The Art of War - Professor Fenni (open to Public)

[Yusana Fenni]

No one need die?

In rather morbid fashion, the Echani chuckled at the thought.

"We're left to question whether it is a flaw in the teachers or the teachings themselves that are failing both Orders", she replied in kind. "The same goes for republics and empires in general. Is it the case that leaders cannot step up to the demands of governing with a sense of longevity, or could it be that the very systems that hold these governments up have a chip in them? It is difficult to say." At this point Yusana sighed, her eyes once again turning from student to student, each left on the edge of their seat; observers and nameless faces in a very charged confrontation between a scholar-logician and her own demons. A healthy dose of doubt evidently marked her own speech and thoughts, but it was becoming more and more clear that the otherwise stoic professor had some very, nihilistic thoughts about the galaxy at large.

"The grand wars are but a symptom of the swinging pendulum I mentioned earlier - this cyclical epoch of raising proponents, and opponents, of the Light and the Dark. This epoch has been repeating itself for as long as the next-of-legacy of the original Bendu have been around. Needless to say, it has been problematic, but one would be an absolute plebeian and trivialize it and categorize it in such simplistic terms as good and evil. Whether the teachers or the teachings themselves are to blame, I cannot know for certain, I doubt anyone can. But if the table both legs holds up is compromised as a whole, would you save either leg when rebuilding the thing? No - we'd start from scratch and rebuild from the ashes. Take new wood and fashion it, not recycle the already processed commodity. We need raw materials."

People will die. Only idealists and their pipe dreams denied this essential truth. Ripples throughout the galaxy have always resulted in wars - those ever-so-catastrophic catalysts for both progress and regress, depending on which end of the scale the tides of conflict tipped.

Yusana then smiled before concluding. "As amputation is often necessary to save the entire anatomy from the contagion of an infected limb, I would argue that war is still a necessary tool. The surgery will be traumatic to the body, but beneficial for longevity. After all, those in power have never willingly relinquished their privileges, but I do not wish for a mob rule by the incapable. Some would say we are best lead with unity and peace, I would say we are best led when the strong prevail over the weak and foolish."

After all, as an Echani, while Yusana has always discussed both the merits and horrors of war, she has never taken a particular side as to whether it was for better or worse that wars remain a fact of life. She was rather indifferent to such hopelessly sentimental stances, and dismissed it as petty idealism. War, to the Echani, was as part and parcel of life as was breathing.

[member="Xenro"] [member="Faith Organa"] [member="Garith Darkhold"]

 

[Garith Darkhold]

From his solitary vantage point Garith remained in the back row listening to the ongoing debate. It was a debate and not a lecture on the art of war. Not once did he hear of the five main principles. It did not mater though. He still listened. Open discussion could be good. The galaxy lacked understanding as a whole. It shifted and fluctuated as it should. Stagnation was never good and the galaxy did work in cycles. It was the cycle of life and death. To have the bountiful harvest in the spring you must have the fall of death so one could reseed the soil. [member="Yusana Fenni"]

When the topic shifted to the force Garith did not react as the crowd had. Garith did not clap like [member="Xenro"] had.
The Elder Kashi and Mando’ade Alor simply stood up and started to walk down the back row of where he was standing. He did this, not to be rude of [member="Yusana Fenni"] ‘s class.


The hood of his civilian jacket was still up and kept his features hidden as he walked out of the back row. He did not turn right to leave the hall. He took a left and started to walk down the end of the rows of the seats. Still silent he approached [member="Faith Organa"]. Her guard noticed him of course. According to their duties they simply touched a closed right fist over their heart and bowed their head to their queen’s father.

Still silent during the discussion, he moved to sit down next to his daughter. He had no wish to disturb the class but simply to be near his daughter while the dissuasion was on such delicate matters.

 

[Faith Organa]

Faith looked over as her father sat down she smiled but stayed attentive to the discussion. This was truly a fascinating class and she was glad she came. Classrooms were to be about ideas and different views to open the minds of the students. Whether she agreed with the teachings or not was not the point of the class but to present the idea.

What those in the audience did with the information was a personal choice. That was another reason they brought speakers in from across the galaxy, to present other views.

She did however wonder what her father thought of this discussion. She did not say anything she took in the words of [member="Yusana Fenni"] and [member="Xenro"] .

[member="Garith Darkhold"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

[SIZE=10.5pt]After[/SIZE] hosting Queen Organa and her delegation on Voss, Arisa decided she would return the favor and take a tour of Alderaan. Up until the point of their reunion, she had never thought she would ever step foot on Alderaan again. Long had she forgiven the Mandalorians, and Draco in particular, but she had been hesitant to do anything with the Alderaani outside keeping a respectful distance. Though now as the Grandmaster of the of the Silver Order, she recognized that it was good policy to actively seek good relations with the Coalition and powers on behalf of her cohorts and the countless lives under their direct watch.

[SIZE=10.5pt]Vallkren, a friend and comrade, had been one of the ones to join her on her trip to Alderaan. A native Alderaani himself, he turned out to be a good guide outside of official events with the crown. There were some others with them too, other Jedi and affiliated agents like Captain Sko'saht. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Today in their travels, they visited Alderaan University, one of the most prestigious learning institutions in the Core if not galaxy. Upon entering the main hall, she spotted a holo-pane displaying a list of special events for the day. She gave it a quick scan and the familiar name of Yusana Fenni caught her eye, lecturing on military science. According to the start time, the lecture should have already started by now, but the lecture seemed too good to pass up.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]So she led her small party to the designated auditorium, then quietly took her seat in one of the middle rows in the center of the room. Yusana was there on the stage, but she didn't wave or anything to announce her presence to the acquaintance. She had come simply as another student of war.

OOC: Dress[/SIZE]

[member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Sko'saht"] [member="Charity Luckless"] [member="Raven Sorenova"] [member="Viathae Qarmast"] [member="Valae Kitra"] [member="Faith Organa"] [member="Xenro"] [member="Garith Darkhold"] [member="Yusana Fenni"]

 

[Viathae Qarmast]

A planet she long thought was destroyed, Viathae was rather amazed that it came back to life and now seems to look even better than it ever did. Either or, she was together with the group that Arisa had bought along to tour Alderaan. Allot of beautiful sights, but this even more beautiful one that was infront of her, which was even more prestigous. She did saw a sign about someone lecturing about military science... hmn... this aught to be interesting... actually, more than just interesting. This aught to be one of the more ironic things she happens to show up in.

Her pacifist ways started to tingle within her bones as she was with this group. She never thought that this lecture about military sciences would be here. Hmph... now this will actually be more interesting. Sure, she was not a open fighter, but many of the qualities of military sciences actually interested her. But either or, aside from her wordiness from within her head, Viathae then sat down right next to some other fellow members of the order. This was going to be quite an entertaining lecture to say the least. But maybe she could learn something out of this? Who knows.

[member="Arisa Yune"] | [member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Sko'saht"] [member="Charity Luckless"] [member="Raven Sorenova"] [member="Valae Kitra"] [member="Faith Organa"] [member="Xenro"] [member="Garith Darkhold"] [member="Yusana Fenni"]

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

Military… science?

Valae didn’t quite know what to make of the topic. She wasn’t even sure what it meant – but she had a feeling that she would soon find out. Places like Alderaan University were foreign to Valae, higher education had eluded her. Her own formal education could only be described as basic, the kind of stuff you need to know to survive, nothing more. However, that wasn’t to say she was incapable of learning… she just hadn’t been interested. Besides, she had always felt that life dealt out enough lessons to keep her up to speed.

But this discussion would be interesting, of that she had no doubt.

While the notion of war was not new to her – being out in the thick of it was very new. As a healer, she disliked seeing anyone injured… that went for her enemies as well. It was a strange predicament.

She followed along with the group of Silver Jedi; her eyes traveled the halls of the University as they made their way to the auditorium. And once they were inside the dim room, she took a seat and let her chestnut gaze focus on the podium. Valae crossed her legs comfortably and folded her hands atop her lap. She would be content to listen to the speakers, and hoped to hear a variety of views. Maybe she would even put in her own two cents.

[member="Arisa Yune"], [member="Valkren Calderon"],[member="Sko'saht"], [member="Charity Luckless"], [member="Raven Sorenova"], [member="Viathae Qarmast"], [member="Faith Organa"], [member="Xenro"], [member="Garith Darkhold"], [member="Yusana Fenni"]

 

[Yusana Fenni]

"Could you expand more on Malachor V, professor."

The current discussion on the ethics of the Light and Dark was suddenly interrupted by one of the audience members, obvious having paid attention to the flashing images of the huge holo projection above the platform. The terrible images of Malachor V after the battle, versus what fleeting footage the archives had of its agricultural past, were enough to haunt even the hardiest of veterans. All of its participants were long dead by now, but its legacy, the way it scarred the galaxy and wounded the Force, were felt to this day.

"Ah, Malachor V." Yusana relented for a moment from her discussion with the mysterious stranger, and walked away from behind her podium to the fore of the stage.

"As most of you may know, the Battle of Malachor V was spectacular how, extensive, its collateral damage was. The republic was saved, this is true, but at the cost of a planet. Further, afficionados among you will also note that it was this pivotal flicker-light in time that forever charged the Jedi Revan and Malak. I take it I need not expound on who those two are."

The professor cleared her through. "In the revolutions leading up to Malachor V, we have to note that the Mandalorians were ravaging nearly unchecked across the rims of the galaxy. The republic liked to say that it put up a valiant effort against them, but the reality is that the tides were only turned when the two aforementioned Jedi and a band of followers went against the explicit stance of their order and joined the fight. The Mandalorians were mopped up in the skirmishes that followed."

"We then come, at last, to Malachor V. There is an axiom in the art of war that one of the method ways by which you may triumph over an opponent is by holding up something valuable to him, luring with bait, and then striking with chaos. The latter could mean anything - from feigning disarray and rout when your forces are indeed organized to make them seem shapeless, or directly causing havoc amongst the enemy. Classically, these are known as fire attacks." Yusana then pointed up to the holo, which now flashed image of Malachor V slowly caving in upon itself under the power of the Mass Shadow Generator. "What you see here, is such a tactic. Tactically, it is a brilliant stroke that ground the Mandalorians to a stop in less than an hour. Strategically however, it is a more complex issue I implore you all to not trivialize."

"We see the effects of such a device on the ecosystems of the planet. Malachor V was all but vaporized as both Mandalorian and Republican starships crashed into its crust and were crushed under the gravity. It stopped the Mandalorians, yes, but at the cost of the Republican fleet. In the years that followed, the republic was frail and was constantly on the defense. The war and that battle in particular taxed it. Strategically, someone could have merely taken advantage of the fallout and assaulted the republic. Or say perchance that things turned out differently, that Revan and Malak did follow through with their supposed assault on the republic, we'd all be impoverished slaves by now."

Finally, the professor smiled. "But, I remind all in attendance, that it is folly to drift too much into pondering the what-ifs. The past has already been written, and it is folly to attempt to unravel its intricacies to ponder on things may have turned out alternatively. The study of history is relevant because the past is often our best repertoire of ideas that we may rediscover in the present, not for justifying existing norms. That is the province of idealists, and that I am not."

[member="Valae Kitra"] [member="Viathae Qarmast"] [member="Arisa Yune"] [member="Faith Organa"] [member="Garith Darkhold"]

 

[Sko'saht]

The Verpine entered with Master Yune's party. Compound eyes took in the auditorium at a glance. Fair mixture of species and obvious groups. The majority of the class was students of course. It was unusual for him, while he'd gone through his classes on Nickel One he'd mostly been focused on engineering and the Verpine tended to be fairly hands on. Otherwise his lessons were on the job or military training with Mandalorians. Glancing down he adjusted the helmet held loosely in his right hand. It butted against the shatter pistol strapped to his side and the Aliit'Vereen Eukgar'gam he was wearing not to mention the tool belt. It wasn't really necessary most of the time but simply wearing Mandalorian armour could stop a fight. If one did break out however he was almost guaranteed to be able to bring the most local fire power to bear. A useful asset especially since he'd started to modify it to allow for far more integration with whatever friendly forces were in orbit.

Sitting down and setting the helmet between his legs the Verpine relaxed and listened in. With the discussion of the some of the first Mandalorian crusades he watched the display with interest. Destroying a planet just didn't seem to be the best option from what he was seeing. While he didn't have any proper knowledge of the ships being used at the time this all or nothing tactic was just a bad idea. Preferably he'd split his force. With about half his ships he'd form a series of three spearheads and press into the middle and middle of each flank. Force the enemy into smaller chunks and enable a crossfire. The remainder of his fleet would assault the other forces surrounding the planet and begin pressing into the flanks for the main formation. Providing he could divide the enemy fleet he could turn the battle into a close up knife fight. Providing proper training of the crew and modifications of the ships it could be a costly victory but would then allow for a planetary bombardment. Knowing Mandalorans they'd likely be gathered into camps and groups creating easy targets for a strike.

 

[Eugen Aker]

[SIZE=24pt]Just[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]as she had finished settling in her seat, the discussion had turned toward the analysis of the battle of Malachor V, the final one that marked the end of a series of conflicts known as the Mandalorian Wars. Arisa couldn’t help but glance over at Sko at her side, the Verpine Mandalorian decked out in full armor in marked contrast to her own summer dress. Now comrades, but once adversaries in a much more recent war that had broken out between new iterations of the Republic and Mandalorians. Life was strange. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Her attention turned back to Yusana, carefully parsing everything she said on that particular battle. She found herself disagreeing with the Echani’s recount of some historical details, but she made some good points about the dangers of needlessly wasting resources for pyrrhic victories. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Arisa had studied this particular battle, and the Mandalorian Wars in general, in great depth. She had taken something different from her readings of Malachor V, one battle that perfectly encapsulated Revan’s strategies in a single event.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The Jedi commander had no qualms about incurring heavy casualties to achieve victory, as he clearly understood that the Mandalorians at the time simply couldn’t kill Republicans fast enough in a war of attrition. During the siege of Dxun, for example, it was said that ten Republic soldiers had died for every Mandalorian killed. What set Revan apart from many of his contemporaries in that war was not his tactical prowess, but his high tolerance for losses that verged on outright callousness. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]In his ruthlessness, Revan made for a good example in showing that military strategy involved more than just directing maneuvers, but also resource management, learning to fully leverage the strengths of one’s forces for maximum effect. In the case of the Republic against the Mandalorians, it was exploiting the Republic’s larger population pool and vastly superior industrial might to simply outlast their opponents in a defensive war. [/SIZE]

[member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Sko'saht"] [member="Charity Luckless"] [member="Raven Sorenova"] [member="Viathae Qarmast"] [member="Valae Kitra"] [member="Faith Organa"] [member="Xenro"] [member="Garith Darkhold"] [member="Yusana Fenni"]

 

[Garith Darkhold]

[member="Faith Organa"]

As [member="Yusana Fenni"] started to speak about Malachor V, Garith wished he had reminded in the back row. The past, memories of another time flooding back to him… Memories of a day he had lost so many vod. So many lost by a Jedi of all people. Garith’s face slipped to his hands, as his concentration began to slip.
The Elder Kashi had witness many things in his long. The destruction of the Kashi race was one, by the hand of a Jedi. The destruction of the Legions of Lettow, by the Jedi. Then there was the Mando’ade during the Mandalorian wars, by the Jedi. So many people lost, people whom he called family. Garith darkness came from his loss, his pain. A pain he felt just now as a moment in history reminded him of such loss.

His concentration slipped.

The Illusion of normal clothing shimmered away in a fantastic show of light.

What remained?

Garith in his ancient beskar’gam. Interlocking beskar plates and beskar weave chain. A design worn long ago by Kal kalyr. The weathered black lacquered paint. The armor still bore scares of past wars. The red cape he wore suffered from time and war. Stained by death with rips and tears.

He sat forward there silent, with his face still buried within his hands. The Elder was still trying to fight off his emotions, such as pain, hate, and anger. There was love, the type you feel for family. It was this love that left him open to this pain though.

[member="Arisa Yune"] [member="Valkren Calderon"] @Sko’saht [member="Charity Luckless"] [member="Raven"] Sornova @Viathae Qamast @Valae Kirta @Xenro

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Valkren adjusted the collar of his 'Dress Blues', struggling to stay comfortable in the tight uniform. The young colonel followed closely behind Arisa and the rest of the Silver Jedi's delegation. Being on Alderaan was nice, as it had been some time since he had returned to his home world, however the lesson they were attending today almost terrified him.

It wasn't because it was on war and on killing, as he was well versed in the technicalities of those two subjects..It was the fact that it reminded him so much of his time in Officer training school whilst enlisted in the Republic. His time spent at OTS was bitter-sweet, having led his class for the entire time until being removed from the program after two 'incidents' that were hastily covered up by the brass. The memories of constant schooling on combat scenarios and past major battles, the simulations they were put through to give them situations in which they could literally never succeed, teaching them the acceptance of failure. OTS was hell, and frankly he was glad he was dropped out of it. Instead of sitting behind a desk straight from the start of his military career, his time with the Republic and then the Directorate as Infantry and eventually Special forces made him into a better man than he would have ever expected to become.

Though, he still had a long way to go. Every casualty taken under his command, every injury, every failed mission..It all called for him to better himself. He wouldn't be able to call himself a leader until he was sure that he was doing everything possible in his power to bring his people home.

He took his seat before reaching up to adjust his collar once more, sticking a finger between the uniform and his neck to give himself a bit of breathing room in the more respectable uniform of the Antarian Rangers. Valkren moved his gaze to the instructor, hearing the topic at hand. The young officer watched the holo projection of the planet caving in on itself, the reflection of the scene in his eyes as he continued to listen in on the lesson.

[member="Garith Darkhold"] | [member="Arisa Yune"] | [member="Sko'saht"] | [member="Yusana Fenni"] | [member="Valae Kitra"] | [member="Viathae Qarmast"] | [member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Faith could see and feel her father moving around the subject matter seemed to be touching him in a way she did not quite yet understand. She nodded to those around her that everything was alright. It was.

There were others who found the subject sensitive they were easily spotted by the looks on their faces, the tears that slid down their cheeks it was obvious that war took its toll in many ways. War was not anyone's friend, it brought about strange bed fellows, and it left unseen scars. Faith did not like war even when necessary.

She turned her head away when her father's illusion fell away she saw him with his head in his hand. She reached out and took his hand she wanted to say something comforting to him. But maybe right now quiet was what he needed. "I'm here Dad" was all she whispered. She looked up to [member="Yusana Fenni"] still attentive to the subject at hand.

She could see that some of the Silver Jedi had come in, [member="Arisa Yune"] , [member="Valae Kitra"] and [member="Valkren Calderon"] . Faith did not recognize the others yet perhaps when their faces were seen she would recognize them.

[member="Sko'saht"] [member="Viathae Qarmast"] [member="Garith Darkhold"]

 

[Viathae Qarmast]

Ah... Malachor V... one of the more infamous Mandalorian battles. It showed how foolhardy those damned idiots were when it came to fighting against the Jedi. She gave a rather sour face when the atrocities of the Mandalorians were. Ravaging, raiding, pillaging, raping every planet they see, it made her spit at these idiots who dare called themselves "Mandalorians"... Hmph. Di'kuts... The fact that these imbeciles even were allowed to breath air is beyond her, but Viathae didn't really felt comfortable when she heard about this. Oh no, it infuriated her. Even if the tides were turned by two of the most infamous Jedi later turned Sith Lords, it still made her question on why the Mandalorians even though this was all right in the first place. The barbaricism that her people had committed... if only she could just say sorry for behalf of all Mandalorians for what they had done in the past, it would be nice. Unfortunally, that time has passed, and even now, it was too late to say sorry, as they are still the same.

The Mandalorians always seem to have rather poor tactical insights when it came to war. All they do is attack and ask questions later, which was a stupid move considering her people are supposed to be the greatest warriors in the galaxy. Had they had an actual sense of tact in their brains, they might of destroyed the Jedi, and actually would of won the battle there, and perhaps already ended the war before it even started.

But no, they put their pride infront of themselves first, and that is what the real reason on why they had lost the entire conflict against the Republic. Reven and Malak were geniuses, and that was why the Jedi won that battle. But the last part of saying "too much into pondering the what-ifs" and "The past is already written". That may be so, but even if, Viathae still is pondering the what-ifs. Her people had a humiliating defeat against the Jedi due to their fanaticalism and foolhardiness.

Viathae crossed her arms and glanced over at her lightsaber, the weapon that was considered a symbol of their enemy, the Jedi, which was clung to her armour, the very armour that help deflected the lightsaber, and then at Arisa, then at Sko, the bug that followed them along, then back upfront. The scowl on her face as if this entire thing was bothering her was quite visible. A nerve of uneasiness also came out of her. The past may not be changed, but what about the future? The Mandalorians might try this idiocy again, and fail even further. But then, what is she? To them, possibly a traitor.

[member="Garith Darkhold"] | [member="Arisa Yune"] | [member="Sko'saht"] | [member="Yusana Fenni"] | [member="Valae Kitra"] | [member="Valkren Calderon"] | [member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Garith Darkhold]

Feeling his daughter’s presence, it helped him to remind him she was there. It was a good thing to as the Elder had a hard time controlling his vast and uncontrollable time, temper. He was not used to public displays of affection, but yet we let [member="Faith Organa"] to take his hand. He was no longer a Sith. The people who reminded him as a Sith were mostly all gone due to time and wars. So Faith should mostly be safe from those who Garith used to call allies. It was one thing he had not allowed to have in the past, children. When he was a Sith, they would have been targets from other Sith, targets that could be manipulated.

[member="Viathae Qarmast"] [member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Arisa Yune"] [member="Sko'saht"] @Yusana Fenni [member="Valae Kitra"]

 

[Faith Organa]

She sat quietly with her father as they listened to the conversation around them. She did wonder why her father did not speak up she began to think it was because of his past that the memories already were too much to discuss it so openly and have it open for questions and answers might be too much.

She understood there were times when she did not wish to open a 'can of worms' She just remained there instead taking in the comments.

This class certainly had brought out different thoughts and opinions. Was it one she would take? She wasn't sure really she would speak with her father later perhaps his experiences would lend her a hand in deciding.

She looked over to the Silver Jedi delegation and wondered again what were they thinking of what had been said.

[member="Viathae Qarmast"] [member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Arisa Yune"] [member="Sko'saht"] [member="Yusana Fenni"] [member="Valae Kitra"] [member="Garith Darkhold"]

 

[Yusana Fenni]

Yusana allowed herself a soft sigh of contentment, a moment of brief respite before finally concluding the lesson. She'd already gone through her cup of water and now rested her weight against her hands pressed against the lecturer's podium. Her voice was a little louder now as she had to strain slightly more to overcome the light exhaustion she now felt. On normal occasions Yusana was not one to strain, but she'd always go the extra mile for the pursuit of education.

"Of course, that is all on the surface. As a final note before I dismiss you all, I'd like to note that although Revan's victory may seem Pyrrhic, it's worth mentioning that the genius of Malachor V wasn't in how he crushed the Mandalorians, but how he eliminated his non-supporters." The Echani then toggled the holo again, this time bringing up a rather large manifest of all the casualties of Malachor V - every name and ship. "I'm not sure if you've checked the records, but many of those who died at Malachor V weren't exactly Revan's strongest supporters."

"And so while not perhaps as orthodox as the textbooks on the subject would like, Revan managed to accomplish one of the greatest feats in military history - almost overnight he saved the galaxy from the Mandalorians, but he also purged his own ranks of those that would have weakened him in the long run. It's a fascinating thing, warfare - one could read a thousand books and still not understand its subtleties, its intricacies."

Yusana then offered the class one last smile as she clasped her hands together.

"I call it the Choice of Malachor V, the shatterpoint decision to rely on your own strength, which was Revan's and his Revanites', rather than that of others', mainly the Republic. That is the true lesson of warfare and of strength. If you are to have allies, it must be for the augmenting of your own strength, rather than you becoming dependent on others'. But alas, we've depleted our allotted time. If any of you wish to discuss anything taken up today or of Revan, if that suits your fancy, you're free to drop by my office. Class dismissed."

And with that, all the students immediately began packing their things and heading out. Some headed for the professor to chat her up as she returned to the podium to get her own things.

[member="Faith Organa"] [member="Garith Darkhold"] [member="Viathae Qarmast"] [member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Arisa Yune"] [member="Sko'saht"] @Valae Kitra

 

[Faith Organa]

A second speaker had already entered the room looking around seeing the students hovering waiting for the next installment. Faith would have stood to leave but there were murmurs around her that another speaker had arrived.

So she kept still.

As soon as the stage was clear and Professor Fenni had been able to clear away what little she brought with her. The Dean came out, "Students we are honored today to have Ducha Relina Zhan of Gallinore, Major of the Hapan Royal Navy, commander of the Seventh Aviation Division, Seventy-Seventh Tactical Fighter Wing to provide another view of the methodology of war."


[member="Relina Zhan"] [member="Garith Darkhold"] [member="Viathae Qarmast"] [member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Arisa Yune"] [member="Sko'saht"] [member="Valae Kitra"] [member="Yusana Fenni"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Garith Darkhold"] [member="Viathae Qarmast"] [member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Arisa Yune"] [member="Sko'saht"] [member="Valae Kitra"] [member="Yusana Fenni"]

In a few moments, an attractive woman with fair complexion, reddish-blonde hair, and soul piercing eyes the colour of the ocean entered the auditorium dressed in Royal Navy Dress Blues. Her hair was done up in a tight bun with an ornate set of hairpins to hold it under a Blue beret. She wore a few ribbons and a medal on one breast and her Major's rank insignia on the other. Her collar had a gold-coloured metal name plate reading 'Du. R. Zhan.'

"Greetings and many thanks for inviting me here, Your Grace. Forgive me for my tardiness." she began cordially. Her voice seemed somewhat delicate for a war veteran, but bore a distinctive Hapan accent. She would turn to the group to whom she was to speak and gently cleared her throat, cutting straight to the chase.

"War, from my perspective, has been fast-paced and unusually dangerous for someone of my stature; It isn't often noblewomen thrust themselves into the combat pilot role, even less so willingly. The perspective of the infantryman is one of boots on the ground, high-technology armour and weapon systems, and survival in the boundaries offered by the battlefield's dynamic and ever-changing landscape. The perspective of the commander is to facilitate both victory and survival, prioritsing the latter, by giving the orders and adapting to the flow of combat." The Ducha said. She was not known for her personal charisma beyond her leadership of an elite squadron. She did not expect to move anyone with her words, but speak she would yet.

"For the Admiral, her command of her fleet of warships is critical for space superiority and military logistics. Nowhere is this more true than in the Hapan Royal Navy, under which our military as a whole operates. I come from the Interior world of Gallinore, among the first of the Consortium's worlds to be colonised and both a critical commercial hub and military base system. My sister and I co-govern that world..." she trailed off as she touched a panel to project a holoimage of Alessandra and Relina Zhan together, both dressed similarly with the former wearing blue and the latter in purple. Immediately, it was apparent the two women were identical twins. "... frankly, I admit that I only hold the title of 'Ducha' because i am five minutes older than my sister, who is more of a politician than I could ever be." She suppressed an amused chuckle at her own wit. What was funnier was that it was totally true.

She would then change the image to a smattering of clips from battles she had flown in. The holovids were displaying from her perspective... literally, it was like seeing through the Ducha's own eyes at the time. There was a green line of text in both Aurebesh and Hapan calligraphy that read, "R.O.N.I. DECLASSIFIED" on each of the clips. "I have brought for you tonight clips from two of my own squadron's action in recent conflicts. I believe they speak for themselves in a case for the Combat Pilot's perspective on warfare." She explained before playing the first Clip.

Angels Three and Five turned too pursue while Relina surveyed the new IFF data... and the marked Temples. "... How long until our assault bombers can demolish these buildings?" she asked the Firedrake.

"Six minutes until Meteor Squardon's estimated time to arrival."

"Six minutes? And by what method of demolition?" she asked further.

"Meteor Squadron is carrying proton bombs. It should be enough ordinance to... Requesting a sitrep on the ground assault, Angel One."

Relina checked her instrumentation and her visual scanning. She also listened to the comm chatter from both the allies and her own military's troops. ".. Things are starting to get densely mixed up down there. A proton bomb run could result in hundreds of friendly casualties." she said, with evident concern. "As for us, we are not weaponised for that kind of assault. Repeat, we are not weaponised."

"There IS an alternative, Command." Angel Four, Lieutenant Taritha "Archer" Schiff spoke up. A Cyborg, she had cognitive enhancements that improved reaction time and combat judgement.

"Firedrake to Angel Four, I'm listening. Please advise."

"Ducha Zhan is armed with GAM-120 Shockhammer missiles." She began, but was cut off by a tactical analyst aboard the Firedrake.

"So are Two and Seven. If you're suggesting a tri-lateral vector, it will not work. GAM-120s don't have the velocity to achieve the necessary penetration for complete demolition."

"Negative, Firedrake. I am suggesting that a descent dead-vertical at 3,833 kilometres per hour will increase missile velocity sufficiently." Angel Four said. "Shockhammer WILL penetrate the temple roof."

".... One to Four, what's the blackout rate at vertical thirty-eight thirty-three? Please advise." Relina asked.

After a brief pause, likely crunching numbers, Archer replied, flatly, "... seventy-three percent."

"Negative, we'll find another way. We can get a droid to fly a spare Terminus and plant the Missile. There's no blood in their quantum veins. they can't black out..."

Relina wasn't going to trust something this delicate to a droid. This was difficult and risky in a serious way, but only a Human could ensure it was done correctly. Droids simply didn't have the judgement that organics did, nor did they have intuition. "Negative, Command, Negative, Mission critical, One will prosecute." Relina said, pushing her throttle forward and pulling up to gain altitude.

"Go, My lady, go...." Angel Six said under her breath. She'd turn to defend along with Angel Two.

"Two, to One: You know I know you can do this, Major. But if you can't bank fast enough at that speed or if you black out, you could kill yourself and alot of other people down there." replied Holland "Lance" Roc, Angel Squadron's number two.

"I appreciate your concern, Holland. I didn't get this far relegated to the seventy-third percentile. I like my odds." Relina said confidently. "R9, give me maximum distance from the ground at release velocity." she added, addressing her astromech.

"Acknowledged." Came the translated voice of her driod co-pilot.

Relina rose in altitude sharply and quickly, her forward--swept wings folding inward to reduce atmospheric drag. She could see a flash off in the distance, that of a concussion missile hitting its target and an IFF indicator with Angel Five on its label. Five would soon announce a splash over her comm. Once Relina got the edge of Tython's stratosphere, she would flip the fighter around so that she was in a nose-dive position before throwing her throttle forward.

"Mach one...." The astromech droid said, counting up the sound barrier thresholds as Relina reached them. She'd have to reach just over Mach 3 to achieve this feat successfully. "Mach two...."

"...Mach three." R9's translated voice in a Human-like feminine tone resounded. Relina was within reach of the prescribed release velocity. With the force of the planet's gravity and the steep angle and speed at which she was flying, her blood pressure began to spike as she flightsuit began to work its automatic compression response magic, trying to keep her conscious. So far, it was holding.

"Captian, her blood pressure is spiking!" a flight corpman said, watching the Angels Squadron's vitals. Relina's vitals were indeed showing the effects of high inertia, but she was holding. Inertial dampers kicked in, straining against the increasing first law of motion. The captain shook her head. "It isn't like I can court martial her anyway..." the captain said, barely audible over the open comm.

Relina continued her headlong dive above the targeted temple, one of the larger ones among the complex. Having passed the Mach Three barrier, Relina armed the GAM-120 "Shockhammer" missile, her eyes locked onto Junko's target beacon, her IFF showing a missile lock.

"... Release velocity attained. Maximum effective range in 10... 9.... 8... 7... 6..." R9's voice resounded.

One mistake and it was game over. The Hapan carpet bombing couldn't begin until the fighting could be moved away from the demolitions site. This strike raid, however, would have far less collateral damage... if Relina could pull this off. "Ike, fall back and get out of the way. MOVE IT!" she said gruffly, her voice strained a bit.

".... 5... 4.. 3.. 2.. 1..."

As soon as she heard "one", Relina pressed the launch button. The missile cylinder dropped down just enough to expose the Shockhammer long enough to launch it, just before disappearing back into the fuselage, rotating fresh ordinance into place. "Angel One, Magnum!"

As soon as a missile was launched, Relina pulled as hard as she could back on the stick, trying to pull out of the nose dive. The ship responded on cue, but the inertial forces overtook the damper systems, pressing right into the Hapan pilot. Her ship's safety systems and her flightsuit overcompensating, Relina's vision grew dark, first around the periphery of her line of sight, then progressing inward to form a rapidly closing tunnel of blurring light and colour. Her eyes closed behind her tactical visor and the Ducha fell unconscious.

"...warning! Pilot blackout. Initiating astromech safety override sequence." R9 responded, starting a brief series of code that allowed her to override the Terminus's controls... that is, until she confirmed the pilot was conscious again.

"DUCHA ZHAN!"
On the Ground the Hapan troops fell back, fighting defensively as the great temple Ducha Zhan just put a missile into collapsed from the inside out. The Missile's efflux trail could be seen as a pale blue point of light streaking downward from the inside of the Temple, the light escaping into view through any opening in the side of the building. There was a blue flash and PAAAAAAAAANNNNNG! The shattering vibrato of a collapsium-baradium detonation presceded the sound of stone and metal braking apart and falling to the earth below. The Temple cracked, rumbled, and then buckled, having lost the ability to support its own mass. The deed was done.

"..... That was one of the more harrowing recent incidents. In fighter combat, you are constantly in a situation where your life can be taken in an instant. As a flight lead, your commands must be followed even faster." She explained. "I have my squadron and my astromech driod, as a team, to thank for my survival in a situation where a judgement call had to be made that could easily have gone very, very wrong. I do not regret making the call."

She showed another clip, also declassified, where her lesson was driven home, case-in-point.

Relina was strapped in and ready to launch, going over her pre-flight checks while the smugglers were preparing to launch. in orbit, the Gamma corvettes were just about in position to drop their lances of Space Marines. Each lance consisted of two six-man squads lead by a Cyborg Warrior. In total, three lances were about to be introduced to the general vicinity where the traitors were last seen via orbital insertion. The planet itself was rapidly coming under quarantine, as if a notorious mass murderer of high profile victims was in danger of escaping. The Battle Dragons and their larger, more powerful successors, the mighty Type D505 Wyverns were starting to mine Hapes' orbit with pulse-mass generators which would effectively place the distance required to jump to hyperspace a bit further out than normal for a planet of that size and mass. Truly, it was the next best thing to having a flotilla of dedicated interdictor ships. Of course, Command was starting to think of interdicting the few known hyperspace routes in or out of the entire Hapes Cluster, which worked historically. However, it would take a Royal edict to make that happen.

The launch-tone sounded and the Angel Squadron was launched, sans one. "This is Angel One. Callsign, Edge. Weapons safe for all craft. Proceeding to target point now."

"Yes, My Lady!" replied the other five behind her in acknowledgement of the orders.

"This is Firedrake, acting carrier and AWACS for the Angel team. Sitrep: there are twenty-five unknown vessels egressing feet wet towards the North Sea, bearing vector 0-4-6 degrees.... so much for our containment bid. New orders are to intercept and shoot down those craft. The Mobius team will be joining you for support."

"Rodger, AWACS. Orders acknowledged. Angel Squadron will prosecute." Relina replied as she turned toward the prescribed bearing on an intercept trajectory. "Angels, lock and load. Set S-foils to attack position."

The six fighters streaked toward Hapes' north pole, declining their flight path with the intention of intercepting the escaping ships before they breached the planet's atmosphere. She had no problem fighting in air any more than she did in space.

"Four to One, did she just say twenty-five? Please advise." Asked Lieutenant Taritha Schiff, callsign "Archer".

"Affirmative, Archer. We've been through worse, haven't we? We'll just have to keep our ion cannons hot. The Mobius team isn't far behind, either." Relina replied reassuringly. She seemed supremely confident of their odds of victory. "Besides, they probably won't see us coming straightaway, but fly as if they can."

"Yes, My Lady." Archer replied.

"And check out that aurora.... sort of makes me homesick." Replied Major Cynthya Nori, callsign "Aurora". The Northern Lights were indeed visible at the time, a greenish ring around the planet's arctic circle from their perspective. "I wish Lance were here to see this."

"He probably can from the medbay. I know I'd be pissed if I had to miss a sortie for medical reasons, though. The struggle is real." Replied Commander Kael Lythos, callsign "Volcano". he, too, was a bit transfixed by the curtain of green light as the squadron began to graze the planet's upper atmosphere.

"Hey, Look alive. I'm spiking a ship. Bogies confirmed at 12 o'clock on the nose." Announced Lieutenant Commander Rafe Misra, also known as "Screech".

"I see them." Relina replied. It wouldn't be long before Relina's targetting computer emitted a tone and her Astromech's translated voice announced the obvious.

"Missile lock, on." came the feminine computer voice, which was almost indistinguishable from that of a Human.

"AWACS, we have tone. Concussion missiles are locked on target." Relina said.

"Acknowledged. Fire at will." the Firedrake replied.

"Angels we are red and free." Relina said, her hand gripping the control stick firmly, thumb on the missile launch button. "Angel One, Fox three."

"Angel Three, Fox three!"

"Angel Seven, Fox three."

A salvo of six concussion missiles were fired at the group of escaping ships. While sensors would have a hard time pinning down a Terminus at range, the fact they were shooting missiles at this point betrayed their presence.


"It might be easier to capture a ship or two intact if we can drive them closer to our capital ships. Let's try to get them in range of the tractor beams. I'm detecting Pulse-mass generators, so no one is going anywhere far for a while." Relina suggested.

***
"Kark we got incoming!"

"What?" Jack roared, banking the ship right. The scopes began to light up, they were being closed in on. With a fleet right outside the equator region and a full squadron of fighters in pursuit the odds were beginning to stack up for Jack and the crew. He watched as two concussion missiles exploded against a nearby smuggler vessel, knocking her shields out. He could hear frantic chatter through the radio. They were losing it.

"Time to do some fancy flying, Dak you're on guns!"

Lok may have been in the back talking to Talia who was explaining what the Rangers were and such, but he interrupted, roaring through the comms in his Aliit'Gam.

"Lok, Talia, standbye to repair the hull."

"What?" Talia asked, poking her head into the hull.

"We're gonna take the fighters, Rogue One and two on me, the rest get the hell out of here."

"Roger Pride."

Jacks neural band kicked on connecting him with the ship via thought. Instead of the yoke he relied on his thoughts to control the Kessel Pride, ramping up the fuel flow to the engines and firing her after market Ion thrusters. she looked like a hunk of junk, but she was a veritable tank, able to match most starfighters in speed and manuevers.

The Pride flipped over, two missiles streaking by with blazing blue contrails. The rest of the fleet was fleeing full speed, only two of the fastest remained with him, ready to hold off the fighters.

The Pride banked, pulling hard right, the flipping manuever now had them head to head, and Jack was flying with his eyes closed, fully immersed in his instinct, drawing upon his gut feeling for astrogation to move. They were closing fast, coming head to head with the enemy formation, Jack center, Wingmates stacked right.

"Scissor formation, make the cross! Weapons free!"

They banked right, cutting diagonally across her formation and smashing through their tight knit cohesion. Dak fired the Kessels Pride weapon array. Twin laser cannons barked from the belly of the pride, casting pulsing green streams of death into the enemy. Twin linked Ion cannons stitched white contrails as they rapid fired, splashing towards the fighters attempting to knock out electrical components.

The Smuggler Wingmates fired as well, casting more cannon fire into the mix.

"Load torpedo's, but keep em in reserve."

"AyeSkip."

"Pulling off, full burn, Form up, prepare for pass two!"

***

Relina saw the rather aggressive manoeuvres presented to her. "This is what they bring me? I've met pirates that fight better." she scoffed, not knowing if her comm chatter was audible to all nor much caring. "Angels, break formation, all weapons authorised. Use pincer-formation delta. I want those gnats swatted down. Fire at will." She ordered. "Archer, cover my ass."

"Yes, My Lady!" came the unison reply of seasoned veterans. The Angel formation split off with razor-sharp banks to the sides, coming around along the enemy formation's tenuous flanks. Relina, however, stayed generally to the front followed by Lieutenant Schiff. Both women would turn their ships into an aileron roll with Angel Four backing off slightly while Relina herself stared straight at Jack's ship, her chosen target. Her ship reacted to her line of sight, focusing its sensors on him.

Relina took a hit from a laser cannon to the starboard wing and another to the starboard side of her fuselage as she swerved in mid-spin to evade gunfire, the shielding of her ship absorbing most of the damage. it was a glancing hit, leaving a streak of black carbon where it struck and ricocheted. Taking a page from her medically indisposed compatriot, she'd open fire with her own ion cannons, mounted on the Terminus's wingtips, as she began her equally aggressive blitz. Pale blue bolts of sizzling plasma would alternate between the forward-swept s-foils of the next-generation starfighter as she very suddenly hit her afterburners. The SLAM system activated and she ceased her defensive aileron rolling to jet past the enemy, which allowed Archer a clean opening to fire. "One to Command, my stealth is compromised. Taking fire, will engage with deadly force." she said.

"Angel Four, Sweet lock! Good tone, Fox three!" Schiff said, seeing her opportunity. She let loose another concussion missile, a longer ranged one to ensure a clean lock at range. Below her craft, the internal missile bay opened to briefly reveal the cylinder containing the missiles, then disappeared back into the bay once the missile was fired, rotating a fresh one into launch position.

Relina expected her target to evade and so would begin to pitch up in a tight inside-loop to reestablish visual contact. She was starting to feel it again... that sensation. It was like a river charged with energy flowing through her. Her mental state simply shot sky-high as the rush of inertia pressed her to her seat.

Angels Five and Three paired off to pursue one of the enemy wingmen, presumably Rogue One, each Angel banking off to flank him. Major Nori came around to fire her dual link-fire laser cannon, stuttering her stream of green death with alternating ion cannon fire every few shots. She tended to fight tactically, knowing full well what her ship was capable of. "Nice and easy... Screech, take the shot!" She said after a moment of shooting at the bandit.

Lt. Commander Misra fired off a volley of Ion cannon fire, followed shortly by a missile. "Switching to 'sidewinders'. Fox two!" He said, firing a shorter range, but slightly higher yield concussion missile that tracked ion-engine efflux emissions rather than active sensors like the longer range missiles Archer preferred.

Meanwhile, Angels Six and Seven pursued the other target, presumably Rogue Two. Angel Six, Second Lieutenant Anna DuCroix, also known as "Blackout", took to her target like a feral Nexu chasing down its quarry. Notoriously tenacious, she would match combat manoeuvres, making a point to stick to the target's tail like white on rice. She'd fire her ion cannons in short bursts between each twist and turn. "Right where I want you..." She mumbled.

Finally, Commander Kael Lythos, Angel team's number Seven, flew at an oblique angle as he lined up his shot. A bit of a thinker, Volcano hesitated only a moment to make sure he didn't hit Blackout when the next twist came. Banking sharply, he fired a volley from his dual link-fire laser cannons. "These kids wouldn't survive Puragtory. But they are just a distraction. Seven to Command, the remaining bogies are bugging out. Recommend Mobius Squadron take them out."

"This is Firedrake. Acknowledged, Angel Seven. Mobius team, intercept and destroy the remaining targets."

"Mobius One, Rodger."

The new squadron of twelve, a more traditional size, was launched shortly after the Angels, who traditionally were composed of seven fighters. They completely ignored the fighting between the three smugglers and the Angel team, short one. They had their orders. Incidentally, at this juncture, the two squadrons were the closest ones available to make the intercept for the moment. The other ships in the Hapes System would take a little more time to launch fighters and mobilise the larger ships, if they even deemed it necessary to bring the entire Naval armament of the capital world to bear against only a relative few smuggler ships and a small band of traitors on board. They'd get an inconvenient surprise when they got around to a hyperspace jump attempt, however.

Relina would freeze the holovid and would look among her audience. "War and destruction are indeed terrible things and often display the worst side of our nature. We do it because we must, for leaders and nation, or simple survival. The Hapes Consortium has had a long and sordid history of both from before its formal inception to modernity." Relina said with a solomn, but subtly forelorn expression. "I will entertain questions and commentary now."

 

[Garith Darkhold]

With his eyes still shut and his face buried in his hands.


Garith continued to focus on his thoughts, warmth of a golden sun softly touching the skin, with the breath of a cool breeze. Around him were vast endless fields of crops. There was silence and peace. The Elder Kashi let the elements bring him tranquility.

His other alternative was to let the darkness overwhelm him and give into his hate and anger. That was something he did not wish. He was trying to make a change, a change for his children. One of those children was [member="Faith Organa"] who was sitting right next to him. To let go of his control right here he would be hurting one of the people he was trying to protect.

[member="Relina Zhan"] [member="Yusana Fenni"] [member="Viathae Qarmast"] [member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Arisa Yune"] [member="Sko'saht"] @Valae Kitra

 

[Allana Badeaux]

It was not often the Grand Duchess left The Hapes Consortium space. She was just a mere seventeen and a very prime target. She was young, rich, and the cousin to the Ta’a Chume. Alderaan was a relatively safe planet. Well safe enough where her guardian the Queen Mother would let the young Royal go.

Allana had made her way into the lecture hall as the Duch’a [member="Relina Zhan"] made her way to the podium. Allana being flanked by two female Hapen Royal Guards on each of her sides made her way to some empty seats in the back of the room. As she took her seat Relina started speaking about war. Sitting down now, Allana did her best to listen. After all she was seventeen and listening to a lecture on a subject she really had no interest in. Allana was interested in showing some support for the Duch’a of Gallinore. That would support the Consortium’s interests. So for now Allana listened, or did her best to.



[member="Garith Darkhold"] [member="Faith Organa"] [member="Yusana Fenni"] [member="Viathae Qarmast"] [member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Arisa Yune"] [member="Sko'saht"] [member="Valae Kitra"]