The Imperial Military Protectorate (IMP)

[DECEASED Erskine Barran]

FO Notes​

In endless appreciation of the lore, and all the achievements of the faction IC and OOC, we wish to do our predecessors some justice in consideration of the timeline they forged for us together.

If we are to comprise of remnants from (what can be argued as-) a golden age for non-Sith Imperials, we have to consider where our predecessors have been, what they've conquered and what was lost in the years of it's downfall. After all, with greater attention to detail in depiction at the Faction Staff/Moderator level, there's always more immersion to offer for writers within that framework - aided all the more by the fact it just so happens to faithfully adapt from the some of the best arcs of the last few years.
-Lee-

-THE NEW IMPERIAL ORDER-
(NIO)
858-867 ABY

RULER

IRVERIC TAVLAR
(SOVEREIGN IMPERATOR)

Homeworld: DANTOOINE

 

[DECEASED Erskine Barran]

WHEN HEROES GROW WEARY OF HIERARCHAL MALICE
WHEN ALL JOY PERISHES LIKE ASHES IN THE WIND

THAT EXACT MOMENT IS WHEN THE WILL OF DEFIANCE IS INHERITED

ACT ONE
-THE AGE OF DEFIANCE-
858-862 ABY

Spoiler

IMPORTANT EVENTS
Price of Empire | Kyber Dark | Reclamation
Battle of Muunilinst | Battle of Dubrillion | Battle of Borosk | Battle of Bastion

THE DARKNESS FALLS

PART ONE: THE BOARD IS SET
​

All great separatist states are formed in the midst of internal political schism, and in the beating heart of Sith Imperium - such a thing was given life in the hearts of it's most-fervent warriors.

On one jaded hand stood the conventional Sith element, the Qotsisajakaar, an esoteric collective led by the great Darth Avernus and Darth Voyance ; turning away from the predominant faith of the ruling Sith ideology, abandoning it's tenets to reject their religion completely, as such would serve as fuel for their resolve. However, on the other, equally-disillusioned hand stood the already-mighty Imperial legions, led by Lord General Irveric Tavlar and Tyrell Paxxus at the time, and in mirroring fashion, harboured their own sentitments of disdain toward Sith-Imperial systems of power.

It was in these early days of outspoken insubordination when the seeds of the Third Imperial Civil War were sown, when the wheels were already in motion by the time Vaulkhar Zambrano spoke out for the first time, with increasing numbers already attending holographically (and even in-person) to the Ascendant Hall as living challenges to the status quo. Marking clear separation from the Sith yolk, years before the Imperial element made the great separatist's leap of faith, though the voices of dissent would need to meet and discuss their options first, but it wouldn't take long for the Imperials to forge their own faction after that.

Uniting all the legions, all the fleets and all the Imperial Knight chapters under command of the defiant, and within Tavlar's sphere of influence, making a grand endeavour that was so quick that no Sith-Imperial overlord would see it coming. Making for Nirauan, choosing the Hand of Thrawn as the newly-anointed Imperator's seat of power - appearing as an island in a dangerous, shark infested sea of planets.

It was there, within the walls of the ancient Imperial fortress, that the very inspiration for the faction's name would be found, history founding the makings of another as all agreed to name the movement,"The NEW IMPERIAL ORDER", in the historic, aptly-titled,"Declaration of Defiance".

Though there would always be concern for those who ambitiously dub their faction in such times, this reality had been an ever-present factor in the minds of the fledgling revolutionaries, even in the muttered, near-silent beginnings of their journey to prominence. Almost predicting the events that would lead to the eventual first battle on Velmor, as the pattern of escalations always seemed to follow the same rhythm and flow in the Galaxy, and in the wake of renewed conflict between the Sith Empire and the Silver Jedi Concord, the New-Imperial host knew they would be next to face their former overlords either way.

Granting the New Order time enough to prepare for this encounter, increasing readiness to turn the tide for those brave enough to rise up in conflict against the Sith Empire - time enough for friendly contingents to achieve their first sweeping victory against Tavlar's former masters.

Bloodying the nose of hubris itself in assistance of the Silver Jedi, casting the first stone against the very concept of infallibility, right there on Velmor. Yet unlike their oppressors, the New-Imperials would never dare to grow complacent, and certainly not with the enormity of daunting milestones their new realm still needed to cross by then, further achievements that would assure survival in Tavlar's earlier territorial expansions.

Many would have slowed down or even stopped right there.
Inviting hubris of every complacent sort, taking years to catch their breaths.

But the New-Imperials were advancing, persisting in expansion.

TREACHERY AWAITED AT EVERY CORNER
POISED WITH BAITED BREATH

WITH INTENT TO SNUFF OUT THE FLAMES OF DEFIANCE

THE DARKNESS FALLS

PART 2: THE PIECES ARE MOVING​

On the hard-fought,"Imperial Outlands" frontier, a desperate war for survival would find it's commencement on the Braxant Run, and not long after the first shot was fired in anger - all would quickly come to understand the ferocity needed to prevail in the following years.

​

The New-Imperial host had been a formidable threat on their own for a while, even in the Civil War's explosive beginnings,(even after starting out with little more than a few planets) the New-Imperial host were already sporting a slew of battle-hardened Warlords and Generals going into the war's next phase, unknowingly commencing a long run of advantages in matters of warfighting mobilisation. After all, only a scant, elite few ever beheld the wonders of prophecy, the privilege to see all their glories yet to pass.

Pushing on from their staging-points on freshly-acquired gains, Irveric Tavlar and Vaulkhar Zambrano ould take the fight from the Borosk frontier all the way through to the Braxant Bulge. The only real, immediate targets in this endeavour (though the Imperator and his Lord Executor were already looking to another planet beyond it by then) were Muunilinst, and Mygeeto; the coveted jewel of this little plan, devised exclusively between Tavlar himself, the renegade Zambrano and a Sith Lord by the name of Kor Vexen, as production capability would always equal in importance to strategic progress.

Though the fight was still a daunting, gargantuan undertaking to endeavour at the time, Tavlar's fortunes would smile on him once more, heralded in by the declaration of alliance with the Galactic Alliance; making a statement of intent like no other at the time, and just in time for the impending hostilities, the very clashes that would mark the true beginnings of the Third Imperial Civil War. Yet with Coruscant joining the fray on behalf of Tavlar's uprising, Nirauan could finally stand - with sabres drawn with confidence against their oppressors.

Standing back to back against what seemed to be the entire Galaxy, if need be, and in time (though most in the Galaxy were still blissfully unaware of these political happenings) all would eventually learn that fate, or rather, the Sith Empire would plan for that outcome exactly.

Shortly after the two-faction alliance was declared, and with immediate effect, the two-planet offensive would commence in two layers of patterned assault, choosing Mygeeto's crystalline surface as the first of both strike zones to attack. The Jedi would opt to hold out with Rurik Fel 's Imperial Knights and Rogue-Sith allies atop the mesas, all whilst Irveric Tavlar's contingent coordinated efforts to strike next at Muunilinst, providing the next offensive salient whilst attentions were still fixed on Mygeeto's Force-Wielding occupiers.

Hitting the Sith with the strategic equivalent to a cutting left jab from Lord Executor Fel, followed up with Imperator Tavlar's loaded overhand right, connecting with the wide Sith-Imperial frontier in a strike that would cripple the Sith-Imperial response, and long before any help could deploy for Mygeeto's sake. This would mark the beginnings of a memorable, iconic moment in history, a joint-operations endeavour that was destined to succeed from the beginning, hard-fought though the impending hostilities were already expected to be for the famed 501st Legion amidst the skyrises of Harnaidan City.

But fortunately, fate would smile once more on the Defiant, granting both Irveric and Rurik their resounding victories, and though they would fight doggedly for every step forward, the Troopers' and Imperial Knights' comm-transcripts would later confirm their lines had yielded no ground across both battlefronts. A resounding one-two combination victory, and for the constantly-beset New-Imperials, this was all the momentum they needed to proceed with the next step of the plan.

Though time and resources would be needed to rebuild and repair their newly-acquired gains, having survived in settings that were under fire from the Sith Emperor's saturation-bombardments before the end, it would take more than enough time and resources to return these frontier planets to full functionality. Not enough time to see safe, completed construction before departure, though enough was done before departure that all the right facilities were readied to aid Tavlar's mobilisation for Bastion.

The beating heart, the capital planet of their former overlords.

Not that the New Imperial Order would be given any rest in their first prevailing glories, however, as the Zambrano dynasty would not let these defeats go unanswered, allocating sufficient forces to stage an assault on newly-gained Borosk, an assault the Imperials would lose in their close-fought struggle to hold off the Sith-Imperial advance. Marking a brief, stuttering turn of luck that would end in the fires of Tavlar's answering assault on Dubrillion, the true staging post for that one eagerly-awaited siege on the Sith-Imperial capital.

Regardless of strategic reshuffles and reroutings of manpower, regardless of the sudden switch in springboarding start-points - all around the Imperator had known the true, ultimate goal was always Ravelin.

Coveting that which was once impossible to covet.
Seeking to bring light where the dark once thrived.

STRONGER THAN HURRICANES

CLASHING LIKE THUNDER ACROSS EVERY BATTLEFRONT
THIS DEATHLY STORM WAS TORRENTIAL

THE DARKNESS FALLS

FINALE: THE GREATEST OF GAMBLES​

With Ravelin's darkened backdrop in sight, along with the ambition to make it the capital of true Imperium in the wake of it's liberation, every Defiant soul was looking to the planet at the far-end of the Braxant Run.

​

The ambition of fledgling Imperials was always something of a collective wonder for outsiders to behold, but in that supposedly-unified goal to overthrow the Sith Empire, other plans had been hatched in private; and in an effort to avoid the mistakes of rebellious predecessors, considerations of similar prejudicial concerns would be whsipered away from prying eyes and ears alike. A harsh eventuality of which many had foreseen in silence among safer confidants, but even in the beginning, the New-Imperials were well aware of the complications that could await with their Renegade Sith allies considered.

As even then, the Dark Lords among them had always known, and had always seen the increasing incompatibilities between them; and with all Renegade Sith adherents fully-comprehending the fact their days were numbered, (already in great danger by then) there would be no illusions of clemency from COMPNOR going forward. Compounded further by the fact there were more than enough renegades among them knowingly responsible for stirring up anti-Imperial unrest, conspiring behind closed doors of their own at the time, as any endangered dissident would.

The Imperator knew this complication could only imply the worst of all outcomes, and with the results of further investigations confirming the severity of Tavlar's predicament - it would become quite obvious that such a slight would not go unpunished.

All things would eventually land at the feet of the Renegade Sith eventually, but with ample in the way of historical precedence for historic retribution, it made little difference whether the Sith were aligned with Tavlar's realm or not, as in the end it was all just another of the dark powers the Defiant had suffered for too long. Simply a case of,"Better safe than sorry.", by then, and there was no way the Will of Defiance would endure without the plan's implementation, a truth as inescapable as death itself.

Thus the aptly dubbed,"Operation: Kyber Dark", would commence when the time was ripe. But first, immediate threats would need to take precedence - Bastion would need to take precedence.

Like it was for the Imperial assaults on Muunilinst and Mygeeto, the attack on the Sith-Imperial capital would commence every part as swiftly, as there was no particular reason to doubt the strength of a unified attack of Jedi, Imperials and renegade-Zambrano foroces, not for all they were able to achieve together before. Time enough had been afforded in preparation for the greatest prize of all, the only thing left to endeavour by then was the endeavour itself, and so the two-faction alliance deployed without complaint.

Advancing through madness from the moment the Imperial dropships opened their off-ramps to the world around them, the fiercest battle of the Civil War so far would be thrashed out to the finish that day. Yet for all the Sith Empire had arrayed in place before the New Imperial Order specifically, it wouldn't be enough to keep Irveric's finest from taking the city, already building the otherworldly cohesion of a conquering army by then, gaining experience for every fight they survived along the way.

Made painfully apparent to any and all sallying, counteroffensive contingents within the latter stages of the initial conquest, as there were no attackers on the ground who were willing to drop their guard that day, not even for a moment. Almost as if there were other reasons to remain vigilant, besides those pertaining to Ravelin's Sith-Imperial defenders, not that such realisations would matter for their ilk in the end, for even those who survived would escape to dismiss it as examples of extreme dynastic prejudice.

IMPAF Special Forces storming Ravelin's Fortress Carnifex,
The First Battle of Bastion (862 ABY)​

Fortunately for those implementing New-Imperial plans, however, time would snatch away the Sith-Imperials' last chances to delve deeper, blinding their opposition to the true mission before the true bloodshed could be given the green light. Not that the planet's defenders would be around to see what was transpiring behind the scenes, as the Sith-Imperials would be far from Bastion's orbital sphere by then, already parsecs away by the time internal tensions boiled over amongst their adversaries.

Yet this unwritten, unspoken statement of intent would scream louder than any ear-splitting, bellowing roar, reaching all the Sith-Imperials who were still spoiling to set out against Tavlar's forces:

"You know the loathing we feel toward you, but you should consider yourselves fortunate not to have seen what happens here next - what we do with traitors."​

Holding the realm's new expeditionary Headquarters as Ravelin awakened once more, and under a swarming crescendo of mass-violence, the Iron conqueror would rename the palace from Fortress Carnifex to Fortress Imperator overnight, overseeing immediate protocols from within the walls with Ravelin still burning under continued violence. As much as there was to be done during the security operation, Imperial high-command would have plenty other immediate matters that required their attention, though it was clear to all that a moment's relaxation would lead to errors the New Order could ill-afford.

Imperator Tavlar had perfected his Magnum Opus, and despite knowing it would be years before the conclusion of the Third Imperial Civil War, there was still a certain comfort, a certain confidence with which Tavlar could solidify and cement the very foundations of the realm he was working to build. As even then, looking farther would mean seeing threats more-immediate on the way, comprehending what was foreseen in returning to normative focus, as even Tavlar's Force-Dead ilk could predict that their newfound gains would be challenged.

And soon at that.

Given every reason to renovate and rebuild in anticipation, the Iron Imperator would strengthen the walls of the new frontier fortress whilst Ravelin was scoured for every idled terrorist cell, every resistance group and every last Dark Side cult who conspired against the planet's new rulers. Remembering well the bombardment preferences of the Sith Empire's loyal generals, and with it, understanding their increasingly-frantic need to reconquer lost ground, thus celebration could only play second-fiddle to the importance of consolidating power and resources alike.

The Zambrano dynasty would return for the jewel of their realm.
But readiness was already becoming a second language to the Iron Conqueror.

​

 

[DECEASED Erskine Barran]

THE WAR CONTINUED IT'S ADVANCE THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF IT'S SECOND PHASE
HEEDLESS OF ALL THE WARNINGS AGAINST FURTHER-ESCALATION

ACT TWO
-THE AGE OF RESILIENCE-
862-865 ABY

Spoiler

IMPORTANT EVENTS
Bastion Protocols | Light Calls, Iron Answers | High Patriotic Standards
Battle of Dantooine | Battle of Korriban | Second Battle of Bastion
Second Battle of Ziost | Battle of Serenno | Annihilation of Csilla

NO STEP BACK

PART 1: A CREEPING THREAT​

As life, as the Galaxy's many happenings have their ebbs and flows, so too would the Third Imperial Civil War. Waxing and waning like any given lunar cycle, marking the early-beginnings of the war's latter, closing segment.

Though none behind sentient eyes would ever truly know, for none could quite say which direction the war was headed by then. None would know by 863 ABY, or rather, none but Tavlar's sort could guess in the spirit of prudence, but even then, nothing was ever certain in such a polarizing conflict; this was why the next phase of plans would need to be drafted, knowing that other, opposing hands were being played to worsen New-Imperial odds of success.

What could be endured with allies before, and as hopeful and cooperative as their intentions might have been, not even allies could escape suspicion in these increasingly-uncertain times, cast into a fog of confusion of which it seemed none would ever truly recover. Relations, amiable though they might have appeared at the surface, were already beginning to strain with the Senate on Coruscant, making hard-fought inroads seem all the more tenuous in the steady approach to Tavlar's final victory against the Sith Empire.

Adhira Chandra , however, would calm tensions by drafting a peace treaty with the Imperator, bringing Yinchorr into the ever-expanding separatist fold, just in time for the Sith to play their next crafty hand. As it just so happened that the Zambrano Dynasty, in utilisation of diplomatic, declarative power, had been busy in the short reprieve between campaigns, gathering delegations from around the Galaxy for a political gathering between the heads of all it's most-prominent factions' leadership.

Many were knowingly embarking on a conference of cataclysmic implication, some less so, but the telling absence of the Galactic Alliance and the New Imperial Order would have been evidence enough of what the guests were to expect that night. Revealed as a declaration, drafted to counter the Bastion Protocols, with all willing cosignataires in attendance referring to the collective-alliance offer as,"The Elder Compact", a clear attempt to pit the entire Galaxy against the combined might of their New-Imperial and Coruscanti opposition.

Unwittingly strengthening their foes' resolve, and with it - cluelessly strengthening ties of fellowship between the Protocols' strongest proponents.

Imperator Irveric would keep himself busy with domestic policies all throughout the duration of these diplomatic, cosmopolitical games, drawing quickly to the understanding that the Sith-Imperials would be acting in kind, strengthening all frontiers still resting beyond the reaches of Tavlar's hard-fought gains at the time. After all, if enemy ranks were being bolstered against the New-Imperials, it would only serve for assured survival to bolster their own, a decision that would pay dividends in the not-too-distant future.

The Iron Imperator needed warriors of every sort, loyal to the cause.
They were needed to split this new Imperial culture from it's Sith origins.

That one final ingredient to forge the realm's true identity.

THE REALM HAD CALLED FOR THE FORMATION OF NEW LEGIONS
APPEALING TO ALL WHO STILL SUFFERED UNDER THE SITH-IMPERIAL YOLK

NO STEP BACK

PART 2: A VIOLENT STORM​

It was Irveric's homeworld, a planet that would one day become the jewel of a new realm, so none would be surprised that Dantooine lay firmly in the Imperator's sights. Resolving to make the Sith-Imperials bleed for it, thus their great preparations would be tested - win, lose or draw.

​

With ample forewarning sent to his people, the inhabitants of Tavlar's birthplanet would soon learn that these words were more than mere bluster. Taking the fight to the Zambrano dynasty despite the fact that Dantooine's overlords would be holding out with assistance from their Confederate allies, with works already undertaken to further-entrench and fortify against the Iron Imperator's latest offensive. Not to mention the hidden powerplays and wildcards of which the Sith Empire were always suspected of retaining, and even then - the Defiant knew to be wary in combat against their former overlords.

Yet there would be a contingent from the New Jedi Order to counter the presence of the Confederates, (spearheaded by Ryv Karis at the time) standing ready to accompany and assist the Imperial Armed Forces with little-to-no regard for the odds they faced, resolute in the endeavour of joining their assault on an otherwise well-defended bulwark of the Sith. Admirable, and especially so in consideration of the uncertanties which continued to plague the unlikely alliance, as the NJO were likely acting in ignorance of their Senate's dispositions at the time.

Proven in the joined effort to brave the difficulty of the assault itself, and even despite their evenly-matched arrays keeping both sides from overpowering the other, something (or rather, some-one) had to give ground eventually, and Dantooine's overlords would devise the trick required to snatch that dominance from beneath the feet of their opposition. Seemingly a punitive response to the slaughter of every possible anti-Tavlar conspirator on Bastion just months before, Irveric's enemies would utilise the long-reviled method of Human Shield tactics.

Against a backdrop of bombardments, firefights and absolute devastation, and caught in the crossfire were the Silver-Jedi humanitarians, local civilians and other assorted victims of circumstance - all pressganged into testing the resolve of the occupation armies on the ground that day.

Capitalising on the momentum, even incapacitating Grand-Vizier Tyrell Paxxus in their exploitation of the chaos, the Sith Empire would snatch victory from the mire of impasse, beating back the New-Imperial assault with the utmost prejudice, though only time could tell if it was with lasting finality or not. Yet despite the cruel hand their fates had dealt, this apparent overcommitment had opened the way to Korriban, giving hope to soldiers and citizens who were previously under the impression that their losses were suffered in vain.

A victorious so-called overreach that, otherwise, would have gutted any other advancing faction in same position of that of the New Order, that is, if it wasn't for the fact Ravelin (and the newly-dubbed,"Fortress Imperator") was held by stronger defenders than the Sith Empire ever could have foreseen. However, much unlike events on Dantooine before, the main bulk of the army would not be found on Bastion that day, not with a spearhead beholden to the continuation of Tavlar's ceaseless advance, thus those who remained would be tested in ways Ravelin could never foresee either.

​

With the great Rurik Fel and Noel Strasza , Ravelin would stand with proud, battle-ending prowess, supported by heavy-hitting contingents led by Willan Tal and FN-999 respectively, a grand showing of cutting-edge stormtroopers and Galidraani exiles to provide their much-needed layers of defence. All serving as a blessing in what could have been a dire, disastrous turn of luck for the Defiant, as the fighting in and of itself was likely to rival the most-destructive battles of the war by then, though fate would smile on the New Order's latest additions on that day of days.

In clear sight of the realm's Lord Executor, a man who would one day ascend to that very same throne they were coincidentally defending at the time.

​

Even after the sheer struggle to make it so far against the odds, even after the costly victories of the first two military campaigns, with the numbers advantage stacked against them to mount the pressure on Tavlar's soldiers even further, the famed grit of the New Imperial Order would serve to carry the day and force a Sith-Imperial rout all the same. Opening way to a third (and second offensive-) campaign, calling for the commencement of the Pentastar Campaign as a newfound necessity, but one of which the Defiant could never deny had been on their minds for some time already.

And the Imperator,
In his wisdom,

Would choose to instigate it's commencement with immediate effect.

LITTLE BY LITTLE
PLANET BY PLANET

THE SITH GRADUALLY GAVE GROUND TO THE DEFIANT

NO STEP BACK

PART 3: A BLOODIED GALAXY​

Drawing ever closer to the end of the Third Imperial Civil War, it's last leg was expected to be the most-destructive by far, a campaign so bloody, and so destructive that it granted vital experience to all the war's many beligerents.

Audacious as ever, the next great venture of the New Order would be attempted almost a week after the defensive victory on Bastion, with the 501st Legion and the Sons of Mandalore pushing beyond the Sith's border frontier to strike hard against the garrison on Helgard. Making up the spearhead (with support on the oblique left-flank from a fight-hungry Galidraani contingent) of an attack that amounted to a brutal, victorious slaughter in the end, drawing foes in with all the supposed-hubris expected of an outnumbered assault-force, only to mow the Sith-loyalists down in an effort to bait the Helgardians from concealment.

And yet, this came as no surprise whatsoever to the Iron Imperator, for the ones he chose to lead the incursion had surely proven their potential for tide-turning momentum before, and would do so again with the right motivation.

Feeling that hunger for more as much as Bastion's defenders had in these moments, sharing that rush in forward momentum like the first of the Defiant did a few years before them, and perhaps especially in the spirited struggle of the Galidraan Imperial State and the loyalist Mandalorians. Both standing as contingents who were known for sparing no expense on the mobilisation of their forces, leaving nothing but rubble and Sith-loyalist remains in their wake as they found their momentum on the frozen, snowy hellscape of their own making.

This vital recent experience would pay dividends in the mission to aid the 307th Legion's assault on Generis, leading many to ponder on how badly the Imperials would have suffered without it, as despite suffering a close-cut defeat at the hands of the planet's defenders, much and more had occurred in terms of necessity and good fortune in that short span of time. Something unexpected had happened, something grand besides the sudden reanimation of all the slain combatants that day, as something had transpired to the great grief and betterment of the Goidelic brigades serving with Tal's Tigers at the time.

The only man capable of keeping peace between rivalling tribes had been slain, taken down by weaponized androids, all of whom were serving a General who was already fast-becoming a great adversary to the Imperial Armed-Forces by then, but the mutual hatred would be turned to common-ground in a mark of revenge for the sake of their fallen friend. The Woad-Macushla would bridge their cultural divide with the Tuaths, and from that moment henceforth, Willan Tal's loyal Goidelic subordinates would shine in the attempt to defeat the Sith, or perish in the attempt.

Although the battle was lost on the very precipice of victory that day, swept out from under the feet of the Defiant, the exiles, the legions and growing Imperial-Knight collectives would still recover from the losses incurred - and just in time for the next offensive push of the Pentastar Campaign.

Reconsolidation, easy though it would be for the Second Battle of New Adasta, would not be so easy a second time, for all that was for their experience on Generis would be threefold for Ziost. This was not expected by any means, as the previous incursion to New Adasta (as much a struggle then as it was to be for the second round-) had been a notably-conventional clash for warfighting dominance, with the first half of the battle even going so far as to lull the New-Imperial host into a false sense of comforting conventionality.

The Sith-Imperials were trying their utmost to let the Defiant believe their opposition would remain beholden to previous, successful strategies, but when the next New-Imperial salient was finally gaining the upper-hand again, everything changed as if the tide had turned with changes in weather. None would know that this would set the stage for some of the most-epic clashes of the 9th Century ABY, and not only for all that would transpire on Ziost after the sudden shift, but also for every battle that followed after that day.

Stormtroopers of the 501st Legion engaging Sith-Loyalist Forces
The Second Battle of New Adasta (864 ABY)​

A newfound will, costly though it was, would carry the day, though as for whom this newfound resilience would carry, there could be no doubt. No victory had ever been this costly, and for the Zambrano Dynasty, nor had any of their most-recent defeats, thus granting newfound morale to the shaken forces of the Sith Empire, and in a time when they direly needed it. The Force-Storms, the supertanks and androids had been nightmares enough for the Defiant without it, but in the moment New Adasta's defenders unleashed their bombardment on friend and foe alike, their enemies would know that the war had escalated once again.

But even before all the dust and smoke could clear in time, comm-link receivers were already lighting up across the battlefield with damage and casualty-reports, bringing the bad news to a faction of Defiant souls in a way that no Sith-Loyalist could ever have predicted. Leading to a legendary second-wind for an offensive that was in dire need of it, as even in the near-victorious push leading up to that planet-shaking calamity, there was no way for the New-Imperials to know if they were ready to match and carry the war's next phase of escalation.

Not until that hunger for vengeance finally found them, and in this newfound Resilience, the great Lucien Dooku would find his hunger to fight for his homeworld along with it.

The joint-operations efforts of the New Imperial Order and the Galactic Alliance had finally prevailed on that ill-fated Hellscape, already looking to their next target by the time the smoke cleared. Though fortunately, eventual talks on the matter were expected to be arranged soon, and when the Imperator finally called the Grand Imperial Assembly to convene, all would know that the chance for vengeance would be taken quickly, and with barely a day passing between their victory and the consequent summons to the Hand of Thrawn.

The Pentastar Campaign was yet to be completed
Even with more than enough ground gained already

Thus the next planet would need to be decided - and fast.

FOR ALL THE SUFFERING
ALL THE DEATH THE DEFIANT HAD ENDURED TO MAKE IT SO FAR

THE BALANCE OF POWER HAD FINALLY SHIFTED

NO STEP BACK

PART 4: A WAR OF WILLS​

Costly though this civil war had been for both sides, it wouldn't be long before the Galaxy saw who held the advantage for it's closing stages - though none could say for certain what it would mean for the surviving factions therein.

With high-command in unanimous agreement, the next step would be to embark on a sortie headed straight for Serenno, mobilising all the same of the war's newest key players on the New-Imperial side, and sending the entirety of that coalition to assault and claim every last district in the Sith-held city of Carannia. All fully aware it would be yet-another of the civil war's toughest clashes, (though it seemed the Defiant were well-and-truly desensitized by then) the vengeful attackers set to their urban operations with vicious abandon, hoping to repay their former overlords for all of whom they had lost in the struggle.

From the offset, it would be made clear to the planet's defenders that there would be no quarter (nor ground-) given by Tavlar's armies that day, and certainly not Tal's brigades, flying the ancient Blood Banner of Galidraan to make a statement of their own. There would be more than just a Dooku making early claims to Sith-Imperial worlds after all, as it was then that Tal made his own homeward ambitions official, dutifully following the example of the Iron Imperator, all the while making a statement visible enough for all his former compatriots to see.

For all the intent, for all the bloodlust on display, the Sith would not relinquish the city without a fight, fixing to make a statement of their own in reply; and that is exactly what Zambrano's forces would endeavour, responding to the fiercest of assaults with a city-wide saturation bombing from above, almost-completely eradicating the pressuring momentum gained by the Defiant. But the New-Imperial host would not be dissuaded so easily, not with the 173rd Legion holding Castle Dooku at the time, holding ground remarkably well at the time.

Awaiting relief within as it's overbearing tower seemed to galvanise the Pentastar Campaign for a second-wind like no other.

Consequently using their renewed momentum to snatch another victory from the jaws of defeat, and to such a resounding, paradigm-shifting extreme that it carried heavy implications across the Galaxy like waves, rippling into a sea of smoky, blood-stained tumult. The Sith Empire would count it as a death-knell, an omen of civilisational collapse, a situation so dire it led to the sudden, unprompted end to direct Zambrano rule, seemingly willing to leave the realm in the hands of a newer, untested ruler for the first time ever.

Unprecedented, especially in Sith-Imperial chains of succession, but when Arctus Silmar chose a renewed counteroffensive as his first official decree, the Sith Empire's remaining vassals sighed collective relief that their realm was still in safe, powerful keeping. Making it,"Business as Usual", after a short lull, the most-brief of supposed deescalations, and when the moment to strike was finally upon them, the fading fire of the Sith would set it's sights on Muunilinst, seeking to reclaim planets lost to the New-Imperials specifically.

Imperials reorganizing in the streets of Carannia
The Battle of Serenno 864 ABY​

Completely unaware that the Defiant had sent fresh, well-rested assets to hold out and prevail in the Second Battle of Muunilinst, Silmar's forces would find themselves walking into a slaughter coordinated between IMPMAG and COMPFORCE; and with aid from a particularly-novel pairing of units within the Galidraan Imperial State, their trap could be laid with better chance of containment, assured by the confidence of contingents with much and more to prove at the time. This made all tactical concerns much easier to solve for the conventional element, thus the usual brand of warfighter was directed to fight for the rubble-strewn streets above the surface.

After all, there would be many to hold and retake before the day was done.

Left in the capable hands of Wildcat Brigade and the Dunwall Irregulars, there would be no quarter given in a defence as prejudiced as one might expect of forces with axes to grind, and none more than the New Order's frontline soldiering caste. Both DECEASED Aron Gowrie and Tyrell Lockhart had plans in mind for this deployment, and fortunately for all the heavy-hitters with specific targets in mind, none of these plans would hinder or endanger Tavlar's chain-of-command, nor the clandestine operators serving with Jaeger Harrsk for that matter.

By the time the last blaster-trails rang out through the night, the Sith-Loyalists on the ground would be clueless to their defeat, with the most-unfortunate of whom unaware until their capture days after the fact. The educated minds among the New-Imperials had known enough about Galactic history to understand what that meant, and even whilst afflicted by slow dissipations of adrenal rage, Tavlar's lifelong students of warfare could still see the mark of a realm's downfall, made manifest before their very eyes.

Those attacking Muunilinst at the time would finally know how it felt to lose a battle against the unwinnable, and what it meant to be abandoned by their own leaders - left behind to surrender or die fighting.

The Sith Empire would be assured of their demise before long
Sent packing

Just as they were from all their far-reaching frontiers

AS THE DWINDLING FLAMES OF ONE CONFLICT FLUTTERED
WANING ELSEWHERE IN THE GALAXY

ANOTHER WAS AWAKENING FROM THE BOWELS OF THE UNKNOWN REGIONS

NO STEP BACK

FINALE: A REALM VANQUISHED​

The power of the Sith Empire, diminished though it was by then, still bore threat enough to rival the Defiant in the field, locked in once again for every last second of survival they could assure. But the new, rising power wielded by this new, wild collective, unknown though it's denizens were at the time - were already becoming a Galactic-level threat.

Bursting out onto the scene like a shockwave, collectively screaming out with a primal fury of the likes the Galaxy had not known for eons, the wrath of the Unknown Regions would find it's first, marching steps of fury in the early months of 865 ABY. A first foray of the Second Great Hyperspace War, and all whilst the Third Imperial Civil War was still raging, a development of which the Galaxy could not ignore, giving the New-Imperials no other choice but to answer their allies' call for aid.

​

Csilla still rested within the Galactic Alliance's borders at the time, obligating Coruscant and Bastion (as a newly-established capital planet once more) to step forth and fight for the ancient homeworld of the Chiss. Contesting against a near-unprecedented threat, even in the midst of wars of their own concern, yet the combined efforts of both fledgling civilisations was insufficient for a force of such destructive magnitude, dooming the beautiful snow-planet to destruction. Marking the beginnings of a vicious cycle, already thriving - despite the most-heroic of defensive endeavours holding off the hordes to the very last second.

Yet even whilst Csilla was being scattered in all direction, the new threat was already eyeing up another planet, choosing the sacred surface of Ilum for conquest this time, occupation as opposed to annihilation outright. This the New-Imperials could not allow, though this time, the only ones needed would be the Lord-Executor's knight chapter, the Serennoan King's personal guard-legion, and the old Woad's tank brigade to complete the array.

Yet for all the prestige they fielded on the snowy ground that night, for all the progress made and ground taken, the Defiant would be made to suffer for their victory, with many among them gaining a fearful respect for these Mawsworn brutes before the end. Not knowing until the last push that they were contesting the Scar Hounds for control of the mountain, (with low-altitude air support from the Aethysian League) wartribes of whom the Defiant had encountered for the first time on Csilla, it was made apparent from the initial clash that the quality of their foes marked them apart from all others in the Galaxy at the time.

The Brotherhood of the Maw had planted their flag, but with the breathing-room gained in a first victory over the new threat, the New Order's war on their waning counterpart still awaited it's natural conclusion. After all, if this new wave of Imperium was expected to survive the flames of this new war, the old flame of former overlords would need to be snuffed out; for no realm could bloom with threats on both flanks, and in understanding of the Galaxy's history, Imperium had never once proven the exception to such universal constants.

Thus the Third Imperial Civil War continued, resuming at the first opportunity.

Tavlar's next stop would be Vjun, with the ancient site of Darth Vader's fortress chosen as ground-zero for the latest of New-Imperial conquests, a two-pronged attack of near-unprecedented extreme. The Defiant could smell blood on the water by then, and even whilst in the midst of the war's bloodiest fighting, Tavlar's stern-hearted warriors would set to their remorseless, visceral task of closing the vice-grip on their stubborn, desperate enemies.

The New-Imperials would ultimately prevail, though the conventional warfront nearly collapsed due to an early rout on the right flank, and even despite having to face off against an awakened evil of monstrous, apocalyptic design, (with both negated contingencies serving as testament to the ones who stood their ground) both pincers would collectively seize the advantage over Castle Bast. Marking a conquest that widened the frontier-cauldron to it's farthest extent, thus creating a front which would later be dubbed,"The Iron Ring".

An achievement of which made Erskine Barran's Blue-Heart Brigade particularly joyous at the time.

However, that one victory would render even the most-unaffected in an incapacitated state, whether by exhaustion or injury, yet the New-Imperials would regardlessly grumble in recovery, collectively calling for soldiers, brigaes, anyone who answered enough for the next deployment. Some would recover more quickly than others, not that this ever stopped the Defiant, and despite the losses incurred in the previous battles, those still standing ready were more eager than ever.

The next (and likely the last-) planet to close the iron ring would be Ziost after all, and any chance given to have the last showdown would be accepted with enthused, wide-eyed approval.

The Sith Empire still had elite contingents standing by, along with it's boastworthy array of living champions of their cause, thus many still remained to stand against the New Order, even with the Iron Ring closing around them. But the depleted New-Imperial forces were still, each and every last one of them, bellowing for a last chance to clash with the best the Sith-Imperials had to offer. Yet the Defiant knew it would be foolish to believe the cornered animal would cower, fully expecting this beast to fight ferociously in it's last moments, and fight - the cornered animal most certainly would.

Fortunately for the depleted warfighting element, however, another knife had been poised to strike at the exposed flanks of the Sith Empire; and in the most-uncanny of circumstances, that knife just so happened to be blessed by a higher power, an adversarial, countering antithesis to all-things Bogan and Sith. Having heard tell of this faithful element already, and as far back as back as the siege on Serenno at that, Tavlar's forces had already known the Ashlan Crusade to bear enmities against the Sith Empire, and had quickly decided that this distant uprising accorded in concert with their own.

But as things panned out amongst the ruins of New Adasta, the last, most-unpredictable attacks left no illusions that their foes had lost the will to fight doggedly in turn. After all, this was the last, daunting offensive against a fallen former overlord, the swansong of the era's greatest superpower.

New-Imperial Field Hospital Complex
The Third Battle of New Adasta (865 ABY)​

To the freshly-blooded, this would be like any other struggle they had encountered before the Third Battle of New Adasta, but for those who had been around for the hardest-fought struggles, this would certainly feel like the encore of a long and bloody saga. The end of an era, but with it, feelings of a new spark, the formative embers of another, and all the hearts of the Defiant would take strength from this, even if only in seeing their brethren galvanised at the last hurdle.

The fight itself had been a struggle like no other, as the New-Imperials wisely predicted, but with another force working to bring the Sith-Loyalists down, it would take great discipline to assume that victory was a foregone conclusion. But despite it all, that renewed momentum was enough to carry the day, defeating the Sith menace once and for all, and when all the clamour and screaming had finally dissipated, the New-Imperial/Ashlan assault forces would know the day was won.

The Sith Empire, for all they had endeavoured to stem the New-Imperial tide, had suffered their last, most-devastating defeat; and just as their forebears were, recent and ancient alike, the Sith Empire would be confined to the archives of Galactic history henceforth. Fighting well in the last, desperate defence of a treasured Holy World of the Sith, and despite knowing they endeavoured a losing effort, the Sith-Loyalists still proved their worth to their enemies.

The great, omnipotent realm that once dwarfed the combined size of all the domains in the Galaxy, with armies that fought harder than most of the Zambrano Dynasty's ancient predecessors, and all of whom would refuse to kneel before their enemies.

Thus ended the Third Imperial Civil War
The New Imperial Order's conquest of the Sith Empire was complete

But the Second Great Hyperspace War was only just beginning

​

 

[DECEASED Erskine Barran]

FROM THE HAND OF THRAWN TO CASTLE BAST
THE DEFIANT HAD MARCHED WITH HEADS HELD HIGH

BUT THE NEW ORDER WOULD REMAIN VIGILANT

ACT THREE
-THE FALSE REPRIEVE-
865-867 ABY

Spoiler

IMPORTANT EVENTS
The Last in Line | Revelry in Ravelin | Crucifixion
End of an Era | Foundations | Deathly Defiance
Death of Irveric Tavlar

REIGN OF IRON

PART 1: KICKING AT OLD DUST​

Not even in victory, not even the crowning of a new capital planet could keep the New-Imperials from moving forward - always forward.

Taking Mandalore, bare and sparse of life though she was, taking Concord Dawn with the Sons of Mandalore as their vanguard; going on to take Dantooine and Generis, worlds where defences were far more stubborn before, the Defiant had clearly been busy in their expansions before, during and after Tavlar's inaugural return to Bastion. All seemingly endeavoured swiftly in the background, occupying planet after planet, marching on in times of war and peace alike, a careful process that was already paying dividens for the fledgling Imperial realm by the time Ravelin's Victory Parade commenced.

Victorious Legions marching through the Streets of Ravelin
Bastion
Newly-Crowned Capital of the New Imperial Order (865 ABY)​

Breathing-room though it was, reprieve though it was proving to be, the victorious New Order were remembering why they were vigilant in the first place; for even in victory, the realm could see the Sith-Imperial Menace still persisted in remnant form, and none had forgotten that the Sith's true potency always lay in the hubristic calm of their enemies. Though fortunately for Tavlar's new realm, (and all it's most-fervent soldiers) that same nagging wariness had also been gnawing at the hearts of the Ashlan Crusade, gripped by the same mandate of prudent iconoclasm as ever.

And when the Crusaders called for aid in destroying Korriban, and with lasting finality at that, their Imperial allies answered with raucous, raving approval.

With the Jedi, Crusaders, Petrite forces and Imperials combined, this assault would be a brutally quick affair from the offset, but there was one element still in play at the time, far from disarrayed and dismayed like the local Sith Remnant trying to escape the planet at the time. As chaotic as they were in their first engagements against the Galaxy's civilisations, and in no way aligned-with or obligated-to the people of Korriban's three largest population-centers, this menace had other goals in mind, and the Mawsworn would make this clear from the moment they landed.

Perhaps even earlier was their intent made clear to the fallen Dark Side realm, as even in the wake of their arrival to Korriban, the Sith had known the Maw to be adversaries, nemeses, even. Rendered down to little more than charlatans by the time @Darth Solpsis destroyed Csilla, it stood to reason (even then) that any Sith-controlled planets faced with the combined threat of New-Imperials and Mawsworn was doomed to devastation, made all the more hopeless by the added presence of Ashlans, Petrites and Jedi on the planet's surface.

Of course, the Sith would receive destructive invitations, but as for what was expected of Korriban's once-powerful inhabitants, the planet's occupiers would make their statement with clarity - thus the violence would unfold with or without their attending presence.

Made all the more clear by the fact the Maw had sent one of it's most-fervent tribal collectives, beckoning all opposition to a dormant volcano that historians would later dub,"Mongrel Hill", assuring conflict on a planet the Sith still considered to be Holy at the time, regardless of the great chagrin the Remnants would need to stifle for the sake of survival. There would be no peace between adherents of the Dark Side, nor had there ever been, for all earlier offers of alliance had been spurned, brazenly refused by the new, rising Dark Lord of the Unknown Regions.

Fortunately for Korriban, however, in the bid to face off against civilised invaders, the Maw would delay and even hinder the Ashlan Crusade's attempt to destroy the planet outright, for all had fought bravely enough to sap every last energy reserve they retained in the battle's first phases. Even the Dathomiri sorceress, Tegan Starfall had thrown in extreme efforts to hold off The Mongrel 's attackers, summoning a potent Force Storm that rivalled the Sith's own on Ziost, kicking up enough sand that it cast the entire assault into confusion.

The red, craggy mountain's new namesake, as houndlike as the epithet would suggest, had played a masterful hand in defensive doctrine, and despite being driven up to the summit, (coincidentally where the Mongrel was duelling Lord-Colonel Gowrie throughout the course of the battle) such careful deliberation assured the survival of all who stood proudly against civilisation that day. Thus the three ancient cities, the sands on which it's occupiers fought tooth and nail, and even the world itself would remain for the foreseeable future, despite the fact both sides of the struggle fully intended to leave indellible marks upon the planet's surface.

However, the Mongrel had been adept enough as a commander (and as a warrior-) to leave his mark on his opposition at least - and twice over.

On the conventional warfront, none would deny it ended in a strategic victory for the Mawsworn, though as for the outcome at the summit, no clear winner could be defined between champions. For both the cybernetic Warlord and his Tuathan counterpart were incapacitated by the end, and by time their subordinates pulled them to safety, the duellists were nowhere near responsive enough to qualify as conscious. A showdown like no other, but in realisation of the omnipresence of habit and pride alike, there could be no doubt that this would not be the last.

Even in the midst of deep, shock-induced stupors, both swordsmen were still holding their blades in vice-like grips, a clear sign of the way this new war was headed, but all the beligerents from that clash would have other fish to fry when they departed. Leaving the Ashlan Crusade enough in the tank to hunt for old entities of the Dark Side, all the while claiming old Sith worlds for Ashlan reconsecration, with similar plans on the table for New-Imperial expansions in turn.

However, the Maw, using their renewed momentum, would continue expanding towards the borders of the Eternal Empire, the Galactic Alliance and deeper in the other direction - deeper into the Unknown Regions.

It would not be long before the Hordes descended upon the New Order
Stretching closer to the Hand of Thrawn with every passing day.

FOR EVERY PARSEC THAT FELL UNDER NEW-IMPERIAL CONTROL
A SLEW OF NEW CITIZENS WOULD BE RALLIED TO THE CAUSE

BUT THE THREAT OF PERPETUAL WAR PERSISTED

REIGN OF IRON

FINALE: THE UNSETTLED DEBRIS​

The realm was still expanding, but by the turn of the year, already stretching toward the Unknown Regions. An eventuality it was, this, none would contest - a threat of which the Defiant knew they would turn to face soon enough.

​

Amid decrees of Neo-Csillan initiatives, the Brotherhood of the Maw were already proving to be a harrying, raiding hindrance to expansion efforts, but the New-Imperial host marched on, setting to much more than issues of Chiss-born concern in the process. Thus the minds of Irveric's best were already returning to former, warier momentum, made all the more necessary by the persistent presence of the Scar Hounds, even being there to resist expansions to Artorias and Shusugaunt alike.

But by the time the New-Imperials had liberated Gravlex Med, there would be no breathing-room to celebrate in the streets of Ozlyn Gox that night, a development that was owed only to the fact the Imperator had recalled all the realm's heroes from the Imperial frontier. Whether it was to attend parade-ground duty or to attend the Grand Imperial Assembly conference, it mattered little to the quickening tides of fate - the rising threat of total war could no longer be taken in stride.

But something else was happening, and publicly enough that every living soul in the Galaxy would bear witness - transfixed as the newly-turned Dark Lord dictated his statement of intent.

Made dauntingly tense by a sudden defection from the realm's growing cadre of Moffs, (a collective upon whom the New-Imperials relied for medical aid before) discussions on the next Imperial campaign were already expected to be weighted, heavy-laden with deathly pledges and protestations alike. Carlac's once-illustrious Miralukan leader, known to his former comrades as Lord Halketh , had snatched up a slice of Imperium for the Mawsworn, and the Defiant were expected to answer the threat swiftly.

Taking on the title of Darth Caelitus, in honour of the Renegade-Sith Lords slain by the order of Operation: Kyber Dark, the Miraluka would please the vengeful spirit of Darth Avernus in particular; and this presented more than a few problems for Imperial High-Command, let alone leaders of the realm's many Moffdoms, as every aspect of this rebellion had makings of irreversible chaos. The sort that could no longer be ignored, as this sudden uprising bore similarly-difficult hallmarks for the Sith they had only just recently defeated, telling signs that would never be lost on the likes of the New Imperial Order.

Many assumed the Dark Lord himself woulf make another play whilst the traction was there to utilise, though as for what the realm would incur, many would hazard their guesses. "Expansion", being one, and,"A call for reinforcements from the Unknown Regions", being another, though few and far-between would count themselves accurate in guessing what was likely to occur next; but deep down, within the heart of hearts, all the Defiant knew what the next play would be.

Caelitus wished to be bolder, and infinitely-more brazen with his newfound momentum, as any uprising would with Casus Belli against their overlords - the Sovereign Imperator was the intended target.

Dark was the hour when proceedings began within the walls of Fortress Imperator, with the mood even darker within the debating chambers, but when the fated assassination was endeavoured, only then did the gathering darkness truly set in. Shades of the night sky, already drawing in by the time three cloaked figures stepped in to interrupt the Grand Assembly conference, but when they finally passed on their pointed, ominous message, the blast that followed seemed to light up the entire fortress in blinding contrast.

COMPNOR had the entire fortress well-protected, and along with it, offered the highest grade of surveillance in every hallway, with all their best agents embedded surreptitiously among the gathering crowds beyond the gatehouse. Yet despite their best, hi-tech implementations, none could foresee the depth of infiltration that Caelitus' zombified killers were wielding against the Imperial clandestine element. The only thing such coverage would be able to pick up from the feeds, and in the last moments before detonation, were the words spoken in the wake of the unexpected arrival.

"The Dark Lord sends his regards."
"GET DOOOWN-"

Blanketed in light from three separate directions, the undead messengers exploded in the same unison with which they spoke before, scattering tiles, splinters, and rock-debris in all directions with a viciously catalysed shockwave. Gaslines were ignited by the blast, causing a horrific (though well-contained) domino effect that was cut short in the neighbouring heating-mains breakers, but for all the advancement in working-safety standards, it wasn't enough to contain the mayhem unleashed by the undead bombing as it unfolded.

A harsh toll would be taken on the realm, but none would be able to know until the smoke had cleared, though it would quickly become obvious as to who had perished in the blast; and even when visibity was only half-operable, the horror would begin to set in, made hysterical when the survivors saw Julian Qar 's medics trying in vain to revive their leader. The human heart was never designed to withstand such an inundation of survival demands, and without enough blood to replace all the blood the Imperator was losing, all hope of keeping him alive would vanish.

Drying out to dust, like all the cinders and ashes scattered around them.

Irveric Tavlar, Sovereign Imperator of the New Imperial Order, had passed; dying as he lived, with straight, upright posture, and forward momentum on which the Defiant relied. A leader to the very last moment, one who perished without fear. Not for Sith, Jedi, Mawsworn nor for any power in the Galaxy, and it was with that fearless nature that the Iron Imperator conquered the unassailable, achieving everything he ever dreamed of endeavouring and more.

However, not even at their lowest point would the Imperials be permitted time enough for grief, made hypervigilant by the sudden revelation that the denizens of Caelitus were not alone within the walls, and this time they were far too numerous for COMPNOR to miss. Thus Lord Letifer 's second wave would meet with a fittingly-vicious counter, even prompting the first (and early-) deployment of Michael Barran 's paramilitary contingents in an effort to break the siege.

The Dark Side would be chased out
Once more retreating from Fortress Imperator

But the damage was already done