraan, who deftly plucked it out of the air. "You will be attending a meeting on Sernpidal."

"Great," Nieraan said wryly as he idly thumbed through the flimsies in the folder, "I do just love going to meetings." A picture of an estate, or fortress. Some man's face...

"You would do well, Initiate, to mind your tongue."

Nieraan looked up from the flimsies. Speaking through gritted teeth already? Someone must've had some bad cereal for breakfast. "Yes, or else the briefing man might get mad at me." He smirked smugly. "And I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy..."

"Onin..."

"Look, tell me whatever it is you want to tell me, and I'll be out your hair. You'd think you'd be used to this by now."

The man sighed and briefly muttered something under his breath. "You'll be going with Zarene yin, Xerron Delzaren, Koeing Turion and Varulla'aba."

Nieraan simply nodded.

"Lord Ruuken Droknel has been become a bit of a headache lately. Apparently he now believes his status as an aristocrat means he can use his power to stir up trouble and then make demands. You have more details in the folder I've provided. A meeting has been arranged with Droknel in the hopes that the issue can be resolved-"

"And why, exactly, are you sending me? Unless you've all just gone stupid, you know I'm not the kinda person you want conducting talks like this."

The man snorted through his nostrils. "Because you may be needed in case the talks fail, Onin."

For a moment, Nieraan just stared at the man, wondering if there was more that he was going to say. Then his mind grasped the meaning that rode on those words.

His smirk quickly turned into a toothy grin.

"Goodie."

--------------------

Nearly time...

Nieraan was already at the shuttle onboard the Taipan, leaning boredly against the side of it as he waited for the others to start showing up. He'd spent most of the trip from Korriban resting, but as far as he knew, it was almost time for the shuttle to depart and take the ground team down to meet with Droknel. He'd go along, of course; he wouldn't have anything to do with the meeting itself, but in the event that things went wrong or Droknel's security decided to try something stupid, he'd be there as some very capable muscle.

Honestly, he was hoping the talks failed. Negotiations bored him to tears.

Time would tell how things went. For now, he'd just have to wait and see. After a while, he felt one of the other four Sith approaching and looked up at the door. It was Delzaren.

Nieraan didn't really know him; he'd seen him around the Temple here and there, but that was it. Though he'd heard Xerron was familiar to some degree with Wroth and Sylvorr. Whether that was true or not, he couldn't say, but if it was, it didn't bode well for the man's intelligence.

As he approached, Nieraan just watched him quietly from his spot leaning against the shuttle. Wasn't a need to say anything, so far as he was concerned. Not unless Xerron said something to him, anyway. So he just waited.

[Deleted]

Koeing stood in the training chambers aboard the Taipan instructing Varulla on the final forms and techniques of Shii-Cho while his mind wandered elsewhere. He accepted this mission for Varulla's sake and not his own, she was ready for an actual mission to establish herself amongst her fellow Sith.

His green eyes focused on Varulla across from him and he watched her struggle with one of the final forms, he shook his head and sighed. "No Varulla Shii-Cho is unpredictable, wild and raw you are trying to analyze it, you cannot. Switch to live combat it seems you can't get the forms down in Ideal form." He reached down and unclipped his viridian blade then ignited it and took his stance infront of Varulla and began his attack with a swift vertical strike aiming for the second targeting zone used in Shii-Cho.

While sparring with Varulla Koeing thought back on his breifing, he had been told he and Varulla would accompany Xerron Delzaren whom he didn't know, Zarene Yin who happens to be Renata's apprentice and knew of, the kicker however was being able to work with Nieraan Onin. One of his own race and a fellow Telekinetics user, he looked forward to seeing how well he could work with one of his own race since he had annihilated his birth village from the face of Firrerre.

"Enough Varulla, your training will continue later it is almost time." He stared at her with his crystaline green eyes then nodded and looked away clipping his lightsaber back to his belt. He sighed and looked out at the planet below admiring the bright colors, he hated what he was about to say but Varulla needed to prove that she could handle herself alone as well as by her Master's side.

"Varulla my dear you will go with Xerron Delzaren, from what i understand he's an accomplished man. It is time you understand what it is to make your own decisions when on a mission without my guidance, i may not always be by your side and you must learn how to deal with such situations." He clenched his teeth for a moment then dared face his apprentice, he bowed to her showing respect as he has always done.

He exited the training chamber knowing Varulla would follow when she was ready, he made his way toward the shuttle noting Nieraan and Xerron were already there. He nodded to Nieraan and moved to stand near him, he didn't even acknowledge Xerron's presence except for the few words he directed toward him. "If Varulla is harmed, i will kill you." Is all he spoke before turning to Nieraan, he studied the man for a moment before he spoke.

"I look forward to working with you Onin, should be interesting, now if our child commander could tear herself from a mirrior maybe we could get this mission underway." He laughed to himself and shook his head, he couldn't believe Zarene had been put in charge over him, she threatened to get them all killed with this plan.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

"No Varulla Shii-Cho is unpredictable, wild and raw you are trying to analyze it, you cannot. Switch to live combat it seems you can't get the forms down in Ideal form."

Var gritted her teeth. Why did this sound so familiar? Probably because she'd heard it all before, as a Jedi. Her master had always said very much the same. Var, it seems you cannot comprehend the basic movements of Shii-Cho, perhaps you aren't trying hard enough? Var, you haven't been practicing and it shows. Var, why have you shown no sign of improvement?

Anger seethed in her. Almost a decade later and she was still getting the exact same lesson. It was like she never did learn. And that was the worst part, all those things were true. That's the part that pissed her off.

Luckily for all parties involved, she actually liked Koeing. His silvery skin, his two-toned hair, his build. She liked being around him. Of course she was always extremely careful to keep that silent. He was the ultimate forbidden fruit.

Ironic that was the only fruit she could bear the thought of consuming.

His viridian saber streaked in towards her right arm and side, and in response her own red blade moved with her arm, hovering parallel to the ground and catching the blow.

Luckily she could do what was requested of her in an actual setting, even if the ideal was far from it. Slow, ponderous, awkward. All those things vanished and were replaced by something far more competent when actual sparring was involved.

"Enough Varulla, your training will continue later it is almost time."

Her own green eyes locked onto her master's as they both deactivated sabers and returned them to their resting places on belts. Their eyes were the same color, but not exactly the same shade. Similar, but just different enough. His reminded her of crystals to honest, while her own looked as if a fire burned green.

Almost time. Time for the mission.

That was something she wasn't fully aware of. She gathered she was following her master on some assignment to Sernpidal with Zarene Yin, who she'd met exactly once before, Nieraan Onin, who she gathered was the same species as her own master, and Xerron Delzaren, who she'd never even laid eyes on. If she understood the facts correctly, some aristocrat was behaving poorly and needed a little coaxing, possibly of the variety with a lightsaber.

"Varulla my dear you will go with Xerron Delzaren, from what i understand he's an accomplished man. It is time you understand what it is to make your own decisions when on a mission without my guidance, i may not always be by your side and you must learn how to deal with such situations."

"That's not right," Var objected. But it was quiet objection that lapsed into silence as she maintained eye contact. She folded her arms and glowered. She wasn't happy at all with it, and it showed.

The second her master bowed and left the room, she pounded her gloved fist into the bulkhead and swore in Huttese. If not for the prevalence of Basic, she gladly would have used Huttese as her primary language. It was simply more comfortable. However comfort was the least of her worries at the moment.

This was crap, and she was certain her master knew it. If it was just about doing things on her own she could have taken any number of assignments on her own. In fact, she had done just that already. This had to be some sort of political decision, to shuffle off the weaker Sith into some inglorious role that didn't matter. To get her out of the way. She was used to that happening.

She didn't even know who the hell Xerron was. She did know who her master was, and she wanted to spend that time with him, learning for once. This wasn't helping her at all.

She swore in Huttese one more time, and her foot impacted on the wall as she made something very similar to a growl. Sometimes she just hated people. This was one of those times.

But she'd be stewing in a bad mood regardless of where she was, and now she was expected to go hold the bags or do some trivial bit of nothingness. She kicked the door again on her way out.

The cream-colored Twi'lek stalked through the corridors of the ship, on her way to the shuttle bay she had no desire to go to. Each step was one of anger, and the heavy sound of her boots on the metal deck helped prove that.

Not even the normally reassuring weight of her black Echani light armor could soothe her. What was even the point in having a master if you were immediately parted from him?

She stalked into the shuttle bay, glaring indiscriminately at those assembled before leaning up against the wall away from the others. There was no point even trying to socialize. She was in a bad mood and didn't want to talk to any of them. She wanted to get whatever demeaning grunt work was reserved for her out of the way and then get back to the Temple. Home. Or what passed for it anyway.

[Cirith An'Gol]

Xerron looked up as he felt someone else approaching the shuttle, and realized that there was someone already there with him. He mentally shrugged it off as nothing, this failing to notice a single Sith already in the shuttle. He took a quick glance with his eyes, not rustling his black cloak in the least, toward the only other occupant in the shuttle and recognized him from the fight a year ago, in the arena at the Sith Temple. Nieraan Onin, a Firrerreo that wielded two lightsabers like himself. Suddenly someone was making their way up the ramp, and Xerron reflexively took a look to see who it was. It was Koeing, another Firrerreo. He stopped for a moment, threatening to kill him if anything happened to his Twi'lek apprentice Varulla.

Xerron snorted "If anything happens to her, it'll be because of how weak she is, or your training, not because of my carelessness. Keep your threats for someone who cares Koeing." Xerron didn't know any of them particularly well, he'd certainly seen them around the Temple but, that was about it. The only one who he'd actually spoken to briefly before in this group was Nierraan, and that had been quite awhile ago.

He trusted in his skills completely, they were the only things he could trust to keep him alive in a galaxy so dangerous. If death was to come for him, he'd meet it head on, lightsabers drawn, as he always had done since his time living in Kashyyk's underworld that the Wookiee's called The Shadowland. A smile crept across his masked mouth, lighting briefly his hooded face as he recalled charging a Terentetek monster with his Wookiee companion, Zaaltarr. He doubted though that any of these Sith would attack him, they would need his skills in case anything went wrong with the negotiations.

He went back to reading the information on his datapad for a few minutes, as if nothing had happened. After a few minutes he felt the very angry presence of what must have been Koeing's apprentice, Varulla. He gave a quick glance and sure enough it was her. She was obviously upset by something but, thankfully she just leaned against the bulkhead in a solitary spot and sulked. Xerron shook his head, trying not to laugh.

He found it amusing that she was acting like a child, sulking in a imaginary corner. He remembered that not so long ago, he was just about as bad, brazen and foolishly using his abilities to show off. He still retained a little of his brazen attitude but, he no longer felt he was god's gift to the Sith. Xerron mentally counted off the members that were in the ship, only one person was missing. Zarene Yin, Lady Renata's apprentice. He straightened up and sat back against the bulkhead, putting the datapad into one of the pockets in his robes beneath the cloak. Having nothing else to do, he looked to each team member noticeably, before his gaze settled on Varulla.

So, I'm to be her babysitter eh? That's fine as long as she doesn't get in my way Xerron thought as looked back at the empty space of bulkhead across from him and put his hands casually in his lap, close to his lightsabers.

[sparrow]

"How do you think we should best deal with this situation?"

"If one of the houses can simply break their oaths and make demands with impunity, then our Order is no longer one to be feared. The only way to deal with this is with fire and steel."

"Unfortunately things aren't quite so simple here."

"How so?"

"In order to win this war, we need the support of the houses. While we can afford to lose any one house and still keep going, we cannot lose all the houses. Droknel's the loudest one, but he is not the only one contemplating revolt. He's just the one foolhardy enough to voice his intentions."

"I don't know if I understand how this..."

"The others, they will be on the sidelines. They want to see how we will choose deal with this threat. They're watching, and how this one is dealt with could influence all our future relationships with them."

"What are you proposing then? Surely, you don't mean to let him get away with this kind of stunt?"

"When dealing with these houses, it's all about image. Put Droknel down too ruthlessly, and the others would unite against us. You'll meet him in talks. Make it known that while the Sith do not tolerate disloyalty, loyalty is something that will be rewarded. Let him make the choice. Give him the chance to bend the knee."

"And if he does not?"

"Then you bring the fire and steel."

--------

The other had already gathered at the hangar by the time Zarene arrived. Flight Commander Carlon intercepted her first, datapad in hand. He showed her the screen, pointing at various colored spots on a map of the area. "There's some good cloud cover here. We can descend quickly and approach the destination low. Four fighters in front, four in the back."

Zarene nodded as Carlon continued. "Shuttle B can split off once we're in the clouds and proceed to the landing zone here," He pointed at a small clearing in a forested are, "While Shuttle A goes to the fortress."

"Yes, I think that will do. Thank you." Carlon quickly moved off towards the fighters, waving and barking orders at the hangar crew, as Zarene continued walking towards where the other Sith were waiting. She approached Xerron first, giving him a slight nod to acknowledge his presence. "You found your instructions clear, I hope? Remember, kill no one until signaled." Given how kill-happy many of the Sith were, she found it appropriate to reemphasize that last point.

She passed by Koeing Turion next. He had requested to be the one to speak in the talks, and as far as Zarene was concerned, he was welcome to it. Her only worry was that he would attempt to make concessions. She would have to stop, and it wouldn't look good. But on the other hand, perhaps the excellent negotiation skills that he claimed he had would convince Droknel to surrender without a fight. Not likely, but it was still possible.

"You can stop griping, because your child commander is here. Now would our senior diplomat like to board the shuttle?" She tried not to let it bother her. There were many in the Order who treated her with disdain because of her youth. Koeing was just one more. Age and ability don't always correlate, she thought to herself. Some of us have had to grow up faster than others.

Zarene's face was expressionless as she boarded the shuttle, betraying no emotion. But inside, she was nervous, on-edge. She had been on numerous missions for the Sith before, but this one was the most important. They're watching, and how this one is dealt with could influence all our future relationships with them. No pressure. Maybe she'd have time for a few breathing exercises while the shuttle was in flight.

[Rugs]

Thankfully, it didn't take long for the others to start arriving. Nieraan might have had a problem if it had. Unsurprisingly, the first to arrive was Koeing, along with his student. Nieraan spared his fellow Firrerreo a quick glance as the pair came into the hangar bay, but his focus then shifted to the Twi'lek that was with him. As was his habit, he prodder around her presence lightly in the Force, feeling her out. There wasn't much to say, really; she was obviously the student out of the duo. She felt weaker than Koeing, who himself was a round Nieraan's level. Maybe a bit stronger.

For now, Nieraan told himself as he quietly observed from where he was leaning against the shuttle.

Koeing and Xerron exchanged some words. Nieraan didn't pay much attention to what was said or why--the tone was enough to tell there weren't exactly companionable things being said.

It didn't take Koeing long to find his way over to Nieraan. "I look forward to working with you Onin,", the elder Firrerreo said. Nieraan nodded. He was preferable to Xerron and the half-trained girl, at least. "Should be interesting, now if our child commander could tear herself from a mirror maybe we could get this mission underway."

Nieraan snorted softly through his nostrils and chuckled under his breath. "I'm sure Yin'll be along soon. She's not one to keep things held up."

Briefly his yellow eyes flicked to Koeing's green. I wonder... There had been some apparent disdain in Koeing's voice. If he remembered the briefing right, both Koeing and Zarene were supposed to be handling the talks once they got the surface. Wonder how he feels about Zarene.... or if that might get in the way once we get down there.

He sure as hell wouldn't complain if some personality conflict made things a bit more fun for him.

Soon enough, Zarene arrived. Apparently she'd heard what Koeing said. Nieraan chuckled as he unfolded his arms from over his chest and stood up straight. Yeah, this might be fun after all.

Zarene got a curt nod from him. He respected her well enough; he'd worked with her a few times, and knew shew as capable.

Then he turned to the shuttle and started walking up to it, not really caring if either of them wanted to be the first on board. The party was gathered, and he was itching to get to the surface.

[kreyopresny]

((Made a nice img of Droknel, thought I'd share))


Droknel drained the last of the wine from the goblet, and allowed it to hang loosely in his hand as the serving girl scurried up and reclaimed it, slipping behind a tapestry to shuttle it back to... to wherever the hell the servants did their thing. He was aware that the service corridors crisscrossed the palace, interweaving throughout it's structure which delved deep into the mountain it was built on\from, far deeper in fact, than anyone suspected. However he'd never deigned to go inside, and had no idea how they were laid out or connected, save that their had been painted a line of yellow areas near where the floor met the wall to designate emergency evacuation routes.

As he pondered this, his gaze still fixed on the tapestry which concealed the passageway without actually seeing it, the marshal of his personal guard appeared at his right. Most likely he had walked right up the side of the room, but somehow he always seemed to remain just outside of notice until he was right on top of you. He was adorned similarly to all his other guards, and was impossible to identify by face due to the grotesque armored mask they wore. However, he was easily distinguished by the red epaulettes at his shoulders which matched the tassels on the helmet, and the rare black-hilted GenoHaradan poison blade. A prize of Droknel's collection which he had bestowed on the officer. A superior weapon for a superior soldier.

Leaning down, the marshal whispered into Lord Droknel's ear, to which the lord replied,
"Very good marshal, I trust you've prepared the... contingencies we spoke of?" The unseeing, unflinching black eyes of that dark mask bored into their Lord a moment, before nodding once in affirmation.
"Excellent, and your men are patrolling the surrounding forests and valleys?" Again the masked head nodded, then touched right fist to chest in a quick salute, a movement the four stoic guards surrounding the throne mirrored, then the marshal took his leave, disappearing as quickly and silently as he had appeared.

[Deleted]

He simply laughed at the comment made by Zarene, she would learn eventually. Shaking his head now he walked across the room to Varulla, his right hand rose then rested on her respective shoulder then he nodded to her. "Through Victory, our chains are broken. Be safe." He removed his hand then strode across the room to join Zarene and Nieraan in the shuttle that would make its way to the surface, slowly the feeling of adrenaline began to rise in him and he couldn't wait to get down to the surface.

Inside the shuttle Koeing moved into a corner and sat down on the floor to meditate while they made their way to the surface. "Zarene, i do hope things go well, should Droknel decide to attack instead of listen to reason the three of us will be surrounded most likely. I'm sure he'll make sure his most elite are in the same room with us, it does not seem like he is so much of a fool to leave himself unprotected."

Closing his eyes now Koeing shifted into a meditation trance delving into the force, listening for and seeking ripples in it to make sure there are no disturbances in the force he should be aware of. He found nothing as of yet, however once they arrived on the surface he would make sure to keep his senses open in case something went wrong or danger fell upon Varulla.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

"Through Victory, our chains are broken. Be safe."

Though Var didn't show it, the touch on her shoulder was electric. Every time Koeing made physical contact it felt special, a strange combination of feelings always mixed together. She was pleased at the touch, but often tinged with slight alarm. Alarm that she might reveal the way his touch affected her. He couldn't know so she cherished those moments furtively, hiding behind her usual facade of cool confidence and pretending as if it meant nothing.

That was what was expected of her. Being controlled, being skilled. Not being a silly little girl entertaining affections for her master. On the occasions when she thought about it that way, she realized just how poorly it would reflect on her. And she highly doubted anyone in the Sith Order would be understanding. She kept her private life, such as it was, private. And that was all for the best.

She didn't follow Koeing with her eyes as he went into the shuttle with Zarene and Nieraan. Instead she stared at the human she was forced to team up with, again gritting her teeth at the boring side of the mission she was being shuffled off to. Oh she imagined Zarene especially would deliver a lecture about how vitally important it is to go land in the woods away from everything important then wait in the shadows for hours while the other three sit on comfortable furniture sipping tea. Var would have preferred dying before being buried.

It felt trivial. The Twi'lek Initiate was going to hate every minute of it.

Reluctantly she walked over to Xerron, and silently hoped the man wasn't a total ass like so many of the Sith were. They were going to have a long night of dreary waiting to go through together, and she had the distinct impression there wouldn't be much talking involved.

Really there wasn't any reason to talk at all. She really had no desire to be sociable or friendly. Outside of her master and Donnie, the pilot she'd worked with on a mission to Ziost, she really didn't talk to anyone. She was quiet, and she kept to herself. The way she always had.

There was no reason to change that now, so she simply stood near him, arms folded. Waiting. He was maybe five years older and a few inches taller, and he was also obviously the leader among the two. It wasn't as if anyone really expected leadership ability out of Var anyway. She was always in the role of follower. Unenthusiastic follower in this case.

Her eyes did the talking for her anyway, most of the time. They were large, green, and extremely expressive. At the moment they were hovering between pissed off and bored. Hardly a pleasurable sensation. And it was most definitely clear she had no interest in, or desire for, talking.

[sparrow]

Zarene sat down, buckled up, as the shuttle lifted off, following the fighters out of the hangar. She closed her eyes, breathed in and out slowly through her nose. In and out. In and out. Then Koeing spoke, and her eyes snapped back open.

"You hope things go well?" she responded, with just a touch of incredulity in her voice. "You hope? You want to be the face on the diplomatic front and you hope it goes well?"

She leaned back in her chair slightly. Her foot resting on the edge of the seat, she folded her hands over her knee. "But you do have a point. He'll have the advantage inside his own fortress." That was the most uncertain part of the whole plan. There would be reinforcements, but they would take time to arrive. They would have to hold out until then, in hostile territory with no path of retreat. Win or die. "He has numbers on his side, but he's never faced down a real sith before. He doesn't know what we can do."

"Besides, it gets us closer the Droknel. We might be surrounded, but he won't be able to run away."

The pieces were moving on the board, both sides attempting to maneuver into the best position. It wasn't that she wasn't worry, it was that she would not allow herself to show it. And they were committed now, so what good would it do anyways? Sometimes you had to appear to trap yourself in order to gain the advantage. Give something up in order to gain something potentially much more valuable. Now that was negotiation.

[kreyopresny]

Droknel sat on his throne drumming his fingers against the armrest in time to some melody in his head. Finally, another member of his house guard arrived and knelt in front of the dais, his fist against his chest in salute.

"My lord, a shuttle has been detected on approach, your guests should arrive soon." Droknel sat up with interest, relieved of the boredom of waiting. He replied,

"Excellent. Alert Captain Granth, I want a detail of his men flanking the corridor here in the hall. A bit of a show of arms before we move somewhere more... comfortable for negotiations." By which of course he meant better defended, the small receiving room of his grand hall was lined with bookshelves that concealed 3 small rooms each of which held 5 of his personal guard, as well as another concealing a stairway to the lower tunnels that he could use as an escape route.

"Any word yet on how many of them are coming?"

"No specifics, but we believe there will be at least two." Droknel nodded and waved over the wine girl. She stopped just to the side of his throne, and he placed a bejeweled hand on her wrist,

"Prepare the receiving room for at least four guests, wouldn't wish to insult our honored commanders." The last two words dripped with malice as he spat them out. His preparations complete, he dismissed both the soldier and the girl, and settled back into his chair.

[Cirith An'Gol]

Captain Granth sighed, it had been a very long day thus far. Putting up with that pompous fool Droknel was wearing on his nerves. As expected the Sith noble had dismissed him as if he had been a bother. He might change his tune once he meets a true Sith Lord. I still remember the last idiot that pissed off one of them. It took me a month to clean the stains off of my uniform Granth thought as he walked to his squad's briefing room to give them the latest updates to security patrols. Droknel was thinking that he was going to take these Sith easily just because he had plenty of men.

He was wasting men by sending them out into the forests and valleys. The real threat would come from inside the grounds itself. Just then he received a communique and received last minute orders.

He growled in irritation at them and the line went off with a click. When he got there his men were assembled already, as he approached they gave him stiff but, respectful salutes. "At ease men" Granth said with a sigh as he closed the sound proofed door and rubbed his aching head "I just got word that the Sith are on their way. Lord Droknel in his infinite wisdom has decided to use us as show pieces for his guests. We are to be stationed in the hallway as they approach in a show of arms. He expect the Sith are going to be impressed, and they will be but, in a different way than he expects. If our employer is as big of a fool as I think he is, he's going to lose his temper and cry like a baby but, we won't be there to hold his hand this time. His head rests cleanly on his own shoulders this time."

His men looked to each other in confusion then back at him, awaiting his next words. Granth continued on unhindered by the confused looks he was getting "If Droknel orders an attack on these Sith, surround him but, do not fire. Wait for my command. Other than that, do as he says, stick to your duties and your schedules but, I want everyone at my side in the throne room when they meet. Are we clear?" Everyone in the room nodded their heads though one trooper stepped out and turned to him "Uh..sir, what if the Sith turn on us after Droknel is taken care of? If he's taken care of?"

Granth looked at him like he was an idiot "then defend yourselves ofcourse but, our loyalty remains with the Empire, not it's nobles. We are theirs to command ultimately, everyone else is just a stepping stone. Including me." With that he dismissed his men, which immediately saluted him. He knew they were tense and nervous, he was too. These Sith had seemed to spring up from out of no where, and it was anybody's guess as to what would happen when the meeting got under way.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Xerron looked up a few minutes later as the hangar doors opened to admit their fearless leader, the apprentice of Lady Renata, Zarene Yin. He watched as the others got out of the shuttle and joined Zarene in another shuttle. Koeing stopped for a moment to wish his apprentice good luck, and he felt the response that it triggered more than saw it. Other than a mild turn of the head to stare at him, Varulla didn't move. He was grateful that she tried to hide her reactions from everyone, it meant she knew how serious the consequences were if someone found out.

He wouldn't be the one to let the council masters know though, he was no snitch or suck up. After Koeing walked down the ramp, he greeted Yin and walked with her and Nieeran into their own shuttle.

After a moment Varulla came to stand beside him, arms folded.
Xerron looked up at her as he sat in their shuttle, waiting for take off. "So, since I'm supposed to look after you. We might as well get to know each others skill set. What are you proficient in? What is your primary lightsaber form for instance?" Xerron asked conversationally as the shuttle's loading ramp finally lifted into position and closed with a hiss.

A few minutes later their shuttle jerked slightly as it lifted off of the hangar bay floor. A second later he felt the shuttle start moving forward, and the feeling of the life aboard the Taipan gradually drifted away.

They were off.

[Rugs]

Nieraan remained standing once he was in the shuttle. He waited for Koeing and Zarene to enter and take their seats, and then settled in for the short ride a little ways away from them. Far enough to not be bothered as easily as seating next to them, but near enough to still be within earshot. Not that there was much room to get out of earshot in the shuttle's confines, or even that he was truly far away from them.

Still, he didn't feel like being bothered unless someone really wanted to talk to him. It wasn't that he couldn't be social--he could, when it suited him--he just didn't feel the need right now.

Fortunately for him, there was conversation to listen to as the shuttle lifted up from its supports and slipped out of the Taipan's bay and into the vacuum. Zarene and Koeing still didn't get along. Or Zarene took issue with something Koeing said. Nieraan grinned at the window in spite of himself as he leaned back in the thinly-padded seat and stretched his legs out. This whole thing might turn out better than I thought if those two keep up like this. He probably shouldn't have hoped they did. But not being supposed to do anything rarely stopped Nieraan from doing it.

The trip to the surface was short. Nieraan kept his attention on the window for most of it, happy to be left in relative peace and watching as Sernpidal's dusty features grew ever nearer.

Once they broke the atmosphere, the shuttle zoomed along over a vast plain, though it was covered with dust and dirt and rock, rather than the rolling grasses it seemed should have been sprawled across it. Further on the ground dropped out sharply into a ravine, and he swore he spotted some kind of tentacled beast in it as they passed overhead.

From there, mountains rose, and nestled high among them was Drakonel's estate. Looks more like a damn fortress, he mulled as they circled wide over it and started to go down for a landing.

As the shuttle finished touching down, Nieraan stood up and stretched, loosening up joints and muscle before idly checking the trio of sabers that hung from his waist. He desperately hoped to use them today, but that would all rest on the negotiating skill of Koeing and Yin. And how much Drakonel would be willing to bow to their demands.

"Here we are," he muttered, stating the obvious as he glanced out of the window one last time. A few guards were making their way out to the landing area. The welcoming party, no doubt. Nieraan grunted softly under his breath as he waited for them to disembark. "Guess this is the part where I smile and nod and keep my mouth shut." What a joy that would be.

"'Til someone craps the bed and it all goes to hell, anyway."

[Deleted]

He stayed quiet deep in meditation on their short trip to the surface of Sernpidal, soon as he felt the shuttle touch down he pulled out of the trance and stood he stretched out his joints as Nieraan did then looked to Zarene. He nodded to her then pulled his clawed gloves from within the folds of his robes and slipped them on, afterwards he checked his two lightsabers and tapped at the glowing blue shards of crystal on his belt, satisfied everything's in it's place he walked to the end of the shuttle and waited for the ramp to lower.

Once it had the guards who seemed to be the welcoming party stood at the end of the ramp awaiting their Sith guests. Guests.. He laughed as he thought to him self, the idea is ludacrous that they would be considered guests, more like the wardens of this prison come to make sure the inmates weren't plotting an escape.

He waited for Zarene and Nieraan to join him about midway down the ramp before he continued, however the impatient guards seemed to be eyeing his lightsabers. If they dared to ask the three of them to give up their lightsabers then he knew Droknel had something in store for them, if they didn't well then maybe Droknel really is a fool. Shaking his head he looked back at the two impatiently awaiting to get started, he couldn't wait to meet this aristocrat face to face and show him just how foolish his rebellion is.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

"So, since I'm supposed to look after you. We might as well get to know each others skill set. What are you proficient in? What is your primary lightsaber form for instance?"

Var scoffed. Look after her? She'd always been looking after herself. From the moment she'd first become a slave she'd had only herself to rely on, and she'd shouldered the heavy burdens forced upon her. What she took for granted was the kind of background that could have broken many other people. She had no one else to rely on. Other people could betray you, they could fail you. It was her own two hands she could rely on, her own will.

She didn't need anyone to 'look after' her. Her improbably green eyes said that much, and more.

"Shii Cho, and some Shien and Djem So," the Twi'lek answered as she lowered herself into her seat on the shuttle, fastening the crash webbing in the unlikely event the craft went down. "And I don't need any 'looking after.' I can handle myself just fine. You just do your job and I'll do mine. Not that it matters."

Var swept her lekku, her head tails, over her shoulders to avoid them from being pinched against the sear.

"They'll probably have us both waiting in the woods for hours doing nothing."

[Cirith An'Gol]

"Attention!" Captain Granth shouted as his men lined either side of the hallway and got into position. At his barking order, his men immediately snapped to attention and straightened their backs as they stiffly saluted the Sith that had just arrived.

Captain Granth joined his men on the right side of the hallway and followed suit a moment later. When Lord Droknel arrived, he'd lose the salute and follow to his left like the good little puppy he was dismissed as. For now though, he only awaited the pompous jerk's appearance.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Xerron nodded, her skills would suffice, though her attitude needed some adjusting "your lightsaber skills will suffice then but, don't be so quick to scoff at our assignment, brat. If things go wrong in there, which I expect they will, we are the only ones that will have the time to deal with any of Lord Droknel's fortress defenses. The lives of our team mates are literally in our hands" he said clenching his fist tightly, restraining the urge to throttle her for her ungratefulness and lack of respect for her superiors.

"Not that I think they can't handle themselves but, even skilled fighters can be killed by numbers, which Droknel has. Show some appreciation child, you think every Initate gets a chance like this?" The berating dealt out, he shifted slightly to counter balance their shuttle's sudden turn.

Briefly looking out the window, he saw the dusty appearance of Sernpidal fill the window. The interior began to heat up once they reached the outermost layers of the planet's atmosphere. The ship rocked back and forth up and down as it crashed against each atmospheric layer before finally becoming still as they broke through the last layer and punched through the clouds. The engines suddenly quieted as the ships camouflage generator's activated, turning the ship invisible and rendered radar useless.

Again the shuttle adjusted it's course, flying for the mountains somewhere ahead of them where Lord Droknel's estate lay. Their shuttle dipped lower still, under scanning range, though they could still be picked up by visual scanning through thermal binoculars but, that couldn't be helped now.

"I use Shii-Cho, Jarkai and the backhanded form, I also have the ability to render myself invisible visually and in the Force. I hope you have some skill in stealth, otherwise this is going to be a long trip" Xerron said to her, returning his attention to the Twi'lek. A few minutes later, they landed on the outskirts of Lord Droknel's property, effectively hidden by the surrounding forest, the shuttle's cloak, and it's foliage. Xerron stood up then and gathered his two lightsabers into his hand before descending the ramp and using the force to cloak himself visually, effectively disappearing into the shadows outside.

He left his force signature up, so that she could track his movements and follow him through the forest. Their first objective would be to scout out some places to hole up until the inevitable action started, somewhere near enough that they could see what was going on but, high enough and covered enough to allow them to use it, and remain inconspicueous.

After about fifteen minutes of wandering their surroundings, Xerron spotted such a place. It was a rather large tree that had been cut by lightning, the top half lay on the ground at an angle but, the bottom half lay firmly planted in the ground, behind that lay a large boulder that might have at one time been part of a larger natural formation of some kind, or possibly an ancient wall. The tops of some of the trees behind the rock made a nice over hang too, and the shadow there was dark enough to hide in. It also gave a spectacular view of the grounds, and was high enough to see over the walls and the palace grounds beyond. Agile as a Wookiee on Kashyyyk, Xerron scaled the trunk of the first half of the tree, before Force Jumping up to the top of the rock, all the mean while keeping himself cloaked visually.

He'd spotted a few sentries as he had searched for the right spot but, up here on top of the boulder, he could see a lot more. He smiled "this might actually be fun" he said more to himself than anyone. He quickly got a basic layout of the area, directly ahead of them looked like the security station, if the big intimidating force field gate was anything to go by that was letting patrols in and out as they completed their shifts. To the right of them, several hundred yards away, lie the entrance to the fortress and the landing pad.

To the left lay more wall, more troops and more mountainous terrain and wall. All along the wall anti-air turrets rose up, centered on their individual towers, lined and spaced evenly at every twenty feet or so. Smaller turrets lined to either side of their bigger brothers, stood at about five feet between each AA battery. From the looks of things, it looked like an air tight defense but, it wasn't. There were considerably more troops outside the gate and fence, than inside.

He calmly waited for Var to join him as he silently worked out a plan in his head.