Ashes of the Order

[Kyyrk]

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DOSUUN ORBIT, 1745 HOURS, THREE WEEKS AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF THE FIRST ORDER​

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Dosuun. Voph had never been to this planet in all his travels, yet he could admire it for what it was. Capital. Stronghold. Ruined. From his post in the Bridge of The Arbitration, Voph looked on the bright world below. It was almost a shame how it had happened. An entire nation reduced to rubble because of a few tactical missteps. Voph sighed as he folded his hands behind his back, watching the cargo shuttles come and go. According to "official reports," the Ssi-Ruuvi Imperium had been the ones responsible for laying waste to Dosuun. Voph sincerely doubted it. The lizards were too isolated.

For a brief moment, he wondered if it had been the Alliance in Exile. They might have had the resources to attack, and frame the Ssi-Ruuvi. But sadly, the only records of the battle were First Order records. And maker knew those were indistinguishable from historical fiction. But there was one thing that didn't sit right with him. Across all accounts, Grand Moff Fortan died a hero in a suicide attack. Voph could feel his lip curl involuntarily at the thought. Selfish. All the underlings at her command, and she herself had to be the one to die a hero so that the First Order might live on. Instead, all she had done was ensure that the death of the nation would cease to become a possibility, and grow into a certainty.

Voph was stirred from his musings as his tactical officer delivered another report. A squad had been dispatched to the city of Victoria far below. Knowledge was power, and the home to the First Order Archives was a high value target. They, of course, would not deny access. But all the data recovered would be sent to the carriers waiting above to store for a rainy day. They were meeting minor resistance in the form of First Order Loyalists. Werewolves they called themselves. Voph cared little for the details. The only detail he knew or cared about was the knowledge that his soldiers, a proper military, were crushing opposition underfoot. The body counts were climbing steadily. Deep down he wondered if he should take mercy on them. But they were impeding progress. Preventing peace. And so he would put them down like the animals they named themselves for.

Voph's attention turned, as several ships exited hyperspace. The Vanguard and her compliment had returned. Nothing to report from the patrol. Voph smiled to himself. Then he turned, moving towards the hanger bay. He wished to witness the state of affairs on the planet below for himself. As he walked, however, tactical issued a message. "Sir, incoming ships." "Affiliation?" "Unknown, Sir. They do not bear First Order identification codes. Shall we hail them?" "Yes. Have fighters on standby. They may be sympathetic to the cause. I'll redirect to battle bridge, and speak with their leader there."

Voph stepped into the large circular room, and looked at the holographic display. A small cluster of ships, easily dwarfed by his own. Were his whole task force here, it would have been no contest. But even between the Arbitration, Bastion, and Vanguard, they were more than a match for most vessels. Especially those smaller than them. "Unidentified Vessels, this is Lord Voph of the Octarchy Covenant Task Force. We are here on a mission of peace. If you seek to land on Dosuun, we will happily permit passage. Any attempt to fire upon our forces, in orbit or on the ground, will be met with lethal force." Voph fell silent for a moment. They very well could be bringing supplies to the First Order remnant. It would be of no consequence either way. The First Order was dying. The last bastion on Bakura would fall to anarchy soon enough...

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 0128]

Cedric Grayson, Lord of the Sons of Ession, and Jedi Master of the fallen world, could not will himself to admit that he had sent his legion to retrieve a single woman. His sons worked diligently all around the command bridge of the Chimaera; they followed him loyally without truly knowing why they were even en route to Dosuun. The Jedi Master admired the men for that, though their dogged dedication to his every whim sometimes left him feeling slightly uncomfortable. His relationship with his warriors would seem unbecoming to most Jedi, but then most Jedi had not undergone the trials and tribulations that the survivors of Ession had.

The Chimaera and her retinue of escort vessels translated into realspace amidst a plethora of unknown ships. It seemed someone else had come to Dosuun for what Cedric could only assume to be salvage, though the formation of the fleet before him was far more military than it was industrial.

"Lord, the leader of their battlegroup is hailing us," Captain Decius announced, stirring Cedric from his own internal dialogue. The Jedi Master sat up a bit straighter in his command throne, "Put them through. Let us see who we are dealing with."

"Unidentified Vessels, this is Lord Voph of the Octarchy Covenant Task Force. We are here on a mission of peace. If you seek to land on Dosuun, we will happily permit passage. Any attempt to fire upon our forces, in orbit or on the ground, will be met with lethal force."

Cedric remained silent for a moment, his mind spinning as he tried so recall if he had heard of this Octarchy. After a few moments of thought hs was confident he had not, and spoke accordingly.

"Lord Voph," Cedric's voice was cold and to the point, "This is Cedric Grayson, heading the Sons of Ession. We've no intentions of violence today, though I do intend to dispatch some of my legion to search the planet for signs of a few lost comrades." That wasn't a total lie.

"Might I ask what the Octarchy fleet is here for?"

[member="Voph"]

 

[Kyyrk]

Voph glanced to one of his tactical officers, and inclined his head towards the hanger bay. The non-verbal signal was clear. "Transmit the coordinates of their last known location. I'll dispatch a team to assist." Voph folded his hands at the small of his back. "The Covenant is here to bring peace and stability to the region. I'm sure you are familiar enough with galactic politics to know how problematic the collapse of a multi-system super power is." His brow furrowed. "I am surprised you brought a flotilla to assist a mere handful of people."

Voph's head cocked to the side. He could feel the presence of this...Cedric now that he focused. A beacon of light. Jedi. Of course. Frankly, Voph was surprised that he had not encountered more of them on his mission. For keepers of peace they seemed largely unconcerned with the state of affairs in the ruins of the First Order. But it was not his place to condemn the Jedi. They did that well enough on their own.

​"But, if assistance is needed, the Covenant shall assist. I look forward to meeting you planetside."

With that, the transmission ended, and Voph turned towards the hanger bay, walking quickly towards the shuttle waiting to carry him to the planet's surface. There was something about this Jedi. Something odd. Voph wasn't quite sure he could put his finger on it. But he felt, somehow...familiar.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]