Skirmish &nbsp; Fool Me Once [Corellian Confederation/Duro Blockade of Beshqek System]

Daz Farlander |

Olen Halcorr

The X-Wing rocked out of hyperspace as the blue-white spiral faded out of his view. His constant reassignments within the GADF landed him to fly with Rogue Squadron today. They seemed liked a fun gang, well, as much fun as military units can be.

Once all of the squadrons was out of hyperspace, they followed behind Rogue Leader as he pulled up next to the missile frigate. All he had been told was some of the Galactic Alliance planets went sour, and we were here to fix them. Besides that, he was just here for the ride.

Throttling down, he rested his ship at a 45 degree angle back from Rogue Leader, forming a semi-flying-V flight pattern.

“Alright y’all, I’ll make sure to keep a lookout for them.”

Probably would have been better if Len had been told exactly what he was supposed to be looking out for, but he guessed it wasn’t that important.

DARKCOM · Apr 15, 2021

Tags: Auteme

"That's comforting to hear, I've sent word to both the offices of the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor Tithe. We can only hope an emergency session can be called to end this before it becomes a travesty."

The Epochian turned away from the comm and faced the cityscape view once more, eyes casually glancing off on the horizon as speeders came and went. "I apologize for reaching out to you at this hour but.." His eyes drifted away and locked onto the comm on his desk with a look of melancholy, ".. the rising tensions are concerning. I agree. Hopefully a course of action can be set to de-escalate the situation in the Deep Core but if the Senate cannot agree on a significant course of action.. we must prepare for the worst."

"Be safe, I look forward to seeing you here shortly. I'm confident we'll figure it out."

Kaigann pressed down on the comms and slowly walked off toward the exit, there was much to do. He could only hope that things would not spiral out of control.

Jax Thio · Apr 16, 2021

Location: ANV Epilogue
Equipment: Jedi Jumpsuit, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Second Lightsaber, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag:

Teica Giraan

Jax walked over to analyze the sensor chart, so far it was the Corellians, the Duros and the people of Byss at a standoff. The Correllian and the Duros fleets were pointing their turbolasers towards the planet ready to fire if the Byss Navy dared to move an inch. The Galactic Alliance were far away from the situation ready to interfere if a battle broke out but it was going to be hard to do so when their fleet is the size of a patrol group. Even the most skilled fighter in the galaxy can be overwhelmed and killed just the Jedi during Order 66. "They're all like Banthas ready to charge," Jax said to Treica crossing his arms. "How the hell is the Galactic Alliance expect us to quell things down with a small fleet?!"

At least the pilots were ready to fight maybe a little to eager to fight. "Commander," Jax said walking to Teica. "I really think we should ease down on the eagerness. Afterall hubris can cloud one's judgement especially in a politically tense situation such as this." Jax all too well what it meant to be overconfident, it nearly led to his death a couple of times in the past. It was then Commander Teica went on the comms announcing to all fighters to stand down or they will be eradicated.

"Bold words," Jax said as soon as the Commander finished. "But unless the Alliance has a damn armada there's not much we can do here."

Hopefully the Commander has a plan other wise all parties would turn against them and dispose this miniscule fleet. "Now that's an act of war," Jax thought. "On top of the OTHER wars we're fighting right now."

Otto Shule · Apr 16, 2021

// Coruscant // Senate District // 500 Republica - Penthouse //
Tags:

Adhira Chandra |

Aerarii Tithe .
Puppets, tangled in strings.

The situation only got worse. With scattered pockets of Alliance Defence Force vessels making their way to Byss - rather than mustering elsewhere and waiting for the Senate - tensions were sure to rise. It would’ve been better for those errant vessels to regroup outside of the system and await a decision and reinforcements rather than charging in gung-ho.

By the time Bremen returned to the penthouse with such information in hand, it was already old news. The Replica pointed to the sprawling HoloScreen’s that roamed throughout the Senate District and then to his personal terminal that played the same transmission.

“It seems that we’re too late,” Otto began as he moved towards a nearby desk and the stacks of datapads that neatly occupied it’s surface. “While I would’ve liked to redirect the Starbird, my hands - and Dash’s - are tied. We need the Senate’s approval, be it through a majority vote in an emergency session or executive action.”

Things would be much simpler if we didn’t, the Replica said to himself.

“What do you plan to do then?” Bremen asked as the Aide shifted his worried gaze towards the roaming panels floating outside.

“There’s not much we can do. Our hands are tied until the Senate takes affirmative action. I’m certain that others have contacted the Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor seeking guidance in these matters. So, aside from adding yet another message into their respective inboxes? All we can do is sit, watch, and hope that cooler heads win the day.”

“Cooler heads?” the Aide asked rhetorically with a nervous chuckle. “I doubt there’s a cool head amongst the lot of them. One wrong move and that powder keg is going off.”

Otto sighed then. “That’s why I hope this message finds itself in the right hands as soon as possible. We need to limit the amount of collateral damage, just in case things get far too hot for anyone’s liking. The less needless bloodshed, the better.”

As the Replica spoke, his fingers were busy jotting down a message. One that was not only addressed to both the Office of the Chancellor and their Second but was also flagged as Urgent. Anything that could be done to garner their attention was woven into the message before it was transmitted. The transmission was secured by various encryption schemes. Each scheme ensured that the message would remain legible only to those intended to read it, rather than falling into the hands of those that didn’t have the proper clearances.

:// To: The Office of the Chancellor;
:// CC: The Office of the Vice-Chancellor;
:// Subject: URGENT - Byss Solution.

As you no doubt have seen, the mounting Crisis at Byss poses an issue for the Alliance as a whole. With the Starbird Trade Spine essentially blockaded, our economic pipeline to the Eastern and Southern Outer Rim has effectively been severed at two points. The Eternal Empire has the Cerean Terminus, and now the Corellians and Durese have the Byss junction. This will result in billions, if not trillions of lost revenue, if this blockade is allowed to persist for longer than it already has.

However, my Office has a solution that will require yours - and the Vice Chancellor’s seal of approval. When the Starbird was founded, the Republic Engineering Corporation helped construct and even licenced some of the S-thread stations that lead to creating the Starbird Trade Spine. Although Byss was ultimately chosen to act as the primary junction towards the Core Worlds, several way-stations were established in nearby systems. Each was intended to serve as alternative choices for the Starbird’s path towards Coruscant.

Knowing that something like this would come eventually before Mr. Harik took over my position as Director, I tasked REC in keeping those way-stations on stand-by. As these are Corporate assets and not Government-owned, there will doubtlessly be paperwork that needs to be filled out if this proposal's approved. But, that can wait until after this crisis has abated. To that end, Republic Engineering has the ability and the infrastructure in play to divert, either temporarily - or permanently - the Starbird away from Byss.

But, in diverting that economic pipeline, we shall be inadvertently assisting the Corellian and Durese armed forces in the Beshqek System. So, the question is, do we seal the fate of one world or many others? Regardless of your decision, I have informed Republic Engineering of this proposal - and await your response.

With regards;

There was nothing else that could be said nor done. As Otto had mentioned earlier, their hands were tied until an executive decision was made. In sending that message, the Replica hoped to ease the Leadership’s burden, allowing them to refocus their attention on the mounting crisis. Until then, however…

“Bremen,” the Replica began as he tossed the datapad aside. “Fix yourself a mug of ReCaf; it looks like we’ve got a long night of waiting ahead of us.”

Aerarii Tithe · Apr 16, 2021

LOCATION: Chancellor’s Situation Room, Coruscant
OBJECTIVE: Space Goldblum’s Finest Hour
ALLIES:

DARKCOM |

Otto Shule |

Mazik Stazi |

Annasari |

Felmorante L'lerim |

Ripley Kühn |

Auteme |

Bashir |

Teica Giraan |

Jax Thio |

Olen Halcorr |

Jaa Kilian |

Shoma Ike |

Ashalin Pelagia | Elias Vati |

Faith Organa |

Len Vert

While the SIA and GADF Intelligence were highly effective, they hadn’t been the first to inform Aerarii that something was about to go down.

Rather, it had been the price of hyperfuel on Ryloth.

Tithe had noticed the spike in demand on the distant world a few days ago, a price change significant enough to catch his eye as a potential quick profit. While at the time there was no direct link to Corellia and Duro, what was clear was that someone along the Corellian Run was fuelling up a massive fleet. The clandestine services had quickly charted CIS fleet movements and ruled them out.

A minor dip in the Commenor tourism sector had suggested the events were unfolding closer to home, a market movement he’d since learned was caused by thousands of Corellian and Duros navy personnel abruptly cancelling their leave plans. The rescheduling of haulage along the Corellian Trade Spine to his nature Aargau confirmed that events were afoot within the borders of the Alliance.

He’d made his way to the Situation Room, pausing only to quickly contact his Trade Federation colleagues

Gat Tambor ,

Shute Gunray and The Executive. They had a wampa market on their hands.

From the secure command bunker, Tithe had watched the blockade of Byss unfold. Corellia-Duro and Byss had performed the expected posturing, giving Commander

Teica Giraan enough time to insert her forces between the two adversaries. From here the script should have been set in stone - the two groups face off while Tithe and his colleagues rushed around behind the scenes and brokered a fragile peace.

But the people of Byss had other ideas. Ferret-class reconnaissance vessels showed a massive crowd - led by uniformed members of the Boss military - marching on the Corellian embassy. If anything happened to the diplomats inside, it would light a powderkeg which would threaten the future of the Alliance.

“Convoke the committee chairs,” Tithe announced. “We can’t allow this to get out of control”. It would take far too long to wrangle the full Senate, and time was not on their side. The Chairs represented the most senior and experienced members of the Federal Assembly, and the events unfolding above Byss cut across all their portfolios. Those who couldn’t attend in person could join via holo.

“And get me Sularen.”

Tithe checked his datapad while the technicians established a link to Byss. A series of outreaches and offers from his colleagues awaited, most notably from the Member for Epoch and the Member for Coruscant, the latter of which had a very interesting proposal related to the Starbird Trade Spine. He’d need their expertise at the gathering of Committee Chairs.

“Ahh, yes, it’s… now wait, give a moment… it’s Lord-Imperator, correct?” Tithe asked as the figure of

Marlon Sularen appeared on the holoprojector. The Vice Chancellor was hunched over his datapad firing off messages to colleagues and contacts. “Just, ah… one moment if you’d mind.” He finished his last message before finally looking up at Marlon.

“I’ll spare you the usual prolix,” he explained as he leaned forward in his seat. “Lord-Imperator, from where I’m sitting, you've lost control of Byss, and I can’t allow that to persist. The markets, I mean, oh boy, I shutter.”

“Are you capable of abating this ataxia and confining your people to their home peacefully, or do you need Alliance assistance to quell the unrest? All you need to do is ask and we shall abet your local forces.”

Kenth Berik · Apr 16, 2021

main-qimg-f27bb2db51d99a29f3349026730acd5f

Location: The bridge of the Adjudicator II, Relus, Beshqek System
Objective: Prepare to mobilise
Tags:

Jaa Kilian

Kenth was leaning back on his office chair, a busy day of sorting through file after file and dealing with his company's shareholders who were growing increasingly weary. But that work was done now and Kenth believed he could finally relax. He opene'd one of his desks drawers and pulled out a single cup and a bottle of corellian whiskey. Just as he was about to pour himself a glass the door to his office opened an ensign stood there. "Sir, our employer has sent us a transmission, the Duros and Corellian defence forces have set up a blockade around Byss." Kenth let out a deep sigh. "Stang." he said to himself before drinking some of the whiskey straight from the bottle. He stood up and grabbed his rank plaque and turned back to the ensign. "Have all hands to action stations, I want us ready to mobilise." he said while walking out of his office and into a turbolift up to the bridge.

Julius Haskler had warned him this day would come, now it was time to see how it would unfold.

The bridge itself was chaotic as action stations were called. Kenth walked right out to the front of the bridge before turning to the helmsmen. "Set a course for Relus, have us jump in at the edge of the system." he said before turning to the communications officer. "Sub-Lieutenant Dante, inform the Imperator we acknowledge and are underway." the young officer nodded. Looking back out the viewport a mesmerizing blue engulfed the ship as it entered hyperspace. As calming as at was to watch it could drive you mad if looked for too long and the viewport dimmed to protect the bridge crew. "Warfare when we arrive initiate cloaking procedures." he continued. If Kenth could guess his adversaries will have already cut off major hyperspace routes in so his best hope was stealth.

Minutes after their jump realspace came back into view. Immediately the voice of the crew in the warfare pit could be heard. "Begin powering Stygium Cloaking Device." he heard the warfare officer say. "25%, 50%, 75%" the engineer said as his hands danced about his terminals, monitoring the progress of the cloaking device. "And we are cloaked, Stygium core is stable and running at optimum capabilities." The Adjudicator II would have thus disappeared off of any radar, only having appeared momentarily as a small blip. Kenth nodded before speaking "What are we looking at then?" he asked. The warfare officer who was now stood behind the radar operator turned back to Kenth. "Sir, the Correlians and Duros have the system under complete lockdown, their main battlegroup is currently standing off with the Imperators own." They obviously knew what they were doing. This would be a dangerous military and political game.

"What of our forces in the system?" Kenth asked and an ensign walked up to him and passed him a datapad. "Sir, Sularen's own fleet is stationed around Byss however he has forces massing at Relus." Kenth took the datapad. So this is what I have to work with... Task Force Relus... he thought to himself. His current objective was not to engage with the enemy but instead rendezvous with the reinforcements at Relus. "Helmsmen bring us towards Relus, keep our speed low and the ship away from any blockade vessels. I want to get there undetected." he said before walking away from the viewport and towards the communication station. "Have the fleet attempted to contact us yet?" he asked. The comms operator turned to Kenth and spoke "Yes sir I was about to say, Captain Kilian's ship, the Brawler has sent a transmission enquiring their orders." So this was the other mercenary in Sularens employ. He had briefly read up on the Brawlers when he got wind that Sularen was interested in their services. "Open a secure channel with his ship." Kenth said before straightening his uniform. As soon as the channel was up Kenth spoke. "This is Adjudicator II to Brawler, this is Senior Captain Berik. Seems our employer has gotten himself into a right mess. My ship is enroute, hold position for now and we'll let Sularen deal with all the politics."

Gerault Rush · Apr 16, 2021

Circumstance was a peculiar thing. As it would have it, Sen. Gerault Rush of Corulag, who some might consider to be a critic of the current administration, now found himself to be the Acting Chair of the Committee on Finance and Commerce. He had been awoken from his sleep, called to work at the behest of the Vice Chancellor. Initially irritated to have his rest disturbed, he quickly realized the irregularity of the situation at hand and surmised there was an urgent matter at hand - Corellia and Duro had taken it upon themselves to act against Byss, a quasi-imperial state who has long shirked the authority of the Alliance. Where military action on its own not enough, a blockade of the Starbird Trade Spine posed major economic consequences, and it fell directly into the purview of his committees. Why hadn't he been alerted sooner? No matter. It would appear that Tithe was spearheading the coordination of the Alliance response, and Rush was to be a part of it.

Principal in his mind were two thoughts. The first was that Byss and its leader, Marlon Sularen, had spit in the face of the Alliance at every turn. He had little doubt that the Alliance could tolerate an imperial state within its borders, but Sularen's blatant transgressions undermined that confidence. In what had once been a somewhat predictable Sularen, he was now becoming increasingly erratic. It was increasingly apparent that his rule would need to be addressed, eventually, by the federal government. It would seem that time would be today.

Secondly, Rush was a staunch advocate for planetary autonomy. Byss had been afforded a generous deal of it, given the general incompatibility between imperial and democratic states. However, in Rush's mind, he also was not opposed to the actions of Corellia and Duro - two sovereign states unilaterally taking action of their own volition in something of a preemptive strike. It would have perhaps made more sense to coordinate with the GADF on this matter, but Gerault sympathized with the aggressing states.

As with most politics, it was a fickle and nuanced matter to which there was no right answer. Thus, what they were left with was a choice. Gerault Rush, despite his misgivings about the current administration, would to the best of his ability see to it that the powers that be made an informed one.

Aerarii Tithe

Jaa Kilian · Apr 16, 2021

Location: Relus, Beshqek System, Brawler-II
Relevant Tags:

Kenth Berik
Objective: Await the arrival of

Kenth Berik

Senior-Captain Kenth Berik; even speaking the name carried a lifetime of sins and combat that even Kilian, in his advancing age, could not hope to match. Kilian was a proud man, but not too proud to admit he was intimidated to be working with the Butcher of Ord Mantell, though his ego stung at being placed in subordination to some a decade if not more his junior. However, if he were to rankle at every discomforting or annoying issue, then no work would ever get done. In the battle between ego and greed, greed always won.

"Brawler to Adjudicator, Captain Jaa Kilian speaking. There is an old mining station over the northern pole of Relus, I would recommend we meet there to discuss our next action. The situation appears dire from where I am standing, but perhaps you might have a better idea of how we proceed," Kilian spoke in his neutral, Axxilan drawl. He let his chin tilt up somewhat and his eyes narrow, a physical show of a positive sense of self even if his words came across as slightly self-deprecating. It worked two-fold - or so Kilian hoped - in showing that he would not be easily pushed around, but still deferring to the "chain of command" if such a thing still existed in any capacity. They were borderline bandits by another name, after all, loathe though Kilian might admit that.

The phantom-like actions of the Adjudicator-II only served as another reminder to the ageing Kilian of the technological marvels he and his compatriot commanded. A sure jump from his former flagship (though somehow even more featureless and bland compared to the former Brawler) in all fields.

"Helm, bring us about and set course for that mining station. Communications, order Taskforce Alpha to maintain present orbit, but prepare for imminent deployment." Kilian demanded, ending the communication with Berik as soon as he had said his piece. The less said over communication channels, no matter how secure they are claimed to be, the better.

A chorus of affirmations sounded across the bridge, leaving Kilian to watch the controlled chaos of his bridge at work. No doubt that chaos would become markedly less controlled in the coming hours and days, but Kilian had faith in his crew. They would survive, they would prevail, they would be paid, or his name wasn't Jaa Kilian!

Marlon Sularen · Apr 16, 2021

BYSS , BESHQEK SYSTEM
On board the Predator...

Sularen paced around his Personal Quarters to elaborate on his next course of action. I less then a Month , Sularen's Corporate Assets on Bilbringi were now under the threat of Nationalization by the Alliance and now Corellia and Duros threatened to Remove him from his Throne. As time went by it seemed that more and more people were plotting against him and Sularen felt that he was being pushed towards the edge of a Cliff. For over 6 Years , the Lord-Imperator had struggled to carve his name in the stars and become a force to be reckoned with. An Individual to be feared by all , and to have his rightful revenge against those who had deceived him years ago.

But everytime he rose up someone was ready to strike him down , but this time Sularen would not stay down. He would not let the Alliance or anyone take what was rightfully his. He would fight till the end against anyone who dared to challenge his Authority , who thought they were above him. He would crush them under his Iron Boot and today would be the beginning of Such Display. After this Sularen would convene with his Allies and begin making preparations for his Counter-Attack against the Alliance. His Resurgence was long overdue and it was time Sularen washed away those who had opposed him with the tide of Vengeance.

Then , Sularen heard the sound of his door opening , snapping him out of his thoughts. "What is it" the Lord-Imperator asked visibly annoyed. An Officer appeared and quickly replied. "Sir , we have received a message from Commander Girann of the GADF , she demands that we stand down , negotiate or withdraw. Should we send a response?" the Officer asked. "No" Sularen replied. "They send a Battlecruiser , a Missile Frigate and a Starfighter Squadron yet they are the ones making demands?" the Lord-Imperator said in frustration and intense anger. "I'll resolve this crisis on my terms and not anyone else. It's about time i showed the entity of the Galactic Alliance what we're made of."

The Officer nervously nodded and spoke once more. "Oh and two more things your excellency. Vice-Chair Tithe requests your presence as he wishes to speak with you and Surface-Marshal Torson has apparently rallied Soldiers and Civilians alike and is marching on the Corellian Embassy in Sularenopolis". The news of the involvement of the Vice-Chancellor annoyed Sularen who was certain he would side with the Corelliand and Durosians but news of Torson's Rogue Actions somewhat gave Sularen an advantage , one he needed to exploit ASAP. "Thank you , lieutenant. You may leave now". Within Seconds , Sularen was in his Office with the Vice-Chair's Face having appeared on the Holoprojector located within Sularen's Desk.

Aerarii Tithe said:
“Ahh, yes, it’s… now wait, give a moment… it’s Lord-Imperator, correct? Just, ah… one moment if you’d mind.I’ll spare you the usual prolix, Lord-Imperator, from where I’m sitting, you've lost control of Byss, and I can’t allow that to persist. The markets, I mean, oh boy, I shutter. Are you capable of abating this ataxia and confining your people to their home peacefully, or do you need Alliance assistance to quell the unrest? All you need to do is ask and we shall abet your local forces.”

"I assume you are referring to the current March on the Corellian Embassy , yes? Well in that case this move completely contradicts my recent declaration of martial law on Byss but then yet again i will tolerate it , why? Because my people are faced with the Threat of Starvation and they will not allow Corellia to impose their will upon them , not a second time atleast. Byss has been attacked three times in the past five years including this Blockade and you expect the people of Byss to remain calm as the sovereignty of their world is violated for a Third Time in half a decade?"

"Heck you send a small tiny Task Force of one Battlecruiser , a Missile Frigate and a Starfighter Squadron and demand that WE stand down when we have been acting in defense all along. You call me a tyrant that imposes his will upon his people , that threatens the stability of the Alliance yet Corellia and Duros are launching a Blockade that will devastate Byss's Economy and impact the Alliance's Economy. To be honest , the March on the Corellian Embassy is fully justified Vice-Chancellor. With Corellia and Duros showing their intent to force their will upon my people , i think it's perfectly reasonable that we apprehend their diplomats in response and hold them prisoner in response."

"I won't tolerate such actions made against me and my people. And i will not silence the voices of my people. If the People of Byss wish to storm the Corellian Embassy to defend their World then i shall permit it and the only way this will stop is if Corellia withdraws their Blockade. I do not wish to spark a war , Vice-Chancellor but for the sake of my planet and my people i will do what is necessary in order to ensure Byss emerges on top of the Corellians with or without the help of the Alliance. At this point if you truly want to avoid a conflict , if you truly wish to de-escalate things , i suggest you turn to the Corellians and Durosians and tell them to withdraw their Fleet. Otherwise we will continue to act with hostility until either Corellia and Duros withdraw their fleets or we remove the Corellian and Durosian Fleets from our Space via force."

"In this crisis you will have to pick a side as there will be no negotiations nor meditation and you know that well. Neither side will back down until their goals are met so now you have a choice Tithe. Either you side with the Illegal Blockade imposed by Corellia and Duros and risk escalation , or side with Byss which seeks to defend it's sovereignty at all costs and increase the chances at de-escalation. Choose wisely Vice-Chancellor as the decision you make will determine how this will play out."

Tags |

Teica Giraan |

Aerarii Tithe

Annasari · Apr 17, 2021

CHAOS REIGNS

Felmorante L'lerim |

Mazik Stazi |

Teica Giraan

Anna's smile couldn't help but grow wider at the young woman's reply. While unconstrained chaos no longer suited her, it had its time and place- but she couldn't deny the joy found in the prospect of such. Annasari looked to the small crew in her personal ship as cogs began to turn. The Mad Claw was the best investment she had ever made- a night of morally questionable work for a ship that had suited her needs time and time again.

"Activate the cloaking device." She demanded the pair at the helm.

She turned back to

Felmorante L'lerim as the orders were carried out. Time and time again, the advanced reflec coat hadn't failed her. Her plan was risky, but Jakku relied on the scrap sold in times of unease. For that, she was willing to roll the dice.

"Your... powers?" She asked uncertainly. A non-force user herself, she was unsure of the terminology. "Can you offer any kind of protection from being detected?"

She pointed to the viewport, where the other ships sat.

"If we can move up next to them unseen- perhaps our fire will look like their own. We only need a moment of reactionary measures, a spark to light the fire. She's fast-" With that, she tapped the wall next to her. "We could get out before anyone knew we were there- if we can get near, that is. I only put so much faith in her tech- she's far from a rust bucket, but a couple years old. Who knows what the Correlians and Imperials have at their disposal."

Yularen Nova · Apr 17, 2021

Teica Giraan said:
{"This is Commander Teica Giraan of the ANV Epilogue, calling all Corellian, all Duros, and all Byssian vessels. By order of the Galactic Alliance, you are to stand down--All of you. Weapons deactivated, Abandon any missile locks. Resistance will not be tolerated."}

{"Each of your representatives should prepare for negotiations, unless you'd all rather withdraw and avoid provoking a war. Those are your options. And this blockade will not be tolerated."}

The bridge was silent, save for the occasional mutter of a bridge officer and the soft beeping of the various consoles.
"Sir, we've received cease and desist orders from the Alliance-"

"I have ears Lieutenant-Commander," Yularen muttered, his fleshy mandibles quivering. He was more worried about the hyperspace disturbance he had felt. He had been told it was nothing but but a few freighters but they had since gone dark. Ominous.

"Patch me into the Commander," he said as he began to pull up Alliance information on his datapad. His brow raised at the impressive record available to him. Risen to the rank of Commander, Golden Starbird recipient, a record of lost vessels, but valiant effort. He hoped he wouldn't have to come to blows with such a promising Corellian commander.

"Commander Giraan," his booming voice causing a few officers to turn, "This is Diktat Yularen Nova, commanding officer of the Siren of Titan. We-" A commotion in the far corner of the command deck drew his attention, near the ground forces coordination pods. His brow furrowed as the Shocktrooper Sr. Commander gave him a worried look and moved to hand him a datapad. His eyes read the message quickly, his anger growing with each word he read. There were reports of Byss military forces approaching and surrounding the Corellian embassy. He should have expected this, that Byss would be so cowardly. He cleared his throat, adjusting what he was about to say.

"Connect me to the Byss fleet as well."

"Connected sir,"

"This blockade is justified. While the Alliance has instituted a formal investigation of Byss, so has the Corellian Confederation. Our findings implicate him in several crimes within Corellian Space. Now, when we come to ask for his peaceful surrender he marches on our embassy. So no Commander, I don't think we will withdraw. If he does not call his military to stand down we will be forced to take action in order to save the lives of our citizens."

The connection was cut and when it was Yularen looked to the Sr. Commander, a snarl on his face.

"Activate Fireteam Majestic."

Annasari

Teica Giraan

Bashir

Aaran Tafo · Apr 17, 2021

"I hope you have fun with your spy stuff." Came the voice of the Warden of Peace as he descended the steps of the Freebird's loading ramp. Tugging upwards on the collar of his jacket as he gave

Ripley Kühn a slight wave before pressing a button on his datapad. Engaging the stealth system on board. He was fairly confident that the Freebird had managed to get onto the planet without anyone noticing. The faithful girl had gotten him in and out of Sith Space undetected more times than he could count. He had little worry of it being detected as it was now.

He paused for a moment, readjusting the sunglasses over his face as he looked upwards. A slight frown covering his face. The political situation was nothing more than a giant mess. Duro and Corellia must know that Byss would be too proud, foolhardy and myopic to stand down. The questionable legality of the blockade aside. The escalation of this conflict was seemingly inevitable. More than likely it would be from Byss' side over the two aggressors in this situation.

"Give me a call if you need a hand with anything. I'm gonna take a walk." He said, leaving the Shadow to her work. Exiting the warehouse as he began to make his way into the city proper.

The whole situation left a sour taste in his mouth. How he hated politics. He vehemently disagreed with the notion of any form of authoritarian rule. For it was from those ideals that a fool like Sularen was born. Someone who had seized absolute power on this world. And who's citizens were now suffering because for some bizarre reason, he saw himself as more important than those around him. As if his ideals, his desires held greater weight.

Maybe this ordeal would humble him. Maybe the Lord Imperator would come through this all as a changed man. A more self-aware and understanding person. But the Jedi doubted it. Because for people to change for the better, they had to first realise they were wrong. And few people were ever willing to admit they were in the wrong. From what he had seen from the Senate meetings and the various things that had passed through the grapevine. Self-awareness was not a virtue that was espoused here on Byss.

With a sigh, he vanished into the bustle crowd. His presence entirely unnoticed by those around him. The eyes of various security and military forces simply passing over him. Their minds never registering his presence as he made his way towards the Corellian embassy. Following the thread of the Force that called to him. Urging him onward to fulfil his duty to protect life and stop this conflict from escalating any further. Or at the very least, save the lives of those who could not defend themselves.

Marlon Sularen @Any other Embassy bois.

Tris · Apr 17, 2021

Halcyon Commandos 9th Platoon
Assigned to Corellian Star Defender Siren of Titan
Fireteam Majestic

Sergent Gedri Fehen walked down the hall and ran an armored hand across the black speckled hull of the drop pods as she moved down the row. Her heavy boots thunked loudly with each step as she observed the pods. They were a recent addition to the Corellian military, a relic from a war she was too young to have fought in.

"Sergent Fehen," came a familiar voice, even though it was modulated by helmet speakers. She turned, her own helmeted face turning to meet his. Her fireteam was here and they seemed calm, confident. Good. What was being asked of them was potentially something that not many soldiers could stomach. Tapping a few keys on her wrist-mounted datapad, the large photoreceptor on the left side of her helmet flashed, bringing up a holo-view of the Corellian Embassy, a mob of civilians flanked by trained soldiers accompanied by a full mechanized unit approaching slowly.

"You've all received the briefing," she started, her voice cold and lacking her usual mirth. "Those cowards on Byss have moved in on the Corellian Embassy. They have tanks, transports, and Gods know what else at their disposal. The Navy is going to do what it can to disable the shield gate, but we are the point of the spear. Our job is to pierce the shield covertly and secure the Embassy, specifically Councilor Udina." The holo image shifted to the image of an elderly Gran. "He was on Byss for a diplomatic assignment but since the blockade we have lost all communications with him." The rest of the briefing was quick. The fireteam grabbed their weapons and entered the black, needle-shapped pod. When they were ready, they launched. Black speckled and with limited avionics, the tibanna x thrusters fired once, twice and then the pod let momentum carry them past the Byss fleet and into the shield.

Once in the atmosphere though, the pod lost its stealth. Huge black needles roaring through the sky weren't subtle. Her pod shuddered all around her and she wondered if her fireteam was worried. This was the worst part of the drop. She could see out of the pod and into the clouds and cityscape approach.

Aaran Tafo

Ripley Kühn

Mazik Stazi · Apr 17, 2021

THE LOST KING
BESHQEK SYSTEM
DEEP CORE

"Launch."

Senator Stazi gazed with solemn eyes down at the world of Byss below. A squadron of Gol heavy fighters screamed past the Lost King's bridge with smaller Dagger-Ds flying escort. While the duros attack craft formed up to move in on the shield gate each capital ship maintained their target locks in defiance of

Teica Giraan and the GADF's orders. Duro would give

Marlon Sularen this one chance to stand down and allow them to breach the gate without resistance.

"Offer the Diktat whatever assistance CorDef might require."

While the embassy crisis was a disturbing new development Mazik chose to let the Corellians handle their own affairs. Instead he concentrated on their latest sensor reports from Relus. Under his recommendation the Lost King dispatched a duros task force spearheaded by the star defender Te'Ami and escorted by a wolfpack of attack corvettes. Rumors persisted of these so called shadow fleets purported to lurk in the Deep Core. Time to find out if those rumors were true.

"Incoming transmission from the City of Ashes. Commander Bashir still awaits your response, Senator."

"Savrip to kintan four."

A soft smile touched his lips while Mazik visualized the dejarik board. Long range sensors indicated it would not be long now before a fleet of GADF destroyers dropped out of hyperspace at the system's edge outside their interdiction field. Until then neither the Starhawk nor its Iblis frigate escort were in any position to enforce demands. Cutting through the bridge's tension an upbeat Core Drive melody emanated from Senator Stazi's cultural robes of office.

♫We're up all night til the sun
We're up all night to get some
We're up all night for good fun
We're up all night to get lucky♫

Mazik scowled at his personal holocommunicator. 'Please stand by for Vice Chancellor Tithe' scrolled above the handheld disc in large pleasing font. It seemed

Aerarii Tithe had called for an emergency session of committee chairs. He would not disappoint. Stazi prepared himself to represent the Committee on Defense from the middle of a brewing war zone.

Elias Vati · Apr 17, 2021

Location: Corellian Embassy on Byss
Equipment: Sector Ranger Tactical Armor - A280 Blaster Rifle
Tags: Gedri Fehen

Aaran Tafo

Ripley Kühn

Elias didn't get away from the Embassy for at least half an hour before INTERSEC HQ contacted him, "Saber 1 this is Ranger Command, come in Saber 1."

"This is Saber 1. Go ahead command."

"New orders straight from the ministry. You're to go back to the embassy, Byss forces are preparing an assault. Defend the embassy at all costs."

"What of the primary objective?"

"SIA still has priority over the op. Ministry has already consulted them, your orders are to defend the embassy."

"Are there any other friendlies to assist in the defense?"

"Negative, Justice assets are too far from the immediate area to assist. You're all the back up the embassy has."

"Roger that. Saber 1 is heading back." Elias sighed before turning the speeder around and heading back to the embassy with urgency. There he was hoping to have another stealth op but this wasn't the time to complain cause people's lives were being threatened by an autocratic military government, and as a native Corellian he wasn't going to let a bunch of imperialist scum take him on without taking a few down with him. Driving into the embassy's port for military clearance, Elias and his team dawned their armor pieces and took their weapons and rushed further into the embassy. There was a command center for the embassy's military personnel and Elias rushed in where the embassy's military commander was in armor dispatching orders to his subordinates as Elias approached him. "Commander Palvan. Lieutenant Vati reporting for defense of the embassy, what's the situation."

"Good to have you here lieutenant. The ambassador and his staff are being kept in the safe room, rest of the embassy's staff are locking themselves in rooms clearing the hallways. We have a handful of snipers keeping watch while the rest of our men are taking defensive positions around the embassy. You can make yourself useful however you see fit lieutenant."

"Right." Elias stopped before turning to the rest of his squad. "We're gonna have to dig in deep. Rumis. Take a sniper position at the roof."

"Roger."

"Rest of you with me, we're gonna hold the front. They're gonna be pouring in any minute."

Felmorante L'lerim · Apr 17, 2021

CHAOS UNBRIDLED!

Equipment: Haywire I Armor over Viper Mk. I Skinsuit, Duraglide Boots with Boot Rockets
Dark Purple pair of Wrist Dazzlers, 7 Whimsy Knives, 3 Glitter Grenades, 2 Giggle Grenades, 1 Pink Vapor Grenade
Objective: Help start the fun.
Tag:

Annasari |

Mazik Stazi |

Otto Shule |

Teica Giraan

The question of her abilities came forward, and she thought for a long moment. Another voice popped in, one that she was slowly becoming intimately familiar with given the amount of facet shifts she had gone through. The barriers between the persona's was crumbling, something that would be of concern to the 'derelict' station that had created her. For now, she enjoyed the presence of other similar minds.

She leaned against the console beside her, eyes shuddered and closed, her breathing steadied a moment as two minds melded for a brief moment. Her shoulders sagged as the two minds spoke in silence. C-71 asked for help, while B-138 thought about the best way to proceed. Being the more technically minded one, it had been the easiest one to reach through the crumbling barrier between the minds and had made itself known quite readily.

It hadn't tried to push the original out, instead care to separate the space between them with something they agreed upon. It was like having a room mate that came and went at night while sharing little more barrier than that of words. You know they existed, but you seldom if ever dealt with them and it was mutually understood that breaking the contract would be detrimental to both sides.

The giggly bubbly attitude seemed to drop away as her hand clenched against the console. Her eyes cleared, glowing a softer emerald color as B-138 took hold and C-71 slipped into the recesses of their shared space.

"Won't be easy, but we can do what we can." She offered quietly with a steadying breath. She frowned looking over the battlefield and limited data available as she looked back and forth to determine.

"What are-oh. Those are some nasty ships. If she-and then. Alright. Yeah." Her words came and went quickly, not offering a chance for Annasari to speak before Fel seemed to scribble a note and sit criss-cross on the floor. Several breaths, and a repeat of the previous drop in activity saw the girl perk up and smile as her hands took the note with glee.

"B is so good with the technical stuff. She's really smart. Okay. So thi-hmm." She openly hemmed and hawed over the note before shrugging and letting herself settle into a meditative state. "Going under, if you need anything just like...I don't know. Snap your fingers or something?" Fel shrugged before leaning against the wall of the viewport and slipping into a semi-conscious state. Her own mind slipped into a concentrated state, asking the force to help her shape her wish and will.

The force would meld itself to her will, the energy latching onto the idea of her mind as it shielded itself at first from detection from the vast array of sensors and systems aboard the other ships. The small bubble around her would soon expand as she connected herself with the ship and every person on board. The effort was exhausting, her forehead accumulating a line of sweat across it as the entire ship was slowly encased and hidden from the ships and sensors around them.

Her breathing had started off easy and relaxed, all the while her effort slowly escalating her breathing to the point of forced and labored effort. The effort of maintaining every person was eased as she switched the bubble to encase the ship and it's exterior rather than the individuals inside, closing the effect around the ship and settling her breathing back to a more normal rhythm.

"Go."

She did not break her concentration, her mind completely focused on the task at hand as the simple word was spoken.

Kenth Berik · Apr 17, 2021

Location: The bridge of the Adjudicator II, Relus, Beshqek System
Objective: Prepare to mobilise
Tags:

Jaa Kilian

Kenth awaited at the console for the Captain's reply and it soon came in. The old mining station would be a suitable meeting point and a chance to meet in person. Kenth knew mercenaries and he often found they sized each other up, find out who was the strongest and thus recieved the best contracts from their employers. He smirked before leaving the console and walking back to the front of the bridge. "Helmsman alter course to Relus' northern pole. Warfare find me that mining station" he barked out. The bridge crew we're quick to follow his orders while the Adjudicator made it's way to the rendezvous point.

The caridian thought to himself about how the situation could go down. If in the worst case scenario all hell breaks loose the battle would be messy. Neither side is willing to back down so it would all come down to who the Alliance would support. This is a political disaster for them. But Kenth wasn't too worried about the politics, no he was more concerned about the status of his legitimacy. If the Alliance chose to support the blockade he could very well be forced out the core. He of course had contingencies for such an event but the credits his company would lose. His best hope is that negotiations would come to fruition, although a small bit of aggression from each side wouldn't hurt. Kenth would like to be paid after all.

As he stood there his communication officer chimed in. "Sir, seems the Alliance forces in system have sent out a message. A commander

Teica Giraan . We've only just begun picking up the message." Kenth was intrigued. This would be the first deciding factor on whether or not they had a chance. "Well? What has the Alliance said?" he asked. The communication officer tapped away at his terminal before pulling up the message.

Teica Giraan said:
{"This is Commander Teica Giraan of the ANV Epilogue, calling all Corellian, all Duros, and all Byssian vessels. By order of the Galactic Alliance, you are to stand down--All of you. Weapons deactivated, Abandon any missile locks. Resistance will not be tolerated."}

{"Each of your representatives should prepare for negotiations, unless you'd all rather withdraw and avoid provoking a war. Those are your options. And this blockade will not be tolerated."}

"Bold of a single frigate." he said while listening to the message. This likely meant a larger Alliance force was enroute. They had the resources to dwarf both fleets after all. "Seems the Alliance isn't to keen on the blockade. Good." he said before turning back to the viewport. "Maintain our course and increase speed. We're still off the radar." he continued. His company may yet survive this.

As the Adjudicator II closed in on the station Kenth looked down into the warfare pit and spoke "Warfare, how are we looking on the scanners?" the officer looked up and replied. "We appear to be in the clear sir." the wonders of stealth technology he thought to himself. He turned to his second and spoke. "Lieutenant Commander, you have the bridge. I'm off to meet our colleagues." and with precision he about turned and walked off the bridge and into the turbolift.

The hanger of the Adjudicator was bustling with activity. Flight crews were prepping fighters and pilots were receiving there briefings. Kenth walked straight towards his shuttle where two adjudicator troopers awaited him. The shuttle glided out of the Adjudicator's hanger closing in on the space station. Coming out of a cloaked ship it was if it appeared out of nowhere.

------ Aboard the mining station ------

The station reeked of unrefined Durelium and rust yet structural scans had shown it was still stable. Kenth stood in the massive hanger awaiting the arrival of Captain Kilian.

Jaa Kilian · Apr 17, 2021

Location: Relus, Beshqek System, Brawler-II
Relevant Tags: