Skirmish &nbsp; Don&#039;t Flinch | TSC Assault on TIC New Alderaan

Priesse Namada |

Ronhar Tane | | OPEN
Tags [Hostiles] |

Naniti

Naniti · Mar 5, 2026

ABOARD THE COMMAND SHIP
DEEP ORBIT - NEW ALDERAAN

After

Srina Talon strode forward, the violet Togruta turned and drifted over to some of the officers crowded about their consoles. It wasn't that Naniti lacked a care for the Empress or even disliked her, but this was a field of battle and she was a humble Apprentice. Though, it was remarkable that she stood so near someone of such prestige. Prior to today, the closest had been in a chaotic assembly of the Rulers of Coruscant, and a ballroom away the time before that. Here? She could practically touch the woman... if she'd dare.

While they spoke of the upcoming struggle, the Togruta pointed at screens watched by sensor and tactical officers alike. "Do you want them to call out 'great shot' or not?" she asked pointedly. They hadn't been persuaded by her sudden choices in target. Thought they knew best in how to overpower a shield... by throwing every ounce of power at it. There were better ways. Problem was finding them took too much time -- the fight would be over before you managed it.

Unless you cheated, of course.

Not that the field would snap off like a light. They Imperial Confederation hadn't built anything so sloppy. Just should take less energy poured into the assault to have an effect.

It wasn't Battle Meditation that Naniti specialized in, though some might mistake it for that in the moment. If they reviewed the footage though they'd find the entire fleet wasn't coordinated in some low-level streaming collective consciousness, however. Every one of the Togruta's ideas would have to be passed around and acted upon like any other, and she could only talk so fast. Not to mention convincing people to listen.

Actually, sometimes, Naniti liked to think some enemies believed they had a traitor in their midst feeding her information. Well, a Togruta could dream.

When

Mercy said her name, the violet woman drew back and drifted closer to the group once more. They'd noticed her appear. Well, she was violet and often stood out in a crowd, and Srina's arrival had drawn their eyes from the fireworks ahead.

Varin Mortifer arrived then with the Togruta giving the tall man a nod of recognition.

Her blue eyes swung to

Lysander von Ascania next as he 'asked' that the 'truth' be known for their efforts this day. That should have gone without saying, but it was good he'd said it. Sometimes the propaganda aspect of dominating your enemies got lost. It wasn't as thrilling as -- what would Mercy do? -- feeling the blood of your enemies on your teeth.

As for his plan to harry the enemy, the Togruta nodded. They would need to feel under threat for this engagement to hold value.

Naniti stepped forward, closer now to where Lysander stood, with her chin high. "The Enemy intends to flank." That was all she had to say. It might raise questions. It might not. One thing Nanit knew for certain was the more she talked about what she'd gleaned, the more likely and the more in number the questions grew. As someone keen on avoiding 'certain' Sith taking an interest in her for 'academic' reasons, this Togruta has happy to keep her... insights brief and few in number.

Priesse Namada |

Marlon Sularen

Ufsa'zekhn'narun · Mar 5, 2026

Shudders rippled through the ship’s frame. Each tremor should’ve registered like a warning, but they didn’t. They never did with the Covenant. Everyone knew what was coming next. The Hellmouth was a leviathan forged from durasteel and bad intentions. Crimson eyes mirrored the red alarms strobing across the hangar bay.

Slowly, he lifted himself from the wing brace where he'd been resting. A helmet had been perched on his knee, and he slipped it over his head. The soft padding inside cradles his cheekbones. A detached observer amidst the chaos.

All around him, boots began hammering. Vulture Squadron was in motion. Eight pilots adorned in black flight suits. Preparing for takeoff, the air was filled with the frantic chatter of crew chiefs. Mechanics were scarce among the Covenant, but they were darting about, clearing the lanes to ensure a successful launch.

Azekh's Interceptor awaited, suspended on a rig. The wings were tucked close to its body, ready to unfold and cut through the void with speed that its pilot secretly craved. Two slaps landed against the hull from a crew chief. It was time.

The Chiss scaled the ladder, disappearing into the waiting maw of the cockpit. The hatch hissed shut above him. Enclosed in a world of pulsing lights and flashing lights, and with the flick of a finger, the engines roared to life. One last check of his harness and then his hands were on the yoke.

<<Vulture Squadron, form on vector three‑one. Launch on my mark.>>

The hangar doors groaned. Beyond the threshold stretched the void.. a canvas painted with streaks of ion fire. The perfect cover..

When the catapult propelled him forward, he was pinned against the seat. Into the depths of space.. the hunt would begin.

Srina Talon · Mar 6, 2026

TAG:

Priesse Namada |

Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory

Ufsa'zekhn'narun
LOCATION: Command Ship [New Alderaan]

____________________________________________________

Her hand lifted when

Mercy moved to kiss her cheek to touch her arm in response. The wintry woman was slowly growing used to the affection expressed by her battle-sister. Echani were incredibly physical creatures, and it was rare that someone outside their species seemed to understand how to communicate without saying anything at all. It was a brief touch of lips to her pale cheek; she heard a half dozen questions.

How did you sleep? Did you get something to eat? Are you warm enough? Do you need anything?

Srina leaned into the hand at her back.

No—She was fine.

“You cannot leave me behind just because you think I need rest.”

She didn’t think that

Mercy would deny her a battle against the Imperial Confederation, but she also wouldn’t think it outside the realm of possibility that she may take her attempted kidnapping and or assassination more personally than most. They were battle-sisters in the very untraditional Echani sense. Rather than mirror her—Mercy was her opposite. Challenging and brash. Emotive and passionate. Srina was cold. Distant…A barely there, far away star.

Her gaze fixed on

Arris Windrun and offered to the cybernetically enhanced individual her full attention regardless of the interruptions. Srina had been on the eve of many battles, and this one had just as much depth and complexity as all the others. Even if it was hidden behind the zealotry of the Graspborn and a foolhardy recreation of their entrance on Coruscant. She didn’t flinch at the mention of the Covenant seat of power, but her stomach did turn just slightly. Enough, that her hand idly drifted to it.

Alarms blared, and a message from the Faithless cousins (

Ronhar Tane ) made itself known loud and proud. Her expression cracked into something that was layered with disdain. How dare this dog offer them retreat as if it were an option, as if it were some grand gesture of goodwill. They were already frightened of having their precious New Alderaan in harm's way against a potentially unknown enemy. Regardless…When the missive stopped? They went right back to business.

Nothing could stop them.

Varin Mortifer said:
“Empress, a pleasure to finally meet you.”

~~“Little~~ Lord…”, she greeted @Varin Mortifier with some measure of knowing. “Fire Lord…” Not boy—A soft correction. They had not formally met, but there would be something in her gaze that spoke of recognition. The truth was that few spent any length of time within the Order that she was not aware of. The Lady Revna was a close friend and a woman she held in high esteem.

Lunaria Talon had also mentioned him in passing with a cape swirling as he departed…He had left an impression, it seemed. She would have said more, but Arris took care of the greeting, plus the battle plan. “If that is your wish...I will comply, Windrun.”

She would feel the hand at her back tense. Perhaps,

Mercy did not approve of these arrangements?

Her gaze turned back to

Lysander von Ascania , who seemed surprised or struck by the praise that Mercy offered. Gold-hewn orbs closed for a moment while she listened to the voice of the young one who had more than found his way since they had first crossed paths. When he made his requests, her head tilted while her gaze slid across the planes of a youthful face, the way water rolled down a window pane. “The galaxy has already witnessed you on Coruscant—You were not forgotten. Accept the spoils and your truth…War does not wage without credits to burn.”

Not to mention that she refused to let him sell himself short. The words were noble…But foolish. Any advantage that could be gained was of benefit, even if his pockets were as deep as the Inter Galactic Banking Clan. If he absolutely refused, he could also give it to someone of his choosing. Perhaps the violet Togruta that was always within earshot. Her eyes lingered on

Naniti while her soft insights came to light, and the Sith Empress tilted her head. She had no equipment.

Interesting.

The context of the information didn’t matter as long as it was accurate. Her right hand rose and came to lay over her heart, choosing that now was the time to ready her armor. It didn’t matter what the enemy brought to bear. She would bring them fear, from land, from sky—From any avenue in which they still dared to draw breath. The impudent children, these faithless, had dared to desecrate Brosi for the second time in a rather short span. It was time for their people, their kingdom, to know loss. To suffer as her young Psilofyr had suffered. To watch while their people drowned in flame and endless fire.

From the bracelet around her wrist, her clothing suddenly rippled and took on a metallic sheen. The nanites within ate through the red dress and replaced it step by step with the armor that had been created specifically to see her through any engagement. It spread sleek and smooth along her shoulders and down her back, in an instant, wiping out red and replacing it with silver and bronze scales. The crimson of her dress fell away completely and melted behind her in a cloak that was easily retractable.

Her side arm re-assembled on her hip.

She could feel the battle-lust rise in the woman at her side, and she reached up with a gloved hand to turn Mercy’s face down toward her. The amber in her eyes was already anticipating violence.

“Try not to be too reckless…If I am with Windrun, I won’t be able to empower you.”

It was not a complaint. It was…Concern. Mercy never knew her limits.

Because she thought she had none.

Mercy · Mar 6, 2026

Tag:

Varin Mortifer

Defender of Order

Ufsa'zekhn'narun
Location: Command Ship [New Alderaan]

She smiled her sharp hungry smile when Varin joined them.

"The more the merrier, my boy, glad to have you along for the ride." Having found out that

Revna Marr was Varin's Master only increased her opinion of him. There was nothing quite like the endorsement of a woman she respected to increase the value she saw in any given man. The fact that her time teaching Lysander had softened her opinion on them... well, that was neither here nor there.

Srina Talon said:
“You cannot leave me behind just because you think I need rest.”

"See it as a late introduction of the MVP." Mercy teased her lightly, she had tried to get Srina to watch GWE (Galactic Wrestling Entertainment) with her a few times now. So far the Empress seemed less than impressed about the antics on display.

Why does he not simply tear his head off after a betrayal such as that?

Ah, well, look, yeah. I would do that too, but this is... for drama, you know? Just watch, it's gonna be great when his evil half brother comes on...

Lysander von Ascania said:
“All that I require,” he continued, shifting briefly to Srina, then back to Mercy, “is that when New Alderaan has burned and we walk through the ashes.. the truth remains. Let the galaxy know what it means to stand against us."

Her head tilted lightly as those predatory eyes met Lysander.

"Do not forget my lessons, Knight Von Ascania." The tone was serious, more serious than anyone usually would hear from her, because while she considered most things in life a practical joke... her responsibility to this new generation of Sith was not among the quipping repertoire. "Hunger is good for the soul, nurture it and when Lords offer a meal, devour it."

She inclined her head when Srina had her own wisdom to offer, agreeing with no hesitation. They had slaughtered Tapani for its wealth to burn the Core.

This was the same, but on a smaller scale.

Arris Windrun said:
She looked back at Mercy with crossed arms. "Lysander and Naniti are paired off, so we're already operating in twos. I say the Empress and I will go one way, and you and Varin head another way, how about that?"

Srina Talon said:
She could feel the battle-lust rise in the woman at her side, and she reached up with a gloved hand to turn Mercy’s face down toward her. The amber in her eyes was already anticipating violence.

“Try not to be too reckless…If I am with Windrun, I won’t be able to empower you.”

It was not a complaint. It was…Concern. Mercy never knew her limits.

Mercy's face was guided down and her brows furrowed when the Mountain felt the concern from the Ocean. Her expression softened, but it did little to stem the tide of hunger underneath, even as she leaned in and kissed Srina's forehead.

"Reckless implies I am putting myself at risk, darling sister." She unwound herself again, stretching out lazily. "I am never in true danger... how can I be, when I am the danger?"

Then a cocky grin at Windrun.

"Splitting the party so soon, Windrun? I think not. Lysander and Naniti lead the first charge, but we shall not divide our strength further. What is the point of amassing such a force, just to shrink it into pieces."

Then a sly glance towards Varin.

"Besides, I believe young Mortifer wants to see the Empress of the Order in action. Whereas he has already seen... my action up close." She offered her elbow to Srina with finality. As far as she was concerned the matter was settled and over now.

"The hangars next, darling? The full tour will have to wait until New Alderaan is burning behind us."

That is where the shuttles would be to carry them through. All of the chatter between the navy personnel was lost to her. They seemed to be doing well enough, pushing in deep, irrespective of the Imperials' attempts to form a valiant defense. That was the consequence of being caught in the middle of an attack on a third nation.

Your entire logistical and assault forces were committed in the wrong direction.

The Covenant did not have this issue.

They'd keep coming until this Imperial nation was burning, just as the one in the Core had.

Arris Windrun · Mar 6, 2026

Tags:

Priesse Namada

The Sith assault force was already under attack on multiple sides when further imperial reinforcements arrived at their rear. If her situational awareness was correct -- and she reckoned it was -- these were elements of the armada amassing against the High Republic.

"Shit," Arris looked at Mercy with a wide grin. "They flinched."

Was it anxiety, or a starved need to find any amount of glory they could, that drove their fleet to turn around?

Srina Talon said:
battle plan. “If that is your wish...I will comply, Windrun.”

Mercy said:
"Splitting the party so soon, Windrun? I think not. Lysander and Naniti lead the first charge, but we shall not divide our strength further. What is the point of amassing such a force, just to shrink it into pieces."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." She was too busy experiencing a metaphysical fuzz. Something was interfering with her senses.

Naniti said:
"The Enemy intends to flank."

And only a moment later did a bridge officer confirm. "Uncanny read," Arris whistled.

She looked back at Mercy and the others again. "Better make for the hangars, yeah?"

The star destroyers on their flank were doing their job. Mostly. One moved a little too far, caught in the cross of heavy fire. It had listed to one side, with half its hull collapsing around the engines. A pair of heavy frigates broke off from the rearguard to fill the gap, while the rest of their strike force maintained forward momentum into heavy enemy resistance. No matter how carved up they were, the Sith did not stop their pursuit.

"In impact range of the planetary shield." Informed the admiral.

Arris only confirmed with a curt nod, and the admiral gulped.

The battlecruiser -- speedy for its size -- took up the spearhead, crashing through a poor Sith raider that didn't get out of the way in time. From the prow, a brilliant light erupted. The solar cannon fired an arced shot around forward defenses and directly across the Shield Gate in a slashing motion. What volleys of conventional firepower could reach the gate were unleashed from the frigates and raiders that followed the battlecruiser.

That being said, the gate is not defenseless, it has multiple high-tech turbolasers, ion cannons, repulsor-tractor beams, and point defense systems; as well as its shield array comprised of particle, ion, and ray shields.

It was a stroke of lucky guesswork (or maybe just reckless abandon) that the situation would favor their massive cannon in this instance, as only molecular shielding could most effectively absorb the mighty weapon. Still, perhaps their ion shields would capture some of it. Even if the attack didn't outright disable the gate, it would, in all likelihood, weaken it.

Not that they would wait around to find out. No -- the SLAM engines fired, accelerating the battlecruiser at a startling rate. Ramming speed through the gate itself and to the world below. All be damned. This is what it meant to fight the Covenant.

As most of the bridge crew began their evacuations to the interior sections of the ship, Arris Windrun finally replied to the Imperials before departing in tow behind Mercy and the rest.

"Congratulations on your naval victory, admirals! Medals all around."

What remained of the Covenant's strike fleet was but sacrificial pawns. Fodder. Shields. Barriers. It didn't matter. The bulk of their heavy ships was operated by skeleton crews and droids. Their lackluster performance would not be missed as the battle above raged on. But why did it matter? These were prizes taken from the Galactic Empire. Any materiel lost could just be sneezed out by the monopolistic shipbuilding might of N'Zoth and Fondor alone.

Varin Mortifer · Mar 6, 2026

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace

Arris was the first to greet him with his usual nickname from her. One he had grown to accept in a small run of things. But then to his surprise.

Lord…Fire Lord

From the lips of The Empress herself. It was a good thing he already had his helmet on, the expression of his face was a wide eyed stunned silence for but a moment as he tilted his head. He saw it in her eyes, a sense of recognition. He felt a silent humbleness within himself after she said something that may have been so simple to most.

His gaze then fell back to Arris as she suggested formations only for Mercy to add her two cents of the plan. She seemed to know what Varin was wanting to see. How often does one see The Empress of the Sith in action? That was when he saw the armor change. The scales and nanites of her armor had caught his attention as well. The way the armor seemed to act like a living hivemind.

He slowly nodded to her in silence after she acknowledged and granted his request. As discussions circled in the area Varin looked out the viewport his back straight and hands folded behind his lower back. He watched as a distant dog fight began. His eyes tracking each ship as bolts and explosions polluted the silence.

Varin turned and followed the group to the hangars. He was eerily silent, usually when this close to battle his breathing would at least be different.

He was containing the excitement until after they landed.

They wanted the planet to burn? They wanted to dance within its ashes? Then he would grant them such a request.

When he stepped into the shuttle he once again pulled out his bone rosary, running his thumb over each bead as he made his silent prayer before descent. The smoke from his back seemed to flex and stir with something eager to release, eager to feast, though the heat contained so as not to swelter everyone from within. He was not praying for strength, or for safety or for guidance. He prayed for opportunity to bring glory and victory. Something far more valuable than a simple ask of strength and courage, a request to test himself and his loyalties. The shuttle filled with a scent of burning leaves and wood as they prepped for departure.

Mercy |

Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory

Lysander von Ascania · Mar 7, 2026

Priesse Namada

Bevelle-class Light Freighter
Eradicator Acolytes

There were many factors that demanded vigilance; blind spots, the predictable pull of greed, and those little flaws of consciousness that so often betrayed themselves during conflict. Potential crossfire zones, approach angles.. the list went on and on. His time at Kor'ethyr and within the Order had given him the opportunity to witness this, to study the way those flaws unraveled under onslaught. Leadership within the Covenant allowed him to put those lessons into practice, to test them against real blood and understand the consequences.

A crease formed at the edges of his eyes, meanwhile the corner of his mouth tightened. Lysander's attention was grasped by the Togruta before she ever spoke.

“Allow me to see them as you do, and I will follow the signal, and adjust where needed.”

Best to ask now before the Hellmouth spat them into the fire. Adrenaline had a way of sharpening things in the beginning until cognition frayed somewhere along the way. A second pair of eyes, or Force-sense, wouldn’t hurt.

The Silver Dragon's counsel took root before finding an expression upon his lips. A public correction might’ve sparked a flame with most Sith, but Lysander didn’t flinch. There was no ego to wound.. he didn’t hear chastisement.

"Your reminder is taken, Empress," he returned thoughtfully, "I intend to better understand their significance and purpose when the moment is right, after the consequences of our deeds take form."

Hunger, she said, and devour. He’d watched raw hunger blind others, causing them to move recklessly. But Mercy’s gaze carried a different pressure, the type to force one to take stock of themselves. Beneath the scrutiny, he was aware that the offer was genuine and not some poisoned invitation.

“When the Lords set the table,” the words slid out as shattered glass, “I won’t leave anything untouched.”

The Dark Horse’s words arrived with inevitability. A figure he never had to second guess. The real fight was near. Moving through the clusters of other Sith and crew, he made his way toward the hangar bay. There, bathed in a crimson glow, awaited his personal ship, ready to carry them into the fray.

But.. he would not depart accompanied solely by Naniti. Just as the siege of Coruscant and the defense of Brosi, a chosen cadre of acolytes would find themselves now flanking him and the Togruta. They were living facets of his own calculations now, a strategist on the ascent, for whom survival was nothing more than an indifferent afterthought.

The shuttle's hatch opened with a pneumatic sigh. He stepped through the threshold and settled into the pilot's seat as digits danced across an array of consoles, flipping switches and sliding levers. Beyond the viewport, the last few mismatched TIE fighters of Vulture Squadron peeled off.

With a turn of the throttle, the freighter glided along the rails with a steady increase of acceleration, before departing from the Hellmouth, and into the blackness of space.

Ronhar Tane · Mar 7, 2026

FLEET ADMIRAL VORIN ZONILL
MIN COLLATERAL STAR
ORBIT ABOVE NEW ALDERAAN

What in the hell did these Sith think they were doing?

Based on his previous experience, Admiral Zonill was fully aware that the Sith were perfectly willing to accept horrendous casualties in exchange for ultimate victory, regardless of how many of their own forces that they lost. This was in stark contrast to the Mahporeem Imperial Remnant, whose chronic manpower shortages ensured that the faction was forced to ration out its soldiers carefully. Zonill knew this and had experienced it firsthand, but still couldn't believe what he was seeing.

At Brosi and the Florrum Hypergate, the Sith had fought with great skill and advanced tactics, even if they did suffer heavily for it. Yet here, the Sith Fleet's performance could be described by Zonill as nothing short of pathetic, and the majority of the Sith ships were getting soundly tranced by their Imperial counterparts. All of them save for one vessel in particular.

The Hellmouth continued its dread advance toward Zonill and his ship, seemingly unfazed by the barrage of ion bolts coming from the V-150 Planet Defenders of the Disruptor-class Ion Cannon Carriers. Hundreds of small explosions dotted the hull of the vessel as it pushed through the minefield with reckless abandon, unconcerned about any damage it might be causing itself or friendly ships. It appeared to Zonill that the Hellmouth was going to try and ram his ship right off the bat, which he thought both reckless and foolish. They hadn't even tried to hide their approach, and even with the agonizingly slow speed of the Collateral Star, he would still have plenty of time to move out of the way.

Then, the Hellmouth fired its Solar Cannon.

The shot came racing through the void of space, traveling impossibly fast as it shot off toward the Collateral Star Zonill and his crew braced themselves for impact...only for it to never come. Instead, the shot arched around the entirety of the Collateral Star, hitting the shield gate directly behind them. A massive explosion erupted into the void of space as Zonill realized with horror what the Sith were trying to do.

They weren't trying to ram his ship! They were trying to ram the shield gate! And it just so happened, his ship was directly in the way of their flight path.

These Sith WERE truly mad after all! Even if they made it through, what then? They'd be cut off from any kind of reinforcements trapped beneath the Imperial Fleet and above the planet's surface. Even considering the damage they could cause, it was a suicide mission at best. Unless....

Zonil''s whole face turned pale.

Unless they had a way to escape from inside the planet! That must be it, and it would explain how they had bypassed so many Imperial defenses so easily. Zonill couldn't afford to let the Sith through the shield gate, but he also couldn't afford to let them ran through his ship.

"Emergency maneuvers! I want a starboard turn to 45 degrees! The Sith mean to ram their way through the shield gate, but we'll be in the way to intercept them, even if its on an angle!"

"But sir", Sellferr protested, "we'll be risking the entire bow of the ship! Not to mention the fact we'll most likely be taken out of the fight!"

"I'm afraid we don't have a choice, Captain. We cannot allow the Sith to get through that shield gate. You have your orders, carry them out. Angle the ship so that any impact stays away from the central superstructure and is instead absorbed by the front of the ship. Have all personnel evacuate to the core ship component. And Captain..."

"Sir?"

"Find something to hold onto".

The Collateral Star began to slowly turn as it moved to physically block the flight path of the Hellmouth, angling itself in a way that would make it impossible for such a massive ship to slip through without hitting at least some portion of the Star, that being the very front section of the ship, its Imperial Star Destroyer component. As the enemy vessel raced forward, the Collateral Star opened fire with everything that it had: light and heavy turbolasers, laser cannons, Quad Barreled NZ RTL1 Launchers, Proton Beam Cannons, Heavy Guns, Long Guns and even 40 NZ IPC-1 Ion Pulse Cannons. Hundreds of point defense laser turrets began targeting anything that was brave or foolish enough to exploit the smaller gaps in the Collateral Star's attempt to fully block the shield gate, which meant that smaller craft could probably still find an opening.

For the first time since its refit, the Collateral Star also activated its secret weapon. Descending from the bottom of the core ship component came out a massive Power Crystal, hundreds of feet in size. As the Hellmouth approached, the Power Crystal began firing a massive red beam at in, boring a hole in the enemy ship's shields. The Imperial Forces would try to concentrate their fire in that opening as much as they could. Two of the Mon Calamari Destroyers began lending the weight of their Long Range Turbolasers at the enemy ship as well, and each of them fired a 9 missile volley of Shieldbuster Torpedoes at the enemy command ship. Their LV-F Deflector Shields would keep them safe from any sort of collateral damage, provided they stayed completely still for the time being.

The Disruptor-class Ion Cannon Carriers had, by this point, stopped firing their planetary ion cannons at the enemy ship as they attempted to flee out of its way, though one of them was falling behind, directly into the flight path of the Hellmouth. As it desperately tried to get away, all anyone could think about was just how dangerous this collision was about to be, as the mockingly annoying voice of

Arris Windrun echoed over the comms:

"Congratulations on your naval victory, admirals! Medals all around."

Well, if this was a victory, Zonill would hate to see what a defeat looked like...

Probably no longer really relevant...

The Collateral Star physically blocks the way to the shield gate
The Collateral Star fires literally every weapon it has at the Hellmouth as it bores a hole in its shields with its Power Crystal
The Mon Calamari Destroyers fire their Long Range Turbolasers and 18 Shieldbuster Torpedoes at the Hellmouth
One Disruptor-class Ion Cannon Carriers gets stuck in the flight path of the Hellmouth

Uuuuuhhhhh....

Arris Windrun and I have agreed that her ship will collide into mine

TAGS:

Arris Windrun

Srina Talon

Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory

Naniti

Marlon Sularen

Mercy

Lysander von Ascania

Varin Mortifer
OPEN

Naniti · Mar 7, 2026

Naniti spared a fleeting look over at

Srina Talon as the woman took a brief interest in her. Her blue eyes dropped down to the datapad brought up before her without remark. Not that she didn't want to ask all kinds of questions, but drawing the attention of someone that powerful while she was a mere Apprentice was probably not wise. Oh, she could fly through the ranks with the right patron, but Naniti wanted more than a title.

She peered up from beneath her brow at

Mercy as the woman encouraged

Lysander von Ascania to devour the 'meal' placed before him. Those were the sorts of lessons Naniti recalled from her Master before Desevro. The words were always different, but the meaning always the same. What else should one expect from a Lord like Mercy? Not that Naniti complained.

Well, she wanted to.

It was the fleet formation and deteriorating status that had the Togruta less jovial than her superiors. They weren't idiots. It reflected everything they had said to one another. Would say to one another. Had intended from the very beginning, and why had Naniti even checked on the readiness of the ships? Obviously she needed to look ahead more often concerning whether her Lords felt like setting fire to their own just to choke their enemies on the fumes.

When

Arris Windrun called attention to the flanking, Naniti straightened up for a moment and gave a clip nod. Yep. Just intuition over here. She used the Force, which was technically correct. Just not in the way they'd assume. Fortunately, her interest in pelting the planetary shield forestalled any further discussion on the matter.

That's when the violet woman's eyes did a double-take on the Admiral. Had he just gulped? Naniti took the sign as a portent to peer ahead in case he'd started to develop... ideas. Independent thought, some might call it. A desired to live, perhaps? Poor timing if true.

As the gathering gathered themselves to venture forth, Naniti pivoted and stepped over toward the Admiral. She stopped before him and met his eyes with her own for a second. Then she extended the datapad toward him. "When the time is right, engage the thrusters as I've indicated. It is vital, Admiral, that you follow these precisely." Perhaps he'd would take it to mean by following them he and his crew had a chance to live. She was a humble Apprentice after all, not a blood thirsty Lord. Or perhaps he'd be a fool and think a humble Apprentice had no idea of what Naniti spoke. The former would win. The ship should began to reorient itself in an effort to combat

Ronhar Tane 's own attempt at deflection.

She stepped twice as fast to exit the command deck with the rest, especially alongside

Lysander von Ascania . "Ever played snooker?" she abruptly asked. Nothing quite like it when you used capital ships as balls on a table. It was all about the right angle, the right spin, the right force... Such precision for the greatest, and subtlest effect.

As the Acolytes gathered, Naniti didn't look back at them. She could feel them using her montrals. Some of them might not even return alive, and those faces certainly weren't worth committing to memory. It was a sad fact that while she possessed an ability to cheat, she couldn't outpace every conceivable outcome. People still died. The important thing was whether the right people died.

Now, it was time to go. To mount the shuttles. Take to space. Descend through fire and deliver chaos to those anxiously awaiting their arrival. Naniti looked forward to it. There were a few new group battle formations and techniques she wanted to try out. Wouldn't be a better time or place.

Arris Windrun · Mar 7, 2026

Priesse Namada

Arris Windrun, en route to the hangar, stumbled as the entire ship violently quaked. It seemed the Hellmouth impacted an enemy flagship, and their weapons now unleashed a fury of firepower against the Sith battlecruiser. Its standard deflector shields were no match for that kind of concentrated barrage -- let alone the power crystal.

However, that was where the Hellmouth's molecular shielding came into play. Capable of withstanding tremendous firepower (though it, too, was destined to be overwhelmed eventually) was only one strength. Its other strength: the ability to absorb and redirect energy-based attacks back into the warship's power cycle. The power crystal, the turoblasers, and even the ion cannons rapidly fed the Hellmouth.

The skeleton crew of technicians and die-hard graspborn officers powered down all of the warship's weapons and redirected the power surge into the engines, pushing them past once theoretical limits of potential thrust, in what may have very well been a new galactic record for a ship of its class.

Designed to slice through capital ships even twice its size, perhaps the command staff of the Collateral Star would realize the error of their risk-averse strategy. By feeding the Hellmouth anything weaker than the depths of its main superstructure, they all but assured one of two likely fates.

The first being that the Hellmouth carved through the bow of the ship, before smashing through the gate in short order.

The second? The Hellmouth wedged deep within their hull, plowing the Collateral Star into the shield gate with it. Unlikely that the Collateral Star could exceed the battlecruiser's thrust-to-mass ratio even before the power boost in that event.

On Naniti's advice, the extra thrust was fired at an uncannily specific mark to maximize its angle against a weakpoint, and (perhaps luckily for them) the Hellmouth merely scraped across the top of the Disruptor-class at the last possible moment.

Even as projectile attacks and lucky missiles dented, melted, and carved across the mighty battlecruiser's armored hull, the Sith warship's destiny was ever forward. Finally, what was left of the shields was shifted solely to protect the engines as best they could.

Arris entered the dropship behind Mercy and looked at her fellow Triumvir as they departed into the black.

"Any last words? In case we die."

Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory · Monday at 4:24 PM

		
TAG TIC: 
			 
		Marlon Sularen
 | 
			 
		Priesse Namada
 | 
			 
		Defender of Order
 | 
			 
		Ronhar Tane

TAG TSC: 
			 
		Arris Windrun
 | 
			 
		Mercy

What in the Lord of Hunger's name was happening, why was that battlecruiser just continuing on its path towards the Collateral Star? these were questions that were plaguing Amalia's mind when she could view exactly what was going on when with a thunderous roar, the Crow Fleet Finally entered the system.

The two Claymore class battlecarriers she had brought alongside the now uncloaking and quite imposing Gluttoneria super battlecruiser were already all hands on deck, sending out all of the TIE/vultures  they had in their hangar bays. With little to no forward preparation, these were the only starfighters that were quickly available in massive numbers to fill up the two claymores, the Gluttoneria had the advantage of having a fully assigned contingent of its own, meaning it could be more flexible with or without a scramble order being sent.

The two Tyrant supression cruisers were the first to act with their weaponry, aiming to attempt to throw their full might in the form of two full volleys of RP-1CM cluster missiles towards the Hellmouth, all in the hope of trying to force it to turn, or shatter or veer off...anything but maintaining the course it was taking at this instant. The Tie/vultures in the meantime were ordered to screen the Hellmouth's support ships and any vessel attempting to depart from the battlecruiser.

"Admiral Zonill...please respond," The governor's voice was slightly stressed, but firm. She hoped the fleet admiral had at the very least made arrangements to disembark if the need was highest. "I'll have the Gluttoneria prime its apollyons...do not make a stupid decision, do not sacrifice the Collateral star..."

TAG: 
			 
		 Marlon Sularen
 | 
			 
		 Ronhar Tane
 | 
			 
		 Arris Windrun
 | 
			 
		 Mercy
 | @open

​

Vilissa Pormenn · Wednesday at 11:04 PM

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