Invasion Iron Rain | EE Invasion of TSE-held PL-40112-CE-021105

[Kascalion Giedfield]

Equipment: Double-Bladed Lightsaber [Red Crystal] | Armored Sith Robes | Retractable Wrist-Blade
Allies: TSE
Enemies: EE
First Phase Enemy (Planned): Rurik Fel
Location: Observation Post, Exterior Courtyard
Forces: Sixty Cognus Legion Soldiers | Stationed inside Interior Vista | Armed with "Extinguisher" Precision Pulse Cannons and KS-04s
Post Title: Growing Anger, Seeds of Doubt

---

Breath. Focus on the breathing. Focus on what you must do to live. I cannot have you die here, I cannot have you fall to the same failings as your brother.

Rabble. Fools. Wastes of flesh and bone. That is all I see before me now. Nothing but vagrants and sycophants and...followers of dead things. I will burn them, and I will burn with them if need be.

Kascalion's mind was aflame with conflict while he sat atop the walls of the Observation Post's entrance, his grip threatening to snap the Lightsaber between his fingers. While hidden from view for those that would approach to seek battle, he would not grant them leniency from his presence for long for his irritation on this day was terrible. These cultists, these foolish and fervent followers of a truth he thought the Empire had long since eradicated, dared to so openly attack the Empire.

If they are cultists. I can see them now, their shapes in the shadows. They are indeed mere men and women, but you can feel it, can you not? Something is amiss. Something is wrong.

Something is amiss, yes. I can feel it. In the threads before my eyes. If it shows itself, it will learn why I am a Hand of the Emperor.

They are cultists. But to what Gods do they swear allegiance?

As the Devil envisioned them arriving with their false purpose, his eyes began to burn with a radiant hatred and curiosity, the deep magenta becoming visible even behind the dark lenses of his helmet. Hatred that someone would dare attack so brazenly, and curiosity that it was not who he had been lead to believe. Regardless, the golden plating of his armor, polished like a king's crown, would soon be covered in blood and filth of whoever he was to kill.

And he would relish in it.

Indeed, such was his growing delight at the prospect of eradication and quenching his more ravenous desires that he began to plant the silent question of if he would actually be able to secure a solid defense of this most important location. There were many stationed inside that would most certainly hold the enemy back, but he had given himself the role of the first line of defense, the first to enter the fray. And while his confidence was always as resistant as Beskar when it came to his plans of killing foes on his lonesome, and this instance was no exception, the seed of a troubling thought was there.

There was only one solution he came to at that critical second to remove the doubt, one of his people long extinct from Galactic history.

The Devil began to utter a mantra in his tongue, a tongue very few could remember. Until they made themselves visible and he could launch into the chaos, this mantra was repeated over and over again in a deep booming croak. A mantra that would not be broken until the enemy made themselves known.

Quickly, it escaped his mind and vocalized itself in a growling whisper that seemed to slither forward onto the grounds below him like roots, "Valignat astahi shio...dronilnr astahi marfedelom."

Burn them all...bring them death.

 

[Ru Comet]

Objective: Complete Delivery [ - ] | Music
Location: Uncomfortably close to the naval engagement!
Tags: Allyson Locke
Ship: YT-1760 (In Signature)

---

Ru Comet entered the system in his used, but refurbished, YT-1760. The small light freighter was armed with a single dorsal double laser cannon turret, relatively weak deflector shields, and a dream. What he saw was massive formations of starships of varying sizes "20 percent, 20 percent." he spoke to himself as he tried to keep in mind that he was getting paid a 20% bonus for delivering to an active warzone "You've got this!" he looked at the Agrippa The Hutt bobbled head on his dash and gave it a goods slap on the head which caused the lucky icon to jiggle its head around "Dragon Energy!" he beat his chest with his fist "Dragon Energy!" inhaling and exhaling rapidly he grabbed his flight controls and pushed the sub-light engine throttle to the end of the track.

The small starship raced across the void towards the planet while attempting to enter in below the the assembled starship formations so that he would not be directly in their crossfire. All the while he had his navigational beacon transmitting a signal over open channels ///COMET'S_DELIVERY_SERVICE///. "Dragon Energy! 20 percent! Pull yourself together Comet!" he wasn't a soldier or battleworn veteran, he was just a delivery boy and this was his first experience with any sort of large scale naval confrontation. His legs were jittering up and down with adrenaline, hands white-knuckling around the flight controls, and his heart beating quickly beneath his EVA suit.

 

[Jack Barrow]

​

Equipment: Sk-UL Mk2 Armor | KC-VISR | KC-SHDE | KC-M74S DMR | S4C Repeating Carbine | Lucius-pattern Bayonet | KC-77N Pistol
Allies: EE & NIO | Enemies: TSE
Attn: Nova Argent | Surnin Hraskinn | Agrippa | Sgt. Tom Sykes
Location: Hangar bay (Awaiting deployment order)

In life, service. In death, sacrifice. That was the motto of the regiment. To give your life in service of the Empire's goals, and to sacrifice it when you can give no more. Barrow liked it. It was simple, made sense. Other military, other regiments, their mottoes usually would consist of some play on words, some clever quote said by a scholar millennia ago, one who'd never even touched the soil of a battlefield. Those he didn't like so much. Focused to much on applying an idea, rather than applying an action.

The speakers on the ship crackled to life, giving periodical updates on the mission that lie ahead. It was a big one. Supposedly they'd finally be able to crush two of their enemies in one fell swoop, the Sith Empire, and the ragtag militia that had fashioned themselves as a rebellion. They'd been emboldened by their recent strikes against the Eternal Empire; helping insurgents escape controlled worlds, stealing classified data, freeing prisoners mid-transit to Camp-9. They'd grown cocky, enough that they felt they'd be able to attack and liberate slaves from a Sith-controlled world. That'd be their end. They would be crushed between the forces of the two empires clashing, before the Eternal Empire would cripple and force back the Sith. Or that was the plan, at least.

As he entered the hanger bay, Barrow took a brief look around, glancing at the passing crew and soldiers as they went through their own prep rituals. Some meticulously checked their gear and weapons. Others, enjoyed a final drink or game of cards with their squad mates. He didn't blame them. Most of the members of Bad Company weren't there by free will. They were insubordinate, criminals, troublemakers. Somewhere along the line they'd crossed the wrong superior, and had been given sentence of service, either for a few years, or to their death. It was a fact that a lot would find it here. That was just the nature of war.

He found his command squad, gathered amongst themselves and some other soldiers, giving their gear one final look through.

"Kit-check, kit-check!." He said as he approached, clapping together his hands to grab their attention. The soldiers heads flicked up at the sound of his voice, though they didn't do much else.

"Kits are prepped, Sergeant Barrow. Platoons geared and ready."

"Alright then, find your seats, find your courage. Orders to deploy are going to come soon. And when they do, were the first ones out." The nodded in confirmation, and Barrow stepped by them, entering their dropship and strapping himself into a seat. It was usually first come first serve when it came to the seating arrangement, so he preferred to be early, to get the 'window' position.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Objective: Castle Cry
Enemies: Kyrel Ren
Allies: Eclipse Rebels
Accompanied by: Arla (in sig) and 20 Infantry Soldiers


Another attack. The last one that Lori participated in one, it was on G'rho where they had acquired parts of a document containing information that Kainan Wolfe did not want out in the open, least of all in the hands of the Eclipse Rebellion that was very much a thorn in his side.

It took some real effort to get out of that operation and to say that Lori got out free and clear was a lie. She suffered a dislocation shoulder and bruising, not to mention a small dent in her ego in regards to sneaking.

Being only the Face of the Eclipse Rebellion; a willing public target of their secretiive membership to their enemies, she didn't have much of a say in regards to what operations would take place and when. She wasn't their leader. Such a move was probably done on purpose, lest she get captured and forced to talk. The less she knew, the better. But that was how it was for most. Information was on a 'need to know' basis.

And right now what Lori needed to know was where another entrance would be in this secret slave facility. There was always another entrance besides the front door. Especially when it came to underground facilities. Such things were common on Commenor and Lori had utilized it well when the Sith lay siege to her homeworld for a time.

After landing the Jaster's Sparrow in a clearing a few kilometres from where the majority of the Eclipse Rebel forces were dropping, Lori and the infantry unit departed the vessel and set out on foot. Arla remained behind in the Sparrow, keeping her ready for pick up.

"Alright, keep your eyes peeled. There's sure to be tunnel entrances somewhere nearby. All the attention is going to be drawn away from us. So stay low and keep to cover." As if to illustrate her point, Lori bent low and made her way into the forest. The infantry followed in behind.

 

[Ellie Mors]

​

Legion Yun-Ne'Shel Flotilla

Total: 19988 M

Battlecruisers Destroyers Cruisers Frigates Corvettes Deployed Smallcraft

• 
  
  • Tchilatte Al'Yun-Ne'Shel - Yun'o-tu Tchilat (5 KM - 5 Squadrons)
  • Sith Saber - Autarch-class Siege Breaker (4.5 KM - 20 Squadrons)
• 
  
  • Izai-tu Yammosk - Us-hrok Izai (1.5 KM - 15 Squadrons)
  • Us-hrok-te Harla - Us-hrok Izai (1.5 KM - 15 Squadrons)
  • Gadma Belek - Us-hrok Izai (1.5 KM - 15 Squadrons)
• 
  
  • Yorik Besh - Avek-Liluunu (800 M - 12 Squadrons)
  • Yorik Cresh - Avek-Liluunu (800 M - 12 Squadrons)
  • Yorik Dorn - Avek-Liluunu (800 M - 12 Squadrons)
  • Yorik Onith - Avek-Liluunu (800 M - 12 Squadrons)
  • Yorik Jenth - Avek-Liluunu (800 M - 12 Squadrons)
  • Yorik Resh - Avek-Liluunu (800 M - 12 Squadrons)
  • Yaret Zaret - Vua'spar Interdictor (908 M - 0 Squadrons)
• 
  
  • Hul Aurek - Ro'ik Chuun M'arh (250 M - 0 Squadrons)
  • Hul Besh - Ro'ik Chuun M'arh (250 M - 0 Squadrons)
  • Hul Cresh - Ro'ik Chuun M'arh (250 M - 0 Squadrons)
  • Hul Dorn - Ro'ik Chuun M'arh (250 M - 0 Squadrons)
  • Hul Enth - Ro'ik Chuun M'arh (250 M - 0 Squadrons)
  • Hul Forn - Ro'ik Chuun M'arh (250 M - 0 Squadrons)
  • Hul Grek - Ro'ik Chuun M'arh (250 M - 0 Squadrons)
• 
  
  • Zhaelor - Yorik-vec Assault Cruiser (30 M - 0 Squadrons)
• 
  
  • None Yet

Location: Tchilatte Al'Yun-Ne'Shel, Bridge
Allies: The Sith Empire | Eldaah Aderyn , Thaelius
Enemies: Terrible Glare / Eternal Empire & Their Rebels | Tiberius Bayne , Broka the Hutt , Marlon Sularen , Taozi Fuyuan
Objective: Mass Murder
Theme: B O S S - B * T C H

There would be no Emperor at the gods' forsaken world of PL-40112-CE-021105, and with no Emperor there was no one that could, or would, tempt fate to confront the Yuuzhan Vong matriarch with demands of tempered action. It had been the Imperial Armada that had relayed the news from their allies in the Eternal Empire that they had caught wind of a pilgrimage of the cult of Terrible Glare to the world, a planet that they had worked recently to expel them from through extermination. Had the planet resided further into the unknown regions or simply had it not neighbored their capital world - Bastion - there would have been more or less a token force moved to combat the threat of a renewed attempt at unleashing the eldritch horrors that lay beyond the veil of space.

And had she been born yesterday, Alekto would have taken the words of their allies at face value and come alone - Yun-Yammosk knows she could have enjoyed the meal.

It was unfortunate, then, that the planet was both so close to Bastion and Alekto did not trust that the information given to them was at all accurate. For months the spiteful elements of the New Imperial Order had nipped at their heels at every turn, and their success at Mygeeto and Muunilist had only served to embolden them further. Though she was more than prepared to deal with a resurgence in manic cult worshipers, the Triumvir of Power had planned for a far more significant threat, stripping the Armada's own leadership of their voice in the matter - she would command the Armada over the jungle world, and it would be the ships of the Yuuzhan Vong that she would favor. A lone Autarch was the only Imperial ship she allowed to join her flotilla, and only because she had been informed of its effectiveness against the Alliance vessels that had fought for the New Imperial Order over Muunilist.

-

An agonized, blood-curdling, scream filled the bridge of the Tchilatte Al'Yun-Ne'Shel, the vessel that was named her will. "You had the choice to obey, or be punished, and yet you chose mutiny - why?" Came the hoarse whisper of a woman covered in serpentine creatures, amphistaffs and tsaisi. The man cried out again in pain as the source of the woman's voice lifted a lambent crystal close to his face - exposing the face of the Admirallis that had been assigned to the flotilla to work alongside the Sith lord, bound to an Embrace of Pain in what was likely the final moments of torture. She leaned closer, the amphistaffs that blended in with her hair rising to wrap around his throat, and stared straight into his tear-filled eyes with an amber glare. "Answer me, or the pain in your spine will be relieved along with your head." She hissed, sending the man into a temporary panic before the futility in such was realized and coaxed out frightened words.

"Y-you're a freak, you'd r-rather work wi-with the Vong than our own Imperials!" He managed, his expression shifting from pain to fear as the anger became evident with the look on her face. "Were you not present at the forming of our circle? Did you think I would leave out my own children from an Empire built on their corpses?" Alekto asked, her words clearly rhetoric though he shook his head regardless with clear eagerness to provide her with an answer that pleased her. "That's all you are, all any of you that climbed the ranks through your nepotism and favors ever were - cowards that simply say what you think we want to hear, unable to think for yourselves." She hissed, crushing the lambent crystal in her grip - the sudden flames expanding around her scale-covered flesh before being consumed through the force without even a hint of notice from the woman. "I warned you, and them, to unify or die - and you, Admirallis Oric, have chosen death. The machine does not require the services of a part which no longer performs its function, I will find a replacement for you that is willing to do what is necessary to succeed." She said as she rose back up to her full height, the amphistaffs wrapped around his throat tightening and quickly slicing through flesh and bone.

Looking down at the man's severed head, the tsaisi at her ankles gliding across the ground to retrieve their meal, she sighed. "Have we arrived?" She asked, turning her gaze towards a Yuuzhan Vong warrior that served as one of their chief navigators. "Yes, Yun-Ne'Shel. We arrived moments before your judgment." His answer came with a voice as rough as gravel. "However our Oggzil villips seem unable to communicate with the forsaken aboard the dead ship Sith Saber." He added, his expression shifting to concern - concern which was mirrored by a visible disgust, anger even, that was now etched into the face of the Sith. "Either these cultists have some manner of prescience or someone else knew we were coming." Alekto said, her voice coming out as a growl as she crossed the bridge of the ship and moved to the command throne. As she sat down and leaned back against it, the "throne" opened and tendrils wrapped around her body to pull her in - immersing her with the consciousness of the ship, the Yammosks that each of the Yuuzhan Vong ships used as intermediaries of communication, and the villip choir that were the biological analogue to a communication array for the Yuuzhan Vong. True to his word there was only dead silence coming from the Oggzil villips, villips bioengineered during the great Yuuzhan Vong War centuries ago to communicate with the electrical equipment used by the majority of the galaxy.

"Nom'q'aah Al'Yun-Yuuzhan! Harla!"

The words of the vongshaped Sith Lord echoed through the interior of the Yuuzhan Vong ships, alerting those aboard of a "hated enemy" to their prime deity acting on trickery and deceit; the assumption she was making was, of course, that there might be elements of the New Imperial Order that had intercepted the same information delivered to the Sith and used it to stage a trap; as untrustworthy as other dark siders were, it was far easier to believe that their closest enemy might be near than much of anything else. Dovin basals aboard the Vua'spar interdictor, the Yaret Zaret, with the capability of creating a gravity well projection, or an interdiction field, exerted their will over the void of space as the dovin basals present on the rest of the flotilla were put on alert for potential incoming fire while the Sith Ships maneuvered towards the planet's orbit and rotated so they formed a tight semi-circle, a crescent to act as a blockade. The Sith Saber, now clearly aware of its inability to communicate in any meaningful way, maneuvered itself to sit beneath the Tchilatte Al'Yun-Ne'Shel, it, too, facing away from the planet's surface.

Yet still more was to be discovered, as the sensing nodules of the Tchilatte Al'Yun-Ne'Shel detected an absurdly large reading of radiation, coming from beyond the system the planet they encircled was even in. As there was certainly no Koros Strohna known to be anywhere near this region of space, whatever it was was an order of magnitude larger than the Yun-o tu Tchilat itself. This further corroborated her suspicions that this was more than just some cult gathering, and by way of the Master Villip aboard her ship Alekto communicated this suspicion through mental impulse to the other Yuuzhan Vong shipmasters. It seemed that whoever had laid this trap for them were more than prepared for the arrival of the Sith, though it seemed that had not taken into account the Triumvir of Power's position within the Yuuzhan Vong of the Sith Empire and not expected such a foreign technology to be of use.

 

[Lord Venari]

Location: Landing Zone, PL-40112-CE-021105
Objective: Shore up outer defense
Gear: In Bio
Allies: TSE & Allies
Enemies: EE & Allies

---

Time and time again a certain apparition loomed across the edges of Venari's periphery. Armored boots ground into the muddy earth of the jungle as one squad among the outer defense deployment followed their patrol route, beyond them were the chirps and rustles of the untamed wilds yet neither proved to be the source of the gnawing sensation the hungering lord felt. Inspecting the outer perimeter a ways away from what promised to be the focal point for the oncoming slaughter, Venari ventured under pretense of inspecting local defensive emplacements. Not a complete falsehood, too safe was a dead man's gambit and after the battle broke out there was no telling where the rabble might find themselves. Information had ebbed and flowed until the ripples reached the Empire, which now lied in wait. Still something else tugged at the ethereal strings connecting Venari to the bogan powers. A simple scan through official intel and all else that traveled through the grapevine of secondhand information ensured a quick and decisive victory yet the Sith Lord could feel and hear a screeching cacophony sung by those irascible specters of tomorrow. Following their losses at Mygeeto and Muunilinst, PL-40112 was too close to home to play stage to such a minute incursion. With the NIO on their front door and committed to ending the Sith Empire, sound minds could not afford to assume anything short of the worst.

The dark rung, amber eyes of the Sith shifted from the wilderness beyond the outer perimeter up to the closest tower among a series of anti-air guns. Somewhere out there their enemies conspired against them and soon the curtains would rise signaling the start of the play. Numerous were the times in recent months the Sith were forced into a reactionary role, now they would take to the shield once more but soon, soon the sword would be unleashed upon their enemies. The right side of Venari's lips ticked upward at the thought.

"My Lord, all preparations have been made. So far, things have been relatively quiet though if I may, why withhold the bulk of the legion within the Reclaimer during an operation so close to the capital?" At Venari's feet a small reptilian hissed in reply to the familiar voice of Colonel Nej Waldar.

"Plans have been made." The Sith Lord tore his gaze away from the sky and set on the good colonel's regalia. A trusted ally that had a hand in many a victory, even in defeat the born and bred soldier wove together logistical miracles. "Should we require more assets we shall have them, but for now we play by the book provided us. Besides, no need to send our guests running before the party even begins."

A hesitant breath was the Colonel's tell. He didn't agree but discipline would see him follow orders. "Very well, my lord."

"Return to base Colonel. Wherever these apparent cultists turn up, I want you ready in coordination. Greater machinations are at work, I can feel it."

 

[Sanguine Nocturnal]

L O C A T I O N | HQ, West.
O B J E C T I V E | Ironfall
T A G S | Théodoro
​

She was starting to love her job. Those imperials simply did not stand still, they took advantage of the chaotic situation of that weak region of the galaxy to expand business, taking planets and forcing their governments into submission, those who did not accept were duly killed and she, in her very specific area of work, won more and more guinea pigs to do their profane experiments. The next step she had was to get enough authority and influence to get rid of the useless thing that controlled her department and take her position so that she could do her job in peace, she even had a graph of how long and how she would achieve it, but there, that situation was too perfect for that.​

His colleagues were stationed in an almost privileged, if not remote, position. They were placed on the far left flank of the field, where there would be little, if any, battle to face. Perfect opportunity to get rid of the meat bag and use the vacuum created to get influence and merit in the eyes of the good emperor.​

“But, but, but. but, but, but… I will miss all the fun.”, she babbled in light words to herself, speaking softly as if speaking to her animals trapped in their cages, or perhaps talking to herself. It was difficult for anyone to see her know, but Sanguine knew and that was all that mattered. “The base is almost empty, everyone went to the fight. Only droids and lab rats stay here with me, together with a few soldiers. Perfect timing for some mischief. ”​

The Twi’lek had brought a real arsenal with them, well kept in the rooms given to it. The droids at the base had been under her control since before they left the planet, she had invaded the department's private server and changed their programming, adding a few more permission to herself and herself as the sole person they should obey without flinching instead of the old fat man she worked for. The emperor told her to work for him, but as soon as Sanguine met him she knew he was useless.​

"Nothing personal, it's just ... wait ..", she stopped and looked up before carrying the gun in her hands. "Oh yeah, it is personal.", And she laughed at that, a loud, dark shrill sound that was able to send a shiver down the spine of the bravest warrior in the galaxy. Her red fingers smoothed the disruptor between her fingers as if he were a man she coveted, running her hand over every trace of that weapon with desire and satisfaction. Sanguine stood up in the room, dragging his right foot forward and then pulling his left while his body swirled in a full circle, letting out a happy little laugh as he did, dancing with the gun in the middle of his rooms. “Today… oh, my love, we kill.”, She spoke with greed and desire, pure desire.​

Spoiler: OCC

MY GEAR:

1x UL-13 “Corporis” Skin Suit, 1x ES-7 “Osseus” Class ExoSkeleton, 1x MV-18 "Force" Class Vambraces, 1x HH-78 "Huckleberry" Class Holster, 1x IP-006 "Eris" Triple Disruptor Rifle, 2x KC-95 'Ace of Spades' Blaster Pistol, 1x KC-451 Flamethrower, 1x Nelvaanian Longsword, 1x JN3 Auger Personal Shield, 1x shock-whip, 2x curved-hilt lightsaber, grenades and surprises.

 

[Nova Argent]

| Equipment |
Sk-UL Mk2 Armor | KC-VISR Thermomagnetic Optics System | KC-SHDE Adaptive Camouflage System | S4C Light Repeating Blaster | Bayonet | KC-77N Hybrid Pistol

| Allies |
Eternal Empire & Allies

| Enemies |
The Sith Empire & Allies

| Location |
Hangar Bay (Awaiting deployment order)

| Current Objective |
Don't hurl on anyone - Prepare Self For First Battle

| Interacting With |
Jack Barrow

| Other Tags |
Sgt. Tom Sykes | Surnin Hraskinn | Agrippa

Head gear under one arm and her bulky pack of medical supplies under the other, Private Nova ‘Sucker Punch’ Argent parked herself in the seat beside Sgt. Barrow with all the grace of an overloaded pack-nerf, just barely avoiding fumbling her helmet as she set the medic bag on her knees and began strapping in. “Sir,” she nodded at him in greeting.

Her hands shook. She didn’t bother trying to hide it. Anyone looking the last few weeks knew she’d spent the entire voyage in a jittery panic, and everyone knew she hadn’t seen battle yet. Knew, but didn’t much care.

Unsurprisingly, Bad Company didn’t seem the place for undying brotherly love and tough love speeches from grizzled war veterans.

She’d had her chance at that. The Bakura native had joined the Eternal Empire’s ranks shortly after they’d liberated the planet, spurred onward by her elder sister’s heroic tales of her own experience within the Bakuran military. Though she’d had some…reservations about this nations tactics and beliefs, she’d immersed herself in the Empire’s culture, trained hard, eager to put her skills as a first responder to good use, and ‘graduated’ with flying colors. Embarking on her first mission with her unit, Nova’s future seemed bright.

And then she’d snapped two hours into her assignment and punched her commanding officer in the face as he viciously beat a civilian who refused to cooperate with his orders.
Twice. She’d punched him twice. The first one was just to break through his bloodlust.
The second was more personal. That’s when she’d realized just how intensely not okay she was with the Empire’s methods, and how good she’d been at lying to herself about it for the last few months.

At least she’d earned herself a nickname.


That was only a short time ago.

Now she was here. In this seat. With these disgraced men and women. Blood and glory waiting below, blood for a people she didn’t care about, glory for an Empire she couldn’t stand. Holding her guts in by sheer force of will, because if she thought too hard about what was waiting for them on the ground, she knew she’d lose her breakfast.

Her white-blonde hair stuck to the sweat on her jawline, dark eyes darting around the vessel, lips pressed together in a tight line. Nova gripped her helmet between her hands like it was made of precious gemstones, knuckles white. “Been looking for my courage, sir,” she choked out, referencing his previous words to them, looking anywhere but at Barrow, unsure why she was talking at all, feeling like she’d explode if she didn’t. “Not finding it.” The rookie medic wasn’t really expecting the man to answer. People in this company rarely did. She was young, unproven, unworthy.

If she survived this, though? That would change.
And she had every intention of surviving.

Spoiler: OOC Edit Note

Edited two paragraphs for spelling and grammar mistakes.

 

[Malicar]

Location: Mirador tower, Sith-Imperial Observation Post
Objective: II - Discuss business and support the rebels
Fashion: Suit and Scarf - Krongbing Interstellar Fashions
Allies: Vidalu Na'an , Kainan Wolfe , Karisa EE and EE Allies - sorta...
Enemies: Aerarii Tithe , TSE, Eclipse Rebels, and TSE allies - kinda...
Post: I

Malicar hated numerical designations. While it did simplify organization both in his head and in records, it didn’t mean he had to like them. Here, he found himself on a detestable piece of real estate designated PL-40112-CE-021105. Alas, the temptation to be here was too much for the shipping mogul to resist. Business called and Malicar would answer…even if it was right in the middle of a warzone—and both of his clients were the ones fighting against each other. But no one promised the Chiss that earning credits would be without…complexity.

At one time, Malicar Raith brought together the Hutt Clans and almost every underworld organization in Hutt Space under the Black Sun banner. Serving as the Underlord Eshro, there was a time when crime paid far more than corporate contracts, but that time came to an end. Managing war fleets, fending off assassination attempts, keeping the criminal minds united and not scrambling for power grabs came to simply be…beneath Malicar. Seeing the writing on the wall, Malicar stepped away from the united underworld factions and let others work out their issues. Predictably, the united criminal empire quickly disbanded and once again went their separate ways. However, the former crimelord’s ties still run deep in the Underworld and many organizations, such as Black Sun, still contracted Interstellar Shipping—under appropriate “upstanding” shell companies, of course. So it came to pass that Malicar then focused all his efforts back into his shipping company.

For years, Interstellar Shipping had grown and spread its tendrils throughout the known galaxy. Lucrative contracts from both megacorporations and sweeping sovereignties paid Interstellar Shipping to do what they did best—logistics. In other eras, the galaxy would not have paid premium credits for straightforward freight and shipping deliveries, but this era was quite different—the galaxy had been in a state of perpetual war for many years. It wasn’t just scattered pockets of conflict—battles raged in almost every corner of the galaxy. Once contracted to organizations such as the Mandalorian Clans and the Corellian Confederation, Interstellar Shipping still maintained large contracts with The Sith Empire, negotiated by Darth Carnifex, Lucerne Personal Defense, the Chiss Ascendancy, and recently the Eternal Empire—which was his largest contract. The Chiss was proud of the fact that it was one of the only facets that was not entirely “state-run”. Darth Tacitus understood the importance of logistics in war and in running an empire, so he hired the best in the business—at least Malicar thought so.

Aerarii Tithe. This was the Sith bureaucrat that he was potentially entering a contract with. But this was no simple “yes man bureaucrat”. Malicar always kept up with the business minds in the galaxy and Aerarii Tithe was one of them. In truth, he was quite pleased to meet him in person. While he dealt with the Sith Banking Clan often enough (he had to make sure credit deposits were made on time), this was a Moff running the Sith Imperial Foreign Investment Board—in other words, one of his primary functions was to generate revenue for The Sith Empire to keep that monstrosity afloat—wars were not free. Malicar had been behind The Sith Empire curtain enough during his contract with them to understand that they were barely able to pay for the multi-front wars they had to fund on a consistent basis. So the role that Moff Tithe played was certainly a Lead Actor role in Malicar’s mind. So when contacted about a possible contract, it was simply a no-brainer. The fact that the Eternal Empire was invading the area they were to meet? Well, the Chiss just chalked it up to “bonus conversation pieces”.

Entering the conference with a black gift box, he looked out, admiring the view. What you could see from the observation post was stunning, even all the way up to the atmosphere. The room itself possessed the traditional dark colors and “sterile” trappings of Sith structure spaces, but the “touch of class” panoramic view provided was normally lost to Sith Moffs—but not to Aerarii Tithe…

I like him already.

As he had done for years, Malicar Raith took in all the exits, vents, droids, tools, weapons, and nuances of the conference room. It was not often that the shipping tycoon was attacked in such a setting, but a little touch of paranoia never hurt anyone.

Aerarii gave a warm greeting, welcoming the Chiss. Malicar waved away the idea of less than ideal circumstances. He replied casually in his slightly accented Basic, “Moff Aerarii Tithe, no, no, the pleasure is all mine. Think nothing of the circumstances—these things simply happen…such is the times we live in. One of my clients, Baroness Karisa Sabosen may join us, but she can be a bit unpredictable these days--and figured since the Eternal Empire and the Sith Empire are in a bit of spat, it could be a conflict of interests. Although, I did assure her I was meeting with a gentleman as opposed to a cretin.”

The Chiss slid into the seat across from table from Moff Aerarii. He mused, “I must admit, I am a fan of the work you did during your time with the Sith-Imperial Banking Clan. I am convinced due to your background with Arbitrage Capital, the Sith Empire could not have been as efficient as they were in the finance sector. “

Opening the black box, he pulled out a bottle of wine with a grin, “I knew you are one to appreciate such vintages, so I brought one of my favorites—a bottle of Toniray Alderaanian Wine. It was an excellent year--the year the planet was destroyed. Well, not a good year for Alderaan, but a great year for wine…”

 

[Vidalu Na'an]

Location: Observation Post, approaching center complex from roof
Objective: Protect Eclipse Forces and ensure extraction of troops
Equipment: One (1) custom-made shoto lightsaber, One (1) CR-1 Blast Cannon, One (1) 50-meter length of synthrope, Four (4) standard thermal detonators
Appearance: Nondescript Imperial Uniform, (minor customizations). Mismatched with standard-issue Ultranaut helmet.
Ground Forces: Eclipse ground troops, airdrop unit. Approx. 30 troops
Nearby Tags: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun , Kascalion Giedfield , Aerarii Tithe , Grand Moff Aut-X, AMCO , Will Westender , Kyrel Ren , Malicar


"And you're sure that's the Jedi you saw on Bakura?"

The troop landing was a little disorganized given the narrow landing zone, but everyone made it down okay. The Skyriders unit had been practicing for these kinds of maneuvers, after all, and if they couldn't be flexible for any kind of drop than there was no point to them. The soldiers were posted around the ridge of the roof's top node, safely away from the windows, stripping away landing gear and prepping their weapons for the next step of the mission. The oldest of them had posted himself at the top of the door ridge, just out of sight of anything that could be inside, and was looking over his fellow soldiers with only mild skepticism.

They were a new unit, to be sure--mostly refugees from Empire-burned worlds--but their motivation had fueled rapid progress during their training period, to the point that they could work as seamlessly as a unit as any official military force. As long as that sense of trust and camaraderie held, they'd never had any problems getting the job done.

The problem was the additional soldier that had been dropped along with them. That guy was weird.

He looked back at the soldier in question again, his mouth taking on a quizzical twist. It wasn't the uniform, or even the too-large Imp helmet that made the guy stand out. Lots of Eclipse soldiers had cobbled together their armor from stranger places, or lacked armor entirely. It was more the fact that from the moment the Commander had escorted the stranger into their hold and announced his role in their drop, he hadn't said a single gorram word. Or taken off that creepy helmet even once.

His partner Gorello's excitement at the mere sight of the guy didn't make it any less strange.
"Dead sure!" he exclaimed, beaming ear-to-ear in that way that was somehow both annoying and cute. He pulled Dag's down to his level, pointing at a silver tube strapped to the soldier's waist. "Look, Dag, he's got the lightsaber and the stolen helmet and everything. It's got to be him."

Dag squinted. "Kind of short, isn't he?"

"You think height matters when it's a Jedi?"

"Don't condescend to me, you greenie." Dag slapped Gorello's helmet affectionately, then returned to his final weapon checks. The jolt from drops had a way of jamming the first round if you landed wrong, and Dag hated losing that first round. "Just because you're fanboying over some squirt with a fancy laser sword doesn't mean anything to me."

"You weren't there, man. You didn't see that squirt take out an entire street full of tanks with that laser sword then vanish like a gorram ghost." Gorello's eyes were all but giving off their own light at the memory. "And the Voice sent him with us personally. Do you have any idea what that means??"

As a matter of fact, Dag hadn't thought that far. He stroked his chin thoughtfully, looking back at the entrance they were about to break into. "I'll admit it's nice knowing the unit's getting some special regards, if that's really him. Taking a Sith lab without thinking about the Force angle would've been..."

Dag's voice died. The weird soldier, the Jedi had approached them, staring up at Dag with those weird goggle eyes. Something about the stare seemed to go right through him, even under the helmet. Or maybe he was imagining it, now that he knew what was behind the stare, according to Gorello. Either way, it sent a shiver down the old soldier's spine, even before the Jedi spoke.
"No time for chit-chat, gentlemen, eyes up." The voice filtering out of the helmet's vocoder was high and thin. "I know you've been drilled on basic formations and that this drop was meant to bypass a lot of the barriers we would've had down below, but once this door comes down we'll still have security fire raining down on us. Make sure your shielding's active before then. Sargeant Dag, take the lead. I'll be backing you personally. "

Both soldiers nodded, wide-eyed and silent, getting back into position for the break. The Jedi went to check on the rest of the drop troops; Dag only let his snort of laughter loose once she was out of sight.
"Well, that explains why your ghost's so short."

Under his helmet, Gorello's face was flushed red as a Zeltron's.

***
​

Na'an watched the soldiers begin the maneuver with seeming impassiveness. The helmet helped with that, honestly--underneath, she was a bundle of hot nerves and twitching muscle. She tapped her fingers against the blast cannon in a rough tattoo, the drumming rhythm helping her focus on the task at hand.
"I'm still not sure about this, L," she said into her internal comms. "I'm no commander, you know that, I shouldn't be in charge of these guys. And...something about this place is off."

Behind her, the soldiers were starting to cut their way into the top node's walls. If they came in from more angles than just the entrance, it'd be easier to take out the top floor's security and take the inside.

"I know it's not as good as data, but...we've both been to a Sith lab before. This doesn't feel like a Sith lab."

 

[Ardana Vorco]

Benûwia Antares / Darth Xanesh / Ireria Antares
Sith sorcerer, alchemist, historian, member of the Primyn Group​

Location: Landing Zone, PL-40112-CE-021105
Equipment: Red blade lightsaber (Benûwia) | Red blade lightsaber (Ireria) | Multispectrum disguise suite
Tags/Attention: R Reyn Australis | Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax
Allies: TSE and allies
Enemies: EE and allies

Background music:
Cross Borns – Tűz és vér (Fire and blood)​

Xanesh looked up from his data bench as the movement started at the base. She sighed. She might have forgotten a calm and "peaceful" day. By peaceful, she meant that she could finally spend it experimenting or examining artifacts. She did not like to be disturbed in her work and/or hobby. Although the two pretty much overlapped and it was so perfect. Yet who and what can he/she want on this planet? Unless someone thought the same as her, that is, it would use the jungle for experimentation and it wants the ancient ruins. But it won't get anyone who it was.

She would have just stood up when a young woman came up to her and addressed her. Looked at the young woman in armor, armed and winged with dignity and infinite calm. Xanesh found the girl interesting, so she was the one mentioned to her. She saw landing ships that were not their own, nevertheless, she answered infinitely calmly and measuredly. Her movements and voice also suggested and reflected infinite elegance.

”Yes, we are Darth Xanesh, and if we're not mistaken, you're Darth Pallax, our future disciple” she said.

Meanwhile he saw the Vong ships, which, despite what she had read about their race, were impressive. The sight was disturbed by presumably hostile ships, she turned off her datapad and adjusted her clothes, and finally she looked at the young woman. Today one way or another, but there will be ways to assess what a child is capable of.

”Your teaching seems to begin sooner than we thought” she looked at Pellax. ”We hope you are ready or show us what you are capable of.”

​

 

[Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax]

Location: Landing Zone
Allies: TSE and allies
Enemies: EE and Allies
Main tag: Ardana Vorco
Equipment:

Spoiler: Click me

Silens cursor
Revans Lightsaber
Y.N.D Ysalamiri Neural Disabler

As the girl stood before the sith, they studied Teresa for a moment, she could tell simply by watching her eyes and for a moments glance Teresa did the same taking note of the way they pronounced their name in her head. "Yes, I'm unofficially Darth Pellax, officially my name is Teresa Pelles." There was no reason to lie to this person, they was generous enough to consider her as an apprentice, following some "testing." Something that was standard amongst acolytes and apprentices, and it was something she had managed to avoid this far. However infuriating it had to be done. She needed the guidance because without it she will remain weak.

Her eyes would peer upwards into the sky watching more ships fill the air. Even she knew that a world this remote did not see traffic like this, even if the capital was not far. It was clear the atmosphere had changed and this world was about to be a war zone. Teresa tried hard not to scowl yet the light creases at the top of her nose still showed. It was probably good that the fighter shuttle was sent back to the shadow the woman thought to herself. "So it seems." She responded as the sith turned to face her. "I hope you find my skill's to your liking, M'lady. I assume I am to follow you then, unless you have something else in mind?" Teresa said bringing her hand up palm first, fingers bent inwards as she moulded her metal nails to a sharp point. It was a metal that ran over the bones of her hands.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Location: Observation Post, Center Complex
Forces: 10 Crownguard | 2 Dimensional Shamblers | 4 Elder Things
Tags: Kainan Wolfe (Eventually), Aerarii Tithe , Grand Moff Aut-X, Kascalion Giedfield , AMCO , Moff TV-771 "Bishop",

R E A L I T Y ' S E D G E ​

"In portal creation spells yes Asation was beneficial, I agree, but the horrors are a different matter, they have their own agenda" - Taeli Raaf

The veil thinned on the jungle world of PL-40112-CE-021105 where dimensional horrors tread and cultists once worshipped entities belonging to a world beyond the stars. The Sith Empire stretching out across the stars with its gauntlet of iron reached out to consume the numerically designated world, unleashing its full might against the dimensional Rozzum and the madness afflicted adherents and their dark temple. But they were the uninitiated, the young, naivete of the old ones adherents. They were formidable but even their resistance was futile against such an immensely powerful imperial legion and they fell, the stones of their temple torn down and sacred relics and murals destroyed. All that remained was repurposed stone and the gnarled roots and overgrown moss in the lowest levels of the one sacred temple, its halls repurposed into a dedicated observation post and manned by sixty members of the Imperial Legion. While the blood and gore spilled over the battle worn halls had faded and evidence of conflict erased it wouldn't change the world it'self. For the veil thinned on the world designated with the letters 'PL'.

Why was he here?

When word came from their allies in the Eternal Empire of an impending attack no one at the lone Observation Post in the assembled crew could've anticipated those who showed up for the prepared trap. But they never would've believed that he would show up. But when the doors of the observation post's central complex slid open and the Major in charge entered the room with his helmet under his arm he couldn't hide the reaction of utter surprise at what he saw. The complex was for some reason darker than usual and there were great casted, black shadows in the corners of the fairly sized chamber that were no longer visible, but even the darkness couldn't hide from him the ten imposing figures clad in the blood red, segmented armor of the Imperial Crownguard spaced equidistant around the room. They were a very symbol of the Sith Emperor renowned as the greatest warriors in all the empire designated his sovereign protectors. Their origins were equally mysterious but their prowess was widely spoken not even the Blackblade Guard could stand up to the excellence of these monoliths that waded into battle alongside the ruling monarch and his feared hand, defending the family and crushing enemies of the empire.

But they weren't alone.

There were two creatures that stood on either side of the Shadow Hand who was sitting on his knees pressed up against the wall. When one first saw these beasts they almost looked humanoid, but just for a moment before ones eyes adjusted. They were creatures that stood taller than the average man with black, slick, almost rubbery skin and a bulbuous head devoid of eyes with a punched hole for a nose, and a toothy maw. Their limbs looked like they were disproportionate to the rest of the body with its extremely long legs and arms that were unusually thick that ended in sharp clawlike nails. Their bodies were marke with unusual features of dark colored splotches, indentations, and more that would've appeared excruciating on any normal man. The creatures stood unusually still by his side and occasionally the world seemed to blur around them almost as if they were shifting in and out of existence.

In the very corners of the room were creatures that quite simply defied imagination.

They were immense beasts over eight feet from top to bottom with a biology that was almost vegetable or echinoderm in form, they possessed a unique radial symmetry to their bodies with appendages that almost resembled starfish on both the top and bottom of its barrel like body. The very top appendage was a head adorned with five eyes, possessing five eating tubes as well as cillia that allowed the creatures to see in the absence of light. The bottom appendage was five limbed set that stretched like roots, a base that the beast stood on and used for all manner of movements. Its body held a series of slits that housed five retractable, grotesque, leathery wings that give the beast a wingspan of over seven feet when they were fully unfolded, and another five sets of tentacles that looked like branches sprouting from its torso with fine control that allowed it to perform a number of applications from forms of manipulation to swimming. It was unusual how everything was equally spaced around its torso.

When the Major entered the room there were so many eyes on him that it made his skin crawl and he visible shivered as he approached the exalted Shadow Hand. The dark armored Death Lord's face was concealed beneath a hood - his figure illuminated by the cerulean glow of a holocommunicator. There was a deep, mechanical voice that came through the other end of the device:

"We have made what preparations we can given the time we had available, Lord Prazutis. We must simply wait for our foe to arrive and spring the trap we have laid for them. This will be a fitting test for my new droids."

Grand Moff Aut-X had arrived and already made preparations alongside his droid escort. A full force of several thousand b1 as well as b2 droids manning the defense including one hundred fifty elite commando droids escorted by droidekas and a column of AAT Armor led by a Defoliator Tank, a formidable force to augment the sixty defenders, along with many other surprises inside.

"Excellent. Do not rush your forces into battle Grand Moff, it will find us soon enough and the day is young. The honor of first contact with the enemy is yours. Lord Giedfield and the Cognus Legion will be ready inside the walls. They will not survive our layered defense." The Shadow Hand said as his gaze briefly shifted away from the Grand Moff to the Major in front of him who bowed "Supreme Excellency. It is an honor to-..." The Major started but he was interrupted by the quick reply of the giant who gestured to the Crownguard. One of rhe blood armored escorts transmitted something to the man whose communicator chimed in response "Our enemy comes Major. You have been informed of the assets now defending the facility. Your men are not to leave this facility for any reason, they will take up defensive positions and hold it. Coordinate with the Cognus Legion and the Sithspawn Forces in your defense. Leave me now." He ordered his attention snapping back to the Grand Moff:

"Keep me appraised of any new developments this is just the beginning." Darth Prazutis finished, terminating the connection. The very walls strained before the maelstrom of his darkness and supremacy, his aura of command dominating the very room which pulsed like a beating heart. The veil was thinnest around him and the horrors from beyond who remained still. Its wings retracted and its eyes gazed with a malign intelligence as they looked to the Lord of Lies, each one spoke a foul, indecipherable language that hurt the eardrums, it was almost sound that didn't belong:

"Thax thuna rftath ftagt ur naas, liallast un ts'ungt gatthangung a'uiang xuia."
"Tha'a ut nu'a. Tha lashghaxt ur suna 'a'aaft nanx saftftung tughst."
"A raats gatthangt un xuia, ftxung un ghaus."
"P'ala'a"

One after the other their voices assaulted the room and the lone figure of importance within it. Yet even with his eyes of molten fury that held a ring of pure black he didn't physically react to any one of them, nor did he speak to the Elder Things. The only motion he made before he closed his eyes was the raising of a hand before the light in the room dimmed even more, casting great shadows across the floor. He closed his eyes and the only audible noise was a deep breathing, a guttural rumbling. An enemy descended upon the complex with no idea what lurked within. They would find only death within these halls.

Breathe in, Breathe out.

 

[Karisa]

​

Location: Mirador tower - conference room, Sith-Imperial Observation Post
Objective: II - Diplomacy, good wine, nice company
Outfit: Noble robes, Hairstyle
Gear: Flex-Armorweave fabric in clothing, concealed Charric blaster pistol, hidden short-bladed dagger, 1 hair chopstick with a poison tip, pocket rebreather
Allies: EE and EE Allies
In the company of Malicar
Enemies: TSE and TSE Allies, Eclipse Rebels
In the company of Aerarii Tithe
Post: 1

​

When Karisa finally relented and agreed to accompany Malicar for a drink with a friend of his, who knew the wine tasting adventure was to be held at the Sith-Imperial Observation Post. The exact details of this particular meeting and the true intentions from the Interstellar Shipping CEO were a little vague, though that was nothing new. For as long as she had known Vesnam'alicar'raith, he always was wheeling and dealing in that keen business head of his. The Baroness had reservations, of course, being a member of the Eternal Empire's Imperial Assembly and having measured knowledge of the impending incursion and misdirect with her mid-level security clearance, but she had received encouragement from the powers above her to go ahead with the trip nonetheless as a little diplomacy never hurt in the middle of chaos.

​

"I am not unpredictable, my dear Mister Wraith. I just know when to make an entrance especially now that your thoughtful gift has been shared with the esteemed governor," Brask'ari'sabosen announced as the Chiss noblewoman strolled into the conference room with an air of grace and perhaps an amused twinkle in her glowing red eyes as she made her way towards the long table where the two men were already sitting. Her crimson orbs flicked from the charismatic shipping tycoon to the well-known banker turned Sith Imperial Moff as she addressed him extending her hand as a greeting gesture.

"Salutations, Moff Tithe. I am Karisa Sabosen, Baroness of Verkuyl. My sincere apologies for my lateness to the meeting. It seems I took a wrong turn in your grand facility after freshening up upon our arrival. It is a pleasure to finally meet you as my fellow Chiss here has been singing your praises as a financial management expert. I yearn to learn more from you in this area," the blue-hued beauty complemented with a respectful cant of her dark head before taking the offered seat at the table.

"Please gentlemen, let us continue," she smiled.

​

 

[Will Westender]

Equipment: Lightsaber | KC-77N Blaster Pistol
Allies: EE (Eclipse Rebellion) | Enemies: TSE
Troops: 10x Eclipse Infantry | 1x
Attn: Shavara | Onrai |​

One of the rebels on the shuttle, the strange masked one, seemed to take an interest in his weapons. That wasn't unusual, lightsabers and Force wielders were not very common throughout the galaxy, despite what a lot of people thought. Many could go their entire lives without ever meeting a single Force wielder, so curiosity was to be expected. The accent was odd and the pronunciation definitely was unusual, try as he might, he couldn't place this rebel at all. Well, the galaxy was a big place, there were a million and one planets this one could have come from, even in the Unknown Regions. Especially in the Unknown Regions. Unlike the ordered, cataloged and mapped parts of the Core, the Unknown Regions were still a realm of mystery.

The question was odd enough that he didn't know how to respond for a moment. "Its, uhh... its my weapon. It can cut things... deflect blaster bolts.... It uhh... Its a good weapon, useful. You know, the weapon of the Jedi. Tradition and all that," he tried to find a proper way to explain. Well, he wasn't much of a Jedi, really. He wasn't a Jedi at all, but these people didn't have to know that.

Before the conversation could continue, however, the shuttle swerved hard as a Sith starfighter fell in behind it and opened fire, beginning the deadly game of cat and mouse. Damn. That was fast.

Will was a pilot. A good one. He knew starships and he knew this shuttle couldn't win this dance with that starfighter. It just wasn't agile enough, the starfighter would stay on its tail and sooner or later it would get shredded by laser fire. There. The shuttle shuddered as the enemy starfighter scored a hit, damaging a stabilizer and causing the shuttle to jerk and sputter as its pilot struggled to maintain control of the dying craft. One more hit like that and they'd all be a pile of burning wreckage falling from the sky. He had to think fast.

There. In the hands of one of the rebel infantrymen, a missile launcher. With a single step, Will reached out and took it from the rebel's hands. No time for explanations. "Got any anti-air missiles?" he asked. "Just a heat-seeker," the rebel answered, quickly putting two and two together and figuring out what Will was planning. "Here, take it."

Well, that was too bad. He could have really used something a little more sophisticated than a simple heat-seeker, but it'd have to do. "Hold on!" he warned the others as he slapped the button to open the rear ramp, steadied himself and took aim at the enemy starfighter pursuing them. Please work, he thought as he squeezed the trigger, sending the missile towards the enemy vessel. Dying here, on this forsaken rock in the middle of nowhere, was not an option he liked to consider.

 

[Tiberius Bayne]

Allies: EE | Enemies: TSE
Attn: Broka the Hutt | Taozi Fuyuan | Marlon Sularen
Location: Entering orbit of PL-40112-CE-021105
Engaging: Ellie Mors​

Spoiler: 1st Fleet Section

Deployed at battlespace:

• ENS Wrath’s Arbiter (10.000 meters)
• 1x Adjudicator II-class Star Destroyer (1700 meters)
• 1x Valiant II-class Star Destroyer (1210 meters)
• 2x Augrim-class Heavy Cruisers (1502 meters)
• 2x Spearhead-class Artillery Cruisers (1826 meters)
• 1x Overseer-class Interdictor (900 meters)
• 1x Mordekai-class Escort Cruiser (500 meters)
• 1x Fenris Type D EWAR Cruiser (750 meters)
• 2x Ardan II-class Flak Frigates (900 meters)
• 2x Retribution-class Heavy Missile Corvettes (400 meters)
• 1x Typhoon-class Minelayer Corvette (174 meters)

Starfighters:

• 4x T-77 'Talon' Stealth Interceptor Squadrons
• 27x I-3A Lance Fighter Squadrons
• 10x RX-4 'Hornet' Star Bomber Squadrons
• 2x TIE-SS Space Superiority Fighter Squadrons

From his console on the bridge of the immense flagship, the Grand Admiral carefully monitored the data sent by the cloaked Fenris cruiser. It looked like the Sith hadn't yet detected it, or at least figured out exactly where it was, though it was only a matter of time. Especially given who was in charge of the Sith fleet that just jumped in, if his assumption was correct. Those were Vong ships, the Empire's electronic jamming tech would be useless against them. Which meant that the one commanding that fleet was...

"Clever girl," the Grand Admiral muttered to himself. The Sith had taken precautions, it seemed, and were dangling a bait of their own. Well, no plan survived contact with the enemy and Bayne knew it was only a matter of time before the Sith figured out something was coming, with the radiation readings the flagship was giving. No matter. He had a few tricks of his own, especially against the Vong. The Sith were in for a few surprises of their own.

"Open up a channel to the Emperor," the Grand Admiral ordered. "Sir, the enemy has entered the system. Vong ships," he reported, knowing that the Emperor would reach the same conclusion he had. "Then it is time," Tacitus' voice replied. "Grand Admiral, execute the jump."

The Grand Admiral smiled, and it was a cold thing, his smile. The smile of a deadly predator about to pounce on its prey. "All ships, battlestations," he signalled the rest of the fleet and their allies. "All weapons, calibrate for staggered fire. We're going up against Vong ships. Have the hyperdrive begin spooling back up as soon as we enter the system," the Grand Admiral instructed. "Helmsman, take us in."

Like a flock of deadly birds of prey, the fleet rose from the atmosphere of the gas giant and angled itself towards its destination, arrayed in a triangular formation with the dreadnought at its core, like an angry arrow about to be shot into the heart of an enemy. As one, the ships jumped, enveloping themselves in a shroud of blue light as the winds of hyperspace surrounded them like a tunnel.

It did not take long. The space above PL-40112-CE-021105, directly behind the formation of Vong ships, warped, twisted and heaved, as if the very fabric of reality was struggling against some incomprehensible cosmic strain that sought to tear it apart. It was a metaphorical battle that the fabric of space could not possibly hope to win.

And so, it gave way. And spat out ship after ship, all reverting from hyperspace in a carefully coordinated order, wasting no time to begin locking onto targets amongst the Sith vessels and launch squadron after squadron of starfighters and dropships, the latter plunging straight down into the planet's atmosphere, larger transports breaking off from the flotilla to follow them. At the heart of the Imperial fleet, the massive dreadnought began to spool up its auxiliary reactors, raising their output from the ten percent idle state, to one hundred percent, lighting the colossus up like a beacon that every sensor within five systems could detect, such were the radiation readings it output. It was as if the shard of a neutron star had suddenly materialized in the system.

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Ingrid L’lerim
The Red Witch; Emperor's hand; Director of Blackwatch; Baroness of Vengard​

Location: Observation Post, Floral Research Hub Aurek, integrated into exterior walls.
Equipment: Assassin armor with this look | Black blade lightsaber | Red blade lightsaber shoto | 2x vibroblades | Stealth field generator
Tags: AMCO | Kainan Wolfe

Background music:
Elena Siegman – Abracadavre​

She didn’t want this war…

She just nodded at the Emperor's words, it meant a lot to her that the man trusted her abilities. Meanwhile the whole fleet entered to the hyperspace. Her thoughts had to be fully identified with the role that awaited her. She just wanted to protect her people, her Empire, no matter the cast, even if she needs to kill or betray her own Emperor. She didn’t want the war, and that was true, she would have waited with it until they were stronger. It was the hardest mission of her life, to play betrayal while being extremely loyal to the Empire. She didn’t want this war, she hoped the gods would help her. She didn’t want this war. She told herself at least a thousand times. She was already beginning to believe it all. In the whole thing, she has to do this, the Sith cannot not see out her true thoughts and purpose. So she is going to betray the Eternal Empire in secret for the Sith Empire. And why? Because that was her job and the Emperor expected this of her.

<”True, you are right, my Lord. I can do this. I have to and I’ll!”> she said confidently.<”But as for Tubrok's part we haven't talked since the wedding, your wedding my Lord. I think it was very bad for him that I had to work there too, and I had to seduce that OPA spy… when we could finally be together after months. I don’t think he want to speak with me again. At least for a while.”>

And yes, she will tell the whole thing to her husband when she returns to the Eternal Empire and she finally can go to Christophsis. For at that time Ingrid did not know yet that her husband gave up everything and moves with his men to Kalidan and return to the Eternal Empire. That was a secret between Tubrok and Tacitus. She didn’t want this war. If Tubrok is at all still willing to talk to her. She had to maintain her position within the Empire – that was easy, because the Emperor knew their plan, he gave the order to Ingrid – and in addition she had to gain the trust of the Sith Empire.

All this by omitting her lover from the entire mission, although AMCO would have been perfect to use for her purposes, but once again she is not making this mistake. She had been pretty tuned in to Adrian in the recent weeks – since they were lovers – so when they stepped out of hyperspace in vain they were far from the planet she was already sensing her lover’s presence in the Force. Adrian was on the planet.

”Karabast!” she whispered.

Damn the plans! Ingrid did not let Adrian fall into the hands of the Eternal Empire, although Tacitus let her try to persuade the other to join the Eternal Empire. She had to find him and get him off the planet before it is too late. Ironically, perhaps he will still be the key to her task, and she wanted to exclude the Dark Counselor from her double agent job. She wanted to take a fighter, but that would have been too striking so she boarded one of the first dropships that headed for the planet.

Several other dropships set off toward the surface, she directed the commander of her own ship to where she felt Adrian. She wanted to get as close to her lover as possible. They were subjected to continuous fire from below, their ship was also hit near to the surface. She was able to jump out of it at the last minute, luckily close enough to the facility where the man was. Her first thing was to hide in the Force and no one could see, not perceive, now it all went better for her than last time. The base was nowhere near as protected as Tower Vandiir, with her abilities it was even child's play to get here.

Luckily Adrian couldn’t hide himself yet, so it was easy to follow his presence. She proceeded very cautiously throughout, for she could not take the slightest risk of falling. For the time being. It seemed like an infinitely slow time to get to the level where Adrian was. Who, moreover, apparently was not even alone, fortunately she found a room where they could be alone, so she intended to invite Adrian there. Reached out to the Force and through it Ingrid touched Adrian softly as she did during their time together, so that the man can recognize and know that she is.

”It is me handsome, please come to the empty room to your left, I have to talk with you” she sent the message telepathically.

She hoped the man would do what she asked and come in there. She preferred to talk to him in person and not just in a telepathic way. So the other could come in, she stepped a little out of the door so Adrian wouldn't go to her, for she had not yet been able to see it because of the maintain of invisibility. She was still in Adrian’s arms a few days before she went home. By the way, Adrian has got to know Ingrid as a very caring, incredibly attentive and passionate lover in recent weeks, who, moreover, learned incredibly quickly. Why was her life so hard? She didn’t want this war. If Adrian came in, she would have spoken out loud this time.

”Hello handsome!” she greeted the man.

She closed the door, that is, the room behind them, so that no one would disturb them for the time being. She still hid her presence, but she eliminated invisibility. Now she didn't go any closer, just stopped and took off her helmet. This time she was not perfect, Ingrid looked tired and tormented, but that might have highlighted the features of her even more. She looked paler than usually, making her eyes look even bluer than they actually were and as one who prepared for battle and she wore no makeup this time. She was natural, and she didn’t want this war…

”The Eternal Empire betrayed the Sith Empire, we attacked this planet. I don't want the Eternal Empire to capture you. If it happens, you fall into my hands, and I have to torture you and maybe I have to kill you if you not cooperate with us. I don't want to hurt you, but if my men capture you, I have to, and I'll do it. This is why I am here, I want to smuggle you out of the planet safely, Adrian. I don't expect you to trust me, because I know I'm the enemy now, but if I wanted you to be dead or a prisoner, you would already be that” she said sadly. ”I didn’t want this war…”

She shakes her head and she embraced herself defensively with her arms. No matter how much she wanted to, she didn't step closer to the man, didn't hug Adrian and didn’t try to kiss him. She visibly shook; she knew she would be able to kill the man at this moment if that was her command. But she didn't want to, she didn't want this war. She would be able to kill Adrian in the same way she would kill her own parents, siblings, husband, anyone, even if a part of her being dies in it. She felt herself an incredibly big monster. Maybe she really was the necessary evil, just like her emperor…

The woman who is always strong, confident, and seemingly invulnerable, now she looked infinitely fallen and vulnerable. There were not many in her life who saw Ingrid that way, mostly so that she didn’t play herself then as she did not now either. She knew she was a professional spy and agent and she could do this, but that task was really grounding her. She was attracted to Adrian and really worried about him, especially after what she saw on Wayland. She was almost pleading at the man, tears welled up in her eyes, but no, she would not cry in front of Adrian.

She didn't want this war…

​

 

[Dash Typho]

Allies: Eclipse Rebellion
Enemies: Eternal Empire, The Sith Empire
Units: 4x Thunderhawk X-Wings, 8x M1 Razor Starfighters
Attn: Vidalu Na'an Loreena Arenais-Valhoun Malicar Will Westender Grand Moff Aut-X
​

His Thunderhawk shuttered as it shunted into real space, into orbit of the Sith slave world. With him, a multitude of other starfighters did the same, a small swarm of ships arriving to invade the planet below. Well, not exactly invade. It was more of a liberation. The higher ups had gotten intelligence that the planet possessed a slave facility, and naturally, a rescue effort was quickly created in order to free them. Of course, forget the fact that they were near the edge of the Sith Empire, yet another malevolent force in the Galaxy. Doing this would be sure to paint a target on their back, bringing the total number of empires that sought the Eclipse's destruction up to a tidy two. Well, what was a rebellion if not a struggle against surmounting odds.

"Jester Squadron, mic check." He spoke into his comm-piece.

"J-2, here."
"J-3, ready."
"J-4 comfy enough."
"J-5, focused."

Eight more voices crackled across his radio, as the rest of Jester Squadron, his squadron, did a check in. This time around they'd be flying annoyances, taking care of the AA guns on ground to clear the way for the rest of the Eclipse forces to make land fall and breach the facility. After that, they'd be doing harassment runs, keeping the attention off the ground and end the air, until they were able to get who they needed and make a rapid retreat. Simple enough, right?

A light began blinking on his dash, a signal to begin their mission. "We've got the green light, Jester! Dive!" He pushed the joystick of his X-Wing forward, sending it into a downwards descent into the atmosphere of the planet. His squadron and several others followed, the mass of rebel starfighters dropping through the cloud lines before splitting off into their own mission areas. Normally a direct strike against such a isolated facility would be harder, due to the sheer size of planets. But the intelligence they'd received gave them some precise coordinates on their locations. Lucky them.

Once in atmosphere, the full sounds of battle could be heard, as explosions rippled through the air and into his cockpit as the Eclipse forces engaged the Sith air and land defenses.

"Jester, keep it thin, hit them hard!" He ordered. The formation of the squadron would thin out as they began to engage their own individual targets. Dash himself found a target in a AA emplacement, which fired on nearby starfighters. He brought his X-Wing in a low sweep towards the cannons, leading them to miss him bearing down on them until it was too late. He pressed the trigger on his joystick, firing off a proton torpedo that soared into the emplacement, slamming into it and blowing it into an explosion of red flames. He pulled up, quickly climbing over the wreckage and back into the sky.

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

Equipment: Sword | Shroudsaber | Sith Lightsabers | Armor (Custom Appearance)
Allies: EE | Enemies: TSE
Attn: Darth Prazutis | Ingrid L'lerim
Location: Aboard the ENS Wrath's Arbiter
Troops: 10x Wolfguards | 4x Netherworld Demons | 2x Voxyn​

The Eternal Emperor watched as his apprentice boarded the dropship, there were no more words to be said. This mission would be her test of loyalty, the trial she had to pass in order to prove her reliability and dedication to the cause of the Eternal Empire. After G'rho, he no longer trusted his apprentice's ability to control her emotions or resist her impulses and desires. This invasion would be her last chance to prove herself. If she chose the Sith over the Eternal Empire, over her own people... Well, the Empire was not a forgiving nation. And in exchange for all the things it offered, it demanded only one thing in return. Absolute, unwavering loyalty and unquestioning obedience.

On his orders, the fleet jumped into the system and as the massive dreadnought around him sprang into a flurry of activity, he found himself checking his armor and weapons one last time. An old soldiers' habit, which brought familiarity and comfort before battle. Boarding his own dropship, the Voxyn and his Wolfguards following after him while the ethereal, disturbing forms of the demons hovered in their wake, he opened a channel, system-wide. Vong ships in the system meant there was no point in trying to keep up the ruse anymore. The Sith would figure out what happened, anyway, so it was time to drop the charade in favor of a different tactic: psychological warfare.

"Followers of the Sith Empire," he spoke in a solemn, deep voice that was at the same time calm and unnerving. "I am Darth Tacitus. Eternal Emperor of Kalidan and leader of my people. For many months, you have aided the Eternal Empire and its cause and for that, I thank you," he said. "Our alliance, such as it was, has been useful to the Eternal Empire. But alas, you have outlived your usefulness."

"While you have been convenient, useful tools for advancing the Eternal Empire's cause, the truth of the matter is that you are not like us. Your impulsiveness, your self-indulgence, your lack of discipline and inability to see beyond whatever whims occupy your fancy, are traits that make you weak. You lack discipline and dedication, you obsess over luxuries and excess, pursuing power for its own sake and failing to understand the fundamental fact that power is merely a tool, which without purpose is meaningless and thus it has no value."

"You reek of weakness. Everywhere you go, you spread corruption, you bring decadence and degeneracy, you halt the march o progress in a vain attempt to replace it with stagnation. You take slaves because you are incapable of doing hard work on your own. You snap and lash out in anger, you look towards what others have with greed, you lust and obsess over an ever increasing quantity of more. All these traits make you weak as well, unworthy of the future others toil and sacrifice so much to build."

"Indulging as you do in the hard work of others, secluded in your opulent palaces and surrounded by comfort and luxuries, you have grown soft and meek. You embrace weakness, thinking it strength, you give in to your base impulses, losing yourselves and becoming little more than animals, slaves to the Force while lacking any will of your own. And because of this, we find your continued existence repulsive, an offense we can not and will no longer tolerate."

"It was ever the way of the Sith to follow strength and while your leaders fattened themselves on the fruits of the labor of others, we Imperials embraced hardship, struggle and challenge, growing to outshine you, to become the thing you should have been, but failed so utterly to become. Therefore, I have only this to say to you. I hereby claim the title of Dark Lord of the Sith and with this, I declare the Sith, their Code, their ways, traditions and beliefs, to be obsolete and thus, disbanded. From this day on, there will be no more Sith, as they have been replaced by something greater, something superior in every way and lacking all the flaws which make you a weak, inferior imitation of our Eternal Empire."

"To those amongst you who would right your erroneous ways, I offer this one, simple choice: join, or die. Submit, or be annihilated. And of those of you who would deny reality, who would defy the natural order of things with every living breath, only one thing is required. Your destruction. You may choose to save yourselves and us, the effort of hunting you down by ending your own lives. Or you may not. It is irrelevant. You are irrelevant. In the end, your fate will be the same, no matter what you do, as from us you will find no mercy or quarter, only the genocide you so rightfully deserve."

With that, he closed the channel, terminating the connection as the dropships slammed into the atmosphere, lifting their bellies up and pointing their noses away from the ground to maximize the surface area in contact with the air. Above the planet, red streaks lit up the sky, first one, then several, then countless more. It was a difficult maneuver, one designed to decelerate a ship from the hypersonic speeds of orbit, to subsonic in a matter of a few breaths. A combat drop, it was called, giving the dropships their name.

The Eternal Empire had come for the Sith, had come to reap a harvest of blood and souls. And aboard one of the dropships, its leader drew on the strength of the four demons, slowly subsuming them, dissolving them into raw, pure Darkside energy to use as his own. They were extensions of his will, the demons, just tools to be used, just like the title of Darth had been. But in truth, he was no Sith. He never was. He and his Wardens were something else, something the galaxy had never known before. They were the harbingers of long-forgotten truth.

For the first time since the Battle of Eshan, when he had fought side by side with Srina Talon and countless other friends when times were simpler and life was easier, he let the veil fall, just a little, just enough to serve his purposes. Down upon the planet, he sensed the presence of another, a presence he was familiar with, whom he had fought before, but not like this. Never like this. He drew upon the currents of the Darkside and leashed them to his indomitable will, he cast his will against death itself until it, too, answered and obeyed his call. Very few had ever come close to knowing the true extent of Tacitus' power. On this day, the Sith would learn.

 

[Placeholder 0128]

Allies: EE Rebels, open
Enemies: TSE, Orion Darkstar , open
Moosic

"Blood for blood my sons and daughters. The vengeful eagle of Ession falls upon them, and we are her talons. We fight between two empires on this day, one of our own blood, and one that that has spilled oceans of it. Traitors and heretics, each of them. There can be no peace so long as these beasts still draw breath. Let us begin the breaking of this cycle."

The others within the shuttle regarded Cedric with silent determination. There were only two dozen of them, but that would be enough. Each was a volunteer, as the government-in-exile had no ties to this operation. For each of them, this was personal. Almost every single Essonian man and woman had suffered terribly at the hands of the Sith Empire. There was no one aboard this ship that had not lost a brother, a sister, a mother or a son. The great death had forged them into fanatics: fortunately fanatics were what the galaxy needed now.

It had been choked in darkness: crushed beneath the imperial jackboot.

"My lord," Decius glanced at him, his ancient brown eyes narrowed as they peered through the red din of the shuttle. "Are you prepared?" He asked, his voice lowering so that only the two of them might hear one another. "After all that has happened, one would not fault you for feeling the touch of the Bogan upon your soul. I will ask you one final time, before the point of no return is crossed, Is your faith in solid standing?"

The Jedi cracked a thin smile, and bowed his head toward the aging bishop. "It is, as it always has been. I serve the Ashla Bishop. We are drawn from dust-"

" - To serve. I know. I only wanted to check on you one last time." Decius grinned through his thick white beard, yellow teeth glinting in the light.

"And you? You're too old for this Decius. You should be back on Kanar with the families. If I am killed, our people will need a leader."

"There will be others, in time. They have slaughtered our people, but they cannot kill our ideals. You know of my family Cedric," Decius's voice wavered as unwanted emotion bled into his voice, "What they did to my little girl, to her children. By the Ashla I will not sit aside while you young folks bring retribution to our oppressors. I would be forever dishonored."

Silence filled the air as the shuttle drew closer to its chosen location. The ship had arrived long before the Eternal Empire's fleet, and had marked itself out clearly as a logistics transport. Someone was sure to notice the rather suspicious ship, but they would be too late. They weren't coming in for a clean landing.

"Prepare for drop," the droid pilot's voice crackled over the intercom. The Essonians aboard muttered their prayers, clung to their makeshift idols, and checked their gear. Cedric reached up to snatch his helmet from the rack above. "When was the last time you saw war Decius?" Cedric asked as he willed away the pre-drop jitters with conversation.

"The last time I fired a weapon with lethal intent was during the Fall." Decius mumbled as he tied his long beard into three tails, and set his helmet over his head. "Do not worry though. I have been practicing."

Cedric allowed himself a humorless laugh as he donned his own helm. "For our sake I hope you have Bishop. Say a prayer for us while I prepare the shield?"

Decius nodded. Cedric eased himself off of his seat, and came to stand in the center of the shuttle. He dropped to one knee, head bowed low as he reached out to the empyrean. It responded to his call like a long lost friends, and the warmth of the Ashla flooded his body, casting aside the mortal worries of nearing death and physical harm.

"By the Ashla," Decius's creaking voice canted above the rumbling of the ship's engines. "The one true God, the Light of the galaxy, the progenitor of our race, protect us through this great trial. See us to victory against the heathens and the oppressors, and if we are to die, take our souls into you. See us to eternal paradise."

Alarm klaxons blared through the shuttle as it veered straight toward the observation post. The entire ship rumbled as a stray turbolaser shot caught the vessel right in its nose, annihilating the droid pilot and any hope of changing course. They were committed now.

Cedric splayed his arms out wide, and mouthed a silent prayer of his own at he looked up to the heavens. The energies of the empyrean responded to his touch, splaying from his fingertips in glistening streams of golden light. That light extended outward, through the cracks of the ship, to the void beyond. It slowly drew over the entire vessel, a sheathe of glittering energy that made the ship shine like a miniature sun as it crashed into the side of the observation post.

Metal screamed around them as the ship torpedoed itself through the first few layers of durasteel. The barrier held, though just barely - fortunately barely was enough. Cedric finally recalled his efforts when the screeching of metal ceased, his chest rising and falling heavily with the exertion.

"Cut us out!" He snapped as he rose to his feet with a little help form Decius. His legs wobbled beneath him as two of the Essonians took a plasma cutter to the side of the ship. It only took a few seconds for the cutter to a man-sized hole through the ship. The soldiers jumped out first, weapons raised, followed by Decius and a still winded Cedric in the back.

The smell of recycled air filled the Jedi's nostrils as he stepped onto the observation post, Bogan's Lament roaring to life as it cast the room in its cerulean glow.

Their war had begun.