For 3000 Years, They Ignored Our Calls for Help | SSC Dominion of Jabiim

[Rasu Gan]

Location: Choal, Jabiim
Objective: Assist Rebels (3)
Allies: SSC, Rebels, [member="Celiana"]
Enemies: Conservative Supporters/Loyalists
Post: 6/25

Chaos was quick to engulf the city square. Blaster bolts had already been fired at the two Jedi however, both had easily deflected the shots, expertly redirecting them back to their source. Silent screams could be seen plastered on the deceased's faces as the Shi'ido leaped over the soldier's bodies. Having reached the main party, Rasu gripped her sabers tighter as she brought them down upon the enemy. Her two golden blades sizzled in a sick harmony as they sliced through weaponry and flesh alike; the familiar humming remaining constant throughout the encounter.

Celiana appeared to be busy as well, with the Echani fighting alongside the Shi'ido with her own twin blades. It was quite a sight to behold; four sabers devouring the enemy force. Disarming and then disabling a nearby soldier, Rasu sent a wave of Force energy hurtling at the man, watching him soar only to come crashing into a durasteel wall. Turning to face her next opponent, Rasu was instead thrown back herself, as the troop transport exploded only meters from the Shi'ido. Surrounding herself in Force energy, the temporary shield protected the woman from the debris and immense heat that tore apart the nearby soldiers. Fresh blood splashed against her clothing as she collided with a pile of rubble. Dazed, Rasu slowly rose to her feet.

Even against such large numbers, the Jedi appeared to be overcoming the great disadvantages that had been set upon them. However this could not last. As the initial shock wore away, the conservative forces appeared to gain some ground, with many of the remaining soldiers regrouping to form a dense pack.

Turning to Celiana, Rasu watched her quickly dispatch another man before she began to return to the Shi'ido. However the Force alerted her to the danger now threatening the Echani. Rasu's eyes darted upwards where another being now aimed a rifle at the fleeing Padawan. Knowing she had only mere seconds to act, the Jedi sent a wave of Force energy soaring at her student, hoping to push her out of harms way before the sniper could hit it's mark.

"Watch out!"

 

[Celiana]

Location: Choal, Jabiim
Objective: Assist Rebels (3)
Allies: SSC, Rebels, [member="Rasu Gan"]
Enemies: Conservative Supporters/Loyalists
Post: 6/25

I'd sensed a calm precision as we'd worked our way through the battlefield, a sniper most likely waiting to take out me or Master Gan. Sensing Master Gan's alarm as she yelled "Watch out!" I was already in movement and connecting my two saber together into a saber-staff. I'd already moved before Master Gan had sent the blast of a Force wave towards me. An attempt to push me out of harms way no doubt. Grounding myslef with the strength of The Force I instead transferred the energy from Master Gan's Force Wave into a pulse of sheer force then I simply threw my saber as a spear pushed faster with the Force energy behind it. Tracking my saber with my mind I sensed a sheer second of nothing and then a life winking out of existence as my saber speared through the sniper with an aqua glow.

Reaching out with The Force I summoned my saber-staff back to my right hand then spun it with the blade towards the ground. Reaching over my right elbow I swiftly disconnected my sabers from each other and re-ignited the Ice Blue saber in my left hand as I simultaneously re-ignited my Aqua saber in my right hand. Sensing malicious feelings behind Master Gan I leaped with the aid of The Force and inverting my Ice Blue saber threw it as a spear into a Loyalist fighter that had been behind her. He stood there momentarily, open mouthed in shock as I came down and with a lightning fast flicker of movement twitched my right wrist removing his head from his shoulders. I called my Ice Blue saber back to my left hand and said, "Thank you for your concern Master, though it would appear I've saved you."

 

[Rasu Gan]

Location: Choal, Jabiim
Objective: Assist Rebels (3)
Allies: SSC, Rebels, [member="Celiana"]
Enemies: Conservative Supporters/Loyalists
Post:7/25

Rasu stood frozen, slightly surprised at the Padawan's unique fighting style. She had not expected her own attempt to be used to perform such a brutal act, however war brought out the anger in most. The Shi'ido remained still as she watched the lifeless form of the sniper tumble forward, no longer supported by the saber that had previously impaled him. Staring in subtle shock at the woman, Rasu found herself chuckling in disbelief. It was all she could do to cope with the adrenaline that now poured through her system.

The woman remained oblivious to the presence of another soldier behind, however she had nothing to fear as Celiana made quick work the threat as she had the sniper. There was nothing this girl could not do it seemed. As her senses began to return to the Jedi Master once more, she smiled in response to her student's remark, finding she lacked a voice to respond verbally. Her Padawan truly came to life during wartime, although it was not a surprise as these were chaotic times.

Finding the pair had a temporary reprieve, Rasu sat upon a pile of rubble, weighed down by the exhaustion that had revealed itself. Their battle had lasted only a few minutes, but it had been enough for any being to bear with. However as the Force flowed through her, she felt muscles relax, and aches subside, rejuvenated from the wave of energy. Placing her lightsabers at her side, Rasu rubbed the dried blood from her skin, finding it left a dark stain in her emerald complexion. Annoyed at the inconsistency now apparent on her body, the Jedi sighed before returning to her feet lightsabers in hand once more.

The Jedi Master could already see the next wave of troops; this time their numbers appeared to triple from their previous skirmish. Rasu found herself worrying that the two Jedi may be overwhelmed, however all they could do was try and trust in the Force. Sensing Celiana do the same, Rasu ignited her sabers, gripping them tightly as the sound of blaster bolts once more filled the plaza. However the bolts whizzed past the pair, sinking into the forms of the approaching conservatives. Turning in confusion, Rasu was relieved to see the remainder of the rebels join the fray, already firing at the enemy. Determination once more fixed itself on the Shi'ido as she followed the group into the fray.

 

[Bubák]

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

Jabiim Mission 3


Both bacta patches worked painfully slow and left the pain undisturbed, although her injuries have been offered brief treatment – just enough to keep her fighting. It should do. It had to, for the Jedi needed to get back to the front and prepare herself. First things first though; a meditation was in order to sort the Padawan’s thoughts, keep her emotions in check and partially replenish the strength she had lost to Force fury. As such, Alaki sat on the ground, cross-legged, and shut her eyes closed, doing her best to push away the ripples of death and pain running amok through the Force. There was no place for the Void’s shadows in her mind – instead of focusing on the Dark Side and giving it an invitation to her body, the teenage Jedi called out for the Light. Having burned through her rage, peace and calm descended upon her swiftly, soothing the woman’s doubt and worries alike. Moments like this always gave her hope – for redemption, becoming the Jedi she wanted to be, abandoning the Sith ways.

“There is no emotion, there is peace.” Her lips muttered with a smile. The Jedi way. She could do it if she pushed hard enough and concentrated, even though the Light Side manifested itself in form of physical pain, clashing against the darkness within her. It would be so easy to shift her attention to the seductive lull of the Dark Side.

Minutes have passed, the foreboding sense of dread growing urgent, threatening to shatter the Chiss’ efforts at channelling the burning light through her form. Then came a commanding voice, putting a premature end to her meditation, pulling her out of her private realm where existed no death or fear.

“Jedi!”

That had to mean her, eliciting a soft chuckle from the Chiss. With her apparel drenched in sweat, hair a mess, Alaki hardly supported the romanticized portrayals of Jedi, not to mention the corruption carving her appearance to its twisted desires. Both red eyes opened and fell upon the rebel who had addressed her. Likewise, the man's features had a rugged and unkempt look to them, something common among the rebels it seemed, though his uniform suggested he held the rank of a lieutenant, placing him above the common fighters.

“We’re putting together a small team to get behind the enemy lines and take out the artillery. Interested?”

No.

She did not want to get back there, sense sentient lives snuffed out like candles, constantly risk being killed. Fear of death gripped her insides once more, made her feel queasy. And there was more beneath the natural and understandable refusal to risk her life – anticipation and thrill that came with surviving where others had not. The lure of more fighting sang to her, appealing to the fallen Padawan’s Sith-like mentality that craved the opportunity for more violence and bloodshed. Another reason not to join the daring suicide mission.

She offered the lieutenant a shy, resigned nod and got up, wrapped feet gently padding over the floor as she passed the man on her way to the armoury.

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

Location: Jabiim
Objective: Locate the derelict prison ship (bring-your-own)
Allies: SSC
Enemies: Lythians
Post: 7/25

Charzon knew that Kadabra was a rather untested piece of technology, that which was mostly software-as-a-service in computing jargon, and especially in cloud computing: cloud computing experts would refer to SaaS as a cloud application where the infrastructure is centralized. But she realized that there was no reason to be turreting a TS-Titan on something immobile; a turreted TS-Titan would be used as a point-defense system, no more. Now that they knew the TS-Titan was a reconditioned piece of technology, that otherwise predated the Lythians' presence on the planet, Charzon comes to a troubling conclusion. But perhaps Marcia would conjure up some more obscure information from the depths of her mind, much as she conjured Ringovinda StarYards' first Kadabra subscription to actually determine it was a turreted TS-Titan in the first place, probably even purchasing it on the fly. Nevertheless, Kadabra was an app for which potential users would be more than simply tech aficionados à la [member="Anna Sachae"]; their manufacturers know that it could be used for industrial espionage.

"Let's face it, boss, it's just a point-defense weapon to the Lythians now" Marcia told Charzon.

"Now that we know why the Lythians reconditioned the TS-Titan, count ourselves lucky that the turret cannot depress. Let's go to the main engine room, shall we?"

"All right, will move to the main engine room. I believe that, if the ship is as old as the KDY information says it is, its anti-slicing defenses won't be as strong as the KDY databases we obtained the info from"

"You'll handle the slicing: neither Charzon nor I would be able to do it... unless the targeting computers still work!"

"Marcia, how will entering the systems through the targeting computers help us obtain the schematics... other than the layout of the weapons?"

Charzon is a little skeptical: targeting computers would at best tell one where all the weapons are on the ship, and their firing arcs. But in that they already pretty much knew: six dorsal heavy turrets with the remaining firepower being on trench turrets, and a few ventral guns for good measure, provided that, like the Traquia, they would retract when the landing gears are being extended. Whereas that ship had six dorsal turrets, most reconditions of Venators kept all eight.

 

[Darth Caecus]

Handooine
Open Objective/Handooine Diplomacy
Junko Ike
4/25

They had skill- together? Between the two of them? Sabetha didn't know how to answer that. She felt a small fire, a thrill of pride that her Master had faith in her like that. But also a gnawing fear. Because Sabetha didn't think she had real skill. Maybe someday but not yet! She only knew the basics- the most basic of basics! She didn't even always know just what she was sensing in the Force. She got glimpses, impressions. And how could she possibly help protect the others? Her hand strayed to the hilt of her training saber, taking a certain comfort there. But only for a moment. After all, she only felt like she knew enough to not cut her own hand off.

But, despite all of her growing concerns, she nodded.

"I- I'll try," she said, swallowing hard.

She didn't really want to reach back out with the Force just then. The feeling of lurking, of waiting, was sinister in a way she didn't have a word for. It was uncomfortable and her gut instinct was to get as far away from it as possible. But she concentrated again, chewing on her low lip.

"This way," she said softly, her voice distant as she started to move in the direction of where the Negotiations were going to take place.

 

[Bubák]

Jabiim Mission 3


With the government focusing their efforts elsewhere, the small rebel commando of six tried to get across the city without picking unnecessary fights, yet to encounter a large enemy force. Small groups and patrols have been easy to avoid or take out in ambushes concealed by tight alleyways and shadows cast by large buildings; a trail of bodies left in their wake served as a testament to their ruthless guerrilla tactics. Mercy or the concept of taking prisoners have been abandoned, dismissed like worthless ideals – war did not ask about honour or principles, only about strength and survivors. Swift relocations across open streets posed the most danger to the strike team, serving them to potential snipers on a silver platter; all six pairs of eyes cast paranoid looks towards the windows of the surrounding buildings.

They have been lucky so far, not getting into a sniper’s optics, but none could tell when the incredible fortune was going to run out. Right now, the commando covered behind dumpsters at the end of a dark alley, waiting for an armoured convoy to pass over the main street. Dark skies loomed on the horizon, heavy clouds eager to shower the world below.

Donning a new suit of armour, albeit inferior to the one provided by the Silver Sanctum, Alaki shifted uncomfortably and allowed herself a brief glance over the expressions of her squadmates. All wore unfittingly serene, emotionless expressions, hardened by combat and witnessing things no being should see. Only through the Force did Alaki see right through the masks; stress, regret, hopelessness, anger, hate, doubt. They knew the stakes, with their own reason to fight and willing to sacrifice themselves, determined to succeed. This helped the Padawan ease the anxiety eating her from within. The Chiss’ glowing red orbs darted towards the leader, a blonde man who went by the name of Bobika. He knew this part of the city well, having been raised there from childhood, which give the men and women under his command a slight advantage.

The roaring engines of heavily armoured transportation speeders lost in strength, soon to disappear completely. Not a word has left Bobika’s mouth; his hand motions told the rest of the group exactly what they needed to do. Thud of boots made them company as the six moved across the streets. Judging by the proudly waving flags bearing the government’s colours, they have infiltrated enemy territory. Taking a deep breath and another, keeping panic at bay, the blue skinned Jedi firmly gripped the metal hilts carried in her hands. The familiar weight and shape of her lightsabers added to the false sense of security, offering momentary relief.

 

[Celiana]

Location: Choal, Jabiim
Objective: Assist Rebels (3)
Allies: SSC, Rebels, [member="Rasu Gan"]
Enemies: Conservative Supporters/Loyalists
Post:7/25

I came alive, truly alive in battle. Just as Master Gan came to her feet again after taking a brief respite a haze of blaster-fire came from behind us into the loyalist fighters that had been gathering to stop us. Senses still in the battlefield I turned as a young man twenty years by the look of him came up. "Ma'am you have an....unconventional way of fighting. That being said thank you for taking out that sniper, hell of a throw." Glancing down at his rank I saw he was a lieutenant. "Tell me Lieutenant, are there any of your soldiers that have experience with a rifle. It'd be to our shared interest to have a two man sniper team on the roofs to provide over-watch."

"Yes ma'am, that'd be Jake and his friend Owen. Jake is a hell of a shot with damn near anything you put in his hands." I saw the Lt. gesturing for several people to come up. "Ma'am these are the men I spoke of." I was intentionally trailing behind Master Gan in order to help stack the deck in the rebels and our favor. Two men approached I could tell by the tags of their names they were it. Looking towards Jake I said, "your Lt. tells me you're a damn good shot. Ever fired a Verpine rifle?" He glanced at me and said, "No ma'am those rifles are way above what I could afford, though they're unmatched in terms of their versatility." "This is true and it happens to be your lucky day because you get the opportunity to use mine."

Unhooking the clasp at the left side of my belt I pulled my Verpine rifle off of my back. Handing it to him I said , "you'll be on over-watch with your friend. Keep the way clear for us and I'll be sure to arrange for you two along with your whole company to have hot showers, caf, and a good hot meal. Though be safe about keeping the way clear and take care of Artemis for me hmmm?" His eyes met mine and then he glanced to his friend Owen. "Aye ma'am. You've my word I'll take care of her. Artemis, goddess of the hunt. You have exceptional taste in names and gear ma'am. Chuckling I said, "Indeed I do, May The Force be with you two." He turned as he and Owen launched cables to take them to the roofs then said, "And with you as well ma'am, good hunting."

Re-igniting my saber I dashed ahead to join back up with Master Gan. I couldn't wait for this blood-filled day to come to an end and enjoy a hot shower. I fully intended to make sure these boys got everything I'd promised them. They deserved it, catching back up to Master Gan I asked, "I miss anything important Master?"

 

[Naamah Aesham]

[member="Alaki"]

(1)


This was by no means the first insurgency she'd been part of. It would probably also not be the last. The stakes were high, the equipment was substandard, enemy superiority was staggering. The chances of success were terribly low. In other words, it was the perfect environment for someone who might have a subconscious death wish. Or, to put it more precisely, did not particularly care about survival or death because she'd already been to hell. Especially if that someone was already damned as a monster. The heavily armoured transporation speeders vanished from sight and the small team of insurgents made their way across the streets, always on the lookout for snipers. Naamah Aesham moved with them.


No, not Naamah Aesham. Today she was Enyala, a Mirialan insurgent, one of those who'd survived the genocide Primeval extremists had unleashed upon Mirial. The advantage of being a Clawdite was that you could change faces easily. New face, new clothes, new identity. With enough practice, it was so easy to shift and become someone else. What you could not escape were the memories of your sins. They chased you with the relentlessness of hellhounds. They had good cause to sink their teeth and claws into the former Inquisitor.


So today we're playing insurgent and helping the plucky rebels are we? Mockery was dripping from the inner voice's tone. You must feel really good and noble. I'm a sociopath, I don't have feelings. That's the issue, babe. You don't feel anything anymore. Cold eyes darted across the streets as she followed the group, doing her part to cover them. She gripped the rifle firmly with her hands. Her concealed lightsabre was ready to be drawn, if really needed. Her power was merely a sliver of what it had once been. She could not help feel the profound loss brought about by its absence, even though she recognised that without it, she would have never seen the light.


Our chances of survival would significantly increase if you took my advice. I'll call if I need advice about eviscerating people for the hell of it. You're still a killer, love. You just deluded yourself into thinking it's better if you take your violent urges out on 'acceptable targets'. The sky was dark and clouded, as if eager to unleash a downpour. The streets were deserted and the district was decayed after many months of fierce fighting.

 

[Joza Perl]

Location: Jabiim’s gross surface
Objective: Jabiim Mission 4—Free da slaves
Allies: [member="Orihime Ike"]
Post 2/25

A lopsided grin lit up Joza’s face as a quick response lit up the screen.

Great! We’ll meet you there. Stay safe, and be careful of the storms. They look rough.

Turning her gaze towards the planet’s surface, Joza’s features settled and her mouth hardened into a thin line. It was probably wrong to think that this would be a quick snatch ‘n go mission. Already the planet looked unwelcoming as frequent surges of lightning illuminated the thick, swirling storm clouds. Hopefully the torrential rains would help to mask their presence, that is if they weren’t shot down by some sort of anti-aircraft gun or the storm itself. Even if they did get to the surface undetected and in one piece, the slaves added an extra layer of difficulty to this mission. If they weren’t important assets, the pirates either wouldn’t care about them getting in the crossfire, or would execute them once they realized what was going on. Having innocent lives hang in the balance made things trickier. At least, that was how Joza saw it.

“Approaching Jabiim.”

Ivan’s voice, deep and unamused rang from somewhere to her side. Joza immediately straightened out properly in her seat and strapped herself in. The pilot’s words were a warning: Stop being silly and strap yourself in, lest you get splattered against the windshield. Glancing over at the man, Joza noted the look of concentration etched into his features. Ivan was a good pilot and he’d managed to keep them alive thus far. She trusted him. Probably.

The clear nothingness of space began to darken into a thick haze as they neared the storm, skimming just above it to try and find a safe place to descend.

 

[Bubák]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVeKG6lca7g​

Jabiim Mission 3


The Force worked in mysterious ways, prompting the fallen Jedi to act even before her brain could comprehend why. Acting purely on instinct and all those long hours she had spent honing her lightsaber techniques, Alaki stroked the activation studs on her two hilts while simultaneously leaping forward. Both energy blades immediately sprang to life, casting amber and azure lights across the Chiss’ armoured form and earning her surprised glances from her allies. It was then that the first characteristic bark of a blaster rifle resonated through the silent city block, a lone bolt of blue headed straight for Bobika’s forehead. It had never quite connected; impacting the baby blue plasma of Alaki’s blade instead, only to return back whence it came. Miss; passing the sniper’s silhouette in a window.

First drops of water fell from the sky, hissing angrily upon their vaporization over the superheated lightsabers.

One more shot rang out, this time meant for the Dark Jedi Padawan – batted back with deadly accuracy, courtesy of Shien. The Jedi saw the blaster bolt return to its origin, hit the sniper and make their figure disappear just before a cry of the sniper’s signature fading from existence resonated through the Force. She had just claimed another life today and admittedly could not care less at the moment as they were about to be knee deep in trouble, her mind too focused on bare survival to ponder morality. The eerie sensation in her guts did not disappear with the sniper’s death; the Force cried out in more warnings. Without any hesitation, the Chiss spun on the balls of her feet, ready to face another enemy that had yet to be revealed. Strange; the Light Side appeared to give these warnings more clarity than its dark counterpart.

It started to rain heavily, a full-blown storm.

Another fight knocked on the door, pitting the daring resistance commando against two armoured transports emerging from around the corner. All coordination and tactic went straight to the Void when the cannons mounted on these beasts opened fire and their metal bellies let out over two dozen soldiers. Commander Bobika and two others went to the buildings on the left, hoping to find cover there, while Alaki and the rest dashed to the right. Fear gripped the young woman’s heart; she felt vulnerable, as if she were about to die any second. All regrets about joining this ill-fated mission started to overwhelm her and the corrupted warrior became a pathetic, harmless bundle of nerves hiding in a passage between two houses.

No matter how many lives she had ended, she was far from being a hardened, cold-blooded killing machine immune to breakdowns.

The fallen Padawan’s back hit the smooth wall and the entirety of her form slid down, pulling her knees to the chest. Her head inadvertently turned towards the street, watching the other half of the group on the opposite side. One of them, a large, bulky soldier hardened by many operations patiently waited until the cannons stopped their boom. In his hands – a rocket launcher, ready to put a dent into the loyalist speeders. As soon as his body popped from behind cover, he literally disappeared in a crimson cloud. Bobika screamed something; Alaki couldn’t quite make out what over the thunderous racket of the automated weapons. She screamed as well though, no words, just a yell filled with terror.

The heavy blaster fire continued to laugh – not quite to terminate the cornered rebels, but to provide covering fire for the government forces that swiftly advanced through the alleyways towards the outnumbered and outgunned resistance.


[member="Naamah Aesham"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

Location: Jabiim
Objective: Locate the derelict prison ship (bring-your-own)
Allies: SSC
Enemies: Lythians
Post: 8/25

They were walking across mostly-deserted alleys, devoid of prisoner bodies, devoid of prison equipment or even ore-processing equipment, thus confirming that the Lythians were using the derelict Star Destroyer-sized prison ship not for mining but for something else. They are going to stroll through the ship until they get directly underneath the conning tower. The depressing sight of derelict cell blocks where the Imperial wardens would just lock up prisoners in cells in conditions that several factions (Silvers, Republic in particular) would describe as inhumane. But when the trio gets underneath what looks like a sign telling them where the main batteries of the ship are, and, upon seeing this, Marcia seems to be willing to go to the starboard heavy turbolaser turrets, requiring her to scale flights of stairs in the process because she'd rather spare the power packs to slice into the targeting computers of the heavy turbolaser turrets. As they're about to split up in their attempts to slice through the targeting computer, they all ensure that their comms are in working order.

"You have to understand, boss, that oftentimes the targeting computers would be connected to the ship's main engineering computer so that the engineering crew can spot where the problems are and troubleshoot them later"

"Roger, roger, slice through the targeting computers to obtain what we want. Just go up thirty floors if you wish and see if they left the original weapons on or not"

"I'm confident I can slice through the targeting computers of a DBY-827 or other heavy turbolasers of that era"

"We'll just meet up in the main engine room. There doesn't seem to be any fuel left by now, but computer equipment isn't power-hungry in the slightest" Charzon said.

"Doesn't mean you can't fire the weapon that you can't, say, access developer or failsafe mode inside the targeting computer. I know it may take a while to get to the main engine room from the main battery, though"

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

Location: Auril Sector
Objective: Handooine 2- Stop the criminal scum
Allies: [member="Zak Dymo"]
5/20

Kurayami had done an admirable job of not getting hit too often by the wall of blaster fire, and had even managed to disable the engines of the first ship. A few of the automated and manned turrets were damaged though not completely down. A pinprick of foresight was the only warning he got before multiple flashes of light indicated incoming fighters. He flicked his transponder on again resending his IFF ping, just in case any of the bogeys ended up being friendly craft. No return transmissions. That was not a good sign. Thankfully it was only one flight of hostiles. Still four to one odds were not his favored conditions so he would have to do what he could to push these guys into mistakes. Fatal mistakes preferably.

With that thought his mind started to formulate a plan based on the positions of the freighters. Many were moving back into a box formation to provide covering fire for one another. That meant staying on the outer edges and closer to the engine compartments, away from the dorsal and ventral surfaces, well for the most part at least. The flight of four split into two man elements. Well this just went to hell. So much for planning. One element split vertically into a pincer while the lead element turned into a horizontal pincer. There were few angles of attack that weren't being covered by these pilots but this could also work to his advantage. All he needed was a moment to think.

The move came to him in a flash and it was his best option out of those present. He kicked hard on the right rudder pedal swinging the fighter around in a clockwise direction. As he did this he pushed forward and right into a tight descending spiral. It would force an overshoot on the enemies who had gone horizontal, give him a few snapshots at the lower craft, and make the ship on his six have a bit of a time getting a good firing solution that didn't involve vaping his wingman.

It went better than expected. The three ships above him narrowly missed one another, the near collision weakening their shields slightly while the ship he was descending towards mirrored his move, a climbing ascending spiral to the left. It meant that those shots that were traded tended to be wide for both pilots but a few minor hits landed before they passed at a less than comfortable range from one another. The pilot quickly regrouped with his lead and the two of them broke off to trail Kurayami as he leveled out before pulling into an Immelman turn and pushing his throttle back to full military power. They followed blindly behind, determined to claim the kill on the last known survivor of the once infamous Aquila Squadron. To many pilots they were nothing but a myth at this point since they had all supposedly been killed in action near Corellia shortly before the destruction of the planet. It was clear by the livery of the fighter though that at least one had made it out.

This single minded focus was deadly to the wingman as Kurayami weaved past defensive emplacements near the engines. Though the blaster fire didn't kill the pilot a shot that went wide struck the engine of the pursuing fighter, sending it into a violent snap roll. The pilot attempted to correct and was nearly successful, but found that they ran out of time just short of getting the craft back under control. It took out the turret at least. This brought the element lead squarely onto Kurayami's six, in other words, not where he wanted the hostile pilot.

He rolled inverted and pulled into a split-s to put some distance between them. The other pilot quickly followed suit but found that his prey had eluded him with a quick left break. He attempted to follow the maneuver which lead Kurayami to reverse his turn, and initiate a horizontal scissors. The other flight had started a defensive CAP to keep any other SSC ships out of the engagement.

 

[Naamah Aesham]

(2)

[member="Alaki"]


Rain poured down from the sky, a hailstorm of blasterfire was unleashed upon the resistance fighters when they were suddenly assaulted by two armoured transportation speeders. Chaos broke out, the rebels tried to find cover, a rebel rocketeer vanished in a hail of crimson lasers. The situation only got worse when the speeders got backup in form of loyalist infantry.


The heavy blaster fire was insufficient to wipe out the increasingly cornered rebels, but it was more than enough to cover the advance of the government troops. It would not take much to turn the alleyways into a lethal kill zone from which there was no escape. Contrary to what certain holovids might teach you, in the face of danger fear was an entirely rational response. Nor was it cowardly. The old adage that there could be no courage without fear was a cliche, but not untrue. Moreover, without fear, you would not be able to recognise danger in the first place. Suicidal bravado served no one.


Naamah's instincts told her to make a break for it. She was not a native of this planet. As a matter of fact, she had nothing to do with the Coalition. She did not even like that strange theocratic oligarchy. It was not her war. However, though these tempting whispers tried to seize her mind like a vice, she did not take heed. She made a break for it...but advanced forward, rather than running away.


Perhaps out of a sense of justice, perhaps out of sympathy for the rebels and genuine outrage against the oppressive government. Or maybe because it was the opposite of what her former self would have done and allowed her to feel better about herself.


"You, cover me." The blaster cannons spat out crimson bolts of doom, advancing government soldiers unloaded their guns. Blaster bolts whizzed past and above her head. In such a situation, Force precog was more of a hindrance than an asset because there was simply too much information to process.


However, the Force could still enhance her speed. A wall behind here was blasted apart by a salvoe, she heard cries of pain, but kept on running. Drawing upon a fraction of the power she'd once possessed, she manipulated the wind to raise a column of dust and obscure herself. It would not last long and only offer little protection, but it was what she needed as she bolted. A grenade exploded a bit away and she hit the ground, her ears ringing due to the loud detonation. Grenades are bloody loud and she was thrown into a bit of a daze, feeling sort of deaf. Crawling towards the launcher, she grabbed it and balanced it on her shoulder. As the smoke cleared and the cannons rotated, she squeezed the trigger and a rocket erupted from the launcher, shooting towards the mechanical beasts with blast and heat.

 

[Audren Sykes]

Objective: 'Handooine Diplomacy'
Location: Handooine
Allies Involved:
Post: 2/25

Their reception was fairly standard. The two starfighters that flew escort duty weren't challenged with overt threat displays, and the landing area the three vessels were directed to was clean and set apart from much of the rest of the spaceport, though clearly still part of it. Audren got the idea that it was intentionally distinct, the better for privacy; though for who's privacy was an avenue to be explored. A small escort and some minor officials - yet not so minor as to be a snub - greeted them and escorted them to the small house set aside for them.

Once there, the security team claimed a room and made it their command post, then began sweeping the place for bugs and assassins. The three Rangers did the electronic sweeps while the Sephi swept for general danger. He didn't find any directly primed danger, but he did discover that whoever had been in the place before them was not a nice group of people. More than one of the rooms had echoes of fear and pain, though there was no blood or physical indication of what had occurred.

Not long after everyone was settled, a message was hand-delivered that the diplomats - one a Force user and the other not - were invited to a small dinner party with Nirea Trenkin, Epso Drangea's second. Informal of course, a way to get to know each other before the formal negotiations the next day. Two guards would be permitted on either side: Audren was to accompany a Ranger, and Nirea would bring her own guards. On the way there everyone tried to offer the Master advice. It was completely fair, they really all knew more than he did about the respective issues, but it was still annoying. The Ranger made suggestions on positioning and what would be best to do in theoretical situations, while the diplomats kept insisting that this wasn't an informal thing at all, this was the actual beginnings of negotiations to feel each other's positions out before the holocams started running.

Audren managed to keep his cool through it all, though by the time the ride was over he was glad to be out of the transport.

 

[Bubák]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7_VVkXARvo​

Jabiim Mission 3


They were all going to die, forgotten, abandoned.

More tears poured down the Padawan's cheeks.

Should she focus on peace, push out the negative, silence the surrounding horrors and let tranquillity reign? Perhaps channelling her frustration, pain and fear would do better in this situation. How much time did she have until the military reached their positions and sprayed them from behind with a hail of blaster fire? Staying here spelled death in an uneven fight against a dozen or so trained professionals. Crossing the main street meant outrunning two automatic blaster cannons – clearly a suicide. Caught between a rock and a hard place, the Chiss sank deeper into her thoughts, completely detached from reality now. The urgency to quickly make a decision only added to the Padawan’s inability to pick between the two aspects of the Force, two vastly different teachings. How was she supposed to know which to choose?! Hundreds of questions raced through her mind at once, driving her mad. A resigned sigh put an end to it as the Chiss gave into fear, turned into a sobbing, passive spectator who indifferently observed the fight.

The Mirialan mercenary – or so the Padawan assumed, given the Jabiim natives rarely accepted outsiders – suddenly pulled off an impressive stunt that left the fallen Jedi stare at her in awe. The speed with which she had danced across the street gave away the Mirialan’s Force sensitivity; for some reason, all the blue skinned teenager could think about was her allegiance to either Jedi or Sith. Then came the blast. Only the rocket’s deafening impact had finally pulled Alaki back into the present, forcing the girl into action. It was the sudden spark of hope ripping apart her grim thoughts, giving the girl strength to overcome the surge of panic and push it back to tolerable levels. She could do this. Anxiety continued to be a liability, yet the thrill of battle called to Alaki once more, an invitation to join the action.

A careful peek from behind the corner revealed one of the armoured vehicles to be down, fuming, its crew spitting curses as they climbed out. Unwilling to share its twin’s fate, the other transport focused its anger solely at the Mirialan, determined to keep her down at all cost.

No longer threatened from both sides, the Chiss turned to face her two comrades; shouts and orders coming from the soldiers circling the buildings grew louder, announcing their arrival. Fortunately, an idea crossed her mind, commanding her next moves with surprising certainty. Without saying a word, the young Padawan robbed one of her fellow rebels of his entire grenade pack – and armed one of the devices with a flick of the thumb. The entire package went towards the surviving transporter, right under its belly. Another deafening explosion, another destroyed vehicle. It was time to go, regroup and punch a hole through the soldiers closing in on both halves of the guerrilla group.

“Come on, go!”

It was vastly easier to block occasional shots coming from the disoriented crew rather than the now defunct heavy repeater. Utilizing her defensive abilities to the fullest, the Dark Jedi Padawan’s two blades focused on batting the shots back at the government troops, providing cover for her men as the trio crossed the street and joined the rest.

They could do this as long as they covered each other’s back.


[member="Naamah Aesham"]

 

[Naamah Aesham]

(3)
[member="Alaki"]


There was a deafening roar when the rocket impacted, tearing through it as if were paper. Smoke rose into the air, the armoured transport was fuming. A salvoe of curses and expletives emanated from the surviving crew when they climbed out of the thoroughly wrecked craft. One speeder was still in the game and its crewers turned the blaster cannon towards the Mirialan, unleashing a hailstorm of fire upon her. Naamah seemed to vanish in a cloud of crimson when the cannons roared. Heartbeat racing, adrenaline going into overdrive, she sought cover in the rubble. The noise generated by the cannon was loud enough to almost deafen her. A soldier got lucky when he fired his blaster rifle and so a red bolt grazed her side torso. Her armour was intact and absorbed it, but beneath it her skin still felt a burn.


Then there was a loud explosion and silence reigned, broken only by cries of pain from wounded loyalist soldiers. The second speeder was now a smouldering wreck. Naamah breathed a sigh of relief. It was only now that the faux Mirialan sensed the presence of another Force-sensitive in the group. Then she beheld the Chiss' spirited charge. Twin lightsabres weaved a pattern of dazzling light through the air, batting away blaster shots that came at her. The government soldiers were put on the defensive, the trio of rebels used the chance to cross the streets.


Peeking out of cover, Naamah brought forth her bolter and fired. The Mark One Boltgun essentially amounted to a semiautomatic grenade launcher/slugthrower cross. As she took aim, she could see fracture lines forming across her field of vision. They bore a strong resemblance to fault lines. It was as if a power was guiding her aim, steadying her grip and directing her shots. The Force was not lost to her, she could grasp it.


The idea filled her with more than a little trepidation. There was a time when she'd been powerful. By no means a Master of the Force, but still strong. That Naamah had done terrible things. You see, babe, we could still be great. You just need to want it. You remember the power to decide who lives and who dies, She shut the treacherous inner voice out and fired. Every armour-shredding round met its mark, shredding armour flesh.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

[member="Krass Wyms"]

Sorel had been encouraged by her Master's infectious enthusiasm with technology to spend more time focusing on such things - to supplement her knowledge of droids and ships and her interest in crystals.

So she'd been made aware of a Padawan who worked in the Coalition's Tech Division and made arrangements to meet her. And rather than in a lab, Sorel agreed to meet in the field so to speak. Jabiim to be precise.

It was a very wet world, and seemed to have more than its fair share of mud. But apparently it was rich in ores. So Sorel waited in the spaceport, glad to be under cover...and waited.

 

[Krass Wyms]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]
7/25

Meeting a master was something she had been wanting to do.. getting one after Ryn had disappeared after expressing interest in her was also a big thing as Krass stretched out in the ship and held the heavier armor. She might not be the best but she had some talent where it counted bringing her pieces of tech and scanners around. The microsensory gloves they had made for healers could also be turned to help out sentinels with some adjustments they were working on when she went out of the ship. Standing there at the ready for anything with a small look on her face to go and find this Sorel. Red streaks in her black hair and short stature mixed with a thick and broad shoulder look that left her ready for anything. She started walking to go and meet the woman leaving the helmet clipped to her belt and her channeling gloves at the ready when she was working the scanners. "Master Crieff?"

 

[Bubák]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxI8uCEdPB8​

Jabiim Mission 3


The intermixing flash of blue and orange fell upon another sentient and severed his existence from the world of the living. Heavy panting rhythmically left the Dark Jedi’s mouth and signed the approaching dangers of exhaustion, stopped by the primitive instinct to survive that continued to drive her forward. The loyalist ranks have thinned substantially under the rebel onslaught, now reduced to mere four soldiers. Their cries for surrender and raised hands have been answered by a volley of blaster bolts, putting an end mark to this confrontation. A sigh of relief found its way past Alaki’s lips, yet her hands continued to the now extinguished lightsabers. Just in case. Both melancholy and weariness seeped into her gaze when she glanced around, wide eyed, not entirely sure why, and eventually settled her red sight upon the other Force user.

Only one casualty on the rebel side. Success for the group as a whole, tragedy on individual levels. The same could not be said about the military – the survival rate, that is. Silence has fallen over the scene, disturbed only by the calm drumming of the rain. It was a dreary, sad image to behold, perfectly showing the cruelty of war - and one so terrifyingly easy to get accustomed to. The prospect of such scared Alaki. Complete numbness to war's horrors couldn't have been a good thing, yet everyone around her seemed to have achieved just that.

They’d need to keep moving least they risked overstaying their welcome and pushing luck to its limits.

While the rebels scavenged the fallen troopers for ammo and other essential supplies, Alaki’s pace brought her over to the Mirialan, finally granted a moment of calm to ease the questions nagging at her mind. Cold and soaking wet, the Chiss looked even less like a Jedi than before. An overly deep, respectful bow followed. Awkward silence followed. All fear was gone for now, replaced by adrenaline continuing its rush through their veins, yet she still didn’t know how to form the words anyway.

“Your abilities mark you as a Force sensitive, brave warrior.”

Another bow, dodged eye contact. Too many memories about Sith taking it as an indirect challenge to combat.

“Do you also work with the Silver Sanctum?”

[member="Naamah Aesham"]