Junction The Sartinaynian Crisis [Empire of the Lost - The Diarchy - Dark Empire]

[Tales of the Rule of Two]

---

The Sartinaynian Crisis​

---

---

Bastion, Outer Rim Territories, Braxant sector, Sartinaynian system;
The Diarchy;

---

"...At the turn of the ninth century the Imperial Remnant were infiltrated by the seditious Fifth Wing. This organisation in accordance to the design of a fallen Jedi (and in league with a Sith collaborator on Jutrand) led to the crisis in the Sartinaynian system. Concealed by my powers in the dark side I taught the rogue elements within the Empire of the Lost how to fly and with them the Sons of Kakus began their pilgrimage into discovering their true origins. Ever the opportunists it came with a degree of surprise that the Dark Empire made their move upon the Diarchs as well..."
-- Excerpts of Her in accordance to their plot in the Empire of the Lost.

---

CONSIPIRACY GRIPS THE LOST.

SYPNOSIS.​

Negotiations have failed! Mere hours after A New Order Rises the IMPERIAL REMNANT (found in the realms of the TION CLUSTER) accepted their invitation made by THE DIARCHY to attend their GRAND CEREMONY but not in the manner that was expected of them! The IMPERIAL DELEGATION consisting of members of the Imperial Ruling Council on LIANNA; the corrupted New Imperial Security Bureau infiltrated by an seditious rogue organisation rooted deep within; and the PHANTOM EMPRESS herself-- Kaanni Ugaiya Kilran -- entered the Sartinaynian system to meet with the SONS OF KAKUS to negotiate their terms of surrender of the planet-- and CAPITAL OF THE DIARCHY-- BASTION!

Demanding that the old Imperial stronghold be surrendered to the EMPIRE OF THE LOST immediately an emergency summit was hosted inside the PELLAEON GARDENS as both sides entered into negotiations to avert a crisis that is brewing in the skies above RAVELIN. As the Obscruer-class Star Destroyer 'THE QUEST' orbited the planet below it the seditious rogue element among the Imperial Remnant known only to some as THE FIFTH WING were making their move to bring both superpowers into war!

In Five Wings Cast A Mighty Shadow the negotiations came to an end with neither side capitulating to the others compromises or demands. As the Imperial Delegation turned to leave the summit a sharpshooter opened fire in an assassination attempt on the Phantom Empress! Meanwhile-- as the Empresses' delegation has been seemingly massacred by the Diarchs-- THE QUEST opened fire on the capital city of RAVELIN as the cunning FIFTH WING frame both sides into declaring war on each other! With no choice but to act the secret attack force belonging to the so called 'lost' Imperials hyperjump from the edges of Diarchy space and emerge above the planet itself utilizing the THRAWN PINCER: a hyperspace manoeuvre invented by the legendary GRAND ADMIRAL THRAWN to quickly bring reinforcements into battle!

Meanwhile, as the battle between both sides commences, and as the Diarchy scramble to defend their Capital from attack, a sinister threat based on CARLAC are granted a rare opportunity to maximize as much damage as possible against their opponents who rule along the BRAXANT RUN! To their horror both the EMPIRE OF THE LOST and THE DIARCHY'S forces pick up the sudden detection of a third attack force entering the Sartinaynian system!

The DARK EMPIRE have mobilized a raiding party to attack Bastion while the Diarchs are distracted by the Empire who have seemingly declared war upon them following the failed negotiations in the Pellaeon Gardens!

As the SITH look upon their machinations coming to fruition along the Outer Rim Territories– with both Imperial Remnants engaged in battle with the newly risen DIARCHY– will you survive . . .

. . . THE SARTINAYNIAN CRISIS?​

---

OBJECTIVE I: THE MASSACRE IN THE PELLAEON GARDENS!
PvP

In the PELLAEON GARDENS a massacre has just taken place! The IMPERIAL DELEGATION formed to represent the EMPIRE OF THE LOST in negotiations with THE DIARCHY to see the old Imperial stronghold of BASTION be turned over to the HEIRS OF THE EMPIRE have seemingly been assassinated by the other side! As a space battle breaks out in orbit of the planet-- with the skies of RAVELIN set alight by the flashing eon lights-- the city below has been shelled by a sudden surprise attack by the Empire!

What is left of both sides represented in the failed negotiations have broken out into fighting as chaos takes over this former place of serenity and peace! Meanwhile heroes on all sides have arrived planet side to save, kill or capture the PHANTOM EMPRESS as she flees the summit that has turned into a place of fighting!

As Bastion is attacked by the Imperial Remnant will YOU find a worthy foe to clash with in THE SARTINAYNIAN CRISIS!?

---

OBJECTIVE II: THE SECOND BATTLE OF BASTION!
Fleeting / Ground Battle

​

Centuries after the YUUZHAN VONG attack upon the IMPERIAL REMNANT their ancestral successors found themselves as the attackers upon the old Imperial stronghold of BASTION!

In orbit of the planet the Obscruer-class Star Destroyer 'THE QUEST' has suddenly opened fire on the capital city of RAVELIN leading to a counter-attack upon it and the Velran-class Super Star Destroyer 'KISAGARI' as the LILASTE ORDER led by Laphisto defends THE DIARCHY from attack! Reinforcements in the form of a secret attack force have arrived as the rogue element responsible for allegedly known as THE FIFTH WING orchestrate the THRAWN PINCER as part of their operation to bring the EMPIRE OF THE LOST into war with the DIARCHS! But they are not the only reinforcements brought in as the Diarchs release distress signals to nearby star systems in Diarchy space to send aide to repel the Imperial Remnant attacking their capital!

As both fleets engage each other in battle land forces belonging to the Empire have landed planet side in an attempt to secure the city after planetary defenses were taken out by THE QUEST during its surprise attack! Without warning both sides pick up a third, unknown force entering the Sartinaynian system out of nowhere who are set to join the battle as well!

The sinister DARK EMPIRE have quickly mobilized a raiding party to attack Bastion and deal a vicious blow to their rivals along the BRAXANT RUN while they are distracted by their attacking Imperial cousins who seek to bring the planet back into the fold of the remerging GALACTIC EMPIRE! But are these villains who were founded on CARLAC in league with their cousins from the TION CLUSTER or will the self-proclaimed HEIRS TO THE EMPIRE find themselves on the receiving end of an attack as well?

The BATTLE OF BASTION has only just begun! What side will YOU take?

---

OBJECTIVE III: THE RESCUE OF LYSSARA THRYNN!
PvE

​

During the events of a Mission to Malachor the apprentice of Diarch Rellik -- one of the two SONS OF KAKUS, and a leader in THE DIARCHY-- was captured by agents belonging to the NEW IMPERIAL SECURITY BUREAU while the Diarchs raided the ASHLAN VAULT! Lyssara Thrynn has been the prisoner of the HEIRS TO THE EMPIRE ever since, and as apart of their negotiation tactics to bring BASTION back into the fold of the IMPERIAL REMNANT, this NIGHTSISTER was transported from LIANNA on board THE QUEST to the Sartinaynian system so that she could be used as a bargaining chip during the emergency summit held in the PELLAEON GARDENS!

Now that the negotiations have failed, and THE SARTINAYNIAN CRISIS has erupted across the star system, this prisoner of war is now more crucial than ever before. As THE QUEST opened fire on the capital city below the clever and cunning Laphisto has infected its systems with a virus which threatens to compromise its internal systems and risk exposing the seditious FIFTH WING! Maldor Mecetti , upon detecting the virus, has sounded an evacuation order to abandon ship and has begun a self-destruct sequence to destroy the compromised ship before it can be used against the Empire!

As the crew abandons ship the special taskforce colloquially known as the IMPERIAL IMMORTALS move to secure their asset and evacuate before THE QUEST self-destructs! However they have encountered another issue which prevents from abandoning ship with their prized prisoner! Forces belonging to THE DIARCHY have boarded the ship in order to rescue Lyssara Thrynn from the clutches of the evil Empire who have seemingly declared war upon them!

Can YOU save THRYNN? Or will YOU secure a prisoner of war for the EMPIRE OF THE LOST, or perhaps, THE DARK EMPIRE?

---

 

[Sieliel Dimegor]

---

---

Bastion, Outer Rim Territories, Braxant sector, Sartinaynian system;
The Diarchy;
Pellaeon Gardens.
Tags: Diarch Reign

---

"Take him. . . Take him now!"
-- Her ordering Maldor Mecetti to capture Diarch Reign during their confrontation in Mission to Malachor.

---

Objective I: The Massacre in the Pellaeon Gardens!​

Equipment:

• Lenoi I
• Shield Weave
• SRP-100 'Silent Sail' Repulsorlift Pack
• Disruptor Pistol

[POST THEME]

Ravelin is burning.

A spy stands on the ramparts overlooking the Pellaeon Gardens. Beneath or above them is an epic view of death and destruction. Fires reign across the landscape of a capital city set on fire from the attacking behemoth which hung above in the skies. What was left of the planetary defenses to BASTION-- the turbolaser turrets, ion cannons, and shield generators of which the Quest had just fired upon-- stood in ruin as THE DIARCHY scrambled to protect the planet from further attack. War between THE DIARCHS and their Imperial enemy has found its way into their capital.

Payment in kind for their leader denying Her offer to join them in the ASHLAN VAULT, they feared.

A cacophony of explosions rained above them as a space battle broke out between the LILASTE ORDER and THE EMPIRE OF THE LOST. Smoke filled the senses, and eyes watered from the smell of ozone, soot and dust. Beneath a skyline set in flame stood a woman. Their name is SIELIEL DIMEGOR: Lieutenant in the special-task force called the IMPERIAL IMMORTALS; Staff agent in the corrupted NEW IMPERIAL SECURITY BUREAU; and double-agent provocateur within the seditious FIFTH WING whom are partially responsible for the brewing crisis that has erupted across the SARTINAYNIAN SYSTEM!

Sieliel's gaze is not held upon the battle being waged above or around her. It is not on the massacred IMPERIAL DELEGATION sent from LIANNA to secure a transitionary process whereby the old Imperial stronghold of Bastion would be transferred over to the Imperial Remnant found in the TION CLUSTER. No... Her eyes are held upon a dear comrade who died a hero to the Empire. Sieliel did not know the real name of TION343. Much like the other members of the conspiracy founded on FELUCIA, the man who had sacrificed his life to complete his mission to assassinate the delegates had not shared any personal details for it was forbidden. Technically they were not even supposed to be using the LENOI IRCs to communicate with each other but they had done so nevertheless for being a member of such a galactic conspiracy proves to be an ironically lonely existence.

We are Human after all.

The only thing that she could recall about the user known as TION343 was that he liked to drink. Under the alias of EXULAE, Sieliel had watched the man converse for hours with the other anonymous users in the Lenoi networks as they talked and debated about their favourite drinks. He had agreed to uncork a vintage Corellian wine that he had been saving for the day when the Sith returned to the Lianna system and put an end to the reign of the Kilran dynasty that had taken over the Imperial Remnant two years ago.

He and the others had all said they looked forward to toasting the return to civility, order and justice to the Tion Cluster after three tumultuous decades that had seen it fall under the stewardship of the Jedi led faction known as the ASHLAN CRUSADE, and then later under the rule of the EMPIRE OF THE LOST that had overseen the debacle at TION (which led to the planet's destruction) and the rebellion which called itself the TINGEL ARM COALITION. Under the rulership of the Sith-- who had once ruled the Tion Cluster before the Ashlan Crusade, before the Empire-- they had all agreed among the talk of ale, wine or whisky that only they could restore order to the fractured realms of the Old Tion Hegemony.

Sieliel agreed with their sentiments, and had looked forward to toasting with them. She imagined them all being welcomed by the so called CORPSE EMPEROR as heroes of his campaign to rule THE GALAXY and the rewards for their work in restoring the TENTH SITH EMPIRE back to its rightful place among the stars. That the sinister LORD OF THE TSIS'KAAR would be proud and that the Fifth Wing would be elevated in power and status among the TSIS'KAAR while he took his place as the new ruler over what had once been an 'lost' Empire. There was still time to see that day but not for this dead man at her feet. There was a certain sadness in that. She could only hope he took solace in the completion of his mission in the end.

There was a ghost of a smile which hung on his now placid features. But there was no light in those eyes anymore. Sieliel could not help herself. She lowered herself down to his height, and with her hand, she closed the assassins eyes for a final time. Whoever TION343 had been he would not be given a military funeral. There would be no service of remembrance, or anything to honour his memory. The DSDT Program would wipe his existence from record, and in time, one of his comrades would go about the work of covering up that he had ever lived. If there were relatives out there in the cosmos they were as good as dead. The conspiracy was thorough, resolute and well planned. Nobody would ever know who this man was. Except for Her.

Drawing from her hip Sieliel produced a disruptor pistol and turned the setting up to its highest. There she would stand up and take up a position away from the corpse as she prepared to disintegrate it. "Goodbye Tion. I won't forget you. I'll uncork that Corellian just like you spoke about. I..."

A finger pulls the trigger, and the disruptor makes sure there is no body to be found.

"...I promise."

Setting the pistol's safety back on Sieliel holstered it and turned to survey her position. Her former comrade-- responsible for the assassination of the Imperial delegates, and more importantly, the framing of the Diarchy for their deaths during the emergency summit-- had selected his position well. As she searched the area she discovered the means of how he had managed to get up this high without detection. Sieliel soon found what she had been looking for. The SILENT SAIL was a product of the subsidiary TAMPSON CONSOLIDATED who were owned by HOUSE MECETTI NATIONALIZED INDUSTRIES. A repulsorpack designed for stealth missions such as this, Sieliel had long deduced for quite sometime that somehow the noble house whom ruled the planet OBULETTE (a member of the GALACTIC ALLIANCE) were somehow involved in the conspiracy that she was a member of.

The TAPANI nobles and their craftmanship continued to appear in places that they should not have been. For example the Star Destroyer designated as the Obscruer-class (that her comrades in the Fifth Wing had ultimately used to pull off this operation to bring the Diarchy and Empire in war) were manufactured by the same corporation that they owned. Now here was another one of their products used by an assassin to bypass the security put in place to protect the summit convened in the Pellaeon Gardens to assassinate the delegates sent from Lianna to negotiate the terms of Bastion's surrender. Combined with her orders to deliver a message to Maldor Mecetti during the PHANTOM EMPRESS' CORONATION and the links between them to the Fifth Wing conspiracy were clear to her. She couldn't necessarily prove it, but in the game that Sieliel was apart of there were no such things as coincidences.

However, she had no time to ponder on the ramifications of an alliance based consortium in league with a Sith plot to usurp and takeover the Imperial Remnant that had taken root within the Old Tion Hegemony.

There was still her mission to complete.

As she kneeled over to check the Silent Sail, Sieliel deduced that just as it had been used to infiltrate the Pellaeon Gardens it too could serve her as a means of escape from the summit. There she could ping for evacuation that would be subsequently arranged by the New Imperial Security Bureau who had been dispatched as part of the delegation to secure Bastion. But now was not the time to think about that. She had a mission to complete: the capture of Diarch Reign and his subsequent transportation to NESPIS VIII. With the assassins body destroyed, and the Fifth Wing's involvement here obfuscated, Sieliel put on the Silent Sail and then stood up to survey the gardens below. Fighting had broken out between what was left of the delegation and representatives to The Diarchy. Her target was nearby.

It was time to bring one of the two SONS OF KAKUS into the fold.

---

 

[Lyssara Thrynn]

Objective III Tag : open

It's chaos outside.

The last thing I remember is being transferred to another ship, far from that frozen planet where they interrogated me about the Battle of Malachior. In vain. They got nothing from me, simply because I had nothing to offer. Like them, I am in the dark. I only followed orders. And I lost my fight. Lack of experience, weakness in close combat… It still frustrates me.

Now, the alarm siren wails through my cell, echoing off the metal walls. I don't know what's happening. I can't see anything, can't guess anything. Either way, I'm trapped here, stripped of my gear, my weapons, everything. Just a simple prisoner's outfit on my back and a crushing exhaustion eating me from the inside.

I lie on the bench. No point in resisting I can't do anything else. My body is heavy, my eyelids burn. I've lost track of time. Hunger and cold cling to me like shadows insidious, relentless. This oppressive silence is driving me insane.

All this chaos… it's because of me. And yet, I have no idea why.

My captors remain silent. Of course, they won't tell me anything. I'm just a pawn, a problem to contain. They know what I am a Night Sister. They know my powers, and they've taken precautions. They've blindfolded me, preventing me from teleporting, from drawing on the Force. When I open my eyes again, after all this time in darkness, the light will strike me like a blade.

Miralukas can see through the Force. But me? I'm trapped. Blind. Powerless.I can feel people starting to get excited and running around, like the entire hive is boiling, something is brewing.

A deep sigh escapes me. Shame burns in my chest.

Why was I so weak? Why did I lose?

This thought haunts me, consumes me. I clench my fists. If I make it out of this hell alive, I swear I will never let myself end up like this again. I can't give up so easily or let this be my fate. I just hope this will all be over soon I'm exhausted.

 

[GhostKey]

Objective 3
Crew: GhostKey | Ship: Glade (Counter Slicing Interference) | Sickle (Decoys) | Open
Location: Maintenance Duct
Target: Lyssara Thrynn
Tags: Open

Op: Rescue Rogue Protocols Diarchy Keyrunner to get paid.
Slice some choice data while we are there.
Difficulty: Redline
Entry: Ghosting Silent no eyes.

Muse:

Not a scrap-system ahead, but probably not expecting to get burned by some experimental black ICE tech wraith either, Lyssara herself had hooked up the crew, a short time before she'd gone off-grid. You could stack a fortress' worth of security around a prisoner, but the second doors started ghosting open, turrets flipped to friendly fire, airlocks opened out into space, and alarms screamed in all the wrong directions you'd be flatlining fast.

Sucking on the hull, their ride was the blackspire of shadow-tech, a pinnacle ship design on loan. A high-tech rumor holding its breath, with a full sensor-jamming suite, ECM and ECCM package, and a reflective hull quiet enough to put you to sleep. Cloaked and radiating zero trace, a small denon crew ran counter-slices, and trace pings into decoyed null zones, all quieter than a code update.

Glade and Ghostkey had barely gotten the job details, and it killed her to risk him. But a zero-G insertion in a hoverchair wasn't her thing. She needed Sick the anarchist jacked in, running decoy loops not throwing bombs, which meant she wasn't going anywhere either. This job was on GK's shoulders.

Inside the shield, attached to the side he moved. Cutting a tiny, surgical micro-breach near a maintenance duct where it was thinner. Not enough space for two, just one lone ghost.

"GK in." Double-encrypted, decoy-routed through regular signal traffic, bouncing the Diarchy's comms for barely a heartbeat. "I'll have a trace on her in a nano." Yeah okay, he was flexing. Not like they'd check the timestamp, only if Chronicle were here.

Slipping into the hull, he flicked up his stealth field, his gear stacked with more Denon street tech than a Lifeday tree—armor, shield-gen, a visor, a few burners. Okay, mostly scrap-tier, secondhand hardware, counting down till they spat their last signal. His best defense wasn't being spotted.

Jacking the AT uplink to his spine, he soon let Scylla loose for a silent sweep, pinging for a terminal to interface with directly. The crew buried every move covered in regular signal traffic, failing that decoyed, failing that counter-sliced directly, running as phantoms not even there.

Gear: (Mostly On Loan or Scrap-tier)

Spoiler

Armor: Gun-up made out of Baffleweave Black with Cyon colored ribbing | Helmet (Belt) + Oxygen Rebreather (Belt)
Personal Energy Shield (OFF)

Weapons: MK2 Jack Knife | Swift Hand | x12/12 Small Ion, Stun, Smoke Charges | Mandalorian Vambrace (Left Wrist) with Electroshock Dart

Infiltration Tech
Deck: B2-22-Mirage Spire-Grade! (Definitely on loan!)
Interfaced Visor: Offering an AT Link | to a FCP HUD

Stealthfield Generator (On)
Small Artificial Life-Signs Generator (OFF)
2x Emergency No-Shows (OFF)
Sensor Jammer Pack (OFF)
Backup Life form Scanner
Voice Recorder | Speech Scrambler
Hullcutter

Misc
AMWD1 Knockout Blow (Right Wrist)
APMK1 - Medkit
Laser Cutter

 

[Damos Vakaro]

Objective 1: Massacre in the Pellaeon Gardens
​

A disturbance in the force was not one to be ignored and Damos had a feeling that opening negotiations with the heirs of the Empire was a recipe or disaster. Still though, there was no time to waste. Diarch Reign was under siege, and he needed to ensure the protection of his sovereign or else everything they built here would be in much greater jeopardy. Damos equipped with nothing but his lightsaber had departed on a shuttle with only a squad of stormtroopers to accompany him. He didn't want to remove too many soldiers from the defense of the city. A simple escort was needed to provide protection and keep distance from anyone who would try not to harm Diarch Reign. At least until Damos was able to assess the threat and formulate his own plan.

News from the summit wasn't good as Damos couldn't get a fix on communications, friendly or otherwise. Hopefully he'd run into his other comrades while he was there.

The shuttle had approached one of the landing pads and Damos approached the cockpit to get clearance for landing. "Security Station Charlie this is High Councilor Vakaro, making approach, sending authorization code."

Damos held his breath as he hoped the security of the facility was compromised. If they held at least one of the landing pads, then they had a chance at spinning this affair in their favor.

"This is Station Charlie, we've verified your authorization High Councilor. You're free to land. It's chaos up here sir. We're glad to have your assistance."

Damos breathed a sigh of relief before getting ready for the shuttle's descent as the landing pad extended to greet the shuttle.

The humming of the shuttle came to a stop and the hissing of the shuttle's ramp opening was Damos' cue as he rushed out of the shuttle with his stormtroopers and made his way for the squabble that was going on in the gardens.

 

[Maldor Mecetti]

OBJECTIVE 2 - The Second Battle of Bastion

Spoiler

Resources in Play by Moff Mecetti of the Empire of the Lost
1 Obscurer Class Destroyer
'Quest' Obscurer Class Destroyer - Compromised
8 Tercio Class Cruisers
'Phalanx' 100% Hull || 100% Shields
'Relentless' 100% Hull || 100% Shields
'Vowkeeper' 100% Hull || 100% Shields
'Domina' 100% Hull || 100% Shields
'Judgment' 100% Hull || 100% Shields
'Aegis' 100% Hull || 100% Shields
'Ascendant' 100% Hull || 100% Shields
'Argent' 100% Hull || 100% Shields

1 Singularity Class Battle Carrier
'Legion' 100% Hull || 100% Shields

Starfighter Scale Craft
96 Tie Jester Attack Fighters
1 Tie Command Shuttle (From the Quest)
16 Gat-120 Skipray Blastboats
32 House Mecetti Tie Interceptors

"ATTENTION ALL HANDS! THE QUEST HAS BEEN COMPROMISED! GUNNER CREWS, SABOTAGE YOUR WEAPONS! COMPUTER CREWS, PULL ALL NETWORK CONNECTIONS! ISOLATE THE REACTORS AND THE GRAVITY PROJECTING SYSTEMS! ACTIVATE THE GRAVITY PROJECTORS AND SET THE REACTORS TO OVERLOAD! ALL HANDS ABANDON SHIP! REPEAT, ALL HANDS ABANDON SHIP!"

The moments leading up to the present replayed themselves in Maldor's mind as his Command Shuttle raced away from the Quest.

Usually, he considered himself a good judge of character. He prided himself on being able to look into a person's eyes and see what sort of person they were. But somehow, with the High Commander of the Lilaste Order, Laphisto , he had made a severe misjudgment. He had read the man as an honorable warrior. Not the sort of man who would infiltrate a ship's systems during parlay and inject a virus for the purpose of launching a false-flag attack.

Perhaps he had judged the man rightly, but judged the impact of time wrongly. People changed. Maldor certainly had.

Now the Quest was in the process of being scuttled... sadly not soon enough to prevent a war. But at least he could prevent the Lilaste Order from using the ship in further attacks. He hated to lose a valuable warship, but he couldn't risk the vessel being under enemy control.

Through the cockpit viewport, Maldor saw the Mecetti reserve fleet drop into realspace. They had been at a hyperspace point nearby, along with other Imperial ships. They'd been placed nearby in case of treachery and violence. There had been plenty of both.

He flipped a com switch, sending an encrypted signal to the Legion, "This is Lord Moff Maldor Mecetti. The Lilaste Order sliced the Quest, and used it in a false flag attack upon the conference. I'm coming into hangar two, and moving my flag to the Legion. Order all fleet elements to launch all assets."

As he soared towards the Legion, he saw small craft begin to billow forth from the ships of his reserve fleet like spores from a virulent fungus.

Other ships- ally and unknown- began to drop into the system.

The violence had only just begun.

_________________________________________​

Damos Vakaro GhostKey Lyssara Thrynn Sieliel Dimegor Tales of the Rule of Two Diarch Reign Diarch Rellik and others who may be on Objective 2

 

[Kyra Nex]

ARC #1 - Flames of the Rubicon
OBJECTIVE 2 | THE SECOND BATTLE OF BASTION
Tags: OPEN​

---

The battle-scarred streets of Ravelin trembled under the cacophony of war as Kyra Nex and her unit, the 4th Squad "Charred Dominion" of the 3rd Company "Ashen Legion," hunkered down behind a shattered facade of what once was a proud civic building. The city, a vibrant capital of the Diarchy, now lay besieged, its once bustling avenues turned into lethal corridors of death and defiance. Above, the sky was obscured by the thick smoke of burning structures, punctuated by the relentless streaks of laser fire and the ominous shadows of star destroyers engaged in a deadly dance.

Kyra, her armor scorched and dented from the relentless combat, crouched low, the heat from her flamethrower mingling with the acrid smoke that filled the air. Her squad was pinned down by heavy blaster fire from advancing Imperial forces, the enemy emboldened by the surprise assault that had thrown the Diarchy's defenses into chaos. The continuous roar of the Obscruer-class Star Destroyer 'The Quest' overhead served as a grim reminder of the desperate situation they faced.

"Squad, status report!" barked Sgt. Samuel "Saber" Miller, his voice barely audible over the din of explosions and gunfire. One by one, the squad members reported in, their voices a mix of determination and fatigue.

"We're holding, but it's a meat grinder out here, Sarge! Ammo running low!" shouted Pvt. Jacob "Jolt" Young, as he ducked a volley of blaster shots that chipped away at their cover.

Kyra peered through the haze, her eyes narrowing as she assessed their position. The Imperial forces were methodically advancing, their tactics disciplined but ruthless, a stark contrast to the chaotic ferocity of the Diarchy's desperate resistance.

The communication device crackled to life, the voice of their commanding officer, Lt. Marcus Daelan, cutting through the chaos. "Charred Dominion, you are to initiate a counterattack. We cannot let them gain further ground. Push them back at all costs!"

Kyra felt a surge of adrenaline at the order. A counterattack in the face of such overwhelming odds was risky, but it was a chance to tip the scales, to show the invaders that every inch of Bastion was paid for in fire and blood.

"Alright, Dominion, you heard the man! We're going to carve a path right through those Imperial scum!" Saber commanded, loading a new power cell into his blaster. "Nex, you take point with your flamethrower. Burn us a route!"

Kyra nodded, the familiar weight of her weapon comforting in her hands. She glanced at her squadmates, seeing in their eyes the same resolve that hardened her own spirit. Pvt. Gabriel "Ghost" Johnson gave her a grim nod, his own weapon at the ready.

With a deep breath, Kyra stood, stepping out from behind their scant cover into the maelstrom. She unleashed a torrent of flames, sweeping her flamethrower in wide arcs that turned barricades and makeshift cover into blazing infernos. The air filled with the shriek of the fire and the screams of caught enemies, the heat blistering even behind the protection of her gear.

The squad followed close behind, blasting through the disoriented Imperial ranks that scrambled to escape the fiery onslaught. Each step forward was hard-fought, the enemy's return fire relentless. Blaster bolts hissed past, close enough to singe, but Kyra kept moving, her path marked by fire and destruction.

"Push, push!" Saber yelled, leading the charge as they breached through to a critical junction that controlled access to several key city blocks. Holding it would give the Diarchy forces much-needed breathing room and stall the Imperial advance.

As they secured the position, Kyra's breaths came heavy, her face smeared with soot and sweat. Around her, the remnants of her squad set up defensive positions, their bodies tensed for the inevitable counterattack. But in that moment, there was a fierce pride in their eyes; despite the odds, they had pushed back, had held their ground.

Above them, the battle in the skies raged on, a deadly ballet of starships and fighters that mirrored their own struggle on the ground. Kyra knew the war was far from over, and the cost would be steep. But as she reloaded her flamethrower and prepared for the next wave, she felt a steely resolve settle over her.

This was Bastion. This was their home. And they would defend it to the last, with fire and defiance.

WITH FIRE AND DEFIANCE.

 

[Karl Von Strauss]

Objective: I - THE MASSACRE IN THE PELLAEON GARDENS!
Location: Bastion, Pellaeon Gardens
Equipment: Uniform with Moff Rank Plaque and code cylinders, k23 mod. E pistol, Leg
Tags: Dieter Kovasch (He's another one of my characters I'll be running him as an NPC for now) | Open

The first sounds of explosions caught Karl completely off guard. He was not expecting a bombardment, this was meant to be the opening of a dialogue, not a war. At the beginning of this discussion he had hoped for peace between the two factions, yet that idea shattered into a million pieces much like the garden windows. He had already stood up as the second volley came down, his hand unclasping his trusty Relby.

He turned to his two followers, Lieutenants Kovasch and Thif, "Who ordered this strike?! Get me in contact with the Commodore--"

He was cut off by the sounds of a sharpshooter taking shots at the members of the Imperial Delegation and by Dieter pushing him to the ground, forcing him to take cover. "Karl sir, we need to get you to the Celestia, now!" He said while putting on his helmet, the hermetic seal hissing as it connected with the rest of his armor.

"I agree Dieter," he said pulling out a comm device from his belt, "Celestia, Circe, come in. Get the ship ready we are inbound."

"Of course Karl, do you need my assistance?" The robotic voice of Circe replied.

No, just get the ship running, and defend it till I get there."

There was no reply, only the sounds of blasters for a moment, then, "Sorry, I was interrupted. I will do as you say."

Dieter laughed, "The one time you leave Circe on the ship. Come on let's go!"

As they started to leave, more turbolaser fire rained down, the roof began to crumble. Karl looked up in fear as Dieter and Moira pulled him toward the exit. The roof was caving in and fast until it held its position, hovering then being thrown in a different direction, then he heard the yelling.

"MOVE YOU FOOLS"

He looked to see the Diarch throwing the rubble aside before being crushed himself. "Rellik!" he cried out, "Chit. Where's the Empress? Kanni!" he began to yell out, Dieter still pulling him toward the exit.

 

[Her]

---

---

Bastion, Outer Rim Territories, Braxant sector, Sartinaynian system;
The Diarchy;
Tags: Lyssara Thrynn | GhostKey | Glade | Diarch Rellik

---

"The strong always stepped forward; the weak had no choice but to follow."
-- Darth Bane.

---

Objective III: The Rescue of Lyssara Thrynn!

CONSIPIRACY GRIPS THE LOST DIARCHY.
​

Equipment:

• The Cone of Silence.
• The Domestic Surveillance of Direct Threats.
• Lightsaber Hilt.
• Slicing Unit.
• Shield Weave
• Cortosis-weave armor.
• The Imperial Immortals.

[POST THEME]

​

The things we do for love.

Whirring. Thrrmm. Thrrrm. Thrrrrm. A turbolift works its way down the chute as the Quest looms on the precipice of it's self-destruction. All the while, as the ROGUE PROTOCOL prepared their slice, the call to abandon ship wails through the intercoms. All around them transports, starfighters, or escape pods were jettisoning from the Star Destroyer, and as they made their way to, perhaps, safe haven-- a NIGHTSISTER lays within the clutches of the IMPERIAL IMMORTALS whose corruption by the FIFTH WING took root a long time ago...

"ATTENTION ALL HANDS! THE QUEST HAS BEEN COMPROMISED! GUNNER CREWS, SABOTAGE YOUR WEAPONS! COMPUTER CREWS, PULL ALL NETWORK CONNECTIONS! ISOLATE THE REACTORS AND THE GRAVITY PROJECTING SYSTEMS! ACTIVATE THE GRAVITY PROJECTORS AND SET THE REACTORS TO OVERLOAD! ALL HANDS ABANDON SHIP! REPEAT, ALL HANDS ABANDON SHIP!"

In the darkness Lyssara Thrynn hears the sound of the lift opening. Around her cell block the Imperial Immortals-- a special taskforce in league with the NEW IMPERIAL SECURITY BUREAU-- had been making their preparations to abandon ship, and escort their hostage out of the Sartaynian system before the Quest self-destructs. There are suddenly raised voices. Then they are followed by tthe snap hissing sound of a Lightsaber activating, and there is a hail of blasters opening fire. Hurt voices concealed beneath helmeted masks groan, scream, or in some cases-- plead-- as fighting breaks out in the corridor outside of Thrynn's cell.

Suddenly the noise stops. It is replaced by the soft whir of the technology all around them, and the repeated calls of Maldor Mecetti 's order to abandon ship playing in the offshoot. The Lightsaber deactivates, and then it quickly followed by the groaning sound of the cell doors opening against their will. A hand reached forth from the nether, and where there had once been darkness there was now light-- the faint illumination of crimson red along the walls, and blurring neon white light which hung overhead threatening to blind or disorientate the imprisoned apprentice of one Diarch Rellik .

"Lyssara Thrynn," says a woman beneath the hem of a raised hood. As Thrynn comes to terms with the return of her vision (for the blindfold has been taken off) the DARK LORD OF THE SITH regards the prisoner in front of her. "Do you want your freedom back?"

---

 

[Augustus Von Strauss]

Objective: II - THE SECOND BATTLE OF BASTION! [Fleeting]
Location: Aboard the Basilisk-Class Battleship, Manticore
Equipment: IG-14 Blaster Pistol, Kaldrweave Uniform, Forearm mounted datapad
Tags: Maldor Mecetti | Laphisto | Open

Spoiler: Manticore

Manticore, Basilisk-Class Battleship
Shields 100 | Hull 100

Starfighters:
8 TIE/dv Devastators
16 Hund Superiority Fighters
48 TIE Vipers

Augustus was watching the Quest out of one of the many viewports in the Manticore's main bridge. The Empress's Kisaragi loomed large over it. He daydreamed about the opportunity to captain one of those, a once-in-a-lifetime type of deal. He had been able to captain the Heimdall during the invasion of Mon Cala, but that was because he was running drills with the crew. A Super Star Destroyer, now that was a commission.

His daydreaming was cut short, however, by the oppressive red flare of the Quest's turbolasers opening up on the city below. Augustus turned to look at Commodore Keegan; the older officer shared a look of disbelief on his face. He immediately snapped into his training, "Communications, were there any orders to fire given?"

"No!" One of the technicians yelled from the pit.

"Chit. Get our guns online, whether or not the orders were given, we will defend ourselves. Augustus, take the podium, I'm transferring command to you." Keegan said taking a step back from the command podium.

"Wha..." he began to say before replying with, "Yes sir." As he took the podium and looked at all of the data coming in. Distracted by it he didn't notice the stream of turbolaser fire from the Lilaste fleet until it impacted the Quest's shields. The bridge was silent, watching it all take place, there wasn't meant to be a battle today.

He barely had time to start thinking when a technician yelled out, "Enemy fleet exiting hyperspace! Four. No, eight. No, thirty-eight additional vessels."

Another yelled out, "Friendly fleet exiting from above!" As the Mecetti reserve fleet joined the battle.

The enemy fleet blotted out the sky before him and in tandem began firing. His vessel shook as the first wave hit the Manticore.

"Damage report?" Augustus called out.

"Nothing of note sir, we had the majority of our power shifted to the shields while we were holding."

"Good. What about the Quest and Kisaragi?"

"The Kisaragi is fine, the Quest has begun the process of scuttling itself."

"What is Moff Mecetti thinking?" he said, completely unaware that the Quest was hacked. "Get me in contact with him. And start lining us up to hit their command ship. We are holding our position until I speak with the Moff."

He felt the Manticore shift as the nose of this great behemoth began pointing directly at the Tracyn. He listened to the whining of the weapon batteries as they turned to lock onto their targets. He began to hear the slight hum of the tractor beam arrays. A plan was forming in his mind, but he'd wait to act upon it until he'd spoken with the Moff.

A gunnery officer stepped forward, "All weapons have their targets locked, Sir."

Augustus tried to swallow the nonexistent spit in his mouth, his Adam's apple following the motion. He drew in a breath, "All batteries, open fire."

 

[Kaanni Ugaiya Kilran]

OBJECTIVE I: THE MASSACRE IN THE PELLAEON GARDENS!
Current Outfit
Moogle


"Get to cover!"

Wrym's normally booming, crisp voice was drowned out in the mixture of screams and whining of blaster fire coming from all directions. The sunny skies of Bastion were decorated with starburst explosions, Imperial TIE fighter squadrons roaring above hastily getting into a semblance of a formation. Imperial Star Destroyers and Diarchy ships engaging in broadside combat with the large chunks of debris from both sides falling to the surface of the planet like meteors smashing Empire and Diarchy forces alike. All in all, Bastion was a chaotic storm filled with panic and confusion.

It was clear that the Diarchy shot first, that was Kanni's first thought when the fighting broke out. It was a set up to assassinate her. Trust no one, her father made sure to drill that lesson in Kanni's head. "Nothing," the voice of her father echoed in her mind. "Hurts more than a blade to the back. Always look behind you my precious daughter. People will hate you, try to undermine you, but always look them in eye and they will recoil in fear."

Kanni let her guard down and it nearly cost her life, Diarchy soldiers fired at her while she was fleeing to her transport. Four of her brothers took blaster bolts while she retreated to the transport. But she wasn't going to jump into lightspeed tail between her legs.......

"Protect the Empress!" Wyrm shouted Kanni ran up the ramp hiking the skirts of her dress. The Clone Troopers formed a defensive line around the transport trying to hold off the incoming wave. 1 Galactic Marines fell for every 5 they've killed standing firm in the midst of the turmoil but the Diarchy soldiers were relentless in their attack advancing in a human wave until a large shuriken rushed past the troopers cutting Diarchy men and women alike.

Kanni ran down the ramp changed in her combat gear and flipped high in the air standing besides Wrym. "PUSH THROUGH!" Kanni yelled. "We MUST NOT let them win!"

OOC: Open to anyone!

 

[Aemicia Vaiken]

Bastion | Outer System

• Objective: II. Battle of Bastion
  • Primary: Awaiting Orders
  • Secondary: Observe Situation; Gather Information; Prepare for Battle
• Tags:
  • Allied: Marlon Sularen
  • Adversary: Open
• Theme: Navy Theme

She sat on the command throne of the Ravager, her legs crossed and her eyes on one of the floating screens that were in front of her head, slightly above. Not so she would be exposed any discomfort looking at them and not so she would miss anything going on on the bridge. The bridge officers often joking that one eye was always on them while the other was targeting the next enemy. And they were right. Aemicia was entirely focused on her duty as an imperial officer and that was delivering nothing short of excellence.

Her eyes were of a strong, piercing color, always seeming to cast judgement, to make those in front feel insufficient, but that was unintended. It was simply her stern expression that put fear and discipline into other soldiers. And since she had removed the Stormtrooper Plate and adorned the white uniform of the Lord Militant, that had dramatically increased. A reward for her services in the Dark Empire's military, a reward by her overlord Darth Imperius who had sent her to the Stormtroopers some years ago.

The reflection of rushing blue and wide could be seen in her eyes, as marvelous as hyperspace was, as quickly it slow down, blackness replacing the lights and the ship arriving back in realspace. Instantly alarms started ringing, the crew already compiling a list of contacts and sensor readings, reports coming in. The Red Hand was not alone, another speartip, a second, third. Five. Ten. Sixteen. All exited hyperspace in orderly formation.

"Action stations." Her voice was calm, icy and strict. "Shields and weapons online, mark all non-imperial contacts and share data among the formation. Launch screens but keep strike squadrons in reserve. Reactor status?"

"Green, sir!" Came from one of the officers in their red-black uniform of the Ascendant Navy.

"Reinforce frontal deflectors, wait for my command to engage. Alert the Stormtroopers to be ready to repel boarding parties. Where is the Lord-Regent?"

"We receive their signal from hyperspace, arriving shortly, sir."

"Patch me to the fleet, open channel."

"Sir." Responded the comms officer in a single word of confirmation and nod.

"Soldiers of the Empire. Today we stand above the ruins of Bastion, capital of more than one Empire, but today ruled by none. It is our solemn duty to do our best, to excel and to aspire to ever new greatness as soldiers and we shall prove once more to the Galaxy that it is neither boasting brothers pretending to play Sith nor an empress from the seeds of madness, lost and forgotten, that are the heirs of the true Sith Empire. We are. Our purpose is domination, our goal is victory, nothing less. Glory to the Empire!"

The last line was repeated across decks and bridges of the fleet as starfighters were launched, shields deployed and weapons charged. The Empire had come and it was ready for battle.

Order of Battle​

Class​	Name​	Effects/Damage​
Ravager-class Star Destroyer (1,500m)	1x Red Hand ​
Harrower-class Dreadnought (820m)	3x Colossus, Laurels of Victory, Resilience​
Terminus-class Destroyer (520m)	6x Vae Victus, Andronicus, Righteous Fury, Utomnur, Event Horizon, Black Sword​
Gage-class Transport (520m)	2x Red Talon, Fearmonger​
Rapax-class Corvette (200m)	3x3 Ripper I, Ripper II, Ripper III​
TIE/ss Supremacy	28 x 8 = 192​
TIE/hac Scorpion	6 x 4 = 24​
Eradicator-class Heavy Bomber	5 x 4 = 20​

| Stormtroopers of the Hand |​

 

[Diarch Rellik]

Tags: Her Lord Dvasius Nyva Shei Kallous

Beware when a good man goes to war

OBJECTIVE III: THE RESCUE OF LYSSARA THRYNN!​

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Location: Pellion Gardens

Sirens. Duracrete. Water.

Opening his eyes slowly with a large strain the Diarch realized his imminent reality. The home defense alarms to warn citizens to enter protective bunkers have been sounded. He was buried under several decently sized chunks of the Gardens and the emergency water system must have come on. What happened here?

The escalation of events happened so fast. - Someone had opened fire first, shooting into the meeting. Yet the subsequent bombardment was executed so flawlessly in tandem that it was hard to determine exactly where it came from. A traitor of their own, A member of the enemies delegation or a shooter from afar.

A women's scream from the streets below kicked Rellik out of his introspection. Maneuvering the rubble off of himself he concluded he was the only one still remaining in the center of the gardens. A large hole in its ceiling being the major damage to the facility - appearing to not be from a turbo laser but relative debris from a shield generator nearby. Whoever launched it perhaps did not want to actually hit here. They might not have wanted those involved to die...

Leaping outwards from the open hole above to go and help the woman he heard before, the man arrived out unto the street. - The sky was on fire, his home in ruins, and his people dead upon the roads and sidewalks. A flaming rage slowly filling him unlike any that he had ever experienced before. Looking upwards as the navy's engaged he remembered the times he would walk Ravelin and create firework shows for its citizens. Now the explosions were not ones of joy but pain.

Staring above it was clear to see troopers from the LOST have now descended upon his world. For some reason a group of them were standing down the road over a body, deliberating it appeared over the situation at hand. With a passion felt for all of those he swore to protect, Rellik dove upon the warriors. Using mou kei he gave the animals what they deserved. As the last trooper put up his resistance the Diarch closed the gap. Reaching out and ripping his helmet off. A young mans face, already worn with battle scars like Relliks own. Putting his palm dominantly over the face of the Lost trooper, Rellik would reach into his mind and drive him mad. Left to suffer a fate worse than death.

Reaching down he inspected the woman to see why she had died. She was a worker for the Diarchy at the garden. Looking down the road it appeared she was attempting to reach the safety of the bunkers and had been stopped. Whether to be interrogated or just as a brutal act of war, for one reason or another she was killed. His oath to defend them had been broken.

Clutching her I.D. work card in his hands. He was on the verge of breaking.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Location: Revelin (Capital of Bastion) - Sloan Naval Academy

Helping as many people as he could the Diarch would make his way to his faithful friend. Varis Oakertain - He had been told to ready the home defense fleet and as everyone else had already left the gardens, it was time to go into space and hunt these savages. Coming across several Diarchy troops as he made his way through he commandeered a comm link and dialed in to his personal channel after enough tinkering.

Rellik: "Varis come in. I need a status report. I am on my way to the naval academy but have been slowed down by the assault."

Varis: "Brother! By the whills it is good to hear your voice. The Tyrants are ready to launch into orbit. I was about to take off myself as I have reports that I need to disclose and knew you would want my immediate action upon... Rumors are coming in that the Lost have a high councilor hostage. As far as counting heads go the consensus is your pupil. Lyssara. I was about to launch a rescue operation myself."

For all within a large area of the Diarch - There was defining weight. A aura of maleficence that filled any without a strong enough will with a sense of dread. For a brief moment, even his own soldiers.

Rellik: "Reach out to Nyva Shei immediately. Tell her I need her help and the Solar Spectrum ship to your location - Inform my apprentice Kallous that he is to halt any actions he is a part of for the defense and prepare himself. Lastly, reach out to the contact you made. His name I believe was Lord Dvasius , slaughter and a chance to learn weaknesses of the Lost should intrigue him enough... his voice a rough growl nearing feral Inform them I need us all to meet at the Naval academy NOW."

In an effort unseen by the people or soldiers of the Diarchy before, Rellik moved at incredible speeds heading directly to the Naval academy.

 

[Lyssara Thrynn]

objective III | Eolt Cell.

Blaster shots ring out just outside my cell. I also hear the sound of a lightsaber, which is far from reassuring. Since I have no way of knowing whether they are allies or enemies, I must remain wary of everyone. Rightfully so locked away in this cell in complete darkness, my judgment is far from optimal. My combat strength is nearly non-existent, reducing me to nothing more than a civilian at this moment.

The door to my cell finally opens, and I hear footsteps growing closer. The lightsaber's blade continues to crackle it is right next to me now. I struggle to sit up against the wall of my cell, my hands still bound, preventing me from moving or resisting in any way. That's why I couldn't remove the blindfold myself.

Someone else does it for me, however a fatal mistake. Having been in complete darkness for so long, my eyes do not immediately adjust, causing a severe flash of blindness. The bright glow of the lightsaber doesn't help either. The moment they remove the blindfold, I instinctively shield my eyes to protect myself from the light. I hear someone say my name and ask me a question.

"Who's asking?"

My voice is weak. The person before me can see the heavy bags under my eyes, the deep-set exhaustion in my face. I am in desperate need of care to regain my strength, and my mental state is far from what it should be.

The question about freedom makes me think after all, freedom depends on its definition. Of course, I want to leave this ship; it's on the verge of collapse. I slowly try to adjust my vision, but the silhouette before me remains blurry. The stark contrast between the bright glow of the lightsaber and the dim surroundings makes it difficult to focus. I cannot tell whether this person is a friend or an enemy.

"That depends on the kind of freedom you're offering. If you mean getting off this ship alive, then yes, I accept. Otherwise... well, may the Force be with me. There is no death, there is only force. "

Honestly, I have no desire to explode along with this ship. If this person is offering me a way out, I won't refuse perhaps I'll find an opportunity to escape along the way. For now, everything is too unclear for me to attempt anything. Once my vision fully adjusts, I'll finally be able to take in my surroundings and understand where I'm being held. I have no choice to ccoperate, or i will die. I need win time.

I haven't even realized yet that I'm wearing a prisoner's uniform. I am completely at this person's mercy. My hands are still bound, and my weakened state prevents me from moving as I would like. For now, it is wiser to stay still and avoid causing trouble I need to understand my captor's intentions first.

Her

Tag : Open

 

[Nyva Shei]

As I was calmly preparing to go rescue my mistress with the Solar Spectrum, an order from the Master came through my radio—his tone unlike anything I had ever heard before. I clenched my teeth. He was altering my entire plan. Initially, I had intended to throw myself headfirst into the battle and rescue my mistress, but now I had to adjust. He was lucky he was my superior.

I accepted the order and relayed the message to the necessary people through my comlink. I started by responding to Diarch Rellik.

"Got it, I'll take care of it. "

Then, I switched frequencies to pass on Rellik's message exactly as it had been given to me, this time addressing Kallous and Lord Dvasius
"You heard the boss? I'll meet you there. Join him. Immediatly at the naval academy"

With the message delivered, I set course for the Naval Academy without hesitation, pushing the Solar Spectrum to full speed.

Now was not the time for hesitation. I had rarely seen him like this, and as for me? I was ready to kill if it meant boarding the ship where my mistress was being held. This was definitely not the time to get in our way.

Upon arrival, I wasted no time preparing the shuttle. The advantage of my ship—or rather, my mistress's ship—was that it was built for smuggling. Strong defenses, an advanced cloaking system, and near-instantaneous jump capability. For a rescue or extraction mission, there was no better ship in the sector. And on top of that, it was small able to slip in and out of places where others couldn't.

Just as I was making the final preparations, Ada, the ship's AI, decided to chime in.

Ada: I suggest you calm yourself, Mistress Nyva. Your mental state is showing highly concerning levels.

I gritted my teeth.

"That's nothing compared to my mistress's condition, Ada. We have to save her. "

Ada: Haste has never been a wise companion. You should clear your mind.

I slammed my fists against the control panel. Seriously? Now was the time for this AI to start lecturing me? I am ready to take they at the meeting point.

Diarch Rellik Lord Dvasius Kallous

 

[Darth Nathrax]

Objective I: The massacre in the Pellaeon Gardens!
Tags: Open

Nathrax was late to the negotiations as he was often want to do. By the time he arrived the communications had already broken down, all the better to sate the Sith's battle lust. Under his bony mask her gave a wolf-like grin before levitating his lightsaber to his outstretched right hand. With a snap the blade ignited, burning the air around it to cause an ominous hum. A unique sort of bliss filled the man as he could smell blood and death just beyond the doors of the garden.

For too long he had been at peace, waiting to be unleashed upon a worthy foe. One which he could slaughter to his black heart's content. Now it was obvious his time had come. A time he could cut through the countless legions of The Empire, spilling blood until he had his fill. The sounds of blasters and artillery from above were like music to him, making his heart race in the way only battle could. He wished to test his might against The Empire's best, with the hope of dragging them kicking and screaming into oblivion at the edge of his lightsaber.

"Yes! Yes! Bring your many legions Imperial dogs! I wish to have a banquet of bloodshed! A feast of carnage that will be written about in legends for generations to come! Men of the Diarchy hear my words! Today we shall make countless orphans and widows! Do not stop fighting until the fear of death has filled our enemies, and then grant them the most wonderful of ends!!"

Battles like this were Nathrax's true drug. More than any stim or cocktail of chemicals, the ability to sink his saber into the flesh of an enemy was one he cherished. And the clones of The Empire of the Lost would be perfect fodder to him, an unending torrent of sanguine delight.

 

[Onrai]

Objective 3
Tags: Lyssara Thrynn GhostKey Glade Her Diarch Rellik

After her prior encounter with one of the Diarchs, one that had nearly resulted in her skewering him before his wounded withdrawal, Onrai had begun to study the man in her spare time. As expected, he possessed at least one apprentice - and curiously, the apprentice was now being used as a bargaining chip. How shameful things had become. As the shade of Onrai congealed aboard the Quest, she raised a pair of nonexistent eyebrows in considering the situation. The ship was being prepared for scuttling, but from what she could yet sense, the prisoner was still aboard - along with others, including more familiar faces. The single living shadow became two identical feminine forms that eyed each other, momentarily dazed at the thought of a singular essence operating nigh-independently, yet with a single goal behind it.

-

Onrai had sped through the halls of the Quest in an attempt to save the ship from destruction. Turrets and blaster fire had pockmarked her amorphous form, but she had finally made it to the bridge elevator. An enigmatic hand mashed the button leading to the bridge. So long as she could manipulate the command consoles of the ship, it would be possible to shut down the scuttling routine. The vessel would prove to be a useful, valuable piece of hardware to examine - and she had potential solutions to inhibit others from acquiring her true prize in the end.

-

The Force signature of the apprentice was unmistakable - as was the signature of the one nearest her. Others were yet seeking to penetrate into the ship, but for the time being, that was a lesser concern than what Onrai was yet focusing on. A feeling of aberrant wrongness further grew more prominent the closer she got. The familiarity with the other being who yet interacted with the young prisoner only encouraged the blasphemous form to proceed onwards. She had full expectations of what the woman would do with Lyssara were she to escape the ship with her, and she had no desire to let such happen.

 

[Kato Dréze]

Bastion Orbit | Sartinaynian system
TAGS: Open
GEAR: Lightsaber | Blaster​

OBJECTIVE II: THE SECOND BATTLE OF BASTION

THEME

Real-space warped around the Gargoyle as it was pulled suddenly out of hyperspace by a gravity well. The classic Thrawn Pincer maneuver was executed with perfection after centuries of practice. Around the Gargoyle, dozens of Imperial starships likewise materialized from hyperspace. The attack had begun.

Captain Dréze stood at the head of the command bridge. His uniform cape draped over his left shoulder; he stood like a rock in a storm amid the flurry of activity from the ship’s crew. His XO, lieutenant-commander Sienna Carver, stood nearby analyzing the numerous communications. She was surprisingly young for her rank but still older than 90% of the ship’s crew. The Gargoyle was a green vessel, used as a testing ground for fresh academy graduates before they were reassigned elsewhere in the fleet. Kato didn’t mind. He enjoyed the energy that the situation created. His crew was eager to showcase their abilities in hopes of promotion, which worked in his favor.

The battle over Bastion was just beginning when they arrived. While the Gargoyle was usually an imposing sight in any star system, its size was dwarfed by the behemoth vessels clustered over the planet. The Empress’ Kisagari loomed nearby, silhouetted by starlight. It looked apocalyptic compared to the average Star Destroyer.

“Weapon stabilizers activated. Safeties disengaged. Bearing 181.05,” a tech officer reported, hunched over a computer console like the majority of the crew.

“TIE fighter crews to their stations. All personnel to phase two battle stations,” Carver ordered.

Soft lengths of steam rose up from the demitasse of espresso clutched in Kato’s fingers. He sipped the dark beverage; a habit he had picked up from studying the late Emperor. Finishing the drink, he handed the cup and saucer to an aide as he turned to address the bridge crew.

“Commander,” Kato spoke to get the attention of Carver. She turned, clicking her heels together at attention, “open a ship-wide channel.”

“Yes Sir,” she replied, tapping a holographic display. Moments later, the Captain’s voice would be broadcast throughout the Star Destroyer.

“This is your Captain speaking. This is the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Our presence here is an announcement to the leaders of the galaxy. What is the purpose of our Empire’s existence? Our sovereign, the Phantom Empress, came to this world to secure peace. Were the Braxant Run warlords able to accept that peace? The answer is No.”

“Now the very safety of our Empress is threatened. Why is that? Because an armed organization calling themselves ‘The Diarchy’ have seized control of this sector and now they are challenging us to a war. We mustn’t allow this aggression towards us to go unanswered. We are here to say to the leaders of the galaxy and to every Imperial citizen, ‘now is the time to unite and fight against this threat.’ Our victory over them shall earn a greater unity and peace for the Empire. Is that not our mission? Is that not our purpose in this life?”

“A fantastic battle is about to commence between unity and disorder. Let us end the pathetic history that these undeserving despots have created. The Phantom Empress, the new hope of our galaxy, must live on and establish the new history we are about to lay out in Her name. Long live the Empress. Long live the Empire.”

The bridge crew stood and applauded. Shouts of LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE erupted from the comm channels across the Gargoyle.

“Well spoken, Captain. Long live the Empress. Long live the Empire,” Carver spoke, offering a proud salute to the sentiment.

Kato nodded in thanks before turning his sights back out to the battle. He had no choice but to do some acting to rally the spirits of the men and women under his command. In truth, he wasn’t fully convinced that the Empress would survive the battle. He would never question the decisions of the Moff Council publicly but he had felt that the diplomatic mission to Bastion was ill-conceived. The Empress should never have gone personally, even with the protection of her Imperial guard and fleet. He couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being manipulated by the Council. That she was put out on a hook like bait to entice the Empire’s enemies.

Kato was no stranger to the often merciless politics of the Empire. If he was going to be a participant in this theater then he would play his role with conviction. Regardless of how this production would end, he would come out alive with something to show for it.​

 

[GhostKey]

Objective 3
Crew: GhostKey | Ship: Glade (Counter Slicing Interference) | Sickle (Decoys) | Open
Location: Terminal Near the Outer Hull Maintenance Ducts.
Actions: Keep the generators from blowing quickly, and try to keep the network online, while trying to make life easier for the escape.
Tags: Diarch Rellik | Lyssara Thrynn | Her | Onrai | Nyva Shei
Mentions: Maldor Mecetti

Thankfully—or not so thankfully—with the ship evacuating, the AI found a quiet terminal easy. The reactor—soon to be ball of fire—was less helpful.

Maldor Mecetti

"Glay, they're ghosting the rig. Can you clamp the reactor cores and keep the net breathing?"

"Can't hard-lock their meltdown, but we can uhh ice the heat dump—vent slow instead of blow, buy ya some time. Reroutin' the net through us as the server, but if it's the only signal screamin', it'll, y'know, paint us hot."

"I'll make sure it's not. You just keep those gens from going nova too early for us to bounce, or it'll be one short trip"

Plan 1: Keep some net nodes live so they don't stick out too bright in the noise.
Plan 2: Don't die in a ball of fire. Solid ideas.

Diarch Rellik

COMMS LINK 124121-X67 ::: Pending Pickup.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Status: Hull breached. Evac called. No eyes on us. Gens set to blow. Target sighted. Instructions?

Short and encrypted. Slow as heck to send over this range with this level of encryption, but it should be simple enough for him to read. Hopefully, he'd even recognize the sender—if he knew who Lyssara had set contracts with to hire.

A neon glade and a ghostly gray key flashed on any screen he had, followed by an encrypted file with contract details to open, so he knew who he was talking to, more or less, by alias, though reading a file might take him longer to work out. Lag Lag Lag

Her | Lyssara Thrynn | Onrai

Blackout time. Let's ghost their scope. Time for fun.

Tricky call, who to back, who to stall? First move: get their keyrunner clear. Second setup a trace, No mission giver no creds, jobs don't pay without the broker! Cameras fuzzed out on their position, locking down doors to stall movement toward Lyssara Thrynn and Her . Less reinforcements or distractions in. If anyone pushed, lights shorted, pipes burst, steam or wires gave them a jolt. Pain is a good distraction.

Surprisingly, nothing touched the two of them, it was like the forcegods themselves had reached on high and built a path for them, or just a cocky slicer with all the tech the diarchy-creds could loan and forcer reflexes.

Until...

A neon-purple glade picture flickered on a monitor near Lyssara before glitching out. Replaced with jagged neon text:

WILL BUY TIME ON GENS. AND COVER. COMMS LINK 124121-X67 GL.

A direct line. If she could tap in, it might carry her signal all the way back to her people. But would Her approve? He kept a few choice cameras online to watch the exchange and work out what was happening, right now there was a lot of confusion as to just who was an ally!

Onrai might do well to let them know they were friendly on the comms somehow, but how? They'd not seen Onrai yet. A tricky situation to understand from his remote vantage point.

 

[Maldor Mecetti]

OBJECTIVE 2 - The Second Battle of Bastion

Spoiler

Resources in Play by Moff Mecetti of the Empire of the Lost
1 Obscurer Class Destroyer
'Quest' Obscurer Class Destroyer - Compromised
8 Tercio Class Cruisers
'Phalanx' 100% Hull || 100% Shields
'Relentless' 100% Hull || 100% Shields
'Vowkeeper' 100% Hull || 100% Shields
'Domina' 100% Hull || 100% Shields
'Judgment' 100% Hull || 100% Shields
'Aegis' 100% Hull || 100% Shields
'Ascendant' 100% Hull || 100% Shields
'Argent' 100% Hull || 100% Shields

1 Singularity Class Battle Carrier
'Legion' 100% Hull || 100% Shields

Starfighter Scale Craft
96 Tie Jester Attack Fighters
1 Tie Command Shuttle (From the Quest, Landed)
16 Gat-120 Skipray Blastboats
32 House Mecetti Tie Interceptors

By the time Maldor put the Command Shuttle down in the Legion's landing bay and raced to the bridge, the starscape was already littered with capital ships doing their best to blast each other to oblivion.

"Moff on the Bridge," someone announced as he came into the command center of the ship, "Lord Moff Mecetti, there is an urgent message coming in for you from the Captain of the Manticore."

That was Von Strauss, wasn't it? Doubtless he'd want a situation update.

"Status of the-" he gestured broadly at the viewport, "cluster-fodder?" He couldn't rightfully call it anything else.

"Multiple ships have entered system. Some are allied, some are of... unknown disposition. There's an exchange of fire with the Lilaste Order and... well, we still haven't figured out who we're shooting at, Sir."

That sounded about right.

"Shoot at anyone who shoots at us," Maldor ordered, "and then mark those ships as red on the tac display. Where is the Empress?"

"We're... not sure, Sir."

"All right. Find out. And put Von Strauss on holocomm." He couldn't rightfully blame his people for being confused. He was plenty confused, himself. His gaze shifted to look in the direction of the Quest, which still hadn't exploded. Any minute, now.

Hopefully.

The last thing he wanted was for the ship to fall under enemy control. At least, any more than it already had.

The bridge holo-communications projector brightened to life, showing the countenance of Von Strauss.

"The Lilaste Order sliced the Quest, and then forced her to open fire on the surface," Maldor announced abruptly, "now we seem to be in a shooting war instead of a diplomatic conference.

We should consolidate our positions, provide mutual interdiction fire. But first-"

His jaw muscles clenched as he gritted out the question, "do you know where the Empress is? Did she make it out?"

If the Quest had bombarded the new Empress out of existence, his days of life in the galaxy could probably be measured in fractional units.

____________________________________​

Laphisto Augustus Von Strauss Kato Dréze Aemicia Vaiken Damos Vakaro GhostKey Lyssara Thrynn Sieliel Dimegor Tales of the Rule of Two Diarch Reign Diarch Rellik and others who may be on Objective 2