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Alkor looked on as the man reached for the opaque blade. His initial reaction was to allow the kinetic force to transfer- he wanted the momentum for himself. As the weapon was wrenched, his thumb slid over the ignition switch.
The plasma flickered, waned, and faded away.
Alkor utilized the stolen motion to slide along the bloodstained floor, and he turned his body hard to face the oncoming blow. The massive Phrikite Sith sword slammed into the open palm of his right hand, and the Dark Jedi snorted as his beskar entombed fingers clenched the weapon, and vicious servos ground down around it.
His smaller form was easily forced backward, but his arm held out. He took a quick step back with his left leg, allowing the cleaving blow to press him into the movement.
As his body twisted, he utilized the movement of his opponent and released his hold on the Betrayer. He intended to force the massive man to stumble, or trip over himself.
The blade of his lightsaber hummed to life once more in his next breath.
Location: Ord Radam, Southern Hemisphere Objective: Secure The Devestator Allies: [member="Rakosh Saqai"] Enemies: Dominion
"I do not know." Vrak had always been able to admit when he didn't know something. It was a quality that most around him found surprising. Sith generally weren't known for their willingness to admit their own faults, but The Pureblood had learned a long time ago that giving up a small bit of his own failure in order to gain the illusion of grandeur was far more worthwhile. He frowned for a moment, peering into the hangar as he stalked towards the back.
Malgus was a figure that had been vilified in Imperial History.
He had risen up against the Sith Emperor, against Vitiate himself. He had attempted to tear the Empire apart and lead it in his own way, yet he had done so for 'good', if it could be called that. Malgus had been Sith, true Sith, killing his own beloved for a cause that was true in his heart. "But it's here."
Vrak said quietly.
"I can sense it." His hand waved slightly, the rusted door straining and creaking before suddenly beginning to fall open. "Feel it's power."
Whatever Malgus had left behind still lingered with strength. The Darkside pulsed over and over again, calling to him like a sirens song.
The shots fired from the Archlord's lancer cruiser's had a devastating effect on their target. His arms crossed over his chest Adron watched as the proton rounds ripped through the ship's shielding, leaving it exposed for the third and final round. The connection alone was devastating and obviously crippling to the ship. The bridge of Cedric's Wrath was in an uproar of cheering as the enemy ship's systems failed. All on board celebrated the success of the attack, all except for Adron whose eyes were peeled on the enemy fleet.
"That's enough. We still have an entire enemy fleet to deal with, order the Lancer's to use their thrusters to move behind the fleet and begin recharge procedures. Also order all ships to-."
"Sir, that Destroyer is still operational and it's headed straight for us!" Drug from his commands Adron turned his attention to the fleet before them. The damaged destroyer has routed power to it's rear thrusters, allowing it to fly toward the Serennoan fleet with amazing speeds.
"All batteries fire, fire! Order all escort ships to divert power to the shields!" Adron hastily commanded, immediately the officers turned to their terminals, seeing the deed done. Cedric's Wrath opened fire on the incoming ship, in a desperate attempt to slow the vessel down. With no shielding the blasts tore through the ship expertly, however they did little to truly slow it down. As a second firing iteration was preparing a stunning silence crossed the void of space. However that silence was soon replaced with the roaring sound of a shock wave that would cross the entire theater of war.
Throwing Adron and most of his staff to the ground the explosion rocked his ship as if it was but a freighter. Were it not for the ship's astounding size it could have easily been pushed back into the shield gate behind it.
Silence crossed the deck as the shock wave finally came to a stunning end. The ship's systems going haywire, several alarms rang through out the corridors. A soft groan escaped the man as he pushed himself to a knee. "Status....status report?"
A still stunned officer gripped his head as he recovered to his terminal. "Kark...Life support and artificial gravity systems are going nuts sir. Our main shield is down....our reserve shielding is already powering up."
Exhaling at the results Adron realized it could have been much worse, or so he had thought.
"My lord! Two of our escort corvette's were thrown into the shield gate and one of our Assault cruiser's has no shielding." The communications officer reported. Two escort ships destroyed by that blast, their main shields down, and one of their cruiser's left a sitting duck.
"Focus on getting our primary shields back up. Move the fleet into blockade formation Delta." Adron commanded, ordering the fleet into a more defensive position, The Assault cruisers would receive their orders and take up a four point position in front of Cedric's Wrath. With the Lancer's behind the flagship and the corvette's acting as a roving guard between the ships.
"Order all fighters to return...I know we lost some in that blow, find out how many and prepare for a refit."
The Count's attention was shattered when the view port on the east side of the ship was shattered, forcing the ships oxygen to flow from the deck. The air practically being sucked from his lungs Adron struggled not to be taken away with the flow of the ship's escaping pressure. Only moments later the blast doors sealed behind the breach, bringing air back into the deck. The breach had not been a foreign attack as Adron had originally thought. As his eyes fell over the Cathar that had breached his ship. Taking his lightsaber from his waist Adron called over the bridge. "He's mine. Get my fleet back operational!" Adron ordered as he stepped towards the Sith. He could easily sense the taint of the dark side on the Cathar, it flew over the bridge like a powerful odor. "You won't be escaping alive, Sith." Adron pulled at the cloak that covered his body, revealing his uniform that he wore underneath the ceremonial robes. Battle armor, especially made for a Jedi Lord, to slow the progress of any attacker.
Running his thumb over his weapon's ignition pad he watched as the white blade sprung from his lightsaber. Extending his hand out towards the Sith Adron tapped into the Force, attempting to send a kinetic wave towards the Cathar before he could recover.
A soft exhale left his mouth. He soaked in the pure dark energy, allowing it to flow through him. It was almost as if he was tasting a matured wine, it was powerful. Yet, it had been around long enough to sink into every inch of the vessel. As the door peeled open, it was as if a wave of energy had struck him. A slim smile flushed over his face, his mask began to change though it decided against it remaining it in it's current form.
He searched outwards sensing for the source of the power. He wanted the waves of energy to lead them, he pointed forwards in gesture. "I can feel it." He made clear. Knowing Vrak could do the same, he continued onwards through the door he removed. Sliding the door to the side, with a brief burst of telekinesis. He layed his hand onto his lightsaber which remained stagnate on his belt. Giving a quick glance back to the creature before enterring completely through the door. "I can only presume what ever he left, contains great power. With the energy that flows through the ship, I can't imagine it's capability." He said.
He was intrigued to what they would find. They were making history uncovering this item... no, artifact.
Ra knew this was not the time to dally around and asses the situation, the man carving a path through the dead that Enzo called up was coming at her. Their eyes were locked and he didn't bother looking at the forms as they fell around him. He had removed his cloak, jammed his axe in the ground and the clumsy undead just ran into him to be slaughtered all over again. The sight of the Kushiban undead was almost comical since they looked very much like rabbits only larger.
"Enzo, can they come back again?"
Once the dead were dead again, the armored man called his axe to his hands and continued on his path to her.
She was unconventional to say the least and instead of pulling out both of her sabers, she ignited one and with her other hand pulled out her blaster. What had started as a weapon she didn't have a clue on how to use, Ra had practiced and perfected using it.
Taking aim, Ra fired off three shots in The Matador's direction. All aimed at potential weak parts of his armor- knees, groin, elbows. Her gold eyes were locked to his and after firing, she simply maintained her aim with the blaster at him and her saber held up her arm.
Location - Onboard SSV Roanoke
Objective - Move to Ord Radama, engage RE ground parties
Allies - SJO and Dominion
Opposition - TRE & Allies
In scene: [member="Valkren Calderon"], [member="Marl"], [member="Arisa Yune"]
Grouped together with her two healer companions, Valae stood towards the corner of the room. She looked up with a kind smile as Colonel Calderon addressed her. She turned to see that Lieutenant Marl was also present; both were quite familiar to her now. It always was nice to see a friendly face, especially considering the circumstances.
“It is good to see you again, Colonel.” She nodded, “Likewise, Lietenant Marl.”
As the briefing commenced, Valae fell silence and solemn again. At her left shoulder, she could sense the steady calm of Lila; the Mirialan was the perfect image of quiet patience. And on her right there was Vash, the man had a build that was tall and strong, he may have looked more like a member of the Rangers than he did a healer. They listened as the Grandmaster revealed that they would be heading to Ord Radama.
She watched Colonel Calderon closely, noting his even tone of voice. He spoke with confidence, this was good. Valae could easily see why he held the rank he did, he made a mighty fine leader. Inside, her nerves shook – she was not made up of the same stuff as the Colonel. Valae had never considered herself a leader before. But now, she had others that would be following her guidance. The brunette stood in thoughtful silence, hardly noticing the fact that the communication with the Grandmaster had already gone dark.
She glanced up to see that the Colonel had addressed her.
“Hmm ?” Valae blinked hard, brought back to the present. “Oh, I’m fine – thanks.”
But was she really fine? The pale expression would say otherwise. For a moment, her eyes lingered on the helmet that was tucked into the crook of his arm. A quick glance sent over her shoulder told the two other healers to wait outside, and they quickly shuffled out into the hallway. With meek steps, she moved towards the Colonel – the usual lightness and bounce in her movements were absent today.
“Where would you like us to be… when we… hit the ground?”
“Med-Beq and Calderon, you’re going to the Radama system. Once there, Calderon I want you to begin deploying ground units to intercept the RE’s ground parties already on the surface. From scans, it appears they’re massing over some wreckage within a marshy area. Hit them with an airborne assault and lockdown that area.” “Med-Beq, you will take point in engaging the RE vessels in the Radama system, and establishing a blockade. Nothing get in or out of that system while Calderon’s operation is underway. Be sure to coordinate with the local officials and let them know that we’re there to help.”
"All right, here's the plan: once we revert to realspace over Ord Radama, the fleet is to be placed in blockade formation. I want 2 squadrons doing close air support, loaded with cluster munitions, the Skors positioned above the enemy flagship present, all ships firing long-range disruptor torpedoes, with a first group of 6 squadrons engaging the enemy fighter screen head-on to later fall back to the main fleet and a second group of 6 squadrons to drop tactical nukes on the enemy flagship from underneath; all ships, fire on the enemy fleet from long range!"
"Immobilizer 419, activate gravity projector wells once we arrive over Ord Radama, place the fleet in blockade formation" Julie blared.
“Once everyone is in position, I want you all to begin deploying squadrons into the Serenno system. The first waves should be interceptors and snub fighters to whittle down the enemy fighter screens, then send in your bombers and gunships for anti-ship assault.”
"All squadrons not homeported on the Heavenshield, prepare to load heavy concussion missiles loaded with flechette canisters!"
The ability of Jessica to actually include the local populations and assets into her plans was something key to her effectiveness; admittedly it was more useful on the defense than in the attack, and that was going to be crucial to this operation's success. What was called tactical nukes here were just those heavy bombs that took up the space of four normal proton bombs, while the choice of deploying 37 squadrons of fighters loaded with heavy concussion missiles indicated that the Silver Jedi navy would be trying what is usually thought to be reserved to sector campaigns such as the ill-fated Caldera campaign: long-range carrier tactics. Whatever reports there were from Ord Radama, were troubling. Given than the ground-bound enemy is seemingly entrenched in a marsh area, that meant no wheeled or tracked vehicles could be deployed around where the enemy was purported to be. On Dromund Kaas, the enemy proved to be surprisingly effective at using line infantry, but cannot use anything else. Again, did the Resurgent Empire's allies even place heavy weapons, artillery, aircraft at their disposal? she thought, while opening a channel to the local planetary defense force headquarters in Livien Magnus:
"Open a channel to the Ord Radama planetary defense force"
"Channel open" the communications officer responded.
"Ord Radama planetary defense force, this is Grand General Med-Beq of the Silver Jedi Army. We have received reports of Resurgent Empire activity and intrusions in this sector, and also on your planet. We are requesting ground and airborne assistance, with targets of interest located around the wreckage of the Devastator: heavy infantry weapons should be used here"
"Reversion in five"
"Targets identified: the Tyrant, the imperial flagship on Malachor V, and another escort carrier"
Five seconds later, Jessica's fleet assumed blockade formation over Ord Radama, with, unfortunately, the lengthier time for outfitting heavy concussion missiles with flechette canisters being the main factor as to why the 37 squadrons weren't quite ready to deploy for the first run to Serenno, but will probably be once the first volley has been fired, with the second run being for deploying the tac-nukes onto the remaining ships deployed by the enemy, and potentially Skors for heavier firepower. For the time being, two enemy ships were spotted at long range from the blockading SJ fleet, with said Skors being above the Tyrant's aft, they opened fire with their guns, firing twelve 420mm HVC rounds at the area of the enemy command tower, with the possibility of hitting stuff either in front or behind it, while the enemy hasn't yet established targeting solutions. That volley was followed by an additional 21 of its smaller, 380mm siblings, as well as forty long-range disruptor torpedoes, and 948 turbolasers' worth of heavy long-range turbolasers and ion cannons being fired at the enemy flagship in one massive volley. As for the enemy carrier, it would be fired at by ten Volksgrenadiers, who will unleash its payload of thirty-five buzz droids apiece within short range of the enemy ship, at which point the warheads will decloak, as well as the equivalent of 648 turbolasers' worth of long-range weapons, fifteen 380mm shells, as well as seven hypervelocity cannon volleys and an additional 32 long-range disruptor torpedoes, Meanwhile, the Immobilizer 419 deployed its interdiction field, so as to prevent the enemy from escaping from Ord Radama; that was going to be key to stopping [member="Vrak Nashar"] and [member="Rakosh Saqai"]. And hopefully force costly exfil on the enemy, while diverting part of their forces to Ord Radama, she thought.
"Now, group 1, use the missile volley for cover and open fire on any enemy that attempts to shoot the missiles down"
With the first group and the missile volley used as distraction for the enemy fighter screen, and the first group shooting at the enemy fighters, setting the area to buzz like a hornet's nest, two squadrons were sent in atmosphere to cover for [member="Valkren Calderon"] and [member="Marl"], armed with cluster munitions for bombing runs upon enemy positions, and an extra six squadrons made for the Tyrant's underside, unleashing humongous bombs that made much larger explosions than one's ordinary proton bombs upon detonation, aimed at the main hangar's area. They were relentless in their attack...
Had the Skors fire on the Tyrant's aft section from above
Fired long-range weapons at both enemy capital ships
Activated the interdiction field
Sent fighters to charge head-on the enemy fighter screen
Another group of fighters started their bombing run under fighter cover
[SIZE=11pt]Enzo was still on his knees when the pillar began to fall. He scarcely had time to dive out of the way as the large rock formation began to fall. Narrowly avoiding being crushed, Enzo rolled out of his dive and stood. He dusted off his orbalisk plated knees and observed the battle field. His undead bunny minions were performing sub par, but he had no power left to do anything else. He couldn’t even bring the one’s that had fallen back again. Enzo slouched a little and let out a sigh. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Several blaster bolts flew over his head and smacked into a few of the undead rabbits, but they shambled on as if nothing had happened. Enzo turned to face the new assailant and discovered it was simply Fedrig, a drunk mercenary Enzo had heard about in passing. Enzo merely shook his head at the drunk and bent low to pick up a large club of wood. Enzo charged into the throng of undead and tried to close the ground between he and Metus. He had no clue what he was suppose to do against such a powerful enemy, but he supposed he’d start by clobbering the man over the head…[/SIZE]
He felt it coming. He knew she knew he knew. But she let it go all the same. Deep breaths. Humour was often lost on the Sith. But everything was a lesson, and even within every joke there was an opening for a lecture. Pyrrhus was a proper hit at parties.
"One who would rather take the wheels than trust the intern to remember the way." Okay, one quick one-liner before the lecture couldn't hurt.
Perhaps there was a case to be made for letting her drive. But he did not feel like he could back down now. If things got ugly he would... Ah kark. He would have to fly all fancy-like. Lost in his lack of trust of Myn, it had been temporarily lost on him how piloting wasn't exactly his strength. But it was too late to change seats now. Growing up on Shili, those in his community had shunned most technology, and much of it he had never bothered to learn. Ever since a wee acolyte he had always had a pilot fly him. Of course, this was no starfighter or freighter. A speeder he could manage. Yet the usually intimidating Sith Lord was definitely out of his comfort zone.
"It is time Serenno learned I am more than a wealthy businessman." he made it sound like it was his choice to reveal himself, but this had all been sprung upon him by the invasion. It was rather unfortunate, but he was making the best out of it. "When we reach our destination, you must keep your witty tongue in check. We must seem as one. United, strong, reliable." He had some measure of patience for her jokes in private, but in the eyes of the public he would not be undermined.
"Do not be seduced by pride. Use it in others, but do not fall to it yourself." It was ironic, as it was pride that kept him from changing seats with Myn in this very moment. "Sith are concerned about merit. Optimising the success chance of the mission's outcome. Leave the posturing to politicians and lesser nobles." he expected they'd run into quite a bit of posturing here on Serenno. "Don't insist on your own importance. Let them believe their petty titles matter. Use it to manipulate them. Push them towards your will. You will know the truth, and that is all that matters." It was nothing to take offence to, but rather something they could use to make them more malleable. What they thought of you, how you felt in the moment, it was all irrelevant. Anything and everything could and would be sacrificed for the Sith cause. Myn would learn this in time.
The engines of the speeder roared to life, a bit louder than what was necessary. Hadn't Myn known any better she would've thought he was showing off. Too much pressure on the gas. After a slight adjustment, the vehicle began hovering and they were off - BANG. "Motherfething-" Pyrrhus reeled and the two bodies slammed forward and back again in their seats. Pyrrhus had reversed their speeder straight into another. "Motherfething kath hound" he muttered again, shifting around with gears and buttons. Wasn't this thing automatic? What millennia were they living in? Oh, there it was. Simply had to activate it. Fine.
Their speeder had a nice little bump on the back, but was otherwise fine. They had wrecked the front lights of the other speeder. Oh well. There were many casualties of war. Even the lights of a speeder in a garage wasn't safe. With that little hiccup aside, the speeder lifted off once more, and the pair took off into the cool Serenno air. They were moving at a pace to a destination on the outskirts of the city.
Location: Aboard the Blade of Fate, the Kalamith sector Objective: Prepare for battle Allies: Team Nuclear Holocaust - [member="Vilaz Munin"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Samka Derith"] | Enemies: The Dominion Equipment
There was a subtle shift in Kaine Zambrano's demeanor as he began to debrief the group. Any ally of the family most likely wouldn't notice the shift it wasn't as revealing to them as it was to others. But to Braxus he could see it clear as day. In the pursuits of the power the dark side could provide there was always prices to pay. It wasn't an easy climb to the top of the mountain and along the way you sacrificed a great deal for the power. Mortal attributes of sleep and a good deal of emotion among the first of many prices one paid. Kaine and himself might've appeared mortal but they had given up so much, Kaine most of all. The only place he felt truly alive and where he felt true enjoyment was on the field of battle caked in blood. When battle was on the horizon everything fell away, all emotions fell away in favor of his serious demeanor.
When Kaine began to debrief the group Braxus locked the great helm in place accessing the data Kaine was projecting to them from there. Already the HUD was updated with a myriad of maps of the surface of Serenno, Carannia City, as well as battle maps, troop placements, and more. All of it necessary for their mission and to adequately command the Hyal in their assault. There was no response in words from the Dark Titan when Kaine gave his brutal command that life itself was their enemy. It was something that need not be said rather it was expected. The dominion would not give up lightly and they would not bend, so they would be slaughtered until their bones shattered and they were forced to kneel before the rightful Empire.
If they didn't kneel they would be swept aside.
When the group moved up the ramp of the Crestfallen Braxus turned to the towering Warlord who stood next to him the fluent graugspeak spoken through the mechanical annunciator "Gorkai Basem vroka uma*." Immediately the creature slammed a fist to its chest contacting its fellow Hyal forces loaded on the other prepared transports containing the bloodthirsty horde. Today would be their first test in battle in an uncontrolled environment, the first test to gauge the worth of the Zambrano creations. Win or lose from this day forward the people of Serenno would see their terrible visages in their nightmares, they would hear the terrible roars in their minds and know true despair when the hounds of hell were unleashed.
"When the planetary shield falls controlled orbital bombardments may begin. Carannia's heavily populated areas will be targets. We must be cautious where we move on the surface lest we get caught in the inferno raining down." The Destroyer said taking a place on the ship.
Location: Aboard the Udraitor, above Kushibah Objective: Do what Sith do best Allies: [member="Antherion"] | [member="Neesa"] | [member="Darth Metus"] | [member="Mythos"] | TRE Enemies: [member="Darth Abyss"] | [member="Rogal Aegrus"] | [member="Darci Hopps"] | [member="Sko'saht"]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJbqplkBBv8
Lord Guhrrat scraped a claw along his furrowed forehead. Licking his pierced lip, he turned again to the Zûtadasi standing stock still beside him. “You,” he hissed, leaning away from the creature, “seal off the compromised segment. Be ready to vent local atmosphere at my command.” The disfigured sithspawn didn’t move – didn’t say anything. His fellows in blood moved nonetheless, executing the order to the letter. Within seconds, section three-seven-thirteen was completely cut off from the rest of Udraitor. His yellow eyes turned to Arryd, who leaned over the tactical holodisplay. “The Dominion Destroyer?” “Still advancing, My Lord. The escorts continue to bombard its shields, but they’re being forced to divert attention.” “Ah, yes. Yet another foe. They must be terrified of the Sith… as they should be.” The Knight gave a shallow nod, eyes still glued to the display. “It’s a Silver Jedi fle—” A loud laugh interrupted his words – wide-eyed, he turned to the Admiral. “My Lord?” “How pathetic. They couldn’t even protect themselves! – all they will achieve here is further humiliation at the hands of the one true Empire.” Tipping his chin high, Lord Guhrrat would keep watching as enemy fire scorched the illusory hull of an illusory ship. The real Udraitor was now fully below the trajectory of the Star Destroyer, shrouded by Yidhra’s illusion. The escorts around it continued to draw fire, shields failing under the constant barrage from all sides. A nearby Hammerhead went down, gripped by gravity as its bridge went up in flames. Despite the increasingly harrowing odds, the vessels would keep returning their own fire, guided by the Dark side of the Force permeating the Resurgent fleet. The jamming employed by the Eldritch would have no effect, for the fleet had already adapted to the earlier measures brought into play. The stealth vessel, its location compromised, would be the sole focus of nearby Sith ships as they bore down in force, looking to destroy the enemy’s means of escape. The boarding party that had left its confines would find itself attacking the hull of the illusory Udraitor. While the Sith Lord leading them had caught the moving Command ship just in the nick of time, his company didn’t have the luxury of teleporting spells. Their attacks, like those of the enemy fleets, would fall upon the palpable illusion – and they would be none the wiser. Far below, upon the rolling green plains of Kushibah, Lord Arainai and Lady Varesti convened atop a flat hillock. Long grass whispered gentle around their feet, murmuring with the light breeze that breathed fresh and raw from a nearby sea. Sun caught in her sable hair as the Sith Lady turned to her partner, a faint smile on her oft-downcurled lips. He returned the expression, pointed teeth peeking into the bright day as his mouth split into a grin. “You look lovely today, Fâileth,” he spoke, offering his clawed hand for her to take. “Ever the charmer, my dear Kirazi,” she replied, slipping her fingers between his. “Reminds me of the day we met…” she breathed after a pause, leaning fondly into his shoulder. “You were dashing in red.” “As ever, you read my mind, darling.” “Well—” “Oh, be quiet. You know what I mean. Let us just... cherish this moment. We both know how very scarce they shall become in the coming months.” Her only answer was a quick peck on the cheek, a squeeze of the fingers. They lingered perhaps for a minute more – then Varesti took out the knife. Without ado, she took it to their joined wrists, sliding the alchemical blade clean through the exposed skin. Redness welled up with the sting, droplets quickly tainting the immaculate soil of the planet. She led him over the crest of the hill, and with matched stride they began to draw the trail of hot liquid, lips parted in chant.
With each drop, a creature was marked in offering. With each creature, a piece of a glyph was made extant. With each glyph, the ancient script burned brighter, burned deeper, burned harsher. Such was the power of blood. Pure blood.
Through my blood, I know power. Through my blood, I know will. My blood, you devour, In my blood, you will kill.
Objective: Help The Dominion Allies: SSJ & Dominion [2]
"I'll be joining you Colonel @@Valkren Calderon." the soldier replied. While he was technically a Padawan, Velus identified himself as more of a soldier, and he wouldn't mind helping the Antarian Rangers on a mission, having never served with the group.
Before they had jumped to hyperspace and went to their respective locations, the young Rebel got into a starfighter, and went to the SSV Roanoke, where the Colonel was. After that, the ships had jumped to hyperspace, and they had arrived at Ord Radama.
The quickly arrived at where the rest of the men were being assembled, looking at a Lieutenant known as [member="Marl"], and [member="Valae Kitra"] of the Silver Circle. He didn't know much about either of them, but was glad to have them in battle.
When Valae asked the Colonel a question, Velus waited for a response, ready to be deployed.
And her hopes were crushed once more. The grin slowly faded from her lips, much to her master’s delight. She had been shown her place, and she knew that he knew that. Myn’s lips thinned out into an indignant frown. He went on a rant about how it was time to reveal himself and that she had to play along. A set of dark brown eyes rolled to the point where they wanted to pop out of their sockets. United, blech. Strong, urgh. Reliable, bleugh.
Blah blah, pride this, blah blah, merit that.
Myn took her seat in the speeder and promptly propped her elbow against the armrest carved into the door before shoving her cheek against the palm of her hand. She had prepared all her life for this battle, dreamt of it for so long and now he was giving her the small talk a caring mother would give her baby. Of course it was a game in who would manipulate who, and knowing how to play the other. Was she born yesterday? No.
A deep sigh burst through the disappointed acolyte’s, accompanied by a loud bang that threw her off her indignant streak and threw her towards the dashboard. She caught herself before any harm came to her, but the damage was already done. A quick look was thrown over her shoulder to look at what her master had done.
Her master who didn’t seem quite capable at driving this machine. At all.
Her lips got sucked into a bite between her teeth as she tried to qwell the laughter bubbling in her stomach. Her fist covered her mouth, then her fingers, and then her palm, and then her fist again and then her palm as she forced herself to look away and save her tutor some face. If not for his sake then for hers. An errant snicker burst forth from her throat. And then a chuckle. And then a laughter that forced her back into the cushion of her seat.
“Do you-” She struggled to breathe. “Do you need some hel- Ow- Ow! Ow ow ow ow!”
The pain sent down her spine got the message across and the laughter would slowly settle into a small grin. The duo departed the garage, which had been okay at first, but what Myn had not realized at that moment was that if her master couldn’t even take off properly, how the hell was he supposed to drive them all the way to the Dooku estate? A stone set in her stomach. Had she not experienced genuine fear for her life then she was about to experience it in full in just a matter of minutes. A blank stare set on her that remained throughout the trip. Pyrrhus proved himself a resourceful driver, which was to say that Myn lost count of the amount of near crashes they had in oncoming traffic.
By the time the landing came around she’d feel her legs reach for the ground with joy knowing she had survived. Had it not been because they were in the public eye she would have kissed the ground too, but she settled for uneasy steps in the direction of the master’s door. Hand reached under the handle to open it and with a gentle pull and bow she opened to let her master out of what she had thought would be her premature funeral casket.
“We have arrived, my lord.” She played the part of servant as instructed. “Safe and sound.”
Eyes closed and faced the ground in the presence of her superior.
The act and respect that Pyrrhus deserved would be coming starting now.
S E R E N N O - Shield Gate [member="Alkor Centaris"]
Slipping on the bloody floor wasn't his concern in the slightest. Though quite surprised by the gauntlet that hastily snatched the blade of the Betrayer, the man remained quite firm and resolute in his footing. Just for a moment, his amber eyes locked with those of the smaller man. Deep coals of anger burned deep within his, a fiery intensity that begged for this invader to be torn asunder with cold, hard steel.
His sword thirsted for blood.
In the quick succession of the man releasing his blade and freeing the lightsaber of his grasp, Judas took the brief moment of concord to send himself backwards. Large legs encased in phrik plating drove him backwards to where his reach and power became the advantage once again.
He slid his wrist across the blade, catching a cranny in his armor to slice through the lightweight armorweave that coated his frame. The man grunted in pain as a burning and warm sensation crept down his arm. It even seeped into the armorweave itself, growing sticky and opaque with the crimson of dried blood.
Then he extended the blade towards his opponent. His off-hand rose as well, pointing splayed fingers at the dastardly length of alchemized metal.
Cobalt sparks of lightning erupted into existence. The blood tithe was enough to draw a hefty sum of the power well dwelling deep within the blade. As the cascading streaks of electricity materialized from his very fingertips, they snapped immediately to the Betrayer. Instead of electrocuting its wielder, they were merely soaked into the blade as if it were a sponge.
Location: SSV Roanoke. Objective: Prepare for deployment. Allies: SJO and Dominion. Enemies: TRE, it's allies and anyone who gets in his way.
Darren was staring into the dark abyss that was space. It was dimly lit by the stars and the occasional oddity, such as the passing of meteors. Although the vastness of space was both a vexing and scary concept to him, there was something oddly peaceful about watching the scenes unfold outside his window, that peace would not last for much longer.
He lay on his bunk, his duffle bag on the floor to the left of him and his helmet resting comfortably to the right of him. The Zabrak had a brief period to think, to think of the lives that he would take today, the lives that he had already taken in the past.
Do they really deserve it? "Of course they do, dumbass. They're Sith, they kill everyone and everyone in their path." his subconscious replied.
Does that make them any different to me? "Yeah, of course. They kill innocent people and they do it on ridiculous reasoning. Do not ever compare yourself to those Sith scum."
There is always two sides to a story. "That's not a valid excuse. Yes you have done some... Questionable things in the past, but you have never committed mass murder, you've never blown up whole planets just to fuel your own need for power."
Who says I won't in the future? "Yourself. You have good in you, far outweighing the bad. You know this."
At that moment, Darren's conversation with his own subconscious came to a close, interrupted by the entrance of a fellow ranger into his bunk room. "You ready? we're being deployed shortly." she said.
"Yeah." the Zabrak replied, sitting up and placing his helmet upon his head, "I'll be right out."
The woman nodded, leaving him be. He unzipped his duffle bag, reaching into it's depths and pulling out a full arsenal of weapons, one by one. First was a KG-1B "Famos MK-II" Particle Beam Rifle, provided to him by the SJO for this particular mission. Second was a KG-2 "Grendel" 10mm Assault Ripper, also provided by the SJO. He holstered both of these weapons, then reaching in to pull out the final piece of the puzzle, his pride and joy, the LD-58 Modular Rifle. He had it customised to act as a high power semi-automatic sniper rifle, with a longer barrel then originally intended in it's retail design.
He took the rifle in both of his hands, pointing the barrel at the floor and looking down the scope, adjusting it to where it was most accurate. Suddenly, everything flashed before his eyes. All of his previous contracts, all of the people that he had killed, all of it. He looked up, back at the peace outside his window. Darren shook his head, throwing the strap of the rifle of his shoulder and taking a stand. He made his way out of the room, heading for the hangar.
The Zabrak made his way through the crowds, to his designated transport vessel. He boarded, taking a seat between two rather delightful fellows, whose faces simply could not smile. "So... How are we all doing on the day of our impending deaths?"
No sooner had Caid given the order to initiate the initial strike than a message scrolled across his communication display. As the Nightstalker banked abruptly to the left, the message began to decode. It was only a matter of seconds before Caid's deep voice reached out to the flight crew. "Cancel the attack profile."
The pilot and co-pilot glanced at each other for a moment before the co-pilot began redacting the engagement profile and removing it from the flight management system. "Mi'lord?"
Caid didn't even look up from his own system controls as he began sifting through the sensor data and public information they had collated from the advance reconnaissance team. "Re-engage stealth systems, direct towards this location."
The co-pilot glanced at the coordinates that populated on his tactical screen before implementing them into the navicomputer and then feeding course data to the flight management system. "As you command."
Just before the Nightstalker was cloaked once more, he dispatched a coded message to Imperial forces in orbit, informing them to order assault efforts focused on House Malvern and Venjuta resources and personnel for the time being. There was no explanation of the information, but it was not necessary at the precise moment. A plan had been formulated prior to arriving in system, but Caid hadn't heard from the other half of the infiltration team. Having assumed they were unable to make it, he'd elected to attempt the plan independently.
However, he was glad to hear that they would be able to continue as they had originally intended. Nothing like allowing squabbling power hungry nobles to rally together in a common cause to oust those that had, quite obviously, placed themselves above all others. A thin smile settled onto Caid's lips as his vessel raced towards the new destination.
The night creatures fell silent, as the trees gripped tight against their arms in preparation of the battle to come. One by one, the soldiers of Serenno began to wake up under the Blood Moon, casting them into the role of defenders, protectors, and sacrificial sons and daughters. Many bodies had massed upon the shores of the field of battle on both sides, and not all in attendance would speak of tales in cantinas; while the memories of the fallen lived eternally in those that spoke of deeds done today. War had finally come to the forefront, and when the last striking blow of death fell; only true heroes would stand tall and erect.
Moving across the ramparts, placing a hand of remembrance upon the soldiers who would undoubtedly and valiantly give their hopes and dreams a grave to rest, I cried crimson tears; each one holding a memory for eternity. Stopping briefly to see the only one willingly to stand against the forthcoming onslaught, I said to [member="Formorta"], "I can't promise you protection or salvation of your sins. What I can promise is that every enemy head you bring me I'll pay twenty-five thousand. And if I fall before you, and you yet survive, you not only have your money; but my eternal thanks for standing with me. Your orders, protect these children as if they were your own."
Now that the bridge no longer had visual on it's target cameras on the lower hull flickered to life showing the contrasting serenity of the planet far below them. To the officers on the bridge it was a shock, not a thousand meters away should have been their target, droids and helmet cameras were pointed out of viewports all confirming the same thing, there was no ship, those who attempted to directly observe could see it but any electronic device showed empty space.
At the moment of expected impact nothing happened, the destroyer simply sailed right through, the sensor crew locked on to the signature of their target ship, they had been tricked, a fowl illusion, every available drop of power weapons sent into the engines, there was no point in attempting to recharge the nearly depleted shields, even with the quickest possible cycling they wouldn't be online before the collision. If they missed again they would be forced to crash onto the surface of the planet and let the vessel continue to terrorize the stars, wary of another trick, no one was allowed to look at any visual data that was not processed via droid or the central computer.
Alkor slid to a neutral stance and faced his opponent as the titan found his footing, back and away from the threatening bite of Alkor's saber. It was a good move- better than many, and it put them back on even footing. Alkor smirked faintly.
When their eyes met for the briefest of moments, the emptiness that plagued Alkor's icy blues was replaced with a longing that burned hotter than a forge. It was not the simple, insatiable bloodlust of a mindless monster. His tongue slid along his teeth hungrily.
It had been years now since Alkor last faced a truly worthy enemy. In this man, he saw the makings of a challenge that might satisfy the warrior blood that boiled in his veins. He carried himself with virulent vigor, and he fought like a beast.
Alkor held the lightsaber close to the floor, watching the man offer up his own viscera to the massive blade. He felt that animalistic desire initially, but only now could he truly see its nature. The man wielded a Sith Sword.
When the electricity crackled and arced between his foe's fingers, Alkor remained wary- many of those practitioners of the dark art of Force Lightning utilized it at range to keep their foes well away. The possibility that it was meant for him was there, regardless of what he had seen.
Feeding it to the blade however, made even more sense.
The energies leapt from his hand into the weapon and seemingly dissipated. Alkor dipped the blade low, allowing it to cross in front of his body as he approached the man once more.
Location: Ord Radam, Southern Hemisphere Objective: Secure The Devestator Allies: [member="Rakosh Saqai"] Enemies: [member="Jessica Med-Beq"]
"It was not uncommon for Vitiate to take a hand in things." Vrak suggested quietly, though the idea was a bit dubious. There was no telling really whether Malgus had conducted himself on Ord Radama entirely under his own volition or under some kind of preconceived notion of the Sith Emperor. Perhaps as they ventured deeper into the Harrower itself things would change, but Vrak wasn't entirely sure they would ever know the truth. He frowned for a moment, stepping forward and motioning for the Red Guard to follow.
It didn't matter what they found inside, Vrak's plan would work smoothly.
As Rakosh and he moved forward a ping erupted from Vrak's pocket. The Sith Lord frowned for just a few seconds, glancing down for just a moment as he and the other Pureblood stepped through the open door. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small communicator, an image flickering across it for a moment before Admiral Byren came into view. The man appeared composed, though there was a hint of nerves Vrak could feel from him.
"My Lord. Enemy ships have dropped out of orbit."
Vrak smiled slightly. "Good."
"As you commanded we began firing as soon as they appeared on sensors, however they far outnumber us. Their opening salvo almost took out our bridge tower."
The Pureblood glanced towards his companion for a moment, remembering that Rakosh had brought his own Vessel. A small sneer pulled at his lips, though his disgust wasn't gestured towards his ally or the Admiral, instead at the waste of resources the Dominion had brought. "Continue as planned, Admiral."
The image flickered for a moment, The Tyrant in orbit shaking slightly, then a slow nod came from the figure. A moment later the holo-call was disconnected and Vrak focused on the field ahead. A small smile touched his lips.
"Come." He motioned towards the other Pureblood. "Let's find our Prize."
In orbit The Tyrant released its swarm of fighters, the lumbering vessel taking a slog of fire as it slowly began to re-position itself and fire at the enemy fleet.
