"Somehow....Palpatine Returned." (Player Plot)

[survivalthroughhate]

Who: survivalthroughhate and anyone who wants to join in!
What: Palpatine ends up in Trench and no one wants that, so it's time to give him the beatdown!
When: Throughout the month
Where: All over Trench.

Content Warnings: Physical child abuse mentions, mental manipulation mentions, gaslighting, exorcism, food deprivation mentions, weed mentions, will add as necessary.



Maul's followers had come to him with the worst news possible. They'd been tracking the signs and had come to one conclusion: Palpatine was back to full strength and here in Trench. The Sith Lord was now possessing people, monsters, animals, whatever that could hold his form for any length of time before it was destroyed or rotted away from the pure evil of his spirit being contained within the body.

Maul knew he had to do something. He'd been responsible for unleashing this menace and so it was his responsibility to stop it. But he was scared too. The fear of his (former, he had to remember that part) master was deeply entrenched into his mind, the simple fear of a child scared of their abusive father and wanting to avoid punishment by doing anything possible mixed in with the more complicated fear of an adult who had been broken down through brainwashing and physical abuse until he'd been turned into a weapon rather than a person. Even now, letting go of his anger and pain hadn't diminished the fear he had of Sidious.

He'd hide for a period of time after warning the other Sleepers, too afraid to go out and face his master for good. It was all well and good to let them try to deal with this. None of them had any personal connection to Sidious, so they could try whatever methods they saw fit in order to exorcise those he'd possessed.

But as the month wore on and his master's spirit still stubbornly clung to the realm of Trench, Maul began to realize he had to face his master even if it was the scariest thing he'd ever have to do in his life. If he didn't confront him, Sidious was never going to leave. Bolstered by the encouragement of his friends and family, plus with the motivation of knowing only he could end this, Maul would go out to face his master. It'd be the hardest thing he'd ever have to do in his life, but to protect the people he loved so deeply and the place he called home, he would find a way to banish Palpatine forever from his life.

[OOC: This is the log post for the Palpatine in Trench player plot! Feel free to start your own open top-levels, set up closed threads, or just head straight over to the network post if you want to interact with Maul or threadjack people there. As a reminder, Maul doesn't necessarily need to be involved in exorcising an NPC or character if you just want to do to something among two of you.]

Comments

Keith | Open

[tempredmental]

Exorcism

Keith had seen Maul's video, and he'd seen some of the memories and things involving this Sidius/Palpatine guy. He knew it was bad news for him to hanging around, even as a spirit inside someone else's body. So, if it came down to it, Keith was going to do what he could to help take this guy out.

He and Maul may not be best friends or anything, but Keit felt like he understood him on some level. It was so easy for one of them to have ended up more like the other just because of the influence of a mentor (or, in Maul's case, an abusive master). So, because of that, Keith felt like he needed to help. He would be watching for signs and doing what could be done... and, if he had to, what needed to be done.

=====

Possession

Interacting with others being possessed really was only making Keith's chances of being possessed himself higher and more risky. It was only a matter of time before he felt like he'd been pushed to the back of his own mind, control of his body wrested from him almost violently. He was an observer from a first person view, like watching a headcam or bodycam that someone else was filming with.

And the evil Emperor wasn't holding back with what he was doing to people while in possession of Keith's physical being.

Possession

[survivalthroughhate]

Much as Maul wanted to just hide and let everyone else take care of this problem, he knew he would need to mop up his own mess eventually. Of course, eventually could be put off for a long while until he was ready to face his own personal nightmare.

He was still hiding out at home when one of his followers came to him. "Lord Maul, we've found him," they told him. "He's possessing a young man, a Sleeper we think."

Much as he didn't want to do this, Maul forced himself to leave the house. He hadn't asked any questions to confirm the identity of the Sleeper given his lack of enthusiasm for the proceedings despite the vague description given, so when he was taken to where they'd last spotted him he was brought up short. It was Keith. Oh no. Maul didn't particularly like the young paladin even at the best of times but no one deserved to be possessed by his master.

Maul told his followers to hang back and only interfere if told to by Maul. Then he pushed himself to move forward, telling himself he could do this. "I'll tell you this just once. Get out of the boy or I'll make you leave." He was one-hundred percent certain Sidious wouldn't leave but it gave him some time to think of a solution to this problem.

[tempredmental]

It was a slow turn in response. He'd felt him coming, of course. This young body had a lot going for it, too. He could feel how the boy was athletic and strong. It was such a relief, such a change from what he had been. Not that Sidious was weak, thanks to the force, but he wasn't exactly in top physical form at his age. As he made eye contact with Maul, the yellow replacing that deep indigo in Keith's eyes was painfully obvious. He grinned, a twisted combination of Keith's usual cocky smirk and the face-splitting evil sneer Sidious was known for.

"You?" He laughed, such a horrible sound coming from Keith's voice. "You really think you can? I am your Master." He lifted his hand to look at it. "I'd like to see you try. It would give me a good reason to teach you a lesson again." Not that he really needed one.

YOU DON'T KNOW THE POWER OF THE DARK SIDE. (open for Lexi/Darth Maul, others if you want to jump in!

[imaglyphwitch]

Lua had definitely been bothered by Darth Maul's warning. To know that the evil jerk that had dogged Darth Maul his whole life had been a pretty scary thought, so Luz had done her best to try and keep an eye out for anything suspicious, even going so far as to ride out with the Fathiers to keep an eye on whatever might be out of the ordinary.

On one such occasion, earlier that month, Luz had begun to feel strangely odd. It was unfortunate for the girl, but she'd come back from one of her searches tired, and feeling strangely bored and irritated. It had been a small thing, like a Trenchie who tried to scold her about her riding an animal that was far too tall for her to ride like she did.

Normally she would have laughed and explained she had total control over the creature, that they had an innate understanding of each other. Instead, Luz brought her arm upward and blasted the offending person out of her eye view. When people attempted to protest, they gave one look at the yellow eyes Luz now sported and said nothing. Luz carried on, bringing the Fathiers back to the barn, feeling strangely curious about her surroundings.

Not enough yet, but it will do. No one will suspect this foolish child. She fortunately even possesses some magical skill. I will use this for now. So long as I keep this guise, I needn't worry about anyone suspecting me.

That seemed to be the situation, for now.

[thisislife]

Guess who has no idea of what's happening until she calls.

"Luz? Hi, baby. I wanted to talk some more about our bonding ceremony. And if we want to limit those who actually see it to the few we decided on and opening up the reception to whomever wants to come. The latter will involve much more cooking, but I'm open to it.

[imaglyphwitch]

Ah yes. The one this host was enamored with. Without thinking about it, Sidious pulled the hood of her cat hoodie up, being sure to obscure her face a bit.

Was she a suitable host? Interesting, for certain, but she had other business to attend to.

"The latter. Yes, yes, that would be fine. I am going to the backyard a moment, my dear. If you'll excuse me."

She has magic. There must be potential there. Sidious would certainly explore that now. Hopefully those answers would be enough for this girl. She wanted to test the potential of this one.

Closed for Maul

[dousedflame]

She really should be applauded for the respect she's showing for Maul. It's enough that she's willing to go inside of a Twoleg den (a building) for the first time ever. She put it off for a full moon, but checking on her friend feels more important than respecting the newest amendment to the warrior code. StarClan has understood worse mistakes she's made, they will understand this.

She can't knock, though, so she just meows loudly with her paws on the door until her friend opens it. No words, but somehow her meow does sound distinctly similar to her speaking voice.

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul heard the meows and came over to the door, not surprised to find Bluestar there on the other side. "Come in," he said, gesturing for her to enter the home. There was the scents of many different animals inside as if Maul had a whole menagerie that were lurking somewhere on the property. It really wasn't far from the truth all things considered.

He went to the living room, sitting down heavily in a comfortable, overstuffed chair. His mind seemed like it was preoccupied and far away right now. "Would you like some fish?" Even if he was terrified out of his mind right now and afraid to leave his house, he could still have some manners when it came to having people at his home.

[dousedflame]

"I ate before I came here. Traveling is difficult on an empty stomach."

She has tried her best to stay away from fish here, mostly out of pride, but the signs of that are showing - her fur is a little duller than it was when she got here, and she's a little skinnier. Not enough to see her ribs, but enough to clearly feel them if he were to pet her.

She jumps up onto the arm of Maul's chair, and hesitates with a paw in the air before stepping onto his lap and carefully laying down. It's not exactly comfortable, and she keeps all her paws below her. This is a huge trust act, but she's still ready to jump off at a moment's notice.

"Have you eaten?" Best to start out with something simple - something she could actually help with. Bluestar herself struggles to eat enough when she's feeling anxious.

luna lovegood | harry potter

[creidim]

closed starters. plotting post is here. contact heolstor / heolstor#5725 for plotting!

— Tory

[creidim]

[ It seems that for some of those who's body is overtaken by Sidious, it's too much for them. It is said that if Corruption is the degradation of the psyche, Beasthood is of the body and mind. To hold host to Sidious is no easy task, in a way it's unsurprising how it turns out. Their mind breaks, and soon enough they're unleashed upon the unsuspecting crowds around them. Or maybe they'd been a Beast long before Sidious ever cared to dig his claws into them, in some cases. Beasts are powerful beings, after all.

No matter, either way. What does matter is that Maul's master is dealt with, and promptly kicked out of whatever poor soul he's settled himself in. And hopefully someone will be able to put Sidious down permanently, maybe if he's kept out of hosts for long enough.

But getting Sidious out of his unwilling hosts is easier said than done. Not with the latest encounter: a man promptly turning into a huge bestial wolf-like creature in the middle of Willful Machine, the tell-tale yellow eyes glowing as it attempts to flee the scene. Crowds scatter, chaos erupts in the streets. Screams and shouts as townsfolk desperately try to get out of the way of the sharp claws and fangs. The whole thing is an utter mess.

She's already in the area. Luna quickly pelts after him, lugging a very particular sword after her . She has absolutely no plans to go about killing Beasts, not with how much she's been trying to advocate for the exact opposite. The Blade of Agency can bring Beasts back, and should be enough to kick Sidious out for good measure. ]

Move—! Out of the way—! Please—! Let me through—!

[ She darts between fleeing swathes of people, trying to keep up. Ariel, her Familiar, soars overhead — the raven able to keep close to the Beast far easier than Luna can run. It's certainly an odd sight: one tiny girl running towards the danger rather than from it. ]

— Deku

[creidim]

[ It seems over the days and weeks, she's turning into quite the thorn in the Emperor's side. Whenever he takes over the body of a Beast, or a person that he'll quickly drive to Beasthood — Luna's there with sword in hand. The Blade of Agency have proved invaluable. Letting her not only drive Sidious out to the air, but cut down on the bloodshed. No more Beasts need to die, not while she's around at any rate.

This time, there's no transformation. The Hunter Sidious possesses: a tall, powerfully-built man — years of hunting under his belt — remains solid and towering, yellow eyes glaring angrily. The Blade of Agency won't do here. She'll have to cast him out another way. Fortuntely, one does come to mind.

But before she has a chance to act, the Hunter shifts suddenly. Almost impossibly so, as if the light bends around him — obscuring him from view, moving too quickly, dizzyingly so. He's right beside her, and the next thing she feels is the force of a fist slamming into the side of her face, with enough force to knock her to the floor.

'I like this one.' Sidious hums thoughtfully. 'It's power will do.'

Luna's blinking back stars, her jaw burning in pain. Sidious reaches for her by the hair, grabbing a fistful to yank her back to her feet. Luna winces in pain, trying to pry his hands from her. ]

I'm not going to even dignify you with sending you to Hell.

[ Honestly, Hell doesn't deserve someone like him. She doesn't want to trouble the other demons. Sidious chuckles, head tilting. 'That silly sword of yours will not help you now, child. And I've grown tired of you, although... perhaps you might make a fitting host. There's power in you, child. Far more than this simple Hunter.'

He throws her with force, not that it takes much considering her size, sending her flying into the wall of a nearby building. She's winded from the hit, desperately trying to get back onto her feet again. He's not possessing her, no chance. He won't get to have her. ]

mha spoilers throughout, y'all

[wannasmash]

He promised Maul he wouldn't let Sidious get a foothold here, and he's keeping to that promise. Dispelling fear and saving others isn't just what a Hero would do, it's what Midoriya strives for. His tenacity that borders on recklessness at times--not putting others in danger, never, but setting his own safety to the side.

With his soaring progress in his training and power, he can do so much more than when he faced a similar enemy not even a year ago. It's easier to mask his disregard for his own well-being. Tory mentioned the danger of Sidious possessing someone with Midoriya's power, but Midoriya's drive to protect others supersedes that. This protection extends to the possessed and Beasts as well.

He is, however, well-versed in the school of patrolling for and fighting to subdue superpowered enemies. He doesn't hesitate to jump in when he sees Luna against the wall and her attacker mentioning a fitting host. He jumps from wall to wall to build speed and lands a surprise kick directly to the head.

"SMASH!!!" he yells as he alights between him and Luna, armored shoes scraping the cobblestone.

He only used enough force to knock out an ordinary human. He doesn't want to cause death or permanent damage to the possessed. So, while the Hunter staggers, he doesn't even fall. He laughs. Worrying. How much strength does he have? Midoriya wonders.

"Yellow eyes! Is this the one Darth Maul-san warned us about? Can you move?"

Glitch | Open

[glitchinthesystem]

The Search | Open
He had seen Maul's post on the network, about this Sidious and the danger he represents. Glitch might've just left it alone, let Maul get what was coming to him or for him to deal with it. This wasn't Glitch's problem.

But, the other part of him knew that if this guy was worse than Maul he would definitely try and go murder happy on just about anyone. He's thankful for the Hunter gear he had left back at Clockhouse, as he walks quietly through the streets. He fiddles with the buckle on his belt knowing that it at least would generate a similar kind of Aura that Ruby or Oscar had back home. He didn't have his sword anymore so he had to make due with one he grabbed from the market, at the very least one of the magical keychains he had stowed was on him, allowing him to counter the stupid laser swords.

He's not even sure why he went out on his own. He scowls, running a hand through his blue hair. "This is so fucking idiotic. Gonna go face down the guy who trained the fucker who cut my arm off? Great idea, Glitch. Maybe you'll just lose your head instead," he mutters as he walks. He's definitely not paying attention though if someone were about to walk up on him or if he were about to run into someone.

Duel of Fates

Does he hear the laugh of someone? A cackling of electricity? He's not sure but he hears something. When Glitch goes to investigate, it's in one of the market districts and all he sees is some cloaked figure. He can't get a good look at them but when he see's the person seemingly turn, he see's that haunting flash of yellow; same as Maul's eyes, same as the one's the horned man described.

There's a moment he still stays hidden and quiet, trying to figure out how to approach this scenario. "Okay...clearly going with the evil villain vibe...wonder if I could just drop a house on him and be done with it."

Duel of the Fates

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul had been following Sidious surreptitiously for most of the day. He was trying to figure out a good way to exorcise his master in such a way that didn't involve death. Unfortunately, as he well knew by now, killing was easy while sparing people's lives was much harder. When he saw his master turn Force Lightning on someone who had been bold enough to try to stop him, he froze in place.

No, he could not do this. Not on his own. His fear was too great. That was when he noticed Glitch. Maul's eyes narrowed in annoyance and hate. "Oh no. Not you. I have enough to deal with right now," he said with a low growl.

Sorry for the wait, Shade.

[glitchinthesystem]

He shouldn't be surprised that Maul is here. After all, they gave the warning, the call that Sidious was around and doing dark, depraved things. The boy doesn't look at Maul with anything but indifference to his remark. "Whether you want to deal with me or not I'm here now," Glitch says impassively, waving a hand off.

"Lets just cut to the chase. We fucking hate each other. There's no getting around that. I'm never gonna like you or forgive you, but I can at least put that shit aside to deal with an even worst threat," Glitch says then gesturing to the cloaked madman not to far from them.

"It's not hard to tell you're scared shitless of lightning and I'm probably the one guy in this entire place who would be immune to that psycho's power. So. We can do this one of two ways. You go in alone and I'll just stay here and watch it unfold, or we can set aside our grievances to take this fucker out," Glitch says it already exhausted at the potential tantrum the sith might have.

"Or if you go with the secret option three I know you're thinking about, the one where you try and kill me, succeed or not, you'll only alert the creepo over there to you and then you're still dealing with him on your own. So, you know; Your move."

Darth Imperius | Star Wars The Old Republic | OTA

[drawsghosts]

Duel of the Fates
With Talwyn's inherited Force ability, it's just a matter of time before Darth Sidious finds him. Force ghosts, especially restless ones, can sense him from great distances, and if they aren't bound to one location, they're drawn in by him. Sidious will seek him out, he's certain of it. And Talwyn is going to be ready for him. He's heard Maul's stories about him, and he wants to show this Emperor what the Sith of old were made of.

Knowing all this, Talwyn chose a remote location, where civilians aren't going to be caught in the crossfire. He senses Darth Sidious before he even steps into view. If all goes well, he won't have to maim the Sith Lord's host.

"It's about time you showed up."

Reeling him In (Closed to Maul)
It's been a few days since his duel with Sidious. He and Maul have come up with a plan to get him out of the Trench, using Talwyn's connection to ghosts. Sidious will be drawn in again, looking to finish what they started, and then Maul will act. Talwyn can only hope that Maul knows what he's doing. And that his fellow Sith isn't going to do the Sith thing and stab him in the back.

[survivalthroughhate]

"Are you sure that this is going to work?" Maul asked, his voice anxious even if his body language wasn't. He was forcing himself to faith in Imperius' abilities. He had to, for it wasn't like he was an expert on Force powers he'd never even heard of before in legends.

"He's one of the smartest people I know. He may have somehow prepared for this exact thing to happen." But given how the Sith of Imperius' time knew things Maul had never even dreamed of, perhaps they could still get the drop on Sidious. He wasn't omniscient for all that he could predict what others were going to do with stunning accuracy.

[drawsghosts]

"Thanaton was smart too, and I still outsmarted him. Trust me, this is going to work. My ancestor sensed me from an entire planet away, just imagine how quickly Sidious picked up my scent." He cracks his knuckles, eager to show Sidious what a Sith of the old Empire is made of.

"You just be ready, we may not get a second chance."

Closed to Maul & Willow

[opress]

Savage had kept a vigil over his brother while Maul hid, a guardian that he knew would stand little chance against the skills that his brother's Master possessed. He had faced that power before, and it had scared him as few battles in his life could have. He'd fight again if and when he had to; anything to protect his brother.

He'd been out in the yard letting Ruin finish the latest assortment of a meal when it happened. At first, it was like experiencing a freezing wind washing over him where he stood then a temperature so cold it burned ran down the length of his spine and something felt as it were settling over him.

The worst part was how he froze, completely aware of the presence that came with that wind. The Nightsister magic that opened him to the flow of the Force also kept his mind open for invasion, and because of the strength of his brother's Master's will, he felt the moment he became a passenger in his own body, stifled and muted but also made to watch.

The Sith Lord stretched his shoulders, flexed his mismatched hands and breathed a lungful of air. The Dark Side seemed to surge through him as if he were a lightning rod for it. Then the old Sith Lord took him back into the house to retrieve his saberstaff and cloak. As he affixed the cloak over his shoulders and pulled the hood up as an old mockery of how Sith Lords always seemed to handle themselves in public, Savage looked at Maul and smiled an oily mocking smile.

"Killing your family remains one of the few pleasures I am willing to take over and over again." It was his voice but also not, distorted by the spirit learning how to operate his body.

Then he left, using the completely physicality to slip off into the city.

By the time he allowed himself to be found again, it was by design. He had already set plans in motion, already threw Maul's pathetic little followers off the chase and began to seek out to establish and consolidate power. As a Zabrak, he was far more hardy than most of the other vessels, so the rot didn't set it as quickly. Still, his horns had become gnarled and twisted, extra horns punching through his arm and claws think and sharpened.

He knew Maul would come; he used the bond that was shared to torture his old apprentice, let Maul feel every second that he also tormented the spirit trapped with him. Maul was many things, but loyal to family was an unexpected trait he was perhaps most disappointed in.

Savage waited, his broken saberstaff now single lightsabers. He might consider them below, but the brute wouldn't be without them and a puppet needed to play a certain part here. This confrontation needed to happen to force Maul into hiding further, so he made certain to let it happen by his design.

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul had been dragging his feet about seeking out his master to confront him. Much as he knew it needed to be done, he still possessed a fear of the man that ran bone-deep. Overcoming it was not easy.

But then Savage got possessed.

Maul froze when he felt his master's presence possessing his brother. He was stuck in the emotion of fear until after Sidious had already left. Then a rage came over him, one that hadn't been this strong since when his master had killed Savage and then mocked him about it when they were on Mandalore. The kyber-hard core in the center of Maul wasn't going to stand for this.

No. Never again.

Never again would he allow his master to hurt his family to get to him. It was something Sidious had always underestimated about Maul, knowing nothing of the bonds of love and loyalty that bound family together. He was going to be in for a harsh lesson by his apprentice in this matter.

But first he needed help. Maul wasn't stupid and knew he couldn't take on his master by himself, not between his master's powers and his brother's physical body. So he went to Willow. Sidious had always had an Achilles heel when it came to magic, one of the reasons he'd seen Talzin as such a threat. Having a talented witch on his side was just what he needed to turn the tide here. Willow may not have owed him anything but she owed his brother a great debt after cruelly cutting him down when they'd all fought. He explained what was needed of her.

Tinya Wazzo | Open (especially to Keith and Maul)

[unphase]

This one was peculiar, sensing in her a flair for the dramatic, the tendency to playact as a lamb but be the wolf. Both traits would serve him well, despite her ridiculous set of garments.

Pride, he sensed in her. A burning pride that stoked his own blood.

And what was this? Something seemingly ancient, locked away. Senses that went beyond sight, even into another realm. He reached out and felt himself slip between what seemed like veils parting at his command.

He wondered how far the veils went, but could only penetrate so far. Everything, sights, sounds, sensations were veiled.

But that didn't stop him from hearing the footfall behind him.

[tempredmental]

Sidious would definitely have a somewhat upper hand here. Keith didn't know Tinya well, and he was by no means an empath. But he had good instincts, possibly due to his sensitivity to quintessence. And something felt... wrong. He had a bad feeling about the situation, and those hunches were usually right, so he hung around.

Keith had gotten better at sneaking up on people thanks to his Blade training, but he wasn't perfect, especially against someone who had special powers. So he wasn't surprised when his presence was noticed.

He nodded.

"Hey."

Rey | Open to everyone | Someone please stop her. 🤦🏽‍♀️

[makesrocksfloat]

Well, if this wasn't all a giant mass of poodoo for her to get herself mixed up in.

Her lightsaber was broken and she hadn't had the chance to ask if anyone had the know-how to help her fix it, so all she had to rely on were her sense in the Force. She was already not feeling charitable towards the situation but at least a certain tall, annoying someone said he wanted Palpatine taken down.

But if anyone asked her about it, asked her why she was relieved that Ben Kylo Ren wasn't involved, well...she'd figure that out when it happened. If it happened. Even though she was a terrible liar.

She could feel a signature in the Force, strong but not close enough so that she could really get a feeling for whom it really was (of all of the three Force users she knew here). So she came to a stop, released a long, gusty sigh of frustration, and called out, "I know you're back there somewhere! Stop skulking about and face me!"

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul had been extra alarmed when he realized who one of the most likely targets for Sidious to possess would be. Rey's blood ties to him would make her an ideal host. Her blood relation to him meant his body would rot the way his corrosive spirit caused in the other bodies he'd tested out and her Force sensitivity was just the cherry on top.

Maul knew he had to tell her what he knew. It wouldn't be easy to hear but she had to know what she was getting into rather than going into this hunt blind. Maul tracked her down, observing her for a short period of time before he revealed himself. "What do you think you're doing?" He demanded.