Friends in Very Low Places [Gamorr]

[Rugs]

Jazen Cassy

Io’an’s alarm jerked him from a fitful rest. The Augur Hawk still cruised through hyperspace, blue and white tunnels strangely soothing. He’d dozed off some time ago, to sleep haunted by nightmares of the Basilisk’s twisted, tortured corpse. He got lost in its endless tunnels, perverted by the Archeri’s presence.

Cornered. Nowhere to run as the monsters surrounded him.

”Why do you resist, Marked One?” The voice whispered in the back of his mind as he stood, coughing. ”The Chorus welcomes you. You need only raise your voice...”

Io’an ignored the voice. It came and went at its leisure, and he’d yet to find a way to shut it out completely. He refused to let it draw him into conversation. Instead, he took off his sweat-soaked T-shirt and started searching for another when something caught his attention and gave him pause.

He drew nearer to the small mirror opposite his bed. If he tilted his head just right, he thought he could see a faint violet ring forming around his sea-green eyes. He frowned at the thought and turned away to start getting dressed. There was tough work ahead.

---

The Augur Hawk dropped out of hyperspace as Io’an emerged from his room, wearing the form-fitting body sleeve that his armored suit would go over later. He’d spent most of the trip in there, letting Forte man the controls. The... mercenary? enforcer? was something of an enigma to Io’an. He was a part of the Exchange, by all rights, but Io’an hadn’t seen him around the Eye much since he, Qiki and the rest of the gang moved in. He’d heard the name in passing a time or two aboard the Soothesayer but nothing more.

Forte was Force-sensitive, at least. So too was the other woman, this Novos, who was coming along to help on the mission. Another enigma.

“Seems like we made it,” Io’an said, joining Jazen in the cockpit. He’d pulled a surgical mask onto his face, bands wrapped behind his pointed ears. They still weren’t entirely sure how the plague spread from person to person, or if it could, so every precaution had to be taken.

Gamorr and its two moons awaited before them, silent in the pitch black of space. Io’an swallowed hard. The Archeri had taken the world already. His senses, over-attuned by way of the plague, felt an alien presence shrouding the world like dense fog.

A message reached the Soothesayer some days ago. A Gamorrean warlord had sheltered deep below the ground in his jungle highlands hold when the Archeri struck the world. The warlord had, somehow, survived the invasion and offered all the information he had to anyone who’d rescue him from the fallen world.

The thought of going to a world fallen to the Archeri made Io’an’s stomach twist in knots, but intel on the Archeri remained frustratingly short. Lidah had allowed him to take her personal transport.

He’d promised to do his best to get it back in one piece.

“What do you think about all this?” Io’an asked. Off in the distance, if he squinted enough, he thought he could see a ruined warship spinning slowly through space. “I’m hoping we can get in, find the guy and get out. But I don’t like this.”

[Jazen]

Blue and white light soon faded once more to the blackness of space and as the Augur Hawk removed itself from the lanes of hyperspace far from the planet that was their destination. Jazen, armored from head to toe as normal in his pseudo Mando'ade armor, casually flicked switches and dials to bring the ship to normal speed as the planet in the distance slowly grew larger with every passing second. It hadn't taken long to get used to the controls of Lidah's personal vessel, as Jazen was familiar with its layout and schematics. That the man Lidah had offered it to for this mission had left him to handle it the whole way was a surprise however.

Jazen felt the man before he even heard him enter the cockpit, his head barely turning to acknowledge him as he watched the sensors and focused on his own senses. They were in enemy territory now and though the Auger Hawk was a great vessel, they likely didn't want to have a conflict in it unless they had too.

"Did you doubt we would?" He asked casually back as he adjusted their speed a bit more. Not too fast, not too slow. They were after all trying to time this right. The surgical mask didn't surprise him; Jazen was constantly in his armor himself whenever they were dealing with this "plague" that had taken over the galaxy. The suit was sealed and filtered and only in the safest of places did Jazen remove it himself.

"I think its a bad mission with low odds and a very real chance of none of us making it back." He admitted, focusing his senses outward, trying to sense if there was anything living in the immediate area or a warning from the Force that signaled they were about to be in danger. There was, thankfully, nothing at the moment. "But its the best chance we've had lately at getting solid intel on the Archeri forces, something we need if we intend to push back. Besides." His head tilted towards Io'an, the visor a dark, emotionless mask.

"I've had to sneak past worse for the Exchange. The advantage we have here is the Archeri have conquered this world; they won't be expecting anyone to be foolish enough to come at it. We just have to find a way to slip the net. Hopefully our third member of this party can assist us with an idea on that. Whenever she gets here that is."

And may the Force be with us, because this is going to be one heck of a dangerous mission for some fat pig of a warlord. Hopefully the intel he gives us is worth the risk.

//Left it kinda vague for Cassy to show up as she wishes! Whether on the ship or arriving on her own!

[Cassy]

"Join us...one of us...join us...one of us...welcome to the chorus.

These words seemed to echo in her mind the night before. Stalwart as she was, she was able to discern that the chorus could feel her back through the force as she could feel them. As she moved through hyperspace even, the connection was strong. Only with much concentration did she manage to block it off and get some rest. Sitting up as if she'd been startled awake once during the trip.

---------

As she finished getting dressed, she looked in the mirror. Brushing off concern for what had been nothing short of an invasion of Hutt Space. Where her childhood memories before the Jedi order lay. She wondered if gathering any kind of sample, of the Acheri would actually allow one side or the other to wipe them out in battle. The Empire, the Republic. She cared not which handled it. Only that she wanted it gone. From the stories she'd heard, and reports she'd confirmed herself in the last few weeks. These beings were. Deadly. Yet different in many ways than most.

Her reflection in the mirror drew mixed feelings from her, but mostly pride. She looked around her room, this ship. Reminded her of the Century Eagle her own. Although hers was a gunboat, and this one seemed a bit bigger. She thought upon her partners in this venture. The sephi, his pointed ears and feaures giving away his origin. The other, was in Mando armor of some form, although she wasn't too sure if he was truly one of them. She felt the force, radiating from him as well as the sephi. Although she herself was a member of clan Ordo on her mothers side, she kept that hidden for the most part so as not to inspire conflict for no reason. For now.

Grinning at herself as she'd transformed from a young bright eyed padawan, to a knight thrust into war, to a woman who'd backhanded and held a lightsaber blade to many a scum of the galaxy; she nodded at herself. Her clothing was almost that of a female "solo" look, although she carried a lightsaber on her leg and not a blaster.

Out of one of the windows, she saw the ship dropping out of hyperspace; so she grabbed a hold of a filtration mask she often wore on missions like this, and clipped it onto her belt just above her hips, as she stepped into the bridge area; her worn leather pants showing off her curves a bit; brown leather jacket a bit worn as well; with fingersless gloves on as well. Hair in a long braid; she commented on the last few things said as she moved into the room at the tail end of the conversation.

"I do in fact have an idea on that." she continued past them, as she sat in one of the seats; crossing her legs and facing them; lightsaber dangling with her movement on her leg. "I've been having dreams...whenever I'm near the Acheri at all...they seem to communicate through the force....with my Battle Meditation, I may be able to make them believe we're on of them...if we cruise in as normal and I project the power over not just the ship but in a vast area, we may be able to get by without having to even slow down that much." she looked away from them as she knew it was risky, but it was the best chance they had. Fooling them on the way in. She was a powerful telepath, but direct connection and then simulation of acheri even briefly was something she'd never tried before. However...she felt she could do it if she tried. She believed in the Force, and herself.

"I just need to connect once we get close enough...and we should be able to get by." she moved her hair behind her ear by habit, and in thought. Standing up, and putting her arms behind her back, she would lead on a hip standing; for balance as well as concentration. "Unless you boys have another plan that is....." she'd already figured out she was powerful enough to connect with the acheri, but implementing a powerful force technique such as this against them; was again new territory for her. Looking around at the two of them in silence, as she waited. If they agreed; she would close her eyes and let the force guide her.

She would connect with the planet itself, the last thing she saw before she closed her eyes. Any hearts, any minds. And then, she felt it. Like a shockwave of people having the same conversation. She tuned her mind to it, as her eyebrows would furrow a bit to the others. The force vibrating in the air around her a little. The conversation between them all was deafening, as they seemed to only want to spread; to spread, to expand. We return to the chorus, she echoed several times. Hundreds of times even through the same conversation as briefly the conversation on the entire planet seemed to stop, but then pick back up deafeningly, welcome to the chorus, they return to the chorus, welcome, spread, glory to the chorus, glory to the chorus she continued to channel telepathically as they would approach further into orbit and the planet itself.

Opening her eyes with several blinks as the vibration in the air around her ceased at once. She had sweat on her head and around her eyes a little. "I think we got in.... she said briefly as she moved to sit down, feeling a little woozy at the amount of voices that had just been in her head. Disoriented if anything. Spinning around to face the viewport of the bridge properly; she flicked on the navigation console parallel to Jazen to assist his inflight at all if she could; she had some piloting skill herself. Not as much as her HK droid who she'd left behind on Nar Shadaa. But average enough to handle entry. She couldn't help but be overwhelmed with thoughts of the Acheri now. If this was just one world...how large was their network....and the main ship...that superweapon she hoped she never saw unless it was being blown up. Just how many souls had joined them.

As soon as she thought things were ok, a huge shockwave of force energy hit her in the mind; and caused her to pass out. Arm going limp in the chair, as she wouldn't even respond if you shook her.

Voices now boomed in her mind, like ping pong balls. The Ricochet and echo effect was strong as the voices seemed to have breached Cassy's mind once again as they continued to get closer and closer to the planet now.

[Rugs]

Io’an frowned, brow slightly furrowed. “No,” he said quietly. “I just... saw we were here.” The other presence onboard stirred. Io’an turned back in time to see Cassandra arriving in the cockpit and greeted her with a nod.

Forte’s assessment was grim and did little to quell the unease settling in Io’an’s gut. But he couldn’t disagree. Infiltrating a captured world and trying to slip some warlord out from under the Chorus’ nose? It seemed a mad dash to the grave.

But there was, perhaps one flaw in Forte’s analysis.

“If any one of them sees us, they’ll all know we’re here,” he said. His grip tightened against the back of the co-pilot’s seat, leather straining as his fingers dug into it. He closed his eyes, pressing down a wave of nausea that threatened to topple him. “They’re all connected -- one to all.”

And they may already know we’re here. He wasn’t sure if the cold sweat prickling on his brow was from fear or the plague. Probably both.

Cassandra spoke then, offering to use her Battle Meditation. Io’an started to speak to warn against it as memories of his first mental contact with the Chorus raced to the fore. But it was too late.

He felt her presence spread out. Io’an withdrew his own, just slightly, to avoid making contact. Maybe if the Chorus’ didn’t contact her through him it would help. A few moments passed in stressful silence as he watched Cassandra carefully, warily.

“I think we got in,” she said.

No forces had appeared to stop them. No fighters screamed up from orbit to meet them. That was a blessing--Thel had put countless hours into upgrading the Augur Hawk and Io’an didn’t want to return a damaged ship. Perhaps it had worked?

But Cassandra suddenly went limp, her presence fading slightly. Io’an swore under his breath and reached down to check her pulse. It was there, of course.

“Knocked out,” he said. “Get us to the ground. I’ll get a med kit.”

He hurried to the back of the ship as he felt it accelerate beneath his feet. The medbay was overstocked for this mission, by way of preparation for potential plague exposure. Not that anything could cure it, as Io’an was painfully aware. But medicine could at least soothe the symptoms.

Some of them, anyway.

“She is a fool to think to trick the Chorus,” the voice whispered in the back of this head. “Yet even she must see the truth of us, to offer up her song. Why, Marked One, do you resist?”

“Go away,” Io’an muttered through gritted teeth.

He returned to the cockpit some minutes later with a stim pack and some liquids. It’d be enough to help Cassandra back onto her feet.

Gamorr’s jungles sprawled below, covering a low mountain range. Io’an could feel the life on the planet smothering his senses. It’d been some time since he’d visited a world so packed with natural life. Not since Ylesia.

“There’s our stop,” he said pointing to a stone fortress perched atop one of the mountain peaks. Big purple crystals stuck from it like giant needles in a pin cushion. Some of the walls had been blown away. Even from the sky, Io’an could see a pale powder covering the ground like snow.

“I’ll need to finish suiting up before we get out,” he said crouching as he stuck the stim needle into Cassandra’s arm. “Make sure your suit’s sealed.”

[Jazen]

Unlike his two allies, Jazen had not been affected by the plague that the Archeri could inflict on others. Mainly because Lidah had first encountered them and warned her young warriors about the seriousness of doing so, but even without her warning, Jazen found himself unnerved by the Archeri. He didn't try to connect to them; thankfully, his skills were better suited to other ways of approaching them.

When Cassandra finally joined them, Jazen turned his helmet briefly to her and gave a curt nod, before turning his focus back to the approaching planet. He was loose on the controls, ready to react at a moment's notice to any warning in the Force or via the ships sensors that they had been spotted and were about to come under attack. There was something about Cassandra though, something that reminded him of himself. He wasn't too familiar with her background, but she wielded a lightsaber with expert skill; if she still wasn't one currently, then she had been a Jedi at some point. And the way she held herself was very similar too; he held himself that way once he learned of his heritage eventually. Curious, curious.

"Nice of you to join us. Although I do not think connecting to them with the Force is perhaps the wisest of ideas." He turned to Io'an, a tilt of his helmet indicating he wasn't so sure about her plan. "I'm aware. But its a difficult task to avoid an entire planet full of eyes. Especially when we can't use the Force to distract and disguise ourselves. Still...there are ways, I suppose." Before either of them could argue against using her connection to get them in...well, she was already in. He silently cursed under his breath and pulled into himself, to avoid as much contact with her as possible. Good thing his former Master was quite good at that and Jazen had picked up the skill. He was a ghost. He focused his attentions on flying them in, since there was no going back now.

Long painful moments later, they were heading into the planet's gravity well and through its atmosphere. He heard Cassy sigh in relief, mention it had worked...and then promptly shuddered and passed out on the deck behind them with a hard thump. "Sithspawn..." he cursed before pushing the engines harder, getting them down to the planet as quick as possible, flying almost straight down and leveling out so he was below the radar level.

By the time Io'an was back with the med kit, they were hovering in for a landing in a dense forest, Jazen having spotted an opening big enough for him to wiggle in. It gave them pretty decent cover from above for sure and if they needed a quick exit, he could burst free easily enough without too much damage. It was a bit of a hike for sure to get to the fortress, but it would give them time to assess it if they approached. Powering down the engines quickly so the head signature faded as fast as possible, he spun in the seat to face him.

"Already is. It was the second I got on this ship." He glanced at Cassandra, who was regaining the color in her cheeks. Once she awoke, Jazen looked to the both of them, shrugging. "Alright, we're here. We're a couple of clicks away from the mountain, but I figured best not to take chances coming too close to it. No telling what's left there, the sensors are all confused when I ran a scan. Do we have any idea how to get to his hidden base? From the fortress or is there another way in, a back door that he would use to escape? What's the best plan of action here?"

[Cassy]

A chorus of voices. Seemed like they would never stop. For a moment she seemed like she was lost in some loud dream, mixed of vibrant colors and different plant like lifeforms. However it was almost like she couldn't really move around that much. In the next few moments, she felt herself gasp for air and sit up. She was still on the ship with Forte and Io'an.

"....That was not my best idea." she said with a small Tatooine accent behind her own normal voice as she sat up, looking out the main viewports, she could see that they had landed. The force was extremely alive here despite the planet supposedly falling to the acheri. Not wanting to get the plague herself, she would thank the two of them as she stood to her feet. Pulling a black metal object from her belt on her waist, she put it on her ear like an earpiece. Tapping it twice, it moved with nano-tech across her face into a mask in starlord-esque fashion. Making sure her fingerless gloves were on properly, she had her hair in a long ponytail from the back of the mask. She definitely didn't want to breath this atmosphere right now.

"The acheri are definitely here....I can hear them. If we have to fight, it's best we leave no survivors." the lost Ordo member said aloud. Her voice changed slightly by her mask. Holding her head briefly, she heard the chorus boom in her mind. However, she was able to push it back; strong as she was in the mental aspect of the force. However, it was something now that was beneath the surface. She felt it. Just how much of a mistake had she made connecting with them like that through Battle Meditation? She supposed only time would tell.

Lightsaber on her leg snug in it's holster, she would check her belt for everything she'd need. She had her grappling hook and holoscanner, and her saber. Not to mention some medical ointments and the like.

"This place definitely looks dangerous....maybe I should've brought my HK droid....." she said feeling kind of vulnerable without Lucky by her side. Although Forte was a good replacement. Turning without thinking and giving him a small endearing smile for some reason, his mandolorian armor made her feel comfortable around him for some reason. He must've been a half-blood like her, she felt the force from him earlier; although now it was like it wasn't there. Their kind weren't exactly accepting of force users or adepts of any kind. Maybe he just wore the armor for style, for use, or for fun. She'd have to ask him later.

Io'an on the other hand was quite the charmer, in his own way. She couldn't help but to want to ask him questions for some reason; but it would have to wait. Grabbing her long black cloak and hoodie that was worn from a few missions and bounties she'd been on, even a hole in it's cape area from blaster fire she would raise the hood. Now with a cloaked and hooded mask look, she would look to the two men and nod, signaling that she was ready to begin.

"If it comes to climbing or scouting, I did some training on the Wookie homeworld. I can use the force through my body in a few amazing ways, you should see me in the bedroom." she quipped as her voice was slightly radio-waved through the mask. Half joking, but half serious as she found adding levity to the air before something dangerous helped sometimes. She walked up to where she knew the ship ramp would lower and waited now, cracking her fingers a bit at her sides in anticipation.

"The best option is definitely going right up to the front door. Take out any guards as a distraction from the shadows, maybe with the Force. Then while they respond to that...we make our way in." with thousands of bounties under her belt now, she already had a plan for them and was already formulating one should they need to escape. Ever the planner, she shrugged. "Or not...if that's too risky for you boys." one thing she was, was a risk taker. If they hadn't learned that about her already.

[Rugs]

“I hope, for your sake then, that your internal air supply holds up,” Io’an said, standing as Cassandra stirred. If they ran into more of those spores — and from what Io’an saw as they passed the fortress from overhead, they blanketed the ground — filters wouldn’t get the job done. His gaze flickered to Cassandra as she spoke and activated a breath mask. All the more important that we move quickly, he thought. No matter how sophisticated the mask, the spores always overwhelmed them, with alarming alacrity.

He was already infected — that, ironically, gave some relief about worrying over his own safety. It did little to ease his concern over his companions.

Io’an turned his attention outward, to the jungle that’d swallowed the Augur Hawk as they set down. He wished Forte had set the ship closer to the fortress, but he understood the other man’s caution.

“I doubt it’ll be a matter of if we have to fight,” he said solemnly. “This is their world now. It’s best to assume they know we’re here.” Between his infection and Cassandra willingly making contact, well, that seemed a given.

“The question is, how will they react? They could have a force bearing down on us already but... I don’t think they do.” Io’an stretched out through the Force. He was slowly growing used to the too-sharp senses he’d developed since the exposure on Ylesia. That too-familiar alien presence enshrouded Gamorr like a heavy fog. If he concentrated he thought he could feel them, skittering in the shadows. But was a fleeting thing. Tricks of the mind, perhaps.

The Force seemed to flow more fully through him in general now. He wasn’t sure what to do with it. At times it threatened to overwhelm him fully, like a pipe straining at the joints against a discharge it wasn’t designed to carry.

"If it comes to climbing or scouting, I did some training on the Wookie homeworld, Cassandra said. "I can use the force through my body in a few amazing ways, you should see me in the bedroom."

Io’an rose, empty stimulant shot needle still in hand. He sighed heavily through his nose, pushing down a spike of irritation, and glanced at Forte, shrugging. “I’d rather not, personally,” he said flatly as he turned to leave the cockpit to finish donning his suit. “I cannot speak for him though.”

He joined Cassandra and Forte a few minutes later, wearing the custom voidsuit Lidah had given him for the raid on the agri-station all those months ago. It’d served him well since then, on Ylesia and aboard the Basilisk. If only he hadn’t removed the helmet to retch in the bowels of Weeping Falls, he might not be sick.

If only, if only...

“We can scout the place out once we get there,” he said as the ramp descended. “We haven’t received much in the way of intel on the place, other than that our Warlord is in the basement.” He checked his weapons--lightsaber and disruptor pistol, with extra ammunition stored on packs around his waist. A dull roaring drew his gaze skyward and he looked up to see glimpses of a small fighter, violet and crystalline, flying overhead. It seemed to be heading elsewhere.

“Whatever we do, we don’t need to waste time,” he said. “From what we know, every Archeri is Force sensitive. We won’t escape if this turns into a prolonged battle.”

[Jazen]

"It'll hold. I brought a couple of extra tanks, just for that. Comes in handy if I need a sudden explosion too and I'm out of options. But I thank you for your concern." Jazen addressed Io'an as Cassy prepared herself after her ordeal in orbit. She seemed okay, and if her cheery aura was enough to go on, not phased from it at all. Perhaps that meant she'd hadn't been infected via her dangerous idea. One could hope. The last thing they needed was to all be turned into giant signals for their enemies, and trying to avoid going mad and surrendering to the call. Or so it had been described to him.

"I can think of one or two people I would have loved to brought if it came to a fight. But I believe we'll do. Calm, quiet and effective...we want to get in and out, as opposed to a long drawn out battle. Probably best you didn't bring the droid; if things hit the fan, he'd likely be the one that would have to hold them off while we got out."

They were all gearing up so Jazen did a quick inventory. Both his extra air tanks and his main one were fully fueled and ready for use. His filters had been changed, which would provide him with some protection for a while. His suit was sealed and ready. Both blasters at his hips were in place, his lightsaber stored in the hidden compartment on his lower back. Jet pack fuel full. Wrist gauntlets fully set with a series of tools and tricks he might need. He had some blasting gel in case they ran into something they had to burst open. Grenades, check. Flame fuel at fuel. His belt had all the little other tools he might need. And as they headed for the door, he grabbed his blaster rifle and checked its supply. Extra charges were already in his belt. He could be, if needed, quite the wrecking crew.

As the ramp hit the ground, Jazen gave Cassy a look; if she could see past his visor at her teasing, she'd see the dead pan stare he was giving her. About as dead pan as his empty T-visor staring at someone. Well. At least she was in high spirits. That was good to have.

"I have to agree with him. Apologies." Thump thump thump down the ramp to the ground they went, were the thump became dull in the grass beneath their feet. An interesting world, this planet. He had to adjust the suit's internal temperature though; those ugly pigs liked heat and this planet was boiling. "As they would say, our best approach if a battle comes is run and gun. Don't let them pin us down. After all, it would be an entire planet coming down on us. I don't think I brought enough to fight that many." The ship ramp closed with a dull thud behind them, the ship going into lockdown while they were gone.

"I'll take point. Io'an, take the rear, watch our six. Cassy, bring up the middle. If we encounter anyone, we make the call quick whether to avoid them or remove them fast. ANd if we do remove them, we will have to move fast. I'm sure they'll sense it and come running." Adjusting his HUD for the heat around them, he started off towards the fortresses, his helmet showing a NAV point he had linked to the ship's when they had arrived to orient them in the right direction. They couldn't see much past the trees above them, but that was good as well. It meant they would be hard to spot, especially in their darker clothing. Letting out a sigh, he lifted his rifle and kept it at the ready.

They were in the thick of it now. And although he kept his presence small, pulled in, he allowed the Force to reach out a bit ahead of him, trusting Io'an to sense anything coming from the rear. Hopefully that would be enough. Good thing they weren't all lacking in stamina...it was going to be a bit of a walk.

[Rugs]

The trek was an unpleasant thing, even in its nascent stages. Io’an grit his teeth and forced himself up the uneven, muddy terrain and more or less kept pace with the group. He wondered how far he could go without calling on the Force for aid.

On a normal day he could manage, silent complaining aside, but he’d not had a normal day since Ylesia. And the infection wasn’t showing any sign of improving. For a few long minutes, as the group wandered on and up and silence, he considered activating an injector that’d been added during the long, dreadful days aboard the Soothesayer. A dosage of military-grade stimulants--it turned out being part of a criminal empire provided access to some interesting supplies--would be more than the kick he needed to get through the journey.

No he told himself. It would be best to save that. Who knew what awaited once they finally reached the ruined old fortress.

What are we going to do if we have to make a quick escape? He glanced back the way they’d come. The Augur Hawk was hidden, long since swallowed by the jungle.

“So, what do you do?” Io’an asked quietly, once the silence grew too much to bear. He switched his suit’s comm to Forte’s direct frequency, to keep their conversation hidden from Cassandra. “For Ms. Faine, I mean. I haven’t heard much of you, and I don’t think I’ve seen you at the Eye.”

That wasn’t saying much, he supposed. The Exchange was a huge organization with agents, workers, and contacts spread across the Galaxy. And Io’an was, admittedly, new to the organization. Still, Forte’s name was a new one for him, even for people in Faine’s inner circle.

And so they went. Io’an kept his senses spread wide, caring little if the Archeri detected him. The Chorus already knew they were there, and the infection, to the best of his knowledge, precluded him from hiding away from the Chorus’ ever-unwanted voice.

He thought he could feel some, distant. A pensiveness filled the air, as though Gamorr itself were holding its breath for something.

Io’an decidedly did not like it.

Eventually, they reached a forest checkpoint. A stone bunker, grey and blocky, jutted out of a hillside that offered a commanding view of the jungle below. The door was jammed shut. Small puncture holes littered it, with the door’s thin metal bent in and blossoming out on the other side. They almost looked like slug holes.

But, no, were those faint traces of powder, mostly washed away by rain?

“What happened here?” Io’an wandered aloud as he stopped. “Might be worth a look.”

[Jazen]

For Jazen, the trek was little more then a slight discomfort. He had been to harsher worlds, with worst situations then now. And although he wasn't able to use the Force to seek outward, he was able to concentrate it inward, on himself. And lessons so long taught ago at the Jedi Temple were deeply ingrained in him, ways to fight off fatigue and minimize the stress on his body. Careful steps, careful planning of his route ahead, weary of things unseen; Jazen was doing his best to keep his body and mind ready for any combat to come. He wasn't sure how the other two were doing but Io'an looked like he was struggling, although not with the trek itself.

Being the lead, Jazen's attentions were forward, trusting the other two to watch the sides and rear that he could not. He casually glanced at his wrist, making sure it was still recording the route they took. If they needed to make a run for it, remembering the fastest path back could make all the world of difference.

The silence was broken by Io'an, who was suddenly inside Jazen's head. Not literally of course, he wouldn't be so dumb to use the Force for that now. No, from the sounds of it, he had switched to a private frequency to speak to him directly without Cass hearing them. How interesting; was there something he didn't want her to hear?

He considered his answer briefly, deciding what was right to tell this man he'd never really met, who was new. "I am a ghost." He said simply for a long moment, letting the words sink in before continuing. "I go out to attend to interests for the Exchange that a full sized force would be a waste. Handling sensitive matters for her when required and doing what is necessary so that those matters are wrapped up in favor of the Exchange. Places that normal lackeys would not be able to go. You've met the face of the Eye. I am its Shadow." More or less.

And thus the silence returned, long and forebording, until at last something new to the scenery appeared. A bunker, cold and grey, an unwelcome lump in the middle of mother nature. Damage to it indicated a fire fight, although one long past and Jazen stepped closer, eyeing the holes carefully. "Possibly. This door is heavily locked though. I might be able to open it with blast cord...but it would echo for miles. Or I could try using the Force to unlock it from inside. That carries its own weight of dangers. Any suggestions otherwise?"

He didn't see any other way into the thing, which made little sense. Most bunkers would have a back up way to escape from it, would they not? Bunker were meant to be defensible...not deathtraps with only one way in or out. "Shall we look around for another way in before we try the way that wakes up everything in this forest?"

[Rugs]

Io’an studied the heavy doors before them, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. If we were on the inside, I could open it up quietly, he thought. It shouldn’t be terribly difficult to slice into the bunker’s system. But there were, he realized with some glumness as he paced around its exteriors, no panels or connections he could use to secure access to a system.

And even if there were, slicing would have to assume the system hadn’t been damaged beyond repair during the invasion and that the power was still on. Glancing inside through the narrow piercings, it was hard to tell if that was the case.

That greatly reduced their options. They could look around, but with the thing built into the hillside — which only went up — Io’an was doubtful they’d find any other entrance, save some other bunkers. Those would likely be locked, as this one was.

“I’d bet they connect back to the fortress,” he muttered.

Forte was right in that an explosive could be heard from all over. The Force, though — Io’an didn’t figure that’d draw any more attention from the Chorus than they already had, with his infection and Cassy’s earlier attempt to reach out to them.

He lifted a gauntleted hand and pressed it against the metal door. The Force surged into him, more powerfully than he was used to. He grit his teeth as the sudden influx of power threatened to overwhelm him and channeled it out, toward the door.

A dusting of the powder rose into the air as the door shuddered and bent inward. The lock snapped with a metallic crack and next Io’an knew, the way in was clear.

He released the Force with heavy breaths and braced against the stone wall as a wave of nausea rolled over him. “I didn’t think that would be so...” Easy? He held up a trembling hand. “I’ve never done that with so little effort before.”

”You will see,” the voice whispered. ”The Chorus knows your song. You are only now learning the words.”

Drawing a deep breath, Io’an stood and peered inside. The bunker was dim, slipping to darkness as the light from the open doorway faded away. Pale powder coated the floor. Hew as reminded, suddenly, of the Weeping Falls laboratory.

He gulped.

“So...” he said. “We can go in there. It probably won’t be nice, and we can’t know for sure where it will lead. But, if it does go to the fortress, that might give us a quieter way in than going through the front door. Or we can keep going up the hill.” Either way, trouble seemed inevitable. He turned to Forte, waiting for his opinion.

[Jazen]

"They no doubt do. Perhaps a kind of escape route or defensible position that can be abandoned if needed. Blow something to close off the tunnel that leads back to the fortresses and force the attackers to continue through the bush."

Jazen answered Io'an's muttering with his own, eyes sweeping the forest for any sign of trouble or a trap. The bunker looked secure, as if it hadn't been breached, but with the Archeri, that could simply mean the forces inside had been corrupted and willingly let people in. As places for traps go, the area wasn't the best for it at least. Plenty of cover to flee too, and they weren't heavily exposed here. Jazen hummed to himself as he considered options; thankfully, Io'an took the initiative on that one, moving up to the door and closing his eyes in concentration. The Force. A risky move for Io'an to undertake, what with each use of it tempting him to fall to the Archeri's embrace, but the man had a will, a strength of character that told he would not fall so easily.

Jazen had Cassy keep her eyes one way, while he watched the other, the normal sounds of a forest a welcome thing. It meant nothing was disturbing it; no enemies trucking through the trees to attack.

The crack made Jazen glance Io'an's way and he stepped over to the man, who seemed exhausted from his efforts. A gauntlet fell on his shoulder to support him if he stumbled and Jazen eyed the dim gloom within. "I may not agree with the Archeri's methods, but their boost to the connection in the Force has its uses. Collect yourself for a moment, then we'll move on." A few birds had flown away as a result of the crack of the door, but otherwise, the jungle remained quiet. Well, quiet for a jungle.

Jazen flicked on a light on his helmet and peered around the room within, noting quickly the fine layer of pale powder. So the Archeri had been this way and had left their mark behind. Thankfully all of them were sealed up tight; going through this route would not be a danger to them. Well them for sure; they were already infected. He was not. But he had taken all the proper precautions and stepping back outside for a moment, he eyed the hill, then the bunker. "They locked the door behind them. They do not expect us or anyone to be able to follow so easily, not without alerting them. I say the bunker."

He eyed the wall pad. "Slice in however and make sure we didn't trigger any alarms at the base itself. Or silence some if needed. Perhaps it will give us access to a layout of the place and we can see places for potential trouble or traps." Then he motioned to the gloom ahead. "Then we go in this way, I believe. The forest can have many surprises but many escapes. This one easy path, but easily trapped too. Either way. This gives us the best possible route in and the quickest however. I opt for speed and steath this way. Thoughts you two?"

[Rugs]

Io’an staggered into the bunker. A cool sweat pricked at his brow, and his stomach churned as if in protest of the sudden expenditure of Force power. He leaned against the wall, again, one arm out to brace him, another clutching his gut as he battled the desire to vomit. “We keep pressing on this way,” he said, definitively. Time wasn’t on their side, and the longer the spent wondering which way to go, the more likely the Archeri would show up. With the Augur Hawk more than a kilometer away, and the three of them alone in unfamiliar territory...

It’d be a disaster.

The pale powder, long dormant on the bunker floor, swirled at their disturbances. Io’an checked one console, then another, and shook his head. No power. “Dead,” he sighed. “Probably lost power in the invasion. Could have been lost since then.”

“For the moment, that means we don’t have to worry about alarms,” he said. “But it also means we’re going in blind.”

Io’an didn’t like it. But he didn’t like any of this. And they’d come too far to turn back now.

“Come on,” he said, motioning for Forte to follow as he stepped into the dark corridor. His suit’s lights automatically kicked on as the sun’s light quickly faded. “We don’t have a lot of time to waste.”

---

The Archeri presence only grew more noticeable as they pressed deeper on into the tunnel and the fortress itself. A thick, rootlike structure wound along the base of the tunnel for much of the way, its pale exterior thick and touch to the touch. As the tunnel gave way to the fortress’ bowels, everything got worse.

The narrow corridor grew wider, to one lined with eerily-empty rooms on either side. They pressed on through an intersection and up a short flight of stairs until they came to a broad low-ceilinged room.

Even in the fortress, the power was out, and the only lights they had were the ones they carried. Io’an stopped, horrified as he felt something squish beneath his feet.

A rotting Gamorrean corpse, thick with mold and oozing dark, viscous liquid sprawled across the floor. Io’an recoiled instinctively, stepping into another corpse. The root that ran through bunker corridor had grown to many in the fortress, some of which converged into a large, tree-like growth in the middle of the room.

Its “branches,” if they could be called that, spread along the ceiling, with small, glowing violet crystals hanging from them.

They gave the room an otherworldly look, and as Io’an studied it longer, he saw the horror it contained.

Hundreds of decaying bodies were arranged in neat piles throughout it. The powder covering the floor sat atop more the thick, oozing liquid that’d come from the dead Gammorean.

Io’an nearly retched at the sight of it all.

“I don’t like this,” he said, voice trembling.

[Jazen]

Behind his silent mask, Jazen said nothing as he watched Io'an struggle with himself. By all reports, those that were able to resist the Archeri after infection had to deal with this, a sickness whenever they tapped into that potential they had been given. Io'an clearly was no stranger to it, but Jazen watched carefully as the man fought both his own body and his mind. How long could one resist before giving in completely? Even as strong as some people were; Lidah was the same as Io'an was right now. Fighting a battle against an opponent they had no counter for, not yet.

The powder swirling in the air reminded Jazen to make sure his suit was fully sealed. And to make sure they had themselves scrubbed the second they got back to the ship. Otherwise that powder would be everywhere and Jazen had no intention of being infected.

"Maybe not physical alarms no. But who knows what the Archeri have set up...and what abilities and defenses they have we have yet to encounter." Making sure his blaster rifle was charged and ready, Jazen fell into step behind Io'an as he advanced into the darkness, his helmet lights clicking on as well. He aimed them slightly to the side so that he wasn't lighting up Io'an's profile like a target to anyone down the passage ahead and kept a respectful distance apart so they both wouldn't get caught if it came to a fire fight.


Jazen might not have been connected to the Archeri the way the other two were, but as they exited into the fortress proper, he couldn't deny the heavy feeling in the air, in the Force, as they came upon quite the scene upon entering the base. Jazen's eyes watched every single door way they passed, his helmet switching to thermals to peer into the first couple of rooms before realizing that the heat in those rooms had built up so much it distorted the thermals just enough to make it hard to make out anything different that might have been a living creature.

Not that there was much chance of that, based on the silence that was as heavy as the Archeri presence in the air.

When Io'an paused ahead, Jazen lifted his rifle up, unsure of why the man had stopped. Then he noticed his lights aiming down and Jazen glanced slightly down to the floor at his feet. He might not have physically recoiled like Io'an, for he had seen his fair share of bodies in his time. But he was glad his filters were keeping the air out more or less. He didn't even want to think of what this place smelt like in its current state. Especially after seeing the piles of bodies in just about every corner of the room.

He panned his weapon around, looking for anything that might be lurking in the foul corners of this death house. From what he could tell, this was where they had gathered all those that had failed to connect to the Archeri; those that died and became carriers that helped to make the spores that spread on worlds the Spire had yet to reach. Jazen didn't even bother trying to count how many dead lay in this chamber. Suffice to say, however, it appeared Gammorean's were not very likely to become one with the Archeri. And that tree with the violet crystals...

"I don't think any of us do. I don't think we're gonna find anyone here. Not alive anyway." He looked around, trying to figure out where to go next. "Looks like there's a door over there. Still sealed too." He said, pointing to a door barely able to be seen behind the pile of bodies in front of it. "Heavy doors. Possible escape route for the ones in charge, a panic room or bunker. Maybe that's where the call came from." He glanced back to the tree, then made his way over to the door. "Still has power, I can feel it. Io'an, try patching in here and see what you can do."

His helmet tilted towards the tree. "I'm going to lay some blast charge down near that thing. Just in case. Sound good?"

[Rugs]

Io’an looked in the direction Forte indicated with his rifle. A pair of heavy doors, hidden in shadow from the otherworldly purple light and behind a mound of rotting corpses. “I can try,” he said, not quite sure what was coming. He trudged to the door, trying his damnedest to ignore the sick squishing of weeks-old biomatter beneath his boots.

“None of this feels right,” he said. “But I can’t put my finger on it...” The Archeri, as far as his own experiences told him, didn’t ignore new additions. They swarmed, endlessly, relentlessly, until anyone standing in their way was dead or turned to their side.

So what’s the difference here? he wondered as he paused before the doors. The Chorus knows we’re here. But we haven’t seen another soul since we touched down...

The doors, according to his suit, were warmer than the rest of the room. Io’an knight his eyebrow. Maybe Forte was onto something, then. As he fished around for his slicing equipment he reached out tentatively, ignoring the sickening Archeri presence tainting the Force.

The Archeri were there, as always, just beyond the shadows. But Io’an felt, to his great surprise, a normal presence, just beyond the doors.

“I think you might be right,” Io’an said, hurriedly. He forewent his slicing tools and reached out with the Force, letting it roar and surge into him as he pushed the heavy door along its track into the wall.

A Gamorrean waited in a large room on the other side. Its furnishings were as spartan as the rest of the fortress, but Io’an could see bits of discarded food scattered about.

”I have waited for you,” the Gamorrean said. Telepathically.

Io’an frowned behind his mask. Something about the touch of the Gamorrean’s mind wasn’t right. Come to think of it, the message hadn’t mentioned anything about a Force-sensitive.

He peered closely at the Gamorrean. A violet ring around the irises of those dark, beady eyes made his blood run cold.

“You’ve done well to get here,” the Gamorrean said, walking forward as Io’an took unsteady, trembling steps backward, “where so many others have failed. Brave warriors slaughtered like animals. But you...”

Io’an yelped as he tripped over a corpse. He stumbled some steps back and felt to the ground, into a puddle of the thick, oily liquid covering the floor. He scrambled to his feet with a disgusted cry. The Gamorrean advanced unabated, as if none of it was happening.

”The Chorus long known your song, Marked One,” he said. ”And you bring more voices.”

The Gamorean stopped, abruptly, peering past Io’an. The Sephi looked over his shoulder, following the gaze to Jazen.

Who was planting explosives.

”You shouldn’t do that. They don’t like it.” the Gamorrean said as a trio of screams in the Force gave way to a hail of crystalline shards from the darkness.

[Jazen]

Jazen felt the warning in the Force ring through his mind like a fire alarm going off in his head, a sixth sense that he had long come familiar with over his years as a Jedi. This entire place had set his nerves on edge, but nothing in it had yet to tingle that sense into immediate danger. Just a low background hum that it wasn't a place he wanted to be in for very long. Now however, it was buzzing consistently and loudly enough that Jazen spun to the source of the warning in an instant, his blaster leveled and ready.

Io'an had gotten the door open and whatever inside had caused him to cry out in surprise. No, not quite right. It seemed something inside had caught him off guard and his cry came from stumbling back and slipping on the greasy, body gooey floor. From the shadows of the open door came a Gamorrean, although nothing about him indicated if this was the one they were looking for. It just looked like all the others, a fat green pig that you probably wouldn't want to smell without some kind of filter. But something about him seemed off...maybe it was the odd calm that seemed to come off him in waves, as if all the death of his fellows around him didn't bother him at all.

No...it's not that it doesn't bother him, does it? It's more like he's completely okay with it. Which means...

The answer came via screams from deep within the Force, followed by a hail of shards flying at Io'an. Jazen reached with the Force and shoved, hopefully pushing the man out of the way before the hail could reach him before reaching out and shoving the nearest pile of bodies between him and the shards that were coming his way. SNapping around the pile, he fired into the darkness of the room and the Archeri Gamorrean standing there, rapid firing to keep whatever was in there at bay.

"Io'an, pin them down in there, give me time to finish the charges. Then we go back the way we came, double time. This mission is either a wash or a trap."

Dropping down the blast charges he was working on, he worked fast, firing when he could and keeping his eyes on the other doors. Warning's in the Force were coming from everywhere now and he knew they were running low on time. "Timers set! We've got three minutes." He disabled a part of it so that they wouldn't be able to mess with it, shoved it under a pile of body goo and grabbed his other blaster, firing at another door as Archeri Gamorreans burst into the room, intent on stopping the attack on their home. "Move! I'll cover you, go go!" He called as he switched to the blaster rifle and blew a head clean across the room.

Fubar, meet FUBAR.

[Rugs]

The Force pressed at Io’an and forced him aside from the crystalline shards’ paths. He staggered sideways, regaining his footing on the rotting slop covering the floor from wall to rocky wall. Chaos erupted through the chamber as Forte opened fire with his rifle at the Gamorrean, who laughed as a violet Force barrier sprang to life to shield him from the blaster bolts.

On the other side, three more Gamorreans — all stinking of Archeri presence — ran into the room. One engaged Jazen, ducking behind a pile of rotting flesh as it traded fire with him suing some large, primitive-looking blaster rifle.

Another charged at Io’an, who quickly dropped it with two rapid blasts from his disruptor pistol. The first slammed into its chest, staggering it. The second found its throat, sending it to the ground as its flesh disintegrated. With adrenaline and the Force pounding through him, he lit his lavender saber in his free hand and tossed at the third Gammorrean.

It rent through the creature’s head, searing flesh and bone and dug a burning trail into the wall behind it.

“Impressive,” the Gamorrean in the sealed room said. The barrier still stood between them. Io’an, calling his lightsaber back to his hand, turned on his heel and glared at the taunting pig. ”But three minutes is a long time. And you are terribly outnumbered.”

Screams echoed through the Force, with such vigor that Io’an was forced to squint and nearly dropped to a knee.

”We hear the song and have joined our voices to it in perfect harmony,” the Gamorrean said, unperturbed. “But we have not taken our perfect forms. Not yet. But they,” the Gamorrean spread his arms euphorically, reverently, “they have already ascended. And they will not tolerate your intrusion.”

Io’an, suddenly, became very aware of the countless life signatures swarming through the fortress. It wasn’t just the Archeri presence that he’d felt all this time. No, it was the Archeri themselves, waiting with a singular purpose. Now he could feel their focus shifting, like a giant eye turning toward Forte and himself.

“Fo-Forte,” he started to stammer, taking halting, shaking steps back as a massive Archeri dropped from the ceiling stand. stand beside the Gamorrean. He could feel more of the creatures scuttling in through the same corridor they’d arrived in. “We have to go.”

The Gamorrean cackled. “Did you think we did not know? Did you think the machinations of children would undermine the Chorus’ will? Did you think that you could slip in beneath our nose without our knowing?” The laughter echoed through the room as the Archeri slipped menacingly through the Gamorrean’s barrier and stood to its full, towering height.

Io’an wanted to vomit. Fear gripped his soul, paralyzing him.

“Marked One! Masked One! You will join us,” the Gamorrean squealed, manic. “Or you will die! Either way, you will strengthen the Chorus!”

[Jazen]

Chaos had quickly flooded the room as more corrupted Gamorrean's flooded in, wielding crude melee weapons and ugly looking blasters, no doubt something that was native to their culture and planet. The lead one, the one that was speaking through the Force in a sickening perverse version of it, had blocked his attacks on it.He had tried to get another shot, but a festering pig had come at him, forcing him to engage it as he spun the blaster in his hand as easily as if it was part of him and shot it clean through the eyes. Unlike Io'an, who seemed to be struggling against the wave that surged through the place, Jazen was unaffected.

His movements were clean, crisp and against these hulking brutes, he was a scalpel, blasting away any pig that dared rush him. Tapping into the Force, he flung a rotting corpse into the path of two more Gamorreans that came at him, knocking them off balance and into one another before he fired two blasts with his rifle through them, silencing their squealing and their connection to the hive mind that was the Chorus.

Which was the real problem. They acted as one, moved as one, saw as one. Which meant unless they got out of here fast, they'd be overwhelmed and flanked in no time. So Jazen was already moving to Io'an, who was barely managing to keep himself in the fight it looked like. This place felt foul as all Sith to Jazen, but for Io'an, who was partially infected, it had to be a living nightmare now that the Chorus was in full swarm. That the man was still blasting and cutting down the green pigs with ease spoke volumes to his strength of will. Will that was faltering with every second they spent in this cursed place. A spurt of fire came from his jetpack and Jazen shot over a charging Gamorrean, shot him in the head and landed next o Io'an in one smooth move, swinging his blaster towards the newcomer to the party.

Oh sithspit, was Jazen's only thought as the Archeri stood tall. And from the foul stench he felt in the Force, more of them were coming. A lot more.

"You know...I'm tired of having to listen to a pig squeal." He said, gripping Io'an's collar and lifting him properly to his feet, pointing to the one path they still could use. Sure, it was through hell, but though the numbers there were lesser and if the path was true, there would be an exit into the jungle that way. To a flight pad....since there was no way they would make it back to their own ship. "So...time for a roast I think." Shoving Io'an, the timer on his wrist indicating less then a minute, Jazen pushed a button and his rocket, stuck to the top of his jet pack, soared free...and straight toward's that crystal they were so damned sure of protecting. And as he knew they would, several of them roared in panic, turning to where the missile flew..and Jazen ripped his rocket down and threw it right at the feet of the Archeri by the Gamorrean.

He didn't wait to see the result. He was already racing after Io'an and a familiar snap hiss filled the air as he cut the head clean off a charging Archeri. His lightsaber, hidden away and rarely brought out unless absolutely needed, cut clean and Jazen wielded it like a long lost limb, his efforts smooth and controlled, deflecting bolts, serving any limb that dared to get close. All in stride as he raced after Io'an, mentally speaking with the man now as to not waste breath. Go go go! Don't drown in this river, just flow with it! Think of the next step, the next step, the next move. We're getting out of here if I have to drag you.

He hoped.

[Rugs]

Io’an took one harried step after another. Behind, him, an explosion tore through the room he and Forte had occupied moments earlier, setting his steps to lurching forward as he tried not to stumble and fall. There was no time to stop. Ahead of them, the shadowed bulk of Archeri crowded the hallway. The Gamorrean warlord’s crazed, squealing laughter echoed up the stone corridor behind them.

“Masked One! Marked One! You cannot escape!” More laughter, sending shivers rolling down Io’an’s spine. “The trap is already sprung! Lift your voices!”

Io’an raised his voice in a wordless, angry yell as they crashed into the Archeri attempting to cut their escape off. His lavender blade cut through one, then another; the Force flooded him with such fury that he hardly noticed the new cuts, wet with blood on his left shoulder and side, just under his ribcage.

He did not know where they were going, other than up. He did not know where this path would lead, with darkness choking the belly of the fallen fortress beyond the glow of their lightsabers. He only knew that they could go forward. Ever forward. Ever upwards.

Yet for every Archeri they felled, for every attack they turned aside and every dead-end they wormed their way out of, more Archeri came. They attacked in a mindless onslaught, a never-ending wave that would Io’an knew would inevitably overwhelm them.

Finally, in one large room that looked much like any other in the dark, Io’an decided the time had come for drastic action. As his lightsaber blade answered an Archeri’s striking limb with a whirr and hiss of burning flesh, he fell back, putting Forte before him. “Cover me,” he croaked around heavy breaths. His throat was raw; he tasted blood on the back of his tongue.

Can’t worry about that, he told himself. Through the Force, he could feel the Archeri swarming around them, like ants in a kicked hive. He could feel the Chorus’ presence laying over the fortress like a heavy blanket. But if he reached out, stretched his senses beyond the surface, he could feel the world itself, and the treasure trove of energy latent in the environment.

Io’an knew what would happen, as he took hold of that power and molded it to his own whims. He knew what could happen as the stable ground above the fortress began to rock and rumble, as quaking split the earth around them and crashes echoed through the fortress.

The ground shook, with more fury as part of the mountain gave way and slid loose, as if it’d barely been held together at all. Within the fortress, anything not bolted to the wall or floor crashed to the ground. Even he had trouble standing upright as the ground shook so hard it seemed to roll like liquid.

“Protect yourself!” he yelled at Forte, throwing his hands up as part of the ceiling caved in above them. The Force arrested heavy beams and rubble, as Io’an strained to shunt them aside. Above, as the shaking slowed and the ceiling and floors above collapsed, he could see hints of sky opening up.

[Jazen]

Jazen barely acknowledged Io'an's cry to cover him, as he was already doing just that. He was a blur of blue blade, dark armor and red blaster bolts among a sea of infected and Archeri, trusting in the Force to guide his limbs to do what was needed. A blaster bolt cut off one charging attacker, right through his eyes, his saber hissing out to deflect another blaster bolt back to its owner even as it swung to remove a charging Archeri from the waist up. He was keeping the the tide at bay, blasting another attacker as it leapt for Io'an as he closed in on himself, the swell of the Force rising up in him.

With a glance, Jazen knew what he was doing. Kicking away another foe, he rolled back towards Io'an, clicking the flamethrower in his gauntlet to life and spinning it around the fellow warrior, pushing all their foes back from the hissing flame with a cry of outrage.

The ground shook beneath them, and for the stumbling failing enemies, it knocked them off balance. For Jazen? He called upon his connection to the Force, first to anchor his feet in place and keep his balance, the second to start coccooning himself in the living energy of the Force. Then he threw up his own hands to Io'an's, supporting his comrade in keeping the mountain of rubble falling from above from crushing them do death. His cocoon of energy protecting him from anything small that got past and dinged harmlessly off his armor.

Their enemies weren't so lucky, as they cried out and tried to flee the death raining down on them from above. Most vanished in a hail of rubble, crushed to death(if they were lucky) in seconds as the fortress crumbled around them. Spying light from above, Jazen noted the space and used a free hand to push some of the blocking debris aside. A clear exit now showed above them and Jazen wrapped an arm around Io'an's waist quickly. "Hang on!" His jetpack roared to life and although the load with two was a stretch, a Force assisted jump at the start gave them more then enough momentum to jump clear into the shining daylight.

As luck would have it, or the Force, the landing bay was right next to their location. Most the ships had been knocked out of place by the shifting castle, but one remained upright and ready to go. Landing on the shaky ground, Jazen pointed to it. "Go go go!" His own boots humping the ground as he treaded up the ramp and, waiting for Io'an, slammed the ramp to close and headed for the cockpit. He was light headed, but likely no where near as bad as Io'an as he ran a quick flight list, kicked the engines into gear and lifted them clear of the place.

Just as it collapsed in on itself.

Only once they were hitting atmostphere and the hyperdrive was spinning up did Jazen relax a little...and glanced to check on Io'an. "Bring down the mountain was your plan?"