Faction The Darkest Hour | Eternal Empire & Friends

[STRATCOM]

At this time of the galactic year, countless planets are hosting events related to horror, horror, death and even entertainment. The Eternal Empire is no exception, and they too hold celebrations to commemorate the heroic deaths of soldiers, soldiers and citizens of the Empire. It is perhaps one of the few days when military rigour and customs are somewhat relaxed in the Empire. On this day, children dress up in costumes and collect sweets, and adults often hold balls, where you can also wear a costume or mask.

As every year, the Eternal Empire is holding a major ball in the capital city of Kalidan, and there it is held in the beautiful and huge Opera House. Although the Empire lives by strict military standards, culture is not neglected. And this year, not only citizens of the Empire were invited to the event, but also people who have good relations with the Empire. These include members of the Ashlan Remnant, members of the Imperial Military Protectorate and even various companies.

A month or so earlier, a major earthquake struck an uninhabited area in the southern hemisphere, and the earthquake uncovered an ancient ruin in the area. Scientists were quite excited, as they had never seen such architecture before. Nevertheless, they were given permission to search the building and the surrounding area, which was half underground and half under the ice. The researchers had been there for weeks and at the same time as the ball, the researchers and the soldiers guarding them reported seeing movement around the ruins and then lost contact.

On one of the longest, and therefore darkest, nights on the planet, some people are having fun in the bright opera house, while others are fighting for their lives in the darkest and most brainless neighbourhood...

Objectives​

(Those who prefer social activity)​

There is a grand ball at the opera house, which any member of the Eternal Empire can attend, as can members of the invited allied factions. Costume is not compulsory for the ball, but the wearing of masks is; this is partly to allow the nobility, outsiders and citizens of the Empire to mingle easily. There is music, dancing, unlimited food and drink. An event like this is perfect for people to make new acquaintances or even new business deals.

(Those who want to fight against demons and undead)​

In the southern hemisphere, in the tundra and in the middle of nowhere, the previous earthquake brought a huge city of ruins out of the ground. Research teams have been investigating here ever since, but now they have had one last report of movement among the ruins. After that, shots from the Ultranauts could be heard on the air, then the transmission was interrupted and they could not be contacted again. Satellites were pointed in this area, which also detected the movement of a large mass from the surface... but no sign of life. The task is to find out what might be here in the ruins and prevent it from reaching populated areas.

(Anyone)​

Bring Your Own Objective; if you don't like either option, feel free to tell your own narrative.

 

[Edward Ashcard]

Objective: The Darkness
Location: Southern Hemisphere — Camp by the Ruins
Equipment:

• 1x Dragon 1R SMG
• 1x Lucius-pattern Bayonet
• 1x MM-40 thermal charge
• 4x C-22 fragmentation grenade
• 2x Class-A thermal detonator
• 1x Imperial "Hellhound" Combat Armour Mk. I
• 1x Comlink

Tag:

Edward checked over his gear while he observed the ruins from the apparent safety of the base camp. He made sure to check each of the magazines for his Dragon 1R since others were unlikely to have spare rounds, assuming anyone else even had a slugthrower in the camp. While Edward was still concerned about the outcome of his last mission, he was happy to be back in Eternal Empire colours alongside others.

Edward stood up from the small rock he had been sitting on and lifted the bag containing the MM-40 thermal charge onto his back. Perhaps others would have been nervous about carrying around a bunker buster, but he was used to it and knew it was better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Finding the missing Ultranauts would have been ideal, but his mission was clear. If something in the ruins was a threat to the Eternal Empire, either physically or ideologically, he was to obliterate it.

Edward looked over the rest of his explosives. A number of thermal detonators and grenades, potent enough to handle nearly any target. Apart from bothersome Jedi or Sith of course. He did not have all the equipment he desired, but until other matters were resolved he would have to do with fairly standard equipment, although he found no reason to complain about the hellhound armour he was wearing.

Edward looked around the camp. "Who will be in charge of this operation?" Edward asked firmly.

 

[Siyarr Ahan-Mitharran]

1st Post

-A PRELUDE TO THE TALES OF MASKS-

DREAMER_ONE
HIGH-MARSHAL OF THE FIREDANCE BRIGADES
CO-CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE CENTRAL COURT AUTHORITY
INDEPENDENT GA SENATOR OF ARCHAIS

Tags: Ingrid L'lerim

NEW DANCES, NEW ERAS II: CALM BEFORE THE STORM - PART 1

OPERA HOUSE, WULFNGARD,
KALIDAN, UNKNOWN REGIONS (903 ABY)

'Senator, what say you to the claims in Corellian media circles that you're an unelected-'
'-Shut up, dude you're wasting his time!'
'Senator, where do you stand on the issue of frontier militarization?!'
'SENATOR, HOW MUCH ARE YOU DONATING TO THE VETERAN'S CHARITY?!?!'
​

Stepping out from within his armoured transport-speeder, the Dreamer would reveal his presence to the public sphere on Kalidan, and despite having a well-armed bodyguard detail, Siyarr would embrace the lights of the opera house with style. Whilst fully aware that the Galactic press had been following his leisurely, uncontested journey to Kalidan, there would be nothing about Mitharranson that would adhere to urgency on arrival, and certainly not in his usual, inexplicably-stylish choice of attire, ever-ready to embrace the camera-flashes behind circular, red-tinted lenses.

'Now that last one is a winner, I'll answer Mr. Foghorn in the back, so shove forward enough that i can see you!'

Chuckling at the prospect of surprising the entire Galactic media-collective, the Dreamer would smile in the loudmouth's direction whilst his entourage began to file out onto the street behind him, concluding,'There you are, and just as baldheaded as I imagined, surprise-surprise.... But anyway, my answer is this: I intend to spend enough that your retired, less-than-fortunate veterans will never want for anything! The brave fight enough after all, they needn't have to fight for survival after discharge. Their retirement years should resemble the peace they seek.', only to turn away as quickly as he had toward the journalists who recognised him.

'Come, my dear friends.... Its time we made joyous of the melancholic - to breathe life into this party.'

'Senator-'​

Amidst the hail of snapshots and questions left unanswered, the Dreamseer coven's highest-ranked Shamans followed as Arr'Huwal's Dreamer himself led the way to the entrance, soaking in all the grandiosity as the staffers within opened the entrance for their sake. Willing to ignore rumblings of full-scale separatism from the Galaxy's superpowers, as his mere presence on foreign soil in social capacity was often seen as a contradiction to Corellia's worries, (though Kalidan's leadership had a similarly-acute distate to the hand that held sway over all the planets around Archais) and the anti-Dark sentiments of the occasion certainly would likely further-acquit Siyarr of Corellia's creeping suspicions.

NEW DANCES, NEW ERAS II: CALM BEFORE THE STORM - PART 2

APPROACHING GROUND ZERO, SOUTHERN TUNDRA,
KALIDAN, UNKNOWN REGIONS (903 ABY)

Tags: Edward Ashcard

VANDRIM AHAN-MARDIM - I

'Who will be in charge of this operation?'
​

Pacing out from the throng of idled soldiers, shamans and investigators, a white-haired youth waved a silent greeting that identified his place at the head of the search, clearly suspecting this matter to be a case of grander, more-dangerous extreme, though Vandrim's ways perpetually diminished his commitment to the planning particulars. There was no way for the lad to know exactly what was known by his allies in turn, as such instincts of specificity would take time to find a lad who spent the lion's share of his time in the wilderness on Archais, but whenever push would come to shove, Surr'Huwal had faith his corporeal Ferryman's instincts could find their cadence.

As they always had before, as they always had for his predecessor.

'That - uh.... Yeah, that would be me.', the young Deathseer replied sheepishly, finally understanding that the Eternals on duty expected a Novanian of higher standing, ascendant though Vandrim's purpose and title were. However, problematic though this revelation would have been for others in Mardimson's shoes, the Ferryman would shrug it off in search of cohesion through rapport-building instead, approaching one sounded human beneath his armour as he continued,'The name's Vandrim, by the way.', with tattooed palm outstretched in a kindly offer to shake hands. An awkward thing, but hiding within the untamed, unrelenting intensity of the Shaman's gaze hid a sincerity that few in the Galaxy could express so vividly, a trait of which many a peer in mysticism would cover with sunglasses instead.

'When we investigate, I'll be the one searching for all-things,"Out of the Ordinary". So as far as everything else is concerned, I'm personally averse to intruding on your chain of command - so I'll follow on your instinct for this endeavour.'

​

There was no way to know exactly what the allied elements would be facing when they reached Ground Zero, but in the understanding that anything was likely to happen in the Unknown Regions, all the gathered search-parties knew that prudence would serve them best on frozen Southern Tundra. Even whilst standing on comfortable footing, within the boundaries of the Eternal Empire's borders, anything and everything had a chance of reawakening beneath the surface of stern, well-garrisoned planets, a nagging likelihood of which all the allied elements would need to consider as the approaching-search continued. Yet not all was so hopeless with a Shaman's esoteric-warfare specialists on duty that night, and with the Deathseer himself attuned enough to uncover the strangest findings, perhaps the would be a chance that Vandrim could operate as the Eternals' canary in the rubble.

Not even Mardimson knew if this was possible or not, though his humble Deathgod knew differently, choosing not to interrupt authentic self-discovery; however, better though it would be for Vandrim in the long-run, this would present plenty risks in this celestial gamble. But for all that was likely to improve everyone's life-expectancies in the wake of the young Shaman's success, the Ferryman still had access to an admirably-extensive array of attacks without it, assuring the safety of more than a few Eternals along the way, and all without his conventional loadout considered. The Shaman was there as the Senator's reluctant warchief after all, being put through a process of militarisation like that which all his mentors embraced in life, but there was something telling Vandrim that something more would be needed here, even sensing this as far away as the operation's LZ.

 

[Edward Ashcard]

Objective: The Darkness
Location: Southern Hemisphere — Camp by the Ruins
Equipment:

• 1x Dragon 1R SMG
• 1x Lucius-pattern Bayonet
• 1x MM-40 thermal charge
• 4x C-22 fragmentation grenade
• 2x Class-A thermal detonator
• 1x Imperial "Hellhound" Combat Armour Mk. I
• 1x Comlink

Tag: Siyarr Ahan-Mitharran

Edward firmly shook Vandrim's hand, but under his helmet his eyes were full of apprehension caused by both the Shaman's intense gaze and his very presence. "Edward Ashcard, Blackwatch," he stated, his voice not betraying his unease. The Shaman's presence while useful did not bode well for the mission. After reading his orders, he had come to the conclusion that the unalive mass was an old droid army, rusted and decayed but with just enough power to gun down soldiers who had lowered their guard, but after meeting Vandrim that seemed unlikely.

"Nobody will get in your way when it comes to searching. I will be the first one to admit that my knowledge only extends to the ordinary." Edward did not lie, and he saw no reason to do so. Did he see himself as a skilled and talented operative? Yes, but when it came to anything a Shaman would be interested in, he knew as much as a factory manager knows about Galactic high politics.

Deciding to make use of the momentum and the limited response to his question, Edward climbed on top of an empty durasteel ammo crate, the Blackwatch symbol proudly etched into different places on his armour, and motioned the camp to stop and listen. His limited authority could be challenged after would, but it was clear that if they did not move soon, that apathy would set in.

"The briefing begins now. As you are all aware, our mission is to investigate these unknown ruins, find the threat responsible and destroy it. We must of course rescue the research teams and their guard detail if it is possible, however, never lose sight of our main goal of securing this site. Due to the ongoing grand ball, these disappearances have come at a poor time and pose a threat not only to our territorial integrity but to the minds of the people of this world. We can not let this threat manifest, and that is why the Blackwatch are the only choice for who should lead our planning."

Edward briefly paused to let those in front of him think on his words. "The threat we face is unknown, but Vandrim is an expert in the type of investigation we will require. I trust him and so shall you. There will be three teams. Team Veritas which will contain myself, Vandrim, my fellow Blackwatch and a select group of Ultranauts. Team Sal which will be made up of the most defensive of us. Finally, team Manerium will be made up of the… least experienced of us.
Vertias will lead the investigation into the ruins. Sal will maintain a defensive perimeter around the ruins. You are to be no closer than 200 meters to the ruins at any point in your positions. Team Manerium will guard this camp and maintain the equipment. I trust the present officers of the Ultranaut Corps to send you all into the correct teams. Finally present allies and contractors, you are free to organise as you see fit as long you remain within the spirit and goal of the mission. Briefing over, you are dismissed!"