The False King's Fall

[The Red of Sinner]

​

​

Eclipstica​

Location: Aboard Salvor Arnex's Ship​

Objective: Make Contact with Shadow Dynasty Resistance​

​

​

The red rings made up various gases, and rocks that circled the capital had finally came into view after leaving the stretched light that was hyperspace. It had been at least a week since they left Hoth and the Bogan academy there. Romeo was almost certain he was with a man who had changed so greatly he would have to relearn everything about him, had it not been for their head butting, Romeo would have not believed he was Salvor.
There were many Shadow, and Ionizer Corvettes blockading Eclipstica, while BlackFire fighters swarmed the void around it. This was not going to be an easy matter. Fires on the planet could be seen from this far, which caused a grimacing Romeo to close his eyes in shame, and pinch the bridge of his nose.

You left them Romeo, you failed your lineage arleady. Will you do it again?

The voice of a female culled inside the skull of the Vahla, the goddes the Ember called Vahl was always watching him. The Dark Jedi sometimes wished he had never been born of the blood line of hers. Either side of his belt were two lightsabers. One red, the other an ash grey. He kept his eyes closed, focusing on the force, drawing on it for an answer, searching out for the one who maybe waiting for when he may ever arrive. Searching for a hope that the Shadow King would come back to liberate his people, and protect them. Romeo would touch that soul, that hope, and spark a fire in it. He would give it the strength needed to resist the False King, whomever he maybe.

"We can easily pass these ships Salvor. Their minds are weak, they are filled with fear...but I can not feel what is waiting for us on the surface. This False King...I believe he may be strong with the darkide like you and I."

Romeo finally spoke lowly, almost whispering to the Zabrak. He got this way the closer he got to the force as if he was scared he would scare away the feeling of being one with the shadows with a loud noise.

[member="Salvor Arnex"]
[member="Kira Fenn"]
[member="Akabane Jarvik"]
[member="Jynx"]
@Dues Gor Bel
[member="Jyfo"]
[member="Garivald"]
[member="Malik"]
[member="Ghorua the Fish"]
[member="Leva"]
[member="David Abarth"]
[member="stardust"]
[member="Adan Jax"]
[member="Aedan Miles"]
[member="Mira Starwind"] (or you're alt)

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

Stradist had been far across the galaxy since @romoe son's leave....she had seen many things and had become far stringer then her old self...she had made friend and Allies as well as become a master within the force

However through the force she felt...a disturbance...something was odd...a calling one might say

Getting into her fighter she flew off to where a word of a world kept popping into her head

Eclipstica

Stardust exited hyperspace and saw the planet...we're those fires on the planet?.....she wouldn't know

However she saw [member="Salvor Arnex"]'s ship and attempted to make contact"this is stardust of the thunder star salvor should know me...I request permission to land"she said and cut her engines so she drifted slowly

 

[Deus Gor Bel]

[member="Xavka Duquo"]

"Be empowered."

Deus Gor Bel stood before the collection of officers, stationed and ready aboard the bridge of the Insurgent - a SIP/MVII-0018 Assailant-class Star Destroyer; he poised himself upon the brow, hands drawn taught behind the small of his back, and his chin held high while the crew gathered en masse to listen to his speech. The fleet had gathered, production had ceased; armaments had shipped and were installed across the large assembled collection of starships - the final product, the fruit of Deus' labors assembled before him, with only a short hyperspace jump to Eclipstica remaining as the sole obstacle to the realization of their might. There he stood before his officers, holograms of his captains shimmering across the breadth of the data pits as all those stationed aboard stood firm at attention. Behind him stood his handpicked men, leaders of the various corps that composed the ships' manpower: Captain Lauff (his cousin, perchance chosen due to his connections), Overseer Hau'xu, Communications Officer Occion, Wing Commander Golgo, and so forth. They stood with equal stalwart grace, stiff and official, for the purpose of demonstrating the pride and prowess of the hastily assembled military might; and beyond them there it shone, in the bright illumination of the system's distant sun: the First Fleet, as so christened by Admiral Deus himself. Two Hanzai-class Heavy Cruisers, the Pallidfiest and the Bothowui Catacomb, locked in sillhouettes, shifted softly in the background, lost within a cloud of swarming starfighters and shuttles that sunk into their hangars, preparing for the oncoming jump; their forms heralds of the battle to come, a sight which filled the crew with incredible determination and anticipation.

"Be empowered," Deus repeated, the voice filtered through the mask as a brief echo; his forehead drenched in sweat, not from fear, but the heat of the bodies that radiated across the control center. He stood upon a platform, overseeing his men, lost in a horde before him, but such things did little to shake his pride; rather, it boosted his moral. Mercenaries, they came to him; they sought to indulge in their greed, but through the righteous purity of Deus' piety born in regards to his - no, their mission, they had been reborn to the promise of their Queen, and the might of their Dynasty. "Be swallowed by the feelings that hold sway; neigh, not swallowed but drowned, devoured by the raging tide of pride's ocean! Look beyond me, beyond the womb of our command - our fleet, heralded by the two titans of war, will rain the tears of war; blasterfire, which will demolish the blockade - the wretched obstacle that serves as an unholy shell to our blessed yolk: our fertile, unformed empire!" He rose his fist above his head, clenched tight, in a heavy salute - a movement his officers mimicked, following suit. "Pray, you see the dawn of our empire; we are not driven by greed nor heretical want - we are born of loyalty and pride, united in spirit beneath the banner of our Dynasty!" There was a symphony of a stomp, a single, unified motion of feet slamming down to the metal, durasteel floor in collective agreement, before a wave of raising fists surged to the surface of the crowd. "Hail!" cried Deus; "Hail to the Queen!" cried his men.

The men dispersed, venturing to their battle stations talkative and prepared for what lay ahead; some would not survive beyond the brink of war that lay ahead, and many would never be the same, so many relished the opportunity to clasp their brothers and sisters on the shoulders, to speak their mind, to share their love and comfort before slinking away to the trams and elevators, to depart across the decks and take up arms. Deus, titled 'Fleet Commander' for the duration of the effort, swung away, arms swaying wildly with his momentum, reflecting his anticipation for the event; he had long since prepared for this and damned he would be if he did not see it to a complete, vibrant and fulfilling end. He stepped to the thick transparisteel breadth of his visage, the elongated station dedicated to his command - he eyed the bow of his ship, slanting down to its prow; the turrents whirling to life, spinning ninety degrees as if to prepare for frontal fire, then calmed to a low buzz that resonated throughout space. The ship hummed as the engines blurred to life, though its movement stalled, waiting for his command; his Captain approached solemnly, brows knit in grim expression. "Fleet Commander," he said distastefully (Lauff always did have a superiority complex); "We are ready to depart on your orders." Raising a hand, Deus silenced the man, only adding to his growing ire, suppressed and writhing on the surface of his expression, and replied, "Not yet, move the Hanzai farther apart and wait for the Ionizers to get into position. Also, where the Hell are my Ritoru-class Light Frigates? I want them in wedge formation in front of the Insurgent before we jump."

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, and Captain?"

"Yes, Fleet Commander?"

"Don't look at me like that again or I'll throw you in the air lock."

It was all coming together, in mere minutes he would be contacted, signaled that it was time to jump into lightspeed; he tapped his foot impatiently, he was bloodthirsty and demanded to be satiated. He crossed his arms and waited, staring off into the deep of space as the men bustled about, igniting the switches that blared the strategic holo-models to life, that initiated connection throughout the fleet, and ignited red lights throughout the entirety of the colossal ship. A young woman approached, dressed in black, and offered him a small device clutched tightly in the center of her palm. He took it, thanked her with a nod, then pressed his thumb into the holographic button resting upon its side; he rose it to his shielded lips, using it as a sort of microphone, and spoke, his voice radiating throughout the bowels of his ship and transmitted across the rest of his fleet - overarching all action, all communication, and demanding all attention: his voice was supreme and all action ceased so they might bask in this communication of commands. "All ships into position, the call for our assistance will be arriving soon; from there be prepared to enter direct combat - swift reflexes are a necessity, so prepare for a leap into enemy fire. Remember our strategies, keep an ear open for additional commands - our focus is survival, we will get any additional forces onto the ground if need be and focus on protecting one another. I will not accept any self-sacrifice, any foolish maneuvers for martyrdom - nor will I accept retreat. We will survive and we will win, I will accept no other action under my command." With that, he stepped away, and sought out his advisers for consolation upon their strategy.

 

[Salvor Arnex]

[member="Romeo Sin"]

“Death awaits us, Romeo Sin, the pretender’s or ours. The force will determine which.” Salvor responded with one of his increasingly frequent cryptically poetic responses as he stared out the view port at the fleet blocking the capital planet.

“It’s a trap.” Salvor deduced out loud. Why else would the planet be under a blockade if the false king had not anticipated or even orchestrated their coming.

“Warden, we have an incoming transmission.” One of the soldiers on comms informed him. “It is lady [member="stardust"], requesting to dock.”

Salvor nodded his approval and the comm officer hailed Star telling her to prepare to be brought in by tractor beam.

“We could really use the Ryuk.” Salvor told Romeo. “My men are the best, but we don’t have the strength of numbers to take the planet by force” Five hundred that was all he had. less than a fraction of a percent of what this king would boast, it would seem following Romeo Sin would finally lead him to his death.

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

From deep within a stretch of shadows that populated the underbelly of the Bridge of the Insurgent, an orange eye, tinged with a inner fire of barely controlled feral instincts, shone. Hidden within the outskirts of the gathered crowed of loyal soldiers and mercenaries, hidden almost fully underneath the platform from which the masked figure of Deus Gor Bel spoke from, a figure lurked. Underneath the risen hood, only a fanged smirk of anticipation that pulled at lips covered by a black tattoo and revealed pointed teeth beneath and a single eye could be seen. The only other feature could not be seen, but from the depth of the shadows there, it was obvious that the right eye was no longer there, leaving behind an empty socket of scarred, tanned and tattooed skin.

The rest of the figures form was lost, shrouded in mounds of fabric as a dark cloak settled around their body, as if a mantle of shadows had been placed upon the figure's shoulders and used to obscure them from view, turning them into a wraith more than a being of flesh and blood, a wraith that stood in the corner of an eye but was never seen.

Shifting slightly as the Commander's voice grew to a fever pitch midway through his speech, his strong voice echoing off of the walls and transparasteel windows of the bridge and penetrating deep into every man's and woman's soul, inspiring loyalty and ambition, the figure's smirk grew, a hint of blood lust for the oncoming battle seemingly coating the pointed teeth in blood that had once bathed them. The shift the figure had made caused the heavy cloak to shift, exposing their feet. Brown wraps were wound around the heels and ankles of the figure, leaving the sole and toes of the figure's feet bare. Toenails that looked more like claws dug into the metal sheeting below them, anchoring the figure in place.

As the cry went around the room, a cry of hope and loyalty to a Queen most of the men and women hadn't even seen, the figure finally moved. Almost gliding in the smooth movements, the movements of a predator that sang to the inner beast of every being that could see through the figure's trickery. And indeed, the figure had employed trickery allowing them to slip between the bustling crowd of soldiers, never seen but by the few who tried to ignore the chill that had frozen their spines at the site.

Around the figure, the Force bent, wrapping around the figure in a quiet, unassuming way that would pass beneath the notice of most Force Users as it blended into the background field of the Force. The manipulation cast a mix of sorcery and illusion that preyed on the subconscious of those around it. Whatever the prey expected to see, the manipulation made true, altering their perceived reality to match that of the figure's. the figure wished not to be seen and so, he made it so. Such an aspect appealed to the figure greatly, the concept that reality was simply what one perceived meant that it was an aspect that could be manipulated and that which was real, may not be, may just be the conjurations of a greater being.

Gliding up alongside the Commander, the figure's footsteps silent despite the mostly bare status of their feet, heavy cloak trailing behind them as they moved, face cast in the shadows, the figure dropped the manipulation of the Force and spoke in a quiet voice. The figure's voice was rough, as if it had been dragged over a jagged surface before entering their possession, an aftermath of past torture. While the figure's voice had never been smooth, it had never been as bad until his vocal chords had been wounded. The voice of the figure also revealed their gender to be male.

"You know, Deus, if you wish, that Captain could breathe no more." While the unspoken offer sounded serious, bellow such an impression was a curl of humour and sarcasm, lost within the gruff tones.

Never looked at the masked figure of his partial friend and ally beside him, Xavka Duquo (formerly of Clan Uigin now of Founder and Patriarch of Clan Rakama), kept his eye focussed on their destination, the command centre located at the back of the Bridge. The focus came from the effort not to focus on the assault on his sensitive senses.

The sound of multiple heat beats of varying strengths and speeds rang in his ears like a cacophony of an out of tune orchestra, threatening to send pains through his mind when coupled with the multiple conversations happening around him set at different levels of volume and centred around varying subjects. The scents of so many body gathered in one space burnt at his nose, each individual smell compensating with another for attention. The only aspect of the environment Xavka did not mind was the heat, something that stirred fond memories of his time on his home world as a young kep, the heat. Even in his heavy cloak, it didn't bother him, reminding him instead of the heady feeling of the late afternoon atmosphere of the desert planet he had been born on.

[member="Deus Gor Bel"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

In deep space, Ghorua the Fish twirled his vibroknife between his fingers, sending a vibrant hum throughout the hull. The Herglic had just finished punching in the coordinates for this "Eclipstica" on his hyperdrive, and was waiting for the computer to route his destination. With a tinny flash, the hyperdrive initiated standard protocols, stretching the stars around him as his ship, the Whalebone, rocketed through the vacuum.

They must be in dire straights, hiring bounty hunters instead of using their own men, he thought lazily, glancing out his window at the specks of light rushing past. He wasn't even a bounty hunter, not really. At one point, he was a bodyguard, however. Ghorua figured that the difference between these two jobs wouldn't be astronomical. He had his trusty gattler, his knife, his ship, and his heart. All that he would ever need.

Ghorua stood up slowly, careful not to bump his head on the roof of his ship. The Whalebone was a Yevethan cargo ship, certainly not built for a man of Ghorua's stature. He modified it himself, though, from the leftover credits he'd gotten from his family's old criminal empire. It would be better off as a display of public art than flying in space, but this was his only ship at the moment. The modified cannons were one of the only good things about this junkheap. That, and the bed. He did very much like his bed. To pass the time of space travel, Ghorua decided to take a short nap.

After a small wait, the modified cargo ship's alarms went off, telling the Herglic that they were exiting hyperspace. With a groggy groan, Ghorua sat up, and went to the command console. As the Whalebone slowed, Ghorua the Fish saw a fantastic sight.

The cabin was bathed in red light as the planet came into view. The scarlet iridescence of Eclipstica was only interrupted by swarms of smaller fighters, lighting the planet ablaze. The sight was gruesome, and a bit awe-inspiring. One ship stood out, and matched the class that Ghorua was told to find, the one he presumed belonged to [member="Romeo Sin"] or [member="Salvor Arnex"]. Opening up his comlink to the ship, he cleared his throat. "This is the ship 'Whalebone', requesting permission to dock." His voice was smooth and dark, like a Holonet announcer's. "I was told you guys were looking for help. Well, I can provide that."

As he waited for the clearance to land, he polished his rotary blaster cannon, making sure the battery cell wouldn't disrupt the shooting mechanics like the last time. He spun it around, letting the barrels whir. With a tight smile, he attached the gun to his back, and waited to dock.

 

[Deus Gor Bel]

[member="Xavka Duquo"]

"I appreciate the offer, truly; I have no doubt your visible presence, with such equally dramatic tension, would no doubt remind the crew that death is a firm possibility," he replied, his hands sprouting in a swimming fashion before him, as if parting the empty air; rather, he was simply blossoming the concept of a vast perimeter, to which he sought to draw his cyclopean ally's attention to. "Thankfully we command not zealots, but soldiers; otherwise they might nominate you as death incarnate. As for death-dealing itself, please do not kill him; he is a close cousin, simply jealous of my status - his bitter, but loyal, and my threats are equally empty. Besides, my aunt would be very cold if I were to have her only son killed." He passed along the open span of walkway that parted the sloughs of sunken pits, where his men toiled endlessly in preparation for their assault; his eyes dancing to and fro between the two to ascertain all was well. As bustling officers swooned past, they would raise a fist in salute before continuing onward, a symbol that Deus mimicked in turn. Changing decorum, he fixated upon the distant table, alight in blue aura as incandescent lights below beamed a cacophony of hums, summoning forth a holographic diagram of the crimson planet Eclipstica. Already there stood an older gentleman, a weathered bith lost to his prime, gray hairs sprouting along the gestating cavity that served as his mouth, and great, black, watery eyes watching the pair make their approach. "Seems that one has already arrived, the others will arrive shortly; though, I'm not sure if they've even boarded yet. Have I introduced you to Plathiss the Prime - the bith, I mean, who awaits us? Take him not for appearance, it's not wisdom he offers - he's a drunk - but what lays within him is nothing short of amazing.

"Now, I apologize for the abruptness, but we must go straight to business; if we are not prepared to meet the resistance already established upon Eclipstica it may result in their demise. We bring decent reinforcements, bolstered with marine-trained infantry amidst the finest warships we could purchase - with the allowance gifted - and build, such as our flagship, yet it will mean little if they don't reach the rest of the Dynasty in time. They've blockaded the planet, and it's a blockade we'll destroy but, naturally, troops first - the ground battle is what's important here. It's also important we finalize our strategy with the data provided - we understand what to expect and we best augment ourselves to the situation so that, when we jump in and head straight into the fray, we don't become instantaneously crippled by the onslaught of space-bound artillery. I took you not just for your ability, but your potential, and what you have to take in, within such a brief span, is nothing short of impossible; but it is the impossible we strive to accomplish, for with such a meager fleet, bolstering what is likely a meager force - I have yet to been told what our ground forces appear to be - we will need nothing short of miracles. Thus, I have brought aboard, with me, miracle-makers such as yourselves!" He yelled this last part, so all the bridge may here it, serving as a catalyst to summon forth a surging wave of cries and hurrahs that roared throughout the cavernous bridge. His hands rose with the uproar, but fell as it silenced, and he continued calmly, "So there you have it, I hope the Force is with you because, by all that there is, to the Galaxy and beyond, there will be no stopping what has been put in motion today."

 

[Adan Jax]

Adan Jax was at his home on Devron, he was happily retired. His life of action was beyond him. Or so he thought, he was 42 years old now and stronger in the force than ever. His flying abilities through telekinesis have grown and he is able to fly at high speeds. His saber skills have grown and so has his pyrokinesis. He was truly a force to reckon with, but as always Adan would keep it on the down low fro anyone that could not feel his power or sense him at all. He has how ever grown darker through the ages. Though through time he has lost memory of the close past as for friends of long time knowing and family he will always remember. His exwife @stardust is no longer in his memory. Not of his own choosing, just over time the implants and force training has made him forget new faces and loved ones. Adan however did feel and sensed something or someone calling him to another planet a planet he could not remember but more than less knew where to go to find it. The signal though could not be mistaken for anyone else than [member="Romeo Sin"] Adan sighed "Here we go again after five years of retirement time to put on the same things and get that ass moving." He put on his trademark black clothing consisting of a trench coat, boots, cargo pants, and grave keeper hat. He grabbed his lightsaber that his friend and master gave him long time ago and headed out in his ship.

 

[Mira Starwind]

Mira stood next to her master on the bride of [member="Salvor Arnex"]'s ship. Her hands were clasped behind her back as she watched the ships through the large window in front of her. She said nothing, but not out of fear, but out of confliction. She had learned much on the snowy plains of Hoth, even though her master had not been around to teach her. She still held him in resentment for abandoning her to other teachers, not even caring enough to see her training through. It was Salvor, not [member="Romeo Sin"], who helped her build her own lightsaber. It was [member="stardust"] who taught her the basics of wielding it.

Her feelings were a jumbled mess of emotions. She respected her master, but at the same time resented him. Did she hate him? No. Was she pleased with him? No. Was she still scared? Hell yes. But not of someone hurting her if she messed up. She was scared of being abandoned. Romeo already failed her, was too busy for his padawan. What if he left again? But this time for good? She still had a lot to learn. Stardust had only gone over how not to kill yourself with a lightsaber, but Mira still had no idea how to use the Force without using up half her energy, as well as not knowing how to achieve the more complicated fighting moves.

So even though she was given plenty of instructions at the Academy, she was still right where she had been. A scared weakling. And that made her stomach churn.

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Chuckling roughly as he strode alongside Deus, Xavka bowed his head in acknowledgement at his friends word. His humour was sparked at the enthusiastic gesturing that the masked human was making. To Xavka, Deus looked as if he was conducting an unseen orchestra, his hands leading them into the final notes of a tune as it slowly died down. Chuckling again at Deus's words on family, Xavka reached out from the cloak with his left arm, revealing it to be as tanned as his face and, much like his face, covered in scars and thick, black tattoos that wove around his arm like a serpent. Clasping his hand onto the shoulder of the shorter man, Xavka clenched his hand briefly, exerting the smallest amount of pressure before releasing and hiding his arm within the cloak again.

"Indeed, we would not want to upset your Aunt. Ashla forbid that one insults the ama of Family or Clan. One who does so deserves damnation when their song ends and their ama is embraced by Nath. The Captain will live, don't you worry on that." As he spoke, the feintest notes of humour curled beneath his voice once again, however this time they were more prominent.

Ignoring the lines of saluting guards that were left in his ally's wake, refusing to return the salute towards the soldiers as Deus had chosen to do, Xavka kept all but the barest slivers of his face concealed and his pace, as well as destination, unwavering. Within his old Clan, respect was never show with actions but with body language, words and sounds in a manner that all Iridonains amongst his Clan had been taught. As such, the salute was nonsense to him, a useless action.

Casting his gaze over the Bith before him, taking in his age as well as the spark of wisdom that continued to smolder within the eyes of the being, hidden behind the haze of drunkenness as it was. Even as he examining the Bith, Xavka had to focus on not being overwhelmed with the strong aroma of alcohol that seemed to ooze off of the elderly being. Settling next to the table that projected the holographic image of Eclipstica, Xavka bowed his head at the Bith, a feint murmur of "Ay'Edar." breaking his silence.

Turning to face Deus, mouth open to begin asking for a run down of all relevant intel, Xavka was interrupted by the man he wished to speak to. Letting the man's voice settle after his speech, one that once again ended in a roar of celebration and loyalty to the course, echoing around the Bridge like a tidal wove of sound that impacted against his eardrums as if it was. Shaking his head to try an clear it of the ringing that was now sounding within his ears like a pounding ritual drum.

"As I was about to say before you decided to rally the troops once again." Xavka's tone was as bland as it usually was when he wasn't around his Mate, the only sign of his emotions bleeding through underneath as a sub-tone. This time it was wry amusement. "What are the exact details of our assets? And what details do we know of our enemies assets? Infantry and Naval."


[member="Deus Gor Bel"]

 

[The Red of Sinner]

The old gang was rallying up, regardless of who was in charge, they had all worked to make the citizens of the Dynasty free people. No one was going to ruin that. Romeo stood up when [member="stardust"] had docked the ship, looking over at [member="Salvor Arnex"], and [member="Mira Starwind"] for a while before going to Celty. A slight nod, and a fixing of some wrinkles in some of his robes was it needed for the Ryuk to ready itself for a quick jump to get here.
"Salvor, the Ryuk will be here soon." Celty replied to the Zabrak's request.

Somewhere out there, a dark force pleasured in rallying it's troops for battle, a speech, a hail, and pride rose up from within. The Dynasty's Resistance. Freedom Fighters wanting back their land, their space, their Dynasty.

"Mira, come, we must prepare for the Ryuk." Romeo took one last glance at Salvor.

"Salvor." He nodded.

"I leave Celty here in your charge...should something happen to her...I will kill you with my bare hands."

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

Stardust was pulled inside and the minute she was in she got out and started walking briskly to the bridge

As soon as she got there she stopped seeing @romoe sin and sighed"hey Rome...long time no see"she said with a light smile

[member="Salvor Arnex"] [member="Adan Jax"] [member="Mira Starwind"]

 

[Deus Gor Bel]

[member="Xavka Duquo"]

"I'm sorry, but you know how it is," Deus replied softly, his hands brushing off the front of his buckled, black tabard before coming to a rest upon the glimmering, holographic table; he continued, his voice growing softer, "This is a suicide mission; I'll make no excuse for it - the statistics, the parameters for the battle are monumental - they have a full planetary blockade laying in wait for us." He drew his hands to his temples, unfastening the bulbous mask which drew itself around his head, veiling the expression of despair below - but vanished with its removal, slammed down upon the table hard enough to draw cracks across the board, briefly shaking the hologram above - pressurized air sighing as it escaped his jumpsuit beneath. His forehead was caked in sweat, oily as beads of hot liquid dripped across his weathered brow; he was aged, wrinkles gracing his skin and knotted, gray hair upon his scalp; but he also held a sensation of power to his expression, and as he gazed to Plathiss, the bith was swift to grant him full access to the dimensions of the map before him. He drew his finger a good few, scaled klicks from the surface of their target, then prodded the empty air with his digit. A hum emanated, and a bulb of azure luminescence blossomed upon the point; he nodded approvingly, "We'll jump out of hyperspace here - that'll be the point of our invasion.


"I have no doubt the first wave of our ground troops will be able to run the blockade; at least with partial success - the commanders will make it assuredly, the Force is with them strongly; but I fear for our naval offensive. As you ask - we have eleven ships under our command for the initial assault; three of cruiser class, four of frigate class, four of corvette class - and we have an additional surprise, a Shinigami-class Star Destroyer, a monstrous capital ship that will bolster our forces a hundred fold once it reaches the fray; beyond this we have reinforcements - mainly troop transports that will remain behind until we clear the way, but a few frigates in addition to help bolster our strategies. As you may have guessed, our command ship will be the Insurgent; an SIP/MVII-0018 Assailant-class Star Destroyer, a medium cruiser with fantastic communication and commanding abilities, with advanced deflector shields, anti-ion capabilities, and an incredible defensive capability - designed by yours truly with the assistance of an Ires Pol - at the cost of very poor offensive capability: it houses only thirty armaments. I hope to bolster our defense by locking the defensive line with our frigates: Ritoru-class, designed to take heavy fire; by using these I hope to ward off the larger enemy units, leaving the less-able, smaller vessels open to attacks by our starfighters. On the offensive we also have two Shadow-class Corvettes, two Ionizer-class Corvettes, two Hanzai-class Heavy Cruisers, and a crap load of starfighters, whose pilots are eager for action.

"A good fleet for space combat, all in all - it fills plenty of niches and leaves room for maneuverability; infantry-wise, I could not hope to explain to you what the others have prepared, but I have taken liberty of supplying us with a few carriers who will remain a short jump away; once we break the enemy, they'll supplement the already deployed forces below; primarily serving as meatshields, but better than our own loyal forces being downed in some muddy trench encapsulated within the Force-knows what Hell awaits them. Basic units, outfitted with simple, cheap blaster rifles at the most - the majority of my allowance went towards the development of this beauty, and the production of the other ships; however, we will have Dark Jedi, Masters or otherwise, on the ground; they'll lead the troops to victory, I'm certain. However, for us, it's a different matter: the enemy has constructed a monstrous battle station to overview its fleet: a horde of corvettes, frigates, and starfighters that buzz about its orbit like flies on a pile of bantha-"

"Language, sir," the bith finally interrupts.

"Ah, thank you, Plathiss," Deus commended before continuing: "So the enemy lacks particular strategic forces, but they're in tremendous number; but that isn't it. Beyond the incredible artillary-capability housed within the monstrous station it also has employed some of our own forces against it: Shadow-class and Ionizer-class Corvettes bolster the horde of Blackfire Starfighters; it's too dangerous to deploy our bombers, they'll be swarmed by their interceptors - but our heavier ships will be crippled by the station and corvettes, who house anti-shield capabilities; this leaves us outmatched by sheer resources and manpower."

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

What is taking these nerf herders so long? Ghorua impatiently tapped his console as he waited for the starship to respond to his call. Perhaps they had other things on their minds, but one should always be aware of what's around them. He'd learned that the hard way. Fed up with standard procedure, Ghorua took the Whalebone around to a docking bay, and clamped on without the help of a tractor beam. He barely even jostled the ship, which was phenominal for the Herglic.

He stepped across his ship, leaning out the exit portal, into the docking bay. Soldiers and maintenance crew bustled about, giving a lively, energetic feeling to the hangar. As he stepped out, a few soldiers stopped him. They wore blaster rifles and heavy vests, but didn't look too threatening otherwise. "Uh, excuse me... sir," the lead guard said, nervously tapping the grip to his blaster. Ghorua loomed over him, at least a meter taller. "You were not cleared for landing. We'll have to ask you to get back on your..."

Ghorua held out his meaty hand to the man, stopping his blubbering. "I mean no disrespect, but I will dock when I want to." He held out his holopad, revealing a bounty notice letter. "I'm here about this. You need hunters, so I'm here. Now, if that's all." Ghorua waded through the troops, annoyed.

"Sir, please sir!" The soldier ran to catch up with the herglic, sidestepping a crate of supplies. "We don't want any trouble. We just need to get you back on your ship until we get the clearance..."

"You can take your clearance, and you can shove it," said Ghorua, harshly. The man, stunned by the sudden outburst, stopped in his tracks. Smiling, Ghorua continued farther into the Shadow Dynasty ship. He passed busy workers, combat drills, technicians, and fighter pilots, all stopping to gawk as he made his way to the bridge. Ghorua was probably the biggest sentient being these men had ever seen. A nine foot tall, jet black skinned, heavily armed, blow-holed herglic will have that effect on people. After a minute of walking, he began to hear voices coming up from the hall. An in-depth briefing, detailing ships, information, and battle emanated from the deck. Ghorua, a bit miffed, walked through the doorway, his heavy footsteps making the floor shake slightly. He stopped just past the door, leaning against the metal wall. He didn't want to interrupt anything, but he wasn't about to let the battle start without him.

[member="Deus Gor Bel"]@stardust@Salvor Arnex[member="Romeo Sin"]

 

[Akabane Jarvik]

[member="Romeo Sin"] [member="Salvor Arnex"]

Akabane stared at the ceiling of his ship as he lay on his bed. His ship had been drifting in space for days, as he didn't feel like going anywhere. Was it the works of the force, or Akabane just being lazy? As he lay on his bed, he decided to focus in the force. Not something he did often but a man told him once before it helped clear the mind. His mind slowly became clear as the man said. However, his thoughts became dark startling Akabane. He figured it was an illusion and laid back down.

Sleeping obviously wasn't going to clear his mind so he sat up once more. He began focusing in the force again. This time, there was no darkness. The force wanted to guide Akabane, but where? Eclipstica... he mumbled. He'd never heard nor seen such a place, so why did he know a random name?

Akabane stood up and walked to the cockpit. His droid that piloted the freighter rolled around making many noises. He sat down and plugged in coordinates, once again that he never saw, and headed for the direction. Days of drifting in space slowly with no worries was about to end. As the YTA-1300 light freighter left hyperspace, a glowing red planet along with many ships could be seen. One in particular grabbed the attention of Akabane though.

The ships didn't appear to be engaged in battle so Akabane thought seeing what was going on would be okay. He also wondered if he'd get into more trouble than he could handle today though. Turning on the comms, Akabane began to speak. "My name is Akabane Jarvik. I am here to assist you on your mission." his choice of words most likely would get him into a really bad situation, but something led him here. He had to do something to at least blend in until he figures out his reason for being here. "I'm requesting to join your convoy?"

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Thought out Deus's briefing, Xavka kept quiet, his eye riveted on the Holographic image being displayed above the table. Reading through the provided data on the Ships mentioned and committing them to memory. Within his mind, Xavka was running mock simulations, creating and then disregarding strategies as they came to him, his genius finally being challenged again after too long a rest. Full frontal assault, a defence break and pincer assault, hit and run, each tactic was thought of, analysed and disregarded as too suicidal, too likely to fail and utterly impossible with the resources available. The whole thought process was done behind an emotionless mask of stoicism that barely broke throughout Deus's speech.

The only time his stoic façade broke was when Deus slammed him helmet into the table. Beneath the bulbous mask, the black screen that produced the Hologram cracked and splintered sending a shock wave through the translucent, blue image. A smirk had crossed Xavka's features as a sarcastic murmur of "Temper!" was muttered.

Once Deus's voice grew silent, Xavka let the quiet hand between the three strategists for a few beats of his dual hearts before moving. Shifting his arm out of his cloak, Xavka reached up to pull the hood of his cloak down. Doing so, he revealed a face of thin and structured cheek bones that lead to more of a point than a squared jaw. Covering his mouth; spreading under his eye sockets and above them in diagonal, straight lines and forming an inverted pyramid pattern on his head were solid black tattoos that stood out from his darkly tanned skin. Crossing all over his skin, especially on the right side of his face, were a mess of jagged scars - some faded with time and some relatively recent. Where his right eye was meant to be was an empty socket surrounded by jagged bone where, when broken, they hadn't healed properly. His hair was drawn back into dreadlocks, the grey of his hair attaining a blue tinge in the light and from being grouped together. Along his forehead and within his hair, jagged horns emerged from his skin.

Running his hand along his jaw, feeling his rough skin beneath his fingertips, Xavka let out a thoughtful growl before speaking. "If we choose any tactic with a head-on assault, we'll lose. If we had more resources, then we might have been able to make this a battle of attrition, but that isn't true for our situation. Instead we must use cunning and misdirection to secure the win." As he spoke, Xavka's voice was slow as if he was speaking his thoughts as they entered his mind.

Reaching out, Xavka tapped two places on the Holographic map after expanding the limits of the map. From where his fingertips stopped, two new bulbs of azure light blossomed into being. The three points formed the three vertex of a triangle that spread through all three dimensions with the dead centre of the shape being the Enemy Fleet's bulk and Station. "If we drop our Fleet at the same spot, we open the entirety of it up to fire from the enemy. With them possessing the overwhelming numbers, we will be beaten back quickly. So, we must lower their numbers while keeping our own the same. So, I suggest that we drop our Fleet at these three points, causing the enemy to have to split their forces to deal with all threats at once. By forming in a triangle, and at different heights, we lower the possibility of friendly fire to near nothing."

Falling silent again, his hand scratching at his chin again, Xavka began to pace slightly as his mind whirled through additions to his already proposed plan. As he paced, he drew his attention away from keeping silent, causing the claws of his feet to click against the metal beneath his feet in a rhythmic pattern of clicks. This continued for a short while before suddenly stopping with a drawn out, hissed "Yes..." Spinning to face the Hologram, Xavka began to detail his idea, gesturing with his left arm at the map before him as he did so.

"The whole idea for this is to create confusion, so we make it worse for the mali'kepen! Point 1, Point 2, Point 3." With the read out of each point, Xavka tapped one of the lights signally where the Fleet would drop from Hyperspace. First it was the one Deus formed, then it was the first he had formed (the one above) then the second (the one bellow). "One part of our Fleet drops in at Point 1. Shortly after, we drop in at Points 2 and 3.... no, no, that doesn't work. Er..." Xavka's eye flickered over the readouts of the ships within the Fleet. "Got it! Some of our Heavy Assault ships drop in at Point 1 and open fire on the enemy. No conservation, just pure attack. Then, after the attack, a section of our Defence Orientated ships, along with out Light Assault (Starfighters, Corvettes, Bombers for example), drop into Point 1. As soon as Defence 1 are in place, Heavy Assault 2 and 3 drop from Hyperspace and launch their attack. Again, after they're done, Defence and Light Assault 2 and 3 appear. With Defence forming a secure wall, LA forming interference and picking of the remains, HA recover before launching a final assault."

Xavka grew quiet for a moment before growling and cursing in Ul'Zabrak, his native language, a harsh sounding language. "No, with that Station, the Enemy could regroup too quickly. Hm... How about this? Before HA1 even leave, a covert assault party infiltrate and prepare to sabotage the Station. Whether from the interior or exterior, it doesn't matter. Explosives, Signal Jammers, Encryption Arrays to prevent their own ships understanding their orders. All of this is set and primed so that when Defence 1, 2 and 3 are in place they can be activated, sowing more havoc."

Looking up from the Hologram, Xavka tilted his head at his fellow strategists. "Any thoughts gentlemen? Criticisms, objections, additions, suggestions?"


[member="Deus Gor Bel"]

 

[Salvor Arnex]

Salvor looked from the male Vhala to the female and it was plain that she was not expecting to be left behind from her own ship. She was a stranger here amongst Salvor and his Erebus company, on the Ryuk she was second behind only Romeo, the look on Celty's face was of someone trying to figure out what they had done exactly to warrant punishment.

"I will not be responsible for another of your pets, [member="Romeo Sin"]." Salvor said harshly, glancing just slightly at [member="Mira Starwind"]. Salvor was tired of Romeo dumping his charges on to him.

"Warden. Two more ships requesting to dock, no scratch that, one ship has forced its self on to ours." The soldier on the comms relayed to him, his voice growing more panicked with each syllable. "The Whalebone. It is a mercenary vessel, has docked and it appears...by the force look at the size of that thing..." he trailed off softly as he watched the video feed of [member="Ghorua the Fish"] make his way toward the bridge.

the bridge which was once buzzing with the noise of dozens of people fell silent a the sight of the Herglic pushed through the door frame. everyone of Salvor's men raised and primed their blasters on the uninvited intruder. Salvor himself rose and rounded on the massive creature, furious.

"Who are you and what do you think your doing here?" Salvor asked his voice full of calm fury. Was this some sloppy assassination attempt by the false king or something equally as stupid? Salvor could not see what was happening, he only knew he did not like it one bit.

"Warden, the second ship requests to join us in our mission. How should we proceed."

"Is it one of yours, Sin?" Salvor asked of [member="Akabane Jarvik"] and his ship.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua the Fish looked around at the ring of terrified faces waving blasters at him, and then to the Zabrak. He showed no fear, and only a calm rage blew past his face. The Zabrak had guts, not to fear a Herglic. Ghorua smiled at him, deeming him the leader. "Is this how you treat your hired help? Holding them at gunpoint? Smart."

Slowly, with no sudden movements, Ghorua took out his holopad, and turned it on, a large bounty notice flying above the screen. The notice is extremely vague, only saying that "the Dynasty is looking to hire Bounty Hunters to help with a certain problem." "I followed this lead to some girl named... uh... [member="Kira Fenn"]. She told me a little, but she was pretty vague, too, and I can see why." Ghorua looked out a nearby window, turning his head so suddenly that some of the men tensed.

"You need help busting that blockade? Well, I can help. I'm good at busting things. Now, if we could all drop our rifles, that would be great." Ghorua the Fish gave the group another fishy smile, showing large, blunt teeth. He stood up to his full, 8-foot-9, musclular height, and waited for someone either to respond to him, or run in fear. Both he would enjoy.

[member="Salvor Arnex"] [member="Deus Gor Bel"] [member="Xavka Duquo"] [member="Romeo Sin"] [member="stardust"]

 

[Kira Fenn]

Eclipstica was a harsh world. Temperatures that tempered with sanity, rubble that told stories of a world that once was. Kira Fenn lay dormant in the capital, where the so-called Shadow King resided. She hid in the shadows and searched for one thing- something her psychometrics had told her to find. She was looking for hope. A resistance. A crowd of voices tired of being treated less than they are.

It all started only days ago, when Kira was hired to study this city with her partner, Bumper. She thought nothing of it, that she could do no harm. It was when she had already landed that she saw other fliers and bounties wanting hunters for hire to assist in recapturing a world torn apart by anarchy and chaos. When she touched things- stones and broken homes, her abilities only told her of destruction and ruin. She saw envisioned a man, the broken King of Shadows. His eyes radiated greed and his hands were blackened by corruption. His mind lost to all of what’s wrong in this world.

What led her to inside the city, inside the Dynasty of Shadows, was a crown. It was half sunken in black soil and broken into shards. A memorial ripped apart to forget the past. When her touch allowed her to see its story she knew why she was here. She knew what purpose those bounties for hire held and she knew the purpose of her anonymous client asking her to search this planet. She suddenly knew and understood everything. She collected the pieces, safeguarding them in her bag and searched.

This resistance seemed to be well hidden. It was days until her psychometrics led her onto another clue from a disturbance in the city surrounding the castle. She was late to the party, but pieces of evidence and things to track were plentiful. Metal from exploded grenades, cloth from those fearing to be caught. When she was caught on the seen searching for what she could not find, people invited her with conversation, instilled information valuable to her.

She told the people who had helped her that she was here to help in turn and with smiles and a glint of hope in their eyes, one citizen, a young teen scarred by years of mistreatment but hardened by rebellion asked Kira to follow him. Through the basement of an abandoned corner shop and through tunnels and rubble filled opening, did she finally find what she was looking for: The Resistance.

In every kingdom, empire and dynasty misruled there is the force to fight back- the voice to say no and the will to push forward and overcome. There for only minutes she realized the potential of all these people. Those brave enough to fight back welcomed and congratulated here, while those who remained but had given up sat idle with eyes glaring as she walked by.

“I’m curious. Am I the first outsider to arrive?” She questioned, and the teenage boy replied.

“No. There is one, Kira Fenn. She is-..” Kira interrupted him as her name escaped his lips.

“How do you know my name, rebel?” She sternly asked. She was shocked but not angry with him. He simply nodded his head, laughing at his own mistake.

“You’re known for your tracking abilities and renowned abilities, its only natural we hire you to really test yourself. We agreed on hiring you anonymously and here you are. You found us.”

Kira smiled as she was brought to who appeared to be in charge, a woman with a unique sort of drive and flame to lead these people. “I may have asked a few other hunters to join me, I’ll have to ask them when they arrive. Perhaps there are more here,” Her mind shifted to one of the hunters, [member="Ghorua the Fish"] and [member=David Abarth] for a moment, before turning to address [member=Leva].

“I hear you’re in charge? You and your resistance chose to hire me and my partner, I’d like to know your reasons as to why.” Bumper stood idle, at 8 feet tall, his head tilting in slight curiosity.

 

[Deus Gor Bel]

[member="Xavka Duquo"]

"I appreciate the plan - no, I whole-heartedly embrace it; though, I note instances of, eh, weakness per se. Primarily, the time it would take to complete such a mission to kick off the invasion; we won't be able to support a blockade run, leaving our allies unprotected - a valiant sacrifice, one I'm certainly willing to undertake for the sake of my men, but one that might leave us unpopular with the other commanders. Nonetheless, I approve - I say we do it. However, we would need a capable crew with stealth technologies and equipment capable for a very swift and precise infiltration that can accurately navigate the labyrinth that is the station and secure us what we need: first and foremost, we lack any understanding of the internal components of the station; so they will need to bring and astromech droid and access the internal database - it will provide us with a holographic layout necessary to map the paths to the targets. There are several key targets that can be destroyed, however, we don't have time for all of them; there are the communications array, the life support system, the shield generator, the targeting system, the sensory array, warhead countermeasures, communication encryption equipment, escape pods, energy caps, environmental support-" Deus stops to take a breath, the rundown of the possible saboteur opportunities draining his stamina from simple speech; he finalizes his summary, "There is a lot to pick from, but they may have time for only a few - each choice will ultimately affect the outcome of the fleet and the battle in its entirety.

"My suggestion is, that rather than sending in our offensive ships foremost: we launch our defensive ships in said formation in addition to our starfighters; the defense-oriented frigates will be unable to truly reap the bounty of the sabotage mission, but such a force will undoubtedly merit our opponent's full attention. Rather than having more defensive ships jump in to protect them, as you suggested, let us have the Hanzai-class Heavy Cruisers, our main heavy-hitters, jump in upon the points we've later selected: critical weaknesses throughout the station, registered upon the station plans we've requisitioned during the sabotage mission, and cripple the vessel. It'll be a three-point-strike; sabotage the enemy space station without giving rise to their awareness, attracting their attention with a blatant assault, then unleashing our full firepower to cripple the station. The assault should draw the bulk of the fleet away from the blockade leaving them stretched thin over here-" He raises his finger and prods the holographic model again, alighting in a familiar blue aura. "-which will be where we jump our reinforcements to: our capital ship, the Insurgent, and the remaining frigates and corvettes. We'll gather the frigates in wedge formation in front of the insurgent, corvettes bringing up the rear; our Ritoru-class Light Frigates have excellent maneuverability, so if the enemy attempts to riposte upon our flank they can be repositioned as we see fit. We'll press our line of defense, if you would call it so, into their weakened flank, and shatter the blockade. From there our transports can jump in and bum-rush the surface, through the hole we've opened, and rejoin our ground forces - bolstering the resistance's effort. From there, assuming the station has been disabled, both halves of our fleet can encircled the remaining enemy forces and slaughter them in a righteous, two-sided crush - forcing them to condense between the two and leave them open to heavy fire."