Chapter 3: Within the Shadows

This RP took place from two perspectives. I will start with the Sith side since it occurred first chronologically.

Sith

Zuguruk Wokun pulled the necessary switches as the ship pulled itself out of warp. If warp was needed. He grumbled, checking over the ship systems. "This is much different from mine." He mumbled to himself, double checking over the controls. Couldn't take his due to the whole sensitive experiments held within. Yeah...not risking those. Taking hold of the controls he piloted them down towards a safe landing zone. Flipping on the intercom for the others he spoke out loud. "Grab your swords and empty your bladders. We are about to land." Hey....just cause they were sith didn't mean they didn't need to use the bathroom now and then.

[#] The Planet itself is an uninhabitable rock, with a corrosive atmosphere, few minerals worth noting on either the Republic or Imperial Record. There is a shelled out moon hanging lazily over the horizon, with both celestial bodies circling a binary blue star. Orbiting the planet was a station, a clustered thing that seemed standard in dimension, design and appearance for a research habitat, and not an internment camp. The station seemed considerably well armored and hardened, as there happened to be several smoldering wrecks of what could have been Republic Cruisers, slowing being dragged down into Veri below. Other then the sensors detecting the Request for Republic Assistance, a soft klaxon informed the pilots of the ship that the weapons of the station were tracking their approach, but not firing. The station's ray shields were down, and deeper scans would reveal that there was extensive external, and internal damage. However the scans would show that there was very little one could detect of the station other then the damage, hinting that there was some sort of shielding, just not the sort to deter what they could see.

Darth Renatus tilted her head in the direction of the intercom, her eyes fixated on the datacard resting in her hand. Due to the nature of their mission, Renatus was adorn in an attire fit for stealth; black form-fitting jumpsuit laced with intricate red patterns and a deep red hood that was already draped over her head and concealing most of her visage. Hooked upon her left hip was her single lightsaber hilt, fashioned to look more organic than metallic with a single topaz stone carved into it. Reaching out with the force to activate the intercom, she addressed the entire crew. "The mission is simple. The facility has a number of prisoners affiliated with the empire that knows of our whereabouts on Dromund Kaas. We are to infiltrate the station, track down each prisoner, and kill them before they could expose us."

Tang Darech did one last check of his gear. A walking closet of various knives and other bladed tools he stood in front of his cloak on the seat. Adjusting straps and checking pointy things he'd glance at the call to get ready, rolling his eyes but reaching out and grabbing the cloak. Pulling it in to place to cover his streamline-black outfit he'd settle the flowing black fabric in place. Lifting the hood up Tang'd looked to Renatus as she spoke, giving a small grin as he remarked "Failure not tolerated any more, I see." Stretching his arms out he'd wave them about, trying to get the blood flowing in to them. Not very dignified, but results were results.

Victor Suoi sat silently in whatever type of passenger seating was available inside the vessel. His posture was relaxed yet confident, his mantle draping his form. Head was down and eyes closed, one would assume he could be meditating. He sat with right leg crossed over the left at the knee, left hand resting atop the hilt of that mysterious red and black blade he carried. Upon hearing Lady Renatus' instructions, he would stand swiftly depositing the sword at it's place on his left side. A quick check to assure his blaster was properly holstered. He had also brought along a run of the mill lightsaber. Accessories in order, he re-situated the mantle while acknowledging Lady Renatus' orders. "Yes, My Lady." He may be new to ways of The Force, but this mission was no different that his normal activities.

Zuguruk Wokun heard basically what was going on, though focused on flying. The others had time to prepare cause they weren’t catapulting a few tons of metal through the vast emptiness of space. If he crashed and got everyone sucked out into space, he was sure Lady Renatus would kill him. He targeted one of the landing hatches, keeping an eye on those turrets, preparing to boost out of there if they activated. Assuming they do not, the ship would slow down as it lined up with the docking hatch. Metal on metal thuds sounded as the clamps locked on, holding the ship still. Assuming they work. Joining the others he tugged his hood up. "It is unfortunate so much life will be wasted. All that potential material..." He sighed, shaking his head. Job first. Speaking of, he connected his security system with the ship to get alerts in case someone tried entering without their knowledge.

[#] The hatch Wokun had skillfully docked with would lead them to the upper portions of the station. Before the hatches would open, leading them into what they could be expect was some sort of pandemonium, they all could hear the sporadic fire of blasters even through the pressure doors of their ship. An alarm blared sickly in the back ground, and yellow cautionary lights flickered. The smell of death, and blood, would roll over the Sith as the doors opened, with the unmistakable stench of charred plastics and burnt wiring. Through the force, they could feel hatred, fear and horror just as thick as the scent of carrion. This place was no in distress. It was in a state of bedlam. The docking area they found themselves would normally been reserved for Administrators and Higher end Officials. On the far wall there was a yellow arrow, with the words Command and Control written in Interlac. There was also sounds of some sort of struggle, and manic, muted shrieking.

Darth Renatus wasn't expecting this. She was far more prepared for a high security, heavily defended detainment facility but what she ended up walking into was absolute chaos. Nostrils flared at the familiar scent of charred flesh and corpses as she led her crew from the shuttle into the docking area, her steps cautious but lightsaber still clicked to her waist. Renatus felt fear in the atmosphere and fed from it, attuning her to the dark side as she closely monitored their situation. This, of course, changed their agenda. "It appears someone has taken the liberty of distracting our gracious hosts for us." she spoke, her voice just high enough to be heard above the alarm booming in her ears. Without looking back, she led the group in the direction of the yellow arrow, actively channeling the dark side with the ripples of emotions that seemed to consume the facility (1/*)

Tang Darech: The door opened, washing in the various scents. Tang took in the chaos, taking a deep breath and exhaling as he felt it seething through his blood. Filling with power. Exhaling he'd move to Renatus' shadow, reaching through the folds of the cloak to pull out the tool he wanted. Coming out with a rather simple looking 'saber hilt he'd run his fingers over the various buttons that seemed to hint it was different. His focus was outward, reaching through the force to ensure the sounds of fighting and such were not too close. It didn't look like there was any other way to go at the moment, so towards C&C. After a few moments he'd murmur "Let me take the lead, my lady, the master would be rather angry if you were injured because we did not do our job properly." It didn't look like they were going to have too many choices with directions anyways.

Victor Suoi gave an acute sniff of the air as he entered the Station. The scents of death and decay did not concern him much, in fact it was invigorating. However, nose wrinkled and lip curled in response to the unpleasant stench of melted polymers and wiring. Quickly correcting this unsightly expression, he scanned the immediate area taking in the sights and sounds. It was obvious there was some type of struggle occurring in sections which lay ahead of them. He believed this to be slightly advantageous as they would have the element of surprise on their side, wondering if another faction had beat them to the punch. A nod to Lady Renatus as he moved to follow her, arms at his sides, hands hovering near his armaments on guard for whatever may happen. He would only react if needed, no wanting to act out of turn.

Zuguruk Wokun pushed a REST against the wall next to the hatch, enough in the corner that one might not notice at first, activating it before joining the others. "Command center? Oh, would love to get my claws on that..." he said with a grin. "Who knows what can be done from there...." He held his foil in his left as they walked for emergency, but otherwise just kept moving, his priority keeping Renatus safe.

[#] There were bodies leading towards Command and Control. Staff Members of some kind with their throats slit or stabbed repeatedly more then needed to end them. They were bludgeoned to death, most rather messily, yet all of them looked to have been trying to run from someone or something. The Corridor deviated, splitting immediately to the left and right, though curbed, as circling a room wherein the hatch before them; marked Command and Control, would give them entry. Other bodies, mingled with the staff, both Republic Soldiers and what looked like; patience, lay scattered, with many of them burned and blackened, with the decking and hull around them warped. There were turrets. Several. As soon as Renatus and Tang came into view; two of them swung on them instantly, both located on the ceiling. They did not fire, but there was an audible sound as they attempted to dry fire on them. It seems that the Turrets had fired to a brink of exhausting their energy supply. Within Command and Control, there was movement, the shrieking came mixed with cries of terror that ended soon. "Kill to Feel!" was repeated in a loud chant. CnC was occupied, and if one felt through the Force, occupied by angry, raving sensitives of the Force.

Darth Renatus gave Tang the go ahead to take lead. It wasn't that she was concerned for her own well being or even needed her underlings to protect her, but rather that her role in the group favored the back lines rather than the front lines. Carefully, she maneuvered around the corpses, a mask of apathy upon her face beneath the hood. As they approached Command and Control, Renatus resorted to hand signals to give directions; proceed with caution, Tang and Victor flank either side of the door, Wokun provide support. All the while giving the silent commands, Renatus herself channeled deeper into the dark side. She felt the unstable energy course through her. Not the raw power of the Force, but ancient and more sinister magic that fed from range of emotions that screamed from behind the door. While Renatus was easily able to detect the number of enemies waiting for them, she gave the hold command in case her underling's powers of sensitivity lacked. (2/*)

Tang Darech'd follow the hand signals, blade coming to life as soon as he saw the turrets face them. He'd gaze at it with surprise for a moment before catching Renatus' commands. Nodding his head he'd reach through and feel the bodies within with the force before reaching the door. Though not as skilled as his lady in the ways of the force, he could still detect and feel those on the battlefield. Lowering his lightsaber he signaled with his free hand that he would go first and Victor would follow. Not for glory at this point. Something had gone wrong, and now wasn't the time to get caught with pride and screw it up. Exhaling he'd begin to walk forward, planning on sliding to the side. Except when he was close enough it popped open. Tossing that plan aside Tang charged forward to the closest being and go for his favorite slice: The neck. As soon as the target was eliminated he'd continue forward, always aiming for necks.


Victor Suoi gave a glance to the half-operable turrets as he passed through the area. Curious. It seems there had previously be an engagement here. Eyes narrowed as the audible chanting was heard, a nod to the Lady to confirm he understood his instruction. Hands slip behind his mantle, arms flaring out, palms turning to face his sides. Using the force, he would draw the holstered blaster into his left hand, and the lightsaber into his right. He gripped the saber so that the emitter was facing away from him. The blade roared to life as he stepped into the room, firing a volley of blaster fire at the first available target, attempting to use a bit of his force senses to help his aim be true. If approached from the right side, saber would be run though the gut of any attacker, following a forward thrust of the arm, similar to a punch, effectively gutting the attacker.

Zuguruk Wokun's first priority was keeping Lady Renatus safe. So....first he checked that whatever was inside wasn't dangerous enough to warrant staying behind. Of course that meant risking the others as they rushed in to take on whatever it was, but oh well. They should know the life of a dark force user was about who was more expendable. If it looked like they needed more backup and there was no threats from ether side, he would rush in to gash open whatever he could get his claws on. If he wasn't needed, he wouldn't bother rushing, staying near Renatus to keep her safe. Ether way, a REST would be stuck to the outside of the door facing behind them, another point of warning in case something came up behind them.

[#] Inside had been twelve individuals who were either in cloths, again for patients, half naked, wielding pipes, heavy tools, bloodied fists or even a blaster turned wrong way round. One turned towards the sound of the door opening, only to find her head parted from her shoulder. The look of indignation permanently marked her expression even as her head rolled away, and her body slumped. The rest crooned 'Kill to Feel!' in an unoriginal battle cry, and mindlessly charged, their attention immediately drawn on Tang. Another would fall, the lightsaber easily biting through a simple, gore dripping pipe, while the rest tried to tackle him or swing. They were rabid, a few foaming at the mouth, and all enraged. Victor's volley would find their marks easily enough, considering the mob rushed head long at Thane, who had been the first one to enter. They fell easily enough, with a few near the rear rushing Victor now, weapons raised high over head, and that manic chanting piercing the air. Wokun would again find easy prey; considering that crowd would quickly dwindle beneath Tang's saber, and Victor's Blaster. However the mode attack from the occupants seemed to be completely devoid of any rational thought. They were trying to tackle them, and beat them to death in a hail of fist, pipe, and backwards blaster. Regardless, their opening moves had claimed six, leaving Six obvious lunatics still trying to kill them in kind.

Darth Renatus took a step forward and outstretched her hands in the direction of the room. Palms forward, fingers spread apart, she focused the power there. Renatus felt the insatiable energy course through her like the blood in her veins, drained from the source at her core. There was a crack and then a flash of crimson light as a wave of dark energy was launched from her hands, skillfully targeting the remaining deranged prisoners and ensnaring them in webs constructed by the dark side. The power would sever the connection of any force sensitive it touched and quickly began sapping strength from those imprisoned. Focusing her concentration on maintaining the force constriction, she'd hope that the spell left the remaining prisoners vulnerable for Tang and Victor to strike down and thus, clear the room of any threats. (3/3 - Odojinya)

Tang Darech was grinning wide, hood falling back as he charged and met his incoming prey. It was always exhilarating to watch the body showing it's weakness under his blade, parting so easily. The covering fire gave him pause only for a moment, taking stock as he parted another head from it's body. At the sound of the crack he'd leap back a little to put a greater buffer between the crimson and himself. He didn't doubt the lady's aim, he just knew convenient accidents happened. But they were all nicely bundled, lightsaber extending to it's full length with a flick of a button. He'd then charge forward, aiming for the weak point of the neck and trying to take out as many as he could in one swing.

Victor Suoi becoming exhilarated with the battle, a menacing smirk curled onto his normally cool, expressionless face. As the Lady's spell took effect, Victor would seize the opportunity to have a little fun with the nearest immobilized assailant. The blade of the saber he held would dissipate as he flicked it off momentarily, twisting his torso slightly to preload a hay-maker strike with his right fist with the individuals jaw. A small laugh leaked from lips as the satisfying crack of the jaw braking was heard. He would follow through with his strike, pivoting on heel, he would flick the saber back to life thrusting it backward into the gut of the broken-jawed individual. He would then take a step forward as the dispatched assailant fell limp to the floor. Blaster would be turned on another ensnared individual, dispatching them with 3 bolts to the face. One would be left him his 'half', but he opted to leave it for Wokun to have a little fun.

Zuguruk Wokun didn't give the immobilized one due ceremony of death. The others were having fun with their kills. They needed to get details quick. A drained target was not a safe target. Left arm quickly slashed the back of the hand to...encourage dropping of the weapon, before he grabbed the victim’s face with those powerful bladed claws, thumb and outer claw pincered around the temples, while the middle claw rested against the top of the head. And squeeze. He didn't rush it, at this point there was no need, letting pressure slowly dig razor blades to the skull, pressure increasing every heartbeat. His other hand went for the controls to see if he could access the system, humming a bored little tune. Unlikely his victim would be striking back. Not as three blades slowly worked their way into piercing their skull. That would probably be their focus of struggle. And good luck pulling bladed claws from your head.

[#] Spell ensnared many of the Prisoners, and those who fell beneath the cruelty of the Sith, Fell. One however, turned on their closest comrade and started to beat them mercilessly, having been 'missed' apparently by the Spell's Effect. However, before the cadre could react, the Prisoner fled, only slowing when they tripped over the body of a TITAN Elite Officer, who had a scalpel still in their neck. They exited out of command and control, leaving the Sith in triumph of what happened to be another corpse strewn room. Consoles were damaged, burnt, with few in operation. However the Central Terminal Still to be in function, with its displays showing the Sith within the Room in all their glory.

Darth Renatus was satisfied with her team's quick work and dropped the spell. The dark energy was seeping from her body like steam and could vaguely be identified as a faint dark purple aura emanating from her. Just as she was about to make her way inside, she noticed a lone prisoner trip over a TITAN soldier and make an attempt to flee. Reaching out with one hand, she called upon the dark side of the fore and concentrated it on one of the man's organs. If successful in her reach, the force would quickly envelope the man's heart and start constricting around it, tightening and tightening while inducing excruciating pain on the host. Unless interrupted, the Dark Lady maintained the hold until the heart was crushed completely and the victim would slump over dead. Only then did she approach the TITAN soldier, identifying him as a potential guard to the room. Crouching, she'd cipher through his armor and retrieved a key card in which she stowed away in one of her breast pockets. Standing, she peered over her soldiers. "Use the terminal to locate Agent #A723, Agent #B5646, and Agent #A3205." she commanded, reaching the agent's serial numbers from the holo screen on her bracer.

Tang Darech turned and immediately charged after the running prisoner—Lady Renatus had said all who knew had to die. There was no way of knowing this one was part of the group or not, and he wasn't willing to spend time tracking him down if it proved unfortunately true. If the lady's work didn't prove effective he'd sling himself forward with the aid of the force, blade slashing wide and hopefully removing the treat. If she did kill the man with her grip with the force he'd move to secure the door, looking in to the hallway with the force first before using his eyes. It'd be a simple sweep, he standing guard there if he found nothing more than more bodies. Easily he could hear the others talking within the room.

Victor Suoi stood poised in the aftermath of the skirmish. He calmed his breathing with a deep inhale and exhale. He had caught sight of the fleeing prisoner, but felt no need to respond with the quick reactions of Renatus and/or Tang. He would deactivate the saber in his grip, feeling the battle to be over for the moment. Well, that was fun. His eyes lingered on the TITAN soldier which he had noticed upon following the movements of the fleeing prisoner. Curious. A new class of solder perhaps? The Syndicate often dealt in illegal arms and military equipment, but he was not familiar with this load out. Gaze then turned on the many corpses strewn about the room, noting their overall condition. They almost seemed to be shells of their former selves. A quiet Hmm passed through pursed lips before he spoke "What were those?"

Zuguruk Wokun focused his search pattern, grumbling as he searched with one hand. Though the clatter of keys was just as fast as one might expect from the average person with both hands and ten fingers available. All the while his other arm was likely being gripped by his victim, probably screaming some sort of nonsense as gears tightened and tightened, blades cracking through bone and piercing gray matter beneath. "Agent number A723, deceased." He said, ignoring the worthless human blunt fingers trying to claw at the metallic arm slowly killing him. "Agent number B5636. Deceased." Neural paths were slowly interrupted as metal found it easier and easier to penetrate. "Agent number A3205. Alive. Currently in a conflict in the Maintenance section. Fastest rout is through the Data core than through a lab." He kept squeezing till claw tips touched each other and the victim stopped struggling. "Apparently...." He paused as he checked some other files, "these were test subjects under a code name TITAN. Will need more time to see if any files are still intact, but our time might be limited."

[#] After Wokun relayed the information, the screen quickly flickered, fizzled, and died. Any further prodding at the Terminal one would find it had been cut from wherever it was gathering information. As for the last prisoner, his heart would have exploded beneath Renatus' tender mercies, and more then likely the better for it. As Victor looked over the bodies, they would find the ones without shirts had surgical scarring, with one having a bulge of some sort beneath their rib cage, obviously not natural. Tang would find that the other door would lead to the same corridor as before, but the turrets had been destroyed on this side. Bulk heads have closed leading left and right, with the only path available heading forward towards a set of lifts, which were inoperable, and a stair, where the Prisoner who had 'escaped' long enough to die of an acute heart condition had been fleeing for.

Darth Renatus wasn't pleased. First and foremost, the group almost let the prisoner get away, a failure she was not about to let go unnoticed. The punishment, however, unfortunately had to wait. Second reason why Renatus' mood had gone foul was that the terminal had fizzled and died, preventing Wokun from extracting any intelligence he could on the TITAN project. While their mission was to cut loose ends, intelligence was a high priority as well. Wearing a scowl on her face, the Dark Lady headed in the direction the prisoner was bound for, the sharp heel of her boot crushing the corpse's jaw as she stepped on it. No verbal commands were given as the Dark Lady expected for her underlings to follow suit. Key card in pocket, Renatus led the group to the stair well, which inevitably led them to the data core, her seething fueling her power in the dark side (1/*)

Tang Darech'd remain silent as soon as he felt her rage, making sure he was out of the way as soon as she walked towards him. Falling in to step behind her he'd reach forward with the force as far as his eyesight could see—he'd leave any further probing to the hell-bent woman in front of him. His light saber was still in hand, but he was checking his arm and making it look like he was seeing if his elbow would bend properly. He was double-checking the balance in his knife-prop. They had a moment. As they reached the data core he'd extend his reach with the force, noting to himself "One." Taking the lead he'd keep his lightsaber extinguished for now, hidden underneath his cloak. but in hand.

Victor Suoi had taken note of the apparent scarring on the bodies, focusing intently on what appeared to be a growth? No.. an implant, on one of the deranged souls. The scene suddenly made a bit more sense upon the revelation that these were guinea pigs, no prisoners. Project TITAN, he said? Victor made a mental note to ping the Syndicate's information network on the subject. He was quickly pulled from his thoughts, sensing the change in atmosphere from the Dark Lady. Upon her departure, he would follow, attempting to close the gap a bit so that she would be in earshot. "My lady, these...ghouls... appear to have been modified." He would let the Matriarch do as she wished with that tidbit of information.

Zuguruk Wokun grumbled as the computer fizzled out. Shaking his head. That was his main access point! But he could make another. He bent down to one of the TITAN armored units and snatched their helmet, humming to himself as he inspected it. "If you don't mind..." He said as he looked over the armor, "I would like some samples of these test subjects while we are leaving, if you don't mind dragging the bodies. Their tech could give us further insight on what they are planning. But there is no time to thoroughly inspect them here." While he followed he checked to see what he could get from the helmet itself.

[#] The Helmet Wokun snatched was face concealing, black, with a heads up display that had a power level indicator that had been depleted, possibly from something that was attached to the armor, which was also black. It did have its own breathing apparatus, even a ray shield emitter centered at the fore head. There had been hints that the helmet may have been able to work in a hostile environment and-...-and there was a demand that they report in. Blaster fire could be overheard, and they were demanding that they initiated a code Omega Purge before the Jedi reached the core. Other communications suggested that there was a very sizable contingent heading towards Command and Control, and that a Dreadnought was en-route to enforce an annihilation order if they could not get to the core in time. With Tang peering into the DATA Core level, they would find it occupied by a single, soul individual, at least for now. Moreover as Tang extended himself with the force, they could sense the being was struggling with a firestorm of emotions. Regardless, proceeding deeper into the DATA CORE level would take them away from the landing that housed another flight of stairs heading to the MEDICAL WING, as well as the LAB. If they proceed they will find little more then the dead, and the LAB itself sealed. The Automated Defenses here have also been destroyed, yet there is evidence of someone having killed more then a few of these Soldiers with a Lightsaber.

Darth Renatus craned her head slightly to the side in acknowledgment to Victor's words. "Experiments..." is all the Dark Lady could say, her anger growing so much that it risked shattering her cold, calm facade. Renatus cared very little about these people or the fact that they were tortured. However, the idea that they were used as subjects for experimentation brought her own gruesome memories to the surface as she struggled to contain the shear rage that followed. The only thing stopping her from becoming an unstable force to be reckoned with was the years upon years of training and conditioning that the mission took priority above all else. Suppressing her own anguish, Renatus recollected herself in time to hear the alarm while completely neglecting the sole seething individual within the data core; she feels ya buddy. Determined to complete the mission and get the hell out of here, she broke into a run expecting the others to follow suit. Closing the distance within several short moments, Renatus led the group into the medical bay where they caught sounds of blaster fire as well as evidence that some of the corpse had been slain by a lightsaber. Crouching, she'd study one of the corpses, assessing the manner in which they were killed as if determining and identifying their killer. Peering over her shoulder, she spoke "I believe our target is in there." Standing, she withdrew the lightsaber from its spot on her hip but did not ignite it, rather focused on absorbing the anguish and despair that radiated from her and using those emotions to fuel the raw potential of her sorcery (2/*)

Tang Darech retract in time to see Renatus tensing, he doing the same and leaping in to motion a few steps after her. He would be her shadow, slowing down once he caught sight of the stranger bellow. With a frown he'd continue forward to get a bit of a closer look down to the stranger at the data core while the others were closer to the med-bay. He pushed only just a bit more with his awareness, swallowing as he felt the plague of various emotions. He'd adjust the grip on his hilt as soon as Renatus gave her observation. Nodding his head at her words he'd step forward once more to take the lead, lightsaber held at the ready but still cold. He'd be tense, waiting for the way to be cleared.

Victor Suoi, not wanting to be left behind, would drop into a sprint to keep pace with the party, mantle flowing and whipping in his wake. He paid no mind to the individual in the data core, only having concern for any would be combatants, and it appeared they were all deceased already. A pity. As they ran along he pondered on state of things in this station. His opinion, the operation was indeed sinister. To inspire this thought from a man who serves Crime Lords and Sith Lords/Ladies alike, the Republic has indeed sunken to a low, low place. He took quick note of the bodies slain by lightsaber. Victor still had both his weapons drawn, gave a subtle nod of acknowledgment and would be at the ready to enter the next area at the Lady's command.

Zuguruk Wokun followed as quick as he could. As he went his mapper worked to let him know where they have been. SMKEDs and RESTs were left along their paths. RESTs, the little camera turrets, mostly at doors and shady ends of hallways, while the little camera SMKEDs left along the path randomly, giving forewarning if something came up behind them. Of course if someone messed with them there would be a bit of a surprise...

[#] Within the LAB itself, there were tables with stabs. Bacta Tanks that were filled with people who obviously dead, and beyond any sort of saving. There were work stations. Terminals that were smashed, and paper scattered everywhere. One of the agents they sought, one of the expired, still remained in a Tank, in pieces. Any investigation would reveal that a Scientist by the name of Graft; was pleased that this subject had lasted so long in the condition they were in, and would like to study the effects of the Bacta fungi, and the Liquid TITAN they had in development. Regardless, the small hatchway that would lead towards Maintenance was on the other side, and there were voices shouting 'kill to feel' starting to rise....as well as a dark, sinister presence in the force.

Darth Renatus removed the key card from her pocket and used it to open the door into the LAB. Entering, Renatus took in the sight, noting the corpses, the tools, the carnage... Lightsaber still in hand, dark side still seething, Renatus silently wandered about and eventually happened upon one of the three agents dead in the bacta tank. While good news on some level, Renatus could never be too certain that the deceased agent didn't reveal anything about their location on Dromund Kaas. However, based on her observation, she had reason to believe that the agent's torturer was more interested in his own experiments than understanding the origin of his patient. "Collect what you can in this room. The intelligence here could be valuable in helping us understand our enemy...." she trailed off, her senses faintly picking up the dark presence in the force only to be followed by the soft muffled chanting. With each second, the chanting grew louder. Renatus made her way to the entrance between the LAB  and MAINTENANCE. "Be quick about it.... I believe our little friend wants to welcome us to the party." Her lightsaber, held at her left side, hummed to life as the opposite hand clenched tightly, almost like she was gripping an enormous sphere within. Those in tuned with the force could see a faint semi-transparent purple sphere beginning to form in that hand as a sinister smile formed on her small lips (3/*)

Tang Darech'd enter the Lab cautiously as well, glancing around and ensuring it was safe. He'd take a moment to take in the room. He'd follow Renatus at a much slower pace over to the one containing their deceased agent, poking through the notes and comments left there by "Look for references to a scientist, name is Graft." That was tossed towards the other two. He'd continue to poke at each report attached to the deceased, frowning as he'd call out "It seems they were testing this... Liquid Titan. Each one is referring to it." There was a little more poking through the report before his voice went hard "The components of the Titan liquid are meant to sever one's connection with the force." There was more, the man standing there transfixed as he read as much as he could, absorbing the information. He'd have to write it down as soon as they left the base in order to retain all that he read, unless someone managed to hack the system and snag the information. Wonder who could do that. Tang Darech'd pull away not long after he'd glean all that he could in the time frame given. He'd glance inside the tanks and murmur "That's one way to torture someone." With the information attained on his end the shape-shifter moved to fall in to step in to place behind Renatus, slightly to her side but forever her shadow. His own lightsaber would remain off for the time being.

Victor Suoi would move swiftly and deliberately around the room, gathering what intelligence he could related to the items called out by Tang. Victor wasn't equipped to take anything with him that wouldn't fit in a pocket. If he were to find any sort of data card/chips, he would pocket them for later examination. A quick look over of the dissected subject in the tank he would then move to exit before their window closed.

Zuguruk Wokun stepped in. Three people had a sour expression on their face as they went through. One, however, had a look of pure bliss as if deposited into a wonderland of all things pleasurable. He nearly danced forwards, hands grasping random things, pulling them off shelves as a tune of excitement hummed from him. He would follow, but would be slowed a bit as he tried to grab every piece of unique medical and experimental equipment he could get. [I couldn't resist. "What's this? What's this? There's tech-stuff everywhere! What's this? They shaved off all your hair. Whats THIS? I can't believe this neural jack designed like that, this doc's a certain quack! What's this?!']

[#] There had been more then five. More then twelve. There were DOZENS of these prisoners, screaming that they needed to 'Kill to Feel.' Just behind them, wielding some sort of crude lightsaber, had been a heavily scarred, lightly armored man, laughing at them. He was provoking the crowd. Cheering them on. Directing them. Their eyes focused on Renatus, and they were leering arrogantly. They had no intentions of being 'rescued', much less being executed by any of their comrades, and would make their way out if they could on their own. As far as the data chits and information... They would not find much regarding the creation or what LIQUID Titan was, however Victor would luck out and find a data pad that was suffering from a network error, its connection ability physically damaged. It would list details on whom had been supplying the Republic with the tech necessary to MAKE TITAN on any scale (information in those details up to Rah) as well as where they had gotten their latest batch of Force Sensitives. Wokun would gather get his hands on an a spray can of some sort; filled to the brim with some sort of clear liquid, but there would not be much else. Back to the Prisoners; they would surge, as their 'lord' watched, their crazed eyes and blood drunk cries directed towards Tang, and Renatus.

Darth Renatus hardly seemed intimidating by the opposing force's numbers or the fact that it had a sith adept at its helm. Waiting, Renatus calmly lifted her hand and faced her palm in the approaching crowd's direction. Similar to before, the power in which she had been gathering; the anguish and torment brought by resurfaced memories of a tortured child, kidnapped and left at the hands of deranged scientists to fuel their own research, Renatus unleashed a massive wave of dark side energy. Sparks of violet danced across her forearm and upon the expulsion of the power, ignited the gloved hand in flames as a massive sphere, roughly half the diameter of the hallway, was launched in the direction of the group. The power, known to those adept in sith sorcery as Forced Blast, rushed at the massive group and would impact at the dead center of the group unless they fled. The sphere would, at its full potential, obliterate all in which it touched. Fortunately, the circumference of the blast didn't fill  the hall, which left the crowd some room to escape if they could. The hand that released the blast was left in a mangled and burned mess, dripping with blood on the floor as she held it firmly to her abdomen. Exhausted not only from this spell but the one prior, Renatus took a step breath and raised her blade in soresu fashion, her breathing heavy and rasped (4/2—Forced Blast)

Tang Darech'd pause, watching the shot being fired – he knew not to get mixed up with that shot. Charging as soon as the blast was finished he'd throw aside his cloak at whomever got close first, his lightsaber coming alive with the motion. Focusing on the surge of darkness in the room he used the energy, helping it guide him as several knives lifted up from his person and flew towards the incoming attackers. He'd be sliding in among them moments later, plucking and popping knives and leaving a trail in his wake of knife-filled, lightsaber cut bodies. He always went for the killing hit, either at the head or the neck or heart. A good enemy is a dead one.

Victor Suoi would pocket the datapad he had the good fortune to find before leaving the room. Upon hearing the commotion, he would ignite the previously idle lightsaber in his hand and wade into the fray, defending himself from attack with the saber, should anyone make it past Renatus and Tang before him. He would make attempts to cover the pair with his blaster should the situation arise.

Zuguruk Wokun was directly behind the team, his hands free of any equipment he had grabbed in the other room. Yep. He was able to leave everything behind. Behind him. Directly behind him. Yeah....he was using TK to drag a medical cart behind him loaded with stuff held down with a quick application of medical tape. He wasn't leaving all this good stuff behind! He looked concerned when he saw Renatus unleash the blast, pausing only to stick a REST on the door frame facing into the lab. Just in case. Whatever was left, they needed to act fast to make sure none regrouped, following quickly behind the others to dispatch any that were not quite dead. One hallway could only handle so many slaughtering sith side by side.

[#] The Slaughter would be glorious. The enemy did not flee. Did not relent, and charged heedlessly to their own doom. The supposed 'Lord' however, hesitated at the Carnage. Balked even. The cheering and the provocation died as quickly as the others did. They were trash, fodder, and every weapon stroke, every usage of deathly intent, did so with relative ease and abandon. The 'Lord' however, maneuvered himself to charge Renatus, brandishing a lightsaber, constructed of parts and a focus lens from a destroyed turret. "TO FEEL THE FORCE AGAIN!" they vented, despite the dark side rolling from them, as readily as the stench of this place.

Darth Renatus, despite the injury she sustained from the immensely powerful force blast, didn't retreat when the 'lord' had her in his sights and charged. She nurtured her hand against her mid section, her feet parted a shoulder's width apart with blade held diagonally in front of her, ready to deflect the potential oncoming blow. Reaching out into the force, she amplified her senses and latched onto the 'lord,' attempting to assess his connection with the force. Holding the hilt of her lightsaber between her thumb and index finger, she unleashed a spark of electricity from her finger tips in the sith prisoner's direction. The chances of it being a success was likely slim, however the purpose of the strike wasn't so much as to land, though it would be fortunate if it did, but to provide a distraction for in which one of her acolytes could capitalize on as the 'lord' passed them to make his way to her. If proven unsuccessful and the Dark Lady had to resort to defending herself in close quarters, she'd successfully ward off the incoming strikes, relying on the sequences of soresu and the quick maneuvering of her feet to do so, despite her fatigue. Under other circumstances, the Dark Lady could destroy the fool, but she had already exhausted herself greatly and thus crippled her ability in combat.

Tang Darech was a mix between smelling of burnt flesh, and having blood splatter his front. Black cleaned just fine. There was so many of them, it was kind of like a surprise birthday party. And it wasn't even his birthday. And there was the idiot, coming right for him! Oh, it was getting better and better! But the press of bodies was not letting up, even if they were now silent. If he now understood what they were trying to do. Still he'd spare a step back from the pressing host, flicking with his offhand with a knife aimed for the 'lord's back. It wouldn't kill him, not right away. The poison needed some time to work. But it would at least set Renatus and him at the same level. Easily he'd growl to Victor "Help her, I've got this!" They were easy, small fry. Just a lot of them all at once.

Victor Suoi sprang to action at Tang's call, lunging forward, using a push of the force to spring off his foremost foot giving him a boost in distance covered. A quick touch of the opposite foot, and he would spring forward again placing himself between the attacking 'Lord'. Lightsaber would be thrust forward toward the man, He wasn't hoping to connect, however, he wanted the man to block so that he could occupy that crude saber for a moment in a power struggle. If that is indeed what transpired, he would swing his blaster up, still firmly grasped in left hand, and attempt to pump two to three bolts into the man's abdomen. If merely parried, he would go for yet another strike. His main goal here was to provide Lady Renatus some valuable time to gain some distance from this man. He could sense he was at a disadvantage with this individual as far as force prowess was concerned.

Zuguruk Wokun loved when everyone else made his job easier. He had only one real concern, that was to get rid of the threat to his matron. He had wanted to use a quick swipe at the single-minded charge to take a foot off, but the charge was no longer needed. Victor wanted a tie-up and tried to create one. If it didn't work within two swings, Wokun would force one. It would be fairly simple, while the guy was focused on Victor, stepping quickly up behind the guy, bladed talons grabbing at the guy's wrist from behind. If he got his claws on the guy, the arm would be yanked with mechanical strength backwards, twisting the crude lightsaber away from himself so it was of no threat. And his torso completely wide open. A little "gift" to Victor to enjoy.

[#] The Sith 'Lord' withered beneath Victor and Renatus' assault, though deflected two of the blaster bolts before the third burned into the Soldier's blaster armor. Clutching at their chest with one hand, and trying to fend off two others with that crude weapon, Wokun would be warded off, only to have Renatus and Victor both placing fatal blows on the man, ending their supposed reign. The rest of the Prisoners however continued their blood crazed assault to the last. Swinging wildly like crazed fiends, excited at the prospect of either death, or killing to 'feel'. The flow of dozens would slowly trickle to a few at a time, to finally nothing. What wounded there would have been, what few, would still be crawling after Yang, like dust crazed lunatics after one more hit of the 'good stuff'.

Jedi

[#] The Jedi would be approaching the facility a short time after the Sith, observing the same wreckage of cruisers around a damaged station, a beeping warning about weapons locking onto their ship. Rudimentary scanning made it just as clear to them that the turrets were out of energy. Their pilot would have to take a bit of effort finding a hanger to land themselves in, as the wreckage of destroyed ship put debris in their path. They would need to put themselves somewhere different than the Sith had, as debris made that path unsafe for the moment. Some contacts had made Master Sekel aware of Jedi being kept prisoner in the station, and this would be a good opportunity to find out how they were isolating Jedi prisoners. And, if luck was on their side, perhaps find clues to the whereabouts of Grandmaster Wilowhchehuckt.

Beldok Sekel assembled the Jedi squad onto an ancient Skipray Blastboat named Crimson Exile. It was built for a small crew of four, but also had two small bunks for sleeping. Beldok was sealed in the cockpit navigating the debris. There were stations available for Jedi to use if they chose. One for Navigation and Comunications, one for Scans and targetting, one for weapons and power management. They arrived in the system following the distress beacon. Beldok is immersed in the Force avoiding debris expertly to faciliate their approach. The Jedi Master changed course to get as close to the life signs inside as he could manage considering the extent of the damage. "There are Force signatures inside. Everyone get ready, we're going in."

Stark would be found in characteristic fashion - towards the rear of the ship, seated and reclined. Quiet, languid and poised like a king. Today he was wearing a grey fedora with a large brim that cast a shadow down over his face, concealing all save for two, gleaming yellow eyes that pierced the din. Next to him, similarly poised and similarly badass, was Edessa. This little gem was a female merc he'd picked up on his adventures since the Republic's sacking of the Jedi Temple on Ossus. Stark speaks, in his usual nonchalant and detached manner, "This may be interesting, after all. Ready yourself, merc girl. I believe we're in for a bit of fun." A deep chuckling follows...

Madam Cerise had opted for one of the bunk beds. Such is the luxury she demands. In all actuality, she was a bit anxious, and it could be felt. She had a feeling that this mission would be full of surprises, and she was laying on one of the beds, clad in green spandex and belt, a poster tube held over her chest. As they got closer to the station, she managed to calm herself further. Quiet did not do well for her, as her mind did better in the middle of lots of action. Still, the woman was more excited than anything else. "Okay Cerise, we have this. Hoof hoof. Go go." Sharp breath. "Bleh." She spoke to herself.

Eron Wehr: "They firing on us? No? Trap." It was grim and twisted with a slight, humorless smile. A small but simmering fury twisted in the pits of the man's stomach. Internment camps for Jedi. The very idea was /unnatural/, as was their situation, as was Wilow's absence, and Eron couldn't help but feel betrayed by the very dogma that normally kept him going. It would take a whole monastary of Masters and a mass of meditation to purge him of these unpleasant thoughts. Even the thought of teaching again, something that would have equally energized him as well as left him more than a bit nervous, didn't do much... Janara couldn't distract him from this. And contrary to what he'd expected, the threads of the Force didn't dissipate, but rather stood starkly against his sense even as the feeling simmered. But the Jedi came prepared; anger at the unjustness of it all fuelled into anticipation, into excitement at using the lightsaber hilt he'd been balancing and fidgeting with like a strange stumpy baton in one hand as he slouched in his seat during the last leg of the ride (and the little backup blaster - he hadn't forgotten their first encounter with the Force-sapping freaks). Otherwise, he said nothing, but straightened up in his seat, tense, tendons standing starkly pale against darker skin as he gripped the hilt, willed himself calm, reached for those same threads of the Force to help himself do so.

Edessa; Placed in indeed badassery fashion, limbs thrown atop close structure, arms neatly folded over chest. Fingers tapping at forearms, a bored habit. Noting the situation and its sudden hightened turn of events, lips tugged to a grin. "And don't we enjoy fun." spoken with the intentions of only her companion to hear her. Heavy blaster exposed at thigh holt, position moved to a more leaned forward pose. Intent on listening.

[#] When the Jedi's ship entered the hanger, it looked like the aftermath of a large battle. There were destroyed shuttles, some of which were still on fire, that looked like they were blasted from additional turrets placed inside the hanger. They had immediately targeted the ship, but produced no blasts. The Jedi's ship landed safely without incident. When they opened the ship's hatch, the dim of alarm lights flashing was the first thing seen. A wave of negative emotions would hit them all like a wall, a mixture of pain, confusion, despair, and hate. All from within the facility. And then there were the bodies inside the hanger. And the smell... ugh, the smell of blasted flesh and bile leaking from corpses. What could immediately be pieced together by looking at the bodies is that there was a large skirmish that occurred between Republic soldiers, including TITAN elites, and what could only be concluded to be the prisoners of the facility. But they were dressed in what looked to be surgery gowns, not prisoner outfits. A cursory glance at many of the bodies would reveal scars from many surgeries, indicating that this was much worse than a simple internment camp. There was only one body of a TITAN soldier, and it looked like his equipment had been stripped. Through the one exit of the hanger door was a hallway that quickly lead to a T junction that conveniently offered them a path towards possible Jedi survivors: LEFT for the LIVING WARDS and right for the BARRACKS. Bodies mainly littered the hallway leading to the wards, but that was their goal. Shrieking and screams could be heard from either direction, but the emotions were felt from the wards.

Beldok Sekel was fully healed from his injuries in the Tattooine desert. He restocked his supplies at Momaw's grove, otherwise it was business as usual. He travelled with the same set up unless a circumstance warranted otherwise. Only, they were in space which meant Beldok opted to wear a one-piece undersuit, under his clothes, made for soldiers that can attatch to a helmet and form a pressure seal. Beldok led the Jedi into the Hangar, witnessing the greusome scene. Beldok emitted a sweet scent that was likely to get lost in the stench of rotting bodies, but these pheremones were to help calm sensitive Jedi. Some may not have encountered such death before. "Step lightly. This is a place of evil." He headed down the halls to the Living Wards, ignoring the Barracks for the moment.

Madam Cerise had hopped off the top bunk, strapping the poster tube to her back. She was right behind Master Sekel as he got off the ship into the hanger. She stepped back a bit as she was simultaneously hit by the stench, the view, and the negative emotions. "Ohh." She remarked, in a tiny voice. Her eyes watered and she coughed once before taking a deep breath, getting a good whiff of Beldok's feel good 'mones whilst taking in the positive emotions she could muster to center herself. "I've seen dead before, but... were they operated on? Oh, oh the poor dears." She placed a hand over her mouth and kept herself close to the Zeleron.

Eron Wehr: "I have a bad feeling about this." Well, someone had to say it. But that was before he stepped into the hangar... Initially, Eron met the bodies not with a vague moral or self-righteous horror, but plain disgust, and he gingerly trod a wide berth around most - as if touching them would absorb any sick experiment or condition into himself. But appearance itself belied true feelings: He didn't want to hear them. He didn't want to feel whatever had caused this - and it was a talent of his, to willfully and thoroughly forget. Not even the staunchest pragmatist in any situation could defend this. "Don't think about it, Cerise. Don't dwell on it..." It was sharp, quick - it was entirely WRONG to have Cerise upset, after all-! He paused by the wards, feeling the persistent tickle of emotions; a tickle that built and pressed until it was entirely unwelcome. Hilt gripped tightly, yet not ignited, blaster grip in plain sight, yet still worn at his side in order to keep a hand free as a potential focus, Eron followed Beldok closely, positioning himself as a potential defensive flank alongside Cerise.

Stark steps out into the dark and ghastly scene... and in a casual, calm fashion those gleaming, yellow eyes scan the carnage and destruction. He takes a long, drawn out whiff, imbibing himself on that fetid, engrossing smell as if it were intoxicating. "Do you sense it?" His lips curl up in a ghastly mirth, "The aroma of death is in the air." Stark was a Jedi, but first and foremost he was an Anzati... a feeder of living things, a devourer, a predator... His blood was beginning to run hot with the excitement of it all, but alas, he stifles his dark instincts and recollects his Jedi bearings. He remains in tow, all back of the bus like, just casually strolling along behind the pack. Deep within, something inside him was yearning for all hell to break loose...

Edessa's player forgot to mention that Edessa was in common clothing, simple tunic of ebony shades. Nuffin' fancy. - Nostrils flared to the all too familiar scents of chaos, tongue flickered and clicked from roof to bottom as if to lap at the smell. Following behind Stark with the 'click-clack' of heeled boots, visage pondering over the scene. "This is awfully sloppy work." sighing at the sudden fall of interest in the situation. "Such a shame." it was obvious she was not commenting as if to feel sorrow for the fallen, but the lack of something more. Arms folded behind back, fingers clasped.

[#] As the Jedi were led by the Zeltron towards the medical wards, they came across more of the interior damage, lights flickering from stray blaster fire. A running battle took place here, as indicated by bodies of more TITAN Elite soldiers. However, their gear was destroyed instead of stripped. Pieces of it was around them and it looked like they were beaten to death. When the group makes it to the first set of wards, the first thing to note is that all of the doors were open. A single human was curled up next to a wall, just muttering to himeself "Wannagohomewannagohomewannagohome." Before anyone could approach him, however, another voice would scream, "KILL TO FEEL!" And would come running down the hallway with a bent and bloody metal pipe. A few more voices would chorus the same statement, coming out of different rooms and charging down the hallway. Each had a different sort of improvised weapon, be it another piece of metal, a bloody boot, or their bare, bloody hands.The most peculiar thing, however, would be the fact that each of them could not be sensed through the Force.

Stark takes sight of the mob of crazies, and indeed, he senses something peculiar about them... how their connection to the force had been severed. It wasn't a stretch to presume this may have produced the added effect of rendering them immune to the force itself, no? Perhaps that was the point of this nightmare freak-show extraordinaire extravaganza. He lurches forwards, "...Hahaha...HaHaHaha..." Then explodes back in a fit of laughter, "...AHAHAHAHAHAHAH!..." Without a coherent word, Stark reaches into his duster and with one deft motion draws his heavy DL-44 blaster and opens fire, aiming to drop as many of the crazies with headshots as possible without any hint of pause or compunction. The fun has begun.

Beldok Sekel moved cautiously down the hallway, lightsaber in hand but switched off. He was intrigued by all the damage, attempting to reconstruct the scene in his mind as he stepped through. He felt no life signs in the Force, except the other Jedi. He distinctly heard voices, real voices not recordings. That alone was more intriguing than the damage. "I don't like this. There's something foul afoot. Check your corners, trust your instincts, not your sens-." He was cut off by the screaming, then they were rushed. Beldok unable to sense them in the force returned to martial instinct. He swung, deactivated lightsaber striking for the rear of first oncomers head as he sidestepped and made an opening for Jedi behind him.

Madam Cerise made a beeline for the man who seemed to be having an emotional breakdown beyond lucidity. And then the others screamed. The bottom of her poster tube poped, and from it flew the smooth electrum hilt of a single-bladed lightsaber to her right hand. Her feet were already in a combat position as the crazed prisoners made their mad charge. When one made his way to her and swung, she slid around the swing, smacked the hilt of her saber onto his wrist to make him release the weapon, and shoved him towards the wall, only smacking him the face hard enough to knock him out when he turned around, but leaving herself open to defend against anyone else that went for her, albeit for a few seconds.

Edessa was in the midst of making a mental note of the body count, passing by time quicker. Brow suddenly raised in awe of the sight of crazed individual, fingers twinge to thigh blaster - maybe in reaction to put this person out of their misery? Instead ears perked to a more familiar sound; the sound of her companions laughter, flowing even over the sound of the crazed maniacs burrowing down the hall. Blaster equipped with ease, arms held in perfect posture to make easily precise throat shots. "This all escalated very quickly!" shouting over to anyone that could hear over the laughter, shouting, crying. This is all too much.

[#] In the chaos, the more docile prisoner had enough heart in him to start crawling away from the group's clash. As his less peaceful wardmates were dispatched, he began screaming, "NO! NO! NO! NO!" The Anzati and his companion's blaster bolts had struck true, creating a momentary lull, the sound of the terrified prisoner's screaming the only noise. As he scurried by one cell's open door, a large clawed hand shot out and grabbed him by the leg, yanking him inside like a ragdoll kicking and screaming. A loud crunch could be heard and his words just became pain and misery. While he could not be felt in the force, his suffering could for a brief moment before it stopped while his screaming continued before it became gurgles, followed by a rash hiss that withdrew into the cell. It became quiet again, giving the group the opportunity to observe the fact that this ward had enough room for not just a handful, but hundreds of prisoners.

Madam Cerise moved with a calm grace like water as she strode forward, stopping abruptly as the screaming man was torn from life. She squinted her eyes closed and just focused on the Force in herself. It just felt so weird to be around life being taken but not feeling it through the Force. "I would like to search for more survivors, Master Beldok. I feel we should have Stark and his date watch this area while we do a quick sweep." Wink and smile for them both. There's cheery Cerise. And she clearly wanted to avoid blasting people. "Hun, please set your blaster to stun just in case." That was for the fedora totin' cowboy.

Beldok Sekel reached out in the Force attempting to feel anything at all in the cell. He immediately, " We're being hunted through the Galaxy and we are balls deep in a Republic facility with too many unkowns to count. You will all keep your weapons at a lethal capacity." Beldok stepped slowly twice to try and get a peek at the cell. He couldn't sense with the Force but perhaps he could still affect with it. He pushed outward toward the open cell door, attempting to force the door closed and trap whatever was inside. "And do not hesitate if you are threatened." Beldok kept circling the cell with the 'monster', he waved Cerise over, "With me Cerise." He put his back to hers to watch as many of those dark hidey holes as possible. If he succeeded in forcing the doors shut he would continue to do so to all they came across.

Stark merely idles in position, his arm still outstretched with that classic, heavy blaster smoking at the end of it. He remarks upon the evolving crisis, "...Oh yes, I haven't had this much fun in AGES! AHAHAHAH! YES! Come forth you creature of the darkness! Show yourself! Summon all your power! Strike out against us! Make this a REAL fight!" That sinister, Anzati nature was beginning to emerge again... inexorably drawn out by the carnage and chaos of the scene, "Oh, Cerise. How could I? The night is still young. The fun has only just begun! Come, merc girl! Revel in the pandemonium!" He throws back his head in a terrible, dark mirth and laughs! His Jedi bearing was beginning to slip... the darkness here had begun to seep into him....

Beldok Sekel adds that he finds Stark to be a bit unstable. He could relate, at one time. "Keep it in your pants, Stark." He could be dealt with if he posed a threat, but there seemed to be greater threats abound.

Edessa; Crimson eyes panned over and over, assessing all the scene, focusing on the most of severe; assuming its a wooly mammoth with raptor claws. Yes, that sounds fun. Caught off guard by the more timid female, the innocence to her causing a chuckle to slip. "I think we need to come to the realization that survivors are not probable.." Blaster end pointed to the cell. ".. considering the circumstances, child." Age difference most likely wasn't much difference, but the mental denial she observed from Cerise was enough to think less of her. Shaking her head to Stark's obvious manic tendencies, leaning over to him to expel a soft whisper. "Might wanna check your stability, take the theatrics down a couple of notches."

Eron Wehr: Eron had managed to avoid harming - or being harmed - others, as they were rushed by a mob of people not simply painfully mundane, but black holes in the Force, untouched by life. And it disturbed him. "You're nothing..." he had hissed, echoing the appearance of the lightsaber blade "You can't live. You shouldn't live. You're /nothing/!" And here, perhaps, Stark's nutty mini-rampage saved him, as the nearest one dropped with a headshot that wasn't his own work. A long beat, and the blade zipped back into its hilt, though the iron grip remained. "Cerise, I'm sure we're not all sharing his idea of fun, right now." Hardly reassuring.

[#] Master Zeltron would have trouble closing the door, as if the Force refused to touch that area. He would have to walk up to the door. Taking stance with Cerise, if they took a look inside the room from a safe distance, they would see a prone Trandoshan with a bloody face, dripping with bits of other prisoners, and bite marks on corpses all over his room. A loud hiss would come from him, but he would keep his place. He only had one leg, as if it was surgically cut off recently. The redhead and blondie would find more of the same throughout the wards. Many were missing arms, eyes, and legs. Those who had no legs were mostly beaten to death. Except that Trandoshan. He had taken bites out of anyone who got close. During their quick sweep, Beldok and Cerise would simultaneously hit a field of emptiness in the Force, as if suddenly thrust upon them. The painful part was that it would flicker, invigorating and draining them until they went past it. Nothing took advantage of whatever they felt during this moment, and they would easily be able to extend their senses to avoid more of the same, more of the same fields actually being constant, and apparently centered on cells and hallways. Their sweep would find that any pass out the other end of this section of the circular station was shut, the only access available would have to be through a bypass given in another section of the station. Makes sense, given their location in the wards. The only easy access out was to backtrack through the barracks. There were other benign prisoners who had kept to their cells, some sobbing, others muttering, others pacing, rocking back and forth, etc.

Beldok Sekel investigates the source of these 'cones' in the nearest empty cell.

[#] They are likely centering from a device implanted into the ceiling. Someone had managed to deactive some of them, or their power had been drained. It would take a big blast to get towards where one could triangulate their source.

Stark feels the hunger. That ancient, inexorable yearn to suck the life right out of someone and add it to his own. His gleaming, yellow eyes shift over to one of the cells wherein sat one of the more calm, 'benign' prisoners. He calmly approaches, kneels down to level height with it and says, "...Hello..." And then, using a darkened permutation of the Jedi mind trick innate to the Anzati - a power by which to lure in would-be prey - Stark attempts to mesmerize and calm the captive completely into his bidding. If successful, he opens the cell (if it's closed) and leads the prisoner back inside the ship, "Merc girl." He says low, so that only she would hear, "Keep the others away." Stark was going to figure out what was going on here. Whatever it took.

Beldok Sekel wields a lightsaber! He could cut it out, blast or no. Few materials could stand up to a Jedi's sacred weapon. Still he decided against it. Too many unknowns to worry about. He made rounds with Cerise observing the prisoners. "It is a Jedi's sacred Duty prevent suffering and preserve life." Beldok explained as he studied the prisoners wounds. He switched his lightsaber on and swung, ending the suffering of the disfigured and altered patients. "It is also our duty to end that suffering as quickly as possible." Probably none were sane or stable enough to take with them. After the dirty duty was done, he was usher them on. "Come, we must hurry. I fear we are running out of time." He'd lead them back down the hallway to the barracks side.

Madam Cerise pushed out her lower lip in response to Beldok's order, but acquiesced. The 'balls deep' term prompted a snort from her. If he did not do it, Cerse would brave stepping forward and just smashing the button that would keep the Trandoshan on lockdown. "Eegh." She would remark, and keep close to Beldok as they made their sweep. "Uh!" She would clutch herself as if someone had temporarily taken all of the blood out of the three circulatory systems she had. Cerise hopped back from where she came, taking care to go around any further fields they encountered. "This is what they are using on you? Why? How? This is just denying... life! Like Eron said!" It was more her speaking out loud than a general question, so she would not be upset by them. She would not personally finish off those suffering, but she did take out a small device which she flashed over pools of blood and some living and dead prisoners.

Eron Wehr: "Well, that distress call was certainly highly understated..." Eron paused in front of a quieter prisoner, fixing it with a stare that seemed to bore right through its skull, as if - failing the sense of the Force - he could find answers buried right behind its eyes by sheer will and curiosity alone. His voice was somewhat distant, and his eyes never left the one in the cell. "Even within the Void, the Chaos of the Sith legends do the spirits of the Dark Lords and Dark Jedi remain. There is still the Force. This...is nothing. What we ran from, nothing." Any odd stares would be merely met with a noncommittal shrug and a flippant, slightly defensive "I read." One hand reached for the calmly gibbering 'patient.' The hilt gripped in the other. "How do you combat someone who wields Nothing as a weapon? Come here, darling..." Well, THAT purr certainly wasn't addressed to Beldok. And the zip of the blade, the strangled hiss as it slickly sliced through the patient as he ignited it certainly wasn't either; indeed it echoed Beldok's own. He rose sharply, finishing others similarly, without the odd care he'd lavished on the first one, eyes deadened.

[#] Stark's mind trick would not work. The Force did not touch the being's mind. Nor would pheromones, kind words, or something beyond the Force. It was likely due to whatever had been done to them during their imprisonment. At best, Stark had a calorie-free meal. As the group made it to the barracks, the blast doors would ope and they would discover surviving Republic Troopers behind a series of makeshift barricades, blaster rifles drawn and behind cover, but not opening fire. "Hold it right there! Who are you and why are you here? You're not Republic soldiers!" A voice came from behind one of the barricades - a couple cabinets stacked on top of each other, towards the back.

Stark doesn't eat it, then. Getting to keep his Jedi sensibilities, Stark simply sighs, recollects himself and stalks back off through the facility to link back up with the others...

Madam Cerise bounces as she shoots her hands up to shoulder level, showing she meant no harm while her lightsaber was still in hand, but still left unignited. "Whoa! Whoa! We're here to help! Don't shoot! Pretty please! Talk and hugs, maybe!" Ever so diplomatic of her.

[#] One of the shoulders looks over his shoulder towards the officer. "I... I could really use a hug after today, sir." Well, it worked on someone.

Beldok Sekel at Cerise's surprising success, follows her lead. His lightsaber was deactivated after the euthanasia, so his posture mimicked hers, his posture available for hugs and a pretty alien he was. Pheromones still pumping out all the while, though probably not close enough to the soldiers to affect them yet.

Beldok Sekel: I could use a hug myself after what we've just been through.

[#] The officer utters, "Wait, what?" When the talk of hugs goes on. He sighs, "Please identify yourselves and we can talk!" Still from behind cover.

Stark is in the background doing stuff.

Beldok Sekel: I am Jedi Master Beldok Sekel. These are Jedi Knights and we are here to investigate a distress beacon.

Eron Wehr: No, they weren't soldiers! "You think?!" Eron spat after a sigh, in spite of himself, spreading his hands wide in a sassy shrug. And merely gawped at Cerise. Then Beldok after her. Sighing, his question met the soldier's voice in intensity, if not quite the tone and pitch. "What happened, here? We followed a distress call, we're here to /help/. While I wasn't expecting us to get a warm welcome, this was all a bit much!"

[#] A sigh of relief seems to come from all of the soldiers, who are pretty much the first people that the group can actually still feel the Force emanating from. The officer stands up from out of cover, beckoning the group. "I am Colonel Sunshine. I'm sure you understand the situation, but if you're Jedi, I will tell you everything I can." He would go on to explain that the facility was specifically designated a prison for violent force offenders, but there was definitely more to it than that. However, he and his team are pretty much in the dark of what goes on in the medical wing beyond their location. Unfortunately, they have welded the door in the barracks that leads to the medical wing shut as they did not wish to have further encounters with "crazy" prisoners from that direction before help arrived. Currently, only ten of his men are in fighting condition, while another twenty are severely wounded. They would have ventured out, but they are low on blaster charges. Mister Sunshine would mention that he suspects terrible things, as he had reported one of the "doctors" appeared to be a War Criminal from the Empire. His accusation got him demoted. "Whatever has caused this mess may still be going through the station. If you wish to get to the bottom of it, we last heard word of a prisoner making his way to the data core. We can deactivate the lock on the door leading to the medical wing from the wards for you."

Madam Cerise is giving out hugs as explanations are made, presumably to Beldok. Everyone gets hugs from the spandex clad minx. Unless you are so wounded that a nice pat on the shoulder would be ok.

Stark hands out copies of his new mix tape to help bolster morale.

Beldok Sekel nodded taking in the soldier's story. "Do it. Open the door. Stay here and tend your wounded. You shouldn't have anything to worry about from any of the prisoners now. Can you provide me a wireless access to the station systems?" The Zeltron would ask, holding out a datacard with a link. No matter the outcome of that ask, Beldok would make swiftly for the new path opened to them. He either would have access or not. "Jedi, with me. We're going to find out what's going on in here."

Eron Wehr flanked Beldok appropriately and dutifully - and if he were relieved that the meeting between the two factions went without much notable incident, he didn't show it - fixing his face instead into a grim, humorless yet polite smile.

Beldok Sekel is focused on the task at hand. Now is not the time for emotion.

[#] Officer Sunshine would nod to Beldok and give him the data needed. "You will be able to disable any turrets that may still be active, but that's about it. I can't guarantee you will be able to do anything aside from open some doors." His eyes wandered between Beldok and Cerise. "Glad you Jedi are not all bad. Good luck." The trip back to through the wards would be relatively uneventful compared to their first run though, and it would be assumed that Beldok and Cerise would warn their companions about the suppression fields. As the doors into the medical wing opened, muffled screaming and yelling could be heard from behind closed rooms with doors magnetically sealed, patients strapped down to tables and screaming obscenities. Some rooms were quiet, the patients strapped down simply dead. There was only one room which had an open door, and there was an empty bed with a small pool of blood near the head. Straps were ripped off of the bed and strewn across the floor. When they went further, they would find offices for the doctors. Only one was occupied, by a man huddled up in the corner whose mind and expression clearly portrayed panic. He was dressed in a doctor's coat. His eyes shot up, and he ran up to the nearest person, grabbing them by their arms. "The shadow. He's going to get me. He's coming back. Please, save me!"

Madam Cerise gives mister Sunshine an appreciated smack on the booty and hip bump, slipping a piece of paper in his collar as she gives him a smooch on the cheek. "Thanks honey." The bit of rest had given her time to return to Cerise mode. She would skip after Beldok, taking on a more somber tone as they entered the more dead part of the station again, and went further into the mayhem. Cerise caught herself beginning to hum pleasantly, adapting to the situation better than she had at the beginning. "Ahhh, this suuuucks." She remarked as they came to the medical wing and had to endure more negative emotions from empty husks. The lady would bounce back if that dear doctor tried to grab her, those hands would never touch her.

Beldok Sekel allows Stark to stay behind and help 'tend' to the wounded soldiers as a show of good faith. It wasn't his first choice but personell was limited and he volunteered. Beldok moved through the facility swiftly. Whenever they came across suffering patients that couldn't be helped later, they were euthenized to return them to the Force and end their suffering. The strange technology myu interupt the Force, but the Force is eternal and exists in everything. They would return to the Force eventually, but it was important now that their suffering was ended swiftly. Most people, even other Jedi, would not understand this necessity, but Beldok understood it all too well. Beldok was going to need a good workout after this. He idly wondered if anyone would be available for private sessions. Maybe Cerise..... Bowchicka-

Beldok Sekel thought it implied he would use his newfound access to unlock all doors in their path.

[#] Some. Read the fine print.

Eron Wehr: [Sassymit]

Eron Wehr: "'Not all bad.' Well, glad that was settled. Guardians of peace and justice aren't all bad. Was definately going to lose sleep over that one, glad our friend had THAT answer..." He seemed talking just to talk as they walked, muttering almost under his breath, flippant even still, though none of the mirth - or annoyance - reached his eyes. Unfortunately, the nearest person to the 'doctor' - aside from Cerise, who nimbly dodged - was Eron, and empathy seemed to be in dwindling supply for the day. The recoil was only felt in his arm as he pulled it back to his body, as the rest of him remained stiff and upright as a board - and endlessly more imposing. He tilted his head. "The shadow?"

[#] The doctor lets out a tiny shriek of despair when Cerise hops back, Eron recoils, and Beldok ignores him. "Please! I will go wherever you want! I know what I did was wrong. I know. But that shadow... he will do things to me. I don't want to go that way. Please! Take me with you." He was on his knees, his hands clutched together, pleading. "I will tell you EVERYTHING I know. My- my name is Dr. Graft. We have been doing experiments -" He points at some nearby jars, each filled with a strange liquid full of dark particles and an eyeball. His finger lands on a particular one with a blue human eye, its iris glowing with an unnatural light. "That's his eye. I took it. It was wrong!" He shakes his balled up hands frantically. "Take me from this! Put me away!"

Madam Cerise runs a hand through her hair, mussing it up. "You... what? His eyeball?" Keeping a certain distance between her and the scientist, she makes her way over to the jar and picks it up, eyeing it - no pun intended - and letting out a small gasp. "Beldok!" She said sharply. "We need to hurry. I can watch this m...monster if you want, but we need to get moving now." She did not put the eyeball back.

Beldok Sekel was the only person worthy of the title Shadow, that he knew. Too bad he couldn't work his title at the moment. Having to head the Jedi faction as their leader. Garumph. Oh well. Beldok was tired of this man's shrieking. It was useless and there was work to be done. He didn't seem too far gone to warrant a quick death, So Beldok leaned to non-lethal means. Using the Force or a good old fashioned head knock to put him out so they could work. "Eron, Bind him. We'll take him with us for interrogation." He said motioning to one of the high tech hover gurneys available in the facility. "We're all going together." Beldok called Stark to come collect the doctor and take him back to the ship. "Let's go!"

Eron Wehr: An eyebrow quirk, a dour smirk. "You were going to keep that, Cerise?" "Oh, we will take you," he hissed. With a bit more relish than was probably proper, Eron promptly did what Beldok ordered, then relinquished him to Stark. "Alive, Stark." It was less a playful jab where that one was concerned. "Unless this...shadow follows him on board."

[#] The doctor seems to breathe a sigh of relief as Beldok seems to have ensured his salvation from this hell. It was likely that Stark may have been confused by the 'shadow' reference, and there may have been a few remarks from Stark that terrified the scientist more, but one could still feel the relief from him being taken to a ship that was not blown up and likely going to get off of the station. As Officer Sunshine had indicated, their next area to invesitgate would be on the level above them, in the datacore. The group would have to find stairs to take up to the core, and they would encounter another hall full of bodies, all of which have been killed by blasterfire or blade. This includes what appears to be four more of a TITAN elite squad, piled near the doorway to the DATACORE. It was open, and inside they would find one of the most engimatic members of their order, Doren Everguard, who had given himself up along with Grandmaster Wilowchehuckt on Ossus. He was... unconscious, but still had a death grip on a scalpel and blaster. And he was missing one eye. As they were excellent opportunists, the Jedi would have the means and ability to download information from the datacore to get to the bottom of the experiments that were carried out here, as well as any other information they could use to ensure their survival. Oh, Doren had already downloaded it all already. Handy. The trip back to the ship would be relatively uneventful, save for the struggle of carrying the part cybernetic Jedi Master down some stairs, as well as another survivor they came across on their way out, who would have to be revealed at another time. When they are about to Jump to Hyperspace; a Republic Battleship can be detected; and it will destroy the station from extreme range.

Conclusion

[#] At the conclusion of the brutal battle in the LAB, the sith team could finally be at peace in knowing that their mission had been completed. Wounded and exhausted, Renatus required several moments of meditation to regather herself, which was perfect so that Wokun could collect all of his toys and goodies in the same timeframe. Once settled, the group were on their way, retreating along the path in which they came. Upon reaching the Data Core again, the Sith were attacked by a group elite TITAN sources. Hit in the crossfire, Renatus falls behind from her group, only to be separated by a durasteel door. Demanding that they retreat with the intelligence they collected, Renatus fends off the TITAN soldiers while the rest of the sith escape. As things were looking dire for the Dark Lady, reinforcements come in the shape of a one-eyed man clad in black, who strikes down the team of TITAN soldiers. Weakened by her prior wounds and now crippled with the force-nullifying effects of of the blaster fire she endured, Renatus falls unconscious. Collected alongside the one-eyed savior (who was also unconscious now), Renatus is brought aboard the jedi vessel where she is taken back to their hidden Enclave. Unbeknownst to most, Wokun had placed a tracking device on her in the disguise of an ancient sith necklace he had just given her days prior. It may take weeks, but reinforcements WILL come.