Invasion Thou Shall Not Suffer an Empire to Live | AoC invasion of CIS-held Siskeen & Ryloth

[OOM-314-PIE]

Location: Ryloth [Capital Bio-Dome] Outside [To Inside] Confederate Defense Force Garage
Weapon: None
Enemies: Oceiros Sunstrider | J'onns | Thalia Senn | Madalena Antares | Agents of Chaos
Allies: Rann Thress | Draconis Sederius Wolf | Millu Lee | Srina Talon | Prennis Keeoli | Ciri Jade | Vytal Noctura | Julra Repraj | Damsy Callat | Lunara Azure | Tess Valnora | Maeve Archeron | Allya Vi'Dreya
B1 Party: Moe Uilor | OOM-001-JELLYBEAN | OOM-002-HONEYCOMB | OOM-003-CUPCAKE | OOM-004-DONUT | OOM-016-ASTRO

Ah, the pure euphoria of uploading into a spiffy new chassis. Polished duraplast with a chromium finish highlighted with only the most pristine accents of sapphire-like blue. The fresh lather of oil and various lubricants ensuring the epitome of functionality if there ever was one. It sure was good to be PIE today - not even a smudge, scratch or carbon scored for as far as the eye could see!​

The B1 unit uncurled from its storage form as the programming finally pushed through to activate him. As he extended to full height, he pivoted and gazed at the row of spare chassis on the same line he’d come from. “PIE, you are one good looking droid!” His mechanical voice exuded exclamation in how he marveled and feigned over the replica chassis within the storage unit. “@OOM-016-ASTRO and OOM-004-DONUT only wish they could look as good as you!” He continued on with his admiration of himself, while casting a cursory glance toward the spare chassis belonging to the two respective B1 units. The gaze of his photoreceptors then fell on the spare chassis belonging to the unit leader, OOM-001-JELLYBEAN . The violent trim shined bright and, as if he even knew what such a thing was, he leaned up against a mechanism nearby the lifeless row of chassis. “Now you look good,” he said. “Not as good as PIE, though.” His pose now mirrored, as closely as a B1 unit could manage, a somewhat seductive post, his three digitted hand rising to stroke his non-existent chin. “PIE will talk to you later.”​

He stood once again to his full stature, contorting his frame to face the B1 leader’s spare once again. His hand rose to her shoulder, however he paid no attention to the fact that he’d shifted his weight to release mechanism for one of his own spares. As more of his weight pressed against it, an audible click sounded out and the spare chassis the mechanism was connected to jettisoned forward before crashing into the durasteel surface of the storage unit. If it were possible, his expression would have shifted to one of horror as he witnessed his perfection careen with the hard floor, scratching and scuffing it.​

“Ooooh noooo!!” PIE somewhat panicked, his personality matrix searching for the correct algorithm in response to the event. But instead he simply settled on scolding himself. “Stupid PIE.”​

Next, it finally hit him that he didn’t in fact know where he was. Like, what city? Planet? Where? He scurried around a moment before a ping sounded off somewhere inside the container followed by some sort of transmission that echoed throughout. PIE jumped as the sudden stimuli startled him.​

”This is the grand marshal. I don’t care how you droids do it, but I need that tunnel closed now. I’m sure your sensors have already read the heat rising. You do not have much time in there. We need you to close that tunnel as quickly as you can..”

​

PIE responded with a triumphant “Roger, roger” standing tall and proud as he could. He spun on his heel and charged out of the storage containment bound for where his sensors indicated the rest of the unit of B1’s had congregated. He didn’t even stop to gather his standard issue E-5 Blaster Rifle knowing good and well that it was hero time. And no one was as awesome at being a hero as PIE!​

Before long, PIE made his way triumphantly out into the streets of . . . hold up! What even was this place? Can PIE get a reset? He dashed over to a local Twi’lek and frantically spoke. “PIE does not know where PIE is. PIE hopes organic will help PIE. What place is this?” He wasn’t great with words, that much was easy enough to discern, however he did his best to make up for it with the gusto and fanfare his vocabulator managed to generate.​

The yellow skinned Twi’lek stepped back, startled as to what was going on. “Uh . . . uh . . . Ryloth?” A confused expression enveloped her facial features and in that moment PIE determined he had been quite rude not to let her know of the hero he was. Of how he was going to save the day!​

“PIE is here on important mission! PIE is hero!” The words spit from his vocabulator with a certain gusto to them. An over abundance of confidence. Or was that foolishness. “PIE thanks small organic. PIE wishes organic pleasant day!” With that said, PIE dashed forward once more, bound for where his sensors indicated his unit had gathered.​

The young, Twi’lek local simply stood there amiss and dumbfounded but whatever it was that had transpired. A droid frolicking through the streets and talking in a strange manner? A hero? Uh...what?!​

Shortly thereafter, he had come upon the garage where he saw the rest of his brothers, sisters and cousins hunkering down at the entrance. So . . . he did what PIE did. He rushed to their side and stood all champion like before them. His hand lay upon his hips, elbow joints angled outward. He was a proud droid, though whether or not that was a coding mishap would likely never be known. He’d been this way since he’d seen his first activation. To PIE, PIE was best. No other compared! Well JELLYBEAN came close, but PIE was best.​

“Retreat! This is a trap. Two explosions, two holes, close-quarters. Hostile targets. Many, many hostile targets!”

​

If it were at all possible, an arrogant smirk would have made its way across PIE’s face and he let out a very faint and brief huff of a chuckle.​

”They’re escaping! I’m gonna lose my promotion!”

​

His gaze turned toward the group, before settling on JELLYBEAN. With a palpable confidence, PIE spoke his next words with a degree of boastfulness one might believe impossible for a droid to possess. Much less a B1.​

“NEVER FEAR, PIE IS HERE!”​

As the last of the phrasing leapt from his vocabulator, PIE launched himself headstrong into the abyss. Bound for whatever it was that they’d just retreated from. Not even a blaster in tow. PIE was here to save the day and he intended to do just that!​

However, confidence came to a screeching halt as the stampede ran right through him. His chassis banged around between strange organic forms and the hard ground beneath. Limbs broke off, seeing themselves fly here and there before the head freed itself from the chassis with a pop. “Well, this did not go as PIE planned. PIE will hear about this for sure.” as the words faded the operation of the unit went dark. But PIE was not finished. No, certainly not. PIE had already begun redownloading into a spare chassis and well as you may have guessed, PIE darted out of the storage containment once more, again forgetting to arm himself for a blaster prior to leaving.​

As he would arrive again, PIE would crouch down with the others. “Bad idea. PIE had very bad idea.”​

He paused, taking it all in. Slight disorientation still affecting him as he adjusted to the new chassis.​

“But,” he started, “never fear, PIE is here.”​

Spoiler: ”TLDR”

[*]PIE is activated
[*]PIE figures out where he is (weaponless when leaves storage)
[*]PIE charges into stampede; dies
[*]PIE reboots and returns (new chassis/weaponless)

 

[Amelia von Sorenn]

Location: The E'care Shukur | Ryloth System
Objective: Remove the Golden Lance
Allies: CIS | Tyrias Aran | Luna Terrik | Srina Talon | Darth Metus | The Monster | Kathryn Foster
Neutral (For Now): AoC | Twi'lek "Freedom" Fighters | Siskeen Coalition | Scherezade deWinter | Madalena Antares | Dimitri Lindzinsky | Lash | Bella | Strider Garon | Oceiros Sunstrider
Persona Non-Grata: K Kaine Australis
Post Count: IV

The fleet's concentrated fire upon the Aft section of the Golden Lance continued until the vessel released its weapon. At the moment that the now - effectively - kinetic rod was released to the gravity of the planet, the order quickly broke out for all vessels to ceasefire in a bid to avoid striking the weapon. Though the woman stood silent, watching in awe and anger as the Aegis barreled towards the now falling weapon. Her hand quickly shot up to cover her eyes, though not to avoid seeing the Aegis' final moments as it discharged its weapons in a final blazing, defiant moment - rather it was to protect her vision from the sun like an orb of fire that the weapon was soon engulfed in. A soft growl slipped from her lips as she thought on the lives that had just been lost, though they could be mourned at a more appropriate time.

"Ma'am, the shockwave knocked out a few of our vessels, they're attempting to reestablish control, however, they are experiencing power fluctuations and system malfunctions. One Accuser Corvette and Three of the Kesh Transports have been destroyed due to the blast. Though there's a larger problem on our hands now ma'am. That explosion apparently did a fair bit of damage to the Golden Lance, it's now heading directly for the planet. The Aegis managed to take out what would have been a kinetic rod, now the Golden Lance has become one."

It took a moment before she brought her hand down, blinking a few times to push the spots away from her vision before she turned back towards the viewscreen. Her fist was still balled tightly, though the bleeding seemed to have stopped for the moment as she watched the Golden Lance being pulled down by the gravity of the planet.

"Ma'am, additional vessels are moving closer, though are not engaging."

Amelia turned towards the officer and nodded quietly, taking the moment to quickly gather her thoughts before stepping forward and maintaining her calm, albeit the rage was still there. Motioning with her hand once more, she opened the communications to the other vessels in the system.

"Agents of Chaos, your apparent ally was ready to unleash that weapon upon the planet below. They nearly turned it into a kinetic rod by jettisoning it towards the planet. That disaster was only averted by the swift thinking of the crew of the Aegis. However; your apparent ally has now turned their vessel into a Kinetic Rod. The temporary cease-fire will remain, though I caution you to choose your allies and friends more carefully in the future to prevent you from being associated with those that are more than willing to destroy innocent lives in a last-ditch effort for their blaze of glory. It is our hope that our plan will ensure that the battlecruiser doesn't impact Ryloth like a Kinetic Rod and cause a catastrophic disaster; our main focus is on saving the lives of the denizens of the planet."

Turning her attention back towards the falling Golden Lance, a soft smirk pulled at the edge of her lips. The problem with jettisoning a weapon that was - for all intents and purposes - an integral part of the structure of the vessel left a glaring and obvious weakness. Jettisoning a weapon meant leaving a rather sizeable hole in the structure of your vessel where the weapon once resided, and that weakness was the key to ensuring that the Golden Lance wouldn't become a kinetic rod.

"Grand Marshal Luna Terrik , The Golden Lance has become trapped in the Gravity of the Planet and is currently poised to strike like a Kinetic Rod. That brilliant flash previously was apparently its main weapon being jettisoned and detonating. We're going to attempt to push the vessel into a manner that will break it up in the atmosphere. If this doesn't work, I hope you have a place to cover - if the worst happens, shuttles will be deployed to get as many denizens of the world out of harm's way. It's up to you to spread the word to anyone on the surface, get it out to as many individuals as you can, and May the Force Be With You."

With the message sent, she let a heavy sigh escape before her attention focused once more on the vessel that was now barreling towards the surface of the planet.

"Captain, initiate Proton Beam Cannon Firing Sequence, bring up the Incinerator class Plasma Railguns, and concentrate fire on the gaping hole in the Golden Lance. Have all vessels redirect their fire on the Golden Lance where its primary cannon once resided. We're going to attempt to alter its trajectory just enough to skip it into the atmosphere, hopefully, and I mean hopefully, we'll be able to divert it enough that it'll break up in the atmosphere and reduce its kinetic effect."

As the order was given, the fleet began to redirect its targeting, no longer aiming for the engines and Aft section of the Golden Lance, their firepower was now focused on the hole that was left behind when the vessel had dropped its Daedalus Cannon; the hope being that with the now weaker section of the vessel, they would be able to alter its path just enough, be it ever so slight, to allow the atmosphere to go to work on the vessel itself.

"Hold our Starfighters in reserve, though have them prepared to launch to escort our shuttles and Kesh Transports to the surface if this doesn't work. I want all shuttles and transports ready for a potential mass evacuation. Fleet Marshal Tyrias Aran , focus your fire on the prow of the Golden Lance where the cannon had been previously, we need to alter its course. As a precaution, get your shuttles ready to evacuate individuals from the surface, if we fail to alter its trajectory, it'll strike the planet like a Kinetic Rod."

Turning towards the communications officer, she took a moment, ponder if it was the right moment, though if they failed they would need the additional vessels. Nodding, she decided it was right to call in the reserve fleet, if for no other reason than for the Medical Frigates and additional shuttles to evacuate as many inhabitants as they could.

"Commander Conall Rhorik, have the Reserve Fleet ready to jump into the system when I give the order. The moment I send word, get here as soon as possible. Have your Medical Frigates and their Seach and Rescue vessels on standby for a potential evacuation. Our current situation may require we save as many individuals as possible."

Her mind was firing on all cylinders, quickly pulling in the happenings around her as she focused on bringing as many resources to bare as possible for a potentially cataclysmic event. Though the plan still remained, and at the moment it was the best that she could think of for dealing with a Battlecruiser turned kinetic rod.

"Thoros Battlecruiser will redirect its Auto Cannons and Hypervelocity Cannons to the prow of the Golden Lance, hit it with everything you've got. The Subjugator II Star Destroyer will unleash its Solar Ionization Cannons, while the Tho Yor II Star Destroyers will focus their Dual Heavy Turbolasers and Heavy Ion Cannons on the former location of the Golden Lance's primary cannon. All other vessels will maintain a perimeter and keep an eye for any other potential threats to the fleet. Our primary focus is redirecting that Battlecruiser and prevent it from hitting Ryloth."

Just as it had been previously, the vessels unleashed a withering salvo of fire upon the Battlecruiser, all focus on the forward section of the vessel, primarily on the section that the Daedalus Cannon had been jettisoned from. If they were lucky, they could alter its course, force it to break apart in the atmosphere, or utilize the atmosphere to slow it down and break upon impact. If the Galaxy decided that luck wasn't enough, they would fall back on the secondary plan, save as many people from the surface before the Battlecruiser struck like a Kinetic Rod. Only time would tell.

Spoiler: Ame's Fleet

• The E'care Shukur
  • (16) Squadrons
  • (6) Squadrons - Vulture III Starfighters
  • (6) Squadrons - Crescent II Starfighters
    • (3) Squadrons w/ Standard Weaponry
    • (1) Squadron w/ Light Ion Cannons
    • (2) Squadron w/ Concussion Missile Launchers
  • (4) Squadrons - RMS-BC11 Starhammer Superheavy Bomber
• Thoros class Artillery Battlecruiser
  • (1) Squadron - Vulture II Starfighters
• Subjugator II class Star Destroyer
  • (4) Squadrons
    • (2) Squadrons - Vulture III Starfighters
    • (2) Squadrons - Colla class Droid Tri-Fighters
• (2) Providence II class Assault Carrier
  • (16) Squadrons
    • (6) Squadrons - Vulture III Starfighters
    • (6) Squadrons - Colla class Droid Tri-Fighters
    • (4) Squadrons - RMS-BC11 Starhammer Superheavy Bomber
• (2) Tho Yor II class Star Destroyer
  • (1) w/ Baradium Missiles
    • (30/40)
  • (1) w/ Proton Torpedoes
    • (40/60)
  • (4) Squadrons - Crescent II class Starfighters
    • (2) Squadrons w/ Standard Weaponry
    • (1) Squadron w/ Concussion Missile Launchers
    • (1) Squadron w/ Concussion Missile Launchers and Proton Torpedo Launchers
• Tho Yor II class Mothership
  • (9) Squadrons
    • (5) Squadrons - Crescent II class Starfighters
      • (3) Squadrons w/ Standard Weaponry
      • (2) Squadrons w/ Light Ion Cannons
    • (4) Squadrons - Kesh II class Modular Transport - Bomber Configuration
• (2) Tho Yor II class Attack Vessel
  • Experiencing power fluctuations and System Malfunctions due to the Daedalus Cannon Explosion
• (10) Kesh II class Modular Transports - Bomber Configuration
  • (3) Destroyed due to Daedalus Cannon Explosion
  • (2) Disabled due to Daedalus Cannon Explosion
• (2) Accuser class Corvettes
  • (1) Destroyed due to Daedalus Cannon Explosion

Spoiler: Action Report

• CIS Fleet stopped firing on Golden Lance after it jettisoned its Daedalus Cannon
• Ame and the CIS Fleet watched as the Aegis valiantly sacrificed itself to prevent the Daedalus Cannon from detonating on Ryloth
• CIS Fleet has redirected fire on the Prow of the Golden Lance, specifically the exposed area the Daedalus Cannon had previously resided in an attempt to redirect the Golden Lance from acting like a Kinetic Rod
  • E'care Shukur initiated Proton Beam Cannon firing sequence
  • E'care Shukur firing Incinerator class Plasma Railguns
  • Thoros Battlecruiser firing Auto Cannons and Hypervelocity Cannons
  • Subjugator II Star Destroyer firing Solar Ionization Cannons
  • Tho Yor II Star Destroyers firing Dual Heavy Turbolaser Cannons and Heavy Ion Cannons
• Ordered Fleet Marshal Tyrias Aran to redirect Fire towards the Golden Lance prow section where the Daedalus Cannon had been
• Ordered Commander Conall Rhorik to prepare Reserve Fleet to jump into the System when ordered for potential evacuation
• Put Shuttles and Transports on standby to evacuate individuals on the surface of Ryloth in the event the plan fails and the Golden Lance strikes like a Kinetic Rod

Spoiler: CIS Reserve Fleet

• (2) Subjugator II class Star Destroyers
  • (8) Squadrons
    • (4) Squadrons - Vulture III Starfighters
    • (2) Squadrons - Colla class Droid Tri-Fighters
    • (2) Squadrons - RMS-BC11 Starhammer Superheavy Bomber
• (4) Argente class Assault Cruisers
  • (8) Squadrons - Vulture III Starfighters
• (4) Saboath II class Assault Cruisers
  • (12) Squadrons - Vulture II Starfighters
• (2) Murkhana class Escort Frigates
  • (2) Squadrons - Vulture III Starfighters
• (5) Comfort class Medical Frigates
  • (5) Squadrons - H-Wing Search and Rescue Cutter

​

 

[Millu Lee]

Location: Outside the Capitol Bio-Dome

Objective: Follow Beric, Defend Ryloth

Allies: Beric Layne Sabine Delacroix , Vytal Noctura , Effie , CIS

Enemies: Scherezade deWinter , AoC

Equipment: Vaela Layne's Lightsaber


Millu was still quite shocked when Beric gave her a lightsaber. It was the girl's first time actually holding one, and she should have been delighted. But the gravity of the situation they were in weighed down on her shoulders, and Millu didn't really know how to feel. She could see in her master's expression how dire the whole thing was, and the panic in people's faces as an order was given to run for shelter was more than enough warning for her to understand that a battle was coming.

Beric's next orders left Millu feeling even more uncertain of what to do. How was she supposed to stay here all by herself while her master went searching for danger? It just didn't feel right to not go with him. The girl decided quickly that although she'd probably get in trouble if he caught her, but it'd be worth it.

She waited a bit, to make sure Beric wouldn't be able to tell that she was following him, and then after carefully arranging her pouch to fit the lightsaber she'd been gifted inside, the girl sprinted behind the nearest stall, sneaking behind her master and trying to make sure that while he was still in the edge of her sight, she couldn't be seen. Millu followed him all the way to the outside of the city, every minute more confused as to where the kriff her master was headed.

Out of the Bio-Dome, the climate was so very hot, and Millu silently thanked the Force that she wasn't wearing a fur coat like her master. It's also way harder to hide out here, she thought, as the girl had her only hiding places to be behind rocks and ocasionally, one tree or another. She saw her master look to the horizon and then pull out his comlink. She was too far to hear what he was saying, but she felt like whatever it was, it wasn't good news he was giving.

Running as quickly as she could to the next rock, Millu saw that Beric was now clearly heading to the forest a few paces ahead of him. She almost ran after him again, but something held her back this time. This time, it didn't feel right to follow him into this forest. Maybe he was right when he said he had to face whatever he did alone. She mused. But if that was the case, why did it feel so wrong to stay inside the capitol?

As Millu rearranged herself to sit more comfortably in the sandy ground below her, her mind's eye was suddenly attacked by a vision. It was an enormous building, it had towers, and huge vaulted ceilings. It looked like a castle. As quick as the vision came to Millu's senses, it went. What the kriff was that? Suddenly, a realization hit the girl like a speeder. Master said I should trust in the Force... What if that's what he meant? I mean, before, it didn't feel right to stay inside the Bio-Dome, and I thought I had to follow him, but now it doesn't feel right to follow him. And I just saw this thing... What if the Force wants me to go to this place?

But there was one problem in this plan. A big problem in that case. Millu didn't know where this castle thing was, much less how to get there. If anyone can feel me, I need to go to this castle-like place, and I don't know how to do it... Please help me.

 

[Kathryn Foster]

Location: In Orbit of Ryloth, holding pattern around the Sapphiric Scorn
Objective: Respond to AoC Presence at Ryloth
Allies: CIS | Amelia von Sorenn , Tyrias Aran | Luna Terrik | Srina Talon | Darth Metus | The Monster | Kiff Brayde
Enemies: AoC | Twi'lek "Freedom Fighters" | Siskeen Coalition | K Kaine Australis | Madalena Antares | Scherezade deWinter | Dimitri Lindzinsky | Lash | Bella | Strider Garon | Oceiros Sunstrider
Post Count: II

It was a sight rarely seen, although not intimidating, even for the experienced CIS colonel and former Republic fighter pilot. The sight of Grand Marshal von Sorenn and admiral Aran commanding their fleets and elements in what could only be described in a full scale battlefield of war. It put the rather skirmishes above Alakatha and Epica to shame at where they had been hunting pirates to secure CIS territory.

Overheard radio traffic announced the barrage to came, and Kathryn looked out of the canopy while holding Horizon Squadron in a pattern beneath the Sapphiric Scorn, protecting its belly and six. It was a show that would set the most ruthless, foolish and maniacal pirate admiral on the run with the tail between his legs. As the dark space turned blindingly light in front and above them, her visor shaded itself automatically. It was not something you wanted to be caught in. She did not like to be placed on stand-by. She had never liked it. No pilot liked it, right? Admiral Hayes understood it, whom she had the privilege to run into the other day, but boy they have had their discussions about it. It was many years ago now, and even if the temptation to engage and be a part of the battle were great, she understood this was the Navy's battle. They had their orders, and if something turned up to threaten the Sapphiric Scorn or nearby vessels, they were ready as could be.

As the Deadalus cannon detatched from the enemy battleship and the CIS fleet ceased fire, the Horizon Squadron kept their pattern close to the Sapphiric Scorn. The tension were tangeable as the huge cannon turned into a kinetic rod threatening the surface. Before anyone could do anything, the Aegis and its courageous crew made the fateful yet biggest sacrifice of all... The explosion lit up the sky so much that it much likely were seen from the planets surface. In the blast moment, colonel Foster turned the head and shut her eyes closed. Anger fought with mourn over the fallen fellow CIS comrades. None would however avenge them in an act of suicide. They were to hold their positions.

''You heard the High Marshal... Keep the formation on me.'' she stated over the squadrons closed intercom. Her voice spoke of slight displease, but were kept professional.

 

[Lesya Kosarev]

​

​

​

Location: Siskeen Conference​

Wearing: [X] (Minus Hood)​

Allies: Daegon Corvinus | Seraphina Corvinus | Visanj T'shkali | John Locke | Raven Thystle | Corius Harckon | Derek Dib | Faye Malvern | Luca Donskoi​

AoC: Annasari | Enlil | Gabriel Volturi | Alwine Daye​

Objective: Protect the Exarch​

Equipment: Lesya Kosarevs Plasma Cannon (Concealed)​

​

Lesya had spent the majority of the conference thus far silently observing and allowing herself to be forgotten by the participants of the respective delegations, she was not a part of this discussion nor did she care to be, but through it all she was watching everyone and everything. No detail no matter how minute would not be missed, it could not be missed or she would be a failure here. That said all had gone remarkably well so far until a movement from Annasari caught her eye, it was awkward and sudden however there was an intentionality to the move to Lesya’s eyes but the movement itself was not the concern, what followed was she detected a new communication line open from within the room that was sending an active broadcast even now, to where she couldn’t say but what she knew that John Locke had the more sophisticated detection software than herself.​

Taking careful consideration for the situation, she presumed the wiser course was to make it known. The Exarch himself, while talented may be distracted by the current dialogue so she took it upon herself, walking carefully to the Exarch she positioned herself to his side that others may not see outside the Confederate delegation and bent over to speak into his ear directly barely audible but she knew he could hear it.​

<< “One of the representatives is broadcasting this dialogue outside this room, I don’t have any specifics but it started only a few moments ago. Coincidently with the time Annasari made a sudden movement. Do with it what you will Exarch Locke.” >>​

With the words whispered to the Exarch, she stepped back from him nodding before turning and walking back to the spot she had previously occupied near him but out of the way of the proceedings, she would not involve herself in this any more than was necessary. He had the information whether she told him or not, she was simply suggesting he access the available data he had.​

 

[Tyrias Aran]

Location: In Orbit of Ryloth, aboard the Sapphiric Scorn
Deployed Fleet: Providence II-class Carrier/Destroyer | Farstar-class Military Space Station | 4x Squadrons of RMS-SC01 Starbird-class Space Superiority Starfighter | 1x Squadron of T-77 "Talon" Stealth Interceptor | 3x Squadrons of Variable Geometry Self-Propelled Battle Droid, Mk III | 3x Hellspear Frigate | Argente-class Assault Cruiser | 8x Terrus-class Flak Corvettes | 7x Miraj-class Heavy Assault Dropships | Comfort-class Medical Frigate | 16x Squadrons of RMS-SC01 Starbird-class Space Superiority Starfighter | 10x Squadrons of Variable Geometry Self-Propelled Battle Droid, Mk III | 3x Squadrons of RMS-BC11 Starhammer-class Superheavy Bomber

Allies: Amelia von Sorenn | Luna Terrik | Darth Metus | The Monster | Kiff Brayde | Kathryn Foster
Unauthorized Fleet but not yet Hostile: Dimitri Lindzinsky | Lash | Bella | Kyrinov
Hostiles: K Kaine Australis

The 'advance' Fleet sent there to ferry Dauntless and other personnel or resources to Ryloth, to provide cover against an orbital assault from an unspecified potential assault at some unknown time or nature -- something Intelligence got wind of as a matter of course, but did not always turn out to be so public as this day's events -- commanded by Fleet Marshal Tyrias Aran maintained their position in orbit above the planet of Ryloth as the Golden Lance approached. The closer he -- and the Aegis -- came, the more difficult the firing solution calculations. Tracking was muddied by the nearest vessels, but were supplemented by the space station further out. Plotting them wasn't so difficult; the crew was well trained in the task. Well exercised and coordinated. Even one's instincts were honed by the Battle Meditation in effect.

Still, were friendly vessels to be brought into the line of fire in the vastness of space, the Fleet was not firing blindly. Danger close, perhaps, for the Aegis that had taken matters into its own hands, but not blindly. The release of an object from the Golden Lance therefore provided a secondary target. One that managed to decelerate in orbit over Ryloth. Fortunate for Tyrias' command. Commander Jamieson solicited feedback from what data could be gleaned from it given the soup of battle. Whether they needed to even contemplate detonating this object was taken out of their hands, however, as the Aegis made its run.

The Golden Lance soon had its reprieve on the threat to its engines with the loss of the Aegis, which caused the muscles in the Sapphiric Scorn's jaw to work at the loss of such life. Yes, they broke away. Went rogue. Their intentions, however, had been pure. If they'd lived there could have been legal proceedings. In death there was simply loss. Valiant as it might be, they would all rather a galaxy where death was a far less frequent companion.

A pain which was accompanied by the buffeting rock under the explosive ordinance's detonation. A physical testament to the emotional and rational witnessing that had occurred. An immutable reaction by the galaxy to its inhabitants' struggle to survive.

Sparks snapped from a few consoles, but unlike some slap-dash ships out there, Confederacy vessels did not kill people under a shower of electrical arcs and blown capacitors [ref: Star Trek]. A few reports of injuries from being abruptly thrown against a wall, or a collision with a supply crate were to be expected. Unlikely to be fatalities, or so Commander Jamieson would hold to such a belief unless proven otherwise. "Status report," the Commander snapped.

"Sensors online, sir!" The sensor officers scrambled to glean all they could. Such a violent explosion left its mark, but introduced its own noise. If there was only a window, it would be short, and they would make use of it. "Sir, two of the Flak Corvettes have suffered severe damage! They're burning in space... They're not going to make it, sir." They'd likely burn up on re-entry with whatever remained a broken husk in the barrens Brightlands of Ryloth. The officers would track the wreckage, and the lack of dire warnings of this calamity was a blessed reprieve -- there was nothing and no sentient life at the impact sites. Some twisted benefit to Ryloth being so hostile to most bi-pedal lifeforms.

"Orbital Defense Platform Five Eight is out of position, sir. Automated corrective maneuvers in progress."

"The dropships were forced out of orbit, sir. One headed for the Capital, another for the V.. Vureshakkairn Castle," gods karking name, "and the third for a dome not far from the Capital. We're also getting word two of the other dropships have begun to move. They're planning to provide cover against a herd of... birds? Ten thousand land-based creatures. Seeking confirmation on target identification now." ( Scherezade deWinter )

"All starfighter squadrons reporting in, sir." The lion's share of whom had been well and away from the explosion.

Jamieson's eyes twitched in unison for just a moment. Could have been worse. Damage reports from other vessels were relatively minor overall since they had no reason to close the gap with the other ship. The weapons being used had been suitable for long-range combat, and the Aegis had pulled away far ahead of their ship. Still, he hoped none of the other unauthorized ships had anything that explosive on hand.

"Sir, enemy vessel continuing descent to the planet below."

"What?" The Commander stormed over to the station as fast as he could without running. "Tractor beam."

"Apophis has the strongest, sir, but she can't catch up in time."

"Rail-guns to push it out of the way."

"The rail-gun kinetic projectile will be traveling too fast, sir. It will tear straight through the hull and not transfer sufficient energy to the ship's trajectory." Something with less 'punch' was needed. "Sir, the Grand Marshall's ship E'care Shukur has a plasma railgun. It might work..." Fast, punchy, but not a giant slug that'd tear straight through.

"Good. Comms, get on the line and tell the Apophis to change to explosive ordinance in their mass drivers. Then patch me through to the Grand Marshal--" The Commander's voice carried the length of the deck before suddenly a 'sir' cut him off, followed by a note she ( Amelia von Sorenn ) was addressing them. "Put her through." Figured they'd be on the same page with the Fleet Marshal's Battle Meditation at work.

"Signal receipt, and inform the Grand Marshal shuttles were launched before she arrived."

An officer pulled away from their console and walked up carrying a pad for his review. "Sir, shuttles reporting a Heatstorm on Ryloth's surface near the Capital dome. They're preparing to make emergency landings at port and wait the storm out, but..."

Jamieson gave a clip nod. "They can't take off with a storm at full intensity. Thank you, Lieutenant." For every step forward there seemed to be a step back. Now all they needed was the rest of these intruders to start a shooting war.

"Fleet weapons at the Grand Marshal's command! Make sure your firing solutions are locked in, we don't need a tug of war out there, and by the gods don't shoot the planet," The Commander snapped. If they were going to push that thing off with every long-range weapon that wouldn't punch holes clean through to get that thing further away from any dome, they'd do it together. There was a reason manually firing heavy weapons was a bad idea in space, and why every civilized naval fleet used computers. No one 'accidentally' shot a planet.

Meanwhile, Tyrias Aran could feel the strain not only of the fleet, but an understanding of the effort taken by the Battle Meditation itself. Her breathing was regular and strong, while her thoughts were placid, organized, and above all focused. She might be among other species and might even exhibit unusual characteristics -- such as a small smile -- but Tyrias was Chiss. Discipline and duty were pillars in their society. She could feel this effort contributing to the cause, and so no matter how strenuous it might turn out to be once the battle was over, her Meditation would hold. They would protect Ryloth.

 

[Toph Graystone]

Actual Face | Holographic Avatar
Actual Voice | Avatar's Voice​

Location: Ryloth, Capital Embassy Hotel
Objective: You can't stop the Signal
Holt | Ciri Jade | Gerwald Lechner | Madalena Antares

Knock. Knock. Who the hell was this now. Toph had been working none stop after sending the hacked alert. The stiffs at the CIS emergency center had been working furiously to block out Toph. But she hadn't come into the unprepared. Upon gaining access Toph had immediately worked at changing the encryption protocols used the the system security. It was a work of pure genius. At the moment they were trying to crack an encryption key with five hundred and eighty six thousand, three hundred and eleven digits. If that wasn't hard enough the key was changing every five seconds. Toph was the only one that new the formula. What quantum states and uncertainity principles had to do with the randomization, how Pi to the one thousandth place was used was a modifier. Hell even the time and date on Nar Shaddaa factored into the key. Even the best AI would take several months if ever to crack it. As long as Toph remained connected to the system the protocols would provide her with the next decryption package.

Toph stomped to the room door, her cane forgotten in the corner. As she neared it though she could smell that delicious sweet and spice of sauce. OMG....he actually got her the food. Opening the door again Toph focused her false eyes over his eye and called out, "Who's there?"

"Its me ma'am. I got you those Ronto on a stick...with a pickle." Toph reached out for it letting the conceirge place the paper bowl into her out stretch hand. "So who about that drink Ms. Hickinbottom?"

"I'm so sorry. My cousin just called me. She it coming to get me so we can have a spa day. Rain check?" Toph didn't even wait for the answer as she closed the door. Pushy much. Toph picked up one of the sticks and took a big bite from the succulent meat as she walked back to her monitors. She chewed thoughtfully as she looked on, feeling as if something was off. Thats when she noticed it. The EBS wasn't broadcasting anymore.

Toph dropped back in her seat and began to quickly find the source of this disruption. No one could have broken through the encryption she'd built. Then she found it. Toph had been so focused on defending the system source that she's missed a tight beam connection from elsewhere. Someone on the other side with authority had rerouted the signal.

At least he didn't take the time to kicking Toph from the system. At his vantage point behind her firewall it would have been possible. She could have booted the connection and sealed it off from access. But a thought occured to her. Typing at a quick pace the slicer traced the transmission back to the source, gaining the MAC ID of the console being used at the same time. It was as she suspected. As secure as they had made the Ryloth Network the tightbeam acted as a highway of information between said network and the outside. Through it she could worm her way behind the firewall the CIS had made on Ryloth.

Taking another messy bite from the Ronto Toph began her work. First thing she did was isolate the port the connection was using. Cutting its connection to any thing that would actively hinder her progress. The only way to get out of this isolated port was to disconnect and reconnect to a different port. Moving on she spent the next five minutes writing a simple bot. Its sole purpose was to monitor for any connection from the MAC address she'd snatched and move them to the isolated port. It would become an endless cycle of connecting to reconnecting.

With the hard coding out of the way Toph worked on the isolated port Holt was currently connected to. She began feeding ads for erectile disfunction, pop ups for gay gungan erotica, and every other annoying piece of malware she had on hand. If he didn't know about the isolation yet he sure did now. Next she focused on the broadcast its self. She restarted the message under a different frenquency. This time she set the message up to hop around the frenquencies. It would be a little more shakey, but at least hard to pin down.

Lastly Toph turned to the second monitor and opened a terminal into the Dark Net. Opening the chat service Toph posted the full Melon Lord message as well as the MAC address she'd gained and instructions for a brute force attack against the Ryloth Firewall. It would atleast distract security enough to not see the connection she was making through the console in the security office. Everything in Ryloth Security was networked. She began to open new connection ports to everything under the firewall, giving her fall backs when the initial connection was discovered. It had taken Toph thirty minutes to get this far. Now all she needed to do was take down the network fire wall to gain full access to Ryloth's Network.

 

[Beric Layne]

P R O T E C T

Objective: Protect Ryloth
Focus: Théodoro | Millu Lee
Location: Ryloth, Bio-Dome Outskirts

Beric watched the Thyrsian Sun Guard -- that was what the man was, Beric remembered from his studies -- stalk closer and closer to him. If his memories were right, then the man who stood before him was more likely than not a fierce warrior who had trained for violence and bloodshed. But Beric also knew that the Sun Guards were no more than glorified mercenaries. They fought for the coin, or they fought for their own sadistic pleasure.

They did not fight for a cause. And without a cause to rally them when they were broken, they would not be able to fight on.

Beric's grip on his lightsaber loosened, bringing it down from his challenging thrust into a relaxed angle away from his side. His feet began to tense as the Sun Guard drew closer, but Beric made no attempt to move. He was content to let the Sun Guard strike first, to watch and observe his opponent. His father had often taught him that duels were won by the power of the mind, not just by one's strength or skill. And so, with that in mind, Beric steadied his breathing, reaching out around him in the Force.

His senses gained a new perspective as the Force augmented and amplified them. He sensed the life presence of not only the Sun Guard before him but of the hundreds of beings around him, the foliage that gave them shelter from Ryloth's setting sun. Beric breathed in and out, closing his eyes temporarily, letting the energy surround him reinvigorate his body. Although his eyes were closed, he was still fully aware of the Sun Guard's movement, watching him through the Force. Finally, the Guard made the move to strike, and Beric opened his eyes once more.

The first strike came towards his center from the Sun Guard's fearsome force pike, one that Beric anticipated. Pulling the Force into his legs, he turned and sprang to his left, watching as the pike thrust past where he was a second before and retreat. The Sun Guard pulled back momentarily, before making another slash towards his head from Beric's left. Beric raised his saber to rebuff the blow, holding his blade in a two-handed grip to add extra power to the block. Swinging his saber against the force pike, Beric let down his guard momentarily and withdrew a pace, out of the pike's range. "I am Beric Layne, Lord of Frosthall and Knight Obsidian," Beric announced, his breathing still calm and even. "And you?"
​

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[Oceiros Sunstrider]

Location: Captital City
Objective: Asssault the infidels | Destroy the biodome
Troops: 60 Lylek riders
Troop Equipment: Mining Shields, vibroswords, Sonic blasters, blaster rifles, thermal imploders
Tags: Madalena Antares | Rann Thress | Vytal Noctura | Srina Talon | Asaraa Vaashe | Anyone else in Biodome
Persona: Sarif

Sitting atop his lylek, Sarif examined what people called the capital city of Ryloth. All he saw was a cesspit, a pillar to the arrogance of the Confederacy. A blemish left upon the world by infidels. This city didn’t belong, the non-twi’lek’s that had come to inhabit the world, did not belong. This was not their world, and whether it meant the death of everyone in the city Sarif would ensure that the dome fell.

The heat inside the dome had begun to rise, perspiration rising and falling from the twi’lek’s head the heat intense even with the mining shields that him and his soldiers had been equipped with. It was funny really, what had been at first thought to be a suicidal idea had turned into one of brilliance, one to potentially end the city as a whole. Even those not native to the world of Ryloth had heard of the heat storms, it was these heat storms that caused many twi’lek to seek shelter underground where it could not harm them. Having used the vast network of underground tunnels to reach beneath the city Sarif and his men had purposely started drilling holes in the ground to allow the heat in. To allow it into the city and roast all those inside, at least those forces belonging to the Confederacy. Thanks to the evac they called Sarif need not worry about injuring too many of his own kin. Now he could truly show the Confederacy the depths of chaos, to display the lengths that the freedom fighters were willing to go to.

Reaching down to his vest, Sarif drew out a remote, his thumb hovering over the button. Forces of the confederacy were closing in on all sides now. They sought to stop him and his brethren. More of his lylek riders attempted to flee the hole and could join but it was to late. “Goodbye brothers.”

It was with a heavy heart Sarif’s finger pressed the remote, a master control to the explosives that lined the underground tunnels. His men inside didn’t stand a chance. The voices came pouring over the coms. Questions asked, pleas to be saved. The men that Sarif had fought and planned alongside, saw as his own kin. Forcibly sacrificed. “Sarif! The thermal imploders they’re going off! The system is caving in! Arrrhhhhghhhh” The coms shut off with a scream as a series of explosions rocked the ground of the capital biodome. The earth folding in on itself, crumbling inwards, a long fissure created that crept beneath the dome allowing another massive wave of heat in.

The mining shields of the twi’lek’s flared in the wake, Sarif’s eyes forced to squint as now what had once perhaps only been a small current of hot air turned into a tide shooting high into the sky of the biodome. Out of the corner of his eye, Sarif spotted an individual with a lightsaber harassing his men. Raising up the sonic rifle he fired upon Rann Thress , holding the reins of his mount Sarif charged towards the force user, bellowing at the top of his lungs.

---------------

Location: Empty Barrens
Objectives: Ensure the death of Adron Malvern
Tags: Darth Miseria | Xobos Yakieer
Persona: Shuulk
Troops: 50 Twi’lek Freedom Fighters, 30 Lylek Riders
Troops Equipment: Vibroswords, Bodygloves, Sonic Blasters, Mining Shields
Shuulk’s Equipment: Necrosis Edge, Bodyglove, Sonic blaster, 3 Blue Mojo Necklace

Kneeling before a pedestal, head bowed Shuulk’s eyes closed. On the pedestal sat an array of incense, and a single holo display. From the holo display a picture of two orange-skinned twi’lek’s could be seen. One a child, perhaps no older than two. Holding the child in her arms, with a smile that could brighten the universe, was a woman by the name of Sheva. The child’s name was Shulvik. At one point they’d been Shuulk’s sun and moon. They were what he lived and would die for.

Tears streamed down the freedom fighters cheeks, illuminated by the incense and candles, they appeared like liquid crystal. Eyes bloodshot, Shuulk looked at them one last time. Standing behind the amber colored twi’lek was Naarah. The violet skinned twi’lek stood back a few seconds longer looking upon their lover before stepping forward and placing a hand upon Shuulk’s shoulder.

Looking up to Naarah, Shuulk offered a faint smile before glancing back to them. “I do you disrespect in this moment Naarah. Sheva would’ve wished me to move on, yet I simply can’t forget. I can’t forget my first love, my first child.”

Kneeling, and pulling Shuulk into an embrace, Naarah comforted the other. “I do not expect you to forget them, I am not foolish enough to think I could take their place.” Pulling back and cupping both of Shuulk’s cheeks, Naarah looked into them, their eyes burning akin to a nova. “The Confederacy will pay for what they’ve done. Sheva and Shulvik will be avenged.”

Smiling up to his lover, Shuulk found the strength to rise to his feet, still holding them. “You are truly a blessing.”

Scoffing Naarah lightly pushed Shuulk away. “Save it for after this suicide mission… The men are ready. Do you want me to tell them you-”

“No! I will speak to them now.” Walking out and past Naarah who fell in line behind him, Shuulk exited out into a room filled with what freedom fighters he’d managed to gather up.

Every man, and woman that had swelled the ranks of the freedom fighters had been exceptional, their determination unquestionable. Their will unmatchable. “On this day though we march into the valley of the shadow of death, we shall fear no evil! We shall fear no Sith, no droid, no manifestation of the force! Our gods smile upon us! We are those chosen! Those who will strip the wool from the eyes of twi’leks! Strip it from Ryloth as a whole! We will show the Confederacy what it truly means to know fear, to know that they’ll never be safe! That even if one of us dies there will be another! That we will never be contempt with what they offer, as they try to place us under their thumb! We shall cleanse this world, and from the ashes we will build a better Ryloth! A FREE RYLOTH!”

The roars rose within the mountainous cavern to extraordinary heights. The mountain itself seemed as though it were shaking as the twi’lek’s jeered. The men moving out to take positions and prepare for battle. Holding out a hand to stop Naarah, Shuulk looked to them. “No, I need you to take a few men and prep the ship. You’re our best pilot and we’ll need air support.”

“As you say commander. I'll see you on the other side." Shuulk didn't have it in him to return the saying. He knew that his time was running out. Whether he died now, or not, their time would be coming to an end soon. After all he'd done the Confederacy would turn every rock looking for him. They would kill and torture to find him. Shuulk couldn't do that to Naarah.

 

[Bella]

Objective/Location: From the Chandelier - Holding Formation
Fighter: iNf-46 Needle Interceptor - Miracle Seven
Onboard Equipment: AoC Flight Suit, Survival Kit w/ EVA Suit, G47 “Pipsqueak”
Allies: AoC (Dimitri Lindzinsky), Allied Chiss Fleet ( Lash Salem Norongachi )
Enemies: CIS ( Amelia von Sorenn Tyrias Aran Kathryn Foster )

They couldn’t hold position forever.

Not while the Confederate fleet leveled all of their firepower against the Golden Lance, which had ejected the fully-charged cannon that had only moments before been pointed directly at the capital bio-dome. She didn’t how (or if) the dancer had managed to somehow persuade the captain of the rogue mercenary vessel against his action, but if what General Kaine had said over the allied comm net was true, then his maneuver had been intended as a gambit in order to bait the Confederate fleet into a suboptimal position.

With the civilians of Ryloth presumably spared for the time being, the First Fleet would be remiss to not seize the opportunity.

However, it was then that the previously ejected main cannon went off in a flash of light that would have blinded her had it not been for her polarizing visor, which protected her eyes from the worst of the luminescent explosion. As such, Bella was able to watch, albeit quite helplessly as the shockwave rapidly approached her craft. The feedback from the violent wave registered in her montrals as a brief, yet thoroughly unpleasant sensation of ringing vibration that relentlessly assailed her senses like the waves from a sonic weapon.

It was only when she recovered from the blast did she realize that the EMP fallout from the fiery detonation of the Golden Lance’s ejected main cannon had abruptly shut off her craft’s engines, electronics, and life support. The only reason she was not choking to death at that moment was due to her flight suit’s integrated oxygen supply and rebreather.

Nevertheless, her fighter was completely dead in the water in the midst of a bloodthirsty Confederate fleet.

 

[Derek Dib]

Location: Palace, Pristine City, Olanet
Personnel: Alwine Daye , Annasari , Gabriel Volturi , Holly Starstorm , Larentia , John Locke , Raven Thystle , Faye Malvern , Visanj T'shkali , Kyyrk , Daegon Corvinus , and @ everyone else I missed

Reflexively he checked the chronometer on his wrist. Nothing, still nothing. He frowned, the downward curve of his lips revealing that Derek was not pleased. A brief glance at the transponders of the 7th Fleet deepened the recesses of the lines upon his face.

Not yet. Soon.

The features of his face smoothed, a light shrug letting the sleeve slip once more over his wrist. Not for the first time, he questioned the wisdom of his careful machinations. For now he claimed no true enemy, but his actions or threat of action could very well bring definition to the out of focus images of both the Agents of Chaos and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Muad was right. You either die the hero or live long enough to become the villain. But if his downfall could spare, not just a single planet but the entire Siskeen System then his fall from grace was the easiest decision he would ever face. And the most damning.

Words were bandied about the conference room like some after school showdown. Each party ratcheting the tension up a notch with every cycle. Innuendos and verbal barbs were wielded with finesse by some and bludgeoning clubs by others, yet the result remained the same. The slow buildup of pressure that would inevitably result in an explosion of violence unless a pressure valve was released. And he hoped he possessed two such valves.

Crimson tinged eyes turned to Faye as she spoke earnestly and plainly enough about the complicated issues that were being compounded by the clashing individuals present. As the suggestions for moving forward were offered simply enough, Derek found himself nodding slightly in slight agreement yet without bending fully to her words. Again compromise and the necessary requiring platitudes swirled about waiting for his response.

Then Seraphina, next to Daegon, spoke in her singsong voice. Monsters, morality, humanity tumbled free as addendums to Daegon’s earlier words on complicity. Even Enlil’s words for cutting through unimportant fluff to get to the reason for this meeting.

With another glance at the chronometer Derek straightened and looked around the table.

“Apologies are appreciated Ms. Malvern. Unfortunately we can all understand the heightened emotion that spills out in words, though it breaks decorum it is expected. However I would hope that all gathered here this day can bridle their tongues with more control as we move forward. Tensions are high, so if any of my guests cannot control themselves to the degree expected for civilised discussions, I would ask you to please excuse and remove yourself before any transgressions become too great.”

“And I agree, change is hard and often frightening in its very nature that is foreign to the familiar. Just because something is unfamiliar does not necessarily make the thing wrong. So I welcome your ability of open mindedness as we traverse through the very dangerous landscape of friendly secession. And as you say, it is unfortunate that this meeting must unfold under such troubled times and circumstances. Yet sometimes appearances may be deceiving.”

He merely arched a single brow at the dubious sentence he just uttered.

“I disagree on the point of the holocams, reporters, and live streaming of events. Behavior is tempered by the fact that we are held accountable to the galaxy via the live feed. Are our words different than they would be under closed negotiations? Very possible. Yet we are held to a galactic standard that will examine what we stand for compared to what our words and actions herald. I do concede that this live feed may prove distracting at the least and disastrous at the most. So we will cease the feed to the Ryloth system.”

Derek turned his head to glance at Holly, the reporter, before turning back to the table.

“Let us expand the notion to all present. Keep our animosity tightly restrained. Not just the Agents of Chaos but all which includes the Confederacy, neutral guests, and even myself. You will find that despite being part of the Confederacy cloud of influence, there is very little actual CIS presence inside the borders of our system. But time will be required for those that wish to relocate and other aspects of Confederacy presence to be pulled back. Seven days should be plenty of time though, since this is a friendly parting, the immediacy of relocation is not as imminent.”

His eyes sought those of Daegon and Seraphina.

“The innocent are always those who pay the highest price. Always. I wish to break that trend. Blood stains our hands through action and complacency. And humanity’s nature is about survival, destroying what they fear, and attacking that which is different. We should be better, we must be better. To rise above ourselves and strive to be the best versions of ourselves.”

He glanced at his chronometer. Almost time.

“What do you require for this to become official?”

Spoiler

He sat on the ledge, legs dangling, as smoke escaped with a sigh. The deathstick hung limply from smirking lips as he turned his head, shades pointed at one of the men behind him.

“You get that message sent?”

The man nodded as he fiddled with his gear. Smirking still the man turned back to look down from the height he was lounging upon. Flicking the butt over the ledge he watched it tumble slowly to the ground while removing his shades. Laughter framed the glowing blue eyes.

(Elsewhere)

The ancient Admiral sat in the command chair unmoving, The flashing stars accented the washed out hue of his pigmented skin. Eyes glanced to the timer, ticking downward, in solemn anticipation.

 

[Tess Valnora]

RYLOTH

Objective: Survive the Lylek
Location: Capital Bio-Dome
Nearby Allies: Holt , Ciri Jade , Rann Thress , Draconis Sederius Wolf , Open
Hostiles: Lylek Riders, Open​

Spoiler: EQUIPMENT

Weapons

Spoiler: Compact SMG

(20 round magazine)

AMR-211'Longbow'
B2 rifle 'Oathkeeper'
SGP-12
Shadow's Sting (gauntlets)
"Silence" shotosaber
"Viper's Bite" assassin's knife​

Gear​

Spoiler: Utility belt

Suppressor for SMG
SOAR - Slicing Operation Assistance Routine
Smoke grenades (2)
2x-4x Scope (1) - When not attached to B2 rifle
Medi-kit (1)
​

Armor:​

Spoiler: Trench coat

Norris root dyed leatheris trench coat]

PD-00 "Second Skin" Light Armor
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Shooting the last of the four riders chasing the armored soldier ( Draconis Sederius Wolf ) the Lyleks no longer had a driving force to chase him, but rather stopped their chase and turned on their new target: Tess. Bd-404 quickly halted the speeder as the four insectoids slowed to their stop and turned to face them. “Error, this. This is not what I had in mind when we were going to help people escape.” Tess said a little worried at the large creatures as they started pacing toward her. She wasn’t sure but if the creatures could smile, she was sure they would have cruel looking grins on their faces as they looked down at their next meal.

The Crow had to think fast or she was going to be one of these creature’s lunch. She had about twenty meters between her and them to create an escape plan or find a way to kill them. Shoving her hand into her bag she pulled out a smoke grenade, “Of all the things to NOT pack!” She berated herself wishing she had her thermal detonators. Acting quickly, she pulled the pin and shoved it between the engine and engine mount of her speeder, “Gun it and climb on my shoulder Error!” she commanded as smoke billowed out around her. She raised her right arm to aim and fire her grapple at the roof of the three-story building next to her and jumped off the speeder as it careened toward the beasts.

The nearest Lylek reached out for her with its tentacle ‘arms’ to try and grab her as she flew through the air to safety since it had already gotten past her smokescreen attempt, but was immediately halted by another of the Lyleks who also wanted to have a midday snack of CIS Agent. The last two, distracted by the smoking speeder as it flew by them began chasing it down clicking and chittering the entire time. Tess watched as the two Lyleks next to her building savagely attacked each other, each being about the same size neither one appeared to have a clear advantage in the fight. That quickly changed when the first beast pinned the second and skewered it with one of its multiple piercing feet.

Tess stayed to watch the fight instead of retreating to safety, foolish or not she had wanted to see how these things fought. That information was quickly seen before the Lylek turned its attention back to her after its kill. The large mandibles snapped together menacingly as reached out for her again with its tentacle arms. Tess jumped backward and out of the initial reach of the creature firing her rifle twice at it. The binary blaster rounds deflected off of the thick exoskeleton and only seemed to anger it more. She had to again, think fast. BD-404 jumped off her shoulder and darted in front of her using his holo-projector to create a Twi’lek projection that started dancing.

The Lylek reached out for the fake Twi’lek to try to ensnare it in its tentacle arms, but the just passed right through the projection. The distraction gave Tess just enough of an opening to sling her rifle and draw her concealed shoto saber and ignite its translucent blade, no snap-hiss, nor standard thrum came from the Ghostfire crystal blade, the only indication of its activation was its slight vibration in the hilt. Now she was sure she could survive the monster before her, and that was about to be tested. The Lylak turned back to her and reached for her only to rear back in pain when half the length of tentacle arms fell onto the rooftop.

“Didn’t like that did you?” taunted Tess, happy that she had found something that worked against these apex predators of Ryloth. She held the hilt before her in her right hand waiting for the creature’s next move, and it was mad. It reared one of its spike legs in an attempt to impale her as it had the other Lylek laying in the street, but Tess deftly rolled away from the impact site toward the underbelly of the beast, extinguishing the blade to ensure she didn’t hurt herself. Rolling to her feet she quickly re-ignited the blade and slashed overhead dealing a mortal blow to her adversary.

The Lylek screeched loudly before falling backward into the street, writhed for a moment then ultimately, laid still. Turning off her shoto, Tess turned to BD-404, “That was quick thinking Error! What made you think of that?” she praised the little droid, who responded with beeps and trills as a bright flash from above the biodome increased the ambient light around her. She looked up and wondered if that was the end, had the orbital strike been fired? What was that bright flash of light that nearly doubled the current lumen of the surrounding area for a second? All she knew was she was still alive, even if the fighting was not over.
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[Anesia Jy'Vun]

C H A O S
S M A S H


Location: Ryloth | Enroute to The Altar of Spirits
Wearing: Black cloak | Phase I Haywire Armor
Weapons: Two Lightsabers | Phase I Sword of Eve | Whimsy Witch Knife
Mis Items: Empty vials of various shapes | Herbs
Allies: Agents of Chaos, The Siskeen Coalition, Twi'lek Freedom Fighters
Enemies: The Confederacy of Independant Systems | Mandragora
Tags: Katrine Van-Derveld | Scherezade deWinter | Anyone that wants to tag along
Post: 2​

"Dathomir was my home for a very..." she paused, allowing the scents of the wilderness to whisper their secrets, "...very long time."

The power was ancient, far older than her centuries old existence. Even during that time, that time that she was a child of that dark crystal of a planet, the well of knowledge it held was more than any could drink down. Ferrius tried, in her infancy of knighthood, and it moved to drown her. It had taken a coven to remove her. Their Elders and their spellweaving freed the Sith...the young Witch, but only physically. The experience had shook her mind- the tendrils of song having wove through her psyche, branded her marrow, and seeped into her very veins. It had taken decades to control it, to redirect, to supress. It was still magic though. And magic-- that strange magic, adapted. For if it did not, it would cease.

Vascious. Cameron. Ashara.

Anesia had inured; wading in that pool as opposed to supping....gulping from it. She would be no slave--- but strove to be something else entirely.

"My future is my past, my past is my future," Jy'Vun twisted the Queen's words for her own. "Our link," she breathed in, then expelled the truth from her mouth, "is our blood." Whether they chose to ackowledge it or not, Dathomir kept its people. Not the other way around.

And Dathomir's people were here.

In the F L E S H.

And the spirits were A L I V E and calling.

"A wheel can be broken, Katrine, Lupine Queen and Nightmother. It is E T E R N I T Y. We do not simply turn, WE evolve." Though her voice was velvet, saccarine, it crackled with energy. The energy of magic, of the Force, of the Darkside made use of Anesia's words. Those would slither, they would coil. They would snake.

Not deaf to the speeches and the emotional pire that drove them, the creature merely cast them aside and let the media string the Galaxy around. For now.

Let the vermin do what they will, the thought alone was for Scherezade. Let them feast. Let them drown.

The sounds of nature swallowed their footfalls down the ramp, it wide enough for Katrine and herself to walk shoulder-to-shoulder. Others of the Queen's regime followed in time, sentient and droid alike. Their boots finally kissed the earthen ground of Ryloth and the lush grass around them swayed. It could have been the wind, but it could have been something more...ethereal. They had came to a stop, Katrine speaking and Ferrius' mind drifting.

Ethereal. Madness.

One such being came to mind and the calm in her haunting green eyes flickered. A flame barely visible in their reflection.

Sal.

Silence for a spell or two more and Anesia found her neck craning until the other woman was in focus, "They will serve the spirits or they will burn."

Sacrifice. Blood would puddle until it formed a stream. Until that stream created a lake.

The journey had begun for her, just slightly ahead of the lupine until she caught up--- in the direction of The Altar of Spirits.

Darkness walked- strolled with them, it's scynth mere wisps of smoke in their wake. The other spirits giving the slightest of shimmers between light and shadow-- as if preparing to become corporeal. Making themselves known to those who could not SEE. She could feel their hands upon her shoulders, hear their whispers. The barest hint of a smile unfurled upon her lips. A sliver of violet cresented her viridian gaze.

 

[Darth Miseria]

F O U N D E R S - M A R C H

Location: The Middle of Nowhere - Ryloth
Objective: Prepare to Kick Butt and Take Names
Equipment: Derriphan Armour | Lightsaber | Famine & Pestilence
Tags: Adron Malvern | Xobos Yakieer | Oceiros Sunstrider ​

Miseria should have known, she should have remembered. Malphas didn’t answer questions, he wasn’t that courteous. Flaming amber eyes flicked quickly to her sister apprentice, to flash her a daring grin and the subtle roll of her gaze. It was rare now, that the two apprentices ever got to spend time with each other, least of all in the presence of their master. Darth Meseria could only remark on the irony of it all. Today was a day of reunions, both good and bad.

The ebb of something unknown shifted through the force. She snapped her head to the east, just as Malphas’ voice commanded her.

Darth Miseria sighed a heavy, unabashed sigh as she watched the dark swarm scuttling over the rocky mountains toward them. Shrouded in a cloud of acrid orange dust kicked up by their razor sharp legs as they moved mercilessly over the mountain’s rocky terrain. There must have been hundreds, if not thousands, in a group that size. “Kark.” Miseria spoke in unison with the company of droids, their piston appendages hissing as they took their stance to defend their charge. She was silent as the blasters sounded, as the bolts zipped through the air on trajectory for clean kills, but it wouldn’t work.

She knew it wouldn’t.

However, the onslaught of blaster bolts did serve a small purpose, the front-line of energy spiders had been pushed back. Long enough for Miseria to react. “Hold fire!” She commanded the droids, who obeyed without question. Her right hand clenched suddenly, calling the unwavering darkness to obey. Several loose rocks scattered across the valley floor shook violently for a split second, before rising up several feet into the air. Miseria stepped back on one foot, drawing her clenched fist back until she could feel her shoulder crying out in protest. A moment went by, then two. When the first few spiders finally broke over the edge of the valley, she swung her clenched fist forward violently.

Sharp, mountain rocks shot through the air, so quickly that their jagged edges blurred. A sudden crack echoed through the valley, loud over the cacophony of arachnid legs, as the stones found their mark in the shells of the encroaching spiders. The stones continued to rain down on the front line in torrents, causing the spiders to stumble and trip on their unbalanced appendages.

“What a load of sh-..." Another hail of deafening cracks drowned her out. "Had to be spiders, didn’t it?” She turned to face her fellow apprentice with an incredulous look on her face as another handful of rocks flew through the air at breakneck speeds. The situation was ludicrous. “How the kriff did they even manage to drag energy spiders off Kessle?” Throwing rocks wasn’t a permanent solution. The cloud of energy spiders seemed endless, and they were growing a little too close for comfort. “I think I have an idea…” Miseria stepped back suddenly, halting her assault with the stones. “You there!” She jabbed a finger at one of the droids. “Dets, quickly.” His mechanical fingers swept down to produce two thermal detonators. “They eat energy, right? They must be attracted to it too.” Miseria spoke as she reached out to snag the dets from the droid, only to turn and hand them to her sister apprentice.

Her gloved fingers fumbled briefly with the clasp of Pestilence. The pair of wrist sabers had been a gift from her husband, but today… they were going to be bait. Jaron wouldn’t mind. It was either these or her saber, and she had been intending to put the rainbow gem they had retrieved from Gallinore in it. He would understand. When the wrist saber finally slipped off, she brandished it proudly for Xobos to see. “I have two of these. You have two of those. It means we have two shots.” She motioned to the detonators she had shoved unceremoniously into Xobos' chest. There wasn’t really a need to explain it any further. The connection they both shared went beyond the darkside of the force. The scars on both their bodies had made certain of that.

“Leave it till the last possible moment...” Miseria ignited the flame red blade. It sparkled a violent crimson and cast the immediate surrounding area in a scarlet glow. Clutching it by the only part that wasn’t being speckled with angry red flecks of energy, Miseria took aim. When the wristsaber left her hand, with a little helpful boost from the force, it travelled over the top of the hoard of arachnids. It’s descent was almost as quick as it’s flight, landing smack dab on top of one of the spider's heads and clattering to the floor. Like moths to a flame, it was almost immediately swarmed by the hungry bodies battling it out to reach the source of the light, but the crimson red broke through like a beacon to attract the masses.​

 

[Shalita Verd]

Location: Ryloth
Objective: Clansmoot
Equipment: Hidden Wrist Blade, Obsidian Lightsabre, Obsidian Strike Armour Phase II and Taozin Amulet
CIS Tags: Gerwald Lechner | Astrid Skovgaard | Darth Metus | Srina Talon | Darth Elyria | Jason Farkas | Redd
AOC Tags: Madalena Antares | Kyrinov | +Anyone else I've missed

Shalita viewed with icy blue eyes from what one could consider the sidelines of the current room. To view the current people that responded to the current threat, she sighed and simply shook her head. A hand rose to draw through locks of black as she listened to the conversations that continued around her. As the words Orbital Bombardment sounded in the comms, the woman sighed and shook her head. Now was never really the time for an Orbital Bombardment when they were apparently trying to save Ryloth from the Confederacy. Did they mean to save them through the use of death? To release their souls from their physical bonds upon this planet? As ridiculous as the notion sounded to the woman, she could help but surmise that that would be the thoughts of terrorists.

As one of their group questioned the word, the assassin found herself shaking her head once more, ”An Orbital Bombardment means that someone within the planet’s orbit is about to fire their main cannons upon the planet’s surface, which will cause massive damage.” The woman paused long enough to help one of the elders up onto their feet. ”There is a bunker here,” She said as she used a gentle gloved hand to nudge the elder she had just helped up towards the location of the bunker and nodded to the two female lupines before turning to face Metus, Gerwald and… Another woman, just as he introduced her to his wife. Well, she couldn’t say that she wasn’t surprised to know that he was married, it wasn’t as if they kept in touch very often. However it did mean that she was getting laxed with maintaining information on current events within the Confederacy. Something that she would have to rectify once she lived through this.

As for the Well being on fire, she couldn’t do anything about that, for her main concern was focused entirely upon those within the room. Helping another Elder up and nudging them into the path for the bunker, her gaze drifted to Metus and his wife as she lifted a hand to wipe at the beads of sweat building upon the temples of her forehead. A frown descended upon her brow as she looked to the beads of sweat present upon the back of her glove. As the blasts continued to rock and shake the foundations that they stood on she couldn’t help but wonder about the dome itself; was it even going to survive after this or would they have to build them a new one due to the AoC’s stupidity. If anything, the fact that they would rebuild a dome for the Twi’leks showed that they were not the evil empire that the AoC was trying to paint them as. It was just another humanitarian act for their faction, of which she was sure wouldn’t be the last.

Quietly she ushered into the bunker another elder and raised her hand yet again to wipe at beads of sweat. Why am I sweating? Shalita briefly wondered as she looked to Metus and the others, noting that he was also sweating. Was the heating system on? No they wouldn’t have… It suddenly dawned on her, the atmospheric conditions on Ryloth could be considered turbulent in nature, which was why the dome was built to begin with. However, with the explosions, it meant that the dome was compromised and with that it wouldn't keep the turbulent atmospheric conditions out. A quiet curse was upon her lips as she deemed to hurry them into the bunker. ”If the rise of the temperature around us is anything to go by, we need to hurry.” She paused then as she felt a rumble underneath their feet once more and the woman grabbed one of the Dread Guards, ”Go find out why the temperature is rising and hurry up! Shalita said as she shoved the man off to relay the urgency of what she had just asked of him..

 

[Dasmi Lindervale]

F L E E T - A D M I R A L | D I M I T R I​

ALLIED TAGS: Lash K Kaine Australis Bella Strider Garon
OBJECTIVE: Not Shoot an Ally in the Back, Ride out the Storm
ENEMIES: Tyrias Aran Amelia von Sorenn

He continued to stare at the Golden Lance, watched it until it dumped the main gun that had been threatening the surface of the planet. He let go of a breath that had been first held when he learned of the imminent danger to the planet. A heavy sigh came as the events quickly unfolded before them, and his updates to orders fell behind the moment as he stared while listening to the broadcast from the other fleet. The message from K Kaine Australis had gotten through shortly before the scene took a turn for the worse.

The explosion of the small vessel that had been attacking the large ship paired with that of the large jettisoned weapon had Dimitri covering his eyes, the shock wave running rampant over the front half of the fleet.

The Monarch Class Destroyers Wild Stallion and Free Bird felt the full effect of the emp shockwave, along with at least half of the starfighters they had deployed. System's across the board for both Monarch's and, by just a tiny fraction of proximity, the system's in the Unicorn began to systemically shut down as the emp caused a cascade effect as it struck the vessel. It was only a retro-fitted civilian vessel after all. Panel's that had covered the more dangerous portions of exposed wiring glowed red in some spots, short's in the system eating away at the wiring as damage control teams and engineers tried their best to run down the dangers.

The crew's of the both the Wild Stallion and Free Bird had braced for impact, but the sudden lack of power, lights, and information from the comm's had the crews floundering for a brief moment as the engineers began to run the gauntlet or chasing down power gremlins and making sure connection's were still sound.

The crew aboard the Unicorn however were using extinguishers to combat sudden fires that had erupted in the surge. Dimitri and those in the CIC scrambled, the Fleet Admiral pulling the communications officer from their chair as their legs were aflame from the wiring beneath the makeshift desk. Their panicked yelling was ignored as Dimitri stood back as XO Rime's sprayed them down with an extinguisher.

The Spectre's behind them were lost now without orders, and the remaining half of the starfighter groups did their best to avoid colliding with the ones that had been unfortunate to be caught in the EMP. The commanding officer aboard the Spectre's knew that Dimitri had maintained holding fire, but the message from Kaine had been a blessing. Now though, unable to reach the Unicorn, or other vessel's, they questioned the sanity of putting half the fleet at risk by opening fire when they had little more than hull plating to keep them from the withering fire of the enemy.

Panicked scrambling occurred across the three vessel's now stuck without power, everyone doing their best to overcome the unforeseen damage the emp wave had wrought.

EQUIPMENT

Spoiler

1 G47 - Pipsqueak | Hip holster
1 K914 SMG | Concealed in right side of jacket
Phase I Haywire Armor | Worn beneath his lined leather jacket

FLEETS

Spoiler

MAIN FLEET* - (8.1km)
SHC Unicorn- Dimitri Lindzinsky (12 active squadrons)
Pocket Carriers - 6 (4 active squadrons each)
Monarch Class Destroyers - 2 (5 active squadrons each)
Wraith Vessels - 1 - Disarmed of Weapons (now empty and slowly putzing out of atmo)

SECONDARY FLEET** -
Sentinel Class Heavy Explorer - 3 (1 active squadron each)
Wraith Vessels - 20
Pocket Carriers - 4 (4 active squadrons each)
Kessel Class Armed Couriers - 57

STARFIGHTER SQUADRONS -
Numerous - Oni ClassProwler (12 per squad)
Numerous - iNf-46 Needle Interceptor (16 per squadron)
Numerous - Ghost Starfighter/Heavy Bomber (12 per squadron)
Numerous - CST Toscan 8-R Fighter (12 per squad)

 

[The Monster]

Location: On Ryloth, moving towards the Bio-Dome
Gear:

Spoiler

Gen 2 Armor, M-416, L-7 pistol, also all standard squad leader kit listed here

Objective: Intercept any forces moving to the Capital Bio-dome to give the civilians time to get to safety.
Allies: Ryk Gaelir Luna Terrik Rann Thress CIS and Affiliates
Enemies: Oceiros Sunstrider AoC and Affiliates
Theme: For our fallen, for the innocent, we shall hold!​

Sergei and his men were closing on the Bio-Dome, to their point of intercept. The plan had been to set up a quick defense here, deploying their many machine guns and other heavy weapons, and hold the line. But two things changed that objective. Firstly was the comms they'd overheard on friendly channels of other forces moving to engage these, and not small ones either. The Mandalorians were seeming intent on cleaning up the mess their own kind was making on the ground, to include the mass of horse mounted cavalry that was stupidly trying to prove their worth on such a hostile world. But the second and more important problem made itself quite clear as they were about to start mounting their heavy weapons.

Those blasted idiots calling themselves freedom fighters were wanting to ensure the deaths of everyone in the bio dome, and had just sealed the dome's fate with a massive blast creating a gaping hole in the wall of the bio-dome. Sergei looked down at a small wrist mounted display, swiping a couple of times with a gloved hand before showing something alarming. The temperature was rising extremely fast outside, a heat storm was incoming. Those fools!

They didn't understand by compromising the foundation of the bio-dome, they just killed every last man, woman, and child inside that dome. And contrary to whatever they might believe, mother nature doesn't care if you're a twi'lek, a human, or whatever else you wanted to call yourself.

You all died the same way.

Sergei was quick to issue orders, their new objective was to assist in any way they could seal that hole and buy themselves time. He over heard some comms about protective measures on the way but he didn't stop to listen. They had to move now! The men quickly packed up what they'd unloaded and began full bore running towards the dome. There wasn't any time to waste, they didn't have a single moment to lose, couldn't stop for anything. Until they had that breach secured, nothing else mattered. 80 men and women, 15 massive assault droids, and their smaller tactical assault droid counterparts moving as one sprinting across the open field. Sergei and his band ran, covering the distance in their semi-powered armor as they desperately raced to the dome to help. They knew no thoughts of fear, no doubts of their purpose. The sacrifice of The Aegis, their home all so very fresh on their mind as they pressed forward. Onwards they pushed, knowing that their fallen were now watching them. Their eyes would judge each and every one of them, would see to it that all oaths were upheld, and that their honor was unstained and pure. Sergei was now breaking from the formation as the large powerful man raced forward, only the smaller Tactical Assault Droids able to keep up with him. With a roar he would rush through the new gap, weapons raised as charged through the rubble. A few of the lyleks had survived the collapse of the tunnel, but Sergei wouldn't hesitate as he leveled his M-416 at the beast and firing with the precision that spoke of his experience of nearly a decade of non-stop combat. The Armor Piercing 6.8 mm rounds would do their job and as Sergei crossed the threshold to now be inside of the dome he took a wide stance, raising his rifle and firing at any of the would be twi'lek terrorists. The TCD-1s would join him in a terrifying display of firepower as their advanced programming allowed them to mimic Sergei's skill with a weapon, and their heavier chassis handled their own M-416s like they were children's toys. When the rest of his two platoons caught up almost a minute later, Sergei issued orders immediately.

"All Wolves make a defensive line here! DO NOT LET THEM THROUGH! COVER THE HEAVIES! AND GET THE HEAVIES STARTED ON MAKING A MAKESHIFT SEAL! WE HAVE TO SLOW THIS DOWN NOW!"

And so the remaining men and women of The Dire Wolves Mercenary Company decided it was here they'd make their stand. Weapons were unloaded and set up as quickly as possible. Troopers took up shooting positions with all of the weapons they had available, Sergei himself manning a M-2 14mm Heavy Machine Gun. He would pull the charging handle on the weapon's receiver chambering a round, and would begin opening fire on all of Shuulk's terrorists. Meanwhile the TCD-2s would go around them and start grabbing damaged and destroyed speeders, debris, anything that looked like it could help slow this down, and began placing it in the massive gap. It wouldn't do much to help but it was a start and the name of the game now was to buy the CIS as much time as they could to enact whatever plans they had. And they were already on borrowed time thanks to the kark heads who blew a hole in the dome. Meanwhile around the city, Dire Wolves that had been assisting with civilian evacuation operations, now relayed information to stranded and doomed bunkers. The Dire Wolves were covering the retreat, help was on the way. The Aegis would have been really handy right about now, as with its over sized power plant and engines it could have easily weathered the storm and helped in evacuations. But they would have to make due. There wasn't any time left.

 

[Neina Raethi]

R E T U R N​

Location: Here There & Everywhere
Objective: Return to the Mandragora
Allies: CIS & Friends
Wearing: xxx
Equiptment: Water of Life | Conduit of Souls x 5 | Standard Knife
Tags: Millu Lee | Kat Decoria | Vytal Noctura

Despite the little wolf’s efforts to return to her sisters, panic had already begun to spread throughout the biodome. Before, the streets had been teaming, but the people were amicable. It only took an ‘excuse me’ to pass them by, but now…

Effie was jostled left and right as she tried to make her way back up the street. She felt rather like a fish trying to make its way upstream, battling against the strong current to reach home. It was almost impossible to take a step without a shoulder shoving her back three more, but she persisted. Mistakes were made to be learned from, and Effie would certainly be learning from the mistake she had made in leaving her sisters. She spent a large portion of her time at the castle, a little less so in the capital biodome. By the time she had broken through the crowds and found a clear area to stand and gain her barings, Effie was totally and completely lost.

She looked around, her eyes now reflecting the panic displayed in the souls that sped by. Left, or right? Or was it straight ahead? She racked her brains, the wolf sniffed the air and strained to listen for any sign of someone familiar, but there were too many people. Too much chaos. Just as her heart began to speed up in her ribcage, rattling it so hard she could hear it even over the din of the crowds…a voice called out. Loud and crystal clear, echoing from every corner of her mind and bringing a wave of relief and peace.

Sisters. I need you. Ryloth needs you. A warm welcome in a stormy sea. Julra has opened a portal to the castle. The spirits have called to a squire. She must come with you. Find her.

A flash of colour passed before Effie’s eyes, along with a face she didn’t recognize. When the face faded, Effie was left blinded for a moment or two, but the face remained seared in her retinas. A brief moment of confusion passed Effie by in an instant, before it was replaced with an expression of eagerness. The Nightmother rarely asked her for anything. This task might have been small in comparison to the ones her sisters received, but it was her chance to prove her worth. What could be so hard about finding a squire and keeping them alive long enough to reach the Nightmother?

The moment she had received the task both she had the wolf had agreed it would be faster to allow it control. Effie slipped down a side-street, where the only eyes were ones lost in shadow. Over the few short months she’d been living with Vynter, he’d explained to her several times that nudity, even to shift, was frowned upon in the wider galaxy. Beyond the wish not to embarrass anyone with her bare form, the shift was quite a terrifying process to watch. Fear and terror already ran rife over the faces of people that rushed by, Effie did not want to add to their plight.

Where a young woman had entered the shadows, a wolf instead emerged. A honey-coloured beast as tall as a man and twice as long. Fortunately for Effie, everyone else was too preoccupied evacuating to the underground bunkers to notice. The wolf turned back to the shadow, and Effie urged it to follow the face the Nightmother had shown them. It broke free of the narrow alleyway on the opposite street, turning onto a larger main road that ran along the exterior of the biodome to take off at a run. The honey-coloured wolf bounded across the stone, razor sharp claws clicking loudly against the roughly hewn stone. Nightmother Vytal’s words rang like bells in her head. Find her.

The signature it followed led her to the outside of the dome, where the climate was harsher and brutal on the senses. Effie cursed to herself. Why couldn’t this squire have been in the square or the clansmoot instead? The wolf carried trotting on, sniffing the air occasionally. Mixed in to the almost sweltering wind, the unmistakable scent of human. The wolf picked up pace, bounding toward a rock where it attempted to stop, but instead skidded a little across the loose arid dirt. ”Do not be alarmed!” Effie cried out to Millu Lee , using the force to project her voice into her mind. ”Nightmother Vytal sent me to find you. She said you needed a way to the castle.” The wolf dug its claws into the dirt, leaving behind trenches of dried earth as it pushed itself toward the squire.

The beast lowered, slowly, enough to allow the woman to climb onto its back. ”We must hurry. The portal will not stay open forever.” The sunkissed hairs on the back of the wolf's neck bristled as she climbed aboard, it wasn’t used to having riders. It wasn’t some beast of burden used to tote people back and forth like a horse, but for today, it was a necessity. The run back to the inside of the biodome was shorter, now that they knew the way. Once inside and away from the acrid outdoor climate, the wolf found it easier to run. It sped up, bounding across the road that ran around the edge of the biodome. Her sisters were waiting, and that thought alone spurred them on.

Taking a sharp left, the wolf once more turned down a main street, the wolf nearly ran smack bang into a beautiful woman with hair as white as snow, Kat Decoria . The wolf stumbled backward two paces. ”Please do not be alarmed!” Effie quickly asked of the woman. Unlike most of the people in the biodome, she wasn’t running. Effie could only assume that she was here to help.

Two was going to be a struggle… but Effie considered it all the same. ”Come with us. We could use your help at the castle.” Her sugar sweet tones did not match the vicious wolf that bared its teeth at the growing chaos around it. Effie did not blame the beast she shared a soul with. Ryloth had gone from a peaceful world to utter calamity in less than eight minutes. ”A portal is opening, but we do not have much time. Quickly!” The wolf lowered itself slightly to allow the jedi to climb aboard beside the squire. As she expected, the weight had now been doubled, and the wolf felt a little sluggish. But this would still be quicker than all three of them attempting to run.

Nightmother Vytal was patient, but she would not wait forever.

As the wolf picked it’s way through the winding street, with the presence of Nightmother Vytal guiding it like a lighthouse in a storm, Effie couldn’t help but notice it was getting hotter. It was warm in the temperature controlled biodomes to begin with, meant to simulate a natural summer’s eve, but now it was growing to near tropical degrees. This wasn’t good. The wolf could feel it too. It’s great pink tongue lopped out at the side messily, panting harder with every paw it placed on the ground. It was too hot. To add to the panic, suddenly, the biodome shook aggressively. Jolting the wolf so violently it had to trot just to keep its passengers aboard. Neither the wolf nor Effie could carry on much longer.

Vynter had taught her of cold magiks, had he not? He was born of ice and snow. Through gentle whimpers of protest, the wolf continued on, paws padding against rapidly heating stone. Effie focused. Focused harder than she’d ever focused in her life. She focused on home. Not Skogor Heim, not even the Mandragora or Ryloth, but that cold place Vynter had stumbled upon her. Sparkling crystalline dust covering the ground, sheets of ice where there should have been water, air so cold the breath escaped from your lungs in wispy tendrils of white smoke… The air grew cooler. Not the air in Effie’s projection, the actual air around them.

But it wouldn’t last forever. Already she could feel the edges of heat seeping into the pads on the wolf’s paws. Despite the weight with two instead of three making it’s paws shake with every bound, the wolf picked up speed, spurred on by its sentient half’s concerns and the cool bubble enveloping itself and its passengers. Adrenaline did many things to a human, but to a beast, it was a life line.

Nightmother Vytal and the portal to the castle was just around the corner, Effie could only hope they’d made it on time.​

 

[Ciri Jade]

​

>> Objective:

- Cybersecurity​

- Evacuate​

>> Location:

- Ryloth_Capital_Bio-Dome​

>> Nearby_Allies:

- Holt
- Tess Valnora ​

- Rann Thress ​

>> Entity_Detected:

- Toph Graystone ​

​

A large blast down the street had knocked her back, slamming into a wall. Her entire body was sore despite the armor beneath her clothes absorbing a portion of the hit. Pulling herself up, she found the droid scurrying across the ground terrified from the blast. Slowly, she knelt down to collect it while collecting her datapad. "Plug in and upload, quickly." Having lost sight of Rann Thress and hearing the sounds of the beasts rising up from the newly created hole in the ground, she thought it best to move. If she was going to keep security up, putting herself in the middle of a stampede would not be a good idea. Time began to blur together for her as she moved thought at a slower pace than she'd like, muscles aching from the impact, causing a slight limp from her right leg. Leaning against a wall, the words filling the comm channels finally began to make sense again.. and none of it seemed to be good news. The droid slipped into the pocket of her jacket after it had completed the upload as she checked the data and began to run decryption. Pausing for a moment, she had to catch her breath. The wind had been knocked out of her and all the movement hadn't helped anything.​

​

As she took a moment, her attention shifted to her secondary comms as a message began to play from some person calling themselves the 'Melon Lord'. As it ended abruptly, her head shook as she opened up her device and made an additional access to the channels that belonged to the Ryloth Network. "Guess it's time I actually took control." She sighed, a slight grin flashing across her lips. "I miss the old days." She said to herself as she backed up her initial security protocols with additional encryptions and layers of security.​

​

A laboured breath escapes her lips as the grin fades away as quickly as it had appeared, a bead of sweat rolling past her brow and down her cheek as the beginning of the rising temperatures reached her. "They didn't access the environmental systems.. The beasts.. Great.." The heat she was feeling didn't bother her, though a breach of the dome's integrity did. However, given the explosion's location, she could only guess at what may be the cause.​

​

The increasing heat ahd taken her attention for a moment before an alert was triggered, access to the network was beginning to appear from an unknown source and her security was beginning to take hits. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she reinforced her connection with encryption before activating her comm. < Holt, I've reinforced Ryloth's Network with extra security and it should hold for a time. Take over for me, will you? > As soon as she finished speaking, she glanced at a report from the Rookery's systems and the obscene things it had been flooded with. < Holt.. please tell me you don't have any children with you.. > She wasn't sure whether to be impressed by whoever it was on the other side of this cyberwarfare, or disgusted. Though, whoever this 'Melon Lord' was, she'd find out.. sooner or later.​

​

Bringing up the network, she introduces a virus across all channels she had designed during her time with the Black Sun and modified after joining the CIS' Ministry of Secrets. The virus itself was designed to seek out all connections that were not flagged as 'friendly' by Ciri herself. Access points connected to the network would be traced back to the source and an attempt would be made to shut down systems that are responsible for the connection as it replicates rapidly becoming an infestation. Thanks to her modifications, however, the Rookery was hardened against the virus. ​

​

Another explosion rips her from back to the present space as her heart nearly leaps from her chest. She could feel it pounding away as her hand clutched her chest, taking a moment to breath. Her eyes begin to glow as she activates her contact lenses, information coming to her immediate attention right before her eyes as the HUD came to life. "Karking..." A wave of heat hits her as the armor and clothing mix suddenly feels as if she had over dressed for a visit to the Dune Sea of Tatooine.. and only getting worse. Moving into the street, propping herself against a wall her eyes widen as the large fissure that had opened up lies three buildings away from her position. The glowing irises only widen at the level of destruction that had been brought the area before her. She had seen the lengths gangs would go but this.. was something else entirely. Pulling back into the cover of the building, she starts to move away, trying to locate the nearest CDF position. In the meantime, she switched comm channels to alert Luna Terrik of the new situation.​

​

< Grand Marshal Terrik, this is Colonel Jade. We have a major problem. I'm sending you coordinates of a fissure that the most recent detonation has opened up. Heat levels are rising rapidly in the vicinity. I'm moving to the nearest position of your men now. >​

​

​

Spoiler: Equipment

• Roc-class Mk I Stealth Armor​
• BCR-X19 Needler Pistol (Concealed)​
  • 4x Kaminoan Darts (Gifts from Damsy Callat Post-Vondarc)​
  • 4x Makite Themfar Darts​
• Cyber-Eye Contact Lenses x1 Pair {Activated}​
• LK Spider Slicer Droids x2​
• A-180 Blaster Pistol (Pistol Config.)​
• Corvus-type Chronometer​

​

 

[Eira Talon]

Location: Festival
Tags: Srina Talon Asaraa Vaashe Daiya Kat Decoria Darth Empyrean

Spoiler: Who I'm responding to

__________________________________________________________________​

Location: Color Burst Shooting Game [Festival] - Ryloth
Standing Near To: Eira Talon | Darth Empyrean | Asaraa Vaashe | Kat Decoria
Ally: CIS
Enemy: AoC + Insane Extremists
Quote: "Needless, senseless death, and extremism have no place here."

__________________________________________________________________​

Chocolate roses and carnival games. What had meant so much—Now?

Meant nothing at all.

The image of the acclaimed Twi’lek author falling victim to the murderous whims of terrorists and anarchists would not fade. Not from her mind. Not from the hearts of the people that franticly started trying to follow her orders. She could feel their pain, moreover, the horror. Abject, pure, fear. They were terrified of the voices from the skies that promised freedom, and yet, destabilized all that had been achieved. The reaction that flowed through the ether, in truth, what was separated them from the animals. This is what separated the Confederacy from the Agents of Chaos.

They held the ability to mourn those they had never met.

Everything changed so quickly. Seconds. Silvery eyes that had watched her sister play a game at a festival with easy interest had grown hard. The doting sibling that stood stalwart, nearby, protective, and silently supportive became that which would rain hellfire down on their enemies. The phantom feeling of Maliphant standing behind her had yet to dissipate. He indulged her, often, as evidenced by the whisper that touched her ear. The staccato pair bled into something new. They changed in such a startling fashion that it was as if day had suddenly become night. As she became stone, he became steel.

His hand falling away from her own was for the best. Her hand clenched on itself. It left clear bloody crescent moons in her palm. Expressionless eyes remained dark while she took in all of the condescendingly ignorant speeches. All the grandstanding, words, that were filled with little more than speculation and rhetoric. It seemed as if it was designed, specifically, to goad the Confederacy into war.

“What are they really doing here?”, she spoke coldly, mostly, to the Sith Lord at her side. She didn’t believe that a group of anarchist sociopaths had come to promote liberty in a set of Independent Systems. A party ship full of booze? A televised killing? Excuses? Taunting? An aura ( Kyrinov ) of fear that prompted fear and panic? What were they playing at? Why were the placing people in the forefront of this sudden invasion that would draw the highest reaction from Confederate personnel? People they wouldn’t necessarily want to fire on? “This can’t be it. It is too convenient. Smokescreen?”

The sheer mass of paltry excuses and showboating was confounding. Maliphant would see where her thoughts were going, slowly, dissecting the situation before them. His words pressed deep into her bones and her gaze flowed upward toward the chiseled features she knew so swell. Briefly, she felt a pang unbidden. His offer sounded sweeter than she wanted to admit.

It was a loaded question. Whom did she condemn? Who deserved to die for this?

<< All of them. >>​

All who were responsible. All who had a hand in this, invisible, or otherwise. To kill vermin, to eradicate them, required sterilization of the nest. Whether or not the AoC orchestrated the killing on the Holo-Net mattered little. They paved the way for it to happen, or, aided and abetted. Their hands were just as bloody as the Twi’lek that beheaded one of his own. They didn’t open a door to freedom. They ushered in a reign of terror and placed power in the hands of certifiable fanatics.

Darth Metus responded, but, it was the words of the Elder Twi’lek among him that left a bitter reminder in the hearts that heard it. It twisted the stomach, burned the ears, and Srina couldn’t help it when her teeth ground together. The decisive “NO” that the Vicelord issued was more than deserving. It caused strength to coil at the base of her spine. She could feel the call, the fight, the endless waltz that would either preserve the lives of those on Ryloth or destroy them.

War. This—Was war.

Thank the Bright One that someone cut the feed.

The young fighter with rose-toned hair ( Asaraa Vaashe ) began to pull on the Force and Srina reared back from the Light that she exuded. It wasn’t alone. She could feel the essence of Vytal Noctura floating up among the crowd and with both aspects of the Force as work, strengthening, and renewing, it chased the aura of Fear back. Pushing back the tide. Slowly, she could see the Twi’lek settle and start thinking a little more rationally. They were afraid, unsettled, but they were strong. They would push through.

“Thank you, Asaraa.”

It didn’t help her, but, her actions would make evacuation easier if panic wasn’t sweeping through the masses unchecked. Srina turned her cruel gaze to Eira Talon and piercing eyes swept over her. The words that her younger Echani spoke rang louder than some of the noise that carried through the comms. She would not leave? “I had not intended to request that you do.”, Srina replied, slowly, pulling something from her wrist.

“I need your help.”

The Scarlet Vow was one of the first gifts that her Master had given her. It had saved her life on more than one occasion. She wrapped the black and red bangle around Eira’s wrist and gave the silent command for it to activate. From nothing, from the mists of smoke, poured metal and shades of bloody crimson. It shifted. Becoming slightly smaller to fit Eira. “We need to ensure that the Twi’lek get off the streets. There are emergency bunkers beneath the bio-domes. It’s the first line of defense. If it can—”

Srina paused. Two new reports. One, they were potentially being targeted by an enemy ship for orbital bombardment. There was a sense of familiarity in this but it was quickly lost be the reality of the situation. Two. An explosion to a Confederate Defense building. Her head shook. This was turning into a full-scale assault. “If the bunkers can withstand the heat storms it might be our best shot. There’s no time to run. If they’re targeting this dome we won’t get far enough, fast enough.”

As strong as Srina was, even, with Maliphant at her side—An orbital bombardment was far beyond her.

Contrary to what her little sister believed.

“Two hours, Eira. It will last only that long. You must be safe before it fades.”

Srina would have given Eira her lightsaber, however, she knew not how to ignite it. Kat Decoria had also arrived and the Exarch nodded her head to the young woman. “Asaraa and Ms. Decoria…Do you have an extra weapon that Eira may utilize for the time being?”

The Confederate channels were teeming, mixing, with local frequencies while organization began to fall into place. It eased part of her concerns. Part, not all. She proceeded to put in a call to several different parties. Amelia von Sorenn was one. A singular word that the woman would well understand. <<Hurry.>>

Another call was made to Visanj T'shkali and Corius Harckon. If Srina recalled correctly, there were ships that could help the people of Ryloth escape this mess in relative safety. Luna Terrik was handling much of the organizational aspects, but, Srina would help where she could. The more they cleared the more crowded areas the better. There was only so much time. “Things are turning critical on Ryloth. I believe we had ships stationed nearby. The units from the Corps of Discovery would be ideal…The JXS-31 Star Explorers? Please respond and confirm.”

She switched the frequency while something small and yellow caught her eye. It was racing toward her at what no doubt must have been break-neck speed. How…? “Exarch Locke. I’ve already contacted our compatriots for the ships we had in the area, but, we may need more. Can you redirect some of the Pridwen? We will…Require the hospital services.”

Srina bent down and picked up Duckie Talon with one hand. She glared darkly at it, more than annoyed, before letting the little creature find a spot on her shoulder. It would nest in her hair in a way that made her want to defeather and cook it, but, at least it wouldn’t fall off.

How the kark did this little thing always find its way to the middle of war zones? Across planets? Systems? Srina had not a singular clue, but, she didn’t have time to dwell. Instead, she began to help direct the foot paths of Twi’lek peoples through the area. She reiterated that they needed to relocate to the emergency bunkers beneath the domes and seal all of the doors.

Silver eyes turned upward while something burned in the atmosphere and objects seemed be falling down to the planet like falling stars.

The pieces were moving. One square to the next. Soon, checkmate.

Spoiler: Gear

Scarlet Vow Mothers Wrath CIS Holocomm Device The Ring of Aspiration Holding Aces Te'Kyr

Spoiler: Actions Summary

- Noted Kyrinov's Fear Aura. Noted Vytal and Asaraa calming and supporting the masses. Noted the Speeches and Incoming Enemy Assets / Glitter bomb! (Unaware of the Emu Parade). Requested additional rescue/hospital/evac transports from Vis/Corius/John - Informed situation going critical. Noted the possible threat of Orbital Bombardment. Noted the Explosion of a Defense Force Base. Noted that CDF is rapidly responding under Luna. Noted that Metus declined the party bus. Put Armor on Eira. Ushering Twi'lek from the festival to emergency bunkers beneath the domes. Lookingfor the next ball, or, fist to drop. If I missed anything please let me know. Will edit if needed.

Location: At the festival, Capital Dome, Ryloth
Goal: Avoid the distractions of the festival FAILED

Find a way to take advantage of the chaos​

Equipment: Phase I Haywire Armor, Raven Knife, Dissuader KD-30 (Loaded with Glitter Bullets), Deactivator Hold-Out Blaster, Vita Stones, View Masker, Interference Box, Holojournal
Tags: Srina Talon | Eira Talon | Darth Empyrean | Asaraa Vaashe
Quack: Duckie Talon

Ryloth's soil absorbed her fallen tears readily, as if the world itself was always waiting pain to rain down upon it. It rained down now, Daiya could almost feel the collective shudder of grief around her. It seeped into her being, an unwelcome guest, even if a familiar one to her. She nearly reached for the satchel carried regularly by her side, her hand grasping for the familiar shape of her holojournal, upon which she would normally paint the vivid images of her visions. The girl gaped open-mouthed as her hand closed on nothing, feeling frantically by her side for the satchel and its precious datapad, before remembering that it was already clutched tightly against her.

The breaths that caught in her throat came easier now, relief flooding through her like warmth in the cooling twilight air.

A mirthless laugh escaped her lips as the girl looked down at the device in her hands. She turned it on again, reeling at the first image to assault her eyes. A vicious memory of a future long past. Tapping a few times, Daiya moved past the images, willing herself to forget how callously the Twi'lek brats had scanned through them. Reaching the end, the girl was pleased to find them all still saved and intact. She smiled at the reprieve, and at the latest image in her collection. There, staring up at her from the screen, was the nearly-complete figure of a pink polka-dotted matanga on roller skates. The amusing image drew a more earnest giggle from her, finding the will to stand and put away the datapad.

Daiya glanced about, taken aback by the transformation of the festival from only a few minutes ago. The carefree adventures and celebration of the Ryloth inhabitants had quickly scattered, thinning like the crowds as fear and uncertainty took their place. It was a sobering moment, though the girl held fast to the mental image of her pink creation, unwilling to let herself be broken down like that again. Tawrro wasn't here to pull her back to reality, so she had to figure it out herself.

The reality was, however, that the festival was over and it was time to stop dawdling. The Darkwire agent had a job to do, a job that relied on the chaos she was witnessing.

Yet an ever-present question weighed in on the reality of her task, just how she was supposed to make it into the Viceroy's Manor? There was no telling what swarms of security would be massing now to protect the upper crust of the Confederacy's visiting elites. It wasn't surprising to her that Ms. Sun had wanted a single operative, and observing the number of kids her age around the festival, Daiya could see why she was chosen. Still, this was one of those times that she missed having someone like Tawrro planning out their next steps. Going it alone in the middle of a warzone and still measuring up to Darkwire's expectations for this job was going to be tough.

So obviously, no pressure.

Silvery hair caught the girl's idle eyes, and at first she didn't give it a second thought. Then it came again, and Daiya looked closer. Was that...? Her briefing on the mission had covered the Who's Who of Confederacy players, but Daiya had needed no such introduction to spot Srina Talon, Exarch of the Confederacy and just generally a-mazing. She had thumbed over that dossier a bit too many times on her travel to Ryloth, but the girl had never expected to actually see her here. In the flesh, standing just meters away!

"Oh my gosh, it's really you, isn't it? THE Srina Talon? I'm, like, one of your biggest fans!" Daiya couldn't help gushing as she approached the Confederate Exarch, unable to stop herself. It was a good thing now that Tawrro wasn't here, he would have been embarrassed by all this, she was usually much more cool-headed with adults. The words just tumbled out of her mouth, "You're so pretty and cool and powerful. It's super sexy!"

The teen clamped a palm over her mouth, her cheeks growing pink as she realized what she had just said. It wouldn't have been so bad if her idol was alone, but she was surrounded by a group of people, a few of whom looked like the woman's personal friends. She had only just chastised and chased a trio of bullies for browsing through her private thoughts, and here she was spouting them aloud for anyone to hear. Where was her vision for this moment, so she could have avoided it?!

Hoping the statement hadn't caused the Exarch as much alarm as it had her, Daiya tried to cover her embarrassment with a giggle and move on. "I know you must get this a lot, but..." she pulled out her datapad again, turning it on and offering it to the woman, "Could I please get your autograph?"

A split second later, she pulled it back, realizing that she had left the holojournal app on the last image she made. "Oops," the girl blurted out, quickly flipping the screen to a new canvas and even pulling out the stylus for Srina's convenience before turning the datapad and her biggest pleading face back to the woman. "There, on that page, please?"

Location: Ryloth - Festival - Colour Burst Shooting Stall
Tagging: Srina Talon | Darth Empyrean | Eira Talon | Kat Decoria | Daiya
Gear:

Spoiler

• Keravnos
• Fate's Dance
• Svalinn
• Nephil and Seraph
• 2 x Ianua Daggers
• Angel's Dance
• Claimoh Solais

It was slow, like pushing at treacle with your mind, that slow and steady feeling of the force giving against the pressure of her mind. The negative emotions that swirled around them, like a miasma that filled the air, seeping into the force. It felt like a dark cloak pressing against her senses, slowly shredding under the influence of her aura as crystal blue eyes flicked open. She knew that it was just panic, the Twi’leks around them overwhelmed by the events of the day.

It had been one barrage of horrors bursting into the calm of the day, a day that was supposed to be a celebration. That was perhaps the worst part of it, all these people, they had come expecting to enjoy themselves, to share this experience with their friends and loved ones. Only, other plans had been in motion, plans to interject terror and mayhem into the middle of the celebration. Like a stone cast into the waters of a still pond, the ripples echoing out, distorting the surface, the force.

Playing the mental game, using the force to affect the minds and emotions of people around them had never been her strong suit, but at least she’d been able to help this time. This time she hadn’t failed them, perhaps if she could protect the people of this planet the ghosts of Azure would finally leave her alone. Perhaps she’d be able to get a good nights sleep, perhaps she’d be able to get any sleep.

The pink-haired Jedi glanced over at the pale Exarch standing next to her, eyes softening as she nodded at the Exarch. Srina Talon. The echani was almost a figure out of legend, news of her exploits had never been far from hand, far from the tongues of the padawans. Asaraa had been no different, to the young Jedi the woman had seemed so self-assured and exotic, everything she’d ever wanted to be, had wanted to look up to.

The dreams of a child staring out at the galaxy.

The dreams of a child before the reality of the galaxy came crashing down on her.

Today she stood as a Jedi Master, the Lord Vigilant. A power in her own right. She’d seen more of the galaxy than she had thought possible. Now she could look at the Echani and respect her, respect everything she’d been through. All the scars and burdens she carried, it was worthy of respect…but Asaraa no longer wanted to be her. She had enough scars of her own to carry.

Still, she couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she saw the slight form of a young girl darting through crowd, approaching the Exarch to ask for an autograph. It took all of the Jedi’s not inconsiderable willpower to stop herself from losing a laugh of delight. In the middle of this war, of the horror and death this was a moment of innocence, the pure delight on the girl’s face as she fiddled with her datapad. It didn’t take her much to imagine another girl there, red skin and montrals, large blue eyes staring up hopefully.

Mouth suddenly dry, the Jedi glanced away, hand rising to her shoulder, pulling her sword loose and flipping it around. That was the innocence, the purity that they were fighting for. That was what they had to protect, Madelena and her ilk sought to plunge the galaxy into Chaos. The sort of darkness that would drown out this innocence, this purity. To tear a planet away and leave it in the hands of terrorists like those who had stuck their head out to take advantage of this opportunity would be a world without this kind of happiness.

The young woman turned to Eira, flipping the sword around and offering it to her.

“It’s not much but…you’re welcome to use my sword and shield.”

The weapons were light enough that she should be able to use them without much problem, besides Asaraa’s masters had always told her that the force was the only weapon you’d ever need. She’d thought about that, then decided they were wrong. The force was a great tool, but it always paid to have a backup, in this case, her lightsabers. Better safe than sorry right.

They were out there somewhere, the terrorists who had decided that they would bring death and destruction to this planet, the ones who had come from the ground, and the ones coming down from space. They might have wanted to bring chaos and darkness, but all they’d get was the light….from the ends of her swords.

She might have been a Jedi Master, but Asaraa would be the first to tell you she was the worst Jedi out there.

Eira grew calmer as she stepped into Asaraa's side, the fear she had felt bleeding out of her body. It only took a quick blink and a hard look at the woman to recognize her calming influence over her, a feat Srina might have been proud of... If the fear hadn't succeeding in influencing Eira first.

Eira cursed at herself for not seeing the outside influence. Mental defense had been such an intrinsic part of their training! With quick work she cleared her thoughts and blocked out all influence on her own. Was it working? It was hard to tell, but she could only hope that in such a dire moment like this, she could trust herself to continue their lessons when under duress.


Srina promised to not send her off, and the faith in her left Eira standing straighter. Overwhelming circumstances turned into something a little more manageable. There was really no way for her to grasp being tossed away into this chaos without her family. Eira gave her sister a tight smile, trying to communicate a shadow of this as she handed her the armor.

The simple bracer materialized into metal plating over her form. Eira gave a confused, stiff look down-- Echani fought practically clothless-- but she did not utter the complaints that came to mind. Srina was letting her stay, she would not push this.

...But of course they stick her in a rubber padded baby suit. A dour look was leveled at her sister just as the woman found herself accosted by a younger girl. Eira didn't hear Daiya's words, too fussed with ripping off the metal piece wrapping around the front of her face and giving it a disgruntled look. Who would cover their mouth in the thick of battle! Once more, Srina was spared her protests, for Eira surely had them. Instead she reached an armored arm reached out, accepting the sword Asaraa offered her.

"...Thank you," she murmured to the jedi. The woman couldn't know the comfort that the metal gave Eira once it was in her hand. Swordsmanship was Eira's focus, and its light weight bouncing in palm left her feeling empowered. Eira would admit that as she moved, the sensation of the armor got less cumbersome. It wasn't medieval wear at any rate. She could feel the quality of the tech as she flexed and turned, a growing sense of urgency filling her as bombs set off and updates came in.

Right. The bunkers then?

Wait, was that a duck?

Eira's trail of thought grew derailed, her mouth handing open at her sister sporting a tiny armored duck, and a fangirl seeking an autograph.

<<Is now really the time?>> Came Eira's voice, slipping into Srina's mind. Concerned for the young thing before them emanate from Eira's being. They would take her with them. Eira stood there wanting to save the world, but for now she'd start with the child before her. She reached out, grabbing for Daiya's arm.

"We need to get to the bunkers now," she stated briskly, her own fear rearing its head.

It was happening again.