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Not sure what to do on Siskeen other than sit and listen to whatever was going on, Romeo had chosen to side with the Agents on this one, considering the Confederacy had never been of interest to him. He knew little of it's leaders, matter of fact he didn't know the Agents all that much either. As far as he could tell, both were Sith, both were on the verge of corrupted insanity, and he was just more concerned about how this could go down. Talks were just that, talks. Mostly nothing exciting happened during these, but that could change in a moments notice as the man continued to stay in the background as an ornament of the Agents. He wasn't even sure how they gotten ahold of him, or convinced him to join their cause for this one. Something about Scherezade possibly giving him some attention, or maybe not. Romeo had paid very little attention to the details. Honestly, at this moment? His mind had become engulfed with madness and the Darkside. Removing any hint of light within his soul had finally hit home, and the bone mask hiding the corrupted flesh of the man who had once been as handsome as a ever was all he could do to keep himself under control. If he didn't see the corruption, he could continue to be in denial. Until then, he would stay still, and listen. He had left his weapons with someone, the funny part was his only weapon had been the most generic lightsaber possible, and he didn't need it to fight.
Tess had rapidly checked every weapon before stowing it somewhere on her person, the only weapons that would be visible to an onlooker were her B-2 rifle, slung on her back, and her gloves, that at a glance looked like normal black gloves. She had chosen this building to stage from because of its tower that overlooked the main road where the procession had been halted by the act of terrorism, or how a freedom fighter might put it “show of power”. After running up the multiple flights of stairs, often taking them three at a time Tess took a quick breather before removing a blanket she had used to conceal her previously placed AMR-211 ‘Longbow’. She wasn't expecting to have to use its destructive power, yet, but she had had a feeling today that she would possibly need it none the less. Setting the weapon's bi-pod on the railing she used the high magnification of its scope to see the goings-on below her.
Agent Jade’s voice replied over the secured channel requesting her position, “I am currently set up on Overwatch in a tower located one half klick South-South-West of the recent explosion.” She stated as she adjusted the viewing distance on her scope. Peering through it the first thing she noticed was Twi’leks running helter-skelter around the area, some panicked others confused. The second thing she saw was a collection of B-1 battle droids already providing security for the bomb site. Finally, she recognized the Nightmother Vytal and some other, whom she guessed to be, Nightsisters grouping together.
“Error, show me a map of the surrounding area, what building was that?” she said to her droid as she continued surveying the surrounding area. BD-404 quickly pulled up a holomap that showed the building identifier. ”Jade, we have a bombing on the main street. One of the CIS DF garages, most likely carried out by Local Freedom Fighters.” She called into her commlink, “Suspect is currently still at large.” Tess began brainstorming reasons as to why only one building was hit. It wasn't a very important one, nor did there appear to be other explosions around the city. 'All major VIPs aren't even taking part in the parade, why there?' the Crow wondered to herself.
BD-404 shut off the holoprojection and ran to the other side of their perch and hopped up on the railing to look out over the city. Of course, the little droid didn't have the viewing capabilities Tess currently did, but Error wanted to believe he was helping in any way he could. He then hopped off and ran back to Valnora where he used one of his feet to knock over a rather full satchel of magazines for the 'Longbow', filled with various ammunition types. Tess glanced down at the sudden noise of metal hitting duracrete, "Careful Error, I don't need you making a mess right now." she said before returning back to scanning the area for further hostilities.
Elyria had spent the better part of the day languishing in the silence of The Well. At any given time, the halls were filled with the sounds of little Echani feet, hitting marble, while they continuously “honed their skills” and “trained” by beating one another half to death. If she were being honest the practice felt almost admirable. But, accepting that she found any of these creatures interesting?
Oh, no. That would never do.
When she finally decided to pull herself from her chambers, she once again set about to conquer her arch-nemesis. The ridiculous, annoying, timer on the auto-chef. If she figured it out? The Vicelord would build her a throne with his bare hands. Elyria was very, very determined. The others were all out visiting with the natives for some sort of celebration. She did not know what. It wasn’t that she didn’t care…She just didn’t care. She minded her own in this world and always had. They dwelled far, far away, deep in a dangerous area of the Bright to ensure privacy. She was a ghost. Exploring the Nightlands, at best, but her days were usually spent peering into the future.
An irritating beep interrupted her thoughts and her lip curled while black orbs bored holes into the annoying machine. Why would it not accept her input? It was made for beings far less enlightened than she was. Why did it give her difficulties? Raising her palm, she hit it hard, and smashed it into the screen. It snapped and cracked beneath her hand and the unit began to spark.
Elyria pulled her palm away and looked at it curiously before realizing that this was STILL not what it was supposed to do. The unit made a sad, sad sound, as if it were dying before it caught fire.
She sighed heavily while she turned away from the growing flames.
This would not be the day she wished it to be.
Some sort of noise sounded from the contraption that Darth Metus insisted she wear at all times. It was ugly. What was she to him? A little mutt-breed that he felt the need to put a bell on? Was he worried that she would decide to leave and wreak havoc on some poor unsuspecting society? The thought made her roll her eyes. Elyria had promised she would not. And so, she would not. Poking at it a few times she seemed to get it to do something. The face-plate lit up and she waited. “Well, what is it Vicelord?”
Her terse tones were made even shorter by the scent of burning metal behind her. It wasn’t so much the smell as it was the fact that this auto chef was clearly on its way to an early grave. This meant she could no longer practice using it. And therefore, no throne. She could not win the bet. Irritating. A sudden sense of artificial fear seemed to float through the air. The scent was unknown, sweet, but weak. Her brow furrowed. It wasn’t real. Like devouring tofu over meat. Boring.
“Do your celebrations always include fear-mongering?”
Metus took too long to answer and speaking into her wrist made her feel like a moron. Insufferable man. It was no small wonder that half the galaxy was trying to shoot at him and or kill him and his offspring. The day folded, turning, and sweeping into Night. A shroud of dark slipped around her being and for the brief span it took to travel from the Well to the Clans…Boot? Clanshoot? Clansmoot—She felt both angelic and violently insane. The Dark Side swelled. By the time the dizzying cacophony stopped Elyria found herself standing behind Darth Metus
. Smoke flowed around her form like water before it sank into her skin and faded away. There were plenty of others in the room. Why had he called for her?
She hadn’t been listening to anything or watching anything so she had no idea of the impending threats.
“If you have purchased me gifts, I will help you open them Metus.”
Elyria leaned around him to peer at the individuals present. These were people. Rather disgruntled and upset looking people. Not presents. She sighed and her arms came to cross beneath her bosom while the black beads on her skin tight dress glimmered. This was not a social call. This was a work call. Her eyes rolled heavenward.“…Whom have you displeased this time?”
“If it is regarding tariffs and taxes, I am not an accountant.”, she uttered, darkly, while taking in the sight of several older Twi’leks that seemed very upset. A figure (Shalita Verd
) lingered in the shadows so well that most wouldn’t see it. Elyria wore darkness like a second skin. She could feel her there. A pair of Wolves (Gerwald Lechner
& Redd
) in human form seemed rather agitated. She had not arrived in time to catch the young one’s warning about the potential for orbital bombardment.
A young woman with that dark and an aura that held the scent of expresso and…Metus, seemed to be taking her leave. One of his young? Another one? Did this man not realize that quantity was not quality?
This one was better looking than the last she had seen at the Well. Stronger, too. Acceptable.
Oh. Speaking of—
“By the way, the Well is on fire.”
Edit: I edited in my location. I'm a bum, and forgot.
Flying through the skies was the pod that held Scherezade. Within moments she had managed to open her eyes, though her face still strained with the discomfort of being in a drop pod. Again. Really, she hated those things, and knowing that not all of them made it the ground only increased her distrust in them. Every single effin' time, she promised herself that next time, she'd bring her own stealth ship to the location, whatever else was going on it, yet somehow she never did. Though in this case, it was probably a good idea not to bring her Blood Magic riddled ship to the place where most of the Mandragora stuff decorated the planet.
Peering through the window of the pod, a smile managed to make its way to her lips, despite everything else that was going on just there and then. Ryloth's skies were glowing thanks to the actions of Dimitri Lindzinsky, the tons of glitter that her factories had been commissioned for burning up as they passed through the planet's atmosphere, frying up like teeny weenie bits of magic.
It was better than the frying of a few pods that weren't as lucky as her to make it through. One day, she knew, if she kept it up as she had been thus, a pod she was in was going to burn up just like that. She really wasn't ready for it.
Still, it would only be a matter of minutes before she was on the ground. And she knew exactly where she was going to.
Like this, but with helmet/armor
Different sorts of pods were making their way towards the planet. Where initially thirty thousand (30,000) birds had been deployed, due to circumstances as well as one ship accidentally blowing up because a Churi managed to use its fortified beak to peck its core and shut it off at the most important moment, which spelled out the burning of thousands of birds frying with a last sound of PAKAHHHH, only twenty thousand (20,000) had made it to the ground.
The doors of the ships opened, and the Churi, decked in armor and beak, began to exit.
Across the border of night and day on the planet that had no sunrise or sunset, thousands of Churi birds began to walk around, screaming as per their usual. Though the way down had included more turbulence than they were used to in the Unknown Regions, the birds were, for now, relatively calm, walking around and pretending they were in a giant petting zoo.
At the base, away from the Dome City, Allya prepared. Where during the parade she had dumbed down a lot of her systems, now she reactivated them all. Her eyes closed as the reactors began to warm up. That ever familiar low hum filled her skull once more. Dozens of sensors went online, comm systems went to full power. The E-War system began its thing, and the droid control module connected to the base’s droid control systems, which were vastly superior to her suit’s own. While IONA had remained active, she gained a boost to her own abilities as well. Allya went through the battle check list.
Night Caller System, online. Repair Module, online. Comm systems, online. Sensors, online, Micro-Fighter, online. Deflector and molecular shields, online. repulsors, online. Internal Weapon Systems online, charging. The chest list continued on and on. She checked her blasters, and saber, made sure the charge was full, gathered more ammo, various types of grenades, a couple med packs.
She checked on her battalion, each member grabbed their Xiphos-Type 1 Armor, their tri-blasters, many put on ysalamiri packs, and extra blasters as well as various grenades, and heavier weapons. The teen rolled her shoulders and moved back towards the droid storage bays.
This was one small depot of many on the planet that contained the droids. As she looked over the literal legions of droids, she activated them, set herself as the commander, and gave them their orders.
As the commandos and droids met up outside, she grabbed hold of the side of one of the AATs, as most of the other commandos either followed in speeders, or walked with the marching army behind the group. The group turned back, to a march across the scorched earth towards the bio-dome the parade had been held at. For now the Ysalamiri users kept their distance from their Major. As the comm system screamed about the Golden Lance, Kaine Australis’ personal ship, Allya looked up to the sky and she reached out with the force. She could feel the presence of a very tragic, and troubled soul up above. The force roiled and she shook her head. Kaine….he hadn’t been doing well since Myrkr. She could easily believe he was up there now. He always had his priorities messed up. “IONA...there is a ship I need you to find, a comm system I hope you can trace.” As they moved she explained it to IONA, who used all her processing power, to try and secure a comm to Kaine Australis. If it succeeded, Allya would send out a message to Kaine.
“Kaine, if you are intent on fighting, then fight well, and fight with honor. I don’t know what you have planned, but please, don’t tell me it's going to be another orbital bombardment like you’ve done the last few times….Tanaab. I did what I could for many of the children, and brought them to Ryloth. I’m proud of their progress. Many were about to take their verd’goten after this festival. Enjoying the parade. If you need a fight, if you need an outlet, I am here. I’ll take you on, vod. I’ll give you the fight of your life. Don’t sacrifice your soul for a war. Let me save you. I can show you the Way once again. Come, stand before me. I will show you I am strong enough.”
It had been a long, long while since they had spent any time together.
For such a long time, Xobos had been on her own. Choosing who to spend her time with, taking time to keep Illyria safe and free from those that dared bring evil to it’s boarders. Spending time alone outside the capital city, living in a small place all to her own, as to not attract any extra danger to the people in the city. Her alone ending the lives of the men and women who brought slavery to the planet she had been tasked to protect.
While there had been reprieves, taking time to meet and relax with a certain pink skinned alien as well as gathering new allies, it had just been herself and the voices. That was..it. Nothing else to keep her mind occupied. It was almost as though she was back on Roon again, hunting trandoshans for their meat to stay alive. He had taken from that place, branded her, and given her a direction to push her power and control the voices.
But then he just left. And despite the companionships she had made, she was alone again. Even if she had a purpose in attempting to protect Illyria..there was no meaning behind it. There was nothing meaningful behind her work to her beyond giving herself an outlet to continue to use her power.
She had considered leaving the planet multiple times. Go to Naboo, work for Locke and Key with Cali or take mercenary work of some kind. It was better than freezing every single night again. But…she couldn’t push herself to do it. She couldn’t leave these people, or the planet her master brought her too. The place she had started to call home. To leave that would’ve..destroyed any last part of her psyche that held together her mind.
He didn’t come to her when he returned.
It was summoning, much like it had been for the time where they had toured the galaxy together. There no pomp, circumstance. She just felt his presence, knew it was calling to her. It didn’t startle her, the burning on her forearm just took her out of the moment as she had just sat down for breakfast. For a moment, Xobos didn’t move. Eyes cast downward to the bowl of gruel she stuffed down every morning. The voices knew what the call felt like too, and for a moment, they were all silent, the only sound echoing throughout the small hut being the crackling of the fire.
For a moment, she considered not answering. Staying here. Leaving that part of herself behind. But it wouldn’t be that easy. She’d be hunted again. And he had skills he could still teach her, and there were answers that were just out of her reach. “Best to grab the armor and make our way to the hanger, wouldn’t it?” It was lagos, for the one of the first time in months. The voices were working with each other, instead of tearing her apart, unlike their actions that had plagued her mind.
That was enough to go.
So now she sat on Ryloth, meditating just outside the estate the shuttle had brought her too. There had been no words to her beyond the summoning, not that there much expectation for more. She knew exactly how she was about to start being treated again. But..she was stronger now. The scares and chips off her armor showed that she hadn’t been idol in her time from him. By now, the word would’ve reached him about what she had been doing, the faceless mask wearing lightsaber wielder and the reign of terror that the slavers and smugglers now faced.
Her arm burned again, this time the summoning to meet with him. It was time. Time to face the one that had started her on this road.
She passed by a small squire on her way inside. A nice child, the only one to have greeted her when she first arrived. There was no greeting this time, as neither regarded the other. It was time for business, and in theirs, there were no pleasantries. Especially when they dealt so closely to the man of terror. They were signs of weakness, ones he could exploit.
Her boots clicked against the bunker’s floor as she entered into the room, regarding the man through her force sight. No words, however. He’d tell her when she was to speak. This was not that time.
The time, now, was to find out why she had been summoned. To this place.
Location:Capitol Building - Clansmoot Allies: CIS & Friends Equipment: Standard Armour | Standard Lightsaber Tags:Redd
| Gerwald Lechner
When Astrid had first been asked to attend the celebrations on Ryloth, she had been extremely surprised. Gerwald, and the other lupines she had stumbled across during her first mission, weren’t the type of lupines she was used to. There had been whispers of other clans of lupines on her home planet, back when one of the pack leader’s daughters had first explored the galaxy, but Astrid hadn’t believed it. That was of course, right up until she had caught their scent on the wind. The wolf hadn’t been surprised in the slightest, she had a feeling it always knew there were others, but Astrid was extremely so. There were vast differences between the people that shared the bodies with the wolves, but at their core where the beasts lived, they were all the same.
Astrid had been all too happy to assist them in this particular endeavour.
She stood silently next to Redd
drinking in the conversation that passed between the higher ups in the Confederacy. It was hard to keep up with the conversation. There was such a varied range of accents, and speeds of speech, that Astrid had all but given up. Instead she entertained herself by inspecting the stranger looking souls that had attended. The ones with weird looking appendages sprouting out of their heads. Astrid would have laughed at them, but the trio of lupines must have looked just as strange in their eyes. Just as she was musing over the reasons why they all had different, but vibrant, shades of skin tone a voice echoed throughout the entire room. One that didn’t belong to anyone already here.
Astrid glanced between her fellow lupines, trying to gauge their reaction to whatever it was that was being toted over the intercom. She couldn’t rightly pick the words out, but she could tell from the tension in Gerlward and Redd’s shoulders that it wasn’t good. The wolf shifted uneasily, scratching at her to allow it loose. It could feel the other wolves' uncertainty, smell it in their air like someone had been cooking over hot coals. Astrid pressed her lips together, shooting her bright pink eyes this way and that in order to try and grasp some knowledge over the situation. Who were these agents of chaos? Why did they attack a simple independence day celebration?
Before Astrid could mull over the reasons why a bright flashing screen caught her attention. The wolf growled intensely at the light that burned her rentinas, but Astrid forced herself to watch. It was… barbaric. And she was supposed to be the one from the barbarian planet? Her jaw fell open, and she could do nothing but stare at the screen as the blood of the innocent woman tainted it red. Something was very, very amiss here. Astrid turned to Redd to question her, but found her with her head on her forehead. The albino lupine reached out and placed a hand of concern on her shoulder, and did her best to put an expression of worry on her face. Her lips opened part way to begin asking her fellow lupine if she was alright, but Gerwald’s voice seemed to break the trance.
Their orders were given, and the two female lupines shared a quick grin. Redd offered out a balled up fist, which Astrid had come to know as a sign of excitement and respect. The two had a fair amount of fun and games teaching her how to do it, but she was used to it now. Astrid bumped her fist against Redds, and gave her a firm nodd. “We are ready.” She spoke aloud to the room, but her words were directed at her pack. They were her home now, they were family. They moved as one, slept as one, ate as one, fought as one, and today would be no different.
Astrid broke away to begin helping the elders to their feet. Some of them were so ancient she was afraid their bones would snap underneath them. As she offered a hand to a yellow tinted twi’lek female, Redd’s voice echoed through the chambers. More potential destruction, and it was headed right toward them. “What is orbital bombardment?” Astrid spoke to Redd directly as she continued helping the elders to rise. Theirs would be a slow and painful mission if they were forced to keep up the pace the elders kept, but it was a mission still. Gerwald had asked them to protect them with their lives, and Astrid would do exactly that. “I am hearing of a bunker directly below the building with green windows. We must head there.”
Astrid was, of course, talking about the building just across the street from the mansion. It had beautiful stained glass windows in all shades of green. Before the clansmoot had started, Astrid had found herself staring at the glass in amazement, wondering what masterful hands could have crafted such a beautiful thing. One of the witches of Ryloth had passed by and muttered something about a series of tunnels under it, where they kept an extra supply of their craft’s materials. Surely that would work?
Bathed in a golden light the warrior emerged from the oil, inhaling deeply as it seeped into his body. His skin glistened, and he stood still, but his heart and mind began to feel the effects of the Thyrsian Battle Oil after bathing in it. The pounding in his chest grew louder. His muscles tightened, then relaxed. His vision blurred for a moment, then refocused; his meager quarters coming into view. The Agents of Chaos with which he’d found employment had given him a small room in which to rest and perform his rituals. After this he hoped that he might receive the honor of a larger room; perhaps a great pool of oil rather than a small bath pod. The little he had could not sate his thirst for it.
While Theo bathed he often thought of the tales he’d heard of other warriors and their rituals before battle. The Supreme Sun Guardian had slaves of his conquered foes prepare his armor and bathe him in battle oil. After each battle against the Echani Compact he added another servant to his preparation room… or so he’d heard. It was probably more. After he bathed he would coat himself in the ashes of his enemies and don his armor. Theo could not wait -- soon he would acquire some ashes of his own vanquished foes.
In truth he saw Khonsu Amon as a kindred spirit. All Thyrsian Sun Guards as well. Theo was young, but he had great aspirations -- this would be the largest battle he’d ever taken part of, and he would not wait to make his mark on the battlefield. Still, today he was no commander, and there were no Sun Guard warriors fighting beside him. No, today he would focus on himself. The outcome of the battle mattered little, but the warriors who fought in it would be worth his time. He wanted to see the Sith Lord Darth Metus fight; Theo wanted to fight the man himself. He wanted to do battle with the many warriors of the Knights Obsidian and find the greatest combatants of the Dauntless. Win or lose, he was here to fight, and the very thought excited him.
The young Thyrsian began to don his armor, the narcotic effects of the oil causing it to pass in a blur. He clasped the shields to his forearms, sheathed his sword, gripped his pike and donned his helmet. A low growl escaped his lips; his patience grew thin with the pleasantries before the battle. If the Agents of Chaos were terrorists and insurgents, it was not their place to play nice or take the high ground. They needed to fight, brutally and bloodily, until the last man stood alone on the field of battle.
The eight minutes passed. The alarms blared. The ship rocked and began towards the arid surface of Ryloth below.
Outside the city of Nabat, the Confederacy was entrenched where the city met the forest. The local militia commander, Nawa Vao, was confident in the city’s safety. Until reinforcements arrived, it was the militia, a droid contingent, and a few platoons of Dauntless troopers -- more than enough to hold off the attackers. They were terrorists, and Vao would not allow them to harm his home.
In the distance the first of the Agents of Chaos’ attack craft hit the ground. At that distance, it’d be a few minutes before they came into view -- as soon as they did, the gun nests hidden in the trees would harass them from above while the heavy main guns in the trench would tear them to shreds. Direct violence was not the Twi’lek way, but they were no strangers to it. Vao was here to protect his homeland from this most vile of enemies and he would not falter in this task.
But then… blaster fire, from up ahead. Had they found the gun nests that quickly? Something was wrong. The blaster fire seemed to only be sounding from the trees, but it was cut off soon enough, followed by a soft thump of something heavy hitting the ground. The Twi’lek commander squinted into the shaded forest, catching a glimpse of something glittering far away… until the glitter got closer.
The gold-armored warrior paused in the view of the defenders, standing tall where the trees had begun to thin and the sunlight filtered through the canopy. “Twi’lek commander!” He called. “Tell your superiors that you are in need of reinforcements! Ask them to send their greatest warriors here. I have no quarrel with you or your people, nor with the soldiers of the Confederacy, but I seek a battle that will satisfy me.”
Even here the people recognized the golden regalia of a Sun Guard, and they knew to fear it. But fear led to irrational action. Vao shook in his boots. The Sun Guard were formidable, but they had trained for such a day. He thought himself courageous for his next order.
“Fire! Kill him!” The Twi’lek screamed. The turrets in the trenches sprung to life and fired on the Sun Guard. He dodged and wove, using the trees for cover and his energy shield to keep him going should a stray bolt find him. Soon enough the Agents of Chaos forces charged out of the trees and the defenders had a great many more targets to take on. Vao wiped sweat from his brow and began to push his way through towards the trench’s exit.
“Watch out!” One of his men called out a warning and Vao turned to see the gold-armored warrior above him, crashing into the trench and grabbing hold of the Twi’lek commander. Even through the helmet, Vao could feel the Sun Guard’s steely gaze pierce his own, and he struggled against the man’s grip.
The Sun Guard lifted him closer, speaking softly to the Twi’lek. ”My name is Théodoro Pirran, and you will deliver my message.”
As always, thanks to LT-137
for graphics and art help.
The droids made quick work of preparing a number of speeder bikes for the journey that was to come. It was not a long journey by any means, but at a time like this the speeder bikes would certainly help their travels. Darth Malphas watched with his hands crossed over his chest as he looked to the door that led outside of the bunker. It opened to present one of the man's most achieved apprentices, Xobos Yakieer. She was a young woman with an interesting impression in the Dark Side of the Force.
He did not turn to face the woman, instead he spoke as if she should be upraised on the situation concerning the planet. "These dissidents have decided to attack us in the very core of our Confederacy. This cannot be allowed to stand."
Finally he turned to the young woman with an expectant eye. "You've kept your blade sharp enough in your gallivanting around my planet, so now we'll see if you can take out the trash on Ryloth as well." He said pointedly.
At the end of the bunker a door began to slowly rise, allowing the fearsome light of the outside world spill into the hanger. Winds flew through the bunker, replacing the stale air with something more fresh, though it was filled with dust. One of the Commando Droids approached Malphas and spoke in the crisp, metallic tone that the man had come to hate.
"The main hangar is open and we're prepared to move out, Viceroy."
Malphas turned to Xobos before mounting the speeder bike he'd been sitting beside. "Let's go."
No sooner than he settled down on the speeder bike, Malphas shot forward, blasting out of the hangar and out to the rocky barrens of Ryloth. The escort of Commando droids bolted out with him, making a column surrounding him as they moved across the rocky plains. The terrain in this part of Ryloth was not difficult to traverse. Making the trip to where they were going a very brief one.
When they finally got to their destination, they found themselves staring at a massive rock mountain, filled with giant holes of rock and sand. Malphas gazed up at it with a small smirk before looking to Xobos. "Your sister should be arriving soon." He told the woman.
Annasari's eyes flickered to the woman next to her as she spoke, and her words almost brought out a chuckle. The optimism she spoke of was just bravado, the way she wanted the world to perceive her. Deep beneath it rang out a rather gloomy outlook on life, always expecting the worst and fearing what atrocity would come next. Her right hand moved to her left wrist as the thoughts swam about in her head, fingers trailing over the brand that marked her for life. The memory swelled to life, almost real. Her lover, hot poker in hand, nearing towards her, as she begged him not to do it. It will make you one of us, forever, he had said. She almost felt the burning sensation again and remembered exactly how her screams had echoed off the walls.
The memory faded as quickly as it had come on, and she let her hand drop into her lap. This is why she was here today. This is why she had come to see through the freedom of the people of Siskeen. Though she wouldn't write the CIS off as being nearly as evil as those she had previous ties with, she would not stand to see those who wanted out without a way to get there.
Her gaze followed each person who subsequently entered the room, assessing each one. She had stayed far away from Confederacy space, so she didn't recognize any of the faces. Her eyebrows raised in way of greeting, whilst nodding to each.
As the young ruler (Enlil
) peered in and asked for their weapons, Annasari shifted uncomfortably. She was not a force user as others in the room may very well be, and she would feel naked without her pistols should the confederacy choose not to accept their terms. Nevertheless, she pulled out her knife first, and then her guns, and handed them off to the nearest member of the security team.
When Derek activated the holoprojector, she watched the events play out on the screen, her shoulder tightly tensing up. It wasn't the violence that bothered her; after all- the twi'lek people should be able to govern their own as they saw fit. No, it wasn't the violence, but what would be implied by it. She knew the Agents of Chaos would likely shoulder responsibility for this, simply due to timing, and would be painted as the terrorist who had struck the first blow.
Her eyes were ripped away when Gabriel stood and decided to speak. She nodded in agreeance, grateful for his words. Though her own would have meant nothing, perhaps an outsider speaking on their behalf would stifle the idea that this was their doing.
She simply sat, listening, waiting. She was here to observe and learn. She would let the Viceroy and the Confederacy have it out first to see where their heads were at, then only speak after she was able to gauge the situation. After all, talk was cheap, but silence was golden.
Location: Color Burst Shooting Game [Festival] - Ryloth Standing Near To:Eira Talon | Darth Empyrean
| Asaraa Vaashe Ally: CIS Enemy: AoC + Insane Extremists Quote:"Needless, senseless death, and extremism have no place here."
Her stomach felt tight. Deeply knotted in such a way that she almost thought she’d eaten something off. The ivory-haired woman had returned home weeks prior to the tip that had been passed to the Vicelord from Derek Dib
. She knew the man, well enough, that his words were less of a warning and more of a damning promise. If he claimed war was coming? Something violent and vile?
It was not simply empty words. It was only a matter of time.
Despite the unknown threat looming over Ryloth the people that had dwelled in the habitable zone of the tidally locked world for centuries were not partial to being run off. The suggestion had almost been met with offense. Srina felt doubly concerned due to the negotiations that were taking place with the Siskeen. The secondary memo that had prompted a response from Viceroy Dib almost more problematic than the first. It left her chewing on the inside of her lip. Normally—That was her duty. She handled negotiations. She knew what was going on.
Srina was in the dark. She hated it.
But—She couldn’t leave Ryloth. Not now. Not when Founders Day, a pivotal, important moment was right around the corner. Srina had been to several of these festivals before and it always served to lift spirits and morale. It gave everyone a sense of community and purpose. Pride. A way to look back on what had been accomplished without languishing in the pieces of history that caused the most agony. It was remembered, kept sacred, but eyes looked toward a prosperous future.
This was the Ryloth she knew. Not a military base. Not an oppressed people. Free, people. With options. Choices. A way to survive that didn’t involve dwelling in cave systems that had long ago been dug too deep. Twi’lek had never been forced from their ancestral homes. They’d been provided with a choice. Just as many other worlds were offered. A chance. A way to develop in their own time without fear from those that would enslave and abuse them. They elected their own Viceroy.
Ryloth was peace. Aside from Eshan—It was home.
The snap of a rubber band going off stilled her from her concerned reverie. A stone flew through the air and popped one of the hundreds of low hanging balloons that were filled with sweet-smelling colored powder. It exploded and the patrons cheered while the dust fell and coated the area in bright, beautiful, fluorescent shades. <<Good shot Eira. Take focus, aim, and fire again...>>, Srina mentally called to her sibling through the Force, expressionless, while her mind wrapped gently around her target. Sister. Not target. This was her favorite event. Shooting swaying objects with a mundane slingshot. Not only was it harder than it looked, but, it combined training and entertainment.
Both things—Eira required. One more than the other, depending, on the day.
A slight tingle at the back of her neck told her that someone familiar was present. Rather, had returned. She leaned back without thinking and felt a familiar form at her back. He was warm, steady, and she couldn’t help but shift her shoulders a little to get comfortable while her hands found his. “You were gone a long time. Did you get lost?”, Srina questioned, her tones rather chilled for someone that had no problem getting close in public. The Sith woman reached back and found one his hands to hold before she pulled it around her waist. “Did you find the chocolate vendor?”
Darth Empyrean
had been kind enough to join her on this impromptu outing. It was not her usual speed, but, she made every effort to reach the appropriate relationship status that he would expect. In this instance she had done the impossible and made Founder’s Day a double date. There was Eira Talon and also Asaraa Vaashe
. ‘Two of us—’, she thought, completely ignoring the fact that her sister had never exhibited an inclination toward one sex or the other, ‘Two of them.’
Also, Asaraa was apparently taken. It really just made Srina shrug. The more the merrier.
This game of shooting colored balloons also had prizes. The Exarch was less concerned with that and more focused on her sibling coming out the victor. Of course—Srina had bet on the nigh identical Eira. Her lips pursed a little bit while she watched on, briefly, glancing down at her Holo-Comm. No new alerts. Everything was still going smoothly. When she looked up, she saw Asaraa nail another shot.
Grudgingly, she had to admit that the Lotus member with the brightly colored hair was also very good.
Just when her lips parted to offer counsel to her sister the local frequencies lit up with chatter. An all too familiar voice rang through each and every one available. The message was troubling. Confusing. More than that, more than anything, it scarcely sounded real. A party ship? Booze? From…Who? The voice of one former Knight Commander Madalena Antares
never said. An ultimatum followed that spoke volumes. Srina could see the effect in the crowd like a wave. A ripple of uncertainty and anxiety.
Her hand tightened around Maliphant’s while her brain began to fill in the all too obvious blanks.
Agents of Chaos.
Deserters, anarchists, terrorists. The place those who desired little more than to see the galaxy burn turned to. Burdened with a beautiful lie that covered horror and a penchant for violence. Indentured servitude among them. “Not today…”, she breathed, but, as her Holo-Comm activated again her retina were subjected to confirmation of her suspicions. A famed author of far more than simple Historical Holo-Docs, Elav Doneeta, was slain. Brutally. Without warning.
Cold eyes stared at her through the flickering Holo-Comm. Cold, dead eyes. The Twi’lek had given more of herself than any one individual should ever need to. For a scant thirty-seconds she froze. This was what Derek Dib
had warned them about. THIS was the war he predicted.
They had come with an opportunity for a peaceful resolution?
No. The only thing the Agents of Chaos offered was mayhem and death. This was their way.
Srina snapped back to life in an instant and the lightness of the day faded from her eyes. Silver stars became mercurial pools, made for drowning, distant, and glacier. She used her Holo-Comm to take control of the frequencies while the feed from the unknown Twi’lek (Oceiros Sunstrider
) fizzled out into nothing.
“People of Ryloth—Your world is under attack. Soldiers under the banner of the Agents of Chaos have taken first blood. Civilians, please, retreat to your homes immediately. Utilize the emergency bunkers beneath them until you’ve been given the signal that it is safe. Soldiers. Contact the CDF (Luna Terrik
) for more information.“
Another world, another day, a different space and faction but…but the feeling stayed the same. That feeling of panic, of terror that she’d felt that day. The Jedi only had to close her eyes and it felt the same.
Azure.
It had been a planet in the middle of no-where, hardly a blip on anyone’s map, hardy the place that anyone would ever spare a second thought. It was the planet she’d failed on. It was the planet she’d almost died on.
Every time she closed her eyes, when the world around her fell silent and her mind started to drift away. She could still see it, a river of souls, all the innocents consumed in the conflict flowing past her. All those souls lost to the force, all that suffering. She hadn’t been able to save them, had been able to do nothing but watch them flow by, o nothing but offer her apologies to them. She’d tried to save them, that sea of innocents, she’d pulled more of he force into herself that day than she ever had before but it hadn’t been enough to stand against the Dark Sun.
He wasn’t here today.
Today there was just Chaos, just a horror perpetrated by the terrorists and their friends up in the ships that had appeared around the planet. They claimed to offer freedom, yet the choice they offered wasn’t the freedom to choose their destiny, it was the freedom offered at the point of a blaster, at the tip of the sword. It was the freedom offered by the terror struck into the hearts of the citizens by the brutal murder of one of their own. It was the same freedom offered by conquerors and dictators the galaxy across.
It was false.
There was no truth to their claims of freedom, of choice. How could there be? They had offered the Confederacy time, scant time but still time to choose. Yet barely had that announcement been made than their ‘allies’ on the planet had decided to kill. No, it wasn’t a kill, it was a brutal execution. It was one more soul she’d been unable to save. If this was the choice given to the confederacy, well then it wasn’t a choice at all. How could they abandon the inhabitants of Ryloth who looked to them for protection?
“No.”
The word was barely more than a whisper, a declaration. They couldn’t do it. She couldn’t do it. Asaraa wasn’t the same girl she had been back on Azure. She was a Jedi Master now, she was the Lord Vigilant of the CIS. No-one else would die on her watch.
She wouldn’t allow it.
The Jedi glanced down at the slingshot in her hand, placing it on the counter sadly as she looked up at the stallholder who’d provided them in the first place. It had been fun, she’d been happy. For a moment the pink-haired one had been able to lose herself in the sheer joy of the moment with her three companions, had been able to raise a hand to greet a face from the past. Yet, like all such moments, it had proven fleeting.
She could already feel a sombre sense settling over the party as Darth Maliphant moved up next to the Exarch, his soft words clearly audible. He spoke of wanting a target, of someone to kill…an the Jedi couldn’t disagree with the sentiment. Her hand went up to touch the hilt of the sword protruding over her shoulder
Even in the midst of the festivities, she’d come festooned for war, prepared for the conflict that seemed all too eager to seep into the happy moments in the galaxy. And there were far too few of those, to begin with.
The Jedi stepped up to take a place on the other side of the white-haired Exarch, closing her eyes as she reached out to the sea of energy that surrounded her. She could taste the panic, the fear that suffused the force, tempting her to draw on it, to use it to impose her will on the Twi’leks surrounding her. For a moment she considered for a heartbeat before letting the emotions fall away, spreading her senses further, drawing on the lightside of the force. She could feel it suffusing her body, like the gentle caress of warm water, the smile of a friend's face held in her core for a moment. Then in a breath, she let that feeling drift out, spreading through the air surrounding them, tendrils of he force weaving together around her, an aura of calm and warmth.
She could hear the screams and cries abating, could feel the panic lessening in the force as the Twi’leks around them seemed to breathe again. She could feel through the force their panic, recede, not forgotten but pushed far enough back to allow them to think, to react to this new threat. Far enough for them to heed the words of the Exarch and find shelter.
Crystal blue eyes snapped open, a gaze as cold as ice glancing up at the ship in orbit. She knew the voice behind the threat, she’d once thought of her as a friend.
No more, no friend of hers could ever do something like this, be associated with people like this.
If Asaraa could reach out through the force, to pull the ship down to where she could face her she would, instead she’d have to settle for thwarting the terror she hoped to seed on the ground.
The Agents of Chaos sought to bring darkness to the planet, to wrap it in a cloak of terror, but the answer to that darkness was always the light.
The concept of life reaching a new normal was foreign to Eira, but as she stood pin straight behind the booth, one eye closed as she tracked the blue balloon's movement, she felt an undeniable sense of peace.
She let the air slip from her lungs in one, slow, intentional exhale.... then released the stretched sling shot in her hand. The rock went hurling through the air, then tore through her target above with a loud 'pop'. Colored power rained down from above, the wind catching it and dashing a smear of blue across her nose.
<<Good shot Eira. Take focus, aim, and fire again...>>, Srina mentally called to her sibling through the Force, expressionless, while her mind wrapped gently around her sister.
Eira turned and beamed, a rare smile pulling at her lips. The holonet flickered on, drawing her attention upwards.
People moved around her, rushing to her sister's side. In the back of her head, she knew she should do the same. Instead she gaped upwards at the screen, her mind unwilling to accept what it had seen.
She was weaponless. Again.
These were the first thoughts to finally hit her, slow and trickling-- silly, even. Her whole life had been a lesson on how to be a weapon in her own right. Even still, she gripped the sling shot tighter. Her free hand scooped up a pile of pebbles and shoved them in her pocket, the girl turning to face the group in full. They all emoted calm, their faces smooth of lines.
She bristled in place, emotions overcoming her. Fear. Determination. She tried to shove them behind a mask, but that was one resemblance that failed to copy from one sister to the next. Who would do this, she wanted to ask. Why? Instead she shook her head sharply, lines appearing between her brows. "I'm not leaving you," she told her before it could even be said. Steel drove through Eira's body, a sign of stubbornness digging in. She stepped in towards them all, injecting herself into the group of three.
Years-old terror on Commenor stuck to the forefront of her memory. It constricted her throat and pulled at her heartstrings, quickened her pulse and boiled her blood. Fear, anger - respectively.
By the time Prennis looked up from stashing her commlink again, the crowd had stilled. A blanket of apprehension had settled over the throngs of onlookers, not unlike the stillness that had captivated the paraders. This wasn't the calm before the storm; the Agents of Chaos and descended a tornado on top of them, and though they were situated in the eye, the span of eight minutes would decide their fate. So many souls'.
What a way to play a god.
A warbling scream, chorus becoming as one, ripped down the thoroughfare's sidelines. Something had happened, something she couldn't see. A man's (Oceiros Sunstrider
) voice lace through the newfound panic, but nor could she quite make out his words. Prenn shot to her feet, immediately seeking passage through the awaiting twi'leks. She waded a dozen yards, nearly tripping more than once as the sea of skin breathed, shifted, shuddered. She just managed to glimpse of the man's abhorrent act before the day's second intrusion came to a close. A public beheading, when Madalena Antares
had just given the Confederacy the opportunity to leave peacefully?
The Agents of Chaos must have been writing their own national dictionary.
But then, a third speech flowed from the unseen - this time, the relatively calming voice of Srina Talon
. It seemed like forever, the moments she commanded silence both military and civilian. Prennis used the opportunity to move again, soon peeking at the boots of a solider from between too bodied yet before her. "People of Ryloth—Your world is under attack. Soldiers under the banner of the Agents of Chaos have taken first blood. Civilians, please, retreat--"
The scream came hurdling back, sparking one collective turn from the civilian masses. Chests, backs, flanks, pressed into her at once, and pulled her along with the stampede. She had been doing well enough backpedaling and relying on the support of those around her, but she needed to turn around. More so by the second. The tide kept magnifying. Somehow, she managed with arms tucked into her own chest. Soon, she was floating in a box, helplessly, over river rapids.
In the not-too-distance, an explosion. The crowd rocked as some members took cover where they were. So did her hearing, but she managed to make out nearby radio talk: "--en-route to your location, one minute out. Stand--" On the other side of the foot traffic street was a storefront. Inside stood two, assumedly, humans. Standing. Safety. Gathering all of her adrenaline and willing lactic acid to gather in her muscles, she crouched. Up and down, forward and back, something celestial watched her weave through the crowd's pores until it spit her out, only superficially harmed, on the curb. There, she tumbled, but quickly scrambled back to her feet.
"Milord?" She addressed Rayne first, shoving her loose hair out of her face as the descending gunship sent it streaming. She gave it a quick glance. She realized she had no idea where the bird was bound, but she knew two things. Neither Rayne Centaris nor Lunara Azure
looked the types to evacuate, and wherever they went, Prennis could be more help than here, at least until the riptide died down. "You don't know me, but I'm interested in being a good Samaritan, should you need one.May I board?" The moment he said yes, she did. Inside, she took a seat, where she began triaging her own injuries after hiking her dress. A few bruises and a scraped knee. Nothing to write home about.
She stopped tending to herself when her comm rang out. Straightening, she brought it to her ear and heard a much more welcome voice over the roar of flight than she had the first time she had answered today: Kyyrk
. "Prennis. I never had the chance to thank you for rescuing me. In more ways than one. Darcy tells me you're on Ryloth. If you are...Stay alive. Just stay alive." With one near death experience already today and considering she was probably running into the possibility of more, she silently doubted she could.
A long pause stretched over the line, almost convincing her to end the call. An awkward, even cold, response, she knew, but she couldn't reply, refusing to promise through clenched teeth and with crossed fingers. Just as her finger toyed with deactivation, life breathed back into the frequency. "I love you, Aes'ona. Come back to me."
Neither of them were ones to take spoonfuls of romanticism in their tea, or caf, as were their preferences. The sudden sweetness was a shock to Prennis' palate. For a paradisaical moment, short and singular but sweet, her pulse was not racing for rage or fear. A knot of positive emotions, reciprocated love among them, fogged over her thoughts of next steps. And it presented a chance. The one she didn't know she had needed.
Remember who you are.
When he was gone, he patched to her ship. "Mountbatten, I need you to ready the Resplendent for takeoff." She doubled over again, clenching the commlink between shoulder and cheek. She gathered up the lower half of the skirt of her dress and worked to tie it in a knot barely above her knee. The yellow-striped fabric was not one to restrict her movements, but that very flowing quality might well get in her way as well. As she knelt, lead on the injured, hurried about her self-ordained hospital; whatever it took she need to be unhindered, as if she wore form fitting scrubs.
The AI replied in a moment, surely taking time to calculate. :: How foolhardy is it for me to hope--? ::
--that she wanted to take shelter in the hospital frigate? The answer was very. So much so that she cut him off, "If they're not safe, I'm not hiding out in a bunker withholding aid and waiting for them to die."
If a systems computer could sigh, he certainly would have. :: Miss, I really must suggest taking cover. ::
"Just standby for coordinates and meet me there as soon as possible."
:: I have attempted to dissuade her, Master Voph. Please do not deactivate me. ::
Voph's voice cracked over the comm again. Oh, great. Now imminent orbital bombardment? The AoS was really rewriting the definition of peace now. "Watch the skies!" she warned, echoing his to her, as she pulled herself up on a grab handle. She shakily made her way to the edge of the cabin. First, she watched the cityscape whir by below, then the ominous silhouettes beyond the biodome.
"End of the line!" one of the CDF pilots called back into the cabin as their horizontal inertia slowed and they began another decent near a mansion-like structure. Prenn glanced from Sith Lord to the Master, panicked determination and smoke equally guilty of the arson raging in her eyes. What now was the phrase she couldn't seem to form, as if she had forgotten how to speak Basic and had instead picked up Ryl in sudden solidarity.
Panic could do things to people that would be worse than anything an enemy force could. Panic lead to mistakes. Mistakes lead to stumbles. And stumbles start a chain reaction that lead to deaths. And more death. And more deaths. All preventable. All started by the panic and the fear that was brought with it.
It certainly seemed as though this enemy understood this. Big, scary speeches, beheadings, everything possible to keep the people in a constant state of flux that was hard to control, and even harder to settle down. It was a very viable tactic, one that Luna despised having used against her. Even as the speeder speed back down the street as quickly as it could, swerving in and out to avoid the troops heading back to base camp at the edge of the biodome, all the factors that made this situation so hard to control raced through her mind.
It was as they were arriving at the base camp that the first, of many, comms began to ping her. The comm was retrieved from it’s position on her belt as she hopped out of the speeder, ground crunching underneath her feet as she walked to where the tent entrance flopped lightly in the indoor wind. Behind her, the orange skinned alien followed close, knowing that the Grand Marshal would have her orders for the twilek militia.
With her comm plugged into the holotable, already projecting a holographic picture of the dome, the small holo figure of the Chiss Fleet Marshal popped up alongside it. “I’m hearing you, Tyrias Aran
.” She listened as the briefing was given from what the faced in the upper atmosphere. Luna knew the Dauntless fleet didn’t have enough in system to match what this enemy fleet had brought. But with luck, there was already a response fleet coming from Geonosis soon. Hopefully it could match what the enemy had, and was bringing.
Just as the Chiss began to speak again, a booming voice, one she absolutely did not recognize, cut through her comms to cut off Tyrias for the moment. Her eyes snapped up, listening to the designation of this man with a furrowed brow. She had known that this group had joined their training exercises, but had never met this viceroy. Despite the situation, his voice sounded extremely…boisterous. Fascinating. “Viceroy..pleasure to meet you. I need you to work crowd control for me. Get the people to the exits and get this situation under control. Relay back to me when you’ve started. Terrik out.”
With that, the comm was closed, but just as she was about to start responding back to the fleet Marshall, another voice cut through. Another of who she had no idea who was. It seemed to be a day meeting all sorts of new people. Though getting a knight master wasn’t exactly high on her list of priorities on the moment, a pair of them wouldn’t take much room on a shuttle. Turning back to Tyrias, right before she started speaking again, Luna cut in with an order. “Fleet Marshal, go ahead and release all of your shuttles down to the surface to get the people out of this dome. I need one specifically to get to the nearest entrance to the grand square. We have of pair of knights that need an exfil.” In that moment, she turned back to open up a comm with Rayne Centaris, taking a breath before speaking to him. “Master Centaris, this is Grand Marshal Terrik. I can have a shuttle to your position in t minus 10 minutes. Please advice.”
It was then that the voice of her fleet marshal finally cut through, informing her of the impending doom that the dome faced. There was no telling how much of a beating it could take. “Acknowledged on the bombardment, Fleet Marshal. Keep me updated on the situation upstairs.” With that, the Chiss’s hologram disappeared, and Luna’s head ducked down, the wave of fear trying to push into her own mind. Her fist, powered by the emotions flowing through her blood, slammed to table. “Kark it all..” The words were barely above a whispered, breathed out as the redhead attempted to get her mind back about her.
Vet’jula, sensing the woman’s predicament, laid a hand onto her shoulder, gripping it tightly. He leaned forward, words flowing from his mouth as a deterrent to the emotions that rushed through Luna’s mind. “We are still here, yes? Until we are not, it is our duty to defend this place. Let us do our job.” Those words seemingly broke through for just a moment, allowing luna to become aware of another pair of comms coming in. Emerald eyes met tan ones for just a moment, giving him a nod before getting right back to work.
The pair of comms, from the 701st ’s Ryk Gaelir and OOM-001-JELLYBEAN
, certainly not two people..er, person and droid, that she expected to be pinging her in this situation. The situation that just seemed to be getting worse and worse. Now there was a breach in the dome, one she needed to control for as..as long as this dome existed. “Understood and heard you two. Jelly..” She paused at that name, shaking her head at the ridiculous names people came with for B-1s sometimes. “Proceed into the tunnel and eliminate any enemies you might find. Lieutenant, gather your squad and any of the 701st around and secure that area. Do not proceed into the tunnel.” Another pause, this time adding a line to communication, with this one connecting to Anakwor Farlorn
. “Farlorn, I need you to split up your rangers if possible. Get some men to the location now marked on your map and reinforce the forces we already have there. We cannot let them get men into this dome.”
With the tunnel situation hopefully getting under control, it was time that she opened up a comm to all the rest of CDF and military forces on the ground. “Men, if you have not received direct orders from me to another objective, we have a change of plans. Get the civilians to the exits of the biodome to evacuate. Avoid this location,” a pause, as the location of the tunnel was sent to the forces on the ground. “And keep the civilians away from it. Update me if there are any difficulties.” Hopefully now the civilians would be at least starting to move toward the exists. But, in the back of her mind, she kenw that there wouldn’t be much time. She needed more options.
Supernatual..options.
“Night..mother, this is Grand Marshal Terrik.” She started, knowing that Vytal Noctura
was somewhere in the dome. “I'm sure you understand the situation we face here in the dome. what options do you have for me to get the people here to safety? I have shuttles on the way to the exits but I do not know if I will have enough nor if they will get here in time.” Asking for help from a knight wasn’t exactly her favorite option, but it was necessary at this point. Though she was sure the feelings weren’t one sided..since she knew the hard feelings still existed for Shadow Point on both sides.
However, they would need to work together now, or there would be hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths that might’ve been able to be prevented. And an internal feud was not something Luna was willing to have prevent that.
She was just about to ask the nightmother again, when one of the comm officers tapped her shoulder and spoke, changing the holotable as he did so. Little rude, if you were to ask Luna, but this wasn’t the time for that. “Ma’am, our scanners have picked up a massive amount of new beings on the planet, somewhere in the twilight lands. We can’t pick up exactly where they are, just a general area. The enemy is launching some sort of material into the area to cover them and scramble our sensors.” The holotable produced a new picture, one of the Twilight lands, and a large red circle over the area of possible new beings. “seems like we need a visual of that area, captain..” The comms were opened right back up, this time recomming Tyrias Aran
and Draconis Sederius Wolf
, while also adding in The Monster
. “If any of you can spare some fighters, there is an area I need a visual of for a large number of enemy. Some material they’re using is scrambling our sensors and we can’t get a direct location on whatever was just dropped.”
In the back of her mind, she knew all of this might be for naught. If the shuttles didn’t get here in time or the Nightmother didn’t have a plan, KKaine Australis
very much might end them all with this bombardment. It didn’t matter. Like Vet’jula said, as long as they were here, there was a job to do.
And luna was going to do a damn good job at hers.
ACTIONS
Tyrias Aran
ordered to get as many shuttles to the surface as possible.
Ordered the rest of the CDF to control the crowds and get them to the dome’s exits.
Commed Vytal Noctura
for any sort of plan from her end.
Tyrias AranDraconis Sederius Wolf
and The Monster
asked to get some sort of visual on the massive number of biosignatures that have appeared in the twilight lands, having no idea exactly where they are.
The angelic Seraphina floated to him. Rising he met her personal hug with a warm embrace. The facade of Derek Dib, cold hearted contrarian, cracked open just enough as he greeted his friend, sparring a nod of acknowledgement to her husband. It always shocked him at how frail she could seem, but within was a steel spine. Daegon was a perfect match for her. They complimented one another greatly.
“Nothing is as it should be. It just … is. But fear not, the Siskeen System will not become another Ryloth. Or Eshan. There are … contingencies. Go to Daegon and know that your presence has strengthened my resolve to find a noble path, one which does not engulf this system into turmoil.”
He offered her a small, genuine smile before turning back to Voph he began to speak. Once finished, Derek nodded slightly as he retook his seat and leaned back into its enveloping cushion. His eyes flickered to the Exarch present, yet the man seemed content to allow the situation unfold without his words to weigh on the subject.
“You have made several points. Obviously I am aware of the current situation occurring on Ryloth. I knew even before it began. I was privy to certain details most did not possess, which the Confederacy did not possess. You fear for the well being of your people, especially in light of the battle being waged oh so near. I understand this. But know this, I am only an enemy if others choose to make me their enemy.”
His crimson tinted eyes moved from person to person, noticing without responding the plethora of holo cams rolling live on channels across the galaxy.
“Yes, I knew what would come to Ryloth. That is why I sent word, by a trusted associate, to get the details that I knew of into Confederate hands.”
His eyes flickered ever so quickly to the Agents of Chaos present before continuing.
“As to the matter of potential targets of opportunity, this building is a no-fire zone. My guards and military protect all, even from ourselves should the need arise. So it should be agreeable for us all to follow the gentle guidance of Enlil and disarm. That should sooth worry somewhat, would you not agree? As for recalling half the droids and keeping eight active while sharing data with my people … Compromise is the art of making no one happy yet agreeable to the very same. I accept in the spirit it is offered. As far as potential aggression between the Confederacy and the Agents …”
His features hardened as he looked between the two groups for a moment.
“You are all guests in my house. Those who seek to disrespect or harm others welcomed into my home also disrespect and harm me. And I will not allow such a breach of etiquette to exist. Not in my house.”
Derek relaxed the rigid posture and eased his features.
“And as one of my guests pointed out, we must not condemn a whole body for the actions of a single being. I would hope we would have learned this lesson in the errors of the past, the misinformation on the republic for instance. And for the record I do not condone the acts being performed on Ryloth. Those found guilty of heinous crimes shall receive a punishment that fits the crime. Balance must be maintained.”
“You speak of the end as though a great loss has occurred. You say words like fail and invoke emotions of sadness. Cannot this be a momentous occasion? Can we not be like the lowly caterpillar, weak and ugly until entombed within a cocoon only to arise reborn into the galaxy? Just because some things end doesn’t mean there can be no friendship or alliance. This is not a meeting of sorrowful mourning, but rejoicing as we move forward.”
He sighed quietly.
“I understand and applaud the stance of Confederacy First. But for this system, we seek to stretch our proverbial wings. We wish to continue our humanitarian services. We seek to offer new settlements to those displaced by war, some of which have not always been friendly to the Confederacy. And above all we seek to help where we see fit. These are just a few of our goals in reaching for complete autonomy.”
Objective: Protect Nerium
Location: Aboard the Ricardo
Equipment: in bio but wearing the Light weave mark 1 armor
AoC: KyrinovThe BridesmaidNerium
Enemies: CIS
Her smile returned as she heard the response the CIS has given them, a no to their ultimatum only meant that they didn't come all this way for nothing but part of her did wish for a moment that they did take their ultimatum and was glad that they warned them to keep civilians out of the mix she only wanted to smash droids and those who fight then not just any random person she runs into. She turned to her team and looked them all over they all had a purpose and a set of skills and Nerium needed to be protect as she had a role to play in this battle and it was time for Herah to play her part as well. She headed into the Drop pod and prepared herself for immediate combat as she listened to Kyrinov give them directions as too were to land and why and hoped they would land near the mountains it'll make defense easier for their work she never has been to Ryloth but heard how strong the natives can be in gurrelia warfare and the like as well as the possibility of dealing with spiritual interference.
But she was a nightsister she was taught how to handle against spirits and posessions and the like since she was able to comprehend basic speech so she hoped she could handle what was thrown at them if anything but for now she waited for their landing.
Captain Clark had something bugging him as they closed the distance between the Aegis and the Golden Lance. Not a single shot had been fired by the opposing ship. While The Hades Mass Drivers were exceptional weapons of war, Clark wasn't foolish enough to think that his opponents would have any lesser or even just equal weapons on board their vessel. Even at 14.5 Gs of overload on the inertial compensators, he knew he had to be prepared for every situation, and so thought back to his time in the CDF. And any competent Captain, or even admiral would always play to their ship's strengths while trying to negate their enemies. None more so than now. This meant that the enemy course of action was two fold, and Clark wanted to see what the enemy captain would do. A call would resound through the bridge.
"Getting readings of a full spectrum jamming! Enemy ship is trying to shut down everything, can't get anymore readings from the vessels' shields or weapon statuses! Using past data to continue directing fire! Fire controls still online and we are still targeting!"
So the enemy was trying to jam them. Shut down his eyes and ears. Clark figured the comms were gone as well, knowing full well that he'd disabled them after his transmission. His renouncement of his and this ship's contract with the CDF. And while some would probably say that his and the ship they were moving to intercept were the same, Clark knew differently. They all did. The Dire Wolves since its inception was a force to protect the people. The common citizen. The average person who didn't know the first thing about picking up a rifle and defending themselves. Clark himself had once been a Commander in the CDF Navy. He was no stranger to service before self. Even when they disgraced him and forced him into retirement because he spoke out against his leadership, he had kept his pride. They all had. Every single member of TDW knew what they were signing up for the moment they stepped aboard. They weren't pirates. They weren't terrorists. They certainly weren't warlords. They were soldiers and sailors. Their duty above all else, was to protect all who were innocent. Each and every one of them swore that with their dying breath, duty before all else. And now, they knew that this duty went against their orders. Their contracts. The very reason for their existence was being challenged by a lone, mad terrorist and warmonger. A man who put his own pride before all else and considered the safety of others not even an afterthought. The Aegis was the very symbol of "Hope". Hope that despite all that would happen and had come to pass, that there could still be good in the galaxy. The even in the darkest of nights, there could and would be light. That no matter how desperate the hour, a few good men stood between the innocent, and an all encompassing darkness that threatened to swallow the galaxy whole. This hope was what gave each man courage. This duty is what drove The Aegis forward to face such a one sided battle. To literally forsake all common sense and attempt the impossible. They had no choice. They had no more options. Each of them knew that to back down would mean a fate worse than death.
And since the vessel was currently perpendicular to the Golden Lance to take advantage of The Hades firing arcs, Clark ordered his gunners on the far side of the vessel to do something, peculiar. All turrets on the port (left) side but the 3 turret's right barrel were loaded with HE rounds, and the missile tubes were loaded with their various ordinances.
All awaiting his command.
"Port guns I want you to lock your turrets to 50 degrees off bow, set warheads to detonate at point one. Set all missiles to detonate point five,"
There was no words, no replies, just action as the entire crew fought to do their job at 14.5 G overload. The engines on the vessel were screaming, the hull itself shaking and rattling as the massive amount of forces it was enduring threatened to tear the very hull itself apart. But it would hold. By the Force she would hold. The Aegis had to. It was their only shot. Their only chance to buy them time, to get them the chance to give the people of Ryloth the time they needed to get clear.
And if it failed, the chance to avenge them on behalf of all the innocent lives lost.
The Aegis at this point was moving faster than any of its rounds ever could due to having maintained this acceleration for a solid time, and then it finally happened. The vessel shook as the Tractor beams of the Golden Lance fought with the engines and power plant for control of the vessel. The Aegis shook and groaned as she was violently decelerated, and for a moment, Clark saw the acceleration values get to just below ten Gs of overload.
A smile would creep across his face.
"HELM 180 DEGREES ROLL TO PORT! GUNNERS FIRE EVERYTHING!"
All at once the Port side guns of the Aegis, numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 all fired their payloads simultaneously. Nine 800mm wide, by 2.5 meter long high explosive rounds hurled out the cannons at their predetermined vectors, flying to just barely outside of the safe minimum range for the Aegis.
And then they all detonated.
The massive blast, followed by the haze of chemical explosive particulate, would obscure the view of the vessel for a scant second. And in that scant second, the ship lurched back forward as the Aegis began to break free. And now it was on like Donkey Kong now. Cluster Missiles, Cruise Missiles, Proton Torpedoes, and more HE shells poured out of the vessel as The Aegis made the necessary course correction to not only continue their burn, but escape the range of the tractor beams. Massive explosions, black clouds of residue and fragmentation as all would literally fly to just outside of the minimum safe distance of the ship, detonating and making a makeshift smoke screen that would give the Aegis what it needed. A chance. A fighting chance. The ability to let the enemy know they would not go down easy. They wouldn't die like dogs.
And they would make these terrorists rue the day they came here.
Shock after shock, blast after blast, the ship edged forward fighting the tractor beams the whole way. Each person aboard sweating bullets as they frantically did their duties as fast as humanly possible. Gunners mashing their triggers, electronics warfare personnel doing everything they could to try and shunt power into their own counter-measures against the ship. Each shot, each missile could be felt aboard the ship as the cannons blasted one after the other, a staccato of fire as they edged closer and closer. This had to work. They had to make it. Failure meant the death of millions. And since no one else in the system was moving to assist them, or able to make it in time, it was resting all on their shoulders. And shot after shot, they could feel the Aegis begin to move faster, the acceleration getting greater and painfully greater as they approached the edge. Just a little further. Just a little further. Clark begged in his mind that The Aegis held together, praying to whatever gods, whatever force, that might be listening. Please just a little more, just a little longer. And then with a final lurch a call came from the man at his Conn Station.
"WE'RE FREE!"
A loud huzzah resounded across the bridge as crew cheer, and in the intercomm more cries of joy. They're still alive, and still in this fight. But Captain Clark wasn't celebrating just yet, his voice full of steel and determination as he regained order with his commands.
"Helm establish 35 degrees port turn, 180 degrees rotation back to starboard, maintain speed, come up on their six! Echo Teams, continue to providing fire control data, give me shooting solutions on their engines! Conn!"
"AYE SIR?!"
"Ammo Count?"
"80 rounds of AP, 80 rounds of Ion, 23 HE, 5 ESS AYE (Super Ion), and 4 APDS rounds SIR!"
"Good lads! Gunners once you have shooting solutions resume firing!"
Internally he was breathing a sigh of relief as he'd seen the trick multiple times during his time as a Confederate Captain, pirates would dump their munitions when they had to make a break for it and would detonate them as a smoke screen. He'd even heard of one who hid a ship within a ship and blew up the first ship to escape in the second. He couldn't help but wonder if the enemy would take them seriously now. No captain in their life would ever think that a Light Frigate would stand up and attack a battlecruiser alone. But then again.
No one had ever fought anyone like the Dire Wolves.....
TLDR
The Aegis began by making a 14.5 G acceleration burn towards The Golden Lance, aiming to get close enough for turbolaser range. They have disabled their own comms in order to avoid direct orders from any parties to wave off or cease their attack. This was to get The Golden Lance to divert and begin engaging The Aegis to force it to stop its firing process on the planet. The Aegis was momentarily caught in The Golden Lance's tractor beam array momentarily but managed to utilize a trick by creating physical interference with the tractor beams connecting to The Aegis. The managed to claw their way out of range of The Golden Lance's tractor beams and now know its range, and are vectoring in to come back around and line up another barrage of Hades Cannons onto The Golden Lance's engines. Doing this has cost them most of their missile and High Explosive Ordinance. All safeties and limiters on The Aegis have been disabled causing the ship to operate dangerously outside of normal capacity.
Sergei's pod was tumbling as it approached the surface. All of the "Cargo" was.
And he was still screaming bloody murder.
He couldn't believe Clark had done this. He was ready. He was prepared to do whatever it took. To even board a battlecruiser with 80 men and whatever droids he could. To do what had to be done to protect the people of the Ryloth. And Clark had spared him. He knew why. He knew that old disgraced Confederate wouldn't have it any other way. He knew that this man was looking at the bigger picture, and that while he went off on this suicide errand, Sergei could be better used. On the ground. Leading his Wolves the only way he knew how, from the front. As the pod finally began to catch atmosphere, it righted itself right side up, now falling aerodynamically and the systems working as intended. Sergei wouldn't see the shower of glitter explode directly under his pods and cargo as it fell. The wind began to whistle around the pod as it dove through the sky, and the heat of reentry would cause fire to lick around the outsides of the pod, making the interior become warm, and causing whatever might be below them to now hear the dull roar of all of them, the droids, the cargo, and the commandos entering atmosphere. Streaks of fire and smoke would run through the sky as they dropped, and Sergei himself would only think one thing.
Kill.
Them.
All.
The countdown on his altimeter would beep as it passed certain marks, getting fast and then faster as the landing sequence engaged. And with a slam Sergei's pod would slam into the ground in the mist of a massive shudder across the nearby landscape as literally 700 metric tons of cargo slammed into the earth at once. A single beep would blare as Sergei slammed the door release, and explosive bolts would blow the door free from the pod. As he exited, he did a quick sweep and saw the carnage around him. Earth torn up and thrown around, pods literally everywhere, droids picking themselves up as their reentry gear would disengage. Several TCD-1s went from pod to pod pulling doors off of malfunctioning pods, and the TCD-2s were setting up a perimeter. Sergei slung his rifle as he reached back into the pod and grabbed his MAAWS. He did a once over of the weapon, noting that it was still together and functioning. He sighed as he dusted off the thing and slung it over his shoulders as well as he received comms over the CDF net.
They were calling for his men to recon the area where the main body of the AoC forces had landed, and Sergei was about to move out when he heard another voice on the comms. A twilek commander. He was desperately calling for help, for reinforcements, and saying that he'd been captured. Draconis checked the soldier's position, and found that not only was he within range, he'd be the one to get there the fastest. His voice over the net was full of the fire that the events in orbit had instilled in him. His voice was like ice, just loud enough to be heard, but no louder. And it dripped of lethal intent.
"Commander, this is Sergei Jachovich of The Dire Wolves. I am proceeding to your location. Tell your captors they have fifteen minutes to lay down their arms and leave or I will consider them hostile. Tell them I am also considering any hostiles on the ground to be considered enemy combatants, and all of TDW is authorized for uses of deadly force on contact. Tell them I am coming. Tell them that while I still breath, while any of my wolves do, we will not rest until they all surrender, or die. And finally, tell them this is their final warning. I'm coming to avenge the innocent blood on their hands,"
The hunt was on.
(Edit was I forgot to link ship and theme many, many apologies)
The flash of real space reversion lit up the monitor at the front of the room as the Massive ships dropped out of hyperspace over the largest moon in the Ryloth system. Lash stood silently as the ship paused before engaging its sub-space drive to begin maneuvering into position. The Termigant slowly worked its way into a position facing away from the moon and giving the Onager room to position itself facing the monk and the old Imperial fortress located on its surface. The Agitator and Longbow moved into position beside the Termigant facing away from the moon towards Ryloth nearly seven hundred kilometers away. The escort vessels took up position behind the Termagant facing Ryloth and the forces of both the CIS and the AOC.
"Commander, we are getting intel that a massive power surge is being detected aboard the Battlecruiser. I believe it is powering some type of high energy weapon," said one of the sensor officers. Lash looked at the hologram which was just not filling in contacts as they were detected and assigned threat levels.
"interesting turn of events don't you say General," said Lash eyeing the icon now labeled Golden Lance and given a priority threat level even though it was an allied IFF. Lash made a note of it and the lack of action so far around Ryloth. He then turned his attention tot he largest moon in the system. Centuries ago the Imperials of the time built a hardened fortress on the moon and used it to control the population of Ryloth and the rest of the system. Thos Lash had no intel mentioning it as a CIS facility nor did he have any information stating the CIS had taken possession of the facility he was not taking any chances. While the main fleet and the seemingly suicidal battlecruiser dealt with he system forces Lash had decided to take advantage and investigate the outpost before proceeding to Ryloth.
"Sir we have life signs but our scanners are having problems scanning the deeper levels of the facility." said an officer as the information began scrolling on one of the monitors in the front of the command room. Lash expected the facility was built deep inside the moon, most imperial fortresses he had known were more subterranean with their power core being kilometers deep under the surface of the facility. He had no doubt this one was much like any other he had seen.
"Very well have Onager line up for a shot at the facility in case we find it hostile," ordered Lash. The siege destroyer slowly moved into position directly above the fortress and began scanning the surface and the facility for weak points.
Around the formation the attack wings which had deployed before the jump had now taken up holding positions around the mixed fleet. The wings which had to be ferried into the system were now being edited and launching to add to the mix of attack craft waiting on their orders.
"Sir things are looking bad above Ryloth. a small vessel has engaged the battlecruiser and it appears the main fleet has deployed a glitter bomb into the atmosphere," reported General Trevi. Lash stared at the screen to the left at an image from the forces on the ground of a massive glitter explosion in a higher atmosphere. Lash ignored the screen and returned his attention to things that mattered.
"Very well once the fighters have assembled into position, we will send a scouting force with the corvettes and pickets to set up the net," said Lash as he turned to see the feed from Onager as it moves into bombardment position. He turned once again to look at the holo display and the activity happening above Ryloth.
"General, remind me why we are her again?" asked Lash watching the hologram. "Admiral, inform the fleet once we have finished here we will be moving to Ryloth." Lash said as he stepped away from the hologram and walked to the row of command chairs at the rear of the room and took a seat. He had no idea what the command of the battecruiser was thinking or doing but knew it was not part of the plan. Nor did he have any idea why glitter was falling on the world in the distance or how that was tactically important to the mission He did know that the bulk of the CIS fleet had not arrived yet and decided until the Pros got there he would wait.
"All stop," Tryias' voice cut through the command deck of the Sapphiric Scorn as the Aegis ahead of them closed on the Golden Lance. In that moment the remnants of the hostile fleet led by Dimitri Lindzinsky dropped into the system.
She didn't wait to hear navigation's response, leaving it to the Commander to oversee the issued orders. More and more of the intruders appeared in orbit, and they were forced to sit and wait. The Aegis might as well have been in a suicide run, and all Tyrias could do was try to cut across the enemy's path? And there was no mistake, the Golden Lancewas hostile. They had completely disregarded her waving them off their current course. A power build up of that magnitude -- which at first might have been explained in some barely plausible fashion -- had progressed beyond excusable. Their target was equally clear. Yet, now, 'reinforcements' or a distraction arrived.
"Shuttles were dispatched, Grand Marshal," (Luna Terrik
) the Fleet Marshal responded while her eyes lingered on the tactical display. Five squadrons of them in fact. "Additional shuttles will be dispatched from the station presently." The Chiss turned and stabbed at the air to indicate her officers should accept that as an order. The nearby space station held another five squadrons of transport-capable vessels that could be utilized to the effort. One of them would be tasked with diverting from the bio-dome into an area indicated by the Grand Marshal, with whom they would relay observations and carry out any further orders under her command.
But that wasn't all. Luna's orders would be carried out, but even if they did work they might not have a ship or a station to return to. "Grand Marshal, be advised additional intruding vessels have appeared in system. Suggest shuttles divert to planetary alternative safe havens."
With Luna off channel, Tyrias turned to regard her Comms Officer. "Signal the fleet. Operation Nightshade." The vessel approaching the planet with intent to kill had employed some manner of jamming device. If this might be her last transmission, if the station's MXC-T18 Tyr Tactical Command Network was interrupted by the hostile capabilities, then she would make it count. "And Commander," her red gaze turned from the board to regard her Second in Command, "have engineering rig compartments along the outer hull for broadcasting." Efficient? Hardly. But they wouldn't need to be, if or when it came down to it.
The Hellspear Frigates and Argente-class Cruiser jumped in near the Sapphiric Scorn's position. Meanwhile the Flax Corvettes dropped in closer to the planet, spread out in a loose net poised for position and audacity. The moment the gloves were off Tyrias would make sure their orbital reign of terror would be cut short. Until that time, however, she had a reign of terror of her own to conduct.
Seven Miraj-class Heavy Assault Dropships flared into being even closer to the planet than the Flax Corvettes.
Four of those Dropships honed in on the large massing of new lifeforms on the planet, which the Ryloth, Confederate Defense Force and Dauntless ground arrays had identified. They quickly studied the local geography and settled on four landing sites to surrounding the creatures at a distance. Protecting any nearby population centers, natural resources, and other strategically valuable targets were key; but if nothing else they would gladly build the pen that was so desperately missing from a petting zoo. On their descent, they enjoyed an explosion of glitter which made for a colorful display; one which the dropships sought to avoid despite their heavy armor capable of withstanding even an orbital defense net. Glowing red as they plunged at breakneck speeds toward the ground only to brake at the last second, they slammed into the ground. Weaponry fell into place ready to bring the hurt on any non-indigenous, armored lifeforms -- like theChuri of War.
The remaining dropships were standing by and monitoring the situation. If communication was severed with the approaching vessels' jamming capability then they would decide their targets based on what information they had available to them.
Lastly, the Medical Frigate flared into being closer to the station. It was not one designed for naval combat, and the station held a greater ability to screen the vessel from assault by an enemy that so far had shown no compulsion to abide by the Rules of War -- except for a very pretty speech.
"Fleet Marshal, batteries are locked on the unidentified fleet. The Ajiro, Thorn, Galileo, and Apophis have firing solutions as well," Commander Jamieson reported. When a potentially hostile fleet started to lock on to you, you locked on to them as well.
"Very good, Commander. Now, I will need to ask that you assume command of the Fleet." Tyrias turned and strode back toward her command chair, where she lowered herself into despite her earlier statement.
The man gave a crisp nod before he resumed overseeing preparations for the battle very close to unfolding all around them. It was not an unheard of move for the Fleet Marshal, merely one she endeavored to avoid whenever possible. A Chiss did not favor being taken off the field. One could not test their mettle in such a fashion. However, their tactical position was... not optimal. They would require every advantage now.
Twenty-six more squadrons of starfighters -- the rest of its combat compliment -- began to pour from the station as it became clear this was no rag-tag fleet of interlopers. They did not surface all at once, but as a steady stream reminiscent of a swarm emerging from its hive. Ryloth may have been willing to take a few punches to the face, but it wouldn't go down without a fight. Meanwhile, three of the Sapphiric Scorn's own starfighter squadrons would join them in the void to defend the command vessel. The smaller vessels fanned out in formation and began to sweep in toward the field of impending battle.
Once the fighters were out, the ARK Sensor Scrambler was activated to provide enemy vessels with multiple Farstar-class space stations instead of one. Its RAAM-M3 Tactical Ordinance Jammer was also activated to cut down on the enemy's more explosive methods of assault against the facility.
Meanwhile the Gungnir MK I Orbital Defense Platforms stood by linked in with the space station's communication network. Those in range had begun to realign their railguns with the closing Capital ships including the Golden Lance. Each platform had four squadrons of its own prepping for launch, scattered in orbit over Ryloth.
As the pieces on the board moved, the Fleet Marshal's eyes closed. She reached out with more than her hands alone could hope to grasp, or her eyes to see. A disciplined mind helped swiftly tune out the noise of an active command in favor of the Whole that constituted the galaxy itself. There was more to War than the bridge of one ship -- it was comprised of countless moving pieces on all sides. Ships filled with organic and synthetic lifeforms alike. Computer programs that kept the air circulating and made hitting enemy vessels possible in the vastness of space. Fighters, drop ships, transports, maintenance pods... An intricate web of chaos, with all those moving pieces mercifully, by chance, working in unison toward a common aim -- whether they knew or understood what it was. So many things that could go wrong. So much inefficiency that a Chiss would gladly work out if but the whole of creation would simply listen and abide.
But now it would listen. Even if only for a fraction of a second in the galactic scale of time. It would listen because Fleet Marshal Tyrias Aran understood how to connect all the sentient lifeforms together -- the creatures that help maintain every other moving part. The ones that carried the battle. Droids might beset your enemy and even venture into places no organic would dare, but it came back to the organic sentients to carry the day. As they would now.
As they would now.
Tyrias' Battle Meditation reached out to encompass the vessels in orbit of Ryloth. They might not have massive cannons or decorative explosives, but they would be coordinated, and ready, for when the time came to strike. The Confederacy could turn the cheek only so many times before that slumbering lion decided it was time to feast.
A jet-black and sleek cut suit jacket, made from shell spider silk with a glistaweb lining, worn conspicuously open atop a crisp white shirt, ruffled cuffs peeking out from the sleeves. Matched black pant enveloping her long legs and hugging her curves, the cuffs of which pile gently onto vine snakeskin boots accented with silver tips. A belt, rested comfortably across her hips. Her blond hair was worn in a tussled up-do, fastened in place with hairpins.
Visanj heard the words of her host, and walked through the delegation to him. Stopping in front of him, she withdrew the lightsaber from her belt, offering it to the man.
“I am a Dagatan. It is not our way to surrender our weapons, most especially to place those which are considered extensions of ourselves into the hands of others whom we do not know. I do this now…with you…in the hope that you will see this is not a war party demanding submission, nor is it an advance party, preparing the way to war. I give you this, because you have asked for it with reason and the heart of a warrior’s understanding. This is my bond, you will find no enemy in me here…”
She glanced at the others, the Agents and their allies.
“Were I on Ryloth, with you at this moment, I would be giving you my blade in another way for the innocent blood your members have shed. But I am not at Ryloth, I am here, and I am here for a reason, to make peace, to achieve understanding, to reforge friendships if that is possible, and if it is not, to leave one another in peace and respect. Here, I am not your enemy, not now.”
She looked back at the Viceroy, and smiled a wry and devil’s grin, “Just be careful with her, I want her back.” Vis smiled and winked at the man as she released the lightsaber into his hands.
Without looking back, Vis went on.
“John…Voph….everyone. I think our host has been honest in the asking, and fair in the understanding. Let’s end this and get to the making of peace."
Vytal looked to the Sisters with her as they moved through the streets aiding those they could. The mystic bolstering of spirits to repel the unease caused unnaturally had its effect, but it did not erase fear -- whether born naturally or otherwise. It kept the people moving, and from descending into hysteria, however. While they might huddle together and offer sweet assurances between loved ones, they knew they had to forge ahead. To protect those they cared for. To wake to a new day, one free of the terror wrought by the uninvited.
Soon the Nightmother paused, however, as her commlink chirped. It was becoming a bad habbit with it carrying bad news whenever it signaled an incoming transmission. This time, however, it was not so much bad as it was...unexpected.
Grand Marshal Luna Terrik. 'Recently' promoted. By that, of course, meaning it occurred after Shadow's Point. Well, obviously the Dauntless had a Commander and one of such a position warranted a suitable rank. Nevertheless, Vytal would appreciate if the Confederacy would kindly not draw attention to the Dauntless more than was absolute necessary. How one managed to undo a knot cast by the Crucible so effectively was a matter she reflected on, with spiritual guidance, to this day. It wasn't enough to tell people they had been set up. The fact remained they had turned on the Knights Obsidian believing they'd become corrupt -- as though that were possible.
And now, today, it was demonstrable that it was possible, evidently. Former members of the Confederacy -- of the Knights no less -- had returned to lay siege to a world they once protected. 'Appalling' barely described these outrageous circumstances.
The pale Witch stood patiently as the Grand Marshal Luna Terrik
spoke. Her eyes lifted over the heads of the civilians in the distance without grimace or even a snort. Not even when Luna initially had trouble with Vytal's title. Well, every family had its black sheep, did it not? It was a Mother's responsibility to look beyond that and patiently wait for the right time to issue the right counsel.
"It is not safe to speak of it when the Adversary may be listening." Even if they had an agent on the side of the road, Vytal had no intention of divulging her plan. Especially not when there was one that had come whose presence had not escaped the Nightmother's notice. Someone that would require her personal attention once the people of the planet were not in immediate peril. A "trifle" which this Other should have stood by Vytal's side in opposing, not in welcoming. "However, there is a means. They will lose much; but much can be built anew. The Mandragora stand for Ryloth, and its people, Grand Marshal. You can count on us when the time comes."
