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Dune listened in over the comm as he monitored sensors and live security camera feeds. Of course it's zombies, the Bith thought with a grimace of disgust, it's always zombies.
Syn's plan was about as solid as it was going to get. If the shooters were going to be effective, they'd need blades to keep the walkers off of them. That was the duty of the apprentices. Much depended upon the younger ones remembering the discipline of a Jedi.
An alarm tone sounded as sensors picked up an enemy craft making planetfall.
"You have more incoming," he reported "I'm picking up only a few lifeforms. I wouldn't be surprised if they brought more ghouls, it would certainly be in keeping with their M.O."
Location: Near the Silver Jedi Outpost.
Objective: Destroy.
Enemies: [member="Connor Harrison"], [member="Jericho"], [member="Dune Rhur"], [member="Auron Song"], Other Silver Jedi
Allies: [member="Velok the Younger"], [member="Matsu Xiangu"], [member="Grimoire"], [member="Silas of Ossus"], [member="Darth Raxis"], [member="Sirella Valkner"]
Darth Athyssius descended towards the planet.
Through the atmosphere,
Through the clouds,
The Daisya Infiltrator descended.
Perhaps it was shot at, perhaps it was struck, it mattered not. Darth Athyssius kept on coming. He didn't advertise it through the Force, no, but some may have felt that he was familiar. Perhaps the Bith JediMaster that had felt first hand what it was like to feel an armoured boot striking him in the side of the head. Or perhaps the Master who had threatened him in the Valley of Blades in the Netherworld during the Silver Invasion of Ruusan.
It mattered not.
He kept on coming.
The Daisya Infiltrator's repulsors blew out sands as it landed upon one of the dunes.
Athyssius turned his head to his pilot and nodded.
The ship's ramp opened for a moment, deposited the Sith Master, closed, cloaked, and left.
Black armour, black hooded cloak. He walked towards the Silver Jedi Outpost. Presumably, they had seen his ship. Chances were, someone was coming to meet him head on. If not, he would've continued walking through the dunes.
It had been all been going well enough. A little boring, but boring was good. Boring meant no one was shooting at them.
Tables with white linens were strewn loosely around the room. Promotional materials for both Corellia Defense and the Levantine Astronautical Academy strewn throughout the gala, with particular emphasis on a new Dilandau Center for Subspace Telecommunications Research opening as part of a new Strategic Communications major at the academy.
Raising a wine glass in the air, the newly appointed dean of the communications department, turned his attention to a small, tow-headed boy that was swaddled in the emerald green robes of a Corellian Jedi. "To General Sor-Jan Xantha, whose generous donation to the Levantine Astronautical Academy will ensure the quality of education here on the frontier."
Not that he didn't appreciate the free hype, but all things being equal... they could all be playing HoloStation right now. And that would actually have suited him just fine.
As a small smattering of applause spread throughout the room, the young Jedi found himself thrust into the proverbial spotlight. Rising from out of his seat, he had to stand on top of his chair in order to be seen, one hand raised as he waved while smiling awkwardly at the attention. He'd hoped that would get them to stop clapping, but it seemed to be having the opposite effect.
And, when they did finally shut up, everyone was looking at him like he was supposed to say something.
Who did they think he was? Yoda?
Okay, so they were both short. Not all Jedi knew to say the right thing all the damn time. Clearing his throat, the grey-eyed vampire looked around for a moment before speaking. "Thank you! It's opportunities like our university affiliated research center with the Levantine Astronautical Academy that will help keep Laekia and the region safe as new..."
A disturbance in the Force.
The sensation tripped him up for a moment, causing him to pause as he glanced over toward where his assistant was, just off to one side of the room. Jorun had a hand up to his ear. The ear that his earlink was located in.
The man looked up as he was speaking, exchanging a brief look with the small Jedi as he listened to whatever chatter was taking place over the comlink.
Whatever was being discussed, it looked urgent.
"...as new threats emerge in space," the young Anzat supplied, finishing his earlier thought. The statement triggered another, quieter wave of applause. Waving in acknowledgment for a moment, the boy managed a quick, "Excuse me," as he hopped down from off the chair.
He'd crossed over to Jorun, only to have the man start ushering toward the exit. "We've just received a transmission from the Nadesico," the man provided, by way of introduction. So it was something to do with Aisha's mission to the northern sectors of Silver Jedi territory. "They monitored a possible engagement over Korriban..."
The boy did a double take at the drop of the name.
"...and have moved to assist the Jedi."
Korriban? That didn't bode well. "Contact the Silver Council on Voss-Ka and see what assets are available, then prepare the Intervention to depart."
"Pardon me for saying so, sir, but the Nadesico indicated it was a small presence."
That was what worried him. "Since when have the Sith ever played their hand without a cheater up their sleeve?" the Corellian born boy asked. It was a rhetorical question, but it summarized his own opinion about them. Sith didn't attack. They manipulated. Ambushed. If they were showing force, then there was more to it than met the eye. "I don't trust it. If its an open confrontation, then there's something we're not seeing," the boy remarking, brooding aloud now.
"How can we even be sure it is the Sith?" the man beside him commented, dutifully taking up the role of devil's advocate. "It could be pirates, smugglers..."
"Pirates avoid the Sith worlds, Jorun," the youngling knight countered, interrupting. "They're deathtraps. Anzat would be a safer planet."
The man fell silent, as the child paused to open the door leading out from the gala. As the door lifted away, the boy turned his head up to add, "At least on Anzat, you know what's hunting you."
With the Sith, what you could see was usually the least of your worries.
Korriban Silver Jedi Headquarters - South Side Transceiver
The predictable clash of Sith and Silver Jedi was beginning now, at least the echoes of landing craft and the sounds of the occasional blaster shot were anyway. Munin didn't particularly care about which side won the day, not really. He only knew that he had to leave sooner rather then later, he suspected that if the Sith took the planet things would become difficult for him, and if the Silver Jedi won things would become equally difficult but for different reasons.
Either way, he had to get out.
The best, and easiest way to do that was through trickery. Most people in situations like this would have shot straight for the starport, but that was an amateur mistake. There would be thousands of people trying to get off world that way. Over the last decade or so the Sith had really built a name for themselves in regards to cruelty...well maybe it had been more than a decade. Either way though the One Sith had slaughtered and butchered their way across a dozen planets, and those memories were more than fresh in their minds.
If word had gotten out that the Sith were attacking, and by the comm-chatter that his drone was picking up it had, then there would already be panic throughout much of the city. No doubt people were streaming towards any ship that they could find. Munin was smarter however, and instead of looking for a ship, he would have a ship come to him.
His feet stamped into the dusty ground of Korriban as he rushed through a small clearing, the sound of blaster fire ringing out to the north as he rushed towards a small outcropping metal tower. At the top of the tower sat a large antenna. The tower was a relay station, used for sending communications into deep space. Though tower would be mostly automated...he hoped anyway, simply used to enhance holo-net signals to the nearest buoy. The Information Broker struck the outside of the tower with a loud thunk not wanting to slow himself in case any Silver Jedi Guards...or Sith invaders were nearby. His chest rose and fell, and then slowly he began to creep around the edge of the tower.
Munin's fist connected with the sleek metal over and over again, his ear pressed against the tower to listen for the echoing knock of the door.
Connor turned to acknowledge Syn, and the trio stood before the outpost. A dysfunctional trinity, each with their own demons and their own strengths. Behind them, the eyes and ears of Dune.
"Fight the good fight my friends. But fight it dirty, because they will."
Starting off on his trajectory, he turned mid-walk and signalled for a squad to take the high-ground. Eyes and sniper sights above always were useful. A batch of Rangers with a Jedi Knight leading took off, and Connor resumed his walk as the roar of engines broke the atmosphere above, and he could hear the sound of war in the distance. Another sound, that of a ship, came over and hovered in the distance, and it was not a Silver ship.
Connor kept walking, his spiked boots crunching into the ground and his night-vision visor bringing up the Sith before them. One dropping in alone had to have the arrogance of the Sith.
He didn't say anything, but pointed left with his hand for a group of Rangers to fan out. A Jedi Knight stuck behind the Master as the Sith came closer, and it was then Connor stopped.
"You should have stayed on your ship, Sith. We don't welcome your kind here."
Location: Some minutes away from the SJ Outpost.
[member="Connor Harrison"],
A Jedi approached him, the Dark Lord of the Sith.
Athyssius didn't draw any weapon, he didn't even appear to be receptive of the Jedi's words as he slowed to a walk. His helmet remained on his head, his hood covered that too. The cloak covered all of him. It wasn't practical. Too heavy for a planet as this. Behind him, there were swathes in the grass where the Sith had walked.
A straight line.
No distractions.
"Those same words must've been said," Athyssius spoke, "Tens of thousands of years ago when the first Republic invaded the Sith Empire." Behind his helmet, there was no amusement on his face, but it was indeed, a joke. He spoke the words slowly, was there a sense of drowsiness in them? Curious. He felt as if he were a Jedi Padawan again.
"Wonderful words. Wrong planet to say them on."
Shrug.
The hood over his head came off.
"Tell me, Jidai, why you lead your companions to their deaths once again. You couldn't defeat my Master on Ruusan. You have no chance of winning here. Run.
A military Hierarchy… A government that was entirely self-serving yet I did not see the jedi here to save the populace of Thule from that bit of injustice. It seemed like the jedi were complacent in letting the military rule over the regular people of Thule. At any moment a son or daughter could be indoctrinated into their military with no warning. Of course the jedi wouldn’t move to stop that, wasn’t it what they used to do? The thought sickened me to my very core. The looks of the military guards even more so. How I wished to rip the oxygen from their lungs and watch them writhe on the ground pleading for mercy. Would they show their citizens mercy in the same predicament? Of course not. The people of Thule were steeped in Sith culture and always had been. Even now I heard some of the citizens speaking in the ancient tongue as though it were their own. The Sith were glorified on this world and not even being taken under the yolk of jedi would change that.
The temple of the Sith still stood near the capital building, but that was not my goal. I cared not for those that considered themselves Sith and held on to what small prestige they had among these people, as by the time I was done none of that would matter. Head bowed low so the hood of my robes fell over hiding my face as I reached the base of the stairs leading up to the capital building there were four soldiers waiting their rifles held at attention. Their fatigues carried not an ounce of dirt upon them, their faces still carrying traces of baby fat. Nothing but boys. They did not deserve to be slaughtered in these streets, but if they stopped me I would have no choice.
Flanking the capital building were two watch towers that reached high into the air. Upon each two marksmen were posted. At this time, they looked lax, so sure that the city was under their control, that nothing could possibly happen to them. Such a flawed mentality. Raising a hand one of the soldiers broke away from their pack. This one was shorter than myself coming up to my chest. His helmet too large for his long head. “Sir the capital is not open for visitors and tourists.”
Looking up from the ground my eyes met the young lads. “Have you people forgotten who you truly serve? Who’s culture you took as your own, and who you owe everything to?” A dark glint was in my eyes as I stared the boy down.
LOCATION: Silver Jedi Outpost; Korriban ALLIES: Silver Jedi on Korriban ENEMIES: Sith on Korriban ENGAGING: [member="Haytham Kaze"]
Connor held his ground as the Sith approached closer and revealed himself. He looked rather human compared to most of the Sith he'd met recently.
"Ah. You mean the fish? Trust me, lucky for him that Force rift appeared or he'd have been served on a plate."
He took a step forward, not ready to make the first move but rather see how far this battle of words would go, and see what he could piece together of the Sith.
"I am Connor Harrison of the Silver Jedi Order," his synthetic voice growled, fist clenching into a soft stance. "I'm not here for anything other than doing what's right, and you've got one chance to turn around and find trouble elsewhere before I knock ten bells out of you and pack you off in a bodybag."
It had been nearly a decade since the Sith worlds had last experienced such a surge in the dark side of the force, not since the invading force of the Primeval had marched their armies through the birthplace of the ancient dark side cult. But it wasn't the mere presence of the dark side of the force that drew a woman from her 'eternal' resting place. Ziost, Korriban, and Thule were worlds that the Silver Jedi Order had campaigned to control in the past, and now they were attempting to secure the sector once again - only with the opposition of a new incarnation of the Sith Order present. It was this conflict, the meeting of dark against light, that pulled the spirit of the Sith Lord from her slumber. Silara awoke as a mere shadow of her former self on the planet of Ziost, an icy world that had been where she'd fallen in battle while possessed by the consciousness of an ancient witch that had managed to slowly whittle at her control from the time that she'd still been an apprentice of the One Sith til the fateful day thirteen years later.
Six years had changed the galaxy, Silara could recall a time when she'd stood together with the likes of Darth Carach, Darth Vornskr, and Reverance. The One Sith of her time had enslaved much of the galaxy, it'd expanded without hindrance, crippled the Jedi with every stroke of the pen across the galactic canvas, but there was something very different between the presence she felt looming nearby than that of the One Sith Order that she had previously served. Even in death, as a spirit, the connection she had held to the Dark Lord should have still held - unless somehow he had been killed, too. The tattoo on the small of her back served as more than a braggart's claim at affiliation with the Sith, it was the very mark that identified members of the One Sith and had formerly allowed their 'eye' and the Dark Lord to search and retrieve its affiliates. 'Who remains?' The shade thought to herself, barely visible as little more than a dim spectre resting against a grey landscape at the moment.
Much could have happened in the course of six years - the One Sith could have taken over much of the known galaxy, or it could have fallen - and it appeared that much, indeed, had changed through the passage of time. Her first course of action, of course, would be to return to a body of flesh and blood.
Location: Sand Dunes outside of Outpost, Korriban.
[member="Connor Harrison"]
There was almost an amused look on Athyssius's face.
Moreso as he regarded the Jedi before him and he imagined throwing him to the side. But he didn't, not yet.
"Oh?" He said curiously. "Your actions claiming 'what's right' are contradictory to what I have seen you do." He didn't mean him personally, not completely, but rather the entirety of his Order. There was a rolling of the Sith Master's shoulders as he continued marching forwards. "You should've just gotten out of the way."
The Dark Lord of the Sith reached out with his right hand to the Jedi Master, and from his very own feet, a crimson tinted orb of the Force would've begun to form around his person.
PLANET: Elom OBJECTIVE: Lucian Cordel's Estate: The once Governor of Elom and a prominent sith lord with the lord empire. He built up his home like a fortress that can be used to help oversee the planet and have a generall foothold PERSONAL OBJECTIVE: Relive the Past. Redeem Oneself TOTAL POSTS: 9/38 PERSONAL POSTS: 4/38
ALLIES: [member='Thurion Heavenshield'] [member='Thyrian Hearthfire'] ENEMIES: Her Past; Impending Danger of Sithlings; Child Incoming!
Kära had no chance to reply to her dear friend before the comms were-a-blazing. Still held within his arms she found herself carried back down the long stairway and out the front door before she could so much as comprehend what was happening. Thankfully Thurion wasn't one to leave her in the dark, he never had been, so as they walked toward the awaiting shuttle he explained their predicament.
Sith, invading Korriban?
Well, truth be told Kära had wondered how long it would be before they had the stones to try it. It was a surprise that it came at this point in time, though, after all the Sith presence in the Galaxy had noticeably diminished as of late.
"I want to help" she said, with a firm set to her jaw, though she knew it was futile. Neither of the brothers would listen to her on that request, and honestly even Kära knew it was stupid to consider... But she hated being the one sat on the sidelines.
Making their way up into the shuttle, she could hear the muffled voice of another on Thurion's comms.... And immediately knew who it was. Her Phoenix had come.
The relief she felt was short lived, however, as she winced and looked up into Thurion's gaze.
"Put me down, put me down" she gasped, one hand clutching his arm as tight as could be while the other lowered to her abdomen.
Location: Elom Objective: Bring the Might of Midvinter Allies: [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Kära Vi'dreya"] Enemies: The Sith Order Ship:Tulak Hord-class Star Destroyer - The Judgement
In spite of the knowledge that his brother would be there to protect his beloved, the need to remain close to her in her delicate state had driven him to assume command of the ship that had been his home for so many years in his master's service. Those days may have passed long ago, but the ship remained along with its crew - as loyal as can be even after so many years of service. Once they served the Sith Lord in command of this vessel, now they were in the employ of a king.
They had set course for Elom, but he was not alone in leaving Midvinter; hundreds of Valkyri warriors, unaccustomed to the miracle of space travel, had willingly followed their High King in search of their Queen. All of them had stood glued to the many viewports as the old relic of the Sith Empire journeyed through the vastness of space, marvelling at the incredible sights offered to them. The Judgement was busier than ever, with the armoury working overtime to facilitate the large number of crude weapons brought by the burly men.
When they'd reached Elom following a successful hyperspace jump, comms went off as reports flooded in stating the nearby systems were under attack by some unknown enemy. Thyrian didn't waste any time and hailed his brother as soon as they had made it into Elom's atmosphere. "Look to the skies, brother." He then turned to the comms officer. "Find out who this unknown enemy is, lieutenant. In the meantime, prepare the hangar for the Queen's arrival."
"Thyrian! Boy, am I glad to see you," Thurion's grateful voice blared through the speakers. "We'll have our pilot take us to you."
Location: Elom Objective: Get to the Judgement Allies: [member="Kära Vi'dreya"] | [member="Thyrian Hearthfire"] Enemies: The Sith Order
"Thyrian! Boy, am I glad to see you!" Looking up into the skies above, the huge frame of the Judgement broke through the heavy clouds. Were the circumstances different, the sudden arrival of a Imperial Star Destroyer would spell disaster. Fortunately, this one happened to belong to the man who had shielded him from harm since the day he was born. "We'll have our pilot take us to you." Sending a nod the pilot's way to give him the all clear, the entrance closed behind Thurion and Kära as they made it inside.
Kära then began to struggle and strain, telling him to put her down. Once back on her feet she clutched her belly, and Thurion was immediately made aware of what was happening. "It's alright, it's alright. Deep breaths, Kära - remember to breathe." He laid her down across the row of seats and removed his own jacket, bundling it up into a makeshift pillow to place underneath her head. "Get us out of here," he yelled to the pilot just as the shuttle took off. Thurion's hand held Kära's tightly as he began breathing alongside Kära. "Breathe with me, Snowflake. We'll make it to Thyrian in time, don't you worry."
While doing his best to take care of his dearest friend, Thurion took a moment to check on his own family. "Coci, this is Thurion. I'm on Elom with Kära, making our way offworld. Thyrian is here to lend aid with the Judgement, and Kära is about to give birth. I'm doing the best I can with what I'm given, but we have to get her to a med-bay as soon as possible. I'll let you know how things turn out." He closed his eyes, sending feelings of warmth and love through their Force bond while uttering the next few words. "I love you, now and beyond this life..."
Location: New Adasta, Ziost, Ziost System Objective: Speak with Sith. Find some Jedi for moral support. Allies: [member="Coci Heavenshield"], [member="Tricia"], [member="Gir Quee"] Neutral: [member="Darth Ignus"] Enemies: N/A
TheSvir did manage to make contact with the Directorate within the Caldera, sharing information and relaying their Princess's plans. At least as Ziost was concerned, there would be no fighting, not yet anyway. However, assistance had been requested from whatever assets the Directorate may have available, to swoop in as needed.
Captain Arkhipov personally contacted the Jedi ([member="Dune Rhur"], [member="Jericho"]) at Korriban to see what assistance he could provide them. The Caridians had about a legion's worth of troops at their disposal, so it would be nothing to throw a battalion or two the Jedi's way, and this could be done quickly. Their battle droids, Storm Troopers, and Dragoons had no special powers, but they were not to be underestimated.
-------------------
As it turned out, Minister Delphin had pulled away from the table for the same reason. The local government was scrambling their small starfighter corp while looking to guidance from the Jedi on the diplomatic front for dealing with the Sith.
She found no Jedi available at the government center as she began speaking with the entire cabinet on the matter in an emergency session. She wasn't aware if there were any Jedi even on the planet - she had not been blessed with Force powers to snoop out stealthy Force Users - and there had been no word from them as they were hailed by the local government. Understandable, as that giant dustbowl that was Korriban called for their attention. There was strategic value to the location of Korriban as it served as the gateway to the rest of the Caldera.
With the silence of the Jedi, Rose took it upon herself to act as their representative to stabilize the situation. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission, and the Silvers were very forgiving.
"If you would allow me, then I would like to hear what this Darth Ignus has to say. To be perfectly honest, it's probably not going to be anything we'd like to hear, but I want to feel out this man and his 'associate'. You have my men and ships if things turn ugly."
"I think that would be prudent," Prime Minister Rahvin said nodding. "In the meantime, we will continue to make preparations. I'm afraid to say that our air force isn't all the impressive, but with your help, we can put up a decent defense if need be."
"Thank you, I have ground forces already deployed to the Citadel and Command Base, so they'll be covered. I'm told my engineers are working with your security forces to get some surface emplacements online. How are things here in the city?"
"Things have been mostly quiet so far, but there was an incident reported not too long ago."
With his control panel, he shared a holo-recording collected from the city's surveillance network, of a single man protesting against the presence of the Silver Jedi.
"What an interesting coincidence that this rabble rouser pops up as soon as the Sith appear. Especially as the Silver Jedi are currently the only ones standing between the Sith and the people of the Caldera."
"Most interesting," Delphin agreed. "I won't lie, not everyone here on Ziost is content with the Jedi becoming more involved in the Caldera. This could be an issue."
"Actions speak louder than words, and at this time, the Silver Jedi are fighting on your behalf. We all know what will happen if the Sith are allowed to root themselves here again, and let us not forget our neighbors to the northwest."
The Caldera did not exist within a vacuum. While Mandalorians put up the Silvers in the north for some reason, she doubted they would do the same for the Sith - they would have the perfect excuse to carry on their conquest ("Crusades") into the region. Warmongering Sith were easy political targets that everyone could get behind, peace-loving Jedi not so much.
"This may sound counter-intuitive, but it's my recommendation that you allow this man and other 'protestors' who may spring up to continue blowing hot air for the time being. The people should be allowed to voice their opinions, even if it's something that we wouldn't like to hear. Tolerance is the Jedi way, and I believe it would backfire on the government to pull them off the streets now. However, I'd also suggest you prepare for rioting."
"You should take the time to quietly run background checks and continue watching that man, though. Five credits says you can find some people recently shipped into Ziost for trouble. Given recent history, I'd imagine Ziost is not particularly welcoming to new-comers, so you may have an easy time filtering new arrivals. I can provide you access to my databases for that effort."
"I see the logic in your words. Thank you for your counsel, Ambassador. I'm needed here in New Adasta, so I'll be having Minister Delphin accompany you on your talk with the Sith. For now, this meeting is ajourned."
Officials and commanders began to break up to attend to their specific duties, while Rose was left with Delphin to do a little coordinating before she reached out to the Sith. While she had her Berkut with her as her guards, she would have felt a little safer engaging with the Sith with some Jedi backup. She would linger just a little longer to see if any would show.
"Good to see you Master Tricia, it seems we have a situation on our hands", she said as the woman entered. Coci sat in the pilot seat watching and reading all the reports coming in from across the sector, for the moment there was no reports of activity on Elom where her husband had gone. The footage of a man on the streets in the city inciting fear into the people of the city caught her attention for a moment, her brow raised at this however, but the people of the city and Ziost would be rather skeptical about his words, the city had not seen any troopers of the Silver Jedi as they are not here, yet. Considering the atrocities the Primes had committed on other planets and systems in the sector would not have been lost to them, they would have heard of destruction, the claims of the man would be overshadowed by this.
Incoming messages, informing her of Silver Jedi in the area and Ambassador Kurganova was in the city speaking to the administrators of the Ziost. "Tricia I need to speak with Ambassador Kurganova, I believe she is in the central administration build in the city before we contact the Sith that has hailed us". She stood preparing to leave for her personal quarters to change into a set of light armour. "I shall return shortly".
Personal communication light flashed on her panel, it could only be one person sending her a message and Coci quickly ran to it. Worried for Thurion, she was soon relieved when hearing his voice, yet the situation seemed to be urgent of a different making. She was relieved to hear that Thyrian had come to assist and get them off world and that Kara would soon be in safe hands as she was about to give birth, a joyous event in the midst of such a time. Their force bond thick with love and caring she sensed well enough, it always gave her strength in times like these, the times that test to resolve and she knew he faced his own 'battle' in this situation, for she knew he would want to be spearheading the defenses of the Silver Jedi. "Just take care of things my love, I am sure you will be in the thick of it before long. I am fine for the moment, Theo is too. I love you with all my heart darling .. now and beyond this life". She too uttered the words she vowed to him that joyous day.
The communication went silent, and Coci left her quarters and the ship with Master Tricia. "Lets make haste". The two made their way through the city streets, toward the administration building. On route the streets buzzed with action, local authorities had moved to secure the city and warn people to remain in their homes. Entering the building to find Ambassador Kurganova, Coci greeted her with a bow. "Ambassador Kurganova, I am Master Coci Heavenshield, and this is Master Tricia of the Silver Jedi. I am sure you are aware of the current situation, and that there has been communications received from a Darth Ignus, wanting to talk. I wish to hear him, however, I would appreciate your assistance in the matter. And I believe that the best place to do this would be on your ship". No time for pleasantries straight to business.
Location: Space Above Ziost Objective: Speak with the Jedi Allies: [member="Nyra Mazul"], [member="Onley Xiangu"], [member="Niysha"] Enemies: [member="Rozalyne Kurganova"], [member="Coci Heavenshield"], [member="Solan Charr"]
The lack of a response spoke volumes. Quite frankly he'd at least expected them to respond to his presence in some manner by then. It was taking hem far too long, and he know they were present on the world. Considering these things, he was led to believe that they either would take hear him out, or that they had no communications capabilities. The latter being extremely unlikely, he settled on the probability of the former.
"Sir, we have three ships orbiting the planet. Scanners are detecting the deployment of fighters from the surface and some planetary gums being brought online."
So, clearly someone down there was immediately expecting a fight out of this situation. Well, he had pointed out to Teynara that the Jedi were often just as despicable as most of the Sith were so he shouldn't really be surprised.
"Let them prepare as they wish. It will only show the true nature of their being."
There was one last possibility that he could draw upon in this situation. It seemed that he would have expected no choice but to give it a try. If the Jedi weren't interested enough to respond immediately, then he would have to go directly to the source of the issue. They were taking too long, and if his next attempt at contact did not receive a hasty response then he was going to have to assume they didn't want to talk and invade Ziost instead of doing what he intended.
He pulled a small data pad from his pocket and handed it to a crew member with instructions on patching in to the private communications line of the Silver Jedi council. It was to be confined to this sector of the Caldera as he only wished to speak to whatever member of such had come to Ziost. He was certain that at least one of them would come to the former Sith capital. This was his trump card thanks to Teynara. It would only be useful once.
When he got the nod from communications, he spoke again.
"Masters of the Silver Jedi, it is unbecoming of you to ignore my hails. By now I would have expected a response. This is a last effort to contact you, and let the record show I have not charged weapons or landed troops as of yet. I wish to talk, to save us all a lot of trouble here. You can continue to offer no response to my hails, deplorable on your part, or you can answer me.
"I haven't asked for anything but a conversation. Is that so hard to respond to?"
Only members of the Silver Jedi council would get this transmission on their private communications line.
KORRIBAN SPACE -> BOSTHIRDA SPACE
ALLIES: [member="Darth Raxis"], Darth Carnifex (potentially en route)
ENEMIES: [member="Jerek Zenduu"], [member="Aisha Marc"] (potential), [member="Reshmar"] (en route)
FORCES: XoXaan-class Star DestroyerMaw of Aeten, assorted <400m escorts (open market)
The Korriban system defense squadrons were no joke, though Velok's flotilla had enough defensive guns to keep them at bay. The local fighters harried the dropships effectively, despite covering fire from the Maw's long-range guns. Two of the Maw's dropships, then a third, broke apart in the air. The rest seemed on course to join the other transports in unloading ground forces, localized shield generators, and a few genuine Sith. Lady [member="Grimoire"], Velok felt certain, would have made it down safely.
Now that the landing forces were deployed, Velok's flotilla jumped for hyperspace toward Nicht Ka, leaving Darth Raxis' flotilla to accompany or remain as she saw fit. After only a moment, however, Velok's ships exited hyperspace and reversed course, skimming around the Korriban system at a distance of about a hundred AU, maybe far enough to evade hyperspace signal interceptors. Maybe. At the very least he might have baited some potential pursuers into thinking he'd gone to Nicht Ka. His actual destination was the secret world of Bosthirda. Secret to most, anyway: his allies' predecessors and his father had ruled this whole territory. It could serve as a viable secret base of operations if the Silver Jedi hadn't stumbled on it.
Such hopes were dashed as he exited hyperspace in the Bosthirda system. Sensors indicated the presence of a handful of small autonomous defense platforms -- tiny things with tiny guns -- as well as equally tinfoil monitoring stations and comm relays.
The Maw of Aeten mounted four quad long-range ion cannons and eight heavy long-range turbolasers. Without further ado, Velok set about cleansing the Bosthirda system. The only hitch was that his flagship had a class-two hyperdrive. If any of the Korriban forces had followed him, and if they'd mounted class-one drives, they could have gotten here before him -- or continued on past the secret world to Dromund Kaas, on the other hand. Millennia of travellers had missed this system entirely, after all.
His comm buzzed - a long-range hail from [member="Darth Carnifex"]. "Lord Carnifex," said Velok, nodding to the senior Sith Lord. Velok stood at an instrumentation panel in the rear of the Maw's bridge, three-clawed hands flying over the controls. "May I assume you intend to scour the Jedi patrols and seed ships out of the Thule system before entering the Caldera?"
Location: New Adasta, Ziost, Ziost System Objective: Hailing the Sith to begin discussions. Allies: [member="Coci Heavenshield"], [member="Tricia"], [member="Gir Quee"] Neutral: [member="Darth Ignus"] Enemies: N/A
Her mini-conference with Minister Delphin was interrupted as she finally did receive word from a Jedi on the planet. A council member, in fact, Master Coci Heavenshield. If she was to have any Jedi support in her corner, she definitely wanted it to be one of the Council leaders to give her words some weight.
She met with the Jedi after arranging a rendezvous at the government center, exchanging bows with the other woman, then a small smile, as she was genuinely delighted to see a Jedi at this moment.
"I've been coordinating with the local administration for the last hour. My units are working with the local security forces to shore up defenses. If nothing else, our little meetup with the Sith can be used as a stalling tactic until preparations are completed. There are signs of infiltration of the local populace by the Sith. I've advised the Prime Minister to take a hands-off approach for now while we investigate, though. If there are any other Jedi on the ground in New Adasta, I'd suggest that you have them keep an eye out for interlopers."
"Meeting the Sith on one of my ships works for me, but it'll be on one of my pocket carriers. I don't want them setting foot on the Svir. I will send to word to my Captain now."
She gave a small nod to the Jedi Master before turning away to get Arkhipov on call again.
"Captain, the meeting is a go. Prepare the Buyan for boarding, and make sure there is no less than two squads of Berkut aboard in advance of my arrival."
"Yes, your highness, it shall be done. I've also began reinforcing our support elements with infantry and vehicle sections. Anything for New Adasta at this time?"
"No Captain, the last thing that city needs to see is foreigners running around while there's nothing happening. Stay out of the city for now, but keep our Dragoon companies prepped for insertion."
With arrangments made with Arkhipov, she now looked to open up a dialogue with Darth Ignus as she now had the official backing of the Jedi Council. She was curious to see what their response would be conducting the sit-down on one of her ships. She had no reason to exploit the event - that may actually make things worse - but she couldn't say the same for the Sith.
Rose wasn't aware of the new private transmission sent by the Sith to the Jedi to their personal network, so she proceeded as planned once she had the Jedi and the government on board with her plan, hailing the Sith on the same frequency they had used in their original communication.
"Darth Ignus, this is Ambassador Kurganova of the Free Systems Coalition, working with the Silver Jedi on joint operations within the Caldera. The Jedi and Ziostian government have agreed to meet with you in person, but only under the condition that the site is one of my vessels in orbit now. You have my word that you and your entourage will be granted diplomatic immunity while aboard my vessel. Even in the event that a resolution cannot be found, you will be let off freely at any time. Feel free to bring a security detail if you like."
En route to the Thurra System Inner Sanctum of the Sith Warship, Ruination
The air shimmered and the three-dimensional image of Velok the Younger appeared before the Dark Lord, bathing the entire chamber in a fog of eerie blue light. The Whiphid was the spitting image of his namesake, and again he was reminded of the amusing fact that this cabal of Sith whelplings were mostly comprised of the offspring of the great Sith Lords and Ladies who dominated the Old Empire back in its heyday. He swung one leg over the other and settled further back into his chair, his posture oozing a casual authority that not many could pull off so naturally. "Are my moves truly that predictable, Velok? You are correct, however. The turmoil you and your cohorts now spread like wildfire through the Caldera provide the perfect opportunity to reclaim what was lost during the Great War, an opportunity I do not plan to let slip through my grasp again."
Years ago the cultists of the Primeval once ran amok through this region of space, and had managed to claw the Sith Worlds away from the usurpers who had wrongfully occupied its hallowed worlds since the fall of the Old Empire. Yet they in turn failed to hold onto their gains, and the Sith Worlds were lost once again. Now the Sith have come to truly reclaim what is theirs by right of birth, and Carnifex would not let them fail like the Primeval had failed. The incandescent chaos of hyperspace faded away to the calm blackness of realspace as the Ruination ruptured into existence followed by a small flotilla of Subjugator-class Assault Ships, their holds brimming with gunships, dropships, and the infamous soldiers of the Blackblade Guard, alongside a smattering of Sadow-Class Star Destroyers. The appearance of such a fleet would be noticed almost immediately, and the scout ships left behind by the Jedi intruders would no doubt seek to alert the other Jedi forces in the sector of this new arrival.
Carnifex wouldn't give them that chance, and almost immediately the combined star fleet began to jam the scout ship's communications. Following that would be a swift advance towards the planet's immediate vicinity, long-range turbolasers seeking out the nearest hostile ship and letting loose a thick salvo of opening fire in an attempt to reduce those ships to smoldering debris floating in the airless vacuum.
Back at the inner sanctum, Carnifex would still be in contact with the Whiphid Sith Knight. "My assault upon Thule has begun, and this is where I must leave you. My forces will openly communicate with yours on secure channels, informing you of my progress. Slaughter well, [member="Velok the Younger"], and sing the hymn of doom for these Jedi." With that he ended the transmission, and immediately rose to pluck his helmet from the pile of ash it rested on before securing on over his head. He would make the trek from the Inner Sanctum to the launch bay further down, where six gunships and two shuttles were still parked while the fighters and bombers had been launched alongside those from the multiple Sadows.
Not much was spoken between the other shrouded and armored figures, they all knew their roles in the coming conflict and were anxiously waiting for what was to come. They would fall in line behind the Dark Lord as he boarded his personal shuttle, the Truncheon, and took their places as the magenetic locks anchoring the ship to the metal floor were disengaged and the pilots swung the vessel around before exiting the hanger bay with a thunderous roar of the thruster engines. Alongside them were the many Subjugator assault ships, their cargo of gunships and shuttles spilling out into the darkness to swarm towards the lightly defended planet.
Kaine Zambrano had come to reclaim his throne, and those that resisted him would burn in the fires of his hatred.
Location:Tercel-class Heavy CruiserPaladin, near Ch'hodos Objective: Link up with [member="Rozalyne Kurganova"]'s forces Allies: [member="Reshmar"], [member="Jerek Zenduu"] | [member="Aishas Marc"] | [member="Rozalyne Kurganova"] | [member="Tricia"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"] Enemies: [member="Darth Ignus"]
Gir's shuttle ride to the Paladin was uneventful, though it offered him a rare opportunity to sample the vessels which tranversed the space lanes of the Stygian Caldera. Among a host of sundry civilian vessels, Gir saw only a few starships that grasped his attention for more than a handful of seconds. Those that did appeared to be repurposed and modernized versions of older Sith designs, including a tattered Sith escort gunship that had been pressed into service as a bulk cargo hauler. The motley arrangement of warships assembling to protect the Silver Jedi holdings proved to be less interesting in terms of individual ships, but the squadrons combination proved to be perhaps the most eclectic mixture of craft that Gir had seen. Among the Paladin and a lone Stormfire-class Assault Frigate drifted paint-chipped DP20 frigates, a purple-tinged Alndys-class Patrol/Exploration craft, and a handful of Circinus-class bulk cruisers in Lucerne Lab markings.
Even when he was onboard the Paladin, Gir could see khaki uniforms that he was not familiar with, which suggested to him that the Paladin had picked up some local defense forces or allied corporate security forces to fill up their empty cabins. We are apparently pooling everything together for this war...nothing like the Sith to unify a group of disparate people together. He passed through a pair of imposing blast doors to enter into the amphitheater-like bridge of the warship. Gir immediately picked out Captain Rummolo, who somehow seemed smaller in person. The man offered a subdued smile and stretched out his hand to greet Gir.
"Welcome aboard the Paladin."
"Thank you," said Gir, grasping the man's hand, "I see that we are part of quite an arrangement of starships."
Rummolo nodded, "Whatever and whoever we wanted to grab. We have a handful of Ranger operated ships, several from the Directorate and its companies, and several of other like-minded individuals and organizations."
"Who's in charge of it?"
"Technically me, but I think that should be you."
"What did the call have to say?"
"Possibly hostile ships have been spotted heading towards Zoist."
"And they are the closest confirmed enemies?"
"They are," confirmed the other man.
Gir wandered over to look at the bridge's holo-tank, to observe the assembled ships. "We should leave that Agave picket ship here along with some other escorts to continue to screen the traffic, as well as to act as an early warning group. Let's move everyone else to make contact with the new threat and link up with the friendly forces at Zoist. During that you time, I will need you to brief me on the ships and crews that you have assembled here..."
As Captain Rummolo began to brief Gir, the Paladin and its cohorts surged into hyperspace towards Zoist.
