Rising Storm; Imperial Confederation Dominion of Kuat

[Kir Vizsla]

Mercenary General Kir Vizsla, Contracted Imperial Mercenary​

Equipment: Standard Beskar'gam | Solaris Gun (Under barrel Grenade Launcher) | Courier Handgun | 2x Thermal Grenades | 2x Singularity Grenades | Ballistic Knife​

Location: Forest, Frontlines, Kuat​

Allies: [member="Theodore Royce-Clarke"] | [member="Lannik Hayes"]​

Enemies: [member="Aeneis Valdemar"]​

The solar-ionization gun held aloft in gloved hands held a steady weight to it. The weapon wasn't of any poor metals or lack manufacturing skill, quite the opposite in reality. Griffin War Solutions was the manufacturer of this knock-off of a weapon, who's idea came from the infamous Golden Company. They were a group which the mercenary highly respected. Which was why he had wanted to get his hands on some of their own technology. Alas, he had to go to a third-party for such things. That wasn't a disappointment though, far from it. With funds allocated from working with the Core Imperial Confederation and his own contract to work for said imperial party, Kir had certain...benefits bestowed upon his black-and-golden helm.

One such being having an allocated amount of resources at his disposal from the weapon-manufacturer of Griffin War Solutions. He needed such resources, he had no reason to waste hard-earned credits on repairing his equipment after all. He left such things to the poorer man and the more well-endowed one.

Rays of sunlight streamed through the cluttered over hangings of leaves and branches above, falling onto the forest floor which his armored boots treaded upon. He had a job to do, and a simple one at that. Kill these tree-lovers, burn them out, root and stem. He had no qualms with killing those people whom he was ordered to, they were a job. All they were to Kir, was a pile of credits. He wasn't a terrible man, he was a business man. And his business just happened to be in the art of head-hunting, killing, mercenary work, work that people had others do to not dirty their calloused hands.

Vizsla's grey eyes examined the trees around him, catching onto every little movement and sway of the leaves and foliage for only the briefest of seconds before moving to the next. The red, T-visor slowly moved across the expanse of green, cutting through the lush of the forest with a piercing gaze as that of a seasoned hunter. The sensors built into the armor that Kir wore lit up suddenly. It wasn't a quadruped, such animals were loud and easily gave away their positions. Even the quietest of them gave away tell-tale signs. And it wasn't a snake of some sort, the ankle sensors did not light up. Only the helm sensors and the ones in the back.

Kir turned on a whim, leveling his rifle in front of his body. The rifle had been heating up as he had made his way through the forest, able to fire at a moment's notice. He knew the risks of it overheating, though he had utilized the Solaris Gun a number of previous times and knew his way around such a weapon.

As soon as three figures stepped from the forest, the Mandalorian's finger pressed inwards against the smooth metal of the trigger. Immediately a bright beam of orange light shot outwards, the beam pierced through the form of the first target, burning through what little armor the enemy combatant had. The beam then moved first left, then right, burning holes through the two remaining enemies.

 

[Seto Du Couteau]

Seto Du Couteau
Location: Alederaan, Aldera the Capital City
Objective: Alderaan Business Trip
Allies: [member="Marriskcal Lati"]
Apparel: Suit

Seto curved a side smile, his glance back towards Marr only served to grow her intrigue with his own sudden urge to enjoy the view of the large lake that surrounded the City. True we do have a marvelous view that we can enjoy from our rooms. . . Seto only faintly remembered how much of the couches and pillows were laid strewn all over because nothing felt comfortable enough for Marr to enjoy. At least Seto assumed the reason as he was not about to ask why his sister insisted on finding a new position to lay down and nap every other hour.

Funny enough, it’s only when I move around. . .

“No nearby cafe,” Seto responded, while certainly he had a list of some of the most exquisite locations that served the most delectable dishes, the park they were currently cutting across held no place to enjoy such comfort, instead it offered a different comfort of nature and all its beauty.

Of course Seto offered Marr a bemused expression, as her current dress offered a matching appearance with all the flowers in bloom. He had at first given his servants little hope when it came to getting Marr into such dress for today, but much to his shock they had managed an impossible feat. Interestingly enough Seto was not told about the hidden price tag on the dress, for the servants had included many promises to Marr in Seto’s name to get her into such attire with as little hassle as possible.

His servants figured that Seto deserved to share a bit of their headache. A bit.

Seto would realize it much later, and finally understand how much more distracted with so many shops and cafes during their walk. He would owe Marr plenty for forcing her into such dress, where her normal attire would have been perfectly fine. Seto of course smiled brilliantly without concern of future debts being stacked upon one another, this moment they were in Aldera.

The lake slowly expanded into view, more and more of Seto’s field of vision encompassed the vastness and scintillating azure that painted all around the City of Aldera. Gently he tugged Marr forward with their interlocked hands and gestured with his free hand towards the water. “-My birth planet, Abrion Major was an Agri-World, large amounts of cultivated land but also during my childhood they had put into place many forest parks for us to enjoy.” Seto explained briefly as he took in a large intake of air through his nose.

“After being stuck on the multitudinous city planet of Coruscant, this planet is indeed a breath of fresh air.” Seto laughed softly before he turned his attention back to Marr and away from the lake, “-My father told me about the beauty of the core worlds and my mother had always wanted to plan a trip out here. . .” Seto cupped Marr’s hand that was holding onto his other and gently squeeze their hands together.

Seto kept his smile but with a slight somber gaze he forced a quick laugh and returned to his more joyous expression, “-Now, where can your Noble brother from Wild Space treat you here on Alderaan? I’m certain you already created our itinerary for today and tomorrow.”

 

[Isobel Mattis]

Location: Kuat Frontlines [Industrial Complex HQ]​

Allies: Core Imperial Confederation​

Enemies: CC​

Objective: Run Through the Jungle​

Tag: [member="Theodore Royce-Clarke"]​

________________​

Never had she expected that her work for the betterment of Coruscant would have taken her so far away from the ecumenopolis she had grown to love. She was far from home and moreover, entirely, out of her depth. She was the co-owner of one of the most notable philanthropic groups that advocated for the rights and needs of the citizens—And despite her history, and upbringing, there was no reason for her to be on the front lines of anything. Omni Prime only functioned as well as it did because she ensured that factual data was relayed to the investors.

The Core Imperial Confederation had come to Kuat. It was considered a small border dispute. Was it?

The details were less than clear. Isobel was ushered to her contact in a small caravan that contained mostly Stormtroopers and a few of her team. They gave her the lay of the land, ensured her armor was situated correctly and made sure that she knew her way around a weapon. As much they would try to keep her from direct combat there was always a chance that a “Charlie” group could surprise them.

The state of Kuat had recently been repaired due to efforts of outside powers but much of the forestlands were said to still be dangerous. There were pockets of radiation that could still kill through prolonged exposure, moreover, there were still pieces of the broken Kuat Drive Yard rings that could cause immediate damage. The orbital array had fallen years ago. Anyone that went near any of the wreckage, even by mistake, would probably find themselves sterile—Or covered in skin-melting lesions rather quickly.

It made her all the more cautious.

The forests of Kuat looked a little strange to her eyes but she did her best to keep her head down and move with the unit that had been assigned to protect her. Isobel didn’t know what to expect but a small droid camera was buzzing around her head, recording everything, as they traveled. The raven-haired woman had tucked all of her hair away in a helmet but it didn’t hide a youthful face. She had met the leader of the Confederation before. Once.

It was a far cry different than this meeting.

Her contact was one [member="Theodore Royce-Clarke"]. He was a General and was willing to answer the many questions that the people of Coruscant had. And boy did they have them.

Isobel would do her best to tell the story in the most unbiased light possible. The front lines were a dangerous place, but, if she stayed there long enough she believed that she would find the truth. War and conflict were near and dear to the hearts of people of Coruscant. Not that they were warmongerers, but, because they had been made victims one too many times. They didn’t want to be the victim again.

No one wanted to see great wounds rise from the depths of the cities, tear sky towers apart, and leave empty—Jagged holes behind while countless people fell to their deaths screaming. They wanted to be sure that while their wart with the UCM was a necessary retaliation that they didn’t wind up in a two-front battle with Corellia. Most pundits would claim it wasn’t sustainable.

Eventually, the old, run-down Industrial Plant came into view and the sounds of blaster fire and explosions seemed to intensify. She seemed calm on the outside. On the inside—She was afraid. Who wouldn’t be? Her typical workday involved lawyers, lobbying, and securing funds for the next big charity event. But—She was a voice often heard. Preaching of the necessity of affordable healthcare and clean water for the Undercity. Her voice would be that which the majority of Coruscant listened to.

Regardless, of what the official records had to say.

They pulled into the temporary HQ in the armored vehicle and the stormtroopers ushered her out in an orderly fashion. Still, the camera kept rolling. Once they were cleared and made their way into the building she was given more instructions. Don’t go outside. Avoid windows. She could take her helmet off inside, but, the second they went out—She had to be ready when they were. Don’t get comfortable.

The stormtroopers brought her to the General with various greetings of “Sir” before they were subsequently dismissed. Her legs felt like jelly. Driving over rough terrain after a land drop was not the way she wanted to spend her afternoon, but, it got her where she needed to be without impacting the war effort. “General Royce-Clark…”, she greeted, tucking her helmet against her arm, so she could reach out to shake his hand.

“I’m Isobel Mattis of Omni Prime. You’ve been expecting me?”

 

[Aeneis Valdemar]

Lieutenant Aeneis Valdemar
Equipment: Gundark Power Armor, VAARS Rifle, Lava cannon, 3x Glop Grenades, 3 Sonic Detonators, 3x Balmorran Firewall grenades, Duban Shield System
Location: Within the forest

Enemies: [member="Lannik Hayes"], [member="Kir Vizsla"]


The sound of the Aeneis’ boots and those of his squad were dampened by the vegetation that they stomped on in their hurried flight. While they had got the drop on one contingent of the Imperial’s it didn’t mean there weren’t more moving in on them. In fact, Aeneis knew that there were others closing in on him. Within the helmet of the Gundark armor, the soldier kept his eye on the HUD’s motion sensor that pinged the location of numerous lifeforms within 200 meters of himself and his squad. The smaller lifeforms of Kuat’s native wildlife were apparent but the far larger blobs were those of both allies and foes moving through the cursed forest.

“Stop here while I radio for evac. I want those launchers reloaded. Lanzik you’re on sentry duty!” Aeneis ordered over the coms. The Arkanian’s voice was hard, cold, a facsimile that he put on to keep his soldiers from seeing how nervous he truly was. Silencing his coms and cutting himself off for a moment Aeneis inhaled, his body shuddering slightly within the suit of the power armor. As the exhale came out the Lieutenant steadied himself. War was never easy, it never would be. It could turn boys into men, and eventually could break men down to nothing but shells of their former selves through the horrors they were forced to commit and bear witness to.

Licking his dry lips, Aeneis activated his coms switching to a line putting him in contact with the commanding officer presiding over the battle. “Admiral Price, Squad leader Valdemar reporting in. Fireteams Nexu and Blastail are down! Fireteam Rancor only possessing three members and myself. Need immediate evac.” Praying that he got a reply Aeneis jumped back to the squad coms.

“What you got for me Lanzik?”

“Sir two groups moving in and quick.” Almost on que three blips of the larger blips on the motion sensor vanished. Causing the Corellian to curse beneath his breath. “We gotta move.”

“Right. Osin, Vorik, what about those launchers?!”

“Gonna need more time Sir!”

“Frink!” Aeneis shouted, sweat retreating from his forehead down to his chin. White-hair matted to his head within the confines of his armor Aeneis felt his stomach drop out from beneath him. The only weapons that could truly drop the AT-AT’s that they possessed and they took almost an eternity to reload. “Focus on reloading those! Lanzik on me, we’re going to buy them time.”

Rushing a few meters forward pressing his back against a fallen tree, the thickness of it providing just enough cover for both him and Lanzik as they pressed their backs against it. In one hand Aeneis prepped a grenade waiting, keeping an eye on his coms and the TIN within his HUD. “Wait till my mark.”

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Marriskcal Lati, House Du Couteau
Equipment: Attire
Location: Lakeside. Aldera, Alderaan
Objective: Sightseeing! Business trip
Interacting with: [member="Seto Du Couteau"]

At the revelation, the blonde narrowed her eyes at the older male.

But despite her impatience to stray through the numerous boutiques and cafés, their day was just beginning and time was all they had. And so Marriskcal relented and allowed her brother to draw her further and deeper into the garden.

Slowly, the verdure trees and the riot of colours of flowers in bloom gave way to calming silver and blues of the horizon as the pair of siblings emerged from the foliage. If it were not for their intertwined hands and the gentle guidance of the other male, the young woman would still be standing at the end of the garden, enthralled by the empyrean that laid before her.

She followed his lead, the both of them coming to a pause where the white stones of the city met the gently lapping waters of the lake. Even as her gaze continued to trail across the rough edges of the mountains in the far distance, the older male began to speak, his voice filled with a wistful trace as he touched upon his homeworld.

Marriskcal stayed silent as she followed every word that left Seto’s lips. For it was a sliver of his life from before they found each other, and she was ever keen to uncover yet another facet of it.

Abrion Major.

Wild Space.

Before today, the very notion that her elegant and beloved brother came from the edge of the known galaxy would have filled her with incredulity, for Seto meandered amongst the vaunted and the gilded of Coruscant flawlessly. But now that she knew, the vast garden that surrounded the Du Couteau Estate made more sense.

Feeling the warmth of his eyes alighting on her form, the blonde inclined her head to meet his gaze even as she felt his other hand closing over their clasped ones. Marriskcal knew that his parents were something that her brother did not like reminiscing about, and in all the time they had known each other, this was only the second time he had spoken of them. But even with her imperfect understanding, it was clear to her that they loved him dearly and that her brother loved them just as much.

And… realising there were no words that could alleviate the bittersweet touch of his memories, she merely drew closer towards his frame in quiet solidarity, her remaining limb curling around his back in a gentle hug to let him know that she was there for him.

But the quiet moment passed them by, and ever the performer, Seto wore back his veneer. Ever a creature of her nurture, the young woman understood the need to appear calm and composed while one was standing before an audience. So she played her part, the corners of her lips quirking mischievously as she took a step away from his form, her hand that was intertwined with his curling even more firmly so that the other could not pull away without some effort.

“Well~ I suppose I have an idea… or two,” she divulged, her delight clear in her lilt. “I have heard that there were some delicacies that could only be found here, so we should both definitely look for a café or restaurant that has them on their menu whenever you feel like you need a rest.” And if Seto thought she had forgotten this ensemble that he had wanted her to wear, he was mistaken. “I also saw a few shops that I would like to take a closer look at…”

She peered up at her brother, gracing the older male with a guileless smile that was sure to rouse sentiments of wariness within the core of his very being.

“Come along now. The longer we linger, the less time we have~”

 

[Seto Du Couteau]

Seto Du Couteau
Location: Alederaan, Aldera the Capital City
Objective: Alderaan Business Trip
Allies: [member="Marriskcal Lati"]
Apparel: Suit

Seto wondered more and thought he should had been careful with his words, Seto always prided himself with his ability to pick and choose his words and emotions carefully with intent and purpose. But a memory resurfaced suddenly when he had asked once of Marr’s parentage, and the indifference with her answer had given him slight pause back then.

As it should have done moments prior when his own memory of his parent surfaced. Thinking of the past only brought along memories of before, and before. . . Seto eased himself from his tangle of thoughts when suddenly Marr entangled herself in a hug around him.

I know, you’re here. . . always

His smile faltered, but only for a moment as Marr released the two for her hug, her concern eased the doors that closed softly to his sudden openness. Seto calmly nodded his head once, slowly his melancholy evaporated, replaced by the sight of his sister’s mischievous smile that bore directly down to a different kind of concern.

“Indeed, we have limited time on this planet to explore, you are right.” Seto agreed with her assessment, he was expected to discuss a few key things to the Governor on certain Force-Related affairs. But I have all week for such discussions.

Seto had made promise to take Marr out in an attempt to sample any and all delicacy that caught her fancy. Somehow, the Du Couteau heir wondered if perhaps his promises had begun getting too extravagant. I do not want to look at the costs at the end of this vaca-business trip. He gestured with his free hand and quickly walked back and through the park to find themselves back on the lively streets of Aldera.

The nearby Cafes and shops sprawled with many patrons leaving and entering, as even more people crowded street vendors. Seto breathed in contently, the crushing concerto that constantly drummed on his senses back on Coruscant nearly seemed silent when compared to the pressure the people of this City were emitting into the Force. Happiness was the general sense that Seto was thankful for nearly everyone this possessed, it was a breathe of fresh air to him. The somewhat light feeling that Seto felt was like a violinist that slowly pulled listeners to become filled with sheer amazement, As the saying goes, bitterness breeds bitterness and joy brings more joy.

Like what my Jedi mentor once told me. . . Seto continued to muse, though the likelihood of him ever admitting it to his once mentor was rather low.

“So, what are these one or two ideas of yours?” Seto asked, his eyebrow raised up high, usually he wouldn’t mind the surprise but the flicker and how Marr turned her smile slightly near the edges of her lips brought along a need to ask what she had in mind.

“We can probably wait until later for our meal, the luncheon has began and no doubt most places here will be crowded.”

 

[Jegy Sesara]

Location: Kuat, Cemetery in Forest​

Objective: Pay Respects​

Allies and Enemies: None​

Attire: Robes, Two Lightsabers, Two Blasters​

​

"Death is not the worst thing that can happen to Men"
-Plato
​

​

​

It had been almost five years to the date since he had last seen the grave marker. The grave marker of his friend, his wife. While she was not the first or the last, she was one that was always near and dear to the Sullustans heart. She was a thing of beauty, a woman that not only had courage to fight horrors early in life but also to calm and let him know that it will be alright, that doing bad things was sometimes the only answer. Bad things that he still had to do, bad things he wish he could forget. The Sullustan kept walking through the long forest, going over rather old gravestones that had been toppled over or had since long been forgotten by the test of time, his faded tattoos on the back of his head, even if purple would stand out slightly different from anyone normally wishing to pay respects.

The war on Kuat, one he had not wanted to participate in, had became embroiled by the time he finally arrived. Ship being grounded, he took it more as an active pilgrimage from that point on, a sign that he needed to go there on foot. A war was going on in the forest they said, not to go through it. The Sullustan took no heed to those words and did as he wished, not letting anything impede on this time of mourning. Finally going through a small piles of branches, he come across the tombstone he was looking for, having tipped over once again as he sighed, carefully going over to prop it back up. It had fallen over recently which did seem to give a bit of concern, there was no dew underneath the tombstone, perhaps a fight? There was no smells of smoke or battle but he let it clear from his mind for now, going around to the front of the tombstone as he took out a small chisel and hammer, fixing any problems in the tombstone from age or erosion till it read perfectly clear...

Tamial Sesara​

"Just Whisper my Name in your Heart, I Will be There."​

​

The Sullustan carefully backed up from the grave, being a few feet away from it as he felt the wind blow directly into his face. Slowly, he got onto his knees, hands on his knees, lowering his head towards the tombstone as he spoke very quietly to her.

"Tamial? Do you hear me? It's me...Jegy. You know, your cocky Imperial Agent you smack on the shoulder...you call phony at times? Been nearly five years. How are you? I know...I know it has been a long time. I cannot be everywhere at once anymore, getting old...then again, I cannot seem to die." Gently, Jegy dug his fingers into his own legs, voice cracking a little bit. "I really miss you...I miss all of you really...I wish to you I was a better husband, knowing what you had to go through while I was gone. I cannot fix what I done now...as for everyone. My sins...are mine to bear." Looking up slowly, he looked at the small photo that had been carefully preserved onto the tombstone, showing a very pale pink Twi'lek, her eyes of green looking out towards with a small smile, her lekkus covered in scars. Gently extending his arm, he slowly touches and rubs the side of the photo, giving a gentle smile as a tear rolled down the left side of his cheek.

"Tamial...you are so beautiful...how was I so lucky to have you? Was it because of what I did? Was it maybe that I had some charm I never knew? I always ask that...you could have always went away at any time yet you never did...you just had to keep asking. For that...I will always love you, love you for finally showing me that I do not have to grieve alone...to show how to love again." Staring at the photo, he barely even registered the noises of battle in the distance, it being so far away he thought as he looked down slowly, moving a bit closer to the tombstone, placing his forehead against it as he quietly spoke. "Just for an hour...let me feel how we once were together...even if I just remember our time again." Smiling softly, he closed his eyes, letting his mind drift into what they were together, to let himself live those memories one more time.

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Marriskcal Lati, House Du Couteau
Equipment: Attire
Location: Shops. Aldera, Alderaan
Objective: Sightseeing! Business trip
Interacting with: [member="Seto Du Couteau"]

Without any true understanding of worth and the prestige that came with being a highborn, only that all that she has coveted thus far has been placed into her hands, the Lady of House Du Couteau has become quite the spoilt creature under the auspices of her brother.

“I would much prefer to wait,” she affirmed, her nose wrinkling at the thought of being surrounded by strangers and the perfume of their chatter. “And if we are feeling peckish as we wander around, there are plenty of stalls that offers snack-food.” In a way, she sometimes much preferred the smaller portions of meal served at these places, for it allowed her to taste a more diverse variety of flavours.

“Well~ According to the holosite I visited, there are a few sights within the city that no one should miss while visiting… They also suggested that we look for this café that serves tea and desserts made with the local flowers, but it requires us to make a reservation…?” Oh well, if so, she would just pass on a request to the butler to arrange it for tomorrow.

With their hands still entwined, Marriskcal led her brother down the white stone walkways even as she continued her idle chatter. “But I wanted to take a closer look at the few stalls we walked by earlier. Some of them had some gems and crystals on display, and I would like to ask if they are willing to part with them in their raw and unpolished forms. And then, there is that patisserie boutique…”

She stole a glance back at her unfortunate brother, whose current debt to her was mounting high.

“With you here, at least I can try twice as many desserts.”

 

[Lannik Hayes]

Sergeant Lannik Hayes, Imperial Stormtrooper Corps
Equipment: Katarn Multipurpose Battle Armour, AKraB Vibrodagger, T-88 Self-Loading Precision Carbine
2x Thermal Detonators, 2x Fragmentation Grenades, 4x Adhesive Grenades, a platoon of stormtroopers (24 troopers, including PC)
Location: Somewhere in this Maker-forgotten thrice-damned forest, Kuat
Allies: Core Imperial Confederation; [member="Kir Vizsla"]
Enemies: Corellian Confederation; [member="Aeneis Valdemar"]

​

“If possible, capture them. If they resist too vigorously, put them down.”

He may not have any particular hatred for Charlie, but he was also not about to prioritise their lives over his men’s.

As the nearest platoon, Lannik sent a swift message through the ground comms that him and his men will divert towards the explosion and pursue the insurgents.

Warily, and with utmost caution, the sergeant and his men disappeared back into the shadows of the trees and its thick undergrowth, moving from tree to tree as they advanced towards the downed AT-AT. All of them knew that Charlie would be employing guerilla tactics, for their resources on Kuat were wanting. And if they weren’t on the kriffside of this karking conflict, Lannik would even be chortling and applauding. But because he needed to deal with the very same cunning that was being used on him and his men, the stormtrooper merely found himself frustrated.

Minutes after painful minutes of vigilant progress through the forest, as they observed their surroundings for ambush and other nasty things, the brunet caught sight of the remains of the wrecked mechanical beast. With his lips pursed into a thin line within his helmet, Lannik gestured for his men to move onwards. He was not about to risk stepping out into the clearing that the AT-AT has made in the sea of green and making himself an even easier target.

“Careful now. We don’t know if they’ve gone on ahead to regroup with the others, or if they’ve decided to linger around and see if they could catch any squad coming to investigate in an ambush.”

Either was a possibility.

From this point onwards, they would just have to be even more alert. With the realisation that with each step they took they may be walking into a trap, Lannik and his section continue to forge their path onwards, their eyes and optical sensors scanning their surroundings for both motion and thermal signatures.

 

[Kou'ha Escala]

Captain Kou’ha Escala, Imperial Navy
Equipment: Uniform & Code Cylinder
Location: Command Deck, INV Astraea, Kuat Orbit
Allies: Core Imperial Confederation; [member="Cynthia Alucard"]
Enemies: Corellian Confederation; [member="Dracken Pryce"] | [member="Danielle Stellaris"] | [member="Zahara Myneto"]

​

He moved away from the hololithic display that encompassed a detailed view of the vessels assigned to the fleet, and paused once more before the viewport.

While it would be a much simpler task for Kou’ha to observe the ebb and flow of Task Force Agamemnon so that he could anticipate the next set of orders that would trickle down from its Admiral, it has been too long since he had last been allowed to stand on the deck of a destroyer. And thus, the young male allowed his indulgence to reign and observed the trails of light that marked the starfighters as they left Astraea behind even as they flanked the gunships and shuttles that were descending planetside.

Unless another fleet of the Corellian Confederation reverted close to Task Force Agamemnon, there was nothing for him to be concerned about. So with his mind idle, the Epicanthix began to wonder what sort of communications were taking place on the command deck of the Contempt. The battlecruiser that his father commanded remained within its formation, even while the destroyers and cruisers that flanked its port began to position itself in preparation of rendering aid to Task Force Ithaca.

 

[Dracken Pryce]

Engaging: [member="Cynthia Alucard"]

"Careful Blue 3 we got Eyeballs comin' from up high!" From this far away Blue 3 couldn't see on sensors which variant of the Imperial TIE was bearing down on him and his squadron. It didn't matter for this run though. The torpedoes were already away, screaming towards the AT-ATs bearing down on Corellians Shock Troopers [[member="Aeneis Valdemar"]] cracking their armor and toppling the heavily armored things with a single run from the squadron.

"WAAAAAAYHOOOO!" Came the shout of Blue 2. "NOW THAT'S SOME FIREWORKS." The squadron screamed overhead and began preparing for another pass.

"Looks like Interceptors Blue Squadron, get those shields up and prep for atmospheric combat."

The battle in the stars was at a near standstill. The battle on the ground however was turning into a bloodbath. Several fireteams of Shock Troopers were reported down. Droid support was wanning and not making much of a difference in the wake of the Empire's superior walker technology. Corellians were people of the Stars. Their vessels were the best in the 'verse, but when it came to walkers...Well.

"Sir, Fireteam Rancor asking for evac."

"We're a little busy right now for an Evac," he muttered. "We need to get them picked up but its going to be a little while." Turbolaser fire flashed off their stern.
[member="Kou'ha Escala"]

 

[Seto Du Couteau]

Seto Du Couteau
Location: Alederaan, Aldera the Capital City
Objective: Alderaan Business Trip
Allies: [member="Marriskcal Lati"]
Apparel: Suit

Twice as many. . .

Seto remained resolute with his smile, but he truly wanted to gawk at the implications. That is indeed a lot, considering. . . he though of course nodded in agreement, the Du Couteau heir had little choice in the matter. But, he figured that the likelihood of such amount of sweets and gifts would not exceed the usual amount that Marr would request. After all, Seto hadn’t forced his sister to come with him, and his servants had told him that Marr barely complained of the chosen dress.

As the two continued to walk along the pathway, Seto wondered on the reason for unpolished and uncut gemstones could Marr need them. Not that Seto believed she wanted to simply spend his credits, but most things that catches Marr’s attention usually pertained to a purpose. While Seto could appreciate the rustic allure of an unpolished gem, much of the credits owed was due in part of the gem-cutter’s ability to craft a stunning gemstone.

"I don't believe getting a reservation should be that difficult." Seto spoke, his thoughts lazily went to plan out tomorrow's lunch reservations.

Patisserie boutique? Seto was impressed with Marr’s astute memory, though only when it served a purpose to her as always. He remembered the countless times he spent explaining to her the purpose of most Noble etiquette. But for stores, shops, desert names and the likes, she speaks it as if she had always known the words.

All the same, Seto was proud of her, she had grown more comfortable with the title of Du Couteau. Privately, Seto worried that he would never get Marr to grow more accustomed to such Noble way of life and that she would forever learn to "bear" with the name Du Couteau.

But back to the present.

“Let us find your gems, jewels and diamonds,” Seto encouraged, his mind slightly giving some thought to his current credit amount at the ready, “-And as the old adage goes, ‘with enough credits’” He added a tad wearily, but uncut gemstones did not sound overly expensive, at least when Seto began to compare to his food costs that would no doubt eclipse any spending amount.

Seto’s eyes caught a gleam and one of the outdoor stalls showed a vast array of stones, some painted with such exquisite detail that Seto was certain it was done by a droid. While none from what Seto could sense was Force Imbued or sensitive as the likes of kyber crystals, much of the gemstones would give Seto’s own collect a run for his credits in terms worth of value. If not in beauty alone.

“So,what say you my dear Marr?” Seto asked, his attention returning to his sister once more, “-Planning on grabbing one for each student back home?”

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Marriskcal Lati, House Du Couteau
Equipment: Attire
Location: Shops. Aldera, Alderaan
Objective: Sightseeing! Business trip
Interacting with: [member="Seto Du Couteau"]

Oblivious as to the threads of thoughts that traced across her brother’s mind, Marriskcal merely took his silence as acquiescence.

“–We have the galaxy eating out of the palms our of hands?” she finished the adage in a joyful lilt. Truly, it was a strange adage, one that sounded rather… unhygienic in its allusion. But as the blonde continued with her subtle observations of the proceedings of her life, there was no denying that her brother’s standing and affluence brought about a change in others. And from the swirl of emotions that trailed after them as they fawned over Seto, it was clear that they were insincere, which made Marriskcal all the more determined to ensure they stayed far away from the older male.

She paused by Seto’s side and inclined her head to the stall that has caught his discerning eyes. With a soft noise of delight, the young woman tugged her brother along as she made her way towards the small tent, her eyes near sparkling at the array of colourful jewels and intricated painted stones on display. “I am quite certain that they would each like one,” she agreed.

“Do you think that they would prefer the ones that are painted with flowers… or creatures?” While Marriskcal was becoming more familiar with their exuberant antics, she was still uncertain when it came to their inclinations. It always seemed like they liked one thing this week, only to like another the next. “The last I remember, Gokotai and Akita were quite taken by that documentary on those felines from Cholganna.” The blonde could not quite remember being quite so mercurial as a youngling…

Gently reaching out with her hand, Marriskcal plucked a milky white gem that looked to be filled with shards of rainbow within. Allowing a contemplative hum to escape her, she pivoted on her heels and held it against her brother’s own starlight hair. “What do you think, Seto?”

And then a thought occurred to her and she gave the merchant a smile in greeting. “Are all your gemstones sourced locally?”

 

[Aeneis Valdemar]

Lieutenant Aeneis Valdemar
Equipment: Gundark Power Armor, VAARS Rifle, Lava cannon, 3x Glop Grenades, 3 Sonic Detonators, 2x Balmorran Firewall grenades, Duban Shield System
Location: Within the forest

Enemies: [member="Kou'ha Escala"], [member="Kir Vizsla"]

Backs pressed against the log, Aeneis kept his eyes peeled on the motion tracker. With each passing second, another group drew closer. Soon enough they were within range of the TIN for the Corellian to see their positions. Looking over to Lanzik, the Lieutenant nodded. Above the sounds of blue squadron shooting overhead penetrated the air. The starfighters whistling by and destroying an AT-AT off to the west keeping them off of Aeneis and his last remaining fireteam. While that was a saving grace, the news that came back from the fleet caused the soldier's heart to sink. “We’re currently engaged with the Imperial fleet, getting you out of there will take some time.”

Fist hammering into the dirt and leaves at his side the Corellian felt hopelessness begin to set in. He had already lost two of his fireteams and here he was possibly about to lose a third and his own life. They trusted in him, they believed in him and here he was failing them. He couldn’t get them off the planet alone, that was an impossible task. Nor would he abandon his soldiers to save his own skin. Coms silent so as the others couldn’t hear his break, Aeneis sniffled, fighting back the tears that threatened to break free.

The HUD showed an increase in his heartrate and a second later the coms reactivated as a message from Lanzik came through. “You all right Lieutenant, your vitals are a bit off.”

Opening his mouth to speak a slight crack in his voice the Arkanian offshoot had to stop. With a cough in an attempt to clear his throat he reactivated his own com. “Yea, just the adrenaline. Get ready Lanzik.” With that Aeneis hucked the Balmorran firewall grenade over the log and high into the air at the approaching group of stormtroopers. [[member="Lannik Hayes"]]

In the air the grenade unfurled and from it the fuel splashed out aimed for a few of the stormtroopers as well as the ground and surrounding trees. In an instead exploding into a wild inferno. The trees caught alight, and the foliage along the ground did nothing but fuel the blaze which continued to grow. Rising from behind the log, the VAARS rifle in hand Aeneis fired. He wasn’t able to see effectively due to the flames, but instead used a mix of the motion tracker and TIN. There was a sharp bark, when the rifle fired, the but of the gun ramming backward into the Lieutenant's shoulder and the barrel lifting from the recoil of the Anti-matter shot which packed a truly explosive punch. Alongside him, Lanzik came up with a blaster rifle firing at the stormtroopers.

 

[Jenica Belos]

2LT Jenica "Stargazer" Belos, Blue Thirteen​

Kuat Atmosphere​

U-60T​

Allies: CC [member="Dracken Pryce"], [member="Aeneis Valdemar"] et al​

Enemies: CIC [member="Cynthia Alucard"] et al​

​

As the adrenaline cursed through the young Corellisi's body from the thrill of real combat for the first time, the recent graduate of the military academy had to remember to keep it in check. Too much or too little could get one killed or in this case others too because Stargazer, dubbed that callsign while going though Officer Candidate School because of her fascination with astrophysics, had been assigned to fly a U-wing starfighter transport along with Blue Squadron. Well, if one could call it that being the Incom-variant was more so a support craft/gunship.

And today was not the day to frak up....

Lots of big eyes were watching to see how the rookie naval officer handled the situation of total chaos that she was thrown into right off the bat. Nothing like getting baptism by fire, literally.

The U-wing rocked as it took some glancing fire from a nearby Walker, but the shields handled the impact well and were still holding with only a small dip noted. Jenica quickly shot a glance over to her co-pilot controlling the weapons systems with a 'that was a close one' look, then the brunette's blue orbs flicked back forward with a steady hand on the yoke.

Blue Squadron had been doing strafing runs on the AT-AT's and the accompanying Imperial Stormtroopers on the ground when Blue Three called out incoming eyeballs from up on high... or were they squints? Didn't matter, both types of TIEs were going to put a crimp in things real fast.

Then, there was urgent traffic over the battle-net. A group of Corellian Shocktroopers were calling for an immediate evac. Doing a quick scan of all the CDF craft capable of an airlift of soldiers already in the area, Belos' ship was the only one even close, and with the space battle raging above would delay anyone else. Time the ground troops didn't have most likely. Decisions, decisions....

"Fireteam Rancor, this is Blue One-Three... Mark your coordinates and prepare for exfil. Inbound now," Jen keyed over the tactical comm channel, then toggled over to the squadron's. "Blues, if you could watch my six I'd appreciate it. Going for Rancors."

 

[Kir Vizsla]

Mercenary General Kir Vizsla, Contracted Imperial Mercenary​

Equipment: Standard Beskar'gam | Solaris Gun (Under barrel Grenade Launcher) | Courier Handgun | 2x Thermal Grenades | 2x Singularity Grenades | Ballistic Knife​

Location: Forest, Frontlines, Kuat​

Allies: [member="Theodore Royce-Clarke"] | [member="Lannik Hayes"]​

Enemies: [member="Aeneis Valdemar"]​

​

​

Kir walked over to the three bodies, kneeling down beside the one in the middle, with a body to his left, and a body to his right. The man set the black rifle, the barrel fizzling out excess heat and smoke as the barrel gradually cooled, slowly changing from a bright red to a bright orange showing no signs of being cooled any time soon. He looked over the body nearest to his own, his hands reaching towards it to grasp as it's form. A hand went under the loose fitting combat jacket worn by the deceased, sizzling individual. The waxy surface of the hand searched and probed for something, pulling said things away when they were finally found. Vizsla pulled forth a credit chip from the man's jacket. The visor of his helmet looked over the credit with curiosity, scanning it. Kir wasn't a harsh man or a mean man, he was a resourceful one. He knew that nothing would be done with these bodies, nothing could be done. They would be forgotten as the dead always were forgotten, left to wither and decompose back into the earth they can laid atop of. The dead, they should never be forgotten, yet they were.

Taking the credit chips of the three bodies, the Mandalorian stood up and grabbed the rifle in hand again, making a turn eastward towards...something. His motion scanner was picking up enemy movement of some sort, and allied movement. The HUD inside of his helmet was blinking in his ear, edging him towards something. Kir Vizsla took his steps slow yet assertively, keeping the rifle down at his side. If he brought it up to aim down the sights, it would only slow him down. Which was something that he did not need. His grey eyes remained fixated forwards, not bothering to look to his sides. His sensors would take care of that, as would he audio receptors. He needed to remain alert right now as he neared closer to whatever was on the motion scanner...[Lannik Hayes to the Left | Aeneis Valdemar to the right] He was getting close, just ahead in that clearing...blasts of ignited tibanna gas shot back and forth, striking trees and leaving sizziling burns in their wake.

 

[DT-2319]

The trek through the forest passed relatively uneventfully. The placement of the 'bunker' he was going for was well away from where the bulk of the engagements were happening, though it wasn't really behind CC lines; it was essentially in neutral territory. The Correlian soldiers and their defecting officer had managed to repurpose an old pillbox that had been utilized by Kuati Sector Forces in some battles on the planet, until the last battle that occurred over the planet and resulted in heavy damage to the orbital rings.

And now, Nineteen sat hidden back in the trees and bushes a hundred meters, watching through the scope of his rifle as the mixed squad of soldiers and insurrectionists moved about. There were about four soldiers and five insurrectionists, from what he had gathered; and, of course, sequestered inside the pillbox, behind two of the actual soldiers, would be Lieutenant Vicar. Surrounding the pillbox was a small wall, constructed of duracrete, sandbags, and durasteel armour plates.

He had to admire their determination, constructing the small fort and being willing to hold out as long as necessary until they could be properly extracted; they even all seemed to be showing the effects of having used stims for extended time, to ensure their wakefulness and combat readyness. Unfortunately for them, time had just run out. The only question was how he would manage to take care of all of them while being able to take the Lieutenant alive. He had no doubt in his ability to take out the ones who were moving around the outside quickly; between his skill with his weapon, and the neural benefits afforded by his augmentations, it would not prove particularly difficult.

The ones inside, with repeating blasters, would prove more difficult to eliminate. If he couldn't do it quickly enough, they would start firing on his position, forcing him to have to fall back and relocate. Calling in an emergency from that point would likely get them extracted quickly. While he could set the blaster to its maximum power setting, able to damage the pillbox itself and send duracrete shrapnel flying within, that would prove lethal to the target he was supposed to attempt to capture.

"Decisions, decisions," he muttered to himself, in a sing-song tone. It appeared, however, that he only had so many options available. He'd have to risk killing the lieutenant; if the man wasn't killed, instead only wounded, at least Nineteen had his first-aid kit available. And given that the lieutenant's survival was ultimately left up to his own discretion, it gave him leeway.

He reached down, flicking one of the selector switches on the rifle to the highest power setting. It effectively quartered how much ammunition he had available overall, but the damage increase was worth it for this instance. "Time to see if I can beat my old record." He took aim at one of the loopholes, focused on the slight glinting reflection of a scope he saw within; at this level of power, hitting any part of the opponent's weapon would likely cause either shrapnel damage or a small explosion if it managed to damage the power cell or gas canister, so he didn't need to be quite as conscientious about aiming specifically for his enemy's body.

And, carefully, he pulled the trigger.

 

[Lannik Hayes]

Sergeant Lannik Hayes, Imperial Stormtrooper Corps
Equipment: Katarn Multipurpose Battle Armour, AKraB Vibrodagger, T-88 Self-Loading Precision Carbine
2x Thermal Detonators, 2x Fragmentation Grenades, 4x Adhesive Grenades, a platoon of stormtroopers (24 17 troopers, including PC)
Location: Somewhere in this Maker-forgotten thrice-damned forest, Kuat
Allies: Core Imperial Confederation; [member="Kir Vizsla"]
Enemies: Corellian Confederation; [member="Aeneis Valdemar"]

​

As careful and meticulous as they were being, it was still often difficult to anticipate when a situation was about to go FUBAR.

Until it blows up in your face, that is.

The acquisition system within their HUD engaged, the lock-on target flashing even as it followed the object that was lobbed high into the air. But by then, it was already far too late.

Majority of the men that were taking point for Section Tetrakis were doused by far-reaching liquid, and even as realisation and panic were beginning to ripple through them, everything went to the karking Nethers. Before any of them could even to shout a word of caution, the fluid ignited, voraciously consuming all it touched in a blinding conflagration.

“Kark, kark, kark,” Lannik cursed even as his men were turned into the living embodiments of the Wicker Man.

And it was then that the pained, almost animalistic howls began to emanate through the battlefield, making the fine hairs at the back of his neck stand on its ends. The sergeant swallowed, his mouth dry in voiceless horror even as he watched the afflicted men helplessly claw at themselves desperately as the flames began to feed, sinking deeper and deeper past the armour and eating into flesh and muscle.

Lannik dry heaved within his helmet when he saw the glisten of crimson against white.

“Move back. Now!” the brunet shouted into the team comms, and even as he began his own retreat another explosion took out another stormtrooper from his own Section (Euclid). Clenching his jaw even as bolts of plasma began to pierce through the wall of flames, he withdrew in a loping run, allowing the shots to glance off the shields of his armour.

Because those affected stormtroopers? They were about to become kriffing human bombs, thanks to the microfusion batteries that powered the armour.

Even as him and the rest of the survivors of the initial wave of ambush retreated from the vicinity, the affected stormtroopers of Section Tetrakis began to react in an erratic manner, with some headed away from the area and some even running towards the flames, perhaps in hopes of placing themselves out of their misery.

With his men and himself at a safe distance behind several trees, Lannik raised his own carbine and aimed, firing off shots through the wall of flames where the plasma bolts originated from, in idle hope that some of them would land true. His men took it as their cue as they began to fire, mostly aiming where their sensors detected movement and estimation based on where the insurgents’ own fire came from.

It was with a grimace and a mutter of a curse towards the Maker that the brunet watched as his affected men began to detonate, adding to the chaos of the conflict.

 

[Willan Tal]

Locations: Kuat front lines [industrial complex HQ]​

Allies: CIC, fellow Imperials.​

Enemies: CC.​

Objective:​

Tag: [member="Isobel Mattis"] ​

​

There was undoubtedly a tension on Kuat in the Imperial camp that was familiar. It spoke of a people who were aware that the higher-ups watched every action and move. Even the slightest miscalculation or step out of line with Imperial dogma resulted in the person being taken away for talks with the ISB. The propagation of Imperial approved news was essential to the war effort against the Corellians, for if the truth about the Imperial army bogged down and taking heavy losses got out. It would spell dire consequences for the image of the Imperial army and state. That is why the parties media front was just as valuable as the ISB were, both performed their functions in a symbiotic manner that served the will of the party. Without those two institutions, order and stability in the core would be a lot less firm in its execution.


Static filled com chatter occasionally broke the stiff silence of HQ, along with occasion back and forth talks between Imperial artillery and the comm technicians. Wiping cold sweat from a furrowed brow, Theodore kept a close observation of the unfolding events planet-wide via his mobile hologram projector and a various manner of communication equipment hastily set up.


"Sir, Ms Mattis from the Omni prime group has arrived."



Theodore raised an eyebrow, but besides that, the hard expression on his face didn't change. Leaving the younger officer to look away for the briefest of moments awkwardly. He was not fond of dealing with members of the media, not, in particular, Coruscanti but he knew as well as most that it would be significantly censored for the public consumption.

"Let her in then officer Jevrik."

A pair of stormtroopers soon escorted the woman into the command centre,before turning around to their stations once more. "Welcome Ms Mattis," the Galidraani replied, returning her handshake in kind. Theodore stared for a brief moment, taking in her rigid posture and the colours on her uniform. Then he shrugged, reached into his pocket and sparked up a cigarra.

"I trust your journey here has been uneventful? Kuat is not a place i imagine someone of your disposition to be travelling to."

 

[Cynthia Alucard]

Cynthia Alucard, Pixie Wing Commander
Location: Kuat Space - Heading to Kuat Atmopshere
Starcraft: TIE/IN Mark IV Interceptor (Wing Compliment of Seventy-Two) The Tuatha De Danann (HQ- Located far Edge of Kuat Space)
Attire: Flight Suit
Allies: [member="Kou'ha Escala"]

Engaging: [member="Dracken Pryce"]​

Cyn felt her TIE shudder as it entered Kuat's atmosphere, as the engines began to increase its propulsion, Cyn smiled as her weapons primed and the rest of her wing were situated themselves at the ready. It was a shame that she couldn’t stop the enemy's first bombing run, but she had to admit that if the intention was to keep the skies clear of enemy attack craft than perhaps her team needed to be stationed either on planet or directly above orbit. But that for an after-action report and an ear from a superior.

“Border skirmish, hmph.” Cyn muttered to herself, she could only imagine the amount of carnage if both Confederations dumped all their resources into a single combat engagement.

The enemy bombers soon noticed the quickly approaching TIE Interceptors, and Cyn grinned wickedly as she primed her warheads, the rest of her squadron also primed their own warheads and continued to speed directly into their targets.

Cyn’s plan to remove the bombers were simply enough, use their momentum carried from their descent from high altitude and once they get close enough for their warheads they fire them and bounce off to rinse and repeat their strategy.

Easy and simple. But with gravity now affecting their craft and shifting their acceleration greatly, their window to unload as much firepower as possible significantly had gotten smaller. Unless we stay on their tails for a longer period of time to gives us ample period to dish out all of our firepower at once. Cyn realized the issue though, as it would require her squadron to bleed too much of their speed and let another squadron of X-Wings to swoop in and take them out the same way they intended to take out their own enemy targets.

Sticking to the first plan then. . . “Pixies, ready and watch my timing.” Cyn ordered, her view screen slowly filled with more and more of the planet’s surface and her acceleration of the TIE only continued as the K-Wing heavy assault fighters loomed closer and closer. With nothing but a single thought of Fire Cyn pulled down her firing trigger and unloaded a torrent of laser fire along with a single warhead.

The rest of her twelve squadron pilots fired their own payload of a single warhead, splitting their targets evenly among themselves as Cyn aimed for the lead enemy star-craft personally.