Progflaw99
Well-Known Member
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Location: Imperial Capitol Grounds, Dosuun
[ Theme ]
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The rising sun cast its rays over the horizon, gentle beams of orange and amber reflecting off the gloss white of the Stormtrooper armor. A full legion stood across the open ground, arranged in a tight parade formation, shoulder to shoulder. A single tone carried across the enormous parade deck, only the soft flutter of standards in the breeze to complement the slowly building note. Then another. Slowly at first, the sound of fist beating on chest filled the air as each trooper hit their breastplate with the music, the crowds assembled began to clap, joining in. Progressively drums began to roll, the beats evolving into a heavy thrum - adding to the intensity of the moment. Erupting into cheers as the brief serenade came to a head, the crowd was swept up in the glory of the display. Silence fell over the crowd, hushed whispers replacing what had moments before been a tidal wave of energy. As if on cue the formations of troopers began to move, no audible commands but instead the sound of marching and the drums alone. Each footfall landing on a beat, each touch of the drum mirroring a movement the troopers began their symbolic march from the parade grounds down the main causeway of Avalonia towards their waiting starships - the ramps deployed, standards of the First Order hanging from the open loading bay. That very day an official declaration had been released - it was war.
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The drums of war were sounding on Dosuun -- in the great square of Avalonia’s Victory & Memorial Park, in Imperial Square in the shadow of the Imperial Palace -- in Prosperia and Victoria, too. The drums were sounding on the capital and across the empire -- on Bespin and on Thakwaa; on Seoul and on Annaj; on Bakura and on Panatha. Troops were enlisting faster than they could be armed and armored, and hundreds of thousands of troops had already been deployed.One such legion was Fortan’s FIST -- the First Imperial Shocktroopers legion -- permanently assigned to the Grand Moff’s fleet, FIV Concordia. They stood in formation in the cavernous troop ready-room, facing the massive screen on one wall that showed the broadcasts coming in from around the Empire. Natasi stood at the back of the room, watching with the troops, her eyes shining as she found herself caught up in the emotion of it all. She raised her hand and gave a signal, and the volume went silent, but images of the cheering crowds and saluting soldiers remained in motion. She strolled up the center of the aisle formed by the two groups of stormtroopers, and as her presence became apparent the restlessness of the crowd grew.
When she reached the front of the group and climbed onto the dais, flanked by a pair of stormtroopers. The soldiers spoke excitedly, for they had never seen their Grand Moff quite like this. Gone was the feminine skirtsuit, gone was the jewelry and high heeled shoes. She wasn’t even in her usual, simple black uniform. She stood before the stormtroopers in an armored black officer’s uniform, her hair pulled back into a severe bun, her face austere. She snapped her heels together and thrust her gloved fist into the air. The stormtroopers fell silent, immediately returning the salute, enthusiastic, fervent even.
“They are with you,” Natasi called, her voice amplified only by the acoustics of the room, passion and emotion echoing from the bulkheads. “An entire nation -- an entire people -- stand ready to follow you into the fires of war. For every man and woman who takes up arms there are those who work to support your efforts in fields and factories across our great empire. And more importantly, the Supreme Leader is with you -- standing behind you every step of the way.”
She paused, her dark eyes nearly glowing as the lights reflected off them. “This is a war for the very survival of our civilization, and it will be a long and difficult war. But working together -- fighting together -- as one people -- we cannot be defeated! Let us claim Mustafar for the Supreme Leader and his glorious empire!” *
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Across the canvas of space, stars sparkled in their silent splendor. The vacuum was cold, empty, save for the occasional vessel travelling from the surface of the planet out towards the hyperspace lanes with precious cargo meant for refineries, production facilities, foundries. The reddish orange glow of the planet’s surface was just barely visible through the atmosphere, the thick and acrid ash from the magma planet clouding the air. The acrid atmosphere of the world was still breathable - though prolonged exposure risked variable health risks, not only the heat but the toxins of superheated metal and rock coupled with the perpetual ash would certainly be detrimental to the lungs. Often touted as “The place Jedi go to die.” the world was a violent one, volcanic eruptions, magma flows and geological instability rampant across the entire planet.Since the events on Kaeshana, the First Order military had been in a flurry, mobilization and planning kicked into overdrive. A strike was inevitable, the only question was of where? For too long the Galactic Alliance had been expanding, stretching their reach farther and farther - Kaeshana had been the breaking point. As tactical decisions were made at the highest levels of leadership, the Mustafar sector had been identified as a priority target. Not only did its acquisition hold personal value to the Supreme Leader but it served an even greater purpose. Mustafar had a storied history and boasted an extreme amount of raw resources - resources that would be crucial to feeding the First Order’s war machine.
Though the natural geological instability of the planet prevented long range scanning, and scanning in general, human intelligence suggested at several key locations on the surface of the planet that would be important. Not only was the Mensix Mining Facility a target of interest but there was also an ancient place which held interest for the Ren… Over eight centuries ago, the infamous Darth Vader had constructed a castle on the world of Mustafar, the very place of his final transformation from fallen Jedi to Sith Lord.
The Supreme Leader’s own secretive branch of Dark Force users were in full motion. They had mustered a strike team with the goal of quickly seizing the ancient fortification. If they could not hold it, they would ransack it. They were prepared for this moment. Backpacks, hidden pockets and utility belts hid a variety of tricks, all of which the Order of Ren was prepared to unleash on unsuspecting foes. This was no mere smash and grab raid, this was a surgical strike, an elite military operation. Just what it was about the Castle of Darth Vader that attracted the Supreme Leader’s attention was known to a select few, the information passed only to an unexpected candidate, the young Knight of Ren, Samka Derith, who has been tasked with ensuring the mission is a success.**
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While Mustafar had been identified as a priority target, so also had Barkhesh. The Galactic Alliance would find themselves pushed on multiple fronts. First Order brass had committed substantial resources towards the acquisition of not only one planet, but the entire sector.It was a bold push but it had been agreed that retribution must be exacted. Unlike Mustafar, Barkhesh had been much easier to scan from long range. On the surface, it had been discovered that the Alliance had established a military base - the First Order setting its sights on the Northern plains with the intent of establishing their own outpost on the planet. There was one problem.
Due to the nature of the geography, the vessels large enough to carry the supplies have been tasked with establishing a landing zone along the Southern plains, a convoy route being drafted along a path designated as “Convoy Route Doku”. Once landfall had been made, the supplies would have to be brought along the convoy route up to the high plains where an advance team would establish a perimeter for the construction of the outpost. The only thorn to be plucked was the Alliance fortification. In addition to the advance force and the landing party consisting of engineers and supplies, an assault would be mounted against the Alliance held base by both First Order forces and even allied Sith.
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The Planet of Rutan also fell within the sector though the First Order had decidedly committed their forces primarily on two other planets, Mustafar and Barkhesh. In their planning, the discovery of an Alliance Surveillance outpost was no surprise. Rather than commit substantial forces that could much better be applied elsewhere, the First Order had deemed it necessary to send a small strike force to hit the facility during its night cycle, a covert raid meant to disable the communications array and capture any valuable intelligence the facility might hold. As such, there was no fleet assigned towards Rutan, only a small task force of stealth vessels containing a small raid force.
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* This Section Written by [member="Natasi Fortan"]** This Paragraph Written by [member="Samka Derith"]
Objectives Listed Below - See OOC for Rules/Restrictions
Ground Engagement Zones
[SIZE=11pt]Mustafar | Multiple Locations (See below)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Mensix Mining Facilityhttp://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Mensix_Mining_Facility | Near [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Fralideja[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] (Capital City)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Establishing a foothold near the Capital city of Fralideja and an important industrial facility such as the Mensix Mining Facility is of the utmost importance to the First Order. The First Order’s goal is to acquire the facility intact and with minor damages considering such an acquisition would be extremely beneficial to their war machine. As such, infantry forces and a limited number of gunships will be deployed in an attempt to secure the facility.[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=11pt]Darth Vader’s Castlehttp://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Vader's_castle | Volcanic Fortress, Underground Facility[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]The very site of the infamous Darth Vader’s residence, Vader’s Castle was built on the ruins of a Sith Temple located on Mustafar. Constructed as a symbol of power, a dark obsidian[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] tower rises above the rocky surroundings, a live magma flow running through the very fortress itself and down over a precipice to the lake of fire below. Not only the former residence of Lord Vader, but also a repository of knowledge and possible artifacts awaits inside the structure - no doubt the Jedi will race to prevent it from being put into the hands of the Ren, known only to the Galactic Alliance as seemingly rogue darksiders.[/SIZE]
[*]
Barkhesh | Multiple Locations (See below)
[SIZE=11pt]Surveyed Site for Outpost Vota | Northern Plains[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]The Northern Plain has been scouted as the area to construct a forward outpost from which to begin operations on Barkhesh. There are currently no forces at this location and large vessels cannot be landed in the area but a small team may be able to secure this location and hold the position until supplies from the Southern Plains arrive to begin construction of an outpost. Alliance Forces may have patrols in the area. [/SIZE]
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[SIZE=11pt]Convoy Route Doku and Alliance Base | Southern Plains[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]A major convoy route that can be used to bring supplies from the large plain South of the proposed location of Outpost Vota. The Southern plains appear to be the perfect landing zone for disembarking supplies and sending them North as the high Northern Plains would not support the landing of heavy vessels. Fighter support is requested to fend off any enemy starfighters that would deem the convoy a ripe target for the picking. The Galactic Alliance has already established a garrison on the surface and will be deploying from this hardened structure.[/SIZE]
[*]
Rutan | Single Location
[SIZE=11pt]Alliance Surveillance Outpost | Facility[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]The Galactic Alliance has established a surveillance outpost on the planet of Rutan to monitor First Order fleet movements and activity. The objective is to deploy signal jammers en route to the surface to prevent detection and destroy the main signal array. If successful, the remainder of the facility may be taken by storm with little to no warning - provided the infiltration goes undetected.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]
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