Dominion A Pound of Rebellion | EE Dominion of Orellon II

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Ingrid L’lerim
The Red Witch; Emperor's hand; Director of Blackwatch; Baroness of Vengard, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Capital City, Orellon II
Equipment: 2x red blade lightsaber shoto | Tactical Turtleneck with this look as Imperial Uniform | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | G1 OmniLink
Ground forces: 2/2 Infinite Droids (Honour Guard with her)
Tag(s): Kalic Daws | Lace Donnadieu | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Aya Clarke | Vidalu Na'an | LE-03 (Leigh) | Open

”In this case, it is also appropriate to forward what I said to the Rebels on the communication channel. If they hadn't heard my words.”

Through the Force, she sensed her own as the two Infinite Droids guarded them. Of course she didn’t feel the droids, just her men. Unfortunately, the ships they arrived at were far enough away from the arena, but maybe they will be lucky and be able to reach it. She didn’t deal with the first half of the woman’s words, these are always such that there is only what they believe and everyone else is wrong. In contrast, Ingrid used to know if she was wrong. Another issue is that her point of view may seem to others to be a mistake. She had no doubt that the woman opposite her believed everything she said and believed it to be real. It follows that anything Ingrid can say will be wrong in her eyes.

”No one talked about faith, just the common sense, a simple deliberation. But on the part of a blind, religious person, I am not surprised that you are unable to grasp the meaning of my words. They only have what you… they have invented for themselves and hide behind it. Explaining all their actions with their faith. This can perfectly explain their lack of moral value and intelligence. Only the stupid person is religious who cannot understand the world.”

She looked over at the other woman. On her face for the first time sat out of contempt and disgust. There were no real emotions, just played, but perfectly professional to be believable. She even played with the emotions so the other could feel them for a few seconds just like she can saw the emotions on Ingrid’s face.

”It would be humiliating for me if I had to fight you. From now on, we have nothing to talk about… I messaged the rebels, I gave them a chance to stay alive with the locals. The Emperor will not. And how do I know? From the fact that they have done it before. You are not the leader of the rebels, you have no influence on their actions, you are just a puppy who can bark, a puppet. Nothing more. Then, if they do it in front of your eyes, remember what I said, you won’t be able to stop them.”

With that, Ingrid turned and walked toward her own, unless someone stopped her. Through the Force, she felt where the queen was and tuned into the woman’s aura to find her later. She intended to capture or maybe kill Talira. However, for that, she had to get out of here and for now she didn’t want to reveal what she was capable of. There will be plenty of time for that later, with this fight she would be wasting too much time that she could not afford at this moment.

​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

The commotion started to die down somewhat as most of the people had already left the arena. Instead it seemed as though something else was taking place in the VIP section.

Lori let go of her commlink that was in her pocket. She saw Lightwing and smiled, remembering her promise. The Kentra weren't going to just sit there and be taken over by an Empire. They had seen what happened on Bakura and other worlds. Yes some had welcomed the Empire, yet Lori had gone off ahead to see what worlds would like to belong and which didn't. Those that wanted to remain independant were those she tried to help. Even if the other Eclipse Rebels chose not to show, that didn't mean that she wouldn't be there to help.

She looked up at the sky. From her vantage point she had a clear view. Now all that she had to do was keep an eye out for the flashes of ships opening fire. That is if any fleets jumped out of hyperspace. For this moment, it looked like Ingrid L'lerim and her team were alone.

 

[Vidalu Na'an]

Location: Capital City, Orellon II
Tag(s): Kalic Daws | Lace Donnadieu | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Ingrid L'lerim | Aya Clarke​

"I had planned for the children, at least, to be evacuated off-world. We have time before the Empire arrives en mass, and with them having brought so few... Well. Once they are either captured or dead, we can begin evacuating the children, and non-combatants. I will stay behind for as long as I can... I can not leave my people leaderless, if we are forced to leave our home."

"Our home shall not suffer the fate of Bakura."

Lightwing stepped forward, and placed a hand on Lace's other shoulder.

"The Empire's 'eternity' shall end here, with us, no matter what dishonorable tactics the Empire attempts to employ."

"Personally, that's what I like to hear." Na'an stood easily on the edge of the balcony with her hands on her hips. She fixed the Queen and her attendants with the goggle eyes of her helmet, knowing it would at least show her focus, if making her seem creepily impassive. Ultranaut helmets did that to even the most emotional of humans--something about their design stripped all the humanity out of a face. "But it only answers half the question, and brings up too many others. Any evacuation is going to be privy to pursuit, and fancy speeches alone won't turn away an orbital laser."

She turned to regard the pair in the square far below them. The one Leigh had ID'd as Aya was doing a good job keeping the Hand busy; the two looked to be spouting speeches at each other as if the other would drop dead upon hearing a sharp enough tongue. "Ingrid L'lerim is like the Emperor," she continued thoughtfully, "but without the pretension of the burden he thinks he carries. Don't think letting the children flee without any other measures will make them safe."

She turned back to the queen; her voice through the vocoder was now sharp enough for the tone to carry. The earpiece of her helmet crackled; Leigh had chimed back into the active channel, ready to speak at a moment's notice. "I am at your disposal. The Voice is standing by. If you have a plan that will save your people, then give an order."

 

[Aya Clarke]

• Location: Capital City, Orellon II
• Equipment: Lightsaber (in sig), Armor (in sig), Cyber-Eye Contacts
• Tags: Ingrid L'lerim :|: Lace Donnadieu :|: Vidalu Na'an :|: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun :|: Kalic Daws

"It is the duty of the truly faithful to doubt and prove true what She has told us all. As all must, She has long proven worthy of faith and trust. I do not expect the faithless to understand, it is not something you can easily wrap your mind around without yourself experiencing Her guidance." Aya was steadfast, keeping her expression the same, kind as she could towards Ingrid. Though, she couldn't hide the wave of genuine sadness that washed over her as the woman turned down her offer, she clearly had the power to have ordered a surrender and yet she chose to force further violence. Later, later Aya would pray, and weep for what could have been. Later she would have to lament Ingrid's obedience to the 'cardboard' Eternal Empire.

But for now, for now she had a duty. She took a slow, deep breath as Ingrid went to walk away. She picked up her voice now, and this time instead of the kind, gentle voice that had tried to plead with her, she spoke with a more authoritative tone. She had spent years as a General for the Confederacy, and had cultivated that voice, one that demanded respect and obedience not through harsh tones but firm, confident words. "Ma'am, I'm afraid I cannot allow you to leave. Civilians are not to be allowed out into danger, you should sit down, stay put, and wait for rescue. Of course if you were a combatant, that's different... I would instead have you draw your weapon. Here, and now, because you are not going to be walking away into danger. I will not allow that." The entire time, she moved quickly to get between Ingrid and the VIP exit, making herself a physical barrier to exit.

She made her position clear. Ingrid would either be allowed to sit down quietly, or she could fight through her. Civilian or enemy, nothing else. What would she choose? Against all odds, Aya still hoped Ingrid would sit quietly down and not insist on fighting.

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Ingrid L’lerim
The Red Witch; Emperor's hand; Director of Blackwatch; Baroness of Vengard, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Capital City, Orellon II
Equipment: 2x red blade lightsaber shoto | Tactical Turtleneck with this look as Imperial Uniform | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | G1 OmniLink
Ground forces: 2/2 Infinite Droids (Honour Guard with her)
Tag(s): Kalic Daws | Lace Donnadieu | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Aya Clarke | Vidalu Na'an | LE-03 (Leigh) | Open

After the former seemed “feelings” for a moment, as they were just being played, she picked up her usual cold, distant face again. She no longer spoke to the other woman's words. Protecting and rescuing her own people was more important. She may have been the second man in the Empire, but she was raised to care for her own. Not to let her people down because of her rank. After all, she was once the fiancée of Nelvaan's heir. Had the Eternal Empire not been founded by Tacitus, Ingrid would have been ruler. There was, Lady of Christophsis.

She had almost reached the exit when her opponent, with the help of the Force, got there and blocked the way to the exit. Ingrid stopped. Everything went perfectly and exactly as planned. It was only moments from receiving moral satisfaction and achieving what she had been waiting for since the other woman arrived. She didn't tremble at Aya's words, just looked into the other woman's eyes with her own cold blue ones.

”My Lord, and not Ma’am, on top of these I am not a civilian, and if you want me to stay here, you have to force me to do so.”

She continued to speak coldly, distantly, and firmly. Ingrid was a soldier, she would not back down and do what she had to do. But she didn't want to let go of her former thoughts, she wanted to provoke the other woman's attack. Had they been within the territory of the Empire, she would have attacked Aya a long time ago. But not here, she needed proof for the propaganda and everything else.

She reached into the Force and used it to jump over the woman, all the way up to the wall at the top of the arena, where she then stopped with an elegant motion. From here, she could easily jump, either back to the auditorium or down to the outside areas. If she wanted to, they would never find her. But she didn't want to run away from the fight, she wasn't a coward.

”I hope you understand if I don’t intend to wait for my executioners and I will help save mine from your own people!”

​

 

[Aya Clarke]

• Location: Capital City, Orellon II
• Equipment: Lightsaber (in sig), Armor (in sig), Cyber-Eye Contacts
• Tags: Ingrid L'lerim :|: Lace Donnadieu :|: Vidalu Na'an :|: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun :|: Kalic Daws

Aya stared at Ingrid, unflinching and stalwart. She spoke harsh again, and insisted she was no civilian. Aya meant to interject, however the moment she opened her mouth to do so Ingrid used the force to leap into the air. All the way to the top of the wall above them. Immediately Aya went on edge, knowing she was at a disadvantage to her. The other woman had powers she simply did not, could not. She was now re-classified as a combatant, though unarmed as of yet. Still off limits, but not at all unreasonable to react to if she used her powers. Thank the Goddess her scripture-wrapped brain would be resistant to any attempt to probe it.

Once more she activated her repulsor packs, and followed the woman up. She lifted herself rapidly to the top of the wall, up over it in fact, before slowly lowering herself back to land atop it, not far from Ingrid's new position. "You and the rest are so quick to run and flee and hide behind words. Are all of your empire this cowardly? I had meant to call it cardboard as an insult, I had no idea it was so blatantly true. If you truly wish to protect your people, and are no civilian, give the order and lay down your damn arms. Let me help you." She was already retreading ground, like a broken record, or rather like the broken records the both of them were being.

Except now something else could happen. A shot, perhaps from a fleeing imperial shot without care or concern, perhaps a rogue shot from a rebel, rang through the air. The origin, truthfully, mattered little so much as where the shot landed, at the end of its journey. The bolt slammed into Aya's shoulder, sending her entire body recoiling... though she managed to catch herself before falling. On reaction, Aya lifted her free hand up, powered the repulsors, and shot a blast at Ingrid, barely able to cough out "Get down!" as she did so. Whether or not Ingrid heard it however was yet to be determined, as would be the effectiveness at her psuedo force push.

Her intent of course was to protect Ingrid, feeling responsible for getting her to a clearly dangerous position while unarmed. In the eyes of her people, that would be enough to exonerate her, at least.

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Ingrid L’lerim
The Red Witch; Emperor's hand; Director of Blackwatch; Baroness of Vengard, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Capital City, Orellon II
Equipment: 2x red blade lightsaber shoto | Tactical Turtleneck with this look as Imperial Uniform | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | G1 OmniLink
Ground forces: 2/2 Infinite Droids (Honour Guard with her)
Tag(s): Kalic Daws | Lace Donnadieu | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Aya Clarke | Vidalu Na'an | LE-03 (Leigh) | Open

Luckily, Ingrid controlled her emotions well enough not to cut back on violence and overreact to the insult she received from the other woman. She found the other very naughty for being able to call her men cowards for retreat when they were right in the middle of a assassinaton attack. And the red-haired woman was everything but a coward, just about to confront all the locals and rebels below alone to gain time for her own. To get weapons at the ships they arrived with.

”No, the cowardice is that the rebels massacre a handful of unarmed or even minimally armed soldiers and nobles!”

Had they been able to reach the ships, they could have at least somewhat balanced the fight from the completely unequal, and at least death in battle would have been the end result instead of slaughter. She would have been prepared to jump down to get to her own and accompany them, not just the two droids doing this when the other woman shot her. She felt content with herself - deep inside – as the flying cameras recorded the scene, she got what she wanted: the rebels to really attack a person who seemed unarmed.

Because those who knew Ingrid knew exactly that she wasn't. She was a trained assassin and was also trained by two elite military organizations. She may have seemed a fragile noble in terms of height and physique, but she was nowhere near that. Immediately raised her hands and reached out to the Force. Using the Tutaminis ability, she performed energy absorption so the shot did no damage to her. But now she really didn't stay here, she got what she wanted, the red-hair woman didn't need the woman anymore.

She reached out to the Force again and jumped off the edge of the arena into the streets, by which time one of her lightsabers was already in her hand, she called out to the rebels with a loud whistle to pay attention to her rather than to those who were lurking to get to the ships.

​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori kept her eyes on what was going on in and around the VIP section of the arena. She couldn't hear what Aya Clarke and Ingrid L'lerim were saying, but the jist of it could easily enough be surmized by how they behaved. It was a standoff, but more so of words than anything else.

That is until Ingrid leaped up high to the wall. Was she trying to have the high ground? Aya was in hot pursuit, getting herself even higher above the Imperial. Yes, it seemed as though they both loved the high ground.

A shot rang out and struck Aya. Lori looked to see who it came from, but she didn't see them. It was impossible to tell.

The civilians were gone now. The only ones that remained were the Imperials and those that struggled against them. Like Lori. She couldn't help but worry about the consequences for this day. It didn't go as planned. The Empire was almost ready for it.

Did Kessia Miran get to someone else too?

 

[Lace Donnadieu]

Location: Guarding the Queen, on the balcony
Tags: Ingrid L'lerim || Aya Clarke || Kalic Daws || Vidalu Na'an || Loreena Arenais-Valhoun
Attire: Black gown, black veil
Gear: Two simple vibrodaggers​

Talira stared at the rebel for a moment, before turning her gaze out into the arena. Truthfully, she hadn't quite thought this far ahead. What was her plan? She was doing the right thing, wasn't she? Fighting the Empire. Making sure Orellon II did not end up like Bakura. Joining the Rebels in their struggle.

It was the Honorable thing.

Right?

"One way or another, we will have to leave our home, Talira. Once the Empire brings their fleet en mass, we have no way to fight back, unless the Rebellion has a trick up it's sleeve."

"Aunt..."

"The Rebellion has ships, however we are not equipped to engage in a space battle with the Empire. If we had more allies, perhaps we could, but as it stands... Nothing we do here will damage the Empire more than an inconvenience."

Lace stepped forward from the two Kentra women, and stood at the balcony rails. The city was chaos. The imperials were scattered, and frantic. That didn't change the fact that there were just too few Imperials for them to have done any meaningful damage to their ranks.

 

[Kelsen Ghastt]

​

Location: High Orbit, Orellon II
Tags: Ingrid L'lerim | Kalic Daws | Lace Donnadieu | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Vidalu Na'an | Aya Clarke | LE-03 (Leigh)

A memory had wormed its way into Kelsen Ghastt's mind of late, one that would not be shaken loose. She was six again, standing by her father's bedside. A man she had remembered as huge and smiling, scooping her up into his arms with a laugh to ruffle her hair and tell her a story, had wasted away to half the size he ought to have been. He was covered in a spiderweb of pumping hoses and pulsing lights, rising and falling on his skeletal chest with every rattling breath. He hadn't noticed when she'd taken his hand.

"It is called cancer," the medical droid had explained to her, turning away from its ministrations. "It is when the body... fights itself. Cells inside it stop following its plan, going rogue and multiplying. They begin to overtake the body, causing... disruption. If these cancers are removed early, cut out so that healthy tissue can replace them, the body can recover. But if the cancers remain for too long, they continue to spread until everything breaks down. Sometimes we must use harsh methods to destroy them in time."

Standing beside her father's grave a month later, Kelsen hadn't forgotten the lesson: treatment must be swift and severe.

Decades later, Admiral Ghastt stood at the bridge viewport of the Star Destroyer Oath of Obedience, staring out at the planet beyond. Orellon II was a beautiful tapestry of greens, blues, yellow, and browns, and Kelsen was certain it would be even more beautiful up close. During the hyperspace voyage, she had skimmed the available data on the world: jungles and grasslands that sheltered a feline species devoted to an ancient Jedi-based religion. Many of them were still primitives, hunting for their food.

Unlikely candidates to assimilate into Imperial society, perhaps, but the Emperor's Hand had given them a chance. And now they had spat upon that opportunity, sealing their doom. Behind the Oath of Obedience, the rest of the Fourth Fleet spread out across the system, reverting to realspace and forming an inescapable curtain of death. They had been fortunate enough to be relatively nearby when the Hand's transmission had been received, conducting training exercises over Trenwyth, and had arrived as soon as they could.

Still, it might be too late to save the small force committed to this diplomatic mission. Even hyperspace travel took time.

Kelsen narrowed her steely eyes. Even if the terrorists had murdered the entire delegation, they would find little reason to celebrate this day. The Emperor had signed Orellon II's death warrant, and the Fourth Fleet were his sanctioned executioners. This cancer would be removed in time, before it could spread havoc in the Empire's harmonious body. "Communications," Admiral Ghastt ordered, not turning away from the viewport, "attempt to reach the Imperial delegation below. There may be survivors to rescue."

Kelsen cycled her own communications protocols, addressing the entire Fourth Fleet. "All ships, take up orbital bombardment positions. We will begin with the capital once we have word of the delegation's fate. You may commence scanning and dispatch probes to locate the primary agricultural villages; those will be our second target. We will finish the operation with a rolling bombardment of the jungles and grasslands, burning out the nomads. In one swift stroke we will remove these enemies of the Empire."

Admiral Ghastt never smiled, but she allowed herself a satisfied nod. This particular cancer was going to burn.

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Ingrid L’lerim
The Red Witch; Emperor's hand; Director of Blackwatch; Baroness of Vengard, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Capital City, Orellon II
Equipment: 2x red blade lightsaber shoto | Tactical Turtleneck with this look as Imperial Uniform | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | G1 OmniLink
Ground forces: 2/2 Infinite Droids (Honour Guard with her)
Tag(s): Kalic Daws | Lace Donnadieu | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Aya Clarke | Vidalu Na'an | LE-03 (Leigh) | Kelsen Ghastt | Open

Ingrid arrived at her own at the last minute and was able to use the red-bladed lightsaber to knock the blaster shot aside toward her men. As far as she could see, Aya Clarke hadn't followed her yet. Of course, there were no illusions that the annoying woman would let her protect her men, rather she would try to convert her and call for surrender. But the woman refused to do so.

She was just facing the rebels, who were present in large enough numbers when an unexpected turn ensued. Message from space, quite precisely the Fourth Fleet, led by Admiral Kelsen Ghastt. So far she had not met or spoken to the woman in person, but she had read and heard enough of her to know that one of the best admirals and her fleet had arrived so that the rebels would not have too easy a task.

<”Here's Emperor’s Hand. I greet you, Admiral Ghastt, at the best possible time. I’m in the capital with the survivors, close to the arena. We have no connection with the other two groups. We are currently trying to get our unarmed people back to the dropships for evacuation. Locate our position, not far from us a few hundred meters away is the royal arena. Destroy it with your fleet, don't worry about us!”>

The command was uttered on High Nelvaanian, their lives not so significant, not to mention that it served an Imperial cause. If the local ruler dies with presumably rebels because she felt others near the woman who were not locals, that was only good for them. However, if they managed to survive and get to the dropships, that would be just a bonus. She also activated her second blade, the soldiers locked near her, the two droids stepping beside them.

As she threw herself into the rebels, the soldiers and droids also got into the fight, hoping to get out of the arena as soon as possible.

​

 

[Lorne Kantera]

​

Location: Capital City Streets, Orellon II
Tags: Open, anyone needing a way out

Lorne Kantera was talented at many things - piloting, gambling, fast-talking, gunplay. Of late, however, he was discovering a new and unwanted talent: a gift for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

He'd come to Orellon II the previous day, following a rumor he'd heard in Oga's Cantina about an ancient and valuable Jedi artifact that was at the center of a local religion. Quick and easy payday, he'd thought, and flown in ready for a heist. As it turned out, the information he'd gotten - much like everything else on backwater Batuu - was badly out of date. The ancient lightsaber known as the Sword of Honor had been stolen years earlier by some now-vanished group of Sith nutjobs called the Order of the Black Rose. So much for that plan.

Taking jobs tips from drunken old-timers had been Lorne's first mistake. Not leaving immediately was proving to be his second. He'd decided to stick around a little while, trying not to make his trip a total waste, and had started hearing new rumors. There was an excitement in the streets, a naive sense of impending heroism that made the smuggler nervous. It was pretty clear that the Eclipse Rebellion was on Orellon II, and that a lot of the population was on their side. Rumor had it that the rebels had shown the locals unedited holos from Bakura.

That would be enough to churn anyone's stomach... and maybe enough to talk them into open rebellion.

But Lorne, proving that he hadn't learned anything from his very first mistake, had started following another rumor. Apparently the rebels weren't just there to talk the population into supporting them. He'd started hearing about an ancient scroll of Sith lore, something the Rebellion didn't want to see fall into the Eternal Empire's hands. It was supposed to be hidden in one of the deep jungle villages, where the Black Kentra subspecies still clung to their traditional ways of hunting the massive tropical beasts for food.

The Basic words "ancient Sith scroll" translated to "worth a lot to collectors" in Lorne-ese, so he'd stuck around to try and pick up the trail. That had proven to be a very, very bad idea about an hour earlier, when an explosion had rocked the capital. Apparently, the rebels had talked the Kentra into openly attacking an Imperial delegation... one led by the Empress Regent herself. Lorne wasn't stupid. As he'd watched the rebels firing out of the alleyways, cutting down most of the Imperial escort troops, he'd known there would be retribution.

It was way past time to go, but getting back to the Wayward Wyrm had proven much harder than he'd hoped for. Lorne considered the Eclipse Rebellion hopelessly naive - the outgunned rebel group had clearly bought too much into that old Skywalker legend, thinking they could win against the huge fleets and deadly armies of the Eternal Empire - but they clearly weren't stupid either. The streets were choked with evacuating rebels, helping the Kentra get to transports that would take them far from the Empire's inevitable counterstrike.

Unfortunately, Lorne was going to have to get through that press of people somehow if he wanted to get out of here.

In the skies high above, he could see the outlines of Star Destroyers beginning to assemble. By his estimate, they had a few hours at most before those ships were in position to bombard every population center on this little backwater into cinders. They had even less time before the fleet was in position to intercept those attempting to evacuate. "Beebo," Lorne ordered over his comlink, "fire up the engines. We need to get out of here yesterday." A mocking series of warbles and trills sounded at the other end, and Lorne winced.

"No, I didn't get the scroll, you rusty little twerp. Shut up and run your pre-flight checks before we get vaporized."

The smuggler's only hope of turning a profit now lay in getting someone to pay him to get them offworld. Maybe some of the rebels would need rescuing, or the local royal family. Of course, the safer option would be to pick up someone from the Imperial delegation; that would mean being able to waltz right past the incoming blockade. Lorne wasn't counting on getting that lucky, though, not with the way his day was going. "At least they had good food at the hotel," he muttered, doing his best to push his way through the frantic crowd.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

~Captain! Captain! Are you there?~

Lori brought up her commlink, hearing the muffled voice of Arla coming from within her pocket. "Yes, I'm here. What's going on?"

~You better get your butt in gear. They are coming. And trust me when I say that they aren't the welcome wagon with pleasant gifts.~

Her eyes lifted to the skies. Already the memories of Bakura flooded her mind.

It'll be a slaughter.

Oh no.

"I'm coming! Get the Sparrow fired up. I'm going to collect as many people as I can to ride with us!" Without waiting for a response, Lori pocketed her commlink and moved away from the arena. She started to run, hurrying down the street. Her eyes darted up to the skies as she ran, her pace quickening the more that she saw ships moving in the skies. Hopefully those trying to retreat would make it through any blockade that could be forming.

Without paying attention to what was directly in front of her, she ran right smack into Lorne Kantera . "OOOOF!!"

 

[Kelsen Ghastt]

​

Location: High Orbit, Orellon II
Tags: Ingrid L'lerim | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

Admiral Ghastt nodded grimly as the transmission from the Emperor's Hand crackled over the comms. So the diplomatic delegation had survived so far, or at least some of them; it sounded as though there had been casualties. Rebels attacking a good-faith negotiation with a potential member world, corrupting the entire populace into their lawlessness and disorder - the thought of it made Kelsen's blood boil. But these rabid dogs would soon see the consequences of their actions. If they thought they had helped anyone, they would be proven wrong.

But though she would obey the Hand's commands, Kelsen could not bring herself to put the Emperor's favored agent in harm's way without providing some assistance. "Scramble Fang and Weaver Squadrons," she ordered, drawing up a flight plan on the terminal before her. "Their orders are to locate the surviving Imperial dropships and provide them with covering fire as they withdraw. Pilots who successfully escort the shuttles back to the Oath of Obedience will be recommended for medals of valor."

That was all she could do for now; the Regent would have to actually reach the dropship on her own. In the meantime, Kelsen would carry out her orders. "All vessels, update your targeting coordinates. We will scour the capital city from existence within the hour. You may fire when ready." The Fourth Fleet, her finely-tuned machine, slid into position. Massive turbolaser batteries primed themselves, the instruments of the surgeon ready to begin sterilizing the patient. And then, in a ripple of vibrant green across the sky, they opened fire.

Kelsen did not bother to watch any surface feeds, keeping her detached gaze on the sensor readouts. She could easily imagine, however, what it would be like on the city streets. Entire city blocks would be vaporized in the opening volleys, leaving nothing but rolling clouds of dust. Street by street, the city would be erased from the face of Orellon II, leaving only a great scorch mark among the jungles. The rebels would have precious little time to escape, if they even could. And when the city was gone, the fleet would turn to everywhere else.

By the end of the day, there would be nowhere left for the Eclipse Rebellion to hide.

 

[Lorne Kantera]

Location: Capital City Streets, Orellon II
Tags: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

As the star destroyers above drew closer, taking up a clear ring formation in the sky, the panic in the streets intensified. Everyone knew what was coming next, but most of them had nowhere to go. Those who had ships to flee to ran toward the starport, or toward personal landing pads. Others grabbed whatever belongings they could and fled the city on foot or in landspeeders, trying to vanish into the countryside. Lorne suspected that would prove to be a temporary solution at best; the Empire wasn't likely to be satisfied by half measures.

This whole planet was going to burn, along with everyone left on it. He had to make sure he wasn't one of them.

Finally slipping free of the crowd for a moment, Lorne dashed around a corner... and ran smack dab into someone else. He reeled back a step, thrown slightly off-balance, but the person he'd collided with was considerably smaller than he was, so he didn't fall. Recovering from the smack, he took her in: a young woman, probably just a few years his junior. She was easy on the eyes, with flowing hair and the free look of someone comfortable in her own skin. He could imagine how her face would light up when she smiled, though she wasn't smiling now.

"Well hello there," Lorne said, flashing her a wide grin as he momentarily forgot the situation around him. "Look's like you're going somewhere in a real hurr... oh. Right." Reality, momentarily scattered from his mind by a pretty face, crashed back down on him. As if to punctuate the point, the sky flashed with waves of green light. Perhaps ten blocks over - it was hard to tell exactly - a tall building just vanished, reduced to a cloud of ash and floating duracrete particles. The ground shook, and people screamed, running for cover.

There was no cover that would save them from this, though. This was the full, concentrated power of the Imperial fleet.

"Look," he told the young woman, "I've got a ship. I can get you out of here if you come with me." Lorne wasn't entirely sure why he made the offer to her, and not any of the thousands of others he'd passed along the way. Maybe it was just that they'd had this moment of pause in the center of the storm, a moment when they'd come face to face. The others were anonymous, just a blur of limbs and clothing and terrified expressions, but she would be etched into his mind whenever he thought back on this day. Maybe he could help one person.

Or maybe it was just the attraction. Chalking any of his decisions up to any kind of empathy or nobility was probably a mistake.

Whatever his reasons, the young woman needed to make her decision fast. The rolling bombardment was getting closer; only the Imperial need for thoroughness, making sure that not one square centimeter of the city remained behind their firing line, was keeping them from being immediately obliterated. "Beebo, you'd better be ready," Lorne shouted into his comlink. "We're coming in hot." The little droid would know that meant to take off as soon as Lorne was aboard. The only question was whether he would have company.

Oh, and whether he would make it there at all, through a city in the midst of utter destruction.

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Ingrid L’lerim
The Red Witch; Emperor's hand; Director of Blackwatch; Baroness of Vengard, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Capital City, Orellon II
Equipment: 2x red blade lightsaber shoto | Tactical Turtleneck with this look as Imperial Uniform | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | G1 OmniLink
Ground forces: 2/2 Infinite Droids (Honour Guard with her)
Tag(s): Kalic Daws | Lace Donnadieu | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Aya Clarke | Vidalu Na'an | LE-03 (Leigh) | Kelsen Ghastt | Open

The race started because there wasn’t too much time left. Luckily, the spaceport was out of town anyway, so they had to go there. It’s also good that in a lot of places they’re built outside because of traffic and not inside. Now she owed her life to this, though it was less important, the others more important to her. Fortunately there was not a very large number of rebel resistance here, so they could easily break through their ranks and push forward.

Those who fought on her side were all experienced veterans and warriors, so they didn’t really have a hard time with that. Of course, they were damaged, one of the droids was badly damaged, but it was still functional. It was also used to have one of the officers shout at rebels to escape if they did not want to die here. Eventually, they decided to do it and rushed essentially at the same time, rushing away from near the arena.

The rebels, of course, ran in a different direction, not wanting to interact with the loyalists. When they reached the runway and the dropships, a greenish light appeared in the sky, heading for the city. From this, Ingrid could already see that it was not aimed at the arena. She turned her gaze away from the explosion and closed her eyes, not foolish to look inside. She didn't want to go blind, and in the meantime she also sent a message to the admiral.

”Admiral, based on the fact that you are not open fire to the arena at my command, can I assume that the Emperor issued the order to cleanse the planet?”

She couldn't imagine anything else, and she thought that was completely realistic. For a reason, she gave the Queen the opportunity to save her people. The red-haired woman didn't want a second Bakura. If soldiers are killed in piles is one thing, but civilians are another matter. Waiting for an answer, she let the dropships take off and take the two droids with them. But the Emperor’s Hand hasn’t done her job on the planet yet.

”The dropships are on their way to the Fourth Fleet, Admiral. I’m not going yet, I want to make sure the queen is alive or dead. If she lives, I will end the rebellion. If possible, scan the city and send me the details of what damage was done and whether there are any survivors in or near the arena.”

​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lorne Kantera might not have stumbled from their collision, but Lori did. Yet she kept on her feet nonetheless. Did he recognize her? With the way that he was acting, it was as though he had run into a celebrity, although she hardly considered herself as one.

The green light of the turbolaser flashed above them. Lori jumped slightly as the building not too far away from them was obliterated. "Oh no..." Her blood ran cold as a situation that was even worse than Bakura unfolded in front of her eyes. Now it seemed that the entire city was going to be destroyed.

"I hope your ship's close!" Lori gestured for the man to lead the way and then hurried along behind him.

Kelsen Ghastt Ingrid L'lerim

 

[Aya Clarke]

• Location: Capital City, Orellon II
• Equipment: Lightsaber (in sig), Armor (in sig), Cyber-Eye Contacts
• Tags: Ingrid L'lerim :|: Kalic Daws :|: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun :|: Vidalu Na'an :|: LE-03 (Leigh) :|: Kelsen Ghastt :|: Lace Donnadieu

It felt aweful.

Aya didn't know how long she'd been lying there, motionless, but she could feel the tension in her chest where the blast had hit her. Dead center, and with her shield generator turned off as well. The energy weapon itself wasn't the problem of course, it was more the blunt force from it. Whoever had shot her had used something more than able to create a concussive force comparable to being smacked in the chest by a sledgehammer. She really hoped whoever had shot her was an enemy, so that her pride at least would escape from this intact.

She didn't stand up so much as rolled off the high vantage point she'd found herself still on, and barely managed to use her repulsors to catch herself. The woman she came to understand truly would not settle for anything less than violence was nowhere to be seen. What she did see were cowering civilians, scared children... and the odd rebel. One of whom noticed her, and the black scorch mark on her chest. She could hear him over the comlink shortly, as she wiped her chin clean of dirt with the back of her hand.

"Oh kark, isn't that Saint? It looks like she took a tank round to the chest! Someone get the bacta she's going to need it..."

Aya didn't pay him mind of course, she had something else to do. There was no time for medical care, or everyone was going to die. Taking a deep breath, she picked a direction and began walking, letting herself recover naturally as she walked on. Behind her she could hear the rebel that recognized her trying to get her attention, and ignored it as she followed the path forward, towards the landing area. She knew that a retreat would be in order, and if this woman was worth her blade she would be leading the charge there. Her blue lightsaber was ignited and in hand as she walked, heavy steps echoing for the brief moments of reprieve before..

Green light, and death.

Aya didn't waste time, closing her eyes to protect herself as she continued. Now her voice cut through the rebel comlink chatter, firm, authoritative. "Saint to all rebel forces, prepare for full retreat. The Cardboard Empire has come to end this fight as cowards do, far away from danger. Gather every Kentra civilian you can and make way for these coordinates. And to you Left Hand, make sure her Highness escapes alive and as unharmed as possible. I will be joining you shortly, Madmouselle L'lrim and I have business to attend to before we depart." With that she send the encoded data packet to the rebels, directing them to a location just outside the city limits.

The buildings beside her, or rather across the street, were vaporized by turbolaser fire, causing a rush of wind that threatened to knock her off her feet were she any weaker. Somehow she kept her footing, and huffed in annoyance, as she doubled her pace from casual walk to a power walk. It felt like she was walking just as long as she'd been laying on her back now, how far had she moved? Not that distance was an issue... though it almost would have been for calling for help, were she not a wise enough General to prepare for something worst-case. Another call was made.

"Right Hand, it is time for us to leave. All of us." With that, she continued on a direct path to Ingrid L'lerim ...

IN ORBIT​

"Understood, my Saint. May She guide your path."

Cyril Abbey closed the communication channel, and send the command out to the other Faithful, and various other pilots they had managed to collect. Many a folk would risk everything, thinking themselves a hotshot able to evade consequence, for the promise of a big payday. In this case, blockade running would be no different to smuggling, save for the active warzone aspect, so enough were willing to come to accompany the four or five transports the Faithful had unmarked, and prepared for this kind of thing. Many of the pilots would die, they didn't really doubt that, but perhaps to the heathens among them that just meant more money for them to make.

Cyril watched the stars stretch, and the transport of hyperspace before they emerged in realspace to face the Eternal Empire fleet. Light frieghters, smuggling vessels, the sizable group would never be able to take them on head to head, but they had their ways to make sure that wouldn't be an issue. Immediately, the transports of the Faithful scattered with various members of their hired rescuers to split attention, and made a beeline for the planet's surface. Cyril's transport was destined for the capital itself, alongside several other freelance smugglers hoping to make it big.

A small number of course were being paid to instead run interference, keep the fleet busy while the rest did their jobs. These weren't rebels, they'd likely retreat and run at unpredictable intervals, but they would still do something. If nothing else, as long as the Faithful transports made landfall, they could evacuate enough to call today a success.

Hopefully that would be enough.

 

[Kelsen Ghastt]

Location: High Orbit, Orellon II
Tags: Ingrid L'lerim | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Aya Clarke

"Admiral, we have multiple hyperspace signatures approaching the system."

Pursing her lips, Kelsen turned from the glorious tapestry of righteous punishment unfolding below to address her sensors officer. "We neither expect nor require reinforcements, so assume that these new arrivals are hostile. If they are civilian ships, broadcast them a single warning: leave the system immediately or be destroyed." At that moment, the Emperor's Hand made contact again, diverting the Admiral's attention. She listened carefully to the other woman's words, wishing to ensure that her orders were fully carried out.

"My lord, you are correct; we are following the Emperor's contingency. No planet may be permitted to so egregiously spit upon our offer of alliance." She paused, looking over the sensor data flooding in from the city below. "As of the present moment, we have destroyed approximately 25% of the capital city. We expect its total erasure within the hour. We will keep track of your position as you verify the fate of the queen and direct our fire carefully, to ensure your safety and the success of your mission."

Kelsen wished that the Emperor's Hand would return to safety, but she was in no position to order the powerful agent around.

"Admiral, the incoming craft are dropping out of hyperspace. They appear to be a group of assorted light freighters, and are spreading out to approach the planet from multiple vectors. Their transponder codes are civilian, though I suspect them to be faked." Kelsen nodded, agreeing with the assessment; they had to be smuggling vessels. "An evacuation team," the admiral mused, "kept in reserve for this very eventuality. The Eclipse Rebels knew what would happen, and they think they are prepared." She snorted. "They are wrong."

What the rebels had done correctly was to spread their freighters across the whole system, descending on Orellon II from all sides. That would make it nearly impossible to intercept them all, particularly with the entire Fourth Fleet clustered around the capital city for the bombardment. Kelsen had a difficult decision to make. Disrupting the formation would significantly slow the city's annihilation, but if she did not, the evacuation ships would have free access to the rest of the planet. Too many rebels and sympathizers would escape.

"Scramble all remaining fighter squadrons," she commanded. "Their orders are to intercept and destroy any non-Imperial craft approaching or departing from Orellon II. The Manifest Destiny and the Glory of Kalidan are to break formation and move to the far side of the planet, the Destiny over the northern polar region and the Glory along the far equatorial band. They will provide support to the interceptors." It was the best compromise she could come up with, trying to cover both objectives.

Kelsen wished she could lock down the system, but the Fourth Fleet had been scrambled last-minute, and had no interdictors; she had not seen the need to bring any on the training exercises they had been conducting. Still, the incoming smugglers would face a daunting challenge. Five star destroyers hung menacingly above the capital city, slowly reducing it to dust and ash. Two more patrolled around the rest of Orellon II, with three dozen fighter squadrons forming a screen between them. Only very skilled and lucky pilots could slip through.

The rest would die, their ships and crews becoming yet more casualties of this blood-drenched day.

 

[Lorne Kantera]

Location: Capital City Streets, Orellon II
Tags: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

The young woman was coming with him; that was good. There weren't many chances left to get off this rock, and Lorne was pretty sure that he was one of the last. "Close enough," he replied, and hoped that it was true. The rolling bombardment was getting dangerously close; sometimes, when they ran past a crossroads, they could see the far end of the street just disappearing under a storm of bright green thunderbolts. The air was unbearably hot, so much that it hurt to breathe. Sweat poured down Lorne's back, making his shirt stick to his skin.

At one point, the whine of engines momentarily broke through the cacophony of the bombardment. Lorne looked up, curious, and then grimaced; the sound came from several Imperial dropships, departing in the direction of the fleet above. "Feth," he muttered. "They're pulling the last of their people out. It'll only get worse from here." He tried to run faster, but his throat and lungs were raw, and his muscles burned. Ten blocks to the private hangar he'd landed in was beginning to feel like a dozen miles. Maybe not close enough after all.

And then, suddenly, a break in the fire. Lorne looked up at the sky again, confused, and watched as two of the star destroyers broke away. Chasing something? Most likely, though he couldn't imagine what. Either way, it gave him and the young woman a moment's reprieve. "Well hey," he panted, managing a grin between heaving gasps for air, "looks like my famous luck is holding today." Straightening up, he managed to dash the last few blocks and cycle the hangar door. Inside, the recycled air was still crisp and cool. The Wyrm was intact.

Behind the two of them, the bombardment picked up again. They'd caught a break, but they weren't out of the woods yet.

The Wayward Wyrm wasn't much to look at, a mess of carbon-scored hull plating and half-exposed wiring; Lorne had been in the middle of patching her up, and tinkering with some modifications, when everything on this blasted planet had hit the fan. No time to worry about that now, though. The boarding ramp lowered for them as they approached, and Beebo warbled over the comlink. "Yeah?" Lorne shot back. "I'd like to see you do it any faster, you bumbling ball bot. You'd have gotten stuck on the first set of stairs."

Per Lorne's orders, the ship began to take off as soon as he and the young woman got inside. The main hangar doors opened, and smoke and ash rushed in. Still gasping for breath, the smuggler rushed to the cockpit and strapped himself in. Beebo was in the copilot's chair, the BB unit's little domed head spinning frantically on his spherical body. "Name's Lorne Kantera, by the way," Lorne called back to the young woman. "You any good in a gun turret? We're gonna have fighters on us the second we try to get out of here."

They'd have to make a break for the countryside, try to find clearer skies. Even he couldn't fly past five star destroyers.