Commenor Survives: Rebel Rising

[Darlyn Excron]

What a sight this was, seeing the groups that came to throw their hat into the fight, or negotiate, or whatever their purpose. Evidently none of the Sith persuasion, otherwise a greater force would've arrived to snuff everything out swiftly. It was bemusing honestly, Sith hardly learned from their mistakes. Had they played fair, perhaps this would be a far smaller gathering of like-minded grudges, those who personally saw the fight, or would have joined regardless. Yet instead they had angered many nests it seemed, and the hornets were none too pleased. An apt turn of events, just what the former Minister needed.

"Veiere..." Darlyn started, following him through to the command center, an attentive eye glancing at [member="Aten Ramses"] and his, less than stellar condition. "I do hope your Jedi patience can stand up to what we're getting ourselves dragged into. This is going to be trouble of Kay sized proportions, and I don't need one of the best damn jedi here to crap out on me." As far as compliments go, Darlyn figured that would go over pretty well. At least for Veiere, he assumed.

The darksider turned his head then to look over at Aten, and hummed in thought. "You fought Mythos then? I hope you plan on making a clean recovery, I doubt Mythos will be the pinnacle of what we're to face against from here on out." Despite his words, there was a tone to his voice, a sort of appreciation perhaps for Aten's presence. Aten seemed to be one of the better ones out there, and Darlyn could appreciate such a man seeming to join forces with them. He knew not who or what would come to their aid, but at least two seemed to be just fine by him.

At least he could try to get along now.

Though thoughts of Mythos, the traitor that he was, did cause the darksider's emotions to flare up, his hand instinctively clutching into a fist, as if the man were there to be punched. Following his volatile tide of emotion, his hand crackled with lightning, the blue tint of his eyes speckling with yellow, before he managed to get himself calm enough to control it once more. Not here. He would get his chance some day. And he'd make the man regret choosing his side so poorly.

"Well, its not as though the sith have a great history with rebels. Should be fun right?"

@WD-334 :|: @Darben Skirae :|: [member="Veiere Arenais"] :|: [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] :|: [member="Loreena Arenais"] :|: [member="Adele Crawford"] :|: @Errreembuhr :|: @Simona Campos :|: [member="Manu Xextos"] :|: [member="Kaine Australis"] :|: [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] :|: [member="Drystan Marakos"] :|: [member="Narses"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Ner vod. It was the first time that [member="Kaine Australis"] had called her that. Lori stood a little taller then, shifting her shoulders back. That ol' familiar cockiness of hers making an appearance. "Well, you look good. And Mom told me that you got married? That's awesome! I'm happy for you!" Of course Lori didn't go to that wedding. After the last one, her Mom was sure to keep her away from such events at her young age.

Lori hooked her left arm in his as they made their way out of the hanger. She was always the touchy-feely sort, regardless of whether or not the other person was. But she wanted to signal to the others that Kaine was a friend, not a threat.

"My adventures? Oh gosh, let me see...I fought in a couple of tournaments. I lost, but win too. After one of them where I fought a really tough guy, I got hurt quite a bit. But I didn't give up! It was a lesson though.

And what else did I do....Oh! I went exploring!
Yeah, I took my little Grey Sparrow to Bakura, Bespin and other worlds. I met a nice girl that's also learning to be a pilot! And I studied a quasar with a boy, but then he ended up being a bad guy when Commenor got attacked. I'm gonna get him good when I see him! Wallop him with well placed punches, I will! Oh! And I encountered a couple of Vong on Tattooine! One took me hostage as people started to attack them, but I won them over with my charm and gained their respect! Have you ever run into any Vong?"

Her chatter went on and on as basic word vomit while they continued on their way. Of course Lori didn't quite know where on the ship she was going. So she led Kaine up to where she figured they were to meet up with [member="Veiere Arenais"] . On the bridge.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori knew all about lessons from losing. She had them herself a while back when she was sparring with [member="Kaine Australis"] . It was a good spar, up until she got in trouble. Or rather she was put in her place. That in itself was fine, but when it was in front of other people, it wasn't fine at all. And that was when she left and went exploring by herself. She hadn't been back to Mando space since.

Her eyes were drawn to the scars that he showed her. Having so little experience or knowledge of the Vong, she could only imagine how he had gotten those scars. It caused her to raise her free hand to the right side of her face just past the hairline. Did she have any scars from the claws that held onto her head? It was hard to say.

Lori laughed at his remark while they carried on, bringing him to one of the lifts. "I think that everyone is a lot less murderous without their heads. And as you can probably guess, there's plenty here that want to see quite a few heads roll after what happened..." She went silent for a moment, allowing herself just a minute of time to let the reality of the attack sink in. "They have my Mom...millions died and I felt it!
I felt them cry out...Would I know it if they kill my Mom too?"

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori nodded, swallowing down a lump in her throat as she pushed down her raw emotions. Feeling the deaths from Munto City was one thing. But seeing it was quite another. It made her wonder how [member="Kaine Australis"] was holding up amongst all this.

He was tough though. One of the toughest Mandalorians that she had ever seen. And despite her pranks that she subjected him too in the absence of her twin brother [member="Caedyn Arenais"] , she had a high level of love and respect for him. He was family, blood or not.

She gave him a small smile as he assured her on not only getting their people back, but on getting justice as well. It fueled her own confidence. "Commenor survives. And when those Sith least expect it...POW!! We'll get them good!" Lori punched the button to activate the lift, but gently. She only pretended that it was some Sith Lord's face.

 

[Errreembuhr]

As the light freighter was drawn in to the ship's hangar, Errreembuhr took heed of the warning given regarding weaponry. While he personally never went anywhere without a pair of his Madclaw PX pistols, he wasn't about to let them cause an issue. The Wookiee set aside the holsters on his ship as the pilot droid brought it in.

"Sir, are you sure that is a good idea?" Talus asked, the droid himself clutching at his blaster carbine. "We do not know who will be here. The Commenori aren't known for being discrete in who they ally themselves with and the royal family is known to have ties to the Mandalorians."

"I don't think it's a good idea," Errreembuhr replied in his native tongue, glaring at the droid. "But it's what's being asked of us to participate. The others will have to surrender their weapons as well. That means you too, Talus. Put it down."

It took a moment, but the droid acquiesced, setting aside the rifle with clear hesitation. "I cannot disobey a direct order. But I must reiterate just how bad of an idea I think it is to exit this ship without a weapon."

The wookiee couldn't help but laugh in response, motioning for Talus to follow him as the ship's ramp lowered. "I'm a Wookiee, Talus. You know about our rituals in the Shadowlands. I am a weapon."

Their chaperones approached as soon as the Wookiee and his droid were off the ship, scanning them for weaponry. They'd find none, of course, and Errreembuhr waited patiently for the command to follow.

Spoiler

[member="Simona Campos"]
[member="Manu Xextos"]
[member="Kaine Australis"]
[member="Loreena Arenais"]
[member="Stardust Australis Skirae"]
[member="Caedyn Arenais"]
[member="Asaraa Vaashe"]
[member="Darlyn Excron"]
[member="Veiere Arenais"]
[member="Narses"]
[member="Drystan Marakos"]
[member="WD-334"]

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

[member="Veiere Arenais"] [member="Errreembuhr"] [member="Loreena Arenais"] [member="Darlyn Excron"]

She brought the transport down, she then turned towards her husband and nodded

itll be a meeting of those with many differences with a single similarity....death of the Sith empire and revenge for commenor, revenge for the 8 million dead

She stood, taller then darben, she placed a hand on his shoulder and hugged him close as she closed her eyes and took a breath

may the force guide is in these crimson days

Letting him go she opened the back and stepped off, she looked around the place seeing a gathering of people...she felt a bit of anger swell, where had these people been when they needed them the most?she closed her eyes to cool herself and then sighed. She departed and started towards where they would meet, she glanced one way then stopped as she saw her vod, she gave a smile then frowned as a thought came up....could she fight with the mandalorians? They had the Sith as friends...least strained relations but it was another thought for later right now she had this to focus on

She would enter the command center and glanced around

 

[Warchief Waddles]

“Your words are much appreciated Master Veiere, you'll continue to have an ally in me.” Aten said rising from the bow, it was as if a huge weight had been removed from his shoulders or the remaining one with his actions being forgiven by Veiere. The one who if no one else had all the right to hate the young Jedi Knight. With his apologies finished Aten backed away there would be far more influential and important figures that Veiere was to meet. The Master knew that no matter what Aten would remain in his corner till the bitter end. Moving to fall just behind Veiere and Darlyn, Aten let them lead the way through the ship to the Command Center.

Even from the interior of the ship Aten could feel numerous presences coming from far and near, looking out a lone viewport into the blackness of space Aten watched as reality seemed to fracture before him. Thrumming lines of energy stretched out before him, the ley lines of the force. The lines that connected everything, in this moment they stood on the precipice of change, what path they all chose from here could lead in many directions. The deaths of all aboard, or even their triumph, at the heart of this singularity, Veiere thrummed, it all depended on him in this instant.

The words of [member="Darlyn Excron"] drug Aten from his trance and back to the present where the Morellian’s head turned to take in the red-haired individual. “Don’t worry friend, I have plenty more left to throw at the Sith. Whatever they bring all we can do is that we bring better.” Offering a wink in the man’s direction Aten smiled. “Though it was the most enjoyable battle I’ve had to date.” This was a truth that Aten had come to accept about himself, that he thrived off combat. In a way it energized the Jedi, he craved it. His time among the Morgukai doing nothing but increasing his hunger for battle. It was like a beast the Morellian was forced to keep locked within a cage for fear of the damage it would wreak. A beast that was transformed into a weapon for the light.

Taking careful note, Aten felt the hairs on his arm raise up as Darlyn’s demeanor had changed slightly. The slight shift in eye color, the crackling of lightning. Aten had seen many of the Dark ally themselves with the light and this was one of those instances. The naïve padawan he’d been would’ve possibly attempted to scold Darlyn or even question him. The knight he was now understood that not all those who touched or drew upon the dark were woven from the same cloth of the Sith. Preparing himself, Aten rose to his full height as they neared the Command Center.

[member="Veiere Arenais"], [member="Manu Xextos"], [member="Kaine Australis"], [member="Loreena Arenais"], [member="Caedyn Arenais"], [member="Asaraa Vaashe"]

 

[Silfe Sosuri]

Silfe had been supremely glad when they found the cloaked ship and had made their way away from Commenor. She would have never thought she would be happy to see the planet fade into the distance and then take its mark among the many others in hyperspace. But [member="Loreena Arenais"] had made it out and that was what was important. She was, for the time being, safe. Soon they found the CSA Resolute where [member="Veiere Arenais"] was. She let them have their reunion, not wanting to intrude, and left the ship to go directly to the medical wing to assist doctors there. Her expertise in droid management would help substantially keep everything in working order as they tended to the wounded that slowly found their way to the Resolute.

Now finally having time, Silfe had rested for the better part of a day and dressed in something besides medical scrubs for the first time since coming on board. It felt good to be herself as she made her way up to the Command Center. She was surprised to see [member="Darlyn Excron"] there too but she shouldn't have been. He was a tough man. Neither he nor Veiere had seen her in years. What would they think of her now? She had not yet met [member="Aten Ramses"], or in fact many that were present. Had so much happened in two years?

She approached Darlyn, Veiere, and Aten. "My, if your definition of fun is the same as when I last saw you Darlyn, I would say it certainly will be. Mind you, I don't think everyone will see it that way." She smiled wide, suddenly overwhelmingly happy to see a friend's face. Automatically she dipped her head and curtseyed a little to Veiere. She had not lived these last two years with the idea that he was no longer king and it was automatic for her to give him the honorific. "Your Highness."

 

[Simona Campos]

The comms officer of the Resolute granted them clearance and provided instructions for them upon landing. They had an escort waiting for them to take them up to the command center, but they apparently weren't allowed any weapons outside of their vessels. That was fine, Simona would still have her fists and the Force.

"Roger that, docking now."

Vectors were disseminated among her fellow pilots, then she guided them into the hangars from the underside of the Star Destroyer. Inside, she began the landing sequence onto the inner deck, she noted the hangar was quite busy. It hit her then that this may all that was left of the Systems Alliance.

It wasn't the only thing she noticed coming down. There was big black vessel on the deck, almost avian in appearance. It was an alien design she wasn't familiar with, but the aesthetics reminded her of large warships currently fielded by the Mandalorian Empire.

Simona rolled her eyes, the Mandalorians' most recent terrorist attacks on Kashyyyk still fresh in her mind. The Mandalorian Empire was no better than the Sith Empire to her at this point, so she found it ironic they may be part of this rising rebellion. She could think of more than a few places in Mandalorian space that would be happy to rebel against the police state if they had the means.

Before popping open her canopy, she stowed away her carbine and lightsaber, then jumped on internal encrypted comms between the small collection of Rebels and Shadows.

"Remember, no weapons outside, and make sure you lock down all the birds before we disembark. I trust King Veiere, but he has been known to keep some...curious company. Adele, I'd like you to sit back with Bravo team and watch our ships."

While speaking, she quickly rattled off a private text message between herself and Adele:

// Try to check out the black bird, but be discrete. The meeting hasn't even started and it's already bearing fruit. //

She hopped out of her cockpit, soon met by Commenori crewmen as promised. One woman stepped forward requesting she go through a quick pat down when she had no weapons on display. Simona submitted without complaint and was quickly cleared.

Once that was all out of the way, the Commenori Escort led them to the nearest tram lift for the command center. It was showtime.

[member="Veiere Arenais"] [member="Adele Crawford"] [member="Narses"] [member="Errreembuhr"] [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Drystan Marakos"]

 

[Adele Crawford]

[SIZE=10pt]No weapons, seemed to be the protocol for things like this, but that always didn’t stop people sadly. Following the orders from the Resolute, Adele maneuvered the X-Wing to dock with the others. Stashing away her shotgun and other weaponry, opened the hatch of the X-Wing and looked around. She had made note of the ships that were docked along with the one that stood out like a sore thumb. It seemed like the Mandalorians were everywhere and on every side possible. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Sighing, she tapped her lips with a finger deep in thought, seemed loyalty meant something entirely different to them. Shrugging it off, she had things to do along with the rest of the group. Commenor was the final straw and here they were. As Simona’s voice spoke over the comms, a small light flickered on her wrist. Eyes quickly scanned the message and she understood her part in this. No response, but as the woman and the others left, Adele made eye contact which was enough to say she understood what she needed to do. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Bravo team seemed to busy themselves with each other, they had brought sabacc with them which she would eventually go and take their money later. The Corellian remained in her cockpit for a moment and dug around her pockets for a small case. Finding it, she produced two of the small Spider Slicers she had brought with her. Typically, she would need her power armor to control them, but her affinity to mechu deru, she was perfectly fine. The machines came to life with just a thought and she smiled patting them on the head. Who needed pets when you had slicer spiders? It took her a few minutes, but the droids were soon connected to her comm.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The small droids took a moment and one by one they moved from the cockpit of the X-Wing to the floor. With the amount of ships and objects in the hanger the spiders had no problems hiding under things, above things etc. Their little magnetic feet helped them move about the hanger heading towards the large black ship with ease.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt][member="Veiere Arenais"] [member="Simona Campos"] [member="Narses"] [member="Errreembuhr"] [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Drystan Marakos"][/SIZE]

 

[Drystan Marakos]

Drystan followed the Flight; it was her duty to assist any that fell behind or distract & delay enemy fighters, and she took the role seriously. She was the last to land upon the flight deck of the CSA Resolute. As she brought her X-Wing in to land, she noted the activity in the bay. Her brow furrowed, "More than I thought..."

She noted the presence of the Avian-like craft, recognizing it as similar to Mandalorian in nature, as well as a number of other ships. Simona's voice came over the intercom, reminding the team of the security protocol, but The Shadow didn't like it... She was nervous that the Sith might still be one step ahead and planned on being prepared.

Drystan powered down her craft and removed her helmet, setting it upon the console in front of her. Long blonde hair fell from the helmet, laying upon her shoulders like sun-bleached wheat in a summer wind. She was dressed in a red leather jumpsuit bearing Rebel Alliance insignia and wore a belt around her waist.

Opening the small locker beside her leg, Drystan selected a small metal tube from inside and held it in her hand, her eyes closing as the world became far away...

Her Shoto, a simple & rugged design of metal and wood, was a tool when concealment was a must and other weapons were impractical; the blade, when extended, was a pure silver/white in color and hummed like a thousand angry hornets when ignited. It was also easier to dedicate a small amount of energy toward hiding it than if she'd chosen the second metal tube also concealed in the locker; a curved-hilt design.

The Blonde Jedi drew upon her command of the Force and wielded her mind like a weapon: her powers of compartmentalization & mental focus were superb, and she crafted a web of illusion so strong that the lightsaber in her palm vanished... By her direction, The Force bathed across the lightsaber, twisting and changing its' image… In her minds' eye, she imagined a cloud of greyish smoke curling & roiling like living serpents across the surface of the weapon, blinding the sight of any who might look upon it; if she were patted down, one's natural reaction would be to avoid it entirely, and it would remain so for the duration of their stay.

Until it was needed. If it was needed.

She felt somewhat drained as she directed a continuous stream of focus into the illusion. Only a Jedi Master, or one with great skill in the art of True Sight would have a chance to see through the illusion, and even then, they would find her true of intention.

As for the risk, she would accept the consequences of her actions. Lives meant more.

Without remembering her own actions (an unteachable skill, to be sure), Drystan secreted the Shoto away upon her person and triggered the X-Wing's hatch, rising alongside [member="Simona Campos"], standing beside her as they parted from Adele. At one point, Drystan caught Simona's eye and projected an image into the woman's mind: "Though they seek, they shall not find." as well as the image of her wielding a shaft of silver light.

Drystan passed through the same checkpoint directly behind Simona, underwent the same pat-down everyone received before venturing further into the ship, then joined Simona and the Commenori Escort. Beyond the powerful illusion, she appeared open and honest; she had nothing to hide, and made it plainly obvious.

 

[Asaraa Vaashe]

Even as Kaine Australis and Loreena were riding the turbolift up to the meeting room Asaraa was settled up against the wall of the lift as she let her gaze drift up to the roof of the transport as she considered the meeting she'd just had. She didn't know what she'd expected when she'd met the ex-King of Commenor, the stories and Caedyn's attitude had made him out to be some kind of archdemon, a man who had abandoned his beliefs and family. Abandoned the planet that needed him, and she wasn't denying that he'd done that, but at the same time he didn't seem as bad as she'd feared. A sense of purpose, she could remember the sense when he'd seen that his children were safe, the intensity in his speech when he spoke of freeing his planet. If he was the man who had abandoned everything, then maybe he was the man who was trying to make up for his past. No-one could escape what they'd done, she more than anyone was aware of that. But maybe...hopefully...there was forgiveness if you tried hard enough, if you did enough. There had to be right?

Her gaze drifted over to the lights of the turbolift as she sank lower into the bowels of the ship, eyes not really seeing what was infront of her as she sank into her memories. The screams of innocents as a red lightsaber cut through the guardsmen who had trusted her. The silent scream of someone unable to stop themselves as men and women fell before her, painting her orange skin with splashes of red, like paint splashed across her skin. She could still feel the warmth of the blood, the laugh, her own voice taunting them as the guards threw together a hast defense that she'd torn apart. The look of terror, of pure betrayal in the eyes of the woman who had let her into the base as the life dimmed from her eyes. Her inability to beg their forgiveness, not then as the pirates who had followed her had torn the base apart, and not now. Everyone had said that it wasn't her fault, that she couldn't be blamed, but that little voice in the back of her head whispered that maybe if she'd done something different if she'd made a different choice then maybe they'd all be alive. The pink haired girl took a deep breath, her fingernails digging into her palms so hard that she could almost feel them drawing blood as she let out the breath as the doors opened. She'd been more...touchy since then, less stable, she knew it and it seemed that it was a weakspot of hers. That sith on Commenor had pushed her buttons and she'd almost charged him to make him shut up, and who knows where that would have ended up. Still, the girl padded out of the turbolift, her footsteps echoing around the nearly empty hangar, Caedyn had really stepped up to save her from herself there without even knowing why. "So this is where you're hiding huh?" He might have helped her, but that didn't mean she wouldn't tease him while she could.

[member="Veiere Arenais"] | [member="Caedyn Arenais"]

 

[Narses]

Location: Arriving on the Resolute


So many lives shattered by the Empire, it was a wonder it hadn't crumbled yet.

He reckoned it was held together by fear alone. People were afraid to even speak out against the Empire. Doing so had consequences, but the galaxy was a large place and if one was a little careful, it was possible to slip through their fingers. The Mirialan rebel survivors had gone under the radar of Sith forces for months in the wake of the battle of Mirial. He didn’t know every type of operation they had conducted in that time, but the ones him and his crew were sent on were typically delivery missions or raids. Most of it had been delivering weapons and ammunition to outlying Siel Manta cells and it made him feel content to know that their actions had made a difference in furthering the goals of the Siel Manta, but he always had a nagging feeling at the back of his mind.

There was a great interest in recruiting more people too, and if they managed to break out more of their brethren from prison, how many of them wouldn’t want to take up arms to fight back at those who subjugated them. What had originally been a rebel group numbering in the tens of thousands had been nearly wiped out at the battle of Mirial, with the remainder withdrawing. They would need every Mirialan man and women they could get for the coming storm.

<<We will be disembarking soon sir.>>

<<Good, make sure you transmit the required clearance codes to the Resolute before we enter,>> Shahori knew how the Commenori were feeling, that suffocating sensation of paranoia and wounded pride, yet they were not willing to lay low and he respected them immensely for their will to fight on. The no weapons ban had some of his younger staff on edge about entering the Star destroyer, yet Shahori had no qualms with it. He was but one cog in the machine that was the Siel Manta, if he had to die for his cause then so be it.

Captain Shahori flipped the switch to speak into the mic, overruling any other transmission on the short range link he had set up.

"This captain Jal Shahori of the Siel Manta, permission to board please," the coms distorted his voice slightly, five minutes passed and clearance was given for the Mirialans to disembark once clearance codes supplied by agent Campos had been transmitted. Captain Shahori and a security detail of four Hirona hellfighters were to enter the ship for the meeting, although they would be unarmed and without their vibroblades, the Mirialan soldiers were still nothing to be trifled with in unarmed combat.

[member="WD-334"] [member="Darben Skirae"] [member="Veiere Arenais"] [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] [member="Loreena Arenais"] [member="Aten Ramses"] [member="Adele Crawford"] [member="Errreembuhr"] [member="Simona Campos"] [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Caedyn Arenais"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori didn't punch the button hard, so there was no need to shake it off or anything. She glanced over to [member="Kaine Australis"] while he spoke, her eyes studied his features. The man had a lot on his mind, she could tell. There were things that he wanted to say, but he held them back. With everything that was going on, she didn't blame him for having a lot of different topics on mind.

And then he switched the focus to herself. Lori grinned and stood a little taller. "I think that he's quite proud that I can look after myself. So much so in fact,
That he's started to train me personally. I was going to have him help me make my own armour to go along with his, but we can't do that right now. His forge and workshop are back at our Estate and...well, we can't go there right now..." They'd be arrested if they did. Or worse.

It wasn't long before the doors reopened and the Command Centre lay before them. Lori stepped out first, but made sure that she didn't get too far ahead of Kaine while she led him over to [member="Veiere Arenais"] , [member="Darlyn Excron"] , @Silfe Sisori , [member="Aten Ramses"] and others. "Dad!
He's here! Dad, this is Kaine Australis, one of my guardians. Kaine, this is my Dad, Veiere." Of course she didn't have to give out their names. They probably knew eachother by reputation alone.

 

[Taa Nul]

Location: Approaching the CSA Resolute

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vez6Tw3p3uE&feature=youtu.be​

The aftermath of the siege still lingered in the mind of the Lord Regent. Their defense, while valiant, had failed against the vast sith invasion force. Many of his troops and military assets had valiantly given their lives for Commenor, and such assets would be difficult to replace without access to the cloning facilities on Kamino he'd once had free reign over during the days of the Galactic Empire. Yet he believed beyond any doubt that he had done the right thing, and that Commenor would be the future of the galaxy with the loss of the Empire. He had safely ferried Veiere off world to the Resolute several days ago, yet had to depart to reorganise his remaining fleet.

Thankfully, such business was complete for now. A dozen vessels from his Armada had escorted him to the rendezvous point with the Resolute, with the rest of the fleet in tow, though delayed to ensure they didn't lead any Sith intelligence operatives to the meeting site. The Lord Regent sat quietly in his seat aboard the Lambda-class Shuttle ferrying him to the Resolute's main hangar. "CSA Resolute, this is Shuttle Tyderium, transmitting authorisation codes now.", the shuttle pilot spoke over a communication's channel to the Resolute. The officer in command of the hangar at the other end of the transmission authorised the code, turning to speak to one of his underlings. "Inform our liege that the Lord Regent's shuttle has arrived.", the officer said with a nod of his head as the Lambda shuttle made it's landing in the Resolute's hangar bay...

[member="Veiere Arenais"]
[member="WD-334"]
[member="Darben Skirae"]
[member="Asaraa Vaashe"]
[member="Loreena Arenais"]
[member="Aten Ramses"]
[member="Adele Crawford"]
[member="Errreembuhr"]
[member="Simona Campos"]
[member="Kaine Australis"]
[member="Caedyn Arenais"]
[member="Manu Xextos"]

 

[Darben Skirae]

"Death of the Sith Empire..." he murmured. He was suddenly hesitant on all this. Yes, he had trained for this. To fight. And yet just hearing it said, he was very hesitant on all this. Maybe he'd ought to stay behind. Work out diplomatic stuff, keep building up his store. Expand out a bit. No doubt [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] would sense these doubts he had in his mind. Darben hugged Star back, wishing in the back of his mind that they could just continue living on Commenor, in peace.

He moved to follow her, smiling to recognizable faces he came across. And yet there were so many he did not recognize. So many people around.

[member="Veiere Arenais"] [member="Loreena Arenais"] [member="Kaine Australis"]

 

[Manu Xextos]

The emotional texture of the ship felt tense, but optimistic. As I walked through, escorted and surrounded by a small honour guard of four of my descendants, two females of identical faces, two males who shared my younger face, I saw people far removed from the Echani and Nelvaani of my home. Talkers, the lot. Joy!

I knew little of these people, beyond what [member="Livia Maddox"] told me, and what I was able to glean from [member="Baiko no Kaho"]’s crew, but my instincts dictate these people are more than worth my time. It is with the gravity of the situation at hand that I go to meet Kay Arenais’ husband. Folding my white robes over my shoulders, I raised the hood and offered a sniff at this… Warmaster of the Mandalorians.

An unrefined ram cruising the heavens with his recklessness.

My gnarled palms pressed together, knuckles bundled in the curl of a lifelong staff and lightsaber fighter. I bow my head, which at seven feet tall does tend to brush against the odd hatchway on varying ships.

“Veiere Arenais, Manu Xextos. I come with the blessing of the Monarchs of Sabarene, to extend our bastion for any of your displaced Peoples, and to offer my fleets and military academy in service to your cause. I offer myself as a doctor and healer of physical and spiritual wounds, and open my Aberash Temple to those of your people who have been touched by the Dark, or require a place to reacquaint with the Light and Living Force. The pleas of Commenor reached us, chased by the pleas of a confused young warrior who could not attend without causing the genocide of her own People.” My eyes flickered pointedly at this Warmaster Australis.

“Your youngling called Darth Carnifex to her side from across the known Galaxy, Warmaster Australis. Adara's panic was directly responsible for the deaths of my kin, just as she was also used against Commenor, keeping Mantis’ forces out of the battle. Put a lid on your kid. Or I will. Baiko was one of my descendants, that makes her death my problem and you will not like how I deal with it, if you fail.” While seemingly harsh, my words of warning were given out of respect to the Mandalorian’s position in all this… and as a caution to keep tidy his own house, if he were truly as it was said by the dying Baiko, the adopted father to the Mand'alor's children.

“Pardon my forwardness... Thing about Carnifex, he keeps coming back. We can very well kill this Sith Empire dead… but he will regenerate. He will throw his soul into another clone body and restart the cycle. We had the same issue with Palpatine, back in my early days. So. We want to kill off this beast infecting your planets and murdering your citizenry… we have to do it in a way where the recompense won’t bite you in the backside faster than a Kufu Worm on a teenager’s first passage through the desert.” It occurred to me if any of this is news to those present, we’re in for an even wilder ride.

[member="Veiere Arenais"] | [member="Kaine Australis"] | [member="Bradshaw Ku"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Kira Vaal"] | [member="Loreena Arenais"] | [member="Atlas Viridian"] | [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] | [member="Darben Skirae"] | [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"]

 

[Errreembuhr]

Uneventful as the trip to the command center was, Errreembuhr found himself with a lot of time to think. He wasn't sure who exactly would be in the room he was walking into. Where their loyalties lied. Even amongst Rebel groups there was quite a bit of confusion with where loyalties lied. After all it hadn't been long since he'd supported two groups at once before, and one wasn't in existence anymore. He had seen some landing in the hangar as he was ushered further in, but not any he recognized.

Once inside there were quite a few faces. Many of them unfamiliar, and the majority closer to Human than... well... anything else. One he recognized however, despite their limited knowledge of each other, was [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"] just in the distance. They'd been on the Coalition together before the Sith's invasion, and been into the Netherworld side by side to help Vulpesen find his people.

Another familiar face, one less well received, was [member="Kaine Australis"] the Mandalorian. Errreembuhr's face twisted just a bit, unaffected by his attempts to fight back the anger brought up at the sight of the Mandalorian. The events of Kashyyyk were still fresh in his mind, and the Wookiees were a long-lived species. They forgave as easily as they forgot, which was not easily at all. It was part of the reason he hated Trandoshans. At the very least, for what little it had done to save lives, he had managed to eradicate two entire cruisers worth of the terrorist scum, along with the boarding parties of the squid ships. They paid in blood for the civilian lives they'd taken.

"I told you this was a bad idea, sir," the droid uttered, his volume turned down so only the Wookiee could hear it. "I take it you see him as well."

"Of course I do, Talus. But we have other reasons for being here. Kaine Australis will pay in time. He can't play both sides forever."

Without waiting for a retort, the Wookiee made his way to Stardust. She was the closest to a friend he had here, despite their short time in acquaintance.

"I didn't expect to be in the presence of more than one royal family here," the Wookiee said, referring to her position as the Queen of Zeltros. "It's good to see you again, though I wish it could be under more peaceful circumstances."

Spoiler

[member="Simona Campos"]
[member="Manu Xextos"]
[member="Kaine Australis"]
[member="Loreena Arenais"]
[member="Stardust Australis Skirae"]
[member="Caedyn Arenais"]
[member="Asaraa Vaashe"]
[member="Darlyn Excron"]
[member="Veiere Arenais"]
[member="Narses"]
[member="Drystan Marakos"]
[member="WD-334"]
[member="Baron Morcus"]

 

[Ravenfire]

Tom was among the number of people who had joined on this quest against the Sith. His father had promised to help the CSA, Tom was not about to reign on even a dead man's promise. Even one that had turned evil and one he missed deeply. He had asked Mykes not to come with him. This was personal business. Tom recognised [member="Kaine Australis"] although he didn't say anything to the man. He hid his face further under his hood instead. He had heard stories and had been present during the siege. He may have not been able to do anything but he also knew when he left things were not as they seemed within the ME. Words of the mand'alor threatening another society and then allowing the Sith to destroy the CSA didn't bode well.

He knew he would be recognised if he spoke so instead he simply left a message in the captain's office that said.

Dear [member="Veiere Arenais"],

I owe the CSA a promise. A promise made by my father who may have passed before my eyes but a promise none the less. Please consider myself and any of my assets at your dispose should you require it. My apologies for deciding to contact you this way but unfortunately there are others who I no longer wish to know my movements. However should you ever need me or my force don't hesitate to call. After all a Taff always keeps their promises even those of the dead.

Your hopefully
Tom Taff.

Tom would leave it on the desk before quietly climbing into an air vent and disappearing. His promise had been made and no one apart from the leader would even know he was here.

 

[WolfMortum]

"Sir, another vessel on approach requesting to board..." Vikras Ansion was met with the earnest face of his youngest and newest officer aboard the bridge, a female by the name of Hayleigh Raize. Word from [member="Narses"]' crew had been recieved and offering his confirmation in the form of a nod and a brief yet politely dismissive wave, Vikras gave her the okay to bring them onboard the Resolute. "Siel Manta. You are cleared and may proceed to the designated Landing Bay being transmitted to you presently. We ask that you leave any and all fire-arms aboard your ship and will send an escort to your location shortly. From there you will be guided to the Command Center at the behest of Veiere Arenais. Thank you and welcome aboard" Hayleigh was young yet she was professional in her stature and Vikras appreciated being able to find confidence in one so inexperienced. The Crew as a whole was certainly coming together well for one that had been formed so swiftly in response to such a trauma to his people. He was Commenori by blood, after all.

"CSA Resolute, this is Shuttle Tyderium, transmitting authorisation codes now."​

​

The Arrival of [member="Baron Morcus"] prompted Vikras forward to respond in person. "Tyderium, this is Admiral Vikras Ansion. Proceed on course and follow the coordinates being relayed to you now" He had his officer send the location through to the Tyderium, for Morcus and his people to land within the Hangar specifically meant for the members of House Arenais and those of the upper tier ranks of the Resolute; "Your presence is expected within the Command Center five flights above. Welcome to the Resolute, Baron".

​

​

Those that would join them within the Command Center were numerous new and old faces alike. Veiere Arenais arrived via the turbo-lifts like everyone else and flanked by [member="Aten Ramses"] and [member="Darlyn Excron"], he would move to the head of the room meant for the Tactical Command and Overwatch of not only the Resolute but any vessels that would join under his direct command; those that could be salvaged from the fleet of Commenor and those that might join them through Allies in War.

Veiere looked over all whom arrived, perhaps expected that he ought to feel pride and pleasure for seeing so many answer the call for assistance in their Resistance against the Sith in the aftermath of the Systems Alliance's fall, yet he had been in this position before and resented the fact that his wife [member="Lady Kay"] was not here to stand with him. Kay was the politician, Veiere had always been the Sword of Commenor during their union. They both had their strengths and when words were needed the most, it was always Kay that delivered while Veiere sought to keep the order that might only further influence peace for their people. That was at least, up until his fall...[member="Darlyn Excron"] gave him too much credit to claim that Veiere was the best Jedi out there; it was farthest from the truth if Veiere had ever heard it though he appreciated the vote of confidence. The former King had indeed been searching for hope in repentance, yet it had been [member="Darth Carnifex"] that had pushed him back into the light by great and terrible irony. The Dark Lord of the Sith had drawn the blood of everything that Veiere had held dear, and in those moments of desperation, Veiere had found the strength and renewed focus to fight back. To see clearly what was important beyond all politics and blurred cultural lines of morality; despite peoples differences, it was life in the end that mattered. Life and the freedom to choose to live in peace or otherwise reap the rewards for every life taken in darkness.

To his Daughter Veiere smiled genuinely despite [member="Kaine Australis"]' presence so close to her. [member="Loreena Arenais"] spoke fondly of him as though he were blood yet there were words they had yet to share in private. Words of politics and blood, his wife's ties to Clan Raxis and the Mandalorian Empire...-The same one that [member="Alkor Centaris"] belonged to, he whom had captured and delivered Veiere right to the Sith Emperor during the battle of Gree. Veiere gestured for his daughter to stand by his side, soon taking hold of the Battle Axe that had been offered to him by the Mandalorian Warmaster, if not only to remove one of his weapons that he had chosen to bring on board with him. The Sovereign Guard stood at the ready were there trouble to arise, not to mention the Resolute's armed crewman, yet none of them shared the room with his guests and only Veiere himself had been allowed the freedom to carry arms.

Kaine wasn't the only one to vye for Veiere's attention, [member="Manu Xextos"] too had plenty to say in his introduction as well as in response to the Mandalorian's presence, leaving Veiere to raise a hand gently in request for they both to refrain from continuing their discussion for a time, that he might instead speak to them all rather than focus on the few in front of so many.

"I have no doubt that some of you have met before..." Veiere spoke up over top of all of them, raising his voice so that he could intervene before emotions rose beyond what could be considered rational and civilized; "And I do regret that there may be history here that goes beyond my control. However for the reason and perhaps the one thing that you all seem to have in common, I ask that you keep your previous affairs outside of this room...-Enough lives have been taken before my children's eyes. Enough blood has been spilled for reasons justified by the pride and discrimination of others. Today isn't about fighting among ourselves..." he allowed a pause, breathing a heavy exhale in sighing fashion as he took to gauge the attention of those whom had come.

"Commenor's mistake was in believing that we were pursuing a path to Peace while others were fighting for it outside of our territory. We did a lot for those within our space, yet there were others that needed the assistance we could have provided were we to choose to take a side in this war. I'm saying this because everyone knows it, and as the Former King and the Man responsible for this fact, I will be the first to acknowledge it. However, I do so with a point..." his attention would turn down to his daughter briefly, hoping that she would gain some insight towards her own father, he whom had been absent for such a time these last few years; "Every fight, every flaw that is shared between ourselves is a weakness the Sith Empire will exploit. Thus, whatever hatred or resentment you might hold with one another, what I have asked you all to come here for will require us all, myself included to put aside our differences for the greater good. The neutralization of the Sith Empire and the death of Kaine Zambrano, the Emperor by the name of Darth Carnifex and each member of his House and heritage".

There was a time where such a bold statement would have angered Veiere upon hearing such a call to war and knowing all that it would take to even attempt such a thing; the days where he considered himself a pacifist whilst others called him a coward for harboring such views. To some extent, he still held the knowledge that violence only brought on more violence and yet some times there were moments where those whom wished not to fight, were forced to do so in order to protect the people they loved. Today the Sith Empire was reigning down tyranny across thousands of worlds all going unchecked by those whom like Commenor, believed themselves to be in the clear by showing only interest in their own pockets of the Galaxy. Such a belief had only left them too weak to match the might of the Empire's devastating fleet.

"Agents of the Sith Empire would have me executed for my part in the governance and leadership of the Systems Alliance of Commenor. They too would have each and every one of you killed for simply talking about such things. Those of you who do not have the stomach for such things are free to leave, you will not be judged for doing so; those who stay...-Should take into consideration that what I am suggesting is a call to War for those who have yet to be affected by it, and further bloodshed for those of you who are already fighting for peace in this Galaxy".

[member="Drystan Marakos"] [member="Narses"] [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Darlyn Excron"] [member="Errreembuhr"] [member="Loreena Arenais"] [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] [member="Adele Crawford"] [member="Baron Morcus"] [member="Darben Skirae"] [member="Manu Xextos"] [member="Tom Taff"] [member="WD-334"] [member="Aten Ramses"] [member="Simona Campos"] [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"]​

(I apologize if I missed anyone! Was a lot to catch up on >.<)​