Commenor Survives: Rebel Rising

[WD-334]

WD-334 took aboard by a small single-seated shuttle just large enough for the droid, coming into the bay as others arrived around. The droid noticed it was the first of the Metal Lords aboard, but it knew it would be discussing this with all of them to any that missed. The droid moved onwards, it's metal footsteps vibrating the ground near it with it's heavy weight. And it had just arrived to hear the beginning of the speech being given by [member="Veiere Arenais"]. Many unfamiliar faces were about. It knew the situation. The Sith Empire struck Commenor full force. Such an attack back was one to strongly consider.

The droid would need convincing that this force of theirs was up to the task. And entire Metal Lord fleet was on standby for the call, for WD-334 to give the go ahead that they would be assisting. There was much to think over. Many strategies to formulate. Forces to gather. And in such little time....

[member="AD-8"] [member="Ultimatum"]

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Asaraa Vaashe, on 09 Aug 2018 - 09:10 AM, said:
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.

​

For a moment Caedyn hadn't expected the sound of another's voice and it gave him an initial fright, enough so at-least that it awoke him from his day dream, the reoccurring images of war that he had been forced into experiencing. "Huh, I guess that's how it looks doesn't it?" He responded with a question that sounded like it needed answering more so than he did.

The aftermath of Chasin City still weighed heavily on his shoulders. For both he and his Sister Lori, an all out war on that scale hadn't ever really happened before. Chasin City and life on Commenor growing up into their double digits had always been peaceful and sheltered, right up until they both left to follow their given paths with the Je'daii and the Mandalorian Empire. Even since then, Caedyn had been exposed to plenty of practice and a few real live combat situations but so much destruction and death, the force around him still felt tense and as though part of him had been robbed from his connection to the formerly vibrant flow of life around him.

"Come in if you want..." Caedyn shifted to take a seat upon the actual mantle meant for the would-be passengers the Y-Wing Gunship was built to carry, just over half a dozen in number; "I haven't really had a chance to show you the Peace-Keeper" he smiled warily. They'd managed to escape Commenor aboard The Repertoire but compared to the UT-60D, that was a yacht in comparison to the current vessels capabilities for combat. "After coming to Kashyyyk when Asha disappeared, I figured we'd be getting into a bit more trouble than I was used to. [member="Bradshaw Ku"] taught me a bit more about fighter piloting on top of what my Master had already taught me so...-I figured it'd be good to focus on something I was good at. It's no Star Destroyer like Dad's of course but it's enough for getting people out of hostile places...." His words faded a moment, his left hand lifting to scratch the side of his neck before he'd lean back against the wall and turn back to [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] adding softly "Kinda wish it'd been on Commenor at the time".

 

[Ultimatum]

This was becoming a habit, and Ultimatum was disappointed in himself for it. Yet again the droid and Shard duo were late arriving to an important meeting. He had fallen behind and his only excuse was the work of ICLE. One of the officers had made a breakthrough in a minor case, and the work had distracted him from the messages that filled his data storage. When he had finished, the droid had barely rested before realizing that he was being summoned to war. Not just any conflict, however, it was a fight for Commenor, the planet of his friend and ally [member="Lady Kay"]. He wondered if she would be there, perhaps to oversee the fighting. Ultimatum doubted it, for if his memory served, she had not been one to enjoy or approve of fighting, preferring the art of diplomacy.

The robot took his small fighter ship, the Nautilus. Meanwhile, a transport with his other bodies prepared for deployment followed. It would arrive later, perhaps in time for the ground fight if it came to that. He had arrived just in time to join the others in preparation and noted [member="WD-334"]'s ship nearby as he flew towards the command vessel. He failed to catch the end of the speech and instead waited near the hangar. Perhaps he would see someone he knew, or perhaps someone new.

 

[Solan Charr]

Solan silently moved through the halls of the ship, looking over its inside and making his way to the same room as the rest, arriving and taking a place on the wall, watching as things progressed. He had no familiar bonds to continue with, no hugs to give or well wishes. He merely stood off to the side and watched, looking only to the people he had come to support and no one else.

[member="Lady Kay"] had been his oldest friend, the one person he could still trust without question and he regretted not going himself that day. He had sent an observer, someone who had gotten injured none the less and even then she was a civilian. Alexandra had done the job he asked of her though and he had a meticulous record of what had occurred thanks to the woman's presence on the planet that day. Thanks to her mind and how it seemed to record even the smallest details.

And through her, he had contacted [member="Veiere Arenais"], informing the man of Solan's interest and later of Solan's arrival to the ship itself.

Solan grimaced as he looked at a few in particular due to recent events, not surprised to see them nor surprised to see hollow words being uttered once more. Solan on the other hand came with a blank check, so to speak, ready to provide himself and his people, as well as a very particular agent in the liberation of his friend and her home.

He did briefly glance at [member="Caedyn Arenais"] and [member="Asaraa Vaashe"], interested and his eyes shining the slightest of gold behind those blue eyes of his, an alteration caused by his place in the force. The dark furred ashlan wolf an even better representation of where he stood in the force as it rested on the floor beside him.

"You mention these agents of the Sith." A smile crept across Solan's face, the thought that crossed his mind bringing some interest to his eyes as he spoke up from where he was standing. The next set of words directed at the man who stood and spoke to those that had arrived.

"Are you suggesting the elimination of these pests, and the... removal of them in a way that would make those that support their acts thing twice?" Solan's smile curved up, having lost his empathy for certain groups long ago, and the Sith were one such group, among a few others.

 

[Jake Awaud]

His starship exited Hyperspace near the Destroyer that was carrying the remnant of the CSA. Another government in exile at the hands of the Sith. Something he did not want to get involved with, but at this moment he did not have a choice. It was not part of his duty.

He was transmitting a UTC IFF Tag and sent a communication ahead, "Resolute Command, this is UTC Commander, Jake Awaud, Requesting permission to board"

This was something he could not do at the moment, Clan Awaud as well as all of their holdings were not in the greatest shape. The UTC Armada was destroyed, several facilities were destroyed, and repercussions for fighting the Sith caused several Terrorist Groups loyal to the Sith attacked UTC personal across the galaxy. This disrupted trade as well as the flow of goods and reinforcements to rebuild the company. At the moment, even the board members were missing as well as aides to the Viceroy grinding the flow of goods to a near halt. Even with all those problems, he had to come here and speak with the Higher ups, the Future of his family and company depended on this meeting.

[member="Veiere Arenais"]

 

[AD-8]

AD-8 was, yet again, late. He had run into some refuelling problems back in one of the shadowports, or at least that is what he always told everybody. His Freedom Class Heavy Cruiser exited hyperspace, the other 11 and the supporting Redeemer Class Frigates that he is planning on taking into the fight were waiting a couple of jumps away.

He was here because [member="WD-334"] had informed him that the remnants of the CSA had sent out a plea for help to fight off the sith and retake Commenor, or something like that - the real reason AD was here was he was never going to pass on a chance to test out his new ships and to blow up some sith in the process.

AD took a small shuttle over to the CSA Resolute and upon contact was told to leave any weapons onboard and that he had missed the speech of [member="Veiere Arenais"]. Upon exiting the shuttle he saw [member="Ultimatum"] and walked over.

"Hello Lord ultimatum, long time no see."

 

[Adele Crawford]

[SIZE=10pt]Adele kept an eye on the team, Simona and Drystan had gotten in just fine. This meant that they were well on their way to handle their side of the operation. On the other hand, the Corellian got to play with her spiders – which in her opinion was a bit more fun. The spiders continued their way and their operator monitored their movement on the datapad and through the force. They made a bee line to the ship and paused. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Poking her head out, she checked on Bravo team and waved. They were tempting her with a game of sabacc, but that would have to wait. The spiders crawled up the hull of the ship and found the astromech slot. They quickly began to burrow their way using the small hull to connect to the rest of the ship. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]A green light lit up on the tablet which indicated the bots were starting their slicing sequence. Adele, focused both on the slicing, which would help make things go a bit faster. Still, with her link through the force to the bots she would be able to sense anything that could harm them. Knowing this, she quickly commanded one to start making its way towards the internal structure of the ship. If anything, or anyone came by, the could burrow and hide under the panels of the ship. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Reaching into her pocket, the Corellian removed a granola bar and began to eat as she watched the droids begin their work. She nestled into the cockpit chair and hung her feet outside of the hatch, soft music could be heard from her cockpit as she bounced her foot to the beat. [/SIZE]

[member="Veiere Arenais"] [member="Simona Campos"] [member="Narses"] [member="Errreembuhr"] [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Drystan Marakos"]

 

[Taa Nul]

Location: Aboard the CSA Resolute

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBCrkHmMr9c​

Morcus departed from his shuttle clutching a metallic briefcase in his left hand, tailed by six crimson-garbed members of the Emperor's Royal Guard. The former Galactic Emperor had gone missing in the aftermath of the Empire's fall, and neither Morcus nor the loyal members of his Royal Guard knew of his location. In his absence, however, the Guard had sworn their fealty to him until the Emperor returned to take command. Morcus and his protectors made their way through the Resolute's sprawling corridors with ease, Morcus being more than familiar with it's design due to it's Imperial origins. Eventually, the group arrived at the command centre just as Veiere had finished his speech.

"I apologise for my lateness, Master Arenais. I had to return to the fleet to organise matters there. All of my vessels are en-route to rendezvous with the Resolute as we speak. I come baring an important gift to you all. As we're all quite aware, our military strength, even with my considerable resources, is not enough to reclaim Commenor. We will need to seek allies across the galaxy to aid our cause. I have already been gathering intelligence on suitable candidates, like the remnants of the fallen Galactic Alliance, or the Silver Jedi Order. And regarding my gift, I have in my possession a spark of hope with which Commenor may rise from the ashes stronger than ever before.", Morcus said with a smile. He gently placed the briefcase he'd been carrying on the table in front of him, turning it to face the others before opening it. Within lay a single, metallic bio-canister, of Kaminoan origin. "This, gentlemen, will level the playing field..."

[member="Adele Crawford"]
[member="AD-8"]
[member="Jake Awaud"]
[member="Solan Charr"]
[member="Ultimatum"]
[member="Caedyn Arenais"]
[member="Kaine Australis"]
[member="WD-334"]
[member="Veiere Arenais"]
[member="Tom Taff"]
[member="Errreembuhr"]
[member="Manu Xextos"]
[member="Darben Skirae"]

 

[Asaraa Vaashe]

The girl paused by the side of the ship, reaching out to rest one hand on the cool metal chassis of the ship, thrumming her fingers against the side of the ship the tapping sound of her fingers echoing around the hangar, bouncing off the walls. There was something melancholy about an empty hangar, or an almost empty one in this case, the rows of ships and space all stood empty, their sleek bodies reflecting the lights that beat down on them from the ceiling that stretched above them. A room that should have been bustling with activity now stood as empty as a mausoleum, which seemed to reflect the mood of her friend.

It didn’t take much, her hand on the side of the ship giving Asaraa all the leverage she needed to pull herself up onto the side of the ship, staring down at Caedyn as he shifted in his seat. "I don’t think anyone could ever hard predicted the kinda mess we’d end up falling into. I mean, I’ve gotten into my fair share of scraps but that…” her voice trailed off as a shudder shook her frame as she remembered the cold feeling of death reaching out to grasp at her, the terror like a tsunami in the force. It had been like nothing she’d ever felt before, the fear and death seeping into her very soul. No matter how much she’d scrubbed under the shower, she couldn’t get that coldness, that sense of cold out. With a sigh the girl dropped into the seat next to Caedyn, pulling her legs up so she could wrap her arms around her knees, resting her chin on her knees. “If we’d had a fleet of these then…I didn’t say it before but I’m really sorry about your mum. I’m sorry we couldn’t get to her or get her back.” If there was anyone who needed to get out of a hostile place it had been the queen, one more failure on a day filled with them. The pink-haired girl’s voice dropped to a whisper, “I’m sorry you had to…” Her hands balled up into fists as she lowered her head so her voice barely a whisper, clear in the silence of the cockpit despite that. “I…I never said thank you did I?”

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]

 

[Spectre]

The U-wing following Simona docked the Resolute Star Destroyer. The troopers on the U-Wing were given clear instructions to leave all weapons on the vessel, much to their dismay. They didn't have any intentions of blasting anyone, but they felt that they needed some insurance at least just in case things didn't go as planned. They were also trained to have high trigger discipline, so nobody should worry about them, really. In the end, each one of the 5 troopers stowed away their weapons in a secret compartment below the ship's flooring. They weren't going to risk being apprehended either.

"Are you sure about this meeting?" Vorik asked Drez, the leader of the troopers, as he placed his carbine in the compartment.

"Of course not, but we were paid to come here." Drez answered. It was true. They were practically mercenaries now so they had no choice but to comply with the mission at hand. "Besides, we'll be able to fight out of any situation, with or without weapons." He pointed out, referring to the possibility of fist fighting.



One of the other Fett clones had already pushed the button to the ramp, releasing it. The troopers then proceeded down the ramp and exited the shuttle. The squad was then met with an escort, waiting to take them up to the command center. However, they ignored the escort and made their way over to Simona, choosing to follow her instead.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori stood a little taller as [member="Kaine Australis"] finally got to meet [member="Veiere Arenais"] . She felt proud of her guardian, even though he couldn't help them on Commenor. Given that she had spent some time under their care and tutelage, she sort of understood why Kaine's hands were tied.

Her eyes grew wide as she saw the battle axe presented to her Dad, most especially when she heard what made it special. "Wow..." Why couldn't she have something as wicked as that? More than likely it was because the darn thing looked like it was half her bodyweight. But maybe something smaller....

She stepped over to stand beside Veiere as he gestured for her too. He was, afterall, her Master as well as her Dad. Lori got him to accept such a task not long before the attack happened. She tried her best not to delve back into the memories of what happened. There were so many new experiences, none of which were good. And she was still trying to figure out how to process them. But there was no time for discussion. Not right now.

Lori looked to Veiere as he began to speak, asking everyone to put their differences and grievances aside. When he looked down to her, she knew from the look his eyes held that what he was about to say next would be important....

...And it was. Her mouth opened slightly as her Dad vowed to fight not only to free Commenor, but to also to put an end the Zambrano family. Or at least that was how she understood it. Lori looked straight ahead, her hands clasped behind her back to keep them from fidgeting as she wrapped her mind around such an idea. War. And not a short one either. And how many Zambranos were there that would be set to die? Were any of them younglings? He wouldn't kill them, would he? And what about Mom?

She kept all of those questions to herself, knowing that she wasn't old enough or experienced enough to be heard. And it probably wasn't a good idea to question her Dad in front of everyone.

The less trouble she got into right now, the better.

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

[member="Baron Morcus"] [member="Darben Skirae"] [member="Manu Xextos"] [member="Errreembuhr"] [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Tom Taff"]

She glanced over, then turned with a smile on her face as she chuckled

indeed, I wish we could of met...in better places, but fate has us meet like this I'll try and repay it later maybe you can come to my planet and I'll buy you and your men some drinks

She was going to continue, then raised a hand and motioned to [member="Veiere Arenais"] as he began talking turning towards him as she gave her full attention. She nodded her head in agreement to his words...none of their blood she be allowed to live, even if it meant the youngest must be slayed, upon thinking this she slowly faded out remembering her time with the vong. Remembering the many innocents she killed children, women, men...anyone who stood before her. She wondered if she could really do that again if it came to it

He reminds snapped back, she looked around and blinked as she took a breath and let it out quietly. She watched [member="Baron Morcus"], she looked to the suit case and took a step forward as she saw the canister...her eyes scanned over it before they widened as she looked up to him and then stepped back realizing just what this man had in hand....truly it would indeed level the playing field out again

I can provide food and raw material for whatever we need, no doubt with the gift the baron has brought us we will need several planets worth of food to be made

She said smirking as she nodded to the man in respect

 

[Darben Skirae]

He stuck near [member="Stardust Australis Skirae"], almost right by her side the whole time. Just looking around, awkwardly. And he paused to hear the speech given by [member="Veiere Arenais"]. The war had taken much, and now it was time to return the favor. And Darben was never one for revenge, but this? This was an exception. He lost his store, his home. But that was small compared to all the losses. A city, the whole planet.

Darben followed Star to a man with a case, [member="Baron Morcus"], and looked to all of them in confusion. "Star, what is it?" he asked. He did not even think if it may be secret or not, whatever it was.

 

[Errreembuhr]

Errreembuhr had seen the destruction and ruins brought upon Alderaan. He had seen the damage done to Balmorra. He was at Coruscant when a Trandoshan fleet sought to take advantage of the planet's recent sacking by the Sith. He had never been a pacifist, as his company made weapons of war, but he was also never one for senseless violence. And senseless violence was what the Sith had brought to Commenor as they had so many other places. They held no legal jurisdiction in the Core but for their word at the point of a thousand turbolasers.

And a thousand turbolasers seemed a small number for this gathered group here to be capable to bear against them in return.

He listened to the speech given by [member="Veiere Arenais"] after coming to speak with Stardust, attention drawn away by the speech the same as hers. The man made many points that the Wookiee found himself agreeing with, including those on the more extreme end. Perhaps this was a problem to be dealt with by ripping out the weed as a whole, root and stem.

When [member="Baron Morcus"] stepped forward, a man that Errreembuhr had never had the pleasure of meeting, he listened intently to what was said. The canister seemed to draw significant attention from quite a few people, judging from the murmurs, though he didn't understand the significance of it. What he understood, however, was that they would need things he could supply.

"Whatever the plan is, you can count my company in," the Wookiee said as others spoke up, offering his voice to theirs in offering support. "We're not large, but we can supply weapons, ammunition, and large amounts of corvette and frigate-sized ships. I've seen with my own eyes what the Sith do when they come to planets, and given significant resources of my own to help rebuild Alderaan after their attack there. I'm willing to give what I can here to prevent the same fate from befalling others."

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"]

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn frowned to himself, turning to look back up at [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] a little taken back; "What are you thanking me for?" He asked as if the question completely unnessecary nor the answer obvious to them both. "If we'd stayed there any longer, we'd both have ended up being captured and they'd have probably shot me on the spot for being the next in line for the Crown, right?" he gave his understanding of the situation with another rhetorical statement. Meanwhile they had left his mother behind and though [member="Lady Kay"] was strong, she wasn't that strong...-The Sith had broken her before, before he and his Sister had been born and though Lori might not have heard the old stories, Caedyn had. People talked, especially Force Users.

"Besides, your home's on Kashyyyk. I don't want you being stuck on Commenor because of something that's happening to my family" he shrugged a little. Most of the Galaxy liked to watch and talk about Commenor from a distance but from what Caedyn had learned and witnessed personally, there had been reservations between his Mom, his Dad and the Silver Jedi over incidents of the past. These things were of course political nonsense and didn't matter anymore with Commenor burning, yet the knowledge was enough to distract him from those mental images and he knew that Asaraa was being pulled away from where she was supposed to be with the rest of the Jedi there.

"What're you going to do now, you reckon?" he asked, and this time was genuine in his wanting to know her plans. Between Caedyn's mother and her Mandalorian connections, his father and the Army he was hoping to build for the sake of Rebellion, Caedyn himself hadn't decided. What he did know however was that the fight was only really starting and his life as well as the livelihood of his family had shifted course. War had come to Commenor and engulfed the House Arenais. Whatever had come in the past, the future was all that mattered now.

 

[Adele Crawford]

[SIZE=10pt]As the music continued to play, Adele watched her droids continue to slice through the mild encryption that was the data on the big black funny looking ship. Looking over at her notes, she knew what she was looking for and quickly sent the information over through the force link. The small spider droids used their legs use various tools to slice through the data. Burning through anything that had be set up to protect it. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Part of her felt this was a bit too easy, but with the droids being on high alert for any hidden worms or virus’ things wouldn’t be getting to messy. The droids were also unmarked and untraceable if they were to get caught their hardware would be wiped instantly and who ever had found them would just see them as scrap metal. It took only a few minutes to get through the surface of the encryptions and safety locks. There seemed to not be a lot of cyber protection, which was something some over looked when it came to ships. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The inner smuggler cried out wanting to hijack this thing, but the Adele looked at it and shook her head, didn’t go well with any of her outfits. A hand ran through her dark hair, as she hummed along to the song. With the droids in the system, they began to download the necessary information and logs from the ship. That information was beamed directly and securely to the tablet Adele held in her hands. Looking at her watch, she adjusted her ear piece in case Simona or Drystan needed her for any reason. Other than that, she would continue to work on her small to do list.[/SIZE]


[member="Veiere Arenais"] [member="Simona Campos"] [member="Narses"] [member="Errreembuhr"] [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Drystan Marakos"]

 

[Simona Campos]

The rest of her party cleared without issue, and then they were led to the turbolift for the meeting. They arrived to a packed room, but her blue eyes immediately settled on figure among them all, cringing on the inside.

It was none other than Kaine Australis himself, Warmaster of the Mandalorian Empire.

There was an easy smile on her face, the woman a master of personas, but on the inside she was upset. She could only glance at him here and there as he spoke while she settled in the room with her party. It was a struggle not to roll her eyes when he offered a "clean slate". She wondered if he really had the authority, but lately, many people had been wondering who was actually pulling the strings in Sundari. Every day the Australis seemed to be eclipsing more and more clans in power and prestige within the Mandalorian Empire. Would even Clan Mantis come to play second fiddle? Only time would tell.

King Veiere, ever the diplomat, urged everyone to set aside their differences against a common struggle. It would be hard, but she would do if it meant an end to the Sith Empire.

She remained quiet as others spoke and made their offerings of support and material but finally decided to pipe up with her two cents when there was a pause.

By now she had totally regained her composure, so she could look upon Kaine without trouble.

"Hello, everyone," she said introducing herself first. "I am Major Campos with the Rebel Alliance. Excuse me...General Australis is it? Your offer seems to be most generous, but I do have one concern. It's no secret that the Mandalorian Empire and Sith Empire have a...special relationship. What happens if the Sith decide to view your supply of arms from your company as a violation of your treaty or even an act of war? You may keep continuing to claim that your actions are your own all day, but many won't see it that way. You are a known prominent member of the Mandalorian Empire, its supreme commander, in fact. Will you continue to defy Carnifex even if he were to threaten harm to the ME?"

Not even thinking about personal issues at the moment, she was posing the legitimate question if Mandalorians from the ME could be trusted as reliable allies. Once known as fervent allies of the CSA, the ME's silence on the SE's invasion had been noticed, and many had since concluded where their allegiances really lie.

Spoiler

[member="Errreembuhr"]
[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"]

 

[Asaraa Vaashe]

"Back there on Commenor," Asaraa didn't lift her eyes, unwilling to meet Caedyn's gaze as she spoke. "When we found that Sith and he started talking I...I let him get to me. I know that it was just words, that he was trying to push my buttons but it didn't help, not right there in the moment. I wanted to punch him in his face and charge him, cut him in two. Anything to make him shut up." The girl was extremely interested in her hands right now, clenching them into fits and opening them up again as she examined her nails intently. "I shouldn't have let him get to me but...I did something really bad and got a lot of people killed." This time the girl looked up, her blue eyes catching Caedyn's gaze, "I guess part of me still wants to find forgiveness in action, and when he accused us of sacrificing innocents so that we could look better and act the heroes, it touched off a sensitive point for me. I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me, but he almost pushed me to attack him without thinking, playing right into his plans. If you hadn't stepped in I have no idea what would have happened but I figure, it's not a great idea to play into a Sith's plans like that. So...thank you for saving me from myself."

The girl fell silent for a moment before she shook her head, her hair swishing around her head like a short look as she offered Caedyn a small smile, "Nah they wouldn't have, I'd have never let them shoot you like that. Besides, you're too useful alive. They'd probably have ended up killing me and taking you to use you as a hostage. You mother wants to protect her people but to protect her own flesh and blood, there's nothing a parent wouldn't do for that right? at least that's what people tell me." Asaraa couldn't really remember her family, and it wasn't like she was ever going to have the chance to meet them to find out for herself anytime soon, if ever. "And not much a kid won't do for his mother...or his father when it comes down to it."

She let the statement hang in the air as she stretched out her legs, uncurling in her seat like a cat stretching. As she stretched out Asaraa's shoulder's seemed to swell with her usual confidence, her confession, the memory of her displayed vulnerability hanging in the air between them, as she waved a hand at the boy. "What kinda friend would I be if I just slinked off back to Kashyyyk and left you all here to deal with the Sith alone? Besides, they owe me and," this time the grin was brighter, "Who else is gonna get you out of trouble when you end up in there?" She glanced back at her hands for a moment, "Kashyyyk is home, and I guess I need to head back, to check in and make sure they know I'm ok and see if the Assembly or my master have any missions for me. But not just yet, I'll need to organise a lift back for one, but, you know, if you need someone to watch your back, I've got a pretty fast ship somewhere out there, unless Odin decided to go explore the unknown regions by himself."

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]

 

[WolfMortum]

"Indeed...-There are several questions I would ask of the Mandalorian Empire as well" Veiere's gaze shifted from [member="Simona Campos"] to [member="Kaine Australis"], nodding once in recognition of the uncertainty around the Empire's stance and affiliation with Darth Carnifex. That was however all he would contribute to their discussion for the time being, while instead turning to meet [member="Baron Morcus"] and the cylinder canisters that he presented to the former King of Commenor. The reaction from the nearby Clan-Sister to Veiere's Wife, Stardust Australis Skirae caused him to turn and lift his gaze in momentary intrigue before looking back to the Baron and thinking upon his mention of the Kaminoan's. "You're offering me a Clone Army?" he asked almost warily. The prospect of coming into such an army outside of the political position from Commenor was a lot of power to take under one man's sole ownership; it wasn't something that Veiere felt comfortable with yet nor did he sleep at night whilst [member="Lady Kay"] remained a captive on her own world by the Sith Empire. "Make it so" he nodded in confirmation, offering the Baron an appreciative look before turning back to the others in order to keep up with the discussions that were being held.

@Solan Char was among them, Veiere was familiar with the man by name and reputation though the two hadn't officially met that he could recall. He was a known affiliate of Kay's yet Veiere's good wife had a habit of making friends with everyone and more on the trusting side than Veiere was. "The House Zambrano has already brought the War to my doorstep and involved my Family. [member="Darth Prazutis"] kidnapped my wife once before and tortured her...-[member="Darth Carnifex"] has ensured that he can now do so again were that his wish. The Zambrano's have acted as the Galaxy would expect. I intend to respond in kind..." Veiere nodded on confirmation to Solan's question; "As long as the House Zambrano stands, so too will the Sith Empire continue to break all who do not fall under their banner".

"Regardless of your agreement, this is my goal. The House Arenais still hold allies across many former Systems Alliance worlds and I intend to build up a Resistance to counter their crimes against our people; yet if this War is to one day be won, it is a battle that will extend far beyond Commenor. A battle that has already taken the lives of many of your own people. I'm committing myself to this Cause...-Should you all see reason to agree then perhaps the future of my Children may see brighter days come the fall of the Sith Emperor and his Horde of Assassins, butchers, plunderers and thieves" no longer could he afford to stand on the side-lines and try to believe himself to be upholding just moral standing. The Sith Empire wasn't playing by the rules and the traditions that he had been taught as a boy were lived by in relative times of peace by comparison. The longer he stayed his hand and showed mercy, the greater the chances that others would fall victim to the Sith. Whatever the ethical boundaries that the Jedi considered once to be taboo, such ideologies would not matter if there were none to survive the onslaught. Kaine Zambrano had justified Veiere's response by attacking the heart of the Systems Alliance and his Family.

[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"]​

 

[Drystan Marakos]

Drystan entered the large meeting room only a step behind [member="Simona Campos"], and shifted to the woman's right - standing off to the side as Simona introduced herself and voiced concerns over the Mandalorian Warmaster's allegiences. Drystan's hazel eyes scanned the room, noting positions & dispositions... but she had taken a particular interest in the silver briefcase [member="Baron Morcus"] had provided for [member="Veiere Arenais"]'s inspection.

"Excuse me... but what is that?" The blonde-haired Jedi inquired at the perfect moment, having waited for Master Arenais to finish his statement of dedication to the Cause. The Jedi Sentinel was inclined to agree... the time for watching was long over, and steps to ensure all their survival would have to be taken... but Drystan also recognized the lure of power & the draw for a fight-ending Weapon.

If they were to have any hope of uniting The Galaxy under a common banner, the Morale Front was just as important as the front lines.