War, What is it good for? Absolutely Nothing! (Invasion of The Silken Asteroids) [Crusade + Horde]

[Garza]

SILKEN ASTEROIDS​

MOROSS CRUSADE vs. THE HORDE​

Adjusting the closed helmet that was on my face, I was grinning like a fool. After the safe return and extraction of the Val'Kar species from the Silken Asteroids, the faction power know as the Horde had taken it over. They claimed it as one of their planets where they happened to work on nuclear systems. Should hey be working on weapons, new technologies, or even just a state of the art reactor that reduced poisoning, I really could care less. It mattered none for me. However it may have some importance to the Horde.

Over the span of a week, the Moross Crusade had sent Val'kar who were loyal to us to spy on the Plant. Watching their every move, and even sending people in drop ships to be on the asteroid before the fight was to even start. it would be the most effective way to get a mass amount of troops in a small amount of time. I did not know how many troops were sent out, but enough to take on the military stationed here on the asteroid. This plan was also a way to keep the fighting on the asteroids themselves, rather than in the space between. There could have been many a mishaps if that were to occur. When we take over, or destroy the facility, we take out their major reason for being here.

Dressed in the appropriate attire of having a battle on a non atmospheric body in space, I was wearing one of the armored space suits that had been given to almost all of the Crusades military force. While most of them had blaster rifles, pistols, maybe even grenades. I only carried my beskad as a weapon. Under the suit I found it surprising that my Alchemy bracers could fit. and wore them. On my left arm was a brace on the outside of the suit. it looked plain and only as a fashion statement. However, it was truly an Echani Dueling shield.

The time had come for us, The Moross Crusade, to fight. And we we going to beat our rather rude neighbors, to the punch. Leading a full on assault was not what I had planed to do, but yet I was in a drop ship that was manned with other who were willing to fight for our Gods and Goddess. I heard many were praying to Ithari, Kalee, or Salee. Some even to Erobos! However, I did not at the moment. I was too focused as we were nearing the location of the nuclear plant on the Silken asteroids. Where our assault would take place. Holding onto a strap above my head, I stood with others ready to drop us off.

I felt nervous. I had faced people before. I had faced the mother of all Sithspawn. but to go directly and attack the nuclear power plant against an almost unknown culture of people, I was clearly nervous. being a Disciple of the Crusade, I had a group of men that would be under my command. And keeping a clear and determined face was an example to them and how they should act. I once remembered my brother, a conversation we had.

"Are you scared of joining the military?"
"Yes, in so many ways I am."
"Then why don't you look like it?"
"Because those who act strong in the face of fear, are the most powerful beings in the Galaxy."

His words echoed in my perfect ears. I calmed myself down, and readied myself. Over my Com system, I heard the pilot speak, "We have a Post up ahead, This is the dropoff point, good Luck Lady Marix." I did not return any words. The pilot let the ship down. A group of men walked out from their little cabin, and began to raise their weapons at the ship. I walked out with two other men of the ship. Meeting the men halfway. The one off to my right demanded our answers.

"Why are you here? Who are you? and what is your purpose here?" I was looking down at the ground. not paying attention. Almost like a child. As the man step forwards, speaking again, "I said what are yo- Umph!' My right hand had shot to his stomach as I drew my blade. The Beskad went through and through his body as the other two men with me, did the same but with daggers. I then whispered into the man's ears, "We are here to kill you and destroy the Horde."

I pulled my blade from his chest with a sickening sound, and proceeded to cut his head clean off.

War is now imminent.



1. Maximum 2 alts per writer.
2. Maximum 10 allies per faction. All participating allies MUST sign in at the Invasion OOC thread.
3. PVP focus - minimal fleeting with a maximum of 4000m per faction. Fleeting does not determine the outcome of the invasion but can affect the enviroment and thus effect PVP battles.
4. Armies are background noise only. Controlled groups must be kept to tactful numbers 30-100 troops tops per person.
5. All complaints or issues between players must be resolved by speaking to your opponent's writer. If a solution cannot be found, faction admins must then be notified. Board staff should be used as a last resort.

You may now resume posting. Please guys, this thread is for FUN. Don't bicker and argue.

Moross crusade Mercs
1. [member="Jared Ovmar"]
2. [member="Hannibal Oryen"]
3. [member="Azalus"]
4. [member="Neskar A'toll"]
5. [member="Darth Kentarch"]
6. [member="HK-36"]
7. [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
8. [member="Evelynn"]

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Asteroid Hangar Bay
[member="Stone Hermes"]
Soliael unlike so many others would have did not arrive with an army at his back. He did not come with a mass of soldiers or fighters. He instead came with his most devoted, his most loyal. He came with the Vali, and he came with the Resu. As he stepped off one of the transports a loud clatter and clang of metal on metal could be heard as the creatures quickly spread out, cutting and goring their way through anything and everything that they could find.

He took no pleasure in slaughter, no comfort in killing.

He was here for his people, for the slight that had been carried out against them. The mask over his face hid his frown as he watched his followers kill and maim the Vong and others aboard the asteroids main hangar deck, he did nothing to hold them back.

“The Crusade has come.” Soliael whispered to himself as he walked into the hangar, seemingly unarmed and unarmored except for two thick gauntlets on his hand.

The God wondered who would come for him.

 

[Antoir Setrrin]

OOC: Ignore.

 

[Mercury Zealot]

[member="Soliael Devin Talith"]

His Savoir, His Giver of Life and Power, the All Knowing, The Keeper of Everything, His God.

The Hulking Mass of Stone Hermes shivered with all the things a reverend thought. His metal prongs clanging against each other, as his naked yet armored form lumbered next to his Everything. He was an Archivist, a devoted to Neth. He was an Elite, the most faithful of his race and creed. He kept his blade low, and his head lower, tusks pointed down with a gaping mouth. The electric cackle of excitement ran from tooth to toot, to tusk, to sword, to spikes, to foot. He was positively charged with reverence. His blade itched to meet organic blood, and infect it with its religious metals. His flesh would become theirs, and his faith would fill them from toe to crown. Every being he slaughtered would be rid of heathen consciousness, and replaced with devoted programming, no longer shackled to illusion but bonded to the essence of faith. He would save them... HE WOULD SAVE THEM ALL!

His said no words to the god he could feel by his side, his presence was enough for understanding. The electric signature of the artifact the God carried, shouted his name across all living Resu, and it filled them with unbeatable zeal. The metal beast before his charge, whipped his head out to the sky and ran lightning into the sky in the galaxies most unique roar. The Cry of Crusade! He charged forward with whatever counted as his organic adrenaline, enhanced by the strength Neth's specialized Techno-virus granted him. He would stick his blade through the guts of this bio-lovers and make them heathens to their own religion, he would make them scraps of droid in his wake of brutal destruction!

Racing through the crowd of his fellow Zealots, the former cripple sought to out do everyone here, enemy, ally, adjacent gods; he would out kill them all! On this he swore it, in the name of Neth the One Over Realm Resu! His poison blades, and pointy edges, was one of the first to draw the blood of the revolting Vong. Almost immediately after his foot crushed the Vong's sunken corpse, its body began to change, morph, and tear itself apart into some metallic contraption in the image of his technological form. Twas the power of those changed after all, and he would befall all that he over came with it!

None were safe in the sight of Neth, under the His Hand of Resu.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

Alexandra whistled as soldiers ran and bombs exploded, the sounds of war and the death of those, but mostly the fear, oh the fear that came with war. It was an intoxicating feeling that she had been consumed with due to her own abilities of which she turned towards enveloping her own power and fueling herself as she used the force. She waited with blades in hand, though they were turned off, watching the landing pad and waiting for a challenge to the power that she had grown to improve, a challenge to the bladesmenship that she had learned, to challenge her control of fear and to use its power. She would wait.

 

[Dredge]

Coming out of hyper space the horde fleet immediately responded to the crises that was the silken asteroids coming under fire. In his personal star destroyer the Dread Lord he and the rest of his ships pulled onto the far side of the battle to form their defensive perimeter. They weren't going to bother saving the nuclear facility as it was worthless. But they were going to focus on leveling everything the crusade had come here to do.

Sitting in his command chair Dredge ordered the ships into a defensive ring before opening fire upon the asteroids and the nuclear facility itself. The artillery frigates focused on destroying the the facility while the rest the asteroids and the Moross fleet.

Raising his hand dredge ordered his people to move forward and begin the attack on the enemies fleet. He wished to see them all burn and it would be made so by the horde and their allies.

Ranator class star destroyer
Dread Lord

Azulas class flak frigate
Nexu Tango
Danger Doom

Adamantine class artillery frigate
Grod's Wings
Leather neck

 

[Dredge]

[member="Ven'Rain Sekairo"] [member="Soliael Devin Talith"] [member="Zoey Marix"]

 

[Davin Jusik]

Vincent was sitting aboard his Master's Star Destroyer when the call came in. It was time to make good on their new alliance. The Jedi turned Sith gave a slight sigh and pulled himself up from the comfortable couch he'd been laying on in the Pilots Rec Room. His fellow Squadron Six members dropped what they were doing and began to put on their gear, suiting up for combat.

"Alright gents, get your poodoo together, get to the hangar, let's kill tag some bogies for the Empire." Vincent told his squad as they silently prepared. The newest member, a replacement to the pilot lost during the joint Vong/Empire invasion, was looking nervous. He had every reason to be. The Empire was trying to get back on it's feet and the boy was getting ready to fly into combat for the first time.

"Remember your training. You'll do fine." Vincent said to the young pilot as he placed and locked his atmo helmet into place. The pilot gave a nod and steeled his expression, now wasn't the time for cowardice.

Jusik and his pilots ran to the hangar and hopped into their ships, prepping for launch upon the Emperor's command.

 

[Darth Vulcanus]

The New Order ​

"They shall join us, or die" ​

​

​

Vulcanus had gathered a following of those who knew the true path, those who wished to bestow order, peace and balance to the galaxy through the iron fist of the Sith and their darkside prowess. Already old followers of the Sith Empire had flocked to his calling as well as new faces and acolytes with the potential to become his new enforcers, much like Vader during the time of Palpatine. The New Order had yet to establish a solid home and were frequently seen within their biggest ally's territory, that of the Dredge's Horde. Recently, the Former Dark Lord of the Sith Empire had been feeling a disturbance in the force. Something was in motion that would see to it that the Horde found itself under attack but from who or what had been uncertain...until now. Alarm bells sounded around the Xo'Xan Star Destroyer as reports of enemy attack began to flood the communications channels.

Vulcanus had already been on the bridge, his sulfuric eye studying the void of space when the red warning lights flooded the room and the sirens blared. "Emperor Vulcanus, ground reports are coming in from the Vong and they are saying they are under attack! Overlord Dredge has already begun his engagement of the enemy!"

Krag didn't move at first, he just grinned and looked off into space as if in his own little fantasy world. "Deploy all fighters and prepare the ship to fire upon the enemy." Vulcanus commanded as he spun around and marched for the door, passing the ship's captain as he did, "The ship is yours to command now captain, do not fail me."

"Of course not, my lord!" The captain replied with a sharp salute, not daring to eyeball Krag as he marched out of the bridge and headed for the hanger.

 

[Saera Willamina Savan]

THE HORDE
Ri'essi Orbital Ring
ETA 50 Minutes
Preparing & Negotiating

The new changes were hard to settle down to. Saera was sitting in a plush velvet armchair lined in electrum trim and gold leaf. The office of the orbital yard ring was quite the luxury suite; almost twenty square meters around, cryastium alloyed desk, corusca chandeliers, crystalline glassteel tables, fine mahogany chairs and bookshelves in terentatek-bound books with gold leaf print, embroidered shimmersilk carpeting in the mosaic of the great Matriarchal Goddess Ri'ess herself, tons of titanium Mnenchei sabers lining racks on the walls and the most beautiful of the large world below on the horizon from the ring itself. Saera was never one for luxuries, but such a wealthy and quickly-growing business had such things. She'd figured this was how her mother got spoiled, but she didn't really care for it. She had the Crystal Heart; she was humble and content.
News had arrived on her crystal desk's holomonitor about a recent attack on the Silken Asteroids. As her mother was there, the news was no hard object to come by, especially thanks to all of mommy Ashelotte's attempts to snoop through her other's personal data long ago in the past. Saera was a Templar first and foremost, but it was about her beloved parents. She could help, but it would come at a steep cost. She couldn't just act impulsively anymore. She had responsibilities. The girl patched a line back through and to [member="Enigma"].
"Mom. Hey. I hear you could use some help. I see that mercenaries are flocking over this already, what's going on? If it's bad, I can bring a detachment but it will cost them a lot and rights to access Aurum's resources."

Edit: Fixed broken tag.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Asteroid Hangar Bay
[member="Stone Hermes"] [member="Supreme Overlord Dredge"]
Soliael rolled his eyes as a man walked up behind him and spoke.

“My lord, they're firing on the Asteroids. They most likely intend on total destruction.”

Soliael gave out a loud sigh. Oh what foolish little creatures the Vong were. Destruction for Deconstructions sake solved absolutely nothing. The Vong of old would have tried to decimate Moross, then used their unique bio-technology to vongform the insides of the massive Silken asteroids. It seemed however that this bunch was not quite intelligent enough to think of that plan, a pity.

As the False God turned on his heel to step back onto his transport ship a massive Vong Warriors charged at him. The alien rushed at him, only to be met with the swift hand of one of Soliael's techno-beast creations. A Vali impaled the creature through a weakpoint in its Vonduun Crab Armor, the Vong making gurgling noises as it died.

“Stone!” Soliael called out to his most loyal follower. “Bring your best. We go to the Vong's Flagship.”

The False god would take care of this little incursion by cutting off the head of the Yuuzhan Vong army. That was how they worked. His father had been a large follower of their culture, and in turn Soliael had learned quite a bit about how the Yuuzhan Vong functioned.

Turned out it was quite a bit like a snake.

The false god stepped onto his transport, waiting for the Rasu to join him.

 

[Kung Seilois]

Seilois paced back and forth on the bridge of the destroyer, Dread Lord. His eyes watching out the glass as the fleets came closer together, and the Horde ships began to fire upon their own asteroids. He was not in command, nor involved with most of the tactical planning of this combat, and space combat on such a scale was beyond him as he was a soldier, not a starship captain. Still, it seemed odd that the Vong were destroying their own territory and showing no desire to fight back, he had heard reports, scattered reports of an assault on a Nuclear installation on one of the Asteroids, but it didn't look like the Overlord had plans on taking it back conventionally.

He moved out of the way of a distracted Vong as he walked by to give the Dread Lord's captain a new report. As far as Seilois was concerned, he was getting paid no matter what, if they wished to have him stationed on this destroyer until he was needed then so be it. Turning to once more stare out at the great expanse of space as lights and explosions raged on ahead of him; he could not help but feel inconsequential to this, mostly, naval engagement.

[member="Supreme Overlord Dredge"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

AZALUS-CLASS FRIGATE 'PLAERYIN'
HORDE SIDE
IN THE ASTEROIDS

"So, gentlemen," said Ember as he took the helm controls of the frigate. "How're the skies today?"

He had thousands of hours piloting small capships. Many, many thousands over many, many years. A frigate that handled like a light transport? He couldn't resist.

The ship was nice enough. Nice place. Decent crew - no Vong. He'd been specific about an experienced merc crew. He also couldn't help wondering how all these soldiers of fortune could split one point six mil, plus the latest five hundred kay.

But there was plenty of time for that after the battle was won. Not that he had much use for the Horde, but a defensive fight was a defensive fight, and money was money.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

Alexandra's eye shot upwards, the horde was shooting upon their own asteroids the morons. She sighed and took to her own fighter, running among the troops and feeding on their fear before pulling herself into the Dread Class Light Fighter before shooting for the sky and to the Crusade ships, falling in with a group of ships that marked themselves by their own path, Emperor Vulcanus, a man she had at one time cursed and now fell in with against the crusade. "[member="Darth Vulcanus"], if you can hear this my name is Alexandra Cinthra, i will be escorting your troops and landing with them. Dont worry about my abilities, i can pilot this ship as well as the next man and once we land fight better than most."

 

[HK-36]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

A streak of light was seen somewhere off to the planet as a single ship entered the atmosphere, it was the Siege Tower, an adventuring Nebulon B7 frigate of the Protectorate.



As the frigate entered the system it sent a transmission to the Moross commanders, [member="Soliael Devin Talith"] [member="Zoey Marix"], a rather simple transmission, it read,

"Moross Crusade, this is Iron Company frigate the Siege Tower, arriving with reinforcements as negotiated over contract, over."



Meanwhile, inside the ship's bowels were a gathering of soldiers, many clad in standard variants of Omega's Power Armor fewer of them were seen in the heavy variant of the same armor, four figures among them, excluding HK himself, wore flowing grey cloaks that cascaded off of their shoulders, they were the Iron Knights, veteran mercenaries of the Protectorate, used to wars and battles by now under command of their droid leader. Alarms in the hangar blared and pilots hurried to dropships and escort fighters as the transmission from the ship's bridge came through to HK.

"We have arrived."

HK just nodded simply,

"Copy that."

Before he looked to his soldiers. Moving over onto a nearby crate of ammunition so that he would be seen by all of his troops he spoke up.



"Vong are horrible beings. The nature of our allies is questionable as well, to be honest, however, the Vong are much greater evil, I have seen their destruction, you have as well, their bombardment of Eriadu's city, covering civilian buildings in fires of their plasma. We have struck back against them that day and they ran into covers of gas and flames, many of them meeting unfortunate end. We were victorious that day."

The troopers cheered at the memory of successful battle on the planet of Eriadu,

"Their tactics are similar to those of Bando Gora, and that did not end well for the Bando Gora."

The troops cheered once more,

"Their armor is tougher, but our bolters have cracked it before. They command huge beasts of hellish nature, but we have took them down before. They use serpents that cut through metal like lightsabers, but even they perished in barrage of our guns. We have overcame them before, we can do so again."

HK would activate his white lightsaber, raising the blade, aura of the lightside emanating from it,

"Iron Knights, my companions and friends, today we aid to protect the Galaxy, may we live through this day."



While HK was giving his little pep-talk, the Siege Tower fell in into the formation of other Moross ships, no need to be sticking out alone when the battle was about to begin. All they were waiting now was a signal from one of the Moross leaders. The normal Iron Company troops were armed with MK II Boltguns while the heavier troops carried MK 1 Boltguns and common military flamethrowers.

All in all, 350 meters of ship length and about 100 troops.

 

[Vereor]

The pale-skinned near-human Sith remained on the bridge of the star destroyer even after the departure of the Emperor, [member="Darth Vulcanus"]. From the reports, and the view-screens, it was obvious that the Yuuzhan Vong were firing upon the asteroids and the nuclear reactors built within them, and would be rather foolish to attend such a party. The fireworks from where he observed would have been a spectacular sight, filled with the bones and bodies of Crusaders and collateral damaged Vong.
An obvious tactic of the fanatic Horde was to destroy all in their path, leave nothing but chaos and dust as they trampled their way through the galaxy. Firing upon their own reactors was a clear choice for their leadership, [member="Supreme Overlord Dredge"].

And so it seemed befitting that Vereor stood on the bridge of the Xo’Xan star destroyer the combatants of the New Order arrived, watching the decimation of both sides from behind a transparisteel window. Fingers joined behind his back while the dark cloak fell, concealing them from vision.
Even as a Master of the Sith, Vereor dared not make eye contact with the hulking mass of flesh that strode out from the bridge, and only when the smell of Graug had dispersed did he feel more at ease. He was a fresh face in this new galaxy that had been overturned by war, but even he – due in part to the latter half of his life being in the Order of the Sith – knew the importance of hierarchy. Without it nothing functioned. Without it there was no order or no peace.

 

[Darth Vulcanus]

[member="Alexandra Cinthra"]

As Vulcanus marched down the halls the intercom burst open and the captain reported that their was a message coming through for the Emperor of the New Order. "Let me hear it then" Vulcanus boomed and the captain answered by playing the message through to the Graug Warlord. The voice was familiar to the warlord, though he wasn't sure why. She must have been with the Horde, or perhaps just a mercenary the answer was unclear at the moment.

"Then so be it, but do not fail my warriors or there will be no government that can hide you from my wraith."

____ Meanwhile on the Bridge of Vulcanus's Xo'Xan_____
[member="HK-36"]

The captain of the New Order ship stood on the bridge with his hands crossed behind his back, his eyes studying the battlefield when a Omega Protectorate ship entered among the fleets of the Crusade. So, the Omega Pyre had decided to come to the aid of those who wished not to abide by the strict code of order that the great Emperor Vulcanus had put forth? So be it then, they would die like all the rest. Turning to his men, the captain calmly gave his orders.


"All batteries to front, decimate that frigate and leave no signs of the Omega Protectorate in the Horde's skies"

"Yes sir, turning all batteries to front" the lieutenant responded, his eyes shifting to his screen to be sure that all batteries were locking onto the Omega Protectorate vehicle.

 

[Darth Ayra]

Darth Ayra had been stood on the observational deck of the Xoxaan-class Star Destroyer, admiring the stars. Hands to her sides, the Sith Marauder wore a Sith robe that hung over her body, the hems inches from the metal beneath her combat boots. She had been stood there for a long time, mostly since her duel with [member="Darth Vulcanus"] in the Temple of Ancients on Lehon. It was like the blonde, pale haired fury was waiting for something to happen.

It was then, that ships broke out of hyperspace and the battle began.

Ayra turned away from the transparisteel screen and descended down the flight of stairs onto the walkway that led to a set of blaster doors. Lifting a hand to the side, she commanded them to retract into the ceiling. As they did so, several officers stormed into the bridge oblivious to her. Moving past them and over the threshold of the doors, she navigated her way along the hallways and decks to her quarters, where she opened the doors and stepped inside. Quickly, she undressed herself, removing her outer Sith robes onto the bed and out of her combat uniform, selecting the Durasteel Armor on the wall. When she was inside of the plating, she covered herself with the same uniform she had been dressed in before, rising up to study herself in a mirror.

Satisfied that she would be purely protected in the fire fight, she then placed a set of ear plugs and put them in. They were currently unsealed and would only activate when the decibels around Ayra became too high, blocking any noise that would harm her. Then she placed a pair of gloves over her hands and turned to the black, shoulder strap bag that held her WESTAR M5 blaster rifle and the ammunition for it. Accompanying the rifle were several grenades ranging from frag, explosive, smoke, flash, incinerate and cryro-freeze.

Her final kit check were of the items on her person. An utility belt was held around her waist, which had her Lightsaber, Saberstaff, disruptor pistols, combat knives and three clips of ammunition for the pistols, one of which was on her waist, the other strapped to her left leg on the side, which blended in neatly with the black combat trousers it held itself on. She rose up from the ground after checking that the combat knife on her right ankle was secure and wrapped her hand around the strap of her bag. She placed it around her shoulders and neck, then turned into the doors and joined the legions of officers that were moving about as the battle waged on.

It was one of the transports that were being deployed to the asteroid where [member="Soliael Devin Talith"] and others were fighting on that Ayra found herself to be. She unzipped the bag whilst it rested on the ground to pull out her rifle and perform a kit check on it as well. Satisfied that it was in pristine condition, she loaded a clip of ammunition into it's chambers and selected a frag grenade to load in it's grenade launcher. Switching the safety off, she rose with the shoulder strap bag back around her shoulders and neck, holding the rifle to her side one handed.

When the ramp lowered, Ayra was the first one to come out; and she came out shooting. Several of [member="Soliael Devin Talith"]'s creatures were gunned down by the Sith Marauder before she lifted the scope to find her first target. Darth Ayra was on the hunt and the Moross were her prey.

Force help them all.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

Alexandra smiled and responded as she heard the sith's voice. "I wont fail your troops or the force, the crusade shall fall before your men, your allies, and my blades Emperor." She pushed on teh accelerator, falling in and waiting for the transports that would carry [member="Darth Vulcanus"] and his troops to the enemy and destroy them before they posed a threat. While she did so she also ran defense of the Xo'Xaan against enemy bombers, her fighter curving in and out as it fired its four laser cannons, two medium two light, and burnt holes into the fanatic's bombers when she could.

 

[Hannibal Oryen]

SPACE, THE FINAL FRONTIER
SEKAIRO-CLASS STEALTH TRANSPORT

@[member="Neskar A'toll"] | @[member="Azalus"]

"Hrrrrrrrng."

Hannibal was no fighter ace. In fact, flying in the midst of space battles gave him a profound kind of anxiety. To the point where his usual snide remarks could no longer be vocalized. Only sustained, pained groans such as the one above. This wasn't like fighting on the ground. If people were shooting at him on the ground, at least there was a small chance that he would be wounded and captured as opposed to being killed. In space, that was a laughable scenario. When you shoot people, they fall down. Maybe wounded, maybe dead. When you shoot ships, they explode, and everyone on them dies. People thought being a bounty hunter was a dangerous job. Maybe. But, frankly, Hannibal was much more terrified of the prospect of being a naval ensign on a three-thousand meter long capital ship than rushing headlong into... I don't know, a drug den filled with murderous gangsters.

The transport banked hard, diving under a squadron of Coral Skippers, narrowly avoiding collision. Those were some big, ugly star destroyers the Vong had. Which kind of went against their whole shtick, but whatever. They sure as hell carried a lot of fighters. There was one Ranator in particular that Hannibal and his two friends were interested in. Namely, that of the apparent leader of the Horde- Judge Doomdeathhellfire. Or something. Hannibal might have only skimmed the mission briefing. Didn't matter though. He was being paid top dollar to do some soldiering, so top dollar soldiering was what he was going to do. Boarding a huge enemy command ship and roughing up the head honcho? That was top dollar soldiering right there.

Hannibal believed in teamwork. That was why his present company included a couple of bad-ass motherfethers. There was Neskar, a Mandalorian with no propensity for mercy, and Azalus, a mysterious gunslinger type who gave off bad Force mojo. Hannibal still didn't care for space wizards, but neither did Azalus, and so that was just fine. Only through the power of friendship and mutual badass-itude could the horrors of the Horde be overcome. They were drawing closer to Dredge's command ship now, as would become evident by the constant jerking of the stygium cloaked Sekairo. Hannibal trusted Azalus and neskar prefered turbulence over a head on collision.

He had better let them know they were almost there.

"Hrrrrrrrng."

Oh, right. Pilot anxiety.