Chapter Two: Worlds Colliding

[Akirapryde]

OOC Admin Stuff: You will find that this Intermission is a bit more informative than normal. A lot of this information that is already party knowledge. Some of it is still meant to be OCC, use some common sense please. I am posting this information to help the new players so they don’t have to go searching to figure out major events, like the assassination of Chancellor Tirrel. If anyone has any questions about this or other Intermissions, please PM me on the game board.

Bitter Defeat
Secret Base
Near the world of Myrkr
Expansion Region
Date: 2919 AOK

Screams echoed as sounds of electrical discharge filled the air. There was a moment of silence before the air once more crackled with more discharge. Along with the discharge returned, so did the screams. The body of a red headed young woman hit the metal decking hard. Her face covered with the look of pain while bluish arcs of lightning danced over her form. A thick black tattoo ran under her left eye. It was a telltale marking that revealed who Orchid was.

Orchid was one of the most dangerous Force Using criminals in the known Galaxy. Orchid is a known darksider who has set on the Jedi Order’s Most Notorious List for nearly a decade. She had been responsible for spreading unrest and chaos where ever she roamed. Her real name has alluded the authorities since she surfaced on the Outer Rim world of Frey. She was linked to the firebombing of the Jedi Temple on that world. Since that bold attack on the Jedi Order, her infamy only grew with other similar attacks.

Her smoking body quivered as blue lightning continued to dance of her. “You were warned, my daughter,” a voice said calmly as a new wave of bluish lightning erupted over her body once more. Orchid let out a scream as the bluish energy surged and washed over. It crackled and popped causing Orchid to dance across the floor as her body went in to convulsions. As quickly as it started, the lightning came to a sudden end. Smoke slowly rose from her body as residue energy continued to dance across her body. “Mo….mo…..mother, please……” Orchid tried to say as the pain was written across her pretty face. In the same moment, a leather boot stepped over Orchid’s form.

The brown leather boot ran up to the bare leg of a red headed ginger. Fair of skin and red hair, was hardly the same monster that Duncan had seen on Geonosis. Gone was the rotted decomposing monster that Duncan had seen on Geonosis. Before those watching stood a beautiful woman bathed in a long flowing white dress. With each moment that she took, the dress seemed to flow behind her. At time, the long cuts up the legs even dared to be more revealing than one would expect. In this siting, it was that dress that stood out the most. It was the kind of dress that a noble woman on Naboo would ware during the summer months.

The large room was filled with two dozen well-armed, armored men who wore masks over the lower halves of their faces. It was clear their differences, that they were of different species. It wasn’t their species that brought them together. It was who they were that was their unifying trait. The style and markings on their uniforms indicated that they belonged to the terrorist group known as the Crusade.

The Crusade's radical ideologies paint a history of war and suffering, brought to the Galaxy at the hands of Force Users. For them, there is no dark or light side of the Force. They teach that the Force has brought nothing but suffering to the Galaxy. That those with its curse, are often left unchecked and out of control. Prior to the rise of Orchid, the Crusade was hardly a threat to the Republic.

For the past decade, tensions had been smoldering in the Outer Rim and the Crusade found a perfect environment to grow in. The assassination of Supreme Chancellor, Sephon Tirrel, who had been seen in the Outer Rim as a reformer Chancellor and friend of Outer Rim worlds, tensions have started to grow. While Chancellor Tirrel was a member of the Jedi Order, he had set in place a series of reforms that would have drastically scaled back the reach of the Order.

Ever since the Order of Korriban, the Jedi had the mandate from the Republic to hunt down any darksider and bring them to justice. Over the years, a massive prison complex was built to hold of the most dangerous. While the Jedi continued their hunt for the last of the Sith, new worlds discovered in the Outer Rim called upon the Jedi to help deal with darksiders who were not Sith.

With the passing of the New Nystao Act of 507 AOK, Jedi Hunters were allowed to ignore local laws and the wishes of planetary leaders while they were on the hunt of any Force Using Criminals. The uprising on Vinsoth in 672 AOK gave the Republic Senate the reason to arm the Jedi. It was these events, these policies that many Outer Rim leaders had protested. And these were the policies that Chancellor Tirrel had planned to roll back.

Tensions exploded on several Outer Rim worlds when former Jedi Grand Council member and Jedi General Praeta Syrdash claimed the office of Supreme Chancellor through a special act of the Republic Security Council. As Outer Rim protests have taken to historical heights organizations like the Crusade set it upon themselves to protect the Galaxy and police the Force Users. Currently their primary target has become those who favor the Republic and the Coruscant Jedi, a focal point for many of the protests.

Though their alliance with Rose and her Daughters appears unorthodox. The leaders of the Crusade believe that once their goals had been reached, they will simply deal with Ross and her twisted daughters just like they had dealt with other Force Users. They couldn’t see what Ross really was, or how dangerous she was. All they saw was Rose Sheridan. While she was a lovely woman, she was also another strong Force User. For them, she was nothing they had not already handled.

Their leaders made the unfortunate mistake of concluding that they needed her and her twisted daughters to insure the spread of Chaos across the Outer Rim. The justified the betrayal of their own ideologies that this union with evil would allow them to achieve what they only dreamed of. Like any deal with a demon, their dreams were realized. Growing membership had never been so good. However, it was quickly reaching that point when it would be time to pay the Devil its due.

“Despite your departure from my plan, ultimately, we were successful,” Rose said as she walked passed a badly wounded Orchid. “My sources have confirmed that Senator Palpatine means to shift his support from the Vice Chair.” There was almost a laughter in her voice as she spoke. “This could not have been possible if not for Lord Sembla. The Chancellor's son made quite the impression on the good Senator.”

As Rose circled Orchid, she once more let loss powerful bolts of dark energy, “all this, despite your foolishness.” Orchid let out another scream of pain. Her voice nearly gone from the screams she had let loss before. It was clear that Orchid was reaching the end of her tolerance.

The armed men in the room watched from behind their cloth masks, some drew enjoyment from what they were witnessing. While others saw it for what it was, an act of horror. Their eyes reflected the bluish energy that was dancing over Orchids body. Ross continued to speak, “this victory,” she said with anger in her voice. She pulled back the lightning to allow Orchid to hear her words. “Only cost me a highly skilled assassin and one of my Avatars.”

Beyond the circle of men, a lone Kel’Dor stood watching. Her anger slowly growing as she was forced to bear witness to Orchid’s torture. She wanted to do something, but common sense told her to remain back and silent.

“After all,” Ross said as she unleashed her lightning again, “I can find another highly skilled assassin and create a new avatar.”

“Mother, please!” Orchid cried out. Her voice filled with pain.

Ross tilted her head to the side as she stopped her attack, “yes my daughter.” She walked closer to Orchid so that they might speak. “Were you going to tell me how much you had to have your revenge on the Chancellor.” She reached down and grabbed Orchid’s hair and pulled her face upward so that she could look in to her mother’s eyes. “Going to tell me how you defied what I told you.” She pulled the hair tighter as bluish lightning danced over Orchid’s head. This ripped a scream from Orchid. “I said I needed you focused” she yelled unleashing more lightning in to Orchid’s head. This time Orchid’s body just went limp.

Rose dropped Orchid’s lifeless head and stood up. She spun around the room, “for we must get revenge on the Chancellor for her past mistakes towards you” She yelled out as she walked up to one of the masked men. “Tell me, shall I simply walk in to the Chancellor’s office. ‘Good Day Chancellor,’ wave my hand and rip the very life from her.”

There was anger in Rose’s voice as she turned to the body of Orchid, “would that make you happy, my daughter.” She then realized that Orchid had died. Her voice changed. It seemed to almost echo upon its self as she called out, “wake up!” In that moment, air rushed in to the lungs of Orchid as she let out a groan. The men each took a step back out of fear of what they had just witnessed.

There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Orchid had been killed just moments ago. Now, as if answering the order of her Mother, she returned to life. “Ma…..Mother…please….mercy….” was all the broken Orchid could get out as she laid on the cold hard metal floor.

Without look back, Rose frowned. As if something had reached out and grabbed Orchid by the throat, she slowly rose up off of the ground. “My daughter. If you defy me again, I will kill you over and over again. Then I will take your mind from you like I took Cordelia’s. You will be nothing more than a mindless drone. I expect you to remain in the shadows. Remain clear of Auro, his team, and his mother.”

Her eyes fell upon one of the leaders of the Crusade. He was the ranking most member in the group around her. He was also the leader of the Crusade units during the Naboo mission. “Your failure in this was also made clear to me. You also had your orders, and still you allowed my daughter to sway you from my plans.” As Orchid slowly rose off the ground, so did the leader of the Crusade. While his men stood in shock, Rose continued, “I expected so much from my daughter. But you were warned about crossing me.”

With both powerful figures now floating in midair and chocking, Roses anger was clearly felt and seen by all. “You both failed me on Frey,” she yelled causing the entire facility to shake by her anger alone. “You both failed me on Olivan and now on Naboo!”

The soldiers of the Crusade all stood numb as they watched helplessly. They wanted to do something, but each knew that there was nothing they could do right in that moment. There was a plan in place, and each knew how important it was to continue with the plan. One thing was for sure, the anger in their eyes was clear. When the reckoning came, this Force Using whore would be their first target.

“My lovely Daughter,” Rose said as Orchid dropped back to the metal deck. Orchid coughed as air finally filled her lungs. “You will return to Naboo and recover Cordelia's lost sword.” The leader of the Crusade remained fighting for life above the metal ground.

She half laughed as she walked over the man hanging in midair. “To think that what I have been searching for all this time was right under my own nose.”

He struggled to speak but the Force holding his throat only allowed for s gurgle. “Shhhh” Rose said softly, “I expected you to be more capable. I have given you an army to wage your war and you have not lived up to my expectations.” She glanced at the men around her before returning her eyes back to the man. “I don’t blame them. I blame you!”

On that note the man's head spun in a circle, twisting the flesh of his neck. The stretching of the flesh made the neck look more like a twisted piece of candy. The sounds of bones breaking echoed in the chamber. Rose turned to a man standing near her as the lifeless body fell to the ground, “you are Mathis, of Scipio, right?” she said.

Mathis stood there in shock as she spoke. He couldn’t barely take his eyes off the dead body behind her. He barely registered the fact that she called him out by name. He could only see his fallen leader laying on the metal floor. Then as if someone screamed at him, his eyes shot back to Rose as he nodded.

“Good,” she said then turned and started to walk away. “Mathis, I am here by placing you in command of the Crusade. I expect chaos to fill the stars. She walked past a still coughing Orchid. “Let us hope that I am not disappointed any further.”