Destination: New Holstice

[Boethiah]

There are no worlds which can escape the horrors of warfare or the threat of a possible attack.

Yet, that is exactly what New Holstice is meant to be--an escape for the wounded and exhausted, a haven away from the front. For thousands of years, this world has served the Republic faithfully and no doubt, the war waged with the One Sith has resulted in many casualties, and that the hospitals of New Holstice are hard at work.

Beyond the Rim, deep within Wild Space, the Primeval fights with the Mandalorians and Silver Jedi in an ongoing war, never having touched the Republic before. In fact, never before has a Primeval fleet made it this far out of their territory since Wayland. So why now? Why do the Primeval seek to attack a hospital world lying in the frontiers of Republic space?

...That is the mystery of zealots. Their purposes are never revealed so readily, and their objectives will likely go unnoticed until it's too late.

Seven warships dropped out of hyperspace near New Holstice, making their way deeper into the gravity well and towards the planet.

"We are detecting modest defenses, no enemy warships on sensors. Should we activate the gravity well?"

"Do it."

Elsewhere on the vessel, Anja Aj'Rou met with two guests.

[member="Darth Vornskr"] | [member="Darth Carach"] | [member="Kiber Dorn"]

Fleet: x1 Primeval-class Star Destroyer; Primordial | x2 Time Rift-class Assault Destroyers; Disruption, Instigator | x4 Gulandi-class Escort Frigates; Shield, Sar-Sargoth, Spear, Interlude

Meters: 5,000 total

Spoiler: Actions

> Maneuvering into planetary orbit.
>Activating Gravity Well Projector.
>Awaiting further orders.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

He could smell it in the air, the sickly sweet anticipation of battle and butchery. His fingers curled and uncurled his hands into fists, an anxious tick that only worsened the closer the battle loomed, but it was not something that overly concerned the monstrous Sith Lord as he stared out of the wide viewport overlooking the emptiness the space as the strike fleet dropped out of hyperspace above the Republic hospital world of New Holstice. Strategically the world had zero value, but that was not why they came here. To be honest they could have come to a number of planets nearby and still achieved the same effect, but Vornskr found it more traumatic if a world dedicated to healing and recovery were struck by their iron fist. Maximum damage with minimal effort, one could say, and that was the mindset of those that had come to this world with weapons primed and their hearts and minds set on destruction.

"Do you feel it?" He asked to no one in particular, but emphasized his words loud enough so that his hostess and the other guest could clearly hear him. His eyes scanned the horizon of space (if such a thing existed) and fell upon the nubile planet before them, already he could feel the surprise and panic of the Republic officers and soldiers as they were caught off-guard by the sudden intrusion into one of the farthest territories from not only the Republic center, but also the front lines of the war deep in the core. Perhaps they half expected an attack on their hospital world, but the region had gone unmolested for seven years of unending conflict.

"Armageddon looms nearer."

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"] | [member="Darth Carach"] | [member="Kiber Dorn"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

"Listen, I don't particularly care or not if you sign this, I get paid either way." His voice boomed out over the sound of half a dozen beeping machines and crying children, the young woman in front of him staring daggers at him as though her current situation in life were actually his fault. "Look."

The tone of Kurt's voice changed in an instant, from annoyed pedestrian to long lost sweetheart. "I'm just trying to do my job, Darlin'."

The heavy Tatooine drawl pulled through as he spoke, his elbow sliding onto the counter in front of him, chin cradled in an outstretched palm as he drew closer to the nurse behind the desk. A small smile tugged at his lips, and his eyes immediately set on the womans own, paying close attention to every feature and line on her face.

"I'm not trying to get you in trouble, I just need someone to sign this so I can get on with delivering this part your hospital needs." He drew himself up slightly, pulling closer to the woman. "So, why don't you take this pen, flick a little scribble over the screen, and I'll take you out for a celebratory drink tonight about our successful little con?"

The woman inspected him.

Her eyes folded over him, looking up and down and inspecting exactly what he was all about. The smile that tugged on his lips pulled a little further, but not by much. After a moment more of ogling she slowly looked back up at his face, catching on the line of his jaw until finally returning her eyes to his own.

"Okay."

Kurt grinned.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

A soft hum accompanied the ticking.

Tick, tick, huuuum, huuum, tick, huumhuuum, tick, tick, tick.

It was the scrapping of polished something against the durasteel floor of the ship, it was the deep, low literal voice of another Voice of the Dark Lord, it were those sounds that the people inside the room would first hear before seeing him step through the door. He seemed just a little bit bored - fire in his eyes always searching, always looking for new things to see and observe.

The ticking had come from a cane. It had been a staff before, but the Sith Lord had not been of the opinion that it would be as handy during a walk and so it had shifted to accommodate his desire.

It radiated malevolence, a cold feeling would seep into any that weren’t resistant enough against its influence, its tone shifted from the darkest ebony to bright crimson and back, and in Carach’s hand… it hummed just a little bit.

In anticipation. It knew destruction on a massive scale was afoot.

“Gentlemen.” Carach simply greeted the entourage.

“My Lady Host.” his nod followed, before he joined [member="Darth Vornskr"] at the viewport. Then his expression turned from bored to something that seemed more interested.

“I wonder how many Jedi are being treated there.”

Their souls would be a worthy addition to his collection.

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"] | [member="Kiber Dorn"]​

 

[Cristina Zeitlin]

Jabiim class Corvette - New Hope​

Bridge​

Edge of New Holstice System​

​

​

"Ma'am, its a no go."​

​

"What do you mean ma'am its a no go!?!"​

​

The loud voice tore through the bridge as she stood from the rather comfortable chair that she had had installed so she could command from comfort. Pushing herself up as she moved towards the helmsmen station before leaning forward. One hand resting on the top of the console while the other came to rest at the bottom. Looking over the navigational computer read out before turning to the crew member. ​

​

"Are you sure the damn thing is working?" ​

​

"Yes Ma'am. We're getting a good read, something is preventing the computer from getting a lock on." ​

​

"How close can you get us?" ​

​

"The edge of the system." ​

​

With a heavy sigh she stood up before looking out the view screen of the vessel. Something was not right, something just didn't feel right about the entire situation. This should have been an easy jump to the planet, though something was out there. Discretion told her that she should wait, to gather information, yet her mind screamed at her to push forward. ​

​

"Kark it. Get us there." ​

​

She spoke before quickly retaking her seat, her hand pressing against the comlink to broadcast a message across the rather small vessel. A heavy sigh escaping her lips before she began to speak. Her legs crossing one over the other to rest upon her knee as she leaned back. ​

​

"All hands prepare for the worst. We may be flying into hell...." ​

​

"Again..." ​

​

With that she cut the coms off before motioning with a simple nod. The helmsmen returning the nod before the stars lain out before the vessel began to elongate and slip by the screen. The vessel jumping into hyperspace as the Lieutenant remained leaned back in her seat. Her mind raced with what she was about to find, and part of her knew that she may have just made a damn big mistake. ​

​

Taking a moment to steel herself, she closed her eyes, listening to her vessel; the low dull humming noise of the engines seeming to echo through the halls and rooms of the ship all the way to the bridge. There were some whom said they couldn't hear it, yet she could. She knew this vessel as it if were a child and she its mother. ​

​

Within the blackness of space, a bright light burst from the inky depths of nothingness. The small Corvette dropping from hyperspace at the edge of the New Holstice System. Something definitely wasn't right and it was clear to see with the number of vessels in the system. Their sensors pinging wildly at the surface contacts. ​

​

"Ma'am, unknown vessels in system. Looks like they've got a Gravity Well Projector." ​

​

"Well Kark!" ​

​

She exclaimed loudly, pushing herself forward and looking out the view screen before her. The size of the vessels alone told her that they weren't there for a visit. All she could do was hope for some kind of relief, or that they hadn't cut off communications in the system. ​

​

"Get a message out. New Holstice is under attack by an unknown force."​

​

The communications officer was already on the job, furiously typing out the message on screen as rapidly as they could. With a heavy sigh they pressed the confirmation button, watching as the signal was transmitted. The moment it was though the Lieutenant was damn sure that they had just made a target of themselves. ​

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]​

[member="Darth Vornskr"]​

[member="Kurt Meyer"]​

[member="Darth Carach"]​

 

[Boethiah]

"Sensors are picking up a single vessel... Seems to be a corvette in size."

"Don't divert course, I want us in orbit of New Holstice."

Anja found amusement in the two Sith Lords, their interests weren't entirely different than her own, but the way they hungered was fascinating. "There will be Jedi...And something else, too." She felt the galaxy calling to her, the witch felt the primordial chaos calling out to her in quiet whispers. If she listened closely, she could make out a few broken sentences. There was something else waiting for them, but what? How significant that she could hear what has yet to happen?

"It is nearly time," Anja turned her gaze from the Sith and marched down the corridor and towards the command bridge. The path was hardly a trek, as the observation deck was in the same area of the vessel.

The Host Lord entered the bridge, officers and personnel respected her with a bow of their head. "Initial assessment reveals four heavy guns. I noticed a transmission left the system, an eighty-five-point-three percent chance of being a request for assistance. Outlook: positive." The artificial voice boomed throughout the room, transmitting through various intercom systems and belonging to their AXIOS.

Anja pondered, "estimate their response times," if a fleet was likely to respond then they'd have to be ready for them.

"I have no data on Galactic Republic fleet disciplines. Relying on Sith Empire data... If they haven't changed since eight years ago, It is likely that their response times will be efficient."

"Very well. Begin assault preparations immediately."

[member="Darth Vornskr"] | [member="Darth Carach"] | [member="Kiber Dorn"] | [member="Cristina Zeitlin"] | [member="Kurt Meyer"]

Spoiler: actions

>Preparing to assault New Holstice.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Jedi, Military, or Civilian... Does it really matter, Carach?" the Epicanthix Sith said with a savage grin, his hellish eyes casting a sidelong glance to the similarly built Sith Lord that moved to join him at the viewport. He idly caressed the lightsaber clipped to his hip, his gloved fingers running over the smooth metal and rubber grip, lightly fingering the pointed edge of the phrik axe-blades grafted on near the emitter in a manner similar to the ancient Sith Lord Malgus' blade of which Vornskr had a great deal of scholarly admiration for. "They all die the same way, some more easily than others, but in the end they all go the same way." He turned to face the Host Lord as she in return turned away and began to led the two Sith to the warship's command bridge (which itself was not a long distance away from the observation deck they originally met in). However; as he walked he turned his head to call back at Carach who no doubt moved to join them, "In the ground."

Upon entrance to the bridge they were met by a small buzz of activity concerning a vessel that had exited out of hyperspace right on the edge of the system, just a smidgen out of their gravity well's range. Alongside their new arrival was the detection of a signaled message from the corvette made to a location out of the system, which no doubt meant that Republic reinforcements would be on their way shortly. Vornskr turned to the Host Lord, "Company? Damn, we don't have much time to tidy up for their arrival... I'll have to drag out my best suit." What was the harm in a little humor before murder and mayhem? Vornskr didn't see the problem with it all, but then again he hardly did with anything he personally did.

He turned to Carach again, his eyes blazing and his mouth split in an ugly sneer; "This is where the fun begins."

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"] | [member="Darth Carach"] | [member="Kiber Dorn"] | [member="Cristina Zeitlin"] | [member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Anja Aj'Rou"] | [member="Darth Carach"] | [member="Kiber Dorn"] | [member="Cristina Zeitlin"] | [member="Kurt Meyer"] |

Ahead of the Galactic Republic and the rest of the Jedi Order, Jedi Knight Ella Nova emerged from hyperspace on board the stealth fighter she had procured for her form of transport. As the stars slowed down, to reveal New Holstice, she leaned forward in her ship so as to get a better look at the force that had entered the New Holstice system.

Controlling the fighter, she engaged it's stealth systems, before turning her attention to the incoming and out going transmissions. The codes that she was registering were Galactic Republic, but the other codes that were streaming in were not recognized by the computer. Regardless, together Ella and the computer determined that the unknown force was hostile.

Stretching with the Force, Ella registered that the dark side surrounded the vessel and it's occupants. Disturbed, she hailed the Host Lord's flagship. Form Zero would, at the very least, distract them for a while, until other Jedi arrived to defend New Holstice.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

Kurt flicked the small piece of cardboard in his hand. On one side was printed and embossed ink, reading simply the name of the hospital he had just been standing in, a mailing address, and an emergency contact number. On the other side was a quick scribbled note and a comm-frequency, a heart ending quickly drawn next to it with a signature of 'Mira'.

Nice girl, really.

He had completed his deliver, another job well done. This time there had been no damage to his ship, to destruction of the package, not even an incident upon delivery. It was rare thing that everything went so well, so when it did it was cause for celebration.

Mira would be helping with that.

Kurt smirked slightly, heading back towards the space port to wait out the rest of the woman's shift.

He was nearly half way there when alarm sirens began to pull through the streets. They erupted so loudly and so suddenly that he dropped the small piece of flimsy he was holding, a powerful gust of wind sweeping away the business card. He let out a loud curse, taking two steps to try and catch the business card before he slammed into a man who looked like he was terrified for his life. The man screamed at him, confusion drawing on the Couriers face. "What the fuck is going on?"

His answer came a moment later.

"The planet is under attack!"

The scream came from someone in the rushing crowd that had somehow developed within half a second, people pouring past him and towards the space port. Kurt's eyes however turned back to where he had come from, the hospital, and Mira.

 

[Cristina Zeitlin]

Jabiim class Corvette - New Hope​

Bridge​

Edge of New Holstice System​

​

​

"Ma'am, new vessel dropping from Hyperspace; the other vessels are pushing forward towards the planet." ​

​

"Karking Hell!" ​

​

She shouted as she pushed herself out of the seat once more, standing on the bridge and moved towards the view screen before her. Steely blue hues piercing out through the darkness as she watched the vessels begin to move to fall upon New Holstice. The flickering glint of the vessel dropping from hyperspace gave just enough time to pick up the vessel before it was gone. ​

​

"Karking Stealth Technology! Did we get a read on the vessel before it vanished?" ​

​

She quickly turned to the sensor operator, getting a quick shake of their head only for her to curse in response. Looking back to the crew on the bridge as they rushed about, their stations manned before she looked towards the communications officer. With a heavy sigh she moved towards the chair, slipping back into it and leaning back. Her hand coming to rest on the arm rest as she leaned her chin upon her fist. ​

​

"We've not the size to deal with those vessels. If any of those things have Starfighters we might barely hold out against those."​

​

It was a quick musing to herself, out loud, on the capabilities of the Corvette. It wasn't designed for battle on this scale, though she was damn sure that what little defensive measures the planet had probably wouldn't be able to stand up too long against the unknown vessels. Her mind though was a whirlwind of possibilities and infinite outcomes, all of which did not necessarily involve the vessel and its crew surviving. ​

​

At the same time she was a Republic Officer on a Republic Ship. She couldn't just go running off at the first sign of trouble, even if it had the outcome of it being her first and last command. Slender fingers tapped against the arm rest, she could feel the eyes upon her, the crew waiting for a command. ​

​

A few moments later she broke the silence and the tension. Her words clear and simple as she posed a question to those under her command. At that moment she was sure that there would be those that would call what she was about to do insane, though she had committed herself to the Republic. Her days as a criminal were gone, and now all that remained was a Republic Officer, even if she were a mere Lieutenant. ​

​

"What do we have on our side?" ​

​

"Ma'am?" ​

​

"Capabilities Helmsmen." ​

​

Her eyes fell upon the crew member, watching the gears in their mind clicking and whirring away just as hers had. In that moment those steely-blue hues could see that the dawning of what she was about to suggest had hit the gentleman, and she could see the courage and the fear that welled up within the crew member. ​

​

"Speed Ma'am." ​

​

"Our weapons wont do much damage Ma'am, nor can we take a direct hit from one of those heavy guns."​

​

The weapons officer called out from their station, though it was merely met with a simple acknowledging nod of her head. Pushing herself up, she looked to the communications officer before she spoke. ​

​

"Record everything and have this on a constant transmission. Even if we can't do much beyond be a target, we can still be useful." ​

​

"How Ma'am?" ​

​

"Reconnaissance. We can record and transmit everything that happens with those unknown vessels. Even if we're taken out, the least we can contribute is giving the Republic a bit of a highlight reel to study." ​

​

What she was suggesting was suicide, and brazen even in those few circles that would even call it that. Many other Republic Officers would have run by now, or just called for help and waited. She was damn sure not going to be that kind to sit and wait while others were being killed. At the least she could do was aim her ship into the conflict and get some good footage of the enemies tactics sent out. ​

​

"Move us in helmsman." ​

​

"Yes Ma'am." ​

​

[member="Kurt Meyer"]​

[member="Ella Nova"]​

[member="Darth Vornskr"]​

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]​

[member="Darth Carach"]​

​

Spoiler

- Actions

Spoiler

• Moving to Intercept

 

[Boethiah]

The fleet moved into position, and although a lone starship had moved closer they failed to pay much attention to it for the time being, as with the undetected stealth fighter, whose only proof of existence was the lone signal sent out. Anja continued to watch through the viewport, staring out at the planet below, wondering how many souls lived below.

"We're in our ranged firing position."

"I want all guns focused on the world. Fire!"

"Targeting computers are calibrated... Initial assessment reveals minimal planetary defenses. Return fire... Unlikely." The A.I. was surprisingly useful, Anja had never encountered such technology before. Its creator would certainly be praised if he ever made his way into the Primeval.

The Host Lord turned back to the two Sith, "we'll see what kind of response the Republic comes up with... I'm sure they have a surprise or two in store, once they arrive." She mused on the subject, but did not lack confidence in their small task force. Red streaks of heavy, long-range turbolaser fire found its way to the planet below. What sort of damage it did would be retrieved by their sensory array.

Until then they observed what an attack, the results of which could not be comprehended. The turbolaser fire seemed so small when standing so far, but down below it was a torrential storm of fire and plasma, a terror that its surviving victims would never forget.

[member="Darth Vornskr"] | [member="Darth Carach"] | [member="Cristina Zeitlin"] | [member="Kurt Meyer"] | [member="Ella Nova"]

Spoiler: Actions

>Bombarding the planet.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

He ran through hell.

That was the only description that he could have offered. Turbolasers began to rain down from the sky, fire erupted, explosions burst from the earth and buildings began to shatter. Screams resounded through the streets, the streaming crowd turned into a raving mob. Everything seemed to fall apart within moments, thousands surged towards the Space port, hundreds upon hundreds of people moving all in one direction.

All but one.

Kurt Meyer moved back towards the center of the city, back towards the fire.

He was no hero, anyone who would have called him such was a fool. Instead he was a man who fell in love each and every day. It was always a different woman, always a different obsession, a new day always brought a new love. That was why he burst through the double doors of the hospital even as the building began to shake, that was why he rushed forward towards the desk, grasping a doctor by the lapels and screaming in his face. "Where's Mira!?"

The man looked startled stunned, until Kurt shook him.

"She...scanner wing, taking some package up there."

Kurt let out a curse. That was what he had delivered to her, the small box containing an important component to let the scanners of the hospital actually function. He let the doctor go, his body twisting as he rushed towards the nearby door. The hospital shook, a loud crash and a scream erupting as part of the ceiling behind him dropped.

Hell had come to New Holstice, and Kurt planned on traveling through it.

 

[Ali Hadrix]

Ali Hadrix, Supreme Commander of the Galactic Republic Military

Bel'Demnic Space, Auril Sector, Mid-Rim Region


"Ma'am, emergency message from New Holstice, the planet just received an influx of vessels registered with Primeval transponder codes." Ali's Communications Officer called her way, running a hand through his blonde hair as he walked over to her station with a datatablet in hand. She took it, looking down at the screen and noting the text of the message. "Make way to leave in five minutes." Ali ordered simply, handing the tablet back to the Officer, who nodded and returned to his console some meters away.
Ali activated her commlink and addressed the fleet's Battle Staff.
"Attention, all Battle Staff, this is the Commander speaking. Report to battle stations immediately, we will be arriving within New Holstice space in the next hour to engage a Primeval fleet that just entered the system. Boarding parties to your gunships, flight crew to your starfighters. All personnel have thirty minutes to report Red-Con One status to superior staff. May the Force be with you." Ali shut off the commlink and stepped away from the command chair. "Gavet, I'm taking leave for a moment to suit up. Make sure our Jump Plan is solid." Ali told her First Mate, Captain Jab Gavet. The Nautolan nodded and took her place at the command deck while she caught the bridge turbolift to her chambers and retrieved her beskar'gam. Once she had donned her body suit and armor plates, Ali did what she'd always been ordered to do before placing herself in danger: She messaged [member=Sitara Qin].
"Mistress, it's Ali, your own. I'm forced to place myself in danger once more, in my line of duty for the Republic. I'm sorry I have to place your property in danger, and I understand I'll punished severely for this, but I had no choice." Ali sent the message on a heavily encrypted channel, ensuring she maintained privacy between her and the woman who claimed her.
Some time later she returned to the bridge, retaking her place from Captain Gavet. "Have all our units finished reporting in, Captain?" She asked. The Nautolan nodded, "The last of our pilots were readied five minutes ago. We are at full combat status and will be ready for battle upon entering the system." Ali nodded, "Good, and our Jump Plan?" She asked next. Gavet drew up their formation on the Combat Display at the center of the bridge. The Avenger, placed alongside the Bastion and surrounded by the Watts, Redoubt and Dorin, traveled in a formation the shape of a pill. The smaller vessels would converge on their enemy and flit about, protected by Republic pilots, as they nibbled away at the enemy’s particulars and naughty bits.
“And our arrival time?” She asked, to which Gavet answered, “Ten minutes.” Ali nodded and looked to the viewport, where the blast shields hid the blue light of hyperspace from the interior of the vessel, wondering just what the Primeval would be doing encroaching on Republic space.

When the battle group dropped out of hyperspace, they did so on the opposite side of the planet from that of the attacking vessels, hiding within its shadow. Ali stood over the battle display and made a series of mental notes. Just as the enemy would be unable to identify their presence yet, she likewise had no positioning on them either. She knew a bombardment had already been initiated by the attacking fleet, there were news crews all over the planet reporting on the event.
"As long as they're firing on the planet, the majority of their guns will be focused on it. That gives us a window of opportunity to fire upon them once we come into view." Ali spoke to her commanding staff. "We're moving against the planet's rotation, which means we'll break the planet's curvature with the sun at our back. That should give us some extra time as the radiation washes their sensors and screens us."
She drew in on the battle display, focusing the holographic view on their formation. "Unfortunately that means we'll have to draw targeting solutions quickly, so make sure your crews are working their shebse off, got it?" A chorus of affirmative responses settled the issue. "Alright. Our smaller craft will hold back in our shadow as we press our fighter screen forward, and our long range guns will serve as our primary weapons. Now get to your stations."

Spoiler: GR Fleet

Avenger-class Republic Star Defender -- Arson
Bastion-class Light Star Destroyer -- Hammer Master
Watts-class Heavy Cruiser -- Enveloper
Arendal-class Heavy Cruiser -- Wave Breaker

[member=Cristina Zeitlin] | [member=Anja Aj'rou]​

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Anja Aj'Rou"] | [member="Darth Vornskr"] | [member="Darth Carach"] | [member="Cristina Zeitlin"] | [member="Kurt Meyer"] | [member="Ali Hadrix"] |

Where the void had been silent and still, came the explosion bright red lights. Ella lifted her eye to her eyes, so as to stop the sudden, violent flashes from hurting them. The transparisteel canopy around her dimmed, so as to protect her. As she lowered her arm back down, that was when she felt it.

A thousand voices, screaming all at once. The fabric of the Force, ripped in pieces, for just the brifest of moments. A dread, that crept up the Jedi Knight's spine. Her brow covered in a cold sweat, Ella Nova released a gasp, the same arm that she had used to protect her eyes now clutching at her chest, the voices were silenced as quickly as they came.

When the moment passed, she had known what had happened; and as the disturbance in the Force passed on, Ella regathered herself. Through her powers in the Force, Ella saw stars becoming rubbed out- one by one- and the cause was before her.

The Primeval had begun their attack. Declaration of war had been made.

She had to stop them.

Switching her transmission frequencies away from the Host Lord Anja Aj'rou's vessel, the Jedi Knight transmitted a distress call and began to speak, as calmly as possible. Yet, not even the Jedi could hide her disturbance at what had just happened and what was now happening, in the wake of the initial blasts.

"This is Jedi Knight Ella Nova, transmitting on all frequencies to all nearby vessels and Republic outposts. New Holstice has fallen under attack. I repeat, New Holstice has fallen under attack. Please send aide immediately. I repeat, New Holstice is under attack!"

Setting her message to keep replaying on a continous loop, Ella lifted her gaze to the Primeval fleet. She did not know who these people were. She did not recognize the codes, the insignias on their vessels or the type of vessels that they were using. They were completely alien, to the Jedi Knight.

With every fibre of her being, she wanted to engage the stealth fighters engines and respond in kind. But her training told her that she was outnumbered. That she couldn't help New Holstice or it's people, by firing on the ships ahead of her, in some ill fated attempt to disable all of them. The fighter was not that powerful. Neither was she.

In the minutes that had followed the disturbance in the Force, Ella had taken the moment to immerse herself in the Force and allow it to soothe her. Oddly calm, given the situation, the Jedi Knight engaged the fighters engines, to begin her descent down to the planets surface, she had felt the blasts and the loss of life. She could help on the planet surface, by helping the survivors get into cover. She could still save lives.

In Bel'Demnic space, in the Auril sector, Supreme Commander of the Galactic Republic, Ali Hadrix, would be one of the many nearby vessels that had heard the Jedi Knight's transmission.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"The Force shimmers with fragmented light, Host Lord. I can feel them..." His voice tingled with barely contained excitement, and was said in a manner that made the Sith Lord appear breathless and in wonder. He turned to walk down the center of the bridge until he was practically pressed up against the thick transparisteel viewport that afforded them a wide view of the planet and space around it, and in the distance Vornskr could detect the impact of the warship's turbolaser fire smashing into the planet's surface, buildings and people blossoming into faint outlines before being consumed by the firestorm. He could hear their screams, he suspected those with Force Sensitivity had no choice in the matter; even the Jedi, but unlike them he reveled in it's audacity, drinking in deeply from the chalice of death until he was practically drunk on suffering.

But it never satisfied him for long, and like a spice addict he was always looking for new ways to achieve a new high, but what he felt right now dwarfed any feeling some wasted druggy would ever feel snorting or injecting artificial chemicals into their bodies. He couldn't take it anymore, he was becoming fidgety and his fists unconsciously curled and uncurled themselves into fists repeatedly until he was finally able to tear himself away from the viewport, and quickly stormed past the Host Lord towards the bridge's exit.

"I'm taking my leave to the hanger, Host Lord. I shall assemble Skull Squadron and wait your signal to scramble our fighters, I cannot sit up here and do nothing forever. The Dark Side calls to me, and I must answer..."

Whatever response she gave was barely registered by the towering Sith, as he quickly continued on his path out of the bridge and down many, many levels to the Primordial's hanger bay. In total the hanger could hold a maximum of four starfighter squadrons (two fighter/interceptor and two bomber/heavy fighter) along with a small assortment of gunships and shuttles. Besides the three Primeval squadrons, Vornskr had requested that he store his own personal squadron of fighters before they made the voyage to New Holstice. He figured that there would be some resistance, and he was ready to meet them in kind with his hate and ferocity. Before him stood a group of Sith pilots, each one of them trained in the Dark Side of the Force and twisted to the One Sith's vile ideology (specifically Vornskr's interpretation of Krayt's post-resurrection philosophy) and wear strapped head-to-toe in black pilot garb, a helmet held loosely at their sides or gently placed on the ground or storage crate nearby.

They turned and stood at attention as their Lord emerged from a nearby lift and strolled purposefully over to them, quickly stripping off his robes and heavy armor so that he could instead slip on his own pilot gear, which the other pilots were so gracious in helping him gather and equip. Soon he was dressed just like the rest of them, and he slipped the black flight-helmet over his scarred head and with a couple more adjustments he sealed his suit with a hiss of recycled air. "It's time, Skull Squadron." he said in a booming voiced overlaid by the mechanical tone of the helmet's vocoder, "I have felt a tremor in the Force, which means that the Republic is either already here or draws close. I will not stand idly by and watch other men do our killing for us, and so we shall scramble when the Host Lord gives the signal. In the meantime prep your starfighters for immediate deployment, we ride soon."

Skull Squadron consisted of twelve Dominus-class Sith Starfighters directly stored on the Primordial, each one piloted by a Sith Knight; while Skull Leader was piloted by none other than Darth Vornskr himself, but all of the ships were given the same black color scheme along with a frightening skull emblem on each wing. For now each pilot moved to their respective ships, went through all of the warm-up sequences and prepared for take off.

And for the battle to come.

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"] | [member="Darth Carach"] | [member="Cristina Zeitlin"] | [member="Ella Nova"] | [member="Ali Hadrix"] | [member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Boethiah]

The eagerness of the Sith Lord was met with a faint smirk, Anja had always respected [member="Darth Vornskr"] ever since they first brought the One Sith and Primeval closer together. That respect granted trust, and certainly the Sith Lord's finesse in starfighter combat wasn't a foreign concept; the two stopped an assault on Echoy'la together only a few months ago.

So what if the Republic had a fleet? They've never faced the Primeval in space--few have. Of those few, even fewer survived to tell the tale. To the enemy these are vessels with foreign markings, and designs unseen before. Unlike the well documented, and rather ancient Republic, the Primeval itself is an enigmatic entity likely to be considered a myth further in the Rim. It is this underestimation that gives them the advantage, people expect them to be quiet... Small... Insignificant.

"Give the order. Launch all fighters," across the flight decks the order was given; all fighters were granted permission to enter the fray. Hangar barriers dropped, allowing the squadrons to take flight. Of these squadrons were two gu-20 squadrons, one gu-55 squadron, and Skull Squadron.

"Detecting artificial objects... Calculating probabilities... Fleet inbound: Likely." The Primordial's advanced sensors, with the calibration and support of the AXIOS unit allowed the Primeval a presence few fleets had the pleasure of knowing. Although it was too early to tell exactly the nature of the ships, their existence and whereabouts were known. "Tactical recommendation: Continue bombardment and provide authorization to pre-calibrate all batteries." The synthetic voice boomed throughout the command bridge.

Elsewhere the rest of the fleet began their preparations, and orbital bombardment continued. "We're picking up planetside distress transmissions. Should we block them?"

"Attempt to scramble long-range transmissions, allow short-range S.O.S. to continue. Certainly that will draw some of them away from the fight."

"Assumption is probable."

[member="Darth Carach"] | [member="Cristina Zeitlin"] | [member="Ella Nova"] | [member="Ali Hadrix"] | [member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

Kurt had never liked hospitals.

He supposed that was because the one or two times he had ended up in one it had been because of an accident on the race course. He had always figured that hospitals were place you went to when things went bad, generally, he tried to avoid things going bad.

So it was funny, or perhaps idiotic, that Kurt now found himself lunging up the staircase of the hospital, the building shake, alarm klaxons going off, and people screaming in the distance. He moved as fast as he could, he took two steps at a time at first, then bounded to three. The pilot practically jumped up the staircase, rushing up flight after flight until he landed on the sixth floor of the hospital. The sign on the door was already only half hanging, the lights flickered, and Kurt could smell smoke.

The door broke in as he landed a solid kick against it, removing debris that had fallen in front of it.

"Mira!" He shouted her name as loudly as he could. She wouldn't recognize his voice, the two of them had only met today, but he hoped she would at least be beckoned by her name. He repeated the call, once, then twice, then a third time. The hall seemed to echo in between loud blares of the alarm, bright red lights flickering in waving emergency.

"Kurt?!"

The voice sounded incredulous, unbelieving. The pilot turned, shifting on his heel as he found the bright neon pink hair that instantly called Mira to recognition. "Come on. We've gotta get you out of here."

His hand slipped around her own, and instantly he tugged her back towards the staircase, a mix of confusion and infatuation drawing on her face.

 

[Orphen]

Orphen had been looking over holonet and using his own long range transmitter to intercept other calls to arms around the region he was in, it seemed that there was a lot going on in the galaxy as a whole, from on board his albiet small Corvette, the Lævateinn was a construct of beautiful proportions, having come back from a pit stop at Aurora industries Orphen had loaded the first vollet of his concussion missile pods with Diamond Boron missiles, sadly, the variants were far too expensive to trade in his entire missile loadout, but they were within the range of his wealth to have a one round per tube on his ship. He was ready ffor a fight, though, he was not the best pilot in the galaxy, it was a good thing that his ship had an A.I. worth its grain of salt to help him in any skirmish he found himself in... which seemed to be higher now that he had met Ali Hadrix, although their encounter was little to speak note of, Orphen had approached Ali some time ago for private tutelage under her wing as an understudy... Orphen needed to become a better commander, a better leader and a better Jedi... Something that the order themselves were failing at accomplishing to the point of Orphan needing to seek his tutelage elsewhere. It was at about this time that the boy received a call to arms, encrypted through basic republic codes, decoding them was not a breeze, but it didn't take Orphen hours to do, it seemed there was a prime-evil attack in-bound...

Orphen had heard stories...

But he had never seen the cult in action, some spoke that they were the most deranged ideals of the old sith made manifest into chaotic agents, cultists, witches and sorcerers. But others downplayed them, out of pride or bravado, either way, he could not allow Ali to charge into battle alone... Orphen felt like he would likely not be helping much in this battle, but,, with the highly advanced Lævateinn behind him, perhaps he would be able to catch the Prime-evil by surprise. He had some time to get there, so, plotting a course with his hyperspace computer, and engaging his Alpha class A.I. he was ready to charge into this frey... With the addition of the new missiles Orphen was happy with his ammunition capacity, having the prior missiles and the stock standard one full reload + the Diamond Boron missiles he was running at capacity for the ship. Feeding them through the belts he loaded concussion missiles into the two top mounted missile launchers with Diamond Boron missiles into the launchers located at the port and starboard of the ship.

Opening Encryppted communications he would attempt to hail Ali's ship as he entered hyperspace.

"Ali Hadrix, This is Orphen Sathariel! I, uh, kinda intercepted your call, I hope you don't mind. Alas, would you mind if I tag along for this one, seems like you might need the help? Though I may be a couple minutes behind you. However, if you engage the enemy, if you forward logistic positional information to my ship from your scanners before I arrive, as my ship is equipped with an HIMS system... I would probably be able to drop out of hyperspace far closer to their ships than they would be expecting... especially if they have hyperspace interception systems like gravity well generators or the like. I could take a flanking position and at least maybe cripple one of their ships... but i would need to know where they are.

Also, what is our current ship count, if I may?"

Orphen was getting closer and closer to the point of conflict, ensuring that his systems were up and running and beginning to charge his main gun, but the beg question was, what should he hit? He was sure that if the enemy were using frigates or corvettes he would be able to blow one of them out of the air instantly with his offensive output, but, there was also a chance he would be able to get some very real damage into a larger ship such as a destroyer or Cruiser... but that damage would be completely dependant on their own defensive output, and once they knew he was there, the advantage he would have for getting in, hitting, and getting out would be done with. As most ships only employed standard ray shielding, rather than mixed ray and particle shielding, being his by advanced chiss weapons would be devastating... but it came down to the numbers in play...

Perhaps I should ask Ali for advice....

"Ali, please disregard my last request, unless you wish me to perform it, I'll be wherever you'll have me."

Orphen stated simply, and a little unsure of himself, he had not been in a space battle of this caliber before. Minor skirmishes with the law when he was a child, he could remember how his small cartel used unorthodox tactics to outmaneuver the authorities ships, but most of those were about running away, not actually fighting the opposition.

This was going to be an experience and a half, and by the end of the conversation, Orphen was minutes away...

 

[Cristina Zeitlin]

Jabiim class Corvette - New Hope​

Bridge​

New Holstice​

​

​

"This is Jedi Knight Ella Nova, transmitting on all frequencies to all nearby vessels and Republic outposts. New Holstice has fallen under attack. I repeat, New Holstice has fallen under attack. Please send aide immediately. I repeat, New Holstice is under attack!"​

​

The message began to ring out through the bridge, the Lieutenant shaking her head slightly. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stood defiantly upon the bridge of her vessel. The lone corvette pushing towards the enemy fleet while her steely blue hues fell upon the vessels. ​

​

"No Karking Hell..." ​

​

"Somebody shut that off!"​

​

She bellowed as she remained in her position, watching as her vessel pushed closer and closer to the enemy fleet. As they began to crest upon the edge of their weapons range, and more than likely the enemy's own, the alarms began to blare across the bridge once more. The bright red flashing light filling the room and seeming to drown out any other hue of color. ​

​

"Ma'am, far side of the planet; hyperspace exits detected." ​

​

"Starfighters incoming Ma'am." ​

​

"If it isn't one thing its the next. Get me a clarification on those new contacts and track those fighters. All weapons on standby, you have permission to fire once you have a solution." ​

​

"Yes Ma'am!" ​

​

The resounding bellowing of their replies seemed to drown out the alarm as it blared for a moment longer. The noise then quickly shut off by an intrepid crew member as the Corvette brought it weapons to bear. Though against the larger vessels it was unlikely that they would stand a chance, she was still willing to risk everything in some attempt to find out just who the hell these people were. ​

​

Taking a deep breath, she let out a heavy sigh as she shifted back, slipping into the command chair on the bridge of the vessel. Leaning back as she pressed her slender fingers against the few controls of the systems she had linked to the panel. Looking forward, she waited for a moment before motioning with her hand. ​

​

"Aim ahead of the Fighter flight, fire into their flight path." ​

​

"Yes Ma'am!" ​

​

The weapons officer bellowed in response, his fingers quickly pressing through the various commands. The weapons altering their position before the bright flash emanated from the barrels of the Quad Laser Turrets. A quick burst of fire tore through space as the Corvette continued forward before the Lieutenant pressed her hand on a simple red button on the panel. ​

​

A heavy burst tore through space, the two Heavy Turbolasers let off their own burst into the backside of the nearest vessel. It was followed in quick succession by another burst as the Corvette tore through the darkness. The vessel pushing its own attack as the Lieutenant nodded to the helmsman. ​

​

"Everything we can muster. Our speed is the key here, and it will likely keep us alive." ​

​

"Yes Ma'am." ​

​

The engine room roared to life as the crew worked hard to keep the engines cooled and pushing as much as they could. The Corvette gave it everything it had, and then some as it streaked through the dark backdrop of space. The lone Corvette rushing through space upon a stronger enemy. If anything, if the vessel itself was tore asunder, at least the New Hope would make a name for itself. ​

​

[member="Kurt Meyer"]​

[member="Ella Nova"]​

[member="Darth Vornskr"]​

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]​

[member="Darth Carach"]​

[member="Ali Hadrix"]​

​

Spoiler: Actions

• Attacking the Primeval Fleet

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[SIZE=10.6667px]His large hand had moved from his side to touch the transparisteel which kept the interior separated from the dark, cold void of outer space. Carach was no longer there, no longer amidst the many minds of the zealotry, instead he was [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]there[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] - his essence projected across the astral plane the Sith Lord could practically feel how life was being extinguished. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Agony reigned, fear mixed with the allure of [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]death[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]. It was in those moments that a bare whisper escaped his lips back on the ship, he did not notice, he did not care.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“Their souls are so much sweeter, my friend…” but Kaine had already left the bridge, in pursuit of Skull Squadron and fighters. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Carach did not even notice, his attention was miles away towards the destruction was being wrecked by the orbital bombardments of the Primeval fleet. What he was doing, what he was [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]attempting[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px], was dangerous in three fold. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]A slip of concentration, a loss of focus could mean his end - he might not even be able to find his way back to his own vessel. The build-up of power could mean to much, the amount of energies he was currently handling was so much more than he was used to ([/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]the sacrifice of a few screaming slaves was nothing compared to destruction on this scale.)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]And finally… if someone was sufficiently experienced in the higher mysteries? They could make this whole effort that much more difficult to properly execute. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]His staff- no, his cane was slowly humming in agitation. It was excited to feel the annihilation caused on this scale.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]And so was he.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“Lady Host.” far away his lips moved in response to his will. “I can aid your fleet, Battle Meditation of sorts. Is this acceptable?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]A part of his rationale had returned, no longer in awe of the spectacle enfolding in front of his mental eye, he hadn’t come here just for his own gains.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px][member="Cristina Zeitlin"] | [member="Ella Nova"] | [member="Ali Hadrix"] | [member="Kurt Meyer"] | [member="Anja Aj'Rou"] | @Kaine Zambrano[/SIZE]​