Xeykard
The Scales Tip
team rocket is blasting off again
What's up gamers. I'm writing the lizard wizard again. Really out here tryna cook so stay with me.
Going to be writing Xeykard's forces attacking the shadowport of Mek-Sha (would bigly recommend reading the whole sub, it's pretty good). Mek-Sha is an asteroid station with a breathable atmosphere contained by a strong planetary shield. It's known for being fiercely independent and lawless in the best (and worst) way. Post-Bryn, it's been the entry point to the Scar Worlds and a hub for every sort of person who's involved in the region: refugees, criminals, rebels, defectors, and maybe -- just maybe -- you.
Here's the setup: A Star Destroyer and its escorts pull out of hyperspace, demanding access to the station to search for something, though they won't say what. After some hesitation, the station's ruling council acquiesces and opens one of the shield gates. They realize they're dealing with Xeykard, the de facto ruling warlord of their slice of space, and that there's already a company's worth of Sith marines already on the station. Xeykard promises that what he's looking for has nothing to do with the council, and that he and his men won't set foot on the Huttbreaker's compound. Trusting a Sith's word is a risk, but they don't really have much choice, given they don't have the means to deal with the firepower Xeykard has brought.
More Sith legionnaires set down; a squadron of fighters patrol the inner atmosphere, and the legionnaires secure most of the landing zones. General panic spreads across the station as they realize they're trapped, but it's kept at a simmer while the Sith don't act outwardly hostile. Xeykard leads a squadron to find what he's looking for, ultimately reaching a warehouse at the edge of the Three Points Bazaar, where he's tracked a locator beacon.
The thread opens when he realizes his prize isn't there, and orders his troops to tear up the station in search of it.
Here are some entry angles and story directions I see. Obviously these are by no means the only options; if you've got something cool, do it.
Other than that, just a few general tone requests:
Reply below and I'll tag you in the OP, and don't forget to give me an idea about what the target could be.
What's up gamers. I'm writing the lizard wizard again. Really out here tryna cook so stay with me.
Going to be writing Xeykard's forces attacking the shadowport of Mek-Sha (would bigly recommend reading the whole sub, it's pretty good). Mek-Sha is an asteroid station with a breathable atmosphere contained by a strong planetary shield. It's known for being fiercely independent and lawless in the best (and worst) way. Post-Bryn, it's been the entry point to the Scar Worlds and a hub for every sort of person who's involved in the region: refugees, criminals, rebels, defectors, and maybe -- just maybe -- you.
Here's the setup: A Star Destroyer and its escorts pull out of hyperspace, demanding access to the station to search for something, though they won't say what. After some hesitation, the station's ruling council acquiesces and opens one of the shield gates. They realize they're dealing with Xeykard, the de facto ruling warlord of their slice of space, and that there's already a company's worth of Sith marines already on the station. Xeykard promises that what he's looking for has nothing to do with the council, and that he and his men won't set foot on the Huttbreaker's compound. Trusting a Sith's word is a risk, but they don't really have much choice, given they don't have the means to deal with the firepower Xeykard has brought.
More Sith legionnaires set down; a squadron of fighters patrol the inner atmosphere, and the legionnaires secure most of the landing zones. General panic spreads across the station as they realize they're trapped, but it's kept at a simmer while the Sith don't act outwardly hostile. Xeykard leads a squadron to find what he's looking for, ultimately reaching a warehouse at the edge of the Three Points Bazaar, where he's tracked a locator beacon.
The thread opens when he realizes his prize isn't there, and orders his troops to tear up the station in search of it.
Here are some entry angles and story directions I see. Obviously these are by no means the only options; if you've got something cool, do it.
- The Target: If you couldn't tell already, I currently have no idea what exactly Xeykard's looking for -- if you have an idea, throw it at me. It should be important and worthwhile, obviously, but other than that, no parameters. Ship schematics? A powerful artifact? An HVT he's looking to kill? Your character? He could be looking for anything. An opportunist or do-gooder might look to find the target first, whether to hand it over to Xeykard in hopes of favour or peace, keeping it out of his hands, or using it for themselves.
- Slugfall Harbor: Mek-Sha is a major regional port, and this attack presents quite the challenge to that. Most of the gates are closed, and Slughall Harbor within the station is being watched closely by the bulk of the Sith forces. The Sith starfighters swarming about aren't a good sign either. Whether you're trying to get in, just arrived, or trying to get out, there are going to be quite a few obstacles.
- Urban Warfare: The attack order from Xeykard means violence in the streets. The Sith troops aren't messing around; scrappy as Mek-Sha's residents may be, the legionnaires are well-trained, well-equipped, and, most importantly, could not give less of a shit about the safety or wellbeing of the people in the shadowport. Do you get caught up in a riot? Detained or attacked by some legionnaires? How do the various elements of Mek-Sha react to being attacked? Do you try to organize a defense, or try to defect to the legionnaires in hope they'll provide some protection?
- Huttbreaker's Compound: The ruling council have holed up with most of their forces in the Huttbreaker's Compound, now the only safe place in Mek-Sha. It's impossible to reach on foot, but those who are able to get there are far more likely to survive the chaos in the streets below. The council is likely extremely split on what to do -- Mek-Sha has no military or police force, and organizing a popular resistance to the attack might be impossible. You could try to influence the council to intervene in one way or the other -- maybe it's best for them to stay back and stay safe, let the Sith find what they want and leave as soon as possible. Or maybe they need to close all the gates and deal with the legionnaires on the ground first. Or maybe it doesn't matter to you, just as long as they stay away from the Compound where you've found refuge.
- Head of the Snake: Xeykard is mad. This was meant to be quick and easy; now he's deployed hundreds (maybe thousands) of troops to find his target. His presence is like a great stack of wood and kindling, waiting for a spark to ignite his fury. Yet, for the Jedi aboard the station (and their allies of necessity), taking him out might be their best bet at stemming the tide of the Sith. Of course, this is no small task -- there's a reason he's one of the last remaining warlords of the Scar Worlds. (It's not his charm and good looks.)
- The Cavalry: While the Sith forces probably have some comms-jamming going on in the system, there's no doubt with all of the crafty low-lives of Mek-Sha that something's got through. Maybe you're a lone smuggler responding to the distress call -- or maybe you're an Alliance, Imperial, Ashlan, RTL, or Concord task force. While I welcome the latter sort of thing, the only limitation here is that you don't arrive immediately, so things can play out on the ground first.
Other than that, just a few general tone requests:
- Acknowledge the panic. An organized military force descending on an independent shadowport without warning is going to be a bad time for the people who live on that shadowport.
- Everyone's got their own thing going on. The diversity of people on Mek-Sha is part of what makes it special; everyone's got a different opinion on what's going on, everyone's got their own info, everyone's got their own strategy to stay safe. Encounter things, encounter people, throw something weird in your character's path.
- Other than people being the Cavalry, focus on small-scale stuff. Don't pull an army out of your butt.
- A Sith legionnaire is dangerous. Make them feel that way.
- Check the geography. Seriously -- the maps in the sub are dope, and each area of Mek-Sha has its own little flavor and twist. Take it and run with it.
Reply below and I'll tag you in the OP, and don't forget to give me an idea about what the target could be.
