Allegiance to the Empire (Dominion of Gravlex Med)

[Rhace Tarrin]

"Huhwhat orders wha..."

Rhace was having a perfect dream about getting laid, when someone woke him up from his slumber. This was not a good thing because sleeping was great, but whatever. Rhace didn't care much. His orders were to take a squad, head down to the surface, and murder all the things until those mass driver cannons currently tearing fleets apart were under Imperial control, complete with demolition kit. Right then.

"Captain, I'm taking two squads with me and we're going to take these mass drivers," Rhace told his CO.

"You got it, LT. First Squad, Second Squad, gear up! You're headed to the surface with Lieutenant Tarrin! Be good for the Sith Lord, you hear?"

Two squads of stormtroopers, carrying rocket launchers, grenade launchers and thermal detonators in addition to their standard loadout all headed towards the transport. Twenty stormtroopers plus a Sith would be enough to handle this task, Rhace thought. The shuttle ride down was eventless as they passed by the enemy fleet without interruption, with Rhace sitting silently, focusing in the Force in order to ready himself for the onslaught.

As the shuttle hovered near one of the mass driver sites, maybe half a klick overland, Rhace and his team fast-roped out of the stealth transport and made their way towards the first site. This was going to be an interesting fight...

 

[Darth Hauntruss]

In the consuming mess of orders, new-comers and the royal guards becoming more agitated (along with the Imperial Knights about her) Val'Ryss kept silent and watched. Her golden eyes scanned the room and listened to the forces under the Grand Admiral's control continually mewing the same moan to get off her ship. Like weak creatures circling behind a greater one, the little clan of angry remnants continued their growls. Val'Ryss responded with a glance Sanctuary (@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]) and then turned to chuckle in her snake like fashion at the Royal Guards who have surrounded her, especially the one who announce that they must all leave, this one Praetor @[member="Seth Shorn"].

"Hiss, hiss, hisss" Val'Ryss announced her return to speaking, "This one cannot disobey her master's commands. Disobedience is harshly punished within the Sith Order...Does the Grand Admiral not agree? This one was not aware the Admiral called for the Royal Guard's interference?" Then she stopped, turned away from Admiral Kisep and approached the Praetor. She came closer and closer until she was only an arms length away. With most of her face now obscured by darkness beneath her hood,only her corrupt smile could be seen. "Oh, but this one guesses calling for help is not the Admiral's style? No. They must have come on their own accord, with not confirmation from an order.....Hiss, hiss, hiss" Val'Ryss' words came with even more venom and cynicism, "Ah...shameful. What a disobedient and impulsive group of rabble you have to call "Royal" Guards." She leaned closer to privately address the Praetor, "Perharps the Praetor should let the Admiral lead and not cloud her judgement with your....unnecessary...presence." Finishing her harsh words she turned from him and came to Sanctuary, she smiled and patted her on the shoulder. Hearing the Admiral's concerns about Valik she stood silent and projected a message to his force-signature, The Admiral grows annoyed by your presence and this ones, best get to business Valik. Be quick about it. They are coming for you.

 

[Sal Katarn]

The Royal Guards remained where they were, staring with blank, expressionless helmets. Silent. Immovable.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Everything was causing her a headache; Sanctuary had picked up what Ashin usually did in situations like this. Her fingers pressed the bridge of her nose as she felt a headache coming on. There was no time for her lay down and rest her head. The emotions that were circling the bridge were enough to choke something. Everything passing she looked towards Viera and nodded at the request. It would allow her off the bridge and a moment to catch her mind back. Hazel eyes remained locked onto Viera as she could see that the woman had the place under control…or well as controlled as it could be.

Bowing slightly to the Admiral she grinned.

“With pleasure, stand strong here Grand Admiral”

With a turn of her heels she left the bridge in search of the wayward Sith. Stopping a distance away from the bridge she found a peaceful moment and a time for her to sense for the other Sith. Force sensing was simple enough and with her unbalanced connection with it she was able to delve deeper. Closing her eyes, she sensed the thickness of the force that would surround a force user. There were several behind her, but there was one wandering about.

“Gotcha.”

The dark Jedi quickly made her way through the corridors, the man couldn’t have gone too far. Her presence would remain scrambled and difficult to pick up from the necklace and mask, she quickly focused on sending him a message through the Force. He was up to something and she had a feeling she could be of some use. His partner was something she wanted gone along with the guards, they were bothersome.

Oh and she wanted the hell off the ship.

What do you think you’re doing? Work with me here okay? We are on the same side.

@[member="Valik"]

 

[Valik]

[SIZE=12pt]Valik, in his new tightly fitting Imperial Knight costume, was given near-free access to wherever he wanted on the ship. As long as he didn't mess around with the higher ranking officers, none of the smaller fish knew the Imperial Knights personally and took his orders to the letter, amusingly enough. Valik had found the armory easily enough, and after locking the door behind him he took apart a few of the heavier weaponry and began fashioning himself some explosives. It would take him some time to MacGuyver some explosives, but he should have had at least ten minutes to make the bomb before people started getting suspicious. If they found his closet full of men however, he could have men on him in two. He really hoped the distraction of the battle and Val'Ryss had proven too much for them to do a full search.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=12pt]What do you think you’re doing? Work with me here okay? We are on the same side. [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]Valik heard ring in his head. The message startled him, partly because his activity, but mostly because he didn't find the Force Signature before it found him. He reached out to the Force, and found it's origin, but it was . . . scrambled in some way. She must have been protected by some sort of sith magic or artifact. To his knowledge Val'Ryss didn't have such a device, and wouldn't use it anyways. The Imperial Knights were unlikely to dabble in such affairs, so it had to be some new player. Valik didn't like it one bit, but whoever the voice was, it knew he was up to something.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]I'm going to end the fight.[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] Valik responded to the mystery woman @[member="Spencer Jacobs"] I could use your help, but I don't know who you are, and I don't trust you. Valik admitted, and realized by the time the woman got here he'd have enough explosives to blow up the entire armory. Come to the west armory alone, and I will tell you what I'm mean to do, but if you bring anyone else or try apprehend me you will suffer. Valik finished in a factual tone. It wasn't really a threat, as his initial impulse was that she would not warn him if she wanted to subdue him, but Valik couldn't take that chance.[/SIZE]

 

[Sven Talith]

The Stealth ship zoomed over the city, its cloaked surface reflecting the details of the skyscrappers below. Sven looked down expertly guiding the ship through the twists and turns of the city. A map appeared on the screen before him, guiding him towards the Prime Ministers officers. A feeling of dread settled in his gut, it was the feeling of having to kill.

He didn't like murdering people wantonly. It really wasn't his thing, but the Prime Minister needed to die. He was sure the man wasn't a good man, in fact he knew he wasn't. Still, killing him put another black mark on Sven's soul, not something he really wanted to do.

Finally he reached the point on his map, the Dreadlords son dropped the ship onto the roof top below letting the cloaked ship settle down. Quietly he opened the canopy and bounded out of the ship clutching his heavy rifle. The sniper rifle was a weapon designed specifically for Sven, it was dubbed The Spectre. Sven pulled the rifle alongside him, heading off the roof top and several buildings over.

Finally he came in sight of the Prime Ministers office, he smiled as he noticed the massive windows behind the desk. He was nearly two clicks away from the building, but it was a shot he could make.

Slowly the young Moff set up his shot, this would be quite the challenge for the former assassin.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Your words spell out threat, but your tone does not. Quite clever you are. The Empress calls me Sanctuary – I’m her First Apprentice, her eyes for this operation if you will. I’ve already started to head your way I’ll be there in just a moment.

Sanctuary worked her way towards where @[member="Valik"] was doing whatever he was doing to end the fight. She wondered what was going through his mind, making the mental note she proceeded to send updates to Ashin. No one got in the way of the First Apprentice, but she did stop for a moment to heal one of the workers on the ship. The man seemed to have gotten a bit of a burn from the attacks earlier. A smile spread across her face as the man thanked her. The compassion she felt was her downfall in the Empire, but it’s what kept her from fully becoming Sith.

A weakness in some eyes, strength in others.

Turning down the hallway she found the figure of an Imperial Knight, tilting her head she sensed him being near. Crossing her arms she, placed her index finger on her mask and adjusted it a bit. She was curious about his plan and now since they were here it was time for them to work. Looking over her shoulder, she wondered if anyone else would follow attempting to stop them. If they did, they would simply have to be taken care of.

By any means necessary.

“So, what’s the plan?”

 

[lloydyoung12]

An assassin approaches sahib and say you may need help mind if I tag along you could use a friend and not be such a grim sith

 

[Valik]

@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

Valik shrugged. The armory was much more limited that he had hoped. By combining blasterpacks of various weapons and grenades and wiring them to compound each others effects he had made effective, though crude explosives. He was only able to make about thirty or so of the bombs, so it would have to be enough. Just as hehad finished putting touches on the final one he felt the crude, distorted presence of the woman who had contacted him earlier.

“So, what’s the plan?” The Empress's First Apprentice asked him, adorned in a beautiful mask that looked fit a theater. She had flowing blond hair and a gentle face, a face that looked almost uncorrupted. Valik was not sure what this "Sanctuary" was, but she was not Sith. If the she was Empress's apprentice she must have had great potential however, so Valik kept himself weary. Valik was not one to dismiss a person for not being Sith anyways, but he would have toyed with her without the distinction.

"I've managed to make some explosives with the parts of various weapons and grenades in the Armory. I'm going to use them to destroy the ship's biggest and strongest weaponry. If this is a Charon like I think it is there'll be four quad turbolasers and at least thirty heavy turbolasers. If he can sabotage them the ship won't be able to engage the bigger ships in the PDF." Valik said as he motioned the mound of explosives he had made in the last fifteen minutes. "It won't kill any of the Remnant and it won't leave the ship defenseless, and they'll still have shields and smaller guns, but it'll be enough to force the ship to leave the battle."

"All we need to do is plant a few bombs and not get caught carrying them around." Valik said, and presented he biggest obstacle in his plans. He should have Sanctuary to bring a cart, but then again hindsight is always 20/20.

 

[Rhace Tarrin]

@[member="Rytek'irk'intrano"] @[member="Tirdarius"] @[member="Viera Kisep"] @anyone else fighting fleet battle

Two squads had been deployed and two squads would break off into respective fire missions; each of the squads would target a cannon each and sabotage it, if not destroy it; Rhace had every intent on using his powers to turn these guns on the locals and annihilating their space forces assaulting Imperial holdings. Besides, while in the stealth transport, he had the advantage. The pilot had already peeled off and entered a holding pattern, waiting for the call to pick them up. It was going to be a difficult slog, for each mass driver was individually controlled. The squads had to be dropped off into location and split up. Fortunately, Rhace's troops were some of the best. Led by a Sith Knight, they'd do even better. Second Squad was already assaulting their target. Moving through the brush, Rhace prepared to assault his.

"Split into fire teams. Team One on me. Team Two, I want the guards dead. Leapfrog the bunker and let's blow the door in."

"Sir, we're not gonna blow it?" asked one of the troopers.

"No, Private, we're not. We're gonna turn this on the local bastards and wreck one of their ships. Second Squad will probably blow theirs up."

"Aye, sir. Plan?"

"Storm the kriffing place, kill everyone. Let's do it."

The troopers liked the way their boss thought. There was a reason they liked having him as the platoon LT - he wasn't afraid to get down and dirty. One trooper kneeled down with a grenade launcher from the bushes, levelling it at the door. A second later a high-explosive grenade shot forward and detonated against the ultra-thick durasteel door into the mass driver's control bunker, killing both of the guards and setting off the alarms. There'd be no time for subtlety. Rhace leapt forward, lightsaber in hand, jumping over and immediately cutting the first two enemies that presented themselves down in a single savage swing. The doors were oepn because of it and Rhace took advantage of this, ushering his squad through the open doors before they shut.

Some sounds from Second Squad's incursion could be heard over the comm, too. It was alarming, but this was the nature of war.

"Daven's hit!"

"Leave him! We'll come back on our way out. Grenade!"

"Oh feth, there goes Garn!" Regrettable. One KIA, one wounded. He'd have to write a letter home. Rhace put it out of his mind.

"Just plant those charges and let's get outta here!"

From there it was a bloodbath. With the Sith on point, saber blazing a path, the feeble enemies inside were dying one by one. The defenders were paltry. Grenades, especially smoke rounds, wer prevalent from the assaulting forces. Rhace was already through the base and down at the console, slaughtering every single one of he crewmen at the controls. Not a single trooper in Rhace's squad died in that bunker, led by the war-specialist Sith. They did love him for his job.

"Trez, take a seat and help me work these controls," Rhace asked the local tech specialist. Between the two of them they worked the controls, changing IFF signals and targeting rules; anything that was running a PDF IFF code was now the target of the mass driver cannon Rhace had just taken over. It was a long process with alarms blaring not helping focus, but it happened, and just in time. He knew there were enemies incoming. Communications, quiet as they were, asked for the bunker. They were sending reinforcements.

"Alright, boys, let's pack it up! Move out!" Rhace called as he keyed in the last command, turning and leaving the bunker control room with his saber and blaster at his side. Switching to the comm channel for the orbital fleet, Rhace breathed a sigh of relief. "Tarrin to Command. One cannon is now firing on PDF vessels, second cannon destroyed, but the area's crawling with tangoes. Rquesting orbital bombardment at this time on remaining emplacements. Requesting new targets. Raven, we're going to need extraction ASAP!"

"Copy, LT. Second Squad is already back aboard and we're on our way."

The stealth transport picked up First Squad and, with a wounded man aboard, the shuttle went back into its holding pattern, waiting. The majority of the surface threat had been neutralised. A mass driver shot launched at the PDF ships and one of the frigates cracked in half, annihilated by the raw firepower of the round Rhace's cannon had unleashed at them. This was the Imperial response to Gravlex Med's defenders - death had come, and its name was Lieutenant Rhace Tarrin.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Rhace Tarrin"]

Elsewhere on the ground, another comm contact filtered into the chain of command.

"This is Lord Velok, incoming with a dropship for your extraction."

It wasn't a dropship, per se, but one of the new pocket carriers, two hundred metres long. It had just disgorged ten thousand infantry to secure a nearby staging point, on Velok's authority. Because few people said no to the Whiphid, nor did he pay much attention to chains of command. Besides, Kisep's people had already landed.

Honestly, he hadn't even bothered to tell Ashin he'd be coming. What could she do, beat him up? Done. Take his power? Done. Publicly humiliate him? Done.

The two-hundred-metre 'dropship' skidded to a halt right beside Rhace and his men. In the nearest docking bay, a gigantic Whiphid waved them in.

"Eldoc, you set?"

 

[Rhace Tarrin]

@[member="Velok"]

The stealth transport snuggled in nicely to the hangar, where Rhace and his squads disgorged. The transport went off to Moff Kirk's ship to get the rest of his company, so that the entire company could engage at once. It made perfect sense. The Wolfpack would not be denied.

"Master," Rhace said with a nod, saying little else beyond that. The Whiphid had been responsible for training him, and it had worked marvellously well. "I've got one wounded and he'll sit out the next deployment. Everyone else will be with me as usual. You got a target for me?"

 

[Eldoc Quasat]

Eldoc smiled " Hello , I heard orders from Grand Admiral Kesip to take out the planetary shield.. we could do that.." He said, as he had been monitoring all of the channels, it was chaos out there, one began to wonder what was going on up there. His imperial knight armor and saber ancient yet they seemed to be at least reparied, Eldoc had yet seen to getting new armor.. he liked his old armor. His saber on his waist, he looked to Rhace and Velok, curious what they should do, The new Lord of Pain had come to fight.. and test himself further.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"That's the plan, boys. That is, in fact, the plan."

The two-hundred-metre troop transport, now tastefully empty of most of its troops, made for the nearest planetary shield generator, a distance of maybe fifty klicks. Chump change. Sith starfighters, Koensayr models of Velok's origination, fell into escort formation around the transport and helped counter the ground-to-air fire, for long enough that the three Sith and remaining platoons of troopers could leap out with the aid of repulsor packs. Velok flicked a salute at his two former apprentices and jumped out the side of the ship, plummeting towards the shield generator building. His lightsabre flared to life at the same time as his repulsorpack, and he batted away incoming fire.

 

[Rhace Tarrin]

Rhace Tarrin needed no repulsor pack to guide him all the way down. Those were for little sissy men. He, and the rest of the Wolfpack, had one modus operandi for aerial insertion: jump and hit it at the last possible second and land at the perfect time. Assault was their specialty, being effectively an airborne unit: fast-ropes, jumps, drop pods, shuttles, whatever. They could do it.

One stormtrooper with a lightsaber leapt headfirst out of the transport. Forty-eight more regular ones followed seconds later.

Rhace hit his pack at the very last second and hit the ground somewhat harder than normal, but cushioned his fall with the Force to survive it. Everyone else was a little more cautious and there was only one casualty on the way down. Crimson arcs of fire erupted at every single moving target from the stomtroopers, forming a squad by squad perimieter around the landing zone for the Sith to make use of.

 

[Viera Kisep]

Viera only hoped that the First Aprrentice could take care of the stupid sith who played games on her ship, the Empress would hear of this. She looked out, and monitored comm traffic. It seemed that the ground battle was going well and with the launch of a mass driver cannon at a PDF ship, the battle finally began to turn in her favor, for once it was looking good.. dispite most of the sith fleet sticking on the other side of the planet. Her ship began to fire with impunity, not having to stay back from planetary fire anymore.

She would get this planet for the Sith, and let Tirdieruas do whatever, but let be known her troops had done most of the fighting.

 

[Eldoc Quasat]

Eldoc plunged down, not entirely comfortable in the air so long but his green blade ignited as zoomed down towards the ground, He embraced the pain of a early turn off of his pack, wanting to get himself ready for the comming battle. He was here with Velok after all, he needed to show that he had taken to heart the lessons that he had imprinted on to him. He resisted the urge to use force bellow on the building as they ran towards it, to be confonted with troops.. Damn he thought what to do..

Eldoc began to engage them with his green saber, his love for the juyo form obvious to anyone familiar with it, as he embraced the heat and chaos of the battle.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

The stormtroopers carved out a perimeter, Eldoc moved straight ahead, and Velok opted to join the Lord of Pain. His crimson lightsabre carved into the gigantic security doors that guarded the shield generator building. With the stormtroopers keeping snipers off their backs, the task was quick, and a huge slab of durasteel fell away. Blasterfire fountained out of the gap, but stormtrooper fire and Velok's lightning cleared the room quickly enough. The Whiphid Dark Lord stalked inside.

"I would wager the control room is up two levels, against the far wall." He entered a stairwell, spraying it with judicious application of crimson electricity. Anx defenders died horribly.

 

[Rhace Tarrin]

"Go go go! Third floor! Second Squad, Third Squad, breach the doors! Fourth and Fifth Squads, cover them! First squad, on me!"

Stomtroopers with remaining explosives, smoke grenades and grenade launchers would serve particularly well in storming the facility. While the vast majority of the troops were assaulting doors and killing their way through, Rhace and his squad were attacking alongside Velok and Eldoc. His saber cut swathes through what enemies attempted to attack the Sith trio, as Rhace used his senses to find the enemies. It wasn't blood trail, but he found the control room easily enough.

And he thought it a wise idea to reach his saber up underneath it and cut his way through the floor, while his squad provided the perfect distraction.

 

[Eldoc Quasat]

Eldoc smirked embracing the chaos of the battle as he sliced through the enemies, he waved his hand, using the force to lift and throw the slabs that were the door towards a squad emerging from a hall way. " I have things down here, turn off the damn shield!" Eldoc smiled as the building reienforcements had shown up. He was going to have some fun, as he yet again embrace the chaos of the battle, he wouldn't waste his tricks on these fools. His green saber cut through yet another Anx defender as he hoped that the disableing of the shield was going welll, but then again he was content to enjoy the chaos and passion of the battle.

Eldoc cringed breifly as someon had shot him.. but didn't stop his swing.. he after was the lord of pain.