Populate Deathly Defiance | Populate of Gravlex Med | NIO

[Cromwell]

SECOND HYPERSPACE WAR
New Imperial Order​

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B A S T I O N
867 ABY

The New Imperial Order may have emerged victorious in the Third Imperial Civil War, vanquishing the Sith Empire from the face of the galactic map, but not unscathed. Total War comes with a price. Resources stretched thin across swathes of space bloated by the ambitions and claims of various Moffs and Warlords have all but devolved the Empire into a near state of warlordism. It festers, boils, and grows ripe for sedition.

Halketh , High Warlord of Carlac and Wistril, is the first to light ablaze the Powder Keg of the Empire. Declaring independence from the rays of the Iron Sun, the blind Warlord casts a shadow of doom over his people.

R A V E L I N
OBJECTIVE I | NORMALIZATION
FOCUS | IMPERIAL ASSEMBLY
OPPOSING | SEDITION
​

The Imperial Assembly convenes for an emergency meeting in regards to Carlac's treachery. One thing is as certain as the sun - the Imperials will leave no stone unturned to normalize the situation on Carlac.

The question is how.

C A R L A C
OBJECTIVE II | ACQUIRE FURTHER INTEL ON CARLAC
FOCUS | UNDERCOVER AGENTS OF ARMY MILINTEL & COMPNOR
ZONE OF OPERATION | CARLAC
OPPOSING | DON'T GET CAUGHT, BUD
​

You're undercover. Deployed to further assess the military strength of Carlac, along with other useful intel, after the world had declared independence from the New Imperial Order. Things of glaring notice might be that there is no one unarmed among the populace indicating the lack of noncombatants. Military units of note - Carlaci Corps & The Perished.

B Y O O
OBJECTIVE III​

Whatever gets you to post, chief.

​

Spoiler: References

Head of the Snake
High Patriotic Standards

 

[Cromwell]

A V E N G E R
IMPERIAL SPECTRE
PROVIDE REAL-TIME INTEL OF CARLAC TO ASSEMBLY
Irveric Tavlar | Rurik Fel | Willan Tal | Onansi of Thyrsus | Mithrad | Fiolette Fortan | Caarlyle Rausgeber | Enlil | Arjant Clevenger | Noel Strasza | @Roki Vulovic

Imperial Spectres. Stewards of order within the Empire. Secretive, known only by their monikers, their real names reserved only to the knowledge of the Imperator (or in Avenger's case - and a thieving cat), they maintained the foundations of the New Imperial Order while the troopers waged the war across the borders. With the Third Imperial Civil War now left behind, the Spectres have become the troopers to wage the war at home.

Aboard his stealth deep recon frigate, standing with a barely more tensed posture than usual, Avenger's form projected itself across the holo to the Imperial Assembly on Ravelin. Debilitating exhaustion remained masterfully covered with only the slight slump of his shoulders betraying the tip of the iceberg.

"The transmission can't be maintained for too long without risking detection so I will be very brief." stated Avenger, an undertone of fury simmering in his usually composed voice. He'd be at the forefront of warnings regarding the state of the New Imperial Order within. Implicitly supportive of the decentralization of power, but vocal in his protests against those either suspicious or clearly too ambitious for anyone's good but their own; be it Grand Admiral Caarlyle Rausgeber of Prefsbelt Command, the late commissioner Jaeger Harrsk of COMPNOR and the most secretive of them all - Halketh of Carlac.

Late, he partially blamed himself for the current situation on Carlac. A thousand and one scenarios fired up in his mind in a repetitive cycle of how he could've prevented this sedition rattling the foundations of the Empire.

Too late now.

"The capital Asoport, Srares, Deles - the three prime population centers on Carlac." three separate frames of the locations manifested from his holoprojection, "Halketh has fully mobilized the population for war. Their readiness looks to be high indicating long preparations..." which for one reason or another had been ignored, "...but intel's tricky on manpower. We can fully assume any provided census from Carlac has been a sham."

"The raised militia is bolstered by the Carlaci Corps and the so-called Perished, the army of the dead. These all pale in comparison to the fact that a military incursion will have to face all these units at their home turf. The extremely cold nature of Carlac will prove a massive obstacle to tackle, deploying veterans from Helgard might be necessary to offset the acclimatization factor." he explained as various different infographs of the planet's climate materialized.

"Deles, an outback haven, is mostly surrounded by flatlands allowing for easier armored and aerial operations but Asoport and Srares are both located on uneven ground, either nestled within a mountain range or surrounded by mountains and steep grounds." a pause, followed by Avenger's eyes beneath the dark helmet narrowing into a frown, "A fast resolution through conflict may not be possible, so seizing Carlac's oil and gas refinery - Nova Vox - may be crucial to maintaining a longer operation and starving opfor from a key resource and then--" all other holoprojections dissipated to reveal a large fortress rotating around its axis.

"--The Crown of Ice. The head of the snake himself. We've had plenty of experiences besieging various fortresses through the War, but while the Crown is no Fortress Imperator, its location provides it with natural defenses against numerous conventional sieging operations."

"...which is not the worst. Halketh's a powerful Force User, power enough to raise and maintain legions of the dead. Those who were on Serenno and Bastion may recall the vast numbers he flooded the Sith ranks with. It's safe to assume these are not the only tricks up his sleeve...and a bold action such as sedition against the whole Empire further proves that point." the image of the Crown of Ice vanished, leaving only Avenger's figure standing. "Agents from mil intel and COMPNOR have already been procured to the surface to find out more..." his words trailed off, hesitating on whether introducing his key contact of intel to the Assembly before taking the decision reluctantly, "...for which Noel Strasza has played a key part in."

 

[Irveric Tavlar]

I M P E R A T O R
NEW IMPERIAL ORDER
RAVELIN | BASTION
Willan Tal | Onansi of Thyrsus | Mithrad | Fiolette Fortan | Arjant Clevenger | Noel Strasza | DECEASED Erskine Barran
@Rokiwillsit

WRITING ON THE WALL
​

The momentum the New Imperial Order had been able to cling to in the wake of the defeat of the Sith Empire was...meager at best. With the Crimson Saber dashed into nothingness, so came the task of absorbing the now open territory for the taking of the Iron Sun. It was a daunting task, the systematic De-Sithification of remnant space combined with the anti-insurgency efforts to scrub Sith influence from New Imperial space was a daunting task.

As the New Order turned inward, it still seemed to neglect a world which had become a core component of its space. Lord Halketh had long disappeared, with the resources of the New Order strained as they were, there was no reliable end that could be attained as per the man's location. But his intent and means were always deeply shrouded in enigma.

Until now, that was. Provoking an already fragile union- Carlac had seceded in open rebellion of the New Imperial Order. The Empire had come across delinquent worlds before...but never had this occurred. And in the wake of the Galaxy's largest single strategic victory of a Galactic scale since the Great Galactic War, it was an event never anticipated by New Imperial High Command.

Irveric viewed the open comms from Avenger with an inquisitive, narrow gaze, standing upright from his seat.

In the wake of the Third Imperial Civil War, the New Order's ability to handle this crisis would define the very next era of its rule. If anything, this was an abandonment in official terms of a doctrine dominated by dealing with the crimson beast. Energy and resources needed to be dedicated to a swathe of other problems now, left to fester.

"So we're left with little other option than to siege and attack its capital...something I'd prefer to avoid. As much as an open rebel as the Lord Halketh may now claim to be- the Carlaci are still Imperial. Tell me, Commander. Is there any indication of foreign involvement in Carlac, or was this purely a 'grass roots' uprising? I'm doubtful. He would not approach open sedition without the deck fully stacked in his favor. Something else must be at work. He was a shadowy figure before...seemingly determined not to be Sith...but now, I'm having my doubts." He says, glancing the way of the Lord Executor who lingered in silence in the shadows, the very man who assured them all that Halketh was no malicious spirit.

A lapse in judgement, seemingly. Or- a deep shrouding of Halketh's true nature.

 

[Onansi of Thyrsus]

IMPERIAL ASSEMBLY
Irveric Tavlar , Avenger, DECEASED Erskine Barran , Willan Tal , Mithrad , Halketh , Caarlyle Rausgeber , Arjant Clevenger, Enlil

The first of the Warlords to break from underneath the Iron Sun was Haketh of Carlac. An unexpected turn of events.

Onansi had thought it'd be him, when the opportunity presented itself to strike at Eshan. The words of Tavlar on the day of his ascension to Supreme Sun Guard still echoed in his mind.

Thyrsus, as formidable as it is can not sustain any level of conflict with the True Empire. This much is known, I will not hear any delusions of anything otherwise.

The same could be said for most if not all of the other Warlords. The sole one of their ilk that was capable of putting up a lasting fight were it come down to it was likely the Admiral Regent, Rausgeber. Utterly fickle and undoubtedly perfidious, Prefsbelt boasted their own shipyards, veteran forces, and a leader whose experience was greater than many in their very own Empire.

An amused grin broke out across his lips. How far had he come since that meeting on Thyrsus that he could admit Rausgeber would put up more of a fight?

Imperial Bureaucracy most definitely changed a man.

"Carlac cannot possibly hope to hold back the full might of the Empire on its own. Outward help has likely been promised," Onansi answered in place of the Spectre. Even with limited exposure to the blind-man, Onansi was an astute judge of character. It did not seem to fit within Halketh's characteristics to put an end to all he built on that world, for a final cry of defiance before death. There was an ulterior motive, he was sure of it.

"In regards to the legions of undead Halketh possesses, Myrkr is home to the Ysalimir. Yet unclaimed, collecting as many as we can and preparing them for use in the field prior to engagement is imperative." In the Force Dead fields those creatures generated, Halketh's control would be lost, and the dismantling of corpses would be much easier.

"Still, I would counsel against a full on assault of Carlac, Imperator. If these Perished truly are resurrected by Halketh, any casualties we face puts all of our forces at risk. As such...

Base-Delta Zero is the sole option to preserve lives."

 

[Noel Strasza]

F A T E
N O E L
Asoport, Carlac

​

She could recall precisely what it was she was saying mere seconds before her television buzzed with the alert of a federal message, though it was not as if anyone besides the ghosts lingering in her apartment had heard her thinking aloud to herself. Cold, blackened steel feet pressed to a standstill against the hardwood floor, fixing her attention on the animated screen. Halketh had returned. Puzzled, she glowered on in silence, unshuttering the windows to gaze down upon the sprawling crowd far below her building in person. In the distance, there he stood as if he had never left. The faint echo of his words from the television in the background reached her, filling in for what she could not make out. The crowd's collected cheers rumbled the building, resonating upward through her frame to stoke her agitation. Had she nervousness left in her manufactured body, perhaps she would have felt it spike through her chest, gouging at the broken heart dwelling somewhere within.

She knew it was coming, she had always known, and she had tried to warn those she did care for that it would happen eventually. A man with madness as deeply engrained as Halketh could not rule in peace forever. And she had seen the signs as early as her enlistment when her first term was met by the near-constant dispersion of subtle tactic to sow distrust amongst her brothers and sisters in arms toward their New Imperial family. This was inevitable. And, if he was successful, it would not be an isolated event.

The world-weary woman watched from the window distantly, glaze settling over her augmented eyes until the familiar humming chime of a signal penetrated her absence and drew her back. A call? Now? The space reserved for a video signal or projected image across her HUD was empty, a mere black space, and beneath lay a scrambling, frantic string of numerals suggesting encryption. She hesitated, at first, suspicious of just who might be on the other end of the link. Yet, with nothing to lose, Noel picked up the line.​

"Hello?"

D O O M S A Y E R
M A J O R S T R A S Z A
Ravelin, Bastion

​

It never got easier; this place. She had spent the hours on the rather hasty flight over wrestling down the fatigue of endless days and sleepless nights, attempting to rub the dark circles from beneath her unnatural eyes with the sides of her fists to no avail. There was no changing the fact she looked rough, and no changing the fact that this entire situation was about to make it all so much worse. It had been all she could do with the short notice Avenger had given her to throw on a coat and shroud her features, masking them beneath layers and shadow to conceal who she was as she was extracted from the rebelling planet. It was no secret that she often acted in defiance of the High Warlord and was outspoken about just how ill-suited for power he was. The growing paranoia in her mind crept closer to the forefront as she had scrambled to pack her weapons into a bag and vacate her apartment, leaving behind the hollow shell of a home to make for the cabin of private transport.

And as the only passenger, she had naught but silence to consider the weight of it all, even as the man dispatched to extract her spoke and questioned at her.

It wasn't until now, when she stood on the other side of the guarded doors in the heart of Fortress Imperator, that it all settled on her shoulders to crush her beneath its weight. Muffled voices echoed vaguely from the other side, only detected by the augments to her senses, and she recognized only two: The Sovereign Imperator and the Spectre who had called her. Metal fingers pressed firmly against the doors and at once, the cyborg parted them to make way and entered the assembly hall.

Formality was out of the question, more or less, a decision she had made when she hadn't the time to dress in her uniform. She dipped her head toward The Imperator and strode forward, each step accompanied by the faint whirr of full-bodied mechanization concealed beneath layers of clothing, and braced her hands on the open end of the sprawling table. Red lenses flicked between the faces present, registering the attendance in silence as somber as the expression on her tired face. "You should have known," she stated first, allowing her fingers to curl into fists beneath her palms, "but since you didn't, listen up." The grate of her automated voice was deepened further by the gravity of her authoritative tone, "This is not a war he would start if he was unconvinced he could win it."

Without her armor, she was exposed, revealed fully for what she was to a room full of those who cared about matters far more important. And yet, she felt the heat burning in the organic tips of her ears nonetheless. The black steel of her jaw flexed briefly, stretching against the scar tissue securing it to the reaches of her face, and she allowed herself a moment to breathe consciously, gathering her rushing thoughts into much more digestible handfuls: "There is little point to dwell upon the failure to recognize the threat and even less time to bicker about a solution. What you should know is that the men and women sent ahead of the fighting force will be stranded until they can be retrieved, if they are able to remain undetected. I've served in Doom Division for years now, and the Corps longer still. The strategy for defending Carlac from invasion was always to rely on The Force power present there. Expect a storm, a big one. I know as little about Halketh as the rest of you, I'm sure, despite having more time with him. He was the way he was for a reason, that much is obvious now." A half-hearted sigh proceeded a shift in posture, one which saw her fishing out a cigarette to tuck between her lips and straighten up.

"Any fighting forces you send to that world that perish will be reanimated and sent right back against you. It is not a war that can be won with sheer volume alone, it requires much more precise work." The click of her lighter resounded in the silence between her statements, "So you might be considering then, dispatching a task force to assassinate the Warlord personally."

What was breathed in as smoke departed her nostrils as coils of vapor, nothing more, with her next claim: "What I know that you all do not, is that The Perished must have a Master to command them, without one, they will do nothing but frenzy and slaughter any living creature, man, woman, or child, they come across. And what I also know, is that The Carlaci Corps was one of the first organized groups to volunteer soldiers for IMPMAG."

The implication there was dire and she left it to hang in the silence, giving the others a moment to grasp its weight.​

Irveric Tavlar Onansi of Thyrsus Mithrad Enlil Avenger DECEASED Erskine Barran Willan Tal Caarlyle Rausgeber Arjant Clevenger ​

 

[Rika Hiro]

LADY_SILENCE_
COMPNOR
OBJ II
Tags: Don Belkora , open to other agents

This place was dead, and everything in it had long lost any visage of life it once had had long departed, smothered by the oppressive energy that hugged this once peaceful planet in a snake-like embrace. COMPNOR maintained a bare minimum of a skeleton presence on this planet, many agents preferring to differ on their assignments and seek postings elsewhere on far more pleasant planets. As such, the agency maintained a small observation unit of a few ERIS HRDs, however with the rogue warlord of this planet seceding from the Imperial state, any contact with the observation unit had been abruptly severed. Command refused to acknowledge any and all reports that their pet project replicants could go MIA like that, and in lieu of sending a proper compforce response, the higher-ups opted to send Agent Yubari and Agent Belkora to the planet.


The duo made landfall in the early hours of the morning when the mist was still thick, landing on the outskirts of any urban settlement and masking their small craft among the foliage and heavy fog. Yubari took initiative first and headed for a nearby settlement to take note of the situation and send a SITREP back to high command on the status of the MIA hrds. ​

 

[Don Belkora]

DON BELKORA
COMPNOR
NEW IMPERIAL ORDER
OBJ II
Tags: Rika Hiro

Comm systems all online. . . .

​

"Fethin finally," he groaned, wiping sweat from his foreheads and peering outside the confines of the craft. Nothing but fething mist for miles around, he hated this stupid little backwater, and its decrepit blind overlord. The little wretch was sneaky, that was for sure, pulling a fast one on the Imperator. No early warnings, no intel, no nothing. The Lord of Carlac sure knew how to play it clever.

Don was no stranger to dangerous missions, but this place, this place had him unnerved and uneasy. Even with the glorified mannequin agent Yubari accompanying Belkora, it did not ease his nerves or unease. He didn't know what the Atrisian thought about it all, no one knew what went on in the replicants head, though he wagered the droid would find its match on this lifeless planet. But, Yubari at least had that in common with the locals, being a quiet and otherwise soulless entity.


He himself had come armed and ready; he wasn't about to become one of those things, whatever they were. He'd rather eat a grenade blast than go on after death as an undead abomination. Belkora looked out again and saw nothing in the mist; sighing in relief, he turned back to his comm station and stamped in a quick combo that connected him to Yubari's comm channel.

<<"Belkora to Yubari, comm link is established over, beware of the locals and other things in the mist, most are armed and dangerous, seek the former observation post in the village nearby, i'll send coordinates over, transmit back a sitrep when done and i'll head over."


Something moved outside.


Belkora placed his mic down, slowly pulling out his firearm.


"What was that?"

​

 

[Rika Hiro]

LADY_SILENCE_
COMPNOR
OBJ II
Tags: Don Belkora

Trudging through the fog, the Atrisian made its way through the dead and empty space with caution and care. The only foliage for miles around was tree's devoid of any life and stripped bare of leaves, leaving them but a hollowed-out bone bleached husk that dotted the barren rocky landscape. Yubari had not come heavily armed; the only weapons the team had brought was left with Belkora on the ship; she opted to go light as the mission saw fit. Belkora, seemingly trapped by the weakness of man's fear, had placated himself by bringing a small arsenal aboard. She did not know fear; she did not know apprehension; only the mission ahead mattered.


Another gust of wind came, howling bitterly through the mist and almost lending a ghoulish quality to a planet already bereft of life. If not for her ocular settings that enabled her to see in multiple environments, the replicant would be long lost in the mist. Not even the commlinks seemed entirely stable.


<<"Belkora to Yubari, co*m link is esta-blished ov---, beware ******* and other things in the mist, most are armed and dangerous, seek the former observation post in the village nearby, i'll send coordinates over, transmit back hfhffffhfhfhfdfdhfdhfdfdhdfzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz- Don Belkora


As soon as Belkoras familar tone of voice cut through the quiet, it cut out abruptly and was replaced by the lonely wind and almost dangerous quiet. She raised an eyebrow at her commlink and looked back up to see a series of lights in the far distance. Presumably, the village Belkora talked about.With one foot forward quietly at a time, she continued into the foggy expanse alone. ​

 

[Caarlyle Rausgeber]

BASTION
IMPERIAL ASSEMBLY
Irveric Tavlar | Avenger | Onansi of Thyrsus

​

Rausgeber took a drag from his cigarette watching the others with some wry amusement. He had predicted this to some degree. The Felists were a disgusting group, too often out for themselves. Not really his kind of people. And now intelligence had suggested this was a longer term play. Force Users and Felists. What a vile bunch. And yet, not entirely unpredicted. Still. Carlyle had of course drawn up plans for this type of war. It would need to be amended, but the Navy as per the Admiral Regent's command, was prepared for any eventuality.

"I must say, that this act has certainly caught us off guard." He conceded, pausing and eyeing the group, "But, it would be remiss not to say I have not at all organised for this eventuality." He pursed his lips in a soft smile, gazing at his cohorts across the table. "I think an all out conflict, with this, unknown, undead variable is.... Unseemly." Rausgeber rested on the term, "It risks casualties, and goads us into the fighting a war that can be defeated in other means." Rausgeber paused, "I would advise, given the nature of our traitorous comrades departure, and nature that an attack on Carlac would bog down too quickly. We should be measured in our response." He gave a nod to the honourable representative from Eshan, "And without a doubt, in my view, this will be the means for some unknown ally to assail us. Halketh is stupid, but cunning. He'll have prepared the means of ambush." Carlyle paused, and eyed Strasza, "I sincerely doubt that Halketh will have the capacity to launch a force storm strong enough to subdue our forces in orbit for an extended period of time. Time is our crutch, our advantage, our key to victory here. Any counter move relies on our strategic decision making here today." He mused to her, "We can marshal a force, and we can hold around the system for an extended period. Allowing us to execute my proposed operations."

Rausgeber took a drag, and let the smoke waft over his face, "The Navy has prepared two lines of strategic thought. The first, Operation Rising Sun," He reached into his tunic, providing a holographic projector, which he then placed on the table. It lit up, illuminating his features. It was a display of Carlac, surrounded by a squadron of six Star Destroyers, and a dozen escorts. "This would be merely a blockade. Something to disrupt the commerce of the system. Ensure that essentially the Dual Barony is neutralised. Nothing would escape the system, or enter without our purview." His face turned to the Sovereign Imperator, "This is the, diplomatic approach if you will. We can support the blockade, as we have assets nearby allowing for resupply. And hoping that the people suffer enough under the burden of our blockade to turn on their sovereign. But," He wagged a finger, "I feel that we need a stronger message. A blockade is but a statement, we require a manifesto."

Carlyle configured the display, and a new one came up. It showed the planet under attack. "This, is my proposed version. Unternehemen VerräterKrieg." Carlyle licked his lips, a ravenous beast eager to display his prowess, "Carlac has a unique environment, which is very cold. Much like Rising Sun, we would initiate a blockade. But, it would be followed with repeated deployment of rhypalm, melting the ice caps and glaciers. Poisoning the water supply, and damaging the nature of its atmosphere. It would, by our geological assesments, cause mass flooding through the planet and dislodge any underground industry or fortifications." He then zoomed in, showing a display of an orbital bombardment, "We would then, proceed to destroy the means of agriculture and industry. They may be fortified, but without the capacity to rebuild. The infastructure to feed themselves, the system becomes a planet of the dead. Nothing worth defending."

"This will be our manifesto. Those who seek to deny your rule, my liege, will be scourged beneath our wrath."

 

[Cromwell]

A V E N G E R
IMPERIAL SPECTRE
PROVIDE REAL-TIME INTEL OF CARLAC TO ASSEMBLY
Irveric Tavlar | Rurik Fel | Willan Tal | Onansi of Thyrsus | Mithrad | Fiolette Fortan | Caarlyle Rausgeber | Enlil | Arjant Clevenger | Noel Strasza | @Roki Vulovic

Onansi's assumption was shared by the Spectre; foreign elements had to be in the mix. Halketh was blind, but no fool, that much Avenger was certain of - he would not make such a move without seeing a high degree of success and Carlac - with all its undead, ice and storms - would not be enough to stem a full New Imperial incursion. At least not for long. There had to be something else, something they were not seeing. Were there other Warlords or Moffs who would support his bid and follow a similar declaration? A large conspiracy such as that would've not escaped Avenger's eyes and ears. Unless it was a bluff, an incredibly risky bluff at that, to declare independence and expect a domino effect from the less subservient governorates.

The Commander doubted that. That left him with two options - the Sith-Imperial Remnant consolidated under Halketh's banner or something worse, far more nefarious than that. The agents on the ground needed more time to get pieces of intel that might address the concern of foreign intervention but the Empire had no time. A message had to be sent. And fast.

But not the message Onansi or Rausgeber proposed.

"No." he interjected, planting a cold glare on the Grand Admiral, "Wiping out an Imperial planet should be out of the question. We are not the Sith!" he nearly growled as the memory of the Sith Empire laid annihilation upon his homeworld of Coruscant, his dear parents perishing in the aftermath of the attack. "Major Noel Strasza argues a strong point - cutting the head of the snake should be our priority and our goal. Crippling the Perished would half, if not more, the Carlaci military strength. Without Halketh, the Corps and the militia would fall into a power vacuum and devolve into rebel cells struggling to find a leader among their ranks. That window of time would be enough for us to sweep these elements and reclaim Carlac."

"It can be done. We have enough experience in our army to lead a war of attrition while a dedicated strike team surgically decapitates the head." he clenched his fists -a a hint of guilt by the otherwise unbreakable composure he carried. "Leave Halketh to me."

 

[Halketh]

N I G H T
C A E L I T U S
CARLAC

​

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The High Warlord paused, lifting a plated hand to brush fingers beneath his blindfold, massaging at his temple. The attendants situated in the transport cabin looked away briefly, unnerved by the skin seemingly overgrown where the man's eyes should have been. It wasn't until his hand removed itself that they returned their attention to him.

"My Lord," Arath spoke up, shifting in her seat, "Are you sure the village leader will be willing to speak with you?"

He paused, turning his head in her direction, expression neutral despite the tension of the situation. Nothing served as his response to her, met in equal measure by his continuation of the pacing path. He had much to consider, more than he wished to admit. All of his preparations, all of the planning, the nights he left his bed cold to meditate and glimpse of prophecy, the days he had spent listening to the citizens beneath the other Moffs and Governors, it had all led to this.

And now, he was to bring war to a planet he had wished for ages to be left to peace. It wasn't his desire to fight, it never had been, though he was not so naive to believe the New Imperials would leave his people in peace. No, they would consider a declaration such as his as an act of war. They would come, he had no doubt, though they knew very little of the depths of horror he had orchestrated here. Some of them were good people, individuals he may have considered friends in another life, but now, the line had been drawn and from where he stood, he could only see them rising against him.

"We land in three minutes, High Warlord. Please make ready." The voice of his personal pilot hummed over the intercom and he nodded, moving then to stand by the drop door.

"I will go speak with him alone, just as I have before-" he started, briefly recalling the few conversations he had with the leader of the Ming Po, Carlac's true native peoples. When he had settled and developed the world, he had left their territory and village alone, and gave word no harm would come to the people within it under his care. Nearly wiped out by the Death Watch before, the tribe had been hesitant to engage with him at all, but it was by his actions their trust was won.

When a pox ravaged their village, it was he who brought them medicine and doctors to care for them. When the ice storm froze the entire planet beneath feet of razorice, it was he who led the efforts to provide them succor and recovery.

And now, it was he who brought discordance to their otherwise peaceful world once more.

The gentle touch down of the craft saw him open the door, exposing those within to the icy, jagged wind and the snapping cold.

"What if the New Imperials arriv-" Arath spoke up, only to be cut off.

"Foolish to think they haven't dispatched agents amongst us already. Worry not, I won't be long."

Drawing his hood up to shield his ears from the gale, the Warlord slipped from the safety of the craft and moved through the frigid mist toward the shadow of the village rising up amidst the swelling storm.​

 

[Don Belkora]

DON BELKORA
COMPNOR
NEW IMPERIAL ORDER
OBJ II
Tags: Rika Hiro

​

Come on. Where the hell are you?

​

Hesitantly he pressed the cam feed button that provided around the clock monitoring of the outside of the ship, with what little he could see outside gave him more concern by the minute. It didn't help that the blasted skin job hadn't responded to his comms, though no doubt the little replicant wasn't in any real danger; she was like a cockroach; she'd survive anything.


Hurry the feth up and give me a status update.


Something rustled outside the ship again, only bolder in its proximity as he heard a rattle against the durasteel plating of the vessel. The silence broke with faint sinister whispers that seemed to multiply around Belkoras surroundings, only to stop and start, growing with intensity each time abruptly.


He spat on the floor in frustration and grabbed his tac vest and a nearby assault blaster, slowly clambering over to the back hatch of the ship. Whatever the feth it was, it was no match for Imperial armoury issued steel and an angry Tetan. Once in the open, he switched his flashlight on his gun and pointed it out into the open and checked around the ship suspiciously for any hidden threats.



Something moved again.



Belkora spun around.



Footsteps multiplied rapidly.

"NO NO NO," he shouted in surprise; shadowy figures moved at an unnatural speed and number towards him in the fog. He primed his blaster and fired into the unknown, his rounds seemingly not finding their mark as they flew through the great white unknown. Panicking, he fired again, and his blaster jammed; he yanked his sidearm out and fired in quick succession. Dropping two of the figures who seemed to get up as if nothing had hit them. He wasted no further time and fled for the back-hatch, closing it just as they closed in and began to bang on the durasteel with an almost ritualistic intensity.


Oh no.

Oh god.

Oh fug.

​

​

 

[DECEASED Erskine Barran]

1
THE_WOAD
OBJECTIVE 1: NORMALIZATION
RAVELIN, BASTION

Grand Imperial Assembly: Irveric Tavlar Onansi of Thyrsus Willan Tal Avenger
Enlil Noel Strasza Caarlyle Rausgeber Arjant Clevenger Mithrad

​

I should not have been so dismissive of his darkness, I should not have taken it for granted.

Walking to Fort Imperator from the Great Imperial Library, Lord Erskine would be alone with his thoughts as he strolled with rented books in hand, preoccupied with the circumstances that the Grand Assembly were discussing that day, raging at himself for having looked on Lord Halketh so favourably. Truly understanding how naïve he had been to see the zombies' bolstering of the Blue-Heart battle-lines as anything but deeply troubling, though understand that it was all too late to do anything meaningful about it, the Stormchaser resigned himself to the fact his fight with the darker side of Carlac was fated to happen one way or another, gritting his teeth ruefully as the civilians of Ravelin passed him by. The same sort of undead soldier that shoved him out of their way on Generis, in that same single-minded, obedient drive for flesh, would be feasting on the faces, arms, legs and throats of the Woad-Macushla in the same fashion as they did with the soldiers of the Sith Empire, a just outcome for those who relied too readily on the risen dead of Galactic warfare to begin with.

This realization would hound the Lord-Commander's thoughts all the way to the south gate of Fort Imperator itself, plaguing his mind with the thoughts and memories of seeing zombies tearing the Sith-troopers limb from limb, biting and ripping their prey as the troopers screamed in helpless agony; and to make matters worse, anticipatory thoughts of the worst sort came flooding to the forefront of Barran's mind, manifesting as visions of seeing the undead running at his ilk with the exact same dull-eyed, bloody-faced malice. Turning around briefly, Erskine would be forced to recall his first encounter with the Sith Empire's version of the Halketh method, forced to recall the smell, the sight, and the sound of the decaying larynxes as they approached; smelling the blood of their prey on the wind, hissing and moaning their intent as the din reverberated off the fortress walls behind them. Only the flames, the experience and the overall aggression wielded by the old Blue-Heart Battalion could save them from the reanimated ones then, but Erskine would have new boons and advantages on Carlac, and would make full use of his cunning to get the best out of every last one.
The meat-grinder man I am, but I'm also known for using strategy to my benefit. Carlac is possible, an' the snow itself is the key to victory.

Pondering on this thought in particular as he approached the guards at the gate, Barran would be interrupted by the sudden movements of the soldiers as they stood to attention and saluted, bowing their heads in respect as the Woad nodded in acknowledgement before the Brigadier-General could return to his focused thoughts and continue on his way. By the time he reached the guarded double-doors however, Lord Erskine knew that he would need to have his listening head on going forward, compartmentalizing all that he had been thinking on for later as the doors were opened for him, understanding that much and more would be learned if he paid proper attention. All the usual faces of high-esteem were present, though the expected attendance of Strasza still left Erskine somewhat surprised to see her, as the last time they spoke was during the Third Battle of Ziost; not much had been heard from Carlac since that day, so the surprise was certainly warm in nature, but one that still did little to allay the concerns which had been plaguing the Woad on his way over from the library.

'To the right-honourable Assembly, I bid warm greetings to everyone in attendance! My apologies for the poor punctuality - I'll just be letting more-eager speakers have their say for the moment, not wishing to ruin the flow of the discussion if I'm still trying to ascertain it's specifics.'

 

[Rurik Fel]

M A N _ O F _ I R O N
NEW IMPERIAL ORDER
LORD EXECUTOR
KNIGHTS OF THE EMPIRE
NIV DISSIDENT AGGRESSOR
Iron Skin | Lightsaber
Avenger | Onansi of Thyrsus | DECEASED Erskine Barran | Caarlyle Rausgeber | Noel Strasza

​

Sedition. What was once the beacon of order and unity within a Galaxy wrought with chaos was fraying at the seems. A New Order facing its greatest trial yet. To unite and march against a common enemy now seemed trivial in contrast to sewing the differences that drove them apart internally. Rurik faced Halketh himself down on Carlac- to try and glean the man's true nature...to no ture avail. But there was no doubt Halketh was a shrouded figure, as much as he was shadowy in intent Rurik now began to systematically question every scant and enigmatic encounter they'd had- leading to his indifference to the Imperator's gaze of doubt which eventually stirred him to the words in the meeting before him.

"I will lead the task force to slay Lord Halketh. Such is my duty bound to the role of Lord Executor...though Carlac was once a world vital to the Empire in what it contributed to us...they are no longer...Imperial." Rurik admitted sternly.

"Unless our scouting party reports of a loyalist insurrection against their leader...then my patience...my good will toward this world has worn thin. A message need be sent, certainly now as we close the Iron Ring. That sedition, thoughts and intent of treason will be punished and harshly. Usually I would advise restraint in these matters...but now is the time to send a message. The darkness has creeped into the open, where it is most vulnerable. And we will vanquish it for all to see. The Galaxy is watching us, spotting for cracks in our ideology." Rurik insists.

"An example needs to be made of Carlac, as horrid as it might be to suggest." The Lord Executor proposes.

"Avenger. You will concede all information your people have gathered of the state of Carlac at the soonest possibility, the time of our operation can not delay much longer."

 

[Noel Strasza]

D O O M S A Y E R
M A J O R S T R A S Z A
Ravelin, Bastion

​

Frustration pinched her brows together as she tracked the suggestions as they were passed about the room until she was interrupted by the doors opening to her flank. It was a surprise, one which earned her attention in a snap, and upon seeing a familiar face, she relished the faint relief that washed over her. The cyborg offered Barran a half-hearted nod through the vapor coiled about her face and folded her arms over her chest, digging the metallic mockeries of fingertips she possessed into the biceps beneath the cloth. First, she looked back to the Grand Admiral and she struggled to formulate a response to him that wasn't full of insult and expletive as he discussed the starvation of the world she still considered her home- this was perhaps noticeable by the hardened expression on her face. She refrained, however, given his rank and where it was they were standing.

"Perhaps it's your doubt then, Grand Admiral, that will rip your ships from the sky and break them on the mountains of the planet. It is not Halketh alone that you have to consider will be shaping the storm, no, that was never the plan. There is a Force Academy on the planet, and many of those disciples are head-over-heels for that bastard. They'll do just about anything he tells 'em to, even if it means drainin' themselves dry to accomplish it. How do you think he was able to raise so many dead to begin with?"

Her crimson eyes pierced into the projection of Varian. "Killing him will do nothing but create much larger problems for the alliances we've forged, in that all the soldiers we've loaned out for operation off Carlac were probably undead. Even if you don't care about the people of Carlac, as stupid as they're acting now, you've to consider the consequences of allowing the undead to rampage without a Master to control them."

She looked to the steely visage of the Lord Executor then, "The same goes for you, Lord Executor. If you kill Halketh and the soldiers he dispatched to aid and reinforce our allies' territories turn hostile and start slaughtering their troops, that's an outright act of war too, isn't it? His capture, more so than his death, should be the priority, at least until we can figure out exactly how many undead we're going up against, and how the hells we're gonna solve that problem. Once that much is out of the way, then make an example out of him."

Strasza expelled a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment as the synaptic processes in her mind worked to overdrive. She hated him. And the more she thought about how all of this seemed so favorable for him, the hotter the synthetic blood in her veins seemed to burn. "Carlac is easily defensible, truly, but still, he would not act so boldly against the entire Empire if he thought he would be alone in this endeavor. That's the puzzle piece we need more than any of them. Who or what could be helping him? What has he put his faith in?" Her eyes opened and she leaned forward to tap the ashes from her cigarette into the tray planted on the heart of the table.​

Irveric Tavlar Onansi of Thyrsus Mithrad Enlil Avenger DECEASED Erskine Barran Willan Tal Caarlyle Rausgeber Arjant Clevenger ​

 

[Caarlyle Rausgeber]

BASTION
CONFERENCE ROOM
Noel Strasza | DECEASED Erskine Barran | Rurik Fel | Avenger

"We may not be Sith, but let's base our assessment of that given by the Major here." Rausgeber paused, glaring at the Avenger while he snuffed his cigarette out in an ashtray, "We are dealing with an unknown variable, who appears to subsume our troops into their own ranks. We know not of their plans. Their intentions, other than that of secession." Carlyle eyed the members of the room, "To move quickly now, would mean us to be caught in some tangled web. A trap for the beast." The Admiral Regent opined to the group, "And this, in my learned experience is not the first time." He raised a singular digit.

"Back during the reign of Supreme Leader Ren of the First Order, we had ourselves a similar situation." The imperial informed the group, "An outbreak of a disease, similar in scale to what the Major has informed us of. Not as disciplined, and concentrated as what we face now. But at that point then, we could not defeat it. It consumed all beneath it. All we could palate was at the time, quarantine." he shook his head, "And never again, should we use that. We need to be decisive. Strong. Send a message to all those, within this room, and without, our dedication to security and prosperity." Rausgeber snapped, "We can easily, throw propaganda to it." he added, pivoting to placate the Avenger.

"Spin it that Halketh corrupted the planet. There was no saving those poor lost souls. Show it, as one of the follies of the Sith, and their magicks." The imperial offered callously, "Because as far as I am concerned, that is our only option that limits our losses. I don't think many of those, who gave their comrades, who bled for Bastion, for Korriban, for a dozen other systems would reliably join forces, and yield for traitors." Rausgeber shook his head, "No, no. We need a decisive message. And we need to send it to all those present. They are with us, or against us. This is an issue of the Sith, and we should not folly or falter in our resolve."

Rausgeber's cool gaze turned itself to the Major, "Well clearly, Major Strasza, you have given us very little to contemplate in other directions. We can't kill the man, lest we turn the beasts loose. And you seem to be making orbital bombardment an impossibility." He folded his arms, "I think you are, overexaggerating the case. I have felt the frigid chill of such storms before. And the range we would pursue them at, with a multi-pronged approach, there would be casualties. Certainly. But there would be far less than a full out landing." The Admiral Regent added.

"To engage in some bandying with lightsabers only sates the egos of Force Users. And puts our men as mere numbers. Carlac as it exists now, is as the Major says, in a state of total war against us. And should they burn for that crime, I shan't shed any tears."

 

[Rika Hiro]

LADY_SILENCE_
COMPNOR
OBJ II
Tags: Don Belkora

Asa soon found herself perched among the craggy rocks on an overlook above the village; she scanned the few barren and broken hovels dotted around below to get up any information from past Imperial surveys. Nothing noteworthy up amid the layer of code and numbers that clouded her vision as her eyes turned blue from scanning; whatever this sad little place was, it wasn't registered with the state nor the Imperial survey system. It made logical sense that the agency would pick a dump like this to hide a surveillance station, but it begged how the Carlaci warlord might've found them. They were Eris replicants like her, and they gave off no lifeforce; they required no sustenance nor sleep. These were elite replicants of Compnor, not simple human agents who could be easy as replaced as they were liable to be killed in the field.



<<"Yubari to Belkora, I'm in range of the site, any report from HQ or update.>>


She waited behind the rocks, patiently awaiting a response; nothing came through her commlink, radio silence save for the still mournful and ever-present wind that seemed to grow in intensity. Strange, that man was the most talkative and arguably most annoying operative to work with. Yet, he would not go silent out of his own choice; the man was a former criminal before he ended up in Compnors lap. Those types were super talkative, especially when staring down the end of a barrel or knife point. Something was up. ​

 

[Arjant Clevenger]

H I E R O P H A N T
NEW IMPERIAL ORDER
BASTION
STARRING | WARLORDS/MOFFS | Irveric Tavlar | Caarlyle Rausgeber | Julius Haskler | Willan Tal | DECEASED Erskine Barran | Halketh | Onansi of Thyrsus | Mithrad | Enlil | Noel Strasza | Avenger | Rurik Fel

He never understood why a man with superficial power was even allowed a spot of political power within the government of this rising Empire. The Sith nothing but ashes; and now with one head of a snake chopped off another takes it place. This time within their own borders.

This element of dissidence disgusted and frustrated him, though what frustrates him more were some voices within the Assembly that offered their opinions that didn’t align with his. Sending troops to attack and reclaim Carlac? Waste of men and munitions considering the defenses that comprised Carlac.

“I concur with Warlords Onansi and Rausgeber,” his voice taking command, in order to gain the attention of his fellow peers within the Assembly. “Carlac has proven to be a threat to our Order, for us to conduct a conventional operation against Halketh is idiotic. True, we outnumber Carlac, but as we’ve all speculated there is some deviant schemes just for that sorcerer to openly rebel against us.”

“Carlac, in its current state, is beyond salvation, the only best outcome for us it to turn it into ashes and erase every memory of their rebellion. We can salvage what is lost from the ashes of their corpses.”

 

[Julian Qar]

✚ T H E _ T O W E R _ R E V E R S E D ✚
Ravelin, Bastion
[ x x x x ]​

There would be no grand entrance, just the weight of heavy consideration taken when he stepped into that room. He recognized some of their faces, but their voices tipped off sense memories in his mind. It all fell into place, their blank outlines slowly and casually filled in one by one with each word they spoke.

A waft of familiar smoke trailed into his nose, tickling the feeling in the back of his mind that triggered an itch he’d been trying to scratch for weeks with his arms tied behind his back.

His body had seen better days, months, years even - the single eye tracing the grain of the table as the last speaker finished their remark, giving him an in to speak up - if only briefly.

“I don’t got much useful input. Some of y’all know me or known of me...I ain’t the fighten’ type but I did work with the guy for several years..learned a thing’er two...anyways...” A heavy breath sent a wave of shivers throughout his two-tone body, his hands clasped one another to gain his composure if even for a moment. Slowly, he would embark on his own act of defiance ..reluctant even to proceed - to utter those words that felt like betrayal to the civilians he served.

The doctor carefully plucked the Carlaci Corps lapel pin from his robes, setting it down on the table before him. “I went ahead and pulled my entire medical and rescue teams. Got a lotta scared and pissed off staff."

He drew out some imaginary route on the table as he spoke, glancing up for a moment and then back down again. "The corps also ain’t got a lick of medical supplies to their name left. We've always worked behind the scenes till people start gettin' hurt. Nobody'll be the wiser. Our supplies got shipped off to an undisclosed planet. Doctor T’hess knows more on that front if y'all want what aid we got.” He crossed his arms over the empty space in his chest, nodding only once to confirm his claim. “I’ll let y’all get back ta yer meetin'...jus wanted to say my piece.” Julian looked around the room, his eye dragging for a few seconds, heart in his throat over his speech or perhaps even more.


“It’s like the ol’ sayin’ goes, right? First, do no harm…we're sticken to that claim. Can bet yer ass on it. ”

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

​

​

Fiolette relaxed in the water, listening to the sounds of the men as they argued on what to do with Carlac. On her part, the Galidraani had her feed muted for both audio and visuals. All any of them could see was a simple black screen where she should be present. The woman slowly sat up in the baths and looked at her attendants and gave them all a polite nod. Here in the countryside of Ord Trasi just beyond the capital of Rhea, the redhead had been. At least for the last week, it wasn't often that she visited Ord Trasi but on that particular day - there she was. Fiolette slowly rose from the bath. Water fell from her form as at least one attendant began to dry her with a towel, and another readied her robe.​

​

There had been a pause in the debates, a gentleman with a rather peculiar way of speaking had just finished his sentence. Fiolette casually strode toward the small holodevice there in the baths. The Galidraani activated the audio portion and began to interject. "The Sith must be taken out quietly, lest you make a martyr of them," she quietly interjected, her accent clear as to her origins. "Carlac itself must be dealt with two-fold, suppress the rebellion and drive this Sith away from their supporters. The latter will require precision, the former will be rather blunt."​

​

She then continued, "starving the system will only serve the Sith's purpose, even if nothing but combatants remain. They will say look at how your Government treats you. Regardless of its rebellion, it will not serve the New Imperial Order well to do so." Fiolette paused a moment as the attendants finished their duties. The redhead activated the video portion of the feed, her white dress perfectly situated upon her body.​

​

"However, the questions raised by... Major Straza, is it? Should be answered before approaching this Sith. Until then, we should proceed onward with suppressing this rebellion, as some of my fellow warlords have suggested."​

​

Irveric Tavlar | Willan Tal | Caarlyle Rausgeber | Noel Strasza | DECEASED Erskine Barran | Mithrad | Rurik Fel | Arjant Clevenger | Onansi of Thyrsus | Enlil | Avenger​

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