Private Broken Fangs

[Cyprian Ichar]

Shatterstar (Balaraq HQ), Deep Space​

The Union's position had been stabilized as the tide of the civil war turned to their favor. They no longer required the Balarac's direct intervention, so Cyprian could sit back in an advisory role and use the free time to pursue other projects.

Weeks had passed since the successful campaign at Isonov, and since then Kain had proven himself to be more than capable. The crack pilot was just the sort of person that would be up this peculiar mission Cyprian had been devising.

He invited Kain to meet him in his personal quarters, which was located at the back of the Chamber of Light.

Hopefully, the Captain was more discerning than his counterpart, minding himself as he made his way through the deceptively inviting biome.

Kain Aldore

 

[Kain Aldore]

Kain walked off the turbo lift, He had recently acquired his ship and parked it in the lowers levels, and had essentially been living out of it since feeling no need to move to a bunk. he hadn’t been up to cyprian’s quarters yet, but he had received the summons proccing up the massive cruiser.

as he made his way past some familiar faces and some stranger than other, he could feel the ship like all the past souls were judging his actions, he didn’t mind though, in fact, they were almost comforting, he knew if he didn't have the space he'd definitely get irritated sooner or later. Making his way into the forested area, he stopped and took a moment to take it all in, the plants surrounding him gave off an appealing allure but their presence spelled death, and he weary of them. Kain proceeded past and hit his comlink, alerting Cyprian he was at the door

What the Lord Commander could possibly have planned was but a guess, his flight suspenders hung down by his hips. no need to hide his items in friendly company, he didn't exactly trust Balarac yet but he knew their intentions to help others was exactly what he was looking for. He stood rapping his foot against the ground as he waited for his companion.

Cyprian Ichar

(Wrong account, my bad lol)

 

[Cyprian Ichar]

The far end of the biome led to a passage to the Lord Commander's quarters. There would be another stark transition in series here, as nature gave way to a vast study filled with books and other artifacts. Small tables were topped with notes and whizzing technology of alien origin.

"Ah Kain, you made it." Cyprian called from upstairs, leaning against the railing with a datapad in hand. "Looks like you navigated the garden with no trouble."

He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, recalling weeks ago how Penny had winded up in the medbay due to sticky fingers.

"I'll be with you in just a moment." The armored man simply vaulted over the railing, using a touch of telekinesis to soften his fall so that he didn't crack the paneling with his heft.

"It's good to see you. How have you been adjusting to the air corps?"

In the weeks since the campaign on Isonov, Cyprian had made contact with new patrons from the Core after his appearance within the Concord Congress. The once meager collection of the ships of the Air Corps was being swelled with an influx of bleeding edge warships and fighters from Core manufacturers. He imagined his pilot friend should like that.

It was a good investment, but not enough. He needed much more to contend with all the threats of Wild Space.

Kain Aldore

 

[Kain Aldore]

Kain's eyes wandered the room, he hadn't seen so much paper since leaving the Jedi temple and with an anxiously concerned smile looked up towards Cyprian "Garden? Why anyone would keep such dangerous flora so close to where they lay their head at night Is a mystery" he finished with a comedic chuckle

Kain watched the man fall from the upper for down to eye level running his finger gently down the spine of a book "I'm... well I'm still adjusting. I've been trying to familiarize myself with the new additions to our rapidly growing armada, I've also been testing our new recruits from Emberline to see which one's have an aptitude for flying and assigning them as co-pilots for the larger ships without full staff. All in all quite a good amount on my plate"

Kain thought back to the concord broadcast, he might as well offer a piece of reassurance to his friend "By the way, I agree with your move on denying the Sith a spot with us against the Byrn, they would just be a larger issue in the grand scheme of things."He was just repeating the points Cyprian had already made but they were good points.

"Enough about politics and my overwhelming workload, I'm guessing you had a reason for summoning me, what does the Lord Commander need?"

Cyprian Ichar

 

[Cyprian Ichar]

Cyprian laughed with Kain as he questioned his admittedly peculiar choice of residence.

"I like to think of it as a potent reminder to always remain mindful of my surroundings."

He nodded along as Kain recounted his progress, pleased with the news that the integration seemed to be going well. The Balarac was a composite force made of people from all corners of Wild Space, so instilling cohesion was always paramount. If there was a silver lining to the Bryn's xenocidal campaigns, it was that the existential threat was uniting so many disparate groups.

"Thank you. Speaking among ourselves, I believe the Sith to be more trouble than they're worth, and I don't say that to you because of your own origins. They inflict a slow death upon the people they subjugate, robbing the people of precious blood and treasure for their own ends. The Sith themselves have been at the helm of several planetary genocides themselves."

"They are more tolerable than the Bryn...but only by a few hairs."

"You provided a nice Segway to the purpose of our meeting. If push came to shove, I would accept the aid of the Sith with great reluctance, but I think I have a solution to avoid them altogether."

He turned the face of the datapad toward Kain, which began to play a video recording of a massive space battle unfolding. Much less a battle and more of a one-sided route as neat formations of great cross shaped ships plowed through all opposition with perfectly synchronized fire.

"Tell me, what do you know of the Eternal Fleet?"

Kain Aldore

 

[Kain Aldore]

Kain nodded at Cyprian's description of the Sith, and from his own experience while in the Jedi's ranks the remarks were dead on, they had nothing to offer against the Bryn Except more of the same, with luck the Sith and Bryn would push each other to extinction. Then a tough popped into his head were the Bryn to become a big enough issue, they may have no choice but to swallow pride and logic enlisting the help of the Sith and their dark side tendencies. They couldn't let it get to that point.

Refocusing on his friend at the mention of a solution towards avoidance His interest was piqued anything that could Help avoid the Sith is a welcome addition to the ever-expanding crew. At the mention of the eternal fleet, Kain became reluctant, to dig up such weapons, were they really at that point?

"Just a bit, Bedtime stories for the son of a Pilot were always interesting. Built by a force of sentient droids committing genocide the fleet was powerful and terrifying and entirely controlled by a single chair like playing a game of chess" As Kain realized it was comparable to their current situation with the Bryn, were they real, the ships could be necessary "The fleet supposedly passed hands a few time, Sith lords and Jedi grandmasters alike before the whole armada pretty much disappeared, and to say armada would be an understatement, but the tales are so old they could be comparable to myth. you're not thinking..?"

Was Cyprian sure there could be remnants of the Fleet and not just remnants for proof but suitable ships for combat deployment, would they even have the ability to fly such relic's, what's to say it would even respond to a couple of mercenaries with good intentons?

Cyprian Ichar

 

[Cyprian Ichar]

In a positive revelation, Kain told Cyprian he had heard of the Eternal Fleet, in old stories like most people. The Legend of the Eternal Fleet was actually quite well known among natives of Wild Space and the Unknown Regions, much of space briefly united under a single banner. The Eternal Empire was one of the sources of inspiration for Cyprian to do what he did with the Balarac.

tales are so old they could be comparable to myth. you're not thinking..?

If Kain could see his face, he would witness Cyprian grinning.

"That archival footage was very much real, and we know Zakuul is real as well. From my research it appears that the Eternal Fleet was destroyed itself, but remnants of the creators could still be out there. I think we can find the source."

He switched feeds on the datapad, showing off something more recent. It was a current news story on Zakuul, reporting on instability in the system.

"We have been presented with a prime opportunity to do so. Zakuul is currently being pulled in all directions by different factions, like the new Eternal Empire. It's becoming a diplomatic and literal battleground. Amid the chaos, we'll have an easier time slipping onto the planet undetected and raiding their archives. From there, we can pick up new leads."

Kain Aldore

 

[Kain Aldore]

Kain stared at where he could only imagine his friend's eyes were, his eyes were cold and dead life a fish, radiating a "you can't be serious" look, But if Kain knew Cyprian asking that question was a waste of time.

"and who will take.. " Kain realized the answer without Cyprian even needing to make an effort, of course, it would be him, there was no else he knew of that Cyprian would even fathom picking, why else would he have been summoned

"you want me to take us to Zakuul and land on the planet while battles raging" Kain started to go through his usual routine of playing out a situation before it even happened, Zakuul a lone habitable planet on the edge of the galaxy, with battles on the ground and in the air for supremacy, it was perfect, there would be no better time to slip past The Eternal Empire and if he was serious about finding the fleet now was the time. Repercussions now filled Kain's mind, he realized how bad it could end If Empress Ingrid caught wind of their plan, but it seemed Cyprian had made up his mind.

"Fine, I can put a heat and radar cloaking device in the Slate runner but it will divert from the defector's, the hull is sturdy though it won't hold up against a turbo laser, the alternative is one of the other ships we received recently but I know the feel of my ship better than any other. Either way, we can leave whenever your ready, lets hope your hunch pays off." Kain shook his head in disbelief, he was now almost sure sooner or later Cyprian would get him killed as he waited for the answer on what vessel they would take

Cyprian Ichar

 

[Cyprian Ichar]

Kain continued with his incredulous reaction as Cyprian explained his plan, but the Lord Commander's grin only grew.

"Yes we may be entering a warzone, but no we won't have to do so alone, if we play our cards right."

He shifted the datapad to a third feed, now showing a recent pirate transmission calling for aide to the Eclipse Rebellion.

"This is one of the competing organizations vying for power within the space, resisting the expansion of the Eternal Empire at every turn. The Eclipse appears to have the network and capabilities to facilitate our little fact finding mission. I imagine their cost of association would be much smaller than the new Eternal Empire anyway."

Even before calling Kain, he had considered opening a formal dialogue with the Eternals, but he feared the consequences of collaboration. They were much more benign than the Sith Empire, but were still rife with Dark Siders now making war with the Jedi and their patron governments in support of their Sith allies. The last thing he wanted to do was gift them the power of the Eternal Fleet and create a new thorn in his side. It was still his hope that the Jedi and their ilk would get their act together to deal with the Bryn, finally, but hope was fleeting for the realist.

"I've sent out feelers to the organization, and thus far they seem open to our assistance. For now, I've cast us as merely opportunistic mercenaries looking to fund our own projects in Wild Space. They do not yet know the true purpose of my coming arrival, and I'd like to keep it that way if possible."

Hopefully a further explanation began to put his friend at ease.

"Keep in mind, we'll still need to make numerous preparations, and I need to check out this Eclipse Rebellion and make sure they're legit. If I don't like what I see, then I'll call off the whole thing and look for another vector. Fair?"

Kain Aldore

 

[Kain Aldore]

Kain realized that once again cyprian had planed much further ahead than he originally could guess. The Empire could least be reasoned with unlike the Sith but Kain could only Imagine what they would do if any of the Fleet fell into their hands.

"Zakuul will be a melting pot of violence and if we're caught by Imp forces, we'd be lucky to leave the planet but if your set on this path, I'll do what I can."

Kain relaxed a great deal, interlacing his fingers and tapping his thumbs together as he had done before Isonov, Posing as Merc's would definitely get them down to Zakuul and it would make much less of a mess than going through the Eternal Empire, if Kain could help it he would steer clear, though one day that may not be possible.

"Still, this plan sounds much more viable, I'd rather have some support on one side of that battle than be caught with no ally's to speak of"

He thought about his ship and what he could do to make the accommodations for at least of few of Cyprian's men making the plans In his head. Kain still had a hint of reluctance The Eternal fleet was no basic armada, each ship was a superweapon of its own, not on the level of a planet killer but they were still threatening.

"I'll be ready on your request, no matter the details." The more He thought about the current situation, the more he was being humbled by the situation "honestly any risk is worth taking when it comes to stoping the Bryn, they're a plague, cancer on the galaxy. If stopping them requires us to Infiltrate worlds under enemy jurisdiction and dig up weapons of war then so be it."

Cyprian Ichar

 

[Cyprian Ichar]

Cyprian seemed to assuage his friend to a degree, but Cyprian radiated with anxiety, perhaps even more so than their daring maneuver through the ion clouds of Isonov.

The Lord Commander motioned for Kain to sit with him at the central desk before they continued, setting down the datapad.

"No one is the enemy, not yet. In truth, the nature of the conflict vexes me, and I would be open to seeking dialogue with both parties to understand its nuances."

In truth, the Eclipse may have styled themselves as the next Rebel Alliance but in fact be closer to the Dreamers. One man's Rebel was another Man's Terrorist.

"Be frank with me. Do you think we should also reach out to the Eternal Empire? They do have the ships and industry to support our cause as a Great Power, and they know the bite of the Bryn firsthand. Such incursion proves that the Bryn pose an immediate threat to everyone in the galaxy, not just those in Wild Space."

Kain Aldore

 

[Kain Aldore]

Kain sat down silent, the options weren't great, on one hand, The Eternal Empire was far more capable than a few rebels and at least they weren't Sith but that didn't excuse some of their actions Tacitus left behind a monster, their Empress many had deemed The Red Witch was smart, a fantastic politician, a cunning warrior.

On the other hand, the new rebel alliance sitting on the borderline of terrorism and with little to no resources offred little, lead by a girl who had almost no reputation except within her own ranks and the royalty of the Empire.

and the enemy of them all, the ruthless Bryn a xenocidal cult of monstrosities using only bioweapons and ships they cultivate in order to cull their way through wild space and the Tingel Arm, and slowly but surely they were pushing their way into the Mid Rim.

"Honestly and I hate to say it, but Rebels, terrorists or not, will be nothing compared to the aid of the Eternal Empire. Where I hesitate is the fact that I know if we gave them even a taste of the fleet the chance of them turning against us after the Bryn are defeated is higher than zero" If he could the man would infiltrate Zakuul with no allegiance promising the fleet for Balarac alone but that couldn't be the case.

Kain began tapping his thumbs once again before his head tilted "I think you should contact the Empire... BUT, If we do this a condition must be placed, For example, once the Bryn are no longer an issue and have been disposed of, we collectively scuttle the entire known remainder of the fleet. NO exceptions"

Cyprian Ichar

 

[Cyprian Ichar]

Cyprian tilted his head, resting his head on a closed gauntlet.

He said nothing for a short while, considering the pros and cons. The Eclipse Rebellion may have a stronger motivation to assist the Balarac, but the Eternal Empire had much greater resources at their disposal, and seemingly few conniptions about how to deploy them against their enemies. Each side had many more advantages and drawbacks. It was a lot to think about in the abstract.

"Hmm...your words are wise. However, I think with the assistance of the Eternal Empire, we wouldn't even have to think about the Eternal Fleet and its makers. So let's visit the Unknown Regions, and see what they're about before proceeding with diplomacy."

Zakuul offered the perfect grounds to observe the Eternal Empire, to see how they reacted to resistance to their regime. Everyone could seem dandy when everything was going well for them, but a person's real character only showed when under pressure.

"We'll keep that bit between us for now."

Kain Aldore

 

[Kain Aldore]

A slight jangle of metal when Kain shifted his hips, this was indeed a difficult decision, honestly, he was never one for politics, preferring action. Instead just nodded at the mention of going there and seeing with their own eyes

"I agree, I think we need to witness acts with our own two eyes before we come to any kind of decision, because without that no matter how much we go back and forth about Either the Empire or Eclipse we won't know for certain what kind of people they are.

What kind of show would the two sides put on, Would Ecplise really be the rebellion they claim to be fighting against the supposed tyrannical Empire, or is the Eternal Empire truly in the right and just stamping out a terrorist organization who could claim to fight for freedom. Either way, they did have a choice to make, well at least Cyprian did, all Kain could do is be a voice of advice in his ear after all.

"Well, then I suppose I should get a ship ready, no?"

Cyprian Ichar

 

[Cyprian Ichar]

Cyprian straightened up in his seat, nodding.

"You get the ship ready, and I'll prepare the snacks. It'll be quite a trip to the South."

Not including travel time, the pair may be away for weeks from the rest of the Balarac. He wasn't overly concerned, as his handpicked officer corps had shown their ability to hold down the fort and operate with minimal guidance from him. That's the way it had to be with a paramilitary force working across the entirety of Wild Space.

"We can leave as soon as you're capable. I'll just need to speak with the Air Marshal to have someone fill in for you in the interim. Do you have any other questions or concerns for me?"

Kain Aldore

 

[Kain Aldore]

Standing up and stretching his back out, Cyprian mention was going to take care of what essentials he didn't have on the ship, while Kain would try and install the silent running module, but that shouldn't take long.

He motioned to the door "Getting the stealth module properly installed on my ship should take only but a few hours, I just need to make sure it only draws power from the deflector and not anything major, like the hyperdrive or the ventral cannon. I'll be ready to dust off whenever you finish your business."

Kain thought about what they were about to do, of course, he had concerns but those he would keep to himself, why worry, better to handle the situation as it changes. They would be gone for a while, his biggest concern would have been Balarac but after seeing how it was running his worries were pretty much non-existent.

"I guess the one other question I have, would be if you plan to take any other troops with us?" Kain would have to clear out the top bunks if anyone else wanted to tag along.

Cyprian Ichar

 

[Cyprian Ichar]

It was a good question to ask, about the size of their "diplomatic" party.

"Hmmm, perhaps I'll summon a handful of Sicario. Take a few officers between assignments."

The vast majority of the Balarac were normal humans or sentients, despite their impressive training. However, the likes of Sicario were like Cyprian, mutant soldiers originally slaves to a common dark lord. With parnormal abilities that rivaled Cyprian and Kain, it was like taking a full company.

"However if you wouldn't mind...I'd like to serve as your copilot."

Cyprian had an aptitude for many things, but flying currently wasn't one of them. The trip would serve as a vehicle to brush up on those skills with one of the most skilled pilots he had ever encountered.

Kain Aldore

 

[Kain Aldore]

He'd make room for those Cyprian planned to bring along, if there wasn't enough some could sleep in the common room.

Kain hadn't met any sicarios but he had heard about them, monsters among men, they would make good companions if anything went wrong, and knowing his streak with luck that could be the case.

Cyprian mentioned being a co-pilot, Kain had no issue with the proposition, the thing was his ship only had one pilot seat, but that might work in their favor, having Cyprian on the wheel, Kain would need to monitor the stealth module whenever It was on.

"You can be my co-pilot, only thing is there's only one seat with a Joystick, my co-pilots are usually on either shields and comms or Power management and Hyperspace plotting. but I've never used a power converter for stealth and ill need to monitor it, so you can take the stick when it's on. I'll also give you the rundown on other systems so you can help with those as well."

Kain stoop up his comm beeping, must have meant his converter had arrived "Right I'll head down to the ship and get everything ready, if you get there before I'm done installing it or before your men arrive ill give you a tutorial of the ship."

Cyprian Ichar

 

[Cyprian Ichar]

As Kain began to explain the inner workings of his crew operation while flying, Cyprian already saw how much he had to learn. However, he also saw that he wasn't quite as clueless as he had imagined, either.

"That's fine, a good place to start for a novice like me. Your ship management reminds me much of our tank crews. Though as of late, I've been spoiled with droid tanks provided by our new benefactors."

Such tanks had been present at the battle of Isonov, Penny still owed him big for ruining one.

"I'm familiar with some stealth technology - I know it can be quite the drain on systems, especially with a vessel as small as yours. If you require any additional components or assistance, then I'll see to it personally that you get what you need."

He stretched out his hand to shake with Kain. "Thank you accepting this mission, and I thank you even more for providing candid counsel. I will not lie and say that I still lean toward the Eclipse, but I will give the Eternal Empire a fair appraisal."

It would be a long flight, and he had quite the time to think.

((Last post from me! From here we may make a detour or visit with some Eclipse and EE writers in another thread. ))

Kain Aldore

 

[Kain Aldore]

Cyprian would be in a good place, especially since he mentioned the tanks, it wasn't a complete parallel, but the skill would definitely translate nicely to Kain's ship, the systems weren't to complicated Cyprian should be fine.

The Slaterunner had a good power management system, the issue is that he didn't know what the Integration would do.

"No, the ship should be fine just want to take proper precautions, It wouldn't be good If we needed to jump to hyperspace and It was accidentally drawing from the engines, unfortunately, no module could compensate for my ship or my own error, but we should be fine"

Taking the Lord Commanders' hand he shook back. "Mission's part of the fun, as for the council my ear is always free, and no matter who you decide to go with I'll back the plan. Honestly, the Empire definitely wouldn't be my first pick, but when the options are limited and the threat is so drastic, well I feel like they should at least be considered." he trailed into silence, sure Cyprian understood what he meant, drastic measures and all.

Kain turned to the door and headed down to his ship to prepare.

(Yeah same here. Wherever we go it's up to you. leaning towards one of the factions but a detour is always welcome, just let me know.)

Cyprian Ichar