Giving the Givin [CIS Dominion of Yag'Dhul]

[Eternal Might]

​

[SIZE=11pt]Pride corrupted.[/SIZE]

​

[SIZE=11pt]The fiery hellhole known as [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Yag’dhul[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] had become a world that overflowed with pride: it’s claim to fame the race of geniuses known as the Givin. And the Givin had become displeased with simpletons and morons, the scum that had filled the Galaxy and brought it into ruin. And as the Confederacy encroached closer to their haven of intellect, free from the wider populace, they had become violent. That crushing intellect had been turned to war, to turn Yag’dhul into a impenetrable fortress that the Confederacy would break upon for generations.[/SIZE]

​

[SIZE=11pt]The preparations would be made.[/SIZE]

​

[SIZE=11pt]Orbital stations were placed above the burning rock, undergoing mathematically perfect orbit to leave themselves defended at all times. Below, massive durasteel walls were raised, prepared funnel enemy forces into brutal kill-zones of turrets and their own battle droids, quad-guns watched the skies, shields were erected, and the haven for knowledge and philosophy had been turned into a crushing fortress of dark metal and bubbling lava.[/SIZE]

​

[SIZE=11pt]The Givin were ready.[/SIZE]

​

[SIZE=11pt]And just as those brilliant minds had calculated, finally the Confederacy had arrived above their world: the armies of brainless droids lead by even more brainless morons, disgusting creatures. They would not be tolerated. Waiting for the fleet to arrive in orbit, the chaos started as the once peaceful rock of Yag’dhul showed the monster it had become. With bellowing cannon fire, and flashes of green light Planetary Turbolasers had begun an assault that seemed vicious and all but constant: once more genius had been turned to war. The orbital defenses bucked out vicious amounts of firepower into the Confederate fleet, and a mighty battle in space had begun.[/SIZE]

​

[SIZE=11pt]Landing craft had been deployed, a tumultuous and rumbling trip down to the planet itself: entire landing craft exploding into fiery wrecks and raining debris down onto the planet below. The Givin had been thoroughly prepared for this so called “invasion”. On the hellhole of Yag’dhul, complacency would be rewarded with death.[/SIZE]

​

Objectives:​

​

[SIZE=11pt]-The Givin harass the Confederacy’s fleet with orbiting space stations and surface-to-space cannons, the elimination or capture of these stations is vital. Take whatever Naval assets survived the initial assault and eliminate these stations by whatever means are necessary. Make attempts to provide support for the ground forces whenever able.[/SIZE]

​

[SIZE=11pt]-Eliminate the Surface-to-Space guns pounding the fleet in orbit, and any turbolaser cannons preventing a mass arrival of Confederate reinforcements. At the center of the fortress is the Givin’s main command center, brace the killing field and try to eliminate the heart of the threat.[/SIZE]

Spoiler

[member="A'Runda"]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Adelle Bastiel"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Akabane"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Alden Akaran"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Alkor Centaris"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Alora Fae"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Alwine Lechner"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Amarant deWinter"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]@Amaya Cardei[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Amelia von Sorenn"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Amethyst Atreides"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Amethyst Sovereign"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Anya Malvern"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Arabella Darkhold"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Ari Zanareth"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Arlox"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Aston Jacobs"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Aya Clarke"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Azmodan"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Bandit Six"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Caesar Kenway"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Callisa Asran"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Carith Thelcar"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Cerria Rene"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Chikako Liona"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Cim Salro"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Corvus Dravere"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Daisy Americus"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Damsy Callat"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Danger Arceneau"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Daniel Americus"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Dalton Kenway"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Darth Tacitus"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Darth Timorem"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Darth Novus"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Daxton Bane"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Destroyer 2873"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Dhakarta"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Drauchir"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Ecthelion Aiglos"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Efried Halbrecht"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Ella Nova"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Erin Tenel"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Evie Miramat"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Fawn Alzi"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Gerwald Lechner"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Gray Venasir"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Hajrah Marjanah"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Havoc (CT-375)"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Holt"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Ingrid L'lerim"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Isarn Apis"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Ithiel Vi'Dreya"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Jayce Pryde"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Jennifer Blanchard"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Jorco Czeku"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Jorge"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Josh Dragonsflame"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Jyoti Nooran"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]@Kalee Bladesworn[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Kaptan Americus"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Karlie Lynn Destat"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Kaross"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Kasca Fen"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Kathryn Foster"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Katrine Van-Derveld"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Kayla Wylen"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Keva"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Kiff Brayde"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Kingsley"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Kip Ridel"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Krest"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Krystal Estain"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Kurayami Bloodborn"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Kurenai Yumi"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Kwelin Orlov"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Kyber"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Kyrinov"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Lefwen Claskier"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Lemongrass"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Lirka Ka"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Luna Terrik"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Luna Vega"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Lyla Quinn"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Mallory Bash"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Maple Harte"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Marek Starchaser"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Maur"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Mauer"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Minerva Vessia"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Muad Dib"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Nine Lives"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Oax Ordo"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Orion Trex"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Osintrium"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Petra Cavataio"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Pom Stych Tivé"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Qaarssk Roark"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Razelle Breuner"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Riley Reese"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Roy Americus"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Rylan Kordel"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Samantha Jade"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Scherezade deWinter"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Shalita Vi'dreya"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Sola Marr"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Sor-Jan Xantha"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Srina Talon"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Talon Rahl"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Taramaz Laurs"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Tex Americus"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Teyla Ee'everwest"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Thalira Kiing"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Tmoxin Temi"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Traveler"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Treiades Rhoujen"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Valencia Hadley"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Vanric Dannon"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Varick Lechner"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Veronika Fleischer"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="VildarnTentoria"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Voph"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Vyra Silara"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Zhai'ellev"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt][member="Zorok Rane"][/SIZE]

 

[Keira Cerdulan]

Objective: Blow up the spinning things
Location: Yag'dhul orbit
Tags: None currently

[SIZE=11pt]Wasn’t much of an unfamiliar scene, Keira lived for this kind of chaos, the unbeatable odds, and the looming prospect of a fiery death. Of course, there was the minor changes: lot less actual people around, too many droids, lot less Pilots, and for once [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]no TIEs[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Though as the ship shook violently, a small bit of debris crumbling from above. Keira quickly realized that maybe not having any TIEs around might not be the boon it would’ve been in any other situation.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]So in that ever familiar situation, Keira bumbled through the halls in the new flight-suit. Definitely not as nice as the old one, but at least it wasn’t black. Black was such a boring color. Clicking the new helmet into place, a hiss of compressing air following before the lithe pilot rather carelessly leapt into her new ship. It wasn’t quite her old beauty, which she presumed was lost on Rhen Var, but it’d do. For now. And by for now, she meant this singular operation till she complained enough for something shinier. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Gloved hands worked in a near blinding flurry, flicking switches and dialating sensors, it was the same old routine she had done dozens of time before back when she had worked for the Imps. Moving against what could be considered standard take off practice, Keira wasted no time recklessly zooming out of the hangar; a swarm of various droid fighters following behind the Ace. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]“Fighters, form up on me!”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Force of habit. The response she got on comms was...rather weak. To say the least. Was a stark jump from the overflowing adrenaline of organic pilots to the dullness of droid fighters. Regardless of such a disappointing fact, fleet comms still were given the “joyous” gift of listening to a woman who very likely shouldn’t legally be allowed to fly military hardware hoot and holler, her fighter zooming out to face the rotating stations above the fiery rock they called Yag’dhul.[/SIZE]

 

[Kyyrk]

Objective: Take down the Stations
Location: Yag'Dhul Orbit
Tags: [member="Keira Cerdulan"]

Voph sat back in his captain's chair, air hissing through the combat rebreather. The Givin had stepped up swinging. Minor damage across the Vylmiran Navy, but still not a force to be trifled with. From his position aboard the mighty warship Resolve, Voph was preparing to launch the greatest military offensive since...Bothawui, he figured. But this time he was much better prepared. The Resolve had its shield active in full effect. They were safe for now. As fighters began to launch, Voph took a breath, then stood, barking out orders.

"Archwings, move into position above the Resolve, use it as cover from the bombardment below. Carriers, maintain position within the bubble. Focus fire on the closest station, bring it down before focusing fire on the next. Fighters, if it flies it dies. Reaper Squadron, your task is to rid the bubble of anything that isn't flying Confederate IFFs." Voph turned to his communications officer. "Hail the surviving ships, tell them to move within the Resolve's Shield. Until Atmo-Ops gets those guns offline, this one's going to be fighter based."

As luck would have it, a squadron of Octarch fighters was hot on the tail of [member="Keira Cerdulan"] and her reckless flying. They were no Reaper Squadron, but Obsidian Wing had certainly been making a name for themselves. "We're with you, boss. Let's get em boys!" And as the squadron breached the shield wall, hell began to rain down upon the stations as the Vylmiran fighters shot through the defenses, a large contengent streaking towards the planet surface to lend aid to the allies far below....

 

[Darth Metus]

Location: Yag'Dhul, Surface​

Tag: [member=Áine] | @SDS​

Without Provocation.

When the Viper laid his head to rest the evening prior, he had no expectations of shedding blood. By all accounts, the mission to Yag'Dhul was poised to be routine. Diplomats would be dispatched to the planet's surface to offer kinship to the natives below. Their fleet would act as a sign of peace and prosperity, for there were many civilian craft coming along with assets poised to "sweeten the deal" if necessary. Wherever there was a lack, the southern systems were prepared to provide. However. What they had not anticipated was the paranoia of the native species. For, as the congregation of vessels dipped forth from hyperspace, it was not benevolence which met them.

But Ire.

The explosions rocked Hisashi out of his slumber. His eyes snapped open, revealing sparks flying all about his quarters. The Obsidian corvette that he had been stationed aboard for the expedition had come under the fire of surface-to-air weaponry - at least, those were the cries he could hear from just beyond his door. He wasted not a moment in preparing himself for that which must be done. The natives below wished to take up the sword against them? Fine. He would see to it that their descendants trembled at the thought of the consequences they suffered in response. It took only mere moments for the Viper to garb himself appropriately for the strife that laid in store. His robes were tugged on with haste before he bounded out of the door and into the hall.

Here, the situation was lost. The call was made to abandon ship as a fresh explosion rocked the corvette's hull. Those who were yet alive packed themselves into the few escape pods that were undamaged and immediately hurtled towards the planet's surface. Hisashi barely had time to strap himself in before his own pod rocketed through the black. The cadre of fleeing Knights Obsidian did not make it through the gauntlet unscathed. Over half of the pods met a premature end as they descended towards the planet's surface. Not a single pod emerged unscathed as weapons fire rocketed off of their frames. Each landing was harder than the next, with fatalities from being hurled around inside the metal tubes being a harsh reality.

When Hisashi's pod finally came to rest upon the arid ground, a ragged cough escaped his lips. Fortune had it that he made it out in one piece - though he certainly couldn't say the same for many of his comrades. Focus steeled his expression as he reached a bandaged hand up towards the release lever. With but one pull, the door exploded upward - revealing their eyes to the heavens above. The clouds themselves were stained black and lit by a dizzying display of colors: blaster and laser cannons hurtling against one another in mortal combat. Hisashi's eyes narrowed as he tracked some of the largest blasts down to their source: a central complex adorned with monumental cannons.

Despite the aches of his body, the Viper pulled himself up and out of the escape pod. He paused momentarily, tapping the com within his ear to broadcast his voice to any allies who had made it to the ground alive. "This is Knight Shinja of the Executors, I've made it to the planet's surface. Casualties high. There's a complex here littered with SAMs. If you're alive - this is priority one."

"Seven Deadly Sins, to me."​

 

[Daisy Americus]

​

Objective: "Sneak" Past Defenses while Yag'dhul are distracted by the Resolve​

Tag: [member="Kaden Farr"] | [member="Hisashi"] + Open​

​

What an awful world.

From space, honestly, it looked like a really ugly marble. Like the one she might have thrown away to make more space for something a little less Y-U-C-K and a little more appealing toward the collection of a bored, house-bound, Mandalorian. When things got bad back on Concord Dawn…That was the final straw. When she couldn’t go outside anymore. If her curse activated in public and she threw some handsy boy through the roof without touching him?

It was a death sentence.

Daisy looked out from the viewport of her Gunship and observed the Orbital Stations that blocked their way. There were protective walls made of durasteel, turrets, and goodness knew what else waiting to rip anything apart that came too close. Daisy squinted. Were those flashing green lights planetary turbolaser defenses? What the heck were these Yag’dhul trying to prove? “…For a bunch of geniuses these guys are about as dumb as a bag full of back water swamp rats. We came here to be nice. Ah guess, now that they’re trying to wipe us out, we gotta be mean.”

On most missions she flew alone, aside, from a few close friends. For this excursion she had a tag-a-long in the form of [member="Kaden Farr"]. A decent portion of Confederate forces had already pushed ahead and were trying to punch a hole in the very few weaknesses the Given had. They had been following one of the Viceroy, [member="Voph"], who controlled a massive warship called the Resolve. Its shields were useful, but when it came to figuring out how to tactically press forward, aside from sensors and projections, it made a better door than a window.

“We should swing out in a wide arc ah reckon. The Resolve and the pilots [[member="Keira Cerdulan"]] bearing down on them will be overwhelming. We can sneak in the back door with a few more landing craft so we don’t wind up a big ball of flame. What do you think?”, Daisy spoke, her voice clear, as her helmet was sitting on the edge of the control panel. She didn’t dare take her eyes off the scent that was unfolding. The truth of this fight was something she didn’t quite understand.

Who fired first?​

She didn’t know. All she did know, was that this world, was hell bent on turning them into space trash. There were already some of their people on the ground if the reports from the comms were to be believed but so many of their forces had exploded in a hail of light. At least one of the Knight Obsidian pods had made it through the chaos. Daisy’s lips thinned while she pulled on the controls of the Cannok-Type Gunship and began to break away. “Stay strong Knight Shinja. Help is on the way.”

Daisy glanced over her shoulder to look up at Kaden. They didn’t have much of a choice. Casualties were already high, moreover, they couldn’t afford to lose. Being beaten by the Given? A bunch of cave-dwelling big-brained crazies? That couldn’t happen. Once upon a time, unless her history was wrong, the Yag’Dhul had worked with the Confederacy. What had changed?

“Ah’ve read that their government is split. Maybe, this attack isn’t all of them?”

Or maybe they’d been huffing glue. Daisy couldn’t say for sure. Either way—Kaden would soon have to make his way down to the gunner seat below the cockpit. If they got caught trying to take advantage of the blind, brazen, disorder of war they’d definitely need someone there that had a keen shot.

“Cross your fingers and toes. This is gunna be wild…”

 

[Áine]

​

Location: Yag'Dhul - Surface | Objective: Raid the Complex | [member=Hisashi] ​

​

'Seven Deadly Sins, to me.'​

​

The crackling sound of a voice all too familiar came pouring through the damaged comm systems. Slowly but surely the broken baritone roused the only soul left alive on the crashed escape pod. When she dared to open her eyes some, there was nothing but jet black smoke. Smoke that came at her in tendrils. Smoke that danced its way into her lungs in complicated patterns that shifted with every flare of heat. Smoke that was going to kill. Áine stirred, her half woken mind imploring her to drink in fresh air, but when she heeded its cry there was nothing but smoke. Smoke and heat and flame. Fire. Emerald eyes snapped to life, suddenly filled with a fear that she allowed to rule over her for the briefest of moments. Just as quickly as the fear had settled, it was replaced by a rush of adrenaline. The only thing on her mind was survival, the only notion that dragged her kicking and screaming from the smokey haze was the desire to live. Porcelain fingers fumbled to release the catch on the straps that held her firmly in place.

Though only seconds had gone by, it felt like an age. The metal was already heating up from the steadily growing fire, and though she was loathed to do so she was forced to release it for brief moments to allow her fingers to cool. Sheer relief came over her as her efforts were finally rewarded and the scalding hot buckle gave way. Áine slipped from her seat, only vaguely aware that the floor of the pod shouldn't have been that far down. Landing shoulder first on what she assumed to be the floor, and after a few moments to shake away the blinding pain it caused, she did her best to at least partially clear the smoke from her view. A cry of dismay sounded out over the crackling flames. Just beneath her, growing ever clearer as she beat back the thick grey fog, letters painted in bold crimson sealed her fate.

ESCAPE HATCH​

​

The violent and sudden entrance to the planet surface had seen their pod thrown off course, and Áine was currently lying on top of the only way out. Blind panic was the only thing she could manage to convince herself to feel, even as the heat of the fire licked out at her alabaster skin. With little time to think, and even less time to care whether or not her actions would cause her further damage, she commanded her dark powers to bubble up in the tightly packed escape pod. It found a home wherever the smoke hadn't, filling every nook and cranny till the atmosphere was so thick it rivalled the fog that clouded her vision. In one swift motion, after mumbling a remorseless apology to the three who hadn't been fortunate enough to make it out alive, Áine released it all. An explosion to rival those which had seen them attempt to escape in the first place sounded out across the arid landscape. Instead of columns of flame that one would expect from an ordinary explosion, a deadly sphere of shrapnel and debris cut through the air with a force so violent it spread several meters across.

When it finally cleared, and the torrents of thick smoke had made their break for freedom, all that remained was Áine and the escape hatch she landed on. Just as the porcelain woman was, the earth around her was charred black with soot and ash. For a moment, all seemed still. The figure reclining on the still steaming metal door made no movements, not even a sign of life. Timed perfectly to the earth quaking rumble of canon fire, Áine sat up suddenly. Gulping in fresh lungfuls of air was the only thing her body could manage, save for the occasional effort it made to cough. After a moment or two to steady her shuddering rib cage, her shaky vision finally gave in to her pleas to look around. The sky above was tainted black as night, bright fireworks of vivid colour breaking through the sheet of midnight cloud. All around the air felt electric with heavy gun fire, the sound of screams, and the smell of death. Across the empty arid battlefield, just on the horizon, her eyes came to rest on the blurred outlines of a building that seemed to come to life in flashes of orange, yellow and red each time the sound of artillery ripped through the air.

Muscles shaking with the rush of surviving, and the sheer terror of a close call with death, Áine convinced herself to stand up. Lucky enough to have landed a little way out from the heart of the battle, Áine took the chance to make sure she was at least capable of walking. To her delight her legs moved just as she told them too. Save for the dislocated shoulder and the painful tug of every body part she could list, she was mostly uninjured. The first thing on her mind was finding Hisashi, the voice who had seen her rouse from the eternal sleep the smoke would have inevitably put her in. Reaching out, she found a familiar flicker of life a mile or two ahead, in the same direction the shadow of the structure had been. Maybe it was a silly thing to do, but she couldn't afford to lose time walking, so she opted for running. Lighter than air, and quicker than the wind itself, the force wrapped around her muscles and urged the aching flesh on. Though everything about her screamed in protest at the way the pressure crushed against them, she persisted on.

She only allowed her slender frame to release control of the force when she could hear the rapid rate his heart pumped against his chest. Even then she didn't physically stop running until the back of Hisashi was no longer an indiscriminate blob. As she approached she knew the moment he saw her pale skin almost entirely covered in the jet black soot she would see concern written all over his face. Before he even had a chance to ask she flicked her hand up in the air to stop him. 'I'm fine.' Áine dragged the edge of her sleeve over her forehead, smudging the charcoal coloured dust across the streaks of crimson hair that remained. 'A few burns and scrapes, and no shortage of a bruised ego, but fine.' Despite how out of breath she sounded, even through the tremble adrenaline added to it, her tone seemed as melodic as ever. There would be no mention of the shoulder, she could manage just fine without it. Her talents lay outside the field of swords and guns, beyond the realm of silent knifes and quick punches. Áine only needed one arm to fight.

When she exhaled her last steadying breath she laid her gaze on the complex, then on the surrounding area, and finally on Hisashi. Some form of relief managed to find a home on her face when Áine discovered he didn't look too badly bruised, but it was quickly over taken by concern as she realised they were on their own. They were missing five others. There was no indication that Hisashi knew where they were either, but she asked anyway. 'Where is everyone else?'

 

[Zef Halo]

​

OBJECTIVE: Infiltrate and acquire data on a prototype Givin astrogation technology.
LOCATION: GIVIN DREDNOUGHT CALCULUS PRIME
TAGS: [member="Keira Cerdulan"] / [member="Voph"]

OPERATION STARHUNT​

​

Once again into the fire.

Lieutenant Commander Julius Rhein of the Humbarine Naval Intelligence had been dispatched to infiltrate the massive Calculus Prime of the Givin where preliminary intel believed was the location of a secret Givin research on advanced astrogation technology. For what it's worth - it was believed the technology could provide a valuable asset for the Humbarine Admiralty's efforts in the War of Reclamation.

For the last year the Givin were heavily sharpening their military capabilities and vastly increasing their combat readiness for preparation of meeting the inevitable fist of the Confederacy. War was expected, that was for sure, but what Julius didn't expect was that it would be the same day of his infiltration.

The mission itself was complicated enough before the CIS showed up kncoking on Yag'dhul with all guns blazing turning the situation from tricky to a complete wild card.

Massive fleets met in a storm of fire and the corridors through which Julius made his way towards the core of the drednought shook constantly from each strike the enormous vessel received. Lights flickered and sparks flew constantly as he hurried to get to where the research data was located and get out asap.

"Lieutenant Commander, zone is too hot to remain. I have to disembark." Turin said through the comms. The pilot of the shuttle had done a miracle to use the ensuing chaos to land the team of three including LT Commander Rhein on the Calculus Prime through a small cargo space dock with low activity.

"Go ahead. We'll grab what we have to and find our own way out." Julius replied

"The Confederates have brought the Resolve to the battlefield, LT Commander. You'd better hurry. Turin out."

"The Resolve?" Rixar raised an eyebrow beneath his helmet.

"Titan of a ship. Turin's right, we really have to hurry up." Lena, the other black ops operative, answered.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall, ey?"

"I'd hope not. We're on a big ship as well."

"Alright, cut the chatter, you two." Julius cut in as he activated his holodriver to bypass the locks of the door before them.

::: Detecting increased energy output ahead of you, LT Commander. ::: The AI Juno's voice came through the comms. ::: The blueprints suggest this may be a a reserve reactor compartment currently active. I can ascertain what it powers quicker if you insert me into their net frame through the reactor's terminal console. :::

"Affirmative, Juno. You think it's being used to power up whatever astrogation tech the Givin are potentially building?"

::: It is highly likely, LT Commander but I cannot yet confirm. :::

"Alright. Rix - on my left. Lena - right. Let's go."

 

[Kaden Farr]

​

Objective: Whatever Daisy tells me to do...​

Tag: [member="Daisy Americus"] | [member="Áine"] | [member="Hisashi"]​

---

---

​

---

​

Nothing would ever be as ugly to Kaden as the Netherworld, but this planet came awfully close. It reminded him of all the things he wished to forget, and yet he was on a gunship headed directly for it. Kaden had no reason for why he agreed to join the mission other than he was always looking for things to do, and Daisy was the one who asked him to tag along. There were two things Kaden had found he could not say no to, a good fight, and Daisy Americus. He did his best to make sure that he did not look like he was stalking her considering the fact he haunted her for a few months, but this time she had been the one to make the invitation. Accepting it seemed the proper thing to do. Besides, if Daisy was going into a fight, he wanted to be there to make sure her cute shebs came back in one piece.

He shrugged at the observation about the people they were about to fight. Kaden was not up to speed on the politics of the Confederacy. In fact, after his experiences among the Mandalorian Empire, Kaden wanted nothing to do with any kind of politics. Until Selen returned to find him, Kaden just pointed his gun where he was told to shoot it.

"Use the massive fight there as your way in, yeah," Kaden nodded when asked about strategy. "And hope they are so focused on that they don't pick us up."

It was a risky to get to the surface no matter what they tried, but Daisy's idea was the best way. Kaden knew it meant leaving the brunt of the space battle, but their gunship was going to make the difference for some of the fighters on the ground, and the members of the Confederacy force which found their escape posd careening into the surface below. Daisy sent a message to one of the Knights, a group Kaden did not completely understand. They actually embraced the force, something Kaden should have done with the raw power that came from his second stent in the Netherworld. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he realized where all of this was going. Why they were in a pseudo war with these people was unclear, but they were now.

"What and why don't matter to us. All that matters is that if we don't take out some of those defenses and help out the forces on the ground, this is going to be a one sided fight pretty fast."

Kaden ensured his restraints were secure when he was warned the maneuver was going to be wild. As the ship banked and took a wide arch his palms gripped the arms of the seat he was in. He hated flying sometimes, he hated space most days. At least her idea worked, sort of. Looking out the view port, Kaden noticed they had been followed, and not all of the ships following them were friendly. Kaden released his restraints and gave Daisy a quick pat the shoulder of her armor.

"Down to the gun chair I suppose," he said with a lopsided grin before rushing for the ladder and sliding down to the turret below.

 

[Bron Vaashe]

​

Tag: [member="Áine"] | [member="Hisashi"]​

​

​

There was a loud bang that shook Orrin awake. His left ear was ringing which left him a bit disoriented. A few seconds was all it took to resolve, despite the fact it felt as though it took longer. Alarms blared indicting the ship had been hit, and the smell of smoke filled his nostrils. Everything in the moment was taken in at once almost causing a sensory overload and confusion on the part of the blind warrior. His method of seeing was not the same as others, and with with the help of the force he was still required to focus if he wished to determine his surroundings. It was always difficult when trying to take up.

It seemed as though time was not on his side. Since they had been headed to a mission, Orrin had opted to sleep in his armor, needing only to grab his helmet as he tried to find an escape pod. With his sense he tried to reach out to the others, but his senses were being pulled in so many directions that he could not focus long enough to know where they were, or if they were safe. Orrin felt completely useless and knew the longer this continued there would be only one instinct that would kick in.

Survival.

Every single person on the ship was conditioned to survive which meant Orrin had to ensure he did. His sin was that of gluttony, and it was indeed the one quality which defined his career. There was always one more to kill, another battle to fight, and death would not rob him of what still had to be done. He would never be satisfied, and never be finished. Even now as his mind was focused on getting to the ground and regrouping with his team, it was only because his team made him better. They gave him more opportunities to satiate his never ending hunger to eliminate the worst of the worst the galaxy had to offer. Orrin was an elite killer the galaxy needed, so today, he could not die.

He fell into the escape pod and hit the release. The doors closed with a hiss, and the grinding and whirring of the hidden gears told him he was about to drop before the outer hatch sounded its opening. Everything suddenly went quiet.

One second.

Two.

Three.

A loud hiss followed by a massive thrust which Orrin felt in his gut saw the escape launched toward the planet surface below. The vacuum of space rendered all sound incomplete. Orrin heard nothing, he felt nothing, which meant he saw nothing. His world was black for the first time in a long time. Under his breath he began to mutter words simply to see the sound of those small whispers create enough noise that he could "see" the pod. There was a lever above his head to release the emergency hatch if he needed. It was set aside into his memory. His body darted forward the second the pod hit the atmosphere. Orrin's helmet came into contact with the steel plate, and once again the world went black.

"Seven Deadly Sins, to me."​

​

The voice over the comms was the first thing Orrin heard as he stirred. He attempted to stand, but remembered he was in an escape pod. Reaching for the lever, Orrin popped the escape hatch and pulled himself from the smoke and dirty rubble which had been filling his lungs. Thrown into a coughing fit, he knew he had to keep moving to survive, but at least he knew Hisashi had made it to the surface alive. If he had, then perhaps others did as well. The sounds of the battle loomed above his head, telling Orrin he needed to run, but once again there was so many things hitting his senses at once he had a hard time making any sense of where he was. Orrin needed help.

"Ping your location for me," he managed to call out over the comms to Hisashi and whoever else may be listening. "It is Orrin... I do not know where I landed and there is too much happening. I need something to focus on to find you."

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Wearing: Armor | Pathfinder Boots | The Forgemaster's Ring | Ring of Stasis | Sofitor
Wielding: 10 Czerka knives | 2 Nastirci Combat Knives | Copero's Wail | Fire and Smoke (lightsabers) | Combat Gauntlets | Knight Obsidian Sword | 2 Dissuader K-30 Pistols with Glitter Bullets
Direct Tags: [member="Darth Elyria"]
Others on the Same Objective: [member="Daisy Americus"] [member="Kaden Farr"] [member="Hisashi"] [member="Áine"] [member="Orrin Teslit"]

She'd been among the first to touch the ground. Comms connected to both the Ministry of Secrets and the Knights Obsidian, she'd been jumping among different points and sending out information to where it had to be. And yet despite her good work and the work of those around her, they had been taken by surprise. When things began exploding – few of them were ready. Fewer of them, had survived. She only knew of this because she could smell them; smell the no longer beating hearts, the blood that had ceased to flow. She was surrounded by the dead.

And she was alone.

Scherezade blinked, but not even the glow of her eyes could give enough illumination. She knew she was under ground; had somehow fallen down through one of the holes caused by the explosion. Debris and building bits had covered the opening through which she'd been tossed, and she could not see the sky. But there was air. Moving air. She was lost, but not entirely so.

"Give me a sound and give me the night, let me see it all tonight," she whispered, and waited for the ding to sound in her head before her surroundings took on the shades of pink and purples hues, allowing her to see in the darkness. It was probably the only useful thing she had gotten from the time spent with the Mandragora. All the other spells had proven to be useless to her once her training with the Force advanced, but his… This specific one, was worth more than her weight in gold, and she was thicc enough to weigh a bunch.

All three comlinks she'd been carrying had broken during the fall, rendering her tech-less on that front. The Sithling closed her eyes, reaching out with the Force. At least it wasn't like on the lava planet, where even that had been denied to those underground.

Scherezade cursed. She knew she was reaching out sufficiently with her Force Presence – but she couldn't reach anyone. They were too far away. Did that mean that down here, among the bodies, she was the sole survivor? How long has she been here, anyway? Had she lost consciousness after the fall without realizing it?

Grumping, Scherezade looked to her left and to her right. One thing was for sure; she wasn't about to sit on her tush and wait to be rescued. That was not the kind of 'gal she was. Picking what she believed to be the tunnel that headed North, Scherezade began to walk, noting to herself to take a few lessons on tech building in dire situations so that when something like this happened yet again, because it always happened, why did it keep happening?!, she would be able to repair her own damn equipment and things would be ever so slightly less complicated.

 

[Zef Halo]

OBJECTIVE: Infiltrate and acquire data on a prototype Givin astrogation technology.
LOCATION: GIVIN DREDNOUGHT CALCULUS PRIME
TAGS: [member="Keira Cerdulan"] / [member="Voph"]

OPERATION STARHUNT​

​

"Contact!"

The trio of Humbarine Naval Intelligence operatives let loose a salvo of fire upon the surprised hollow-eyed aliens. Returning fire came from a few who were fast enough to get to cover before Rix ceased it after flanking them successfully.

"Some of them were unarmed. Technicians, by the looks of it." Lena said inspecting one of the dead Givin.

"This is war, Lena. You know that very well." Julius replied sharply.

"Yes, sir. It's just... it doesn't suit well with me. With us. As proud Humbariners."

"We can't execute all warfare protocols perfectly in our situation, Lena. Had it not been us, it would've been the Confederates."

"Goin' soft with age, ey, Lina?" Rix chuckled from underneath his helmet.

"Shut up, Rixar."

As the two continued bickering over rights and wrongs, Julius approached the terminal of the active reactor. The holodriver materialized around his right arm as he worked on it.

::: I am in, Lieutenant Commander. ::: Juno stated. ::: Detecting an exceptionally complicated grid befitting the Givin's intelligence. This will take some time. :::

"Make. Pace. Juno."

::: Yes, sir. Warning: Observing activity heading your way. It seems we have tripped an alarm while puncturing into their system. I will make sure to stop it but I cannot do anything for the already dispatched security personnel. :::

"Roger that. We'll take care of them, just hurry up."

::: Yes, sir. :::

Just as the three found makeshift cover, the doors from the other side slid open and a dozen or so Givin soldiers moved in all guns blazing. Lights flickered more often as Juno made her way through the Calculus Prime's net framework. The hammering of CIS forces from outside and now the internal problems the drednought faced, Julius knew its' time was growing shorter by the minute and they really needed to pick up the pace.

 

[Darth Elyria]

Location: Yag'Dhul - Planetside​

Objective: Take Care of Her Children​

Tag: [member="Scherezade deWinter"]​

​

__________________________________________​

This world was a teeming cesspool. Full of a pseudo-intelligent governing class and writhing worms they called peasants. She had arrived with the mechanical nation that belonged to [member="Darth Metus"]. A private ship, stealth, and full of all the little pleasures she enjoyed. It was barely a blip on the Givin radar. Not when they had the perceived might of the Droid Capital to deal with. She had seen many things since arriving to Yag’ghul space. Dogfights, turbolaser fire, and sheer idiocy left the taste of offal in her mouth. The stupidity in this populace was a bleating, festering wound, where a Confederacy sought to save what was already rotted through.

Darth Metus was to be her unwitting servant and guide in this timeline. Was this how he wasted his time? Was this how he planned to take the galaxy? World by pitiful world? The Dark Mother did not understand. Why not simply blow it away?

They had the ships, the weapons, and the ruthlessness. Why not burn it all down?

At any rate—Elyria could not bring herself to care if she dared to. She was here for a purpose. Following one of her children had become commonplace. Her son was here. The dark-haired female could feel him in the ether like a thread that could be pulled. [member="Kaden Farr"] was a loyal part of her ever-growing brood, but lately, she could feel a change in him. No longer was he quite so hard hearted and besot with a need for vengeance.

It was interesting that her young Prince would find reason to change on a battlefield.

Alas, it was not her beloved son that she followed. Not at the moment anyway. She was chasing someone different, an emerald flame, once a stone, and now her daughter. It was an interesting dichotomy, mostly, because the young one was entirely unaware. Now—She was far away. Far below the surface of this wretched world where both technology and flesh blocked her way.

No matter.

The ship moved as close as it could. Closer, closer, until it seemingly disappeared. It returned in low enough in the atmosphere that it could no longer be targeted by planetary defenses. She breathed. A stunt like that required a moment to recover, even though, it had only been a relatively short distance.

Elyria was close enough now.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"] was here. Hidden from her sensors and eyes beneath the ground. She could feel her little one reaching out, but, her own presence blended in so well with the Force that it could not be individualized. None in the area would know who was coming, or what, simply that darkness had arrived. It could easily have been mistaken for a collection of darksiders in the area.

Clearly, the Confederacy was full of them.

Black eyes closed, filled with night, and she let her consciousness float down to where Scherezade remained buried. She was walking. Looking for a way out. “This way…”, her ghostly form chided, weaving among the dead, toward fresher air. “…Come, child.”

“Come with me.”

She would lead her out of the darkness. Only, to envelope her in a new form of it.

 

[Daisy Americus]

​

Objective: "Sneak" Past Defenses while Yag'dhul are distracted by the Resolve​

Tag: [member="Kaden Farr"] | [member="Hisashi"] + Seven Sin Crew + Open​

It gave her a small modicum of comfort that a seasoned warrior agreed that her plan was sound. She wasn’t as experienced as some of her elders, but, that didn’t mean she didn’t know how to use her head from time to time. The vastness of space whirled for a moment while the thrusters on her gunship kicked into high gear and took them careening on the appropriate flight path. Her stomach felt like it was in knots. The chatter on the comms didn’t help…

Supposedly the Yag’Ghul shot first. Just because the CIS had entered their airspace?

It wouldn’t have been the strangest thing. Big brains—No common sense.

“Ah know it doesn’t matter for the mission. Ah just…What if they could be reasoned with? What if we could stop this early?”

Briefly, she felt the pressure of Kaden’s hand on her armored shoulder and she relaxed. He was another mystery that was slowly becoming a constant. He’d haunted her for quite some time. She’d been wary of him for a little while after that. Now…Now she had almost gotten used to having him around. Like a lost little Loth Cat. How could she turn him away?

Daisy rarely saw him talking to anyone else, though, sometimes he seemed to talk to himself when he thought no one else was looking. Sometimes, she thought she heard him talking to his mother. Perhaps she had died and it gave him comfort to pretend like she could still hear him?

It was sweet. Sad, but sweet.

Another thing that was sad was how quickly her plan went to hell. Sure, they pulled away from the main forces but a few stragglers seemed to have followed along. Kaden headed to the main guns while Daisy prepared to get them into position. They wouldn’t be able to outrun the Givin that were chasing them. At best, if they tried, their shields would eventually get worn down and they’d be too vulnerable.

“Happy hunting.”, Daisy spoke to Kaden while she swung them around, surprisingly easily, while her sensors started lighting up. They were taking fire. Shields were holding. The gunship could take more of a beating than some of the others that Daisy had used on Mandalore. This one definitely had her people in mind, however, it was still a little nicer. It allowed her to make risky moves and reap the rewards without worrying too much about getting blown to bits. “There’s a blind spot at the 4 o’clock position. Targets in range. Fire at will.”

Briefly, she felt a little funny. Queasy? She couldn’t place why, but, something made her think of [member="Scherezade deWinter"]. She toggled the comm and tried to hail her friend that was supposed to be heading down in drop pods. It was a long shot, considering distance, but something made her want to try. <<Scherezade…Come in. This is Daisy. If you can hear me—Please respond.>> .

Silence. Not a thing. She frowned.

Chit.

 

[Kyyrk]

Objective: Take down the Stations
Location: Yag'Dhul Orbit
Tags: [member="Keira Cerdulan"] | [member="Julius Rhein"] | [member="Srina Talon"]

Voph had no time to dawdle. Plans were in motion and time was of the essence. That Givin dreadnought was a problem. A big one. In spite of all the testing, all the tweaking, the techs had never really been able to fix the one glaring problem with the Resolve Shield Caster. If that Dreadnought got too close, the shield would overload, and the fleet would be shot to ribbons by the cannons below. Luckily, there was more than one way to skin a mawvorr. Voph strode into the hanger bay of the Resolve, checking his gear. Lightsabers clipped to his waist, rifle slung behind his back, cloak fastened securely at his shoulders. As he strode up the boarding ramp, he gestured for the soldiers that had been selected for this mission to load up. It was time to go.

"Pilot, take us out. Inform the other pods it's time to launch." Voph walked to the front of the compartment, and grabbed on to an exposed pipe above as the soldiers strapped in, and the pod sealed. Voph glanced to the side at [member="Srina Talon"] and nodded in greeting. "Exarch. Always a pleasure." Voph turned back to the assembled personnel. "Listen up, people. As I'm sure a lot of you noticed, the Givin have fielded a Dreadnought. That puts our fleet at risk, and it's not a risk we're willing to roll with. Exarch Talon has proposed this operation in which we intend to board the ship, and blow it up from the inside." Voph held up a holoimager with his free hand, displaying a map of the ship. "Everyone has a copy of our readouts on this ship. We need to rendezvous at the bomb's landing site, and punch through to the reactor core. Bomb's traveling separately just in case. Plasma's flying thick out here. Any questions?"

 

[Srina Talon]

Objective: Blow up the Givin Dreadnought [Calculus Prime] - Then Take out the Stations​

Location: Yag'Dhul Orbit​

Tags: [member="Keira Cerdulan"] | [member="Julius Rhein"] | [member="Voph"]​

This was a waste of time. A waste of resources—Droids and Men.

Srina glowered while she listened to the battle that raged on outside the Resolve. The was not what had been anticipated. Reports had come in showing that “some” of the Givin were hostile toward the Confederacy, however, there was a significant portion that was open to discussion. The reports had apparently been wrong. Or—Submitted by halfwits. Someone was going to suffer for this once they returned to Geonosis. Because, now, after their forces had been attacked?

There was no choice.

The Droid Nation would launch forces against the Yag’Dhul like waves crashing on the shore. The Confederacy would meet their defenses like a hurricane, until the barricades broke, and the Givin surrendered. Completely. And they would surrender. The CIS might not have the home advantage but there were always more forces to call upon. More droids. More ships. They would outlast this backwater world by sheer force of will and the notion that they would not give up.

Never, would their nation give in.

If there were any innocent parties on the planet, civilians and the like, there was one saving grace. This siege would likely end with the destruction of the Dreadnought “Calculus Prime” that floating menacingly between them and their goal. Breaking the fleet could turn the tide for a variety of reasons. From a capability standpoint to the simply fact that losing such a large asset so early on would be demoralizing, not to mention, unexpected.

Finally, [member="Voph"] arrived. Her head inclined in a soft, respectful greeting.

“I was beginning to think you would never leave the command deck.”

Her tones were not accusatory. In fact, they were empty. There was no sense of urgency and nothing about her expression that would denote any sense of being perturbed or pressed for time. Small fingers reached up to take hold of the restraints and the young woman listened to the small briefing that the Viceroy gave his men. It was simple. The pale Echani intended to cause as much damage to the interior of the Calculus Prime as possible. When the explosive went off…It would be done.

As the Exarch spoke, the airy quality of her voice would carry the intended and appropriate weight for the scenario at hand. It was feminine, almost sweet, but with an edge that seemed sharper than any blade. These were not necessarily her men; however, they were part of the Confederacy. She intended push through this disaster without costing them their lives. “Spare nothing on your way through the ship. They have made it clear they will not spare you.”

Srina had no idea that there was a third party [[member="Julius Rhein"] & Crew] involved in this venture. Regardless, it wouldn’t have changed her order, though, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t find it interesting if they came across people on the ship that were not hollow-eyed skeletons. This had quickly developed into a bloody battle of attrition that would only continue as long as the shields on the Resolve held and this Dreadnought seemed intent on pressing the issue.

Enough was enough.

“Let’s end this. Superiority in space will lead to control of the ground. Once the planetary defenses are disabled, surrender, will follow. From there we can make reassessments to the state of Yag’Dhul.”

Until then—They could only push onward. The Droch-Class boarding ship, once they settled, shot forward and a brief moment of weightlessness struck her. Followed by the sinking feeling of moving through space without the luxury of environmental controls that an SSD boasted. The bomb was ahead of them. From their trajectory, everyone was too busy shooting at fighters, and other large ships, to notice the relatively small boarding craft. Several other decoys were also launched at the same time.

It was a gamble. The Givin couldn’t shoot them all down.

When the ship shuddered, making contact, Srina held tight to the restraint until the ship stilled.

“We’re here. Check your weaponry an prepare to engage.”

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Wearing: Armor | Pathfinder Boots | The Forgemaster's Ring | Ring of Stasis | Sofitor
Wielding: 10 Czerka knives | 2 Nastirci Combat Knives | Copero's Wail | Fire and Smoke (lightsabers) | Combat Gauntlets | Knight Obsidian Sword | 2 Dissuader K-30 Pistols with Glitter Bullets
Direct Tags: [member="Darth Elyria"]

It did not require a Force User to know that the planet was rimming with violence and destruction. Every so often, the very walls of the tunnels Scherezade was walking through would tremble with the impact if things blowing up. In the distance, she could feel the life fleeting and ending, of blood being spilled. Yet no matter how hard she tried, here beneath the ground, she could not precisely pinpoint anything. Even with the blood, her greatest ally within the Force, she was unsure of whether she was close or far to anyone bleeding out.

Once, she had paused, deciding it was a good opportunity to work on her Earth skills. She had done so on Bassadro, moving the ore and rock beneath the ground there not with telekinesis, but with her ability to alter that specific element. It was a relatively new power she had learned, and while the Blood Hound could not yet claim to be a full master at it, she knew enough. Yet no matter how much she worked her abilities with it now, she could not do it, could not break through the thick layer that separated her from above.

Through the glow of eyes that were not hers, she could see it. Tatooine, almost a millennia ago. Small camps had gathered on the edge of a nondescript sandy battlefield, the Sith on one end, and the Jedi on the other. The body she saw as she looked down did not belong to her; it was slightly shorter, and the hair much darker and straighter. She knew whose memory it was she was seeing – her grandmother, the one who had branded so much information into her mind a moment before releasing her into the wilderness of Ryloth.

There was a reason she was seeing this memory now. Her grandmother had been there – young, full of life, and full of desire to snatch the galaxy into the palm of her hands. There was no mercy, there was no place for emotions that did not immediately satisfy her. She would have what was hers. And although she was a mere Knight, there was no Master around her. The Courtesan of Coruscant had no Master, and she would elevate herself on her own.

Dropping to her knees, the white fabric spooled around her, but she paid neither it nor her angelic visage any mind. She had a goal. Her hands dug into the sand until her fingers were covered with it, and she closed her eyes. Scherezade, almost as if stuck in the memory, could feel what her grandmother was doing. The spread of the power that came from it, reaching over and covering almost the entire battlefield. She could feel the sweat pouring down her grandmother's face with the effort she poured into it, the sheer amounts of Force energy. Anyone lesser than her would have fainted long before that, yet she utterly refused to do so.

The battle upon the sands had erupted; Sith and Jedi, a rainbow of lightsabers. The sands were clean of blood yet began to swell with human and not-human remains. Parts of bodies. Dead. Injured. And still the woman who would later become the Matriarch of the deWinter line continued to concentrate. The fight became more and more violent; screams could now be heard, the pain piercing through the cloud of focus of her grandmother.

And at last - she succeeded. The ground beneath the Jedi and the Sith opened up, a hole formed upon the planet, gobbling up all those who had been unfortunate enough to be in the battle itself. So many lives, snuffed out by the work of her grandmother. Not just the enemies. Local rivals, too. As well as many who might have had to potential to rise among the ranks of the Sith Order.

Those who had remained on either side carefully ensured there would be at least some distance between them and her grandmother. And with the elegance of a swan, her grandmother rose from the sand, and merely walked away, as though she was gliding on water.

Scherezade blinked in the darkness as the memory faded away. Why? What did it mean? She knew her grandmother controlled the element of Earth, as well as Ice, yet the way both women went about it was different. Not to mention, opening a hole in the ground was hardly going to help her right there and then. What had triggered that specific memory to arrive now and not on Bassadro, or any of the dozens of times she'd been on Tatooine since coming out of the pebble?

She stared at the cavern, somewhat confused.

And then she saw her.

No, that was not her grandmother. It was another woman though, one that Scherezade both saw and did not see. The harder she tried to focus on the woman's form, the more the woman seemed to entirely disappear from her vision, yet when she squinted her eyes, there she was for a moment – an outline of a relatively tall woman. Scherezade was almost sure she glimpsed pale skin and dark hair, but she could focus on nothing that held more detail than that.

Come with her? Scherezade gulped. The promise of a way out seemed more than enticing; although no longer being chased by the Darkness as she once was, there was still no small mentum of fear that held her when she found herself in pitch dark places. She would never admit it, yet her heart beat harder for the fear and anxiety of it, and while she was able to mostly ignore that until she was on the outside and the mission was over, it would take hours of self-care later to calm down. Something not a single person had seen of her, when she was in that state.

And yet dazed, almost like a child, she followed. The words of the ghost woman beckoned to her, and Scherezade nodded, swallowing hard once before deciding to follow.

"Who are you?" she found herself asking as she walked after the woman, attempting to walk by her, "What are you?" for the woman had no smell. Scherezade, by the gift of her Blood Hound abilities, could always scent those who had blood running through them. Those who did not, tended to be on the droid side. But this woman was no droid. Was she even real? "I didn't hit my head hard enough to hallucinate you, did I?" came another question.

 

[Zef Halo]

OBJECTIVE: Infiltrate and acquire data on a prototype Givin astrogation technology.
LOCATION: GIVIN DREDNOUGHT CALCULUS PRIME
TAGS: [member="Keira Cerdulan"] / [member="Voph"] / [member="Srina Talon"]

OPERATION STARHUNT​

​

The two parties exchanged fire as each side vigorously tried to fulfill its agenda. The Humbarine Naval Intelligence to snatch all information possible on this rumored prototype astronavigation technology and the Givin to preserve their drednought's integrity.

"Lieutenant Commander, passive scanners caught a CIS drop pod successfully landing on the Calculus Prime!" Wes' worried voice came through Julius' comm. "Let me fire up the engines and come get you out with the Vherdun!"

"No!" Julius' voice cut him like a knife. "You light up that frigate and we turn into a beacon of the wrong type of interest."

"But LT Commander, you don't have much time. We don't have much time. As the Confederates and Givin are widening their lines, we will eventually be caught in the middle of all of this."

"No! Stay put, Flight Lieutenant!" Risking their means of transportation, the currently under some form of stealth frigate Vherdun, remained far from the battle but their time was running out as well as the fleets' front lines rapidly expanded. Julius knew well his team had to hurry up or everything was going to shambles. "I repeat - stay put, Wes! That's an order, we'll find a way out of here as soon as we are done. Rhein out."

"Juno, status!" He called out to the AI.

::: Shutting off the alarm system has resulted in a vessel-wide alert of breach, LT Commander. :::

"I thought you were the best cyberwarfare AI we've got, damn it."

::: The alarm system is complexly encrypted and interlinked with numerous other alarm systems- :::

"In Basic now, please, Juno."

::: They are stacked on alarm systems. Tripping one sets to trip a sequence of others until a full-blown alarm alerts the whole drednought. :::

"So we can't stop the waves of hellbent Givin our way?" Rix muttered through the comms.

::: That is correct. Attempting to tackle the alarms will prove successful but take a lethally long time. :::

"Feth. Focus only on reaching every information possible on the prototype, Juno. We ain't got time for both."

::: Understood, Sir. :::

"Rix, Lena - get your shebs together cause the Givin horde will be coming shortly." Julius ordered as stray fire lit up his energy shields forcing him to cover once more.

"Roger that, Sir."

"And the Confederate drop pods, Sir?" Lena inquired.

"Hopefully we won't stay long enough to find them out. Focus on the task now."

"Roger."

In truth, Julius had to juggle every factor in this mission. The prototype, the Vherdun, the Givin drednought security, the hell of a war outside, the Confederate boarding party and what their mission was, the exit plan.

Everything.

It was why he was the leader. It was his responsibility. Not Rix's, not Lena's, certainly not Wes'.

He had to figure it all out under heavy fire and with each minute gone the chances of failure and demise substantially increased.

 

[Luca Donskoi]

Location: Yag’dhul Orbit (Fortressa)​

Attire: Service Dress Uniform (LINK)​

Armament: Lightsaber​

Objective: I. Death in the Skies​

Tags: [member="Voph"] | [member="Julius Rhein"] | [member="Keira Cerdulan"] | [member="Scherezade deWinter"] | [member="Srina Talon"]​

---

---

---

​

---

Chaos and death had erected a monumental image of brilliance in orbit above the desolate rock that was Yag’dhul. It was as if one was looking through a prism which accented every color and streaks of vibrant colors ran seamlessly across the canvas of the planet’s orbit. Smoldering plumes of thick smoke the lay idly adrift in the weightlessness of open space Flames of orange and yellow danced from breaches in hulls among stations and ships alike. And if the skirmish had not already been weighed heavily in the favor of the Confederate Forces, it certainly would soon.

A brilliant flash of blue-white light was quickly extinguished above the planet’s northern pole as the massive Fortressa descended toward the engagement below. Squadron upon squadron of fighter and bomber alike flooded out into the fabric of open space, flocking with a rehearsed symmetry toward the enemy, with targets already pre-designated in route to this very engagement. Landing craft followed shortly after, descending toward the planet’s surface below, each carrying a contingent of droids to aid in the surface battle occurring simultaneously with that of the orbit.

Not all of the landing craft would make it to the surface as several would undoubtedly be intercepted by the orbiting stations or surface to orbit fire, however the loss of a few droids was a small price to pay in return for the thousands, if not millions, that could be saved with a swift end to this skirmish. After all, this is why he’d been sent with the Fortressa. A quick end to this would likely be the simplest way to ensure the minimal amount of life lost here. The more lives that could be spared, the better.

 

[Darth Metus]

Location: Yag'Dhul, Surface​

Tag: [member=Áine], [member="Orrin Teslit"] | Seven Deadly Sins​

​

There was always some Fool at the heart of it.

One of the truths that Hisashi learned over the years...was that the poor never took up arms unbidden. Typically, those who made up the majority only acted as one when bidden by the will of another. There was always some fool who wanted to rule the world. Who wanted to see their ideals and their leadership heralded as absolute. And as a result, they would inspire those who were lowest in life to be the fodder necessary for their vision to come to reality. By their blood, sweat, and tears would they become Legend. As the roars of cannon fire filled the warrior's ears, he spared a thought to wonder just who was responsible for Yag'Dhul's spontaneous stupidity. Who was the fool who wanted to rule this world? Who was the one responsible for all the death occuring this day?

He knew that the Confederacy would find out. He only hoped that he and his Sins were able to get there first. In the moment, however, Hisashi waited. The precious moments between the words which fell from his lips and the arrivals of his comrades allowed him to think above the hollow ache within his bones. The Givin were clearly an intelligent species. In such a short span of time, they had managed to convert their planet into a literal deathmachine for wielding against anyone who came close. As a result, Hisashi could not hurl his comrades against them as if they were an illiterate brute with a following of thugs. No doubt, the facility which wreaked the most havoc against their comrades was armed to the teeth...

They would treat it like an opulent palace, then. An old memory wormed its way to the forefront of Hisashi's mind - of scaling walls whilst the enemy was focused on the brunt of his lord's forces. The enemy would be expecting the full military might of the Confederacy in retaliation - but something subtler? Perhaps not. By the time Hisashi found a suitable entry point, the comm within his ear buzzed again with the voice of one of his fellows. Orrin the Blind had survived the entry onto Yag'Dhul - but given his circumstances needed a beacon in order to locate them. Hisashi gladly obliged, pinging his location in more than one manner. Firstly, he did so electronically with a tap of the comm. Secondly, he simply flexed his presence in the Force. It wasn't something world-shattering, but enough that Orrin's enhanced perceptions might be able to pick up on.

By then, rapid footfalls reached his ears and the warrior found another at his side. The Sin of Lust was a shadow of her former self upon joining him. She was covered, head to toe, not in resplendent fabrics or scented perfumes - but black. She looked like she had walked through Hell to get here. But before Hisashi could so much as inquire about her wellbeing, she raised a hand to silence him preemptively. She was fine - as fine as she would admit - and immediately inquired about the others. "I'm glad you made it." he admitted. In truth, there was no one better to have at his side than the fiery-haired woman. Ever since their meeting upon Mechis III, she had been a wellspring of surprises. From her hidden might to the grace she brought everywhere she went.

Suffice it to say, if Hisashi was diving into Hell, he knew Aine would follow right after.

"Orrin's survived and is en route to us now. I haven't heard back from the others." he began. "We may not have the luxury of waiting for them all. Once Orrin arrives, we're scaling the walls and heading for the SAMs."

 

[Keira Cerdulan]

​

Objective: Blow up the bad things
Location: Yag'dhul Orbit
Tags: [member="Alden Akaran"] [member="Srina Talon"] [member="Voph"] [member="Julius Rhein"]

[SIZE=11pt]Wasn’t enough ordinance on this hunk of junk, but what was there would do fine for right now. At least, Keira hoped so. Would be a damn shame to be left as a punch of space debris above a planet most people barely cared about.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The fire didn’t scare her much, but for what that was worth just about nothing made the little rat of a pilot flinch. Especially not the dipping, twirling, and diving she was doing as she zipped her way through the void above Yag’Dhul: gotta make sure she didn’t get blasted into some fiery debris before she got to blow a few enemies up. Whole lotta ships flying around today, hopefully not gonna get in her way too much.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Of course. She knew a few things about how to make a starfighter blow up things it very much was not supposed to be able to blow up. Such as say...a space station. She was just going to need some ordinance...lots of ordinance. And hopefully a raise. No. Definitely a raise.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Flicking on her comms, Keira spoke out a quick call to action: as she had remained oh so fond of doing in her career as a pilot..[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Any pilot looking to make some fireworks, form up!”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]It was no surprise to learn she had commanded a few Squadrons since those days as a pirate.[/SIZE]