KORRIBAN
Shadelis Darkstar crouched low, staring about what seemed to be a far too quiet training center grounds that lay below and in front of her. Korriban usually had acolytes all about the great temple and the grounds, but for some reason she did not see a single soul. It made her wary. The only reason acolytes would not be about was if they were being kept from doing their trials. Few reasons were good enough for that to happen.
"You sure you don't want me down there with you?" Kaliyo's voice came over the comm link to her.
"No." Shadelis answered flatly, knowing they had already argued over this point, let alone argued over coming to the sith home world. "I want your finger on the trigger in case I need covering fire to get out of here."
She could hear Kaliyo mutter something under her breath but not make out the exact words. It made the chiss smile. Shaking her head, Shadelis moved forward slowly, darting from cover to cover, picking her way down the slope of the cliff that ringed the back of the sith academy temple. The slope was not without its dangers, but it did keep her cautiously out of sight. The approach was the best option she had, Shadelis knew.
Having the ratattaki with the ship, knowing the weapons system were under her thumb, and if need be a bombardment could be dropped from on high, gave Shadelis an added measure of comfort. It was slight however, given the number of force users all about her. If there was a trap ahead, she had little choice but to walk into it and hope for the best. Hope for the best, she reminded herself.
"I've reached the temple, Kaliyo." Shadelis informed as she sprinted from the boulders about the base of the slope to the rear wall of the academy. "Will lose comms once I enter."
"Copy that." Kaliyo responded, biting her lip as she studied the sensor screens watching from orbit. She did not like this plan one bit. Might as well break into a hutt's treasure vault while we're at it, she mused.
The temple was equally as quiet as the grounds about the academy. There were no acolytes in sight, or even the trainers themselves about. The great ramp way entrance was deserted. It was far from normal and it made the small hairs on the back of the chiss' neck stand on end. Shadelis may have been getting a bad feeling about things, but she pressed forward, darting across the large open common area at the top of the ramp and slipping within. If the lack of people made her nervous, her feelings were all the more so as she noted not even the guards seemed to be in the hallways.
Finding a small nook out of sight along the wall, Shadelis pulled out the data pad and checked the map she had loaded. The schematic of the inside layout of the temple seemed accurate from what she could tell as she ran over her route in her mind, memorizing it. The computer banks were on the upper level, but she had already determined to head to one of the offices on the lower level to use a spike to gain access. It meant a greater distance between the heads of the academy, and the dark council chambers, and her.
Pushing off the wall, Shadelis made her way carefully into the main central area, taking in the two towering statues, and stairwells that lead to the upper levels of the temple. She caught sight of movement, a couple acolytes, but they were in a hurry and she was able to slip into the side hallway undetected.
"Who are you?" A female voice demanded, making Shadelis swear under her breath as she stopped dead in her tracks.
The chiss glanced over her shoulder, red eyes taking in the pure blooded sith woman. Shadelis studied the woman carefully, recognizing her from the briefing files. She was Assistant Overseer Loun. Shadelis let a bit of the tension ease from her. If she was going to wind up running into someone, at least it was this woman. She might well prove helpful, she thought.
"Overseer Loun, so nice to finally meet you." Shadelis remarked, keeping calm and still so as not to spook the woman. The last thing she needed was a fight, or for the woman to just simply sound an alarm.
"I will ask this one more time, who are you?" Loun stared hard at the chiss she had found skulking about.
The woman was clearly no acolyte, and was not an overseer or trainer. It was not uncommon for chiss to be about, but this woman was clearly not supposed to be here. The fact she was wearing black gree armour, lighted in blue, with a sniper rifle over her shoulder marked her as trouble.
"Don't be rash now." Shadelis smiled to the woman as she spoke. "Our mutual friend, the Emperor's Wrath, would be most distraught to find you had been so unkind to me."
Loun gave the woman a hard, measuring look at hearing such. Whoever this intruder was, they clearly knew things about her no one should. That made her all the more dangerous in the Overseer's eyes. Nobody, save for she and Necrolis, knew anything about any contact they had shared while he had been on Korriban. It seemed forever ago at that, though she had kept appraised of his success. Still, Loun knew, if this stranger was in some way tied to him, the last thing she wanted to do was overreact and cause a problem. It made her hesitate.
"And why would such a one care about a chiss, let alone a lowly Overseer?" Loun questioned, playing innocent as best she could.
"Because I doubt those in charge here would want to know an Overseer was screwing an acolyte, even if he was destined for greatness." Shadelis said, keeping her voice low but her red eyes narrowed meaningfully. There was no point in beating about the bush. The longer the standoff continued, the greater the chances someone would stumble upon them.
Shadelis could see Loun stiffen at her words, the understanding that she knew far more than anyone should about her. Shadelis knew it was a dangerous play she was making, but a necessary one. Necrolis should have known his secrets would at some point be uncovered. Then again, Shadelis had really had to pry and dig to find such, and in all honesty it had been a rather lucky moment at that. Darth Baras was just that paranoid and that much of an asshole. He had actually slipped a recorder into Necrolis's gear to keep tabs on him.
"What do you want?" Loun demanded, her own eyes narrowing and glaring at the chiss. The woman was a threat, but for the moment her ties to the Emperor's Wrath were keeping her from being sliced in two by a lightsaber blade.
"I need your help, and so does Necrolis." Shadelis said. " I need a computer terminal, and I will explain as we go."
Loun arched an eyebrow at the woman's words. Necrolis was one of the toughest sith she knew. He had slain the usurper, the false emperor, and also taken out Darth Baras. If he was in danger, it meant someone equally strong, if not more so. Self- preservation told Loun to just sound the alarm, or even just walk away. In the end she knew she was not going to, if for no other reason than sentiment.
"Why should I trust you?" Loun finally asked, seeking any reason to justify what she was already going to do.
"I'm Necrolis' sister." Shadelis finally said, knowing she had to use such to her advantage now. At her words Loun merely nodded acceptance and beckoned her to follow.
Loun listened as the chiss talked, frowning as she mulled over the information she had been given. To her credit, the chiss had not withheld information. The woman trusted her as she wanted Loun to trust in return. Finding out the woman was considered Necrolis' sister made it a bit easier to relax around Shadelis, but Loun still had grave concerns. The least of those concerns was being caught with the woman inside the academy.
"Whatever you are searching for, I have a feeling you are not going to like it." The Overseer commented, peering over the chiss' shoulder at the computer terminal screen.
Shadelis nodded and spared the sith a smile. The woman was right of course, she knew. The more Shadelis was discovering the more she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had been able to get into the main system easy enough. After that it was locate and download the files on Doctor Ordann, as well as a few others on the Darkstar Legacy. In truth she was about to log out when she had spotted a related file buried well into the file logs. Security on it was tight and it was classified, but she was able to get around the blocks. Shadelis gave a quick read on screen before saving the file as well and then turning to the pure blooded sith woman.
"You wouldn't happen to know Lord Mekhis would you?"
Loun scowled hearing the name and then spat on the floor in disgust. She knew the name well, as most sith did. Mekhis was a dark lord, and one that had utterly no morality, no shred of honour, or mercy. Even the council feared and shunned her. Hearing of her involvement, even if just in name, made Loun uneasy.
"She is one not to be trifled with. You'd best go." Loun remarked glancing about. "Know that if she is involved, your lives hang in the balance of whatever mad scheme the woman has concocted."
Shadelis could hear the fear that tinged the woman's voice and nodded. She agreed it was time she got herself out of the temple, away from sith and Imperials alike. She had more research to do, and family to locate. Rising, Shadelis paused a moment and stepped up to Loun, hands grabbing her face and kissing her hard on the lips a moment. Stunned Loun froze, staring at the chiss as she pulled back.
"Thank you, from Necrolis and I both."
Loun felt her face grow hot as her cheeks flushed at the kiss and the woman's words. Unable to find any words, she settled for nodding back in answer. While the woman had set her aback, Loun was already thinking ahead. What she knew of Mekhis was enough to make her stomach churn. Worse, she knew such events would also put Necrolis' adoptive son, Raistlis, in danger. Loun may not have wanted to get involved, but she had promised Necrolis to keep an eye on the acolyte, and she knew she needed to act quickly to uphold that promise.
Shadelis fled the office, sprinting her way down the quiet halls of the sith academy, pausing as she looked out into the central area at its heart once again. There were more people about now. Shadelis noted trainers, overseers, and a handful of acolytes. There was no way now to get through unseen. She could also see the royal guardsmen standing in the hallway, an obstacle that prevented her from reaching outside. Guess it's the hard way, Shadelis thought with regret, and wondering where everyone had been not that long ago before.
Unslinging her rifle, she thumbed it to automatic and carried it down at her side. Stepping out at a slow steady walk, she did her best to keep the weapon at the ready, but not completely visible. She moved with purpose in a line for the entry, eyes scanning about as she went without moving her head. The red eyes marked everyone, watching for the inevitable threat and attack to come. Her luck held and she was able to reach the hallway unnoticed.
Immediately the royal guard on either side of the entry were on her. Shadelis brought herself up as the guards moved to block her way, electrostaffs meeting together between them. Shadelis smiled even as the one demanded to know who she was and what she was doing there. In a fluid quick motion the rifle came up and the blasts tore through the guard's armour and chest. Shadelis turned quickly, rifle spraying shots even as cries rose up and acolytes scattered, the second guard dropping by her feet. At such a close range, Shadelis knew the rifle was so high powered the shots were going to rip right through armour and body alike with ease.
A shot caught her shoulder a glancing blow, Shadelis rolling with the hit. Spinning and using the momentum she dropped, rifle seeking out the new threat. Two more royal guard were coming down the hallway, a trooper crouched and firing down the middle of the hall at her between them. Shadelis grit her teeth and took her time, snapping off a handful of shots that caught the trooper from left hip up to right shoulder dropping him.
The first royal guard had reached her by then. Shadelis brought the rifle up to block the downward strike of the electrostaff in his hands, even as the second guard closed in. As the second guard drew in to attack on the side, Shadelis used the stock of the rifle to smash into his helmeted head. The blow shattered the lens, staggering the guard back. With space obtained, Shadelis turned her attention back to the first guard.
One hand dropped to her belt, drawing out the vibroblade she also carried. The strike was clean and efficient, the blade driven straight through armour and flesh, piercing the guard's heart. Wrenching the blade out, Shadelis then turned and threw the blade at the second guard who was just recovering from the blow to the head. The weapon buried itself with the force of the toss hilt deep in the guard's chest.
The cries had alerted more guards and troopers, and a klaxon alarm echoed through the academy. As the shots began raining down, Shadelis broke into a run down the hallway, following it out to the main entrance of the temple. Even as she found comms returned, Shadelis was pulling a thermite grenade out and lobbing it back into the entry. Crouching near the entryway, the chiss scanned outside before turning to fire at her pursuers, forcing them to hide back about the bend in the hallway.
"Kaliyo, mark my position now and fire. Don't wait!" Shadelis ordered before sprinting down the ramp even as she heard the explosion of the grenade and felt the shake of the concussive force through the ground.
She reached the bottom of the great ramp before she heard the orbital strike slam into the walkway and entrance to the temple. The explosion was all she could hear, the force of it throwing her forward clear off her feet to land face down in the reddish dirt and sand. Rolling over, Shadelis glanced back behind her. All she could see was a large black cloud, rising and swirling about obscuring the sight of the academy. Forcing herself to rise, the chiss ran for the landing platform knowing she had little time before she would face more opposition. They're going to have a hell of a cleaning bill, she thought with a small smile.
"Get down here and pick me up. We've got to get out of here in a hurry."
"Don't worry hun, already on my way." Kaliyo answered back.