Invasion Hubris of Empires | The Cold War | Invasion of Ilum [Empire vs. Alliance]

[Varm Nul]

ONAGER II-CLASS STAR DESTROYER
Equipment (in Possessions) | Post #6

The defensive line was being held, the Jedi were contained, the infiltration had been hindered and both bounty hunters were doing their job.

Things were going well.

Until they weren't.

All around, the vessel, there was a huge impact. Something had gone wrong. Varm Nul didn't know what, but the resounding alarms and alerts made it clear that the starship was pulling out. That meant the Jedi and their allies would be forced to retreat, otherwise they would end up in Imperial territory aboard an enemy vessel, isolated from the Alliance.

Varm Nul smirked, even as he popped several more blaster shots at the big Jedi ahead of him. There was even a chuckle from the Duros, as one bolt hit the sentient in the head, which caused the big human to tumble. So, in a position to press the advantage, Varm Nul began to approach across the distance, as he realigned his aim for the downed Jedi's new position, it was time to earn a kill--

"Huh?"

--from a source to his flank, Varm Nul felt the invisible - and undeniable - grip of the Force. Someone tugged at his blasters, the other Jedi that Fett had been fighting, who now seemed back on the hangar floor. With a growl, the KD-30 pistol was ripped from the Duros' strained grip and sent skidding along the floor, and Varm Nul spun to aim his other weapon to distract the attacking Jedi...

When another Force grab did exactly that:

It grabbed the Duros.

Varm Nul growled as he was pulled bodily toward the big Jedi, who had recovered from the headshot, and within moments was up close and personal - and even had a giant-sized hand clasped around his throat, for the trouble. The bounty hunter gritted his sharp teeth, as he stared at the hulking Jedi's glare, even as an uppercut was delivered.

Varm Nul saw stars.

He blinked his big red eyes, even as his hands dropped from view, and he tried to stay conscious... and offered a bloody-lipped grin, as the big Jedi pulled back and made to throw him--

"Tag. You're it."

--and as the Duros was thrown into the air, to sail away from the Jedi, he held up a collection of grenade pins in his free hand. Varm Nul wasn't sure if the Jedi caught that, but what was definitely an attention grabber was the cluster of explosives at the Jedi's feet...

There was a boom from that direction, as Varm Nul hit the ground with a thud, a groan, and a slide. He came to a roll, got back to his feet, and wiped at the blood with a sleeve. He dropped the pins, then saw his KD-30 pistol on the ground a dozen meters away; and with an activation of his jet boots, the Duros began to zig-zag through the battle, and scooped up the weapon, as he prepared to push the attack.

But a communication stopped him, which caused Varm Nul to sigh.

"Fett," The Duros said into his comlink, as he activated the device. "Ships been hit by another ship. Lots of damage, not sure if we're crashin' or not. I'm pullin' out, Imp reinforcements are here now, so suggest you do the same."

And so, with his weapons secured back in hand, Varm Nul disengaged - even as those Stormtrooper reinforcements arrived - and started to back away down the corridor of the starship, headed toward his own transport in a nearby hangar bay...

Allies: Koda Fett | Stormtroopers
Enemies: Caedyn Arenais | Caltin Vanagor | Judah Lesan | Domina Prime
Nearby: Minerva Fhirdiad | Jos Krayt
Engaging: Caltin Vanagor

VARM NUL EXITS THE THREAD.​

 

[FN-999]

Overall Theme

908th Legion - 38th Flametrooper Company​

Manpower: 80/100 1?/100
Orders: Cook padawans Secure the tunnels, assist Imperial Knights
Allies: Empire | Aoki-Barran Mira | Castor E-196 | Hal Vaiken | Kriegan Tavlar | Margo Liaeris | Nuruodo'kal'brast | Zoraya Ives-Ayres
Enemies: GA | Aaran Tafo | @Amani | Ariana du Couteau | Corin Trenor | Ichika Masudo
Engaging: Zeke Dystra & co. | Open to small groups

Just as FN-999 pulled the trigger, his arm spasmed.
​

His arm muscles, still greatly cramped and tensed from the sudden force of pulling his entire body weight out of a fall, simply could not take the additional pressure. The legion commander's pistol swung wide, its bolts completely missing their target.

Screw it, I'm out.
​

Not waiting to see the commandos' reaction, FN-999 closed the elevator door and slammed the button on the lowest possible floor, furthest from the fighting. In an instant, the elevator shot downwards, bringing the lieutenant colonel to safety. No longer in the middle of the fight, his adrenaline levels began to decline, his sores and aches becoming more and more prominent. He fell to his knees, reaching down to his waist belt for his medpack. Nothing in his basic kit could treat sore muscles, but a painkiller injection did much to temporarily relieve them.

With his pain eased, FN-999 solemnly reflected on the battle above.

Had it not been for the falling debris, perhaps FN-999 and his flametroopers could have won the day. The Alliance unit that he had seen numbered no more than ten, and the 908th Legion's SFD was among the more capable in Imperial service. In a conventional battlefield, their victory would have been almost guaranteed. Alas, unforeseen circumstances had doomed the company before they were even given a chance to react.

It was rather ironic: FN-999, the very commander who encouraged flexibility and adaptability from all his subordinates, was now forced to retreat in shameful disarray because of a sudden disaster.

908th Legion - 4th Flametrooper Battalion​

Manpower: 182/1500
Orders: Secure the mountain pass
Allies: Empire | Aschwin Vethres | Hall Mannarra | Orik Dakari | Saul Vandron | Wolfram Triko
Enemies: GA | Bernard | Ishida Ashina | Dagon Kaze | Mylo Thorne | Shar Sieu | Kelly T. Perris | Rakaan Horne
Engaging: Sara Roche & co.

EASTERN KYBER MOUNTAINS - PASS OF THE PALADINS

​

[Colonel Silvertongue, there are too many of them! What are we going to do?]

[The only thing we can.]

[[4th, this is Silvertongue. Flamers, drop your extra fuel on the edges of Trench B and run to Trench C as fast as you can. You know the drill, we're blowing the trench. Only this time, we aren't staying in C. As soon as the trenches blow, run straight to the mines. There, we'll get either reinforcements or evac. We've lost too many to keep up this fight. We shall be REBORN another day.]]

Already well-versed in blowing up their own trenches, the veterans of the 908th immediately swung into action. Within minutes, the survivors had fled, converging in Trench C. On each terminus point of Trench C, an Imperial sharpshooter lay prone. With an unspoken signal, they both fired a single shot at the center of the piles of fuel on Trench B.

Two massive explosions shook the pass as several thousand gallons of highly flammable fuel ignited. On both sides of the pass, the mountains rumbled, violently buckling under the force of the explosions and following shockwaves. With an ear-deafening rumble, a massive sheet of packed snow and ice descended from the Eastern Kyber Mountains into the pass from the right, while a landslide of rocks descended from the more thawed peaks to the left. Combined, they met up to form a steep hill of unstable rock and ice nearly ten meters tall between the Alliance and Imperial forces.

Once the rocks began to settle, the great retreat began.

THE 908TH LEGION WITHDRAWS FROM ILUM​

 

[Jem Fossk]

Spoiler: responding to

STALKER

Objective: Hubris of Empires
Location: Ilum - Subterranean Tunnel
Tags:

​

SCAR: Hal Vaiken | Kriegan Tavlar | Castor E-196 | Lily Stevens | Katja Javik

​

NJO: Jem Fossk | Cailen Corso

Battle of Heroes

Cailen’s blade of energy crackled violently against the Cortosis-lined edge of Margo’s vibroblade, with the two straining against one another until the padawan, it would seem, found a source of inner fire and resolve that overpowered the pain inflicted from her punch into his side. She applied her muscles into the struggle, looking to overpower the physically weaker-looking boy in front of her.

But to her surprise, the young Jedi found the strength within him to not only inch her blade back, but to completely catch her off guard. His lightsaber blade surged forward, casting her blade off balance and singing the faceplate of her helmet. A deep burn marred the ocular lenses covering her eyes, causing her vision to be heavily impaired as she stumbled backward. It was half through the distorted vision, half through muscle memory that she just barely raised her sword to block the counter strike from her opponent. Without skipping a beat, she lunged her head forward, aiming the crown of her helmet into the bridge of Cailen’s nose - intent on preventing him from gaining the initiative and instead forcing him backward.

Whether the headbut disoriented him or not, the purpose of the maneuver was simply to throw him backward and buy her the few moments it would take for her to pull the helmet off of her head. Her golden-blonde hair was tied back into a bun, and her piercing blue eyes stared back at him. But there was no warmth in her eyes - no emotion. Not in the same way as the Jedi espoused distancing oneself from emotion.

No... these were the cold dead eyes of a killer.

She took in a deep breath and rushed forward, twisting her blade into an upward cut that if left unchecked, would disembowel him from side to side. Whether it was blocked or not, she would then use the momentum of the strike to carry her into a spin and duck low, allowing her leg to strike out and reach for his left heel. The intent was obvious, to force the Jedi onto his back, wherein she could finish him before the other apprentice attempted to rejoin the fight.

That is, unless she wasn’t already dead...

Jem's saber caught the blade, the blazing heat scalding Cailen Corso own thick winter jacket. The girl's body had begun to reknit, the plasma burns over her body already started to scab and crack as she took a stand.

"Padawan," she ordered, her voice filled with steel. "Retreat." She caught Margo's leg with a swing of her own, trying to reverse the action and force the imperial onto her back instead.

Jem was standing due to the force alone, and its presence echoed off her as she spared Cailen a demanding glance. "Now!"

She couldn't hold them. She needed to buy the others time, she needed to-- the tunnel. Jem's gaze snapped to the strained cracks in the wall.

Corin... She warned, an ever so faint image following the weak echo into his mind. The tunnel... collapsing... Corin Trenor would feel the urgency of her choice.

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.” - Ernest Hemingway​

This was meant to be a diversion for “The Rapiers” Special Forces team to get to the weapon control room. Contact was lost with them and right now he had a Bounty Hunter in his hands. The big man threw the Duro hard at one of the far crosswalks. Vanagor needed to get to the others and secure maybe the shuttle that was at the far end. The problem is, the Duro was holding the pins from a belt of grenades as he went flying. The massive Jedi Master had a bad feeling as he looked down…

…to see those grenades on the floor in front of him.

Motherfu*

The explosion knocked Vanagor back, THROUGH one of the walls into a room and then through the Turadium wall back into the hangar bay. You can have the toughest skin in the galaxy, you can have a new connection to the Force that constantly works to protect you and control your pain. That explosion? Those walls? That is going to knock you out. The big man went flying and then tumbling into the Solar Panel of a TIE Fighter. The damage was getting worse and the starfighter was going to fall over on him if someone did not help.

He couldn’t do anything about it.


TAGS:
FRIENDS: Judah Lesan | Caedyn Arenais | Domina Prime | Galactic Alliance and Allies
ALLIES ON RECKONING: Minerva Fhirdiad | Jos Krayt
FOES: Koda Fett | Varm Nul | The Galactic Empire.

Caltin is out

Spoiler: Personal effects

"Vanguard" (Secondary - Long Handle)

"CONSERVATOR" (Primary - Long Handle)
HK-88 Robes, Battle Armor,Toraynor-Henkan(mind crystal added) Advanced Jedi Utility Belt
Starship: Spectre, (NC-1000 X-wing (Jedi Variant) in the hangar, Dilorian, and Bike both in the cargo bay, the late Karki Eusith's Armor, Shield, Temple Guard Lightsaber mounted on the wall)
Sanctuary Island

 

[Jand Talo]

HUBRIS OF EMPIRES
Equipment

From where he slumped against the side of the interior of the mining vessel, Jand focused on keeping his broken shoulder isolated and braced. The sling helped, but as the adrenaline wore off, the pain began to creep in. Despite how resilient the Nagai was from a lifetime of training, there were still limits, and as much as Jand wanted to, he knew his assistance would be minimal for the other Padawans from then on.

"I may rest instead, yes," Jand said to Jasper, with a nod. "My injuries are catching up with me."

With a sigh, Jand remained where he was, and rested his dark hair against the hauler metal. With luck, they would be able to find most of the Padawans, before escaping from the battlefield into Amani's starship. It was fortunate that she came, otherwise it might have been a whole lot worse for the young Jedi, though Jand knew they hadn't escaped unscathed.

Though, for now, Jand would rest and wait his turn to be healed. He could feel some external brushes of the Force, other presences in the area, against his mind - but that was beyond his care, beyond his ability to react to, so instead the pale Padawan announced simply:

"I will close my eyes. Do not worry, I am not dead or dying. I am resting."

And he did so...

Allies: Corin Trenor | Iris Arani | Amani Serys | Jasper Kai'el | Nida Perl ]

JAND EXITS THE THREAD.​

 

[Iris Arani]

Jand sure enough listed everything. Iris let out a relieved sigh that the Nagai didn't seem to have something too dangerous. At least, not that he'd noticed. She let out a breath, closing her eyes to focus on the mending part of it all. Amani was driving, Amani knew where to go. She could focus on healing, right? "Stop being a smart ass, at least long enough to make sure you don't puncture a lung." Yeah, she scolded Corin.

Who was probably on his way out of consciousness.

Once he was stable enough Iris shifted over. Nodding to Jand. "Listen to Jasper. Hold still. I can get you in better fighting shape than a bandage at least. It'll hurt, though." She clutched the gem, waited for approval. Then got to work. Broken bones and cuts were one thing. Imbedded shrapnel a whole other. She could pull them free easily enough. The color of pain was one she was used to finding. All the foreign objects within, she could find them. Pull them free. But yeah. It'd hurt.

At least she could easily use the Force to keep Jand from bleeding out.

---

Iris wiped sweat from her brow, glancing to Amani as they came to a stop. And immediately frowned. No, Nida wasn't here. She'd been taken. Her colors, so distant now. If she hadn't been so focused, could she have known? .. She should've known. She was guiding them. Frustration bubbled up, but there was no time to dwell on it. Others. There were still so many others that needed help.

Her gaze shifted to the new additions, scanning them over. Their colors, for injuries.

"I can heal all of you, probably. But I want to prioritize those most injured. Who's most hurt?"

Jasper Kai'el | Corin Trenor | Amani Serys | Jand Talo | Sion Lorray | Gabriel Pryce | Varen Ardos | Cordé Sabo | Nida Perl (We will save you sooooon)

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Objective III: Sabotage the Superweapon aboard the Imperial Flagship.
Inventory: Jedi Garments of Rebirth | Armistice Staff Lightsaber.
Allies: Caltin Vanagor | Domina Prime | Minerva Fhirdiad | Jos Krayt | Judah Lesan | Pa'Kar Sang.
Opposition: Koda Fett | Varm Nul | Ignacious Korvan .

Caedyn's telekinetic grip upon the firearms of Varm Nul was effective enough to give Caltin Vanagor the time he needed to close the distance between the two. One of the Bounty Hunter's blasters had been torn from the Duros' hand, then proceeding to turn the other upon the Jedi Knight in a bid to fire at him, yet the larger Jedi Master was swift enough to strike first, sending the Duros reeling from a hard-hitting uppercut.

What followed were two very unexpected explosions, the first of which send the big man flying back with such force that he caved in one of the very walls of the Hangar. Caedyn's mouth opened in astonishment and dread, only for his balance to be thrown by another much larger explosion that sounded off from somewhere deeper within the NIV Reckoning and forced the entire Hangar to violently shake, the Jedi Knight stumbling as he fought to keep himself standing.

Alarms rang wide across the ship and emergency lighting lit up the halls in red, signalling that the damage to the Starship was serious. Caedyn's gaze turned back upon Varm Nul and Koda Fett momentarily as calls were heard coming across the internal comms for evacuation. The Jedi Knight still had some fight left in him, yet the change of events required a decisive response.

As the transport piloted by Minerva Fhirdiad came in close across the Hangar Bay floor, Caedyn turned to his fellow Jedi; "Everyone fall back to the Shuttle!" he shouted. He then turned back in the direction where Caltin had been thrown and reached out to Judah Lesan with the Force, seeking to connect with him telepathically. His fellow Jedi Master would not receive any exact words but rather be able to read Caedyn's sense of urgency and concern for their larger brother in arms. It was a call for assistance. The Jedi Knight turning his back from the fight and running towards Caltin Vanagor, leaping through the great hole in the durasteel wall to find the body of his friend unconscious and in need of an immediate exfil.

Some of the Mandalorian warriors still on the ground floor of the Hangar, allies of Minerva Fhirdiad had spotted Caedyn and moved to assist, together pulling Caltin to his feet, weight supported by two of them, Caedyn lugging the big man's left arm over his shoulders and carrying him towards the shuttle as blaster fire zipped back and forth around them.

By the time they had reached the shuttle, the situation on board was growing increasingly dire. Caltin was taken by those onboard while Caedyn soon followed, stepping up into the troop carrier haul and turning back to ignite his lightsaber and deflect what blasterfire came their way while their Mandalorian pilot would see them take leave of the NIV Reckoning.

The fight was over for now, and with every second passing, Caedyn's sense of relief grew in that they would survive the encounter this time around. There still remained much work to be done, and given the exchange between the two super powers in the Galaxy, he doubted this would be the last battle to come, yet his concern moved to Ilum itself now. How badly had the Jedi Temple there suffered, and what of Ariana du Couteau who was reported to be somewhere down on the surface. Caedyn had never made it down to Ilum in order to fight alongside her, and he silently prayed that she had survived the horrific battle, whatever was to come of the surface by the time they made it down to rendezvous with the rest of the New Jedi Order and Alliance Forces.

Summary:

• Caltin lands a physical blow against Varm Nul, yet suffers a sudden explosion from the Bounty Hunters' grenade belt.
• Caedyn Arenais calls for retreat to his peers following the NIV Reckoning being crippled by the impact and collision with another starship.
• Minerva Fhirdiad and their Mandalorian Allies provide a transport to exfil from the NIV Reckoning.
• Caedyn Arenais and two Mandalorian Warriors are able to carry Caltin (Unconscious) to the shuttle and exfiltrate.

 

[Ichika Masudo]

♪ Embers - Max Richter ♪​

ALLIES: Ariana du Couteau | Aaran Tafo
OPPOSITION: Kriegan Tavlar
EQUIPMENT: 1 x Songsteel Katana | 1 x Songsteel Wakizashi | 1 x Practise Lightsaber | 2 x Climbing Picks

Twice she had plowed the same knee into him, and on the second instance whether due to strain or the sheer force of her assault, she felt pain bloom as cartilage wrenched out of place on impact, but she gritted her teeth along the follow-through, becoming unbalanced as he released his grip and fell back. The foot joined its mate in contact with the floor of the cavern and the momentum carried her away from him, forcing a stumble of some uncontrollable steps after which she fell almost outright, the scream of her knee howling right out through her mouth when hands, then knees, hit the ground.

Ichika breathed heavily through clenched teeth for a smattering of seconds, then gingerly moved herself through turning over to sit, finding a visual of her adversary in this unexpected encounter once again, when settled on her rear. It was then he began to address her solely with words, all action seemingly spent.

<"If you were serving someone with pride now...they'd be leading you...not sending you to die, Jedi.">

Her gut pressed its complaint, as did her side, the ache in her head set in fully, and she put fingers to the gash in her forehead, pulling them away with blood on the tips while she chewed on his words, not feeling a lie, but only the absence of any knowledge of the entire truth.

If the masters had known what lay in wait, they wouldn’t have sent so many padawans with so little accompaniment, if at all. If they had known, there would have been a plan. If they had the foresight… If. Yes, it was a necessity for a Jedi to be prepared at any instance, at any moment, but the breadth of her cohort was only in the midst of learning to be fully ready... and after all, Ilum was believed to be safe.

While he succumbed to the ravages of battle and freed himself of his helm, she planted that hand on the ground and reached out with the other, willing her dropped blade to return to her grasp, and only seeing it rattle, which provoked a mote of frustration, underlined by exhaustion and pain. A second attempt and clenched teeth saw her through the effort, and the hilt of the wakizashi flew into her palm in a reverse grip, whereupon she passed her gaze to Ariana, who looked just as worse for wear, then back to him.

She breathed in sharply at the sight. What stared back was a visage she had seen only in images in more than one angle, and though this one was younger by far, as young as herself, there was no shred of doubt as to where he had come from; a visual that interacted with her memory, pricking at all she knew of his father, and the deep respect she had felt for the man, while the son continued to speak.

"My father...is long dead, may he rest...but even so- I can offer you that pride, Jedi. That purpose. The Jedi...they don't care about you...or they'd be here to save you."

She glanced at his outstretched hand, then back to his face, feeling the heavy pull of that offer, but all she could do was frown, though lightly, feeling the conflict it bred with the fading anger still nipping at her mind, anger at the once-unknown soldier behind the helmet, as her fellow padawan helped her to stand.

“You don’t have to choose now. . . “

With a hand perched on Ariana's shoulder, the leg of her busted knee dangling, she looked at Tavlar again, unsure of any answer, the weight, cost, and risk of what he laid on the metaphorical table turning over in her mind. The many bonds she had started to form in her mere weeks amongst the Jedi. Her peers, her master... Ardin, her half-brother... Minato, her father. Her ambitions as as a young girl.

“-Let’s find a place to heal. . . you can decide afterwards. . .”

And where she could make the most impact. Ichika opened her mouth, breathing in as if to speak, but when the rumbling started and the familiar presence of her Master encroached on her awareness, her mouth closed with a breath out her nose. Rock and dust flew and the speeder burst through, coming to a stop...

"Padawans."

...and she turned her head to look at her blind master, unable to clear the writ of pain in her expression, the way her brow knit together despite the open gash across it, the threat of tears from the overwhelm of everything. Her 'good' leg was starting to tire from being the only one she could stand on, being worn to begin with, and she steeled herself for just a little longer.

"You've acquitted yourselves wonderfully. But it is time we made our leave."

Had she? Her knee throbbed most of all, provoking a sharp intake of breath as she turned her attention back to Tavlar, though slowly, her gaze slipping over just what she had done in the heat of it all, in this place, as her head turned, cerulean orbs settling firmly on his face.

"I," Ichika swallowed, feeling rather parched from the biting cold and exertion, "I hope you can be every bit the leader he was," [ if not better, ] left unsaid, along with what she meant in particular by this response, as she turned in some physical discomfort to Ariana, leaving the Imperial without a yes or a no, her thoughts and conscience aflame and her face unable to summon anything resembling a smile, "let's go before my other leg buckles from fatigue."

​

​

 

[Sylus (Γ059)]

█████ - Rama-Actual
IMPERIAL SECURITY BUREAU
TASK FORCE ████
Kyber Mountains, Ilum
TAGS: Cale Gunderson Aleksandr Stirsea Kai Bamarri
Equipment: 2x REC-VKN/01 "Tekko" - Pattern Vibroknuckler, 2x BH-Specter Slicer Vibroknife, 1x Hekler'Kok Survival Machete, 1x Sonic Detonator, 1x CK-60 01x Disruptor Carbine, 1x LS-1 Angry Owl Light Sniper Rifle, Hellion-class Commando Armour Mk I

CompForce: 40/80


Loathe as he was to admit it, this fight had reached beyond its culmination point: Sylus needed to retreat with what was left of his group and break contact with these Jedi. Three were too much, it seemed, the agent calculating and weighing the options.

He had done what he could, knocking a Jedi out, probably with a concussion, and CompForce doing well enough against the Alliance soldiers. There was still the chance to edge out against the enemy, he thought, his finger squeezing the trigger-

He flung his hands up before him and let the Force do the rest. He had to disarm Sylus with this gust of kinetic energy. If he didn't someone was going to die. Himself, or Kai, or Cale. None of them were an option.

"Unh!" The Gamma grunted as the gust of energy smashed into his side, ripping the gun from his hands. He glared with hate at the Jedi that had foiled him- but no, there was no time left. He could see the third Jedi storming down the trench to them, in visual contact. He had pushed his luck far enough.

As if to reinforce the point, his HUD lit up: the superweapon was disabled. Well, little reason to stick around and feel the Alliance counterattack if the Navy was going to fail.

Sylus sent out a signal by hand and through his Comms: break contact and regroup. He instinctively reached for Kai Bamarri 's lightsaber, but thought better of it. He did not earn this.

With a final cryptic shake of his helmeted head to Aleksandr Stirsea , Sylus bolted from the trench, his gun back in his hand and suppressing the Alliance soldiers as the Assault Troopers melted back into the snow. In under ten seconds the ISB unit was gone from sight.

Exit thread

 

[Gabriel Pryce]

Allies: Varen Ardos | Osarla Ridor | Zhea Nox | Sion Lorray | Cordé Sabo | Amani Serys
Battle Meditation: Iris Arani

​

"I'm fine," Gabe snapped at Sion. Gabe was not fine. Broken ribs, burned skin, maybe a little internal bleeding and cooked organs were the worst of his problems. The electric judgement had left its mark on the Padawan whether he knew it or not. When the speeder and the new Master Healer zoomed up it was all he could do to lift Varen over and into the mining cart. By the time he had made it in himself he felt the darkness coming. It wasn't like in the holos, dark shadows inching their way closer and closer. One minute he was coherent, the next he was consumed by darkness.

 

[Dracken Pryce]

"No," the Jedi smiled sadly, "By the Force's will, we're just in time."

A frigate ended the fight. Claxons had been blaring on the bridge, the captain of the corvette ANV Starwing had rapidly moved to take command when Pryce had slumped to the floor after witnessing the superweapon's attack on Ilum. Another blast was coming and...A frigate had ended it. As elements of Battlegroup Andor and Night Hammer Command dropped out of Hyperspace the battered Alliance fleet began to shape up and turn the tide.

The Alliance Dreadnought ANV Ouroboros dropped out of hyperspace above the Starwing along with its escort fleet and the Captain knew the battle was over. The swiftness of action from Crimson Lance was astonishing. The amassed Imperial Fleet was slowly jumping to Hyperspace. Pryce knew that certain higher-ups in Alliance command would say this had only been a skirmish, a simple border dispute. But he knew better. A storm of Iron was coming and with that weapon on their side, he wasn't sure the Alliance could weather it.

 

[Gallius Orcana]

---

---

---

S I L E N T _ H U N T E R


ALLIES | The Empire | Ignacious Korvan | Velran Kilran | Rohak Vizsla | Veno | Aculia Voland
ENEMIES | GA | Liedran Kathause | Constantine Oliva | Jadwiga Drozd | Pa'Kar Sang | Caedyn Arenais | Jos Krayt
​

Theme: Dies Irae

FIFTH FLEET
AZURE HAMMER COMMAND

Like the panther that leaps forward and catches its prey, Orcana's battlegroup leapt; the fleet rocked when their enemy suddenly revealed itself openly to the hunter.

Orcana had run out of patience, and Haskler's orders of catching Oliva alive were fading in his mind, replaced by a tremendous desire to rip the Alliance commander's throat apart and fester upon it. The urge for blood was becoming more and more pressing, and the pressure applied to Gallius's neck was unbearable.

Fortunately, he was alone on the second bridge, ominously scanning the field of debris, as he tried to find his opponent; almost like he could see through the debris and find that elusive Anaxsi.

"Where are you… Come to me… I need… Haskler…"

The senseless litany was suddenly interrupted by a fit of rage, and the Admiral began to scream as he smashed his fist in an observation pane, until it was reduced to a pile of rubble, and his hand was a bloody nightmare of flesh and glasteel. The officer fell back in his chair, blood slowly falling from his hand, on the armrest, and toward the floor of the room. His head spun. He felt like someone had thrust an icy hand through his chest.

It was then that Orcana experienced what seemed like a liberation, when the comlink zapped to life, Jax's worried voice filling every corner of the room.

"Sir, it seems our prey has sent us a message. I shall put it through, however… He paused for a moment, then spoke again, hurriedly. However, it also contains coordinates of their alleged position… I am hesitant to rush head on and I…"

There was a moment of silence, then, from what felt like another galaxy, Orcana's voice thundered on the main bridge.

"There is no time left to hesitate, Jax! We need to get Oliva before Korvan loses the battle. Full throttle ahead, and find this damned Anaxsi. We must bring him to Haskler in an iron cage."

Gallius cut the communication and was left panting, struggling against his own mind, like a doppelganger was trying to get inside of him. He had to resist… he needed…

Suddenly, the secondary bridge's silent atmosphere dissipated as a voice, rich with inflexions from the Core Worlds, spoke up. The Admiral knew who it was. He knew his prey was taunting him to rush head on. He could do just that. Or he could… no… Why was he thinking he could bloodlessly outsmart his opponent? He would jump on his prey and give it no chance of escaping.

{“Admiral Orcana. Let it be known that one loyal Anaxsi still fights above Ilum. Come and get me.”}

The Admiral intended to do precisely so. He recalled the bombers and prepared a daring strike to the forwarded coordinates, in a bid to strangle the Alliance vessels before they could spring their trap. Gallius trusted he could do that. But in the meantime, he also had to play around with Constantine, lest he escapes and mauls the Azure Hammer Command.

The voice had changed, when the comlink was opened again, and the Revenge's bridge was suddenly filled with a raspy, hesitant and struggling voice, Gallius's own fight against a voice whispering him to kill and let no one alive.

"Constantine… I must say I respect your choice to die here… Let… Let it be said you fought in vain, but not… without honour. I had… I had… my orders were to bring you to someone… but I've changed my mind…"

There was a silence, Orcana struggling with himself. The voice became angry, like it tried to reassert control over its mind.

"No! This is not… the plan. Surrender. Surrender, Oliva, and we will… Blood will be spilt… no, spared. Let's put an end… to the madness. Let's…"

Again, silence was made on Orcana's end of the communication, before the comlink was shut down. Locked in his secondary bridge, Orcana was roaring with uncontrolled fury, shouting senseless sentences to the stars. The pressure was beginning to get the upper hand of a mind that had acted like a gigantic dam for the twenty years since his betrayal. But now… faced with a choice between his own bloodlust and his mission, the Admiral was battling for a lost cause.

The ships moved to the coordinates like an arrow, aiming straight for the heart of the enemy. Orcana was silent, now; Jax had taken command and locked his commander up for good. The Admiral's relentless cries and crises of delirium were hampering the fleet's efficiency, and the second-in-command decided it was best to make sure Gallius was not a danger to the battle until a medical unit could get to him.

Jax could almost guess where the Alliance vessels were, now, and it seemed the whole flotilla was trying to get away from the battlefield. It would not be, however, as the Pride of the Emperor and the fastest ships of the battlegroup were now at full speed, rushing through a small corridor leading to the Revenge. The Imperials were getting closer, and when the distance became small enough, they opened fire.
When the forward elements of the battlegroup did so, they also triggered the trap that Oliva had laid. The frigates were shred to pieces by the Alliance fleet, with the Cuirassier suddenly cut off from the rest of the Imperials. It seemed vulnerable, if not for a cloud of fighters protecting it, and three heavy warships getting closer and closer: the battlegroup had been half bitten and devoured by the trap, but the battle could very well turn again.

Spoiler: Fleet Composition

AZURE HAMMER COMMAND - FIFTH FLEET​

AIV Tormentor	Rothana-class Battlecruiser
NIV Grand Moff Tarkin	Pellaeon IV-class Star Destroyer
NIV Imperious	Pellaeon IV-class Star Destroyer
NIV Pride of the Emperor	Cuirassier-class Cruiser
NIV Onager II (Detached to Ignacious Korvan )	Onager II-class Star Destroyer
NIV Spectre (Detached to Ignacious Korvan )	Onager II-class Star Destroyer
NIV Archer (Detached to Ignacious Korvan )	Onager II-class Star Destroyer
NIV Final Judgement (Detached to Ignacious Korvan )	Onager II-class Star Destroyer
NIV Sterilizer (Detached to Ignacious Korvan )	Onager II-class Star Destroyer
NIV Undying Will (Destroyed)	Onager II-class Star Destroyer
NIV Abundance (Destroyed)	Golan Ribbon tanker

NIV Iron Dawn (Destroyed)	Vanto-class Escort Carrier
NIV Cygnus (Destroyed)	Escolta-class Frigate
NIV Imperial Paragon (Destroyed)	Escolta-class Frigate
NIV Azure Jewel (Destroyed)	Escolta-class Frigate
NIV Werwolf (Destroyed)	Escolta-class Frigate

 

[Osarla Ridor]

GENERAL RIDOR
222ND NOVA CORPS | 512TH LEGION | 312 ATTACK BATALLION
ILUM | DRILL SITE | NORTH POINT MINING AREA

Shards of metal and glass still fell from the sky. Random clumps of fire thudded into the snow around the pair locked in a sabre's embrace.

For her part, Osarla's appeal was done. If her full admission of devotion to her Padawans and their safety was not enough to reach the heart — or whatever parallel to a heart the machine had — then she'd unleash the beast. Her priorities never once waivered. The pair in the caverns was her utmost concern. Then her company of marines, other soldiers of the Alliance, and herself last.

Through the snow and smoke, she fixed her eyes on the HRD. Studying intently.

The robotic shell seemed vacant for a few seconds, devoid of the sentience she'd bee arguing with. It was only for a glimpse of a moment, but it seemed to Osarla that the warrior was lost somewhere — thoughts? memories? a memory bank? archives? Wherever it was, wasn't an all-consuming place.

In a blink, the damaged droid was back.

"I can understand why would you feel that way,"

Osarla rose back to stand, grimacing through the pulses of pain that travelled through her head tail, ribs and leg.

"I have siblings I care about. These nations that fight for dominance across the stars are but sandcastles, as anything built by organics, only the tides are real. You may go."

Entirely surprised, the General's line drew into a thin line. There was more than a modicum of wisdom in the mechanical voice of the woman she'd been duelling. Osarla nodded once, respectfully, and began to walk backwards, maintaining eye contact with the brunette.

"The tides are the bonds we make."

---

ALLIES | GA | NJO | | INDIRECT BUT SORT OF PROXIMITY AROUND THE CAVERNS AND DIG SITE| Zhea Nox | Varen Ardos | Sion Lorray | Gabriel Pryce | Varen Ardos
FOES | THE EMPIRE | Enyo Typhos

 

[Sahar]

Sahar|Imperial Knights|Ilum
Tags:// Dagon Kaze Rakaan Horne Valery Noble Korvan Toldreyn

She laid Dagon down in the snow, putting a finger to her lips and hushing any protest as she smirked to herself at the sight of her dying lover turned enemy. For who Dagon was, his form of death was comparatively peaceful to what she'd offered his kin for their transgressions, a more personal death, if anything.

Here in the waste of Ilum, did she achieve her final desire and wish to see him gone for goo-

Sahar's whole body was filled with an intense shock of pain that gripped her entire body as a burning sensation ripped through her side; she tried turning but still failed to stop the saber go through her. She blindly slashed at whoever it was and pulled herself out.

It wasn't some stupid Jedi who got brave.

It was him.

Rakaan?

"What? you-u, you b*stard, what are you doing," she asked almost apathetically, clutching her side in agony as she spat blood up on the snow beside Dagons form. Sahar couldn't believe it'd be this whelp that'd wound her like this, out of all the people on Ilum, it was this coward that'd do it.

"Got cold feet? I wish I had had the foresight to kill you on that platform."

Shaking with pain and abject rage, she pulled herself away from him, leaning against a rock as she shook her head with disappointment.

"T-raitor."

If Rakaan intended to kill her, she paid him no mind, dragging herself off the rock and shambling away as Sahar moved into the smoke filled battlefield. ​

 

[Enyo Typhos]

Osarla Ridor

"The tides are the bonds we make."

"Yes," Enyo said blandly. Two cybernetic eyes remained fixated on the Jedi until she had disappeared into the cavern. Then at last Enyo turned and disappeared in the snow, fire and smoke from whence she had come.

Shards of metal were still descending from the sky, and fires broke out around what had been their duelling field until now. Broken machines and crushed or burnt bodies littered the snowy battlefield. Upon the snow lay the bodies of a Jedi and an Imperial Knight, both locked in deadly embrace, and now both dead, slain by the storm of shrapnel and their own doomed battle.

Enyo took the time to bend down and examine their weapons: an, in her opinion, somewhat gaudy curved-hilt lightsabre with an elaborate set of symbols engraved upon its hilt, and a lightsabre-pike. Her eyes flashed when she heard a pained groan from the Jedi. A Twi'lek, he was bleeding profusely from a chest wound and his lekku was mutilated. Hopeless case, in her dispassionate assessment.

With a gesture, she stopped his heart. His blue eyes closed, and she dropped both sabres to the ground, letting them fall alongside their wielders. She had not slain either in combat, so they were not hers to claim. She looked upon the detritus of battle, the fires, the land scorched by beams of laser fire. "Vanity of vanities; all is vanity." She could imagine what space looked like. Hulks of broken ships drifting into the void. "The wheel spins," she remarked blandly. Always spinning. Uncontrollable.

Doubtless the Alliance would want vengeance for this attack. Perhaps one day the Empire would fall to them, or the Alliance to the Empire. Or the savage degenerates of the Maw would strike at both once more and finally succeed at destroying another planet - after all the recent failures - for some puerile reason. It didn't matter, because whoever triumphed would collapse not long thereafter.

Just as the Republic, the Protectorate, the One Sith, the 'first' Alliance, the First Order and so on and so forth had. What was a year, a decade or even a century (not that any of the aforementioned polities or their peers had lasted that long)?

Sandcastles, all of them. Her own creations included. But the tides were real.

She felt a strong jolt in her skull. Garnet. "Yes?" she responded to the call - purely electronic communication.
"What's your status? I've ordered our assets to disengage. A fighting retreat is in progress. Tertiary assets are being used to soak up enemy fire. The Imperial superweapon appears to have been gravely damaged, and Alliance reinforcements have arrived. We have a window to leave."
"What of the haul? Casualties?"
"To the first, satisfactory. Casualties are within acceptable parametres. You are functional?"
"Yes. Your suggestions are wise. I shall meet you at the rally point."
"What of your quarry?"
"Alive." A pause. "She earned it."

FIN for Enyo

 

[Cailen Corso]

INVASION OF ILUM
Hubris of Empires #2

Location: Hallowed Scar, Ilum
Tags: Jem Fossk ; Margo Liaeris
Objective: #2 Hallowed Scar; Survive
Soundtrack: Raining Fire

The brief respite Cailen bought by forcing Margo Liaeris back was broken as the SCAR trooper landed a forceful headbutt, cracking the boy's nose. He stumbled back, taking only a moment to register the slow stream of hot blood that dripped down his face.

Across the reopened gap between them, the vicious trooper made to remove her helmet. Cailen studied her closely, half-expecting to see some kind of monster beneath the sleek black guise of the SCAR helmet. But instead, all he saw was a woman. Blonde, with attractive features and striking blue eyes that seemed to see straight through him. They were cold. Disconnected from the Light Side of the Force. Cailen could sense just a morsel of something beneath them... it wasn't anger, but... doubt?

The woman lunged forth again, but before Cailen could bring his saber up to take the blow, Jem Fossk blade whipped between the boy and his attacker. She caught the strike mere inches away from his torso, the scorching vibroblade so close that it singed the fabric of Cailen's overcoat. Margo sent her leg in a full swing, but Jem delivered a kick of her own, sweeping the SCAR trooper off her feet.

"Padawan," she ordered, her voice filled with steel. "Retreat."

Cailen flashed his gaze to the frozen tunnels behind him, where the others were fleeing. That's when he saw the deep cracks forming in the ice. It wouldn't hold for long, but then again, neither would he and Jem if they stayed in the open like this. He turned, launching into a full sprint for the tunnel. Margo would be right on their heels in a matter of moments, but maybe the tunnels would collapse in time to cut off the Imperial...

 

[Margo Liaeris]

STALKER

Objective: Hubris of Empires
Location: Ilum - Subterranean Tunnel
Tags:

​

SCAR: Hal Vaiken | Kriegan Tavlar | Castor E-196 | Lily Stevens | Katja Javik

​

NJO: Jem Fossk | Cailen Corso

Battle of Heroes

Margo went crashing down onto her back, the crown of her head smashing into the unforgiving ice beneath. Her head rang, and with little delay the ice above began to crack and buckle from the trauma befalling the ground above. Margo wasted little time scrambling to her feet; her instincts primed to expect a follow up from her opponent. Instead, she saw them both run down the tunnel.

Like prey.

Whatever misgivings or feelings of remorse Margo may have felt, they were almost entirely replaced by the primal instinct that washed over her at the outset of this battle. The worst thing someone could do when encountering a predator…

Was to turn their back on it.

With renewed vigor, Stalker demonstrated her namesake as she ran after the two Padawans; her muscles tensing under her armor plate as she surged into the tunnels. Her free hand pulled a blaster from her belt and loosed several shots wildly as she gave chase to the pair. Despite gaining ground on them, her muscles protested from the strain she placed upon them. The adrenaline injectors flooded her veins with the stimulants her body hungrily drank in. Light bled through the mouth of the tunnel, and just as she was primed to break through and reengage the beleaguered padawans…

The tunnel gave way. Snow and ice flooded her view - the sheer weight of Ilum itself pushing down on her… and then…

Blackness.

 

[Cailen Corso]

INVASION OF ILUM
Hubris of Empires #2

Location: Hallowed Scar, Ilum
Tags: Margo Liaeris
Objective: #2 Hallowed Scar; Do the Right Thing
Soundtrack: Tartarus

Cailen's muscles screamed as he bolted through the weakened tunnel, focusing on the light ahead. He couldn't chance a backwards glance, but the Force filled in the gaps that his eyes could not. The SCAR trooper had leapt to her feet and was hot on his heels. He could sense the anger, the determination, seething from her being. She wasn't just going to kill him; She would try to rend him limb from limb.

Just a few more feet...

Finally, he emerged from the tunnel, but not a moment later his ears were filled with the spine-chilling crack of ice and rock. Cailen spun around, his cyan saber ignited and ready for a final stand against the SCAR trooper, but instead he saw only a jagged pile of snow and debris where the tunnel once was. He relaxed his shoulders as he scanned the cave-in. Through the powdery blizzard of snow, he saw a sleek black helmet. He gripped his saber in a defensive stance, but quickly realized that it wasn't necessary. The Imperial was trapped beneath the cave-in

Cailen glanced around, trying to get eyes on Jem - or any of the others from his team - but none were in sight. The Jedi had begun to fall back, and soon the Empire's forces would be upon him. Despite this, something kept the boy's feet planted where he stood. Louder than the chaos of the battlefield, louder even than his own instincts screaming at him to run, was his Master's voice:

"Do the right thing, Cailen."

The Padawan swallowed hard, then stepped with determination to the tunnel. The Imperial was trapped, her body pinned beneath the ice. Cailen grabbed the trooper's hand and pulled hard, but she didn't move. Overhead, a TIE fighter screeched through the air, green laser bolts barreling from its cannons. The vibrations of the ship sent even more loose snow crumbled down around the trooper. He tried again, pulling with both arms wrapped beneath the woman's shoulders. Her battered body begrudgingly slid from beneath the rubble, a few inches at a time until the boy had freed her.

He sat with his arms propped on his knees, catching his breath as he looked over the black-clad soldier. Despite the cave-in, he could sense she was still alive. Despite the duel he'd survived, and the horrifying wounds she'd inflicted on Jem, Cailen hoped that one of the trooper's comrades would find her here in the open. He caught his breath, brushed the powdery snow from his parka, and set out for the rest of his team.

It wasn't the sanest thing to do, but it was right.