A Tide of Tooth and Claw - Sluis Van

[Darth Carnifex]

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Sluis System
Sluis Van

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Alarms wailed through the Behemothhttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/142239-behemoth-ii-class-super-star-dreadnought/ as it breached the skin of reality. The pulsing blue of hyperspace vanished. Amber warning lights blinked in sequence with the klaxon-blare. The deck lurched as force slammed through the superstructure, data spinning off on a multitude of tactical screens as the fleet settled into a formation.

Eleven ships had ridden hyperspace with the Behemoth, a smaller Grand Fleet than was usual but still a force that could have conquered systems. There was the battlecruiser Reckoning, the fleet carrier Ultima, and the three Star Destroyers Wolf’s Claw, Stormhawk, and Glory. The siege battlecruiser Judicator was a sleek shadow to the Behemoth, her pair of ventral orbital autocannons retracted against the cannon riddled underbelly of her hull. Two light Star Destroyers, Iron Edict and Bellicose, formed the fleet’s vanguard, while a squadron of three frigates, Unity, Trident, and Rhapsody, circled the whole, watchful and swift.

Carnifex watched the flow of cold date from the heart of the Behemoth. Screens hung from the ceiling around him. Tactical information scrolled across them in an endless cascade. These were not displays that turned details into maps and readouts; this was primary data from across the Behemoth’s fleet. Engine outputs, gun charge readiness, position error margins, crew status - all of it was passing over the screens undiluted and unmediated. Carnifex had been absorbing it all from not only the moment that the fleet exited hyperspace, but while it was in transit as well. Occasionally the arrangement of the screen would alter, but the Butcher King remained still at their center. A small cadre of Crownguard surrounded him in a loose ring, their stance just as still and silent as their Lord's.

The chamber was circular, its floor tiered so that the banks of system controls rose from the open space at the center to a domed roof of bare metal. Hundreds of Tsudakyrhttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/133155-tsudakyr/ sat in cradles of transparent glasteel, bathed in nutrient fluids and connected by cables and wires to the system web of the Behemoth. Black-uniformed officers moved silently amongst them, bent over control panels as their hands clicked softly as they tapped keys and adjusted dials. All of them carried out their tasks with barely a word.

The chamber was buried deep in the Behemoth’s hull, its corridors watched by slaved gun nets and companies of Gelian Sentinels. On other ships, the place of command would have been the bridge. The light of stars would have fallen through huge viewports, but not on the Behemoth. While a large and very visible bridge sat perched atop the dreadnought’s superstructure, its existence was superfluous at best; a distraction designed to entice less knowledgable enemies into a killing zone of hundreds of turbolaser emplacements bunched together in groups of eight and ten. Viewports were points of weakness in the hull and afforded no advantage in battle. Their absence also sharpened the mind. Everything that you need to see is before you, let nothing distract you from it.

The voice of AQUILAhttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/133321-aquila-artificial-intelligence-system/, the artificial intelligence program that captained the Behemoth in the Emperor’s absence, thundered across the multitude of communicators spread throughout the chamber. “Multiple Ssi-Ruu warships, Supreme Excellency, Shree-class. Preliminary scans indicate that they are deliberately targeting the shipyards.”

Carnifex could visualize everything from the technical data flowing across the screens around him, the minute adjustments in the Ssi-Ruu ships as they became aware of the Emperor’s fleet and began processing that information.

“Alert all commands and begin our advance on the Ssi-Ruu, draw their ships in between us and the shipyards.”

“As you command, Supreme Excellency.”

The Iron Edict and Bellicose were the first to reach the perimeter of the Ssi-Ruu’s long-range weapons, their shields blossoming with the impact of the nearest cluster of Shree’s cannons. They would return fire in response, the void between them illuminated by a hundred different streaks of light, pocked by brilliant sunburst detonations as experienced gunners found their mark.

The battle above Sluis Van had begun.

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Sluis System​

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Sulis Van​

7th Fleet - HIMS Elidibus​

[member="Marayna Danforth"] | [member="Lydia Walsh"]​

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The Elidibus reverted not too far from the Behemoth and her war fleet. Gone were the kaleidoscope of blues and whites from hyperspace, now pressed into the void with her onyx-clad hull, sleek design that cuts through the stars. The forward deck seemed to jerk forward as the massive vessel reeled from the revision, and in the command center, the screens of various consoles came to life. Arrow-shaped vessels of various sizes and lengths soon joined the Elidibus, emerging around the seventh fleet's lead ship. Cardinal hued lights dotted the ship's hull as her guns were brought online.

Aboard the Elidibus, Lord Admiral Raaf, and Commodore Sentongo, the Lord Admiral bore her white and gold uniform while the Commodore wore the standard black and red of the Sith-Imperial Military. The command center sat above the pit and there sat the Admiral's chair where now the sight of [member="Taeli Raaf"] sitting was more than common these days. The wail of klaxons blared throughout the ship as amber then red lights coursed through the dreadnought's interior. The sounds of boots rushing through the corridors and into the pit as it was called, sat forward and below of the command center were now but a symphony to the Galidraani.

Sentongo, the Dahomian-born naval leader barked orders bringing task forces into alignment. Somewhere in the midst of the fleet, were some of Lord Admiral Raaf's newest Galidraani recruits, Captain Deol and Captain Walsh. It would be time to show their worth now, as Commodore Sentongo summoned newly minted air marshal Ishana Pavanos. Marshal Pavanos wasn't keen on sticking around the command center long, the itch to get out and lead the troops would keep the woman from being nailed down to a desk. Raaf admired that about Pavanos, "you'll be out there soon enough Marshal, here's the trajectory of current enemy ships, fighters and other threats in the area." A grainy-blue holoprojection emerged from the table displaying the battle as it unfolded. "Let's make this our excursion zone, nothing from their side goes in and we'll create a secondary excursion zone here - this is for our troops. Colonel Tarkin will lead the ground forces, our goal is to get people and equipment out."

"Copy that, but that secondary zone is hotter than shebs in armor."

"Right, let's get Deol and Walsh over there to help you with that."

Pavanos nodded in acknowledgment with arms folded over her chest, "okay good - how much of a window does Tarkin need?"

"Not much," the Colonel interjected and showed off a toothy smile, "thankfully contacts on the ground have managed a landing zone we can use."

It was odd, for them at least, the three had defected from the First Order in what seemed to be ages ago. Now here they were at the edge of what had been First Order territory dealing with the Ssi-Ruuvi Imperium and the First Imperials who had been trying to flee the violence and sudden collapse of their government. Lord Admiral Raaf's azure gaze looked over the holoprojection, "how long until we can get them out?" She asked, turning her attention to the blond haired man.

He took a deep breath and exhaled, dressed in Sith Legionnaire armor the joints crinkled as he motioned to the view of the planet. "Not sure, communications were a mess. We'll get a beacon down to help with that, but hopefully - hopefully, it won't be long."

Ishana exhaled, "a lot of targets."

"Is that a complaint, Marshal?" Raaf looked toward Pavanos.

Pavanos shook her head. "Nah, just didn't wanna wear out my good hand."

Raaf rolled her eyes and Tarkin put his hand over his mouth.

"On that note, the meeting is dismissed - time to get to work."

 

[H3xle]

Sluis System​

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Sluis Van​

32nd Strike Section - HIMS Sanguine​

[member="Marayna Danforth"] | [member="fiolette raaf"]​

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In the black and red uniform of the Sith Imperial Armada, Lydia Walsh stepped onto the bridge of HIMS Sanguine, her command ship for the 32nd Strike Section attached to the 7th Fleet under Lord Admiral Fiolette Raaf. Her executive officer, Commander Johann Silviss, stood from the command chair in the center of the bridge as she approached, and she offered him a perfunctory nod as she sat in the still warm seat. She deployed the array of readouts around her chair and took a moment to review the positions of her section before turning to Commander Silviss.

"Report." She spoke in her cool mezzo-soprano voice accented obviously with her Galidraani blood. She kept her voice canted softly so only the Commander could hear. Around them, the bridge officers continued their work diligently.

"Aye, ma'am." Commander Silviss began, bringing up a datapad and turning it on. "We've been maintaining position as the forward element of the port side flank of the fleet since we arrived in system. There are elements securing zones over Sluis Van, and the fleet as a whole has been advancing on the Ssi-Ruu fleet that is assaulting the orbital shipyards."

"Excellent, thank you." Always show kindness to your subordinates when they do a good job. One of the many things her mother had instilled in her from a young age. The words also acted as a dismissal, as she turned back to the data coming in from her readouts. Commander Silviss took the cue and left the bridge.

Moments passed by as they advanced with the 7th Fleet towards the Ssi-Ruu, the noise of the bridge surrounded her as she settled into her command chair more completely.

"Ma'am, orders from the flag." The communications officer reported.

Lydia nodded and pulled up the orders on her right hand screen. She only needed a moment to look back to the communication officer and nod once more.

"Set the section to General Quarters. Navigation, plot us to these coordinates. Tactical give us a firing plan to clear the zone below those coordinates for allied exfiltration. Assign half of our fighter compliment to overflight within the atmosphere, and the other half to section defense. Coordinate with Captain Deols section." She ordered, her voice came out just enough to reach all corners of the bridge, and remained cool. Her officers went straight to their tasks.

Soon, her readouts reported her section moving along with another section under Captain Deol. The two sections merged into formation as they angled deeper into the planets gravity well.

"Ma'am, we are approaching opening engagement range." Her tactical officer reported.

"Weapons free, Lieutenant." She responded, and sat back to watch the carnage unfold from her section.

The ships were in a pyramidal formation, with Sanguine in the center, and a little back of the other ships. Anchoring the bottom two corners were Cudgel and Vagabond, while Glass held the top corner. Fire erupted from the assault ships, and Vagabond spat out fighters along with Sanguine. The dance of fire, fighters, and capital ships filled her readouts, and she couldn't help the little smile that brought the corners of her mouth up slightly.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The battle raged.

Concussion warheads streaked through the blackness, rapidly disappearing contrails marking their path as they twirled and danced before slamming headfirst into the Ssi-Ruu cruisers. Explosions blossomed along linear lines, often intersecting with one another before the entire ship went up in flames as fuel cells ruptured with the intensity of a miniature dying star. Turbolasers swiveled to acquired new targets, their gunners cybernetically slave-linked and coordinated by the AQUILA artificial intelligence so that they moved as a singular unit. Raking salvos of turbolaser fire scythed through several more smaller cruisers and frigates, crackling against the shields of the larger Ssi-Ruu vessels.

The Emperor had moved from the safety of the internal command center to one of the fighter hangars situated near the rear of the dreadnought, several Sith pilots arrayed before him as he slipped into his own specially designed flight suit.

"Our target is the control tower of the Sluis Van Shipyards. In its databanks we will find the technical readouts for everything ever built in and around the orbital docks, and the Empire will have use of such information. It cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of the Ssi-Ruu. Should we risk losing the data, it is to be destroyed." They didn't need to be reminded if they understood, the Emperor had chosen each one of them personally and knew that each one was exceptionally capable.

They would serve him well as they always had.

Without further fuss, the pilots rushed to their starfighters and waited on the Emperor's signal to launch. When they did, they flew in perfect synchronous formation behind him. Right towards the orbital station.