Opening Pantora's Box | TSE Invasion of Pantora

[Gilamar Skirata]

Enemies: [member="Tsisaar Taral"] [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Darth Prazutis"] [member="Vanessa Vantai"] [member="Darth Morbus"]
Allies: [member="Loreena Arenais"] [member="Romi Jade"] [member="Iron Giant"] [member="Cuan Kunn"] [member="Atlas Drake"]

The transmission was cut and the words of the Sith Emperor hung like a heavy cloud over the bridge. The Emperor had called their bluff and as the seconds ticked by and their vessel inched ever closer a decision had to be made. He hadn't been lying, the Sith armada was, by their sheer size alone, blocking the way they'd come in at. The smaller ships would be able to leave perfectly fine but it would be tricky and require some extra calculations on his end and the other larger combat-oriented vessels.

"Alor?" Gil waved his hand dismissively to the call, his gaze still deep in thought staring at the floor.

"I'm not your Alor anymore, that's Rythe now." A scoff came from somewhere in the bridge which brought Gil's gaze up to face the bridge sharply. They were all at attention, looking to him.

"You may not be our Alor, but you're the captain of this vessel and the leader of this fleet. The Coalition has offered us so much, we aren't afraid of replacing a few hull plates to make sure they come out of this safe."

"Besides! I've been wanting to kick the Sith's teeth in since Omega!" That brought some amount of bravado and cheer onto the bridge, the sound of beskar beating beskar as they clapped their chests rang around him. Gil took a deep breath and sat back down in his seat, releasing the breath he'd taken.

"Fine. We keep course. Will the jump coordinates be complete by the time we're in position?"

"Yes, once we're in position we'll be able to send the calculations to the other life ships and they'll be able to jump" Gil nodded.

"Good..." The fleet had made its choice. If Pantora would bleed today, then the Sith will be made to remember who drove them into the shadows all those years ago.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Objective: Enter the Dragon
Allies: [member="Cotan Sar'andor"] | [member="Yula Perl"] | [member="Dax Fyre"] | [member="Zark"] | [member="Vorhi Alestrani"] | [member="Romi Jade"]
Enemies: [member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Darth Prazutis"]

The thing of it was, that Starchaser knew this was going to be bad. There were certain times that he ran into fights, because he knew what he was able to do, and what his team was able to do. But after Romi fell to the darkness, after Coruscant? He became a little more aware of just what was at stake. Families, friends, allies. That was why he was here, if he could stand up against Sith, as one person, or as many, maybe he could remove the risk to the rest of the galaxy. And he knew the people with him, strong names, strong families, Perl, Fyre, Sar’randor. Men he fought with on more than one occasion, and Perl. That was the one he was worried about. Her heart was in the right place.

But this was not a place even he wanted to be. Dragons, hydras, and over whelming darkness. He stepped out, surveying the area they were in. This was not somewhere he wanted to bring anyone he cared for. Days like this was when he was glad Jared and Kaia removed themselves from following in his footsteps. The world was a dangerous place with the Sith out here, but that was why he was around. The voice of Romi Jade coming across the comms gave him a secondary jolt.

“Can’t let you take it all. Transmitting coordinates.” And that was when there was another roar of the dragon. Looking over to Cotan, he shook his head.

“You mean you didn’t receive the official membership card in the mail? They’re holographic. Unlike this cheater here handing out badges.” He laughed, mostly to himself. Right, a dragon. And he could feel the other one, Carnifex was out there. As Dax approached them, he nodded. Felt good to have the team. “You’re not going to like it.”

He looked at the team, nodding to Romi as she approached. Right now all he could feel was the hurricane, that and darkness. On his neck he had the pendant from [member="Celeste Rigel"], the amulet of healing. And with it, he had something else he picked up. With the Covenant moving out to the Rim, and living as the Coalition did, he had the chance to track down more fabled and wild use of the Force. And the light side. What he had was a Crusader Pendant. And he was starting to understand its full properties. At least partly.

Spinning the hilt of his lighsaber pike. He pointed with the business end, still dark. “That’s our target. Anyone is welcome to come, but that thing is one hell of a well of dark side, and that’s where I’m going. Yula? I ain’t going to tell you what to do, but I need you to be careful. Going to try to get them to focus on me.” He hoped he was up to it. Carnifex and Raaf were one thing. A three headed hydra, and yet another beast coming in from above? That was something else.

He began making his way to ground zero. And to something that was definitely going to be a fight. Calling the Force to him, he was already working on finding the hope and valor the people needed. And it felt a bit easier, but he wasn’t sure if that was just stretching a muscle, or something he was given.

 

[Yula Perl]

Objective: Help civilians
Location: Pantora surface
Allies: [member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Dax Fyre"] | [member="Cotan Sar'andor"] | [member="Zark"] | [member="Vorhi Alestrani"] | [member="Romi Jade"]
Enemies: [member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] | [member="Darth Prazutis"]

This is going to suck big time, and we’re all going to die.

Maybe they should have stated in space, because Coren and Yula stepped out of the shuttle and into a torrential hell of elements. Fires were still raging from the earlier strike, the atmosphere was ripe with a furious storm, and a three-headed dragon was spewing…dragon spew everywhere. However terrible the Sith were, let it be said that they did not let provocation go unanswered. And what an answer it was.

The imperfect duo had managed to avoid the brunt of the blast, but Coren’s shuttle had been ragdolled into oblivion. Wherever the newly made heap of scrap metal was, it was likely obscured by the elements. She gave Cotan a nod as he approached, instinctively palming the hilt of her saber. She gave Romi a smile, glad to see the other woman back in action. And once Uncle Dax appeared, their little hodgepodge of a suicide squad was all correct and present. Miraculously, none of them were dead yet. She gave Dax a smile, holding up the saber hilt he’d given her on Skor II and waggled it for a few moments as if it were a toy. Really, everything was overwhelming but Yula wasn't green enough to let the battle jitters get to her as often. Humor was how she coped.

The little droid desperately clinging to Yula’s back was warbling away in droid speak. “Em, can you chill?” There was something of an edge to Yula’s voice, as if the tension of the situation had suddenly just slammed into her like a freight train. Coren didn’t seem unperturbed, but there was no hesitation in his eyes, no regret as he strode forward into the maelstrom.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Starchaser.” She moved to catch up with him and the rest, inhaling deeply and drawing the Force to her as she did so. “Dying won’t save you from my mom, either.”

Vaguely, she gestured to the ominous flurry of pitch black clouds. “Well, we’re all going to die. At least we’ve got a nice day for it?”

 

[Joycelyn Zambrano]

Equipment: Zaudraka Lightsabre Pike Imperator’s Raiment SIF-7 Minos Vibrdagger 2x Sonic Detonator
[member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Darth Prazutis"] [member="Khonsu Amon"] [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Yula Perl"] [member="Dax Fyre"] [member=Cotan Sar'andor]

Joycelyn never quite arrived in the bridge, which simply resulted in less time wasted cavorting with the ship-jockeys. Instead, she caught her father on his way out and fell into step with him, her crownguard perfectly merged with the Emperor’s as they walked in silence. The metal walls rang and droned with the vibration of distant battle, as if they were inside the wood of a drum being struck. It was less frightening than one might imagine. Rather, it helped remind them that the battle was there.

Utter silence would have been worse.

However, what Kaine said next sent her mind into a strange spin. Her in command of the Blackblades? She was not as experienced as Osbasid, especially not in the fine science of fielding masses of troops. She had conducted strikes and commanded fronts, but this was another matter entirely. The gravity of it settled on her face as she furrowed her brow.

“Father, I welcome the challenge and accept your charge.” Her voice did not show the trepidation she felt. She was too used to speaking to soldiers whose morale hinged on her steadfastness. “It would be unwise for me to interfere with Osbasict’s carefully lain strategies and tactical experience, but I will serve however I can.”

Silence fell between them again for a moment until they slowed and her father put his hand on her shoulder. She responded to the hand by placing her own hand on the outside of his elbow, and squeezing the tricep area lightly.
sithspawn for combat before, but those creatures paled in comparison to the winged beast.

“Vahl will welcome you. She knows you will destroy her enemies.” “lev’engis nid ederv” A blessing of wrath.

As Darth Carnifex departed, Joycelyn remained for a moment. Just as they had merged, the crownguard split seamlessly. The Sith Lord turned and watched as the ships readied for departure and landfall; and she could feel the beast, Adramelch, both in the Force and through the physical tremor of his movement. Joycelyn had used
Not caught in awe for long, Joycelyn closed her helm to use the HUD to patch herself to Highlord Osbasid at Blackblade HQ in the field, to deliver the Emperor’s wishes and her command.

“Highlord Osbasid, it is the Emperor’s will that I take command of the Blackblade Guard for the battle. As your commander, I trust your senior tactical experience; resume your strategy.” “I will be at the front, keep me noted on major movements.”

She ended the call as soon as it was acknowledged. She needed not keep their holo busy. One thing she had learned from command thus far was that her position did not outweigh the expertise of seasoned commanders. She would do what she did best: Knock down doors and inspire the troops.

As she quickly reviewed the scene of battle, she knew where to go.

“One squadron of Blackblades with me, bring those speeders. We are headed down.”

She pushed away from the rail and marched down to the dropships where speeder bikes were now being taken on board and a squadron of Blackblades made ready to follow the Princess of Dromund Kaas into the battlefield. The dropship spewed out along with the others, following the Emperor’s drake and the bulk of the invasion force.

 

[Dax Perl]

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Location: Pantora, surface
Allies: ORC | [member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Yula Perl"] | [member="Cotan Sar'andor"]
Enemies: TSE | [member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Darth Prazutis"]

How many internal monologues has Dax had on protecting his family, his people. More than enough. Nothing had changed. All those times, he'd succeeded in protecting those he cared about, and he was not about to fail now. "Coren, I live on a Dark Side planet, next to blasted Dark Side Nexus...you don't really think that's gonna stop me?" No...the answer was 'no'. "Yula, stay close to me, there's no way I'm facing your mother if you get hurt, she makes these Sith look like fluffy kittens next to her."

The Rogue drew his slugthrower and checked the chamber before drawing his saber, "Hope you're ready for this guys. These aren't some pirate scrum"

 

[WolfMortum]

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Objective: Defend Pantora's Capital.​

Inventory: Heavy Battle-Armor, Promissium Annulos, Lightsabers of Svivren,​

Opposition: [member="Kaine Australis"], The Sith Empire.​

Support: The Jedi Vanguard.​

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​

Veiere's Command Shuttle touched down upon the surface surrounded by the smoke and cross-fire of friendly and hostile forces alike, the loading bay floor descending and the first of the Vanguard moved to ignite their blades, followed by the Jedi Master flanked from behind by the rest of his Jedi entourage.

Some of the blaster-fire was directed their way in attempt to take down the new arrivals, however blue and green flashes swept out across the smoke-laiden air as the Vanguard redirected the blaster bolts back at the enemy, their blades of energy crackling with each rebound, distant yells of panic or screams of pain heard as one or two of the deflections had struck their targets good and proper.

Raising his commlink just shy of his mouth, Veiere called out to any nearby allies within the Capital City, or what was left of it. Orbital strikes from the Sith Empire had decimated much of the area that their small squad had landed upon. "This is Veiere Arenais of the Silver Jedi, to any Coalition Personnel. I'm on site and can offer assistance. Please respond." he hoped for a quick answer, knowing not where he was best to situate himself without any true affiliation or knowledge of whom was in command down on the surface of the world.

TSE: [member="Darth Prazutis"], [member="Aut-X"], [member="Vanessa Vantai"], [member="Khonsu Amon"], [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]
ORC: [member="Coren Starchaser"], [member="Dax Fyre"], [member="Atlas Drake"], [member="Gray Venasir"], [member="Acaleus Thorn"], [member="Gilamar Skirata"], [member="Loreena Arenais"], [member="Cotan Sar'andor"], [member="Yula Perl"], [member="Vela Alya T'Ser Sipal"], [member="Cuan Kunn"]

 

[Iresias Sirax]

​

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Objective: Survive/Investigate
Allies: ???
Enemies: ???

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Alone​

​

A gray haze flooded the broken city; only dim flames in the distance could help find one's way among the detritus and discarded personal effects. Shuffling silhouettes bled through the fog, and when they came into full view, they were revealed as people who had lost more than just their loved ones or homes. They lost parts of themselves.

Strands of sinew dangled from wounds where arms should be, flesh that was barely connected to the body fell off in chunks into the street. The groans of pained existence resonated throughout the area, but fell deaf on the ears of all, except one individual. Their vocal cords were far too weak from screaming, their dried and withered tongues and lips only spouting raspy incoherence as they searched aimlessly.

But they would find nothing.

Iresias walked quietly among the eerie scenery; buildings toppled over, streets misaligned and jagged from relentless assault. What a spectacle to witness, and quite a moment to be alive. Taking it upon herself as a merciful protector of the people, the noble woman observed the husks that roamed nearby. She chuckled and grinned intensely behind her mask, but underneath she knew she was like them.

Ugly, broken.

But she could make a difference whereas they could not. They were inferior.

Her ghastly blue lightsaber screeched into existence; Iresias twirled the hilt once before bringing the blade itself down upon the neck of an otherwise brain-dead passerby. Their body slumped to its knees and feel to the side. The darkly clad noble inhaled deeply and exhaled with satisfaction lingering on her warm breath.

"I'm better than you. All of you."

Iresias changed her direction and ignored the rest of those that suffered greatly, leaving them with outstretched mangled arms and hands. Their pleas fading behind her as she continued to seek out some sort of escape. Suddenly, a spike of indescribable pressure filled the forefront of her skull.

"Aren't you a little wasted, roaming around that trash-heap of a city?"

. . .

"Surely you could do better than throwing away your time with those powerless creatures."

Then the world itself convulsed and writhed as more buildings began to crumble and fall, fire falling from the skies as a bombardment was underway to lay waste to anything that still dared to cling to life. Iresias began to scan her environment with haste, seeking some kind of method of survival - something that would at the very least shield her from the bombing. A few feet away, she saw what appeared to be a manhole.

The sewers.

Breaking into a sprint, and while not very fast due to the awkwardness of adjusting to cybernetics, Iresias managed to throw herself down into the darkness of the sewer as flames roared overhead and throughout what was left of the streets. Taking a moment to regain composure, Iresias attempted to reach out through the Force in an effort to reconnect with the voice she had heard just a moment ago.

No real message, but a gesture of intrigue and curiosity. Her potential with the Force had not been refined or honed through discipline, and was instead amateur at best.

Alone, in the dark, Iresias leaned her back against a wall.

Where would she go from here?

[member="Tsisaar Taral"]

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

Cotan deftly caught the little medallion, eyeing it appreciatively. "Sweet!" He didn't expect his joke to actually end up earning him an immediate battlefield promotion, but he wasn't going to deny it.

That would just be rude.

Then he turned to Coren, frowning. "Well, at least it wasn't with the Silvers, right? So long as it's with the Praxeum that's alright...and I might take you up on your promotion offer as well!" He winked at Dax, a smirk on his face. Then when Yula spoke up next, he looked at the sky and shrugged. "Coruscant was worse," was all he said, while Dax went on about living with a Dark Side nexus or something similar. "With that in mind, I imagine we'll be fine." He turned to the approaching Romi, giving her a nod while withdrawing his lightsaber.

Then he looked back. First, at the three-headed hydra spewing energy beams, and second at the massive dragon that Carnifex was descending on. The Sith certainly hadn't gotten any less grandiose; unfortunately, Coren seemed the only one out of the group who was actually capable of fighting the beasts in a useful manner. Once Carnifex was on the ground, sure, Cotan could keep pace; but dealing with the dragons? He was useless.

Mostly, anyways.

"Do you think we should try a mind-meld?" he asked Coren. "I don't know how to start one myself, but if we can all link together and you can draw on our combined pool of strength, it might make it easier to deal with the beasts." He glanced at Yula, a small grin growing across his features.

"Might be a little dangerous with a half-Zeltron in the mix, but I'm willing to risk it."

[member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Dax Fyre"] [member="Yula Perl"] [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Darth Prazutis"]

 

[Kahne Porte]

Location: Aboard Legacy / En route to Pantora

The Jedi Master was sound asleep when there a small knock on his door from chaos as he began to stir and he was informed that there was an attack on Pantora by the Sith Empire. "Set course for Pantora then." The Jedi said as he got out of bed and started to get dressed. Donning his armor and his lightsaber as if they were going to be there any minute. Kahne made his way to the front of the ship.

"What happened?" Kahne inquired as they stood before the briefing map.

"We aren't sure, we don't know what kind of damage they are looking at yet. Some of the signal appears to be distorted. We'll be at Pantora within an hour. Luckily for us we aren't so far away."

The Jedi Master nodded to the Alliance Captain as he crossed his arms for a moment. The Jedi Master had with him a group of Alliance soldiers and personnel he fought with on Lothal, they had developed quite a close bond after the ordeal.

And thus they were off to another war.

 

[Shade of Decay]

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​

Tsisaar's descent was impeded, for a moment, by a bombing run undertaken by members of the Sith's fleet. He watched, eyes cold and uncaring, as the bombs tore through the outskirts of the city, blasting apart homes, businesses, and any unfortunate sentients who were caught in the path. Great conflagrations began to erupt where the bombing run had been, chaos striving to consume what little was left to burn.

However, for just a fleeting second, the pain, the fear, the rage of the populace all rose up to heights they'd likely not felt in generations. It was as Darth Jadus had intended in millenia past; these gifts of the Dark Side were being spread beyond the realm of the Sith and those few Dark Jedi who proved strong-willed enough to seize the Dark Side for themselves, rather than being controlled by it.

"Planting terror and hatred in every heart," he mused, though his mood seemed to worsen with every word. "The democratization of fear." Yet, in the upwelling of emotion, he'd lost trace of his quarry. He focused harder, searching, again; only for the person he sought to reach out to him instead. It was weak, unguided, untrained, but it was there. Good. His head turned, following what his ethereal sense had seen; then he reached out with a finger, pointing towards a part of the city outskirts that had remained unmolested by the bombing run.

And, more importantly, possessed an unburied, intact entrance to the sewers. "There," he commanded, his voice slowly growing hoarse. In the last few minutes he'd already spoken more than he had in the last three months. Has it truly been so long? He supposed it must have been; he was spending more and more time every day in treatment. A decaying body held together only through a mixture of magics, alchemy, and technology.

Had he been more ostentatious, he might've designed the Ebion differently, and then he would truly have been a dying man forced into a semblance of continuing life; an emperor of the dead, resting on a golden throne. But Tsisaar had neither the time nor care to indulge such petty notions of wealth and opulence. Nor was he so infirm as others onboard his ship believed.

The shuttle quickly landed, with Tsisaar exiting quickly. "Remain here," he commanded the droid. "And continue to transmit your location to the fleet. The bombers will know to stay away from this spot." Raising a hand, he lifted a manhole with the Force, and dropped into the sewer. He landed in darkness, his feet ankle-deep in liquid; judging by the lack of smell, however, this seemed to be a storm sewer, not sanitary. Unsurprising, given the marshy nature of the moon. Flooding was likely a constant worry.

The utilitarian hilt of his lightsaber floated to his hand, activating with a low hiss. The ghostly, pale-red blade shed very little light down below, but it was enough. Slowly, he began to walk towards where he sensed the one he'd communicated to earlier, unconcerned by the splashing of his feet in the water. As in many cases before, he cared little for stealth.

"Go ahead, show yourself," he called out, once he was approaching fairly close. "You'll have nothing to fear, if you are wise...and much to gain."

[member="Iresias Sirax"]

 

[Amea Virou]

Allies: ORC
Enemies: Not ORC

With time the chaos and panic grew louder as she got closer to the city center. Cinder’s dwelling was noted to have been on the thirteenth floor, yet judging by the buildings around Amea that didn’t say much. She kept her focus on assessing the structural integrity of the buildings around her. The cracks in the facade seemed to grow smaller the further away from the café that Amea got. Ground zero must have been the cloud she saw. Looking over her shoulder it was hard to spot it behind the buildings that gradually grew taller but its presence was undoubtedly felt.

The streets were no longer clear. For the sake of her own survival she pushed into an alleyway to avoid attention from the soldiers rushing to find their squadrons. In certain areas you could hear the sound of blaster fire had begun its inevitable shift from warning shots to full-on volleys which meant fire support was to come soon. Amea glanced around the corner of her alleyway towards her destination. It wasn’t a very impressive building, most likely wouldn’t be able to take too much of a beating despite how tall it was. She was by no means an expert in architecture, but it stood out from the buildings around it. The risk of something going wrong with this recovery operation grew exponentially for each floor above one.

Amea circled around the corner into the street and pushed down the road, yet only when it was too late would she realize what was happening. The sound of blaster fire got louder as she went down the road, but it was not she who approached it. It approached her. Red bolts poured into the street, retaliated against by blue as one of the fights pushed into the street she was trying to cross. It was a trained militia against army men, the odds had never been in their favor. Their deaths were brutal, the Sith Troopers seemingly revelling in their victory as they crushed one piece of the opposition after the other.

And that was when they saw her. People did not enter warzones without reason. Amea didn’t look much like a trained soldier, if anything she looked like a lost little smuggler much like the rest of the militia had. It was, needless to say, very unfortunate.

“Hold.” The tinned voice of a masked soldier called out for Amea and she raised her arms by her waist. “Who goes there?”

“I am not your enemy,” Amea said, not really realizing that she continued in a slow walk towards where she needed to be. “I really, really need to get out of here or something really big and really bad is going to happen.”

The trooper looked at his squadmates before they raised their rifles towards her once more. There was no warning or time for talk. The soldiers saw someone who was suspicious, someone in the middle of a live fire scenario and a decision had to be made. The saying went ‘better safe than sorry’ and with their orders the repercussions were bound to be limited if of any concern at all.

Five rifles fired, five bolts that hit the empty space where Amea had been. As the confusion of the moment struck them so did a force unlike anything they had experienced. A fist to the back of a head, a crushed rib cage, an obliterated pelvis, two broken legs, and a shattered jaw. The five men collapsed in pain. Amea stepped over them, picked up one of the rifles on the ground and gave them all a quiet headshake.

This could have been a clean op, yet things had gone from a worse case scenario to the worst in a matter of seconds.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Allies:

• [member="Khonsu Amon"]
• [member="Darth Carnifex"]
• [member="Aut-X"]
• [member="Vanessa Vantai"]
• [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]

Enemies:

• [member="Gilamar Skirata"]
• [member="Vela Alya T'Ser Sipal"]
• [member="Coren Starchaser"]
• [member="Seniya Nehir"]
• [member="Dagon Perl"]
• [member="Zark"]
• [member="Yula Perl"]
• [member="Vorhi Alestrani"]
• [member="Cotan Sar'andor"]
• [member="Dax Fyre"]
• [member="Romi Jade"]

Location: Blackblade Invasion Site

The Force.

It shimmered and warbled all around them as the Elder One engaged the ghostly Jedi in close quarters, a thunderous boom as the runeblade collided with a solid block. All around him dust from the glassy wasteland kicked up concealing the pair, it made them seem like they were in another world entirely. For his defiance of the natural law, of all reality with such a darkness the force surged in response and part in anger, the gall of this figure this entity. When last they met Zark was the rogue element being ripped away for his near violation of the natural law, as he was being dragged back to the famed Council of Whills it became painfully evident that everything he knew was a lie. A laugh, a darkness seethed through the tunnels of the force as the Parasite Lord called upon the outer of the Outer Gods, channeled through the Great Devourer, the Entity itself shattered the pathways and surged forth with the Lord of Lies at his side. It was an assault on the very sanctum they clung to so dearly, an attack on a realm they thought impenetrable. In the pitched fight it took a great sacrifice from the Council of Whills, many of its number willingly sacrificed into a fight to the death just to force its enemy back from the breach.

This was it's vengeance.

The Force surged all around the Shadow Hand as spirits of long dead jedi ignited lances of pure energy, a united force wielding lances of pure light to stand valiantly against the Great Shadow that threatened the fabric of their world, this world, all of reality itself. "They will not save you." The Shadow Hand howled as he swung his blade wide, the enemy descended upon the giant like a well coordinated force. Lances struck him from all angles an agitation from the light striking into him. But it wouldn't save them from the power of the void that seeped into this reality through the Cracked Gate. In the heat of battle as he unleashed a storm of offense his blows collided with their lances, his enemy barely surviving the sheer impact of a single blow alone. But there was a sense of calmness, moments where everything seemed to slow down around him as the Elder One's mind was hard at work. Then he saw it.

Galvanoth.

Something caught the Genocide's attention its three heads swung low with intense focus in one particular direction, it's posture hunched and compact. The great twin barbed tail swung out from behind it, and the great beast rattled it creating this increadibly intimidating display as it roared. It stomped forward the ground shaking under its weight as the beast flexed out its wings and rose its three heads to their full height, a full display. Despite its brutish exterior many had no idea just how intelligent Galvanoth was as a creature, it was purposely created to be far more intelligent than any of its primary species, a malevolent intellect surged within its mind. But the mind of the one who distracted his beast a figure who was equally powerful fought the creature to keep it focused on some sort of threat, a large one by Galvanoth's display. Everything came together when he realized that the droid army was just beneath where Galvanoth was peering. In that instant he slipped back into his seamless psychic connection with the beast and shifted it's focus. The strain of it wasn't much especially since they were on the same page, and Galvanoth wanted what was coming next. He forced the beast to look towards the city and told it a single psychic command "Deception. BURN IT DOWN!" As yet more lances cut into him, bringing the man down to a knee.

The great beast grinned as lightning cackled from within its twisted, toothy maw. It hunched over and launched itself high into the air with a great burst of hurricane force winds. High over the dropping shells, flying right over the party of Jedi came Galvanoth cutting loose with a roar at the light wielding individuals, but no lightning. The beast swung wide and darted in a beeline for the city. The act of letting out life ships became a weakness, no shielding wouldn't stop the Golden King from unleashing hell upon the streets of the capital. As it started to come near it unleashed another blast of golden energy, a section of the city's outskirts vanishing in an explosion of golden light while lightning came down from the howling hurricane that blanketed the landscape.

As the Lord of Lies went down to a knee it became clear to the Jedi Master that this was all part of his deception. A howl of eldritch fury cut loose as a massive aura of pure madness exploded around him, stunning several of the Jedi striking him. He swung the runeblade down hard cleaving two of the spirits apart their souls draining into the blade, while the third he grabbed hold of. He bathed the spirit in darkness, its shimmering form infected with a growing parasite of blackness. It was deeply disturbing to hear it scream in pain as the darkness infested every facet of its form. It was on the form of a decaying jedi that he crushed the figure, the conduit to the other side to warp reality once more and break open a rift. Only this time instead of stepping in? Something stepped out. It was indescribable horror that emerged. A group of towering gaunt giants whose bodies were unnaturally lanky, it's proportions were off as its hulking arms and vicious black claws dripping with void blackness seemed to be far too large for its own body. The creatures were long and narrow things devoid of any face, the only feature being a great maw filled with razor sharp decaying teeth. Everything about it seemed wrong from it's hide, the flesh being pulled over unnatural muscle as boils, and seemingly open wounds of weird origin sat in places.

Dimensional Shamblers.

They were born of the great beyond the voices they spoke used twisted languages not meant for mortal tongue, it was impossible to decipher what they were saying, it made the ears bleed, it caused spiritual pain just to hear their alien voices. All except for one word as they formed around the Elder One: Palestar…Palestar…Palestar. Then they attacked their forms moving unnaturally fast for their bodies, great corruptive claws swinging wide. The Lord of Lies stood amongst them and launched as ichor, a corruptive poison of the void dripped off his soul stealing runeblade he swung it at Zark, aiming to infect his form with it should the blade collide.

"The void comes for you Zark. These pathetic wretches won't be enough to save you, or anyone else."

Glassed Wasteland, Jedi Landing Site
Romi Jade...

Disarming.

As she neared the group and greeted them with a nod and a smile, she listened to them banter and rounded to seemingly look at the hydra they were all peering at, then towards the city. Everyone knew her, and so easily they just accepted that she was the true Romi. It was gratifying to know that all of her hard work, dedication, and training under her master had paid off. To infiltrate was what she was created to do, what the original Romi was trained to do. The fact that they all so easily accepted her without so much as a second glance showed just how weak and gullible they were. She returned Cotan's nod and reached for her own lightsaber, rounding to look at the city in the distance. They were exposed to her, all of them were exposed. But now with talks of mind melds? No. Absolutely not. They couldn't work, a mind meld would rip down the veil memories or no, to intrude into her mind would give everything away. So? She did what she was born to do.

Strike.

In the middle of Cotan talking while their attention was directed on each other and the discussion in question, she very quietly took a deep breathe and cut loose with a massive, deafening sonic scream at all four of them. The very ground glass shattered and tore from the scream, the kind of destructive scream that could easily shatter ear drums, break bone, and disorient with ease. "Now's as good a time as any" She said igniting her lightsaber Romi puckered her lips her voice in a mocking tone "Awww did you think that I would so easily come home from the darkness Coren? That all the emotional, hero garbage you spouted actually was going to draw me back? You were so eager to believe that I came home, that you saved me, you bought every lie I told you without question, you all bought it. [member="Taeli Raaf"] sends her best by the way. I honestly thought it would've taken more to fool you but, she was right. One simple charade was good enough." She said tossing a smoke grenade with her other hand towards Dax's ship, it was a special kind of smoke to mark it for Imperial bombers.

"You see? I told you, you never could do this without me Mister Jedi." She said stepping away from him, her eyes peered up at the looming darkness behind them. Romi then turned her nose up at him in that same kittenish way she always had, a grin on her face "What can I say? A girl upgraded." She launched at Coren first.

 

[Vorhi Alestrani]

Location: The edge of sanity
Objective: Show 'em how we do it downtown
Enemies: Scary monsters defiant of nature and sanity like [member="Darth Morbus"] and [member="Darth Prazutis"]. Also, the big yellow guy.
Allies: The force, fate, and some truly unlucky plays.

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.​

Prazutis saw through what Galvanoth could not, and the beast, unfortunately, turned towards the city. Oh well. No more Mr. Nice Monk. It had bought him enough time. In the interime, he had found his quarry. Fire Base delta-besh. The Sith made the right in blackening this are first, there were pelenty of embedded, discreet targets. However, the problem with this salt the earth approach was that you always missed a spot. The ghosts of the new dead followed the blind monk as he found what he was looking for. A weapon. Specifically, one of the surface to air missiles, used for a bombing run. Still in one piece. It was barely enough to take out a fighter, but it'd do.


The Force flowed through the Old monk as he pulled the missile loose, propping it up against a rock. Had to angle it just right. He tapped a few buttons. ORC tech was often cheap, but practical. No fancy targeting. No complex aiming systems. He was firing blind. Then again, the monk did everything blind. He stood on the missile. A gun cocked behind him. Damnit. Really?



"Stand down, Jedi."


Vorhi held up a hand. "I'm not a Jedi. Also, are you really going to fire a me while I'm standing on enough ordnance to blow us both to hell and back?"


"I will fire," the sith trooper said, hesitating more than he'd like to admit.


"You will miss," Vorhi said as he stomped, the rocket letting loose a gout of flame. With the monk still on it. The Sith lieutenant fired, hitting the blind monk in the leg before the rocket launched, Vorhi holding onto it with his right half an arm for dear life as the missile barreled towrds Galvanoth. It it wasn't a lot of firepower, but the propulsion was sufficient. Two lies and a truth. Would the beast ignore it a thid time, the time it was true? The monk cried wolf again, giving a fair warning in the force.

COWARDS!!​

The condemnation in his tone was clear as day. Hiding behind alchemical monsters, cowering behind the souls of the dead, needing the lies of thousand to play sad little games of politics and spite. Was this the great war, the mighty conflict, the so-called power of the Sith? Power was not Strength, the first tenet of the Salai Kasi. This was the first lesson. The blind monk rode a missile, flying towards the bright yellow monster. Soon, the true Strength of the Salai Kasi would be tested. Soon, this would be made manifest. But in all truth, Vorhi lived for this. He cackled, riding a missile towards the left head of his quarry. It was taking most of his effort not to dislocate his shoulder. But hey, was it really a crazy party if you didn't a few injuries?



[youtube]https://youtu.be/-WpnPSChVRQ[/youtube]



Time to ride a silver bullet into the heart of angry beast. Hell of a retirement plan, these ORC's had....

 

[Cathul Thuku]

Location: Vero -> Pantora
Allies: ORC [member="Gilamar Skirata"] [member="Cuan Kunn"] [member="Iron Giant"] [member="Atlas Drake"] [member="Gray Venasir"] [member="Vela Alya T'Ser Sipal"] [member="Acaleus Thorn"]
Enemies: Sith [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Darth Prazutis"] [member="Vanessa Vantai"] [member="Khonsu Amon"]

"Admiral, Pantora is under attack! Reports from the field indicate that the Sith's main fleet is deployed in its entirety" the communications officer screamed across the CIC.

"Is that it? Is that the only method the Sith may have come up with to attack ORC-land? To force us into fighting them; they run the risk of overextending themselves" Tanith asked.

"All units, set course for Pantora! We need to take the wounded to safety, civilian or combatant" Cathul then turned to Julie. "Here's your chance to show that you actually have made good progress in your mathematical learning since you last expressed interest in learning IAC; use the IAC-generated trajectory to get us to Pantora, now!"

No way Therapy Command could engage the entirety of the Sith's main fleet by itself. Even with us, the ORC will still be heavily outnumbered, so we will need to prioritize one specific type of target from long range: the interdictors. Now, Julie spent the vast majority of her waking hours since the beginning of our deployment on Dagobah deep into mathematics textbooks, multi-variable calculus and then she feels she had the courage to even try differential topology just a few days in, Cathul thought, while knowing that the Sith would rather fight enemies within standard turbolaser range, if not closer, and also have the main artillery ships escorted, not just by embarked fighter squadrons, but also with other ships, such as picket corvettes or other types of corvettes or frigates. And, of course, not staying in one place for long. The last one was the biggest mistake one could make even with these Skor-II monitors that Therapy Command used for that purpose. And who could forget the flagship on Dagobah, the Compellor, on which CIC she is going to Pantora on?

"Lightspeed!" Julie shouted from her CIC station.

Now that whatever Therapy Command could deploy made the jump to hyperspace, medvac or not, the blue streaks of hyperspace flight would be seen from every viewport. That being said, Therapy Command may be a bit late, but at least all weapons would be loaded, starting with the 420mm HVCs on those Skors and the cluster missiles on every fighter that had space to deploy them. Besides, she comes in expecting the resulting battle to not last that long, and that ships that suffered significant hull damage to just power down their weapons and shunt as much power as was possible to the engines: that way, if a ship gets destroyed by the enemy, the enemy will be in for an unpleasant shower of high-speed debris thanks to the ERA lining the hulls of virtually every ship in Therapy Command's service. It's a last-ditch measure, of course, but that's the possibility ERA opens up that Sith ships don't have. May I pray that Therapy Command isn't too late to actually effect any medvac, and that there are actually people to save down there; bleeding the main Sith fleet is just a plus, she thought, while she was nervous for Julie's ability to calculate hyperspace trajectories in her head, even with Force-assistance, and the consequences of failure.

Spoiler: Therapy Command

Capital ships (8550m):

Compellor (Compellor-class battlecruiser) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
ANS Lothal (Lothal-II-class artillery carrier) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
ANS Aleen (Lothal-II-class artillery carrier) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
ANS Impugnment (Lothal-II-class artillery carrier) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
ANS Skor (Skor-II-class monitor frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
ANS Positive KITA (Skor-II-class monitor frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
ANS Negative KITA (Skor-II-class monitor frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
ANS Job Engorgement (Skor-II-class monitor frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
ANS Polis Massa (Skor-II-class monitor frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
Jubilant Debauchery (Krayiss-II-class escort frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
Synallagmatic Contract (Krayiss-II-class escort frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
Jabiim Train (Krayiss-II-class escort frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
Sleep Country (Krayiss-II-class escort frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
Evil Rabbit (Krayiss-II-class escort frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
Cinquedea (Jambiya-class pocket carrier) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
Kris (Jambiya-class pocket carrier) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
Khukuri (Jambiya-class pocket carrier) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
Kard (Jambiya-class pocket carrier) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
S-1 (Spirit-class picket corvette) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
S-2 (Spirit-class picket corvette) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
S-3 (Spirit-class picket corvette) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
S-4 (Spirit-class picket corvette) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
S-5 (Spirit-class picket corvette) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
S-6 (Spirit-class picket corvette) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A
S-7 (Spirit-class picket corvette) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: N/A

Attack craft:

360 Chiloon-IV fighters
180 Tsubame torpedo bombers
20 Telepath-III strategic bombers

 

[LT-137]

Location: Open Space - Pantoran Inner System Reaches
Objective: Locate Worthy Prey.
Allies: The Golden Company, The Sith Empire.
Enemies: Outer Rim Coalition.
Naval Complement: Thyrsian Classis I and Aurek Security Echelon (Background NPC's.)

GCV Guerdon​

Command Deck​

​

As the Thyrsian fleet’s ragged formation was scattered to the Solar Winds, their dedicated interdiction platforms situated themselves above, and below, the star system’s gravitational plane. When their ionic drives fell silent, and their maneuvering thrusters arrested their forward momentum, the paired vessels began spinning up their gravity wells; before projecting them into the depths of space sometime after. Though they were artificially generated by arcane designs, these interdiction fields presented a gravitational anomaly atop the bespeckled canvas of realspace. This artificial field tricked navigational sensors and hyperdrives alike into believing that their physical shells were surrounded by a planet’s gravity, which in turn tripped the integrated safety protocols. Save for the most reckless, and those with a deathwish; Hyperspace traversal would be an impossibility until the affected ships left the projected gravity fields, or disabled the gravity well generators.

When those projected gravity wells came online, dozens of starships - who were caught in the open and seeking to flee the system - suddenly became adrift; as the safety protocols on their starships activated. Flickering arcs of coruscating sapphire lightning danced across their metallic flesh as thy momentarily drifted in the void. Their power systems failed, but slowly - ever so slowly - returned to operational status. They would’ve been easy prey to the various warships of the Golden Company, as they stalked the void. However, they were left unmolested as the aureate-plated vessels sliced through the void; guided towards myriad destinations throughout the entirety of the Pantora system. While the Thyrsians weren’t above killing a helpless foe, such self-indulgent violence was left to the thousandfold starships of the Sith Empire, as there was doubtlessly better sport out amongst the stars.

It was that scene, rendered in hololithic imperfection, that Khonsu found himself staring at. He wasn’t a brilliant tactician, nor was he the greatest captain to ever take the chair. For both those reasons alone, the Thyrsian Warlord allowed another to take his place - whilst he oversaw their martial perfection from behind a tactical display. It was far from glamorous, but with his pre-battle rituals complete and the Guerdon unboarded, there was little else to do to pass the time. His eyes danced across the consistently updating projection and devoured the details it presented. He watched as the myriad vessels that comprised his fleet moved into their assigned positions and turned their guns on anything that sought to challenge their claim to that appointed sector of space. While their presence was but a drop in the ocean, compared to that of the Sith Empire, their ships made themselves known to the system’s defenders through their mastery over arcane technologies, and their striking visual appearances.

With his eyes dancing across the materialized visual of the entire system, along with the various starships that populated the proverbial heavens above, Khonsu’s dark eyes settled on the miniaturized representation of the Guerdon. It sailed beneath the newly-arrived Mandalorian migrant fleet and speared through the empty space beneath the very heart of the Sith-Imperial formations. The battlecruiser’s weapons tracked an innumerable collection of targets that painted the canvas of infinite night but denied each of them the solarized caress of their integrated weapons arrays. Whatever strikes of the energetic cannonade, discharged by maneuvering starships, found themselves striking the Guerdon's shimmering, and shrieking emerald deflector screen. Whilst that would normally be a cause for celebration, as the traditional capacitors and emitters would inevitably become weaker, nothing but silence echoed across the command decks of many warships.

Had the Guerdon been outfitted with standard deflector barriers, it’s projected strength would’ve been significantly drained under the sporadic bombardment. However, the pilfered First Order Battlecruiser had been remade anew - and given the inexplicable boon that came in the form of a prototypical set of shields. This shrieking, emerald barrier, absorbed the fury and hatred that was cast it's way - only to send that projected violence back from whence it came. Turbolasers and Ion Blasts struck back at the weapons that discharged them; either catching the starships off guard - or damaging them in ways that couldn’t be immediately repaired without several hours spent in drydock. Despite the partial weakening of the former First Order warship’s shields, the reformed and aureate-clad vessel speared forward; seeking to intercept its prey without giving in to the temptation of feasting upon weaker prey.


Let the Sith Empire gorge themselves, Khonsu thought to himself. This was the first battle, aside from the many skirmishes and minor crusades, that the Guerdon participated in; leaving much of its operational capabilities up to speculation and circumstance. Forcing the warship's guns to tear into, and subsequently destroy the coterie of vessels, would’ve been a waste of the Thyrsian Battlecruiser’s combat potential. They needed something more. They needed something that would present a viable threat to their structural integrity. It was then that Khonsu spotted the twinned targets that Astarii had already identified. The first was a vessel of unknown make - at least to the Golden Company’s databanks. The other vessel was marked out as a
Duinuogwuin - Class Star Destroyer that matched the markings recorded by the First Order during their failed invasion of Skor II. Should those sensorial readings prove to be true, then perhaps the Sun Guard found what they desired.

A worthy foe.

Sure, the Duinuogwuin was outclassed by the Guerdon through size and power - but as showcased throughout the ages - the smaller, and more nimble foe could take the day if they played their cards right. If that other, larger vessel, decided to join the fray as well? It could prove to be an interesting and utterly enlightening bout. Without hesitation, Khonsu strode away from the tactical table and moved towards an integrated hololithic platform nearby. It was there, standing resplendent in his gilded armour, that the Supreme Sun Guardian commanded that a connection be made between the Duinuogwuin through whatever channels they could, and by whatever means necessary. The man wanted to know the name, and see the face of his newfound foe. If the Thyrsian Warlord was to die this day - then it would be cursing the name of the worthy soul with the strength to overpower his own.

Whilst the communication request was sent through tight-beam transmission channels, capable of punching through the external interference, the myriad gun emplacements of the Guerdon began snapping into place; targeting the KRV Utopia. In addition to the projected menace now being thrown at that distant Star Destroyer, dozens of gilded strike craft spilled out of the Battlecruiser’s hangar bays, before each squadron took an arrowhead formation that orbited the curvature of the massive warship proper in an uncharacteristically disciplined defensive screen. They would be ready for whatever secrets lay within that enigmatic starship’s construction, and they were fated to either claim the day or fail in the attempt. In many ways, this battle would be the culmination of a Sun Guard’s entire martial existence.

Victory, or Death.​

| [member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Darth Prazutis"] | [member="Atlas Drake"] | [member="Loreena Arenais"] | [member="Gilamar Skirata"] |​

​

Post Summary:

• ​The Thyrsian Fleet has maneuvered to blockade the star system, and has activated interdiction fields.
• The Guerdon sustained minor shield damage, whilst showcasing it's Xythan barriers, as it approached the moon of Pantora.
• Fighters are scrambled, and a multitude of guns begin targeting the Utopia - as Khonsu attempts to hail the vessel.

 

[Onrai]

Space:
Allies: [member="Khonsu Amon"]
Enemies: [member="Gilamar Skirata"] [member="Atlas Drake"] [member="Cathul Thuku"]

The Sith fleet engaging Atlas's fleet, having jumped into medium range and immediately beginning to open fire, would move to close range and finally begin to launch boarding pods. The fighters and bombers would begin to engage their compatriots, the bombers attempting to unload a wide variety of ordnance on the enemy vessels, lathering their anti-fighter turrets in ordnance as the boarding pods would smash into the vessels. Other assets in the system would move to engage Cathul's incoming fleet.

Behind Gilamar's fleet, the Heresiarch would jump in, along with the Saturn, the Ablution, and several other vessels from Vanessa's controlled fleets. These ships were reinforcing the Sith line as the Behemoth advanced on the enemy fleets, already unloading at long range with its ultra-heavy beam cannons. The rear cannons were charged, prepared to engage the former Mandalore's fleet. Vanessa waited to see what he would do - she had been waiting for this opportunity for some time, but preferred to let the Sith not lose lives to the traitors.

 

[Vela Alya T'Ser Sipal]

Location: Pantoran Assembly Building, Capital City, Moon of Pantora​

Allies: Pantoran National Guard, Pantoran Diplomatic Guard, personal forces​

Enemies: Incoming Sith troops​

Miscellaneous: Civilians, Pantoran Assembly Members​

Equipment : HL-27 blaster pistol, Mk. 45 protective vest, comms unit, datapad​

Situation: Dire​

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

​

"Quickly, inside. It is safe there." Alya gave an encouraging smile to the family now moving inside the Pantoran Assembly building. Her orders had been well-received and everything had been carried out smoothly -- with the help of nearby ORC forces it appeared that the Sith fleet was being held, at least for the most part. She was receiving constant updates about the situations of settlements across Pantora, as well as the operations of the police forces and National Guard within the city. It was as smooth as one could expect from the result of an attack against an unprepared planet.

The woman let out a small sigh as she looked out at her city. The Assembly building was grand, the top of its front steps was as tall as some of the buildings she'd seen near the fringes of the capital. The building itself was at first stout but slowly rose in height, almost like a pyramid, with a high ceremonial area build in the Pantoran architectural fashion. She'd walked all the way down from that high pedestal to greet the civilians fleeing the violence that was plaguing the streets.

Alya was pragmatic -- should Pantora survive this calamity she needed to be sure the people remembered who was first to help.

There weren't many other Assembly members out there with her. Assemblywoman Velana was there of course, and Alya appreciated the fact that she wasn't there simply to improve her standing -- even after years of learning to become a shrewd negotiator, diplomat and politician the woman still had a heart. Alya had one too, but her mind tended to be a little sharper and quicker on these types of things. A few others were scattered about, but the majority of the Assembly members had gone back to the main Assembly chamber for safety. Part of her hoped the Sith managed to take out the lot of them, but there were thousands of civilians now stuck in the many basements and eventually the subway tunnels under the skyscraper.

The tunnels would be their way out. A few of the old trains worked, and they had begun to ferry people to and from the station under the Assembly to the far reaches of the city, some to the main spaceport. They were buried deep under the newer above-ground hoverrail system, thus it was unlikely the Sith troops would find them. But if they simply reduced the city to rubble...

Alya flinched as one of the skyscrapers several blocks down burst and began to crumble after an artillery shell tore through its side. Mass drivers. Despite the excellent shielding the Assembly was currently projecting, they couldn't have particle shields up -- it would only slow down the innocents fleeing those very same weapons. That left them vulnerable to the barrage coming from the Sith artillery just outside the city.

"Toro, keep broadcasting that distress signal. If you pick up ORC frequencies, tell them we are attempting to evacuate civilians. If possible, land any ships that are able to escape at the spaceport, at the Assembly building, or at Papanoida station in the west." She spoke quickly and concisely over the comms. With any luck the police forces and National Guard currently holding a perimeter at eight blocks (where the shield ended) would be able to keep the Sith at bay long enough for sufficient allies to arrive and aid her people. But as another artillery shell tore through a nearby building she was reminded of the vast power difference between the soldiers of Pantora and the war machines of the Sith -- and that was ignoring the three-headed dragon she'd been hearing about that was tearing across the city.

The Pantoran looked back down at a group of civilians coming towards the building and moved quickly down to help them.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Toro spoke quickly over the comms. "This is Toro of the Pantoran Diplomatic Guard. To all ORC and allied forces, we need to evacuate civilians from the Assembly building, spaceport, and Papanoida station. Can anyone help?"

(Sorry, it's a little late and I can't quite sort through every post -- if I'm missing something, tell me in the OOC chat or on Discord! Just a little more fluff until people get closer and begin directly dealing with Alya.)

 

[Kahne Porte]

Location: Legacy /Pantora Space- Capital City Dockyard

"Shields up." Kahne advised, while he wasn't exactly piloting the vessel, a member of his team was far better at that than he was. Kahne wasn't much of a flier. That didn't mean he couldn't do some damage. The Jedi just preferred to keep his feet on the ground. Just as the rose, the pilot began the countdown as they were to enter Pantora space.

"Pantora space in 5....4....3....2....1...."

Just as they shot out of hyperspace an explosion could be seen close by as Kahne also scanned the space in front of them. The pilot was already at work as he maneuvered through the fighters, allied and enemy alike. "I'll retract the wings, I'd rather get ground side as quickly as possible. Hold on." The Jedi said as he tapped the the console in front of him as the wings of the ship began to pull in together and the ship got a good burst of speed This ship wasn't fully on made for space combat, but could definitely make a quick getaway in one needed to.

"The main dockyard." The pilot said easily enough as some sort of communication was establish to try and get in touch the with main dockyard. "Pantora control this is the Legacy, got passengers by way of Jedi Master and several Alliance personnel as well as medical supplies for the wounded. We will be touching down shortly." Kahne chuckled as it was sorta of a we are coming whether you like it or not. He just hoped that the dockyard wasn't under any sort of siege yet.

As the wings fell back out to its regular position as the ship touched down and thus the landing ramp lowered into position. An extremely distant roar could be heard that he knew they all heard, that he had no idea where it came from. The Jedi had traversed the galaxy many times and had never heard something of that sort before.

Kahne chuckled lightly as he shook his head and playfully clapped his allies on the shoulders.

"I"m sure that was nothing. Come on, we got work to do." The Jedi declared as led the way from the front of the ship, while supplies and the like were being unloaded. The Jedi unaware that he was about to come into contact with [member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Location: Landing! At the capital city's dockyard!
Wearing: Armor | Pathfinder Boots | The Forgemaster's Ring | Ring of Stasis | Sofitor
Wielding: 10 Czerka knives | 2 Nastirci Combat Knives | Copero's Wail | Fire and Smoke (lightsabers) | Combat Gauntlets | Knight Obsidian Sword | 2 TOTT-001 Arc Light Blaster | 2 Dissuader K-30 Pistols with Glitter Bullets
Allies: ORC
Enemies: TSE
Specific Tags: [member="Kahne Porte"] [member="Kana Mikasa"] [member="Khan Korynth"]
Post: One

Standing at the dockyard, Scherezade was holding a big bag of popcorn in her hands, popping the kernels into her mouth as she watched the carnage and things going up from the distance. Part of her wanted dearly to go and join in, figure out what was happening, and then obviously help the Confederate allies. A bigger part of her wondered if the Coalitioners would try to pin this on her yet again, even though she, once more, had absolutely nothing to do with it.

She made an educated guess that the shop she'd been intending on going to was properly closed. You didn't keep those sort of things open when an entire planet became a warzone. Yet who had attacked?

Closing her eyes, the Blood Hound allowed her sense to dart forth with the Force, tasting, licking, and sampling residues of force remains left behind. When her eyes opened again moments later, she nodded to herself. Sith. Probably Sith Empire, because of the sheer volume. Guess she'd arrived just in time for payback for the events on Rhen Var? But why? Whose grand idea had it been for her to be there just in the same time as all this was going down?

Sighing, Scherezade took another mouthful of popcorn before she felt it. A Jedi? Making a landing at the docks?

Curiously, she decided to talk a casual stroll over to him, following his scent through the Force. Once there, she stood there, watching as he and his people unloaded stuff from the ship.

"The war zone's not here," she said in between a few mouthfuls of popcorn, "it's about twenty miles to that way."

 

[Zark San Tekka]

​

Stand your ground.

Master Zark's cohort did not need to be told twice. Those the Shadow Hand cut down went without fear, even though it meant a death beyond death. Even the spirit ripped apart by a tendril of the darkside had forced his cries of agony into final a roar of defiance. The remaining spirits had recoiled at the sight of such a rift over their fallen comrade, but their leader's voiceless encouragement spurred them on to drive their lances into oozing pitch black flesh.

"The void comes for you Zark. These pathetic wretches won't be enough to save you, or anyone else."

The void comes for us all. This galaxy will defy you to the last, carrion king.

His voice echoed through Zambrano's mind, but once again his mouth did not move.

Two spirits sparred with the otherworldly shamblers, desperately phasing in and out of existence just to keep the brutal monsters at bay. Zark and his remaining companion circled Prazutis, seeming to be looking for a way past his defenses. The Jedi Master raised his lance to a sky, and an arc of light from the Pantoran sun crashed against its edge. The solid blade seemed to melt in his hands, and suddenly he lashed out at Braxus with what was effectively a light whip.

The shaft of Force light attempted to curl its way around the Parasite Lord's form. Another flash pulsed down from the heavens and a second tendril sought its way past the void touched Sith's defenses, constricting and radiant with poisonous lightside energy.

Meanwhile on the edge of the city, a circle of half faded spirits gathered around both the ongoing duel of fates and the Blackblade Guard's command company headquarters. With Orto Plutonia's spiritual reservoir in ascendance, this would be their best chance to lay a trap for the Sith Emperor's corrupted vizier. Quietly they began to chant, their voice carrying on the wind while its cadence and passion built up by slow degrees.

Ahm kum Ra. Ahm kum Dei. Ahm kum Ra. Ahm kum Dei.

A being of pure Force energy, Zark could feel the shifting current of its tides from dark to light. He only hoped that [member="Darth Prazutis"] would not sense the same danger until it was too late for both him and his troops. The Conclave would not approve, and the still living Pantorans certainly wouldn't, but these were desperate times. Even a localized wall of light was not something to be conjured lightly, but this wound in reality that the Shadow Hand had just torn open must be dealt with using the same kind of overwhelming force he had shown them in the Mist-Beyond.