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Yuroic had lost track of things during the training that when he finally accepted the comms link, he heard the shouts of people announcing the planet was under attack. However, Yuroic was more concerned about who attacked them. Likely the Galactic Empire, their attacks had increased in the recent months. He still had scars from the recent attack on Kessel. A strange move by them as the planet wasn't trading spices. Could it be the Sith Empire? Their influence expanded since the Dominion demise.
Yuroic Xeraic here, what is the situation? Do we know who is attacking? Is there anywhere I need to be? Yuroic tapped into the comlink attempting to communicate with anyone on planet or at the base. However, Yuroic spotted the explosion of a shield gate. This attack was dangerous, the people on the planet are at risk of accidental death. He rushed to the temple knowing that there were other Jedi inspecting the rebuilding. Better to inside a building than be out and at risk.
He tried sensing who were attacking, but he couldn't get a sense of anyone. It was strange and it filled Yuroic with dread. This obviously was an attack a long time in the making, however, why attack Ossus? It had been a failed attempt by the Galactic Empire and surely all other Factions realised that they had a strong defence on the planet. He was just glad that he wore his armour, even though he had left his helmet behind due to repairs needed to be done. It had taken him long enough to repair the rest of the armour from the Kessel skirmish.
The Lady Luck descended lazily through the stratosphere of Kulthis, shedding off height as it spiraled downward towards the spaceport. The Old YZ-775 creaked and groaned from the stresses of the atmosphere as they plunged, as if objecting to the abuse they were subjecting to the old ship. Coolly and calmly, Emilia turned the yoke, hastening the turn rate of the ship, and lowering the nose of the starship. Remember your atmospheric training, Emilia, she thought. Attitude controls airspeed, power control rate of descent. Landing on-planet was one of the more complex aspects of flying. Unlike the vast emptiness of deep space, the planets were full of hazards and traffic. It required complete concentration, without lapsing for even a moment.
6000 feet now. Emilia swept a quick look over her instruments, and increased engine power, slowing the rate of descent in preparation for a vertical landing. At the same time, the radio crackled to life. It was the FIV Audacity, announcing on the secure channel that the interdiction field had been laid down. Emilia smiled to herself. So far, everything was running smoothly, something that rarely occurred, and should be savoured.
Flicking a switch on the centre console of the cockpit, she deployed the landing gear. The, reaching over to the radios, she switched the frequency to Kulthis Spaceport Tower. Holding down the transmission button on the yoke, she spoke clearly and loudly. "Kulthis tower, Transport #223 on final approach to Pad 3" Shortly after came the reply. "Transport #233, you are clear to land on pad 3. Be advised one bay is already occupied by another transport." Emilia nodded to herself, and without skipping a beat she flicked the switch, returning to the First Order's secure frequency. Absent-mindedly, she punched the cipher into the decrypter. The advantage of the little machine was a far more secure messaging system, but it meant there was about a ten-second delay while it decoded the message. Once again she pressed the transmission button, this time addressing her allies in the First Order.
"Attention operatives of Fallen Angel. Be advised: The FOSB team is inbound to objective 1, the Kulthis Spaceport. ETA is 5 mikes. Primary objective is to damage and disable the facility. Expect a military response. FO operatives within the capital are advised to keep their heads down."
Turning her attention back to the ship, Emilia deftly maneuvered the spacecraft, Lowering it slowly towards the spaceport. The complex was by far the largest of its kind on the planet. It was a joint-military civilian operation housing most of Kulthis' smaller orbital defence craft, and serving the day-to-day traffic to and from Kulthis. It was divided into 6 hangar bays, arranged like spokes on a wheel, with the terminal in the centre. Two of the bays, 1 and 2, were reserved for military use, and had rows of fighters and military transports. Bay 3 was directly adjacent, and would be where they would detonate the ship, disabling the spaceport and likely destroying most of the military ships in the process.
The Lady Luck touched down softly in Bay 3, next to a Bora Class Freighter, and the cargo ramp was lowered. Emilia switched off the engines and rose out of her chair. There was no need to perform any checks, this ship had made its last flight. It was no longer a spacecraft, but a bomb. With a swish, the door opened, and two FOSB agents, fully clad in infiltration armour, stepped out into the sunshine. The border officer who'd been walking towards the ship froze, not sure how to react to seeing two stormtroopers stepping out of a civilian ship. They disposed of him ruthlessly and efficiently, two blaster shots to the chest. The two FOSB agents ran down the ramp, checking the area was clear. They had arrived. It was time to get to work.
The dim lighting aboard the bridge of the FIV Perilous provided a stark contrast to the viewport through which Commander Maxim peered. Their command had been to operate at a bare minimum, such was a task of ease for the hard faced man. Already the Commander carried a reputation for running his crew to the very edges of their ability. Commander Maxim had one of the highest number of drills run across the fleet. Locked in a constant state of readiness the crew had come to appreciate the severe edge to their commander. He was hard, but he was fair. Everyone knew they’d been given a second chance. Many of the crew’s current members had once been assigned aboard the FIV XXXXXXXX. Decimation had been their penance for the actions they’d taken. Those who remained had been assigned to Commander Maxim, and after several months of adjustment had fallen in with the rest, easily becoming one of the most capable crews in the fleet.
Unlike the smaller vessels, the 350 m hull of the FIV Perilous was far too large to fit within the craters of an asteroid however it had managed to nestle in dangerously close to a near 1km size hunk of space rock headed towards Ossus. In striking unison with the vessels all around him and within the rapidly approaching field of asteroids, Maxim moved into action. In a cinch the engines were roaring to life, the sound of several collision indicators sending the bridge crew into motion. The repeated fire incoming from the planetary forces around Ossus had begun chipping away at the field, shards and fragments of rock being blasted into the air. A most confusing tactic. On the one hand, Gerhard saw their aim, to destroy the rocks that might very well spell certain doom to those either on the surface or on the shield gates themselves but on the other they were creating a larger spread of incoming rocks and shards - it was a double edged sword. One which he would use to his advantage in any case.
Already the tactical readouts had begun splaying across the console before him, the holo-projection screen highlighting the bulk of the enemy forces it had identified in the short amount of time they'd been active. Behind the FIV Perilous, yet in the shadow of the asteroid rest its companion vessel, the slightly larger FIV Virulent. Attached to their small task force were the two Fortan II's, Heavy Corvette's bearing the very name of the Grand Moff. Their mission was simple. To sow chaos against their enemies, to throw the already somewhat beleaguered world into the very abyss which they deserved - and they did deserve it.
"Engage the tractors, execute phase I."
Gerhards gritty voice filled the bridge, a man of violent nature his eyes scanned the readouts once more. Behind him the voice of the XO could be heard, issuing orders over the comm, several bridge officers shuffled as they began executing their Commander's orders. As they began to operate in full swing the tractor beam activated, an invisible grasp tugging at the enormous rock before them. First the Perilous, then the Virulent. With their combined effort the rock shifted its trajectory, headed towards one of the shield gates. Already Commander Maxim could see Fleet Admiral Rausgeber's portion had already been executed. Like clockwork they forced their vessel's engines to the maximum, guiding the asteroid towards their designated gate. To waste two of the large rocks on a single shield gate would be folly, not only that, but it had the possibility of derailing the mission should they miscalculate. Under Commander Maxim however, that possibility was nearly nil.
A single transmission was made from the bridge of the FIV Perilous across the encrypted comm between the First Order vessels assigned to the raid.
:: FIV Menace, this is the FIV Perilous. Executing Phase I. Good hunting. ::
Cutting off the communication, Commander Maxim's eyes glared quickly towards his XO, a knowing nod in his direction. They had been a team nigh on eight years, each respecting the other not only as fellow officers, but as men. What they were about to unleash upon the occupants of this world was unfair perhaps, but fair didn't win wars, fair didn't bring order, fair didn't bring back the dead - and the dead were many. Hardening his expression, Gerhard spoke once more, his next command the one that would send the near 1 km hunk of raw space material hurling towards another gate.
The crew knew their duty, the Commander knew their mission. The only thing standing before them were the Jedi and allies of the Silver Jedi Order... *And upon their shoulders lies the cost of their own insolence, payment is due - and we have come to collect in full.* The Commander's internal thoughts were pushed aside as he keyed the vessel's internal comms in junction with the private encrypted channel between all four of the task force vessels under his command.
:: Ladies and gentlemen, we have crossed the threshold - your glory awaits! ::
With that final statement, the vessels of the small task force were cast free from the shadow of the asteroid, an aggressive wedge formation took form. Shields engaged, weapons already searching for targets, the vessels maintained their direction though at a minor tangent so they could observe the impact. Hell had been unleashed, and the FIV Perilous was Commander Maxim's chariot.
Location: An Asteroid Field Objective: Get through the Shield Gates. Allies: [member="Theo Katarn"], @The First Order, The Forsworn Legion. Enemies: @Everyone at Aegis Base, [member="Setzi Lunelle"]
The Supreme Commander's dropship rode through the void of space on the back of an asteroid towards the centre of the field that was redirected for the Jedi planet. Hundreds of dropships were likely facing the same thing they were as the Silver Jedi sought to destroy the asteroids that struck the planet. Ultimately, turbolasers wouldn't actually destroy asteroids, but rather create more fragments of rock that traveled through space at dangerous speeds. Much of the defenses they had in place were merely creating more asteroids.
All it would serve to do was create more confusion in space.
"It's about to get difficult to maneuver through all this! - Brace!"
Asteroid's dropship shook as it took off from its asteroid, at the head of an emerging host of dropships that headed for the shielded planet as soon as they could.
Every moment his danger sense danced up and down his spine, and the hulking figure of the Sith Lord shoved through the front of the dropship to the cockpit of the ship.
What he saw was merely chaos out in the world beyond, asteroids flying in every direction, though the largest of them heading for the defense forces of the Jedi. Before words actually came out of his helmet, an alert practically screeched at them from the console, and a sizable rock was bearing down on them. The ship lurched and it went up. For how fast the pilot worked, not even the inertial dampeners could protect the occupants from being thrown off their feet and into one another. Underneath them, the eight kilometre asteroid, thrown by [member="Carlyle Rausgeber"] himself, directed to one of the Shield Gates, the young Graush pointed.
"We ride in on the back of that!"
"Send word to the rest of the Legion."
By the time he descended from the upper compartment that was the cockpit, the members of his personal legion, 'officially' his auxiliary unit were rearranging themselves.
Although they hadn't been prepared for the shield gates of Ossus, the asteroids were in place to destroy the planet and their aegis base. A new addition, undoubtedly, but an obstacle that needed to be surpassed anyway. Shield disruptors were equipped to dozens of the dropships in the armada. Technologically, they should allow the ships to pass through shields, yet, they remained untested. On this day, their first test would be through the shield gate, rather than the expected Aegis Base shield.
Soon... I will face the Jidai of this planet. And I will break them like my Father before me.
Allies: First Order | [member="Torian Pierce"] | [member="Kyrel Ren"]
Enemies: [member="Veiere Arenais"]
With sole purpose the Knight gripped the controls of his fighter, piloting the Rogue-class vessel as much by feel as by technical skill. Already the First Order's TIE's were pouring from the asteroid field, their lasers already lighting up the surface of the rocks in swathes of red and green. The larger fighter banked upwards, shooting out of the small crater with ease before bursting forth into the void. A quick guide of the controls sent Zodan spinning, weaving in and out between two of the larger fragments before gliding across the hull of a larger vessel. The assault had begun - and so had his chains been broken, the leash released. As the fighters began to engage, Zodan's eyes looked past the quickly moving ships - a wave of confusion washed over him. For a fraction of a second, he could have sworn there was another presence there in his mind. *Unease.*
Trying to shake it off, he rolled his fighter to the left, eyes settling upon a particularly beleaguered shuttle. He could sense the fear of the soldiers within - their hull was pocked with impacts. The asteroids had been a double edged sword it seemed. *A necessary one.* Directing his starfighter in the direction of the damaged shuttle, Zodan dodged around a formation of TIE's before setting an intercept course. As he pushed his engines to their limit another wave of near nausea washed over him, this time a blinding light sending him off course as he instinctively pulled back on his controls. This time however, the sensation which filled his mind burned painfully. Though only few seconds passed in reality the vision locked in his mind's eye seemed to hold for hours...
---\---
Like a fire burning in the darkness of night, the blinding intensity of the visage pained his eyes. A hand, risen as a shield against the figure wreathed in that light, a mere silhouette. Broad, strong shoulders, hair shining as the golden sun. The presence was almost suffocating, impassive as it stood there. Piercing eyes gazed, an insurmountable sensation of fear, anger, rage. Zodan felt helpless, his anger driving him to strength unknown. Who what this sun-clad figure, why did he yet plague Zodan's dreams - not only dreams but consuming his mind during the day as well. It was known to him in that moment, a moment of truth, of honesty, of finality. Zodan would find him - and kill him.
---\---
As the burning visage came to an end Zodan's eyes came ablaze, his hands violently clawing at the controls. A vengeful yell filled the small cockpit, equal parts pain and frustration vented. Forcing himself back into stable flight, he glared from within the canopy. *He's here.* He could sense the all too familiar presence, the figure wreathed in light was here. On the surface of Ossus, in one of the Silver Jedi Order capital ships... it mattered not. A rapid course correction sent him veering away from the clusters of fighters and shuttles. Now he was on the hunt. As his eyes scanned both the vastness of space and the tactical readout on his ship's HUD, he muttered to himself.
Darren nodded as Setzi and Kal departed, though not together. "Good luck, guys." Then another man appeared. He could feel the force around him - he was a master. Though he did not recognise him - who was here? Why was he here?
"Indeed I am. It's a pleasure to have you with us, Master S'hadar. I - " The man was interrupted by screams and cries of terror from the comm system that stood in the centre of the room. He turned, slowly picking up his pace as he advanced towards to the speaker. "This is Aegis Actual! What the hell is going on up there?!" the man exclaimed.
"Aegis Actual, this is Gate-01. We're being at-" the transmission was cut off by static - though Darren could predict what that final word was. They were being attacked. Who the hell was it now? The Galactic Empire, The Sith? Who else could it be?
"What the hell is going on up there!" the man moved over to the window, looking up to the skies. "Those asteroids are getting close and someone's attacking our shield gate. Just karking great."
Suddenly a messenger appeared. "Lieutenant-General. Prince Organa has foreseen something - those asteroids aren't all that is to come. Something else is coming."
"Yeah - no poodoo. We're being attacked. Go tell Prince Organa to get up here - we may need him." he turned back to the window, noticing some of the Jedi getting into their starfighters, "You may want to join them, Master S'hadar. If not you may choose to stay with me and help defend the base. We may need some Jedi help - it may be the Sith. I can only do so much as a Padawan to counter Sith magic. But as a soldier - I can take down their spawn with ease." he turned to the man, smiling, then diverting his attention to the man operating the comms. "Patch me through on all local networks - again. This is starting to get repetitive..." he sighed, taking his seat at the microphone.
"The is Aegis Actual - again. We have received a troubling transmission from aboard Ossus' shield gate. The planet is currently under attack. It seems our worst fears have come true. Everyone must prepare - the Jedi are going to the gate itself so we need not worry about that. But we must be prepared for an attack. An ambush is being set up on the main access road to the base - we must do our part internally. Gear up, prepare the Anti-Air defences and brace. Aegis out." though everyone would hear it - this transmission only really applied to the rangers.
Location: Kulthis
Objective: Sway the Stenax
Allies: [member="The Major"] | [member="Samka Derith"] | [member="Ezra Klev"] | The First Order
Enemies: Order of the Silver Jedi | Stenax?
It was probably for the best that the young Ren assumed Lord Fa was a mere agent of the Sith. A Lord, yes, but not one of the Dark Lord's trusted inner circle. This allowed the Thirriken, who ruled the Saaraishash within the Empire as Darth Saarai and Lord Inquisitor, to study her and those she surrounded herself with. The first thing that Tai noticed was a certain lack of restraint, but the Ren was young still. Passionate and drawing deeply from the Darkside to strengthen herself.
Lord Fa would not judge.... much anyway.
"This I observe here.
Far away the Order came.
To destroy Jedi."
"Yet this distance here? Will become problematic.
In the longest runs."
It seemed obvious to him, but he was not here to lead. Only to support, to observe, to watch and wonder how valuable the First Order truly was for the Empire's expansion.
"To gain fealty?
You will pay more than you get. Unnecessary."
"Feed their hunger for war, convince them that the Silver Jedi are weak and ripe to be slaughtered. Show them their weakness and all will fall into place after that." All of a sudden the haiku had been replaced by simple, clear-cut counsel. Lord Fa offered it freely and did not expect her to take it at all, the hunger in her eyes was something he recognized. But the Thirriken offered it regardless, because he wished them to succeed here today.
The weaker the Jedi, the stronger the Sith would be.
LOCATION: Kulthis spaceport
OBJECTIVE: eat, drink, and be merry ... For soon they all die
ALLIES: FO
ENEMIES: SJO
Sipping on the fragrant wine the man leaned back relaxing in the comfortable chair. Already he could sense the plan unfolding, not due to his actions however. The clash of the two powers were imminent and only time would tell who would prevail.
It was always thus, two superpowers straining against one another for supremacy. Guided by different ideas and separate codes of morality the two forces would crash against one another. Again and again. Until only the victor remained to sweep away the wreckage of the fallen. So it was, so it is, so it will yet to be.
The cold smile crossed his face once again as he closed the eyes and let the Force fill him. Anger, hatred, fear ... These were his allies. He let the emotions of those in the terminal fill him as he shifted through the range that were offered to him.
The people in the spaceport were just like any other. Resentment, nightmares, prejudices, ill will ... flowed from them all in modicums of severity. The taste of such was even sweeter then the wine the man was thoroughly enjoying.
Reaching out in the Force he brushed the minds of those within his sphere of influence and began to bolster the fledgling undercurrent of darkness. Paranoia, selfishness, and the sickeningly tepid flavor of irrational fear began to grow.
These foreigners need to leave.
Did he spit in my food?
Why do they get deferential treatment?
I hate guard duty for stupid people. They should stop breeding and maybe the galaxy will be better off.
Why did they search me and not that guy? He obviously has something to hide. I should make them pay.
Oh, let's load the first class. Who cares that I actually work for a living rather then get fed from a silver spoon that I usually have shoved up my ...
I should just start shooting. I'm tired if doing what I'm supposed to for the Jedi.
Look at all the blasters ... Are they necessary? Should I be afraid?
If something happens I'm shooting those demons with their wings first. Probably their fault anyway.
Manipulating pre-existing emotions and beliefs were easy. Fear was running rampant. And when things kicked off all he needed was the catalyst of the mission beginning to create a riot of madness.
Immediate Allies: [member="Darth Saarai"] | [member="The Major"] | [member="Ezra Klev"] | The First Order | Stenax?
Immediate Enemies: Silver Jedi Order | Stenax?
Samka regarded the bird with a single raised brow before gazing off into the distance, apparently deep in thought.
"The beasts aren't ones to be tamed easily," she freely admitted, her tone a strange mixture feeling airy yet authoritative, "But their religious devotion is unmatched. That is what we tap into. I doubt it would take much to ignite them into war and distract our foes and yet," she returned her gaze downwards at the Sith Lord, a sinister grin passing her girlish features, "I do enjoy going the extra distance. We have a few tricks up our sleeve to convince the animals, my Lord. You'll soon see."
With those words, crimson eyes flickered towards an enigmatic woman known only to her as The Major. Whether they'd made eye contact was difficult to say beneath the woman's thick glasses but she was fairly certain the message was clear. Much of the trickery was expected to come with The Major as their source, it was why she was here. The First Order Security Bureau had responded to her request for an agent of talent over illusions in the field with her. She didn't ask further questions, she didn't need to. The FOSB was frighteningly efficient and competent, to the point where Samka had often depended on their aid over that of her own Knights of Ren. If the Security Bureau put her here, then she deserved to be here. There was nothing else to it.
A group of Stenax crossed nearby, Samka's group concealed from the demonic aliens by trees and shrubbery as the Warlord Xrakkiks and his entourage passed their way to the camp. There they would meet with the eccentric Doctor Kalar, otherwise known as Ezra Klev. Quite why the man had two names, she never asked but Decitus Ren couldn't hold anything against him. The Stenax warband marched past, apparently none the wiser that they were silently observed by the Ren and her companions. They were truly fearsome creatures, large and brooding. An aura of Darkness brushed against her, she could feel through the Dark Side the violent urges of the Stenax so barely contained. It was a great pity they were held back by living under the rule of a Jedi regime.
The Stenax skulked out of sight once more, away to negotiate with Doctor Kalar. Personally, Samka wasn't sure the man fully understood what he was dealing with. She gathered he planned to show the aliens a 'slide show presentation' or some such nonsense. She didn't imagine Stenax were the type to sit quietly and listen to well reasoned, structured argument. The Ren had some concerns that the middle aged agent may end up the lone fatality of their group, murdered as he attempted to treat demons as university students. But he was merely a distraction. With the Stenax leadership away for a diplomatic meeting, their path into the city would be an open one.
"Attention operatives of Fallen Angel. Be advised. The FOSB team is inbound to objective 1, the Kulthis Spaceport." The voice of [member="Emilia Ravel"] echoed across their coms, although Samka didn't know who she was beyond another operative disrupted the world, this one focused on the Silver Jedi assets rather than the local Stenax. She smiled once more, just as devilish as before. Everything was on schedule. In orbit, [member="Aermoira Cyone"] should have begun interdiction efforts. With multiple attacks on the ground and obstacles in space, the Silver Jedi, already committed largely to the defence of Ossus, should have a crippled response to any Stenax uprising. It was all taking shape as she had designed.
"Come on then," she addressed her unlikely team with the pep of a teenage cheerleader, a faux act to disguise her conniving ways. "We have a job to do!" Samka Derith began to skip quite jovially towards the city of monsters.
"Never been much good in the cockpit Lieutenant-General, I'll stay down here with you." The Jedi Master replied calmly, keeping himself composed as the fires of war began to rage above them. Galactic Empire, First Order, it was all rather trivial to him. They were the enemy, and he would fight them at every opportunity until they had all been killed, or he had. It was a simple code to live by, and it kept things easy, which he found a sweet relief amongst the ever-complicated galaxy.
Looking skyward he steeled himself for what he knew was to come, when the rocks above met their inevitable end the air would be filled with the screams of TIEs, and the ground soaked in the blood of both sides. Chaos was once again coming to Ossus, as it always seemed to do. Where once the anxiety that set in before battle would fuel his emotions, instead his serenity bolstered his strength, and balanced out any other emotions.
Stepping forward and patting the ranger on the shoulder Marek smirked, "I'll take good soldiers over Sith magic any day, Aegis will not fall, and Ossus shall not be enslaved. Not while we stand."
There was no false bravado in his words, he simply believed in the men and women he stood beside here and now. He knew none of them, yet he trusted them on instinct. The brave soldiers were as devoted to defending the freedom of the innocent as he was, they had all chosen the path that they now walked together, and that made them all the more stronger.
With Ivory plated fingers gripping the stability netting of the atmospheric transport’s interior, Sergeant Torian Pierce had found himself surrounded by new faces - each bearing the polished alabaster grin of the First Order’s fighting elite. He hadn’t cared to remember the names of those that surrounded him. It was doubtful that many of them would be lucky enough to count themselves as survivors of this violent incursion. The man had considered their appellations as nothing more than a waste of time - for no-one cared to remember the dead. They were weak and unable to fight through the pain and survive. They deserved to die, forgotten and unremembered. Mere stepping stones along his path to greatness. Besides, the Stormtrooper mused as the flickering lights above him pulsed to a steady crimson, his armour’s passive systems would recall their serial ident tags for him - should the need to be social be required.
Of all the faces he had seen, nothing had perplexed him more than that of the woman who had taken residence within their lander - a last minute addition to the uniform company no less - and found herself standing apart from the camaraderie of his Stormtroopers. From the obsidian-hued garb she had elected to wear, coupled with the all too familiar hilt that was lashed to her side, Torian knew that this woman was one of them. Many within the military believed that these Knights were a myth, some fanciful story that spread along the fringes of civilization to inspire the troops to sacrifice themselves upon the altar of heroism. Others, including the Sergeant, knew better. These were the personal Jedi Hunters of the Supreme Leader, who acted with his blessing, and brought the justice of the Sword to those who the Military could not. When he was assigned to the Supreme Commander’s detail for the Operation on Skor, he had seen these Agents of Sieger in battle - and knew all too well of what they were capable of.
Perhaps, with this woman’s help, many of his troopers would be able to see the coming of the dawn, and maybe, just maybe, Torian would remember their names.
:: One hundred and twenty kilometres to target. Standby to disembark. ::
As the Pilot’s words had echoed within the bracketed transport, the twenty Stormtroopers within began their final preparations with all the practiced precision one would expect of the Supreme Leader’s finest. Fully charged plasma cartridges were slammed into their rifle’s housings, followed swiftly thereafter by the resonant chime of activation. Throaty howls rang within the enclosed compartment as the soldiers began gunning their Crusader-pattern Chainblades, spitting fresh coats of oil across the once immaculate bulkheads. It was a beautiful sight to behold, and one that the Sergeant Pierce would never tire of. Whilst his men, and a fellow squad of Stormtroopers had busied themselves with their acts of preparation - Torian had begun wrapping a chain about the haft his iconic weapon and bonding it to his armoured gauntlet. He drowned out the sounds of his kindred, and their howling chainblades, to focus on the rattling of his favoured chain. His pale emerald eyes watched with vague interest, as the world before him began narrowing to a point.
To his eyes, despite the myriad of sensory stimuli that had told him otherwise, time had progressively become heavy - like the act of oil spreading and thickening over a slate of ice. Every loop that had bound the chain, tighter and tighter, had given the Sergeant focus. Given him the stability upon which he could command these men into battle, and allow himself the chance to prove himself to his superiors. They would see how capable he was. They would see him for more than his prowess in combat. Perhaps, should the Soldier live to see the dawn of a new day, those that held themselves in positions of power would see fit to have this errant berserker join their ranks. As the final link was locked in place, and the heavy weapon was lashed to his arm, Torian chuckled. It was doubtful they’d see fit to promote him into the officer caste. He was too effective a weapon from whence he stood. He purpose, his sole purpose in life, was to kill until there was nothing left. He would, one day, martyr himself for the cause, and it would be upon his corpse that the future - nay - the galaxy would be secured for the First Order.
Shaking off the dark, lingering thoughts of his own, inevitable death, the Stormtrooper gunned the activation plate of his massive Chainweapon and nearly broke into a fit of laughter as it’s shriek drowned out the cries of its lesser kin. They were sure to be riddled with the flickering embers of jealousy, but it served no purpose for him to relish the thought and sensation of superiority.
:: Fourty kilometres to target, :: The Pilot droned. :: Prepare yourselves, this is going to get messy. ::
Without missing a beat, Torian ordered his soldiers to brace themselves for impact. Though their feet were magnetically adhered to the grated deck beneath, every Stormtrooper entombed within the atmospheric lander had latched onto the stability netting, and held on with all their might. They felt every teeth-rattling impact, as the station’s weapons began opening fire, stitching its surroundings in a kaleidoscope of mechanized violence. Every darting twist and turn had brought them ever closer to their goal - and the Veteran Sergeant could feel the anticipation build until it was almost palpable. He fed on it and made a meal of the whispered prayers spoken softly by his kin. Their time was almost upon them, and soon the Sons of Sieger would be set loose upon the enemy. Woe betides any who sought to stay their wrath. That was when the final hurdle had presented itself, and their objective was within sight. The shield gate’s defenses thickened the darkness of the void with bracketing, defensive fire as they drew closer and closer towards one of the many exterior hangar bays.
Undoubtedly, the Silver Jedi and their lesser vassals had prepared for this eventuality, and forces of the First Order that sought to lay claim to this orbiting station would find themselves facing an entrenched foe. That didn’t matter. They would die all the same. The only choice they truly had in this regard, was how they met their maker. Hefting the dead weight of his massive weapon, and remotely activating the strength augmenting gloves buried beneath his armoured gauntlets, the Sergeant inclined his head - mere seconds before they had made their breach - and turned his gaze towards those that had surrounded him.
“Come on you apes!” Torian boomed, allowing his pride to lavish every syllable. “Do you want to live forever!?”
Location: Aboard transport to Ossus
Objective: Provide Medical Assistance to First Order Invasion Force
Allies: First Order, [member="Zmej Ren"]
Enemies: Silver Jedi Order
Luther's eye twitched as [member="Zmej Ren"] slapped his forehead. He felt a gauntlet squeeze his shoulder tight as she commanded him to don his helmet. He stared coolly at the Ren, who was only slightly shorter than himself. He held her stare for just her moment, but it was enough. He'd seen enough people kill to recognize the promise of death in her eyes. The only difference was that the others had promised an end with that look. The look in the Ren's eyes promised something worse than death.
He looked away and said "Of course Ma'am, forgive me for my foolishness". He had seen her deal with the other private next to him, and knew the game. He took a deep breath and held it. Reaching under his seat, he unstrapped his helmet from where it had been secured. He didn't rush, despite the complaints coming from his chest. He raised it to his head and began the process of making sure it was properly fitted. His lungs were burning by the time the helmet was fitted properly. Only when heard the enviro-filter engage did he allow himself to breathe.
The floor shook as the shuttle encountered some sort of obstacle. None of the troops aboard flinched as the turbulence increased, but a quiet settled over the shuttle. At some unseen command, the sergeant snapped up and shouted: "One minute to landing! Troopers in position, prepare to disembark!" There was a cacophony of clashing equipment as the other soldiers did the final check on their weapons, and moved in their positions by the door.
Luther was not to be the first out, thankfully. His duty as medic had placed him in the third squad to leave the shuttle. He was flanked by the older and younger troopers, just as he had when they were seated. The turbulence worsened and he felt the shuttle accelerate. The tension was palpable and Luther, who prided himself on keeping a cool head, felt his heart rate quicken. He often found that the worst part of a battle was the waiting. The actual fight was a mess of adrenaline and desperation; in the aftermath he was too busy with his work to bother mourning. But the waiting beforehand let his imagination run wild, and he couldn't help but imagine all sorts of horrors lurking on the other side of the door. He breathed deeply, steadying his nerves, and waited for the shuttle to land.
Remaining Medical Supplies:
Bottle of Symoxin x 2 Nullicaine Spray x 1 Small Vial of Distilled Water x 8 Box of Alcohol Wipes x 1 Scissors x 1 Tweezers x 1 Disposable Scalpel Blades x 25 Scalpel Blade Handle x 1 Disposable Needles x 25 Syringe (without needle) x 1 Thermometer x 1 Tape roll x 2 Various Sizes of Bandage Rolls and Dressings x 10 Box of Medium Gloves x 2 Lullaby Pills x 5
[SIZE=11pt]Alexandra floated there for a long time, staring with her eyes tracing their way along the flow of the force. It felt like hours as she sat there, the people on her going about their day as the physical body say slumped over. The only time someone would interact was when Nida would find her hand along Alexandra’s neck to make sure the woman was still breathing and ok. Alexandra was thankful for the tending to her body by the woman, especially with her form released from it and the fact she needed to figure out what was so strange in the force. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Dragging her form through space, tethered to her strand by the dark apparition that was Hel, Alexandra was watching the flow of the universe around her, although nothing hit her yet. It wasn’t for a great deal of time before the shift in the force became drastic. An addition of life to her eyes and a change in the bloodlust in the air. It was more than simple shots fired by a jumpy commander, something that she had already recognized long ago. No what she was feeling was a new presence and her eyes tracked the flow of the force until it went towards a familiar direction. Her form stared, watching until strands of life became visible, a forest of light blinding her slowly and she blinked as she realized what was going on. Her form shifted suddenly as Hel’s hand crept along her neck, knowing why the force was feeling weaker suddenly. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Turning she gripped the dark apparition and used the connection to return to her body which jerked suddenly, having to force herself back into control. She had almost lost herself in the ammount of dark side corruption coming from the asteroids, unable to breath for a second. The Keshiri woman who had been tending to her body rushed to her, staring in confusion before Alexandra leaned in closer. The words were hard to form, her throat dry, eyes barely open and she tried to grip onto reality as Daeda, the Ashlan wolf companion in her mind, shoved Hel back to the recesses so that Alexandra could focus on the real world. Finally the few words she could gather left her lips, being released. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]“The Asteroids, intercept them now, before they get too close.” Alexandra had faith the woman would have acted long before the rocks would have posed a threat to the planet, but that was not what worried Alexandra. There was life on those asteroids and inside that field, life that was corrupting the flow of the force. She didn’t know if it was Sith, or Imperial, or something else, but it needed to be met before it even got close to the planet.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]She was not stupid though, she knew that she could not stop the ships from making for the planet, but what she felt from one of the presences, a malice for extinction. She had to wipe out their tools before they got too close. They would not be able to cope with such a large threat if they did not meet those forces away from the Shield Gates. She trusted the Silver Jedi could defend long enough to react, long enough for Alexandra’s effort to halt the asteroids and then fall back to be accomplished. But it was a process of hours to do this, not a dozen or so minutes.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Which is why she sat there, barely conscious as aid was called for her and Nida assumed command, beginning orders for full combat readiness and for all fighters to be crewed, or at least the first squadrons of the ships. They would need specifically a set of interceptors for the job that luckily had been supplied within the ship given to her. Apollo Class Interceptors as her charge had called them, quick bastards with shielding meant to make reentry fast and quick, as well as to deal with anything that might be thrown at them. Of course they would not hold in a long firefight, but no interceptor was. These ones in particular were made to get in, survive and drop their payload, a seismic charge. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Normally the weapon would be used within clusters of fighters, to disrupt and massacre the swarm that might be unsuspecting of a weapon like that being used, and to tell the truth, Alexandra did not think that she would be using them ever to split asteroids. But what they faced was something that could not be ignored. Two asteroids in particular worried her, something she communicated to Nida so that the pilots knew what they would be doing. First there was a single one kilometer asteroid, able to be reduced with the leader’s seismic charge and cause disruption in the enemy formation. That wouldn’t cause any significant damage to the enemy, nor would it pose as great a threat to the planet from that point on, given the turbolasers of their cruisers and the gravity wells on her interdictors should be able to reduce or redirect the chunks left. What did worry her was the second. Eight Kilometers was not generally someone had to look at commonly, be it a ship or otherwise. An Asteroid of that size was something out of a doomsday prophecy, something someone really had to be crazy to even consider. First if they wanted to land troops at all, they would be sentencing any troops to die, as well as any innocents and any lifeforms that might not even be sentient. It would be one that would superheat the atmosphere and send chunks of debris, carried by a shockwave, for distances that Alexandra honestly could not begin to imagine. After the stories of what the Vong could do, their legends of dropping moons into the surfaces of planets, one might think someone would know where the line is.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]“Nida, record all of the information on that Asteroid, and make sure that there is some kind of visual recording as well, if at all possible.” Alexandra was determined to ensure these demons understood the price of their actions. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]That is where the other four interceptors came in and her interdictors primarily. The interdictors would produce a field, trying to trap the enemy craft pushing the asteroid towards them and to draw the asteroid back towards that very craft. Once done the four interceptors would already be on the approach to the asteroid. Considering the unassuming nature of the strike craft, paired with their abilities, they should be able to reach and split up long enough to position their seismic charges at the points in which the blasts would cause the most damage to the asteroid as a whole, and split it up so that they pieces, even should this plan fail, do not cause such catastrophic damage should they reach the planet at all. Something Alexandra was determined to avoid if at all possible. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]She knew she would not be able to stop all the fragments though, she did not have the time nor numbers to wipe out every stone, so she would prioritize those that might hit the shieldgates themselves or those that if the shields went down would cause damage to civilians or significant military targets. [/SIZE]
- Engagement Begins -
[SIZE=11pt]Soon enough, the waiting would be over and the first First Order ship would show on their sensors. They were still out of range of any significant damage to each other, and Alexandra wanted to make the ships think they hadn’t caught on quite yet. To be fair, she hadn’t, as all she knew was that someone was there, but not the extent of the force incoming for her with they Asteroids as cover. Thankfully the fire from Jessica was actually serving a small purpose as the Infernus Class Mk2’s took up position at the front of the fleet with her flagship. Behind them sat the Interdictors and carefully ringing the formation was the Hapan Battle Dragons, waiting while the other craft took a further position behind the craft. Silence held on the bridge, waiting for the optimal range to be met, so quiet that one might assume they had been placed in solitary confinement. Until finally Nida Vaal called for the order and it was relayed to the rest of the force, a shower of green spreading out in front of them and slamming into the front portion of the Asteroids. It would not take long for the Order to come into range, something Alexandra expected but could not stop, knowing the first round of shots were slamming into the hulls of her crafts. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]It was tense for the minutes after, still out of range of each other for the effective use of strike craft without filling the fields with easily fought swarms, but that would not last forever. Soon the craft came close enough that even the turbolasers with the shortest effective range sang, like a terrible symphony that now came from both sides. Strike Craft left their asteroids, or ships, and charged for Alexandra’s vessels, while attempting to mask the approach of landing vessels that were rather well defended, both in escort and shielding. Independent craft making their way as well towards her line, looking to punch through and make for the shieldgates. She would not be able to stop or even chase these craft, at least not fully, and knew that she needed to deal with the asteroids first before helping in the long process of a steady retreat back towards the high orbit of the planet. She half hoped that Jessica might be able to stop the swarm passing her but knew even with the relief of the asteroids being dealt with, it was too much to ask that one guard all the shieldgates effectively from the bridge of a ship. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]A flash to her right soon caught her eye as one of the Hapan Battle Dragons was caught by a Asteroid that had been able to make it through, cutting along the shielding and breaking through momentarily, shredding apart a portion of the ship’s hull and causing Alexandra to wince as a large mass of life was snuffed out. It remained operational but just barely under the fire from the enemy ships and few asteroids that made their way through. Soon though they had the bigger problems approaching and the Strike Craft from her flagship, as well as the carriers and other craft launched in mass. The main fighter wings, those crewed by sentient pilots would remain in defense of the fleet, as Alexandra did not want them caught in the detonations of the seismic charges, instead she would be sending with the interceptor squadron the droid fighters she had on hand.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]These were drones, able to be used without the fear of sentient life being lost. While she did not enjoy the thought of any lost ships needlessly, she knew from seeing the charges in action that the debris launched from the blast of a single charge was dangerous, but detonating all five to deal with asteroids larger than a kilometer each was certainly far too risky to reason her sending in more pilots than necessary. Even now she stared at the interceptor squadron as it left the hanger built into the side of the ship, her hands gripping at her robes as she was certain that not all of them would return to the ship after the detonation, between the enemy ships and the debris itself. Slowly the battle would progress, her other fighters taking on as many craft that they could intercept, shooting down transports that tried to run past Alexandra’s line and make for the planet that was still a decent distance off from the area of first engagement. She reasoned that for every transport that made it through from this distance, another would be lost. She wished the numbers were higher but knew that the numbers would only go down as the enemy got closer and started to send out the main portion of their force. These would only be the elites and the rogues, the ones able to fly through without being caught by enemy fire as they made the dash for one of the many gates. Her Cluster Class frigates helped to deal with the transports, striking the sides of vessels with barrages of laser fire and shredding fighters with the use of their heavy flak guns, tearing the enemy apart. They would not be the only ones suffering casulties. Alexandra knew that the Imperial pilots were a breed that were not easily dealt with and she only spared a single glance to know a dozen or two had already been lost in the opening engagements. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]It was then that the blasts reverberated through her ship, and struck out across the open space between them. The two asteroids shattered as the seismic charges went off, shattering and sending debris in all directions, blinding out the stars and the enemy as chunks struck the hulls of imperial craft, either biting through and cutting into the hulls, or being deflected off if too small. She hoped that the vessel that had been pushing the larger asteroid would find itself now being torn apart, its crew massacred for wishing to exterminate a planet, but she could not know that until she saw the vessel’s state for herself, whether it survived the Asteroid’s shattering or was torn apart. One thing that she was certain of, was that the chunks did not only strike her enemy. One chunk in particular, about a hundred meters across was sent towards her fleet, something the captains tried to avoid. All of them had but for the Hapan Battle Dragon damaged earlier. Its engines had become sluggish and she could hear a mayday call sounding before the order to abandon ship was given. She watched as the ship was torn in half by a chunk of debris, striking the reactor and a new blast burst, destroying strike craft around the ship on both sides. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]She turned her eyes away from the sight, only doing so for a few moments before gathering what she could about the state of her fleet. One Hapan Battle Dragon was gone, another was heavily damaged from prolonged conflict with an imperial ship. She had lost one of her Interdictors too, which had been struck hard by enemy bombers and she knew if they remained here it would only get worse. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]“Nida, Get us back to High Orbit now, we cannot continue this alone.” [/SIZE]
- Assume High Orbit Position Past this Point -
[SIZE=11pt]Alexandra was ok with retreating back to the planet, they had dealt with the asteroids that posed the most danger to life on the planet and now they needed to stop the First Order from swarming the instillations and from there the planet below. She watched, knowing as the sound of the other Hapan’s crew abandoned ship, suffering too much damage to escape the engagement and choosing to protect the others as they took any damage from the enemy. Alexandra winced, knowing more people died on the craft before even half the escape pods fired. She wanted to stop now but her eyes drew towards the enemy fleet and the fact of her vessel’s blast doors to the hanger remained open. She hadn’t considered it but knew that someone might try to board her ship. She couldn’t order them closed, not with the interceptors making their way back and needing to land in the hanger to resupply. She learned two of the interceptors were gone, one claimed by a chunk of debris, the other hunted down by fighters that had gotten past its escort. She had lost so many already but the biggest threat was gone.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Slowly her body rose and she extended the staff kept at her waist. She used it to walk, leaving Nida to command the ships back to high orbit. Any landing craft or strike vessel would find that getting past Alexandra’s fleet, even with the larger craft all facing away from the distance that First Order transports and fighters would be coming from, would be difficult but not impossible. Already she counted one transport destroyed for every two that got through, but could not increase those numbers in her favor without killing her own people through friendly fire. She had faith in her allies to hold the gates, and if not those, the surface below.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]She on the other hand, would deal with anyone who tried to board her vessel, making her way to the hanger like an old woman. Her cheeks fell inwards, eyes lulled and she found herself leaning on her staff. She was purposely conserving her strength and resting her body as she walked, hoping she would be wrong and did not have to use it inside the halls of her ship considering how out of place she was.[/SIZE]
(I apologize for the Wall of Text. I had to do this otherwise it would be illogical any other way for me to react. Her post covers from the time you would come within the same distance there is between the moon and the earth, to when we get back to high orbit. So treat it as a bridge between the first and second rounds of posting, rather than just a reaction taking place once you guys reach High Orbit. Again I apologize for the length.)
Location: Far Hemisphere of Ossus, High Orbit --> Near Hemisphere Objective: Destroy remnants of asteroid chunks. Allies: Silver Jedi Order ([member="Alexandra Feanor"], [member="Jessica Med-Beq"], [member="Audren Sykes"], Opposition: First Order ([member="Carlyle Rausgeber"], [member="Kyrel Ren"], [member="Morro"], [member="Achim Veers"], [member="Gerhard Maxim"]) Directly Engaging: Rocks
Jessica Med-Beq said:
"Attention all Silver Jedi and allied units in the Adega system, this is Northwest Actual: we're picking up a shower of rogue asteroids headed right towards Ossus"
What had started as an uneventful day playing overseer of new orbital installations suddenly took a strange turn as a freak meteor shower was detected. All systems with the means to do so extensively tracked every nearby celestial body and object that may do harm to their planets and satellites to predict such events. How this particular shower snuck up on them with all the sensors they had in place bothered him to say the least.
"General Med-Beq," he addressed her over a heavily encrypted channel. "I'm coming to your side with Roosevelt and Jefferson group to help shoot down the larger asteroids. The shields and gates should be able to tank the smaller rocks. We'll be in position well before they become an issue."
Elijah made a call across the local battle net, ordering the two groups to begin moving from the far hemisphere opposite of Ossus toward Jessica's position. All ships began to charge up their capacitor banks in advance of a coordinated strike against the incoming shower.
Everything was going fine and dandy until the moment that one particularly large asteroid was detected accelerating, set on a direct collision course with one of the shield gates. In fact, large waves of meteors were all suddenly accelerating. It had been many years since the Admiral's last formal physics lesson, but he couldn't recall unpowered objects having any such ability.
There were many asteroids, but the one that concerned him were the largest ones. Each one of those monsters could vaporize the area of entire cities and states upon impact with the surface. Making a gut call, he took the initiative and decided to take action without coordinating with Med-Beq - there simply wasn't time.
<Subutai> He ordered his flagship via radio-telepathy <Charge the main gun, and target the largest asteroid. Angons for the next ten largest asteroids. Sabot shells, concussion load. Finally, focus Sowa on the origin point of that meteor shower. This isn't natural, I want to see exactly what the hell is causing this mess.>
<At present course, I won't have a clear line of sight in time for intercept, nor will my main gun be at full charge.>
<That's fine, pitch the ship and slingshot. We'll pick up some more energy that way to compensate.>
Seconds later and the ship would shift angles like he had ordered. Over the CIC's holographic display, he and the rest the crew could see a visual representation of the ship calculating the precise trajectories needed for the slingshot maneuver, also accounting for actions by friendlies against the asteroids; using seismic charges and mines, employing fancy interdiction fields, etc.
<Firing solutions acquired. I am ready to fire at your command.>
<Good. Fire!>
The Bahamut began spewing salvos of mass driver rounds, starting with fire from its behemoth 3 kilometer spinal mounted cannon. Hundreds of rounds looped around Ossus, finding their marks around the curve seconds later.
The remains of the largest asteroid would be vaporized as the slug from Bahamut's main gun smashed into it with gigatons of force. Fast moving waves of plasma and molten metals were created as result, flying outward in all directions. A serious threat to any small craft operating in the nearby vicinity.
When the shells from the Angons came into range, they split apart, releasing their submunitions of concussion missiles. The missiles homed in on their respective targets, burying deep into each of the asteroids before detonating. The Angons weren't quite as destructive as Bahamut's main gun, but they did the job of breaking up the largest remaining asteroids into much smaller pieces that posed far less risk.
Elijah's part in dealing with the asteroids was done. Now it was time to take care of the source of the problem.
Location: Aegis Base; Jedi Temple, Ossus Objective: Defend against dark forces Allies: [member="Valae Kitra"] | [member="Josh DragonsFlame"] | [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Dusaro Dresari"] | [member="Douglas Starwind"] | [member="Romi Jade"] | [member="Darren Torran"] | SJO and allies Enemies: [member="Rolf Amsel"] | [member="Torian Pierce"]| [member="Mishel Zanteres"] | The First Order
Reaching the congregation, Stephanie didn’t have time to think before it started to break away and the signals chimed out across their coms. The sound of war boomed out. Up above the planet, tiny flashes of light could be seen if one focused enough beyond the shield gate; enemy forces were battering down the door, and it would only be able to hold so long.
Stephanie set her jaw and hurried behind her Master, Valae.
"Master, I’m going to stay with the forces on the ground. They need help to evacuate or stay out of danger. I’m not good to you up there, I’ll just be a liability."
Harsh words, but true. Stephanie was no Knight. Not even a confident Jedi, but her focus had been forced by the enemy launching their attack, and she had a duty to perform. A role to fulfil. Padawan or not, she was a symbol of hope in dark times and she would take her enhancements and use them, hopefully, for the best.
"Please be careful, Master. I need you back in one piece. We all do."
She smiled as the hangar, with half the roof caved in, came to dwarf them as fighters were already moving out and small transports zipped out across the ground to ferry the vulnerable away from danger.
The shield on her back and saber by her side, she may not look like a Jedi, but in her heart she was one because she would fight and defend the good people of Ossus and the Silver Jedi until the end. Darkness would not prevail today.
The Hapan girl turned and acted as a sort of barrier between the ruins of the temple and her Master and Jedi. If her body language could speak, it would be telling the enemy to get the Masters and the Order, they would have to go through Stephanie first.
Allies:The Silver Jedi Order | [member="Romi Jade"]
Opposition:The First Order | [member="Zodan Osyk-Drul"] | [member="Torian Pierce"]
Darkness...
The shroud of the Darkside had drifted to all corners of the Galaxies navigational charts, the known regions taken up in war after war with little to no end in sight, men and women dying for the differences of senators and warlords unable to compromise and come to a mutual ground for discussion and treaty. Pride and prejudice filled the hearts and minds of all whom held the slightest ounce of power and this excluded neither person for whatever justifications and self righteous ideals they sought to follow. Veiere was little different, sentient and fallible. He had walked an organization of practitioners of the light side of the force in a single direction believing that he was following his faith, service to the force and by extension the honor of life in all it's natural beauty.
Somewhere back home on Commenor was his wife, [member="Lady Kay"]. She of whom knew not the perils that he were about to offer himself up to in order to stave off a portion of the oppression that others sought to bring upon a people, right or wrong, it mattered little to Veiere. Violence did not beget violence and no answers of aggression would quell the cries of war and retribution that would follow. The Army of Light, soldiers of the Force, Jedi Generals and other farce titles of an Order that Veiere did not hold himself to. War was the creator of such arrogance even within his own people. No matter whom tried to justify their will to take another life, it disarmed nothing of the fault in the killer.
This endless journey...-This quest for an achievable goal. This would one day be his undoing, his demise. This fight for the good of the people, for a society filled with so many varying cultures and egos unable to make peace with one another, so much hostility for those who disagreed with their way of living as if everyone was forced to somehow conform to one rigorous path of being...
Dreams had come since the arrival of the Iron Knights upon Commenor, the death of his friend Calder Icehammer, students in their teens slaughtered and one taken only to be have her death recorded and sent back at them as a show of power and dominion over the living, the Contingency was a different kind of evil, these shards though not unheard of, were more capable and stronger than anything he'd faced in the past where their kind were concerned. Countless nights he had awoken in a sweat, Kay beside him trying to calm his nerves while the burning image of a blackened silhouette remained the last sight before reality would take hold. The Darkside was winning in the battle for dominion across the Galaxy...-Today was a day vital to the deterrence of the plague evil in men, sustaining ground over Ossus would slow the process yet to win the war...-A war they were in whether the galaxy wished to believe this or otherwise; what cause for victory still remained out of his reach.
What was vividly apparent to Veiere now, in that moment strapped within the cockpit of his X-Wing, was that he was piloting the craft directly into the maw of the beast that reared it's ugly head in the face of hope. No clearly had the calling of the Force been to him before, than to tell him that he was right where he was meant to be; for whatever might come to pass, this was his path. His Struggle.
LOCATION: In the Aegis Base Armory OBJECTIVE: Head to the Mountain Pass ENEMIES: [member="Asharad Graush"]
ALLIES: [member="Kal Visna"]
GEAR: Blade of the Satvas, Lightsaber, Mandalorian Power Shield, Armorweave
Darren beamed when he saw Setzi and gave her a powerful hug, one that filled her with sudden hope. Her stretchy but thick armorweave absorbed any of the rough edges on his own armor and she threw him a sheepish grin when she noticed his rangers staring and chuckling. “I’m so relieved,” she agreed, placing her hand upon his cheek to cup it like a mother would.
Then the Knight stepped back to let the young Zabrak speak. It was his time to shine.
As Kal remarked that the mission may be dangerous or boring, Setzi only smiled. Not too long ago she was a Sith Lord, and the only outward traces would be tiny flecks of sulfuric yellow in her irises, woven in like a wall tapestry and the many battlescars on her body and limbs. The Padawan may have been able to feel that her Force signature was not as not pure and peaceful and light like the rest. There was still darkness there. Doubt. Regret.
“This is Valae Kitra of the Silver Jedi Order – Ossus is under attack.”
That was all any of them needed to spring into action. Setzi strapped her helmet on, checked her weapons belt and began following the SJO team that headed towards the mountain path. Finally outside and recalibrating herself south towards the road that cut through the dry stream bed, the Rogue Knight glanced up at the sky, her heart pounding in her ears as she could see the shield being breached by small fissures - asteroids and shield disruptors employed by the First Order allowing dropships to begin slipping through defenses and dotting the sky.
Despite her Jedi training, which hadn’t been extensive, but enough to permit her to remain with the Silvers without risk of falling back to the Darkside, Setzi’s rush of adrenaline began to spark the familiar passion that may lead to rage or worse a craving for blood. Easy there. Remember everything you were been taught by each Master and the one who came before him or her. However the one phrase of the Jedi code that she could only recall seemed to feel more pronounced and hopefully not prophetic.
Location: Ossus – Aegis Base Allies: SJO / & SJO Allies
Enemies: The First Order and their allies. Garith’s Equipment: A single lightsaber
Thoughts plagued the bewildered prince, as he stumbled over to a wall. His body was left sore from the physical presence the vision. Every portion of his body felt like today was not about truly about conquest. There were no civilians here to rule on Ossus. It was not about relics as there was no temple to hide them in. The temple lay in ruins near Aegis Base. The only thing here for their enemies was a solid military target. Today was about bring death and to cripple their enemy.
“Prince Organa”, another ranger had approached Garith. This time it was a new one. “We’ve been looking for you”, the young Twi’lek. She came over was due haste and took hold of the prince. Seeing that he was somehow disoriented or somehow injured she wished to help him. She also had orders to get the prince to Aegis CIC where Lieutenant-General [member="Darren Torran"] was located.
“I found him”, she declared into her comlink. Whoever was on the other in no doubt was relaying the information up the chain of command.
Short time later…
Coming into command and control Garith was moving on his own now. He was still being escorted by the beautiful blue skin lady. He felt the force still coursing through him. Some of the pain had dissipated as the used the force to slowly heal him.
“Three flags”, the prince spoke letting his voice carry across the command and control room. “The flag of the Galactic Empire was scarcely visible. The Sith Empire was just a little more visible. The First Order stood at the forefront. I may be mistaken as foretelling the future is near impossible to get correctly. I have a bad feeling they’re not here to conquer. They’re here to kill and punish us. It may be part of a larger plot.”
He did not know how Darren would perceive this information. The Alderaani prince knew how he perceived it. “Show them we will never break faith. That and we will never give up hope”, Garith had made his choice. It will put him in direct conflict to his sister’s royal decree. This will no doubt lead to an exchange of words between the two siblings. It could lead to more than words. Historically by law with many monarchies what Garith was doing was treason. In some unforgiving kingdoms he would lose his head.
Location: Exiting Hyperspace Objective: Breach the Shield / #EclipseTheLight Allies: [member="Sal Zambrano"], [member="Venthis Zambrano"], [member="Ara Zambrano"] even though she's with that hussy [member="Caehl Ren"] Enemies: The Silver Jedi & the Light Gear:
The Crestfallen dropped out of hyperspace amidst the First Order invasion force, another dark silhouette amidst countless others. A flock of TIE/FO Fighters huddled around the shuttle to create a protective screen as it, and several other troop transports, made a bee-line for the shield gate protecting Ossus. The Crestfallen's shields were powerful enough to withstand a good deal of turbolaser fire, while the anti-missile countermeasures could deal with any fragmentation rockets in its path.
As they neared the gate's surface the primary concern shifted from surviving the gauntlet of Silver Jedi ships to actually penetrating the shield. Conventional weapons wouldn't work against such a defense, but the First Order was anything if not prepared for any eventuality. Many of the transports were equipped with shield disruptors that could punch a temporarily hole through the shield gate, and with enough of them concentrating fire on a single area the gap could widen significantly. The Dark Lord began to have flashbacks to the Battle of Serenno, where the Dominion used similar tactics in an attempt to deny the Resurgent Empire from making landfall.
And if memory serves, the Dominion failed spectacularly at doing so.
Penetration was achieved and an opening wide enough for the Crestfallen and several other transports was punched in through the shield gate, which was immediately exploited to gain access to the planet's surface. Once the Crestfallen pushed on through, the next task was finding a place to set down so the Sith inside could disembark. Most likely unbeknownst to many, Ossus was in fact a Sith world at the tail end of the Four Hundred Year Darkness, and had been in the control of the Old Sith Empire before it was lost to the Republic. As one of the Old Empire's Sith Emperors, Darth Carnifex was privy to a great deal of topographical information pertaining to many worlds within the Empire's domain.
Ossus happened to be one of them. And he recalled from memory a canyon that had served as access to a satellite facility of the Great Jedi Library. The canyon was mostly flooded, and featured a vast system of subterranean tunnels and caverns, most of which had been mapped out by Imperial exploratory teams nearly twenty years ago. In preparing for this battle he had poured over whatever data he had been able to save during the Old Empire's fall, and there were several paths he could take to infiltrate the Library's annex. The Crestfallen would move to locate one of the openings and initiate landing protocols in a spot that was relatively hidden from aerial view.
Location: Ossus, on his way to Mountain pass
Allies: SJO, [member="Setzi Lunelle"]
Objective: Reach Mountain pass
Enemies: First Order
He could barely tell the difference between the soft blow of the wind and the air struggling to get out of his way. As he left Aegis, he made sure to pick up a speeder before leaving with the AB-RTs and the Hornetts, it was the best way to keep up with them even if a bit risky. Not long before he left, a transmission came from Darren, telling everyone and this time for sure, that Ossus is under attack, it looks like his suspicion was right which made Kal's mission more important, it was time to rain fire.
As the young padawan and his group was heading to the meeting point, he could not help but wonder... What was the deal with that woman? That she was a friend of Darren was obvious, yes, but there was something strange in there, something unusual. It remembered him of the past, of the time when he was very young and still not accustomed to the ways of the world. He wouldn't be sure what it meant, what is it he felt, but it was worth taking into account... One must take everything into account. Maybe she had a troubled past, that would not be surprising, everything is out of hand these days, who's to say it was not out of hand from the very beginning?
