Ascendancy: Assault on Bastion

Figure In White · Mar 13, 2017

Just outside of the airspace of the planet Bastion, outside of the purview of its fortifications, and even outside of the sensor range of its picket ships, a single MIG exited hyperspace and moved in ever so slightly before deploying its pylons. Once all three were fully deployed, it began a slow, gentle rotation that allowed its sensors to reach out towards the planetary system in the distance, reading past the picket ships and into the system proper. They already knew that the world had tendencies that lay against them, based on its history. Knowing that it had recently held allegiance to the Mandalorians, and prior to that the Remnant, it was not surprising what they saw.

Ships. Many ships. A couple of cruisers, some frigates, quite a few corvettes, though most of the latter were on patrol of the systems perimeter. The ships systems did not detect any cloaked vessels in the system. All of this information was subsequently reported back to Sith forces waiting in deep space aboard several vessels of war.

One such vessel was The Lambent Shadow, with Leos standing inside of the Orrery. The data from the MIG was relayed back to the ship, and populated the three dimensional map, giving real time movement data on the enemy vessels within the system. It was fantastic. This was his first opportunity to test the system and he was thoroughly happy with how it was all working together. He marked several locations on the map, places that would be best for their ships to enter the system in order to catch their ships off guard while inflicting the maximum damage.

First though, they had something they needed to do.

"All ships, I'm transmitting appropriate telemetry. On my mark you will initiate jumps."

He clicked off the fleet wide communication and changed to a directed communications channel.

"[member="Krest"] you are go for system entry. We'll give you a head start and then we'll hit the fleet. Good luck."

Darth Carnifex · Mar 13, 2017

Somewhere on the Braxant Run
The Black Iron Battle Squadron

A multitude of warships meandered through the cold empty vacuum of space, their distinct forms enveloped by the glowing light of nearby stars as they trudged further onward. At the head of this mighty warhost was the Ruination, the infamous flagship of the Dark Lord Carnifex, its hull emblazoned with the dreaded Eye of Solomon that served as the Zambrano family's coat of arms. The other ships were marked in a similar fashion, but none so as brazen as the pride of the fleet.

The bridge was calm, somber, and filled with deathly silence. Every crewmember was at their stations performing their tasks dutifully and in perfect synchronization with each other, each one a cog in the machine of efficiency that was so common among true Imperial ships. They had been trained, they had been drilled, and many of them had witnessed decades of war prior to this one pivotal moment. Some among them were young, a product of the increased rate of conscription that had been occurring within the Pacanth Reach, but even they too were grim-faced and stoic. Once or twice a pensive cough would pierce the veil, but not a single word was said that could truly shatter it.

That was until the reports from [member="Ignus"]' scrying had finally been delegated to the communication officers within the sunken data pits that lined either side of the central walkway that was the bridge's spine. An officer dressed in a light blue tunic presented the technical data to Rear-Admiral Omarest Croscal who in turn prepared to deliver the news to his Lord.

"Milord." Croscal began, "We've received the reports from Lord Ignus' probes." He extended the datachip, but Carnifex did not immediately move to take it. His armored fingers were tapping against the arms of his command throne anxiously, and his eyes were deadset on the empty expanse beyond the transparisteel viewport that stretched along the farthest wall. Suddenly, and without warning, he took the chip from Croscal's hands and inserted it into a small horizontal slot set into the throne's right arm. By doing so he projected all of the data before him as a three-dimensional hologram, every scrap of information that had been gained from the MIG was now being broadcast to every bridge of every warship in the fleet.

He'd need only study it for a moment or two before finally making his declaration, "Admiral, move the fleet into position and await my order to move into hyperspace. I want our attack lines in the vanguard and our pursuit in reserve. We'll smash these paltry defenses against the anvil of our colleagues."

Darth Abyss · Mar 13, 2017

"Glory, report please."

Darth Abyss waited on board of his Phasma-class Infiltrator, a silent, invisible shadow that rested above the fleet that had gathered for the assault on Bastion. There were the ships of Lord [member="Ignus"] and [member="Darth Carnifex"], high in quality with well trained crews to pilot them. Then there was the scum of Malachor V, which rose on the command of their Prophet, drawn by the promise of looting, violence and money. The Swarm had gathered, as had the Children and the Tainted Legion, to rain chaos on their masters enemies, the seemingly random collection of black market or scavenged ships hanging in space in something that could almost be seen as a formation.

"All ships in position. Or well what counts as position for them."

A sly grin danced over the sith lords face, as he watched his gathered army below him. It was the first time Malachor marched as one, and the first time the Ascendancy walked as one. The many different skills, tactics and weapons of multiple sith lord combined as a force against a single world, it was easy to imagine how glorious it would be. Decloaking for the duration of a transmission he connected to Lord Ignus.

"Lord Ignus. The forces of Malachor are in position. Command the swarm as you see fit. Abyss out,"

He disliked having another to command his forces, but the Sith Lord was undoubtedly one of the best, or even the best the Ascendancy had for conflicts in space. Keeping control himself would rather make them less effective. There was no place for meaningless greed and arrogance in a battle, that was an easy way to lose after all.

As for the assault on the ground, Abyss not only had brought his army, but his special forces as well. The Acolytes of his academy stood ready to fight in one freighter, and so did his Inner Eye in another. The legion could bring chaos, but they could use that chaos for something more than just destruction.

[member="Krest"]

Darth Eversor · Mar 13, 2017

//PROJECT: 1076 "ABRAXAS" ONLINE//

.

//INITIALIZING WAR PROTOCOLS//

.

//PROTOCOLS COMPLETE; SUBJECT ACTIVE//

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNkQMtZAMAw

A time of rebirth was to be witnessed. Pity would not fall upon the targets of prey, and from heaven's accord were the talons of the most deserving of authority surely to strike. They would pluck away, and strip the enemy's bones like vultures to carrion. What fury was to be wrought could not be measured by any deity or unseen saving grace, because the only divine truth was to rain like hellfire on this day. And for this occasion, Darth Eversor armored himself and was anointed with the strength of his true calling; a past mired in the obscurity of time, but certainly not all forgotten.

The one known as Darth Eversor had gone back to his roots, to the very name that became infamous to Jedi and innocent alike.

Abraxas...

Sweeping memories drifted throughout the monstrosity's mind, wires and needles detaching from his very flesh as he adorned himself in a mantle most sinister and befitting for one's servitude and captivation with that of the Dark Side and to its truest owners, the SIth. The grandiose accomplishments of commanding Imperial forces and strangling the life from heretical throats flooded back, filling Abraxas with such a nostalgia that he could no longer differentiate the line from it and the combat stimulants pumping through his bloodstream.

It was time.

The False Butcher was born anew, and he began to make his way to the bridge of his God-King's command. Lonesome, hollow footfalls fell upon durasteel grates. Veins just beneath Abraxas' suit pulsating with foul power and an eagerness to slaughter.

"My Lord, I am prepared."

He stood just a few feet away from the chair [member="Darth Carnifex"] sat in, awaiting to be acknowledged.

[member="Krest"] | [member="Darth Abyss"] | [member="Ignus"]

Darth Ferus · Mar 13, 2017

"I'll do what I can to leave something of a challenge. Otherwise, I think the Butcher King might get peeved." Ahead of the fleet Krest sat within one of many Phasma Class Interceptors. They were the last within his personal armory, and within the small fleet of stealth ships sat the Lords personal agents. Spies and saboteurs all geared with the best. Krest had taken every step he could to ensure the success of their mission.

"Co-ordinates are locked. We should drop just above our target. Proceed?"

"Proceed."

All at once the stealth ships sped off into hyperspace. Soon enough, the ships would exit, filling the night sky of Bastion with nothing. The stealth ships did their job, cloaking as soon as they dropped to only show a small blimp on the sensors. Perhaps they would look into it, but it didn't matter to the Lord, they were already on their way to the surface. Like a blanket of shadows the ships descended, dropping off all of the agents and Sith upon their targets. Military defenses, important persons. They were all to be targeted and dealt with.

Krest's personal target however was the ground to space defense cannon. With that destroyed, it would be one less threat to the fleet coming to claim this world. Whats more, if it could be taken over, the controls would fall to the Sith, and soon the Bastion fleet would fall. Krest ran across the rooftops, his stealth armor active to keep him blended into the night. The guards didn't seem him coming, but they felt him. Sharp metal slipped into their necks, silencing them quickly.

"Otho, begin on your side. I expect this cannon under our control." An Ithorian he had met, and captured. [member="Otho Rendoro"] and [member="Emissary"] were to find their way into the nearby control bunker, clear it, and begin hacking any defense protocols within this part of the base.

Explosions in the distance told the elder man of his agents successes. The bombs they had set would serve as distractions for the main objectives. Small terrorist attacks to lure the bulk of the forces elsewhere. The cloaked man looked down from his perch to see many soldiers running for the explosions with guns raised. Perfect. The Zabrak removed his stealth cloak and donned one of the soldiers outfits, slipping on the cap low over his eyes. His red skin wouldn't be too out there, as he was a Zabrak, but he didn't need anyone stopping to stare.

Into the bunker he went. Shortly the fleets would arise, and even more turmoil would be unleashed.

Nichtmehr · Mar 13, 2017

The Droid dropped from the ships together with the rest of the sith, infiltrators and saboteurs that followed [member="Krest"] in the first line of the attack. Normally he worked for Darth Abyss, but the sith lord assigned him to the strike team of the Zabrak, where his skills would be of more use than when thrown into the field together with the Mindeaters main army. Once on the ground the blue photo receptor powered down as far as possible, only a dim glow that pierced through the darkness.

With a needler rifle in his hands Emissary dropped down from the rooftops. His target was get into an underground bunker after all, so a higher up position wouldn't be of much use. Besides that, even the weakened light of his one eye would still make him a target there. Following his fall he could hear the bombs go of on a distance, the needed distraction for him and [member="Otho Rendoro"] to proceed further.

Using his wide array of sensors the droid began to scan the area, marking one guard close by as the priority target. The Guard watched over a street crossing, which he needed to traverse to get closer to the target. Normally avoiding a battle was the better option when going silent, but the crossing was to open to take the risk. Being pinned down there, with reinforcements close by in the worst case, would be a very easy out.

A single shot was fired, a almost silent click of the trigger as only audible indicator that it happened, until the small needle pierced through a guards throat. The man dropped to the ground, and Emissary moved further forward, dragging the corpse into a near corner to make it disappear from sight. Then he held his head out and allowed his eye to blink once, signaling his fellow agent that the path was clean.

[member="Darth Eversor"] [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Ignus"]

Darth Osano · Mar 13, 2017

BASTION
RAVELIN

COLLECTION CENTER

[member="Ignus"] | [member="Krest"] | [member="Darth Abyss"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"]

Nothing happened on this planet without Maleagant finding out about it. His networks in the Pentastar Sectors ran deep and encompassed the entire region. There was nothing his spies or informants wouldn't or couldn't uncover. In the face of the Sith Ascendancy's impending assault, key personnel the Helix Syndicate had embedded in Bastion's government went missing. They turned up in various safe houses the Syndicate operated or, if they were particularly important, were escorted off world before the cloaked ships of the Ascendancy even entered orbit. Maleagant had anticipated this day would come sooner rather than later. The mechanisms were in place for it. From his office in the Syndicate collection center, Maleagant watched various red blips appear on a projected map.

Explosions.

Doubtlessly the work of the Sith Assassins. Some of the targets he had projected. The rest were... Well, you couldn't guess everything. Sith in combat were generally less predictable than the vast majority. The real test would come when he got to review the casualty report once the Ascendancy's assault was finished. For now, Maleagant had a part to play in this whole thing. As previously mentioned, there had been some expectation this would happen at some point. Maleagant aimed to make it easy for the invading faction. That was why there was currently a virus sitting in the internal systems of the enemy fleet's flagship. It wasn't that big of a deal. One ensign had been replaced with an HRD during shore leave. Once on board he just accessed the systems he usually did... And uploaded some additional programs he shouldn't have.

Once the Ascendancy's fleet reared its head, the virus would go live. The flagship of Bastion's defense fleet would go dark, a power outage. It would be a nice chunk of time before power was restored. A nice chunk of time with Bastion's fleet deprived of orders and direction in the face of the sudden Sith assault. Guns, and ships, and so the balance shifts.

Figure In White · Mar 13, 2017

"The enemy ships have begun moving towards the planet."

It was almost like watching in real time as it happened, except he could see all of it and not just bits and pieces of what was happening. Even the picket ships had started moving. If the MIG wasn't fully deployed he'd have had it move in closer to get even clearer readings, but it wasn't really necessary. The long range scanning systems were quite capable of picking up everything they needed to know from a distance.

"Krest's work must have been successful to some degree or they wouldn't be deviating so much. An inexperienced commander is at the helm of this troop. He's pulling everything inward, focused only on the known threat. Terrible command skills."

He shook his head and transmitted the new data to the rest of their forces.

"All ships, jump to designated targets. This is your go command."

Just like that, The Lambent Shadow and it's cadre of support craft, including a Reclamation-class Cruiser, two Revocation-class Frigates, and four Regulation-class Corvettes, made the jump to hyperspace. It was, essentially, a micro-jump, though several minutes longer than what constituted the average micro-jump. Regardless, his role was to jump in at the enemy's aft, dividing their attention while [member="Darth Carnifex"] dropped right on top of them seconds later. It would cause utter chaos, and leave the enemy right where they wanted them. Theoretically, of course. With the MIG's it was much easier to make it a reality.

The ship exited hyperspace and reloaded shields immediately, guns primed. An unlucky corvette, Corellian make, was decimated in seconds under the firepower of the Reformation-class Dreadnought. Radial fighters were launched to flit about the battle area, their pilots safely tucked away within the larger ships, and so their fighters were capable of doing stunts that living pilots could never achieve. All told, the battle group pressed in towards Bastion from a short distance, long range cannons blazing away at one of the enemy cruisers, which had begun to turn in their direction, just as predicted. This was going to go the way it should go: with Bastion's defenses crumbling and the Sith taking control.

Darth Carnifex · Mar 13, 2017

Carnifex's head turned to greet his favored executioner.

"The hour of ascension is upon us, [member="Abraxas"], the lambs lay waiting for the butcher's blade to bite deep." Soon enough the message from [member="Ignus"] would be received and the attack would begin. A short lull was allowed to give Ignus' fleet a head start in blindsiding the enemy fleet above Bastion, but after only a moment or two the vanguard of Carnifex's battle squadron advanced through hyperspace to appear right at the enemy fleet's rear flank.

They materialized in the shape of an inverse crescent, the four Sadow class Star Destroyers on the wings and the powerful Xo'Xaans forming the center and ehind them emerged the Ruination and the corvette reserve. Mass drivers and turbolasers of all shapes and sizes targeted the nearest enemy warship and let loose upon them a salvo that filled the great vacuum with blossoming eruptions of flame and twisted metal as slugs collided and detonated against hull and shield. Swarms of fighters, interceptors and bombers were disgorged from the bellies of these great ships, their forms streaking through the void like hungry locusts descending upon hapless crops.

The vanguard would maneuver themselves so that they would put pressure on the enemy fleet's rear flank, driving them into the waiting jaws of Ignus' battle cruisers. Carnifex watched it all from the comfort of his command throne, the space around Bastion displayed as a hologram with his fleet and the enemy's represented by triangles of blue and red while Ignus' ships appeared as green wedges. Far below the command deck was the low rumble of thousands of boots against durasteel as the legions of the Blackblade Guard prepared themselves for deployment, assembling themselves onto great transports that would embed themselves in the rocky earth below to deliver a tide of death to those foolish enough to stand in the Sith's path.

"I leave it to you to lead the main thrust, Abraxas. Reward unto me the heart of this world bathed in the blood of its defenders."

Otho Rendoro · Mar 14, 2017

The new mechanical fingers clicked audibly against the unadorned, gunmetal hilt of the sword, unfamiliar in the scabbard on his right hip. It was in truth the second hand that [member="Krest"] had provided him with – the first had been sheared in half easily by the master’s training in hyperspace and since the capture on the tortured surface of Malachor V. The cloaked form of the [member="Emissary"] swished silently ahead of Otho’s heavy yet careful gait, its steps inaudible to the Ithorian compared to the din of alarm and secondary explosions after their primary detonation.

The Sith Lord had charged them with infiltrating the computer system of the ground-to-space cannon. Otho and the droid approached their target and the Emissary moved forward. Otho remarked with a grim, low chuckle as the droid dispatched the one guard that protected the rear. His heavy bulk hustled across the deserted avenue, momentum carrying him to a high speed as the city air of Bastion filled his lungs.

Otho rushed past the droid, his stalked eyes taking in the scene as he closed on the bunker door. A lockdown was in effect but door security systems were vulnerable to overflow. Otho began to bombard the flimsy system with garbage requests from a scrambler module. His heart beat once, twice, three times. Otho was mindful of his feelings and his breath, the pure adrenaline coursing through his system before the scrambler chirped merrily. The security system crashed, resetting itself and that was when Otho struck, swapping data and implementing his own passcode. The pneumatic releases on the door hissed and it slid openly slowly.

“Hng,” came a deep, surly grunt from Otho. “Let’s move quick, you impressive specimen.” He motioned with his pristine new cybernetic.

Darth Athora · Mar 14, 2017

Victor was approaching the hangar bay of the cruiser he was stationed on. Once at his destination, he commandeered a starfighter from a trooper and prepared to take flight. Switches and buttons were flipped and pressed, respectively, and the engine of the starfighter began to hum gracefully. The HUD lit up like a strip in the middle of the city. "Manta Squadron. Report in." Victor spoke over the comms to the fighter pilots in his squadron.

"Manta 2, reporting in."

"Manta 3, reporting in."

Manta 4, reporting in."

"Manta 5, reporting in."

Manta squadron was a small group but each and every last one of them were certified killers. They've spilled the blood of all who opposed them and were notorious for their battle tactics. "Manta squadron ready and awaiting orders." The squadron rose from the deck of the hangar bay and flew out into space. They formed up in a V formation as they prepared for space battle.

H3xle · Mar 14, 2017

Waide sat in the system of Bastion, waiting for the action to begin. He was flying his stolen Valkyrie dropship as if it were a cargo hauler. The hold held powered down droids, ostesibly for use in construction on Bastion. Though the intersystem government that most recently controlled the world had died, it was still a center of trade. Waide's ship floated in a queue waiting access to the orbital docks around the world. The true reason Waide was here was to act as a failsafe. If the system pickets or merchants had heard of the attack before it commenced, he was to relay that. Secondarily, he was to cause mayhem in the opening moments of the battle.

Closer to the orbital dock labeled Bastion Control A-4 his dropship moved.

Then the Assassin's came.

The system pickets turned like young children playing soccer and raced for the planet that the assassin's had landed on. The horrible command and control turning the system into a bloodier version of juvenile sports. Still, Waide waited. The assassin's drew the forces inward, then the Lords of the Sith drew the noose closed and pounced. Warships reverted from hyperspace at strategic points around the system and began to take the system defences under attack.

That was his cue. Waide pulled back on the control stick, then jumped forward towards the docks. The elctro cannon on his ship blasted the engines off of the ship in front of him, then retargeted on the dock. He began firing, taking out the defence installations that peppered the orbital dock. Paniced voices were screaming on the civilian channels, but the chaos kept him from getting targeted for the moment.

Darth Ferus · Mar 14, 2017

"All agents report in."

Casually the Zabrak walked through the command center of the ion cannon, his cap low and his voice soft. There were soldiers and technicians all yelling to one another, preparing their stations to fire upon the incoming enemy fleet. Their panic was Krest's disguise. Yet before he was going to continue, he wanted to make sure his agents had done their job.

Most of the reports were of successes, but there were several that were alarming. Those several were ones that hadn't reported in. It was expected that some would be killed in their endeavors, but from the dozens of teams set upon this city the amount that seemed missing was almost wrong. The reason why became clear as the last team came in with an urgent transmission.

"Sir, there are Mandalorions organizing a defense. They have been rooting out our operatives, and I fear they may have caught wind of our plan."

"If they have, time is of the essence. Otho, I expect there to be a blackout soon." A frown had settled upon the lips of the red man as he scanned the command room. At least a dozen people were here, hastily typing away to prepare the telemetry. But as he scanned he caught the gaze of several soldiers all by one of the doors. The trio simply nodded to the Sith, and everything was in place.

Blaster fire rang out over the shouting of orders which quickly turned to panic. Krest raised up his own blaster, firing into the confused crowd. Caught off guard, Krest and his agents dispatched the paltry crew. "Lock down those doors and get on the terminals! We got a fleet to destroy."

@Waide @Victor Mors [member="Otho Rendoro"] [member="Darth Carnifex"] @Ignus @Maleagant @Emissary @Darth Eversor [member="Darth Abyss"]

Natalie LaForte · Mar 14, 2017

She stood on the deck. Waiting, ever so patiently in absolute silence and obedience to her Lord. It was still something she had quite not gotten used to, but she let it play out in front of her. The endless swarms of her master's soldiers flooding the planet below and all she could do was watch; the fun being played out in front of her. They were, if you will, the misfits of the bunch, with nothing but merchant frigates in countless numbers building up, in a loose 'grouping'.

She stood at the front, looking down through the transparent glass, being able to see her own reflection. Various crewman piloting the ship to stop the only one looking professional intact, but the pilots spoke for themselves, in ragged uniforms, not communicating a word she could understand. She removed her hands from behind her back, walking ever so slowly to the bridge. She kneeled before her master, who hadn't even looked at her yet, still, silence, bar her minigun clanking against some metal of the ship on the way up, not distracting a sole from their duty.

"What would you have me do, my lord?"

She knew her obedience would come with reward in due time, with the sounds of screams that would be coming from the burning bodies below. But she waited, with inhuman patience. Her arms and legs twitching.

[member="Krest"] I [member="Waide"] I [member="Victor Mors"] I [member="Otho Rendoro"] I [member="Darth Carnifex"] I [member="Ignus"] I [member="Maleagant"] I [member="Emissary"] I [member="Abraxas"] I [member="Darth Abyss"]

Darth Eversor · Mar 14, 2017

The spectacle of destruction was one so casual for the SIth, but that did not make it any less enjoyable to see enemies be crushed by superiority. Broken vessels adrift and ablaze, contents speckled throughout open space, and even the occasional corpse missing limbs or portions of the body entirely. This was what felt like home to the lab experiment, and what was to follow in the next few moments would be his magnum opus to the Sith and even the galaxy.

Murder was not simply a drone-like task; however, it was easily accomplished. True skill over death and causing it is comparable to how a surgeon cuts so precisely through flesh, how the hand is trained and steady. There was a beauty in the spilling of blood, the disemboweling of an enemy and simultaneously seeing the very soul leave their eyes. Evil was not defined or even paraded in subtleties, nor did it need to be complex in some systematic dismantling. Destroying a man emotionally and mentally was easy, but to be entitled to take life as seen fit was much more rewarding.

To use words or leave a psychological crater was not the same as being able to snuff out a light, or to take a voice that can no longer make its point.

To take life was closer to a God than any ache that could ever be inflicted.

To take life was to control, to alter history.

To rule.

"I leave it to you to lead the main thrust, Abraxas. Reward unto me the heart of this world bathed in the blood of its defenders."

Abraxas turned his head slowly towards [member="Darth Carnifex"] and gave a curt nod, turning around and heading down towards the transports that would soon be deployed. There was no sentiment to give, for the impression and implication was already made through the Force. Abraxas was fueled with a quiet rage, one controlled and ever-more bloodthirsty; hands clenched into tight fists, the creation pondered his past.

A new age for the Sith was coming closer, drawing nearer with an intensity best comparable to that of a spiritual climax. A nirvana.

This life was true embrace.

[member="Ignus"] | [member="Krest"] | [member="Maleagant"] | [member="Waide"] | [member="Otho Rendoro"] | [member="Emissary"] | [member="Darth Abyss"] | [member="Victor Mors"]

Darth Abyss · Mar 14, 2017

"Patience apprentice."

Abyss rested in the command chair of the small stealth vessel, as his new apprentice [member="Serenity Loveheart"] kneeled before his. He could feel her anticipation for the blood that soon would be spilled, but while the swarm jumped with [member="Ignus"] fleet into the assault, his ground army and his personal ship waited for the perfect moment. The gift of dark sight had foretold him about this moment, he could feel as the world below them was about to fall. There was the opportunity, waiting in almost one microjump away above their target.

"Now."

The ships were pulled into hyperspace, throwing Malachors army into bastions orbit the second the largest of their ships got dark. Using the temporary advantage the forces of the mindeater began their descend towards the surface, in a collection of freighters and starfighters of all kinds, between them the cloaked shell of Abyss ship. Many of them would be shot down in their fall, but the legions strength were numbers and not skill. The lost men would simply be replaced by the people of Bastion that meant to oppose the sith, at least if they surrendered to Abyss. They would get a simple choice: Serve or die.

"Glory, bring the ship to a secure location and await further commands once we are on the ground. Apprentice, be ready to jump."

The falling hordes were framed by raining metal, scrap and flesh from the ships breaking apart around them. Yet they were close to the atmosphere now, and no weapon could fire fast enough to stop them. Abyss rose from his chair, walking towards the ramp on the other of the ship, his saber hilt in his right and a handheld scattergun in his left. In just a few moment he would fall towards the surface and learn if the he had contemplated on the art of levitation long enough to catch himself, or if an assault would once more start with an broken leg. As for his apprentice, she better had a plan for herself if she wanted to fight besides her master.

[member="Abraxas"] [member="Krest"] [member="Waide"] [member="Victor Mors"] [member="Otho Rendoro"] [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Maleagant"]

Figure In White · Mar 14, 2017

Just as [member="Maleagant"] said, the cruiser that was turning towards his forces suddenly went dead in the water. Amusing and totally useful. The Lambent Shadow pushed forward towards this enemy ship, unleashing torrents of energy upon it, along with punishing rounds from the H.A.R.P.E.R.'s. Suffice to say, the ship wasn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon when he was done with it. Meanwhile, the nearby missile frigates rained death on the nearby support ships. Though these were beefy ships, and it would take time to wittle them down, they were severely outnumbered and outgunned, and the ships of Ignus' battle group were of superior quality to the ones defending Bastion.

"Outgoing signal detected. Encrypted," the captain's voice said via comms.

"Not a distress call then. Perhaps these forces aren't working alone as we suspected. Have the MIG continue its surveillance but focus its attention on hyperspace signals. And crack the encryption on that message so we can find out what it says."

"The crew of the MIG is working on it."

He nodded and turned back to the map. If they were sending messages out to people then there was more at play here. The forces on the ground must have been up against something more than standard soldiers. If he had a guess, the Mandalorian's still had a significant presence on the world. If that was the case, they might have also had forces elsewhere. Perhaps there was still some sort of loose alliance of clans out there that were working together. These defensive forces were largely old Imperial craft, but that didn't mean the Mandalorian's hadn't repurposed them. They'd know more once the transmission's encryption was broken. That would happen soon enough.

"Continue destroying their fleet with Carnifex's forces. Deploy troops to the ground. Maintain feed of information to allied ships and have the Swarm descend on the enemy corvettes. Let's finish this."

Etherius Yvvera · Mar 14, 2017

"Qo midwanottoi,

Qo saaraiottoi,

Uzpra nu tu'iea tarnas, nuyak Jen'Tevas"

Etheriud sat motionless in the dimly lit hotel room he had recently acquired. His lightsaber twirled around as he whispered these phrases to himself; chanting in the long forgotten tongue to a long forgotten lord for aid in the coming struggle. It had been months since he had finally gotten out of that accursed compound on Alzoc III with Korogum, months in which they had come across a rising group of Sith that were waiting for the opportune moment to strike. The two knew that in order to survive, in order to serve their lord, they had to join these men and their conquest. The two had jumped the gun in coming to Bastion so soon, but they figured it was the safer bet as they weren't exactly front line material yet. Etheriud had spent the past few days meditating and praying, giving himself guidance and hope for the upcoming battle. The minutes turned to hours as he awaited the arrival, the pivotal moment that would allow for the duo to move out and aid in the assault. Located near the center of the city, the two had the perfect positioning to aid in the takeover of major governmental functions as well as communications if necessary. The same words dripped out of Etheriud's mouth until sounds ripped through the sky, a series of explosions that rocked the city. Etheriud opened his eyes and hid his lightsaber within his red cloak, moving to Korogum. He spoke in a calm, almost entranced tone as he moved past Korogum's location.

"It's time."

Etheriud walked out of the room and began calmly moving towards the elevator where the duo would need to quickly think up a plan. This was it; this was what war really felt like.

[member="Korogum"]

Darth Athora · Mar 15, 2017

Manta squadron immediately entered the fray after the first wave of fighters and bombers flew in. They strategically picked their targets, ripping through the enemy fighters like they were nothing. "Keep it up. They're watching us out here so it's time to really prove our worth." Victor said over the comms. Manta Squadron showed no fear on the battlefield. They fought with such ferocity that struck fear in their enemies, but they were truly fighting to be recognized by their superiors. Victor wanted to be seen as more than just another lowly apprentice. He wanted to become powerful like those above him. But, first, he had to show his true strength. This was his chance in his eyes.

The vibrations of decimated ships rocking Victor's starfighter so lightly is what he thrived for. The many deaths around him filled him with an ecstasy like none other. He lived for the thrill of battle. It fueled him. Adrenaline was his addiction and he was getting plenty of it this day.

Darth Osano · Mar 15, 2017

BASTION
RAVELIN

COLLECTION CENTER

[member="Ignus"] | [member="Krest"] | [member="Darth Abyss"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"]

Maleagant received two pings in rapid succession. One informing him that the Ascendancy had begun landing troops, the other informing him the Mandalorian remnants were attempting to raise the planetary shields. Bastion was a fortress world. Its defenses were formidable. If the shields went up, what could be a quick and decisive battle would turn into a prolonged siege. Maleagant had little doubt that the assembled Sith forces couldn't overload the shields with their amassed firepower, but why putz around for a few weeks when it could be accomplished today? No one shield projector could cover the whole of the planet. They had to rely on a network. Links in a chain, so to speak, and all that had to happen was one of the links shatter. Then the whole network crumbles and the planet stays wide open. It didn't take a lot of foresight to imagine what Maleagant had planned next.

A bomb had gone off outside a shield emplacement's operation center in Ravelin. The projector itself had not been damaged, but the area was on lockdown. Planetary militia coerced by random Mandalorian clansmen were doing their best to secure the area, which usually meant shooting at anything that didn't look friendly. There would probably be civilian casualties thanks to the chaos, but that was the cost of resisting the Sith, it seemed. No one was getting in or out of that area very easily regardless. Their efforts were ultimately in vain, since Maleagant's agents had visited the facility not long after the Mandalorian Crusaders collapsed into obscurity and irrelevance. The shield projector began to hum to life, signaling the imminent raising of the shield generator.

In his office, Maleagant dramatically depressed a button.

The virus began to run its course. Inside the control room for that projector, alarms started to blare. Technicians were locked out of their terminals. Outside, the projector sparked erratically and ultimately failed to activate. Without the lead node to hold everything up, the planetary shield collapsed in other areas. The Sith Ascendancy was now free to land their troops at a leisurely pace if they so desired. While remarkable warriors, the Mandalorians were apparently less adept in the more delicate art of cyber security.

Ascendancy: Assault on Bastion

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