Dominion Operation: Starbird Snare | DE Dominion of Anobis

[Xochilt]

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REPLICA SENATE BUILDING // ORD CANFRE
ATTACKERS: Kazian Blackwood | Ellayina L'lerim | Torne Derok | Aerarii Tithe | Xochilt

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REPLICA SENATE BUILDING // ORD CANFRE
DEFENDERS: Nute Griimda

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Oh, was the pretty boy willing to play? Noted, Xo mused, the devilish thrill coming not from the blonde Imperial's allowance of her caress, but from Ellyina's response about Kaz being able to handle a little pheromone. With a self-satisfied grin akin to a Nexu licking cream, the Zeltron's full red lips curled into a beckoning smile at Elly.

She hadn't used pheromones on Kaz but now, based on the informal conversational tone between Elly and the Imperial Spy, she was curious about their relationship. From the emotive tones Xo gleaned from Elly, there wasn't a hint of jealousy.

Oh, how deliciously curious!

"Don't worry, Miz L'lerim...my tempting little wiles were not laced with pheromones for Kaz." Xo deliberately used the informal name, her curiosity piqued by how the tall Imperial would react.

"I'll be sure to do my utmost to direct them on Coruscant on whom they best need to be," she added with another throaty chuckle.

Now, it was a matter of options. The knowledge that there were reinforced safe rooms was a pain, but could be worked around with the right explosives. Thermal detonating tape could easily be slipped in along the strap of a purse.

Citrine eyes shifted over to Elly. "Imagine the worst-case scenario and let's react to that. From my understanding, the Chancellor used to be a former Jedi. So a Forcer at that. Odds are she might not be the only one with a surprise like that."

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Jewelry | x | x | x | Wearing: x | x | x | x | Makeup | x | x | x | x Other x | x | x |​

 

[Kazian Blackwood]

Replica Senate Building
War Plan Cobalt site, Ord Canfre
Attackers: Xochilt | Ellayina L'lerim | Aerarii Tithe
Defenders: Torne Derok | Nute Griimda

"Don't worry, Miz L'lerim...my tempting little wiles were not laced with pheromones for Kaz." Xo deliberately used the informal name, her curiosity piqued by how the tall Imperial would react.

"I appreciate the honesty, Xo. Really we aren't taught much on Zeltrons. Not much you can do to resist 'em. I know the Bureau has pharmaceutical drugs for it, but they're outrageously expensive. I suppose its a good thing your allure is on our side, right?"

"So let's improvise and create a difficult situation for ourselves." I said; we cannot learn from other simple situations, nor prepare for the worst.

"Imagine the worst-case scenario and let's react to that. From my understanding, the Chancellor used to be a former Jedi. So a Forcer at that. Odds are she might not be the only one with a surprise like that."

"Worst case scenario, huh? I'm imaging that's a lightsaber through the gut. Barring that unfortunate possibility, yes we ought to keep in mind of Chancellor Auteme's background. Regardless, Chancellor presence and exfil is highest priority in the real situation. Let's get after her." I made my way back to the door of the safe room. I was sure there would time later for practicing the minutiae. Capturing the Chancellor, or whoever was playing her for the war game, was the best thing we could possibly do.

 

[Ellayina L'lerim]

Director of SHADES, Torture and Interrogation Officer

Information

Objective: Capture the Flag
Location: Replica Senate Building, War Plan Cobalt site, Ord Canfre
Equipment: Elegant attire | 2x Sunfury Pistol Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | 2x Vibrodagger || Cloaking Device | 5x ASBF Probe Droid || Empyrean gland || OPBC-01m
Tags: Kazian Blackwood | Xochilt | Aerarii Tithe | Nute Griimda | Torne Derok | Open

"Galactic Common" | <"High Nelvaanian"> | ["Essonian"] | ~ telepathic communication ~ | << comm. channel >> ​

I nodded in her direction when she said she had not used pheromones in Kaz's direction. Good. I think if Kaz had been under the influence, I would have asked him to stay here and not come with us. I didn't know the other woman, so I assumed on my own that if I put someone like Force under my control, even the OIT/ISB member would be seen as an expendable puppet. I think that is probably the reason why I could not use my own force without punishment on others. Unless I had written permission to do so, to make sure I couldn't abuse it.

"Good!" I said to the woman.

I didn't allow any emotion to show on my face or anything to be read in my body language. I always made sure of that, especially at work. Ironically, even when we were running away from Sion's men on Ord Mantell, I put a lot of energy into it. Of course, it couldn't be there indefinitely; and yes, it may have bothered me that Kaz saw my vulnerable and exposed side in the two months it took the two of us to survive that hell.

I have to say it was a very pleasant disappointment that both of you agreed that we should practise to the worst of our ability. If Xo hadn't been here, I probably would have laughed at Kaz's comment about a lightsaber being the worst in the guts. I would have thought he would have figured out by now that there are situations where death would be redemption and a very good option. Death was an escape from pain. Torture is far worse than death. Because torture may not end and the other person may not let you die for a very long time.

"I'm glad everyone likes a challenge!" I said with satisfaction. "I agree with Miss Xo, according to my own data Auteme was a former Jedi. Let's do this! The Chancellor may be an ex-Jedi, but she represents the Galactic Alliance and peace and balance. She will probably be among the first to be evacuated. At least, that's what I would do, so let's find the chancellor's hangar and try to prevent them from getting out with it."

I glanced at the others to see if they agreed, and if they did, I headed for the entrance they had designated to get us into the Senate building. However, if they had any objections, I would not leave for the sake of working together and listening to their ideas as well.

 

[Roxy Rizzan]

STORM ACTUAL
STREETS | FAKE CORUSCANT
TAG: Pious Tapp | Open

Spoiler: Unit

Stormtrooper Corps
2nd Division
1st Regiment
First Company
First Platoon
2nd Squad - Boomers

RECKLESS​

This was it.

Finally some preparations for the big leagues. To the firebrand that was Roxy, it felt like they had been digging around in the dirt before now. Yes, they had made headway in the Core, but what would really make a statement was what they were going to prepare for now.

A big step toward the ultimate goal.

The Serennian had been part of the Remnant that had followed Korvan during the Empire's schism, a mere Corporal back then. New divisions and regiments were established within this new Imperial iteration and she was integrated to the First Platoon under command of one Pious Tapp as a Corporal within in one of the artillery squads of the Platoon. It was a field promotion on Empress Teta that had seen her elevated to Sergeant of her squad. It still felt surreal at times, but they continued to do what they were good at - blowing things up in style.

"This literally looks like the real shit." Bax remarked as they swept the area alongside the rest of the squads under Tapp.
"You can say that again." Roxy smirked from behind her helmet. "Though we better stay sharp. The Empire doesn't half-ass anything."
"So chances are we can get snuffed?" Corina asked while her head swiveled from side to side as she scanned the surroundings.
"If we're stupid, yeah."
"No hope for you then, hey Bax?" Linus piped up from somewhere in the back. A ripple of chuckles ran through the squad when Bax just scoffed in reply.

Just then, Roxy caught sight of their Lieutenant's hand signalling a halt. Her own hand went up to put the breaks on her squad. Everyone immediately quieted down, rifles to their shoulders just in case. As another squad took entry along with Tapp, the Boomers stayed outside with some other squads, scanning the area all around for anything out of place.

And then all hell broke loose.

Heavy repeater from above while blasterfire peeled from alleyways. They all scrambled for whatever cover they could find as they returned fire while the comms lit up with reports.

"Boomers, you're up! See if we can't silence that position."

<Clear copy, Sir!> Roxy replied as she signalled for her men to ready their mortars.
<Adjust to coordinates 2NCA1234567890. Confirm when adjusted.> Bax barked while everyone fixed their rifles to the ground.
The squad confirmed once they were all on target.
<Heat out.> Roxy gave the command and as one, the rifles went off. Immediately, the squad replaced their magazines to be able to fire normal shots once more. As the smoke cleared from where the particle blasts landed, it was clear that they hit precisely.
<Position silenced, Sir.> Roxy radioed to Tapp.

They all jumped in to back up the rest of the Platoon with normal fire as they started gain some headway. All of their hearts were in their throats at the reality of the situation. It was hard to think that the real thing would be even more terrifying.

This was only a taste of what was coming.

 

[Pious Tapp]

Stormtrooper Corps
2nd Division
1st Regiment
First Company
First Platoon

Roxy Rizzan
​

The chaos of conflict is something that takes getting used to, that was for certain. I wasn't used to all-out fire fights. Not really. I had spent my time working various security and policing details, some time before the reorganisation into our new Galactic Empire. I'd worn my uniform with pride, still did. There was a disconnect, however, a sense that what we were doing, no matter how real, was just a simulation, just an exercise.

A couple of voices broke the comms. Two of the First Squad were out, hit by enemy fire. For today, they simply had to walk the long walk of shame back towards the holding ground at the start of the exercise, at least four blocks walks away. In real life, they'd be lying in puddles of their own blood, the rest of scrambling about with little to no clue. That wasn't true. Some of these troopers had smart heads on their shoulders; I just didn't wanna see any of them separated from their bodies.

I walked outside, looking about as the scrum of soldiers. I checked in with Rizzan who stood nearby. She was a real veteran of the field. I inwardly felt she could lead half a Brigade out of danger if somebody gave her enough ammunition pointed her in the right direction. She had an energy that made me laugh inwardly. I didn't like to challenge her. I wasn't afraid, that wasn't it. It was just her energy. It said 'try me'. It was a boon she was on our side and not that of the enemy, that I was sure of.

I liked her. Not in a romantic way, mind. There was nothing like that in Empire's Stormtrooper Corps. Not in my platoon at least. It was hard to give out orders when the thought of...

"Well done, team. We lost a couple there. Edge-you'd have to set a makeshift triage if this were the real thing. We're two down now from First Squad. Cato, Tanis; I want you from Second into First. They'll take point. Second, set up a defensive perimeter. We can hold this building for a short while. Third and Fourth, check the next block. Rizz, take lead. See what surprises lie in the main square to the right. Do not engage."

I made damn sure I eyeballed the guys and gals of Fourth. Rizz. They were hard as nails and tricky as Gundarks. They enjoyed the fire and were happy to lay it down whenever the situation called for it. It was useful...mostly.

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

REPLICA SENATE BUILDING // ORD CANFRE
ATTACKERS: Xochilt | Kazian Blackwood | Ellayina L'lerim
DEFENDERS: Nute Griimda | Torne Derok

The Storm Rangers were good, but few units could compare to the Storm Commandos. The black-armoured troopers had the home-ground advantage, and we were dug in behind improvised barricades of office furniture. Two of the assaulting Rangers were stunned in the opening seconds of the engagement. Their peers maintained their rate of fire on the enemy position; the fallen troopers could not be retrieved until contact was broken.

Their training officer had deployed a portable shield when the shooting started, from behind which he and Tithe watched the engagement. Both groups were trained to demanding standards, armed with the latest weaponry, and protected by advanced armour. The battle seemed to reach a stalemate, even as the green-armoured Rangers stunned one of the Commandos.

“Need I remind you, my good man, that there is a plethora of ways to surreptitiously visit the Chancellor’s suite?” Tithe asked the training officer. While most visitors filtered in past the dozen executive assistants, Tithe had always found ways to sneak his secret political donors into his inner sanctum. The officer grunted in response.

The Storm Rangers seemed to have made the same realisation. “Vigilant, Ranger Three-One,” came the voice of the team leader over the battlenet as she contacted the intelligence agents elsewhere in the replica Senate building. “We’re pinned down in the north-east corridors. Target is trapped in the Chancellors suite, but may be looking for an exfil. Need you to find another way in.”

 

[Darth Defias]

Roxy Rizzan Pious Tapp​

Standing at the far back of the stormtroopers, Ander paid little attention to Lieutenant Tapp. The cloudcutters towering above him occupied his mind in marvel. He felt small, boxed in; a rare occurrence given his large stature, but the skyscrappers rose endlessly compared to the occassional pillars and towers of piled-up junk on Raxus. The thought of the real Coruscant spun his head.

The burning smell of particle bolt ozone wafted into his nostrils, pulling Ander's mind back to the present. If any of his squad had caught him dozing off, they remained silent—and naturally so. The penal conscription hung heavy over his squadmates' glares, but scowls and derisive words were the peak of hostile escalations; his large, broad-shouldered frame staved off any direct confrontations. That and the sergeant's authority.

"..see what surprises lie in the main square to the right. Do not engage." Tapp's voice reached his ears and Ander's vision blurred, then transposed to a different place: a scope materialized before his eyes, its glass damp from the owner's labored breathes. Beyond the crosshair a group of stormtroopers trudged into the main square and the breathing stopped before the rangefinder was bathed in red.

Ander gasped for breath as the blur of images dissipated, sweat pouring down his temples and brow. Against his will, he called out from the back. "Left." multiple helmets swiveled in his direction; Ander didn't need to see their faces to know they bore pointed looks. "There's an ambush set up from the left."

 

[Xochilt]

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REPLICA SENATE BUILDING // ORD CANFRE
ATTACKERS: Kazian Blackwood | Ellayina L'lerim | Torne Derok | Aerarii Tithe | Xochilt

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REPLICA SENATE BUILDING // ORD CANFRE
DEFENDERS: Nute Griimda

"Then let us depart. To the hanger it is." Xo agreed. It would also make the best use of their disguises to situate themselves in a position that perhaps can be utilized as a final barrier to prevent the escape of the Chancellor.

​

“Vigilant, Ranger Three-One,” came the voice of the team leader over the battlenet as she contacted the intelligence agents elsewhere in the replica Senate building. “We’re pinned down in the north-east corridors. Target is trapped in the Chancellors suite, but may be looking for an exfil. Need you to find another way in.”

The instructions murmured in Xo's ears, and her brows rose. Citrine eyes would turn towards Kazian Blackwood and Ellayina L'lerim . They must have heard the details.

"Always have to think one step ahead," She murmured. It was a good plan to go to the hangar just in case Torne Derok would not be able to find another way in.

Odds were that the Chancellor possibly had another exit strategy available. So what would a former Jedi turned politician do?

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Jewelry | x | x | x | Wearing: x | x | x | x | Makeup | x | x | x | x Other x | x | x |​

 

[Kazian Blackwood]

Replica Senate Building
War Plan Cobalt site, Ord Canfre
Attackers: Xochilt | Ellayina L'lerim | Aerarii Tithe
Defenders: Torne Derok | Nute Griimda

As we began making our way to the most likely evacuation route, I pulled up the datapad once again and studied the map, looking for the entrance requested by the Storm Rangers.

"Ranger Three-One, this is Agent Vigilant, moving towards possible intersection of HVT evac. According to the map provided by Treasurer Tithe, the Chancellor's office has a small passage only identified as 'servant's entrance' hidden towards the opposite side of the room from the main doors. Accessibility may be limited, but value as a chokepoint appears significant. I'm transferring you marked schematics. Over." My hands tapped at the datapad as we ran, sending off the map with the highlighted routes, both ours and theirs, to the Storm Rangers.

It felt good to be working with Imperial special forces. Though, for years now, my eyes had been set on the Death Trooper regiment, I had to give it to the Storm Rangers for their tenacity and tactics.

As I closed the datapad once more and stuffed it in my jacket, I pulled out my blaster in its place and cocked my head to my Zeltron companion.

"So, Xo. What's your role in the Bureau. I think I'd recall having seen you at HQ before." I smirked, but as we turned a corner I had to stop in my tracks.

Ahead of us were four battle droids, Trade Federation models, emblazoned boldly on their chests with the Alliance Starbird. I immediately fired a pot-shot into them, unaware of what it even struck as I ducked back around the corner we came from.

"GADF Soldiers. Just as likely to put us down as a Jedi."

 

[Torne Derok]

I D O L O N
ANOBIS
ENEMIES | Xochilt | Aerarii Tithe | Kazian Blackwood | Ellayina L'lerim
ALLIES | Nute Griimda

Their grappling hooks were secured and so was the Mock Chancellor. Torne would only leave with six commandos with the rest of the team to delay Tithe’s advance with hopes they would reunite should they succeed. They began their descent although their wire was limited and would have to settle with crashing through another set of glasteel panels. They were only a couple levels from the Chancellor’s suite.

Where they were now appeared to be another office belonging to a senator. A good time to refer to the holomap to see what was the best route.

<“We’re close to a turbo lift here. By now the entire Senate should be on lock down and heavy fighting throughout the corridors. We can only hope the hangar is heavily secured or it’ll be a stand off.”>

Their options were limited but he was willing to take the risk.

<“Let’s get a move on…also, set your weapons to kill. If our guys can’t handle the heat here, then they won’t be able to on Coruscant. Tough shit on them if they ain’t got skin.”>

He’d take the fine for it. Everyone here was supposed to be the best. Time to put that theory to test.

Immediately they moved out with the Neimodian with swift maneuverability to the turbolift.

 

[Ellayina L'lerim]

Director of SHADES, Torture and Interrogation Officer

Information

Objective: Capture the Flag
Location: Replica Senate Building, War Plan Cobalt site, Ord Canfre
Equipment: Elegant attire | 2x Sunfury Pistol Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | 2x Vibrodagger || Cloaking Device | 5x ASBF Probe Droid || Empyrean gland || OPBC-01m
Tags: Kazian Blackwood | Xochilt | Aerarii Tithe | Nute Griimda | Torne Derok | Open

"Galactic Common" | <"High Nelvaanian"> | ["Essonian"] | ~ telepathic communication ~ | << comm. channel >> ​

As we went along, I also heard from Treasurer Tithe what was going on. Meanwhile, MANIAC was studying the map we had been given, but it was Kaz who first told me about the secret passage. In the meantime, we arrived at the point where there were "GADF" soldiers, I stayed behind the corner for the time being while Kaz shot at them. Now, at this point, I would have been very happy if these were not machines, but real people. In that case I could have used mind tricks to do something about them, but my tricks were ineffective against them.

After the first shot, the droids started shooting at us. Fortunately, my motion sensor was still working and I could tell from the number of shots how many of the enemy were left. Three droids, aka GADF soldiers, one of which Kaz successfully took out and killed. Based on movement, two were quite close together and the third was separate from the others and closer. The other two were slightly further back. With a thought, I sent the data from my biochip scanners to my two companions' communication devices, their datapads.

"Kaz has killed one, three remain, one is closer, two are further away and close together. I'll take the two in the back, the closer one is yours." I told them.

In fact, I didn't even wait for their reply, but activated my cloaking device and disappeared out of sight. I knew that the cloaking device would theoretically protect me from the droids, but I proceeded with caution. But they were still shooting around the corner and not where I was. I moved cautiously in a semi-circle to get behind the GADF soldiers in the rear. Along the way, I drew my two daggers and kept moving. It took me about half a minute to get behind the two droids. As soon as I attack, the cloaking device will turn off and I'll be visible...

<< ~ I am here, I have arrived behind the droids. As I attack, the third one will probably turn towards me to kill me. Then you will have the opportunity to attack. ~ >> I sent a mental message via the biochip, which they received as a normal voice message on their own communication device.

I waited no longer, I was trained for such assassinations, to strike from the shadows. I attacked the neck of both droids, the part where the neck meets the skull. This is usually the part where the helmet doesn't protect as well, because that's where the hairline is. And, well, it's not often that people are prepared to have their spine cut here. Of course, I'm going to have a harder time here, because droids are probably more resilient than humans, but I didn't care. I hit him with two slashes. The moment the blades of the knives touched the droids, the cloaking device went off, as I expected it would.

Fortunately for me, the two GADF soldiers were not too protected in the place where I attacked them and they reacted like humans. Even if they didn't receive fatal wounds that would have destroyed them, they fell to the ground and were knocked out as if they were dead. The third droid did exactly as I expected. He turned and fired at me, and I tried to dodge him with a sideways toss and roll.

<< NOW! >> I told them on the communication channel.