[GJW XI] Scholae Palatinae Team Purple Parrots

Team Purple Parrots:

DJM Arania Lawakiro Palpatine (#11)
KE Elincia Rei (#5951)
KP Mayda Ferium (#8430)
GRD Aquarius (#13522)
ACO Drun Syg (#14044)

Rules:
Teams must have a minimum of 4 participants, and a maximum of 6. For a team to qualify for placement, all posts must meet requirements in these rules and all members of the team must meet post number requirements. However, for participation alone, any individual meeting minimum post requirements will count towards his or her unit.
Any member posting twice in a row will disqualify his team from placing - but not participation credit (e.g. if an entire team is dead, Johnny McDarthman can post twice in a row to get his own participation at the end of the event)

Members must make 3 posts throughout the duration of the Run-On.

Posts must meet the following requirements:
Minimum post length: 250 +/- 10 words words
Points from placement are awarded to the unit of the placing team, irrespective of number of members on each team. E.g. if CNS Team A takes first place, and first place is worth 50 pts (example only), CNS gets 50 points, regardless of number of members on the team.
Edits may occur on a post until a follow on post has been made (follow on posts include “reserving” a space). Edits may only be made by the posts original author (as in, if you have Forum Administration Rights, you cannot edit another member’s work).
Members may reserve post, but no posts can occur until after the reserved post is written.
Judging will follow the Fiction Rubric.
Notable individuals sighted in or around the Valley of Dark Lords:
Krath Pontifices, three of Lord Ashen’s most loyal Krath advisors, each having a viable claim to the future Krath High Priesthood, have been sent to the Valley of Dark Lords to open the Tomb of Marka Ragnos and retrieve whatever secrets it may hold.
Darth Necren, (wiki) whose loyalty to the Dark Council was not in doubt… until she was seen working with bounty hunters loyal to the One Sith. Now a pariah, she has found her way alone to the Valley of Dark Lords, desperate to prove she still has value to the Brotherhood - though which Brotherhood is unknown.
Dantella Novae, (wiki) a One Sith that helped the Brotherhood recover several of the artifacts necessary for the Rite of Supremacy, Novae has used the chaos of the Brotherhood’s Civil War to return to Esoteric’s side. She now seeks control of the Tomb of Marka Ragnos in order to gain its secrets.
Connor Grey, (wiki) a rogue Jedi, arms dealer, and relic hunter, his allegiances are unknown. He knows the Valley of Dark Lords better than anyone, or at least so he claims.

Civil War has befallen the Brotherhood. The Clans have split into three factions: the Loyalists, who have rallied behind Grand Master Ashen; the Rebels, following the banner of Jac Cotelin; and the New Order, led by the mysterious Sith Lord Esoteric. Each faction has stormed the surface of Korriban, establishing impressive fortifications and moving towards the Valley of the Dark Lords. Loyalists, Rebels, and the New Order clash across Korriban’s surface, all three attempting to gain control of the Valley of Dark Lords and the secrets it holds.

The Valley of Dark Lords has erupted in carnage, forces from every unit in the Brotherhood streaming into the ruins and temples, establishing makeshift defensive positions behind virtually every wall. Blood is spilled over every inch, each of the three sides gambling the lives of thousands of Jedi in an attempt to put an end to this conflict once and for all. The Loyalists, following Ashen’s command, seek to break through to the Tomb of Marka Ragnos, where the Disciples of Ragnos once sealed a chamber with writings on the Rite of Immortality. To open it, Ashen has sent three of his most skilled advisors in ancient dark rites and alchemy, but the way is not yet safe or clear for them, as the One Sith were originally entrenched in the Valley and still maintain a strong control over most of the area. Esoteric’s forces have a base of operations at the Tomb of Ajunta Pall, a fortified location that allows them a great deal of mobility throughout the Valley, which they use to harass any operations by the other two sides. The Adept Dantella Novae reluctantly commands Esoteric’s forces in the region, though she seems more interested in stealing the secrets of Marka Ragnos than in defending the Valley itself. Cotelin is seeking to contain and control whatever the Tomb of Marka Ragnos holds, through any means necessary… and before Ashen’s forces can reach it.

You and your team have found yourselves just outside one of the few entrances to the Valley of the Dark Lords. You know that inside the Valley, death and destruction have overtaken the ruins, but you also know that ultimately, victory for one side of the other is likely to come within the walls of the ancient tombs. Your runon should detail the battle within the Valley, and must illustrate (either through success or failure) at least one of the sides in the conflict - this will play a major role in your Story grade.

Korriban
Valley of the Dark Lords

From the vantage point of a starfighter’s cockpit window at the atmosphere level, the entire valley looked like one giant shockball arena, with three teams vying for the win. Small dots moved quickly in groups, some individuals breaking off to spar with others. Sparks and vectors of force lightning gave an iridescent glow to the otherwise morbid darkness and shadows of the moonlit paths between the gigantic temples and monuments to the old Sith Lords of long ago, hailed more holy than any sports celebrity but with just as much of a following of raving supporters.

The battles had been raging for hours, most of the evening and night. Auxiliary forces were still arriving as reinforcements, hoping to turn the tide of power. A large melee was taking place at the steps of the Tomb of Marka Ragnos, with each side having clear encampments. As the starfighter lowered closer to the surface, it was evident that many of the dots were no longer moving, just laying horizontally, as if they were new bricks on a crimson road of blood, leading to every tomb and ruin. Korriban was steeped in the Dark Side. This new blood fed the long-hungering spirits that laid so solemnly, their peace disturbed by the clamor of sabers and screams, the scent of bitter blood from twisted bodies, the essence of newly-extinguished lives whose spirits would now share the same space as their powerful icons.

Any newcomers would instantly feel the Dark Side surging through their veins, infusing their minds with passion, rage and perceived power. Main entrances were guarded by one of the three forces. But smaller entryways could allow a small group to be less noticed, entering in a less crowded part of the valley.

Many days and nights had passed as the battle went on, both on ground and in space. Heavy casualties on every side, which was to be expected. Would the outcome prove that it was worth the price? What was the value of a life anyway? It all depended on the power and importance of that life, that soul.

Within the crevices and caves of the ruins and valley walls, some slept, some hid and some laid in wait. The day hours had some fighting, but many rested then, preferring the cover of darkness so they could be lost in the chaos of it all. A disguised Scholae shuttle landed gently above the west valley. Its members sneaking through a thin crevice entrance, surveying the land before they went further in. Aquarius had received the transmission sent weeks ago from somewhere near here; the name of the sender was unknown, but the secret code of Scholae had been correct. She was on a rescue mission, but knew not where to begin.

But not all of the action was in the valley. The Sith Academy had taken heavy hits, as there was no respect for the institution of education and the preservation of all its lore. Cowards chose to plunder its tomes, in search of whatever they could find to use to their advantage in battle. There was even talk of finding ancient rites from the Sith Lords of yore that had been buried here. A few stepped up to protect what they could, locking treasures and tomes away in underground vaults. When it was clear that the battle would not be over soon, they emerged and some tried to find a way out.

One among them was a female Ewok, viewed as a civilian worker, hardly a threat to any Dark Jedi there, she was underestimated for years, which is just how the Dark Jedi Master preferred it. And now, she was hiding in a cave, near the tomb of Naga Sadow.

Arania stretched her little Ewok form, looking out of the cave in a patience slowly wearing thin. For a long time now, she had been living away from her Clan… well, House, now that it was a lot smaller. But she was sure that eventually, Scholae Palatinae would become a Clan again.

Right now, what mattered more than those thoughts was the figure approaching from below, using each rock and remaining bush as cover. Soon, Arania would know their exact orders, but she had a good idea how they would look like. Most likely, Scholae Palatinae would oppose the bid Grand Master Ashen was making on immortality. Which also meant a support for the former leader of the Brotherhood, Jac Cotelin. Too unfortunate, in Arania’s view. Her interests in Force artefacts of all kinds remained as strong as ever, and in the past she had used the power of some to do various things, also sometimes destroying them. Which was unfortunate, of course, but sometimes you had to destroy something to create something else. And that was exactly what Muz Ashen was planning to do. While this was, of course, selfinterest more than anything, it was also a grand experiment Arania would like to know the outcome of. For the first time, the Ralconian-turned-Ewok was planning on going against Clan policies.

“You there, Ewok! Chacha, wasn’t it? What are you doing out here hiding?”

Swirling around, Arania scolded herself for being too unattentive. A tall human had sneaked up on her, hiding herself well in the Force, but had she been attentive, the Ewok would have still noticed her. So used to not being paid attention to, she had let down her guard. Well, it would not happen again.

“Yee… Chaha!” she replied as frightened as she could muster and still putting up the appearance of trying to conquer her fear. “Yoo pratakutaa nee ah?”

The dark skinned woman blinked, then shook her head. "You were separated from your detail, I take it, and tried to hide here. Well, if you ever want to be one of us,"a sneer crossed the human’s face, “you will have to stop being afraid. No matter now, I need someone to help operate a speeder transport - you can do that now, can you?” Her voice had the normal condescending tone by now, she was totally unaware.

“Yee Chacha whoo jaja iee!” In the typical Ewok gait, Arania hurried closer to the woman, her left hand under the brown cloak they had been issued in the work details. Arania had never carried a saber with her in all the time, but she had had need for one now so one of the One Sith overseers had found himself with a broken neck a bit earlier.

“Great. Now hurry up or those traitors to the Dark Side will catch up with us and…”

The hiss of the orange saber was hardly heard as it activated, and the head of the woman rolled over the cave ground, coming to rest at a rock, eyes wide open in shock and confusion as the One Sith tried to understand what was going on in the few moments before her spirit left her,

“That’s that,” Arania growled, not sounding like an Ewok at all now.

“Dark Jedi Master Arania?” an amused voice came from the cave entrance.

"Arania turned and faced the newcomer. “Who else?” she said cheerfilly.

The girl took just a step in, afraid to go further after what she had just witnessed.

“I’m Aquarius of House Scholae Palatinae,” she proudly announced. “I’m here to rescue you.”

Arania looked surprised. “You’re who?”

“I’m here to rescue you. I got your coded message from an R2 unit. I’m here with Drun Syg.”

“Drun Syg? Where is he?”

Aquarius happily replied, “C’mon!”

Arania grinned, looking back at the dead body. With a quick move, she stored the saber away again. “I might be a little bit rusty.”

“It didn’t look like it,” Aquarious commented, kicking the head of the deceased One Sith to the back of the cave. “She certainly didn’t see it coming.” Then she turned around again. “I don’t want to stay here long, though.”

Following Aquarius out of the cave, the Ewok kept herself from chuckling at the idea of being rescued. “So, what is going on in the… House nowadays? It is my understanding that we want to help Cotelin prevent Ashen from becoming immortal. Was there any reason given why we think an immortal Grand Master is such a bad thing? What did Cotelin promise us if we see it his way?”

In a short distance, an explosion went off. The two of them could see a plume of smoke and fire rising to their right. A moment later, small debris came crashing down and forced them to take quick shelter behind s larger rock. Then a damaged fighter whooshed over them too close for comfort and crashed further to their left. “Same old same old,” Arania mumbled. “But then, conflict breeds strength.”

Aquarius tried to answer as best she could, “Uh… I’m not sure, I’m just a lowly Guardian and I have not heard all the information on that. I am busy studying and whatnot.”

They began a trot towards the lower wilds. “All I know is that there is a big ritual about to happen in the valley in front of the Tomb of Marka Ragnos, with the big shots all in attendance, if you want to go watch it with me.”

“Then we’ll go there,” Arania agreed and hastened her steps.

This, of course, sounded simple enough but it wasn’t. While the valley was only a few clicks away from their current position, the area was not made for a nice stroll, and both the remnants of the battle and the local wildlife - large lizard in particular - were causing them to slow down. As they finally neared the Valley of the Dark Lords, the wind had taken to blow the stingy dust around, and from what Arania knew of the place, it might soon turn into a storm.

The giant humaoind statues at the valley’s walls loomed over the area impressive as ever, even more now, maybe, considering the ritual which was planned here.

The Tomb of Marka Ragnos was as impressive. The statue of Marka Ragnos was in front of it, visible long before they could make out anything else. As it was in the lower area, the two of them still had some distance to walk. “I’ve been here several times,” Arania mumbled, "more to herself. “And yet, it always has the same effect on me.” She shook her head to get rid of all the old memories. “Asides from it being a monument of the Dark Side, it is also a reminder that at times it is best to cooperate and sometimes you simply need to make the kill, and it is not always clear which time is when.”

“What do you mean?” Aquarius asked.

“The story of Marka Ragnos and how he came to power, of course,” Arania replied. “There is so much conflict soetimes it is a wonder there are still any Sith.” Then suddenly she changed topic. “Will our boss be there?”

“Emperor Vismorsis and all the troops remaining should be there. Also the two Grand Masters and that One Sith woman leader. Something about unifying the Dark Jedi, but I don’t know who will be doing it.”

The two women stayed along the outskirts of the crowd, slowly going around it until they were near the Imperial guard and troops. But much to their surprise, no one hardly even noticed them, so transfixed upon the drama at the top of the temple were all of their eyes.

The Esoteric woman had some beam of light inside her, seeming to struggle with herself while GM Ashen and GM Cotelin clasped hands and lifted a united arm into the air, calling for all Dark Jedi to unite, rallying the crowds. Some poor, twisted One Sith elder had fallen from the stairs to his death, likely ripped apart by the Taldryan apprentices. An unknown lightsaber-wielder had fallen down the stairs, trying to escape.

Suddenly, a bright light as the feuding spirits escaped the body of Esoteric. The crowd erupted in cheers or boos, and everyone began to scatter in every direction, most of them toward the exits. Aquarius and Arania were almost trampled and had to move to the wall of the valley, waiting to figure out where they could go. The arrival shuttle was too far away, on the west side of the valley.

Aquarius felt a nudge in the force. A vision of a red-haired firecracker that she had not seen for many, many moons.

“Mayda!”, she announced to Arania. “Let’s get her.” They fought their way into the main Scholae area, and reunited with the injured woman, helping her out of the valley through a path many Scholae troops were running toward.

“Wow, that escalated quickly!” Arania growled. "With no difficulty, she assisted Mayda from the left, while the Guardian was holding her right shoulder. “One would think Esoteric would have had a bit more foresight than to…”

A scowling face appeared out of the dust in front of them, the body it was attached to bearing the robes of a Taldryan Jedi Hunter. “Die, Scholae scum,” he called out after judging the 3 of them. Obviously, an injured woman, a Guardian and an Ewok did little to tell the man to be careful. It was obvious this man was looking for a kill or 3 to quench the rage rised by the current happenings.

“Was there not just a call to unite?” Aquarius frowned back. “Figures some people wouldn’t heed it.”

“Silence!” The Jedi Hunter drew a lightsaber he had, judging from the blood running off of it, stolen from someone else, not surprising considering that he was a bit too low in rank for his own.

“Oh, I suppose you want to silence me forever, no?” Aquarius teased, trying successfully to divert the attention to her.

As was to be expected, the hot blooded Obelisk spun around, his stolen saber hissing to life with a red blade.

Arania had carefully dropped Mayda to their left out of the way of trampling feet. As always, she wasn’t seen as threatening. Maybe it was time to change that.

The red blade of the man’s weapon came towards Aquarius, but a blink of an eye later, his hand with the saber dropped to the ground, the limb cleanly separated from the rest of his arm. With a cry, he spun to face the ewok he had made the mistake of ignoring. His lips moved as if he was about to say something, but Arania interrupted him.

“Three lessons here. One, never let anyone who is this close out of your sight in battle, no matter how insignificant they might seem. Two, even if I was unarmed, it would have been easy to deal with you.” The form of the man, still clutching his stump, began to rise as Arania effortlessly lifted him with the Force alone. Then she suddenly dropped him, just as it seemed she wanted to smash him into the next boulder.

As he scurried away, Aranie turned to help Mayda up again. “Uh…” Aquarius asked. “What was number three? The lessons to be learned, I mean?”

“Ah…” Arania chuckled. “He can figure it out by himself, he can. Maybe he actually will. Now, let’s move, I can’t wait to be home again.”

With that, the 3 women disappeared with the others.