Junction CRISIS ON KUAT II | GA & NIO Junction of Korbin & Anzat

[Hal Vaiken]

S A R G E
INSIDE THE SHIPYARDS
501st LEGION, IMPERIAL SPECIAL FORCES
SCAR SQUADRON

Objectives:

• Secure the ISD Tempest
• Slave circuit all hyperspace capable Imperial docked ships to NIV Imperatores Pax through ISD Tempest
  

"I don't miss, Hal."
"Good."

The two rush forward, ten meters behind Draco and Mauler, drawing a diagonal line towards the dock of the ISD Tempest. The roar of the Kuati Patriots smashing against the Marines in a bloodthirsty bayonet charge drowns the cacophony of blaster fire exchanged. Whether their sacrifice would be commemorated or condemned all hung on the success of the secession raging on the surface of Kuat. He'd known a few Kuati immigrants on Adumar that joined the ranks of the Corps and he wondered if they were deployed here today along with the 501st.

Zeal was always appreciated in their line of duty to the Empire.

A loud pop rang through the air, followed by a screeching hiss as a cloud of smoke erupted to envelop the repair bay. Sarge instinctively slid behind cover to switch the HUDs visor to thermal vision. He didn't need to tell the rest of his unit to do the same.

The commander lurched up to carry on to the dock when a bolt strikes his back from above. A groan escapes his lips and he tilts sharply around his axis, his finger moving onto the TL-50 heavy repeater's trigger.

"Our six!!" he calls out to Reaper, then points above, "Up there!" Sarge squints trying to figure out what the hell was the small subject firing down on their position. Hard to tell when all he could see was a small sphere of organic red and orange. He adjusts the rifle against his shoulder and lays fire on the small target, the distance further than ideal for the repeater.

SCAR SQUADRON: Atticus Draco | Lily Stevens | Volgin Alto | Hiram Voss
WAR HOGS: Traden Avarice | Monos | Phaineve Halseigh | Zav Traros | Keiran Varn

 

[Keiran Varn]

REBEL ALLIANCE
LOCATION: KUAT DRIVE YARRDS HANGAR
MISSION: SITREP: FUBAR
EQUIPMENT: SINGLE BLADED AMETHYST LIGHTSABER | HG-54 VERPINE HAND CANNON | COMLINK
TAGS:
WAR HOGS: Traden Avarice Zav Traros Monos Phaineve Halseigh
SCAR SQUADRON: Atticus Draco Hal Vaiken Lily Stevens Volgin Alto

​

He wondered how he couldn't see it coming. Despite being a considerable distance away, and the pandemonium around them growing ever chaotic, it seemed almost.. quiet. They were like two islands with choppy waves separating them. Keiran faced him off, adopting an even stare as he felt a hand on his shoulder. The visage of his Master was clear, and he felt ever emboldended that one of the people he trusted most in the Universe was here with him. But as Traden formed up away from him, ready to support, it was clear that this was to be his fight. He felt his heartrate skyrocket in his chest. But he was ready. At least he thought so.

In an effort to wrench him from his feet unexpectedly and to pull him dangerously close. Dashing forward, the Young Knight moved to meet his form with murderous intent. On his periphery, he kept the clearly Senior Jedi in mind.

The action tugged at his very soul and he found his feet slowly lifting off the ground. It was quite clear what the Imperial Knight was doing. Through gritted teeth he let himself be pulled towards his opponent, relaxing slightly so that he would have enough time to make him move. Just as quickly as he felt his feet touch solid ground again, the vicious attack came, but fortunately he had given himself enough time to make the move.

Keiran leant back farther and farther, as quick as he could, the ivory glow of the lightsaber up close and personal and right above his eyes. He saw small strands of singed hair lose their silvery blonde colour and turn to ash-black, he guessed that the heat from his opponents weapon caused beads of sweat to trickle down his forehead.

He dropped to ground with a distinct metallic thud. Rolling off not too far away, he picked himself up, the purple glow of his lightsaber indicating that it was time for the battle of his life. Weighting the lightsaber in his hand, he stood straight, right arm outstrechted and an open hand, palms facing down. The lightsaber in his left arm, he put his elbow backwards, saber pointed out toward his opponent. The Jedi wanted to show his adversary that it would take more than that to end him.

"Let's tango whitecloak." Came the verbal jab. Moving slowly, he picked a time to strike, and moved forth, one foot in front of the other, bringing the weapon into a downwards cut towards the white blade he faced.

 

[Liedran Kathause]

SITREP: FUBAR
[3rd Expeditionary Carrier Line]
[ANV Cadence - Internalized C.I.C]
[Alliance Friendlies: Dracken Pryce , Kathryn Foster , Valery Noble , Sylix ]
[SJO Allies: Sol'yan , Finley Dawson ]
[Imperial Baddies: Hiram Voss , Melvain Braxis ]
[Ashlan Friendly(?): Isla Draellix ]​

---

"Link's open. Admiral Pryce on the line, ma'am."

"Copy." There was a sound of buzzing, the holoprojections already suspended above the tac-map briefly distorted as an image of Pryce's likeness was formed above. The commodore greeted him with a polite nod, and a quick "Admiral." She would have continued had the Corellian officer not already begun.

"Talk to me Commodore. What have you got for me? Any idea how things are going on the ground? Word on Alliance back-up? I have a feeling this isn't even close to what we're going to be dealing with here."

"Our comms just came back online, I'm afraid. I haven't received any updates from the ground, the ring, nor from Strategic Command." A slight grimace grazed her lips; an unsettled inhale clawed its way through her lungs. "I'll have my officers keep sending out pings." A pause, then a shake. The Cadence shivered as a new barrage of cannon fire splattered against its shields. Liedran bit her tongue, footing slipping briefly until she managed to readjust. "Until we get a response, I believe we both know to keep pressing on the hostile fleet. There's a battlecruiser intensifying fire on your vessel. The sooner we take it offline, the sooner were can shake up the Imps' coordination and press an advantage." But it seemed Pryce had already been made aware of that; the maps showed the Kyprin Renegade intensifying its bombardment on the Imperatores Pax, simultaneously dispatching a set of gunships and a bomber squadron to the latter. "I'll keep your advised. Glad you're here, Admiral. And good luck."

The line cut, and Liedran was once again made preoccupied by the warping situation map beneath her gaze. Until her concentration slipped. She was suddenly made aware of what was not quite an oddity, but a new development her mind found itself made to process. "Colonel Foster," the commodore gave her CAG a small nod of acknowledgement as Foster assumed a position at the command and control table. Quickly, the colonel had set to work, issuing a set of orders to the Cadence's air group.

''Have Air Wing One provide escort for our transports off the shipyards! Air Wing Two will maintain defensive positions around the fleet!''

"Belay that first order. Re-task our Sacheens' wings to escorting the transports. I want Air Wings One and Three routed for that battlecruiser. Assemble alongside Admiral Pryce's attacking force. Have Nova and Overture release their Defiants to provide fire support." Her grip tightened abruptly around the rim of the table, struggling against a round of quaking that shook the CIC. Down the far corridor, the sound of a coolant pump rupturing and spraying chilling fog into the hallway began a steady crescendo, shouts accompanying it as a pair of engineers rushed past the CIC entrance.

Cadence buckled again, lashing out at a pair of approaching Imperial cruisers with the low, machine-like growl of its turbolasers. Beams of blinding light shot out from its gun decks, splattering fatally against the bubbles of shuddering energy that surrounded the vessels. Past the explosive flashes of light that obscured its flanks, the line's four frigates matched their own bombardment with that of the flagship's; turbolasers swiveled on fast-tracked mounts, darting between the set of targets as to apply an even level of pressure throughout that section of the Imperial vanguard. Two of the frigates, the Nova and Overture, maintained the alternating targeting pattern as they spun in place, ventral hull plating redirected to face into the allied fleet. Along the now obscured surface, pistons fired and drew sets of clamps outward and into their spaceframes. The RCS thrusters of the Defiants beneath the frigates fired away from their motherships' hulls, and kicked their impulse drives into gear as the craft set a course to join the attack run on the Imperatores Pax.

The bridge was rendered silent for a passing millisecond as the crew held its breath, granted a silent prayer to their engaging forces. Only for the bustle of activity to explode yet again. Among the flurry, a clear notification was directed the commodore's way: "Ma'am. Communication from master Sol'yan. He's requesting a private line with you."

"Copy. Patch him in." Liedran gave a curt nod, then withdrew an earpiece and microphone from a pair of clips on the command and control station. She clicked a switch on the device's surface, opening the piece to begin a data relay through the Cadence's comms. "This is Commodore Kathause."

<”Commodore, I have my hands on a datapad which appears to have the locations of several of the bombs mentioned in the mission briefing. I believe I can reach at least two or three such locations, which could hopefully prevent a full station collapse. Can you spare any further men to assist in this endeavor?”>

Her teeth clamped down nervously on her lip. "I can't afford to mobilize another detachment from Cadence right now..." the commodore's eyes darted toward another GUI on the tactical display, an array of designations belonging to her line's embarked marine platoons. "Take the 6th, 8th, and 11th platoons. Be careful. And good luck." She allowed a respectful pause for Sol'yan to confirm, before clicking off the earpiece and setting it back down on the tac-map.

Liedran breathed a sigh of relief for the jedi's diligence, wishing diligence alone could put an end to the growing slaughter outside, wishing the violence could revert back to its previous state as a potential diplomatic flashpoint. Only for the universe to drown any semblance of hope she had as a series of quakes erupted from down the corridor-- the wrong corridor! She felt the shaking originating from the Cadence's unengaging port flank. When panicked eyes leapt to find a lock on the source, scanning the surface of the tactical display, they began to widen, glued to the signature of a star destroyer approaching the Alliance formation from behind.

"Report!"

"Five star destroyers sighted off port. Twenty klicks away. They've started an ion cannon and turbolaser barrage." A sharp grimace flashed across the tactical officer's face before she was pushed into her console by a violent bout of G-forces. Wincing as she lifted from the heated metal surface, the lieutenant stuttered out her update on the situation, "Dauntless took a crit-crtical hit. H-her shields just fell. Damage control's reporting a disabled turbolaser array."

Dammit. Just when she thought the engagement couldn't get any worse. "Have Rhapsody maneuver to intercept those star destroyers' fire! Set missile salvos to lock on their corvettes. Redirect our port battery to provide suppressive bombardment." The commodore's gaze tracked to another viewscreen, her eyes bathed in the reflection of Cadence unloading an inferno into Melvain Braxis 's handful of vessels.

 

[Ishida Ashina]

LIGHT MUST COME FROM THE INSIDE
KUAT | KUAT CITY | CROWDS
YOU CANNOT ASK THE DARKNESS TO LEAVE
YOU MUST TURN ON THE LIGHT

​

Bernard’s fast-thinking reaction delayed Elane’s death sentence. Time was a scant resource, and within its limitations, Ishida only managed to flash the Knight that had been at her side a complex look of admiration and attraction before darting forward off the edge.

She’d leaped from the head of a statue onto a moving starfighter before, lunging from the rooftop into the crowds hardly seemed worth any hesitation. Other than the disruption it would cause below — so she slid down the face of the building and took protective measures not to break anything on impact, landing in a Force-cushioned roll and scrambling back to her feet against the push of the disoriented crowds. Still, she grunted and had to dodge through larger bodies that were in a hurry to protect themselves. Some stayed, some wanted to appear strong for their queen — but most were interested in self-preservation.

Ishida’s focus was entirely on that silhouette that had sought to shoot down the heir of Kuat in her moment of triumph. The offender had made some ground since the initial shot, of course, recognizing the futility of the plasma transfixed in its trajectory. She slid in, fast, her sabre activated in a blur of white and sliced through the barrel of the weapon that had been pointed to the good queen of Kuat.

On the follow-through of the cut, Ishida’s hand flattened, facing her palm toward the dark-haired assassin. A precise, arrow-like tunnel of telekinetic energy erupted toward the woman’s chest with the intent of pushing her back and giving Elane and her company time to escape.

The holocam that had been broadcasting Elane’s stoic expression to the crowds was now broadcasting the woman who was being moved from the podium. Her rebel security encouraged her vehemently to move from such a visible location — back to the vehicle she’d arrived in and be escorted from the square. At first, the camera showed the scowling lines of her face as she protested, but conceded when the safety of the crowds was compromised. She was not a woman who would endanger her people.

---

NIO: Rika Hiro | Jordi Massad | Karissa Saitel | Kolson Vrask
RA: CH3 | LADY OF IRON
GA: Bernard | Lyrrin

 

[Rika Hiro]

Asa Yubari|Kuat|The End
C O M P N O R
Tags:// Don Belkora Jordi Massad Hal Vaiken Karissa Saitel Iseri Tanaka CH3 Bernard Ishida Ashina Kolson Vrask

Music

Jedi...

She was instructed that there would be a Jedi presence, but this many for one target complicated the outcome of the task at hand. Force users she had fought before, both dark and light side, all died the same once their force abilities failed them once Asa closed in. Each one killed had their saber shipped back to HQ for proof and analysis; by her own calculation, she had collected at least fifteen lightsabers, nine red, four blue, two green. A collection that earnt her equal measures respect and loathing by her superiors and fellow agents. The last one had been a renegade Sith knight of the old Empire, cut off and abandoned by his kin in the wake of the Empires collapse, the knight had hidden on a frontiers world, hiding under an alias and beginning a new life in farming and starting a family.

But simply hiding and renouncing the old ways didn't earn you salvation; the past was never quickly buried and once COMPNOR had caught wind of a sith knight in hiding. Asa was dispatched immediately to the planet in search of the man, and after murdering his entire family and baiting the knight into the open, she killed him like a cornered dog crushing the man's spine and ripping his head off with it. It was common practice, Tavlar and then his successor Fel tolerated no such presence of Sith leftovers, for it was not wise to leave weeds to grow back again and threaten to engulf what you have built back up. The agencies combat replicants proved to be too able at the job, with fewer sightings as the years dragged on—a testament to the ruthless efficiency her kind employed when serving the Imperator.

Her blaster fire was deflected mid-air by one of the Jedi, allowing Elane to flee for safety away from where Asa was advancing. Asa moved with the man she used as a human shield in tow, stepping to fire again before a flash of light moved past her, and the tip of her gun was severed off. She blankly expressed only a slight hint of annoyance and sidestepped out of the way as she kicked the civilian she'd used as a shield right into the path of the Atrisians force push, sending the poor soul screaming into a wall. To her rear two rebel soldiers moved to grab her, she ducked under the first man's tackle, driving an elbow into his chest that sent him flying on his back; the rebel slumped down and didn't rise again. His blood-stained caved in chest guard rose and fell at an alarming rate as he choked on his own blood and clawed at his neck for air. She then swerved and deflected the rifle blow of another, grabbing him and flipping him over her back before landing a stomp on the mans head and partially caving it in.

The Atrisian replicant slowly rose and stood eye to eye with the Atrisian knight, cold dead eyes locking on the Jedi with an intensity that burned. Skull fragments still encrusted in her boots, she wiped a streak of gore from her perfectly porcelain face before flicking it into the dirt. Asa broke her gaze, albeit only briefly, noting the trajectory Elane would take and where she'd need to follow. Only thing was that this girl stood in her way. ​

 

[Rurik Fel]

E M P E R O R
NEW IMPERIAL ORDER
THE IRONCLAD
Caarlyle Rausgeber
Aerarii Tithe | Auteme | The Arbiter | Madelyn Lowe​

SON OF THE SUN
​

"The Empire does not compromise with acts of terror done unto its people, Senator." Rurik retorted immediately, his voice coated with venom in each word as he spoke, his eyes narrowing as he looked to the hologram view of the Sith Imperial defectant.

"The Alliance may be more comfortable with compromise in its past, calling the Sith to aid after the destruction of Csilla and seemingly, thrusting the rats who ran from the Sith Empire's fall into the reins of power...but the Empire is not so easily shaken to mercy." Rurik replied.

"I will have a ceasefire when I have justice. Whoever committed these heinous acts need be brought forth at once, whether it be your mouth foaming anarchist 'rebels' or a mishap of your Defense Forces...the Empire will have its justice. I will accept peace under the terms that the Imperial Armed Forces claim jurisdiction over the Kuat Driveyards until civil order is returned to Kuat- until then, the Alliance can clearly not be trusted to maintain the operation of the drive yards and each second it can not, the Maw looms closer." Rurik forebodingly says.

"So I iterate again- transfer over control...or if matters are not brought to heel immediately, I will do what need be done." The Emperor claims.

 

[Melvain Braxis]

SITREP: FUBAR

Objective 2 [Space & Shipyards]

Crimson Command
Attacking: Liedran Kathause
Enemies: Isla Draellix | Valery Noble | Iris Arani | Kathryn Foster | Briana Sal-Soren
Allies: Orys Draste | Hiram Voss

STRIKING IRON

​

The crew of the Crimson Command was swift in their response. As the claxons blared around them they pulled coolant pipes free and finished calibrating. A relatively new unit and mostly crewed by volunteer navy personnel and Red Legionnares, the half Imperial half New Junction crew barely had enough men and women to keep the vessel fully staffed. They did not have pilots, however, and so as the hangar bay doors opened squadron after squadron of TIE Drones spilled from its belly and entered the fray. The few organic pilots that remained said their prayers to whatever gods they believed in and launched, their twin ion engines burning ozone and rushing them into battle.

Turbolaser crews worked tirelessly, receiving firing solutions from their gunnery officers and firing the guns, sometimes not even waiting for a full charge before sending green lances of death and destruction into the enemy. The firing stations stank of sweat, ozone, and desperation as the crews worked in what was likely their first real combat since the Sith-Imperial Civil War, now years past.

Melvain could feel all of these things through the Force. He could also feel the strong will of the Alliance sentients whom he fired on. The feeling of dread was heavy in the Force as turbolaser blast after blast dispersed across the shield and rocked the Crimson Command's frame. He didn't want to waste lives, that was never the goal of an Imperial. Kuat had asked to leave, to join forces with an entity that more closely aligned with its values, and the Alliance had denied it that right.

"Forward helm." Melvain commanded, "We'll need to be a lot closer than this. Full raming speed, make them wet themselves a bit." He looked over his shoulder at Robert who was standing near the lift talking to a couple of Red Legion boys.

"Robert?" The blond man looked up from his conversation, annoyance in his eyes. Mel ignored that. "I'll need you to take command here. I need to get ready." The old man grunted but nodded. "Keep the pressure on. We outgun that little group easily, try to disable their shields and engines. They won't be getting away from us."

With the Crimson Command at point and the Anagonye and Libertalia at its port and starboard flanks, the five vessels formed a wedge and were headed straight for the Alliance formation. The walk to the port-side turbolaser gunnery station was a long one, there were no trams that took him to where he needed to be, but when he arrived he was not disappointed. The unit of Spacetroopers and Stormtroopers with jetpacks were already climbing up through the shielded hatch and congregating on the "wing" of the star destroyer.

"Lieutenant, what's the situation here?" The spacetrooper turned and offered a salute.

"Sir, we're almost ready."

"Good, we should be in position soon."

​

Spoiler: Crimson Command

• Crimson Command​
• Anagonye​
• Libertalia​
• Whetstone​
• Defiance​
• Vandal-Class Corvettes​

 

[Monos]

SITREP: FUBAR
Fighting in the Repair Bay, behind enemy lines.

Act II.

Engaging: Hal Vaiken Lily Stevens

SCAR SQUADRON: Atticus Draco Volgin Alto
WARHOGS: Zav Traros Keiran Varn Phaineve Halseigh Traden Avarice

Equipment in bio.
2/3 Smoke Grenades remain.
​

TL;DR Mox gets back on the ground but bolts hit his energy shield, quickly draining it. He hops behind a crate and continues firing and serving as a distraction to buy time for Phaineve.​

Localized map courtesy of Hal Vaiken

Step. Shoot. Reload.​

Metallic screeches meld into the noise of combat as the small Anzellan's magnetic boots scrape against the ceiling of the repair bay. His breathing is heavy and irregular. Beads of sweat roll up the back of his neck, and he grasps his unremarkable rifle with both hands; right hand forming a strong fist around the grip, the other hand clutching the handguard. Holding the trigger with great force. He was aware that such reckless maneuvers drew inevitable consequences – and that he was completely exposed.

But at least his explosive entrance served as a distraction. One of the bursts of fire from his rifle in fact hit the commander's armor and left a black scorch mark on his back. Only a fraction of a second could be devoted for the acknowledgement of this fact however, as more and more barrels were now trained on the unassuming operative and forced him to shift targets quickly. 'Let's go, Ladybird!' He thought, and hoped that he had bought some time for Phaineve. Even though the obscure cloud from the previous smoke grenade was now dissipating, it created enough ruckus for him to be difficult to spot.
​

Step.

Shoot.

'But I cannot do this forever.'

Reload.​

Again, his small size was his greatest weakness. Yet he grew to learn its strengths as well over the years. With a flick of his ankle, the magnetic force of his rigid boots ceased. Due to his minor weight, he reached terminal velocity quickly, hurtling toward the floor, through the rain of blaster fire. His decision however came only a moment too late. As he fell toward the ground with a furious warcry, spraying laser all over, several incoming blaster bolts punched swirling holes through the fading smoke, impacting hard with his personal energy shield. In just a glance, his hypersensitive eyes immediately registered a terrible sight staring back at him through the torn openings; the commander from before, now honing in on him, positioned to fire.

Seemingly out of thin air, bright green geometric patterns materialized in an oval shape around the tiny Anzellan, soaking the damage completely, but nudging his body into a slight spin. A puff of ignited fuel dampened his fall just before he would impact with the ground, but he still stumbled a couple of steps ahead before he stopped, not too far from the hole in the floor from whence he blasted off from before. A glance on his waistbelt display; energy shield at 70% capacity.

– Notgood. – He quickly clipped the rifle across his chest and rolled behind a nearby crate, wishing only for a moment of respite. Lightning-fast routine movements characterized Mox, as he now held the datapad in his flexed arms. Not much time was afforded to him; what little he could gather was that his teammates were all occupied and in equally grave danger. No news from the planet's surface.

These Imperials were a force to be reckoned with. A sharp spin from behind the crate, and the Anzellan sent forth four small bursts from his weapon; two aimed at major light sources on the ceiling, one at the commander, and finally, one at the operative to whom the commander seemed to issue commands often – the one with a sniper rifle. Necessity was the catalyst of his uncomfortable situation, one he had no choice but to accept. Yet he still tried. Always braving the dangers in front of him despite his comedically small size.

Nothing could reveal an obvious connection to the Galactic Alliance Defense Force, not even his weapon. The Baleful Bantha was almost guaranteed to miss at such a great distance; it was nothing compared to the military-grade armaments of his enemy. But time was ticking, which meant more time for Ladybird.
​

And that was enough for Mox.​

 

[Sol Stazi]

ECLIPSE TEAM
KUAT CITY SPACEPORT
ALLIANCE PEACEKEEPERS
Julius Loghain Ishida Ashina CH3 Kolson Vrask Jordi Massad Rika Hiro

"This spaceport is on lockdown. All civilian flights are canceled."

Colonel Stazi silenced the blustering dockmaster with a glare that could freeze water. Traffic control was being converted into a GADF command post before his very eyes. His transmissions to Sylix must not have been able to penetrate all the signal jammers in orbit so the duros was in a particularly foul mood. Without clear authorization there were laws and military regulations which limited their ability to aggressively restore order.

"Send a squad to help with those riots. If you see any Imperials blasting Alliance citizens, put them down. I don't care if the locals are armed or not. Otherwise, the rules of engagement stand. Return fire only."

There was still a lot of confusion and Sol wasn't sure if Elane Kuat had escaped the violence. With limited options, he enhanced a holodisplay of Kuat City until it was focused on an opulent landmark.

"I want eyes on the palace. Quickest way to end this is to cut the head off the snake."

He didn't have the resources for siege but a strike team of elite special forces might be able to penetrate their defenses. Once Loghain was in Galactic Alliance custody the separatists would likely collapse. Surgical victories were the hallmark of his pathfinders.

 

[Kathryn Foster]

SITREP: FUBAR

Location: C.I.C, aboard ANV Cadence
Wearing: Service Dress Uniform
Carrying: LBP-3 Light Blaster Pistol
Allies: Liedran Kathause , Dracken Pryce , Valery Noble , Sylix, Sol'yan , Finley Dawson
Enemies: Hiram Voss , Albrecht F. Herlock , Orys Draste , Melvain Braxis
​

More enemy fighters were being deployed before the two senior officers at the C.I.C, and without a doubt the Imperials meant business. They were not just testing the waters, and with the development of the situation, the risks were getting higher for the civilians trying to leave the shipyards aboard Alliance transports. That was why colonel Foster, at first, were both surprised and slightly worried of commodore Kathause's countermand order. She spared the woman a long gaze, but as Liedran continued she were swiftly reminded and comforted that her superior had a another plan and clear intention with the move. It wasn't that she doubted the woman. Not ever. Kathryn were just accustomed to lead and be led while piloting a starfighter herself. Not once had she really doubted the commodore's decisions or judgement and she very much enjoyed working with her. Of course, the commodore wanted the best of the best on the offensive at the Imperatores Pax, and she were going to get it.

''Yes, ma'am.'' colonel Foster replied with a short nod, before heading over to the starfighter command comms and the operators coordinating and monitoring their pilots and fighters.

''Air Wings One and Three are to assemble with admiral Pryce's strike force and head for that battlecruiser. Air Wing Two are to keep whatever gaps there is in the blockade closed. Make sure not a single bandit gets through.'' she relayed the order and carefully monitored the screens from behind the lieutenant keeping direct contact with the Air Wings. The order was repeated to them and soon major Ward and the two air wings rendezvous with master Noble and admiral Pryce's squadrons, making it an impressive strike force heading for the mighty battlecruiser wearing the Imperial banner.

If they met the Imperial starfighters head on, keeping them on the right side of the Alliance blockade, that would hopefully keep them busy for an assault at the Imperatores Pax and also prevent them from providing air support to the Imperial forces already aboard the shipyards. It would give the transports a much easier journey ahead of them. Also, the Imperial would not dare to attack ships carrying civilians, would they?

Kathryn patched herself in with major Ward on her headset. ''Major? Foster here, do you copy? As you heard, we need you on the offensive. Crippling that battlecruiser is your main objective, but a lot of bogey's are heading your way, so be prepared for some dogfighting. Keep the squadrons together, and...'' she explained and, along with the operators, tried her best to be their eyes and ears from above. Though, Kathryn's voice wavered. Memories of Kril'Dor popped up and were hard to neglect seeing the air wings rushing into battle. None of the Kril'Dor veterans present at the C.I.C, among them Foster and Kathause, wanted to relive such a nightmare once more. She wanted to be out there, in the cockpit. All the adrenaline, getting into the gets of things, having fun with the team, that was something she missed during all those late nights behind her desk. ''... we'll see you all back on deck, alright?'' she ended, and recieved a confident roger that from the major.

Adrenaline was not something they lacked in the C.I.C with now though, as an officer called out that five new star destroyers were sighted off port. Colonel Foster looked over to commodore Kathause ready to divert the squadrons where they were most needed right this moment.

 

[Phaineve Halseigh]

​

SITREP: FUBAR​

[Maintenance Crawlspace]
[Rebel Alliance]
[Warhogs: Traden Avarice , Monos , Keiran Varn , Zav Traros ]
[Imperial Opposition: Hal Vaiken , Volgin Alto , Lily Stevens , Atticus Draco , And Whomever I missed]​

She heard nothing but the distorted cacophony outside. The sounds of fiery bolts whizzing through air, exploding violently when they met the cold metal of the station's hull plating, sent shockwaves, sent screams clambering against the walls of the maintenance crawlspace. Fatal crashes, desperate barks of orders, ear-splitting screeches of metal cutting against metal, the sound of a lightsaber whining and darting through the air... A scream. Another. Another. Another. She could hardly hear her own racing breathing.

She wanted to cry. Phaineve wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and hide from the awful headache that the terrifying blend of screams inflicted. And yet she kept on crawling. The others were risking their lives out there so she could fulfil her own portion of the objective. The sooner she found the CIC of the awaiting Historian, the sooner the War Hogs could get the hell out of Kuati space.

But her determination hardly served to sooth her growing headache; it didn't even come close to softening the crescendoing cacophony of screams that bled through the ventilation grates and leaked into the crawlspace.

She came across another junction of pathways, stopping briefly to confirm with the glowing map on her wrist. The pilot's eyes then raised from her nav-unit, raised until Phaineve saw the illuminated access hatch suspended just above her. Bingo... She spared a rather measly grin, before standing and grabbing hold of the exit's rungs. She pried off the access hatch and began her quick ascent, in seconds taking her first steps on the deck above. Phaineve paused, slipping behind the cover of a protruding blast-door housing and unlocking her sidearm from her utility belt. She peered skeptically down both ends of the corridor, still not lost to the distant sounds of the slaughterhouse she'd left.

Nobody. Not yet. She kept light on her toes, kept close to the station's outward hull plating as she crept to the reinforced rim of a docking tunnel. Another darting glance at the area around her, another flinch as an explosion went off from far down the corridor, and Phaineve slipped into the glasteel passage that led into the broadside docking port of a dormant frigate. Blaster kept firmly in hand, the pilot set off down the corridor, stopping at the vessel's unweathered airlock doors.

Nervous eyes tracked from the locked plates of metal, to the control panel mounted adjacent. "Don't suppose you could just uh, give me access, eh?" With a hesitant sigh, she set her fingers on the keypad.

 

[Harson Thaddeus]

• OBJECTIVE:
  • Remove Key Secessionists. Protect Alliance Citizens.
• LOCATION:
  • GADF Army Peacekeeping Headquarters
• ALLIES:
  • Sol Stazi | Ishida Ashina | CH3 | Bernard | IVI |
• FOES:
  • Karissa Saitel | Rika Hiro | Kolson Vrask | Jordi Massad | Don Belkora | Iseri Tanaka |
• TL;DR:
  • Spoiler: Too Long, Didn't Read

    Harson's GADF Army peacekeepers arrest or kill members of the pro-Loghain secessionist militia leadership.
    
    Harson dispatches whatever infantry he has available to assist the rebels and Jedi defending Elane of Kuat.
    

//>"Overlord, Bantha 1. We've got a body for Artavus Coltavan, over."<\\

//>"Bantha 1, Overlord. Good work. Out."<\\

All the General could feel at the arrival of this information was a temporary release from the frustration that had been plaguing him since the moment he had arrived on this Force forsaken planet. The situation in orbit was rapidly deteriorating, there were Imperials seemingly everywhere and a civilian-saturated area of operations never made for an easy time even in the best of circumstances. Needless to say these were not the best of circumstances. To think there had been a time not too long ago where he would have spoken highly of the Imps or been relieved to see their presence on a battlefield. The arrival and threat of the Maw certainly had it's way of morphing perceptions on the geopolitical front, though Kuat, and the Order's tearing up of it's commitments had fortunately made it evident before any more time had been invested into this relationship that the enemy of your enemy does not often remain your friend for long.

"Sir, we've just got word the spaceport has been secured. They're setting up another command post as we speak." A soldier working one of the computers announced.

Standing as he so often did in the center of a haphazardly assembled command post, this time located near the outskirts of Kuat City, Major General Thaddeus puffed on his cigar as he watched some of the screens that aligned the wall detailing maps of Kuat's capital, places of interest and camera footage of the ongoing protests. All information relevant to their mission flowing to his position like the jolts of neuron activity rushing towards the brain stem where in a situation as chaotic as this one was information was critical. He had been made aware by his superiors that off-the-books Alliance operations were being conducted in Kuat City though the specifics had been left out on a need-to-know basis, leaving them available to be distributed to him and his command staff in the event the assistance of his peacekeeping forces was required. The fact that he had yet to be updated on the operation was enough to sooth any meddling concerns he may have had.

"Someone get me an update on that other target. The one with that ridiculous mohawk." He ordered to whomever stood nearest to him, not taking the time to look for a recipient as he knew one of his underlings would be close whatever the case. It would only be time wasted to look, time that was much better spent profiling through the data he was being presented on the screens ahead. Despite what had erupted in orbit above, ground operations had been going relatively well. Across Kuat City joint teams of federal law enforcement and GADF Army troopers were carrying out raids on the homes and bases of Loghain loyalists, militiamen and their associates. Thus far, in the short while Thaddeus had been present on Kuat, his teams had either arrested or killed several dozen members of the secessionist militia's junior, middle and senior leadership. Yet, as was so often the case with insurgencies, there was always more to replace them, something that had served to frustrate the General's sensibilities to no end.

But still.. Things could have been worse--

"Sir!" An alarmed call crashed into his right ear, breaking the General from his thoughts long enough to warrant a reaction. Turning where he stood, a young Lieutenant arrived at the doorway to the hub of his command post. "What is it, son?" He questioned, thick gray brow raised in curiosity, cigar still firmly in mouth. "Someone just tried to assassinate Elane of Kuat! There's a fight breaking out!" Blood pressure threatening to rise almost immediately, Thaddeus turned to the row of monitors in-front of where he stood, each one manned by one his staff, throwing out a loud, domineering command. "I want any available peacekeepers over there now! Secure all exit routes and move in to provide assistance to friendlies." A small chorus of confirmations followed from where they all sat. Though the bulk of troops under his command were caught up in conducting surgical strikes against the secessionists or ensuring the safety of pro-democracy protestors, he had enough in his pocket still to dispatch to the scene of violence that had seemingly broken out at what had meant to be Elane's speech. He could only hope that it was enough. ​

​

 

[Zav Traros]

Objective 2: Sitrep:Fubar​

Engaging: Volgin Alto
Opposition: Hal Vaiken Lily Stevens Atticus Draco
War Hogs: Monos Traden Avarice Phaineve Halseigh Keiran Varn

---

The chaotic battle continued to unfold around him, with blaster fire ripping through the hangar. An explosion burst off to his side, far enough away that it did no damage, but close enough for the pressure wave to be felt through his chest. Zav had no clue where it had come from, and with the increasing chaos of battle he had little time to find out; nor was there time to determine if it was a deliberate shot. He assumed the ordinance was meant for him, and feared the next shot fired might be more accurate. Despite the questions, he had to move away immediately from what could be a compromised position; answers could be searched for once new cover had been found.

The search was interrupted by another explosion tearing apart a door ahead of him, spurring Zav to take hasty position behind a metal bin just in time to use it as cover for the flurry of blaster shots that followed; marines were taking fire and dropping like flies beneath the force of the sudden onslaught. Zav fired a grenade towards the door blasted open by the troopers, aiming squarely at one rushing forth: Volgin Alto. The projectile struck ground, and the resulting blast knocked down several of the rushing troopers emerging from the lingering smoke from the door's destruction.

But Volgin was not among them. He was clear ahead of the others, evading the grenade's explosion and what blaster bolts flew his way entirely. Too close and too fast to attempt a second shot with his launcher, Zav instead fired another shot towards the troops behind Volgin, before slinging the grenade launcher behind his back and drawing his blaster carbine to use instead; there was no time to observe the effects of the shot. Volgin had the same idea; putting away his repeater as he draw near, leaving Zav to wonder what weapon he might draw instead.

There would be no such weapon; instead he saw Volgin end his charge with a punch, striking the head of an unfortunate marine with skull-shattering force. The burly trooper was already in the thick of it, and would need to be dealt with before others fell; concern about eating a similar punch caused Zav to proceed cautiously. Volgin moved quick, and Zav feared he could close in fast if the opportunity was left open.

Reaching into his bandoleer, he pulled out a sticky grenade and set the fuse to six seconds. Adhering the grenade to the corner of the bin he used as cover, he immediately backed away from it with hasty shots towards the foe at their front lines. Inaccurate as they were, Zav's priority was simply gaining his attention.

Unsure whether it would be effective, it was some form of countermeasure and Volgin posed a threat that would require some sort of plan. Perhaps he'd notice the flash grenade on his side of the bin. Whether he'd even charge at all would remain to be seen; Zav merely backpedalled, firing shot after shot with four seconds remaining on the sticky charge he'd left behind.

 

[Atticus Draco]

INSIDE THE SHIPYARDS
KNIGHT-COLONEL | 501st ATTACHE
IMP.KNIGHT PATTERN ARMOUR | LIGHTSABERS
SCAR SQUADRON: Hal Vaiken Volgin Alto Lily Stevens
WAR HOGS: Keiran Varn Traden Avarice Phaineve Halseigh Zav Traros Monos

​

Plasma clashed with plasma as the energy encased blades made contact with one another. Were he not wearing a worn helmet himself, he was sure he'd of smelt the Padawan's singed hair. Yanking the blade back, Atticus' head followed the Jedi as he dropped down into a roll, temporarily widening the distance to avoid a continued attack.

Rotating the lengthy hilt in his hand, the whirling blade flourished around him as he strut from side to side. Watching the Jedi adopt his form before Draco did the same. His second hand wrapped around the haft of the weapon, clenching tight as he held it out in front of him, angled upwards in a low center guard.

"Let's tango whitecloak."

Exhaling through his nose, the helmet's HUD analyzed the Jedi's movements. Recording, referencing them to past opponents. His experiences had been filled with Sith and Mawite Warbands. Internally, he knew it meant little. Thanks to the Force, he'd react faster than the HUD could possibly warn him. A new opponent of a different creed? The Young Knight already suspected there'd be little, if any matches in styles.

"Fight for your life," Atticus warned in a low voice.

He did not believe in prolonged suffering, even if the man before him was an enemy of the Empire.

The Padawan's body tensed, moving, and Atticus made sure to match. His wrists twisted, raising the glowing ivory saber into a horizontal block that he pushed into forcefully. In an effort to overwhelm the Jedi, the Knight did not restrain the strength enhancing elements of his armour. Flicking his wrist out to crash into the Jedi's blade in an attempt to keep his sword-hand outside of his guard. Simultaneously, the Young Knight's foot kicked outwards to the Padawan's kneecap with permacrete shattering force, aimed to bring him low and to end the fight quick with the potential follow up...

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

SUNK COSTS
CHANCELLOR’S SUITE // CORUSCANT

ASSETS: Auteme | Madelyn Lowe | The Arbiter | GA
LIABILITIES: Rurik Fel | Caarlyle Rausgeber | NIO

The negotiations were proceeding about as well as could be expected. Were this a Senate negotiation, Tithe would have lavished his opponents with prestigious Committee appointments, unimagined appropriations and donations to their reelection campaigns. But such approaches fell flat with the Imperials, what with their misplaced ideals of fealty and honour. They were a different breed, one he was less accustomed to working with.

“My sincerest apologies Admiral Regent,” Tithe replied. He circled the incorrect honorific of the NIO office in his briefing pack - whoever had put the document together would be out on the street within minutes of the meeting convening. He could not afford mistakes when the stakes were so high. “Yes, now you certainly strike me as a student of history, though may I suggest - and don’t take this the wrong way - that you broaden your horizons beyond the, uhh, COMPNOR approved curriculum.”

“Alliance blood was shed as part of every major NIO offensive,” Tithe recounted. “Muunilinst, Mygeeto, Dubrillion, why I could go on. The Stygian Campaign which, while not without issue, drove a stake into the heart of the Empire. And, and now here’s the kicker, I do recall the Sith’s collapse shortly after the Alliance mission to liberate Krayiss III. But, then again as you so rightly point out, I’m not a soldier but a humble servant of the people.”

The Arbiter, speaking on behalf of the Member for Lujo, repeated Tithe’s opening offer that the Empire takes its ships and leave. She also explained that Kuat was not an independent world simply because a madman said it was, and that the Alliance would follow due process to assess the will of the Kuati people. Madelyn, the consensus builder, sought to highlight their common ground as a means to secure an agreeable outcome.

Fel was having not of it, demanding that control of the shipyards be handed to the NIO and that Alliance officer who fired in defence of the planet be turned over to him.

“This is a, ahh, disaster of your own making Imperator,” Tithe explained. “Your arrangements with the driveyards, while not ideal least of all for me, worked for all sides. Yes, now had you kept this purely professional, why, this matter would be avoided. And yet, your cronies sought to sow dissent of Kuat, and look what it had wrought. The calvilcade of Alliance cruisers orbit Kuat by your design. You impinge on Alliance territory and still you make demands, and expect the Alliance to sit idle. Loghain’s calls for sedition would have died out long ago were it not for agents provocateur stirring dissent among the Kuati people.”

“This is a good deal for you Fel - take the ships and your agents and return to the north. Your base,” Tithe’s eyes flicked to Rausgeber. “Your base will applaud your glorious return in possession of your precocious Star Destroyers, as you thumb your nose to the Core. And no more Imperial blood will be spilt. A win for Imperial morale I'd say, and another victory for the Dear Leader.”

 

[Traden Avarice]

II: SITREP: FUBAR (SHIPYARD)
OBJECTIVE: STEAL AN NIO FRIGATE FOR COVERT USE BY REBELS
​

Location: Hangar
Attire: Standard
Loadout: The Harbinger, (New) Lightsaber, Mr. Cuddles
SCAR Squad: Hal Vaiken Volgin Alto Lily Stevens Atticus Draco
War Hogs: Monos Keiran Varn Phaineve Halseigh Zav Traros
Primary Tags: Keiran Varn @ Atticus Draco


Traden approached the two slowly as they fought, feeling the strength and resolution of both his Padawan and the enemy. His eyes were focused, anticipating the different strikes and blows they dealt towards each other. He had complete faith in Keiran, but he also knew how quickly a death blow could be dealt. This opponent was strong in the force… he was not just some Sith Acolyte… he was surely a dark knight.

As Keiran moved in for another powerful strike, Traden followed in behind him as well, observing the Knight's kick towards Kerians knee, He reached out with the force, pushing against the kick with all his might in an attempt to counter the attack and to push the Knight further away from Keiran. He also came in quickly with a thrust attack from his own saber, aimed at the Knight's chest in an attempt to land a crippling blow while the enemies saber was still engaged with Keiran's.

 

[Volgin Alto]

M A U L E R
NEW IMPERIAL ORDER
501st STORMTROOPER LEGION
SCAR SQUADRON
Armor [Modified] | Heavy Repeater | Pistol
NIO | Hal Vaiken | Atticus Draco | Lily Stevens
GA | Traden Avarice | Monos | Phaineve Halseigh | Zav Traros | Keiran Varn

SWAMP SONG​

Volgin was ready to keep his advance steady, his heads up display weathering the visual interference spewed by the first grenade with a flick to thermal vision only for another to fling past him into the group of troopers behind him, this time rocking the section with a violent explosion that nearly sent him staggering forward and from his feet.

The crack of his fist against the Marine's helmet sent him to the ground with a violent thud, brutally persecuted by strength of force and violence of execution as was the Mauler's modus operandi. But there was a lot of battle left to fight and a crisis left to solve. Though he need only worry about the former and let brass sort out the latter.

His eyes swiftly scanned the chaos around him before a flurry of blaster rounds pocked into his heavy armor with violent splashes of superheated tibanna against metal and duraplast composite. The Rebel immediately drew Volgin's attention, without the hardened skin of the Marine armor, he thought he was in for another easy kill, another fray at the Alliance's attempt to hold their ground in the Dockyards.

He approached with a heavy foreboding gait with thudding footfalls guiding each step as he sought out Zav with an impassive pursuit of slaughter before the final tick of the sticky grenade pinned to the bin but feet away from the trooper sounded off, Mauler's gaze immediately snapping in its direction before a loud, chaotic blast struck the trooper down, immediately slamming him back into the floor with a shrieking thud of metal against metal. Black scorch marks washed over the surface of his armor with bits of the composite layering broken off from the explosion and a barely functioning HUD, he slowly worked his way back to his feet.

Alive, still able to fight, but disorientated. As the blast rung in his ears as his gaze frantically peered along the chaos around him- Zav would get his time to strike.

 

[Kalie Alverez]

Prefsbelt Commander​

"I'm sorry you had to find out." He offered, still not daring to look up at her. "I'm sorry I-just....

She shook her head slowly, the fury becoming dampened as it was slowly overcome by grief again.

“I’m not.” She confessed flatly. “I don’t want to live a lie.” Her voice was subdued in its tone.

"Cigarette?”

“Guess it won’t kill me.” She said with passive humor, although she didn’t laugh. She took it into her lips from his hand, taking a deep drag as Andreas was beckoned out of the room. Her eye followed him dully until she was alone, the door closing with a clicking sound.

Quiet.

Kalie was completely numb. She couldn’t trust her own thoughts, believing it to be programming that was trying to manipulate her. She couldn’t trust her own memories, knowing that they had been implanted inside of her. They were not genuine. And so she sat in silence, a complete stranger to herself.

She had also considered the notion that she was a COMPNOR replicant, however… if that was the case… it was beyond convoluted. Why would the NIO go through so much trouble and charade when they could have just launched her back into the field as an unwitting double agent? And besides… She had shot off part of Rausgeber’s jaw, nearly killing him. That didn’t seem like something that COMPNOR would allow a replicant to do… but then again, she remembered her inability to pull the trigger… It wasn’t until the SCAR trooper had grabbed onto her arm that the bolt had been fired… so perhaps it was an accident that she had fired on the man at all.

She shook her head, taking in another drag. From the little she knew about the replicant program, the original was always killed when a replicant was released into the field… so if she was a replicant, that would mean that there had truly been a human being named Kalie Alverez, and that all of her memories and connections were based upon something real. It was a thought that both brought a wave of relief as well as sudden grief, knowing that it would mean that the real Kalie had likely been killed already by COMPNOR.

And so she found herself in the middle of the unknown… she was either a twisted creation of IVI in an attempt to gain an upper edge on Alliance threats, or she was a COMPNOR replicant based off the DNA of a real SIA agent named Kalie Alverez that had been captured and likely killed.

She needed to know the truth… she needed answers…

And she would continue to lean hard into her fury towards IVI and the SIA. Hopefully Andreas would truly believe her and let her go. But in all honesty, she didn’t know what she would do when she confronted IVI … It truly depended on what the Director would say. But she knew they needed to have a frank and private talk as soon as possible, and if she wasn’t satisfied by her answers… Then she would absolutely kill her without hesitation... at least she thought she would...

Her eye looked back up at movement from the door. Andreas ventured back inside as Kalie tracked his motions with curiosity,

"We'll, uh, we'll be getting some reinforcements to... Well check you out."

Her heart sunk. It didn’t sound promising. If they were smart, they would probably just blow her apart…. That would be the safest bet. But the risky gamble was also a worthy consideration that they couldn’t ignore… the possibility of releasing a rogue SIA asset to assassinate the director of the SIA… Those kinds of opportunities didn’t come knocking at your door every day. But ultimately, her fate was in their hands.

 

[Kelinna Tryn]

R E A P E R
NEW IMPERIAL ORDER
KDY | KUAT
SCAR SQUADRON: Hal Vaiken | Volgin Alto | Atticus Draco | NIO
WAR HOGS: Traden Avarice | Monos | Phaineve Halseigh | Zav Traros | Keiran Varn | @WHOAMIMISSING?
ENGAGING: Monos

GEAR: Modified Armour | Sniper rifle | Pistol | Rifle | Vibroblade | Vibroknife | Grenade loadout

FIRE YOUR GUNS​

"Ah shit!"

She and Sarge had just moved forward, when a cloud of smoke exploded close to them. Lily dove for the first crate she could make out through the haze, allowing her HUD to adjust to the low visibility while she flung her particle rifle to the ready.

When no surprise attack came, they moved once more to keep the momentum. She was a step ahead of Hal when the twang and then a groan reached her ears. She spun around, rifle to the shoulder, a slight relief washing over her to see her CO was still alive and kickin'.

"Up there!"

Lily squinted.
"The hell?" she said, flinging the battle rifle back and grabbing the precision from her back in one swift movement. The scope was up to her eye in the same movement and she was able to see the stuffed orange sock go down to the ground. "What is that thing?" she mused, keeping an eye on it until she could get a precise shot in.

Four bursts of blasterfire came from behind the crate, the shot aimed at her flying wide, but the other hit the light above them, showering sparks and gas all over.
"Damnit." Lily lifted her head from the scope momentarily to allow the HUD to adjust once more. Then the rifle was against the shoulder once more. This time, when she got a lock on the oddball, she pressed the trigger, the silent whisper of the Verpine tech like music to her.
The AP slug flew straight and true toward the little thing's jetpack.

Lily didn't check if the shot hit. She was moving once more, flinging the precision back onto her back.
"We got a job to do, Sarge. Let's go!" she said, bringing the battle rifle forward again, sending a few particle bolts in their assailant's direction as cover fire.

This little being complicated the situation slightly. Shooting that control panel won't be an easy one-two now.

The joys of rushing a precision shot.

Lily pulled a face.

 

[Ishida Ashina]

LIGHT MUST COME FROM THE INSIDE
KUAT | KUAT CITY | CROWDS
YOU CANNOT ASK THE DARKNESS TO LEAVE
YOU MUST TURN ON THE LIGHT

​

Abruptly, the Lady of Iron’s speech concluded. The discordance in the crowd was too dangerous to try and steady, and the Lady of Iron would do nothing to put her people in harm’s way. Self-preservation and panic took over the rebellious-minded, and they scattered for cover.

Some citizens took a cue from the rebel forces and went to provide cover in whatever capacity would help their queen. She didn’t like it, the pandering, but with forced humility recognized her duty was to persevere as she always had. Someone detonated a smokey shield to disorient visibility around the two vehicles Elane and her escort team were moving to. In quick succession, under the faux smoke, the vehicles took off. One of them contained the Lady of Iron. The other, a decoy.

Ishida was about to run into the cloud of smoke, aboard one of the vehicles and provide cover when a yawp of agony pulled through the hair behind her. She whipped around, too late to stop the merciless brutality the assailant evidenced. Bone-crunching, bloody horror surrounded the dark-haired atrisian and Ishida’s eyes, sharp and calculative, narrowed.

In a world of should-haves and reflections, Ishida would have admonished herself for not staying close. Tight proximity was where she did her best work, and assuming an attack would work was truly living up to the word’s prefix.

Her grip on her sabre tightened, and she re-poised herself to provide an obstacle for the hover vehicles tearing away from the scene.

“You seem familiar.” Ishida murmured and took a tense step forward. The assassin was strong, inhumanly so to have pierced through a chest plate and bone for the rebel to collapse and not rise again. It was either strength or subtle armament Ishida couldn’t see straight away. Regardless, her sole focus was now to disarm the assassin, or otherwise put her down, without making the same mistake of giving the woman the chance to use allies as shields.

There was nothing, other than the brutality which she used to execute, that told Ishida of the woman’s alignment. Or why she might have seemed distantly familiar. She had no distinct influence over The Force, and no branding that incarcerated her to one faction and not another.

Reaching over her shoulder, she withdrew her katana to assume a proper initiating stance of Jar’Kai. She’d not waste her breath telling the woman to stand down. The remnant fluid and cartilage from the rebels that still clung to the assassin were denial’s strongest form.

She moved in quickly, sliding in with an initial hip-level jab of her steel blade, and an upward arc from the ground with her saber — fully intent on cutting the woman at the knees.

---

NIO: Rika Hiro | Jordi Massad | Karissa Saitel | Kolson Vrask
RA: CH3 | LADY OF IRON
GA: Bernard