Caste Me Out As Common (CSA Dominion of Umbara)

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caste Me Out As Common CSA Dominion of Umbara​

Objectives:

• One: A Middle Ranking Umbaran Official is attempting to get ahead, by undergoing an assassination spree of prominent Pro-Commenor Umbaran Officials. Who? What do the methods, poison and a ballistic knife in the back through a protected security window, reveal? Sniff them out! Spy Vs. Spy. Investigate & Prepare to Defend Yourselves!
• Two: Low Caste Umbarans have zero chance of a better life for their families. These people live in darkness, they have strong warrior instincts and a will to succeed. Commenor, alongside a group of Mandalorians, wish to bring these low caste Umbarans out of the basement, and depending on their predilections for war/peace, join either Commenor or the Mandalorian Empire. Break into the Lower Castes & Negotiate some away from Umbara!
• Three: Negotiations to bring the Umbarans into the Commenor Systems Alliance are stalled, as a power play by the Silver Jedi is coming! Swoop in, and remind the Umbarans why the CSA is the superior allegiance!

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

The dismal atmosphere was a delight to Kulfik’s dim eyes. He raced from building to building in the street, hugging a package to his side. The man limped slightly on the left leg, toes dragging at a curious angle.

Five blocks before home. Five blocks, before the sweet embrace of a medi-pac and she could receive the package. This very package which caused the limp.

Which caused the seeping sensation along his ribs to stick to his clothes.

Four blocks. Traffic. Mostly foot traffic as the rabble rushed down to their distant sinkholes and sties. Kulfik may have spat, if his mouth didn’t feel bone dry. The Commenori Delegation was already here…

… three blocks.

Two blocks, and his breathing began to labour, he stumbled against a wall and ducked into an alleyway as footsteps too similar to his own rhythm and gait echoed across the pavement.

Two blocks.

It would have to do.

“Senator Kulfi, my employer thanks you for keeping her parcel so heartily protected… your services, however well conducted, are no longer required.” A familiar voice, and the last Kulfik heard, before the end.

The final knife blow, to add to the other. Dead in the street, Kulfik’s Comm continued to chime in the ears of the Umbaran delegation. They glanced between each other…

…. my my, what a mess.

“We regret to inform you, Queen Kay, that the Minister of Finance can no longer make this meeting… he was… waylaid.”

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[member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Livia Maddox"] | [member="Darlyn Excron"] | [member="Jaster of Clan Awaud"] | [member="Macharius Solaire"] | [member="Bradshaw Ku"]​

 

[Ravenfire]

Objective 1

Tom was wondering the streets having already spoken with a lot of the Umbaran ministers. He was looking for the minister for commerce. Didn't take him long to find the minister's corpse. He also found a package with him. Tom had heard the man had been waylaid but this wasn't waylaid he was dead from stab wounds. "Kark." He would tap the comm-link in his armour.

"[member="Lady Kay"] this is Tom Taff, [member="Rex Taff"] son. I have found Senator Kulfi, he is more than waylaided. He has been stabbed. He was carrying a package. I don't know who the package was for." He would look around the streets quickly double checking no one was else was around. He would look again at the minister's body. It had used the package to cover a wound meaning Tom couldn't even trace his origin from that. He looked for a comm-link or something else he could use to find the way this man had come from. He didn't want to open the package. Not yet.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Umbara

Kay went into these negotiations thinking that they'd be the regular run-of-the-mill negotiations to have another system fly their banner and gain the protection that the CSA offered.

But this wasn't the case.

Not only were others seeking to gain the planet, but so too were others disrupting the proceedings. Kay picked up her commlink as [member="Tom Taff"] 's voice was heard. The message that he gave of the Minister's murder caused her to snap her attention to the entire Umbaran delegation. Yet when she spoke, it was into her commlink and not to the men standing in the room with her. ~Tom Taff, this is Lady Kay. Secure the package and the Minister's body. If the authorities come to take them away, go with them. And that package must be important so have one of our personnel bring it here. Thank you.~

She lowered her commlink slowly, still keeping her eyes trained on the men in the room. "That's the third Minister to be assassinated this week. And each one of them were eager to fly our banner. Would either of you like to tell me what's going on? What we offer is a sanctuary from war and an economic boon, not some hostile takeover or ultimatums. Someone in this room is at fault here, and I don't believe that any should leave until the truth comes out." Kay looked to [member="Rahn Haaku"] and nodded to him, hoping that her own Minister of Foreign Affairs could handle such a stressful situation.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Objective Two: Summary above.​

Personal Effects: Click Here.​

Location: Umbara Commons.​

Post Count: One (Minus Introduction).​

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Most often times the political movements of the Commenor Systems Alliance weren't in the immediate interests of the young Caedyn Arenais, he of whom had left the capital of the CSA in the hope of learning the ways of the Force through the training and teachings of [member="Asha Hex"] of the Je'daii Order; Today however was a different story as his Mother, [member="Lady Kay"] Arenais herself had informed him that the people they were seeking to come to aid were of dire need. As a member of the Je'daii, the boy was obligated to help any, regardless of culture or origin, background or political alignment; thus while his mother would seek to do what she felt was best for both this world and those under her care and leadership, her Son's only concern was the well-being of those whom deserved so much more.

He came appearing as someone of casual means, a spacer's clothing that gave not the impression of a high born nor a Force User but rather a young man as typical as any other. It was with the concern of those whom might think twice of him, that he left his Je'daii Robes behind in favor of a more street-smart outfit and carrying his Sidearm holstered against his hip, his Bo Staff separated in two and attached to his belt the looks of twin baton held horizontally at the back of his waist, he moved throughout the lower Common's street gazing over many of the local Umbaran there whom many simply sat aside the path looking for a hand-out for their favor.

These people were most similar to other Human and humanoid species, though Caedyn didn't understand why so many could be allowed to live in such impoverished conditions; it saddened the boy to think how long these people had been without aid until those of his Mothers government had reached the world to bring food, drink and charity to their lives. Thus of course, Caedyn hadn't come alone. Among the aid and relief workers were a number of peoples from Commenor and her neighboring worlds who had volunteered for the effort. As Caedyn walked to look about, explore and check for anything particular out of place or concerning, the others moved to bring food and reserves to any whom might ask of it.

[member="Kaine Australis"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Tom Taff"] | [member="Gray Raxis"] | [member="John Ash"]

 

[Ravenfire]

Objective 1
[member="Kaine Australis"], [member="Caedyn Arenais"]

Tom would receive word from [member="Lady Kay"]. He would keep an eye out for any people or security as he listen to her. ~Tom Taff, this is Lady Kay. Secure the package and the Minister's body. If the authorities come to take them away, go with them. And that package must be important so have one of our personnel bring it here. Thank you.~ He had his orders. Since no one showed up he secured the ministers body by bring it with him along with the package. Simply picking the man's body up and walking towards where Lady Kay was.

As he got closer he was met with his guard he had left behind. "Get this corpse to our doctors on board our shuttle. I know they wanted to have a corpse of a john doe so that could study the Umbarans. Now they can figure out what killed him. I need to know how he died, someone is killing ministers of the Umbaran people." He would then walk into the room where Lady Kay was with the package. "Here is the Package ma'am."

 

[Alkor Centaris]

Objective I

Wreathed in a cloak spun of VT-Shade Cloth, Alkor moved through the darkness of Umbara nearly blended with the eternal night. He picked out the subtle violets and soft blues of the Umbaran Capital that glowed above him with his UV mode, noting areas with higher saturations that might compromise his ability to move undetected. The Umbaran people excelled at seeing in low-light areas, but that which did not seem to exist was lost on them. He avoided those areas to maintain anonymity that would allow him freedom to fully investigate the case at hand.

Commenori Intelligence had shared with the Mandalorian Empire information about several seemingly unlinked killings that, when delved further into, seemed to divulge more than originally believed. Anti-Alliance sentiments seemed on the rise in the past few weeks, and a smattering of killings that targeted Commenor sympathizers systematically weakened the Democratic process that would allow Umbara to peacefully transition into both their Protectorate and Free Trade agreements.

While Alkor had no personal investment in the well-being of the CSA's state or structure, the Mandalorians as a whole enjoyed trade and good relations with them, and it behooved the Empire to help smooth out this rough patch. Reconissance was his area of expertise, and Assassination was a field he had some authority in.

Therefore, he kept the investigative report in a small window toward the bottom of his HUD and had the computer run a search of the area on the HoloNet, mapping out all the crime scenes relative to his location. He found the common denominator to be lightly traveled areas, places with little to no presence of authority. "Why would dignitaries or politicians travel without an attache?" he mused in the confines of his buy'ce as he rounded a corner and found himself in the presence of some of the seediest Umbarans imaginable.

"Did you finish the job on that Kulfik sleemo?" one of them asked. "The Mistress isn't fond of lengthy waits, if you recall."

"My partner got it done," the woman straightened her back, eyeing the imposing brute suspiciously. "He's on his way to deliver the package directly. Now, about the payment-"

"You'll get it when she has the goods in hand," he reassured her, "any funny business, and, well..." he raised an object that Alkor's HUD registered as a holdout blaster, and pressed it firmly to the woman's abdomen. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that, shall we?"

She chuckled uncomfortably.

They were moving in cells, he noted. If he managed to take out one, the others would quickly learn of it and obfuscate their activities further. They would need a better plan to hash all of this out without alerting the group to their awareness. "[member="Tom Taff"], this is Alkor," he called across his comm, "I have confirmation on illegal activity linked to the murder of Senator Kulfik. Requesting cooperation in identifying and neutralizing multiple cells of hostiles."

He watched several of them disperse into alleyways all around, and cursed quietly. The Capital was labyrinthine even when one factored out the preternatural darkness. It would take more than two Mandalorians to get this job done effectively. Alkor sent out a message to the Commenori investigation team, detailing both his findings and the last known locations of the criminals.

He would leave this pair to their business; if the enforcer ended up killing the woman, well, that was one less loose end to tie up.

"I'm going to tail one of the others," he spoke in the secure MBE channel, "I might be able to avert another killing and get a Senator safely to the Delegation."

[member="Lady Kay"] [member="Caedyn Arenais"]

 

[Macharius Solaire]

Objective: 3​

Location: Umbaran Capital​

Post Count: 1​

Outskirts Of The Umbaran Capital​

Operation Cruik​

Denon had come with the CSA to Umbara for one reason. To flex her growing military might and test her troops in the field. While they weren't expecting a fight with the locals thanks in part to the political turmoil, anything was a possibility. The Silver Jedi were also operating on and around the shadow world according to intelligence. Likely looking to have Umbara join their coalition as well. At least they'd get some training in either way.

The bulk of the Denonian Army was moving in around the capital. Troop ships disgorging whole divisions and the mountains of supplies they'd need for the operation. The Capital was prime ground to dig in on. It sat atop a low mountain with a commanding view of the glowing red grass plains that surrounded it. Once the army had build their earthworks and set up anti-air batteries and shielding. The city would be nigh impossible to take. Should it come to that of course.

"General Howell I want you to enact Operation Cruik as planned. Surround the city and dig our army in. Make sure we don't have our troops enter the city though, or face our guns towards it. We're here as defenders, not oppressors General. Are my orders clear?" Macharius was donned in his battle armor. Ditching the suit and tie for his younger days as an Officer.

"Yes Prime Minister, as you say." General Howell crossed his right arm over his chest with his hand balled in to a fist. The Denonian Salute. Macharius returned it and the General spun away to prep the army.

Macharius looked over the field towards the city. It's glowing spire of light piercing into the clouds. He felt ten years younger being here. Umbara would be theirs. Or there would be a lot of blood shed if anyone else tried to think otherwise.

 

[Gray Raxis]

Objective 2​

Allies: [member="Caedyn Arenais"] [member="Beth Australis"]​

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Activity around the Umbara system had increased as of late. The Commenor Systems Alliance and Silver Jedi Order were both looking towards it to expand their borders, so Gray decided it would be a good idea to show his sister, [member="Lady Kay"] , some love and support her side in them. To do that, he decided to go with his nephew Caedyn into the lower caste areas to see if any of them were willing to join the Mandalorians or Commenor people. All the higher ups discussing things made for a perfect opening to do so.

Arriving on Umbara, Gray had made sure he wasn't wearing his usual armor. This time around he was wearing clothes typical of a spacer. A plain gray scarf was over his eyes as well which made him sort of look like a Miralukan. A WESTAR 35 was on his right hip and Whisper's crystal was hidden in his scarf, since the little thing would hum at him in an irritating way if he left it for too long. With him was Beth Australis. The teenager was in his care right now and it was a good chance for her to be around not Mandalorians for a bit. Also, he sort of was told to do so by his wife Baiko. He didn't know exactly what her plans for the poor girl were, but he knew better than to get in her way. His peace and serenity at home were at stake if he didn't.

It didn't take long for Gray to spot his nephew's force signature and head on over to him. Seemed the young man had gone to learn from the je'daii instead of coming to Mandalore. Gray couldn't really blame him given their people's history with force users as of late. Well what was done was done, so he focused on what he could do for his nephew now. As they came up to Caedyn, a smile crossed Gray's face. He said in a familial tone, " I think I found my nephew! Caedyn! Come give your uncle a hug!" He held his arms out for just that and didn't really give the young man time to decide. He just wrapped his arms around his nephew and gave him a big hug. As he released the hug, he said, " I hear you know Beth. I'm taking care of her right now, so she will be joining us. Make sure you keep your eyes on her at all times. I sure can't!" If either of them could see him wink right now through the scarf he would have.

 

[Bradshaw Ku]

Objective: 2 ​

Post: 1 ​

Nearby Allies: [member="Caedyn Arenais"], [member="Gray Raxis"], [member="Beth Australis"]​

Blue eyes peered around a dark corner. On Umbara every corner was dark. This one just seemed even more so. The man’s eyes could only pick out shadows and silhouettes bathed in the flickering blue glow produced by the illuminators spaced few and far between this deep into the slums of the city. What he could see was enough, however. Men, women, and children in rags, gaunt from chronic malnourishment, they were all panhandlers, but givers rarely traveled these streets. Until today.

Bradshaw reached out through the force.

There was an army of ships, personnel, and cargo now descending on these slums behind him to provide aid, but unfortunately it wasn’t as simple as that. Pro-CSA ministers had been assassinated one after another lately, revealing an extensive plot to destabilize and dissuade the government from joining the sanctuary the CSA could provide.

On top of that, an actual army also swarmed around the planet, primarily provided by their Mandalorian allies, tasked with preventing further internal unrest, but also protecting against any possible external meddling, such as might come from the Silver Jedi Order who were also in the system and similarly interested in acquiring the planet and its neighboring systems. Their relationship with the SJO had always, strangely, been shaky at best, however, he did not anticipate an attack. He was grateful for their ally’s support, though he desperately hoped the world would not become a military theater of war. These people did not need a war.

The force probe ahead of him returned only the constant drone of suffering, hunger, thirst, and despair that was to be expected. His younger step-brother [member="Caedyn Arenais"], himself, and others were tasked with scouting ahead of the caravans of aid workers. As such, the former smuggler turned Prince was dressed in the casual garb he’d been fond of wearing years ago, his lightsaber hidden beneath a vest. Not sensing anything threatening or unusual, he opened a channel on his secured comlink.

Before his nearly two years of extensive training and searching away from the CSA, from which he’d recently returned, he might’ve cracked jokes at the dire situation these inhabitants lived through every day, or worse, taken the situation so flippantly that he might’ve hoped for a confrontation just to play fighter-pilot, a little action. Now however, there was none of that. A lot could change in nearly two years.

“Lera Halcorr, clear sector C-4-A,” he announced into his comlink before turning from the corner and heading back toward his little brother.

“Nothing unusual back there,” he started to say as he approached Caedyn, “I cleared the grid. Anything over here, kid?” He’d always been fond of picking fun at his twined step-siblings for being younger, but it wasn’t out of familial jocularity that he called him ‘Kid’. Instead, it was a hold-over from his own adolescent days growing up mentored by a smuggler, an unconscious sign of a nurturing relationship.

As he came out of the shadow draped side-alley, the addition of a man and a young woman struck him. They were standing near Caedyn, where nobody else had been when he'd set off down the alley. It didn’t take too long to recognize the man as [member="Gray Raxis"], an old family friend and a Mandalorian. The young woman, or girl, depending on how one split the difference, on the other hand, he did not know.

“Glad you could join us, Gray, always happy to have the help of the Raxis clan” he said in greeting, then, sensing an adolescent uneasiness from his younger brother, he added “So, who’s your friend?”

He was quickly beginning to think this young lady might just be the famous [member="Beth Australis"] he’d heard so much about from his younger siblings.

| [member="Macharius Solaire"] | [member="Kaine Australis"] | [member="Alkor Centaris"] | [member="Tom Taff"] | [member="Lady Kay"] |​

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

Objective 2

Umbara Commons.

Her adopted mother, [member="Yasha Mantis"], had requested that Mandalorians assist their Commenori allies in their ability to take Umbara into Commenori hands. She was to go with [member="Gray Raxis"]. He was apparently related to [member="Lady Kay"] and as such, it only made sense for her to accompany him. Gray had become a father figure in Beth's life - not only as a father but also as an instructor in the Force. She was happy to go and spend some time with him. Although, [member="Baiko no Kaho"] had really wanted her to go for some reason or another. She had asked Gray why Baiko was so insistent upon it, but he never would give her a straight answer. Maybe he didn't know?

There were a few things her mom had mentioned that they could do once on Umbara, but one stuck out to her the most - help the people who were caught in poverty and maybe recruit some new Mandalorians while at it. A Mandalorian soldier with all of its benefits. It also wouldn't hurt to simply help out the people out. The Commenor Systems Alliance could be a saving grace for these people. It would bring economic stability and an economic power to the planet. At least, that was what she got from it all. The mission shouldn't be too dangerous - they would be going out before the aid workers arrived to begin the full assistance. She did, however, have a blaster pistol on her side in the event of an attack. As such, she wore a dark purple dress with leggings and a black, leather coat. Beth, naturally, packed a backpack full of water and foodstuff that she could distribute as needed when walking through the slums. Her long ears were naturally excited, straight up. Her blonde hair was in a messy bun.

As Gray and Beth walked through the city, Beth couldn't help but frown. It was a slum, a ghetto, a disaster. Honestly, it was a humanitarian disaster. The Umbaran planetary government had failed their people - badly. And the worst part? Most of them were trapped. They couldn't afford a way out. She slowly handed out the small supplies she brought with her too, primarily, the children. It reminded her a bit of her own childhood - lost, afraid, trapped in a never-ending circle of just trying to find a bite to eat.

Her mind was brought to Gray as he mentioned his nephew - they had found him. Her eyes widened as she saw [member="Caedyn Arenais"] standing before them. Caedyn was his nephew? Beth had a lightbulb moment - a little too late, whispering to Gray, "Why didn't you tell me Caedyn would be here?" She hoped no one heard that. She gave a wave to Caedyn as they approached, giving a look at Gray, slightly dumbfounded over his joke. "Hey! How are you, Caedyn? I... Don't listen to him." She said, giving a small, slightly awkward laugh. She could take care of herself, after all. Not to mention, Gray could see her in a way.

Although at this moment, another man appeared - apparently someone else Gray was well acquainted with. Beth gave a smile to the new man and when he asked who she was, she jumped in with a big smile. "I'm Bethany Australis, you can call me Beth. It's a pleasure to meet you." She reached her hand out to shake his. They would have a pretty good team it seemed - although, she did feel a bit like the odd one out.

[member="Bradshaw Ku"]

 

[Livia Maddox]

Opposition Command - Objective 1:

[member="Tom Taff"] would experience an astounding lack of immediate emergency attention from the Umbaran authorities. A single ‘corpse management’ speeder rustled down, behind a uniformed Umbaran Military investigator on a speeder bike. Before he could conduct his job, Taff was gone, seemingly teleporting a few blocks away to the private diplomatic meeting.

“You! Scan this area!” The officer tossed himself from the bike and rushed toward Taff’s ship, shooting a tag-droid to latch to Taff’s ship. The droid immediately began to bore in, sliding into the inner workings. "They've taken the Minister's body, and the package! Switch tactics. Follow the ship."

The package Tom took to Lady Kay began to beep, and jitter... had anyone scanned it, yet?

The Umbaran [member="Alkor Centaris"] followed tangled through the maze of the city, ducking into shopping centres, buying flowers, carrying them as well as he could under his coat. He tracked through to a small loft apartment above a tapcaf, cleared his throat, popped a mint, and put his hand on the door.

“Gerik! You returned so soon! What is that behind your back?” A woman in a dress which had been yesterday’s fashion, patched and repatched stood at the small kitchen stove, stirring a pot. Her clothing, her accent, the way she kept her chin dipped down was all indicative of a lowly birth.

“Ama, I told you we would go out tonight. Why are you making dinner?” Gerik swept in, taking the flowers from behind his back.

“Geri, you can’t be seen with me out there! I’m…”

“No! No more of that. These are for you, I love you Ama. One more task… just one and we will be happy. You, me, and…” The dour murderer and terrorist set the bouquet down, and gently put his hand on Ama’s belly. “… all three of us.”

“You ask too much, my love…. Is it not enough that you have me, we must be wed? You would have none look down on me? Our child? I will never be accepted in your Caste… and you have the opportunity of being the Minister’s Assistant! Please. No more of this.” Ama tried to smile, as Gerik slammed his fist on the counter and dislodged a glass of blue milk.

“I can fix this! I WILL! The Minister will die!”

 

[Livia Maddox]

Opposition Command - Objective 3:

The collected pale-skinned politicians looked dead-faced at [member="Lady Kay"]. Juva Kull pressed her lips together and glanced about the room. All seven of the gathered ministers kept their mouths shut and eyes open, one skidding back in his chair to grasp at something under the table.

“A threat from Commenor’s little Queen? You are not our only option, why should you be the one to command what we do? Or when I am ready to leave?”

“Stop posturing, Dushtu. This concerns us all.” Juva clucked her tongue and glanced at the Minister of Defence. “Well, Gora? What is going on? Why is Kulfik dead?”

Word from [member="Kaine Australis"]’ naval force and [member="Macharius Solaire"] 's ground troops flicked over the comm unit secured in the middle of the table. The Defence Minister grimaced, souring visibly and putting his elbows on the table.

“You brought Mandalorians… and Denonians. Dear Queen of Commenor, I do hope you do not expect to take over my government through unscrupulous means. How… unkind.” High Minister Fu grinned, delighting in the temporary chaos. Now perhaps the Silvers would catch up.

"Your goons wouldn't be attempting to strong arm my planet, would they?"

 

[Macharius Solaire]

Objective: 3​

Location: Umbaran Capital​

Post Count: 2​

The army began sweeping forward in a pincer maneuver. Their drop site was about 15 clicks south of the capital. The force was organized to move in three columns. Army Group Center would drive directly at the city. Army Groups East and West respectively would take the flanks and secure each a third of the proposed defense ring. Macharius and his generals had decided on a 10 km radius to secure. A defense in depth strategy was what they were after. Any enemy would have to fight under constant artillery bombardment, through lines of trenches, tank traps and all uphill. With the anti-air weapons systems and shielding there would be little threat from air power. Even if there was no enemy to fight, as planned. It would be great training for the troops. Denon hadn't had a proper war to fight for a few years. And the Umbarans would get some nice defensive works for their city to boot after things were said and done.

An AIT Grinder Anti-Infantry Tank pulled up alongside Macharius. His ride in towards their rendezvous site. Wasting little time he mounted the tank and it took off with a puff of dust in it's wake. Operation Cruik was proceeding as planned. Still having some more support while they advanced couldn't hurt. [member="Kaine Australis"] was leading the space forces for the CSA. Certainly he could provide them some air cover for a few hours. Macharius procured a small holotransmitter from one of his armors pouches. Already preprogrammed to link up with other operational commanders. His Mandalorian ally being one. Mach with a few button presses opened a link to the Mando. "Commander Australis come in. This is ground operations commander Solaire. Do you read me, over?"

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Objective Two: Summary above.​

Personal Effects: Click Here.​

Location: Umbara Commons.​

Post Count: Two.​

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There were a number of peoples involved in today's relief effort for the world of Umbara, most notably his Mother's Brother (?) within the Mandalorian Empire, [member="Gray"] of the Clan Raxis. Caedyn smiled sheepishly as he moved towards the man who seemed to come in at great stride and pulled him into a manhug that nearly squeezed the air out of his lungs, "Ugh! Uncle Gray..." He tried to murmer in need to get the mans attention, the boys hands soon working to pry himself out and away a step or two, looking back at him with a wary smirk; "Geeze I'm not a Kid anymore..." Caedyn exclaimed in defense of himself and his bruised pride, though his concentration would seem to waver as he glanced passed Gray to spot [member="Beth Australis"].

Of late, his Sister had been the least bit subtle making certain to mention the name whenever she and Caedyn were out together in public and there was a chance someone might ask out of curiousity. [member="Loreena Arenais"] going to great lengths to make fun of Caedyn by proclaiming the two to be girlfriend and boyfriend; it was in this that Caedyn couldn't initially find the words to greet her, too surprised having not expected her to show up in a place such as this, and having to do a double take as his older Brother [member="Bradshaw Ku"] soon turned up at his back and introduced himself.

"Ah...Brad?" Caedyn turned a little, glancing up from the girl to his older brother and trying to take some sense of control back of himself, he continued after having cleared his throat; "This is Beth...-And I think you know Gray? Or atleast Mom's mentioned him probably...". Gray and [member="Lady Kay"] weren't in each others company often though he was a life-long friend of Caedyn's mothers and had apparently been pivotal in his support that she had made it this far as Queen of the Commenor Systems Alliance.

Back to the priority at hand, his eyes fell back upon Beth who was sporting a different kind of attire, one that made her look less Mandalorian and more...Normal-ish. "I didn't know you were gonna be here..." He said with a slight chuckle, his left hand rubbing the back of his neck somewhat anxiously; "Are your people helping the Systems Alliance or are they helping the Umbaran's on their own?" Cae questioned curiously, wondering and hoping that this wouldn't be another case of being caught upon opposite sides of the playing field.

[member="Macharius Solaire"] [member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Livia Maddox"] [member="Beth Australis"] ​

[member="Bradshaw Ku"] [member="Alkor Centaris"] [member="Tom Taff"] [member="Lady Kay"] [member="Gray Raxis"]​

 

[Livia Maddox]

Opposition Command - Objective 3:
Post 2

Above the government officials playing their game of power, [member="Kaine Australis"] gave Mandalore’s allegiance to Commenor by flying squadrons over their Capital. Commander Pik gritted his teeth and groped at the edge of the table. His officers rushed round him, silent and waiting.

"Get me Minister Gora! The Commenori think they can muscle us? Rouse star fighter squadrons Spear, Poison, Garrotte and Knife. Strafe the Mandalorian squadrons, kettle them together and ground them!"

"Yes Commander! Sir, permission to fire?" Captain Saw rushed with his squad, pushing past his flight crews to get his star fighters off the ground. Within two minutes, the Mandalorian squadrons had Umbarans on their tail, catching up.

Commander Pik grunted. "Not yet. Commenor is easy enough to manipulate, if they want this chance... I'd rather we didn't bring the Mandalorians down on our heads... Before Gora gives us the word. Captain Zu, when are you approaching those tanks?"

"Yes Sir." Captain Saw said.

"We are almost in position, Commander. Sending our recon droids up now." Captain Zu said, watching the influx of troops from [member="Macharius Solaire"] through his binocs. The Umbaran position was half-hidden in the perpetual fog, silent and running dark. Just a bit further.... just a bit... Were these Commenori friend or foe? The constant questions brought too much uncertainty.

Flicking on the comm, Commander Pik signalled to Australis, "Typical Mandalorian brow beating, General Australis? Don't trust the Commenori to handle their own affairs, have to dip your fingers in, too? Land your squadrons where my star fighters escort you and power down your ships for inspection."

He signalled for the comm cut off and flicked his comm to Minister Gora. 'Mandalorians and Commenori are coming in. Orders, brother? When are you making your ruddy move, man!?”

 

[Gray Raxis]

Objective 2​

Family: [member="Caedyn Arenais"] [member="Beth Australis"] [member="Bradshaw Ku"]​

​

Well it was making sense to Gray now about what Baiko wanted with all of this as Beth and Caedyn met. The two were clearly aware of one another. An impish grin crossed his face as he noted that. Before he could do much more than that though a new arrival showed up. As he spoke, Gray realized who it was. It was his adopted nephew that [member="Lady Kay"] had told him about. He seemed to have his act together, was polite, and had some air of dignity to him. Definitely raised by Gray's sister then. All they were missing was Loreena and then Gray could take all the kids out for icecream or clubbing.... Okay definitely not clubbing. Kay would kill him if he did. It would be with disapproval and kindness and probably Baiko, but she would definitely kill him.

A warm smile was directed at Bradshaw. Gray moved and gave his other nephew a big hug just like he had given to Caedyn. As he did he said, " Glad to finally meet you Brad. And of course we are here to help. Your mom is part of the clan so there is no reason we wouldn't be." After he let go of his oldest nephew, Gray leaned next to his nephew's ear and whispered, " My wife, Baiko, has plans for Beth and Caedyn. I suggest you help out or stay out of the way like I'm doing. Your mom and my wife are scary women and even more so being good friends." He patted Brad's shoulder affectionately then got so he was facing all three of them.

It seemed Caedyn was a little worried about why they were here. That got a chuckle out of Gray. It was a very good question too whenever Mandalorians got involved in things. He just smiled and said, " We are family Caedyn, so it is the same thing in the end. You can be sure that your people on Mandalore will always be here to help out the Commenor Systems if you need it. Family always helps family. It is the Mandalorian way. It is our way." He stretched his muscles a bit. It was not so much he needed to do it as a good way to break the attention away from the earlier topic. After he added, " Now lets get going. We are here to recruit people in case your mom can't talk them into joining our side." With that he turned and started to head further into the lower caste.

 

[Alkor Centaris]

He could kill the man right here, no questions asked. He would leave a woman without her loved one, and a child without a father, but he could put a segment of the political unrest to bed with the pull of a trigger. These were the kinds of decisions placed on greater men, and for Alkor, it seemed almost like a simple decision. The kill, or the delicate, fragile order imposed by a government body.

He touched the pistol at his hip idly, the familiar shape almost calling out to him to use it. In another time, before he learned to shoulder responsibility for himself, he would have let the flimsy urge consume him. It was so easy to take the route that eliminated all resistance. It was too easy.

Alkor pushed the weapon securely into the holster at his hip and made up his mind. There had to be a more productive way to handle this situation. "Alliance units in the area, I have tracked one of the responsible assailants to their place of residence. Transmitting coordinates now," he spoke quietly into his comm as he pulled back from the window and sent a copy of the message back to [member="Kaine Australis"], who was overseeing the entire operation from orbit.

He knew leaving it at that would sacrifice precious time in hunting down the others, but that was a penalty he was willing to live with. Alkor dropped silently back into the winding streets and disappeared swiftly into the shadows, nary a trace that he was ever there, save a flashing pair of UV spectrum lights all too familiar to that neighborhood.

He recalculated the routes of the others he had seen and picked out the most likely to be closest to his current position. That would have to be the next target. He was losing time.

[member="Livia Maddox"] [member="Tom Taff"] [member="Caedyn Arenais"]

 

[Macharius Solaire]

Objective: 3​

Location: Umbaran Capital​

Post Count: 3​

"Did I hear that right General. Umbaran aircraft have engaged your own? Damn. Advise us on the situation General. If so we could use some bomber and gunship support if possible in force. If their air units are up we're likely to run into ground forces soon enough. Repeat advise on enemy hostile aircraft. Over." Seems the situation was about to turn ugly. Mach mulled the situation as his tank moved forward with his Army Group Center. The Umbaran's couldn't have deployed near as many troops as they had. They'd be dispersed over the planet while all his forces were here. If there was really going to be fighting he needed confirmation from Kaine that there already was.

Muting his transmission to Kaine, still aloowing for him to talk Mach called up General Howell. "General this is Solaire. Possible hostilities may have already broken out between our space forces and theirs. Waiting for confirmation."

"Copy that Commander. No enemy ground forces spotted yet. Just some civilians according to reports. We fall back to plan Bravo if enemy engages us. I'll deploy some support as a precaution. Advise on situation with General Australis Commander. Over."

"Copy that General. Tell the vanguard to keep an eye out and run some infrared. Macharius over and out." Mach cut his transmission with his General. Switching back to Kaine and un-muting him. He needed that intel over hostilities now. It could save his forces precious time to redeploy to a more favorable advancing assault.​

​

[member="Kaine Australis"] [member="Livia Maddox"] [member="Beth Australis"] [member="Bradshaw Ku"] @Alkor Centaris [member="Tom Taff"] [member="Lady Kay"] [member="Gray Raxis"]​

 

[Livia Maddox]

Opposition Command - Objective: 3
Post 3

“Surrender, in my own space? Hah! The Bucket heads are comedians, boys!” Commander Pik grimaced, nodding to his Command team, from the safety of his underground base of operation.

This [member="Kaine Australis"], a General was he? A slender Umbaran female slid beside the Commander, edging a flimsy under his eyes. Oh yes. Australis… that was a familiar name, wasn’t it? The name of disgrace.

“I would think your Mand’alor still had your collar latched round your neck, Australis, is it? Bral-Ender… Alor of Smoke. Disgrace usually ends with a knife in the spine here on Umbara. It is good to know I face an opponent whose leader cannot pull her own trigger…

… or… were you pulling hers? Over, and over? Take your ships and leave before my government renegs on its' offer to play nicely with Commenor's little Queen.” The Commander grinned, glad to finally have the proper upper hand on his opponent. Get the Mandalorian acting rashly, then fire. Start a conflict beyond the one Gora was bound to start already in the negotiation room.

That was the moment the other Mandalorian Squadrons descended upon Captain Saw. Beyond the sheer amount of swearing, was the sound of auto turret positions, and the joyful cacophony of pilots once strafing, now hemmed in by the Mandalorians.

Weaklings. Couldn’t even kill a General right.

He sent a message to Gora, it was high time. He was tired of flying without firing at these line-toting goons.

“Send in another dozen squadrons. I’m not worried of their little ships... keep watching the Denarans... why aren't they moving faster? Don't engage them directly. Until my brother gives word that he has taken over the Ministry, we have no right to fire... initiate the road traps. Ground their tanks.”

Along the pathways [member="Macharius Solaire"] took quivered. Traps and fissure-bombs in the road appeared in various stages of armament, once the officers slid to infra-red. The Commenor troops were surrounded.