Populate Through The Fire | GA Populate of Ponemah Terminal

[Spirit of Patience]

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THROUGH THE FIRE
A SECOND HYPERSPACE WAR STORY
FOLLOWING THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE MAW’S ATTACK ON JEDHA

As soon as their evacuation shuttle had touched down on the impressive Jedi station, Prosperity, medics and healers had swamped the hangar. Bacta patches, bandages, crystals, all sorts of medicines were being distributed amongst the new arrivals. Those who couldn’t walk further than the ship’s entryway were strapped to a gurney and trotted to the halls of healing.

“Sir, do you need this?” A woman in white asked, breaking through the cloud that had made his observation purely objective, unthinking. He moved his dark eyes from the swarms of people, soldiers, citizens, neighbours, friends, strangers, Jedi, to the batca patch being held out to him.

“N-no, thank you.”

She made a face that suggested he should have accepted the offer but didn’t force it on him. She simply moved on to the next person who might need assistance. There were many far worse than he. Physically worse, at least. His mind —

— was trembling. He hadn’t stopped shaking since he’d witnessed his girlfriend’s body crushed beneath one of the massive stone pillars that kept their shop upright. Her eyes had been soulless voids. The moment he’d called her name, and she hadn’t responded, and he’d seen where she’d been and no longer was, Rhugo had reeled backward and lost all sense of normalcy. The colour still hadn’t returned to his skin.

Jedha had long since been on the border of The Brotherhood, he should have been prepared to be brave.

“Rhugo?” A small voice asked, tugging on the hem of his sleeve. “You’re shaking.”

Blinking back to the present, the former shopkeeper looked down at his girlfriend’s son, wearing a discoloured blanket with a Starbird emblem stitched on it. It was ragged like it had seen war before. Maybe the threads themselves had survived the Third Imperial Civil War — from the frontlines. It was hideous, but… it was all they owned now. The boy beneath the fabric was only seven years old, and he’d had to..witness the end of everything he knew.

Rhugo’s face tightened with the grim reality of psychological trauma. He forced himself to look away from the dirt-stained youth and away at anything else. At neighbours, at soldiers, at everyone that had lost their homes. A loss that would be embedded in their core for years to come.

“Are you scared?”

His hands fidgeted, and he dropped to a knee and placed both palms on the shoulders of the little boy. Ruto’s shoulders.

Ruto’s gentle face mirrored Rhugo’s own trepidation, the innocence of his big, searching eyes clouded with the reality he’d just witnessed. He was probably trying to seek a way for this to be nothing more than a dream. Or a part of one of his spectacular imagination games. If Rhugo was a dishonest man, he would have lied. Feigned courage for the benefit of this child’s own resilience and fortitude in the face of the future.

So instead of lying, he said nothing and simply held Ruto in his arms. Distantly, in his silence, Rhugo promised retribution. They had survived, and thus far, survival was the premiere foray into the resilience and fortitude the future demanded.

“No.” He finally whispered. “Not scared, son. Angry.”

I
I HATE SAND​

After their planet was ravaged by The Brotherhood of The Maw, several Alliance citizens have lost their homes, their history, their livelihoods.

Help the refugees from Jedha to situate themselves on Ponemah Terminal. Provide relief wherever and however you can to the citizens that survived the attack to the Holy Quarter. Some may be restless, riled up with belligerent emotion and confused, others may be broken and devastated while trying to navigate through loss.

II
PAY YOUR TITHES​

Jedha saw conflict beyond The Brotherhood’s might. For the first time since the attack on Coruscant, The Senate, The Defense Force, and The Jedi acted as a united force against a common enemy.

Can the Jedi and those who condemned them on Coruscant put aside their differences and reconcile for a stronger response to The Brotherhood?

III
JEDHAMOUR GRIEVE​

Jedha may be devastated, but it is not lost. It remains protected from The Brotherhood’s onslaught.

Some families and citizens are choosing to remain on their home planet, work with them to restore areas, establish medical sites, or purge any remaining Mawites.

Mercy only for those of The Alliance!

IV
BYOO

Do what you need to do to see your story through.​

 

[Darth Solipsis]

DARK LORD OF THE SITH | VOICE OF THE MAW
Ruins of the Temple of Kyber

​

Broken earth and shattered stone crumbled into dust, the earth quaked, the rubble strained to keep down it’s long held prisoner. The pressure built upon itself, a static that grew louder and louder.

Finally the flood gates opened, his armored appendage reaching out toward the free air.

The forces of the Brotherhood may have left this world, leaving only pockets of resistance to fight against the victorious forces of the Ashla. Amidst the ruins and broken iconography of the Jedi, in the wreckage of the Holy Land defiled but not destroyed. It did not matter, nothing did. Evil endured.

The Sith’ari was still alive.

 

[Marlon Sularen]

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O P E R A T I O N_S T O R M F R O N T

FINAL DAWN
JEDHA , MID RIM

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Sularen began firing at Jax , unleashing High-Velocity , Sharp Durasteel Tipped Projectiles at the Jedi Master with the intend to either incapacitate or kill. However the Jedi Master had managed to block all of his Attacks. However eventually the Grand Overseer managed to hit the Jedi Master once piercing Jax's Right Shoulder , going through his armor piece and seemingly melting through his skin which caused him to cry out in pain. This amused the Sadistic Grand Overseer who smiled as his enemy cried out. "Well then i guess that settles it. I was nice meeting ya , Jax , but unfortunately..." Sularen then raised his Pistol aiming at Jax's Head ready to cap him. "You must..." Before Sularen could finish his sentence he suddenly felt something in his throat like if some invisible force was trying to crush it.

Gasping for air with one Hand , Sularen dropped to his knees before taking a look at Jax Thio. He saw as the Jedi Master had extended his Arm which made Sularen realize he was responsible for this. As the Grand Overseer felt this Invisible Force further tighten it's grip on his Neck , he quickly raised his pistol and uttered in a weak tone"You mother...karker" before firing a single shot towards Jax's Head aiming to put down the Jedi once and for all before passing out from the asphyxiation that Jax had inflicted upon the Grand Overseer through the Force and collapsing on the floor.

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Tags | Jax Thio ​

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[Kai Bamarri]

Objective: Jump the Dark Lord
Location: Ruins of the Temple of the Kyber
Tags: Darth Solipsis

After a quick stop to burn the remains of Aeris Lashiec ‘s dead boyfriend, Kai had returned to Jedha. The planet’s defense had been victorious; now they were supposed to help restore order.

Kai found himself back at the Temple of the Kyber, where he and Aeris had tried to preserve the contents of the archives. She had done all that she could under duress, and now Kai planned to finish the job she had started.

On his way inside, Kai felt the ground tremble beneath his feet. Cracked stone crumbled into dust around him.

Just ahead, a bone-white hand burst from a pile of rubble. This was followed by an arm that flailed and scrabbled at the earth, hauling the rest of the grimy body to which it was attached out of the debris.

Kai froze, watching the dark figure emerge from the ruins like a corpse coming back from the dead. The man was unrecognizable, but the circumstances were strange enough to warrant caution. The Padawan seized his lightsaber from his belt.

<Stop!> he ordered. <Don’t make any sudden movements!>

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Jedha​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Maijan Paisea Boluc Laar ​

​

She wasn't sure if minutes or hours had passed when her eyes opened to look at the sky, which was so utterly filled with smoke that it blocked out the sun above. The aroma of burning fuel still lingered in the air as well, and the incredible amount of casualties had created a disturbance in the Force that weighed heavily on the mind of any Jedi or Force-sensitive. ​

​

With tremors of pain passing through each and every inch of her body, Valery pushed herself up to a sitting position and began to take note of her condition. She was covered in burns, bruises, and dried-up blood. Her clothing was shredded or torched by the explosion in several locations, and she had no idea if anybody else survived the blast.​

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She had no way to contact them either. ​

​

With an audible groan, the woman finally pushed herself up to her feet and reached for her lightsaber while she looked around. The last thing she remembered before her escape were the soldiers from the Maw she was fighting. If some of them had survived, she'd have to take them out before they were able to regroup and attack potentially injured Jedi or civilians. ​

​

But above all else, she hoped to find other survivors. As much as she was in need of medical assistance and in need of new clothing, she was far more worried about her allies. ​

​

"Is anybody out here? If you can hear me, please call out to me!" she said, her voice raised in hopes of someone hearing her. It did expose her to any lingering threats, but she didn't care.​

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She had to find the others.​

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[Jax Thio]

Location: New Jedha
Equipment: Jedi Armor, DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Second Lightsaber, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Traden Avarice Marlon Sularen (Enemy), Open to anyone!

Jax let his anger consume him.

The Jedi Master drew upon the pain on his shoulder wound, the many civilians murdered by the Brotherhood's orbital bombardment, and the attack on Coruscant and the Jedi Temple converting it into power. "Don't do this," a voice whispered inside Jax while he continued to crush Marlon's throat his satisfaction rising when he was bought down to his knees.

"Kill him," Another voice said with an encouraging yet icy tone. "Kill him now, he's a raving madman! It's obvious that he won't be convinced through words. It's best to put him down like the Dog he is."

"But you will fall!" the other voice countered. "Is this what you want? It's over! Let Marlon go! You can't bring the people he has killed back!"

"Yet you can bring them justice!"

"Justice or revenge? You're just making yourself feel better."

Jax broke out from his anger fueled trance his gaze turning towards the Grand Overseer. It was then he realized in that moment, the voices in his head was him talking. The dark side continued to have a hold on him but Jax shook his head using the Force release his grip on Marlon. "No," he whispered. "It's over, it's done."

Just as he was about to relinquish his hold on Marlon entirely, Marlon raised his blaster pistol unleashing a single blaster bolt. "Oh chit!" Jax muttered attempting to get out of the way but he felt his right eye explode as like it was a grapefruit crushed by a Wookie.

Jax began to stumble back like a drunken man wondering around the streets, he didn't feel his Lightsaber anymore it probably fell off of the building. As he quickly clutched his boiling eye, smoke was starting to come out from the wound. "Not to worry," Jax's legs were close to the ledge his strength leaving him. "At least I can live those pirate fantasies I've read as a child."

Careening over the ledge, Jax fell towards the ground below.

 

[Auteme]

Aerarii Tithe ​

Auteme was unsure how to feel about Chancellor Tithe. Admittedly their history was odd, but it was one started on a feeling that things could change for the better. In a way, they had; Tithe now headed the nation closest to the marauders led by Sith, where he'd once been a star bureaucrat and politician for them. Different Sith, maybe, but the change was there.

Equally there was that calculating mind. Choosing to go to Jedha now, even as the last remnants of the fighting were still dying down -- he had a mind for business. Going too late would lessen the poignancy and merely be a footnote on a stale issue. Too early, and they'd be stuck in the thick of the fighting. Now, however, would yield the greatest profits.

Not that she could complain; in the Chancellor's shuttle she sat, alongside the fine soldiers who would protect them, and the crew of photographers who would follow them throughout their tour of the city. She would profit, too. The very thought twisted her heart. But she was there anyways, because there were greater goods to be done.

She eyed the Chancellor when he exited his private suite.

Their arrival was not entirely superficial. The Alliance One and her accompanying forces, now in orbit, represented a great bolstering of Jedha's defenses and a platform by which the planet's relief could be staged. Alongside the Chancellor's own shuttle came numerous support vessels to begin search-and-rescue and give much needed supplies. She could, indeed, help here, no matter how her image might be used afterward.

She rose once the shuttle touched down in one of the city's many ruined squares, following a step behind the Chancellor, though they were not nearly as synced as she had been with Adhira. Here eyes wandered to the ruined buildings, seeing the blaster marks, the craters, the dead, the hiding just reemerging.

"Not that we're in a rush, but- if you don't mind, I suggest we get a few done quickly, in case anything comes to..." she searched for the word.

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

PAY THE TITHE
JEDHA CITY // JEDHA

Auteme | Senators | NJO | GADF

“And may I add, thank you for your service.”
“Ohh my, well that really is something isn’t it!”
“Yes, yes, I see you over there.”
“My, so big, how old did you say?”

Chancellor Tithe, flanked by a quartet of Senate Guards, moved through the crowd lining the streets of Jedha City. He thanked wounded soldiers for their efforts in driving out the Brotherhood of the Maw, offered his sympathies to the citizens whose city still smouldered around them, and even posed for a holoclip with an inexplicably large baby whose birth coincided with the final push to defend the city.

Tithe had travelled to the Jedi holy world at haste upon learning that the Brotherhood had been routed, knowing the victory offered a rare opportunity to repair relations between the Senate and the New Jedi Order. Tensions had been high since the Senate had confined the Jedi to their temple while investigating serious accusations against them. The revelation that Darth Solipsis had orchestrated the whole affairs in his guise as Senator Fossk of Epoch had, for whatever reason, not been enough to placate the Jedi. Tithe had rather been hoping they could put the whole unfortunate matter behind them.

And so here he was, walking the dusty streets of Jedha to put in face time with the valiance protectors of the Core and send a clear message that he and the Senate stood in solidarity with the NJO.

Beside him, Auteme suggested they keep this moving. Since leaving the New Jedi Order, she’d found a new home in the Senate, working to rebuild the Committee on Force Affairs. “I concur,” Tithe replied. “I just need one more shot.” While most of the fighting had died down, there were reports of Brotherhood forces stalking the ruins and in orbit overhead. Tithe’s grand gesture of reunification would only work if he was alive to see it.

“Sir, Jedi to your left.”

Tithe turned his head, spying the Jedi his senior chief of staff had identified. Crossing the street, flanked by his guards and trailed by holoreporters, the Chancellor sauntered toward the group.

“A most valiant effort,” he exclaimed to the Jedi. The Aargauun made some quick striking gestures with his hands, attempting to mimic hand to hand combat, though even the most proficient fighter would struggle to recognise anything even vaguely resembling a coherent fighting style. “I say, that Sith’ari fellow and his marauders will think twice next time they try to tangle with the Alliance!”

He waved for the Jedi to stand closer so the holoreporters could snap an image of them together. “Shall we, for those looking to us for hope?”

 

[Lyrrin]

-

SIA Mission L-01 [BYOO]
Tags: Open​

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The strike against Jedha had left it with damaged infrastructure and a large occupying force of GADF and other branches of the Alliance. While there was time to counsel and cope, to rebuild, and raise hopes the wars in the shadows of the galaxy never were at a stand still. The Strategic Information Agency knew this well and had dispatched numerous agents to inspect the city to uncover dead drops, information collection equipment, and other nefarious devices that may have been left behind by the Brotherhood and their allies. In the same stroke these agents would need to install their own information gathering devices. One of these agents was Lyrrin.

Lyrrin carefully balanced on a dust covered plastoid crate as he lifted a compact camera to a wall, small screws automatically fastened themselves into the surface to anchor it. The Farghul looked carefully into the lenses and saw the interior camera beginning to swivel, he lifted a circular object to the housing which beeped twice indicating that it was active and transmitting to the secret SIA field command center. Lyrrin hopped off the crate and dusted his hands off on his furred forearms. As he looked from the ground to up in front of him he saw a Rodian child staring at him intently "Shh." Lyrrin smiled while putting a finger to his lips while reaching into his pocket and pulling out a 10 credit value ingot from his pocket tossing it to the child.

"Oh wow!" the Rodian exclaimed and held the ingot to her chest then ran off down another alleyway. Lyrrin watched the child until she left his view and the began to walk down the street while keeping his eye on potential prime locations.

 

[Ruus]

Objective II
Tags: Auteme Aerarii Tithe​

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One thing the Captain knew well was that he couldn't keep the Chancellor cooped up in his secured office, but that didn't mean he wished he couldn't. The Captain put his hand out to prevent a zealous reporter from pushing a strange recording device in the face of the Chancellor. The stern, stiff, arm was enough to get the message across that the journalist had crossed an unseen boundary. As Aerarii Tithe made his way to the stranger and offered to pose the Senate Guard made room as so not to unduly ruin the picture though this meant they took several steps to the side while pushing reporters gently away by holding out their long blaster rifles to create more of an authoritative boundary than a physical one. They could clearly see the Chancellor and his entourage, but they could not approach closer.

"Suspicious actor in sector fifteen." came a voice over the internal communicators of the guard's helmets "Now headed away from the flock." Ruus then responded "Affirmative, flock holding position. Starbird preening." the coded phrases perhaps sounded strange or perhaps disrespectful but the security of the galaxy's smoothest talker was more important than flattering language. Ruus looked over towards the Chancellor then to Auteme, he knew that if push came to shove that the Jedi would leap to the defense of the Chancellor which was a small relief given that the Senate Guard still considered Jedha to be more or less a combat zone.

Unseen to many were the Senate Guard that had taken positions on the remaining rooftops keeping an eye on the many winding streets of the ancient city with a mixture of micro probe droids and macrobinoculars. They had been feeding information to the close protection detail code named 'the flock'.

 

[Jem Fossk]

Objective two
Dagon Kaze Aerarii Tithe Auteme

Seeing Shadows Everywhere

A second genesis will be at hand one way or another.”

Her father's words had seared into her head. The promise felt like an inescapable prophecy, driven home by the events of Jedha. Was this real anymore? It didn't feel it. She hadn't been able to sleep since Courscant. She wanted to blame it on the shock of learning who she was but... life was never that simple.

Dagon had tried his best to remove her and help her regain her footing, but their home could not be avoided forever. The had come back-- for answers? Closure? Duty. It was hard to concentrate on their tasks. Not with her father's voice in her mind.

“We will facilitate the galaxy to tear itself apart,

Jem didn't feel the way the crowd bumped into her. A familiar voice broke over, but all she saw was Darth Solipsis ' face, preening down at her, drowning out the world.

we will burn each planet in our wake until nothing remains.

Her gut boiled with disgust-- some stepped on her foot. She jerked back, the fog lifting from her thoughts. His voice left her. The white beard grew shorter, face thinner, until the stately figure standing across from her was nothing more than well-kept banker, Aerarii Tithe . Or rather... ex, banker... Of sith planets... and now their Chancellor because their current had been struck down in the attack lead by her father. The convenience of it shocked her to her core.

“Even if I don’t live to see it my WILL shall be made complete.

Jem's expression darkened. She had failed before to stop her father, but maybe now...

That could change.

The misguided padawan's intension twisted through her. She was just one face in the crowd... she reached for her saber.

 

[Zaka]

Interlude vol. II
Issue #0
Objective 3 - Jedhamour Grieve
TAGS - OPEN

Then...

There he was.

The Sith'ari.

Mere steps away from him, wounded where his amphistaff and its venomous fangs had rent his skin and flesh.

"I told you... You'll face justice."

Steps away.

The rubble that was tumbling around them was steadily becoming more of a hazard. Head-sized rocks rained on them in place of the fist-sized ones of moments ago, but he didn't care. To end this evil? He would gladly throw away his life to ensure the Dark Voice was given an eternal resting place.

I can get there in a moment.

Rocks fell away.

The Great Deceiver would meet justice at the end of his violet blade.

On the cusp of making that final decision to spring forward, he felt an invisible force grasp him. Wrenching him from his feet as the darkness of the Temple's interior turned to light. Rocks whipped past him, confusion settled into his face. The Sith'ari drew farther away and then he was sliding backwards, unprepared - shocked even - as he slid across blood soaked sand and cobblestone.

"Wha- What?"

Zaka pushed himself up from the ground, scrambling to his feet as he looked back up to the ancient structure. Its size practically halved, eschewing dust and stone in every direction.

The only other person that he cared to see stood there. "Why...?" He raised an arm limply at the caved in entrance. "Why'd you..." His arm dropped, too heavy to raise any longer. He wandered forward a few steps, staring down at the grains of sand he tread upon and then up at the barricade of stone. "I... Had him." Even as the words fell from his mouth, it didn't sound like himself. As if someone else spoke the words from his body.

He shook his head. Reaching outward, preternatural senses sought out the buried presence of the Dark Lord.

All he felt was pain and suffering. On a scale that he had not yet encountered before. The sensations rushed in, and before they consumed him, he shut himself off from it. His senses brought back only to loom in his immediate presence. Death... The battle still raged.

His fists clenched tight while he turned around to stare daggers into the Jedi Knight. Frustration, betrayal, they rolled off of him, even after he took steps to widen the distance between the two of them. "If that monster lives..."

He didn't speak the words. A sharp cry of pain, bolstered by fear instantly triggered him into motion. He was moving, fading levels of adrenaline rising again as he rejoined the battle. Each step he took pushing those last words further to the back of his mind.

Everyone he kills after this, will be on us.

​

Now...

The city was being taken back by the Defense Force. If it could even be called a city at this point.

People were still in the midst of evacuating. Redoubts of trapped invaders incapable of reaching their own evac ships fought to the death in pockets of the City. Corpses filled the streets. Some recognizable, and just as many unable to be identified. Blackened and shriveled husks that'd make the shrewdest of coroner's question if it had ever been alive.

The stench of death was heavy on the air, but he was used to it. Only when a new, unscented smell invaded his nostrils were his olfactory senses reset.

Adrenaline had long faded, and he recognized that he was tired, expectedly worn out in the wake of the day's battle. Adorned in wounds, and carrying the weight of failure on his shoulders, it was no surprise that he was not the same energetic and battle-ready Jedi that he typically was.

Dust caked faces roamed past him, but that was typical. Lives had been uprooted, loved ones lost. People wanted a fresh start, and close by was the opportunity to get one, once getting on the off-world shuttles.

"Help me!"

His head twisted from side to side, searching for the source of the voice. He was tall, and to pointedly look over the heads of homeless residents milling mindlessly was one of the easier things he had done that day. Sliding through the flow of the crowd, he turned down a street, and then another.

"You have to get it off me man!"

The building had come crashing down on him, covering him mostly in stone and rubble. Save for an arm and upper body protruding, there was not much else to see. Things were grim.

"I've got you," Zaka assured as he approached. All he could feel was pain and confusion emanating from the man. Crouching down beside him, he was quick to begin prying rubble away from his trapped body. Slow going, but he pushed himself to continue. Piece by piece, jagged and shattered stone was pulled away, cutting away at his palms. "What's your name?"

Surprise, and then the man answered, watching as the oddly garbed figure dug him out.

"Jarm..."

"What is this place?"

Keep him talking, right? Mind off the pain or some shxt. He planted a hand on the mans exposed shoulder, reaching as deep as he could into the mans being to numb his pain the best he could. It was meager, perhaps even pointless, but he couldn't let himself fail again.

"It's my home... Or... It was... It's all ruined now." He said in a small voice, on the cusp of tears.

Zaka reached deeper and then... Stopped. His eyes widened for a brief moment, and he exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and then resumed tossing away the rocks. "Yeah," barely looking at the man now. A hand raised, wiping ruined hands across his face. Work faster. As he shifted, his hilt bounced on his thigh, visible behind the tattered black shawl that hung down from his shoulders.

"You're a Jedi?" His head, stabilized on a rock shifted. Jarm let out a wistful sigh, eyes watery.

"Trying to be," came his honest answer.

There was silence for a little while, and then Jarm spoke again.

"Thanks."

And then there was silence again. Zaka kept digging, occasionally wiping his face as he completed his goal.

He couldn't tell how long he had been digging for, but he finally let out a sigh of relief as he pulled away one of the larger stones pinning Jarm to the ground. His exhalation was cut short when he saw the amount of blood and the snapped limbs when the stone had been moved. Worse still, a steel bar pinned him to the ground. Easy enough?

"It's going to hurt, but I'm going to cut the bar and drag you out." He didn't know how he was going to do it. The rebar was bent out of shape, leading off into the building, and looked to be holding up the cramped hidey hole Jarm had for himself. "Alright?"

Before Jarm could answer, three GADF marines came around the corner. One of them had what looked to be a retractable stretcher.

"What are y-You need help over there?"

Zaka's head bobbed, pointing to Jarm's body.

"I need you to drag him out once I cut this thing."

The marines moved. One of them attending to Jarm, another extending the stretcher. The third was the largest, moved on the opposite side of Zaka, prepared to slow the descent of the too large rock to buy the others time.

Zaka's saber raised, the soft hum of his saber signaling he was ready. His arm bent, poised to strike, and his blade lunged forward, i the semblance of a serpent, and parted the top of the steel bar keeping Jarm down. The first two pulled, the third held, stalling, and a moment later released. A thunderous crash sent dust flying up to buffet them.

Deactivating his saber and approaching the stretcher, Zaka placed his hilt back on his belt.

"He needs stims. Something to kill the pain."

The answer came in two parts. First, in a long silence, and then a solemn head shake. "He's already dead."

It was Zaka's turn for a long silence.

He just stared into the peaceful features of Jarm's still face. Was he one with the Force now? Had he been content with the way his life had been up to this point? Meaningful regrets? Zaka would never know.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to look at the Marine. "You did what you could. That's all anyone can ask for."

It was like a slap in the face.

Wasn't he supposed to be better? Stronger, faster, capable of seeing and doing things that the average person couldn't. Physical strength wasn't enough, he needed to be stronger in the Force as well. If he had been... He could've just lifted the rocks. His head bobbed instinctively. It was the expected response, he thought.

He didn't hear much else after that -- too caught up in his own thoughts -- but soon enough, he was alone. Away from the bloodied mess that had been Jarm's home.

 

[Seto Du Couteau]

Seto Du Couteau, Senator of Empress Teta
Objective Two: Pay the Tithe
Location: Jehda City, Jedha
Action: Walking and Putting on a smile for the Cameras
Attire

​

​

It was but a small comfort that the fighting had died down on Jedha, for the devastation that was handed to the people of Jedha any small comfort was momentous. Seto for his part enjoyed the fact he needn’t worry about debris and dust ruining his clothes, and as well as enemies that would do the unthinkable and tarnish his cape. Though his body felt extremely tired, it hadn’t been long since he exhausted himself by using his Force abilities to such an extreme extent. Even now I feel like passing out without the help of a stim or recaf. Seto bemoaned to himself as he held a bouquet of flowers with his hand. A perfect place to hide either a grimace or pained expression should the need arrive.​

​

Glancing around he noted the majority of his Senate Guards had either been replaced or rotated, Seto mentally kept a note to write up an accommodation for those soldiers. He also noted that he had a bit more of Guards as well, clearly the Alliance wanted to assure that the planet was thoroughly safe. With large buildings reduced to nothing but rubble, a smoldering city square and several large impact craters of a devastating orbital bombardment, Jedha was as safe as it could relatively be for anyone.​

​

Anyone one in the Alliance that is. . . Seto walked across a street filled with dead hostile soldiers and other Maw Zealots. The cost of war clearly on display for any onlookers, the only question left was the question of affordability. And that answer tended to reflect the emotions of thoses who bear the burdens of the cost. Seto didn’t need further reminders of how to lose the home front's morale and support. Death after all needed a purpose, and it was up to the politicians to help shape that purpose to inspire others to sacrifice to even greater heights.​

​

Just like what our Chancellor is doing. Seto mused silently, his eyes looking towards the gathering crowd of reporters and cameras, Chancellor Tithe wasted no time to embrace the Alliance victory. He even spotted the familiar face of the former Shield of the Jedi herself Auteme, I'm surprised she is still here with us given how all this turned out Seto thought but figured she was considered the Shield for a reason. A good shield deflects, the best shield absorbs rendering the attack powerless.​

​

The young Du Couteau heir would have joined the pressers, to bask in the limelight, but all he currently wanted was a bed with a soft pillow. Stifling a yawn and keeping up his boyish smile, Seto waved towards the camera as he moved along the ruined war torn streets. He could already see the piles of data-slates and spreadsheets waiting for him back in his office.​

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|| Auteme | Aerarii Tithe | Ruus | Jem Fossk ||

 

[Kaul "Joker" Emos]

Kaul was inside of his X-Wing jamming to the radio, a few GADF pilots managed to re-tuned the satellites and Kaul punched in the frequency for the Galactic Alliance radio. He was in a very good mood, Kaul single handedly took out a small squad of bombers and the Galactic Alliance pulled away with the victory. It came at a massive cost like always, but after Coruscant the Alliance needed to make a statement to these Cultist bastards: If you mess with the GA, they will frack your chit up and piss on your corpse. For the first time in Kaul's life, he felt like he actually made a difference in the Galaxy. He didn't put things off, he acted and to be honest it felt good. Which means it was time to celebrate.

<Kaul,> R4 said while Kaul streaked in the skies performing multiple barrel rolls. It had a couple of hours since the battle ended and right now he was on patrol. There wasn't many Brotherhood Starfighters ever since their army pulled out of Jedha space, tucking their tail between your legs like the cowards they were.

"What do you want R4?" Kaul took out a grape soda on the holder, he often keeps sodas in his X-Wing. Being a pilot can be a thirsty job. "Can't you see I'm taking a break?"

<You've been taking a break for 2 hours!> R4 whirred while Kaul continued to steer through the friendly skies. <I've just received a message from Commander Charr patching it through to you now.>

"NO!" Kaul moaned slapping the soda on the console. "I don't feel like doing anything now! I've worked hard kicking ass! I need my rest!"

<Patching now!> R4 beeped while Kaul sighed what does the big guy want this time?

Tren Chaar , Artemis Toth , Qellene Tyliame , Leon Gallo

 

[Maijan Paisea]

TASK FORCE XESH

THE ILLUSIONIST
|| JEDHAMOUR GRIEVE ||
JEDHA | UNMARKED LOCATION | SIA BLACKSITE
Valery Noble | Boluc Laar

"Boom."​

The Xesh handler's final words, before the walls and floors ripped up around and from beneath them bounced back and forth in Maijan's mind. Her brain felt too big for her skull, and her hands were trembling. Blood ran from her nose to her forehead. Her indestructible skin had probably saved her, but the areas where human flesh existed instead of gold were bruised and bloodied. Her lungs, also woefully human, collapsed and rose with desperate attempts to regulate breathing.

A war was happening between her nose and lungs. She rolled over, onto all fours. Her lungs wanted air out, her nose wanted air in. It erupted into a fit of coughing that produced a mix of blood and spittle and she clawed her way further past the edge of the exploded site.

From where she and Boluc had been, by design, they'd been remarkably less harmed than any within the centre of the site.

"What did you do..." Maijan whimpered, rotating once again to sit and draw her knees up to her chest. Her arms gripped one another, wrapping around her legs. The Black Site, a rumoured location, had been reduced to dust. "The Jedi, Xesh Six..therrre werrre still..."

Words died on her lips, and she stared out at the smoke and flames. The Force rolled through the space, offering little back to the maestro of the White Current.

In addition to the crippling sensation within her chest that hampered her breathing, her heart was growing hard. Hateful.

"Is anybody out here? If you can hear me, please call out to me!"

Her golden gaze lifted from the space just at the edge of her toes to the rubble. The sound of distress carried over the flattened facility and Maijan felt her lungs tighten as she prepared to holler back.

No, she couldn't yell. If she yelled, Boluc would just see to it that the Jedi died.

Instead, she flicked her wrist, sending a cascading ripple through The Force that beckoned the Master in their direction, or away. Some sort of indication that she was not alone, but that Maijan wasn't clear on how much danger lingered.

Friendly fire could be dangerous.

---

​

​

 

[Traden Avarice]

Location: New Jedha
Tags: Jax Thio Marlon Sularen (open)


The city grew closer in the viewport of the medical transport, and although he was staring out across the ravished city below him, he was lost in his own world of thought. Traden's gaze was deeply focused, as if he was looking for something... He shifted his weight slightly in his small chair.

His thoughts were lost in orbit somewhere in the past, circling carefully around the memory of his late wife, Reme. Her long golden hair... her bright, contagious laugh... her intense gaze that always seemed to cut right through him, seeing even the deepest parts of himself that he tried so hard to keep hidden.

It had only been a month since the Brother of the Maw had executed their attack Coruscant, devastating the city... and his life... forever. She had died in an explosion, protecting their 8 year old daughter Kita from the blast with her own body. He had been off world, on another assignment...

He would never forgive himself. And he would never forgive the ones responsible for this.

The shuttle set down, snapping him back to reality. He took in a quick breath, grabbing his leather jacket with one hand as he stood up with the medical staff to exit the vehicle. As he exited the shuttle, he saw chaotic commotion everywhere as doctors and nurses were rushing to help the wounded of the city. He stepped off the shuttle, pulling a cigarette from his jacket pocket and lighting it, taking in a deep pull, letting the tobacco take the edge off his nerves as he released a cloud of smoke with a calming sigh.

"...Really?!" A doctor exclaimed at the Jedi as he briskly walked past him. Traden realized that it probably wasn't the best place to light up from the doctors reaction, and so he put the cigarette out using the blaster rifle that was strapped to his side,

"Oh... sorry mate..." He said to the back of the doctors head, tossing the rest of it away with a flick of his fingers.

Traden walked out of the hangar bay and towards the city, where he found a speederbike abandoned on the side of the road. He looked around, seeing if there was anyone around, then swung his leg over and straddled it. He smashed open the panel with his fist, fiddling with the wiring until...

VVVrrrrrrrmmmmm....

It roared to life. He took another quick look around to see if anyone was coming running... although he highly doubted anyone cared with the state of the entire city being what it was.

Nothing.

He placed both hands on the controls and roared off towards the center of the city, through the debris and rubble, the wind in his hair, his eyes squinting in the smokey air.

He was looking for someone in particular... a Jedi that he had barely had an acquaintance with ... a Jedi named Jax Thio . He had been asked to discover the fate of the Jedi as no-one had seen or heard from him since the attacks had begun on Jedha.

Suddenly, Traden spotted some movement on a building up ahead of him. He squinted, trying to discern if it was a possible threat. But as he drew closer, it looked like it was a wounded Jedi, stumbling around on the roof top and moving precariously close to the edge of the roof...

"What a kriffin idiot!" He exclaimed in surprise as the Jedi suddenly tumbled head-long over the edge, falling towards his death. Traden furrowed his eye brows as he opened the throttle wide to try to make it to the Jedi in time.

Not going to make it!

Traden let out a mighty yell as adrenaline filled his body. He pulled on the force for assistance, leaping off the speeder towards the falling Jedi who was now just one moment away from striking the ground. He reached out towards him with both hands, using the force to stop the Jedi in mid-air. He hovered for a split second above the ground before...

BAM!!

Traden slammed into him. His full attention had been on keeping him from striking the ground, so he had been unable to divert any attention to stop the impact from occurring. The two tumbled to the ground.

"Brilliant... Kriffin' Brilliant..." Traden mumbled sarcastically as he slowly pulled himself up from the street. Suddenly...

BAM!!

The speederbike, which had luckily been able to slow down quite a bit since its driver had leapt off of it moments earlier, slammed into his legs with the last momentum it had, sending Traden cartwheeling backwards over the bike and landing back on his face on the street.

Traden lay there... fuming at the blasted Jedi that he had just saved. His body was soar all over. He let out a soft groan as he pulled himself over to the building and leaned his back up against the wall, resting the back of his head against the building. He fumbled in his jacket for another cigarette, but as he pulled out the container, he realized that all of them had been completely flattened or broken in the midst of everything.

"...Brilliant..." He said with frustration, tossing them away. "You owe me a kriffin SMOKE, mate." He said without looking at the Jedi. He hadn't seen the wound in his face yet.

 

[Boluc Laar]

X E S H _ O N E
TASK FORCE XESH
JEDHA | SIA BLACKSITE
Maijan Paisea | Valery Noble

Felt like he was lost in time, after the explosives that raged through the complex by his own thumb. The kinetic force of the explosion knocked him out for some time, his armor compromised as the armor plates surrounding his chest were broken and corroded. Wasn't enough to prevent his body from bruising and large bits of his skin torn with dry blood caked on him. What was more worrying was his lungs as they cried for a wave of fresh air. They got what they wanted as the SIA agent rose from where he laid and limped away several feet to calm his lungs with the elements that comprised air.

That was the only thing he cared about until it wasn't anymore.

Maijan.

She defied him once, and she defied him again? He grew tired of her insubordination ever since he took command of Xesh. Nothing else mattered to him, not if they had lost or succeeded in dissuading the Maw's assault. The dead within the destroyed Blacksite bared little weight to him, feeling no regret for what he had done.

His mission was complete.

Now it was time to tie up loose ends.

On his feet he limped over to Maijan, taking advantage of her blindside.

"Didn't think you were a Jedi lover," and threw a punch at her face, putting in all of his weight that it was enough to fall down whether his punch missed or not.

"The hell were you thinking?!" Forcing out every ounce of air to yell out that sentence as he coughed, longing for air.

"Is anybody out here? If you can hear me, please call out to me!"

To his disappointment, there were survivors when it was only supposed to be him and Mai to survive the onslaught.

Looks like more blood would be on his hand as he had every intention to eliminate any and all survivors.

'Mai...did you hear that?"

 

[Kalie Alverez]

MISSION CODENAME: MUNDET
LOCATION: PONEMAH TERMINAL (REFUGEE CAMP)
DESIGNATION: SENATOR OF LUJO
CLASSIFICATION: UNDERCOVER
ACTIVE AGENT: KALIE ALVEREZ
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: OBJECTIVE ONE: I HATE SAND
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: PRESENT AID AS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE KOBITANA FOUNDATION
COVER ALIAS: TIRESH KOBITANA
TAGS: OPEN!

CURRENT PERSONA: TIRESH KOBITANA - SENATOR OF LUJO

​

"Excuse me... Senator Kobitana..." Tiresh looked up at her aid who was motioning at another shuttle that was approaching quickly, "That's the last one of ours."

"Thank you." Tiresh nodded, "Make sure this family gets one of the temporary shelters please..." She patted the shoulder of the young girl who was embracing her leg, whos mother and father she had just been comforting due to the loss of their son.

"Yes mam." The aid turned to welcome the shuttle as Tiresh turned back to the grieving family. She paused, furrowing her eyes in a show of genuine sympathy, "Please, let me know if there is anything else you need. All of the hearts of the Galactic Alliance grieve with you today." They nodded, tears still streaming down their face as they solemnly thanked the Senator and continued to move forward in line to receive their supplies.

The docking station was very noisy, with the engines of supply shuttles and the murmuring of hundreds of displaced refugees, while aids called and tried to organize everyone the best they could. Tiresh was here primary on behalf of the Kobitana foundation, a representative of her father, providing needed and timely aid in the wake of the attacks on Jedha. This would also be her first public appearance since being inaugurated as Senator of her home planet, Lujo. She had been on many aid distribution runs such as this one, but today she felt a knot in the pit of her stomach... a sense of anxiety as to what might be expected of her as a representative of the Galactic Alliance.

Heavy.

"Hi there!" She quickly turned to see her father, Marovik Kobitana, walking over to her briskly, a smile on his rough face as he had not seen her since the inauguration. She quickly smiled and embraced him, "Father! So good to see you!" She exclaimed. He pulled her from him and looked her over, "I do say... you can definitely pull the whole senator thing off..." he gave her a wink, "Just promise me you won't become too much like one!"

She laughed, "No promises!" She pointed to a staging area, "We are ready for your presentation over there." He nodded, looking back over the line of refugees, "Speaking of politicking..." He turned and winked at her again as she rolled her eyes, "Yeah, not my favorite part of the job... but hey... at least this should raise more awareness and support, right?" He patted her on the shoulder as they both made their way over for the pictures, "heh... I'm just messing with you buddy... you know that."

They were greeted by a swarm of holoreporters and flashing lights. Tiresh and Marovik walked up onto the stage and took the center light. Behind them was a large pile of supplies, along with a hundred refugees and support workers. Marovik turned around and put his hands together, bowing in honor of the refugees. Many returned the gesture. He then turned towards the lights.

"It is with a heavy heart that I stand before you here today!" He shouted out, his voice echoing throughout the large open space, the reporters listening and recording every word, "But in these unstable times, we must come together and help each-other to rebuild... to survive... to thrive once again! And we at the Kobitana foundation, we believe in people... and we believe in the Galactic Alliance! We will rise up against this new enemy in unity, and we will refuse to leave each-other behind in the wake of darkness!" He looked over and nodded at Tiresh, who cleared her throat nervously and took a step forward,

"The people of Lujo will stand with the people of Jedha in their grief, in their pain, and in their crisis! And we believe in a better and brighter future, together!" They both put their hands together in front of themselves and bowed solemnly. Everyone behind followed suit. Applause began to ring out throughout the crowed as Tiresh and Marovik turned and began to offer their comfort to the refugees, however it was not a joyful or celebratory moment in the least.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Jedha​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Maijan Paisea | Boluc Laar ​

​

Valery had called out for survivors, but she heard no reply at all. She knew for a fact that others had been inside the facility before it blew up, so the lack of response was concerning to her. But as she kept walking, an answer finally came in the form of a signal through the Force. ​

​

She felt the ripple and stopped in her tracks, needing a moment to process it. ​

​

Someone was out there, but it seemed some kind of danger was nearby as well. It explained why there was no verbal answer to her earlier question. So as a precaution, Valery ignited one of her two lightsabers and held it low by her side while she moved in the direction she was being called towards. ​

​

With a slow and careful approach, she made her way over to the source, only to spot a man and woman - they looked to be arguing, fighting even. She could tell they weren't from the Maw, but there was something strange about the man in particular. The feeling she got from him through the Force almost felt like a warning. ​

​

"Please identify yourself," Valery said as she stepped away from some debris she had been using as cover. She now had her lightsaber drawn into a defensive guard and looked between the two figures while she tried to understand what their intentions were. ​

​

Were they simply survivors as well, or was there a reason to keep an eye on them?​

​

 

[Mishel Kryze]

​

It had probably, most likely had been the longest Mishel was able to meditate in the battlefield without a single piece of debris flying toward her. She could only hope that it had been enough, of course, there was sand - it was coarse, and got everywhere. Jokes aside, she rose to her feet and surveyed her surroundings, the Sith had worked to do their best to destroy it. Their best hadn't been enough from what she could see. Right, let's try this whole joining an actual Jedi Order thing again. Then she recalled the news about the NJO recently. Or at least hang out around the ones, not convicted of war crimes.

Although, she supposed, without actual galactic legislation there was no such thing as a war crime. Jedi have always been stuck in the mire. Good thing I'm not a Jedi. Just a light-leaning Force User. Mishel had left the burlap sack of the typical Jedi ensemble somewhere else, she looked and passed more for a Corellian gunslinger than anything else. The city itself wasn't too far off, and she figured they might need a hand, or two. There would be new faces to meet and people who wouldn't know her past and for that she would be grateful.

Surely the Alliance had a backup plan for the people here. Jedha City itself looked like it needed more than just a little TLC as she wandered in. The trek into the city had been long, but nothing she hadn't experienced before. The pain was just another aspect of the Force and one she could use later on. Exhaustion was starting to kick in, but Mishel refused to give in so easily.