Faction A Memory from the Past [The Galactic Alliance]

[Anakwor Farlorn]

Farlorn's Forlorn
Chapter Thirty-Three: A Memory From the Past
​

"Fire on every deck!"

"We have a compromised hull. By the Vicelord's name, we've lost the entirety of Grant's platoon to the vacuum!"

"Seal compartment Alpha-Theta at once."

"Sir! Crimson Platoon is still trying to evacuate the engine deck. You'll be locking them in with the fire!"

"Better consign a platoon to the fire than the whole ship. It pains me too, Fennstrum but the alternative is far worse. Yoncy and his men will be remembered."

Colonel Anakwor Farlorn was almost deaf from the blearing alarms on the bridge. How had it gone so wrong? He and his Ranger Regiment were supposed to be part of a massive task force that would have reinforced the Confederacy at their capital Naboo. They had been supposed to be the ones who would have finally tipped the scale, the ones who turned the clock back one more minute from midnight, and the ones who would have won the war against the Unmaker.

That was what the propaganda said. In reality, Farlorn had known that it was in the end a Forlorn hope. The reports passing down the chain of command painted a picture far too bleak for a few hundred thousand soldiers to turn the tide. He had known that this wasn't a rescue mission but a suicide one. After a decade of non-stop warfare and battles against all odds, the Carian Rangers would finally meet their end on Naboo.

At least, that was what was supposed to happen. The fleet had been ambushed en route to Naboo by the Unmaker and every Confederate ship had been destroyed. All but one. The Weeping Cerave, an ancient GR-75 Medium Transport carrying the Rangers, had barely managed to escape into hyperspace but not before at the last minute, a starfighter had strafed the engine and critically damaged the ship's hyperdrive generator. Colonel Farlorn, taking over from the dead captain, had coordinated damage control efforts for the past three frantic hours as the Transport hurled blindly through hyperspace.

In those three hours, time seemed to break. Farlorn had entire sections go silent for hours only to come back online again, the men claiming that only minutes had passed since they lost contact. Major Erach and his bunch had just gotten back into command and sworn that they had been fighting a blaze not for the past three hours, but for the past twenty-four. Something was afoot but Farlorn had far bigger things to worry about at the moment.

"Sir?" Major Fennstrum, Farlorn's Second-In-Command, said from behind the exhausted Colonel. Farlorn turned around to see his old friend covered in soot and his right arm wrapped in bloody bandages. There was a raw and still bloody burn on his right cheek.

"Yes?" The Colonel mumbled, stepping away from the damaged control station.

"Most of the fires are contained. Crimson Platoon finally managed to deactivate the Hyperdrive. I don't know how the boys managed to do it, but they somehow did amongst those flames. Every single one of them deserves the Confederate Star."

"I'll see to that," Farlorn weakly smiled, "That should mean we're finally coming out of Hyperspace."

"At least we now can die honestly with dirt under our feet." Fennstrum grimly said, speaking of the unwinnable battle they knew they would have to fight soon.

"Indeed... how many boys did we lose?"

"We're still counting. Fifty maybe. A hundred more badly injured. Some of them need Bacta Tanks that we don't have."

"We'll try for an emergency landing on the nearest civilized world."

The viewports of the GR-75s bridge creaked open to reveal the white streaks of light rapidly shortening until they finally became stars. There was a planet below them; half basked in the light of a star three planets away. It swirled in the darkness of the cold unforgiving universe. The planet's many continents were bright green and its great seas a great blue.

"What planet is that?"

"Uuuuh, scanners indicate that it's the planet of Wroona, part of the Inner Rim and on the Hariin Trade Corridor, sir." one of the technicians replied

"Wroona? That can't be possible. We were only in hyperspace for three hours. Even the fastest Hyperdrives couldn't travel the Parsecs needed between Wroona and Naboo in under three hours," Fennstrum cut in, "Double-check that reading, Ensign."

"I don't know what else you're looking for sir," the Technician shrugged, "Multiple sensors are saying the same thing. The odds for them all to malfunctioning simultaneously is-"

"No matter. Focus on the task ahead. Wronna's has a Confederate Outpost on it. Start transmitting Identification codes at once. They may have escaped the wrath of the Unmaker."

"And if they haven't?"

"Then we've got a world to retake. We're still soldiers of the Dauntless Corps and nothing shall deny our duties."

The burning hulk of the GR-75 now floated through real space towards the planet, her engines struggling and choking. The antennae began to transmit on a loop the Confederate Identification Code of the First Carian Ranger Regiment alongside a request for immediate aid.

The only issue was that the code was 33 years out of date and Wronna was no longer part Confederacy of Independent Systems.

In fact, there was no more Confederacy...

​

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Space, Near Wroona
Tags: Anakwor Farlorn

Delta-7​

It had not been a good last few days for Jalen. His lightsaber was stolen, he was pretty much swamped from the last few battles, what between the Mandalorians and the Sith. Now he had to check in on the refugee camp on Ord Providence's moon. He was a healer after all. They were always needed there.

And yet something far different happened when he had left Wroona, a quick stop he had made to refuel. A large presence in the force, a vessel considerably larger than his own based upon the aura the crew emitted. And, of course, fire. Jalen knew what fire felt like well. His astromech warbled off a scan of the vessel's transmitted code: Confederacy of Independant Systems, GR-75, First Carian Ranger Regiment, request for immediate aid. Notably the codes were 33 years out of date. That... had to be a fluke, right? Confederate space hadn't been here since well before Jalen had been born.

<Hailing GR-75 Medium Transport,> Jalen began on an open channel, <Jalen Kai'el, Galactic Alliance medical personell. I've recieved your message of distress, but your clearence codes are outdated. CIS codes have been out of date for more than 30 years now. I can't let you land until hostile intent has been verified. In the meantime, I'm a healer. If you'd be willing to let me board I can tend to your wounded.>

His own codes would transmit, presenting such: Galactic Alliance, GA field medical personell, New Jedi Order. This smelled like a trap to Jalen, of course. Outdated codes were always fishy. Still, if the distress signal was valid than lives could very much be at risk. Besides, pirates hailing for aid over a settled world? It was practically unheard of. No doubt other GA vessels would be responding soon. That gave him some time to make contact and hopefully keep turbolasers from being fired.

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

One parsec away, on the bridge of the Shieldwall...

"Huh... That's strange," said Hak'ken at the helm, his Duros forehead creased in astonishment at what his instruments were showing. "Anything the matter, Lieutenant," asked Yarrick standing over him, arms crossed over his chest. "Aye, Major. A blip just appeared on the map." The former Imp officer raised an eyebrow, preferring a more thorough explanation. "A 'blip', Lieutenant?" Hak'ken spun around in the captain's chair. "You know, a blip! Sorry, an anomaly of unknown origin..." If a Duros could roll their eyes...

"Here," he pointed. "Only one parsec away. I stare at these holo-maps every waking moment, and that should not exist." Yarrick frowned, looking annoyed as always. "It's just one parsec away, sir," he pleaded. Sighing, the major turned away. "Fine. I'll go inform the Chief." The Duros pilot made a silent fist pump out of excitement as Yarrick exited the bridge. "No promises!"

Major Yarrick strode through the main hub doubling as the ship's common room, immediately noting the old, dozed-off Weequay in the corner next to the Wookie doing maintenance on a pile of guns. Cain and Mira were lounging on the couch, Cain strumming a few chords on his guitar while she rested her head on his shoulder. Boros was busy examining Gaunt's affliction, rolling up the poor man's sleeve to find that the scars had claimed another inch of his left arm. Gaunt looked less than bothered, taking another swig of Corellian whiskey.

"I dunno, Pac. Tampering with the hyper-drive..." Creed shook his head in scepticism. "It's a perfectly safe procedure, I assure you," the Mon Calamari replied, hoping to convince the Lieutenant-Colonel. "I've made the same calibrations on Mon Calamari ships a dozen times with a hundred per cent success ratio." Creed chuckled. "I'm sure you did, and look where that got you." Pac blinked in confusion before attempting to resume his argument, only for Creed to raise a hand, his purple eyes focused elsewhere.

"I need to see the Chief. Hak'ken believes we may have come across an anomaly of unknown origin--" Creed sprung up from his seat. "Listen up, you lot! We've got ourselves a blip," his booming voice filled the hall, causing everyone to give a unified OORAH in response, waking poor Belial. Yarrick pinched the bridge of his nose. "Whatever. I'm going in."

Creed held out his arm, blocking the major and shaking his head. "Is he...?" Creed nodded, prompting Yarrick to stand down without question. They all had the utmost respect for the Chief's privacy. The only one brave enough to disturb his brooding was the man who had served alongside him from the beginning, as evidenced by Creed gently tapping on the door to his battle brother's private quarters. After a long moment of silence, the door slid open.

"Major Yarrick," he couldn't be less surprised to see him. "I hear we have a blip." It took all of the major's resilience not to cringe. "Yes, sir," he saluted. "Flight Lieutenant Hak'ken reports an anomaly of unknown origin having appeared on the holo-map one parsec from our current location." Thirdas turned to Creed, offering a masked smirk. "Well then, shouldn't we check it out? Make sure it isn't a threat to the good people of this sector?" Yarrick offered another salute. "Yes, sir! Right away, sir!"

As Yarrick returned to the bridge, the Chief shared a chuckle with his second-in-command. "Aye, he's a right prick with a big ole stick up his arse, but he's our prick," Creed remarked just as Cain and Mira appeared, Cain still gripping the neck of his guitar. "Are we mobilisin', Chief," he asked excitedly.

"Chief," Hak'ken's voice rang through the intercom. "We're picking up a distress call coming from the blip. It's a ship - GR-75 model, First Carian Rangers Regiment, CIS." Gaunt could be heard spitting out his drink all over Boros. "CIS?!"

Thirdas looked to Creed, then to his men gathering around him. "We've got Rangers in need of rescuing, people. Into the fires of battle!"

UNTO THE ANVIL OF WAR, they replied in unison. The Ironsides were going on a rescue mission.

Tags: Anakwor Farlorn Jalen Kai'el ​

 

[Derron Daks]

DDSI Horizon - Yag'Dhul system
​

Being the corporate flagship of DDSI, and its first research Frigate, the Horizon typically had more important matters to tend to than conducting freight operations. However, things were in motion at the company that required the ship to entertain duties outside of its normal scope. A recent contract with a mining firm had brought in a veritable fortune of future earnings, and Chief Daks had elected to borrow against that sum to initiate an immediate expansion program to the DDSI fleet.

This expansion included an ambitious addition: The DDSI Umbra, a high-energy research cruiser able to survive the intense energies surrounding super-radiative phenomena. To Commander Simmerlin's knowledge, no Shield Ship of its size and scope had ever been constructed before.

The Obulette shipyards were handling assembly of the behemoth, but they didn't have access to all of the high-tech sensor apparatus such a vessel required. As such, the Horizon herself had been forced to source some of the sensor modules. They'd recently picked up tachyon sensors from Yag'Dhul, whose people were in the forefront of tachyon research. They were an odd, ghoulish species. Sealed exoskeletons covered their bodies, making their heads resemble near-human skulls.

The sensors had been brought aboard 24 hours ago, and the Horizon had been preparing to leave the system when a call came from Engineering. Something was wrong with the newly purchased sensor modules. Simmerlin had come down to the cargo bay himself to respond to the matter. If the Yag'Dhul had indeed sold them three faulty sensors, the Chief would be less than pleased.

"I don't understand, Lieutenant," Simmerlin said to the ship's Engineer, "how could all three modules be faulty?"

Xant looked up from the deck of the cargo bay, where all three modules were arrayed and hooked up to various cabling. The tall Yaakan man ran a hand through his thinning hair. "Bad readings," Lieutenant Xant declared, "bad modules."

Simmerlin frowned. "What readings, exactly?"

Xant made a swirling gesture in the air with his index finger, "Spiral Tachyon signature. All three units."

Simmerlin wasn't a scientist, but working on a research vessel required some basic familiarity with the topic. "Tachyons don't arrive in spiral patterns," he said simply.

"You see the problem," Xant said flatly.

Simmerlin's frown deepened. He'd have to contact the Yag'Dhul, request a refund. It would be a big deal, and put them further behind on their schedule. "Can you even get a good reading from inside the bay? Could it be interference?"

Xant nodded, "Nothing we have will stop tachyons. Nothing we have will make tachyons until we're in hyperspace."

If it weren't for his cybernetic implants, Simmerlin might have cursed. The intrusion of neuralware into the brains of much of the ship's crew gave them a certain detachment from their emotions as a side effect. Simmerlin wasn't as deeply modified as the full-blooded Yakans aboard, though. Not like Xant, or the Chief.

"And all three are broken the same way?" It seemed impossible that the Yag;Dhul would make such an error. Perhaps a manufacturing defect?

"Mmm," Xant said noncommittally.

"What does that mean, Lieutenant?" Simmerlin wasn't inclined to accept grunts or murmurs as answers at the moment.

"Broken... but I can't find anything wrong. Everything is perfect. Except for bad readings. Mystery." The Yakan engineer was clearly unhappy with his own answer.

Simmerlin paused. What if...

"Where was the reading coming from, exactly?"

Xant checked his scope. "Wroona."

Simmerlin lifted a hand to his chin. "I think I'd like to make sure the readings are faulty before we ask for a refund. Wroona isn't far. We'll have a look around, see if something there could be causing it. Somehow. I'll update the Chief.

You'd better get down to Engineering. We'll be jumping, soon."

​

Anakwor Farlorn

​

Jalen Kai'el Thirdas Heavenshield

 

[Vulpesen]

5 Hours Earlier

“I’m happy to report that the red briar sect has been removed from the Veran forest,” Vulpesen chirped, his tail swaying as he addressed his fellow archons. “That’s one less blight to worry abut and a much healthier forest to take care of.” Every day, his progress as a member of the Wilder Council went forward and while there were technically no leaders within the circle of arch wilders, he did have the distinction of being the one man who was in charge of the planet that they all lived on. In many respects however, that just meant more responsibility. He was the Widlers’ link to the outside galaxy, the link to nature beyond the atmosphere of Veradune.

“Good to hear it,” an elder sage of the Iron Wind sect offered. He was old for a zorren, which made him ancient by most other standards, easily in his four thousandth millenia. Even if Archon Charosiven wasn’t a member of the same sect, he was a voice that Vulpesen knew to heed whenever he spoke up. “We’ve been working ourselves on keeping the carmuuth pop-”

Try as he might, Vulpesen lost the elder’s words to a sudden pain that screeched through his mind. It was a screech that seemed to run through his entire being, and there was a sudden silence as the Vitae Arch Wilder dropped to his knees. “Archon Torrevaso, are you well?” inquired another of the Wilder leaders, though Vulpesen hadn’t even the wherewithal to identify what sect he was from. Instead, he simply reached out, touching their minds with the force to give them a taste of what he was sensing.

Vulpesen Torrevaso was a servant of the force bound to follow its call wherever it sent him. Usually that was some calamity or battle in the galaxy. He was used to those calls. The whispers or the thrum of war. But this was different. It was unnatural. And it was only through the training in his distant youth that he was able to get a glimpse of the cause. It came in a flash of color, no, colors. Red, blue, green, yellow, and violet. It was the spectrum of time he’d witnessed long ago with the aing-tii, and it was being violently ripped apart and smashed back together by something unnatural. [Ace! Get Garlan and the Vixen! Somethings happening!] Going to all fours, Vulpesen staggered out of the grove before he found the steadiness to sprint as only a zorren could.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Present


The Twilight Fox lurched as it left hyperspace, and Vulpesen who had finally recovered from the pain of the natural force was able to see the cause. It was a ship like any other, except the model was something he hadn’t seen in decades. “Those are CIS markings," he murmured, his right ear flicking as a phantom pain touched the point where it had been grafted on. “This is new.” It took some work, but peering through the force, the Valde could just see the residual glimmer of the force around the hull, that colorful sheen that spoke of a transgression against time itself. Thankfully, it seemed that he wasn't the only one who had found the anomaly, though he doubted that the other ships had found it in quite so mystical a fashion.

"That thing is massive," the Valde began, even as he started to put on his cloak. "but it sounds like they need help, and their people died out ages ago. Let them know we've got a boarding party and medical aid to send them. Its not much, but I think this is an all-hands on deck situation." Indeed, the Vixen only had about a dozen men aboard her. It was hardly enough for such a large scale crisis, but with the proper calls, Vulpesen had the authority to call in much more if the time travelers were amicable.



Anakwor Farlorn Jalen Kai'el Thirdas Heavenshield Derron Daks

 

[B1-173 "Omar"]

Nearby, a lone Z-95 Headhunter was drifting in space, B1-173 hasn't seen much action as of recent but has been assigned to more tame roles such as surveying the border territories and trade routes of the Galactic Alliance, although strategically important to defend, the droid has seen no action whatsoever and has been bored serving as a glorified surveillance camera for the Galactic Alliance. He despised his occupation, but as the droid continued to think about what was interesting, he thought that no matter what his duty should be unwavering and steadfast, surprisingly at the same time, an odd occurrence happened, something seemingly popped onto the Headhunter's map which tracked a new unidentified spacecraft within the vicinity, according to routine. B1-173 decides to intercept this spacecraft, but unexpectedly the vessel is transmitting a signal which the droid was all too familiar with...

"Confederate codes? I haven't seen those been used for quite sometime..."

At one point, B1-173 did serve the Confederacy, but it was the original Confederacy of Independent Systems. The first one born out of the fires of the Separatist Crisis, the one which fought the Galactic Republic in the Clone Wars. A war B1-173 was far too familiarised with, however the droid has been around for many cycles. And he was sceptical of it being perhaps from a renegade remnant faction of wishful reformists ready to restart the Confederacy. Although B1-173 should be optimistic about such an initiative, the droid was now a servant of the Galactic Alliance, for his service to the original "true" Confederacy is now long over, and the political landscape of the Galaxy has changed since then. Deciding to contact the ship, B1-173 attempted to reach the signal and communicate to the vessel at Wroona, as the Headhunter began to thrust towards its location.

"This is unit B1-173 of the Galactic Alliance Defence Force, you are infringing upon Galactic Alliance space. Identify yourself."

The droid would say in a very distinct voice which B1s are usually associated with, perhaps a throwback to the crew aboard the transport vessel. As the droid approached the designated location, the Headhunter's sensors detected the presence of other ships converging on the same destination, as such B1-173 decided to exercise caution on his approach making subtle maneuvers to maintain a safe distance from the other vessels. Deciding to remain cautious, B1-173 would arm the Z-95s weapons and prime them to fight any adversaries, the GR-75 could also potentially be hostile. He was not going to take any chances, but to ensure clarity amongst the other vessels, B1-173 would send out yet another transmission this time to Galactic Alliance personnel, perhaps they were allies serving under the same flag?

"This is unit B1-173 of the Galactic Alliance Defence Force, I do not read any IFF codes for the nearby vessels. How copy?"

B1-173's headhunter continued its approach toward the GR-75 transport aligning itself with the GR-75's trajectory. Furthermore, the droid would now begin to analyse the damages sustained on the GR-75 now scanning the vessel and gaining a damage report from it as the droid integrated its systems into the Z-95 Headhunter's mainframe, although another realisation came to the droid is that he was unable to save the crew aboard the transport ship if they were in grave danger, the best B1-173 could do is guide the vessel into friendly territory and reach out to acquire Galactic Alliance reinforcements. However it seems that the ship had already gained enough attention to be well supported.

Tags: Anakwor Farlorn Jalen Kai'el Thirdas Heavenshield Derron Daks Vulpesen

 

[Lt. Bren Alazar]

You know those types you don't want to meet in a dark alley?​

Spoiler: GEAR

ALL - Mk V Armor, Armor H.U.D, 3 Grenades, Fire Grenade, Rotary and Blaster Vambraces, T-73 Handgun,
Michael - RI-19 Assault Rifle-w-LPD53 Grenade Launcher(5 FYB 40mm grenades each), .Duffel bag with multiple shaped charges.
Gabriel - RI-19 Assault Rifle-w-LPD53 Grenade Launcher(5 FYB 40mm grenades each), Scattergun,
Sariel - RI-19 Assault Rifle-w-LPD53 Grenade Launcher(5 FYB 40mm grenades each), Stun Club
Raphael - Defender-Automatic Weapon(if in CQC), Assault Rifle, Stun Club
Uriel - SMR, Carbine,
Raguel - "God Gun", Carbine,
Remiel - M-14 Sniper Rifle, Carbine,

3 Grenades, Fire Grenade, Rotary and Blaster Vambraces, Stun Club and Shoulder Mounted Interchangeable Weapon
(Snipers)- SMR, "God Gun", M-14 Sniper Rifle, Wrist Blaster, Carbine, God gun Rotary and Blaster Vambraces, Stun Club and Shoulder Mounted Interchangeable Weapon(Sniper Variant)
(Assault)- RI-19 Assault Rifle-w-LPD53 Grenade Launcher(5 FYB 40mm grenades each), T-73 Handgun, Scattergun,
3 Grenades, Fire Grenade, Rotary and Blaster Vambraces, Stun Club and Shoulder Mounted Interchangeable Weapon
(Heavy Weapons)- Minigun(if in the field), Defender-Automatic Weapon(if in CQC) Assault Rifle Rotary and Blaster Vambraces, Stun Club and (Shoulder Mounted Interchangeable Weapon)(Grenade Variant)

Spoiler: FIRE TEAMS AND SUPPORT

BLUE TEAM - Michael, Gabriel, Sariel,
GREEN TEAM - Raphael. Uriel
OVERWATCH AND AUTOMATED PILOTING - Raguel, Remiel, Seraphim

Michael, Gabriel, Sariel,Raphael, Uriel,Raguel,Remiel, Seraphim
[Any text in brackets signifies comm-link usage and not face to face conversation]
SECTOR:
ORDERS: Incoming
TAG: Anakwor Farlorn | Jalen Kai'el | Thirdas Heavenshield | Derron Daks | Vulpesen | @B1-173 "Omar"

ABOARD THE CARRIER “CELESTIAL CITY”

Standing on the Well-Deck of the Port Landing bay, Admiral Liram Angellus waited as the incoming transport settled and opened her loading ramps. The occupants, an Ambassador to some border planet that he had forgotten the name of and his family had been evacuated. They were not Alliance citizens, but were friendly and were in trouble on their planet so were evacuated safely before any tragedy could strike.
Welcome aboard, Mr. Ambassador.

-Thank you.

Let me take those for you . Taking the woman’s bag as she was struggling with one child as the ambassador was carrying the other and sensitive documentation.

“He got one in the leg” shouted one of the transport’s crew over the sounding of the winding engines.

Put him in the sickbay now! Turning around, he watched as seven, battle hardened, bruised and scarred operators stepped off. Well, look at you. Stepping forward, returning their salutes and offering a handshake to Alazar noticing the gash over his forehead hastily dressed.. Welcome back.

Thank you.

We appreciate you've been humping out there, but we have to put you back in. Priority tasking. We need to respond to a high value irregularity ASAP. It was natural to feel disheartened, annoyed, even angry at the thought of being sent right back out after the mission they were just on, but this is what they signed up for and came with the territory. As each team member continued walking with “EL-TEE” and the Admiral, they listened intently knowing that Angellus did not like having to send them out, and wouldn’t if he didn’t have to.Now get some chow, refit for a seven-day LRRP.
As each team member walked by him as he stopped, Liram shook each team member’s hand, screw “saluting” they deserved better. See you in chow to debrief. Turning to Alazar who was standing at ease waiting for anything extra for his ears only… You... Looking directly at Alazar....go see the medic.

Aye, Admiral.

SOME TIME LATER

“Attention on deck.” Shouted the Chief of the Boat, Chief Griggs as Admiral Angellus walked into the briefing room. Each member of “Omega Squad” was seated, looking over some cases of intel and eating at the same time. They all stood and saluted as he returned salutes.
As you were, gentlemen. Sit down. Everybody get chow?

“Yes, sir.” They all exclaimed collectively.

Okay. Now, intel estimates...scattered throughout the Wroona sector at least one old CIS shipwreck. There’s a problem with that though.

Sariel raised a hand as if in a classroom, though he did not have to wait to be called on. All due respect, sir. Sounds “open and shut”. This remark brought agreement from most in the room. The outburst did not last as not only were each of them professionals, Alazar held up a hand of his own which usually means “Shut the $%#^ up.”

All right, now, your prime objective is to find and extract the flight recorder of at least one crashed ship…

Now it was Alazar’s turn to speak up. ”Retrieval”? Why us, sir? He was indeed asking what everyone in the room was thinking.

I’m sending you because I am not convinced that this intel package is complete, or even correct. I need people in there I can trust to go in, assess the situation and apply what they know. This seemed to satisfy the room, it still made Angellus angry to have to send them like this, but he was telling the truth. Your secondary objective… is to extract a Jedi Healer who is said to be in the area responding as well. He is not in need of protection, but if things go south…

Those in the room seemed to get the jist.

You will insert with “The Annunaki” just outside Wroona...and float into your DZ near the edge of the sector. When you get your package...you will proceed to your extract LZ Alpha, short and sweet. .Our presence on the ground will not be considered hostile. Questions?

Sir......rules of engagement?

You will defend yourselves if you're fired upon. Otherwise, do not engage.

Sir, if for some reason we’re in a soup. What's our escape-and-evasion plan?

Patrol the Wroona border through the Tandjile Pass to Ord Providence Anything else, gentlemen? Silence from the room. All right. Dismissed.

Just like that, all stood and saluted.



ABOARD “THE ANNUNAKI” JUST OUTSIDE BELTRIX III ENROUTE TO SECTOR OUTSIDE WROONA

WEAPONS CHECK!

Sir, I’m not sure I like this.

Then we’re on the same page, but we have a job to do… so get everyone ready to drop.

sighs Yes sir.

Sir, we will be dropping out of hyperspace in 3 minutes.

Everyone in “The Pegasus”. This may be a rookie test mission, but we’re still going to do our thing. “The Annunaki” is only dropping out of hyperspace long enough for us to launch and she’ll jump back to Beltrix… now let’s do this… OOAH?

“OOAH!”

... yeah, I scare them.

​

 

[Anakwor Farlorn]

Farlorn's Forlorn
Chapter Thirty-Three: A Memory From the Past
​

"The hell is a Galactic Alliance?" Fennstrum squinted.

"I have no records of any organization or body that calls themselves the Galactic Alliance as of currently." The Technician stammered, "There was the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances in 138 ABY but historical information tells me they fragmented not too long after. The chance of there being remnants, let alone remnants capable of seizing a Confederate world in such a short time is-"

"Astronomical." Farlorn leaned forward. "Something is afoot."

"Too put it lightly."

"Gather Hark, Markus, Erach, Thorin, and Lindemann on the bridge if they can be spared," Farlorn told Fennstrum. The Senior officers would be needed. "In the meantime, we'll have to send our response but tell the others to be ready to man battle stations. This could be another trick of the Unmaker. How many of our on-board weapons are still online?"

"Our only Turbolaser - the bow turret - is currently offline, sir. But we do still have about a dozen 1D servo turrets online and ready to go."

"Good. Double-check them and perform any repairs if needed but don't activate them. They only fire on my command."

"Yessir."

"What did he mean that our codes were thirty years out of date?" A voice piped up from amid the din of the bridge. It was Adjutant Karsaw. When Farlorn had saved the Carian Rangers from the fires of their homeworld, Karsaw had been a child and refugee who had tagged along. Now after a decade of non-stop war, Karsaw was a young man who could barely remember his innocent childhood. "Maybe a trick by the Unmaker?"

"It would be a strange trick indeed if that was the case, even for a dishonorable bastard like him. We must have misheard or the transmission got mangled on the way in," there was another alternative on Farlorn's mind but it was too terrible for him to consider, "It's just a single ship and person."

"Chance it could be the Unmaker himself?"

"No. He would be a fool not to be at the scene of his upcoming triumph at Naboo. And if it is indeed him, somehow, then we have a once-in Galactic History chance to slay that Daemon once and for all." he turned to the Technician again, "Ensign. Open up communications on the broaddband."

"Hologram connection online."

The holographic projection of Farlorn would appear on Jalen Kai'el 's. He was dressed in a Dauntless Commanding Officer's black uniform with golden epaulets on his shoulder, straightening it. A Zolan nobleman's vibrosword was tucked neatly into an ornate sheath with a green sash. "Galactic Alliance Medical Officer, I am Colonel Anakwor Farlorn of the Confederate First-and-Only Carian Ranger Regiment. The Confederacy does not have any records of your... Galactic Alliance but we appreciate the offering of Medical Aid. We have large numbers of wounded and I doubt that no matter how skilled you are, we will need the high-intensity facilities on Wroona. Wroona is a member of Confederacy of Independent Systems and any action preventing a Confederate Military Contingent from landing on a member world will be considered an act of blockade. If you wish to board and provide medical aid while we continue on our landing protocol, you will do so unarmed and leave unharmed. You have my word on-"

"Sir! Multiple new contacts within sensor distance. Detecting a Z-95 Headhunter and unknown ship type entering range. The Z-95 appears to be droid calling itself B1-173 "Omar" and pledging fealty the Galactic Alliance Defence Force. It claims that we're in Alliance Space and demands indentification."

The hologram projector of Farlorn would turn to the ensign off-screen. "Repeat the identification codes at them and prepare to take evasive actions. I will not have this ship boxed into a kill-zone."

He turned back to Jalen Kai'el , "Understand if you wish to avoid conflict with the Confederacy and your Galactic Alliance, you will stand down your fellow ships. My duty first and foremost is to my men and the Independent Systems. Any act of hostility against either will receive a response in kind."

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Space, Near Wroona
Tags: Anakwor Farlorn , Vulpesen , B1-173 "Omar" , Thirdas Heavenshield , Others...

Delta-7​

Wroona is a member of Confederacy of Independent Systems and any action preventing a Confederate Military Contingent from landing on a member world will be considered an act of blockade. If you wish to board and provide medical aid while we continue on our landing protocol, you will do so unarmed and leave unharmed.

"Chit..."

This wasn't normal at all. Blips came, more incoming GA vessels. Stress levels seemed to rise in the aura of the vessel, concentrated at the bridge.

<Nearby alliance vessels, state intent of aid and do not engage in hostility,> Jalen stated on a secure GADF channel. <The crew is confused. I do not believe they intend harm. I wish to board and assess the sustained injury to the crew and negotiate with the ship's captain.>

Jalen scrambled to change the transmission of his ship back to the damaged transport. This was getting messier by the minute. How the hell was he supposed to explain that they weren't in the Confederacy? Seemed like an easy enough thing to say, but one wrong string of words and everything could devolve into chaos.

<Message recieved, but you're information is out of date,> he relayed. <The Confederacy of Independant Systems collapsed well before the Second Great Hyperspace War. That was decades ago. As a sovereign member world of the Galactic Alliance, I have a responsibility to ensure that no harm comes to the people of Wroona. I implore that you do not respond with hostile measures, Colonel. Inbound vessels have been informed to keep their guns cold. I simply ask that you remain in the air for a little bit longer. If you will allow me to board, we can talk this out face to face. I give my word as a medic.>

There wasn't really much else to do now. Hoping that the rest of the arriving Alliance members would hold back, Jalen brought the Bluejay towards the main hangar of the vessel. This was either going to go terribly or fix everything.

He just had to hope nobody did anything reckless.

 

[Vulpesen]

"No chit their confused," the Valde murmured as he listened to Jalen's message. Out of everyone in this situation, he had the feeling that he was the only one with an inkling of what was going on. Unfortunately, that didn't help much when he was one of the smaller ships there. "Open a channel to all parties."

Once he was online, Vulpesen cleared his throat and stepped up to the holoterminal. [This is Valde Vulpesen Torrevaso, of the planet Veradune. I came here sensing a disturbance in the force. Weeping Cerave, if my suspicions are correct, then you are dealing with a major temporal displacement, and any hostilities are unnecessary. We are here to help, and we're the only help you're gonna get since the last CIS forces left this place decades ago.]

He was sitting on a powder keg, and everyone onboard the Vixen could feel the tenseness. As much as he was trying to act out of good faith, the simple truth was that last time Vulpesen had met the CIS, it was on Geonosis where he'd fought one of their mercenaries to a stand still. They were the reason behind the VSF's adoption of the coyote sniper rifle. The verpine tech used that day had blasted his right ear into the sands. And yet, here he was, trying to bring a semblance of civility to complete madness.


Jalen Kai'el Anakwor Farlorn B1-173 "Omar" Lt. Bren Alazar Thirdas Heavenshield Derron Daks

 

[Derron Daks]

Aboard the DDSI Horizon
Enroute to Wroona in Hyperspace

​

Doctor Paricia Stoan's face regarded Derron Daks from the internal vidcom system of the Horizon. Derron sat in his office, listeing to what the woman had to say about the Commander's report.

"Spiral tachyon patterns have been predicted before in theoretical papers," she was saying, "they've simply never been detected in reality. Until now." The Yakan woman sat at her desk with her hands folded behind some unidentifiable piece of tech she'd been working with when he''d called in

Derron leaned forward slightly, "So you think the signal could be genuine?"

"The most likely explanation remains an engineering or production defect in the sensors," she answered, "but only because the proposed theoretical phenomena are so unlikely themselves."

"And what theoretical incident could have precipitated these readings," he asked.

She didn't hesitate. "A temporal displacement. In hyperspace."

Derron said nothing, but the long pause was indication enough of his surprise. Then, "We'll be arriving within minutes. When we get there, I want you to monitor all sensor data and give me a running update of your opinions."

Stoan nodded, "Of course, Chief Executive."



Jalen Kai'el Anakwor Farlorn B1-173 "Omar" Lt. Bren Alazar Thirdas Heavenshield Derron Daks Vulpesen

 

[Anakwor Farlorn]

Farlorn's Forlorn
Chapter Thirty-Three: A Memory From the Past​

Fennstrum broke the silence, "It has to be a trick of the Unmaker."

Farlorn wasn't too sure. He looked at the gathered senior officers on the bridge, many still processing the information. Farlorn had seen this before, where a revelation had broken the minds of men and caused them to freeze like a droid that had attempted to divide by zero.

"Has to be." Major Erach stammered, "They're trying to draw us into a trap."

"An odd way to make a trap then. To come at us with such nonsensical information. And why bother to set a trap for us when we're a flaming starship with a surviving arsenal that can barely fend off a flock of Mynocks? Why not just atomize us on the spot." Major Thorin pondered.

"Maybe they want to take us prisoner. The Unmaker has a habit of publicly torturing captured Confederate soldiers."

"That was when he wanted to strike fear into our hearts. Naboo is on its knees," Major Lindemann snapped, "Why bother with fear tactics when there is no more need? The incineration of the capital is fear enough!"

"The Unmaker is a bastard! The more suffering he inflicts, the better!" Karsaw jumped in

The entire bridge began to erupt into a clamor as the ship crew, Company Captains, and Adjutants joined in.

"Silence," Farlorn's voice was soft but had the effect of a planet-cracker as his men obeyed at once, "If this is indeed a trick by the Unmaker or his minions, it's working. We must not fall into discord and panic at this hour. When I served with the Zolan Planetary Defence Force before Caria, it was a common story among the Ensigns of ships that exited hyperspace and only arrived several hundred years later. At first, I believed it to be tall tales until I rose to the rank of Captain and discovered that High Command had ordered studies done on this phenomenon. While not observed directly and being left only to their theorems, the historical record did suggest that it had happened several times in the past, possibly due to a malfunction of the hyperdrive."

"Our Hyperdrive was badly damaged during our escape..." one of the Ensigns muttered before blushing quickly, realizing he had interrupted the Colonel but Farlorn calmed him with a nod.

"Correct. Now most of these historical records were ancient and fragmented enough to be considered myths but given possible precedent, our circumstances, and the information we are being told we must consider the possibility of temporal displacement to be a non-zero chance."

"So where does that leave us?" said Fennstrum.

"We may have arrived an age too late to save the Confederacy, but our duty to its people has not ended. Elements of the Central Government must have evacuated Naboo before its fall and re-established itself somewhere. We will reestablish contact and receive further orders. If there indeed has been a Second Hyperspace War, then they will need us more than ever to rebuild. Do not forget we made an oath, Men of Caria," he addressed his men with his characteristic determined spirit, his eyes piercing like targeting lasers, "For we are the unmovable bulwark of a trillion people, who all sing as one the song of freedom. For tyrants and cruel men shall die at our hands, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so as such men will perish at our hands, liberty will never die. For so long as we live, Caria is not yet lost!"

"Caria is not yet lost!" the entire bridge cried out as one.

"But first we must fulfill our duty to the wounded and find a way to get into contact with Dauntless High Command. Majors, inform your men to be ready to receive a boarding party. Keep their blasters loaded but their barrels down. I want this incoming Medical Officer to leave without a hair missing from his head if his intentions are peaceful. If not, set blasters to stun." Farlorn said, "And under no circumstances tell the men about the potential of a temporal displacement having taken place. I want to brief them all when we have dirt beneath our feet and I can ill afford a panic among them. Inform them that we are in the process of establishing contact with High Command. Understand?"

The officers nodded and dispersed to carry out the orders.

"Re-open communications with all Alliance Ships in the sector, I want them to hear that we mean no harm," Farlorn told the ensign before Farlorn reappeared on both Jalen Kai'el 's and Vulpesen 's holoprojector, "Very well, I will hold you to your word, as I give my word as a soldier of the Confederacy. We will accept your offering of aid. The ship's defensive armament will be disabled the moment we detect your fellows doing the same. There appears to have been a violation of the Laws of Reality by our exit from Hyperspace and it seems that we will require further discussion on the subject. On more urgent matters I have a hundred seriously wounded men, we will accept unarmed medical boarding parties in the meantime, but I strongly ask that you allow my ship to land. Not only for the sake of the wounded but for the structural integrity of the ship that I fear is beginning to seriously fray."

Farlorn left out the fact of the damaged hyperdrive. He didn't want to let these people know that they had no real vectors for escape, just a last stand.

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Space, Near Wroona
Tags: Anakwor Farlorn , Vulpesen , Others...

Delta-7​

"Very well, I will hold you to your word, as I give my word as a soldier of the Confederacy. We will accept your offering of aid. The ship's defensive armament will be disabled the moment we detect your fellows doing the same. There appears to have been a violation of the Laws of Reality by our exit from Hyperspace and it seems that we will require further discussion on the subject. On more urgent matters I have a hundred seriously wounded men, we will accept unarmed medical boarding parties in the meantime, but I strongly ask that you allow my ship to land. Not only for the sake of the wounded but for the structural integrity of the ship that I fear is beginning to seriously fray."

A sigh of relief followed this statement.

<Hey, you're that Wilder guy, yeah?> Jalen began, his message going directly to the Twilight Vixen. <I'd appreciate if your crew could take charge and organize an escort to the planet's surface. If damages are as severe as they say, hundreds could be sucked out into space.>

He was just going to have to take their word that they came without hostile intent. Faith was hard in his profession, but sometimes it was the only option. For now he was just going to have to bank on everything working out.

<Understood,> he responded back to the CIS vessel. <Nearby vessels are preparing to escort you safely to the surface. I'll be in your hangar shortly.>

The Bluejay was there in punctual time, it's top hatch opening to reveal the lone pilot. Tall, lanky, and notably blind, with scars across his face indicative of fire damage. He carried very litte: A medical kit, a 7-string hallikset, and no notable weapon in sight. Jalen would turn to his astromech co-pilot for a brief moment.

"Take the Bluejay to the surface, Paul," Jalen instructed. "I'll... meet you down there, I hope."

With a beep-boop in agreement, the Delta-7 was quick to lift off and depart just as soon as it came, leaving it's pilot behind.

"Hey!" he called out, hoping to get the attention of whatever crew was around. "I'm here!"

And hopefully he didn't get immediately shot at.

 

[Vulpesen]

"10-4. I'll see you on the transport. This is Valde Torrevaso, ceding the Twilight Vixen to Colonel Garlan." In response to his new responsibilities, the Coloenel snapped a quick salute alongwith a wily grin.

"Thank you, boss. We'll keep 'em safe."

Vulpesen peered through his squad until his eyes fell upon two men, each with a red medical patch on their shoulders. "Corporals Deros and Feren, on me. Grab any spare medkits you can find and seal your suits." The two medics of his squad nodded, and two minutes later, the Vixen had taken position at the side of the transport ship, and the medics were standing by their leader at the loading dock. There had been some consternation regarding their weapons. A Zorren unarmed was like a kel dor without his mask. Still, they trusted their Valde enough to disarm as he had, with the exception of his lightsaber.

"Hold on. Its gonna get chilly." Raising the force as a barrier to protect the rest of the ship, he lowered the loading ramp. Then with a sudden gasp, he and his men were sucked out. [This is Valde Torrevaso, moving to board with a medical party. The Vixen will see you safe to the surface,] he said, tapping into his comms while he grabbed his medics and activated his raven wing pack to move towards the ship.

Jalen Kai'el Anakwor Farlorn B1-173 "Omar" Lt. Bren Alazar Thirdas Heavenshield Derron Daks

 

[Derron Daks]

DDSI Horizon - Arriving at Wroona


​

The Horizon dropped out of hyperspace at the usual hyperspace transit point, well-used and long known to the sentients of the galaxy.

The ship's arrival might create some momentary alarm, with its design based on the hullform of a small warship and pocket carrier. However, anyone checking the registry of the ship's transponder would soon identify it as a research ship and not a combat vessel. It had weapons, of course. A decent armament, because research in fringe regions could be dangerous. But it would not be a major threat even if it became violent. The combined forces gathered here were more than capable of taking on such a vessel.

The ship took no action for a time after arriving. Its potent sensor arrays drank in the surroundings, taking note of everything that was occurring in local space. There was a lot to observe. An older but impressive military transport from a prior age. Other armed ships encroaching, seemingly to offer assistance. And smaller ships yet, ferrying over personnel.

No shots were being fired. There was a sense of urgency, but no evidence of combat underway.

That was good.

Another moment of silent watching.

Then a transmission.

​

"This is Chief Executive Daks of the DDSI Horizon, a research frigate. We traced an anomalous tachyon reading to this system which is consistent with a hyperspace... accident. I can observe that rescue operations are underway of a damaged capital ship.

Ours is not a hospital ship, but we have some resources that could prove useful in the treatment of injured, the repair of damaged spacecraft, the evacuation of personnel, and even helping a damaged ship to make planetfall safely.

I have no interest in interjecting myself into an ongoing emergency unless it is desired.

However, if we can be of any assistance, we will stand by to render aid."





Jalen Kai'el Anakwor Farlorn B1-173 "Omar" Lt. Bren Alazar Thirdas Heavenshield Derron Daks Vulpesen

 

[Lt. Bren Alazar]

You know those types you don't want to meet in a dark alley?​

Spoiler: GEAR

ALL - Mk V Armor, Armor H.U.D, 3 Grenades, Fire Grenade, Rotary and Blaster Vambraces, T-73 Handgun,
Michael - RI-19 Assault Rifle-w-LPD53 Grenade Launcher(5 FYB 40mm grenades each), .Duffel bag with multiple shaped charges.
Gabriel - RI-19 Assault Rifle-w-LPD53 Grenade Launcher(5 FYB 40mm grenades each), Scattergun,
Sariel - RI-19 Assault Rifle-w-LPD53 Grenade Launcher(5 FYB 40mm grenades each), Stun Club
Raphael - Defender-Automatic Weapon(if in CQC), Assault Rifle, Stun Club
Uriel - SMR, Carbine,
Raguel - "God Gun", Carbine,
Remiel - M-14 Sniper Rifle, Carbine,

3 Grenades, Fire Grenade, Rotary and Blaster Vambraces, Stun Club and Shoulder Mounted Interchangeable Weapon
(Snipers)- SMR, "God Gun", M-14 Sniper Rifle, Wrist Blaster, Carbine, God gun Rotary and Blaster Vambraces, Stun Club and Shoulder Mounted Interchangeable Weapon(Sniper Variant)
(Assault)- RI-19 Assault Rifle-w-LPD53 Grenade Launcher(5 FYB 40mm grenades each), T-73 Handgun, Scattergun,
3 Grenades, Fire Grenade, Rotary and Blaster Vambraces, Stun Club and Shoulder Mounted Interchangeable Weapon
(Heavy Weapons)- Minigun(if in the field), Defender-Automatic Weapon(if in CQC) Assault Rifle Rotary and Blaster Vambraces, Stun Club and (Shoulder Mounted Interchangeable Weapon)(Grenade Variant)

Spoiler: FIRE TEAMS AND SUPPORT

BLUE TEAM - Michael, Gabriel, Sariel,
GREEN TEAM - Raphael. Uriel
OVERWATCH AND AUTOMATED PILOTING - Raguel, Remiel, Seraphim

Michael, Gabriel, Sariel,Raphael, Uriel,Raguel,Remiel, Seraphim
[Any text in brackets signifies comm-link usage and not face to face conversation]
SECTOR:
ORDERS: Incoming
TAG: Anakwor Farlorn | Jalen Kai'el | Thirdas Heavenshield | Derron Daks | Vulpesen | @B1-173 "Omar"

They were within shouting distance of the goings on, their stealth systems holding up (and the fact that Alazar had “The Pegasus” over a pole messing up any readings they were giving out) so “Michael” and “Gabriel” sat there listening in to the comms traffic. It was true, what they say “Detailed Intel is a trap” or in this case “Wrong” this was not the mission they were sent on, at least not at the moment.

Then the frigate arrived, “The DDSI Horizon”, and everything seemed to be all nice and tidy, them offering to render aid.

Boss?

Yep?

Do you really buy that?

Nope. Seraphim? Looking up in no particular direction and speaking aloud, “Michael”(Alazar) was now talking to the AI assistant to Omega Squad and the carrier “Celestial City” “Seraphim”.

I am here, sir.

Can you confirm or deny my fears?

If you are asking me to run scans of “The DDSI Horizon”, I can do so, but my capabilities are limited with them not being of a Silver Jedi Concord, or Galactic Alliance origin or authorization. Any deep scans will not only run the risk of detection, but remember that I am not fully authorized by the Galactic Alliance Defense Force yet, this could bring legal trouble.

Just do what you can, thank you. Looking at Gabriel. Get everyone ready, we’re going down to the planet. We’ll stay out of their space but keep things clear, and if we’re right… counter an ambush.

... yeah, I scare them.

​

 

[Anakwor Farlorn]

Farlorn's Forlorn
Chapter Thirty-Three: A Memory From the Past​

"Get another crew of engineers to the engine room, take them off the weaponry if necessary," Farlorn ordered, "In the meantime, I'm heading to heading to the hanger."

"Could be an ambush, sir," Fennstrum advised.

"That's why I want a platoon of Hark's Pathfinders with me," he strapped onto his belt buckle the sheath of his vibrosword and double-checked his BAW-55 Heavy Blaster Pistol, "There are rafters in the hangers. Good enough for one of your snipers, Markus?"

"It's obvious. Vents would be better for concealment and protection even if it's a limited field of view."

"I'll leave that up to your judgment. Make sure you emphasize to your men to keep their fingers on the trigger. Return fire only or fire on my signal."

"Yessir."

"Erach, I want you to head down to the medical bay to prep them for incoming personnel and evacuation. The moment we hit the surface I want the wounded out first and fast. The longer we stay on this ship the more likely we'll die to some reactor leak," Farlorn turned to Fennstrum, "You're in control of the bridge and communications with the arriving ships. If I go down-"

"Assume command."

"Karsaw, you're with me." The Adjutant nodded in response. "Let's go give the newcomers a warm welcome. Be it with words or blaster bolts if needed."

---

The GR-75s hanger wasn't in the best of state. During the Weeping Cerave's flight into hyperspace, a turbo laser had directly struck the open hanger as the freighter's straighter complement re-entered. Everyone in the hangar had been slaughtered. The walls had been blackened, save for humanoid shapes. These anti-shadows were all that remained of the hangar crew.

Even after they had sealed the blast doors and returned to atmosphere control several fires still burned. But enough area had been cleared in the middle for ships to land.

Colonel Anakwor Farlorn watched as the Delta-7 landed. The ponchos of the men beside him flew in the wake of the starfighter's updraft. Some were dressed in khaki coats, brown corduroy breeches and webbings, and black puttees around their legs and forearms. Others wore heavier plastoid grey armor while wielding repeating blasters.

They looked like they had come from another time, another Galaxy.

Colonel Farlorn himself wore a fur-trimmed great coat to protect himself against the cold in the hangar. He watched the Delta-7 slowly come in for landing. He noted that this one seemed to have been heavily modified, possessing two sub-light engines. If the pilot was competent, there was no way that a GR-75's defensive compliment would have hope in the Void to take it down. If it had decided to go hostile the only way their ship would have survived is if it ran out of ammo before detonating the reactor.

The more concerning thing was what stepped out of the starfighter. He was still a boy, barely a man, spared the creasing lines of stress or heavy eyebags that had become permanent on Farlorn's features. Even more worrying was the way he dressed. Farlorn had seen this before, had fought them before.

Jedi.

It had been little secret that many of the Confederacy's leadership had been Sith but there had also been many Jedi among their ranks as well. As far as Farlorn had been concerned it was a matter of religious freedom that the state had little right in mandating. It didn't matter if you were Jedi or Sith at the end of the day. If you threatened a single hair on a Confederate Citizen - Sith or Jedi - you would always meet the same fate.

It was still disconcerting to see someone whose fellows he had waged war against not too long ago, now not only coming to him in peace but offering aid.

"Hold fire and stand fast," Farlorn told his men as he walked forward towards Jalen Kai'el , leaving his men behind. "In the name of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and the Carian Rangers, I welcome and thank you for coming aboard. I would extend this ceremony further but I have soldiers dying in the med-bay as we speak and a ship on the verge of structural collapse. Before we go further I want to make one thing clear: if you bring harm to any of my men, you will find yourself thrown out of the airlock without a suit faster than you can blink."

Farlorn's eye looked over Jalen's shoulder towards the slight specks in the void closing rapidly in on the hangar, Vulpesen and his medical crew, "Ah, it seems we have further guests. I hope they appreciate our agreement to non-hostility."

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Space, Near Wroona
Tags: Vulpesen , Anakwor Farlorn

Delta-7​

"Before we go further I want to make one thing clear: if you bring harm to any of my men, you will find yourself thrown out of the airlock without a suit faster than you can blink."

"I've taken a hippocratic oath," Jalen stated bluntly. "If I bring harm to your men I'll be the first to throw myself out the airlock."

Jalen sighed, readying his medical bag as he shuffled through his supplies. He had enough to treat... 20, maybe 30 people? Hopefully their medical equipment was still good. He wasn't equiped to treat armies on his own, but this wound up being a bit of an emergency situation.

He knelt down for a moment, placing a hand on the floor to feel around the vessel. It certainly seemed rather old. Jalen was a lover of starships in his spare time. The sounds of the equipment onboard, even faining equipment, was indicitive of older ship models. It was plucked straight out of time. What had happened? The young man suspected a hyperdrive malfunction, but he couldn't be too sure. A lot of things could have occured.

"Did your hyperdrive sustain damage before you jumped?" he asked. "Hyperspace is a different plain of existance, a dimension that operates on it's own rules. There's a general compression of space and time, but mechanical failures have been known to make them... fluctuate. A malfunction in your jump is most likely the culprit for the confusion."

The medic stood again, ready to follow to the medical bay. He didn't know the vessel, of course.

"Sorry, there's no real way to dance around it," Jalen apologized. "There hasn't been a CIS for... a long time. Before I was born. I... believe the Alliance recruited a few of your lingering military officers when the Hyperspace War broke out... I'm sure there's someone you can connect back with. Probably. Sorry, I feel like there's a lot to explain, and I'm not sure I'm qualified, or if we have the time considering the state of this ship."

He didn't really know anyways. This was well before Jalen's time after all. The healer didn't really know what times were like before the Hyperspace War.

 

[Vulpesen]

Jalen was half way through his speech when Vulpesen and his men finally slipped through the shielding that separated the hangar from open space. With a flare from his jet pack, the Valde descended and dropped his men next to the jedi before landing himself. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I fought y'all a while ago. I lost an ear fighting you on Geonosis. That was several decades ago." His black brush of a tail flicked and he motioned his men forward towards the medical bay. "You've my word though that its all water under the bridge."

While he carried his saberstaff in open view on his hip, Vulpesen was careful to keep his hands away from it, keeping them Infront of himself as they moved in tandem with his words. "My men and I are here to render aid in accordance with our code. If you want, I can offer a few dossiers on past events to get you caught up." If there was one thing Vulpesen understood, it was the feeling of missing the last three or four decades. While he hadn't left the galaxy or missed it entirely, his time tending to Veradune had meant that he wasn't particularly attentive to the goings on outside of his own atmosphere. He as well had come back to a galaxy changed, most of his intel coming across his desk in reports and writing.

Jalen Kai'el Anakwor Farlorn

 

[Anakwor Farlorn]

Farlorn's Forlorn
Chapter Thirty-Three: A Memory From the Past
​

Tags: Vulpesen , Jalen Kai'el , Derron Daks , Lt. Bren Alazar , Thirdas Heavenshield , B1-173 "Omar"

"Did your hyperdrive sustain damage before you jumped?" he asked. "Hyperspace is a different plain of existance, a dimension that operates on it's own rules. There's a general compression of space and time, but mechanical failures have been known to make them... fluctuate. A malfunction in your jump is most likely the culprit for the confusion."

Farlorn was silent for a moment before he decided it was pointless to tell a blatant lie to a Jedi, no matter how good his poker face was. "Yes. Our ship was ambushed and our only option for survival was to jump into hyperspace blind. Just as we entered we suffered a direct missile strike to the engine room which damaged the hyperdrive. It was only after we managed to forcefully shut it down that we were able to exit hyperspace. I had already suspected it as a cause for our abrupt movement forward in time. Improbable but not impossible. There is precedent after all."

"Sorry, there's no real way to dance around it," Jalen apologized. "There hasn't been a CIS for... a long time. Before I was born. I... believe the Alliance recruited a few of your lingering military officers when the Hyperspace War broke out... I'm sure there's someone you can connect back with. Probably. Sorry, I feel like there's a lot to explain, and I'm not sure I'm qualified, or if we have the time considering the state of this ship."

Farlorn squinted at this. Some part of him had feared this from the start. Maybe the Unmaker's onslaught had been far too great for their isolated forces on Naboo to buy time for the evacuation of the government. Maybe if he and his Carians had made it to Naboo in time they could have bought that time with their lives. If the Confederacy truly was gone in all regards, what would he have left? What would his men have left? He and the Carians had dedicated the majority of their lifetime to that state. They had sworn an oath to serve its ideals until the Vicelord or death released them from service. So many of them had fought and so many of them had died in the name of keeping that fire of hope alight...

And now it had been snuffed out?

No. Something had to remain.

"Maybe a Confederacy with Naboo is long gone. But me and my men have a duty to get into contact with any Confederate continuation Government. You spoke of a Second Hyperspace War. If it was as devastating as the first, then we will be needed to rebuild. But my concern currently is getting my men off this ship."

Farlorn turned to Vulpesen now, giving him a nod. A soldier to a soldier. "I wasn't at Geonosis. I was still in a med bay recovering from a wound I got on Tatooine from storming an Imperial fortress. My state signed a peace treaty with yours. As far as I'm concerned we were never enemies." Farlorn eyed the saberstaff for a moment. So did the Ranger Sniper hidden in the vents. "I thank you for coming to our aid. I'll have to review those dossiers after more pertinent matters are taken care of. If you can call for a mechanic crew of any sort, it would be greatly appreciated. Our engine room sustained critical damage and I fear a potential reactor leak. Most of the engine room crew has been killed."

Wordlessly, Farlorn gestured them to follow him deeper into the damaged ship. One of the cargo bays had been converted into an impromptu field station. It was a scene of pandemonium. The wounded screamed and wailed on cots. Many of them had suffered blast and burn wounds from the damage that the ship had taken. Corpsmen rushed in and out between the trio carrying bundles of supplies, fresh dressings, and bowls of water. Some of them carried stretchers with bloody sheets covering them.

"I have one hundred and eleven injured, of which thirty-eight are critical. At least fifty need immersion in Bacta tanks before the end of the day if they want to be able to ever pick up a rifle again. We've already had to open up a second cargo hold to accommodate the waiting wounded and an empty fuel tank to store the dead. Estimates are we'll only be able to make planetfall in three hours given the state of our damaged engines." Farlorn rolled up the sleeves of his officer's uniform and picked up a medical kit "Are you ready to get to work gentlemen?"

---

"This is Chief Executive Daks of the DDSI Horizon, a research frigate. We traced an anomalous tachyon reading to this system which is consistent with a hyperspace... accident. I can observe that rescue operations are underway of a damaged capital ship.

Ours is not a hospital ship, but we have some resources that could prove useful in the treatment of injured, the repair of damaged spacecraft, the evacuation of personnel, and even helping a damaged ship to make planetfall safely.

I have no interest in interjecting myself into an ongoing emergency unless it is desired.

However, if we can be of any assistance, we will stand by to render aid."

Fennstrum pressed the comms button, his voice replying directly to the research ship, "This is Major Vidar Fennstrum. I am currently in command of the bridge. Forgive me, I can't help but suspect that this aid you offer to render won't be free. Nothing in this Galaxy is."