A Spark of Hope [Rebels!]

[Frielle Kinniak]

Down into the subterranian levels of Imooda laid the inner workings of the base, orange jumpsuits - olive green garb and beige blaster vests ran to and from. Donated, old, and even antiquated equipment went by on carts. "Thanks General, but to be honest we're just getting started. We're working the network contacts when and where we can, our foothold within the Confederacy has greatly helped. They don't ask questions and we can get what we need, black markets between them and the Outer Rim have been great for getting supplies and so long as we move them through Confederacy space? We're good."

"Down this way," Kinniak gestured as she turned a corner. Rick Kaloo began to go on about his technology and Kinniak tuned him out in favor of speaking with Cartwright. "Should be a break room somewhere abouts Commander. Rebels run on caf, or so I hear." She said with a glint of humor in her eyes, nervous around a viper droid? That was an understatement but then the spacer did her best just to keep her eyes on the path ahead. The path unfolded into the grand atrium where rebel leaders from across the galaxy could gather. Everyone there began to stand the moment they saw Starchaser. The atrium's lighting was dim at best with duracrete steps that led down where a small holoprojector illuminated the back wall.

Seats around a U-Shaped table were established as the swaths of rebels sat on the duracrete benches that cascaded up toward the very same door that Kinniak led the others through. Stazi should be joining them soon enough, as the holocommunicator on the U-Shaped table was connected to a power generator. "Let's make sure our connection to the Coalition is done through a secure encryption, we're too close to let something so small blow this whole operation." Kinniak warned as a member of the rebels scurried to ensure their line was just that, secure and encrypted. "Ladies and gentlemen, rebels, Jedi and everyone in between." The Lieutenant began, "thanks for showing up."

"Now, onto the heart of this entire mission. We've got recent intelligence from agents embedded with the First Order that we may actually have an opportunity to strike, in fact - I believe our very own General Starchaser was just there." Kinniak nodded toward Starchaser giving him the floor.

[member="Ava Cartwright"] | [member="Rick Kaloo"] | [member="Sol Stazi"] | [member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Gilamar Skirata"] | [member="Kira Vaal"] | [member="ZFR-9EI"]

 

[Sol Stazi]

"And we've got the means," leaning against a portal to the atrium, Captain Stazi announced his own presence. It was decorum to let the general speak first, but then Sol had never been much of one for decorum, "I have a message from the Fleet Admiral, Starchaser's eyes only."

He made a pointed effort not to say his father's name, but [member="Mazik Stazi"] was Coren's naval counterpart in the Alliance hierarchy and Sol was here as his proxy. The last anyone had seen of Stazi the Elder his flag had taken an awful beating in orbit of Commenor, driving off a far more defiant Sith Imperial blockade than their propaganda vids would have the galaxy believe. Gone were the titanic Alliance shipyards on Fondor and Anaxes, gone was the industrial heart of partisan SoroSuub as it languished now under First Imperial rule. It had taken many months to source enough material to repair the Nemo's Revenge, but she was now once more in fighting shape.

Sol glanced around the room as he handed the datacube to Coren, as if assessing those gathered for spies.

"I can say this much though," he said at last, "The Core Fleet is still out there. Our government may be gone, but its people haven't forgotten. This galaxy still remembers what it was like to be free. All we need to do is remind them they can fight back, like we did on Terminus."

The Twilight Company officer had thwarted an attempt to sabotage the Alliance military base there, and he fervently believed it was their spirit of resistance that had emboldened the rest of the world to take up arms and drive off the First Order's pacification fleet, foiling their empire's attempts to annex the system.

[member="Frielle Kinniak"] | [member="Ava Cartwright"] | [member="Rick Kaloo"] | [member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Gilamar Skirata"] | [member="Kira Vaal"] | [member="ZFR-9EI"]​

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Having access to the people who were going to be making the change the galaxy needed was important to Coren. He knew that not just one of any of these people could handle the task on their own. They needed to be able to work together. Maybe not all at the same time, not all in the same battlefield, but all in the same general direction. Working from secret staging grounds, and bringing in the greatest minds the galaxy has had the opportunity to meet. Members of the Alliance, of the Silvers, even the Republic were welcome here, so long as they kept the tasks here in line with what it was. The path allowed a lot more flexibility than the established major nations.

The Alliance helped support the Outer Rim Coalition, but that was a loose confederation of nations on the galaxy’s edge. Keeping pace with Frielle, Coren was grinning when he felt the call from [member="Kira Vaal"]. He knew that the woman could be trusted, she had a similar approach to his own, but came when the going was tough, and not always when things were easy.

It felt like home, this base. Everything was piecemeal, working on the smallest budget, and the needs of the cause. Jedi were few and far between, most staying within the Praxeum or Silver Order. And then the rest of the pilots coming in when they could.

“What is the Confederacy doing, they don’t have an issue with our needs? And I suppose getting the challenges to grow makes our pilots a bit more excited about the runs, right?” He grinned, knowing the life of a smuggler. “Interesting that you’ve gotten it to work through them.” He nodded again as he continued to follow. Seeing the teams assembled and those standing, Coren immediately stepped into the role he tried to best to keep, having everyone relax.

“At ease, Rebels. Glad to see you all here.” And this was a statement he truly meant. Having the people who were ready, willing, and able to donate time, talent, and treasury to the galaxy was important. When the discussion was being lead, he paid attention and nodded. Hearing Sol speak up, he collected the datacube. He had heard tell of Admiral Stazi, so Coren knew that his counterpart was safe, for the time.

“That is exactly what we need. We need the people here, who are ready and willing. We are going to be bringing the fight in, through whatever channels we have. Our fleets are pieced together, but what we do have, and who we have in them? Their drive is just as strong as any Imperial battlegroup. Our soldiers and pilots, more talented and driven. And we have one thing they do not.

“Purpose.”

He looked at the group. “Lieutenant, what target are you proposing?”

[member="Frielle Kinniak"] [member="Ava Cartwright"] [member="Sol Stazi"] [member="Rick Kaloo"] [member="Gilamar Skirata"] [member="Kira Vaal"] [member="ZFR-9EI"]

 

[Frielle Kinniak]

Frielle narrowed her gaze on the Duros, if his name wasn't what it was, she'd ask how far the stick went. "More than that, we can help them achieve that means. Also, the Confederacy is happy to turn a blind eye to our ... needs." She gave Starchaser a smile that meant there was a sleight of hand being done there. Stazi continued on for another moment or two until Starchaser finally stepped up and brought all eyes down on the stage. Purpose, hope and drive - it's what they've always had and now they were finally going to get an opportunity to do so.

"The target General, is Sullust. Word has it that the Ssi-Ruuk Imperium has done a number to Dosuun. Heck, even have word of the Grand Moff being dead - Dosuun's a wasteland as far as SIS can tell. Sullust though? Well, you've seen their defenses - and after both Terminus and Dosuun? These Imps won't really have much to go on, a lot of their structure is in disarray and whoever didn't go with Tanomas Graf is stuck fleeing the western reaches and.. it isn't pretty."

She handed Starchaser the information he needed and looked over at Stazi, "he's right, we've got the means to do it and our window has just opened." It would be too good to be true to say that the First Order was gone entirely but the truth was that they might as well be. They bled leadership, and had been for a long time and now? Now they were just a shell of their former selves. Especially with the Raptors raiding them up as they did, turning what had been a pristine world into ruins. Frielle would say that's what you get for creating subpar military designs but that wasn't fair, what was fair - was that in the end the First Order would end how it started; in flames.

[member="Sol Stazi"] | [member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Ava Cartwright"] | [member="Rick Kaloo"] | [member="Gilamar Skirata"] | [member="Kira Vaal"] | [member="ZFR-9EI"]

 

[Rick Kaloo]

[member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Frielle Kinniak"] | [member="Kira Vaal"] | [member="Sol Stazi"] ​

​

Rick had arrived at the meeting place, and listened to the state of the Alliance.​

​

Overall, the nation was recovering greatly. The GADF, which Rick had joined a lifetime ago, seemed to still exist, at least among a few larger ships. Confirming rumors that Rick had heard from Oraim Mei, an alien force had taken a substantial chunk of the First Order's power, including their own capital. Now, the force that once threatened to invade the company's fortified headquarters was in full retreat and likely weaker than Outer Rim's own corporate arsenal. Soon, the First Order would take the same path the Empire centuries prior took - splintering into a variety of warlord-ruled states. And the smaller, weaker states were ripe for invasion. Which lead into a point that Rick could now address.

"Indeed, the First Order has fallen greatly. Unlike our Alliance, they don't have the hope or capacity for change necessary to restore themselves. My company alone has enough manpower to punch through whatever remains of the tyrannical Order and open it up to liberation. We could be free from one of two great evils in mere months. Combined, we can all do great things for the galaxy."

 

[RC 212]

[member="Sol Stazi"] [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Frielle Kinniak"] [member="Ava Cartwright"]

She'd been silent and tagged along until now.

The woman in the white cloak spoke, and with conviction.

"The Government of the AiE is not all that gone Captain."

She produced a small data chip in her palm.

"Through covert services and a few... unsightly contracts I've managed to recover a large part of data archives on the Alliances Political structure. Most of the Advisory Council is just a shell of what it was, but we have new momentum now. For the first time in a while we have access to who is who. We just need a powerbase to call our own."

She paused, and produced a copy of the chip.

"This copy is the only other living copy of the old accounts and secret hidey holes where a lot of them hid. Most of them took their wealth and ran to ground. If we want any shot at rebuilding we need to call them back into the fold. I fervently believe I can organize that. They'll most likely bring back their wealth with them. In addition we can reach out sympathetic folks to get some trade going

Moral of the story is, the faster we can consolidate a victory, the faster I can start working. If the Alliance can spread outside the borders of ORC just a bit, I'm confident I can also arrange for back channels to deliver supplies and arms to the Rebellion."

 

[Odium Ira]

An astromech rolled into the room. Was this really the only body they could find? A trashcan on wheels! At least they didn't have to deactivate another droid to give him this stupid can. How did astomechs live like this? At least he could come inside now, and simply use the holoprojector to show his Vulture Droid hull so the others knew it was him. He listened to everyone before finally speaking up.

"The Metal Lord will also be willing to provide more assistance if we can show that this new Rebellion can succeed."

[member="Katarine Falcon"] [member="Rick Kaloo"] [member="Frielle Kinniak"] [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Sol Stazi"]