Dominion The Thirsting Thyrsian | GA Dominion of Thyrsus

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

"I was using diplomatic language," he said, nodding to the unusually alien Jedi. "I will be more clear with you from here on."

"I thank you for your honesty," Kass replied.

As the man continued to speak, reciting a gruesome tale of violence in order to illustrate his point, she couldn't help but shiver faintly. Pylantians were notoriously peaceful by nature and ill-suited to deal with such bitter conflicts as these. But Kass was also a Jedi, and no stranger to the darker elements of the galaxy. She'd fought them all her life. Regardless of the Thyrsians' history, she knew that what this man was saying, what their Council was demanding, was wrong. Racial segregation would never be right.

Then, a woman rose to her feet. With her white hair covered, it was not immediately noticeable that she was an Echani. Regardless, she seemed more concerned about the size of Thyrsus' armed forces, which would be larger than the prescribed limit for GA member worlds. This was something which the others had sidestepped thus far in favor of discussing bloodsports—something that Kass, like the others, found repugnant, but which was a far less urgent issue compared to the other terms listed.

"The Alliance has a robust legal system, offering many rights and protections to its peoples," Kass said. "Under our laws, both the Echani and the Thyrsians must be treated as equals. As has been said, we cannot make exceptions. Incidents of the type which you described would be considered a hate crime, and dealt with harshly. You claim to want to protect the Echani, but the Alliance already offers those protections."

Kiro Torne Adriana Fortemps Alicio Organa Bear Rens Ahim​

 

[Kai Bamarri]

POV: Toloth Threepwood, Senator of Chaldea​

Senator Threepwood took a deep breath, exhaling in a sigh before he got up again, leaning heavily on his cane. "There seems to be some misunderstanding," he said, glancing sharply at Senator Alicio Organa and a few of the others that had shot him disapproving looks. "I speak as one who is deeply sympathetic to the cause of the Thyrsian people—perhaps the most sympathetic foreign delegate you will find in this room. Chaldea also joined the Alliance for protection from invaders. But under their rule, we have still been invaded, just not by Mawites or Sith. It started as a trickle, then became a deluge as the Alliance dumped millions of refugees on our doorstep, foreign strangers who have no respect for our way of life. During the war, they had nowhere else to go. But now the war is over, and our people are nearly outnumbered on our own homeworld. Violence and conflict like that between the Echani and the Thyrsians is on the rise, and yet the Alliance is still trying to find compromises between the incompatible, as if centuries of conflict and bloodshed can be resolved with a handshake."

If it were not already apparent, the Senator of Chaldea—an old man on the verge of retirement, tired, sickly, and with a new election around the corner which he knew would replace him with someone much, much more volatile—no longer had any feths to give. He faced the Thyrsians.

"The Alliance is where great cultures such as yours and mine go to die, lost in a cosmopolitan sea. If you value your traditions, your freedom, your right to hate those who oppressed you, then I would advise you not to make the same mistake we did. They will not accept your terms, because your way of life goes against their ways—and you must be subject to theirs if you join them. If you are not immediately forced to change, then they will erode you over time, molding you into just another GA world. Do the proud warriors of Thyrsus truly value safety over the right to be Thyrsian?"

Kiro Torne Adriana Fortemps Alicio Organa Bear Rens Ahim​

 

[Makko Vyres]

Huh. Had he gone to the 'fresher or something?...

Blood and Sand

He spat the mixture out across the ground.

"He's done."

Makko breathed slowly through his nose. He decided to stay down for a little longer.

He hadn't made his way to the arena. Makko didn't need to be the center of attention. Instead he has talked his way into the sparring practise in the pens in the shadow of the stands.

Three Thyrsians had now pummeled Makko as a warm up for their bouts. Makko groaned and started to slowly push himself back up to his feet.

He would take on a fourth.

 

[Starlin Rand]

Makko Vyres
​

Something about Makko's disappearance didn't sit right with Starlin. He reached into the Force, searching... and found Makko nearby, but in a rather strange location. Was he really underneath him?

After a few more minutes had passed and he still hadn't arrived, Starlin got up, made his way out of the stands, and followed the beacon of his padawan's aura to the pens. The stench of sweat and blood was stronger there, along with the pungent reek of Thyrsian battle oil.

And there was Makko, lying face down in the sand.

"He's done."

Thinking back to a similar situation he had found Makko in on Coruscant, Starlin quickly put two and two together. Another Thyrsian was gearing up to enter the ring. Starlin put out an arm to stop him. "Nah, this one's mine," he said, with just the faintest hint of a mind trick to ensure that he complied.

The warrior backed off, and Starlin took his place inside. Makko was still spitting blood. "I don't know what exactly you get out of having people beat the crap out of you, but if it makes you feel better, I'm willing to try it," he said, raising his fists. The expression on his face was serious and concerned. "You go first, kid."

 

[Alicio Organa]

Nicaea, Thyrsus
OBJ 2
- Kiro Torne - Kassogtha Cthylla - Bear - Rens Ahim - Adriana Fortemps - @Open -​

Alicio sat back down once his part was done, attending to his long, black cloak to keep it from bunching beneath him. There wasn't an immediate uproar from the local council, which was perhaps the best reaction the Alderaanian senator could have hoped for. Instead, Speaker Torne recited an anecdote, one that made Alicio's heart turn in his chest. He sympathized. But as his continuing confidence in posture suggested, it hadn't swayed his thoughts on the matter.

He was also glad as Senator Ahim, and later, the Jedi Master, affirmed the Alliance's stance on the matter of discrimination. A united front on this issue was essential- there could be no wiggle room when it came to the rights of the people.

Of course, that didn't mean the entire delegation was in agreement on all matters, as shown by a familiar senator's aide, who questioned the wisdom of lifting restrictions on the Thyrsian's standing defense force. Alicio twisted his lip in thought- it wasn't a bad point at all. But in a diplomatic meeting, showing more sympathy to the other party's enemies, who had not yet expressed interest in joining the Alliance, than the people in front of them- was not a good strategy.

It was a move that Alicio would have been happy to return his own thoughts on, affirm his stance on the matter, if a more pressing dissident voice hadn't made itself known. Raised eyebrows accompanied the Count's stare at Senator Threepwood as he actively condemned the Alliance. Alicio had known that Chaldea had been growing more distant from galactic politics, and had heard disturbing rumors considering how they treated the refugees in Calabiyau, but he hadn't expected political sabotage.

"Senator," he growled, before taking a moment to reconsider the biting remarks he would have made, thinking better of them. "It is... perfectly understandable, to be wary of the effect that the Alliance will have on the culture of Thyrsus. It is an issue that any planet will have to overcome, when they join the galactic community. But you will find, Council, that the Alliance does not force our culture on you, as other powers may have done in the past. We have laws, yes. Moral codes voted upon by the wider galactic community, that we expect our voluntary members to uphold. Anything will change, when interacting with something else. Being aware of that fact will help you keep what you would like to keep, and improve what you would like to improve."

"Since we have decided to make this negotiation about Chaldea, Senator Threepwood," he said, giving Toloth a scathing glance, "If the Potentium feels ill-equipped to host the war refugees that they invited to their world, I would be happy to help them find more accomodating homes. Or perhaps you would like to bring it before the Senate, and not a diplomatic delegation."

 

[FN-999]

OBJ: III
Allies: Imperials | Open
Enemies: GA | Open

A meteor shower descended upon the cargo vessels.
​

Four wings of Meteors rocketed out of Malediction's hangars, accelerating at an incredible pace towards their targets. About a kilometer away from the convoy, the Meteors split off into trios, each engaging a single transport. At about two hundred meters away, the lead Meteor in each trio fired off a salvo of its ion cannons near the engines of a transport, briefly disabling its shields. In that brief window of time, the other two Meteors strafed the engines with their heavy laser cannons, leaving the transports intact but unable to escape. In a span of two minutes, all five transports had their engines disabled, leaving them at the mercy of the Imperials. With their primary objective complete, the Meteors regrouped into their wings and returned to their mothership.

Rear Admiral James Valenta observed from atop the Malediction's bridge as the Meteors swiftly incapacitated the freighters.

[Rear Admiral Valenta, this is Major Lynn. All freighters are neutralized. All wings are now returning to base.]

[Major Lynn, proceed to Hangars 2 and 3. Keep all your men suited up and be ready to intercept hostiles at a moment's notice.]

[Understood.]

With the major's confirmation, Rear Admiral Valenta cleared the comms channel and returned his focus to the space ahead. Clearly, Major Lynn had done his job well. There was little, if any visible damage to the transports outside their engines, which had all been completely pulverized. So far, Valenta and Lynn had played their roles perfectly. The rear admiral could only hope that the Baron's men would bring it all to a flawless conclusion.

There was a loud knock at the door of Malediction's barracks.
​

Inside stood a group, or rather, a company, of heavily armored soldiers. First to answer the door was their commanding officer, Captain Jeremiah "Freefall" Beaufort of the 1st Spacetrooper Company, fully decked out in his space armor.

"Captain Freefall, the Meteors have just deployed. Are your men geared up?"

[Just wrapping up now, Baron. We'll be good to go any second.]

"Good. Get moving within the minute, there's three wings of bombers waiting at Hangar 1. Same procedure as Tion, only it's asset retrieval instead of target elimination."

[Compared to Tion, this'll be a breeze. We'll move out now.]

The two commanders parted ways, the Baron heading back to the elevator that had taken him down from the bridge while Freefall strode deeper into the barracks to gather his men. Within ten minutes, they had all assembled fully armored in the hangar and had begun to split up into four-man squadrons. Each squad attached their armor to hardpoints on top of and on the bottom of a bomber, with a total of twenty-five bombers being loaded with spacetroopers. Once the last troopers had attached themselves, the wings took off, soaring straight for the freighters. They closed in to within fifty meters of the transports before the zero-G troopers were released, one by one, from the clutches of the bombers.

Engaging their jetpacks, the company shot towards the freighters, exactly twenty troopers converging on each ship. One by one, they touched down atop the hulls of the defenseless transports. Then, they went to work, laser cutters tearing a hole in each ship. The few security guards inside were either swept into the void of space or instantly mowed down, all without a single Imperial casualty.

A brief few minutes later, the space troopers on each transport broke into their cargo holds, cut a large hole in the roof of the hold, and began hauling crate after crate out of the freighters and towards the Malediction's tractor beams.

 

[Bear]

Things were getting heated on an already overly hot world it seemed, and to a ursine who didn't quite understand the Alliances full laws it seemed a bit intense. In fact the delegation itself seemed to differ on their opinions from the start and it left him puzzled. He would have thought they would have made a plan before they arrived, but perhaps this was the nature of the Senate. It was intriguing if nothing else. Still he was a slave, or a padawan as they tried to call him now, and it was not his place to speak but simply serve.

Moving over to Rens Ahim he refilled a large glass with a toothy smile. If anyone understood just how overly hot this place was it would be this one, and he bore it without complaint. Still even as he did so he listened and questions and thoughts formed in his head that he pushed down on hard. This wasn't his place, he was simply here to pour water and be present. It felt odd to him though, but then again he had never had to run anything, not even his own life. So who was he to judge his understanding of the law. Of course if it was the law why could not it be changed?

Then he tried to imagine all the peoples on all the planets being convinced and voting in different ways, and it was indeed greatly complicated. He had a thought, one singular one that was itching now at the back of his head. They were both warriors after all, and from what he understood they were both for the most part honorable peoples. Why not step first into the area they both knew and earn honor and respect? He'd been forced to fight in arenas before and he'd had appoints he respected, well until he was forced to feast on them. That single thought stopped him cold though for the moment and he looked down in shame before returning to his spot. No he was not the one to speak, he needed to be controlled for real reasons. He was a monster.

Instead he went on serving drinks and wishing Erd was here. The Ithorian was a great healer of forests and worlds, he would know what to say to start this wound to healing. Of that Bear was certain for in his eyes there was little Erd was not capable of with his gentle ways. Finally as he stood motionless awaiting the next empty cup he muttered softly before lifting his head back up and trying to act the part he played now once more.

Alicio Organa Kiro Torne Kassogtha Cthylla Adriana Fortemps Kai Bamarri

 

[Rens Ahim]

Nicaea, Thyrsus
Objective 2
​

Tag: Kassogtha Cthylla Kiro Torne Bear Adriana Fortemps Alicio Organa

Rens sat back, absorbing everything that was happening. It would be a galactic understatement to say was eventful. Thyrsians’ bitterness toward the Echani is more evident than before. He understood and in a way related to it considering his ancestors' suffering by foreign oppression and genocide over the centuries. Yet he can tell despite Krio's claims to the contrary that he and the council really wanted was a segregation system based on species and he can't in good conscience support that.

Seeing Bear come over quietly he nodded with a friendly smile. He too was suffering from the heat like him yet enduring it patiently. A Jedi such as him and his counterpart are welcomed company in his eyes.

As for the senatorial aide she presented a complication that they certainly need to address. Now at Threepwood's speech he tilted his head in the Chaldean's direction in brief shock. Getting a hold of himself Rens had to suppress the anger building up. How convenient Threepwood chose this occasion to air his isolationist and xenophobic agenda.

My own family wouldn't have the opportunities we have today if the Alliance denied our right to immigrate because of our origins.

If Chaldea is truly moving to secede from the Galactic Alliance that is their right, Rens concluded. The last thing the Alliance needs is an unwilling member world causing unrest within their territory. Indeed they can survive without Chaldea's continued involvement.

Fortunately the Jedi master and Alicio proved themselves more than capable with how they addressed this alarming development. Choosing to ignore Threepwood he instead focused on Adriana.

"The Alliance's continued expansion with new member states requires its military size to match it or else we will be stretched thin in defenses and be hard pressed to respond to a crisis. If in the future Eshan does choose to join the Alliance we should grant them the same military exception as Thyrsus. In order to maintain a balance so that neither state will threaten the other without consequences. No matter the size of their militaries there will still be tension between Thyrsians and Echani due to their tragic history. This would require future negotiations between the two nations and the Alliance.

For such a conference I believe that we should request the Jedi to help mediate a peaceful solution."

Turning to the Speaker he said.

"Speaker Torne I agree with your request in regards to local military recruitment under certain provisions. One of them is this. Any extra forces you muster would join our fleet patrols at the Alliance borders. We can discuss the locations of their possible deployments. That way your local defense force will be kept to the same size within your home system for defensive purposes as other member states and yet you will be able to uphold your martial traditions by allowing more warriors the honor of participating in our military operations.

Such units could be rotated after a reasonable time frame so other warriors can have their opportunity to demonstrate Thyrsian pride to the galaxy. We could figure out the details together at your consent.

Rens took a moment to pause before continuing.

"The second provisions would be that you allow Alliance military representatives to be present here to coordinate your efforts and ours in this sector more effectively. Furthermore in the case of a full scale invasion of this sector by a hostile power such as the Imperial remnants or the Sith we will allow your expeditionary troops to return home for its defense. Whether you agree to join our Federation or not is entirely your choice council. We will respect it."

 

[Makko Vyres]

"I don't know what exactly you get out of having people beat the crap out of you, but if it makes you feel better, I'm willing to try it," he said, raising his fists. The expression on his face was serious and concerned. "You go first, kid."

When Makko had been found in the Ukatis rain in a back alley, he had been so glad to have been discovered.

Not this time.

He couldn't tell if Starlin was angry or dissapointed, but Makko didn't want to see either side of his mentor.

There would have had to have been an explanation at some point. The healing Starlin had taught him wasn't enough to completely cover his wounds.

It would have been a problem for another day.

His arms shook as he drew himself to his feet. He shook his head.

"No, we don't have to..."

 

[Starlin Rand]

"No, we don't have to..."

Starlin's tensed muscles relaxed, a flicker of relief crossing his face. "Okay then," he said. "Can you walk out of here, or do I need to carry you out?"

He was offering to help, but it was also clear he was not going to give his padawan the option to continue being beaten by careless warriors looking for a warm-up. To that end, he closed the distance between him and Makko, hooked an arm around him, and propelled him out of the pens, ignoring the harsh looks of the Thyrsians.

"So, why do you do it?" he asked, heading for a shaded area out of the blistering sun. "Is sparring with me and Ceri and Tenn not enough for you? Or is this about Cora? Talk to me, man."

Makko Vyres​

 

[Théodoro]

Shem Spinner Kahlil Noble
​

Theo's first opponent was a Thyrsian younger than him -- neither of them recognized each other, but if he had to guess, Theo thought the other warrior must have been new to the Feast's melee. The two identically-armed fighters circled each other counter-clockwise. Theo's stance was loose; he had the height and weight advantage in this case.

He tested his opponent's guard freely from a distance, poking and prodding with his spear. The other warrior's footwork was drilled, careful; flawless and measured. In the brief ripostes and counters, Theo would back off quickly, keeping a constant distance -- and waiting for the impatience of his opponent to boil over.

Eventually it did. His opponent's stance tightened, coiled like a snake, only ever so slightly so as not to be too obviously a trap. Theo took the bait, going for a deep thrust with his spear angled downward. The blow glanced off his opponent's shield and into the dirt; the other Thyrsian sprang forward to close the gap, weapon held low and coming up for a strike in the razor-thin margin between Theo's extended weapon arm and his shield.

Instead of trying to back away and dodge, however, he continued his momentum forward. His shield met his opponent's spear, which glanced off and went wide. His hand had already left his own spear -- so close, and such a long weapon became unwieldy -- and instead snapped onto his opponent's shield with an iron grip. His left foot planted itself next to his opponents, so as he pulled rightwards, his opponent would come tumbling down. The other Thyrsian tried to adjust, giving slack to the shield and letting Theo pull without resistance, only to receive a blow to the chest from Theo's own shield. The force and the placement of their feet threw Theo's opponent to the ground, sputtering in pain.

"Well fought," he said, scooping up his spear again. His eyes swept to his next opponent...

The outsider, the tall one. Theo threw down his shield, and raised his spear, pointing it to the man. "Come! Show me what you have to offer."

 

[Kiro Torne]

Rens Ahim Bear Alicio Organa Kassogtha Cthylla Adriana Fortemps
​

Kiro watched as the Alliance delegation... committed an unforced error. The Chaldean seemed to be tired of the playing at politics and threw his own issues on the table, forcing the others to respond. Threepwood struck at the heart of what he deemed to be at stake here. And yet, just as the diplomats had misunderstood Threepwood, Threepwood misunderstood Thyrsus.

His gaze went briefly to the Echani who had spoken on the danger of offering Thyrsus an expanded planetary defence limit. Brave of her to be here, brave of her to speak; were she not part of the delegation- well, even now, among the councillors there was a distinct feeling that they should cause a diplomatic incident. Nonetheless, the point would be detrimental to the council's goals. The Senator of Chaldea had almost saved the discussion entirely for them by cutting in, but the Mon Calamari came back to it to offer-

He looked up to the suns, closed his eyes for a brief moment, and let an old prayer slip silently from his lips. He looked then to the other councillors, receiving a few nods of trust.

"We find these terms acceptable," he said suddenly and sharply, nodding to Senator Ahim. "The pride of our military forces would hardly be damaged by working alongside yours, and this will ease tensions with Eshan, if our warriors are occupied elsewhere. An Alliance installation on Thyrsus would be welcomed, provided its staff are not too foreign. And, of course, since it would cause such problems, we will strike our request for privileges against the Echani from the terms."

He stood. "As for the future... should Eshan offer anything close to what we can, let them have whatever privileges they deserve.

"Now, if you would, let us get to the signing."

 

[Kai Bamarri]

POV: Toloth Threepwood, Senator of Chaldea​

It quickly became glaringly obvious that Senator Threepwood, for all his attempts to appeal to the Thyrsians, was not on the same page as them after all. Once he recognized that there was little common ground between them, he quite literally turned his back on the delegation, letting the others finish up the negotiations. He had no more desire to take part in them anyway. It was too morbid, watching another world bend the knee to the damned Alliance.

Instead, he found himself in the sights of an unusually red-faced and angry Senator Organa.

"Since we have decided to make this negotiation about Chaldea, Senator Threepwood. If the Potentium feels ill-equipped to host the war refugees that they invited to their world, I would be happy to help them find more accommodating homes. Or perhaps you would like to bring it before the Senate, and not a diplomatic delegation."

"The refugees which you and my daughter invited—before she became what she is now," he muttered, with a deep, soul-rending sigh. He was so, so tired of it all. "You're barking up the wrong tree, Organa. I'm on my way out of office. If you want them so badly, you had better go and get them, and make it fast. Because either Chaldea is leaving the Alliance, or the Alliance is leaving Chaldea. And then you won't have the power to save anyone."

He gestured with his cane to the stupefied young man beside Alicio, who was dressed as an aide but wasn't taking any notes. "Be sure to bring your bodyguard with you. For your protection."

Alicio Organa​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

It'd been a long time since he last held a blade with solid weight. The balance was different from a lightsaber's blade. No, not the blade, how it clashed with other weapons. The reverberation that echoed up his arm was he clashed with one fighter to the next. The ringing of steel in his ears. It was.. Thrilling. These Thyrsians knew how to fight. He grinned as he brought the borrowed blade around and under the guard of another.

Nothing lethal, but they wouldn't be fighting in this bout any longer.

He flicked his blade, glancing towards a new voice that spoke towards him. And smiled as he lifted his blade.

"Alright."

Théodoro | Shem Spinner

 

[Alicio Organa]

Nicaea, Thyrsus
OBJ 2
- Kiro Torne - Kassogtha Cthylla - Bear - Rens Ahim - Adriana Fortemps - Kai Bamarri - @Open -
​

Alicio was glad to see that Threepwood kept his exit short and sweet, so to speak, as he turned his back on the negotiation. Half-muttered threats from a man who couldn't be bothered didn't phase him, nor would they deter him from the matter at hand. This meeting was about Thyrsus, and not Chaldea.

That can of worms could wait. But not long, as he glanced at Kai beside him. Not long at all.

Returning his gunshine eyes to the politicians around him, he was also happy to see that the digruntled senator's tirade hadn't damaged the efforts of the Alliance. Senator Ahim's proposal was a solid one- it allowed the Thyrsians to thrive as warriors, while ensuring their power wasn't centralized enough to threaten Eshan, while also promoting cameraderie and unity with the Alliance's millitary.

It was, quite literally, a win-win-win.

The Alderaanian smiled gently at the Mon Calamari as he finished speaking, then broke into a beaming grin as Kiro Torne and the other delegates agreed to it. A datapad was given to the council of Thyrsians to sign, as Alicio nodded. "Welcome to the Alliance," he offered, standing to give Kiro a handshake, while shooting Rens a congratulatory nod.

Fittingly, Thyrsus' future looked bright.

 

[FN-999]

OBJ: III​

One by one, the Malediction's tractor beams caught the crates tossed their way.
​

It was a generous haul, with reports of at least a hundred packed shipping containers in each freighter. Once the crates were locked in the beam, they were drawn into the Malediction's hangars, where a team of engineers proceeded to scan their contents and cut through their locks. Among the contents of the containers were consumables, uniforms, arms and ammunition, frozen animal eggs, medical supplies, and mobile devices. With the assistance of droid laborers, Imperial ensigns moved all their newly acquired supplies towards the back of Malediction's hangars in order to free up just enough space for the TIEs to return to their mothership.

On the bridge, Rear Admiral James Valenta looked on with awe as his aides were flooded with reports of freight arriving unmolested in the Malediction's hangar. Not in a hundred years could he have predicted his operation would have gone so well, with so little resistance from the Alliance forces who had supposedly just secured control of the system.

"I underestimated your forces, Baron." confessed the rear admiral. "Who could have thought that the operation would go this smoothly?"

"To be fair, in most cases us Army commanders are utterly useless in space." responded the Baron of Borosk. "But thanks to Space Armor, the 908th Legion can be an asset to both the Army and Navy. The 1st Space have been on active duty for the past twenty years. I'm sure they're just as comfortable in the cosmos as any of your own officers."

"If only we could have made more before everything went to hell." lamented Rear Admiral Valenta.

"If only." echoed the Baron.

For a moment, they stood in silence, both dwelling on the past. Barely two decades ago, they had both been idealistic youth, a newly anointed Baron and a successful naval captain basking in the glory of their own successes. Despite the fact that they had both been vaguely aware of the political trends in Bastion, neither man could have predicted the brutal civil war that would forever change the course of their lives. A fresh shot of pain rang through the Baron's chest as the memory of Erskine Barran's death emerged anew, his mentor and old friend forever disappearing from the galaxy. He knew that James also had his own fair share of personal losses in the form of former officers fallen or turned traitor, but he dared not discuss them in such a public setting.

Instead, the Baron put a gloved hand on the rear admiral's shoulder, providing a gentle reassurance. The two of them were in this together, and they would take any success they could snatch up in the moment.

"Rear Admiral Valenta, all cargo has been extracted."

[Nines, this is Freefall. All spacers have done their part with zero casualties. We are landing in the mothership now.]

[Task Force One, this is Rear Admiral Valenta. Prepare to enter hyperspace.]

[Entering hyperspace in T-minus 10... 9... 8...]

The two commanders turned glanced towards each other. James briefly smiled at his helmeted Baron, letting him know just how grateful he was. Underneath the helmet, Nines smiled back.

[7... 6... 5... 4...]

"Long live the Empire."

[3... 2... 1...]

"Long live the Imperial."

TO BE CONTINUED​