Dominion This Is The Time (TSE Dominion of Tammar Hex)

[Raya Najwa Zambrano]

Location: Tammar Mining Facility
Objective: III
Allies: Eye of Solomon Vandra Zambrano

“Eeeeep!” I drop behind the mining container and cover my arms over my head. "C'mon, boyos! We can speak things at the water receptacle!"

A hail of blaster fire makes on my position, and I can't help the gratuitous grin on my slender face. Slender? Gee, me. Get over it... For one, it makes Vandypander's murderous machinations even easier to commit, when a good half of the force is doubling back on little me.

That, and Grigore is coming!

"Awesome smawesome, Bruv!" The gravel is hard on my arms as I roll away from the worst of it. Pressed my forearms firm on the ground, to avoid crushing my oxygen line, the rebreather around my lips and clenched teeth making telepathic speech far easier to manage. 'Could really use ya!'

Leather and rubber boots tear at the dirt, my own scraping through as I set another explosive charge where I was, and slide under some sort of half-constructed crane. Mortar shells wufff-fwoom in the nearing distance, Grigore coming to my aide. Even so young, we Zambrano children are trained from the age of cognizance in the designs of warfare. Sith Empire mortar fire is a comforting, albeit brutal sound.

Comforting but brutal... Yep! That's my family for ya!

I skitter over to another container and my blade takes two of the miners in diagonal slices. Bodies hit the ground with thuds. Before I can slide back into cover, a blaster bolt tags my shoulder.

"MMFFGH!" It rattled to the bone, the fizzle of it dissipating across the armour weave I wear. As inelegant as it is, I grab a blaster pistol from one of the fallen, raise it up and fire eight times into central mass. "Take that, guy who shot me. Oh gooses!"

A half dozen miners turn on me, and I without so much cover to choose from. Pretty freaking perfect.

'Gri, follow my position, I'm coming at you with gifts' I sprint with the legs my mama gave me, straight through the rest of the enemy defensive scrambling line. Sure, Vandra's killing as she goes, but amidst yells of 'git her' and a whole bunch of unsavoury things I as a lady of quality dare not repeat, I am getting chased.

Chased right to the edge of the final corner, where Grigore and his troops are if the image in my head is correct, waiting to dispatch those who dare oppose the glory of our orderly, and ever familial empire.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" My prolonged scream is less about personal fear than giving Grigore and the troops an audible clue of how close I am. Ducking around blaster bolts ought to scare me more at this point, but eh! Daddy's training regimes are worse.

And there! I skid low, on a diagonal from Grigore and the troops, about ten mooks rushing behind me, no doubt, to their own doom.

All that matters is I’ve arrived, shoulder smouldering and oxygen tank intact, once again to my brother’s side.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Valerya Tion The Fool Mariel Dawnrider

There were a lot of too big, stomping around with their enormous feet, pretending they knew anything about being quiet. There was a reason, after all, why the expression was "quiet as a mouse".

Akito had watched for a bit, and decided to follow the gruff-looking one around when he went scouting. Between the bird and the bird in the fancy dress, the dude looked like the most interesting one of them at the moment. So she had taken a walk in his footsteps and boy were they some big footsteps.

When he turned back to the others, she had looped around and followed.

Now, as he gave his report, Akito ignited her little jetpack and jumped up on Roman's shoulder, then leaned on the side of his head. She knew that would make her clearly visible, and she knew she risked to get brushed away. Well, he would try, anyway.

Yet, she deemed it worth it.

"This place has some vicious sandstorms, so if there is equipment here, it will be inside."

Her tail picked a canteen from her side so she could take a long sip.

"So, what are we waiting for?"

 

[Mariel Dawnrider]

Location: Tammar Wastelands, Forgotten Ruins
In Scene: Valerya Tion The Fool Darth Ophidia
Objective: Ornamental

Where Valerya was clearly comfortable, the small owl on her shoulder was clearly not. Feathers all fluffed up and eyes squinting against the too bright light. Genuinely painful with no clouds. She didn't like the heat, didn't like the bright, didn't like the sand.

"Oh yes I'm sure," shifting from one foot to the other before settling down again.

"I can't see much of anything," Mariel positively grumbled. The bright light was nearly blinding to the nocturnal creature. She squinted in the general direction of the shadow she knew was Roman, but there was little to be done about any of it for now. Once upon a time she'd had a pair of goggles to help with when she needed to be up during the day, but that seemed like a lifetime ago.

What she COULDN'T see at this time however was the little Nezumi. Her head cocked at the new voice reached her and it was entirely uncomfortable to not see WHO is was coming from.

She squinted harder.

As Val started to move, her wings brushed out slightly, helping her maintain her balance as the Sith headed toward the shadow with two voices.

 

[Melia Siari]

Most of the Imperial bureaucracy viewed life in the Armada, at least life while engaging an enemy in the void of space, as a tense, exciting, and dramatic period. From the Captain's point of view, it could hardly be further from the truth - certainly the pilots that flew under the banner of the Starfighter corps could describe their careers as one full of risks and excitement, but sitting on the bridge of a large capital ship drifting through space in the direction of yet more large capital ships was peak serenity for the Zeltron. It was tense but tense in the same way a novel might build up tension through suspense, and while Melia was certain that some of her crew might have felt like the metaphorical reader in the context of this blockade it was entirely the opposite for her.

"What is the status of our boarding ploy?" She asked, her eyes fixated on an enhanced, blown up, holographic footage of their target vessel - itself surrounded by miniature holograms of the rest of the blockade out of scale to give her a greater tactical advantage. "Crescent Squadron has sounded off over comms that they will be escorting them to our target, boarding party has deployed and is en route to destination with a small margin of error - I believe we have calculated a six point risk of failure to board." The voice of an officer seated behind her, an analytics specialist, chimed in. "Good. Direct a broadcast to cruisers that we want light, proportionate to response, fire on ships surrounding our target. Draw the focus away from the boarding craft and give them the impression that we intend to directly engage." She replied, her words now directed to her communication's officer, while she narrowed her eyes on the small speck of a vessel docking with their target.

"I want a request that cruisers with interdictor capabilties to keep ships from launching into hyperspace. Any small craft leaving our target are to be taken by force, I want a personal evaluation done of any detained individuals. Any droids taken are to be neutralized with blasters set to ion, I want memory banks available in the instance of conspiracy."

"Ma'am? Are we expecting the blockade to break earlier than anticipated?"

"No, I believe that our intimidation tactic will prove highly effective but I suspect the blockade will stand - I do suspect we will see a concerted effort to flee in the event that we board their command vessel, however, and I want to make sure our crew are mentioned by name if we make any success worth mentioning to higher command." Melia replied, her focus still trained on the smaller ship - one which was, unbeknownst to her, under the command of one Jovana Valente and aligned with her most hated enemy.

The Jedi.

 

[Eye of Solomon]

Objective III: Staging Point
Location: Planetside
Tags: Raya Najwa Zambrano | Vandra Zambrano

"A wonderful gift, my sister. I will have to repay the favor someday."​

​

Grigore rushed forward, dodging blaster bolts with exceptional speed before he launched himself up into the air. Rotating in the air, the Zambrano Princeling threw his lightsaber down toward the assembled ORO soldiers as they directed their blasters towards the sky. His blade swung through their ranks like a harvesting scythe, reaping them of their lives while their attention was directed up and away from the ground. Some shots managed to sing through the air near the Prince, but none came truly close enough to be of danger.​

​

He landed on his feet on the other side of the group, who now began to tumble down to the ground as their bisected corpses succumbed to gravity. Grigore caught his spinning lightsaber by the hilt as it returned to his hand, the violet blade dissipating as he attached it to his belt. Turning back towards Raya, he smiled a rapscallion smirk and merely said; "Tada."​

​

With the corporate stooges more or less dead or dying, the Prince's Legion moved in and began to establish a more permanent settlement in and around ORO's now vacant structures. ​

 

[Arcane Syn NPCs]

Objective IV: Obtain "specimens" for research

The settlement had fallen swiftly, the locals had been unprepared for the Sith Adepts and their forces. The defending militia, the survivors at least, were among the first to be loaded into the dungeon ships for transport. Once a perimeter was established, the sorting of candidates began. Certain genetic markers were tested for, Force Sensitives were immediately taken for processing and advanced evaluation, while the elderly were moved to a central location of the settlement.

Roughly 25% of all adults in the settlement were now loaded in stasis for transport back to Valrar, Amaltanna, and Cadomai for study. The children were placed in separate transports where they would be sent to reeducation centers, while the remaining adults awaited what fate was planned for them. The First Daughter had ordered that no witnesses were to be left, but evidence of Sith actions were to be erased.

When the transports took off, the settlement's reactor erupted in a terrifying explosion. It would be blamed on a faulty maintenance, and there would be no survivors for if the explosion didn't do the work, the radiation would finish the job.

 

[Raya Najwa Zambrano]

Objective: III: Staging Point
Allies: Vandra Zambrano Eye of Solomon

Gravel veers away from my sliding boots, sticking to my trousers. Vandra is a dervish in a violent twirl, and for once I'm glad to be a bit distant from my bestie-best sister. When Vandra wants to go a-murdering, it's best to steer away from the splatter zone. I really don't want to have to get blood out of my hair... Thrice in a week.

"Why thank you, my Princely Prince." Grigore flies into the air, his purple lightsaber veered along to tear down those troops who dared to attempt turning his little sister into a form of no-lactose hole-ridden cheese. Even sticks his landing, and it's in battles like these I can grin into my rebreather and know absolutely: I do belong to my family.

"Tens! Tens across the board! Tens in style! Tens in execution!" Tiny versions of me pop around Grigore, holding up little award show placards reading '10' on each. A tiny screaming crowd gathers behind the little judge me's, praising my brother for his epic and stylish dispatch of what are now a bunch of steaming piles of once-being's. The illusions dissipate with a flourish, nothing but his dopey teenaged sister bowing.

"Wonderfully done, and on my un-birthday!" Images of supplies I hadn't blown up flux into Grigore's mind, as I sidle up and take his elbow with both arms, to guide my brother to our prize. The perfect little Lady, as all Zambrano children are trained to be. "1,2,3 not it on telling Vandy we killed 'Em all. Oh, also, they left their commlink records, methinks. 'Cause I sorta decapitated the comm guy."

 

[Onrai]

the Ablution and a number of Sovereign Elite-class Battlecruisers would appear on the battlefield, beam weaponry charged and unleashed on the anti-Sith blockade. Vanessa was appropriately satisfied to see an opportunity for the Maldrood’s remaining forces to prove useful to the Empire. The Ablution would engage in conflict with the lead ship, disgorging its array of fighters as they flew into action against the enemies of the Imperial forces. Though she preferred to remain within the confines of her own demesne, Vanessa had felt an urging to perhaps assist in this instance.

After all, one could never truly tell exactly what was going to happen next.

 

[Telis Taharin-Zambrano]

Location: Space above Tammar
Objective: I
”Breakpoint Evolution”

There is a thing to be said about just what a tiny dash of coincidence can spell for the nature of a fight like this. Above the empty void of Tammar the planetary defense fleets of the foes of the empire kept a stark grip on the traffic above the atmosphere, a staunch defense that would not protect the planet forever, but would spell out a problem for the Sith later on should it not be dealt with. While a single ship alone would not be enough to dispel an entire blockade of cruisers and heavy ships, one should never underestimate the turn of tide that a single extra soldier can provide.

Over the comms to most larger ships connected to Sith frequencies would come a short message, pinged from a TIE/K Superiority Fighter dropping out of warp speed, the veins cresting the outside of the midnight black hull fading from the bright blue towards the deep red as it finished its leap and proceeded to speed towards the blockade through the dogfights in space. ”Engaging blockade, don’t get in my way.” Like that, the ship would begin its approach towards the defensive line, its flying nimbly through the various blasts of ship-fire.

Approaching towards a larger defense cruiser, Telis would lean back into the seat of his ship, feeling every control of the vessel as though it was his own body, and thanks to the crown built into the controls and his mastery of Mechu-deru, it was perhaps safe to say that on some level the ship was apart of him. It could react as fast as he could react, and when anger vaunted his veins, the ship heated up to match his pitch. With the controls of the ship tight in his hands, Telis looked at the ship’s array of anti-fighter turrets and cannons, his sights set on the largest gun on the top of the ship. A few moments, and his sights clicked into place on the gun, followed swiftly by two ion torpedoes sent racing towards the gun, colliding with the ship’s shields and exploding into a violent wave of energy that tore through the ship’s precautionary defenses, but setting the gunnery array’s sights on Telis’s craft.

With a swift maneuver, the Breakpoint Evolution banked up adjacent to the body of the cruiser. The hailfire from the turrets began to ceaselessly yet futilely attempt to hit the Sith Knight in his assault, his ship spinning around to take a new angle of attack, racing upwards before coming down at a new angle, another set of torpedoes firing off alongside a barrage of crimson ship-fire to tear through the turrets that tried to rail against his reproach. In a cascade of explosions, the Breakpoint Evolution laid heavily into the cruiser, the torpedoes slamming into the armored hull and opening the ship up for more devastating blasts, while alleviating the pressure posed by the turrets. Skimming up against the body of the ship once more, the Breakpoint Evolution laid into whatever was stick out that could be struck, stripping away at the armor in whatever way was possible for his small ship to accomplish.

Then with another evasive maneuver, Telis pulled up, spiraling to avoid chase by other craft in the region, before pulling down once more to aim at the wound he had opened, letting loose every cannon he could to pummel and destroy the cruiser. With the weight of his onslaught, the ship began to crumple, explosions filling the points where the blasters hit crucial machinery, before the ship itself collapsed, going up in flames as the domino effect sent the ship out of commission and destroying the defensive craft. Pulling away from the wreckage, Telis let his ship glide deeper into the blockade, sending out a single signal for other pilots to possibly follow, if they were as bold as him.

”If you wish to make history, join me and help break a hole for the cavalry to charge through, for the Empire!” Telis’s mouth split into a wicked smile as he continued, dodging in and out of dogfights in his late attempt to assist in the final efforts to claim the system and dispel the resistance present.

 

[Melia Siari]

There were many things that the officers of the Imperial Armada might cite as detrimental to a successful mission, were they to be polled, and while many were as logical as insubordination or a lack of strong command it was much more simple for Captain Melia Siari. The Zeltron, more than anything, hated surprises. It wasn't that unplanned reinforcements, or an unanticipated enemy fleet pattern, were unable to be improvised around, rather it was when those on the side of the Empire acted in a way she did not anticipate or had communicated to her - she had banked on the central command vessel being left to the devices of their boarding party, and the rather abrupt arrival of what appeared to be Imperial-aligned ships put a bit of a dent in that plan.

"Captain we have what appears to be a smaller reinforcement fleet arriving out of hyperspace, they are firing on vessels near the command ship. How should we proceed?" Came the voice of her communications officer, who sounded rather concerned if only a little relieved. "Radio to the arriving vessels that we have a friendly boarding party approaching the command vessel, and emphasize that the Emperor's daughter and heir apparent is on board. Request they focus their attention on the rest of the blockade, we can set aside our pride and allow ourselves to take advantage of vastly superior numbers. It may not look as good on a quarterly review, but a success is a success and I am not one to look a gift horse in mouth." She replied, adjusting her plan with remarkable fluidity for someone whose face was engraved with an expression of utter disapproval.

"Yes ma'am."

Things played out as she'd hoped they would not have needed to - the arrival of the newer ships appeared to spook the blockade ships, prompting heavy fire from some of their more capable cruisers, which in turn required a measured response from the Imperial Armada. Perhaps she was being overly picky, after all it was obvious that the blockade was losing its cohesion and whatever leadership they had were not trained for such an encounter. The beam weapons of the Sovereign-class ships were highly effective, however, and the sheer surprise of such a sudden assault during a suspenseful blockade managed to disable several of the smaller vessels on the enemy side.

"I want tractor beams positioned on any fleeing craft, my intention of interviewing any detained individuals trying to escape still stands. Interdictor fields should remain active, I want no one leaving until this mess is cleared up. This may be a victory in the loosest terms, but I will not be satisfied until we've secured all hostiles and filed a final report for command." Melia said as she leaned back in her chair. Through the viewport of the bridge she watched as the blockade came apart at its seams, leaving only the command vessel and a sparse handful of other cruisers still in place while the rest were either laid to waste by the Armada or tried in vain to alter course and escape.

Jovana Valente

 

[Cara Dorniarn]

Location: An Imperial hull.
Objective: BYOO - Observe these gangly men.

______________________________________​

Four cyborgs screeched binary thoughts as they detached from their perches. They lumbered from their stations, the heavy laser integrated into their torso weighing them down so they looked like hunched figures. Once meeting zero-g they became completely different creatures. They straightened their backs, wound their arms, which previously dragged behind, then shot them forward to max length. Magnetic "fingers" slapped the surface of the hull, prompting the gangly beings to lean backward, build tension, then slingshot themselves to the location.

Their loud binary reasoning was nothing short of music to Cara's ears. They communicated with one another, formulating split-second plans for sealing the damage. She refused to shepherd them, needing to observe what they were capable of. She sat down on the hull, crossing her legs and laying the plasma torch on her lap.

The units (designated as U1, U6, U3, and U8) made their plan of attack. U1 took the northern point of the "scar," as they designated the damage. U8 took the north quarter, U3 the south quarter, and U6 the southern point.

Each unit snaked their arms up to the individual straps on their left thigh to remove an orange canister. In perfect unison the canisters's trigger was clamped, aimed, and thrown down in the gap. A silent explosion of orange foam grew in each area. The unit's arms sunk down to the hull once more, creating a magnetic bond and shortening their length to secure the unit's position. The devices on their heads began to glow and intense yellow.

Fwoom! At least, it would have sounded that way if they weren't in space. The narrow, continuous laser penetrated the rapidly drying foam, expanding it more to fill the scar. The units then sculpted the edges, ensuring no gaps remained as the substance hardened into a light metallic material.

Under the black dome, Cara's smile was wide.

 

[Jovana Valente]

"Chit," Jovana slammed her fist into the console. "Proud of yourself yet, Kistemar?"​

​

She should have taken a long way around to Bosph. "Interdictor fields!" An officer shouted, and Jovana took a deep breath and exhaled. She was one with the Force and the Force was with her. "We're gonna make the best of a shitty situation, pull in." She ordered, "engage arrow-arrow-four-two." The order meant the small and feeble Tammarian Defense Force would shift, "you don't have the numbers, make every shot count. This is your last stand, make every, single shot count."​

​

Baptized by fire, huh?​

​

"We've got a ship heading our way," the same officer announced. The air on the bridge felt as if it had been sucked out, that vessel was no doubt on course to board. "Prepare any security officers, get ready to have company, in the meantime take out as many of their damn fighters as possible." Forty to one at least, the Tammarian Defense Force could at the very least make the Sith Empire pay in blood. "Pull back, closer to the planet if you have to, push them into Tammar's gravity well." A fierce order from Jovana to the rest of the fleet. "Let this day be remembered," and when the communications were turned off she sighed, "martyrdom here we come."​

​

The Defense Force unleashed hell upon the Sith Armada as they approached, the formation tightened and physically threatened to push several of the Sith's smaller ships into the planet's gravity well. It wouldn't be much but it would mean that they were going to fight to the death. Smaller ships broke away in an attempt to flee, however futile. ​

​

"We are doing what must be done," Kistemar's resolve seemed to have only been hardened by the advancing Armada. "Fight or flee, but I will stand, I will give my life for Tammar."​

The ship's power flickered, and when it went off they were covered in darkness and for a brief moment, there was some manner of relief. If she died here, then she would have done all she could, and yet the brunette refused. The dim lights of the emergency backup generator coming to life, accompanied by the harsh sound of it working over its limit. Reminded the Jedi of her vows, she would always fight for those who could not fight for themselves. ​

​

The Jakkuvian shook her head, she had seen some last stands but this? This was absolutely insane, "right." She acknowledged as the suspected boarding vessel all but confirmed her suspicions. If the klaxons had been irritable before, they were beyond so now as red lights flashed throughout the bridge. The ship shuddered, groaned under the intrusion of the Sith. Her lightsaber sprang to life, "you might be more than willing to lay your life down for Tammar, but not all of us are, Kistemar. Do what you must, I'll hold as many of them off as possible."​

​

Melia Siari ​

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[Melia Siari]

SHE LOVES CONTROL

"The blockade has been reduced to a handful of ships, Captain, and it appears that our prior target has fallen back into the pull of Tammar's gravity." Her communications officer said, giving her information that she more or less was already aware of but confirming what she saw as fact. "How would you care to proceed, ma'am?" They added, perhaps to emphasize the need for a timely response from Melia - which was rather difficult considering the newer ships that had joined them. "Send a message to the rest of the ships under Sith control to continue to disregard the command vessel - and send a message to the boarding party that their risk will no longer be necessary. Arrange for a bigger bird to ferry them out of the battlefield, it's a bit too dangerous for my tastes to have the Emperor's heir in a small craft in the middle of a war zone without a need to be there." She instructed, seemingly still unhappy with how quickly she needed to list off her orders - perhaps still placing some blame on the newer arrivals.

"Go ahead and fly us towards the planet, unleash the hangars in full as we approach. Any attack craft we have should be directed to disable whatever weapons that Acclamator has left, functioning or otherwise, and our dropships should be directed to make landfall. I want boots on the ground yesterday, and I want to make it clear that any of our soldiers belonging to this ship's crew are ordered to refrain from antagonizing the local populace. After today they will be a part of the empire, I do not want the added logistical nightmare of a citizen revolt." Melia continued after a brief pause, though she didn't seem quite done mulling over her decision. "And the crew of the Tammarian's blockade command vessel, Captain?" Came the voice of her communication's officer, seemingly reading her mind - the sign of a well trained subordinate.

"Prepare boarding shuttles and make sure to activate tractor beams to keep them from falling into the planet's surface, last thing I need is some self-righteous martyr trying to wipe out all life on this pitiful ball of mud." Siari replied, rising from her chair in the center of the bridge. "For any further questions please route your communications through my ear piece, I'll be joining our soldiers in a boarding craft once we've secured entry - and please make sure our men and women know to have their blasters set to stun."

Saluting the rest of the bridge crew, and giving them a verbal congratulatory praise for their part, she left the bridge to find herself a boarding shuttle, one of many that would be launched from the hangar once the Cradle was within a close enough range. She had little doubt in her mind that the Tammarian crew aboard the Acclamator were banking on the capital ships of the Imperial Armada avoiding getting to close to the planet's surface, as generally destroyers and large cruisers were not built for such things, but the carrier she commanded was one which was specifically designed to do so - it was, after all, built to carry an absurd amount of vehicles and starships for the express purpose of laying siege to a world.

Jovana Valente