Dominion Gunboat Diplomacy | EE Dominion of Bakura

[Tiberius Bayne]

Post #9 (Tacitus Alt)
Attn: Broka the Hutt || Fimrati Vailyippin​

The topic of price had finally come up, right on cue as the Hutt's 'meal' was finally brought in, the Grand Admiral noted. He knew that the timing was no coincidence, it was meant to put the Hutt in a position of power by demonstrating a relaxed state of confidence. He also knew better than to accept any drink or food offered by a Hutt. "<I thank you for your hospitality, however there will be no need,>" the Grand Admiral declined in High Nelvaanian. "<Officers of the Eternal Navy are not supposed to drink or eat during an operation, it detracts from one's ability to efficiently command his ships.>"

"<Now, onto the matter of price,>" he added, beginning the next stage of the negotiations. The obligatory niceties and mind games have been exchanged, now it was time to discuss numbers "<The Imperial government is willing to pay up to fifty thousand credits per individual safehouse location, with bonuses of up to a further twenty thousand for each priority target that is captured or neutralized at these locations, depending on the importance of the target in question, of course,>" the Grand Admiral said, knowing the Hutt had slightly overbid with his opening offer. Standard practice, really. If you want the hill, ask for a mountain. They would likely settle in the middle, the mention of bonuses added in to sweeten the deal.

"<Onto the matter of mercenaries and enforcers, their assistance will not be necessary in the main square, however, we would welcome their aid in tracking down and apprehending those rioters who escaped. Standard Guild rates will apply, here. Two thousand credits for each rebel apprehended, five thousand for rebel officers, ten thousand for Force wielders and fifteen thousand for Freedom Party leaders. Imperial credits, of course.>"

"<You see, once all is said and done and the dust is settled, you will find that here in the Eternal Empire, we believe in rewarding those who provide loyal and valuable service to the state. And as you already know, as I am sure you have done your research prior to this negotiation, the Empire's coffers are deep. And we can be very generous.>"

 

[Fimrati Vailyippin]

Attn: Broka the Hutt | Tiberius Bayne

Location: Salis D'aar | Northern end of the city
​

The cries of people telling others to quickly get weapons ready, to fight off the 'Imperials' that were attacking. How wrong they were. There was no imperial forces here. Just a wet worker earning her keep. She kept her pistols at the ready, moving through the building's ground floor. She identified a stairwell leading down, meaning that her trouble with the building just got at least one more floor larger. She would have to sweep it later. First, she needed to clear the floors above. Why? Because unlike below, every room she cleared above ground would be less enemies coming at her from above. Below could very well be connected to a tunnel network under the city which would give them far more persons available than she could deal with before going up.

The suppressed pistols coughed again as a man started yelling as he turned a corner to try and shot at Fimrati with a cut-down heavy repeating blaster, only to be cut short as he fell backwards as his brain matter spread across the walls and door behind him. Fimrati stepped over the corpse, and checked the room. Empty. Turning around, she moved on, working on checking each room. They weren't as packed as she expected, but then, she also expected that most of those in immediate range were outside, or below her. And of those, she imagined only those outside were aware of the attack now happening properly. Finding the stairs up, she began to ascend, boots thumping on each step with careful precision and dreadful purpose. As she moved up, her comm beeped. With a quick flick of her head, she connected. "<Banshee here.>" She said, speaking in Huttese, no longer needing to keep up a pretense. Listening, she paused in her foot steps. "<You understand that capture is more difficult than elimination, correct?>" she continued, one pistol pointed up while the other was pointed down, as she was half-way up the stairs. "<Are you certain you want me to attempt capture of safehouse leadership, as opposed to elimination?>" she asked, wanting full confirmation of the mission change voiced.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Objective: IIb

Lori's trick had worked. But for just a few seconds....

If only she was stronger or had trained more. Then maybe she could have scattered more of the soldiers away! But that just wasn't meant to be as the onslaught continued. People were dying all around them. It was easy pickings for the soldiers when their victims didn't fight back and only ran. The soldiers were all cowards in her eyes. It doesn't take much to kill a youngling. There's no great skill needed to kill the helpless. So they weren't 'great' soldiers at all. They were just mindless, souless drones that pulled a trigger.

But Lori couldn't dwell on that too much. She needed to save as many innocents as she could. There'd be time for revenge later.

A boy was thrown into her arms by a young Jedi. She caught him and hugged him close, returning the nod to the woman before she set off to give them more time. More and more people seemed to have realized what she was doing and they clung to that hope like one would a rope in a frozen lake. "This way!!" Lori couldn't stay on the street any longer. She needed to get below to lead the people to her ship. Getting Kalic Daws to hold the steel grate, she jumped down into the sewer, still clutching the boy. Quickly she moved out of the way of the others passing through, letting her eyes adjust to the dimly lit tunnel. "Hurry! There's bound to be doors along the way that we can use to prevent them from following us." The tunnels echoed with their splashy footfalls and crying. Lori just did what she could to focus on reaching her ship. Lives depended on it, including her own.

Bakura was never going to be the same again.

 

[Viktor Goetz]

Attn: Open
Equipment: x1 Sk-UL Mk3.3 Shadow Armor, x1 KC-47 Hybrid Strike Rifle with attached Lucius-pattern Bayonet, x1 Lucius-pattern Bayonet, x2 KC-95 Blaster Pistols, 1x KC-T80 40mm Grenade Launcher with T-289 Gas Grenades
Attachment: x1 Blackwatch Psi Corps Agent, x1 Platoon (30) of 3rd Regiment "Saurus's Shadow" Ultranauts with attached heavy weapons support fireteam (10), x4 KV-1807 'Armadillo' Armored Personnel Carrier armed with KC-T80 40mm Grenade Launcher with T-289 Gas Grenades, x1 Gamma Series Titan-pattern Armored Heavy Transport

Baron Viktor Goetz looked at the blast doors sealing the rest of the vaults of the treasury building and smirked, waving to his Ultranauts to clear the way. They simply retreated backwards and he comm'ed the platoon's commanding officer who was back at the armored heavy transport, "The real operation is about to begin. Tell the support fireteam to keep their eyes peeled for reinforcements, and fortify the positon around the transport."

Looking back at the blast doors, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on the resentment, hatred, and death around him. Tethering his force powers on these feelings, he concentrated on drawing them toward him, which physically manifested itself into levitating the blood from the corpses around him and slowly moving these streams of blood toward him. Soon, the entire room was devoid of blood, and the corpses on the ground transformed into dried, mummified-like bodies that looked like they would crumble into dust at the slightest touch.

He grit his teeth as he finished collecting the streams in front of him, forming a larger river of blood that now had coils of bright verdant gas slowly collecting around it. The gas playfully passed over the river of blood, and the river of blood transformed from a dark, oxygenated crimson to lighter and lighter shades of red. Just as the river of blood seemed to become like water, clear and pure, the verdant gas suddenly entered into liquid, transforming and electrifying the liquid into a bright shade of neon green. The liquid soon condensed itself over itself, forming a crystalline shard that slowly rotated until it faced the door.

Viktor chanted a few words out loud in a cryptic tongue and the shard shone brilliantly, before slamming into the blast door, blowing the doors away and crushing the guards behind it. The doors seemed to have been knocked with the force equal to a turbolaser, having enough kinetic energy to deeply tear apart the first six security checkpoints before halting by deeply embedding themselves into the ground in front of the seventh checkpoint. The guards inside seemed momentarily shocked before Viktor ordered, "Ultranauts. Slay all inside."

The Ultranauts quickly dashed forward, firing their strike rifles and instantly killing anyone in the hallway that led to the final vault of the treasury. A few guards, either being protected by the warm bodies that were in front of them or quick enough to duck under cover, soon felt a barrage of suppressive fire that continued to shred apart flesh or metal with slugs. After they ran out of ammunition, the few remaining guards peeked their heads out only to be met with another wave of blaster fire as the soldiers switched the firing modes on their rifles.

As the security checkpoints were quickly cleared, Viktor sat down and began deeper meditation to recover as well as collect the blood once again.

 

[Kalic Daws]

Kalic ran behind the group, opening fire the moment some shots attempted to be sent at the group. As the Miraluka opened up until Loreena Arenais-Valhoun used a Force Flash, he activated his comm, yelling "Jee now!" The moment he yelled this, the Starcrest lifted out from its landing area, and quickly unleashed a torrent of fire. The astromech droid commanded the ship to fire off, using the turret to attack enemies not directly in front of the, and firing torpedoes at the Imperial armor. Kalic smiled as he watched his little friend unleash fire on the enemy, he quickly told his droid to get out of there, and shake any fighters, the terror she brought enough to give the small group time. He took the grate, and quickly slide in last, carefully placing the grate back as best he could as he went down. He looked to Lori, nodding before moving ahead of her.

"I'll take point. Miraluka don't need light to see." He looked over, asking Loreena which way they needed to go, and looked up, listening for anything above. "Once we get there, I'll see if I can get Jee to move back in safely, and escort your ship outta here."

Cero Pax Taozi Fuyuan Ilsa Visel Wulf Orlock Viktor Goetz Lorelai Ventira LE-03 (Leigh) Adelle Bastiel Vidalu Na'an

 

[Broka the Hutt]

The Grand Admiral's idea for price was music to Broka's ears. The stoic expression continued following the gluttonous meal's consumption. The Grand Admiral's response was very expected, though Broka did offer for the sake of formalities, and to get an even more defined idea of the man he was negotiating with. Broka was much more invigorated with both a well prepared meal, and the end of the formalities. He would position himself as high as nobility, though also has the mindset of a businessman when it comes to such instances like this. The money talk's beginning brings an inner assurance that all is going well, and that the general procedure can commence.

Thus he responds in Huttese, "<The prices for the safe houses captured, destroyed, and-or neutralized are definitely satisfactory. The offered rewards for the targets in the sewers are also satisfactory. For the safe houses, I shall send the word to the forces that have been dispatched to the surface, and for the bounties, I shall alert all bounty hunters, and anyone else in my organization that are willing to take the job, as well.>" He then makes a similar gesture to what he made before to another servant, who then left to fulfill his master's orders. Then, as like standard procedure, the protocol droid at Broka's side translates its master's response to the Imperial guests.

As the protocol droid does so, Broka proceeds to finish his meal. The last eel he grabs fights back, bights his hand when he reaches in. After a brief struggle that went for two seconds, Broka grabs the fighting eel in a firm grasp, and beats the eel's head on the tray twice before quickly slurping it into his giant mouth. After that final eel was consumed, Broka lets out a large burp, and reaches for the wine to sip until it is also gone. Unlike the eels, the wine is savored. The Hutt sips are obviously larger than any smaller being, though are different to what is expected of a massive Hutt lord. The money talk was a little briefer than Broka expected. He thought the Imperials would bargain a lot more intensely. When the Grand Admiral made an offer of price around what Broka was hoping for, Broka leaped at the opportunity for the sake of the deal's success. The Imperials were a lot more generous than he originally thought, and the Grand Admiral's responses only assured that future business will be quite profitable. As he waits for the Grand Admiral's response, Broka continues to sip at the wine.

Tiberius Bayne Fimrati Vailyippin

 

[Taozi Fuyuan]

Tags: Wulf Orlock Loreena Arenais-Valhoun Cero Pax Kalic Daws
Objective: Don't insult Orlock too much
​

Taozi and her squad approached the square, and watched behind blackened visors with abject horror as the Imperialists murdered the protesters indiscriminately. Women, children, young, and old. None were safe, and none were innocent in the eyes of the soldiers it seemed. The discomfort from her clan was apparent to Taozi, and even she had to admit it reminded her of Concord Dawn.

"<Alor... Are we doing the right thing by taking jobs for these... These...>"

"<We aren't. I don't like it any more than you do, but for now we have to... Go set up the medical tent, I'll talk to the Fieldmarshall."

"<Of course...>"

The Tal medics got to work clearing out a space for themselves, and quickly set up a medical station. Taozi eyed Wulf from behind her visor calmly, before walking in his direction.

"Kaysh mirsh solus."

A smirk formed on Taozi's face as she heard a snicker or two from her clan as she approached the Fieldmarshall. As she grew closer, she tilted her head slightly and watched the carnage unfold.

"You know, you're only going to breed more rebellion and dissent. There is a fine balance between discipline and violence, a balance which you have not reached this day, Fieldmarshall Orlock. I suspect the people of Bakura will not yield to the Empire any time soon due to your actions against them. Vengeance and hatred will fester in their hearts, like an open wound filled with maggots. Eventually, Bakura will become rotten, it's people will vanish, finding a place more to their tastes, with rulers who will not punish the many for the actions of the few.

Such is the fate of many worlds, I suppose. It is the nature of most beings to want a comfortable life, filled with love and laughter, free of troubles. An unrealistic want, but one many sacrifice much to achieve, even if only for their children."

Taozi sighed, and rested her head in her palm, crossing her free arm over her chest, resting that palm in the crook of her elbow as she watched the advance of the soldiers. By the Manda, this level of violence was really just disappointing.

 

[Wulf Orlock]

Post #10 (Tacitus Alt)
Attn: Ilsa Visel || Loreena Arenais-Valhoun || Viktor Goetz || Kalic Daws || Taozi Fuyuan || Cero Pax || Lorelai Ventira || LE-03 (Leigh) || Vidalu Na'an || Adelle Bastiel || Colrenn Renth || Open​

The Fieldmarshall was watching the unfolding massacre with cold, unyielding eyes when one of the Mandalorian mercenaries approached him, the leader of the hired medics. He watched her with impassive, unreadable eyes as she made her argument. "Look around you," he replied in accented Basic. "Bakura is already broken, its people running around like headless nerfs, concerninh themselves with nothing more than the immediate satisfaction of whatever primitive impulse catches their attention in that moment," Orlock spoke, the disgust he felt towards the Bakurans evident in his tone.

"This insane pursuit of hedonistic comfort has gone on too long, for thousands of years and look where it got us. Look at the state the galaxy is in," he admonished her. "A thousand little fiefdoms, cropping up everywhere and disappearing overnight, with disastrous consequences. Entire sectors of the galaxy devastated, razed and pillaged, just because someone, somewhere, wanted more and decided to take it by force. Chaos reigns and the galaxy is headed for disaster, because of people who do what they want, people who demand to be allowed to do whatever they want and then expect someone else to deal with the consequences."

"Can't you see?" he asked her. "Democracy has failed. The Lightside has failed, so utterly and completely. Both have brought the galaxy to the brink of ruin. If left to their own devices, people will never learn. They will never choose to do the hard, necessary thing on their own, not unless someone forces them to. The freedom that these people want, is the root cause of all the problems the galaxy is facing. Trillions suffer so that a few may profit, society breaks down, brother turns against brother as the galaxy descends further and further into the ever fragmenting chaos of individualism, until everything implodes," the Fieldmarshall spoke, lecturing her. "That is the inevitable conclusion of freedom. And it is not a problem that can be solved with more of the very thing that caused it in the first place," he said. "No, freedom has had its chance to fix the galaxy and it has failed. Now, it is time for order to be restored and we will be the ones to restore it, for the greater good of all, not just the selfish few."

"And these... people? These selfish, cowardly vazh'kaden," he said, once again uttering that Imperial insult, civilian trash. "These... barely sentient, unevolved creatures? They need to learn that while the Empire's generosity is boundless and its desire to uplift them, to give their lives order, meaning and purpose, is unwavering, it demands two things in return. Absolute loyalty and unquestioning, immediate obedience."

He was about to say more, but then a Y-Wing dashed across the sky, cutting a path overhead and firing upon the vehicles, disabling the APC and one of the Warthogs. The Fieldmarshall snapped a few quick orders to his men and the Ultranauts responded by producing a pair of portable rocket launchers, immediately sending two missiles after the rappidly retreating fighters. Up above, a trio of I-3A lance fighters broke from their regular patrol patterns and dived in pursuit, the quick, agile triangular ships racing towards their target. Turning back towards Taozi, the Fieldmarshall pointed at the burning wrecks of his vehicles. "You see?" he said, anger contorting his features. "This is what they were planning from the very beginning. This was never going to be a peaceful protest. They never are," the Fieldmarshall accused. "Just a coward's ruse that they hide behind, in order to later claim some moral high ground, but these... rebel scum, all they want is to unleash anarchy. It was the same on Nibelungen. It is the same here."

Turning from her, eyes sweeping across the carnage in the square, his voice turned into a growl. "But the Empire has learned how to deal with them," he added in an ominous tone. Pressing a button on his comlink, he spoke orders to his troops. "<Deploy additional troops into the city and institute a curfew. I want spot searches, interrogations and arrests by nightfall. Civilians who do not comply are to be executed on the spot.>"

 

[Tiberius Bayne]

Post #11 (Tacitus Alt)
Attn: Broka the Hutt || Fimrati Vailyippin || Viktor Goetz​

The Grand Admiral listened to the Hutt's words, arms crossed behind his back, an unreadable expression on his face. The Eternal Empire had obtained everything it wanted, albeit at a hefty price and with the consequence that the criminal syndicate would now gain a foothold on the newly occupied world. But that problem could be dealt with in time, especially considering that crime was going to be a problem on Bakura, anyway, as it always was, during such times when a planet transitioned from one government to another. With that in mind, it was ultimately better if the criminal syndicate that rose to prominence here, was one that the Empire was familiar with. Better the Sithspawn you know, as they said.

And so, Grand Admiral Tiberius Bayne nodded his approval. "<Then that concludes our negotiations, here,>" he spoke in High Nelvaanian, ordering one of his assistants to hand him a datapad. Pressing a few buttons, he then handed it back to the officer, who marched across the room and held it out for the Hutt to take. "<On that datapad, you will find contact details and procedures for receiving payment for collected bounties, in accordance to Contractors' Guild protocols,>" the Grand Admiral said. "<We will be paying for the safehouse locations in hard currency, of course,>" he added, using his own datapad to transmit the order that would notify another dropship to descend upon the city, towards the bank which Baron Goetz was securing. "<And I have just learned that our forces on the ground are in the process of... repossessing the assets of the local banks,>" he said.

"<I have just dispatched a ship to retrieve the appropriate amount of currency, which shall be transferred to you as soon as you hand us the safehouse locations,>" the Grand Admiral said, satisfied with the outcome of the transaction. "<The Eternal Empire thanks you and your business partners for your loyal and exemplary service to our great nation. May the future find you on the path to many more such acts of service. All of which will be rewarded generously, of course.>"

 

[Vyra Silara]

|| Kainan Wolfe ||
​

She didn’t need the Force to feel the destructive storm in his intentions, nor understand what hadn’t been said. Vyra met his steel with her own brand of strength, soft where his was rigid, fluid where his was unyielding, warm where he was frozen.

As she read the report, she knew the unspoken words building behind his lips.

He looked up at Vyra with steel in his eyes. "You play good cop," he said to her, not a hint of humor in his voice. He left the rest unsaid.

“As always, My Lord,” she responded, scrolling through the information on her screen, mind already on the task at hand, but despite the crispness of her diction there was no disrespect or dismissal in her tone. Only matter-of-fact flavor on an all-business attitude, Vyra’s feelings on the subject having been packed away the moment the dropship was airborne. She had a very real job to do and no room for error.

Emotions were a powerful tool, until they weren’t. If you didn’t master compartmentalization in the first few weeks of your political training, you wouldn’t master it at all.

Of course, releasing that frame of mind once the danger had passed was often… messy.

But that was a problem for later.

Vyra paused her scanning, casting her gaze at the shadows gathering in Kainan’s luminous feline eyes, at this man of the darkside that embodied both her deepest love and everything she hated in this galaxy. The ghostly cobalt eyes of a Jedi Master long dead flashed before her, warning her, judging her as they had so many times before. Where once she’d been shaken by his appearances, heeded his echoing guidance, Vyra only blinked in numbness.

Thank the Whills she hadn’t shared her visions with Vidalu Na'an . She could only imagine the lectures.

As the vessel dipped and began to land, she removed her gloves finger by finger, tucked a wayward lock back into her braid, and said a silent, habitual prayer to Shiraya, for herself as much as for the people of this planet and the political leaders waiting for them.

For despite the terror the Eternal Empire had unleashed in their streets and their skies…

They knew not what they would face at the hands of its leader.

​

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

Post #12
Attn: Anton Delane || Vyra Silara || Ilsa Visel || Carter Tymon || Open​

The dropships descended like a pack of wolves upon the Bakuran government compound, or Bakur Memorial Building, as it was called. Some dropships hovered in the air, doors sliding open to release ropes, squads of soldiers rappelling down onto the rooftop, breaking in through windows, while others took up overwatch positions. The Empire had given the Bakurans a chance to peacefully comply, a chance that was thrown out by the planet's opposition parties while the local authorities stood by and did nothing. And so, the time for gentleness had passed.

As the Emperor's dropship landed, soldiers were in the process of cutting down the Bakuran flags that hung over the building, unfurling crimson Imperial ones in their place. The sounds of breaking glass, of ransacked furniture, the staff's screams of panic and the Imperial soldiers' short, harsh shouts could be heard from within as the Ultranauts stormed through the place, detaining everyone they could find.

Accompanied by his fiancé, a squad of Wolfguards and multiple Ultranaut fireteams, the Emperor crossed the courtyard at a brisk pace, hand resting on the hilt of the longsword which hung from his belt, that terrible longsword that instilled utter horror into the hearts of many, a steeled gaze in his eyes, promising death to anyone who challenged him. With a flick of his taloned hand, the great doors of the building exploded inward, shattered into pieces by the telekinetic blast. Soldiers poured in, rifles ready, orange-colored optics scanning for potential targets.

"<Get on the ground, now! On the ground! Hands behind your head!>" several voices shouted in High Nelvaanian, Ultranaut voices barking commands to the receptionist and staff. A security guard panicked and reached for his blaster. "<Drop your weapon!>" was quickly followed by a short burst of blaster fire, sending the guard crashing to the floor in a smoking heap. Throughout every hallway, every room, the scene was repeated. Soldiers burst in, immobilized everyone, blasted those who resisted and moved on. And through it all, the Sith Lord walked on, like an unstoppable force of nature, making a beeline for his target, the hall of the Bakuran senate.

By the time he flung open the last doors, screams and sporadic bursts of blaster fire still echoed throughout the building, causing the assembled politicians to cower and huddle together like frightened nerfs. The Sith Lord marched on, taking position in the middle of the room, as if he owned it. Which he did. Golden, cat-like eyes cast a hard glare over the assembled politicians as he spoke. "I was informed that you would be surrendering!" his voice boomed, echoing across the room. "Why, then, are there protesters in the streets!" he demanded. "Why, then, have my men been fired upon!"

"M... M'lord," muttered one of the senators, an older, pot-bellied man dressed in what stood for fashionable finery on this planet. "This is not our fault. We... We did agree to surrender, m'lord, but the Freedom Party, our opposition, you see, they, uhm... They disagreed. Staged a protest... This is not our fault, m'lord!"

The Sith Lord looked at him like one might look at an insect he was about to step on. "And why did you not arrest them?" the Emperor demanded, his gaze and the tone of his voice causing all color to flee from the senator's face, replaced by beads of cold sweat that were forming on his forehead.

"But m'lord," the senator pleaded. "Th... this is... this is a d... democracy," the man stuttered appologetically. "People have rights, th... the constitution, we can't just-" he carried on, until his pitiful explanations were cut short by arcs of unnatural, black lightning leaping from the Sith Lord's outstretched hand, sending the senator's charred, smoking cadaver flying across the room and landing at the bottom of the first row of seats, causing several of the senators to scream and leap out of the way, as if they were about to be hit by a turbolaser bolt.

"Democracy..." the Sith Lord spoke. "Democracy on Bakura has ended the moment the Eternal Navy entered the system," Tacitus said ominously, his tone adding a terrible finality to his words. "From that moment, democracy has ceased to exist on this planet, supplanted by Imperial law. A law which states that those protesters, along with the politicians encouraging them and the rebels firing rockets at my troops, are political criminals," he said, the words echoing across the room.

Pausing for a few moments, letting the words sink in, letting the tension build, he then shattered it with his terrible voice. "This is the Empire's decision," he said. "We will accept your surrender. Our forces shall take full control of the planet, placing it under military occupation until the remaining political criminals are located, hunted down and brought to justice. For your failure to secure your own planet in order to insure a smooth, peaceful transition of power, as of this moment I hereby strip you all of your rank, your right to vote, your wealth and possessions and relegate you all to the lowest citizenship tier. You and your families have until nightfall to vacate your residences, otherwise you shall be detained, tortured and executed. If any of you provide any assistance to dissidents and rebels, if you withhold any information that may lead to their capture, or so much as allow a single sympathetic thought for them to cross your minds, you shall be detained, tortured and executed," the Emperor said, announcing his decision.

"From now on, Bakura is no longer an independent world. As of today, it belongs to the Eternal Empire. And those who respond to its directives with anything short of immediate compliance, shall be dealt with swiftly and without mercy, in accordance to Imperial law."

 

[Frontier Tenacity]

Aaran Tafo || Adelle Bastiel || Alondra Lareina || Alwine Daye || Alyva Terrix || Anton Delane || Arturo Braga || Azazel || Bachus || Carter Tymon || Centiro || Cero Pax || Charlotte Knyte || Caulder Dune || Darth Aion || Ecthelion Aiglos || Eirene || Eryn || Fimrati Vailyippin || Formorta || Goonch Bagarius Yarrelli || Ilsa Visel || Ingrid L'lerim || James Cerensp || Jardann Lancus || Juggernaut || Kainan Wolfe || Kalic Daws || Karma Jayne || Kerstan Blackmoore || Khorde Drago || Lanebsa || Loreena Arenais-Valhoun || Lorelai Ventira || Lyla Quinn || Malicar || Mythos || Nekana Quane || Nerulic || RadioWhisper || Ranik Delmont || Rath Exigo || Shandria Navin || Taozi Fuyuan || Tela Uolmi || Tiberius Bayne || Vidalu Na'an || Viktor Goetz || Tsavong Kraal || Vyra Silara || Will Westender || Wulf Orlock || Xiomar Ren || Mitth'rae'leios || Broka the Hutt || Karisa || Servelus Zambrano || @Kai’el || Kaine Hamilton || Van Hill || @Sabella de Vreis || Race Tolsen || Miles Morrow || Rumi Dag || Corran Conner || Saabossi || Gerhard Manndorf || Kyle Raymus || @Vance Caydence​

Within a few short hours, democracy ended on Bakura and freedom died with the cries of a few defiant protesters, crushed under the cold, steel treads of Imperial tanks. Although some dissidents escaped and rebels remained on the planet, the protest was crushed without mercy, thousands dying as a result of Imperial reprisals for the actions of a small group. The Bakuran government was overthrown, replaced by a provisional military authority until the Imperial regime appointed a more permanent replacement.

With the negotiations for the information held by the Black Sun criminal syndicate ending in the Empire's favor, the rebels would now have a harder time evading capture in the coming hours, days and weeks, as the Empire had become aware of the locations of numerous safehouses they used and would soon begin conducting raids at those coordinates.

And so, Bakura fell under Imperial rule, its brief attempt at democracy crushed by the iron fist of the Eternal Empire's totalitarian regime. A new, dark power had risen in the Unknown Regions, its shadows stretching ominously outwards as it hungered for more territory, more resources, more funds to pour into its brutal war machine. As the sun began to settle over the Bakuran capital, bathing it in ominous, crimson light, one thing became clear to many planets in the Unknown Regions: Bakura was the first world to fall to this enigmatic, new Empire. But it would not be the last.

(The dominion has now concluded, but the story of Bakura continues. Feel free to continue posting and develop this storyline as long as you like.)

​

 

[Cero Pax]

A stray bolt in the air caught Cero in the chest, forcing him out of the air and down to the ground. "Goddamn tin soldiers." He cursed as he rose from the ground. Tactitus' men didn't seem to care where or who they shot, as long as it wasn't one of there's. This little inconvenience would go on the bill, they could be sure of that. Glancing around, his HUD's tracking caught the final sights of Loreena Arenais-Valhoun and Kalic Daws escaping with their group of younglings and women, right into a sewer grate. Followed in short order by a squad of the tin soldiers. Bic ni skana'din.

"Route position. Local search. Sub-level sewer network." A simple string of commands to his helmet, that help him get a lead on the group, if they really had decided to go underground. A line would overlay the view of his HUD, showing the assigned path that the sewer systems would follow. The Infrared couldn't penetrate the ground to track them that way, so it was just a matter of outpacing them. Rockets versus a bunch of kids and their mothers? Wasn't much of a race.

Igniting his jetpack, Cero ascended into the sky, weaving between the buildings that made up the area surrounding the main square. He wanted to put a decent distance between the group and himself, just in case they suddenly broke apart, or somehow found a different route. Smoke rose from different districts in the city, coalescing into large clouds that served as an overcast for it. Gunfire was ringing out not only in the square, but areas as well. He had to wonder if it was actual fighting that was the cause for it, or if they were just more massacres.

He dropped from the sky in an alley way, the HUD indicating the grate below would be a subtle entry point. Touching down, he reached down, and, using his Crushgaunts, pried open the latch that sealed it, and dropped down. "Sound amplify." In the distance, footsteps splashing through water and whatever other liquids composed the ground of the sewer. Most of the voices were muddled and soft-pitched. And there were plenty of them. He began walking towards them, clicking the side of his helmet to overlay his view with infrared. By now, he could see the group approaching, and to that end, he drew his 9118 Carbine, and fired warning shot at the ground in front of them, hopefully stopping them in their tracks. "Your little fieldtrip is over, folks. Don't make me have to shoot you."

Taozi Fuyuan , Vidalu Na'an

 

[LE-03 (Leigh)]

Leigh had been tracking the refugees through the sewers for a while. The difficult part was not identifying their path; the Bakuran sewer system was exceedingly simple, and whoever was leading them seemed to have the same idea the droid had had about leading them out of the city. Rather, Leigh held back in order to best determine how to identify herself to the group without posing a threat. She was, after all, an unusually large droid with a cannon for an arm. She was nothing if not imposing under the best of circumstances. In the midst of a civil crackdown, with protestors dying in droves just above their heads? The probability that the refugees would consider her yet another danger and lash out was too high to not approach carefully.

That was why, in its way, the intrusion of a Mandalorian into the space between her and the refugees was a sort of blessing.

He dropped from the sky in an alley way, the HUD indicating the grate below would be a subtle entry point. Touching down, he reached down, and, using his Crushgaunts, pried open the latch that sealed it, and dropped down. "Sound amplify." In the distance, footsteps splashing through water and whatever other liquids composed the ground of the sewer. Most of the voices were muddled and soft-pitched. And there were plenty of them. He began walking towards them, clicking the side of his helmet to overlay his view with infrared. By now, he could see the group approaching, and to that end, he drew his 9118 Carbine, and fired warning shot at the ground in front of them, hopefully stopping them in their tracks. "Your little fieldtrip is over, folks. Don't make me have to shoot you."

Taozi Fuyuan , Vidalu Na'an

"None of them has made you do anything. I, on the other hand..."

Leigh's arm-cannon, now raised, made the faintest of whirring sounds as it armed itself. She closed the gap between her and the Mandalorian in a few swift steps, no longer bothering to conceal her presence from the group of refugees they were apparently both pursuing. As she crossed the space where the open sewer hatch let in the sun, she turned down her dome's luminescence, allowing the vague shape of a human face to 'peek' through the glass. There was, after all, no point in giving away her nature as a droid.

"You are threatening defenseless children, officer," she said in the clipped tones of a native Imperial. "Children pose no threat to the domination of Bakura, and the orders of the Lord Commander are to neutralize threats, not to hunt down innocents only seeking safety."

She dropped the cannon only marginally, keeping it trained on the Mando's back. Just beyond them, her visual sensors could detect the group of refugees, led by what looked like a frightened young woman and a Miraluka with a blaster.

"You dishonor the code of your people, doing such work. Or do the men of Mandalore no longer value the lives of the young?"

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Cero Pax | Kalic Daws ​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

The arrival of Cero Pax at first made Lori feel relief. The sight of Mandalorian armour made it seem as though that part of her family had come to rescue her.

That is until he shot at them.

Lori stopped in her tracks, letting the child in her arms down and bading them all to remain behind her. They followed her hand signals, some of them looking behind them, wondering if perhaps they were going to be completely surrounded and slaughtered like those in the streets. Some began to cry. No one wanted to die this way.

Just as Lori was about to speak, LE-03 (Leigh) appeared behind the Mandalorian and spoke up. Her words made sense, but it was clear enough that she worked for the Empire. It was more than safety that the women and children wanted. But it wasn't something that the Empire would understand.

Lori looked to Kalic Daws for a moment, mouthing the word 'wait' to him. They had to see how this worked out. If it was enough of a distraction, then they could all slip away through another passage.

Hopefully.

 

[Kalic Daws]

The moment the Mandalorian seemed to appear, Kalic quickly aimed his T-21. It was probably weird looking since he lacked eyes, but the Miraluka was ready to keep this hunter from hurting anyone. He grit his teeth a little, not shooting just yet.

"You best move Mando. Not sure that fancy armor will stop a heavy blaster." Then someone else showed up. He kept his weapon ready, but she tried to talk him down. It was interesting at least, but the the pilot wasn't ready to stop fighting just yet. He aimed the weapon again, but Lori soon gave him a quiet message. Wait. Kalic sighed a little, lowering the blaster rifle. This better not get them killed.

Meanwhile, Jee quickly turned the Star Crest and darted to the deck, turning the turret on the chasing fighters and firing!

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun LE-03 (Leigh) Cero Pax Wulf Orlock

 

[Vidalu Na'an]

The Ultranauts helmet wasn't a great fit. Na'an fumbled with the chinstrap with one hand as she bolted down an alley, tightening it until the bulky headwear wasn't jangling about on her skull. She had to keep the eyeholes in place, she knew, and she had to keep them in place now, otherwise whatever was waiting for her on the far end of this street would be deadly.

Not that it already wasn't--even through the filters, Na'an could smell the sickening combination of scents on the wind that always seemed to come with violence. Smoke and kicked-up dirt, the prickly ozone smell of blasterfire and plasma, and underneath, the sickly sweetness of evaporating blood and burning flesh. And the last was so strong, too strong; even here in the alley she was weaving past body after body pockmarked with blasterburns, men and women and--oh, gods--

Bile, sharp and sour, bubbled in the back of her throat. Her stomach wouldn't stop contracting with every breath. If she kept thinking about it (the younglings, my gods, the younglings, the yo--) she'd find herself paralyzed by the scope of it. Hells, all she wanted to do was stop and vomit until she was empty. But she couldn't bring herself to engage the stolen helmet's air filter.

This wasn't supposed to be a war, Vyra had told her, but it sure smelled like one. Someone had to take it all in, even if it made her sick.

She vaulted over a body at the edge of the alley--don't look, she urged herself, don't look don't look, don't look or you'll freeze--only to find herself in an open space that looked to be the main square. The place was filled with only a small platoon, the rest of the battalion presumably spread out through the city, with two or three tanks aimed outwards to take fire at any 'approaching hostiles'. The tanks had clearly been taking potshots at the nearby streets; several houses had collapsed into flaming wrecks, producing even more acrid smoke. The commander present seemed to be a young man, speaking to what looked to be a group of Mandalorians with an upturned chin and broad sweeps of his arm. One of group of soldiers--five, or maybe seven--were pointed in her direction; a few of them broke off from the others and made their way towards her, probably assuming from her helmet that she was on their side.

She had only seconds. Na'an sucked in a deep breath, one hand at the small of her back. Fight defensively, she mouthed to herself. Leigh said fight defensively. Minimal to no casualties if you can manage it. That means Soresu, low and quick. Redirect fire, cut through the middle of the square and...and take out the tanks so they can't cause more damage. Just the tanks, then move on before they can catch me.

No matter what, I can't let them catch me.

She was brought back into the moment by the voice of an Ultranaut.

"Hey there," he was saying, his voice as garbled by the filter as her own had been. One of his buddies already had his blaster rifle trained on her. "Your uniform isn't regulation, soldier. What's your ID number? And where the blazes is your weapon--"

Well, he did ask. She might as well show him. Her hand wrapped around the shoto strapped to her back, and drew it into view in one swift motion. Now all the soldiers were on alert--she had five blasters trained on her now, and the speaking soldier sounded far less confident.

"Oooookay," he said, clearly eyeing the unignited end. "Unless you're from some special unit, that's definitely not regulation. Come on, soldier. Your ID."

"...Sorry."

For the first time since arriving in the Unknown Regions, Vidalu Na'an set her lightsaber ablaze. In a single sweeping curve, she'd cut clean through three of the five rifles in her face, and was rocketing past the other two into the square, its blade a flaming nimbus of light in her hands.

Wulf Orlock | Taozi Fuyuan | Adelle Bastiel ​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

The Mandos had ignored her, or hadn't seen her.

That was probably for the best. She'd found a few other stragglers, dazed and confused as to why there were soldiers breaking into homes and setting things ablaze. The middle district's yellow lights now began to glow a sickening red-orange from blood and fire and smoke. She led them further away from the square, skirting around blockades and firing lines. Most of the residential doors she knocked on stayed closed, though a couple window coverings stirred from motion. Finally, a door opened and let the haggard survivors in. The Kurtzen at the door shifted uneasy eyes from the streets to Adelle.

[[Stay quiet. Stay low.]] Adelle said in halting Kurtzen. The mask she wore garbled her voice a bit, dividing it into two different octaves. The pale being nodded and closed the door after the last civilian had entered. Adelle risked a moment and heaved an exhale, letting her shoulders drop. She still wasn't done. She still had to get out of Salis D'aar, still had to contact Leigh and return the body-holocam strapped to her chest, still had to report what she saw to Silara. Silara. Adelle hissed and pushed herself back into the alley. Silara had a lot to answer.

Her mind turned back to Leigh and by proxy, Na'an, as she made her way back through the middle district's maze of alleys. They'd be involved somehow, no matter how much Adelle wished they weren't. Leigh would be cautious of course, preferring layers of camouflage to Na'an's bold—and stupid—directness. Of the two, the one to be in the thick of trouble would be—

Don't look or you'll freeze. A breath, echoing in a helmet. The hiss of a lightsaber.

"Na'an," Adelle whispered. She headed back to the square.



Vidalu Na'an | Vyra Silara