People of Our Fears [Galactic Alliance Hex Dominion of M'haeli]

[Liliane]

​

​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU7beUagj_w​

​

​

Our greatest strengths shine like stars in a perfect starlit sky. They provide us light in moments most unfortunate and they give us power to climb as high as we can. They give us the courage to keep on going.​

​

They are what make us the monoliths of a warrior.​

​

But we all have our weaknesses.​

​

They tear us apart. They destroy what we hope and kill what we have. They fade our memories of what we've had and they do not let us rest. They haunt us. They mold us. They destroy us.​

​

Or they shape us and make us who we are.​

​

We are people of mistakes. People of weakness.​

​

People of our fears.​

​

​

M'haeli​

​

Insecurity...​

​

"People of M'haeli," Geneva had said only a month ago. "The galaxy is in a state of war. We are in a state of war, and there is no denying of that."​

​

The woman was used to such speeches. She had been the Foreign Minister of M'haeli for long before she took over the throne, after all. Her speeches had turned into something that could manipulate the masses, control power, deploy armies. But there was one thing she still feared.​

​

Herself.​

​

"The time has come for M'haeli to change. We have for long obeyed the unrealistic movement of a parliament. Our planet can not be torn deep into the matters of democracy. That is not the way we work. We, people of the world, are to be ruled by only one person, by only one monarch."​

​

And even though a month had passed, these words still echoed through the head of the royal crown, haunting her day and night. Her own insecurities had turned her into a figure of misery. Where she had promised a crown to rule over the people of the planet with a fair hand now only stood a woman capable of little to nothing.​

​

That had to change. And that would have to change fast, she thought. ​

​

"Chief of State Xan, we need to talk," she had muttered words no louder than a whisper only a day ago. It was a new day now. A day of change, both inside her and outside her. And with a ship landing in the royal starport, full of diplomats, she would change the planet. Maybe not for eternity, but at least for her reign.​

​

​

Light...​

​

"Light," the elder said, his lips barely parting as his closed eyes looked into the unknown tides the sea of future would hold. His crossed legs were barely touching the ground any more, his hands grasping tight at the wooden rod of his.​

​

"I sense a disturbance. And then I see a light," he would continue, his students' ears catching every word echoing throughout the halls, their powers untapped and full of potential. ​

​

"I see a crusade and I see death," the short man's chest pumped up and down, his tongue barely managing to make sense of the sound coming through his mouth. An aura of mysticism surrounding him, there was no other sound. ​

​

"I sense death greater than anything our planet has seen." His tone full of fear, his body shaking as the Force talked through him, he feared.​

​

"But it is not death, for there is no death. There is the Force."​

​

​

Loyalty...​

​

"It has been a month!" the man in front of a crowd shouted from the top of his lungs, surrounded by men and women not quieter than him. The microphone in front of the silhouette of his rattled, speakers mutating his voice to the point at which it no longer resembled such of a human's, no more of an animal's.​

​

The raspy shouts of the crowd filled the air and speakers barely managed to bring the voice of the leader above any other.​

​

"She promised a better life for all of us, yet now we rot in hell and sleep in our own filth," he exaggerated greatly in hopes of moving the crowd even further to where he wanted to go.​

​

"I want me money back, I want me freedom back!"​

​

The crowd went wild with cries for freedom, raising torches and pitchforks high in the air. No royal guard would intervene, no man would be killed. ​

​

"It is the dawn of our era, it is the time of our freedom!"​

​

"Burn the Queen!"​

​

​

Arrgaw​

​

Death...​

​

"Please help us!" the woman cried, holding a baby not much calmer than the parent was. Tears had covered her face, dropping off her chins and mixing with the blood that was flowing from his cheeks. "At least save my daughter," she cried.​

​

Not all of them were as wordy or loud. Most others would be found quietly mourning those whom they had lost, weeping by the corners of what used to be their houses, trying to stop the blood.​

​

Ground covered with people no longer able to see the dawn of day, the village was no more than a cemetery or a burial ground.​

​

"I will pay you everything, please..." the woman wouldn't stop. There was no other emotion in this village so used to peace. There was no other feeling, no other voice. There was but panic.​

​

Death could not always be stopped from happening. But a person should have never died in the hands of somebody not rightful for taking somebody else's life.​

​

"Please save us, Master Jedi."​

​

​

Love...​

​

"What do I care about these people?" Elizabeth's voice filled the starship. "I don't care for a moment of their lives. They're worthless. There was no karking reason for them to be there at the first place."​

​

The ship of the woman crime lady already escaping the solar system of the planet and already on to some other lands, she had left her fleet there to do the job, just like her ground forces were doing their job on the ground.​

​

"I want this sithspit to die in his loyalties to the Alliance. I want him to be molded into the fears of his kin, I want him to come pleading for mercy at my bare feet."​

​

"... For what he has done to me."​

​

Her vessels - many of them - protecting the criminals pillaging he villages on the planet, she was sure the man she so much hated would turn up sooner or later. If there was a need for that, more people would suffer.​

​

But she would never stop before she could have what she wanted.​

​

What she wanted now was the life of her former lover.​

​

"... I want his death," she tried her best to hide away her tears.​

​

​

Honour...​

​

Green energy surrounding a forest on Arrgaw, the air was filled with aura of the Dark Side.​

​

"They are coming," one of the prophets of the men said. "They do not expect us."​

​

Energy flowing around these men standing in a circle above a mystical shape drawn on the ground, the men laughed a monotonous laugh lacking any emotion. Their eyes glowing a colour of green, they were no more than an army of rakghouls.​

​

Sitting in the middle of the circle was a man whose scepter would stand up tall beside him. His eyes as green as every other man's, he muttered words of tongue one could not tell apart. ​

​

"He is pale. Of fear. Of surprise. What are they?"​

​

The men's free will was not sacrificed to the fullest, but their actions lacking any emotion, they were intimidating.​

​

"They are enemy."​

​

The man sitting would not talk much, but now was the time.​

​

"Jedi. Soldiers. Alliance."​

​

​

What do you fear?​

​

​

Spoiler

M'HAELI

1. [ PEACEFUL ] Insecurity... - The Queen of M'haeli, Geneva Wessiri, is not opposed to cooperation and wants to work with the Galactic Alliance. Join the diplomatic team in talks with the Queen.
2. [ SEMI-AGGRESSIVE ] Light... - The locals of M'haeli are highly in tune with the Force with a great number of Force-users. Try to bring as many new recruits to the Order as possible.
3. [ AGGRESSIVE ] Loyalty... - Under the unfair tax burden and several other reasons, the local farmers of the agriculture world have started to riot against the Queen and the Galactic Alliance. Try to calm the farmers down.
4. [ DO YOUR OWN THING ] Explore, have fun, do what you want, develop something, write a good story.

ARRGAW

1. [ PEACEFUL ] Death... - After Liz the Fourth Lover's criminal organisation landed on the planet, immediate destruction started taking place. One of the human colonies on the planet was nearly brought down by the organisation when they left the village. Help the locals at reconstructing the village or aid those who need help. NOTE!: The criminals are no longer in the village.
2. [ SEMI-AGGRESSIVE ] Love... - Well-known criminal Liz the Fourth Lover has come to the planet of Arrgaw with his criminal fleet. The Rogue Squadron has been given the task to destroy the fleet or at least cause some fatal damage. NOTE!: Liz is no longer nearby,
3. [ AGGRESSIVE ] Honour... - Local to the planet of Arrgaw, the Conjurers of Arrgaw are a Dark Side cult who use sorcery and alchemy for their needs. Not wanting to be ruled by the Jedi, they have declared war against the dominioning Galactic Alliance.
4. [ DO YOUR OWN THING ] Explore, have fun, do what you want, develop something, write a good story.

 

[Ugohr Poof]

Location: M'haeli
Post: 1/25
Allies: Other Jedi recruiters
Enemies: Rebellious farmers
Objective: Recruiting locals as Jedi

Now that Ugohr was dubbed as a Jedi Knight, Ugohr was made acting commander of the 1st Legion; while the 1st Legion elements were to be relocated to various emplacements in the Malastare hex, once again he was to be sent on a Jedi mission. Such Jedi missions were, more often than not, stuff that did not require the full strength of the Army of Malastare to do. And because the Army of Malastare was no longer a regiment-sized unit, the old protocol of all-or-nothing deployment is declared obsolete. But what was a Jedi brute to do? How would Jedi brutes help recruit Jedi younglings or Padawans even? He is one of the most celebrated armor commanders in the Alliance; then again the Alliance made pretty little use of armored units compared to its enemies. He fought One Sith, Techno Union armored units, and the ground doctrine of the Alliance was mostly about infantry, rather than mobile artillery; he regarded his role as that of mobile artillery. But he used his Force-vision power in an attempt to spot a potential recruit, some unemployed Force-sensitive.

"What am mesa doing here? Why send a Brute to recruit other Jedi? Theysa nutsen to think dat a Brute could recruit other Jedi"

"At least they are not sending you for hunting mines, general. If there were mines they would probably have you deploy the entire 1st Legion to quell the rebellion along with the Rings of the Lord" a communications officer of the Temple told Ugohr.

"The Jedi Temple presumed that, beyond the Consulars that traditionally fill the role of Jedi Recruiters, perhaps a variety of different Jedi - some of the prospective Jedi may respond better to the Jedi that fit their personality and skillsets better"

"Disen make sense by now"

With the justifications now at hand, he lands his N-2 Naboo starfighter in a barn of the M'haeli countryside. By now he will be a barnstorming Jedi for the duration of his mission on M'haeli, in search of additional Jedi recruits, whether they would be a better fit for the numerous subclasses of Jedi - brutes were often known for either dual-wielding or for the more exotic (from a Jedi's standpoint) weapons. And Ugohr was a rare breed of Jedi: he was a Jedi best known for artillery and its use in sweeping mines, thanks to the use of tanks as minesweeping vehicles. Few, very few Jedi would even envision fighting as artillerymen in the first place.

 

[Kenrath]

Location: M'Haeli
Objective: Diplomatic Envoy to Queen [member="Geneva Wessiri"] (Objective 1)
Allies: Galactic Alliance Diplomatic Team.
Enemies: TBD
Post:1/20

Armis wore the nicest robes he had. Which were probably archaic compared to the attire of the Royal Court. He had ditched his blaster and holster but still wore his sword. He glanced around the Diplomatic team giving each one a nod.

Even though he was not a diplomat himself Armis was a man of law and order who cared for the people. He was also a Jedi Padawan granted a Rogue Jedi Padawan but a Jedi none the less. He was here more as a security escort than anything else but would speak his mind should his thoughts be asked during the visit.

He waited patiently to be granted audience with the Queen and her people so they could discuss M'Haeli and what it needed from the Alliance to be not only prosperous but safe.

 

[Tobias Wrynn]

Location: Arrgaw
Allies: Galactic Alliance Defense Force
Enemies: Op For
Objective: Neutralize hostiles. For Honour. <Objective 3>

[01]

"We have confirmation of a declaration of war," officer Haela Rel told them as the Defense Force units gathered in the war room for the briefing. "I will make this short, because the longer it lasts, the more people die. We want to bring a halt to these uncertain times and bring this planet under the protection of the Alliance. Wrynn took his place toward the back as people started claiming seats and reclining on the fringes of Rel's soapbox. She was not an unattractive woman by any means, but Tobias still recalled the harshness with which she had answered the last unfortunate sod who dared to hit on her. It made her more unapproachable, the way she was stern even when the situation was not serious.

Not that Wrynn was interested to begin with. The Alliance was good for paychecks, but he had no desire to hop on board the highway to marriage for the first woman who got his attention. Her demeanor was one of absolute discipline, the way most women in the Defense Force were. The difference was that she took discipline to a whole other level. As several of the more eager mercenaries drooled over her boots, Rel absently kicked one of them in the chest. There was no protest, but he limped off like a wounded pup. "The little we know involves a cultist group of dark Force users, which we know will call for the Hounds to intervene. If at all possible, they should be dealt with before any Jedi lives can be jeopardized. This is a small time group, recall. There is no reason to expend exorbitant manpower to deal with a few rogue magickers."

Wrynn read between the lines: they were expendable, Jedi were a precious commodity. It was almost always like that. It takes a few months of training to make a trooper, and only a few battles to call him a veteran. A Jedi spent their whole lives getting good at what they did. He didn't hold that against them. There was a brief annoyance in the idea that the mercenaries and soldiers were considered meat for the grinder, but he was used to that. They were paying hazard fees on top of his already generous overhead cost, so he wouldn't make a fuss.

"There will most likely be Jedi backing you up, in spite of that," she added, "so if you do get grouped on one of them, default to their command as per usual."

"Recon Bravo will scout ahead," Wrynn's familiar mechanized drawl cut in. Several awkward gazes shot in his direction when they realized he was wearing his helmet outside of combat, but he ignored them. "Do you have a location you would like to prioritize, madam Rel?"

"Excellent, mister Wrynn," she stiffened a bit, still unused to the candid nature of some of the newer mercenaries. It was a welcome question, but she disliked that the man was obviously taking liberties with his position as an outsider. "There are several abandoned crystal refineries along the surface in the western hemisphere, on the southern continent. I would like you to lead Recon Bravo across the area and scout for the cultist hideaway. Because they were used to refine highly unstable crystals, the buildings are believed to be highly resilient to plasma weapons and would make an ideal makeshift fortification. We believe that the insurgent force may have holed themselves away in one of them to coordinate guerilla attacks across the surface."

"Are you sure?" he questioned. "It seems a bit too obvious to me."

"We have confirmed several clandestine nodes of operation in the major cities across the planet, but all of our raids have turned up inconclusive in terms of their leadership. They function in a manner synonymous to terrorist cells. Our relief efforts in small villages have found natives sympathetic to the cause, but interrogations have been woefully unsuccessful." Rel shot him a glare that said 'you're asking too many questions,' but Wrynn managed to shrug it off.

"Your wish is my command, Miss Rel," he said curtly as he turned and headed out of the war room. He could feel her gaze burning holes in his back. "I'll scramble the troops."

"Cocky merc filth," she muttered beneath her breath before she shook her head. "Take care, Mister Wrynn," she called out to him, "they're known for using very occult methods. You may wish to stay for the entire briefing."

"No thanks," he called back. "Jedi, Sith, politician, merchant, don't matter how tough they are," he turned his gaze back to her and considered her expression for a moment. "they all respond the same to getting shot."

Ain't that right, Eddie?

Haela held up a hand. "The rest of you wait here for a moment, I need a word with Wrynn." All of them continued to stare at the man and then back at Rel as she strode toward him. When she was out of earshot, she fumbled with the door mechanism and shut it. Her gaze never broke from his emotionless metal mask. "I don't care how good you think you are," she said finally. "These are people with powers beyond you and me. You need to approach this situation just like any other that could cost you your life. Do you understand, Tobias Wrynn?"

"I do," he nodded, "and I am. You people pay me to understand that I could die. I know that every time I put boots on the ground could be my last. I point my gun at every hostile knowing that their blood is on my hands. You're not paying me to second guess myself, Miss Rel, and with all due respect, I'd like to opt out of the briefing because I don't need to think about what might happen. I don't want to think about it. I do my best work on the fly. You're paying me for my best. Let me do my job."

"You merc types are all stubborn that way, huh?" she asked. "All right, since you're still not a ranked soldier, my hands are tied. The moment you decide to enlist, though, your ass is mine, Wrynn."

"Don't think there's much chance of that, ma'am," he told her. "Ya'll don't pay enough for me to sell my soul."

She grabbed his arm and held him evenly. Wrynn scrunched up his face behind the helmet. "You're out there doing the work of the Alliance, but you're not even a proper citizen. You see what we're doing out there. We're giving these people freedom, safety, and a chance at a better lives. I want you to see what you're fighting for, Wrynn, and I hope it changes your mind."

He grunted noncommittally.

"Seriously," she emphasized, "come back alive."

"I'll do my best," he replied as he shrugged her hand away. "You have men waiting for your briefing. I've got work to do."

As he turned, she did the same. The door slid open in front of her, and she glanced back at him one last time as he turned the corner.

"Alright, men," she called out as she reentered the room. "Listen up!"

.......​

​

Wrynn watched the planet grow larger as his dropship ripped through orbit and into atmosphere. His eyes shut as Draco toyed with his energy sword's configuration and waited for landing. "You ready for this, Wrynn?" he asked. "After that mess on Keres I, to play tag with Sith should feel cathartic."

"Killing things is killing things," Wrynn replied flatly. "It doesn't get harder or easier. It just is."

"You're one of those kind of soldiers," Draco sighed. "No enjoyment at all. No feeling. Just doing your job."

"No one's paying me to feel, Draco," Wrynn glanced over toward the man. "There's not enough money in the galaxy to move my heart. Just my feet and my trigger finger. We're not slaves."

"No," Draco nodded with a smile, "no, we're not."

Five seconds to landfall.

 

[Kahne Porte]

Location: Arrgaw
Objective: Enroute to Colony (Objective 1)
Allies: Galactic Alliance
Enemiesespair
{1}

"How bad is it."

"Do you really want to know."

"Yes."

"Bad..."

The Jedi walked from the cockpit of the transport shuttle his hand rubbing the side of his face slightly as he took a seat and strapped himself in, they should be at there destination in about ten minutes. Trouble had been brewing on the planet of Arrgaw, much more than what seemed to be revealed. Criminals and Sith alike seemed to have taken the Arrgaw's peoples hope and have turned it into a nightmare. The Jedi wasn't going after the darkness right now, he knew that a colony had come under fire and had faced the wrath of the Criminals might and had greatly suffered. The Jedi took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly as he closed his eyes for a moment gather his thoughts and centering himself with the force. His first task at hand was to deal with the Colony that had almost been destroyed. Supplies and the like had been brought with them to prepare for the rough road ahead.

The Jedi had been familiar with this area before, he remembered after Coruscant helping the wounded to Medbay, and then holding the hand of those whom had died because their wounds were too great. However none of this deterred the Jedi Master or brought him to heel, he would do what needed to be done, as he always would. The long low somber sounding beep shook him from his trance as he glanced over towards Gala and he smirked.

"You alright Kahne?" Specter whispered tapping the Jedi's shoulder with his hand.

"Of course, just thinking." Kahne chuckled lightly.

"5 minutes till arrival Master Jedi." The pilot shouted back, and Kahne just raised two fingers in recognition as he closed his eyes returning to his previous state.

Five minutes could last a lifetime...

 

[Geneva Wessiri]

[ 02 ]
Objective 1 | M'haeli

"Welcome, Alliance!" the Queen of M'haeli spoke as she exited the palace and walked right outside to meet the diplomatic envoy the Galactic Alliance government had sent. The woman had to let go of her insecurities and act as a courageous woman -- a leader of the planet. Even though she could lead nothing if she couldn't lead even herself.

"I welcome you to my residence. Please, come in."

She was wearing her most royal dark green and black dress which she had gotten made just for this one situation. Now she had practically all the money of her planet in her hands, so she could definitely use it to make herself a few amazing dresses.

Although Geneva knew that she couldn't go too wild with the money. All corrupt governments were removed sooner or later, so if she would keep on living and ruling like that, she would eventually meet the very same end the previous government did. She still had no idea what her troops had done to the men, but she was pretty sure they were no longer to be found on the planet.

"I believe we have a lot to talk about, but shall we first take a look at the recent history of M'haeli?" she asked. The corridors of the royal palace were full of paintings about history, the latest of them speaking of Queen Geneva Wessiri's reign and how it started. She could give the diplomats a good overview by showing them the pictures.

[ [member="Armis Vindex"] ]

 

[Ugohr Poof]

Location: M'haeli
Post: 2/25
Allies: Other Jedi recruiters
Enemies: Rebellious farmers
Objective: Recruiting locals as Jedi

"R9, could yousa give mesa una list of unemployed locals?"

His R9 unit beeped in agreement. Ugohr's plan was to go after unemployed Force-users. His list didn't have to be complete, but he feels that, if he targeted those who needed the Order most, he will have a greater likelihood of success. Much like he targeted refugees for his business back on Coruscant, both for expanding the IGR office and for designing the refugee allocation system. He would think that it would be more difficult to recruit Force-sensitives as Jedi if they already hold employment elsewhere on the planet. At least the local unemployment benefits office has been cooperative now that there was a list of unemployed locals for him to sift through, and that R9 told the office that they wanted a list of unemployed locals so that they could target job recruiting. On M'haeli unemployment benefits offices are authorized to release lists of people on it for the purposes of professional recruiting; other planets were often more reluctant to release such lists even in the hopes of interviewing unemployed people for jobs. That said, he uploads said list into PeopleSoft, the tool used by the Jedi Order to coordinate external recruitment of other Jedi.

"To all Jedi recruiters on M'haeli, yousa now have access to a list of unemployed people to search for on disa planet: theysa da priority. Just looky for da latest M'haeli database update in PeopleSoft"

"Ugohr, the list contains hundreds of thousands of names. I hope that some of them can be removed once we discover that they aren't Force-sensitives" the PeopleSoft technician assigned to the project complained.

"Yousa know that very, very few people are Force-sensitives: sifting people from dat list issa muy longo"

 

[Isha]

[ DO YOUR OWN THING ] Explore, have fun, do what you want, develop something, write a good story.
Post 1
@Varien

---

---

The great maw of the cavern entrance seemed to loom before the Yodaling and her companions. A small twitch of her large ears relayed her deep concentration. They had been led here by Knight Varek in the procurement of specific crystals.

Knight Vaerk's appearance at first glance could be quite... unsettling. His skin was a thick white plate, his eyes bright blue and his head was pointed in four thick horns. It gave him a rather demonic appearance that most would be quick to show prejudice upon. There was no other way to speak about Knight Vaerk other than calling him a Demon. It was the immediate word that sprung to mind when anyone spoke about him and being a three meter tall Malibus had a tendency to reinforce this belief.

However, Knight Varek is soft spoken and always supremely polite. Most were offput by his species and his imposing figure, but once one got to know him, would realize that the Malibus was very conversational and had profound respect for the views of others.

"Take heed, young ones." the deep rumble of his voice seemed to echo from within his chest. Twin blue suns of his eyes seemed to flare like tiny cerulean flames. Slowly, the behemoth at three meters in height gently plucked the tiny Isha and set her onto his palm. "And watch your step."

 

[Varien Moxla]

Objective 4.
Post One.
[member="Isha"]

Among their group, there was also Varien of Clan Moxla. The Kiffar Clan of the planet Kiffu. Much of his time had been spent with the Mandalorians after being on Ithor and encountering a member of Kade Kelborn whose life he had saved from a Yuuzhan Vong created Vagh Rodiek. With his dual heavy blaster pistols he had melted its interior after the armour clad warrior had created a hole big enough to shoot into.

Varien was tall as well.

But nothing like the Maelibus that stood just a metre away from him.

He's like every other Jedi, but I imagine he could do damage on the battlefield.

The Padawan drew his hand over the hilt of his gifted beskade as he looked over the cave entrance

"There are crystals here, right?" He inquired, his own voice deep enough to be pleasant to the air, even a grin was on his face, as if he was always sure himself. As ifi t were impossible for anything wrong to ever happen.

 

[LT-137]

++ Location: Arrgaw ++​

Objective: Honour​

Allies: The Galactic Alliance​

Enemies: Unknown Robed Assailants​

Post Count: One​

​

When Dawn's first light broke through the tarpaulin flaps of his tent, the Balmorran found himself fighting the urge to rise. He was comfortable in this measly woven cot, and there was still time enough for him to get ready to face the day. Despite the surge of fresh agonies that tore through his muscular frame with reckless abandon, the Major swung himself to his feet and dug his toes into the dirt. The earthen texture was pleasing to the touch, and as it compacted under his weight, the man secretly wished he could stay in that moment of simplicity for a lifetime. Begrudgingly, Gideon pulled himself out of the momentary respite and busied himself with his morning routine.

After kissing the dirt and performing the act nearly one hundred times, the Soldier stood erect and began to pad himself down with a dampened towel. It seemed that his adjutant had woken earlier than his commander and snuck into Gideon's tent while the man was sleeping, leaving behind a tray with warmed rations, a cooled cup of rationed re-caf, and this morning's dispatches. The damp towel was something unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome. It replaced the need for a shower, something that he believed was meant for the men under his command than himself. While it was true that he was expected to care for his hygiene, the Balmorran ensured that his subordinates were well-cared for, rather than taking pleasure in the liberties his position could afford.

Once scourged of the dead skin and nightsoil, the former Stormtrooper folded the filthy towel and tossed it in the hamper - no doubt to be dealt with later on that evening.

"Major!" A voice called from beyond the entrance flap to his modern-day pavilion. Without delay, nor deviating from his routine, Gideon bid the man enter.

Pushing aside the starched canvas material and bathing the half-naked soldier in the light of the rising star, an armored warrior slid into the tent, snapping a crisp salute as soon as he caught the Major's eye.

"Well," The Balmorran said as he withdrew a horse-haired brush and shaving tin from his kit. "Speak your piece, Soldier; I don't have all day."

The crisp salute faltered as the man dropped his arm, letting it hang limply by his side. In doing this, the former Stormtrooper had noted that his subordinate stood fractionally straighter - eager to please his commanding officer with such attention to trivial details. Doing everything he could, not to roll his eyes, Gideon unscrewed the tin and began bathing the brush in the alabaster cream.

"We've just been wired some disturbing news from one of our outermost outposts, Sir. They reported sightings of strange men in black robes coming out of the nearby forest, trickling into the open with their arms raised. After that, our connection was severed, and we've been getting nothing but white noise ever since."

Nodding once, Gideon stretched out his arm towards the soldier and opened his palm.

"Your knife."

Unsure of the command, the armored soldier hesitated for a moment, before snapping into action and withdrawing his combat blade. Holding the sharpened tip between his index finger and thumb, the warrior placed the weapon into the Major's extended hand. Fanning his digits around the textured hilt of the blade, he took the proffered knife into his confidence and slammed the point into the surface of his washing tin.

Silence began to descend within the heart of the tarpaulin structure, as Gideon brushed his chin with the alabaster paste. Circular motions coiled along the lengths of his jawline, painting much of his face with the purifying ointment. When he was finished, the Major carefully placed the encrusted brush down with it's bristled pointed towards the heavens. Snatching up the combat blade before he could blink, the man carefully tested the edge.

"Good man," Gideon said with a smile. "You've kept the monomolecular edge sharp." The act had drawn a sliver of blood, and a bright ruby red droplet trailed down the length of his hand - as well as the curvature of the blade. Unphased by the flesh-wound, the former Stormtrooper began carefully dragging the honed metal across the surface of his jaw, scouring it of paste and hair with every calculated stroke.

"Sir. We've lost an outpost." The Soldier repeated as his Commander had nearly finished whittling his beard to bare flesh.

Nearly missing his mark, the Major exhaled.

Loudly.

"Such is the terrible truth of war," The Balmorran murmured. "We soldier's pay with our lives for another's incompetence." Scraping the Vibro-blade clean and splashing his face with handfuls of water, he returned the weapon to its rightful owner in the same manner in which it was given. Once the armored warrior's hand gripped the hilt, Gideon's silvered blue eyes narrowed.

"I want you to get me the name of the person in charge of that outpost, and do so quickly. Those robed devils won't be the only ones this day to feel the edge of my knife."

 

[Kenrath]

Location: M'Haeli
Objective: Diplomatic Envoy to Queen [member="Geneva Wessiri"] (Objective 1)
Allies: Galactic Alliance Diplomatic Team.
Enemies: TBD
Post:2/20

When the Queen exited Armis gave her a deep bow but he didn't speak instead letting the diplomats address her. An older Gentleman dressed in rather fancy diplomatic robes spoke for the group. Only Armis held in visible weapons.

"Thank you for your hospitality your Majesty."

Armis hung back being the last person to enter the residence. He had taken notice of the paintings for only a brief moment when the Queen once again addressed the group. He turned back to focus on the Queen as the older Gentleman replied.

"We can start where ever you wish your Majesty."

The man paused glancing back at Armis before speaking to the Queen again.

"Would mind if Officer Vindex looked around while we talk?

Armis smiled but didn't respond.

 

[Tobias Wrynn]

[02]

You're going in hot," the comm blared in his ear as Wrynn brought his HUD online and the doors slid open in front of him. He gripped the carbine that waited at his back and readied the weapon for combat. "The LZ was clear until approximately three minutes ago. Trace resistance has been established several clicks out and the heavier half of Recon Bravo is engaged. Punch a hole, Wrynn. We need to find the opposing masterminds before we lose any more ground. We already lost an outpost."

"Understood," he called back over the chatter, and it sounded vaguely like blaster fire had already grown to a head on the other end. "What's your status, Bravo Five?"

"The fortifications are heavier than we were briefed. These refineries aren't just hollowed out and vacant." Wrynn turned his gaze at a forty five degree angle and zoomed in on the smokestack that stretched skyward. "They've been repurposed to some end, and they're working around the clock. Whatever they're churning out is giving off some killer readings on my Geiger count. We need to stay clear of the exposed radiation or it'll seep through our armor abysmally quick."

"Acknowledged," he swore under his breath and counted the number of bogeys that slipped over the wall in his field of vision. They were still too far to give him any problem, but the others needed to know about it. "You have five incoming," Wrynn warned, "from the northeast, two clicks out. Be advised, they are armored lightly, but I'm getting a reading on personal shielding."

"Watch out for that," Bravo Five called back, "they're neutralizing plasma based weaponry with a strange type of shielding we've not encountered before. It may be unique to these cultists."

Wrynn frowned and scanned the readings for any sign that the shields might be different from the standard shielding implemented by infantry. There was nothing conclusive to confirm or deny the assertion. "I get the feeling," he muttered, "whatever they're doing in those refineries has something to do with this." He glanced toward Draco, who had already brought his energy sword to life and grinned eagerly. "This isn't a stealth op, so you should stow the close range armament and go with something more suited to the situation," he advised.

"Piss off Wrynn," Draco smirked, "you do what you're best at, and I'll keep doing my part."

Tobias just shrugged.

"Wrynn, come in, do you read?" His eyes traced the name of the voice across his HUD, and he confirmed that it was Bravo Three. "These cultists seem extremely under-armored, even for civilians. There's nothing to indicate that they're prepared for any sort of combat at all. I took one between the eyes and we're skimming the body for weapons right now-"

"Get away from it," Wrynn yelled into the comm. "Don't get anywhere near them. Put them down and let them lie." It's too convenient, his eyes moved across the battlefield as he pressed forward and gestured for Draco to follow. It's almost like they want us to kill them. They're running out into enemy fire with shielding that gives them time to get close, but they're not armored for combat. This isn't right.

"Wrynn, It's- fething hell." The comm went dead silent and Wrynn stopped in place to lock the signal down once more.

"What," he hissed, "what is it, Three? Zarix, what the hell are you seeing?"

The comm erupted with static as his unit sliced back onto the channel and started to secure it. He grit his teeth and endured the harsh sound until it wavered and became as staccato of blaster fire on an infinite loop. Bravo Three's voice had gone silent.

"Zarix?" Wrynn called again. "Zarix!"

"Wrynn, he's down." Five confirmed the condition of her ally and Tobias felt his gut sink. "The body just engorged suddenly. I can smell it through my helmet. It's like the cultist rotted from the inside out, then just up and popped like a zit."

Disgusting. He struggled to imagine the scene as she described it, but the prospect of a person just exploding made his throat burn. This was the sort of twisted, amoral chit that Sith did. He'd seen it before, once, but nothing remotely like this. Throwing your men out like garbage, using them as weapons...

Wrynn brought his weapon up as a form substantiated through the smoke. Fire at its feet illuminated the figure of a shivering boy, no older than twelve. The mercenary felt his chest seize up. "Children," he murmured. "This one's a kid."

"Put it down, fast," Five called back. "Don't you dare get cold feet because it looks like a child. These things aren't human anymore."

But they were. Wrynn bit back his hatred as he fingered the trigger. Children. They were fething children.

It took the boy between the eyes, and the look of surprise was frozen on his face eternally.

As he collapsed, Wrynn looked away.

 

[Kahne Porte]

Location: Arrgaw
Objective: Colony Enterance(Objective 1)
Allies: Galactic Alliance
Enemiesespair
{2}

The transport gave a small shake, followed by another one as it touched down just near the entrance to the Colony. Kahne was shook from his meditative state as he stood up and took a deep breath. The Jedi glanced around and nodded his head. "We need to assess the situation get these supplies off, I need several medical tents set up for injuries and anything of that sort. We get those wounded feeling better, and if they aren't going to make it, make them comfortable."

The Jedi Master held on to the latch just above them as the ship finally touched down and the pilots began to power down the shuttle. "Another area for food and bedding for those left." The landing pad opened up and Kahne was the first one off the transport as that smell first hit his nostrils, and it was something that Kahne was used too....but he hated it.

The Jedi was accompanied by a rather large detachment of soldiers,Medical Personal and anything else that they could have needed to heal this tragedy. Kahne moved towards the Colony as it was just mere feet away from first entering. A strong gust of wind came about that billowed his cloak around slightly bringing that smell about as well, and as the smoke had cleared and the Jedi's eyes saw what was before him. His heart did truly ache for them. Sounds of several transports flying overhead could be heard bringing about more relief efforts. for aid.

"Please help us!"

The Jedi Master took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as supplies were being taken off the transport. The Jedi heard the voice from afar, just near the entrance of the colony.

 

[Geneva Wessiri]

[ 03 ]
Objective 1 | M'haeli

"There is very little to see here that would intrigue one. But if there is a need for that, I agree," Geneva replied to the question of whether Officer Vindex could look around or not. She knew she was not the best leader there was and that her ways of gaining power weren't the most democratic. But the fact that this planet was not meant to be a republic might have eased the whole situation.

"Only a month ago, M'haeli was under the rule of a corrupt democratic government. Very liberal and righteous, yes, but M'haeli has never been a supporter of democracy. If you take a look at our history, you can see a clear tradition of monarchy," she started with her speech about the recent history of the planet.

"I, with the help of other members of the cabinet, decided it was time to move on -- back to the golden age of monarchy, that is."

The Old Republic's Speaker's Staff was in her right hand, clicking on the floor every time she took a step, walking slowly around the corridor and taking a break every time she stopped at an important painting.

"We overthrew the crazy democracy and dissolved the parliament who cared less about the people they were supposed to lead and more about their own personal desires," Geneva spoke. "The turn, however, was signed by the parliament. We did not forcefully take over."

Would Geneva not have used the help of Force users, she would have most likely never gotten the parliament to decide to turn the planet back into a monarchy. A little bit of a Mind Trick sure had come handy.

[ [member="Armis Vindex"] ]

 

[Ishana Pavanos]

Location: Near Arrgaw
Allies: N/A
Enemies: Not Yet
Objective: Love // Make Contact with Liz's Fleet.
Post: 1 // ??

Having abandoned whatever reward the One Sith offered for aid on Bassadro, and lacking contact from the Golden Rancor Company. Former TIE Fighter, dancer, and sometimes smuggler, Ishana Pavanos has 'borrowed,' a Fighter from the One Sith. It was that or stay on a blasted rock where half the people wanted to kill you and the other half wanted to throw you in lava, well. Ahem, Ishana made one or two pit stops to rid the Fighter of its former tracking device and even took to throwing on her own splash of stripes. Bright, pink stripes on the side that now flew toward Arrgaw, not because she was looking to help the Alliance.

Rather, looking for a place to hide, between being in debt to a few Hutts, fleeing One Sith (again), and the Force knows what else is chasing after her. Her goal was to hide out in the Kathol Outback, and Arrgaw just happened to be on the way there. She had no idea what she was looking for, but Arrgaw was coming up fast and as she adjusted her helmet the pilot flicked the radar on her dash. "Can't be right," she muttered, as radar indicated something was nearby but when she jostled out the tracking device she might've jostled a few other things too.

Working the comm channels, she flipped through a few that she thought might've been Alliance channels. And then she had to give a callsign, songbird and shriek-hawk didn't feel like her own names anymore. They were reminders of a past life, and with nothing coming to mind she decided to leave that off for now. She looked down at her controls still and decided to not speak on comms. Ishana didn't like being outside of her usual stomping grounds, but then those stomping grounds had become a little hostile lately. Just a little.

 

[Ugohr Poof]

Location: M'haeli
Post: 3/25
Allies: Other Jedi recruiters
Enemies: Rebellious farmers
Objective: Recruiting locals as Jedi

Usually midi-chlorian counts would be made in the first standard year. Perhaps if Ugohr wanted a quick way to weed out people, he may want to try negotiating with the Ministry of Health, but unfortunately a midichlorian count is medical information and most of the unemployed on the list Ugohr got were 14 years and older and hence he couldn't obtain the information. Recruiting Jedi were, yes, important, and why he was here in the first place, but that didn't mean he could break the law and slice to obtain the information. He would have to travel the countryside in search of those people on the list. Fortunately he could sift through the list according to his own location and the residences of each of those unemployed, going for the closest one first vs everyone else. If there was no Force-presence strong enough to suggest a Force-sensitive, he could take that name out of the list. But, as he cruises along the country road, a few angry farmers decided that Ugohr wasn't welcome here and came to carry screams at the Jedi and even pitchforks, as well as other makeshift weapons. Only a few had proper weapons.

"A... space wizard? How dare you come here?" a first peasant told him, screaming.

"You're nothing but instruments of war!" a second peasant told him, about to hold Ugohr at gunpoint.

"Mesa here looky for unemployed Force-sensitives: theysa more dangerous than ordinary unemployed people"

"You want to train space wizards? Over my dead body!"

 

[Isha]

[ DO YOUR OWN THING ] Explore, have fun, do what you want, develop something, write a good story.
Post 2
[member="Varien Moxla"]

Knight Varek swung his wide pointed head over towards the Kiffar. He calmly studied the younger humanoid, lofting his heavy large frame to turn and face the man. The flutter of wings was heard, a small glowing bird coming to perch along the Maelibus' shoulder. It was a Lantern bird, a large flying creature with incandescent tail feathers. There it sat, quietly preening as Knight Valek spoke, "Tell me, young Moxla, what do you sense in these caves?"

He meant for the Kiffar to not simply ask questions, but to learn how to discover the answer himself. He was a Kiffar, with natural skills brought forth of his kind. That was just Psychometery in it of itself... but there were more ways to stretch out once senses in the Force.

"What does the Force tell you?"

 

[Saffron]

[ AGGRESSIVE ] Loyalty... - Under the unfair tax burden and several other reasons, the local farmers of the agriculture world have started to riot against the Queen and the Galactic Alliance. Try to calm the farmers down.
Arceneau Trade Company - Browncoat Industrial
3

---

---

"The situation isn't the best Saffron." came the low murmur from the svelte Zeltron standing to the right of the blonde Companion. Aeri Vyn had served her time also in the Guild-house. Her tenure has seen her rise among the ranks to now work alongside a select few who would oversee the daily run of the Arceneau Trade conglomerate.

They had come to M'haeli after the initial geographical survey indicated a high return in investment on the planet's mines. That wasn't even including the fertile expanse of landscape Pharma-tech could utilize to continue their research in biochemical agri and hydroculture.

The only issue being that there was a revolt underway and many of the locals were calling for the blood of the Queen.

"Find out if there is anything we can do to help smooth things over." Saffron told Aeri. "Word has it that the Alliance might be at the head already to help calm things down... we don't want to step on any toes and have any more loss of life."

 

[Varien Moxla]

Objective 4.
[member="Isha"]
Post 2

The young Kiffar hadn't been paying much attention to the Force. Spending much time with Mandalorians didn't allow him much time to do his Jedi studies or practice with a lightsabre. Not that he actually had one unfortunately, instead he just used his trusty beskad, a blade that was gifted to him by a member of Clan Kelborn from the Mandalorian Clans. Finally realizing that the sizeable Maelibus was turning towards him, he turned towards him to send that charming smile to him.

"That there's something living in here."

He figured that Knight Varek was expecting him to broaden his senses, but Varien almost never actively used the Force outside of combat. To him, it wasn't necessary, and to use his senses to figure out what was coming? Well he certainly wasn't a Jedi Sage, or... Seer... Or an investigator.

"It resonates deeply in the caves. Far down."

Complete bantha poodo.

He didn't know what he was meant to be sensing, but he did feel something. He just didn't know what it was.

 

[Tobias Wrynn]

[03]

"Give me an update on Three," Wrynn called out loudly. Heavy fire poured down on his position and he ducked behind one of the ruined structures for cover. Blaster bolts clipped the durasteel frame and raced past only meters from his face, but far enough that he could not feel the heat off them. "Is he down?" He glanced over at the putrid remains of three humans who had decomposed rapidly as acid spat out from their bloated innards. He identified the corrosive nature of the fluid as it ate through the tattered clothes that they wore before he finally looked away in contempt.

"Three is alive, but unconscious," Five reported. "Four is holding at his position, but we can't press forward under these circumstances. What should we do, Wrynn?"

"Have Two withdraw to the extraction point with Three, and you rendezvous with us to push further in." He glanced over the stream of data as it updated with some unintelligible jargon in Alliance Battlecant. He ran the decryption cypher as his HUD warned him with a proximity alert. "Feth, four, watch your back. They've got heavies."

"What? Whe-" Four's voice shivered and crackled as the explosive round made contact. Wrynn dived hard left and away only seconds before impact, and the concussive force of the rocket sent him sprawling to the dirt. Chunks of metal and duracrete rained down on the merc as he slowly got to his feet and lifted his weapon again. His warning had been in no small part thanks to the advanced stream in his display, and the positive ID on their RPGs. "Wrynn, are you alright?"

"Draco, what's your status?" he called across the comm, ignoring the question about his own safety. He lost track of the orange crystal that was Draco on his radar, and the Bestinian was not renown for his adherence to radio silence. "Draco?"

"Still alive, sir," the man growled back, and Wrynn heard the strain in his voice. "Engaged at the moment, so I'd appreciate it if you called back later."

"No can do," he replied, "I've lost my read on your position. Where are you?"

Several seconds passed, and Wrynn cursed before he asked again. "Draco, what is your position?"

"Wrynn, I have confirmation on a dead zone," Five reported, and Wrynn blinked. "Draco has entered the area within a kilometer and a half of the largest facility, and they're running a scramble code that's killing Alliance frequencies. Whoever their technicians are, they're some of the best in the bloody galaxy."

"That's a problem," he muttered. "I need you to group up on me, Five," he told her, "and we will push into their territory and take down the signal before it can spread any further than a kilometer and a half out. If they manage to black out all of Arrgaw, the Alliance will lose their ability to coordinate and the planet will be covered in cultists. That's not a contingency I want to deal with."

"You think you can crack that code?" she asked as he watched her green crystal slip between buildings and inch closer to him. "It's got us locked out, and when I tried to break through it overloaded me with feedback. I had to switch my HUD off the comms so I wouldn't lose the other functions."

"Yeah, we're going to be stuck on a direct line," he agreed, "which means we won't be able to request aid if things get dicey. Are you prepared to do it in the dark, Ael?"

Bravo five snorted loudly in her comm. "You're a dirty old man, aren't you, Wrynn?" she laughed. "In the face of all this karkery, you're cracking jokes."

"Keeps us sane," he drawled. When she turned the corner and pulled off her helmet, the green eyed Ael Ratha smiled broadly at him. Wrynn kept his helmet on, but nodded to acknowledge her. Ael was a silvery haired woman with soft features in contrast to the usual bulkier women who filled out the ranks. Her skill with a firearm was second only to her ability to pilot machinery. She was Corellian to the core, and the bloodstripes down her leg ensured that everyone knew it. "Three and Four are about halfway to the extraction point," he noted, "and two is off the grid. We need to prioritize finding Draco before he gets himself killed."

"Whatever the feth they're doing in there, it's not normal, Wrynn. This is magic and sorcery and evil chit, and I'm so uncomfortable with it all." Ael bit her lip as she shivered and staved off images of the rotted children. Wrynn patted her on the arm in consolation. "Forcie stuff," he reminded her, "stuff that ain't got a thing to do with us. Focus on the job, Ael. We'll get out alive. We always do."

"Look out!" Ael threw herself on Wrynn and pushed him to the dirt as something swished past them. He stared in terror as the rocket collided with the ground several meters beyond where they stood previously, and the blast sent his ears ringing. He quickly turned his gaze toward the heavy infantry with the large weapon stabilized on his shoulder, and Wrynn lifted his weapon with trained alacrity.

The carbine fired twice, and both shots planted deep in the beastly man's chest. He shuddered and withered beneath the force of both impacts, but managed to stay up. "Stang," Wrynn cursed as he threw Ael off him and brought the weapon higher. "Stay behind me!" he ordered. Ael did not move.

Wrynn moved toward his target, who was still paralyzed from the initial shock of being shot. He trained the sight on its forehead, and the mercenary let out a shallow breath. The behemoth watched him with lambent red eyes, but it did not seem to fear the prospect of death. "Nu quorit." it rasped in a low rumble, and Wrynn took a step back. The voice was inhuman, and the language was unlike anything he had ever heard.

Its gaze watched him like hellfire as it burned unending. He felt uneasy as it hobbled toward him a fraction, but could manage no more than that. "What are you?" he asked.

"Don't talk to it," Ael urged, "shoot it!"

"Nu quorit," it said again, this time urgently. His HUD did not register this as any language commonly spoken in the galaxy current. "Nu quorit."

Wrynn placed the muzzle of his carbine to the monstrosity's head and sighed. "Can't have you blowing us to kingdom come," he muttered. "See you in hell, big guy."

He pulled the trigger.