A Clockwork Galactic Response: Kuat

[Davin Jusik]

Davin stood outside of the command bridge with his SR4 in a position where he could immediately bring it to bear on anyone who might try to pass without proper authority. While the rest of the 73rd was compiling casualty reports and gathering gear Sergeant Welks and himself stood as silent as statues. One thought was stuck in the mind of every Republic soldier in the Galaxy but particularly through those of the 73rd.

Coruscant. Gone.

They'd been stationed there when the droids had begun to attack everything living. They'd fought hard, made them pay for every inch of ground they took, but in the end it hadn't mattered. The 73rd had sustained extremely heavy casualties and the survivors had barely evac'd off planet.

He flexed his trigger finger. His rage flared.

Payback. Those bastards would get what was coming to them, Davin just hoped the Supreme Commander could rally all these different cultures together for one cause. Despite the galaxy being under siege beings still seemed to hold onto old hates and rivalries, the fools couldn't see their lives depended on them banding together.

 

[Darrunga Kalsiljic]

Floating at a comfortable distance away from the shipyards was a Tiure-class Space Yacht carrying several Hutt officials. In the conference room, Darrunga Kalsijic and several other esteemed Hutt Cartel members watched the delegates bring their cases. As they talked, Darrunga grabbed a monkey-lizard the size of a humanoid baby and took a bite out of it. He needed a quick snack as he had not had a full meal in a couple hours. His smacking could have been heard on the other end of his holo-projection.

After Verz spoke for the Mandalorians, Darrunga finished the bit of the creature and began to speak in Huttese, << I personally would like to know what this Grandmaster's holocron has to say about how to defeat Omni before I offer any services for this systematic reconquest. >>

 

[Flint Pherson]

@[member="Darron Wraith"]

Flint turned his helm to acknowledge and inquire of the Jedi Grandmaster. To coin a phrase, Flint was as curious as a Hutt. If anyone had Intel on Omni? It was Teferi.

 

[Sergio Kaufmann II]

Sergio obeyed the wishes of Lord Apparatus, and merely stood where he was, silently observing the participants with some disdain, but none other received the silent hatred more than the Hutts did. In Sergio's eyes, they were worthless obese slugs who were as offensive to the eyes as much as they were to the other senses of the body. He would've voiced his concern about dealing with non-humans, but he held his tongue per the earlier order by Apparatus, and merely fixed the hologram of the Hutts with a hateful glare. The only man on the opposite side he could even hope to respect was the Republic's Supreme Commander, Flint Pherson. He seemed like a man who knew what he was doing, and he was Human as well, which was an added bonus.

 

[Kamon Vondiranach]

"Yes, Darron. What does Master Efreet's holocron have to say about Omni?"

Kamon was as curious as the others were. Council member or not, this situation was about him representing his Echani brothers and sisters. They were in just as much a predicament as everyone else, but in a different way. Rather than stand by and wait for Eshan or one of their other influenced worlds to be attacked, they've taken the fight to Omni's forced. He was staring at @[member="Darron Wraith"]'s presence now, waiting for an answer, the same as the others.

 

[Darron Wraith]

Yes Rosa, go and ask everyone to go with you. You have my blessing for this mission.

Realizing that all eyes were suddenly upon him after his remarks, the Jedi Master leaned further forward on the holopad so his face could be better seen.

"From what little time I have had since we escaped Coruscant, I can tell you this. A full frontal assault would be meaningless and an absolute waste of technology and life. Master Efreet explicitly stated that several times, now as a diversion it could serve a purpose if we are so callous towards life to do that." Wishing he had never said the words, Darron considered the company he was in. He knew that the cause would require any and everything from all the combined forces of the galaxy, yet it pained him to think of how far they would have to go to succeed against the mechanical creatures now taking over all key systems in the galaxy. Teferi had left his own thoughts of Omni, and what it had taken then. Judging from now, the price would be higher this time.

Can we afford to pay it though?

"Everything my predecessor said seems to be true from what I saw with first hand experience. Omni can use nanites to take over people, machines. If we throw our might at him and that is our only strategy...our fallen will rise up for his banner and fight. Hacking will not work, and as I have said. This machine has been studying us for centuries, it knows us better than we do. I am commissioning recon missions to Rakata space, as well as some to Vong territory to see if there are solutions there."

Pausing for a moment to look at the assembled group of men before him, he pressed on.

"My recommendation is we locate his servers, cast a wide net and find them. We use a frontal assault as a diversion to attract the brunt of his forces, and then use a small, but very powerful strike team to take on the core. It's what the former GrandMaster did, and it looks like it will be what gets the job done this time." He allowed them all a moment to digest his words, before adding. "I volunteer to be on the strike team to go for the core, this requires our best. And not just from the Jedi, from the Sith and everyone else as well."

@[member="Flint Pherson"] @[member="Kamon Vondiranach"] @[member="Darth Apparatus"]

 

[Viera Kisep]

@[member="Flint Pherson"] @[member="Darron Wraith"]
Viera's Flagship, The Soviergn Class Dreadnaught was huge compared to the other ships, and she had stayed siilent until this moment. She spoke " I agree and offer my Dragon's maw forces to help you strike, you won't find better than them in the rest of the Galaxy, Perhaps we could scrap together some sort of weapon... We have the greatest minds in the Galaxy here, Surely someone can make an effort, I pledge whatever I can towards the group that can promise me a weapon. "
She had lost Bastion to the damn Omni, and she wasn't going to go down without a fight so that is why when she heard the call, she sent what she could to the site, She wanted to be the first to have such a weapon. She sighed " I will be the distraction.. there is nothing quite like a Dreadnaught bearing down on a target... and Omni will be hard pressed to ignore us. " She knew her ship probably wouldn't make it but well it was the best chance they had looking at what was out there, her ship dwarfed all of them.

 

[Flint Pherson]

"If we tried that last time and the machine is not dead? Then it won't work. This machine learns. No doubt it is prepared to face the last tactic used against it. Strategy noted Jedi Wraith."

Flint turned away and returned to the meeting. They were back to square one.

They had nothing.

 

[Verz Horak]

"It seems Couruscant is lost. We should simply destroy the world then. Omni would be destroyed along with a majority of his army. A planet is a small price to pay to save the galaxy from biological stagnation and extinction."

 

[Ben Watts]

Aboard the Teferi

Ben glanced down at his wrists, which were still scarred from the shackles he had been wearing for so long, in a couple of weeks the scars would be completely gone but for now they were a reminder of what had been done to him. Stuffing his pride was usually not difficult for him, but being a prisoner of the Hutt's had given him much to be angry about. The pain and suffering that not only he had experienced tested him in ways he never thought possible. He was sure he had been used to death, thought he had seen it all, but day in and day out he saw things that no person should have to see. Of course they forced him to witness it all in an attempt to break him, turn him to their side, force him to give into the darkside, but Ben was stern in his ways. Vengeance was the path of the weak minded and the power hungry, a path he had no intention of following.

A hollow of his former self, Ben stood among the people of the ship, and he listened as Darron explained the situation. Hearing Tef's name still ached his heart, not being there for him, it killed Ben more than being prisoner for so long. Try as he might, he could not even remember that last conversation the two of them had, and the last time they talked it had been under grim circumstances. After all the death he had seen in his life, Tef's death rung more true than any others Seeing a Jedi, who Ben thought would be around much longer than him, die reminded Ben that no one is promised tomorrow. The time for mourning was not now, though, more pressing matters where at hand.

Ben did not claim to understand everything that was going on, he knew of the threat and knew that it had claimed Coruscant, but anything besides that he was left pretty much in the dark. The fact that Jedi and Sith may be coming together as one to fight something more dangerous was something that perturbed Ben. The Sith, if given the chance, would betray anyone foolish enough to align with them. But, when there were no other choices, what was one left to do? Sometimes difficult choices had to be made in order to accomplish a goal. Luckily enough, it was not Ben making the decisions, but Darron Wraith. Coming back, Ben was happy to learn that he had been made the Grandmaster. A strong and capable warrior, but he also kept to the Jedi code, something Ben respected because he knew just how difficult that could be.

Ben wanted to speak up when the Mandalorian spoke about destroying the planet. Was that really a viable option for them? If it came down to simply destroying every planet this thing got its hands on, there would be nothing left of the Galaxy. Just like a Mandalorian, though, thinking with their weapons first before actually analyzing the situation. The strike team idea seemed like a good solution, but one that Flint played off. Ben hoped he would be given the chance to work with Darron, but would they trust him after being gone for so long. For that matter, did Ben trust himself? He would have to if he was going to get out of this ordeal alive.

 

[Kodiak Mosthal]

@[member="Darron Wraith"] @[member="Flint Pherson"] @[member="Viera Kisep"]

Kodiak was quiet for most of the meeting. He wanted to wait until his moment came. It was that moment. "I offer to be apart of the strike team. As a fallen jedi who is skilled in the art of technology I can help get by any security networks he has." He waited for a moment so everyone could fully realize him. "As for the frontal assault I offer the entire Rebel Alliance fleet. They may be small in force but I can promise you that they are fast and deadly."

Kodiak knew that there would be some one that would reject his request to be apart of the team. He didn't care. This was a war. In war you need not only the strongest but the smartest in order to win.

 

[Flint Pherson]

Flint squinted behind his helm and raised only one eyebrow. He was getting bored with speculation.

"Does anyone else, have any facts to offer this meeting?"

His helm turned to face the Shadow. It had been quiet for long enough. @[member="Darth Apparatus"]

 

[Garza]

Darren had followed Kodiak to the Republic meeting. If they were to bring up their deal with the Chancellor they would have to fight for it. "WE have also talked with the Chancellor ealier about having an alliance with the Republic. We were told that inorder for us to continue our meetings we are to help the Republic in some way. And now here we are." Darren saw some people that he did not know and some people that he would rather not be within planets of. Mainly Verz Horak. "If you do not trust our army then only allow us onto the battle field."

 

[Quietus]

"Noble though your efforts and plans are, Master Jedi," Lady Lorelei's voice sounded during a short lull of banter between those assembled, "I'm afraid I must concur with the Commander's observation. Those tactics will not work again, not like they did last time. If the reports on his ability to learn, adapt, research, and gain access to any channel of intelligence are true Omni will not fall for the same attempt nor forget how he came so close to defeat last time, of this I am certain." She had to admit, seeing a Jedi Master so eager to repeat the past yet so passionate about insisting on lessons learned was somewhat amusing. Also somewhat disappointing. No small wonder the Sith Empire had gained such a tremendous foothold in the galaxy so quickly.

The Kuati Sovereign turned her attention then to an idea offered from another; the destruction of Coruscant. A thought, but it would require more than simply the loss of a planet. It would require the sacrifice of thousands, likely millions, and the golden jewel of the galaxy itself. Perhaps a sound idea, but not something that the majority would be liable to support. There was no sense commenting on it.

The Lady's attention turned then to the arrival of Darren Shaw, a single brow lofting towards his foolhardy nature. "Perhaps you would like to volunteer a Parlez? Since it seems everything we know can be of little use now, there's nothing to be lost on attempting something bold and unbidden."

 

[Kodiak Mosthal]

@[member="Lady Silencia"]

Kodiak shook his head. "I think his plan is as good as any. Unless you have a brighter idea." He turned his attention back to the rest of the faces in the meeting. "I think we move forward with his plan. But maybe with two strike teams. One of them will be a distraction while the other takes down Omni."

Kodiak knew it was risky to attempt something that had been done but he knew that if they added one more variable then maybe they could win.

 

[Quietus]

"This is a super-intelligence with the brain the size of a planet, not some backyard hoodlum gang with a gun," Lorelei narrowed her eyes, "we cannot afford to go with a plan that is as 'good as any'. But by all means, Sir, you go right ahead and do exactly what would be expected while the rest of the adults attempt to come up with this brighter idea. I dare not lament the loss of linear thinking or standards."

 

[Kodiak Mosthal]

@[member="Lady Silencia"] @[member="Darron Wraith"]

Kodiak gave a laugh. He couldn't help it. "Sorry sweet heart, but unless you want to loose one of the fastest fleets then keep talking. I was just suggesting that until someone comes up with a better idea, he is our best shot." Kodiak narrowed in on Darron, "I'm with you."

 

[Kamon Vondiranach]

@[member="Flint Pherson"], @[member="Lady Silencia"], @[member="Darron Wraith"], @[member="Kodiak Mosthal"], @[member="Viera Kisep"]

"I'm inclined to agree with the Supreme Commander and the Lady here. As much as I would love to just go in and beat it down, that's not going to work."

He looked around, especially focusing on those that spoke about just attacking. It wasn't going to work and they had to know that. Darron should see the reason in such a thing. Would he, though? That was the question.

"Let's start with the facts. Omni is an AI, and his chosen tools, for the most part, are droids. Droids are machines. Some are more advanced than others. Many have no shielding whatsoever, making them susceptible to electronic weaponry. We know, now, that the machine is using a form of nanotech to take control of people and machines. Would it not be a viable option to create nanites designed specifically to kill his nanites, and reverse control his machines to turn them upon him?"

 

[Darrunga Kalsiljic]

<< I believe finding his servers are a good start though, >> interjected Darrunga in Huttese, << I am willing to provide the best slicers the Hutts can provide at a discount price. Maybe we could find out if Omni has a core or hub? >>

 

[Kodiak Mosthal]

@[member="Darron Wraith"] @[member="Flint Pherson"] @[member="Lady Silencia"] @[member="Viera Kisep"] @[member="Kamon Vondiranach"]

Kodiak came to a realization. "Like a cure? I could do that!" Kodiak left the room. He was in another room of his flagship.

He ran over to his lead scientist. "Do you think it is possible to get a cure to that can counter and kill the nanotech that Omni uses?"

The scientist chuckled. "Of course but it would take some time. And we would need to dissect one. It would take...."

Kodiak left the scientist babbling and returned to the meeting. "My lead scientist tells me that a cure is possible. The unfortunate problem is that we need a sample. So unless one of wants to get infected we are kinda screwed."