Invasion Chapter Three: Total War | Long Live The Empire DE vs GA Coruscant

[Mars Raynor]

​

ALLIES: Kroeger | Darth Defias
ENEMIES: Galactic Alliance | Gress D'ran | Sara Roche | Drego Ruus

Engulfed in the flames of war and desire for glory, Lord Mor'zhul barely heard the issued challenge directed at him; only when the Force flared in his mind eye, signaling danger, did his gaze fell on the Mandalorian standing in his way. Sulfuric orbs gave the heavily-armored warrior a curious, but cursory glare. What significance the Mandalorian may have posed to Lord Mor'zhul's attention quickly evaporated, swallowed by the Senate Rotunda that drew ever so close.

The Sith Lord extended an open palm, channeling the Force, then squeezed the air tight. Large slabs and chunks of permacrete and durasteel, torn asunder by machines of war, bombarded the Mandalorian from all sides with the velocity of a hovertrain, seeking to crush and bury the warrior. Drawn like a moth to a flame, Lord Mor'zhul leapt high and far over his challenger in direction of the Senate Rotunda.

Suddenly the ground began to shudder beneath his feet and the Force lit ablaze a thousand warnings. The shudder turned into a rattle as the ground began to carve open beneath his feet. His mouth hung open in disbelief as the Senate Rotunda began to crumble in the near distance, and a... massive vessel emerged from its collapsing, millennial stones. The large street before him began to crack open into fissures seeking to swallow everything in its path like a Blenjeel sand burrower.

Disbelief turned into despair and utter shock as Lord Mor'zhul watched his long yearned reclamation of glory and name crumble; the memories of his failure as a warchief on Kalee resurfaced before his eyes in a twisted deja-vu, trapping him in the suffering of the merciless wheel of time.

The street caved in beneath him, swallowing Lord Mor'zhul and his coveted triumph in the endless maw of Coruscant's lower levels. There among the insignificant masses, among those he had so fervently believed to be superior to.

 

[Darth Defias]

Out Of The Frying Pan Into The Fire || Issue 2

Crumbling Castle​

ALLIES: Kroeger | Mars Raynor
ENEMIES: Galactic Alliance | Gress D'ran

Letting this odd instinct heating up in his guts to guide himself and the General forward almost unscathed through the crucible of battle, felt... addicting. As if he was drinking in a source of power that washed away his doubts, fears and hesitation. Even the dreadful cacophony of war machines and weapons tearing apart men and women into ear-splitting shrills of death seemed to subside in volume to his hypervigilant senses. Ander struck a bleak and hopeless figure marching through a street baptized by death, marred by the blood of others and ash and soot, but he never felt more galvanized, rejuvenated.

<"Wait."> Kroeger ordered as they found temporary cover and ripped the hand mic from Ander's long-range communications backpack. <"Paveway Six this is Demon Actual. Start pushing alternate route with whatever elements you have available with the tasking. Put your forward company on routes aurek and kresh on GRG. Retrans to Iron Will Six to task out companies as needed, if we keep to this single straight away we're going to be chopped up before we ever reach the senate. I'll keep coordinating with Long Night.">

Ander understood the General, perhaps not fully -- he was a mere private after all, no leader of men -- but he could understand Kroeger's care for his men. Whether it was dictated by the General's hurt dignity for relinquishing command of his Legion to a mad man or a strict officer's code hardwired in his veteran mind or his personal affection to the men that had served him through a thousand battles and a hundred wars, Ander could not tell. But despite his self-serving survivor's nature, the Raxian salvager couldn't help but feel somewhat sympathetic to Kroeger's cause.

<"We need to find this damned Sith..."> the General stated, poison dripping through his gritted teeth before taking the lead this time around.

"Yes, Sir." Ander replied after a hesitant pause -- what exactly was Kroeger going to do once they reached the Sith? Whether it was a sick curiousity or the months-long drills of following orders, Ander quickly fell into step behind the General and they moved further up the battlefield until the familiar red lightsaber and its wielder was before them.

<"Mor'zhul!"> Kroeger called out, <"What's your plan with my men?!">

"Your men?" the Sith scoffed, his piercing gaze brimming with ridicule and scorn. "These are my men now, General, and I will do with them as I please." without paying them even a mere sliver of attention, Lord Mor'zhul charged ahead.

Whatever Ander had expected to happen out of this exchange, waiting in bated anticipation, quickly disappeared under the sudden quakes beneath his feet. The ground began to rumble and groan heralding what he could only describe as an inevitable volcano; metal beams screeched, strained over the limits before snapping loud across the horizon. His hand instinctively grasped to a nearby, sole foot of walker for balance as his mind shrieked doom. An explosion boomed over the battlefield and Ander's mouth dropped as he gazed both in awe and terror at what unfolded in the near distance: a skeletal behemoth of steel erupted from the Senate Rotunda, splintering it apart like mere twigs and branches of a dying tree.

Ander watched as the cradle of the civilization began to collapse before his eyes; ancient stone and durasteel that had shaped the galaxy since time immemorial crumbled, the heart of the universe, pierced by a treacherous dagger of titanium and steel. His own heart raced to the brink of exploding from his chest, its heavy thuds drowning the deafening sound of civilization's collapse.

Canyons and crevices began to split open the massive boulevard leading up to the Rotunda, the ceaseless shockwaves headed his way to swallow him into the abyss. Large towers and skyscrappers toppled as their foundations crumbled. The ground twisted and turned wickedly, convulsing like a dying beast. It seemed as if the planet itself was beginning to turn itself inside out and Ander could only stare at the inevitable doom marching his way.

Suddenly, that same odd and foreign instinct that had cheated death for him and the General as they had traversed the battlefield kicked into overdrive and set his body into motion. Willed by this strange surge of power that held sway over his mind, Ander shot forward and shoved into the wall of steel that was Kroeger's cyborg frame. The ground beneath them opened up revealing the abyss of Coruscant's lower levels as they plummeted into a momentarily free fall.

A pair of seemingly endless metal beams sprang from what still hung of the street above them and Ander reached out, clutching for dear life the beam as it bent downwards like a rope. The ground beneath them came fast at the duo but slower than the deadly free fall a moment ago. Chunks of permacrete and durasteel showered their descent until the beams finally snapped with a deafening crack and they crashed on the ground below in a cloud of dust and debris.

Pain flared all over his body as he stood still, face buried in a pile of rubble and ash; pain he dearly welcomed for it told him he was alive. Ander remained unmoving for a long minute before he struggled to get back on his feet, managing only to stagger up on one knee. His breathes were sharp croaks like daggers scraping against steel; blood seeped through a dozen wounds, his mouth brimming with its iron taste. His helmet was cracked into two unequal parts, each desperately clinging to the other before Ander pushed off from his head and ended its misery, splitting apart as it tumbled on the rubble before him.

Hazy waves of concussion and delirium cascaded over his sight, veiling his vision under a cloak of blurred forms and figures. He barely made the imposing form of General Kroeger rising up a couple of feet ahead of him, but was certain of who stood on two feet beyond them -- Lord Mor'zhul. His back was hunched, shoulders slumped forward under an immeasurable weight while he remained eerily motionless. Ander cast his dazed sight back on the figure of the General; there was something in the air about him, a razor-sharp purpose of hate and vengeance in his pose.

Their earlier exchange was not over.

 

[Alicia Drey]

---

---

"The dark side will devour those who lack the power to control it. It's a fierce storm of emotion that annihilates anything in its path. It lays waste to the weak and unworthy... But those who are strong can ride the storm winds to unfathomable heights. They can unlock their true potential; they can sever the chains that bind them; they can dominate the world around them. Only those with the power to control the dark side can ever truly be free."

-- Darth Bane.

---

Tags: Ronval Rubat
Objective: Total War - Attacking the Headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Agency, S.I.A.
Equipment: The Initium, Portable Dampening Field, The Cone of Silence, The Domestic Surveillance of Direct Threats, #3567-956-827, Cortosis
Transportation Crates, Curved Lightsaber Hilt, Slicing Unit, The Imperial Immortals, Annihilator-class Boarding Shuttles.

---

The hallway- colloquially known as the 'old rat halls'- were suspended in darkness that was only illuminated by the streams of blaster fire, and the crimson blade which shone from Darth Ayra's left palm. As Ronval Rubat and his men took positions to defend the entry to Junction E-F-41 they fired upon the Sith Lord on the other end of the corridor. Guided by the dark side of the Force Darth Ayra intercepted the streams of green and red lights fired upon her by the weapons of the S.I.A as they valiantly stood against their attacker.

Soresu had been the Lightsaber technique that Jedi Master Sochi Ru had taught her during the days she had spent as Ru's Padawan learner. Despite following the pathology of the dark side today the technique had remained with her as her primary form in both Lightsaber duelling and other forms of combat such as the one she was involved in now. With each swing of her crimson blade the bolts were deflected away from her or reflected back towards the assailants firing upon her. Some troopers were dropped while others held firm for their armour was designed to protect them from blaster fire.

Just as Darth Ayra was gaining some momentum and edging closer to the defenders at the other end of the corridor one of them threw a projectile. Just as Ayra was about to use her Force Powers to physically grasp upon the grenade and throw it back at them it exploded. The effect was immediate: Darth Ayra felt the familiar pang of a headache and her focus upon the Force loosened. She desperately raised her hilt in defense and was repelled backwards as the troopers took the initiative.

Then it happened.

DARKCOM wrote:

In the heart of the Senate Building, where Senators had once debated and made decisions that shaped the galaxy, a fissure split the floor with a deafening crack. Dust and debris cascaded from the ceiling as the fissure widened, tearing through the duracrete and permaglass with unstoppable force. The tremors grew violent, and the very structure of the building groaned in protest. Suddenly, with a catastrophic roar, the ground erupted. A massive vessel burst through the Senate floor, a monstrous battlecruiser sized Star Destroyer rising from the depths of Coruscant. Steel and stone were ripped apart as the ship ascended, its dark, imposing hull forcing its way through the layers of the ancient building. Massive chunks of debris were hurled into the air, shattering into countless pieces as they collided with the ground below.

Where there was once darkness there is now light.​

The whirring cacophony of a Star Destroyer's engines bellowed so loudly that Darth Ayra was sure that she was set to be drowned in the noise. If not for the technology that Ayra was wearing in her ears then deafness surely would have followed. The firefight stopped as a series of cracks zigzagged their way across the walls and ceiling of the corridor as Darth Ayra raised her gaze upwards in awe. As she looked up the ceiling caved in and begun to pelt her with shards of rubble. Raising her right palm, at the last moment, Ayra felt her abilities return as the temporary effects of the Yslamiri Grenades passed her.

Enveloping the falling pieces of the ceiling and walls that were set to collapse upon her Darth Ayra suspended them in mid-air above her. As soon as the moment had come it had gone as the whirring of the rising Star Destroyer passed and with it sound returned as the ear plugs deactivated. With a wave of her palm Ayra discarded the debris that hovered above her and took a few step forwards to the precipice. Where there had once been a wall there was now a gaping hole that gave her a vantage point over the entire ecumenopolis.

But it wasn't the city that caught Darth Ayra's eyes. In awe the Sith Lord watched as the ship continued to emerge from the bowels of the Senate building.

I don't believe what my eyes are telling me. . .

 

[Vortex]

|| LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE||

~All of that green and yellow, that drip from your eyes is tellin'~

OBJECTIVES: I. Broadcast the propaganda from the Coruscant Broadcasting Center; II. Bomb the explosive cache Survive
TAG: Nero Drake

Spoiler: BEAT SWITCH BABY

​

CORUSCANT, CORE WORLDS

It seems that our little detour yields favourable results, the footsteps of the thugs obstructing us from doing our mission sounds dwindling and getting further. However, not everything screams good signs. The deeper we go, the more it becomes clear that this tunnel was abandoned for a reason. It gets deeper and deeper without any sign of its end.

<Look at these symbols…>, XO pointed her flashlight at the crude markings plastered all over the tunnel’s walls. <Hmm… not sure what those mean. Watch your steps and keep an eye out.> It doesn’t help that the boots-deep water is getting murkier and the floor is getting bumpier.

<The smell man, karkin’ nasty. Could be fresh, ready for engagement any time.> Tress Way said after disabling his atmospheric filter for a moment. Bad news all over.

<We’re approaching the estuary. Ready for engagement.> XO announced after another couple of minutes. <Walk with God.> <Godspeed Ghosts.>

Walking in the estuary, it revealed a huge lair-like cavern, with natural pillars and giant rocks. Then XO pointed her flashlight up, to discover a large, bright red eyes, stalking between rocks and organic structures.

<TAKE COVER!> Spreading behind pillars and rocks, we opened fire on the creature… no, creatures, there are multiple of them. Karkin’ hell. <GRENADE!>

BOOM!

What in the hell are we walking into.

 

[Reiner Ghadi]

Tags: Kazian Blackwood, Alicio Organa, Natasi Fortan, Raphael Calgar , Achan Jaikavi, Katarine Ryiah, Dyrn Grav

Deeper into the building they went, taking out whatever meager defenses the Alliance had seen fit to leave around. Reiner knew that in such a retreat from the district, there would inevitably be piecemeal bits of security. Old droids... long-unused auto turrets... not enough to stop a full assault, but enough to slow a small unit such as theirs down for a time. But these men were from Reiner's old personal security detachment, and like him they knew this building well.

As they drew closer to Agent Vigilant's location, Reiner couldn't help but to feel as if something was... off. Perhaps it was that same soldier's intuition that had served him so many times in the past. As much as he would try to push it to the back of his mind, it kept creeping back...

That's when the rumbling started.

The floor began to shake beneath their feet, prompting the group to stop in their tracks. Reiner eyed their surroundings, his face remaining stoic and calm. But as the shaking became more violent, he began to feel a strong sense of anxiety. What could possibly be causing this? Were they being bombarded? No... this was something worse. Reiner recalled whatever information he had locked away in his mind, until he finally came to a troubling conclusion. As he stood there pondering, he only uttered one word...

"Tithe..."

He had heard rumors, whispers in dark corners about a ship built below the Senate District. Reiner had never been able to confirm whether there was any truth to it, but now, as the floor began to crack around them, he knew all too well that they weren't just rumors after all.

"Move, now!"

The group broke into a sprint, attempting to beat the growing fissures in the floor as they darted down the hall. Soon, the whole building seemed to be coming apart, and one by one the floor swallowed Reiner's unit. As for Reiner, he just kept moving, hoping that he could somehow get out of this mess. As he turned a corner, a sudden pain coursed through him as something hit him on the head, his body keeling over as his sight faded to black.

 

[Ronval Rubat]

AURORA, PARABELLUM
Special Agent ██████ - 'R U S T Y'
Strategic Intelligence Agency​

Location: Strategic Intelligence Agency HQ, Coruscant
Objective: Stop Intruders
Equipment: Operative Suit, SPS-25 Sidearm, AT-SI27 Stun Blaster, C-11 "Nastirci" Combat Knife

Spoiler: drip check

Tags: Alicia Drey

With each swing of her crimson blade the bolts were deflected away from her or reflected back towards the assailants firing upon her. Some troopers were dropped while others held firm for their armour was designed to protect them from blaster fire.

Outside the terminal room, Ronval could hear the shouts and commands as the agents took cover, some getting hit by reflected shots, and others taking the opportunity to take pot-shots. They were holding, it seemed- though their numbers were beginning to whittle down, judging by the life-sign sensors on his mobile scanner.

At least he could take comfort in the idea that, even if the QRF was forced to flee or slain to the last agent, this room was functionally hermetically sealed. Even a Sith would take too long to break through the ray shields or the walls. Nothing short of a calamity would break this secure room.

Then a calamity occurred.

A massive vessel burst through the Senate floor, a monstrous battlecruiser sized Star Destroyer rising from the depths of Coruscant. Steel and stone were ripped apart as the ship ascended, its dark, imposing hull forcing its way through the layers of the ancient building. Massive chunks of debris were hurled into the air, shattering into countless pieces as they collided with the ground below.

The vibrations were so violent Ronval could not even think. His bones, his brain, all rattled inside a suddenly sickeningly fragile-seeming body in the face of the massive forces suddenly subjected to the building. Sparks flew nearby, some of the power junctions broken. He didn't know if that helped or hindered the severing of this terminal from the deep-earth servers, but Ronval could not investigate now, for the ceiling tore open, the walls shook and fell apart and the sky flooded through, as if the gods truly disfavoured the hard-pressed SIA agent.

There he saw the massive hulk of a starship rising out of the ground, with slabs of concrete and entire buildings sloughing off the hull like a shell of ice off a slumbering undersea leviathan. Its bulk blocked out what little sunlight filtered through the ashen smoke that blanketed the war-torn city. This supremely unfortunate calamity could only be met with a single utterance:

"Holy shit."

Outside, the agents recovered from the shock and their leader shouted commands, evidently trying to make sense of the re-shaped battlefield and block off new routes of ingress that the intruder Alicia Drey might take to the terminal room.

 

[Sara Roche]

Commander Sara "Roach" Roche
222nd Nova Corps, 314th (Augmented) Battalion, Corps Strategic Reserve -- Seconded to Coruscant Defense Command​

Objective: OBJ III
Equipment: GAVA Starwolf Marine Armour, GALMG Beak, GAHP Roundhouse, C-11 "Nastirci" Combat Knife, REC-VC/01 Tactical Visor; Starship Model
Location: Strongpoint J-185-7, between Republic Boulevard and Alliance Plaza. Eastern Junction of the Senate District
ALLIES: Rolin Voss , Gress D'ran
ENEMIES: Mars Raynor Darth Defias Kroeger DARKCOM

The Commander and her small fireteam were still firing scattered suppressive fire upon the Avenue when the ground heaved and roared.

Sara's first thought was that someone had detonated the collapse early, but it couldn't be- there was no sound of detonated charges, and the sensation of the earth heaving was entirely different. No, this was something else.

Sara lost her footing and fell from her vantage point, her cannon falling from her hands. As she pushed herself up, she looked up through the holes in the roof- and saw it. A gigantic battlecruiser, rising like an ill-omen, framing the blood-red sky of apocalypse. Adrenaline kicked in.

"Stay sharp!" she commanded the fireteam, as she rushed back to her cannon to continue covering fire. As far as she could make out through the ash and dust cloud that now swept the Avenue, most everyone out in the open was running for cover. Good, that bought time for the fireteam to pull out of the skyscraper. She turned to look, and it was shaking- its glass windows fell in a rain of crystals, but the frame held on, even as it visibly swayed.

<<Magpie-2 to 1, what the hell is going on up there??>>

<<A very big target of opportunity just showed up- pick up the pace, Lieutenant, our clock just got tighter.>>

<<This is Flatpack-3, most of us are ten seconds out from the exit we still got a fireteam or two left.>>

Sara's mind raced to take stock of the situation- the Battlecruiser had just obliterated the lynchpin of the defences here in the district. There was only two ways out of this situation now (that didn't involce dying to the enemy)- hold and destroy the Battlecruiser from the ground, or break through the ring of ground forces and flee to another district.

<<We'll hold off any more attacks from our vantage point- the rest of you make haste back to the strongpoint!>>

The Corporal manning the sniper rifle beside Sara looked up.

"Ma'am... Is there a point? Our fallback just got pushed two hundred metres into the sky and is rapidly raining down on us as chunks of plascrete."

"Whatever high command decides- whether to stay or evac- the Strongpooint defences are critical in securing this eastward avenue. And Flatpack can't stay here in the open- they Strongpoint is a better defensive position."

Sara peeked over the ruined wall, back west. The AA and artillery of the Strongpoint had reacted with speed- pointing backward and upward, firing at the Battlecruiser, pouring as much fire as they could until it inevitably rose out of range.

From behind, she heard most of Flatpack-3 scramble out of the skyscraper and limp westward. The skyscraper itself was visibly shaking from the tremors of the Battlecruiser- any moment now it could collapse, and not in the controlled manner the Marines had planned for. Flatpack-3 detached a fireteam to assist Sara's group providing overwatch.

"Hold the line!" The group continued to make scattered shots across the Avenue.

Spoiler: OOC

Marines continue to hold previous position, getting ready to blow the skyscraper and block the avenue (check map of previous post)
Strongpoint J-185's network of artillery and anti-air are firing at the Battlecruiser Eclipse III for the short time until it rises out of range

 

[The Grunt]

'Grunt'
THE MAWSWORN​

Location: East Tower on Reimar Boulevard, Coruscant
Objective: Kill and Destroy
Equipment: Hellblade, Hand Cannon, Scattergun, Electrolancr, Basic Armour w/ vacuum seal

Spoiler: Armour

Tags:
DE Scylla AI Thomas Barran Keilara Kala'myr
GA Ashley Nevermore

<< Grunt, this is Mercy! Turn north, go to the edge of the "main road" that leads to the Jedi Temple or the Senate building. Here turn southeast, in the direction that would take you to the Jedi Temple, and head that way. You'll come straight into the back of the Phoenix Squadron, which could very well confuse them. They are unlikely to be prepared for a multi-pronged attack and you will soon be able to completely encircle them, over. >>

<<Got it! Much thanks, Matriarch.>>

<<RIDERS! WITH ME!>> But the cacophony of war was too much- the shells were bursting all around, and even as it cleared, a scattered few plowed into the abandoned GADF walkers, blasting the scattered survivors.

No, not survivors. Only those out in the open. The rest were in hiding.

She looked to the window, firing a few pot shots as she scanned the area. The maw were practically under the damn guns at this point.

"Blow it!"

"Copy! FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

Everyone took cover, before finally...

BOOM!

Barely had the Grunt and the majority of his riders turned north as per Mercy's instructions when the walkers exploded in massive numbers- the entire front between the Mawites and Phoenix were shrouded in flame and smoke. Through it all, Grunt managed to steer through the streets, breaking out onto the boulevard and gunning it, going eastward past broken tanks and mounds of the fallen. The Alliance forces would think the explosion bought them time- and Grunt had to make use of that short gap to swing around from their northeast, as the echoes of the explosion covered the sound of their engines.

(Un)Fortunately for Grunt, a lot more would than the explosion would mask their approach.

Suddenly, with a catastrophic roar, the ground erupted.

Grunt twisted his head back, and watched in awe and horror as the blessed machine of war burst through the surface of the District- a avatar of war that sent rubble and debris flying everywhere as it shed its mask and ascended into the skies.

"HISTORICAL!" "THE MACHINE WATCHES US!" came the yells of the Deathgangers, even as stray chunks of debris- entire hab-units, ten times the size of their warbikes, crashed past and killed some of them.

<<MAINTAIN FORMATION! THE SAINTS OF THE WAR-ENGINES BEARS WITNESS TO US! GIVE THEM A SHOW!>> The formation skid as it made the second turn, turning out of the boulevard leading to the Temple- and ready to strike in the back of Phoenix.

<<CLOSE WITH THE ENEMY! THEY HIDE IN THEIR HOVELS, THEIR METAL BOXES HAVING FAILED THEM! RIDE, DISMOUNT, AND SLAY!>> And the eighty-one plowed into the rear of Phoenix Platoon's position, some giving covering fire while the rest dismounted and stormed the buildings, engaging in hand-to-hand combat. Following close behind was Grunt, Hellblade in hand, breathing in the death and fear.

 

[Sahan Dragr]

Spoiler: Equipment

SHIP:

• "Ure'adtr" Howler Basilisk War Droid​

ARMOR:

• Besk'gathr Mk III​

WEAPONS:

• Tusurki'aa Ta'hye Beskad​
• M.I. Model 6 hybrid pistol​
• "O'dteyase Saranuhlr" Modified Vora-Class Verpine Hand Cannon​
• M.I. Model 12 shatter rifle​

ITEMS:

• AXC (10)​
• Mirshir Ka'esr Binders​
• Irya'kadir Smoke Bombs​
• Sasori Last Resort Cannon​
• Ring of Vision​
• Runi Ticu'r​
• Rulariyi Mandalorian Sunglasses

AMMO:

• Gas Canisters (12)​
• Slugs (100)​
• Grulyr'bedtr CryoSlugs (1 Mag)​
• RB-02 "Salt" Rounds (1 Mag)​
• RB-04 "Droid's Bane" Rounds (1 Mag)​
• RB-03 "Force Breaker" Rounds (1 Mag)​
• Tracyn'wuta Pyro Slugs (5 Mags)​
• Hurdisi Photonic Blackout Rounds (5 Mags)​

Here Comes Trouble​

---

Renard gave a bow,
“My Master is expecting you. Please forgive the acid, it's a precaution. Please wipe your feet at the door and since I know your weapons bear religious significance, I only ask before you draw your blaster you pay my Master the respect he deserves, he has prepared a place at table for you.”

Sahan just looked at the man a moment. He had been both expecting and hoping the man would put up a fight. Instead, he was just saying his master wanted to talk. Probably wanted to try to plead for his life or convince Sahan not to kill him. Rather pathetic for a blood-sucking monster. Actually, it sounded very much like a politician... Sahan chuckled to himself at that thought. He had to admit, the humor in the situation had him feeling a bit better than when he had entered, so he shrugged and lowered his sword, deactivating the plasma edge.

He did not bother "wiping his feet," as the servant had requested. Instead, the nanites in his suit began cleaning the acid that was covering him, storing it away for possible future use. Sahan made his way into the room where the vampire sat on an elaborate ebony chair. One thing Sahan could give most Sith credit for: they tended to have good taste in decor. At least, the ones who didn't use the bones of sentient beings for furniture.

Scanning the table, he noted that the food laid out all seemed to be normal, all free from both blood or flesh of people and poisons. That would have been too obvious, and there would not have been enough time to plan that far ahead. Sahan strolled right up to the table and jammed the blade of the sword into the table. "You know, when it comes to potential Sith, Enclave Mandalorians send to shoot first and ask questions later. But I'll bite." He laughed from behind his helmet at the pun. "You have fifteen seconds to convince me why I shouldn't just behead you and be done." He sat down across from the monster and folded his arms, waiting.

---

TAGS: Vaudimir Traith​

Spoiler: Sahan's Sword

Since the image in the sub broke.

Plasma Edge On/Off​

 

[Teket]

TAGS: OPEN

​

Teket had absolutely no clue what was going on to begin with, and the confusion was only compounded when raging winds snatched him from the air and sent him spinning rapidly.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! WHEEEEEEEE!" he yelled, surprising himself at the sheer joy he felt at the thrill of such unpredictable chaos. He let the wind whip him about, only occasionally directing it as he used his magic to snatch projectiles out of the air and hurl them at random targets. He mostly aimed at buildings, enjoying the sight of the destruction of such large structures.
They were larger than any buildings he could have ever imagined, yet they came down so easily when he didn't have to hold back...

The young Ewok felt even more excited when the most enormous starship ever emerged from underneath the domed building he had crashed that tiny ship into. He laughed aloud with utter excitement.

 

[Keilara Kala'myr]

Matriarch of the Scar Hounds Tribe

Information

Objective: Try to help Tommy
Location: Ground, Coruscant
Equipment: FS-18-UP2 Assault Rifle | 2x Sunfury Pistol | Light Armour | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | 2x Vibrodagger | 2x Riftblades | Promise of Freedom | Ring of Wishes and Dreams || Cloaking Device | 5x ASBF Probe Droid || OPBC-01m
Tags: Thomas Barran | Scylla AI | Pious Tapp | Roxy Rizzan | Kuff Tolt | Kroeger | The Grunt | Ashley Nevermore | DARKCOM | Open

"Galactic Basic" | ~ Telepathic communication ~ | << comm. channel >>
Keilara Kala'myr | Mercy | Ziare Dyarron | Freedom​

I have not yet received any reply back from Tommy, but after I sent him the message, it was The Grunt who replied. I involuntarily smiled for a moment when he called me Matriarch. Not many people called me that, the old ones I mean. Grunt was one of those who joined the Scar Hounds Tribe when Asher was still the Warlord. And for those of us who lived under his rule, I could easily have been a person who weakened the Warlord by making him human again from an obedient, unthinking machine. Me and Asher thought otherwise. It was precisely because of me that he became strong and wanted to live as long as possible and didn't want to die at all costs. He wanted to come back to me after every fight.

<< You're welcome, Grunt! If you need more information, here I am! >> I told him.

But very few people were alive from the days when Asher was Warlord. Most of those warriors were dead; and the current ones are young, or people who came here after the war. I was here the longest, the only one who survived. Okay, I didn't count the witch, the Heathen Priestess, Y'sanne. For she has been here as long as I have, if not longer. Fact is, she was hardly involved in any fighting; I was constantly behind enemy lines. My chances of survival were much slimmer. This whole thought took a few moments because I was distracted again.

The next moment, I started to feel the building I was on top, it started to shake again. The droids were able to immediately identify where it was coming from. From the direction of the Senate building. Since I had a perfect view of the place from the building I was in, I immediately turned my gaze and saw that the building was starting to crack and the whole thing was shaking. According to the data, a huge ship was starting to rise out of there. Dark Empire ship by the signals. Now I smiled with satisfaction, there were a lot of Dark Empire units inside the building. I hoped none of them would get out and many agents and elite soldiers would die. This would also only reduce the power of the Dark Empire.

However, the Scar Hounds Tribe, one way or another, was my husband's heritage and I was attached to them. And I knew that Tommy was looking out for our own interests as well, and I hoped that if he had to, Tommy would do the right thing and betray the Emperor and help me. I opened a channel to all Scar Hounds members. I had to warn them where not to go.

<< Scar Hounds, this is Mercy. I know there are not many of you near the Senate building, but get as far away as possible. There's a huge ship rising from under the building, and nearby buildings are falling and being damaged! Mercy out! >> I told them.

Luckily, I was on top of a building far enough away that it didn't collapse, but I could see the devastation and everything that the ship's rise caused. I stood up from my seat to get a better view, so now I could see the damage and destruction not only through the monitors, but also with my own eyes. It was a huge ship, several kilometres long; now it would take someone to press the self-destruct button on the Senate building to blow up both the building and the ship. What beautiful fireworks that would have been...

 

[Dedata | Celty Ree]

Spoiler: Equipment

Weapons	Armor	Gadgets	Ship/Vehicles
Sparti Short Spear	Dedata's MK2 Helmet	Modified Datapad running Deda-net	The Shadow Broker
Ianus Kopis	Dedata's outfit	Data spikes	Dullahan
	Leg harness and bags	'Janus' Slicer Gloves
	BURN CORPO SHIT Tanktop	Flow Vape

The battle for the heart of the Core Worlds raged above the surface of Coruscant - blaster fire, lightsaber clashes, and the distant rumble of starship engines filled the skies like a chaotic symphony. In the midst of this, the earth itself began to rumble from the depths below. Far beneath the Senate District, a massive energy signature began to appear all over radar on both sides of the conflict. Sensors ran wild, the ground trembled with increasing intensity, unnoticed at first amidst the chaos of battle, but growing rapidly into a force that could not be ignored. Hovering over this scene as it unfolded, several Star Destroyers under the command of @Marlon Sularen waited, watching like predatory vultures.

In the heart of the Senate Building, where Senators had once debated and made decisions that shaped the galaxy, a fissure split the floor with a deafening crack. Dust and debris cascaded from the ceiling as the fissure widened, tearing through the duracrete and permaglass with unstoppable force. The tremors grew violent, and the very structure of the building groaned in protest. Suddenly, with a catastrophic roar, the ground erupted. A massive vessel burst through the Senate floor, a monstrous battlecruiser sized Star Destroyer rising from the depths of Coruscant. Steel and stone were ripped apart as the ship ascended, its dark, imposing hull forcing its way through the layers of the ancient building. Massive chunks of debris were hurled into the air, shattering into countless pieces as they collided with the ground below.

The devastation was incalculable. The incomplete prototype - the ECLIPSE III prototype tore through the Senate Building with the force of a tidal wave, sending shockwaves through the surrounding area. Permaglass windows shattered in a cascade of glimmering shards, walls crumbled into heaps of rubble, and support beams snapped like twigs under the immense pressure. The sound was deafening, a cacophony of destruction that echoed through the cityscape of Coruscant. As the battlecruiser continued its relentless ascent, the once-majestic Senate Building was reduced to a ruinous shell. Towers and spires that had stood for centuries toppled and fell, their collapse adding to the chaos. The building's ornate facade was obliterated, replaced by the dark, angular lines of the Imperial war machine.

Moving from Chapter II ...

The shadow broker began to lift away from the pad and darted towards the enormous ship raising up from the ground. Her eyes connected with that as the ship as the Cybernetic was syncing with the ship systems. It was always a weird feeling seeing so many points of view one. As it began its flight Celty could see the damage and pillars of smoke rising up from even the depts.


The exterior of the shadow broker shimmered for a moment till the hull turned translucent. "Dee let the two in the gun well know we are stealth mode, keep their fingers off the triggers and don't shoot till green light and get me the ID tag of that dammed ship." She commanded the VI her annoyance was growing. She had just got the two shops going, customer flow was good.

"ID Tag, Eclipse three." The Dee responded with the information.

The woman's eyes flickered with light as she ran code from mind through cybernetic to the ship. "Preparing Package for injection. We will be using Hijinks Hacking/Comms System. Lets breach their coms when we are closer, our target hack is to take off their generator and their back ups. If lucky, it does not blow up and gets wedged back into the city." Mostly the woman was talking to herself. Though the VI always listened.

Closer the ship got the more attention it was getting, it would be bad to be to close but her hopes was to least do something to help take this down. The ship came close to one of the Star destroyers carefully flying close by to its communication subsystem.

"Starting coms breach, lets piggyback on their communications."
Streams of code began to run through her mind as the functions of her ship began to show its true capabilities. Celty took her time as there was probably only once chance. Going through encrypted was the safer bet as if the hack was detected normal coms would be the first to be shut off there was no grantee normal coms ran to something so secretive. How the feth did someone build a ship under the city where millions lived. "Okay lets breach their coms."


Breaching The ECLIPSE III ENCRYPTED COMS - HACKING STARTS NEXT POST


Mirialan - Celinie || Trandoshan - Vreen || Zebrak - Nebrosa || Twi'lek - Giza​

Allies:
Neutral:
Enemies: DARKCOM

 

[Drego Ruus]

Tag: Mars Raynor​

Large slabs and chunks of permacrete and durasteel, torn asunder by machines of war, bombarded the Mandalorian from all sides with the velocity of a hovertrain, seeking to crush and bury the warrior.

Drego kept his footing as the sith began bombarding him with the ruins of the city, bringing his arms up and connected the pieces of his massive shield to defend himself. Step by step, mortars detonating and tanks erupting around him, he made it closer to the Sith, before-

The sound was deafening, a cacophony of destruction that echoed through the cityscape of Coruscant. As the battlecruiser continued its relentless ascent, the once-majestic Senate Building was reduced to a ruinous shell. Towers and spires that had stood for centuries toppled and fell, their collapse adding to the chaos. The building's ornate facade was obliterated, replaced by the dark, angular lines of the Imperial war machine.

he large street before him began to crack open into fissures seeking to swallow everything in its path like a Blenjeel sand burrower.

Falling as a funny thing. The street opened up, but Drego could only go down. In that moment, his mind went into hyperdrive. From defensive, to offensive. The man broke his shield once more, aiming his arm for a crack in the broken street. A grapple line ejected from his vambrace, and he swung after the sith, aiming his off-arm and firing the disruptor pistol at the sith. The street might be gone, and the sith might have pulled a fast one on the GA, but the battle wasn't over until the mandos said so.

 

[Lupa Visz]

Tag: Sara Roche Rolin Voss Lucas Gracin Minerva Fhirdiad Drego Ruus Nyles Kote Syd Celsius Gress D'ran Ashley Nevermore ​

In the heart of the Senate Building, where Senators had once debated and made decisions that shaped the galaxy, a fissure split the floor with a deafening crack. Dust and debris cascaded from the ceiling as the fissure widened, tearing through the duracrete and permaglass with unstoppable force. The tremors grew violent, and the very structure of the building groaned in protest. Suddenly, with a catastrophic roar, the ground erupted. A massive vessel burst through the Senate floor, a monstrous battlecruiser sized Star Destroyer rising from the depths of Coruscant. Steel and stone were ripped apart as the ship ascended, its dark, imposing hull forcing its way through the layers of the ancient building. Massive chunks of debris were hurled into the air, shattering into countless pieces as they collided with the ground below.

The senate building, half the Entertainment District.

Gone.

The damned Imperials. They had managed what should've been caught by the SIA. When it had been announced, Lupa had cursed the resignation of the last director of the organization. Now she could only spit on the man's legacy. First Tithe, now this.

"Whether high command decides- whether to hold or flee, our strongpoint is critical in the chain of defences in securing this eastward avenue out of the District. And they can't stay here in the open."

She smashed her hand into the holotable. No.

Grabbing a microphone, she called up the encrypted comms and sent a simple message.

<This is General Visz to all GADF units. Hold the Line. I repeat, hold the line. This battle is not yet lost.>

It was all they could do. They still had assets they could use. Her mind went to that of tactical knowledge. The GADF still had an entire battalion surrounded, and-

<This is General Lupa to Lt. Crl. D'ran. Do you read me? What's your status?>

No immediate answer. Damnit.

...the mandos.

<This is General Visz calling Nyles Kote aboard the Eternal Haven, do you read? I'm sure you can see the damned battlecruiser that came out of the senate. I need every gun you have to blow that thing out of the sky.>

It was their only option now. The GA fleet were tied up with that damned Sully's fleet, and now the GADF had the chance to fire on it. She couldn't get a hold of the Hellstompers, but...

That didn't mean they were gone. She'd need to patch through to local command first...

 

[Kroeger]

D E M O N
DARK EMPIRE
IRON LEGION | THOSE ONCE LOYAL
TASK FORCE BRUTUS
1-66 AASLT REG 'APOCALYPSE' | 1-16 STRM REG 'IRON WILL' |1-8 ENG REG 'PAVEWAY'
DE | Darth Defias | Mars Raynor
GA | Gress D'ran

REQUIEM
​

He saw naught but red from beneath the Stormtrooper commander's helmet as he peered up to Mor'zhul, the Sith towering over the mere mortal general as he grit his teeth with anger so forcefully that might shatter. He clenched a fist before he levied an angry finger toward the Kaleesh. <"You wanted your glory, Sith! And now my men are being put down like dogs in the street! We're barely closer to the Senate and you wa-"> It was then at the earth beneath them tremored, almost splitting apart at the seams. His gaze slowly drifted down, barely registering as the surface of Coruscant shattered.

Whatever retribution Kroeger sought to sow unto the Sith was snuffed out as he trembled through the maw in the megalopolis beneath him. His body was nigh limp, the stormtrooper armor cracking fiercely every time he caught unto something in his fall. He relaxed his form, letting it catch and tremble without retort in its descent before he stumbled with a roll unto the ground. Age, worn servos in his cybernetics and battered armor all coaslesced in a pained groan, laboured breathing as he slowly rose to his feet.

Around him, many of his own stormtroopers took a disastrous tumble into the growing, jagged chasm of the Eclipse's ascent. Helmets cracked against sharp edges, spatters of blood in their wake as wailing cries of pain and strife echoed through the depths. In a moment, whatever was left in this horrid charge was plummeting to their deaths. Arminius was helpless. He could only watch the chaotic devastation as his troopers further fell into certain death. He was speechless, his own concussive state made it all feel like a hallucination. He shifted his gaze in a lazy lull about him when he'd stood fully upright.

There was no difficulty in discerning who was responsible. Hardly a scheme by the Imperial navy he thought. No, this was the doing of Sith, Solipsis. There was no line of coordination to ever inform Kroeger of such an event, or Mor'zhul for this matter. And due to the latter's blood curdling aggression, he'd not only led his men into the fray but now, to certain death. More and more of his troopers rained down, thudding with a horrid death curdling cry on every impact as his gaze was slowly drawn upward toward the vessel in its horrific, metallic roar.

He couldn't help but stare into the horrid silhouette of the dreadnought in its slow, foreboding descent, paid for in the sacrifice of his own men. Slowly, he turned to look over his shoulder, seeing Ander, the man's commo pack utterly destroyed on impact. There was no coordinating with his subordinate units now.

He then looked back toward Morzhul, slowly drawing the disruptor pistol from the holster at his hip. He approached with a slow, limping pace in his step.

<"Sith!"> He barked out to get his attention, finger resting over the trigger of his side arm.

 

[Gress D'ran]

Allies: Lucas Gracin Sara Roche Rolin Voss Nyles Kote
Engaging: Kroeger Darth Defias DARKCOM

​

In the heart of the Senate Building, where Senators had once debated and made decisions that shaped the galaxy, a fissure split the floor with a deafening crack. Dust and debris cascaded from the ceiling as the fissure widened, tearing through the duracrete and permaglass with unstoppable force. The tremors grew violent, and the very structure of the building groaned in protest. Suddenly, with a catastrophic roar, the ground erupted. A massive vessel burst through the Senate floor, a monstrous battlecruiser sized Star Destroyer rising from the depths of Coruscant. Steel and stone were ripped apart as the ship ascended, its dark, imposing hull forcing its way through the layers of the ancient building. Massive chunks of debris were hurled into the air, shattering into countless pieces as they collided with the ground below.

The devastation was incalculable. The incomplete prototype - the ECLIPSE III prototype tore through the Senate Building with the force of a tidal wave, sending shockwaves through the surrounding area. Permaglass windows shattered in a cascade of glimmering shards, walls crumbled into heaps of rubble, and support beams snapped like twigs under the immense pressure. The sound was deafening, a cacophony of destruction that echoed through the cityscape of Coruscant. As the battlecruiser continued its relentless ascent, the once-majestic Senate Building was reduced to a ruinous shell. Towers and spires that had stood for centuries toppled and fell, their collapse adding to the chaos. The building's ornate facade was obliterated, replaced by the dark, angular lines of the Imperial war machine.

What had been a roaring success of a charge, changed in an instant.

Solo II watched as three Lynxes were lifted, and then dropped from the sky, disintegrating into a heap of durasteel on the hole that the battlecruiser had left behind. The sky rained of debris, one smashing into the top of the walker with a thud as the walker shrugged off the boulder with only a kneeling leg to show for it. The Thundercats had been built to shrug off tank shells, falling debris didn't seem to dissuade them that much. Still, little by little it ate away at their shields, and the sonic boom had disabled a good amount of their raven droids.

<Sir! What are orders?! What are we gonna do against....that?!>

The captain in charge of Solo II cursed under his breath. They needed more support.

<Sir, Gress isn't answering comms. We're on our own. You're next in command.>

<All Units! Keep up the assault! We have them surrounded! Close the jaws of death!>

"Whatever high command decides- whether to stay or evac- the Strongpooint defences are critical in securing this eastward avenue. And Flatpack can't stay here in the open- they Strongpoint is a better defensive position."

The Pumas and Tigers pushed forward, engaging enemy as they saw. If they could close this pocket, whatever was left, they could refocus on supporting the air-land battle.

The Thundercats pushed in passed Sara Roche 's position, grenade launchers slowly pushing the stormtroopers back. The hellfire of battle continued, as the heavy beam cannons destroyed tank after tank.

<This is Solo II Commander, Captain Fran Tranka to First Lieutenant Roche. We're pushing ahead. Glory to the Alliance!>

​

The commander of Sweet Child O Mine watched as duracrete and metal fell from the sky in the distance.

<Captain, what are->

<Orders?! Hit the damn thing!> The captain barked as he watched the two sphinxes rise into the air along with the massive ship. <Gress doesn't need to wait for that! Full Barrage!>

A short few seconds later...

36 Capital Ion Batteries rocked the air. Aimed right at the Eclipse III.

 

[Rolin Voss]

1ST LIEUTENANT VOSS
10th Sector Armada
2nd Armor Boxer Company
Cougar Tanks
Commander, "Locals Only" (DAMAGED)
BOXER COMPANY STATUS:
"Free Buffet" UNKNOWN
"Cheap Beer" UNKNOWN
"Window Lickers" UNKNOWN
"Grammar Haterers" UNKNOWN
"Loud Keytar" UNKNOWN

Who was left? ​

Rolin had no idea what actually happened. All he knew was that one moment, his tank was moving forward- the next, up on it's side, up-ended, then rolled over. He came to several minutes later, pressed against the ceiling of his tank. His TACCOM was busted, his fancy helmet he stole from the aviators was broken from the impact. He called out his crew, but nobody responded. In fact, his tank was empty.

He crawled to the open escape hatch, pushing it with his feet, clambering outside. A hand reached out to grab him-

A Stormtrooper.

In fact, the Stormtrooper had pulled all of his crew out. Rolin didn't reach for his sidearm, and just stared in disbelief. He looked over at the skyline, seeing the unfathomable, the unthinkable- the undeniably horrific.

A ship, that size- in atmosphere. And apparently, it had either torn up the ground some way, or pushed up through it. Rolin fell back against his tank, and the Stormtrooper did the same. He took off his helmet. He was blonde, had a fresh haircut, and a light stubble. He was maybe a little younger than Rolin, if not the same age. Rolin reached back into the tank, taking out his pack, and handed the Stormtrooper a bottle of water. He didn't want to talk, he didn't want to do anything but sit near his tank for a while. The Stormtrooper handed him back the plasteel container, and Rolin took a long swig as well.

He took a shaky breath, watching the sky, the war rage on. He had no idea where the rest of his tanks were, nor why the Stormtrooper helped him. He was about to ask- but the Stormtrooper stood up, picked up his helmet and his rifle, and stared at the few of them. He wanted to say something, and maybe they all did. The Stormtrooper looked at the battle raging, took a deep breath, and walked away from the Tankers. Rolin stood up first, and so did the rest of his crew. Through the haze and smoke and fog, they all just watched the man that helped the enemy disappear into a plume of smoke and ash. Rolin screamed out for him to come back, but was drowned out by the passing overhead of TIE and X-wing fighters. One X-wing went slamming into a building after being struck in the rear, but three TIE fighters were knocked out of the sky by the Mandalorian frigate in-orbit.

He could only watch in horror, and turned to his crew, trying to figure out what to do next. With no comms, no battlemap, and no idea of what was happening next- and their objective, the thing they died and fought for- swallowed up by the giant, terrifying black ship overhead... Rolin was out of his element. He and his crew began to make their way to what they hoped were friendly lines, much like the Stormtrooper they encountered was probably doing the same.

What was the point of all the fighting, now?

Was it the Jedi's fault?

The Sith's?

The Imperials didn't seem to blame- they were bold, but they were not reckless, from his experience. The Sith may have played this gambit, thrown away this many lives and this much. But no, he had a kinship with the Imperial troopers he dared didn't say out loud. They were all trapped in an endless cycle of war between the Sith and Jedi, two ancient orders and sects beyond his comprehension and beyond his care at the moment. Their wars, their petty religious debate had now killed more soldiers than he could even think of counting.

Rolin shouldered the heavy bag over his shoulder, passing out water to his men. He drew his sidearm, but had little care in using it. They passed several Stormtroopers, who were helping a comrade escape some rubble. Rolin grit his teeth, and ordered the crew to help them lift the piece of rubble off of the trapped soldier. The crew didn't argue much, they were all more or less of the same mindset. They all just wanted to go home, and have this awful war and battle be over. The rubble was lifted easily with the help of all combined men, who all gave a little cheer when they lifted it off of the trapped Stormtrooper. The Stormtrooper was young- maybe just past 17, and scared for his life. He scrambled to his feet, but Rolin put away his sidearm-

And with a bottle of water given as a token of peace and understanding, they left the three Stormtroopers to their own devices. They didn't speak much more than what was needed, and they didn't need to, honestly. Rolin and his crew limped along, unsure of what was to come of them next- if there was anything next, or if their next mission was simply to survive whatever else came next.

 

[Minerva Fhirdiad]

On top of mostly intact bank Minerva had with the left leg knelt down was looking over a holographic map displayed on one of her vambraces. All around her the Ruus warriors had spread out in separate squads around the structure, providing overwatch. She had been coordinating the Talons in their efforts throughout the sector when the ground began to quake. Taken off guard she fell sideways with a grunt as everything kept shaking. Fighting to get to her feet Minerva then looked to the direction of where it was coming from.

She froze with eyes wide as saucers and her jaw fell in utter disbelief the warrior had beheld an Imperial battle-cruiser bursting out of where the senate had been. Briefly words fail to come out of her mouth, being taken completely off guard by what just happening. Then disbelief turned to rage with Minerva scowling in disgust. First at the invaders behind this then the SIA who completely and utterly failed to discover this behemoth. Shaking her helmet Minerva thought in reminder.

Now is not the time to blame but to fight.

Soon enough she received word from command to regroup and help hold the line. Now determined more than ever Minerva called the Talons to assemble at her position. While waiting she next called for pick up. It didn't take long for Alliance command to give her new instructions. Once the Talons arrived she noticed their numbers had gone down again. Squeezing her right fist she nodded to those present.

"Listen up. We're rerouting to the main line against the Imps. This fight is far from over."

"What about that warship?" Sumi asked, pointing to the metallic flying titan that continued to ascend. The hacker pretty much aired what the others wanted to ask themselves. Minerva was quick to reply.

"Until ordered otherwise we've been dealing with the Imps. Keep focus, we're still needed here."

Just as she said a squadron of gunships arrived from the north. Using their jetpacks they ascended and got onboard once the bay doors opened. Swifty they flew off heading for what many would see as the jaws of death.

 

[Syd Celsius]

It had been going so well...the enemy was crumbling...

And then the Sith snatched the taste of Victory from everyone's mouth when the Senate exploded.

The Debris went everywhere, flying into the sky. The blast had killed most of her Airborne Siege Troopers in their flyers, and as she herself tumbled from the sky, she crashed violently through a window in a skyscraper, having been knocked out of the air not just by the powerful shock wave but by the horrifying snuffing of life in that entire area. Two thirds of the Offense Troopers had been slain in the destruction, and the Defense Troopers were just barely holding on amidst the chaos.

She rose, on the verge of suffering a breaking point from pure rage at what the Sith had done. They could not lose Coruscant. Too much was riding on it. She could not bear the horror she knew would result for the Citizens of Coruscant if the Mawites won. Debris rained down in buildings everywhere, with a senate Podium flying by a window on her left. Whole buildings were demolished by pieces of the Senate killing people.

Dammit, are we gonna have to Base Delta Zero Coruscant just to make sure the fethin' Sith don't take it?! a dark part of her thought.

But this eventuality, being overwhelmed, had also been prepared for, and Nathan was just as capable of treachery, just as capable of pulling the rug out from under the feet of enemies as they were.

No choice. For anyone who had survived, Epsilon had to be implemented in it's full, murderous form if anyone was to obtain victory over the Maw.

Old, terrible power coiled within her as she prepared to unleash untold destruction from the Atmosphere. The day was to erupt in flames--

Syd, called out her student, Starlin Rand . He was here, she remembered. He was fighting, battling the same darkness.

And he was in trouble. In trouble so much he had reached out to her for help. Her growing fury at the Sith vanished, replaced by an all too motherly concern.

He wanted her to Master him. Now of all times. He warned her to stay away. The wrongness of it...

After all they had been through, all he had suffered both directly and indirectly because of her...he turned back to her for help.

Syd had moments to think. To pull back from the Darkness and suffering. From Nathan's silent, persisting desire to see her dead no matter where he was, what he was doing.

Feeling the Darkness eat away at Starlin, Syd decided to act like a Jedi, a real Jedi, for the first time in years.

She concentrated, even though she was at great risk, and winced as she began to draw in all the power from her own enchanted armor, rendering it gray as it flowed into her, shifting her back to her prior, fiery orange red head Atrisian appearance, and getting some of her old memories and skills back.

The Battle was serious. She couldn't go to him, not fully even though she desperately wanted to. She was needed *here".

But she had regained enough power for the moment to do what Starlin needed.

As Syd rose into the sky, calling on the full strength of her magic to aid Alliance Forces and her own units, an image of her Original Self, catsuit no longer shiny and now totally ordinary gray fabric, appeared before Starlin, holding out her hand.

"Rise, Starlin. I would not oversee your full transition to Master wearing the face of the Beast who stole your eye. But I cannot pull this trick for very long either...it's one of my oldest tricks. I...think I am really only going to be able to do it once. After that...it may be a long time before you see this face again..." she cautioned, just the projection of her exuding a Light Side aura that momentarily drove the Dark back for both of them. Starlin was her moral anchor to this life. She had only survived what happened on Korriban because she had held on to what memories she could of Starlin, even as her mind was being devoured by The Battalion.

Starlin was her son in spirit, if not flesh.

"I have often wondered, what my life would have been like, had I not met you on Zeffo that day so long ago. And I can only conclude each time that I would have been poorer for it. Lesser. Had you not been present I...I might have fallen completely under Laertia's sway, with no one to pull me out of the trap I was building around myself unconsciously with her...."

Her hands clasped his artificial one. The hand Laertia had made for him....

"Had you not lost your hand that day, on Dantooine...had you not been around to lose it....I might never have questioned what she was doing at all. I might have been on her side at Kerest...." she trailed.

She looked at him and smiled faintly.

"Knowing you changed me. Teaching you was as much a journey for me, as it was for you..." she trailed. "The journey was painful, and we both suffered for it. Yet here we are, at the metaphorical end of that journey...and the start of a new one..."

Syd looked at the shadow of the Battlecruiser looming closer. She threw her arms around him, squeezing as much as this force energy construct of hers could manage without hurting him.

"I love you, Starlin Rand. As a Mother loves a Son. I know you have an actual Mother, and maybe you never saw me as a parent...but that changes nothing on my end. Know that no matter what happens from this point on, I will always be your friend. Not even death, the cold jaws of Oblivion will stop my Love for you from surviving. My love for you would survive the heat death of the universe..." she whispered to him as she hugged him before clasping him by the shoulders.

"And now, my student, kneel."

Once he had done as she asked, she held her hands over him....and glowed, hovering over him, as she split into every single witch inhabiting her body, all in the same drained gray catsuit, along with herself at the forefront.

"STARLIN RAND. SORCERER. MUSICIAN. JEDI. FRIEND. SON. YOU ARE EVERYTHING THE COMPONENTS OF SYD CELSIUS COULD EVER HAVE HOPED FOR AND MORE." The personas of Syd said in unison.

"BY THE WILL OF THE FORCE, BY OUR MANDATE TO RESIST THE DARK SIDE, AND BY OUR COLLECTIVE LOVE FOR YOU, WE PROCLAIM YOUR KNIGHTHOOD ENDED. BUT KNOW THIS, STARLIN RAND: A TITLE IS SIMPLY THAT WHEN BESTOWED ON ANYONE. IT IS THE CHARACTER AND BELIEFS OF THE PERSON, AND THE EFFORT THEY PUT IN UPON HAVING THE TITLE BESTOWED THAT MAKES SUCH A PROCLAMATION TRUE OR NOT. THIS IS OUR FINAL SECRET WE IMPART TO YOU AS A KNIGHT....AND THE FIRST SECRET WE TELL YOU AS THE JEDI MASTER WE NOW KNOW AND DECLARE YOU TO BE. WHEN THE DAY COMES THAT YOU MUST RAISE A STUDENT TO FULL MASTERY, ONLY THEN SHALL YOU TELL THEM THAT LAST SECRET AS IT WAS TOLD TO YOU...." The Witches trailed, all merging back into Syd's form, who opened her eyes.

The magic spell that had no name, but would only work once, began to fade, Syd's Atrisian looks began to subtly melt into the face she had gotten merging with The Reflection, as the color and shininess bled back into her suit somehow, the Force Construct she created to help Starlin mirroring what was happening to her elsewhere.

"The Force will be with you... always..." Syd spoke in the last few seconds before her old face vanished and submerged disgustingly under her new guise, her gold and navy blue catsuit now fully back to normal..

"I need to go back to focusing fully on the battle now, Starlin." she explained. "But...as your former Master....I have one more gift...

She snapped her fingers, and in a plume of red fire on the ground, appeared her own Double Bladed Lightsaber ....and a fully knitted loose fit sweater.

"For those days you get cold." she explained before vanishing herself.

Meanwhile, the real Syd was, instead of casting highly destructive spells, now instead began to cast massive protective spells springing up giant Force Bubbles to momentarily stop and deflect debris and protect allied forces...

Minerva Fhirdiad

Gress D'ran

Thomas Barran

Scylla AI

DARKCOM

 

[Raphael Calgar]

TAGS:
( Alliance )
Natasi Fortan | Dyrn Grav | Katarine Ryiah | Alicio Organa | Achan Jaikavi
( Hostiles )
Kazian Blackwood | Reiner Ghadi | Thomas Barran

Raphael reached for the spike, a raised eyebrow preceded a coy grin. "Did you miss the part where I said I'm not a slicer?" He nearly laughed out of amusement. Thankfully, a door wasn't exactly slicing, and that at least fell within his experience. Approaching the reader he reached out along its edge, searching for a port he knew to exist on most models. That however, was as far as he was able to get. Vertigo struck him almost immediately, as if something had changed the laws of physics. Something shuddered beneath his feet, his knees wobbling as he looked back at the others. "What was that?" They didn't have long to wait.

The building groaned ominously, durasteel warping and floor plating scraping against itself as it struggled to hold form. Microfissures appeared across the glass of the windows nearby, an eerie shift in pressure tightening in their eardrums. Then, in an instant, all hell broke loose. The sheer pressure sent glass showering everywhere, the floor tilting beneath their feet as the foundations of their tower were obliterated. Raphael glanced at the door, then the dataspike in his hand - there was no time. The tower seemed to shake and sway around them, doors twisting and the floor panels buckling upwards at strange angles. "Stay calm!" he shouted, just as much to remind himself as the others.

How to escape? How to survive? Questions assaulted the Senator's mind, ideas created and then just as quickly swept away. Lifts weren't an option for obvious reasons. Stairs? They'd be dead before they'd traversed even a couple of levels. Speeders? Not at this altitude. Think Raphael, there has to be something you can use. He almost laughed aloud at the next thought that came to mind, then dismissed it. No, that's ridiculous. It did remind him of something else though. Something that just might work. "The old evacuation protocols! I'll explain on the way, we don't have much time. Follow me!" Once again, Raphael found himself at the head of the small group. Carefully navigating the uneven plating and doing surprisingly well against the sway of the tower itself, he made it towards the turbolift lobby. "In the event of a fire, or other emergency, the Senate knew not everyone would be able to make it out via turbolift. There's another way - it's not exactly safe but it's better odds than staying here till we hit the ground!"

Stopping in front of a wide relief painting of the senate skyline, the Senator made to move a large vase that had fallen in front of it "Some help with this?" With a grunt and the sound of metal on metal, the vase was moved and Raphael moved into action. Approaching the painting on the wall, he retrieved the unused dataspike Natasi had given him moments ago and used it on a cleverly concealed panel. Had it been concealed by the plant as was intended, a person might not have even noticed it. "When they built this tower, they equipped every few levels with a small cache of personal repulsor packs. It's practlcally ancient technology but..." he shrugged. The painting disappeared, a small door snapping open in its place. Stepping through the door was like taking a step back in time. Immediately Raphael could see a change in design. Gone were the trimmings, replaced with dull durasteel and exposed supports - and the dust. Everything was covered, small cobwebs and a thick layer of dust proved that this place had been long forgotten.

"I guess this is what being a history geek gets us." Raphael cringed. Retrieving a hanging pack from along the wall, he began tightening the straps. I sure hope these hold, and that these work...

"Hurry, on the other end of this room there should be a hatch to the outside. Once we power up, there's no real directional control on these things - we've got to stick together. We'll fall slow enough to avoid breaking our legs but landing isn't going to be pleasant."

Raphael paused and took a deep breath, the tower shuddering beneath their feet once more. They were nearly out of time.

"Any last minute questions? Or words?"