Junction Age of Empires | EE (Empty Hex) + AC (Makem Te) + NIO (Velmor) Junction

[Darth Levos]

Objective II

Equipment: In Bio
Tags: Lilanna Kelamvor Corin Autem Lena Dracov Scipio Kaarz Domokos Gyula Ivixa Nera'kas

With the last of the Sith falling, slain by the unit, the two stone doors swung open, revealing a haggard looking man, and several large multi-legged droids behind him. Levos smiled behind his faceplate, the hissing of his life support filling the room, as the bubble shields of his droids encompassed his form. A voice spoke aloud, a weak, raspy voice, one that seemed to be struggling just to draw breath.

"Amara, I thought I felt you, daughter. Or, would you prefer if I call you Lilanna now? I care not."

He lifted his arms, a rather feeble display it seemed given the bulk of the armor, and how sluggishly his body seemed to respond. A raspy cough was his reward for the effort, though he continued to move, his raspy voice continuing to speak.

"When you left me, Amara, you carried a part of me within you. Those scars, so deep, so perfect. You were to be my finest work, metal and flesh, threaded together with a spirit that only needed tempering. How tragic that you lost sight of that. Forgetting the very first lesson I taught you."

The seemingly haggard form took a step towards the ground, the hiss of his artificial breathing apparatus filling in the dead air. Then he managed another, his burned and deformed body now being reflected from the torchlight, scars and burns covered what little skin remained on his face.

"No matter who you kill for, Amara, you are a tool. Call yourself whatever you like, denounce the legacy of slavery that you built yourself off of, you will be discarded by your Empress and her lot soon enough."

The form halted, then righted itself. Where once an old haggard man in an Beskar coffin stood, a cold soon radiated outwards. The raspy sound of his voice, faded, as the dark energies he churned within his core seeped into his flesh and organs, bringing the sick and twisted flesh back to life. He reached out, staring into the group before him, seeing the corpses of his servants, he scoffed. They had learned to endure the pain of death, by it only enabled them to hang on, unlike himself, they were not strengthen by it. Lilanna on the other hand, he found something remarkable, that she still had her upgrades left within her.

"I can see you kept the muscle augmentations I gifted you. Not only did you flee from me, but you kept that which I have given you? Spoiled child."

There was a sickening pop in the air, Lilanna would spasm, pain coming from a wound that had laid dormant for years. Levo's tore it open in an instant, and the Warden's reaction to the pain would be drunk in by the Beskar Lord. He had tried to help her, foster her gifts, her strengths, and she had fled him the moment she was the edge of a breakthrough. Amara just didn't understand, didn't think beyond what she had to suffer. She forget the very lessons he had bestowed upon her.

"Peace is a lie. There is only Passion.
Through Passion, I gain Strength.
Through Strength, I gain Power.
Through Power, I gain Victory.
Through Victory my chains are Broken."

Rage boiled within his being, and strength was found from within its flame. His life had been a series of betrayals, from his family, his apprentice, his wife, his children, all things he had tried to rectify. Tried to fix. His daughter had been adjusted, and though Kadan had to be written off as a lost cause, his replacement was manageable; though he was still going to be robed of a legacy. Amara, or Lilanna as she was calling herself now, was to have been that. Though she had to stupidly throw it all away. The droids filled forward, seeming to make a line as they took position, weapons raised to the ceiling, as Levos finished his declaration.

"The Force shall free me."

A single crimson blade flared to challenge the group, the Warden seemingly incapacitated, as the Beskar Lord lunged towards Corin. A single hand extended forward, lightning firing toward the night-sister, his movement intended towards Corin Autem his blade thrusting towards her. The droids fired, four in total, two firing into the top of the cave, two firing into the formation of the Ultranauts.

 

[Lilanna Kelamvor]

.​

​

O B J E C T I V E II: Holdouts​

Location: Planetside, Dromund Kaas​

Tags: Corin Autem Lena Dracov Scipio Kaarz Domokos Gyula Eina L'lerim-Vandiir Darth Levos Ivixa Nera'kas​

Equipment: Shoudsaber, Lilanna's Apsara Armor, FS-18 Omega Phase Assault Rifle, KC- 95 'Ace of Spades' Blaster Pistol, Lady of Steel's Cybernetic Leg.​

Forces: 10th Ultranaut Regiment 'Oathbreakers',​

Lilanna's mind reeled back as she felt the stress from Corin's mind bubble forward, and as the Warden fought to try and reach her partner, she found that the situation was already well in hand. She gave a silent thanks, trying not to distract herself from the matter at hand. Turning to try and find another challenger, Lilanna found that there was none to be found. The remaining body's hit the floor, and began to go cold. She rose, body tense, looking about to find any more hostiles, and found none. Her saber shut off, and slowly, she re-clipped it to her belt. Her attention fell to the stone door, and after ensuring the rest of the group was unharmed, she looked to Lena Dracov with a hint of suspicion. "Those abilities, I've seen it before." She paused, her mind looking back from the names she had heard, and attempted the game of scrabble, and took her guess. "Lena, right?"

She looked to Corin, nodding, before turning towards the stone doors. She dealt with these things before, knew how they worked, but only hoped in her being she still had it in her to do it. To let that darkness back in, even for a moment, it was disconcerting.

She never got her chance.

As the doors opened, Lilanna's body tensed, her saber snapped into her hand, then she froze. Stepping back in disbelief, Lilanna's mouth went dry, her feet felt like they were trapped in duracrete blocks. Her eyes widened in horror at the form before her, her mouth muttering one word over, again, and again.

No. No. No. No.

She had fled him, ran as far and fast as she could the moment she had the chance. He didn't care about her, he hadn't given chase, so why, why now was he here? Why her? As he spoke that name to her, the one she had gone by as a child, she tried to fight the growing fear within her with that of resolve. She didn't know how to beat him, how to kill him. His armor was made from the Mandalorians he killed, and any damage his armor couldn't withstand, his body seemed to endure. She had stabbed him force only knew how many times, poison, acids, explosives, he just didn't seem to die. But they had to kill him, somehow, right? Maybe if she could short circuit his life support? He had that in the armor, maybe-

Her thoughts halted, as she felt something in her left arm pop.

She screamed in pain, her skin tearing open, the site of her implant erupted from within her armor. Her left arm went numb, the nerves and tissue around the impact site seemingly destroyed now. It was the second most intense pain she had felt in her life, and it seized her mind like someone slamming a razor hot vibro-blade through her being. Her body began to shake, her breathing quickened, her vision blurring. She couldn't hear herself screaming anyone, and try as she might to focus through the pain, what remained was the fact that he was here. Levos was before her, and she felt frozen in place.

Levos moved, not to her however, and seeing his intended target. He had mutilated her, tortured her, broken her once before. She wouldn't allow him to do it again. He had decided her fate in the past, but she had long since refused to let him have that power over her. So, why would she let him take that control once again? She wouldn't. The pain she felt was numb to her now. Her mind fixated not on killing her master, but protecting her lover. She found strength enough to move, her hand reaching forward, shroud-saber flaring to life. Lilanna's movement was a blur, her feet sliding across the stone floor, her black blade intercepting the front of his blade, but she was a moment to late. As her blade smashed into Levos' own, deflecting the blade off to the side, and keeping him an arms length from Corin. Blood was pooling within her armor, her left shoulder showing the extent of her wound, but Lilanna only focused on the one goal; keep Corin safe. Even as the shadows of this world tormented her, the phantoms of her past took form, and her body was on the verge of being ripped apart, that single image of Corin was enough to keep that darkness at bay.

She managed to stare back into the mangled and deformed face before her, his dead yellow eyes met her own, and that flicker of defiance of her held strong. She was going to kill him, one way or another.

 

[Scipio Kaarz]

Scipio Kaarz: Magister Militum Dei of the Crusade

Tags: Eina L'lerim-Vandiir , Lilanna Kelamvor , Corin Autem , Rhiza Dural

"Indeed, the Eternals have entered the holdout, though through a different entrance. There seem to be several entrances, all leading underground. We suspect that they all connect. The New Imperials have advanced on other entrances as well. We will ensure none escape."

It was said in a rather cold manner, but Scipio didn't care much for cordiality when it came to battle. He knew that there would be no peace until the Sith and their ilk were wiped from the galaxy completely. They were a blight, a sickness upon the very fabric of existence, and it would be up to them to snuff it out wherever it showed it's horrid face.

Not long after he spoke, smoke and light passed overhead, marking the approach of Rhiza and her fighter. The Magister knew well the benefits of having eyes in the sky, and was grateful to have someone to keep the path clear.

<<Excellent work, Sister Dural. Continue to monitor for enemy movements. Watch our backs in case these vermin decide to try something stupid. We will be in touch. Scipio out!>>

The commander approached him once the transmission is over, offering a bow to Eina.

"Magister, Lady Eina, we have heard back from the Lancer Corps. Reports of enemy activity near the suspected entrance. A small exchange of fire, no casualties on our side. We are clear to move in."

"Very good, commander. Have the grenadiers set charges at the entrance upon our arrival. Once the interior is clear, we'll close that entrance for good."

His attention turned back to Eina as the commander prepared the troops, his voice as cold and matter of fact as that of the Eternal Empress herself.

"I imagine that you're right. Stick close to us, and together we'll purge this place for good."

With that, the Magister picked up his blaster rifle and gave Deus Company the order to move out.

 

[Djorn Bline]

V E N O M _ S N A K E
NEW IMPERIAL ORDER
VELMOR
Zoraya Ives-Ayres

MIDNIGHT SHADOW
​

The Sith in the Stygian Caldera were defeated, it was meaningless to deploy any assets and personnel to root out whatever stench was left on Dromud Kaas. They all migrated to where there was power or in the shadows like the opportunistic cowards they were. It was also a waste of time to hold a diplomatic conference with the Eternal Empire as they had given aid to the defunct Sith Empire, no matter how minor or major it was. Anyone who made deals with the Sith were untrustworthy; fortunate they didn’t face critical repercussions for their past under Fel’s reign of power.

The same couldn’t be said for Djorn, however.

There was bigger fish to catch, more important things to spend time on. The fracture of the relationship between the New Imperials and the Alliance invited rogues and scoundrels across the Galaxy to establish rebel cells. All to sabotage the progress of the Empire expanding to other systems.

Cells made their way to planets such as Velmor; a planet with diverse politics between Imperialism and Democracy. An important system to have control over, considering it a “swing” system. Currently a constitutional monarchy with the current royal family acting as mere ceremonial figures with a senate dictating the politics and direction of Velmor. The current atmosphere of the planet? All denouncing Imperialism, supporting the freedoms of democracy, and extending a hand to the Jedi. Even the current monarch helped echo these opinions. There was, however, a small minority whom wished to see a revolution as they could see the corruption democracy welcomed. A small crowd, but with a loud voice; loud enough the Senate increased the security to the point of hiring mercenaries from private military companies.

Truly the ideals of democracy were not “infallible”.

“There’s word of a black site prison holding crucial assets that support our cause, several officers that were charged with treason and dismissed from the military; some of them part of Velmor’s intelligence bureau,” explaining to his Imperial compatriot, both of them in an abandoned building that was space for apartment units right in an area with high rates of poverty. There was an obvious line between poverty and riches in Den Velmor. “We need more information though, especially its coordinates. Maybe gather more information of what else these despots are doing.”

“It’ll just be you and me on this venture, our other agents are occupied with training guerrillas and influencing the media.”

 

[Keilara Kala'myr]

Ziare Dyarron
COMPNOR (ISB) Junior Agent, Nite agent​

Objective: BYOO, Remembrance
Location: N/A; Records only
Equipment: N/A; Records only
Tag: N/A

[ New Order ]
"Galactic Basic" | ~ Telepathic communication ~ | << comm. channel >> ​

Turn off the record; I instructed the system when I listened back to the recordings for a very long time…

Ziare Dyarron's personal records; (ISB junior agent, COMPNOR):

"A lot of time has passed since then; since then I don't remember anything more. However, I still have memory deficits. Not much, thankfully, but it happens. In vain I went to any specialist doctors, they found nothing. One of the benefits is that I inherited the family property, the estate, everything. I have money for the best doctors. Although so far it has made no sense. For some reason, they said I had a head injury not so long ago. To tell you the truth, I don’t remember when and how.

I mean, but I think so, I remember. But for some reason it was also very vague, and my head hurt a lot when I tried to think about it. I recalled the memories via MANIAC, they are normal, they are inherently intact. Although very much obscure, after all, a biochip can pick up what I see, and if I see vaguely, my memories will remain the same. I think it was a NIO mission. Yes, where they were once again undead in the basement of the castle.

I can’t help it, but I still dread them and have nightmares. This… It is so unnatural. I first saw them on Carlac. I hate that place, I never, but never want to go back there, because he was there too... The Mongrel . Yes, I told the psychiatrist about that, too. But not about what's depressing me. Damn it! Am I an agent at COMPNOR, the ISB, and… and I need to tell someone my friends have disappeared in a row on Serenno? Everyone, literally everyone, no one left from those insurgent cells I had contact with as an insurgent.

Does that scare me? Yes. No information, no one knows anything. Neither the local authorities, nor ours, nor Nite. No one can disappear without a trace and so. Especially not so sudden and not so many people. I was able to make contact with other previous cells; they are now peaceful civilians. They, too, stood puzzled before that, they knew nothing. Maybe I should go home to investigate there. But I doubt I would get any permission to do so.

Sometimes I feel like I’m still living in a nightmare. Will I ever be able to wake up from this?"

 

[Simon Meinrad]

Aemilio Valaar

They were not held back from outskirts of the Temple, and their march was unstoppable as they reached the stairs of the Temple. A perimeter was secured at the base of the unholy architect after clearing out whatever drones were left on the steps. Some of the drones were smart enough to retreat back inside the Temple, finding safe haven inside its walls. It was a massacre on the steps of the Temple, bodies littered here and there. No quarter given.

“There’s more to find and kill,” he commented as they achieved their first victory of many on this mission.

“There’ll be more monstrous things inside the Temple, and if we’re lucky, maybe a Terentatek will be waiting for us,” dry sarcasm on his part, knowing too damn well every Temple on this wretched planet had at least one of those beast guarding tombs and artifacts.

“How long until the bomb?”

 

[Isla Draellix-Kobitana]

​

Location: Aboard the Crimson Empress
Objective: Take part in treaty negotiations
Tags:
EE: Ingrid L'lerim Baron Reinhardt Ström Belisarius Vactovion Chamdar the Hutt Hi'los Krai
AC: Pietro Demici Ul-Tam-Ban
NIO: Rurik Fel Akash Guul

Spoiler: Isla's Personal Gear

Admiral's Sabre
Ashlan Rosary
Personal guard of Ashlan Praetorian droids
Overseer Biochip OPBC-01a

The Prime Minister tried not to react, but it was hard not to feel her eyebrows by jusy a millimetre or two at the idea of the Ashlan Crusade being drawn into a war between the other two major powers at the table, should their treaty collapse. The Ashlan Crusade was mighty, but it was the smallest party and war with either the Eternal Empire or the New Imperials would jusy be handing the Bogan ultimate victory. She was pleased when Rurik Fel dismissed the idea, it was not something that would be part of the treaty. This suspected Pietro Demici felt something similar, the Ashlans needed to focus on the Maw, not be policing their allies.

"Emperor Fel, Empress L'lerim, I agree that this arrangement of basing New Imperial forces somewhere in the northern border of Eternal space would benefit all parties at the table. The New Imperials get the tangible act of faith that they desire, and the Eternal Empire get an additional military presence between the Maw and its own citizens. The Ashlans would also support this initiative as it would strengthen our own push back against the mawites, as previously agreed.

As an aside, for all those her interested in glory and the romance of war, the Grand Admiral in my finds the idea of a military trinity of our three powers, arrayed against the Bogan to be something very exciting." she was genuinely getting goosebumps at the idea of rows of battlecruisers and pushing the wretched maw back into their own space and out of the galaxy.

"The Sith Empire collapsed because of the coordination of several powers, on several fronts," she raised her glass in a mock toast. "Here is to history repeating itself with the Mawite Brotherhood."

She looked around the room, nearly everyone here was military and at least a part of them would enjoy the visual effect of their united glory, even if they maintained the cold hard exteriors whilst trying to outmaneuver each other.

​

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​

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Lady Ingrid L’lerim Ragal Terassi Vandiir
Eternal Empress of the Eternal Empire, Lord Commander of the Wardens of the Shroud, Archon of the Primyn Group
Empress of Terraris, Supreme Commander of the Terraris Command, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Objective: Try to make some kind of deal with NIO with the help of the Ashlan Crusade which is normalise relations between the factions.
Location: Aboard the ENS Crimson Empress, orbit around Dromund Kaas
Equipment: The Soulsabers (hidden) | Brynja coat | Hersir Imperial Uniform | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | The Last Gift || Empyrean gland | OPBC-01m
Eternal Imperials: Baron Reinhardt Ström | Belisarius Vactovion | Hi'los Krai | Chamdar the Hutt
Ashlan Crusade: Ul-Tam-Ban | Isla Draellix-Kobitana | Pietro Demici
New Imperials: Rurik Fel | Akash Guul

[ Valhalla Calling ]
<"High Nelvaanian"> | ~ telepathic communication ~ | << comm. channel >> ​

If the Sith had won… ironically, Ingrid would probably already have the title of Sith Empress and would have tried to destroy the Empire right now from inside, or she would have been already successful. No one will ever know this. Provided she would have survived trying to kill the Shaper. Although she never said yes to the man's marriage proposal, but that was her plan, she considered saying yes and killing the Sith Emperor on the wedding day, ending the Sith Empire by her own actions and hands. She would have liked to ask back how many awards the Moff received from the Sith and he would have gone back to serve the Sith Empire if the Sith had won. But she didn't.

Ingrid did not have to explain, the Eternal Empire had already proved enough, destroyed Bryn'adûl, expelled and defeated Omni. The Sith Empire, or any other Sith, was never allowed to have actual influence in the Eternal Empire. It would have been easy to insult them about how amateur COMPNOR seems to be under Rurik's reign if they saw no deeds, no assurance. But she didn't say anything. She remained silent.

And what assurance can NIO provide that what happened after Coruscant will not happen again? That, too, would have been a reasonable and logical question. The red-haired woman nodded very little at the Overseer's words to agree with him. Although she had doubts about which side the Ashlan Crusade would support in the event of a conflict, which was later substantiated and confirmed her suspicion. And Fel was the next who spoke…

Ingrid would have liked to have laughed and mentioned the fact that the Emperor remembers or not to the old saying, "Any man who must say 'I am the Emperor' is no true Emperor", and has no real power. However, in one thing they were the same, Ingrid always acted in a way that served her people and the Empire, their survival. Always the Empire was the first, not she, or her family. However, she did not consider herself one with the Empire, only as a servant of the Eternal Emperor. Rulers are replaceable, the empire must be eternal.

"A more sophisticated solution, Lord Fel, a more sophisticated solution. Yes, I wanted a temporary suspension of the war. Even in the NIO, countless people saw why. In other nations as well. You or anyone could have easily used the Sith to destroy them in the war against the Bryn'adûl. To sacrifice them and their resources instead of our own." the woman was practical in this regard and tried to minimise losses, replacing Ultranauts was difficult. And not to mention many times she thinking not as a soldier but as a murderer.

Incidentally, even the Sith Emperor and former Grand Master of the Jedi Order, as well as high-ranking NIOs and high-ranking Jedi in GA, were able to sit down at a table and get them to work together against Bryn'adûl, because the Empress was able to convince them. The woman did not like total invasions, as an assassin and an agent the more sophisticated methods, she loved to work with little loss if it could be solved. She listened to the Emperor's words all the way through. In the end, she already knew she couldn't win here, for the man reminded her of something that Irveric Tavlar had demanded of her, though that one was in the past more severe than this current one.

However, something turns out the Ashlan Crusade is apparently afraid and dreaded by Rurik Fel and they dare not say no to him. Lackey behaving. The woman here would have expected them to try to argue that the Eternal Empire had already proven their words with the capture and handover of Carnifex to the Ashlan Crusade, or was just the NIO should offer the same for the Eternal Empire what they demanded. But no, they surrendered to the NIO, even though the NIO had recently betrayed them. That said a lot to the woman.

Returning to the demand, the woman knew that her own people would probably not be happy with the answer, but once, the answer was said on Coruscant. She had to admit it was a brilliant move from the man. Then, years earlier, she accepted, not for her own safety, not for her own freedom; for she went there to die, she never cared that she'll survive the captivity or not. She agreed that after the fall of the Sith, the GA and the NIO would not rush down the Eternal Empire; she accepted that to the two nations should see that there was no Sith influence in the Empire and they never had vassals. However, because of Chandra's final decision, all this did not happen.

But now she wasn’t in as bad a position as before, despite Ashlan Crusade’s behaviour. It seemed to the woman most of all a test of whether or not she was changing her answer compared to the previous ones.

"Our intention is to destroy the Sith and the Maw, Lord Fel; I accepted similar terms from your predecessor years ago. I will do it now as well, we have nothing to hide from the NIO, nothing. Just as we had nothing to hide from the Ashlan Crusade. However, you'll get a planet, and we ask for something similar, so we can reach our allies much easier through the NIO's space than if we had to travel through half the Galaxy to do the same. And it would also be an opportunity for us to attack the Maw areas from the north and south, just like you want to do the same." she said.

She placed a tiny holoprojector on the table and projected the present northern region, the border of the Eternal Empire, where they shared a common border with Maw and GA.

"The Odessen; we are currently building a joint base, space station, and operations centre on this planet with the Ashlan Crusade to open a joint front against the Maw. We can offer you this planet, Lord Fel, Moff Saigo. Provided the proximity of the GA border is not an issue in the current delicate situation." she explained.

 

[Aemilio Valaar]

OBJ 2
Simon Meinrad

​

He'd never laid eyes on the beast that the Knight spoke of. He'd heard stories of course, seen images, videos. He was a learned soldier, even before the time he was known as 'Speaker.' As far as the Dark Side went, it just happened to be one of the last entities he'd not come across. As such, he was not looking forward to the clash, if there was one with the monstrous terentatek. Bryn'adul, Undead, Sith, Magic. A terentatek was a different beast entirely.

Luckily for them there was going to be no graverobbing today.

Whatever beasts that lay inside were slated to remain dormant, even during the whine of blasters and the cries of final death throes.

Soldiers, now possessed, were cut down as the ysalimir adorned Black Hands advanced through the structure.

Aemilio, in his hands carried a device that looked to be scanning the temple. Identifying the parts of the building that were necessary for collapsing most efficiently. Naturally, there were redundancies to the plan. So the Black Hands had brought a proper baradium laced charge with them as well. Enough to trigger the secondary charges they were placing on some of the pillars they passed during their cleansing.

Prompted, he checked the display mounted on his gauntlet.

<"Approximately seven minutes."> The screen went dark and he brought his rifle back around to bare. The troopers ahead of him marched through the darkness, sweeping corners. As spacious as it was for the few, technology ensured they were not caught unawares. Various HUD systems exposed ambushes before they could be sprung, allowing the vanguard fireteam to eliminate the hostiles preemptively. <"Planting charge now.">

He nodded to one of the troopers, who knelt to the ground, the case strapped to their back slid off by a second and cracked open. While Aemilio approached, crouching down to input his activation code, another of the troopers cried out.

"Contact!"

<"Secondary charges will trigger a chain reaction,"> he explained. <"Making our exit now.">

 

[Eina L'lerim-Vandiir]

Lady Eina L'lerim-Vandiir
The First and the Light of Ashla
Heiress and Princess of the Eternal Empire and Terraris; Angelic Mascot and Representative of the Ashlan Crusade
Eternal Empire's Ambassador to the Ashlan Crusade; Matriarch of the Valkyrja; Leader of Sanctuary and the Fjölkyngi Smiđr Guild​

Objective: Cleanse the Temple; release and heal the souls
Location: Dark Temple, Dromund Kaas
Equipment: Sverð Fyrstr (swords) | Ljósspjót (spear) | Skrúð Engill Fyrstr (armour) || Empyrean gland | OPBC-01m || Current appearance
Writing With: Scipio Kaarz
Ashlan Crusade: Rhiza Dural

[ Preliator ]
<"High Nelvaanian"> | ~ telepathic communication ~ | << comm. channel >> ​

"Someone, I do not remember who… they said the Sith are cockroaches. As far as I know they really like underground places. This finding may have been correct." she said a little hesitantly.

The person who said this had to explain to her that the Sith were not actually cockroaches, but just so hard to exterminate them. Sometimes it wasn’t the easiest to communicate with Eina, due to the fact that she took everything literally. Nevertheless, she continued to watch the events with interest. She could still be amazed at how different things were about fighting here than at home.

Sure, they used technology too, that couldn’t be left out of Netherworld either, but at home in more than 95% of cases, they were the defending party; especially in the case of the Sanctuary. She also occasionally led offences, but it was not very typical. At most when they broke out of the city and cleared the area around from the demons, or when they attacked for example the Dark Three, the Maw's Avatars.

Finally, another soldier, a commander, arrived soon. Eina greeted him with a respectful nod. The Valkyrja was not bothered by someone giving commands in a cold and emotionless voice; in fact, she usually did the same way when she was leading the army in the Sanctuary. She had exactly the same voice as her mother then. Eina nodded at the magister's words, then spoke kindly.

"If anyone needs to be healed, I'll be here. And if we meet demons or other monsters that serve Bogan, I'll go ahead and take care of you!" she promised. "May Ashla guide our steps!"

When they set off, Eina also went with the soldiers, her movement was also military, no different from them, only in the appearance and the fact that it was a glowing spot in the Force. They soon arrived at the entrance where they had gone. She saw the dead, felt Bogan's powers, and in the Force she saw how infected the Temple was. It was uncomfortable, ice cold and corrupted. However, there was really no one here, so she let the soldiers head inside. She was the last to enter the inward corridor.

 

[Scipio Kaarz]

Scipio Kaarz: Magister Militum Dei of the Crusade

Tags: Eina L'lerim-Vandiir , Lilanna Kelamvor , Corin Autem , Rhiza Dural

"They most certainly are, but twice as persistent. One must go over each location with a fine tooth comb if they hope to completely cleanse it of the darkness."

The Magister knew the Sith's ability to endure all too well. He had spent most of his adult life fighting them on one front or another, yet there always seemed to be more. The Bogan was a tricky thing to deal with, and he had grown weary of its stubbornness. These darksiders were a menace best dealt with swiftly and without second thought, lest they find a way to weasel their way back onto the galactic stage once more.

The trip to the target location was quiet enough, the efforts of Rhiza saw to that. As they approached the entrance, Scipio could feel the sense of unease among his companions. Though not a Force-user himself, the man had become adept at reading body language, and it didn't take a Jedi to see the sense of uncertainty. Despite the creeping feeling, the members of Deus Company remained as focused as ever, filing into the dark corridor in a tight, quiet formation. Scipio was one of the last in, keeping an eye out in case of a potential ambush.

"Today, we wipe the last of the rats from this planet. Dromund Kaas will truly be free."

With those words, he stepped into the darkness, sticking close to the others as his eyes scanned the dark halls of the ruins. Reliefs lined the walls, showing various Sith lords of old. Names long forgotten to history by all except those that they came here to kill. The place was dead silent, unsettlingly so. The Magister felt that something was off, causing him to keep his rifle held tightly as they pushed deeper into the darkness.

"Should you sense anything... irregular, Lady Eina, tell me. I don't have the senses you do, and I would prefer to not be caught unawares in this place."

 

[Mairéad Solus]

Alternate Location: Abandoned Sith ruin near southern Pole
Objectives: Get back to the Marzanna
Tags: open

Equipment:
Velmorite bladed lightsabers
Comm device
Blaster pistol
Rappelling line
FC-20 Speeder bike
Marzanna

Her ship was finally in sight, the speeder had trundled along at a truly painful rate but she was almost sage and could leave this hell hole, but where would she go? She had noone and nowhere of her own. There was the neutral medical centre on Taanab perhaps, they had been taking casualties from the battles on this planet. She could get there, but would she be safe, she was a nobody in the galaxy. Albeit a nobody that the force had taken specific delight in torturing today it seems, as she saw a trio of people trying unsuccessfully to break in to her ship. She released her mental grip on the accelerator and with her good arm, lifted up her blaster pistol and opened fire. She was exhausted, mentally and physically, she wasn't going to risk stopping to ask questions so they could take her, along with her ship. She scored a direct hit on the first thief, dropping him dead. The element of suprise was now gone and it was two on one. They hid behind a landing strut of her Marzanna and the hull of her own speeder. She tried to conjure up an ice shard, but force be damned, she had nothing left to give and all that appeared was loose flakes that blew in the wind.

She stepped forward, narrowly avoiding an incoming blaster bolt firing as fast as the gun would allow, she managed to hit the man hiding by her ship. But the other was more elusive. She took a nasty hit to her already damaged shoulder that spun her around. She fired again and the thief rolled away. KARK! She thought.

The ramp from her shuttle lowered with a hiss and she staggered up it backwards, still firing to keep her assailant down. As the door closed, she was finally safe from immediate death. She dragged herself to the cockpit and programmed the autopilot. She heard the whir of her environmental stabiliser trying to protect the ship from the cold that was forming around its pilot.

Destination Boolan Murr Medical hospital, emergency unit. She hit the confirmation button and the ship lurched skyward to safety. As she slouched in her chair and passed out.

 

[Eina L'lerim-Vandiir]

Lady Eina L'lerim-Vandiir
The First and the Light of Ashla
Heiress and Princess of the Eternal Empire and Terraris; Angelic Mascot and Representative of the Ashlan Crusade
Eternal Empire's Ambassador to the Ashlan Crusade; Matriarch of the Valkyrja; Leader of Sanctuary and the Fjölkyngi Smiđr Guild​

Objective: Cleanse the Temple; release and heal the souls
Location: Dark Temple, Dromund Kaas
Equipment: Sverð Fyrstr (swords) | Ljósspjót (spear) | Skrúð Engill Fyrstr (armour) || Empyrean gland | OPBC-01m || Current appearance
Writing With: Scipio Kaarz
Ashlan Crusade: Rhiza Dural

[ Preliator ]
<"High Nelvaanian"> | ~ telepathic communication ~ | << comm. channel >> ​

"I'll deal with them, Magister. No servant of the Bogan can escape my attention or Ashla's light. By the end of the day, the temple will bathe in Ashla's light and there will be no corruption left in it!" she promised.

It was a plan anyway to cleanse and heal this area as much as she could. And it really meant that there would be no corruption left in the temple. Eina hoped she would be able to do it alone, but it would have been best for her to get into the centre of the Temple, as it was the easiest way to expand her power in all directions at once. But they still had to reach the goal, and the others had to take care of her because she couldn’t defend herself during the ritual. She had to sacrifice her own defence to succeed, but she would have done so anyway without any protection, defence, without the soldier's help as well.

Eina also looked at the walls, the reliefs, the inscriptions. They were written in ancient Sith, ur-Kittât, so she was able to read. There was still no such thing for the girl, to use something only for evil by someone, so she looked at the artefacts and memories with interest. They talked about another age; not about what they just lived. In any case, the captions and pictures talked about interesting things. The Valkyrja has always found history interesting, if only because time has passed differently in the two worlds. She already lived three-hundred years, but in the Realspace's timing, she was born only ten or eleven years ago.

Since she felt nothing nearby, so Eina proceeded calmly, and the soldiers seemed to have reached the same statement as her. However, when the Magister inquired, she looked at her and paused for a few moments. She reached out to the Force and tried to look around the Temple. She wouldn't have had to stop anyway, she would have been able to do without it, but now the Valkyrja expected there to be those trying to hide from her. She peered around for about half a minute before opening her eyes.

"Right above us, roughly thirty metres away, that is, several floors above us, I sense three people, all strongly in the Force, followers of the Bogan. Surrounded by roughly a dozen non-intelligent beings, but they are also permeated by the Force. Probably Sithspawns." she explained.

She showed with her hand where they needed to go, her scanners showed no one nearby and she felt nothing else within the Force. Luckily, Eina didn’t have a bad feeling about whether there would be a trap nearby or not. So she set off there, and soon had to go up a longer flight of stairs, where they arrived at the gigantic main hall. The place was so high that the former mentioned thirty metres meant only one floor, and the staircase leading up was a few metres from the staircase where they entered the hall.

 

[Rurik Fel]

E M P E R O R
NEW IMPERIAL ORDER
THE IRONCLAD
EE | Ingrid L'lerim | Baron Reinhardt Ström | Belisarius Vactovion
AC | Pietro Demici | Isla Draellix-Kobitana | Ul-Tam-Ban
NIO | Akash Guul​

​

"The Sith Empire collapsed because of the coordination of several powers, on several fronts,"

"Here is to history repeating itself with the Mawite Brotherhood."

"Most certainly, Grand Admiral. Though a feat comparable would still require the utmost integrity of all of those committing to the effort." It was as much a jab as it was a further attempt to vindicate his concern. Last the Empire marched to face down the Sith, Ingrid personally stood at the forefront in the attempts to string together hindrances to the New Imperial advancement toward Sith Imperial capitulation.

"A more sophisticated solution, Lord Fel, a more sophisticated solution. Yes, I wanted a temporary suspension of the war. Even in the NIO, countless people saw why. In other nations as well. You or anyone could have easily used the Sith to destroy them in the war against the Bryn'adûl. To sacrifice them and their resources instead of our own."

"You equate the Bryn'adul, which had already seen themselves withered to nothingness in a lesser manner than the Sith which have continually subjected the Galaxy to a waxing and waning reign of terror for thousands of years. To even approach the idea of negotiating with the most insidious existential force in favor of another is something the Empire will never approach as an option. That is why my demands are as they are and that is why I will not concede similar in favor of the Eternal Empire. Never has the Empire wavered in its crusade against the darkness, against Chaos. Where as for your Empire, Ingrid, allegiances are far more grey. Whatever you will attempt to explain to me, words will not earn the trust of me or my people. Only action can earn such a privilege." Rurik iterates, leaning back in his seat as he mulls over Ingrid's request.

"You have proven in the past that you are willing to compromise with the highest of evils of the Galaxy. I don't care what your feelings, your emotions, or your supposed intents were. All I know are the facts- which are that the Eternal Empire was content with compromising with the Sith only until the Zambrano Rump State reached its strategic capitulation following the closing of the Iron Ring. That is what I know, if you wish to prove to me otherwise, nothing that will come out of your mouth will do the trick, you must act." Rurik states plainly, his voice baring its constant strain from the darkness which

"The Empire will allow military access for the Eternal Empire's army and navy to access the Hydian Way and reach Ashlan space, however, the Empire will concede none of its space to base Eternal military assets. If your allies in the Ashlan Crusade wish to the effect of the Empire's deployments to the Galactic West, that is their prerogative, but the Empire will not make such a concession." Rurik stated firmly.

 

[Pietro Demici]

Pietro Demici: Cardinal of Ashla

AC: Isla Draellix-Kobitana , Ul-Tam-Ban, Nol Akkos

NIO: Rurik Fel , Akash Guul

EE: Ingrid L'lerim , Baron Reinhardt Ström , Belisarius Vactovion, Hi'los Krai , Chamdar the Hutt

Age of Empires

Pietro continued listening intently to the various representatives, finding himself pleased, as usual, with the Grand Admiral's support. She continued to prove that offering her the role of Prime Minister was indeed the correct choice. The Cardinal simply nodded in response to her comment, confirming that he felt the same way. As for the others, there was clearly still an air of uncertainty between them, despite how well the negotiations seemed to be going. In the end, all that would matter would be if the treaty lasted long enough to see the defeat of their common enemy.

"I also believe that actions speak louder than words. Thus far, the Eternal Empire has been able to deliver on that front. Nevertheless, Emperor Fel's words ring true. Only time will be able to show any of us where the chips will fall."

As the pair spoke of the allocation of resources, Pietro could hear the resistance from Fel, even through his usually even tone. The Cardinal couldn't blame the man; even he had felt hesitant when he made the offer to the Eternal Empire at their own summit. As such, he wouldn't push the matter any further than need be.

"The usage of the Hydian Way is sufficient in my eyes. The Ashlan Crusade has agreed to allow the Eternal Empire room to place military assets within Ashlan Space, which will put them close enough to stage attacks against the Maw alongside us. The use of the Hydian Way will allow the allocation of said resources to be moved more efficiently, which in turn will make the offense against the Maw more effective."

 

[Keilara Kala'myr]

Ziare Dyarron
COMPNOR (ISB) Junior Agent, Nite agent​

Objective: BYOO, Remembrance
Location: N/A; Records only
Equipment: N/A; Records only
Tag: N/A

[ New Order ]
"Galactic Basic" | ~ Telepathic communication ~ | << comm. channel >> ​

Ziare Dyarron's personal records; (ISB junior agent, COMPNOR):

" Why am I talking about this? This is perhaps a very interesting question. But maybe not so surprising. Yes, I think I want a promotion so I can work even more efficiently at home, inside the Empire. So I may have a chance to find my friends too. I want to do this on my own, but I know I’m not able to do it yet. I'm not that good yet. But I will. I also reported it to Nite, but they haven't found anything yet. The worst is uncertainty; as in war. Although at least we knew there, we suspected the Sith had caught them. But now?

There can be so many enemies, the Sith, the Maw, anyone associated with them. I do not know; I really don't know who or why. Sometimes I think I might have to work entirely for Nite, but I always reject the idea. I wouldn't be able to leave the Empire. Maybe I’m too emotional to be the perfect agent in their eyes, but I’m trying; I really try my best to serve the Empire and the Emperor well.

For me, this was the most important thing, to serve the Empire…"

Present; home of the Scar Hound Tribe:

"End of playback!" I said boredly.

I laughed; I seriously can’t believe she never realised she hadn’t escaped; they were allowed to leave. But even the doctors didn't understand anything. Fortunately, her strong enough mental protection favoured me. I was able to hide from any kind of investigation they could guess. They can't find me, thanks to the "shields" Ziare has built in her mind. And that was perfect.

Stupid, naive little girl; she dreaded the Taskmaster, to whom I owed my freedom and has been teaching ever since, helping me to be better at telepathic abilities to control Ziare. And there he was, The Mongrel ; she was afraid of him too, while I was his in every sense. I had a feeling if Ziare knew these, she would have begged for death. How unpleasant that she will never know this information.

Of the two of us, I had more rights to exist than her. As for her people, they were now mine. My men, inside the Scar Hounds Tribe. And she will never, ever find them.

Her nightmare will never end because as long as I exist, she cannot wake up. And if I die, that is equivalent to her dying as well…

Last post.​

 

[Isla Draellix-Kobitana]

​

Location: Aboard the Crimson Empress
Objective: Take part in treaty negotiations
Tags:
EE: Ingrid L'lerim Baron Reinhardt Ström Belisarius Vactovion Chamdar the Hutt Hi'los Krai
AC: Pietro Demici Ul-Tam-Ban
NIO: Rurik Fel Akash Guul

Spoiler: Isla's Personal Gear

Admiral's Sabre
Ashlan Rosary
Personal guard of Ashlan Praetorian droids
Overseer Biochip OPBC-01a

Isla listened to her liege speak again for a moment, echoing similar thoughts to her own but again that phrase? She spoke again "I keep hearing the term actions speak louder than words, I agree, of course they do. So how about we hear about some actions?

Rurik Fel I am sure your agents have kept you informed of the Ashlan progress during the Stygian campaign, the Empire might have fallen, but the Sith are still there. The Eternal Empire have been valuable allies in our war effort and have contributed significant military and personal assets. At Ziost and Dromuund Kaas, their fleet and military worked along side our own to cleanse the Sith from those worlds world's. On Korriban, Heiress of the Eternal Empire, Princess Eina L'lerim helped lead our forces and single handedly likely saved thousands of Ashlan lives by fighting and destroying hordes of dark creatures. This is also not the only occasion she has used her power for our aims, and a number of us, myself included, see her as one of the most important allies in the fight against the Bogan.

And again during the Ession campaign, I had the honor of having the Empress herself aboard my flagship, providing logistical support to our forces, I will not give you all of the operational details of these campaigns, but for the last years, the Eternal Empire has proven themselves to be a stalwart and useful ally.

She paused giving the Ingrid L'lerim a brief glance and then came to her last example. The outcome was a mess, it made her want to pull her hair out, the ache in her side from the emergency surgery to rebuild her liver reminded her how badly it had gone. They were lucky to have not lost more, both the Crusade and the Eternal Empire had lost both dignitaries in the courtroom, but also hundreds of soldiers defending against the onrushing hordes of Sith supporters. There was no attempt to shy away from the fighting, despite the situation being an Ashlan problem on their capital. Yes, the trial was a mess, but the point she wanted to make was still clear.

"The Empress managed to succefully capture and deliver Darth Carnifex to the Ashlan Crusade. We all know the end result of that mess so I won't repeat it. However, The Empress and her forces availed themselves admirably, and the Empress even took action to protect my Lord. I ask Rurik Fel , would you make alliances with a leader that used the power of a force Dyad to attempt to kill you, a significant portion of your upper command hierarchy, and then attempt to abduct your heir?"

She stopped and breathed, she realised she had spoken for a while now and would yield the floor. If actions spoke louder than words, then maybe the actions she had listed would pull the Emperor in a more trusting direction. She knew absolute trust was almost never possible, but it would be a start.
​

​

 

[Akash Guul]

G R A N D _ M O F F
NEW IMPERIAL ORDER

"Prime Minister, I believe the Emperor's stance has been made clear and needs no further reiteration -- Empress L'lerim's actions during the Crusade's campaign against the remnant in the Sith Worlds are of little interest to the Empire. The Crusade has been for long de-facto considered as the steward of the Stygian. Your own relations with the Eternal Empire does not concern us nor our people unless, of course, they become a concern for our state security." he said, narrowing his gaze at the prime minister. Whether the Crusade experienced a positive and workable relationship with the Eternals mattered little to the Empire. "If we have concluded with Empress L'lerim's autobiography, I suggest moving to a more tangible form of negotiations." he added somberly.

"To His Highness' offer, I would like to add a few notable details - the military access is to be limited solely to the Hydian Way and merely as transit to Crusade space. The movements of Eternal forces through Imperial space are to be conducted with a notification sent to the Empire in advance. Furthermore, the Crusade is to take sufficient measures of control to prevent any potential provocations from the Eternals against the Empire's borders."

EE | Ingrid L'lerim | Baron Reinhardt Ström | Belisarius Vactovion
AC | Pietro Demici | Isla Draellix-Kobitana | Ul-Tam-Ban
NIO | Rurik Fel
#B29700​

 

[Baron Reinhardt Ström]

TAG: Ingrid L'lerim Belisarius Vactovion Hi'los Krai Chamdar the Hutt Domokos Gyula Ul-Tam-Ban Pietro Demici Isla Draellix-Kobitana Rurik Fel Akash Guul

OBJECTIVE: I - Orbital Summit

LOCATION: Audience Chamber within the ENS Crimson Empress

”That is enough, Moff Saigo.” Ström said coolly, yet with a slight edge present in his tone that had been absent up until this point. ”With respect - you have repeatedly and consistently besmirched the character and intent of my Empress, despite our efforts to meet with you and your Emperor in good faith. Many of the crimes you have mentioned were the result of Emperor Tacticus’ policies, not Empress L’lerim. I have tolerated this hostility until this point in the spirit of said good faith, just as I have not mentioned the NIO’s own betrayal of its former commitments via the Bastion Accords.” He arched his eyebrow at the Moff, then continued: ”Inconvenient truths run both ways, sirs. Do not play as if you are the example of geopolitical virtue. Should Imperator Fel be judged by the actions of his predecessor as well, while we are at it?” The nobleman’s lips pursed crisply, much like a father chastising an errant son for his intemperance. In truth, this whole meeting gave him that impression; that he was dealing with an upjumped galactic power who had ascended too far too quickly.

Much like Grand Admiral Draellix had mentioned, both the Moff and Imperator demanded actions to demonstrate the reliability of the Eternal Empire as it currently stood. When evidence was provided to demonstrate said actions, they dismissed them as if wind; casting away the evidence written upon sand. At first, the Baron internally questioned the integrity of their alliance with the Ashlan Crusade when they rather quickly and vehemently refused his suggestion of a three-way treaty, wherein the Crusade would stand as a neutral arbiter. Yet, now both the Cardinal and the Grand Admiral stood in the defense of the Eternal Empire’s reputation. Perhaps they began to see for themselves the true nature of the New Imperial Order; the disingenuous and highly arbitrary application of their own morals and ideals. It was a paradoxical situation to say the least, one in which the Baron would give more thought at a later time, and hopefully the Crusade’s delegation as well.

At first, Reinhardt made it a point to play the situation more passively; being the voice of reason where his Empress was the resolute bulwark against the bluster of the NIO. Yet, it appeared clear at this stage that he needed to adjust tactics, for both delegates from the NIO clearly saw no need to meet with them upon the same footing of diplomatic niceties. It was abundantly clear that the NIO saw themselves as the superior entity at the table, wherein both the Eternal Empire and Ashlan Crusade were to cow to their wishes. They may have viewed themselves as such; but that perception would be completely devoid of reality.

After allowing his words to hang in the air for a few moments, the Overseer of the Eternal Armed Forces spoke again; his tone returning to its previous ‘reasonable’ nature: ”The proposed arrangement appears acceptable to me, however I would be remiss if I did not insist that; if the Ashlan Crusade will not be considered a neutral arbiter with respect to the NIO’s deployment of forces upon Odessen, I do not see why they need to monitor the Eternal Empire. Either they are placed between us equally, to the extent they are willing to be so included; or they don’t factor in at all.” The Baron’s words were blunt, but measured, and devoid of their previous edge. He affixed his gaze squarely upon Moff Saigo, clearly honing in on the man for his previous hostility. Critics may believe the Overseer had spoken out of turn, but he would not allow his Empress to be assailed by two hostile entities at the negotiating table alone.

Call him old fashioned.

 

[Belisarius Vactovion]

Belisarius Vactovion
Lord Commander of the Wardens of the Shroud | Field Marshal of the Eternal Army
The Black Knight of Vengard

Objective: I Orbital Summit | Get the Likeminded together
Location: Crimson Empress, Audience Chamber
Equipment: Ultranaut Field Marshal Uniform, Shroudsaber (concealed)
Tag: Ingrid L'lerim , Baron Reinhardt Ström , Rurik Fel , Pietro Demici , Isla Draellix-Kobitana , Ul-Tam-Ban , Akash Guul

{✠} The Black Knight {✠}
<"High Nelvaanian"> | " voice " | << comm. channel >>
Post III
​

The proposal was as one sided as it could get, but Belisarius concurred nevertheless. The Hydian Way was worth less than a pile of bantha poodoo in regards to a conflict with the Maw. Reinforcing Ashaln positions aligned quite equally in that worth, because they asses were covered by the entire realm of the New Empire, it would take massive failure of the New Imperials and Alliance if Mawite forces made their way to the territory of those narrow-minded zealots.

The Field Marshal would gladly accept the empty offer though, the New Imperials were the preferred ally and allowing them fleet and army basing rights was nothing if handled with care and precision. The outer fringes of the Northern border were a buffering zone and having some numerous meatshield which could result in becoming a powerful ally, would only be beneficial.

Nevertheless the uptight Grand Moff begged for a punch in the face, his arrogance as acted up as it would be if you require words to stand your ground for yourself. There was nothing behind it. It was a shame that Fel did not bring a proper representative for his faction like Strasza or Dooku, even Barran would have given at least the impression that they were not seeking to insult the Empress. Their childish grudge was amusing, but ill-placed.

The Maw would suffer its downfall by the hands of the Eternal Empire, just as Bryn'adûl had. Inviting the New Imperials to share, to join and to coordinate was sensible. Their double-edged calls of trustworthiness were ridiculous.

"Opportunism is not unknown to either side here. We have both taken what we wanted, when we wanted, broken what was necessary and prevailed when others did not. Either side can hold their grudge, their prejudice for as long as there are cold winds on Midvinter. But as a saving grace we can at least figure out that the Maw is a threat for the both our realms. We can utter as many words in excuses, explanations and elaborations as we want, it will not help anyone. Nor will meagre offers or deals with their resulting actions provide any base of trust here.

The Eternal Army is eager to work alongside the famed Stormtrooper Corps of the Empire, hopefully not some conscripts you deem expendable to work alongside us. To not allow any military presence in your space under any circumstances is quite stupid and less than reasonable if you indeed want to see action over words. You are not even considering that we could be of help, that we could save some of your peoples asses in your home when the Maw will strike again, sooner than later. Arrogance, pride, fear, distrust. Whatever.

Are you really refusing possible reinforcements from a faction which is already committed against the same enemy? Do you sacrifice this military advantage, Your Imperial Highness?"

He was looking at Rurik Fel and Fel alone.